Gail Appleton

http://www.youtube.com/user/northlandnz

I am so proud of Destination Northland for their series of simple yet very clever ‘Bazza’ videos showcasing Northland as a destination for Australians to visit. They’ve broken away from the stock standard tourism videos of boring yet pretty pictures, and instead  capitalised on Buzz marketing by creating these ultra funny Bazza videos.

I’ve taken quite a shine to Bazza and developed a soft spot for him.  I am certainly hoping there are more Bazza videos to come because my home town is in Northland – near the Giant Kauri Tree ‘Tane Mahuta’!

Here’s a word from the man himself  “G’day Bazza here – Welcome to Northland for Aussies.
I’ve become a bit of an expert on all things Kiwi in Northland, New Zealand. So I’ve put together a Guide full of corker tips for all me Aussies mates out there. Follow these little rippers and bobs yer uncle. Too easy!

Watch the videos – you won’t be disappointed.

BOOK:  Waiting for your Cat to Bark by Bryan & Jeffrey Eisenberg

This book is accompanied with a DVD and some other resources.  It was a very tough read and took alot of patience to read everything in order to unveil the gems hidden within.  So I recommend this book only for those who are very passionate about the topic of website conversion strategies like I am.

I have a lot of respect for Bryan and Jeffrey, they are leading the charge on the psychology behind website conversion strategies. This is a complex minefield because there really isn’t a one size fits all solution – just a whole lot of opinions!

This topic is very close to my heart, as I am so passionately against the wealth of web development companies providing their clients with underperforming websites – that are destined for the liability column!

BOOK: How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds of Less by Milo O.Frank

I’ve found this book particularly useful for my website and eNewsletter content writing – because on average you get only 8 seconds to captivate your visitor before they click off your website / eNewsletter / Sales Brochure etc.

Website visitors in particular have very short attention spans. It is important to work with your visitors by writing short, punchy and benefit rich content. Sounds easy right, but surprisingly most website content is lengthy which actually repels visitors!

This is a must read for helping you manipulate your audience both in business and personal aspects of your life! It does take some practice and training to get this right, but once you do, it will be a key tool in helping you get what you want in any situation!

BOOK:  177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class by Steve Siebold

This is one of those books that you want to lend out because you know so many people who NEED to read it…but then your selfish side tells you not to lend it out, incase you never get it back!

Don’t expect to ever finish reading this book, it’s like a bible that you will continue to read over and over throughout your life!

Your first time through this book will be very slow, not because it’s dull or boring, but because you learn so much on each page, that you have to stop and process each page one by one.  It’s like having your own personal coach, who set’s you daily tasks that will extend your abilities to become a winner – no matter what your chosen field.

I had no idea of how much I had been limiting my own potential until I read this book!

My current favourite ‘Action Step for Today’ from the book is:
“Just for today, be bolder than you’ve ever been, and see how it feels. Give your fears the day off and pretend it’s impossible to fail. At the end of the day, record your thoughts and feelings about this exercise for future reference.”

www.blendtec.com/willitblend

These guys are very clever! They know how to take something rather dull such as a ‘kitchen blender’, and spice it up into something compelling!
They’ve filmed many videos showcasing the blending of unusual items, simply to answer the age old question… “will it blend?”.

Aswell as the outrageous “don’t try this at home” videos, they’ve got a massive Facebook following of almost 17,000 fans!

So if you’ve got a dull product to sell, then take a page out of this website – turn your product on its head and get some real attention by creating some outrageous Buzz!

www.thomassabo.com

Thomas Sabo is not just any Jeweller. He’s taken his offline persona and put together a website that oozes personality and captivating storytelling. There wouldn’t be too many Jewellers who have achieved online what Thomas Sabo has!

Before you leave his website, you absolutely must view his video – just allow it time to spool before playing.

This video and website is an incredible showcase of how the best way to draw your audience into your sales funnel is through emotive storytelling. The audience is drawn into the story within the video and wants to take part by purchasing some jewellery for themselves.

The only downside of the website is that it is too cluttered with unrelated aspects, and there is no clear sales funnel. This makes it very confusing as you are unsure which direction to head in next, and can easily miss the best parts of the website.

www.yikebike.com/

Because my background is in Television Commercials, I get immense enjoyment when I come across online videos that are captivating. This Yike Bike video has cleverly used persona to draw on the audiences’ emotive side. Also plays on solving problems that the audience and their peers are currently experiencing. All aspects which are critical in creating Buzz.

Other aspects I like about this website are:

• Lots of clean white areas – white background allows the logo, videos and images to take centre stage.
• Minimal clutter – not too many other clickable options to take you away from the sales funnel.
• Website has a strong purpose – not only to showcase the Yike Bike, but to answer all possible viewer questions.
• Original videos and images – using images of the actual product, not boring stock library images.

BOOK:  ‘Outrageous Advertising that’s Outrageously Successful’ by Bill Glazer
Bill shows you how he took the principles he learnt from Dan Kennedy, and created a huge menswear store empire – when all other menswear chains were closing down. Bill then went onto work as a consultant in the area of Business Building through Direct Mail campaigns. This book is laden with ready to use ‘real world’ examples – vital because it showcases how these strategies can be used in a wide spectrum of industries.

*For a limited time, Bill is giving away this book free to viewers of his No BS Live website. You may have to pay a small charge for postage, but it’s a small price to pay!

Dean Hunt
Dean has an uncanny ability to captivate an audience with his online and offline persona. Through some brave experimenting, Dean has unleashed a Buzz Marketing strategy which allows him to basically print his own money!  Not a natural public speaker, Dean is an inspiration with his bravery at getting infront of a camera and audience – Dean has motivated me to get over my own self doubt and do the same!

Update – 11 May 2010….

Worthwhile checking out Dean’s other website www.imfusion.com (IM stands for Internet Marketing).
Dean has teamed up another hugely successful Internet Entrepreneur  James Schramko to bring you lots of thought provoking blog posts that will really rattle your cage.

Here’s a link to my favourite blog post titled ‘Too Much Bullshit’. This rattled my cage enough for me to join in and leave a comment on it! Infact, check out some of the comments for that article, you might find yourself agreeing too!
Go on, have a nosey…you’ll get addicted to their posts like I have!

Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary really knows how to develop online and offline persona and make alot of money out if it!  He’s only in his 20’s and has taken his dad’s small wine boutique store into what is now fast approaching a US$60 Million dollar a year business! Gary has capitalised on his strengths (starting a video blog), which is the single biggest reason why this is such an outstanding success. Gary is very much in demand on the speaking circuit too!