Billboard Bewilderment – Reflections on Advertising Options
January 31, 2008 by Mary Ellen · Leave a Comment
Billboards. Driving across the Midwest has caused me to focus on the painted, wrapped and digital signs that adorn the highways. (In Missouri on Super Tuesday, seven billboards will announce voting results to drivers, proving only that Missouri is conscious of the effect of billboards.) Consider the message on billboards; it may cause you to wonder what are people thinking?
I’m referring to the signs that have multiple lines of type on them; I haven’t a clue what was said as I was going 80 miles an hour down the freeway. Special type faces cause similar problems with difficulty in quick reading. Is that a problem? Does everyone else know what the sign says or do people simply pass it often enough that they finally figure it out?
Billboardom, the funny billboards blog offers a collection of creative and funny billboards and other outdoor/ambient advertising published since 2005. You can browse any number of postings and judge for yourself how businesses use billboards. Another posting offers an unusual juxtaposition of billboards, with one pitching violence right next to another touting peace.
As blogger Ramney Winnipeg of Manitoba, Canada puts it:
“Let’s face it: we’re all walking billboards.Everything you put on is a
reflection of your taste, style, and aesthetic sense. Deciding what styles you
like, what messages you want to share with other people, or what brands or
companies you want to advertise on your chest, are all decisions that you may
not realize you’re making.You are what you wear.How conscious are you of the
brands you choose to purchase? Are you comfortable endorsing these products? Are
you mindful of the messages they are portraying through you?”
And that leads me back to my original position: what are people thinking?
Ties that Bind: Art and the Web
January 26, 2008 by Mary Ellen · 2 Comments
I participated in “For the love of art,” a function presented by Arts Alliance and Albuquerque Independent Business Alliance.
The collaboration made perfect sense to me. (By way of disclosure, I serve on the AIBA board.) The cooperative venture included excellent food, always a draw, and a silent auction of art originals.
Inspired by art and intrigued by the New Mexico Business Weekly’s listing of the top 25 Art Dealers and Galleries in this week’s edition, I trolled a few websites to learn more. (NOTE: Of the top five listings, only one is located in Albuquerque.)
The top five dealers and listing provided an assortment of information:
- Weems Galleries and Framing offers a promise that a 2008 calendar will be coming soon. The site goes on to list last week’s sidewalk sale on their events, a reception for February 1 and a no-fooling move for April.
- Owings-Dewey Fine Art presents a site with special effects, bells and whistles. It timed out loading my second choice in the menu options so I never did check out the select press.
- Chimayo Trading and Mercantile touts an update of January 17th on its home page so one can assume everything is current. Every section of this site contains a similar update notation.
- Arlene Siegel Gallery delivers a website that is part of Collector’s Guide. When I checked for events, none were listed. However, Collector’s Guide displays the “For the love of art” event in this week’s art news.
- Manitou Galleries offered an option that included events and news releases, although I found no news items. At the bottom of the home page a line stated the load time for the page. I found that interesting; is this a stat that Manitou Galleries customers request?
Take any category. Look at the competition and evaluate information. How does your selection stack up? Have you done this for your business? Getting visibility is about standing out from the crowd. What do you do to enhance your visibility?
Free E-Book on Viral Marketing – David Meerman Scott Unveils New Rules
January 21, 2008 by Mary Ellen · 3 Comments
Great resources deserve to be passed along. David Meerman Scott, online thought leadership and viral marketing strategist, just published “The New Rules of Viral Marketing, How word-of-mouse spreads your ideas for free.”
Download the e-book (for free!) here.
I like the timeliness of this offering: companies are still adjusting marketing strategies for the year and online content is a hot topic. No less than four clients talked with me about online content in the past week. I spoke with three other consultants and our topic was social media. Of the seven conversations, at least two were gambling on instant success; read, reality check needed. As David Meerman Scott suggests, “think like a venture capitalist.” He’s referring to the generalized rule of VC that says three of ten companies may be a winner.
Scott gives some definitive examples of viral success and analyzes what does and doesn’t work, and why. He offers real guidance for those who are wildly and indiscriminately adding social media to their traditional media strategies. (I’m reminded of those with a mission to get more people tied to them on LinkedIn for no particular reason.)
In addition to a portrayal of what works, I like the resources highlighted in this e-book. The chapter “Grade your Web site,” for example, showcases a cool marketing tool from HubSpot, an inbound internet marketing system for entrepreneurs. The free tool, Website Grader, measures the marketing effectiveness of any website. How cool is that?
With the plethora of information on the internet, in books and magazines, and resting on your bedside table, it’s tempting to pass more of the same by. Don’t make that mistake with this valuable 34-page missive. Take the time to read The New Rules of Viral Marketing. Let me know what you think…and how you plan to put one of the new rules into action.
Networking 101 in 1-08
January 16, 2008 by Mary Ellen · 1 Comment
Ineffective networking? You know the symptoms: you go to an event because you should, half-heartedly talk with people you don’t know, exchange a few cards, and leave wondering what happened. Is there a better way? Fortunately, the answer is yes.
When I attended a recent ASTD – American Society of Training and Development – chapter meeting, Christine Kominiak made a point of asking about me and my business. We chatted during lunch and exchanged cards. Later that day she followed up with an email:
Mary Ellen,
I just wanted to send a quick to say that I’m
so glad we met (officially anyway) today and I’m looking forward to getting to
know you more going forward. Thanks for your openness and willingness to
share. I so appreciate that!See you at the next meeting, I
hope!Warmly,
Christine Kominiak
Owner,
Author, Trainer, Consultant
Because of the email, I reviewed her card and added her to my contacts. I noted Christine’s card does not include an address; rather, “By Referral Only.” While it’s not a strategy for everyone, Christine has finessed the networking meeting in my book. As a result of our interaction and her follow up Productive Sense, her company is on my radar.
The more traditional networking one-on-one meeting pales in comparison to Christine’s personal style. Judy Boles, a business broker with Vaughn Company persuaded me to meet for coffee. (Disclosure: I’d been referred to one of Judy’s new business owner’s by a third party.) I’m confident that I now know more about Judy and the types of businesses that make good customers for her. I flipped back and forth between the two company’s websites just for the fun of it: there’s a big, personalized difference.
How do you network?
Business Book to Buy, Read and Recommend: Ready, Fire, Aim. Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat
January 13, 2008 by Mary Ellen · Leave a Comment
Michael Masterson, best-selling author, successful businessman and entrepreneur encourages speed. His newest book, Ready, Fire, Aim Zero to $100 Million in No Time Flat, presents a compelling case for entrepreneurial development of the sort that doesn’t resemble business as usual.
Masterson identifies four stages if business by revenues using the analogy of infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Throughout the 368 pages of discussion I found myself underlining, scribbling notes on post-its, and circling specifics to bring to the attention of others.
The simple, practical information and relatable business terms alone make this book worthwhile; the real experiences, quick-moving dialogue and engaging examples create a fascinating read. What stood out?
- How to write a great business memo
- RFA Business proposals
- Selling – and OSS, Optimum Selling Strategy
- Customer service
- Wants versus needs
- Crash course on sales and marketing
No question. This is a must have business book in my opinion. Add it to your business library and prepare to use it throughout 2008. I agree with Jay Abraham who wrote the foreword: “I can promise that when you put down this book when you’re done reading it, you will be a far different – completely transformed- business owner than you were at the start.”
Check it out for yourself and then let me know what you liked!
Got Email? Get Focus. Get Read.
January 9, 2008 by Mary Ellen · Leave a Comment
Perennial Toys CEO Holly Hitzemann told me that many of her key retail distributors never even saw an email announcing five new Perennial products. Imagine that. Perennial Toys, an eco-conscious, sustainable toy is in a unique position to capture attention: the company is green at a time when green is cool; the toys debuted during the popular Holiday toy season, when they might be of even more interest; and the vendors targeted were already doing business with Perennial.
The lack of attention to Perennial’s email highlights the unfocused lot that faces every entrepreneur. (I know it’s not just my own inbox that fills; add to that voice mail, to-do lists, deadlines, client information, and long term projects.) Clutter interferes with any message. In this case, a basic shout out failed to penetrate.
Communicating with any critical audience requires focus, concentration, and conscious deliberation to be “on message.” Perennial refers to it as bam-bam. Not a bad characterization, considering.
- Develop a clear, specific subject message.
- Cover one topic and one topic only in the email.
- Personalize the email if at all possible. It seems that the busier we are, the more important relationships become. Relationships equal sales. People like to buy from people they know and trust. In this case, “buy” may simply mean gaining knowledge, opening the email.
- Read “Effective Email,” an article featured on www.powerhomebiz.com.
Take a moment to relate to your business. What works for you? Are you filtering your information or getting filtered out?
Finding Customers means Strategizing Loyalty
January 7, 2008 by Mary Ellen · Leave a Comment
“Finding Customers” could be the mantra for any small business, the point of this blog post, or simply an idea whose time has come. You pick.
It’s always appropriate to target customers. In the quest for additional business entrepreneurs frequently forget about their current customers. Relationships rule. One example of a loyalty adage like this: those most likely to do business with your company already know you or know of you.
Countless examples exist. Just this past week Pat Matson, a virtual assistant, was introduced to me through a writing coach, Marilyn Schwader. An indirect association, an e-book, put the three of us together, and a fourth person was the intercessor. It so happened that I needed a VA and Pat had availability.
Or, consider another situation. Darlene Collins, PhD, outlined more than 20 seminars for small business. Her challenge: get the message to potential participants. Her solution: publish the list of offerings to current clientele. The classes began to fill immediately. The audience, aware of her charisma and effectiveness sought to take advantage of the opportunity to train with her on specifics.
In a similar instance, Brian Hudson new owner of Artistic Upholstery contacted those who’d done business with his predecessor to tell them about the new offerings of his company.
How can you implement a similar solution?
- Let your current customers know about your efforts, projects, or new products.
- Invite them to take a specific action.
- Be clear and specific in your message.
- View the website
- Place an order
- Vote for their topic of choice
- Choose their favorite layout
- Select the most appealing description
- Etc.
Need more resources to jump start your own plan? Consider Alan Katz, Loyalty Coach and his free course, The Seven Direct Marketing Mistakes Most Novices Make.
Have you had specific success or seen good/bad examples of finding customers recently?
Media Fragmentation – Ongoing PR Issue
January 5, 2008 by Mary Ellen · Leave a Comment
PR Week Magazine listed Media Fragmentation as an ongoing issue for Broadcast PR companies. A blurb in Market Focus of the December 24th issue commented:
“Not only is consumer attention being split between traditional broadcast outlets and new media, but also local newsrooms, minority media, niche blogs, and other places where a variety of multimedia products can be showcased. Finding the right blend is critical.”
This is news? This is life.
My observation: every media, even new media, is getting more sophisticated. Consumers are changing the way they get information; companies must adapt. What doesn’t change:
- As a company you must still define your audience. That may be more critical now than ever. Who is the target? Why do they care?
- More importantly, what is the focus of your message? How will you communicate coherently, be “on message” in all of your media?
- How do you measure success?
I recently met with a client to discuss plans for the year. We talked about an upcoming event that would preview new products for investors, vendors, and potential buyers.
“We need to put together some info for them,” the owner said.
“What about the media kit?” I opened a file copy of the media kit to show a well-branded bio and fact sheet. Within a few minutes we’d made minor changes and I had the notes to produce a new press release.
The media kit offered core, branded communication about the company. While the media would not be present at the meeting, the materials could be used for the purpose of participant background. The point: the meeting was the medium; because the company had remained on message, its prepared media materials could be easily repurposed.
Are your efforts as consolidated? Or, do they fall into the fragmented category?
Create a Wow Conference Provides Learning Opportunities for Entrepreneurs
January 1, 2008 by Mary Ellen · Leave a Comment
Happy New Year! While every New Year presents a blank slate begging to be written on, this one is particularly important. In numerology, 2008 is a beginning number:
I don’t pretend to know the science of numerology and yet I love the idea that it represents.
In the spirit of planning for the new, I’ve considered my blog, planned my newsletter and outlined my scope of visibility for the coming months. While the specifics may change, the strategies remain. I invite you to do the same.
Define the core messages your business will focus on for the year. Choose three. ProfitMeister, for example, focuses on small business marketing strategies.
- My rule is that the information must be practical, professional and profitable for entrepreneurs.
- While I consider the five critical audiences (stakeholders, customers, employees, media and community), I prefer to specialize in media stories and opportunities.
- Finally, I want to be a resource or provide resources on the topics presented.
One such resource presented to me at the end of 2007 is the Create a Wow Virtual Conference sponsored by http://www.ideamarketers.com/. Create a Wow runs from Tuesday, January 8, 2008 – Friday, January 11, 2008 and features pre-recorded streaming audio seminars that you can tune into at your convenience. If you’re looking for online marketing information or inspiration this could be your ticket. It’s free. It’s packed with professional presenters and titles including these three:
- You Name It! How to Create a Successful Brand – presented by: Phillip Davis http://puretungsten.com/
- How to Use Press Releases to Get Visitors to Your Web Site (and get some
publicity to boot) AND How to Make Your Web site Go Ka-ching! – presented by:
Michele PW http://www.theartistsoul.com/cmd.php?af=701568 - Relationship Marketing Using LinkedIn – presented by: David Nour http://www.relationshipeconomics.net/
Create a Wow Virtual Conference offers you an opportunity to begin your New Year with a bit of learning. Add to the skills that your already own. Experiment with a new topic. (NOTE: The three listed here are just a few of many.) Let me know if you sign up. One of the free downloads is a ten minute timer…the idea is to take a mere 10 minutes a day to focus on your goal. Enjoy your new beginning!
