Case Studies for Correctional Industries Instill Customers with Confidence
Friday, August 14, 2009Case studies are an amazingly effective marketing tool when written and used correctly. I like case studies because they are like demonstrating your services or sampling your product when demonstrations and free samples really don't make sense. From a case study, prospective customers can get a glimpse of what it's like to work with you and see just how satisfying your products or services are.
Download and read my case study on how three case studies I wrote for Washington State Correctional Industries helped them over significant challenges such as have a workforce comprised entirely of convicted felons. You can imagine the kind of prejudice and concern you have to overcome to successfully sell a product in that kind of circumstance.
Access the case study by clicking on the picture below:
Labels: Case Studies, Case Study, Content, Marketing
posted by John E Fike @ 10:52 AM,
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WANTED: Heavy Metal Soundtrack
Thursday, August 13, 2009I'm in need of a heavy metal soundtrack to go with fight videos and exercise videos on this site: www.low-budget-warrior.com I provide content for the sight and we need some music that we can add to videos without infringing on copyrights. If you play for a heavy metal band and would like to promote your music we'll be glad to add a promo to each video for you in exchange for letting us use your music. We plan to post at least one video every week; hopefully two. Instrumental is preferred, but a good, heavy song with clean lyrics is also acceptable. Please send me an email at john@fikopy.com if you're intersted. Thanks.
Here's an example of how we'd like to use your music:
Labels: Content, Internet, Marketing, Multimedia, Video, Web
posted by John E Fike @ 6:10 AM,
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Earn Your Social Media Following -- Great Content Earns Respect
Wednesday, August 12, 2009I've been on Twitter for just shy of two weeks now and I've noticed 3 main types of Twitterers (or is it Tweeters?):
1. People there to just have fun and get connected
2. People there to market their business and connect with potential customers
3. People there to annoy the (insert expletive of choice) out of everyone else by spamming links to blog posts and articles that provide no real value in hopes that enough people will click on their Google ads or buy their product.
Folks, if you're going to use Twitter or any other social media to market your business, you have to EARN your followers. Give them content that is of value to them. People will respect an occasional posting that useful more than they will respect hourly posts with links to re-hashed articles bought from an article factory that pays people in foreign countries $5 for every article they write. Who wants to read articles with English so bad you don't even understand what they're saying? Most of those articles contain erroneous information too, because the authors just dig up anything on the Internet to use as source material. These "writers" often copy/paste other writer's stuff into their own articles, which is why they seem so disjointed.
Take the time to craft relevant articles that reflect your personality and the kind of quality business that you do. You'll gain more respect, more followers and more customers by doing so. Plus, you'll respect yourself in the morning because you'll know that you've added value to the world instead of annoying the world.
*** SELF PROMOTION ***
If you need help crafting your articles or keeping your blog/social media posts going, shoot me an email at john@fikopy.com. I've written numerous articles that help marketers present a professional image of expertise and build a quality following they can market to again and again.
Labels: Articles, Content, Fikopy, Marketing, Product Quality, Web
posted by John E Fike @ 6:33 AM,
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Info-Product Entrepreneur -- or Info-Product Huckster?
Tuesday, August 11, 2009Info-products, especially e-books and video courses, are everywhere on the Internet these days. A handful of them are excellent products in which the information is well researched, is very useful and is presented in a professional and attractive manner. Buying and reading one of these info-products is very rewarding, making you glad to spend the money and giving you confidence in the provider's expertise.
Unfortunately, most of the info-products out there are just junk. Research is minimal and usually limited to searching through internet articles. Information is often incorrect or not very useful. The writing and presentation is amateurish and sloppy. Purchasing one of these info-products is not only disappointing, but also leaves you feeling swindled.
The people who provide the first kind of info-product are true info-product entrepreneurs. They understand that a happy customer is a repeat customer. By impressing customers from the very beginning, these entrepreneurs create a huge market for additional products because their customers trust them and rely on them for good information. Their revenue streams continue to grow and grow.
The people who do a good job selling junk disguised as info-products are nothing but hucksters. They are like the snake oil salesman of lore who rides into town, sells all his bottles of tonic water disguised as a miracle cure, then leaves town never to be seen again. Info-product hucksters hire "writers" in India to write 50 pages on a topic for a $100 or so, then try to pass it off as the revelation their customers have been waiting for. They sell a few thousand copies, then move on to another popular info field and start again. They may or may not be around to dole out the many refunds that get requested.
If you're going to go through the trouble of creating a product and creating a market for it, you might as well create a quality product so that you don't have to start all over again to build your market. All the best info-product "gurus" tell you this: Most of your profits do not come from your first and main product; they come from the second, third, fourth, and fifth products. That's because it costs a whole lot less to market to a group of people who are already loyal to you than it does to reach out and find a new audience that may be interested in your product. Less marketing expense means more profits
The additional products are also more profitable because they can carry a larger price tag. When you've proven reliable on products with smaller price tags, your customers are less hesitant to buy more expensive products from you--because they know they can trust you. Of course, you have to prove yourself again and provide a product with the quality to support that higher price tag.
If you're in the info-product business--or want to be--plan to be a long-term info-product entrepreneur--not a short-term huckster. Life is easier that way, and more profitable.
***SELF PROMOTION***
I've written many top quality information products for entrepreneurs who are making excellent money online. Shoot me an email today at john@fikopy.com or call me at 419-371-2302 and we can talk about what it will take to make you a successful info-product entrepreneur with a reputation for being an expert in your field.
Labels: Content, Internet, Marketing, Product Quality, Research, Web
posted by John E Fike @ 7:43 AM,
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