Tag: Marketing

Early Bird Specials

When I was younger,
I would make jokes
about seniors
and early bird specials.
I didn’t understand
why older people ate dinner
so early.

I was missing a key component.
I didn’t realize
that our night vision degrades
as we get older.

Older people don’t necessarily
WANT to eat at 4pm.
They HAVE to eat then.
If they plan to drive
to and from the restaurant,
the sun has to be shining
when they leave.

They’ve changed their schedules
to accommodate this restriction.

If a large group of people
says or does the same thing
and
we don’t understand
why anyone would ever
say or do that,
we are likely missing
a key component
influencing that choice.

Uncover that component.
It could mean the difference
between success and failure
with that demographic.

Going Big

One of the highest profile booths
at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show
in Vegas
was the Satisfyer Booth.

This sexual wellness company
gave out full sized samples
of their newest products
to EVERYONE who lined up
for their booth.

This was a huge marketing investment,
even with the lower attendance,
yet I suspect the buzz
paid off.
They were the most talked about company
at the show
based on my observations.

I also suspect that buzz will last.
Their products are awesome.
Most people who try them
will love them
and likely talk about them.

Going big with marketing
IS a risk
but this risk can pay off.

Surprises And Scams

Don’t ‘surprise’ people
with a delivery
that has to be signed for.

That is a common scam.
The ‘delivery people’ then ask for
additional information.

Or the signature is on
a bill,
not on a proof of delivery.
The ‘delivery people’
are counting on the receiver
not taking the time
to read the information.

Surprise deliveries
add stress,
not joy,
to a person’s life.

Don’t surprise people
with signed deliveries.

Halloween And Masks

It is 2021.
We ALL have masks.

And some of us
have absolutely awesome masks.
I saw a toddler
wearing a shark mask
yesterday.
She was adorable.

Today is Halloween,
a day for dressing up,
for pretending,
for wearing awesome masks.

If you want an easy,
last minute marketing idea
to make today special
and fun
for customers
and other partners,
encourage people
to wear their wildest
or their most beautiful
or their most awesome mask.

Put a smile
on those masked faces.

The Hot Gifts List

I bought several things
as gifts
for loved ones
merely because
they were on a Trendy Gifts
for Christmas 2021 list.

These loved ones
have everything they need
but they might, just might
not yet have the hot, newest thing.

You are the expert
in your niche.
You likely know
what the trends are.

Use that knowledge
to gain the trust
of prospects.

Craft a Hot Gifts List
for your niche.

Ensure your product or service
is mentioned somewhere.
Link to other businesses’ products/services
(use an affiliate link
if at all possible).

Post that list on your website, blog,
social media, newsletter.

Your customers will thank you
and you will be viewed as an expert.

Craft a Hot Gifts List
for your niche.

Increasing Sales By Changing The Feelings Invoked

Great Romance Novels have superbly-crafted plots.
They have unique, wonderful characters.

But, most importantly,
great Romance Novels invoke strong emotions
in readers
(customers).

THAT is what readers
are buying
– the emotions,
the way they feel
while reading the back cover copy
(the marketing),
while looking at the cover
(the packaging),
while enjoying the story
(the product).

If writers
(business builders)
want to reach
a different audience
(a different target market),
an easy way
to do this
is by changing the feelings
their stories
(products)
create in readers.

As Seth Godin
shares,
when people approach
a product or service,
they experience
“Feelings first,
then they create a story.
Facts come in third.

If our goal
is to help people
make better choices,
it helps to first
create better feelings.”

If you want to change
your target market,
consider changing
the feelings your product/service
invokes in people.

Marketing Bursts

With climate change accelerating,
natural disasters will happen
more and more frequently.

Promoting during a natural disaster
is highly risky.
It is more likely
to repel prospects
than attract them.

I’m designing my marketing
for short flexible bursts
of activity.
I’ll promote like hell
during ‘good’ times
and go quiet
during ‘bad’ times.

This means I prefer shorter lead times
with marketing partners.
I book promotion
for the next day,
not the next month.

For promotion with longer lead times,
I ensure I have the ability
to cancel that promotion.

I also try to have platforms
I can control,
platforms I can promote on
during the same day.

Consider marketing bursts
and building flexibility
into your marketing.

Don’t Ask Why

In
Ed Brodow’s
Negotiation Boot Camp,
he advises
avoiding the word ‘why.’
Instead use ‘how come.’

Why?

“If I ask you,
‘Why do you feel this way?’
you may interpret my question
as an attack.
or a value judgment.
What you may hear is,
‘You must be out of your mind
to feel this way.’
Using the more neutral
‘how come’
softens the impact of the question.
It is no longer a question,
it’s just a simple question.”

Tricking Your Customers

Publishers and publicists
often email me sales sheets
for their upcoming releases.
If I’m interested in the romance novel,
they’ll send it to me
and I review it.

Sometimes the sales sheet is designed to trick.
I say I don’t review paranormals
so it will neglect to mention the hero is a vampire
(although it is obvious first page
that he is).

That’s fine.
Usually I’ll review the novel.
Then I never, ever accept a book
from that contact again.

Customers aren’t dumb
and no one likes being lied to.
Save the tricks for Halloween.

Why We Should Be Hopeful

The media is focusing on
the gloom and doom.
They may be right.
There may be a legit reason to be worried.

But when the big guns are promoting one emotion
(fear),
there is always a marketing opportunity
for small business
to promote the opposite
(hope).

Now, I’m not saying
stand up and say the economy is going to be fine
when no one thinks it will be.
That’ll make you look like an ignorant jack a$$

What I’m suggesting is
focusing on the positives
in
other areas.

For example:

On reader loops,
a lot of people are talking about the economy.
Heavy, depressing, tiring stuff.

I, instead, talk about the great books
I’ve read recently.

This positive promotion makes me stand out.