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Developing A Focused Marketing Strategy
You want all of your marketing messages to have a single focus, so they pull together instead of competing with each other. Great! So how do you come up with one? First, there are several things you need to know. Who is your target? As specifically...
Good Marketing Pays for Itself
Most companies ask themselves this question: "How much will this advertising cost us?" when they should actually be asking themselves this: "How much will it cost not to do this advertising?" If your company spends $1000 per week on marketing then...
Marketing A Misunderstood or Scary Product or Service
What do you do if your business, product or service is something hardly anyone is aware of or understands? Or worse yet, if it is something they are afraid of or want to avoid? My answer is three-fold. First, focus on the SOLUTION you are...
Small Business Marketing Magic
Once upon a time, in 1969, there was a young woman who had a dream of starting her own company. She had ideas, talent and work ethic to spare but what she didn't have was cash. After careful research she found that marketing would cost more than...
What The Fly Doesn’t Know About Marketing
Have you ever watched a fly on your window? See how it flies up, down, and across the window trying so very hard to find a way to escape from the room, wanting so very much the freedom of the open spaces just on the other side of the window. That...
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What Santa Knows About Marketing
What's that ringing sound you hear at this time of year? It's the sound of store registers ringing up the sales generated by Santa Claus. Just because he's old, overweight, long haired, unshaven and dresses funny, don't overlook his marketing success. Santa is a marketing expert and you can become one, too, if you follow his marketing methods.
What's that you say? You don't believe in Santa Claus or you don't celebrate Christmas? It's true that Santa may be mostly mythical, but ask almost anybody who Santa is and what he does, and they'll tell you. And there are millions of children who are convinced he's real. So put your doubts about Santa aside for a moment and take a look at why he's so good at marketing.
Knows How to Be Unique Whether it is his trademark red suit, his unconventional transportation, his belly laugh or his occupation, Santa is different. He's one of a kind, which makes him memorable.
Gets Free Publicity He’s a master at getting free press. He’s mentioned in the media constantly during the winter holidays. Many songs, movies and books have been written about him.
Is Customer Focused While everyone knows about Santa, his marketing isn't focused on his credentials. He rarely talks about how long he's been in business nor does he bore people with long discussions of his work processes. Instead, he makes a huge effort to learn what people want.
It is estimated (http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20021213.html) that each year over a million letters are sent to Santa. Santa supplements this effort by appearing in thousands of shopping malls around the country, listening to an average of nine thousand children per mall. He does all this just to learn what his customers want.
Gives Something Away For Free While most of the presents under the tree are from family, including the annual fruitcake from Aunt Bernice, typically at least one gift bears Santa's name. How can you not love someone who gives so many presents away each
year and whose only expectation is a couple of cookies and a glass of milk?
Knows What He Is Selling Santa knows what he is selling, and its not just games and toys. Santa sells hope, whether it is for the latest video game, a warm sweater or happiness.
How can you market your business more like Santa Claus does his?
1. Clarify how you and your firm are unique, and what it is that separates you from the crowd. You don't need to put on a red suit or slide down chimneys. Define yourself by the problems you solve, the expertise you provide and what your customers say about you.
2. Get media attention for your business, not just during holidays but all year round. Sometimes imaginative stunts like appearing in a sleigh help.
3. Ask your prospects what they want and then provide services and products that give them what they've asked for. The better you understand their concerns, the better services or products you'll provide.
4. Give something away for free. It could be an article, a report, a book or a workshop. Use your free offer to prompt people to contact you and demonstrate your expertise. It works for Santa and it can work for you.
5. Know what you are selling. Your products and services bring in the money, but what do they stand for? What do they represent to your clients? Sell your prospects on achieving their objectives and dreams and deliver with tangible results they can appreciate.
Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, market like Santa and you too, can have many happy clients this and every season, without having to squeeze down a single sooty chimney.
Happy Holidays
About the Author
2004 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. - The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals and small business owners attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up for the Free Marketing Plan eBook, '7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business' at http://www.marketingforsuccess.com
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KnowThis: For Marketing, Market Research, Internet Marketing ... |
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Marketing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
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Promote your business with today's most effective online advertising technology, contextual advertising at a cost effective metric of CPC, PPC, CPM or CPV. |
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Adapted from Field Guide to Nonprofit Program Design, Marketing and Evaluation ... Inbound Marketing Includes Market Research to Find Out: ... |
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USA Network Announces a NASHVILLE STAR Marketing Partnership With ... - Yahoo! ... Direct Marketing Association: Telephone, Mail & Internet Marketing ... |
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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. |
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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 ... |
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