You are a business! Self employed or limited (and sometimes we are!)... you are a business. That means you collect and hold data about customers. I know that you are not exactly doing this on the same scale as Tesco's but you still do it. You know when someone fills the form out on your website.
Did you know there are laws about what you do with that data? Did you know that if you don't comply you could be fined?
I have been discussing this on another blog - you should take a look. It applies to you both as a business and an individual.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Advice on building your website..
I recently received the following as part of an email trying to sell me a course on learning about marketing your magic business!! I would not normally bother with such things, but their advice was so wrong that I just had to comment:
-- All of the same direct response marketing rules apply. Don't try for fancy graphics or image-advertising
nonsense: no one cares!
The web is ALL about user experience. Creating captivating and compelling sites is EXACTLY what it is all about. So firstly everyone cares and you have to understand the rules of marketing as they apply to new media.
-- You need a headline, you need compelling copy, you need testimonials, you need multiple calls to action,
and you need to offer free reports that require folks to opt-in to your email address book.
Almost right you do need compelling copy. But a magicians website is a transaction generating environment so having free reports to download is a waste of time. They are clearly applying a mixture of print based direct mail principles and the cheese that is normally associated with Internet marketing scams.. but then that is what they know.
-- Your goal is to capture the name and e-mail address of everyone who visits your website. You can email
folks your online newsletter once they've opted in.
No it isn't - your goal on a magicians website is for them to make a direct enquiry about a gig. If you are just list building then you are probably wasting your time!!
-- Once someone opts-out, get them OFF your list immediately! You NEVER NEVER NEVER want to SPAM
anyone!
Well you can make your own mind up about this. Personally I don't care about spamming people! It has a place in the mix. However I do care about having a grip on reality and by keeping people on your list that don't want to be there you are deluding yourself about just how big your pipeline is!
-- Remember that the ultimate outcome of your web site should be to get people to call or email you.
At last something that I agree with totally - well at least in the context of a magicians website. However, I would fee a bit nervous investing more that 20 dollars with "marketing" guru's if this is the most insightful bit of advice they can come up with!!
-- All of the same direct response marketing rules apply. Don't try for fancy graphics or image-advertising
nonsense: no one cares!
The web is ALL about user experience. Creating captivating and compelling sites is EXACTLY what it is all about. So firstly everyone cares and you have to understand the rules of marketing as they apply to new media.
-- You need a headline, you need compelling copy, you need testimonials, you need multiple calls to action,
and you need to offer free reports that require folks to opt-in to your email address book.
Almost right you do need compelling copy. But a magicians website is a transaction generating environment so having free reports to download is a waste of time. They are clearly applying a mixture of print based direct mail principles and the cheese that is normally associated with Internet marketing scams.. but then that is what they know.
-- Your goal is to capture the name and e-mail address of everyone who visits your website. You can email
folks your online newsletter once they've opted in.
No it isn't - your goal on a magicians website is for them to make a direct enquiry about a gig. If you are just list building then you are probably wasting your time!!
-- Once someone opts-out, get them OFF your list immediately! You NEVER NEVER NEVER want to SPAM
anyone!
Well you can make your own mind up about this. Personally I don't care about spamming people! It has a place in the mix. However I do care about having a grip on reality and by keeping people on your list that don't want to be there you are deluding yourself about just how big your pipeline is!
-- Remember that the ultimate outcome of your web site should be to get people to call or email you.
At last something that I agree with totally - well at least in the context of a magicians website. However, I would fee a bit nervous investing more that 20 dollars with "marketing" guru's if this is the most insightful bit of advice they can come up with!!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
YouTube magic video with maybe the worst magician in the world?
I just stumbled across a video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tScm-eZInBE
Basically some UK guy doing a version of the 3 card Monte - really badly! The impression is that he is going to teach you how to do it. I don't know if he does or not because I thought that his sleight of hand technique was so bad that I stopped watching!!
Please - if you are going to learn to do some magic then at least find a knowledgeable source.
For instance if you want a really cool trick to show people in the pub and you want to use playing cards to do it then why not check out: http://www.unearthlymagic.com/product_detail_snowblind.html
At least this is credible magic that will fool and entertain - unlike our faceless amateur on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tScm-eZInBE
Basically some UK guy doing a version of the 3 card Monte - really badly! The impression is that he is going to teach you how to do it. I don't know if he does or not because I thought that his sleight of hand technique was so bad that I stopped watching!!
Please - if you are going to learn to do some magic then at least find a knowledgeable source.
For instance if you want a really cool trick to show people in the pub and you want to use playing cards to do it then why not check out: http://www.unearthlymagic.com/product_detail_snowblind.html
At least this is credible magic that will fool and entertain - unlike our faceless amateur on YouTube.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Video of Ursula Martinez
Yesterdays post about Carmen Electra reminded my of the most popular magic show that I have heard of in a long time. Unless you live under a rock then you probably have already seen the Ursula Martinez video which has been flying around the web.
This video has done more for the girl than the best marketing strategy in the world would ever have achieved. In fact it redefined Viral.
In case you have been living under a stone then here is the link
She does a number of edgy magic shows :-) After this first came out I noticed some comments in the world of magic - as ever they completely missed the point - bless them....
This video has done more for the girl than the best marketing strategy in the world would ever have achieved. In fact it redefined Viral.
In case you have been living under a stone then here is the link
She does a number of edgy magic shows :-) After this first came out I noticed some comments in the world of magic - as ever they completely missed the point - bless them....
Monday, February 19, 2007
Emma - so annoying
I decided to take a look around in the bloggosphere to see who else writes about magic and corporate entertainment. Naturally and very uncreatively my search started at Technorati - the new Google!
Got really excited when I discovered the "secret blog of Emma" apparently a well linked to and active blog all about Corporate Entertainment.
I clicked...
NOTHING
I was met with a stupid text sign saying that they were moving servers and that sites would be unavailable for a period of time over the course of a week..
OMG!! Its not like moving office or house. There is no excuse for your site to be down. It was bad enough in the slow old days of websites but now days in the exciting instant world of blogs and web 2.0 - you must always be online and available.
Sorry Emma guess I will just have to click else where....
Got really excited when I discovered the "secret blog of Emma" apparently a well linked to and active blog all about Corporate Entertainment.
I clicked...
NOTHING
I was met with a stupid text sign saying that they were moving servers and that sites would be unavailable for a period of time over the course of a week..
OMG!! Its not like moving office or house. There is no excuse for your site to be down. It was bad enough in the slow old days of websites but now days in the exciting instant world of blogs and web 2.0 - you must always be online and available.
Sorry Emma guess I will just have to click else where....
Emma - so annoying
I decided to take a look around in the bloggosphere to see who else writes about magic and corporate entertainment. Naturally and very uncreatively my search started at Technorati - the new Google!
Got really excited when I discovered the "secret blog of Emma" apparently a well linked to and active blog all about Corporate Entertainment.
I clicked...
NOTHING
I was met with a stupid text sign saying that they were moving servers and that sites would be unavailable for a period of time over the course of a week..
OMG!! Its not like moving office or house. There is no excuse for your site to be down. It was bad enough in the slow old days of websites but now days in the exciting instant world of blogs and web 2.0 - you must always be online and available.
Sorry Emma guess I will just have to click else where....
Got really excited when I discovered the "secret blog of Emma" apparently a well linked to and active blog all about Corporate Entertainment.
I clicked...
NOTHING
I was met with a stupid text sign saying that they were moving servers and that sites would be unavailable for a period of time over the course of a week..
OMG!! Its not like moving office or house. There is no excuse for your site to be down. It was bad enough in the slow old days of websites but now days in the exciting instant world of blogs and web 2.0 - you must always be online and available.
Sorry Emma guess I will just have to click else where....
Carmen Electra Brings Magical Sex Appeal to New Vegas Show
At last a magic show that will be worth going to see. Not much catches my attention in the rather dull world of magic these days. Same dusty old magicians doing the same dusty old tricks for audiences with a glazed over look on their faces.
About time someone realised that in the “old days” people liked watching magic because of the attractive assistants more than the toupee wearing fool in a dodgy outfit waving his “wand” around.
Hans Klok is set for stardom, or at least material wealth, has he launches his new Las Vegas show staring the ever so demure young lady Carmen Electra.
You can read all about it here
About time someone realised that in the “old days” people liked watching magic because of the attractive assistants more than the toupee wearing fool in a dodgy outfit waving his “wand” around.
Hans Klok is set for stardom, or at least material wealth, has he launches his new Las Vegas show staring the ever so demure young lady Carmen Electra.
You can read all about it here
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