Why You Should Be Using Free Advertising and How To Get It

Hey Marketing Friend,

There’s money in them thar pubs (a.k.a. publications, TV, Radio all sorts of media). . . and lots of it. Alls you got to do is get yer pick axe and go digging . . . publications that it.

Of course I’m talking about getting free publicity and lots of it . . . with a little help from your new media friends!

Consider for just a second the power of the press! I’m talking about getting tons of leads, write ups and contacts like these folks have gotten:

Sharon Holmlund receive over 400 inquires when here business was mentioned in Home Office Computing magazine.

Janice Guthrie got a plug in Reader’s Digest and instantly got 740 calls!

Friend and marketing mentor Joe Vitale was promoting the autograph party for his book The AMA Complete Guide to Small Business Advertising, the Houston Post newspaper ran his press release on the front page of the business section.

It’s not as difficult as you may think. In fact if you follow along here you'll see just how easy it can be to get thousands of dollars worth of free press exposure. And in these tough times this kind of exposure may be just the cure you need for your company.

For starters understand this is a goldmine waiting to be tapped. Here’s why. The media is starving for stories. There are waaay too many stories, too many businesses, too many people and too few reporters. The media can’t possibly go and get all the stories. This is where you can help out by telling them your story.

Now I want you put on your “think outside the box” hat for a moment. Cuz even though the media is starving for stories you gotta know how to present your story so editors will be interested and able to use it.

With this in mind, understand that editors and reporters work under very tight deadlines and are under pressure to get the stories out—on strict schedule. There’s no exception. So more you understand this little known fact, the better your chances are in getting the editor to accept your press release.

Writing Your Press Release

First let me explain what a press release is. Very simply it’s a single sheet of paper that tips an idea for a story to the media source. You don’t have to be a great writer to write a press release. In fact you are not writing a complete article or story—just enticing a reporter to publish it.

Again writing your press release doesn’t have to be difficult. I like to think of it as more of a telegraph. You are telegraphing your story idea in a compelling way as to benefit the reader and get the editor’s attention.

At the top of your page is your letterhead which is your name or your company name. Then you have the words “News Release” so that it’s clear that you’re sending a news bulletin. Next put the date so the editor knows that it’s current and timely. And of course you’ll want to put in your contact information that will include your name, phone number and email address.

Next just like any other marketing piece your press release should have a headline. The headline should telegraph what it’s all about.

A great headline writing technique is to use a question as your headline. For example: “Do You Eat Under Stress?” “Botox For Breasts?” “Barbecuing? The burger mix-in that Prevents Cancer!”

Notice how these headlines pull you into the first paragraph of the story to find the answer. That’s exactly what you want when writing your headline.

Let the first paragraph answer the basic questions the reporter or editor wants to know. And that is who, what, when, where, how and why.  Give them that basic information. Tell them who you are, what you are doing, when you are doing it, where you’re doing it, how you’re doing, and why you’re doing it.

Basically you’re saying, “Hey here’s what I’m doing, here’s how it’s done. Here’s more information on it and if you want more information you can reach me at blah, blah, blah (insert email and phone info).

Pretty simple, wouldn’t you agree?. Again you don’t need to be a great writer to put a press release together. Just grab the report’s attention and give ‘em the facts on one page. That’s it.

Remember it’s a focused effort. You want to get your message across in a matter of seconds otherwise you’re landfill fodder!

Now even though I’m suggesting your news release be tightly written, I still like to expand the topic a bit and include a quote. This quote can be from you or someone else, perhaps one of your fans. You never know if the editor will read your entire release or not. So you won't lose anything by including this element in your release.

Using a quote will help draw readers in to your release. It’s dialogue and that means someone is saying something. And saying it now. Folks are used to seeing dialogue in novels.

That’s basically it regarding putting your press release together. Now let’s talk about where to send these babies.

Getting The Word Out

I like using the targeted approach best. Think about who will most likely benefit from what your offering. To help pin point media outlets turn to Google and search for “news release bureaus” or “news release services.”

In the past I’ve used PRWEB with decent success.

Below is the actual press release I wrote several years ago to publicize a new ebook I wrote about real estate investing:

Dahill Press releases free real estate investing mini-course based on new ebook "Real Estate Wealth" 

Dahill Press Announces Free Real Estate Investing Mini-Course 

Contact: Emette Massey
Ph. 828-757-2984 

For Immediate Release

Lenoir, NC
 
Most people are aware of real estate investing but have trouble getting started due cash or credit problems. A free mini-course based on the newly published ebook entitled Real Estate Riches" helps to solve this problem by showing proven strategies to getting over the cash and credit hurdle.

According to the author Emette Massey, when I started in the investing business by in 1987, I had little credit or cash. This made me think real estate investing was reserved only for the 'high rollers. But I realize this was not true after discovering a few simple techniques that didnt require cash or credit."

This mini-course is published for anyone looking for viable ways to earn extra cash, moonlight, or get into a new profitable career without a huge investment bankroll.

Many people are in dead-end jobs, living from paycheck to paycheck and are looking for simple, low cost ways to get ahead. They are familiar with real estate investing but have trouble getting started due to cash or credit problems. 

The free mini-course is taken right from the new ebook Real Estate Wealth" and shows people how to profit without cash or credit", says Massey.

A few of the techniques you will learn by taking the free real estate investing mini-course are:

·    Learn at least 10 ways to buy profitable property
·    How to negotiate your best deal
·    Unusual low cost ways to self promote ideas
·    How to get started without cash or credit
·    How to earn huge profits even before you buy

By reading and applying the strategies outlined in this new mini-course, anyone can quickly add an extra $2000 or more per month to their present income, depending on how well they follow this advice," says Massey.

To receive the free mini-course, visit http://www.emettemassey.bravehost.com or if you prefer, a hard copy is available by sending $2 to: Dahill Press, Attention Emette Massey, 317 Eastover Circle, NE, Lenoir, NC 28645  

Several media outlets picked up this release and it proved to be fairly successful.

You’ll notice this release contained several of the elements I discussed earlier. You could model this example and use it to write your own press release.

Other PR outlets can be found by going to www.sendtopress.com or www.IMediafax.com

If you are after local publicity then check out your local Chamber of Commerce. Just ask for their media directory and you can get one for about 50 bones. Soon you’ll possess a directory that lists every media contact, newspaper, radio station and television station in your neck of the woods.

This will give you something to chew on for a while. Follow these basic guidelines and get your news release in the hands of as many editors as possible and see magical things happen!

In the meantime if you have any questions regarding this topic, I’d be happy to answer them. Just send me an email to eemassey@yahoo.com with PR Question in the subject line.

Peace,

Emette E. Massey

P.S. Want more leads, prospects, sales? Give me a call. I’ll be happy to share some profitable strategies—the first 30 minutes are on me—at no charge or obligation whatsoever! The number is 828-313-0694.

How to Write Attention Getting, Eyeball Grabbing Headlines

Dear Marketing Friend,

Could I Have Your Attention Please!

Damn—my mind is absolutely blank. Completely frozen! What to write about?

Well this site is supposed to be about advertising, marketing and self-improvement. Soooo, this should give me some clues what to put down?

I’ve practically pissed away the evening surfing, checking my eBay bid standings and other totally useless activities! Can I blame anyone other than ME? . . . Well . . .

Hell NO!

So here’s the point: If your headlines can’t grab people by the eyeballs, you’re DOOMED! You gotta get folks to not only see your ad but pull em into your copy.

Here’s a trick I learned about writing great headlines: Write great headlines. No really. Go down to your local grocery story and pick up a copy of Cosmo, National Enquirer, or any other tabloid you see displayed at the checkout.

And when you return write so suckers down. That’s how you “write great headlines.” And if you copy out enough of those killer headliners your brain will create a neurological imprint of what it’s like to write great headlines.

Pretty cool, huh?

Yes, I know. This sounds “beneath” your otherwise good reading taste. I have just one thing to say about it: Get Over It! Those guys who write those cover headlines are paid huge bucks. Why? Because those outrageous headlines sell copies so quick you can hardly count them. That’s why!

You should start a headline swipe file. All excellent “Grade-A” professional direct response copywriters maintain such a file.  Get yourself some of those 3x5 index cards and start writing. Any time you see a compelling headline, stop whatever you’re doing and write it down. And that’s where the popular women’s magazines and tabloids come into play. So I’m begging you to do this—it’s for your well-being.

Capture all of these headlines and keep doing it. You should have 1000’s of great headlines to stimulate your thinking. Then when the next ad assignment comes up you’ll be on top of your game.

The purpose of the headline is to get you read subhead. The subhead’s purpose is to get you to read the next line and so on. The idea is that the main headline should grab you and literally pull you into the copy.

Just how important is your headline? Oh, my God! I can’t believe you’re asking me such a question! Here’s a little clue:

IT IS ALL IMPORTANT!

Consider this: If your ad or marketing message does not get read, guess what? You don’t stand an inkling of a chance in making the sale! To put it another way—your headline carries more than 80% of the effectiveness of your entire ad.

If you don’t believe what I’m saying nearly any top gun copywriter would agree with me on the important of your headline.

Most recently direct response pro Dan Kennedy said in his excellent book The Ultimate Sales Letter: “What your headline says and how it says it are absolutely critical.”

The late John Caples devoted 1/5 of his most excellent book “Tested Advertising Methods” on headlines. In fact he said, “The success of an entire advertising campaign may stand or fall on what is said in the headlines of the individual advertisement.”

Now that’s heavy!

So take it from the pros: Spend time on developing great headlines and watch your sales soar!

Peace!

Emette E. Massey

P.S. If you’d like to jump-start your headline swipe file, then email with the words HEADLINE SWIPE FILE in the subject line and I’ll fix you up! I can be reached at: eemassey@yahoo.com

Hate Cold Calling? No worries. Proven Remedy For Ending That Nauseous Marketing Activity . . . For Good!

Howdy Friend,

Cold calling. I remember it all too well. The year was 1986. I was a freshly minted real estate salesman armed with a brand new license, lots of enthusiasm and big dreams of making my millions.

I arrive at my agency ready to start writing up contracts and counting my commissions. But I quickly found out it didn’t quite work that way.

They make the biz sound so glamorous in real estate school. Your phone is ringing off the hook with prospects eager to list their property with you. You’re looking good, smellin’ good  ready to meet new clients and writing up sales contracts. Hell, I’ll probably need a secretary just to help handle all the calls . . . life doesn’t get any better than this . . . or so I thought!

What? Where are all the prospects? Heck, my phone isn’t even ringing. The sales manager tosses me the local phone book. “Start calling and introduce yourself. Offer a free market analysis. It’s how I got started, says she.

All of the sudden, I get this sick feeling in my gut. I begin to think I made a terrible career decision. What was thinking? Calling complete stranger out of the phone book? That’s nuts! There’s got to be a better way to get business!

Yuck!! I hated it and bet you do to! Geez . . . the mere sound of that word makes me queasy, feeling like I’m going to pass out cold . . . damn there’s that word again!

Luckily I got over the nauseous feeling and found a better way to get top quality prospects and turn them into customers fast!  The beauty of it all . . . this simple little lead generating method works in all businesses, any industry and will work for you too!

Enter the lead generation letter . . .

That’s right! A well written lead letter is awesome. Once you understand how to put one together you’ll be scratching your head in amazement at the sear power and efficiency it brings. You’ll never ever make a cold call again.

Before I get into the basics of creating a lead letter keep this in mind. There are numerous ways to get good quality leads . . . without cold calling. These include writing articles, using effective PR, putting on free seminars, public speaking, teaching classes and lots more.

I’ve done a number of these with great success. But creating successful lead letters is one of my favorite ways to get high quality leads. Once you get a good letter developed and proved effective you have the most reliable, controllable lead generator available.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

For starters writing a lead generating letter follows the same principles as writing a good sales letter.

Before you write a single word, you must know who you are writing to. So the process starts by learning about your prospect. Learn everything you can about your prospect. What problems are they dealing with now? What are they afraid of? What do they secretly desire?

Once you’ve gotten a handle on who is your prospect, get into your offer. Here’s where you’ll list all the features and benefits of your product or service. Once you written a long list of features and benefits put them in order of importance.

By the way, if you are not completely sure of the difference between features and benefits, here’s a hint:

A feature is something that describes the product like “a strong-running 365 horsepower V-8 engine.”

A benefit is the advantage or what the prospect gets by using or owning the product. Using the above example: The Duramax 400 V-8 lets you haul bigger payloads in its class and still getting and unbeatable 20 miles per gallon.

See the difference? Good!

Let me derail here and talk about sales formulas. Now before you get all starry eyed let me just say again there is no magic bullets or shortcuts for anything you do in life.

I will say, however, there is no reason to reinvent the wheel either. With that said, a popular sales formula is my friend AIDA . . .

The AIDA formula has been around for years and used as a successful selling guideline for just about any selling situation you could image. It is a great guideline for writing sales message . . . i.e. the sales letter.

Just keep in mind writing a great sales letter has more to do with good old fashion door-to-door salesmanship than ‘good writing’ you learned in school.

This stands for . . .

A- attention

I- interest

D- desire

A- action

Let’s briefly look at each part, shall we?

Attention- Simply put, get the attention of your customer or prospect. Usually the headline is used to flag down your prospect and grab ‘em by the eyeballs.

Interest – Raise interest by showing or demonstrating the advantages of the product or service and focusing on the benefits.

Desire – Convince the prospect they want and desire the product and that it will satisfy their needs and wants.

Action – Asking the prospect for action (making a purchase, visiting your store, website, etc.)

So there you have it in a nutshell. A complete selling formula in four easy words along with a proven marketing method for ending your pain of cold calling. This by no means the only selling formula around but an awfully good one. Just keep in mind the key to remember is advertising is nothing more than salesmanship in print.

Warmly,

Emette Massey

P.S. Want a great sales letter swipe you can use to model your letters after? Just email me at eemassey@yahoo.com . . . I’ll zip it right over to you.

Advertising Secrets Your Momma Tried To Tell You About! But You Didn’t Listen . . .

Howdy Friend,

Boy the lessons I learned as a young’n. And I might add, most of these lessons were quite painful. My Mom wasn’t afraid of grabbing any sort of *learnin’ stick* she could lay hands on and properly connecting it to ramdom parts of my body.

Here’s a good example . . .

A Sunday family tradition was going to my Grandparents after church and eating lunch with them. This was always a treat as my Grandmother prided herself in cooking up a delectable meal that included all of trimmings . . . homemade yeast rolls, fried chicken, garden fresh veggies and lovingly handmade dessert.

Well, this Sunday was no exception. I guess I was about 12 years old at the time. As usual my family arrived at the old home place right on time. Everyone’s belly growling out loud and we’re eager to get some awesome food in our bodies.

So, out of the car I jump racing to get inside the house. I said something sassy (not really sure what it was) but Mom thought it was a “bad word” aka curse word and proceeded to slap the *potty* right out of my mouth. I mean this slap left an impressive hand imprint that lasted what seemed to be eternity.

I scurry in the house embarrassed, hurt and still hungry hoping my grand parents didn’t see what was going on or me. Oh, it was ugly to say the least!

You probably wondering what this has do with advertising? Well . . . actually everything.

Profitable advertising in its most basic form is a marketing triangle:

1. Right Message
2. Right Market
3. Right Media

Common sense, right? Right! Or is it? You’d be amazed at how many businesses go about it all wrong! And pay the price by leaving lots of moola on the table.

The above example is exactly how not to do it. I delivered the wrong message (or a confusing message) to the wrong market (my message wasn’t meant to be heard by my Mom) using the wrong media (mouthing off inappropriately). And guess what? I failed the test. Yeah, and I got 

slapped . . . and slapped hard!

Of course you won’t get slapped literally by the marketplace (well, actually if you violate Google’s rule, you will get slapped) and yes it’s painful not in bodily harm but in lost revenues! 

So, how do you avoid getting slapped? Easy . . .

Start with your market first. If you’ve been in business for a while, this will be your current customers. If you’re just starting out this could be your prospects.

Find out what these people want and craft your marketing message with their wants, their needs and their unique problems in mind. In others words talk directly to your prospects and customers. Take in account what these needs and wants are and offer a solid solution that will fix those problems. Make them an irresistible offer and you'll be on solid ground.

Learn all you can about your existing customers what their pains are, what they read and watch on TV, their buying habits. Then position your company uniquely. This separates you from the competition.

By identifying your market place you’ve nearly got the first two items in the marketing triangle taken care of. Just make sure you are crafting direct response advertising messages. This is polar opposite of brand or institutional type advertising. This is what most big companies do and it wasteful and just plain dumb. So please, please do not copy their advertising (unless you like dumping lots and lots of money into a bottomless pit).

As far as media is concerned there is really no good or bad media. It just depends on it’s used for and the way it is used. And these days there’s no short supply on where you can spend your advertising dollars . . . websites, newspapers, val-pak, post cards, direct mail, magazines, baseball caps and other imprinted specialty items . . . you name it and it’s available. Just keep in mind there are no “magic bullets” here. Match your media to your market and you'll be on the right track.

So there you go . . . just remember your market first, choose your words wisely and pick your marketing media that fits your style and budget.

Warmly,

Emette Massey

P.S. Want more results from your advertising efforts? I can help! Why not give me a call? I’ll be glad to answer any questions, share a few ideas that will help grow your business! Call me at 828-313-0694. Or if you prefer send me an email at eemassey@yahoo.com There’s no cost or obligation at all!

Water Heaters and Murphy

Howdy Friend,

We all kick up our heals and rejoice when Saturday rolls around. ‘Saturday’ could be any old day of the week—as long as it’s your designated day away from the grindstone.

Often times my day off is spent tackling the usual “honey do” list my wife carefully places in my lap. And this particular Saturday was no different.

I cheerfully looked over the list and noticed ‘fix water heater’—the nerve of her putting water heater repair on top of the list. I mean really ‘hot water’? Who needs a device that will heat water automatically—without having to light a fire.

Seems my baby likes those small conveniences like hot water, air conditioning, and other modern-day comforts.

Ok, ok I have a big confession to make here—I like all those small, trivial modern day conveniences too! And if I were a betting man, I’d bet you like them too, no?

You see, for several weeks now our water heater has been the silent partner, quietly purring along in the background doing its fair share helping my family with all the dish washing, laundry, and ensuring there’s plenty of hot water for bathing.

Despite this, the old water heater was giving us something else too: puddles of water in the basement.

At first the puddle was about the size of dinner plate. But as time went on the plate got bigger and bigger.

I tried all of the usual remedies: flushing the tank to rid itself of impurities, rust and the like—thinking that couldn’t hurt!

Boy was I wrong. Flushing the tank actually made it worse. I came home from work the next day and found the puddle the size of a small trampoline and water spewing like Yosemite.  Not good!

Luckily this was on a Friday and I could tackle my newest home project over the weekend.

As an X- HVAC guy, I knew my way around plumbing fixtures, propane torches, and the usual hand tools.

I was up for the challenge of tackling the replacement myself—plus I could save a buck or two by cutting out the contractor’s labor.

Saturday. Off to Lowes Home Improvement I go armed with a shopping list and a pocket full of change.

300 bucks later I’m back home with a brand spanking new water heater, various plumping fittings, pipe glue, a torch and few other accessories and I’ll ready to get started.

The old heater had been draining for several hours so it was near empty. With the help of my trusty pipe cutter and the flip of an electrical breaker, the old unit comes out pretty easy.

All’s well except one tiny, weenie little problem. Water was still flowing out of the cold pipe so I go back to the main cutoff valve located in the basement and wrench down and *snap* off comes the stem and handle to the valve.

This sucks. If you’ll recall I mention the word “Murphy” boldly in the title to this letter. At one time or another we all have been introduced to Murphy’s Law that broadly states—anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

Well, it gets better. Seems Murphy can also become a bit greedy—wants to claim Saturday—and the rest of the weekend all for himself!

Here’s what I mean.

Being that there’s water pouring all over the basement floor, I scramble to locate the shutoff at the meter. It’s getting dark and dirt covering the meter doesn’t help the matter. So armed with my little flash light I commence to digging desperately trying to find the dang shutoff valve.

Sadly it’s not where they are usually installed—towards the house. So it’s more digging. Finally I see a semblance of what appears to be a shutoff valve on the far side of the meter box.

And to be all I can barely reach it with my T-wrench. With a wing and a prayer I get the water shut off and pick up where I left off in the basement.

I start removing fittings off the old water heater hoping I can reuse them. No good. These fittings are so corroded you can hardly see though them. So it’s off to Lowes, trip number two.

When I get back home I realize that I didn’t get everything I needed—namely ¾” pipe. Sheesh! By this time it’s too late to make another trip to the building supply and I’m beginning to burn out.

Sunday. You learn to appreciate the simple pleasures of life—good food, good friends, and a hot bath! And boy was I needin’ one, not to mention the rest of my family.

I keep telling myself, “Mush on. You gotta keep going. Finish the job.”  You know how important it is to become you own cheer leader. A little encouragement goes a loooong way.

By now I’m becoming a “regular” at Lowes Home Improvement. The clerks are calling me by name, giving me home improvement tips, asking me if I’d like a job—you know like I’m one of the gang.

Heck, after all of that, it became pretty tempting. These folks are really nice!

Anyway, I decide to keep moving forward, get my parts and get the water turned back on.

Yippee! Everything is in place, final inspection, yes, yes it all looks good and no signs of any potential water leaks. I give it a while for the pipe cement to set and crank open the valves for a final leak test. So far, so good I take another look around all the joints—all’s well! No leaks.

I go upstairs and my son grabs me to help him find a toy on the second floor. It was then when I heard a psssss . . . pop . . . spew . . . it’s sounding like serious water flow.

Like an Olympic sprinter I zoom down to the basement, hoping what I’m hearing wasn’t true!

Damn! It’s Murphy! He’s struck again. Boy what a sight—water spraying like a geyser.

Working quickly, I shut the water off, and shook my head in disgust!

It’s back to the drawing board.

Muttering under my breath, dreading going and recounting how many times to the building supply I’ve endured I realize I have spare fittings.

Could it be that the tables are turning now? Maybe I’ll kick Murphy’s ass for a change? Maybe short turn.

I redo the piping once again but this time give extra time to for the cement to cure before cranking on the electricity and water.

Elapsed time approximately 45 to 50 minutes, I anxiously fire up the water heater hoping for the best.

Shower time is finally here! Big smiles coming from the entire family.

So what does this story have to do with marketing? I can tell you in just one word: Persistence.

That’s right, persistence. Keep working till you get it right. Successful marketing is about planning your work and working your plan.

Successful marketing isn’t about having all the latest, greatest website bells and whistles. It’s not about looking the flashiest or dumping a ton of money on all the latest software programs.

No! Successfully marketing is about learning what your target market wants, what pains they’re having, what problems they want solved and letting them know you’re the go to guy or gal who can help them.

Don’t quit. Don’t give up. I have seen oftentimes successful comes to those who are absolutely committed to staying in the game.

Are you willing to do this?

Warmly,

Emette Massey

P.S. What problems are you having in your business today? I very well may have just the solution you want to get where you want to be. Why not give me a call? I’ll be glad to answer any questions, share a few ideas that will help grow your business! Call me at 828-313-0694. Or if you prefer send me an email at eemassey@yahoo.com There’s no cost or obligation at all!

LOOK, Ma—No Hands

Hi Friend,

Boy, remember those child hood days? You’d dare to do anything—riding your bicycle without holding on to the handlebars, jumping off from high places, swinging from bridges.

It was great, wasn’t it? Nothing could hold us back. One day you were a fireman putting out roaring fires. The next day you were a famous ball player winning the World Series. And the next day . . . well .  . . you name it!

Nothing was impossible!

Were we stupid or what?

What happened to those exciting days of chance as we became older? I see my 11 year-old son performing some of the same stunts I did as a child. He’s fearless! And sometimes it scares the living breath out of me!

But I have a confession to make. Sometimes I miss that fearlessness in me. How about you? Do you ever feel like you miss the fearlessness you once had?

The problem is we’ve become ‘grown up.’ We’re afraid of trying new things. After all someone may laugh at us! Or we might embarrass ourselves.

When you get right down to it, the truth is our fear is what’s stupid.

How can we continue to grow as productive human beings unless we become fearless? We all have secret dreams we’re just begging to try—but there is that nagging little voice inside us that says “Are you crazy? YOU couldn’t possibly do THAT!”

Ok, let’s you and me make a deal. Let’s start today and kill that little voice that keeps killing our dreams, our desires. And let’s pretend that we CAN DO IT! Let’s pick out something that’s is holding us back from achieving our dreams and face that fear head on.

We CAN achieve anything we want if we will just believe we can.

Let’s start today, Ok?

Because if so many others can do, become, and have it all so can we!

Peace!

Emette Massey

P.S. Here’s a little discovery I’ve recently made that can help you restore your joy for living life to it’s fullest, achieve your dreams, and find success and happiness. It’s called Simpleology. It’s doesn’t cost a single dime. Visit it here: www.simpleology.com

What You Can Learn From The Old Masters And A FREE Gift!

Dear Friend,

I’m going to make this short and sweet. I want to give you a valuable gift—a gift that can help you become a more profitable marketer.

You see, I’m a huge fan of the old marketing masters—perhaps you know the ones—Robert Collier, John Caples, John E. Kennedy, and Claude Hopkins.

During my marketing lifetime I learned some profitable stuff from the ‘old guys.’ And I feel you may too. Plus, I know you’re eager to get better results from your advertising efforts else you wouldn’t be here. Right?

So with this being said, I’d like to give you a gift. This gift is an ebook presented in PDF format called Reason Why Advertising written by John E. Kennedy. Kennedy was an advocate of “Salesmanship in print.” If fact, he was a results or copywriter and built fortunes for his clients.

If you are serious at all about improving your advertising, this quickly read little ebook is a must! To receive this gift just drop me an email at eemassey@yahoo.com and it yours—not strings attached. Please write RWA1 in the subject so I can send this out quickly.

You may be wondering what is my “reason why” or motive for offering this gift. 

Well, for starters I hoping you’ll tell others about my Blog.

And it’s a powerful marketing lesson I want to share. You want, in fact demand value and honesty in your dealings with companies your purchase from. Your prospects like to receive value too. They don’t want to assume risk.

These days too many marketers place the risk upon the prospect when in fact they should remove any perceived risk. Let your prospects and clients know, right up front, that there’s no tricks or hidden agenda involved when they deal with you.

Now think about how this applies to your company. Do you make your prospects take a chance to find out how much value you provide? Do you provide a better than risk free opportunity? If you have any doubts, then examine your marketing communications and make some changes. Let your prospects and clients know you want them to be completely satisfied with their purchase and that there’s no risk involved.

Oh, by the way if you decide to request this special gift you’ll in line to receive special deals, freebies, and other cool stuff that will help you make more money.

These offers may only go to folks who are on my special biz list and not to my general blog readers .

Oh, by the way I WILL NOT share, give out or rent your email address with anyone. You have my word! You hate spam, so I do I. You can opt-out at any time.

So come on in. The water’s fine. If you know of any colleagues who may benefit from this group, then send them this way! Thanks!

Warmly,

Emette E. Massey

P.S. Want help creating a promotion that pulls in cash fast? Why not give me a call? I’ll be glad to answer any questions, share a few ideas that will help grow your business! Call me at 828-313-0694. Or if you prefer send me an email at eemassey@yahoo.com There’s no cost or obligation at all!

Here’s The Proper Way To Expose Yourself . . . Public Relations Secrets to grow your business

Hey Friend,

There’s good ways and bad ways to do just about anything. And this includes exposing (aka getting media attention). yourself! Obviously you want to do it the right way, don’t you?

But why in the world would you want to expose yourself? That could get ugly, no?

Of course I’m talking about getting free publicity and lots of it . . . with a little help from your new media friends!

Consider for just a second the power of the press! I’m talking about getting tons of leads, write ups and contacts like these folks have gotten:

Sharon Holmlund receive over 400 inquires when here business was mentioned in Home Office Computing magazine.

Janice Guthrie got a plug in Reader’s Digest and instantly got 740 calls!

Friend and marketing mentor Joe Vitale was promoting the autograph party for his book The AMA Complete Guide to Small Business Advertising, the Houston Post newspaper ran his press release on the front page of the business section.

It’s not as difficult as you may think. In fact if you follow along here you see just how easy it can be to get thousands of dollars worth of free press exposure. And in these tough times this kind of exposure may be just the cure you need for your company.

For starters understand this is a goldmine waiting to be tapped. Here’s why. The media is starving for stories. There are waaay too many stories, too many businesses, too many people and too few reporters. The media can’t possibly go and get all the stories. This is where you can help out by telling them your story.

Now I want you put on your “think outside the box” hat for a moment. Cuz even though the media is starving for stories you gotta know how to present your story so editors will be interested and able to use it.

With this in mind, understand editors and reporters work under very tight deadlines and are under pressure to get the stories out—on strict schedule. There’s no exception. So more you understand this little known fact, the better your chances are in getting the editor to accept your press release.

Writing Your Press Release

First let me explain what a press release is. Very simply it’s a single sheet of paper that tips an idea for a story to the media source. You don’t have to be a great writer to write a press release. In fact you are not writing a complete article or story—just enticing a reporter to publish it.

Again writing your press release doesn’t have to be difficult. I like to think of it as more of a telegraph. You are telegraphing your story idea in a compelling way as to benefit the reader and get the editor’s attention.

At the top of your page is your letterhead which is your name or your company name. Then you have the words “News Release” so that it’s clear that you’re sending a news bulletin. Next your put the date so the editor knows that it’s current and timely. And of course you’ll want to put in your contact information that will include your name, phone number and email address.

Next just like any other marketing piece your press release should have a headline. The headline should telegraph what it’s all about.

A great headline writing technique is to use a question as your headline. For example: “Do You Eat Under Stress?” “Botox For Breasts?” “Barbecuing? The burger mix-in that Prevents Cancer!”

Notice how these headlines pull you into the first paragraph of the story to find the answer. That’s exactly what you want when writing your headline.

Let the first paragraph answer the basic questions the reporter or editor wants to know. And that is who, what, when, where, how and why.  Give them that basic information. Tell them who you are, what you are doing, when you are doing it, where you’re doing it, how you’re doing, and why you’re doing it.

Basically you’re saying, “Hey here’s what I’m doing, here’s how it’s done. Here’s more information on it and if you want more information you can reach me at blah, blah, blah (insert email and phone info).

Pretty simple, wouldn’t you agree?. Again you don’t need to be a great writer to put a press release together. Just grab the report’s attention and give ‘em the facts on one page. That’s it.

Remember it’s a focused effort. You want to get your message across in a matter of seconds otherwise you’re landfill fodder!

Now even though I’m suggesting your news release be tight I still like to expand the topic a bit and include a quote. This quote can be from you or someone else, perhaps one of your fans. You never know if the editor will read your entire release or not. So you lost anything by including this element in your release.

Using a quote will help draw readers in to your release. It’s dialogue and that means someone is saying something. And saying it now. Folks are used to seeing dialogue in novels.

That’s basically it regarding putting your press release together. Now let’s talk about where to send these babies.

Getting The Word Out

I like using the targeted approach best. Think about who will most likely benefit from what your offering. To help pin point media outlets turn to Google and search for “news release bureaus” or “news release services.”

In the past I’ve used PRWEB with decent success.

Below is the actual press release I wrote several years ago to publicize a new ebook I wrote about real estate investing:

Dahill Press releases free real estate investing mini-course based on new ebook "Real Estate Wealth" 

Dahill Press Announces Free Real Estate Investing Mini-Course 

Contact: Emette Massey
Ph. 828-757-2984 

For Immediate Release

Lenoir, NC
 
Most people are aware of real estate investing but have trouble getting started due cash or credit problems. A free mini-course based on the newly published ebook entitled Real Estate Riches" helps to solve this problem by showing proven strategies to getting over the cash and credit hurdle.

According to the author Emette Massey, when I started in the investing business by in 1987, I had little credit or cash. This made me think real estate investing was reserved only for the 'high rollers. But I realize this was not true after discovering a few simple techniques that didnt require cash or credit."

This mini-course is published for anyone looking for viable ways to earn extra cash, moonlight, or get into a new profitable career without a huge investment bankroll.

Many people are in dead-end jobs, living from paycheck to paycheck and are looking for simple, low cost ways to get ahead. They are familiar with real estate investing but have trouble getting started due to cash or credit problems. The free mini-course is taken right from the new ebook Real Estate Wealth" and shows people how to profit without cash or credit", says Massey.

A few of the techniques you will learn by taking the free real estate investing mini-course are:

·    Learn at least 10 ways to buy profitable property
·    How to negotiate your best deal
·    Unusual low cost ways to self promote ideas
·    How to get started without cash or credit
·    How to earn huge profits even before you buy

By reading applying the strategies outlined in this new mini-course, anyone can quickly add an extra $2000 or more per month to their present income, depending on how well they follow this advice," says Massey.

To receive the free mini-course, visit http://www.emettemassey.bravehost.com or if you prefer, a hardcopy is available by sending $2 to: Dahill Press, Attention Emette Massey, 317 Eastover Circle, NE, Lenoir, NC 28645  

Several media outlets picked up this release and it proved to be fairly successful.

You’ll notice this release contained several of the elements I discussed earlier. You could model this example and use it to write your own press release.

Other PR outlets can be found by going to www.sendtopress.com or www.IMediafax.com

If you are after local publicity then check out your local Chamber of Commerce. Just ask for their media directory and you can get one for about 50 bones. Soon you’ll possess a directory that lists every media contact, newspaper, radio station and television station in your neck of the woods.

This will give you something to chew on for a while. Follow these basic guidelines and get your news release in the hands of as many editors as possible and see magical things happen!

In the meantime if you have any questions regarding this topic, I’d be happy to answer them. Just send me an email to eemassey@yahoo.com with PR Question in the subject line.

Peace,

Emette E. Massey

P.S. Want more leads, prospects, sales? Give me a call. I’ll be happy to share some profitable strategies—the first 30 minutes is on me—at no charge or obligation whatsoever! The number is 828-313-0694.

Why Your Marketing Sucks . . . And What To Do About It!

Howdy, 

Now don’t take the title of this article personally—I’m not trying to hurt your feelings or make you mad. You’re marketing my be in fact rockin’—bringing in leads and sales faster than you can count them. If so, my hat’s off to ya!

The truth is I only want what’s best for your business—even if it involves telling you the truth!

And the truth is that most businesses could use a shot in the arm especially when it comes to their marketing efforts.

And in these troubling times only the strong (or better prepared) will survive. In short, you need to make every marketing dollar count.

So here’s a few simple ideas that could give your company that shot in the arm and make your marketing leaner and meaner in these times of economic turmoil.

Let’s get crackin’!

For starters let’s turn to your advertising and marketing activities. Ponder these questions for just a moment or two. How much are you spending on advertising? Where’s it going? Do you buy space in the local newspaper? Do you run TV commercials? Radio? Do you run ads in the yellow pages? Do you use direct mail? What about PR? Do you run PR campaigns?

Now ponder what medium is bringing in the most bacon? What marketing message is bringing in the most bang for the buck? Do you track these activities?

Oh, say you don’t? Well . . . if you don’t you should be tracking results and testing every component of your marketing message. Because if you are not testing these things my friend you are . . . .

Driving in the dark without your lights on!

And that could be very dangerous (and costly!)

Ok, so how and what exactly should you be testing?

I’m glad you asked. In one word . . . everything!

Really! Test every component or element of your ad. Why not start with the headline. Please . . . please . . . .pleeeease tell me that all your ads have a headline!

I’ve harped on this subject before—it’s vitally important. And I’ll harp again . . . but not now. We’re on testing.

Test one headline/opening paragraph appeal against another one. Tabulate your results.

Go through your entire sales message and test all aspects of it. Test your offers. Test your closes or call for action. Test your body copy.

The point is that you should be testing all aspects of your marketing. It surprises me how few companies actually do this. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record—if you don’t test various aspects of your marketing you are leaving dollars on the table!

We do not have the power (even if you own a crystal ball) to possibly know what the marketplace wants. We don’t know what the best approach, price, or appeal will be until you put it to a vote.

And the voters are your prospects and customers. It’s really that simple.

Killer Copy Tactics

Ok, let’s move onward. This section is dear to my heart and you’ll soon know why.

Let’s go back to your marketing message and put it under the scope. What do you see? Well, if you are like most companies you are running “traditional” or as it’s sometimes called “image” type advertising.

I have only two, yes count ‘em two words for you . . .

Stop It Now!

Oh sucks, I lied—that was three words. Nevertheless, stop it right now! Please! It’s killing your bottom line, taking up your time, resources, and hurting you!

Yea I know you were probably taught that building a brand, a household name was important. You want John Q. Public to think of you first when he wants that oh so special  gizmo or widget.

But the problem is building a brand using traditional type advertising takes an insane amount of time and money. And you do have tons of both, right? Yea, I thought so.

Here’s a better way. Use direct response advertising. It could be your secret weapon. Done correctly, it can put moola in your pocket so quick your head’ll spin!

What’s more it’s leaner, more efficient, it tells a complete story. It directs prospects and customers to action. It’s salesmanship in print.

And of course the real beauty is that once honed and tested it can be used over and over again.

Plus, as I just mentioned you can test the results of your advertising efforts. You know by it very design if it works or not. How cool, no?

Think of direct response advertising are you new “virtual” top producer. And like your top producing sales rep it gains attention, makes a complete case for your company and closes the sale consistently!

Unlike your sales rep, direct response advertising can call on hundreds, thousands even millions of qualified prospects at the same time making it a powerful way to bring sales, leads, inquiries.

So why not switch to direct response advertising today and see your coffers swell many times over!

Knowing Your Prospects

Do you know what your prospects and clients are up to? What’s keeping them up at night? What daily challenges are they facing? What pains are they experiencing?

Now this is a vitally important step that should be taken before you launch a new product or service. A little research up front will save your butt—not to mention your time and money.

Where are your best prospects hiding? A couple of hours worth of sleuthing will reveal the answers.

Start by going to Google. Google brings you a cool research too called Google AdWords.  It’s easy to use. Just go there type a word and/or phrase relevant to your marketplace and BAM . . .

Out comes the number of hits were registered. Plus Google will give you alternate words and phrases based on your search.

Another great tool is called the SRDS—this stands for Standard Rates and Data Service. This is a huge multi volume set that lists magazines and mailing lists of every imaginable subject.

Chances are if you see a magazine, publication, newsletter or mailing list that’s listed in the SRDS that’s a good sign there’s a market.

All you want to know at this stage is if there’s a market or not. That’s it! 

And what’s cool is that you can get theses tools FREE in most cases from your local public library. The SRDS is usually found in the reference department. Just ask the librarian for help.

You can also go online at www.srds.com and subscribe if you like. As a subscriber you’ll get updates quarterly.

And Google—well all you need is a web browser and Internet connection. Heck most now libraries have public access to the Internet. All’s you need is a library card.

Ok, I’m going to cover one last profit pumping strategy and I like to call it . . .

Abandonment

This sorta goes hand in hand with an earlier lesson. In that lesson I spoke about testing the elements of your marketing. You learned the importance of testing various ads, sales pitches, and elements of your marketing. And you learned by tabulating the results exactly what’s working, how well and in what medium.

After the results are in the best, highest producing message, package, ad, etc. becomes your control.

After all that work testing please don’t muck it up by abandoning it. Many companies do just that. They’ll quit running or worse change a campaign just for the sake of change.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

I promise you’ll get tired of your marketing or advertising long before your marketplace will.

The only time you should change your advertising is when a new approach or ad has out pulled your control. And you know this how . . . .? Yes, by testing! Hence another reason you should be testing your advertising!

Give your marketing campaign time to properly work. In other words allow enough time to garner all the results and complete your test.

I can’t emphasize enough how important testing is. All and I mean every top gun marketer always tests and retests the elements of their marketing campaigns.

This short article should give you fodder to chew on. Try out these ideas and put them to work on your next advertising campaign.

Warmly,

Emette E. Massey

P.S. Need help creating a promotion that pulls in cash fast? Why not give me a call? I’ll be glad to answer any questions, share a few ideas that will help grow your business! Call me at 828-757-2984. Or if you prefer send me an email at eemassey@yahoo.com There’s no cost or obligation at all!