Quick Tip
Bonfire of Vanity
There's going to be one heck of a beach bonfire in California this Sunday.
Ok, not exactly on the beach. But Corporate America will be burning a colossal pyramid of cash for the Big Game.
An estimated $3.58 BILLION on commercials alone.
If you converted that to $1 bills:
- You could circle the earth 14 times (with some left-over)
- It would weigh more than 7 Boing 747-8s - the heaviest aircraft manufactured in the U.S.
- You could cover LAX. And London Heathrow. And still, have plenty left to tip the skycaps.
Some of those commercials will make us smile.
Others will have us thinking, "What?!"
Almost all of them will provide examples of what NOT to do when marketing your small business.
Without having seen them yet, here are 3 lessons I'm sure we'll be able to take away from this year's batch of Clio contenders.
Don't Be Clever & Cute - Sure, puppies, Clydesdales, and talking babies are cute, but when it comes to your marketing, clarity beats cute and clever every time.
Make sure your advertising is crystal clear about:
- Who you help
- How you help them
- What you want them to do next
Never Pay for Branding - most of the advertising you'll see during the game is "brand building" advertising. Consultants and small business owners need to generate leads, clients, and sales. So focus on those things and build your brand as a by-product of your marketing and advertising.
Don't shoot for mass appeal - the companies who advertise during the Super Bowl try to appeal to everyone but, your marketing should be aimed at one person - your Perfect Future Client.
Big companies have money to burn when it comes to advertising. You don't, so make every dollar count.
Yours for smarter marketing,
Bill
913.962.9261
News, Tips, & Tricks
The 80/20 Rule - The Pareto Principle | Brian Tracy
The 80/20 rule is one of those things we all know, but most of us can use a reminder to apply it to our businesses. Here are some tips from Brian Tracy on how to do that.
6 Ways To Conduct an In-Depth Competitive Audit
Need to get a handle on where you fit in the marketplace vs. your competition? Use these tips to see how you measure up and what to do to stand out from the crowd.
10 Steps Are the Ideal SEO Roadmap + Strategy
Looking to improve your SEO? Then check out this in-depth roadmap and strategy.
Top 5 Best (LMS) Software
Creating online courses is all the rage these days. If you're thinking about creating an online course to sell, you're going to need to know about LMS software.
When $20 is better than $19.99 ?
Some interesting research on when to use rounded prices vs unrounded prices.
Read the results here Jump down to the section that starts with "Intro"
And this...
Looking for a last minute V-day gift? The Idaho Potato Commission announced it is celebrating Valentine's Day and the state's signature crop with a limited-edition product: potato perfume.
Book of the Week
Life Force
The latest from Tony Robbins where he writes about the newest breakthroughs in health technology to help maximize your energy and strength, prevent disease, and extend your health span.
Get it on Amazon (affiliate link)
Tool of the Week
Image of the Week
32 Years Ago Today...
Nelson Mandela was freed after spending 27 years in prison.
(photo credit NPR)
Like This Newsletter?
Let me know. Reply, email me at [email protected], or find me on LinkedIn to hit me with some feedback. I’d love to know what you think.
Thanks for reading.
Bill
913.962.9261
P.S. - And whenever you are ready, here are 3 ways I can help you grow your business:
1) Break Free From Your Inbox - Grab this checklist of email templates so you can spend less time writing emails and more time serving clients*. Simply reply to this email with "Inbox" and I'll shoot you a copy.
2) Get Help Quick - Day Rate Consults are the easiest way to get marketing tasks off of your to-do list. See what you can get done
3) Get more leads from your website - If your website isn't delivering enough leads, reply to this email with "website leads" and I'll send you the details about my Website Leads Audit.