Posts filed under 'direct marketing'
Surfing the WEB for tips to make your company stand out on Black Friday
Think of Black Friday as an opportunity to bring in new customers by offering a few good Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Not only will this kick off your holiday season on a positive note (and hopefully add to a healthier bottom line) you can take advantage of the fact that people will be shopping online and therefor traffic will be stronger on these two days.
Since Black Friday is all about promoting your business and selling more, here are several ideas to help you plan a killer selling day (or days).
Be sure to grab your share of sales
The average Black Friday corresponds to around-the-store lines before the sun rises. Now, of course, we seem to be in a recession, but that may make November 28th an even more profitable time for every business that has something to sell.
Insane deals tend to get people moving on Black Friday, and folks who would prefer to get some sleep may join the mobs due to their financial situation. Like major retailers, you can try to draw them in by offering big discounts on a few items, and then see what else they spend while they’re in the store.
Read the rest of the Black Friday Boom Forecast here: http://www.smallbusinessnewz.com/topnews/2008/11/17/black-friday-boom-forecast
Small Business Can Make Big Plays on Black Friday
Black Friday is like the Super Bowl. It’s a huge event that draws millions of people. But only the big boys get to play on the field. People like you and me only get to watch.
At first glance, Rafi Mohammed seems to reinforce that with his advice for retailers to woo customers with steep discounts on Black Friday. He encourages retailers to use loss leaders to welcome people back from discounters.
For anyone tempted to compete with the big boys on price, this is a pretty good reason to abandon that strategy. It also looks like a pretty good reason to stay in bed Friday and let the big retailers deal with all those people.
To read more visit http://mainebusiness.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=16424
Black Friday Bargains for Small Business
Black Friday — and the following Cyber Monday — can also be a great time to go shopping for your small business. Just ask Rhonda Abrams of USA Today. She suggests the following:
Strategies for successful small business Black Friday shopping:
1. Make a list of stuff you really need. Don’t buy just because something’s cheap. It’s tempting, I know.
2. Check to see which version of Windows 7 you need. If you have a server you’ll need at least the Pro or Ultimate edition. Upgrades are very expensive so buy the right one.
Read the rest of the article “Black Friday Bargains for Small Business” at USA Today ~
http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/columnist/abrams/2009-11-20-black-friday-bargains-for-small-business_N.htm
Over at online betting zone Bookmaker, they’ve put out their oddsmaking team’s predictions. The majority of the team says between 161 million and 180 million of us will hit the stores and websites on Black Friday, and we’ll spend between $300-$400 per shopper. Second-best odds were for 131 million to 161 million shoppers spending $250-$300 apiece.
To read what else they have to say read Black Friday and Cyber Monday…Will They Rock? on the Entrepreneur.com blog here http://blog.entrepreneur.com/2009/11/black-friday-and-cyber-mondaywill-they-rock.php
And if you happen to be out shopping on Black Friday, here’s a few tips for you:
Make list: In any shopping maneuver, a list can help you plan ahead and shop more efficiently. Look through sales fliers and check out www.black-friday.net for information on which stores are offering what deals. Then you can prioritize the items on your list, and plan out a route according to what is most important to you. Also list any coupons you have that can be used to further reduce the prices of desired items.
Visit the store the day before Thanksgiving: After you know what you are looking for, visit the stores ahead of time. Familiarize yourself where the desired items are located in the store. Make friends with a sales associate to find out if there will be additional discounts, or if you can reserve something ahead of time (for most doorbusters, though, associates aren’t allowed to do this).
Read the rest of Holiday Shopping: Tips for Black Friday and Cyber Monday here: http://www.moolanomy.com/2135/holiday-shopping-tips-for-black-friday-and-cyber-monday-mmarquit01/
While you are at it, read 10 Fascinating Facts about Black Friday http://www.pcworld.com/article/182224/10_fascinating_facts_about_black_friday.html
November 23rd, 2009
“The traditional business definition of marketing is identifying and fulfilling customer needs. There’s no mention of your business. Marketing is all about the customer.” Heidi Richards Mooney
Do you remember the “WIIFM” formula when designing your promotional tools? You know, the “what’s in it for me?” The “me” in this case is not about you, your company, your product or business, rather it is about the customer, the prospect, the reader, the person you are trying to get to take action regarding your product or service.
How many times have you picked up a brochure about a company to find out what they can do for you only to find it filled with stuff about them? And have little or no idea what they can do for you? Your customers and prospects could be asking the same question.
One of the biggest mistakes companies make is to talk about themselves and their products rather than talking about the CUSTOMER and what he/she will gain by doing business with them. “The traditional business definition of marketing is “identifying and fulfilling customer needs.” There’s no mention of your business. Marketing is all about the customer.”
Identify and focus on the benefits. Prospects want to know how what you offer will benefit them. You MUST make it clear what benefits the prospect will receive from doing business with you, otherwise then there is no reason for that prospect to do so. You MUST focus on what the prospect is going to GAIN by using your product or service.
In order to articulate the “what’s in it for them,” you must first understand the difference between a feature and a benefit. A feature is something that your product does or has (for example, a shirt can be 100% cotton). A benefit to 100% cotton could be durability, easy-care or even wrinkle resistant. Now you’ve given them the WIIFM. Why the prospect might want to purchase the shirt.
Count how many times you refer to you – that includes the “I,” the “WE” and your “company name.” Take a second look and count how many times you refer to the “YOU,” the “prospect/customer” or “she/he.” If your copy has more than 50% “I,” etc. take a look at how you can reword it to tip the scales in favor of the prospect. Good copy should be at least 60-75% prospect focused and only 25-40% focused on who you are, (such as the awards you have, the color of your building, the type of equipment you have, etc.).
To change things around in your marketing message whether it is in your proposal writing, brochures or your website (any advertising), you must identify the goals, objectives and obstacles of your prospect. Then you show your prospects how you can help them reach their goals and overcome their obstacles.
Once you know how your business benefits your customers, and you begin to focus on the how the customer benefits formula, you can write copy that will increase prospect response. You will begin seeing a greater response to your marketing messages and your bottom line!
(There are 42 “You’s” in this article and only 2 “I’s.” Did it get your attention?)
Redhead Marketing specializes in creating copy that makes you stand out. Need a print ad for a publication? Need a flyer in a hurry? Let Redhead Marketing create it for you. Special Holiday pricing starts at just $50. Call 954-625-6606 or email heidi (at) redhead marketing dot com (no spaces) Today!
November 18th, 2009
Set your sales on fire without extravagant spending by following these red-hot marketing tips
“In all things, success depends upon previous preparation. And without such preparation, there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius
Confucius could have had a flourishing business by following his own advice. Not only can preparation lead to success, but it also can help you do so without spending a lot of money. After all, with careful planning, you can achieve sizzling sales without the need for expensive advertising or marketing promotions.
Be smarter than the competition
In today’s ever-changing business climate, just keeping up with the competition isn’t enough. You have to outthink, outsmart and outdo them. How? By getting to know what they do and how they do it.
Find out your competition’s strengths and weaknesses and what products and services they offer. If the shop down the road sells gift baskets, offer more choices than they do—or better products. If the competition opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m., consider opening earlier or closing later.
Look for ways to make it easier for customers to do business with you. The slightest increase in customer convenience will yield larger and even more frequent purchases. Plus, providing the products and services they want will keep them coming back.
Reward repeat customers
Design a customer-appreciation program to recognize customers who repeatedly purchase from you or who refer others to your business. Send them thank-you notes or small bouquets. Thank them in your company newsletter. Pick up the phone to thank them, then offer a special discount for their loyalty during your conversation.
One day a long-time customer came into my shop, Eden Florist & Gift Baskets, to purchase flowers. When I thanked him for doing business with us, he said, “I buy so many flowers here, I should get frequent-flower miles.” He was right! In fact, soon after his visit, we began creating a computer-generated Frequent flower petals card for that very purpose. The card rewarded customers with a free bouquet after they purchased 12 $25-minimum-price floral arrangements.
To more easily track customer purchases, our computer records each transaction. Thus, if a customer orders by phone, we still can track the number of purchases. When that person reaches 12, the employee taking the order asks the customer to whom they’d like to send their “free” bouquet. It’s not unusual for customers to send the arrangement to themselves.
If they choose this option, don’t forget to enclose a card thanking them for their business. Customers who appreciate your gesture are likely to recommend your business to family, friends and business associates.
Practice ‘rainmaking’
Rainmakers are people who connect other people through referrals, whether it is friend-to-friend or business-to-business. Referrals are the easiest and least expensive way to make your business grow. Start by instilling a referral mindset into your friends and customers. People don’t necessarily know you want more business unless you tell them. And even though your friends may buy from you, they may not think to tell their friends and family.
Though one of my greatest sources of referrals today is my friends, that wasn’t always the case. In the past, I had one or two friends who constantly sent business my way. However, the majority of my close acquaintances did not. One day, I mentioned this to a friend. Her reply, “I didn’t know you wanted more business.” She is now one of my best references.
Some people are hesitant to ask friends for referrals. Why? If you believe in your product and have a passion for your business, it’s a simple request. After all, friends want friends to succeed. And, if they know they have contributed to your success, it makes them feel good about themselves.
If you feel uncomfortable about tooting your own horn, consider the idea from the perspective of finding a great restaurant. After having a wonderful meal, most people are eager to share the experience by telling their family and friends about it. Flowers and food are both emotional purchases—purchases generally made with the heart, not the brain. When you want to eat out, you go to one of your favorite spots, or you try a new place that offers your favorite dish. The same applies to flowers. People go where they know they can find the products they want or people who understand their needs.
Based on emotion alone, referring your business will be easy for your friends and family. And, when the referrals come in, don’t forget to thank the friends and family who made the suggestions. Send them notes and a product sample. Make sure your thank-yous reflect your appreciation for the extra business. An added bonus to this technique is that you’ll surprise people when you thank them, putting you at the top of their minds when the opportunity to make a referral happens again.
Follow-up and follow-through
One of the surest ways to keep customers is to follow up after a purchase. Follow-up accomplishes two important things: It helps you find out whether the customer was satisfied, and it gives you the opportunity to build a positive relationship with that person.
Happy customers may tell as many as three people about their positive experience at your business. This may not seem like it can have much of an impact. But when you compare it to the number of people who will hear about a customer’s unhappy experience—typically estimated as eight to 10—then the number of those passing on their positive experience becomes that much more important.
Besides, if you don’t follow up with a customer, you may never even know he or she had a negative experience. Those people will simply take their business elsewhere. Taking the time to inquire about a purchase after the fact shows your customers you care about their business. It also helps build a lasting relationship with your customers. Not only that, but when you resolve a complaint favorably, you’re likely to increase the chance that the customer will refer you to others.
If your shop is too busy to follow up with every customer after the sale—then at least do some random sampling of your customers. Although a random sample may be less accurate, it will nevertheless provide you with an idea of how a portion of your customers views your business.
To make the task easier, call two or three customers/recipients each day. You’ll impress the recipients, who will want to do business with you, and both the sender and the recipient will know you care. In fact, on more than one occasion when an employee at Eden Florist has called a sender or recipient, that person has ordered an arrangement during the thank-you phone call. So your efforts can certainly pay off.
And don’t forget to follow through on anything you promise you’ll do for a customer. Make it a habit to deliver. When you do, your customers will trust and respect you. And your sales will sizzle!
For more tips like these check out Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget: How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Fortune by Heidi Richards Mooney
July 25th, 2009
March 17th is Saint Patrick’s Day - Time to serve up some Irish Coffee ~ Invented by the a chef at Foynes Airforce Base, Irish Coffee was intended to warm up passengers during long waits between flights. On one occasion when a flight to America had to suddenly return to the base, the chef brewed a pot of coffee, sweetened it and added some Irish Whiskey. Little did he know it would spread from the Atlantic to America. Here’s the recipe: In a large mug or goblet, pour in one jigger of Irish whiskey. Add one spoonful (to taste) of sugar and fill the cup with strong black coffee (leave one inch of the brim to add sweetened whip cream). Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Drink through the cream. Yummy!
To market your company, buy some scratch-off lottery tickets (void where prohibited) and include with monthly statement that say’s “In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, try your luck with the enclosed ticket. May you win big!“ We have done this with our customers and have had great response. We love it when someone calls to tell us she or he is a WINNER!
Want to really stand out from the competition? Send your customers a Saint Patricks Day Card!
March 16th, 2009
So you want to start a direct mail campaign for 2009, but you aren’t sure where to begin or what type of campaign to run? Before you do, you should know your options.
Here are Eleven time-tested direct mail options for you to consider:
Package inserts ~ a package insert can be anything from an informational brochure to a postcard to a little business card size document. The purpose of the insert is to get the recipient to take an action such as go to a website, call the company for more information, send in a warranty card, redeem an incentive such as a coupon and gift certificate.
Co-op Mailings ~ A form of trade sales promotion where a marketer offers non-competing companies the opportunity to share the cost of mailing to a particular database or group of customers and prospects.
Postcards ~ an economical way to promote a business or particular product or service less expensively than mailing a letter. Postcards can be very effective because there is no envelope to open and the prospect can see the offer at a glance .
Flyers ~An offer detailed on a single sheet of paper.
Card Decks ~ a package of individual cards wrapped together and mailed to prospects. These decks vary in quantity, and can contain 60 cards or more, each competing for the prospect’s attention.
Sampling Programs ~ A method of encouraging trying products free-of-charge or very inexpensively.
Statement Stuffers ~ Marketing brochure in a customer’s billing or account statement containing an offer or brief sales message along with a call to action mechanism such as a short-form, postcard or toll-free telephone number. Statement stuffers are an inexpensive way to market additional products and special offers to current customers.
Catalogues ~ A publication, such as a book or pamphlet, containing a list or display of products, services and offerings to a specific group of prospects and customers.
Door Hangers ~ door hanger marketing is where you create a small flier (often in mixed in with a few other direct mail pieces that are included in a plastic bag to be hung on the door knobs of prospects. This form of direct mail is often seen in residential areas however has also been effective in large office buildings (provided leaving them is allowed).
Webserts ~ A websert is a text or graphic link that appears after an online purchase is made. Webserts are more cost-efficient, offer more accurate source tracking, and can be dynamically served more easily.
Classifieds ~ Print advertising that is limited to certain classes of goods and services, and usually limited in size and content. Classified ads can appear in print media such as newspapers, magazines and catalogs as well as in digital media such as ezines, online magazines and websites.
In my next post I will be sharing 8 tips to run a successful direct mail campaign.
For a complete list of marketing definitions, visit: Speaking With Spirit and download your FREE copy of the Self-Marketing Dictionary TODAY!
January 8th, 2009
If you have a website (of course you do) then you may have already experienced the power of digital coupons to drive business to your site and even to your brick and mortar locale.
Even if you don’t have a website, chances are good that you have downloaded a digital coupon once or twice, or dozens of times if you are my daughters. In fact, when my girls have to go shopping for anything that costs more than $10 they first go online to see what coupons are available. When they eat out, they look to their favorite restaurants for coupons offers. They check out the shoe store, the technology stores, department stores, specialty stores and more. They never leave home without at least a handful of coupons to use on their shopping “sprees.”
According to a marketing research study conducted by ICOM Research, coupon redemption rates rise when prices and unemployment go up. Knowing that and the fact that 67 percent of US shoppers say they are more likely to use coupons during a recession, it may just make sense to have a coupon program in place on your website.
The study goes on to say that digital coupons tend to have a much higher usage rate than traditional paper coupons. It sited that 58% of consumers responding said their coupon use would increse if they could download it from the internet to an electronically swiped frequent shopper card.
My newly designed retail website ~ Eden Florist ~ has a mechanism in place when anyone becomes a new customer they get a coupon as a thank you. They can use the coupon on their current purchase online or at a later date.
And lets not forget mobile coupons that you can download to you mobile device. Hundreds of merchants around the globe are already offering these to their clients and customers. Mobile coupons are a great way to gain new customers, offer specials to current customers, and grow your existing database. Mobile coupons are also a great way to reach prospects because they have instant access to them and don’t have to download or cut out coupons. They just carry them around on their cell phone or PDA to use when they need them.
Coupons also make a good incentive to purchase early and avoid the rush. What kind of coupon could you offer your customers to encourage them to buy now instead of later? Digital coupons can make sense to small business especially with the high costs of being in business, doing business and living today.
Here’s a couple of sites with digital coupons offered by hundreds/thousands of merchants around the country: DealWorker.com and RetailMeNot. Check them out for ideas and of course to save money!
November 17th, 2008
Monday on HER Mastermind Network, Leah Jackman-Wheitner, Ph.D. Moderator of Monday Morning Marketing posted the following:
Stop – do not post anything here yet.
GO. Go do one small thing to market your business.
Email someone.
Call someone.
Write one more paragraph on that article you’re going to submit.
Write your press release.
DO SOMETHING.
Then – come back and tell us how it went
Leah
So I posted the following:
Hi, Leah and everyone!
Okay, I did what you said and I sent a proposal to the manager of a new rental community. I read that they were going to have a grand opening next week and offered my services.
They said yes and that they would love a proposal. So I sent it at 5pm yesterday. At 9:45 AM they asked me where to send the check! Whoohooo…
So my advice is to look at your local community papers, chambers of commerce and other places where these types of announcements would show up. If you provide a product or service the new business owner, rental community, etc. can use, call them and introduce yourself! You never know where it will lead. Sometimes its the small things we do consistently that add up to BIG results.
Happy marketing,
Heidi
October 29th, 2008
Staying in touch with your clients and customers should be an integral part of your marketing plan. In fact, it should be one most important activities that you do. In fact, there are several ways you can touch your customers from phone calls, to emails to snail mail campaigns.
Here are the ways we stay in touch with our retail floral customers:
1. We use postcards for those we have not heard from in 6 months or more.
2. We call those we have not heard from in a year.
3. We send bi weekly emails with specials.
4. We have a quarterly newsletter – Ramblin’ Rose which we send with specials, tips, flowers trivia and more.
5. And we send flowers to those customers who are the most frequent purchasers.
6. We also have a “weekly drawing” of our customer database and send them flowers to say HI.
7. Once a year we send a holiday CD filled with our specials (late November).
8. And I randomly go through our list and send thank you notes for our customers’ business once a month.
Here’s what we do to stay in touch with the members of the Women’s eCommerce Association:
1. We host monthly events which are both educational, informational events that our members attend. At the same time, have the opportunity to stick around after the sessions and chat among themselves and very often with the guests we invite to share their success stories.
2. We publish and distribute a bi-weekly ezine called eMonday News.
3. We also publish a digital magazine ~ WE Magazine for Women – for the Total Woman – filled with excellent articles about wealth, travel, business, women, balance and relationships… and much more.
4. We have a network on LinkedIn that we just started where our members can post questions, answer questions, share expertise, and get to know one another.
5. We also host bi-annual summits on a variety of topics which is a great way to reach out to our members – the most recent was “How to Grow a Million Dollar Business” Summit.
How do you stay in touch? Feel free to leave your comments and share your story.
October 14th, 2008
Not long ago on the Real Women, Real Success Forum on RYZE the question was posed: What has been your BEST promotion EVER?
Here’s what I wrote:
To date, GETTING OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE has been our best promotion. It is a long story, however it all really started when we did a survey of 1000+ men and women asking them who was in the doghouse more (as if we didn’t already know!)Here’s the headline of the press release with the results of the survey:
“Men Say Buy Her Something…. Women Say Give Him Sex Survey – reveals talking isn’t the only way to settle disagreements!”
To read it, visit:
http://www.edenflorist.com/article_info.php?articles_id=37
Here are some of the things we did to promote it…
We hosted a contest for the best “get out of the doghouse story. Read some of the stories here: http://www.tulipstalk.com/category/doghouse-stories/
I wrote several articles and submitted them to the media (we got in all the local media, several magazines and even some national newspapers). Here’s one of them: Women Want Flowers Men Want Sex – Doghouse Survey Says http://www.edenflorist.com/article_info.php?articles_id=36
We hired a local student to dress up as Scooby Do and went to the local radio and tv stations with cookies in the shape of “dog buscuits” – getting us lots of coverage! A local supermarket made them for us (about 500).
And we created a National Holiday in honor of Getting out of the Doghouse – July is now known as “National Doghouse Repairs Month” and the 3rd Monday in July is “Get out of the Doghouse Day.” We received proclamations from city and county mayors to commemorate the day.
If you have any questions about the contest or what else we did, I am happy to share it with you.
The real trick is to “think big!” Interviewing 1000 people was no small task, but it was do-able. We asked people as they came into our shop, we called our customers and surveyed them on the phone, we emailed them, we even walked around trade shows with clipboards and surveyed folks to reach our numbers. When I was travelling, I would ask the airline personel of Southwest Airlines if they would make an annoucement that a passenger was looking to interview people about getting out of the Doghouse. They were more than happy to ablige (I love Southwest!) and I was the most popular person on most of the flights – it was great fun!
Hope this inspires you to come up with a few great promos of your own.
September 27th, 2008
This week on HER Mastermind Network http://hermastermind-network.ryze.com/ Leah posed the following questions to the group:
What if all your marketing efforts and intentions were returned to you tenfold this week? What if this week was the next great shift forward in your business?
What would you feel like?
And, what would YOU do next to take action for your business?
HERE IS MY RESPONSE:
If my marketing efforts returned tenfold this week then I would have 11,840 new customers! Whoohooo!
Last week we sent out letters to 37 local restaurants introducing them to my company. In the letter we offered the manager a gift certificate for one dozen roses, we also gave them six certificates for half-dozen roses and included 25 certificates for a free bouquet of flowers.
We invited them to keep the dozen roses for themselves, give the six half-dozens to their best customers and the rest to any customer they choose. We also told them to call us when they ran out of the free bouquets so we could send them more. So 37 restaurants X 32 coupons = 1184 x 10 = 11,840!
I don’t know what the outcome will be because they will just receive them today or tomorrow. Will let you know.
I can tell you we did a similar campaign years ago to less restaurants with excellent results.
Which is why we are doing it again. You see, one of the things I teach my clients is to review their marketing and look for those things that have worked in the past with fair to good results. If the CAMPAIGNS paid for themselves and added to their customer/client base, then look at the campaign to see if it is something they could modify and replicate.
So we took our own advice. Our next action will be to follow up with the managers and listen to their thoughts about the offer. We will undoubtedly pick up some new restaurants and hopefully tap into their customer base as well.
September 26th, 2008
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