OK, I know this isn’t really about marketing (although I wish NASA had done a better job of marketing itself throughout the years – and all the spinoffs were more widely known. However, I just couldn’t resist sharing this. I hope you’ll indulge me. And, it is traveling (a very long way).
Back to regular programming on Thursday.
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Stop motion films, portraits, even “fine” art.
(thanks to C.C. Chapman for sharing this on Google+).
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A reverse-color "Wrong Way" sign (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
People try to sell you a lot of things nowadays. There are ads nearly everywhere you look. Subways, billboards, TV, even elevators and bathrooms.
You see it whether you want to or not. Most of it is unfocused and rather random. Ads for diapers, followed by one for beer, and then one for grass seed. After a while, you start to tune it all out. Rather than paying attention, you fast-forward, walk faster, or head to the kitchen for a snack.
They don’t seem to know, or care, what you want, so they bombard you with messages, hoping something sticks. Often, they repeat the same tired ad over and over (as if repetition will make it more interesting).
None of it is remarkable.
None of it is memorable.
GM just pulled its advertising from Facebook. Nobody was buying cars from their ads. None of the ads started a conversation; they just shouted.
Trying to sell your services that way (a barrage of me! me! me!) doesn’t work. Clients aren’t there for you, you’re there for them.
Skip the “me! me! me!” and talk about “you! you! you!” instead. Tell a story. How will your client feel after they hire you? How did your previous clients feel?
Rather than “I’m a video trainer, hire me”, try “become a video star” or “go viral on Youtube.”
It’s the result they want, not the process. Processes are hard. Results are fun. Many people want to lose weight, for example, but few people want to diet or exercise. Exercising and dieting aren’t a lot of fun. Looking and feeling better (after you’ve lost those extra pounds is.) Ads for diets never sell the process, only the result. What are you really selling? Fame? Money? Pride? Happiness? Do you know? Do you need help figuring it out? Not sure?
Share your thoughts in the comments/
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Aerogel crayons (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Today, a choice of cool tools, from making your email easier, to faster web site production, and beautifying your site.
Choice Response - Lets you send multiple choice emails (making it easier for people to respond; they just click an option). It’s a bookmarklet that you add to your browser.
Currently only works with Gmail, but other options (Apple mail, Outlook, iPhone, Hotmail and Yahoo are in the works).
Breezi - A simple (really!) way to create web sites. Just drag, drop, and edit (like you would in a word processor). Love the sly references to unicorns too. If you’re technologically challenged, this could make it much easier to create your own web site.
Clarify It - Turns screenshots into pdfs, adds them to existing documents, or lets you share with Google+ circles. Would be great for technical manuals, quick tutorials, or work flow procedures.
CSS Arrows - Creates handsome looking arrow boxes, useful for tooltips or emphasizing a sign-in box. No coding necessary, just plug in the size and color you want and the tool does the rest.
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Thanks to Pat Ferdinandi for pointing this out.
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