A few days ago I was talking with an employee of a landscaping company. We got to talking about social media (big surprise) and it turns out her company started a blog, “To help us show up on the search engines,” she said. “That’s a smart move. Blogs are great for SEO,” I responded. “What are you posting? Are you giving landscaping tips and advice?”

This is when my brain cringed.

“Oh no, not at all. That’s what they hire us for. We just post pictures of jobs we’ve completed.”

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If you are new to Internet marketing let me break it down for you:

The big-picture goal

No matter what you are selling, be it a product, idea, or yourself, the big-picture goal is to become the #1 recognized expert in your topic.

Think of it this way: Pretend you are the CEO of a pogo stick company and you are watching “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” on TV. The million-dollar question is a tough one. It’s about pogo sticks. The contestant is stumped and decides to use one of her lifelines; she may contact one person on the Internet for advice (I’m bending the rules a bit). With only a split-second to decide, your name pops into her head. She calls, you tell her the answer, and she wins $1milllion. You get weeks of free press and a life-long customer who evangelizes about your brand for all eternity. Terrific.

Pop Quiz: Why did she call you and not someone else? (Remember, she only had a split-second to decide)

Show what you know

To be an expert, you can’t just walk around with a fancy t-shirt (or website) that says, “I’m the expert.” You have to prove it. You have to show what you know. Are you really the “Queen of the Kitchen?” If so, show me a recipe.

This is why blogs are so popular. Blogs allow anyone to strut their stuff by sharing their knowledge with the world. The most popular and profitable blogs like Techcrunch and Mashable share the best knowledge most often. They offer up-to-date news, resources, and loads of helpful advice consistently throughout the week… for free.

Why should I give away free stuff?

Marketing online isn’t all that different from marketing offline. Have you ever eaten a free sample at the grocery store? With the Internet, we don’t usually give away free food. We give away free information that is relevant and helpful to our audience. This creates a bond of trust and respect and paves the way for current and future purchases.

Should I give away ALL of my secrets?

It depends on what you are selling. One strategy is to provide helpful advice that compliments your product or service. If you sell vacuum cleaners, teach your readers about air quality. If you sell water bottles, teach your readers about water filtration and the lack of clean water in third world countries.

<-- Here’s a picture of a sourdough bread company is San Francisco that educates their customers in two ways: first, by printing the history of sourdough on their front window and second, by giving one their employees (girl with pink hair) a microphone to educate the people on the sidewalk about sourdough as she makes it. When I took this picture there were 15-20 people outside, listening. The rest were inside, buying.

The other strategy is known as the “Freemium” business model. Essentially, you help the customer achieve part of their goal for free, and then charge for the rest. If your customer’s goal is to lose weight and gain muscle, you may start by teaching them the basics of exercise and nutrition, including recipes and workouts. This is the free part.

Next, you offer a paid-subscription service that provides personal mentorship and accountability (if you have ever tried to get in shape, you know it’s very difficult to do by yourself).

The service may include specific recipes and workouts for every day of the month, a data sheet to track progress, and most importantly, certified nutritionists and trainers to chat with and keep you accountable to your goals. Customers would be able to track their success, stay motivated, and talk directly with experts and other paying customers who are on the same journey.

For a closer look at this strategy, check out this video by one of the best Internet marketers around, Frank Kern.

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Back to Landscaping

For the landscaping company, I would suggest using the freemium strategy. In a series of blog posts, spill all of your secrets on how to build a rock wall, patio, and flower garden. Like the fitness and nutrition example above, your audience will not want to do it all themselves. That’s hard work! Your blog will give them confidence in your knowledge and abilities and they’ll hire you instead.

If you’re worried that giving away your secrets will turn away potential customers, get over it. The “do-it-yourself” types won’t hire you either way. They want free information and if they can’t find it on your blog they will look elsewhere. Don’t let that happen. If you let them “steal” your secrets and landscape their own yard, what do you think will happen when they invite their friends over for a BBQ?

“Gee Bob, the yard looks fantastic! How did you do this?”

“I learned it all from this landscaping company’s blog. They had some great advice.”

“No kidding. I’m actually looking for a landscaper. Maybe I’ll give them a call.”

Word of mouth. Social media. Whatever. It works. Educate your audience and people will talk about you. The more people who talk about you, the more you will be recognized as an expert. That’s the goal.

What is your advice for the landscaping company? Leave your “secret” in the comment section below.

What is Genjuice?

GenJuice is a national tour for Gen Y entrepreneurs and innovators:

“Our mission is to encourage, mobilize and connect over 1,300 young people across the nation to start projects and companies by connecting them together and equipping these young go-getters with the resources they need to succeed.”

Pretty cool huh? If you would like to get involved, contact @meetgenjuice or visit Genjuice.com

Tour Dates:
Washington D.C. July 14
Atlanta July 18
Austin July 22
Phoenix July 25
San Diego July 27
Los Angeles July 31

A hearty thanks to @Ariellescott, @VirgiliaSing , and @DanielleLeslie for making this happen!

Have you noticed how much more customer service matters these days? Social media has given consumers their biggest voice yet and companies are noticing.  They understand that a few tweets and a status update can send their brand on a downward spiral. Companies are responding with campaigns to show they “care” about customers, which seems great right? “I’m finally getting the respect I deserve!” Maybe so, but there’s still something wrong with this picture.

A New Perspective

I recently had the chance to talk with Lionel Thompson of Giving Anonymously, an organization that lets individuals send money to their friends—without them knowing. Even without a marketing plan, Lionel and his wife Misha found themselves featured in the New York Times, NPR, and NBC on more than one occasion. How did it happen? Spend half an hour with either of these people and you’ll understand why: their passion for serving others is contagious.

As Lionel and I talked, I brought up this issue on social media and how it’s given consumers a voice. He agreed businesses are hearing that voice and are responding with exceptional customer service. He also pointed out something I had not thought of…

The reason why great customer service has risen in popularity is because it’s profitable. This trend has not developed because of a change of heart in the business world. Motives have not moved. The truth is, serving people and making them feel “loved” is an utter cash cow (no pun intended).

But what if it wasn’t? What if serving other people was not profitable?

For the sake of argument, lets pretend we are living in the year 2110, where serving others is a terrible business idea. Consumers aren’t loyal, word of mouth is a joke, and any money spent on “customer love” will decrease profits, guaranteed. As CEO, would you risk the vitality of your company to serve the average joe, knowing for a fact it would never produce a dime?

Motivation

In today’s world, the question is not, “How can we serve others” but “Why do we serve others?” Do we ask our employees how their day is going because it’s scientifically proven to increase productivity or do we honestly care about their well being? Are we patient with upset customers because we’re afraid of angry blog posts or do we just want help people who are having a bad day?

Perhaps we should ask an even bigger question:

“What is the purpose of our company?

And what is my purpose within our company?”

The Example

A couple thousand years ago a bearded guy with dirty sandals started the most viral campaign in history. With all the miracles he performed, speeches he gave, and followers he had, Jesus could have accomplished anything. In fact, many people thought he was going to overthrow the Roman government. He had that kind of power.

So, what was the purpose of Jesus’ viral campaign? (Hint: it was not pay-per-click revenue)

He makes it clear at a point when his closest followers are bickering over their titles, leadership roles, and who gets the corner office (upper management bureaucracy at its finest):

“You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different.

Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:41-45)

Jesus came to serve. More importantly, he served without the desire for something in return.

What would he have wanted? Wealth? He was a nomad. Women? He was single. Loyalty? His friends betrayed him the night before his death.

No, Jesus served others because it was the sole reason for his human existence. It was his purpose.

My hope is that organizations and movements and people will exist to serve others in the same way, not because it’s profitable but because people matter. Not because it’s a fad but because our outlook on life, our ultimate purpose for living, has changed.

Follow the leader.

You know the ol’ saying “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime?” If we put ourselves in the position of the teacher (which we usually do because we are all so wise), we see a philosophy on charity and how we can best help others. If we put ourselves in the position of the fisherman, we see something quite different.

Lets pretend you land your first job as a salesperson. You can’t wait for your first sale. You want it so bad. Your cupboards are empty and you can’t afford new shoelaces.  You read three how-to books in two weeks and call every lead this side of the Mississippi (always wanted to say that). A week later your hard work pays off and you make your first sale. Your cupboards are filled and shoes are tied. Success!

All right, pop quiz. What was the most beneficial thing that happened?

1. You made a bunch of money
2. You read three how-to books
3. You achieved a memorable landmark and grew in confidence

Trick question, it’s neither. The end result is not what’s most important. What’s most important are the skills you acquired.

Skills are what made Michael Jordan great—not championships.

Skills are what made Richard Branson a billionaire—not companies.

Skills are what keep Bear Grills alive and awesome—not medals, money, or TV shows.

Even when your cupboards are empty and you can’t afford shoelaces, focus on acquiring skills. They will make you successful, no matter what you’re fishing for.

Thomas Beirne has been a vital member of SuperNack during its conceptual stage. His expertise in programming and development, along with his stellar communication skills and all around likability has helped SuperNack evolve from a blob of ideas to a workable concept.

Later this week, Thomas will graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Western Washington University’s Honors program (this is no easy task). He’s been offered jobs from leading-edge tech companies such as Microsoft, and has recently accepted an offer from Logos Bible Software.

Moving in a new direction, Thomas has also decided to step down from his role here at SuperNack. I’m sad to see him go but at the same time I’m excited for him. Logos is a great company to work for and one that I believe in. Thomas will no doubt, add to their success and continued growth.

In parting, I asked Thomas to share a few words about his experience with SuperNack:

“It has been a great pleasure working with Ryan over the course of the last year and I am very excited to follow his career as he moves forward.  His energy, sincerity, and seriousness make him a wonderful colleague and will serve him and his endeavors well.

I am sorry to be parting ways, but am looking forward to starting a new phase of life with Logos Bible Software. I will be working full-time as a software developer and am very excited about the company and being a part of developing such an impressive product lineup. I very much look forward to tackling complex computational problems with an awesome team of talented folk.

Again, working with Ryan has been an amazing growing experience and I would certainly recommend him as a colleague or as a marketer.  I wish him all the best in his future endeavors and look forward to keeping in touch.”

Thank you Thomas, for all your hard work, creativity, exceptional ability, and most of all, your honesty and integrity. You are a rock star.

Sincerely,

Ryan Rotz

In this last video, I take all the information from the previous videos and pull out the big-picture takeaway.

Here are a few questions I answer:

• “What brand message was Harvard Business Review trying to convey?”
• “How did they do it?”
• “How can I improve my persuasion and copywriting skills?”

Here’s a few resources if you’re interested in learning more about persuasion and writing copy:
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini

The Ultimate Sales Letter by Dan Kennedy

Scientific Advertising (pdf download)

Question: Has anything in your mailbox jumped out at you? Or is this direct-mail campaign an anomaly?

In this video I summarize what Harvard Business Review did well in their sales letter and what they could have done to improve.

The last piece of the direct mail campaign: the reinforcer.

These are the last two videos of me analyzing the sales letter. In the next video I’ll sum up what Harvard Business Review did well and what they could have done to make their sales letter more persuasive.

The Sales Letter

Part 3 of the 9-part series. In this video I begin analyzing the persuasion tactics used in Harvard Business Review’s sales letter (where they try to get you to subscribe). Look out for a strong use of copywriting and minimalistic design

Pop Quiz: After watching the video, what type of internet marketing/products are you reminded of?