Launch E-Book

Michael A. Stelzner

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 367

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

If you've been let down by the undelivered promises of marketing, this book is for you. Launch reveals a new way to grow your business that involves focusing on the needs of others, giving gifts, working with outsiders, and restraining your marketing messages. These principles are precisely the opposite of traditional marketing. Yet they work. And they are the future. If you follow the formula outlined in this book, you can attract countless customers and prospects, resulting in amazing business growth.

This book will show you how to:

• Create highly sharable content that meets people's needs
• Identify and work with outside experts, many of whom will gladly promote your content
• Attract and retain raving fans that will help your business grow
• Creatively market and sell to people who will gladly purchase your products and services

Launch isn't like other marketing books. Rather than making keen observations about others who’ve achieved success, the ideas and principles in this book were developed, refined, and practiced by the author to great success. Pick up a copy for yourself and one for a friend.

Leseprobe

Contents

Cover

Praise for Launch

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: Rockets Don't Fly Themselves

The Problem with Marketing

The Internet as the Great Paralyzer

Meet the Enemy: Channel Overload Syndrome

Do People Really Trust Your Business?

Introducing the Elevation Principle

Elements of the Elevation Principle

Why the Formula Works

Chapter 2: Starting Your Mission Plan

Establishing Your Clear Vision

Crafting Measurable Goals

Setting Your Course Trajectory

Chapter 3: Finding Inspiration by Looking Outward

Identifying Role Models

Leveraging Inspirational Content

Setting Up an Idea Vault

Creating a Discovery System

Why the Outward Focus?

Chapter 4: Leveraging the Power of Other People

The Power of Other People

Who Do You Want to Reach?

Developing Profiles for Your Ideal Reader Base

How to Identify the Problems and Desires of Your Reader Base

What Problems Are They Facing?

Working with Outside Experts

Leveraging Fire Starters

Why Focus on Other People?

Chapter 5: Actively Engaging Other People

Reciprocity Marketing

The Importance of Giving Genuine Gifts

Using Social Proof

Moving People to Action

Why Engage?

Chapter 6: Making Content the Fuel of Your Marketing

Proof That Content Works

What Makes for Great Content?

Creating an Editorial Guide

Mapping an Editorial Calendar

Why Content?

Chapter 7: Creating and Using Primary Fuel

What Is Primary Fuel?

Comprehensive How-to Articles

Expert Interviews

Reviews

Case Studies

News Stories

Contrarian Stories

Chapter 8: Creating and Using Nuclear Fuel

What Is Nuclear Fuel?

Reports Based on Surveys

White Papers

Top 10 Contests

Micro Events

Chapter 9: How to Employ Marketing

What Does “Caging Marketing Messages” Mean?

How to Employ Marketing Messages

The Last Word: The Elevation Principle Revisited

Appendices: Primary Fuel Content Samples

Appendix A: Comprehensive How-to Article

How to Use Twitter to Grow Your Business

Appendix B: Expert Interview

How to Succeed with Social Media: A Brian Solis Interview

Appendix C: Review

The Secrets of YouTube Marketing Revealed

Why YouTube Marketing?

What Businesses Can Do on YouTube

Marketing Will Never Be the Same

Appendix D: Case Study

How Social Media Helped Cisco Shave $100,000+ Off a Product Launch

Router Launch: Promotion Through Play

Reaching 9,000 People

Social Media: The New Norm

Appendix E: Contrarian Story

The Dark Side of Twitter: What Businesses Need to Know

The Shot Seen Around the World

Be Careful What You Say: The FedEx Story

Twitter Crack: Yes, It's Addictive

Trolls and Squatters

Some Tips for Twitter Newbies

Glossary

About the Author

Discover More About the Elevation Principle

Index

Praise for Launch

“Launch is your road map to success in an ever-changing world. Stelzner shows you how to enchant your customers so that they'll want to help you change the world.”

—Guy Kawasaki, author of Enchantment

“Hands on and generous, Michael shows you precisely how he does it, step by step.”

—Seth Godin, author of Linchpin

“If your business is flying high by making cold calls to sales prospects and by spending boatloads of money on ads, then you don't need the rocket fuel contained in this book. But if you're looking for a better way to reach the business heights you've only dreamed of, start reading Launch. Stelzner is a rocket scientist.”

—David Meerman Scott, author of Real-Time Marketing & PR

“What Stelzner shares here is proven! He's already built a community that propelled his brand not only beyond the competition but ahead of an entire industry. The stories he shares will help us do one of two things: excel or succeed.”

—Brian Solis, author of Engage!

“This isn't a book about marketing; it's about human nature. Understand that and you've unlocked the key to your success. Each chapter has a solid set of strategic and tactical recommendations for anyone in marketing. And the common theme throughout: people.”

—Scott Monty, head of social media at Ford Motor Company

“I only believe what I've read in Launch because I've watched Michael Stelzner do it himself. It works.”

—Chris Brogan, president, HumanBusinessWorks.com and co-author of Trust Agents

“Mike lays out–in a very easy-to-grok way–how to power your business's growth in a meaningful, measurable, sustainable way. Theory is fine, really. But what's even better is how-to action. And that's precisely what you'll find here.”

—Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs and co-author of Content Rules

“Our company motto is ‘Always Be Launching,’ and it's served us well. Now, Mike Stelzner takes you behind the scenes of this powerful and effective online marketing strategy.”

—Brian Clark, CEO, Copyblogger Media

“I love books written by someone who has truly walked the path, and who shares the practical how-to steps for replicating his success, leaving nothing out. Mike Stelzner has done exactly that with Launch. He draws from his deep well of experience, spanning a decade launching two very successful businesses and quickly becoming a leading authority in both. Mike's teachings absolutely work! This book is a must-read for anyone serious about building a sustainable empire on a solid foundation in today's fast-moving, new media world.”

—Mari Smith, co-author of Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day

“The key paradox of modern marketing is that the more you ‘sell’ the less you sell. In Launch, Mike Stelzner has provided the perfect blueprint for this approach, demonstrating how to grow your business by being useful and solving problems. Mike's elevation principle alone is worth the purchase price. Buy this book and fuel your own meteoric rise.”

—Jay Baer, co-author of The NOW Revolution

Copyright © 2011 by Michael Stelzner. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at [phone], outside the United States at [phone] or fax [phone].

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Stelzner, Michael A.

Launch: how to quickly propel your business beyond the competition/Michael Stelzner.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-118-02723-3 (cloth)

ISBN 978-1-118-10276-3 (ebk)

ISBN 978-1-118-10277-0 (ebk)

ISBN 978-1-118-10278-7 (ebk)

1. Marketing. 2. Marketing–Management. 3. Customer relations–Management. 4. Business networks–Management. 5. Industrial promotion. I. Title.

HF5415.S755 2011

658.8–dc22

2011012873

For the person who's been told, “It can't be done,” this is for you.

Preface

If you've ever been discouraged by the undelivered promises of marketing, this book is for you. You and I share something in common: We've hoped that our marketing efforts would bring us big results. We've tried and failed. We've dusted ourselves off and kept on trying—each time learning from our failures.

I wrote Launch for you. I've failed so many times I stopped counting. But along the way, I kept at it—relentlessly. Then, finally, things clicked.

My hope is that this book reveals a new way of marketing to you. It's one that involves focusing on the needs of others, giving gifts, working with outsiders, and caging your marketing messages. These principles are precisely the opposite of traditional marketing. Yet they work. And they are the future.

Let me give you a little preview of what's in store for your business.

I'd like you to think of your business as a rocket ship. Your goal is to navigate this powerful machine to new frontiers. Your fuel is great content.

People consume your fuel, moving your rocket higher and faster. Your marketing messages have been packed in long-term storage. As you travel to new galaxies, a huge community of your peers, prospects, and customers supports you. You've become unstoppable.

In older and smaller rocket ships are your competitors. They're stuck at the edge of the atmosphere. Gravity is not only working against them, many have crashed and are wondering what happened.

The world is changing. Now it's time for your business to change as well.

In this book you'll discover how to bring the masses to your business and become a hub for your marketplace—all without the need to constantly pitch your services or wares. The odds are no longer against you. Now you have a proven plan.

This book isn't like other marketing books. Rather than making keen observations about others who've achieved success, the ideas and principles in this book were developed, refined, and practiced by real businesses—my businesses. I'll reveal precisely how you can immediately implement the techniques found in this book. And of course I'll share how others have achieved success.

Here's how to use this book:

The ideal way to consume this book is to read it straight through. Study the first chapter. It'll reveal what's wrong with most marketing, and introduce you to the elevation principle (the main idea behind the entire book).

The second and third chapters are foundational. You'll learn how to put together a new mission plan for your business. You'll also discover how to set systems in place that ensure you never run out of ideas or inspiration.

Chapters 4 and 5 reveal the power of working with outside experts, how to find them, and how to recruit them. This is an essential part of the elevation principle that most businesses don't employ. Study this section carefully. It will be what sets you apart in your industry.

Chapters 6, 7, and 8 take you deep into the craft of creating engaging content—the fuel for your business. In these chapters I'll introduce you to primary fuel and nuclear fuel. Primary fuel is what keeps your business moving on a daily basis. Nuclear fuel is special content that moves your rocket ship very quickly and attracts the attention of many people.

Chapter 9 reveals what it means to cage marketing messages, and introduces you to new ways to employ marketing techniques. You'll discover that marketing doesn't need to be aggressive to achieve amazing results. Finally, in the Appendices, you'll find primary fuel content samples, to help you formulate your own.

Let today be the day you decide to set a new course for your business. It's my hope that this book will become your trusted guide. Study it. Employ the techniques. Watch what happens.

I've set up a companion site for the book at ElevationPrinciple.com. Be sure to stop by to watch free videos that provide more ideas to help you grow your business.

I'll see you out in space!

Acknowledgments

I'd like to start by acknowledging you for buying this book. Thanks!

Here are some other people who deserve kudos.

First my family: Thanks to my wife and kids, for bearing with me during Thanksgiving and Christmas as I wrote this book! Thanks to my dad, for his feedback and encouragement. I'd also like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus, for providing me endless sources of inspiration. You rock!

To my team! I'd like to thank Phil Mershon, for providing critical analysis of every thought on every page of this book. Thanks to Cindy King, for her keen insight. Thanks to Court Patton of PattonBros.com, for the great illustration work in the book. And thanks to the fans of SocialMediaExaminer.com, who provided outstanding insight and support.

Also, thanks to Mike Volpe from HubSpot, and David Germano from Barefoot Proximity (managers of Man of the House), for giving me their inside scoops!

Finally I'd like to thank my friend David Meerman Scott, for encouraging me to get this book under way and for helping me make it happen. And thanks to Shannon Vargo at John Wiley & Sons, Inc., for believing in me!

Chapter 1

Rockets Don't Fly Themselves

Everything in space obeys the laws of physics. If you know these laws, and obey them, space will treat you kindly.

—Wernher Von Braun, February 17, 1958

For businesses, change is guaranteed. Industries advance, ideas expand, products morph, and customers move on. Similar to space travel, everything's in orbit. Nothing remains still.

Whether you're just about to launch your rocket ship or you're already in flight, change is coming like a speedy comet. It won't bend to your will. You'll need to either embrace it or get out of its path.

Yes, it's scary. You and every other business owner, marketer, or budding entrepreneur have experienced the uncertainty of tomorrow. I've pondered these very thoughts: Will my business survive? Have I set the right trajectory? What's coming? Am I ready?

Despite the assurance of change, there's something that remains fixed—and most businesses overlook it. You've been watching for change and likely missed the one thing that has remained constant: people.

People don't really change. I'm talking about you, your customers, your partners, and your peers. They might leave you for a competitor, but at their core they haven't really changed at all. And people are what make or break your business.

People want valuable insight, access to great people, and recognition before they want products and services. If you can keep your eyes fixed on people and their desires, half your mission will be achieved before you begin.

My kids are girls. Have you ever tried brushing a moving child's hair? You either need to walk along with her or force her to stop. Too often, we treat our customers like children.