Puppy Love – How to Sell on Emotion, Not Logic

Puppy Love – How to Sell on Emotion, Not Logic

Digby the Australian Cobberdog

About 18 months ago, the Milner household acquired a new member; an Australian Cobberdog puppy we called Digby, after my late father.

He rules our life, tells outrageous lies, and steals everything that’s not nailed down. But of course, we adore him. It’s hard not to fall instantly in love with a puppy.

There’s an old saying in marketing; if you wan to sell an expensive, ‘luxury’ product, sell on emotion, not logic. And there’s no wallet-opening buying decision more emotional than looking into the eyes of a cute pup.

6 weeks old and super cute

Digby came to us from Western Australia’s only breeder of Cobberdogs, Deb Reuben’s Alkira Australian Cobberdogs in Margaret River. Digby’s sister Daisy had given birth to six girls, they’d be ready to go to new homes in a few weeks, and Deb had no buyers lined up.  Since we already manage the marketing for another business of Deb’s, she approached us for help. These puppies would be ready for new homes in just three weeks

My gun digital marketing specialists took over. Within days, Deb had a flood of inquiries, deposits paid, and more coming in. 

Here’s how that happened: 

First, I told Deb she must record a short video with the pups. I wanted this for a landing page, to take inquiries from a Google ad campaign we were about to set up. 

By the following day, we had that video:

Next, I told Deb to get testimonial videos from owners of earlier puppies she’d sold.

Here’s just one of them:

Using those videos, including one from me and Michelle with Digby, my team built a landing page to take inquiries.

Go here to take a look at that page.

Once the landing page was ready to take traffic, our digital advertising specialist Golda created a targetted series of Google ads. They look like this: 

Google ad for the puppies

Within days, Deb’s inbox was filling with inquiries like this:

 

From Ursula in Shoalwater:

From Ursula in Shoalwater:

I am very interested in your breed and would love to talk to you about a puppy. I am in touch with a Labrador breeder and was doing some research and came across the Australian Cobberdog I am 52 live in Shoalwater I haven’t had a dog for a while as I was doing a lot of travel … I am ready for a dog again and would like to train it to be a therapy dog – I have already looked into the training in Melbourne. But even if we don’t go that route I am VERY interested in your puppies and the breed.

From Teena

From Teena

I am very interested to know if any of the puppies are still available and if so when we could view them. 

Want help with your digital marketing? 

Book a discovery call with Greg here!

Salon marketing: why emotion beats logic, every time.

The famous Shackleton ad that never ran

By now you would’ve seen the remarkable images of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic exploration ship Endurance at the bottom of the Weddell Sea.

hackletonIt was one of the most amaing stories of human survival ever. All 28 members of the crew lived to tell the tale, after months stranded in the frozen Antarctic before they were finally rescued.
News of the ship’s discovery, two miles down on the ocean floor, reminded me of Sir Ernest’s famous newspaper ad, calling for crew for an earlier expedition to the south pole.

Now, there’s no evidence that the ad you see at the top of this post ever actually ran in a newspaper. But he may have submitted it to the London Times for publication, only to have reporters see it first, sparking a flurry of (free) publicity in newspapers all over England.

Shackleton’s ad didn’t even mention a product or service. Far from trumpeting overblown benefits and features, it actually went the other way, in a deliberate, well-planned and brilliantly-executed dare to the manliness of every red-blooded adventurous male in England.

The point is, the ad appealed to emotion, not logic. 

Emotional adveritising is something I’ve been banging on about for years. Too many owners of businesses, large and small, waste time and energy trying to convince their prospective customers of the logic of buying your products or services.

But people buy on emotion first, and rationalize it later with logic. 

“I bought the Porsche because it’s built solid,” you’ll hear some guy say, when what he really means is “I bought the Porsche because it makes me feel young again.”

why men buy Porsches

Creative Theft Department: I know what you’re already thinking…what has this got to do with my hair salon/day spa/nail bar/laser clinic yada yada yada.)
Here’s what: 
The University of Life surrounds you. Google is your best friend. There is NO excuse for saying “I don’t know where to look for ideas” any more. Truth is, the answer to anything is right at your fingertips. Claiming you can’t find answers is akin to insisting the world is flat.)
Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, emotion. The idea that you must offer a rational benefit in your marketing is nonsense.

There IS no rational, logical reason to buy a Porsche. Yet Porsche is THE most profitable car maker in the world. One of the most famous ads for Porsche cars featured nothing more than a picture of the car, and the following text:

Product benefits:
Too fast.
Doesn’t blend in.
People will talk.

In the beauty business, a rational benefit might be

Your skin will be 37% smoother.

But more powerful, and much more emotional:

Warning: Men will look at you.

Your target market is uneducated about the relative benefits of one hair stylist versus any of a thousand others. Has pretty much no idea of the difference between one hair removal clinic and a hundred competitors. Attempting to explain a rational, logical reason why they should choose you as against any and all of your competitors is considerably more difficult that pushing a peanut up the main street of town with your nose.

Faced with such a challenge, most businesses resort to the easiest, no-brainer path: discounting. The airlines are a classic example of this, undercutting each other because they can’t be bothered putting in the hard mental yards to come up with something better.
(Even here, there are examples of airlines actually striking an emotional note with their marketing.

Remember the Singapore Airlines ads featuring their emotional icon, the Singapore Girl? They backed it up with the rational proposition, ‘Inflight service even other airlines talk about…’)

Remnember the Singapore Girl ads for Singapore Airlines?

Aside: the rebel in me can’t help wondering what would happen if an airline offered a guarantee: We’ll get you there alive, or your money back.
Most business owners, having come up with a compelling offer – which is the rational reason to buy – rest on their laurels and leave it there. But the smart ones keep working at it, chewing away until they come up with that hard-to-define emotional reason to buy. I often call it a Unique Selling Proposition. But it can equally be re-named an ESP or Emotional Selling Proposition.
Either way, these are salon marketing tools that work, and work for you.
The real difference between one hair salon and another, between one day spa and another, is at best small, and certainly difficult to convey to the uneducated. But an emotional difference is – while more difficult to find in the first place – much easier to get across, much easier for the prospect to feel, and therefore much more powerful.

 

Critical Issue: Verifying your Google My Business listing

Critical Issue: Verifying your Google My Business listing

Who else gets technology rage?
Let me tell you about the technical gymnastics we often have to go through on behalf of our members, just to get their tech ducks in a row. Marielle, one of my full-time staff in the Philippines, has been wrestling with Google for several days, trying to verify Google My Business listing of our client and live online.

(It can be a tortuous process). Depending on Mr. Google’s mood on the day, he’ll sometimes allow instant verification with an automated phone call reciting a 6 digit code to the business owner. Other days, the only way you can do it is by triggering a postcard, which can take weeks to arrive.
Yesterday, Juliet, was at the airport in Boston, about to fly down to Jacksonville, Florida where she’d set up her new business.
I was in touch with her via text message, and liaising with Marielle via Zoom chat. You’ll see from the screenshots below what a convoluted process it can be.
But essential – getting your Google My Business listing into the “Big Three” at the top of search results is the most valuable online real estate you can have. We know that GMB verification can be tricky, and it is not always a viable method to verify Google My Business by postcard. So, finding out how to verify Google My Business without a postcard could be crucial for some businesses.
Visibility on Google searches is highly crucial not only for online businesses but for all. Google my Business provides its users a vital opportunity to appear in Google search results with relevant information and Google Maps with all the contact details. And this opportunity is free.
How to verify your Google My Business listing 1
verifying your google my business listing
get your google listing verified
verifying your google listing
Is YOUR Niche Market as Rich as This?

Is YOUR Niche Market as Rich as This?

The recent addition of a new puppy to the Milner household has once again highlighted for me the immense power of the riches to be found in niche markets.

And it makes me wonder why so many business owners ignore this, and try to be all things to all people.

For the record, his name is Digby, after my late father. He’s a new breed called an Australian Cobber Dog.

If you’re a dog person, you’ll know that a puppy is blissfully unaware of its ability to induce the departure of reason from the minds of its masters. 

Thus it is that, thanks to re-marketing technology, our visits to dog-related websites immediately result in Facebook and Instagram kindly show us repeated ads for pet products. 

So Dr Lisa Chimes, a vet and online marketer of Broadmeadows in New South Wales, can be pretty much assured that ads for her high-margin products will find a ready audience in the Milner household. 

Dr Lisa Chimes

You also learn quickly that it is ill-advised to be too emotionally attached to things like shoes. Or soft furnishings. Or your garden sprinklers. Even our wooden wine rack bears the scars of needle-sharp puppy teeth.

By far the most significant change in our household, however, has been our complete loss of reason when it comes to buying “things for Digby.”

On our frequent visits to pet supplies retailers, all consideration of pricing comparisons and value judgements is left behind at the door.

That fancy new bark control collar? A snip at just $190. No matter that it cost $4.50 to produce.

Every week, a new chew toy seems to arrive in the house. No matter that he already has a basket full of chew toys. And much prefers to chew the basket.

Why have only one monogrammed food bowl for inside the house, when you can have another one for outside as well?

And don’t get me started on the contents of said food bowls. Entire supermarkets are dedicated to a dazzling array of canine sustenance, all of it declaring – on packaging designed specifically to appeal to humans, not dogs – that it’s scientifically formulated by veterinarians to put a spring in the step of every pooch.

Near where we live is a new pets-only crematorium. And just around the corner, a craftsman who markets leather, silver and stainless steel bracelets around the world. 

More than half his orders come from pet owners who want one of his bracelets with stainless steel hollow clasps into which one can insert small quantities of your beloved pet’s ashes or hair. 

Here’s part of a Facebook ad campaign we’ve just designed for him (featuring our own Digby!):  

Facebook advertising for niche markets

Did I mention vets?

The average dog owner might well quibble over the price of a bus ticket, or haggle with a car salesman till both are blue in the face.

But when it comes to the family hound, a qualified vet can charge whatever she likes – think of a number, and double it – and the dog owner will meekly, nay eagerly, hand over his credit card without so much as a whimper. And gushingly thank the animal doctor for being so kind as to take his money.

Pet owners are a lush, rich, inch-wide-but-mile-deep niche market. A bottomless pit of money.

Golfers are the same. So are car enthusiasts. Cyclists? No great powers of observation are required to notice that at any city café on a Saturday morning, ALL cyclists are kitted out in the latest lycra fashions, their $5,000 machines adorned with every electronic device ever invented.

I like fishing. So much so that I have been known to walk into a tackle shop intent on buying nothing but a box of hooks, and walk out $600 poorer, armed with a bag of colourful new lures clearly designed to attract fishermen, rather than their prey.

There are niche markets everywhere, hidden in plain sight.

Famously, one of my earliest and most successful marketing students created a booming business after a coaching call with me in which she complained bitterly about how she was exhausted working 60 hours a week doing massages at her small inner-city salon.

I asked her about her typical client. Turns out more than half of them were…pregnant women!

Aha, I said. Why not just concentrate on marketing yourself to expectant mothers?

Within a month, her new business Yummy Mummy Pregnancy Day Spa was doing a roaring trade, and she was ‘off the tools’ completely.

Enthusiasts, hobbyists, collectors, professional athletes, sports fans, pet owners, photographers…the list of niche markets is saturated with people who will spend whatever it takes to be ‘at the top of their game.’

A city hair salon specialising in and marketing to men and women with dreadlocks? Certainly sounds a better and more profitable proposition than simply competing me-too-style with every other hair salon on the block.

Most businesses are ‘generalists’, forever trying to appeal to the masses. And by doing so, they become indistinguishable from their competitors, left with little more than price to differentiate themselves.

Take the time to critically and forensically examine your clients. Look for commonalities. Do a sizeable number belong to a particular group? If so, find ways to refine your message so that it appeals to more of that group.

There are immense riches in niches. It’s worth the effort to identify and exploit them.

Want some (free) help identifying your ideal niche market?

Book your free Niche Market Strategy Session Zoom call with Greg!

Greg Milner, Founder, Worldwide Salon Marketing

Greg Milner is the founder of Worldwide Salon Marketing. Since 2004, he and his team of digital and offline marketing specialists have been helping salon & spa owners all over the world to get more clients, spending more money, more often.

A simple decision – now this salon owner can take holidays…

A simple decision – now this salon owner can take holidays…

Now, Salon owners can take holidays with this simple tips from us!

It can be a scary thing to contemplate.

“I wish we had a receptionist – but how can I generate enough business to pay for her???”

It’s a question Jasmine Dwyer asked herself often.

One day, she just gritted her teeth, and pulled the trigger.

It changed her life. Here’s how Jasmine described it:

Jasmine has been a Member of Worldwide Salon Marketing’s Client Attraction System for 8 years.

If YOU want access to the same tools, templates, strategies and hands-on support from our team of marketers, digital experts and technical specialists, it’s a one-click process to join our flagship program:

 

For the past 10 years Greg and the team from WSM have always facilitated a highly engaging, dynamic and professional marketing platform . We have been equipped with helpful tools focused around client retention, new client lead generation and past client re-engagement. Investing in this marketing program has helped grow our business to what it is today. Highly recommend. Also I would like to say the help we had from Sam with the launch of our Social Media Shops and advertising will be sure to drive more traffic our way.

Leiza Cester

Owner, Allura Hair Boutique

Greg and his team are second to none when it comes to getting clients through the door. As a start up Laser Tattoo Clinic with no reviews, I'm thrilled to say business thrived in the first five months of opening (pre Covid19) all due to the great advertising and follow up links provided by the team at WWMarketing. I'm looking forward to continuing the journey post Covid19 lockdown. Thank you, can't recommend you highly enough 🙂

Lorina Cassidy-Reid

Owner, Original Skin Tattoo Removal

SEE WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY

Check out what Salon Owners are saying about Worldwide Salon Marketing.  These business marketers have all been through one or more of our Salon Owner programs.  These programs are designed to change them into real business marketers and their salons into cash-generating machines.  If you want similar results then take action yourself by calling one of our offices.

If Google exits Australia, here’s what you need to do to protect your online assets

If Google exits Australia, here’s what you need to do to protect your online assets

I’ve written at length and often, of the dangers of relying on one of anything in business.

  • one supplier
  • one employee
  • one or very few large customers
  • one source of leads
  • one online marketing asset
  • one primary source of finance
  • one product

It’s an endless list.

Because if you suddenly lose that ‘one thing’, chances are your entire business gets hung out to dry.

Many a time, I’ve had a phone call like this: “Help! Facebook has taken by business page down, it’s the only way I keep in touch with my clients, what am I going to do?”

Or, “My one team member has just given me two weeks’ notice, she’s leaving a week before Christmas!”

But if you think that’s bad, imagine this:

 

Google suddenly shuts down its search engine for the whole country.

Fanciful? Not at all. In fact, that’s exactly what Google is threatening to do if the Australian government goes ahead with laws forcing Google and Facebook to pay mainstream media companies for news … the two tech giants currently swipe for free.

I doubt there’s a single hair salon, beauty salon, day spa or medispa that doesn’t, to a large degree, rely on Google to help clients and customers find them online.

Many spend big money every month to keep themselves at the top of Google’s search results, because 95% of people use Google exclusively to find products and services.

Like Sandi Chong of Suki Hairdressing in Newcastle, NSW, as quoted in this story in The Australian this week: 

This hairdresser spends $1000 a month on SE

(And if you doubt it’s worth spending a few hundred dollars a month on getting top Google ranking, it works. Many, many salons & spas pay Worldwide Salon Marketing to SEO their websites and Google My Business listings. For example, Allura Hair Boutique in Melbourne sits on top of the search rankings.

Their Google My Business listing brings them more than 200 phone enquiries every month. 

How this salon gets 200 calls a month

If Google throws its toys out of the playpen and sulks off into the sunset, that leaves a lot of businesses with little or no presence in search.

So, what can you do?

Microsoft’s BING is David to Google’s Goliath.

Microsoft can claim about 3% of current search traffic, to Google’s dominant 95%. But you can bet the folks at Microsoft are circling, waiting for Google to spit the dummy on Australia.

The other search tiddler is a company called DuckDuckGo, which is rapidly growing its market share on the back of not collecting user data and flogging it off to marketing companies.

The smart business owners are already getting prepared for this. For our Member businesses here at Worldwide Salon Marketing, we’re already laying the groundwork so that if and when Google Search disappears, they’ll be properly set up and optimised on Bing.  

There’s a LOT to be done.

  • Checking to make sure a business even has a Bing business listing.
  • If it hasn’t, setting one up from scratch, making sure all the images are optimized for search.
  • If it has, checking all the details (the NAP, or Name Address Phone details) match exactly with anywhere else the business is mentioned online, eg directories and review sites.
  • Ensuring the Bing map listing replaces (or is ready to replace) the Google map listing in the business’s website.
  • Ensuring all the images on the listing retain what’s called exif data – including GPS co-ordinates, tags, titles, comments and the business web address.

…and that’s just off the top of my head. 

We can make it easier for you. 

Option #1: you can of course go ahead and do it all yourself. Learn how to do it. Learn how to optimize all the images. Figure out how to check the NAP details and make sure they’re exactly the same as everywhere else on the internet.

Option #2: We can do it for you, in a couple of days! For $295 (incuding GST in Australia) it’ll be done for you, and you won’t have to worry about suddenly disappearing from search results if Google disappears from Australia!

What happens when you order Fix My Bing!

  1. As soon as you order, we’ll receive notification. 
  2. If we don’t already manage your Google My Business Listing, we’ll ask you to add us as a Manager of your Google My Business listing. 
  3. After that, we’ll do the rest. 

…and you’ll be advised immediately your Bing Places has been set up!

 

Greg Milner, Founder, Worldwide Salon Marketing

Greg Milner is an author, marketing consultant and Founder of Worldwide Salon Marketing (2004). He’s coached and advised thousands of salon & spa owners on their business-building strategies. 
Greg’s team of digital marketing specialists build and maintain hundreds of websites, SEO processes and digital marketing campaigns for salons & spas all over the world. 

Alkira Australian Cobberdogs
Alkira Australian Cobberdogs
11:06 25 Aug 22
Greg and his team have been doing marketing for me for 3 years. I am very happy with the results they get for me, helping me sell my product in record time.Thanks so much Greg! Highly recommend Worldwide Salon Marketing for all your marketing needs 🤗🙂
Green Wave Solar
Green Wave Solar
06:27 22 Sep 21
Greg has been instrumental in setting up our online presence with a brand new website, and google landing page. He delivered in spades where others had failed and continues to provide fantastic support and quite often just a chat to see how we are progressing. His casual approach yet professional delivery gives us confidence that we are on the right path. As we continue our own journey.Right man for the right job!
Mary Lawson - Evans
Mary Lawson - Evans
08:09 15 Jun 21
I just want to say thank you to Greg and his team, always very friendly and responsive. I was concerned to start with being in the UK but there have been no issues, I have a great looking website, shop and google business page. This morning I had a zoom call with the very patient Greg to show me how to make changes to the website, I look forward to working more with the team. Thanks Mary
Office Chroma
Office Chroma
01:54 13 Jan 21
Greg and his team provide an excellent service. They are very easy to deal with and truly experts in the hair and beauty niche. They know what works and what doesn't, so they deliver real measurable results for your marketing budget.
Danielle Sandall
Danielle Sandall
08:11 12 Oct 20
A big thank you to Greg and the team at worldwide salon marketing. I’ve been very happy with the advise and help I have received over the last 2 years it’s been fantastic. If you need help don’t hesitate to contact them.
A Google User
A Google User
05:06 20 May 20
Greg and his team are second to none when it comes to getting clients through the door. As a start up Laser Tattoo Clinic with no reviews, I'm thrilled to say business thrived in the first five months of opening (pre Covid19) all due to the great advertising and follow up links provided by the team at WWMarketing. I'm looking forward to continuing the journey post Covid19 lockdown. Thank you, can't recommend you highly enough 🙂
Lorina Cassidy-Reid
Lorina Cassidy-Reid
05:06 20 May 20
Greg and his team are second to none when it comes to getting clients through the door. As a start up Laser Tattoo Clinic with no reviews, I'm thrilled to say business thrived in the first five months of opening (pre Covid19) all due to the great advertising and follow up links provided by the team at WWMarketing. I'm looking forward to continuing the journey post Covid19 lockdown. Thank you, can't recommend you highly enough 🙂
Leiza Cester
Leiza Cester
05:04 07 Apr 20
For the past 10 years Greg and the team from WSM have always facilitated a highly engaging, dynamic and professional marketing platform . We have been equipped with helpful tools focused around client retention, new client lead generation and past client re-engagement. Investing in this marketing program has helped grow our business to what it is today. Highly recommend. Also I would like to say the help we had from Sam with the launch of our Social Media Shops and advertising will be sure to drive more traffic our way.
Wafaa Karim
Wafaa Karim
08:19 04 Mar 20
Absolutely the best marketing company I've worked with. They understand our industry & provide targeted solutions to keep the phone ringing & the $$ coming in. Thank you Greg & team 😀
Darley International
Darley International
06:01 28 Feb 20
I have been working with Greg and his team within our business for many years and love his informative information videos to make our business better Thanks 🙏
Justiss Boyer
Justiss Boyer
14:00 21 Feb 20
Greg and his team have been pivotal to the success CANVAS Salon. We listen to everything they tell us to do and they have never led us astray. If you are in the need of marketing help and you're in the beauty industry, Worldwide Salon Marketing are the team to have on your side.
Effie Argys
Effie Argys
06:31 19 Jan 20
Many thanks to Greg and his wonderful team at Worldwide Salon Marketing for the amazing new website they created for my business Escape Skin and Body. Every request I made was met with efficiency and promptness. It made my whole experience very seamless and positive. The communication between Greg and his team was flawless, and I would highly recommend them to any salon owner needing an overhaul of their website. Thanks so much to both Greg and Rose. A job well done!
Debbie Bryan
Debbie Bryan
12:05 13 Nov 19
Highly recommend, I worked with these guys over 7 years ago and they were great then and even better now. Genuine solutions for Salon owners to help them work on their business profitably. If you were thinking about trying Greg then you absolutely should right now.
Marcel Reuben
Marcel Reuben
06:51 10 Oct 19
thanks for all your help promoting our business , much appreciated.
John Abbott
John Abbott
00:35 15 Dec 18
Greg and his team are the most professional and helpful marketing people I have worked with. Their guidance in developing the media presence for our shop has been invaluable. His marketing knowledge is a revelation.
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