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!!

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.

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....

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....

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....

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

The new blog!

After only a short stay here on Blogger I have decided to move across to a new weblog hosted on my own server - using wordpress. It just offers so much more functionality that I am sure it will be worth the effort

The new blog is available to you at Ed' s Blog or if you can not see the hyperlink just type www.blog.edstivala.co.uk into your browser.

In addition to the latest info about the stunt - I have created a number of new sections to post thoughts on marketing and business generally. There is also a new section for general magic info.

See you on the new site - and do make sure that you signup when you get there! Its one of the new features!!

Drawings come to life

Despite having shows pretty much every day this month ( I know I am such an in-demand entertainer lol), I managed to meet with the team that will be building the balloon. This was the first time that they had seen the detail of what needs to be constructed and it got a great reaction!! Not that they can't build it... but their first question was "and you are seriously planning to fly this?" After we chatted more, drank more coffee and scribbled a LOT more they eventually agreed that it would be a feasible idea.

So we have scheduled a planning meeting in the new year soon after the next major sponsor meeting. If all goes well then the balloon should go into production in February and be test flown in April.

Today's cabaret show was great!! A lovely audience, I had the pleasure of entertaining the MK Women in Enterprise group. They seemed to enjoy my act and I enjoyed entertaining them. Such a stark but welcome contrast to the "Christmas Cabaret from Hell" that I am involved with most other days this month. Will have to update the Corporate Magic site to let the world know about my new after dinner / lunch shows - just in case anyone else might like to book it!

"The Vanishing Hot Air Balloon" - An incredible magic trick!

Corporate Magician Ed Stivala plans to take the world by storm when he vanishes a hot air balloon in mid flight, along with himself and a member of the public. Currently still searching for the person to take along. Normally Ed works for corporates at trade shows and exhibitions so this is something quite different! A world first and in the UK!!!

Not sure if you have discovered DIGG yet? Apparently someone has DUG my story about the balloon vanish... Or is that someone DIGGED it? Its a whole new vocabulary :-)

read more | digg story

Balloon Stunt in second place

Well we are into December with anger now!! Never mind trying to get the Christmas presents wrapped (or even buying them!). Life is more about trying to remember which gig I am supposed to be at next.

My first "Christmas Cabaret" this year was at the end of November. There is something decidedly odd about wishing people a happy Christmas when you are not even into December yet...

So the next week will see shows in Birmingham on Tuesday and then Milton Keynes (centre of the Universe) on Wednesday for Women in Enterprise before returning back down to Kent for the Christmas cabarets Thursday through to Sunday.

So if you have ever wondered about the glamorous life of a Corporate Magician - it basically involves hours of driving your car from one part of the country to another. Oh, and many stops at MacD's on the way :-)

So best put plans for the balloon stunt on hold this week and get a comfortable seat in my car....

Pilot onboard - now that is handy....

Good news on the balloon vanish stunt! Pilot & friend David Fish has agreed to fly the balloon for me. I first met David many years ago at a flying club when I was flying aeroplanes and he was obsessed with flying balloons. He needed some "self loading ballast" for a morning flight and decided that my "mass" would be about right... With that, the very next morning I took my first balloon flight with David and a few other folk. We left Bedfordshire and flew into Cambridgeshire, before eventually crashing in a field. I later came to learn that what I had experienced was not actually a crash but a "standard" balloon landing for a hot air balloon in moderate wind conditions.

But I was hooked!

I took my self off to Italy (better weather conditions for learning) and with David's help and tutorage set about learning to fly balloons myself. So in a way David is probably responsible for me wanting to do this stunt and so it seems quite fitting that he has agreed to fly the balloon!

To find about the stunt or apply to come along for the ride just visit the Balloon Stunt Site

Slow progress in the last few days on what might well turn out to be the best magic trick ever ;-)

Media coverage has included the local paper and local BBC radio - so hardly wonderful or impressive for the potential sponsor!! Still I guess these things have to start small and then grow. About to announce the pilot in the next few days so please do check back to discover which mad fool has agreed to fly the balloon!!

On a more positive - the team have invented yet another way to make the balloon vanish. That gives us three possible methods of doing it now. The advantage of the new method is that it will cost far less than the other ideas, but will be more weather critical. Still we shall no doubt thrash it out over tea and biscuits soon.

On the other side of the pond I see that Mr Blaine has been pushing the boundaries of magic by standing (?) in a giant gyroscope for two days or so.... gosh!!

What did everyone else think to the David Blaine magic stunt?

Back here I have just started my Christmas Cabaret season - you could not imagine a job that is less suited to a corporate magician! When I signed the contract I must have been suffering from a temporary brain shutdown. Still - it all helps to form your character :-) So long as no harm comes to my car, I guess I can suffer a few more nights of trying to fit in with and entertain lower life forms.....

NO!!! Don't do it

The last thing that I need after we have taken off is a hysterical passenger. They thought they wanted to do it. But as the houses get smaller and you can no longer hear any familiar noises from the ground (apart from dogs barking) - they suddenly realize that this is for real and if it goes wrong then.... We will talk about that another day.

So with all that in mind I am delighted to announce that handwriting expert Joyce Parkinson has agreed to join the team and analyze applicants handwriting for me. It will be one of a battery of tests that we are using to make sure that we really do pick the right person.

You can find out more about Joyce and her skills as a Graphologist at her website :
www.jpanalysis.co.uk

Getting into your mind

A few people have asked why they need to hand write their application to take part in the "make me vanish" stunt.

Well quite simply I want to use every possible method of ensuring that I select the best person for the job and one concern is will they panic at the last minute! After all, unless they have some flying experience, finding themselves at 2,500 feet in a basket might be a little unnerving. But then we will be making the balloon vanish so it will be a little more exciting than the average balloon ride!

We have a whole series of tests and filters set up for the assessment day. But the first tool we will be using is a graphologist to analyze hand writing.

Make Me Vanish

At last I have publicly announced my plans for a world first in magic. "Make Me Vanish" is the name that I have given to this once in a life time stunt, to make a hot air balloon vanish, in mid flight!
Lots of magicians have made BIG objects appear or disappear (cars, boats, Great Wall of China, Statue of Liberty). But as far as I can establish nobody has EVER made an aircraft vanish whilst it is flying. The inspiration for this trick was really simple - I want to do something bigger and better than anyone else has ever achieved! Why would you bother with anything less?
Before magic, I used to fly hot air balloons. So I am not embarking on this mad stunt without a good knowledge of what is possible from an aviation point of view not just a magic perspective. During the "cross over" from flying hot air balloons to magic as a hobby many people would jest about how I "should make my hot air balloon vanish"... Well I guess that their rather repetitive and humourless quip stuck with me. As I turned professional in magic I decided that I needed a landmark trick and of course the obvious thing to do was make a balloon vanish!
I shall post more soon about the background to the stunt and will of course also add details of our progress as we lead up to the big day! If you have a question please feel free to ask through this blog. If you have a media enquiry please contact Haypresto Media Management who represent me exclusively with the media.

Welcome

Well I guess every story has to start somewhere and explaining what this blog is all about seems like a pretty good place to start!

I decided to create the Life & Times of a Corporate Magician as so many people seem to be interested in what being a "magician" is all about. What do you do with your day? What do you think about various TV shows and TV magicians? What is the difference between a Corporate Magician and any other sort?

Over the next few weeks and months I will try and answer these questions as well as answering anything that YOU might like to ask me online (either as a comment or by email). So if you like the idea of this topic then get involved, its always more fun than just watching :-)

The main thing that you need to know is that a professional magician will spend most of his time selling and working on the business. I do, and that is the part that I love the most! So another important aspect to this blog will be about how to market and sell within a small business.

Which takes precedence, the magic or the business, we will have to discover as we go along.

Comments?