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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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.