7 Lessons To Sell More With Marketing

Apologies for my absence.

The past few weeks have seen me withdrawing from all social media and engaged more than ever in increasing the depth of my understanding of great writing.

Today, I wanted to share a Sales Letter I wrote recently to drive leads for our digital media consultancy.

An homage to an old David Ogilvy Advert.

Response Digital Media has generated over £3,000,000 of Sales since its inception in 2022. 

As well as providing advertising consultancy and feedback for over 250+ businesses including Ahrefs, AppSumo, ClickUp and Zico Coconut Water.

Here’s 7 Lessons about advertising that have worked for us.

Which means advertising that sells. 

As that is all that matters.

1. Have 1 Clear Goal for Your Marketing

Do you wish to sell more products? 

Or book more calls for your consultancy? 

Start there, and work backwards.

All your marketing efforts should work towards this one goal.

All results should be measured against this one goal.

2. Know Your Audience

Your potential customers are not a faceless mass.

They are men, women and children.

In fact, you would do best constructing a sales message that sells to one person at a time.

Their desires, fears, hopes and dreams.

The business which can best describe their prospect’s problem wins.

3. Research Like Your Business’ Existence Depends On It

You should know as much as you can about your competitors, large and small.

How do they advertise?

What message do they deliver to the same audience as yours?

What is their new product or service which they have just released?

It is sheer arrogance to believe that your competitors are any less capable or savvy than you.

And pure folly to not know your customer almost as well as they think they know themselves.

(As many will “say” one thing… and “do” quite another… not you or I of course…)

The smaller you are the better.

You can benefit from the millions the whales of your industry have spent refining their advertising and use it to benefit your own efforts.

4. Simplicity Creates Sales

Ignore the chattering masses which cry out that you should be all things on all channels.

Do not aspire to be a jack of all trades.

Be a master of one.

When you have a single message that sells to one customer, repeatedly.

Based upon your 1 Clear Goal.

You can consider more channels.

To find more customers to share your one message.

Choose 1 Message to 1 Customer on 1 Channel.

5. Patience Pays

You would not buy from a man who all of a sudden is gripped by the excitement of a new type of toaster.

Just because he shouts the loudest and shoves it forcefully in-front of you whenever you meet.

You would be repelled.

So it is with marketing.

You are fighting for the attention of an audience who need never be bored.

Your message may take time to move them.

Only 3% of your market is ever ready to buy at any one time.

So, you may find the right prospect, but on the wrong day.

Continue to deliver them value, help and useful advice.

Until the day comes when they need what you have to offer.

They will think of you first, if only you would be patient with your single message.

6. Give to Receive

Imagine you are an avid runner.

One day on returning home you find your legs tight.

The pain is excruciating.

You struggle to walk up and down the stairs.

Wince as you drive your car.

The problem is at the forefront of your mind.

As you limp back home one day your neighbour asks “What’s wrong?”

You explain about your recent unknown injury and your new running hobby.

Your neighbour diagnoses that it may be a problem with tight hip flexors.

They even show you an exercise you can try as soon as you get in to release them.

You’re in so much pain by the point you’ll try anything.

The exercise works.

A week later you see your neighbour and cheerfully recount how much better your legs feel.

This time, they suggest perhaps you may be interested in a “stretching programme.”

One where they learn the stretch you found so helpful.

For a small fee you could prevent or at least minimise the risk of future injury.

What would your answer be ?

Now compare this, to how you would feel if your neighbour had tried to sell that programme without giving you any useful in return.

Give value and though not everyone will buy, those who truly need and appreciate it will.

7. It All Starts and Ends With Your Email List

There are only really 3 important things when it comes to marketing online:

1. The List (Who you’re selling to)
2. The Offer (What you’re selling)
3. The Creative (How you’re selling)

Of these the most important thing is your list.

Namely your email list.

In decades gone by this would have been a direct mailing list of addresses, or a rolodex of client phone numbers.

But today it’s most likely an email list.

Using digital advertising you can reach virtually anyone.

But to reach everyone and find the right people is going to cost you.

And once you have found those people, you would like to keep them.

Should you ever wish to sell to them again.

An email list full of buyers, is the best list one can have.

They are people willing and eager to spend, who have spent before and will probably spend again.

And should you put even an average offer with a mediocre creative.

Many will buy.

One of the tragedies of digital marketing is how easy and cheap it is to get emails and build lists, and yet how few people utilise them.

Have conversations with them.

Deliver value.

Tell them your latest news.

Become the email they most look forward to seeing.

Be like a digital friend, lover or close family member.