Everywhere you look the marketing advice you are given is about getting more prospects and selling more to those prospects. And these are necessary lessons. The problem is, a vital piece of the puzzle is missing if you only drive sales …

Continue reading Why It’s Not Enough to Just Sell

Posted in Sales & Marketing

Many businesses are turning to content marketing as their route to greater profits and lower advertising costs, but struggle to find content ideas.

It’s not surprising that after the initial rush of inspiration the muse abandons us to be left with the blank WordPress editor of doom.

Luckily there is an easy solution, and it is forehead-slappingly obvious, once you know it …

Continue reading Tap Into Your Best Article Source

Posted in Sales & Marketing

Early adoption is a lot of things. Addictive is one of them.

Who’s addicted to early adoption, you ask?

Both business owners and consumers.

You see, the relationship between business owner and early adopter is symbiotic. You need them as much as they need you.

Continue reading Are You Late on Early Adopters?

Posted in Sales & Marketing

Yesterday, I started a discussion about conversational marketing and its relation to conversions.

Today, I want to give you a few tips on how to make the most out of your conversational marketing attempts.

How do five tips sound?

Good?

Well, then read on….

Continue reading Five Tips to Keep Marketing Conversations Going

Posted in Sales & Marketing

If you believe that “markets are conversations”, as proposed in the book The Cluetrain Manifesto, and that their true nature relies on the free exchange of ideas, products and reviews, then you should believe that you’re having a one-sided conversation with prospects if you’re not actively engaging with them.

This is bad if you’re at all interested in using a democratic and dynamic marketing approach. Really bad.

First, let’s describe what “conversational marketing” is…

Continue reading Conversational Marketing: Your Conversion Starter

Posted in Sales & Marketing

There is one factor above all that takes a prospect from suspicion to trust. It’s not always easy, but providing you do it right, it always works.

What is this magic formula? You already know …

Continue reading How to Sell More With Product Proof

Posted in Sales & Marketing

A few days ago, an acquaintance gave me a link to a public service announcement that had been uploaded to YouTube.

The theme of the video was sexual abuse/incest. The contents were shocking and repulsive. It included a father toasting to the union of his daughter and son-in-law while cracking jokes about her physical prowess. The daughter sat idly by, enjoying herself and smiling all the way through.

After I finished watching the video, I couldn’t help but wonder about the marketing behind it. What struck me most about it was that it aimed to scrape the barrel of humanity in the hopes of inspiring an evolved outlook in viewers.

Although it was an extreme example, it got me thinking about emotional marketing and the way that some businesses choose to use negative emotions to incite positive actions in prospects. At least, it would be a positive action for the business- a sale.

Continue reading Emotional Targeting- Smart Marketing or Virtual Sucker Punch?

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One of the things my clients struggle with is dealing with their own customers when it comes to those tough calls. Asking for payment is the most “popular”, but there are of course many awkward moments in any client-provider relationship.

Many of these can be avoided by being specific.

Continue reading Why You Need to Get Specific With Your Clients

Posted in Sales & Marketing

Up until now, you’ve probably thought that a generic 404 page has done you well. After all, you see them everywhere, right? What harm could they do?

Here’s a surprise: a lot.

Generic 404 page can mean a big loss in profits.

How?

Because generic 404 pages are wastes of the opportunity to market your business, retain prospects and generate sales.

Continue reading Create 404 Pages That Are Great For Sales

Posted in Sales & Marketing

We are starting a new series titled, “Online Marketing Success Stories.” In this series we will feature companies who created a successful online marketing strategy that helped them expand their market reach. If you would like to be included in this series, please drop an email to MarketingSuccess@invesp.com.

Our story this week comes from K9Cuisine, a premium dog food provider.

Continue reading Online Marketing Success Stories: K9Cuisine

Posted in Sales & Marketing