About Jodi Kaplan

Do Limited Offers Work?

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Jodi Kaplan

: Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr

When you’re doing a product launch, it’s common to have the offer for a limited time. It’s a way to increase urgency, and fuel more signups.

It also may have a practical reason (limited number of connections allowed in a mastermind group, attention required for individual students/forum members, etc).

Limited offers are great for something that’s exclusive, such as a limited edition handbag or lithograph. However, there is a right time, and a wrong time to use this tactic.

Someone on LinkedIn was following this formula and found that while it worked well with his newsletter list, it didn’t work so well with a PPC (pay per click Adwords) campaign.

Why did the limited offer fail?

A limited enrollment or signups for a short time works if there’s a good reason to limit it, such as giving forum members individual instruction. Saying you’re making a “special exception” isn’t believable – and it looks a little desperate.

Trust issues

Your newsletter list already knows and trusts you – so they will sign up in higher numbers than people who don’t know you at all. They’ve seen your expertise, read your blog, signed up for your emails, maybe even already bought something from you. They are more likely to trust that whatever you offer will solve their problem.

Since the PPC people don’t know you it makes perfect sense that they are less likely to pay you – instead of going straight for the sale, offer them a free report of some kind and add them to your subscribers – warm them up first. It’s like dating, get to know the girl (or guy) first, don’t just walk up to a stranger and ask them to marry you.

Done correctly, a limited edition or limited offer can work really well. Done poorly, your marketing train will end up in the river.

Friday Fun: What’s Your Favorite Quote?

Posted on October 29, 2010 by Jodi Kaplan

Image via Wikipedia

Quotations can give us inspiration, make us smile, or cheer us up on a bad day. Here are some of my favorites:

“If life gives you lemons, throw them back and demand chocolate.” (unknown)

“”Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” (Albert Einstein)

“If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything” (Mark Twain)

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” (Dr. Seuss)

What are yours?

A Little Marketing Secret from Great Restaurants

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Jodi Kaplan

: Image by jspatchwork via Flickr

Have you ever been to a restaurant that gave you something extra?

Maybe a small plate of appetizers (often called an amuse bouche, loosely meaning fun in your mouth), or a serving of sorbet to clear your taste buds between courses.

It’s fun, it’s unexpected, and it’s (hopefully) delicious.

An amuse bouche for your customers

Try this technique on your own clients. Throw in a little something extra. Something that brings delight in a way that’s unexpected.

A touch of humor. For example, I have a client whose offices had suffered a series of floods. They eventually moved to a new location (far away from any rivers or bodies of water). I sent them a photo of a castle, perched on a high hill, to congratulate them.

You might also try an extra freebie. Send a copy of a book by the client’s favorite author (or a favorite of yours that you think they’d like). Or a card on their birthday (or a no particular reason card or note when it isn’t their birthday).

Try a faster turnaround time than promised.

Or send a box of cookies. Or even an actual amuse bouche.

Get Legal, Free Photos for Your Blog, Website, or Ebooks

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Jodi Kaplan

Image via Wikipedia

When I first started blogging, I didn’t use pictures on my site. Eventually, I noticed that lots of other bloggers did, and that it made their posts more appealing.

Using Images, photos, and graphics on your posts catches your readers’ eyes, increases time on your site, and reduces bounces.

If you’re a photographer, you can take your own. If it’s late at night and you need something for a blog post, you’ll need help.

So, here’s a list of places to get legal, free photos for your blog or website.

Tips for using free online photos

Before you use a photo, check the copyright information. Many of these sites offer public domain images, which you can use in any way you like, no strings attached.

Others are creative commons, which allows the creator of an image to keep either all or only some rights to how the image can be used. That means you can use them with restrictions, usually requiring credit and a link to the photographer and the creative commons license. Also check to see if you can change the image or must leave it as is.

Creative commons photo sources

Creative Commons Multiple Site Search: This is a new photo search tool from Creative Commons. You can search by keywords, usage rights, and by tags. It looks through Flickr, 500px, and several cultural institutions (like the NY Public Library) all at once. Once you’ve found what you want, you can click on your choice and get the code to import and credit it properly.
Digifeld. My friend Judy Vorfeld (the grammar goddess) also has a site with a collection of photos she’s taken or digitized: she’s got flowers, plants, fish, buildings, vintage cars, and even a covered wagon.
Getty Images – this is a big change for Getty, which had a reputation for years as being a fierce protector of copyright. You must embed the image, rather than downloading it, but there are 50 million of them.
Death to Stock Photo – This is a freemium model. You sign up and they send free photos every month. There’s also a paid subscription option (with greater access).

Government photo sources

The US government: Nearly everything produced by the government is copyright-free.

Check out NASA (the space agency), The National Forest Service (thanks to Blogging Teacher’s John Soares for suggesting this last one). Just check if there is a photographer credit or if people are pictured (that usually means there are restrictions). NASA just asks for acknowledgement that they are the source.\
Or, try NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The people who watch the weather also watch the seas, the sky, and the coastlines. They have some amazing photographs, which are copyright free. All you have to do is credit them when you use an image.

Public domain photos

Flickr Commons: Several public institutions have uploaded public domain photos or photos they don’t care to protect with copyright.
Pixabay– Illustrations and photos of nature, transportation, computers, museums, people and quite a few more categories. All are free to use, without attribution. You can download them and use them however you like (even commercially); just don’t hotlink.
Public domain images – sorted by type (nature, food, computers, flags, etc.).
Morguefile -No dead bodies here, it’s named after the “morgue files” of old clippings, photos, and articles that newspapers once maintained for reference purposes. Photos of nature, people, animals, sailboats, wind turbines, money, and illustrations too. All are free, without credit required (though I often give it anyway).
Open Culture – they’ve put together a list of images, art catalogs, and paintings from The British Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Riijksmuseum, and more that you can download for free. Check the comments on the page for even more options. And, here’s another post with images from the Getty Museum.
Public Domain Archive – Another freemium site. Sign up to get photos emailed to you weekly, or pay $10 a month for full access. Categories include: business, electronics, architecture, vintage, technology, transportation, and people.
Pexels – free public domain stock photos of business, cars, technology, streets, and vintage shots.
Gratisography – if you prefer something a bit more quirky, this is the right site for you. There are images of people with Wookie feet, a goat with its eyes closed tight, a broken robot, and little bunnies as the page loads.
New Old Stock – A good source for vintage photos of cowboys, old theatres, and even Gemini Mission Control.
The Pattern Library – If you want a pattern/background design rather than a photo, you can get them here.

(Thanks to Blogging Teacher for the inspiration for today’s post).

Update: Zemanta has transformed itself into an entirely different company, but try one of these other options instead.

Is Your Marketing Like a Bomb Blast?

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Jodi Kaplan

Image via Wikipedia

Ever hear someone say they’re going to do an “email blast” or a “phone blitz”?

If you’re talking about your marketing in terms that sound more like you’re in the army than in business, it may be time to rethink what you’re doing. We do tend to think of marketing in terms that sound vaguely militaristic: targeting customers, planning campaigns, deploying ads. But we’re trying to win hearts and minds, not blow them up.

Nobody wants to be on the receiving end of a “blast.” Ouch!

Do some research

When the phone rang yesterday, I was in the middle of a project. I glanced at the call ID and saw it was an insurance company – but since I do have a policy with them I answered. The trouble was that they had no idea who (or what) they were calling.

The man asked to speak to the head of the HR department. Haven’t got one, I said. Then he (somewhat puzzled) asked for the benefits manager. Don’t have one of those either, I said. Then he made some confused sounds and hung up.

He clearly was working from a list of names he’d gotten somewhere, with little thought about whether it was the best marketing list, or if the names on it matched his ideal client profile. I don’t have a benefits manager, an HR department, or an employee manual. My only full-time employee is my cat. He doesn’t take vacations, although he does give marketing tips.

Make real connections

When prospecting (however you do it), you first want to pick people and companies who have a need for what you’re offering. No sense trying to sell diapers to people with no children (or grown children). While I’m not the customer he’s looking for, a little research might have given him clues to what I actually cared about – maybe a better deal on the policy I do have.

Don’t annoy people, get permission to talk to them and then be a problem solver, not a pitch man. What if instead he’d sent a booklet with tips on getting better/faster turnaround and service if I have a claim. Or, sent me a birthday card in a few weeks?

Has this happened to you too? What did you think?