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Did you miss these? (week of 9/20)

September 27, 2010

I get so much smarter just by reading what others have to share. But I always worry that I missed something big. You too? Just in case you missed any of these…I wanted to serve up some of my favorites:

Content Marketing: Marketing Profs and Junta42 partnered up to research some content marketing trends, benchmarks and budgets. Enjoy the double whammy of smart from these two organizations by downloading their research report.

Mobile Marketing: Over at the MENG Blend blog, I ask the question — should your business be considering a mobile app. Check out the real world small business examples before you dismiss this question with a “only the big boys play in that arena” thought.

Blogging 101: Mike Sansone, the man who taught me just about everything I know about blogging, has begun a series he calls 0-60. It will guide you day by day to building a blog that is full of relevance, heart and potential. Grab day one and start following along.

Creative Leadership: Robyn McMaster points out that there aren’t too many people who celebrate TGIM (Thank God it’s Monday) each week. Her brain-based insights offer some suggestions on how to make your work environment TGIM worthy.

A Better Question: One of the things that makes Liz Strauss so incredible is her ability to ask questions that cut the the heart of things. In her recent post, she tells a story and asks “who will find you irresistible?” Read it…and discover your answer.

I hope you find some a-ha moments in these nuggets — I know I sure did.

~ Drew

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Marketing tip #43: Differentiate your product with a memory

September 25, 2010

I'm on the road a lot so I've become a very efficient packer/traveler. My dopp bag is always pre-packed with everything I need. Including one of those little travel sized toothpaste tubes.

I care that it's toothpaste but I don't really care what kind or what flavor. So every time I'm at Target, I just grab a few as I walk by their "travel sized section" and toss them in the closet for the next rounds of travel.

On a recent run into Chicago, I just grabbed the new toothpaste tube and started brushing. With the first swipe of my toothbrush – all of a sudden I was transported to my dentist's chair. The toothpaste had that gritty sand sensation that up until this point I only experienced at the dentist's office. I would have sworn that Dr. Todd's dental hygienist was giving my teeth a good buffing.

I don't normally pay any attention to the taste or texture of my toothpaste — but this time — it completely captured my attention. Simply because it triggered a vivid experience/memory.

We are so visually oriented today that sometimes I think we forget that we actually have five senses. And that the two that are tied most deeply to our memories and emotional triggers are smell and taste.

Here's what happened in my brain as I brushed my teeth with the gritty toothpaste:

I found myself wondering if this toothpaste was better for my teeth because it felt more "official." Even after i was done brushing, i was conscious of that gritty feeling in my mouth.

Now, I have no ability to judge toothpaste effectiveness. I told you – I am brand agnostic when it comes to my toothpaste. But the texture and the experiential connection I made to the gritty toothpaste suddenly gave me a tangible I could grasp and attach a value to.

Why am i telling you this fascinating tooth tale? Because in a very commoditized product category, Crest found a way to not only differentiate themselves but to also create the perception of being better.

If they can do that with something as mundane as toothpaste — surely you can do it with your product or service. What sense or experience could you tap into to create a different perception for your customers or prospects?

~ Drew

P.S. Which brand of toothpaste do you suppose I bought the next time I needed some for home?

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Marketing tip #71: Upsell with the choice of 3

September 20, 2010

Gold, silver or bronze? Best, better, good? Economy, standard or premium?

Is it just an odd coincidence that we as consumers are often presented with three tiered choices? Actually it's no coincidence at all.

They have proven scientifically that in most cases (I can't find the study or I would be more specific) the consumer will opt for the middle choice.

Here's how our brains see the options:

The lowest choice seems bare-bones.
The highest choice seems extravagant.
But the middle choice… now, that's pragmatic. Not too little and not too much.

If you want to earn more revenue from your existing customers — package their choices differently. Be sure there is an actual value difference (both in what they get and what they pay) in the tiers…but then, give them 3 options.

And stock up on whatever is lucky #2!

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Facebook tip #413: Start with a question

September 17, 2010

Everyone and their brother has built a Facebook Fan page or has a Facebook account. And the ultimate goal is to get more LIKES and more interaction.

It makes sense — no one is going to buy from you until they know who you are.

Sadly, most people approach this "new" media with the same methodology as they've used in traditional media. I call it the "Let me tell you all about me" method.

Imagine being at a party (because social media is a lot like a cocktail party) and a stranger or someone you barely know walks up to you and says…

"Hi, aren't you glad to see me? I'm quite fascinating, aren't I? Let me tell you a little about me. I graduated from college in 1994 and began an illustrious career as a physician. And I must tell you, my bedside manner is the buzz around around the hospital."

When you see it illustrated like that — it's clearly insane. And yet, pay attention to what shows up in your Facebook NewsFeed and watch the businesses and business people tell you all about themselves. Yuck. (If you're grimacing right now, it's because YOU do this!)

On the flip side, watch a master communicator like Scott Ginsberg (the nametag guy) demonstrate the way to begin to build relationships. You ask questions. Scott is constantly posing relevant, off the wall, sometimes just plan odd questions. And boy does he get participation.

Why? Because people will fall over themselves to talk about… themselves. How do you make a sale? Get people to talk about themselves.

Are you seeing the connection?

If you want to build an active community that knows who you are and what you do — know who they are and what they do. Learn all about them by asking questions.

What would be a talk-generating question you could ask your online audience today?

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Marketing tip #96: Be specific

September 15, 2010

One of the most frustrating "worries" that marketing types sometimes express is that they want to use weasel words in their marketing. Words like "nearly," "over" or "almost all."

Typically, they're worried about someone calling them on the details so they want to hedge their bet.

Look at these two sentences:

We've served nearly 1,000 happy customers.

We've served 973 happy customers.

Which one feels more genuine and truthful? Which one causes you to stop and think about the significance of the number?

Which one makes you think they really counted? Exactly.

In your sales and marketing copy — be specific. Brian Clark at Copyblogger wrote about this topic and said "Non-specific copy is a red flag that signals puffery and a lack of substance, and yet it’s all too common." Amen!

Go back and review your website, brochure, sales collateral and other marketing materials. If you aren't being specific — it's time for a re-write or an honest conversation about why you can't/won't.

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Marketing tip #26: Be brave enough not to tell the whole story

September 13, 2010

When you are creating content — be it marketing copy for a brochure, an e-book, a radio script or even leaving a sales call voicemail — you need to know when to shut up. We're so eager to tell the customers/prospects all about our widget, service or knowledge — we try to cram it all into one message.

Which is satisfying to us, but miserable for the audience. Like a firehose — we've flooded them with facts, features and benefits. And in the end, they can't remember any of it.

Next time — be brave. Tell them the most important thing. And then, shut up. Too many words clog the brain and never allow you to connect with their heart. And that's where the buying decision happens. In their heart.

Nissan's new TV spot for their LEAF vehicle gets it. Watch this spot and then identify the single most important fact about this car. I will bet you a dozen donuts — you won't forget it. (e-mail subscribers, click here to view.)

Would someone react the same way (emotionally charged AND remembering the key point) if they looked at whatever you wrote last?

If not…how could you turn that around?

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Social media training specific to the tourism industry

September 12, 2010

Whether you work at a Chamber, CVB, local attraction, hotel or an agency who does tourism and hospitality work — your world has changed. Any marketing effort that does not include some elements of social media is missing out.

But you're smart enough to know that you just don't slap a Twitter account or Facebook Fan Page together and hope it works. You need to integrate the SM tactics with the rest of your efforts.

Easier said than done, yes? That's why I want to tell you about an online course that will help you get real results. Real, measurable results.

You know I don't "pitch" or try to sell you stuff. I only tell you about the things I truly believe in. I'm not willing to risk your trust on anything less.

Becky McCray and Sheila Scarborough are some of my favorite people. They're straight-shooting, pragmatic and hysterical. I know you don't need hysterical to learn, but it sure helps!

There are often one of three problems with social media training:

It is too basic and generic
It is too advanced and nerdy
Or it is well-balanced but not tailored to a specific industry

Not this course.

They didn't create this course out of the blue — they created it from their own experiences as they work with tourism organizations and destinations around the globe. You won't get fluff or puffery from them…you will get real world examples, real world metrics and real world war stories. And when I say real world…I mean from your world.

Best of all — they teach you how to fish. This isn't theory… this is "get your hands dirty" learning.

Check out the course. Read their bios. Let them make you even smarter.

Click here to visit Tourism Currents. *

*Yup, this is an affiliate link. I have no idea how much I get paid if you click on it or take the course because that's not why I am telling you about it.

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Do you want your jerky naked or hot and smoky?

September 11, 2010

For the last decade, marketers have been talking about customization.

We've acknowledged that the Baby Boomers had both the personality and disposable income to generate enough market pressure that companies big and small started adding options and choices to their offerings.

Often, the options were window dressing. Sprinkles versus nuts. Companies were trying to meet the demand without going out of business.

The challenge in the early days was finding enough customers to make the customization profitable. Somehow, you had to have enough demand for each version so you could still apply some principles of mass production to manage costs.

But today…the mass adoption of the web has answered that question. How do you find enough customers? Go online, of course.

The New York Times reports that the marriage of the worldwide customer base on the internet and customization hunger are a match made in heaven. Check out these stats.

"Zazzle, CafePress and Scrapblog, a site that lets people create and print digital scrapbooks, have each reported 80 percent increases in sales this holiday season compared with last year. Orders at Spreadshirt, where people can customize shirts, bags, umbrellas and even underwear, have doubled. At Blurb, where people create their own photo or art books, sales are up 43 percent.

Meanwhile, overall e-commerce sales have grown only 4 percent this season, according to comScore, and offline retail sales have barely grown at all."

And now…even your beef jerky can be built to order. New Jersey's Slant Shack's jerky offers customers numerous choices.

Traditional USDA choice or organic grass-fed beef?
An original or a “hot & smoky” marinade?
A rub of four tantalizing options or the “naked” approach.
Finally, brown sugar or spicy pepper glaze.

(No doubt my friends David Armano and Connie Reece are going to order some today!)

Why am I telling you all this? Because it matters to your business, whether you are a CPA firm or a bakery. The Boomers created the demand. But today's digital natives have grown up surrounded by it. They don't know anything else.

So you can't go the sprinkles versus nuts routine. You need to actually offer real choices that matter to your consumers. Cookie cutter won't cut it anymore.

The good news is…you can build customization into many aspects of your business:

Your products or services
Delivery speeds/methods
Packaging
Billing options

So….how are you going to give your customers real choices that matter to them, feel significant but don't break your business model?

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What can Google teach us about marketing?

September 9, 2010

That's exactly the question that Aaron Goldman asked…and the answers he discovered turned into the book, aptly titled, Everything I Know About Marketing, I learned from Google.

Aaron put together a video specific to you — the Marketing Minute audience. (One of the lessons is about being very relevant to your audience and Aaron is walking his talk by speaking just to you….) You'll love the Marketing Minute rap he does at the end!

This book is an excellent read — smart, great examples and lots of applicable, customer-centric ideas.

If you want to peek into the pages a bit before buying, check out the book's website or you can grab the free e-book that gives you a very good taste. But don't be fooled by the smart content in the e-book. You're still going to want to read the whole book!

Grab the book here (affiliate link) and steal the best of Google's marketing ideas.

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Real time search engine for Facebook and Twitter

September 6, 2010

Late this spring a new search engine snuck onto the scene. Kurrently (www.kurrently.com) allows you to search Facebook and Twitter in real time.

Put any search term or combination of terms into Kurrently, and instantly receive the scrolling results with Tweets and Facebook status updates organized by date stamp. The results automatically update as you watch.

I tried it with "drew mclellan" and found quite a few Twitter and Facebook mentions that I hadn't caught through the normal tracking methods.

It's been pretty tough to find a way to accurately gauge Facebook buzz but this should help considerably.

Interestingly, the developers have added an RSS option. You'll see it on the search results page. When you click on the Subscribe, a window pops open and invites you to pay as much as you would like, via PayPal, for the subscription.

An intriguing question – what's the convenience of the feed worth to you?

Regardless of the RSS subscription option — this is a very slick tool. Check it out.

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