It’s everywhere…
Just open your phone, laptop or tablet, and you can take your pick.
It’s on Instagram.
Facebook too.
Twitter? Yup.
Heck, it’s even lurking in your inbox as well.
You can’t throw a stone online without bumping into some sort of opinion or piece of advice.
It’s everywhere!
The problem is most of it isn’t applicable to you, or worse yet its just plain wrong.
A lot of people are going to have a lot to say about what you do, and the business you’re trying to build.
It’s all just noise, distracting you from the stuff that really matters.
But…
Every now and then a gold nugget will make it through the noise.
A piece of advice or an idea so powerful it has the ability to make your business unstoppable.
Clearly these are incredibly hard to find, and it takes years to find them too… if you’re even that lucky…
That’s why I want to give you the three best pieces of marketing advice I’ve received over the past two decades.
Advice I’ve used to generate millions in revenue, for multiple businesses, across a number of industries.
Check it out…
Three Timeless Rules EVERY Marketer & Entrepreneur Need To Know
Advice is a dime-a-dozen these days.
It used to be the rare case of getting some at family gatherings, in the odd meeting here or there, or occasionally when out for drinks with a group of friends.
Nowadays its lurking in the apps & tools you use every day. Take Instagram for example – You’re bound to come across some inspirational step-by-step carousel, or a post telling you what you should be doing every time you open the app.
Good advice is a lot harder to come by though.
I’ve spent years receiving bum advice, and I’m willing to bet you have too?
That’s why I want to share the three best pieces of advice I’ve ever received.
They’re timeless, and no matter what your business does – whether you sell a service or a product – all three can help you grow…
Timeless Marketing Advice #1: The Money Is In The List
People spend millions on ad networks to try build their businesses.
All they’re really doing is paying companies like Google or Facebook to put messages in front of their lists.
And boy are they paying them a lot. Billions, to be precise!
Smart marketers and entrepreneurs know that the money is in the list, more specifically their own list.
That’s why they spend so much time and money on building their lists.
If you don’t own a list (of leads, prospects and customers) you must hate money?
Building your own list allows you to communicate with them whenever you want.
No Facebook conversion costs, no Google quality scores, no huge paid ad bills, and no random SEO tactics that never seem to work.
It’s a lot cheaper to communicate with your list, and sell your products and services to them, than it is to run ads doing the same thing.
When you build a list you put the control of your business back in your hands.
Better yet, you give yourself the ability to make money at the literal click of a button.
There’s a reason why email marketing offers the highest ROI, and has done so for years, but you need to have a list in the first place.
Timeless Marketing Advice #2: Copy Copy Copy
No, I don’t mean copying other people (although there’s a time and place).
I’m talking about copywriting.
More specifically direct response copywriting.
I would say that though; having spent a few years working for Agora and writing promotions that pulled in millions (and to this day still do), it changed the way I view copywriting forever.
I’ve heard it all from other entrepreneurs and marketers:
“I’m not a copywriter”
“I don’t know how to write”
“I’m not good with words”
Can I tell you a secret?
Neither am I.
But that didn’t stop me from being able to write numerous 30+ page promotions that pull in millions.
Copywriting is not so much about the words than it is about ideas.
The second you understand that, everything will change.
Agora heavyweight, and direct response legend Mark Ford taught me something I’ll never forget, “Good writing is the skill of expressing compelling thoughts clearly”.
That’s it.
No convoluted writing abilities needed, no Shakespearean skills required, and no JK Rowling-esque talents are necessary either.
If you can shape ideas, big ideas, you have everything you need to become a millionaire.
Platforms and channels will come and go, but if you can express big ideas and craft good offers around them, you will always be in business.
Which leads me to…
Timeless Marketing Advice #3: Offers Are Where The Real Money Is Made
Most people think they sell a product or a service.
They don’t.
They sell offers.
It took me years to figure this out, but the second I did, oh boy!
You see, a product or service is just a part of the offer you’re actually selling.
That money back guarantee, a trial period, a discount, bonuses, or even any value adds – these are all things that make up an offer.
And they’re also the kinds of things that help push people to actually buy.
The problem with just selling a product on its own is that you then start to compete on things like price, features, and so on.
This is what I call a race to the bottom.
Consumers end up comparing these things, and if you’re not the cheapest you’re dead in the water. Think about the last time you shopped online?
The ability to craft irresistible offers is also how you can sell commoditized products for 10x what other people are selling them for… and actually get people to buy them from you!
How do you think Apple and Nike sell products that people can find pretty much anywhere?
Shoes, headphones, laptops… these aren’t exactly hard to find.
But there’s a reason why people flock past hundreds of other businesses to specifically buy from them.
Once you start looking at what you sell in terms of offers, and not just products or services, the game will change for you.
Your ability to craft an irresistible offer is arguably one of the most potent marketing techniques you’ll ever learn.
How To Build An Unstoppable Business In 3 Simple Steps
Time and time again I’ve found that success in business comes down to these three things.
Whether I’ve sold financial publications, event tickets, software, courses, books, brokerage accounts, subscriptions, you name it – these three things have always been the common denominator to me being able to do so:
- Build a list
- Learn direct response copywriting (and find big ideas)
- Craft irresistible offers
Any one of these can be a game-changer for you, but combining all three?
CHA-CHING!
You’ll reach more people, find more customers, and ultimately build an unstoppable business.
At the end of the day its always about the list, copy and offer.
Until then, here’s to good advice.
Steve De La Cour
Founder & CEO
Kong
