21 Smart Marketing Secrets

To outwit, outsmart and win in business you need to sell more products and services. These 21 marketing know-how tips are guaranteed to help you find the customers you need.

By Laura Tiffany

1. Create quality marketing tools. This doesn’t mean you need to allot 75% of your budget to printing costs, presentation slides and a website. It means you need to put deep thought into the cohesive image you want to present. “Sit down and make a list of everything you’re going to need each time you make contact with a prospective customer or client, including a stationery package, brochures and presentation tools,” advises US marketing expert Kim T. Gordon. “Then, if you can’t afford to print it all at once, at least work with a designer and a copywriter to create the materials so you have them on disk.”

2. Greet clients with style. Voicemail may not seem like a component of your marketing plan, but if a potential client phones and your voice message is curt or the receptionist is not professional, that prospect or client will be gone before you can blink an eye. So get yourself a professional voicemail system (even the phone company offers options) with several boxes, advises Gordon, so callers can press “1” to hear more about your services, “2” for your web and email addresses, etc.

3. Focus as narrowly as possible. Instead of trying to reach all the people some of the time, narrow your target audience to highly qualified prospects. Instead of going to seven networking groups once every two months, go to the two groups with the best prospects every week. “Instead of marketing to 5 000 companies, find 100 highly qualified companies and make regular contact with them,” says Gordon. Phone them, mail your marketing materials and then ask to meet them. It will save you money and time.

4. Make the most of trade shows. Trade shows are ideal marketing platforms. Rick Crandall, a speaker, consultant and author of marketing books shares some of his secrets. “If you don’t get a booth beforehand, try to find someone who will share their space with you. You help them run the booth, and they get a local who can show them the town. If you decide not to get a booth, go anyway. You can always do business with the exhibitors; just be sure to respect their time with “real” customers before you approach them as a peer looking for some B2B action. After the seminar, be absolutely, positively sure that you follow up on your leads. What’s the point of attending if your leads end up in the trash? A study in 2000 found that 88% of exhibition attendees weren’t phoned by salespeople after the show.

5. Conduct competitive intelligence online. As one entrepreneur points out: “As a home-based business in 1978, how would you ever find out what your competition was doing, what they were charging or what kind of clients they had? Today, that information is completely at your fingertips. So find your competitors’ sites and get clicking”.

6. Offer your help. If you want to be known as a good businessperson, be helpful. The word of mouth value of someone you've assisted is worth its weight in marketing gold. Another way to help out your community and your business is to align yourself with a non-profit organisation. Patrick Bishop, author of Money-Tree Marketing, offers this idea: “Set up a fundraising programme that benefits a school, like a discount card. At the same time the children are selling the cards, they are promoting your business.”

7. Offer samples of work. For example, if you’re a Web designer, surf the Internet, find a potential client and send them a few tips they can use to improve their site. Or you can offer to do a small job for free just to show the potential client the quality of your work and to get them used to working with you.

8. Get out there and network. If this piece of marketing advice sounds like something you’ve heard before, there’s a good reason: it works. Join your local industry association or a networking club. When you go, ask the people you meet what leads they’re looking for and really listen to what they have to say. They’ll repay you in kind.

9. Cross-promote with other businesses. Who do you share customers with? Find them and figure out how you can promote one another. If you’re a PR person, hook up with a copywriter or graphic designer for client referrals. Or you could take note of collectives like a group of several wedding professionals (a caterer, DJ, dressmaker and photographer) for example, who work together through referrals. Another option is to add a brief note at the bottom of invoices referring your accounting clients to “an excellent computer consultant”, and have that consultant do the same for you.

10. Join a chat forum online. Find newsgroups that cater to your audience and join the fray. “I didn’t start participating in online discussion groups to generate business, but as a way to find information for myself on various subjects,” says Shel Horowitz, owner of the Massachusetts, US-based Accurate Writing & More and author of several marketing books, including Grassroots Marketing. “But it turned out to be the single best marketing tool I use. It costs only my time. One list alone has got me around 60 clients in the past five years.”

11. Offer an e-newsletter. Again, this establishes you as an expert, but it also provides another very important marketing tool: email addresses of potential clients. You’ve opened up the gates to creating a relationship with them by offering free information. Now they may approach you to do business, or you can use these “opt-in” addresses to offer your services.

12. Don’t wait for customers to find you. Rather than purchasing an email list for mass, impersonal advertising, spend some time surfing the Web for businesses that have some sort of connection to your own business. Then write them a personalised email telling them why you think they should build a business relationship with you. “Those letters have a high tendency to get answered because they are personal,” says Crandall. “And I’ve opened the door to business with people who were total strangers before I emailed them.”

13. Follow your best prospects. This is called play-space marketing. If you have a pet-sitting business, ask your local vet and groomer if you can display brochures. Are you a landscape artist? Offer to do a display for the local nursery. Do you throw children’s birthday parties? Buy a slide at the local movie theatre to be shown before family films. “Just be sure the environment is appropriate,” cautions Gordon. “If you’re a business consultant, you’re not going to run adverts on the movie screen. Advertise where people are likely to be thinking about what you’re selling.”

14. Become an expert. Develop business know-how into a marketing tool by writing online articles. “Write articles to show your talents and give them as fillers to any website owner who you feel is fitting. Not only does it bring you more traffic and potential customers, it also provides you with an international business portfolio to demonstrate your business sense and your product or service.

Other ways to establish yourself as an expert: answer questions in online forums; send tip sheets to local media outlets; write a book or pamphlet; or do the next tip on our list.

15. Host a seminar. It’s cheap, it’s easy and it’s a good way to get over your public-speaking fear. Crandall offers the story of a business broker who conducts free weekly seminars. People selling businesses don’t want to attend as they aren’t new to the business brokering process, but they do notice his advert and call for his services. Business buyers attend, and the broker now has “pre-qualified” prospects. “You’re getting free publicity, you’re getting prospects to call you, and you’re building on your level of expertise,” says Crandall, who hosts his own seminars on marketing.

16. Get local news coverage. Play up your locale as much as possible with personalised news releases. Which sounds better to your local press: a successful home-based caterer with a national contract, or a caterer from the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, with a national contract? Crandall recently promoted his mother’s children’s book by sending letters to the newspapers both where she currently lives and where she previously lived, and both picked up the story

17. Get ready for your close-up. Does TV sound remote for a business owner on a budget? Not so. If you’re the type of person who adores an audience, get onto a business show or lined up for an interview. “You can’t blatantly advertise a product or service, but it’s a good way to become better known,” says Bishop. “For example, if you sell crafts, you might start an instructional craft show. You could give away something for free or have a contest. When people phone or write in, you can start a mailing list and then contact them about your business.” Another bonus is that it adds to your expertise and gives you a great hook for your publicity efforts.”

18. When in doubt, pick up the phone. Instead of lamenting a lack of business, drumming your fingers on your desk and forming new worry lines on your face, call a customer. Touch base, see how they’re doing, visit their office when you’re running an errand, see if there’s anything you can do for them, even if it’s not a paid piece of work. It will improve your relationship, and you may jog their memory. After all, you’ll never hear “I’ve been meaning to call you!” if you don’t pick up the phone.

19. Thank you, dankie, ndiyabonga. Shower the top 20% of your clients who yield you the most sales (either in volume or rands) with appreciation, whether it’s via gifts, personalised notes or lunch. “It doesn’t cost a lot of money,” says Gordon, “but it’s a great way to let your best customers know they’re special.”

20. Offer a guarantee. More people will be willing to try out your business and recommend it if you offer “satisfaction guaranteed”.

21. Get them talking about you. Word of mouth marketing is just about the cheapest thing you can do to boost your business. The main way to attract referrals is to do a great job: impress your clients, and they will tell everyone they know. But there are more aggressive tactics you can use too. Ask everyone you know to refer to your business. Hand out several business cards to people rather than just one so they’re more likely to pass them on. Even go through your favourite client’s Rolodex (with his or her permission, of course) to find potential leads.

Please contact Stoltz Marketing for more information regarding your marketing plan and strategy.

Use Marketing to Stay Strong in a Weak Economy

Today's companies face the challenge of marketing in an economic state of turbulence and uncertainty. The key to maintaining forward momentum in today's market is to resolve to be competitive and shift to an opportunistic mind-set. Rather than focusing on the turbulence, your company should leverage the dynamics of a down market and become an even stronger competitor. A weak economy can actually serve as an opportunity to evaluate your marketing and public relations initiatives so you can make them more effective and efficient.

In good times, it's easy to get into the proverbial marketing rut; some companies have been marketing themselves the same way for years, using the same old marketing plan year after year. But when you're forced to scrutinize every expenditure, suddenly a new zest for change can emerge.

Let this weak economy empower your company to find fresh, creative ways to remain visible, stand out as a distinctive brand and be the leader in your category--even on a smaller marketing budget.

Find Your Perfect Business Automotive Business Svcs. Children's Products/Svcs. Cleaning & Maintenance Computer & Tech Education & Training Food & Restaurants Health & Personal Care Home Products/Svcs. Professional Services Retail Businesses Specialty Prods. Sports/Recreation Travel & Lodging The key to competing strong in a weak economy is to remain visible and project an image of strength and stability. Customers have a heightened sensitivity to any sign of weakness, so resist the urge to dramatically reduce your marketing activities.

To flourish in challenging times, you'll need to distill your marketing and public relations efforts into a powerful, concentrated mix that delivers a high level of visibility and impact on a limited budget.

If your company is looking for ways to do more with less, taking the following 10 steps can help you compete strong:

1.Rethink your marketing strategy.
Rather than making random budget cuts to reduce your marketing costs, determine how much spending is feasible based on your current financial situation. Then create a new marketing strategy that optimizes every dollar and integrates your activities to gain the highest return for every effort. This approach will ensure you forge a cohesive, strategic plan that will enable you to remain visible and strongly compete on a reduced budget.

2.Evaluate your brand.
Now is the time to carefully evaluate your brand, the market and your competitors. You need to get a 360-degree view of your current situation and how your existing marketing activities align with the current market conditions. Review your marketing assets (such as your company's brochures and website) to determine if they are relevant to today's customers. Also look closely at your competitors to determine if your company stands out.

3.Target your marketing efforts.
When marketing on a limited budget, laser-focused targeting of your ideal customers is vital. Invest your time in creating a targeted customer database to use for direct marketing. You may not be able to afford broad advertising efforts, but that's OK because direct marketing (snail mail and e-mail) allows you to directly reach your customers in a more efficient and cost-effective way.

4.Message strategically.
In a highly competitive market, you need to stand out with messages that are relevant to the times. Evaluate your messaging to ensure it connects with customers. Keep in mind that their wants, needs and interests may have shifted with the economy.

5.Update your core marketing materials.
If your brochures, website and other materials are not relevant to today's customers, or if they blend in with those of competitors, make the investment to update your core materials. Many times, customers will visit your website or request information before calling your business. Be sure to make a good first impression to optimize every opportunity.

6.Integrate traditional methods with online tools.
Today's communication model is a two-way dialogue. Integrating traditional marketing tactics with web-based tools and social media can boost your response rates by engaging customers at a deeper level. In many cases, boosting exposure through online social networking adds very little cost. Direct marketing can be used to drive customers to microsites (small, three-to-five-page websites) that focus on generating leads. Empowering customer interaction with your company can add significant impact to your campaigns and boost exposure for those on limited budgets.

7.Generate media buzz.
Increase your media exposure by launching a public relations campaign. Distribute regular press releases to your industry or local media outlets. Submit applications to speak at events or conferences as a thought leader. If your advertising budget is limited, supplementing your media and industry exposure with public relations is a good idea.

8.Increase your network.
Network with other business owners and customers at industry or local events to increase awareness of your company and generate interest. Do not underestimate the power of word-of-mouth; it is a powerful, cost-effective marketing tool.

9.Forge partnerships.
Remember, people don't have to work for your company to work with you, and your peers are in the same boat as you are. Many companies cannot afford to hire extensive staff or experts when times are tough. Strategically partnering with complementary companies can provide you with new leads and expand your network without adding costs. Look for win-win partnerships that can help your business move forward and help you achieve your goals.

10.Optimize your existing customers.
Many companies spend all their energy trying to win over new customers when existing customers may be the quickest way to increase business. It is critical to maintain strong customer relationships to retain customers. Look for opportunities to upgrade and cross-sell to your existing customers since you already have a relationship with them.
Resolve to become a fierce competitor to win more of the business that's out there. It is possible to leapfrog the larger competitors in your line of business--not by spending more, but instead by shrewd opportunism. Take a look around--if your competitors have cut back on their marketing or gone dormant, you might have an unprecedented chance to overtake them. Make every marketing move strategic and calculated. Strong marketers will prevail.

Editor : Tami Hernandez

Please contact Stoltz Marketing to assist with your marketing of your business

Land Rover Constantia Kloof

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Kassaboera Lodge - Hartbeespoortdam

At Kassaboera, situated on the waterfront of Hartebeespoort Dam, you will experience warmth, comfort and incredible hospitality as the norm. You’ll always be within eyeshot of the Hartebeespoort Dam and near some of South Africa’s most memorable tourist attractions such as the Cradle of Humankind and other incredible nature resorts as well as Sun City.

The name Kassaboera originates from the owner Kas Pretorius and the Afrikaner Culture of the Boer, namely hospitality, a warm friendly greeting and a love of Africa and its wild life.

The owner, Kas’ deep roots in the Afrikaner culture is reflected throughout the theme of the lodge, exploring numerous parts of the culture’s diverse history and character. Game hunting, Boerekos - explore a world of cultural wonder unlike any you have seen before.

The concept of the lodge was formed around a complete shortage of lodges surrounding this specific culture, which is a true shame. The Afrikaner culture is still an unexplored treasure many have yet to experience - an experience Kassaboera Lodge is striving to share with the world.

The lodge itself is an experience to stroll through with wonderfully warm colours and incredible finishes to make one feel truly.

www.kassaboera.co.za

Does Your Brand Tell a Powerful Story?

Brilliant's not enough in today's economy--you need a compelling story so people will remember you.

One of the best ways for an entrepreneur to get a leg up in this competitive climate and distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack is to tell your brand story.

Story is how we connect with one another. Wonder why the emerging social networking sites are so popular?

The answer is because people crave the emotional and powerful connection that comes through telling a story.

The best brand stories are irresistible, compelling and provocative in a way that your target audience is going to hear, seamlessly and effortlessly. Telling that kind of brand story will position you and your company as a leader in the marketplace.

The most memorable brand stories tell the unexpected, speak directly to the heart or dare you to live life to the fullest. Take Nike, for example. Its brand story challenges people to be empowered, to adopt a maverick spirit in life and "just do it." That story inspires, continues to be popular and provocative, and consistently strikes an emotional chord with Nike's fans and customers around the globe.

Why is storytelling so important to your business?

•An authentic brand story makes you memorable.
•It differentiates you as desirable.
•It brings your brand to life.
•It gives you a distinct competitive advantage.
•Your target market becomes hugely responsive.
•It positions you as a visionary in your field.
Take the role of brand guardian seriously. This role is critical. Like the captain of a ship, you're steering your brand through stormy seas. Be mindful of your brand's behavior, intention, tone and attitude. Right now, your brand story may be transmitting subliminal messages and telling a story all its own. As brand guardian of your business, pay attention to every kind of signal your brand is conveying to your target audience.

Taking the role of brand guardian seriously doesn't mean you have to be stodgy. The great brand guardians also have a great sense of humor. If you're not having enough fun with your brand, go back to the drawing board and tap into why you started your business in the first place.

Raise your brand energy levels. What comes to mind when you think about brands such as Apple, Target, Virgin or Nike? You probably sense big personality, boundless energy or major magnetic appeal. Now, imagine you can feel the "pulse" of any of these brands. You'd pick up that they were clearly alive, pumping and showing strong vital signs, right?

Your target audience has an uncanny ability to pick up on your brand "pulse" or brand energy. Start raising your brand energy levels, because a slow simmer won't cut it here. Look at the language you use across your marketing communications. Is it bland or does it have a dynamic, knock-your-socks-off energy? After all, there's something very attractive and contagious about brands that feel totally energized, passionate, idiosyncratic and that reflect your personality. It's a clue that the entrepreneur, CEO or brand guardian is paying close attention to embedding his or her individualistic energy and passion into the business.

Make sure all aspects of your brand are in alignment. Just as a car runs best when the wheels are aligned, your brand communication needs to be aligned, too. I'm talking about consistency--across all the ways you get the word out to the market. For example, if the messages on your website are not reinforced by and aligned with your tweets or press releases, the way you answer the phone, the way your staff welcomes clients or the way you shake a client's hand, then your brand is out of alignment.

Kaira Rouda, founder and president of Real Living and author of Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs, talks about the power of story. "In today's business world, relationships drive successful sales, and your network is your net worth. You must tell your story." Rouda goes on to say, "For your business brand to resonate with customers, it must be based on something truly genuine: your reality, your passions."

Be Clear
If you're ready to start shaping your brand story, remember this tip: If you want others to recognize you, the best way to do it is to recognize yourself first. Before you tell your brand story, recognize the kind of message and meaning you want to embed in your story.

Your character is going to define exactly what happens in your story. Be as true to yourself, compelling and believable as possible. What makes you unique and different? What makes you stand out?

•Your personality shapes your brand story. I'm talking about your personal values, integrity, core beliefs and ethics. Think about what inspires and motivates you. Wrap this around your brand story; it will bring your brand to life.

•Define what your character stands for in your story. Why do you do what you do? What is your purpose? What's most meaningful in your life and business?

•What actually happens in your story? What's the compelling action (or series of actions) that makes other things happen? What's driving your story forward?

•Think about how you want your audience to react to your story. What's the outcome--the object lesson here? What kind of conclusion do you want them to reach? Think about the pulse of your brand. Are people going to pick up your brand's vital signs in your story?
So, is your brand story doing justice to your business?

Please contact Stoltz Marketing to assist you with branding of your business

How can I develop a good marketing plan with a limited budget?

Many people want to do things the simplest way possible. Shoot from the hip and you can do it huge, right? Wrong. Even the simplest of marketing plans need to be written down.

The reason for this being if you have no blueprint to go off of, how will you know what to build?

If you are considering making a marketing plan, your best bet is to begin with your branding. What is the main effect you want to have on your customer? What will be the feeling in their hearts and minds about your product or service? Is it a commodity? Or is it a purple cow? The answers to these questions will lend to pricing and profit in your business plan.

You'll need to do a S.W.O.T. (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunity, Threats) assessment too. Trust me, those that have not done this honestly not only fooled themselves but their business suffered or failed.

You have to have a plan. No battle commander goes into a battle unprepared--they at least have training even in fast response situations you should.

You will need to figure out what your budget is, you don't throw money at something and hope for rain. It doesn't work.

Your target market will be important simply because you wouldn't want to sell walkers to people that can walk just fine.

To recap, the main points to consider when forming a marketing plan are:

1. Branding
2. S.W.O.T. Assessment
3. Who are you selling to?
4. How much will it cost to get people to buy your stuff?

These are things you need to begin considering. There are ways to figure this out. Worksheets and just writing it or entering it on your iPad will do. Do something to keep track of it all so you know what you're spending on and how much it's bringing back to you. Regardless of whether it's traditional marketing or technological marketing like social media, you gotta have a plan.

Please contact me should you need help on http://www.stoltzmarketing.co.za/

Source : Michael H Kaleikini

Choosing the Best Ad Methods for Your Business

Q: Do some kinds of advertising work better than others?

A: All types will work if they're used properly and not just "tried." The fact that the various forms of media utilize each other illustrates that no one kind of advertising is superior. Radio stations promote themselves on television and bus cards, TV stations list their programs in the newspaper, and newspapers use outdoor billboards to increase circulation. You've probably also noticed the large number of ads by dot.com companies in these traditional forms of media. To use advertising correctly, the following four requirements must be met:

1. Demographics. You must know what segments of the population comprise your customer base and be able to define them according to the standard age and gender groups used by the media to define their audiences.

•Gender: Male, female or adults (includes a balance of male and female).
•Age range: Depending on your business, you may choose more than one of these: 12-24, 18-34, 18-49, 25-54, or 50+


Your customer base can shift with the opening and closing of other local businesses, universities, military bases, the influx or departure of university students, or just the natural aging of people in your community, and you need to keep track of these changes. This step is critical because it's the basis of every advertising decision you make. If you're not absolutely sure who your customers are, you can waste money advertising in the wrong places. Once you've identified your customers, you have to know where they hang out. Your reps can provide specific demographics regarding their audiences. Which leads us to...

2. Location. Use only radio stations, TV programs or publications that can deliver your message to the right demographic groups. Ask your media reps to define the primary audiences they reach, and spend money only with those that match the demographic groups you've identified as your customers. Never buy advertising according to your own personal taste or because you like a particular rep!

3. Message. You have precious few seconds to tell your story, so squeeze the language. You wouldn't say "Send assistance as soon as possible" when you could yell "Help!" You also need a hook--a reason for someone to come to your location instead of a competitor's. Ask your media reps for copywriting help. Many stations and publications employ copywriters, but a creative media rep can do a great job. Your newspaper, magazine, and direct-mail reps will also be happy to lay out your entire ad.

4. Frequency. Without enough frequency your customers won't see or hear your message. Radio, television and print are three distinct critters and require detailed explanations regarding schedule placement. It's better to place a substantial schedule on one station or in one publication than to spread a small budget out and not achieve effective frequency anywhere.

Whatever you decide to do, don't just try advertising. Use it to get results.

Kathy Kobliski has been in the advertising business since 1979, and has owned Silent Partner Advertising in Syracuse, New York, since 1984. Her book, Advertising Without an Agency, was written for business owners who are working with small advertising budgets and can't afford professional help.

Source : Entrepreneur