I don’t know about you….but even as much time as I spend online, I love reading magazines. I like the way they feel, that I can rip out an article or dog ear a page. I’d think that my age was showing except for the magazine rack at Barnes and Noble. Every time I look, it gets bigger.
MagCloud, a new self-publishing magazine service from HP Labs, is bringing the ability to be a magazine creator to all of us. Now, anyone who can create a PDF can publish a magazine.
How does it work? Users can upload a PDF of their magazine for free, creating their own profit margins by calculating the difference between their cover price and MagCloud’s charge of 20 cents per page, plus shipping.
The concept builds on the success of companies that offer a simple, online method for consumers to self-publish books (like Blurb or Lulu) and on the understanding that members of Generation C are eager to share their creative output, and expect to be paid for their efforts.
No matter what the author’s "status" in terms of credentials or experience, MagCloud provides them with a no-risk business and communication opportunity, and the ability to tap into infinite niche audiences that will find their content relevant and worth paying for.
While the site is in beta, publisher accounts are by invitation only. Shipping is currently restricted to the US, but they’re working hard to open up its service to Europe and then the rest of the world.
What do you think? Could you/would you be a magazine publisher?
I get a lot of PR pitches, will you review my book requests and can you tell people about our conference sort of e-mails.
I appreciate getting them because it helps me make this blog useful to you, the readers. But, what I appreciate even more is when the person doing the pitch actually makes an effort to personalize the interaction which is in direct opposite to what happens most of the time – I get a generic e-mail (no doubt sent out to 100 of my closest blogging friends) and just filling in my name at the top.
This is NOT a post about how to pitch a blogger. I think it’s about PR and building relationships, as opposed to the mass production mentality of just doing a mass mailing and wondering why no one picked up the story.
I’d like to tell you a little about two pitches that stood out and the results of those pitches.
John Rosen, author of Stopwatch Marketing
A few months before John’s book was released, he started reading and commenting here at the Marketing Minute. He also engaged me in a genuine e-mail conversation about the work we both do, his familiarity with Des Moines and eventually his book.
By the time he asked me to review the book – we knew each other. So when I got his book – I read it right away (my review here) and shared it with my readers within the week. (Keep in mind, I get 2-5 books a week and am always struggling to keep up. Normally, he’d have had to wait a month or so.)
Then, John really proved that he was a savvy marketer. He didn’t need me anymore (in terms of his new book) but he continued to invest in the relationship. We e-mail, comment on each other’s blogs and stay in touch to this day. When we were looking for giveaways for Blogger’s Social – John was willing to donate copies of his book. Having your book in the hands of 100+ smart and vocal marketers is a wise strategy.
John understands the power of relationships and investing your efforts before you ask for the favor. Smart.
Bob Bloom, author of The Inside Advantage: The strategy that unlocks the hidden growth in your business
Bob Bloom is the former U.S. CEO of advertising mega-giant Publicis Worldwide. Suffice it to say, I had heard of Bob’s work. Pretty sure he had not heard of mine. I received a pitch to review his book and it came from Bob’s publicist. As you might expect, the publicist followed none of John Rosen’s techniques, so the book got tossed into the pile and I reviewed it about 2 months after receiving it. (My review here)
I thought it was an excellent and insightful book and said so. Bob is not just a marketing guy, he gets business. A valuable and rare combination, in my eyes.
Fast forward about a month after I posted the review. My desk phone rings and I pick it up. Who is on the line – but Bob Bloom. He called so that we could get to know each other a little bit and to thank me for the review. We ended up talking for about 15-20 minutes and much like my contact with John Rosen – it was genuine. We talked about clients and he told me about his new effort – working one on one with business owners.
Bob went out of his way to listen, comment thoughtfully and I completely forgot what a big deal he was…which just goes to prove what a big deal he truly is.
Two different approaches but some common threads:
There’s no substitute for you.
There’s no substitute for human interaction.
There’s no substitute for being genuine.
There’s no substitute for making the effort to connect and start a relationship.
As we continue to slog through the economic downturn – these truths don’t cost much but can yield long-term gains. How can you bring these truths to life in your dealings with customers, prospects and the media?
There's a new member of the McLellan family. Maggie the mostly lab puppy. When you get a new baby, you need to take her to the doctor, right?
Our old vet is great, but 20 minutes away. And the last time I was there, we had to put our 13 year old lab to sleep. So, I thought maybe it was time to try someone new.
I got a reference from a co-worker. Word of mouth — check. This was going to work out perfectly.
I walk in to the clinic and I am acknowledged by Michael. It wasn't really a greeting. More like a non verbal sigh. So Michael leads Maggie and me into one of the exam rooms and begins to run through the intake questions.
We were in the room together for about 10 minutes, with Maggie sitting on the exam table. Michael never stopped to pet her or even greet her. He didn't say she was cute or sweet or even how lucky she was to be rescued from a shelter. It was like she wasn't even there. And if you've been around an 8 week old puppy — they're a little tough to miss. I don't know anyone who can resist a puppy. But do I want the guy who can providing care for my dog?
Total turn off. I called the old vet from the exam room as soon as he left.
When we got to the old vet's and the front desk tech (who I did not recognize or know) squealed "look at the adorable puppy!" I knew I'd made the right call. I didn't just want a competent vet. I wanted a clinic where they'll love her. Or at least scratch her behind the ears a bit.
Do your employees squeal when they see a prospect walk in the door? Do they give them a good scratch?
Clients aren’t always ready to go where you need to take them.
They might be afraid. They might not have the budget. They might be caught up in some internal politics. What you’re asking them to do might be difficult. Or, they might not get it.
But the bottom line is, they aren’t ready to leave the nest.
We see that sometimes with clients when we talk about branding. They might think it’s just fluff or they haven’t wrapped their arms around the idea that their logo is not their brand. Whatever the reason — they aren’t ready to take advantage of the power that comes from truly knowing and living your brand story.
So as an agency, we have a choice. We can tell them to come back when they’re ready or we can meet them where they are, stuck in their nest.
Wed all have clients like that. Those clients are like baby birds. If we rush them, shoving them out of the nest….splat! That serves no purpose but our ego.
We need to be patient and just hang with them in the nest. We can feed them little tidbits of information, letting them learn slowly and absorb what we’re telling them. Sooner or later, they’ll want to stretch their wings a little.
When you think about it, that’s our job. To help clients gain the information and confidence (in us) they need so they can stretch their wings.
Every once in awhile, a brand has such a rock solid understanding about themselves, their raving fans and the world in which they exist — they can do something powerful without saying a single word.
Budweiser has always been about as American as it gets. Their fan base is true blue American and they’ve talked about values like tradition and respect for years. (I hope their new owners are smart enough not to change that in the least)
4 months after 9/11, this is the spot they ran on the SuperBowl. Lots of companies ran similarly spirited ads that year. What makes Budweiser remarkable and so true to their brand is that every 9/11 they run this spot as a tribute to their country and the tragedy and triumph of that day.
I have to say….despite the fact that I think Bud is lousy beer, I have an incredible amount os respect for the company and this spot still makes me choke up a little.
Don’t ever forget that your brand can and should stand for something much greater than what you sell. It should be a reflection of your heart. Bud sets an impressive example.
Hat tip to my friend Steve for reminding me of this spot.
At McLellan Marketing Group… we help clients discover their story so they can create love affairs with their customers.
That’s where it all starts and ends at my shop. Story = brand which probably equals USP (but deeper) or really….the heart and soul of the organization.
Why do you exist? If the earth were to swallow you up — what would everyone not be able to find anywhere else? When the clients that love you (you have some, right?) rave about you — what do they say?
If you think you know the answer….do your employees? Do they tell the same story? How about your vendors/partners?
Think back over your education. Do you realize that we learn via stories. Think of how you learned about history or sociology. How about psych or Brit Lit. (what we Americans call it!) We listen to and learn from the stories.
When I construct a presentation, for each main "lesson" I want to share with the audience, I ask myself…which story should I tell. I never try to teach without stories.
So…stay with me here — when we want our clients to get it, to understand how we can help them, to create and spread word of mouth — how do we think they will do that?
Right! Stories.
But, they can only know and tell our story if:
We know it
We share it with them
Over the next few days, we’re going to explore the MMG definition of story (brand) and what elements your story needs to include, if it’s going to be the marketing tool you want it to be.
The internet is a wonderful thing. It allows anyone with a connection to create a virtual storefront. It brings parity to the marketplace. The little guys can compete with the big guys. Excellent.
But what if the little guy (or the big guy for that matter) doesn’t have a clue?
The reality is that the internet has lowered the barriers for entry for just about every service business out there. But it also means that just because it looks like a business, doesn’t mean it’s so.
I think the old adage…the cobbler’s children have no shoes is a really dangerous excuse in today’s marketplace. And it’s a buyer beware world for all of us.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to hire a financial planner who lives paycheck to paycheck. I don’t want to hire a marketing firm who hasn’t created buzz for their own agency. I don’t want to hire a personal trainer who is 40 pounds overweight and I don’t want to hire a business blog coach who has 137 subscribers to their own blog.
In today’s age of "insta-pop up" businesses where the assumption is if you have a website or blog, you must be legit — we have to be even more discerning than ever before.
If they have not done it for themselves, why in the world would you think they can do it for you?
Trade shows are an incredibly effective way to introduce your business to a wide array of potential new customers. When it comes to displays, I have some good news and some bad news. Want the good news first? Your competitors’ booths probably stink.
Ready for the bad news? Yours probably does too.
Let’s face it — most booths look and behave the same. Think of the "standards" of a booth. How many of those do you include with yours? Is there a way to freshen it up a little?
Here are some rules to think about when you or your agency is working on your display.
~ What’s the point? Identify the one fact/impression you want everyone to remember from your display. Not three main points or five. One. Once you have communicated that, stop.
~ Force them to stop.Do something so visually arresting that people cannot help but stop. This is not the time to be timid. Be bold. Grab them and (figuratively) drag them into your space. I’m not talking (unless it fits with your brand) something silly. I am talking relevant but WOW!
~ Think of it like a billboard. Be brief. This is not the place to reproduce your sales letter or brochure.
~ Less is more. Some companies’ trade show space is like a three-ring circus. People do not want to walk into chaos. Having one good, bold idea is much more effective than throwing the kitchen sink at the attendees.
~ Do it right. Yes, you are going to have to spend more money. But, it is an investment that will last for years. This is not the place to go cheap. It will be glaringly obvious and speak volumes about your business.
If you’re going to invest the money and time resources to have a presence at a trade show, make sure you maximize that investment by having a display that they’ll remember long after the show doors close.
We’ve all been to plenty of shows. Think back — what’s the most memorable booth you’ve ever seen and what about it sticks out in your mind?
(Note to my readers. No, I have not gone off the deep end. September 19th is blog like a pirate day and who’d want to miss out on that??)
Aft in th’ tide, buccanneers banded together in crews an’ sailed th’ seas, lookin’ fer places t’ plunder an’ pillage. Each crew tookst great pride in the’r ability t’ secure bounty. They be like a tight-knit family, workin’ an’ playin’ together. They boasted o’ battles won an’ lasses wooed. Piratin’ be a team sport an’ ye wore yer team`s colors wi’ honor. T’ tell th’ world jus’ who be approachin’, each crew hoisted a unique jolly roger on the’r vessel, typically adorned wi’ symbols that told a tale o’ the’r captain.
Th’ jolly rogers be defended, often times wi’ th’ sea dogs` lives. They be that important a symbol. They told th’ crew`s distinct tale.
How about ye? Do ye hoist a single jolly roger that tells o’ yer unique tale or do ye spend half yer time, hoistin’ an’ changin’ jolly rogers, dependin’ on who ye be talkin’ t’ or what yer scurvy dog competitors be doin’?
If ye dasn’t hoist a jolly roger at all — what tale would ye want yer jolly roger t’ tell, if ye could only be havin’ th’ one? What symbols would ye include so that yer tale would be remembered an’ re-told by them who saw ‘t?
Can ye imagine th’ pride ye might create in yer own crew, if ye gave them a powerful tale an’ a symbolic jolly roger t’ wave an’ raise?
Maybe ye canna wave a jolly roger at yer place o’ business. But what could ye hoist t’ be a constant reminder o’ what ye an’ yer crew would swashbuckle t’ th’ Davy Jones’ locker t’ defend?
If ye dasn’t give yer crew an’ yer customers somethin’ t’ b’lieve in an’ defend, why ortin’ ta they keep comin’ aft?
We’ve heard it for the past few years (longer, if we were really listening). Content is king. Less hype, more value. Talk directly to your customers about what matters to them. The explosion of social media tools (blogs, twitter, Facebook etc.) is proof that we can actually be the media.
That doesn’t mean you have to launch a magazine or put a broadcast antenna on your office building.
It means that consumers are open to listening, if you’re open to creating relevant content and offering it to them. You can do that on-line. You can do that in a traditional printed piece. And you can do it in person.
That’s a critical point — this is not just an internet-driven marketing solution. Which means this book is relevant to just about everyone.
So how do you do it?
Well, there’s the rub. Fortunately, in this case, there’s a solution. Newt Barrett and Joe Pulizzi have written the book Get Content. Get Customers. Think of it as your toolbox to Content Marketing. It is right on the mark, easy to understand and implement.
The book has excellent case studies from all kinds of companies in all kinds of industries. You’ll see what’s possible. But what you’re really going to love is the play by play instructions and insights that will help you get from nodding your head to actually implementing the ideas.
If you’ve read this blog for awhile, you know I really love books that actually tell you how to do it. This book is all about that. You’ll read this book with a pencil in hand so you can write in the margins. My copy is a sorry looking dog-eared and highlighted book. A high compliment to any business book, in my opinion.
If you’re a business owner or leader — you will do something different as a result of this book. It’s just that relevant.
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I don’t know about you….but even as much time as I spend online, I love reading magazines. I like the way they feel, that I can rip out an article or dog ear a page. I’d think that my age was showing except for the magazine rack at Barnes and Noble. Every time I look, it gets bigger. ![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=5a39c898-f503-442f-b757-3af9cae15435)
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