Winning Marketing Strategies...

Discover Your Difference

2008-05-04T22:15:00.001-04:00

Your key to small business marketing success: discover your difference and communicate this difference to your prospects.

clipped from blog.1429design.com

Small Business Marketing : Differentiate!

One of the biggest myths in small business marketing is that you have to spend alot of money in advertising. While there should be room in your marketing budget for appropriate ad buys, probably the #1 key to small business marketing success is this:

Be Different Than Everyone Else!

If your prospect can’t identify some specific way in which your firm is unique, they will default to the only thing they can measure - PRICE. Offering to simply exchange what you sell for a set price in return is one of the weakest marketing offers you can create. Price is a terrible place to compete. There will always be someone willing to go out of business faster than you.

Drawing from some of Jantsch’s ideas, here’s how you can differentiate and dominate:

Product

Market Niche

Solve a Problem

Unique habit

Guarantee

Customer Service

If you don’t already know what your points of differentiation are, then it’s time to STOP and discover them.

Does Your USP Work?

2008-04-27T22:30:00.001-04:00

Perhaps rather than a Unique Selling Proposition you need a Decisive Power Point to separate your small business from your competition.

clipped from systematicdirectmarketing.com

Why USPs Don’t Work

The USP (Unique Selling Proposition) is based on the assumption that if you can’t be better than the competition then being different will usually suffice.

Finding your USP can be like the quest for the proverbial Holy Grail. You could end up spending inordinate amounts of money on research, product/service development and branding without ever really attaining a true USP. The quest to find ‘unique’ when ‘relevant’, ‘outstanding’ and ‘decisive’ are just as good can be frustrating and wasteful.

DPPs - Decisive Power Points

Right, back to the programme… I’d like you to ignore ‘unique’ and replace it with ‘decisive’.

There’s an example of our DPP chart (high and to the right is where you want your benefit to be) on our site at http://www.debbiejenkins.com/academy-pics/DAY17-dpp-example.gif

What's Your Story?

2008-04-24T10:56:00.002-04:00

Tell your unique story as part of your Unique Selling Proposition.

clipped from www.copyblogger.com

Your Unique Story Proposition

You’ve likely heard of the need for a “unique selling proposition” (USP) in order to be successful in business. In essence, a USP is something that you offer customers or clients that your competitors do not.

Another way to think of your USP is as a “remarkable benefit.”

In direct response copywriting, the USP runs throughout the sales letter. It’s the unique promise that is

Start out by asking yourself a question. What is it that you offer customers or clients that your competitors do not?

If you can’t see it immediately, don’t give up. Often there’s something there that you take for granted, but others would find quite remarkable. If you are a service provider, you can always simply create something unique as part of your offering.

Is the USP Dead?

2008-04-24T10:41:00.002-04:00

In today's hyper-competitive market, is a Unique Selling Proposition good enough to separate you from your competition?

clipped from blog.mindvalleylabs.com

Death of the Unique Selling Proposition

As marketers, we always talk about the unique selling proposition. What benefits and features make my product so unique that it stands out in the marketplace?

However, the market has become saturated. Today, the USP has become almost meaningless.

How many products out there have the same features? Let’s take for example, shoes. From Nike, to Puma, to Adidas. All these shoes can make you jump higher… accelerate your athletic abilities…but what’s the big deal? How different can a shoelace be? Is there really a unique feature? That’s the first thing I learned when I joined advertising - that the USP is dead.

We’re in a new capitalist era in which we are bombarded with new products and new businesses exploding everyday in a sea of competitors. The key here is to highlight and amplify the differences between products in the same niche.

What are the alternatives to a dying USP?

Why Not Help Teach a Kid Marketing?

2008-03-16T22:36:00.001-04:00

Reach out and give a college kid the opportunity to learn real world marketing. Marketing that's happening online.

clipped from www.tw3o.com

Can College Teach It?

At least once it’s all said and done, you’ll be to go out and get that great job with your degree in marketing! You’ll know exactly what to do, and bring in lots of sales! From those sales, you’ll make lots of money! Or will you Now, I’m not saying not to go to college. I am saying, study how to market on your own time as well…. especially if you are someone who wants to work for YOURSELF!

Essentially, you are going to need to become a gorilla marketer. You are going to learn as you go. You are going to need to know your target market, and study the latest Internet technologies to be successful. You need to acquire lots of new information, and know where to get it. Be creative! Maybe you can blend ideas, use hybrid techniques. The truth is that your studying on the subject of marketing has really just begun.

Entrepreneurs vs. Corporate Marketers

2008-03-04T12:55:00.001-05:00

WARNING: As a small business entrepreneur, this podcast will bore the hell out of you.

But, it's interesting to understand the unique advantage you have over larger businesses.

These guys don't even understand the difference between marketing and sales.

clipped from blog.futurelab.net

Sales is from Mars, Marketing is from Venus - Podcast

The relationship between Sales and Marketing at B2B companies is too often precarious and subject to change day by day.

The problem is that Marketing and Sales play by different sets of rules. Sales are quota and bottom-line driven, where success can be easily measured through the number of closed deals. In Marketing, nebulous terms like 'impressions' and 'website traffic' are too often used to benchmark results. All too often, Marketing thinks it is exceeding its lead generation goals while at the same Sales is wondering why they aren't getting enough good leads.

Download the full MP3: Sales is from Mars, Marketing is From Venus -- a CEO's Perspective.

What's Your Mission?

2008-03-04T12:32:00.001-05:00

As a small business, your Mission defines your marketing and your business.

Do you have a "Mission"?

Or...

Some lame boiler-plate Mission Statement?

Big difference!

clipped from streetlessons.com

Are you on a Mission?

Ask most business experts and they’ll tell you your business should have a Mission Statement. However, being a difficult child, I think it’s more important to just have a mission.

“Dean Hunt.com – Making Success Fun”

Do you think it could be any clearer what my mission is? What I really believe in?

Compare this to the nonsense that you would get from a random S&P 500 company:

“We are a market-focused, process-centered organization that develops and delivers innovative solutions to our customers, consistently outperforms our peers, produces predictable earnings for our shareholders, and provides a dynamic and challenging environment for our employees.”

If your business has a mission that you really believe in, that isn’t focused solely on earning wheelbarrows full of money, then you will find success beyond your wildest dreams.

What's a Client Worth?

2008-03-03T01:21:00.001-05:00

Got a Marketing Strategy?

2008-02-27T23:00:00.001-05:00

Most small businesses lack any kind of marketing strategy. 97% of small businesses operate their marketing from a purely tactical standpoint.

Reactive marketing tactics such as ads, flyers, a mailer here and there will not position your business for growth.

With the emergence of social marketing on-line and the pressures of a slowing economy, sound marketing strategy is critical for small business survival.

clipped from marketingactionprogram.com

Why Strategy Matters

The simple and amazing fact is that most small to medium size businesses have no marketing strategy. None. At best they have a media schedule, like ‘This quarter we’ll run some radio spots and do a print ad.” That is not the same thing.

A marketing strategy is a plan to make money. A media schedule is a plan to spend money. There is a difference, believe me.

What do I mean by strategy? I mean begin at the end result and work backwards, laying out the steps. Your end result is more sales (how many?). Which means more leads (how many?). Which means attracting those leads with a compelling message (what message?). Which means delivering the message (using which media, costing how much, with what ROI?).

Think Small Marketing Strategy

2008-02-23T23:03:00.001-05:00

Leverage your current client relationship assets and think small.

clipped from www.lawmarketing.com

7 Principles of Client Development: Making Their Bottom Line Yours

Number one is leveraging our existing assets. There is so much content and so much information available at law firms about clients; they're swimming in it. We're talking about things like what relationships do we have? What is the billing history of some very large maybe pharmaceutical clients? It tells us a lot about what kind of problems they have. We also look at things like who are the other people we know outside of here? What is our matter history? What part of our existing client base could be duplicated? We have all this content at our finger tips. A lot of times it's out of context, but we can bring that together using technology and some good old fashioned elbow grease be able to make some sense of it.

Larry Bodine: It gets to another point, Darryl, that strategy is really deciding what you're not going to do.

Blog Keyword Research

2008-02-22T21:02:00.001-05:00

Here's a value keyword research tool.

clipped from www.copyblogger.com

Keyword Research for Bloggers:
A Comprehensive Guide

Keyword research is a fundamental part of online marketing of all kinds, and that definitely includes blogging. Blogs are famous for ranking well in search engines thanks to their structure and frequently-updated content, but if you don’t use the words people are actually interested in and actively searching for, you’re missing a lot of traffic.

If you need to return, bookmark this page at del.icio.us for handy reference.

Keyword Research: It’s Not What You Think

How to Choose a Popular Niche for Your Blog

How to Find Post Topics That Score Big

Keyword Research Can Help You Make Money From Your Blog

A Primer on Keyword Research Tools

What's your ideal customer's key strategic behavior

2008-02-19T11:13:00.001-05:00

Here's an excellent article from John Jantsch about simple things you can do to understand what makes your Ideal Client tick.

What a 1962 "Stripper" Movie Can Teach You about Your USP

2008-02-18T10:26:00.001-05:00

In today's economic climate, a "me-too" message will reduce your small business to a commodity.

Learn how to position your business as the "Distinct Difference"

clipped from hubpages.com

Unique Selling Proposition (USP) Crucial to Marketing Success: Why You Gotta Have a Gimmick
75

The problem is, ANY business, from a mortuary to a restaurant or a CPA firm, can say those exact same things, so they're not truly unique identifiers. And generally, they're not even definitive enough to keep a competitor from being able to make the same claim. They are NOT unique selling points!

However, I've come up with a video clip that totally clarifies the USP concept - from, of all things, the 1962 movie classic: "Gypsy." Now this movie might not at first appear to be a marketing tool, since it's based on the autobiography of Gypsy Rose Lee, and depicts the life and times of the famous 1930s-era stripper and her domineering mother. (Hers is such a great true-life story, it wowed Broadway theater-goes prior to this movie, then was re-shot in 1993, as a star-studded TV movie. But as you'll see, there are great USP concepts portrayed in it.

The New Definition of Marketing

2008-02-18T03:02:00.001-05:00

Have the new social media tools re-defined marketing according to AMA?

clipped from www.smallbusinessbranding.com

You may have recognised, that in the past few years, the way which we communicate, share ideas and exchange value has dramatically changed.

People are discounting messages they encounter through the media, more than ever and marketers are forced to interact with customers on a wide variety of different channels. This, combined with the newfound power of individuals through social media, has called for a new definition to serve marketing practitioners and academics more appropriately.

Here is the AMA’s new definition of marketing:

New "Rules" of Marketing?

2008-02-11T12:45:00.001-05:00

Marketing is marketing. There ARE principles that never change.

clipped from marketingvideotutorialblog.com

Dan Kennedy - Marketing Principles Never Change!

WPvideo 1.10

Download!

This video from the system seminar goes over why marketing will never change. Dan Kennedy is the MASTER of direct marketing and one of the smartest men alive when it comes to selling your products. Watch the video to understand why marketing will always be marketing.

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What's an Hour of Your Time Worth?

2008-02-09T10:56:00.001-05:00

Are you spending your time productively?

Do you realize what a Virtual Assistant could accomplish for you in One Hour?

clipped from www.vickysvirtualoffice.com

One Hour Projects

To truly understand the value of working with a virtual assistant, we won’t just tell you about the value you will receive, we can show you! Everywhere businesses and business owners are faced with many tasks that take away precious time from building their business. What may take a VA an hour or so to complete takes you hours because of all the distractions and necessary projects that have to be done.Our goal is to be sure that after you realize what just one hour can do for your business, imagine what five or ten hours can do!

Can "The Donald" Help Market Your Small Business?

2008-02-07T15:29:00.001-05:00

Hey Trump... Market This!

Yes, small business owners who have innovative client solutions need to use innovative marketing strategies and tactics to attract clients.

clipped from www.emediawire.com

Dentist Uses Marketing Strategies Learned from Trump University to Promote Revolutionary High Speed Braces

New York, NY (PRWEB) February 6, 2008 -- Successful Canadian dentist Dr. Michael Zuk recently rolled out new, aggressive marketing tactics with the help of Trump University to promote his revolutionary orthodontic technology--High Speed Braces.

From a toothache mascot to targeted radio spots to Internet advertising, Dr. Zuk employs creativity and innovation learned with Trump University's Marketing Mastery Program to spread his message about High Speed Braces. Pioneered by Zuk, High Speed Braces shorten the time orthodontic patients wear oral appliances by up to 12 months. Zuk, based in Red Deer, Alberta, uses new bracket technology and advanced wires made out of titanium to create less friction, speeding treatment time and reducing pain. Patients report amazing results in as little as five to six months.

Business-Building Strategies in the Heat of Battle

2008-02-05T15:44:00.000-05:00

Often times, entrepreneurs are running around, hair of fire, stirring things up, making stuff happen.

Sure, that's a good thing.

Until, something breaks down.

Here's how to turn those Break-downs into Break-throughs...

Six Sanity-Saving Scenarios to Turn a Massive
Breakdown into a Powerful Business Breakthrough

There I was. Depressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Despite my best efforts to have a smooth running ship and organize my event, I realized I had a significant breakdown in my process. I admit, it wasn’t the end of the world, but come on, I teach this stuff! It was one week before we went live on our new program, we were preparing the workbooks for production, and I realized, no one ordered the right tabs! Yikes!

It got me thinking how a client of mine had shared a great story about their direct mail marketing campaign. A lot of money had been invested in buying a list of qualified candidates. But every step of the way there was breakdown in the process – the guy who formatted the list didn’t set it up right, the assistant didn’t have the proper envelopes, and they had no postage when they needed it. My client laughed as he told me this, but I knew he was frustrated!

Well, I’ve learned over the years that a breakdown means that something very valuable is happening – I have new insight into how I can improve my process, my attitude, or my belief so that problem never happens again.

Let’s look at a few examples of how breakdowns can occur in our business or life.

A business partnership goes from the honeymoon phase to the divorce phase, all from a simple miscommunication around “who is doing what” with the budget.
After training your new team for six months, you realize a key person continues to not follow through on your requests in a timely manner. You are worried you may have to let them go, even though they seemed like a perfect fit at the interview.
Many late nights and nose-to-the-grind-stone days later, you realize that your big speaking debut will not be flawless because your brochures and products did not get shipped by the supplier.
A wonderful new client suddenly becomes a nightmare when they keep adding new deliverables to the project agreement – but don’t want to pay you any additional money.

These are typical scenarios that many of my clients and associates have experienced. What I have noticed is there can be a difference in how people handle these types of breakdowns. Some people might freak out, scream and yell, and blame everyone else for the breakdown. That tends to be the “victim-mentality” type who struggle in life. The “success-oriented” type is the one who says, “OK, how can I make my process better?” Here are Six Sanity-Saving Scenarios that can turn that breakdown into a breakthrough.

Strengthen Communication.
When you have a miscommunication with someone, it is usually a sign that someone “assumed” something along the way. Make sure that you use the “listen first, speak second, confirm your message last” method to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Delegate Effectively.
There are 3 key elements for effective delegation to your virtual assistant: what you want, when it is due, and how to communicate completion. If you miss one of these steps, you will most likely have problems with the tasks you delegate. In the Virtual Team Building Telebootcamp, we spend quite a bit of time on this subject as it seems to be a big area for breakdowns!
Improve Skills.
Often times, when something is not done properly, it is because the person doesn’t know how to do it. Find out what skills, education or training they need so they can complete the job properly.
Improve Your System.
If the skills are there, then most likely the system (or the process to complete it) is broken. Identify in writing using a checklist, flow chart or written request what exactly needs to be done. Make sure that every element that can impact the quality of the end result is included.
Slow Down.
Ever heard the saying that someone is like a “bull in a china shop?” That means they are racing forward breaking everything in their path. Often people move so fast they leave a massive path of carnage – including their teams, their clients and their families – in the wake. Even in the Fast-Track Mastermind where we focus on speed implementation, the key is remembering Rome was not built in a day.
Be a Leader.
If you feel like mutiny on the bounty, perhaps your virtual team doesn’t understand the vision anymore. Being a leader is inspiring others to support and follow your vision. If they aren’t following, you are not leading. Revitalize the vision – it will work wonders.

The bottom line is that life happens and breakdowns will occur. We have all heard the saying, “breakdown, breakthrough.” Well it is true. I have experienced enough adversity in my life to fill an ocean liner. It is up to us to choose to respond to these situations with a positive attitude to make them work for us – not against us. So take those challenging situations and look for the opportunity to strengthen your personal mindset and your business systems.

Now, it’s your turn. How will you take a breakdown in your life and turn it into a breakthrough? I encourage you to take note of where the problems occur and brainstorm with your team, your family, or your friends to come up with possible “breakthroughs!”

If you need some support with turning your team breakdowns into breakthroughs, be sure to register for the next Virtual Team Building Telebootcamp. You’ll uncover some really simple strategies to get the right systems in place to have a thriving team.

Don’t have time to read? Want to hear The Success Connection tips in audio format? You can now have these editions podcasted to you in just one simple step. Get the podcast now!

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You are welcome to use this article anytime, just be sure to include the following author/copyright information:

Melanie Benson Strick, The Million Dollar Lifestyle Business Coach, teaches entrepreneurs how to stop feeling overwhelmed so they can create more money, more freedom and more prestige. Get the Entrepreneur’s Secret Weapon to revolutionize your results and get on the fast-track to a freedom based business at http://www.virtualteambuildingtelebootcamp.com.

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Your "Right" Market

2008-02-05T13:37:00.001-05:00

When you consciously select "Right Markets", you increase the chances of success of marketing your business.

clipped from dankennedy.com

Power Of A Well Selected Market

"Don't play blind archery."

I'm going to tell you a secret that virtually no other high-priced copywriter will ever admit:
at least half the battle is won via selection, not "creative" ie. message, copy, offer, etc.

Mediocre marketing aimed at a very well selected target will get superior results.

Exceptional marketing aimed at a sloppily selected market may, at best, deliver mediocre results.

Selection is where it's at.

I challenge businesspeople to create a very,very detailed profile of their current typical
customer and their ideally desired client.

Your success at attracting or finding the ones you want depends on knowing what you're looking for.

To view all of the profit producing and wealth creation resources go to
www.glazerkennedywebstore.com

Education-Based Marketing Results in Sales

2008-02-05T09:37:00.001-05:00

Brian Clark, of Copyblogger fame, gives you the blueprint to creating an education-based marketing system for your business.

Grab his Free Report and determine if his approach makes sense for your business.

clipped from mail.google.com

Start Page Mail Calendar Documents more »

Teaching is the best way to sell
Creating education based information products has never been easier.

Teaching Sells - this is a complete online course from Brian Clark that will show you how to create your own membership and teaching site to house your information store. Get his free 22 page report here

Slideshare (web) - this free service allow you to upload Powerpoint slides from presentations and turn them into virtual slideshows with a built in player. Add and sync an mp3 audio and you have a slidecast - did I mention the service is free

Snapzpro (mac) or Camtasia (pc) - these programs allow you to film what you are doing on your computer. So, if your lesson is about some software program or web application you can create what have become known as screencasts and show people how.

Related article - Content is a strategy
. ~ ~ ~

Creating and teaching makes you better at communicating the value your bring, but more than anything else - it sells!

Your Right Market Strategy: Attract Your Ideal Client

2008-02-04T19:22:00.001-05:00

Many small business owners ask:

"Where do I start? How do I Make My Marketing Work?"

Dan Kennedy claims in his No B.S.Direct Marketing that there's only one way to get it... Marketing... right:

Right Market

Right Message

Right Media

I recommend you start at "Right Market"... Attract Your Ideal Client

When it comes to targeting a market many people simply look for someone who needs (or who they think needs) what they do and then they try to offer it to them.

This may be the greatest single recipe for small business disaster. May I be blunt here?

When looking for your ideal client there are three questions you must answer.

clipped from www.ducttapemarketing.com

Finding Your Ideal Client

1) Do they “want” what I have? It does not matter if they desperately need what you have. If they do not want it for one reason or another, then you are sunk. You will kill yourself trying to convince someone that they should buy from you.

2) Do they value what you do? You must look for people who are already investing in the type, or at least the category, of service you have. Price shoppers will always be prices shoppers, do it yourself types will always be do it yourself types. Look for those who appreciate the extra they get from you.

3) Are they willing to pay a premium for what you do? This one is often overlooked and misunderstood. No matter what you sell you don’t need to compete on price. When you compete on price you find that there is always someone willing to go out of business faster than you. Raise your prices, explain what you do to add value, and look specifically for those select individuals and businesses that expect to pay a premium.

Small Business: Think Small, Get Big

2008-02-04T19:08:00.001-05:00

Get clear and understand that as a small business, you have marketing advantages.

Focus, Reach, and Nurture are concepts that relate to determining your Right Market... How do you Attract Your Ideal Client

clipped from www.ducttapemarketing.com

The 10 Natural Marketing Advantages of Small Business - Small Is the New Big

Focus - In order to survive, most small businesses must adopt a narrow market focus. In doing so,they can develop a premium reputation for serving that narrow market.

Reach - Small business owners are so close to their markets they can experience what their market experiences. They can deliver CEO level experience to any size client who can connect with a client better a 25 year veteran and author of two books on the industry or two twenty something whiz kids from McKenzie?

Nurture - Small businesses can grow with customer needs. Often, they can create products and services that address highly personalized requests at a moments notice.

Acting like a small business, it seams, is the latest killer innovation.

So, the question is, are you leveraging your natural advantages?

The New "Rules" of Selling Too

2008-02-03T00:44:00.001-05:00

Seems that selling is also more about relationship-building, market research, and really knowing your prospects.

The role and value of marketing fundamentals is essential to sales success.

clipped from common6.typepad.com

You Can't Sell Like that Anymore!

I was very happily surprised when I was reading today's Wall Street Journal and found an article titled "Next in Line for Reinvention: The Art of Selling". The article, which centers around a book by leadership and management guru Ram Charan, preaches about how sales is changing and how companies need to make it a core competency. While NY Report readers know this already by way of the many articles we have published, such as Jeremy Rawitz article on building a better sales culture, this might be the first time I have seen the subject addressed in mass media - and it is about time. Essentially, the old way of selling was mastering information on your products and then ultimately winning on price. The new way is to master all of the information on your prospect (by building a strong rapport with him or her and then asking a lot of questions) and then tailoring your solutions for the prospect's needs.

Marketing Made Easy

2008-02-02T00:16:00.001-05:00

There is no free lunch when it comes to marketing.

But, that doesn't sell.

So, I'll keep feeding you easy, quick tips that even a 3-year old can master.

clipped from ittybiz.com

Easy And Free Marketing Tips You Can Implement From The Comfort Of Your Toilet

Guest blogging rocks, without question. You get to see your name “in print” in something you didn’t “print” yourself. You get new readers. You get new subscribers. You expand your brand. It’s pretty cool. Some might call it, uh, marketing.

“The involvement level might be a little more than the average internet blogger might be willing to endure.”

Marketing is work. Get over it.

They want it cheap, they want it fast, they want it easy.

That seems really hard.
That seems like a lot of work.
It seems like there’s a lot involved in that.
Isn’t there something easier?
Do you think that’s really necessary?

I care when you tell me that proven marketing techniques that have been hand-picked for your situation, including your budget, your ability level, your commitment level, and your time availability are too much money or work or time or whatever.

Stop Copycat Marketing

2008-02-01T20:23:00.001-05:00

Find your unique marketing advantage that you deliver that would make your Ideal Client a fool NOT to hire you.

clipped from themarketingspot.blogspot.com

Episode #5 of the internet show about small business marketing.

Competing in a Copycat Economy
Oren Harari says that most businesses live in Commodity Hell. Your products and services are quickly imitated by competitors large and small, and not just on a local level.

Operating in a copycat economy means it’s harder to differentiate yourself, it’s harder to build your brand. But there is a way to break from the pack, and it's called disciplined lunacy.

Being labeled insane is a badge of honor in a copycat economy. Lunacy means doing something that deviates from conventional wisdom. Tomorrow’s conventional wisdom comes from today's nonconformists. But you must be able to execute and monetize the lunacy, and that’s where the discipline comes in.

Power To The Small Business - Episode #5: Break From The Pack
(Feed readers and RSS subscribers - Click here to listen if you don't see the player)
(To download the mp3 file to your computer, right click here and save)