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small_business_scope

Liars, Gurus, Swindlers in Australia

December 1st 2008 12:18

I really want to know how many of you have come across self-proclaimed investment gurus who really are full of BS... and suck naive investors in even now.

In 2001 Terry Ryder wrote this expose "Buyer Beware" about free seminars, similar to my own article "no such thing as a free lunch, or a free seminar". I can pick his first example just from the repetition "does that make sense?". Yes it's Jamie McIntyre of 21st Century Academy. ('Renting shares is easy' type palava)

Today I happened across John T Reed's indepth review of American real estate gurus. By chance I was reading about bad advice of financial advisers - and someone mentioned the site. If you liked Kiyosaki's books, you've got to read his condemning review that debunks all the lies and piffle just there to make a good read.

So who else can I get away with talking about without getting into hot water? How about that Phil Jones (NZ Richmastery, Mona Vie), does he ever quit? What about Kevin and Kathy Young of the Investors Club - good grief Charlie Brown - what a supportive club, they hold your hand right through finding a property (theirs), legals, brokerage, valuation, and get members to bring in other new faces to the sect, I mean club.

Throw it to me, Im a grown girl and I can handle it.

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Posted By: Jen Lancaster - Category: No Category

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Books - Secrets of Netrepreneurs and business owners

November 19th 2008 11:30

I still find it remarkable that people will hand over almost a hundred dollars for marketing secrets in ebook form, and yet have not looked at published books (available in Australia).

Try these:

The Secrets of Internet Entrepreneurs Exposed - for all people wanting to earn a serious income online (by Dale Beaumont, available with a cascade of great audio & video bonuses)

I HAVE READ THIS BOOK and it is absolutely the honest truth from people who have succeeded.

Maverick Marketing by Lisa Messenger

Unlike other publishing books in the market place, Maverick Marketing is one for the serious marketer. It introduces authors and publishers to a dynamic, non-traditional approach to getting their books "out there" in large quantities with creativity and success. Maverick Marketing is as much about marketing books as it is about a fully integrated branding and communications strategy. A must-read for Self-Publishers.

Click on the BOOK TITLE if you want to buy the book! P.S. I am not an Affiliate.

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Posted By: Jen Lancaster - Category: No Category

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Stories... an overlooked Marketing Secret?

November 19th 2008 11:07

We all need Stories…

From the dawn of time mankind has been telling and hearing stories. Greek epics are thought to be among the earliest lengthy stories written. Incidentally, the movie “Troy” was based loosely on Homer’s “The Iliad” narrative. Similarly, art and music are also ancient cultural pastimes of man. Stories, art and music uplift the soul and expand the imagination. Nothing much as changed in that regard.

Why are MP3 players so popular? So we can carry around and listen to a huge range of personal music, for very low cost or for nix.

Why are digital cameras so popular? So we can record our friends, family’s and our own smiling faces and places, and share the stories later. With DV cameras and editing software we can record our own mini-stories.

And the one that always baffles my man, why are daytime soaps so popular? Perhaps because they are a never-ending story about characters which viewers come to know intimately. In this imaginary world relationships are at the epicenter (and not work and money).

Everyone likes stories. With blogging or journaling, we can write our own daily stories, to express ourselves or to share. Or for the more serious set, a good ‘doco’ will take you on a path that is one perspective of a subject, with a storyteller, and is usually a story in itself. Fictional narrative, however, remains the most common form of visual entertainment today.

So, why oh why, do so many marketers and business managers decide that their product or service will sell with mere facts! Figures and features do not get our blood pumping and our minds expanding, unless we already know the direct relevance that has to our lives. The mind is a fast converter of information and the reader is constantly assessing, “blah blah, but what does all this mean to me?”

What if you bypassed this critical assessment with a good story? How many times have you started reading a column about someone’s weight loss/sob story/rags to riches, only to find out halfway through it was an advertorial? They had you till you saw the reply coupon or advertisement caption right? What if there was no obvious selling message on the page at all to jar you… yes, yes, but how does this sell the product?

Stories help to sell. Useful information helps to sell. Imagery (pretty pictures) helps to sell. So why not use all three aspects? The compelling story and picture of a person who has had their life changed by this new something draws the reader in. You list a number to call or a URL. Then once they go to your website, sign up for your newsletter or get on the phone, you can give them some useful ideas as to how your product/service can benefit their lives, and list its many applications. Infomercials have been doing it successfully for years.

What about all this talk of media convergence? PCs are no longer a work/educational tool, but used by the vast majority of home users as a home entertainment center. So the boffins that invent gadgets thought, “why not integrate the TV and movie player with the PC (or at least its entertainment uses)? Like many, I wish TV commercials didn’t exist. There is technology available now where you can record all of your favorite TV programs on a hard drive and the ads will be edited out. Scary for TV advertisers? I hope so. Except for fast-moving consumer goods, you need to have a two-way interaction, at the consumer’s convenience, in order to make a sale. Brand recognition only goes so far.

Making the most of changes to media usage doesn’t just mean advertising in a different medium (e.g. putting banner ads on the web). It means realizing that people are there for entertainment, for the story, so give ’em the story!

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Posted By: Jen Lancaster - Category: No Category

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Small Business Scope's new lease of life

November 16th 2008 02:14

Welcome to all Small Business Owners and Work from Home Operators

Jennifer from Power of Words, Australia will now be the writer at Small Business Scope. I will bring you relevant news for small business, with an emphasis on marketing. You could call me Your Marketing Coach. That is, guiding you to make the best decisions for marketing your business

[ Click here to read more ]

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