People lined up around the block to buy tickets for movies – any movies – showing the Star Wars TRAILER before the 1999 prequel even hit theaters.
Isn't that strange?
Assume you own one of those other films. Would you accept the extra ticket sales if you knew they were motivated by someone else's trailer rather than your own?
Yes, absolutely. Money is, after all, money.
How can we apply this in marketing?
Assume a hot new trend emerges – perhaps everyone wants to know how to use a duck to clean their car (I'm making this up, in case you were wondering).
You have a product about car maintenance, or how to buy or sell cars, or how to use cars as building materials – whatever it is.
Your product has been selling well for a while, but that is the issue. Your product is OUT OF DATE.
The duck is BRAND NEW.
So here's what you're supposed to do: Make a bonus for your product that is all about the hottest new trend, in this case, car cleaning ducks.
Promote the BONUS. The bonus, not the product. Inform people that you are giving it away for free when they purchase a related product.
Then watch what happens.
Here's an example from the real world: You offer a social media marketing course. Some billionaire astronaut launches a completely new social media platform. Because it is so new, there isn't enough material to create an entire course yet. However, you can easily create a bonus in about a day.
Then, when people sign up for your social media marketing course, you can give them the bonus for free.
And then watch the sales skyrocket.
Isn't that strange?
Assume you own one of those other films. Would you accept the extra ticket sales if you knew they were motivated by someone else's trailer rather than your own?
Yes, absolutely. Money is, after all, money.
How can we apply this in marketing?
Assume a hot new trend emerges – perhaps everyone wants to know how to use a duck to clean their car (I'm making this up, in case you were wondering).
You have a product about car maintenance, or how to buy or sell cars, or how to use cars as building materials – whatever it is.
Your product has been selling well for a while, but that is the issue. Your product is OUT OF DATE.
The duck is BRAND NEW.
So here's what you're supposed to do: Make a bonus for your product that is all about the hottest new trend, in this case, car cleaning ducks.
Promote the BONUS. The bonus, not the product. Inform people that you are giving it away for free when they purchase a related product.
Then watch what happens.
Here's an example from the real world: You offer a social media marketing course. Some billionaire astronaut launches a completely new social media platform. Because it is so new, there isn't enough material to create an entire course yet. However, you can easily create a bonus in about a day.
Then, when people sign up for your social media marketing course, you can give them the bonus for free.
And then watch the sales skyrocket.
