December 19, 2008
Last week, I gave you some great ideas on how to strengthen your relationship with your customers (plus attract some new ones) by giving away a free information product to your list.
I admit. It’s a bit of work. You may not have had time. Something to add to the 2009 to-do list.
As promised, though, I had a quicker idea you could implement this year. Today even.
And NO! I’m not talking about some discount offer for Christmas. That’s fine… just don’t treat it like it’s a wonderful gift on your part.
Instead, when time and resources escape you and creating a simple 15-minute podcast about “avoiding a cold over the Christmas Holidays while” is beyond you… share a Christmas story.
Something personal. From the spokesperson of your businesses.
Your list is used to you giving them information about natural health. Deviate from that for at least a few paragraphs. I often feel so many of the “health gurus” out there create a major disconnect with their followers by never talking about other subjects outside goji berries, the treachery of the FDA and mankind’s out-of-control insulin levels.
The key, however, is to keep the story short. You don’t need a four-page email. A few hundred words will do. If your time does not include a skilled story-teller … then keep it even shorter. Just enough to show that the spokesperson has a life outside of natural health.
Share a little bit of what makes the holidays special to you. Help make your readers Christmas a little merrier. If you can write a great story, they’ll forward the email or share your blog link.
If you want… you can throw in a little bit of health advice. Make a joke out of it. Start by saying how you won’t talk about health… then when it slips in “accidentally” apologize tongue and cheek.
Here’s a quick example of my own…
Christmas 2003. I spent two weeks at friend’s tomato farm in Norway. They were, as you can imagine, not growing tomatoes in December.
Ever-falling snow covered the countryside. They lived about ten minutes from the ocean where’d I’d look across and wave to Canada.
They aren’t really into Old Saint Nick in Norway. Instead, white-bearded dwarves about three-apples high, called Nissens, handle the business of Christmas gifts for children.
Legend has it that throughout the winter, Nissen travel across Norway delivering the gifts. You can only see them if you remain “mouse-still.” If they hear a human, they’ll never appear.
I spent many hours, in those magical woodlands and open valleys near, sitting “mouse-still.”
Not once did the bright red of a Nissen’s hat to appear in the white landscape.
Instead, each day, this big white husky would find me. He’d hike with me for a few hours. I’d throw sticks and acorns ahead of me. He’d run forward, grab hold and return it to me, happy as a dog could be.
I never knew who owned him. He seemed to run wild.
I ended up calling him “Nissen.”
Merry Christmas to you and your family,
P.S. Any questions or comments? Please leave them in the comment box below…
Topics: Customer Loyalty | 1 Comment »
December 12, 2008
“Merry Christmas?” They’ve heard it said so many times already…
Once your communications fall into the mental category of “nothing new” it’s over. The attention of your over-whelmed holiday prospects’ wander away to visions of stevia-plums dancing in their head.
Have I gone bah humbug? No way…
It’s just I think it may be detrimental to your relationship with your customers and prospects to begin a promotional piece by wishing ‘em a Merry Christmas. Same goes for a Merry Xmas, Happy Holidays or any other of those politically-watered down tidings of goodwill.
This applies to any emails, letters, blog posts, postcards or smoke signals you send out over the next few weeks. Whether they are selling something or just staying in contact, make sure the first line isn’t “Merry Christmas.” (And, please don’t make that your headline!)
People’s attention spans last as long as that glass dish Jonah (my 22-month son) got his hands on last week. You have about seven seconds to get their attention. If they’ve been taking all their magnesium malic… maybe14 seconds!
“Merry Christmas” won’t win their precious attention. And if they aren’t reading, they aren’t connecting. If they aren’t connecting, they won’t ever be buying. With the economic turmoil ahead, connecting and building strong relationships with your customers may be more important than impressive sales tactics and impressive superfood formulas…
Remember, as Dan Kennedy says, “You’re in the relationship business,” not the natural health business.
Instead, MAKE your prospects Christmas merrier first, and then wish it.
One way, of course, you can do this, is by sending them a gift.
A low-cost, high-value option to consider: Creating a mini information product. This could be a 2-6 page report, a 15-minute podcast or a video.
Keeping it seasonal is great. A few top quality Christmas recipes using natural ingredients — stevia ginger bread men, anyone? How to avoid the winter flu using a special deep breathing exercise used by all twelve of Santa’s reindeers. Have fun!
I’d greatly discourage trying to selling anything in this product. Make it a pure gift.
The one marketing strategy I do encourage: Leverage the giveaway as a viral marketing tool.
Send your list to a download page. Include a tell-a-friend form. Encourage people to pass the link around (or the actual product). Embed the link in the product.
Then track results, by all means. See how many word-of-mouth email addresses magically appear on your mailing list.
The key here: The copy. You need to have curiosity-provoking copy in place to “sell” them on accessing their free Christmas gift.
Take pieces of unique information from the product. Reveal 50-80% of the information in summarized bullets. Hold back on the last 20-50%. To find out the rest, they need to access the free download.
Also, be super-non-manipulative (it’s Christmas after all) and don’t force them to provide their email address. This “good faith” approach has the most of the Christmas Spirit to me…
1. Send your list to a download page for the free product. Fill the email message and download page up with teaser points so that they’ll take the time to “open up their gift.” Just don’t disappoint them with a charcoal-like product about the “benefits of broccoli”. Make it so good you could sell it for $9-$19. Now that’s a gift!
2. Include a tell-a-friend form on the download page.
3. Include an OPTIONAL sign-up form on the download page. Let them know they can get more free information and gifts when they sign up for your newsletter.
4. Promote your email newsletter in the actual product. On the footer of each page, if it’s an ebook. At the beginning and end of a podcast. And watermarked on the bottom of a video.
This is truly in the spirit of giving. You’re not even asking for an email address!
Will you get less email addresses? You bet!
Will you get less buyers? Maybe.
Will you make less SALES? I doubt it. The more willing someone enters your sales funnel, the less likely they are to back out and the more loyal they’ll become.
P.S. Now if you can’t fit the above idea into your schedule this year, I have another idea that will only take a half hour and has the same effect. I’ll share it with you next week.
P.S.S. Any questions or comments? Please leave them in the comment box below…
Topics: Customer Loyalty, Viral Marketing Ideas, Winning Attention | No Comments »
June 17, 2008
Last Tuesday, Chinese police dragged away over 100 parents who were protesting before the courthouse in the resort city of Dujiangyan, in the province of Sichuan. These were only a few of the mothers and fathers of those children who died inside the 7,000 destroyed classrooms in the recent earthquake.
We’ve all seen pictures of the schools brought to rubble, surrounded by buildings that are still standing. As one rescuer said on site of a school where 270 children perished, “no steel reinforcing bars had been used in construction, only iron wire.”
I assume the schools are built with government money. Somewhere along the line people were trying to save on costs. Three and four story buildings were brought down to rubble in a matter of minutes, during the 7.9-magnitude quake.
This is, of course, is inexcusable. I hope the parents are able to find justice and prevent this from happening again.
But it does serve as a potent example about how we run our businesses. Right now, economists are predicting North America is already feeling the tremors of a 7.9 financial earthquake — a recession that will send aftershocks across the globe.
When the shaking ends
only businesses reinforced
with superior products,
quality marketing and
real customer service
will be left standing
Nonetheless, I’m still seeing direct mail and websites that are using the “iron wire” equivalent of copy and marketing. A promotion came in the other day which I couldn’t make any sense of: A 24-page magalog with super-wide columns and double-spaced text. There literally must have been 4-6 pages of wasted white space.
I can assure you they didn’t make up for it with tight, potent copy. Instead, it was unbelievably vague and dull stuff, promoting something as common and well-known as fish oil with hyped language and little proof.
On the other hand, I also received a bookalog from Dr. Whitaker, that is just packed with information, case studies, illustrations and hard-to-put-down copy. I actually got a lot of great health tips from just reading it. It’s the type of promotion that won’t end up in the trash can.
That’s the type of copy you need.
If people start spending less over the next 3-10 years, I can only see that fish oil company vanishing off the face of the globe, while companies like Dr. Whitaker remain standing.
Of course, if the products and customer service are poor, good copy and marketing can do little to sustain them.
Iron Wire Framing as a
Temporary Measure
I also realize, that if you’re just starting out, have strict deadlines or other limitations, sometimes you need to just put up some iron wire framing for the moment.
But, what I’d challenge you to do, is look over all your marketing material, and see where you have copy in place that would not survive through economical times. You know what I mean, right? Copy that just doesn’t grab the reader’s attention and persuade them to buy in a fast and compelling way.
When people only have 20% of what of their current income to spend on products… will your copy win them over? If what you are selling is the ONE thing they’ll be buying that month outside of basic necessities, will your product be their choice purchase?
If not, I suggest you contact me now about at least getting your copy critiqued if not re-written. You can book an appointment at (519) 273-7969 or click here for more info. Consulting/critiques are filled for June. Openings in July. Still looking for a good project to tackle in September.
P.S. Just a note that World Vision is still accepting donations to help the cyclone and earthquake victims. See my previous post about how to tie a fund raising event in your marketing.
Topics: Copywriting, Customer Service | No Comments »
May 29, 2008
Last ecolumn, I left you with a little bit of trivia, regarding the copy I wrote for Constipation Remedies for Women: What’s the number one benefit to women when it comes to relieving constipation?
It’s taken me a while to get back to you on this. Sorry ’bout that. A number of offers, setbacks and unexpected surprises arose in the office. Plus, last Friday, I took my 16-month old son Jonah to Toronto for his grandfather’s 80th birthday.
My father is still active. He even bicycled well into his 70s. I remember, from a young age, how Dad would work long hours with a lot of commuting then spend the weekend with us swimming, hiking, mini-golfing and snow-sledding. It helped me and my brothers avoid the nature/fitness deficit disorder that plagues the current generation.
Now, back to the constipation trivia. First, let me say…
The Solution Isn’t as
Important as the Process
By process, I mean the way you deduce what’s really important to your prospects.
As Dr. Beck and Kyle Tully guessed, a flat stomach (or relief of bloating) is the number one issue for women with constipation. Relief of gas is number two.
These two hot buttons were extremely surprising to me when I started researching this project. I thought eliminating a build of toxins in the gut along with the simple physical discomfort of a congested colon would rank much higher. That may be the case for men, but not women. Cleansing, improved digestion, regularity… those are secondary benefits, probably lodged somewhere in the logical left brain of a woman.
But let’s go deeper… What’s the emotional side of the equation? It all comes down to attraction. Women want to look and smell attractive. Bloating and gas work against that. And, it’s not necessarily about attracting a man… but simply FEELING attractive and beautiful in general.
Having more energy and feeling good came in third. That’s why I made the tag line for the site, and the overall repeated theme: Get Rid of a Bloated Stomach, Putrid Gas and That Awful “Blah” Feeling. Many of the women I interviewed used that exact term, “blah,” so that was the language I decided to use.
The copy was written for the home page, where traffic would come in from organic search engines results and referrals. In other words, it wouldn’t be laser-focused targeted traffic. For specific landing pages, I would have NOT have done such a tri-benefit sweep, necessarily.
Low-Risk Tri-Benefit Promise
For that initial draft we didn’t want to do anything high-risk. Hitting a tri-benefit-promise helped ensure success. Split-testing a focus on gas-relief for general traffic would may have converted higher or much lower. Save that type of stuff for the split-testing period. Nothing worse than to be stuck with a site that can’t pull it’s weight because we got over-ambitious.
Nonetheless, the main point to focus on here: Dig deep enough to figure out what your prospects want THE MOST from what you have to offer. I could make a list of 50 benefits to relieving constipation. Probably 25 of them wouldn’t even show up on the prospects’ radar.
As you can see from the copy, I put a lot of effort into crafting the prose full of entertainment, information and personality. Nonetheless, it’s critical to make sure you are delivering the right message in the first place, otherwise all that trimming is wasted.
I don’t know any short cuts around achieving this. Either you immerse yourself totally in the market through research… or you interview the BUYERS in the market so that you really get to know them… or you do an endless series of split tests. My solution? Do all three. If I had to choose only one it would be interviews. It’s the simplest, fastest and most direct. More on this another day.
Hoping you help all your prospects live to be 80 and over….
P.S. Just a quick FYI: All my consulting slots for June are ALMOST booked. If you’d like to benefit from a free 15-minute marketing and copy critique consult with me or reserve a longer, money-back guaranteed, paid consult, click here now. These spots will be gone by the end of the week (if not the day).
P.P.S. Also, my copywriting schedule is currently booked up until the end of July. I’m considering offers right now for August onward. Contact me now if you’d like to get me writing your new health promotion. I’m always booked 2-3 months in advance. I expect that will change to 3-6 months very soon. Click here to read the 21 reasons you’d want to get me onboard ASAP.
Topics: Copywriting, Natural Health Prospects | 1 Comment »
May 16, 2008
When Dr. Mauro and I started to work on Constipation Remedies for Women we went in with the wrong mindset about what people wanted. Or more specifically, what women wanted.
To the grey matter in between our masculine heads, the most obvious reasons you’d want to be regular was to purge toxins from your body.
Well, women don’t have grey matter, they have pink matter. No offense.
Sure, they don’t like the idea of toxins inside them. But, quite frankly, I don’t think they think of it much. Really, outside of doctors and health fanatics, it’s not a big issue for people (both men and women) until the inner cesspool starts negatively affecting their life.
Heck, requiring a restroom every TWO weeks could be considered a convenience. Especially, if you have a J.O.B. and need to resort to public facilities.
So, while detoxing is a “bonus” benefit to achieving regularity, it didn’t even make the top 5 for women.
Can you guess what was the number ONE issue with women in regards to constipation.
I’ll let you think about it over the weekend, and I’ll share with you what we learned.
But more so, I’ll share with you how to get into the mindset of your market. ESPECIALLY, if you are a doctor! What interests you about health is most likely entirely different than what your target market cares about.
Have a great weekend.
P.P.S. If you’d like to make some nice commissions, with a high-converting $47 product, consider Dr. Mauro’s affiliate program.
P.P.S. Leave a comment with your best guess in the comment box.
Topics: Copywriting, Marketing Strategies, Natural Health Prospects | No Comments »
May 14, 2008
The death toll in China is reaching 12,000. Another cyclone may hit Burma in the next 24 to 48 hours. I know many subscribers to this ecolumn teach modalities that involve Chinese and oriental roots — all the more reason why you’ll want to help out these suffering Asians.
Have you considered an online fund raiser?
If you have a list of subscribers — all keen on information and advice you can provide — you have a lot of power to help. Think of it. Places like World Vision can only appeal to people’s charitable nature. Instead, you can offer something more motivating in exchange.
It could be as simple as charging a minimal donation of $7 for a teleseminar you’ll host about a health subject that has a wide appeal with your audience. After the teleseminar is done, you can put the audio recording up for sale. Make it clear that ALL the proceeds are going towards the survivors of these two disasters.
This makes it easy for people. They know their money will go to a needy cause, plus they’ll get valuable coaching and information out of it. It’s a win for them and the victims.
Now you won’t make a cent but… If you handle it properly you’ll build your list. Make sure you have a tell-a-friend form so they can spread the word. People will be more inclined to send others to your site to contribute to a charity.
P.S.If you have any questions about how to execute something like this, please leave them below in the comment box.
Topics: Fundraising, Marketing Strategies, Teleseminars | No Comments »
May 13, 2008
After yesterday’s rather unsettling post, here’s a funny (true) story from my years in a mountain hermitage in Southern California…
A homeless man came to the monastery kitchen seeking food. An older monk greeted him and said, “Sure thing. Lunch is at 12:30. You got an hour. Here’s a broom, you could sweep the porch and the walkways.”
The beggar stared at the monk. “Are you kidding? I’m not THAT hungry!”
Remember this story next time prospects say they can’t afford your health products. Just change “hungry” to “sick.” If they really want what you offer, $17 or $47 isn’t much to ask.
Now, sometimes even $17 is a lot. Maybe, in all honesty, they can’t afford it. I think this is a rare case, but let’s go with it…
In such circumstances you could offer an exchange. When I use to coach doctors on marketing their clinics, I’d advise they trade their consults (or adjustments) for cleaning and office tasks. Before we were married, for example, my wife used to do odd chores and bookkeeping for her naturopath. She exchanged reflexology treatment with her chiropractor.
In the case of an online situation, they can get an affiliate link to your product. They can earn commissions by promoting your products via forums, article directories and blogs. They could easily end up earning more than your program is worth.
P.S. Let me know if you’ve tried this or think it’s practical.
Topics: Customer Service | 1 Comment »
May 12, 2008
Last year, the FDA tried to take control of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine products. They literally wanted to label them all as drugs. Which would mean something like a bottle of probiotics would have to undergo the million dollar approval process. An expense no one would be willing to put out for a natural product that can not be patented. The results, of course, would have been the elimination of natural herbs and supplements from the market place.
And, if my sources are correct, they were trying to ban something as innocent as mint tea, if it dared claim to soothe and upset stomach (they’d rather you pour thick, pink, syrup down your throat)..
I thought nothing like that
would ever happen in Canada.
First mistake.
And if it did happen I’d be the first to hear.
Second mistake.
April 8, some 34 days ago, the Minister of Health, up on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, introduced Bill C-51. It involves heavy regulation of any product meant to have a “therapeutic benefit.”
I understand some of the logic in this. I realize that many people are over-dosing on vitamins and other natural products. I doubt this causes much harm. Certainly not even a fraction of what properly prescribed pharmaceuticals cause. Personally, I’m not into regulation. I feel people should have the freedom to decide whether they want to seek out the advice of a qualified professional or to experiment at their own risk.
But here’s where bill C-51
goes too far…
It suggests that extreme penalties will be handed out to anybody who recommends unapproved alternative therapy. E.g., if you have an ebook that suggests garlic capsules to help with indigestion, you could end up with your office raided by armed agents who hauled off your your computer and files and then send you a bill for shipping costs..
This sounds to me like a complete violation of our freedom of speech: Freedom to the consumer to research and discover for themselves what will work best for them.
Obviously, of course, it’s a tactic to divert even more money towards big-pharma. Far too much is already going their way, here, in the “true north strong and free” via our government health care program.
My concern is that this bill has a better chance of being passed up here than it did in the States. Why? Because alternative treatment costs money, conventional treatments only require you show your Health Card. If they keeping going this way, they should rename it your Disease Management Membership Card.
As providers of alternative health information, I think you should give this your serious attention. If you’re Canadian, I recommend you head over to www.healthcanadaexposed.com where you can get links to the actual bill, plus guidance on contacting your local MP and various petitions to the stop this bill.
The House of Commons are trying to pass this bill without too much public attention. Imagine waking up in a world where your information products contain illegal content. You’ll have to rewrite them or suffer the consequences.
I trust it won’t get that bad. But only if we don’t let it.
Let me know your thoughts.
P.S. Last Friday, I said I’d share with you what you can do to help out those who TRULY cannot afford to buy your products for justifiable reasons (e.g. they live in a slum in India or suffer from some debilitating health problem). Bill C-51 was more important, but I’ll follow up on this other issue tomorrow.
Topics: Information Product Development | 2 Comments »
May 8, 2008
Here’s an excerpt from a message received by one of my clients from someone on her email list…
“I don’t know who is coaching you on this, but for us its such a turnoff… You have been guided in your own life passion to re-discover some truths. Share them freely and abundantly. It is your gift back to Life Herself. Do not hoard them, then try to sell them. It goes against Universal law.”
You know what I advised her to reply? Tell the prospect: “Sorry, but we don’t believe in communism!”
Look at her email. That’s exactly what she is promoting. She says my client should share her information “freely and abundantly.” She goes on to say, “do not hoard them, then try to sell them.”
She wants a download link,
not a sales offer
Sounds like communism to me.
You’ll always receive email messages like these. The web is full of people who want everything for free.
No wonder. Look at the way our government is more and more spoon feeding society from the cradle to the grave. Even before the cradle! A healthy women can’t even have a baby without a medical doctor hovering over her. It is assumed nature will go wrong or the baby will be born diseased.
The last few generations have grown believing that society should take care of them and they are entitled to food, shelter, cable TV….
People who focus on business
(i.e. working hard)
to hoard (i.e. save) money
are evil
The above message holds a lot of twisted truths.
In the case of my client, she has spent thousands of dollars, traveled to many countries and 23 years of her life practicing in her clinic, to gain her specialized knowledge. It wasn’t given to her freely. Anybody who expects her to give it back freely probably still lives with mommy and daddy, on welfare or off the support of a spouse.
But, as Dan Kennedy says, if you haven’t offended someone by 12pm with your marketing, you are doing something wrong.
Tomorrow, I’ll write more about this complainers view about the “law of abundance.” I think it’s twisted to accommodate a lazy and self-centered way of living.
She’s welcome to her beliefs and opinions. If she wants to believe in a communistic sort of society, that’s fine by me. Maybe she’s right. But, I have my own opinion about the law of abundance and I’ll share it with you tomorrow.
Topics: Customer Service | 3 Comments »