Internet Marketing, Internet Business, Make Money Online, Work from Home

Internet Business and Marketing

pqInternet.com

About Fred W. Black.

Fred W. Black

Link to Me!

How to Link to this Blog.

Categories

All

ClickBank

Copywriting

Funny

Internet Business

Internet Marketing

Life & Law of Attraction

Search Engines: SEO

Technology

Traffic

Truth and Freedom

Web Site Design, HTML, CSS

Recent Entries

Using My Software to Determine Why a Site Ranks Poorly in Google

Toilet Paper Millionaire!

Freds Inverse Law of Marketing Intelligence (the cream, as well as, the crap rises to the top)

Are You Failing Miserably or Miserably Failing?

Know Yourself

Are You Putting Cash in the Trash?

Behind Bars: Could the New FTC CAN-SPAM Rules Land You In JAIL?

Who Cares?

SEO: Number 1 and Number 2

Beyond SEO - The Tale of the Three Legged Dog

Bypassing Cross Browser Scripting Security

The Greatest Sale in America

Wisdom: When Bad is Good

How to Improve Your Chances of Success by an Infinite Amount

If You Can't Sell Crap-In-A-Box, You Ain't Selling!

All Entries

Recently Commented On

Using My Software to Determine Why a Site Ranks Poorly in Google

Don't give a Hoot about Google Page Rank.

Search Engine Ranking Factors

Toilet Paper Millionaire!

Are You Failing Miserably or Miserably Failing?

I've Removed The 'No Follow' Tag from My Blog - You Should Too!

Freds Inverse Law of Marketing Intelligence (the cream, as well as, the crap rises to the top)

Know Yourself

Archives

All

July 2008

June 2008

May 2008

April 2008

March 2008

February 2008

January 2008

December 2007

November 2007

October 2007

September 2007

August 2007

July 2007

June 2007

May 2007

April 2007

March 2007

February 2007

December 2006

November 2006

October 2006

September 2006

August 2006

July 2006

June 2006

Say No to the
No Follow Tag

« Previous | Home | Next »

 

American Idol - Lessons

March 26, 2008

American Idol - Lessons

Why do you think American Idol is so popular?


Here are some reasons that I've thought of, just listing them quickly off the top of my head.


  • Most people would love to be a star. Anyone who has ever wanted to sing, perform, or who even sings in the shower, lives vicariously through the contestants.
  • Everyone wants to be admired for their talents. Everyone wants to be admired, even if they never actually do anything; they form an identity with one or more of the contestants and vicariously share their successes and failures.
  • Everyone loves an underdog. It's fun to support the underdog that comes through in the end and becomes a winner.
  • Everyone loves to be entertained. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, it is an entertaining show and fun to watch.
  • It's hard not to look at a wreck. I think this is more of a draw in the beginning when they broadcast segments of the open auditions. I find it frustrating that they give so much time to the insane, arcane, and lame, but that's the carnage that people love to watch.

The Realization of a Dream
That's my very unscientific list. So what does it mean to your business? If you're selling a product or service then you can probably use some or all of these items to create better copy for your sales material, better displays, or better presentations that draw on your prospects dreams and desires. Don't just sell them a product; sell them the realization of a dream. Don't sell them a set of gourmet cookware; sell them the admiration and awe of their dinner guests as they clamor for seconds and thirds!

Make it fun
Perhaps your business doesn't directly apply to the realization of a dream idea, but you can make it fun. I had to go to the post office today and one of the clerks turned a line of zombie looking customers into a group of laughing, smiling people who connected with each other. How? By being funny and personable. Actually, I think he may have been crazy, but I'm not sure! I left the post office smiling, which is not usually the case. While this isn't a great example because it was the post office, use this same approach in a coffee shop or other store to bring customers back more often than not. One warning: it has to be real; it's easy to tell a fake!

Who let the Dogs Out?
Don't dismiss the underdog angle. We're all underdogs at one thing or another. If you're selling whatever the underdog needs to transform themselves into a winner, sell them the "win". Don't sell the skinny weakling a set of dumbbells or a membership to a gym with a personal trainer: sell him the "reeking with testosterone, ripped, confident, and manly man" he can become. Don't sell the overweight, out of shape mom a set of dumbbells or a membership to a gym with a personal trainer; sell her the sexy, seductive goddess she used to be (or, if she never was, sell her what she can become)!

So there you have it.... Wait, I left out the wreck...

Fear Sells
Fear marketing works well for some products. Show the disaster and sell the safety of it never occurring. Picture the burned family photos, wet smoldering teddy bear, and charred chaos of a house fire... a smoke detector ad could play off of this scene. Picture a mother frantically searching for her child, crying, screaming, running from door to door asking if anyone has seen him or her... picture the police taking down the description of the child, what he or she was wearing, how tall they are, any birthmarks... now sell a background check for babysitters and nanny's.

Until next time,
Fred

About the Author

Fred Black is an experienced programmer, web site developer, online business operator, systems integrator, father, husband, musician, and songwriter. Visit his Internet Business Blog at: http://www.pqInternet.com.


Insert your name and e-mail address to receive a short notice each time I make a new post.

First Name:

Last Name:

E-Mail Address:

E-Mail agian:

NOTE: You will receive a confirmation email. You must click the link in the email to subscribe. Please check your spam folder(s) if you don't receive the email.



Reddit Add this Article to Onlywire del.icio.us Technorati StumbleUpon Netscape Sphinn Top Blogs

Tip Jar: Leave a Donation

Comments: 4,   TrackBacks: 1.

Posted by Fred on March 26, 2008 | Printer-Friendly

TrackBack: http://www.pqInternet.com/Blog/mt-tb.cgi/129


Assigned Categories: Internet Marketing


Related Entries:


    You may reprint or distribute this article as long as you leave the content and the About the Author resource box at the end intact.

     

     
    Comments and TrackBacks 
    TrackBacks:
    1. Marketing Consulting Atlanta | Search Engine Optimization Consulting...
      Search Engine Optimization: Lessons From American Idol
      American Idol offers a very interesting lesson when it comes to marketing for your business. In what way? Think about this for a moment… Who is behind the “American Idol” program? It is none other then Sony records. What is Sony̵...
      Posted On: May 1, 2008 3:27 PM.
    Comments:
    1.  

      Fred you are right about the people who live vicariously through American Idol. Even though the show is contrived, we, "the former choir geeks" love it. Even though I do not watch TV most of the time, this is one show I never miss. Just watching the contestants sweat it out reminds me of my "glory" days, auditioning, performing, and thinking I was super cool being in an elite traveling choir! Business is alot like that huh? We audition to sell the service or product, sweat it out and then, hopefully bask in the limelight.

      Posted by Tammy on March 27, 2008 12:47 AM

    2.  

      Sounds a lot like "stress the benefits, not the features". The oldest copywriting trick in the book. The ripped abs (visualization): second oldest. I'd say less than 1% actually follow it, though... Unless its in the copywriting or internet marketing field. Almost everyone follows it there... strange :)

      Ohh and about selling fear: it works, and probably works better than any of the other primordial emotions, but there are a few "gotchas". You can only really sell the customer once on fear. After that, they think you're a Chicken Little. Can't really sell much on the backend or upsell easily either because your product already relieved threm of that fear. That's why alarm systems monitor for fire, break-in, carbon monoxide, etc. They can't squeeze out another "$20 more a month for fire protection". In addition, the problem with selling fear is usually your selling prevention: something 100x harder to sell than a cure. Try selling an alarm system to someone (or their neighbor) who just had a break-in: it's like taking candy from a baby.

      Posted by Bryan on March 27, 2008 8:58 AM

    3.  

      I find it amazing how people are so desperate for celebrities. All these reality shows are like a farm churning out celebs. I find them the most useless and untalented people on the planet.

      Posted by April on March 27, 2008 3:49 PM

    4.  

      To be a pop star, people should either want to have s*x with you, or be you, and you need to have a great voice. Most contestants don't have that, and by being overexposed, they've blown any mystery about themselves.

      They also have to whinge and cry to win. Not attractive in the long run.

      Posted by TT LoanShark on April 2, 2008 6:35 PM

     


    Post A Comment









    Remember personal info?






    Subscribe

    Insert your name and e-mail to receive a short notice each time I make a new post.

    E-mail Address:

    E-mail address again:

    First Name:

    Last Name:

    NOTE: You will receive a confirmation email. You must click the link in the email to subscribe. Please check your spam folder(s) if you don't receive the email.

    My Courses & Products

    Web Site Creation Course: HTML, CSS, and More... Free!
     

    Interactive Web Site Course: PHP, JavaScript, Forms, and More... Free!
     

    Make Money Online: Complete Online Business Course... Free!
     

    Article Marketing Software.
     

    Photo Gallery - pqGallery.com
     

    Blue Solar Water Bottles
     

    Pretend with Miss Kim.
    Children's Creative Movement DVD
    Pretend with Miss Kim (my wife) takes children on an imaginary fun time as they learn the basic movements of ballet and dance.

    Search


    RSS Feeds, etc.

    RSS 2.0 for www.pqInternet.com. RSS 2.0
    Add to Google Toolbar

    Subscribe to Blog Feed:
    Add www.pqInternet.com, to Google.
    Add www.pqInternet.com, to My Yahoo!
    Add www.pqInternet.com, to My MSN.
    Add www.pqInternet.com, to My AOL.
    Subscribe to www.pqInternet.com, with Bloglines
    Subscribe to www.pqInternet.com, in NewsGator Online
    Subscribe to www.pqInternet.com, in Rojo
    Subscribe to www.pqInternet.com, in FeedLounge
    Subscribe to www.pqInternet.com, in NetVibes
    Add www.pqInternet.com, to Your Technorati Favorites!
    Subscribe to www.pqInternet.com in myEarthlink
    Add www.pqInternet.com, to Windows Live RSS 1.0
    atom.xml

    What are Blog Feeds and RSS anyway?

    Products I Use & Recommend.

    www.3WayLinks.Net

    Wordtracker Keyword Research Tool

    www.aweber.com Opt-In List Management.

    1&1 Hosting

    Blogroll

    Clayton Makepeace

    Terry Dean

    ProBlogger

    Eric Graham

    Michel Fortin.com

    Jonathan Leger

    Robert Phillips

    Dr. Joe Vitale

    Ryan Healy

    Richard Lee

    G. Brent Riggs

    Search Engine Journal

    Links

    Cell Phones for Soldiers

    the IconFactory

    Fred Black Music

    Niall Kennedy

    The Lions Paw

    Web Hosting.

    My Recommended Web Hosting Service: 1&1 Hosting

    Books & Things.


     


     


     


     

    Mugs, Mousepads, etc.

    About this Blog

    By:Fred W. Black

    Contact Information

    Powered by:Movable Type 3.34.

    Copyright 2006 -2008, PhaseQuest.Com.
    All rights reserved.

    Resources L2

    Some photos are by: Lee Hinshaw Photography

    © Copyright 2006 - 2008 PhaseQuest, all rights reserved.