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12 Thoughts for Marketing: The Condensed Version
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Get Clear about Your Core Marketing Message
Many entrepreneurs ask me, "How do I get started? Where do I
begin with marketing?"
I often see businesses spend a great deal of time and money on
logos, websites, mailers and other tangible items, only to
regretfully discover later that they somehow missed the mark.
To create a business-generating marketing program, the first
direction to go is inward. Before you create your
outward-reaching promotional materials, you've got to get a fix
on your internal Core Marketing Message - in other words, what
value are you selling, and why should anyone care?
Once you walk through the process of identifying your Core
Marketing Message Platform, it becomes much easier to create all
of the "goodies" of marketing - logo direction becomes clear,
the website flows, taglines pop to mind, marketing strategies
hum. Your Platform is exactly that, the springboard for
everything else.
So before you think about colors, design, what to write in your
brochure or website, start with the following questionnaire.
TIP: Your answers don't have to be perfect. Just jot down the
first thoughts that come to mind and go back later to refine it
until your Platform rings true for you.
WHO is your target market? Think of your best clients - list the
qualities that make them ideal. This is your wish list, so no
holding back. If it's important that they are pleasant to work
with and have the means to pay you well - say so now! What is
their specific title or profession? Can they be categorized
easily? List every important quality you can come up with.
Consider geography, gender, age, income level, values,
interests, etc.
EXAMPLE: My target market is small business owners who provide
professional services such as accounting, architecture,
engineering, IT, coaching, consulting. They operate their
businesses with a high degree of integrity, they value building
relationships with their clients and they are interested in
growing their companies. Also, they are enjoyable to work with
and they appreciate a good laugh!
What PROBLEMS do your potential buyers face? List 5 distinct
problems, issues, pains, predicaments, challenges, worries,
fears - even if they seem unrelated to the services you offer.
Write these succinctly and clearly.
How does your service SOLVE these problems? For each of the 5
problems/pains listed, spell out your solution - what results do
you produce; what can your clients expect to get out of your
work with them? Don't just list your services here. Instead,
specify the end-result benefit they will receive.
EXAMPLE: If the problem is, "They never have enough time," your
response to that might be, "My services take the pressure off my
clients and give them less to deal with." (Notice that this
could apply in just about any industry!) The solution is not
your service per se, it is the time-saving result your service
translates into.
What EMOTIONAL gratification do your
clients get from your
services? Sounds corny, but no matter what your business is, if
you are serving people, you need to be able to tap into the
emotions that motivate them.
EXAMPLE: Your clients feel a sense of "pride" because they have
improved skills; "confidence" that they will provide better
outcomes for their own customers; "relief" that they will more
easily meet some legal requirement, "joy," etc.
What are the UNIQUE advantages of your service over your
competition? Let's talk about differentiation - what makes you
stand apart from your competitors? What makes you memorable,
special? This includes your distinct blend of past experience,
your personal philosophies and ways of working with people, your
approach, your values, and simply, just the way you are. One
great place to start - what are some compliments you frequently
hear from other people?
TIP: It can feel uncomfortable to boldly claim your own special
qualities. It helps to take the focus off of your modest self
and consider your clients - how do they benefit from your
specialness? Put yourself in the shoes of the Jimmy Stewart
character in "It's a Wonderful Life." What would be different
about the world if you were not here? Seriously ask yourself
this question, and your special attributes will emerge for you.
ELEVATOR Speech. Now that you are thinking so deeply about your
business, your clients, and how your services bring value to
them... take a stab at writing a direct, 25-word-or-less
description that clearly conveys WHAT you do and WHOM you serve.
Bring in some of the emotional gratification you provide and the
uniqueness of who you are.
Example: "Using my unique blend of marketing experience and
coaching skills, I help business owners build a thriving
business without squeezing the life out of their lives." (Oops,
that's 26 words. See? You don't have to be perfect, just take a
good shot at it.)
You have now created the essence of your Core Marketing Message.
Take some time to continue honing and refining. When you read
through it, you should feel that it hits the mark and it paints
a picture of your ideal business.
As you write letters, brochures, website content and other
communications, draw from this Platform - speak to your market
as if you know them personally; appeal to your market's pains
and predicaments; show them how you solve these problems;
highlight the emotional gratification they will feel when they
use your services; show them clearly what makes you and your
offerings unique.
About the author:
Martha Carnahan is president of MC3 Strategies, is an
Atlanta-based company that champions entrepreneurs having a
prosperous business AND a fabulous life. Learn more about Martha
Carnahan and MC3 Strategies by visiting www.mc3strategies.com
(which is currently under construction, but bookmark it for
future reference!). Or, visit my coaching services website:
www.YourBrilliantLife.com.
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KnowThis: For Marketing, Market Research, Internet Marketing ... |
KnowThis.com offers a wealth of information, forums, and resources for professionals, academics and students in traditional and internet marketing, ... |
www.knowthis.com |
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Marketing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
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en.wikipedia.org |
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Marketing - Marketing Strategy - Marketing Plan - Marketing ... |
Learn about marketing careers, the stages of developing a marketing plan, how to begin marketing research, create a marketing strategy, and how to market ... |
marketing.about.com |
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Marketing.org - Home of the Business Marketing Association |
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Welcome - American Marketing Association - www.marketingpower.com |
Dedicated to serving the educational and professional needs of marketing executives. |
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Advertising, Marketing, Media and PR News - Brand Republic |
Find the latest Advertising, Marketing, Media and PR news from Brand Republic, the online resource for up to the minute advertising and marketing news and ... |
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Marketing Magazine - Marketing News - Brand Republic |
Marketing Magazine - Marketing News - Brand Republic. |
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Marketing (Canada) |
Offers a Canadian source of news and articles on marketing, advertising and media. |
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BidVertiser - Pay Per Click Advertising On Sites Of Your Choice. |
Pay per click advertising - online advertising directly on sites of your choice, internet marketing solution for online advertisers. |
www.bidvertiser.com |
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Online Behavioral Contextual Advertising and Marketing. |
Promote your business with today's most effective online advertising technology, contextual advertising at a cost effective metric of CPC, PPC, CPM or CPV. |
www.clicksor.com |
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Sales Jobs / Marketing Jobs / Advertising Jobs - MarketingJobs.com |
Employment site for marketing and sales professionals. |
www.marketingjobs.com |
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The Chartered Institute of Marketing |
The Chartered Institute of Marketing is the world's largest international marketing professional body and helps with career support and information ... |
www.cim.co.uk |
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Marketing: See what people are saying right now on Technorati |
See all blog posts tagged with marketing on Technorati. |
www.technorati.com |
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Marketing Profs - Marketing Concepts and Strategies: Expert ... |
Marketing knowhow from professionals. Newsletter, articles and how-to's. |
www.marketingprofs.com |
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Guerrilla Marketing Online - The Official Site |
Guerrilla Marketing Online is anonline magazine for small business, entrepreneurs, sales people and marketers of all kinds. |
www.gmarketing.com |
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Business Marketing - Small Business Marketing |
Business marketing - Read everything your need to know about small business marketing. |
www.entrepreneur.com |
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All About Marketing |
Adapted from Field Guide to Nonprofit Program Design, Marketing and Evaluation ... Inbound Marketing Includes Market Research to Find Out: ... |
www.managementhelp.org |
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Pages tagged with "marketing" on del.icio.us |
USA Network Announces a NASHVILLE STAR Marketing Partnership With ... - Yahoo! ... Direct Marketing Association: Telephone, Mail & Internet Marketing ... |
del.icio.us |
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ClickZ Internet Marketing Solutions for Marketers |
Includes columns with commentary and analysis on a wide variety of internet marketing subjects ranging from B2B marketing to search engine marketing. |
www.clickz.com |
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Direct Marketing Association: Telephone, Mail & Internet Marketing |
Trade association for users and suppliers in the direct, database and interactive marketing fields, offering seminars and resources, and lobbying for ... |
www.the-dma.org |
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