Keep it Simple Stupid (The KISS Lesson)

Did you know…
8 out of 10 people read a headline, and not one word more.
Is that enough?

Only if the phone rings…online orders increase…you make more money.

Is the headline that all-powerful? Yes! Think of your own reading behavior: How often do you read a headline…and not one word more?

Here’s 1 trick to crafting a keep ‘em reading header:
Deliver a complete message – in 15 words or less.

6 ways to make it happen:

1. Write a mini sentence, complete with subject, verb, object.

2. Use vibrant nouns and verbs, skip adjectives, adverbs and lowly modifiers.

3. Engage our senses, write so we can see, taste, feel, hear and smell.

4. Build a sense of urgency. Push our “now or never” button.

5. State the benefit – how we’ll feel better, get a problem solved – if we take action now.

6. Skip “and” “a” “the” — we’ll still know what you mean.

What’s the job of a headline?
To get you to read the first sentence.
That’s it, there’s no punch line, because it’s not a joke: If you don’t write a good headline, no one will read your first sentence. If you can’t get them to read your first sentence, you’re not going to sell your product.

How do you write a good headline?
First, know your target market: Who they are, what their problem is, how you can help.

Second, write the headline first…and write as many as you can. Why?

1. It helps you clarify the gist of your offer

2. Creative headlines take time to evolve

3. You’ll spend less time writing your article

4. The extra headlines can be great ideas for future content (be sure to save them!)

3 headline styles that work best

1. A numbered list – 10 Tips to Financial Security – is descriptive and the benefit to the reader is clear.

2. A question – Is your partner leading a double life? – captures the imagination, because it hits a common fear: After the Tiger Woods scandal, NBC news reported that many marriages hit the rocks when wives (mostly) began suspecting their husbands of cheating. Choose a question that feeds on the “need to know” hook.

3. How to – We strive for mastery. Tell us how to cook, clean, build, drive, walk…and we’ll keep reading.

Remember, you only have a few seconds to capture attention. Write a powerful headline, and you’ve taken the first step towards your next sale.

The Best Day to send an Email Campaign

I have found that the only legitimate way to find out what the best day is for your business is to conduct an A/B split test of your own. By taking a "control" email and testing it against other days, you'll be able to test your way into a good sense of the best day to send out your emails.

So the question is, "That's fine, but where do I start? Aren't there a few days of the week that work better than others and can't I start by testing those?"

Well, yes, there are some days that work better than others and you could start by testing those days. With that in mind, here's how I broke out that information:

Monday
Positive: Office work has not filled inboxes yet
Negative: Consumers are in “work mode” and won’t be focused on non-work tasks
Best Practice: Send emails late Monday morning, after consumers have cleaned the weekend spam from their inboxes

Tuesday
Positive: People have organized their week, and can find personal time for emails
Negative: Emails poised for a weekend response may be too early
Best Practice: Use Tuesday for emails that request action during the workweek

Wednesday/Thursday
Positive: Consumers are planning their weekends and gearing up for personal time
Negative: Time during the workweek is running short, and requested action may be pushed back to the following week, or even forgotten about
Best Practice: Focus leisure and weekend notifications during these key weekend planning days

Friday
Positive: Studies indicate fewer total emails sent compared to the rest of the week, increasing visibility among the myriad of other messages
Negative: Consumers hurry to leave the office early, and may not take time to view non-work related emails
Best Practice: Send emails early in the day to give consumers more time to take action. An unopened email from Friday will sort to the bottom of an inbox on Monday, and is often discarded

Weekends
Positive: People check emails on weekends, too, so weekends may have untapped potential
Negative: A weekend email may seem overly-intrusive to some people
Best Practice: If possible, try to avoid Sundays and focus on Saturdays, which may have a better response rate

And always have an offer in your email, always!
Plus if you do a "Click and Print Coupon" make sure you make the actual print coupon black and white. People are more likely to print a B&W coupon (save on ink!)

Sell the Hole, not the Drill Bit.

Well...I love tools and love to talk about marketing so this will work out great!
1000 people go to the hardware store everyday to buy a 1/4" drill bit, however they DO NOT want to 1/4" drill bit, they want a 1/4" hole.

Nobody wants a hearing aid, people want to enjoy spending time with their family.
Nobody wants a new furnace, people want to have their children warm in their home.
Are you selling the hole, or the bit? Remember in Sales 101, the acronym FAB....meaning Feature, Advantage, and Benefit. Always remember to advertise the benefit to your customer.
Break down what you are promoting into the Feature, the Advantage of that, and then the end benefit to the customer!

I however need the drill bits, the saw, the router, the hammer, the wood, the screwdriver, and every other tool! Just ask my wife, she will tell you I "think" I need every tool! (I love you Nicole)

Test

Don't label me - Don't Pigeon hole your advertising

I talk with a lot of business owners who are "snooty". They think their customer wouldn't watch that program. Example, I have a boat guy who says I can only advertise on fishing programs or sportscenter cause that is where they guys are.
As a reminder you can target your audience not only through the program your in, but more importantly what your commercial says. Do you think I could attract a boat owner in Judge Judy by saying something like this: "Do you have a boat, Do you have a boat problem, if so call ACME boat repair" That is how you use the creative of the commercial to target your message. I won't even get into the people who say they can only advertise on HGTV for people who want to remodel..... this makes me cringe for so many reasons......
Last point, how do you label me, who's customer am I, am i your market? I am a 31 year old male, watch judge Judy, watch evening news, married, like tools, have a boat, own a honda, own a buick, own a diesel truck, have a pregnant wife, thinking about cribs now, like to read, like to ride bikes, have a motorcycle license, hate to mow lawn, like to hike, hate poor service, like to write, and not originally from TN. So who's target market do i fall into???? A lot of them!
Not sure i had point to this....oh yeah, don't pigeon hole your advertising because you are "too good" to talk to someone else....

Forward Equity will make you Rich!

A long time ago my career started in Green Bay at the the ABC affiliate WBAY. Now I may be a little biased, however we always taught our clients that Success comes through consistent advertising. Meaning your message and branding statement stays consistent, and the look and feel of your commercials are consistent.
I have not worked in that market in over 6 years however I was back in WI a month ago and here are two great examples of two clients staying consistent:
The first is http://www.senzigs.com/ There commercial came on and I immediately remembered who they were and to top it off, they have the same end to their commemoration, cheesy or not, Wisconsin's Furniture Giant!
The second is Lenz Truck Center. http://lenzauto.com/ There commercial came on and right away I knew who they were and what they stood for. They sell trucks and SUV's and that is it! The found a niche and owned it. This is a good example of a great saying: There are Riches in Niches.... Do you have a niche, can you be known for something and become rich at it? Think about it...Lenz Truck center will lose the 4 door sedan sale, however if anyone within a 100 miles of them thinks about buying a truck, Lenz Truck center is #1 on their shopping radar for any truck buyer.

What you should take from this: It really is not a "Sales Pitch" Advertising is just like investing, pick a good plan and be consistent, it will pay off!

I'm Pregnant.....eerrr...We are Pregnant!

Yes, it's true my wife and I are pregnant with our first child.....How does this relate to you?
I am now in a different target market, baby stuff and the million things that go with it. Over the last 30 years I had no interest in baby stuff however I did see the commercials and the constant advertising, even though I didn't care about it.

Now.....the advertisers that were consistent in their marketing through those years built a little folder in my head for "Baby stuff" Those advertisers did the right thing by selling the today customer and planting a seed in the mind of the "tomorrow customer" through consistency.

Lesson for the day: Be consistent....it's not just a "sales pitch" advertising is an investment and the longer and more consistent you are...the richer you become...

Are you selling only the today customer and forgetting the tomorrow customer???

1-800-Keep-Up-With-the-Times

Their are vanity plates (you may have one), there are also vanity phone numbers. They are catchy and help people remember your number when they need it.
Did you know that with the new Smart Phones you can not easily do this.
If your number is 555-TIME most smart phones are not like the typical phone key pad as they are designed like a computer keyboard. If you are really smart and somewhat techie you can figure it out....however most of your potential clients will only get aggravated by trying to figure it out..... So what is a smart business owner like you to do???
Create a vanity or "Sticky" web address...no not the name of your business, that is boring and won't work as well....
Let's say you are a landscaper/hardscaper, the website you promote and people remember won't be www.acmelandscaper.com.... it should be something that speaks to what people want and speaks to your creative in your message... something like www.backyardmakeover.com www.outdoorvacation.com
You can still keep your existing website address, however you should go to www.godaddy.com and buy a Sticky website address for $10 and you can simply link your new Sticky website right to your current site (Ask your IT guy if you don't know) Remember...choose a web address that is based on the benefit of your product/service

You Want Bad News....

So the waiter comes to your table and says "is everything good" you automatically say yes, thanks! That is not what the chef wants to hear.

Nobody likes to say the food is bad because that is being rude....However if you have bad food, it could be that you are one of many that have had that same bad meal and will not come back, or worse tell others how bad it was.

As a business owner you want to find out the things that you did not do well. Questions like: what could be better, what wasn't a 10, what does my competitor do better, why would you not come back, if this was your place what would you do different.....getting answers to questions like this is much better than trying to boost your ego by all your customers doing the normal and saying things are good!

Tracking your advertising: When someone asks you to fill out a form about "what brought you into the store", do you take 100% effort??? Also if they asked you that same question, do you tell them "well, two years ago i saw a billboard, then i heard your radio spot about 15 months ago, then i saw you in the church bulletin, then i saw a commercial for you a few months ago, then i went to google and searched you and then i called you..... think about it, all your past and current marketing brands you then gets you in their mental "category" for your services, then when they are in the market for your services all the past marketing gets you a good chance at their business. Judge your marketing by the cash register, not someone saying "I'm here because your advertising was so strong it persuaded me to spend my heard earned money with you!"
Think about it: Nobody likes to say advertising worked on them...we are all too strong to have someone else influence us....right???

Take 38 seconds to read this...if you don't like it...you will recieve a full refund

OK, no rhyme or reason for these thoughts...

People buy the benefit not the feature, sell the benefit of your product/service... remember...F.A.B. Feature Advantage Benefit...
People don't care that you have 24 years experience...what is the benefit of that?
Don't tell people you have good service...you should!
People don't come into your store or call you because you are family owned, been doing it a long time, and treat you right....they come in because of price, selection, or you are solving a problem they have! You prove how great you are when they shop you....get them into you
If you try to be known for everything you become known for nothing
Do one thing and do it better than anyone else (Orville redenbacher)
It is better to be top of mind with half instead of back of mind with all.
You have to spend money to make money...this is also true in advertising
Invite the Today customer to do business with you...Plant a seed in the Tomorrow Customer
The cost of an advertisement has NOTHING to do with success...think about it, I can buy a Mercedes or I can buy a KIA...both cars, why would I spend anymore....Can someone buy your product/service cheaper? Does it make it better????
Find a professional and listen to their advice...I wouldn't try and perform a surgery on myself....so why do so many business owners do the same with their marketing?

Sorry to ramble, but that this is my therapy (thanks for letting me sit on your couch)

Who dis representing your company?

Who is representing your company? You may have the best price, product, service...however if I come into your store and your employee is rude, having a bad day, or doesn't know their product... your company just lost a sale....

When I walk into Best Buy...that employee waiting on me is BEST BUY...you may have the best everything, but if that employee doesn't represent your brand you will lose me as a customer...

What are you doing to ensure your brand/image is staying consistent with the message you want to portray??? One way is secret shoppers, secret phone calls.... this may seem simple and archaic but it will keep your employees on their toes and not "take a play off". It will also help you keep the image you want.

Also if you are taking surveys of your customers...of course ask what we do good, but more importantly ask what we did bad...that is where you can make the biggest improvements....

Remember if I get bad service I will tell 10 people, if you treat me well I will tell only 2-3 people...

Steve Ballmer going crazy

How do you start your sales presentations? Mine go something like this...

Epic and Honest Mobile Home Commercial

This is what I mean about knowing and relating to your audience.
Also, speak the way your customers speak, you would be amazed how different you will be, just by being "normal".

Take this example:
You recently bought some farm land and for the last 6 months you tilled the soil, fertilized the soil, planted seeds, and watered during the entire growing process.
When it came time to harvest the crop, your results weren't as great as you had hoped for.
So do you sell the land? Or do you learn from this year and make next years harvest even better?
Hopefully you learn from this year and make next year's that much better from the work you have already done.
Why you care: I see many business owners throw away all their equity because they did not get instantly rich from a advertising promotion. I recommend, learn from this experience and continue to "grow the seeds you have already planted"
Please note: Just like you can't grow corn in a parking lot, you can't expect to grow new business if you are using the wrong media with the wrong strategy..... Call me and I'll show you how to become a profitable farmer!

This is the first day of the rest of your life

I went to a full day of motivational seminars yesterday that included Lou Holtz, Colin Powell, Zig Ziegler, and Rudolph Giuliani. Since I am a nice guy I will save you the 8 hours of your time and give you the top points from yesterday:

These will be in total random order, but you should be able to take a few things from this:

People don't go to the store for a 1/4" drill bit, they come for a 1/4" hole, make sure you sell the hole, not the drill bit
Don't forget to re-sell your previous customers, it is much much cheaper to keep them than acquire a new one
You can get everything you want in life if you give others what they want first
encouragement is the fuel that hope runs on
Opposites attract,.....then attack
Your either growing or your dying
If you raced a pregnant woman, the best you would finish would be third
Focus on what you have, not what you don't have
This is a true story I made up
Have meaningful relationship with people
If you get knocked down, only you can pick yourself up
Don't hate people
Turn the TV off
You get what you give
It's not the big things, it's the hundreds of small things that make the difference
Be honest and do the right thing!

Pick just one of the above and do it TODAY! SERIOUSLY...TODAY!

OK, now since I motivated you, feel free to send me a check for $149! (insert smile here)

Don't be a jerk

There is an old saying that goes something like this: "You can attract more flies with honey". How this relates to you and your marketing reps. Most good reps really do want you to get rich, because they know the richer you get the richer they get.

So....be nice to them and make it pleasurable to work with you. Everyday I have a choice of free spots, moving things around, getting better placement, or doing the small thing in commercial editing that will make a difference for a client.
I of course do it for everyone!!!! (insert smile here)
I guarantee that I will always do the extra free things for the clients that are enjoyable to work with. And in this business it is the small things that could make a huge difference in the ROI of a campaign.
Long story short: Be enjoyable to work with, you will get more in the end...As yourself this: If you had to work with You, would it be an enjoyable experience???

Wow, the power of Social Media. I recently posted a artilce called "Guerilla marketing to Hippies" and I just got an email from Linda (see message below) who was part of the Wheat Thins marketing team at Bonnaroo. See below. Seems like they did a great job!

Hi Andrew,

I came across your blog post about “Guerilla marketing to hippies” and wanted to share with you what Wheat Thins did at Bonnaroo this year in addition to the impromptu performance you saw. Check out the video below.


Bonnaroo “Crunch Den” highlights:

http://bit.ly/9b5OLS





Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=235684&id=97924203905&ref=mf#!/album.php?aid=236207&id=97924203905&ref=pb



Feel free to post if you’d like.

Thanks!

-LL

Linda Lee

Splendid Communications

Just an idea....but a great one...maybe?

Just an idea I had when I was mowing the grass last night.... Let's say you pick 10 good potential prospects to call on. You send them each a $2 bill.
You then make a claim. Whether it be, I bet you this $2 that I won't waste your time, or you will learn something, or I can help grow your business.
Some sort of bet that they will not be disappointed if they meet you.
I think this accomplishes a few things: 1. Makes your letter different from all the rest 2. If the "gatekeeper" is the one opening the letters, there is a great chance that they will forward the letter and money onto the owner 3. You have a great opening line when you call for the appointment "Hi this is Andrew from ACME company and I was interested in earning my $2 back from you!" This is definitely an ice breaker compared to all the other "lame" opening statements we make.

Now....you must not go broke...Make your meetings important and have the client wanting to give you that $2 bill back...plus a whole bunch of other money!
Just my two cents......eeerrr...just my $2

Have you heard....

I always ask my clients early on in the "diagnosis" stage of our partnership what is the best form of advertising you have done?

9 out of 10 times I hear "Word of Mouth"
This may be the same for you as well. Let me ask you this: What are you doing to control the Word? Are you blogging, are you emailing, podcasting, or advertising something that will create a buzz worthy of talking about????

You can control the Word of Mouth by creating something special that will get people talking about your buisness.
You can create the best form of advertising..... you just have to DO IT!
A special gift if you read all the way down to the bottom of the article..... The Bird is the Word...spoken by the famous Peter Griffin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WNrx2jq184

Guerilla Marketing to Hippies???

So I went to Bonaroo this past weekend to help my uncle sell coffee with his coffee concession trailer.

Across from our stand I watched something that sparked my interest. I saw an impromptu bluegrass band start playing....well impromptu is what I thought. I soon saw people handing out free wheat thins, other people taking a short survey, other people handing out coupons, and then other people taking pictures of the interactions of the people, the product, and the band.

Right during a 4 day hippie festival I spotted grass roots marketing! Long Live Marketing!
Plus I got to see Connan O Brien, Stevie Wonder, and Jay Z all at the same concert!
FYI: I did try to fit in....I didn't shower for 2 days!

What is better than food? Free Local Food!

I am trying to do some "grass roots" marketing for Pick TN Products http://picktnproducts.org/

Do you currently buy local products:

a. at farmers markets
b. at stores
c. every chance you get
d. don't do it because of cost/convienience
e. are not aware of local options

Please pick any that apply and email your answer back to me at aedens@wate.com and one lucky person will receive a HUGE gift basket from Pick TN Products filled with a load of great local products! Thanks for your help! Also any other thoughts on local produce good/bad/misconceptions...everything would be appreciated...thanks!

Glass Analogy for Local Buisness

Most clients spend a little bit of money (water) in a lot of different places (glasses.)Of course there is a good reason for each one of these marketing glasses. Unfortunately, they are only putting a little bit of money (water) in each glass. This keeps you message “muffled” with the other 2,000 marketing messages seen daily.Clients have found if they take the money they have been putting in their 8-10 glasses and put it only 2-3 glasses the impact is soars. The reason for this is now you are “owning the audience” and being top of mind with the glasses that you are filling.The first dollars that you put into the glass do little. It is the last bit of water you put into your full glass that generates the most results!

Christmas in July

We always discuss differentiating ourselves from our competition, how about this:

Instead of being the 47th Christmas card your customer gets on Dec 23rd, try being the one and only one that they receive on July 10th.

Which card do you think will stick out the most? Which one will they remember the most?

SOFA KING

I believe in Their are Riches in Niches.

Instead of being the 10Th used car dealer in a market create a niche:
The Truck King
The Van Conversion Headquarters
Your MPG headquarters, all cars over 30mpg!
You may lose a 1993 4 door Ford Taraus, however when someone needs a truck....where do you think they will at least shop??? The Truck King!

Or Your Bicycle Repair Headquarters, Your BMW Repair Store

or for furniture you could be the Sofa King! Just think when someone buys furniture they usually by a sofa/couch..... you will at least be on their "shopping radar"
Here is a great example of the Sofa King...

http://www.hulu.com/watch/4346/saturday-night-live-sofa-king



ae

The Truth shall Set you FREE

Have you ever asked the salesperson "If it were your money what would you get?"

I have and I usually get what they would get, as they are the expert.

How about a commercial that speaks that same way....

Have you ever regretted buying something just because it was so cheap??? I think we all have!

At Acme Patios we are not the cheapest, if you want the cheapest I will give you the number to a guy who can do it real cheap.

However, if you want a quality job at a fair price we are the builder for you.

You'll be happy you spent the extra $20 bucks, we guarantee it!

Isn't that better than: Sale this weekend only, quantities limited, Sale, Don't miss the biggest event, free financing, Free vacation with every purchase, and all the other gimmicks....

However that is just my two cents...

8 tracks, Datsun, Bell bottoms, Yellow Pages

I meet with a lot of local business owners every week.

One of my main questions is always:

What advertising is working the best?

I often hear, TV, radio, some direct mail, and of course word of mouth.

Next question is always is there any advertising that you don't think is bringing you positive ROI?

The answer is always yellow pages

The reason is because of the Internet and more importantly Google! Many of my clients have pulled completely out of the yellow pages and have not had any adverse effects on new clients!

I'm not hear to bash any media....however the proof is in this question:

When is the last time you used the Yellow Pages???? When is the last time you googled something?

Will you Marry Me.....Please?

I got married last year, so i am going to try and relate my Marketing philosophy to my marriage.


If me and my wife were to get into an argument over something, would we simply divorce, or would we learn from the experience?

We would learn from the experience and be that much stronger/better going forward.

This is just like your advertising. After you shop the market for the best vehicle, pick one and stay commited to it. Nothing works 100% of the time all the time. The longer you stay committed to your advertising, the better it works! However, don't fire your advertising because you didn't get rich after the first month.
My advice: Look at all your options, choose the best and most efficient medium, stay married for one full year, learn as you go, keep changing things to ensure positive ROI.

If you do this, you will put yourself apart from your competition, as they are trying one thing, then the next, then the next. Plant seeds and keep watering them!

Keep it Simple Stupid (The KISS Lesson)

Keep It Simple

It's Good Enough For McDonald's

This came from a collegue (Phil Bernstein) of mine in another market. It drives home the point KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) People/potential customers can absorb one message only at a time!

McDonald's is best known, of course, for their food. But for those in my industry, they are known as one of the most sophisticated marketing companies on the planet. They have spent an enormous amount of money and time researching consumer behavior, and they are very, very good at getting a customer to walk into a store.

McDonald's has a lot to talk about:

Egg McMuffin
Big Mac
Quarter Pounder
Filet-o-Fish
Chicken McNuggets
The Happy Meal

But you never see a commercial that pitches the Egg McMuffin, the Bic Mac, the Quarter Pounder, the Filet-of-Fish, Chicken McNuggets, and the Happy Meal. A McDonald's commercial goes like this.

One product, and a very simple offer -- two sandwiches for $3.00. Easy to understand, and easy to act on.

If that approach is good enough for McDonald's...

Speak like a Friend

When is the last time you told a friend that "ACME
Furniture is having their biggest sale of the year with
sofas originally 599, now only 299 and don't forget NO
interest, yes no interest for 3 years, come in today, sale ends Monday, you don't want to miss this huge inventory reduction sale, SAVE Thousands!!!!"

People don't relate to that (sorry car dealerships).

Customers relate to the way they are "accustomed" to talking with someone. Think about talking with your neighbor, how would you tell them about a great opportunity? That is how your commercial should sound!

A little unrelated, but I would like someone to have enough guts to run a commercial like this:
At ACME home Repair we are not the cheapest, but just like your grandfather used to say "you get what you pay for". ACME home repair promises to give you the best product/service at the best price we can. If your looking for cheap service, that's just what your gonna get. If you want the best quality to work at an honest repair, Call us today, and we GUARANTEE you will be happy with the results!

Would you relate to that? Will you weed out some of the clients you don't want anyway?
Just my two cents! Call me and I will show you how to write a commercial that will get you the results you are looking for.

You paid for it, say what you want

It's your dime, say something!

In marketing, you can't please everyone, so don't even try.

Make bold statements that you can back up.

In TV you have 30 seconds to tell the potential customer why they should spend their money with you.

Will some people argue that you are "the best value in town", of course they will!

Let them argue. How about the hundreds of people shopping this week for your product or service looking for the best value, you just gave them a good reason to shop you.

What you should take from this: It's your money, make it count, be bold, and break through the "clutter"

Be a Farmer

Take this example:

You recently bought some farm land and for the last 6 months you tilled the soil, fertilized the soil, planted seeds, and watered during the entire growing process.

When it came time to harvest the crop, your results weren't as great as you had hoped for.

So do you sell the land? Or do you learn from this year and make next years harvest even better?

Hopefully you learn from this year and make next year's that much better from the work you have already done.

Why you care: I see many business owners throw away all their equity because they did not get instantly rich from a advertising promotion. I recommend, learn from this experience and continue to "grow the seeds you have already planted"

Please note: Just like you can't grow corn in a parking lot, you can't expect to grow new business if you are using the wrong media with the wrong strategy..... Call me and I'll show you how to become a profitable farmer!

Great article on the power of Social Marketing