How to Get ATTENTION

I want tostart this post with a simple, yet profound question for you to ponder aboutyour own business…

“What is the one thing and first thingyou just do to get money in your business?”

The answers Ihear when I ask this question from a live audience ranges from “Create aproduct” to “Make a sale.”

While theseanswers seem to make sense, the very first thing you must do in order to getmoney in your business is to GET THEATTENTION OF YOUR TARGET MARKET.  It’sthe critical first step to any marketing effort.

My mentor,Dan Kennedy, has this to say about this topic,

“It happens constantly and it is thehidden secret reason why so many marketing campaigns fall way short of theirpotential.  Not because the offer isn’tgood or wouldn’t be welcomed by all the recipients; simply because many of therecipients never know about it because we fail to command their attention.”


Reread Dan’s statement.  It’s simple, yet profound.  Basically you can have the best product orservice, yet if you are not getting the attention of your target market, you’regoing to go broke.

Not too longago I was visiting New York City.  While there, I strolled over to Times Square.  Ifyou’ve ever been to Times Square you know it’san overwhelming sensory experience. There’s traffic noise, visual noise, people noise.  It’s a bombardment and if you stay there toolong and your senses start to become numb.

Trying tomarket your product or services today is no different than standing in Times Square and yelling at the top of your lungs.  There’s no escape to all the marketing andadvertising noise people face.  TV,radio, billboards, newspaper and magazines, direct mail, banner ads, pop-upads, Google ads. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Yourchallenge is to cut through all the noise and clutter and createtop-of-the-mind awareness with your target market.

Sadly… most marketingfails, because it is so “plain vanilla” and ordinary.  People are busy. They’re jaded, guarded, andskeptical. Some are cheap and down-right rude.

 Lots of folks have no time, no patience, andlittle interest in what you’re selling. So how can you expect to get their attention by simply adding to thenoise?

YOU GOTTA DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY!

One of the most effective techniques to grab theattention of your reader, either online or offline, is to use simulatedhandwritten notes and doodles.  In thisday and age of computer-generated everything, the power of handwriting stands out.

You cannot help but see thistechnique used more and more.  It’s inthe advertisements in your weekend paper; it’s on television commercials and inmagazine ads. I’ve even seen it used effectively on book covers.  You are now starting to see its use on Websites, blogs and squeeze pages.

The use ofsimulated handwriting goes back a long way in advertising, however, manycopywriters and marketers give me credit for this most recent and widespreaduse of handwritten doodles with the creation of CopyDoodles®. 

As a matterof fact, marketing guru, Bill Glazer called CopyDoodles, “the biggest enhancement I have seen in the last 10 years for peoplethat are writing copy for bumping the response and making the copy much moreinteresting.” 

Before CopyDoodles, theprocedure to add handwritten doodles was both time-consuming and tedious.  Now you can add these powerful doodles toyour marketing in mere seconds.

Over the years, my clientsand I have done a number of split tests and across the boards the materialsthat contain handwritten notes and doodles always perform better than thosewithout them.

Of course you have to knowhow and when to use them appropriately (just slapping a bunch of CopyDoodles onyour materials without proper context can be counter-productive).

So why is simulated handwriting soeffective?

Legendary direct marketer andauthor of Common Sense Direct Marketing, Drayton Bird, says, “The use of handwritten notes in themargins can add variety and interest to the eye and brain.”  Quite simply, the widespread useof computers, word processing and laser printers has created “homogenizedmarketing.” Meaning 95% of everything looks the same.  When you introduce a handwritten orhand-drawn element to the mix, it becomes very different in a simple, human-personalitykind of way.

The effectiveness of a simplered handwritten note and doodle to a web page or direct mail piece can be hugeand over time this type of copy cosmetic technique can add thousands of dollarsto your bottom line.  Try it and see foryourself!

++++

Mike Capuzziis a marketing strategist, author, speaker and newsletter publisher.  Since 1998, he has been helping entrepreneursand business owners improve their marketing and response rates.  He is the inventor of the wildly successfulCopyDoodles, which allows anybody to quickly and easily add handwritingelements to their marketing.  For a FREEebook on how to increase your marketing response and more information aboutCopyDoodles visit www.copydoodles.com.

Marketing From Your Gut

The nice thing about marketing is that it's both art and science.  I was recently reminded of this while I was cleaning out some of my web browser bookmarks.  As someone who's constantly bookmarking different websites, my list seems to grow daily.

I was reminded of a great site that actually tests different creative and shows you which one produced better results.  In addition to being sucker for data, I know that sometimes marketing is something where you have to go with your gut.  Although I wouldn't recommend that strategy as your full-time credo, there is something to be said for going with what feels right.

Okay, now the moment of truth.  How good is your gut?  Check out Anne Holland's Which Test Won Blog and try your hand at determining which creative outperformed the other.  By way of full disclosure I don't know Ann personally but am a big fan of her blog.  On a regular basis she provides insight into marketing creative and shares performance results.

What this means for you
From my perspective, I believe that I never doing enough testing.  Don't get me wrong, its great fun to see if one can find the "winning" creative but the reality is that a larger message is being communicated here.  How often do you test your creative?  Are you learning from each webpage, every email?  If you're like me the answer is no.  Personally I think I'm getting better with the concept of testing but I'm not there yet.


Each time you plan a campaign, think about doing multiple versions of it.  Printing post cards?  Create version A and version B.  Considering some new web pages?  Use Google Website Optimizer and plan a couple versions of copy or designs to test.  For me, the easiest way to start has always been to simply test a headline or subject line.


This may seem too simple but the reality is that headlines and subject lines account for a large percentage of readership.  Prospects can't read your message if they don't open your email or envelope.  Break down each of your campaigns into specific components and consider which can be versioned or tested.


Take the next step
As is true with an marketing initiative, you must begin by taking action.  I hope this post at least opens your mind to the possibility of doing split testing or multi-variate (testing multiple elements simultaneously) testing.  The goal is to always measure and improve upon your marketing.  This enhances your return on investment and ultimately the profitability of your marketing programs.


Let me know what types of tests you're running and what type of results you're seeing.  I'd be happy to share them with the rest of my blog readers!

7 Benefits Your Business Can Gain From Blogging

Guest post from Jeremy Tan, Survivor Marketing 

The reality of starting a blog is both straightforward and low cost. Setting up a blog is virtually effortless and rather easy to manage. As a result, blogs are now part of our everyday lives. Thanks to the publicity that the Internet provides to bloggers and social media experts has led to the circulation of more than 100 million blogs online.

Many of these blogs or websites have received hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and also earned massive amounts of revenue from advertising. This has helped them to become establish significant status online.Yet, there are still a number of people who are not convinced that blogging can provide immense benefits for your business!

As such, we at SurvivorMarketing have come up with 7 Benefits Your Business Can Gain From Blogging. We hope that you will be enlightened as to how your business may be losing out to your online competitors and better understand why you should start managing a blog to boost the growth of your business.  Here Are The 7 Benefits Your Business Can Gain From Blogging: 

1. Expose Your Business to A Wider Audience

The power of the Internet is massive and rapidly evolving with an escalating number of users who surf the web on a daily basis. Search Engines such as Google and Yahoo are immensely popular for users with queries of all kinds. Approximately 60% of all blog traffic comes from search engine results. By blogging high quality content regularly and targeting the right keywords, your blog can climb above your competitors organically, increasing online visibility, and thus exposing your business to a wider audience!

You might want to read my articles on the 3Key SEO Strategies  or even download my free "Ultimate SEO Guide" Ebook  for more insights on how to rank even higher in search engines! 

2. Provides an Avenue To Showcase Your Knowledge
Utilizing blogs to showcase your knowledge or areas of expertise is an effective method for anyone to build their online reputation and credibility on the Internet. Blogs can be perceived as a powerful forum for all marketers to share their passions and clarify doubts. It may come in various forms -- be it a coffee enthusiast reviewing his cup of joe, or a touring agent sharing tips on what to do in various destinations! In any case, by blogging, you can position your business as the online authority for specific niche your business is in. When you are popular enough, you will generate an influx of traffic looking for your opinion! 

3. Provides an Avenue For People To Respond
Remember, blogs should never be used as a one-way communication tool. You must allow, or ENCOURAGE your customers to respond to you! Blog readers might find a particular article of yours helpful, leave a comment of appreciation, or reach out to you with questions about your content. You must be prepared to respond as well as be open to criticisms and negative feedback.

The key for your blog and your business to succeed is to always think like the customer. When you do, you’ll understand what the demands of your customers are and how you can meet them. By looking at how your customers respond, you will be able to know them better, establish a meaningful relationship and even sell them your products! If you can cater to their needs and demands, your sales will surely be soaring! 

4. Allows You to Project The Brand Of Your Business

Nobody relishes faceless corporate marketing messages or boring product catalogs -- People prefer to buy from people. This is possibly why advertisements do not focus on product attributes but rather attempt to project a brand and personality that customers can relate to and buy into. The overall tone of your blog should be an informal one. This is because you are actually expected to offer a human perspective, assume controversial positions, and showcase the uniqueness of your business to the public. 

5. Allows You To Remain Updated

In order for you to produce quality content, you have to do research and read extensively on specific areas or topics. Though it might be a tedious job, it allows you to be constantly up to date on new developments in your industry. Since the Internet is rapidly evolving, even on a daily basis, it’s vital for your business to keep in touch with shifting opinions and influential people! 

6. Provides a Platform To Convey News Regarding your Business
This is a very important point to take note of if you are managing a small or large business. Consider this: Are you aware of how many people actually read your press releases? I'm telling you now -- the numbers are truly few. This means that even your key customers might be oblivious to any new products or services that your business might be creating. This is truly a lost opportunity unless you broadcast your message through multiple channels.

Also, if your business were to face a problem, assuming you needed to issue a product batch recall for example, your blog could serve as an established platform to notify and communicate your position with your customers. While many people are blind to news conveyed through traditional media, an increasing number of people are actually seeking authoritative blogs for knowledge and advice. 

7. Allows Your Business to Stand Out From Your Rivals
Indeed, there might be more than 100 million blogs existing on the Internet. Yet, how many of them are actually company blogs, or to be more precise, how many of them are GOOD company blogs? Optimize your blog well, write good quality content, provide good customer service, and your business can achieve a valuable point of competitive advantage.


This article is written by Jeremy Tan, a Young Budding Internet Marketer and Webmaster of SurvivorMarketing. He specializes in ares of SEO as well as web marketing fundamentals. He enjoys receiving reader feedback and comments, which can be directed to support@survivormarketing.com.

Marketing Must Be Remarkable

This week I was searching online for some inspiration and was lucky enough to find it.  As is usually the case, I found more than enough to get me thinking about today's post:  Social Media, SEO, Search Marketing, YouTube... I mean, where should I begin?  The good news is that I found the inspiration I was looking for.

One of the biggest challenges we all face as marketers, online and offline, is cutting through clutter.  This has always been a challenge but has grown increasingly complex with the addition of social media and portable devices.  I don't know about you but I'm pretty much addicted to my gadgets.  I always feel the need to be plugged in and I know that I'm not alone.

Cutting Through the Clutter
Okay, so back to my online search for inspiration.  I came across a video of a well known marketer (name omitted on purpose) who had a great solution for cutting through the many messages that our target segments hear on a daily basis.  I was amazed at how simple the solution truly is to this growing issue. 

To reach your target audience and stand above all the "noise", you need to do one thing, be REMARKABLE.  That's right, be remarkable, stand out from the crowd by being different.  Think about the brands that capture your attention.  One of the reasons that Starbucks has such a strong brand is because it charges almost four bucks for a cup of coffee.  Some of the "marketing gurus" will disagree and say that Starbucks can charge that amount of money because of other factors (quality, store experience, etc.) but the reality is that Starbucks does it differently.  

Another great example is the Mini-Cooper.  When you look at the car, it's different, unlike virtually anything else on the road.  The lesson is clear, to cut through clutter you must be different, you must stand out from the crowd.  Me too brands and me too marketing won't get the job done in today's market where we must compete for just a few moments of someones attention.  

Mee Too Marketing

How can you make your marketing different?  Remarkable?  It all begins with a big idea and some original promotions. Once you pick a theme for your campaign, a big idea - something outside the box, you can use different media to communicate your message over and over again.

Whenever rolling out a new promotion it's always a good idea to test your campaign with a small portion of your target audience before you make any significant investment.  Once you work out the bugs, go big!  And think remarkable.  Even if you're hanging on to the traditional letter, stick something in the envelope:  a pen, a cube, a button.  How often do you get an envelope with a bulge in it?  See my point?

The last thing I want to mention is that you should start paying attention to other promotions, products, and experiences, that you notice - that capture you.  Notice what they all have in common and think of ways that you can differentiate your marketing, your products, and your campaigns to get people to stop and take notice.  It's my belief that what you pay attention to are the things that are different and unique!

#1 Rankings For Your Website Or Blog!

This week I read an amazing article by Ryan Woolley via Search Engine Watch which really hit the mark. Being nuts about search engine optimization and getting my websites and blogs ranked in the top organic positions has always been an obsession for me.

And lately, there's been a lot of conflicting information about SEO and what factors have been given additional weight from the latest Google algorithm changes.

That being said its very difficult to separate fact from fiction when so called "experts" profess the impact of Google's seemingly daily, weekly, and monthly changes. The reason I've decided to mention Ryan and this week's article is because it really drives home what we knew all along - that sound SEO principals are still the driver of top search engine placements.

Achieving top search engine placements requires an effective recipe that delivers consistent results. This secret recipe is one that might need a few tweaks here and there but consistently performs. The recipe consists of good keyword research, on page optimization, off page optimization, and measurement.

In the diagram presented in this post, you see the factors that are essential for off page optimization which is largely comprised of building inbound links to your website or blog. Whether you focus on forum posting, guest blog posts or commenting, the goal is to attract and develop inbound links to your web properties from high authority sites and pages. I know the recipe is fairly simple but finding the ingredients can be a real challenge. This is why individuals and companies that do a good job of SEO are so widely regarded and sought after by those seeking top placements.

One of the most important aspects of off page optimization is not just where you are getting links from buy how they appear on third party sites. In addition to the sources of inbound links noted in the fantastic article by Ryan is the need to pay attention to the format of your links. Always make sure to include your keywords in the link text of the link. By embedding your keywords, you give Google and other major search engines a clear understanding of what terms your site should be associated with.

By starting with on page optimization and building a consistent inbound link development program, you can dramatically improve your search engine ranking. Add the proper link formatting, using anchor text, and you're sure to get the results you're looking for.

Do you have some valuable link building ideas you'd like to share? Be sure to Like, Retweet, and +1, this post as well as comment to share your ideas.