Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Me, too.

I'll be glad to take a look, but the signs are not good. When you are not prepared for a long sales cycle, things can get tough very quickly. It's not fun. And then to not have enough capital to jump-start your marketing makes this a double-whammy. But you knew that, right?

I'm in but it depends where you're located. I do have some clients that do similar work...so FIRST tell me where you are via email

Dear Beverly,

I've reviewed the pieces you e-mailed and here's my humble, warts-and-all two cents' worth.

Believe me, I'm a big supporter of bootstrapping and I understand what you're trying to do and why you're trying to do it: your intent is commendable.

However, you're trying to do too much and when companies do this the result is that any power a message might have had then evaporates. There's little for people to hang their hat on and few defining elements to stop people in their tracks.

The message of every piece in your campaign needs to TELEGRAPH one simple benefit that will, in turn pull your reader
in to your narrative.

The headline "QIKTEK PARTNERS WITH MOBOTIX TO BRING YOU THE BEST IP-BASED SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS" tells your reader nothing about how your product will make his or her life easier, better, safer, or more profitable.

Every headline MUST confer A SIGNIFICANT benefit, it MUST impart MEANINGFUL information, and it MUST offer an INCENTIVE to carry on reading and to take action. If your headlines cannot do this your marking pieces are dead and your money and time are wasted.

The CAMERA E-Broch piece has ten visual elements that are all pulling in different directions when what it needs is a single rallying call. This call needs to: attract attention, gain interest, create compulsion, and persuade. Your message will work harder for you if every element of it works as a logical progression of problem identification, rapport creation, and solution presentation, all followed by benefit identification and interpretation, value establishment, social proof offering (testimonials), offer, deadline, and call to action.

Every piece of marketing material you put out must clearly BELLOW its message, it must call the faithful to prayer and every piece of marketing material you put out must achieve these things by building a house as follows:

First, build your foundation by getting people to know you, like you, trust you, and look forward to hearing from you. You do this by establishing yourself as THE go to person for your niche. True, this may mean you coming across as the ballsy one, but you've got to toot your own horn and tell people (and keep telling them) that you're the expert.

As you think and say this perception will become such that you become it in the minds of other people and in your own mind.

This is huge.

Then your marketing must clearly tell people: this is what we have; this is what it'll do for you; this is what you need to do next.

Ever seen those old TV Batman episodes, the ones where text balloons pop up on the screen in the fight scenes? Your message elements need to be those KERBLAM! and KERPOW! balloons.

To get into this mind set put yourself in the boots of your customer. Forget about yourself—you don't matter, what DOES matter is the benefits your prospects are looking for. When prospects don't FIND these benefits, they stop reading (or they simply don't read to begin with) and they walk.

To do more—to have a greater effect and impact, your marketing needs fewer visual elements and a more powerful message, a message that telegraphs benefits and values, and a message that compels them to take action.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA
Follow me on www.twitter.com @GaryBloomer

Hi Beverley,

I looked everything over and I agree with Gary.

1) Simplify!

You've got waay too much going in all of the pieces you sent, and you're trying to do too much. You're offering every conceivable tech-y service, with no focus on any particular niche or type of customer.

You're offering lots and lots of different services - the whole kitchen sink full. Too confusing, and too hard to classify what you do, or how you can help me (the business owner).

2) Change the newsletter design

The newsletter design is cluttered and crowded and very hard to read. Either hire a pro to design one for you, or try using a template (many of the e-mail services, such as AWeber, include them in the price). You can always alter it to suit your own corporate colors and add your logo (since you have HTML skills).


3) Talk to a specific group of people - pick a niche

Pick a particular type of business and a single specialty and focus on that first! DO NOT try to sell to everybody (which is what you're doing).

Think like a fisherman. What kind of fish do you want to catch? Where do they live? What do they like to eat? (More on this on my blog, search for fish - I'd reprint it, but this post is really long as it is).

4) Benefits - why do I want this? How does it help me (the potential customer).

The newsletter content seems like an extended ad for the camera system. It doesn't really tell me why I should buy it.

Why would I use your services? What headache do you cure?

The Web site host offer seems an afterthought. What does it have to do with switching to Windows 7?

People who are technically-challenged or time-crunched (or who simply want to focus on their business, rather than technology, want a fast/painless solution to the problem of getting a Web site.

Don't just ask for the sale, explain what you're offering, the headache you cure, and why you're the right choice for the job.

Lots of features - no benefits. Instead of telling me about the resolution, give me "10 Ways to Stop Shoplifting" or "What to Do When You Get the Blue Screen of Death"

5) Build a relationship

Rather than trying to "SELL" SELL SELL, establish yourself as an expert. Build a relationship. Be helpful.

Great post on this today from Seth Godin:

https://tinyurl.com/sethgodintransactions

6) Talk TO people, not at them

Your materials all say "we" too much. Instead, focus on your customers. Talk about the specific problems they have, what keeps them up at night, their secret desires (more time off, less worry about shrinkage, an easy solution to getting a web site, etc.)

7) Personalize your site and your brochure.

Get rid of the stock photos and use real people - preferably happy customers. If not, your own face.


The Web site host/design deal seems an afterthought - what does switching to Windows 7 have to do with a web site? Also, the second page looks unfinished.

8) Use THEIR language.

Civilians don't say things like end-to-end solutions, The best bit is the paragraph that starts " The QuickTek Help desk is like having your own personal IT staff" (ebrochure) and "You should be spending your time at what you do best, rather than navigating the complex worlds of LANs and WANs.." (the 1 page brochure)


Jodi