The Marketing Mix | official blog of the Marketing Mentor community

Share your non-linear marketing story

In my latest Quick Tip, How Marketing Really Works, I talk about how marketing is never linear and it takes multiple marketing efforts -- over time -- to get the project. (And how sometimes, you don’t even know how it all happened.)

Here's that tip and some more details about how it actually happened.

Recently, I wrote a recent blog post called, Should I Friend My Mom?, and I asked my client Jonathan Cleveland of Cleveland Design, to read it and comment. It was a few days later when he did, by which time another post was first up, World's Best Subject Line, by another client, copywriter, Conrad Winter.  So he read them both.

Why was Conrad’s guest post on our blog? Because the day before, he had sent out his email newsletter, called the World’s Best Subject Line, and Deidre (our Mix Mistress) read it and thought it would perfect for the Marketing Mix, and she asked Conrad if she could post it.

On the day that Jonathan read the post, one of his big, big clients asked him to find a copywriter for a big, big project. Because he had just read the post, Jonathan thought immediately of Conrad, called him, connected him to the client and within a day or two, Conrad had the project.

Here’s what Conrad had to say about all of this:

I had met Jonathan almost two years ago at HOW, but hadn't stayed in contact. I didn't want to pester him, and I just assumed he'd remember me if he ever had a need. The reality is that I wasn't on his radar at all until he saw my post. It's a good lesson to me that you have to do people a favor and remind them that you're out there.

If that’s not enough of an example of non-linear marketing in action, take a look at what Kathleen Giarrano from Giarrano Design sent in response to my Quick Tip:

Last week I ran into a friend at a tag sale and gave her one of my fun marketing postcards. Later she ran into a friend at a school sporting event who needs a Web site. She gave her friend the card. We had a meeting on Monday and I just sent off a proposal to design a Web site for her start-up Belgian chocolate and party favor company. Weird but true.

Has this happened to you?

If you need help getting your marketing efforts on track so they can produce some linear, or non-linear results, join my next Marketing Plan Group. It starts on May 6th. Details here or fill out this form.

Have you ever gone above and beyond to get a client?

You know how, sometimes, you think you're a perfect fit for a project but you're not sure if your prospect knows it?

What can you do to make sure they know?

Here's one option that, when done in the right situations, can get your client to say "YES." Kevin Flores, Chief Creative Fella at The Flores Shop submitted an RFP for a total re-branding of a law firm. To set his firm apart, they also created a microsite called, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," to demonstrate their expertise and show how much they wanted the job. View the microsite here: http://www.thefloresshop.com/harman/

This is a prime example of going the extra mile when you’ve got a really good prospect. For more examples like this, join me today (or listen later) for a webcast, Beyond the Brochure, and learn how to create effective marketing materials that will make your prospects say “yes.”

Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 4:00 PM EST. (Duration: 1 hour)
Register here: http://www.mydesignshop.com/product/beyond-the-brochure/DesignCasts

Do your promo materials get attention?

Do you have cool marketing materials that get your prospects’ attention? If so, will you send me pictures of them? I need images of printed promotional tools – brochures, interesting business cards, direct mail pieces, packages -- anything tangible that you send to people to get their attention.

Why?

Because I’m gearing up for the second installment in the Creative Freelancer Marketing Bootcamp Live DesignCast Series.

It’s called Beyond the Brochure: How to Create Effective Sales Materials—and it’s designed to teach you how to create smart, cost-effective marketing materials and demonstrate how to use these tools to hook a prospect once they've said, "Show me more."

Join me for this webcast on Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 4:00 PM EST. (Duration: 1 hour)

Register here: http://www.mydesignshop.com/product/beyond-the-brochure/DesignCasts

I'm going to CFC, are you?

Welcome to Week 29 of my adventure as a member of the Marketing Plan Group. In my posts, I talk about my voyage down the road of self-employment as a website copywriter, my achievements and roadblocks along the way, and what I’m learning from my group experience.

I just booked my plane ticket – Denver here I come!

This will be my first Creative Freelancer Conference, and my first time in Denver. Can I let you in on a little secret? I am desperately excited for CFC.  For me, the only downside to self-employment is solitariness. And the idea of being around people (who get it) just makes me so happy. I’ve seen and heard how empowering the experience is, and I’m ready to be part of it.

Stuff I’m looking forward to

• Networking walks! Though I’m not exactly an early-riser, I’m willing to drag myself out of bed for some fresh air, networking, and exploration of Downtown Denver. Fellow sleepy heads: drag yourselves out of bed too. (Don’t make me be the only person with sleep lines on my face and a thermos full of coffee.)
• I have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that “I am a business,” so I’m looking forward to Ilise’s opening keynote, You Are a Business, where she’s going to talk about the shift in perspective that’s needed to go from “person” to “business.”
• Even though I have my “elevator speech,” I want to work on it, refine it, and be more comfortable when people ask me what I do. That’s why I’ll be in the front row at Dyana Valentine’s presentation, Pitch Perfect.
• Now that I’m getting a better understanding of my financial situation (thanks to my Marketing Plan Group), I’m looking forward to Galia Gichon’s, It’s Your Money So Take it Personally.
• I’ll admit it. Sometimes I price projects by pulling a number out of my hat. Accordingly, I need to attend The Art and Science of Pricing a Project by Shel Perkins.
• Happy hour. (It’s a scheduled event, look!)
• Meeting you! So if you haven’t signed up yet, please do so. You can still get the early bird discount if you sign up today, April 15th.

Check out all of the sessions here.

What are you looking forward to at this year’s CFC?

Why are they so inspired?

Inspiration comes in many forms – but we feel like some of the best are through learning and networking. That’s why we started the Creative Freelancer Conference.

This week, on Blog Talk Radio, Colleen Rice Nelson interviewed me and two Creative Freelancer Conference veterans. Listen to Alisa Bonsignore and  Dyana Valentine talk about what they learned at past conferences. Alisa shared how CFC helped her to see her business as a business and take it more seriously – and we all tried to describe the amazing networking, support, and camaraderie that sizzle during the conference. Oh yes, and I outlined all the topics that will be covered at this year’s conference. Listen here: www.blogtalkradio.com/freelancer-forum/2010/04/11/creative-freelancer-conference-2010-news-updates

Feel inspired too? Sign up today. The early bird discount expires Thursday, April 15th!

Ready to Reinvent, Re-imagine & Reinvigorate your career?

Join me in Boston this weekend (April 15-18) for the ASPP (American Society of Picture Professionals) Reinvention Weekend. The event is sponsored by Adbase (among others) and is intended to help picture professionals renew their approach to the image business.

Our conferences bring together the key people engaged with keeping the essential elements of our image community humming: stock agents, researchers, editors, publishers, art buyers, photographers and consultants. Expect spirited dialogues with your photo contemporaries from around the world!

I’m on the panel for the session: Click, Tweet and Repeat: Social Media, SEO and Brand Management on April 16th.

Can’t attend the whole weekend, but want to come to a session or two? No problem. They are offering entrance to single sessions on Friday and Saturday. More info here.

Do you have what it takes?

With the Creative Freelancer Conference coming up soon (June 5-6 in Denver, early bird deadline April 15th) we thought it was a great time to look at the nitty-gritty of freelancing.

To do this, we shared a 3-part series of audio clips (from our presentation at last year’s HOW Conference called: Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Successful Freelancer) over on the CFC blog.

Here are the clips:

What's happening now & the myths and realities about freelancing (10:33)

The skills and personality traits needed to be a successful freelancer (12:34)

How to prepare for freelancing & the freedoms that come with the gig (19:24)

Or, you can listen to these clips on the Marketing Mentor Podcast Stream. (Subscribe to the RSS feed here.)

Not signed up for CFC 2010 yet? The early bird deadline has been extended through April 15th but won't be extended again. We promise. So go ahead and register here.

Designing and painting for a cause in Cambridge – March 25th

Two Marketing Mentor friends, Sharon Alama and Jonathan Cleveland are giving their time and services to support Cooking for a Cause, an event that will benefit the East End House Community Center in Cambridge, MA.

Sharon is donating a customized pet portrait to the silent auction. Check out the one she did of Charlie (and other pets) here.

Take a look at the silent auction page (under Sports and Art) and call the number if you want to place a bid.

Jonathan has contributed the graphic design for the event. He also recently co-authored the book (with Peleg Top), Designing For The Greater Good.

About Cooking for a Cause: The evening will consist of food, spectacular wine and beer, creative cocktails, and delicious desserts from some of the most celebrated chefs, wineries, bartenders, and specialty shops in the area. Held at the Seaport Hotel, all the proceeds will benefit the programs and services East End House offers the community.

More information or purchase tickets here: http://eastendhouse.org/cooking-for-a-cause.html

Do you know your numbers?

On the Creative Freelancer LinkedIn Group, I asked  if members "know their numbers" -- meaning what you owe, what you own, what you spend and what you earn. (This came out of an interview I did with Galia Gichon, of Down to Earth Finance, who will be speaking this June at the Creative Freelancer Conference.)

But no one answered my question, which makes me think the answer is "no."

Then I saw this article yesterday, which emphasizes that small businesses who know their numbers are most likely to succeed.

So I ask again, do you know your numbers and if not, why not?

What John Mayer Can Teach You About Effective Messaging

In the latest issue of Rolling Stone, singer-songwriter John Mayer admits to a fondness for tweeting his followers about – I’m not kidding – poop.

Much as I like his music, this does not make me want to follow him on Twitter. But maybe I should, because in a strange way, he’s on to something. Later in the interview, he says: “When I send a poop joke on Twitter, every single time, people write back: ‘LOL, that’s why I love you. You’re not like every other (insert profanity here) celebrity. It shows an artist dethatching from the matrix of trying to micromanage perfection…so it’s really not about poop at all.”

So there you have it: John Mayer has a message behind the message – one that sets him apart from other entertainers, and one that obviously works for him, as he has a huge Twitter following. 

I’ve just recently “bitten the bullet” and joined Twitter, and it’s fair to say that I’m still figuring it out. If you follow me (and, shameless plug here, I hope you do, at http://twitter.com/alankravitz), don’t expect to find dictates about what I’m having for lunch, let alone when I’m going to the bathroom. It’s just not me to write things like that. 

But even I can learn something from John Mayer’s Twitter habits. I’m a good writer, but there are lots of good writers out there. I need to think about what sets me apart from other writers, just as Mayer obviously thinks about what sets him apart from other entertainers. My clients tell me I’m easy to work with. And my writing usually does produce high favorable results for them. So, even if I never tell you when I’m going to the bathroom (and trust me, I won’t), I do need to make sure that my messaging communicates these attributes, and more.

Special thanks to Alan Kravitz, copy writer/editor/consultant who founded The Infinite Inkwell. 

What about you? What are your “messages behind the message” – aside from your obvious talent?