Jim's Marketing Blog

Marketing tips and ideas to help you grow your business

How to build a massively valuable community, without Facebook or any other network

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email marketing, social networks

What do Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Linkedin have in common?

  • They’re relied on by millions of business owners, as a way to connect with their marketplace.
  • Plus, these same business owners have zero control over them.

Think about that for a moment.

On Friday, the popular Unilad Facebook Page was removed from Facebook. It has over 34 million likes and reaches billions of people. The page came back after a couple of days, following a huge media outcry.

The whole thing served as a timely reminder. A reminder that outsourcing the communication channel between your business and your marketplace, to an unaccountable 3rd party, is really risky.

Of course, if you or I have our main social account deleted, there’s unlikely to be a huge media outcry. Click… and we’re gone, along with the community we built.

The answer?

The answer is to take control away from social networks.

How?

My recommendation isn’t sexy. It’s not fashionable. It’s certainly nothing new. But it works. And it’s of massive value.

I’m referring to email!

Sure, use social as a way to connect with prospective clients / customers, if you really want to. But encourage those people to give you permission to contact them via email.

Pushing ads isn’t community building

Many small business owners fail with email, because they make their emails little more than a series of advertisements. Every email should contain what I call Independent Value. This means the reader should get something of value, independent of whether they spend money with you.

So no, a series of emails from you all about special offers isn’t going to cut it. That’s advertising, not community building.

Here’s what works: Only contact people when you have something useful to share. Show up regularly. You’ll then be building your very own permission-based community (what Internet marketers refer to as “your list”).

Yes, make it easy for people to get in touch with you, when they want to hire you or buy from you. Just don’t make that the focus of your emails.

Get it right and you’ll never be reliant on any social network.

I don’t have the time, Jim

A couple of interesting things happen, when you no longer need to spend all that time every day, feeding your business’ social networks.

  • You’ll rediscover the time you lost. This will give you more than enough time to build your own email community. I’m a dad, husband and I run a successful marketing business with clients all over the world. Plus, I work out for over an hour every day. However, I spend less time on social networks than anyone I know. That’s not a coincidence.
  • You’ll also find it massively easier to focus. It’s difficult to concentrate on anything, when you’re being constantly distracted by social media updates.

These benefits combine to provide you with a far more productive working environment.

They also “gift” you the additional time and clarity required, to create useful content for your email community.

Business and personal

An important distinction needs to be made, between business and personal use of social networks.

I’m not suggesting you stop connecting with family and friends.

Far from it! I myself use Twitter socially. The vast majority of my contacts and tweets are not connected to my business. It’s a leisure activity for me, which I really enjoy.

My point is the importance of building your business community on a platform, which YOU control. It’s about highlighting the risks of handing the main communication channel between you and your marketplace, to a 3rd party, over which you have zero control.

How effective can building an email community be, when a small business handles it correctly? Well, despite Jim’s Marketing Blog being one of the most popular blogs in its niche, 12 times MORE people read the email version of the blog. My email readership is also, easily my biggest source of new clients and enquiries.

Outsourcing the communication channel with your marketplace, to any social network, is extremely risky. It’s also 100% avoidable.

Here’s what you need to know: This is a proven example, which shows you how to get it right. It includes how I helped a client build a massively valuable reader community. You can read it here.

How to get your marketing in front of people at exactly the right time

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marketing help, marketing advice

When is the best time to market your services to someone?

That’s what today’s post is all about. I’m going to show you how to get your marketing message in front of people at exactly the right time. It’s based on my newest client.

I was prompted to write about this, after Jennifer joined my Marketing Mentor Program. Jennifer’s experience shows the importance of timing. She explained how she’d reached a tipping point. She wasn’t prepared to waste another year, working hard and making too little progress. So, she decided to get in touch with me on Friday and hire me.

There’s a lesson here for you and the way you market your business. And it becomes obvious, as you look behind Jennifer’s actions.

What does this have to do with timing?

Jennifer’s desire to own a better, more profitable business is what motivated her to take action. However, in order for her to consider me as the obvious choice, I needed to be where her attention was, at the point where she was motivated to take action.

You need to do the same. You need to be where your prospective client’s attention is, when they need what you have to offer.

Most small business owners only market their services intermittently. There’s usually weeks and often months between their marketing efforts. And because of the importance of being there precisely when their prospective clients need them, this stacks the odds against them.

If you’re getting low response rates from your marketing, you’ll already know exactly what I mean. Because no matter how great your services are, if you catch people at the wrong time, they won’t hire you.

Thankfully, this doesn’t need to happen to you ever again!

Here’s a proven, extremely effective alternative.

It works like this

Instead of seeing marketing as something you do occasionally, start treating it as an ongoing part of your business. This is how you ensure your name is front of mind, when a prospective client needs you. This is critically important, if you want people to hire you.

For example, Jennifer had been a reader of mine for months, before she hired me. She already knew who I was and she knew my work. So, she trusted me. Then, one of my posts landed in her inbox at the point when she was looking for help.

I became, in her words, “the obvious choice”.

Be there when they need you

Quit marketing like it’s a decade ago. Instead, turn up often, with something useful… not just a series of ads, offers and pitches. Consider newsletters, vlogging, blogging via email, podcasting etc, to share your expertise with your prospective clients. Demonstrate your knowledge. Share your passion. Build a connection with your marketplace.

If you do, you’ll be where their attention is, when they need your services.

IMPORTANT: None of those marketing suggestions cost you a dime, unlike; print ads, mailing lists, mail shots, networking groups, Facebook ads, Google pay-per-click, adwords etc.

In other words, so long as you do the right things correctly, there’s no financial barrier to continuously marketing your business. There’s no barrier to being where your prospective client’s attention is, at the point where they’re actively seeking the services YOU provide.

Think about that for a moment.

Is it easy? Yes. Once you know what to do and how to do it correctly, it’s extremely easy.

**Note: There are currently 4 spaces remaining. (All gone.)

5 Quick and easy wins for your business

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marketing trick, marketing help, marketing advice

I shared 5 ideas with a business group recently, which they found extremely useful.

Here they are, in no particular order.

1: Offer something exclusive

Think about offering an elite or exclusive version of your services. There will always be a market for exceptional service and gold-standard products. It’s an extremely profitable market, too.

2: Never underestimate the importance of the human touch

So much of what we do today can be automated, from Facebook updates and tweets, to auto-responder emails. Whilst there is a place for some automation, you can’t automate your way to success.

Business is all about people and your competitors are forgetting that. You can gain a huge advantage over them, if you look for opportunities to interact with people. Keep it as human as possible. Never automate anything, unless it’s essential. The cost in lost business can be staggering.

3: Study the gold dust around you

If you find yourself reading a marketing email or mail shot today, stop! You have some potential gold dust in front of you. Examine it and look for what it was that compelled you to open it. Then, think about what caused you to start reading it.

Finally, consider how you can make your own marketing more effective, by incorporating or adapting what you have just learned.

4: Let people Pick Your Brain, commercially

If you get people asking you for free advice and you place any commercial value on your time, consider offering a Pick My Brain service. It has 2 enormous benefits.

  1. Those who were purely intent on grabbing a freebie from you will vanish. The second they know there’s a fee, they go and look for another victim.
  2. It can prove to be an extremely valuable service for those who really do value your advice (and for you, too).

Business is all about mutually beneficial relationships – not greedy people taking advantage of your expertise for their own selfish reasons.

5: Motivation alone is not the answer

When your business is heading in the wrong direction, you don’t need motivation to speed you up! You need guidance to get you on the right path. Working longer hours in an under performing business, just means you will go broke, faster. No matter how fast you row your boat in the wrong direction, you will still get lost.

I hope you found these ideas useful, my friend. More importantly, I hope they inspire you to take action.

How to attract your ideal clients in just 3 questions

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marketing focus, marketing leads, sales enquiries, client leads

I think you’re going to find this extremely useful, so I had to share it with you today.

I have 3 questions for you to ponder. They’re simple questions. However, they can put you on track to attract massively more clients. Not only that, these will be clients who are an ideal match for you and your business!

Attracting your ideal clients

I want you to think about what happens when someone visits your website, sees your social media updates, reads your newsletter or consumes your podcasts or videos, etc.

Now answer the following 3 questions:

  1. Does it tell them who you are?
  2. Does it tell them what you stand for… the things that really matter to you?
  3. Does it give them a reason to switch from their current provider to you?

The majority of small business marketing fails on not one, but all three of those questions. It fails to tell us who they are, what they stand for or why we need to leave our current provider for them.

And without those essential questions answered, there’s nothing whatsoever to motivate anyone to give a rat’s ass about them.

You have a personality. Your business has one too: a way of working, which is your way of doing things. You have things you care passionately about. These are also reflected in the way you work. You have, or can find, powerful reasons why someone should hire you or buy from you. And it’s that mix, which sets you apart, helps you stand out, attracts attention and inspires people to hire you.

So don’t keep it a secret.

Look at your marketing copy. Review your blog, newsletter, social media, podcast / videos… whatever. Then make sure they communicate all that’s meaningfully different about you. In other words, give your marketing your DNA. Your fingerprint.

When you do, your marketplace will have something to connect with. And those in your marketplace who value your message, will be drawn to you.

That’s right: You won’t just attract enquiries. You’ll attract enquiries from people who value the very things, which you and your business value. These are your IDEAL prospective clients or customers. Just think about that for a moment.

Tip: If you’d like to know how and why to stand out, even in an extremely competitive marketplace, read this.

Is too much choice hurting your marketing results?

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marketing focus, too much choice, attract sales leads, attract clients

How many service options or packages do you offer to prospective clients? Many small business owners offer too many options and it’s losing them a fortune.

Here’s why.

  • The more options you give to a prospective client, the more choice they have.
  • The more choice they have, the harder it is for them to make a decision.
  • The harder it is for them to make a decision, the less likely they are to decide.

So they move on. And you lose another sales lead or client enquiry. And another… and another.

Too much choice

In an effort to be as flexible as possible, business owners often create lots of different service packages. Something for everyone. And it seems to make sense.

The thing is, too much choice is bad for business. It creates confusion and when your prospective clients are confused, they won’t commit. So you get far fewer client enquiries or sales leads from your marketing. As one of the oldest sayings in marketing assures us, “a confused mind always says no!”

Take a look at the number of service options or service packages you provide. Also, look at the number of items within each package.

Now ask yourself: Do you really need to offer so much choice?

If not, reduce. Aim for clarity. Make the decision process easier for your prospective clients. When the decision to hire you or buy from you becomes easier, more people will do it!

A powerful email marketing lesson from Google

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marketing, content marketing, attract sales leads, attract clients

When Google wrote to me recently, they chose to use traditional mail. Paper, an envelope and a postage stamp. It got my attention. I opened it, read it and acted on it. More importantly, here’s why Google contacted me via traditional mail and what you and your business can learn from it.

The problem with email

It’s free. There’s no barrier to entry. As a result, anyone can interrupt us with unwanted email. Also, because it’s free, too little thought is given to the quality of the email or how well it’s targeted. Hence the huge spam problem. It costs nothing to put a low value email together, click send and pester 1000 or 1000000 people with it.

Spammers have trained us to ignore email that looks like it could be spam. This includes promotional emails. The exact kind of emails that legitimate business owners use for marketing.

With spam filters and junk mail filtering, your prospective clients see maybe 1 marketing / promotional email in every 10. They may open 1 in 10 of those they see.

Based on these very rough numbers, this gives you a 1 in 100 chance your email will even be opened by a prospective client. If the email’s subject line is not expertly written, open rates will be even lower. (Tip: Here’s how to write better headlines.)

But don’t worry. In a few moments I’ll show you how to make your email marketing extremely effective.

The value of traditional mail

It isn’t free. However, the price creates a massive barrier to entry. This is why we receive a fraction as many marketing letters via traditional mail as we used to.

When we receive a correctly addressed letter in a regular envelope, we have to open it in order to see if it’s something important, something interesting or junk. The key thing here is that we open it. Open rates for marketing letters, addressed correctly, sent in regular (plain) envelopes are around 98%.

(These numbers only drop, when the letter is sent in a promotional envelope. Otherwise, the envelope must be opened by the recipient, so they can tell if it’s of interest or not.)

As you’ll see in a moment, I’m not suggesting you send all your marketing mail via traditional mail. However, it’s well worth considering for some mailings. Especially when your message is important enough, your list is high quality and you want to ensure almost everyone on the list will read it.

The important thing here, is to make sure you are using the correct tool for the job. Here are some options, based on email / traditional mail.

Permission email marketing

Email becomes super-effective, when you have permission from the recipient and you know your emails are getting into their inbox.

For instance, the email version of Jim’s Marketing Blog requires people to double opt-in. In other words, after entering their name and email address on my blog, they receive an email asking them to confirm their subscription. Only then can they subscribe. This gives me permission to send them my latest blog post. It also proves they can receive my emails. The exact same approach works equally well for newsletters.

Email marketing, permission marketing, tips

The cost is low, especially if you have fewer than 1000 people on your permission list. I recommend using a professional emailing service even if you only send a small number of emails. They make it easy for you to track open rates, clicks, etc. That means you can see how your content or marketing message is resonating with your readers.

Plus, professional email  providers give you all the tools you need in order to manage your reader lists. They also stop your email server’s ip address from being blacklisted. I’ve known this happen to lots of business owners. It can stop you from being able to send regular business emails to clients, suppliers and contacts until you get it resolved.

Many email providers, such as Mailchimp, offer a free service to people with a small list. The prices only become significant when your list is in the tens of thousands.

With massively lower costs than traditional mail, permission marketing via a professional email provider is exceptionally effective.

Email marketing to strangers on lists

This is less of an option and more of a warning! Buying so-called permission lists and then emailing them, is usually a waste of money. These are lists, which are sold on the understanding that the people on the lists gave permission for their details to be sold.

In 99.9% of cases, these people simply forgot to uncheck the box that says “send me emails with offers from partners”, when they downloaded a freebie from the internet or subscribed to a free service.

The key thing is that the people on those lists did not opt-in to receiving emails from you!

Conversion rates from such lists are terrible. That’s because those on the lists are getting bombarded with spam, from the thousands of people, who buy the lists they’re on. So they either use extremely powerful spam filtering, have white-list-only email or have switched to a new email address.

Traditional marketing letters (direct mail)

This can be an extremely effective way to get your marketing message in front of your prospective clients. The exceptionally high open rates (so long as you take the measures I mentioned earlier) make it a very attractive proposition.

It also allows you to purchase a high quality list, from a reputable list vendor, with the correct contact details and get great results. Remember, the prospective client has to open the envelope to determine the value. This is faster than earning permission, so can be useful if you need quick results.

Of course, even if 100% of people open your mailshot, it won’t matter unless your message is professionally written. Most direct mail from small businesses is written by the business owner and is simply ignored.

Tip: If you’re prepared to pay for a mailing, pay an expert to write it… someone who knows how to motivate the reader to take action.

So, there are a few thoughts on the merits of traditional mail shots and permission-based email marketing. In short, each has its place and each can be spectacularly effective, if handled correctly.

P.S. I recommend you read this. Does email marketing work? How I helped Irene make over $32,000 in 9 days.

The answers you need are all around you

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marketing blogs, advice

Hard work is not the secret to success. If it was, our grandparents would have been millionaires. Instead, we know that success comes from doing the right things, correctly.

This means a business owner who wants to improve their results has just 2, relatively easy challenges ahead of them.

1. Acceptance

We need to accept that our current business development strategy isn’t working. Or at least that it isn’t working the way we want it to. Our current strategy may feel comfortable. It’s certainly familiar. However, if it isn’t leading to the results we want, we must accept that we need to move on.

Until we accept the need to improve, we’ll simply carry on wasting time. We’ll carry on working hard, for too little reward.

2. Adopt a proven strategy for success

Once we’ve accepted the need to improve, we’re ready for the second challenge. This challenge is easier than the first. We need to find a strategy that will work for us. A strategy for success.

And thankfully, success leaves clues.

We are surrounded by examples of successful businesses. Everywhere we look, there are businesses that are getting it right. Every area of our business development that needs to improve, is already working spectacularly well for another business. The answers we need are out there. We just need to follow the clues.

Your task here, is to do the research. Look at what the businesses that are succeeding are doing, which you can adopt into your own business.

Here’s an example of what I mean. If your business needs to improve its marketing, what might you learn from the following success clues?

  • The last service you used, which impressed you so much you told your friends.
  • The last marketing email you received, which persuaded you to take action.
  • The last blog post you read, which you were inspired to share.
  • The last social network update, which motivated you to take action.
  • The last advertisement you encountered, which compelled you to make a purchase.
  • The last newsletter you received, which you were motivated to forward to your friends.
  • The last website you visited, which impressed you with its professionalism.

Once you have done that, it’s time to look below the surface.

Don’t just copy what you find. Instead, consider how you can adapt what you discovered, so that it works for your business.

Make no mistake, the answers you need are out there. Success leaves clues. And the clues are all around you.

Are you making a noise or making a difference?

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stand out, get noticed, attract sales leads, attract clients

All marketing fits into one of the following two groups. It’s either making a noise or it’s making a difference.

Here are examples of both and how they impact your marketing results. You’ll identify them instantly.

Making a noise

Most marketing is noise. Irritating attempts to grab our attention.

  • Spam emails.
  • Cold calls.
  • Banner advertising.
  • Pre-roll videos.
  • Junk mail.
  • Social network spam, etc.

Those tactics are unwelcome. They don’t command our attention. They selfishly demand our attention.

What do we do? We block them!

We either use software to block them or we mentally block them. But we block them.

This means business owners using those pestering tactics, are seeing worse and worse results. So they then spend even more time and money, to push their message ever harder. And even more people learn to block them. That’s why there’s so much noise out there.

Here’s a much better alternative.

Making a difference

We pay attention to the marketing that makes a difference. It doesn’t demand our attention. It commands our attention. It stands out for all the right reasons.

  • Valuable tips and ideas from a YouTube channel, podcast, blog or newsletter we subscribe to.
  • Useful updates from our service providers.
  • Trusted recommendations from our friends.
  • Targeted, valuable offers from vendors we trust, who know what we enjoy.
  • Eagerly anticipated communications from groups we’re members of.
  • Amazing service, which motivates us to return to a vendor again and again.

These tactics make a positive difference. So we value them. We pay attention because they’re useful. They don’t even feel like marketing. They’re focused on helping us rather than pestering us.

The big question is…

Which group are you in?

We know the good intentions behind our marketing. We know we’re professional and that people would love us, if only they knew how great our service is. So when we add them to our email list or call them at work when they’re busy – we think that it’s okay.

But it isn’t. The same rules apply to us. If it’s unwanted, it’s noise and if it’s noise, it’s working against us.

Everything you do to market your business is either training the marketplace to ignore you or training them to embrace you. It’s working against your business or working for your business.

So whenever possible, instead of making a noise, make a difference. And it’s always possible to make a difference.

The marketing power of curiosity

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marketing curious, marketing blogs

You’re going to love this!

Today, I’m going to share the single most important thing you need to know, if you want to attract regular sales leads and business enquiries.

To begin, I need to ask you a question:

Why do prospective clients call you, email you or ask you questions?

It’s because they’re curious!

They need to know something and their curiosity motivates them to get in touch. So, you get a sales lead or business enquiry. This creates a dialogue between you and them. And a chance to convert them into a new client or customer.

  • Ineffective marketing tries to explain everything. To answer every possible question. To eliminate as much curiosity as possible. And as a direct result, it attracts very few sales leads.
  • Effective marketing provides just enough information. Enough information to inform the prospect and ignite their curiosity. And as a direct result, it regularly attracts high quality sales leads.

Think about it. Every enquiry you have ever had or will ever receive, is because the other person needs to know something. So, if you want your marketing to attract more sales enquiries, it needs to create more curiosity and answer fewer questions.

Don’t let greedy amateurs get you down

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marketing , help, advice

Martin (not his real name) emailed me with a great question. I promised to answer it here, as it’s a marketing problem that a lot of people struggle with.

He wanted to know why only a tiny fraction of his newsletter subscribers ever hire him. Martin’s an experienced, professional copywriter. It’s important to point out that I looked at Martin’s newsletter and it’s superb. His range of services look compelling too.

He explained: “They grab all my free advice Jim, but lack the decency to even say thanks for the hours I put in. I’m just about ready to quit.”

Martin wanted to know if I have the same problem and how I deal with it. Here’s my answer. I hope you find it useful.

This is exactly as it should be

First things first. This happens to everyone who uses content marketing. And the more successful you become, the more visible the issue becomes. I know the writers behind some of the world’s most successful newsletters and blogs. In every case, it’s only a tiny minority of their readers who hire them, buy from them or thank them.

And that’s EXACTLY as it should be.

Most people who read this message have zero intention of ever hiring me. A tiny percentage will even bother to thank me for the free information I provide to them. The vast majority just grab it. They have no interest in the thousands of dollars I spend every year, to get the “free” advice out there. No thought is given to the fact I help their business. They just take.

And that’s EXACTLY as it should be.

Why? Because it’s what they’re supposed to do! Remember, these people are not the prospective clients I write for.

No.

These are the amateurs. The freebie crowd. Those who lack the entrepreneurial sense to invest in expert help. So they’re attracted to “free stuff” like moths to a flame. (read this)

You can’t use content marketing and not expect to attract them. You can’t ask people to subscribe to a free newsletter (or free anything) and not be inundated with freebie hunters. To think otherwise is naive.

Expect the freebie crowd to arrive. BUT never write for them. I don’t write for the freebie crowd. Neither should Martin. And neither should you.

  • I write for people who take their business seriously.
  • I write for people who are commercially intelligent enough to invest in their businesses.
  • I write for people who have respect for themselves and for others.

To put it another way, I write for professionals. Professionals are the people who show appreciation for your work. They’re the people who hire you. They totally get it.

Where it gets tricky is this: Professionals are ALSO attracted by free stuff. That’s why content marketing is extremely effective, when used correctly.

Content marketing and intent

The key difference between the 2 types of people who consume your content can be summed up in one word. Intent.

  1. When a professional consumes your content, they do so with an open mind to hiring you or buying from you. If they see enough value, they’ll get in touch or make a purchase. These amazing people contact me throughout the day, every day. Sometimes to ask about hiring me. Sometimes to say thanks. Sometimes to tell me how my ideas have helped them overcome a problem.
  2. When an amateur consumes your content, they don’t have that same intent. The amateur sees the free stuff as the end result. It’s the much mentioned entitlement mindset. That’s why they never bother to thank Martin, me or any other content marketer. They believe they’re entitled to it.

Once you understand the intent behind the 2 groups of people who consume your content, everything makes sense. It also frees your mind to focus on generously contributing to the marketplace.

Improve your email marketing by getting the basics right

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marketing email, content marketing, digital marketing

Here’s a quick tip, to help you increase the effectiveness of your email marketing or mail shots.

I was prompted to write this for you, after an email I received last week. It was a poorly targeted marketing email, from someone I hardly know.

Here’s how the email started:

“Hey guys, sorry for the email blast, but I want to reach a lot of people and this is the easiest way for me to do it”.

When someone starts a marketing communication with an apology for what they’re doing, it tells us that they believe they’re doing something wrong. Yet, they’re still going to do it anyway! That’s a toxic message, which creates a damaging, negative picture. That negativity then drowns out whatever their marketing message is. It turns a potentially effective marketing activity into a low-leverage waste of time.

Here’s a far better alternative

If you’re proud of what you do. If you know that the person you’re marketing to has a pressing need for what you provide. If you have a compelling reason for them to purchase from you. And especially if you have their permission to send them information… don’t start off with an apology. There are situations where it’s right to say sorry — this definitely isn’t one of them.

Instead, use a highly targeted list and send a highly targeted message. The reader will then feel as if you are writing for them, rather than writing at them. With no apology required.

Here’s a free, 2 part email marketing series with some useful email marketing tips:

Does email marketing work? Part 1.

Does email marketing work? Part 2.

Success leaves clues

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marketing advice, marketing help

When it comes to marketing, success leaves clues. By following these clues and learning from them, it’s possible to significantly improve your marketing. Allow me to explain.

Consider the following:

  • The last marketing email, which you were motivated to open because it had a powerful subject line.
  • The last marketing email you read, which persuaded you to take action. (To ask for information, pick up the phone, make a purchase, etc.)
  • The last blog post you read, which you were motivated to bookmark, save or share.
  • The last advertisement you saw or heard, which motivated you to make a purchase.
  • The last service you experienced, which impressed you so much that you wanted to tell your friends about it.
  • The last newsletter you received, which you forwarded to your contacts.

How to turn clues into results

Each of those marketing examples motivated you to take action. And they each contain a clue, as to why the marketing worked. To uncover the clue you need to answer this question:

What can I learn from this example of marketing success, which I can adapt and apply to my own marketing?

Next, write your answer down. This is really important, as you don’t want to risk losing your best ideas. Also, by writing your answers down, you’ll start to develop a gold mine of useful marketing notes.

Is this approach as effective as hiring a proven marketing professional? No. Not even close. But if you can’t afford expert help, it’s one way to make better marketing decisions.

P.S: To get you started, here are dozens of proven marketing ideas.

How to massively improve your email marketing results

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improve Email open rates, newsletter marketing

In 2016, email marketing is more powerful than ever before. This begs the question: Why do almost all small businesses get such uninspiring email marketing results?

I’m going to answer that question for you. I’m also going to explain what you need to do in order to massively improve the success of your email marketing.

Free and easy?

The cost of marketing has changed dramatically over the years.

For example, the cost of sending a traditional, paper-based mailshot to just 1000 prospective customers was considerable. There was the price of the stamp, the printing, the ink and the paper. Then, you paid someone to fold all the letters and stuff them into the envelopes.

Today, sending a marketing email to 1000 prospects (or 100,000 prospects) takes seconds. There’s no paper, no ink, no envelopes, no envelope stuffing and no stamps.

The cost of email marketing is close to zero. Except… it isn’t! You now risk paying a different, far higher price.

Allow me to explain.

Different prices and different thinking

In 1995, my London-based marketing business was paying around £1000 to reach 1000 prospective customers via traditional mail (mailshots). I used high quality stationery and printing. It was still quite an investment.

Before spending that kind of money, small business owners used to think long and hard.

  • They made sure they were contacting people with a potential need for their offering. They couldn’t afford to contact people with no requirement.
  • They checked that the contact name and address were correct. They couldn’t afford to send letters to the wrong people.
  • They used to work hard to optimize their copy or content. It needed to be just right. They couldn’t afford to get their message wrong.
  • They removed prospective customers from their list, if they failed to get a response after a set number of mailings. (Unlike now, where the person receiving spam email has to ask to be removed). They couldn’t afford to keep mailing someone who wasn’t interested.

Now think for a moment about the poorly targeted marketing emails that flood your inbox. It’s clear that way less thought goes into them. The vast majority are junk and totally irrelevant to you or your needs.

You regard those who send these unwanted emails as pests. Spammers. Assholes. This is where the cost comes in for email marketers in 2016! They build a lousy reputation and get equally lousy results.

Reputation points: The price you pay for average email marketing

Every time you send a poorly conceived email marketing message to someone, you pay a price.

However, unlike before, the cost to you isn’t only monetary. You pay with something even more valuable. You pay with your reputation. You pay using the currency of reputation points.

For example, when you decide to add someone’s name to your list without their consent, you lose reputation points. When you email people too often, you lose reputation points. When your message is pushy or needy, you lose reputation points. When your offer is irrelevant to the recipient, you lose reputation points.

Business owners who service a regional marketplace can soon find their name and reputation seriously damaged. They can only alienate their marketplace so many times, before people get sick of them.

Of course, when your marketing emails are like those I just mention, you pay a second price. You get crappy response rates. Too few sales. Too few new client enquiries. Too few leads.

The answer?

It starts by accepting that email marketing isn’t free. There is a hefty price to pay for a casual approach, both in reputation damage and lost opportunities. Remember, a casual approach to business causes casualties. Treat each email you send as if you were paying to send it. Because in a very real sense, you are.

So, get permission to email people. Then send them targeted, expertly written, relevant information. Do this only as frequently as required.

It works. And it works extremely well.

Here’s how I helped Irene make over $32,000 in 9 days, with email marketing. That was 2 years ago. Today, the results are even better, for those of you serious enough to take email marketing seriously.

Attract sales, leads and new clients

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marketing blogs, marketing help

If you want to attract more clients, sales or sales leads, you’ll LOVE today’s article.

I need to start by sharing one of the cornerstones of great marketing. It’s simply this: Focus on your prospective clients and their needs, rather than your own needs.

Some call it paying it forward.

Others call it contribution.

You can call it whatever you like, but it’s the same thing. Focusing your efforts on the other person and not on yourself.

Why?

Bring the marketplace your seed, not your need

I live in a rural village. It’s coming to the end of harvest time. Ask a farmer about the harvest and she’ll tell you this: If you want a bountiful harvest, you need to bring your seeds to the soil. Not your needs. You can tell the soil how much you need a great harvest. You can pester the soil for months with selfish requests… and nothing productive will happen.

The marketplace is very similar. It doesn’t give a shit about what you need!

This is why pestering people for leads at networking groups is such a soul-destroying waste of your time. It just makes you look needy. The same is true of sending strangers marketing emails they never asked for. Ditto, posting needy marketing messages on social networks. All of these are super-low leverage and reflect poorly on you and your brand.

That’s what self-focused marketing looks like. You see it every day. And it has never been less effective.

Here’s a way better alternative for you to consider.

Attract sales, leads and clients

The thing is, you don’t need to pester anyone. Your prospective clients present you with an opportunity to plant as many seeds of contribution as you want to. [Think about that for a moment.]

For example, I reach tens (and tens) of thousands of prospective clients daily, by giving away as much useful information as I can via my blog and social networking channels. Without pestering anyone, I generate sales, leads and enquiries from new clients every day.

However, to earn that privilege I have to consistently focus on you. I have to uncover your needs, so I can deliver valuable, free information that will be of use to you and your business.

The bottom line is that the process of giving and receiving, starts with the giving part. If you want to receive more, give more. They say: “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is today.”

So start today

Give value, not pitches.

Be useful, not annoying.

Offer help, not deals.

Attract attention, not scorn.

Repeat tomorrow.

So, are you building a tribe or writing drive-by content?

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marketing tips

Why do the vast majority of small business owners see such poor results from their content marketing? Why isn’t it attracting sales or new client enquiries every day?

The answer is that almost every small business is making the same mistake. And this mistake makes it impossible for them to succeed.

Here’s what you need to know, in order to get the best possible results.

Content marketing and leaky buckets

The problem with trying to fill a bucket, which has a big hole in the bottom, is that the water flows out just as fast as it flows in. It’s a never ending task, unless you get a new bucket or fix the hole.

Most content marketing advice, including that written by many so-called experts, is based around the idea of treating your content marketing, like a bucket with a hole.

  • It’s about attracting drive-by readers with ‘killer’ headlines.
  • It’s about churning stuff out, rather than publishing useful information.
  • It’s about using a cookie-cutter approach, like hundreds of thousands of others, which makes you and your content invisible.
  • It’s about SEOing your thoughts, rather than expressing your thoughts.

Seth Godin said it extremely well:

“The copywriter/editor who trades in meaning for lists, using calculated SEO keyword loading and sensationalism designed to attract the drive-by audience, earns the privilege of doing it again and again, forever.”

It’s like trying to fill that broken bucket. It’s also the total opposite of growing a tribe.

They drive by

The thing about drive-by readers, is that they drive by. They are attracted to hyped up headlines and quickly go from one, “The growing trend that will scare the crap out of business owners everywhere”, article to the next.

If your content marketing is based around chasing them, you’re making life way too hard for yourself.

Grow a valuable reader community

To grow a great community or tribe around your work, you need to attract the right people, retain their attention and earn their trust.

This means showing up regularly with useful information, rather than sensationalist, predictable content for the drive-by crowd.

It means avoiding so-called content marketing systems or anything, which claims to be a one-size-fits-all “solution“. All that junk will do is make your content marketing invisible. It will leave your content camouflaged, amongst the hundreds of thousands of others using the same cookie-cutter approach.

Instead, focus on building deeper connections with people who will value your work, share your work, call you, email you, hire you or buy from you.

Anything less is a waste of your time and will stop you benefiting from the amazing opportunity, which could be yours if you use content marketing correctly.

How to grow your list in 3 steps

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content

If you write a newsletter or blog and your “list” is growing too slowly, this post is for you.

Toxic advice online

The Internet is packed with bad advice on how to improve the success of your newsletter or blog. So-called content marketing experts focus on things like; the best time to publish your work, how long your articles or posts should be and what kind of images you should use, how to SEO your work, etc.

These generic tips offer the reader no meaningful value. NOTHING that will resolve the actual problem. The reason no one reads Bob’s blog posts or Barbara’s newsletter, is not because they are published on the wrong day or at the wrong time, are the wrong length or lack the right images or SEO.

No.

The reason no one reads their work, is that it offers nothing new. It’s lacking in value. So, when people find it, they are not motivated to return or share what they have found. That type of blog or newsletter will never build an audience.

The actual solution?

It’s as easy and as hard as this:

  1. Have something worth saying and say it well. (In other words, provide massively valuable information and write it in a way that inspires your readers.)
  2. Put it where people can see it.
  3. Make it easy for them to share.

If you do that, your audience will grow. First, just 5 people will read it, but that’s fine. Why? Because they will love what you had to say, then share it with their friends.

Some of their friends will value what you have written and they too will share it.

Repeat…

To keep that process rolling and your readership growing, you need to focus on regularly having something to say, which people will value and share. This means learning how to write and having the courage to say it in your own unique voice.

So rich. So strange. So new.

I was prompted to share this with you today, after listening to a recording of the great Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas. Before Thomas took to the stage to share his brilliance with a packed, New York audience, he was introduced to the crowd.

The MC then described Thomas’ poetry as: “So rich. So strange. So new”. You can listen to the MC here. [It’s just 10 seconds into the audio].

And it was. No one wrote like Thomas. He had something worth saying. He shared it with, initially, very small crowds. These small crowds of people then told their friends how amazing his poetry was. The media then discovered Thomas’ work and he became a worldwide success, whose work is celebrated today, more than 60 years after his passing.

Dylan Thomas didn’t succeed because he only wrote works that were a certain length.

He didn’t succeed because he only performed or published on certain days.

No.

He succeeded because his work was too good to ignore. Too good not to share.

Stop using buzzwords in your marketing. Seriously. Stop it

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stop, buzzwords, bullshit

There is no shortage of buzzwords or people who feel the need to use them.

Intersection.

Growth-hacking.

Ruckus.

Pragmatic.

Disrupt.

Paradigm.

… these buzzwords and many others, are used by people in an effort to appear informed or relevant. Interestingly, buzzwords do neither. They have the exact opposite effect when people read them or hear them.

Here’s how buzzwords work against you.

  • They make informed people cringe. Not a great idea, if you want your peers to take you seriously or recommend you.
  • They confuse the uninformed. A bad choice, if you want people to understand your message. And you do. Right?

In either case, buzzwords work against you. When it comes to marketing, write your copy in a way that your ideal client will find easy to understand.

Always aim for clarity.

Why?

Because clarity sells.

My new service launches today. And it’s exactly what you need.

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I have a new service launching today, to help you attract more sales, customers or clients. It’s something readers have asked me for again and again. Today, it happens!

Here’s how it works, including the fee.

The right words

In business, the right words inspire people to take action. Expertly composed copywriting builds trust. It motivates people to buy from you, hire you or contact you. It turns passive readers into paying customers. And it’s worth a fortune to you and your business.

The wrong words

The wrong words lack the motivational impact of high-conversion marketing copy. They lose you sales and stop you attracting new clients. And this happens every time someone reads your marketing.

Just think what that’s costing you: People who would have hired you, bought from you or contacted you were not motivated to do so. You offer a great service, so these people would have been happy, long term customers… if your marketing copy hadn’t let you down.

You can’t afford to keep losing out like that. The cost to your business is huge. No. It’s bigger than that.

Most business owners understand this

I bet you’re one of them. These are the business owners who fully understand that they’re leaving money on the table, potentially a fortune, by relying on ineffective marketing copy.

And they’re not happy about it! They want expertly written, persuasive marketing, which compels their prospective customers to hire them or buy from them.

Their challenge is this: They have no idea who they can turn to, for the super-effective marketing copy they need.

If you are one of these business owners, I have some fantastic news for you!

From today, you can hire me to write the marketing content you’ve always needed. The kind of marketing that turns more prospective customers into paying customers.

How does it work and what is the fee?

Once you have decided to proceed, here’s a snapshot of what happens:

  • I start by sending you a questionnaire. This will allow me to get the core information required, in order for me to do the best work possible for you.
  • After you return the questionnaire, we’ll arrange a call [phone or Skype] to discuss your project. This is extremely useful and ensures I know exactly what you want and need.
  • I’ll then create the initial draft of your marketing copy, followed by a call to discuss it with you.
  • I then make any required adjustments and send you the final draft for your approval.
  • Note: I will personally create your marketing content. I will also be your point of contact throughout and will look after you, every step of the way.

That’s just a quick overview, though every client’s needs are a little different. It’s all about providing you with the most powerful, persuasive marketing content possible.

The fee?

Here’s the fee, quoted in UK pounds.

There’s a one-off project start-up fee of £350.

Then there’s a flat rate of £950 for each page of content. A page is anything up to 800 words in length. For example; a sales page for your website, a marketing letter, a marketing email, a call to action message for your newsletter, an advertisement, marketing copy for your brochure, etc.

Remember, high converting marketing content works for you over and over again, making it an exceptional investment.

What next?

Simply use the form below to arrange an initial chat with me. I will happily answer any questions you have.

I look forward to hearing from you.

How to immediately improve your marketing response rates

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marketing blogs, marketing tips

Here’s a useful tip, to help you get better response rates from your written marketing.

Years ago, someone figured out that Google rewards long content. Google likes lots of words. It makes it easier for the Google algorithm to rank content.

Blog posts and web pages with around 750 words are OK. Those with more than 1500 words are even better. As a result, the internet is packed with marketing information, which is way too wordy. Web pages and blog posts are typically over-long and padded with fluff, just to keep Google happy.

The thing is, by keeping Google happy with rambling sales pages and blog posts, you massively reduce the sales effectiveness of your message. What works for Google totally fails for humans. This is a key reason why business owners get traffic from Google, yet very few of these visitors convert into sales or client enquiries.

Your marketplace wants you to get to the point

Your prospective clients are busy. They have never had more demands on their attention. They’re being bombarded all day with; emails, text messages, Tweets, friend requests and Facebook updates, etc. They seldom have the time or attention to read long sales pages.

The learning here is simple: Your marketplace is short of time and short of attention. If you want your message to connect with them, get to the point. And fast.

How to become the obvious choice for new clients

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Marketing Tips, marketing advice, ideas

What emotion does a prospective client need to feel, before they hire you?

A key emotion behind decision making is discomfort. I was thinking about this earlier, when the first client for 2016 joined my Marketing Mentor Program. She explained that she had reached what she called “a tipping point”. She told me she wasn’t prepared to waste another year, working hard and making too little progress. The pain [discomfort] of another lost year, was powerful enough to motivate her to take action and hire me.

Being there when a prospective client needs you

Of course, you don’t usually know that a prospective client [or customer] is experiencing discomfort, until they tell you.

And this is why marketing should be an ongoing process for your business. You need to be there, front of mind, when they need someone with your expertise.

For example, my new client had been a reader of mine for months before she was ready to hire me.

Blogging and newsletters

In my experience, blogging and newsletter marketing are the best ways to maintain regular contact with your marketplace. This is especially the case if you use your blog posts or newsletters to deliver useful information, rather than sales pitches and offers.

So be there when they need you. Share your expertise. Demonstrate your knowledge. Once your prospective clients regard you as a trusted expert, hiring you becomes a low-to-zero risk decision.