Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Persistence
In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins - not through strength but by perserverance.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Known by succesful copywriters and marketers:
A poorly written ad sent to the right market... will do better than a brilliantly-written ad sent to the wrong market.
Seems simple, right? Don’t try to sell ice to Eskimos, but do offer ice water in a desert.
And yet, I see countless entrepreneurs make this very same mistake repeatedly.
Don’t be this guy. He had violated the most basic fundamental in business: Do the simple stuff first.
Market Research.
Do not create the actual product until AFTER you get a pulse from your intended market.
How do you do this? Here are just a few of the simple ways I can share with you:
(1) Go to Google AdWords. You can "test" most online markets without even signing up for the service.
It’s easy, too. The system will automatically reveal to you how many hits certain words and phrases within your target market were registered. It will also suggest other words and phrases, based on what is actually getting the big numbers.
This is free market research. Just figure out what a prospect might put into a search engine in order to be in your target audience... and see if the action justifies your foray into this market.
If the words and phrases you come up with are not among the most used, Google will tell you, and help you find the better ones. And... if your AdWords best efforts come up with pitiful results... then you are fishing in an empty pond.
Time to move on.
(2) Get your hands on a copy of the SRDS. (That’s "Standard Rates and Data Service".) These are the phonebook-sized catalogs of all the mailing lists available to rent, and all the magazines that take ads.
Even if your business is strictly web-based, this is the book that -- once you take a few minutes to understand it -- will heap massive wealth and rewards on your head.
Because this is the book that instantly tells you which markets are hot, and which are not.
What’s more, if you’re too cheap to buy the service (sign up at www.srds.com and they will send you a brand new updated version quarterly), you can check the SRDS out for FREE at your local library. It’s in the resource department.
They’re not hiding it.
You don’t even need a recent one, in most cases. If your prospective market has existed for a while, you can get your answer from even a years-old SRDS.
All you need, at this basic stage, is a thumbs up or thumbs down on how "hot" the market you're targeting is.
There’s either a mob of cash-rich people who actively buy stuff in the market you’re considering... or there aren’t.
That’s all you’re looking for right now.
Research job is complete. Even if you had to take a bus across town to the library, your total time expenditure has been
minimal. And you’re not out any serious money, except for bus fare and lunch.
Of course...
... if your research had revealed that your target market was a profit-rich riot of unmet needs (with scant competition and lots of low-hanging fruit)...
... then you've just identified a niche you can go after with the throttle wide open.
This is how fortunes are made... and kept from being lost.
Seems simple, right? Don’t try to sell ice to Eskimos, but do offer ice water in a desert.
And yet, I see countless entrepreneurs make this very same mistake repeatedly.
Don’t be this guy. He had violated the most basic fundamental in business: Do the simple stuff first.
Market Research.
Do not create the actual product until AFTER you get a pulse from your intended market.
How do you do this? Here are just a few of the simple ways I can share with you:
(1) Go to Google AdWords. You can "test" most online markets without even signing up for the service.
It’s easy, too. The system will automatically reveal to you how many hits certain words and phrases within your target market were registered. It will also suggest other words and phrases, based on what is actually getting the big numbers.
This is free market research. Just figure out what a prospect might put into a search engine in order to be in your target audience... and see if the action justifies your foray into this market.
If the words and phrases you come up with are not among the most used, Google will tell you, and help you find the better ones. And... if your AdWords best efforts come up with pitiful results... then you are fishing in an empty pond.
Time to move on.
(2) Get your hands on a copy of the SRDS. (That’s "Standard Rates and Data Service".) These are the phonebook-sized catalogs of all the mailing lists available to rent, and all the magazines that take ads.
Even if your business is strictly web-based, this is the book that -- once you take a few minutes to understand it -- will heap massive wealth and rewards on your head.
Because this is the book that instantly tells you which markets are hot, and which are not.
What’s more, if you’re too cheap to buy the service (sign up at www.srds.com and they will send you a brand new updated version quarterly), you can check the SRDS out for FREE at your local library. It’s in the resource department.
They’re not hiding it.
You don’t even need a recent one, in most cases. If your prospective market has existed for a while, you can get your answer from even a years-old SRDS.
All you need, at this basic stage, is a thumbs up or thumbs down on how "hot" the market you're targeting is.
There’s either a mob of cash-rich people who actively buy stuff in the market you’re considering... or there aren’t.
That’s all you’re looking for right now.
Research job is complete. Even if you had to take a bus across town to the library, your total time expenditure has been
minimal. And you’re not out any serious money, except for bus fare and lunch.
Of course...
... if your research had revealed that your target market was a profit-rich riot of unmet needs (with scant competition and lots of low-hanging fruit)...
... then you've just identified a niche you can go after with the throttle wide open.
This is how fortunes are made... and kept from being lost.
Basic Business Plan Outline
What information needs to be in your business plan? What is the order of information that will make the most sense to lenders and investors? You can answer these questions with the business plan outlines provided below.
What are the standard elements of a business plan? If you do need a standard business plan to seek funding — as opposed to a plan-as-you-go approach for running your business, which I describe below — there are predictable contents of a standard business plan outline.
For example, a business plan normally starts with an Executive Summary, which should be concise and interesting. People almost always expect to see sections covering the Company, the Market, the Product, the Management Team, Strategy, Implementation, and Financial Analysis. The precise business plan format can vary.
Is the order important? If you have the main components, the order doesn’t matter that much, but here’s the sequence I suggest for a business plan. I have provided two outlines, one simple and the other more detailed.
Simple business plan outline
- Executive Summary: Write this last. It’s just a page or two of highlights.
- Company Description: Legal establishment, history, start-up plans, etc.
- Product or Service: Describe what you’re selling. Focus on customer benefits.
- Market Analysis: You need to know your market, customer needs, where they are, how to reach them, etc.
- Strategy and Implementation: Be specific. Include management responsibilities with dates and budgets. Make sure you can track results.
- Web Plan Summary: For e-commerce, include discussion of website, development costs, operations, sales and marketing strategies.
- Management Team: Describe the organization and the key management team members.
- Financial Analysis: Make sure to include at the very least your projected Profit and Loss and Cash Flow tables.
Standard tables and charts
There are also some business tables and charts that are normally expected in a standard business plan.
Cash flow is the single most important numerical analysis in a plan, and should never be missing. Most plans will also have Sales Forecast and Profit and Loss statements. I believe they should also have separate Personnel listings, projected Balance Sheet, projected Business Ratios, and Market Analysis tables.
I also believe that every plan should include bar charts and pie charts to illustrate the numbers.
Expanded business plan outline
Here’s an expanded full business plan outline, with details you might want to include in your own business plan.
1.0 Executive Summary
1.1 Objectives
1.2 Mission
1.3 Keys to Success
2.0 Company Summary
2.1 Company Ownership
2.2 Company History (for ongoing companies) or Start-up Plan (for new companies)
2.3 Company Locations and Facilities
3.0 Products and Services
3.1 Product and Service Description
3.2 Competitive Comparison
3.3 Sales Literature
3.4 Sourcing and Fulfillment
3.5 Technology
3.6 Future Products and Services
4.0 Market Analysis Summary
4.1 Market Segmentation
4.2 Target Market Segment Strategy
4.2.1 Market Needs
4.2.2 Market Trends
4.2.3 Market Growth
4.3 Industry Analysis
4.3.1 Industry Participants
4.3.2 Distribution Patterns
4.3.3 Competition and Buying Patterns
4.3.4 Main Competitors
5.0 Strategy and Implementation Summary
5.1 Strategy Pyramids
5.2 Value Proposition
5.3 Competitive Edge
5.4 Marketing Strategy
5.4.1 Positioning Statements
5.4.2 Pricing Strategy
5.4.3 Promotion Strategy
5.4.4 Distribution Patterns
5.4.5 Marketing Programs
5.5 Sales Strategy
5.5.1 Sales Forecast
5.5.2 Sales Programs
5.6 Strategic Alliances
5.7 Milestones
6.0 Web Plan Summary
6.1 Website Marketing Strategy
6.2 Development Requirements
7.0 Management Summary
7.1 Organizational Structure
7.2 Management Team
7.3 Management Team Gaps
7.4 Personnel Plan
8.0 Financial Plan
8.1 Important Assumptions
8.2 Key Financial Indicators
8.3 Break-even Analysis
8.4 Projected Profit and Loss
8.5 Projected Cash Flow
8.6 Projected Balance Sheet
8.7 Business Ratios
8.8 Long-term Plan
Business plan outline advice - Size your business plan to fit your business. Remember that your business plan should be only as big as what you need to run your business. While everybody should have planning to help run a business, not everyone needs to develop a complete formal business plan suitable for submitting to a potential investor, or bank, or venture contest. So don’t include outline points just because they are on a big list somewhere, or on this list, unless you’re developing a standard business plan that you’ll be showing to somebody else who expects a standard business plan.
More business planning resources
Sometimes an outline just isn’t enough to write your business plan. Do you want to view sample business plans from real businesses? Would seeing a business plan template that banks prefer be useful to you? These valuable resources can help:
http://www.bplans.com/sample_business_plans/
Sample business plans – Over 500 free sample business plans from various industries
http://www.bplans.com/business_plan_template/
Business plan template – This fill-in-the-blank business plan template is in the format preferred by the SBA and banks
Social Media and the FTC: What Businesses Need to Know
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is finally catching up to the constantly evolving world of social media. For the better part of a decade, the agency lagged a full Internet generation behind advertisers who saw online communications evolving faster than laws governing their fair use. Today however, the FTC is codifying and enforcing what were once only unwritten rules. As a result, companies caught crossing the bounds of appropriate online behavior now face harsher penalties than ever before.
Transparency is Paramount
As of December 1, 2009, the FTC began watching the online space for signs that advertisers masquerading as independent third parties might be taking advantage of the millions of consumers whose buying decisions are increasingly shaped by social media. The FTC is now monitoring blogs, Facebook( ), Twitter( ), and myriad other platforms for violations of new rules aimed at infusing greater corporate transparency into the online marketplace.
It isn’t only a few rogue advertisers that must revisit their online marketing strategies in light of the FTC’s recent actions.
The list of companies that have run afoul of total transparency in the social media space is long and distinguished, and includes some of the most recognizable names in the pantheon of corporate titans.
In 2006, for example, Stanley Smith and Marcia Schroeder couldn’t get enough of McDonald’s Monopoly game – so much so that they even found time to blog about it in between peeling and organizing game pieces from their Big Macs, sodas, and fries. “Some nights, we skip cooking dinner at home just to take a trip to McDonald’s so we can play Monopoly,” wrote Ms. Schroeder. “Thank goodness they have lots of variety on the menu to choose from.”
While perhaps somewhat obsessive to some, the posts on Schroeder’s Mcdmillionwinner.com and Smith’s 4railroads.com seemed innocent enough. But when it was discovered that Smith and Schroeder were actually officially blogging for McDonald’s, the world’s largest fast food chain ended up with Egg McMuffin on its face.
Why? Because the relationship wasn’t disclosed. The digital realm teemed with commentary critical of the guerrilla marketing tactic. It wouldn’t be long before McDonald’s learned a valuable lesson about what can happen when a company is caught trying to pull the wool over millions of Internet eyes.
The New Rules of the Road
Of course, that was four years ago, when companies risked only brand and reputation damage in violating social media’s well-known, but non-binding rules. Today, the stiff fines and additional bad press that could accompany an FTC enforcement action have increased the stakes dramatically and made the new rules of the road required reading for any company seeking to engage online audiences.
Among the practices long frowned upon in the social media sphere that are now on the FTC’s radar are: “Flogging,” or creating supposedly-objective blogs that serve only to promote a product or service; “astroturfing,” where advertisers posing as ordinary consumers share raving, but often misleading, reviews; and paying social media users to knowingly post inaccurate information about a product or service.
Most important, social media users – from celebrity spokespeople to everyday consumers – who are paid to post accurate information about a product or service will now be required to disclose their deals and could be held personally liable if they don’t. If they think Twitter’s 140 character limit will get them off the hook, they ought to think again. As the Associate Director of the FTC’s advertising division, Richard Cleland, has said, “If you can’t make the disclosure, you can’t make the ad.”
Companies in the Crosshairs
What might be the most telling aspect of the new regulatory environment is a measure requiring companies to proactively discover and, when necessary, correct misinformation about their brand or product posted to social media sites. Taken along with numerous comments from FTC officials that the targets of their investigations aren’t going to be bloggers who break the rules, but the companies who pay them to do it, it’s becoming clear that Corporate America will be squarely in the FTC’s enforcement crosshairs moving forward.
For those now frantically re-evaluating current online outreach efforts, the FTC has offered fairly basic and straight forward guidance to follow moving forward. According to the Commission’s guidelines:
“The fundamental question is whether, viewed objectively, the relationship between the advertiser and the speaker is such that the speaker’s statement can be considered ’sponsored’ by the advertiser and therefore an ‘advertising message.’”
The FTC guidelines pose a clear question that will be used to determine whether an online communication fits the definition of a sponsored “endorsement:” Is the speaker acting solely independently, in which case there is no endorsement, or is the speaker acting on behalf of the advertiser or its agent to further an overall marketing campaign, in which case there is an endorsement.
The Keys to Compliance
While the FTC’s new rules do ratchet up the stakes in terms of compliance – and the legal and branding liabilities that go along with noncompliance – there isn’t much that companies should be doing now that they shouldn’t have been doing before these rules went into effect. The questionable tactics now banned by the FTC were never advisable in a media environment where transparency and accountability trump all else – regardless of whether they were legal or not.
But for the companies now scrambling to comply with federal guidelines that carry a stiff $11,000 penalty per infraction, implementation of the following approach is essential:
1. It is imperative to recognize that the enforcement environment has changed entirely. What you may have been able to get away with in the World Wide Web’s Wild West era will no longer work.
2. Educate your online endorsers as to the new rules of the road and provide them with the tools they’ll need to maintain compliance with the FTC. Ensure that they know what is appropriate to share on social media platforms and what isn’t, and provide them with boilerplate disclosure language that fulfills the FTC’s requirements.
3. Monitor what your paid endorsers are saying. Often, paid online endorsers operate as free agents of a sort in that they are not only provided a product to review, but the freedom to review it as they wish. Because you can’t control exactly what they will say, monitoring their posts is absolutely essential. Free tools such as Google Alerts, Google( )’s real-time search capability – which now includes up-to-the-minute sweeps of Facebook and Twitter entries – and socialmention.com are among the most popular and effective tools for monitoring what’s being said about a product or brand as it’s being said. Paid tools such as Radian6 and Techirgy provide comprehensive, customizable reports that can be tailored to capture messages most likely to raise eyebrows at the FTC – such as endorsements and testimonials.
4. Engage when necessary. Companies must be prepared to correct any misinformation posted to social media by a paid endorser as quickly as possible. If the FTC comes calling, it won’t be enough to simply fall back on your endorser education efforts. The agency is going to want to see that you’ve taken steps to correct the record. While it may seem counterintuitive, consumers will also appreciate your honesty – transforming what could be a trust-damaging episode into one that actually enhances credibility with key consumer audiences.
Monitor, engage, and be transparent; these have always been the keys to success in the digital space. Now that the FTC is keeping a closer eye on social media marketing activities than ever before, they’re also the best way to steer clear of the legal and brand liabilities that noncompliance could create.
Transparency is Paramount
As of December 1, 2009, the FTC began watching the online space for signs that advertisers masquerading as independent third parties might be taking advantage of the millions of consumers whose buying decisions are increasingly shaped by social media. The FTC is now monitoring blogs, Facebook( ), Twitter( ), and myriad other platforms for violations of new rules aimed at infusing greater corporate transparency into the online marketplace.
It isn’t only a few rogue advertisers that must revisit their online marketing strategies in light of the FTC’s recent actions.
The list of companies that have run afoul of total transparency in the social media space is long and distinguished, and includes some of the most recognizable names in the pantheon of corporate titans.
In 2006, for example, Stanley Smith and Marcia Schroeder couldn’t get enough of McDonald’s Monopoly game – so much so that they even found time to blog about it in between peeling and organizing game pieces from their Big Macs, sodas, and fries. “Some nights, we skip cooking dinner at home just to take a trip to McDonald’s so we can play Monopoly,” wrote Ms. Schroeder. “Thank goodness they have lots of variety on the menu to choose from.”
While perhaps somewhat obsessive to some, the posts on Schroeder’s Mcdmillionwinner.com and Smith’s 4railroads.com seemed innocent enough. But when it was discovered that Smith and Schroeder were actually officially blogging for McDonald’s, the world’s largest fast food chain ended up with Egg McMuffin on its face.
Why? Because the relationship wasn’t disclosed. The digital realm teemed with commentary critical of the guerrilla marketing tactic. It wouldn’t be long before McDonald’s learned a valuable lesson about what can happen when a company is caught trying to pull the wool over millions of Internet eyes.
The New Rules of the Road
Of course, that was four years ago, when companies risked only brand and reputation damage in violating social media’s well-known, but non-binding rules. Today, the stiff fines and additional bad press that could accompany an FTC enforcement action have increased the stakes dramatically and made the new rules of the road required reading for any company seeking to engage online audiences.
Among the practices long frowned upon in the social media sphere that are now on the FTC’s radar are: “Flogging,” or creating supposedly-objective blogs that serve only to promote a product or service; “astroturfing,” where advertisers posing as ordinary consumers share raving, but often misleading, reviews; and paying social media users to knowingly post inaccurate information about a product or service.
Most important, social media users – from celebrity spokespeople to everyday consumers – who are paid to post accurate information about a product or service will now be required to disclose their deals and could be held personally liable if they don’t. If they think Twitter’s 140 character limit will get them off the hook, they ought to think again. As the Associate Director of the FTC’s advertising division, Richard Cleland, has said, “If you can’t make the disclosure, you can’t make the ad.”
Companies in the Crosshairs
What might be the most telling aspect of the new regulatory environment is a measure requiring companies to proactively discover and, when necessary, correct misinformation about their brand or product posted to social media sites. Taken along with numerous comments from FTC officials that the targets of their investigations aren’t going to be bloggers who break the rules, but the companies who pay them to do it, it’s becoming clear that Corporate America will be squarely in the FTC’s enforcement crosshairs moving forward.
For those now frantically re-evaluating current online outreach efforts, the FTC has offered fairly basic and straight forward guidance to follow moving forward. According to the Commission’s guidelines:
“The fundamental question is whether, viewed objectively, the relationship between the advertiser and the speaker is such that the speaker’s statement can be considered ’sponsored’ by the advertiser and therefore an ‘advertising message.’”
The FTC guidelines pose a clear question that will be used to determine whether an online communication fits the definition of a sponsored “endorsement:” Is the speaker acting solely independently, in which case there is no endorsement, or is the speaker acting on behalf of the advertiser or its agent to further an overall marketing campaign, in which case there is an endorsement.
The Keys to Compliance
While the FTC’s new rules do ratchet up the stakes in terms of compliance – and the legal and branding liabilities that go along with noncompliance – there isn’t much that companies should be doing now that they shouldn’t have been doing before these rules went into effect. The questionable tactics now banned by the FTC were never advisable in a media environment where transparency and accountability trump all else – regardless of whether they were legal or not.
But for the companies now scrambling to comply with federal guidelines that carry a stiff $11,000 penalty per infraction, implementation of the following approach is essential:
1. It is imperative to recognize that the enforcement environment has changed entirely. What you may have been able to get away with in the World Wide Web’s Wild West era will no longer work.
2. Educate your online endorsers as to the new rules of the road and provide them with the tools they’ll need to maintain compliance with the FTC. Ensure that they know what is appropriate to share on social media platforms and what isn’t, and provide them with boilerplate disclosure language that fulfills the FTC’s requirements.
3. Monitor what your paid endorsers are saying. Often, paid online endorsers operate as free agents of a sort in that they are not only provided a product to review, but the freedom to review it as they wish. Because you can’t control exactly what they will say, monitoring their posts is absolutely essential. Free tools such as Google Alerts, Google( )’s real-time search capability – which now includes up-to-the-minute sweeps of Facebook and Twitter entries – and socialmention.com are among the most popular and effective tools for monitoring what’s being said about a product or brand as it’s being said. Paid tools such as Radian6 and Techirgy provide comprehensive, customizable reports that can be tailored to capture messages most likely to raise eyebrows at the FTC – such as endorsements and testimonials.
4. Engage when necessary. Companies must be prepared to correct any misinformation posted to social media by a paid endorser as quickly as possible. If the FTC comes calling, it won’t be enough to simply fall back on your endorser education efforts. The agency is going to want to see that you’ve taken steps to correct the record. While it may seem counterintuitive, consumers will also appreciate your honesty – transforming what could be a trust-damaging episode into one that actually enhances credibility with key consumer audiences.
Monitor, engage, and be transparent; these have always been the keys to success in the digital space. Now that the FTC is keeping a closer eye on social media marketing activities than ever before, they’re also the best way to steer clear of the legal and brand liabilities that noncompliance could create.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Donald Trump’s - Think BIG – The Headlines
Donald Trump’s - Think BIG – Headlines
“If you’re going to be thinking anyway then you might as well think BIG”. Big starts with the details and grows from there, you must have a good foundation.
1. Be thorough - don’t count on happenstance to get you there, because it wont
2. Get momentum going and keep it going - you must have momentum to keep up the energy to get the job done, patience alone isn’t enough
3. Stay focused - the minute you lose focus you lose momentum, they go together
4. Look at the solution not at the problem
5. See opportunity for what it is, an opportunity! Be open to new ideas
6. Know everything you can about what your doing to be able to cover your bases
7. Be Lucky – the harder you work the luckier you get. Be passionate, if your passionate about what your doing it doesn’t feel like work. Use frustration as a motivator.
8. See yourself as victorious- keep an open mind but have a ‘it’s a done deal’ attitude. Take both sides into consideration.
9. Be smart – use the tools you have and be open to new ideas
10. Never give up! – only losers quite
Monday, December 13, 2010
Wise words from Vince Lombardi
Wining is not a sometime thing; it's an all-time thing. You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Use Video to Build Your Business, Here is How You DIY.
ONLINE VIDEO is a great tool for building awareness and increasing sales while you reach out to new customers. There’s no need to go out and spend a lot of money on expensive equipment or professional video producers.
You can use your own camcorder or even a good digital camera, which is what I use. Heck you can even use your smart phone if it’s 5 Megapixels or better in picture quality. Some say that a you’ll get better results with you simpler more honest video than with a highly polished professional video.
What should your online video be about? Well there are three choices: what you do’, ‘a how to’ and ‘a testimonial’.
Communicate what you do: This is your elevator pitch, a short description of the service you provide your customers. The more your elevator pitch explains the benefit you provide your customers. A benefit is in terms something that improves their life, solves a problem… you get the idea. Keep it short, one minute is good, two minutes is starting to push it.
Introduce yourself and your business, the services or products you offer and if your customers think how long you have been in business is an important factor be sure to include that too.
Share a how to, this demonstrates you are an expert/authority in your market. How to videos really help with search engine optimization (SEO). This is a tip or tricks related to your product or service, think of something they can do themselves to save money or improves the performance or life of the widget you sell. Demonstrate how to do it in your video while explaining the benefits.
Customer Testimonials. Keep them short and to the point. Talk with your most satisfied customers find out what their top reasons they buy what you offering. New prospects will feel better about doing business with you if they see social proof others not only bought your offering and took the time to acknowledge the value of what you have to offer.
Pick the top three and find three different customers willing to be on camera and create a video discussing the reason they love your product/service related to one of these top reasons. You will be amazed how many folks will be willing to do this, make sure you offer them some kind of compensation, a coupon, lunch… Put in the light of here is their chance to be a star! They’ll love sharing the video with their friends which helps to further get your message out.
Some tips to help make it easy for you to produce a video you’ll be proud to share. These guidelines apply to any of the three types of videos mentioned above:
1. Make it fun, and remember it does not have to be perfect.
2. Use a tripod to keep your camera steady
3. Make sure the background is not going to be distracting, no moving objects, it is best to have a static soothing or plain background. You may be able to use your storefront or main product or service truck if you have one.
4. Make sure your subject is well light so people can see their expression.
5. Keep it short; a minute is just about right, over 2 minutes is pushing it. Remember your goal is to deliver a clear short message.
6. Video your subject from the waist up and make sure you have lots of light so viewers can see your subjects expression and passion.
7. Make sure your subject talks straight into the camera. Have them pretend they are taking to the person behind the camera taking the video.
8. Make sure your close enough to capture good audio, your subjects voice is the most important aspect to your video. This is a common mistake for DIYers making videos.
9. Now that you have your videos, get them online. A great tip is do not stop at just putting it on your website but also put them on Youtube and other video sites. With the right keywords and a link to your site really improves SEO and creates a lot more exposure than just having it on your site.
You really will be surprised how easy and fun it is to create nice videos. Drop me a comment with a link to your video so I can see your masterpiece.
Free Listing Service
For those of you that want something for FREE, simple and easy to set up, check out this service.
http://www.merchantcircle.com/ They offer additional pay for services, but you can ignore them if you like, just do the free listing.
I set up my FREE page for one of my businesses in about 5 minutes, you can see it here: http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Sociable.Marketing.408-599-4755
Note: I get no compensation and am not affiliated with this site in anyway, I’m just passing along a tool I found to help you in your biz, or for future reference because your thinking of going into your own biz.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
It's Your Choice
We each have a choice in life; be a creator or a critic, a lover or a hater, a giver or a taker.
Which are you?
Which are you?
Top 7 thinngs to know about today's consumer
1. Consumers are cautious. They may be planning to spend a bit more, but consumers are still watching every penny. Your marketing message must convince them that what they buy from you will be memorable, valuable and make their holidays better.
2. Consumers do research. More consumers than ever will be researching products online before they buy, looking for other shoppers’ opinions and the best prices. Even if you have a physical store, you should also have an online presence—which means at least a basic website. Make sure it includes information like location, photos of your store, a map or directions, hours and ways to contact you a way to capture visitor information.
3. Consumers care about the experience. Today’s customers value the entire experience of buying a product or service—so make sure the experience of shopping with you, whether online or offline, is easy and enjoyable. Host a holiday party for your best customers. You don’t have to spend a lot of money; what’s important is letting customers know how much they mean to you and that you value their business.
4. Consumers care about others. If your business is involved in socially responsible causes, now is the time to let customers know about it. Tie in your marketing efforts and special offers with your business’s pet cause. For instance, you and your staff could volunteer at a charity one day and invite customers to join you. Customers are in a giving spirit at the holidays, and they’ll give your company more business if they feel like they’re also giving back.
5. Consumers want to feel special. Membership has its privileges, and can motivate customers to buy more. Invite customers to join your VIP club and give them access to a members-only shopping night at your store; special services such as a personal shopper; or an e-mail newsletter with special offers just for them. Make sure you collect their name and email, we can show you how.
6. Customers use e-mail. While social media gets lots of buzz, good old e-mail is still a key way to get customers to spend. In fact, e-mail marketing will increase by 15 to 20 percent this year compared to the 2009 holiday season. Customers look to e-mail for offers like rewards, discounts or free shipping. The holidays are also a great time to reactivate customers on your e-mail list who have been dormant all year, so don’t ignore them.
7. Consumers like to buy from people they like and trust. Providing a great experience and building a relationship over time with your customers will keep them coming back again and again, resulting in more sales at less cost to you.
2. Consumers do research. More consumers than ever will be researching products online before they buy, looking for other shoppers’ opinions and the best prices. Even if you have a physical store, you should also have an online presence—which means at least a basic website. Make sure it includes information like location, photos of your store, a map or directions, hours and ways to contact you a way to capture visitor information.
3. Consumers care about the experience. Today’s customers value the entire experience of buying a product or service—so make sure the experience of shopping with you, whether online or offline, is easy and enjoyable. Host a holiday party for your best customers. You don’t have to spend a lot of money; what’s important is letting customers know how much they mean to you and that you value their business.
4. Consumers care about others. If your business is involved in socially responsible causes, now is the time to let customers know about it. Tie in your marketing efforts and special offers with your business’s pet cause. For instance, you and your staff could volunteer at a charity one day and invite customers to join you. Customers are in a giving spirit at the holidays, and they’ll give your company more business if they feel like they’re also giving back.
5. Consumers want to feel special. Membership has its privileges, and can motivate customers to buy more. Invite customers to join your VIP club and give them access to a members-only shopping night at your store; special services such as a personal shopper; or an e-mail newsletter with special offers just for them. Make sure you collect their name and email, we can show you how.
6. Customers use e-mail. While social media gets lots of buzz, good old e-mail is still a key way to get customers to spend. In fact, e-mail marketing will increase by 15 to 20 percent this year compared to the 2009 holiday season. Customers look to e-mail for offers like rewards, discounts or free shipping. The holidays are also a great time to reactivate customers on your e-mail list who have been dormant all year, so don’t ignore them.
7. Consumers like to buy from people they like and trust. Providing a great experience and building a relationship over time with your customers will keep them coming back again and again, resulting in more sales at less cost to you.
10 Instruments to Monitor to Keep Your Business Tuned for Maximum Performance
Here are some ideas on adjustments you can make to keep business up in a down economy. In addition, they should become a routine part of your business model even in an up economy.
1. Focus on the Relationship Build stronger relationships with your customers. Find ways to help them. Tap into the social networks like Twitter, Linked In and Facebook. Focus on how you can best serve your customers, and they will reward you with business again and again.
2. Target Market Has your ideal client changed? Maybe it’s time to shift your focus to another target market or aim at a smaller segment of your current target market. Which ones want and can afford what you can deliver?
3. Benefits vs. Features Are you truly communicating your benefits? Oftentimes, what we think is a benefit is really a feature. And people don’t buy features. You have to translate a feature into a benefit. “It’s small” is a feature. “It fits in your pocket or purse for easy access” is a benefit.
4. Re-examine Your Top Marketing Strategies What worked just a few years ago may not work well now—maybe not at all. List your top ten strategies and give them a good hard look. How are they working? How do you measure their efficacy? What might work better?
5. Watch the Expenses What expenditures are no longer giving you the pay-off they once did? In any business there are always expenses that continue but rarely, if ever, get examined for their usefulness. Look for automatic recurring charges you can eliminate. Think like someone who buys your business. One of the first things a new owner does is look for ways to cut costs and improve the bottom line.
6. What Are People Buying? Right now with unemployment in the U.S. nearly 10%, some market segments are seeing sales increase. Netflix movie rentals are up over 20%. Low-ticket indulgence sales are on the rise. Health care doesn’t seem to be affected by the downturn much at all. What does this mean for YOUR business? How could that change what you sell—or how you sell it? Think about the shifting priorities of your customers and shift yours where you can.
7. Update Your SWOT Analysis SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Review the one you have or create one now. Get some help from staff or stakeholders on this. My wife and I just updated ours, and we came up with several assets that I had never listed before. Create strategies and projects that will help you exploit your assets and opportunities and minimize or combat your weaknesses and threats.
9. More/Less ~ Start/Stop A great way to dig deep into your strategic and operational methodologies is to list what you would like to see more of and stop doing what doesn’t work. Then you can also brainstorm what you would like to start doing and what you would like to stop doing. Sounds simple, doesn't it? It is. And it can be very insightful.
10. Stay Positive Being positive doesn’t mean to ignore challenges and difficulties. It just means not to dwell on them and focus on what you want. It’s never a good idea to bury your head in the sand. I like to practice the Stockdale Paradox: maintain the belief we will prevail while brutally confronting what challenges we face.
So be aware of your challenges, but never give a lot of energy to them. Instead, pivot from this awareness to what you want to have happen. Stay focused on where you want to go, not on where you are.
1. Focus on the Relationship Build stronger relationships with your customers. Find ways to help them. Tap into the social networks like Twitter, Linked In and Facebook. Focus on how you can best serve your customers, and they will reward you with business again and again.
2. Target Market Has your ideal client changed? Maybe it’s time to shift your focus to another target market or aim at a smaller segment of your current target market. Which ones want and can afford what you can deliver?
3. Benefits vs. Features Are you truly communicating your benefits? Oftentimes, what we think is a benefit is really a feature. And people don’t buy features. You have to translate a feature into a benefit. “It’s small” is a feature. “It fits in your pocket or purse for easy access” is a benefit.
4. Re-examine Your Top Marketing Strategies What worked just a few years ago may not work well now—maybe not at all. List your top ten strategies and give them a good hard look. How are they working? How do you measure their efficacy? What might work better?
5. Watch the Expenses What expenditures are no longer giving you the pay-off they once did? In any business there are always expenses that continue but rarely, if ever, get examined for their usefulness. Look for automatic recurring charges you can eliminate. Think like someone who buys your business. One of the first things a new owner does is look for ways to cut costs and improve the bottom line.
6. What Are People Buying? Right now with unemployment in the U.S. nearly 10%, some market segments are seeing sales increase. Netflix movie rentals are up over 20%. Low-ticket indulgence sales are on the rise. Health care doesn’t seem to be affected by the downturn much at all. What does this mean for YOUR business? How could that change what you sell—or how you sell it? Think about the shifting priorities of your customers and shift yours where you can.
7. Update Your SWOT Analysis SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Review the one you have or create one now. Get some help from staff or stakeholders on this. My wife and I just updated ours, and we came up with several assets that I had never listed before. Create strategies and projects that will help you exploit your assets and opportunities and minimize or combat your weaknesses and threats.
9. More/Less ~ Start/Stop A great way to dig deep into your strategic and operational methodologies is to list what you would like to see more of and stop doing what doesn’t work. Then you can also brainstorm what you would like to start doing and what you would like to stop doing. Sounds simple, doesn't it? It is. And it can be very insightful.
10. Stay Positive Being positive doesn’t mean to ignore challenges and difficulties. It just means not to dwell on them and focus on what you want. It’s never a good idea to bury your head in the sand. I like to practice the Stockdale Paradox: maintain the belief we will prevail while brutally confronting what challenges we face.
So be aware of your challenges, but never give a lot of energy to them. Instead, pivot from this awareness to what you want to have happen. Stay focused on where you want to go, not on where you are.
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