Free Gmail
What was your first email address? Mine was [email protected]. I was so happy that my first and last name was available. It helps since I was the only Hanju that I knew existed. Until…I started getting these odd emails from people that claim to know me that I didn’t know. I found out later that there’s another Hanju Lee that lives in Baltimore who had the email [email protected]. People were getting yahoo and hotmail mixed up which were two of three that existed at the time. The third one was aol.com. I ended up contacting Hanju in Baltimore to say hi. I wonder how he’s doing nowadays.
For those of us who got a start to our online presence via email, we can probably remember when gmail changed the email game. But looking back, it’s actually a pretty surprising origin story for what has become one of the biggest, most relevant and powerful companies in the world.
It didn’t start with the intuitive internet search engine to dominate all search engines (literally becoming a verb!) Their first major move was to offer something for free that people wanted and needed at the time: Free email.
Think about it…the revolution that led Google to who they are today all started with FREE.
So what’s the lesson here? Obviously, we’re not recommending you just give away your products. The key is to look deeper and have a greater appreciation for the extreme importance of what can be gained from this “free” exchange.
There’s a reason Google started with email.
Most small companies don’t think enough about building their contact list. One of the most important things a business can do for their future growth is to have a core base of subscribers and fans that they want to hear from.
That’s the brilliance of Google’s original strategy. Their “free” platform had us all lining up to GIVE THEM this valuable contact information!
Next thing you know, they had millions of users, which means millions of eyeballs on all the things that drive business in the Google ecosystem.
So the question is: what are some creative ways that you can be more intentional about capturing emails? What could you give away in exchange for that info?
No matter the size of your business, I hope this inspires you to start thinking of a strategy.
If you do it right, that free exchange could be extremely valuable.
Have a great week everyone. Talk to you next Thursday for some more insight on the power of FREE and how it can revolutionize your business.
Pick Up Line
“So… how you doin?”
If you watched the show Friends, you heard this line from Joey many times, and you saw how unsuccessful it was with the target audience.
But what if your company’s marketing is having the same effect?
As a business, we are often too worried about our own self-image, our own self-interest, and our own capabilities that we forget about what our clients really need.
The key question is you need to ask is, how ARE they doing?
Instead of looking at yourself, become a student of your client. Find out their wants, their needs, their hopes, their fears. Take the focus off you, and figure out how you can create solutions for them.
The irony of great marketing is: It’s not about you. When you do it right, you’re not trying to make yourself look good. You’re just the guide to help others achieve their goals and dreams.
It reminds me of the story that Gay Zenola MacLaren shared in her memoir, about a chance encounter with Mark Twain:
He opened the door for me himself. As we said good-bye, he put his fingers lightly under my chin and lifted my head up so that my eyes met his.
“Little girl,” he said earnestly, “keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
At BOS Media Group, we believe that’s how digital marketing should work – it’s about making others feel that they can achieve greatness.
Maybe it’s time to re-think marketing. Know your audience, position your company to serve those needs, and make them the hero.
Please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help you shine!
What Problem Are You Solving?
In my last blog, I challenged you to come up with your worst idea. Hopefully, that opened up your mind to some new creative possibilities, but as you may have noticed: bad ideas don’t just automatically become a business (with the exception of the Shakeweight, of course).
The biggest question you need to ask if you want to turn your creativity into business is:
What problem are you solving?
It sounds simple, but most people don’t know how to answer this. You might have a product or service that starts doing well, but if you don’t know why, you won’t know how to build on the success.
You should be able to state this in a few words, or as Donald Miller calls it, “a one-liner” – a sentence that connects a pain point that people experience, and how your idea could resolve it.
Take a second to think about it: Where do you see someone having a problem? How could you address it?
Whether it’s a small idea to implement in your current business or a big idea for a new business, look around – the next great innovation might be right in front of you.
And that’s where flossing comes in.
NO, this isn’t about how people want to work with BOS Media Group because of my clean teeth (although obviously, it doesn’t hurt).
This is about a principle I once heard about how to develop healthy dental hygiene: if you’re currently not in the habit of flossing regularly, start by just committing to flossing ONE TOOTH.
It sounds weird, but you might be surprised – by lowering the commitment level, it removes barriers in your mind and increases your chance of success. One tooth is so easy, we don’t mind doing another, and before you know the small changes are big.
Which brings us back to your business. Start small. Look for a problem to solve. And please, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you turn it into a business.
Worst Idea Ever
For many Americans, July is a time to appreciate our Founding Fathers and their world-changing creativity.
Obviously, I’m talking about watching Hamilton on Disney+.
This might sound weird, but the thing that stuck out the most to me is what a BAD IDEA it is. Translating a history book to Broadway through hip-hop should not work, and yet, here we are, living in Lin Manuel Miranda’s world.
I’ve had a similar thought about Pixar movies – I seriously wonder if some of their concepts were born from “What’s the absolute WORST IDEA we can think of?” (A rat in the kitchen? Trying to understand a teenager’s emotions? An elderly couple who can’t have children where one spouse dies without accomplishing their dream?) It’s like the more they corner themselves with a difficult concept, the more they’re forced to rise to meet the creative challenge – “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
This is especially important to think about at this time in history. As we continue to navigate a global pandemic and its economic impact, one thing is certain: business has changed, and it may never be the same again. How do we pivot and implement new ideas to take our business forward?
You may feel overwhelmed, but look around: what opportunities do you see? It could be in the way you’ve shifted your operation in the past few months, or in the adjustments required to work from home. Even on a personal level, pay attention to the innovative ways that you’ve managed home life, fitness, and nutrition, or online engagement – what do you see evolving around you?
At BOS Media, we believe that creativity is an infinite resource, where even the worst idea can end up opening new worlds. Our hope is that this ends up being a transformative time, as you dream big and experiment with imaginative ways to solve problems. We’d love to join you in that pursuit – please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help as you begin thinking and strategizing, and eventually as you take action to make it a reality.
In the meantime, the big question is: WHAT’S YOUR WORST IDEA? Honestly, we’d love to hear it – it really could be the gateway to your most creative work.
Why Storytelling is a Marketing Strategy
Some of the most powerful hours of television are aired during the olympics. Not only do they cover the footage of the neck-to-neck competitions and the victory celebrations, but mostly, they focus on the back stories of the featured athletes and what they’ve overcome to be the best in the world. Their stories have power. They inspire, motivate and even challenge us. These background stories also help us emotionally connect, and I often find myself rooting for someone because I feel like I know them.
Marketing is about connecting with your audience. And in order to connect with your audience, stories must be told. Here’s an example of an iphone commercial that uses this story-telling strategy to engage with the audience emotionally. Rather than highlighting the features and functions of the iphone, they simply tell a holiday story from a misunderstood teen expressing his love for the family through technology that the iphone offers. Brilliant!
Google uses the same strategy and emphasizes the importance of family rather than the product itself by showing how a father connects all of google’s technology and tools for his child.
So, what does that mean for us? We don’t have an advertising budget like Apple or Google to create engaging and beautiful videos which emotionally connect the audience to a brand. But what we do have are the stories to cultivate client loyalty and to continue to attract new clients into our business. Craft your stories and share them on your company blog, post them on social media, email blast them through your newsletter or tell them during your seminars, other marketing functions, and/or sales meetings. Also, keep in mind the following 3 types of stories that you can share to effectively gain trust and loyalty.
Your customers’ stories: Just like your own story, your client also has a story. Ask permission to share the story of how your product or service helped them overcome their challenges. These stories will attract other companies facing similar challenges, and they will more likely work with you.
Educational stories: Use stories to educate and explain concepts and strategies to your clients. Use your own personal examples or analogies. It’s what people will remember and resinate with.
Your own personal story: Tell your own personal story. Share how your company was birthed and what brought you into the industry. Share your failures and your pivotal moments of success. Be authentic and even vulnerable to really get the people to know you. They will learn to trust you as you share your experiences, failures, and life lessons along the way.
3 Ideas for Your Customer Referral Program
Pause for a moment and think of all the services you currently use in your life; your financial advisor, your dentist, your hairdresser, your house cleaning services. Chances are, you were recommend to them by someone you know. Even in your business, your IT services, the printer you use, your accountant, your creative services (wink wink), even to the coffee you drink were probably given to you as a reference from someone else, right? Studies show that 71% of online shoppers read reviews before buying. What others think about your business is important to them. Studies also show that referred customers were both more profitable and loyal than normal customers. Referred customers had a higher contribution margin, a higher retention rate and were more valuable in both the short and long run. (see the actual study published) On top of that, customers say that referrals rate #1 in the utmost importance in determining who they buy from, what they buy, and what services they hire.
We trust people who are trusted by the people we trust. Say what? Okay, I’ll say it again. We trust people who are trusted by the people we trust. We naturally seek out wisdom and experience from people we know and trust, and the more credibility that they have, the more influential they become in the decision making process. I was meeting with a potential client a few weeks ago and about half way through the meeting, I realized that our conversation was already moving towards intricate details about the project. Apparently, the decision to choose my services was already made. His comment to me was that he completely trusted the person that referred him to me and that was more than enough to make his choice. We trust people who are trusted by the people we trust.
Ninety two percent of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising.
So now knowing that referral marketing (word-of-mouth marketing) is effective and powerful, how do we implement it into our own business? Here are 3 ideas to consider.
1. Ask for it: Once you deliver the excellent services your customers expect and they recognize you as a credible, valued resource, just simply ask them in person or in email to refer you to others that need your services. It a very logical and organic next step in the relationship. Technology can also come into play by simply sending them a survey through a free service (Survey Monkey) or ask them to rate you on a third-party site such as Yelp and/or Insider Pages that combines customer reviews. Also, ask for testimonials that can be incorporated on to your website and your social media platforms.
2. Coupon it: Print coupons that show %OFF or $OFF your service and distribute a handful to your clients for them to pass on and even for their own use for their next service. Make the offer simple and easy to understand and make sure the client’s information is noted on the coupon so they can be acknowledged when the coupon is being used by a new customer.
3. Reward it: Offer an incentive that they cannot ignore: cash, gift cards, free services, a hug or a high five. Whatever it is, make it awesome. Create a simple online form for your clients to submit referral client information, and when those referrals become your paying client, pay the big reward. Here’s the online form I created to capture and to reward my clients. By the way, feel free to fill it out and recommend me; there will be a $100 CASH for your reward as your referrals contract me for website services!
