By Michael Fleischner | Marketing Expert, Internet Marketing Secrets*
If you're a small business owner, you probably don't have a lot to spend on marketing. That's okay, many small businesses aren't taking full advantage of the many opportunities they have for marketing their business in basic ways that cost little or nothing to implement.
There are a number of things you can do to leverage your existing contact points with prospects and customers that require some initial effort to produce but go a long way in promoting your business, products, or services. Some of these methods include:
1. Business Cards. For less than $20, you can have a virtual billboard that promotes your business. Surprisingly many businesses forget about this great way to promote your business, your products, or special offers. When ordering your business cards, think about how you can use the space effectively. Some of the best business cards that I've seen include specific URL's on the back for accessing free information, tools, resources, or product demo's. I've even seen some with coupons on the back that turn business cards into a customer staple - giving them an incentive to have your business card handy at all times.
2. Invoices. Do you send your customers an invoice in print or electronically? If you do, use the invoice to promote your brand, product or service. This is also a valuable touch point to thank your customers and prompt them to learn about other things you offer. Some of the more effective messaging for your next invoice might be, "Thank you for your business. To learn more about our frequent shopper program call 1-800-555-1234". This simple message can increase awareness and get your customers to take notice.
3. Emails. Nothing in marketing performs as well as your very own list of customer emails. Customers who offer their email address want to hear from you. Do what you can to encourage customers to provide you with their email address. You can always provide a small incentive like a pen with your business's name on it, free information, or a white paper addressing an area of growing importance. Once you have this email list, communicate to your customers on a regular basis and encourage them to do more business with you. Satisfied customers are likely to forward your emails to others, growing the size of your customer base.
4. Thank You Notes. A number of small businesses are very effective at communicating with their customers. These businesses use every shipment as a vehicle to promote their products or thank their customers. You should do the same. When you make a sale and are shipping a product, insert a short thank you note that offers your gratitude and willingness to hear from the customer or perhaps your latest catalog or flyer. This goes a long way in showing your appreciation for you customer and interest in building a long term relationship with them.
5. Online Coupons or Offers. When you have a particular product to sell, you should offer information about it on your website. Additionally, offer an incentive for prospective customers (new customers). When individuals are on your website and take interest in your product or service, providing an incentive to buy can drive considerable response rates. You might be concerned about discounting your product or service to existing customers so be clear that your offer is only for new customers. Your existing customers understand that you're trying to grow your business and won't be disappointed to learn that you're giving an incentive to new customers only.
6. Free Samples. Giving away free samples is one of the most effective marketing tactics available today. Even if you have a service business, offering up a method for prospective buyers to try a derivative of your service without paying for it can lead to increased trials and conversions. Large consumer product companies like Proctor and Gamble know that once a consumer decides that he or she likes the product, they will become a customer for an extended period of time which more than pays for the cost of their promotion.
7. Encourage Referrals. Small businesses that leverage the power of referrals experience strong growth. When you have others suggesting your product or service it's like having your very own sales team. These referrals are even more powerful because, like word-of-mouth, the prospect is being encouraged to buy from an existing customer, associate, expert, or influencer. Think about how you can encourage referrals from your customers or other service providers. One way is to ask other vendors to distribute information about your business to their customer base in exchange for you doing the same.
Marketing doesn't have to cost a lot. Use your own business to communicate your marketing messages and increase lead generation. These simple methods are effective for any small business owner regardless of industry, product, or service offering. Implement some or all of them to see the power of effective small business marketing.
* Michael Fleischner is an Internet marketing expert and the president of MarketingScoop.com, the Internet’s biggest source of marketing information and free marketing resources. He has more than 12 years of marketing experience and has appeared on The TODAY Show, Bloomberg Radio, and other major media. Visit Marketingscoop.com for further details, marketing secrets, or more FREE reprint articles.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Effectively Using PR Tactics: Seven Tips To Boost Brand Awareness
By Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR
In my opinion, the greatest sin in the public relations realm is the sin of doing absolutely nothing and then wondering why the media aren’t paying attention to you (or, in the case of a crisis, are eating you alive). As a small business owner or manager, you can arm yourself with a copy of Full Frontal PR: Building Buzz About Your Business, Your Product, or You or Public Relations For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance)) and engage in “do it yourself” PR. Or, you can contract with a PR consulting firm to assist in the process.
Whatever the case, it’s up to you to make use of proven PR tactics to help build awareness and credibility of your brand. Here are seven tips to help jumpstart your PR efforts, or improve existing programs:
1) Focus On Your Newsworthy Attributes
The news hook is an important information trigger that actually interests news editors and reporters, not something contrived or self-serving that you think should interest the media. You’ll have far greater success garnering news coverage if your announcement is based on a proven news hook, rather than being full of puffery and information only of interest to you.
2) Keep Your PR Tools Up-To-Date
The basic tools for being reporter friendly are: well-written news releases, media/press kit (both online and hardcopy), fact sheets and Q&A documents, backgrounders and history documents, bios of key employees, milestone recap and related timeline, photography (high resolution required for print reproduction), and technical documents such as white papers and case studies. The more information you are able to provide an interested reporter, the more likely your encounter will result in thorough, accurate and engaging coverage.
3) Utilize Newswire Services
Newswires – effectively selected, written and timed – turn up the volume on your media announcement. Specialized dissemination services -- such as PR Newswire, Business Wire, PR Web, PR.com and PR Leap – can give your news release added exposure to both the media and potential customers searching the Internet for your products or services as the release remains posted online.
4) Become Skilled At E-mail Campaigns
E-mail is, on the whole, the most preferred form of communication for reaching the news media (versus unsolicited phone calls, text messages or podcasts to busy journalists). Where do you get the e-mail addresses? Check the contact section of the media outlet’s website or subscribe to a media contact data source such as Bacon's MediaSource, Burrelles Luce MediaContacts or Bulldog Reporter MediaBase.
5) Make Use Of Leads Services
The leads service is a special PR tool that allows reporters on deadline to reach out to companies and individuals for information and interviews. Examples of these services, available by subscription, are PR Newswire’s ProfNet and PRSourceCode. Here’s an example of a recent Profnet Query: “I am writing a story for a national business publication roughly titled 'Sales 2.0.' The article looks at how some of the new tools such as LinkedIn, Jigsaw, and other Web 2.0 tech stuff are changing the way companies prospect for sales, contact and woo sales, close sales, and then keep customers happy. I am only interested in talking to small and medium-sized businesses (with 1,000 employees or less).”
6) Share Your Expertise Via Articles
Bylined articles, like you’re reading now, are when you write articles for the print media (usually at the invitation of the editor) about your area of expertise. Opportunities can range from a 250-word squib to a 2,000-word feature. A short paragraph at the end of the article usually recaps the author’s credentials, explains his/her company or organization title and affiliation, and provides the reader with website contact information.
7) Win Awards To Attract Attention
Receipt of an industry or community award is a legitimate news hook that can help attract the attention of editors and reporters and ultimately gain valuable media exposure. The focus of the award gives the recipient a reason to expand on the particular topic by providing additional information and related photography. Quite frequently, the prestige of receiving one or several industry awards offers the “awareness lift” necessary to secure a profile or full feature about your company or organization.
A skilled practitioner can assist you with your PR initiative and help you understand the many tactics
available to you.
Happy awareness building of your brand!
About the Author:
Maggie Chamberlin Holben, founder of Denver-based Absolutely Public Relations www.absolutelypr.com, is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and a member of its Counselors Academy. A Colorado native, Holben serves on the board of directors of the Colorado Bioscience Association, receiving the association’s 2006 Partner of the Year award. In 2005, she was certified as an industry analyst relations practitioner. Frequently interviewed as a PR expert by the media, Holben’s “expert profile” is available online at Expert411.com.
© 2006 Absolutely Public Relations and Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR. All Rights Reserved.
In my opinion, the greatest sin in the public relations realm is the sin of doing absolutely nothing and then wondering why the media aren’t paying attention to you (or, in the case of a crisis, are eating you alive). As a small business owner or manager, you can arm yourself with a copy of Full Frontal PR: Building Buzz About Your Business, Your Product, or You or Public Relations For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance)) and engage in “do it yourself” PR. Or, you can contract with a PR consulting firm to assist in the process.
Whatever the case, it’s up to you to make use of proven PR tactics to help build awareness and credibility of your brand. Here are seven tips to help jumpstart your PR efforts, or improve existing programs:
1) Focus On Your Newsworthy Attributes
The news hook is an important information trigger that actually interests news editors and reporters, not something contrived or self-serving that you think should interest the media. You’ll have far greater success garnering news coverage if your announcement is based on a proven news hook, rather than being full of puffery and information only of interest to you.
2) Keep Your PR Tools Up-To-Date
The basic tools for being reporter friendly are: well-written news releases, media/press kit (both online and hardcopy), fact sheets and Q&A documents, backgrounders and history documents, bios of key employees, milestone recap and related timeline, photography (high resolution required for print reproduction), and technical documents such as white papers and case studies. The more information you are able to provide an interested reporter, the more likely your encounter will result in thorough, accurate and engaging coverage.
3) Utilize Newswire Services
Newswires – effectively selected, written and timed – turn up the volume on your media announcement. Specialized dissemination services -- such as PR Newswire, Business Wire, PR Web, PR.com and PR Leap – can give your news release added exposure to both the media and potential customers searching the Internet for your products or services as the release remains posted online.
4) Become Skilled At E-mail Campaigns
E-mail is, on the whole, the most preferred form of communication for reaching the news media (versus unsolicited phone calls, text messages or podcasts to busy journalists). Where do you get the e-mail addresses? Check the contact section of the media outlet’s website or subscribe to a media contact data source such as Bacon's MediaSource, Burrelles Luce MediaContacts or Bulldog Reporter MediaBase.
5) Make Use Of Leads Services
The leads service is a special PR tool that allows reporters on deadline to reach out to companies and individuals for information and interviews. Examples of these services, available by subscription, are PR Newswire’s ProfNet and PRSourceCode. Here’s an example of a recent Profnet Query: “I am writing a story for a national business publication roughly titled 'Sales 2.0.' The article looks at how some of the new tools such as LinkedIn, Jigsaw, and other Web 2.0 tech stuff are changing the way companies prospect for sales, contact and woo sales, close sales, and then keep customers happy. I am only interested in talking to small and medium-sized businesses (with 1,000 employees or less).”
6) Share Your Expertise Via Articles
Bylined articles, like you’re reading now, are when you write articles for the print media (usually at the invitation of the editor) about your area of expertise. Opportunities can range from a 250-word squib to a 2,000-word feature. A short paragraph at the end of the article usually recaps the author’s credentials, explains his/her company or organization title and affiliation, and provides the reader with website contact information.
7) Win Awards To Attract Attention
Receipt of an industry or community award is a legitimate news hook that can help attract the attention of editors and reporters and ultimately gain valuable media exposure. The focus of the award gives the recipient a reason to expand on the particular topic by providing additional information and related photography. Quite frequently, the prestige of receiving one or several industry awards offers the “awareness lift” necessary to secure a profile or full feature about your company or organization.
A skilled practitioner can assist you with your PR initiative and help you understand the many tactics
available to you.
Happy awareness building of your brand!
About the Author:
Maggie Chamberlin Holben, founder of Denver-based Absolutely Public Relations www.absolutelypr.com, is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America and a member of its Counselors Academy. A Colorado native, Holben serves on the board of directors of the Colorado Bioscience Association, receiving the association’s 2006 Partner of the Year award. In 2005, she was certified as an industry analyst relations practitioner. Frequently interviewed as a PR expert by the media, Holben’s “expert profile” is available online at Expert411.com.
© 2006 Absolutely Public Relations and Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR. All Rights Reserved.
Media Advertising
Media Advertising
Learn the basics of multiple types of ads - print, television, radio, and more.
The media is a powerful thing -- the average person spends an enormous amount of their life consuming it in one form or another, and will spend a significant percentage of that time looking at, listening to or watching advertisements. If you want to use the power of the media, though, you need to know what you're doing otherwise your investment will be a financial disaster. Listed below are the most common forms of media advertising. No doubt you can think of others as well.
Advertising in Newspapers and Magazines
There are two kinds of advertising you can get in newspapers and magazines: classified and display. Classifieds are the small ads towards the back of the publication, while display ads can be almost any size, from a small corner of a page to a massive double-page spread.
If there's a publication you're interested in advertising in, either go to its website (the rate card section) or call its advertising department to find out the rates it charges. Now pick your jaw up off the floor. Yes, advertising in the print media really is that expensive, and for most home businesses it probably just won't be that economical.
There is, however, an exception: niche and trade magazines. If you've ever looked around in a newsagent, you will have seen just how many magazines there are out there, filling every conceivable gap in the market. You need to find the magazine that people who are interested in your services might read. For example, if you're a wedding photographer, look for a magazine called 'Your Wedding', 'Bride', or something similar. Advertising in these magazines will be far cheaper than placing an ad in a general-audience publication, and far more likely to actually get some responses.
Advertising on the Radio
Wherever you are, the chances are that there's a local radio station. Once your home business grows to a decent size, you might consider buying some time on it.
Really, though, the only kind of home business that can benefit enough from radio ads to justify the cost is one that does anything to do with cars. Since radio is almost entirely limited to use as in-car entertainment now, you know that almost everyone your ad reaches will be a car-owner, and so might be interested in what you're offering. If you offer something that people need cheaply or even for free, you can get a big response.
Unfortunately, that response could be a little too big -- thanks to the time-sensitivity of radio, you'll get mobbed the next day, and then everyone will forget you again. Radio advertising offers the listener no opportunity to keep your ad and refer to it later, or to find it again in the future. You will find that any ads involving a phone number are spectacularly useless.
Advertising on the Television
Unless your business is getting pretty big, this would be quite a bad idea. You'd have trouble producing and airing an ad even on local cable channels for less than $10,000. Of course, if there's a market for your product and you've got the budget for this, you could take a gamble and make a mint. The home businesses that tend to do best out of TV ads are ones that have a 'unique and useful invention' product with easy-to-demonstrate benefits -- think infomercial. Research shows that you can sell almost anything given a 60-second ad, a free phone number and a price point of $19.95.
Advertising on Billboards
Here's one that gets overlooked pretty often, but can be very effective if you do it right. Billboard ads are relatively expensive, but they do generally stay up for a long time, and they can be very specifically targeted to an area -- the one where they're physically located. You'll have the best results with this if you can put one near enough to your business that it could say 'turn left at the next junction', or something like that. Phone numbers are, again, pretty useless, although you could have some luck putting a website address up there.
Advertising at the Movies
Finally, here's one that often gets overlooked. If you turn up to the cinema early, you might have seen that before the big-budget ads, ads for local businesses are run. This can be a great place to advertise relatively inexpensively in quite a high-profile way, and it works especially well for takeaway food businesses.
Source: Information supplied and written by Lee Asher of CyberTech SoftShop Suppliers of the Ebook Maker and Publishing Wizard.
Learn the basics of multiple types of ads - print, television, radio, and more.
The media is a powerful thing -- the average person spends an enormous amount of their life consuming it in one form or another, and will spend a significant percentage of that time looking at, listening to or watching advertisements. If you want to use the power of the media, though, you need to know what you're doing otherwise your investment will be a financial disaster. Listed below are the most common forms of media advertising. No doubt you can think of others as well.
Advertising in Newspapers and Magazines
There are two kinds of advertising you can get in newspapers and magazines: classified and display. Classifieds are the small ads towards the back of the publication, while display ads can be almost any size, from a small corner of a page to a massive double-page spread.
If there's a publication you're interested in advertising in, either go to its website (the rate card section) or call its advertising department to find out the rates it charges. Now pick your jaw up off the floor. Yes, advertising in the print media really is that expensive, and for most home businesses it probably just won't be that economical.
There is, however, an exception: niche and trade magazines. If you've ever looked around in a newsagent, you will have seen just how many magazines there are out there, filling every conceivable gap in the market. You need to find the magazine that people who are interested in your services might read. For example, if you're a wedding photographer, look for a magazine called 'Your Wedding', 'Bride', or something similar. Advertising in these magazines will be far cheaper than placing an ad in a general-audience publication, and far more likely to actually get some responses.
Advertising on the Radio
Wherever you are, the chances are that there's a local radio station. Once your home business grows to a decent size, you might consider buying some time on it.
Really, though, the only kind of home business that can benefit enough from radio ads to justify the cost is one that does anything to do with cars. Since radio is almost entirely limited to use as in-car entertainment now, you know that almost everyone your ad reaches will be a car-owner, and so might be interested in what you're offering. If you offer something that people need cheaply or even for free, you can get a big response.
Unfortunately, that response could be a little too big -- thanks to the time-sensitivity of radio, you'll get mobbed the next day, and then everyone will forget you again. Radio advertising offers the listener no opportunity to keep your ad and refer to it later, or to find it again in the future. You will find that any ads involving a phone number are spectacularly useless.
Advertising on the Television
Unless your business is getting pretty big, this would be quite a bad idea. You'd have trouble producing and airing an ad even on local cable channels for less than $10,000. Of course, if there's a market for your product and you've got the budget for this, you could take a gamble and make a mint. The home businesses that tend to do best out of TV ads are ones that have a 'unique and useful invention' product with easy-to-demonstrate benefits -- think infomercial. Research shows that you can sell almost anything given a 60-second ad, a free phone number and a price point of $19.95.
Advertising on Billboards
Here's one that gets overlooked pretty often, but can be very effective if you do it right. Billboard ads are relatively expensive, but they do generally stay up for a long time, and they can be very specifically targeted to an area -- the one where they're physically located. You'll have the best results with this if you can put one near enough to your business that it could say 'turn left at the next junction', or something like that. Phone numbers are, again, pretty useless, although you could have some luck putting a website address up there.
Advertising at the Movies
Finally, here's one that often gets overlooked. If you turn up to the cinema early, you might have seen that before the big-budget ads, ads for local businesses are run. This can be a great place to advertise relatively inexpensively in quite a high-profile way, and it works especially well for takeaway food businesses.
Source: Information supplied and written by Lee Asher of CyberTech SoftShop Suppliers of the Ebook Maker and Publishing Wizard.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Starbucks to offer healthier menu choices for children and teens
With its stock price down by 25 per cent this year, Starbucks said it will be rethinking it's policy about marketing to children and teens, according to a report in the National Post.
Critics said the company should be careful about getting young people addicted to caffeine.
Children and teens can already be found hanging out at their local Starbucks, even though the company currently does not market to the age group.
The company is said to be getting ready to offer more more healthier menu offerings.
Critics said the company should be careful about getting young people addicted to caffeine.
Children and teens can already be found hanging out at their local Starbucks, even though the company currently does not market to the age group.
The company is said to be getting ready to offer more more healthier menu offerings.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Targeting Your Customers
by Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE
From my conversation with marketing/PR expert Gary Purece.
Successful marketing means that you identify prospective clients and position yourself in the market so they choose you over your competition. When I sit down with clients who want to position their marketing, I seek the answers to four basic questions:
1. WHO IS YOUR POTENTIAL CLIENT? Who wants to buy or could be stimulated to want to buy? Who is in a position to buy what you sell? What geographical and financial factors affect this ability?
A good way to identify future clients is to listen -- really listen -- to those you have now. Their comments, especially negative ones, will help you tailor both your product and your approach to other prospects.
2. WHY WILL THEY WANT TO BUY? What emotional and physical factors will influence them? I just worked with an east coast psychiatrist who ran a practice with ten other psychiatrists and wanted to position herself. Our conversations quickly disclosed that her community was predominantly upwardly mobile professionals. Many of the women had delayed having children. Due to fertility drugs, a high percentage of families had twins, triplets, or more. We decided to focus her practice on these families, the first practice in the area to do that.
How did we do this? First, we realized her potential audience was geographical, that is, in her community rather than regional, national or international. These prospects had distinctive demographics. By appealing to a unique aspect, we hit on her core group. She's now hugely successful in her practice.
3. WHAT ANGLE SHOULD YOU TAKE? How is your product or service unique? Why is it perfect for your target audience? How is it different from everyone else's? How will it fulfill your core group's needs in a way that no one else can?
This is positioning yourself in the market. (Remember how Avis advertised, "We try harder.") As an example, when other advertising consultants do presentations, they talk about budgets, print versus TV, soft versus hard sell. I position myself by emphasizing that you start by targeting your audience, positioning your product, and creating distinctive selling propositions. Lots of mom-and-pop businesses, confronted by super stores, can't compete or even survive unless they find a unique niche to fill.
4. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SELL IT? We all know people with great ideas, products, and inventions. They spend a fortune developing this product, but it sits there because they have no idea what to do with it. Is there a system in place to put your product in the customers' hands and return their money to you? Or do you need to create one?
Market to your core group, and position yourself among the competition. That's million-dollar marketing!
Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE is a San Francisco-based executive speech coach, sales trainer, and award-winning professional speaker on Change, Customer Service, Promoting Business, and Communication Skills. She is the author of Get What You Want!, Make It, So You Don't Have to Fake It!, and Past-President of the National Speakers Association. She can be reached at: PFripp@Fripp.com,1-800 634-3035
From my conversation with marketing/PR expert Gary Purece.
Successful marketing means that you identify prospective clients and position yourself in the market so they choose you over your competition. When I sit down with clients who want to position their marketing, I seek the answers to four basic questions:
1. WHO IS YOUR POTENTIAL CLIENT? Who wants to buy or could be stimulated to want to buy? Who is in a position to buy what you sell? What geographical and financial factors affect this ability?
A good way to identify future clients is to listen -- really listen -- to those you have now. Their comments, especially negative ones, will help you tailor both your product and your approach to other prospects.
2. WHY WILL THEY WANT TO BUY? What emotional and physical factors will influence them? I just worked with an east coast psychiatrist who ran a practice with ten other psychiatrists and wanted to position herself. Our conversations quickly disclosed that her community was predominantly upwardly mobile professionals. Many of the women had delayed having children. Due to fertility drugs, a high percentage of families had twins, triplets, or more. We decided to focus her practice on these families, the first practice in the area to do that.
How did we do this? First, we realized her potential audience was geographical, that is, in her community rather than regional, national or international. These prospects had distinctive demographics. By appealing to a unique aspect, we hit on her core group. She's now hugely successful in her practice.
3. WHAT ANGLE SHOULD YOU TAKE? How is your product or service unique? Why is it perfect for your target audience? How is it different from everyone else's? How will it fulfill your core group's needs in a way that no one else can?
This is positioning yourself in the market. (Remember how Avis advertised, "We try harder.") As an example, when other advertising consultants do presentations, they talk about budgets, print versus TV, soft versus hard sell. I position myself by emphasizing that you start by targeting your audience, positioning your product, and creating distinctive selling propositions. Lots of mom-and-pop businesses, confronted by super stores, can't compete or even survive unless they find a unique niche to fill.
4. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SELL IT? We all know people with great ideas, products, and inventions. They spend a fortune developing this product, but it sits there because they have no idea what to do with it. Is there a system in place to put your product in the customers' hands and return their money to you? Or do you need to create one?
Market to your core group, and position yourself among the competition. That's million-dollar marketing!
Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE is a San Francisco-based executive speech coach, sales trainer, and award-winning professional speaker on Change, Customer Service, Promoting Business, and Communication Skills. She is the author of Get What You Want!, Make It, So You Don't Have to Fake It!, and Past-President of the National Speakers Association. She can be reached at: PFripp@Fripp.com,
Brand Yourself And Success Will Come!
by: Royleena Nicholas
The internet is growing daily with folk who are looking for ways to earn a comfortable living from their home base. However, the sad truth is many online business owners never make a profit online! Sadly, even in today's online market, many business owners have no idea how to effectively market their internet business. In addition, they don't understand the importance of "branding" their name to build a quality online presence and reputation.
To welcome online success, "branding you" should be the number one online business owners' priority. When beginning an online Internet career, it is detrimental to online longevity that the online promoter cultivate a squeaky clean image.
Many online business owners tarnish their name, by promoting worthless downloadable software and eBooks. It is a good idea to test-drive any eBook or software package before you decide to promote the product as an affiliate marketer. It's not an intelligent idea to promote worthless products to your opt-in list, so be careful what you endorse online.
Another way you can ruin your branded name and good reputation is opportunity jumping or program hopping. To highlight this point, I will talk about only five popular online business programs that are heavily promoted online. The programs are Perfect Wealth Formula, edc Gold, Passport to Wealth, Wealth Magnet System and Roadmap to Riches.
Lets go back a few months to when Passport to Wealth launched in February 2007. Since February I have seen the same top earners, jump from (1) edc Gold to (2) Passport to Wealth to (3) Perfect Wealth Formula to (4) Wealth Magnet System and now to (5) Roadmap to Riches. What a great way to earn instant cash daily! Now. I am not saying, that all these business opportunity promoters are all tarred with the same brush, but in amongst this group of business promoters are a few bad eggs, that like nothing more than to take your hard earned money and thereafter never return your emails or phone calls.
The good news is it doesn't take long before the online internet community, catches onto these dirty quick cash generating tricks and unlike the offline business world, this type of underhanded home business owner can't move to another state or country, and start all over again!
To profit quickly on the net, firstly brand and protect your name. Next make sure you do your research and only promote quality products. To explode your success online, in your first year, it is a good idea to find yourself a personal eCoach to educate yourself in online advertising and marketing methods. To conclude, every new internet business promoter should understand that online marketing success doesn't happen overnight; sometimes it can take 2-3 years to build a successful online presence. I believe, perseverance is the key to success, with any Internet business and online marketing endeavour.
About The Author
Royleena Nicholas, aka "The Success Diva", has been successfully promoting online for over 7 years, is an eCoach and author of eBook “The Secret 2 Financial Freedom”. http://www.75pureplantminerals.com/TheSecret2Freedom%20e-Book.pdf Royleena is a Double Diamond Distributor of US Naturals product Sizzling Minerals http://www.75pureplantminerals.com and an Executive Affiliate of GIC Affiliate Program http://www.my-royleena.com
The internet is growing daily with folk who are looking for ways to earn a comfortable living from their home base. However, the sad truth is many online business owners never make a profit online! Sadly, even in today's online market, many business owners have no idea how to effectively market their internet business. In addition, they don't understand the importance of "branding" their name to build a quality online presence and reputation.
To welcome online success, "branding you" should be the number one online business owners' priority. When beginning an online Internet career, it is detrimental to online longevity that the online promoter cultivate a squeaky clean image.
Many online business owners tarnish their name, by promoting worthless downloadable software and eBooks. It is a good idea to test-drive any eBook or software package before you decide to promote the product as an affiliate marketer. It's not an intelligent idea to promote worthless products to your opt-in list, so be careful what you endorse online.
Another way you can ruin your branded name and good reputation is opportunity jumping or program hopping. To highlight this point, I will talk about only five popular online business programs that are heavily promoted online. The programs are Perfect Wealth Formula, edc Gold, Passport to Wealth, Wealth Magnet System and Roadmap to Riches.
Lets go back a few months to when Passport to Wealth launched in February 2007. Since February I have seen the same top earners, jump from (1) edc Gold to (2) Passport to Wealth to (3) Perfect Wealth Formula to (4) Wealth Magnet System and now to (5) Roadmap to Riches. What a great way to earn instant cash daily! Now. I am not saying, that all these business opportunity promoters are all tarred with the same brush, but in amongst this group of business promoters are a few bad eggs, that like nothing more than to take your hard earned money and thereafter never return your emails or phone calls.
The good news is it doesn't take long before the online internet community, catches onto these dirty quick cash generating tricks and unlike the offline business world, this type of underhanded home business owner can't move to another state or country, and start all over again!
To profit quickly on the net, firstly brand and protect your name. Next make sure you do your research and only promote quality products. To explode your success online, in your first year, it is a good idea to find yourself a personal eCoach to educate yourself in online advertising and marketing methods. To conclude, every new internet business promoter should understand that online marketing success doesn't happen overnight; sometimes it can take 2-3 years to build a successful online presence. I believe, perseverance is the key to success, with any Internet business and online marketing endeavour.
About The Author
Royleena Nicholas, aka "The Success Diva", has been successfully promoting online for over 7 years, is an eCoach and author of eBook “The Secret 2 Financial Freedom”. http://www.75pureplantminerals.com/TheSecret2Freedom%20e-Book.pdf Royleena is a Double Diamond Distributor of US Naturals product Sizzling Minerals http://www.75pureplantminerals.com and an Executive Affiliate of GIC Affiliate Program http://www.my-royleena.com
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Quit Being a Salesperson
Many sales are lost because of "sales." To be successful in this profession requires listening to the customer. Unfortunately as salespeople, we often hear so many different things that we feel the need to provide solutions for all of their problems. When this happens, sales professionals can overwhelm the customer, causing them to become confused, and, ultimately, losing any sale.
For the salesperson, it all begins when Marketing comes out with what they perceive as the greatest new product or service to hit the market. Marketing will proclaim that their latest creation will solve all of the problems any customer has or could possible ever have. They continue to lay it on with an assortment of product characteristics all matched to whatever issues the customer has.
Meanwhile, attentive salespeople absorb this information and subconsciously begin to look for ways to apply everything Marketing has proclaimed. It's only natural for sales professionals to believe the information and to assume that it applies to everyone. Once they adapt this mindset, one of the biggest "quiet mistakes" in Sales occurs. It's not an error made in front of a customer such as misquoting a price or missing a key date. Rather, it's a "quiet mistake" because it happens long before a sales call, and, therefore, becomes hard to see how it could result in a lost sales.
Anytime a salesperson is dealing with a customer, patience must be exhibited to not only find out what their needs are, but also to discover which particular need best matches what is being offered. Unfortunately, salespeople often do not take the time to validate the needs they hear. Instead, they treat all of the needs as being equal, remember what Marketing has told them, and begin to think they've come across the perfect customer for their product/service. This is where many sales are lost because the salesperson does not narrow their focus. Therefore, it is critical for sales professionals to think "sale", not "sales."
Top performing salespeople are confident of their skills and their ability to close a sale. They focus on helping the customer fulfill their primary need. Average salespeople, on the other hand, attempt to satisfy numerous needs and in so doing, end up losing the sales by overwhelming the customer.
The key to being a successful salesperson is to focus on selling to the primary need of the customer, not on multiple needs. This will result in a higher closing percentage and, in the long-run, allow you the opportunity to continue the relationship by helping the customer solve the other issues they have identified.
About The Author
Mark Hunter, "The Sales Hunter", is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. For more information or to receive a free weekly sales tip via email, contact "The Sales Hunter" at http://www.TheSalesHunter.com
For the salesperson, it all begins when Marketing comes out with what they perceive as the greatest new product or service to hit the market. Marketing will proclaim that their latest creation will solve all of the problems any customer has or could possible ever have. They continue to lay it on with an assortment of product characteristics all matched to whatever issues the customer has.
Meanwhile, attentive salespeople absorb this information and subconsciously begin to look for ways to apply everything Marketing has proclaimed. It's only natural for sales professionals to believe the information and to assume that it applies to everyone. Once they adapt this mindset, one of the biggest "quiet mistakes" in Sales occurs. It's not an error made in front of a customer such as misquoting a price or missing a key date. Rather, it's a "quiet mistake" because it happens long before a sales call, and, therefore, becomes hard to see how it could result in a lost sales.
Anytime a salesperson is dealing with a customer, patience must be exhibited to not only find out what their needs are, but also to discover which particular need best matches what is being offered. Unfortunately, salespeople often do not take the time to validate the needs they hear. Instead, they treat all of the needs as being equal, remember what Marketing has told them, and begin to think they've come across the perfect customer for their product/service. This is where many sales are lost because the salesperson does not narrow their focus. Therefore, it is critical for sales professionals to think "sale", not "sales."
Top performing salespeople are confident of their skills and their ability to close a sale. They focus on helping the customer fulfill their primary need. Average salespeople, on the other hand, attempt to satisfy numerous needs and in so doing, end up losing the sales by overwhelming the customer.
The key to being a successful salesperson is to focus on selling to the primary need of the customer, not on multiple needs. This will result in a higher closing percentage and, in the long-run, allow you the opportunity to continue the relationship by helping the customer solve the other issues they have identified.
About The Author
Mark Hunter, "The Sales Hunter", is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability. For more information or to receive a free weekly sales tip via email, contact "The Sales Hunter" at http://www.TheSalesHunter.com
Marketing By Any Other Name...
What does the word "marketing" mean to you? When you say "we need to do some marketing" or "we need a marketing plan," what is the end result you are picturing?
Of all the functions that contribute to business growth, marketing has got to be the least standardized. Not only do the activities associated with marketing vary from company to company, but the purpose and goals of marketing differ widely. In many cases, marketing is a synonym for sales, which in my opinion is one of the biggest strategic mistakes a company can make.
Marketing is not sales. But marketing better be contributing to revenue generation or you're wasting time and money. And probably lots of both.
Here is a simple way to think of marketing: your marketing activities need to make your sales process easier. How they do that will vary depending on your company and market. Product marketing is very different from service marketing. Business to business marketing is very different from business to consumer marketing. Marketing high cost goods and services requires a different approach from marketing commodities.
Even in the same industry and marketplace, how one company markets will differ from the way its competitors market. Just watch a couple of beer or car commercials on TV and you'll see what I mean. This is because company culture, personality, and brand will impact marketing activities and messages.
So, I ask you: Is your marketing program making your sales process easier? Be careful when answering. There are nuances to marketing that are important to consider. Some activities are more direct than others and so are much easier to gauge. An example is direct response marketing. Another is e-commerce web sites with incorporated shopping carts. In both cases there is a clear link to the sales side. This type of marketing can be very easily quantified and its impact on sales can be accurately measured.
Some activities, though, are more subtle. Things that get your company better known in the marketplace will help the sales process, but not as clearly as direct response or "click here to buy" activities. They are qualitative in impact but no less important.
Effective public relations, for example, will certainly influence your target market by keeping your name top of mind in the people you want to buy from you. This type of activity, of course, is nowhere near as measurable as more direct things. Does this mean you shouldn't do it? Absolutely not!! It does mean, however, that you need to stay awake and find ways to gauge how successful these more subtle activities are in making the sales process easier.
Here's the bottom line. Take time to clearly and accurately define what marketing means specifically for your company, and define how it can make the sales process easier. Don't just accept any published definitions, no matter how exalted their sources.
About The Author
Trish Lambert (http://www.trishlambert.com), principal of 4-R Marketing LLC, is an experienced marketing consultant and creator of the 4-R Marketing Model™ for service businesses. Very much a "non-conformist" in the marketing world, Trish produces measurable results with marketing that drives revenues for her customers.
Of all the functions that contribute to business growth, marketing has got to be the least standardized. Not only do the activities associated with marketing vary from company to company, but the purpose and goals of marketing differ widely. In many cases, marketing is a synonym for sales, which in my opinion is one of the biggest strategic mistakes a company can make.
Marketing is not sales. But marketing better be contributing to revenue generation or you're wasting time and money. And probably lots of both.
Here is a simple way to think of marketing: your marketing activities need to make your sales process easier. How they do that will vary depending on your company and market. Product marketing is very different from service marketing. Business to business marketing is very different from business to consumer marketing. Marketing high cost goods and services requires a different approach from marketing commodities.
Even in the same industry and marketplace, how one company markets will differ from the way its competitors market. Just watch a couple of beer or car commercials on TV and you'll see what I mean. This is because company culture, personality, and brand will impact marketing activities and messages.
So, I ask you: Is your marketing program making your sales process easier? Be careful when answering. There are nuances to marketing that are important to consider. Some activities are more direct than others and so are much easier to gauge. An example is direct response marketing. Another is e-commerce web sites with incorporated shopping carts. In both cases there is a clear link to the sales side. This type of marketing can be very easily quantified and its impact on sales can be accurately measured.
Some activities, though, are more subtle. Things that get your company better known in the marketplace will help the sales process, but not as clearly as direct response or "click here to buy" activities. They are qualitative in impact but no less important.
Effective public relations, for example, will certainly influence your target market by keeping your name top of mind in the people you want to buy from you. This type of activity, of course, is nowhere near as measurable as more direct things. Does this mean you shouldn't do it? Absolutely not!! It does mean, however, that you need to stay awake and find ways to gauge how successful these more subtle activities are in making the sales process easier.
Here's the bottom line. Take time to clearly and accurately define what marketing means specifically for your company, and define how it can make the sales process easier. Don't just accept any published definitions, no matter how exalted their sources.
About The Author
Trish Lambert (http://www.trishlambert.com), principal of 4-R Marketing LLC, is an experienced marketing consultant and creator of the 4-R Marketing Model™ for service businesses. Very much a "non-conformist" in the marketing world, Trish produces measurable results with marketing that drives revenues for her customers.
Target Audience – One of the Four P’s
Do you know who your target audience is? If you don’t know, you are not maximizing your advertising and/or marketing efforts.
A marketing strategy blends the elements of the marketing mix, also known as the four P’s (product, price, placement, promotion). The promotion element involves communication, and one type of communication is advertising. The advertising strategy combines the elements of a creative mix. This mix includes the target audience, product concept, communications media, and the advertising message.
In order to create an effective advertising message, it is important to know who your target audience is. The target audience includes the end-user, the person who makes the purchase, and the one who influences the purchasing decision. For instance, McDonald’s target audience is made up of children and their parents. The children influences their parent’s purchasing decision. Therefore, McDonald’s advertising message is directed toward the children, as well as their parents.
The process of determining who your target audience is begins with segmenting the consumer market; finding the right niche. This process begins with identifying groups of people with certain shared characteristics within a broad market. The categories of characteristics are geographic, demographic, behavioristic, and psychographic. Then combine these groups into larger market segments according to their mutual interest in the product’s utility or benefit. From these segments, choose your target market. Your target audience includes your target market. The target market in the previous McDonald’s example is the person(s) who makes the purchase. Target audience is larger than the target market.
Segmenting the business market is just as complex as segmenting the consumer market. Business markets are identified by using many of the same variables used to identify consumer markets. Additional variables used are business purchasing procedures, SIC Code, or by market concentration.
The product/service market consists of all types of consumers; however, groups of consumers have similar needs and wants. Begin with market research; identify your groups with shared characteristics; combine these groups into larger markets; and select your target audience which includes your target market. Before you create an effective advertising message, it is important to know who you are talking to. Do you know who your target audience is?
Rita J. Cartwright is a Virtual Assistant and owner of RJ’s Word Processing Services. She received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Marketing from Arizona State University. More information about Rita and her company can be found at http://www.rjswordprocessing.com
A marketing strategy blends the elements of the marketing mix, also known as the four P’s (product, price, placement, promotion). The promotion element involves communication, and one type of communication is advertising. The advertising strategy combines the elements of a creative mix. This mix includes the target audience, product concept, communications media, and the advertising message.
In order to create an effective advertising message, it is important to know who your target audience is. The target audience includes the end-user, the person who makes the purchase, and the one who influences the purchasing decision. For instance, McDonald’s target audience is made up of children and their parents. The children influences their parent’s purchasing decision. Therefore, McDonald’s advertising message is directed toward the children, as well as their parents.
The process of determining who your target audience is begins with segmenting the consumer market; finding the right niche. This process begins with identifying groups of people with certain shared characteristics within a broad market. The categories of characteristics are geographic, demographic, behavioristic, and psychographic. Then combine these groups into larger market segments according to their mutual interest in the product’s utility or benefit. From these segments, choose your target market. Your target audience includes your target market. The target market in the previous McDonald’s example is the person(s) who makes the purchase. Target audience is larger than the target market.
Segmenting the business market is just as complex as segmenting the consumer market. Business markets are identified by using many of the same variables used to identify consumer markets. Additional variables used are business purchasing procedures, SIC Code, or by market concentration.
The product/service market consists of all types of consumers; however, groups of consumers have similar needs and wants. Begin with market research; identify your groups with shared characteristics; combine these groups into larger markets; and select your target audience which includes your target market. Before you create an effective advertising message, it is important to know who you are talking to. Do you know who your target audience is?
Rita J. Cartwright is a Virtual Assistant and owner of RJ’s Word Processing Services. She received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Marketing from Arizona State University. More information about Rita and her company can be found at http://www.rjswordprocessing.com
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
5 Tips to Get More Results from Your Marketing Materials
5 Tips to Get More Results from Your Marketing Materials
By Michele PW, July 14, 2006
The moment I decided to specialize as a direct response copywriter (which means you get a response directly from the marketing materials, there's no middle person involved, like a sales rep) I knew there would be one thing that would determine if I would be eating steak or eating mac and cheese.
And what's the one thing? The results I got for my clients.
Therefore, improving results became a pretty big focus of mine. You might even call it a passion. (Some people who aren't nearly as nice have called it in an obsession.)
Regardless, here are 5 tips that can help you improve the conversions of your marketing materials.
1. Know who you're talking to. If I hear anyone say "women are my potential customers" or "anyone with skin is my target market" (yes, that really was a direct quote from someone who sold Mary Kay or Arbonne or something like that) I will send my border collies (all 3 of them) to your house and force you to play fetch with them until your arm falls off. Seriously, the quickest way you can end up with the most dismal results imaginable is to try and talk to everyone. Come up with a specific customer -- the more specific the better -- and make sure your marketing materials speak directly to that customer.
2. Make sure you write benefits, not features. This one is probably the hardest one to "get" but also one of the most critical. People buy benefits, not features, so if you only talk about features you're just asking for people not to buy what you're selling.
So what is the difference between features and benefits? Features are a description of a product -- for instance, if we're talking about a diet pill, a feature would that the product is a pill. A benefit would be the solution the product provides -- in this case, losing weight.
As much as you possibly can, write about why someone should buy your product. No one buys diet pills because they like taking pills, they buy them to lose weight. Think of the solution your product or service provides and write about that.
3. Work on that headline. David Ogilvy, famous ad man and author of Confessions of an Advertising Man, has said that people make the decision to read your marketing materials based your headline.
Your headline should: a. speak to your potential customers, b. contain a benefit, c. be so compelling your target market is compelled to read further. That's a lot to ask for from basically a handful of words. So don't rush the process -- take as much time as you need to create the very best headline for your particular piece.
4. Don't forget the call to action. You've got to tell people what to do next. If you don't tell them what you want them to do, chances are they won't do anything.
Don't assume your potential customers know what you want them to do. They don't. They can't read your mind. Nor do they want to. They're busy people. They don't have the time or the energy to figure things out. Tell them what to do next, or don't be surprised when they don't do anything.
5. Use P.S.'s or captions. Postscripts (P.S.) are the second most read item in a sales piece. What's the third? Captions. (The copy under photos, diagrams or other illustrations.) Now that you know that, think of the ways you can use either or both of those items in your pieces. Maybe you put a special offer in there or you highlight a particularly compelling benefit. Or you tell them again what you want their next step to be. Whatever you do, don't waste that space.
If you even do just one of these tips, you should start seeing better results. Work on all five and you might be amazed at how much your results improve.
About The Author
Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting, marketing communications and creativity agency. She helps people become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.michelepw.com. Copyright 2006 Michele Pariza Wacek.
By Michele PW, July 14, 2006
The moment I decided to specialize as a direct response copywriter (which means you get a response directly from the marketing materials, there's no middle person involved, like a sales rep) I knew there would be one thing that would determine if I would be eating steak or eating mac and cheese.
And what's the one thing? The results I got for my clients.
Therefore, improving results became a pretty big focus of mine. You might even call it a passion. (Some people who aren't nearly as nice have called it in an obsession.)
Regardless, here are 5 tips that can help you improve the conversions of your marketing materials.
1. Know who you're talking to. If I hear anyone say "women are my potential customers" or "anyone with skin is my target market" (yes, that really was a direct quote from someone who sold Mary Kay or Arbonne or something like that) I will send my border collies (all 3 of them) to your house and force you to play fetch with them until your arm falls off. Seriously, the quickest way you can end up with the most dismal results imaginable is to try and talk to everyone. Come up with a specific customer -- the more specific the better -- and make sure your marketing materials speak directly to that customer.
2. Make sure you write benefits, not features. This one is probably the hardest one to "get" but also one of the most critical. People buy benefits, not features, so if you only talk about features you're just asking for people not to buy what you're selling.
So what is the difference between features and benefits? Features are a description of a product -- for instance, if we're talking about a diet pill, a feature would that the product is a pill. A benefit would be the solution the product provides -- in this case, losing weight.
As much as you possibly can, write about why someone should buy your product. No one buys diet pills because they like taking pills, they buy them to lose weight. Think of the solution your product or service provides and write about that.
3. Work on that headline. David Ogilvy, famous ad man and author of Confessions of an Advertising Man, has said that people make the decision to read your marketing materials based your headline.
Your headline should: a. speak to your potential customers, b. contain a benefit, c. be so compelling your target market is compelled to read further. That's a lot to ask for from basically a handful of words. So don't rush the process -- take as much time as you need to create the very best headline for your particular piece.
4. Don't forget the call to action. You've got to tell people what to do next. If you don't tell them what you want them to do, chances are they won't do anything.
Don't assume your potential customers know what you want them to do. They don't. They can't read your mind. Nor do they want to. They're busy people. They don't have the time or the energy to figure things out. Tell them what to do next, or don't be surprised when they don't do anything.
5. Use P.S.'s or captions. Postscripts (P.S.) are the second most read item in a sales piece. What's the third? Captions. (The copy under photos, diagrams or other illustrations.) Now that you know that, think of the ways you can use either or both of those items in your pieces. Maybe you put a special offer in there or you highlight a particularly compelling benefit. Or you tell them again what you want their next step to be. Whatever you do, don't waste that space.
If you even do just one of these tips, you should start seeing better results. Work on all five and you might be amazed at how much your results improve.
About The Author
Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting, marketing communications and creativity agency. She helps people become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.michelepw.com. Copyright 2006 Michele Pariza Wacek.
You Must Know Your Market
You Must Know Your Market
By
Lance Winslow, July 21, 2006
When launching a new product or service into the marketplace in a particular market sector you must understand and know your target customer. You must know the demographics of your market including the buying behavior of the customer and the trends that are happening in the marketplace. You must know your market.
If you fail to understand and adapt to the market changes as they occur or if you fail to register the reality of the marketplace before you start you will decrease your desired results. You want to make sure that your marketing teams understand all of this or you will increase chances of failure or greatly decrease your chances for achieving your intended goals.
Moreover the chances of not achieving your goals in the marketplace are almost guaranteed. In a competent marketing team or marketing plan which takes into consideration knowing their market and understanding their customer has a better chance of succeeding. One of the simplest ways to do this is to survey the customer and ask potential customers what they want and study their buying behavior.
This is more than just doing surveys and ad hoc interviews. You must get into the minds of the consumers and potential customers, which will be buying your product in the marketplace and find out their needs and desires.
Additionally you'll need to determine how much they're willing to pay and make darn sure you can afford to produce the product or service to their liking and their specifications for the price that they're willing to pay. I hope you will consider this in 2006.
About The Author
Lance is a retired entrepreneur and now writer traveling full time giving his insight, observations and knowledge to the World.
By
Lance Winslow, July 21, 2006
When launching a new product or service into the marketplace in a particular market sector you must understand and know your target customer. You must know the demographics of your market including the buying behavior of the customer and the trends that are happening in the marketplace. You must know your market.
If you fail to understand and adapt to the market changes as they occur or if you fail to register the reality of the marketplace before you start you will decrease your desired results. You want to make sure that your marketing teams understand all of this or you will increase chances of failure or greatly decrease your chances for achieving your intended goals.
Moreover the chances of not achieving your goals in the marketplace are almost guaranteed. In a competent marketing team or marketing plan which takes into consideration knowing their market and understanding their customer has a better chance of succeeding. One of the simplest ways to do this is to survey the customer and ask potential customers what they want and study their buying behavior.
This is more than just doing surveys and ad hoc interviews. You must get into the minds of the consumers and potential customers, which will be buying your product in the marketplace and find out their needs and desires.
Additionally you'll need to determine how much they're willing to pay and make darn sure you can afford to produce the product or service to their liking and their specifications for the price that they're willing to pay. I hope you will consider this in 2006.
About The Author
Lance is a retired entrepreneur and now writer traveling full time giving his insight, observations and knowledge to the World.
Spy on Your Competitors - 10 Tips To Monitoring The Competition
Spy on Your Competitors - 10 Tips To Monitoring The Competition
By
S. Housley, October 29, 2006
The old adage, "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer", is applicable not only to personal relationships but business relationships as well. While I'm not suggesting that you befriend your competitors, it is important that you are cognizant of your competitors' business ventures and methods.
It is important to realize that while monitoring your competitors is essential, it could easily become an obsession. Therefore, it is crucial that you strike a balance when incorporating it into your business plan. There are several ways to conduct successful stealth competitive intelligence operations. While it is fanciful to imagine yourself as a secret agent or spy, none of these techniques are difficult, hidden or secretive. In fact, most of them are tools or services available to all businesses.
1. Ego Searches
What are ego searches? Ego searches are keywords or keyword phrase searches for a specific brand, product, or company name. Ego searches are a great way to monitor mentions of a competing product. You can automate the set up of ego searches using RSS, so anytime a competitor's product or brand name is mentioned in the news, blogosphere, or print you receive notification and the details in an RSS feed.
How to Setup Ego Feeds - http://www.feedforall.com/ego-searches.htmCreate RSS Ego Searches - http://www.rss-tools.com/ego-search-feeds.htm
2. Competitive Intelligence
Competitive Intelligence is defined as the process of gathering actionable information in a competitive environment. Competitive Intelligence is researching the business environment or techniques that another business uses. Competitive Intelligence is often used to influence a strategy for business development.
First, it is necessary to know your competition. Background research can be conducted using the tools at DNS Stuff http://www.dnsstuff.com , and various other websites. The DNS stuff website will allow you to do a whois lookup. A number of other research tools are also available on the site.
3. Google Alerts
Receive notification via email on the latest relevant Google search results (web, news, etc.). Define the Google Alerts using a competitors company name or product name.
http://www.google.com/alerts
http://www.googlealert.com/ (3rd party tracking service) - Google Alert is the web's leading automated search and web intelligence solution for monitoring your professional interests online. It tracks the entire web for your personalized topics and sends you new results by daily email.
4. Meta Tags
Have you ever considered what keywords or phrases a competitor is targeting on their website? Have a peak at their meta tags by simply viewing the webpage source. Pay particular attention to the header tags that include title, description, and keywords. Are these keywords part of your marketing mix?
5. Information
Arm yourself with information. The Googspy website is particularly useful when used properly. Enter a keyword, company name, or domain, click the results and view the companies top 25 competitors. If any of those websites are using pay per click on Google, you will also be able to obtain a partial list of the adwords they have purchased. The website gives you a glimpse inside competitors, but the list they provide is by no means exhaustive. http://www.googspy.com
6. Incoming Links
There are a number of ways to determine who is linking to a competitor.
A simple search can be conducted in Google and MSN for "link:domain.com" (replace domain.com with competitor's domain). In Yahoo enter a search for "linkdomain:domain.com" (again replacing domain.com with your competitors name). The search will produce all webpages that provide a link to your competitor. Ideally you can request links from the websites as well.
Other BackLink Tools - http://www.webuildpages.com/tools/
Search for Places to Submit to; this site auto-generates http://www.webuildpages.com/search/ another tools that works in a similar way - http://tools.seobook.com/general/link-suggest/ ; simply enter the keyword and a list of sites that will allow you to request links appears.
7. Alexa Ranking
Use Alexa to determine not only who is linking to a competitor, but also to determine what sites are related (list yours) . Alexa monitors web traffic trends, and a list of similar websites. Alexa also has the ability to show a website's popularity trends. http://www.alexa.com
8. Website Monitoring
It is generally a good practice to monitor competitors, and you can do this using a tool like CodeMonitor. CodeMonitor takes a snapshot of a websites' HTML and notifies of any changes. The differences in the web pages are highlighted, making it easy to discern what changes occurred. CodeMonitor is a free online tool, that can be found at: http://www.emarketingperformance.com/tools/codemonitor/
9. Comparison Tools
MarketLeap has some great search comparison tools that allow for you to compare domains and ranking. Marketleap's Trend/History report gives you a view of how you or a competitors website's Search Engine Saturation has performed over time. It also verifies search engine placement based on keywords so you can quickly discern a competitors ranking for various phrases in the top search engines. http://www.marketleap.com/publinkpop/
10. Other Useful Spy Tools
Domain tools has a mark alert that allows you to monitor the use of a trademark. They also have a number of domain tracking and monitoring tools that can be helpful. http://www.domaintools.com/
Keep in mind that while you should be aware of the direction a competitor is moving. I do not advocate copying a competitor. These tools above are to assist businesses in monitoring their competition. I am not suggesting that you replicate, duplicate, or copy anything that a competitor does. Use the competitive intelligence to make sound business decisions about the direction you want to take.
About The Author
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage http://www.notepage.net a wireless text messaging software company.
By
S. Housley, October 29, 2006
The old adage, "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer", is applicable not only to personal relationships but business relationships as well. While I'm not suggesting that you befriend your competitors, it is important that you are cognizant of your competitors' business ventures and methods.
It is important to realize that while monitoring your competitors is essential, it could easily become an obsession. Therefore, it is crucial that you strike a balance when incorporating it into your business plan. There are several ways to conduct successful stealth competitive intelligence operations. While it is fanciful to imagine yourself as a secret agent or spy, none of these techniques are difficult, hidden or secretive. In fact, most of them are tools or services available to all businesses.
1. Ego Searches
What are ego searches? Ego searches are keywords or keyword phrase searches for a specific brand, product, or company name. Ego searches are a great way to monitor mentions of a competing product. You can automate the set up of ego searches using RSS, so anytime a competitor's product or brand name is mentioned in the news, blogosphere, or print you receive notification and the details in an RSS feed.
How to Setup Ego Feeds - http://www.feedforall.com/ego-searches.htmCreate RSS Ego Searches - http://www.rss-tools.com/ego-search-feeds.htm
2. Competitive Intelligence
Competitive Intelligence is defined as the process of gathering actionable information in a competitive environment. Competitive Intelligence is researching the business environment or techniques that another business uses. Competitive Intelligence is often used to influence a strategy for business development.
First, it is necessary to know your competition. Background research can be conducted using the tools at DNS Stuff http://www.dnsstuff.com , and various other websites. The DNS stuff website will allow you to do a whois lookup. A number of other research tools are also available on the site.
3. Google Alerts
Receive notification via email on the latest relevant Google search results (web, news, etc.). Define the Google Alerts using a competitors company name or product name.
http://www.google.com/alerts
http://www.googlealert.com/ (3rd party tracking service) - Google Alert is the web's leading automated search and web intelligence solution for monitoring your professional interests online. It tracks the entire web for your personalized topics and sends you new results by daily email.
4. Meta Tags
Have you ever considered what keywords or phrases a competitor is targeting on their website? Have a peak at their meta tags by simply viewing the webpage source. Pay particular attention to the header tags that include title, description, and keywords. Are these keywords part of your marketing mix?
5. Information
Arm yourself with information. The Googspy website is particularly useful when used properly. Enter a keyword, company name, or domain, click the results and view the companies top 25 competitors. If any of those websites are using pay per click on Google, you will also be able to obtain a partial list of the adwords they have purchased. The website gives you a glimpse inside competitors, but the list they provide is by no means exhaustive. http://www.googspy.com
6. Incoming Links
There are a number of ways to determine who is linking to a competitor.
A simple search can be conducted in Google and MSN for "link:domain.com" (replace domain.com with competitor's domain). In Yahoo enter a search for "linkdomain:domain.com" (again replacing domain.com with your competitors name). The search will produce all webpages that provide a link to your competitor. Ideally you can request links from the websites as well.
Other BackLink Tools - http://www.webuildpages.com/tools/
Search for Places to Submit to; this site auto-generates http://www.webuildpages.com/search/ another tools that works in a similar way - http://tools.seobook.com/general/link-suggest/ ; simply enter the keyword and a list of sites that will allow you to request links appears.
7. Alexa Ranking
Use Alexa to determine not only who is linking to a competitor, but also to determine what sites are related (list yours) . Alexa monitors web traffic trends, and a list of similar websites. Alexa also has the ability to show a website's popularity trends. http://www.alexa.com
8. Website Monitoring
It is generally a good practice to monitor competitors, and you can do this using a tool like CodeMonitor. CodeMonitor takes a snapshot of a websites' HTML and notifies of any changes. The differences in the web pages are highlighted, making it easy to discern what changes occurred. CodeMonitor is a free online tool, that can be found at: http://www.emarketingperformance.com/tools/codemonitor/
9. Comparison Tools
MarketLeap has some great search comparison tools that allow for you to compare domains and ranking. Marketleap's Trend/History report gives you a view of how you or a competitors website's Search Engine Saturation has performed over time. It also verifies search engine placement based on keywords so you can quickly discern a competitors ranking for various phrases in the top search engines. http://www.marketleap.com/publinkpop/
10. Other Useful Spy Tools
Domain tools has a mark alert that allows you to monitor the use of a trademark. They also have a number of domain tracking and monitoring tools that can be helpful. http://www.domaintools.com/
Keep in mind that while you should be aware of the direction a competitor is moving. I do not advocate copying a competitor. These tools above are to assist businesses in monitoring their competition. I am not suggesting that you replicate, duplicate, or copy anything that a competitor does. Use the competitive intelligence to make sound business decisions about the direction you want to take.
About The Author
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage http://www.notepage.net a wireless text messaging software company.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Marketing Techniques that Cut Through Clutter
By Michael Fleischner | Marketing Expert, Internet Marketing Secrets*
With the proliferation of websites, blogs, RSS feeds, podcasts, and other communication tools, consumers are bombarded with marketing messages, new products, unbeatable offers, and other opportunities on a daily basis. Marketing professionals are challenged with finding new ways to reach consumers despite ever increasing promotional noise and clutter.
So many of today's marketing executives and product development professionals still believe that building a good product, is all you need - consumers will seek them out on their own. However, nothing could be further from the truth. In today's marketplace, having a good product or service is simply the cost of entry. And unfortunately, because of clutter, may never get noticed even if a prospect is looking for it.
Marketing made simple.
Although one could argue that the traditional pillars of marketing (product, place, price, and promotion) are still required for the effective marketing and selling of products or services, they alone are not enough to cut through clutter. The only true weapon against clutter is relevancy. When a product or service is seen as being relevant to the specific needs of a prospect, then you've successfully overcome the clutter that prevents consumers from taking notice of your product or service.
How to make your marketing relevant.
To be relevant, you must first have a firm understanding of your audience. Ask yourself, "Who is my prospect? What does he or she need? Want? How does he or she like to be communicated to?" It's only after you have a deep understanding of your audience that you can begin to shape promotional marketing messages that can consistently differentiate your offering and be seen as unique in a sea of noise and sameness.
Once you've gotten a grasp on your audience, you need to apply an ongoing approach of refining your marketing message, offer(s), and campaign timing. If you apply just a little discipline towards testing and measuring the effectiveness of these marketing components, you can quickly determine the best formula for reaching your prospective audience regardless of competing noise. After you become relevant, deliver an experience.
Now let's assume that you've been paying attention and you have accomplished the need to be relevant, what then? In order to take a prospect that final few inches, to where they try or purchase your product, you must be capable of describing or delivering the experience you can provide. In an increasingly commoditized world, prospects differentiate the products or services they chose by the experiences they can or do create.
Keep in mind that giving a consumer a positive experience goes beyond the obvious. Be sure to take a customer centric approach and work towards an incredibly positive user experience. This will set you apart from your competition and help you build your brand.
* Michael Fleischner is a marketing expert and the president of MarketingScoop.com, the Internet’s biggest source of marketing information and free marketing resources. He has more than 12 years of marketing experience and has appeared on The TODAY Show, Bloomberg Radio, and other major media.
With the proliferation of websites, blogs, RSS feeds, podcasts, and other communication tools, consumers are bombarded with marketing messages, new products, unbeatable offers, and other opportunities on a daily basis. Marketing professionals are challenged with finding new ways to reach consumers despite ever increasing promotional noise and clutter.
So many of today's marketing executives and product development professionals still believe that building a good product, is all you need - consumers will seek them out on their own. However, nothing could be further from the truth. In today's marketplace, having a good product or service is simply the cost of entry. And unfortunately, because of clutter, may never get noticed even if a prospect is looking for it.
Marketing made simple.
Although one could argue that the traditional pillars of marketing (product, place, price, and promotion) are still required for the effective marketing and selling of products or services, they alone are not enough to cut through clutter. The only true weapon against clutter is relevancy. When a product or service is seen as being relevant to the specific needs of a prospect, then you've successfully overcome the clutter that prevents consumers from taking notice of your product or service.
How to make your marketing relevant.
To be relevant, you must first have a firm understanding of your audience. Ask yourself, "Who is my prospect? What does he or she need? Want? How does he or she like to be communicated to?" It's only after you have a deep understanding of your audience that you can begin to shape promotional marketing messages that can consistently differentiate your offering and be seen as unique in a sea of noise and sameness.
Once you've gotten a grasp on your audience, you need to apply an ongoing approach of refining your marketing message, offer(s), and campaign timing. If you apply just a little discipline towards testing and measuring the effectiveness of these marketing components, you can quickly determine the best formula for reaching your prospective audience regardless of competing noise. After you become relevant, deliver an experience.
Now let's assume that you've been paying attention and you have accomplished the need to be relevant, what then? In order to take a prospect that final few inches, to where they try or purchase your product, you must be capable of describing or delivering the experience you can provide. In an increasingly commoditized world, prospects differentiate the products or services they chose by the experiences they can or do create.
Keep in mind that giving a consumer a positive experience goes beyond the obvious. Be sure to take a customer centric approach and work towards an incredibly positive user experience. This will set you apart from your competition and help you build your brand.
* Michael Fleischner is a marketing expert and the president of MarketingScoop.com, the Internet’s biggest source of marketing information and free marketing resources. He has more than 12 years of marketing experience and has appeared on The TODAY Show, Bloomberg Radio, and other major media.
The Processes Of Product Development
by: Mario R. Churchill
Product development may be defined as the process of conceptualizing and marketing a product. And this product can be something new to the market or something new to an individual company, or it could be a product which already exists and has just undergone improvement.
Why is product development important? Well, it's not just important. It's a critical process to retain and maintain customer loyalty and be able to contend in the today's financial service situation. With an effective product development, customers and providers gain essential insights from the interaction and this helps the provider in better realizing the desires of its customers.
All product development undergoes a parallel planning process. Although the process is continuous, it is imperative that companies pause and weigh up each step to see whether the product to be developed is worth the effort and investment. The company should have a specific array of criteria from which to base its assessments.
In product development, creativity is a valuable plus point. The company must be imaginative in coming up with ideas for the business. It must be able to develop fresh ways of attacking marketing problems. The company must secure these ideas and assess if they are worth spending more time and energy in.
When ideas are already available, the next segment in the process is to define the concept. This is how the company turns the idea into an actual business opportunity with the projection of required investment and estimated return. The company must set specific standards and purpose to base from to decide whether it must pursue the investment. Questions like "Is the idea technically feasible?", "What are its effect to existing products?", "How will it affect the market competition?" must be answered.
The next stage in the product development process is the development of the concept. Usually, the initial step of this stage involves the definition of the requirements of the clients. Then, the transformation into some structure of channel or model service follows. The idea is to translate the recognized customer needs into probable response to these needs. In the actual application, the development and design of the product will carry on into subsequent processes as the product is polished and can be released to the marketplace.
The testing and finalization of the concept then follows. This stage involves a controlled release of a product for manufacturing; support and sales organizations are then done to test and improve the product. In this process, the company would determine whether the concept was erroneous, the target market is frail, and the product must discontinue considering the anticipated cost of releasing it into the market.
When the product has been approved in the testing stage, it is now ready for its full launch. This is perhaps one of the most arduous and costly stages. This chapter includes the development of the market, the right channels, the support of the product, and the building up of the volume of production.
Finally, management of the life cycle must be worked out. Usually, it is not recommended to handle a product that is waning in the market, or lengthen its life with a "kicker". When this action is not properly planned, the call for the development of new products is frequently prompted by declining sales. If this happens, the company may not have ample time to have new products developed.
About The Author
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information checkout http://www.ideacenter.com and http://my-updates.info.
Product development may be defined as the process of conceptualizing and marketing a product. And this product can be something new to the market or something new to an individual company, or it could be a product which already exists and has just undergone improvement.
Why is product development important? Well, it's not just important. It's a critical process to retain and maintain customer loyalty and be able to contend in the today's financial service situation. With an effective product development, customers and providers gain essential insights from the interaction and this helps the provider in better realizing the desires of its customers.
All product development undergoes a parallel planning process. Although the process is continuous, it is imperative that companies pause and weigh up each step to see whether the product to be developed is worth the effort and investment. The company should have a specific array of criteria from which to base its assessments.
In product development, creativity is a valuable plus point. The company must be imaginative in coming up with ideas for the business. It must be able to develop fresh ways of attacking marketing problems. The company must secure these ideas and assess if they are worth spending more time and energy in.
When ideas are already available, the next segment in the process is to define the concept. This is how the company turns the idea into an actual business opportunity with the projection of required investment and estimated return. The company must set specific standards and purpose to base from to decide whether it must pursue the investment. Questions like "Is the idea technically feasible?", "What are its effect to existing products?", "How will it affect the market competition?" must be answered.
The next stage in the product development process is the development of the concept. Usually, the initial step of this stage involves the definition of the requirements of the clients. Then, the transformation into some structure of channel or model service follows. The idea is to translate the recognized customer needs into probable response to these needs. In the actual application, the development and design of the product will carry on into subsequent processes as the product is polished and can be released to the marketplace.
The testing and finalization of the concept then follows. This stage involves a controlled release of a product for manufacturing; support and sales organizations are then done to test and improve the product. In this process, the company would determine whether the concept was erroneous, the target market is frail, and the product must discontinue considering the anticipated cost of releasing it into the market.
When the product has been approved in the testing stage, it is now ready for its full launch. This is perhaps one of the most arduous and costly stages. This chapter includes the development of the market, the right channels, the support of the product, and the building up of the volume of production.
Finally, management of the life cycle must be worked out. Usually, it is not recommended to handle a product that is waning in the market, or lengthen its life with a "kicker". When this action is not properly planned, the call for the development of new products is frequently prompted by declining sales. If this happens, the company may not have ample time to have new products developed.
About The Author
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information checkout http://www.ideacenter.com and http://my-updates.info.
Monday, November 13, 2006
18 Ways to Create Marketing Buzz
By Elizabeth Gordon
Are you looking for ways to get people talking about your brand? An increasing frustration with traditional media has driven businesses and marketing firms to start employing more creative means of getting customers attention beyond the traditional media outlets. You may hear this referred to as viral, word-of-mouth or buzz marketing and this method is attaining broad popularity as an inexpensive and highly effective marketing method.
What is Viral Marketing, Word-of-Mouth, or Buzz Marketing?
Viral Marketing is a way of capturing attention of consumers and the media to the point where talking about your brand becomes interesting conversation. Generating a buzz is based on either customers’ personal experience with brands or what other people have told them about these brands. When this experience becomes interesting, your brand and what your company is doing become a source of entertainment, and your brand becomes newsworthy. Basically it's unconventional, it's economical and it's powerful. Buzz marketing is capturing the attention of consumers and the media to the point where talking about your brand becomes entertaining, fascinating, and newsworthy. Buzz marketing is about starting conversations. In a nutshell, buzz marketing is about getting people talking and getting the media writing about your brand. With Buzz Marketing you stop talking at consumers, and start talking to them.
Why does buzz work?
Today’s noisy advertising environment has forced marketers to become more creative and some say even slightly devious with their methods. Consumers are subject to constant information overload and are wary and distrustful of companies due to scandals and scams they have heard about or been victims of in the past. All of that buyer’s remorse from past bad purchase decisions has built up and created a wall of sales resistance that they psychologically throw up whenever faced with something that appears to be a marketing message or sales pitch. Conversely, consumers like to rely on friends and peers for product and service recommendations and will do less shopping around and are more apt to act based on recommendations of people the know. This has long fueled efforts to increase customer referrals for companies. Another way to enter a customer’s mindshare is through buzz marketing, which is simply the process of sharing information through the natural social networks of your target market that helps them in the decision-making process. That way, instead of coming from a faceless and distrusted corporation, the marketing message instead seems to emanate from the most powerful endorser possible: your coolest friend.
How is it different than traditional advertising?
Most marketing, advertising, and PR employs a push strategy, where you push your message out into the marketplace at people, typically when they are not seeking it. Many people do not enjoy or appreciate this approach. Good marketers know that using a pull strategy to market their products and services can result in close rates at least twice as high as a traditional push strategy. Doubling your marketing effectiveness is certainly worth paying attention to. Buzz marketing is powerful because it gets customers to seek you out.
Why is this a good time for Buzz?
Marketing today is in a state of turmoil. Industry leaders say traditional marketing campaigns, based on mass media advertising, are not working anymore. And the facts back them up. A 2004 study into advertising effectiveness by Deutsche Bank in the US consumer packaged goods sector found that only 18 percent of television advertising campaigns generate a positive return on annual investment, while the Harvard Business Review reports that for every dollar invested into traditional advertising for consumer packaged goods, the short-term return on investment is just 54 cents. Marketing in the business-to-business sector fares no better. An astonishing 84 percent of B2B marketing campaigns actually result in a fall in market share and brand equity. Word of mouth connections are highly influential. A 2004 UK survey of 10,000 consumers by consultants CIA:MediaEdge found that 76 percent cite word of mouth as their main influence on their purchasing decisions, compared with traditional advertising's mere 15 percent. In the US, NOP (now GfK) research shows that 92 percent of Americans cite word of mouth as their preferred source of product information. Studies show that when it comes to generating excitement about products, word of mouth is 10 times more effective than TV or print advertising. Younger consumers, who are still forming their brand preferences, are among the most coveted by marketers. These days they spend less time planted in front of the tube and are more skeptical about the messages they receive there. Therefore a recommendation for a product or service from a trusted friend is more memorable and convincing than the cleverest television ad and more likely to be turned into action.
What are the benefits?
Many are saying that buzz represents the future and will surpass traditional ads in regards to maintaining consumer brand-interest. If I can involve one person really deeply in my brand in 50 cities, vs. 50 people in one city, I'll take the former every time, says Mark Hughes, author of Buzzmarketing: Get People to Talk About Your Stuff. Jon Berry of research company Nop World, and author of The Influentials, argues that word of mouth is worth more than twice what it was in the 1970s in affecting consumer purchases, and it's 150 percent more influential than newspaper and magazine advertising or articles. Another benefit of buzz marketing is the ability to break through customers’ natural defense mechanisms that they typically have up when receiving marketing messages. Customers think of you more like a friend and less like a business trying to sell them something, and that is a great place to be.
You’re speaking face–to-face, which gives you attention and mindshare. Another reason word of mouth works so well is credibility. When your friend, neighbor, co-worker or a family member tells you about a great movie, product or service you believe them. They’re not being paid to pitch the item and so you give them full credibility. That’s why having a great product matters so much: If you can really wow people, they will tell their friends and neighbors. Such face-to-face attention creates superior memory retrieval. In a study of two groups presented with advertising information with the brand removed, only 49 percent of people recalled advertising based on a visual cue, while 70 percent recalled advertising from a thirty-second musical cue. Given the right context of attention, audio stimuli can be far superior to visual.
Buzz marketing is one of the hottest trends in marketing today. By applying these 18 techniques in your business you’ll see people buzzing about your brand.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Start with your initial or existing base of satisfied customers. While enrolling new consumers, a successful buzz marketing strategy bases itself on the impact these consumers could have on the next potential customer. Providing a positive customer experience establishes trust. This trust is rewarded with consumers acting as buzz marketing agents, literally working for brands free of charge. The consumers who are first to climb aboard and become evangelists of your brand.
2. Pick a target market you can find. Where does your target market hang out? If you’re selling hot pink lipstick you might find that your main customers are at the corner of Pine and Main Street wearing stilettos and pleather. Make them easily definable and be able to name the specific areas where they go so you can target your target market.
3. Find the thought leaders. Every social culture has its thought leaders. Building a successful buzz campaign hinges on finding the right carriers for the message: influencers who are obsessed with staying one step ahead of their peers. You must find, connect, and collaborate with the people who influence your brand, lead opinions, and spread word of mouth. Look for opinion-leading individuals who frequently offer or are elicited for category-related advice. Thought leaders are the 10percent of society that help influence the majority of all purchasing decisions. They are not necessarily the customers who spend the most money with you, but they are the most important people you can reach because your target market takes their advice. They hold a social power that will amplify the affect of your word of mouth campaign.
After finding influencers, make sure that you develop ongoing, two-way relationships with them from giving them a trial before the product is available to the mass market, to going back a step and getting them involved in your research and development. Try to give them experiences that exceed expectations. This will generate goodwill and advocacy that will go a long way toward kick-starting positive word of mouth and wider interest in your product, service, or campaign.
4. Again, find the influences and give out freebies. Think outside of the box. Rather than blitzing the airways with expensive TV commercials, give out freebies to select people who are trendsetters. Targeting the influential people you will get more visibility for your product or service by others who are their friends or assistants and who will buy based on the trendsetters. It is worth it to give out what you can for free that will allow customers to experience how great your brand is.
5. Use fake shoppers. One way to get closer to your customers is to show up right under their noses without them even seeing you. Often buzz marketers cover their tracks, at least initially. Slip into the conversational pathways of the target market and those who heavily influence their peers.
6. Work at a grassroots level. Get out there and hit the streets. Buzz requires manpower, whether its volunteers, paid representative, or evangelists that just can’t stop talking. Create a culture around your brand, something that people can stand for, support and be proud of. Get into their neighborhoods. The most successful buzz marketers start on the streets, in the places people live, eat, work, socialize, etc..
7. Piggyback off an existing trend or cause. Look for a trend that your target audience is currently interested in, such as environmentalism. If you can show them that you are interested in the same things that they are, you’ll make fast friends and get them talking.
8. Go to the point of sale. Stage an impromptu demonstration, create a display that will attract your customers or have actors put on a show around your product. If you are going to get people talking, get them talking as close to the point of purchase decision as possible.
9. The more unusual and shocking the better. Traditional ad campaigns have lost some of their punch while quirkier campaigns have generated huge grassroots followings for their brands with laughably low marketing expenditures. Use what people naturally like to talk about by creating a messages that contain one or more of these 6 elements.
The taboo (sex, lies, bathroom humor, etc.)
The unusual
The outrageous
The hilarious
The remarkable
Secrets (both kept and revealed)
10. Be completely believable. When you have your consumer do marketing for you, it is credible, less expensive and enormously believable.
11. Make it personal. Using the viral strategy on a humdrum product category, will not yield your best results. Buzz marketing still seems to work best for the relatively narrow range of products and services that consumers care deeply about because of their physical intimacy, technical complexity or status-enhancing potential.
12. Create a sense of scarcity. Lure those key consumers with coveted items--whether hot news, loaner cars, or cool gadgets--that are in short supply, and let the buzz begin.
13. Be bold and extreme. Companies that play on the extremes of being either totally authentic or blatantly unoriginal are memorable and different. Although a buzz campaign may have fictional elements, the premise should be true to the brand. Make sure your buzz campaign fits with your overall ad strategy. Similarly, being totally irreverent can get people talking as well; just make sure consumers don't feel duped. Be sure to test your humor out on a sample of your target market first.
14. Leverage the internet and buzz with blogs. From large corporations such as GM and Microsoft to entrepreneurs, businesspeople of all kinds are using blogs as a tool to connect with customers and internal audiences in new ways. They're generating unprecedented buzz, and exponentially amplifying word of mouth marketing. A single successful blog can attract tens or even hundreds of thousands of visitors. Done right, they can give back loyalty, goodwill, and valuable feedback. The best part is they often spread that message to others within their sphere of influence through blogs, instant messenger or e-mail.
15. Don’t overlook quality and customer service. Make sure that your product, service or brand is of a quality level that stands out next to competitors. The last thing you want is to have all this talk you generated turn into complaints. Customer service should be given extra attention while you are working a buzz campaign. Good service and superior quality are so unique they create an inherent buzz of self-propelling word of mouth and customer recommendations.
16. Do something innovative. Buzz is great for anything new and innovative, but if your product is not innovative in itself, then put extra creativity in the execution to generate that buzz.
17. Measure as much as you can. Connected marketing is not about control; it’s about management. You cannot manage what you cannot measure. The initial contact may look spontaneous, but it's anything but, and the back end of your campaign should be meticulously planned and the results carefully measured. Marketers are even attempting to quantify how often their message will be passed along and how many downstream consumers they need to influence before a fad is born. Obviously, using online capabilities will make this kind of measurement more easily and precisely monitored. At the very least it will show you whether or not your efforts paid for themselves, best case scenario you can determine the exact ROI. Figure out what types of data do you want to collect, the measurement of recommendation rates, what specific actions should be taken post-measurement, and what influences the recommended rate and how marketers improve recommendation rates.
18. Integrate the campaign with the overall marketing strategy. It is time to develop internal and external connected marketing strategies that integrate product development and marketing activities in innovative ways, enabling consumers and businesses to connect and collaborate with each other as respected partners in order to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Don’t fall into thinking that if you get buzz you don't need any marketing. Buzz marketing should be one part of an overall integrated marketing communications plan. Good buzz is the best thing you could wish for. But, in most cases, distribution, advertising, promotion and other traditional concepts are essential to translate the goodwill surrounding your product into sales. The focus should be not on whether something is classified as traditional or guerrilla, mainstream or viral—but on whether it works. Focus on results, and don't get caught up in any single marketing ideology. It is best to start little fires in lots of places and fan them afterwards.
Implement these techniques and watch the buzz get started. For more information about how you can create a marketing buzz, visit www.flourishingbusiness.com.
Elizabeth Gordon, founder and President of The Flourishing Business, LLC, is a visionary leader who has a passion for helping others achieve their entrepreneurial dreams and enjoy more of the best in life. With a vast and diverse background in many business arenas, Elizabeth regularly has the opportunity to share her business acumen with clients, large and small. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Atlanta and the Board of Directors of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Atlanta. She is an Accredited Executive Associate of the Institute for Independent Business (IIB) and a certified Life Coach.
Are you looking for ways to get people talking about your brand? An increasing frustration with traditional media has driven businesses and marketing firms to start employing more creative means of getting customers attention beyond the traditional media outlets. You may hear this referred to as viral, word-of-mouth or buzz marketing and this method is attaining broad popularity as an inexpensive and highly effective marketing method.
What is Viral Marketing, Word-of-Mouth, or Buzz Marketing?
Viral Marketing is a way of capturing attention of consumers and the media to the point where talking about your brand becomes interesting conversation. Generating a buzz is based on either customers’ personal experience with brands or what other people have told them about these brands. When this experience becomes interesting, your brand and what your company is doing become a source of entertainment, and your brand becomes newsworthy. Basically it's unconventional, it's economical and it's powerful. Buzz marketing is capturing the attention of consumers and the media to the point where talking about your brand becomes entertaining, fascinating, and newsworthy. Buzz marketing is about starting conversations. In a nutshell, buzz marketing is about getting people talking and getting the media writing about your brand. With Buzz Marketing you stop talking at consumers, and start talking to them.
Why does buzz work?
Today’s noisy advertising environment has forced marketers to become more creative and some say even slightly devious with their methods. Consumers are subject to constant information overload and are wary and distrustful of companies due to scandals and scams they have heard about or been victims of in the past. All of that buyer’s remorse from past bad purchase decisions has built up and created a wall of sales resistance that they psychologically throw up whenever faced with something that appears to be a marketing message or sales pitch. Conversely, consumers like to rely on friends and peers for product and service recommendations and will do less shopping around and are more apt to act based on recommendations of people the know. This has long fueled efforts to increase customer referrals for companies. Another way to enter a customer’s mindshare is through buzz marketing, which is simply the process of sharing information through the natural social networks of your target market that helps them in the decision-making process. That way, instead of coming from a faceless and distrusted corporation, the marketing message instead seems to emanate from the most powerful endorser possible: your coolest friend.
How is it different than traditional advertising?
Most marketing, advertising, and PR employs a push strategy, where you push your message out into the marketplace at people, typically when they are not seeking it. Many people do not enjoy or appreciate this approach. Good marketers know that using a pull strategy to market their products and services can result in close rates at least twice as high as a traditional push strategy. Doubling your marketing effectiveness is certainly worth paying attention to. Buzz marketing is powerful because it gets customers to seek you out.
Why is this a good time for Buzz?
Marketing today is in a state of turmoil. Industry leaders say traditional marketing campaigns, based on mass media advertising, are not working anymore. And the facts back them up. A 2004 study into advertising effectiveness by Deutsche Bank in the US consumer packaged goods sector found that only 18 percent of television advertising campaigns generate a positive return on annual investment, while the Harvard Business Review reports that for every dollar invested into traditional advertising for consumer packaged goods, the short-term return on investment is just 54 cents. Marketing in the business-to-business sector fares no better. An astonishing 84 percent of B2B marketing campaigns actually result in a fall in market share and brand equity. Word of mouth connections are highly influential. A 2004 UK survey of 10,000 consumers by consultants CIA:MediaEdge found that 76 percent cite word of mouth as their main influence on their purchasing decisions, compared with traditional advertising's mere 15 percent. In the US, NOP (now GfK) research shows that 92 percent of Americans cite word of mouth as their preferred source of product information. Studies show that when it comes to generating excitement about products, word of mouth is 10 times more effective than TV or print advertising. Younger consumers, who are still forming their brand preferences, are among the most coveted by marketers. These days they spend less time planted in front of the tube and are more skeptical about the messages they receive there. Therefore a recommendation for a product or service from a trusted friend is more memorable and convincing than the cleverest television ad and more likely to be turned into action.
What are the benefits?
Many are saying that buzz represents the future and will surpass traditional ads in regards to maintaining consumer brand-interest. If I can involve one person really deeply in my brand in 50 cities, vs. 50 people in one city, I'll take the former every time, says Mark Hughes, author of Buzzmarketing: Get People to Talk About Your Stuff. Jon Berry of research company Nop World, and author of The Influentials, argues that word of mouth is worth more than twice what it was in the 1970s in affecting consumer purchases, and it's 150 percent more influential than newspaper and magazine advertising or articles. Another benefit of buzz marketing is the ability to break through customers’ natural defense mechanisms that they typically have up when receiving marketing messages. Customers think of you more like a friend and less like a business trying to sell them something, and that is a great place to be.
You’re speaking face–to-face, which gives you attention and mindshare. Another reason word of mouth works so well is credibility. When your friend, neighbor, co-worker or a family member tells you about a great movie, product or service you believe them. They’re not being paid to pitch the item and so you give them full credibility. That’s why having a great product matters so much: If you can really wow people, they will tell their friends and neighbors. Such face-to-face attention creates superior memory retrieval. In a study of two groups presented with advertising information with the brand removed, only 49 percent of people recalled advertising based on a visual cue, while 70 percent recalled advertising from a thirty-second musical cue. Given the right context of attention, audio stimuli can be far superior to visual.
Buzz marketing is one of the hottest trends in marketing today. By applying these 18 techniques in your business you’ll see people buzzing about your brand.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Start with your initial or existing base of satisfied customers. While enrolling new consumers, a successful buzz marketing strategy bases itself on the impact these consumers could have on the next potential customer. Providing a positive customer experience establishes trust. This trust is rewarded with consumers acting as buzz marketing agents, literally working for brands free of charge. The consumers who are first to climb aboard and become evangelists of your brand.
2. Pick a target market you can find. Where does your target market hang out? If you’re selling hot pink lipstick you might find that your main customers are at the corner of Pine and Main Street wearing stilettos and pleather. Make them easily definable and be able to name the specific areas where they go so you can target your target market.
3. Find the thought leaders. Every social culture has its thought leaders. Building a successful buzz campaign hinges on finding the right carriers for the message: influencers who are obsessed with staying one step ahead of their peers. You must find, connect, and collaborate with the people who influence your brand, lead opinions, and spread word of mouth. Look for opinion-leading individuals who frequently offer or are elicited for category-related advice. Thought leaders are the 10percent of society that help influence the majority of all purchasing decisions. They are not necessarily the customers who spend the most money with you, but they are the most important people you can reach because your target market takes their advice. They hold a social power that will amplify the affect of your word of mouth campaign.
After finding influencers, make sure that you develop ongoing, two-way relationships with them from giving them a trial before the product is available to the mass market, to going back a step and getting them involved in your research and development. Try to give them experiences that exceed expectations. This will generate goodwill and advocacy that will go a long way toward kick-starting positive word of mouth and wider interest in your product, service, or campaign.
4. Again, find the influences and give out freebies. Think outside of the box. Rather than blitzing the airways with expensive TV commercials, give out freebies to select people who are trendsetters. Targeting the influential people you will get more visibility for your product or service by others who are their friends or assistants and who will buy based on the trendsetters. It is worth it to give out what you can for free that will allow customers to experience how great your brand is.
5. Use fake shoppers. One way to get closer to your customers is to show up right under their noses without them even seeing you. Often buzz marketers cover their tracks, at least initially. Slip into the conversational pathways of the target market and those who heavily influence their peers.
6. Work at a grassroots level. Get out there and hit the streets. Buzz requires manpower, whether its volunteers, paid representative, or evangelists that just can’t stop talking. Create a culture around your brand, something that people can stand for, support and be proud of. Get into their neighborhoods. The most successful buzz marketers start on the streets, in the places people live, eat, work, socialize, etc..
7. Piggyback off an existing trend or cause. Look for a trend that your target audience is currently interested in, such as environmentalism. If you can show them that you are interested in the same things that they are, you’ll make fast friends and get them talking.
8. Go to the point of sale. Stage an impromptu demonstration, create a display that will attract your customers or have actors put on a show around your product. If you are going to get people talking, get them talking as close to the point of purchase decision as possible.
9. The more unusual and shocking the better. Traditional ad campaigns have lost some of their punch while quirkier campaigns have generated huge grassroots followings for their brands with laughably low marketing expenditures. Use what people naturally like to talk about by creating a messages that contain one or more of these 6 elements.
The taboo (sex, lies, bathroom humor, etc.)
The unusual
The outrageous
The hilarious
The remarkable
Secrets (both kept and revealed)
10. Be completely believable. When you have your consumer do marketing for you, it is credible, less expensive and enormously believable.
11. Make it personal. Using the viral strategy on a humdrum product category, will not yield your best results. Buzz marketing still seems to work best for the relatively narrow range of products and services that consumers care deeply about because of their physical intimacy, technical complexity or status-enhancing potential.
12. Create a sense of scarcity. Lure those key consumers with coveted items--whether hot news, loaner cars, or cool gadgets--that are in short supply, and let the buzz begin.
13. Be bold and extreme. Companies that play on the extremes of being either totally authentic or blatantly unoriginal are memorable and different. Although a buzz campaign may have fictional elements, the premise should be true to the brand. Make sure your buzz campaign fits with your overall ad strategy. Similarly, being totally irreverent can get people talking as well; just make sure consumers don't feel duped. Be sure to test your humor out on a sample of your target market first.
14. Leverage the internet and buzz with blogs. From large corporations such as GM and Microsoft to entrepreneurs, businesspeople of all kinds are using blogs as a tool to connect with customers and internal audiences in new ways. They're generating unprecedented buzz, and exponentially amplifying word of mouth marketing. A single successful blog can attract tens or even hundreds of thousands of visitors. Done right, they can give back loyalty, goodwill, and valuable feedback. The best part is they often spread that message to others within their sphere of influence through blogs, instant messenger or e-mail.
15. Don’t overlook quality and customer service. Make sure that your product, service or brand is of a quality level that stands out next to competitors. The last thing you want is to have all this talk you generated turn into complaints. Customer service should be given extra attention while you are working a buzz campaign. Good service and superior quality are so unique they create an inherent buzz of self-propelling word of mouth and customer recommendations.
16. Do something innovative. Buzz is great for anything new and innovative, but if your product is not innovative in itself, then put extra creativity in the execution to generate that buzz.
17. Measure as much as you can. Connected marketing is not about control; it’s about management. You cannot manage what you cannot measure. The initial contact may look spontaneous, but it's anything but, and the back end of your campaign should be meticulously planned and the results carefully measured. Marketers are even attempting to quantify how often their message will be passed along and how many downstream consumers they need to influence before a fad is born. Obviously, using online capabilities will make this kind of measurement more easily and precisely monitored. At the very least it will show you whether or not your efforts paid for themselves, best case scenario you can determine the exact ROI. Figure out what types of data do you want to collect, the measurement of recommendation rates, what specific actions should be taken post-measurement, and what influences the recommended rate and how marketers improve recommendation rates.
18. Integrate the campaign with the overall marketing strategy. It is time to develop internal and external connected marketing strategies that integrate product development and marketing activities in innovative ways, enabling consumers and businesses to connect and collaborate with each other as respected partners in order to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Don’t fall into thinking that if you get buzz you don't need any marketing. Buzz marketing should be one part of an overall integrated marketing communications plan. Good buzz is the best thing you could wish for. But, in most cases, distribution, advertising, promotion and other traditional concepts are essential to translate the goodwill surrounding your product into sales. The focus should be not on whether something is classified as traditional or guerrilla, mainstream or viral—but on whether it works. Focus on results, and don't get caught up in any single marketing ideology. It is best to start little fires in lots of places and fan them afterwards.
Implement these techniques and watch the buzz get started. For more information about how you can create a marketing buzz, visit www.flourishingbusiness.com.
Elizabeth Gordon, founder and President of The Flourishing Business, LLC, is a visionary leader who has a passion for helping others achieve their entrepreneurial dreams and enjoy more of the best in life. With a vast and diverse background in many business arenas, Elizabeth regularly has the opportunity to share her business acumen with clients, large and small. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Atlanta and the Board of Directors of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Atlanta. She is an Accredited Executive Associate of the Institute for Independent Business (IIB) and a certified Life Coach.
Targeting Your Customers
by Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE
From my conversation with marketing/PR expert Gary Purece.
Successful marketing means that you identify prospective clients and position yourself in the market so they choose you over your competition. When I sit down with clients who want to position their marketing, I seek the answers to four basic questions:
1. WHO IS YOUR POTENTIAL CLIENT? Who wants to buy or could be stimulated to want to buy? Who is in a position to buy what you sell? What geographical and financial factors affect this ability?
A good way to identify future clients is to listen -- really listen -- to those you have now. Their comments, especially negative ones, will help you tailor both your product and your approach to other prospects.
2. WHY WILL THEY WANT TO BUY? What emotional and physical factors will influence them? I just worked with an east coast psychiatrist who ran a practice with ten other psychiatrists and wanted to position herself. Our conversations quickly disclosed that her community was predominantly upwardly mobile professionals. Many of the women had delayed having children. Due to fertility drugs, a high percentage of families had twins, triplets, or more. We decided to focus her practice on these families, the first practice in the area to do that.
How did we do this? First, we realized her potential audience was geographical, that is, in her community rather than regional, national or international. These prospects had distinctive demographics. By appealing to a unique aspect, we hit on her core group. She's now hugely successful in her practice.
3. WHAT ANGLE SHOULD YOU TAKE? How is your product or service unique? Why is it perfect for your target audience? How is it different from everyone else's? How will it fulfill your core group's needs in a way that no one else can?
This is positioning yourself in the market. (Remember how Avis advertised, "We try harder.") As an example, when other advertising consultants do presentations, they talk about budgets, print versus TV, soft versus hard sell. I position myself by emphasizing that you start by targeting your audience, positioning your product, and creating distinctive selling propositions. Lots of mom-and-pop businesses, confronted by super stores, can't compete or even survive unless they find a unique niche to fill.
4. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SELL IT? We all know people with great ideas, products, and inventions. They spend a fortune developing this product, but it sits there because they have no idea what to do with it. Is there a system in place to put your product in the customers' hands and return their money to you? Or do you need to create one?
Market to your core group, and position yourself among the competition. That's million-dollar marketing!
(479 words)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE is a San Francisco-based executive speech coach, sales trainer, and award-winning professional speaker on Change, Customer Service, Promoting Business, and Communication Skills. She is the author of Get What You Want!, Make It, So You Don't Have to Fake It!, and Past-President of the National Speakers Association. She can be reached at: PFripp@Fripp.com, 1-800 634-3035, http://www.fripp.com
We offer this article on a nonexclusive basis. You may reprint or repost this material as long as Patricia Fripp's name and contact information is included. PFripp@Fripp.com, 1-800 634-3035, http://www.fripp.com
From my conversation with marketing/PR expert Gary Purece.
Successful marketing means that you identify prospective clients and position yourself in the market so they choose you over your competition. When I sit down with clients who want to position their marketing, I seek the answers to four basic questions:
1. WHO IS YOUR POTENTIAL CLIENT? Who wants to buy or could be stimulated to want to buy? Who is in a position to buy what you sell? What geographical and financial factors affect this ability?
A good way to identify future clients is to listen -- really listen -- to those you have now. Their comments, especially negative ones, will help you tailor both your product and your approach to other prospects.
2. WHY WILL THEY WANT TO BUY? What emotional and physical factors will influence them? I just worked with an east coast psychiatrist who ran a practice with ten other psychiatrists and wanted to position herself. Our conversations quickly disclosed that her community was predominantly upwardly mobile professionals. Many of the women had delayed having children. Due to fertility drugs, a high percentage of families had twins, triplets, or more. We decided to focus her practice on these families, the first practice in the area to do that.
How did we do this? First, we realized her potential audience was geographical, that is, in her community rather than regional, national or international. These prospects had distinctive demographics. By appealing to a unique aspect, we hit on her core group. She's now hugely successful in her practice.
3. WHAT ANGLE SHOULD YOU TAKE? How is your product or service unique? Why is it perfect for your target audience? How is it different from everyone else's? How will it fulfill your core group's needs in a way that no one else can?
This is positioning yourself in the market. (Remember how Avis advertised, "We try harder.") As an example, when other advertising consultants do presentations, they talk about budgets, print versus TV, soft versus hard sell. I position myself by emphasizing that you start by targeting your audience, positioning your product, and creating distinctive selling propositions. Lots of mom-and-pop businesses, confronted by super stores, can't compete or even survive unless they find a unique niche to fill.
4. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SELL IT? We all know people with great ideas, products, and inventions. They spend a fortune developing this product, but it sits there because they have no idea what to do with it. Is there a system in place to put your product in the customers' hands and return their money to you? Or do you need to create one?
Market to your core group, and position yourself among the competition. That's million-dollar marketing!
(479 words)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE is a San Francisco-based executive speech coach, sales trainer, and award-winning professional speaker on Change, Customer Service, Promoting Business, and Communication Skills. She is the author of Get What You Want!, Make It, So You Don't Have to Fake It!, and Past-President of the National Speakers Association. She can be reached at: PFripp@Fripp.com, 1-800 634-3035, http://www.fripp.com
We offer this article on a nonexclusive basis. You may reprint or repost this material as long as Patricia Fripp's name and contact information is included. PFripp@Fripp.com, 1-800 634-3035, http://www.fripp.com
10 Leadership Lessons From The World's Greatest Leaders
by Laurence Winmill
(c) Laurence Winmill. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.BookShaker.com
===========================================================
Since the beginning of mankind every one of us needs and
benefits from leadership, whether it's religious, social,
family, educational, governing, professional or business.
The fact is that without leadership there is simply no
direction or path for us to follow.
Typically when you mention the word leader, historical names
spring to mind. Political or Governing leaders include
Winston Churchill, George Washington, Adolf Hitler, Julius
Caesar, William Wallace, Lenin, Mandela, Gandhi, Thatcher,
Kennedy, the list goes on.
All of these names have left their mark in history -
they have inspired millions to follow their example,
in some cases with magnificent results and in others
quite catastrophic.
But what all leaders seem to have in common is summed up in
a quote by Vance Packard (The Hidden Persuaders) -
"Leadership appears to be the art of getting others to want
to do something you are convinced should be done".
You see whether we talk about Jack Welch and General
Electric, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela or whoever,
there are a number of key leadership strategies or
principles that you can take on board and implement to
benefit your own organization:
1. Become a great communicator - you may have a great idea
but unless you can convince the masses your unlikely to
succeed.
2. Understand and learn about the people your leading -
Differentiate between Delegation, Coaching, Directing and
Supporting people within your organization. You must
identify who falls into which category.
3. Be prepared for Criticism - but stick with your core
values and beliefs.
4. Stay Focused - Do what you do best - Focus your
energies on your core business.
5. Become an Expert in your field - Learn to do what you
currently do even better - Own your niche.
6. Cut Cost and waste - eliminate unnecessary waste and your
profit margins will improve.
7. Focus on Time Management - Spend your time working on
those projects or initiative that yield the highest
return.
8. Embrace change - don't fear it.
9. Become a leader, act like a leader - source new ideas
encourage innovation and make sure it spreads
throughout the
organization.
10. Earn respect and give respect to everyone who
shares your vision and values.
=======================================
Who else wants to boost their personal
influence? Become an influential leader
when you buy Laurence Winmill's books at
http://www.BookShaker.com
=======================================
(c) Laurence Winmill. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.BookShaker.com
===========================================================
Since the beginning of mankind every one of us needs and
benefits from leadership, whether it's religious, social,
family, educational, governing, professional or business.
The fact is that without leadership there is simply no
direction or path for us to follow.
Typically when you mention the word leader, historical names
spring to mind. Political or Governing leaders include
Winston Churchill, George Washington, Adolf Hitler, Julius
Caesar, William Wallace, Lenin, Mandela, Gandhi, Thatcher,
Kennedy, the list goes on.
All of these names have left their mark in history -
they have inspired millions to follow their example,
in some cases with magnificent results and in others
quite catastrophic.
But what all leaders seem to have in common is summed up in
a quote by Vance Packard (The Hidden Persuaders) -
"Leadership appears to be the art of getting others to want
to do something you are convinced should be done".
You see whether we talk about Jack Welch and General
Electric, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela or whoever,
there are a number of key leadership strategies or
principles that you can take on board and implement to
benefit your own organization:
1. Become a great communicator - you may have a great idea
but unless you can convince the masses your unlikely to
succeed.
2. Understand and learn about the people your leading -
Differentiate between Delegation, Coaching, Directing and
Supporting people within your organization. You must
identify who falls into which category.
3. Be prepared for Criticism - but stick with your core
values and beliefs.
4. Stay Focused - Do what you do best - Focus your
energies on your core business.
5. Become an Expert in your field - Learn to do what you
currently do even better - Own your niche.
6. Cut Cost and waste - eliminate unnecessary waste and your
profit margins will improve.
7. Focus on Time Management - Spend your time working on
those projects or initiative that yield the highest
return.
8. Embrace change - don't fear it.
9. Become a leader, act like a leader - source new ideas
encourage innovation and make sure it spreads
throughout the
organization.
10. Earn respect and give respect to everyone who
shares your vision and values.
=======================================
Who else wants to boost their personal
influence? Become an influential leader
when you buy Laurence Winmill's books at
http://www.BookShaker.com
=======================================
About the Author
Laurence is a motivational speaker, trainer and author. He specialises in Customer service, sales and marketing. During his career he has sold a diverse selection of products & services with significant results. Laurence has managed at the highest level and built, dismantled and rebuilt some of the very best sales teams in Newspapers, Advertising, Insurance and Pharmaceuticals.
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Event Marketing – How To Plan An Event
by: Akhil Shahani
Are you in charge of arranging an event, but have no clue of how to go about it? Don’t panic, we are here to help you with the basics of planning an event marketing program. And we bet you will be successful if you consider the following points.
No matter how large or small, every event marketing activity needs to be properly planned. While each event is different, there are some general guidelines for the way you can plan all of them. Follow these tips when you organize that special day.
1. Get a clear understanding of the purpose of the event marketing promotion. An organizational event needs to be clearly defined, in order to focus all efforts towards the desired goal. It’s important to know the significance behind the event and the anticipated outcome. For example, is it meant to create awareness, induce trial or promote sales? Analyze the actual results of the event marketing activity against these objectives.
2. Set the key deliverables for your event. How many people do you expect? What do you wish attendees to gain from the event? If it’s a regular event, are you trying to get a larger turnout than last year? The answers will help you plan things better.
3. Set your event budget. This should be a top priority. Set a strict working budget, plus have some extra money put aside in case something unexpected comes up. Keep in mind how much you are willing to spend and potential revenue generating factors, like a registration fee.
4. Select the date and location of the event. Always keep options open and visit a couple of sites before you take a decision. This will help you plan the entire event depending on the availability of room and other facilities such parking, lighting, computer and internet access etc.
5. Set up a project timeline and work backward from the date of your event marketing program. Decide deadlines for each activity, such as the first announcement of the event, preparation of promotional materials, finalization of seating arrangements, recruitment of vendors for food, entertainment, decorations… and the list goes on…….
6. Some events need special permission or licenses to host them. This could be for anything, such as permission to use recorded music, providing security or maintaining traffic control. All this should be done very much in advance, without pushing it till the last moment.
7. If you are publicizing the event then what is the medium of reaching the targeted audience? This might include distribution of pamphlets, pre-printed invitations, mail, announcements or any other media.
8. Plan for emergencies. Write down all the fire exits, and have an evacuation plan on paper ready, in case of emergency. Accidents rarely warn in advance; hence hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
It’s important to prepare a check list and follow up with vendors on regular intervals. Take time and jot down all the important points and make sure you don’t compromise on the quality in order to hack down your budget. We are sure you now know a lot more on how to plan that event marketing program.
About The Author
Hi, I am Akhil Shahani, a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed. Over the years I have run many successful businesses & made many mistakes on the way. I have created http://www.aykya.com to help you benefit from all I've learned on my journey. Please visit us & download our special 'Freebie of the Month' as a thank you for your visit.
Are you in charge of arranging an event, but have no clue of how to go about it? Don’t panic, we are here to help you with the basics of planning an event marketing program. And we bet you will be successful if you consider the following points.
No matter how large or small, every event marketing activity needs to be properly planned. While each event is different, there are some general guidelines for the way you can plan all of them. Follow these tips when you organize that special day.
1. Get a clear understanding of the purpose of the event marketing promotion. An organizational event needs to be clearly defined, in order to focus all efforts towards the desired goal. It’s important to know the significance behind the event and the anticipated outcome. For example, is it meant to create awareness, induce trial or promote sales? Analyze the actual results of the event marketing activity against these objectives.
2. Set the key deliverables for your event. How many people do you expect? What do you wish attendees to gain from the event? If it’s a regular event, are you trying to get a larger turnout than last year? The answers will help you plan things better.
3. Set your event budget. This should be a top priority. Set a strict working budget, plus have some extra money put aside in case something unexpected comes up. Keep in mind how much you are willing to spend and potential revenue generating factors, like a registration fee.
4. Select the date and location of the event. Always keep options open and visit a couple of sites before you take a decision. This will help you plan the entire event depending on the availability of room and other facilities such parking, lighting, computer and internet access etc.
5. Set up a project timeline and work backward from the date of your event marketing program. Decide deadlines for each activity, such as the first announcement of the event, preparation of promotional materials, finalization of seating arrangements, recruitment of vendors for food, entertainment, decorations… and the list goes on…….
6. Some events need special permission or licenses to host them. This could be for anything, such as permission to use recorded music, providing security or maintaining traffic control. All this should be done very much in advance, without pushing it till the last moment.
7. If you are publicizing the event then what is the medium of reaching the targeted audience? This might include distribution of pamphlets, pre-printed invitations, mail, announcements or any other media.
8. Plan for emergencies. Write down all the fire exits, and have an evacuation plan on paper ready, in case of emergency. Accidents rarely warn in advance; hence hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
It’s important to prepare a check list and follow up with vendors on regular intervals. Take time and jot down all the important points and make sure you don’t compromise on the quality in order to hack down your budget. We are sure you now know a lot more on how to plan that event marketing program.
About The Author
Hi, I am Akhil Shahani, a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed. Over the years I have run many successful businesses & made many mistakes on the way. I have created http://www.aykya.com to help you benefit from all I've learned on my journey. Please visit us & download our special 'Freebie of the Month' as a thank you for your visit.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Your Profitable Business: THE 7 Essentials for Setting Up A Successful Enterprise
By AnaMaria Herrera
So you have decided to start your own business… Congratulations! You’re excited to be your own boss, bring in more income and have more time for your family or your own pursuits.
Enthusiasm and excitement are definitely needed for launching any enterprise. But laying down a foundation from which to build a solid business is not only important: it’s crucial. The following are what I call the 7 Essentials that every business owner must do to create a profitable and enjoyable business.
1. EMOTIONAL Whys
Write down the reasons why you chose to start a business. Your list might include:
To be at home with your kids or have more time with your spouse/significant other
Have more time for other projects or continue your education
Creating something that is uniquely yours
Make a substantially larger income
While writing your list of whys, make sure your list includes the situations or items you no longer want in your life. For example:
Commuting daily
Working for another person’s dream and goals
Being around negative people at your workplace
Letting a boss/company decide your net worth
It is crucial to become clear with your internal motivations to start your own business. Why is this important? Invariably you will have the challenges in your business. In those times, getting in touch with the reasons why you started your enterprise in the first place will excite and compel you to keep going!
Tapping into what you desire to create as well as what you are moving away from are two powerful forces of drive and motivation.
Also be sure to list all the reasons why you chose the particular service/product and company/association for your home based business. Hopefully, you have done your due diligence on the product, company and industry you are entering in. (For more information on this topic please refer to my article entitle: Home Based Business Seekers: You Must Read This Before You Choose Your Business!)
2. ESTIMATE income and expense
Remember, this is a business not a hobby! Listing your projected monthly expenses and desired income is crucial so you can plan for a steady progression toward your financial goals and to monitor your results.
Estimating Expenses
Here are some basic costs to consider:
Advertisement
How will you advertise your business? Internet or newspaper ads, buying leads, mailing out flyers or postcards, etc.
Marketing materials
Business cards, brochures, website, etc.
Operational expenses
Utility bills, equipment such as a new computer or fax machine, registering your business name, etc.
Estimated Income
I suggest estimating your income by month for the next 12 months. I recommend asking several people in your business what their income is. This is not to determine what you will make, but give you a rough idea of what others are generating in your specific industry.
3. ESTABLISH your operation
Especially if you are transitioning from a current job, it is important for you to establish when and where you will conduct your business. If you have children, will you work when they are in school or after you put them to bed at night? If you currently working a full time job, will you set aside a half an hour of your lunchtime to market the business, or reserve some time on your days off? Also determine where you will work the business and, if possible, designate a specific area in your home. This could be a home office, or perhaps a corner of your bedroom. Communicate your needs with your family members or housemates and establish boundaries of your ‘do not disturb’ times when you are working, so that you can receive the support and cooperation you deserve.
4. ENVISION your ideal business
Get in touch with what your strengths and talents are so that you can create a business that reflects yourself as an individual, and therefore will be natural and enjoyable. How do you do that? One fun way is to sit down in a quiet spot and write down what an ideal day in your business would be.
Do you see yourself talking with people in person? Or are you one of those persons who feel more comfortable talking on the phone to prospects in your bunny slippers and robe? Maybe you’re a natural at speaking in front of groups, or you want to market your business through writing informative articles on your product and services.
What are the traits of your ideal client? (ie: timely for appointments, professional, communicative, positive, etc.) Perhaps you feel drawn to focus on a specific group of people, such as stay-at-home-moms, retirees who want to generate more money, or other like-minded entrepreneurs.
What ideas come to mind? For this exercise, don’t worry about how it will be accomplished, just let your ideas flow. Feel free to come back to this list for inspiration and add to it from time to time. If you really let yourself explore ideas you should feel a sense of excitement!
5. ELECT your board of directors
Many home based businesses, networking and multilevel marketing groups in particular, offer motivational speakers as a part of their training. For a moment, imagine a football team. These trainers would be the cheerleaders, who are important in the initial phase of starting your biz as well as when you find yourself wanting a boost about your business. However, like any great team, you need more than cheerleaders. You need coaches, people that will offer you objective feedback, brainstorm new strategies with you and give practical advice.
Firstly consider the person that introduced you to the business (in network marketing groups, your upline or your director) as well as others that are in your team. It is also imperative to find guidance from others that are not affiliated with your company/association. Remember you want objective feedback. So try joining a local networking or leads group, or your Chamber of Commerce. There are also online business organizations that offer forums and resources for professional assistance. We are in the land of free enterprise, and there are many resources and professionals out there to help you succeed.
6. EVALUATE your business
Plan to evaluate. In my opinion, many businesses fail to execute this important step. This includes short term as well as long term evaluations. I suggest a 3 month, a 6 month and a end of year evaluation.
Have a simple system previously set up, in order to evaluate regularly. First, write what success would mean for you in different areas. Remember that profits are just one way to measure success! So besides financially (what you want to earn), include areas like emotionally (how you want to feel), growing in product knowledge, developing effective communication skills, etc. Then, use a scoring system of numbers 1 to 10 to gauge your progress: 1 is no progression at all, 5 you are midway at manifesting your goal and 10 being you have achieved your goal. With this technique, you can easily see the areas that require attention while also acknowledging your achievements and growth.
7. ENJOY the process
Yes, Enjoy! While having your own business requires discipline and diligence, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun! Celebrate your wins! Calling your first set of leads, getting a press release in a local paper, placing your first newspaper or internet ad, your first sale, deciding on your business name, these are all milestones in your enterprise! Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back, share your accomplishments with others and reward yourself for your achievements, however big or small they appear.
Discovering your unique way of doing business is a process, so relax and enjoy the journey! Know that with each action you take, you are one step closer to creating the business of your dreams.
AnaMaria Herrera is an entrepreneur and writes articles on business and travel. She is the owner of AMH Wholesale Travel, specializing in showing clients how to vacation at wholesale prices. For more information, visit her website at http://www.AMHWholesaleTravel.com. This article is copyright (c) 2006 by AnaMaria Herrera, and may be reprinted in its entirety as long as this byline and copyright statement is included.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=AnaMaria_Herrera
So you have decided to start your own business… Congratulations! You’re excited to be your own boss, bring in more income and have more time for your family or your own pursuits.
Enthusiasm and excitement are definitely needed for launching any enterprise. But laying down a foundation from which to build a solid business is not only important: it’s crucial. The following are what I call the 7 Essentials that every business owner must do to create a profitable and enjoyable business.
1. EMOTIONAL Whys
Write down the reasons why you chose to start a business. Your list might include:
To be at home with your kids or have more time with your spouse/significant other
Have more time for other projects or continue your education
Creating something that is uniquely yours
Make a substantially larger income
While writing your list of whys, make sure your list includes the situations or items you no longer want in your life. For example:
Commuting daily
Working for another person’s dream and goals
Being around negative people at your workplace
Letting a boss/company decide your net worth
It is crucial to become clear with your internal motivations to start your own business. Why is this important? Invariably you will have the challenges in your business. In those times, getting in touch with the reasons why you started your enterprise in the first place will excite and compel you to keep going!
Tapping into what you desire to create as well as what you are moving away from are two powerful forces of drive and motivation.
Also be sure to list all the reasons why you chose the particular service/product and company/association for your home based business. Hopefully, you have done your due diligence on the product, company and industry you are entering in. (For more information on this topic please refer to my article entitle: Home Based Business Seekers: You Must Read This Before You Choose Your Business!)
2. ESTIMATE income and expense
Remember, this is a business not a hobby! Listing your projected monthly expenses and desired income is crucial so you can plan for a steady progression toward your financial goals and to monitor your results.
Estimating Expenses
Here are some basic costs to consider:
Advertisement
How will you advertise your business? Internet or newspaper ads, buying leads, mailing out flyers or postcards, etc.
Marketing materials
Business cards, brochures, website, etc.
Operational expenses
Utility bills, equipment such as a new computer or fax machine, registering your business name, etc.
Estimated Income
I suggest estimating your income by month for the next 12 months. I recommend asking several people in your business what their income is. This is not to determine what you will make, but give you a rough idea of what others are generating in your specific industry.
3. ESTABLISH your operation
Especially if you are transitioning from a current job, it is important for you to establish when and where you will conduct your business. If you have children, will you work when they are in school or after you put them to bed at night? If you currently working a full time job, will you set aside a half an hour of your lunchtime to market the business, or reserve some time on your days off? Also determine where you will work the business and, if possible, designate a specific area in your home. This could be a home office, or perhaps a corner of your bedroom. Communicate your needs with your family members or housemates and establish boundaries of your ‘do not disturb’ times when you are working, so that you can receive the support and cooperation you deserve.
4. ENVISION your ideal business
Get in touch with what your strengths and talents are so that you can create a business that reflects yourself as an individual, and therefore will be natural and enjoyable. How do you do that? One fun way is to sit down in a quiet spot and write down what an ideal day in your business would be.
Do you see yourself talking with people in person? Or are you one of those persons who feel more comfortable talking on the phone to prospects in your bunny slippers and robe? Maybe you’re a natural at speaking in front of groups, or you want to market your business through writing informative articles on your product and services.
What are the traits of your ideal client? (ie: timely for appointments, professional, communicative, positive, etc.) Perhaps you feel drawn to focus on a specific group of people, such as stay-at-home-moms, retirees who want to generate more money, or other like-minded entrepreneurs.
What ideas come to mind? For this exercise, don’t worry about how it will be accomplished, just let your ideas flow. Feel free to come back to this list for inspiration and add to it from time to time. If you really let yourself explore ideas you should feel a sense of excitement!
5. ELECT your board of directors
Many home based businesses, networking and multilevel marketing groups in particular, offer motivational speakers as a part of their training. For a moment, imagine a football team. These trainers would be the cheerleaders, who are important in the initial phase of starting your biz as well as when you find yourself wanting a boost about your business. However, like any great team, you need more than cheerleaders. You need coaches, people that will offer you objective feedback, brainstorm new strategies with you and give practical advice.
Firstly consider the person that introduced you to the business (in network marketing groups, your upline or your director) as well as others that are in your team. It is also imperative to find guidance from others that are not affiliated with your company/association. Remember you want objective feedback. So try joining a local networking or leads group, or your Chamber of Commerce. There are also online business organizations that offer forums and resources for professional assistance. We are in the land of free enterprise, and there are many resources and professionals out there to help you succeed.
6. EVALUATE your business
Plan to evaluate. In my opinion, many businesses fail to execute this important step. This includes short term as well as long term evaluations. I suggest a 3 month, a 6 month and a end of year evaluation.
Have a simple system previously set up, in order to evaluate regularly. First, write what success would mean for you in different areas. Remember that profits are just one way to measure success! So besides financially (what you want to earn), include areas like emotionally (how you want to feel), growing in product knowledge, developing effective communication skills, etc. Then, use a scoring system of numbers 1 to 10 to gauge your progress: 1 is no progression at all, 5 you are midway at manifesting your goal and 10 being you have achieved your goal. With this technique, you can easily see the areas that require attention while also acknowledging your achievements and growth.
7. ENJOY the process
Yes, Enjoy! While having your own business requires discipline and diligence, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun! Celebrate your wins! Calling your first set of leads, getting a press release in a local paper, placing your first newspaper or internet ad, your first sale, deciding on your business name, these are all milestones in your enterprise! Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back, share your accomplishments with others and reward yourself for your achievements, however big or small they appear.
Discovering your unique way of doing business is a process, so relax and enjoy the journey! Know that with each action you take, you are one step closer to creating the business of your dreams.
AnaMaria Herrera is an entrepreneur and writes articles on business and travel. She is the owner of AMH Wholesale Travel, specializing in showing clients how to vacation at wholesale prices. For more information, visit her website at http://www.AMHWholesaleTravel.com. This article is copyright (c) 2006 by AnaMaria Herrera, and may be reprinted in its entirety as long as this byline and copyright statement is included.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=AnaMaria_Herrera
The Processes of Product Development
The Processes of Product Development
By Ross Lincoln
Product development may be defined as the process of conceptualizing and marketing a product. And this product can be something new to the market or something new to an individual company, or it could be a product which already exists and has just undergone improvement.
Why is product development important? Well, it's not just important. It's a critical process to retain and maintain customer loyalty and be able to contend in the today's financial service situation. With an effective product development, customers and providers gain essential insights from the interaction and this helps the provider in better realizing the desires of its customers.
All product development undergoes a parallel planning process. Although the process is continuous, it is imperative that companies pause and weigh up each step to see whether the product to be developed is worth the effort and investment. The company should have a specific array of criteria from which to base its assessments.
In product development, creativity is a valuable plus point. The company must be imaginative in coming up with ideas for the business. It must be able to develop fresh ways of attacking marketing problems. The company must secure these ideas and assess if they are worth spending more time and energy in.
When ideas are already available, the next segment in the process is to define the concept. This is how the company turns the idea into an actual business opportunity with the projection of required investment and estimated return. The company must set specific standards and purpose to base from to decide whether it must pursue the investment. Questions like "Is the idea technically feasible?", "What are its effect to existing products?", "How will it affect the market competition?" must be answered.
The next stage in the product development process is the development of the concept. Usually, the initial step of this stage involves the definition of the requirements of the clients. Then, the transformation into some structure of channel or model service follows. The idea is to translate the recognized customer needs into probable response to these needs. In the actual application, the development and design of the product will carry on into subsequent processes as the product is polished and can be released to the marketplace.
The testing and finalization of the concept then follows. This stage involves a controlled release of a product for manufacturing; support and sales organizations are then done to test and improve the product. In this process, the company would determine whether the concept was erroneous, the target market is frail, and the product must discontinue considering the anticipated cost of releasing it into the market.
When the product has been approved in the testing stage, it is now ready for its full launch. This is perhaps one of the most arduous and costly stages. This chapter includes the development of the market, the right channels, the support of the product, and the building up of the volume of production.
Finally, management of the life cycle must be worked out. Usually, it is not recommended to handle a product that is waning in the market, or lengthen its life with a "kicker". When this action is not properly planned, the call for the development of new products is frequently prompted by declining sales. If this happens, the company may not have ample time to have new products developed.
Ross Lincoln makes it quicker and easier for you to create profitable business ideas, develop your marketing strategy or start brainstorming on any topic. For a free trial of the ultimate innovation software, please visit http://www.ideacenter.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ross_Lincoln
By Ross Lincoln
Product development may be defined as the process of conceptualizing and marketing a product. And this product can be something new to the market or something new to an individual company, or it could be a product which already exists and has just undergone improvement.
Why is product development important? Well, it's not just important. It's a critical process to retain and maintain customer loyalty and be able to contend in the today's financial service situation. With an effective product development, customers and providers gain essential insights from the interaction and this helps the provider in better realizing the desires of its customers.
All product development undergoes a parallel planning process. Although the process is continuous, it is imperative that companies pause and weigh up each step to see whether the product to be developed is worth the effort and investment. The company should have a specific array of criteria from which to base its assessments.
In product development, creativity is a valuable plus point. The company must be imaginative in coming up with ideas for the business. It must be able to develop fresh ways of attacking marketing problems. The company must secure these ideas and assess if they are worth spending more time and energy in.
When ideas are already available, the next segment in the process is to define the concept. This is how the company turns the idea into an actual business opportunity with the projection of required investment and estimated return. The company must set specific standards and purpose to base from to decide whether it must pursue the investment. Questions like "Is the idea technically feasible?", "What are its effect to existing products?", "How will it affect the market competition?" must be answered.
The next stage in the product development process is the development of the concept. Usually, the initial step of this stage involves the definition of the requirements of the clients. Then, the transformation into some structure of channel or model service follows. The idea is to translate the recognized customer needs into probable response to these needs. In the actual application, the development and design of the product will carry on into subsequent processes as the product is polished and can be released to the marketplace.
The testing and finalization of the concept then follows. This stage involves a controlled release of a product for manufacturing; support and sales organizations are then done to test and improve the product. In this process, the company would determine whether the concept was erroneous, the target market is frail, and the product must discontinue considering the anticipated cost of releasing it into the market.
When the product has been approved in the testing stage, it is now ready for its full launch. This is perhaps one of the most arduous and costly stages. This chapter includes the development of the market, the right channels, the support of the product, and the building up of the volume of production.
Finally, management of the life cycle must be worked out. Usually, it is not recommended to handle a product that is waning in the market, or lengthen its life with a "kicker". When this action is not properly planned, the call for the development of new products is frequently prompted by declining sales. If this happens, the company may not have ample time to have new products developed.
Ross Lincoln makes it quicker and easier for you to create profitable business ideas, develop your marketing strategy or start brainstorming on any topic. For a free trial of the ultimate innovation software, please visit http://www.ideacenter.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ross_Lincoln
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Hitting The Mark In Marketing
If you want to hit the mark of success in your marketing efforts, then you have to be sharply focused on what you're selling and to whom. Like a double-edged sword if you like.
Let's use the business opportunity niche as an example.
Business opportunities are a dime a dozen. What sets yours apart from the crowd? Why would anyone or I want to join?
This is called your unique selling point. The question is, do you have one?
This is what you must promote to get the success you desire.
It could be a product feature, a superior level of support service, a product's versatility, an aspect of your guarantee or something that's original about the opportunity. If you're not sure what your unique selling point is, then brainstorm with your mentors and peers to identify it.
If you don't have one, then go back to the drawing board.
Create one if it's your own product. If it's not, then talk to the owner of the product with a suggestion or two.
This in itself is an opportunity. Alternatively you could market it with additional products or services to make it unique.
The other edge to your marketing sword is your target market.
You must drill down to where the buyers are. If you use email marketing then make sure they are optin for business opportunities and not something else. If you advertise in ezines, then make sure the ezine is focused on business opportunities.
If you use adsense then you can get an income by carefully selected keywords. If you are an affiliate marketer then make sure your landing page is optimized with keywords.
This combination can either promote your product's unique selling point to your targeted niche market or it sends targeted traffic to see your product focusing on its unique selling point, depending on which form of marketing you use.
Experiment with all forms of marketing and track the results to find out where you are getting the best results.
Remember if you are buying traffic "hits", they are not necessarily targeted to your niche. 100 targeted visitors to your site may be of much greater than a million hits from all the extremities of the web. So pay close attention to where they originate.
If they're good quality make sure you capture them with an optin offer to your mailing list, then treat them like gold. Give them quality content in your emails and not just continual pressure to buy your products. Don't send too many emails on a regular basis and never give their address to anyone else. Ask yourself would you want to receive the emails you send or would you opt out?
About The Author
Ray Burton is an internet marketer providing resources for newbies and experienced marketers. Check out his recommendation for a home based business at: http://www.cyberchoices.info.
Let's use the business opportunity niche as an example.
Business opportunities are a dime a dozen. What sets yours apart from the crowd? Why would anyone or I want to join?
This is called your unique selling point. The question is, do you have one?
This is what you must promote to get the success you desire.
It could be a product feature, a superior level of support service, a product's versatility, an aspect of your guarantee or something that's original about the opportunity. If you're not sure what your unique selling point is, then brainstorm with your mentors and peers to identify it.
If you don't have one, then go back to the drawing board.
Create one if it's your own product. If it's not, then talk to the owner of the product with a suggestion or two.
This in itself is an opportunity. Alternatively you could market it with additional products or services to make it unique.
The other edge to your marketing sword is your target market.
You must drill down to where the buyers are. If you use email marketing then make sure they are optin for business opportunities and not something else. If you advertise in ezines, then make sure the ezine is focused on business opportunities.
If you use adsense then you can get an income by carefully selected keywords. If you are an affiliate marketer then make sure your landing page is optimized with keywords.
This combination can either promote your product's unique selling point to your targeted niche market or it sends targeted traffic to see your product focusing on its unique selling point, depending on which form of marketing you use.
Experiment with all forms of marketing and track the results to find out where you are getting the best results.
Remember if you are buying traffic "hits", they are not necessarily targeted to your niche. 100 targeted visitors to your site may be of much greater than a million hits from all the extremities of the web. So pay close attention to where they originate.
If they're good quality make sure you capture them with an optin offer to your mailing list, then treat them like gold. Give them quality content in your emails and not just continual pressure to buy your products. Don't send too many emails on a regular basis and never give their address to anyone else. Ask yourself would you want to receive the emails you send or would you opt out?
About The Author
Ray Burton is an internet marketer providing resources for newbies and experienced marketers. Check out his recommendation for a home based business at: http://www.cyberchoices.info.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
20 Marketing Ideas To Get Your Business Moving Forward
20 Marketing Ideas To Get Your Business Moving Forward
By Charles Brown
Need more ideas to give your marketing efforts a shot in the arm? Here are some ideas to get your marketing efforts moving forward:
Develop “free samples” of your service. Usually the best samples are written or recorded information. Write a tip sheet or a short list of frequently asked questions (FAQs). Record a speech you give to a local organization.
Improve your existing advertising by writing ten new headlines for your newspaper or Yellow Page ads. Test these new headlines against your existing headlines in small classified ads. Measure the results and let the winner be the headline the next time you run a larger ad in the Yellow Pages or newspaper.
Host a wine tasting or open house in your place of business. Invite several potential clients and prepare a short talk on a topic of interest to them. Use the tip sheets or free samples you prepared above to give to each attendee.
Request testimonials from your best clients.
Volunteer yourself and your employees to assist in a charitable cause. For example, your team could man the phones at the next public radio or television membership drive or help other organizations with fund raising.
Join a new group. Select organizations that allow you to get involved and meet potential clients or networking contacts.
Find a non-competing business that serves the same client base as you. Approach this business about forming an alliance and sharing referrals.
Sponsor a talk and invite a visiting expert on a topic of interest to your potential clients. Send out invitations and press releases to alert the media.
Get in touch with ex-clients who no longer do business with you. Find out how you can help them and get their suggestions about how to improve your services.
Sponsor a children’s club or sports team.
Give an award for the “Best of ___.” Use this award as a way to attract publicity.
Create a profile of your ideal client. Then determine what groups these ideal clients are members of or what specialized publications they read.
Find an online discussion group. www.boardtracker.com is a search engine that specializes in discussion groups. Just read the conversations as they go back and forth for a while (this is called “lurking”). Then, after you have a feel for the personalities involved and the group’s protocol, start adding your own input.
Develop a “needs assessment” that you can use in new client interviews.
Do a client survey to uncover your strengths and weaknesses. Make it clear that you are seeking honest and open comments and are looking for ways to improve.
Become more active in your local Chamber of Commerce and other organizations that open up networking opportunities.
Create a list of reference books and CDs you can recommend.
Create a 21 word description of your business that clearly tells what you do, who you do this for, and what makes you distinctive. This is your “elevator speech” that can be used on your marketing materials, press releases and given to someone who introduces you at public speaking opportunities.
Find barter organizations or set up barter relationships on your own. Not only can you reduce the cost of goods and services your business needs, you will gain new clients.
Buy season tickets to a local sports team. If you take clients or give tickets to people you do business with, they will be tax deductible and fun as well.
Get busy today and build a fire under your business. Do something, get out there and watch your business grow.
freelance copywriter, writing web content, copywriting tips, ghost writer
COPYRIGHT(C)2006, Charles Brown. All rights reserved.
Download your free copy of 99 Ideas For Writing Irresistible Web Content, written by Charles Brown, a Dallas, Texas based freelance copywriter who writes web copy, advertisements, white papers and direct mail. Subscribe to his "Freelance Copywriter Secrets" at http://dynamiccopywriting.blogspot.com or contact him at 817.715.3852 or **charbrow@gmail.com**.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Brown
By Charles Brown
Need more ideas to give your marketing efforts a shot in the arm? Here are some ideas to get your marketing efforts moving forward:
Develop “free samples” of your service. Usually the best samples are written or recorded information. Write a tip sheet or a short list of frequently asked questions (FAQs). Record a speech you give to a local organization.
Improve your existing advertising by writing ten new headlines for your newspaper or Yellow Page ads. Test these new headlines against your existing headlines in small classified ads. Measure the results and let the winner be the headline the next time you run a larger ad in the Yellow Pages or newspaper.
Host a wine tasting or open house in your place of business. Invite several potential clients and prepare a short talk on a topic of interest to them. Use the tip sheets or free samples you prepared above to give to each attendee.
Request testimonials from your best clients.
Volunteer yourself and your employees to assist in a charitable cause. For example, your team could man the phones at the next public radio or television membership drive or help other organizations with fund raising.
Join a new group. Select organizations that allow you to get involved and meet potential clients or networking contacts.
Find a non-competing business that serves the same client base as you. Approach this business about forming an alliance and sharing referrals.
Sponsor a talk and invite a visiting expert on a topic of interest to your potential clients. Send out invitations and press releases to alert the media.
Get in touch with ex-clients who no longer do business with you. Find out how you can help them and get their suggestions about how to improve your services.
Sponsor a children’s club or sports team.
Give an award for the “Best of ___.” Use this award as a way to attract publicity.
Create a profile of your ideal client. Then determine what groups these ideal clients are members of or what specialized publications they read.
Find an online discussion group. www.boardtracker.com is a search engine that specializes in discussion groups. Just read the conversations as they go back and forth for a while (this is called “lurking”). Then, after you have a feel for the personalities involved and the group’s protocol, start adding your own input.
Develop a “needs assessment” that you can use in new client interviews.
Do a client survey to uncover your strengths and weaknesses. Make it clear that you are seeking honest and open comments and are looking for ways to improve.
Become more active in your local Chamber of Commerce and other organizations that open up networking opportunities.
Create a list of reference books and CDs you can recommend.
Create a 21 word description of your business that clearly tells what you do, who you do this for, and what makes you distinctive. This is your “elevator speech” that can be used on your marketing materials, press releases and given to someone who introduces you at public speaking opportunities.
Find barter organizations or set up barter relationships on your own. Not only can you reduce the cost of goods and services your business needs, you will gain new clients.
Buy season tickets to a local sports team. If you take clients or give tickets to people you do business with, they will be tax deductible and fun as well.
Get busy today and build a fire under your business. Do something, get out there and watch your business grow.
freelance copywriter, writing web content, copywriting tips, ghost writer
COPYRIGHT(C)2006, Charles Brown. All rights reserved.
Download your free copy of 99 Ideas For Writing Irresistible Web Content, written by Charles Brown, a Dallas, Texas based freelance copywriter who writes web copy, advertisements, white papers and direct mail. Subscribe to his "Freelance Copywriter Secrets" at http://dynamiccopywriting.blogspot.com or contact him at 817.715.3852 or **charbrow@gmail.com**.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Brown
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Marketing 101 for Entrepreneurs
By Daryl Des Marais
Product – So you have found something that you think you can sell. It would be a good idea to first test it with a few friends, family, and strangers. Maybe not friends, they might say, ahh! that will never work. Be sure to do some kind of test to begin with, it may save you a lot of time and money down the road, you’d be surprised. Many product launches aren’t as successful as anticipated, even in big companies. There are so many variables, price, timing, function, and appeal.
Place – One of the next important things is place, you may have the greatest product in the world but it may not sell where you are. Take for instance rice, in the past, mostly an Asian diet but eventually exported over time through sharing with others traveling etc. What it takes to make something turn into an excellent seller may take time and you may have to test it in different markets. If you find something that works then flog it, but if you want to sustain sales over time than look at offering it in different places of the area, city, country; maybe one day you will global, but take one step at a time. However, now there are many options such as BDC (Business Development Center in Canada) to get loans or EDC (Export Development Corporation to help out with export loans or SBA (Small Business Association) in the United States.
Price – What are you going to charge for your item? How did you come up with that charge? Is it comparable to other services? Is it a product that has more value than services currently on the market? perhaps you should charge more. You can do some research to see what other similar products sell for in your area or if not available nearby in another area. Maybe people are willing to pay a premium because what you have is not available locally.
Promotion – Promotion? How are you going to promote your product? What do you mean promote? Well how are you going to make it known? , make it appeal to a larger group of people. You may be able to sell your product to one or two people, but that doesn’t mean you are going to be able to sell thousands overnight. Why are people interested in buying your product? What makes it interesting to them? Is it the latest gadget or function or is it something that is really durable and long lasting? Does it help people over time? What makes your product so great?
Mr. Des Marais has operated small businesses for over 20 years. He has been a consultant and held positions in some of the fastest growing franchisees in Canada. He is a private parnter in http://www.usabusinessgrowth.com
He has increased sales by 200% in 2 months for an herbal doctor; increased sales by 30% in 4 months for a major Canadian Big Box Retailer; 200% sales increase 3 times in a row for a service-based small business and helped several entrepreneurs develop and sell their business. His expertise is in the area of growth and business development. He has also been involved in developing business chapters.
In terms of Business Development and mentoring Mr. Des Marais has volunteered with S.E.E.D.S mentorship review committee, ACE, YEA.
Product – So you have found something that you think you can sell. It would be a good idea to first test it with a few friends, family, and strangers. Maybe not friends, they might say, ahh! that will never work. Be sure to do some kind of test to begin with, it may save you a lot of time and money down the road, you’d be surprised. Many product launches aren’t as successful as anticipated, even in big companies. There are so many variables, price, timing, function, and appeal.
Place – One of the next important things is place, you may have the greatest product in the world but it may not sell where you are. Take for instance rice, in the past, mostly an Asian diet but eventually exported over time through sharing with others traveling etc. What it takes to make something turn into an excellent seller may take time and you may have to test it in different markets. If you find something that works then flog it, but if you want to sustain sales over time than look at offering it in different places of the area, city, country; maybe one day you will global, but take one step at a time. However, now there are many options such as BDC (Business Development Center in Canada) to get loans or EDC (Export Development Corporation to help out with export loans or SBA (Small Business Association) in the United States.
Price – What are you going to charge for your item? How did you come up with that charge? Is it comparable to other services? Is it a product that has more value than services currently on the market? perhaps you should charge more. You can do some research to see what other similar products sell for in your area or if not available nearby in another area. Maybe people are willing to pay a premium because what you have is not available locally.
Promotion – Promotion? How are you going to promote your product? What do you mean promote? Well how are you going to make it known? , make it appeal to a larger group of people. You may be able to sell your product to one or two people, but that doesn’t mean you are going to be able to sell thousands overnight. Why are people interested in buying your product? What makes it interesting to them? Is it the latest gadget or function or is it something that is really durable and long lasting? Does it help people over time? What makes your product so great?
Mr. Des Marais has operated small businesses for over 20 years. He has been a consultant and held positions in some of the fastest growing franchisees in Canada. He is a private parnter in http://www.usabusinessgrowth.com
He has increased sales by 200% in 2 months for an herbal doctor; increased sales by 30% in 4 months for a major Canadian Big Box Retailer; 200% sales increase 3 times in a row for a service-based small business and helped several entrepreneurs develop and sell their business. His expertise is in the area of growth and business development. He has also been involved in developing business chapters.
In terms of Business Development and mentoring Mr. Des Marais has volunteered with S.E.E.D.S mentorship review committee, ACE, YEA.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Why Business Should Blog
If your business could gain a direct connection to individual customers in the largest customer pool on earth, informing and relating personally to each of them through a medium centered on your business, wouldn’t that be great? Better yet, what if it was free of cost except for the time you invest? Not only is it possible, for many businesses, Blogs have proven to be one of the most powerful ebusiness-customer communication tools capable of producing just that. For this reason alone, at least considering a blog as a strategy for your business should be a priority. Communication and efficiency both stand to benefit.
Bloggers are often likened to preachers or evangelists, which compares favorably to the weak communication loops that are typically problematic between many businesses and their clients. Honest and balanced timely customer feedback can be elusive even with focus groups. The delay in a company reacting to a small problem may allow that problem to gestate into something much larger. Blogging is a savvy way to make up for input gaps from customers by allowing for real-time, voluntary responses from individuals who are enthusiastic about your business or field. This may come in the form of thoughtful suggestions or criticisms of existing aspects of your business that enlighten you to improvements, which you may never have considered. The connection between yourself (as the blogger) and your customers is comfortable and informal, allowing for a conversation that is personal and intimate. As a result, your clients and advocates can respond with no pressure with friendly conversations that you never would have had time for in person.
Business blogging can create buzz that is humanized with one tool and also boost the efficiency of your business in other ways. Insofar as marketing and advertising, a blog has several of the qualities of an internet campaign or other profile-booster. It can compliment (or even serve as) your website, which makes it easier for search engines to find your business. Blog service providers are constructed to be search engine-friendly, and the more sites your blog links to (or that link to your blog), the more traffic your website is likely to attract. Because blogs deliver all of the news of your business in a concise form, it can also serve as an e-newsletter, which can be subscribed to or syndicated with RSS. By making your business available on new syndicatable fronts, your business can attain a frequency and reach with a new level of targeting for business prospects.
Another aspect of the blog that many executives who have turned to blogging espouse is the self-examination of your business that occurs when you blog. The business blogger is compelled to crystallize, organize and define every aspect of the business, both for themselves and for others. In doing so, not only can your business become more refined, it can also “know itself” better. To compliment this, a blog can also be made to work internally (known as an intra-blog) as well as externally, operating as an inter-office communication tool that offers many advantages over e-mail. Best of all, by making communication readily available to anyone with an Internet connection, your business can position itself as a leader in its industry. Additionally, even if your business website is lacking (or if you don’t have one at all), the icing on the cake is that blogs organize information in a way that is easy to read and while remaining attractive to the eye.
Keep in mind that blogging is not a replacement for advertising. It’s a different kind of tool that requires a formal strategy. The good news is that being a great writer isn’t necessary because the personalized impromptu nature of a blog is an appeal to the culture itself. Blogging also does not require babysitter to work. To the contrary: the blog is a tool that is cooperative, intimate, and personal. Moreover, it can give your business the chance to build powerful trust-based relationships with your clientele along as well as endless self-promotion that go hand in hand.
Thinking about blogging but not sure what to blog about? Here are just a few possibilities:
· Use it as a forum to discuss updates on products, services of business activities, and solicit input from new and prospective clients.
· Kick around untested ideas that your customers might be willing to share insight.
· Replace your printed company newsletter or bulletin board with a blog that can serve the same functions. Share information on events, changes in your business, updates on special projects.
· Depending on the nature of your business, you might find numerous other ways to improve the efficiency of your business with a blog. Many universities, for example, now showcase a handful of student blogs on their websites to show prospective students a glimpse of what campus life is like – an effective and cost-free recruiting tool. You’ve likely also heard of the guy who used his blog to barter from a red paperclip to a house in one year.
· Blog about your business industry itself. Network with other professionals from similar businesses and learn from them – all businesses have their own experiences. Still looking for ideas? Consult the web's largest Business Blog Search Engine and Directory by http://www.iblogbusiness.com. Browse by industry or search to see what some of your competitors are doing.
Summary
Business blogging presents a great opportunity to tap into one of the largest communication networks at a fraction of the cost in maintaining a regular Website. To do it effectively for your business, blogging must become “center plate” even though initial rewards come slower and at the expense to traditional mediums. However, with invested time, the fruits of hard work will pay off in the forms of improved customer intimacy, priceless core industry knowledge, and brand equity just to name a few. Best of all, its free for the taking!
About The Author
Christian Del Monte: Director of Operations for TMA E-Marketing has a B.S. degree in Marketing from Minnesota State University, Mankato.
He has directed and worked on Internet marketing projects for mid to large-scale clients including several fortune 500 companies. Christian continues to head up the operations for TMA as well as lead research and development on vertical search markets and business blogging.
Bloggers are often likened to preachers or evangelists, which compares favorably to the weak communication loops that are typically problematic between many businesses and their clients. Honest and balanced timely customer feedback can be elusive even with focus groups. The delay in a company reacting to a small problem may allow that problem to gestate into something much larger. Blogging is a savvy way to make up for input gaps from customers by allowing for real-time, voluntary responses from individuals who are enthusiastic about your business or field. This may come in the form of thoughtful suggestions or criticisms of existing aspects of your business that enlighten you to improvements, which you may never have considered. The connection between yourself (as the blogger) and your customers is comfortable and informal, allowing for a conversation that is personal and intimate. As a result, your clients and advocates can respond with no pressure with friendly conversations that you never would have had time for in person.
Business blogging can create buzz that is humanized with one tool and also boost the efficiency of your business in other ways. Insofar as marketing and advertising, a blog has several of the qualities of an internet campaign or other profile-booster. It can compliment (or even serve as) your website, which makes it easier for search engines to find your business. Blog service providers are constructed to be search engine-friendly, and the more sites your blog links to (or that link to your blog), the more traffic your website is likely to attract. Because blogs deliver all of the news of your business in a concise form, it can also serve as an e-newsletter, which can be subscribed to or syndicated with RSS. By making your business available on new syndicatable fronts, your business can attain a frequency and reach with a new level of targeting for business prospects.
Another aspect of the blog that many executives who have turned to blogging espouse is the self-examination of your business that occurs when you blog. The business blogger is compelled to crystallize, organize and define every aspect of the business, both for themselves and for others. In doing so, not only can your business become more refined, it can also “know itself” better. To compliment this, a blog can also be made to work internally (known as an intra-blog) as well as externally, operating as an inter-office communication tool that offers many advantages over e-mail. Best of all, by making communication readily available to anyone with an Internet connection, your business can position itself as a leader in its industry. Additionally, even if your business website is lacking (or if you don’t have one at all), the icing on the cake is that blogs organize information in a way that is easy to read and while remaining attractive to the eye.
Keep in mind that blogging is not a replacement for advertising. It’s a different kind of tool that requires a formal strategy. The good news is that being a great writer isn’t necessary because the personalized impromptu nature of a blog is an appeal to the culture itself. Blogging also does not require babysitter to work. To the contrary: the blog is a tool that is cooperative, intimate, and personal. Moreover, it can give your business the chance to build powerful trust-based relationships with your clientele along as well as endless self-promotion that go hand in hand.
Thinking about blogging but not sure what to blog about? Here are just a few possibilities:
· Use it as a forum to discuss updates on products, services of business activities, and solicit input from new and prospective clients.
· Kick around untested ideas that your customers might be willing to share insight.
· Replace your printed company newsletter or bulletin board with a blog that can serve the same functions. Share information on events, changes in your business, updates on special projects.
· Depending on the nature of your business, you might find numerous other ways to improve the efficiency of your business with a blog. Many universities, for example, now showcase a handful of student blogs on their websites to show prospective students a glimpse of what campus life is like – an effective and cost-free recruiting tool. You’ve likely also heard of the guy who used his blog to barter from a red paperclip to a house in one year.
· Blog about your business industry itself. Network with other professionals from similar businesses and learn from them – all businesses have their own experiences. Still looking for ideas? Consult the web's largest Business Blog Search Engine and Directory by http://www.iblogbusiness.com. Browse by industry or search to see what some of your competitors are doing.
Summary
Business blogging presents a great opportunity to tap into one of the largest communication networks at a fraction of the cost in maintaining a regular Website. To do it effectively for your business, blogging must become “center plate” even though initial rewards come slower and at the expense to traditional mediums. However, with invested time, the fruits of hard work will pay off in the forms of improved customer intimacy, priceless core industry knowledge, and brand equity just to name a few. Best of all, its free for the taking!
About The Author
Christian Del Monte: Director of Operations for TMA E-Marketing has a B.S. degree in Marketing from Minnesota State University, Mankato.
He has directed and worked on Internet marketing projects for mid to large-scale clients including several fortune 500 companies. Christian continues to head up the operations for TMA as well as lead research and development on vertical search markets and business blogging.
Branding on Myspace.Com
Branding on Myspace.Com
by: Michelle Edelman
by: Michelle Edelman
On myspace today, a banner appears:
NYC Fashion Week, Spring 2007 Collections. From the runway to backstage, get your fashion fix here.
In this “noncommercial” social network, a full one-third of the homepage real estate is now promotional material. What gives?
What gives is that myspace.com has successfully evolved from a micro blogosphere to a mass medium. Branding can and should be done on myspace, but it’s not classical “branding” like you’d learn about at a desk at Wharton. This is dynamic branding.
Let me explain. When someone such as myself writes traditional advertising, we think of what single thing we want to say to our target audiences so that, given a certain number of paid impressions, that idea sinks into the collective populace and starts to produce sales. We think of an image that will rest in people’s minds as compelling and representative of the brand, like the iconic Coke bottle or the still images from iTunes.
When we look to extend brands on myspace, it’s a whole different ball game. Our brands should not look to create a single impression for many, but a myriad of relationships and images for the people who will befriend us. We need to speak in a different language… shorthanded language. The language of friendship is briefer, more intimate, and it constantly changes. It can have typos, for gosh sake! It’s not the pristine world of the print ad. That’s why some brands, like Walmart, have failed in myspace: by throwing their .com microsite content into myspace, Walmart is saying, “We don’t want to know ya. We just want to sell ya.”
Another big difference is in measuring what you’re going to get from presence on myspace. You are putting your brand out there not to be the biggest and the best among target audiences you can select from media tools, but to garner relevance among people that choose you. This idea of relevance seems like a big risk to marketers. In fact, Rob Frankel calls myspace a branding failure for this reason. Is it a failure, or simply another medium whose terms we must learn to understand and embrace in order to succeed? A brand could benefit by having more consumers who know them more intimately. Maybe brand loyalty is going to make a terrific comeback due to myspace!
A third topic that stupefies marketers is the notion of “going where the money is.” If myspace is full of people who are still primarily students, why bother with them? Shouldn’t you go where the money is, instead? Problem with this logic is that not only are kids more monetarily endowed nowadays, they’re the adults of the future. They’ll work at your company and be in the market for the stuff you sell. Befriend them early and they’ll remember you later.
At NYCA, many of us have created our own myspace accounts so we can start to really understand the people who swear by it. We know this may end up being the way to grow some of our clients’ businesses, and we’re looking for inspired ideas from the source itself.
Branding on myspace? Btr gt used 2 it, frnd.
About The Author
Michelle Edelman is vice president/director of planning at NYCA, a full-service marketing agency that grows businesses with inspired ideas. NYCA has grown business for clients like TaylorMade Golf, San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau, Rossa Putters, Maxfli Golf, ViewSonic Corp., The San Diego Union-Tribune, SignOnSanDiego.com, The EastLake Company, Kyocera Wireless, DIRECTV, Penta Water, National City Mile of Cars, AutoAnything, First Dental Health, TaylorMade Performance Labs, and others. To find out how NYCA can grow your business, log on to http://www.nyca.com
Unique ad placement
To see the article realting to these unique ads, as well as additional photos, click here.
What marketing lessons have you learned from dating?
Marketing Lessons Learned from the Dating World
By Scott Ginsberg
I have this theory that marketing and dating are the exact same thing.
Now, as a single guy (by which I mean, "not married") I've been on my share of dates.
And as a marketing guy, I've seen my share of unique ways to spread the word about ideas, products and websites.
Not it's time to merge the two and see what's been learned:
1) I was once introduced to a girl named Karen by a mutual friend. She and I clicked right away. We discussed sushi. She said she "always wanted to try it." I made a mental note. The following week I found out where she worked and stopped by her office with a little card, the front of which which had a picture of a box of California Rolls. On the inside I simply wrote, "Sushi?" and left my businsss card. I handed it to the receptionist. By the time I returned home, there was an email from Karen. She was ecstatic. We went out the next night, then dated for a few months.
LESSON LEARNED: unexpected + unique = unforgettable.
2) I'm big on gifts. Nothing fancy, just something cute to start the first date off on the right foot. More importantly, something unique. Not flowers, candy or a mixed tape. Something memorable. Now, I'd been talking to this particular girl for a few weeks. I knew that she loved (more than anything in the world) her soaps. One Life to Live, Days of Our Lives, all that stuff. So, I stopped by Walgreens to pick her up a copy of Soap Digest. I wrapped it up and had it waiting on the seat of my car when she stepped in. She almost cried when she opened it and told everyone she knew about it.
LESSON LEARNED: listen to and remember your target market's needs, then give them what they want. WOW them on the first try, and they'll tell everyone.
3) I'll never forget my first night in Portland. I'd just moved in, didn't know a soul, and wanted to meet people ASAP. My neighbor and I went to a local Karaoke Bar. We noticed a table of cute girls in the front. He said he didn't feel like talking to them. I said I would do it. So, when one of the girls from the table went up to the bar, I approached her and asked what her friend's name was sitting next to her. "Tammy, her name is Tammy. Are you going to sing to her?" she asked. "You're damn right." I put in a request for "My Girl," and ended up serenading Tammy in front of the entire bar. I was down on one knee, substituting "Tammy" for "My Girl," in the chorus. By the end of the night, I'd made friends with the whole table. Now, I didn't actually end up dating any of them, but we're still friends to this day!
LESSON LEARNED: gutsy wins the day.
4) Dating customers probably isn't a good idea. But when this sassy redhead came into my store to buy a couch, I had to at least try. So, when I packed her order for delivery, I "accidentally" forget to include her pillow. Two days later she called the store not upset, but in this sort of playful, flirtatious, "I'm pretending to be mad, so what are you going to do about it?" way. I explained to Amber that I'd overnight her pillow right away. Attached to the pillow was a note from me that said, "I'm really sorry about the mess up. I'd be happy to make it up to you by taking you out to dinner." We got together the next week and had a blast. Of course, this would have worked out a lot better if she wasn't dating a player for the LA Kings. Woops.
LESSON LEARNED: recoveries from a messed up sale often come out better than your original plan.
5) After a long night of striking out with every girl we approached, my friend Aaron decided to call it quits. "No, we're not giving up. Come on, let's try something else," I said. We went onto the floor all by ourselves and started dancing like complete idiots who didn't have a care in the world. (And at this point, we really didn't.) Before we knew it, girls were actually coming up to US and saying hello. A few hours later we ended up at a 24 hour diner on an impromtu double date. One of the girls is still a good friend of mine today!
LESSONS LEARNED: don't sell, enable people to buy; don't market, position yourself
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
What marketing lessons have you learned from dating?
© 2006 All Rights Reserved.
Scott Ginsberg, aka "The Nametag Guy," is the author of three books and a professional speaker who helps people maximize approachability, become unforgettable and make a name for themselves. To book Scott for your next association meeting, conference or corporate event, contact Front Porch Productions at 314/256-1800 or email scott@hellomynameisscott.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Ginsberg
By Scott Ginsberg
I have this theory that marketing and dating are the exact same thing.
Now, as a single guy (by which I mean, "not married") I've been on my share of dates.
And as a marketing guy, I've seen my share of unique ways to spread the word about ideas, products and websites.
Not it's time to merge the two and see what's been learned:
1) I was once introduced to a girl named Karen by a mutual friend. She and I clicked right away. We discussed sushi. She said she "always wanted to try it." I made a mental note. The following week I found out where she worked and stopped by her office with a little card, the front of which which had a picture of a box of California Rolls. On the inside I simply wrote, "Sushi?" and left my businsss card. I handed it to the receptionist. By the time I returned home, there was an email from Karen. She was ecstatic. We went out the next night, then dated for a few months.
LESSON LEARNED: unexpected + unique = unforgettable.
2) I'm big on gifts. Nothing fancy, just something cute to start the first date off on the right foot. More importantly, something unique. Not flowers, candy or a mixed tape. Something memorable. Now, I'd been talking to this particular girl for a few weeks. I knew that she loved (more than anything in the world) her soaps. One Life to Live, Days of Our Lives, all that stuff. So, I stopped by Walgreens to pick her up a copy of Soap Digest. I wrapped it up and had it waiting on the seat of my car when she stepped in. She almost cried when she opened it and told everyone she knew about it.
LESSON LEARNED: listen to and remember your target market's needs, then give them what they want. WOW them on the first try, and they'll tell everyone.
3) I'll never forget my first night in Portland. I'd just moved in, didn't know a soul, and wanted to meet people ASAP. My neighbor and I went to a local Karaoke Bar. We noticed a table of cute girls in the front. He said he didn't feel like talking to them. I said I would do it. So, when one of the girls from the table went up to the bar, I approached her and asked what her friend's name was sitting next to her. "Tammy, her name is Tammy. Are you going to sing to her?" she asked. "You're damn right." I put in a request for "My Girl," and ended up serenading Tammy in front of the entire bar. I was down on one knee, substituting "Tammy" for "My Girl," in the chorus. By the end of the night, I'd made friends with the whole table. Now, I didn't actually end up dating any of them, but we're still friends to this day!
LESSON LEARNED: gutsy wins the day.
4) Dating customers probably isn't a good idea. But when this sassy redhead came into my store to buy a couch, I had to at least try. So, when I packed her order for delivery, I "accidentally" forget to include her pillow. Two days later she called the store not upset, but in this sort of playful, flirtatious, "I'm pretending to be mad, so what are you going to do about it?" way. I explained to Amber that I'd overnight her pillow right away. Attached to the pillow was a note from me that said, "I'm really sorry about the mess up. I'd be happy to make it up to you by taking you out to dinner." We got together the next week and had a blast. Of course, this would have worked out a lot better if she wasn't dating a player for the LA Kings. Woops.
LESSON LEARNED: recoveries from a messed up sale often come out better than your original plan.
5) After a long night of striking out with every girl we approached, my friend Aaron decided to call it quits. "No, we're not giving up. Come on, let's try something else," I said. We went onto the floor all by ourselves and started dancing like complete idiots who didn't have a care in the world. (And at this point, we really didn't.) Before we knew it, girls were actually coming up to US and saying hello. A few hours later we ended up at a 24 hour diner on an impromtu double date. One of the girls is still a good friend of mine today!
LESSONS LEARNED: don't sell, enable people to buy; don't market, position yourself
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
What marketing lessons have you learned from dating?
© 2006 All Rights Reserved.
Scott Ginsberg, aka "The Nametag Guy," is the author of three books and a professional speaker who helps people maximize approachability, become unforgettable and make a name for themselves. To book Scott for your next association meeting, conference or corporate event, contact Front Porch Productions at 314/256-1800 or email scott@hellomynameisscott.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Ginsberg
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Market Segmentation
Market Segmentation
By Mary Anne Winslow
The most important reason for bringing in the marketing concept is toplace the customer needs at the centre of organisations decisionmaking. The need to adopt this approach stems from a number offactors, including increased competition, better-informed and-educatedcustomers and, most importantly, changing patterns of demand. Basically it is this change in patterns of demand that has given riseto the need to segment markets. Market segmentation can be defined asthe process of breaking down the total market for a product or serviceinto distinct sub-groups or segments where each segment mayconceivably represent a separate target market to be reached with adistinctive marketing mix. Effective segmentation is achieved whencustomers sharing similar patterns of demand are grouped together andwhere each group or segment differs in the pattern of demand fromother segments in the market.
Segmentation Bases:
a) Geographic Segmentation consists of dividing a country intoregions. If the company is bigger then, these larger regions arethen broken down into areas with individual regional managercontrolling salespeople in distinct areas. In international marketing,different countries may be deemed to constitute different marketsegments. With the hair care products geographic segmentation isquite important.
b) Demographic Segmentation is done on the basis of various factorslike age, sex, income and social class, education, nationality,political, family size and family life cycle. This is quite importantfor hair care products because different types of people likedifferent types of products at different stage of their life.
c) Behavioural Segmentation takes into account the behavioural patternof the buyer. Buyers generally have a constant buying habits. Theygenerally buy the same or the similar product and this can be used asthe base of segmentation. Such base include usage status,”light”,“medium” and ”heavy users”, Brand loyalty status, where customer canbe divided depending on their loyalty to a product or a brand,Benefits sought, that determines the principal expectation(s) that apurchaser is seeking from the product and occasions for purchase.
d) Life Style or Psychographics segmentation is based on the idea thatindividuals have characteristic patterns of living that may bereflected in the products and brands which they purchase.
This company producing hair care products can segment itself in alldifferent ways discussed above just by slightly modifying the productfor different target segments or market.
Price can be used to support the position of the range of hair careproducts.
Price is very important part of the marketing mix. The four P’s, Price, Product , Promotion and Place are the four wheels of effectivemarketing. All four of these components are quite essential for thesuccessful marketing. Among these the price takes the priority.Pricing is quite important for Survival, maximizing profit,maximizing market share, maximum market skimming, product qualityleadership. Determining demand, price sensitivity.
It is the price that motivates the consumers to buy a particularproduct mostly in the case of price sensitive products. Similarlyprice perceives the quality. It is the assumption that cheap productsare not good in quality and vice versa. So price can help inpositioning the product in a desired market. Because of the variousrange of hair care products being produced different price can be setfor different range. This will help to position the product in themarket and create an image in the mind of the consumer regarding thequality of the product.
Mary Anne Winslow is a member of Essay Writing Service counselling department team and a dissertation writing consultant. Contact her to get free counselling on custom essay writing.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Anne_Winslow
By Mary Anne Winslow
The most important reason for bringing in the marketing concept is toplace the customer needs at the centre of organisations decisionmaking. The need to adopt this approach stems from a number offactors, including increased competition, better-informed and-educatedcustomers and, most importantly, changing patterns of demand. Basically it is this change in patterns of demand that has given riseto the need to segment markets. Market segmentation can be defined asthe process of breaking down the total market for a product or serviceinto distinct sub-groups or segments where each segment mayconceivably represent a separate target market to be reached with adistinctive marketing mix. Effective segmentation is achieved whencustomers sharing similar patterns of demand are grouped together andwhere each group or segment differs in the pattern of demand fromother segments in the market.
Segmentation Bases:
a) Geographic Segmentation consists of dividing a country intoregions. If the company is bigger then, these larger regions arethen broken down into areas with individual regional managercontrolling salespeople in distinct areas. In international marketing,different countries may be deemed to constitute different marketsegments. With the hair care products geographic segmentation isquite important.
b) Demographic Segmentation is done on the basis of various factorslike age, sex, income and social class, education, nationality,political, family size and family life cycle. This is quite importantfor hair care products because different types of people likedifferent types of products at different stage of their life.
c) Behavioural Segmentation takes into account the behavioural patternof the buyer. Buyers generally have a constant buying habits. Theygenerally buy the same or the similar product and this can be used asthe base of segmentation. Such base include usage status,”light”,“medium” and ”heavy users”, Brand loyalty status, where customer canbe divided depending on their loyalty to a product or a brand,Benefits sought, that determines the principal expectation(s) that apurchaser is seeking from the product and occasions for purchase.
d) Life Style or Psychographics segmentation is based on the idea thatindividuals have characteristic patterns of living that may bereflected in the products and brands which they purchase.
This company producing hair care products can segment itself in alldifferent ways discussed above just by slightly modifying the productfor different target segments or market.
Price can be used to support the position of the range of hair careproducts.
Price is very important part of the marketing mix. The four P’s, Price, Product , Promotion and Place are the four wheels of effectivemarketing. All four of these components are quite essential for thesuccessful marketing. Among these the price takes the priority.Pricing is quite important for Survival, maximizing profit,maximizing market share, maximum market skimming, product qualityleadership. Determining demand, price sensitivity.
It is the price that motivates the consumers to buy a particularproduct mostly in the case of price sensitive products. Similarlyprice perceives the quality. It is the assumption that cheap productsare not good in quality and vice versa. So price can help inpositioning the product in a desired market. Because of the variousrange of hair care products being produced different price can be setfor different range. This will help to position the product in themarket and create an image in the mind of the consumer regarding thequality of the product.
Mary Anne Winslow is a member of Essay Writing Service counselling department team and a dissertation writing consultant. Contact her to get free counselling on custom essay writing.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Anne_Winslow
Marketing Showdown: Mainstream Methods 0 - Packaging 10
Marketing Showdown: Mainstream Methods 0 - Packaging 10
By JoAnn Hines
Mainstream marketing and advertising is dying. That's the cue for packaging to step up to the plate and take its rightful place as a powerful product marketing and branding tool. "Ad Age" recently reported that a newly released book reports that 37% of all advertising is wasted. Quite frankly, I agree. I have been studying this issue for a while and examining advertising/marketing messages (especially on packaging) and it is apparent that the new generation of advertising is weak.
Every time I see a new campaign I wonder at whom it is aimed. Most the time it is totally unclear who the product is for. Despite all that is being written about marketing to various demographic groups, the advertisers and marketers still don’t get it. And, the results are noticeable.
Some marketers are trying off-the-wall marketing campaigns. Just look at the demise of Dr. Z. Think about how much money was spent for an advertising campaign that didn't work. Every product (well almost) has a package and almost everyone has engaged in some type shopping experience. So who is your target audience and how can you reach them now that conventional methods aren't working? Smart marketers will get busy looking at their product packaging and determining how to make it "connect" with the consumer.
The prime consumers are women and seniors, for the most part, and they are continually overlooked in product packaging. Companies that do reach out to this audience typically fall back on preconceived marketing stereotypes. Pink packaging for women and silver or purple for seniors is a major no-no. These markets are enormous yet they are totally underserved and misunderstood by consumer goods manufacturers and their product packaging.
The important issue to recognize is that the package is in a position of power to capture a consumer at the first point of contact in a retail environment. It's "the first moment of truth" whether your package will connect with your buyer -- or not. It's no longer enough to simply describe what's inside the box. That idea will sink in the sea of sensory overload of competitive products.
The package needs to "engage" the consumer by clearly stating value, benefits and reasons why a consumer should make the purchase. How will purchasing the product make someone's life easier? How easy or convenient is it to use? How does it mesh with the consumer’s lifestyle? And most importantly, what's in it for the consumer once they make the purchase?
So think about to whom you are marketing. What are their needs and expectations of your product? How you can make an emotional connection with the consumer? Whether it is women or seniors or any other target demographic, you have to entice them to make the purchase. Remember, it’s not enough just to say what's inside. You need a compelling message that will engage a consumer to pick your product up off the shelf. It’s that critical --- 2.6 seconds and then you have lost them.
Be prepared for your product packaging to fill the void left by mainstream marketers who aren't connecting their products to consumers with the right message. Forget the stereotypes of product marketing. They don't work. Remember the package has the power to fill the void and send the message loud and clear!
For more insights on how to package your products to sell, come to the Packaging BootCamp workshop or call me at 1-678-594-6872 by email at PackagingDiva@aol.com
Don't wait until it’s too late. Make packaging your first thought--not your last.
I get hundreds of inquiries a month asking how to package products. Most of the time, they are in crisis mode because they did not think about the package until crunch time. I just got a call from an entrepreneur whose packaging was a disaster. She never thought about the role packaging plays in her product’s success until her retailer said "NO WAY" to her product packaging. She had to start over. As a result, she lost a great deal of money in the process.
To help others learn that lesson before it is too late, I have come up with a basic workshop offering education on packaging products to sell. Whether you are an entrepreneur, inventor, work from home mom, or a small business person with an idea or product it is imperative to understand the role packaging plays in a successful product launch. Packaging 101…it is simple and offers the basics of what you need to know.
The "Nuts and Bolts" of how product packaging works and the "How To" of packaging. Visit http://www.packagingbootcamp.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JoAnn_Hines
By JoAnn Hines
Mainstream marketing and advertising is dying. That's the cue for packaging to step up to the plate and take its rightful place as a powerful product marketing and branding tool. "Ad Age" recently reported that a newly released book reports that 37% of all advertising is wasted. Quite frankly, I agree. I have been studying this issue for a while and examining advertising/marketing messages (especially on packaging) and it is apparent that the new generation of advertising is weak.
Every time I see a new campaign I wonder at whom it is aimed. Most the time it is totally unclear who the product is for. Despite all that is being written about marketing to various demographic groups, the advertisers and marketers still don’t get it. And, the results are noticeable.
Some marketers are trying off-the-wall marketing campaigns. Just look at the demise of Dr. Z. Think about how much money was spent for an advertising campaign that didn't work. Every product (well almost) has a package and almost everyone has engaged in some type shopping experience. So who is your target audience and how can you reach them now that conventional methods aren't working? Smart marketers will get busy looking at their product packaging and determining how to make it "connect" with the consumer.
The prime consumers are women and seniors, for the most part, and they are continually overlooked in product packaging. Companies that do reach out to this audience typically fall back on preconceived marketing stereotypes. Pink packaging for women and silver or purple for seniors is a major no-no. These markets are enormous yet they are totally underserved and misunderstood by consumer goods manufacturers and their product packaging.
The important issue to recognize is that the package is in a position of power to capture a consumer at the first point of contact in a retail environment. It's "the first moment of truth" whether your package will connect with your buyer -- or not. It's no longer enough to simply describe what's inside the box. That idea will sink in the sea of sensory overload of competitive products.
The package needs to "engage" the consumer by clearly stating value, benefits and reasons why a consumer should make the purchase. How will purchasing the product make someone's life easier? How easy or convenient is it to use? How does it mesh with the consumer’s lifestyle? And most importantly, what's in it for the consumer once they make the purchase?
So think about to whom you are marketing. What are their needs and expectations of your product? How you can make an emotional connection with the consumer? Whether it is women or seniors or any other target demographic, you have to entice them to make the purchase. Remember, it’s not enough just to say what's inside. You need a compelling message that will engage a consumer to pick your product up off the shelf. It’s that critical --- 2.6 seconds and then you have lost them.
Be prepared for your product packaging to fill the void left by mainstream marketers who aren't connecting their products to consumers with the right message. Forget the stereotypes of product marketing. They don't work. Remember the package has the power to fill the void and send the message loud and clear!
For more insights on how to package your products to sell, come to the Packaging BootCamp workshop or call me at 1-678-594-6872 by email at PackagingDiva@aol.com
Don't wait until it’s too late. Make packaging your first thought--not your last.
I get hundreds of inquiries a month asking how to package products. Most of the time, they are in crisis mode because they did not think about the package until crunch time. I just got a call from an entrepreneur whose packaging was a disaster. She never thought about the role packaging plays in her product’s success until her retailer said "NO WAY" to her product packaging. She had to start over. As a result, she lost a great deal of money in the process.
To help others learn that lesson before it is too late, I have come up with a basic workshop offering education on packaging products to sell. Whether you are an entrepreneur, inventor, work from home mom, or a small business person with an idea or product it is imperative to understand the role packaging plays in a successful product launch. Packaging 101…it is simple and offers the basics of what you need to know.
The "Nuts and Bolts" of how product packaging works and the "How To" of packaging. Visit http://www.packagingbootcamp.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JoAnn_Hines
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