Is your copy a bit lifeless? Marketing flat? Michele PW is here with tips and tricks to get your marketing and copy back on track.
06.24.08
Posted in Business, Marketing at 6:14 pm EDT by Michele PW
A few years ago, I met a woman who was trying to peddle a painting created by a relatively famous Western painter.
This painter had painted it specifically for her family. It was the story about how her father acquired his favorite horse. He was hiking somewhere and came across a dead mare tangled in barb wire with the colt standing next to the body. The poor colt didn’t know what to do without his mom. So her father took the colt home and raised him.
The painter (who knew her father personally) was so moved by this story he went to his studio and painted it. He then gave the portrait to her father, who treasured it. However, the father had recently died, and the woman wanted to sell the painting.
In her mind, it was worth quite a bit. The painter was famous, many of his paintings went for quite a bit of money. And it was a one-of-a-kind. Buyers should be lined up around the block to snap it up. She thought she should be fighting them off with a riding crop.
But to her utter surprise and astonishment, no one was interested. More then that, they didn’t want to buy it for ANY price, much less the price of what she thought it was worth. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out the problem.
She actually had the painting with her when she told this story, and unwrapped it to show everyone. So I got to see this painting, which I’ve never been able to get out of mind. This picture of a dead horse, wrapped in barbwire, with the poor colt standing close by, head bowed in mourning. The landscape is beautiful but bleak and desolate around him.
Needless to say, I took one look at this painting and knew EXACTLY why she was having trouble selling it. First off, it was disturbing. The horse is clearly dead, the barbwire wrapped around her was bloody. And the colt looks so alone and helpless in the landscape. (It reminded me a bit of the scene in Dumbo where Dumbo was saying goodbye to his mother, who is wrapped in chains. Another dreadful scene.)
Now, there is nothing inherently wrong with disturbing, plenty of people buy disturbing art. But not her target market. Her target market is people who buy Western art. Western art is realistic art. While many times there is a sense of loneliness and desolation, I wouldn’t classify much of it as actually disturbing.
On top of that, many people who buy Western art love horses. People who love horses probably wouldn’t want a painting of a dead horse hanging in their living room. (Call me crazy, I know.)
So, while she probably does have something valuable on her hands (a one-of-a-kind painted by a famous artist) it’s not what the target market buys. And that, my friends, is the point I’m trying to make.
It doesn’t matter how good your product is or how much you believe your target market NEEDS what you’re selling. If it’s not a good fit, it isn’t going to matter because they won’t buy.
So the first thing you need to look at is this:
Is what you’re selling (whether it’s a product or service) something your target market WANTS to buy? Not needs to buy but wants to buy. No one buys what they need, people buy what they want. Many times they’ll justify it as “need” (i.e. I need a dress for the wedding, I need to eat organic food because it’s better for my health) but those are still wants, not needs. You WANT to show up at the wedding in a nice dress, but no one is going to shoot you if you show up in jeans. (Dirty looks maybe but no executions.) You WANT to take good care of yourself so you buy organic, but you can live a long time on cheap, non organic food. (Maybe you’ll have other health problems, but you’ll still be alive.)
If what you’re selling is not what your target market wants to buy, then you need to either find a different target market or sell something different.
And if what you’re selling IS what your target market wants to buy, but they’re not buying it, then you need to look at how you’re explaining it so people realize they do want to buy it.
Here’s another quick example of making sure what you’re selling matches up to what your target market is buying. You may have noticed Hollywood is coming out with an Incredible Hulk movie. But wait, you might be thinking, hasn’t there already been an Incredible Hulk movie? Why yes, in 2003. But the movie didn’t do very well. Why? Well, common thought is because people go see an Incredible Hulk movie because they want to see a big green guy running amok and wreaking all sorts of havoc. The one in 2003 didn’t deliver — it was a slower, angst-ridden Hulk we saw, not one gleefully stomping about ripping police cars in half.
Whether or not this Hulk movie does better in the box office is yet to be seen, and it’s really besides the point. The point is, Marvel Comics believed that the first movie did not deliver what their target market wanted, and therefore the target market did not buy. So, they decided to repackage it and re-release it (to the tune of $150 million).
If Marvel Comics is willing to redo a movie and spend $150 million on it, how much are YOU willing to spend to repackage your services and products to better match to what your target market wants to buy?
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05.23.08
Posted in Business, General at 9:37 pm EDT by Michele PW
Recently I was watching the movie Back To The Future. That’s the one with Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd where Fox goes back in time and meets his parents when they were in high school. During the course of the movie, his father ends up standing up for himself, which he had never done before, and when Fox returns to the present time, his entire family is in a completely different place.
So it got me thinking. One act completely transforms a life. Now, I realize this is the movies and life isn’t nearly so clear cut, but the truth of the matter is we ARE the results of the choices we make. And our life right now is the end result of the choices we made yesterday. And what our life is tomorrow is the result of what we’re choosing to do today.
What choices are you making right now? Are they choices that are going to propel your life and business forward? Or are they going to keep you stuck in the same place (or worse, moving backwards.)
Many of my clients come to me because they aren’t seeing the results in their business they want to see. They aren’t making the kind of money they want to be making, they don’t have the quality or quantity of customers they want to have. They want their business to be different.
But yet…
They continue to make the same choices they always made, which got them the results they’re seeing right now. And chances are, those choices include choosing NOT to do much marketing.
If you want to be making more money, then there’s no substitution. You have to make marketing a priority.
I wish I could tell you something simpler. That there was a magic pill or a Web site you could go to and sign up and voila — all your problems would be solved. Alas, as is most things in life, that’s not the case.
As a marketing and copywriting strategist, I’m in a unique situation of not only getting to know some of the top entrepreneurs out there but also working with them intimately. And I’ve gotten a glimpse of not only how they’ve structured their successful businesses but what they do to build and maintain that success.
And, for the most part, what I’ve seen is an emphasis on the basics. Including consistently marketing, day in and day out. Nothing sexy, nothing earth shattering. Just an emphasis on marketing on a regular basis, whether they feel like doing it or not.
However, many entrepreneurs don’t really know where to start when it comes to marketing. With that in mind, I’ve decided to begin an article series that will teach those marketing basics, including action steps, so you can immediately start putting them to work into your own business.
But remember, those are the tactics. And while tactics are important, they alone aren’t going to turn your business around. Why? Because if you don’t make the choice to use them and implement them on a regular basis, nothing is going to change in your business.
So, I’d like to encourage all of you to take a few moments over the next few days to take a good, hard look at your choices. Are you making the choices that are going to result in the business you’ve always wanted? Or are you making the choices that are going to keep you stuck or, worse, going backwards?
And, if you’re in the second group, my next challenge for you is to see if you can start making different choices.
Michele PW (Pariza Wacek) is the author of Why Isn’t My Web Site Making Me Any Money? 10 Easy Steps to Make Your Web Site Go Ka-Ching! If you have a Web site and no sales, In 30 minutes or less you can quickly and easily pinpoint EXACTLY what’s wrong with your site and what you need to do to transform it into a money-making machine! Click here to learn more and get your copy.
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05.13.08
Posted in Business, Marketing at 9:01 am EDT by Michele PW
Who would have thought that at almost-age 40, I’d own my first KISS shirt? Thanks to my good friend, Nancy Marmolejo, VivaVisbility.com, who bought it for me after seeing my fab photo with KISS star Gene Simmons.
I must say wearing it gives me a whole new perspective on life. I keep feeling like I should be blasting my 80s hair-band music and digging out my lighter. Ah, those we’re the days.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Believe it or not, I have a couple of business lessons you can take away from me wearing a KISS shirt (I’m nothing if not resourceful). Here goes:
1. First, Nancy is brilliant at this anyway, but I need to give kudos to her regardless. She saw I had posted my photo with Gene and decided to mail me the shirt. Before I even got it, she told me she wanted me to post a photo of me with it on my blog, which I’ve done. She wins because she gets additional publicity. I win because I get a KISS shirt (and an opportunity for a blog post).
So, what’s going on in the lives/business of your associates, partners, prospects, clients, etc. you can tie in to make memorable for them? Maybe it’s sending them a recent article about something going on in their industry that would really benefit them. Maybe it’s a book that just came out that addresses a challenge in their lives (a challenge you might not necessarily solve in your business). Or maybe it’s just something fun, like a KISS shirt. At the very least, you get a bunch of goodwill (who doesn’t love a gift). At best, you might end up being mentioned on their blog or other promotional vehicle.
2. Second, how many other 70s-rock bands out there can you still buy a shirt (a NEW shirt no less) with their logo on it? And, even more telling, how many are still cool to wear?
Like I talked about in the post below, KISS isn’t a rock and roll band, it’s a rock and roll brand. And it’s a brand that truly has stood the test the time.
So, what can you do to transform your business into a brand? A brand that will last? A brand where your clients will happily wear shirts with your logo on it?
That’s something to think about. (Because, clearly, if you ARE able to transform your business into a brand, you’ll be able to reap the rewards with more customers, sales and money.)
Anyway, enough about business. I need to go turn up some head-banging rock music.
Michele PW (Pariza Wacek) is the author of Sales Letter Secrets: Rev Up Your Business With Copy That Sells! Tired of your competition making money hand over fist while you struggle to sell ANYTHING? Click here to discover their secret so you can put it to work for YOUR business.
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04.10.08
Posted in Business, General, Marketing at 7:01 pm EDT by Michele PW
Yep, there’s a photo of me with Gene (yes, THAT Gene Simmons from KISS). He spoke at the recent Glazer-Kennedy Marketing Summit in Nashville. And along with getting my photo taken with him, I also got an autographed copy of his book ‘”Sex, Money, KISS,” which I read on the airplane on the way home.
So, what did I learn from Gene? (Other then his rather controversial views of women and marriage?) Well, he’s quite the entrepreneur. Here are two gems you can instantly apply to your own business:
1. KISS isn’t a rock and roll band, it’s a rock and roll brand. I’m probably dating myself here, but my first memory of KISS was seeing the other kids in elementary school carrying around KISS lunch boxes. What other rock and roll band had their photos on lunch boxes? Most lunch boxes back then were Disney and Warner Brothers characters, not rock and roll characters (and make no mistake about it, Gene IS a character).
When you read the book, he has this very interesting little side bar in there. When he was on tour, he was Read the rest of this entry »
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02.07.08
Posted in Business, Marketing at 4:38 am EST by Michele PW
If you prefer to listen to this post, click here.
If you’re like many entrepreneurs, the thought of marketing makes you slightly sick to your stomach. And it’s more then a simple like or dislike of marketing, it’s the idea of trying to fit it into your to-do list. You already have a million things going on, how can you possibly fit marketing in?
So, instead, you end up not doing anything…until you run out of work that is. Then you desperately race around, trying to cram as much marketing as possible into as short amount of time as possible to try and ramp up your business.
Business picks up, you stop marketing again.
As I’m sure you already know, this isn’t a great way to grow a business on any level. But what do you do? You’re already overwhelmed with everything you have to do in your business, not to mention everything you have to do in your life, so how can you possibly fit marketing into that?
Never fear, that’s what the below 3 tips are designed to do, get you out of marketing overwhelm and into marketing superstar.
1. Make marketing a priority. Okay, don’t stop reading yet. This one might be tough to swallow but it has to be said. Marketing your business HAS to be a priority. If it’s not, then you will doom yourself Read the rest of this entry »
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01.26.08
Posted in Business, General, Marketing at 12:03 pm EST by Michele PW
The thing about Cabo, Mexico, is you’re surrounded by a lot of entrepreneurs. From the people peddling their wares on the sidewalk to the wait staff and crew members serving you (and working for tips), it’s a great place to study what to do if you want to put more money in your pocket.
The best case study took place on a snorkel cruise ship. We had already paid for the cruise, so they weren’t trying to sell us anything. Instead crew members were trying to up their tips. Here are 5 things they did and what you can do in your own marketing to increase your sales: Read the rest of this entry »
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12.28.07
Posted in Business, General at 2:24 pm EST by Michele PW
Setting goals — Your ticket to success
Prefer to listen to this? Click Here
You know that old saying — if you don’t know where you’re going, any path will get you there. That’s what happens if you don’t take the time to figure out what your goals are and WRITE them down. There’s power in writing things down. Trust me, I’m a writer. I KNOW.
Figuring out your goals is probably one of the most important and one of the most overlooked steps for creative professionals starting their business. Ideally you should put together a business plan. However, I have yet to meet a creative professional (including myself) who has one. (In fact, if you do have a business plan, please contact me. I’d love to chat with you about it.) Second best is getting your goals down on paper. Here are some things to include.
* Your personal mission statement. What do you want to accomplish in your life? Not just as a creative professional, artist or writer, but as a person. Knowing your mission will make organizing your time much easier.
* Your creative or artistic goals — both long-term and short-term. What do you want to accomplish in three months? Six months? This year? Five years from now?
* Your financial goals — both long-term and short-term. Don’t forget to write down how much money you want to make.
* Your plans for your business — both long-term and short-term. Break it down the same as your creative or artistic goals — three months, six months, one year and five years. Include a marketing plan Read the rest of this entry »
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11.26.07
Posted in Business, Community Relations, General at 4:46 pm EST by Michele PW
I love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. Family, food, friends and football thrown in for good measure. But I digress.
What I REALLY like about Thanksgiving is it’s about giving thanks. And I think gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions out there. Why is it so powerful? Because it has the capacity to change your life.
My business and life are going great right now, better than I had planned, but it hasn’t always been that way. There were plenty of times where things were looking pretty bleak. During one particularly bleak time, a friend told me to just start listing everything I had in my life to be grateful for. Now, when things are looking pretty bad, it can be easy to say “everything sucks, I have nothing to be grateful for.” But, if we’re honest, we know that isn’t true. There’s always something, no matter how small, that is in your life you can be grateful for, and sometimes you just need to take a step back to see it.
What’s so amazing about gratitude is it’s Read the rest of this entry »
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11.12.07
Posted in Business, Copywriting, General, Marketing at 12:39 pm EST by Michele PW
Dear Readers,
Wow. I just got back from Dan Kennedy’s Info Marketing Summit, and as great as it was, I am simply exhausted.
I’ve been to a number of Dan Kennedy’s events over the past couple of years, and I think this is the best one yet. Not so much because of what I learned (although I always pick up new tips and ideas) but the connections I made.
As one of the quotes said hanging on the wall of the conference said, “An entrepreneur is the loneliest person on earth.” As an entrepreneur, you’ve probably experienced this yourself. Your friends, spouse, mother, etc. don’t really “get” what it is you’re doing. You can’t talk to them because not only do they not understand what it’s like to be a business owner, but they also probably have no idea how exactly you make money.
Now that I’ve been regularly going to these, I’m making “connections from my connections” so I’m meeting more people, collecting more leads, getting more ideas on what to do with my business (and my clients’ businesses) and just plain enjoying spending time with people who “get” me and what I do.
Michele PW (Pariza Wacek) is the author of 5 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make That Kill Their Sales…And How To Prevent Them. Ready to turn lookers into buyers and watch your business skyrocket? Click here to learn more about this special report, free for a limited time.
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11.11.07
Posted in Business, General at 12:37 pm EST by Michele PW
Prefer to listen to this post? Click Here.
Recently Brett Favre, the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, broke the all-time NFL touchdown record. As a fan of football and Green Bay (I grew up in Wisconsin) I’ve had the opportunity to watch Favre over the years, and I also realized how his career provides some valuable business-building lessons.
How? Because success is success, whether you’ve built a multi-billion dollar company, written a dozen best-selling novels or are a famous quarterback. Many of the same mindset and principles are the same no matter how the success manifests itself. What’s nice about sports is first, it’s public (the games are televised and the players are forever being interviewed so you can get to know them a little) and second, you can see things unfold in short amount of a time. An entire game is completed in 3 hours, compared to business where you don’t always see success or failure that fast (although sometimes it feels like it!)
That said, this is the second of a 2-part article where I’ll share a total of 6 principles (both good and bad) you can learn from Read the rest of this entry »
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11.09.07
Posted in Business, General at 12:29 pm EST by Michele PW
Recently Brett Favre, the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, broke the all-time NFL touchdown record. As a fan of football and Green Bay (I grew up in Wisconsin) I’ve had the opportunity to watch Favre over the years, and I also realized how his career provides some valuable business-building lessons.
How? Because success is success, whether you’ve built a multi-billion company, written a dozen best-selling novels or are a famous quarterback. Many of the same mindset and principles are the same no matter how the success manifests itself. What’s nice about sports is first, it’s public (the games are televised and the players are forever being interviewed so you can get to know them a little) and second, you can see things unfold in short amount of a time. An entire game is completed in 3 hours, compared to business where you don’t always see success or Read the rest of this entry »
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10.03.07
Posted in Business, General, Marketing, Online Marketing at 12:55 pm EDT by Michele PW
Getting Traffic To Your Site — How Do You Determine What’s the Right Strategy For You
(Want to listen to this week’s article? Go here: My PodCast)
So you’re looking for more traffic or visitors to your site. How do you determine the right strategy for you?
Below are some questions to ask yourself so you can put together what’s right for your specific business.
1. Do you need traffic now (or sooner yet, like yesterday)? If you need immediate traffic then the choice is easy. Go to Google and open up an AdWords account and start running pay-per-click ads. That’s the fastest way to get traffic to your site. (Those are the ads that show up on the right-hand side when you do searches in Google.)
If, however, you can wait for traffic, then you might want to consider doing some warm traffic strategies, such as Read the rest of this entry »
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07.27.07
Posted in Business, General, Marketing, Online Marketing at 1:05 pm EDT by Michele PW
Social networking. Social marketing. Web 2.0.
You may have heard these terms bandied about and wondered what exactly they are and (more importantly) what they mean for your business.
So let’s dig right in and get some answers. First, some definitions.
Social networking is actually a pretty broad term. It basically means any time of relationship-building amongst a group of people with a common interest (business or personal). However, that term has taken on a whole new dimension online, where social networking sites (MySpace, Linked In, Facebook) are popping up faster then you can say “Will you be my friend?”
These Web sites are designed around helping people network and build relationships via online, instead of the more traditional face-to-face networking meetings.
Which leads us to Web 2.0. Read the rest of this entry »
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07.12.07
Posted in Advertising, Business, General at 2:18 pm EDT by Michele PW
In the marketing world, radio has earned the reputation of being the odd step-cousin. You know the one. No one knows quite what to do with him. Especially at family gatherings when everyone tries hard to avoid sitting with him. (After all, who knows WHAT he’ll start talking about.)
Much of that reputation comes from radio being tough to track. On one hand, radio does work. Businesses do notice an increase in sales when they add radio to the mix. However, radio doesn’t test well. In surveys and other tracking methods, radio tends to be the one with the dismal scores.
A good friend of mine, who’s also a marketing consultant but before that she sold radio for many years, has a theory about that. She says Read the rest of this entry »
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06.24.07
Posted in Business, General at 11:08 am EDT by Michele PW
(You can read Part 1 here: http://www.michelepw.com/blog)
I finished walking my first marathon in San Diego a couple of weeks ago.
It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
But, it was also an amazing accomplishment.
One thing that struck me while hoofing it toward the finish line was the similarities between running a business and running a marathon (or in my case, walking a marathon). Here are 3 more (you can read the first 2 in Part 1).
3. There is no “should.” When you picture the type of people who do marathons, who do you see? Young, thin, athletic?
Nothing could be further from the truth.
There were people of all shapes and sizes, of all ages (there is an 80-99 year old class by the way) and some with pretty significant disabilities.
And, not only did they finish, but a lot of them beat the pants off of the people who more resembled the stereotypical marathon runner.
So how does this relate to business success? Read the rest of this entry »
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