EP29: Frank Kern: The Holy Grail of Marketing

On this episode I spoke with Frank Kern (who you’ve probably seen all over social media) about Intent Based Branding and Behavioral Dynamic Response Marketing. Frank Kern started his career as a door to door salesman but did not have much success at it. In 1999, he took a course on how to sell things on the internet and this ultimately led him to become one of the most sought after Direct Response internet marketing consultants and copywriters on the planet.

What is Intent Based Branding?

It's building a brand with the intention of making an offer in the sale while building the brand. You build a foundation based on goodwill. With intent based branding, you find a target and put out useful content, then make an offer based on that content. 

Put yourself in the mind of the consumer. People think about things for a long time before buying. For example, you don't just wake up one day and buy a car you've never thought about before. Put out information the customer can use and then be the one present when they are ready to buy.

The Long Game

Frank discussed being OK with losing money in the short-term to make gains later. He doesn't want to be a sprinter. He wants to run the marathon. There is a difference between being a marketer and a business person. Business people understand that you don't usually put a dollar in and get two out on the same day. It takes time to make your money back and then turn a profit. It takes fortitude to run a successful marketing campaign.

Steps to Creating Intent Based Branding

Understand who you want to attract with your campaign

• What do they want?
• How do they get it?

Then content needs become clear. For example, Frank once worked on a campaign for a business that was selling dating advice for men. They gave out a series of steps to getting a date. First you learn how to introduce yourself. Then you learn how to hold a conversation. Next you learn how to ask for a phone number. These steps enabled the customer to see themselves close to the result – getting a date. This made them ready to buy the entire program.

Get on Social Media! You need to run social media marketing. Avoid the mistake of not doing it. But still take your time. You want to engage your customers rather than go in for the conversion immediately. People will get to know you through social media ads and then they will head to your website or store. 

Writing Copy

The three elements that make good copy are:

1. Here's what I've got
2. Here's what it will do for you
3. Here's what you need to do next

The best kind of copy is straightforward, evidence-based copy. The evidence is about the reader or viewer, not about the seller. It's never about the seller. It's always about what the product will do to help the customer.

If you want to get good at writing copy, you need to write a lot of copy and you need to study everyone, not just one person. There are lots of resources out there that will teach you the basics of copywriting. After you have learned those, sit down and write a sales letter every single day.