Goldmine Marketing

Here’s what I’m up to…

  • Don’t let objections stop you!

    Disqualified! Not exactly…

    2:38pm
    East of the Mississippi


    Hey, was looking at a potential client site recently to apply for an in-house role there.

    And the application asked if I lived in Minneapolis.

    Well, no. I don’t.

    Will that filter me out of the running?

    (more…)

  • Reflection on “Letters from a Stoic” XXVI

    Seneca’s advice on my once-a-year birthday

    1:04pm
    Saint Paul


    Hey *|FNAME|*, it’s my birthday!

    And for the last few years, I’ve sent you my thoughts on Seneca’s Letter XXVI.

    That’s the one where he reflects on his age and the importance of “rehearsing death.”

    (more…)

  • More oughta do it

    The trap of NEW overload —– has it gotten you, too?

    2:18pm
    East of the Mississippi


    “Dad, if I sell my batting helmet, maybe I can get a new one? A white one? It’s tuff tuff tuff!”

    Sigh.

    I’m hankerin’ for a new camera lens myself.

    I have a good collection now for my aging Fuji X-T20, mostly manual focus, 3rd-party lenses including a number of vintage lenses (like the swirly Helios 44m that was popular a few years back).

    But something with autofocus and that Fuji magic?

    Hmm, sounds pretty nice.

    There’s a trap there, though, and one I’ve fallen into more than a few times.

    Maybe you have, too?

    (more…)

  • No real rush. Here’s some Wifi for ya, mate.

    2:23pm
    East of the Mississippi


    John Wanamaker –– not to be confused with Led Zeppelin’s D’yer Mak’er –– said that business can be learned…

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  • Your “Amusement Park Guide” to Making Offers

    1:06pm
    East of the Mississippi


    I spent Sunday afternoon at the Mall of America going on rides with my kids.

    Roller coasters with vertical drops and loop-de-loops.

    A tower with seats that free-fall… and you can feel it in your toes.

    Spinning and swinging things that had me questioning my desire to ever eat again.

    (more…)

  • Supplement Secrets: Hope… and CASES of pills (at a discount!)

    2:29pm
    East of the Mississippi


    This weekend I heard a story from my cousin about an $850 purchase she made.

    She watched a 30 minute YouTube ad for a weightloss supplement.

    Here’s what happened when she called the number…

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  • This guy did it Diff’rnt

    And made better money, too! But…

    12:06pm
    East of the Mississippi


    Have you heard of Johnny Blue Skies?

    (more…)

  • The Dirty Secret of Small-Town Soap

    How this business owner’s limiting beliefs capped his growth and income

    8:13am
    East of the Mississippi


    Years ago I found a bar of soap I really liked.

    Exciting, I know.

    This was when Dr. Squatch men’s soap was running constant ads on social media…

    And I wanted a piece of the action!

    Here’s the story, bubbles:

    (more…)

  • 2x conversions—here’s how

    Amazing what a little testing can do for you!

    2:19pm
    Saint Paul

    Improving conversions on a pop-up from 2.04% to 4.18% may not seem like a big deal…

    My wife doesn’t think so, anyway.

    After all, it’s just a few percentage points, right?

    But when we look at numbers in the thousands, and suddenly we’re getting twice as many people to raise their hands and opt into an offer?

    Suddenly, it’s a very big deal.

    In fact, some companies live and die off a few percentage points here, a few percentage points there.

    Without giving too much away, here’s how I tested and refined this pop-up to pull in more than double the new members:

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  • Maximum Impact with Brian Kurtz (Persuasion Play Podcast #19)

    1:31pm
    East of the Mississippi


    When I first picked up Brian Kurtz’ book, Overdeliver, I was pretty new to the game of direct response marketing.

    At the time, I didn’t know who Brian was. I didn’t know much about Boardroom Reports. I had no idea the influence Brian has had over the last 4+ decades.

    But I can still see his sales video in my head, Brian standing in a white room, and even then I knew he had a lot to share.

    Brian’s lessons within Overdeliver changed how I understood marketing. It should be required reading for all marketers today.

    After I attended Chris Mason’s and Brian’s Breakthrough Advertising Bootcamp, I asked Brian to join me for a Persuasion Play Podcast conversation.

    True to his book title, Brian overdelivered in this episode, sharing so many ideas he learned from those who came before him, including Eugene Schwartz, Marty Edelston, Dan Kennedy, and others.

    Get all of Brian’s insights in Episode 19 of the Persuasion Play Podcast: Maximum Impact.

    (more…)