Tip for November 1, 2004

Guerrillas Emphasize First and Last Guerrilla Marketers realize that what happens at the beginning and end of an event--like a presentation, sales encounter, or--even--a relationship is more important than what happens in the middle. The importance of this simple lesson was driven home to me last week, when my wife and I entered a local restaurant at 12:30 PM, and the hostess at the door immediately began with a strong negative. The first words out her mouth were: "You know, we're only serving breakfast right now!" which was both accusatory and negative. She followed up with "And we're closing next week!"

Tip for November 2, 2004

3D Web Planning and Copywriting Guerrillas often find it difficult to plan and write web site copy. It is often difficult to visualize the structure of a web site. One way to get around this is to plan and write a web site as a series of linked Word documents, using text boxes to indicate sidebars and other page elements. Working with linked Word documents permits you to quickly and easily jump between pages, and experience your developing text as your web site visitors will.

Tip for November 3, 2004

No Guerrilla Marketer would ever be caught dead copying. There’s nothing wrong with avoiding copying, except for the fact that, in practice, Guerrilla Marketers often reinvent the wheel, when there’s a better alternative available. That alternative is called patterning. Copying is when you copy another’s work, word for word, typeface for typeface, or color for color. This is, of course, unacceptable. But patterning is completely different. Patterning takes place when you look at another’s brochure, newsletter, or web site, and adapt the principles to your own marketing message. This isn’t copying; this is learning and has been practiced by artists, composers, and authors throughout history. So, learn from the best. Seek out successful practitioners in other fields and see what lessons you can adapt to your own needs.

Tip for November 4, 2004

Blessed with the Guerrilla’s vision, do not seek instant gratification, but find your rewards with farsightedness. A stonecutter doesn’t expect the first hammer blow to split the rock. Instead, the stonecutter picks a spot on the rock and hammers at it over and over. In a similar way, a Guerrilla Marketer picks a niche and aims for it. Eventually, “the rock splits” and the niche is occupied and dominated, the marketing goals attained. It didn’t take genius as much as it took steadfastness. Don’t allow your entirely understandable desire for immediate results derail your marketing plan. Persistence is the key to success.

Tip for November 5, 2004

Konica Minolta Understands the Power of Demonstration One of the online photography forums was describing a very effective display of the anti-shake technology built into the forthcoming Konica Minolta 7D digital camera. The camera is on a continuously shaking stand, pointing at an adjacent sign. The camera's output is fed to a computer monitor. The camera's anti-shake system is turned on and off. When it's off, the sign cannot be read. When it's on, the words are clearly visible. Definitely an attention-getting demonstration that communicates the power of the anti-shake technology.

Tip for November 6, 2004

GUERRILLAS SEEK KNOWLEDGE IN TEN AREAS: 1. Customers 2. Prospects 3. Competitors 4. Equivalent businesses elsewhere 5. Your own industry 6. Current events 7. Economic trends 8. Your own offering 9. Your community 10. Successful advertising

Tip for November 7, 2004

Do something special to reward your repeat customers. An invitation-only sale, a coupon mailing, or free service for a year.

Tip for November 8, 2004

Learning from the New Yorker, Part 1 Students of marketing will find numerous illustrative examples of effective advertising in the wealth of one-column by one-inch ads that are repeated week after week in the New Yorker Magazine. These ads often share common attributes which can help any Guerrilla maximize their profits. One of the most noticeable attributes is the frequent use of a short, keyword, headline that telegraphs a story. For example, "We love Paris!" That, plus the web site URL, is all that's needed for the Paris Notes newsletter to begin a relationship with prospective readers.

Tip for November 9, 2004

Learning from the New Yorker, Part 2 Longevity proves value of lessons learned. Many of the one-column by one-inch advertisers in the New Yorker have been there for years--sometimes for decades. This proves that the lessons that these ads teach are effective at building relationships. Even if the space isn't large, the results the ads create have to be large, or the ads wouldn't continue to be run.

Tip for November 10, 2004

Learning from the New Yorker, Part 3 The vast majority of the one-column by one-inch advertisers in the New Yorker sell very focused products and services. These firms are tightly positioned in their fields. Examples are sources of custom tablecloths, fancy bow ties, canal tours through France, and firms renting French and Italian villas.

Tip for November 11, 2004

Learning from the New Yorker, Part 4 The small space formula that appears to work best is based on a short, telegraphic headline, a simple elaboration, and a prominent web site address. The URL's usually form a self-evident elaboration of the keyword headline. The headline "London Flats" leads to a www.londonconnection.com URL.

Tip for November 12, 2004

Learning from the New Yorker, Part 5 The vast majority of one-column by one-inch ads appear in one color. Often, either the headline or the URL appear as reverses--i.e., white type against a black background. The use of a reversed area organizes the ad and creates a dominant visual which leads the reader's eye through the ads.

Tip for November 13, 2004

Learning from the New Yorker, Part 6 Occasionally, the impact of a one-column by one-inch ad will be enhanced by a second color. For example, a line drawing of a home is filled with yellow, adding impact to The Yellow House, Rockport, Maine.

Tip for November 14, 2004

Learning from the New Yorker, Part 7 Because of the limited space available in a one-column by one-inch ad, body copy is tightly written and edited to the essentials necessary to indicate category and position. Replacements Ltd., www.replacements.com, emphasizes: "10 million pieces!" in stock. www.phatphuque.com's text balances "Intellectual jazz/rock, laced with sarcasm" at the top with "new CD available online."

Tip for November 15, 2004

Learning from the New Yorker, Part 8 Puns are occasionally used to project an attitude and create a grin of recognition and "in group" affinity. Accordingly, Rianel jeweler's headline is: "Rings of Endearment."

Tip for November 16, 2004

Remember Miss Kingsley? Do you remember Miss Kingsley, your fourth or fifth grade teacher, who tried to excite you with information about grammar and writing? One of the important points she undoubtedly made—but is often forgotten today in this world of self-published e-books—was the importance of including more than one topics in your publication’s outline levels. Let’s take a major topic, perhaps a discussion of the states making up the United States. If you want to break that topic up with a subhead, you must include two subheads. In the states example, you could include a subhead entitled: “States West of the Mississippi” and another subhead entitled “States East of the Mississippi.” Just one subhead isn’t enough—there has to be at least two subheads for each level of your publication. If you break a stick in half, you get two parts—a left and a right. Both warrant a subhead.

Tip for November 17, 2004

Telephone answering. If you work from home, how you answer the phone is crucial. Don't allow crying babies, whining kids or barking dogs within earshot of the phone, and answer with your company name or your own instead of just "Hello." You'll know that your telephone setup is sending the right signals when callers act surprised that they've really gotten you on the phone.

Tip for November 18, 2004

Think about an achievement theme for your promotional message on giveaway T- shirts, pens or calendars.

Tip for November 19, 2004

The belief that people don't read long copy is a common marketing myth. Readership falls off dramatically after the first 50 words, but long copy sells to readers interested enough to finish. Put the most important things up front, then use enough ink to tell your whole story, so your customers can make an informed decision.

Tip for November 20, 2004

Design your business to operate for the convenience of your customers, and make it very easy to do business with you. People do not like waiting around, do not like difficulty in making a purchase, do not like doing business that waste their time, dawdle with their orders or fail to offer instant service. Convenience can take many forms; 24/7 availability of information and ordering, credit cards, partial payment plans, toll-free phone numbers, information-filled catalogs/brochures, and clear ordering instructions and invoices. To give yourself a “convenience check-up,” visit successful businesses of all types and see if they are offering conveniences that you are not ordering. How do the businesses you patronize make them easy to do business with? Ask your customers how you can make your firm easier and more convenience to do business with!

Tip for November 21, 2004

In praise of specificity Be as specific as possible when making a promise in a headline or in the first paragraph of a sales letter or web site. Don’t just talk about “saving money” or “saving time.” Instead, talk about “Save $30.00 a month on web hosting charges,” or “Complete a Newsletter in Half as Much Time!” Claims without numbers are like report cards without grades; they don’t tell a complete story. They sound “empty.” As a result, they don’t “sell.” Always translate your offer into a Return on Investment your market can visualize and immediately relate to their business. Specific dollar amounts or percentages are far more effective than general claims. Take away. Review your latest marketing materials. Are you making broad, empty promises or describing specific savings and specific returns on investment? How long will it take your prospect to recoup the cost of purchasing from you?

Tip for November 22, 2004

Guerrilla Marketing Association Coach, prolific author, and creator of the One-Page Newsletter (www.guerrillamarketingdesign.com) Roger C. Parker writes: “Until recently, I've been buying fewer CD's. In most cases. In the past, I've often purchased expensive CD's that just didn't live up to expectation. I haven't wanted to make any mistakes lately, so I reduced my music budget. “The past few months, however, I've been buying more and more CD's. The reason is a musical preview system at Barnes & Noble that greatly reduces the possibility of making a poor buying decision. In the store's music department, there are numerous headphone-equipped listening stations. Simply step up to one of them and place the bar code on the CD label under the Red Dot scanner. Instantly, the first cut of the disc starts playing. “You can preview the first 90 seconds of every cut on every CD in the store! One of the first rules of marketing is to reduce risk for the buyer. The Red Dot system effectively takes the fear out of buying CD's. Question: How can you adopt this idea to your business?”

Tip for November 23, 2004

What Is Marketing In The First Place? Marketing is a process, not an event. Whether your entire marketing budget measures in the low three figures or your internet marketing budget alone is larger than the GNP of half the members of the United Nations, marketing is every bit of contact any part of your business has with any segment of the public. If you’re a guerrilla, you view marketing as a circle that begins with your ideas for generating revenue and continues with the goal of attracting a large number of repeat and referral customers. The three keys words in that paragraph are every, repeat, and referral. If your marketing is not a circle, it's a straight line that leads directly to Chapters 7, 11, or 13 in the bankruptcy courts.

Tip for November 24, 2004

There are over 100 Guerrilla Marketing weapons. How many do you employ? Avoid the temptation to confuse advertising, such as newspaper ads and radio spots, with marketing. Advertising is a tool; marketing is your goal. Ideally, you'll start with your marketing arsenal filled with eight or ten weapons, and then -- out of those -- choose the three or four which work best for you. Guerrillas are aware of all 100 weapons, experiment with many of them, keep careful track, weed out the losers, then go to the bank with the winners.

Tip for November 25, 2004

Visit the Dropout: When someone drops out, don't bother to send them a "sorry-we-missed-you" letter, or even a second renewal notice. Visit them personally. Get nose-to-nose, or at least phone, and ask why they're leaving. Ask what you could have done differently to have kept their interest alive. Never take a single member for granted.

Tip for November 26, 2004

Q: How can companies on a tight budget with their Internet marketing budgets really go about understanding their target market and implementing a successful marketing campaign? A: By asking questions of these people. The main thing that is really so important is trying to let people know what they're about and then gaining their consent to receive more marketing materials. You can save money if you do that because you're only marketing to people who have given their consent. I think the companies that are cash strapped should try first to gain consent and then market to those people who have given it. That reduces advertising costs like crazy. And it gives you a much bigger payoff for the investment you do make because you’re talking to people who really want to hear about what you have to say.

Tip for November 27, 2004

One picture is all it takes One of the best investments you can make is to hire a professional photographer to take a “signature” photograph of you. What is a “signature photograph?” A signature photograph is a single photograph that accurately captures you in a likeable way and projects the right image. The reason to have a single signature photograph is that it can unify, or provide instant recognition and identification, throughout a series of marketing materials—web site, brochure, business card, and newsletter. If each of your marketing messages has a different photograph, you’ll be confusing your market and sacrificing easy recognition. A signature photograph can be either an environmental photograph—take in an office or your place of business—or a head and shoulders shot with a dark or white background. Both black and white and color copies of your photograph should be available on your web site, preferably the Press Room section for use when you’re interviewed.

Tip for November 28, 2004

Survey customers to discover their unfulfilled expectations and undisclosed needs. Then fill them.

Tip for November 29, 2004

Make sure too that your promotional items are usable by the people to whom you're handing them out. To give something that will be treasured, kept and shown off with pride, consider an item personalized not only with your identity, but also with theirs.

Tip for November 30, 2004

Use lists as an organizing tool. Lists simplify complex topics for both readers and writers. At a loss for an article for an issue of your newsletter? Simply organize your ideas around: * The 10 biggest mistakes newsletter editors make * The 4 keys to newsletter success * The 6 best books about newsletter editing * The 8 best newsletters you've encountered, and why Every writing project becomes easier once you organize it in terms of lists. And your readers will find your writing easier to read when its organized into a series of short topics.

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