Month: December 2021

WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM THIS REPUBLICAN GUERILLA MARKETING CAMPAIGN

Posted on by Alastair Walton

The other day I spotted a brilliant piece of viral marketing…

In fact, this idea is so downright clever, I wish that I had thought of it.

You see, there’s a guy out there selling Joe Biden stickers.

To give you an idea of what they look like, these stickers feature Joe Biden pointing with his index finger, and the words “I did that” written beneath. The idea is that you place the sticker on a gas pump with Biden’s finger directed at the gas price (i.e. the idea being that Biden is responsible for high gas prices.) These stickers retail at $6.99, come in packs of 100, and going by Amazon reviews, are selling by the hundreds. I have no idea who’s behind this, but they’re obviously making money (actually according to the Boston Herald these stickers are part of a Republican guerrilla campaign to undermine the Democratic administration.)

What’s brilliant about this idea is that it takes advantage of deeply held emotions.

For example, let’s say you’re a foaming at the mouth Trump supporter.

(Or maybe you’re a diehard Republican or someone who really, really hates Joe Biden.)

There’s a reasonably good chance that you’d buy these stickers and gleefully cover as many gas pumps as possible. In fact, you’d probably put them wherever you could (The New York Post recently reported that they were spotted on a cop car in NYC.) Not only that, when you finish the stickers, you’ll more than likely go out and buy more.

Ka-Ching!

The lesson here is that you have to find out what your audience loves…

…more importantly, you need to understand what they HATE.

For example, let’s say you’re selling diet products.

In this market diet gurus are a dime a dozen.

Dr. Atkins is probably the first person who comes to mind.

In this case, all you have to do is mention the person in your copy…

…write negative things about them…

…and point out why your product is the superior option.

(Just be careful of going overboard.)

Basically people LOVE it when you tear down their enemies.

This is why market research is so critical.

You need to learn what your market hates…

…and mention that you feel EXACTLY the same way.

Doing this helps you connect with your audience.

What’s more, it also creates an almost unbreakable bond.

See you later…

Cheers,

Alastair Walton

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR LIST TO PAY YOU THOUSANDS

Posted on by Alastair Walton

What’s the secret to selling big-ticket products?

I’m talking about programs that go for $499, $1997, $2997, or even more.

More specifically, how do you build a list which responds to these kinds of offers?

Believe it or not it’s easier than you think.

You see, the other day I listened to a fascinating podcast. The guest on this recording calls himself a “mega affiliate” and recently promoted a $2000 marketing seminar. Not only did he sell dozens of copies, but he also beat out every other affiliate. According to him, here are the things he does to sell these kinds of offers:

1. Train your list to buy expensive stuff

You have to avoid promoting cheap offers. This is a mistake which a lot of people make. They sell products that go for less than fifty dollars and then wonder why they can’t sell anything more expensive. The key here is that you want to build a list that’s willing and able to spend money. The way you do this is by selling expensive stuff.

2. Build a rock solid relationship with your list

This is probably the most important thing.  Your audience needs to know, like, and trust you. After all, no one spends big money with a stranger. Developing this relationship takes time and energy and isn’t easily done. One way to do it is by not promoting garbage (this is another reason not to promote cheap offers.) Another way is by injecting a bit of personality and entertainment into your emails.

3. Offer bonuses

Here’s the thing that separates mega affiliates from the guys who struggle to make a buck. You see, there’s a good chance that your readers are on multiple email lists, all offering the same thing. So how do you distinguish yourself from the crowd? You do it by offering something more. Providing valuable and worthwhile bonuses may help to tip people over the edge (the trick here is to give them something they actually want.)

4. Mail often

Too many affiliates hate mailing their list. They send out an email every other day and hope to make sales. This guy recommends doing the exact opposite. You need to blast your list as often as possible. In fact, towards the end of the sale he was sending out six emails a day. This gives you a far greater chance of being seen, opened, clicked, and ultimately bought from. It also helps to scrub your list i.e. people who have no intention of buying anything will quickly unsubscribe.

Until next time…

Cheers,

Alastair Walton

HOW TO CREATE A PEN NAME FOR MAXIMUM SALES AND IMPACT

Posted on by Alastair Walton

If you’re struggling to come up with a pen name (and looking for inspiration) …then here’s a tip from one of the world’s most successful crime fiction authors. I’m talking about “Lee Child” – real name James Dover Grant –  the author behind the international mega smash hit Jack Reacher series. In case you don’t know, this series has sold more than 60 million copies. Not only that, a movie version – starring Tom Cruise – was filmed back in 2012, plus there’s also a TV series out on Amazon Prime Video.

I recently read an interview where the author described how he came up with this pen name…and it’s actually quit brilliant. You see, he choose the name “Child” because it would place his book alphabetically on the shelves between Raymond Chandler and Agatha Christie.

Anyone can use this technique.

(The catch being that your book has to appear in bookstores and libraries.)

Simply find the biggest or two of the biggest authors in your genre.

Then create a pen name similar to them.

For example, if you’re writing in the fantasy genre (where J.R.R. Tolkien is by far the most famous author) your name could be something like…

…James Tollman or maybe even Rebecca  Teleman.

(Ok, these are extremely bad examples but you get the point.)

Anyway, until next time…

Cheers,

Alastair Walton