Cat's Eye Marketing Blog

10 for 2010: Flab-Busting Marketing Tips for Busy People

It's Black Friday 2009. The beginning of the madness, the 35-day countdown to 2010.

I know it seems early, but 35 days, come on.

Each year, bloggers come out with posts in the last week of December: Be a Stunning Success in 2010 or Make Twice as Much in 2010 in Half the Time.

I hate those blog posts with the titles that promise you the world. Because if it were that easy, we'd all be living on the French Riviera with wedges of aged Camembert and glasses of fine Merlot. 

I like the simple, practical stuff. The marketing ideas that, if you put two or three of them together—and actually work them, daily—you'll see results. Not the go--golfing-and-check-your iPhone-for-the-thousands-you're-making-each-hour kind of results. Because, let's face it, that's just a lot of hype.

And since in the real world, we don't just all go golfing (or go to sleep) and watch the money roll in like a tsunami, I offer these ten tips.

The thing is, though, they'll work a whole lot better if you make time in the next 35 days to try at least one of them, hopefully more. This is the perfect day to start. That turkey stuffiness—or as my Twitter friend Sonia Simone calls, it "pie hangover"—has loosened its grip on you. And you are probably finished with the Black Friday crazies (if you even ventured out to the mall).

Here are my 10 marketing tips for 2010, from the simple to the takes-some-work-but-definitely-worth-it:

Simple

1. Create a 'smart' e-mail signature line. You have a free marketing tool to use every day—multiple times a day. Are you making the best use of it?

2. Collect results-focused testimonials for your website. Two parts here: know the most effective questions to ask and follow the right sequence of steps.

3. Write your first guest blog post. You can triple or quadruple traffic to your own site with a unique, well-written guest post. Here's how to do it.

4. Leave comments on other blogs regularly. There are many benefits to leaving comments on other blogs. Follow this simple, 5-step process.

 

A little more work

5. Grow your e-newsletter subscriber list. Maybe you have a newsletter but you'd like to have more than 27 subscribers. Because, man, it's hard work putting that quality content out each week. Grow your list and you'll grow your business.

6. Create a marketing calendar—and follow it. Map out where you want to go and how you will get therewith a simple calendar. Start with just 30 days and build from there.

7. Write (or refresh) your website's FAQ page. Your customers might have the slightest, silliest littlequestion that, if you answered it on your website's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, you'd get a sale. Why not tackle (or rewrite) it?

 Even more work (but definitely worth it)

8. Start a blog. If you don't have one, it might be dizzying to think about, but consider starting your own blog. With WordPress, you can manage it easily.

9. Send out an e-newsletter. If you break it into pieces, it's not so hard to do. Just be sure to get permission from prospects and customers first; choose your delivery service with care; create qualitycontent; focus your formatting on readability and the needs of web scanners and skimmers; and find your unique voice.

10. Redesign your website. Take a look at your current site. Is it clean and easy-to-navigate? Doesit really reflect all the cool things you are doing now? Watch for signs that you may need a makeover. If you're thinking maybe so, here are some website design trends for 2010. 

If these tips were helpful, you can get ideas like this delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning when you sign up for Marketing Hotspots, our free weekly e-tip. 

You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll buy stuff.: 5 Strategies for 'emotion-based marketing'

There's a big fat war raging. We've always been told that people buy based on emotions, but need to justify their purchase with logic.

They satisfy the heart before the head kicks in to tell them they've made the right choice because…blah, blah blah (insert boring reasons here).

But, the thing is, two nights ago I was in a fun audience (how many educational events do you go to where you get to sit in the auditorium and sip on wine as the presenter goes through his PowerPoint show?).

Anyway, this semi-famous marketing expert from the cold white north (Canada) was talking about social media as a marketing tool for businesses when he turned around and said:

"Of course you would never use emotions in B2B (business-to-business) marketing."

Kind of caught me off guard.

 B2B, B2C, Aren't They All Just People?

We forget that business-to-business and business-to-consumer have something quite obvious in common.

Consumers are people who buy stuff.

Businesses are run by people who buy stuff.

So why treat B2B marketing any differently?

My 5 strategies for emotion-based marketing

Inside that business owner in the stuffy shirt is a real person. She laughs. She cries. She likes songs and movies because they make her feel. She has a heart and a head. And when her emotions are touched, she tends to remember the message more.

Here are some ways to reach her:

 1.    Tell her stories. 

You can do a lot with the right story, one that appeals to the senses, one that shows your personality and voice, and paints a picture.

 2.    Use analogies. 

People love an analogy because they "get it" right away. And because they are visual, analogies touch a deep, emotional part of the brain. We explained why we dumped our brand new business by comparing the needy "baby" to our jealous 16-year-old, Cat's Eye Marketing. Use this powerful tool when you can. 

3.    Make him laugh. 

John Cleese, one of my heroes, said it perfectly: "If I can get you to laugh with me, you like me better, which makes you more open to my ideas." I'm not talking cruel or sarcastic humor here, or just telling jokes. I mean the kind of humor that makes us all see that we are a lot alike. The kind that brings us together.

4.    Scare her (in a nice way). 

Don't underestimate the fear factor. We all have fears of losing something or someone. Of not doing something right. Of losing our best clients. Of our business failing because we made the wrong decision, went with the wrong vendor, spent too much money on a solution that didn't work. Find a way to identify that fear, then walk your client to the solution which, of course, is your product or service.

5.    Satisfy other emotional 'cravings.' 

There are tons of these. It takes a little time and skill to hit on the one your customer may be feeling, but it's worth it. Put yourself in their shoes, find the right emotional craving, then satisfy it. 

What about you? Do you think emotions should be used in B2B marketing? Do you ever market to people's emotions?