If you are starting a new business or a veteran, it is wise to understand the basics of marketing. Without a marketing plan, you're going to experience a lot of frustration and insequirity. With a marketing plan, you'll have a blueprint that saves you money and insures success.
Victoria Garcia has been in the business of helping small businesss with their marketing for over 24 years. Feel free to contact her with questions if you have any.
2. Step 1 Create a Marketing Plan “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.” – Yogi Berra
3. Step 2 Take Stock of Your Strengths & Weaknesses “Progress is not made of doing one thing 100% right, but by doing 10 things 10% better.”
4. Step 3 Set Your Goals “Aim High! It’s no harder on your gun to shoot the feathers off an eagle, than to shoot the fur off a skunk.” – Troy Moore
5. Step 4 Check Out Your Competitors “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” Napoleon Bonaparte
6. Step 5 Target Your Market “USA Today has come out with a new survey. Apparently three out of every four people make up 75% of the population.” - David Letterman
22. Step 8 Branding Pre-Selling & Spin Doctoring If you can’t get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you’d best teach it to dance.” – George Bernard Shaw
23. Step 8 Sales is Convincing, Overcoming Objections, Getting a Check
WHY DOES MARKETING INTIMIDATE SO MANY BUSINESS OWNERS? Write on Board: Name/phone, etc. ½ hour free consult Selling Services is a Popularity Contest! Perception is Reality! You Can’t Break Through the Clutter w/more Clutter! Fake It ‘Till You Make It! How do you feel about marketing?
One of the cornerstones of sales generating copy is your unique selling proposition. The thing that sets you, your product or services, or your business apart from every other company in a favorable way. It is also sometimes called the competitive advantage. Fed Ex: When it absolutely, positively has to get there overnight. More than just a slogan, it conveys the idea that no other company, product or service compares. Highlight a feature or benefit that only your product or service contains.
We have moved from a “selling” world to a “buying” world.
When you go to the grocery store, looking to buy bleach, what are you most likely to buy? Why? There’s nobody in the isle saying “buy the Clorox.”
The market is cynical. People don’t want to be sold anything. They want to find it and then make the decision to buy. They want the comfort and reassurance of knowing in advance that it is safe to buy.
Brands are build visually. When you see something everywhere, the human response is to believe that it is best.
Visibility builds credibility (trust). Visibility is more important than ability . All things equal, the more visible competitor wins.
The “power of personality.” Smiling, which is the cheapest marketing tool available to you, and making your customers feel appreciated, will generate more brand loyalty than any expensive advertising any day.. Understanding what you are really selling. Confidence. People value – and pay more for- the way you make them feel. People buy feelings.” You are the company. You are The Christmas Light Pros. Everything you say and do brands the company. The way you dress, the look of your vehicles, your follow up (little things count).
Metrics – Ask your customers Obtain stats from your web host Look at stats for key word campaign Add a squeeze page to your website Add a subdomain to your ads or materials Use 1-800 numbers for each ad Use “Ask for” for each ad
Your Company Logo Two Essential Elements Never use clip art or generic shapes such as pyramids, squares and other common bits of art. A logo is a SYMBOL that reinforces your identity. Logos are more easily remembered than written language, so they increase your memorability and recognizability. A unique logo, designed for your company and properly used consistently will become your greatest ASSET. Use it on all your branding - Your Personal Branding Brochure, your Personal Branding Postcard, your Personal Branding Letterhead, and your Personal Branding Website. If you were to sell your business tomorrow, would your logo be an asset? Would someone want to buy it? FILL IN THE BLANK A slogan is a positioning statement
samples
Your job is to control perception. You do that with a Brochure. Decide in Advance what you want the brochure to do. A Brochure is a tool created to attract clients, establish your position in front of a target audience, and develop your image. BAD BROCHURES ARE WORSE THAN NO BROCHURES AT ALL Must Be: Professional High Quality - Spend the MAXIMUM you can afford on your brochure This means hiring the professionals if you can afford it Make You Look Successful Create A Warm Relationship With The Reader Brochures are not mailers!
12-06 Tell a story Start with the cover (photo and headline) Relate to your customers problem Explain how you can help solve the problem Explain your company (remember though this is about them not you) Use professional photos Get Personal PERSONALITY sells. Don’t use statistics. Don’t ask for trust. Don’t stress credentials.
12-06 There are different kinds of copy for different kinds of materials, but the basic rules apply Keep it SHORT . The more you write, the less will be read. Write in the THIRD person, objective point of view. Start on the LEFT panel letting your reader know you understand their concerns. Follow with how you can HELP them. Write in the FIRST person in “quotes.” Don’t brag. NEVER CRITICIZE other people. Always be positive. Use BULLETS sparingly. Write in text paragraphs. Use strong HEADLINES and sub-headlines. NEVER put prices in a brochure Use TESTIMONIALS to build trust. MAKE TESTIMONIALS SAY THE THINGS YOU CAN’T
12-06 Body Text – No more than 18 words in a sentence. No academic writing No more than 10 words in italics Use rhythm & punchy sentences Keep it short Write from 3 rd person perspective Start left and start with empathy for the problem Explain how you can help – don’t brag Don’t criticize others e.g. the competition Use strong headlines and sub-headlines Don’t include pricing Use testimonials to say what you can’t Remember your Target Remember your positioning and comp. adv. Stress benefits not features Use active verbs Write short punchy sentences Use offers that sell (act now, free trial, why wait) Tell the reader what to do (call, fax, email or web) Tout your name (at the bottom not top)
12-06 The Z path – Using focal points to guide the reader’s eye. Use optical weight Upper left quadrant is the “sweet spot” Larger objects have longer recall Dark objects register stronger than light Color over black and white White space works Squares, triangles, ovals, circles, cubes register stronger than rectangles
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Don’t mix too many fonts Don’t make everything the same size Don’t stack things down the center Use bolds, italics, scripts in small doses All caps are hard to read A border can help it look pulled together
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If you can’t track it…don’t do it. Or, make it trackable Television Advertising (Broadcast) Pro’s If you can afford television advertising, you stand to benefit more than using any other form of media. · Reach a large demographic audience. · Lends a degree of credibility. · You can establish a specific image more easily. . It allows for much more creativity. · You can establish your presence or introduce a new product very quickly.
12-06 · Viral Marketing (or word of mouth marketing): There are several ways to launch a viral marketing campaign, including an online newsletter, online discounts or even e-cards from your Web site . · Visibility: Free samples or free service demonstrations can also start a viral marketing campaign, especially with a unique or new product. · Awards: Create an award and present it to someone who is notable to your demographic group and has some connection with your industry. · Barter: Make deals with other small business owners to display one another’s products, advertise on one another’s Web sites, and so on. · High-Profile Individuals: Send, or give, your product to people with high visibility in hopes that they will wear it, carry it or eat it in view of other people and/or the media. · Groups: Start a discussion group, seminar series, book club, wine tasting club or other type of group that can meet to talk about your products or services. · Business Gatherings: Hand business cards and/or press kits out at trade shows, industry events and other gatherings. · Speaking Engagements: Offer to be a speaker at seminars, conferences and other functions. You can even teach a class. PR tools include: News releases Feature stories and interviews Position yourself an expert in your category and make this known to the print and broadcast media editors Write opinion pieces and send to print editors Speeches or appearances at seminars, conventions, etc. Local or national talk shows and other programs Community involvement and volunteering
12-06 News is not an ad in disguise, must be of interest to reader. News is what the editor says it is, not what you hope it is. Tie your message to a current and central pervasive event. How your product or service offers a solution to a current problem or dillema If you will give me your business card, I will email you a sample press release that will tell you how to write a press release.
12-06 More and more small businesses are finding it essential that they market their products and services online. Customers are increasingly turning to the Web to research companies, compare product features and prices, and to purchase online. A company that does not take advantage of the Web and email to market their business can lose valuable customers. It has never been easier or more cost-effective to market online. There are numerous Web sites, consultants, software packages, and other tools to help you implement a successful online presence. Here are 10 key steps to successfully marketing your business online: 1. Obtain a Good Domain Name. Before you establish a Web site for your business, you need a domain name. A domain name is the internet address that allows computer users to find your Web site , such as www.Microsoft.com or www.BananaRepublic.com. Good domain names are difficult to obtain, as millions have already been purchased over the years. The most common domain names end in ".com" or ".net" and are seen as the most desirable. It's easy to check whether a domain name is available. For example, Yahoo.com has a domain name service check and you can do a check in under a minute. The cost on Yahoo to purchase a domain name is under $10. A few key tips on domain names: · Make sure the domain name hasn't been trademarked by someone else (check www.uspto.gov); · Make sure it's easy to spell; · Make the name easy to remember. But simpler and descriptive may be better — you don't have to come up with something as catchy as "Google" — and non-descriptive names require more branding effort. 2. Build a Professional Looking Web Site . Your Web site is a reflection of your business. People who come to your Web site can be impressed or turned off by the professionalism of your site. There are several approaches to building a Web site. First, there are plenty of sites (including Yahoo ) that will give you templates for a site either for free or very cheaply. Second, there are professional site building consultants who will custom-build a site for you. (But see our Checklist of Issues for Web Site Development Contracts to see what you need to do to negotiate a contract with such a consultant). And, third, there are multiple software packages available to help you build your own site. 3. Make Your Web Site Easy to Navigate and Make it Easy to Find What You Are Trying to Sell . Don't get caught up in trying to come up with dazzling flash and color for your site. The key to a good site is to make sure the viewers can easily find what they are looking for. This means a clear navigation bar and a good "search" box. Take a look at some of the great sites out there, and sites from competitors. That can help you plan how your site should be designed. 4. Build up Your Email List. One of the best and cheapest ways to sell online is through email marketing. It's a great way to communicate with customers and prospective customers. So it is very valuable to collect email addresses from visitors to your Web site. Offer them something worthwhile for their email address—such as a discount or a free newsletter. Make it easy to get someone's email address, but also be sure that you have set forth a Privacy Policy on your site describing how you will use any personal information. And be sure you are up-to-date on the laws affecting email marketing , such as the CAN-SPAM Act. 5. Send Periodic Email Newsletters . Email newsletters can prove to be effective communication tools for existing customers, prospective customers, and other key audiences. What are the hallmarks of effective email newsletter programs? Here are 6 tips: · Keep it reasonably short. Nobody wants to read lengthy emails. · Make it well designed and visually interesting. Include photos and graphics. Provide multiple links back to your Web site . · Make it look professional. Don't have typos, a sloppy look, or broken links. · Include an easy way for the viewer to contact you and to unsubscribe from your email list. · Constantly test and track how your newsletters are doing.
12-06 2. Build a Professional Looking Web Site . Your Web site is a reflection of your business. People who come to your Web site can be impressed or turned off by the professionalism of your site. There are several approaches to building a Web site. First, there are plenty of sites (including Yahoo ) that will give you templates for a site either for free or very cheaply. Second, there are professional site building consultants who will custom-build a site for you. (But see our Checklist of Issues for Web Site Development Contracts to see what you need to do to negotiate a contract with such a consultant). And, third, there are multiple software packages available to help you build your own site. 3. Make Your Web Site Easy to Navigate and Make it Easy to Find What You Are Trying to Sell . Don't get caught up in trying to come up with dazzling flash and color for your site. The key to a good site is to make sure the viewers can easily find what they are looking for. This means a clear navigation bar and a good "search" box. Take a look at some of the great sites out there, and sites from competitors. That can help you plan how your site should be designed. 4. Make sure the search engines can find you. Professional SEO is critical. Minimal flash, no names in graphics 4. Build up Your Email List. One of the best and cheapest ways to sell online is through email marketing. It's a great way to communicate with customers and prospective customers. So it is very valuable to collect email addresses from visitors to your Web site. Offer them something worthwhile for their email address—such as a discount or a free newsletter. Make it easy to get someone's email address, but also be sure that you have set forth a Privacy Policy on your site describing how you will use any personal information. And be sure you are up-to-date on the laws affecting email marketing , such as the CAN-SPAM Act. 5. Send Periodic Email Newsletters . Email newsletters can prove to be effective communication tools for existing customers, prospective customers, and other key audiences. What are the hallmarks of effective email newsletter programs? Here are 6 tips: · Keep it reasonably short. Nobody wants to read lengthy emails. · Make it well designed and visually interesting. Include photos and graphics. Provide multiple links back to your Web site . · Make it look professional. Don't have typos, a sloppy look, or broken links. · Include an easy way for the viewer to contact you and to unsubscribe from your email list. · Constantly test and track how your newsletters are doing.