"Yawn", Why so much boring advice???

by 107 replies
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Is there any originality out there or is everyone just keeping it under lock and key?

I read post after post from people asking for marketing advice and I see the same worn out, unoriginal suggestions. Boring.

Come on people. Are there any out of the box thinkers out there? Or is everyone really just doing the same thing as everyone else- articles, twitter, facebook, ppc, yada, yada, yada.

How does anyone's business standout out? How many articles on weight loss can possibly work?

Has anyone read Mark Hughes' book "BuzzMarketing" ? You should.

<Removed to keep discussion on topic>

Share your out of the box ideas so we can make our internet businesses fun and stand out.
#main internet marketing discussion forum #advice #bob lovinger #boring #promotional marketing #promotions #sweepstakes #viralsweeps #yawn
  • Why not get the ball rolling seeing how you have so much experience in the field?
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    • Agreed.

      Let's see some 'out of the box' advice from you seeing as you've been there and done it.

      Constructive criticism is good... just criticism is useless.
  • Dammit! I wasted 30 secs of my life reading this thread.
  • It's not at all original to start what think
    may be controversial just to get some
    exposure for your signature.

    I'm sure there's no coincidence that the
    word sweepstakes was used in your post.

    John
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    • HaHa John nailed it.
    • The product in my signature has been the same for months and this is maybe the second time I mentioned sweepstakes or promotions in my posts.

      Don't we all speak about the topics we know about and aren't those topics usually the theme of our posts.

      I share plenty ideas. My product is out there but my motive is to open discussions about creative ideas that people have used to market. Controversy is usually the best way to open an interesting discussion.
    • It's also no coincidence that his signature talks about an "internet strategy" that's "fun and exciting."

      Same old tired MO.
    • This reply is spot on, but its also the answer to the OP's question. (not always of course, but way too often)

      He's very correct in saying that many of the threads here ARE just the same old canned responses, and thats almost always because of the old 'sig link' thing.

      This OP probably posted this thread just for the sig link exposure, but along the same lines, this thread will get umpteen worthless replies for the exact same reason.
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  • I like to use contests quite a bit but never really considered it an "out of the box" idea.

    The reason people share the same methods over and over again is because they work. Plus people that ask for advice are typically new to IM and need to start out with the basics.

    I am sure there are people out there with great marketing ideas that are making them a lot of money and are willing to share their techniques.
  • most people actually do NOT see that the real success (usually) is in using proven strategies. YES, there are some "out of the box" things also which can make money...but the "basics" are the same.

    Article Marketing, SEO, Traffic, PPC, Web2.0, keyword research etc..etc...those are principles which are known for years. No secrets. You will also notice that the majority of "make money" courses and training are exactly this...just re-iterating those basics and sell them as if it would be newly discovered secrets
  • Just because you've heard it before doesn't mean it's "boring" to everyone. If we want to get technical, I've heard your suggestion many times before, so it's not exciting to me. LOL

    The whole point of forums like this is to share ideas. If some of them are boring to you or don't interest you for whatever reason, just share ideas that do. If they interest you they'll probably interest some other people too - just maybe not everyone!

    Wendy
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    • actually, i get pretty tired of all the hype. I just want the facts.
  • This BORING stuff that you talked about is changing the lives of a lot of Internet Marketers And Even Warriors..

    Just search for the threads that says "I've made my first sale" and most of them will tell you that they did it by doing the BORING stuff..

    Ask those people who haven't earned yet if they're doing the BORING stuff and they would tell you they haven't because it's "BORING"..

    I do get your point about the constant repetition of the BORING techniques. But I don't get the point of bashing a method that's a proven money maker for those who start internet marketing..

    There are a lot of people here who can prove to you they've earned from the BORING stuff (myself included) but you're the first one I heard here earning 6 million dollars via sweepstakes..

    If that's the case then I guess you've got no more need to include "Sweepstakes" in your sig?

    Is that a promotion tactic?

    my .02

    oMar/Rapidscc
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  • I don't think I criticized anyone at all.

    I thought I did share an idea but I never said I had all the ideas. I actually want to hear some out of the box methods of marketing.

    My point is that if everyone does the exact same thing in every niche- how does that differentiate one business from the next. The basic principles obviously work, but at some point certain people are going to rise to the top of their niche and its very difficult to move them.

    We all need new ideas. I know I would certainly like to hear some.
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    • Okay, now this is a good point, and in my own experience it doesn't matter if you're using the same marketing tactics as everyone else . . . just that you put your own unique spin on them. Either your product or articles or other methods have to stand out from the crowd. It's not that the methods themselves are boring, just the way people are using them.

      But yeah, there are other more "fun" ways to market too, which I've seen plenty of examples here in people's sig lines.

      I think there are ways to personalize just about any marketing method and tailor it to fit your personality and your product(s). I've got nothing against new and exiting methods either, but why ditch the routine ones if they're working? We can have the best of both worlds!

      Wendy
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  • Most people have such a poor grasp of the basics, or at least failure to implement them, that exotic solutions are too far beyond what they need.
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    • LB,

      I think you're right but is some of the problem that they are frustrated because trying to implement the basics is crowded and noisy. Perhaps the best place to start is to do something a little different,

      I'm a big football fan and its interesting to watch some running backs take the ball and attempt to run right into the pile while others dart around the pile. I think we spend a great deal of time running into the pile.
  • Because 'boring' advice works.
  • You call that out-of-the-box thinking? (lol)
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    • You are the one that started down this road. Your OP insinuates that there are no good ideas to find here at the Warrior Forum and that you can find no out-of-the-box thinkers. You called us all boring. Then, the only example of out-of-the-box thinking you could give just so happened to be directly related to a product in your sig.

      Now, maybe you didn't mean to come across that way...we've all written things that read differently than we were thinking.

      I think you should re-read your OP with an objective viewpoint and maybe you will see why you are getting replies such as this.

      Actually, this topic has the potential to be quite interesting and even "not so boring." But, your OP reads like an attack and a promo for your sig which is distracting from a potentially good thread.
      • [2] replies
  • BuzzMarketing is not a new concept either (I believe Purple Cow, written by seth godin is older and so is all the guerrilla marketing stuff by Trout and Ries). It has simply been "rehashed" as some would say. I think the point that comes floating out is that you can use "traditional" methods and simply give them your own flavour, wether it be renaming the concepts to make them easier or more exciting to explain, adding a twist of your own trial and error learned stuff or simply listening to what other people have to say. God gave us two ears and only one mouth as my granny says.

    In my personal case I can tell you that I was a believer in IM. Not a marketer, a believer. I believed it could be done even without having ever seen a penny. Imagine when i received my first Clickbank check ( a grand total of 151.08 dollar, yet probably the most important payment I will ever receive in my life, you all know why).

    I am now working on my second payment check ( I spent triple the amount I earned to ge tthe first one so there is a lot of tweaking to do) adn I can tell you that at times I don't know where to start, just form the traditional stuff and what i have learnt along the way.

    Now if you want my .02 on personal tricks I am now investigating what is commonly known as arbitrage, but applied to things it has not been applied previously. The idea came from seeing one of those ads about the "NEW THING" CPA arbitrage, which the ad touted as Adsense arbitrage all over again. That obviously kept me thinking, what else can be arbitrage brought into?

    So if you want new stuff, as I said before, look at all your "old" stuff and see if there is a place or situation in which it has not been used or tested yet and see if you can make it work. I believe the name of the concept is INNOVATION.
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    • I don't think its important whether or not something is a new concept, it's the approach within the concept. Of course buzz marketing has been done, but there are infinite methods of using buzz marketing. The idea of creating conversation is old but the ways of doing it can be new. That is true with all the methods we know about. They can be used in a fresh way.
  • One should "master the box" before venturing outside of it....thus the repetition in questions & answers...

    It's said that people take as much as 7x or more to see an offer before they act on it...
    Maybe it's the same on advice here...
  • Exactly my point. I think you just answered your own question. he only thing left to see after that is rewording the question into:

    In which ways have you guys taken the run-of-the-mill techniques and given them your own unique twist? could you please provide any examples at all?

    Which will probably elicit a better response, simply because everyone seems so burnt out of the controversial approach. If you dont believe me, go to the forums in homeworking, where you ar enot even allowed to post an URL, even if it's google.com because it is seen as spamming, self promotion, etc, etc,etc.

    I hope my limited input is of any help to others.

  • I believe the answers you seek lie within the WSO section. That's where people are 'selling' the 'out of the box, creative strategies.'

    In the main discussion, we tend to give the 'basics' because without them, no strategy will sustain longevity.


    Marcus
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    • I'll take boring advice that makes me an additional 10K a month anytime.

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  • Hey thanks for the thread. I liked how you put it; it was refreshing and entertaining. "Yawn", hehe. I hope some originality comes out of this thread.


  • Simple: You have to have the basic before you do anything else. You truly have to understand what it is you want to accomplish. Once you've set up that site, written that article, done a PPC campaign, you can see the results, see where your strength is, and outsource the rest. But a good understanding is paramount.
  • Since nobody is playing nice, I thought I would join the game and share a "Not So Boring" marketing strategy:

    Let the hackers/warez pirates promote your product(s) for you to create insane viral buzz.

    Having read many, many threads where people are complaining that their product is being given away, shared on warez sites, torrent sites, etc, basically being shared virally...I thought I would share this special trick.

    Is your product being distributed illegally? THAT'S GREAT!
    Here's what you should do... exploit this free viral traffic.

    Illegal Warez Download Web Sites are the ultimate social networking sharing sites that have been around since the beginning of the internet, so why mess with success? With these techniques you can harness the heart of the internet... stealing good shit!

    But why you ask should I let all of the BlueFartters steal my good shit? Well, it's painfully plain and simple, EXPOSURE!

    You know how quickly viral videos get around the world and are shared automatically throughout the web community without the author doing any marketing whatsoever? Well, hacked software is shared just as much, if not much more than viral videos.

    If you are selling a digital product on the Internet, THE SECRET IS : Release your previous version(s) to the hacker / warez community and let them promote your product for you, to the entire world, very quickly, thus opening the door to upsell everyone that has an illegal copy of your previous version product, to upgrade to your current version.

    Submit your old versions to warez sites... people will try out your old version and if they like, will pay to register your newest version with all the latest 'security' bugs fixed! Not to mention they will be scared to use your hacked product on a public website registered in their name... can you say lawsuit?

    If your product is worth sharing, and people risk doing something illegally to share your product, that should give you a hint that you have a solid product that many people want to get their hands on, by paying for it, or stealing it.

    Another trick is to put a high ticket price point on your product, like $997, then somehow, (I'll leave that up to you to be creative) leak your $997 product on the torrent sites... people love to steal/share valuable products.

    I'm sure you have experience submitting your url to search engines, or submitting your product details to script directories, so it's just the same submitting your (old) product (with your company details and url) to warez sites. Just to a search for warez and look for "Submit Warez" and enter the details and download link to your old version and presto... you are on the fast track to viral success! Simply repeat the process with every warez site you can find that allows you to submit your software, rinse and repeat!
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  • Here's another not so boring viral marketing/traffic tip:

    Step #1.) Create a slick looking WordPress theme (or take your pick on your favorite CMS, blog, forum, osCommerce, etc... any app that has a theme based system), add your backlink to the footer, and distribute.

    That's it... no step 2 or nothin...

    If you don't have the graphic design/html/php skills to do this, well, simply outsource it.

    I still have decent traffic from many PHP-Nuke themes, Post-Nuke themes, and Xoops themes I created back in the day... STILL getting decent traffic from them, 3-4 years later.

    Please, someone kick me in the arse so I get to work creating new themes for WP, and all the other apps out there... I keep kicking my own self in the arse for not creating more themes for all the different apps out there...

    It's truly a viral-traffic gold-mine.

    - Jared

    Edit:

    Here is a list of sites where you can submit your WordPress themes:

    Wpdesigner
    Wordpress Theme Viewer
    Weblogs Tools Collection
    Wordpress Theme Codex
    JohnTp Wordpress Blog
    Blogflux
    ThemesBase
    BloggingThemes
    Wpskins
    Wordpress Theme Forum
    Fresheezy
    EmilyRobbins Blog
    WpSnap
    WpThemesFree
    Blogging Themes
    Wordpress Wow
    Wordpress Theme Base
    Free Wordpress Themes
    iThemes
    Rock-Kitty Themes
    Web2Feel
    Themes-wp
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    • @ Jared - KICK
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  • @ David,

    Yea, people can remove the link fairly easily, but in my experiences, the majority of them simply don't. That's work ya know... opening up a file, editing, saving... lol... not to mention the fact that many many people don't even know how to remove the link

    If you are worried about them removing your link, you can always encrypt your footer code. (can't think of the exact software I have used, but there are plenty out there).

    .jrd
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    • @ Jared

      Well, when it comes to the theme (pardon the pun) of this thread, your idea really fits the bill!

      Seems like an untapped goldmine of backlinks, if people like your theme and use it....

      Makes me wonder if that's the reason why people develop free themes to give away...

      In your experience, once you publish your theme are you done, or is there support w-o-r-k you *have to* offer as a theme developer?

      Again, your ideas are always so cool (seriously, no brown-nosing here ) THANKS!
      David
  • @ David

    I don't create & give away free themes (or free anything) for no reason... I love backlinks, PR and traffic!

    As for support, in my experiences many people have emailed me asking for little tweaks/adjustments... like:

    "Hi, I'm using your free theme and I really like it, but I was wondering how much you would charge to change the blue to red, and adding my logo to the header?"

    Simple things like this, and they are more than willing to pay for your time. They already have a bond with you, since you gave them something free that they like, this stimulates the "reciprocation" emotion. If someone gives you something free, it's just human nature to feel obligated to give something back.

    .jrd
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    • @ Jared

      Dude (hey, I grew up on the beaches of So Cal, so it's allowed) you simply ROCK!

      Thanks!
      David
      PS: I just grabbed your RSS feed from your blog, I'll be watching hehehe!
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  • 1.Pay a stripper to put a tattoo of your url on one breast and your company slogan on the other.

    2.Write a jingle for your company and have the ice cream truck play your "song".

    3.Hire kids to graffiti your message.

    4.Hire a homeless person to wave your sign on the corner. Sign says you helped them make money.

    5.Change your name to your url.

    6.Name your dog your company and every night wander the streets calling for him.

    7.Start your own church and preach your marketing message.

    8.Bribe a local politician to create a special day in honor of your business.

    9.Take over a small nation and change it's name to your company name.

    10.Get caught stealing your own book from Barnes and Noble.
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    • Matthew,

      These are obviously tongue in cheek, but some of these are not actually half bad. They are certainly out of the box and would garner attention.
      • [1] reply
    • Done.

      (Actually, I named my company after my dog - but let's not split hairs!)
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    • Now how did we know this was coming ? :-)

      Actually got me to thinking about a combination of 1 and 4 .... if I can just find that homeless stripper
  • Actually, the main theme behind the book that inspired this post is that the website/company half.com got a town to change their name to Half.com and that catapulted the company from zero to 1 million registered users in, I believe, one year.
  • That's ok, I didn't know that I was boring either. Oh well, I guess I get what I reap.
  • Lock and key, of course. If I had anything that new and exciting I certainly wouldn't repeat it so that everyone else can repeat it!
  • Well one that I have noticed is that soooooo many people do not take the time to be unique and stand out from everyone else. It is very easy to do, but the problem with people is that we are all naturally lazy (or at least a lot of us Americans lol) We don't like to do a lot of work, so when somebody has great advice and tell us to "do it like this", everyone does the same thing without trying to unique. Its not hard to do, just take some extra to think about how you stand out/be unique. in other words, just be you!
  • Have you thought that folks may be giving the same advice because it actually works for them. (Now there's a radical thought for ya)

    Kim

  • [DELETED]
  • Ok again, if you read the thread you will see that this has been covered, but the purpose of the post was to provoke some ideas and there have been some very good ones. I am not critical of internet marketing or the people in this forum.

    Granted, obviously there is a reason for doing the things people do, but even within that, it would be helpful to have ideas that made us stick out.

    Why is Perez Hilton off the charts when another blogger that is just as busy only a small fraction of the traffic. There are things that can be done to make a difference.

    And I'm not the expert in originality so I would offer my list if I had one and will produce if ideas come up. But others have stepped up and produced some intriguing ideas.
  • I mentioned the Naked Cowboy in an earlier post.

    We can all take a lesson from him as a marketer. The TV news programs are all featuring him because he announced that he is running for mayor.

    This guy figured out how to stand out in a crowd and all he had to do was perform wearing only underwear and a cowboy hat.
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    • And you mentioned perez hilton and one other person in the ENTERTAINMENT industry (can't recall who at this exact moment... a bigger name... ) and in THAT industry, getting noticed is mandatory.

      I grew up here in L.A., and had several bands contending for contracts back in the day, so I know what you're talking about - look at KISS, love 'em or hate 'em they were pretty far outside the box. They got noticed, that's for sure.

      So here's the thing, all your examples are entertainment industry-based, where standing out from the crowd is practically mandatory, or you're moving back to the farm or family business or waiting tables 'cause you're not makin' it in THIS town...

      Sure, we can extrapolate conceptually from entertainment industry examples and "sticking out, being outside the box" and all that, but don't you think using entertainment industry examples are more metaphorical than literal?

      I do.

      I mean, sure, if you appear in the media and create a bunch of controversy, act like a nut, or use outlandish methods to gain attention and traffic, maybe your site will get a zillion visitors a day, I get it... but again, I don't think entertainment industry examples are anything more than a metaphor, don't you?

      David
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  • I have to agree with David (Justawizard #71 )on this one.

    Entertainment is not a typical business and what is tolerated in that industry does not carry over to most other niches.

    When you mention Frank Kern you should realize that the IM niche is close to the entertainment biz in that most people buy a product based on the person or "celeberty".

    The way people line up to get on Frank's waiting list for upcoming product launches is very similar to upcoming movies.

    Selling traditional products require that you present yourself in a business like manner or you are viewed as suspect and lacking the credentials for the business.

    If Madonna gets arrested outside of a nightclub she can sell more albums but I won't sell more shoes if I get busted.

    The way to make yourself stand out is with a USP (Unique Selling Proposition / Point ) not negative publicity.

    Burger King might let you "have it your way" which lets them compete with McDonalds but if any of their CEOs got busted for something it would not translate to more sales.

    Matt
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    • Matt,

      With all due respect, I think your looking at this with very narrow lenses. Perhaps the entertainment examples are a distraction, but the end result for success in any niche has to be differentiation.

      I don't know the history of Burger King but somewhere along the line they must have done things out of the box. They somehow convinced the mass public that they were better than the next guy. I loved Jack in the Box growing up and in my recollection, they were about the same size. Why is Jack in the Box all but extinct now.

      We think Frank Kern is a celebrity because we follow this industry and he is well known. Many many years ago my wife was a Tuppleware dealer and there were "Frank Kerns'" among these distributors of plastic containers. All the dealers knew who they were and when they walked into a room they were swamped with followers.

      I'm not saying you can't make a living without becoming a star (it doesn't have to be you personally, it could be a product or brand) in your niche, but to truly have long reaching success, you do.

      Bob
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  • Jared gave great advice. But all the things you mentioned work online. The internet is just another medium.

    Press releases are not out of the box per se, but what you say in a press release can. In the past I used online press releases with great success and will use them again. The search engines loved them and I received traffic for 7 months after issuing it.

    But you see, the technique doesn't have to be out of the box, but the content and approach can.

    According to Alexa, Consumerist is the top financial blog. There are a ton of financial blogs out there. What makes them the top financial blog? One thing I do notice is that they have 906,000 inbound links, way more than anyone else in that niche. The 10th most popular financial blog has 112,000 inbound links. Perhaps there was an out of the box approach for getting those links.

    Getting backlinks, not out of the box, but getting multiple times the nearest competitor...
  • If someone has a revolutionary method of making money, the last thing they are going to do is share it for free on a public forum. Nor should you expect them to do so.
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    • I suppose, but this forum seems to be very open.
  • Bob, when talking about people and charisma, I don't think I would want to base my company on personality and charisma.

    People fall for certain types at certain times in their lives and then fall out of it after a while. People are going to get tired of the personality of the month and move on to the next trend.

    I would rather have a slow managed growth than have a huge splash on the scene and never know when the bubble was going to burst.

    Trends burn out.

    Good branding stays on even after a negative experience.
    Branding usually comes from the same old tried and true "boring" conservative methods that appeal to the middle.

    Matt

    Yeah Exrat is clever too. You have to watch out that he doesn't edit his blog comments to make it look like he won the discussion.

    Just kidding Roger. Don't head over and edit them now to make me look dumber than I am
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    • Matt,

      Your absolutely right and it doesn't have to be about that. I'm not sure that I could tell you who the CEO of Zappos is ( I have read about him a number of times but I forget), but the brand has created that "it thing" on its own.

      I personally have no desire to create a persona. I would much rather my product or brand be well known. I don't think I have what it takes to be a personality, but I know that I can develop products that stick because I have done it before.

      Bob
  • By the way Matt, there are examples of that in this industry.

    Wordpress is arguable one of the top brands thrown around in our industry. I don't know who the CEO is (though again, I just read an article about him). Same thing with XSitePro.

    What di Wordpress do to outlast Blogger even though Blogger had far more clout behind it?
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    • They made a better product.

      Good old fashioned marketing. Think about it. Can you recall any big trendy entrance into the blogging world? No.

      Better product and a JV with HostGator and other comapnies that could use a free install of Wordpress.

      Blogger would have done better if they had just stuck with Google Blog.
      How many people knew that Google owned Blogger until they signed up?
      I think that they blew their opportunity to use their brand and gave someone else, in this case Wordpress, an opening.
      • [1] reply
  • Gee I have this killer idea... I think I'll share it so that I can saturate the market and destroy all possibility of earning from it.

    Who does that?

    And if this kinda put me to sleep... but I just put in my two cents so now I'm off to read more "boring" posts.

    Occasionally I learn something even from Boring People.
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    • Go ahead and spill the beans. I'll help you saturate it. No prob.
  • [DELETED]
  • Banned
    [DELETED]
  • Well, this was fun (I mean painful). I'm going to pack up now and go give some boring advice elsewhere on the forum.
    • [2] replies
    • Get some lookers from the local Maid Cafe as Danny Choo shows below.
      I guess in some countries you'd get Tazed for less these days.

      YouTube - Tokyo Dance Trooper
    • You're right, I couldn't resist reading new posts.

      I don't think I screwed up. Anything that gets people to open up and share is good for a forum. This obviously hit a nerve and that's probably a good thing.

      I also don't think that my title was a blanket insult. As has been pointed out a number of times, boring is good. There are true and tried systems that work in IM and maybe that is the lesson. But maybe we can work on putting a twist on those methods.

      And frankly. I don't judge the people that give advice. Who knows what anyone really makes. I don't know who is rich and who is poor. We probably should all take the advice for what its worth and judge it accordingly.

      A number of people have indicated their unwillingness to share "secrets". I certainly understand that, but as we all know, secrets don't stay secrets that long. And there is probably a compromise in that position. Maybe there is a way of sharing new approaches without giving away too much.

      I don't know. As I've said before, there are people smarter than me. I threw this out there because the subject intrigued me and I learned a great deal.
  • In case you haven't do so, read every possible posts by this guy, Jack Duncan. He is the 'out of the box' guy you were searching for.
  • My aunt was a millionaire - did so well in Tupperware that her husband quit his job and joined her. She was one of those pioneers when it was a fairly new concept. She loved the product. She used the product. She loved to talk, she loved to cook, and she loved to sell. You will find people that are like that in any business - they are charismatic, believable, likable and you just want to be around them. Now we if could bottle that formula, we'd certainly be wealthy.
    • [2] replies
    • Hi Treece,

      I have a tupperware bottle designed specifically for that purpose. See sig

      Hi BobSedge,

      I thought of this thread while 'advising' this person in this thread

      Less boring?
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
    • Treece,

      Great story. I bet she was a celebrity in her circle. Tupperware is a great product. I guess as a guy, I had a tougher time getting than some. The hoopla over plastic containers just didn't hit home with me.

      Oh well, we all have that thing that stirs us.

      Bob
  • Surely its not just about hearing or reading, its about doing? You can be bored reading the same old stuff, ut if you don't follow through on it then you could be missing out?
  • Hmmm....

    The Goal: To expand REACH via marketing methods that aren't BORING to BUYERS!

    Concept: Utilize Blog,Twitter & YouTube to publicly address customer service issues with product/service within a timely, professional and helpful manner.

    Benefits:

    - Real Time (or near real time within given support hours) support of post sale/pre-sale product.
    - Increased confidence in prospective buyers and confirmed buyers via public customer service within a very timely manner.
    - User generated content - improving SEO reach & viral capabilities within the blogosphere.
    - Supports open communication between seller/buyers/prospective buyer.
    - Puts the product seller "front and center" instead of hiding behind the product = good PR
    - Terrific place for buyers to share their experiences with the product = REAL testimonials.
    - Prospects can see if "they too" can have success with the product via public, peer-based testimony.
    - No more LOST? help desk support tickets

    Here's a VERY PROFOUND USP statement by Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh:

    How I Did It: Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com, How I Did It Article - Inc. Article

    I'd rather spend money on things that improve the customer experience than on marketing. We run the warehouse 24-7--it's not very cheap or efficient, but it allows us to get the shoes out more quickly. We have a 365-day return policy with free shipping both ways.

    Will this concept satisfy our goal?

    Amazon.com buying shoe seller Zappos for $928 million - Reuters - Latest Business News - Portfolio.com

    Final comment by Zappos CEO:

    The true power behind this marketing approach is in utilizing the customer experience with the product rather than the product itself .

    The product by itself is meaningless to those who don't have it yet regardless of the best copy ever written.

    The publicly documented customer experience paired with an ever growing "community" of raving evangelistic fans of the product who will subconsciously sell the product (directly or indirectly) to those who haven't bought yet is... PRICELESS!

    'nuff said.

    P.S. Please steal this idea so I'll know which products/sellers to AVOID that aren't transperent to the public!

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    • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • [1] reply
    • Hi Clark,

      That was a great post.

      Hi Bob,

      I bolded the one sentence. I think that they (and sometimes we) forget just how difficult it can be. For example - yes there are hundreds of blueprints and guides out there, but we can't read them all, and in comparison to the offline world, there is a distinct lack of realistic, working blueprints for succeeding online - because it's impossible.

      Most of it is uncharted territory and there is no real consistency - when things change, the changes are dramatic. If you can survive and prosper in the online world, with your integrity and sanity intact, you can probably do anything you desire - well!

      When something breaks down and there's nobody that knows the answer, and you've just got to go into hand-to-hand combat with technology that daunts you to save part of your business - it's a lonely place, but you come out of the other side with something really valuable.
      • [1] reply
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