Strategy

Don’t pitch if it isn’t news

July 14, 2008

Everyone wants media coverage and gets frustrated when they don’t get it.  Reporters and editors aren’t ignoring your news releases – they’re just doing their job. 

If you help them do their job, they will help you do yours.

The media (of all kinds) gets bombarded with releases every day.  Think about some of the recent releases you’ve written.  Your business celebrates 25 years.  You won an industry award. Important to you?  You bet.

But remember, a journalist’s job is to report news that matters to their audience.

When you write a release, ask yourself a simple question.  "So what?" And be honest. Why would this matter to someone outside our organization?  If the answer is that it doesn’t, you need to find a way to make it relevant to them.

For example, let’s say you own an art store and are offering a pottery class.  By itself, it’s not all that newsworthy, except perhaps in the community listings.

What if you did some research and found that 43% of all American adults claim that one of their hobbies is some form of art.  You dig a little deeper and find some statistics about art therapy and stress reduction.  Now you have something to offer.  Your class listings can be a part of a bigger story about reducing stress through art therapy or how art is the nation’s fastest growing hobby.

One of the basic rules of writing marketing pieces is remember your audience.  In the case of an effective news release you need to double that effort.  Not only do you need to remember the reporter but you also need to think about the reporter’s audience and what matters to them. 

Check out this post on Do’s and Don’t written by a reporter.  Words to the wise for sure!

Podcast: Social Media and Small Business

July 10, 2008

Zane Safrit was kind enough to invite me to be a guest on his BlogTalk radio show yesterday.  We talked a lot about what social media is and isn’t and how small businesses could begin to explore it.

I totally understand (as you will hear) why businesses are afraid or confused by social media.  But honestly, I think we make it more difficult than it needs to be.  As you’ll hear….I’m a big advocate of just dipping your toe into the water a little bit.

Take a listen.  I’d love to hear what you think.

Thanks again to Zane for being such an engaging host.  You’ll want to check out all his podcasts….they’re excellent and thought provoking.

Update:  Zane just added his notes on our conversation at his blog.

Are you tough enough to take it?

July 7, 2008

Most businesses have a heavy focus on acquiring new clients. Especially as we consider that we might be rolling into a recession. Everyone is sensitive to the importance of keeping new prospects flowing. 

But we should remember that the way to get new prospects is to be smarter about how we treat current customers and even how we treated those customers we’ve lost.  Getting smarter is a much better strategy than blindly lowering our prices to combat tougher times.

Losing a customer is inevitable.  It happens to every business. But losing them for good is not inevitable.  You can get a good percentage of them back.

One of the most powerful pieces of research you can do is a lost customer survey.  This isn’t for the meek.  It’s a little like being hit with a toxic gas.  It can knock the wind out of you!

You need to be ready to hear some painful truths.  They left for a reason.  And the reason is rarely price.  So something in your product, service or interactions pushed them into your competitor’s arms.

This is not something you can do effectively by yourself.  Here’s a human truth that works both for and against us.  People are basically nice.  They don’t want to offend you or hurt your feelings.   But you will be amazed at how candid (and sometimes brutally honest) they will be with an objective third-party.  So, get professional help.

Once you hear the truth, there will be elements within your business that you will clearly want to change. Change them or put plans in place to change them.  Then, craft a letter to your lost customers thanking them for their participation and sharing the results with them.  Yes, air your dirty laundry.   Then tell them about your plans to change the problems.  Finally, ask them to come back.  Give them an incentive to do so.

You won’t get them all.  But you’ll get many of them back.  Best of all, you have made changes that will keep more of your current clients right where they belong – with you.

One of the services we provide MMG clients is a customer satisfaction assessment.  Every one of our clients who embarks on the research ends up changing the way they do business for the better.  Hard to argue with results like that.

How do you drive traffic to your website or blog?

July 4, 2008

We all want readers.

Bottom line, that’s why businesses and professionals blog or put up a website.  We want to connect.  We want to share.  We want to sell.  And none of that happens without readers.

So I am curious and want to steal your good ideas. 

How do you generate traffic at your blog or site?  Do you have a written plan?  A plan in your head?  Do you have any techniques that make your numbers jump (hits in a day, new subscribers) and how permanent is the leap?

Do you have a few tried and true methods?  Are you always experimenting or do you just chug along, creating good content and letting readers find you over time?

Let’s say creating good content is a given.  What beyond that do you do?

If everyone shares a couple of their methods — we could compile quite a list and really help each other.  So what say you?

Here’s interesting post from Ian at Conversation Marketing about StumbleUpon and how he uses it to earn new readers.  Is that one of your tricks too?

Strategy comes first in the formula

July 3, 2008

I’m the first to advocate great creative.  If your marketing materials are boring or just like everyone else’s, you’re going to get lost in the shuffle.  Strong, memorable creative can make your ad pop off the page or your brochure be the first one they reach for.  But, way too many marketers leap right to the creative execution.  Who can blame them – it’s fun.

But, you have to lay your foundation first. The foundation of any marketing piece is the strategy.  Do you understand your audience and why they would want your product/service?  Do you know what your key message is?   

When it comes to crafting your message, there’s an easy formula to make sure you’re helping your potential buyer understand why they should buy. 

Problem/Want:  This is how you get their attention.  Show them that you understand their problem or their want.   Use vivid language to remind them of how troublesome the problem can be.  Or how cool they’d feel if they got their want.  You want them to recognize themselves and their pain in your ad.  If they don’t know they have a problem — they are not going to be in the market for a solution.

Solution: Once they know that you understand their concerns, they’re ready to hear how you can help them solve their problem or satisfy that itch they have.  Explain how they will benefit from your solution.  What will it change for them?  How will life be easier, better, cheaper, smarter, etc.?  Paint a picture with your words.

Here’s where you really have to understand how you are different from the competition.  Don’t use the same old tired arguments and language.  If you can’t differentiate yourself…don’t waste the money on the ad or brochure or website or whatever!

Call to action:  Don’t make it hard for them to buy. Make your communication compelling.  Give them both a reason and a method to act immediately.  A number to call.  A URL to visit.  A special bonus if they buy within a certain amount of time.

Pretty simple, right?  But look through the paper or listen to the radio.  Most of the advertisers out there are missing the boat.  Hopefully your competition is among them! 

Now, you obviously can communicate the problem and solution in many creative ways.  You don’t have to be blatant with the formula itself.  But…if they don’t know they’ve got a problem or you don’t make them a little hungrier for that want, you’re sunk.

Follow this easy formula and you’ll already be ahead of the pack.

SWAT Summit offers YOU a discount!

July 2, 2008

Get the inside scoop on advertising and marketing on social networks on July 17th in lovely San Francisco.

Social networks are transforming the way brands and consumers interact. Leading brands and agencies are embracing their potential — are you?

SWAT Summit looks at how agencies and brands can harness the power of social networks. This conference is for anyone who wants to be a leader in the next generation of marketing and advertising — and for the publishers, developers, and ad networks who will work with them hand in hand.

SWAT Summit is an exclusive gathering place for 200 key influencers and decision makers such as Brand Managers, Media Planners, Media Buyers, Marketing Directors, and individuals at the Director, VP, and C-Level.

Limited spots are also available for: Press, VCs, Analysts, and Academics.

Check out their speakers, or go ahead and register.  Marketing Minute readers are being offered a $100 discount on the event.  Use discount code:  drewmm

You have six months left

July 1, 2008

It’s July 1st. 

Officially, you have burned the first half of ’08.  Maybe it’s time to dust off your marketing plan (you do have one, don’t you?) and see how you’re doing.

• What’s working better than you expected?
• What’s not performing and needs a tweak?
• What have you neglected and need to tend to?
• What haven’t you started that you meant to get going?

You’ve got six months left in the year.  What one thing could you do/fix/start/stop that would have the most impact on your business?

Could you get started on it today? 

Oodles of insight

June 30, 2008

Looking for some reading that will make you pause and go "hmmmm?"  I’ve discovered a treasure trove. 

1)  Check out a spot that Chris Brogan pointed me to —  Manifesto archives.  They’ve got articles on marketing, ROI, escaping corporate America, the upside of a downturn and much more.

This is all part of a non-profit called Change This.  Their goal — to change the way ideas are spread.  Interesting premise…and some great thinking.

They also have a blog where they founders and participants talk about why Change This is so important.

2) Char Polanosky over at Essential Keystrokes is celebrating her blog’s 2nd anniversary.  If you aren’t familiar with Char’s blog — it’s an excellent read.  She covers a wide array of topics from web design to blogging to new media and more.

To celebrate her anniversary, Char is giving away some of her favorite web-based tools, including:

• 6 months free subscription to 37 Signals Highrise – the contact management system with a kick – valued at $300.
• 1 full year of Freshbooks (Shuttle Bus package) to streamline your invoicing process – valued at $168.
• 5 one-year Pro subscriptions to pMetrics – the ultimate blogger’s stats package – valued at $59.99 each.
• Wiley Publishing has offered 5 copies of Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett’sProblogger: Secrets to Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income. It is the absolute must read book this year!

So get over there, get comfy with her blog and win yourself a prize or three!

3) Lewis Green of bizsolutionsplus finds his summertime Fridays a bit of a dead zone.  But leave it to Lewis to come up with a long list of useful ways to fill that time.

Here’s a few of his thoughts:

• Recommend client’s move forward in new ways.
• Send out a new thought paper.
• Read other’s work.
• Recommend other’s work.

Check out his post to get the whole list and add a few of your own!

Whew!  My brain hurts just writing about all that thought leadership.  Go slow so you don’t get a brain freeze…but don’t miss these great resources.

Study on the internet and consumer behavior

June 30, 2008

The good folks from Fleishmann-Hillard sent me some information about their European offices’ recent work on understanding how the Internet affects consumer behavior in Europe.

Key findings:

• The Internet beat TV two to one on influence, and eight to one over print.
• People ask other people for personal purchase advice, but for airline tickets and bigger ticket items, they prefer the corporate sites.
• Only 28% of people trust the information they read online, and yet 66% say the web helps them make better decisions. Sounds like they use the web to get information but want someone in their life to verify the decision.
• Different countries use the web differently: Germany uses more search; the UK has more social networking interest and the French, more digital communications with web cameras and instant messaging.

The full report on the research is free to download here.

The Dream Team — Age of Conversation ’08 authors

June 29, 2008

When Gavin and I announced that we were going to create a 2nd Age of Conversation book and were looking for authors — we had plenty of takers.  275 to be exact.  Now, several months later, the submissions are in and we’re knee deep in editing.

It’s funny how life can interfere with our plans.  We had several authors who had to take a pass due to family, work or other obligations/situations.  When the dust settled and all the chapters were turned in, we had 237 authors left standing.  Here they are:

Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Chris Brown, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Schawbel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Dave Davison, David Armano, David Berkowitz, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne & Todd Cabral, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, John Herrington, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kristin Gorski, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tim Brunelle, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem

Quite an impressive list.  And you’re going to love the insights and stories they had to share.

For the next month or so, we’ll be editing and working through design/layout issues.  And before you know it, Age of Conversation ’08 will be ready for promotion and purchase.

Thanks to everyone who is participating and remember….it’s all about raising money for charity.

Stay tuned!