Sometimes I sit down to ruminate over trends in internet marketing with a view to finding out what existing market strategies still work and what no longer work; of things that make prospects want to buy from a particular marketer and not from the other. Could it be the powerful sales letter? Yes, well-couched sales letters play a major role in converting visitors into buyers, alright. What other things compel prospects to buy; what about the incessant, unsolicited e-mail campaigns put on autopilot? Yes, they have a tremendous effect also. ‘What other things’, I would continue to ask myself? Well, the perceived benefit of the product to the buyer is another factor. And so on, one can continue to ponder.
Despite the successes of all the above mentioned, time-tested marketing strategies, I have observed gaps that need to be filled by internet marketers for an all-round success to be achieved in this endeavour in modern times. I have noticed that most internet marketers are too selfish and so absorbed in their quest to maximize sales that they care less about their customers’ progress. The moment a prospect buys a product from a marketer, he or she is besieged with more and more offers from the same marketer without the marketer asking to know how far the buyer had benefited from the previous product. The unfortunate customer is endlessly beggared by series of offers of one wonderful product or another that are also described as capable of transforming them into millionaires. The question is, if the first product was so good to make the customer a millionaire in the shortest possible time, why would the buyer not be given time to test out that product and possibly maximize the benefit of the product bought, before being thrust with more and more offers, thereby throwing him or her into confusion with many offers almost at the same time?
Another problem of marketers is their tendencies to be out of personal touch with their customers, probably because of the large e-mail list they control. As such, because their e-mail campaigns are most often run on autopilot, the prospective buyers who need some clarifications and who want to have direct communication with the marketers on certain issues are denied the opportunity because they cannot reach the marketer. I have an ardent marketer whose mails constitute more than 60 per cent of all the mails in my e-mail box. This marketer churns out different types of seemingly wonderful products by the hour, yet I have not been able to subscribe to any of her offers because my attempts, times without number, to get clarifications on certain issues had failed. My suggestion here is that marketers should, as much as possible, also have direct e-mail boxes and chat rooms where they can personally communicate with their customers as well as prospective customers. Buyers like to communicate with real persons (the marketer him or herself), who can address their specific questions, rather than some dummy, robotic chat machines fed with ready made frequently asked questions (FAQ).
Far above all the traditional sales methods adopted by internet gurus to increase sales over the years, is a beautiful and simple strategy which will definitely make marketers’ sales to soar even higher in the coming year and always. Beyond the strategies enumerated in paragraph one, I have come to think that the most effective inducement to buying again and again from a particular marketer over and above others, are the marketer’s FREE GIFTS offers to the prospects. I do not mean bonuses that go with buying of products. I mean outright free, beneficial gifts given by the marketer, without asking for patronage in return. They may be e-books or videos of valuable information products sent to the prospects’ e-mail boxes that can be freely downloaded in form of pdf or the likes. Alternatively, they may be other gift items bought and presented as souvenirs in appreciation of their patronage the previous year. By such free will offers, the marketer has really put out a kind of irresistible bait that would in the long run, translate into some handsome purchases, the end profits of which would eventually outweigh the cost of such free gifts. A beneficiary of such a gift would be eternally grateful to the giver and would always want to buy from him or her.
As Christmas and New Year celebrations draw near, it is time to give back to those who have been part of our successes. I mean, it is time to give some form of GIFT ITEMS to people on our Mailing Lists, particularly those customers who have been buying from us. By so doing, we would be creating a lasting bond of customer relation and patronage that would be hard to break.
Marketers, above anyone else, must learn to build and maintain, what is generally referred to as ‘public relations’. It is good business strategy to reach out to those whose contributions have kept our businesses going. It is part of our social responsibility. All you have to do is to go to the FINE GIFT SHOP at http://finegift.blogspot.com and pick some gift items for your valued customers. You will also find valuable products suitable for gifts on this blog, http://productmart.blogspot.com. Please let us have your comments/reactions on the issues discussed..
Merry Christmas and Enjoy Happy Prosperous New Year!
Sylvester D. Oti
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