You are here: Home / Marketing

Turn your rules into marketing tools

August 22, 2011 By 4 Comments

Last week a friend of mine went into the hospital for a simple-but-painful operation. He’s a corporate bigwig with more than a touch of hypochondria, so he didn’t mind spending top dollar for the best care.

The day after his surgery, I had a packed calendar, so I dropped by the hospital early in the morning, well before visiting hours. “I’m sorry,” said the guard at the front door, sounding more irritated that apologetic. “No visitors before 10 a.m.”

“I’m going to 11 West,” I replied, per my friend’s instructions.

The guard perked up immediately. “Oh, I’m sorry. Second set of elevators on your right. Enjoy your visit.”

On the VIP floor, I was greeted warmly by a receptionist in the wood-paneled foyer. I turned down her offer of coffee or a newspaper, and she pointed me toward my friend’s room. I opened the door and stopped in my tracks. His room was nearly the size of my apartment, perched directly above Central Park with New York City views that seemed to go on forever.

Even with a second bed for his overnight nurse, it felt like there was enough space for a pick-up game of basketball.

My friend’s wife was perusing the three-course breakfast options from a leather-bound menu, while my friend paced the floor in an embroidered waffle-weave bathrobe.

At the risk of sounding like a country bumpkin, I had to comment on the luxurious digs.

“Please,” my friend snapped, “this place is a joke. They advertise Frette bathrobes in their brochure. I’m telling you, this is not Frette.”

He was half kidding, of course, and I was glad to see that his sense of humor survived the surgery intact. Still, he went on to list a half-dozen ways that his VIP room fell short of its price tag. “They just lost his business,” I thought to myself — but I was wrong.

When a complication forced him back into the hospital a day after he was discharged, my friend once again whipped out his credit card and checked right back into his VIP room. Turns out he wasn’t concerned about floor space or Frette linens on fluffy omelets served on china.

The big selling point for him didn’t actually cost the hospital a thing: He simply didn’t want to be alone, and that required an exception to the rules.

When was the last time you looked at your company policies as a marketing tool? No doubt there’s a perfectly good reason for every rule you have in place, but think how much loyalty you could gain by granting exceptions to your best customers.

Freebies, discounts, special packaging — they all cost real money, and they might not be appreciated in the way you expect. But bending the rules? It doesn’t have to cost a penny, and I’ve never met anyone who’s immune to a phrase like, “Okay, we can do it just for you … ”

Sure, it’s important to have Standard Operating Procedures — but aren’t there some customers who should feel anything but standard?

Is this a hidden marketing opportunity?

Photo credit: liber via flickr CC

Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: ,

All “About” success: Aaron Biebert

August 11, 2011 By 7 Comments

The perfect formula?

Remember the mad scientists of the Middle Ages who thought they could turn common elements into gold if they just got the chemistry right?

To a certain extent, marketers are still practicing alchemy today, and nowhere is the formula more elusive than it is on your “About” page. This is the ultimate laboratory, where words and images are supposed to produce a chemical reaction in the visitor’s brain. When it works — pure gold. But it doesn’t work very often.

With that in mind, I thought I’d start a weekly series on “About” pages that do work, hoping to analyze some of the ingredients that go into the perfect page. I won’t cover my own clients, since that would be a conflict of interest. If I include someone here, it’s because their page worked its magic on me — and might just serve as a model for you.

First victim: Aaron Biebert (@biebert), whom I just discovered this week on Twitter. His whole blog is intensely personal and revealing, and the “About” page is no exception. If your business depends on a deep, personal connection with customers, then Aaron’s page could well serve as a template:

  1. He starts with an attention-getting lead: “I’ve dedicated my life to giving away a Billion dollars and making a difference in the world.” Stops you in your tracks and practically forces you to click on the link, right? Aaron’s actually taking a bit of a gamble here. His claim could come across as braggadocio, but he quickly tempers it with a welcome dose of humility: “Since I didn’t start with much, I’ve got a long way to go. That’s why I usually work until 2am each night.”
  2. He respects his readers’ time. Above the fold is an executive summary that’s barely 100 words long. If you’re in a hurry, you get the quick version of what drives Aaron and what his blog is all about. The typical “resume” section gets pushed to the end. Very smart, very efficient.
  3. He writes from the heart. Some “About” pages are cool and impersonal. Some are actually written in the third person, which is downright frigid. By contrast, look at the warmth of Aaron’s page. He chooses words that convey his personality: love, passionate, optimist, inspired. Admittedly, that won’t appeal to everyone; cynics may find the tone annoying. But Aaron doesn’t want cynics in his tribe, so that’s okay. Attraction and alienation are two sides of the same coin, and it’s always better to focus on the former.

One other thing: Notice that Aaron breaks the oldest rule of selling by never asking for the sale. Other than a simple link to “like us on Facebook,” there’s no call to action here. He alludes to writing, speaking and consulting, but you won’t find a button to “Buy my e-book!” or “Schedule your consultation!”

“My goal for this page is to let people inside what I’m thinking and give them a vision for where I’m going,” Aaron told me. “I intentionally don’t sell anything because I’m trying to connect with people, not sell them anything. If they really like what you’re about, they’ll call themselves to action. That’s what I was going for.”

Is that a good thing? I’m not sure it’s a smart strategy for every business, but the low-key approach does help Aaron stand out from the crowd. By not asking for the sale, he helps to lower my defenses and raise my curiosity.

Personally, I just want to buy the guy a cup of coffee and pick his brain. And after the coffee, I’d probably sign up for whatever he’s selling.

By the way, Aaron is a terrific writer, so he makes this look effortless. But don’t be fooled. The current page is “version 3.1,” and he spent about 2 hours perfecting what you see here.

The lesson: A good “About” page should grow and mature — just like the person behind it.

What do you think? Does Aaron’s page make you feel connected to him? What is it in particular that really works here? And what do you think of his soft-sell approach?

Finally, I need your help in identifying other “About” pages that work. Please drop me a line or post your links below. We’ll be back next week with another installment.

Photo credit: petercat.harris via flickr CC

Filed Under: Communications, Marketing Tagged With: , ,

How to get publicity of biblical proportions

July 28, 2011 By 2 Comments

What does this story remind you of:

A burned-out Internet entrepreneur decides he wants to spend more time with his family, so he opens a small retail shop that sells and services Apple products. He makes a decent living, eats lunch and dinner at home every day, and life is generally good — until Apple announces plans to open one of its sleek corporate stores in the same sleepy Georgia town.

Rather than run away, the entrepreneur fights back. He adds more services, more workshops and five times the number of accessories carried by the typical Apple store. Lo and behold, the giant fails to crush the little guy. In fact, PeachMac grows to a mini-chain with five locations.

Even if you weren’t brought up in Sunday School, the words “David and Goliath” might spring to mind. I couldn’t help but think of the analogy this morning as I read the story of scrappy little PeachMac and its improbable battle with the retail giant. That got me thinking about other stories that resonate far beyond the church pew — and the lessons they might hold for business communicators.

David-vs-Goliath is one of those universal stories that everyone can relate to. We’ve all felt like “the little guy,” so we love it when the giants fall. Customers aren’t immune to that feeling, and neither are reporters. Everyone wants to see the little guy win, which means you can’t lose by emphasizing the David-and-Goliath aspect of your story.

Here are three more biblical phrases that have found their way into common usage, along with suggestions for applying the universal themes to your own business story:

  • The patience of Job. Sounds vaguely familiar, right? In case it’s been a while, Job was the one who lost everything through no fault of his own. Even in poverty, sickness and personal tragedy, he never lost his faith — and in the end he was vindicated with more than he ever had before. How it applies to you: Everyone loves a comeback story. Rather than hiding your hardships, make them part of your narrative. If customers can identify with your struggles, they’ll be more eager to contribute to your success.
  • Walking on water. This phrase comes from the story of Jesus walking across the waves to save his followers who seemed certain to perish in a storm. How it applies to you: Everyone wants to believe in miracles. Sometimes success can be so fast or so improbable that it boggles the mind. That makes for a great story — provided you handle it with care. Walking on water should be slightly bewildering, even for those who have done it. If you appear to take it for granted or take full credit, you’ll just come across as arrogant, and your reputation will sink like a stone.
  • A good Samaritan. The biblical good Samaritan took pity on a robbery victim who had been ignored by previous passersby. He interrupted his own journey and spent his own funds nursing the man back to health. How it applies to you: Everyone loves a “good guy.” We identify with people and organizations that help others and make the world a better place. Find tactful ways of establishing your Samaritan credentials and letting others know what you’re doing. Just make sure it’s sincere — no one likes somebody who exploits the less fortunate.

I’m sure there are plenty more examples I’ve overlooked, plus similar stories from other faiths. Feel free to contribute below.

Photo credit: humancarbine via flickr CC

Filed Under: Communications, Marketing Tagged With: , ,

From Draco to Domino’s, we all love a redemption story

July 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I’m not a huge Harry Potter fan. I never read the books, never stood in line for opening night, and never dressed up as my favorite character (though I do think Maggie Smith rocks her pointy witch’s hat).

Still, as I watched the final chapter on Saturday, I was surprised to get a little lump in my throat at the redemption of Draco Malfoy, Harry’s schoolboy nemesis. Evidently I wasn’t the only one: Draco has always been a thoroughly despicable character, so when he showed a flash of humanity near the end of the film, the audience literally erupted in applause.

I thought about Draco again last night when I went down to Times Square to check out the new Domino’s billboard. For many years, the giant pizza chain was a sort of villain in the industry, well known for its mediocre product and awful service. That kind of reputation could have led to a death spiral, but Domino’s set out to re-write its story, and the Times Square billboard might just mark the final stage in its redemption.

Here’s the deal: When customers order a pizza online via the Domino’s app, they have the option of entering feedback that streams to a giant digital billboard at one of the busiest intersections in America. Good or bad, the comments appear within an hour for all to see (edited only for profanity and relevance).

That kind of transparency would be risky for any company, but it’s especially dangerous given Domino’s checkered history — and therein lies the genius of the campaign. Domino’s tale of redemption offers four lessons for any business seeking to turn over a new page:

  1. Fix the fundamental problem. No amount of marketing can change the fact that your pizza tastes like cardboard. Domino’s changed its recipe first, then followed up with research to make sure it had a hit.
  2. Admit your mistakes. Domino’s faced its reputation head-on, with blunt ads that focused on its shortcomings and asked customers for a second chance.
  3. Make a grand gesture. Think you’ve licked the problem? Do something dramatic to make a break with the past.
  4. Outsource your storytelling. Domino’s could purchase lots of ad time to tout its turnaround, but customer reviews and endorsements are far more effective. The same goes for the press: Reporters love a redemption story as much as anyone.

Mistakes happen in every business. Technology fails, quality slips, customers are overlooked. The good news is, those failures don’t have to be your whole story. New chapters get written every day, and even the most passionate boos can turn to cheers.

Just ask Draco Malfoy.

Photo credit: VirtualErn via flickr CC

Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: , , ,

5 ways to get a reporter’s attention

July 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

(Note: For part 1 in this series, please click here.) press, media, media relations

It’s not yet 9:00 on a Tuesday morning, and I already have more than 150 requests this week from reporters seeking input on stories they are writing. I’d say 100 requests per day is pretty average, and the emails from HARO and Reporter Connection come five days a week. So the math is simple: If just 1/2 of 1% of those queries are applicable to you and your business, that’s more than a dozen chances every month to share your story with a much bigger audience.

How big, you ask? So far this week I’ve seen requests from USA Today, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, NBC News and TheStreet.com, just to name a few. That, as they say, is the kind of publicity that money just can’t buy.

Naturally, plenty of other business owners have caught on to this little secret, so you’ll have to work hard to ensure that your reply stands out from the rest. Based on 20 years of writing for the small-business press, I have a few suggestions for doing just that:

  1. Wait for the right opportunity. Reporters are usually very specific about what they’re looking for, so there’s no point in responding if your story doesn’t fit their criteria. You’ll only waste your time, get discouraged and quit too soon, before the perfect opportunity comes along.
  2. Be specific. Every time I post a query as a reporter, I get multiple replies along the lines of: “I have a great story to tell you; please contact me for more information.” Uh, thanks but no. I’m getting dozens and dozens of replies, and I can’t possibly follow up with every one. The ones I do follow up with are the ones that show they understand my angle, and they have the kind of information I’m looking for.
  3. Offer anecdotes. The No. 1 rule of good writing is, “Show, don’t tell.” That means reporters are looking for anecdotes rather than sermons or platitudes. If you want to catch a writer’s attention, give a concrete example from your experience as a business owner. Leave the sermonizing up to the consultants and B-school professors.
  4. Offer additional resources. Most journalists — aside from Larry King — like to do their homework before conducting an interview. If you give me details about your website, blog, Facebook page, Twitter stream and so forth, I’ll probably be more comfortable about contacting you.
  5. Start small. The best-known media outlets always get the most responses to their queries. You’ll stand a better chance of getting noticed if you reply to posts from lesser-known blogs, regional magazines, industry journals and so forth. Bonus: The audience may be smaller, but they’re usually better targeted and more engaged.

If all of this sounds like a lot of work, then give yourself a pat on the back — you’re a very discerning reader. Keeping up with queries and sending well-crafted replies can be a time-consuming task. Yes, the payoff can be huge, but it probably won’t come right away, and you may run out of steam before you start seeing results. At the outset, try limiting yourself to just one story per week. That should help you get the hang of the process without risking burnout.

Can you hire a professional to take care of all this for you? Sure, marketing and PR firms can monitor daily feeds, alert you to the best opportunities and approach reporters on your behalf. Just remember: The higher the retainer fee, the less pressure there is on the agency to actually produce. The best arrangement is a nominal monthly retainer, plus an additional fee each time a media outlet picks up your story.

At PenPoint Group, we’re not actively taking on new clients at the moment, but I’d be happy to share our fee structure with any business owner who’s trying to collect some baseline pricing data. Just contact us here for more information.

(Photo by flickr user Simone Ramella)

Filed Under: Communications, Marketing Tagged With: , ,

Is social marketing driven by fear?

June 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Last week in SmartBrief on Entrepreneurs, we asked our 85,000 readers if they considered themselves to be natural salespeople. It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to launch your own business, so I assumed a narrow majority would probably answer in the affirmative.

Jedi salesman

Not everyone is a natural Jedi salesman

Shows how much I know. As we report in today’s issue, 66% of respondents said they are not natural-born sellers. Think about that for a moment: Every business survives on sales, yet 2/3 of business owners are uncomfortable with selling. I can’t imagine any other field where you would find numbers like that. Do 2/3 of movie stars hate acting? Are 2/3 of models camera shy?

(Okay, maybe 2/3 of lawyers hate the practice of law, but that’s different, because there’s no way you would know that until you spent three years and $100,000 getting your law degree.)

The point is, in order to be successful, entrepreneurs who are averse to selling have two basic options:

  • Change their innate personality type
  • Find a work-around

Option one is probably the more difficult, but organizations such as Dale Carnegie and Toastmasters International are proof positive that some entrepreneurs are willing to give it a try.

With the advent of social media, option two has become a lot more viable. “Inbound marketing” — blogs, podcasts, Facebook and the like — can help more reticent entrepreneurs to work around their fear of cold-calling. Rather than “imposing” on someone and pushing for a sale, social marketing allows you to do a number of things that are more natural and more comfortable:

  • Make friends
  • Build community
  • Share expertise
  • Solve problems

No wonder services like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and LinkedIn have caught on with small business owners — they help take the fear and loathing out of the sales process, allowing you to build your business without the sweaty palms and racing heartbeat brought on by the traditional sales call.

You know the old “ABC rule” that demanded you should “Always Be Closing”? Maybe it’s time for a revision. In the age of social media, ABC stands for “Always Be Communicating.”

(Photo by flickr user brad montgomery)

Filed Under: Marketing, Social media

Seeing red over the Yellow Pages

March 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Small business owners rallied in front of San Francisco City Hall this week to oppose an insidious Big Government plan that posed a risk to their livelihood. Was the issue:

  • Higher taxes?
  • Crippling new regulations?
  • Increased paperwork requirements?

Phone book garbage

Actually, the furor was over the Yellow Pages — specifically, a proposal that would replace wholesale distribution of the paper directories with an opt-in system for those (few) who still want a physical phone book. That drew predictable outrage from publishers as well as some business owners who said they depend on their Yellow Pages ads to find new customers.

“While the Internet has grown, the Yellow Pages still serve an important role in keeping small businesses growing,” the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce said in a statement, and the owner of a small appliance store quoted in a press release was even more critical:

“It’s unfortunate that the city’s leaders are, in essence, saying that small business owners like me are not as smart and insightful about advertising as they are. The city’s leaders should not be legislating how small businesses choose to advertise, nor should they make assumptions that one form of advertising is better than the other based on no personal experience.”

To push every possible emotional button, protesters at Monday’s rally reportedly invoked the First Amendment and sang “God Bless America.”

A more fitting refrain might be: God help small businesses that can’t adapt to change.

Yes, there are consumers who still rely on printed phone directories, and the San Francisco rule would ensure that they still get their books. But requiring those consumers to opt in for distribution would quickly reveal  two things about the Yellow Pages as an advertising platform:

  1. Actual usage is far smaller than distribution numbers would suggest
  2. Heavy users are older and lower-income than the overall population

What does that mean for a small business owner? Ad rates will drop, making the Yellow Pages more cost-effective for targeting a smaller group of consumers. In other words, the San Francisco proposal would actually work in favor of small businesses, not against them.

But logic aside, the really troubling thing about this debate is the knee-jerk reflex of some small business owners to protect the status quo, as if there were something inherently good about the way things have always been done.

That small appliance dealer that has become the poster child for the Yellow Pages? I looked them up on Yelp, where their average rating is just 2 stars. Despite reviews filled with words like “rip off,” “thieves” and “con artists,” the company has never once bothered to respond. And though they have a static website, I can’t find any trace of them on Facebook, Twitter or any other medium that might allow them to tell their story more effectively.

I’ve written before that companies can thrive with no Internet presence, and I stand by that. But if you’re not thriving — if you’re barely hanging on and your very survival depends on a single marketing channel — then maybe it’s time to stop clinging to the past.

Let your fingers do some walking across the keyboard or the touchscreen. You might be surprised at where they take you.

Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: , , ,

When everyone’s a storyteller, who needs PR?

February 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If you have a great story and you still can’t get any good PR … maybe you need to reconsider your definition of PR. No PR gatekeepers

That’s my takeaway from this week’s New York Times blog post by Bruce Buschel, who hired a $4,500-a-month PR firm to publicize the opening of his new seafood restaurant in the Hamptons. Buschel had no lack of good stories to tell:

  • He was pioneering sustainable seafood in the Hamptons
  • He was sourcing wine and produce locally
  • He had snagged a chef with a Michelin star

As if that weren’t enough, Buschel himself is a great story, with a background in filmmaking and Off Broadway musicals.

So many stories, so little time. And yet, according to Buschel, with just a few weeks left before opening day, his high-priced PR firm had failed to line up a single article about Southfork Kitchen. Needless to say, there was finger-pointing, soul-searching, and eventually a parting of the ways. Here’s what Buschel learned from the experience:

What I have finally come to understand is that P.R. people are paid to twist reality into pretzels and convince you that they are fine croissants. At some point, they actually believe their own concoctions.

Harsh? You bet. But Buschel is hardly the first entrepreneur to feel betrayed by a PR campaign gone awry, and he certainly won’t be the last. In fact, disappointment with professional PR will probably only grow, and the reason is simple:

As gates disappear, gatekeepers are increasingly irrelevant

Think about it: Traditional media outlets used to serve as gatekeepers to the public consciousness, and PR professionals used to serve as gatekeepers to reporters and editors. You had to pay one gatekeeper to put you in touch with another gatekeeper who listened to your story and decided if it was worthy of a public telling.

But media doesn’t work that way anymore. The Internet is like one big bonfire where the whole world gathers to be informed and entertained. If you have an interesting story that you tell consistently and well, the Web grants you unfiltered access to a whole world of listeners.

Buschel thought he needed a paid PR campaign to create buzz for his restaurant, but with a blog and a Facebook page and other social media channels, Southfork Kitchen was already as buzzy as a soccer stadium full of vuvuzelas. Why pay $4,500 to add a kazoo?

Filed Under: Communications, Marketing Tagged With: , , ,

Crowdfunding: Why stories matter more than ever

February 18, 2011 By 2 Comments
IndieGoGo founder Slava Rubin

Slava Rubin

I had a fascinating conversation recently with Slava Rubin, the co-founder and CEO of crowdfunding pioneer IndieGoGo. Though the interview was for an upcoming SmartBlog on Finance, Rubin is one of those wide-ranging thinkers who can’t seem to turn off the ideas once they start flowing.

One of his big ideas concerns businesses and their stories. “The latest generation wants a connection with the things they’re buying,” he told me. “They fundamentally want more than just a transaction. They don’t just want to buy a taco, they want to buy a taco that supports a taco stand in their local community. They want to know that they helped that business succeed.”

That need for connection favors businesses that “create a story with a beginning, a middle and an end.” In other words, customers want to know where they fit into the narrative and how they are helping to advance the story.

Small businesses might seem to have an advantage in creating this sort of connection, but Rubin says big companies, too, will find a way to leverage the power of storytelling.

“In a matter of time, you’ll see Starbucks cans at the supermarket, and you’ll be able to scan a code to see exactly who grew your coffee. Eventually you’ll be able to send an email to a farmer in Kenya, giving them feedback on their coffee. You become a part of the story.

“Forget IndieGoGo for a second; I think the concept is much bigger than what we do. It will change the way companies sell at the corporate level.”

Once again, this leads back to the central question for any entrepreneur: What’s your story? If you’re not telling it well, you’re missing out on one of the biggest trends in business today.

Filed Under: Crowdfunding, Marketing Tagged With: , , ,

4 business lessons from Kim Kardashian

February 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Here’s a bold prediction: Three years from now, no one will talking about Kim Kardashian. I mean, not unless she develops a substance abuse problem at the same time Lindsay Lohan stops appearing in public; the press will always need a celebrity train-wreck story, after all.

Apart from a very public meltdown, however, people will stop talking about Kim Kardashian because her story is just too hard to follow. Is she a:

  1. Model? Kardashian cupcakes
  2. Actress?
  3. Entrepreneur?
  4. Fashion designer?
  5. Jewelry designer?
  6. Author?
  7. Singer?
  8. Producer?
  9. Spokesperson?
  10. Exercise guru?
  11. Activist?
  12. Credit card mogul?

(Actually, scratch #12, because Kardashian and her sisters already canceled their notorious pre-paid debit card that targeted kids and carried outrageous fees.)

If you dig a little deeper, the Kardashian story gets even more confusing. There are several retail stores, two different clothing lines, an online shoe store, a perfume, and a sunless tanner, according to Kardashian’s biography on Wikipedia. Oh, and don’t forget the cupcake mix with the not-so-subtle name, Va-Va-Va-Nilla.

Amidst the jumble of unrelated pursuits and conflicting messages, it’s impossible to know what the Kim Kardashian brand stands for — and that’s the kiss of death for any business.

So what can entrepreneurs learn from all this?

  1. Stick with what you know. That doesn’t mean that you can never grow and evolve, but when you diversify too far, too fast, you make it hard for fans to chart your rise and cheer you on.
  2. Build a consistent story around your brand. Cupcakes and exercise? Party girl and business mogul? Every story can take unexpected twists and turns, but strive for some kind of internal consistency.
  3. Learn to say no. Entrepreneurial types can be notoriously ADD, so it’s hard not to be beguiled by the latest shiny new thing. But when you try to do too many things, it’s hard to do any of them especially well.
  4. If you’re tempted to say yes, at least do your due diligence. The Kardashians like to portray themselves as honest-to-goodness, hands-on business owners, but when the credit card scandal broke, they insisted they were shocked — shocked – at the usurious fees. Unfortunately, the rest of us can’t get away with that kind of blame-shifting, so it pays to do your homework.

So who says you can’t learn about business by watching Entertainment Tonight? Next up, six business lessons you can learn from Paris Hilton.

Just kidding.

Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: , , ,
« Older Posts