The marketing wheel gets another spin (pointer 6)

The marketing wheel is up for spinning. 

Let's SPIN!

And it's landed on...

Okay, so before I give you the actual wording that describes the strategy, the pointy pointer on the wheel has landed on, let me give you a specific way I'd like to introduce it.  

"Creeping separateness"

That's the phrase, or the two word sentence, that perfectly describes many relationships, both personal and in business. 

And that creeping separateness occurs mainly because there's only a little amount of talking or communication going on. And that's spread over a long period of time.

• There's only small doses of happy, encouraging, uplifting conversations going on.
• There's little amounts of fresh, new, invitingly open subject matters being talked about.
• There's very little truth telling going on.
• And there's definitely a whole lot of 'I don't know what to say' going on.

And so there's a strategy that'll fix plenty for you.

If you haven't clocked on already, the strategy is called...

Continuous Conversations. 

Now the way to have this demonstrated in a clear and constructive way, is for you to think about your closest friends.

Let me ask you this about them; do you only speak and communicate to them on the off chance, or in an out the the blue moment when something smacks the side of your head to do so?  

Or, are you more likely to connect and speak on a more frequent basis. And I mean, like nearly almost everyday, or even multiple times a day! Or if not that, at least once a week? 

And yet, for your business, your interactions with your customers and subscribers (for the majority of businesses) are most likely left to chance, or to when the feeling is right, or to when you have to sell something.

That's not right, is it?

Communications aren't only reserved and made when you want money.

Yet most owners act and behave exactly like that to the people who are actually the key assets in any business. 

The customers! 

Now we all love to be sold, that's because we love to buy and own things. 

Material things. 

Fancy things.

Non fancy things.

Other things we probably don't even need, or will use to any great degree or length.   

You name it, we probably want it.

And yet, we still want to be pleasurably sold to and have a good experience about it all. 

What we don't want is we don't want to be beaten mercilessly in the head via every single communication that leads with -- sales, sales sales. 

And like hearing it or not, but that's the mad mantra of the deluded Owner who's probably got some interest in creating a flourishing business based on deep connected relationships with their customers, but... act and behave in the most absurd and opposite ways to that. 

So let's make this pragmatic and practical so you can see that there's no particular magic or mystery to any of this:

What can you communicate to your customers and subscribers, about?

How about...

• The latest news happening in your business
• The latest thoughts and ideas going on in the minds of the business and owners
• Stories in the news that you can link and transition back into your business.
• How a customer got a fabulous result with your product or service
• Announcement of a free gift
• Search out what they are, then communicate about the different 'days of the year', around the world. For example 'be kind day, meat free day, grandparents day', take a child to work day, bike riding day, etc. Why not create your own 'day' of the year for your own business!
• Talk about the various sporting events of the month, and pick a theme that you think will be of interest to your audience.
• The new competition you're running.

Frankly, and the good news about it is, the list of things to talk and communicate about is... literally endless. It's EXACTLY THAT.

And something else...

Whether you realise it or not, whether you believe it or not, all businesses are in the relationship building and entertainment business. 

A diabolical assumption?

Not at all. 

Because think about the businesses you buy from. 

I'm primarily talking about the one's you like the best, or where you have glorious good things to say about them. Those are the one's that most likely have a good relationship with you, and that they do things in a way most others, don't.

And what I should also say that there are probably very few businesses that make it on that very short list of yours because frankly, majority of businesses are plain vanilla mediocre and lack personality, both in person and in print. 

Now what all this means for you is if you want long term value and stability, a business that's embedded with certainty based equity... then... what you must do is to map out a continuous communication programme for your business.

Plan for a week. Then the month. Then, when you're in the groove, plan out your year's communication plan.

Because no matter what's going on with the economy, with your marketplace, with the regulations and red tape, the evidence and facts are that if you've a strong relationship with your customers and subscribers, they'll see to it that you'll never be suffering from a money and cashflow point of view... all because you've shown a continuous and sincere interest in them.

Now that's what continuous communications will do, for both you and your customers!

Okay. The deadline's up. 

Tune in again for your next marketing money wheel goodness. 

Don't ever be lost😵in the marketing and business maze, ever again. Get the Continuous Communication route finder for your business, right here

        

Don't Lockdown Your Marketing, Your Thinking, Your Ability to Create. DO Lockdown and isolate away from the nitwits, nutcases and trumpeteers of doom and gloom

Who knows the REAL thinking behind the economy shutting down for vast periods. 

Thinking, presumably made by those who know what they're doing.

They actually do NOT know what they're doing. 

And if you want a proper education on the Lockdown and mask wearing subject matter, don't hit the mainstream media or listen to blockheads in government or science. Study and listen attentively to someone like Ken McCarthy. 

And if you don't know who he is and you use the Internet, email, and video to market, then hear the brains behind it all, he gave the first EVER conference on the web - and now more importantly, the info and evidence he's built up about false Fauci and the REAL story behind lockdown, will challenge your news media infested and now probably sedated, mind.  https://kenmccarthy.com/blog/lockdowns-are-murder 

Now, what are you doing about your marketing and promotional efforts in this hysteria infested time?

Are you stopping advertising?

Are you stopping marketing?

Are you thinking people don't have money to buy products and services?

Well, and this is proven throughout the decades, that when there's an economic bomb being detonated, or a country or continent slinking into Depression, when there's a glut and lengthy suppression of any kind, people's propensity for escape and relief, for rescuing and respite from the current situation... 

... people's levels of wanting to escape from it all is high, very very high indeed.

And with this economic murder that's currently been committed (and Ken McCarthy mentioned above, and the people and video footage he's curated about it all, is much better, much wiser, and can explain things much better than I can on this matter)... many people's appetite for wanting to escape the madness is higher than for anything else.

And that means...

People love to buy in such a scenario. Just look at the online education market, look at the exercise and nutrition sectors, look at the coaching and therapy fields... they're BOOMING! 

Of course, not all sectors and not all people fit into the above situation. 

And yet, if you're closing off your marketing, if you're not investing in communications and messages that actually brings joy, entertainment, excitement and a real message of encouragement and happiness... 

.. if you're not doing any of that, or aren't doing it often enough, then you're missing out on the biggest relationship and connection you can ever make with your audience or marketplace. 

People WANT to buy. 

They really do.        

But, they want a real voice of reason, refreshing sanity, and someone who is reassuringly upbeat because of the way they see life. 

Why not be THAT for them?

But if you're not making it easy for them... if you're not doing enough to make them smile, to make them feel good about themselves...if you're not presenting them with a number of irresistible offers on a regular and ongoing basis, then you're missing out on a succession of fat paydays.

Don't buy into the lockdown gloom and doom most around you are probably invested in. 

Buy into the idea that there are businesses and categories that are raking it in. Who are actually UPPING the ante on creating and investing MORE in marketing and advertising. 

And as WORDS are your sales team and as they're your passport to help you get the things you want, help you get to enjoy what the money can do for you, what it can bring to you, what you can enjoy and experience...

...you then want to ensure that you haven't got a lockdown minded soul writing and creating your communications. 

Beware the lockdown crazies, in all their forms. 

It's easy to be infected by that kind of mind, lockdown or no lockdown.   

http://rajahireker.com/whythehell.pdf

                     

The VALUE Lie

Here's an email, received today, 4th April.

---------

Spring Sale Starts This Weekend

Dear Valued Customer,

I thought I would take the time to let you know our Spring Sale starts this weekend. We have some mouth-watering special offers on new orders and some end of line showroom clearance models that offer fantastic value for money We do hope to have the pleasure of seeing you in our store in the near future   Regards XXXXXXXXXXXXX The Director ------------   Now I receive a mail from this Furniture and Design company, maybe three times a year... whenever they have a sale and want money.   So I ask myself the question ;    How valued AM I, when all I receive is a boringly written, 'we've a sale' email?   Pathetic, really. And make note of the language - for example -  "I thought I would take the time to let you know our Spring Sale starts this weekend"...   I mean, who cares? Who really cares if THEY Have taken the time to tell us that they've a sale on.   It's as if they're doing me a special favour to interrupt my life to let me know there's a sale, because they want money.    How boring, bland and horribly typical of most businesses to communicate in such a non valuable way!   It's all about THEM.   How different would it be if I was told something like...    Dear Valued Customer,   Looking at our past records, it looks like your last purchase was a XXXXXXX. We hope you we're really thrilled with your XXXXXXXXXXXXXX and it's given you so much pleasure since buying.   I wanted to write to let you know that we've actually overstocked on a range that's really quite complementary to your previous purchase and so because of that, we wanted to invite you to a special viewing for our VIP customers.   If you bring this email with you on XXXXXX and you decide that you'd like to purchase anything you see on the evening, we'd love to give you a special 25% VIP saving, as well as giving you an extra special gift just for coming along.   We'd really love to see you on XXXXXXXXXXXX   Does something like that communication make you feel more valued than the first email?   Is it more inviting, more appealing, more chance of you coming to the store and buying, then the first communication?    Well, it's that VERY DIFFERENCE in the written communication that makes ALL the difference in sales, profits, in having continual happy delighted customers.   Alas, although most business have great products and services, they're woefully inept at communicating in a way that makes the customer value what's on offer, that makes the customer feel valued, appreciated and acknowledged.   www.RajaHireker.com

Fix The PRODUCT LIES And HYPE And You'll Fix Bad Marketing Karma

With $10m a year in sales in his current business, Anik Singal, reveals that his fortune is based on a SPECIFIC marketing tool, email.

AND he goes on to suggest that it's easy to create a successful business based on his simple email business model, something that anyone can follow. 

He proclaims that it's easy to get a 40% opt-in rate compared of course, to the 50 or 60% he gets on his opt-in pages, thanks no doubt to very expensive, and accurate analytical information to create such wizardry.

He goes on to display a financial model where he shares that it's pretty simple to get 125 subscribers a month, and then 250 subscribers the next month, etc, majority by free traffic methods.

And, he goes on to tell that when you get those subscribers it's the automation and technology that takes over by having your emails sent out in a timed and on a sequential basis, with the money being made in selling those subscribers via a link in an email to a product, ones own product, or an affiliate product.

However...

Here's the 'drive through so you can't detect it line' in his promotion product launch for the product.

You just quickly write a few lines in your emails which then drives subscribers to buy...

DON'T MAKE THIS ERROR OF JUDGEMENT - DON'T BE FOOLED BY ANY MADMAN TELLING YOU THAT IT'S EASY TO WRITE A FEW SIMPLE EMAILS (or write any promotional message that doesn't require a brain) AND YOU'LL EARN A FORTUNE.

MEDIA IS MEDIA IS MEDIA

What does that mean?

It means WHATEVER media you use; email, direct mail, postcards, sales-letters, printed adverts, video, Fax... whatever you use to make sales or to get a response in some way, the COPY, the words you use, what you say, how you say what you say, is CRUCIAL to the response you receive.

You CANNOT send a blank email and expect RESULTS that will build your business up to $10m a year. You've got to KNOW what you're writing INSIDE that email -- or other media.

The WRITING is the KEY ASSET and NOT so much the media. That's because you can transfer the advertising or communication message from one media to the next.

And, it certainly DOESN'T come by quickly writing a few simple lines.

Naturally of course, Singal would rather you didn't dig too much into that idea that the WRITING isn't anything too complicated, because he's selling a BUSINESS SYSTEM that works on a very simple formula that he's using to generate huge numbers so... you can too... and he'd rather you didn't see the joins!

(KEY: He has most likely paid expensive direct response copywriters a fat amount to create the various SELLING MESSAGES in the variety of media used in the launch. And, he'll most likely sell a ton of stuff to dreamers, hopers... the emotional NON DOERS who are magnet to hype and the promise of the 'easy-button-life', formula)          

I had to carefully think, strategise and plan when creating a series of promotions that were read and then acted on by thousands of customers who then generated (as of this writing) 6 million pounds in sales for clients of the service.

I did NOT simply skip by it and leave the writing of the promotions to guesswork, chance or the tooth fairy. I had to put myself and the promotions through a structured process and plan. I had to choose the most appropriate words, whilst putting the whole series of promotions into context.

It takes WORK. And, not some magic-push button formula that does everything for you.      

Never forget it; the ability to write a compelling and responsive sales message - NO MATTER WHAT THE MEDIA FORMAT - is the KEY ASSET in ANY BUSINESS.    

www.IReallyWantMarketingHelp.com

OPTICAL EXPRESS -- Sloppy, Confused Text Communication Marketing

You would think BIG companies would hire 'marketing people' who know how to think, how to structure a simple communication.

SADLY, it generally seems to be the case that the BIGGER the company, the DUMBER they are.

Here's a mobile marketing message received, today, 7, Jan 2014 at 12.16pm London time, from OPTICAL EXPRESS;

Are you the laser eye surgery winner?
Reply EYES to enter at standard text cost.
Draw entry free. To opt out reply STOP.
+HappyNewYou

To me, the opening suggests I've ALREADY been entered, and, their opening question would then lead to let me know what to do next to find out IF I am the winner.

But no.

They're now asking me to ENTER the competition!

Mixed messages cause confusion.

In the recipient's mind. As well as thinking how confused the sender, is. (Which consciously or unconsciously, has one thinking if the service or product to be delivered, will also be a catalogue of mixed confusion as well)

It would have been a more congruent message all round if the simple line;

Could you be the laser eye surgery winner? ... was written.

And how about the line  -- Draw entry free.

That could be made better, more fluid, more pleasing to the eye by saying... FREE to enter.


And how about the HappyNewYou ending?

How about a timely Happy New Year, instead. 

Simple words, structured well, matter. A LOT.

However, it's the thinking that precedes the action so THAT'S what needs fixing.

Don't settle for incompetent, sloppy, cant-be-bothered advertising and marketing in YOUR business, no matter what size it is, no matter how profitable you currently are. It WILL cost you sales and customers.

www.IReallyWantMarketingHelp.com 
 

Don't Make Any of These 10 Dumb Direct Mail Blunders

Majority of businesses have NOT communicated to their prospects, customers, clients or patients, via direct mail.

Really BIG mistake.

Why?

Because, a personal direct mail letter slices through the online clutter place like a hot knife searing through a slab of rock-hard butter.

It's a time where, one on one, you can intimately 'speak' to your reader WITHOUT any of the usual online babble that accompanies you anytime you connect online.

The distractions are plenty.

Now once you know WHO your audience or the target market is and you'd like to connect with them using direct mail, it's not necessarily true that if you use direct mail, you'll be successful.

That's because...

Most direct mail is literally, junk.

Strategised and written by lazy, inept marketers and 'copywriters' who strive to pick up the gong for the best waste of effort put in.

You could have the best CRM system, the best quality data, the best direct mail fulfilment house, the best project manager, yet, if the direct mail communication doesn't hit the emotional sweet spot of your audience, you can kiss all that investment, toodle bye.

Want solid results from your direct mail communications?

Then don't make any of these 10 dumb, direct mail blunders.

1. Don't NOT know whom you're writing to. Even worse, don't put the incredibly daft and stupid; 'Dear Sir or Madam.'  Know your audience. Know everything there is to know about them.

2. Don't NOT have an irresistible offer. Make the best offer you can make, one that has your audience, drooling.

3. Don't NOT speak in a conversational tone. People respond to people who write like they talk. If you insist on being lofty, pompous and superior in your communications, you may as well tell your audience to use your mailings as toilet paper.

4. Don't NOT engage and connect. Most direct mail is flat, deadly dull and devastatingly boring. There's no life, no connection and no need to respond to the communication.

5. Don't NOT focus on the money. If you want your direct mail piece to be the talk of the town, to be recognised amongst your peers as being a wonderful communication piece, to receive awards, prestige and acclaim... but... it fails to sell anything where money is exchanged, start all over by doing the 100% opposite to what got you into the mess in the first place.

6. Don't NOT have a deadline for responding. If you insist on leaving your offer open forever, guess what; hardly anyone will respond because -- there's NO reason given as to why one should respond by such and such date.

7. Don't NOT give REASONS why. Tell why you're offering what you're offering. Tell why it's a great deal. Tell why it's so valuable. Tell why they should buy. Tell why they'll end up losing if they don't make a purchase. Tell 'em... why...

8. Don't NOT tell your full story. The more you tell, the more you sell. Don't believe the stupid and insane who say people haven't got time to read. (It's generally the lazy and incompetent marketing 'pro' who sells you on that bunch of folly and foolishness) If you've got something that's of tremendous value and will bring relief, savings, joy, happiness, less stress... people will want to know all about it... especially if it fixes something they've spent an age trying to fix or get sorted... and... if you make it interesting, compelling, a breeze to read and order, they'll buy.

9. Don't NOT make it easy for people to order. If you want sales to happen, don't make things complicated. Don't make things complex. Don't have people jump through multiple hoops in order to give you money. Make the ordering process seamless and smooth. Make doing business with you a joy and a pleasure.

10. Don't NOT follow up a direct mail letter with ANOTHER letter thanking customers for the order and, if they'd like to buy something else from you... and oh, here's the letter that'll tell you all about it.    

Mastering Direct Mail communications is a skill like any other skill. It has to be learned and then, implemented. HOW you learn it, is crucial. How you then apply that knowledge, is vital.

The solution to pretty much ANY problem, is a well-written sales letter.

If you want breakthrough business and personal success, master direct mail communications.

You have read 10 dumb direct mail blunders many make (at least) with their direct mail communications.  Pay attention to them. Get those in your marketing department to pay attention to them by... NOT doing them!

(If you're a serious business owner, entrepreneur or marketing professional and are obsessed about growth and profits, I invite you register for a copy of my Direct Response Marketing Report, which you will find at www.RajaHireker.com . But please don't request it if you're 100% completely happy with your sales, your profits, the way your marketing communications are working for you.)