Over-Marketed in 2010 and I’m Not Going to Take It Anymore!

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010 at 5:01 am  
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Marketing Virtual Assistant 2010 will go over as the last year this virtual assistant will be over-marketed.

Email is my primary method of communication. I monitor several email Inboxes boxes, which quickly fill-up with marketing messages faster than I can hit the delete button.

Email Marketers use numerous tactics to increase their chances that I will open their email promotions. But the practice has backfired as many of these email marketing ploys have ended up in my delete box.

You see, marketing messages do not excite me anymore. It’s just too much hype.

I have been over-marketed and I am tired.

There was a time when I was motivated to read an article entitled, “9 Deadly Mistakes to Avoid…” or “Killer Marketing Methods You Can’t Afford to Pass Up” or “Smokin’ Hot Tips”.

But then EVERYONE started with ‘killer-this’ and ‘deadly-that’. By mid-year, every CD, eBook or Teleseminar was “Smokin’ Hot” and ‘Chock-full” of something or other. (I exaggerate to make a point.)

And so the thrill was gone.

Just tell it like it is.

Squeeze Pages Gone Wild

Squeeze pages or marketing pages no longer intrigue me. I once thought these sites were rather clever with their colorful fonts, lots of white space, enthusiastic text, ‘…if you click this button now you will receive direct to your Inbox, “10 Killer Tips (yep, ‘killer tips’, gag!) Which Will Make You Six Figures Richer in Six Months”.

And that was fine for a while, until I began to loathe the term ‘Six Figures’.  Nearly every email marketer was using this self-despised term which I coined as ‘snake oil’ sales promotions.

The ‘six figure’ phrase preys upon the vulnerable so it is a shady term in my marketing book

I am not saying that creating ‘six-figure’ financial goals is wrong or that making ‘six figures’ does not happen for entrepreneurs. Many, many folks have made six-figure-plus fortunes.

But the term is overused. And when the promotional verbiage is no longer a unique selling tool, the credibility factor decreases.

It would be my wish that Marketers could be truthful and use a definite, realistic dollar amount claim instead of using an imaginary, general term which conjures up nothing more in my mind than ambiguity.

But the reality is this…consumers do not want the truth. They want to believe they can make ‘six figures’. And who is to say that someone will more likely open an email that states, “Make $50 More Per Week” versus “Make Six Figures in 12 months”?

And those contentious squeeze pages!

These are Marketing Emails which contain miles and miles of text with no clickable way ‘out of the website mire’ EXCEPT to buy the product or sign-up for a newsletter loaded with more self-promoting ads.

I feel trapped when I click on a squeeze page. But I know that they are a valuable tool for Marketers and if one is to make ‘six figures’ then marketers will employ every online tactic available.

Oh, no…not another Hover Ad!

Hovering ads over text on site pages are Everywhere! My knee jerk reaction is to click the X to remove these messages.

At one time, hovering ads were ‘polite’ and clever marketing ploys. Hover ads would appear in the corner of the viewing screen and quickly fade away. Now, a hover ad comes at me as if to pop out of the screen and wrap its beady little corners around my face.

It takes several minutes to find the X to close these gigantic ads, which are ever more hidden in the background colors. Hover ads refuse to ‘go away’ quietly.

I am reminded of one instance where I clicked on an article link and was taken to a website. Without warning, an ENORMOUS pop-up ad came out at me which can only be described as ‘shocking’. It took me several minutes to find the X to close the ad that I totally forgot why I even came to that page! I did, however, find the X to close out the entire site all together so nothing was accomplished for that marketer.

As a marketing virtual assistant, I know that if a hovering message appears 100 times a day prompting one individual to sign on, this may mean another online sale for the advertiser.  But how many others are turned away with such ‘in yer face’ ads?

What’s In Your Email Subject Title?

Getting the recipient to open an email message is the most important objective in email marketing. If the receiver does not open the message, then nothing within that message will be read. So Marketers create email message titles which must insight a user to open.

But some of these marketing message titles simply border on vagueness and possible deception.

Earlier this year I read an article entitled, “Why No Business Should Be Involved In Online Social Networking”. The title was a great hook but the article was really about businesses being involved in social marketing and not necessarily social networking.  After reading the article, the difference between the two terms was not significant. Many readers voiced a negative opinion to the author about the vague title more so than the contents of the article.

This backfired for the author.

So as I begin a new work year, I surmise that reading junk email marketing will find a smaller place in my work day.

I’m watching more videos now and listening to podcasts while I work.  I am also signing on for more teleseminars and viewing more PowerPoint presentations. This is how I am receiving my marketing information and I feel more in control of how I spend my time.

Questionable Article Marketing Titles to Attract an Audience: Clever or Deceiving?

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 at 10:11 am  
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Man with sign on back that states 'kick me'I was hoodwinked.

A few weeks ago, I was fooled into reading an article entitled, “Why No Business Should Be Involved in Online Social Networking.” Roughly halfway into reading this piece, the author explains that we should stop using the term ‘social networking’. We should be using the words, ‘social marketing’ instead.

Yes, that was the gist of the article.

Based on the title, I was expecting to read why social networking was a taboo for business.

I was ‘sucked-in’ like the eleven thousand or so other readers intrigued by the same headline. (Yes, the article received eleven thousand views.)

And that type of ‘Tomfoolery’ journalism bothers me.

Interestingly, the content of this article was rather robust with a good discussion about social marketing. So it was not a complete loss once I arrived to read the piece. It was the signage on this path which led me to the article that is bothersome.

But I wondered; did the End (good content) justify the Means (crafty title)?

Fellow commentator and blogger, Judy Dunn of Cat’s Eye Marketing and I both believed that the trick title stood out ‘like a sore thumb’ prompting both of us to write our own rebutted blog entries.

Judy makes some great points in her post, On Respecting Your Readers: Headline Trickery. She writes, “A headline can generate interest without deceiving the reader. When we write with honesty, we build trust with our readers. If we break the trust, it can be more difficult to keep our audience. And if we do it over and over again, well, they may stop reading our stuff.”

The author of the ‘social networking v. social marketing’ article had a follow-up piece which I never even bothered to read. As Judy mentioned would happened; the author lost my trust because he did not deliver what his title promised.

What captivated me the most from this experience was that a majority of the article readers did not object to being lured by the misleading title. In fact, several commented that they were glad the title was misleading because the content was well-written. Some claimed they may not have even read the article if the title had not been misleading.

I did not see it that way.

Misleading advertisement is a pet peeve of mine; particularly in blog posts and articles. I spend a fair amount of valuable time reading print and online material just to keep up with current marketing topics. As with most business owners, time-wasting activities eat into profits. A well-crafted article title is as important as the content it represents. I depend upon good article titles to determine if it is worth my time to read the piece.

It is my contention that we have been deceived far too many times by some marketers that we have come to expect that trickery is an acceptable means of promotion and sales.

Consumers have become desensitized to dishonest practices.

Over time, as we have become more comfortable with questionable advertising I surmise that passivity is the only means to survive the constant barrage of ads and promotions we see each and every day. It has become ever more difficult to discern fact from fiction. As a result the marketer has a more difficult time reaching the consumer without settling for ‘shock-value’ ads or ‘misleading promotions’ in order to capture our interests.

Are consumer attentions stirred by negative marketing better than positive marketing receiving no attention at all?

Questionable and misleading article titles are like the ‘bad’ child who acts out just to get his parents’ attention.

In a 2007 New York Times article, “Anywhere the Eye Can See, It’s Likely to See an Ad“, the author writes “Yankelovich, a market research firm, estimates that a person living in a city 30 years ago saw up to 2,000 ad messages a day, compared with up to 5,000 today. About half the 4,110 people surveyed last spring by Yankelovich said they thought marketing and advertising today was out of control.”

The shear volume of media ads we view each day is overwhelming; more than the average person can handle. Filtering ads and their titles by accepting what we see is the only means to sort through the promotional mire.

As a marketing virtual assistant, article marketing is a service I provide to promote my clients’ businesses. It is not easy trying to come up with the next innovative title ‘hook’ that will allow my clients’ articles stand out from the crowd. I’m all for creativity but there is a fine line between being creative and being deceitful.

A good example of clever titling is Judy Dunn’s piece, “Swedish Cowboys and Scuba Diving Brides: 8 Reasons You Should Have a Niche.”

Judy had many click-throughs for this piece. She also gave the readers eight valid and solid reasons to have a niche. She promoted and delivered the goods.

That’s honest marketing and as a result, I have bookmarked Judy as a credible writer.

Isn’t being believable what all marketers really want?

Or do they?

Dealing with Pool Dealers: A Sopping Wet Experience

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 at 1:37 pm  
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I’ve had it with pool contractors, dealers and salesman. The entire pool buying experience has been a nightmare.

We (husband and I) have been trying to build an in-ground pool for more than a year and a half. We have exhausted nearly every dealer in our area.

Pool with Cage

What We are Looking For

I’m a virtual assistant and I work with real estate agents regularly. I did my due diligence in deciding whether the addition of a pool to our 2005 Florida home would be a valuable asset to the resale of the property. We live in a small, slightly upscale subdivision with larger lots but no amenities. Nearly every neighbor has a pool and when I calculated the potential resale value of the home (with the help of an appraiser), we would definitely gain significant value in the home as well as attract more buyers in a year-round warm-seasoned climate. Additionally, since most in-ground pools in my area are installed with a cage (fancy name, lanai) this outdoor, enclosed space becomes a value-added addition to any warm climate home. So my search for a pool quote included cage, pool and deck.

Looking for Quotes to Compare

I’m also a business owner dealing in client-VA contracts and quotes regularly. This is the 3rd home we have owned and the 2nd we built from scratch. I’m all about quotes and comparing amenities. I want to know what I am buying. However, that is not what the pool industry, from my perspective is all about. In fact, I’ve lost the interest of a number of pool contractors simply because I shop around and I question pricing.

Look at the Details

It is nearly impossible to compare quotes from one pool contractor/designer to another. If the homeowner does not know what it is that is being quoted many important quality construction details may slip by undetected. For example, I noticed one pool dealer quote included 3500 psi ShotKrete (the cement that is blown into a concrete pool after it is formed with rebar supports) while another was 4000 psi and yet another quoted 5000 psi. The higher number in the pressure per square inch (psi) ShotKrete, the denser the cement will be therefore, it will be more durable over time. This does not always mean that the 5000 psi pool contractor will charge more for denser cement either! But the 3500 psi pool quotes were often more expensive than the 5000 psi quotes. Another example in crafty pricing is the difference in handrail costs. I added a handrail to the quote, and the same pool handrail can vary in price from $150 to $350 as well. Same handrail design, same manufacturer, bigger markup. Sometimes the markup was so extravagant that it bordered on pure greed.

Our pool design request is very basic. We are not installing any pavers, fountains, planters, etc. We are planning a simple concrete deck but every single dealer I have encountered tries to sell you the extras no matter how hard (and loud) you state that this is a basic pool. It is very annoying and pushy and creates a tenuous relationship. No consumer wants to feel pressured into making a decision.

Unprofessional Behavior

Last week a pool dealer emailed me that prices were increasing April 1st and after that date the pool would cost $2000 more. The original quote was offered for less than 30 days. Most quotes are ‘good’ for one month. Abominable.

When I have asked dealers to itemize the quote, I have either been brushed off or have had to wait months for the information. They simply do not want to itemize but there is no other way to compare apples to apples. When I asked several dealers if they would modify the contract many pulled out before I could finish my sentence. For example, I wanted to add some type of safeguard clause that if the pool was not finished in a reasonable amount of time (I did not specify any timeframe) barring the rainy season (or mother nature in general) that there would be some type of penalty. I never heard from that dealer again after working with him for over 3 months on a pool design!

I Want to Know You are Paying the Subcontractors

Same dealer also did not want to add to the contract my request that I receive copies of the payment receipts made to the subcontractors. With so many pool dealers closing down due to the poor housing economy, it’s imperative that contractors pay the subs because if they are not paid, then a lien can be placed on the homeowner even though the homeowner made payment to the contractor. I never heard from this guy again. Actually, his salesman sent an email (he could not even call me) offering stale rhetoric that he was unable to reach a mutual agreement and that they terminated all negotiations. Crummy way to do business. Why not talk to me? I do not bite. In fact I wanted to develop a relationship with the dealer and build trust.

Use the Opportunity to Educate the Consumer

Being a good sales person involves educating the consumer. When potential clients question my virtual assistance per hour fee, I educate them on the benefits of working with a VA as opposed to hiring a part-time employee in-house. I show them my VA calculator. I explain that business owners do not have to pay for vacation, coffee breaks, downtime, social security, equipment or sick time. Why is it that not one of the dealers could explain to me from his perspective why my requests were being denied? Perhaps I might have understood. I am willing to listen.

References Do Help

I checked references but you know pool dealers are only going to give references for the folks that they did a good job for. (In fact it was one homeowner reference I checked out that advised me to get the paid receipts for the subcontractors.) So I take the references from other homeowners lightly. But I did listen carefully to other homeowners because sometimes a reference will say something that the dealer was not expecting the homeowner to say.  Some dealers do not use the Better Business Bureau as the fees are too expensive. That was bothersome. The only real credence I received was from the local county building permit department and the state, which is a must-check for anyone looking to build anything using a contractor.

Show Me Updated Pool Design Technology

One particular pool designer/salesman came to our home…now as I mentioned I run a virtual company and I use a laptop; this man travelled with the same. He came with a really slow Dell, and no battery so he had to hook-up in my home (not really a big problem, but I do look for updated technology) and a pool design program that he struggled to work with. He thought that creating the pool in front of us in 3-D would make us excited to sign the contract on the spot but I already knew what we wanted. I was unimpressed. I had 10 quotes and plans. He wasted our time. The computer was as slow as molasses. I could have drawn the pool faster on paper.

Another contractor sent me the plans using Microsoft Works, a program that is a pain to work in. He did not send me any pdfs or attachments. Everything had to be faxed, which is a pill as often the information I received was not dated (references need to be dated by the last few pools installed…not references from 2004 when pools were installed a plenty and construction was good). Often the faxed documents came through illegible. I was surprised at how many quotes, reference sheets, copies of workman’s comp and liability insurance were sent to potential customers either illegible or unable to open in most common document attachment software programs. Has this industry not updated its technology at all?

Pricing is All Over the Board

My last beef has to do with pricing. It was all over the board. This was a basic pool with a basic cage and deck. Nothing fancy and no extra cage supports to purchase to fit in an irregular square space. The space is simple and square. And yet, quotes for the same sized pool and cage ranged from a $1000 difference to over $5,000 difference.

I had to pick through the quotes to see what products they were offering. Some offered cartridge pool filters (be careful, replacement cartridges can be $130 or more) or diamaceous earth filters, which are less expensive to operate but are more expensive to sell. Bigger filters does not always mean better. When I mentioned my budget and what I wanted included such as Pebble Tec (colored pebbles that are blown into the ShotKrete) and a handrail, some could conveniently fit that into our budgeted price, while others charged extra. One dealer fit those items into the budget but got around that by telling us that he would dump the fill dirt into our yard (over the sod) instead of hauling that away. That was not on the quote. He only mentioned that in passing.

This is not one or two pool dealers I am referring to…this is many. Nearly all had some issue in pricing or quality or professionalism.

Buyer Beware.

Final thoughts of what I learned:

  • Most contractors do not want to deal with anyone asking too many questions. If you ask too many questions, the assumption is that the homeowner does not want to work with you.
  • If there were any questions about price, most pulled out the ‘…we have a good reputation…’ speech instead of taking the time to educate me on why their price was as stated.

 

  • Most contractors make their money from the extras so any small-time pools projects are considered insignificant. Expect to be pushed a bill of goods and stacks of slick brochures.
  • If contractors know you are working on other pool quotes, they will drop you in heartbeat.

 

  • Most homeowners do not shop around for quotes so when a dealer shows up, they expect that you will sign the contract. When I called the references, nearly every homeowner stated they did not shop for quotes. That actually surprised me.

We have one last pool contractor appointment this Friday, as I have exhausted every dealer who is still open for business in our area. I’ll follow-up this blog with a final assessment. Perhaps this pool dealer might be the one. If not, then another hot, Florida summer will be spent indoors…
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Janine Gregor

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For Sale By Owner: 5 Easy Ways To Properly Advertise a Home

Monday, March 23rd, 2009 at 11:55 pm  
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There is a lovely home in my neighborhood which recently went on the market ‘For Sale’. The problem is that one cannot read any of the details in the sign. I had my camera with me this morning, so I snapped a quick video to give folks a view of what it is that drive-bys can actually see from across the street. 

 

 

This home is poorly signed by the homeowner, no doubt. Further, the second sign located at the entrance to the home indicates, “Open House” which I find to be quite odd.  It seems that the Open House is perpetually OPEN.  Is someone there all the time to take knocks on the door from looky-loos?  I wonder.

Open House Sign

Open House Sign

 

There are several other homes available in this neighborhood and my guess is that this one will just be a drive-by…in other words…buyers will just continue to drive-by.

Even though the home is a FSBO (for sale by owner), there is so much more an owner can do to advertise simply from the front lawn.

If you have not signed on with a real estate agent (recommended by this virtual assistant!) to take advantage of all of the benefits, such as good signage, I would suggest to FSBOs to at least do this much:

1)  Place the signs closer to the street and sidewalk where people can actually view them without straining their eyes. This may mean using two signs:  one at the far end of the lawn at the property line to gain attention from folks driving one way and using a second sign in the front of the property reasonably close to the sidewalk to stand out to drive-bys who do stop.

Unable to Read the Details

2)  Buy a double-sided For Sale Sign or make your own and take into account that folks might be coming toward the property from more than one direction.

3)  Use a thick black Sharpie marker to write your home’s stats.  This homeowner used a thin Sharpie that one would need a magnifying glass to view.  People will not want to get out of their car to run over to see how much the home is priced or how many bedrooms it contains. Quality Advertisement?

 

 

 

 

4)  Create a website and post photos of the home.  Microsoft Office Live is a free hosting site with templates that can be used to create a site in just a few minutes.  Buy a domain at GoDaddy featuring the site’s address (about $7.00) and connect that address to the site. By all means, advertise that website address on the sign in a clear fashion.

5)  Make a few flyers and buy a tube at a local hardware store.  Microsoft Publisher and Word feature easy-to-use templates for making flyers.  Go to Kinkos to have them printed in quantity. 

 Janine

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