The Ideas Guy

Being A Marketing Speaker – My 8 Commandments.

Tim — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:53:35 +0000

I’ve been a Marketing Speaker for well over ten years. And I love sharing my marketing experiences and knowledge from stage. Whenever I speak to a group of business owners / marketers, my aim is simple - I want them to jump out of their seats, race back to their business and start implementing remarkable marketing.”

To ensure I do this, I have always had a set of personal commandments that I abide by, and I thought it time to share them, both as an insight in to what motivates me when I speak and in order to show you a way of getting clarity around what it is you do. Feel free to utilise this model and tweak it for your own industry / specialist topic.

So, here are my 8 Marketing speaker commandments:

1. As an inspiring Marketing Speaker I will always impart practical ideas that can be implemented with a minimum of fuss;

2. As an inspiring Marketing speaker I will deliver my knowledge in an easy to understand way;

3. As an inspiring Marketing speaker I will provide marketing tips and tricks in an engaging (even entertaining) way;

4. As an inspiring Marketing speaker I will impart leading edge knowledge (it’s about today and tomorrow, not yesterday);

5. As an inspiring Marketing speaker I will ensure any ideas I share have a direct commercial outcome;

6. As an inspiring Marketing speaker I will focus on ideas that generate the greatest return for the smallest amount of effort;

7. As an inspiring Marketing speaker I will make it relevant to my audience.

8. As an inspiring Marketing speaker I will always recognise that my audience’s time is precious, so I must make every minute I am on stage return them multiples.

What do you think? Have you ever hired a Marketing speaker? Or been in an audience when one was speaking? What would you add to / subtract from this list?

An interview I did for QANTAS Business Radio.

Tim — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:06:00 +0000

A few months ago I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Alan Kohler for QANTAS Inflight Radio. We talked about about how the small business marketing landscape has changed so significantly and for the better in recent years. Here it is:

QANTAS is a great Aussie brand in trouble. Let’s help it.

Tim — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:49:44 +0000

Here’s the thing. QANTAS is a great Aussie brand.

Actually, it’s a great Aussie brand in trouble.

Some of its own doing, some cast upon it by unions.

But in a small way, QANTAS identifies us as a nation.

Just as football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars do.

(Before you start kicking and screaming, just hear me out).

Who hasn’t felt that “Ah, I’m back home” feeling when you hop back on a QANTAS Jumbo after time OS.

Who doesn’t get a warm and fuzzy when they see the “I still call Australia home” ad?

As Australians, when we see a mate in trouble we go to help, right?

Now, it might be a bit far fetched to call QANTAS “… a mate…”, but now’s not the time for semantics.

Now is the time to figure out a way to fix the problem QANTAS find their brand in.

No doubt, their future Agency (what a time to change Agencies!!) will be briefed to come up with a smart advertising solution costing gazillions. But I reckon a bit of crowd sourcing may well identify some better marketing ideas.

So, the question is …

What should QANTAS do from a marketing perspective to get us feeling good about their brand again?

Please leave your idea in the comments section below. If we get enough, and they’re good ones, then I’ll pass them on to QANTAS Marketing.

Oh, and if you’re wondering why should we do this, well that’s fair enough. Personally, I don’t want to see QANTAS go the way of Ansett and TAA. That’s all.

And I love a good marketing challenge.

Oh, and yes, I was one of the smarties who had some fun with the who #QANTASluxury bizzo. Maybe I’m paying my penance!

So, what’s your idea?

20 More Ideas To Get You Blogging (Part 2).

Tim — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 01:18:36 +0000

The first 20 ideas to keep your blog fresh and interesting were well accepted. Thanks to all those who sent feedback and shared via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

So, as promised, here’s 20 more ideas to get or keep you blogging:

21. Change your posting style (e.g. tutorial, reviews, etc.).
22. Write a funny post.
23. Create a list of your best posts.
24. Create a clear aim for your blog.
25. Simplify a complex problem for your readers.
26. Create a guide to your niche.
27. Write a post like you are telling a story.
28. Spruce up your posts with pictures.
29. Post about frequently asked questions in your niche.
30. Pose a rhetorical question in your post.
31. Post about what’s popular and why it’s beneficial.
32. Pose a hypothesis and conclusion in your post.
33. Support your post with related post links.
34. Review a website.
35. Post a picture and comment on it.
36. Answer the questions new clients should ask but don’t.

37. Write about how to do something more efficiently in your niche.

38. Write about generally unknown secrets in your niche.

39. Write about how to use a product in an unconventional way.
40. Do a post transcribing a live event.

Positions Vacant : Social Media Manager, QANTAS

Tim — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:17:04 +0000

A spot just became available on our Marketing team.

(Now, we’re a little under fire at the moment, so only apply if you’ve got a thick skin.)

That said, the job is a great opportunity if you’re seeking free air travel benefits.

(Although we can’t promise that your flight will run on time, if at all.)

But look, if you can see your way past these two issues, then you’re staring down the barrel of a plum job in the brave new world of big brands and social media.

The winning applicant’s KPI is simple … Just don’t make things any worse than they are. Maintain the status quo and the bonuses will come flooding in.

If you manage to build community spirit, arrest the tail spin our brand is in or Heaven forbid, gain us some positive press coverage then all the better. You’ll have a job for life.

To apply, simply tweet a link to this blog post with the hashtag #QantasLuxury.

Celebrate a customer milestone by all means. Just don’t ask for something.

Tim — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:15:54 +0000

If you’re going to use a customer milestone (or any other milestone for that matter) as a marketing message then make sure it benefits them … Not you!

Celebrate the occasion by offering them some additional value … you know, reward them for being a valued customer.

Just don’t ask them to do something for you like Freshbooks did above. That’s a bit weird.