Posted by admin on Jan 4, 2009 in
Marketing Financial Advisers like Suze Orman are telling us that “the way to make money in 2009 is stop spending”. As a business owner you want consumers to do the opposite, so where does that leave your marketing strategy?
Dollar Value
This is the time to position your service or product as high value. Consider creating a special offer that includes a free product or added service. If you run a window cleaning business you could include screen cleaning for free, restaurants can offer a free appetizer with purchase of two entrees. Using dollars and cents in your advertising cuts to the chase and speaks to the consumers mindset these days. State the dollar value of the added service and convey it as a direct “savings” to the consumer. Using phrases such as “we are giving away $400 this month” has more impact than “get a free screen cleaning”.
“Needs” not “Wants”
The day of spending on luxury items are over for most consumers these days. Credit cards and HELOC’s are coming crashing down and causing consumers to revisit their budget and pare it down to the necessities. Your marketing message must clearly convey that you fall into the latter category. A bookkeeper may have previously have been able to pickup new business based on the convenience of their service. A stronger message now is to position your service as a necessity and show clients the consequences of not using your service, in this case inaccurate record-keeping or mismanaged financial transactions.
Urgency
Marketing 101 includes creating a sense of urgency but is all too often forgotten. Set a time limitation on your dollar value offer, like a free appetizer to the first 20 customers every month. Vary your offer by month so that the free screen cleaning is only valid in February then offer a different discount or added value the next month. The result? A time limitation increases pressure to make a commitment and at the same time you keep the same customer coming back for more next month.
Posted by admin on Jan 1, 2009 in
Marketing In today’s volatile marketplace you need to ensure that your customers stay loyal. Too often small businesses make the mistake of not communicating with their customers. Here are three surefire ways to build loyalty and ramp up your sales:
1. E-Survey
Survey your customers and ask them what they think about your products, company or website. Use a service such as Survey Monkey and in less than 30 minutes you can create a questionnaire with multiple choice, ratings etc. The powerful reporting tools make it easy to download the results and present to your associates in a nice excel spreadsheet format.
2. E-Mail
These days shoppers are increasingly savvy and are looking around for good deals. Why not send one directly to their inbox? Using Constant Contact or Get Response you can customize email templates and present your offer professionally. To make it completely customized, contact a freelance designer or web company who will create your own design for a minimal cost. Just make sure your address list is based on customers who have agreed to receive emails from you, too many spam reports and you will be bumped by the service-providers.
3. E-Write
Blogging may seem more intimidating to most people than it really is. But it’s a powerful SEO tool when used correctly and can increase your website traffic. Contact your host provider or web company and have them guide you through the setup process. If you don’t have time to write and upkeep a Blog then hire a freelance writer to do it for you. You can find qualified people at Virtual Vocations and pay the writer a fixed price per submission. A word of advice; to optimize the SEO results make your blog is an extension of your domain name (blog.mycompanyname.com or mycompanyname.com/blog). Free blogging centrals such as blogspot.com are convenient but you lose out on some of the traffic it could be generating to your site. Spending the extra time and money to setup your own is well worth the extra effort.
Bottom line is that you have to fight for business survival these days and if you’re not on the E-train you will lose out. Make yourself acquainted with these E-marketing tools and if you don’t have time to DIY just hire a freelancer to do it for you.
Posted by admin on Dec 31, 2008 in
Business
Many of us have seen business getting increasingly difficult over the last year with layoffs and economic hardship creating a harsh reality. As a meager silver lining the challenges we are facing today is creating a new way of doing business in the future. The combination of employers slashing overhead and employees wanting flexibility is opening up for a new way of working together. 2009 will bring new business models with traditional businesses opening up to outsourcing and more home offices for former employees.
Outsourcing has been used for years by savvy companies who have looked for cheaper talent abroad, but this new change in climate will create long-term relationships between business owners and freelancers (or virtual employees). Loyalty between the two parties can benefit both and price will not be the only factor to determine who to outsource to.
Clients will also get used to not dealing with the traditional model of advertising agencies, but a collaboration of talent and expertise where not everyone is working under the same company name. The benefit to the client? Reasonable prices and better service as each individuals contributions will be more transparent to the client.
So if you’re finding business tough these days it’s time to re-evaluate “business as usual” and get creative.
Tags: 2009, advertising, Business, california, creative, desert, evy, hanson, outsourcing, palm, prime, springs, talent, works