Return to Archive
More Clients - the Online Marketing Newsletter
for Independent Professionals
from Action Plan Marketing
and Robert MiddletonIn This Week's Issue: Learn how four simple strategies,
implemented consistently, exploded my subscriber base.
Making Strategy a Game
Someone was interviewing me recently about how I built my
email list to over 20,000 subscribers. And the main thing I told
him was that I made it a game that I was serious about winning.
I saw my subscriber list as one of the biggest keys to success.What I did was implement four strategies. I still pay attention
to each of them, track my results, and keep improving. I make
incremental gains, and every once in awhile I actually have a
breakthrough.Here they are:
Strategy 1: I worked hard to get my web site listed high on
Google. I studied all the strategies, I found a good keyword and
I optimized my site for that keyword. I've been listed in the #1 to
#3 position in Google for over two years under the keyword
"marketing plan." (I share exactly how I did this -- and I show
you how to implement it -- in the InfoGuru Marketing Manual.)Understand that this strategy is somewhat harder than it used
to be. More people are competing for the same keywords. But
don't give up. It took me a couple of years of trial and error.
Believe me, it was worth it!Strategy 2: I worked to design my site and the sign-up for the
eZine so that a high percentage of people who visited my site
filled out the form. But my big breakthrough came when I offered
my free Marketing Plan Workbook with the eZine. My subscription
rate doubled overnight and never decreased. Make the giveaway
the main offer, not the eZine. People are inundated by eZines,
but they still appreciate valuable free information.And just this past week I had another big breakthrough. I
redesigned the sign-up page to increase the perception of value
for subscribing. And subscriptions took a big jump again. The
point is that you can always work to make your services more
attractive. Take a look and study the sign-up page for yourself.
(Don't copy it, but use it as a model.)Strategy 3: I realized that the more people who were pointing
(or had links) to my web site from their web site, the better off
I'd be. Having other web sites pointing to me increases my
"PageRank" score in Google, and also leads qualified prospects
to Action Plan Marketing.And the best way to get links? Get articles up on other web sites
with a link back to you. And the best way to get articles up?
Write a great eZine and people will ask to re-publish your
articles. It happens to me every single week, and now hundreds
of web sites are pointing to ActionPlan.com.Strategy 4: I write the best eZine I possibly can, making it
conversational, authentic and based on real things that work to
attract clients to an Independent Professional business. This is
an ongoing quest. I know it makes a difference because I get my
best subscribers (those who become customers and clients)
from word-of-mouth. And people aren't going to forward the
eZine to friends if they think it's a waste of time.I've often said that writing is the "master skill" of marketing. The
more you write, the clearer and more persuasive you become
about communicating the value of your professional services. And
writing a regular eZine *forces* you to write!So those are my four key strategies. I've made it a game, and I've
played very hard to win. To be successful in your own marketing
you must identify the best key strategies for you and your
business and then make it a game that you won't quit playing
until you also win.For more on "Making Strategy a Game," see Marketing Flashes
below.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The InfoGuru Marketing Manual
This comprehensive marketing manual for Independent Professionals
is the flagship product of Action Plan Marketing. Written by Robert
Middleton over several years, it contains the accumulated wisdom of
over twenty years on how to attract clients with less struggle.Why is the InfoGuru Manual for you?
- It was developed exclusively for Independent Professionals such
as consultants, coaches, trainers and other service professionals
who are great at what they do but have a hard time consistently
attracting clients to their businesses.- The manual is based on a few powerful marketing principles that,
once you understand them, might seem obvious but are missed by
almost everyone (and implemented by even fewer).- The marketing principles contained will help you: increase interest
in your services, build trust and credibility with prospects, get prospects
wanting to learn more about what you do and create a steady stream of
word-of-mouth business.- It goes way beyond theory, vague generalizations or concepts and
contains hundreds of hands-on marketing strategies and action plans
that are easy to implement, even if you have no marketing experience.- Includes foundational marketing information on things like creating
an attention-getting marketing message and then goes into depth on the
most recent marketing techniques of web marketing and eZines.- You can read it like a book, you can go through it slowly and do
the exercises like a home-study course or you can refer to it whenever
you have a question about marketing your business.- It comes with a boatload of extras, including audio files, articles,
and the InfoGuru Support Forum, where you can get any question
about marketing answered for free.- The Support Forum can be used to answer questions, provide
resources, review marketing materials, web sites, proposals and
sales letters, as well as explore the more complex and confusing
aspects of attracting clients to your business.- It will help remove the mystery and struggle about marketing
and selling that so many Independent Professionals experience and
will help you realize that marketing can actually be fun.- It comes with my unconditional guarantee. Get it and try it. If you
don't think it's worth much more than what you paid, tell me and I'll
refund 100% of your purchase price.- Unlike most marketing information sold on the web, the manual is not
only available in digital form (pdf file) for immediate download, but for
just a few dollars more you can get a printed manual as well.- The InfoGuru Marketing Manual was published in February of 2001
and it's just as relevant today as I add to it regularly with updates of
the manual that can be downloaded repeatedly at no additional cost.- If you are looking for one tool that will help you attract clients with
an approach and methodology that is highly effective but doesn't
compromise your integrity, you've found it!For complete details and to order online go to:
http://www.actionplan.com/infoguru.html~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marketing Flashes on "Making Strategy a Game"
* Implementing good strategies starts by studying experts who
have the know-how and are able to teach you the finer points of
making a strategy work. This saves a lot of trial and error.* If you're going to make your marketing a game, you need to
have a clear focus, direction, goals and intentions. You'll never
win if you market aimlessly with little momentum.* Successful strategies aren't implemented once, but on an
ongoing basis. Jay Conrad Levinson said marketing is very much
like flossing your teeth. Your don't get results if you don't do it
consistently.* Strategies are synergistic. Note that I have four strategies to
increase my subscriber base, not one. They all work in concert to
produce much better results than one could ever accomplish.* Winning is much more likely if you play the game with a sense
of fun and adventure, not like a chore to be endured. What if you
played at marketing like the winners of the Superbowl played at
football? (And the injuries are much less painful.)Until next week, all the best,
Robert Middleton
ACTION PLAN MARKETING
Helping Independent Professionals Attract More Clients~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
210 Riverside Drive
Boulder Creek, CA 95006
831-338-7790© 2004 Robert Middleton, All rights reserved. You are free
to use material from the More Clients eZine in whole or in part,
as long as you include complete attribution, including live web
site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear.
The attribution should read:"By Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit
Robert's web site at http://www.actionplan.com for additional
marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional
service businesses."* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
