St. Louis Missouri (MO) Small Business Social Media Marketing

J Peterman Tells Stories

A genuine, authentic story is a powerful marketing message. Especially when it’s the little guy competing against the big guy.

The J. Peterman Company is a great example of a company that has used storytelling to set apart its products (long before it was hip to do so too).

Sure, the descriptions are silly — to the point where it became a running gag on Seinfeld. But that’s part of the charm. Like the hand-drawn illustrations instead of actual photos. It’s setting its own tone that is a world away from department store genericness.

Thos. Jefferson disliked stuffy people, stuffy houses, stuffy societies. So he changed a few things. Law. Gardening. Government. Architecture.

Of the thousand castles, mansions, chateaux you can walk through today, only Monticello, only Jefferson’s own mansion, makes you feel so comfortable you want to live in it.

I think you will feel the same about his 18th-century shirt. Classic. Simple. Livable.

Polo Shirt, circa 1472:

In the British Museum there is an illustrated manuscript, dated 1472, showing Persian princes playing polo.

Yes, polo.

Even more amazing, it shows exactly what they wore. Look closely and you’ll even understand why they wore what they wore.

They were hot.

The reason they were hot is that polo wasn’t yet a gentrified sport where people in Land Rovers parked around a green field nibbling cucumber sandwiches.

Polo, as originally played in Persia, was a war game with hundreds of players… cavalry units, king’s guards, and princes spoiling for blood.

(The training, then, was succinct: “hawk, cheetah, swordsmanship, archery, and…polo.”)

The shirts they wore? Open-necked, just as we know the polo shirt today; except that the neck, six centuries ago, opened twice as deep for…better ventilation.

Of course it’s ridiculous. But it sure does make J. Peterman stand out from the pack. And there’s a lesson in that for anyone who wants to decommoditize what they sell: The story you surround your product with is a great way to differentiate it from competitors.

Banana Republic sells you a jacket.

J. Peterman sells you a tale.

What’s your story?  Did you hide your story while trying to look like a big business?

Stop it, make your story part of your mission, vision, and marketing.

No more hiding!

I guarantee that I would never have remembered the brand if it wasn’t for the story.  The level of detail makes it that much more memorable.

Hi everyone,
 
The long awaited webinar replay from Thursday of this week is here! I’m not thrilled with the audio, but it’s totally worth suffering through for the great information on the webinar. Everyone seemed to love this presentation, and I want to thank all of you for the wonderful comments!
 
Chris Clark from The Senior List did an excellent job with his “hot seat” interview at the end.
 
Here’s the link to the video- (right below the video is a TAB that says ATTACHMENTS, click on that tab to download the original PowerPoint- you need this for the list of recommended websites.)  Video: http://www.screencast.com/t/Lg3ONlKD
 
Using “The Senior List” and Other Free Online Listings to Gain Higher Natural Search Engine Results
 
1. Learn about “lists” that make a difference. (Where your website should be listed on the internet.)
2. Learn why social media marketing and being “listed” matters.
3. Learn how “The Senior List” can make a difference in your bottom line this year.
4. Learn how to use this type of service to your advantage and decrease your spending on pay -per- click advertising.
 
Sincerely,
 
Valerie VanBooven RN BSN
www.theltcexpert.com
www.ltcsocialmark.com
888-898-5828

Subscribe to Medicare Watch!

1. FAST FACT
Only 25 percent of US retirees in 2009 say they are very confident that they will be able to cover the cost of medical expenses during their retirement, compared to 41 percent of retirees in 2007. (Employee Benefit Research Institute, The 2009 Retirement Confidence Survey: Economy Drives Confidence to Record Lows; Many Looking to Work Longer, April 2009)

2. CMS CUTS PAYMENTS TO MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS
Private Medicare health plans will receive up to four or five percent cuts in Medicare subsidies under 2010 payment rates announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on April 6, 2009.
The 2010 subsidy cuts are based on a legal formula linked to costs under Original Medicare and are designed to ensure that payments based on the health status of enrollees do not overpay private plans, which tend to have healthier, less costly enrollees than Original Medicare.
Currently, Medicare pays so-called Medicare Advantage plans 14 percent more on average then the program spends on people enrolled in Original Medicare. President Obama proposed changes to the payment formula in his administration’s budget which could save as much as $175 million over the next ten years.
Supporters of decreasing payments to Medicare Advantage plans believe these cuts will create significant government savings and force the plans to be more efficient in delivering care. Insurers argue cuts will force them to charge higher premiums to people with Medicare and offer fewer benefits.

3. INSURERS USE QUESTIONABLE TACTICS TO PRESERVE OVERPAYMENTS
America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the health insurer’s lobby, has ramped up efforts to advocate for preservation of overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans, according to Congressional Quarterly. AHIP is the group behind The Coalition for Medicare Choices, an organization that opposes the Obama Administration’s proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage plans.
AHIP is a national association representing nearly 1,300 health insurance companies. According to the Coalition for Medicare Choices website, the address for the Coalition is the same as AHIP.
The insurance industry-sponsored coalition hosts town forums around the country where it offers door prizes and free food for those who attend the events, according to The Eagle Tribune, a Lawrence, Massachusetts newspaper. At these events, attendees are asked to write letters to members of Congress and record videos in support of Medicare Advantage plans—plans run by AHIP’s members.
AHIP hired a consulting firm to generate “grassroots” support for Medicare Advantage plans. Recently, the firm tried to place letters to the editor of The Eagle Tribune, supposedly from older Americans, arguing against cutting overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans. However, when the paper contacted the individuals who allegedly authored the letters, those individuals stated they did not write them. The Eagle Tribune also received a phone call from a man claiming to be the grandson of an author of a letter, who asked if the paper planned to publish the submission. Upon further investigation, the paper discovered that the inquiry was from an intern for the consulting group who was in no way related to the individual whose name was on the letter, nor did the individual recall writing or sending the letter.

4. NEW CMS PILOT PROJECT AIMS TO REDUCE HOSPITAL READMISSIONS
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a pilot program April 14, 2009 intended to eliminate preventable hospital readmissions. According to CMS officials, data shows that nearly one in five patients that leave the hospital will be readmitted within the following month, and that more than three quarters of those readmissions are potentially preventable.
The Care Transitions Project will take place in 14 communities around the country, including those in New York, Florida, Texas, Colorado and Washington, and will run through the summer of 2011. The project will rely on Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs), which are groups in each state contracted by CMS to improve the quality and efficiency of care received by people with Medicare. CMS will use QIOs in participating communities to implement a customized local plan that will examine and address issues related to medication management, post-discharge follow-up, and care plans for patients who move across health care settings, for example from a hospital to a skilled nursing facility.
The pilot represents a new approach to systematic problem solving for CMS because it focuses on a more localized examination and solution to the hospital readmissions issue rather than a one size fits all answer, Barry Straube, the agency’s chief medical officer told Congressional Quarterly.

[...]

We had a discussion today about our true level of capacity for new clients enrolled in the “Done-For-You” program.
 
Right now, we have decided to only take 9 more clients. In 45 days we will take a new group of enrollees- still limited in number, but at double the price.
 
That’s right, I’m finally following through and raising our prices. We originally said the prices would go up in February….didn’t do it them.
 
As you can imagine, there is a lot of demand for our program, and anyone who is enrolled can tell you that we do an amazingly large and time consuming amount of work for each client.
 
Social media marketing is a wonderful opportunity for you as a business owner to build relationships that bloom into clients, referrals, and an increased bottom line. The process takes a little time and requires a LOT of personality and commitment!
 
People who enroll for our program don’t have a lot of time to do what WE do for them. We are their “virtual assistants”, building relationships online for them every day.
 
A lot of clients are watching, learning, participating, and asking great questions! That makes this job worth EVERY minute for us. We encourage everyone to learn how it works.
 
We hold monthly private webinars to teach participants HOW we do WHAT we do….so that in the future they will know exactly how to build community relationships on their own.
 
Some ask us about the Return on Investment- and the answer is more complicated than this, but here’s a quick response: “What is the ROI of a handshake and a smile at a local networking event?”
 
Again, it’s RELATIONSHIP MARKETING ONLINE. The ROI can be tremendous and rewarding, but it’s a little harder to measure than the “pay-per-click” version. Oh, and it’s a LOT cheaper!
 
So here’s your opportunity to be one of the the last nine, and get a jump start on your local competition. Believe me, in this economic environment, this is the most cost effective marketing, and the most long-term rewarding marketing you will find.
 
Start building relationships in your local community, and let us help you do it right!
 
Here’s the link to get started before the price doubles and we cut off enrollment: http://www.ltcsocialmark.com/done-for-you.html
 
Sincerely,
 
Valerie VanBooven RN BSN
and the LTC Expert Staff
 
PS: The bonuses are unbelievable, so read the whole “Done-For-You” page!

We get lots and lots of questions about social media marketing for elder care and senior service providers, because that tends to be one of our most requested programs.
 
Here’s a link to a  document called “The Inside Scoop” that answers a lot of your questions about how this works, how to calculate ROI, program questions, Google AdWords questions etc.

http://myseniorservice.ning.com/forum/topics/the-elder-marketing-insider
 
It’s really good insider information.
 
Regardless of whether you ever use our program, I think you will find this material helpful!
 
Have a great holiday weekend, relax, enjoy, and read.
See attached PDF.
 
Sincerely,
 
Valerie VanBooven RN BSN
http:.//www.theltcexpert.com
http://www.LTCSocialMark.com