Direct-Response Marketing Copywriter Tom Trush | Advertisements, Website Content, E-mail Autoresponders, Sales Letters

Hear me on the hot seat (marketing interview) …

Happy Saturday!

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I shared with you Charles Gaudet’s secrets for creating predictable profits? He’s the serial entrepreneur and marketing expert known for boosting profits using underused or unnoticed opportunities.

Well, Charles recently turned the tables and put me on the hot seat. And you can listen to the 38-minute interview (or read the transcript) here: http://www.predictableprofits.com/marketing-podcast-interview-with-direct-response-marketing-expert-tom-trush/.

We covered topics such as …

•    Why direct-response marketing is more beneficial than traditional marketing for small businesses.

•    An overlooked mistake that jeopardizes most small business owners’ marketing campaigns before they even launch.

•    How to encourage immediate action from your customers and enhance your chances of them prying open their wallets over and over again.

•    6 customer characteristics you can tap to give your marketing (and your profits) an instant boost.

•    And much more.

Again, here’s the link to listen or read the interview: http://www.predictableprofits.com/marketing-podcast-interview-with-direct-response-marketing-expert-tom-trush/.

Have a great weekend!

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Don’t Fall for Marketing’s Most Hyped Desire

Take a guess at when the following quote was said …

“Advertisements are now so numerous that they are very negligently perused, and it is therefore become necessary to gain attention by magnificence of promises, and by eloquence sometimes sublime and sometimes pathetic.”

I saw this statement while reading John Morgan’s bestseller, Brand Against the Machine: How to Build Your Brand, Cut Through the Marketing Noise, and Stand Out from the Competition. At first glance, you might think the quote was pulled from a current business journal, trade publication or maybe an online blog post.

But it was written by English author Samuel Johnson, who penned his theory in the January 20, 1759, edition of The Idler.

Crazy, isn’t it?

It’s been 253 years and Johnson’s words still ring true today.

Many business owners and entrepreneurs continue force-feeding promotional messages as if their product or service is the only game in town. They push pitch after pitch with little concern for people’s fading attention spans.

What’s often overlooked is the fact that attention alone doesn’t create sales. If getting noticed was all you needed to build a business, the Fortune 500 list would be stuffed with companies that spent millions on Super Bowl spots.

The most critical piece in the promotional puzzle is trust. (For 7 ways to build trust with prospects, click here to read my latest article on the American Express OPEN Forum.)

That’s why marketing is no longer about you or your company. Today’s marketing is about interacting and delivering value to those who need your help.

As Morgan references in his book, the currency in today’s marketing world is information — not money. As you share more information, your status as an authority soars.

For example, Dr. Mehmet Oz is an incredible marketer. Thanks to the information he shares, the cardiothoracic surgeon moves products at a staggering pace. Watch The Dr. Oz Show and you’ll see him offer advice about pressing health issues, including problems many people won’t discuss with their own doctors.

He also publishes books, writes for magazines and newspapers, and hosts radio shows.

On his website, you’ll find how-to articles, videos and quizzes on topics such as deadly drug interactions, fighting fatigue, fixing infections, overcoming the flu and battling weight issues. Dr. Oz is truly the go-to source for health information because his content has created trust with millions of consumers.

Imagine you had an ailment requiring an operation. Would you feel comfortable if Dr. Oz was the surgeon holding the scalpel?

I bet you would.

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Jumpstart Marketing Tip #5: Embrace Change

A violent shockwave rumbled through the retail world this week.

Sears Holdings Corp. announced it is closing up to 120 Sears and Kmart stores following another year of lackluster holiday sales. Analysts continue to examine the events that led to Tuesday’s announcement. But what’s clear is we’re seeing a shift in the way people shop for products and services.

In today’s video, I explain how you can take advantage of these changes in buying behavior.

Here’s the fifth video:

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Jumpstart Marketing Tip #4: Remain Aggressive

Sometimes the best marketing lessons come from the most unlikely sources.

In today’s video, I explain how a commoditized product with several competitors exploded on the scene in 2009, selling 4 million units in just its first three months. Demand was so great that manufacturers couldn’t keep up.

In fact, in a January 2009 article in Advertising Age magazine, the company’s president claimed, “People want this product so bad, they want it as soon as they order it … we received so many more orders in the beginning than we anticipated.”

I bet one of these products is in your home right now (although you likely won’t admit it). After all, the product has become part of pop culture.

Do you know what it is?

Find out here:

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Jumpstart Marketing Tip #3: Do Something Different

Just as in life, you’ll never maximize your full marketing potential unless you embrace risk and venture outside your comfort zone.

Your greatest successes come when you have the guts to do something different — even if that means falling flat on your face.

In today’s video, you’ll see a completely different side of me, as I demonstrate how breaking away from the norm is key to attracting your prospects’ attention. My appearance goes beyond what’s necessary, but it does show another important element to successful marketing — having fun.

Here’s the third video (stick around to the end and you’ll see my “stylist” give a quick cameo):

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