What Marketing Strategy Gave You The Best Results

[Peter (IMC)]

What marketing strategy gave you the best results?

I'm searching for creative marketing strategies. Not so much looking for replies like PPC, SEO, Email Marketing, etc. It would be more interesting to see what specific action you took within your PPC, SEO, or other strategies.

I like stories like the business man, many many years ago, who send out 10.000 ties with a letter saying something like: "If you like the tie and want to keep it, send me 1 dollar, if you don't like it, send it back to me." And he made a nice amount of money (Remember this was many many years ago when 1 dollar was a reasonable amount of money).

Obviously, the above wouldn't work anymore because these kind of things work because they´re unique. Once coppied too often, it simply doesn't work anymore and over time people change. Now a days you probably wouldn't receive much money or many ties back.

So what did you do that had an impressive effect on your sales?

[Dcrux]

A product with superior message to market match. Most people are looking for the gimmick Apple uses to "make people buy their stuff." That's why competitors will continue to fail at making Apple knockoffs rather than doing in-depth user research.

The radical strategy people fail at time and time again is talked about by highly paid copywriter Gary Bencivenga, A gifted product is mightier than a gifted pen. A superior product gives the best market results because if it is not in the product or service, it ain't going to be in the marketing.

Not to mention, when the entire breath and scope of the competition is focussed on the gimmick, a superior product is practically unassailable competitive advantage. Are Apply products "insanely great?" No. Apple's only secret is having competitors crippled by thinking marketing makes people buy whatever you're selling this week.

More directly in response to your specific example is Terrabite Lounge "pay what you want." And Granite Rock, selling concrete and gravel to the construction industry....

The bottom of every Granite Rock invoice reads, "If you are not satisfied for any reason, don't pay us for it. Simply scratch out the line item, write a brief note about the problem, and return a copy of this invoice along with your check for the balance.

That's your tie example on steroids. It forces product and service superiority through instant penalties. That's the implication of your tie example: Don't Sell Inferior Ties or You Will Go Broke. Feel free to buy really bad ties and try this experiment for yourself.

Your gimmick is in depth market research. Write absolutely great copy based on the research. Then build the product to the sales letter as if it were a blueprint. Most of your competitors build the product with only the vaguest idea of a market or user, then they employ marketing and copywriting with the magical notion it makes people buy the stuff. So I guess part and parcel is looking for markets where the competition is inept - that seems to be the only thing Apple does that's different.

[ctabuk]

I guess I generate more Mortgage related sales via the Website route than 'possibly' any others in the UK. I use 7 sites all aimed at literally hundreds of different keyword/anchor text pages. I use Google Alerts on all of the main ones. I link every page, I reply to blogs/news features and just generally have fun in seeing those alerts bring in business. It has taken me 6 years to achieve and I owe most of that to joining WPW - Reading, learning and treating marketing via the Internet as 'FUN'

We get on average 70 new deals per month - without any advertising costs and even in a depleted Mortgage sector (Bloody Lenders!!) we still manage to attract more deals from a Country Cottage than any High Street outlet.

[doj464]

For someone doing online marketing, it's ironic enough, but I generate most of my referrals through networking.

1) I provide value before I ask for anything. I help people decide whether PPC, SEO or online marketing is for them. No hard pitch, and sometimes I tell them not to. This roots out those people who aren't committed enough, and I don't want as clients anyway. It also establishes trust with the people that are potential clients. They don't have to make the inexperienced shot in the dark... I help them make an informed decision.

2)(I learnt this from one of my friends, and it's really powerful)... I constantly meet new people in programming and design. I make sure to refer them out business, and in response - even if they don't know the quality of my work, they are very comfortable offering out my services. I guess the prerequisite to this is that you have to have enough contacts to send business from. People know I'm into the internet, and websites, so I'm the so-called expert in it (haha). So I get things that don't always have to do with SEO / SEM / Marketing, but more on the design side.

3) This is a tactic that can probably be abused (like affiliate marketing is often abused online. People make "recommendations" when all they want is the affiliate revenue). Every programmer / designer that I meet, that i have any more than a casual exchange of business cards (that could be brainstorming on their business, working on a different project together etc.), that I'd be happy to provide SEO/SEM services for their clients. I also work with other "partners", and we give each other "unofficial commissions". That motivates people to think of me when they serve their clients.... and also helps give me the "non pushy" salesman image.

You don't have to give me commission's but I sure will...

BTW, if anyone refers me for a Marketing /SEO / SEM job...

[incrediblehelp]

Peter I would create a list of all the techniques and then let everyone vote on it.

[Susmita]

...and I am waiting to know all other basics.

[Peter (IMC)]

Originally Posted by incrediblehelp

Peter I would create a list of all the techniques and then let everyone vote on it.

I was actually hoping to get many responses with creative ideas. It helps my own creative process.... Can't be creative all on my own. The more imput the better. But I'm realizing that if you really have thought of something creative and it works, perhaps you wouldn't want to share it,..

But let's make a list and take it from there:

1) press agency
One thing that does wonders is hiring a press agency. You need the kind of agency that knows the right journalists in your market. They'll get you in the magazines and since most magazines have websites, they'll publish your stuff online too. Here's an example of my own company: INFO Online - De carona no Google - (18/03/200 (that's my 2 business partners and myself in that picture. here's a translation of the article: INFO Online - Of hitchhiking in the Google - (18/03/200) We were published in the magazine last year November and recently they republished it online. Even though there's no link in the article, we always see a huge spike in the searches for our company name after an article is published and the number of phone calls and emails we get increase too. (I love Google's sitelinks because it's like they´re advertising for us when people search for our company name.)

2) Adwords + SEO
People call us because they noticed that we´re everywhere when looking for our services. We must be good at what we do is the logic because when they search, we keep showing up. Having 2 links in a SERP not only increases the number of clicks, but also gives people the impression you´re important, even though they don't know you yet. They contact you with much more confidence and trust. This applies to all markets, not just to the SEO market.

3) Quality Service = Clients refering others
The happier the client is with our services the more likely they will talk about us and with that we get new clients that were refered by existing clients.

4) ..... anybody want to add creative strategies they have found to be working?

[subhzash]

Originally Posted by Peter (IMC)

What marketing strategy gave you the best results?

I'm searching for creative marketing strategies. Not so much looking for replies like PPC, SEO, Email Marketing, etc. It would be more interesting to see what specific action you took within your PPC, SEO, or other strategies.

I like stories like the business man, many many years ago, who send out 10.000 ties with a letter saying something like: "If you like the tie and want to keep it, send me 1 dollar, if you don't like it, send it back to me." And he made a nice amount of money (Remember this was many many years ago when 1 dollar was a reasonable amount of money).

Obviously, the above wouldn't work anymore because these kind of things work because they´re unique. Once coppied too often, it simply doesn't work anymore and over time people change. Now a days you probably wouldn't receive much money or many ties back.

So what did you do that had an impressive effect on your sales?

Writing good content can increase your sales. I believe in the below given statements

1. For promotion any product or website or anything. You just think why should we best in the industry?? What qualities we have than our competitor?? and How economical our services are??

2. Also you need to stick long term in the market to increase the popularity and visibility. Never expect results in short time

3. If you offer quality and sincere service. Any day you will be in TOP.



Regards
Subhzash
subhzash@gmail.com

[incrediblehelp]

Shopping cart abandonment
Reputation Management
Social Networking
PPC
Widget/gadget Creation

are a few more.

[Peter (IMC)]

I can make a list like that myself,.. Can we be more creative and practical?

[Mills]

To take your home based business to the next level, it is necessary for you set up few goals. The goals should be such that they are realistic and focused. The advantage of setting such goals helps you to stand tall even in the times of difficulty and would make you stay focused. Reviewing your home based business is very important. This should be done regularly. Also make it a point to revise them just to make sure that they still fit with your home based business direction. You will surely come up with good results if all these are considered.

Home based business gives you the freedom to work. At the same time you can make loads of money if you pay proper attention towards the business to make it a success. So along with earning money there is a lot of fun involved in the business.

[janeth]

I just started a new affiliate site and I've never done affiliate marketing before.

I'd like to make some money before I go to bed tonight. Can anyone tell me where and how to market the site so I can make some money before I go to bed?

I am using a new domain name Wristbands with a message.

[Peter (IMC)]

Originally Posted by janeth

I just started a new affiliate site and I've never done affiliate marketing before.

I'd like to make some money before I go to bed tonight. Can anyone tell me where and how to market the site so I can make some money before I go to bed?

I am using a new domain name Wristbands with a message.

Nothing I can do to make that happen before you go to bed, unless you´re willing to stay up for a long time..

I'd do some direct marketing first. Who are your most likely customers? Can you contact them directly? Or maybe advertise in websites that are most likely to have them as visitors?

I can see in your site you thought about this already. So you've got the landing pages. If you really want to sell before you go to bed, use Adwords.

[janeth]

Originally Posted by Peter (IMC)

Nothing I can do to make that happen before you go to bed, unless you´re willing to stay up for a long time..

I'd do some direct marketing first. Who are your most likely customers? Can you contact them directly? Or maybe advertise in websites that are most likely to have them as visitors?

I can see in your site you thought about this already. So you've got the landing pages. If you really want to sell before you go to bed, use Adwords.

I hit Craig's list and some other classified ads sites along with a couple forums and make $20.00 before I went to bed. I did it with a brand new site on a subdomain name.

But there has to be a better way.

[ctabuk]

Originally Posted by Peter (IMC)

I was actually hoping to get many responses with creative ideas. It helps my own creative process.... Can't be creative all on my own. The more imput the better. But I'm realizing that if you really have thought of something creative and it works, perhaps you wouldn't want to share it,..

But let's make a list and take it from there:

1) press agency
One thing that does wonders is hiring a press agency. You need the kind of agency that knows the right journalists in your market. They'll get you in the magazines and since most magazines have websites, they'll publish your stuff online too. Here's an example of my own company: INFO Online - De carona no Google - (18/03/200 (that's my 2 business partners and myself in that picture. here's a translation of the article: INFO Online - Of hitchhiking in the Google - (18/03/200) We were published in the magazine last year November and recently they republished it online. Even though there's no link in the article, we always see a huge spike in the searches for our company name after an article is published and the number of phone calls and emails we get increase too. (I love Google's sitelinks because it's like they´re advertising for us when people search for our company name.)

2) Adwords + SEO
People call us because they noticed that we´re everywhere when looking for our services. We must be good at what we do is the logic because when they search, we keep showing up. Having 2 links in a SERP not only increases the number of clicks, but also gives people the impression you´re important, even though they don't know you yet. They contact you with much more confidence and trust. This applies to all markets, not just to the SEO market.

3) Quality Service = Clients refering others
The happier the client is with our services the more likely they will talk about us and with that we get new clients that were refered by existing clients.

4) ..... anybody want to add creative strategies they have found to be working?

Well I will, do you use Google Alerts? - Do you follow your competitors and link where they do?
Do you plan ahead? Do you price your goods/services competitively?

May I and others see exactly what you are doing so that we can advise you where you maybe going wrong.

[Peter (IMC)]

Originally Posted by ctabuk

Well I will, do you use Google Alerts? - Do you follow your competitors and link where they do?
Do you plan ahead? Do you price your goods/services competitively?

May I and others see exactly what you are doing so that we can advise you where you maybe going wrong.

Yes we plan ahead and no we do not price our services competitively. We´re expensive compared to the competition. That's because we want to be the better company in the market and refuse to compete on price.

We follow our competitors, but I have to say they often use very expensive marketing strategies which we can't (don't want to) afford.

We use many marketing strategies which results in many leads but not as many sales as we get from old fashion cold calling. We´re developping an information marketing system to increase the number of contacts we´re getting. That's not as easy as it seems, requires a lot of time which isn't really available yet because we´re in a constant process of change. Growth requires us to constantly change the way we work. We´re now at the point however where we have the proper management systems in place to deal with more customers than all our employees together can keep in their memories. So now it's time to start getting more creative with marketing.

Information marketing is something I like a lot. It's very cost beneficial when doing it right, but there must be more out there... Share your experiences...

[ctabuk]

I would normally do this, but I will try to explain keyword cache. I link out a lot more than most and I link to mostly .govs in my field. But in practice you can probably do this with any link system. I use their 'search terms' and sort of 'pick up on any thing relevant' THe system in WPW would not allow me show the list as it too large to demonstrate so I put it in my forum.
The following list is just part of my overall strategy. I did try PM'ing Peter with it, but it was too large for that too.
Keyword Cache
In all I have around 6,000 differing search terms that find me on page one or two of Google. This avoids using PPC or any form of advertising. Any questions, fire away.