Cracking the Code

From ZERO to HERO with cutting-edge, no BS management & marketing!

  • Here are 3 strategies to double your clients (on average, this happens in 30 days or less and the total cost is less than $50)

Will the Apple iPad be a new category?

Posted by Jean-Guy Francoeur on February 5, 2010

Apple’s new iPad is vying to be a new product category (like the iPod and iPhone) or is it too new too fast? This can revolutionize many industries like Electronic Medical Records, elearning and many more.

There are many similarities to the iPhone and iPod launches which make the iPad the possibility of a smash hit but there also some stark differences…

BusinessWeek wrote a great piece… http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2010/tc2010024_830227.htm

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The Best Use of Your SEO Dollars…

Posted by Jean-Guy Francoeur on January 28, 2010

Entrepreneur Magazine reports that the best use of your Web marketing dollars can be summarized in one word: LINKS!

“Google uses about 200 data points when sizing up your website. But one of them is whether you’re popular with the crowd. If reputable websites link to your content, the Google gods smile upon you!”

How to get linking? Follow this five step process:

  1. Scour the Internet for blogs and websites that are complimentary to your product or service
  2. Find the email of the decision maker (this is the tricky part!)
  3. Craft an introductory letter describing your site and ask them to be listed on their site
  4. Offer a reciprocal link, a promotion, a coupon or some type of incentive
  5. For every 100 letters or emails you send, you can expect three to four links

Now I know this is a VERY LOW success ratio but linking is the most important aspect to improve your SEO and its that important.

Have fun linking!

Jean-Guy Francoeur

Author & Marketing Specialist

Posted in Corporate Management, Sales & Marketing, Start-Up / Launch | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

SEO Quick Tip

Posted by Jean-Guy Francoeur on January 26, 2010

This is going to be quick and effective!

Star by researching your keywords (use Google Adwords). Find 8-10 keywords relevant to your business that have local search volumes less than 50,000 (why? easier to compete).

Then, insert these keywords in your content (Aka: keyword density) and metatags. Also, put these keywords in your page titles (most people don’t do this).

Google picks up the first 120 characters of your page titles!

Go do it now! Information is worthless without action

Have fun!

Jean-Guy Francoeur
Author & Marketing Specialist

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

3 Reasons Why Your Ads Don’t Work…

Posted by Jean-Guy Francoeur on January 20, 2010

by Jean-Guy Francoeur

“Why do some ads excite consumers’ minds while my ads don’t even get noticed?” This is a question that keeps on coming back to the advertisers, spending millions of dollars to advertise everywhere possible, and still not able to get the customer even to notice it.

This method was taught by a dear friend of mine to me, I have been using it for years, and it’s been extremely impactful in my marketing and marketing of my clients.

It’s called a Triple W test. In any advertisement, no matter if it’s the headline, or the entire ad, or a website, every line needs to pass this test. It’s the following:

  1. So what?
  2. Who cares?
  3. What’s in for me?

That is the mentality of the customer.  No matter if they know it or not, whether they are aware of it or not, this is what they are thinking while reading an ad.

For example, if you are a dentist and in your ad you are posting a headline which reads like “Dr. Kauffman”, that is not even able to get close in passing the Triple W test. People are not going to read more unless they are looking specifically for Dr. Kauffman.

Now consider this, if your advertising a business opportunity, a headline that reads like “2.5 rules to make $15,000 a year”.  Now that passes the test.  This headline answers all the three questions. This ad is definitely going to grab eyeballs.

So, use this technique and compose ads, subject line, headline, and website, whatever it is.
If you want you can get 33 Proven Headline Report, which is made by me and my partner. They are time tested, proven and extremely powerful. 

There is no catch, it’s absolutely FREE.  Grab the FREE report here and let these proven headlines bring in the clients.

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Providing a “Snot-Free” Environment…

Posted by Jean-Guy Francoeur on January 17, 2010

by Jean-Guy Francoeur

 

Oh boy… they say any publicity is good publicity, do you agree?

First, two knuckleheads working in a North Carolina store figured it would be just hilarious to post a video of themselves defiling sandwich ingredients. (Because, really, what’s funnier than a mozzarella curl in the nostril, or passing gas on a salami slice?) READ MORE…

 

Apple’s iPhone Marketing Plan

Most people love Apple and their products. Not all can afford them but most agree “When you go Mac, you never go back”. I stumbled across a post in Google that featured Apple’s market segment for its Apple iPhone and I thought this is great “inside” information… have a look.

 

iphone

 

I also caught this from their marketing plan which is interesting. They are very aware of their position which is important to make clear decisions going forward.

Brand name: Microsoft is known worldwide for its software products. Businesspeople are likely to order it on the strength of its name, whereas Apple does not make "business machines.”

Their marketing plan is riddled with the words “Microsoft” which is to be expected by the battling duo…

Posted in 1, Corporate Management, Sales & Marketing | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Help Haiti

Posted by Jean-Guy Francoeur on January 13, 2010

Text message “yele” to 501501 and donate $5 to Haiti!! They need help and surely you can part with $5. It’s our turn to help. Text now!

Posted in Corporate Management, Personal Development, Project Management | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

How to improve your advertising… Simple but effective!

Posted by Jean-Guy Francoeur on January 11, 2010

by Jean-Guy Francoeur

There are millions of ads running all over internet. People are advertising, and advertising in real volume. Still, most of them are struggling to sell their product. They are spending money to do every kind of marketing possible online. They try to make links to their ad pages, they post it number of sites, they are bragging about their product and still they simply don’t know what is happening?

Why their product is not able to make the cut? Is it less number of traffic, are people not interested in their products, is it… And it goes on and on. Trying to fix one thing or other but still not able to do the bottom-line of any business “SELLING THE PRODUCT”.

I see hundreds of ads while I am online and I see them making same mistakes over and over again.

They are not able to understand a simple fact, which is the key for advertising any product on this good green earth “Focus on the end user “.
What they are doing is crazy to see. For example, a dentist running a campaign is advertising about root canals, braces etc. They talk about their product, talk about what types of products they have, they talk about offers on the product.

Give me a break! What the hell product can do for me?? It’s not the root canal people are looking for, it’s the winner smile. Think about it.

Keep the audience in the mind. Think about the need of the people. It’s not the product which they are looking for but the result of the product. Don’t focus on what you do but what the product is going to do for the end user

Posted in Sales & Marketing | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

You’re Going About It Backwards!! Read this and bring in more clients…

Posted by Jean-Guy Francoeur on December 4, 2009

STATS: Video 2 minutes to watch. Blog 5 minutes to read.

 

This is the craziest thing but I bet that you’re going about communicating with your clients the wrong way!

Many people try to build a relationship with their prospective customer by offering written content for FREE but you can be a lot more effective if you offered a RICHER media type up front. For example, give away a video rather than a special report and you’ll increase your conversion.

Another idea is for you people who have a “corporate site” (which by the way is the old way of doing business online, today you need a blog), instead of having a bunch of “mumbo jumbo” on your “about us” page, have a video introduction, it’s a lot more personal, breeds trust and familiarity!

So the basis of this blog is don’t stop writing articles or web content (because that’s very important for SEO) but also start doing video because. It won’t cost you a penny (you can use YouTube) but will definitely increase conversion on all aspects of your business.

In your corner,

Jean-Guy Francoeur, Marketing Maverick

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How to attract clients WITHOUT selling…

Posted by Jean-Guy Francoeur on December 1, 2009

by Jean-Guy Francoeur (www.JGFMarketing.com)

Stop pushing yourself on people – start attracting and pulling clients to you. Pushing yourself on people is the OLD way of doing business… like the vacuum salesman or the person selling encyclopaedias back in the 1980s.

 

If you use an AMD you can attract people to you. Think of it this way… STOP SELLING and start focusing on creating a buying environment.

An AMD is something that is of HIGH PERCEIVED VALUE but LOW COST to you… and give it to them for FREE in exchange for their contact information so you can build the relationship with the prospective client.

What you want to do is focus on your clients NEEDS AND PROBLEMS. Your AMD must meet this criteria:

1) Be of high perceived value

2) Low cost to you

3) Solve your client needs and problems

If you give away an AMD in exchange for contact information, you can double your client list very quickly!

P.S. Think of the referral program opportunities if you use an AMD… I’m just saying…

Posted in Sales & Marketing, Start-Up / Launch | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Learn how to sell your clients while on hold!

Posted by Jean-Guy Francoeur on November 30, 2009

This is an idea that I’ve never even dreamed of… I know, it sounds so simple but I just never thought about it!

This idea can have a real positive effect on your business so here goes… Get pre-recorded testimonial messages from your clients and use them as your “on-hold” message. That’s IT!!

I know it’s not a BIG idea but it can have a BIG impact, you just have to do it!

I don’t currently use this marketing method but I’ll tell you this – I am putting into place right now! This is what powerful people do, they get good ideas and they act on them so I hope you do the same!

Enjoy!

In your corner,

Jean-Guy Francoeur

Posted in 1 | 4 Comments »