The Marketing Message Blog

How to Tell a Story like a Hollywood Pro -- courtesy of Robert Rose

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If you're a marketer or online business owner, you know how hard it is to tell an engaging story about your brand or product. Not only do you need to provoke an emotion, but you need to educate and sell at the same time. If you want to understand this process, watch this wonderful video created by Robert Rose on how to do it well.

Hollywood Storytelling Video by Robert Rose

Social Media Marketing Strategy

Along the social media marketing continuum I believe we are at the point where 'Web 2.0' and 'social networks' are no longer apart from the net as a whole. 

All social media channels open a line of communication between you, your audience, colleagues and friends.  When you are creating a marketing strategy, you need to think about the response of all of these constituencies across channels.  There are people who will see you across blogs, FB, Twitter, etc. All your branding and content needs to be consistent.  Everything works together (or it doesn't).

Here are three questions you should address when building your strategy:

1. What can I contribute that will be of real value?

2. How can I share what I'm doing without a 'hard sell' ?

3. Is this channel a place I am connecting with collegues, friends or customers or some mix?  How can I make sure all these constiuencies are served?

"You Asked" Free E-course

Many of my readers have asked how to get started using my "7 Steps to Explosive Business Growth" detailed in my book.  Start here and sign up for my free e-course 

You'll see how I put the steps together to make them easy— and how they can help you shape up your business to get more revenue. 

Don't sit around asking yourself "What am I doing wrong?" Be proactive and instead ask, "What else should I be doing?"

Check out the free e-course here. And don't hesitate to post questions for me!

Free: Learn How to Create a 7-Step Action Plan for Marketing Your Book or Your Business Online

I will be the guest for the next Guerrilla Marketing Association Expert Interview with Roger C. Parker. This week's Guerrilla Marketing Association call takes place Wednesday evening, June 4.  between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM

The topic is: Learn How to Create a 7-Step Action Plan for Marketing Your Book or Your Business Online. We'll be taking questions at the end, or, submit them ahead of time as comments or emails to Roger C. Parker. (Roger@publishedandprofitable.com)

Please join us!

Book Review- Web Marketing for Small Businesses

I'm excited for you to know more about how my book can help you grow your business.  Newt Barrett, of the very successful Content Marketing Today blog, has done a thorough review of Web Marketing for Small Businesses that I hope you'll take a look at.

Newt is a consummate content marketer (say that 3 times fast) and really works hard to extract the essence of his material. He talks about what resonated for him and I hope for you as well!

Writing White Papers for Fun and Profit

As reader's of this blog know, I focus on making it easy for their customers tell their story.  One of the ways I do this, is to encourage all my clients to use white papers. 

But not the dry, boring ones that require a large pot of coffee to get through—the one's that Michael Stelzner's teleclass on "Advanced White Paper Writing Techniques" will teach you how to write. The teleclass is on August 16th and you need to sign up for it now. 

The right white paper can really make a difference.  If you want your customers to take action, you need to engage them.  Check it out.

The changing role of marketers

Check out this article in btobonline.com called Techs turn to Web 2.0 written by James M. Connolly.  It talks about a truism in online marketing, but some businesses are still missing it. "In a survey of 512 IT professionals, IDC found that 27.5% valued information from their peers more so than from any other information source."  Customers are much more interested in talking to one another about your product than talking to you.  And they want you to listen. Web 2.0 technology makes that incredibly easy.

Forget about controlling your message to the point where it doesn't seem authentic.  Tell your customer what's great about your product and listen to what they say back.  Sharing customer reviews, blogging and forums are increasingly important.  If you are afraid to hear what's wrong with your product, you'll be the only one who doesn't know.  Your customers will know and tell each other.

Lease the Good Life! No long-term commitment required!

People used to aspire to the good life as they defined it.  Conspicuous consumption ruled the day.  But no more!  Now, it's all about 'experiencing' the good life—no long-term commitment required.  You can lease the car of your dreams, rent a yacht, take trendy luxury vacations and wear all manner of designer duds on loan.

Time Magazine's, Style and Design issue, Spring 2007 reports on "The Leasing Life" by Alice Park.  This trend has been slowing making its way to a tipping point.  It's really important for small business owners to take note. 

Much has been made about storytelling for the 21st century.  Now the story becomes one that you have to not only make appealing to your customer.  You have to make it easy for the customer to tell that story to all their friends.  That means you need to change your job description.  Think about it.

Influenced any spiders lately?

I just finished Cat Seda's new book, "How to Win Sales and Infuence Spiders: Boosting Your Business & Buzz on the Web." (See required reading.)  Seda is a well-known SEO consultant and this book doesn't dissapoint.  It's not a 'techie book' so don't let that scare you. 

I particularly enjoyed the section on "Networking in Social Media."  I've been working with my clients to use Social Media Marketing to their advantage and she offers a good big picture view. 

I would distill the message to be —take an interest in what others are doing and let them know what you like.  It's easy to notice the good work of others.  For most creative and entrepreneurial types its much easier than trying to blow your own horn.  The results are usually better, too.

Tap Into the Power of Social Media

For all those interested in "Tapping into the Power of Social Media" I will be interviewed by Roger C. Parker and Jay Conrad Levinson on this Wednesday's (Feb 14, 2007) Guerrilla Marketing Association live Expert Interview. It's free! For more information, check it out here