"Been Fishin'
Lately? The Trotline Marketing Principle"
By Thomas Benton
Although my Dad, a skilled fisherman, took me
with him many times as I was growing up, I never became much of
a fisherman. I enjoyed catching the fish, but all the waiting
bored me terribly. And, then there was the messy job of cleaning
the catch!
As a teenager, I remember going to the Ochlocknee
River with other kids and stringing a trotline (also called a
setline) across it to catch catfish. This "foray" lasted
all night while the trotlines were "tended".
For those of you who may not know, a trotline
is a heavy cord with multiple fishing lines strung from it. Each
of the individual fishing lines can have one or more baited hooks
for fishing at various depths. The trotline is then strung across
a stream, lake or pond. Tending the trotline consists of periodically
removing the caught fish and re-baiting the hooks.
These principles of trotline fishing can be applied
to internet marketing. We're talking about developing multiple
streams of income here.
As with a trotline, you're going after a particular
breed of fish - your niche market.
Many hooks make for many opportunities to catch
fish. If you're banking on one product or service you've greatly
reduced your income potential. Increase the opportunity to make
sales by expanding your product line.
Fish come in different sizes so the hooks and
bait need to be sized as well. If you want only big fish, use
only big hooks and large bait. If you want to attract various
sizes, use assorted sizes of hooks and bait. Are you offering
something to both the budget-minded and big spenders?
If you offer infoproducts, your customers are
likely to have different levels of knowledge or be at different
stages of the learning process. Do you offer products or services
to suit all their wants?
It can be difficult to have a product of your
own for each sub-niche within your main niche. Conversely, it
is usually easy to locate a few reseller or affiliate products/services
to complement your own. Devote the time necessary to develop a
full line of products and services. Find out what your customer
wants. Search until you find it. Then present it to them in an
attractive package.
The bait must appeal to the fish or they'll never
take the bait. You must "package" your products in a
way that appeals to your customers. This usually means touting
the benefits of owning your product. Learn to do it well and back
it up with a free trial or money back guarantee.
Finally, tend that trotline! If your bait isn't
attracting any fish, change the bait ... rewrite your copy, rename
your product, etc. Take care of the fish that you've already caught
... stay in touch with your customers. Send out a newsletter,
bulletin, or special discount offers. Move your trotline ... try
different methods of advertising, advertise in a different vehicle,
etc.
Apply the trotline principle to all of your internet
marketing efforts and reap the benefits of a bigger catch. Enjoy
your success, then take a break ... GO FISHIN'! |
