The Marketing Coach

Show Your Business Some Love

2011-02-14T17:17:00.000-08:00

Time and time again, businesses are stymied not by market forces, but by their owners. You are both the greatest asset and the greatest liability to your business.

To grow your business, you must look in the mirror to determine how you are holding it back from success. Every single one of us can achieve greater business success if we can only learn to push beyond our personal limits and exceed our own expectations.

Research shows that our brains are programmed to stop us BEFORE we hit our limits. This is to protect us from harming ourselves. But in order to get stronger – in body, mind and business – we simply have to push ourselves beyond our limits regularly. Just like you build the muscles in your arms when you shock them lifting heavy weights, you must shock your business by lifting heavy problems and pushing your business to exceed beyond what is comfortable for you. This is why business coaches (like fitness trainers) can be so valuable in supporting our growth. Not only do they hold us accountable, the best ones also push us beyond our perceived limits and help us achieve what we believed was impossible.

This Valentine’s Day, I’m hoping that every one of you is showing your business the love it needs and getting the support you need to make it succeed!

Top-Line Growth

2011-01-18T17:15:00.000-08:00

After the past two years, you have probably cut your expenses down to the bone, so I’m guessing that now you’re a lean, mean business machine. But now it’s time to pull your head up out of the bottom line and focus on top-line growth, which is the only way that you can truly grow your business. In my experience, most companies can easily increase their profitability by 50%-100% in as little as 6-12 months. That’s an amazing opportunity, but most companies squander it by failing to apply the following basic rules to driving top-line growth:

Identify specific revenue goals.
Set specific mini-goals and lay out detailed tactics for each person involved.
Hold 20-minute weekly sales meetings to review goals, tactics and progress. Hold everyone (including yourself) accountable.

Of course there are additional steps involved, but these three are the true drivers of significant top-line growth. Give me a call if you want to brainstorm how you can apply these three rules to your business and drive sustainable growth in 2011!

New Year; New Marketing Plan

2011-01-01T17:11:00.000-08:00

The New Year is a great time to review and revise your marketing plan. To maximize your potential for growth in 2011, you should have a strategic and action-oriented written plan to guide your activities throughout the year. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Who do you serve? (Your target audience)
How do you serve? (Your products and services)
Why do you serve? (What are your revenue goals? What are your professional goals? What makes you feel most successful?)
What marketing tools can you use consistently to reach the people you serve with information about your business? (e.g. website, networking, direct marketing, mass marketing, social media marketing, public relations, etc.)
What specific marketing actions will you (or your marketing team) take on a daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly basis?

The next few weeks offer a great opportunity to reflect on these questions and commit to a marketing plan for 2011. If you get stuck, please let me know – I can help!

Here’s to a GREAT NEW YEAR!

Branding and Brand Identity

2010-11-23T14:53:00.000-08:00

A powerful, consistent brand is important for two reasons. First, it allows your clients and prospects to understand exactly what you do and why they should purchase from you. Perhaps even more importantly, especially for a busy entrepreneur, is that having a brand identity in place means that you aren't constantly starting from scratch when you market your business. In fact, it will streamline all your activities, from making a sales call to creating a brochure, and make your marketing activities much simpler as well as more effective.

All companies have loose brand identities, but few maximize the potential for their brand to work for them. There are three essentials when establishing a powerful brand that will increase revenues:

1. Write it down - a brand identity is only good when it's used consistently by everyone in your company. You should have a Brand Guidebook that includes graphic standards like the colors to be used and how the logo can be presented and the brand messages that describe your company and its individual products.

2. Clean house - Get rid of or revise any marketing materials that don't reflect your brand identity. The only way identities work is when they are used consistently, so make sure you aren't muddying the water by having multiple messages in the marketplace.

3. Use it! - Make sure that everyone follows your branding structure all the time. It should be second nature for them to speak to customers using the brand messages, and no marketing, from brochures to sales letters to follow-up calls, should ever be created without the brand identity as a starting point.

The power of a strong brand identity can only be realized through consistent repetition. After working with many entrepreneurial companies, we recognize that most have a powerful drive to constantly evolve and change. To manage this desire, we recommend establishing an ongoing list of changes to be made to the brand identity. Throughout the year, people can add suggestions to the list, but they may not make any alterations to the established brand identity unless a critical and fundamental error is discovered.

Once per year, the company can formally revisit its brand identity, consider the items on the list, and make changes as needed. This system makes room for the natural desire to create and dream that is critical in an entrepreneurial organization while still maintaining a singular brand identity, which is critical to marketing success.

How to Communicate

2010-11-16T12:30:00.000-08:00

How do you like to communicate when you’re doing business? Do you prefer e-mail, phone or in-person? There are many options available, and everyone has a preference. When you are marketing you must figure out what your prospective clients’ preference is and communicate with them in that manner. It might be uncomfortable for you, but I promise that if you follow your clients’ communication preferences, you will win.

Right now I’m looking for a car, and you know what that means: I have to work with car salespeople. How do car salespeople like to communicate? In person. When you are with them in person, they believe that they are better able to close the deal because relationships often make a big difference in sales. Even though this is true, car dealerships simply must deal with the fact that many of us do not want to negotiate in person, or even on the phone. In fact, I negotiated for my last car entirely over e-mail. The salesperson that got my business did so because she didn’t force me to communicate on her terms; she respected mine.

She still made the sale. She still got the commission, and, overall, the deal probably took a lot less of her time than an in-person negotiation would have. It was a win for both of us.

I’m not saying that you should do all of your deals over e-mail – not at all! What I am saying is that you should pay attention to your clients’ communication preferences and communicate with them on their terms, not yours.

Authentic Marketing - Company/Brand

2010-11-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

How can you develop an authentic marketing style? Here is a simple process:

1. Figure out who you really are as a company. Are you Young, Hip and Fun? Or are you Stable, Secure and Safe? Create a stick figure to represent your company and write down key points to develop its personality.

EXAMPLE:

This is an example of how we define Bob,who represents an independent neighborhood grocery store.

You can do this for a sole proprietor, too.

2. Figure out who your ideal client is. What does she look like? Where does she live? What does she do on the weekends? How does she like to receive information? As with above, create a picture to represent your ideal client and give her a personality.

EXAMPLE:

This is an example of the ideal client for Bob, who represents an independent neighborhood grocery store.
Note that Bob can still work with "Fred," a totally different type of client, but this is the store's target client and can help it make critical marketing decisions.

3. Now that you have completed the above exercise, every time you send any sort of marketing message, imagine that your company is communicating directly with your ideal client. Speak directly and clearly as if you were actually having a conversation.

EXAMPLE:

Bob can market an extensive line of healthy prepared foods that can be purchased when Jane doesn't have time to cook
Bob can share easy recipes and helpful shopping tips for Jane; because Jane is busy, these should be really short and easy to read when Jane has a few moments to spare. Bob can put them into Jane's shopping bag and also post them on Facebook
Bob can post dinner specials on Facebook so that Jane knows there are easy, healthy options for her family when she is too busy to cook (note that coupons and discounts are probably unnecessary for Jane - she is more interested in convenience and health)
During the holidays and at the end of the school year Bob can market easy-to-give teacher gifts for Jane

These ideas just scratch the surface of how knowing that Jane is the store's ideal customer can inform and support the store's marketing efforts.

Authentic Marketing - Sole Proprietor

2010-11-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

This is an example of how we defined Kristin, a personal trainer.

You can do this for a company and/or brand, too.

This is an example of the ideal client for Kristin, a personal trainer.
Note that Kristin can still work with "Fred," a totally different type of client, but this is her target client and can help her make critical marketing decisions.

Kristen can share helpful articles with Jane about fitting health and fitness into a busy life; because Jane is busy, these articles should be really short and easy to read when Jane has a few moments to spare
Kristen can comment on Jane's Facebook profile when Jane posts photos of her kids
Kristen can post 5-minute workouts on Facebook
Kristen can host healthy mom parties to get Jane-like clients and friends together to share struggles and advice
For a Holiday gift, Kristen can give Jane a gift certificate for her favorite nail salon

These ideas just scratch the surface of how knowing that Jane is Kristin's ideal customer can inform and support Kristin's marketing efforts.

The Oprah Effect

2010-11-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of "The Oprah Effect?"

Basically, this is when Oprah mentions something on her show and it immediately becomes a best seller. Many companies have benefitted from the Oprah Effect, and several have gone out of business because they were unprepared for the deluge of customers the Oprah Effect can bring on.

In PR, we are always looking for ways to induce the Oprah Effect. While we can't always get our clients on Oprah's show, we can find other influential people who can accelerate growth through their endorsement.

For example, you can find popular bloggers and Tweeters in almost every vertical market, and each of them becomes a potential "Oprah" for you.

Who are the influencers in your market? How can you reach them and gain their endorsement?

Most importantly, is your company ready to handle "The Oprah Effect" if it happens?

Earned Media

2010-10-31T13:07:00.000-07:00

We all know what "bought media" is: advertising.

For years, PR firms have been pushing the idea that media coverage is worth significantly more than advertising in terms of consumer perception because it is "earned media."

In other words, you have to be good enough to get a reporter to write about you, therefore the article carries more credibility than an ad.

This idea of earned media has become even stronger in the social media world, where if someone retweets one of your messages your following can double in a few minutes, and a single post written by the right blogger can result in "sold out" status for your store.

The value of earned media is that it carries an implied (and sometimes explicit) third-party endorsement. The bottom line is that people like to buy things when someone they know and trust recommends it.

Marketing Buyer Beware

2010-10-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

In the past two weeks I have had two separate clients terminate their relationship with separate digital marketing firms. In both cases, the firms failed to accurately communicate with their clients and educate them about the process of digital media marketing and the types of results you can expect.

At the same time, the clients failed to fully read and understand the contracts they signed - instead trusting the salesperson's promises of increased web traffic, increased revenue, etc.

Case #1: The client engaged a firm to build her website. Although the contract was clear to me, she did not understand what she was actually buying. She thought that she was getting a customized, easy-to-change, sophisticated website.

She didn't realize that the firm was using a limited number of templates, that "easy-to-change" is relative to who is doing the changing, and that the firm did nothing more than put her existing content into the new template - she was responsible for all writing and graphics.

This is not unusual, and I'm not blaming either party - this is a reminder that you need to read your contracts carefully because what you hear from the salesperson's mouth might not match what you are actually going to get in the contract.

Case #2: The client engaged a digital marketing firm to (she thought) increase her website's Search Engine Optimization (SEO), increase the number of Facebook friends, and increase her Twitter followers.

The contract says nothing about any of those three strategies. When the client asked the firm to explain what they were actually doing for the $7,000 contract, the salesperson got angry and gave her no valuable information. She walked away from the investment to avoid the frustration.

Digital media marketing - such as SEO, Facebook and Twitter, is a technical process, but that doesn't mean that you don't deserve to understand exactly what you are buying. If your vendor can't explain in normal terms how your money is going to be spent, then don't send them the deposit.

E-mail Marketing

2010-10-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

The average user spends 51 seconds skimming your e-newsletter; and it takes just 90 seconds to unsubscribe.

To make those 51 seconds count and to avoid the unsubscribe, make sure your e-newsletter delivers super-short, easy-to-read advice, tips and suggestions. Keep paragraphs so short that your elementary school teacher would have reprimanded you.

In e-mail marketing, short and sweet wins the day!

Attention: Marketing Professors

2010-10-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

Please stop teaching students the advertising model. It is dead. Don't be a dinosaur: teach your students something of value in the real world by learning the new marketing tools that we use today.

If you're not sure about how to learn new marketing, then just ask your students. A quick survey of the room will give you amazing insight into how the new generation is receiving information about what to buy (Hint: it's social and earned, not corporate and bought).

Micro Marketing vs. Mega Marketing

2010-10-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

The most familiar forms of marketing are produced by mega-corporations. Companies like McDonald’s and Coca Cola dedicate hundreds of millions of dollars each year to Mega Marketing efforts that include billboards, glossy magazine ads, TV ads and mass mailings.

As a small business owner, you cannot and should not be doing the same thing as mega-corporations. Rather, focus on Micro Marketing, the perfect approach for small businesses of all types. Instead of focusing on mass-market advertising, figure out the Micro Markets that you need to target and find out how best to reach the people within those markets. For example, a small clothing manufacturer needs to build relationships with retailers, while also building a relationship with consumers. A physical therapist should build relationships with physicians who treat people with physical injuries. In both of these cases, Mega Marketing techniques like newspaper and magazine ads will have little or no effect, but personal e-mails, phone calls and visits can make a huge difference.

How can you apply Micro Marketing to your business? Usually it’s by using old-fashioned tools like personal contact combined with great new tools like social media marketing. Check out my Boom! Pow! method for some ideas!

How to Use Networking to Market Your Business

2010-10-12T23:45:00.000-07:00

If you have a trust-based business, then you absolutely need to be using networking to market your business.

Networking is about connecting with the people who can connect you to clients. Always spend the majority of your time with people who already know you and like you - these are your goldmines (AKA clients and prospects). Then move onto new people, who can be found at networking events and then qualified through 1-1 meetings. If you follow this approach, I promise that your business will flourish.

Click on the graphic for a full-screen version:

Boom! Pow! Marketing

2010-10-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

Here is a really simple marketing strategy for almost any modern business: create a "Boom!" - something worth talking about; and follow it with a lot of "Pow!" to get the message out there.

Boom! Pow! Marketing is for marketing superheroes who want to harness the power of free but time-intensive marketing tools to build their businesses. If you need some help deciding how best to use Boom! Pow! Marketing for your business, then just give me a call!

To see the image full-screen, simply click on it:

New Marketing

2010-09-29T14:40:00.000-07:00

Old Marketing was all about the budget. It was all about showering the world with an announcement and required seriously deep pockets.

New Marketing is all about the action. It's now possible for you to be a great marketer even if you have almost no budget.

What's really great about New Marketing is that the "little guys" are way better at it than the big corporations. Yes, you have to be smart and creative, and it might take a lot of time for you to accomplish a big splash in the New Marketing world, but it's totally possible. So dive in and give it a try!

30 Minute Marketing Workout: Past Clients

2010-09-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

The idea behind the 30 Minute Marketing Workout is that you sit down and spend 30 focused minutes each day marketing your business. You have a lot of choices in what you do, but ideally you should be acting based on a marketing plan.

Assuming that you have a marketing plan (or are developing one right now!) here is an idea for a great 30 Minute Marketing Workout:

Workout: Recruit Past Clients
Your past clients are almost always your best (and easiest) source of future revenue. Here is the 30 Minute Marketing Workout breakdown for this task:

8 minutes: List Creation
Brainstorm a list of all of the clients who have not bought anything in 6-12 months. It goes without saying that these clients should be people who still like and respect you - they just haven't used you lately.

12 minutes: Offer Creation
Consider what it is that you would a) most like to sell right now; and b) will likely be attractive to your list of past clients. Brainstorm some different offers. Possible ideas include: a discount; a free sample; information they will be especially interested in. Pick the offer that best fits a & b above and write a quick summary of it.

10 minutes: Emails
Depending on the length of your list, send individual emails with customized messages containing your offer to everyone on your list. If this is impossible, then create a personalized mail merge message using Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.

Good luck!

The Danger of Discounts

2010-09-23T21:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I met with a client who has an excellent product that appeals to people who place high value on quality and taste (i.e. it's expensive). She was dabbling in some of the new coupon programs available online (e.g. Groupon, Living Social, etc.), and wondered what I thought.

I told her without hesitation that for her market, for what she is trying to do, she should absolutely not use mass e-mail coupon promotions to build her business. Such programs attract a totally different sort of client than the kind who will pay full-price for her excellent product. In short: they are not long-term clients but people who will come in one time and with the discount cause her to barely break-even and even lose money at times.

I suggested to her that instead of using mass coupon programs to draw in the wrong customers, invest in highly-targeted, personalized marketing campaigns that attract her existing customers and their friends. It might take a little bit more creativity and legwork, but it won't cost more and will result in better long-term revenues and growth for her company.

Are you leaning on the easy way out (coupons) instead of looking for creative ways to get more from you existing customers? Flip the equation around and you will have a sustainable, profitable business for life!

The Power of Less

2010-09-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

I had a strange experience when my daughter went back to school after the summer: I found myself with time on my hands. Rather than revel in the experience however, I panicked a little bit. How am I ever going to get anything done with all this time on my hands?

This is because I have always been most efficient when I have less vs. more time available.

Have you ever heard the expression: "if you want something done, ask the busiest person in the room?"

That's me. The more you give me (to a point), the more I can get accomplished and, strangely, the better the quality of my work.

This is the idea behind my 30 Minute Marketing Workout concept, which I'm currently developing into a comprehensive plan for solopreneurs and small business owner/operators. The idea is that if you give yourself less time you will be forced to be more strategic and effective in your marketing. The key is to work smarter, not harder. Stay tuned for more on this!

30 Minute Marketing Workout

2010-09-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

I have long made a link between personal health and marketing your business. When you want to be healthier you know what you have to do: eat better and exercise. It’s that simple. Of course, it’s also that difficult – you need to devote at least 30 minutes per day to achieve good health, and that’s only the beginning.

The same is true of marketing. To grow a business, you need to spend at least 30 minutes per day doing a marketing workout. This may include sending e-mails, posting on Facebook, planning a special event or coordinating a PR campaign. Now, of course I would love to see every small business owner do more than 30 minutes per day but, like Jillian Michaels (of Biggest Loser fame), I have to recognize that you have other things going on. Nonetheless, it’s amazing what you can accomplish in 30 minutes if you work smarter, not harder!

Jillian Michaels

The key to an effective marketing workout is planning it. Just like exercise, you should schedule marketing into your calendar and have a plan for what you are going to do in advance. You can spread it out and literally spend 30 minutes each day, or you can group it together in several “clumps” throughout the week. If you’re just starting your business or are in a revenue slump, then I encourage you to (at least) double your marketing workout time, but remember – the most important thing is not how much time you spend but how effective you are with the time you have.

Next week, try scheduling and completing five 30-minute marketing workouts. I promise that you will see big results!

Call me if you need some ideas or motivation!

Virginia Ginsburg
310-453-7008

Simple Marketing

2010-09-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

My talented friend recently opened her own outpatient psychotherapy clinic. The work that she is doing is both specialized and in demand, but, like all new businesses, she has to find ways to get the word out before she starts to make a profit.

"We're finally settled into our clinic now, and I'm ready to do some marketing," she said to me. "What should I do? Send some postcards? Take out an ad?"

My first questions to her are the same question I ask anyone who is considering a new marketing program: who do you want to reach and how can you reach those people most effectively?

The truth is that for most of us, postcards and ads and other traditional forms of marketing and advertising simply won't make a difference in our business. Instead, we need to find the influencers - the people who will refer business directly to us - and reach them directly and personally so that they feel compelled to act on our behalf.

Sure enough, for my sister-in-law, her best source of business is psychiatric in-clinics. These clinics require a broad network of referring partners in order to ensure their clients' success. Rather than buy a list of 500 clinics and mail out a generic announcement, I suggested that she simply start with one per week. That's it. Just find one clinic per week and find out everything she can about it. Then contact the clinic and set up a meeting so that she can tell them about the work she does.

She was surprised by the simplicity of this solution, but she was also relieved to realize that it was well within her capability. Even better: it will only take one more referring clinic (she already has a few) to make her clinic "full."

Sometimes it is the simplest, most straight-forward marketing plans that make the greatest difference. Best of all, they're usually free.

Networking: Watch your feet!

2010-09-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

Whether it is a formal business networking event or a social event, your actions speak louder than words, so you really need to watch out for off-putting body language that can really turn people off and ruin your marketing opportunity.

Here is today's tip for networking: watch your feet!

The main thing when you're face-to-face with someone is that they should feel like they matter to you - even if it's only for a few moments in time. Don't worry - you can always move on, but while you are speaking with an individual, make sure that your feet are facing that person.

Making sure that your feet face the person to whom you are speaking is one subtle sign that tells others we are fully engaged in the current conversation.

Don't be "that guy" who spends his time looking over your shoulder, scanning the room to see if someone more important has walked in. If you're going to bother speaking with someone at all, then fully engage (feet included).

Marketing: Smarter Not Harder

2010-09-08T14:47:00.000-07:00

As you know, in today's economy we keep trying to work harder and harder, faster and faster to accomplish the same work that we did before. The worst part is that the payoff (i.e. profitability) is often less than before!

So what can you do to turn this around?

You can look for ways to work smarter not harder. One place this can be easily accomplished is with marketing budget. Typically, we assume that in order to increase revenue, we must increase expenses at the same rate. This means that your profit margins stay small and you're not actually making much more than you did to begin with.

The "Work Harder" Model

But if you can work smarter vs. just harder, you can actually increase your revenue without dramatically increasing your expenses, thus increasing your profitability - a good thing!

The "Work Smarter" Model

How do you do this? It's deceptively simple:

Create a 12-month marketing plan
Monitor, motivate and educate the person/people who will accomplish the plan
Innovate the plan throughout the 12 months to adjust for what's working/what's not

This is what marketing firms do on your behalf, but the secret is that you can hire someone to do it for you at a fraction of the price of a full-service marketing firm. The only requirement is that you need a senior-level marketing executive to oversee the program. This person will be responsible for creating the plan with you and your employees. Then she will monitor, motivate, educate and innovate throughout the plan's implementation.

I have been providing this service to a number of my clients and I'm pleased to report that they are definitely making more revenue with less expense. It's incredible what bright, engaged people can do when they have a powerful plan and the guidance they need to succeed!

Marketing Plan

2010-09-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

Do you have a marketing plan? Is it working?

Most small business owners do not have a marketing plan. Instead, they move along “intuitively,” guessing and changing constantly based on what they think they should be doing rather than following a clear plan and measuring their results.

A marketing plan can mean the difference between limping along and flying. A professional, expert marketing plan will reduce your total marketing expenses. It will also allow you to assign marketing activities to one of your existing employees vs. hiring a senior-level marketer or an outside firm.

A good marketing plan covers the following three elements:

1. Strategy: This is the high-level strategy driving your plan. It should include an analysis of your target customer, what you want them to do, and hard revenue and expense numbers against which you can measure success.

2. Tactics: This is where you incorporate specific marketing tactics that need to be done, including in-house promotions and specials, events, social media updates, web updates, fliers, ads, coupons, etc. Ideally, your plan should provide weekly to-do lists for each tactic so that whomever is doing the marketing knows exactly what he or she should be doing (and you do, too!).

3. Measurement: Now for the most important part of the plan: how will you measure success? This section should provide some simple checklists and financial checks and balances so that you can see at a glance whether your marketing plan is a success or not.

A formal plan that covers these three elements will make a massive impact on your marketing efficiency and effectiveness. Don’t leave your success to chance - have a plan!

Did you know that I write marketing plans for small business owners?
Let me know if you want to talk about how I can help you!
- Virginia Ginsburg
310-453-7008

Marketing: Content vs. Style

2010-09-03T06:24:00.000-07:00

In marketing you will usually find that people have one of two allegiances. Either they are dedicated to content or style. That is: they are either a writer or a designer.

This can result in lopsided marketing efforts because both content and style need to be awesome to make a marketing campaign stick.

Content: The specific words that you say (or write)
This begins with the words that you use to answer the question: "What do you do." It extends into the words you use on your website, on your business card, on your blog, etc.

Style: The way that you present the words
At in-person meetings and events this includes the way you dress, your body language, and your tone of voice. Surprisingly, these things account for up to 90% of how people interpret you. That doesn't mean that the words aren't important, but the style is critical. When you are not actually with someone, your style includes your logo, the colors that you use, the font you use, and any graphic design elements used in your marketing materials.

Obviously, both of these elements are critically important to successfully marketing your business. How do you use content and style to market your business? Do you tend to lean more heavily one way vs. another?

How to Run a Marketing Retreat

2010-09-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

Most small businesses and not-for-profit organizations do not have a marketing plan in place ... outside of the mind of their leader, that is ;-)

Here is a really simple and effective way to create a marketing plan in just 1/2 a day that can guide your strategic direction and tactical execution. Most importantly, it will get everyone on the same page with marketing, which ultimately leads to more consistent, meaningful marketing programs.

A. Plan your retreat: Invite your top executive team and/or your Board of Directors to attend a 3-4 hour marketing retreat

B. Prime your attendees: You don't want people to show up cold, so send them an agenda in advance and some questions to consider.

C. Hold the marketing retreat: meet for 3-4 hours an evaluate the following key areas of marketing:

Key marketing messages – Who are you? What do you do? Why do you do it? For whom do you do it? Etc.
Marketing goals – what specific goals are you trying to accomplish?
Existing/past marketing activity review – what works/what doesn’t work?
Additional marketing tactical brainstorm – what should the organization be doing to achieve its marketing goals?

D. Write a marketing plan: Your meeting will be useless unless you put something in writing afterward. Your Marketing Plan will drive strategic direction and tactical execution. It can be handed off to a consultant or in-house marketing person.

I have run many marketing retreats for clients, and I strongly recommend having a neutral third-party facilitator to organize, run and follow up by writing the marketing plan for you. Let me know if you want more information about how you can hire a good consultant to guide this process for you!

-Virginia Ginsburg
310-453-7008

Psycho vs. Demo

2010-08-31T21:07:00.000-07:00

As our society continues to fragment into hundreds of thousands of tiny niche markets, it's important to change the way we define our target audience.

It used to be that we could use demographics: age, race, gender, income, etc., to define our market. I suggest that now you use "psychographics" instead. Here are five critical questions to ask that will tell you way more about your customer than any demographic study:

Where does my target audience typically receive information? (e.g. cell phone, Google search, e-mail, etc.)
Who does my target audience trust and not trust (e.g. corporations, friends, family, entrepreneurs, millionaires, etc.)
Why does my target audience buy? (e.g. fun, power, necessity)
Where does my target audience shop most frequently?
How likely is my target audience to: read a newspaper/magazine; read a blog; spend time on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Social Media Is ...

2010-08-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

The social media landscape is developing so quickly that the true experts are those who recognize that we can only be students in this new, complicated and sensitive marketing arena. So don’t worry if you feel confused about what you are supposed to be doing – all of us are learning and adjusting every single day to keep up with social media’s constant twists and turns.

Here are a few truths that have come to the surface that might help guide your forays into social media marketing:

Social media is not owned; it’s shared
Social media is not bought; it’s earned
Social media is an environment in which every single individual can have more influence than a massive organization

There are huge opportunities to market and brand your business within the social media space. My greatest caution to anyone stepping into social media marketing is to pay attention to the environment. It is not the same as buying a billboard or an advertisement or sending something in the mail. It is not even the same as sending an e-mail. It is a social network in which you need to communicate in a manner that is relevant to that particular space.

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Virginia Ginsburg
Accordion Marketing: the marketing division of Swell Strategies
tel: 310.453.7008 - cell: 310.780.5551 - fax: 800.644.8340

Social Media Protocol

2010-08-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Engage: Say something! Create a Facebook update, Tweet or blog post
Listen: See if anyone responds - this will show you whether your comment was relevant
Adapt: Adjust your approach based on the feedback (or lack thereof)
Measure: Measure response rates to establish your level of resonance
Create: Come up with some new ideas about how you can engage more powerfully next time

Whitney Houston vs. Madonna

2010-08-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

Both artists came on to the scene at about the same time. They had vastly different levels of talent. Whitney Houston is unquestionably one of the great voice talents of her generation. Madonna has very little voice talent. Nonetheless, 25 years later, who has been the more successful entertainer? Madonna.

I see this all the time with hugely talented people who believe their gift is enough to carry them into a career. Your gift is a great starting point, and it's valuable, but it can't stand up against a marketing genius with great business sense.

This is the lesson that we can learn from Madonna and Whitney: no matter how great your innate talent, make sure that you support it with solid business and marketing decisions.

Anonymous Emails Suck

2010-08-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

Think about it: in the past month, have you received an email from someone with whom you have a personal or close professional relationship with who chose to use an email blast to communicate with all of her friends at once? This is different from an e-newsletter, this is when someone send you:

A donation request
A volunteer request
An obviously mass-mailed "personal" appeal to find clients, volunteers, friends, etc.

How did it make you feel when you received the email?

Did it make you feel like a number?

Did it make you feel like you wanted to do what your friend was asking or did it make you feel like you had to do what your friend was asking?

Sending a lot of emails all at once has its time and place, but when you are marketing something personal - something that people will choose to do because they know/like you - your response rate will double if you make the time to reach out on a personal level.

This applies to every single business and personal communication effort: please come out from behind the mask of mass production and treat people like human beings, not databases.

Menu Marketing

2010-08-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I went to a well-known semi-fancy restaurant with my family. I was shocked when I saw their menu - it was incredibly unappetizing.

A menu is a critical part of marketing a restaurant. For example, would you rather order:

1. Cheeseburger

2. Angus Beef-Blue Cheese Burger with Lemon Aioli and Bitter Greens

The second one sounds fancier - it makes you think that a chef is in the kitchen vs. just a cook. It might even make your mouth water.

Regardless of what sort of business you run, your menu (i.e. website, product packaging, etc.) is where the rubber hits the road. It appears when your customer is ready to buy and just needs to select which specific product or service he is going to choose.

Thus, it should do the equivalent of making your prospective customer's mouth water. What words are you using to enhance your products and services? Could you be more descriptive and enticing?

Referral Marketing Magic

2010-08-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

Almost every small business grows through referrals. That doesn't mean that you can sit passively by and wait for them to happen. We can help you get more referrals that are a better fit for your business.

1+1=1,000
When you're dealing with typical marketing, you are reaching out to thousands of people at a time through advertising or direct mail, with the hopes that maybe your message will reach 1 or 2 people.

Referral marketing transforms this equation and turns it on its head. Referral marketing is about "magic math:" 1+1 can equal 1,000.

For example:

A specialty medical practice has experienced flat growth over the past two years. We can help them increase patient referral rates, making growth finally possible.
A nutritionist doesn't know how to grow her practice. We can make meaningful connections with personal trainers so that they can make powerful referrals to her. This can easily double her business in a matter of months.
A chiropractor can't figure out why his clients seem to drop off after a few treatments. We can train his front office staff and provide him with a "care script" that will instantly transform his clients into lifelong advocates who come back again and again.
A dental group has noticed that its online reviews are less than positive, and it seems to be having an impact on business. We can work with the online review sites to turn the reviews around while simultaneously training the staff and doctors to avoid future bad reviews.

What can you be doing to get more referrals and use Referral Marketing Magic to grow your business? Check out this related post about how to get Referral Ready and give me a call if you would like some tips and ideas!

What Are You Really Selling?

2010-08-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

No matter what you sell, your customers are buying something much bigger than the actual product or service that you offer. For example:

If you own a restaurant you may think you’re selling food, but you’re actually selling an experience

If you’re a doctor you may think you’re selling appointments, but you’re actually selling peace of mind

If you manufacture home fitness equipment you may think you’re selling a technical gadget, but you’re actually selling hope

When you uncover what you’re really selling you focus your energy on the things that will make a difference between success and failure. For example, the best restaurant owners know they have to spend most of their time training their staff to provide excellent service in a clean environment. Great doctors develop a bedside manner that reassures and gives confidence to nervous patients. And if you want to sell home fitness equipment you have to make sure that your customers can visualize themselves using it and becoming fit and healthy.

What are you really selling in your business? How do you need to change your operations and marketing to meet the true needs of your customers? Give me a call and I’ll be happy to give you some tips!

Virginia Ginsburg
Marketing Expert
310-453-7008

Never ask a question that can be answered with "No."

2010-08-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

This is a mistake that I see all the time on billboards and in advertisements ... inviting your customer to say "No."

In marketing, you always want to work towards small "yesses." Some people say that it takes a customer 8 small yesses to ultimately say "Yes" and buy.

It turns out that fewer than 1 out of every 1,000 people in the United States became deaf before 18 years of age.

Based on this, asking the question "Are you concerned about your child's hearing" means that most people driving by this billboard advertisement will say "No" and dismiss the entire message.

Once a customer has said "No," it is very hard to get them to say "Yes" in the future.

CONCEPT: Never let your customers say "No" to your marketing.

PRACTICE: Never ask a question that can be answered with "No."

How to Stand Out in a Crowd

2010-07-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

An entrepreneur recently asked me three excellent questions about what she needs to know about starting a dessert restaurant. There is a lot of competition in her space right now with yogurt bars popping up all over the place, so she is wise to think carefully about how she can differentiate her business from others. My answers apply to any retail business that relies on service, consistency and a unique style of friendliness to survive and thrive.

1. In your opinion, what is the most successful strategy to build brand awareness for small restaurants?

Have great food and perfect service
Keep in touch with your customers by having a Facebook page, Twitter account and e-mail newsletter
Tell the media about your place and invite every blogger & journalist to try it out
Monitor your Yelp! page constantly and respond to negative reviews with an offer to make it right
Have invite-only special events for top customers and media occasionally

2. How much would you recommend a start-up restaurant spend on marketing?

The cost varies depending on how much you can do yourself and what your vendors will charge. Consider the following minimum requirements:

Logo/brand development
Signage
Menu design
Website design
Fliers/postcards to send out to the neighborhood

3. What would make our dessert restaurant stand out from the already popular ones like Cold Stone and Pinkberry?

Make your service stand out
Make the process of buying from you an extraordinary experience that your customer will remember
Keep in touch with your customers and make them feel special - as if they are a part of something rather than just a number on a corporate spreadsheet

Goldmine Marketing

2010-07-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

Last night I met an electrician at a networking event. We were talking about the fact that his business grows by referrals and repeat business, so I asked what he does to ensure that his past customers refer him and come back to him. Can you guess his answer? He does nothing. This is really common, but it also really works against his business growth objectives. I’ll bet that after 15 years in business he has worked with thousands of customers who have forgotten about him.

When thinking about how to build a business, most people think of external marketing options – finding new customers through networking, advertising, direct mail or online marketing. My message is always the same: You’re sitting on a Goldmine of customers who already know you and trust you. The first thing that you need to do is make sure that you are marketing to them rather than trying to find new people who don’t know you and don’t trust you.

A few months of “Goldmine Marketing” can double most businesses. If you want some specific ideas about how you can apply this principle to your business, you may want to check out this post or just give me a call and I’ll be happy to give you some tips!

New Marketing

2010-07-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

Today I gave a presentation about the New Marketing Model, which I have previously discussed here. Check out my presentation and some great examples of well-executed New Marketing at SlideShare: http://slidesha.re/cEbCrq

Why We Buy

2010-07-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

Today I gave a marketing presentation to a high school class in Entrepreneurship at USC. I noticed immediately that 90% of their laptops were Apples, so I started with the question of "Why We Buy" as related to their laptop of choice. Their answers fit perfectly into the top four reasons people buy something:

1. Habit: my parents bought me an Apple, so I am now loyal to Apple because I'm comfortable with it

2. Convenience: it's easy to find, easy to buy, and easy to use

3. Recommendation: my friend told me that they get fewer viruses, so I bought one

4. Research: I read some reviews, talked to friends and tried a few computers out and chose Apple

Did you notice something about those reasons for buying? Not one of them is about advertising. Now, of course advertising heavily supports the Apple brand, but there is always a more personal reason for buying a product than just "I saw it advertised."

Often entrepreneurs are looking for fast ways to market themselves, and advertising always comes up first. But if we look at the reasons why people buy something, then we know that it will be cheaper and easier to start on a more grassroots level and reach people from the perspective of habit, convenience, recommendations and research.

The Curse of Endless Possibilities

2010-07-16T16:12:00.001-07:00

Lately I have become really aware of the "Curse of Endless Possibilities" and how it affects people who are trying to do marketing.

The Curse of Endless Possibilities: business opportunities are endless and vast ... and within your reach! There are so many opportunities that you begin to feel overwhelmed, helpless and lazy if you don't take advantage of them all.

As a marketing coach, I meet many people who are willing and able to market their products or services but feel overwhelmed by the process. There are so many things that they feel they "should" be doing that they throw their hands up and do nothing. Or, worse still, they do a little bit of everything but with little follow-through or consistency.

This means that their business marketing programs create a lot of stress for them personally. It also means that their marketing programs are almost completely useless.

Here is my suggestion:

Decide what you want to market (ideally a discreet product or service that you offer)
Lay out all of the marketing options that you can think of that might get your target audience interested
Pick one or two marketing tactics that a) you enjoy doing; and b) you can commit to doing for at least six months

Now that you have your marketing plan, do the work consistently and well for at least six months.

Don't be distracted when someone says "you should have a blog!" or "You should be on Twitter!" Answer patiently "yes, that's a good idea, but right now I'm focused on a direct mail program."

Remember: success in marketing is about focus and consistency. Like so many things in life, it's about working smarter; not harder.

For Love or For Money?

2010-07-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

Why are you in business?

I know that we all need to make money, but a funny thing happens when your do your marketing efforts from a "I need to make money" standpoint: everything gets tainted with the sense of greed.

Don't get me wrong: I am a capitalist and enjoy making money.

But I have found that when I chase the money, the returns (both financially and emotionally) are low.

When I chase the love of the "game" - the love of what I do well - I make more money than I had hoped for. I find that this is true for the people for whom I provide marketing coaching services to as well. It's as if something opens up in the Universe and recognizes that you have a unique gift to give the world and that your marketing is actually based on a moral obligation to serve rather than a base need for money.

Do what you love. Love what you do. Find a way to make money doing it.

Creativity is Overrated

2010-07-12T21:54:00.000-07:00

Marketing is definitely a creative process, but it doesn't stop there. No marketing program - no matter how amazingly creative it is - will survive on creativity alone.

The hardest part of marketing is actually the implementation: the day-to-day, month in and month out activities that slowly add up to brand recognition and the ultimate goal of landing a sale.

A marginally creative marketing program executed perfectly and over time will make a larger impact that one that is incredibly creative but fizzles out after just a few weeks or months.

Don't get stumped because you fear you don't have the "perfect," "best," or most creative marketing program. Just do something and repeat it consistently. Listen along the way and adjust as needed.

Use your creativity to figure out how to motivate yourself to market yourself consistently.

Marketing Secrets From the Top

2010-07-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

You know those annoying people who claim that they never have to do any marketing? They’re lying – but not in the way you think they are. They just know the secret. They have figured out a way to make marketing a natural part of how they do business – so natural that they forget about it. Chances are that they have found one core technique that they like to do and that works for them, and it is so ingrained that they really don’t think about it as marketing. Because marketing is supposed to be hard, right?

You can go to the bookstore today and find hundreds of specific marketing programs that tell you step by step exactly what you should be doing to market your business. They are all useful, but here is my question: are you a human being or a computer? These books treat you like you can somehow be programmed into making someone else’s plan work for you.

Here is my secret: the best marketing is something that you actually like to do. Do you hate writing? Then don’t start a blog. Do you hate public speaking? Then don’t base all of your marketing efforts on speaking. The point is that too many of us approach marketing from a fear-based, “have to do it” perspective and … guess what? It doesn’t work.

Here is a really, really simple guide to marketing. I promise that it will work:

Figure out ways in which you like to connect with prospects. Some ideas: speaking; writing; networking; getting referrals; making cold calls, etc.
Create a marketing plan based on those things that a) you genuinely enjoy; and b) tend to result in business opportunities
Create the marketing materials that will support your efforts (e.g. fliers, websites, sales letters, SEO, etc.)
Follow your plan – even though you enjoy it, this marketing plan will still require patience and perseverance

The secret is that if you find a way to market yourself in a manner that feels genuine and authentic – and if you are doing something that you like to do – you will build your business.

Recommended Book

2010-07-05T15:48:00.000-07:00

The Inner Game of Tennis
W. Timothy Gallwey

Someone brought this book to a book exchange, and I figured he was into tennis. It turns out that this book is a classic, and can be applied to almost any business or athletic situation in which focus and flow need to coexist.

So how does it relate to marketing? I believe that great marketing comes from within. It is motivated by a strong belief - a moral obligation - to share information about what you do with others. There are plenty of books on the tactics of marketing (as there are with tennis), but at the end of the day, they don't work because:

"It is as if we would like to think of ourselves more as an obedient computer than as a human being." - The Inner Game of Tennis

You are not a computer. Your true self is not obedient. Embrace natural marketing and your business will be transformed.

Get Referral Ready in 5 Steps

2010-07-01T13:08:00.001-07:00

Most professional practices grow through referrals, but do you have what it takes to gain the trust and confidence of the people who could be referring hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of business to you?

I hear from a lot of excellent service providers who are frustrated because their businesses aren't moving, but I also know that many of them don't have what it takes to generate referrals - a literal goldmine at your fingertips!

Here are the 5 Things You Need to Get Referrals:

A Great Website: While it doesn't need to be overly fancy with lots of bells and whistles, it does need to look really professional, clearly explain what you do, and be easy to find in a Google search.
Marketing Tools: If someone is making referrals to you frequently, then ask whether they have what they need to make the referrals. They might want a stack of your business cards, some brochures, or some fliers that support their recommendation.
Regular Communication: Your referring partners could have hundreds of opportunities to refer you each week, but it you're not top-of-mind, then they just won't remember. Find a meaningful, authentic way to keep in touch that makes you referring partner know how much you value him.
Public Relations: No matter how well a referring partner knows you, it still makes them feel stronger about their referral if a third party has endorsed your greatness. Get some PR to support their knowledge of how talented you are. Then make sure you send them articles in which you are featured!
A Thank-You Program: You may think that you're adequately thanking your referral network, but make sure that you show your appreciation often, regularly, and in an authentic fashion. These people are your goldmine, and you need to shower them with appreciation.

These five basics, when used correctly, can double your business very quickly.

The New Marketing Model

2010-06-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

The old marketing model was: Hit 10,000 people; Reach 10 people.

Today, marketing has been turned on its head. Now it’s about: Hit 10 people; Reach 10,000 people.

The easiest explanation for this is that our society has become highly diversified, and there are literally millions of sources of information available to each distinct group. Instead of 8 TV channels, we have hundreds. Instead of one local newspaper we have several, plus hundreds of local blogs, each targeting a specific niche. To reach your target audience you have to be highly selective in your outreach.

Here are some examples of what doesn't work anymore:

Advertising doesn’t work
Buying a list for mass mailings doesn’t work
Generic e-newsletters don’t work

And here is what you should be doing to market your business:

Public relations works
One-on-one contact works
Referral networks work

Think about how you can connect with 10 people who will reach 10,000 customers for you.

All Roads Point to Social Media

2010-06-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

More than 10 years ago, people told us that the Internet would mean the end of the retail store. It didn't. Now, some marketers will tell you that social networking means the end of in-person marketing. It doesn't. But you still have to face the music: it's a major force and opportunity, so make sure you're involved!

"According to Nielson, 22% of the time that people worldwide are online, they are engaging with social media.

What are you doing, personally and professionally, to be part of this movement?

How to Price Anything

2010-06-09T17:34:00.000-07:00

Basic economics suggests that you price your product as high as your ideal customer is willing to go. To do that, you have to influence your customer’s perceived value.

Perceived value is the value that your customer puts on your product/service. Most businesspeople erroneously price based on the hard costs they incur in providing their product/service for sale.

The amount of flexibility that you have in pricing depends on how well you influence your customers’ perceived value and, of course, your particular industry. There is usually more upward wiggle room than you think.

The only way to influence perceived value is to tell your customer why your product is valuable. It’s really that simple.

Sit down and take a long, hard look at your industry, your competition, and your marketing materials. Are you clearly communicating the value of your product or service? Could you be charging more? Pricing is an art, and it is well worth mastering!

Article Recommendation: Have you been offering “recession pricing” to your customers? Are you struggling to get by as a result? This article from Businessweek is a good reminder that we should always price based on perceived value rather than cost.

As always, I welcome any questions or comments that you have on this topic!

To Your Growth!

Virginia Ginsburg
swellstrategies
310.453.7008

Social Networking Stat

2010-06-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

eMarketer estimates that 57.5% of all US Internet users, or 127 million people, will use a social network at least once a month in 2010.

What are you going to do to reach them?

Small Business Marketing Mistakes

2010-06-03T16:55:00.000-07:00

(1) What are some common mistakes small business owners make?

Thinking that having a great product with terrible service is OK
Believing that “if you build it, they will come”
Failing to appropriately judge who their ideal customer is, what they want, and how much they are willing to pay for it

(2) What is the best approach to marketing your small business?

Figure out who your ideal customer is
Figure out where your ideal customer hangs out/what she reads, etc.
Find a low-cost way to reach your ideal customer where she hangs out/in media that she already reads, etc.

(3) What is the worst?

Assume that you need to pay to advertise in the local newspaper, yellow pages, etc.
Think that search engine optimization, Twitter or Facebook will be all that you need to attract customers (for most businesses, that’s not enough!)

(4) Overall suggestions or advice for how to build your business.

Clearly define the benefits of your product to your customer … again and again and again
Deliver your product with excellent service every single time
Check in with your best customers regularly to find out more about what they want from you/your product and how they like to be marketed to

Marketing is a contact sport

2010-05-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

A lot of marketing is hands-off, low-pressure. Advertising, billboards, direct mail and even online marketing all allow you to put space between you and your potential client, which protects you from the emotional risk of rejection.

My recommendation: think of marketing as a contact sport. The more you individually and personally speak with prospects, the greater chance you have of landing them. How do you do it? Here are some ideas:

Send personal e-mails to check in on them
Call them personally to see how they are doing
Attend tradeshows and networking events
Become active on relevant non-profit Advisory Boards

Your Marketing Budget

2010-05-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

When you are marketing yourself or a small business, you have a limited budget. But your budget isn't just limited to your cash - it's a combination of the following:

Time + Knowledge + Energy + Money = Marketing

How does your budget break out? Chances are, you have limited money, some time and knowledge, and not much energy. When you're juggling all of these elements, it can be helpful to chart them out to see how your marketing budget "pie" is broken down.

Now that you know your marketing budget breakdown, take a good hard look at your marketing activities. Are they aligned with your marketing budget?

Business & Marketing Essentials

2010-04-09T09:57:00.000-07:00

Marketing Essentials

1. Solid brand identity

a. Logo

b. Colors

2. Solid key messages

(for example)

a. We have everything you need

b. We have great service

3. Basic business materials

a. Business cards/stationery

b. Brochure

c. Website

Sales Essentials

1. Always do great work

2. Keep in touch with all past customers

a. Calls

b. E-mails

3. Follow up on all quotes and opportunities

a. Calls

b. E-mails

4. Constantly find new prospects

a. Tradeshows

b. Website

c. Research

d. Ask current clients for referrals

Marketing & Sales Support

1. Advertising – online & offline

2. Newsletters

3. Blogs

4. Twitter

Essential Questions

1. Where are we already doing well?

2. Where do we need to improve?

3. What do we need to do more of to be more successful?

How to Get Great Testimonials

2010-04-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

An important aspect of marketing includes getting excellent testimonials from satisfied customers. The easiest way to do this may surprise you, but I guarantee it works.

Here are the three steps:

1. Decide what you think the client valued most about your service of product, and then match that up with your key ,marketing messages (the things that make you great).

2. Conduct a "wrap up" call with your client to make sure he/she is happy with your work. Let her know that you are working on getting some testimonials, and would she be willing to provide one? Most people can't say no. Tell her you will send her an e-mail with a quick recap of the work you did together.

3. Now, create an e-mail that wraps up the work you did together and mentioning how much you enjoyed working with her. Highlight all the fabulous things you did. At the end, tell her that you know how busy she is and that you took the liberty of sketching out a possible testimonial on her behalf. Include a brief testimonial that realistically praises your company from her perspective and is based on those points that you selected in No. 1. Say something about how she can either choose your version or write her own. Of course you end with profuse praise and appreciation.

90% of the time your client will accept your testimonial - it makes things easier for both her and you.

Good luck!

Multi-Dimensional Marketing

2010-03-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

When marketing your product or service, the simplest question is often the hardest: who are you selling to? Avoid giving the simple answer - marketing is almost always a multi-dimensional process in which you are selling to multiple audiences and going through many layers to reach your end user.

For example, yesterday I met someone who wants to run workshops for corporations. He was thinking that his market was the "end user," or the employees who will participate in the workshops. It turns out that the people who participate in his workshops are actually last in the list of people he has to market to to make the sale.

Here is how it actually breaks down:

1. Company Gatekeeper (often a receptionist or assistant)
2. HR manager
3. Corporate leader
4. Corporate finance dept
5. End User (employees)

In other words, to actually reach the people he wants to work with, he must first sell his product to four other people and departments, and the people who actually make the decision to hire him and the department who pays him are often on different sides of the company and will never actually witness his services. In fact, the least important target audience for his workshops are the end users!

Want to know how to deal with a situation like this? Give me a call!

Marketing is not an art project

2010-03-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

A lot of people think that marketing is supposed to be creative. While you should of course apply your creativity to marketing, it's important to remember that:

Marketing is not an art project;
it is a critical revenue-generating activity.

How do you know the difference? Well, an art project means:

Creativity comes first; function second
You can do whatever you want - use any color, any materials, any size, etc.
You may end up with something cool, or you may throw it in the trash. It doesn't matter because creativity was the purpose of the activity

Contrarily, a marketing project that will drive revenue requires that you:

Know exactly who you are trying to reach
Know exactly what appeals to the people you are trying to reach
Have a specific call to action based on exactly what you want those people to do
Have a brand foundation (colors, fonts and words) upon which everything is built
Apply your creativity only once you are absolutely sure everything above is covered
Measure your efforts to make sure that you receive a reasonable return on your investment

Need some help? Give me a call at 31.453.7008

Ads: A rule of thumb

2010-02-22T10:23:00.000-08:00

Advertising is so tempting. It seems like such an easy marketing option. All you need to do is pay a little bit of money and design a simple little ad and the money will fly in, right? To help you make a decision (quickly), a friendly ad rep is on your back, convincing you that it is the best possible way to market your business.

Before you dive in, consider this rule of thumb: any ad should pay you back at least double. That means that if it costs you $1,000 to run, you should make at least $2,000 each time it runs.

To help your ads make more marketing sense, consider:
1. Research the publication's target audience and consider why you are the best solution
2. Create an ad that has a call to action - people need to know what to do
3. Measure your ads. How many calls are they generating? How many paid invoices? Remember the rule of thumb and dump the ad if it isn't working (no matter what the ad rep says!)

PR - 5 Tips for Getting Bloggers to Write About You

2010-02-09T07:35:00.000-08:00

Hi there!

One of the best recent developments in PR is getting bloggers to write about you. That's right - instead of focusing on writing your own blog, your time might be better spent pitching bloggers who already attract readers in your target audience and ask them to write about your product or service.

For many people, blogs have replaced traditional media as a source of news and information. For a small business, it doesn't get much better than an endorsement from a blogger, especially if you sell something directly on your website. This is because, unlike traditional media, in a blog the reader can immediately click through to your website and buy!

Pitching bloggers can be just as tough as pitching traditional media, so you need to think through your strategy. Follow these time-tested tips:

Find some blogs that your audience might read, and figure out the most influential and popular blogs.

Know the value of your story. The most popular bloggers (i.e. the ones you should be targeting) make money off their blogs by charging advertisers. This means that their articles must be finely targeted to appeal to their target audience and keep them coming back again and again. Make sure that the story you're pitching is relevant to that audience, or it will be dead in the water.

Participate. The best approach is to follow your chosen bloggers for several months and become an active participant on their blogs. Comments are really important to bloggers, so provide insight that keeps the conversation going and is not simply self-serving. Try to get the blogger herself to respond to your comments.

Pitch carefully. Once you really know your blogger, and once your blogger has seen you hanging around his blog, then it is time to carefully craft a pitch that directly appeals to his blog's primary mission. Send the pitch via e-mail. Remember to keep it brief and put all of the most important information in the first sentence. That's right - you have less than a sentence to catch his attention before he hits "delete."

Offer plentiful links and freebies. One of the best parts of the blogosphere is that the bloggers are in control - they don't have to worry about editorial boards or ethics, and they really like freebies and link-backs to their sites. Offer both generously.

If you want to talk to me about PR, and specifically pitching bloggers to grow your business, then e-mail me or give me a call at 310.453.7008.

Best,
Virginia

Marketing is Like Dieting

2010-01-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

Since the diet industry has increasingly grown over the past decades - to the point at which we now have dieting shows on prime-time reality television. As a result, we know a lot about diets. Here are two critical ways that marketing is like dieting:

1. NEW! sells: every. single. time.
There is always at least one new diet on the market. Why? Because dieting is hard, and consumers keep looking for an easy solution. Diet companies know this, so they serve up limitless NEW! and IMPROVED! options to get us interested. To get more customers and keep your current customers engaged, you have to constantly offer them something new and exciting to keep them interested. This applies to all businesses, but especially to those that are in the business of selling something that is hard to do (like weight loss, financial prudence, or (ahem!) strategic marketing.

2. The basics are pretty boring.
The basics of dieting are tried and true. There is no question that to lose weight you need to take in fewer calories than you expend. You need to do this consistently and over time to lose weight and then maintain weight loss. The same is true of marketing, but in reverse. You need to consistently put tons of marketing messages into the market. It takes daily diligence to seed new opportunities that will gain and maintain customers.

So ... what is the bottom line? To sell, you need to keep things interesting for your customers while maintaining serious marketing discipline.

Need some help? Give me a call!

Sell Lipstick.

2010-01-27T11:21:00.000-08:00

In bad economies, lipstick sales rise. Why? Because they offer a quick, inexpensive pick-me-up. Women buy lipstick for all kinds of reasons, but many times new lipstick is an emotional purchase that makes a woman feel instantly better and different from how she was just a few minutes ago.

Do you have a lipstick-style product that you can offer? Is there something that your customers can buy on a whim - without thinking about it too much - that will make them feel instantly better and put some cash in your pocket?

If so, NOW is the time to market it! People are craving quick pick-me-ups, and you probably need the cashflow!

Goals and Money

2009-11-04T14:08:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's all about the money ... at least in business, anyway.

I'm sure you have heard it before, but it's time for a reminder: you can't hit a target if you don't know it's there. Too many people run their businesses without clear goals in place, thus setting themselves up for lackluster performance. It's simple: to make more money, you have to set a clear goal for exactly how much more money you want to make. Otherwise you're shooting in the dark.

Next time you consider spending time or money marketing your business, remember that you need a specific goal. What kind of goal? Well, I recommend a dollar amount.

Wonder how you can possibly set a monetary goal for a lowly, boring brochure or a networking event? Call me!!!310.453.7008

Where to Advertise Online

2009-09-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

The question of where to advertise online is getting more complicated as Yahoo!'s new search engine, Bing, picks up some market share. Check out the chart from eMarketer.com demonstrating that Google is no longer the be-all-end-all of online advertising targets.

Painkillers

2009-09-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

A great way to think of marketing is to remember that it's easier to sell painkillers than vitamins. While people might like to think in terms of prevention, it is pain that usually drives them to buy.

The lesson: when you are marketing a product or service, find the pain your customer feels and address it.

Open Letter to Facebook Marketers

2009-09-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

To those of you out there who think that you can do nothing on Facebook except have your assistant post marketing notices of your upcoming promotions and events, you're wrong! Like any face-to-face networking opportunity, you can't just waltz in and focus only on yourself; you need to participate in the community, share items of interest, and refer business around the room. If you focus only on yourself, you will only turn people off.

Here are some quick rules of thumb for people who wish to use Facebook as a marketing platform:

1. Regularly post information and links to articles, books and info that the community might find interesting
2. Regularly post comments on other people's posts - thereby participating in the community
3. Sometimes post something a little personal about yourself - again, so that you are participating in the community
4. Sometimes post information about what your business has to offer

Women Cut Back Spending (MORE)

2009-09-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

Uh-oh! eMarketer reports that women are cutting back spending (still - and even more aggressively) in the next 60 days. Do you market to women? How are you going to address this in your marketing? Can you hold onto your female customers even as they cut back on spending?

If you need help, call me! 310-453-7008

Facebook Demographics Continue to Change

2009-09-21T10:20:00.001-07:00

The Facebook landscape has traditionally been dominated by 18-25 year-olds, followed by 26-34 year-olds. But it looks like the balance is shifting as more and more older adults are diving in. Check out the following chart, which shows that, after 13-17 year-olds, the next largest demographic group joining Facebook is aged 45-54.

What does this mean for your marketing? It means that it might make sense for you to get on Facebook, if only to figure out what all the fuss is about and to position yourself for possible marketing activity.

Remember: the only reason you should be using Facebook for marketing reasons is if your customers are on Facebook.

What business are you in?

2009-09-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

Most people answer that question with the tactical description of what they do. For example:

Catering
Banking
Coaching
Consulting

But for almost everyone, the true business that you are in is customer service, which means you need to make your customer feel good about the purchase he or she just made or is making.

When you shift your marketing activities to focus on your true business - not your tactical business, you will make a dramatic difference.

Marketing Online

2009-09-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

When you're marketing your business online, you have to constantly think about what you are trying to get your customers to do when they're on your website. Check out this article for some ideas:

A Wall Street Journal Small Business Article Worth Reading:

Three Best Ways to Convert Web Traffic Into Sales

The Edge on Social Media Marketing

2009-09-10T22:00:00.001-07:00

Everything you need to know about online marketing, but were too confused to ask!

The Edge on Social Media Marketing

View more presentations from Virginia Ginsburg.

Video Hits Increasing

2009-08-31T14:35:00.000-07:00

For the past several years, the first-movers in online video marketing have been struggling to be heard (well, other than a few very notable YouTube celebrities!). It looks like the video metrics are increasing from last year, which may mean that now is the time for you to start making some marketing videos on your site.

P.S. I bought a webcam, but no, I haven't jumped in and created a marketing video for my site yet ... add it to the to-do list!

2009-08-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

I don't often cite quotes on this marketing blog, but here is one that I think applies to small business and personal marketing: just do it!

"You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear. Do it! Develop an appreciation for the present moment. Seize every second of your life and savor it. Value your present moments. Using them up in any self-defeating ways means you've lost them forever."

Wayne Dyer
Author and Speaker

New PR

2009-08-27T18:08:00.001-07:00

Did you know that the hottest form of PR today is getting bloggers to feature your business? Nine in ten bloggers say they have accepted and given away free samples of products and services that they endorse. So ... to market your business, find some bloggers that reach your target audience and get in touch with them.

But first:

1. Read their blog ... lots - make sure you understand what they care about and where they are coming from

2. Read all comments on their blog - get to understand their readers and what they care about

3. Participate - make some comments on a few different entries over time to establish yourself within the community

4. Contact the blogger directly - take your cues from the blogger's online style when writing your pitch. Offer good freebies that will add value to their community

If you're interested in learning more, check out this press release from Text 100

Online Marketing is Not

2009-08-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

A miracle
A way to get rich quick
A substitute for strategy

Online marketing might be free and/or cheap, but it requires know-how, time and money to do well.

Do you disagree?

What has been your experience with online marketing?

What are People Tweeting About?

2009-08-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

If you have been confused by all the commotion about Twitter, check out this research:

According to Pear Analytics' "Twitter Study - August 2009," the content of Tweets worldwide by category are:

Pointless Babble: 40.55%
Conversational: 37.55%
Pass-along value: 8.7%
Self-promotion: 5.85%
Spam: 3.75%
News: 3.60%

It's hard for me as a marketing professional to go against the grain and recommend against spending time on Twitter, but my belief is that Marketing = Energy. Since we have a limited amount of energy available, I recommend that you get to know Twitter a little bit, given these stats, I don't think it is the first place you should put your marketing energy to work.

Marketing Yourself

2009-08-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

I work with a lot of sole proprietors who need to market their services tirelessly in order to stay in business. My mantra when coaching them is that Marketing = Energy, and they only have a limited amount of energy available. That means that they need to focus their marketing efforts only in ways that will directly benefit their business. The best thing to do when figuring out where to spend your marketing energy is to consider the three circles below. Once you have found the intersection of what you're good at, what you like to do, and what the market will pay for, you invest all of your marketing energy in that sweet spot. This will limit wasted marketing energy and maximize your opportunity to connect with prospects.

E-Mail Marketing

2009-08-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

According to the Direct Marketing Association, e-mail marketing delivers twice the return on investment (ROI) as search marketing, and overall the highest ROI among all direct response methods. Thus, it's a really good idea to have a solid e-mail list.

Here are some tips for growing your list:

Make it easy to sign up - don't collect a bunch of data. Yes, it would be great to know more about your subscribers, but it will also turn them off.
Make it safe to sign up - guarantee that you will never share or sell e-mail data to any third party.
Make it have value to your customer - if all you're doing is pushing your product/service, people will skip over it. Find out what your subscribers want to know and deliver it to them every time.
Have a call to action - you should always have a way to get your subscribers more engaged with your company, so be sure to have a call to action. This could be encouraging them to call or e-mail you; asking them to follow you on a social media site like Facebook or Twitter, or asking them to purchase something.

Appropriate Use of Facebook for Marketing

2009-08-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

For months I have been trying to think of a perfect example of how to use Facebook as a marketing tool without turning your friends off. Today I came up with a perfect example!

I met Albert Vaca, a Los Angeles-based acupuncturist, several times at one of my regular networking meetings. He was frequently recognized as a "lifesaver" and "fabulous acupuncturist" by others at the meetings. I briefly spoke to him and he seemed like a nice guy. When he sent a friend request on Facebook, I immediately accepted him. I have casually noticed a few of his posts - none of which were marketing-oriented.

Last week I threw my back out and was diagnosed with sciatica. I posted a note about it on Facebook, and several of my friends wished me well. Albert left a short comment: "classic case for acupuncture." That was it. He didn't say "call me for an appointment" or in any way push me to use him.

Because of his gentle approach, combined with my previous experiences with him, I did call him and set up an appointment.

Three cheers for appropriate Facebook marketing!

Here is what is right about Albert's approach:

I met him personally. As someone providing a personal service like Acupuncture, this is a critical first step.
Other people spoke highly of his services.
He was visible on Facebook, but was not directly using it as a marketing opportunity.
He responded appropriately and directly to me when he saw an opportunity to help.
Even when faced with a perfect marketing opportunity, he did not push himself on me - he simply recommended a possible treatment, which could be obtained from any one of many acupuncturists I know. This is a bit of a risk, but it usually pays off because it makes your customer feel as if you are thinking about her, not you.

Even Dentists Have to Market

2009-08-11T11:37:00.001-07:00

There's an article in the Wall Street Journal about dentists having to up their marketing efforts in this economy. Serves them right for hurting us! Just kidding, of course. Perhaps I can find a dentist who will exchange painless dentistry treatment for painless marketing.

5 Do-or-Die Rules for Social Media

2009-08-11T11:22:00.001-07:00

Social media is taking the media by storm, and making a lot of people confused and overwhelmed in the process. Since I get so many questions about social media, I wanted to give you my five do-or-die rules for getting involved.

Note that these are strictly from a business marketing perspective. If you are involved in social media for personal fun, then you can ignore all of these (instead focus on some of the personal privacy rules).

1. Have a (really good) website that sells something. It's simple: if you are engaging in social media for marketing purposes, then you need to have somewhere to send people online (a website) and something that you want them to do (a call to action). You don't necessarily need to have e-commerce, but you should have a call to action clearly defined on every page of your website (if you don't have a product to sell, then a good call to action is to call or e-mail you). Without a good website and online call to action, you are wasting your valuable marketing time on social networks.

2. Know who your online customer is. If you don't have an online customer, then don't invest marketing time on social media, which is inherently online-based. If you do have an online customer, then get really clear about what that customer does online - where does she spend time? what websites does she visit most? what does she care about? This is Marketing 101, but it's also easily forgotten in the online world. Remember that in most cases your online customer is very different from your offline customer.

3. Determine where you're going to focus your efforts. There are lots of social media options out there (i.e. Twitter, blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, etc.), and even huge corporations have trouble managing all of them. My recommendation is that you pick one or two social media outlets and focus your marketing energy there. How do you pick? Well, of course you pick based on your answers to No. 2. Go where your customers are. It's that simple.

4. Establish an online identity. It is best to use a photograph of a person rather than your logo when interacting in social media spaces. This is because people expect to be social with another person, not a logo. For most small businesses, the "face" of your company is probably going to be your owner/president, but it can vary. The important thing is that you identify a single person who will represent your company in social media settings (Note: this person should best identify with your answers to No. 2). Take some good photos and establish a compelling bio that gives both the person and the company a personality, and you've got a winning online identity.

5. It's not about you. The single biggest mistake companies make when using social media to market is marketing themselves too much. Social media is about community and communication, and if you are too aggressive in your marketing/sales efforts, you will be ignored or, worse, booted and ridiculed. Share interesting industry information that your customers are interested in, participate in discussions about all sorts of topics, and share, share, share. In general, you should share and participate in an indirect manner 90% of the time. Only occasionally should you directly promote your company.

If you want to talk to me about social media and how you can use them to grow your business, then e-mail me or give me a call at 310.453.7008.

Best,
Virginia

Cheap and easy website update

2009-08-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

If you sell a product (or lots of products), then here is a simple upgrade that you can make to your website that will increase sales:

Add more photos.

Obviously, the better the pictures, the better your overall marketing chances are. That said, whether you have a professional photographer or a little photography lightbox (make your own here), you can make a big impact on your ability to sell products simply by adding more views of the same product. Even if you don't think it's an interesting photo, add it. The mere presence of photos subconsciously signals professionalism and quality to the buyer.

Email Marketing: Quality not Quantity

2009-08-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

The old rules of email marketing have been turned on their head.

When I first started creating, writing and designing companies' e-newsletters, we simply adapted the format we marketers had used for print newsletters. Now, however, with a huge proliferation of e-mail marketing out there, we have to be more strategic. Here are three quick tips for making your e-mail marketing work:

1. Build your list slowly. The print newsletter model allowed us to mass-mail, but that is heavily frowned on in the e-mail world. Instead, slowly build an opt-in list of people who actually want to hear from you.

2. Avoid graphics. This is hard for me to say, since I love graphics, but with so many handheld devices acting as people's main form of e-mail retrieval, graphic-heavy e-newsletters can actually work against you. Stick to simple text, and you have a better chance of getting your e-mail read while someone is waiting for their flight or sitting in a doctor's office.

3. Keep it short and simple. This is also hard for me to say, since I love to write, but there simply isn't time in the day to read all of the information that passes through our e-mail boxes. Use bolding and bullets so that your readers can quickly skim your e-newsletter.

Networking Pitch

2009-07-31T12:15:00.000-07:00

If you're trying to build your business through networking, remember to mention the following when you meet people:

1. Your name - even if it's on your business card and your name badge, some people learn by hearing (vs. reading), so it's always a good idea to say your name when meeting someone

2. What you do - if you get blank stares when you say what you do, then it means you're not being clear enough. Revise your business description until you don't get blank stares. For example, when I said I was a "business consultant," I got blank stares. When I say that I help people grow their businesses using marketing, they usually get it.

3. What sorts of people you work with - Be as specific as possible about what your target audience is seeking. I say something like "I work with small business owners who need help with marketing materials like websites and brochures and also strategic decisions regarding online and offline marketing and advertising and PR."

This should all be quick and natural. Now, for the most important part, ask the question:

"What do you do, and what sorts of referrals can I send to you?"

Remember: networking events are about building relationships, and saying this lets people know that you are serious about sending them business.

Why people use Twitter

2009-07-29T10:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to eMarketer (again!) for some great statistics to help us determine where you should be marketing. This particular chart is of great interest considering how much buzz there is about Twitter right now.

Check out this chart and look for your customers' demographic group. Now, what are they doing on Twitter? Note that most people are spending the majority of their time keeping in touch with friends and updating their own status. This means that if you are Tweeting for marketing purposes, you need to be really compelling to break into their consciousness.

Networking & Numbers

2009-07-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

As with all sales and marketing efforts, networking is largely a numbers game. To some extent, the number of people you meet is in direct correlation to the number of leads you get. The ratio, however, is up to you.

For example, someone who is not skilled at "closing" will need to meet a lot more people through networking than someone is skilled. The difference is significant - the unskilled closer will need to meet 50-100x more people to get one lead than the skilled closer.

Want to learn how to network more effectively and close the deal? I can help you! Give me a call and let's schedule some coaching time!

3 Questions About Twitter

2009-07-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

Here are the three most commonly asked questions about Twitter:

1. What the heck is Twitter?
Twitter is a free social-messaging tool for staying connected in real-time. It is sometimes called a "micro-blogging service" that enables its users to send and read other users' short (140-character) updates, known as tweets.

2. Why should I use it?
The jury is out on this, but proponents say it's a great way to begin and maintain a direct dialogue with your customers. This value really depends on your customer base, though and whether they are on Twitter and following you. At the very least, when done correctly, Twitter can increase your search engine visibility, but again, this only matters if your customers are the type of people who are searching for you online.

3. How can I get started?
The best thing to do is to sign up for a Twitter account (it's free) and start following some other people on Twitter. Start with any friends or colleagues you know who are already on Twitter (I'm @virginiagins), then check out Twellow - the Twitter directory for people in your field or industry to follow. Once you have a feel for how/what people tweet, dive in and give it a try!

Facebook Pages

2009-07-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can make your Facebook page look really cool and professional? Check this out.

Make Networking Events Work for You

2009-07-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

If you're naturally introverted, or simply feel uncomfortable in highly-charged and extremely extroverted networking events, take along a friend or colleague who can increase your confidence and help you feel more at-ease at networking events.

Before you go in:

Clarify your key messages with each other
Rehearse your "pitch" - this should be tailored based on the type of networking event and the sorts of people you might be meeting
Review the types of people you are each looking to meet at the networking event
Remind each other that networking events are not a nasty repeat of junior high - it's about work, so make it work for you!

How to make Direct Mail work for you

2009-07-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

Today's MarketingSherpa Blog says that direct mail may decline by 38% over then next five years. What does this mean to small businesses? Well, rather than meaning you should also reduce your direct mail programs, it means that now might be the time to increase them.

As long as they are finely-tuned and highly-targeted, direct mail campaigns can be very effective in growing your business. The biggest mistake I see is that people think they can just slap something together and send it out and the phone will ring. Nothing could be further than the truth.

In direct mail, you need to make sure that your message - specifically your Call to Action - is clear as a bell. Tell your customers exactly what you want them to do. This is the only way that direct mail can make an impact.

Focus on a special promotion or offer a coupon, then tell people whether they need to call you, e-mail you or come in. Tell them specifically what action they need to take.

Don't clutter the piece with too many words. Keep it short and simple.

Make sure you have a tracking method in place. In other words - make sure that you will know whether your efforts had any impact on your bottom line.

Good luck, and let me know if you need help!

Green Marketing

2009-07-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

It's no surprise that eco-friendly products are becoming increasingly popular.

Check out this graph regarding the increased availability of eco-friendly packaged goods:

So, if you are thinking about marketing a new product in the coming years, it would make sense to consider ways in which your product can be "greener." There are lots of ways you can add eco-friendly aspects to your product marketing, including:

Having a product that is actually eco-friendly. Be sure to add information about the ingredients/contents and how and where it was made in your marketing materials to support your claims.
Package your product in eco-friendly packaging. Be sure to tell people about the recycled content of your packaging in your marketing materials!
Print all marketing materials (e.g. brochures, flyers, etc.) on eco-friendly paper using eco-friendly ink. As above, be sure to tell people about this in your marketing!

In short, there are a lot of ways that you can market your product in an eco-friendly manner - just make sure that you tell people what you are doing to reap the most benefits!

Marketing doesn't have to suck (you dry)

2009-07-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

I was on a teleconference today with some very bright business owners, and the message I heard loud and clear was that marketing can really suck. As in - suck you dry. But also, of course, it can be an awfully unpleasant thing (that you keep procrastinating) on your to-do list.

I personally have encountered marketing becoming a daunting and unpleasant activity, but I can also say that it doesn't have to be that way. Here are three things you can do to improve how you feel about your marketing:

1. Remember that it's like exercise - it's critical that you do it, but sometimes it takes about 10 minutes to "warm up," but, even still, you might be counting the minutes until it's finished.

2. Remember that what feels like "rejection" or "being ignored" isn't personal. It's not about you - it's really about the person you're trying to reach not thinking they need what you're marketing right now. Regroup and try again.

3. Remember that the marketing activities with the greatest impact are not the expensive ones. Remember what I said about exercise? Well, a lot of us try to motivate ourselves to exercise by spending a lot of money on fancy outfits and tools. In the end, you could put on a decent pair of shoes and just go for a walk. Marketing is the same way. Just get out and do it - you don't need a lot of money to succeed!

2009-07-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since it was first published, but I recently referenced Marketing Profs' Top 10 for Online Marketing Success, and I thought you might want to check it out.

My take (edited from 10 to 6):

1. Borrow stuff from other people
2. Have other people write stuff for you
3. Think about what you customer cares about
4. Stop sending a boring e-newsletter: send relevant articles and updates instead
5. Teach your customers and they will love you
6. Dive in and do it!!!

Who is Using the Internet?

2009-07-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

When you're marketing, it is always important to know who you are marketing to. Most marketers start by breaking people down by age, and a lot of marketers are using the Web as a primary tool to reach people. Hence, I find it interesting to review which age groups are on the Internet the most. The most active Web users fall within Generation X, which is interesting given that they're considered a small generation. As for the Millennials (a large generation), well, sources say they're texting more than browsing.

The economy sucks; your business doesn't have to

2009-07-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

My take on an article from the Harvard Business Journal

1. Cash is king - if you've got it - stash some; invest the rest. If you don't have it, then figure out a way to get some!!!

2. Innovation and creativity matter - it is a time when American business simply has to change. You may not be able to figure out how to create a better product right now (that takes significant investment), but you can probably figure out how to market better, sell better, and provide better service for little or no cost. (Need help? Call me 310-453-7008!)

3. For better and for worse, information moves at lightning speed - make sure that you are on top of your communication strategies and know what is being said about you and on your behalf on the street, in print, and in cyberspace!

4. Focus, focus, and focus - keep your eye on the ball, and focus on the above three points. If you do, you will end up succeeding!!!

First-Mover Disadvantage

2009-07-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

Many entrepreneurs believe that being the “first-mover” or first-to-market is the key to success. They’re wrong.

According to a study cited in the Harvard Business Review, 47% of first-movers have failed. These are about the same odds any entrepreneur faces when starting a business, whether it’s a standard-issue Laundromat or a cutting-edge new technology.

One of the key challenges is that companies overvalue innovation, while consumers undervalue them. Research by John T. Gourville of Harvard Business School has suggested that while consumers are skeptical about innovation and distrustful of the benefits of a new product, companies are convinced that consumers are begging for innovation and will automatically believe that “new” equals “better.”

An example of misgauging consumers’ desire for innovation is Webvan, the first mover in online grocery shopping. Webvan was an innovation that in many ways made sense philosophically, but it barreled into the market without realizing that most consumers were not ready to give up their in-store experiences. As a result, it lost millions of dollars and declared bankruptcy in 2001.

Today, established grocery chains like Albertsons and Vons are making slow inroads in the online grocery market, but they’re spending very little from a developmental or marketing standpoint. After witnessing Webvan’s spectacular crash and burn, they’re taking baby steps towards this major shift in changing consumers’ buying patterns.

How does Webvan’s story relate to other entrepreneurial businesses? It is a demonstration of how over-estimating consumer demand and the advantages of being the first-mover can lead to a disastrous financial situation.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t innovate … it just means you need to take your entrepreneurial blinders off and be realistic about the challenges facing any new product that you want to bring to the market. Know your customers and what they really want (and will actually buy!). Then launch your product appropriately, with the understanding that you need to help customers understand how you have improved the marketplace with your product.

Spa Service

2009-07-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

Luxury spas have been struggling since the economy tanked last year, but I still partake of their benefits about once per quarter. Why? Because in the midst of all the uncertainty, it’s nice to know that I can go somewhere for a consistently pleasurable experience. I always go to the same spa, where I’m greeted by a friendly staff who quickly and efficiently check me in. I know that a clean, fluffy robe will be waiting for me in my locker, and I always enjoy the fresh fruit and cucumber-spiked ice water placed throughout the facilities. My massage is reliably relaxing, and I love soaking in the hot tub.

My impetus for going? Usually a timely coupon delivered via e-mail, which reminds me that it’s about that time again. Yes, even in the luxury market, coupons can be a powerful marketing tool.

Can your customers count on this sort of consistency? Do they know what to expect from you, and can they count on you delivering it every time? From your marketing materials to your product/service delivery, your customer craves a consistent experience.

3 Reasons to Have a Blog

2009-07-01T13:06:00.001-07:00

I have identified four marketing reasons to have a blog:

1. To improve search engine rankings for your website (i.e. drive traffic to your website)

2. To demonstrate that you are "with it" to your customers and known prospects and use it as a way to tell them about your product or service in hopes that they will buy and/or refer your product/service

3. To generate a following of people from all over the country/world and use it as a way to tell them about your product or service in hopes that they will buy and/or refer your product/service

4. To generate income via pay-per-click ads posted on your blog

This list is based on the idea that marketing is worthless if it doesn't lead to sales. I would love to hear your thoughts and additions to this list!

Read this before you do anything!

2009-05-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

After working with hundreds of hard-working small business owners and entrepreneurs, I know that the single hardest thing about marketing is maintaining focus on the semi-boring but oh-so-important essentials of a solid growth strategy.

Let's face it: there are a lot of flashy marketing opportunities (like Twitter, Google ads and colorful postcards) that are way more creative and interesting to think about than these four essentials, but they absolutely must be done, and done consistently and well, to truly grow a business.

So, here are the four marketing musts for any business looking to grow:

Meet as many people as you can - you just never know where your next lead is going to come from. Attend networking events, join social clubs, boards and online networks to meet people who are interested in the same things you are and who share your values.

Keep in touch with everyone you know - this includes past clients, prospective clients, and anyone who has ever or may ever refer business to you. Meet them for coffee, call them occasionally, send them a book recommendation or an interesting article. Just make sure that you keep your name in their heads so that they remember you next time they're looking for someone to help.

Have the "basics" of a professionally-managed business - at the bare minimum, this includes a website, cards and stationery that all match.

Do excellent work - most businesses grow via referrals. Make sure you do every job well and you can rest assured that you will receive them.

As long as you have covered those basic marketing activities, you're good to go on all kinds of fun stuff like direct mail, e-mail marketing, online advertising, social media marketing, PR, etc. etc.

If you want to talk to me about the essentials, or if you're covered there but are ready to try some fun stuff ... then e-mail me or give me a call at 310.453.7008.

Best,
Virginia