The Marketing Mix | official blog of the Marketing Mentor community

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? 

What's your ideal day?

Back in early December, when designer friend Dani Nordin from The Zen Kitchen was in Brooklyn, we sat down and thought about our marketing desires and goals for 2010. Our thoughts aligned also with trying to make our lives better in general and less stressed. From there we asked ourselves how we can organize our businesses and lives to be more symbiotic.

This hoity-toity coffee-shop introspection led to the following questions:

+ What would be my ideal day?

+ How much client work (with raised rates) do I have to do in order to fit in health balances?

+ How much marketing do I have to do support my business and where I want to be?

+ What would make me feel less stressed out and how can I build it into my day?

+ How do those goals line up with my natural body rhythm? 

After that, I thought about it and here’s my ideal day (for now)...

• 7am — Wake up, shower, breakfast
• 7:45-8:45am — Make a list of the day’s work, evaluate previous day, walk boyfriend to subway & take a walk around the neighbourhood
• 9am — Email
• 10-11:30am — Client work
• 11:30am-12pm — Reading articles, Web, social networking, etc.
• 12-12:30pm — Lunch
• 12:30-2pm — Biz Dev / Marketing / Housekeeping (I’m usually sleepy after lunch and can work on more automated tasks)
• 2-4pm — Client work
• 4-4:30pm — Email
• 4:30-5pm — Walk around/free thinking (my energy starts to flag then)
• 5-6:30pm — Client work and evaluating tomorrow

Since I’m starting classes for my MFA this month, this schedule will also morph for classes and doing school projects. It’s not perfect, but it’s good start on a larger goal of having a clearer path to less stress, more success.

All of this leads to the basic concept of "Billing Based on Your Ideal Day." Reviewing that schedule, it looks like roughly 5 hours a day, or 25 hours a week, is dedicated to client work besides email. How many clients do I or you need to bring in each month or each quarter to fit an ideal day? How much marketing do we have to do to attract those clients?

As it stands with my current need to meet $5,000 a month, I would need to bring in roughly 2 projects a month. I reduced my monthly income goal from $7,000-$8,000 when I took into account I will not be able to work as much with school. Hence, the need to raise my rates and attract clients who can pay them. 

To get those projects and clients, Dani and I calculated: 2 projects/month = 10 proposals/month = talking to 60 people/month. This means I have to speak to or follow up with 2 new people per day to reach my goal. Yes, talking to new people/cold calling is scary but this could take the form of networking events, blog posts, or just talking to someone at the bookstore with a common interest. Planning marketing and networking into your work day can help conquer excuses to escape your marketing because you’ve deliberately set aside time just for you and your business. The 1.5 hours currently in my schedule should be enough to converse or write my way to a new client. 

So tell me, what about y’all? Please share your ideal days and any tips in the comments. We would love to see how other folks are incorporating two crucial components into their day: taking care of themselves and their businesses!

Tricia Okin runs papercut, a small design firm branding and designing for the mobile and food sectors while playing wingman to larger design firms.

Do you really need your own blog?

A lot of people think that just because they have their own business, they should have their own blog.

I disagree.

I don’t think blogging is right for everyone -- because the reality is -- blogging takes a lot of time. Blogs are hungry for information and they need to be fed. But if you’ve got the food (stuff to say, the commitment, the time), then here’s a really great article about why to blog as yourself (even if that’s not what you sell).

If you're hesitant about creating your own blog, you can still reap the benefits of blogging. Often times, it can be better to guest post in front of your prospects rather than create and drive traffic to your own blog. To do this, think about which blogs your prospects read, and offer to write a guest post there. 

P.S. We're always looking for guest posters here at the Marketing Mix. Take a look at the guest posts we've published recently to get ideas, and send your submissions in here.

To AIM or not to AIM

I have one client who hates talking on the phone. I mean, someone pretty much has to die to make her want to pick up the receiver. Fortunately, she is an ace e-mailer, but for her, regular e-mail is “so last year.” No, she wants to be AIMed – that’s instant messaged for the unaffiliated – and has been very persistent about encouraging me to join AIM as well.

I’m not sure I want this. When I write, I must have no distractions – especially not from pop-ups. If I have to respond to every client request – the split second I get it – I’d never get any work done. I’m told that I can make myself “invisible” on AIM, but that if I do, my client would get a message saying that I’m “unavailable.” That’s not what my client wants to hear.

If I sign up for AIM, is there any way to keep my client happy – and keep my sanity, too? I’d appreciate hearing from AIM users.

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

Why you should never give up

After hearing Ilise talking about the importance of follow-up in marketing, and specifically the point that she never gives up on a prospect, I decided I would follow up "one last time" with one of my own prospects. 

In the past I had always felt people would call me if they were interested or that if I had spoken with them once that was enough. Yet Ilise makes a good point: Just because people are busy and not calling back doesn't mean they aren't interested in my services.

So I did the experiment and in this case I called my prospect back with a special I had been offering online to Twitter followers. He took me up on it! I got a new client! You could have pushed me over with a feather! I couldn't believe this worked, and yet, of course it did. I'm so excited to have finally found a way to market my business professionally and consistently.

Jennifer Palais is an L.A. based Personal Organizer who engages her clients in creating high-functioning, liberated spaces in their homes and offices.

To Comment, or Not to Comment: That is My Question

For some time, I’ve made it part of my marketing strategy to comment on other peoples’ blogs. I do it to gain visibility, I do it because I learn from good discussion, I do it to create new relationships.

But what if making all those comments is a waste of time?

I ask the question because of an observation by Matt Mullenweg, the co-founder of WordPress (WordPress hosts over 14 million blogs):

Don't participate in Comments. Make it clear that your post itself is for anointed authors who don't mix with the hoi polloi in the comments ghetto... those people silly enough to contribute content to your site for free should feel ignored.

Sure, he’s writing from the perspective of a big-time blogger. But, his disdain for the silly content contributors is pretty evident, isn’t it?

I can tell myself to get over it easily enough, but here’s the thing: Matt is obviously a pretty smart guy who knows a lot about blogs. If he thinks my time and energy end up in a “comments ghetto,” maybe I need to rethink my strategy.

This brings me to my question: do you think commenting on blogs works as a practical marketing strategy for creative freelancers? There are plenty of reasons it makes sense.

But does it work?

Have you ever gotten a lead from a comment you left on someone else’s blog? Did you get to know someone who sent you a referral?

Does it work for you? Or do you stay out of the comments ghetto?

I know, I know: to answer, you have to post a comment! Please forgive the irony and share your thoughts anyway! Thanks!

Thanks to Luis Maimoni of Fresh Graphics in Long Beach CA.

Anatomy of a [eco-friendly, budget-wise] Self-Promotion Piece

Has 2009 been somewhat of a bummer, business-wise? Are you watching your pennies more carefully this year? Yeah - me, too! Which is why I’ve decided to forego the annual giving of the client gifts, in lieu of a simple, budget-minded postcard. 

My message is two-fold: to wish my clients and prospects a happy new year, while simultaneously announcing my new office, which is located in the rural, historic village of Aurora, NY - home to 850 residents and a college of 600 students. We’re right on one of the Finger Lakes, and in this promo piece, I wanted to convey the feeling of the place while capturing some of the visual essence of what it’s like to be here in winter, with the sun on the lake (‘Aurora’ means ‘dawn’) and formations of snow geese passing overhead.

It takes the form of an oversize (6 x 9) double-sided, full-color postcard, digitally printed on the most environmental paper possible, then sealed in a clear sleeve (which prevents the card from getting dinged up in the mail, and - I think - increases its “openability” factor).
…………
 
Here’s how it works out, cost-wise:

Printing
$125 for 250 6 x9 digitally-printed postcards, using non toxic toner, from Greg Barber Company

The paper stock is 100% post-consumer waste and certified 100% processed chlorine free. If you are interested in eco-friendly printing and packaging, note that this stock, Cascades Enviro, is also Forest Stewardship Council certified AND made with biogas energy.
 
(On an intriguing side note: this printer carries several unusual tree-free paper lines, including one made from rocks and minerals; seed paper – ‘print it and then plant it’ – and best of all, ‘Elephant Poo Poo’ paper - www.poopoopaper.com)

Envelopes
After much online sleuthing, I located a clear envelope, with an adhesive strip on the flap that is made from plants and is compostable, unlike traditional cello sleeves which are poly, and take a much longer time to biodegrade.
www.clearbags.com
$13 per 100 > $32.50 for 250
 
Postage
250 x .44 = $110
……………..
Total: $267.50

Here is the postcard. Click on the image to see the full PDF file.

 

What are you doing to wrap up the year? Are you putting together a promotion piece or sending holiday client gifts? If so (or if not, why?), we’d love to see and hear all about it.

- Julia is the Principal of Julia Reich Design, a small creative brand strategy and graphic design firm

Smile For the Camera

In the last year, I’ve started appearing on video a lot more often…though not in the way you might think. I’m getting a growing number of requests from creative partners to replace phone conversations with videoconferences. I have several clients who regularly communicate this way, and have also used it to keep in touch with friends in Germany and Belgium.

Videoconference technology isn’t new, though until recently it’s mostly been seen in corporate boardrooms. In the last few years it’s become more common among creatives as video support has been added or improved in applications such as AIM, iChat, and Skype; and with the spread of inexpensive or built-in video cameras for computers. It’s free, doesn’t use minutes of my cell phone plan, and allows me to have a face-to-face confab with some of the folks I regularly interact with.

Yet at the same time, I’ve also noticed that it’s causing insidious changes in the way I work.

For example, even though I spend most of my on-the-job time in a home office, I’m finding that I’m less likely to skip shaving in the morning. I’ve become more careful about how I dress, how I arrange my office, and how often I clean my desk (or at least push clutter off-camera). Just this week I rearranged my desk so that my computer camera now faces a bookcase instead of a sunny window that I had to close whenever someone came calling on video.

I’ll be frank: as a recovering introvert, there are times when I resent people looking into my world this way. Didn’t I become a freelance creative so that I could have more control over my work environment? Yet I’m also finding that I enjoy the face time. I feel like I have a stronger working relationship with the folks who visit my computer screen. And while I’m not one of those people who goes bonkers from working alone all day, I’ve learned that the occasional video call can be very refreshing.

Though I’ve only been doing video for a few months, I’ve already realized that it requires a different approach than talking on the phone. Here’s a few tips:

It don't mean a thing...

I spent a lot of time swing dancing when I was single. It got me away from the computer but I was frustrated because I wasn’t meeting people I wanted to date. To mix things up I tried salsa dancing for a while, but I soon knew my heart wasn’t in it. I was spending a lot of time getting to know people who enjoyed a lifestyle that wasn’t right for me (no offense, salsa dancers). So I went back to what I loved and trusted that opportunities would follow. Today I’m happily married to a great swing dancer.

The same principles apply when you’re marketing your own business. If you try to portray yourself as something that you’re not, two things will happen:

1. You’ll end up with cookie-cutter marketing that doesn’t differentiate your business (beware the phrase “for all your ________________ needs”), and worse,
2. You’ll attract clients you don’t want to work for. 

I recently applied this lesson to my own company, throwing out the pseudo-corporate business model I’ve been using for seven years and embracing my authentic personality. The new approach spooks a few of my corporate buddies but it’s the real me talking. What’s more, it’s designed to resonate with the type of people I enjoy doing business with the most. (I even mention my Philosophy degree on the new website.)

At the same time, I’ve dramatically narrowed the mix of prospects I’m going after. I’ll still write for a wide range of clients, but I’m focusing my marketing efforts on sustainable companies and the creative agencies that support them. That’s the stuff I really love doing, so why not concentrate my prospecting efforts there?

I have no doubt that this new approach will discourage some prospects who might have called in the past. That’s okay, because I’ve reached the point where anyone who will be turned off by my bona fide voice isn’t someone I want to work with. At the same time I know I’m opening myself up to new opportunities that I’ll find far more exciting and fulfilling. Doesn’t your freelance business deserve the same approach?

Tom Tumbusch is a freelance copywriter specializing in Green businesses and the creative agencies that serve them. Check out his new, more authentic identity at www.wordstreamcopy.com.

A Positive Reference Isn’t Necessarily a Good One

I recently had a disappointing experience checking someone’s reference and it prompted me to change the way I provide references to my clients. So I thought I’d share what happened and my reactions and takeaways in the hopes that they might be helpful to you.
 
What Happened

I was considering hiring a company, let’s call them XMG, to provide an important, highly consultative service for my business.  I asked them for the name and contact information of people who had recently been through the process with them so I could get a reference.  They pointed me to a woman, let’s call her Sarah, and I connected with Sarah by phone shortly thereafter.

Sarah spoke very highly of XMG.  While she mentioned one thing that kept her from being 100% satisfied, she mostly heaped praise on XMG and strongly endorsed them for my project.  It was great to hear such a positive reference, but I hung up the phone disappointed – so much so, I ultimately decided not to hire XMG.  Here’s why: