 Can I eat it? Is it trying to eat me? Can I have sex with it? Those are the impulses that were hardwired into the caveman brain, and for good reason; our early ancestors were running around all day trying to find enough food while dodging dinosaurs who wanted to make them into a quick snack, all the while tasked with procreating to ensure the survival of the species. About 50,000 years have gone by since the end of the paleolithic era, but we haven’t changed as much as you may think. In fact, the modern man or woman’s brain has only evolved 10% in the last fifty millennia! We’re still wired to fight-or-flight, avoid danger, seek out security, and follow our more base instincts. So, what does all of this have to do with marketing? A whole lot, as we also make the majority of our decisions as consumers based on those same primitive brain impulses. In fact, you’ll be shocked to learn how little logic, reason, and information play into any sales process or decision to buy. By understanding and tapping into these neurologically hardwired impulses, you'll be amazed at how your marketing, sales, and even income flourish. Seriously, the "caveman brain" hacks are so effective, you'll be shocked. In this on-going series, I’ll explore how you can construct your marketing and sales to tailor to the “caveman brain,” starting with these 10 notes, today: 1. We all have one: our "primitive brain," also called the "reptilian brain" or, to be more scientific, the amygdala. No matter what we'd like to call it, this center controls most of our emotions, including our impulses and gut reactions. 2. It also works so lightning fast (faster!) that we often don’t realize we’re taking in information or processing it at all, our thoughts, feelings, and impulses coming to us on a subconscious level. Before we ever have a chance to consciously process something we see or hear, we already form a gut reaction within 3 seconds (or far less). 3. More and more, marketing has to do with appealing to this primitive brain, as the modern human is barraged by messages and stimuli all day and night. In fact, the average person is subject to over 34 GB (gigabytes) of new information every single day! No wonder why our filtering systems have to be so sharply acute. 4. Our emotions – not our brains – are actually the first to receive and interpret stimuli from the outside world. It’s not that we don’t reason and factor in information, but our first – and strongest – filter is emotion. 5. Those emotional filters process stimuli and information five times faster than our rational minds! Not only are our emotional receptors super-charged compared to our conscious thoughts, but they make a profoundly stronger and longer-lasting impression. 6. That’s why so many “business” decisions and sales really come down to likability, first impressions, a sense of connection, and even appearances.  7. Studies show that gut reaction will make up 79% of the consumer's behavior, no matter what information, benefits, or experiences you present them afterward. 8. Incredibly, 90% of the stimuli our brains take in and process is visual. (Stop putting endless fields of text in your ads, images, and website!) 9. Even certain colors act as subconscious triggers for the brain. For instance, blue expresses credibility and authority while yellow incites anxiety. Green encourages action while red signals danger or makes us freeze. Notice how every fast food brand as orange in their logo? Orange makes us hungry! 10. We still aim to maximize comfort and security while running away from risk. In fact, avoiding risk is even more powerful than the hope for comfort and pleasure. So, any marketing or sales should feature plenty of benefits but don’t forget about stressing the risk of what could happen if they don’t buy/act now/click, etc. The fear of loss is a much stronger pull than the possibility of gain! *** Stay tuned for more strategies about marketing to the caveman brain, and don't forget to subscribe for my weekly marketing tips. -Norm :-) 
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 Are you taking advantage of every marketing strategy available to grow your business? Of course not, as your time (and money) are only finite, and your To Do list is long enough every day. But there are some simple yet incredibly effective tactics that you don't want to miss out on. In fact, according to a survey of my clients and network:
 As a Realtor, loan officer, financial planner, CPA, or any business owner, missing out on these tactics and platforms could stunt your business' growth, even without you realizing it! So, today, I'll give you three quick tips for marketing tactics that you should be fully on board with so you don't miss out. 1. Film a LOT of short videos Here’s why: https://youtu.be/-V1bpCzYYJk I LOVE written content, and it’s still necessary. BUT..you need a whole lot of video, too. Don’t worry, these don’t need to be all formal with a professional camera crew and you looking like you’re in a hostage video! Even better, turn on your smartphone and turn the camera the other way, filming a ton of short snippets of your life/job/things you see every day as a Realtor or lender. Here’s a list of video ideas: http://www.remnorm.com/marketing-tips/shoot-these-50-videos-and-youll-be-a-real-estate-or-mortgage-celebrity Eventually, as you get more comfortable, you’ll want to ask top questions on-camera, explain the buying and selling process, profile vendors and referral partners, and have a bunch of short discussions. Can you commit to film 10 videos over the next month? How about 30 videos over the next 30 days? I'm happy to help you with it, and let’s see together how it grows your business! Tip: Share them on YouTube (not just Facebook and Instagram) Here’s why: https://www.remnorm.com/marketing-tips/the-youtube-search-engine-revolution YouTube is actually the 2nd largest search engine in the world (behind Google) but Realtors and lenders are grossly underutilizing it. So, when you post a YouTube video, not only will you reach a much larger, targeted audience than on Instagram, for instance, but your title, description, and links are present – all paths that will lead buyers and sellers to you. 2. Consider running Linkedin ads (instead of Facebook ads!) Here’s why: https://www.remnorm.com/marketing-tips/10-reasons-why-linkedin-is-the-place-you-should-be-running-ads-over-facebook While I’m not discouraging you from running ad campaigns on Facebook, the world’s biggest social media network and its sister platform, Instagram, the efficacy of those ads have taken a hit recently with the change in targeting rules for those operating in housing, credit, or employment industries (that’s you). But remember that it’s usually best to stay ahead of the curve – not jump on the bandwagon because everyone else is doing it – and that’s why I urge you to seriously consider LinkedIn ads. One of the profound benefits of LinkedIn ads is their targeting options. Considering the Facebook ad rules changes in the housing/credit sphere, you’ll find LinkedIn ad targeting to be much more precise. Let’s get to the bottom line – your advertising ROI, expressed as Cost Per 1,000 Impressions. In fact, the cost for 1,000 impressions is only $6.05 on LinkedIn, while it’s $9.06 on Facebook and $6.70 on Instagram. 3. Register and use your Google My Business page Here’s why: http://www.remnorm.com/marketing-tips/realtors-and-loan-officers-have-you-set-up-your-google-my-business-listing-yet Google gives you a FREE platform to list and market your services, post your content, media, and events, and show up when people search for your services in your area. And as a Realtor or lender, getting listed and reaching people locally is super important. Remember that if you’re a real estate agent in San Diego, for instance, an agent in New York, Kansas, or even San Francisco isn’t your competition. So, it’s ALL about promoting yourself locally. And Google My Business does just that. Did I mention that it’s free? And on Google? And we’re still not taking advantage of it! *** Hit me up[email protected] if you want more info or help with any of these! Let’s make it happen! -Your friend, Norm :-)  Sending out email marketing campaigns? Here are 10 reasons why they’re landing in the SPAM folder.2/6/2020  Email marketing is a must-have for any serious Realtor, loan officer, or business owner these days. In fact, emailing offers, updates, reports, and newsletters is a critical way to reach your audience. Research shows that it has one of the highest ROIs, is mobile-friendly, easy to personalize, and fosters high levels of interaction and engagement. However, if you’re currently running email marketing campaigns then you also realize just getting your messages through to your audience’s inbox is a significant challenge. In fact, studies show that only 79% of commercial emails actually hit the receiver’s inbox, and that number is continuing to shrink year by year. Faced with an unprecedented barrage of email messages (many of them illegitimate), email servers are filtering and flagging messages as spam like never before. Here are the 10 most common reasons why email marketing from Realtors and loan officers goes to spam: 1. You didn’t get permission The single biggest reason why email marketing gets sent to spam is that the sender doesn't have permission! In fact, unless your email recipients have subscribed or opted-in (even if you met them in real life and got their email address from the business card they handed you!), you could be in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act. That comes with stiff fines as well as virtually ensuring that you'll end up in their Spam folder. 2. Your IP Address is flagged for Spam use Have you ever heard of “guilt by association?” Well, if your email was sent through a server that has previously been flagged for sending spam, your legitimate email may automatically fall under that label, too. Therefore, it’s recommended that you use reputable email platforms like MailChimp, Infusionsoft, CoverKit, and others. 3. Your Open Rates are subpar Webmail providers track the rate of email opens, as well as how many are deleted, in their spam filtering formulas. In fact, 26% of email campaigns that are mistakenly flagged as spam can be attributed to low open rates. 4. You’re not familiar to your subscribers Even if someone did opt-in or subscribe to your email newsletter, they may not remember you – leading them to not open your email or even report it as spam. Spam complaints affect about 21% of all emails that never make it to a recipient’s inbox, whether that’s legitimate or not. 5. Low Mailbox Usage rates are holding your emails back About 19% of emails that don't hit your audience's inbox are being held back because of low mailbox usage. Mailbox providers have carefully tuned spam filter algorithms, and one of the major factors is the ratio of the active versus inactive email accounts you’re sending to. So, if you’re sending to a large number of email addresses that aren’t being used or have been dormant for a long period, it raises a red flag with the spam filters. 6. A subject line that misrepresents the email Your subject lines should accurately characterize the content in your email, as well as who it is coming from. But, too often, companies and marketers try to get too crafty with their email subjects just to attract attention. Furthermore, there are a whole lot of scams out there who blatantly lie in their subject lines. According to a Litmus and Fluent survey, 50% of email users have felt “cheated, tricked, or deceived” by at least one email subject line that’s hit their inbox. Furthermore, according to the CAN-SPAM act, a subject line that’s intended to mislead the audience is actually illegal. 7. Misleading sender information We just covered subject lines that misrepresent the ensuing email and trigger spam filters, but the sender information can do the same thing. Shifty scammers or overzealous advertisers may pretend to be someone they’re not in the “from,” “reply-to,” or “to” fields. So, if you list your name or set up your address to look like you’re the president of a company that doesn’t exist, affiliated with a public agency, or display other authority you don’t have, you’re in violation of the CAN-SPAM act AND ensuring that your emails are marked as spam. 8. There’s no “Unsubscribe” link There’s nothing that screams “SPAM!” louder than an email without a clear (and usable) unsubscribe button. According to internet protocol and CAN-SPAM law, you must have a link to unsubscribe or opt-out of any email list, which usually is presented clearly at the bottom of the email. Once they click, the process of unsubscribing also has to be simple and easy, so you can’t make them fill out extraneous information, pay any money, or visit more than a single page on your website. When someone does unsubscribe, you also must process that request and remove them from any subsequent mailings within ten days. 9. Your email is missing a physical address One of the other requirements for a legal, legit email is a valid mailing or physical address. To ensure transparency for any company or sender, the email must contain a current street address, although a valid P.O. Box will work. 10. Your email contains words that trigger Spam filters To stem the tide of spam, many email providers filter for certain trigger words that reek of unsolicited messages. Common words that trigger spam filters include: • amazing • cancel at any time • check or money order • click here • congratulations • dear friend • e-mail marketing • for only (dollar amount) • free • great offer • guarantee • increase sales • order now • promise you • risk-free • special promotion • this is not spam • to be removed • toll-free • unsubscribe • winner Want more help with effective email marketing that won't end up in spam folders? Contact me! -Your friend. Norm :-)   Raise your hand if you’re a Realtor or mortgage lender who’s running Facebook ads (or, at least thinking about it). Ok, you can all put them down again. While I’m not discouraging you from running ad campaigns on the world’s biggest social media network and its sister platform, Instagram, the efficacy of those ads have taken a hit recently with the change in targeting rules for those operating in housing, credit, or employment industries (that’s you). But remember that it’s usually best to stay ahead of the curve – not jump on the bandwagon because everyone else is doing it – and that’s why I urge you to seriously consider LinkedIn ads. Yup, Linked, that often-forgotten social media that you only used to check when you desperately needed a job. Launched in 2003, LinkedIn now has 660 million users – 154 million of them in the United States – and some robust benefits for anyone who takes the time (and coin) to focus their ads there.
Of course, contact me if you have any questions or would like some help with your LinkedIn ads or any marketing campaigns!  10 Reasons why LinkedIn is the place you should be running your ad campaigns: 1. Of the 660 million users, just shy of 50% are active on the platform every month. And LinkedIn is still growing fast, more than tripling its membership since its IPO in 2011 and seeing 172,800 new users sign up every day. That’s about two new users per second! 2. Not only does LinkedIn have some serious professionals ready to network, entertain opportunities, and do business, but more than 30 million companies (not individuals) have a profile on LinkedIn. Needless to say, LinkedIn is still the crème de la crème for B2B networking as well as a boon to your B2C campaigns.  3. If you want to reach decision makers, executives, and the top of any organizational hierarchy, LinkedIn is bar far your best platform (those kinds of folks aren’t spending a lot of time browsing Facebook every day. In fact, every Fortune 500 company is represented on LinkedIn by at least one upper-level manager or CEO. 4. Here’s a seminal stat when considering LinkedIn for advertising: 52 percent of consumers who recently bought a product or service listed LinkedIn as the most influential channel during their research process. The next most influential online platform was blogs, and Facebook ads were much further down the list. 5. And when it comes to purchasing power of its users, LinkedIn has no rival, with the average LinkedIn user enjoying 2X more buying power than the average Facebook user. 6. LinkedIn also boasts a better-educated and more upwardly mobile demographic, with 50% of Americans with a college degree using LinkedIn (that’s incredible!) and the average user between 25-49 (prime home buying, selling, and refinancing years) and earning about $75,000 per household.  7. Ok, so how about those actual LinkedIn ads I was trumpeting? Let’s get to the bottom line – your advertising ROI, expressed as Cost Per 1,000 Impressions. In fact, the cost for 1,000 impressions is only $6.05 on LinkedIn, while it’s $9.06 on Facebook and $6.70 on Instagram. Even more important, the value of a LinkedIn lead or prospect is much higher than those on Facebook, as they are more serious, qualified, and financially stable consumers. 8. With LinkedIn ads, you can set up your campaign based on your business goals, like brand awareness, lead generation, or awareness. (To be fair, you can do the same n Facebook.) You can also set your budget for a certain cost per day or total cost and hit pause on the ad (and spending) at any time, adjusting the ad’s image, text, or other elements mid-campaign to ensure you maximize your ROI. 9. But LinkedIn does offer a great lineup of options for your ads, like: • Sponsored Content • Direct Sponsored Content • Sponsored InMail • Text Ads, and • Dynamic Ads They each have different appearances and features, which I’ll cover in-depth in part two. 10. One of the profound benefits of LinkedIn ads is their targeting options. Considering the Facebook ad rules changes in the housing/credit sphere, you’ll find LinkedIn ad targeting to be much more precise. You can still target your LinkedIn ad based on: • Location • Company • Industry • Age • Gender • Education level • Job experience • Job title • Interests • Groups they belong to, • and more. And you can still upload your email list, database, or point LinkedIn to your website and come up with a copy-cat audience with their Matched Audience feature. Hit me up if you need help and stay tuned for part two of this series on LinkedIn Ads! Your friend, -Norm :-)  |
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