Tuesday, November 03, 2009
New Website Directory Submission List: Which Are Worth Submitting To?
Are you using website directories as a source of incoming links? You remember website directories, don't you? Those are those quaint little things that people used to search for the information they wanted back before Google gobbled up the Internet.
They're still around, and they're still authoritative sources of inbound links. Many of them now are paid, but some of them are still free. I just posted a new article assessing which web directories are the best to submit your website to. Check out this website directory submission list here.
Jeff
Are you using website directories as a source of incoming links? You remember website directories, don't you? Those are those quaint little things that people used to search for the information they wanted back before Google gobbled up the Internet.
They're still around, and they're still authoritative sources of inbound links. Many of them now are paid, but some of them are still free. I just posted a new article assessing which web directories are the best to submit your website to. Check out this website directory submission list here.
Jeff
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Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Protecting the KFC Secret Recipe
Every time I turned on the news today, I heard something about Kentucky Fried Chicken moving its super secret secret recipe.
I haven't the foggiest idea where they are moving it or why. But I've heard again and again about the Secret Service type of security precautions surrounding this move.
The whole hubbub about this move brings to mind something KFC has done extremely well -- and I'm not talking about the taste of their food here.
What really strikes me is how well they've done selling their story to the world. They have developed a whole mystique around their recipe. And that mystique sells their chicken even more effectively than their recipe does.
Think of it. A restaurant announces that they plan to take a recipe out of their safe and they get prime time news coverage on just about every news outlet. Wouldn't you love to be able to get the media to sit up and take notice over some small action that your business takes.
It just shows the power of story. Build a story around your business. Make it central to your Unique Selling Proposition. Hammer it home in all your communication with the public.
Stories catch people's imagination. Don't be afraid to use your story. Maybe it's something you've never even considered to be a selling point. But take the time to craft your story. KFC's story is worth millions in free publicity. What can you create out of yours?
Jeff
Every time I turned on the news today, I heard something about Kentucky Fried Chicken moving its super secret secret recipe.
I haven't the foggiest idea where they are moving it or why. But I've heard again and again about the Secret Service type of security precautions surrounding this move.
The whole hubbub about this move brings to mind something KFC has done extremely well -- and I'm not talking about the taste of their food here.
What really strikes me is how well they've done selling their story to the world. They have developed a whole mystique around their recipe. And that mystique sells their chicken even more effectively than their recipe does.
Think of it. A restaurant announces that they plan to take a recipe out of their safe and they get prime time news coverage on just about every news outlet. Wouldn't you love to be able to get the media to sit up and take notice over some small action that your business takes.
It just shows the power of story. Build a story around your business. Make it central to your Unique Selling Proposition. Hammer it home in all your communication with the public.
Stories catch people's imagination. Don't be afraid to use your story. Maybe it's something you've never even considered to be a selling point. But take the time to craft your story. KFC's story is worth millions in free publicity. What can you create out of yours?
Jeff
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Maximize Holiday Sales With 5 Easy-To-Implement Marketing Tips
Looking for ways to maximize your sales this Christmas season? I just came across a some great tips for doing exactly that.
Jeff
Looking for ways to maximize your sales this Christmas season? I just came across a some great tips for doing exactly that.
Jeff
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Friday, November 23, 2007
The Value of an Original Idea
Watching the Thanksgiving Day football games, I was surprised at the number of luxury car commercials that encourage people to give a $50,000 car as a Christmas present.
(BTW, what is the average income of NFL fans that the car companies think a $50,000 present is within reach of those watching the games?)
But what really struck me was the advantage that the first company to run this kind of campaign had given themselves by being first to do it. A few years ago, Lexus pioneered this Christmas-gift campaign with ads where the gift giver presented the recipient with a Lexus with a big, red bow on top.
This year, I counted only one ad like that. But EVERY TIME I saw a give-our-luxury-car-as-a-Christmas-gift ad by another car maker, I thought of Lexus. I had to consciously make a point of watching for the commercial to identify the make of car it was promoting.
In essence, by being the first to come up with this type of campaign, Lexus had turned EVERY copycat ad by EVERY copycat advertiser into an ad for Lexus.
It just goes to show what power there is in an original idea. An original idea, well executed, can associate your product so strongly in people's minds that once it is ingrained there, even your competitors' attempts to copy your success does more to bring your product to mind than it does to promote theirs.
So what original ideas can you come up with for your business?
Jeff
Watching the Thanksgiving Day football games, I was surprised at the number of luxury car commercials that encourage people to give a $50,000 car as a Christmas present.
(BTW, what is the average income of NFL fans that the car companies think a $50,000 present is within reach of those watching the games?)
But what really struck me was the advantage that the first company to run this kind of campaign had given themselves by being first to do it. A few years ago, Lexus pioneered this Christmas-gift campaign with ads where the gift giver presented the recipient with a Lexus with a big, red bow on top.
This year, I counted only one ad like that. But EVERY TIME I saw a give-our-luxury-car-as-a-Christmas-gift ad by another car maker, I thought of Lexus. I had to consciously make a point of watching for the commercial to identify the make of car it was promoting.
In essence, by being the first to come up with this type of campaign, Lexus had turned EVERY copycat ad by EVERY copycat advertiser into an ad for Lexus.
It just goes to show what power there is in an original idea. An original idea, well executed, can associate your product so strongly in people's minds that once it is ingrained there, even your competitors' attempts to copy your success does more to bring your product to mind than it does to promote theirs.
So what original ideas can you come up with for your business?
Jeff
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Saturday, June 09, 2007
One Stop Web Support Newsletter #57 On the Way
The latest issue of One Stop Web Support Newsletter is scheduled to arrive Sunday, June 10, 2007.
This newsletter concludes a four-part series on the Building the Four Key Parts of Your Business. It contains:
Jeff
The latest issue of One Stop Web Support Newsletter is scheduled to arrive Sunday, June 10, 2007.
This newsletter concludes a four-part series on the Building the Four Key Parts of Your Business. It contains:
- Building the Four Key Parts of Your Business - Attracting Customers (part 4 of 4)
- Reviews -
The Net Reporter Internet Marketing Resources
My Silent Team Marketing Resources for eBay and Website Businesses - Special guest corner - thoughts from top marketers
How Writing A SINGLE Article Can Create a 100% -- OR MORE -- Increase in Your Web Site Traffic!
By Derek Gehl - Success quote by Mark Twain
Jeff
Labels: newsletter, promote business
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Jeff's Unfortunate Brush With Sanjaya Fever - Part II
Yesterday, I revealed the marketing lesson that American Idol contestant Sanjaya was unknowingly teaching.
What is that lesson? He chose to stand out from other contestants instead of blending in. The results have been dramatic with him developing a loyal fan base that keeps him on the show while more talented singers are voted off.
But I told you that that's not the only marketing lesson his presence provides. There's an equally valuable lesson you can learn from the way the American Idol producers exploit his dare-to-be-different persona.
The producers recognize that great marketing truth that controversy can sell, too.
From what I've read (which is really all I care to know about American Idol), Sanjaya is a mediocre singer who has managed to keep in the running because of the unconventional persona he displays.
AI purists decry his continued presence . But a solid block of preteen girls who see him as the ultimate heartthrob manage to give him enough votes to keep him alive week after week.
So what do the producers do? A week ago, they focused for an inordinate amount of time on an 11-year-old audience member as she cried her way through watching Sanjaya sing.
Word has it that the girl in question cried through just about every song that night. She simply was happy to be there and had her waterworks in overdrive the entire night.
But when did the producers focus the camera on her? That's right. Only when Sanjaya sang.
But the results were predictable.
The next day, AI purists were outraged. They accused the producers of stacking the results. They used it as proof that preteen girls were turning the show into a contest to pick the next hot poster boy for lovesick preteenies. They blamed Sanjaya for global warming. Well, they didn't go quite that far.
But their outrage generated a lot of press. Enough press that even a couldn't-care-less-about-AI curmudgeon like me ended up reading about it. My curiosity eventually got the best of me because I ran into the controversy everywhere I looked.
No, they didn't pique my interest in it enough to get me to watch. But I'm sure this pseudo-controversy will add lots of curious non-AI watchers to the next shows to see what everybody's talking about.
What interests me, though, is the excellent example this represents of how controversy can generate attention for your business.
I don't know if AI producers plotted this controversy from the start and I don't care. But once it started, they have nurtured it carefully to keep it growing. And they have reaped massive benefits from it in the form of free publicity.
You don't always want to steer clear of controversy in your business. A carefully managed controversy can bring you plenty of free—and valuable—attention.
Jeff
P.S. I hope to make this my last blog on either American Idol or Sanjaya. But I'm not promising anything. If they do something marketers can learn from, I'll let you know.
But make sure you keep checking back for marketing lessons that come from all sorts of odd angles you never hear anywhere else.
And if you haven't already done so, check out my newsletter on marketing tips and tools. I'll give you $250 worth of bonuses for signing up for my free newsletter.
Why so much? There's a marketing lesson in why I do that, too. Check the newsletter signup page to find out what that lesson is.
Yesterday, I revealed the marketing lesson that American Idol contestant Sanjaya was unknowingly teaching.
What is that lesson? He chose to stand out from other contestants instead of blending in. The results have been dramatic with him developing a loyal fan base that keeps him on the show while more talented singers are voted off.
But I told you that that's not the only marketing lesson his presence provides. There's an equally valuable lesson you can learn from the way the American Idol producers exploit his dare-to-be-different persona.
The producers recognize that great marketing truth that controversy can sell, too.
From what I've read (which is really all I care to know about American Idol), Sanjaya is a mediocre singer who has managed to keep in the running because of the unconventional persona he displays.
AI purists decry his continued presence . But a solid block of preteen girls who see him as the ultimate heartthrob manage to give him enough votes to keep him alive week after week.
So what do the producers do? A week ago, they focused for an inordinate amount of time on an 11-year-old audience member as she cried her way through watching Sanjaya sing.
Word has it that the girl in question cried through just about every song that night. She simply was happy to be there and had her waterworks in overdrive the entire night.
But when did the producers focus the camera on her? That's right. Only when Sanjaya sang.
But the results were predictable.
The next day, AI purists were outraged. They accused the producers of stacking the results. They used it as proof that preteen girls were turning the show into a contest to pick the next hot poster boy for lovesick preteenies. They blamed Sanjaya for global warming. Well, they didn't go quite that far.
But their outrage generated a lot of press. Enough press that even a couldn't-care-less-about-AI curmudgeon like me ended up reading about it. My curiosity eventually got the best of me because I ran into the controversy everywhere I looked.
No, they didn't pique my interest in it enough to get me to watch. But I'm sure this pseudo-controversy will add lots of curious non-AI watchers to the next shows to see what everybody's talking about.
What interests me, though, is the excellent example this represents of how controversy can generate attention for your business.
I don't know if AI producers plotted this controversy from the start and I don't care. But once it started, they have nurtured it carefully to keep it growing. And they have reaped massive benefits from it in the form of free publicity.
You don't always want to steer clear of controversy in your business. A carefully managed controversy can bring you plenty of free—and valuable—attention.
Jeff
P.S. I hope to make this my last blog on either American Idol or Sanjaya. But I'm not promising anything. If they do something marketers can learn from, I'll let you know.
But make sure you keep checking back for marketing lessons that come from all sorts of odd angles you never hear anywhere else.
And if you haven't already done so, check out my newsletter on marketing tips and tools. I'll give you $250 worth of bonuses for signing up for my free newsletter.
Why so much? There's a marketing lesson in why I do that, too. Check the newsletter signup page to find out what that lesson is.
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Saturday, March 31, 2007
Jeff Has a Brush With Sanjaya Fever
I can't believe I'm writing a post on American Idol.
I've never been the least bit interested in it, never watched it.
But everywhere I turn, lately, I see articles about "Sanjaya Fever."
I've read enough to learn to that Sanjaya is a contestant whom many AI afficiandos believe has no business sharing the stage with other, more talented contestants.
I don't know whether that's the case and I don't really care. But what I've read teaches some pretty interesting marketing lessons.
Supposedly, Sanjaya manages to survive each week based on the obsession that preteen girls have with his boyish good looks and unconventional style. While other contestants strive to look professional, Sanjaya consiously strives to stand out with weird hairstyles and in-your-face fashion choices.
I don't know about the preteen girls conspiracy theory, but I'd bet that his support stretches to a lot of people who vote to keep him on simply because they're curious what weird getup he'll come up with next week. And that brings us to the first marketing lesson that Sanjaya teaches:
Being different sells.
Most inexperienced marketers try to blend in. They're afraid that if they appear at all different from everyone else, they'll be seen as amateurs. That's why so many websites, ads, and sales copy are mind-numbingly forgetable.
But be a little different and people will notice. Be a lot different and MAN, will they notice!
You've got to be smart about it. Not every way of being different is good. Would voters keep Sanjaya on if his persona was the ultimate geek who didn't realize how uncool he looked? Probably not.
But Sanjaya's persona as an I'm-gonna-be-who-I-am-no-matter-what-the-big-bad-music-executives-say rebel struck a chord with enough people to keep him on the show this far and probably a little farther.
Don't be afraid to be different—in an intelligently planned way. Setting yourself apart from the crowd gets you noticed. And getting noticed can mean sales.
Jeff
P.S. There's another marketing lesson I see in Sanjaya fever, too. But I'll save that for tomorrow.
In the meantime, if you want to find out other ways to stand out in your marketing, check out the free, downloadable book, "7 Hidden Psychological Secrets for Maximum Sales" that I'm currently featuring in the free ebooks section of my site.
I can't believe I'm writing a post on American Idol.
I've never been the least bit interested in it, never watched it.
But everywhere I turn, lately, I see articles about "Sanjaya Fever."
I've read enough to learn to that Sanjaya is a contestant whom many AI afficiandos believe has no business sharing the stage with other, more talented contestants.
I don't know whether that's the case and I don't really care. But what I've read teaches some pretty interesting marketing lessons.
Supposedly, Sanjaya manages to survive each week based on the obsession that preteen girls have with his boyish good looks and unconventional style. While other contestants strive to look professional, Sanjaya consiously strives to stand out with weird hairstyles and in-your-face fashion choices.
I don't know about the preteen girls conspiracy theory, but I'd bet that his support stretches to a lot of people who vote to keep him on simply because they're curious what weird getup he'll come up with next week. And that brings us to the first marketing lesson that Sanjaya teaches:
Being different sells.
Most inexperienced marketers try to blend in. They're afraid that if they appear at all different from everyone else, they'll be seen as amateurs. That's why so many websites, ads, and sales copy are mind-numbingly forgetable.
But be a little different and people will notice. Be a lot different and MAN, will they notice!
You've got to be smart about it. Not every way of being different is good. Would voters keep Sanjaya on if his persona was the ultimate geek who didn't realize how uncool he looked? Probably not.
But Sanjaya's persona as an I'm-gonna-be-who-I-am-no-matter-what-the-big-bad-music-executives-say rebel struck a chord with enough people to keep him on the show this far and probably a little farther.
Don't be afraid to be different—in an intelligently planned way. Setting yourself apart from the crowd gets you noticed. And getting noticed can mean sales.
Jeff
P.S. There's another marketing lesson I see in Sanjaya fever, too. But I'll save that for tomorrow.
In the meantime, if you want to find out other ways to stand out in your marketing, check out the free, downloadable book, "7 Hidden Psychological Secrets for Maximum Sales" that I'm currently featuring in the free ebooks section of my site.
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Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Latest Newsletter Posted on One Stop Web Support
I just posted last Sunday's newsletter online. Here's what you'll find in it:
Jeff
I just posted last Sunday's newsletter online. Here's what you'll find in it:
- Step Six of the Seven Steps to Starting a Successful Business Online series—Driving Visitors to Your Business
- Reviews:
The Net Reporter Internet Marketing Site
Turn Auction Traffic Into Cash - Guest article by Caroline Melberg—10 Things You MUST Do to Drive Massive Traffic to Your Local Small Business Website
- Success quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Jeff
Labels: newsletter, promote business
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Five Tips to Dramatically Boost Your Business in 2007
I just posted six articles on my site from marketing expert Derek Gehl about his top five strategies to help you make 2007 your most profitable year yet.
You can find his overview of these five strategies here. The article links to five other articles that go into greater depth on each individual strategy. Enjoy!
Jeff
I just posted six articles on my site from marketing expert Derek Gehl about his top five strategies to help you make 2007 your most profitable year yet.
You can find his overview of these five strategies here. The article links to five other articles that go into greater depth on each individual strategy. Enjoy!
Jeff
Labels: promote business, successful business
Saturday, December 16, 2006
One Stop Web Support Newsletter #45 On Its Way
The latest issue of One Stop Web Support Newsletter is scheduled to arrive Sunday, December 17, 2006.This newsletter contains:
Jeff
The latest issue of One Stop Web Support Newsletter is scheduled to arrive Sunday, December 17, 2006.This newsletter contains:
- Seven Steps to Starting a Successful Small Business Online -- Introduction
- Personal recommendations -
Website and auction businesses - "The 7 Psychological Secrets to MAXIMUM Sales"
Auction Businesses - "How to (at least) Double Your eBay Income by Doing Half the Work" - Special guest corner: "The E-Factor: Two Ways to Get More Back from Every Promotion" By David Garfinkel
- Success quote by Paul Myers
Jeff
Labels: copywriting, newsletter, product sourcing, promote business
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