The Remarkable Purple Carrot: A Marketing Parable

The Remarkable Purple Carrot: A Marketing Parable

by | Feb 25, 2023 | Branding, Case Studies

Here in the West, purple carrots aren't a commonly found in your local produce departments. In fact, you'll probably have to go out of your way, by searching for them at the fringes: places like your farmer's market or a specialty grocer. There's a little vegetable stand near my house where I can find maybe 3 or 4 at any given time (mostly because there's a woman who comes in every morning and buys nearly all of them for herself). The shop owner literally can't keep enough of these guys on hand. In short, these guys are special. Remarkable even. And they're almost certainly a topic of conversation when served to dinner guests. They're so special, they make the chef look special, too.
Add Your Secret Sauce: Five Ways to Add Your Personality to Your Website or Blog

Add Your Secret Sauce: Five Ways to Add Your Personality to Your Website or Blog

by | Feb 25, 2023 | Branding, Community & Relationships, Writing Tips

Your "Secret Sauce" is your personality. It's the flavor that you bring to everything you do. And it comes across in many ways -- your voice, your style and your sense of humor. When you interact with real-live human beings, your secret sauce is pretty evident. Most of the time, people can "get" who you are after just a few brief conversations.
What’s on Your Marketing Plate?

What’s on Your Marketing Plate?

by | Feb 23, 2023 | Branding, Features and Benefits, Storytelling, Writing Tips

Eating healthy can sometimes be a tricky thing. Especially if you've got a sweet tooth. Or a penchant for all-things-fried. When we don't make good choices, we end up feeling pretty miserable. And not just because we can't see our feet any longer. It really sucks when your bottom line won't fit into your favorite jeans! The same is true for your marketing. Your website (and the other channels you use to promote yourself) need to have just the right balance of ingredients in order to keep a healthy number of customers and prospects at your table.
The Golden Triangle of Coffee Joints: A Marketing Parable

The Golden Triangle of Coffee Joints: A Marketing Parable

by | Feb 21, 2023 | Case Studies, Marketing Strategies

Locally-based businesses (as opposed to multi-national corporations) are the life blood of any community. And people are beginning to understand the importance of nurturing local economies. But there are still a few hold outs. While it is clearly to our collective benefit to support local businesses, many people still patronize national chains. And the reasons don't all have to do with pricing. If you are a small, locally-owned business trying to compete with the big guys, you might want to consider the following parable.
Features vs. Benefits: The Stories that Produce Sales

Features vs. Benefits: The Stories that Produce Sales

by | Feb 20, 2023 | Features and Benefits, Ideal Heroic Client, Storytelling, Writing Tips

The $64,000 question is: Do your customers want to buy what you're selling? If you've done your homework (i.e., market research), and you know without a doubt that your product or service is something people need and/or want, yet you still fail to generate sales, then there's something missing in your marketing messages. In short, you're not "speaking" your customer's language (either online or in person).
Collaborate in the (Online) Kitchen and Yield Exponential Results

Collaborate in the (Online) Kitchen and Yield Exponential Results

by | Feb 13, 2023 | Community & Relationships, Marketing Strategies

Have you ever tried to do something big? No, I mean, massively huge -- something even a little audacious? If you haven't, you're missing out on one of the best adventure of your life. But if you have, then you know you can't really pull off something enormous without the help of other people. Which is why my Entrepreneur's Manifesto calls you to "Collaborate in the Kitchen. Here's a story about one woman who is doing just that...