No, I haven’t gone off the deep end!  As someone who has been involved in theater since I was 8 years old I have  a lot of experience with putting up a show.  As I continue to do marketing launches for myself and for my clients I keep seeing these similarities that I just couldn’t resist pointing out.  In sharing these similarities, I hope to give my readers a bit of a “what to expect” education when it comes to launching in your business.

Kristen as clubbing girl in showcase of original musical "Vivianna".

1)  It’s not just a one day dealy. As with any event, a marketing campaign takes time.  I’ve done community theater where the preparation is 3 months.  The more campaigns I do, the more I want 3 months to put it together.  It seems to be reasonable for us AND for our clients.

2)  Character preparation. Yeah, you think this is just for actors, but it’s not true.  Every launch has it’s own character and every business owner needs to find what that character is.  As you create your product or program that will launch, you are stepping into a new part of who you are as the business owner, coach, and educator.  So, you need to prepare by knowing who you are stepping into being before you start the launch.

3)  Building the set. Every theater show has some sort of set.  Even the barest of stages has some design and carpentry that goes into it.  Even if it’s just lighting.  You have to program the light cues so the lighting changes when it needs to.  Same with a marketing launch.

There is architecture that needs to be built in order to hold that launch.  There are messages that need to go out, web pages that need to go up, and social networking designs that need to be put into place.  If the marketing architecture isn’t there you don’t have a launch.  You just have a product or service that is  in existence without people to buy it.

4)  Practice, practice, practice. Okay this one might be a stretch, but I’m putting it out there anyway.  An actress needs to practice her lines.  Then she needs to practice the scenes with her fellow cast mates.

Every launch we do I find some amount of checking, reviewing, and testing needs to happen.  This is like a rehearsal.  If you skip this piece you could fall flat on your face come launch day.

5)  Tech week. In my recent personal launch it hit me that the week of the launch is very much like the week leading up to opening night of a show.  For the business owner who does the launch themselves or for the team who is putting the final touches on the launch, there is a lot of time involved.

Last fall I did a show and, because of my past experience, I knew my life for tech week would be centered around the show.  So, I didn’t have anything else scheduled.

A launch is the same.  My team and I prepare to spend extra time on projects for launch week.  Inevitably we end up fixing, tweaking, and having to re-do something that technically didn’t work right leading up to the launch.  So, we create a light week for ourselves in order to deal with whatever comes up.

6)  It’s opening night! Launch day is like opening night.  The show is solid and ready, but there is always something to trip you up.  Little quirks or unexpected technical issues always happen.  You know this going in and you do your best to stay in character and keep the show going, no matter what happens.

Launch day is exactly the same.  No matter how much we plan, practice, and put our efforts into the launch…there’s always some little thing that trips us up and we need to quickly jump in and fix it so that the rest of the day goes smoothly.  Just like a show where the audience doesn’t exist until opening night, many things go live on launch day.  All moving parts cannot actually be tested until that moment.  So, you need to be prepared to handle it.

So, as with any show, you want to go into the launch knowing what to expect.  Be prepared for each piece above and you will have MUCH less stress for your launch.

How does this compare with your experience of launches?  Did I miss something?  Leave your comments.  I’d love to read them.

That doesn’t sound right, does it?  Unfocused focus…what does that mean?  Well, I’ll explain. Most of the time we hear everyone telling us that you have to be focused on the internet.  Pick a niche, get specific, and go after your target market.  You’ve heard that, right?  WRONG!!  Okay, well, sort of wrong.

Here’s the thing.  You DO need a specific niche for your target market.  You DO need to be targeting them and attracting them through everything you do on the internet.  HOWEVER, you also need to be thinking about what other types of business support you want to be attracting.  Don’t leave them out of your marketing.  Do you want affiliates?  Do you want joint venture partners?  Do you want to speak?  Are you always looking for team members?  Are their others you’d like to attract to help build your business?

Your focus needs to first be on attracting clients.  Then you need to get a little unfocused and add in places for these other people to come to you.  For example, your website.  Here you are focused on attracting your target market.  You want to move them through your sales funnel and make them a regular client, right?  GREAT!  Now, let’s get a little unfocused for a second.  I have an affiliate program for my products.  So, not only do I have information that will attract my clients, but there is a link for anyone interested in my affiliate program.  I also am always looking for good, strong team members.  Right on my home page, I have a link for potential team members to learn more.

The key is to LOOK focused (which my home page does), but be slightly unfocused and include little places here and there for those who can help grow your business to latch onto.

One more example is social networks.  I’m on Twitter all the time.  I talk a lot about my business and what I want to see happen.  I put information out that will help potential clients, as well.  I’m not JUST there to get clients though.   I also am looking for JV partners, affiliates, speaking gigs, and to get to know some REALLY cool people.  Many people would say that’s too unfocused.  No, it’s not.  My main conversation revolves around what I do for a living.  However, I do throw in other things here and there to make sure my partners can see how we are a good fit.  I’m also sharing things about who I am as a person.  This is two-fold, it gets my clients interested AND it attracts other business owners who share my interests.  So, it’s unfocused focus.

So, are you just focused?  Or are you unfocused focus?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Hey everyone!

I wanted to do a personal letter this week, because I just don’t have the usual content in my head.  We have a lot going on around here, at Coaches’ Marketing Source.  We’re doing a big launch of a new signature service and product.  It’s been crazy busy with all the preparations.  I figured, since I’m doing a launch I’d share with you my launch to-do list.  So, below is the list. Oh, and YES, there’s a shameless plug at the end.  Please forgive me as I have nothing else in my head except this launch.

WARNING - this list may make your head spin!  You can use this list the next time you do a campaign.  It may be more helpful then, if you get lost in details easily.

Launch To-do’s for Marketing Systems Tune-Up

Product/Service Creation

• Create tangible e-book as low-cost product for those who don’t want to pay for high-end services.
• Create Standard Operating Procedures for the team to use as they go through the process.
• Do a couple rounds with test clients to get the team together on how we will work with this service.
• Send the e-book off to a few people for review
• Gather testimonials to add to sales pages.

Sales Page

• Create Marketing Systems Tune-Up Sales page

AWeber List 1

• Create list in aweber that will collect names for all those interested in the services.
• Create 2 forms in the aweber list.  One for each level of service, so we know which they are interested in.
• Create customized opt-in message for aweber list
• Create customized thank you page for after they fill in the form.
• Create customized confirmation success page that has information on what’s next for their appointment.
• Create thank you follow-up e-mail with information on what’s next for their appointment.

Purchase Page

• Create page for service level clients to purchase their service, after we speak with them.

Create Products in E-Junkie

• Create e-book purchase button - send these people to Aweber list 2
• Create 3 purchase buttons for both levels of service - 1) tune-up all systems, 2) tune-up individual system, 3) tune-up 3 systems - send these people to Aweber list 3

Aweber list 2

• Create list in aweber that all purchasers of the e-book will go into.
• Create customized opt-in message for this list
• Create customized confirmation success page with download link to the e-book.
• Create thank you follow-up message that goes out immediately, with link to e-book and thank you for purchasing.
• Create follow-up campaign that continues to keep in touch with purchasers for 3 months.
• Set aweber so that subscribers are automatically unsubscribed from list 1 when they purchase.

Aweber list 3

• Create list in aweber that all purchasers of the services will go into.
• Create customized opt-in message for this list
• Create customized confirmation success page with download link to the e-book and information on what’s next.
• Create thank you follow-up message that goes out immediately, with link to e-book, information on what’s next, and thank you for purchasing.
• Create follow-up campaign that continues to keep in touch with purchasers for 3 months.
• Set aweber so that subscribers are automatically unsubscribed from list 1 when they purchase.

Tele-class Sales Page

• Create sales page that announces the “More Money Marketing Systems” Tele-class

Aweber list 4

• Create aweber list for tele-class
• Set Aweber so all subscribers to this list will also be signed up for the newsletter list. (this is the follow-up campaign)
• Create customized opt-in message for this list.
• Use customized standard thank you page for after they fill in the form.
• Create customized confirmation success page with call details.
• Create thank you follow-up message that goes out immediately, with call details.
• Create tele-class reminders, 1 week before, 1 day before, and day of.
• Create tele-class follow-up for day of
• Create tele-class recording follow-up
• Create tele-class follow-up for one week after, to remind them to purchase their Marketing Systems Tune-Up
• Set Aweber to automatically unsubscribe from this list if they go to any of the other 3 lists.

Affiliates

• Create teaser e-mail, in aweber, to send out a month before launch, so they know it’s coming.
• Set e-junkie Marketing Systems Tune-up affiliate product link to send people to the tele-class page
• Create e-mail with information on tele-class, in aweber, to send out 2 weeks before.
• Create e-mail reminding affiliates of tele-class, in aweber, one week before.
• Create e-mail reminding affiliates of tele-class, in aweber, two days before.
• Create small paragraph marketing statement, e-mail marketing letter, & graphics to be used for promotion
• Put all marketing materials on website for affiliate use.

Marketing

• Send tweets and facebook notices starting a month before.
• Create Facebook event for tele-class 2 weeks before and invite Fans/friends to sign up
• Send out newsletter with special announcement
• Send message to Facebook fans inviting them to the tele-class
• Continue sending tweets, updating status on Facebook, and LinkedIn

Is your head spinning yet?!!  Yes, this is a lot to do and it takes a lot of time.  I’ve been working on it for a couple months.  So, this was not a fly by night, do it now type thing.  Taking you time, always leads to less stress.

Please do come to my free tele-class on July 23; More Money Marketing Systems: Create more money with systems you already have in place.

Questions about my plan above?  Comments?  Please let me know.

Create a great day!
Kristen Beireis, President
Coaches’ Marketing Source

How many products or freebies do you have floating around on your website?  When people sign up for or purchase one of these products, do they hear from you again?  And I’m not talking about the autosubscribe to your newsletter.  I’m talking about a follow-up campaign that keeps building a relationship with those who have already shown interest.

I’m sure you’ve heard it before that repeat customers are more willing to purchase from you than a newbie.  I’m sure you know that keeping in touch with them will create more income for you.  Right?  Then, why focus SO much attention on getting them to download or purchase something if you aren’t going to continue to harness that relationship?

I’ve seen it all too often.  An experienced coach who is GREAT at attracting new clients, but has 20 different lists in their autoresponder that they haven’t spoken to since the day they purchased or downloaded something.  That’s lost money right there!!  A follow-up campaign can keep you in touch with them and when they are looking for the next thing you offer, they will be ready to buy!

If you want to successfully build a relationship with this group of people, here are a few important things to consider when setting up your follow-up campaign:

1)  If your autoresponder system allows for an HTML and a text version of your messages, use both! A branded HTML e-mail is going to be remembered sooner than a plain text e-mail.  So, you want to make sure that you get that branding in front of anyone who is willing to accept an HTML e-mail.   This will reinforce trust and continue to help them remember who you are.

2)  Be consistent. If you get wishy washy in who you are within different e-mails, people will subconsciously think you are wishy washy as a business owner.  So, you want everything to be consistent; your signature, your logo, your colors, your subject (not word for word identical, but have the same format and feel).

3)  Be conversational. From the opt-in message to the 3 month follow-up message, have a conversation with your reader.  Share with them who you are as a business.  Ask questions.  Encourage them to write you back.  Invite them to participate with you in the design process.  Offer them special opportunities because they are in a certain group of people.

4)  Be a coach. As a coach you have a unique opportunity to start challenging their thinking.  Do it in every e-mail that goes out.  They may not get it right away, but if you have a campaign built around one concept and you keep coming at it from different ways, they are going to eventually get it and when they do, they will be ready for something you offer.

5) Provide opportunity. In every e-mail you want to provide them an opportunity to continue THEIR growth.  Do this by sharing resources, pointing towards other opportunities (that are the next step in your marketing funnel) etc…

Every purchase or download  is an opportunity for you and your potential clients.  Treat them with respect, be transparent and make sure you get your branding in front of them as often as possible through the entire campaign.  In the long-run this will create relationships that lead to more purchases and more clients!

I would love to hear your thoughts on follow-up campaigns.  Please leave any questions, tips or suggestions as a comment.

Do you ever get a marketing idea and want to get started on it right away?  I do all the time.  Ideas are always jumping into my head for promotions, joint ventures, and anything else I can dream up.  I’m one of these people who also likes to be able to just run with the idea, put it together and get it done NOW!  Unfortunately, marketing campaigns don’t work that way, even though I do.

Backwards marketing for coaches

Over the last 3 years of coordinating marketing campaigns, the most valuable thing I’ve learned is to SLOW down and work backwards.  I know that just doesn’t seem like it would work when your creative juices are flowing.  That’s why I always suggest the first order of business is to start at the end do a brain dump.  What do I mean by “brain dump?”  What I mean is writing down all your ideas for the campaign as soon as you can, so your creativity can flow.  What do you want the campaign to look like?  What do you want your campaign to include?  Leave room to add more ideas as they come to you.  You can also talk to someone about it and have them take notes, or record yourself talking about it and have it transcribed.  Either way, get all your ideas on paper, so you have a big picture idea of what you are working on and you can allow your creativity to flow.

Now, plan backwards.
1)  Choose your ideal end date.  What date do you want to have the event?  What date do you want to launch the product?  You get the idea.  Keep in mind that most large event type campaigns need a good 3 months to take hold and produce results.  Smaller product release type campaigns can be put together in a month, because you are continually marketing even after the release date.

2)  What’s it going to take?  Look at your brain dump notes.  What tasks and details did you write down?  Create a list of all those details and then fill in any holes you see.  Number your list in order of what needs to come first.  So, let’s say you are doing an ebook launch.  You need the cover designed, you need the ebook written, you need it proofed and formatted, and you need a sales page…not to mention there are a lot of other pieces.  What needs to get done first?  Most likely, it’s writing the ebook first, then the cover design, then while proofing and formatting is going on, the sales page needs to be created.

3)  And before that?  Now, next to each of your task items on the list, add what needs to happen before those are done.  The person who is creating your sales page will need certain things from you.  When will they need them in order to have the final draft to you in time for your end date?  Plan for a few edits and revisions.  Make sure you know the turn around time so you can plan it out accordingly.  Create due dates for each task item on your list.

4)  What do you need?  What do you need in order to make sure all of it comes together?  Do you need to move the end date, so you have more breathing room?  Do you need to take some extra time out to breathe before you start looking at what needs to be done?  Do you need help in managing the project, so you can focus elsewhere?  What do YOU need in order to stay sane, keep the flow going, and make sure you get the end product you want?

Plan it out with dates

I find it very helpful to use project management software for planning out campaigns.  I have purchased a monthly subscription to Basecamp (http://www.basecamphq.com) for my clients and my team to use.  It allows us to set up to-do lists and milestones for each piece of a project.  This makes it easy to see all that needs to happen.  It also makes it easy for my Project Manager to communicate with our clients and keep them in the loop.

I’ve also been known to use mind maps for my brain dumps.  It gets everything out on paper in picture form and I can see all the little legs of what needs to happen.  I use the fr*ee personal version of http://www.mindmeister.com, for this.

Remember, having a marketing implementation plan like this can keep you and your team on track with a project.  It also allows you to think ahead and create space where you need it, so you aren’t cramming to get everything done last minute.

If you find this article helpful or have questions/opinions, please leave a comment.  I want to hear from you.