Comcast just released a new study showing that 68% of respondents time shift when they view TV shows. (http://bit.ly/bnHAIU) In other words, they record the shows and watch them later when it’s convenient. SURPISE!
Your audience may not be ready to listen to you when you want to chat with them. How can you make your information relevant, readily available, and easy to find and access when they are ready to find you? Here are a few simple ideas:
- Have pre-recorded information on the most frequently asked questions featured on a free 800 number, on your web site, and as videos on your YouTube channel. Encourage people to leave their questions for a chance to win… That means they have to leave their contact information too!
- Create a series of SHORT information-rich articles – no more than 500-600 words each. Record them as audio files and video files. Make them available on your site and post them on Facebook, then tweet and blog about them. This is a great way to get your content recognized by search engines.
- Identify the most popular blogs and sites for your target audience and become a regular commentor. Answer questions with helpful tools, resources and case study examples – people learn best when they hear stories of how others have succeeded. Your presence is captured eternally, making it easier for pre-qualified prospects to find you the next time they’re searching their favorite site on that topic.
Your value is enhanced when you’re easy to find and focused on creating value for your reader/viewer. What are you doing to be found?
Everything is based on Relevance. How relevant you are determines the liklihood that anyone will bother to evaluate your product or service.
Have you ever walked into a store, only to leave after a quick glance? The place just didn’t look right – it didn’t feel comfortable or natural. Yet a different store feels natural – like you want to move right in!
Retailers are masters at designing the space to appeal to a specific type of buyer. Whole Foods has a specific look and feel that’s very different from Railey’s. Target is very different from Nordstroms, appealing to different customer identities.
Yes, relevance really is that basic – it’s in the packaging and the experience of purchasing the product as well as the keywords you use. How do you increase your relevance to your prospects?
I’m fresh back from an EXCELLENT event where several very valuable connections were made. How can you make a great connection quickly?
Step One: Be clear about what you want to accomplish in your business – what the roadblocks are and resources you need to move forward. There are three things you want from any connection:
- Strategies – given your situation, what strategies are working for others – what would they recommend?
- Best Practices – given that you want to use this strategy, what are the best practices? How can you leverage this strategy effectively and quickly?
- Tools and Resources – given this strategy/these best practices, who could you connect with that could do this for you and/or what tools are useful?
Step Two: Focus on how you can provide these three things to support everyone you meet. Eventually, the conversation will come around to you. When it does, clearly state ONE area where you’d like some insight. Not everything people suggest will sound good to you. DO NOT DISMISS THEIR ADVICE!!! Remain OPEN to what they are saying about your business and ask questions. Why do you think that would work well for me? What are the advantages? What new opportunities might that present?
You’ll be surprised at what you discover from simple networking. But making the connection is not enough. Maintaining the connection is the key! More on that later…
Small Business Marketing Oppotunities Abound!
The more tuned in you are to the opportunities for small business owners, the more you realize that you’re surrounded by lots of great opportunities!
The Wall Street Journal shares an excellent strategy for small businesses; Participate in contests to build awareness and credibility for your brand. Identify appropriate competitions on sites like www.AwardSync.com and find ways to stand out from the crowd. Here’s the full article: http://bit.ly/ahUeh3
You can also get free publicity for your business by subscribing to www.HelpAReporterOut.com (HARO). Receive 3 emails a day with summaries of topics that request expert advice. Respond to only those projects where you can truly add value and you’ll be rewarded with free publicity!
SheSource is an online braintrust of female experts on diverse topics designed to serve journalists, producers and bookers who need female guests and sources. Find out more at www.SheSource.org
PRNewswire’s service, ProfNet Experts network, connects you with journalists looking for comment on topics you can address.
Another spot to connect with leading journalists is www.Source.com Befriending journalists to offer your expertise – even if it’s to connect with an expert you recommend – is a great way to build relationships that lead to exposure for your brand.
The really beautiful thing is that MOST OF THESE SERVICES ARE FREE!! That’s right! By reaching out to add value to others, you are highly likely to receive value in return. The Collaboration Economy strikes again!
Do you know what your clients love most about you? Don’t assume – ASK! Ask your clients, “What do you love most about shopping here/working with us?
This question focuses your client on what they appreciate most in the goods and services you provide. Often, what you think they value most is different from what they REALLY value most!
All clients want a “good deal” – which means far more than just a good price. How do your clients answer these questions about your company?
- How easy are your products to understand and use?
- How knowledgeable and accessible is your staff?
- How do you create a unique experience for your clients – one that adds value at every point of contact?
- How do you demonstrate your focus on service and delivering a successful outcome for your clients?
- How do your products and services deliver the core benefits your client needs most: make money, save money, save time, easy to use?
When your clients are singing your praises, listen closely and capture the words they use to describe you. Replay their words in your marketing materials so your prospects will easily recognize you.
We’ll be sharing lots more great marketing strategies on the new TV show, Marketing Mix Makeover. Please take a moment to vote here: http://bit.ly/d8QU1B Show Oprah, OWN TV and the world that small business matters!
What questions are you asking your clients?
Did you know that a Reality TV show about small businesses can turn our economy around – literally in a year? Yes, it sounds crazy, but it really can be done.
I’m creating a reality TV show, Marketing Mix Makeover, for small businesses and participating in Oprah’s contest to find a new talk show host. The purpose of the show concept is to provide small businesses across the nation with free expert advice and get the conversation going about the importance and role small business plays in our economy. Publicity around this issue – combined with some solutions – will help galvanize business again.
Here’s the TV Concept:
- Follow several small businesses, establishing their goals, frustrations, needs and constraints.
- Each small business receives ideas from three experts on how they can quickly grow their business.
- Viewers have a chance to vote on the idea they think will have the greatest impact. A panel of judges also weighs in. They decide which idea the business owner must implement. (All the ideas are GREAT so there’s no way the business owner can lose!)
- Viewers who vote get access to Best Practices provided by all the experts so they can improve their business too!
- The business that experiences the most growth PLUS one lucky participating viewer will win BIG (prize TBD).
I’m getting endorsements from all the small business organizations! Please post your endorsement as a comment below and I’ll include you in my press and publicity for the show.
Please endorse and promote the TV show concept/intention – to provide free education from leading experts and create a fun, supportive environment that illustrates the value and heroism of small business.
I have to get enough votes for Marketing Mix Makeover to be one of the five finalists…
- Please take a minute to VOTE here: http://bit.ly/d8QU1B You can vote as often as you like (frequently is good!)
- Please share this information with as many people as possible.
- More information about the show, great marketing ideas and video endorsements are on the web site: www.MarketingMixMakeover.com
I appreciate your consideration and support and look forward to collaborating with you to rejuvinate our economy!
Renowed professional organizations are endorsing the new reality TV show for small business, Marketing Mix Makeover! Avery Horzewski, President of Women in Consulting, is also an avid supporter and provided the video endorsement shown above. Avery says “Marketing Mix Makeover is the only reality TV show I’ll ever watch!”
Women Influencing Public Policy (WIPP) says “Our 750,000 women owned businesses would LOVE a show like this! We need easy ways to help businesses grow in today’s challenging economy!”
Who do you know at a Chamber of Commerce, professional organization or networking group that needs to know about Marketing Mix Makeover? Take a few seconds to share this post with your networks and encourage them to vote HERE:
Thanks for all your support and comments! Do you have a burning question about marketing? What’s your biggest challenge right now? I’ll post great marketing ideas and insights you can use immediately!
It’s easy to leverage the power of publicity for your business. Here are some simple steps you can use to create a video, leave a voicemail message or write a press release to send out to your local media.
Title: Small Business Owner Wants His/Her Own TV Show!
Step One: Introduction
Hi, it’s NAME with BUSINESS NAME and THIS IS HOW WE HELP PEOPLE. As a small business owner, I could really use some extra help – like some innovative marketing ideas that I can use in my business right now!
Step Two: The Problem
I’m really busy helping my clients. This challenging economy and the wild gyrations of the stock market are making my clients uneasy. It’s harder than ever to grow a business!
Step Three: The Soluction
I’m excited about the new Reality TV Show, Marketing Mix Makeover, where small businesses get advice from three innovative marketing experts on strategies that will grow their business. Viewers like me get free access to excellent information that I can put in action in my business immediately! I can actually participate in real life while I watch the show!
Step Four: Call to Action
It’s important to me to serve my clients well and make a difference in my community. That means my business MUST grow to truly serve. I hope you’ll join me in voting for Marketing Mix Makeover so we can get this economy back on the right track. Please visit www.MarketingMixMakeover.com to get the voting link. You can vote as often as you like. Be sure to tell all your friends too because my small business deserves a TV show – doesn’t yours?
Let me know when you have your video ready and I’ll help you distribute it!
When your business is stuck, you feel like a deer in headlights. You’re confused, overwhelmed, nervous, and really frustrated by everything that’s going on. You feel like you’re just waiting for the next calamity to hit.
What if you could make some simple shifts in your business that create significant results? For example, leverage the power of the Pygmalion Effect! Human beings tend to take on the positive traits assigned to us by someone else. Here’s how you can use this to your advantage IMMEDIATELY!
Identify something you admire about the person you’re speaking with – preferably a skill or a trait they demonstrate. Tell them what you admire and what it means to you. For example, “Jim, I really appreciate how quickly you respond to customer questions. You demonstrate how important our customers are and how committed we are to outstanding service!”
The value of this communication is:
- It sets expectations on the kinds of behavior you want to experience from the other person.
- It explains the value of the desired behavior.
- It povides a verbal reward – often considered more valuable than a FINANCIAL reward!
- It’s catching! Every recipient of this type of message will start creating similar messages for others.
Next Steps:
- Use the Pygmalion Effect at least three times today.
- Vote for Marketing Mix Makeover here – : http://bit.ly/d8QU1B
I’ll post more great tips too. Let me know what your biggest challenge is right now!
Contact Local Media from Elaine Starling on Vimeo.
The new TV show, Marketing Mix Makeover, is designed to help small businesses grow. Here’s an easy way you can leverage the show to get great publicity for your business!
Make a video about why Marketing Mix Makeover will help you grow your business! Talk about your frustrations and how a TV show that provides expert advice to small businesses would be really useful. Send your video in to all your local TV stations, radio stations and newspapers. Let them know that your small business MATTERS and deserves some support, encouragement, and implementable ideas – exactly what Marketing Mix Makeover is designed to do!
Please remember to vote for the show daily! It’s time you got the support you need.
