Economic crisis is the birthplace of the American entrepreneur. Some of the United States’ greatest businesses men rose to stardom from the ashes of recessions. While some of us are crying over layoffs, budget cuts, and maxed out credit cards, others are scraping together enough cash to bootstrap a mission.
For any start-up, marketing is vital to getting noticed. For those with cash in short supply, try these five high impact, low budget tactics.
1. Join the Club. Identify easy to reach niche markets and target them by getting involved in local interest specific organizations.
2. Piggy-back. Is there another successful company that reaches your target demographic, but doesn’t compete with you? Pay attention to what they are doing. You can learn a lot without spending big bucks on strategy planning.
3. Become a Local Superhero. A few good deeds in the community won’t only give you good karma, it’s a great way to get your name in the papers for free.
4. Form an Alliance. A joint venture with other non-competing businesses makes your marketing dollars go a lot farther!
5. Ask for referrals. Make the most of your relationships with satisfied customers by asking for their referrals. A good word goes a lot farther than an expensive ad campaign.
You all know how much attention has been paid to “Greening” up everything from our office supplies to our shampoo! This has left one of our friends feeling – well, blue. Help us cheer him up by visiting our newest division, Blue Bandwagon, where you can find out why Blue is so important to our environment and to your business. Want to see how others are cheering up blue? Watch this YouTube video produced by and starring Isabel and Cole Hollis.
Is your marketing engaging your audience or are you simply preaching your brand sermon? We all know that consumers are more savvy and more fickle than ever – a fact that makes brand loyalty a difficult proposal. Engaging your consumer and connecting with them in an intimate way is critical. You can make this connection by adding mobile marketing to your strategy.
Mobile marketing is a very targeted tactic reaching a young, hip demographic of 18-35 year olds that love to adopt new, innovative ideas. Brands that appeal to this audience will be right on target with a strong mobile marketing campaign.
Mobile applications include mobile text, mobile web, and mobile video. Mobile text still leads with the largest percentage of users, but mobile web and mobile video are rapidly making pace. Mobile text allows you to engage your customer through loyalty programs like Coca-Cola’s Coke Rewards. It also provides a way to drive users to online mobile web content, which might include online video. The most innovative marketers targeting early adopters can stay ahead of the pack by adding mobile video, either through direct video messaging or through mobile web content to their strategy early on. One final word of advice – while online engagement can develop a lasting relationship with your consumer, it might not go over well with your girlfriend.
How many times have you visited a site and requested a brochure only to receive a printed brochure with exactly the same content? It has happened to me so many times that I consistently ask myself, “What was I expecting?”. Apparently, too much. Too much as in more information than I had before receiving the printed brochure. I want details, I want more photos, a video, an exclusive offer, something, ANYTHING! I just want more – and so do your customers. Whether you are selling a car, a destination, or a bar of soap, if a customer requests a brochure they are announcing to you, “I want to buy!”. Now, get your content together and close the sale!
Web 2.0, Social Media, Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin….what do they mean to you? They can mean increased traffic to your website, improved SEO, and better search generated traffic or they can mean a huge loss on your investment. The most important thing to know when getting started is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
Social media has changed the way we interact with each other, with places, and – most importantly to you – with the brands we purchase. It has made making phone calls to friends a thing of the past and traditional marketing tactics obsolete. Social networkers are skeptical at best, they trust and they seek advice from virtual strangers. For marketers, this means re-evaluating your target and re-designing your marketing strategy in a way that encourages this interaction and takes pro-active steps to counteract brandicide by a disgruntled blogger.
The first step is determining which avenues are right for you. Web 2.0 includes blogs, wikis, social networks, podcasts and more. Depending on your goals, some or all of them may be right for you. A wiki (think Wikipedia) is typically an avenue for fact-finding rather than marketing, but they do help your presence and search engine optimization. Keeping tabs on blogs that mention your company is a great way to interact with your buyers. Because blogs are more up to date than other online sources, they tend to show up first in search engines – sometimes even before the brand’s own website! Good or bad, blogs are an opportunity to make or break your brand.
As for social networks, there are hundreds out there. Finding your way can be daunting, but a little planning can help. As with any marketing, know your demographic. Compare them to the network’s demographic. If you are targeting 40-something DINKS and the social network is comprised mostly of 17 year old girls, you are operating at a loss from the start. Once you’ve found the right audience, find out what they are really looking for. Is it informational content, podcasts, widgets, or all/none of the above? Keeping in mind that this will change – often.
Whether you are using wikis, blogs, or social networks, there are two key things to keep in mind when planning your social media strategy. You must constantly be aware of the changing webosphere and you must be flexible.
Elanders Seiz Printing in Acworth, Georgia has been one of our printing partners for a long time. They produce top quality work, have great customer service and most importantly, they are committed to preserving the environment.
Elanders Seiz is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Their FSC certification is a promise to you that your printed pieces have met sustainable practices from start to finish. This includes paper made from sustainably managed forests, clean, sustainable energy sources, and 10-100% post consumer waste. They also support practices that reduce their impact on the environment such as the use of water and soy based inks, digital proofing, and practices that reduce waste. By printing with Elanders Seiz and choosing FSC certified papers, you are eligible to use an FSC logo on your printed materials, giving your customers assurance of your environmental commitment.
In addition to their environmental commitment, Elanders Seiz offers a wide variety of unique printing products not available through most other printers. Did you know that you can achieve the same look as any number of metallic colors by printing 4 colors process over silver? They also offer a special suede-feel coating that feels very luxurious without a great expense. If you haven’t seen one of Rearview’s brochures, ask us for one. It’s a great example of this coating if I must say so! For more information on the wide variety of specialty printing services offered by Seiz, contact us or Brian Charbonneau at 770-917-7058.
Email is an effective marketing tool with high ROI when done properly. Make sure you are doing it right with these tips:
1. Include Email as Part of a Broader Integrated Marketing Strategy. Email marketing is far more effective when you couple it with other online and offline promotional efforts.
2. Make your Campaign Interactive. Linking your email to an interactive tool that allows recipients to customize your offer has proven to be successful in test studies.
3. Provide a Clear Call to Action. Better yet, make your action item a graphic link. Graphic links (buttons) are more likely to receive a click through than a text link.
4. Don’t overdo it! No matter how great you think your offer is, your email list does not want to receive notice about it every day (or even every week). Work with your marketing consultant to develop an appropriate schedule as part of your overall marketing strategy.
5. Utilize Mobile Technology. Many users receive their email via mobile device. If they can’t easily read yours, they will skip it and it’s not likely they’ll return to it later.
6. Test Your campaign. Develop a few different creative approaches using different subject lines, calls to action, and graphics. Test these on a small focus group.
7. Follow Up! No advertising campaign will work if you aren’t continuing dialogue. Communicate with your customers consistently through multiple channels.
When choosing photography for your project, there are dozens of reliable online stock photography resources to help you. While we are happy to do the search for you (and charge you a reasonable fee for it), if you want to save a few pennies, you can do it yourself at the sites listed below. Some are cheaper than others, but they all offer great keyword search functionality.
comstockcomplete.com – This is comstock’s more affordable subscription service. For as little as $299 for a one month subscription, you can download all of the royalty-free images you need.
istockphoto.com – Istockphoto is a super cheap resource for quality royalty-free images with prices ranging from as little as $1 to around $20 per image. You prepay for credits. The cost per credit depends on how many you buy. The more you buy, the cheaper the credits. Be wary of super hot images (ones with a blue flame), you might see those in one of your competitor’s ads!
veer.com – Veer offers first quality, rights-managed and royalty-free images. Your best value is to find a disc of images that you like. It’s significantly cheaper than paying per image.
photoshelter.com – This newcomer to my favorites offers affordable rights-managed images. They offer alot of fresh work from up and coming photographers.
gettyimages.com – Getty offers a huge assortment of high quality images with web resolution images starting at only $49.
I vaguely recall a day when I actually called my friends on the phone. I used to also (Gasp!) go to their homes to see what they were up to. My kids know I’m old school when I suggest this. They spend all day checking Myspace or Facebook, Twittering their whereabouts, and uploading YouTube videos straight from their mobile. They don’t even have most of their friends phone numbers, much less do they actually call and speak to them! Even I have succumbed to a lesser degree, deftly using instant messenger to replace phone conversations, updating my blog via my own mobile, and even using Facebook to look up old friends.
Thanks to social networks, our lives (or at least the lives of every GenY-er and Millenial in the civilized world) have been redefined. For those of you who are old-school like me, here is a rundown of some of the most popular social networks on the web:
Myspace – The most active users are teenage girls, although anyone over 14 can (and probably does) have a page. Myspace accounts for 1 in 4 online searches in America. I could be wrong, but my 14 year old daughter is really into this which inherently means I cannot be. Myspace.com
Facebook – Demographic is split primarily between 18-24 year olds and 35-54 year olds. Initially started as a college student only social network (hence the first demographic), it has expanded and become popular with upper middle class professionals and has a higher income demographic than Myspace. Cheaper than a subscription to Classmates.com, I enjoy using it to reconnect with old friends. The hardcore users make use of its broad functionality. Facebook.com
YouTube - Video sharing network with over 80 million videos and over 150,000 new ones being uploaded daily. Most popular with men age 18-34 although businesses are becoming popular content providers as they take advantage of this free tool. I wonder how long it will be before its nothing more than infomercials? For the time being, there is some pretty sweet stuff on there. My favorite are the Japanese Game Shows. YouTube.com
Flickr - Photo sharing network. Upload, organize, share, and print photos from anywhere in the world. This, I love. Flickr.com
Linked In – Professional networking. Keep your resume updated, make industry contacts, stay in touch with leads. Linkedin.com
Twitter – While not technically a social network, it certainly makes social networking easier. Twitter allows you to send multiple messages updating anyone and everyone with your current status. Getting a milkshake at QuikTrip? Might as well tell all your friends. Tying your shoes? Ditto. I’d ask if this is necessary, but my kids will undeniably say yes! Twitter.com
Those of you that read my review of Half a Yellow Sun last month will notice that I seem to have a fondness for books whose titles sound more uplifting than their contents reveal. This is no difference, but an excellent read nonetheless.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is the second book by renowned author of The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini. This insightful look into the plight of women in Afghanistan spans the decades of Russian invasion, victory of the Mujahadeen, and the rise of the Taliban. Living up to his reputation for providing a raw look into the lives of the Afghanis, Hosseini delivers his message in prose that is at times poetic and often profound.
Reading this book gave me a greater appreciation for the Afghanis and a stronger resolve that the United States’ humanitarian efforts in the country were much needed, despite the controversy surrounding our military exploits.
I arrived early for a meeting today (admittedly a rare occurance). Having a few unexpected moments to spare, I wandered by a few shops on the street and came across a sidewalk sandwich board that announced “Free Popcorn!”. Not being one to pass up free anything, much less free treats, I opened the door. I was instantly transported into the best popcorn store (assuming there are others) ever! Murphy’s Popcorn Store is on Church Street in Marietta, Georgia. If you are ever there, stop in. He makes all the popcorn fresh in the store and offers a dozen or so varieties daily. Try the Dill Pickle Popcorn, it tastes far better than it sounds! I left with a bag filled to the brim with bright green stuff (he insists it’s green apple popcorn, but I swear it tastes like a jolly rancher!) mixed with caramel corn. Together, it tastes like a caramel coated apple. It goes to show that inspiration can come from anywhere – even a tiny kernel of corn!
With budgets being tight, many clients are preferring to write their own copy rather than pay the price of a professional copywriter. Depending on the situation, this can be a good way to reduce cost OR it can end with disastrous results and poorly executed marketing materials. In order to avoid the latter, follow these copywriting tips:
1. Keep It Short! Reading takes time, a luxury most people don’t have. They want to gather information quickly and efficiently. That being said…
2. Prioritize Bullet Points. Put the most important key points first and keep in mind, your reader is likely to view your bullet points in this fashion:
word word word word blah
word word word blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah
word word blah blah
3. Pull Keywords From Testimonials. Don’t try to include a customer’s full two-paragraph glowing letter about their experience with you. Pull the keywords or phrases out and use them graphically for emphasis.
4. Don’t Forget Cents in Savings Offers. Which one looks more valuable $100 or $100.00? The best part? Those two cents are free!
5. Pay for Copy Editing. Adding whipped cream to a store bought pie is easier (and less expensive) than baking from scratch and you still get the oohs and ahs!
Remember, saving money on marketing does not have to mean lackluster quality if you think creatively (especially if you get a little help from Rearview!).
You all know how I feel about buzz words. They have a tendency to obscure smart marketing decisions. This is one of my favorites lately: Social Media Marketing. This is not to say that Social Media Marketing isn’t smart. It is very smart for the right client when used as part of a broader online marketing plan that is fully integrated with your offline marketing plan.
Social media marketing in its simplest form is the sharing of online content. This can be as simple as a blog or it can be a complicated plan that involves blogs; social networks like Linkedin, YouTube, Myspace, or Facebook; mobile tools and collaborative documents. Keep in mind, social media is mostly a pull media, not a push media. You provide solid, relevant content and others will keep it and/or share it. You can’t manipulate that. You can only provide viral worthy content and watch it spread. If its not spreading, you change it. Improve it. Make it something worth spreading. News about your company is usually boring and not worthy of sharing. Unique articles that will help your audience learn something new might be worth sharing. A super-creative online video, even better. That’s the goal – the more people share your information, the better social media marketing is working for you.
As with everything in your marketing plan, do your research. Make sure that the choices you make are right for your business. Ill placed efforts are like burning money (in fat hundred dollar increments!). Research site demographics for social networks. You might be surprised to find out that some popular sites have unexpected demographics. Measure your successes and your failures. Most importantly, don’t drink the kool-aid! Do it because it makes sense, not because the cool kids are doing it.
As our lives become increasingly overwhelmed by technology, so do corporate marketing plans. At some point, we have to step back and ask ourselves, “Is this technology right for us?”. Often, we get so caught up in the buzz words, that we forget to discern whether they make sense for our business.
One such buzz word is SEO. Client after client has come to us over the last year saying “We want to be number one on Google when anyone types in Homes in Atlanta”. Did this make sense? Not really. If you only sell town homes in Duluth, do you really want someone who might be looking for a luxury home is Buckhead? With a broad search term like “Homes in Atlanta”, that’s what you are going to get.
If you look past the buzz, and do a little research, you find that done properly, Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is good for any business that uses the web to generate leads. Done poorly, it’s a waste of money. What does done properly mean? It means writing a good Search Engine Marketing plan. A solid plan that includes specific goals and specific metrics for success and most importantly is fully integrated with your offline marketing plan.
Depending on your goals, your SEM plan might include SEO for your website, social media, emails, enewsletters, paid search advertising, a blog, or any number of other online marketing tools that will help you meet your goals. You may not need all of them. In fact, you probably won’t need all of them. Each tool serves a unique purpose. If you look at each one critically, the right tools will make themselves obvious. For example, if you are considering adding a Myspace page to your plan, look at their demographics. If your target audience includes Gen Y and Millenials, go for it. Looking for college graduates and upper middle class suburbanites? Facebook is the place to be.
It all boils down to this: Ask questions. Use due diligence when considering your options. Otherwise, you might find yourself spending thousands (or tens of thousands) with little return on your investment.
Is your marketing engaging your audience or are you simply preaching your brand sermon? We all know that consumers are more savvy and more fickle than ever – a fact that makes brand loyalty a difficult proposal. Engaging your consumer and connecting with them in an intimate way is critical. You can make this connection by adding mobile marketing to your strategy.