3 Marketing Secrets from 575 Blog Posts

After writing 575 blog posts since 2010, I've learned a few things about how business owners want to attract more new clients.

If you own a service business and you want more clients, here are 3 insights to help you:

Insight #1: Marketing tools beat marketing skills

Since 2010, I've written dozens of posts about skills: how to write better copy, deliver extraordinary client service, etc.

But 3 of my 7 most-popular blog posts are about tools:

• Client Reactivation Letter
• Thank-You Note
• Postcards

Implication: Entrepreneurs (like you?) are busy. They would rather use a tool to grow their business than learn a skill.

Insight #2: Simple marketing tools are good

Take another look at the 3 most-popular marketing tools I've written about:

• Client Reactivation Letter
• Thank-You Note
• Postcards

What do they have in common? They are SIMPLE.

If you can read and speak English clearly, you can write and mail a Client Reactivation Letter to your past clients ... a Thank-You Note to prospects, partners, and clients ... and Postcards to anyone.

Implication: You don't need super-sophisticated technology to build a business that supports you in style. You need only use a few simple tools consistently.

Insight #3: Direct mail is the marketing tool of successful entrepreneurs

Take another look. What do these tools have in common?

• Client Reactivation Letter
• Thank-You Note
• Postcards

They are printed on paper and arrive in your mailbox, with a stamp. They are real mail. And they get real results.

By mailing a few simple letters to reactivate past clients, you reap windfalls from the buyers you have already "bought and paid for" -- this is incredibly profitable.

By mailing thank-you notes to prospects, partners, and clients, you demonstrate your gratitude for the time, attention, and money they give you. This increases your sales conversions, your client retention, and your referrals -- not to mention the self-esteem of you and the recipients of your thank-you notes.

By mailing postcards to anyone, you stand apart from the 99% of other entrepreneurs who are content to stop at email, texts, tweets, or other ephemeral online communications. A postcard is a simple, tangible reminder of you and your message.

Implication: Direct mail is proof that you're running a real business. That's a good thing.

One last thing. If you own a business, there's a box of 11 Marketing Multipliers waiting to be shipped to you by U.S. Mail. You can try it Free. Click here now.

The Lead Generation Kit That Works Wonders

The word "kit" has always appealed to me.

It conjures up all sorts of childhood memories, like these ...

As a kid, I loved doing magic shows for my parents and friends. Never got good enough to charge admission, though.

This electronics kit was too safe. No matter how diligently I rewired it, I couldn't electrocute my little brothers.

NOW we're talking -- danger, danger! Scorched walls, chlorine gas, human experiments. Among my favorite childhood memories.

Okay, even if your formative years weren't as disturbing as mine, I'll bet the word "kit" has fun, positive connotations for you. And for your prospects, too.

Which is the point of this blog post.

If you want to get the attention of your prospects and make an emotional connection, why not deliver your lead-generation materials in the form of a kit?

Give them a bag, a box, or a tube. Include a CD, DVD, printed reports, tools, folders -- tangible stuff people can touch and feel. A kit.

Doing so can instantly set you apart and generate more leads for your business. Which leads to more sales of your product or service.

Exhibit A: Here's my lead generation magnet for the last 5 years (and counting), the decidedly odd and intriguing ...

I ship a free Client Cloning Kit to any qualified prospect who owns a real business in the U.S. (No part-timers, MLMs, or "wantrepreneurs," please.)

Yes, it looks like a pipe bomb. Which ALWAYS causes a stir when it arrives by mail.

It ALWAYS gets opened. It ALWAYS gets my prospects' attention. And it has MORE than paid for itself in new business for me.

Meanwhile, other marketing thought leaders give out digital downloads and special reports. Hey, more power to 'em. I hope they never change.

Cool packaging in the form of a kit is a Marketing Multiplier. It's a little thing that can deliver big profits. It's simple. And you can do it today.

Speaking of cool packaging, here's another, the Marketing Multipliers Welcome Box ...

If you own a business, there's a box of 11 Marketing Multipliers waiting to be shipped to you. You can try it Free. Click here now.

The Marketing Power of a Public Promise

I just got back from a week in Japan.

One of the first things I saw when I got off the airplane at Haneda airport was a sign in the men’s bathroom that said, “Today’s janitor is Yamashita Mayumi.” Take a look ...

There's a phone number to call to let them know what you think about the cleanliness of the bathroom.

And guess what? That bathroom was spotless. The counter next to the sink was cleaner than my dining room table. I could have eaten lunch off it.

Why? Because there were serious consequences for Mayumi if she wasn’t doing her job.

That's the power of a public promise.

Now. How can you use this idea in your marketing?

A simple way is to put your direct phone number on all the correspondence that leaves your business -- emails, invoices, receipts, anything going out to customers or clients. Include a message that says, “If you have questions or concerns, here's my phone number. Call it, even on weekends.”

Here's how Keith Lee, president of American Retail Supply, does it. On his company website and in his correspondence is this message:

"Every person at American Retail Supply is empowered to Make You Happy. If at any time you feel we have failed to Make You Happy, or if you ever have a question or concern, please call us right away at 800-426-5708.

"If you're still not happy, please call me on my direct line at 253-859-7310."

And guess what? If Keith gets a call on his direct line, somebody's butt is on the line. Because a call to him means one of his employees failed to make a customer happy. According to Keith, this almost never happens.

Again, the power of a public promise. 

So think: How can you make a public promise to your customers or clients?

Try it. Then see if your sales don’t take off as a result.

By the way, a public promise costs you nothing to implement. It's a little thing that can deliver big profits for your business. That makes it a perfect Marketing Multiplier.

And if you own a service business, you can get a box of 11 Marketing Multipliers delivered, at no cost, if you hurry. Visit www.MarketingMultipliers.com

How to Get One More Hour of Productive Time Every Day -- Guaranteed

What would it mean to you to gain an extra hour of productive time every day?

That's an extra 5 hours a week -- 250 hours a year.

That's equal to more than 30 full 8-hour working days a year, by the way.

Forget adding an extra day during leap year ...

... this is like adding an extra month to the calendar every year!

Could you use some of that extra time to build your business?

I think you could.

Well, here's what this is about: It's a little mind game I call the Daily Time Expander.

And if you play along with me for one week and don't get back at least one extra hour of productive each day, I'll write a check for $100 to your favorite charity.

Do I have your attention? Good.

Here's what to do: Grab your smart phone. Look at the bottom of the home screen. See the  email icon there? Move it!

Where to? Someplace where you won't see it -- and that little red number telling you how many emails you have to read -- every time you pick up your phone.

I moved my email icon 4 screens deep on my phone and then I buried it in a little folder, called Games.

As a result, I cannot be distracted by email when I look at my phone. I have to go hunting for it. And this is the simple secret that can save you an hour of productive time every day: Never let yourself get sucked into email when you pick up your cell phone.

And when you do the math, avoiding email like this can easily save you one hour a day.

One reason? Emails are like mice or cockroaches: There’s never just one. And once you start composing replies to emails, setting reminders to reply to the replies, visiting stray web sites -- 5, 10, or 15 times a day -- that always burns at least an hour a day of valuable time.

Now. This idea is more than interesting. This is potentially life changing for you. So I want to make sure you try it.

That's why I'm making you this very public challenge: Move the email icon off the home screen of your smart phone and keep it that way for 5 working days in a row. If you don't save at least 5 hours of time you otherwise would have wasted getting sucked into email, I will donate $100 to the charity of your choice.

Just send me a short note by mail. Include your contact info and the name of your charity. I will make the donation and email you the receipt to prove it. Here's my mailing address:

Kevin Donlin
Guaranteed Marketing
7455 France Ave. S., #263
Edina, MN 55435

This is a very public challenge. There's no hiding for me. And I hope you put this idea to the test.

By the way, The Daily Time Expander is the first of 11 marketing tools you can get for free, if you hurry, at www.MarketingMultipliers.com

What does time have to do with marketing? Everything.

Because, as Dr. Bernie Siegel once said, time isn't money -- time is everything.

Your time and your marketing are inextricably linked. If you can't manage your time, you can't market your business. So the first thing I want to do is free up at least 5 more hours each week for you to get more new clients. And that's what The Daily Time Expander does for you.

For Free Access to this and 10 other tools, visit www.MarketingMultipliers.com

Do What THEY Love And The Money Will Follow

You've heard it said, "Do what you love and the money will follow."

But here's another version that may be more profitable for your business: "Do what THEY love and the money will follow."

It's true.

If your clients love it and they want it, you should deliver it. IF it's within reason, legal, ethical, and won't drive you crazy.

Case in point: This video.

I'm a writer. I'm not a TV personality or an extrovert. I hate making videos.

I’d rather have my teeth drilled at the fifty yard line of the Superbowl, by a dental hygienist who looks like Ernest Borgnine and is wearing boxing gloves, than make a video.

But my clients -- the people who put a roof over my head and a clean shirt on my back -- LOVE watching videos.

So, because it's within reason, legal, ethical, and won't drive me (too) crazy, I've learned to love making videos.

And, by the way, after making more videos than ever last year ... I had my best year in business. Recession and collectivist politicians be damned. Video ain't so bad.

Moral: Find out what your clients love. Give it to them. Even if, at first, you hate it. Because you may learn to love it.

And this is important: All growth comes beyond your comfort zone. Growth is, by definition, uncomfortable. Making videos has forced me to grow -- intellectually and profitably.

As a result, I actually love making videos. Go figure.

One last thing: Do you own a business?

Get your own box of 11 Marketing Multipliers delivered Free -- Click Here.

Postcards: The Insanely Simple (and Effective) Marketing Tool

Here's a story about a shocking pink postcard that might change the game for your business.

The postcard is from my good friend Vance Morris. The letters "DYGYSD" stand for "Did you get your 'stuff' done?"

Vance and I are in the same mastermind group and we hold each other accountable for achieving our goals. Every 7-10 days, he drops in unexpectedly to see how I'm doing. Thanks, Vance.

But in addition to holding me accountable, Vance is being memorable and getting my full attention with this postcard. That's something you can NOT do with an email.

And that's the point of this blog post: As a business owner, anytime you catch yourself thinking, "I'll just send an email" to your prospects or clients, think again. Can you send that same message by postcard? If so do that. 

Send a postcard, in addition to or instead of an email. You'll get more attention and better results. 

And no, I don't mean Send Out Cards or some other robotic crap. Write the message on the postcard. By hand. And mail it. With a stamp.

I keep a collection of postcards on hand and mail one almost every day. Whether it's for holidays or to thank people for referrals, a postcard is a simple tactical tool that's quick and easy.

Plus, a postcard can be physically held and is difficult to ignore -- completely different from an email.

Another nice thing is that postcards are a simple tool. They are pretty much goof proof. They require almost no skills to deploy correctly. Just like striking a match.

Postcards are simple, inexpensive, and they fit into any marketing strategy you may have.

All of which make postcards a true Marketing Multiplier -- little tools that can deliver big profits.

Now. Do you own a business in the U.S.?

If so, get your own box of 11 Marketing Multipliers delivered FREE at www.MarketingMultipliers.com

What's the Story of Your Business?

What's the story of your business?

Why did you start out?

What problem were you trying to solve when you first opened your doors?

You should be able to answer that question. Because the story of your business can separate you from every other business in any industry, in any city, anywhere on earth.

The story of your business is like your fingerprint -- it’s unique to you. It’s a rich vein of ideas you can mine and use to spice up all of your marketing materials, especially the Home and About Us pages on your website.

And here’s a harsh fact: If you don’t have a story, you probably don’t have a business.

With a good story that’s rich in interesting details, your clients and customers can better connect with you on a human level. Your story gives people more reasons to want to know, like, trust, and buy from you.

Here's a story to illustrate all this talk about ... stories.

FreshBooks is now a thriving company, with over 5,000,000 customers served in 120 countries. But it was started accidentally in 2003, as the solution to one man's problem with invoicing.

From the FreshBooks website:

The FreshBooks story begins back in January 2003, when Mike McDerment was running a four person design agency. When it came to billing clients, Word was frustrating to use and wasn’t built to create good looking invoices. Then one day something happened that makes every record-keeper cringe: he accidentally saved over an old invoice. Knowing there had to be a better way, he created it himself. Over the next two weeks he coded up a solution that became the foundation of what is now FreshBooks.

The road hasn’t been easy. It took over a year to bring the product to market. After 24 months, there were only 10 paying customers and revenues of $99 per month. The company moved into Mike’s parents’ basement and for the next 3.5 years, despite all the evidence pointing to failure, they carried on. Why? They discovered a passion for serving our customers, our company and working together.

If you're a business owner -- FreshBooks' ideal client -- you can identify with McDerment’s story. The frustration when he accidentally erased an invoice. His persistence in creating a solution to fix the problem, then gutting it out for more than 5 years to build a new company, in the face of evidence “pointing to failure.”

After reading that story, who would you rather give your money to, FreshBooks or QuickBooks?

Of course, FreshBooks. See my point?

There’s marketing power in a good story about your business

Here’s another story. Last year I opened a new business unit to help entrepreneurs who can’t afford my copywriting. Because my time is extremely limited, it doesn’t come cheap. My copywriting fees typically range from $4,995 to $39,995.

So I created a club for entrepreneurs, called Marketing Multipliers.

Every month, I ship members a new tool that delivers extra profits, just like my copywriting does. But because I can make one tool and distribute many, I can serve hundreds of members. So the fee is trivial -- only $29.95 a month. Any serious business owner can afford that. Especially when the first month is free.

That’s the story of why I started Marketing Multipliers.

Why did you start your business?

Answer that question and your marketing becomes more effective, for the same amount of time and effort.