From the category archives:

Social Media

You Don’t Actually Need A Web Site

by Brendon Sinclair on February 24, 2012

You know what, you don’t actually want a web site.

A web site is just like an ad in the local newspaper or a word of mouth marketing campaign or having a business Facebook page.

It doesn’t matter that your web site is a web site.

What Your Web Site Should Be

What it needs to be is a lead or sale generating tool.

It doesn’t need to be pretty or groovy or have lots of flashy bells and whistles.

What it needs to do is generate you leads and sales.

Don’t lose sight of that.

Quick & Simple Example

We recently redid a clients site.

It looks almost exactly how it always has.

Now it gets x10 the amount of visitors it used to get.  And those visitors convert to leads and sales.

  • Same look
  • Better web site structure
  • Better content
  • Better trust indicators
  • Better demonstration of the product
  • Better sales copy
  • Better search rankings

What The Client Says

“You are a legend. I am receiving a lot of enquiries thank you!

Cheers and many thanks for all your good work.

Oh, and you’re very sexy!”

*  May have made that last line up.

Cheers,

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Marketing Is Changing – Here’s What Marketing Is Now

by Brendon Sinclair on July 11, 2011

Marketing used to be about telling your market what you offer.

Now, marketing is being so brilliant that your customers tell your market about your offer.

Your customers now do your marketing for you.

  • It’s honest.
  • It’s authentic.
  • It’s cheap.

All your business has to do is be amazing.

Cheers,

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“Purchases Have Become A Conversation….”

by Brendon Sinclair on May 9, 2011

“Purchases have become a conversation.

42 percent of 18-34 year old’s connect or share their purchases via social media.”

Some more interesting info from the write-up on the recent Search Marketing Expo Advanced, in Seattle.

Wow.  Woweeee.

Cheers,

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Social Media Tips From My 76 yo Mum (Or “We Don’t Want To Listen To Your Shit”)

by Brendon Sinclair on May 5, 2011

I’ve just done a radio interview that’s to be aired nationally later today on social media and the dangers of pouring your heart, soul and, quite often, bigotry online.Social Media Tips

As a quick overview, my main points were:

  • Social media gives everyone a voice and an audience – but sometime people should just shut the hell up.
  • Social media gives you a look at the real person – sometimes that person ain’t very attractive.
  • You can educate morons as much as you like about social media, but they’ll still be morons.

Remember, just because you have an audience doesn’t mean you should say something.

Sure, if you have something:

  • interesting,
  • informative,
  • useful or
  • entertaining to say, then say it.

But we don’t want to listen to your shit.

Best Advice For Social Media Comes From My 76 yo Mum

The best advice I can give you about social media use is what my mum told me years ago:

  • Think before you speak
  • Be careful of what you say and how you say it

(But then again, my mum also said I should wait an hour after eating before I go swimming, so what would that crazy old lady know??!)

Cheers

Brendon

Cheers,

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The Anatomy of A Sale………Almost ;o(

by Brendon Sinclair on March 22, 2011

I took a call yesterday from a conference organiser – let’s call him Dave.

Seems his speaker on Social Media at the conference pulled out at the next-to-last minute and they needed a speaker.

Fast.

A 1 hour 45 minute presentation on Social Media on Wednesday.

So it was going to be a bit of a rush to put together a decent presentation in just over a day.

Anyway, we chatted about a price and he mentioned they were speaking with 1 other potential speaker about filling the spot.

Dave’s boss would be making the final decision on the speaker.

20 minutes or so later  and Dave called me back.

His boss wanted some info on the sort of social media consulting I’d done, with an idea of the sort of clients we work with and some examples.

No problem – I sent through a detailed email and moved on.

What The Boss Really Wanted

The biggest barrier when buying anything – a pair of shoes, a speech, a banana – is the perceived sense of risk.

What the boss was really asking for was, essentially, to be reassured that I wouldn’t get up and be complete crap and make them look stupid.

Trust me - I'm a man!So my email detailed information to increase my perception as a credible expert, with associated minimal risk in buying my speech.

My email included:

  • Big name clients
  • Contact details of the CEOs of these big name client
  • Links to examples of our social media work
  • Links to articles I’ve had published on the subject
  • Along with a quick note regarding professional services social media marketing:

“Especially with professional services marketing you need to:

  • demonstrate your expertise
  • articulate a point of difference
  • connect with your market
  • provide value (high perceived value with low cost)

and social media does all this and more.”

All to demonstrate my expertise and establish my credibility.

That’s what making a sale is about – establishing trust, building your credibility and reducing the perceived sense of risk in buying from you.

Cheers

Brendon

P.S:  And in a bloody poor response to show that what I do worked, Dave called back and said they were going with the other guy!

Cheers,

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Screw The Haters – Here’s Where You Need to Focus Your Energy

by Brendon Sinclair on March 3, 2011

I just gave some advice to a client who was asking how he should respond to some negative survey responses he has received.

What advice I gave isn’t the usual advice you might get, in fact it’s probably the opposite – but it makes sense to me.

Thought it might be of interest:

Screw the Haters – Here’s Where You Need to Focus Your Energy

“Many people reckon you should focus on responding to the bad reviewers.

My thinking is the exact opposite.

Whilst you might be able to placate them and swing them back to being a bit happier, your business will much more likely grow with word of mouth referrals of delighted customers.

So I reckon:

Screw the whingers and don’t waste your time moving them from grumpy to reasonably happy.

Spend your time keeping the delighted ones delighted and building a relationship with them.
They’re way more likely to refer you business and they’re the sort of clients you want.

(Having said that, I’d respond to the bad reviews but don’t waste too much time and mental energy on them.

Sometimes shit happens and you don’t do a perfect job/their expectations are unreasonable/etc – BUT ensure that their criticisms are dealt with and that you learn what you can from them as they may have a point or 2.)”

=============

What do you think?

Good advice or rubbish?

Love to hear your thoughts.

Cheers

Brendon

Cheers,

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Don’t Let Your Bias Stop Your Success

by Brendon Sinclair on July 10, 2010

I gave someone a bit of advice today and he said “That’s gold!”

Of course it bloody is – everything that comes out of my mouth is gold!

The advice was this:

Don’t let your personal biases and opinions stop you accepting good advice or implementing good ideas.

Obnoxious Ego Maniac Whose Mum Thinks He’s Funny

I think I’m a good example of this.

A bird, a plane...no, it's Super Idiot!

  1. Oodles of people don’t like my writing style.
  2. Others think I’m an obnoxious dickhead.
  3. Some think I’m an ego maniac.
  4. A few (thank you mum and dad!) think I’m funny.
  5. One or 2 think I know what I’m talking about when it comes to marketing.

Don’t let your personal bias toward me stop you from taking on board and implementing some good advice you might find here.

After all, with:

you’ll probably find at least 1 bit of decent advice.

Cheers

Brendon

Cheers,

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Woot Monkeys Steal My Idea!

by Brendon Sinclair on July 1, 2010

Not saying Woot have stolen my idea of being silly to be different and to get noticed, but you would have to be a monkey not to notice the same philosophy. ;o)

Prize Draw For Our Client

The “Woot Sold To Amazon” Video

Brilliant stuff by Woot.

Brendon

Cheers,

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