Marketing Magic from a Minor

Original Post on LetsTalkPropertyManagement.com Although I normally post only my property management relevant blog posts here, I had fun writing this one and so thought I'd share. It is really relevant for any business, property management or otherwise. I hope you enjoy it.

I love communication. I love relationships. I love marketing since marketing is the process of building a communication relationship with prospects and customers that fosters trust, respect, and loyalty. This marketing stance will lead to much business success. With today's technology, businesses can make their follow up more consistent, strategic, and automated, while still sending messages full of integrity and heart.

As I've helped small businesses launch their Infusionsoft marketing efforts throughout the last 2 years, I've seen my customers glow with excitement for developing a strong marketing strategy, and then, during the same conversation, they pale with the fear of writing a single follow up email message.

Well, I'm here to tell you that it is not as hard as it seems. I am here to share some "Marketing Magic from a Minor!" If my teenage daughter can quickly craft a successful marketing message, you can too.

Read, learn, and then work some marketing magic of your own!

Dear Beautiful Mother of Mine

You guessed it. Even though I was at work, I opened this message as soon as I saw this subject line. It grabbed my attention and made me want to read more. . . OF COURSE.

Before reading the below paragraph, you must copy and paste the link below into your browser to see what may be the perfect dress for your Meghan Rose.

View Dress Here

After viewing, take a moment to let the impact rest in your mind and read what follows:

Notice how she set the stage for her request and made the email interactive with a firm directive to click on the link to view the dress and envision her in it. Her use of her middle name made me pay more attention since it was a bit unusual.

Well, as you know I am a very easy to please girl, and it was you dearest Mom who raised me this way; the simplest things make me happy. For instance this dress, in fact, would make me the happiest I have ever been! You see Mother, although this dress is 30 dollars over the discussed prom price, it has many other perks that will pay that price back ten-fold.

In this bit she gives credit where credit is due ;-) . . . in other words she says some good things about me and reminds me of why she merits my trust and respect. She is easily pleased by simple things. This tactic appealed to my pride (OK, I admit it, I do have a bit of that) but the message maintains integrity because she does not say anything that I could dispute. (Notice that she also promise 10x ROI - who can resist that? - but in reality you need to promise carefully.)

You see, the color of the dress would bring out the rose to my cheeks, one of your favorite attributes of mine.

This sentence highlights the benefits this particular dress has to offer. I mean, what mother would not want her daughter to look absolutely lovely on prom night.

Another perk to the dress is its modesty; it supplies full coverage of the boobage area because of its elegant neckline that is sparkled with beaded detail. The back is modest as well, covering any unsightly area that might draw a boy's attention.

When you write a marketing message, it is very important to know your target audience and what is important to them. This little line hits the "bullseye", and actually set the stage for winning DAD over too, if, by chance, I had decided to consult with him before responding!

Along with the distinct seal of Mother's Modesty Approval, this dress holds what is known as the Flattery Aspect. Because of the dress' empire waste that is topped off with a lovely ribbon, the attention will not be drawn to my pudge, one thing we always strive for dear Mother.

This is filled with honesty, transparency, and highlights a pain point to be resolved if I take her call to action and say yes to the increase in dress budget.

So you see, the detail, the modesty and the flattering aspects of the dress all pull together to make up for that 30 dollar price difference. I believe that NOT purchasing this dress would be a menace to both you and I because without it the world may implode.

Here she summarizes the message, restates the call to action, and creates a little urgency. She made the message interesting to read. OK, the "implode" part was a little dramatic, but it made me smile, and I could relate - I probably would have been on the verge of an implosion when I was her age too.

Thank you for listening to what I have had to say. I hope that this email has not been too biased and that you will base your judgment off of your own opinion as well as the opinions of this email.

She closed the email with a statement of respect of my time, my effort, and my right to make my own decision, but again asks me to take all things into consideration.

Love, Meghan

Need I say more? She hooked me with "Dear Beautiful Mother of Mine," but I made a decision based on her ability to speak to what was important to me and to lay out some good reasons for responding to her call to action. She did not get that dress, but doesn't she look gorgeous in the one we did get - and I think it was even a little bit more than the one that inspired this email. But, you know what . . . . it matches her eyes and I like those even better than her cheeks.


My daughter is a smart gal ;-), but she has not had any training in marketing - just her standard old English classes. The message is not absolutely perfect, but it certainly did its job well. It really isn't all that hard to write a successful marketing message. It just takes a little insight about your audience, some good reasoning, and a dose of heart and passion. Oh - and be sure to put some thought into the subject line.

Want some more tips? Check out Tyler Garn's Infusionblog post: The Mountain Man Method for Writing Copy.

Let's Talk. Share a story about a great marketing message you've sent or received? What made it special?