Image by Nationaal Archives via Flickr

I read a series of blog posts recently about marketing.  All went into extensive detail about analyzing your competition, doing a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis, barriers to entry, how you will distribute your products, etc.

All very worthwhile.

There was one thing missing though:  a common problem or interest.

No problem?  No buying.

“Fake Steve Jobs’s” readers came to his site to be entertained.  They weren’t trying to solve a problem.  So, he had lots of readers, but earned very little money from all that traffic. He didn’t make money from it because it wasn’t set up to solve a problem or be a business (only to entertain).  There was no “how to get a gazillion people to visit your blog” ebook, or souvenirs to buy.

What problem do you fix?  And what can you do easily that other people find difficult?  Design web sites?  Write web code? Find long-lost tiles?

You still  need a marketing plan.  It just doesn’t have to be hard.  More on that coming soon.

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My brother and dad own (and rent) several apartment buildings. One of the bathrooms needed some new tiles, so my brother went to look for replacements.

The building is old and the color is discontinued. He finally found a guy who sells them… for $15 each.  And these are tiles that probably cost 25 cents each when new.

What’s going on here?

The guy has found a specialty. He travels all over the world, buying up discontinued, end-of-run, and leftover tiles. Then he ships them home to New York. If you really (really) want a specific tile, he’s THE guy. He’s created his own niche, which nobody else can match or compete with (at least not easily). He’s not just standing out from his competition – he has none.

What makes YOU different?

The question is, where did they go? It doesn’t say. I’m sure they know, but it’s impossible to tell by looking at the sign. Making it hard for customers and clients to find you or talk to you will reduce your sales. The less friction, the better.

*****
Now, for Friday’s question about editing tools. Tom suggested silly putty. My thought was this.

My friend Curt sent this image.  His question, what would you do for “copy”?  I had an answer (find out Tuesday what it is).  Leave your own suggestions in the comments.

By the way, if you’re in the US, happy Labor Day weekend.  If you’re on the east coast of the US, watch out for himmicane Earl!

Image by bosela via sxc.hu

You hear a lot about having a “unique selling proposition,” or something that makes you different from all the other graphic designers, writers, and web developers in the world.

No experience, no awards, no problem

My mom is about to start a new career in real estate.  We looked at the other agents’ bios and they all listed years of experience, awards won and commitments to personal service.

For mom, highlighting experience and awards won’t work  — she doesn’t have any.

Be different

So, she’s got to take a different approach. I wrote her a bio that focused on her potential clients instead.  It’s got a section for buyers, and one for sellers: directing people to the information that’s relevant for them.

Tell stories

The buyers section starts by saying that the first thing she’ll do is ask you what you need.  The last thing she’ll do is to cook dinner for you and deliver it the day you move in.

Her background emphasizes the memorable things she’s done, like being commodore of the yacht club, running a catering business, and teaching knitting at a women’s prison.

Think she’ll stand out?  Will she be worth talking about? It’s not only more interesting, it’s a better story.  At least, I think so (I am, of course, totally objective).

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Quick, what do marketing and trucking have in common?

Stumped?

The answer is that they’re both delivery systems. The purpose of trucks isn’t to deliver trucks, it’s to deliver goods (the products inside) to the people who want them.

There’s a lot of talk about whether paper is obsolete, predicting the death of direct mail, and using social media to market your business. The old school is dead! Long live the new school!

The truth is, it doesn’t matter which method you use. Yes, of course, you have to adapt to where your audience is, but the marketing method you use is just a truck. It’s a delivery system, not a goal. It’s how you stay connected with your current clients, meet new ones, and deliver your products and services (regardless of whether or not you use an actual truck).

The method isn’t the point. The message is.

A friend in Colorado (where apparently, this is common) stopped at the grocery store the other day to buy gas.  There’s a speaker next to the pump – which immediately started urging her to buy some fuel additive. 

She hit the button to make it stop.  It kept going… and going.  She stood there muttering at the thing, ‘Didn’t I just tell you to shut up? Stop it! Be quiet!”

Congratulations, gas company. You’ve just invented “grocery spam.”

Just because you can use technology to talk directly to people doesn’t mean  you should – or that they want to hear what you’re saying.  

That’s not permission marketing.  Ask first.  Before you send your newsletter to someone, ask if they’re interested. Same with cell phone text messages (which are illegal in the US without express permission). Or, my personal least favorite, commercials (on monitors) in public restrooms. Don’t invent new and different kinds of spam.

Image by ButchLebo via Flickr

(Jodi’s note: this is re-posted, with permission, from Jack Goldenberg’s blog at 10minutesofbrilliance.com. Ha! My first guest post. )

OK, this is just between me and YouTube, so don’t get your brain all a Twitter. I would appreciate if you would Focus and not let your mind Flickr. Since you are a close Friendster of mine, I don’t mind saying I need your Yelp.

We can Meetup on the phone, or talk about it face to Facebook at your place or MySpace. Or we can have fries and Quechup under the Big Tent at Cafe Mom. Or toss back a few at the Fubar.

I know you’ve got your life and I’ve got MyLife. Can we discuss this without having a brain Fark or getting so mad, we’re Reddit in the face?

Here’s what I wanted to Aplify: It’s A Small World, but there are just too many social media and bookmarking sites. I don’t know which ones are Delicious and which are just Deviant Art. I want to feel LinkedIn to my new online contacts unless you think that is not Posterous.

I guess it was about Foursquare and twenty days ago when I seemed to Stumble Upon the fact that there are just way too many social networking and media sites!

I think it was Ning, the first Chinese emperor who said to his Official Blogger, “You don’t have to be a Geni to realize, there are too many social networks! So many, in fact, I get a Buzz just thinking about them.”

I wish I could wave a magic wand and say “Plaxo, Orkut, Bebo” and make them all disappear. I know they won’t all stay around forever. Some will fall and some will Ryhze. If that happened, I would be the Last.fm to know.

I hope you can Digg what I’m saying or at least get the Gist of it.

Image via Wikipedia

Ever notice how Apple likes to build anticipation for its products? Their system is closed, but information (or is it disinformation) leaks out anyway.

The thrill of discovery

Apple has legions of fans carefully checking patent applications, digging into orders for parts, poring through shipping manifests, and devoting hours to building or reading websites devoted to rumors, half-truths, leaks, and maybes. Once they find something, they gleefully spread it.

Back in the days of the cold war, US officials would carefully scrutinize photos of Kremlin officials. They wanted to see who was standing closest to the premier, who was far away, and who had been airbrushed out.  They wanted to clues to see who was in power, and who had been purged.  Any hints, or inside information, was worth its weight in gold.

Inside information

Some complain about Apple’s secrecy, but that’s really part of their marketing plan – build anticipation, and make cracking the code and getting inside information that much more fun. The thrill of discovery, and exclusivity, drives people to spend time doing things that may not seem terribly rational.

Heinz ketchup once ran ads with a song called “Anticipation” by Carole King playing in the background – waiting, and waiting and waiting for the ketchup to come out of the bottle.

Build anticipation

You may not have as many raving fans as Apple, but you can do this too. If you’re working on a new product, casually mention it in your blog or newsletter before you launch. And write about whatever topic it covers.

Offer an inside peek or a discount to your subscribers or your blog visitors. People want to be first (ever notice all the comments on blogs – First!).

Then, sit in front of your (Apple) computer and have some fries. Put ketchup on them. Singing the Internationale is optional.

My cat, Paris,  has some very definite ideas on the subject.

Meow! Meow!

When he wants something, he asks for it.  He doesn’t think about it, wonder if it’s OK, or he’s causing too much bother.  He just asks.

Lesson:  if you want someone to do something, ask them.

Meowing, Leg Rubbing, Jumping on the Keyboard

If meowing doesn’t work, he tries rubbing against me, or jumping on the keyboard.  If I ever type  www1111111qqqqqq on this blog, you’ll know why.  Use multiple methods to reach your prospects and interact with them.  Some people prefer email, others like RSS feeders or blogs or white papers.  People also learn in different ways.  Most of this blog is text, but I’m working on a new secrets of successful marketing program that will have both text and audio.

Lesson: use more than one marketing tactic

Nap regularly

Take a break every once in a while.  Look back at what you’ve done, and analyze what’s working. Especially if you’re a one-man (or woman) band, give your brain time to relax.

Lesson:  you can’t be brilliant every day, all day

Feed me!

If he wants food, he’ll start meowing, then run right over to the food dish.  It’s absolutely clear what he wants.  Your instructions, and your marketing, should be clear too.  Show people what you want them to do.  If your search is broken, it’s hard to buy.   If you can’t tell, have someone else test it. Use clear language too.  If you don’t know your customers’ lingo, learn it – talk to them the way they talk, in terms they’ll understand (rank higher in Google, not WS3 compliant).  As,  you can see, Paris wants to reach Francophones.

Lesson:  less friction means more sales

Squirrel!

It’s easy to get distracted when a squirrel crawls up the fire escape or a bird flies by.  However, the cat is safely inside, and the squirrels are outside.  No matter how hard he tries, he’ll never reach them through  the double-paned windows.  The latest trend or toy may work for you  (or not).  Don’t chase after it just because it’s new.  Think about whether it fits into your business, your personality, and what your clients are doing.

Lesson:  just because it’s bright and shiny doesn’t mean you should spend five hours a day on it

Create stories

Like most cats, Paris likes milk.  He’s always trying to get at the little pitcher of milk for my morning tea.  First, he jumped up on the desk, then he tried to put his nose in the pitcher.  When it didn’t fit, he dipped his paw in the pitcher, tipped it over and lapped up the milk. Businesses need stories too.  Show your personality in your writing and your marketing, rather than being a copycat (sorry, couldn’t resist).

(Note: he only did this once… and I let him because it was funny… once… now I put the milk where he can’t get it)

Lesson: say and do things that make you memorable

Plan your attack

If you see something you want to catch (a cat toy, a twist tie), approach it slowly.  Calculate how far away it is, whether it’s likely to run, and the best angle of attack.  If you’re marketing a product, make a plan.  Put the cart and horse in the right order.  Who will you approach? What will you do? How will you close the sale?

Lesson:  know what you want and how to get it

Be picky

Cats are notoriously finicky.  They’ll eat the stuff in the blue can, but not the green can. The pictures on the boxes both look fine to people, and the food does too.  It’s the cat’s opinion that counts.   When developing your marketing, pick a niche.  Do what appeals to the people in that niche, not what appeals to everyone (or to you).

Lesson: market to your tribe (not everybody)