James Tuckerman sent me an email with the phrase “rapid-fire client grabbers.” So I’ll try my rapid-fire client grabber to provide YOU with rapid-fire client grabbers. Although perhaps I, and you, shouldn’t literally GRAB the clients.
If you are a marketing leader with an identity, biometric, or technology firm:
You need content that resonates with your prospects.
Do you need help generating that content?
Help who will ask the essential questions, then work with you to create your web page text, data sheets, LinkedIn articles, case studies, white papers, or whatever content you need?
Perhaps I’m industry-embedded, but this seems fine to me. Consent appears to be honored everywhere.
“Under the deal, agencies that use Flock’s Nova or FlockOS investigative platforms will soon be able to post Community Requests through Ring’s Neighbors app, asking nearby residents to share doorbell footage relevant to an investigation.
“Each request includes a case ID, time window, and map of the affected area. Ring says participation is voluntary and that residents can choose whether to respond, and agencies cannot see who declines. Users can also disable the feature entirely in their account settings.”
On the other hand, Senator Ron Wyden doesn’t trust Flock at all and says that “abuse of Flock cameras is inevitable.”
Heck, abuse of citizens by the U.S. Senate is inevitable, but citizens aren’t demanding that the Senate cease operations.
The perfect is the enemy of the good, and I proved that today by creating a video…and then another one…and then another one.
I planned to write on GoFundMe “helper” scammers, ways to detect scammers, and ways to flush out scammers via a honeypot: a post prominently featuring the word “GoFundMe.”
So I created a video.
Version One. 89 seconds.
After posting that video I decided it was too long and created a shorter version.
Version Two. 44 seconds.
You’ve never seen this before…because just before I was going to post that video I decided it was too long and edited it further.
Version Three. 30 seconds.
I went ahead and posted that third version, leaving the first version active.
And for all I know I will create a fourth version.
And I don’t know whether the first or third video is better. My intuition tells me the third one is better, but maybe the prospects will prefer the first version. Or the second one, which almost never saw the light of day.
Which one do you prefer? Tell me in the comments.
The unavoidable call to action
You know, all this iterating teaches us a lot about B2B sales.
I know some marketing leaders who are afraid to post anything, waiting for the perfect moment.
They’re still waiting.
Don’t let your competitors steal your prospects from you while you delay. Bredemarket can help. Book a free meeting with me: https://bredemarket.com/mark/
On LinkedIn, the hashtag “#opentowork” isn’t the only magic phrase that attracts all sorts of people. I found this out Sunday morning when I reshared my September 26 “Graber Olives is in Foreclosure…But There’s a GoFundMe” post on Bredemarket’s Inland Empire LinkedIn page.
I should note this is Kelsey Graber’s GoFundMe. This is not my GoFundMe.
Anyway, I reshared the post on LinkedIn…and got all sorts of reposts…with additional commentary. The commentary was not addressed to the GoFundMe fundraiser…but to me. (The resharers probably never read my original post; they just saw the word “GoFundMe” and jumped.) I’ve redacted the redirects to WhatsApp…a common fraud scam tactic.
The scammers’ what
Foone Berkeley:
“Hi, I came across your campaign, really impressive work. It reminded me of an independent group I’ve seen quietly helping project owners connect with private contributors who genuinely want to make a difference.
I’m not part of their team, but I’ve seen them support a few people in my circle. If you’re open to exploring new sources of backing, you can reach them directly here:
📞 WhatsApp: [REDACTED]
They usually prefer to speak one-on-one with campaign owners to understand their goals and see if there’s a good fit.
Wishing you continued success, your work truly deserves attention.”
Alex Mary:
“Hello 🌸 I just read your campaign, and it truly touched me. I know how tough fundraising can be, but there are genuine people out there who want to help. A trusted charity once helped me raise over $38,000 after I’d almost given up. If you’d like, you can message them on WhatsApp 👉 [REDACTED] they might be able to guide you too. 💙”
Olivia Williams:
“If you’re looking to grow your campaign donations fast, I truly recommend reaching out to Crowd. She’s an expert in GoFundMe promotions and helped me raise over $180,000 a few months ago! he knows exactly how to attract real donors and get results. You can contact her directly here [REDACTED]”
The scammers’ how
Let’s look at the red flags common to all three:
The person is touched by the fundraising effort, but doesn’t say anything specific about them. (And doesn’t acknowledge that this is someone else’s fundraiser, not mine.)
The person resharing is not the person who can provide help. It’s always someone else: an independent group, a trusted charity, or a woman (or man?) named Crowd.
The person wants to get you off LinkedIn as soon as possible. Private email, SMS, or an encrypted service like WhatsApp or Telegram.
The scammers’ goals
So why are these people so willing to recommend helpers who can assist desperate GoFundMe fundraisers? GoFundMe itself has addressed this:
“If someone you don’t know is reaching out to offer something that sounds too good to be true, we always recommend validating the individual before sharing any personal information. Donors and donor networks shouldn’t expect anything from you in return for their generosity.”
Two common tactics include:
Guarantee reaching your fundraising goal in exchange for a service fee or percentage of funds raised
Make a donation if you provide personal information such as email address, phone number, or banking information
There are other tactics, but the goal is the same. Instead of helping you raise money, the “helper” wants to get money from you.
Now there are legitimate companies that assist charities in their fundraising efforts…but they can be contacted via methods other than WhatsApp.
Today’s honeypot
And now that I’ve written this warning, I’m going to conduct a little experiment.
I’m going to reshare THIS post on LinkedIn.
With quotes from the first and fourth paragraphs that include several mentions of the word “GoFundMe”…plus the additional honeypot word #opentowork. (I haven’t planted an opentowork honeypot in a while. Oh, and not that they’ll notice, but the words “fraud” and “scam” also appear.
Grok.
Let’s see what moths are attracted to the new flame.
And consider what YOU are doing to fight fraud.
Bredemarket specializes in helping anti-fraud firms market their products.
(Image sources: Gemini (still), GoFundMe, Grok (video). Only the GoFundMe is real.)
“M5 provides an even faster, smoother, and more responsive experience for Apple Vision Pro users, while introducing new opportunities for developers to create more advanced spatial and immersive experiences. Built using third-generation 3-nanometer technology, M5 on Vision Pro features an advanced 10-core CPU that delivers higher multithreaded performance, resulting in faster experiences throughout the system, including faster load times for apps and widgets and more responsive web browsing.”
Source: Apple.
“The Dual Knit Band delivers an even more comfortable fit for users. It features upper and lower straps that are 3D-knitted as a single piece to create a unique dual-rib structure that provides cushioning, breathability, and stretch. The lower strap features flexible fabric ribs embedded with tungsten inserts that provide a counterweight for additional comfort, balance, and stability. And the intuitive dual-function Fit Dial allows users to make fine-tuned adjustments to achieve their ideal fit. The new Dual Knit Band comes in small, medium, and large sizes; is available to purchase separately; and is compatible with the previous-generation Apple Vision Pro.”
I had to read the fine print in the press release, and this is what it says about Apple.
“Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.”
All right and fine, but Apple (then Apple Computer) existed before 1984. And while the Macintosh changed everything, including the non-Apple computer that I’m typing on today, there never would have been a Macintosh if it hadn’t been for the Apple II. Remember the Apple II, Tim? Woz does.
And another thing
Reminder to marketing leaders: if you need Bredemarket’s content-proposal-analysis help, book a meeting at https://bredemarket.com/mark/
Bredemarket 