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Each month, theCurrier, words & events, will offer PR tips, news about clients and news of events in our area. If you have an issue you would like to have us address, please use our contact page to submit it to us.
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September 2010
Marketing That Works for You & Your Business
I don't know about you but I hear people complain all the time that they have tried & tried various means of marketing to their target customers &, they say, nothing has worked. In fact, a friend of mine who works in marketing recently conducted a survey asking business owners about the greatest challenges they face in their businesses. Marketing topped the list of challenges. Why? What's the problem? Why doesn't marketing work?
The answer lies in something we've written about previously: Marketing doesn't work when it fails to follow the three 'ts'. It doesn't work if it fails to target the right customers. Even if it reaches them, it doesn't work if it lacks a message that resonates with them. And, it won't work if the marketing campaign if not given enough time.
The answer is not that marketing doesn't work, or that the particular type of campaign chosen doesn't work. All marketing works, if done right. In this newsletter, we're going to take a look at some of the major avenues of marketing & the advantages & disadvantages of each.
Publicity
Publicity has tremendous advantages. It's inexpensive, involving only the time it takes for you to draft a press release & contact the media, or a payment you make to a professional to do it for you. And, more importantly, publicity generates huge rewards in terms of credibility. If you or your company are named in a major publication, it means that editors have vetted it & considered it worthy of publication.
Publicity does, of course, have a downside. It is not guaranteed. You don't know whether the media will report your news, or not.
All of this said, in our experience, we have found that many business owners do not recognize, or take advantage of, opportunities for publicity.
Advertising
Advertising is almost the opposite. It's very expensive, especially if it involves major media or billboards. But, of course, it's guaranteed. You control what you say & where you place what you say.
Newsletters
Newsletters offer several advantages. They showcase you as an expert in your field. They give you the opportunity to ingratiate yourself with prospective customers by providing them with valuable information. They offer a way to stay in contact with your clients & prospects on a regular basis.
On the down side, newsletters can be expensive to produce. And, they have become very plentiful. Whether they're sent via e-mail, or via "snail" mail, people can & do ignore them, hit the delete key, or shoot for the trash.
To be effective, newsletters must contain information that has value for your target customers.
Events/Sponsorships
Events & sponsorships offer good opportunities to get in front of your target customers & to look like the "good guy".
If you host or sponsor an event in your field, the people who come are probably your target customers. Why would they go, if they did not have an interest in your product or service? If you sponsor an event run by a charitable organization, you look like the "good guy" & research shows that people are more likely to buy from the "good guy."
The disadvantage of events & sponsorships is primarily the investment, the investment of money & the investment of time to plan & execute an event.
Social Media
Social Media has been described as "inbound marketing". In other words, the people who look for you on the Social Media sites are by definition seeking you & probably your product. Social Media is being used more & more to generate business & has significantly improved the bottom lines of some companies.
Trade shows
Trade shows, of course, possess many of the same advantages as other events. Those who come to your booth may be just curious, but they often are interested in your product. Trade shows can be tricky, however. To get the best result, you must engage those who come to your booth; you must invite your clients & prospects; you must publicize your booth among your target customers.
Websites
There isn't much to say about the need for a good website. It's there; it's real; it's more essential all the time. In this day & age, if you don't have one, you probably will not be taken seriously. With a website, you look professional & you have worldwide exposure.
Of course, there are budgetary limitations. All websites don't have to be fancy. All products & services don't lend themselves to e-commerce. You don't have to have an infinite number of links. A basic website can be had for a few thousand dollars. Some web designers will even train you to build your own for less than that.
The keys are: You must have a presence on the web & you must look professional.
Direct Mail
Direct Mail, done right, provides an excellent opportunity to stay in front of your customers & prospects & to get them to buy by offering incentives. Well-done Direct Mail pieces also make you & your business look very professional.
One major disadvantage is that, in this world cluttered with messages, Direct Mail can be easy to ignore. It must stand out & it must offer something. Direct Mail is also very expensive.
Conclusion
ALL marketing works, if done right. NO marketing works if it is not done right. What way is right? Target your customers; target your message; & give your campaign enough time.
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September 2010
theCurrier will host a free brainstorming session for business owners Friday morning, September 17.
Pick up new ideas to build your business. Share your experiences with other business owners and learn from theirs. Make valuable business contacts.
The session will take place at the More Clients More Profits Marketing Center, 909 Warwick Avenue, Warwick. Doors open at 8:30 for a half hour of networking and a continental breakfast.
The brainstorming session will run from 9 to 10:30 a.m. The session is limited to eight participants.
theCurrier helps businesses bring in more profit by connecting them with their target customers through publicity, newsletters, events, advertising, and other avenues.
For more information, or to reserve a spot at the brainstorming session, call Ann-Mary Currier at (401) 467-1896 or e-mail amc@theCurrier.com
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September 2010
Ocean State Toastmasters will hold its next meeting Tuesday, Sept. 7, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Warwick City Hall, 3275 Post Road.
Ocean State Toastmasters holds its regular meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.
The club is one of more than 12,500 in Toastmasters International, a nonprofit, educational organization devoted to the development of public speaking and leadership skills. The organization has some 262,000 members around the world.
For more information, call Ed Skurka, vice-president for membership, at (401) 828-1625 or e-mail edskurka@verizon.net
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September 2010
The Live Wire Networking Group meets every Wednesday morning at 8:30 at The Cozy Grill, 440 Warwick Avenue, Warwick.
The purpose of the group is to give businesspeople the opportunity to network and generate referrals for each other.
Live Wire is always looking to grow and include a number of businesspeople but at this time it is especially looking for a Realtor.
For more information, call Andy Cohen at (401) 615-9885 or e-mail adc@adcassociates.com
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September 2010
The Rotary Club of Cranston will hold its next regular luncheon meeting Wednesday, Sept. 8, at 12:15 p.m. at Twin Oaks, 100 Sabra St.
The fee for the luncheon is $15.
For more information on the Rotary club and its programs, visit rotaryclubofcranston.org or call (401) 467-1896.
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September 2010
Are you scared to death of networking events? Do you find yourself coming home with a pocket full of business cards, a headache and no real results that build your business?
Peter George, the creator of the More Clients More Profits program, will facilitate a workshop, “Networking Made Easy” on Tuesday, September 14, from 9 a.m. to noon at the More Clients More Profits Marketing Center, 909 Warwick Avenue, Warwick.
Successful networking means a lot more than just showing up at networking events, eating some shrimp and speaking to a few people. Like most events that produce results, it requires a strategy and effective tactics.
In this interactive workshop you learn how to:
• Determine the most advantageous events to attend
• Determine exactly whom you want to meet
• Meet the people you want to know
• Overcome your nervousness
The investment is $67 if you register before Sept. 8, $97 after that date. To register, visit moreclientsmoreprofits.com and click on training.
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August 2010
Sales PHD, Sandler Training, of Providence, will host a free workshop on building a great sales team Wednesday, Sept. 22, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Sales PHD, 400 Reservoir Avenue, Providence, Suite 2E.
Have you hired people who look good only to have them fail? Are you tired of the turnover in your sales department? Have you added up the cost of a bad hire? If you’re a business owner who answers yes to any of these questions, this workshop is for you.
Jacob J. Belt, president of Sales PHD, will facilitate the workshop.
For more information, or to make a reservation, call Jacob Belt at (401) 751-8989 or e-mail jbelt@salesphd.com
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August 2010
The Rotary Club of Cranston will hold a car wash to raise money for its community programs on Saturday, Sept. 18, from noon to 4 p.m. in the parking lot of the Washington Trust Company at the intersection of Park and Reservoir Avenues.
Proceeds from the car wash will benefit the Rotary Club’s programs, which include Thanksgiving baskets for needy families, a Christmas party for children, donations to community agencies in the city of Cranston and scholarships for seniors graduating from the city’s three public high schools.
Free will donations will be accepted for the car wash.
For more information on the Rotary club and its programs, visit rotaryclubofcranston.org or call (401) 467-1896.
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