Calm After The Storm
Forever & AlwaysWe often think of the 'calm before the storm', but rarely do we recognize or even witness the 'calm after the storm'. This sunset occurred less than an hour after a severe storm, near Otter Falls, MB, that brought down a hundred trees near a cabin we had rented. The clouds became soft like cotton balls (mammatus clouds) and the sky was at peace.
With the sand sliding between our toes, and walking hand in hand, there was no thoughts of #tweets, #likes or #snapchats.
Saw this novelty item and felt compelled to share it with you for your unique marketing consideration. Unless you’ve been locked in a closet you are already familiar with ‘Bobble Heads’. They come in all shapes, sizes and more often than not are of famous people like Elvis Presley or Marilyn Monroe. Well that was until a launch of a new service not so long ago that will bring Bobble Head Personalization to the masses.
For about $80 www.HeadBobble.com will custom manufacture a personalized Bobble Head and deliver it straight to your door in a bout three weeks. Just submit a picture, short description, and you or any one you choose can become a famous Bobble Head!
Just think of the unique ways you could use this in your marketing efforts or for pure comedic enjoyment. Send one to your boss, send one to your x-boyfriend, to a sales prospect, to a star employee, to a bobble head employee, and last but not least get one done of yourself just for fun.
I am in NO way connected to www.HeadBobble.com, other than I will be surprising people for years to come with yet another unique gift to differentiate myself from the mass market promotional material most other people choose to send.
Bobble on, bobble on…..
A few months back, I had a very strange experience during a sales meeting. About half way through my pitch, the power to the entire building shut down. It was so pitch black in the boardroom, I couldn’t see my hands in front of my face. So I logically asked everyone if they wanted me to stop and come back next time I was in town or continue on?
Surprisingly, they wanted me to power on as a few people had pulled out their cell phones providing just enough light to make out basic shapes in the room. I finished my pitch over the next 15 minutes filled with laughter, and then went on my merry way.
It doesn’t end there and gets stranger…
The following week when I was preparing to send the ‘Meeting in the Dark’ participants some follow up material, I though of a really cool gift I had come across before to include with their package. I sent along four eco-friendly wind up flash lights with a little note making fun of the experience. The note also said the flash lights were in case they again found themselves in a meeting in the dark.
I though that was the end of the story, until I recently was on another business trip in the area and happened to meet up with one of the infamous blackout participants for a coffee. During our meeting he told me about a week after our initial black out meeting, lightning struck a transformer that again knocked out the power to their building. Although they weren’t in a meeting at the time, they again had to use cell phones to make their way around the office. He figured he would take off early, but his assistant reminded him their was a bubble package on his desk he might want to check out first. To everyone in the offices extreme surprise when he opened the package, there were the wind-up flashlights we sent just a few days earlier.
I couldn’t even make this stuff up if I tried.
Alleged Fact: In 1923 Walt Disney Declared Bankruptcy.
From the bottom of my heart I believe that anything is possible and hope you do to. Maybe you need inspiration or maybe you don’t, but every once in awhile I get slightly disillusioned with my ideas or projects that fail and need to remind myself that you sometimes need to fail hundreds of times before you succeed. Sure the odd time you hit a homerun on the first pitch, but it should never be expected…. or should it?
Is it strange to have the confidence to always expect to succeed and in the same breath the resilience and strength to accept failure? No it’s not strange, I think it’s a necessary combination for success in marketing, creating companies, relationships, and life in general. It is also a common trait of some of the most successful entrepreneurs on the planet.
So here is my dose of inspiration for when it’s needed:
Walt Disney, Frances Ford Coppola, Larry King and Donald Trump all declared bankruptcy at one point in their lives. So did 65 other famous people http://www.popcrunch.com/bankrupt-65-famous-people-who-lost-it-all-50-65/ Delta Airlines filed for Chapter 11 and so did Kmart…they just changed and moved on like many other high profile companies. http://www.rjabankruptcy.com/articles/famouscorporations.html Finally, Thomas Edison had 1093 patents for his inventions, which means he had massive failure and only hit a few major homeruns!
I hope that you or I will never have to experience bankruptcy or failure to the degree that Walt Disney or Donald Trump have, but at least if we do, we can rest assured we are in pretty good company.
I leave you with two quotes.
George Bernard Shaw:
A life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable but more useful than a life spent in doing nothing.
Oscar Wilde:
Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.
So what do finger nails on a chalk board have to with marketing?
Well, for starters it is a statement that can often create a physical response. Many people, including myself, will feel their back curl when they hear the term, and subconciously visualize and even internally hear nails painfully scratching against a dry black chalk board. Ouch!
Creating a physical or emotional response can positively impact your marketing message. It can also have a negative effect if done improperly. Here are a few of the more effective advertising and marketing messages I have seen that use sound and imagery to drive home a physical response. Take notice if you a feel a physical response while watching these.
Canadian Work Safety Commercials (Warning this might disturb some people):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noFCekWiUGE [/youtube]
Baby Laughing:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXIfU-87TZo[/youtube]
Australian Anti-Smoking TV ads:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YjrkBYDDQM [/youtube]
Shell Ferrari Commercial:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mMoIlO5NV0 [/youtube]
If you have seen other good examples of marketing that evokes a physical response please post a comment and share.
So when you read the title of this post you probably made a quick assumption that you were going to hear something familiar or maybe even profound. But I hope when you arrived your assumption of hearing an old adage was turned upside down. It simply amazes me how many ways you can say the same thing, but with different imagery completely change the message. Pictures can indeed say a thousand words, but only in combination with words can you ensure that every person gets the same message.
In marketing this is powerful, and almost magical when done right.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbE5Nh68qPM[/youtube]
Nothing to buy here folks…!
Online marketing is dependant upon the PC’s, laptops and software we use everyday. If you sit back and analyze your online activities for a period in time, you may quickly realize just how much time you spend waiting for software programs to open, files to download and web page after webpage to painfully open. If your equipment and software you use, for your online marketing, is slowing you down, then its time for a seasonal marketing oil change. Quite simply, if you can increase the speed of your computer, download speeds and software, then you will spend less time waiting and more time marketing, virtually doubling your marketing effectiveness overnight.
Here is the equation:
(100x Online Marketing -50x Waiting) = 2x or Double Your Marketing Effectiveness 25x Online Marketing
Follow these free & simple steps to give your hardware and software a quick and easy fall oil change and double your online marketing effectiveness overnight. The amount of time you will save will astonish you. Remember to do this monthly (weekly is best) and you will be running at peak marketing efficiency all year long.
Before starting go to www.SpeedTest.net and do a test, write your download and upload speeds for reference afterwards. Also make note of how long it takes commonly used programs on your computer to open. This should improve dramatically once you are done.
Step 1: www.Adaware.com Download and run this free spyware weekly for maximum impact. The thousands of web pages you surf muddle up your computer with performance robbing junk spyware.
Step 2: www.CCleaner.com formerly called Crap Cleaner; CCleaner will remove temporary internet files, useless leftovers from loading software and a bunch of other stuff that is slowing your software and computer down. Make sure to also run not just the Cleaner but as well the Registry cleaner. If you have neglected your registry for sometime, this alone can double the speed of some computers.
Step 3: www.webaccelerator.google.com Download this free web accelerator from Google and watch the time savings add up quickly. For those more technical you can also tweak your own internet connection by using the free download TCP Optimizer found here www.speedguide.net/downloads.php
Step 4: Defrag your computer. You can use your Windows XP or Vista System Tools to do this, but for maximum performance I would recommend Ultimate Defrag 2008, of which you can get a 14 day free trial. Do this at bare minimum once a month!
Alternatively, if you wanted one piece of software that does almost all of the above, you could buy a software program like System Mechanic 7, which tweaks and maximizes your PC with just a few clicks. As all the programs I have mentioned and techniques just require a little elbow grease and are completely free. I hope you will take the time and save your hard earned money to enjoy life, or worst case scenario pay for some additional marketing efforts!
Once you have finished your cleaning and maximizing, go back to www.SpeedTest.net , and check your new download and upload speeds, and again note how long does it take for common programs to open. You should notice a dramatic improvement.
The time you will have saved can now be spent marketing instead of waiting, selling instead of loading, and enjoying double the marketing effectiveness from keeping your hardware and marketing software running at the same speed you do.
Constant Contact versus Aweber
If you are in business, run a website, blog, or are just thinking of building an email list, then no doubt you are thinking of emailing many people on an ongoing basis. If you aren’t using a service that specializes in email marketing, then you are losing out on increased sales, your valuable time and ultimately money. If you are still sending emails via BCC (Blind Carbon Copy), get with the times my friend as you are not only NOT personalizing your emails, you are potentially opening yourself or your company up for spam complaints and potential legal issues.
On to the task at hand comparing two of the world’s most premier online email marketing services, often referred to as auto responders. I have aimed to make this as impartial as possible, and ask that users of either services, or other competitive products, comment as to their thoughts and experiences.
Here is a side by side comparison of features & costs for their base service:
Last Updated March 7th, 2015
| Constant Contact | Aweber | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cost Per Month | Tiered Pricing
|
Tiered Pricing
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Email Newsletters | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deliverability | 98% | 99% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Support | Free Phone, Email & Chat | Free Phone, Email & Chat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Auto Responders | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Email Templates | 400+ Templates | 600+ Templates | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Affiliate Program | Commission Junction | Aweber’s Own | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website Integration | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Image Hosting | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracking | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spam Check | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Surveys | Yes | No | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User Community | Yes | No | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Blog Newsletter | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Native Shopping Cart Integration | Yes | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| API | Yes | Yes |
Both are great services. I have used both in the past, and feel you would be well served by either. Having said that, I am only currently affiliated with Aweber. If you aren’t currently an Aweber user, and are price conscious (obvious price difference), you an can try a free 1 month trial of the service by clicking on my banner below to get to the Aweber landing page.
Cheers,
Reference: Used senderscore.org for Aweber’s deliver-ability rate on 03-07-2015. Used ConstantContact stated deliver-ability rate off their site on the same date.
Recently, during the heavy vacation period of august I sent an email blast to my list. Not surprising at all, about 30% of the email messages came back with the standard: Mrs. Jane Smith is out of the office. I will be out of the office starting 20/08/2008 and will not return until 02/09/2008 If you need immediate assistance blah, blah, blah… Now, traditionally we could use this as an excuse to justify not working as hard during holiday periods, and say, “What’s the point! Half the people are gone to the lake. I will go hard as soon as people get back to work in September!” Just like 90% of other marketers and sales people. Or Start viewing the out of office message or vacation alert email as a gift of information. After all, you know exactly when your client, customer or prospect is returning to the office. In fact, you could easily diarize to give this person a few days to get back and caught up, then call or email them when they are still on cloud nine from their vacation. Be one of the first people to call or email them, and ask how their holidays went. You might just be pleased with the response, and valuable insights you get.
Warning: Skype is Addictive but there are NO EMERGENCY calls with Skype, it is not a replacement for your ordinary telephone and can’t be used for emergency calling.
I have been using Skype almost since the beginning and although I love Skype and recommend it to almost everyone, there are a few things I wish I knew before using their many different services. Skype isn’t just for calling your friends for free over the computer anymore; it is a virtual gold mine alternative to using regular landlines, long distance, voicemail and more.
Update Jan 2010: My parents who are in their 60’s are now using unlimited long distance from Skype while they travel for several months (they were shocked that it only costs $2.95/month in North America!)…
I am going to summarize for you what Skype is capable of via features and hopefully point you in the right direction to save you time, money & headaches. I will leave out and assume you know that you can talk, instant message & video chat with anyone in the world for free, as long as both computers have downloaded the free version of Skype.
Skype Phone Number (SkypeIn): An online number is perfect if you have friends, family or business colleagues who don’t use Skype. Anyone can dial your online number from any phone or cell phone and hey presto, your Skype rings and you pick up the call – wherever you are in the world.
Skype Voicemail: People leave you messages when you’re unavailable. Personalize your voicemail greeting. Store your messages and listen later. Pick up your voicemails anywhere in the world. Voicemail is the simple solution to never missing a call. Your unanswered calls are sent to voicemail and you can listen to messages when you want, wherever you are signed in to Skype.
Unlimited calls to landlines with Skype: Starting from 3$ unlimited long distance with in your country to about $13 per month anywhere in the world. You can make calls any time of day, any day of the week without the need for a long term contract. All subscriptions contain online numbers that let your friends, family or business contacts reach you directly on Skype. And with your Skype To Go number you can reach your friends and family abroad at great rates using any landline or mobile phone.
Skype Out: You can pay as you go if you don’t want a monthly commitment. Calling rates as low as .02 cents per minute. Skype to Go: Service is no longer available.
Skype for Business: Now you’re up and running, utilize features that can help your staff keep in touch while they’re out of the office, like voicemail and call forwarding. You can also buy and distribute calling credit amongst your team so they can call phones and cell phones to talk to people who don’t use Skype, and save money at the same time. Plus you can set up online numbers so clients, partners and potential new customers have a number they can call you on from any phone or mobile, and you pick up in Skype.
Small Business Pack: Get business phones, headsets and everything you’ll need for your business on Skype.
Use Skype for cheap SMS (.09 cents): Sending a text message directly from Skype is perfect when you want to quickly reach a friend or colleague. You can even group a bunch of people together and send them the same message with one click. You can send text messages to phones on any network, in any country.
Take texting to a whole new level whether you are in school, in business or in love!
Hope you found this helpful, and again if you think I have missed an important feature (or feel something is out of date) please let me know and I will update this posting. You can connect with me on Skype using my user name leeraito. I decline all connection requests on Skype unless you send me a message commenting on my blog, or where you found me online. I would recommend you do the same if contacted by anyone you would consider a stranger online!