Some advertising slogans are so famous that everyone knows them. “Just do it” by Nike “Because you’re worth it” by L’Oreal “A diamond is forever” by De Beers “Finger lickin’ good” by KFC “Have a break, have a Kit Kat” Why are these slogans so famous? Is it because they’re so clever? Is it because they’re [...]
“What marketing tricks can we use to get immediate results?” This was the question I got asked by several people after delivering a speech. My response wasn’t what they wanted to hear: you can’t expect instant gratification with marketing. Sorry, but life doesn’t work that way. What delivers results is not one-off pieces of marketing but [...]
Have you ever read a blog from start to finish and wondered … what the hell was that blog about? That wasn’t your fault; that was the writer’s fault. It’s not that you weren’t smart enough; it’s that the writer wasn’t clear enough. But this concept also works in reverse: chances are, someone has read one [...]
Do you have an annoying rival? You know, one of those competitors that seems to get more love from customers and referral partners than your small business – even though you do better work? If so, you’re probably wondering why. Well, I’ve got the answer – they’re probably doing more marketing. Perception is reality. The more [...]
There’s a funny thing about social media marketing. It works if you do it the right way; it doesn’t work if you do it the wrong way. Is your small business succeeding with social media marketing? If not, you’re doing it the wrong way. Here’s the right way: Publish regularly – not occasionally Post interesting content [...]
You only need to brush your teeth once and shower once and then you’re clean forever, right? Ah, no, stinky. Brushing your teeth and showering aren’t activities you do once or occasionally; they’re activities you need to do all the time, forever. Just like marketing. It takes time to build trust, credibility and brand recognition – [...]
You're a great business with great products. But that doesn't mean you should focus on those things in your marketing, as I explain in this episode of 3MinuteMarketing. Instead, you need to focus on your customers, and on their hopes, fears and values. That doesn't mean you can't mention your business or your products – of [...]
Marketing works best when it focuses not on you and your small business, but on your customers. But this is easier said than done. When a potential new client asks, “So, Nick, why should we use Hunter & Scribe?”, my instinct is always to talk about myself. So I have to remind myself that even though [...]
Dentists sometimes say you don’t need to floss all your teeth – only the ones you want to keep. A similar philosophy applies with marketing and small businesses. It’s not true that every business needs to do marketing – only the ones that want to make sales. If you don’t want to make sales, you should [...]
Did you know that the six o’clock news has the same 10 stories every night? It’s true. The government makes an announcement. There’s a serious crime. There’s some sort of disaster. There’s an overseas crisis. A celebrity does something. You get the idea. If you go away for a few years and come back, you won’t [...]
