Doug Allen comments on the latest trend in marketing -marketing experts teaching branding to get dates!
Seriously... this pretty sophisticated stuff...
Marketing expert Laurie Davis is using her marketing skills to teach people how to hook up online.
What to take away from this is very important:
Laurie took something that she is good at, passionate about, and can add value to people who need what she is good at and passionate about.
Then she turned it into a business....
Nice going Laurie!!!
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Laurie Davis, founder of eFlirt Expert.
Photo© Natalie Brasington
Entrepreneur: Laurie Davis, former Fortune 500 marketing consultant and founder of eFlirt Expert, a coaching service for online daters.
"Aha" Moment: One of her marketing clients got burned in the Madoff financial scandal, and Davis saw the writing on the wall. Then it hit her: Online dating was the same thing as a personal branding campaign. "The skills I had built up about key messages and target audiences and e-mail conversion rates were perfect for this," she says.
What Possessed Her: An early adopter of online dating, Davis has been facilitating matches and makeovers since she uploaded her first profile in 2000. "One of my friends is even getting ready to buy a ring," she says. "I love to help make a match, and I realized not a lot of help for online daters existed."
Startup: In spring 2009, Davis bought a domain and template website from Go Daddy and set up a credit card account for the business. "I came up with the concept, and in 48 hours I published the site and was ready to go," she says.
Customers: People who want to make a better virtual first impression. Usually, they're Internet-savvy--about 40 percent of the client base finds eFlirt Expert through Davis' social media campaigns.
Relationship Payoff: The ex was a naysayer, so Davis ditched him shortly before meeting her current love interest, who's also a dating coach. "He's fabulous and the love of my life," she says. (They met on Twitter.)
Payoff: Revenue grew 459 percent in the first three quarters of 2010, even before the holiday season kicked off.
Sample Services: Unlimited dating advice by e-mail ($49 per month); wing woman ($149 for two hours); profile from scratch ($149).
Next Up: Davis is hiring more "eFlirters," opening offices across the country, launching a new web platform and working on a book proposal and reality show deal.
View the original article here
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The other thing to take away from Laurie's story....
SHE JUST DID IT!!!
Did you see where the whole business started by Laurie registering a domain at GoDaddy? She went from idea to website in 48 hours!!!
That's the secret in today's economy that's driven by technology that's changing so fast.... take massive action!! You will build a solid foundation by DOING, not by thinking about it.
Rich people got rich by doing. Everybody else has stories why they didn't take action.
Which group will you be in???
