Every once in a while,
I’ll run a Third Time The Charm contest
on my writing site.
Any reader entering 3 contests in the past
is eligible to win.
As entrants don’t have to do anything,
the winners are always surprised.
Of all the readers I’ve dealt with
this group is the happiest.
Suprise is powerful.
It is even more powerful
when there is no additional work required.
Drew’s Marketing Minute
has a great post
on how Disney uses the power of surprise.
Jeff Widman has a great post
on expanding your customer base
by adding channels.
I agree
but with a caution.
Channels added should synch up
with the products.
I was told
I should add podcasts and book trailers.
Why?
I’m selling the written word
and there are plenty of
written word friendly channels
I have yet to explore.
I am more likely to find readers there.
I have no problem
with other bloggers borrowing
this crazy style of posting,
as long as they realize two things.
It irritates some people
(and those people won’t ever be your readers)
but most of all…
It irritates Google.
I get almost no Google traffic.
I didn’t get much Google traffic
back in the RoadToForbes days
and I continue
to not get Google traffic now.
All my readers are here
because another human being
told them about the site.
If you, as a blogger,
can live with that,
go ahead.
I wasn’t the first
(nothing I do or write is original)
and I won’t be the last.
I write romance for a small press publisher.
Buyers of small press novels
are looking for a different read.
They are looking for indie authors.
They are NOT looking for slick.
So when I send my emails,
they are not slick.
They don’t have high quality graphics.
They don’t have any graphics.
The wording is very personal
and chatty.
They are similar to the emails
you receive from friends.
They are also very effective.
I enjoy a much higher response rate
than other authors.
Just because the tools are there,
and you know how to use them,
doesn’t mean you should.
I was chatting with a copywriter
specializing in radio
about tracking the effectiveness of marketing.
The easiest way with radio promotions
is to add a coupon code.
As listeners are often driving,
they won’t write down this code.
It has to be remembered.
How to achieve that?
Make the code visual.
Instead of using 3956,
use apple,
a word listeners can picture.
He also asked me to remind readers
that if they are NOT a professional copywriter,
do NOT write their own copy.
Include the cost of copy
in with the media buy.
I’m organizing a promotion
for fiction authors
(romance heavy).
I have 61 spots to fill.
I know many, many authors,
most of them very nice people.
The authors I’m asking though,
are also promo bunnies.
They have helped me with promos
or I’ve seen them working the promos hard.
I know they will do the same
to make this promotion a success.
Brian Tracy posts
“One of the biggest mistakes
people make when they begin networking
is scattering their time and energy indiscriminately,
and spending their time
with people who can be of no help at all.”
If you want to be in
a quality network,
be helpful.
If you want success,
fill your network
with people who can help you.
Seth Godin had a great post
about only linking to good ideas.
He admits to minor conflicts of interest.
I’ll admit to major conflicts of interest.
I link and promote people and products
I know and like.
I’ll read a great book
but before I mention that book to others,
I’ll contact the author.
If the author responses nicely,
I’ll promote her.
If she is nasty or doesn’t respond,
I won’t
(unless she is dead).
Does her response change the book?
No
but there are plenty of great books out there,
I want to like the people or businesses
I promote.
An author cautioned
loop members
that using humor in marketing
can offend people.
Okay.
All marketing offends someone,
especially marketing that gets remembered.
Your business is not to make
everyone happy.
Your business is to make
your customer happy.
If your customer is everyone,
THEN you have a challenge.
I got a good laugh
at an announcement
for the deli in
Fry’s Electronics.
They announced
“A healthy sandwich,
a bag of chips,
and a beverage
for $5.99.”
Healthy Sandwich + Bag Of Chips = Mixed Message
Mixed messages are a waste of advertising.
Either a lunch is healthy
(a powerless word)
or it is not.
Take a stand.
Seth Godin posted
a timely reminder that
success takes time.
Very few businesses, products, people
are successful
right away.
Success takes months, years, decades.
This is beneficial
as every rung on the ladder of success
comes with its own challenges.
It would be difficult to tackle them
all at once.
Be patient.
Concentrate on
delivering a consistently great product,
marketing, promoting, and selling daily.