Marketing Means Knowing Your Position in the Market

A rule in marketing is you must connect your marketing message to the people who will want what you have to sell and who can afford your product or service.

You must know the position you want to occupy and develop your marketing message accordingly.

This became clear to me when I wrote online articles for a property management company in the San Gabriel Valley and they serviced the mid-market range. They offered rental units for a mid-range price. The buildings were older yet maintained well and professionally managed.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, knows this truth. A recent article in Businessweek focused on the lower priced smartphones flooding the world market. This would cut into Apple's business and ruin the future for the iPhone, iPad, and related Apple products.

The article quoted Cook and said he wasn't worried.

“There’s always a large junk part of the market,” he says. “We’re not in the junk business.” The upper end of the industry justifies its higher prices with greater value. “There’s a segment of the market that really wants a product that does a lot for them, and I want to compete like crazy for those customers,” he says. “I’m not going to lose sleep over that other market, because it’s just not who we are. Fortunately, both of these markets are so big, and there’s so many people that care and want a great experience from their phone or their tablet, that Apple can have a really good business.”

Click here to read the Bloomberg article on Apple.

Click here on my copywriting site, LA Content andCopywriting, for a fair market price and high value on copy for websites, social media posts, and online marketing needs.

Web site assessment questions for small businesses

A small business owner who runs a store recently wanted a Web site. I wrote out these questions to help determine why a Web site might benefit his business:

What is the primary reason for wanting a Web site?

What do you want a Web site to achieve for you?

Is the Web site going to be part of a local marketing campaign?

Is the goal to get Web site visitors the chance to shop online and purchase online?

How long has the store been in business?

Who is the typical customer? Where do they live? What do they buy?

How much money does the typical customer spend?

What is the budget range?

Click here to read this post on more assessment questions

Free Marketing Tip: Promote value and benefits

Market to consumers who are looking for value, value, value for their money.

Mike Zaya, president of PrintRunner.com told me in a recent interview that now, more than ever, consumers are willing to switch their brand loyalty in order to either save money or get better value for their money.

I saw the same message again on Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog:

Value is going to be the new black. Consumers have realized the importance over the past few years of value for their money. They will now be looking for a reason to buy all products and services . . . The classic old trick of appealing to a consumers feelings are not going to work anymore. Consumers have gotten wise to that one and are now on the look out for those who are trying to tug at their heart strings in order to make a sale.

He credits Branding Strategy Insider as the source.

I published the comments from Mike Zaya of PrintRunner in my column as the LA Business News Examiner.

Want a free marketing tip? Provide value to customers with your services or products and clearly show the benefits of what you offer.

Marketing tips for Twitter

Here is a free marketing tip using Twitter.

Twitter is a viable marketing tool yet it must follow the rules for all social marketing:

Offer valuable how-to information
Talk about other businesses, too
Re-tweet posts from other users
Offer humorous tweets (posts)

Here is a loose formula that I've read about and have seen others follow when using Twitter.

1) Send about 7 - 10 msgs a day when you Tweet. Maybe more when the time is appropriate.
2) Tweet on at least 3 different days per week. Preferably 5 days per week.
3) Make 1/3 of Tweets about someone else, 1/3 your business, 1/3 helpful insights

What should your Return on Investment be when using Twitter?

I have 530 followers and counting on Twitter.

When I write an article on one of my sites, I put the link into Bit.ly and then go to Twitter.

After I post on Twitter, the immediate click through number on Bit.ly is about 1.5% of my Twitter followers.

Scott Allen is a social media and former About.com guide whom I've been following for a few years. He says about 2% return is likely.

An encouraging stat is I'm beginning to see more clicks on Bit.ly for old Twitter posts.

Twitter is a viable marketing tool but don't just talk about your business and make sure you offer valuable information for others to read.

Click here to read articles on business resources around So Cal

Learn to market with media exposure for your business

An upcoming seminar in Studio City, CA will show you how to get media exposure for your business.

The lunch time seminar takes place October 6 in Studio City.

The presenter is Gayl Murphy, Hollywood corrrespondent who also teaches business owners and professionals how to use their personalities to sell their stories.

Click here to read a post on Gayl from earlier this year.

For complete details on location and to register log on to http://www.InterviewTactics.com.

Successful entrepreneurs use a combination of media
expertise & business-savvy when they step into the
"spotlight" to tell the world about who they are and
their next big thing...And, so should YOU!

Creative entrepreneurs and showbiz pros: writers,
filmmakers musicians, speakers, directors, actors,
designers, experts, coaches, lifestyle gurus, authors,
artists, etc. - ANY creative decision makers, all want
to make a great living doing what they love.

The first step to making your business grow and
prosper is owning it: business first! You gotta to
pitch it to promote it so you can tell it to sell it!
Especially in these times of "re-invention," the need
to be seen & heard above the crowd is more urgent
than ever!

A NETWORKING LUNCH & PARKING ARE INCLUDED!!
(Bring plenty of business cards!)
AND, when you register yourself and a FRIEND, Gayl will
send her Ebook "Interview Tactics!" for FREE!

TO LEARN MORE, READ WHAT PAST ATTENDEES ARE
SAYING AND REGISTER:
http://www.interviewtactics.com/sellyourselfseminars.htm

Questions?
Call or email: 323-417-5172 ~ Gayl@InterviewTactics.com

Marketing tip: listen to customers

Listening to customers is a marketing tip that costs little to implement. It may require some time to pause and adapt what is being said.

Listening is one of the greatest assets in selling but it's also a vital tool in gathering intelligent information to use in making strategic marketing decisions and overall business decisions.

An example is spa manufacturer CalSpas that originally launched as a pool company but while displaying pool molds at the Los Angeles County fair, heard customers requesting hot tubs after they saw the pool molds.

Click here to read more on Giving customers what they want: a lesson from CalSpas

Listening to customers may not make your business change its core competency. But it can help in gathering data to sift through and make useful decisions.

Have you done customer surveys? If so, how have you used the information?

What are the greatest reasons for customer satisfaction?

What are their complaints?

Don't let a few negative customer comments get you down and don't let a few positive comments overinflate your ego. Use listening to your customers as a free marketing tip to run your business more effectively.

Marketing lesson in creating buzz

A marketing lesson in creating buzz is Spa Week. I discovered this as I was researching articles for my page at Examiner.com.

The marketing and promotional event happens two times per year at more than 700 spa locations around the country. The purpose is to make spa visits affordable and introduce new spa-goers to the services of spas in their city and community.

Services that may normally cost in the hundreds of dollars are offered for as little as $ 50 for a visit.

Users have to go online to sign up at spaweek.com.

The week is in its 11th season and it helps drive traffic to local spas and provides promotional contests as well for web visitors.

For more information log on to this article about Spa Week.

Spas also gain potential media exposure at both a local and national level.

A lesson to take from this is creating a special event or week for your business or related businesses in your city.

Remember: consistency is required for marketing success and is needed to generate marketing buzz.

Chase Cards Targeting Affluent: Market Segmentation

Here's a marketing tip in segmenting a customer database.

Chase Card Services, a unit of JPMorgan Chase & Co., said Wednesday it will now offer a rewards card designed for wealthy customers. This is according to an Associated Press report.

The new card, called Chase Sapphire, is designed for the top-earning 15 percent of U.S. households. It offers travel services, access to round-the-clock customer service and a rewards program.

All businesses may have a need to segment their database and position specific messages and offerings to certain types of customers.

How deeply you segment depends on many variables including pricing, product offerings available.

I’ve met several Professional Employment Organization (PEO) representatives in the last few months and many of them deal with businesses ranging from 10 employees to hundreds.

The number of employees in a company will determine some of the needs of that prospective customer. And those needs will then determine the type of message and approach taken.

The value in segmenting a customer list is it aids greatly in the sales process: the right message for the right target audience delivered with the right media.

Marketing Tip: Know Your Target Audience

I'm passing on this free marketing tip after attending a conference on doing business in India. Know your target audience and get involved with them.

The keynote speaker at the conference, sponsored in part by Quanta Consulting, Southern California Edison and the Port of Los Angeles, was Ed Fuller of Marriot International. He spoke about the travel industry and the growth of the middle class presenting opportunities for Marriot in India. But he also spoke about taking time with people to know them on their terms and earn the right to do business with them.

For companies to succeed in business with India, they must understand the country, the background, history and driving forces. India is also made up of separate regions that are totally different.

"We spent time working in each market and developing relationships in each market," Fuller remarked.

He said building relationships takes time.

"A relationship come with time and patience," he said. "After 20 dinners and visiting homes a close relationship may still not exist."

Yet business results come from relationships that develop.

This means it's important to take time to build relationships and have a long term view of the marketing effort and sales effort.

Many companies want the sales --- NOW!
Consultants who market their services want sales --- NOW!
So many businesses look to today for their business success -- and aren't patient enough to understand the value of building for the long term.

Even if your company is domestic only, take to heart the need to build long-term relationships for business success and future sales. Doing business with people who are trusted is a universal marketing truth.

Know your target audience, be patient in developing the relationship and then position your product or service to meet their needs.

Reverse Business Networking: Reduce Pressure

How much do you enjoy business networking?

Some people love it and thrive on walking into a room, ready to chat and exchange business cards. I've met professionals in the legal profession or financial planning profession who know how to ask the right questions in a conversation, give a card and determine within 30-seconds if they're going to keep speaking with the person they've just met or if they'll walk on . . . !

Can you do that? And is that really effective business networking?

That approach works for some but it makes the palms sweat for others.

Try "reverse networking" or connecting with a power partner.

I just heard the term reverse networking from a friend and actor, Brian Vermiere, who develops tools to help other actors and other performers stay organized as they build their careers.

The idea is you don't walk into a room filled with people and see them as your potential clients and think immediately "how can I get them to do business with me!"

Instead, be prepared to ask about their business, their client and listen to what they have to say.

This means you have to listen, listen, listen. This goes to my post about asking assessment questions. But it doesn't mean you have to take a lot of time. It may only take seconds.

Here is how Brian Vermiere used "reverse networking."

He went to an audition, stood in front of the camera and got ready to deliver his lines. I believe it was for a commercial audition. In this situation, an actor usually has no more than a minute or two to say their name, their lines -- maybe do a second take -- and thank the associate as they walk out the door.

The casting associate who was operating the camera was in a grumpy mood so Brian asked him an innocent question and found out he was worried about his cat. Brian kept the information in mind and jotted it down in his toolkit.

Brian got a callback on the audition - which means he was asked to come back and do a second reading to be considered for the role.

He asked the casting associate about the health of his cat and the man acted surprised. Then Brian said when he was in for the first reading, the man talked about his cat, etc.

Brian wound up booking the role!

Now, he also had to have the talent in order to book the role and the information itself didn't secure the part for him. But it did help create a relationship and it could likely have given him an edge.

Taking the moments to ask someone else about their business, their needs and their clientele can provide much greater rewards than dumping them if they can't immediately help you.

Your Marketing Program: Part 1

Develop a customized marketing program for your business by evaluating your marketing tools and efforts using the following categories:

Marketing Plan, Approach, Budget - Your Baseline

A first step in the plan is to ask how many more customers do you want or need?

Many business owners aren't easily able to answer this question. One in the personal care industry recently told me she already had a good customer base of 100 or more customers and she just wanted to add to the number.

A business owner should at least know basic numbers: 12-month sales records, web site visits and where most of the current customers originate. Then a plan can be developed on this knowledge.

Once those numbers and facts are in place, they provide the measurement for future activities.

How do you want marketing to leverage your time and present benefits to your clients?

Another business owner, in the health care profession, has several partners and he wasn't sure about the number of patient visits per year but it was in the 10,000 visits per year.

This particular owner told me he wants to automate his marketing efforts.

So I'm going to propose a plan that will address his need.

But to propose a plan, his marketing tools need to be evaluated. And this includes the corporate web site.

I'm a firm believer that the corporate web site should act as the communication hub.

More on evaluating marketing tools in my next post.

Marketing Strategies You Must Know

The right message, in the right media, aimed at the right audience will produce new relationships and new sales.

That is the premise of Right Touch Marketing & Media and other successful marketers. So how do you know if you're on track with all three conditions?

The Right Message
You can build your message with a series of assessment questions you can ask yourself. You want to show the customer how you benefit them.

What do you provide in your business? Why do people buy from you? Why don't they buy from you? Who is your best customer or client?


The Right Media
From brochures, web sites or one-page web sites, to online articles and advertising in community papers, there are many media options to select. Choosing a mix depends on your goals and your business cycle.

For some companies, like exterminators in Southern California, business usually drops off in the winters months. To keep their technicians, they may run specials in local media to keep customers using them, or they may deliver a well-written one page fact sheet to show how to take preventive measures during an off-season.


The Right Audience
Do you have a core profile of the people who do business with you or in your store? If you know where they come from and how they reach you then you can continue tapping in to them as a source.
This is your "perfect client" or "perfect customer."


Warning: experimenting is still required to make sure the ingredients are being properly used. But rather than just go "market" your business, this approach will help bring an objective view and help develop a marketing budget and expectations for success.

Marketing Tips: Use Holidays to Differentiate

Canadian Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Congratulations to our neighbors to the north. When is the last time you used Canadian Thanksgiving as a reason to tell others about your business.

Let me guess . . .

Never!

And probably for good reason. How in the world can you draw a connection between your business and Canadian Thanksgiving?

Here are some ideas.

Gift baskets - send a gift basket to your best customer(s)with a brief note explaining how Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated and how Canada, just like our own country, was founded with perseverance and today is a place of freedom.

Then mention how you appreciate the opportunity to do business together and you always welcome referrals.

I attended a marketing session last night with a local chapter of the Glazer-Kennedy Insider's Circle.

A doctor uses holiday promotions in his business and he wrote up a letter on National Pistachio Nut Day -- which is February 26 -- and National Siblings Day which, of course, is April 10.

His use of what he calls "Bizarre Holiday Promotions" achieved a 300% increase in referrals within a calendar quarter.

He uses gift baskets in conjunction with the holiday fact. He can do this cost effectively since his customer base is all within a 3-mile radius.

However, send out postcards for those farther away with an unusual holiday greeting.

Do people really care about odd holidays? That doesn't matter.

Think of it as a reason to stay in touch with your constituents -- both loyal customers/clients and prospective customers/clients.

You can find a listing of little known holidays and celebrations through the Chase's Calendar of Events in your reference section at the library or online. Or, type in "holidays around the world" in Google and some excellent reference sites will pop up.

You're also differentiating yourself from competitors through finding an unusual way to build or maintain positive relationships. And finding creative ways to stay in touch with your target clientele is what makes marketing effective.

Marketing with a Media Mix . . . and on a Budget

The Internet today can be your own personal media empire . . . just you and several million other empire moguls!

But, if you plan an effective marketing strategy using a media mix, I believe you can use the Internet cost effectively and build relationships that will produce new business.

The other approach is to study Disney and adapt their methodology. When our kids were young, we got Disney music videos that were 30-minute compilations of songs from longer movies. The studio took the same content and packaged it in different forms.

As a professional writer and marketer, I used content effectively to expand a non-profit.

Here is how I see businesses being able to use content in expanding their marketing efforts. In this case, give prospective customers concise "how to" information.

Start with a Topic
I'll use real estate agents for this example.

Let's say you know the Top 5 Ways to Improve a Home

That's your topic.

Put the topic into the following media:

• Videos to upload on YouTube, Revver and other outlets
• Articles to upload to online directories
• Postcards that reference the online articles and video
• Brochures to distribute. These can be produced simply - or elaborately depending on budget.
• Fact sheets - simple one pagers referencing the videos and articles and your contact information, of course.

And, of course, there are email newsletters as well.

This is your media mix.

I can see having 5 video clips edited to 90 seconds each, 5 - 7 articles of 300 words to 500 words each, 2,000 postcards mailed to a couple of zip codes, brochures and fact sheets to hand out at networking events and open houses.

You're displaying your knowledge and giving customers value. After all, they come on to the Internet to search for information to help them solve a problem.

If you can do that consistently, you're going to build your brand as knowledgeable and a problem solver.

Marketing to Prospects is Like Swinging a Golf Club

Successfully marketing a business, product launch or new service is like moving a golf club slowly behind you and then – WHOOSH! – following through!

Marketing to a new contact is like the follow through.

The follow through completes the swing and helps power the golf ball but also directs it along the fairway. A poor follow-through results in a BLIP off the tee or a hook or shank in to the next fairway.

Let’s start with marketing terms. We use words like “prospect” and “contact.” They really should be “new friends.”

You attend a business networking event. You enjoy chatting with several people and you categorize the business cards you collected.

That’s like the back swing.

But do you have a follow-up (or follow-through) plan to stay in touch with those contacts?

Marketing consultant Dan Kennedy said it well, “Everybody shows up once! Hardly anyone shows up 8 times!”

Are you prepared to follow-up 8 times with a new friend?

Following through and following up was the topic of a seminar where Kennedy recently spoke with Infusion software.

He made a great point. “All wealth is created by systems” and he cited Ford auto which grew to dominate the automotive industry by establishing the assembly line. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of automakers at the time of Ford. But none of them had an efficient system.

How complex and sophisticated should a follow-up system be?

It should actually be relatively simple whether you work for a small company or a large corporation.

I sold roofs briefly for Home Depot, a wonderful corporation. While there was a corporate system for entering the names but the follow-up was still the responsibility of the individual salesperson.

Kennedy gave other reasons why follow-up is so important: there’s little brand loyalty in today’s world. Consumers have extensive choices. They receiving multiple messages and they need to know and be reminded your company exists.

Let’s take an introductory look at a follow-up system:

Collecting a name
Storing the name (data entry and database function)

Follow-up contact #1 – maybe a nice to see you letter / email and a chance to join your newsletter.

Follow-up contact #2 – let’s say you get a referral for your new friend. Call them with the referral.

Follow-up contact #3 – a postcard with a tip or update on an achievement of your business.

So the follow-up system can include a mix of email, phone call, letter, and more. It’s part of the marketing mix.

Follow-up of a new contact (er, new friend) is an area in which I’ll be doing my own research in the weeks ahead.

Marketing through Speaking

Business networking can be an effective marketing tool -- especially sharing what you know through speaking to groups whether large or small.

I'm speaking tomorrow at CHARO in Los Angeles on Web 360: Getting the Most Out of Your Website. I'm going to start off with the analogy that standing at a place like the Space Needle in Seattle could be akin to standing in the middle of your web site to survey the customer landscape around you.

I'll take participants through envisioning their web site as a dynamic tool for interaction instead of a passive brochure site.

I'm looking forward to it. I enjoy speaking.

Like article writing, speaking to share knowledge is a strategic marketing activity. There is usually not an immediate return for sales and new contracts but it can certainly be an effective way to build relationships.

This is a way to integrate off-line and on-line activities: if you write articles online and submit them to the major directories like the few articles I've submitted to ezinearticles.com, then you can also talk about these in front of business groups.

Marketing is sharing what you know and do best. Speaking is one way to make that happen.

7Ps of Marketing and the 3Ms of Marketing

Do you know the 7Ps of Marketing?

• Plan


• Product


• People


• Price


• Promotion


• Place


• Partners

I originally wrote about them here on this post from Cash Flow Tips Today:

Business Marketing with 7Ps

The 7Ps of Marketing is a way to structure your marketing efforts to make sure you're reaching the right target market. But I feel it also falls short in underscoring the importance of a clear message, the media and distribution.

So, now, after a recent post on here, I've decided to introduce the 3Ms of Marketing:

• Message



• Media



• Methods

My summary is the right message, needs the right media and the right methods must be used in distribution to get a result.

Or, what is it you want to say?

Will you say it in a web site, brochure, newspaper ad, or both . . . or more?

And how will you distribute your media and message?

Since marketing encompasses disciplines ranging from strategic planning to graphic design and search engine marketing, it's easy to get lost in the details.

Having a structured checklist that's customized for your company can make it possible to step back and evaluate effectiveness.

Marketing a Solution to the Pain of Gas Prices

Marketing can mean finding the pain of your customers and then addressing that pain. Gasoline prices, anyone? A marketing opportunity.

Doing the little things help save money on gas like accelerating slowly, inflating your tires, and changing your oil at Jiffy Lube. Didn’t know that, did you?

I heard a radio commercial last night for Jiffy Lube explaining how a thorough servicing of your car is more than just changing oil, it’s also about saving money on gasoline since a smooth-running car is fuel efficient.

Jiffy Lube is trying to meet people where they feel pain – gasoline prices. Now, it didn’t really work for me since I’ve never gone to Jiffy Lube anyway. My regular oil changes are taken care of by my mechanic.

Shell Oil is also in the marketing game with a blog to answer the need for cleaner burning engines. They’re trying to start a movement, Americans for a Gunk Free Nation. And the personality they’re trying to develop is Dr. Fuelgood who writes a blog on how top tier gas is better for a car engine than cheap gas. In the long run, top tier gas is supposed to save money on car maintenance and fuel efficiency.

Shell, of course, sells top tier gas along with Chevron, Phillips, Texaco . . . the idea of top tier gas was conceived by the world’s top auto manufacturers: BMW, Toyota, General Motors, and Honda among them.

Will the blog, and the movement, catch on? Don’t know. I don’t know how Shell is promoting the blog. The next time I stop at a gas station, I’ll look for any info related to Americans for a Gunk Free Nation.

I do know this. It takes work even for a major brand like Shell Oil to drive traffic to a blog site. It also means marketing is a relentless activity using various media to put out a message.

Have you ever successfully marketed a message dealing with the pain of a potential customer? If so, share the details with us.

Learn Free Marketing Tips from Denmark to So California

First, make friends with people who give rankings in magazines and papers. Copenhagen was recently ranked the world’s most livable city. Well, I’ve not been there but I won’t argue. I’m sure it’s nice. But being originally from Western Pennsylvania, I’m sure the Steelers could pound any team from Denmark.
Check this out: Marketing Copy and Techniques. Certainly, if Copenhagen benefits from the publicity then the local businesses will benefit as well.

Next, sponsor a cause. The City of South Pasadena and the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce recently held a Clean Air Car Show on July 20. There were a number of exhibits including experimental vehicles from Cal State LA and the Chevy Tahoe hybrid.

I also saw Dr. Marina Banik of Banik Chiropractic who was one of the few local businesses at the event. She found a way to get involved with a cause and educated
people about chiropractics and its role in a healthy lifestyle.

Finally, the best form of marketing is learning what people need and then finding a way to meet that need. I commend the Idyllwild, California, Chamber of Commerce for finding a creative way to save residents money and boost membership in the chamber.

Families in the mountain community near Palm Springs use propane. The local chamber worked with Ferrell Gas to provide a discount for any resident who signed up as a member of the chamber. They’re also working on a group health insurance plan, too.

The Idyllwild Chamber is increasing its membership, saving residents money, and bringing the community together. That’s all around win and smart marketing tips any group, like a homeowner’s association, can replicate.

For your reference:
South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce
Dr. Marina Banik, Chiropractor
Idyllwild, California Chamber of Commerce

Market Yourself Locally

Marketing yourself locally may be the wisest move you can make.

When you market yourself locally and professionally you can build a reputation among a core group of satisfied customers.

This article goes into more detail about marketing in a specific zip code or demographic area.

When you have a core group of satisfied customers, then local marketing can expand or it can bring you even more customers in a particular locale.

What is local marketing?

It depends on the size of your business, what you provide whether products or services, and how you're able to distribute the information.

True, the Internet changes what "local" might mean. Local marketing could be a Yahoo! group that you moderate or post to regularly. It could be "x" number of customers knowing about both your brick and mortar store and your Internet site.

Marketing yourself locally may mean belonging to a few different chambers of commerce spread across a county.

Regardless of how you define local, the goal is building a core group of customers or clients. When they're satisfied, then they begin referring business to you regularly.

In my case, as a marketing consultant and writer, I provide marketing plans and services to small and medium sized businesses. There are more than 100,000 such companies in Los Angeles County. But I don't have the resources to try and cover the entire county so I concentrate in a geographically local area.

As far as an online strategy, I try to stay with a niche topic and keep building my expertise.

Yes, I'll accept business from different places especially through referrals. A friend of mine the Dallas area builds web sites and he might need me to write content or develop marketing support for his web clients. So much can be done with the phone, email and web sites.

Nevertheless, because of our mobile society, staying local and doing well can generate referrals across the board.

Stay focused, provide a needed service, grow and market locally and further expansion will take place.