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“All You Need to Know About Using Exclusivity for Better Product Launches” plus 3 more

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“All You Need to Know About Using Exclusivity for Better Product Launches” plus 3 more

Link to @ProBlogger

All You Need to Know About Using Exclusivity for Better Product Launches

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 09:10 AM PDT

This is a contribution by our very own Shayne Tilley.

Image by Flickr user EricaStLeonards

Image by Flickr user EricaStLeonards

Launching products and campaigning can be fast-moving and complex beasts. There are so many layers, and even the best-laid plans can be scrapped in an instant as it all goes amazing well, or horrifically wrong…

Two promotional tactics we use in our product launches and special campaigns on both ProBlogger and Digital Photography School are the notion of “exclusivity“, and “limiting factors“.

I thought today I’d share with you the how and why of this approach, and what we’ve learned along the way.

So what do I mean by “exclusivity” and “limits” in the context of a launch or promotion?

Exclusivity:

Exclusivity is about creating a proposition that will not be available to the general public. It’s an offer specifically for you, because you meet some sort of criteria. It might be because you're an existing customer. It might be because you showed early interest in a product. It might be because you are a newsletter subscriber, or a member of a community. It can be anything as long as you can define it.

By me giving you this offer I’m making you feel special. You’re acknowledged and rewarded and hopefully rightly so! This can then drive two responses:

1. the “nah-nah-na-na-nah!” response

We like to brag. Sometimes it's about how much we paid for something, sometimes it’s about how little we did. When I make you this exclusive offer, it means when you take advantage of it, you’ll have something the chump next to you paid way more for and it’s only because you were you. It’s like winning without having to even play the game! Of course you’ll head to the checkout.

2. the IOU response

By giving you this exclusive offer you immediately think that you owe me something. I’ve taken the time to create this special offer and reward you for some reason. That I value you so much I’m willing to give you something that no-one else can have. The only way you can pay me back is take up the honour in which I bestowed upon you and head to that checkout.

An example we’ve used recently on ProBlogger.com:

We soft-launched the new ProBlogger Community in the last couple of weeks, and before making it available to all, we exclusively launched it to existing members first. We provided with exclusivity in two ways: offering members the chance get into the community early and establish themselves in addition to receiving a great price as a foundation member of the site. Why? Because no matter how great the content and site technology is, it’s the people there that make it special — and we wanted to ensure our loyal problogger.com members were part of the new site. A real win-win situation.

This idea of exclusivity has been one the tech start-up community has really embraced. Take Pinterest for example: it had an 'invite-only' sign up process for some time. You had to request access, and when you were given it, (because you’d been ‘approved’ by them), you are much more likely to actually use the service. There are secret back-door and referral systems built-in to make you feel even more special.  Whilst you’ll see what sound like legitimate reasons for this, trust me –  it’s a marketing tactic. One that’s designed to create an emotional debt with the product, person, or service you are using. Which makes you more likely to stick around.

And it’s quite effective.

Limited:

When limiting your campaigns, you are communicating some sort of restrictive factor. It might be stock, it might be seats, or it could be time.  By doing this, you are creating a sense of urgency. A sense that “if I don’t act now, I might miss out“. These responses are driven by our past – we’ve all missed out on something because we waited too long, and it made us feel bad.  It’s the desire you have to avoid that negative emotional trigger I’m pulling by limiting an offer in some way.

How we use this on Digital Photography School:

Every single new product launch we run will have a limit. For the most part, it’s in the form of an earlybird special. For a time-limited period, readers will receive a special discount, or a special bonus for a few weeks. Over the launch period, we up the focus on this to increase the urgency.  The first week we’ll focus on the product or offer and just mention that it's Time-Limited.  The next week, we will announce the cut-off date with a little more prominence, and the final email we’ll send 48 hours before that date will be the core message of the product.

With this urgency we often see more sales on the last day than we did when we first announced the product. This of course goes up a new gear when we run our 12 days of Christmas Campaign, where each deal only lasts 12 hours.

It’s not about making the sale, it’s about closing it.

With both of these techniques, it’s not about making the sale. Your products benefit and the offer still needs to do that too (sorry). What limits and exclusivity will do is just give the potential customer that little extra nudge to head on through the sale process.

Digital vs Actual

These techniques have been around longer than the internet, and digital content is actually just an adaptation of what retail stores mastered a long time ago. If you’re selling a digital product, such as a book or a video course, then as long as there’s power you have an infinite amount of stock.  However if you have a service, or a course, or a physical product, you don’t just have time up your sleeve to use as a sales technique – you also have ‘While stocks last’ – just as powerful, maybe even more!

The ProBlogger team recently witnessed action that a stock/seat limitation can create. After putting a limited number of tickets (450) on sale for this years ProBlogger Event, within minutes, half of them had sold.  That creates a bigger, more urgent call-to-action, as people realised they only had a short time to make a call to attend or not. If they waited they’d miss out!

… and it snowballed.

This accumulation of momentum resulted in all tickets being sold out in 6 hours and a re-engineering of the event set-up for us to allow another 100 people to attend. Which sold out quickly again!

Time and its subtleties

If you can’t use stock as a limiting factor, then time will be your best friend – just like it is on Digital Photography School.

With time there are some subtleties in language you need to take into account.

Ends in two weeks‘ is much stronger than ‘soon

7 days only‘ is much stronger that ‘next week

In the next 48 hours‘ is stronger than ‘In the next two days‘.

When putting your copy and messaging together, you need to think about which time terms feel closer; and ensure that you are giving specific time periods rather than just writing generic terms like ‘soon’. As I mentioned earlier, we tend to get more specific and forthright as we get closer to the end.

Be prepared to shift gears

In your campaign and launch planning, you’ll have a nice start and end time for your offer. You’ll communicate that clearly as suggested above, but you also might find yourself in the situation where you need to change things up.  We’ve done so a few times when:

  • Our readers demand it: Because you have a limit and things change back to normal after it’s reached, some people will miss out.  If you have enough of them you might, ‘by popular demand’, bring it back if possible for a little while longer.
  • Because something broke: If something goes wrong, your website might crash – or in the case of us in the last product launch on dPS, our email provider went down – you’ll have people that missed out through no fault of their own.  In this case you’ll have little choice but to extend the sale for those that missed out.

Truth is better than fiction

These techniques are powerful motivators, and you might be tempted to ‘manufacture’ them. Which is essentially lying to your readers.  Now I can’t stop you doing that, but in the interests of a long-term relationship with your customers, truth is much better than fiction.

If you never intended to raise your early-bird price don’t call it an early-bird offer. If you’re thinking about putting up an out-of-stock sign on your product with a warehouse full of them, just don’t.

Eventually, people will figure it out.

When we put 450 tickets up for the ProBlogger event, we only ever intended to sell 450. As a result of what we witnessed, we were fortunately able to react quickly and find room for some more.  It’s that authenticity that help build the demand in the first place, and lying will break that over time.

So that’s my take on exclusivity and limits, and how we use there here at ProBlogger and Digital Photography School. I’d love to hear if you’ve used these on your own blog and how it went.

 

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger
Build a Better Blog in 31 Days

All You Need to Know About Using Exclusivity for Better Product Launches

Announcing the NEW ProBlogger.com [Grab this Early Bird Discount Today]

Posted: 19 Mar 2014 12:42 AM PDT

Today I’m excited to announce that the NEW ProBlogger.com has been launched! You can learn more and join today with a special early bird discount here.

New ProBlogger

Our Journey to Create the New ProBlogger.com

In 2004, I created this blog on ProBlogger.net as a place to share what I was learning about making money from blogging and in the hope of connecting with others on that same journey.

I had just reached my goal of making a living from blogging and had a suspicion that in the coming years we’d see more and more bloggers aiming for and reaching that goal.

It turns out that my suspicions were on the money (no pun intended).

In the last decade we’ve seen many tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of bloggers have found ways to make a living from blogging.

While not all reach a full time level, it isn’t the rarity that it once was.

Alongside this trend we also have seen a whole industry spring up around blogging. Companies have been birthed to create plugins and tools to help bloggers do their jobs, hosting and design companies have been created solely to focus upon bloggers, many conferences have sprung up to serve bloggers of different niches and geographical areas…

It’s been an exciting decade!

Changes at ProBlogger

Since 2004, things here at ProBlogger have been through a variety of stages of evolution.

What started out as a blog where I shared my story and learnings has grown into something far beyond what I imagined. I’ve published over 7200 free tutorials in that time, co-authored the ProBlogger Book, published 6 ProBlogger eBooks, added the ProBlogger Job Board, held many free webinars and run 5 ProBlogger Events in Australia.

A number of years ago I also created a small paid private forum for bloggers on ProBlogger.com. It was a place for a couple of years where many bloggers came together to share what they were learning, network with other bloggers and collaborate on projects.

While there were some definite benefits from the first version of ProBlogger.com I always knew it could be much more and together with my little team here at ProBlogger HQ started dreaming of what it could be around 12 months ago.

The NEW ProBlogger.com

That dreaming has become a reality in the last week and today we’re publicly launching the new ProBlogger.com

Here’s a quick video on what it is:

As I say in the video – the new ProBlogger.com is based around 4 key benefits to members.

1. Practical Teaching

Members will be invited to two private webinars each month where you get access to myself, my team, and other experienced bloggers from around the web.

These webinars will be a combination of teaching, Q&A, case studies, and interviews with experts.

We’ll be focusing these webinars on four main areas:

    1. creating great content
    2. finding readers for your blog
    3. building engagement with those readers
    4. monetizing blogs

Of course we’ll also run webinars on other topics such as the technology behind blogging and other related topics. All webinars will be recorded for members to listen to if they miss a live session and to keep coming back to over time.

I’ve been running webinars now for 18 months on ProBlogger and they always get great feedback, so I’m excited to be creating these!

When you sign up to ProBlogger.com you’ll also get access to over 10 hours of previously recorded webinars, as well as a few sessions that we recorded at some of our live events.

Screen Shot 2014 03 19 at 10 31 09 am

Our next webinar is on Wednesday and will be on the topic of Creating and Selling eBooks. Following it we have a Q&A on using Social Media, and a teaching webinar on developing an Editorial Calendar.

Check out the webinars we’ve got coming up and the recordings already in the library here.

2. Private Community Area

This private forum is where members have opportunity for mutual learning, networking and collaboration.

problogger community

Again we’ve already set up areas in this forum for the 4 main areas mentioned above:

      1. creating great content
      2. finding readers for your blog
      3. building engagement with those readers
      4. monetizing blogs

But there’s also a ‘review my blog’ area and ‘general chat’ section for other topics.

While we’ve only had the new community area open for a week or so we’ve already seen a fascinating array of members and discussions and I can’t wait to see what collaborations emerge out of these new relationships.

3. Powerful Tools

This is an area that I’m particularly excited about in the new ProBlogger.com.

Over the last 12 months I’ve hired a small team of developers to help me improve the design and functionality of my own blogs (particularly over at dPS).

As part of their work they created a number of custom-made WordPress plugins that are unavailable anywhere else. It struck us a few months ago that these plugins would be quite useful for other bloggers and so we’ve decided to make them available to all ProBlogger.com members.

So far we’ve only released one – the Infinite Scroller which we’ll talk about in the coming days here on ProBlogger.net but there are more that we’ll release in the coming weeks to ProBlogger.com members.

Our intention is to continue to create WordPress plugins not only based upon what we’re doing on my blogs but based upon the suggestions of ProBlogger.com readers. In essence my developer team will become yours, as a member.

Also along the lines of ‘powerful tools’, we have begun to reach out to other blog-tool and service providers to get you access to what they offer at some great discounts.

problogger discounts

Our members discounts area already has some great discounts on all ProBlogger eBooks, hosting from Bluehost, a free design task from Swiftly and a $99 upgrade from 99designs.

We’re also working on negotiating some other great deals currently for ProBlogger.com members.

Keep in mind that we’re not taking any affiliate commissions on these discounts – which is why we’re able to negotiate some great prices.

Sign Up Today At an Early Bird Rate

The new ProBlogger.com will cost $27 USD per month to participate in.

We think this presents great value given the teaching, community, and tools it gives you access to but to celebrate the launch we’re offering members who sign up in the next couple of weeks lifetime access for just $17 USD per month.

Sign up today at this rate and you’ll get this discounted rate for as long as you stay a member – even as we continue to add value in the months and years to come.

If you don’t find ProBlogger.com to be what you’re expecting you are free to cancel your membership at any point but our intent is to keep adding so much value that you wont!

This Early Bird offer is for a limited time – so grab your membership today here and we’ll see you at the new ProBlogger.com.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger
Build a Better Blog in 31 Days

Announcing the NEW ProBlogger.com [Grab this Early Bird Discount Today]

What The Most Unexpected Gold Medal in History Can Teach Us About Successful Blogging

Posted: 18 Mar 2014 08:01 AM PDT

Image by Flickr user jungle_boy

Image by Flickr user jungle_boy

In 2002, Australian speed skater Steven Bradbury was lining up for the 1000m final at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Among his competitors for the gold medal were the some of the best in the world at their sport: multi-medallists and world champions. He, by his own admission, was the oldest and the slowest competitor – and while he was going to give it everything he had, he really didn't expect to win.

A few minutes later, he found himself casually coasting to victory from 15m behind the pack as every single skater in front of him fell over just metres from the finish line. You can see the short video here.

The result was even more unbelievable given the exact same thing had happened in the semi-final, allowing Bradbury to get to the final he didn't expect to earn a place in.

And what does this have to do with blogging?

Perseverance.

What do you do when you're chugging along on your blog, seeing other people achieve success faster than you? You persevere. What do you do when you feel like giving up, like you'll never win anyway? You persevere. Because you can't predict the future and you don't know what is going to happen. And when others are falling away or giving up when it all gets too hard – you are still there, blogging, and giving it your all.

Bradbury had worked his whole life to represent his country at four Olympic Games, he had suffered an horrific injury to his thigh, and even broken his neck in the quest to be the best. And he finally earned gold right at the very end when circumstances nobody could predict meant he finally had his chance.

It's one of the biggest pieces of advice I give newbie bloggers who ask – persevere. I tell them that blogging is a marathon, not a sprint. Getting readers takes time. Feeling comfortable takes time. Building networks takes time. Gaining respect takes time.

Where others give up, you do not. You adjust your expectations, you adapt to your environment, you find what works for you, and you forge connections with other bloggers and your readers. You might go through phases with your blog where you're motivated and excited one day, dejected and needing a break the next. You take a break and you regroup, but you do not give up.

You never know when someone before you will pave the way for your success. I'm not saying you should hope your blogging peers all fall over so you can snatch their golden dreams, but, you know, it's OK to keep your mind open to unexpected possibilities! Blog from your heart, be useful, be there. You might just be the last man standing.

Stacey Roberts is the Managing Editor of ProBlogger.net, and the blogger behind Veggie Mama. Can be found making play-dough, reading The Cat in the Hat for the eleventh time, and avoiding the laundry. See evidence on Instagram here, on Facebook here, and twitter @veggie_mama.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger
Build a Better Blog in 31 Days

What The Most Unexpected Gold Medal in History Can Teach Us About Successful Blogging

3 Critical Questions To Answer Before You Take Your Blog On The Road

Posted: 17 Mar 2014 09:24 AM PDT

This is a guest contribution from Kelly Edwards.

If you're a blogger, then there are many benefits that can be gained from getting out from behind the keyboard and attending real world events: from raising awareness, sourcing new talent, and increasing overall readership.

Of course, attending an event is an investment, particularly if you're intending to travel and especially if you decide to present your blog via a stand – so you need to make it count.

road-trip.jpg


Question One: Is this event the right fit for my blog?

In recent years the number of blogging events has increased dramatically and events like the Problogger Training Day are getting bigger and better every year.

If you're part of a blogging community then it's very likely that you'll discover a regular event being held to encourage the platform to meet. There are also publicised blogging events for all keyboard junkies, complete with networking and talks to help bloggers hone their skills.

Meeting with fellow bloggers may be immediately tempting but if your end goal is to increase readership within a relevant audience then you need to ensure that the audience is there in the first place. If you write about a particular niche subject, then attending a very broad event might not gain your blog the meaningful attention you're hoping for.

There are many niche blogging groups that hold networking events or meet ups. If your aim is to look for relevant bloggers to work with then this is a lucrative field to find those within your topic of interest.

Relevant events don't necessarily come from blogging platforms, depending on your niche. Blogs can promote themselves at real-world exhibits to increase readership. This could include beauty blogs at skin care conventions, business blogs at their local business exhibitions, and literature blogs at art festivals. By looking out for events that are relevant to your blog and will be attended by people who will be interested in your blog's message, then you are more likely to gain a return on investment by attending that exhibition.

Question Two: Is my blog memorable and branded?

Does your blog have a brand? Do you utilise that brand throughout your promotional advertisements? Are you preparing a stand or stall that takes advantage of your unique identity?

Creating a brand from your blog can seem like a complicated task if you've never given it thought before but if you've taken time over the appearance of your blog then you're likely to already have the beginnings of a style that you feel represents it.

Spend a few hours considering how you would introduce someone to your blog in two sentences or less. Each person you meet at this event might be seeing dozens of other people so consider what you can say or do to firmly affix your blog in their mind.

If you're intending to have your own stand then think about what you can offer attendees so that they can fully understand what your blog is about. This might involve a tablet or laptop so they can physically look at your blog, perhaps a clearly visible web address and encouragement for people to give your blog a look on their smart phones (if you intend to do this then ensure your blog has an attractive mobile template). Promotional displays announcing your blog, URL and brand can also announce your blog on your behalf, attracting more interest.

Question Three: How do I know if it was worth all this effort?

Prepare for your networking event or convention attendance by coming up with a series of goals that you hope to work towards. These can be entirely unique to your blog but here are some general behaviours that you will most likely want to track:

  • People taking your business card
  • People signing up for your newsletter (if you have one)
  • People taking your flyers
  • Business cards that you receive from relevant parties

You can also assess these factors at the end of the day and over the coming weeks/ months:

  • New likes/followers on social media channels.
  • Increase in views on your blog.
  • New comments on your blog.
  • Increase in subscriptions/ member sign ups/ followers on your blog.

Your goals for attending an event may differ greatly from other blogs and it's important that you properly assess and track what you hope to gain from attending. Though ensuring you achieve a return on investment is more complex via a blog than for someone selling a product, it is essential to measure the effectiveness of event marketing for your blog's brand. Which of these ROI's would make the biggest difference to your blog?

When you tie all these steps together you should end up with an event that is relevant to your blog, an idea for how to brand your blog effectively and a variety of ideas regarding how to track conversions and increases in traffic. Of course, this is only the first step.

Getting your blog out into the real world for the first time is just the beginning and even the most well-planned event is likely to have snags, problems and at least a dozen lessons that you'll learn for next time. Improvements never have to end and you'll soon find yourself a well-oiled event machine, always primed and ready with business cards and your elevator pitch.

These steps are a great guideline but every blog is different, so jump in with both feet and start planning. Which step will be most important to you and what has this post revealed about your blogs needs? Feel free to tell us your story in the comments below!

Kelly Edwards writes for Marler Haley and is passionate about promoting businesses however large or small, and offering her tips to succeed.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger
Build a Better Blog in 31 Days

3 Critical Questions To Answer Before You Take Your Blog On The Road

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