Question

Topic: Student Questions

Deciding On A Marketing Strategy

Posted by timesmithing on 10/13/2009 at 10:17 PM ET 250 Points
I am good at art and vocabulary, so my website is gaining statistically in Europe, especially Great Britain. But in the US where I had hoped to find purchasers, am not making strides. Am considering marketing a new product (a deck of cards) and several books either under a nom-de-plume or as a fictitious group. Seeking suggestions as to whether that would work, legality, plus how to receive funds for purchases -- via paypal, or with a special checking account, and how to set that up.
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  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 10/14/2009 at 11:13 AM Member
    Dear timesmithing,

    Shortly, I'm going to be following my own advice here by hosting my modest blog under a proper domain name. This is something you need to seriously consider with your website.

    From having spent the last six months or so looking at websites, evaluating them, and figuring out what to do for my own sake I've come to the considered opinion that regardless of how talented or gifted any site owner might be when it comes to design, it's not always their opinion that counts: it's the ability of their readers to get out of the site the information it either promises or purports to offer.

    This mean that for the most part, how good at art and vocabulary you might be may have little is any bearing on how well your website is doing.

    The smooth jazz doesn't really add anything (nor does the Flash introduction) and i'd consider ditching both and making more of what it is that you do.

    What your site doesn't make clear is that you're offering horoscopes. Timesmithing as a title means nothing. Blunt? yes.
    But honest. So why not help yourself in terms of search engine rankings by giving people something they're looking for:

    "Horoscopes by Misty Day"

    According to Google's keyword search system, in September 36 people WORLDWIDE searched for the term "timesmith". While for the same time period 3,350,000 people world wide searched for the term "horoscope".

    Is Misty Day your real name? If not, why not just use your REAL name?

    When it comes to your books and cards, is there a market of eager buyers for your product and what have you sold already?
    Where? To whom? And in what quantities?

    Do you have (and will you be aiming at) repeat buyers? If not, why? What else might you be able to offer to keep people coming back every month? The magic word here is CONTINUITY.

    In terms of accepting online payments, Pay Pal is a great beginning. You might also want to consider E-junkie and Clickbank.

    I've no clue how many legal minds there might be on this forum so my best advice with regard to the legality of anything is to spend the money, make the investment, and talk to a lawyer.

    I hope this helps.

    Gary Bloomer
    Wilmington, DE, USA
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 10/14/2009 at 12:45 PM Member
    You can create a website and put anything for sale on it, and connect it to PayPal (etc.) easily enough. But will it result in sales? Unlikely, unless you already have a following of people interested in what you're selling and/or trust as a voice of experience. If you have neither, then you need to build the interest/trust by going where your target market is, listening to their questions, and answering them as an expert (not as a salesperson). Done consistently and professionally, you'll garner traffic/trust. That will help you "organically". If you're in a rush, use pay per click to gauge the interest in your offering and measure click-thru-rates based on your copy.
  • Posted by timesmithing on 10/14/2009 at 1:32 PM Author
    Thanks, Gary, although I am still not entirely clear as to what to do... one problem I have run into is that people know me to be an expert but often don't want to acknowledge that because they see competing with my often breakthrough ideas and innovations to be a challenge. I tend to think outside the box and that is popular in Europe but not in the States, possibly due to the "dumbing down" trend in recent years. I have also received much local feedback that my site gives the impression I'm doing so well I don't need the money. Ah well. I am, I think, about to do it again with the cards...

    "Is Misty Day your real name? If not, why not just use your REAL name?" I suspect neither will work, really, and am working on a nom-de-plume or group name, possibly in Elvish.

    "When it comes to your books and cards, is there a market of eager buyers for your product and what have you sold already? Where? To whom? And in what quantities?" There is a quickly growing market for specialty cards in general (they're in big bookstores and many specialty shops as well as online and in catalogs -- mostly to new agers, magicians, artists, young people, spiritual groups, avante-garde and progressive churches, healers and therapists), and a very broad, creative range of approaches to design, so I believe I can access a piece of that market worldwide. I plan to publish the cards and interpretations in English to begin with, then with proceeds (hopefullly) Spanish, French and possibly Japanese. I am not yet clear as to what quantities, but will begin with 2,000 boxes and see what happens. Am recruiting a sales team now.

    "Do you have (and will you be aiming at) repeat buyers?" (In a way, yes, although probably not a lot of them. Certain of the individual cards can be used for manifestation meditations, healing the planet and ourselves, weatherworking and positive ceremonial purposes, and that will be suggested in the accompanying book, which might drive purchases of two or more decks.

    "If not, why? What else might you be able to offer to keep people coming back every month? The magic word here is CONTINUITY." Hm.... Did you have time to click through to the blog? There I have published interesting articles, humor, celebrity astrobiographies (Al Gore, Michael Moore, Donovan Leitch, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie), proactive and encouraging global cooling info, spiritual inspiration, peace information, hobby interests, and monthly predictions.
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 10/14/2009 at 5:32 PM Accepted
    Dear Timesmithing,

    You’re still not entirely clear as to what to do?

    You need to build a herd.

    Create a hungry crowd.

    Summon up a following.

    The “problem” you say you’ve run into?

    The one about people knowing you to be an expert but often don't want to acknowledge that because they see competing with your often breakthrough ideas and innovations to be a challenge?

    Know how this reads to me?

    As a cop out.

    Your notion that you “tend to think outside the box and that is popular in Europe but not in the States, possibly due to the "dumbing down" trend in recent years”?

    Know how THIS sounds?

    It sounds like utter nonsense.

    It sounds as if you’re using the notion of “no one understands me!” as an excuse to avoid getting off your bottom and taking some responsibility for creating sales.

    Blunt? Yes, and for which, alas, I make NO apology. Blame my Anglo Saxon Celtic roots. I'm from the north of England and my Dad was Irish.

    Likewise your explanation that you’ve “received much local feedback that my site gives the impression I'm doing so well
    I don't need the money.”

    If you’re selling ONLY to locals, then this might be a problem.
    But you’re talking about translations into French and Japanese
    so forget all that horse crap from local feedback.

    It’s bogging you down.

    And using a name in Elvish? Before I looked at the search results on Google for Elvish names I was going to ask you if you actually WANTED to make any money? But it's a good job I checked because every month thousands of people search for Elvish things.

    Which just proves there’s a buyer for everything. So you know what? If this will WORK for you, why the hell not!

    So, you have a “quickly growing market for specialty cards in general (they're in big bookstores and many specialty shops as well as online and in catalogs -- mostly to new agers, magicians, artists, young people, spiritual groups, avante-garde and progressive churches, healers and therapists), and a very broad, creative range of approaches to design, so I believe I can access a piece of that market worldwide.”

    Good. Next, your mission is to position your product IN FRONT OF THESE PEOPLE.

    And, tell them stories about the product and what it can do for those people. This means offering benefits, testimonials, value, social proof, and building trust.

    People won’t buy from you if they don’t like you, trust you, or believe you. You’ve got to bring people around to your way of thinking sand then match that thinking to the things those people are searching for.

    You plan to publish the cards and interpretations in English to begin with, then with proceeds (hopefully) Spanish, French and possibly Japanese?

    NO! NO! NO!

    With your initial profits you build up MORE sales in English, which mean you investing your money in MARKETING! Not first off into other languages.

    Not yet clear as to what quantities? How about print on demand? If you begin with with 2,000 boxes to see what happens you’ll tie up money in inventory when you could be spending money on marketing.

    The sales team you’re recruiting? This must be commission only, which means affiliate sales a sales. Which means if they don’t sell your stuff, they don’t get paid!

    The pint I raised about repeat sales and your answer that cards will be used for manifestation meditations, healing the planet and ourselves, weatherworking and positive ceremonial purposes (sorry, you lost me at manifestation meditations, but if this makes you money, go for it) and people buying two or more decks, fine.

    The magic word I mentioned? CONTINUITY? It’s to do with you bringing in people who pay you a set fee per month, every month to retain your services.

    I’m talking here about a membership site where you offer EXCLUSIVE content to paying members, content that’s available NOWHERE else. Stuff they can ONLY get from you.

    Have SOME stuff on your blog but you really need to be charging people a fee to get the GOOD stuff. This creates monthly cash flow, regular revenue you can use to further your marketing efforts.

    I hope this helps.

    Gary Bloomer
    Wilmington, DE, USA
  • Posted by timesmithing on 10/14/2009 at 8:50 PM Author
    I awarded the points to finish this conversation, Gary -- I did not ask the question to open myself to barbaric berating.
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 10/14/2009 at 10:54 PM Member
    Dear timesmithing,

    To clarify, you'll find a note in your website e-mail.

    It was certainly NOT my intent to berate. The grim reality of business is that we must ALL take responsibility and we must ALL—and sometimes whether we like it or not—we must all listen to opinions, EVEN THOUGH WE MAY NOT LIKE WHAT WE HEAR.

    Why? Because sometimes, those opinions, different from our own though they might be—those opinions may save us time, pain, sacrifice, work, and money. Those opinions might also set us free or set us on a less stony road.

    This is a professional forum and regrettably, whether questioners like it or not, they may sometimes hear or read things—sometimes about themselves, their ideas, or their proposals—that they do not like or that they cannot accept.

    I don't doubt that you know your business and I don't for one moment pretend to tell you how to cast a horoscope. But please, if you're going to run a business and ask for advice on marketing, you MUST be willing and prepared to hear the rough with the smooth.

    When anyone asks a question in an open forum they open themselves to opinion, as I have from you. I've written to you under separate cover to explain that not one jot of ill will was intended.

    I offer opinion based on 25 years of practical experience and based on what I know will work. Sadly, whether any of us like it or not, the world of business CAN be barbaric and often, the ONLY way to remain in the game is to become and to accept a certain degree of barbarism.

    And yes, despite what you may think, I really DO wish you well.

    Gary Bloomer
    Wilmington, DE, USA





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