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The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14
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Last Post Sep 14, 2007 2:01 PM by: deirdre@ebay.com
Replies: 42
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deirdre@ebay.com
Posts: 3,846

The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14

Aug 31, 2007 12:27 PM
Topic: The Purple Cow and Online Marketing

Host: Seth Godin: Author, Agent of Change
Date: Friday 09/14
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pacific time
Location: Workshop Board

Description: Is selling along with the masses delivering enough results for you? In this session, bestselling author Seth Godin talks about the Purple Cow and online marketing. He'll describe how you can transform your listings and your approach so that customers start seeking you out (and talking about you) instead of being at the mercy of the search bar. Learn how to flip the funnel and use tools online (and off) to spread the word about you and your business.

Cheers,

Deirdre
eBay Community Development
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deirdre@ebay.com
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The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14

Sep 14, 2007 12:49 PM
Welcome and thanks for joining us today!

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Cheers,

Deirdre
eBay Community Development
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ifibidiwin
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The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14

Sep 14, 2007 12:53 PM
1. Do you sell a commodity product? Are you trying to be more average than the average seller?
The prevailing mantra on eBay is a trap. Many sellers look for what’s selling, look for how it’s described, look for how the listing is structured and then sell EXACTLY the same thing.

While this may be easy to describe and feel like you’re doing hard work, it’s a recipe for a lousy living (not to mention boredom). The reason is simple: if everyone is doing it, if everyone looks the same, then the buyer has only one choice: buy the cheap one.

The problem with being average isn’t that it’s difficult. In fact, being average is easy. The problem with being average is that you don’t get paid what you’re worth.

My goal today is to sell you on a very different way of thinking about what you do with eBay. On standing out instead of fitting in. On being remarkable--on being a Purple Cow (see www.apurplecow.com for more details.)

My guess is that many people will resist this idea at first, which is why this format is great. Take your time. Question my assumptions. Then test it. Stick with it, commit. Invest the time and the energy and watch what happens. It works in the real world and it works on eBay.
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ifibidiwin
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The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14

Sep 14, 2007 12:54 PM
2. How do people find your listings? Are you dependent on the search bar?
The basic organization of success on eBay looks like this:
a. buyer searches on eBay
b. buyer finds your listing (premium spots help)
c. buyer reads your listing
d. buyer checks your ratings
e. buyer bids
This works great as long as there’s enough traffic, enough bidders and you have the patience to keep doing it over and over again.

The search bar, thus, is the front door to your listings. And the front door is shared by millions of other sellers. Not a good deal for you...
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ifibidiwin
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The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14

Sep 14, 2007 12:55 PM
3. Is there a way to get repeat buyers? How?
What I’ve been arguing for for a long time is a multi-step process that feels very different. Here’s what it’s like:
a. people notice you because of where you show up on the web, and even more important, because of your reputation and because of what their friends tell them.
b. people buy from you regardless of the competition because they want the real thing, the best thing, the genuine thing. They want to buy from an expert, from a recommended authority.
c. people give you permission (www.permission.com) to follow up with them over time, updating them with newsletters or on your blog or via your squidoo lens (www.squidoo.com)

The magic of this process is that you build an ASSET. It means that next week or next month you are worth more than you are now. It means that as you get more and more people eager to hear from you, you have the chance to find products for your customers, instead of customers for your products.
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ifibidiwin
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The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14

Sep 14, 2007 12:55 PM
4. Think about your favorite store in the real world. Why do you shop there? Is it because they have the lowest price on every single thing they sell?
You don’t drive a Kia. You don’t live on the east side of Buffalo, NY (where houses cost $500). You don’t wear clothes made out of burlap bags. Cheapest isn’t the point for most people. Value is the point. And value comes not just from price, but from the experience and the way your friends react.
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ifibidiwin
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The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14

Sep 14, 2007 12:55 PM
5. The secret of growth online is not in figuring out how to get more customers. It’s in figuring out how to get your customers to talk about you. So, what do you do that is worth talking about?
This is the best part! Your job is to create an experience that people are bowled over by. To write listings (Link) that turn $10 cards into $140 cards.
Your job is to find products that people seek out. Your job is to become the expert in your field, to be trusted because of what you teach people, not just because you deliver on time.
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ifibidiwin
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The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14

Sep 14, 2007 12:56 PM
6. In my free ebook “Flipping the funnel” which you can get here:
Link
I talk about how the internet makes it easier than ever for these conversations to take place. Your job is to figure out how to make it more likely that people online talk about you.
Do you have a blog? Why not? They’re free.
Do you have a squidoo lens (www.squidoo.com) about your listings? Not only is it free, but Squidoo (a company I helped start) gives money to charity every time you gain a new customer via the site.
Do you regularly create PDF documents and email newsletters and price guides and updates? Do your happiest customers have an RSS fee from you? Most important, when person A talks to person B, do they talk about you? It could be something as simple as that extra gift you put into every box.
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ifibidiwin
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The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14

Sep 14, 2007 12:56 PM
7. Do you have a permission asset? What’s in it for me to interact with you after the listing has ended?
If your goal is to have a never ending stream of anonymous customers that never return, keep it up! But I think your goal ought to be to build a fan club, a group of people who eagerly check out every new listing because it’s so exciting, because they benefit from being there early.
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ifibidiwin
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The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14

Sep 14, 2007 12:58 PM
8. Go visit Link
Check out how easy it is to build a page about a person. Build a page about yourself. Do you have videos to include? If not, why not? Have you written an ebook about what you sell? A pricing guide?
eBay sellers should all have YouTube videos. It will increase trust. It will share information. It will make you REAL.
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ifibidiwin
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The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14

Sep 14, 2007 12:58 PM
9. What other sorts of ways are there for you to leverage your happy customers?
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ifibidiwin
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The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14

Sep 14, 2007 12:59 PM
It's 4 pm NY time, and we're ready to start. Questions? Answers? Feel free to post.
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deirdre@ebay.com
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The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14

Sep 14, 2007 1:05 PM
Hi everyone:

There's some great material here just begging for questions.

Don't be shy - we'd l:-xve to hear from you!

Deirdre
eBay Community Development
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art_and_artisan_1
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The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14

Sep 14, 2007 1:07 PM
Ok, if you already are giving great customer service, and your giving that free gift in every box and newsletters and you have an about me page and a blog and 100% feedback but you're still not getting the masses.What's next?
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timecatchers
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The Purple Cow and Online Marketing - Sept 14

Sep 14, 2007 1:09 PM
Hi Seth & Deirdre

Can you eloborate on " Permission Asset" ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TIMECATCHERS - Antiques and Collectibles eBay Auctions
IT'S ALL WRITE - Quality Pens and Refills eBay store

It's All Write
IT'S ALL WRITE ~ Quality Pens & Refills ~ eBay Store
TIMECATCHERS ~ Antiques & Collectibles ~ eBay Auctions
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