In Approval

A marketing strategy can either make or break your business. As you know, there are many different aspects to a good marketing strategy. You may be wondering which marketing strategy is right for you. Also, how do you know which marketing strategy really works? The best marketing strategy is the one that gains profits. In this article, we will discuss the various aspects of a great market strategy.

The first marketing strategy you should look into is your website. Make sure your web design is eye catching and easy to maneuver. A marketing strategy you can add to this is to have attractive pictures or illustrations that get your customers attention. This is always an important marketing strategy.

A second marketing strategy is to promote you product. Any marketing strategy will tell you to get yourself noticed. Different aspects of this marketing strategy are to send out flyers, business cards, post cards, etc.

A third marketing strategy is to use an autoresponder. This automated form of a marketing strategy is commonly used. Using an autoresponder to send out advertisements of your product is fast and convenient. Everything is done by email.

Another marketing strategy is to use a slogan or logo. This is a great marketing strategy because it is a way for people to easily remember your business. If they remember or recognize you, they are likely to use your website.

Another powerful marketing strategy is to use an SEO (search engine optimization). Using this will attract more people to your sight. This is because when they do a search for a particular service or product, the SEO will make sure your site is listed at the top of the search results.

A very important marketing strategy is to have a great price for your products or services. This marketing strategy is an absolute must. If your prices are not great, you will never have any business. Try to show people why your prices are so great to entice them to make a purchase.

Finally, the last marketing strategy is to have good public relations. With good public relations, your business will prosper through word of mouth. Allow customers to submit feedback of your business. Place positive feedback and testimonials on your website. It makes your business look good and customers tend to prefer to use businesses that have positive feedback.

As you know you what a marketing strategy that will not leave you with empty pockets. In reality, any marketing strategy is going to cost you a little bit of money. But if you look in the right places and follow some good advice, your marketing strategy should leave you coming out on top.

Jay Moncliff is the founder of
http://www.marketing-rentable.com a website specialized on Marketing, resources and articles. This site provides updated information on Marketing. For more info visit his site: Marketing

The sheer vastness of the cyber economy is staggering. There are well over six billion web pages vying for the attention Internet users around the globe. Needless to say, millions of these sites are owned and maintained by people just like yousmall business entrepreneurs and managers hoping to improve the public profile of their organization and, ultimately, increase sales.

Given that only a fraction of websites are search engine optimized or even adequately marketed at all, chances are that many of you are not making much return on your investment.

While there are a multitude of reasons for this problem, one stands out as remarkably simple: Most small-office-home-office (SOHO) websites are virtually invisible to the surfing public. The old adage “build it and they will come” is charming but remains, quite sadly, used and abused by entrepreneurs hoping to push their wares on the World Wide Web. A website, like anything else in a society overloaded with information and plagued by consumerism at every levelB2B includedmust be marketed. And smarter marketing is the only way your website will generate a respectable ROI.

Simply creating and publishing a website and then waiting for the phone to ring (or your inbox to flood) is akin to printing off maybe 25 brochures and then purposely leaving the whole pile on your seat before you get off the subway. What do you think are the chances any of those brochures are going to sell anything to anyone? They could be the flashiest and cleverest brochures ever published, but if no one ever sees them, it doesn’t really matter how much time or money you spent on the things.

The same principle applies to business websites. And this does not even account for the issue of content or usability. At least with a brochure, most people force themselves to put some content (read “useful information”) in it somewhere. Most of the time the margins are also aligned nicely, and the colors tend to not annoy most color blind people. But I’ll save those topics for future articles.

When you build a websiteor hire someone to build it for youthink of it not only as an online brochure for your wares (which it is and many designers forget this), but as your business’ own walking, talking, near flesh-and-blood salesperson. Do you want your salesperson to be a wallflower, sitting in the corner of the ball room at a Rotary meeting, chain smoking and nervously looking away whenever someone tries to make eye contact? Or do you want your salesperson to work the room, shake hands with many interesting people, and give each one a taste of what your company has to offer? Hey, smoking is passé. But networking is so now!

The point is, no one but you and your webmaster is going to be stopping by your site very often if no one but you and your webmaster knows about it. Websites must be marketed just like anything else. There are countless ways to bring traffic to your site, many you may not have even heard of. Whether you hire a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert or simply rely on word of mouth generated by you and your staff, one thing is certain: you must purposefully seek ways to bring traffic to your site and then follow through religiously. If you don’t, I’m afraid your website will most likely end up just another diamond in the rough.

******
Karri Flatla is a business graduate of the University of Lethbridge and principal of snap! virtual assistance inc., a small business consulting firm providing on-line marketing services to the progressive entrepreneur. Karri also produces Outsmart, the newsletter for small business with big purpose. Visit http://www.snap-va.com for more information.

The phone rings. Good news… it’s a potential client. You say, “Thanks for calling, I’ll send you our brochure.”

But what should you really be sending them?

I’m often asked to review brochures or asked about brochure design. But before I make any comments I always ask one question-

“Why do you think you need a brochure?”

Often there’s an awkward silence before the answer comes. “Because we need one to send to customers.”

Do you really need a brochure?
The desire to have a brochure is often automatic. But if you run a service business I suggest you consider all your options. The usual type of brochure that most businesses use may not be your best solution. Read on, and get a few ideas on why you might want to save your marketing money for something that really helps you.

When a potential customer contacts you it is an ideal opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of your field. You can help your customer make a more informed decision about using your type of services. Remember, one of the critical factors in marketing your service business is to instil trust in you. Customers must first come to trust you and understand how you can help them before they will use you. Education is often the key.

The problem with most brochures is they are focused on ‘what’ the business does, or ‘who’ the people are, or ‘where’ the business is located. This is all good information but it won’t help your customer to trust you. There’s little educational value.

Keep in mind that your potential customer probably has other brochures from other firms that also talk about their “latest equipment”, “highly trained staff”, “years of experience” and “friendly customer service”.

How do you send out the brochure?
Another factor to consider when deciding on whether you need a brochure is how you will send it out. Many firms send a covering letter with the brochure. In this letter they often say the same things as in the brochure, listing the services provided, pricing and contact details. So why do you need the brochure?

In many cases a personalised letter from the business owner will have more impact than a simple brochure. Plus, in the letter you can focus on the main issue for that particular customer, making an even stronger impression. Of course you can save time by using a template, so you don’t need to completely re-write the letter each time. And as you would expect, a letter is much less expensive to produce than a brochure.

Be honest… how often do you sit down and fully read a brochure. You’re not alone. Usually it’s a quick scan, a brief look at any pictures, and drop in the bin (or the “to do later” pile).

Even large firms have trouble using brochures. One client of mine, a state office of a large engineering firm, doesn’t like using its corporate brochure because it has too much of an international focus. They find the brochure doesn’t address the needs of their clients.

What else can you do?
Marketing a service business requires a bit more thought than just placing pictures of your equipment, staff or premises in a brochure. Give potential customers a reason to trust you. Minimise their risk by giving them helpful information. Be different - most businesses don’t do it!

If we think about building trust, there’s a few ways we can go about it. Instead of the usual brochure, why not try one of the following:
-A checklist to help customers decide what they really need to do.
-Tips on how to minimise their need for your type of services.
-An impartial fact sheet on why the problem occurs, giving the customer some background on the issue.
-An information sheet on your business including client testimonials, success stories, case studies, and some history of the business. Remember to make it about customer benefits, not just about you.
-A reference list of associated information sources, so the customer can see how much there is to know about your field.
-If you offer a range of services, develop a series of information cards so you can send only the ones each customer wants. They’ll look great with your cover letter!
-Some services (accountants come to mind) have lots of helpful data (such as tax and depreciation rates) that can be shown on a small pocket card or folder.

(Remember, all these items can be produced cost effectively on your letterhead, special paper or printed on coloured card. Even large firms can use the same concepts.)

At this point you might be thinking, “Great, I could put some helpful tips in my brochure.” That’s a good start. Please note, I’m not against using brochures. (After all, the definition of a brochure varies widely.) I’m just suggesting there is often a smarter way to use your communication opportunity.

And if you’re worried that by giving your potential customers information, they won’t want to use your services, then maybe you should think again. After all, as a customer, none of us want to pay for a service we don’t really need.

Have courage.
Have the courage to tell your customers what they need to know. Give them a reason to trust your expertise. Reassure them that you have their best interests at heart.

And there are some great benefits from educating your customers. You’ll find you face fewer customer complaints, and attract a better standard of client. Because you have shown integrity and given the customer information, they will trust you more and be less inclined to complain about trivial matters. Give it a go.

What’s that I hear - you want me to send you some information. Sure. I’ll send you a broch… oops… I mean one of our fact sheets.

(c) 2004 Stuart Ayling

Stuart Ayling runs Marketing Nous, an Australasian marketing consultancy that specialises in marketing for service businesses. He helps clients to improve their marketing tactics, attract more clients, and increase revenue. For additional marketing resources, including Stuart’s popular monthly newsletter, visit his web site at www.marketingnous.com.au

For those who put out newsletter via the Internet by emailing them to subscribers, you may have noticed a bizarre trend in the amount of daily defections. Sometimes Ezine editors might assume it was something that they said or put into their newsletter that offended someone in some way and they clicked on the unsubscribe and checked out.

What you may not know is often it has nothing to do with your online newsletter, your editing or the content in the email online newsletter. In fact more often than not the real reason is that the person has a time management problem and is finding them selves over loaded with information and some of it just has to go.

Additionally did you know that when some one clicks unsubscribe on one email news letter that on average within the same sitting they unsubscribe to two others as well? The person who un-subscribes to any one Ezine on average does so to between 2.8 and 3.1 others at the same time? So often you may not be at fault for the defection at all.

Perhaps the individual is trying to free up some time and un-subscribes to your online newsletter because they were upset after wasting time reading an article and then clicking to finish the article on a website, when they could not get thru. This made them angry so they un-subscribed to that Ezine and another on and yours too. So think on this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/