Jim Connolly Marketing

Is your business one of the 50% that prospects now avoid? Probably!

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Anti AI, Avoid AI business, Business AI content, AI pushback

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com

Are you getting fewer and fewer customer enquiries? Did you assume it’s mostly down to the economy? 

It’s entirely possible that most, or almost all of this, is because half your prospects are now eager to avoid you.

This is big.

Let’s go!

As everyone reading this will have noticed, posts on LinkedIn have started to sound increasingly familiar. The same is true of the messages you see on social platforms and even in flyers. 

As you know, this is down to the mainstream use of AI for content and copy. Most of you will be using it, as small business owners were very early adopters.

I recommend you stop.

Here’s why.

Deep, dangerous camouflage

Regular readers will know that when small business owners in the same industry offer a similar range of services, charged similar prices, etc., it camouflages them. In short: they sound so similar, that none stood out.

THIS IS SO MUCH WORSE!

Around a year ago, the camouflage became even worse for their business. And in the past few months, it’s become full-on dangerous.

That’s because just as you quickly spot content written by AI, so can your prospects. You no longer offer similar(ish) services, prices, etc., to your competitors you offer them with an AI voice, just like they do.

Danger?

No. DEEP danger!

You, your business and your services have now relocated into the AI bucket. This bucket contains businesses of every stripe, which consumers identify as sounding familiar to each other. You’re in there with pest control, accountancy, roofing, web design, bars… everything giving off that familiar messaging signal.

Why is this massive problem getting even worse?

50%, (and growing) of prospects will avoid you

For around a year, AI marketing messaging was a minority thing. As usage increased, people started to look out for it. Now, we’re unconsciously looking for ‘tells’ whenever we read content. We’re spotting it, without even trying.

We’re also witnessing a huge, and growing, AI pushback. In March, an AI survey from Gartner found 68% of people frequently wonder whether the AI content and information they see is real! Your prospects simply do not trust it.

And in that same survey above, 50% of people said they prefer NOT to give their business to brands using it. This number is growing.

As I wrote recently, on it’s own, AI content (not copywriting) looks okay. It reads fine, too. That’s why millions and millions of small business owners use it daily. And no one ever thinks THEIR AI copy looks like AI. After all, they edited it. Probably unaware EVERYONE edits it.

Here’s the thing: AI copy is everywhere, always with that familiarity… it’s putting your business into a group that’s being avoided. It’s causing prospects to consider if what you’re saying is even real.

It’s your decision, but I recommend you get out of that group.

Keep your messaging human.

Use AI where it works for you, turning a 1-hour boring task into a 10-second breeze.

But for goodness sake, make your connection with your marketplace human and trusted. That’s where the GROWING demand is.

Stop: Don’t hide the bad stuff

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marketing tips, small print, fine print

Photo by Francisco De Legarreta C.

You’re reading about a product or service.

It sounds amazing.

Then you spot it!

You spot the dreaded *asterisk. And your heart sinks.

You know you’re about to be disappointed. You’re about to discover the exclusions, restrictions, omissions and conditions, which means that offer isn’t as good as they said it was.

They could have told you the truth without hiding it behind the asterisk. However, they deliberately chose not to. They intentionally concealed it from you, hoping you wouldn’t dig deeper. And in a split second, they’ve totally changed how you feel about them.

You wonder what else they’re hiding from you.

Your guard is up.

Your trust is diminished. Perhaps totally diminished.

The asterisk risk

If a business owner feels they need to hide something behind an asterisk, there are always better alternatives.

The most effective alternative, is to make the product or service as good as you said. This eliminates the need for an asterisk. Plus, it simultaneously pumps more value into your offering, making it more attractive and giving you a huge competitive advantage.

Another powerful alternative is to openly state, in honest and clear language, exactly what you’re offering. And include whatever would have been behind the asterisk, out in the open. Here’s an example of what that could look like.

Imagine it’s an introductory deal, offering your service at a reduced price for the first 3 months. Rather than quote the introductory price (and hide the fact it increases after 3 months, behind an asterisk), tell them up front. Let people know that you’re so confident they’ll love your service, you’re offering it at a super-low discount, so they can discover for themselves, why it’s outstanding value at the regular price.

There’s another reason for adopting a transparent approach to your marketing.

And it’s a biggie, too.

Social networks give your prospects a powerful voice. That voice can either be used to tell everyone how great you are, or how disappointed they are. Thankfully, you get to choose the kind of experience that’s being shared.

Not only does transparency start to work immediately, it’s also a proven way to build an outstanding reputation in the long-term.

Follow-up: Increase conversion rates up to 80%

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Marketing, follow-up, following up customer

Photo: David McElwee

I’d like to share a way for you to quickly improve your sales conversion rates by up to 80%. All with a simple adjustment to your follow-up process.

When I say the adjustment is simple, it really is. However, right now, you may find it tricky. So, I’m going to show you what the adjustment is, then how to make it a simple process.

It starts with some data.

According to data from Sopro, “Sending three follow-up emails can increase your success rate by over 80%“.

There are lots of similar studies and all of them show very impressive results. The number of follow-ups changes and the success percentage changes, depending on your industry, etc. One thing is crystal clear though: if we follow-up enough times, our results will improve and the improvement will be considerable.

What stops most businesses from following-up often enough?

In my conversations with small business owners, it’s mostly down to 2 things.

  • Not wanting to be seen as a nuisance.
  • Not having a follow-up structure in place. When it’s random, confidence drops. I’ll show you a simple follow-up structure in a moment.

We’re not being a nuisance when we follow-up

When we follow-up on a prospect’s interest, we’re helping them avoid missing out. Our services or products are important enough for them to have responded to us or to have contacted us for information.

However, after a few days, our prospect has probably forgotten our email. They’ve had urgent requests from their customers, urgent meetings to attend… just like you and me. Yes, it’s important to them. But people’s attention is focused on the urgent, far more than the important.

How do we get the follow-up right?

Develop a follow-up structure

Here’s a simple framework that you can adjust to suit you and your business.

In general, I recommend you follow-up at least 3 times, 5 working days apart.

Use different send times.

  • Send 1 in the morning.
  • 1 at lunchtime.
  • 1 later in the afternoon.

Why?

Different people have different times of the day when they’re busiest. By following-up at 3 different times, we ensure hitting their optimal time at least once.

A few notes

You can follow-up using different platforms. Email, phone or social media can all work great. It can be very effective to use at least 2 different forms of contact.

When following-up, it’s important not to say sorry for interrupting them! You’re not an interruption. You’re a professional who wants to help and do what’s best for the prospect. Only amateurs let things fizzle out.

No prospect is the same every time you contact them. They have times when their cash flow is a problem. They also have times when their cash situation is excellent. They have times when they feel anxious. They have times when they feel confident. You get the idea. Only by putting a follow-up strategy in place do you stand the best chance of catching their attention at the right time.

Before you decide not to give this a try, consider this. How many new clients or additional sales have you been 1 follow-up away from over the years?

A personal note: I discovered this the hard way. I used to only follow-up once or twice. I then discovered the difference it can make to follow-up at least 3 times. I’d been in business 2-years back then and it lost me a fortune.

This marketing gets opened 100% of the time

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marketing letters, mail marketing

Today you will be served thousands of advertisements. You’ll also be sent dozens of spam emails and texts. And one thing they all have in common is that you will ignore them.

But a targeted letter, sent to you, in a plain envelope (no branding of any kind), which addresses you by name, WILL get opened. If your name and address are handwritten on the envelope, the odds on you opening it are pretty-much 100%.

It will have your attention. And this is great news for you and your business.

Pushing the envelope

If you send a marketing letter like the example above, you will enjoy the same impact. Your message will be seen. And you’ll have the attention of your prospective client or customer. This includes those hard to reach prospects, who have previously ignored your outreach attempts. Just think about that for a moment. 

As long as your message is well written and provides them with something of value, you now have your best opportunity to win. And you have that same opportunity with every prospect you target.

What next?

To start with, target 2 or 3 prospects each week with that same approach. Soon, you’ll have lots of prospective clients to follow-up.

Lots of people who will remember your classy, personal and friendly approach.

Lots of irons in the fire. 

And a steady, regular flow of leads.

Use the feedback from your mailings to improve your message and your follow-up. As your conversion numbers increase, increase the number of letters you send. 

Just because email marketing is so cheap that everyone is using it, doesn’t mean you should ignore investing in small-scale direct mail marketing. In fact, that deluge of email is precisely what makes your marketing letter stand out and get opened. 

Photo by Mediamodifier on Unsplash

Make your marketing totally unmissable. Here’s how!

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marketing tip, unmissable marketing

What do the following have in common?

  • The trailer for a movie, which is part of a franchise you really enjoy.
  • A radio interview with a musician, whose music you’ve always loved, talking about their new album.
  • A Facebook post from an author, whose books you collect, announcing their new title.
  • A newsletter from a brand you like and trust, announcing an exciting new product.

The answer is that they are all examples of marketing you value. Marketing you wouldn’t want to miss. Marketing that doesn’t even feel like marketing.

How to create unmissable marketing

So, what was it that made those marketing examples unmissable?

  1. You gave permission for the marketing message to reach you. You tuned into the TV station or radio channel. You liked them on Facebook. You subscribed to their newsletter.
  2. The product being marketed (movie, album or book etc.), is something you’re interested in.

The key words there are permission and interest.

Here’s why!

Without your permission, the marketer is being a pest. No one wants to be pestered with unsolicited emails, off-target advertising or unrequested social networking messages.

Without your interest, the “offer” is just another annoying, time-wasting, badly targeted sales pitch.

Making YOUR marketing unmissable

Here’s a proven method I’ve used with clients that keeps on working.

  1. Think about the brands you have given permission to contact you.
  2. Write them down.
  3. Next, ask yourself why you did it. Why did you subscribe to their YouTube channel, their newsletter or their podcast? Why did you like them on Facebook or connect with them on Linkedin? Why did you ask them to send you their catalogue or email you their updates?
  4. Finally, see what you can learn from their strategy, which you can adapt, to earn the permission of your prospective customers.

Yes, it takes more effort to create unmissable marketing, than to target strangers with ads.

However, the conversion rate is fantastically higher. There’s no advertising budget required. And you’ll build your very own community of highly-motivated prospects. 

Marketing 101: Vigorous, written marketing

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vigorous written marketing, marketing copywriting, content marketing

Most of the marketing copy I see is at least 75% too long. Overlong copy lacks impact. It also lacks clarity and fails to motivate prospective customers or clients.

I want to help you avoid this expensive mistake, which is why I wrote this for you.

Vigorous, written marketing

And it starts with one of the best-known quotes on the subject.

“Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that he make every word tell“.

Professor William Strunk Jr. – The Elements of Style.

The vigorous writing referred to here, is writing that is strong and full of energy. That’s the kind of writing that moves people to take action; to contact you, buy from you or hire you. It’s the kind of writing that gets the results you need.

How can you and your business benefit from the power of vigorous, written marketing?

The answer comes from understanding why the problem exists.

Google usually gets the blame

That’s because Google’s search algorithm rewards overlong, written content. It prefers 2500 words to 250. So, for over 20 years, online marketing writers have been rewarded for high word counts. That’s certainly not what’s needed for vigorous, written marketing.

But Google isn’t responsible for the wider problem.

Email marketing and off-line media is just as ruined by overlong content. Neither of those formats have ever required the writer to dance the Google dance.

The problem exists because most written marketing is created by people who lack sufficient training. It’s either written by business owners who ‘dabble’ or by below-par copywriters.

The solution?

The business owner wishing to switch to vigorous, written marketing has two options.

  1. Learn how to do it effectively.
  2. Pay someone who already knows.

How to decide?

  • The cost (in time) of learning is considerable. It takes years of practice. However, you’ll start seeing improvements relatively quickly.
  • The cost of hiring an expert is lower. And it’s a lot faster.

The price you pay for starving your business of vigorous, written marketing is far higher than either of those options. So pick one of them and run with it.

Photo by Cherrydeck on Unsplash