Somehow I lived this long without gambling (unless you count the occasional football pool). Never placed a bet on a slot machine.
While I’m here in Las Vegas attending Shine, I spent some time with Jeanette Cates, an established and highly successful Internet marketer.
One of my Seattle friends insisted, “You’ve got to place at least one bet!” and Jeanette agreed to show me the ropes. [Read more…] about Marketing Lessons from a Las Vegas Casino
After working through my own makeover (and making some mistakes of my own!) I identified 5 mistakes most business owners make during a website make-up or make-over.
Mistake #1: Starting too late.
Most of us (including me) wait way too long to realize it’s time for a change. I’ve been there too. You may recognize the warning signs like the ones I had:
— No longer excited about sharing my logo and website with the world.
— Clients said, “That website just isn’t you.”
— Doing a lot more than copywriting, yet all my materials said, “copywriting.”
Why do we wait so long? Usually we have excellent reasons. For one thing, we’re busy. (I certainly was.)
We have an investment in the past. Economists refer to “sunk costs” when they talk about investments we’ve made that won’t do much to help in the future. For instance, suppose you have invested heavily in the typewriter industry when the world changes and your products are replaced by computers.
You could say, “But I’ve put so much effort into learning about typewriters!” Or you could look forward to a brighter future and say, ‘OK, time to move on.”
It’s very hard to recognize sunk costs. Additionally, on the Internet, you may be widely known for your old, tired online presence. (I certainly was.)
We aren’t sure where to start. Do we call a web designer? A copywriter? Hire a coach? Here’s an article that presents the views of 17 experts – including designers and marketing coaches. They all say, “Start with the copy or you could break the website.”
But the hardest part of all is…deciding how you’ll replace your current brand. What will your new online presence look like?
Surprisingly that’s a pretty straightforward problem for a copywriter to solve. Once we get your story, we can draft your website quickly ..and usually get it right the first time.
Awhile back I worked with a client who was feeling frustrated. She was getting lost in themes and platforms, let alone headlines and copy. At a friend’s urging she booked a consultation with me, openly nervous about how much we could do. Just a few weeks later she was happily reviewing a draft, presented on a WordPress theme…feeling deeply relieved and happily optimistic about her new future.
If you’d like to get started, check out my consultation program here. So far clients have been surprised at how quickly we get to the heart of the matter … and they get to enjoy a new website and use their time more enjoyably (and more profitably).
You may have heard this story before. World-class violinist Joshua Bell normally plays to sellout audiences who pay $100 for a single ticket. He agreed to participate in an experiment arranged by the Washington Post. He set up shop as a subway busker, playing a difficult Bach piece on his multi-million dollar violin. Full story here.
The Post had been concerned about crowd control, but in fact nobody noticed. To the riders hurrying by, he was just another struggling musician, looking for handouts.
So what’s the difference between Bell’s performance at the Symphony Hall and in the subway?
In a word: Marketing.
As I think about it, Bell’s impromptu performance has many similarities with an online presence.
(1) People hurry past and, if they don’t expect great things, they don’t see them.
Consumer psychologists refer to anticipation as an influence on perception. That’s why television ads showcase the product: when you see an item on a crowded shelf, you immediately recognize the package and the product. You were introduced via television, whether you were searching or not.
Similarly, your articles and book reviews establish anticipation before visitors come to your website or blog. You create expectations.
(2) Perception occurs in a context.
I began learning about classical music well into adulthood. I knew Juilliard was a top music conservatory, but if someone graduated from Curtis, I didn’t have a context to say, “Wow…that is truly impressive.”
Imagine if Joshua Bell had a sign: “This music comes from the same program you would have heard at the Center for the Performing Arts last week.”
You can find analogies in all fields: a WNBA player who went to UConn or a finance specialist who went to a premiere tax program.
On the Internet, you have an opportunity to give your reader a context to understand the significance of your background. You can go beyond education to show how your experience qualifies you to deliver a service today.
(3) You can’t be subtle.
This lesson was the hardest for me to learn. Like many people on the Internet, I used to work in an environment where my qualifications were obvious. If I weren’t qualified, I wouldn’t be there. If I didn’t perform well, I’d be gone.
But on the Internet, we’re all a little like Joshua Bell in the subway. Few people will recognize great music or great musicians without a label.
Bell’s take for a Friday morning 43-minute session was a grand $32.17…nothing like what he commands for a similar stint with a major orchestra. It’s a vivid outcome to an experiment demonstrating the value of context.
Learn how to stand out and create your own context in my 21-Point Extreme Copy Makeover – a free download you can claim here. There’s a whole section on how to differentiate yourself from the crowd and become the go-to person in your field.
If you’re an independent professional or service business owner, you face 3 major challenges.
First, your best prospects may not be looking for you on the search engines: Yahoo, Google and MSN.
Second, your prospects may not realize what you do. Many people think massage is just a feel-good luxury for rich people who have everything. In fact, massage has documented benefits for physical and mental bealth.
Third, you can’t afford to sound sales-y. You have to be totally professional.
One way to deal with these challenges is to review books on the online bookstores, such as Amazon. When you write a book review, you get to
— reach prospects who are searching for solutions but may not be searching for you. Many people think of reading a self-help book rather than hiring a coach or buying a virtual information product. They’re ready to spend.
— share your expertise and opinions. You can’t do this in an article. In a book review, you get to say things like, “Although the author advocates intensive testing for career change, my experience as a coach and consultant suggest…. and the research shows…”
— reach prospects who are ready to buy. Visitors to Amazon and other online bookstores realize they do not get anything free. They shop with one hand on their credit cards and the other on the mouse. When they see your review and click over, they will be in “buy” mode.
When I focused on attracting clients for consulting and coaching on career change, I found book reviews brought me more clients than any other marketing tool. So I created a product that you can access immediately. Buy by February 16 and get access to a 2-session workshop. Learn more at http://www.BoostBusinessWithBookReviews.com
