Ian Thomas, my friend from O’Neil Software (who graciously sponsor the show) interviewed me about the book, writing it and more.

This interview is different for me as I am normally the one doing the interview. Special thanks to Ian for doing such a great job on the interview.

Not only was it a great surprise to see Ian Thomas, it was also my actual
Read more]]> This is a replay of an interview that I did on my podcast, the RIMproReport.

Ian Thomas, my friend from O’Neil Software (who graciously sponsor the show) interviewed me about the book, writing it and more.

This interview is different for me as I am normally the one doing the interview. Special thanks to Ian for doing such a great job on the interview.

Not only was it a great surprise to see Ian Thomas, it was also my actual birthday on that Thursday April 19th.

Let me give you some context. Starting in January of this year, after a long hiatus, we started sending
Read more]]> These last few months have been some of the busiest months of my business life. With the completion and publishing of my book, as well as numerous other initiatives we’re undertaking here at Flourish Press, we’ve been testing a marketing principle, almost by accident – or maybe more accurately – out of necessity. But it’s one I think you would benefit from.

Let me give you some context. Starting in January of this year, after a long hiatus, we started sending targeted, sequential, multi-step direct mail campaigns. At the same time we started delivering our newsletter as a physical, mailed piece. Simultaneously, we updated our corporate website and my personal site, engaged the big five social media networks and started the process of building the marketing and launch campaign for my new book. Along with that, the RIMproReport broadcast was consistently produced, and we focused more on our client communications.

And while these activities were done out of necessity on our part, it’s worth sharing why it matters to you and what happened as a result so you can benefit and use it in your own business.

The marketing success principle I’ve uncovered through these busy past few months is actually a combination of principles:

1. Engage massive marketing actions
2. Compress these actions into a short defined period of time
3. Simultaneous marketing actions vs. single “one-off” actions or just sequential actions
4. Combine different media and tactics
5. Use different marketing initiatives, with different goals, stacked on top of each other to have the multiplied power and affect

There is a tendency to place marketing activities as the last item on our agenda. And often, when we do engage them, we tend to do a little at a time. But in my recent experience, I have seen overwhelming evidence to support the use of massive, compressed-in-time, simultaneous, multi-media and multi-initiative marketing as a secret weapon to leverage and use again going forward.

This kind of marketing is really only viable within a niche, targeted prospect marketplace. If you are trying to market to everyone instead of to a select group of “someones,” this approach will not serve you well – unless, of course, you have sufficiently deep pockets to sustain the fiscal requirements that this type of marketing demands.

So, as you consider what I have just described, the question for you is this. Are you doing enough marketing all at once? Are you creating for your business an overwhelming presence in your prospect marketplace that demands they take notice of you and what you can do for them?  Are you organizing and executing to show up like no one else?

This kind of marketing will no longer be an accident for me. I hope it won’t be for you either.

In light of these increases, the average marketer recoils in fear and economic victimization and declares that direct mail isn’t a viable option for them anymore. Conversely, the veteran
Read more]]> In January, the US Postal Service increased the cost of a first class stamp from 44 to 45 cents. In a message to US Congress last week, they also suggested the possibility of raising the cost of a stamp to 50 cents. Packages and heavier pieces will also see a noticeable increase.

In light of these increases, the average marketer recoils in fear and economic victimization and declares that direct mail isn’t a viable option for them anymore. Conversely, the veteran marketer responds in celebration – and prepares to mail more – with more elaborate packages and pieces.

When postage prices increase, it is a great time to ramp up direct mail campaigns, because at that point there is less clutter in the mailbox and less competition for the recipient’s attention. When the herd thins… rush in! Remember, this is not about buying stamps. It’s about buying your prospective customers’ attention.

The cost of a 1 cent bump (or an impending 5 cent bump in the near future) can – at least temporarily – buy you a greater share of those who are willing to open your mail as fewer pieces arrive each day saying “read me.” The retreat of many makes it easier to aggressively grab up territory and dominate a marketplace.

This perspective on postage increases is a way of thinking about a concept in business that is often overlooked. That concept is this: What most people perceive as bad, you should examine carefully for opportunity. And the bigger the perception (that something is bad or annoying or wrong), the greater the overlooked, hidden opportunity may actually be.
Human beings as social creatures are hard wired and conditioned to conform. Most people take comfort in being with the majority, and being accepted by the majority. In fact, many seem to take comfort in knowing that, even if they are wrong, at least they are wrong with a bunch of other people. Not wanting to “raise eyebrows” limits and inhibits what many people do. Many things get accepted, believed as gospel or “right” or “smart” just because everyone else is doing it.

It happens in marketing all the time. We tend to conform to what is seen as normal. We do the type of stuff that is pretty, pleasing and perfect because it’s viewed as professional – not because it works. We jump on bandwagons because everyone else is on them. At the same time we ignore the types of marketing tactics that could create enormous opportunity because we fear what others might say.

I encourage you to ask yourself some hard questions – that may require significant thought:

1. What are you doing in your marketing that conforms to perceived industry or professional standards?
2. What are you doing because everyone else is doing it?
3. What are you doing, or more importantly, what are you failing to do because of fear of criticism, disapproval or ridicule?

Careful consideration of your answers to these questions is essential.

Choosing to boldly go against the grain and do the opposite of what others are doing might feel odd at first, but it will provide significant business advantage. I suggest you try and see what happens.

My encouragement is to be counter-cultural and buy stamps. Stick them on big, bold and daring direct mail pieces that get opened and read by your prospects.

And for the record… no one else is doing it.

Watch this short interview with Martin Lindstrom, author of Buyology. He has done extensive testing on why people buy. Even B2B people.

Listen closely as he clearly identifies how much the average business owner responds and thinks IRRATIONALLY.

Video based on the book Socialnomics by Erik Qualman.

I hope it is helpful to you.

If you want to
Read more]]> Over the last few months I have done a lot of thinking about how I and my clients should be doing web marketing going forward. And while sometimes it makes sense in my own mind, putting it in a way that makes sense explain easily is another thing. So after a series of variations, I believe I have a web marketing framework that is easy to understand and can be followed.

I hope it is helpful to you.

If you want to hear a more thorough explanation if this framework, you can watch a speech I gave recently about it.

Tom Adams Web Marketing Speech.

“There’s no question that the Internet has changed the way we do business—especially when it comes to marketing. Consumer environments are short on trust and populated by consumers who are cynical, savvy, and informed. Though it’s easier than ever to reach your customers, it’s less likely that they’ll listen. Today, the most valuable online currency isn’t the dollar, but trust itself.”

I am frequently amazed at how often we assume we can sell our
Read more]]> Chris Brogan, co-author of Trust Agents says this…

“There’s no question that the Internet has changed the way we do business—especially when it comes to marketing. Consumer environments are short on trust and populated by consumers who are cynical, savvy, and informed. Though it’s easier than ever to reach your customers, it’s less likely that they’ll listen. Today, the most valuable online currency isn’t the dollar, but trust itself.”

I am frequently amazed at how often we assume we can sell our services, and not have done anything to build this trust that is so desperately required from us by our potential clients.

The big question you should be asking is this..

How can my marketing build trust INSTEAD of just pitching my services?

Billboards won’t do the trick here. Neither will basic sales language. You have to construct a more comprehensive set of marketing resources to support this kind of trust building.

More importantly it means you can’t be lazy anymore. It takes work to make trust happen.

What are you going to do about it?

Wow!!