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What is OPGI?
Copyright 2005 Donovan Baldwin
There's another term for it, but I prefer OPGI for three reasons:
1. Nobody's ever heard of it and it arouses curiosity,
2. I think it's more complimentary to the people involved,
3. It's less likely to turn people off than "swipe" file.
So what DOES OGPI stand for?
It stands for Other People's Good Ideas.
Let me ask you a blunt question. Just how creative are you? Do
you believe that you can write exciting, order pulling ads off
the top of your head? Sure you can, but are there other people
doing it more effectively than you could? Really, just how good
are you at that sort of stuff?
(Aside here: If you are really great at it, have I got a deal
for you! Now back to the rest of us.)
I'M WILLING TO TELL YOU THAT I'M NOT THAT GOOD AT IT!
Most of us are not that great at creating effective ads and ad
copy. Simple fact. Even if we have the basic talent, there's
going to be a lot of trial and error before we get it right.
Whenever we want to learn a new technique or skill, we go to the
experts. We read books, we watch professionals at work, we
listen to the instructions of those who have been there...done
that. We do this all in order to acquire the basics and refine
our skills as they develop. This works in the world of business
as well.
By the way, did you ever see a fast food company establish a new
location? Shortly after, there were several other fast food
facilities there as well, weren't there? They saw what the first
one did and learned from their research, didn't they? It's a lot
easier to plan something if you can see who's being successful
and how they are doing it.
That's what you need to do. That's why you are going to learn
from your competition (and others) and not just read books on
marketing. A book can give you some great generic tips and ideas
on product, location, presentation, etc. but what is going to
show you what actually works? Simple question, simple answer.
What's working for others is what will probably work for you.
To use Other People's Good Ideas, you first want to establish a
"swipe file". This will be a collection of advertisements,
letters, and other marketing material that appears to be
successful, eye catching, or of other value to you in preparing
your own ads and copy material. Now, you are not going to use
someone else's material word for word, but if a technique,
headline, or turn of phrase is working for someone else, surely
there is some way to adapt it to your needs.
If something stands out or catches your attention, you want to
keep a copy of it and see if you can use a variation of it in
your own marketing. Something a little less obvious is the ad
that doesn't seem to that great, but keeps running week after
week, or month after month. It will usually only keep running
like that if it is helping someone make money! You may have to
study the ad carefully, maybe even order the materials offered,
or acquire a sample of the product in order to determine the
effectiveness of the ad.
Maybe it's the guarantee, the service after the sale, the
quality of the product. Maybe it's the backend.
In marketing, companies often lead with a freebie or inexpensive
item in order to elicit inquiries. Once the marketer establishes
a relationship with the customer, he or she begins to present
other products to the customer. This will be the backend, or the
actual product the marketer wants to sell.
For example; I could offer a free network marketing report, such
as this one, which cost me nothing to acquire, since I wrote it
myself. When someone requests the report, I can include an offer
for a collection of my
network marketing reports for a small
fee...barely enough to cover my mailing and advertising
costs...maybe even at less than my cost. If the customer is
willing to part with cash to order these reports and trusts me
enough to believe that I will fulfill my end of the bargain, it
is time for me to present my backend (no, not that
backend)...the product or service on which I really hope to make
money.
That's an overview of the backend, and that is where the money
is made in direct marketing. Ads requesting up-front payment for
products or services don't do very well overall, but once trust
is established you can start asking for money. If you don't
believe me, just order my report on the two-step marketing
process. It's only a dollar!
I'm just kidding. It's free, and there will be a link to it at
the bottom of this report.
There are two other areas in which OPGI's can help us.
First, the products other people offer may be important to us.
Sometimes people new to marketing see a large group of people
marketing the same or similar products and conclude that the
market is saturated. Let's take a fresh look at this. All this
activity may very well indicate a hot market or product. If a
lot of other people are selling something, it may very well be
because they are successful doing it!
Secondly, see where ads are being placed. In terms of types of
products and services, there isn't much new under the sun. There
may be a new weight loss product, but weight loss products have
been around for a long time. If people selling a certain product
or opportunity are not advertising in an established publication
or at an established site, it is probably because it has already
been tried and didn't work. Don't reinvent the wheel. If
exercise equipment is not being advertised in a quilting
magazine, there may be a reason! If fourteen ads offering power
saws are found month after month in a woodworking magazine,
there may be a reason.
Of course, if you have the insight to establish a link that has
not been seen before, that is great. For example, I marketed
weight loss meals that required no refrigeration and could be
prepared several different ways. I marketed to truckers who not
only tend to have a problem finding healthy meals on the road,
but who are constantly searching for less expensive ways to eat
while over the road. (I know because I was one once.) I made the
point to them that using my meals, they can eat for a day for
about the same amount that one truck stop meal would cost...plus
they eat a healthier, balanced diet and are less likely to gain
weight while over the road.
Anyway, if you are selling drill bits, ask yourself, "Where are
drill bits being sold?" Is it in cooking magazines or in
woodworking magazines? Look thru a magazine for computer games.
How many ads for weight loss products do you see? Now look thru
a health magazine. Did you find some weight loss products? If
you did, ask yourself why that company chose to buy that
expensive ad in that magazine. The same steps apply to the
internet. Just look at web sites instead of magazines.
By the way, if the ad looks great, add it to your "swipe" file.
The way to be successful is to copy what successful people are
doing.
About the author:
The author is retired from the Army and has worked as an
accountant, purchasing agent, optical lab manager, restaurant
manager, instructor and long-haul, over-the-road truck driver. A
member of Mensa for several years, he has written and published
poetry, essays, and articles for 40 years. An active internet
marketer since 2000, he now makes his living online. To read
more articles, please visit http://donovanbaldwin.blogspot.com .
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