Anyone using Trump as a Tool for their Internet Marketing Endeavors?

29 replies
Over the last year or so, in many of my emails to my List I reference Trump on numerous occasions.

For one ,I have noted that sometimes ( definitely not always) any publicity can be good publicity. ( i repeat sometimes but NOT always)

Trump has seemed to buck the trend and capitalized off this mantra. He has gotten publicity for seemingly vile and senseless remarks.

But just getting that exposure was one of many ways that he did indeed win the election.

Regardless of how despicable and inappropriate it may have been, he seemed to "connect "and resonant with a certain audience. Controversy can indeed grab attention and ultimately sell.

I think as Marketers this is an important lesson. To identify your target market and use methods that "connect" to them and to "engage" with them and strike a tune in their souls ....consequently sustaining a level of ATTENTION over giving period of time.

If you take away anything from Trump this is what you should take and implement it in your Internet
Marketing Mix

ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ATTENTION, and keeping it over a sustained period of time!
#endeavors #internet #marketing #tool #trump
  • Profile picture of the author Regional Warrior
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    • Profile picture of the author salegurus
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  • Profile picture of the author brettb
    Just be careful how you perceive things because the silent majority actually agree with Trump on a lot of things. This majority do actually get their way (e.g. Brexit) but they tend to be a lot less vocal than Trump (or his critics).
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      Personal politics aside, I've been making a killing for over two years selling his books (currently 8) and books about him on Amazon.

      In addition, appealing to this demographic will dramatically increase conversion rates for mainstream products and services.
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  • Profile picture of the author GlobalTrader
    Interesting how OP asks a marketing question and others keep wanting to bring politics into the discussion, despite all the warnings by WF about politics.

    In reply to the OP - here is a story about a young singer, Joy Villa (someone whom I had never heard of until after the Grammy's) who is doing exactly what you are asking about - capitalizing on the new President - love him, hate him, she is one smart young lady -

    Sales Skyrocket After Joy Villa Wears Pro-Trump Dress To Grammys
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    GlobalTrader

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    • Profile picture of the author discrat
      Originally Posted by GlobalTrader View Post

      Interesting how OP asks a marketing question and others keep wanting to bring politics into the discussion, despite all the warnings by WF about politics.
      Yes, I totally agree. People need to separate personal ideology from business ( at least sometimes, not always) And in this case ,love him or hate him , the man was completely BRILLIANT (with a capital B ) in his Brand and the Marketing of it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    He has gotten publicity for seemingly vile and senseless remarks.
    He knows how to play people (especially the media) like a fiddle. It's hilarious!

    If you take away anything from Trump this is what you should take
    Mis-direction can make you rich, or President of the U.S.A.
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      Originally Posted by Brent Stangel View Post

      He knows how to play people (especially the media) like a fiddle. It's hilarious!
      Serious money is being made by those who can leverage this largely emotionally-charged publicity - especially by playing forensically or provocatively on both sides of the guy and the underlying issues.
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  • Profile picture of the author samilee80
    I have seen it used over and over again on facebook and he is not the only one being used for that
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  • Profile picture of the author hardworker2013
    Well donald trump is one of the top trending name on the internet right now. The only way
    i would include his name in my internet marketing process is to drive traffic to my
    websites by using it as a tag on social media during my posts. This however does not mean
    i endorse him at all.
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  • Profile picture of the author Gary Chapple
    I'm not sure about using Trump as a selling point as it can be a double edged sword. noticed someone is doing well selling his books, great stuff. one thing people haven't picked up on............
    Trump is a social media genius, his main campaign was via social media he spent (correct me if I'm wrong) only 35% of the Clinton campaign so the ROI is the Whitehouse, so Hilary you were Trumped by a social media massacre.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    According to my news feed today, you can go viral if you post pictures of POTUS discussing classified matters at a dinner meeting at a club surrounded by people screened more for their ability to pay membership fees than national security risks. If you can tag the guy carrying the nuclear football, even better.

    Maybe a meme that shows POTUS using a phone's flash to read a classified folder - at the dinner table - and a close-up of the page with your URL on it?
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    I was recently disappointed to learn what may become the slogan of 2017 is totally covered by domain speculators....

    Nothing "available" - only "make an offer" for every single variation of

    suckitupbuttercup.com

    Use of the Trump name in emails and in online articles is nothing unique - it's almost taken over on many "news" (not really news) feeds and online articles - not to mention email subject lines. It's not smart - every time you bash Trump to your list - you risk antagonizing 1/2 of your list who don't agree with you.
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    • Profile picture of the author Sid Hale
      I, of course, agree Kay...

      Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

      every time you bash Trump to your list - you risk antagonizing 1/2 of your list who don't agree with you.
      so now all I have to do is figure out if that half is really smart enough to actually benefit from my products, and/or if sales to that half would drastically inflate my refund rate.
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    • Profile picture of the author discrat
      Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

      Use of the Trump name in emails and in online articles is nothing unique - it's almost taken over on many "news" (not really news) feeds and online articles - not to mention email subject lines. It's not smart - every time you bash Trump to your list - you risk antagonizing 1/2 of your list who don't agree with you.
      Who says you have to bash Trump in every email ? Who says you have to do it even in one email ?? Who says you can't mix it up and do a little of both or even talk more than just about Trump himself ??

      You have an option of just reporting news as it happens and give general commentary from an interesting angle on what is happening. (And right now Trump material in general , if done with creativity, gets and maintains ATTENTION !!)

      Here is then what I do : I will use what I call a Top and Bottom non-intrusive links to sell a Product that is geared to my List. ( Think P.S. type links at top and bottom of email Broadcast) But I use the Trump news ( as well as other popular news ) as fodder which enables me to write more emails ( a lot of emails ,and interesting ones) while keeping my Subs engaged and promoting products that strategically "tie" in to that Trump fodder . And it doesn't take a half page sales promotion to do so. Like I said non- intrusive links



      A few of my examples....
      I sold a lot of product a couple of weeks ago to one of my PPC Lists that had to do with 'persuasive writing that sells' and used one of Trump's own campaign writers in my email as a catalyst to selling the product with a personal success story about him and his persuasive talent in gaining Trump votes. And I talked about how this Product I was offering could essentially give my Subs more in depth details on similar strategies to this particular campaign writer that sell and promote very effectively( just like his winning campaign with Trump)

      Another email I sold a lot of PLR Product by weaving a "tie in" story around Melania Trump's speech where she copied Michelle Obama's speech a few years earlier and told my Lists they could copy excellent material and do it the ethical way, unlike Melania, with Full PLR Rights with the product I was selling. Again very effective


      The possibilities are endless and a lot of it has to do with making emotional connections. While utilizing never ending content and fodder for your emails !





      Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

      Sounds tough and macho - except the topic of our initial conversation was his complaint of "what can I do - I'm not making ANY money". For him, his list was a captive audience - not a profitable marketing list.
      For most people who have any experience in marketing, it goes without saying that a "captive audience" is not the end all be all that you should be shooting for. That's just a silly notion including your macho buddy. But there is no question that having a "captive audience" is a necessary prerequisite in the overall equation. Without having any kind of "captive audience" you will NEVER have a long term "profitable marketing list".

      Period ! End of Story !!

      Remember, NOT ALL captive audiences are profitable marketing lists BUT ALL profitable marketing lists are composed of captive audiences




      So really in the end it's about being creative. It's about being smart. It's about leveraging and harnessing the News in an interesting and many times emotional way ( also a lot of times in a non-biased way ) to connect with your Subs and ultimately sell product by weaving certain "news" stories that relate in a subtle but quite poignant way
      around that particular Product !






      P.S. Honestly, other than a slight sprinkle of creativity this is not rocket science. And this stuff not only applies to Trump but all Trending news stories as well as celebrity stories.

      Another email campaign I have had success with is a weight loss product I have sold for many years now by weaving a story around this horrendous situation of a celebrity gone wrong liposuction case. Where I tell my Subs they need to lose weight the smart way with this weight loss product and not with lethal or life changing surgery for the worse like this celebrity had.

      Like I said there is endless sources for this stuff out there.

      But always remember just because your macho buddy can't do it or you can't do it yourself...don't subscribe to that notion that says, " then other people must not be able to do it as well "
      Just ask myob and numerous other Warriors including Tom Addams and Jason the Regional Warrior who all do the same thing or similar things in a lot of their marketing. And I sell a ton of products myself utilizing it. This is nothing new or ground breaking
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      • Profile picture of the author myob
        Originally Posted by discrat View Post


        You have an option of just reporting news as it happens and give general commentary from an interesting angle on what is happening. (And right now Trump material in general , if done with creativity, gets and maintains ATTENTION !!)
        There is a large following of staunch Trump supporters who consistently eat up anything that pours out of his mouth.

        In a news conference just today, he blasted the media as being dishonest and a bunch of liars.

        After emailing to my "pro-Trump" subscribers links to the latest media reports of him "ranting and raving" about the media, traffic (and sales) spiked to near-record heights.

        The "Trump phenomena" will perhaps remain a very powerful publicity and marketing tool for years to come. The ATTENTION he draws from the media is predictably polarizing.

        Depending upon the demographics of your lists (I built separate lists specifically for pro and anti Trump), it can be almost as effective to bash him as it is to "support" his behavior.
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  • Profile picture of the author mdallen
    I think it is unwise to be so controversial as to alienate people. I think social media is best for connecting and helping people
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    It's your list - you have to decide.

    I had an in-your-face marketer tell me in December "if my list doesn't like what I have to say about Trump - I don't want them on my list".

    Sounds tough and macho - except the topic of our initial conversation was his complaint of "what can I do - I'm not making ANY money". For him, his list was a captive audience - not a profitable marketing list.

    Can you say 'duh'?

    You do what works for your audience - but know what you are doing and why.

    (like Sid does)

    Not totally relevant but so in tune with the times and I thought this was cute:
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  • Profile picture of the author DIABL0
    I stay away from politics in my business. I never talk or even make mention to who I voted for or my party. The nation is so divided and you can so easily piss off half of your current clients / prospects by doing so.

    If you are a democrat, you probably have an extreme hatred for republicans and if you are a republican, all democrats are the scum of the earth.

    However, at the same time, you can obviously use this to your advantage in your campaigns, as it is such an over the top emotional topic and can generate high response rates.
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      Originally Posted by DIABL0 View Post

      However, at the same time, you can obviously use this to your advantage in your campaigns, as it is such an over the top emotional topic and can generate high response rates.
      Exactly. ^

      From a marketing perspective, I have found that aligning campaigns with a strong slant towards your targeted market on polarizing or controversial issues can optimize conversions. Particularly in hotly competitive niches (generally the most lucrative), this edge can be razor thin.

      Evoking emotion is an extremely powerful marketing strategy. An underlying backdrop common to top marketers (including politicians and the media) is this appeal on an emotional level. People actually buy emotionally, and rationalize their actions logically.

      We've all heard that "sex sells". But so does politics, religion, humor, tragedy, catastrophe, etc. We are all almost always being played on some level by marketers, politicians, the media, etc. As we have seen firsthand in recent events, exploiting and capitalizing on emotion within controversial and polarizing issues is perhaps far more effective than any other marketing strategy.
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  • Profile picture of the author Higginbotham
    I remember seeing safelist emails for joining "The Trump Network" back in 2009, offering vitamins and such. I never did get involved with it and believe it fizzled out fairly quickly.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    Who says you have to bash Trump in every email ?
    No one said that - but it's what you initially did in this thread - mods cleaned it up and that improved the thread.

    I agree there are marketing lessons - and some marketing mistakes - to learn from both candidates and the way the parties interacted. WHY was Trump able to get such media exposure from 1-2 Twitter entries? Often because the "shocked, outraged" reaction of the opposition handed him that exposure.

    Was that an example of not knowing what he was doing in the political arena...or a very smart marketing strategy? I don't know but wouldn't it be great if your competition online kept pointing to your site - saying "look at that"?

    Remember, NOT ALL captive audiences are profitable marketing lists BUT ALL profitable marketing lists are composed of captive audiences
    Sorry, I don't agree. Those people are on your list because you provide the info/products/etc they want to know about. If you changed your approach and added off color jokes or profanity or constant bashing of people or products....your unsub rate would begin to climb. People stay on your list only as long as you maintain the balance they expect from you. You know that - it's common sense.
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    • Profile picture of the author discrat
      Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

      No one said that - but it's what you initially did in this thread - mods cleaned it up and that improved the thread.

      Nope... now you are just not being forthcoming at all. Not me. It was Jason the Regional Warrior was the one who did that . I did not change my OP at all. I just refuted Jason about talking about Trump being a total jerk saying that it did not matter that I thought Trump sucked there was still a Marketing lesson here to take advantage of and that is what I wanted to highlight and that was the purpose of my post and this Thread. Maybe your own predisposition on politics and what you thought I said or didn't say came to play in this.
      Fixed that for you


      Originally Posted by Kay King View Post




      Sorry, I don't agree. Those people are on your list because you provide the info/products/etc they want to know about. If you changed your approach and added off color jokes or profanity or constant bashing of people or products....your unsub rate would begin to climb. People stay on your list only as long as you maintain the balance they expect from you. You know that - it's common sense.
      Okay, you may not be looking at this rationally or in a different context.. For one thing, you have NO idea how I how I derive my PPC Lists and Non- MMO Niches that I apply this mostly to. Another thing if you had read what I wrote you would realize that my technique has NOT a lot to do with just joking and profanity and off color jokes. Actually very little to do with that. Again, maybe you are being presumptuous ?

      A lot of it is educational and taking news worthy material and simply using that to bring to light a point that will indeed help my audience and further give them knowledge to make smart choices in choosing a quality product i.e. the weight loss product I sell is a good example.



      Secondly, as I said before be careful about something that you can't do or you see others have not been able to do and then automatically extrapolating that to mean that no one can make it work !!

      But Miss Kay I will have to wholeheartedly agree with you that there are very important lessons in marketing here , political and conventional marketing. I think we are on the same page for the most part and either way I do value your input
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    Originally Posted by discrat View Post

    For most people who have any experience in marketing, it goes without saying that a "captive audience" is not the end all be all that you should be shooting for. That's just a silly notion including your macho buddy. But there is no question that having a "captive audience" is a necessary prerequisite in the overall equation. Without having any kind of "captive audience" you will NEVER have a long term "profitable marketing list".

    Period ! End of Story !!

    Remember, NOT ALL captive audiences are profitable marketing lists BUT ALL profitable marketing lists are composed of captive audiences
    Maybe it's just semantics, but I have to disagree with the idea of captive audiences. "Captive", to me anyway, implies "held against their will."

    People are on a permission-based list as volunteers, free to rescind that permission at any time. My job is to make rescinding that permission undesirable.
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    • Profile picture of the author discrat
      Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

      Maybe it's just semantics, but I have to disagree with the idea of captive audiences. "Captive", to me anyway, implies "held against their will."

      People are on a permission-based list as volunteers, free to rescind that permission at any time. My job is to make rescinding that permission undesirable.
      Hey John,
      I mean it as your audience being "captivated " or being "engaged" with what you have to say or offer/
      Or yourself being a very "captivating" person. Just a synonym for "engaging" and "magnetic" , imo
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by discrat View Post

        Hey John,
        I mean it as your audeince being captivated or being engaged with what you have to say or offer
        That works for me.

        I thought that might be what you were going for, but, like I said, the semantics make a difference. Especially in a forum where so many have English as a second (or more) language...

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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    I did not change my OP at all
    I didn't say you did - your second post was deleted along with two posts from others.

    I questioned whether it's possible to discuss election-type marketing with your list without going into personal politics. Some people can - some can't. Some lists tolerate or even enjoy it - some don't like it.

    I agree with much of what you say but the point remains - know your list and what that list will tolerate.

    An mlm or a few other list types may be "captive" but the average marketing email list is made up of people who will leave if they don't like what you say to them.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    This thread is a good example of how it's possible to disagree on a forum without becoming disagreeable.
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  • Profile picture of the author DGabeNJ
    Like the above poster, if you can recognize your demographics stance on his polarity, than you can likely leverage it to build trust and favorability. This will lead to more downstream revenue if handled with care
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  • Profile picture of the author ChrisBa
    I haven't used Trump but I have used Politics and other topics that people are passionate about in the past.

    Right away depending on your ads you could get an emotional response from the visitors.
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