This content is for members only. Become a member now to get access to this and other awesome members-only content.
For those of you who are familiar with my definition of Marketing, you’ll know that I consider the goal of effective marketing to be the creation of engaging conversations with your potential clients. The aim of this conversation is not just to hear yourself speak, or talk because you know you’re supposed to (which I know is how marketing can feel sometimes), but to stir up emotions in your potential clients, that ultimately lead them to favorably change their behavior (they click, likes, share, buy etc.) That all sounds pretty simple, right? But it does beg the question, how do you start these conversations? How do you ensure they’re engaging?
Marketing Toy Box
To answer these essential questions, I have broken down the most effective ‘conversation starters’ into this Marketing Toy Box for you to reference, alter, add-to and use however you see fit. These are the 10 most effective ways I know of (and don’t worry, marketing theory backs me up here) to make an impact on your people. Make them think, make them smile, get them excited, outraged, curious… Move them to act. That’s the goal.
I call this kit the ‘toy box’ because I want you to remember to be playful with your customers. To keep it light, to appeal to their senses. To take risks. To dive for the ball. To be more human, or more dog… be cute, be funny, be sophisticated… be anything except robotic!
I know, it’s difficult…
When you set about creating anything for your business (a postcard, a newsletter, a catalog, an email) it’s so easy to feel like you’re starting over each time. The idea is to get away from that reinvention, to create formulas and short-cuts, so you know where to start and which toys to play with to achieve consistent results. Many businesses have brand guidelines or a ‘style guide’ (which are very valuable tools!) There is some overlap between that and this, but these guidelines are more about interacting with your clients… they are about implementing your brand guidelines – putting them into action… getting out there and doing.
Marketing Toy Box:
- Imagery
- Color
- Graphics + Icons
- Space
- Words / Text
- Audio + Video
- Touch / Texture
- Smell + Taste
- Social Proof
- X-Factor
In future articles I will go into more depth about how to use and combine these toys, but for now, let’s just get familiar with some basic do’s and don’ts of each one.
MOST IMPORTANTLY!
I have created a one-page Marketing Toy Box cheat-sheet for you to keep these concepts near. Refer to them whenever you’re starting any little marketing activity so you can keep your conversations consistent!
Download it at the end of this post.
1. IMAGERY
Ok. So I AM a photographer, so there will be bias inherent in this next part… BUT I am also a designer and I also have a Masters in Marketing. I have run my own businesses for over a decade and have watched the results of my marketing and the marketing efforts of my clients and I can tell you, there is no sales tool MORE effective per dollar-spent than wonderful, emotive, descriptive imagery (both still and video imagery). I find with entrepreneurs, this is one of the most overlooked and underutilized ways to instantly connect with potential clients. Most companies dabble in photography – I mean most businesses know they need it to show their products or fill their website up – but is the fair few who really, really get photography right and those that do, profit immensely from their investment – check out this old quote from one of my photography clients:
“The product shots that were taken have helped fuel our 2000% sales growth and will continue to be a main driver in our sales as we grow online. Nichole can capture the essence of a pet and the emotion behind the reason for our products like no other photographer.”
I am not trying to sell you on hiring me as a photographer, no. I am trying to sell you on the idea of investing your time, attention and as necessary, capital in a library of images (and video) that sums up your brand. I mean, 2000% sales growth in a year or two? Seriously! Oh and if you are a photographer, or you ARE your product, pay close attention to #5 below!
5 quick & useful image tips for you:
- When using imagery of dogs/cats/ people on their own – it is FAR more engaging to have them looking straight at you (the viewer) than with head turned. Publishers know this is the first trick to getting dog books/magazines picked up off the shelf.
- For maximum emotional impact + desire-building, be sure to include detail imagery in your marketing. I describe these as the ‘yummy filler shots’ – images with sharp focus + shallow depth of field (blurry background) where there is more lifestyle or result implied than actual technical aspects of a product or service perfectly depicted. Think of these as ‘moments’ in the life of your people… For example: worn leather leash and keys on the counter to sell dog walking… dog sleeping on the couch with beautiful portrait of him on wall above to sell pet photography… happy dog sitting look up at you to sell dog treats.
- Because our brains process visual information 60,000 times FASTER than text – always SHOW it rather than SAY it, when you can. Resist the urge to ‘over explain’ and let a descriptive image do the selling. Better yet – let a VIDEO or CINEMAGRAPH do the selling – imagery doesn’t have to be static! (see #6 audio/video)
- Stock images that LOOK like stock lose nearly all of the emotional impact because they feel fake and unrealistic. This doesn’t mean you can’t use stock imagery (although I’d always say it pays to get your own library of images) it just means you need to choose images that look natural and that make you feel something when you look at them. I love Creative Market for not-your-average images – or you can go to the usual suspects (Of the microstock sites I prefer shutterstock) and just be very selective about the images you choose.
- Investing in great photography is one of the best things you can do for your business, but at a MINIMUM, invest in a library of great images of you: headshots alone, headshots with your pets, day-to-day running of your business + detail shots of what you do will be INCREDIBLY VALUABLE for not only helping to build credibility + trust, but also to send along for PR, guest speaking/blogging/appearing, and press that might come your way – as well as of course – telling your story digitally (website, facebook, instagram etc.) in a compelling way.BONUS: Check out my super handy interview on the subject of headshots for more tips on why you need great headshots + how to go about getting them!
In-Action:
Zee.Dog
website | instagram | video #connectingdogsandpeople
Check out how inspiring, beautiful, colorful, edgy, playful and warm the Zee Dog images are. Their own photography is consistent and the work they curate fits in so well, it’s often hard to tell the difference between ‘ours’ and ‘theirs’.
(P.S. They shoot all their lifestyle images with *gasp* film!!)
2. COLOR
One of the quickest ways creatures make decisions about things is through the interpretation of color. Not just humans, either, think of all those crazy colored birds, bugs and reptiles that use color as a way to scare of predators, attract mates or send other messages about where they fit in to the circle of life. We all know color is an incredibly important element in our decision-making, especially when it comes to what we buy:
“Customers generally make an initial judgment on a product within 90 seconds of interaction with that product and about 62%-90% of that judgment is based on color” (… here’s more from the wiki explanation) and over here, is a visual breakdown of the emotions & associations associated with color as well as some more interesting color statistics as they relate to purchasing.
Your customers and clients are operating under this same code of conduct – so color becomes an essential element in your ability to attract and communicate with them before they have a chance to meet you or read a single thing you have to say. Make sure the colors you are using are consistent to your brand and are a good fit for the product you’re selling and your price/ position in the market. You want to ensure the colors you’re using are giving your clients the feelings you want them to be experiencing (see links above) and if you’re selling a product that will end up in their home, you better damn well make sure that product matches their couch/curtains/wallpaper etc.!
5 quick & useful color tips for you:
- Your eye is automatically drawn to the lightest (whitest) thing on a page. This is essential when you’re creating an ad or marketing piece with an important call-to-action or headline you want to be the most obvious message on the page – make it the lightest thing.
- Primary colors (fire engine red, grass-green, royal blue, bright yellow) have a tendency to look childish or basic – do not use these together in designs you’re hoping will look elegant or premium. White, black and grey are often the signature colors of ‘premium’ or ‘elegance’ and carefully selected ‘pop’ colors can add interest and excitement (Beware, monochromatic or one-color designs can easily be boring and uninspiring).
- If you have a white background, try using medium to dark grey text instead of black to ‘soften’ the harshness of the black on white. For text, more often than not, use dark on light – light text on dark background is usually harder (and more tiring) to read.
- For products that will end up in your clients’ home – note that earth tones (brown, green, blue and greys) are the most common choices because they match the majority of wood and carpet combos that most people have in their home. That’s not to say you can’t go BOLD in color – but keep in mind when you produce that hot-pink dog bed, that it has to match a room in someone’s home (ideally the living room) or they won’t buy it. For products that will have a dog on, in or anywhere near it – most pet owners know that dog is going to be muddy and hairy so often they will opt for a darker color to avoid doing more clean-up than is necessary.
- If you make a product that will sit on a shelf, go look at the shelves where your product will sit! Have a look at the colors currently displayed there and brainstorm ways that you can ensure your product stands out to the person passing by, but also compels them to choose that product because it’s a good fit (ie don’t use a color just for shock value – but be sure you’re not blending into a sea of sameness!)
For inspiration for your brand colors, consider the all-mighty PINTEREST, drawing from non-pet brands you love (like designer, cooking or — shops) paint stores/guides or this website to get color inspiration for your own brand
In-Action:
Found My Animal
Found My Animal has used color as a the primary sales tool to differentiate one product to the next (as well as seasons of product) but they have also managed to incorporate their ‘adopt don’t shop’ mission directly into their product with color. Their dayglow orange collar and lead set is affectionately called ‘orange rescue collar’ and the first line of the product description is ‘Orange is the color of animal protection awareness…’
2 Hounds Design
After getting a better understanding how their customers shop, we added a ‘shop by color’ element to the 2 Hounds website navigation ( allowing pink-addicts to shop only pink, or make it easier to find a matching collar or leash.
3. GRAPHICS + ICONS
When they want information quickly, people don’t like to read. It’s time-consuming. It’s an investment. They skim. They look and make a judgment within a few seconds as to whether or not to make that investment in you or your business. Also, reading is tiring so if I can take more information in through visual means, all the better.
5 quick & useful graphics tips for you:
- Collect a ‘library’ or ‘style’ of graphics that you use throughout your marketing – either different versions of your own brand character if you have one (your logo critter in different scenarios) or a collection of icons with similar style: modern, vintage, cartoony, watercolor, hand-drawn, etc. The more unique these graphics are to your brand – the more effective they are at creating an emotional connection with your peeps.
- Consider commissioning custom illustrations to push your brand that bit further – this is especially effective if you’re communicating a great deal with your clients (via newsletter, magazine etc.) or if you can translate those drawings into sellable products or engaging images to create engagement in social media.
- Don’t forget the king of graphics, the INFOGRAPHIC. This is fantastic, social media friendly way to encourage the understanding + sharing of information relating to what it is that you’re all about.
- Need a quick & easy logo on the cheap? Check out 99 designs. This is a great resource to just get something done so you can just move forward. You can always invest later in more custom, gorgeous branding.
- Ready to hire someone seriously AWESOME for your branding/illustration? A personal referral is always a good start – if you know someone who has branding you just can’t get enough of, ask them who designed it! Personally, I have design-crushes on both Nicole at Design Womb and Nat at Labs & Co. Keep in mind that you want to pick someone based on the work they do well – you want that work to match up with what you think you have in your head. Things may go badly if you want someone who specializes in crisp type-heavy logos to do a cartoony caricature for you.
In-Action:
Bark Box (Bark & Co.)
website | bark post | bark buddy | bark shop
Check out the custom illustrations Bark & Co. uses throughout their branding and sub-branding – these arty, quirky, accessible, often funny little drawings give cohesion to bring all the sub-brands together, and make you smile even on their customer service pages or in their email pop-up.
4. Space.
One of the most common mistakes I see in the marketing of entrepreneurs is not letting the message ‘breathe’. Any available space gets filled with text, images, deals, descriptions, numbers etc. Not only does this reek of desperation and insecurity “I don’t know what they want so I’ll throw it all in there” but it usually ruins the effectiveness of most forms of marketing or advertising. When I was doing a lot of graphic design work, my clients often used this one word to describe what they wanted, or what they liked about my style… This word sums up what I want for your designs and marketing assets too. That word is: clean.
I often suggest that marketing assets like your website are like your home (you’re inviting your customers in, you need to make them feel welcome and anticipate their needs so the experience is easy, pleasant and encourages a repeat visit). Well it sure does stand to reason then, that step number one after inviting someone over to your house is to CLEAN IT! De-clutter. Tidy-up. Make ROOM for the wonderful experience that will unfold in your space. The sames goes for your postcards, ads, business cards, etc. Leave room for your customer to take it in. Leave space for them to move around visually or physically – to feel expansive and stress-free. Not convinced? Think of the difference between shopping at a luxurious boutique or department store, versus a TJ or TK MAX type discount shop – what’s the primary difference? SPACE – room to move, browse and bigger dressing rooms. In the discount shops (or sales racks even) there often isn’t even room to move the hanger – it’s so crammed in with other hangers!
Another element of space is organization. Making it clear where your customer is, and where they need to go next. Breaking down ‘user guides’ or ‘welcome packets’ or even your website navigation into an obvious start-to-finish flow that is intuitive to follow, again allows them to feel happy, relaxed and open to the possibilities.
5 quick & useful space & layout tips for you:
- Much like your possessions, when in doubt, remove. Less is always, always, always more. What words, images, graphics, concepts etc. can you cut out and keep (or improve!) the meaning or sentiment while inviting more ‘white space’ into the design? This white space is not a waste, it’s an investment. Consider that beautiful, white, spacious Apple packaging…
- Bigger images are always better. You know those great magazines like Sunset where you see a full-spread of some beautiful canyon and then overlayed on top there’s a little headline and like 5 lines of text? Yeah. That works WAY better than the opposite composition (tons of text + tiny image). Go big with your images both online and in print. Look around, you’ll find more and more websites, blogs, full-page ads and billboards of big successful brands featuring huge imagery – tiny text. Not because they don’t have much to say, or many products to sell, but because they know what works!
- Get a pro involved. If this is not your strength (and you already know the answer to this) then delegate! I cannot over-emphasize the value of having professional layouts for your essential business tools. Luckily, this does not have to be expensive!! You can quickly find great, affordable designers on Upwork if you have a catalog, ebook or custom project you need done. You can also purchase gorgeous, done-for-you templates from companies like Design Aglow and Creative Market, or wonderful, responsive WordPress themes from Theme Forest.
- Sort out your physical space. The space you spend your time in has a huge impact on how productive and happy you are. If you’re struggling to concentrate, clean something. File those files, get rid of the extra piles of stuff in the corner. A clean and tidy office or desk, is a blank canvas for you to paint your magic on… A clutter-free room helps create a clutter-free mind.
- Struggling to fit it all in? Focus. Are you trying to be everything to everyone? Stop it. Just push out one concept, one emotion, one message, one call-to-action (not 100 products, ideas, packages or promotions).
In-Action:
Victoria Stilwell Dog Training Academy
When creating this site we used very purposeful blocks to indicate ‘sections’. There is an abundance of airy space surrounding text, and a purposeful alternating of content (text then image then text) to ‘break up’ any large areas of any one type of content. Notice how this makes the site feel more ‘bite-sized’ to read and explore – nothing is daunting or overwhelming and it’s easy to understand where you are, and where to go next.
5. Words & Text
Ohhh text. Beacuase we are a species of talkers, we often rely more heavily on this toy than we should. As previously already discussed, in our chaotic, fast-paced world, it is almost always faster and more compelling to deliver your message with images, color or graphics… but a few finely crafted words can be just the thing to tip someone over the edge of casual observer to avid fan. However, language is a fine-art and in the case of text – more is not better!
- One of the most simple ways to make large amounts of copy more easy to skim, is by breaking it into logical chunks (putting more paragraph breaks in) and adding bullet-points or lists to highlight points (like I have done in this blog!) This has a positive effect on your composition visually, making it appear less daunting to consume.
- When you are working on some copy, one of the best ways to edit, is to read it out loud. Anywhere you stumble, find yourself tripping over words or not getting crystal-clear meaning…edit. Move words around, move sentences – make the ideas flow in a way that is easy to understand and easy to say.
- If you struggle with copy, consider hiring a Copywriter. A bit like design, copywriting is a finely crafted skill, and if you struggle to make your headlines or packaging copy to excite, hire someone who can! This skill is another one that is often underutilized and underappreciated by entrepreneurs (you may not have ever even heard of a copywriter!) but the copy (words, text, headlines etc.) that you use to pitch your business, sell your product, explain your offerings etc. is another very critical extension of your brand. Crafting the voice of your business may be something that comes naturally to you, but if it doesn’t, call in the pros (especially on your packaging + sales pages!!)
- An important visual element of copy is Font choice. I like for a brand to have at least 4-5 fonts in its Brand Guidelines, one for copy, one for headlines, one for sub-headers and one ‘fun’ font. When creating large blocks of copy like a book, or this blog, a ‘serif’ font (like this one) is traditionally the most pleasing & familiar to the human eye. Also, when you’re constrained by the options online, you sometimes don’t have a lot of choice, so having a font in your pack that is easily replaced with an old stand-by like Times is helpful to keep consistency across channels. When creating eye-catching headlines, a more simple, thicker or bolder font is often ideal (think of a poster or book cover to be seen from a distance). I often like to have a thinner, cleaner or an all-caps font for sub-headings (to compliment both the copy and header fonts). Last but not least, it’s nice to have a lovely little ‘accent font’ – a script, a typewriter font, a handwritten font – something very connected to who you are as a company and the emotions you want to embody as a brand.
- The most important tip when it comes to copy and text is to trim, trim, trim. There is always more to cut. It is simplicity and editing that make copy its very strongest, not quantity or complexity of words. Chop, chop, chop. Do not get attached to your beautiful words – only care for the meaning you want your client to glean from reading, and know that if there is too much or it doesn’t grab them right away, they won’t read it at all! You can always add a ‘read more’ option for those who want the full and complete story, but as a default, don’t feel you need to explain every nuance or every detail… Just deliver the core meaning or message, and remember that core message should be about addressing the needs/wants of your customer or client, not stroking your own ego!
In-Action:
Dog Milk
Although this site is essentially a blog, look how little text is on the home page! Titles, sub-titles mostly – cues to direct you where you want to go. But even when you get into an actual blog post – it is image heavy and divided up nicely with white space, links and icons, making this site very easy to spend a lot of time on!
The Honest Kitchen
Check out the ‘brand voice’ of Honest Kitchen. With a word like ‘honest’ in your name, you have to bring it with the fresh, real copy and they do just that;
“Honest to goodness foods, Humans aren’t the only ones who enjoy a quality meal. Set the mystery pellets aside, and let your pup or kitty dip a paw into a taste test of healthy, wholesome, proper food for pets”
6. Audio/Video
The more immersive the experience you create, the easier it is to connect with your client. Music and video can transport your message instantly past the gatekeepers of our attention – the defences we keep at the ready to protect us from the ‘noise’ of being sold-to. Both audio + video (or both) tell us what we need to know more quickly than reading, and also have the ability to entertain or connect better than just about any other medium. We are all getting the message that we need to incorporate more multi-media into our marketing and branding, but this can be daunting if it’s new to us. A video added to the home page of your web site could quickly become your #1 sales tool, so don’t let your fear hold you back!
5 quick & useful audio/video tips for you:
- To move past fear, challenge yourself to just record a few casual videos with your phone or laptop, upload them to Facebook or YouTube, and share them with your existing audience. Just try it. An excellent option here is to consider a video blog, or video ‘how-to’s’ to supplement your blog as a way of teaching and getting clients familiar with your work! This is a must-do if you’re a dog trainer!!
- Music is a great tool to help set a happy tone to your video or audio (podcast). Have a look at Audio jungle and find a couple tracks that make you feel good or give you the right energy when you listen to the first 10-20 seconds. This is royalty-free music you can purchase and use over and over in your future audio/video spots.
- You don’t even have to have or create video footage to have a great video! You can use your lovely photos + text + music to create a very compelling slide show – great for putting in your product pages to explain products or your overall business. If you can though, just pop a short message from you in there to add that extra level of connection.
- Getting video or audio testimonials is a super-effective upgrade from the standard written ones (see #9 below)
- Pay attention to the not-so-nice noises too… If you have a physical location where dogs are, trying to engineer ways to ensure that when your client walks through the door, or calls you on the phone, the annoying sound of barking dogs does not negatively impact their experience. This is especially key if they will be leaving their dog with you – you don’t want them reminded that their dog might be distressed and barking, or subject to the din of other dogs barking when they leave! Don’t underestimate this one because you think all people with dogs understand that they bark!
In-Action:
Ruffwear
‘My Dog is My’ video | YouTube
Check out the “My Dog is My” video – check out the STUNNING use of ‘yummy detail imagery’ (#2 from our imagery tip list) + subtle inclusion of product, exemplified by lifestyle not by explanation. Notice how the music builds to make it all feel more epic (this video makes me get all teary every single time I see it!) Also on the Ruffwear YouTube channel are some really practical product explanations – great for supporting their retailers and customers.
Positively.com
Victoria is obviously a master at teaching and training on camera, but she also made it a central part of her website Positively.com, so that she might help as many people as possible needing help and how-to’s when it comes to training their dogs. It is so much more likely that people will watch a how-to video, than read a blog, and these videos are more likely to rank in Google for particular keywords, than blogs by the same name or title.
Also, check out how they put together this little viral video in order to spread their message about puppy mills and adoption (Victoria talks about this video in episode 1 of our podcast). Notice also how playful the music is, despite the seriousness of the message!
7. Touch / Texture
There is a fab ad out now depicting the power of touch. ‘Touch is a Powerful Language” – the video says it way better than I can, so check it out. Our sense of touch can quickly connect us to our opinions regarding quality. Even when we can’t physically touch something, if we see texture we recognize, we can understand quickly what it feels like and what that means (soft=I want to cuddle into it, sharp=I want to avoid it). This marketing toy is largely used in physical products or spaces, but don’t forget its value in our digital world too – by connecting us visually to the tangible.
5 quick & useful touch & texture tips for you:
- Consider in your print materials the, the impact of touching and holding them. Do you want them to be shiny or matte? Heavy or light weight? Rounded or edgy? Rectangular, square or die-cut? You don’t have to spend a ton of money to make purposeful choices about your printed materials. If you want ‘fancy on a budget’ the ‘laminated matte’ finish (if you’re familiar with the original Moo cards, they popularized this look/feel). If you want fancy with cost no object, consider letterpress or metallic foil. If you want rustic but super cheap, play it up and go for kraft paper or make your OWN with custom rubber stamp of your logo / message.
- Add some ‘brand textures’ into your Brand Guidelines. What are some textures, fabrics, patterns or surfaces that you can incorporate into your branding? What makes sense for you + your business? Select 3-5 real actual textures (things that exist in real life, like wood, sand, snow, metal, flowers, fabric etc.) and acquire images of them that you can use as backgrounds or fillers in your digital and print materials. This is especially effective as a subtle layer behind solid blocks of color or as little hints or bars alongside very ‘digital’ materials like shopping carts or long web pages. Just make sure the texture you choose ‘makes sense’ with who and what your brand is all about.
- If you have packaging or a physical product, be sure to take into consideration the experience of unwrapping or using that product for the first time. Consider if it’s on the shelf for a while, how it will wear (will it yellow, peel or crack?) Is it easy to remove, un-clip or put back should it not be the right fit? These are opportunities to create positive experiences for your client (or retail client) rather than stressful ones.
- If you make a product that is pleasant to experience – provide a ‘tester’ or a ‘swatch book’ or give away samples of it to encourage clients to experience it for themselves. If touch is a significant part of the experience your customers will have, talk about it – explain how/why you’ve chosen or created the materials you’ve used. Let it be a part of your story.
- In a physical space, don’t underestimate the power of furniture and decor textures to give cues to your customer about what kind of business you are – think of the difference between the tile/surroundings in a spa vs. a public bathroom (if you’re a groomer you definitely want to be more in the spa category!) Just because you business needs to be dog-friendly does not mean it needs to look or feel industrial.
In-Action:
P.L.A.Y
P.L.A.Y. is a company that sells toys and few other little accessories, but is mostly focused on high-quality, beautifully designed dog beds. They have learned over the years that an important factor in the purchase of their plush beds is that customers can see and touch them. So they created special stickers for retailers to affix to the beds that read “Touch Me” – thus encouraging the customer to engage with the product, and hopefully, be so enamoured with the softness and obvious comfort, that they purchase it for their pet. P.L.A.Y. also provides their retail customers with swatch books, so that customers can touch and experience a wide range of the fabrics that are available. Much easier to pre-sell a product by touch then simply with a photo!
The Labs & Co.
Another great example from Working with Dog members! The Labs & Co. are MASTERS of texture. Their obsession with all things pet and their rustic, outdoorsy aesthetic pours through every bit of their marketing and identity. Scroll down their home page or check out their individual portrait sessions to see how they incorporate fur textures into their branding. Check out their blog to see how they designed their header to transform you instantly from laptop to desk top – from digital to the tangible and analog (a great fit for them as they too shoot a great deal with film).
8. Smell & Taste – sense marketing
We are not going to spend as much time on this one, because for most of us, it is much more rare that we get to incorporate the smell and taste senses into your marketing. However, below are some great pet-friendly ways to consider these senses when appealing to the humans
3 quick & useful smell & taste tips for you:
- When selling food items for pets, name your flavors to appeal to humans, since they are the ones who will be choosing for their dog. As a retail store owner I saw this again and again, in nutrition, treats and novelty items like ‘dog beer’ and ‘doggy ice cream’ – the human picks the flavor that appeals to them.
- If you have a physical location, much like the sound of barking dogs as discussed previously, your space needs to be absent from the smell of dogs. This is far more critical than you might think. Sense marketing is an entire field, and huge corporations spend a great deal manufacturing scents to fill their spaces in order to entice you to stay longer or purchase more. I can guarantee that NONE of these companies are including the aromas of wet dog or dog pee in their special mix!! Put this it at the TOP of your list when making improvements in your business – unpleasant smells imply dirtiness and this will be amount the top 3 reasons that someone will or will not return to your establishment.
- Food is one of the greatest toys there is! You see this all the time at events and trade shows – and it’s not veggies that are on offer! Savvy exhibitors offer free candy to encourage you to come over so they can suck you into conversation and keep you sweet while you chat – plus you feel a little obligated to listen because they’ve just given you chocolate 🙂 The are positively reinforcing your behavior – it’s simple conditioning! It’s no different with the free treats we give dogs at events or in our shops/locations – we want them wagging and pulling their owner in when they walk past our door next time! Simple, cheap and effective.
In-Action:
Planet Dog
Planet Dog’s flagship products are durable, non-toxic, made in the USA ‘Orbee Tough’ rubber toys. In addition to the features I’ve just mentioned, one of the best things about these toys is that they smell like mint. Not only does this delight the customer (as they imagine their dog’s breath improving!) but it also means when you open a box of Orbee toys, or you walk past a display of orbee toys in a shop, the refreshing smell of mint envelops you. Now I don’t know if this solution was meant to cover up a more industrial, less pleasant smell (I mean, think of the smell of new tires) but either way, it’s genius.
Nature’s Menu
I LOVE the flavors of their ‘country hunter’ range – “salmon + raspberry” “duck with plum” and “venison with blueberry” – definitely appealing to humans here and it really works!
9. Social Proof
In the age of Amazon, it’s likely you already know first-hand the power of ‘social proof’ – the review – the testimonial. This is one of your not-so-secret weapons in the battle for attention and conversions. Most of us really don’t bother with making this toy a priority because we don’t like asking for praise, feel it’s a lot of work to acquire, edit and post testimonials, and generally feel like the whole thing is a bit ‘rah rah go me’ – but now is the time to let those beliefs go. You HAVE GOT to be using this marketing booster in your business. Like, right now.
5 quick & useful social proof tips for you:
- When you go about gathering feedback, download the pdf and consider using these 8 questions instead of just ‘asking for a testimonial’ and, please please please GET A PHOTO to go along with it. When you post that testimonial, post a photo right alongside it. This massively enhances the efficacy of the ‘review’.
- If you want to increase public reviews for your business, be sure you have a google + page, a listing on Yelp.com and if possible (you need to classify yourself as a ‘local business’) enable reviews on Facebook.
- Another very popular and effective way to show social proof is via the the ol’ “As Seen In” or “Press” page. Having “award winning” is the same. You’ll notice I have this right at the top of workingwithdog.com. This is a way for us to build credibility based on the ‘celebrity’ associated with the different press outlets that have interviewed us or featured our work/products. If you have them, it is well-worth gathering the press features + logos of notable press to use in this way. If you don’t have them – don’t stress it – but it might be time to include a PR strategy into your marketing mix! (more on that in another blog).
- Circling back to the idea of ‘graphics and icons’ – stars are a shockingly effective tool for increasing click-through rate to your site. To get some lovely stars to use in your business, work on getting rated by a local publication that offers star-rating to local businesses, get those reviews enabled on Facebook as mentioned above, or best of all work on getting those stars to appear near your website in google. To do that you need to enable that google + page for your business or join a 3rd party review site like Feefo or Trust Pilot and get at least 3o reviews. This strategy takes time and you’ll need to consistently communicate with your clients about where they can leave the reviews for you, but eventually those stars will pop up in google. No matter where your stars come from, consider creating a graphic and including it on your business card, web site, sales materials etc. -we are programmed to assume that 4 or 5 stars means quality and happy customers!
- One of the most compelling forms of social proof is the ‘before & after’ image. We’ve all seen this technique with weight-loss sales materials – it’s just so hard to deny the power of a photo that shows significant transformation. Combine that with personal words about the journey from one photo another and boom. Sold. Is there a way you can use this powerful tool to show the transformation that occurs for clients in your business?
In-Action:
The Blissful Dog
This example comes straight from one of our Working with Dog members! The Blissful Dog sells that glorious ‘nose butter’ and other balms for your dogs dry, cracked skin. Our frenchie has always had a cracked nose, and every time I look at it I want to fix it for him. When I scroll down the Blissful Dog home page, I see tons of “before & after” shots – frenchie and bullie noses much like Charlie’s. Alongside are compelling testimonials, all of which makes me feel confident that if I order this product, I will get the results I am looking for.
10. X-Factor
This is my favorite toy of all. This is the domain of the super-marketer (which is you). This is the one that sets the puppies apart from the dogs. Get this right and you can pretty much fail miserably at the other 9!! This toy is all about experience. All about thrilling your customer, getting them talking, igniting their inner ‘super fan’ and giving them compelling reasons to pick you over your competition. But you need to know, these are not just tactics to turn off + on, these toys should be integrated heavily into your culture – you need to empower your whole team to deliver and ooze x-factor. Also, x-factor is part of a long-term strategy. It is about investing in the future success of your business based on the pleasure quotient of your current customers. It is about relationship-building, customer-service mastering and especially, happy-making.
5 quick & useful x-factor tips for you:
- This one is fun, easy and feels good. Surprise & delight your clients at every opportunity. Give them generous gifts (this is most effective when you begin to understand the ‘lifetime value’ of your client so you know just how generous you can afford to be long-term – but this works better the bigger you go! I’m talkin free ipads and weekends away*) Provide them special privileges or access to things they desire that money can’t buy. Don’t charge them for extras when they’re fully expecting to pay. Go out of your way to do the unreasonably amazingly thoughtful. Send them a hand-written note. Be a friendly, thoughtful human. This is the most direct and simple way to build two of your most powerful routes to future business; return customers and word of mouth!
- Another hugely compelling element of x-factor is increasing ease, accessibility and convenience. Smooth out the resistance wherever it exists. Do the work to flatten out wrinkles in your product, packaging, software, communication, delivery and other avenues that massively impact your customers’ ability to interact with you or your product. It is YOUR JOB to understand what they want make it as easy as physically possible. Think Amazon. Think Apple. Go beyond what is normal or acceptable to blow your customers’ mind. Put the work in to beat the status quo in your industry. You will reap the rewards.
- If you are most compelled by a particular charitable or social cause, build your business around it. Be all about it. Eat, sleep and breathe it. Not for PR, not because it’s trendy, but because if you won the lottery, this is how you’d spend your time and other resources. You don’t have to be a charitable business to contribute to a cause – you can be for-profit and still help. How you do that is up to you (see Found My Animal below) but you will need to have a very clear mission. Customers will respond and support your conviction passionately.
- This one might seem obvious, but it is too important not to mention… Package yourself or your product immaculately. If you are your product – your physical appearance is part of your marketing. If you have a physical product, the way it is packaged, tagged, boxed and sent-out all have a huge impact on your customer’s experience. This is how you walk your talk. Don’t spend all your profit on this (which is easy to do!) but consider it carefully and craft this part of your customer’s journey with care. Create process around packaging so it is consistent. Take photos of it and encourage customers to do the same so that it organically becomes part of your sales pitch. If you are your product, take the time and effort to consistently show up as the brand your customer has invested in – from head to toe.
- One final tip that I think is a great way for entrepreneurs to implement x-factor, is to encourage social media use as a customer service tool. Pick the platform(s) you and your team are most comfortable with and invite your customers to meet you there. Twitter and Facebook are both fantastic for this – it can be slightly harder for you to track, but that’s your problem – not theirs. Your then living #2 and making it easy for them to get in touch – you are meeting them where they are (ot putting them on hold on the phone or letting their issues dissappear into your inbox abyss). You are acting like a human. Equally, if you search (especially on Twitter) You might find people who have issues you didn’t even know existed – and if you show up there and solve them – you become a serious hero.
*You need to look into bribery laws for your particular industry because sometimes there are rules about what you’re allowed to ‘give’.
In-Action:
Found My Animal
‘Let your pet wear your values’ – Found My Animal has built their company and all of their products around the fundamentals of solid design and the social cause of animal welfare. They are loudly and wholly advocating for rescue dogs in every corner of their business. Not only has this dedication allowed them to help an endless number of homeless pets, but it also has fueled their hugely successful, ‘made in the usa’, b corporation that does not ever discount its products but is experiencing seriously accelerated growth… all within a totally saturated ‘collar and leash’ market.
Dog is Good
When I was Creative Director at Dog is Good I was extremely passionate about this element of our business. Some little things we did, included making the tags on our tees also stickers, sending the occasional free gift with orders, even printing little surprise messages inside the neck of our tees so that after your purchase you found a little something extra to re-affirm your purchase decision and make you smile. My partners Jon and Gila were religious about ‘being easy to do business with’ and still maintain that as a pillar of the Dog is Good legacy. These elements of ‘surprise + delight’ were definitely at the heart of our growth over the the first 8-10 years of business.
HOMEWORK
First and foremost, read through this blog a couple of times, at your leisure – to let it all sink in (I know it’s long!) Then make sure you…
Download the Cheat-Sheet
Then, have a look through your favorite glossy magazines. As you flip through, keep a keen eye on all the ads and tear out (or take photos of) the ones that you think use their marketing toy box really well.
What do you think makes them effective?
How do you feel when you see them?
What techniques from the list above are they utilizing to give you that feeling?
** P.S. EXTRA CREDIT: Create a Pinterest board of your favorite ads that you think are rockin’ it and make notes in the caption of each image what it is that ‘works’ about the ad
***P.P.S. I’m sorry this has to be said, but I think it does… imitation might be a sincere form of flattery, but it’s also theft. Please use these examples to find your own bit of genius – don’t just outright copy someone else’s. I want to provide you these ideas to spark your own. Don’t worry if you haven’t found your ‘ah ha’ yet – it’s there waiting for you – keep digging!
Download the Cheat-Sheet
Share your homework with us on the Facebook Page – I’d love to see what you come up with!
