CHAPTER 4CHAPTER 4

It’s Not All About You. Or Is It?It’s Not All About You. Or Is It?

The Most Powerful Marketing Tactic (per Google)The Most Powerful Marketing Tactic (per Google)

by Dan Kennedy

An age-old copywriting secret is to “enter the conversation already happening in your prospect’s mind.” One of the easiest ways to do this is to look at what everyone is talking about.

According to USA Today, Google reported the top three trending searches for 2014 were for Robin Williams following his passing, Kim Kardashian’s wedding to Kanye West, and Jared Leto.

Yahoo! reported the top obsessions for 2013 included Miley Cyrus “twerking,” Duck Dynasty, the casting of Fifty Shades of Grey, and The Walking Dead.

The popularity of these searches indicates what is on your prospect’s mind. Obviously they are celebrity-related. People love celebrities. They’re obsessed with them.

A single celebrity death will often trump media coverage over anything else, even if the reality of other news is far more staggering.

People are fascinated by celebrities, and that trend isn’t going to change. It’s only growing. And, inexplicably, people confuse celebrity with credibility.

This is good news for smart marketers.

Every year billions of dollars are spent on celebrity endorsements. People will buy whatever celebrities eat, drink, wear, and drive. They want to know what celebrities do, where they shop, live, and do business. Tap into celebrity and you have access to the most powerful marketing force available.

It’s easier to do than you think.

If you do business on a local level, it’s relatively easy and inexpensive to become a local celebrity. If you do business nationally but in a niche market, it’s also relatively inexpensive.

Make yourself famous by writing articles and books, giving lectures, and being active in industry and community affairs. Feature yourself in your advertising, videos and webinars, and social media networks. Get interviewed on radio and TV, and post the files on your website.

It’s worth noting that, these days, the lines between PR, public relations, and paid, commercial advertising as a means of creating celebrity status are blurred.

When entertainment TV reporter Leeza Gibbons interviewed and profiled motivational speaker Tony Robbins in an infomercial was that as good as being on the TV show, Entertainment Tonight? Yes. In some respects it was even better—because this suggests strategy.

If you could get three-time NFL Super Bowl Champion Emmitt Smith to appear in one of your ads, do you think it would get more attention than an ad without a celebrity?

Using advertorials in newspapers and magazines, paid radio and/or TV time, self-published books, and social media networks, you can do the same thing you once only accomplished through publicity and public relations. Not to mention you can exert complete control over the process, unlike live interviews where you are at the host’s mercy.

Whether you hire celebrity endorsers or transform yourself into a celebrity, you want to create a connection between your product and service. Celebrity is undeniably one of the most powerful tools in your marketing toolbox.

This draws attention, enhances the buying decision, and increases the loyalty of your consumers. Plus it increases credibility.

One of the smartest moves you can make is to capitalize on the growing trend of celebrity fascination. Build your own celebrity or connect with others to form an association between them and your business.

How to Create Celebrity Status Through FacebookHow to Create Celebrity Status Through Facebook

by Kim Walsh-Phillips

When Jon and Kate Plus 8 broke apart as a show and a marriage, Kate Gosselin was completely reworked as a brand. (I only watched about 12 minutes of the show before I was filled with anxiety and boredom at the same time, but I am apparently in the minority.)

She dressed hipper and more flatteringly, got long locks, and appeared less “bossy” in TV appearances. Her handlers gave her a new look and a new personality.

She landed spots on Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Apprentice and still has her TLC show, Kate Plus 8.

Jon Gosselin did not receive a makeover. Not in personality, work ethic, public relations skills, or appearance.

According to US Weekly, “Jon Gosselin, 37, had been evicted from his home in rural Pennsylvania after he was unable to maintain payments to rent the property.” The former reality star was employed by a credit card company, which “lasted a few months.” Seems as though Kate’s rebranding was worth it, at least publicly.

Kate’s branding focused on a return on investment of continued income. (And to be fair, she didn’t pay for most of it. It was part of a TLC special.) Investing in branding makes sense, when it is tied directly to measurable results.

A few iterations ago, my firm, Elite Digital Group, did a lot of work in the Palm Beach/Miami Luxury and Celebrity Market. From launching the Nat King Cole Generation Hope Foundation to planning the event and PR for the restaurant opening of Top Chef contestant Stephen Asprinio to running events for Dine magazine, where celebrities and pseudo-celebrities would sometimes drop by, there was a whole lot of glam, but little else. I worked with people who valued being “seen” over being “heard.” (See Figure 4.1 on page 49.)

And even before Facebook existed, before everyone had a camera on their phone, people were making sure to get their photos taken with the celebrities as much as possible. Just being near these famous people somehow made them more famous.

It’s how a lot of organizations sell VIP ticket events today. They offer the chance to have your photo taken with the celebrity.

Let’s fast-forward to today and focus on you. Theres something better than rubbing shoulders with a celebrity: Being a celebrity yourself.

No longer do you need to get on the front page of The New York Times to launch your book, product, service, or company. No longer do you need to get a spot on the Today Show or win a big award to dominate your market.

FIGURE 4.1: Stephen Asprinio—Bravo’s Top Chef Contestant at His Restaurant Opening in West Palm Beach, Florida

FIGURE 4.1: Stephen Asprinio—Bravo’s Top Chef Contestant at His...

Note to The New York Times: If you want to put this book on your cover, I’ll take it.

Now, with simple brand positioning, you can turn yourself into the authority and expert in your market. This allows you to increase your attraction to your perfect prospect, decrease the time needed to close a sale, and increase the amount of money you receive from each customer.

Turn Yourself into a Celebrity Using Facebook to Increase Your Sales

1. DETERMINE YOUR UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

What makes you different from your competitors, and how can you leverage that in your marketing?

My distinction is that I am not just a social media expert, but a direct response social media marketer focused on monetizing all strategies and measuring results. I have brought in millions of dollars in sales for my clients through Facebook and keep growing my firm based on the results we bring them. I share this fact often, and I am the only marketer who can claim this.

2. GET A PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOT

This is the place to amp up your game and go beyond the selfie-iPhone photo. Celebrities have good photos, and so should you. To find an affordable one in your area, check out a site like www.Thumbtack.com. You can post the job there, and photographers will apply to take your photo, giving an estimate upfront. You can usually get a good headshot for less than $100 using this service. (See more on your headshot later in the “LinkedIn” chapter, Chapter 8.)

3. CREATE YOUR COVER PHOTO.

Using free templates at www.canva.com, create your cover photo using your professional headshot and an offer with your Unique Selling Proposition. I switch mine if I am holding an event or promotion, or just working on building my email list. (See Figure 4.2.)

FIGURE 4.2: Kim’s Cover Photo

FIGURE 4.2: Kim’s Cover Photo

4. FEATURE YOUR CONTENT IN YOUR POSTS

If you are sharing other people’s content more than 10% of the time, stop. Your social media pages are your media. Use them for positioning your message.

This is your opportunity to shine and set yourself up as an expert in your industry, so feature your content, and develop your own images and posts.

If you don’t know where to start, begin by listing out 25 questions your prospects tend to ask when you meet with them, and start by answering those. That will give you almost a full month of posts.

Or use a site like Quora.com. There you can identify the most popular questions people are asking in your industry. Make a list and start your posts by answering those.

5. HAVE GOOD PEOPLE

Pull in your “team” to help (after all, celebrities have people, don’t they?). There are great resources on sites like www.HireMyMom.com, www.Elance.com, and www.textbroker.com to get your posts written, images designed, and schedule your posts for you.

Ready to walk the red carpet to prospecting success?

Then make sure all of your networks reflect your brand.

 

      #NoBSsm Tweetable Takeaways#NoBSsm Tweetable Takeaways

             Most marketers do not apply ANY direct marketing tactics to their strategic approach (if they are even strategic at all). #NoBSsm

             Use tracking options available in each social media network profile and advertising platform. #NoBSsm

             A slogan is definitely NOT a USP. #NoBSsm

             A giant market is only useful to someone with a giant wallet. #NoBSsm

             You no longer need to get a spot on the Today Show or win a big award to dominate your market. #NoBSsm

             If you are sharing other people’s content more than 10% of the time, stop. Use your social media for positioning YOUR message. #NoBSsm