Jim Connolly Marketing

Feedback Please: Is frequently changing your avatar a wise move?

By |

I would like to know what you think about this…

When someone you follow via Twitter, Facebook or blogging etc, suddenly changes their avatar (the picture in their profile), do you find it causes you any confusion?

I see some people and brands regularly changing their avatar.  With so much of marketing being based around building awareness of a brand and reinforcing the brand’s image, on a professional level, I find it interesting that some people regularly replace the image we associate with them.

Your feedback please

I would like to know what your thoughts or experiences are; either with other people who have changed their avatar or your own personal experience of giving your avatar a makeover.

What do you think?

Let’s work together and grow your business. To find out more click here!

How to lose sales and anger your marketplace

By |

No one likes being pestered. This is especially the case, when they are extremely busy.

I was thinking of this, whilst sitting in a friends restaurant. He received a telemarketing call from one of the many salespeople, who target his industry with cold calls. The call was made during lunchtime, on a Friday afternoon. This is a very busy time for city-based restaurants, as they deal with not only a large volume of diners, but diners, who need to get back to work quickly.

You would think that people selling to the industry would have the common sense to avoid making cold calls, during these super-busy times.

Not only are they seldom going to speak with the decision maker (he or she’s too busy) but the caller actually positions themselves to the person receiving their unwanted interruption, as a nuisance or pest.  That’s not a great way to start of a relationship or a sales negotiation.

So, why do these kind of poorly timed telemarketing calls get made?

In my experience, many telemarketing companies believe that although they will probably be seen as a pest to 99% of the people they call during that peek time, maybe 1% might speak with them.  That’s a limited and short-sighted mindset!  It’s a mindset that says it’s fine to be seen as a pest by 99% of your prospective marketplace.  This is a VERY short-term strategy and quickly sees those use operate from it, running out of people to call; as their reputation sinks lower and lower and their phone numbers get barred.

The thing with marketing is this: Just because you CAN do something, does not mean you SHOULD do something

Whether it’s cold calling people, when they clearly don’t want to be called or adding people to your newsletter list, when they never asked to subscribe (do you get that too?), it’s a bad idea to do anything that will almost certainly anger or alienate 99% of your prospective clients.  None of us need that kind of reputation.

I would be interested to know, which types of marketing “interruptions” you see as most annoying.  Share your experiences, below.

Let’s work together and grow your business. To find out more click here!

Photo: Victor Castillo

Social media rock stars? Get real!

By |

I have already had several books sent to me this year for review, written by social media experts or gurus.  The most recent arrived this weekend.  One thing all of them have in common, is that they contain a version of the following advice, which is, in my opinion totally incorrect:
Build a following and market to that following.

Here’s what I have found to be better advice:
Don’t build a following. Build a community instead!

This is not just a play on words.

FOLLOWERS are like the audience at a rock concert.  They are set apart from the rock star on stage.  They see the rock star as distant.  They are part of the event, but a very small part.  The rock star might get the crowd to sing the occasional verse, but we all know they are REALLY just broadcasting THEIR VOICE to the crowd! I really don’t see a lot of value in positioning yourself as a rock star, if you actually want to get involved with people.  Ironically, the people I see using this approach all the time, are social media experts!

COMMUNITY members are totally different.  They are like the guests at a really enjoyable party.  The host of the party is not a “star.”  The host is not set up high on a stage with the spotlight on him or her, but on the same level as the rest of us.  The host interacts with the guests – speaking AND listening.

The host at that party will not have had tens of thousands of people attending, like the rock star did.  But here’s the thing: How many of us actually NEED tens of thousands of people around us, that we will never know or connect with in any meaningful way?

Here’s one way of seeing it

Let’s be serious for a moment.  The typical small business owner, using social media to develop new clients or customers and gain feedback, will never need tens of thousands of followers or fans.

  • How many of those people can Bob EVER REALLY connect with or know?
  • How many will want to use Bob’s services, simply because Bob added them to his too-big-to-connect-with network of people he will never speak to or meet?

How many? FAR fewer, than if Bob had built a targeted, manageable network of people, which he actually connected with.  I know it sounds a little old fashioned, but it really isn’t about the numbers.

Those numbers represent people. Real people. Real people, with real lives, real needs and real dreams.  Business is all about people too.  If we forget that, and just go for the numbers, we place a very low ceiling on our potential.

10 ways to get massively more sales leads!

By |

more sales leads, get more sales, marketing

Sales leads or enquiries are an essential part of the marketing process.  After all, a steady flow of good quality sales leads, when acted upon correctly, can lead to a regular stream of lucrative business and allow business owners to plan ahead with confidence.

This brief post contains 10 powerful lead generation ideas, which you can add to your marketing arsenal. Why bother with so many lead generation options?more sales leads, get more sales Many small business owners make the mistake of relying too heavily on just 1 or 2 sources of leads. The problem with that approach, is that if one of those lead sources slows down or stops delivering, you are in BIG trouble!  It’s far better to develop a wide spread of inbound, sales lead opportunities.

So, let’s get started!

Sales Leads via Word of mouth

If you want to get the marketplace talking about you to their friends, give them something to talk about!

The golden rule of generating leads via word of mouth, is that you need to be remarkable if you want people to remark on you!

Sales Leads via Email marketing

This is easily one of the most powerful forms of lead generation I have ever used.  For very little cost, a professionally copy written email marketing campaign can generate a steady supply of high quality, targeted sales leads for your business.  Don’t do like most small business owners and use amateur marketing copy, but it doesn’t work.

Sales leads via Twitter

I have personally generated well over £100,000 for my business, directly via leads I attracted via Twitter.  Sadly, I have met just a tiny number of people, who use Twitter correctly as a form of lead / business generation.

Here’s a tip: Be selective and don’t just follow every person and every trend you see!

Sales Leads via Tele Marketing

Whilst I do not recommend you try this yourself, you might want to consider using a professional telemarketing company as a source of lead generation.  This works better in some industries and countries than others, so look before you leap.

Tip:  One thing telemarketing companies have in common is that they’re very good at selling what they do to their target market [you]. They’re not always so effective when it comes to generating leads for their clients.  So, before you consider hiring a telemarketing company, check out their references.  Talk to their clients if possible.

Sales Leads via Networking

I choose to do all my networking online these days.  Whether you choose online or offline networking, the key is to network with the right kind of people.

Form associations with people who either have a need for your services or access to people, with a need for your services.  Let them know what you do and the kind of people you work with, so they know who to recommend you to. This will greatly increase the volume and quality of leads you get.

Tip:  Not all contacts are created equal.  Yes, as human beings we are all of equal value.  However, when it comes to business, some people are far more influential than others.  Seek out the influential.

Sales Leads via Mail shots

Mail shots, (sometimes called direct marketing) has become an increasingly powerful way to generate leads.  With more and more marketing moving online, a hand signed letter from a fellow businessperson these days REALLY catches the reader’s attention.

Sales Leads via your Website or blog

Your site should be a lead generating machine for your business.  Jim’s Marketing Blog attracts over 100 emails a day, many of which come from prospective clients or customers.  Your website should be doing the same.

Tip:  Make it easy for people to contact you.  Publish your phone number and email address.  If you use a contact form, just ask for their name, email address and message.  You don’t need anything else to begin with and every extra piece of info you ask for, massively lowers your conversion rates!

Sales Leads via Joint Ventures and Endorsed Relationships

To find out about Joint Ventures and Endorsed Relationships click the appropriate link!

Sales Leads via Newsletters

Newsletters are a great way to generate leads.  I have found that a well written newsletter, which resonates with your audience, is a very effective way to position yourself as the person with the answers, to their problems.  Then, when they decide to get professional help with their problem, you are already the natural choice.

Focus on providing useful information, not sales pitches.  Too many newsletters are glorified ads, with little genuinely valuable information, which is the exact opposite of what you should be doing.  The most successful newsletters are focused on the needs of the reader.  Be useful and let them know you’re there to help them if they have a problem.

Sales Leads via Advertising

The right message, placed in the correct advertising vehicle, can produce fast, measurable results.  The reason so many small business owners claim advertising doesn’t work, is that they use amateur copy and put it in the wrong place.  Advertising works!  It works extremely well.  However, an uninspiring message sent to the wrong people, at the wrong time, doesn’t work (how could it?)  If you are thinking of advertising and you have tried before and found it didn’t work, either get a professional in… or leave it!  You can waste a lot of money with ineffective advertising.

Obviously, there are far, far more proven ways to generate leads, than can be covered in a blog post.  However, I hope those above have got you thinking about investing in some new lead generating activities.

Marketing tip: Stop shouting for attention!

By |

Is your marketing shouting at people?

If you go into Starbucks today and start shouting at the people around you, you will definitely grab their attention.  However, it’s not the kind of attention you want to attract.  Many small businesses use a very similar approach with their marketing.  In an effort to capture attention, they act in a way that gets them noticed, but for all the wrong reasons.

They not only fail to generate new business; they can permanently damage the reputation of their business too.

Some examples of how companies shout at people with their sales and marketing:

  • Adding people to their newsletter list, without permission. It’s spam.
  • Spamming people on Twitter.
  • Meeting people at networking events and using that transparent crap; “tell me about your business and how I can help you.” Wake up, it’s not 1985 any more!
  • Asking people to join their Linkedin network, claiming they worked with them (when both parties know it’s a lie.)
  • Unwanted telemarketing calls to people’s homes at 8pm.  Just what you need when getting a young child to sleep or relaxing after a hard day.

In marketing, it’s easy to confuse movement with progress.  People see that they need to win more business and they know that they must do something – quickly!  So, they do what they hope will generate the new business they need.

The marketing challenge here, is that just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should.  Just because we can pay someone to spam 500,000 people with a marketing email from us, doesn’t mean it will generate anything positive.  Yes, you can waste half your life attending the same networking events, with the same people, all there to sell, none there to buy – but it’s massively ineffective.

Thankfully, we each have the freedom to make our own choices about the way we market our products and services.  If we use our freedom of choice wisely, our success is guaranteed.

Pay to enter? I don’t think so!

By |

Have you ever thought about offering a paid version of your website or blog?  Ever wondered what the advantages or challenges might be?  If so, then you may find this brief post interesting!

I asked a question on Twitter yesterday. I wanted to know if people had paid to access a blog or site, for so-called ‘premium content’.

Resoundingly, the answer was “No!”

Typically, people said that there was so much free content out there, that there was no need for them to pay for it.

The assumption, was that the paid content would be of no more value than the free content.  This, of course, may well be true.  It’s hard to tell, when sites that offer paid content don’t usually let you see the good stuff until you have paid.  It’s quite a leap of faith to pay someone, without knowing exactly what you are going to get for your hard earned money!  Those that do give a limited peek at the premium content, still give us no idea as to the consistency of the quality of that information.

In addition, that paid content business model has another issue associated with it, which I think is worth considering.  If the paid stuff is so-called “premium content” then it suggests that the non-paid content is at best average and at worst, worthless (by default, as they gave it away rather than putting it in the paid area of the site.)

An alternative income for new bloggers?

There is another income model for bloggers and content providers who offer consistently high quality content, which is based on a donation or tip option.

For example, I pay for the brilliant twit.tv and I do so voluntarily.  Leo Laporte creates hours and hours of video and audio content every day, and I get so much value and enjoyment from it that I actually WANT to repay Leo in some way.  In other words, the value of his work is such, that people like myself feel it’s only right to show our appreciation, with a donation.

The difference with the donation model, is that people get to experience the quality first.  There’s no barrier to entry – it’s open to all.

I get comments on the blog and emails all the time, from people that say a version of “I can’t thank you enough!”  I believe that a percentage of these people would actually want to use a donate button, if I had one here.

Summing up

I’m very reliably informed that even the most popular business blogs / sites with paid areas make surprisingly little – Even though they are often fronted by well-known business blogging personalities.

In my experience, people are generally a lot more generous and giving than is commonly believed.  If you are seeking to make an income from a business to business site (like this one), and your site offers great content on a consistent basis, I would definitely go with a donation-based system rather than a pay to enter option.  If the content’s genuinely good enough and you have a business audience, I believe people would pay.

It also means that those people who NEED the help but can’t afford it are not excluded.  For me, that’s EXTREMELY important!

Would they pay enough for you to be able to rely on it as a single, full-time income? I doubt it – but it may be a useful additional income stream.  In my opinion, it depends on the number of readers you have, the subject of your blog, it’s value to your readers (and just as importantly), your reader’s relationship with you.

If I used the donate model here?  I would also list my donors; so that the thousands of people who get the content for free each day can see who’s paying for the servers I use etc.  This would also give the donors a tangible reward, as their links drove traffic to their sites from an intelligent, business audience. I would also allow people to donate any amount – many donation buttons have set amounts.