Think of this as Magalog Marketing 101… what a magalog (slim jim, bookalog, issuelog) is, magalog samples, successful traits of magalogs, and much more.

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89v1PvvAPEk

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DnrgGHVbGs

Part 3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq4YQVJI0S8

Part 4:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve6LsgT7L7c

If you have questions or want to talk about how to put this powerful marketing format to use for your product or service, let’s talk. I offer a free project analysis to first discover whether a magalog is right for you. If so, we can get the ball rolling.

If a magalog isn’t right for you, we can discuss other options that will have the best impact.

That free phone chat is yours for the asking. Contact me so we can schedule a time to talk.

I also consult on magalog copy and layout if you’re planning to tackle a project like this in-house.

And feel free to contact me if you’d like this Magalog Marketing 101 webinar given to your group.

(For those reading this on the Kindle, please visit this blog directly to view the videos: http://www.magalogguy.com/blog)

But there’s an aspect to that project that I wanted to talk about today. And as someone who might need the services of a designer (or copywriter, for that matter) it’s important you be aware of this.

I’ve said in the past that projects that end with log can be more of an investment… magalog, issuelog, catalog, bookalog. These types of projects are typically more complex, especially from a design point of view. Naturally, that will cost more.

Having said that, a common rookie designer mistake (or, unfortunately, an intentional money grab by a more experienced designer) is to price a project based on what it’s called rather than the content.

This bookalog project I’m working on is a perfect example.

When the client contacted me and said he wanted a bookalog, I immediately thought of other bookalogs I’ve been involved with or seen. Many are quite complex.

However, in this case, the copy was very simple and the layout would be very simple. In fact, it wouldn’t be much different than a sales letter. It’s just that the size of the layout would be different. To top it off, there would be no graphics involved, and it was a single color.

So while the project is a bookalog, the layout work on my end is more like a sales letter. And based on that, the price I quoted the client was over 50% lower than the average price of a more complex bookalog. I priced the project more like my average sales letter work.

The point here is that the project price was based on the content and what needed to be done, not based on the format name.

If that seems obvious to you that it should be that way, I can assure you not all creative folks work like that.

Granted, it can be hard for you to know what a fair price is if you don’t have much experience working with designers or copywriters.

That’s why I always encourage you to talk directly with any designer or copywriter you might choose. Or ask business colleagues who they would recommend. In other words, do as much research as you can so you’re as confident as possible that you’re picking the right person.

—–

Need a designer to help boost sales and response?

Contact me for a free consultation to discuss your marketing projects

About Mike Klassen – The Magalog Guy

Why we should be working together

All of these tasks – and more – are time consuming. But the successful consultants have processes in place to automate as many tasks as possible. Lead generation is one such task.

Even the most in-demand consultants are constantly marketing themselves. Ideally, clients come to them already predisposed to make a long-term commitment. But often the consultant is going to have to get materials into prospects’ hands that will help make the case for making that commitment.

It’s a multi-step marketing process that plays out over months and even years. The question becomes… How best to convince a prospect that you’re “the one”?

The secret that other industries know that you may not

Recently, one of my clients (a health firm) completed a magalog after spending over a year working on it. Before I go any further with this story, let me assure you that “over a year” is an extreme exception and nowhere close to being the rule. But getting it right trumped getting it done fast. Copy rewrites, getting opinions from marketing experts outside the company, and even changes in company personnel created a process that took longer than expected.

So why all the effort?

Because they knew, if done properly, the magalog was going to provide a big payoff not only in immediate sales, but also with long-term relationships that would lead to more sales.

In other words, all the time and money that went into the magalog was going to give them a much higher return that would make it all worthwhile.

As I mentioned in my expanded magalog primer article, health and financial services/products generate a lot of skepticism. It’s not that people aren’t willing to buy if there’s value… they will! But they take their time to research and find out if the product or service is really beneficial for them.

Successfully meet the customer’s need in these industries and you’re likely to have a customer for a long time.

That’s why a maglaog (or slim jim, or issuelog, or bookalog) is so well-suited to these prospects.

The company has the space to build their case and provide the information that their customers or prospects demand. And in that process, the company also positions itself as an expert in its field.

Being viewed by prospects as an expert among your competition

Now, other industries are beginning to see the value in that benefit. One such industry is consulting.

For all the value and experience they offer, consultants are often viewed as a bit of a luxury. It’s not that clients wouldn’t love to hire one to help increase sales, it’s just not always given the priority it should, especially when times are tough. (Of course, that’s one of the most important times to hire a consultant.)

Then there’s the matter of finding the right consultant. Any one can throw up a basic sales letter website in a day and claim to be an “expert”. Try a Google search on “business consultant” or similar phrase. Not exactly an easy process for the person responsible for finding the best fit yet having no idea where to turn.

That’s where magalogs come in.

The fact that they’re used so widely in other industries should tell you something: When done properly, they generate qualified leads and increase sales.

If you’re a consultant, you know it can take some time to turn a prospect into a client. Part of that process is finding ways to communicate with the prospect on a regular basis. It can’t be a constant hard sell. That drives prospects away.

How to make your magalog work for you

Think about how you filter the marketing material you receive in the mail. If it looks like blatant advertising, it generally gets a lower priority. But something that stands out from the norm attracts attention.

A magazine-styled magalog with cover copy addressing your prospects core needs is going to get far more than a passing glance.

Here’s just a quick list of things you could include in your magalog:

• Advice that the prospect can put into action right now to increase sales.
• Little-known marketing techniques that can give the prospect an edge over his competition.
• Branding success stories and what your prospect can learn from them.
• Advice on hiring the right people and keeping them motivated.
• Tips to save time that actually work.
• Success stories from clients that your prospect can relate to.
• Q&A section addressing common questions about the value of consulting.

Each article helps to establish you as an expert in consulting while at the same time providing immediate benefits to the prospect. When the prospect feels you’re truly interested in helping them before they’re a client, you begin to break down the barriers that make them hesitant to hire you.

And when they do decide it’s time to write the check, who are they going to call? Chances are it’s not the consultant who believes “prospect value” is including a free recipe in their generic, template-based newsletter.

Chances are, you already have a lot of content via articles you’ve written or speeches you’ve given. Now, it’s simply a matter of taking that content and putting it into a format that few, if any, of your competitors are investing in.

A magazine-styled magalog spotlights you as an expert and adds to the perception that you’re one of the top people in your field in a way that a traditional sales letter, newsletter, postcard, or special report doesn’t. Those are all good marketing vehicles, but are they helping you stand out from other consultants who are doing the same thing?

Unlike some industries that mail their magalogs to a large mailing list, you can save money by only printing a small number of magalogs to send to your “A+” prospects and current clients. (We never want to forget providing extra value for existing clients who are an excellent source for referrals.) For prospects that may not be too serious on your radar, e-mail a PDF version if you choose.

Turning a cold-call into a warm-call… or having prospects call you

When you send useful information, clients respond in a positive way and are much more willing to want to know more. You’ve presented a positive image that helps you stand head and shoulders above the competition.

Better than you cold-calling, imagine your prospects calling you to discuss some of the ideas you presented in your magalog.

Even if you’re the one making the call, your magalog in their hands turns a cold-call into a warm-call and gives you a great starting point for a conversation.

Successful consultants know what they’re worth and charge appropriately. But to convince a prospect to write that check, you have to prove your value and find ways to separate yourself from your competitors. (Just like your prospects have to do with their customers.)

Because of their complexity and cost, magalogs aren’t done on a whim. But that’s one reason they increase your professional perception. It shows you’ve reached a certain level and should be taken seriously as an expert in your field.

As you consider ways to market yourself more effectively and show yourself as an expert among your peers, it might be wise to consider what the health and financial industries have already discovered: Magalogs work!

I’m not one to get too hung up on terminology. Part of my job is to listen to what you need, then we can put a label on it if we need to. (Steering someone away from a magalog, and it’s relatively large financial investment, is something I’ve done a few times. I’ll discuss that in a future article.)

As you’ve probably guessed, the word magalog is traditionally considered to be a cross between magazine and catalog. I say traditionally because the way words and names evolve over time, I have no doubt that someone has another origin for the word. But for now, magalog + catalog is good enough for us in the realm of direct marketing.

When I was interviewed for Print Professional Magazine, I gave my own definition that I thought direct marketers could relate to:

I tend to describe [a magalog] as a sales letter on steroids. Like many sales letters, a magalog will start with a ‘big idea’ or ‘promise’ headline, include graphics and charts, some sidebars and an order form to go along with the main body copy. But with the magalog, we’re usually creating something with a stronger visual appeal, much like you’d notice in a magazine or even a high-end newsletter.

Magalogs also remind me of theater actors who have to project and make bigger movements so people all the way in the back can see and hear. In this case, the magalog has to stand out from the other mail that people get and that’s why you often see bold headlines and large cover photos.

Of course, there’s no law that says we have to do things a fixed way. In fact, the magalog has a few variations including slim jims, issuelogs and bookalogs. (Again, something else I’ll be tackling in the future.)

But the “sales letter on steroids” phrase seems to click with most direct marketers I talk to who are learning about magalogs for the first time.

At that point, the sky’s the limit… or more accurately, the budget is the limit.

We want the magalog to be something appealing to read. Obviously there will be sales copy, but a great copywriter is going to find nuggets of information to sprinkle throughout the magalog… info that people might actually want to share with other people.

In my prior career in a radio newsroom, it’s what we’d call the “Hey, Martha” story. You’ve probably heard that phrase before. You can read a bit more about that in my free book, Increase Sales & Build Deeper Connections: How To Get Prospects To Pay Attention To The Story They Want And Need To Hear Before They Buy, on the MagalogGuy.com homepage.

Designers take all that and put it into something that’s going to stand out when the recipient gets his or her mail.

Magalogs can sell a single product or service, or many. Most I’ve dealt with have been a single product, with the copy focused on creating the desire and supporting the claims that are being made.

Magalogs have no set size or page count, although 8.5 x 11 is a common size and 12-16 pages is a common page count. Once you start significantly changing those variables, the discussion moves into things like slim jims and bookalogs. Yet another topic for another day.

For today, I just want to keep things as simple as possible and give you a fairly common definition of a magalog.

While I maintain http://mikeklassen.blogspot.com, I felt that if I was going to start a new blog for MagalogGuy.com, I’d bring the blog “in-house” and start working with WordPress.

The goal here is to focus on information relevant to magalogs, issuelogs, bookalogs and slim jims… although a lot of that information will apply to other types of design projects.

One big difference between this blog and my blog on Blogspot is that this one is focused on information for clients and potential clients. My Blogspot blog is focused on helping beginning direct market designers.

If you have any questions about magalogs, issuelogs, bookalogs or slim jims – or general questions related to the layout of your projects – please feel free to contact me. Unlike some creative types, I’m easy to get a hold of either by phone or direct e-mail.

You’ll find the contact info at the bottom of the main MagalogGuy.com site.

Thanks.

Mike Klassen – The MagalogGuy