Hello listener and thank you for joining Alan and me today for the Real Magic Design podcast where we try to unpack our experience to help designers and business owners understand how to create amazing designs and work together to make profitable designs. I'm Greg from Studio1 Design, and here's my partner, Alan from Pixel Partners.

Now, full disclosure to our listener today, we have got a fabulous, fabulous guest on this episode. And we're going to tell you in advance, if you're used to our nice, short, 30 minute sort of time slot episodes, and you're listening to this on the way to work, you're going to have to listen to it on the way back as well, because this episode is really, really long, but stay with it, because it's gold. We decided not to split it in two. And you know what we'd actually love to hear from you after you've listened the episode, if you, if you prefer these long episodes to go in in one episode, please post in our show notes, or on our website or iTunes. If you'd rather them split into two, we'd love to hear that too.

I'll keep my intro brief, but I just wanted to talk about this new tool, analytics tool that I've discovered called hotjar.com. This is like an all in one analytics and feedback tool, where it's like having crazy heat map service on your site, and you can use surveys, and it just has a whole range of things that you can utilize to get a better result out of your website. So, yeah, I've just implemented that, and I'm going to be testing over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, let's get into our amazing guest, JD from the Institute of Wow. This guy is full of marketing gold, and he's going to share some incredible insights with us today. I'm really excited for you to hear what he has to say.

• Expert strategies on how to bridge design and business
• How to fuse offline marketing formulas with online strategies for maximum impact
• How to leverage social media for measurable results, accurately measure ROI, and use offline media like TV and radio to drive traffic to your website‍
• The power of a "Happy Meal mentality" for customers, creating an "artificial wow factor" to stand out, and why distinguishing yourself from competitors is crucial for success
• Marketing strategies for a building society, including a free holiday offer‍
• How experience and age build credibility in marketing, and how John Dwyer's "Wheel of Wow" formula helps small to medium-sized businesses create powerful direct response campaigns
• The most profitable target audience for home loans and how to create a "wow factor" that shifts focus from price using problem-solution scenarios
• The importance of balancing online and offline marketing strategies
• John Dwyer's insight on Seinfeld's price hike and how value can justify higher costs‍
• How businesses can reinvent themselves, upgrade offerings, refresh values, and create a whimsical website with a creative approach‍
• The power of structured video testimonials, where the interviewer guides the conversation to highlight problem-solution and before-and-after results
• How to create an organic "wow factor" in marketing through unique visuals and the importance of effective promotion, even for high-investment attractions
• Marketing strategies for businesses, focus on creating a "wow factor" to stand out and increase revenue‍
• The importance of website design and video testimonials for businesses.
• How to craft compelling real estate headlines and why many agents fail to stand out due to generic marketing and a lack of qualifications
• The key to creating impactful headlines, crafting solution-driven welcome videos, and the value of working with a designer who understands marketing to boost business growth
• The power of seeking out individuals with an "X factor" and using your business experience to help others avoid common mistakes
• How persistence in business, creating a unique "wow factor," and offering affordable, high-impact programs can attract clients and drive success

As designers and business owners, we're always on the hunt for that secret sauce - the magic formula that will take our work to the next level and deliver incredible results for our clients. In this episode of the Real Magic podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with marketing expert John Dwyer, founder of the Institute of Wow, who shared a wealth of insights on how to create that "wow factor" in your marketing and design.

One of the core themes that emerged was the importance of blending offline and online marketing strategies. As Dwyer pointed out, many young marketers today are overly focused on the digital space, neglecting the power of traditional media like TV, radio, and print. But the most effective approach is to use those offline channels to drive traffic and attention to your online presence.

"The thing that, like social media experts amaze me, because the large majority of them are talking through the hat," Dwyer said. "I believe, in the old days, and I mean, pre social media, you would build a relationship with someone, and they'd buy off you, because we, we do business with people we like genuinely. Well, it's no different."

Dwyer shared the example of Sprinkles Cupcakes in the US, which uses social media in a smart, measurable way. Every morning, they post a "whisper word" on Facebook and Twitter, and the first 50 customers to say that word in the store get a free cupcake. 71% of those customers then go on to make an additional purchase. This is the kind of creative, results-driven approach that Dwyer advocates.

Another key concept Dwyer emphasized was the importance of creating an "artificial wow factor" - a unique selling proposition that sets you apart from the competition, even if your core product or service isn't inherently "wow-worthy." He pointed to the example of a building society he worked with, which was struggling to differentiate itself in the sea of sameness that is the banking industry.

"I said, the moment you've got a one, honeymoon rate, which every bank in the world has, and I said, let's get rid of that, because there's nothing unique about that. We'll devote that 1% revenue into a free vacation, a free holiday."

This bold move doubled the building society's home loan volume in the first three months. Dwyer was even able to get Jerry Seinfeld on board to do their advertising, taking their brand to new heights. But when a new board came in and removed the free vacation offer, the company's market share plummeted.

The lesson here is clear: find that one unique element, that "wow factor," and relentlessly promote it. Don't be afraid to get creative and try something unconventional. As Dwyer said, "If you're a challenger brand, like Richard Branson, who took on Qantas and won with his Virgin Airlines, because He's cheeky, if you're a challenger brand, you need to do things different. You need to be a bit cheeky. You need to be a little bit out there."

Dwyer also shared insights on the importance of website design and video testimonials in creating that wow factor. He believes that 90% of business websites are "woeful" - more focused on providing information than driving conversions. Instead, he advocates for a clear, benefit-driven headline, a welcome video addressing the viewer's pain points, an opt-in for a free report, and a showcase of your top video testimonials.

"My view is, is that the director of first impressions for all of us now is our website, and that is, and I'm sure Greg would be rubbing his hands together if more people acknowledge this. And that is, is they have the very first thing I do when I'm putting a marketing overview statement together for a business to say, fix your ugly website."

Dwyer's passion for creating that "wow factor" is infectious. Whether it's through an innovative marketing campaign, a beautifully designed website, or a killer video testimonial, the key is to find that one unique element that will make your business stand out. As he said, "If McDonald's can have the worst hamburger in the world and still sell more hamburgers than any other company in the world. Can you imagine if you got a good product?"

So take a page out of Dwyer's playbook. Blend your offline and online strategies, get creative with your unique selling proposition, and make your website and testimonials shine. With the right "wow factor," the sky's the limit