Dean Dretske » marketing

Why Would You Market to LESS People?

Dean Dretske — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:17:02 +0000

Are you a fan of Amazing Race? On the show, couples race around the world following clues that give them their next stop. Each stop along the way has an associated task for the contestants to perform to get the next clue.

Occasionally the contestants are asked to sell something. The racers get a set of products from a local vendor and they are required to sell a certain number of these products to get the next clue

Where do you think they would rather be? In a crowded location with a lot of other vendors also calling out their wares or in a lightly populated alley where they are the only vendor?

Each time, they wade into the crowd and try to make it work. They have a lot of competition, so they have a hard time getting anybody’s attention. They aren’t sure of their pitch, so they have trouble converting the scant attention into a sale.

It would be better if they moved to the alley. With less competition, they can get the attention of each passer-by and they get more chances to improve their pitch and raise their conversion rate. They would make more money with fewer crowds.

This is the premise of niche marketing on the internet. Rather than market to a huge crowd (e.g. the phrase ‘credit card’), it would be better to market to a smaller group that is laser focused on what you are offering (e.g. the phrase ‘credit card with low apr’).

These niche phrases are called ‘long tailed keywords’. These longer phrases have a number of qualities:

Less searches. A lot less people type in that phrase as a search.
Higher conversions. The folks that search these phrases are much closer to buying a product / service that matches that phrase. These folks have already done the general searching and are looking for more specific information.
Less competition. Most of the big boys are focused on the big crowd. Some of these long tailed keywords can end up with only 1 match – how hard is it to compete there?

The struggle, of course, is to find these profitable phrases. A brute force method is as follows:

Use Google’s keyword tool (search for ‘keyword tool’ to find it!). This tool will give you suggestions for phrases along with the volume of searches for each phrase. You can also setup the columns to show you the average CPC for that phrase.
Do manual searches on Google for each interesting phrase. Each search will give you the count of competing websites. If the count is very high, then you will have a hard time competing. Generally, if your site does not show up on the first four pages in a search, you are not likely to get any traffic from organic searching.

There are also tools that have been built to make this a lot simpler. Click the link to see one of these tools and learn some great ways to find and profit from these niches. This link will allow you to subscribe to a free 5 part video series.

Why 99% of Internet Marketers Will Fail

Dean Dretske — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:25:31 +0000

You can have the greatest message, or the best real estate search widget, or the best recruiting information. But if nobody sees it, what is it worth?

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The REAL reason you’re not living the dream life you (quite probably) deserve.

Traffic.

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So can you.

So can anyone.

In fact, that’s what’s SO awesome about this:

Because the whole point of this course is that ANYONE can see results with it.

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—> http://DeanDretske.com/Go/TrafUlt.php

Related Blogs

Notify the World

Dean Dretske — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:11:40 +0000

Here is a tip for those of you that use WordPress for your blog. When you post an article, you can let the software inform the search engines and update services that you have updated your content. This will increase your backlinks and bring your site more traffic.

To set this up, log into your site’s administration area and go to the Settings section. Under ‘Writing’, there is a section called ‘Update Services’. Copy the following list into the text box in that section and save your changes. That’s it. Now, when you publish a new article, WordPress will ‘ping’ each of these update services and search engines for you automatically.

http://1470.net/api/ping
http://api.feedster.com/ping
http://api.moreover.com/ping
http://api.moreover.com/RPC2
http://api.my.yahoo.co.jp/RPC2
http://api.my.yahoo.com/RPC2
http://api.my.yahoo.com/rss/ping
http://audiorpc.weblogs.com/RPC2
http://bblog.com/ping.php
http://bitacoras.net/ping
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/XMLRPC
http://blogdb.jp/xmlrpc
http://blogmatcher.com/u.php
http://blogpeople.net/ping
http://blogsearch.google.ae/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.at/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.be/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.bg/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.ca/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.ch/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.cl/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.co.cr/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.co.hu/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.co.id/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.co.il/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.co.in/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.co.it/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.co.jp/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.co.ma/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.co.nz/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.co.th/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.co.uk/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.co.ve/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.co.za/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com.ar/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com.au/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com.br/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com.co/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com.do/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com.mx/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com.my/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com.pe/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com.sa/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com.sg/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com.tr/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com.tw/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com.ua/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com.uy/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com.vn/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.com/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.de/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.es/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.fi/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.fr/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.gr/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.hr/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.ie/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.in/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.it/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.jp/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.lt/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.nl/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.pl/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.pt/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.ro/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.ru/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.se/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.sk/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.tw/ping/RPC2
http://blogsearch.google.us/ping/RPC2
http://bulkfeeds.net/rpc
http://coreblog.org/ping/
http://feedsky.com/api/RPC2
http://hamo-search.com/ping.php
http://holycowdude.com/rpc/ping/
http://mod-pubsub.org/kn_apps/blogchatt
http://ping.amagle.com/
http://ping.bitacoras.com
http://ping.blo.gs/
http://ping.bloggers.jp/rpc/
http://ping.blogmura.jp/rpc/
http://ping.blogoon.net/
http://ping.blogs.yandex.ru/RPC2
http://ping.cocolog-nifty.com/xmlrpc
http://ping.exblog.jp/xmlrpc
http://ping.fakapster.com/rpc
http://ping.fc2.com/
http://ping.feedburner.com
http://ping.kutsulog.net/
http://ping.myblog.jp
http://ping.namaan.net/rpc
http://ping.rootblog.com/rpc.php
http://ping.snap.com/ping/RPC2
http://ping.syndic8.com/xmlrpc.php
http://ping.weblogalot.com/rpc.php
http://ping.weblogs.se/
http://ping.wordblog.de/
http://pingoat.com/goat/RPC2
http://r.hatena.ne.jp/rpc
http://rcs.datashed.net/RPC2/
http://rpc.blogbuzzmachine.com/RPC2
http://rpc.bloggerei.de/ping/
http://rpc.blogrolling.com/pinger/
http://rpc.icerocket.com:10080/
http://rpc.newsgator.com/
http://rpc.pingomatic.com
http://rpc.pingomatic.com/
http://rpc.reader.livedoor.com/ping
http://rpc.tailrank.com/feedburner/RPC2
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping
http://rpc.technorati.jp/rpc/ping
http://rpc.twingly.com/
http://rpc.weblogs.com/RPC2
http://topicexchange.com/RPC2
http://trackback.bakeinu.jp/bakeping.php
http://wasalive.com/ping/
http://www.a2b.cc/setloc/bp.a2b
http://www.bitacoles.net/ping.php
http://www.blogdigger.com/RPC2
http://www.blogoole.com/ping/
http://www.blogoon.net/ping/
http://www.blogpeople.net/servlet/weblogUpdates
http://www.blogroots.com/tb_populi.blog?id=1
http://www.blogshares.com/rpc.php
http://www.blogsnow.com/ping
http://www.blogstreet.com/xrbin/xmlrpc.cgi
http://www.lasermemory.com/lsrpc/
http://www.mod-pubsub.org/kn_apps/blogchatter/ping.php
http://www.newsisfree.com/RPCCloud
http://www.newsisfree.com/xmlrpctest.php
http://www.popdex.com/addsite.php
http://www.snipsnap.org/RPC2
http://www.weblogues.com/RPC/
http://xmlrpc.blogg.de
http://xping.pubsub.com/ping/
http://zhuaxia.com/rpc/server.php

If you discover a new search engine that should be added to this list, please let me know by adding a comment.

5 Reasons Why Your Blog is a Required Internet Marketing Tool

Dean Dretske — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:32:51 +0000

Blogs started out as a kind of personal journal. However, the uses for blogs has expanded to include all kinds of writing – including uses for Internet Marketing.

Simple – blogging is easy for everybody. Any piece of writing can easily be uploaded into a blog post. No special skills are required – an average adult (and kids!) can read, type, and click a mouse. It is the equivalent of having a piece of virtual paper to jot down ideas, experiences, drawings. Or you can video a demonstration or conversation. This allows us to easily describe a product in a way that compels the reader to try the product.
Authentic – it is best when in the blog authors’ own words. Canned descriptions that are just copy-pasted are not as compelling as a true story of how the product was effective for the author. Product specifications are sometimes needed to fully describe a product to the reader – but the sizzle that sells most products comes from the story of the benefits that the product delivers. And a personal story makes your pitch (and site) unique.
Free - it costs nothing to blog. In a lot of cases, the blog is even hosted for free by sites like Blogger.com or WordPress.com. When you are starting out with a product, one of these free blog sites can keep your internet marketing costs low while you prove out the product demand. Once the product begins to show some legs, moving up to a paid site with your own domain name can increase the profits.
Credibility - relating your continued experiences with the product. A blog gives this timeline of experiences in a way that other internet marketing methods do not. Pay-per-click ads and sales letter web pages give a single impression to the reader. Blogs allow the reader to look through your history with the product and can see a variety of benefits obtained with its continued use. The blog also allows you to personalize yourself so that the reader relates to you and takes your recommendation of the product as the recommendation of a friend rather than a sterile sales pitch.
Market Building - sharing the spotlight between you and a host of products. The blog should have a focus that draws the reader back. This focus could be you or it could be a particular marketing niche. Regardless, this focus can be used to build your market. Here are some ways to do that:

- Email. Send an email message to your list announcing new content on your blog. Include a link to your blog in your signature for all outgoing email.

- Subscription. Let readers subscribe to your website. You can entice them to do so by providing extra information to subscribers.

- Survey. Ask your readers for information. This information could be about their experiences with the products you have recommended. Or about benefits they are looking to satisfy – which can lead you to new products to recommend.

- Network. Spend some time watching other blogs / forums that are related to your niche. Answer questions or add comments and link back to your own blog.

- RSS. This can be a great way to keep your blog more up to date.

- Social Media. Make sure that each article on your blog is bookmarked with places like Digg and StumbledUpon. Mention your new content on Twitter or Facebook.

Blogs are a required element in your Internet Marketing toolbox!

Email Deliverability Tips

Dean Dretske — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:43:08 +0000

Posted by Tom Kulzer (AWeber CEO)

Ensuring requested opt-in email is delivered to subscriber inboxes is an increasingly difficult battle in the age of spam filtering. Open and click thru response rates can be dramatically affected by as much as 20-30% due to incorrect spam filter classification.

Permission

Confirming that the people who ask for your information have actually requested to be on your list is the number one step in the battle for deliverability. You should be using a process called confirmed opt-in or verified opt-in to send a unique link to the attempted subscriber when they request information. Before adding the person to your list they must click that unique link verifying that they are indeed the same person that owns the email address and requested to subscribe.

Subscriber Addresses

When requesting website visitors to opt-in ask for their “real” or “primary” email address instead of a free email address like Yahoo or Hotmail. Free emails tend to be throw away accounts and typically have a shorter lifetime than a primary ISP address.

List Maintenance

Always promptly remove undeliverable addresses that bounce when sending email to them. An address that bounces with a permanent error 2-3 times in a 30 day period should be removed from the list. ISP’s track what percentage of your newsletters bounce and will block them if you attempt to continually deliver messages to closed subscriber mailboxes.

Message Format

Usage of HTML messages to allow for text formatting, multiple columns, images, and brand recognition is growing in popularity and is widely supported by most email client software. Most spam is also HTML formatted and thus differentiating between requested email and spam HTML messages can be difficult. A 2004 study by AWeber .com shows that plain text messages are undeliverable 1.15% of the time and HTML only messages were undeliverable 2.3%. If sending HTML it is important to always send a plain text alternative message, also called text/HTML multi-part mime format.

Content

Many ISP’s filter based on the content that appears within the message text.

Website URL:

Words/phrases:

Images:

Avoid creating messages that are entirely images. Use images sparingly, if at all. Commonly used open rate tracking technology uses images to calculate opens. You may choose to disable open rate tracking to avoid being filtered based on image content.

Attachments:

With viruses running rampant and spreading thru the usage of malicious email attachments many users are wary of attached documents. It’s often better to link to files via a website URL to reduce recipient fear of attachments and reduce the overall message size.

CAN-SPAM Compliance

The January 2004 Federal CAN-SPAM law introduced a number of rules regarding the delivery of email. It’s important you have your legal counsel review your practices and ensure you are in compliance. The two most important rules include having a valid postal mail address listed in all commercial messages and a working unsubscribe link that is promptly honored to remove the subscriber from future messages.

Reputation

Reputation services are often used by large ISP’s as a way to vet email senders regarding their email practices and policies. Businesses listed with these services are then given less stringent filtering or no filtering at all. Several reputation services are:

http://www.isipp.com/iadb.php
http://www.bondedsender.com
http://www.habeas.com

Relationships & Whitelisting

Contact with major ISP’s and email providers is essential in letting them know about your requested subscriber email. Many large providers such as AOL and Yahoo have specific whitelisting programs and postmaster website areas to ensure your email is delivered as long as you meet their policies and procedures in handling your opt-in list.

Email deliverability is about ensuring requested opt-in email is delivered to the intended recipient. While no single tip will enable you to get 100% of your email delivered each one utilized as a group can go a long way to reaching that goal.

Bandit Signs

Dean Dretske — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:20:30 +0000

To use them, or not – that is the question!

Bandit signs are those small signs that are stuck up on telephone poles or staked into the ground. They say things like “we buy houses” or “stop foreclosure”. The plus side seems to be that people do call in response to them. The negative side is they are often illegal.

Tulsa, as well as other cities, have ordinances that restrict the use of signs. Bandit signs can bring you a fine of $100/day per sign.

The questions are:

* would you call in response to one of these signs?

*If you use them, have you been fined?