Search Results for ‘marketing messages’
“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
Have in common?
They all mark special ”celebrations” on the calendar. For instance September 13th is National Grandparent’s Day – acknowledge your favorite grandparents with flowers or volunteer for or create an adopt-a-grandparent association. Honor those who honor children (of all ages) in a special way. Have a grandparent’s day sale or special offering. Visit a nursing home or assisted living facility and read to or just talk to some of the residents.
September 13th is also Bald is Beautiful Day – if you are a barber you could host a “bald is beautiful contest” and have prizes for the roundest head, the shiniest head, the most interesting head … – In May 2001 Harrisburg Senators partnered with the American Cancer Society (ACS) for a special fundraiser at Commerce Bank Park. The Senators raised money for the ACS Hope Lodge in Hershey, a place where cancer patients and their families can stay free of charge while patients are receiving treatment at Hershey Medical Center. Bald is Beautiful Day consisted of players and employees offering to shave their heads if their fundraising goal is met.
September 13th is also Fortune Cookie Day – Give everyone a fortune cookie today – you can buy them at a Chinese restaurant or you can special order them online and include your own messages – go to http://www.fancyfortunecookies.com/ or www.goodfortunes.com to create yours or make your own with this recipe at http://www.redheadmarketingblog.com/fortune-cookie-recipe-for-business-success/.
September 13th is also International Chocolate Day – another great day to do a chocolate promotion – carry around gold chocolate coins wherever you go and hand them out with your business card (I use those glue dots to attach the chocolate to my business card and use this as another way to spread the word about my company in a delectable way. A chocolatiere in Florida makes chocolate coins and gives them to prospects wherever he goes, a great way to allow others to offer a sample and promote his business.
For more Weird Holiday Marketing Ideas check out Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany & Non-traditional Holidays!
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September 13th, 2009
Blog Stats, Comments and Being a Pro
Last post I talked about adding photos and videos to your site as well as promoting your blog on social networking sites. Today’s tips are about the look of your blog, blog statistics and building relationships with your readers.
Tip # 7 ~ Make your blog look professional. Make it easy to navigate and find things. Use the tools in your blog software to add keywords, word tags and categories. Add a site map to your blog so visitors can do a quick search of topics that interest them. If a calendar will enhance the visitor experience, add a calendar. Create a blogroll of blogs you follow. This is your way of referring other blogs to your reader.
Tip #8 ~ Keep track of your blog metrics/statistics. Most blog software either has the stats feature built in or has a plugin you can use to keep track. Things to know are you most commented on posts, most popular posts, inbound links and referrals and more. What questions or keywords are being used to find your blog in the search engines? Google Analytics, Woopra, and Statcounter can give you lots of data such as where your hits are coming from.
Knowing what your most popular posts are lets you know what your readers read and are attracted to. This can help you hone in on the messages that resonate with others. Check your blog stats on a regular basis. Some bloggers check their blog stats at least once a day and others once a week. Checking blog statistics can be addicting so you must determine how often you should check the stats to get the information you need.
Tip #9 ~ Develop relationships with your readers. Respond to their comments, visit their sites and leave a comment. Drop them an email and thank them for commenting. Find out more about the people who are interested in what you have to say. If someone is leaving a comment, chances are they want to be noticed. Make sure you notice them. If you like what they have written on their own blogs or websites, find ways to mention them on yours.
Answer questions in your comments section and ask your readers questions. When you respond to your readers comments it lets them know that you are reading what they say and it validates their reasons for leaving comments in the first place. This may also encourage others to also leave a comment on your blog and others. One of the coolest tools that I just learned about is CommentLuv at www.commentluv.com. Every time someone leaves a comment on your blog it automatically shows the title of their latest blog post.
CommentLuv was recently added to all my blogs ~ I will let you know if it increases followers or not. Everyone I have spoken with who has it on their blog, loves it!
April 24th, 2009
Amateur radio is a community of people that use radio transmitters and receivers to talk to each other. They are called ham radio operators, “hams” and even CB’rs. But, it’s more than just a high-tech hobby. Ham operators very often play a vital role in emergency communications. Ham radio has been used for years as a way to get messages out during national disasters such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and other life-threatening incidents that happen when normal means of communication are lost.
Ham radio operators use their amateur radio station to connect with individual hams as well as participating in round table discussion groups or “rag chew sessions” on the air. In fact, some participate in regularly scheduled on-air meetings with other ham radio operators. Interestingly these meetings are called “Nets” (short for Networks). These meetings are generally moderated by a station referred to as “Net Control”
Many people start their involvement in amateur radio by finding a local club. Clubs can provide information about licensing, local operating practices and technical advice as well as educational programs. New operators can study independently by purchasing books or other materials, sometimes with the help of a mentor, teacher or friend. In addition, many countries have national amateur radio groups or societies which encourage newcomers and work with government communications regulation authorities for the benefit of all radio amateurs.
The oldest of these societies is the Wireless Institute of Australia(formed in 1910). Other notable societies include Radio Society of Great Britain, the American Radio Relay League, Radio Amateurs of Canada, the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters and South African Radio League.
Some Ham Radio Lingo you should know:
“Copy” indicates how well communications are received. “I have a good copy on you” also used as a question, as in “did you copy?” (means to understand all)
“Come back” means to say again or your turn to talk.
Hamfest is a ham festival, a social and commercial event at which hams meet to buy, sell, and swap equipment.
“Roger” or “Roger that” means “I understand that.”
“Handle” is someone’s personal or ham radio name.
“Mama Bear” ~ female police officer.
“Smokey (Smokey Bear)” ~ State police officer who generally wears a Smokey the Bear style ranger hat.
“73” is Best regards
“88” means Love and kisses
“807” is the ham radio operator’s term for beer.
For more Ham Radio Jargon visit http://www.ac6v.com/jargon.htm#C
To learn how Ham Radio Works, check out www.howstuffworks.com/ham-radio.htm
Check out this guide to new ham radio operators www.eham.net/newham
For a great Q & A on Ham Radio, visit www.hello-radio.org/hello/whatis.html
Even with the advent of the internet, skype, Facebook and Twitter, there are still more than 6 million ham radio operators in the world. Tie in with or become a Ham Radio Operator and you have a whole new group of people to share your knowledge, expertise and resources with.
Makes you want to say… “Time for an 807”
“73” for now.
April 7th, 2009
A few weeks ago I had the chance to listen in on a seminar hosted by Shannon Cherry and Ready Talk. It was about increasing event attendance to Teleseminars and Webinars. And I just came across my notes and thought I’d share them with you.
1. Find your voice – Shannon said it is important to know what it is you want to accomplish with the event. Will the event position you as an expert at something? Will it add value to your audience? Will hosting it add to your database or bottom line (or both)? Do you know what you want to say? Who is webinar for? (Demographics)
2. Develop Key Messages ~ Attract more prospects. get more attendees. Make more money, become the expert in your field
3. Use marketing tools available such as press releases.
A. There are basically 3 types of press releases: 1) the basic announcement 2) a tips release with bullets and ideas to reinforce the event and 3) the bonus offered for sign up release.
She said to post on all release distribution sites and traditional media every 2.5 to 3 weeks 10 weeks prior. Some of the sites she recommended include: Theopenpress, pr buzz, prcompass, prurgent, press-base, pressabout, pressmethod, prleap, prlog.org,
B. Email campaigns - Event listings, feature write ups, articles on topic that link to event – 9 weeks prior
Also solo listings to announce event, benefits of event and a last call (Shannon said solo listings are much better than ezines etc.)
C. Joint Venture Opps – Find others with similar traffic market and ask if they will promote to their list ~ if event has a fee, have affiliate commission, if not offer to help promote their stuff as well
D. Write 3 articles on topics webinar covers ~ ezinearticles.com, amazines.com, ideamarketers.com, goarticles.com starting 8 weeks out – send out one per week.
E. Blogging ~ tweak content to make original, create six new pieces of content to post to blog 6 weeks out one per week
F. Social media ~ every time you post on your blog send a brief chatty post (headline) using ping.fm to post to all social media sites at once ~ go to startupspark.com – get code for free there
Go to www.beheardsolutions.com/ReadyTalkwebinar.htm for checklists and timeline
OTHER TIPS:
Put contact at bottom of release, not at top! News should be more important than you!
After registration: Send confirmation email thank you for registering, with details to attend ~ also the day before send a reminder follow up.
Post your event to Craig’s list.
How do we make money with free teleseminars? You can now market to list, they can sign up for your newsletter ~ they are now in the marketing funnel and will start getting your stuff…
CAUTION: Only send emails that would add value to your recipient. Otherwise you will be thought of as a spammer and folks will ask to be removed from your list. Be careful to respect their time and above all their privacy. Even when I get the registrant into my “funnel” they may only hear from me once every 3 to four months unless of course they sign up for one of my offerings and then it will depend on how often that system sends information and offers to the list.
BTW, on November 7th I interviewed Eddie Peters of 4Profit Marketing about this very subject. He gave some great tips and also made an incredible offer to our guests. He has a Marketing system worth over $1,200 and he offered it to anyone who signed up for his session for only $99. If you want to learn more, send me an email to heidi (at) redheadmarketingblog.com. I will pass on the details.
Also, on December 4th I will be speaking at the International Association of Hispanic Meeting Professionals on “How to Leverage Social Networking to Grow Your Business.” If you live in or will be in San Diego at that time, you can register for this event. It takes place Dec. 3-6th. Here’s the link: http://www.iahmp.org/iahmp_folder/annu_conference/iahmp_annual_conference.htm
Hope to see you there!
December 10th, 2008
Getting eCommerce Ready…
When it comes to eCommerce, it’s not too early to start thinking about how you are going to prepare for the holiday season. You don’t want to put everything about your whole business and everything you offer on your home page. Have landing pages for separate items. When you give people too many choices, they become paralized and will leave without buying. Showcase your number one items or best sellers or the one, two or three items you want to move on your home page. Here are 13 more tips to prepare for the holiday rush:
1. Make sure you have precautionary measures in place. Where does your business get hit the hardest during the holidays? Is it local deliveries, customer service, shipping? Focus your attention on getting those parts of your system ready for the holidays.
2. Get help. Taxing your regular help during the madness that can occur during the season, can do more damage than good. Consider outside help to get you through the holidays.
3. Automate anything and everything you can. This reduces labor costs and streamlines processes and in most cases helps the customer get quicker service.
4. Reduce time by auto-processing credit cards. That includes auto settle and authorizations.
5. Manage Inventory. With the economic uncertainty of the upcoming holiday season, it is good to keep a low stock inventory as long as you can order and get a quick turnaround on products you need when the time comes.
6. Consider drop shipping orders to cut down on inventory. Use softeware that automatically forwards those orders to your vendors for fulfilment.
7. Rely on someone else’s I.T. Staff by using a software service provider. They have the compliant issues in place and they may be more able to have a quick turnaround if a proble arises.
8. Personalize your marketing offers. Use your cusotmer database to increase revenues by creating a 1, 2, 3 touch approach to remind them you are there to assist their gift-giving needs. That could be a postcard, email and telephone call or any combination of tactics to get them to order from you.
9. Send emails wisely and prudently. Don’t innundate your email database with messages. They will get mad and ask to be removed. Remember everyone is vying for their business right now. Create email templates or edit and reuse those that have worked in the past. Saves time, and creative talent to work on other high-priority projects.
10. Automate your gift certificates. Gift certificates have gained in popularity and every year the % of people who buy them increases. Many people actually prefer receiving them too. If you don’t offer gift certificates online, think about adding this feature to your website. Its a new source of revenue and there is nothing to ship.
11. Make use of multiple stores like ebay and Amazon or Yahoo to test products, to sell overstock items and move last season’s inventory.
12. Consider a “membership” program such as a flower of the month or book of the month club program.
13. TEST, TEST, TEST. Make sure your ecommerce site works properly, is easy to understand and seamless. Do pages load quickly or do they take more than 5 seconds? Do you have lots of flash? Do they inhibit buying with obtrusive popups or automatic sound? Invite current customers to do a ‘beta’ test, and Offer discounts to them for their feedback.
The best time to think about next year’s holiday season is when this one is over. You can plan better when records are within your reach and everything is fresh in your mind.
Happy Selling!
October 25th, 2008
Did you know that August is National Inventor’s Month? If you are an inventor, think about some of the creative ways you can market your new product. How could you get noticed by the media, by your community and most importantly by your target market? How about Tryvertising your new product? According to TrendWatching.com, Tryvertising is, “a new breed of product placement in the real world, integrating your goods and services into daily life in a relevant way, so that consumers can make up their minds based on their experience, not your messages.” Hotels, bars and restaurants make good use of Tryvertising their products to build a customer base and instill loyalty in their marketplace.
It is also…
Golf Month – My daughter and I are taking up golf so we can Network on the Course while learning a new sport and exercising – Fresh air, exercise and meeting new people, what could be better (except maybe being served a Margarita on the beach by a handsome hunk J).
Coffee Month –Saatchi and Saatchi, the NY Advertising Agency developed a clever ad campaign for Folgers Coffee. They took Photographs of a tempting cup of coffee from a bird’s-eye view and then printed the image vinyl. These photos were then placed on top of steaming manhole covers with holes cut into the vinyl to allow the steam to rise. The effect was one of giant, hot, cups of coffee.
Hug Month – Hug marketing is the best! You can send a hug via mail, email or even give a hug in person – depending on your audience.
Romance Awareness Month – Remember the key in marketing and sales – people make their buying decisions based on emotion and back up their decision with facts. One man I know told me that every time he gets his car detailed there is a thank you note on the steering wheel of his car. And a woman who does a lot of business travel loves to go to a certain hotel because they always remember her favorite flavor of tea and have it stocked and ready in the room when she arrives and the next morning a newspaper from her hometown is waiting outside her door. How can you sweep your customers and clients off their feet this month?
To learn about these and other great ideas to market your business Grab the FREE Ebook: Your Marketing Calendar ~ Using Holidays, Events and Celebrations to Promote Your Business
August 9th, 2008
How to Use CLASSIFIED Advertising to Sell Your Products and Services
The internet may be the dominant advertising medium these days, but newspaper and magazine classified advertising is still a very powerful advertising medium that can reap big rewards. Classified ads are much more cost effective than other forms of advertising, it is easy to target your niche, and the ads are simple to prepare and submit. Think about it. If someone picks up a paper or magazine or better yet has it delivered to them, the likelihood of them reading your ad has greatly increased. With online advertising it is much more challenging to pull them into the ad space. And those ads only get one shot if that, since most people click by the ad as opposed to clicking on the ad. If you are using any type of advertising campaign at all, consider classified advertisingI discovered classified advertising years ago when my first book Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget came out. I was reading the latest issue of Flowers & Magazine and was perusing the classifieds when I noticed someone selling books! I thought here’s another great way to see how the potential for marketing Rose Marketing to a highly targeted industry ~ florists will pan out. So I called the advertising dept. to inquire about the cost (I think it was around $40 for a 3 line ad – which is higher today), designed the ad and sent it in. Two things you should know – the ad I created was not terribly impressive and I didn’t test more than one ad to compare results. I simply sent it in. From that ad I received 11 orders (at $19.95 each) and added another 40 + florists to our newsletter database. Had I done some of the things outlined below, I am sure that number would have been significantly higher.
The second time I tried classified advertising was in 2003 for the launch of the Women’s eCommerce Association, International. I did several things such as pay for placement in online newsletters at $10 to $25 per issue (spending a total of about $200) and posted several ads on free advertising sites as well as surfed the net for free advertising in exchange for space in our newsletter. The results were better than expected. We received 537 leads from the ads, most of which joined at the BASIC level (which is FREE), and surprisingly 15 women and 1 man upgraded to paying members.
Since that time, I have traded advertising space with other non-competing women’s groups, online calendars and newsletter publishers who cater to women who do business on the WEB each with positive results. I have also posted classified ads in two smaller women’s magazines with moderate results. Sometimes the trade is a one-time deal and others it is ongoing. The point is – Classified Advertising WORKS and I recommend you research your market to see if it could work for you. The first place I would check out is Craig’s List.
I have also put together a small list of sites that accept FREE classified ads which will be in the resource section.
Keep two things in mind when putting classified advertising into your marketing mix. Writing a classified ad to sell your product begins with the copy. Effective copywriting strategies begin with research.
Here are a dozen more tips to get you started:
1 Start studying the classified ad sections in magazines and publications (online and offline) that reach your target audience – the more targeted the publication, website or ezine, the better.
2. Study how other advertisers are writing their ad copy. You can start with the ads in newspapers, magazines and newsletters to which you already subscribe.
3. Surf the WEB for free classified ad sites and study the ads listed on those sites. Respond to those ads to see what else they do to market their products. (Note: set up a free email account just for this purpose).
4. Use each of the above as “models” for designing your own ads. Test your ad in those same FREE Classified Ad Sites before placing paid ads in paid publications.
5. Find out which category fits your niche. Look for categories with lots of ads. When you see lots of ads selling the same kinds of products that generally means the ads are working and these kinds of products sell well.
6. Advertise in the right places. Before placing your ads, study the publications you have identified that reach your target market.
7. Use the two-step method to sell expensive items from a small classified ad. A two-step method could look like this: send the reader to your website for free information they must register for – when you have captured their info, begin an auto response campaign to send more details that includes longer ad copy to effectively sell your product/service. Keep in mind, the higher the ticket item, the more steps you may need to close the sale.
8. Cast a wide net – Place ads in more than one publication, each with either a unique phone number, URL or other identifying tracking device so you know which ones are getting the most action. Advertising is a numbers game and in order to see results, you must spread the word far and wide.
9. If the copy isn’t working, change it. Effective advertising is all about Testing. Testing headlines, length of ad, wording, and which details you focus on. For instance, in one ad you might focus on a number metric to get results such as 101 people Use ___________, or 2703 People Can’t be Wrong!” Numbers can be very effective in ad copy. Two words of advice here – BE Honest. Use real numbers not made-up ones. And don’t round out the numbers. It is much more effective to use 11193 than it is to say More than Eleven Thousand. The question readers will than ask is “how many more?”
10. Keep records of everyone who responds to your ads. This is where a good auto-respond program such as Constant Contact or aWeber comes in handy. You can then follow-up withappropriate messages about your product. The beauty is that these email management programs have opt-out options built in so you don’t have to manually remove anyone who makes that request.
11. Contact other ezine/newsletter publishers to arrange an ad swap. You run their ad in your ezine in exchange for them running your ad. You can find other publishers in Ezine directories such as http://www.myfavoriteezines.com, http://www.ezinelocater.com and http://www.amazines.com/
12. Read the fine-print. Some sites will require a link back so you must decide if the extra traffic is worth potentially loosing the traffic to other sites (and competition). Other require you to subscribe which can mean hundreds of newsletters in your inbox you don’t have time to read.
If your ads fail, don’t get discouraged and don’t give up. Sometimes all it takes is changing a few words in the copy, the headline or even the advertising medium. Classified ads are inexpensive and can be very effective. In order to really see results you have to keep at it awhile. Create a budget you can afford, in a medium that hits your target and run the ad for a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks. If using newspapers as your medium find out which days are considered prime and run your ad in those days only (for newspapers its generally Wednesdays and Sundays. You may pay a little more, but the results will be better because more people will see the ad, read it and if the copy is working will respond.
For more ideas read my daily tip – 5 Tips to Get the Most From Classifieds
July 22nd, 2008
How do you launch a new fragrance in the youth market? Use Social networking of course!
You could do what Calvin Klein did and launch it in Second Life!
ck IN2U parfume made the news when it was launched in March ‘07 by Calvin Klein especially conceived for the technosexuals, (young people aged 18-25 who communicate among each other using sms and emoticons, blogs and Myspace tools but also have a strong sense of aesthetics). CK even trademarked the term in anticipation of its launch of CK in2u.
The brand also used mobile marketing in Toronto with a series of digital billboards that invited consumers to interact and read their messages displayed on the big screens.
The online effortwas the first ever launch of a fragrance into Second Life in Avalon, the first island in Second Life to command a real-world land value, ck also launched the ‘what are you in 2?’ photography competition and gallery, offering Avatars, the inhabitants of Second Life, the chance to post a ’snapshot’ of any image that inspires them in the virtual world.
So, what could you do (or have you done) to promote your service or product in Second Life?
July 18th, 2008
5 Tips to On-Hold Profits
Did you know that the average on hold time in America is 43 seconds? If your on-hold message isn’t selling something or providing your customers and clients additional information, it’s time to do something about it. Remember the mantra, “The more you tell, the more you can sell.” Implement this in your on-hold messages and see how much it adds to your bottom line! Here are 5 tips to increase your profits:
!. Make your on-hold message compelling. If it just tells the listener who you are, where you are and what you do, that’s okay; but not compelling. While the caller is on hold – give them a reason to continue to listen. Tell them about your latest special. Or an add-on product they might not have known you offered or even considered purchasing.
2. Update your message. Tell the caller what’s new or improved in your business and product offerings.
3. Make your on-hold message funny or interesting. Share industry trivia with the caller.
4. Win any awards lately? If you are a recipient of the Best Florist in Dakota award, be sure to include that in your on-hold message. Include community involvement in your message.
5. Include your website URL, fax and email address in your on-hold message.
Look for 5 More Tips to On-hold Marketing tomorrow!
July 13th, 2008
