Archive for April, 2009

23rd April
2009
written by andrew

I have just found an interesting new twitter client that I think I will give a go. It goes by the name of spreadtweet. It is designed to be used at work and hide the fact you are “wasting time” on twitter rather than working.

I am fortunate enough that I work in an environment where having twitter open is acceptable and in some instances encouraged. However I know this tool will come in handy for many of you out there that are not so fortunate.

The question is, will it make you less productive? Let me know what you think.

http://www.elliottkember.com/spreadtweet.html

spreadtweet image

spreadtweet image

8th April
2009
written by andrew

In the last two blog posts I have discussed how you should change your marketing copy to appeal to different colors or temperaments. This week, you will have the opportunity to find out what color you are. I attempted to find a Real Colors test that you could do, however these tests are not available online.

However, in flew Anita Graham to the rescue. Anita told me that Real Colors, whose material we used for the test that I took at work; do not allow their system to be used online. I think that is a big mistake, but it is their business, not mine. So Anita, gave me the link to a competitors web site. While the system is set up differently, a number of people have tried it and it gave the same result that was given, by Real Colors. I have also been asked by Anita to refer to it as marketing to temperaments rather than just colors. This is technically the correct way in which to refer to what I am doing. So I apologize now if I slip back into my old ways of talking about marketing to colors :)

I was surprised by the high number of people who expressed an interest to me either by email, in the comments or via twitter about finding out what their temperament or color is. Aside from knowing what communication styles you react to in a marketing situation, it is also a good test to perform in a company setting. This can help you understand how to communicate internally.

In fact, if I was an agency, I would send this test out to my clients and ask them to take it. Then you would be in a powerful position when writing your reports and even trying to upsell.

So here it is, the long awaited test:

http://www.insightlearning.com/Home.asp

Click on the testing center link and then the top test which is free. It should take roughly 10 mins to complete.

What did you think of this test? Come back and let me know.

Next week I am going to review the results of my blog readers, and compare them to the national average. Until next week, have a good time and thank you for reading.

2nd April
2009
written by andrew

Welcome back to my Marketing to Colors series of blog posts.

Last week I discussed how you should talk to colors in your marketing pieces and how each color reacts differently to what you say. So this week, I have decided to look at a fictional product “Widget x” and write some copy that would appeal to a Blue, an Orange, a Green and a Gold.

So lets get started:

Blue:

How do you feel on Valentines day, when your wife looks at your gifts and says “It’s ok dear. Its the thought that counts.”? Well no longer, Widget X will make her feel like the Queen she is. Not only will it be a present she loves, buying Widget X, will make her life so much easier because ………

Orange:

Are you looking for the next opportunity to become your own boss?

Can you imagine a product that will make you rich?

Widget X is the product for you; not only is it made of the finest materials and commands the best resale value of any waterless cookware, as a Widget Seller representative, you get it at wholesale value.

People spend tens of millions of dollars on such products each week, get your share today!!

Green:

How much money do you spend a month on groceries? $300? $500?

What if I could show you a way to save up to 50% of your grocery bill each month, would that be worth an investment?

Well, Widget X can do more than that. Due to its waterless cooking system, you get less shrinkage in your food and you retain more nutrients. Both of these excellent benefits of Widget X can save you up to 50% of your grocery bill and also help save on your utilities.

According to research done by the “Independent Research Company” cooking your food any other way can cost you more money and give you less health benefits. Widget X helps you retain your money and your health.

Insert a Pie Chart of graph illustrating how much better Widget X is than its competitors.

Gold:

Widget X can help you save money in four ways:

  • Reduce the amount of groceries you need to buy
  • Retain all of the nutrients in your food, so you eat less
  • Use less energy to cook your food
  • With a lifetime warranty, you will NEVER have to buy another set of cookware

So order your widget X today!

As you can see, there are four different approaches to sell the same product. last week we had a comment from Shannon. Asking how you can know whether your customer is a Blue, Orange, Green or Gold. Without giving each individual customer a psychological evaluation, it is hard to know. My advice is to combine all four approaches into one letter or marketing piece. Each of us can be a different color at any given time. In fact, it can even change as you get older.So, trying to analyze and determine what would work for individual colors would be a long and arduous process that may not be fruitful.

Are you wondering what color you are? Well check back next week for a marketing colors test.

Do you have any comments? Let me know in the comments section  below. Until next time, enjoy yourself and thank you for reading.