Ten years ago, raw foods businesses were few and far between. The very fact that someone was promoting this amazing way of living was enough to make the business stand out.

But today there are many coaches, chefs, mail order companies and more. And if you’re providing holistic health services or have another type of service, you may face even more people offering something that looks like what you do.

How do you stand out and attract clients?

It’s crucial to define your “popular plus.” First you have to have something that’s a plus, something you do better than many or most people. But that distinction needs to be popular with your target audience. You may be a great singer, but if you’re offering healing bodywork, that doesn’t matter to potential clients (unless your singing during the sessions gives them a better experience!). Continue reading What “Popular Plus” Sets You Apart?

To create a communication that gets results, you have to define what results you hope to get! 

Be clear on the next step you want to achieve. Include a “call to action” that explicitly asks people to take that step.

Why isn’t it enough to heighten awareness, build interest or share knowledge? Although educating people and changing how they think can be an important part of your promotion, they’re not the end result. How often do people say they’re interested in eating raw, visiting a restaurant or having a holistic health service, but don’t do anything about it? Continue reading What Do You Want People to Do?

Part 2 of a 2 part case on lessons learned from marketing spay / neuter

Last week I talked about a Welsh carver using type style to represent the personality of the deceased on a headstone. That was an unusual example of addressing “what’s in it for me?” for clients. Now let’s turn to using type to answer “what’s in it for me” for pet owners.

Helga Schimkat of Saving Animals New Mexico approached me after my presentation at last year’s Taking Action for Animals conference on how to influence people to spay or neuter their pets. Research revealed that pet owners were concerned about the impacts of pet overpopulation, say spay / neuter as a serious matter and reject spay / neuter promotion that included humor, innuendo or cartoons. These approaches made the owners less likely to trust the organization to provide an important medical procedure for their pet. Continue reading The Right Type of Identity to Get Results: Saving Animals New Mexico

Part 1 of a 2 part case on how you can use lessons learned from marketing spay / neuter

Let’s look at how one organization investigated “what’s in it for me” for pet owners to get them to take action on spay / neuter. I’ll end this post by reviewing the lessons learned for your business.

As background, spay / neuter is critical to preventing pet overpopulation. Millions of animals must be put down in U.S. shelters each year. Other dogs and cats suffer and die in the streets.

A marketing strategy project I worked on with The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) included focus groups with pet owners to find out what communications would be most convincing for them to spay or neuter their pets. Focus groups are small gatherings conducted to learn how people think about an issue and what it would take to get them to change their behavior. Basically they’re done to hear from potential customers – in this case “customers” for spay neuter – about “what’s in it for me” from their perspective. Continue reading What’s in It for Me? Saving the Lives of Dogs and Cats

How far do you go to address your customers’ wants and needs?

At the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, I met a Welsh letter carver who provides extra special care to his clients. You see, some of his artistry graces headstones.

By interviewing relatives, he learns about the deceased. Then he creates a special lettering style that reflects that personality.

Your lettering or fonts should not only reflect your personality, but also meet the needs of your clients. Are they looking for someone fun and playful? Modern and innovative? Professional and trustworthy? Continue reading A Very Unusual Approach to “What’s In It For Me?”