As you try to streamline your advertising and marketing budget, how can you draw clarity from the hype on advertising channels like website, social media, and mobile marketing versus the traditional ways including newspapers, radio, magazines etc…
Well if you are a business owner in your right mind it comes down to how much is added to your bottom line as a direct result of your advertising. Gone are the days when “getting your name out there” was a satisfactory result. Your chosen medium has to translate into measurable hard cash.
So how do you make your choices and get assurance that it is working for you? If your budget is really stretched you are definitely better off starting by enhancing your online ranking and traffic. In most industries there is still a fantastic opportunity to dominate the first page of Google, simply because very few of your competitors are going the extra mile in his area. As the majority of your clientele quickly turns to Google search for any of their product or service purchases the time is fast coming where your Google ranking is your biggest marketing asset.
However if your budget constraints are not too restrictive, you can use astute strategies to leverage your traditional advertising media like radio and newspapers and create more interaction, both on your website and on your social media platforms. As advertising becomes more about interacting and generating that crucial “Know, Like and Trust” feeling among clients and prospects, we see strictly “branding” style marketing give way to a more integrated style where the newspaper ad and the radio clip become an invitation to start the online conversation.
In terms of measuring your ROI this all makes good sense. People may not be ready to call you right now after seeing your ad, but they may be ready to check you out online, and this is something you can measure through metrics like Google Analytics and Facebook insights. The the next step is converting these people into clients but that is another conversation.
Mobile marketing for business is going through growth spurt, or more appropriately speaking, an explosion.
Compelling Numbers:
Does that mean your business needs mobile marketing now?
To put it simply, why would you have a website if your visitors are unable to use it on their mobile? And what if your competitors have a mobile optimised website or a mobile app? Immediately you are on the backfoot.
If you believe that your website is an essential part of bringing customers through the door then you owe it to yourself to get a mobile website and a mobile app. It is also noted that tackling mobile marketing will help Search Engine Optimisation for your website.
Down the track, you may also want to look at doing your customer relationship management on mobile, simply because 94% of text messages are still being read. When you compare this with emails loosing readership fast, down between 4% and 32%, it’s easy to see why mobile marketing is expected replace email marketing in the relatively short term.
If you are doing advertising through traditional channels just for the sake of brand exposure, you may want to look at your costs and start adding mobile marketing to your marketing mix.
For many firms and small businesses, one of the byproducts of challenging economical conditions is that many debtors take this opportunity to delay their bill payments even more than they would under normal conditions. This unfortunate attitude is sadly encouraged by an accepted model of payment, where the creditor produces an invoice with the payment date being 7 days after invoicing at best, and in many cases the 20th of the following month.
I would suggest that the power of this habit currently weighs heavily on many small firm owners, inflicting lingering cashflow issues and wasting precious staff resources that would be better spent on creating the WOW factor for good customers. Yet if we care to think outside the square for a minute there is a range of simple solutions to this widespread problem.
I will take the example of the service industry as it seems to be suffering the most from delayed payments. The general accepted model in dealing with prospective customers tends to separate the sales process from the agreement on payment terms. I understand that the service provider doesn’t want to upset the new client and potentially lose the sale by imposing a payment schedule from the outset.
However because the client is in the process of purchasing your service, they already are in a positive mindset. All the potential objections and concerns have been overcome and this is your opportunity to call the shots. Purchasing is always an emotional decision, and it is the best possible time to “sell” your customers a payment schedule that saves you the excruciating delays in payment. Good retailers know this very well, as they always have an up sell package to suggest you at the point of sale.
So why not simply “up sell” your client to an upfront payment and even a retainer , so that your business remains in positive cashflow while you are in the process of delivering the service or product. The balance of your contractual agreement can be paid upon completion of the project. I have been using this approach for several years now and have never lost a proposal because of my preferred payment model, which is always included in my sales process.
A big part of the success of your website comes from being interactive and compelling for visitors to stay longer on your site. Here’s how you can easily achieve this, using Youtube videos.
Step 1- Record a 2 to 3 minute video showcasing your business point of difference, or simply showing testimonials from your best customers. You can also use this video to promote yourself as the expert in your industry, or use one of the highlights in your business in the past few weeks or months. Whatever the theme of your video, make sure your site visitors are likely to be interested in the contents of the video.
Step 2-Do your keyword search using the Google keyword tool. You should have done this search in the past, to optimize your website for search engines. For most locally based industries, do your keyword search containing your industry name and then your location name e.g. Dentists in Auckland. The keyword tool will give you the main keyword combinations that people use to find you. Choose combinations that have medium or low competition on the net if possible.
Step 3- Write your video title containing your chosen keywords for your industry, and use one of the 2 most effective video sharing sites: “tubemogul.com” or “heyspread.com”. This ensures that your video will spread virally and if you are the only one in your industry doing it(very likely) there is a high chance that your video will appear on page 1 of Google!
Dominating the first page of Google in your local industry is relatively easy, simply because most of your competitors are more interested in how good their website looks than how many people it actually brings through the door. That is where you can have a massive point of difference and “own” the first page of Google in your industry.
When you look at your balance sheet you have a list of business assets that
you could easily regard as a liability… Come to think about it, does a
computer or a vehicle ever make you money?
Now if you have ever run a very successful marketing strategy, you will
always be able to repeat it and continue to make measurable profits from it.
Such a marketing strategy is a real asset rather than a liability, yet very
few business owners regard marketing strategies as an asset.
Now it is said that most successful companies have narrowed their marketing
plan to a minimum of 5 successful, effective and measurable strategies that
they now have systemized. The return on investment is predictable and constantly
monitored.
The greatest favor you could do to yourself for you new business plan this
financial year is to account for your marketing plan as you biggest asset, and
start measuring the return on that investment day in, day out.
As a business owner, you keep looking for a point of difference
in your ways to be found and to communicate more effectively
with customers and prospects, right?
One of the fastest growing ways for consumers to find products
and services is through their mobile phone. Here are some of the
most recent stats on mobile searches world wide:
| Percentage of mobile subscribers accessing mobile Web at least monthly | |||
| Country | Percentage | Country | Percentage |
| Japan | 47% | Hong Kong (China) | 16% |
| Urban China | 43% | Europe | 12% |
| United States | 22% | Urban India | 8% |
| Source: Forrester (June 2011) | via: mobiThinking | ||
GROWTH IN MOBILE WEB PAGE VIEWS:
| Proportion of global Web pageviews from mobile devices, by region, in Jan 2011 and Jan 2012 | |||||||
| Global | Africa | Asia | Europe | North America | Oceana | South America | |
| Mobile pageviews in Jan 2012 | 8.49% | 19.17% | 14.32% | 4.22% | 8.03% | 7.75% | 2.88% |
| Mobile pageviews in Jan 2011 | 4.3% | 6.33% | 6.06% | 2.17% | 5.78% | 3.69% | 1.88% |
| Source: StatCounter (February 2012) | via: mobiThinking | ||||||
Here’s the question:
Is your business ready to be found by your target market on their
mobile phone?
Being found through mobile phones is one thing, and for the time
being you may decide that it’s not so important for your business.
But if you are in a tourism location for example, can you afford
to ignore mobile searches as they are likely to be a much higher
source of information seeking and purchasing decisions?
Even more importantly, as email opening rates dwindle to 3% to 4%
across all industries, wouldn’t you want to look at text marketing
through mobile apps with its whopping 97% opening rate?
Check this short video as an answer to 5 basic questions regarding
mobile marketing and its future for businesses.
Food for thoughts?
February 29th, 2012 0 Comments »
10 years ago it was not rare to see a business spend $70,000 or more on phone book advertising. If you were one of the first ones to advertise and if you were prepared to pay a premium you would have been allocated the best advertising spots…But of course that was only affordable to the big budgets.
Business owners had very little choice and could not afford not to have that presence. Meanwhile as the years went by the phone book shrank substantially and many are now considering whether to be in there at all, as the investment does not seem to be worthwhile.
So what has changed so much? Well, it started with the internet, then Google, then social media…a large majority of searchers go online.
The great thing is that Social Media gives you as much advertising real estate as you want, and for free, plus you can choose who you are getting exposure to. But the main difference is you can interact and generate trust before people decide to do business with you.
With the right strategy, social media can save you lots of advertising money, and give you a time effective means of getting new prospects and more sales. Get CLARITY and powerful social media marketing secrets at this live workshop
Spaces are limited to 21 seats so book it now, go to this page for RSVP details
January 16th, 2012 0 Comments »
By now you have probably received in your mail box a whole lot of different rounds of expert advice on how to achieve greatness by setting ambitious goals.
The problem with most goal setting techniques and the reason why they often don’t work is that they are “Binary” methods. What I mean by that is they almost work like a lottery, it’s a black and white outcome: If you reach them you feel great, if you don’t reach them you feel bad, and you probably won’t set goals again. Examples of binary goals: “I will double my business turnover by April”, “I will lose 30kg by the end of February”. If you fail, the best case scenario is you may set ambitious goals once more but your subconscious will not believe in the goal and you are simply setting yourself up for repeat failure.
Raymond Aaron, author of “Chicken Soup For The Canadian Soul” recommends a 3 step goal setting method, giving you a chance to keep getting increasingly motivated in the process. It is called the “MTO Goal setting”, as in “Minimum/Target/Outrageous” goal setting.
How does it work? First your “minimum” goal will be the least you could be expected to achieve if you are known to be really weak in this area. For example if you are known for NEVER tidying up your desk, your minimum goal may be to tidy it up once a fortnight. If you are known to NEVER exercise you may start by parking your car at least 1km from your office to trigger a minimum exercise regime. Because your minimum goal is so easily achievable you may find yourself reaching it way before deadline and start looking to your second level goal: “Target goal”.
“Target” Goals are more challenging goals but still not highly ambitious. Capitalising on the boost of motivation after reaching your minimum goal you could find yourself unexpectedly reaching your “Target Goal” before deadline as well.
What you have done so far is set yourself up for success by initiating small but measurable changes. With the sweet taste of success in reaching your “Minimum” and “Target” goals, you may now find the explosive motivation that is necessary to reach your 3rd level goal, your “Outrageous Goal”. Why would you have set an “Outrageous goal” in the first place, if you didn’t believe in it? Simply because it takes prior success to generate the belief and motivation that leads to great achievements.
“Self Transformation Is Not An Event, It’s A Process”
Les Brown. Motivational Speaker
December 13th, 2011 0 Comments »
As time races towards the end of yet another year you could be tempted to say “that was definitely one to forget”….
And who could blame you, especially if circumstances continuously drove business down? But the problem is if you choose to forget it, you could end up with the same results, as the general climate does NOT look set to change dramatically.
When economical conditions are not helping you, often the only viable attitude is to decide on creating your own economy. With a small business it is often easier than you think, simply because you don’t need huge numbers to make a great difference in sales.
As you reflect on what you have or have not been doing to move things forward and determine your goals for next year, why not have a bit of fun and consider using strategies you have never used before? Letting fear drive your decisions and goal setting will not move you ahead, as you will discover in this video from Seth Godin.
You will hear what you need to be aware of before making your new-year business resolutions, check it out
And let me know your thoughts!
November 9th, 2011 0 Comments »
“In this day and age if you are good you get lousy results, if your are excellent you get good results, and you need to be outstanding if you are aiming for excellent results!” -Tony Robbins- But what if you want outstanding results? Well then you have to be absolutely unique!
And you know what? It’s actually not that difficult to achieve, because when you go the extra mile suddenly you are on your own! The first step is to actually make the time to think about what else you could do to make your customers’ experience absolutely unique and outstanding. In a lot of cases this is all it takes.
Nido Qubein, World renowned business speaker, and director of High Point University in the USA (a well as a myriad of other companies) has made his University famous by appointing a full time director of “Wows”. The result of this is that his university is recognized as being the most desirable place for students to attend and the whole of America. The initiatives that lead to such popularity would not sound ground breaking if considered one by one. Rather, it’s the fact that nobody else took those numerous initiatives that set him apart. The genius here is simply that he made it a system for which someone was accountable…Full time!
If as business owners we decided to take 20 minutes a week to think about what our competitors don’t do, and add those ideas one by one as part of our habits, we would quite quickly reach a level of popularity that no advertising or marketing could ever buy. Life is too short to do what everyone else does, and the rewards of doing something unique are experienced first hand through the recipient’s appreciation.
