Archive for marketing
Simple Marketing Solutions to Lessen the Pain – Part 1
Posted by: | CommentsMarketing is not always something small business owners embrace. For many it’s a necessary evil … like a root canal. You know you need to do it but you don’t have to like it.
There are a number of misconceptions people have about marketing that makes it hard for them to get results. In the SOS 4 Your Business
in Business Blog Talk radio show I discussed them with host Yvonne McCoy.
Topics discussed were:
- not putting all your marketing eggs in one basket
- using the marketing medium your customers use
- having a marketing message geared to your audience
- marketing is usually a long-term strategy – you’re a farmer not a hunter
- and more
Listen to the replay of the show at SOS 4 Your Business or here by pressing play below.
Marketing Is Not a Task, It’s a Way of Doing Business
Posted by: | CommentsRecently I was reading Unmarketing by Scott Stratton. In the introduction he says:
Marketing is not a task.
Marketing is not a department.
Marketing is not a job.
Marketing happens every time you engage (or not) with your past, present, and potential customers.
Just like branding is not your logo, marketing is not something you do only when you need to get more customers. Marketing is about building relationships with people. It’s about giving them a chance to get to know, like, and trust you so that when the time comes for them to purchase what you sell, you’re the only person they think of.
So when you post a link to your sales page on Twitter and Facebook that’s marketing. But even better marketing is when you reply to somebody based on what they’ve said. Having a professional looking website is marketing, but so is taking the time to congratulate a past customer on winning an award. Returning phone calls promptly is marketing. Replying to e-mails is marketing. Giving great customer service is marketing.
I live in a small town where people like to do business with people they know. Word-of-mouth is key, and reputation is everything. Tools like Facebook and Twitter turn the online world into a small town. So we need to remember to act like it.
If you own a small business, particularly a service-based businesses, then in all likelihood you and your business are pretty interchangeable; it’s hard to tell where one stops and the other starts. In that case marketing is every interaction you have with a customer or potential customer. Treat them all like they’re your best customer.
I’m Boring or How to market yourself without being controversial
Posted by: | CommentsThis past week I was on vacation at the in-laws cottage. My son brought a friend and the two of them spent much of the week listening to music by the Arrogant Worms. They listened so much that every time I woke in the middle of the night I’d have one of their songs running through my head.
One song has stuck with me, for a reason other than the sheer repetition. “I’m boring” is about a nerd who talks too much about boring topics so people run away from him.
While there was some joking around that this was about my husband who does like to talk about science a little too much, it does have a marketing connotation.
You may have noticed some online superstars – you know, the ones with thousands, if not millions of followers.
Many of them became popular because they are controversial. They say over-the-top things that get the online world buzzing. People reply, people argue about them, people visit their sites to see what all the fuss is about. They’re not boring!
One colleague of mine recently rebranded herself to be a little more “in-your-face”. She’s being more blunt and less polite all in an effort to be “more authentic”. This revamped version seems to be working for her.
And yes, being authentic online is essential, particularly if you’re using social media. And being controversial helps. If you can get people arguing about you and your ideas, well, as they say, there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
But what if your authentic self is, well … boring? Read More→
7 Rules for Marketing with Twitter
Posted by: | CommentsWhen I’m out speaking to business people, just about everyone has heard of Twitter. But in spite of the phenomenal growth Twitter has experienced, the majority of people I meet still haven’t given it a try.
The main reason people give is “I just don’t get it. Why does anyone care that I’m having lunch or going to the bathroom.”
Well I can tell you now, no one cares that you’re going to the bathroom! That’s truly T.M.I. – too much information!
However, if you follow these seven simple rules you can be interesting, personable and a successful marketer on Twitter.
Share your discoveries
Some of my favorite people on Twitter are those who regularly share interesting links. They may be links to Read More→
