3 Cheers to the Design agency who fired Lord Sugar

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A delightful story from Design Week about the agency hired to help with the Apprentice reality TV show and how they ended up quitting.

Does anyone remember Richard Seymour on the Product Design show “Better by Design”?

The agency had EXACTLY the same reaction – the show took top talent out of the business and it became evident it wasn’t financially worthwhile.

Much as I like the idea of bringing creative industries in front of the public, with shows like Mad Men (fantasies in advertising) and the Apprentice, it’s all about the un-reality of TV not about the realities of our working businesses.

P.S. the only exception is Dragons Den.

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Marketing a tree care surgery business

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I am looking to launch a tree care (trimming, removal) business and was looking for ideas on creative

English: Tree Surgery, Omagh All the smaller b...

Tree Surgery, Omagh All the smaller bits get mulched. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

advertising etc that can be done cheap.

You’ve come to the right place!  You don’t say which town you are in but here are our best suggestions:
  1. Join a BNI group.  Business Networking International meetings are weekly and members refer new business to each other.
  2. Get a business card and fridge magnet printed (use something like vistaprint.com)  Hand these out to people you meet, clients. Give them 2 each and ask them to pass one to a friend.
  3. Approach the local schools and ask them if they’d like to do a fund raiser.  They promote your services to parents and you give back 10% of all  revenues to the school for their own use.  You will have to give them a poster or flier with all the details designed on it (the person who designs your business cards can do this at the same time).
  4. Use Yellow pages to find all the property rental agencies in the town.  Make an appointment to visit each one and ask to talk to the Property Managers.  Tell them about your service and ask how you can get onto their approved suppliers list.  These people regularly use services like yours for managed rental houses and apartments.
How do these sound?  I picked them because you can do them all yourself as the business owner without specialist marketing skill –  you just need to be able to explain your service and your prices.
If we can help you with other marketing things e.g. writing a website, running a newsletter, creating a customer database, online advertising, blogging, using social media – please ask.

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Writing and reading long emails

Long copy email as a sales tool – example

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Writing long emails

Writing and reading long emails

Writing and reading long emails [Image credit ContactMonkey.com]

There are people who do not favour writing long messages, yet there are others who buck the trend to compress and shorten messages. Because they have a beautiful writing style they “get away” with long messages.

I often read these.

David Baker runs ReCourses – a service advising owners how to run their marketing agency as a better business.
Read this example.
Hi Rebecca,
I came across this interesting statement recently:

“Incorporating interactive can move your firm upstream strategically, especially if you understand that interactive work is really database marketing reborn. Providing [prospects] with interactive opportunities is tantamount to allowing them to emerge incognito from the protected castle to sample the promises before they lower the drawbridge again. In this [case] the consumer has initiated and then defined the sales context. And as a potential buyer he is far more likely to buy because he has reestablished control, first by learning more in an environment where he controls the shape and pacing of the information, and then by giving [you the] permission to sell to him.”

The concepts are important, of course, but what’s most interesting is that it was written in April, 2000, nearly fourteen years ago. I wrote it in an article for Persuading, trying to help agencies like yours understand how digital work should fit within the marketing mix.

There was some real enthusiasm in writing that, largely from the promise that the internet would provide a new era in marketing. It didn’t fulfill that promise, really, as privacy concerns, inept agencies, and lousy UI dominated the lack of innovation.
Enter marketing automation technology (MAT), though, and the internet is finally delivering on its promises. This is especially true in the marketing of professional services, where decisions are more considered and where authenticity and truth can be established via thought leadership content.
While the wait has been lengthy, the pace of recent developments has far exceeded what we have come to expect. MAT is a milestone that will honestly change every single thing about selling your services:
You can establish a funnel to define the most likely path to hiring you.
You can develop the tools to bump leads to the next stage in the funnel.
Prospects will be fully aware of your abilities, your remuneration, and what you won’t do. In the process of discovering that, prospects will self-select themselves out of the running so that you avoid the biggest danger in business development: dating prospects that are not marriagable.
Best of all, it changes the equation from pushing to pulling.
The amazing thing is that—no matter how good you are at selling—if you are in front of a prospect that has already taken the safety chain off the door and invited you in, you can sell. Yes, you can sell. What you hate about selling is trying to convince a prospect that they need you. No more. MAT has changed that for you.
There is so much to learn about this and I hope you will join us in Chicago on March 6 for a packed day of learning MAT, both for yourself as an agency and in your work as an agency for clients.
David C. Baker
ReCourses®, Inc.

Why is this long email effective?

Deconstructing this email the method David uses is this:

  • Open with a statement (the quote)
  • then challenge my understanding by explaining it’s over 14 years old!
  • explain its relevance today
  • Bullet point list of benefits [not features] of the technology
  • Give reassurance of the ‘amazing’ outcomes available to users
  • End with an invitation to buy from him

So that’s a series of subjects that you can use for your next email (whether to a cold introduction or a luke-warm prospect).

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A note on subject lines for cold email

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I am subscribed to get emails from Nick Johnson from Incite.  His copywriting is exemplary and I regularly find myself wanting to take the actions he requests.

Look at this picture taken from my in box of recent messages I’ve received from Incite.

Cold email subject lines

Cold email subject lines

Did you notice that few of the subject lines actually say what’s in the message.   So if I want to know what it’s about I HAVE to open the email.

some of the message subjects aren’t written with capital letters – makes it look like Nick wrote it quickly and forgot – but it’s more a feature of personal email not mass email and so I think this is clever, if used occasionally.

They clearly experiment with subject lines – one of them is a ‘Newsletter’ and is titled as such, but the content of many of them could be classified as news.

I have highlighted two parts because they show best practice.

The Red box surrounds subject lines in which they’ve included my name.  It feels like it was written just for me – but I know it’s just a personalisation insert from their database – but nonetheless it’s effective.

The Orange box encloses a subject “a quick heads up” which they used twice.  The first one follows the pattern of not saying what’s in the body of the email.  The second is sent with the same subject but as a forwarded (FW) message from Nick’s colleague, Kate.  It is the same message inside, but it makes me think I’ve overlooked the earlier message and so I feel more inclined to open this one.

Very clever people – I recommend you subscribe to their newsletter – Insight and Debate on Marketing Innovation.

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Skincare brand launch gift ideas

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We got a question from a reader

Skincare launch

Skincare launch [image credit beautynewsla.com]

Hi, will you please give me an idea about launching and what gifts we can give to our guests. I want something related to skin care products.

 

Product launch gifts

What the gift is – should relate to your brand.  Ideally can you create small samples in tiny bottles, blister packs or boxes so people can try out several products?
For your launch gift, I suggest three options based on the commitment people make to giving you their time and attention for your launch event.

  1. people who come in person – give them a bag with samples of your product. They get the best gift because they came in person.
  2. people who say they will come in person but do not show on the day. Ask for their phone number and offer to give them the bag if they meet you in person afterwards.
  3. people who cannot come in person – give them a discount code to buy their first order and send them some extra small samples as a gift ‘surprise’ when they order.

The key here is to give the greatest value to the people who come on the day.

Product launch marketing campaign

When planning your launch marketing you will need to have thought through the following as well

  • contact details for invitees
  • follow up email or messaging after the event
  • quotes from attendees to use as Press Releases and customer testimonials
  • web shop able to use discount codes / vouchers
  • ways to recognise these early customers when they return to shop a second time (will they become loyal?)

Of course, this is just a list of ideas and needs to be linked together into a fully rounded campaign and tied into your website, CRM database, metrics and other publicity to make a proper campaign.

 

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Business Marketing Tools Explained: What Are Autoresponders?

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emailingWe create email Autoresponders on a regular basis because they’re a brilliant marketing tool. But so many people ask us what an Autoresponder actually is and why it makes sense for marketing your business.

Autoresponders are more than just those out of office replies you get when you email someone sometimes.  They’re automated emails that start based on a defined event.

This means that when your customer does something (an event), the autoresponder sends an email or a series of emails.  Examples include joining a mailing list – triggers a welcome message.  Or buys something online – triggers an upsell offer.

Simple, you might say. Yes, Autoresponders are simple in concept, but they bring you more marketing possibilities than you may realise…

Instant Response Autoresponder

You can set an Autoresponder to simply respond when an action (the trigger)  is performed (like receiving an email). This is great for small tasks like “out of office” notices and “thank you” emails after a customer buys a product or service. However, this side of Autoresponders doesn’t quite go as far as you need it to.  It’s just a single message with no follow-through.

Delayed Response Autoresponder

Autoresponders can be delayed to appear a few hours, days, weeks or even months after the trigger has been activated. These are useful for time sensitive reminders such as warranty expiry and account subscription top-ups.

We got asked by a mortgage broker who negotiates interest rate deals with banks for her clients – she wants to send them a reminder 11 months or 23 months after each rate fix so the client has 30 days to get back in touch with her to fix another interest rate deal for them.

Multiple Autoresponders

A neat little trick with Autoresponders is to make them trigger off of each other in a series. This allows you to build a message that is progressive.  Examples include training workshops and stories.

For example, perhaps you want to teach a customer how to use your service that they subscribed to online – you can set up a series of Autoresponders that trigger one week after each other, with each Autoresponder email covering a different part of your service. Yes they can unsubscribe and yes maybe not everyone would read them. However it increases those odds of a customer picking them up and making the most of your service, which increases your customer engagement and satisfaction.

The Strengths & Weaknesses of Autoresponders

Autoresponders work best as a marketing tool when they are integrated with other promotional activities. But they can do so much more than people realise. Here’s a list of their strengths and weaknesses that might lead you in the right direction if you’re thinking of using them.

Core Strengths…

  • Autoresponders are automated – So once you’ve set them up you don’t need to worry about them at all. They’ll run on their own and continue to spread your information and push your sales pitches long after you’ve finishing creating it. This makes them more reliable than a human!  All those times you’ve forgotten to send emails could have lost you business.
  • Autoresponders are simple – Essentially just emails that can tie together or answer specific customer questions on the fly, they don’t take much of your time to set up and yet help you correspond with many more customers without having to lift a finger.

Core Weaknesses…

  • Autoresponders are made of rigid content –  You can change them once they’re up but they’ll only change for people that sign up to receive the Autoresponder after you changed it.  That being said, you need to create each Autoresponder with a specific goal in mind and align it to that goal.
  • Autresponders aren’t individualised – Personalisation is possible – but it’ll just be <insert name> database personalisation.  Real individually customised messages are out of the question. While you can do the basic [firstname] [lastname] customisation fields, you will not be sending these emails yourself so won’t be communicating with the receiver directly. One way to respond to this is to add a manual, personalised thank you whenever you get a new subscriber.

So go out there and discover ways to integrate Autoresponders into marketing for your business. Need help? Feel free to contact us for a complimentary chat or use our training resources below for detailed examples and different structures of autoresponders…

Your guide to Autoresponders: learn how you can use Autoresponders to grow your business

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What’s the best way to introduce my business by email?

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We get asked this a lot and the short answer is that it must be part of a wider marketing / business development plan.  BUT Chalkwardwithin that context here’s our recommendation.

The best way to introduce a company to new buyers using email is this.

  1. Research potential businesses by browsing their websites and finding the names of people who work there. Cross-check the names using Linked In and build a spreadsheet database of prospects.
  2. Write a bespoke introduction email to the recipient which demonstrates you have researched their business and understand their needs. It should not be about sales. The first approach is about research and finding out more about them. Aim to set a time to speak on phone/Skype to find out more.
  3. For those who do not respond. Plan a second email with a gentle reminder of your interest in their business. Ask them to pass the message to the correct person if they are not dealing with suppliers.
  4. If they do not reply, add them to your mailing list and start to send regular, short, informative messages which will help their business (may include some sales messages, but very few).
  5. If you can afford it, send a postal mailing individually to each business with some collateral, samples or testimonials as a follow up. Again, invite them to connect with you by telephone/Skype.

The deep skill lies in writing that first, well-researched email.  It needs to be short, engaging and to create a desire to learn more from the reader.  If you work in B2C this is not a practical solution unless you are a startup, because it’s too time consuming.

Creative Agency Secrets provides email copywriting services, and training to teach your team how to write and execute email introduction programmes.

The Top 6 most popular articles of all time

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decision tree for creative agency services

Can you help us test our new “decision tree”?

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We’ve changed our website home page.  It’s now got a new graphic of an apple and orange there.

Behind this is a cunning “decision tree”.

What happens next?

Please help us test it out by visiting our home page and clicking on the image (or by clicking on the image below) and see what you discover.

Please send us your feedback! It’s a new technology we’re trying and want to hear your thoughts.

Thank you

decision tree for creative agency services

Could you use a similar device on  your website to help guide your prospective customers through your services and products?

 

This is the second one we’ve done – the first was for FeedBlitz – they use it to help readers understand the FeedBlitz services for RSS delivery for email, feeds, podcasts as an alternative to FeedBurner.

FeedBlitz leaves FeedBurner standing

Leave FeedBurner

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How to be an accountant of the future – an interview with Rob Nixon

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We caught up with Rob Nixon business manager turned business training extraordinaire for accountants. He trains accountants and helps firms function and transition to success in this hectic world of progress. Here are his thoughts on the current state of accounting and what it says about the future of it…

What is the most important business improvement Accounting firms today can make?

Rob started off by saying “The biggest thing accounting firms can do is actually speak to their clients…proactively”. He emphasized that “accountants around the world are awesome at waiting” and that “most accountants are history writers, not history makers”. In Rob’s mind, this is the #1 thing accountants can change today to achieve better business success.

He recommends “20 meetings per partner per month” to “find out where the client is at, what they’re doing, what their plans are”. Each meeting “starts off as a customer service meeting but ends up being a sales meeting”. It’s important to ask each client “where are you now, where do you want to go, and let’s show you how we can possible help you get there”.

What is the most detrimental business action often made by Accounting firms today?

Relating to our first question, Rob feels that “being reactive and waiting is the worst thing an accounting firm can do today”. Now this is where our interview got incredibly interesting. Rob stated that there are 3 core disruptors to the accounting industry today:

  • The internet – everyone is becoming an expert and has access to loads of information.
  • Computed accounting – pre-built accounting software is reducing the need for physical accountants.
  • And overseas business/ offshored outsourcing – cheap labour is more readily available.

These factors make many of the core offerings of the average accountant redundant, and the worst thing to do about it, is wait and react to it. The solution? Be proactive. Identify the changes, explore what opportunities your firm can take advantage of, and pursue them early!

What is the key purpose of CoachingClub(TM) and what makes it such a successful tool?

The CoachingClub is a training strategy for accountants that’s covered in 3 ways:

  • Seminars & conferences –
  • Online tools, resources software –
  • Coaching club program – 8 accounting firms in a room at any 1 time, learning and being pushed to accountability so as to take action upon what they learn. This project has served over 800 firms across the the 8 years it has been running!

Do you feel Accounting firms today adopt the digital world enough?

We think not, and Rob gladly joined us by saying “no they’re not adopting it ENOUGH!”. And there’s a reason for this. Rob laid out for us the fact that the digital world is inevitably taking over. He said “accountants can’t stop this happening so need to embrace it”. In Rob’s point of view (and rightly so) there is no real time dependency on when accountants embrace the digital world, because that day has past.

5. How do you see the future of technology and rise of the digital format affecting accounting?

Rob explained how technology is already starting to automate jobs for accountants in a big way. They’re being forced to be more innovative and forward thinking, or suffer losing customers. Accountants in the workplace will start being valued for these important traits that add value to customers as well, so it’s not just firms that are affected.

An example that Rob produced for us was project Watson, producing “Siri for business”. This project by Apple and IBM saw $2 billion pumped into it to create a super computer that takes the world’s information and processes it, then spits it out in a concise manner. They’re combining this with Siri to create “Siri for business” so that when you have a business concern, you can simply ask Siri! That’s free advice, and could trump personal accounting advice. So simple business advice and reactive solutions are not the future of accounting as far as Rob can see it. Being proactive could just be the true future of accountants.

Rob’s resources for accountants

Rob and his associated groups offer a host of free and paid services design to support and train accountants and their businesses.

  • http://robnixon.com/ offers free advice and resources for accountants through Rob’s own personal blog.
  • http://proactiveaccountants.net/ brings accountants free tools and resources, while connecting accountants accross the world.
  • http://mypanalytics.com/ is a service to help accountants “create the conversations [they] need to be conducting with clients around relevant metrics”. There’s a free trial available!

And be sure to look out for his book later in November of 2014 titled “Remaining Relevant”. His first book, “Accounting Practices Don’t Add Up” is also available via his website.

A big thanks to Rob Nixon for joining to do this interview while offering his wealth of knowledge and expertise to accountants the world over.

The Creative Agency Secrets Team

 

Need accountancy marketing help?

Creative Agency Secrets are experts in accountancy firm marketing.  We can tutor you and teach you what to do if you want to do the marketing yourself.  Or we can do the firm’s marketing for you.

Learn more and join our free Accountants Marketing Newsletter

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