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Creating a Marketing Plan for Your Website

Have you created a marketing plan for your Website? If not, it is time to think about developing one. An Internet marketing plan helps you make the right day-to-day and long term decisions. Without a marketing plan it is more likely your Website will be a drain on finances rather than a business builder.

Creating a marketing plan need not be scary or difficult. It does not require a marketing degree or a lot of experience. You do, however, need to put some quality time into writing your plan. There are different ways to write a marketing plan one of which is to create a marketing plan outline (or single summary page) through a five step process.

5 Steps to Creating a Marketing Plan

Those five steps are:

1. Gather and Analyze Information

2. Verbalize Your Main Challenge(s)

3. Develop Your Website Objective(s)

4. Create Strategies

5. Choose Marketing Programs

As you create your marketing plan fill in the knowledge you gained while developing the five steps.

Step 1: Gather and analyze information.

You will need information about your company, competitors, customers, and other industry players to reference while creating the plan. This includes all you can find about how the Internet is currently being integrated in your industry with respect to products, promotions, pricing structures, and distribution channels. From this information, you can complete industry and SWOT analysis as well as identify your target customers.

Step 2: Verbalize your main challenge(s).

Write down the main Internet related challenges you want to overcome as a result of your plan. Referring to these main challenges will help keep you focused while creating your marketing plan You may even want to write your challenges down in question form - "How do we _____________?". When your marketing plan is completed, it will answer the question "How do I address these challenges?"

Step 3: Develop your Website objective(s).

The objective addresses the "big picture". Your objective answers the question "How will I overcome my main marketing challenge(s)?" in broad, general terms. If your company's main site-related challenge is figuring out how to use your Website to help build client business, for example, an objective for your Website marketing plan could be "To enhance online client service as well as build site awareness and interest with clients."

Step 4: Create strategies for the marketing plan.

Strategies support your objective, defining the general approaches you will take to meet your objective. For example, strategies to support the objective outlined in Step 3 could include 1) improve online communication, information, and education, 2) build awareness of and interest in your company on the Internet, and 3) communicate the Website's existence and advantages to existing clients.

Step 5: Choose marketing programs (tactics).

Marketing programs are where the action takes place - these are the things you will do to bring your strategies to life. Marketing programs to support strategy 2 in the above example (improve online communication, information, and education) could include 1) sharing experience and observations in your industry through participation in discussion boards, 2) offering an email newsletter, and 3) listing/submitting your site to targeted search engines and directories.

The Write Up

Once you have created a marketing plan summary by working through the five steps, there are numerous ways to create an expanded write up. If you are a company employee, there may be existing format and content you must follow. You can find some write up suggestions in "What to Include in Your Marketing Plan Write Up" at http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/Arts/WritePlan.htm [out].

After the initial plan is created, you should treat it as a work in progress. Tweak and adjust as needed in response to changing conditions. Many companies update marketing and business plans annually when developing budgets for the coming year.

Whether you are a one-person shop or part of a good-sized company, having a Website marketing plan can help your business prosper on the Web.

Brochette Kyle draws upon 12+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, Marketing MBA, and online marketing research in her writing. Brochette is proprietor of the Web Site Marketing Plan Network, http://www.WebSiteMarketingPlan.com, and author of the marketing plan and Web promotion book "How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing For Small Budget Business," ( howmuchforspider.com/TOC.htm ).

© 2002, 2004 Brochette Kyle. All Rights Reserved.

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Online Marketing Strategies for Your Business From a Web Marketing Specialist

Online marketing is exciting, challenging and make your career in the internet business and yet many people who depend on internet marketing do not have a full take hold of of the fundamentals involved in online marketing. Actually, a lot of internet entrepreneurs waste a lot of time, energy and money because you do not fully understand internet marketing. Do not let this lack of understanding can undermine your income potential. Farmhand Hussein in Soulfully has over eight years of marketable hands on internet marketing & web product development knowledge and his specialties include Web Site Implementation, SEN- PPC (Paid Search), Search Engine Optimization, E-mail & Social media marketing. Farmhand Hussein has in intensity e-commerce and internet brand information with experience in elevated volume transactions and multi channel websites. Marketing is actually rather easy. Marketing is communication about a thought, product, service or company.
Farmhand Hussein Soulfully is an excited, self motivated personality, who strives to accomplish and deliver the very best, enthusiastic to pursue a profession in the energetic field of Information Technology and within working surroundings that will in attendance innovative challenges and a scope for progression. Farmhand Hussein - Soulfully have Skills Pro, Ahrefs.com, Linked, Search metrics, Link Assistant, Google Analytics, Google, Majestic SEO, SEO Google AdWords, SEO Power Suite, Microsoft Ad Center and Webmaster Tools.
Farmhand Hussein has social media skills like Facebook Advertising, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Interest etc. He has web development skills like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Blogger.com etc. He has good idea in programming language, her programming skills are C#.NET, PHP, Java, HTML & Lisp Programming, MS SQL Server & MySQL Databases and Oracle. For you to superior appreciate internet marketing and its contact with your online business you must know the answers to these questions. Marketing is broader than simple advertising or promotion that includes market research to find out what the customers are actually demanding and then just set out in order to meet their needs with the product, price and allocation method. Marketing includes market do research, deciding on products and prices, advertising and promotion, distribution and sale.
Online Marketing also covers all the behavior involved in moving goods and services from the basis to the end user including making customers conscious of products and services, attracting original customers to a product or service, keeping accessible customers interested in manufactured goods or service, and building and maintaining a client base for a product or service. Internet marketing includes these same tricks but also pulls in a variety of internet tools including web sites, email, magazines, banner advertising, blogging search engine optimization, RSS, text links, affiliates, auto responders, and other applications ecommerce.
The range of Internet marketing expenses is huge. There are a number of promotional and marketing initiatives that can cost nothing or just pennies a day while other advertising efforts can cost thousands of dollars a day. It is significant to think about your goals - both long term and short term - as well as how much each potential consumer is worth full for you. This will help you determine a budget that works for your internet marketing campaign.

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Marketing success is to stay connected

Direct marketing is a process that adds value to their clients€™ brand value and is most focused in the market. The marketing process is something that most companies have their own methods, but the core of successful marketing is how effectively you measure your market and organize your planning across all sectors of the market.

Some of the foremost marketing companies rely on its past marketing experiences to promote the product and service of their clients. The intention of the marketing is to know how to ascertain that your brand sustain in the market among competitors and add value to the brand. Most of the time it has been noted that companies with better products or services fail to get that niche area to place their goodwill. It happens because most companies are ignorant of the market and the consumer at large. This is where marketing companies come into play as they know how to make the presence of the product felt. It normally takes 4-5 months to make a presence, but the wait is worth it and you can only make it better with good planning.

Marketing companies like Magnum Marketing Ltd need to know that they represent the face of their clients€™ product, and IA€™s the reputation and brand value that is attached with them that makes difference. Sometimes marketing companies have to bend the rule of the book and go that extra mile to achieve something. The idea is to bring about brand awareness. Sometimes you have to customize your marketing service to fit the need of the client. As economics work, most market is defined by the way demand takes place, the more the demand the more supply. So companies have to make sure they are right on target in the right time to cater the needs of the consumer, before others. The brand value is another set of example that will keep the customers flocking to you, so you just have to create that brand awareness.

Marketing companies should represent the face of their clients and every campaign should be more about how to make an impact. If possible to customize each and every individual€™s choice will work wonders, since not many companies can do that. To have a straight set of process with less flexibility serves no purpose and clients has to look outside for better service. The wider aspect of direct marketing and the success is purely based on how well you operate with clear understanding of the market and product.

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Every Successful Small Business Should Have a Marketing Plan

Every business big or small should have a marketing plan. The plan doesn't have to be large, sometimes 1 page will do the job but the act of planning itself is essential to success.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower said "In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." What I believe he meant by that is that circumstances change, battle lines change, and the enemy makes new plans but the mere act of planning always gave him advantages.
Planning for your business gives you clarity, helps you to think about your business long term. Planning for your marketing is just as crucial. You may spend a week planning and then put the plans on the shelf until next year but in the act of planning is found the key to your business success.
Today the options for getting the word out about your business are endless; electronic media, billboards, newspaper, social media, mobile marketing, email marketing, direct mail, and I have not yet scratched the surface.
If you are like most small business and I am speaking now about what I would call brick and mortar business. You have several sales people call on you each week. Some may even be your friends. It is easy to fall into the trap of buying special deals that only serve the individual you are buying from and not your business.
But if you have a plan and a budget you will not be swayed. Your marketing will have direction and if you have done your research and stick to your plan making changes when necessary your business will grow.
Take the time to sit down and think about your business and if need be get help and advice from others. Marketing is more than advertising it is everything you do to affect the opinion and purchasing decision of customers. From what a customer sees when they enter your business to decisions about display to proper training of employees.
A great marketing plan delves into every aspect of your business and every part of your business that affects the customer and their decision to buy or leave. The marketing plan must include a budget.
The budget can include but not be limited to advertising costs, uniform costs if applicable. Training of employees should be included and ongoing. Make sure as you roll out the marketing plan you include your employees in the plan. Your employees are on the front line each day and may know your customers and their needs and wants better than you.
Take the time now to write your marketing plan and it will pay dividends long term. Don't worry if you struggle at first and your first efforts are imperfect. As you continue to work on marketing in your business you will get very good at planning and you will have a huge advantage over those businesses that do no planning at all.

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The Contribution Of Marketing In The Business Boardroom

Executive Summary Marketing's Contribution on a Board There is an unfortunate, not to mention utterly baffling reality occurring in organizations today of all different sizes, scopes and industries: the under-appreciation of the function of Marketing as a significant and valuable force in conducting successful business. Instead of seeing Marketing as it should be, that is, a powerful engine of research, innovation, development and communication, the Boards often misjudge it as a pseudoscientific art that has little impact on their bottom line. The Boardroom is where the overall business goals are introduced, discussed, reviewed and approved, and yet quite commonly, a Board Director with a background in the function that is the muscle power of developing corresponding strategies and tactics to achieve these very goals- i.e.: Marketing- is completely absent. Board Directors with the typical Financial, Operational or Legal backgrounds are not familiar with and therefore do not appreciate such vital activities as communicating directly with customers, developing brand image campaigns or conducting research on customer behavior in order to determine how best to position the product- a Marketing professional however is. Whilst Financial, Operational and Legal backgrounds are strong contributors on the Board, it is time to emphasis the missing gap: the strategy driving Marketing function. The root of the issue essentially boils down to an underlying misunderstanding and undervaluation of what a Marketing Board Director can contribute. Demonstration Of Marketing Value The Gap Of Undervaluation The article, A Seat At The Boardroom Table, mentions that Robert McLuhan, the Managing Director of Alexander McLuhan & Son, admitted he referred to Marketing as "practitioners of the dark arts."[1] My own father, Neil Merlot, CFO of Grace Worldwide, referred to Marketing as "The ministry of good times and novel contributions." In order for a Board to see the value of a Director with a Marketing perspective, the value of Marketing's contribution to organizational success must be correctly demonstrated. The time has essentially come to foster a culture that looks beyond the tainted reputation of gimmicks, give-always, cheesy jingles and pretty pictures that Marketing has unfortunately gained throughout the years, and instead rebuild a solid, respected reputation for the function as an arsenal of powerful, driving solutions for the ultimate benefit of the organization; only then will the Board Members believe that Marketing is an asset in the Boardroom. Marketing's negative reputation is compounded by the fact that, unlike other functions that are always on a Board, such as Legal Counsel and Finance, a Marketing Professional can often be seen as a practicer of pseudo science or an 'ace-in-the-hole' when the sales team need that little extra support to reach a set target. That's because Marketing is a function that isn't always accurately measurable or rational on paper- both at strategy and result levels. It's very difficult to justify an expensive communication campaign to raise brand awareness in a target market that is comprised of unique people. Scott Stratton describes it perfectly in his book, Narrating[2]. He says it's not solely ROI (Return On Investment), an accurate and commonly used measure, that drives business success; it's more ROHR (Return On Relationships) which Marketing cultivates that produces the greatest outcome; and that is really hard to calculate tangibly. Therefore, the buck stops with Marketing to overcome this 'gap of undervaluation': the Board won't decide to include and appreciate Marketing with no evidence- it must be proven and justified as an asset, both in and outside of the Boardroom. Marketing's role is to externally communicate to unpredictable Human Beings; you cannot plug in lines of accurate code with people to have them all behave in a way profitable to a business; some of the segment will reject the message, others will love it, more still will misinterpret the campaign and others will be too busy to even notice. There is no perfect solution to a problem when working with people, whether they are running organizations or individual consumers, hence the misconception and resulting undervaluation of the role of Marketing in an organization. Marketing: Helping Guide The Submarine Therefore, it's time to dispel these misconceptions and take Marketing off the side-line. Marketing needs to be seen not as an offshoot of support to the Operations/Sales teams, but as a strategic partner worthy of valuable contribution in the Boardroom. After all, due to the very nature of how Marketing works, it is the function with the finger on the pulse of the industry and its customers: how can a Boardroom steer an organization to greater heights whilst such an informed contributor is not present? Consider this analogy: It's like a submarine (the organization) without a periscope or sonar (Marketing), instead, relying on mathematical instruments (Finance) and a previously drawn map (Operations) alone to guide the course and hoping it reaches the destination successfully (Strategic Business Goals). What if the water current changes (market trends)? What if the depth is unpredicted (market demographics)? How can you keep an eye on other submarines (competitors) to ensure no collisions or direct attacks? Marketing cannot be on the beach, with a two-way radio to the Board Member crew; it needs to be there playing its role actively together with the rest of the crew. The world's industries are changing at an exponentially increasing rate and organizations cannot afford to wait to finally come to the realization that the role and importance of Marketing has never been greater. Marketing is the function that is researching the shifting trends and fluctuating demographics of an organizations' customers in order to predict and respond appropriately for the benefit of the organization. How can an organization rely on a Board with such a vital contributor is absent? Application Of Marketing Techniques Placing The Correct Value On Marketing: Contribution and Results As outlined above, Marketing revolves around creating and monitoring the essential flow of information to and from external sources and the organization, and in doing so, it defines, locates and retains customers for financial gain and organizational growth. The value of Marketing to the Boardroom therefore equates to both its initial tactical contribution at the goals and objective setting stage, and the measurable results and outcomes of its efforts. Marketing's Contribution To a Board planning and developing future goals and targets, Marketing's value lies both in: 1. The provision of information regarding external trends, characteristics, opportunities and threats that will effect these objectives, as well as; 2. The conceptualization of a marketing strategy which effectively harnesses the strengths of the organization, aligned to meet these set objectives. Referring back to the submarine analogy, a Board setting goals must appreciate and be aware of the current and predicted future market landscape. Marketing, as a function, should be a major asset here as their efforts lie directly in contact with the market itself. If a competitor is having a particularly strong effect on the market, the major consumers are becoming more price-inelastic, or a recent breakthrough has made certain products redundant, Marketing can not only share this vital information with the Board, it can explain what impacts this will have on the current organizational objectives and suggest multiple options and tactical strategies to circumnavigate detrimental hurdles, as well as appropriately pursue advantageous and innovative opportunities. This is the benefit of inviting Marketing to participate in the Boardroom: such critical information should not be discounted or dismissed entirely. Such an oversight is an unnecessary detriment to organizational success. Why would an organization, therefore, think to exclude Marketing on the Board? Are the Board are willing to forego such advantages as already described above? Marketing's Reciprocal Obligation Expectantly, it is a two-way street for Marketing to be included in the Boardroom. A Board with a Marketing member can assess and evaluate the Marketing concepts and strategy to ensure that the function has fully appreciated the other functions' roles, responsibilities and perspectives. The Board can also actively interpret and ensure that the Marketing Okapis' align with budget, organizational and financial objectives, essentially removing the 'practicing of the dark arts' perception: by inviting Marketing to the Boardroom, the organization shines a large light over Marketing's efforts, which in effect, will assist with dispelling the pseudo science misrepresentation. Marketing's Outcomes and Results Pinning down Marketing's often intangible outcomes and results can be a difficult task- one that significantly adds to the under-appreciation of the function itself. However, it isn't as shrouded as it may seem to other Board members, should a Marketing Board member be included. Every function's responsibility essentially lies with their direct impact and performance success on the organizations' business plan and marketing is no exception to this. All functions are tasked with their objectives to make their appropriate contribution to the organizations' goals and, in Marketing's case, that is tangible and intangible corporate value. Tangible value is the most solid due to the hard facts. In reality, straight hard figures reverberate the most in the Boardroom setting and include metrics such as direct customer responses to advertising, revenue growth, statistics from traceable online advertising, and figures from such activities as Product Familiarization/Loyalty Programs. However this is scratching the surface: as mentioned, it can be the intangible Return On Relationship (ROHR) results that demonstrate Marketing's effectiveness, however measuring these can be difficult. This in mind, a Boardroom can invite Marketing and focus on the value leveraged from the concept of marketing assets[3]. Marketing Assets are the leverage able value from intangible marketing elements, such as profitable good-will, reputable brand names, successful brand image, deep brand awareness penetration, the discovery of a profitable niche, a compelling advertising campaign, contributing marketing intelligence and so on. The issue here is that, often a Board vaguely accepts the value of these Marketing Assets, but fails to truly appreciate the scope of their impacts on organizational success and profitability. You cannot put a yearly mathematical depreciation formula on a brand name, for example. Therefore, by including Marketing in the Boardroom, the vagueness can be removed by an explanation of how to assign correct metrics to such Assets in order to demonstrate the impact they have. These metrics are best assessed in a dynamic way by comparing continual past and future results of each Marketing Asset each time the Board meets. By viewing the value of each asset over several periods, unusual outliers and unexpected circumstances 'smooth out' and true value can be calculated. For example, Marketing can provide intelligence about competitors in the market through their research. This can be valued by the Board based on how such ongoing knowledge not only allowed the organization to be better prepared over the last few quarters, but how well the developed Marketing Strategies assessed such threats and turned them into opportunities. Another example is the value and contribution of a Brand. Brand awareness and perception are difficult to mathematically assess, however dynamically comparing unprompted and prompted consumer response to a brand, as well as its relevance in the market will indicate the potential earning capability it could generate. For example, Apple as a technology brand was seen as a technological leader and innovator in the market from around 2010 to 2012, and therefore, Apple's Board, with a strong appreciation of Marketing, could accurately assess high profitable return to be leveraged off this good-will. However in 2013, to their detriment, Apple's Board could view the Brand was weakening in the market now due to aggressive competitors and a far less innovative brand offering[4]. The Late and Former CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, was always a strong advocator of the value of Marketing at Board level toward organizational success[5]. The Apple example provides a good basis for the argument. The Board can assess past Marketing and organizational efforts that strengthened the Brand in previous periods (2010-2012) and investigate why a change has occurred in more recent periods. The Board, with Marketing present, would most likely determine that there was a distinct and direct correlation between the decline in their Brand's strength and their falling market share, due to their recent Apple products being far less ground-breaking and their marketing campaigns far less unique and consistent with Apple's funky, fresh image. Therefore, the next time the Board meets, the role of Marketing can be appropriately valued and more aggressively targeted to boost the next period's results. By including the Marketing function in the Apple Boardroom, the Executive Team are better equipped to appreciate the decline and re-evaluate the organizational goals and strategies to address the treats to the business. Organizational Synergy: A More Complete Boardroom A successful Boardroom contributes best when it correctly appreciates all of a business' separate systems: this should definitely include Marketing, not because it is a budget-draining misunderstood 'pseudo science' of unproved, unpredictable and immeasurable efforts, but a powerful contributor and resource. A Boardroom with a Marketing member that understands this will be better equipped to value, manage and utilize the function for the extremely valuable contributions it can produce. ---- References [1] Linder, J. A Seat At The Boardroom Table. Business Review Weekly. August 1-7, 2013. PG 47-49. [2] Stratton, S. (2012) Narrating. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [3] Australian Marketing Institute. Deloitte. Marketing's role in the boardroom- An evaluation framework for boards and directors. July 2013. Page 10. [4] Marketing Mag. Corporate Reputation Index: Apple falls, Toyota Rises and banks bite back. 22 April 2013. Accessed 24/08/2013. [5] Reynolds, G. Steve Jobs on marketing and identifying your core values. October, 2011. Accessed 27/8/2013. Christopher Merlot Merlot Media: Freelance Copywriting http://melottimedia.com.au

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Advantages of an Internet Marketing Site

Marketing does cost a lot particularly if lots of resources happen to be committed to the marketing strategy. Internet marketing via web-site otherwise known as an internet marketing website doesn't need lots of funds. Exactly why costs are less in internet marketing is simply because there aren't any expenses for stuff like transport classes for marketing a good product, the only real section of concern in internet marketing would be the expense of placing the cost and working with a search engine marketing company to guarantee that it is highly ranked. There's even no demand for considering budgeting for billboard, television and newspaper marketing.

An internet marketing website could be linked directly into seriously popular web-sites that can make it fully visible. The visibility of a website may be the main part of concern when it comes to marketing with an internet site. Reason why this linking is done is because there's a lot of traffic in social network blogs and having an internet site linked to such a web site will offer higher probability of being accessed. A well balanced and successful search engine marketing company contains the knowledge and experience of linking up these websites together for purposes.

Nearly all target market groups are reached to by online marketing web pages. A business site will draw in a considerable amount of investors and even fellow entrepreneurs. Social networks and shopping websites will entice the youth and even adults. So an online marketing website can be built in this manner that it may reach peoples of all age brackets. This erases the necessity of having to create various sites for various target groups. A single website could be used up also it would likely still serve everyone who visits it particularly if they've one common product or service which gives them a common goal. A search engine internet marketing company might help set such a website up.

Since a lot of consumers are constantly using the web due to rapid rate of technology change, then an internet marketing internet site is much more offered to them. Internet campaigns are manageable and trying out an internet marketing strategy will only require an ad server. A search engine marketing company will set in the server and monitor the internet activity and thereafter determine whether the strategy is working or not. With online marketing, the vital part is to make sure that the web site gets extremely ranked. When this happens, then the web-site is going to be noticeable.

An additional factor that some internet marketing tips don't get into enough is market research. You could be able to see who your biggest competitors are by doing a simple search, however what about your secondary keywords? There is a good chance that competing websites are outranking you for a lot of important reasons, and it might have nothing to do with back linking. Is your rebound rate too high, or even are you not didn't develop a mailing list? Unless you have tried to interest your visitors by utilizing every angle that you can think of, you won't ever outrank your competition. Hopefully, you are able to make use of these helpful internet marketing tips and see a marked alternation in your traffic amounts.

For more information about Internet Marketing visit: http://www.internetmarketingy.com/for/internet-marketing-experts

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5 Internet Marketing Strategies for a Small Budget

Gaining the attention of your target clients is very vital in driving up sales. This is why each business, big or small, requires some very powerful internet market strategies to service the red-hot competition in this age. Sometimes it occurs that you are running on a very tight budget. This means you might not be in a good position to hire a top-notch marketer. However, there are a few simple yet effective tips which you can employ to give just the best competitive edge that you require. Now here are very effective, in fact, proven inexpensive strategies to get you going with your marketing goal.

Free Gifts To Celebrities For Endorsement
Politicians get endorsed in the campaigns. They know what it means to be endorsed by a celebrity or a respected member of the community. As a marketer, you need endorsement for your products so that you can get more people asking for it. Now, if you are running on small budget, of course you might not get those global celebrities to your side easily. But you can use you local celebrity. In your backyard is a teacher or dog-trainer who people talk about most. Get them to them to say something about your products. Just send free gifts to them and follow up with them in a few days to seek their honest opinion about the gifts you sent them. If they return an approval, let your target audience know that your products carry the endorsement of that famous dog-trainer or teacher.

Strong Social Media Presence
Today every marketer knows that the people they need are on social media. You too should aim to hit this gold mine with a bang, only that you should be choosy. It is not just that Twitter or Facebook account that will get things moving your way. No, think outside the box. As mentioned earlier, every marketer is baying for the attention and nod of people on the big social media platforms like the ones already mentioned. But you can take a different route, for instance, create a LinkedIn group. Post useful and fresh content for your professional network and link this to your marketing page so that you can channel traffic there. The rule of the game is that you should not hard-sell on your professional network, doing this can dent your image.

Tap into the power of popular niche blogs
In your industry, there are already bloggers who rule the online atmosphere. Do not be jealous about their fat traffic. Instead, tap into that resource. You can offer free gifts to the bloggers so that they can tryout and write a post on it. Also, you can ask them to allow you write a guest post on their platforms and then backlinks to your own page. This is a very effective away to drive target eyeballs to your marketing page.

Tap the potential of video sharing platforms
YouTube a lone has nearly 1 billion unique visitors on a monthly basis. And there are several video sharing platforms besides YouTube, so if you can create a powerful marketing video clip of your product, there is no way you can fail to drive a good chunk of these visitors to your marketing landing page. Avoid lengthy videos, just show something that would excite someone to action and there you have it. even if you are running on a tight budget, you can get someone to do a good promotional video for you for less that $10. Just get to the freelancing sites like lance and Freelancer.

Using e-book for marketing campaign
The most storied marketers out there understand the power of e-books. First, they are easy and cheap to create. Just like video marketing, you can get someone on the aforementioned freelancing sites to create you a powerful e-book. Basically, you can just convert your own blog posts into an e-book and then offer it up for sale on platforms like Amazon.com. Remember you aim is not to generate profits from cover prices; instead, you are looking to squeeze the traffic juicy part of it. So be sure to include links to your site on the first few pages of the book.

As you can see, these strategies may look very familiar; however, it is the approach you take that would let you make the most out of them. Remember that as your competitors will be sinking huge dollars into their marketing campaign, you can get all these done without spending a dime. And this makes enough business sense.

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Advantages of Hiring Melbourne Promo Staff From A Reputed Agency Only

In today€™s ever-changing marketing world, field marketing or experiential marketing has become an inevitable part of any marketing activity. Now, companies frequently hire Melbourne promo staff in order to help boost their brand image, use them at marketing events, and steer sales and traffic for their company. It is always advised to hire a reputable, esteemed promotional staffing agency only. By doing this, you will realize what difference good quality promo staff can bring to your endorsement, as opposed to inexperienced staff. An experienced and reputed promotional staffing agency will sign up first-rate promotional and product sampling staff only, so that they can leave a positive impression on their customers. You can hire promotional models at different kinds of marketing events, including trade shows, corporate functions, product launches, exhibitions, street-based promotions etc.

What good Melbourne promo staff can do?

By hiring Melbourne promo staff from a reputed agency, you will be able top create genuine connections with your customers, and leave a long-lasting impression for your company. With their flexible lifestyle and outgoing nature, experienced promotional staff will be able to go down well with your varied promotional pursuits. If you aim at maximizing your company€™s impact and success, it is always advisable to hire a viable and experienced promo staff only. They will have a sense of perfection in everything they do, so that your prospective customers receive a clear-cut message about your company, including its products and services. They will be able to create an authentic link with your consumers, and the results that you receive can not be better.

What bad promotional staff will do?

If you hire novice, inexperienced, unprofessional promotional staff for your company€™s marketing, they may do irreparable damage to your company€™s overall reputation. Ultimately, the consumers may ultimately guess that your brand is not reputed in the market, and not good enough to satisfy their requirements and expectations. You can avoid this sorry situation by hiring Melbourne promo staff from a reputed promo staffing agency. With their expertise and experience, they will be able to carry your brand image and company message more effectively. Hiring apt promo staff that can successfully catch up with your brand will often produce positive results for your company.

Promotional models engaged at a reputed promotional staffing agency will intend at bringing positive differences to any marketing event, no matter how small or large scale it is. Best promotional staff is the one that can comprehend the importance of each and every customers that comes to your event, and make a long-lasting impression on his or her mind. With their sense of self assurance, sales panache and product affinity, they will just do the things that are favorable for your company€™s sales and reputation. You cannot deny the significance of having an experienced Melbourne promo staff at your event, as it will play a significant role in promoting your company, increasing your client base, and making you a success in the industry.

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Midsized Company Marketing Communications Budget Planning

This is the time of year when most companies, brands and nonprofits are involved with developing their marketing communications plans and budgets for next year. This is not an easy task in any year but, whether you're already deeply involved in the process, or just starting, the task is even more challenging this year given the continuing global and economic uncertainties.
More than ever, increased accountability and scrutiny of the decision-making process is a necessity for improving marketing communications ROI. Customers, whether existing or new, have a multitude of choices for evaluating and selecting a product or service, so it's extremely important to be on the same page with them.
What follows recommends a three-pronged approach to help you develop a budget and plan to profitably impact your marketplace.
Understand Your Customer Target Audience
Like most managers, you probably believe you fully understand the wants and needs of your customers, as well as their knowledge of your brand. But with so many new methods available to customers for comparing your brand to competition, are you really sure?
Is it smart to plan and commit your precious marketing communication dollars to what you think you know about customers? Maybe it would be a lot smarter to learn directly from them what they want, and how you stack up to their needs.
Ultimately, that means market research. Whether you're a B2B, B2C or a nonprofit marketer, now is the time to learn from your customer.
  • What attributes or qualities are important to them in selecting a brand? Beyond price, what other factors influence their purchase decision?
  • How do they rate your brand versus competition? What are your strongest and weakest attributes, and what do you need to improve?
Wouldn't you feel more secure in your decision making if you had concrete answers to these questions before you develop, much less commit to, budgets? And don't forget about making sure you understand your employees or distributors. They're your first line of brand advocacy. Their beliefs may not line up with your customers' beliefs, and could lead to lost opportunities or lost sales. Look before you leap.
A Marketing Communications Audit Can Sharpen Your Message
Once you completely understand your customer, the next step is to focus on your message. The single greatest source of leverage you have is the quality of messaging, whether it's a television commercial, a post on a Facebook page, your website, articles, blogs or whitepapers. When messaging fails to deliver, it's usually not the platforms that fail, but rather the lack of integrated focused brand communications.
A marketing communications audit, conducted by outside consultants who don't have a vested interest or an ax to grind, can - like a financial audit - be an enormous benefit. It will tell you whether all of the creative elements you employ - subject matter, graphics, copy, and tone and manner - are working together with one clear and meaningful message to your customers, as well as your employees.
An additional benefit of a marketing communications audit is its ability to help determine your communications mix and resulting budgets. For instance, based on customer needs, perhaps more should be spent in content marketing, with articles and blogs, and less in paid advertising, consumer promotions or coupons. Just make sure all of your messaging is saying the same thing to meet those customer needs. It's a matter of reinforcing the image you want to convey and trust in your brand.
Consider Marketing Communications Consultants
No one is doubting that smart, dedicated people have been involved in developing your marketing communications budget and plan. But, if you're like most midsized companies, your people are probably stretched to the limit.
Consider partnering with an established, senior level consultant to help your team develop, refine and, if appropriate, implement your programs. Above all, make sure a consultant has extensive experience across disciplines, industries and brands, and isn't trapped by "this is the way we've always done it" thinking. An apolitical team, with a willingness to "tell it like it is", with fresh eyes can be a major asset to your profitable growth.
In today's unsettled environment, an upfront focus on developing budgets and plans can go a long way to improving marketing communications ROI.
Gary Kullberg is the CEO of the Kullberg Consulting Group, LLC ( http://www.KullbergConsultingGroup.com ), founded in 1994 to provide companies and nonprofits with strategic and executional marketing communications solutions. The Company consists of sixty entrepreneurially driven senior level professionals, across disciplines, who have worked with over 585 organizations in 21 major industry groups. Because of its unique structure, clients are able to "cherry pick" the specific disciplines(s) to meet their needs, in a timely, cost efficient and unbiased manner. Gary is considered an authority in the B2B, B2C and nonprofit marketplaces. He has served as the outsourced Chief Marketing Officer for three companies, as well as on five nonprofit Executive Boards, one as Vice Chair and two as Chair.

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Disclaimer Policy

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by us. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content. The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified.

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Building Marketing Plans Using the Customer Buying Cycle

Are you ready to build a marketing plan?
Defining a target market and understanding the Customer Buying Cycle are keys to the development of an effective marketing plan.
Here is what you need to know to start that development.
Who is your target market?
Although you may want to sell your product or service to everyone, it may not be practical nor a good fit. You need to focus on a segment of the total population that is the best target for your offering and you need to learn as much about them as you possibly can. For example, who are they, where do they live, what is the 'pain' they are trying to solve, and how do they shop. A well-defined target market is the most crucial piece of an effective marketing plan and will be the backbone.
How do they purchase?
Once you have defined your target market, you need to understand how they make their purchase decisions and develop activities that will influence those decisions.
There are six distinct steps that an individual goes through when making a purchase decision. Some of these steps may be done instinctively when a simple purchase is involved (e.g. a magazine or a pair of shoes). However, deciding on a larger purchase (e.g. a car or a new home) may require more time and more thought as the buyer moves toward their purchase decision.
Regardless of the $ value of the purchase, buyers will flow through the following stages: Awareness, Knowledge, Liking, Preference, Commitment and Buy. Each of these important steps has its own unique attributes and cannot be skipped.
The ultimate goal of a good marketer is to reach the right target market and have them take an action leading to a specific result. Satisfied customers become loyal customers and will refer your product or service to others. You need to create activities in your plan that will help guide prospective purchasers through the buying cycle towards the desired outcome.
Marketing for each stage has unique definitions, goals and activities. Below we provide a definition, goals for the target market and for the marketer and typical activities for each stage.
To illustrate each stage, we will use the example of buying a car. It is important to realize that purchasing a service (instead of a product) would follow the same cycle and stages.
Stage 1 - Awareness
Definition: Realizing; being conscious of something
Goal for the Target Market
In the Awareness stage, the target market realizes they have a problem to solve. In the example of a car purchase, the customer has a transportation problem. They will start to consider different options - public transit, car pooling, or buying a car. They need to become aware of all their options including the different car companies.
Goal for the Marketer
As a marketer, you need to make your presence known and attract the attention of potential customers so that you are included in their list of solutions to their problem. You want your target market to receive a glimpse of who you are and what you are offering. In our car purchase example, you need to make the buyer aware that you make and sell good cars. The goal is to get the buyer a bit excited and looking for more information about your product or service.
Typical Activities
Typical activities or tactics for creating awareness might be an advertisement in the local newspaper or on the radio, or business cards or the creation of a new website.
Stage 2 - Knowledge
Definition: a body of facts accumulated over time; the fact of knowing
Goal for the Target Market
Here, the target market is looking for more information about any of the options that have piqued their interest. They will gather information to help them narrow down the list. In our car example, they will try to find out more about different car manufacturers through brochures, websites, magazines or car shows.
Goal for the Marketer
The marketer must ensure that there is enough information available to their potential customers in places where they can find it. In our car example, you want to provide them with information about your different car models and to provide that information where they will go - i.e. car dealerships, websites, car shows, detailed ads in car magazines, or reviews.
Typical Activities
You want activities that will allow you to provide additional detail on your product or service. Advertising with product information or user examples, a direct mail package or brochures will help provide knowledge.
Stage 3 - Liking
Definition: having the same characteristics; similar; equal; to be pleased with
Goal for the Target Market
The target market has now gathered information on several of their options and they need to determine which ones they like and which ones they can eliminate. In our car example, they are ready for a test drive, to read an existing customer testimonial or to review a detailed product comparison in a car magazine.
Goal for the Marketer
The goal for the marketer is simple - create liking for your product or service. You need to create activities that strengthen your position with the potential customer. In our car example, you need to provide a positive experience when they visit the showroom or read an article in a magazine.
Typical Activities
Customer references, telemarketing, a demo or test-drive are activities that would help guide a potential customer towards liking your solution.
Stage 4 - Preference
Definition: the act of choosing or favouring one above another
Goal for the Target Market
Now, the target market needs to decide which option they prefer on their short list. They continue to gather more information and may seek out recommendations from friends and family. In our car example, they may take another test drive with a family member or start to focus on more specific areas for comparison like warranty or awards.
Goal for the Marketer
The marketer needs to ensure the target market chooses his offering above the competitors. You need to be aware of what is most important for customers and highlight how you provide those particular benefits. In our car example, you may be aware that safety and financing are important to your target market. You will need to highlight those areas and provide proof of how you outperform your competitors.
Typical Activities
Marketing activities in this stage could include customer testimonials, pricing comparisons, usability comparisons or special offers to help the market solidify their choice. In our car example, pricing and special deals could be used to help create preference.
Stage 5 - Commitment
Definition: To entrust; to consign; to involve; to pledge
Goal for the Target Market
In this stage, the target market has to make a commitment to their preferred choice. They may review all the information received earlier and will seek out positive reinforcement for their decision. The target customer is ready to take another action - asking about a contract, purchase options or incentives, walking with the product to the cash or placing an online order.
Goal for the Marketer
Having a channel ready at this stage to help facilitate the commitment will ensure the deal is closed promptly and smoothly for your customer. Setting up and having the appropriate channels stocked with product and ready to fulfill orders smoothly is very critical to successful purchases. A good marketer will have activities in their plan to educate the sales teams and the channels (e.g. dealers). In our car example, providing financing and pricing offers as well as offering a great warranty will help the customer commit.
Typical Activities
Marketing activities might include sales training, customer service and purchase incentives.
Stage 6 - Buy/Sell/Loyalty
Definition: Buy - to purchase; to acquire in exchange; to believe.
Goal for the Target Market
Their goal is to purchase their desired option. They want to make a final decision and exchange money for your product or service. They want to sign the contract or purchase order, provide payment and walk out the door with their purchase. In our car example, they are handing over the check and taking delivery of their new car.
Goal for the Marketer
The marketer needs to achieve two goals - the acquisition of a customer and the retention of that customer. You need to ensure your customers have a positive purchase experience, leave with a smile and a desire to return to you or to recommend you to others. In our car example, that might include reducing the paperwork to get the deal done, a deal on services, a thank-you letter or gift.
Typical Activities
A smooth purchase process will help the target market make their purchase. It is also important to have activities following the purchase such as a repeat or referral incentive, easy access to service, an online support group, or a newsletter. This will help keep your customer group engaged and content.
Summarizing the Buying Cycle
Focusing on a specific target market and how they move through the Awareness to Buy Cycle will help you create a successful marketing plan with appropriate activities. The steps and the process are not myths; they are real and are integral components in a customer's purchasing decision.
Sometimes, we are in a hurry to get the end result and we want to skip steps and make assumptions about our target market. In most instances, this results in work having to be re-done, timelines extended and an increase of expenses. Taking the time to do the thinking and the planning will pay off in the long run with a successful marketing plan, satisfied customers and a good ROI.
Please look on http://www.tmt-solutions.com for our next article in the series - Choosing a Target Market. More detail will be shared and each subsequent article will talk about each stage in the Awareness to Buy Cycle.

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Marketing Tips to Find Customers for Your Business

If you're not attracting customers willing to pay your fees it may be that you are either delivering the wrong marketing message, pitching to the wrong crowd--or both! You have just one chance to make a great first impression with potential customers. Be sure to deliver the right message to the right audience.
Often, very talented and capable business owners who are very good at what they do, simply are not trained marketers. It is amazing how many spend tons of cash to have someone design a pretty logo and slick marketing tools that will never bring a response, simply because the materials focus on the company rather than the most important party in any transaction--the customer.
It's important for you, the business owner, to truly understand exactly who your ideal customer is and what moves that individual to purchase the type of product or service you offer. You can start by creating a general "client profile" or description of your "best" customer:
1. Demographics (information such as geographical location, age, gender, income).
2. Psychographics (what truly motivates the buyer to choose and purchase the product).
3. How your ideal prospects spend their time (what types of organizations they join, what they read, where they tend gather--especially in groups with other ideal customers).
Where to Find Prospects
When you have a clear picture of the ideal prospect in mind you can more easily figure out where to connect with people who are more likely to buy your goods and services. For example, knowing what publications they read can help you determine where to place ads or generate earned media coverage. Knowing where they tend to gather (i.e. professional association meetings, community events, networking groups) can help you create an effective networking plan. Knowing how your ideal client tends to utilize the Internet can help you connect on social media.
What to Say: Your Marketing Message
1. Be able to briefly and clearly describe what your company does in 30 seconds or less. (This brief description is often referred to as an "elevator speech").
2. Make sure your marketing message clearly describes what you do and the customer benefits of working with you (results your clients will experience).
3. Always present a clear "call to action"--in other words, be able to describe the next steps an individual or organization can take to learn more or work with you.
Bottom line: Know--really know your customer. Make sure your message demonstrates that you understand his or her needs, and that your company is the right choice to meet or exceed those needs.
Want to use this article? Feel free, as long as you also include the following:
Juana, a business communication consultant, works with organizations and professionals seeking to communicate more effectively with internal and external clients to increase visibility, credibility, buy-in and revenues. J-Hart Communications delivers group workshops, consulting and one-on-one coaching in marketing and public relations, presentation skills and communicating change. For more information, visit Juana at http://www.jhart.tv or call (702) 257-6646.

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Mobile Marketing - Building Brand Loyalty

There is a lot of potential out there in using mobile marketing, but there is also a lot of risk. Just as you can easily pick up a large network of leads, you have to remember that you can quickly lose every one of them if you're not considered trustworthy. Here are some tips to help you build up customer loyalty.
Treat Your Loyal Customer Well
Always be good to your loyal customers. If a customer is purchasing from you on a regular basis, offer them different coupons and discounts. This will go a long way toward building a sense of loyalty. The customer will realize that there's something in it for them if they keep shopping with you.
Give Something for Free
More than offering up a coupon or some type of discount code for a future purchase, you can always give something away for frequent purchases. For instance, if a customer purchases two items from you, you can throw in a third item for free. This item doesn't have to be something of great value. Think about an eBook or free shipping or something in that area.
Don't Spam
Always respect a customer's privacy. When they opt into your mobile network, they're giving you valuable information via their cellular phone numbers. This information could easily be used for nefarious purposes; and even spamming their phone's inbox is going over the line. So you have to make sure that you're always respecting privacy. Never leave unwanted messages and never give that personal information away to anyone.
Ask for Feedback
You should always be willing to ask members within your mobile network for feedback on your business. You will find out exactly what you're doing incorrectly by asking someone for their honest opinion. You might not like what you hear, but you need to hear it.
Be Honest
If you have a lead or customer out there with whom you're communicating, you should let them know what your intentions are. You're not trying to be their friend. You're not talking for the sake of talking. You're trying to sell a product and any lead needs to know this up front.
Test, Test and Test Again
Certain things you do in marketing are going to have more success than other things you try, so you always need to monitor your progress. Unless you're monitoring what you're doing and how it's going, you're never going to know where to change or to adapt your strategy.
Get Your Pricing Right
Unless you're monitoring the market's prices per your respective niche, you won't know for sure just how to price your products. Using your best guess or offering what you think is a great deal is a surefire way to lose money. You need to offer prices within the competitive market range.
Show Your Appreciation
No matter if you're dealing with a one-time customer, a repeat customer, or even a lead that doesn't become a customer at all, it's important that you're always showing appreciation. Never neglect to speak kindly and always remember to say thank you.
The more you focus on your customers, the more loyalty you're going to build. Use the tips provided above to help you become a more customer-friendly businessperson.
For more great information on ways to improve your marketing efforts come to http://blog.whitebullmarketing.com/mobile-marketing-sms-tips-for-your-success/ Now.

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Enhancing the Value of Your Small Business With a Professional Marketing Strategy

The valuation of a small business is not an exact science - but there are some solid, commercial indicators which all small business owners should be aware of.
Before we embark on this short exploration of adding value to your small business with professional marketing, we'll actually begin this journey at our end-point to ensure a satisfactory outcome: Your profitable exit.
Have you ever thought of what you'd like to do when you are no longer running your business?
Your business is a 'means to an end'. It's simply a vehicle of choice to get you to where you want to be in the future. Notwithstanding, we strive for excellence in our endeavours from which others (particularly our customers) will derive benefits. The question remains though - when your time in this business draws to a close, will all your efforts have been enough to ensure a safe arrival at your desired destination?
Whether your goal is a target capital sum for a bigger business venture, or perhaps a lump sum for an annuity, the fact remains there are some serious financial sums to do.
Value is the key to accessing your planned exit. But how do you define the value? Who determines if what my business has is valuable? And exactly how much value do I need in order to exit safely?
The root answer can be seen in the following statement: "The net profit of a business is the source from which all earning potential is derived for an owner."
Net profit is essentially what goes into your pocket after all deductions inc. tax are parted with - this take home pay is the real value of the business to the owner. At your time of exit the net profit generated by your business will be the most influential factor in determining your exit value.
If you know what your desired exit value is, there is a simple calculation for deriving your business's required net profit. Usually, for the sake of robustness, an average net profit is calculated over the last 3 years of your tenure as owner.
Like most small business owners, after this type of 'exit value readiness' calculation, you may realise there is a significant gap between the actual asset value of your current operation (net profit) and your desired exit value. In order to close the gap, it's quite simple. You are going to have to inject some additional net profit into your enterprise and do it so you reach maximum net profit before the last three years of ownership (if you've not started already, there is no time like the present!).
So where should you start? By increasing your sales revenue - of which there are only three ways to achieve this:
1) Increase number of customers
2) Increase the frequency of purchases from existing customers
3) Increase your prices
The bottom-line here in achieving the above points is marketing. DIY marketing is indeed an attractive option for cash strapped owners, however for those seeking real returns and results, a professional marketing strategy is the only answer.
A professional marketing consultant for small businesses can build profitable systems into your enterprise to leverage real competitive advantage, ensuring your target customers prefer you in relation to the competition - even if they have to pay a premium!
A smart marketer will always seek to give you a competitive advantage in an area which is not easily imitated. Perhaps a person, skill set, brand identity, core competency, or commercial relationship. This prevents your competition from simply eroding your advantage and leaving you off the pace again.
Invest in a small business marketing consultant today and set your sights on a satisfactory exit.
Small Business Marketing Professional http://www.smallbusinessmarketingprofessional.com is a full service marketing consultancy assisting UK small business owners build intelligent systems targeting increased customer sales, net profit and exit value.
Contact us today for free marketing assessment... letstalk@smallbusinessmarketingprofessional.com

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5 Tips for Conference Marketing Success

When your company heads to a conference, how do they make their presence at the conference pay off?
It's all about making a lasting impression with the right customers. The following marketing tips will go a long way toward making your next conference worth your while.
1. Streamline and focus the messaging.
If there is one thing you want conference visitors to remember, what is it? Whether it's your new product or something that distinguishes you from your competition, design your presence at the conference around that message.
2. Aim for quality - not quantity - of leads.
A conference results in ongoing revenues when it connects you with the kind of people who really want and need what you offer. Resist the temptation to expend time and resources attracting the attention of everyone at the conference. If you focus on attracting your own valuable target market, your efforts will have a bigger payoff.
Try getting input ahead of time from the sales team for the conference's region or market. Your experienced people on the ground may have useful information about the needs and interests of customers who attend the conference.
3. Choose your giveaway based on your message and customer.
Conference marketers often make the mistake of thinking their giveaway should be all about their company. But your conference giveaway is more effective when it's about your key message and your ideal customer. As long your promotional gift is branded, your name will be attached to a positive memory for the customers you want to attract.
For example, if a company wanted people to remember that they treat their customers like royalty, they might create "Queen" and "King" t-shirts that playfully invoke that theme. Or, if they wanted people to remember that they cater to families, their giveaway might be a toy for their customer's kids.
4. Make your giveaway unique.
To make your brand more memorable and attract more people to your booth, select conference giveaways that are a little surprising. You can do this by having a clever design imprinted on a popular gift, like a mug or shirt. Or, you can browse the unique categories of our expert promotional site.
5. Give them a reason to return to your booth.
Some conference marketers have had success with hosting a wine and cheese gathering and raffle for the last 30 minutes of each day. This gives visitors a reason to return and allows you interact and connect with them more, making a an impression that will last!
The author of this article has been working in the marketing industry for over 10 years conference giveaways for business and promotional items for large conventions. During her free time she loves to travel to Japan to learn the latest technology so she can incorporate it in her business plan.

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Drink Bottles For Marketing

Effective marketing is conducive for any business's growth and survival in today's challenging economic world. Businesses may spend thousands of dollars to promote and single product, name or an advertisement tagline. Some of the known marketing methods are multimedia advertisement, print media advertisement, billboards and etc. Over a decade ago, a new era of marketing known as social media advertisement was introduced, and has proved as an effective method to drive leads towards your services and products.
But when we talk about small businesses, most of the above marketing methods would cost 70% of all income into marketing and advertisement, and if you end if unsuccessful with your marketing campaign, then you may have to face huge trouble surviving your business.
The basic guideline of marketing is to localize your products, its name, or your marketing tagline among your customers and potential customers and drink bottles are the most effective and inexpensive method of making that happen.
Below are few points that tell us why drink bottles are the best tool for localizing your company's name, marketing message, etc.
Household Product
Drink bottles are available around us in so many ways. From our bicycle to our refrigerator, we keep bottles to store water, beverages, proteins and vitamins. Another best part of advertisement with that this product is carried by every person in so many public places such as parks, gyms, schools, and even at our work place.
Easy To Print
By printing a particular message or your company's logo or new discount offer, you can turn thousands of leads towards your business. Bottles are very easy to print according to one's needs and requirements, you can either print directly on the surface of the bottle or you can wrap around a paper with your message on it.
Durable Product
A lot of consumers do not keep many products no matter how expensive or cheap more than a semester. But drink bottles are likely to be kept by the user as long as he/she could until its lost. Some people even carry the same bottle for years to store water and proteins and take it everywhere they go such as parks, work, markets and other places.
Inexpensive
A normal size bottle does not cost you more than a couple of bucks or sometimes less than that, and if you buy it in bulk measure than it may cost you half of what is real price. Unlike the other promotional gifts or marketing methods, this is the most inexpensive and effective marketing tool that not only is useful for the presenter but it also comes handy for the recipient as well.
The last and the best part of marketing with drink bottles is it does not need recruiting big marketing teams to watch progress and pay for every lead coming towards your business. All you have to do is giveaway drink bottles as promotional gift to your potential customers and clients and leave the rest on the recipient and the bottle.
Australian Made Drink Bottles is the most well-known supplier of drink bottles in Australia. We offer the finest quality of plastic drink bottles in bulk measure at the most discounted prices.

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The First Three Laws of Attraction Marketing

What is attraction marketing and how can it help your business? Attraction marketing is an approach to reaching prospects by attracting them to you and to the products and services that you offer. There are many methods to achieve this, but it requires a certain philosophical approach in order to be authentic and most effective.
One of the biggest benefits of attraction marketing is that your perfect clients will self select and be drawn to you. No more chasing leads and trying to sell yourself. Clients will be attracted to you based on your message, the value that you offer, and a built-in trust in your expertise. Attraction marketing can be quite powerful, and can grow your business dramatically.
Here are the first three laws of attraction marketing:
1. Know Exactly Who You Are
You cannot be everything to everyone, so stop trying. Why are you in business? Are you trying to solve a problem? Why do people do business with you, and if they don't, why should they do business with you? Who are your competitors, and how are you different? Do you have clients who refer business to you? Have you asked them why they refer business to you?
These are all questions that you should be asking, if you are not sure of the unique or extra value that you bring to your clients. This is how you can determine your "extra value proposition", or your EVP.
Many people confuse EVP with branding, but they are very different. EVP is a far more powerful tool in attraction marketing. Let me offer an example:
You have a contract that must be signed in order to move forward on a very lucrative project. There are many ways that you can accomplish this. You can save a few dollars and send it by priority mail. You can send it by UPS. But,- when it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight? Saving a few dollars does not enter the equation. It has to be Federal Express. See how the EVP works to help a customer "self select" your services? Yes, Federal Express also has strong branding, consistent logo and colors, but it is the EVP, knowing exactly who they are and what they have to offer, that attracts their perfect customers.
On the other hand, "What can Brown do for you?" I'm not sure. I just know that UPS has big brown trucks, but without an EVP, I have no idea what makes them uniquely valuable as a delivery service. See the difference? Once you know exactly who you are, you will begin to attract a client that is more appropriate for your business, and who is willing to pay more for the extra value that you provide.
2. Know Exactly Who Your Clients Are
Now that you know exactly who you are, you need to know exactly who your clients are. If you are just starting your business, this should be the first step, not the second. Assuming that you have been in business for at least a few years, let's identify your best clients, and how to attract more of them.
In identifying and developing your EVP, you should have talked to a sampling of your clients. Your best clients have told you why they keep coming back and why they refer business to you. Your occasional clients and your former clients, told you why they don't come around so much, or why they have taken their business elsewhere. This information is invaluable. It can tell you how to improve your products and services for greater appeal, or it can inform you of exactly what kind of client you should be trying to attract more of.
Integrating the message of your EVP into all of your marketing and sales processes, will quickly reactivate the clients that should still be using your services. It will also reinvigorate your current clients and generate more referrals. This is the essence of attraction marketing.
3. Make Them An Offer They Can't Refuse
So, now you know exactly who you are, and you know exactly who your ideal clients and prospects are. Having this information should automatically tell you exactly what they need and want. This makes it easy to make them an offer they can't refuse.
Depending on the nature of your business, people use your products or services in order to solve a problem or to enhance their lives in some way. It is always about decreasing pain or increasing pleasure. They come to you because you know how to solve the problem. They either don't have the knowledge or it is too labor intensive to solve it themselves.
The offer they can't refuse has to be so valuable that it causes your clients to want more of your products and services. It must be so valuable that prospects will want more information about your products and services and will gladly agree to engage with you in order to get that information.
Information is a powerful tool for attracting new clients and for reinvigorating current clients. It is especially powerful for reactivating former clients. This can easily be the offer they can't refuse.
This information can be delivered in many ways. You can offer an online mini course delivered by email. You can offer a free report or eBook. You can offer a free webinar training or a weekly teleseminar. We are not talking about junk freebies here. This must be serious education to establish your expertise and to give serious value to your clients and prospects. This offer will build trust and confidence and will result in more business and more longterm relationships with your clients.
These are the first three laws of attraction marketing. If you only do these three things, you will see a major shift in your business. You will see a shift in the type of client that you attract. You will see a shift in your lead conversion. And you will see a shift in your profitability.
In my next article, I will tell you about 2 more laws of attraction marketing. In the meantime, let me know if this article was helpful. I welcome your feedback.
Eliana Galer is available to speak to your group and to hold trainings and live seminars. To learn more about how to attract clients and generate more profits, visit http://www.GalerConsulting.com.

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Marketing As An Investment: Rethinking Marketing For Accounting Firms

At my professional leads group meeting this week, I asked my colleague Tom about using his strategic alliances as referral sources. His industry is Business Services, payroll and the many ancillary services payroll companies offer. He was talking about accounting firms.
Tom sent me an enlightening article, The Top 10 Concerns of CPA Firms published by AICPA (American Institute of CPAs). In this biennial survey, 5 of the 10 areas of concerns can be considered marketing issues.
Let's look at the top 2:
1. Bringing in new clients
2. Retention of current clients
Clearly bringing in new clients and hanging on to the existing clientele are the lifeblood of any healthy business. Some of the article's commentary is interesting and a jumping off point for the conversation. A basic analysis of a firm's "positives" and "negatives", both internally and externally, can reveal opportunities for growth and retention in any industry, even Accounting:
  • Strength - What is it that your firm does that is different from your competition?
  • Weakness - How does your client base rate your services on a scale of 1 to 10? If not a 10, what is it that your firm needs to push the results to a 10?
  • Opportunities - What is the industry trends for marketing, information technology and client services?
  • Threats - Who are your competitors? What is it that your competitor does that is different from your competition?
This is a SWOT analysis and one of the critical first steps in creating a marketing plan. While CPA firms understand their business, it takes a professional marketer to understand the proven tactics and best practices to bring in new clients and retain existing clients. They are two different professional disciplines; while the CPAs of your firm work in your business, careful thought should be given to hiring and designating a marketing pro to meet your goals for revenue growth and profitability. From there, attracting and retaining qualified candidates (#9 on the survey list) to support the business growth can also be addressed with an integrated marketing program.
One of the challenges of marketing for accountants is to redirect their thinking from considering marketing as an investment not a line item expense. Consider the return on marketing investment and the timeless words of the widely influential business thinker, Peter Drucker: "Business has only two functions - marketing and innovation." If your accounting firm or professional practice needs innovation and marketing to boost the growth of your services, look outside the accounting profession and consult for marketing expertise.
Article HERE: Top 10 Concerns of CPA Firms
Link HERE: AICPA (American Institute of CPAs)
Better Marketing Ideas Create Better Results. Call 1st Straw Marketing & Promotions today at (888) 235-3088, email us at sales@1st-straw.com or visit us at http://www.1st-straw.com.

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