Do Not Market *TO* People Market *FOR* People

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I write these posts for internet marketers.

I write these posts for their benefit, to help them.

Take this attitude with your internet marketing campaign; create content, products and services for their benefit, to help them, and you find that helpful marketers become successful marketers.

Human beings want help. Help them, and they buy your stuff, hire you, endorse you, promote you, invite you to guest post on their blogs, etc, etc....

The TO Crowd

Guys; you are simply identifying someone if you market *to* them.

The definition of "to":

to - identifying the person or thing affected

The reason why it's important to note the difference between "to" and "for" is because most struggling IMers just want to send a message to someone and get something (for nothing) without actually:

- helping people with a valued product or service or free content
- generously building bonds with people
- patiently serving people

The words you choose in mind and use in copy dictate the energy you vibe at and the energy you vibe at dictates how you interact with folks.

As an added bonus guys; when you market "for" people, you pinpoint/target/to them stupid quickly because you put yourself in their shoes, connecting with them instantly, knowing how and where to find these folks.

All it takes is a heavy dose of compassion, a touch of empathy and a willingness to remember that human beings are on the other end of your marketing message.

Ryan
#market #people
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve B
    Thanks Ryan ... good reminder that IM is a people business.


    Whenever I write copy in an email, make a blog post, or even when I create a sales letter, I envision that I am writing to one person sitting across the desk from me - my customer avatar - also called "the perfect customer."


    I try to think about and highlight all the ways my communication can help, guide, assist, satisfy, or instruct that one person I have in mind.


    I just focus on making one sale - to that one person across from me. I don't have to sell to a whole stadium full of people with varied interests.


    Just make the one sale. Then make another, and another, and another . . .


    The very best,


    Steve
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    Steve Browne, online business strategies, tips, guidance, and resources
    SteveBrowneDirect

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  • Profile picture of the author Wile E Coyote
    First I want to say, I get what you're trying to say here. I get that you're trying to get some of these newer folks to realize it's not all about money, and if you help people you wind up helping yourself.

    But a lot of what you're saying is nonsense in the business world.

    Originally Posted by ryanbiddulph View Post

    I write these posts for their benefit, to help them.
    Look at what you said.

    You have a "to" here.

    You write amazing books, ebooks, courses, webinars, coaching programs for new marketers so that you can guide and educate them... to get some of these guys to make a specific action

    You point out pain points in copywriting and geniunely try and fix your audience's problems TO make sales and grow your business

    You giveaway an amazing report full of value instead of a PLR report TO get optins/build trust

    You cold call or make sales calls to quickly prospect qualified leads that you can solve a pain point TO make sales.

    I read a comment of yours the other day that the OP asked about conversion optimization, a real business concept, and your reply was something like "don't focus on conversions or money, just help people.

    I'm not sure if this is a result of this PC-Culture fad that's going around, but guys seriously...

    Yes, it's a lot more about money.

    Yes, ultimately if you're not helping people, you'll go out of business

    But NO, you have to have business sense and some sort of hustle to make it out of this rut. You need a "to" to build your business up.

    Just my 2 cents and to add some discussion points


    Edit: And if you're going to argue semantics that you should still shouldn't market "to" people then I propose the following scenario:

    You sell or are an affiliate for a men's supplement. Take that product and just go out and market "for" women. Help them prosper and enjoy life. Dedicate your whole life to women and their health issues. You'll hardly (if ever) sell that supplement.

    No matter how you slice it, you need to Market TO the right audience. You need to market TO the correct people (think a bodybuilder vs an obese man in this example).

    You always "market to" with the intent of serving or solving some problem.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnVianny
    You have to spread valuable content everywhere BUT WITH MONETIZATION in the mind.

    Don't forget that you are a marketer, not a charity.

    Why people have to feel the urgency to learn how to sell from you if you're not selling anything?

    If you give everything for free, and then think how to monetize it, you create an habit for having everything for free, you will build a community of freebie seekers.
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  • Profile picture of the author boblev
    Originally Posted by ryanbiddulph View Post

    I write these posts for internet marketers.

    I write these posts for their benefit, to help them.

    Take this attitude with your internet marketing campaign; create content, products and services for their benefit, to help them, and you find that helpful marketers become successful marketers.

    Human beings want help. Help them, and they buy your stuff, hire you, endorse you, promote you, invite you to guest post on their blogs, etc, etc....

    The TO Crowd

    Guys; you are simply identifying someone if you market *to* them.

    The definition of "to":

    to - identifying the person or thing affected

    The reason why it's important to note the difference between "to" and "for" is because most struggling IMers just want to send a message to someone and get something (for nothing) without actually:

    - helping people with a valued product or service or free content
    - generously building bonds with people
    - patiently serving people

    The words you choose in mind and use in copy dictate the energy you vibe at and the energy you vibe at dictates how you interact with folks.

    As an added bonus guys; when you market "for" people, you pinpoint/target/to them stupid quickly because you put yourself in their shoes, connecting with them instantly, knowing how and where to find these folks.

    All it takes is a heavy dose of compassion, a touch of empathy and a willingness to remember that human beings are on the other end of your marketing message.

    Ryan
    It doesn't hurt to have a strong angle

    Solid social proof

    A compelling story

    A big promise

    And a call to action

    You know what we call this? Marketing.....it's something you are doing very well on the landing page you have linked in your Sig file.

    Bob
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    "The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same." Colin R. Davis

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    • Profile picture of the author OptedIn
      Originally Posted by boblev View Post

      It doesn't hurt to have a strong angle

      Solid social proof

      A compelling story

      A big promise

      And a call to action
      And a call to action that includes a "BUY BUTTON."

      The method put forth by the OP will land you in one pace - and very quickly. That place is the poor house. You're either a business or a charity?

      Helping people is great, but your help should be worth paying for. From day one! Name a business (a real business) where you get freebies up front. A small spoon of ice cream DOES NOT count.

      Did the guy who mows your lawn do it for free the first time, "To prove value?"

      Did your auto mechanic fix your brakes for fee the first time, "To build trust?"

      Did your dry cleaner do a batch of shirts for free the first time, "To create a relationship?"

      Get real people. You wonder why so few people make a living in IM. It's partially from falling for this pablum.
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      "He not busy being born, is busy dying." - Bob Dylan • "I vibe with the light-dark point. Heavy." - Words that Bob Dylan wishes he had written.

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      • Profile picture of the author boblev
        Originally Posted by OptedIn View Post

        And a call to action that includes a "BUY BUTTON."

        The method put forth by the OP will land you in one pace - and very quickly. That place is the poor house. You're either a business or a charity?

        Helping people is great, but your help should be worth paying for. From day one! Name a business (a real business) where you get freebies up front. A small spoon of ice cream DOES NOT count.

        Did the guy who mows your lawn do it for free the first time, "To prove value?"

        Did your auto mechanic fix your brakes for fee the first time, "To build trust?"

        Did your dry cleaner do a batch of shirts for free the first time, "To create a relationship?"

        Get real people. You wonder why so few people make a living in IM. It's partially from falling for this pablum.
        I get your point.

        Freebies... NO.

        Loss leaders, discounts,coupons ...Yes

        It's a means of customer acquisition.

        In the 'old days' if you wanted detailed information on a subject you took a trip to the library or your local Barnes and Nobles, found the appropriate section(s) and browsed.

        You could hold the book in your hands, thumb through it, read the teasers and perhaps sit down and read a chapter before making a 'buy' decision. Not so in todays digital environment.

        When I say provide value up front , what I'm really saying is that you must give your prospect a good reason to trust and believe that you are worth listening to and will deliver on your promises to show them how to get the result they want.

        One way to build this trust is to give away something of value,that something should only be an appetizer and NOT the full meal!

        That's the way I see it, all of Ryan's pie-in-the-sky type pep talk post are counter balanced by the actual MARKETING he does well on his destination pages.

        And I don't fault him for doing it this way, many famous authors such as Dr Wayne Dyer, Napoleon Hill, Bob Doyle have used these themes to their own benefit. Just take a look at facebook, motivational and spiritual memes are always popular.

        Bob
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        "The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same." Colin R. Davis

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        • Profile picture of the author OptedIn
          Originally Posted by boblev View Post

          I get your point
          Of course. Anyone in IM should be aware of all of that. I don't need a primer, but I appreciate your effort.

          That's the way I see it, all of Ryan's pie-in-the-sky type pep talk post are counter balanced by the actual MARKETING he does well on his destination pages.
          You've missed a lot of what he has said, which is nothing but gobbledygook and should be avoided at all costs. Do a search. I'm by no means being harsh.

          Just take a look at facebook, motivational and spiritual memes are always popular.
          Seriously??? Memes? Meh.

          Have a good day.
          Signature

          "He not busy being born, is busy dying." - Bob Dylan • "I vibe with the light-dark point. Heavy." - Words that Bob Dylan wishes he had written.

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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    There's a LOT of powerful, positive points in this thread. When I used to run Telemarketing call centres, I had a saying for them. "Some will, some won't, so what, NEXT!"



    While it's truly a numbers game, just focus on one sale at a time because you're only talking to one person at a time and if you help enough other people get what they want/need, you can have anything you want.



    I would remind staff that they should be focusing on one person and

    "selling the sizzle," not the sausage. In other words, sell the benefits, not the features.

    Just focus on one sale at a time.
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    Cheers, Laurence.
    Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

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