Posted by Rich Harshaw on June 30, 2017.
You know those parents who won’t shut up about how great their kids are because they think you’re as interested as they are?
“Little Johnny rolled over for the first time.”
“Suzy got a ‘B’ on her English midterm.”
“Billy sneezed seven times yesterday.”
They’re proud of their kids, and they should be.
But outside of their family and maybe some friends, most people don’t care that little Johnny rolled onto his stomach.
That might sound harsh, but you know what they say about the truth.
(Answer: It hurts.)
This apathy applies to your prospects and industry awards you’ve received.
Outside your small circle—employees, immediate family, etc.—no one cares about the awards you’ve won.
Sure, it’s great you won.
But your prospects tune that stuff out.
It may seem interesting to YOU… but no one else gives a crap.
Case in point…
I once had a client who won the Better Business Bureau’s “Torch Award” for the second straight year.
This is actually a pretty great accomplishment—the BBB doesn’t dole out this award to just any company. You have to demonstrate some serious leadership and ethical standards just to be nominated.
Naturally, the client wanted to advertise such a big achievement in hopes of winning more business. So he wrote an advertorial (an ad that looks like an article) about his company’s Torch Award.
Here’s a look:
Looks fine, right?
Wrong.
When the client asked for my feedback on the advertorial, I said, “I’m glad you won the Torch Award for the second time. But I hate to tell you—nobody cares.”
The reason? It’s BORING.
As in, “random stranger in line at Target telling you her kid got his first tooth last night” boring.
Think about it. This is an advertisement that’s supposed to look like an article. Articles are supposed to provide the audience with interesting content that hooks them on every word.
This advertorial does not do that. It sounds like it was written by and for the employees of the client’s company.
So I threw down a gauntlet for the client: Reposition the ad.
Instead of telling people he won the Torch Award, provide an interesting story that helps them understand why he won it.
I asked the client for a specific example of demonstrating the ethics the award requires. He thought for a minute and then told me a story of when a supplier screwed up a door order two times in a row.
The first time, the supplier cut the door too short. The second time, they sent the wrong material (steel instead of fiberglass).
The customer was upset but agreed to sign off on the second door as long as my client gave him a hefty discount.
My client didn’t do that. Instead, he ordered and installed the RIGHT door… and then refunded ALL of the customer’s money.
All told, the client took an $8,200 loss on the project.
Now THERE is a story.
I told the client all he had to do was tell that story in the ad. I helped him write it, and voila…
I’d say that’s light-years more interesting than “Company Wins BBB Torch Award,” wouldn’t you?
Yeah… and here’s the proof:
- The client ran the revised ad at a cost of $4,000.
- The ad returned over $50,000 in sales. That’s an ROI of 12 to 1.
- They spent the same amount of money on “traditional” ad placements in the same newspaper and barely received a phone call.
- Prospects who called after reading the advertorial said they felt they could trust the client more than other contractors.
- The lead quality was significantly better, too—they were able to close the leads at a rate of 50% to 60%, double their usual closing ratio of about 30%.
Getting people to pay attention and engaged in your message is 90% of the battle. When you accomplish that, great things happen.
So the next time you sit down to write an ad, think about what your prospect would find interesting. Don’t just tell them you won an award; give them a concrete example of why you won it—one that’s fascinating and relevant to THEM.
P.S. In addition to our online marketing services, we provide turnkey offline marketing solutions. This includes ad writing, radio, television, and direct mail. We can even plan your media buying and negotiate the best deals on your behalf. So if you’re struggling to create an offline marketing campaign that resonates with your audience and produces sales, get in touch with us. We’ll take care of everything.
Posted by Rich Harshaw on June 30, 2017.
If you know me even a tiny little bit, you know my favorite band is Rush.
Rush doesn’t just churn out awesome music; they are a highly skilled, highly technical three-piece progressive-rock band.
In fact, the band is so talented that fans have dubbed them The Holy Triumvirate.
That’s a lofty nickname to live up to. But, boy, do they ever do it.
Anyway…
As I was blasting Rush’s Moving Pictures album in my car on the way to the office this morning (I’ve gotta get pumped for the day), it made me think about another Holy Triumvirate: MYM’s Trusted Partners.
Our three Trusted Partners—Renoworks Pro, MarketSharp, and GreenSky®—are what I call The Holy Triumvirate Of Contractor Marketing.
Each company brings something different to the table… and each one provides a product that can launch your business to new heights of success.
Here’s how each member of The Holy Triumvirate Of Marketing is similar to the original Holy Triumvirate:
Renoworks Pro (Visualization Software)
Rush Member: Geddy Lee (Vocalist, Bassist)
Everybody knows Geddy Lee’s infamous, high-pitched wailing. But he’s also a helluva bassist.
The bass establishes the beat and is the backbone of the music; Renoworks Pro is the backbone of your sales presentations.
You take a picture of your prospect’s home and upload it to Renoworks Pro. You then apply products directly onto the photo from over 250 manufacturer product catalogs. You can then make your presentation in your prospect’s home or online with Renoworks Pro’s robust remote-selling features.
Since prospects can see what their project will look like, they are more likely to say yes… and at such HIGH prices that Geddy Lee’s vocal chords would be jealous.
What Gushing Groupies Say:
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“Since using Renoworks Pro, I have increased my close rates and profit by 60%!” –Paul Sacco, JM Door & Hardware
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“With Renoworks Pro, I can usually add between $3,000 to $10,000 of product and services to every job!” –William LaMonaca, Colorado Home Exteriors
MarketSharp (Contractor CRM)
Rush Member: Neil Peart (Drummer)
Fans, musicians, and critics alike consider Neil Peart one of the best drummers of all time. His beats and patterns can be so complex that you swear the guy is part octopus.
That’s why Neil and MarketSharp are one in the same. MarketSharp has a hand in almost every aspect of your business: lead generation, office operations, job scheduling, sales tracking, accounting, automated marketing campaigns, and a WHOLE LOT more.
Just like Neil is often considered drumming’s G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time), MarketSharp is universally praised as the best CRM for contractors that’s ever been made.
What Gushing Groupies Say:
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“Thank God for MarketSharp. If we did not have this program, our leads and customers would be all over the place. MarketSharp allows us to keep track of almost everything in one program. WE LOVE YOU!” –Julia Falke, 21st Century Remodeling
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“If we did not have MarketSharp, I would need at least 2 more people in the office working with me!” –Katlyn Gottbeheat, Gugger Home Improvement
GreenSky® (Financing Program)
Rush Member: Alex Lifeson (Guitarist)
Alex Lifeson is an extremely versatile guitar player. And that’s why the GreenSky Program fills his shoes in The Triumvirate.
The GreenSky Program provides your customers with a large range of financing options—there’s something for practically all of your customers.
And while a lot of progressive-rock guitar players dink around with obnoxious scales, time signatures, and effects, Alex keeps things clean, catchy, and filler-free.
It’s like how The GreenSky Program provides financing WITHOUT all of usual hassles that comes with it. There’s no enrollment fee. Credit decisions are done in seconds. It’s completely paperless. And you get 20% to 50% of the money within 24 hours of your customer’s approval.
What Gushing Groupies Say:
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“Your financing options have afforded us the ability to land jobs that we would have lost otherwise. In June alone it was responsible for over $35,000.00 dollars in sales. Around 1/4 of our monthly totals are generated by your financing programs!” –Heath Braley, BullsEye Plumbing, Heating & Air
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“This sale was headed straight for a competitor today without the very prompt and professional information from your representatives and the flexibility in your decision process. This sale is a testament to flexibility. I appreciate the great help. It was a team effort all the way.” –Ken Sorensen, At Home Services
If you’re a contractor who is not taking advantage of the Holy Triumvirate Of Contractor Marketing, you’re squandering your company’s true potential to maximize profits. It’s that simple.
Visit our Trusted Partners page to discover more about incorporating their services into your business.
I’ll see you in the limelight.
Posted by Rich Harshaw on June 15, 2017.
Let’s talk about Kim Kardashian.
I mean, what’s a more relatable topic for an email-subscriber list mostly made up of contractors?
But hear me out.
Because while she seems dumb—and a person you probably have ZERO in common with—Kim Kardashian is actually a covert marketing genius who knows 100x more about effective branding than just about anyone.
And she may well be one of your best resources to model your marketing efforts after.
(cue Apocalypse)
Think about it. Not many people are as wealthy, successful, and well-known as good ol’ Kim K. Her brand is famous throughout the world. And according to Forbes, she has a net worth of $149 million.
How do you think that happened?
Yeah, she’s essentially famous for being famous. But to maintain that reputation and stay in the limelight, she’s had to flex some major marketing muscle.
Here are Kim Kardashian’s four ultra-effective marketing secrets… Secrets you can crib and utilize in your contractor marketing.
1 – She Knows Her Audience
A lot of people loathe Kim Kardashian. And she is A-OK with that.
She understands that to be successful, you can’t please everyone.
You have to focus on YOUR market… even if that means alienating other groups of people.
And you know what?
Who cares if you’re alienating a segment of the population? These are the people who would never buy from you anyway.
No harm, no foul.
If you’re a high-end home builder who won’t accept a project under $100K, you don’t want someone contacting you about a $30K kitchen remodel.
If you’re a contractor who likes to take his time to ensure everything is perfect, you don’t want people calling who need a project, like, yesterday.
Yeah, Kim Kardashian’s book comprised completely of selfies might seem like the world’s biggest waste of trees… to YOU. But her audience ate it up, and the “book” made millions of dollars.
So don’t be afraid to craft a marketing message that may filter out a segment of the population you don’t want anyway.
Kim K’s Marketing Lesson: Having an ultra-specific message geared toward a specific group of people is how you get that specific group of people to buy from you. So market to YOUR target audience.
2 – She Gets Attention
Kim Kardashian is virtuoso at getting attention. She’s made it an art form.
Whether she’s marrying Kanye West or “breaking the internet” with her butt, she knows how to make people sit up and take notice.
Let’s be clear. I’m not telling you to pose scantily clad for a photo and put it online. (Please, don’t.)
But home improvement marketing is like Attack Of The Contractor Clones…
Every contractor says the same things. Every contractor loads their marketing with platitudes. And not one of these contractors stands out.
That’s why a powerful, passionate, attention-grabbing identity is THE key to marketing success.
Kim K’s Marketing Lesson: Getting noticed is 90% of the battle. Create marketing that stops people in their tracks and forces them to pay attention to you. (For more info on how to do that, watch my webinar, Identity: How To Really Stand Out From The Crowd.)
3- She Markets Herself Constantly
Kim Kardashian treats social media like its own full-time job. Name any social media app, and you can bet she is on it.
Twitter. Instagram. Facebook. Snapchat. And probably 17 other social media apps you and I have never heard of.
This is because her target market (mostly girls and young women) are on these social media services.
As such, Kim Kardashian is constantly posting on social media, engaging with her fans and posting statuses and pictures of her life. She intersperses these types of posts with subtle sales pitches that her audience eats up.
The following three pictures are three consecutive posts by Kim Kardashian on her Instagram account:
Do you see the clever, understated marketing going on in these photos?
She creates a bond with her audience (the picture with her baby) and turns them into “warm prospects.” Then she sends out a subtle-yet-effective sales pitches that sound more like “your longtime friend Kim,” rather than “impersonal spokeswoman Kim.”
Wash, rinse, repeat.
Kim K’s Marketing Lesson: Make yourself known and create “top of mind awareness” for your company through regular advertising that REACHES your target market. Kim Kardashian’s main marketing channel is social media; yours may be something else. Whether it’s direct mail, social media, PPC, SEO, or a blend of all of these, keep hammering away to ensure your prospects know you’re out there.
4- Some Of Her Products Are Surprisingly Good
Book of selfies aside, Kim Kardashian sells some surprisingly solid merch.
She has an affordable perfume line with very good reviews. And in 2009, she co-founded a successful online shoe store that currently has an A+ with the BBB.
If you’re going to run a marketing campaign that grabs attention, puts all eyes on you, and gets people to buy from you, you have to produce quality. Period.
If you sell windows, you better install the most efficient, durable, and beautiful windows on the market. If you remodel kitchens, you better produce projects that dazzle every single one of your customers. And so on.
Otherwise, you’ll rapidly get chewed up, spit out, and hauled away with the trash in the court of public opinion.
Kim K’s Marketing Lesson: If you’re going to talk the talk, you better be sure your services walk the walk.
Get Paid Like Kim K Today…
Follow Kim Kardashian’s marketing master plan (there’s something I never thought I’d say), and watch the riches roll in.
Or…
Have MYM create stunningly effective, profit-producing marketing FOR you. We provide turnkey marketing solutions for contractors who crave results.
Reach out to us by calling 817-416-4333, or visit our website and use the Live Chat box.
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Posted by Rich Harshaw on June 6, 2017.
When it comes to ranking on Google, patience is an agonizing virtue.
Even when you do everything right with SEO, it can still take months just to START seeing a positive trend in your rankings.
But if you can endure the long and painful wait, you’ll be richly rewarded.
Case in point…
We recently saw some VERY strong upward ranking trends for our client Zen Windows Des Moines.
Zen Windows Des Moines opened in September 2016. Prior to working with MYM, they had no website. They had only a bio page on the main Zen Windows website and a Facebook account. We had to build their online presence from the ground up.
That makes the rankings I’m about to show you extra impressive.
Between April 24th and May 23rd (our SEO reporting period for the month), almost every one of their keywords improved in ranking. Some jumped as many as 80 to 99 spots!
The most dramatic improvement was for the keyword “casement window Des Moines.” Just a month ago, Zen Windows Des Moines was nowhere to be found on Google for this keyword. Now, they’re…
The 1st ad you see in PPC
#3 in the Google Local Pack (under the map)
#22 in the organic listings for their blog (yes, the blog!)
#20 in the organic listings for Super Pages (one of the business listings we manage for clients)
And like I said, it’s not just “casement windows Des Moines” that has improved. Keyword results are up across the board (keywords blurred for client privacy):
The rest of Zen Windows’ sweet rankings: page 1
The rest of Zen Windows’ sweet rankings: page 2
A few takeaways from these rankings if you’re a contractor:
- Your blog is really important for SEO.
- Your business listings are really important for SEO.
- Landing a spot on the Google Local Pack is HUGE for getting leads.
- PPC is a great for “skipping ahead of the line” and claiming real estate at the very top of page one.
- Once your SEO “gains traction” in Google’s rankings—and you remain steadfast in your commitment to the optimization process—you’ll start to experience more and more amazing results every month.
Remember: These rankings for Zen Windows Des Moines are after only three and a half months… and with zero prior SEO “foundation” to work from.
While results vary from client to client, this case study reveals how quickly our clients can gain SEO traction when they begin working with MYM.
I’ll keep you posted on Zen Windows Des Moines’ progress in future emails; there are sure to be bigger and better SEO results in the coming months.
In the meantime, head over to MYM’s SEO page for details about our SEO services and pricing. Also take advantage of our free Lead Generation Audit to see where your website is ranking on Google right now.
P.S. Did you know 92% of consumers read online reviews before contacting a contractor? Next post, I’ll reveal why it’s good business to respond to your online reviews—good AND bad. I’ll even provide the blueprint on EXACTLY what to say.
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