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Important - if you have not already done so, please read my disclaimer before reading the articles on this web site. Strategy #9 - Personal Real Estate"Personal Real Estate" is a concept I coined (as far as I know) - and the fundamental idea behind it is that any items that you own can be used for advertising purposes. Now, I'm not necessarily suggesting that you turn yourself into a giant neon-lit billboard - but its worth investigating this concept - as it can make you money while you sleep! A number of people have made attempts to do things of this nature. We see t-shirts with URLs on them, musical instrument cases with stickers on them, and so on - but to be honest, these aren't really going to do you much good. How many people see a URL on a t-shirt and then go home and type in that URL? Approximately none, I would say. It's pretty much a waste of time. Why? Because you haven't really given people a) much of a good reason to actually type in the URL or b) an effective way for them to remember it, even if they wanted to. The good news, is that you can overcome these obstacles in a number of ways. If you are going to make money while you sleep, it really helps to have an idea of the principles behind it. This is the reason I give so much attention to philosophies and "mind-set." If you understand the reasons why certain things work, and why certain things don't - you are much more likely to be able to do something that works. So in short, it really helps to have:
a) some attention grabbing personal real estate - unusual or remarkable is best - to get people's attention. Fabulous Personal Real Estate Example - The Car Door You might have seen people with "magnet decals" on their car doors. These, typically, are a magnetic banner, maybe around 16 x 12 inches in size - and are most often used to promote a business. This might get a little attention, and maybe an approach - if the person happens to see the ad right as you are getting in or out of your car. But look at the formula above. The system breaks down at point c). However, this can all change. You can now get business card holders for your car door. Now you have the opportunity to do something that really works - and can potentially bring you new customers or web site visitors 24/7. Not only this - but this strategy is uncommon. I've only seen it done once... maybe I was concentrating on the road or something - but anyway, it stands out and will get attention. So, as an example, here's how I might use this formula for this web site. I haven't done it yet - so this one is untested - but I think you'll agree, it looks good in pixels. And of course, you can follow the concept I have unveiled and use it in creative ways and with variations of your own.
1) Create car door magnet with attention grabbing statement in bold letters - for example "Where do you want to be in 10 years time?" , or "Tired of your stupid job? Learn about making money while you sleep." or something.
Here are links I found (non-affiliate) to companies that stock car door business card holders and car door magnets. Of course, there are a few costs involved - the initial outlay for the magnet and the biz card holder; plus the cost of printing your flyers... but by advertising your business this way you really should be able to park up, go take a snooze on a park bench, come back and have done some business while you slept! Or bought the groceries. Or worked in the office. Another prime example of putting the assets you already have to work for you - and the huge number of possible ways there are to do this. Be aware that your car also is seen a status symbol of your personal success. You might want to take it to the car wash and have it look its best if you are going to do this. ;) Another good thing about the "car door" method is that it's possible to test its effectiveness using variants. For example, try different banner headlines - and see which ones cause the business cards to be taken the fastest. As an aside for those who want to look into this more deeply and strategically (I like these asides, can you tell?) ... it's worth observing that out in the world, many attempts at marketing are done in a "drive-by" fashion. People promoting an event will hand out thousands of flyers - and almost all of them will end up in the garbage. A marketing department might have thousands of ballpoint pens made up with their company info on them - justified under the heading of "brand awareness". All sorts of marketing is done in a haphazard way - mostly without awareness of how the recipient, the consumer, actually operates. People are bombarded by marketing, all the time. They have become very effective filters. Unless you manage to trigger their "I want it" response, they will tune you out. A basic ad, without any real incentive, gets no interest. It's good to be able to generate as much exposure as possible - but it's also good to make sure you are actually reaching the people you want to reach. The other factor is testing. We have the technology to observe the success of marketing campaigns. In previous times, this might have ben incredibly laborious. Now, it is at our fingertips. The principal differences between successful and unsuccessful marketing are an awareness of what makes people respond, and dedication to scientific testing. And the chances are, you'll need good marketing to make money in your sleep. Personal Real Estate is just one of a huge number of "offline promotional methods" that you might be able to use - and although these are widely different, they follow some similar principles. I go into great detail on these in my eBook. Read the whole book and the whole of this web site for my total strategy. Good luck - and please let me know if these things start working for you. AN. |
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