Just do it! Your marketing thing that is…

I watched a great video today..It was of several interviews with Will Smith. Funny how that man has grown from the skinny little rapper to this man who has enough insight to literally change the way we as marketers do business. What I mean by this is…well you’ve got to watch the video..but I will give a tad bit of it away before you watch it and simply say this. “Whatever you decide to be in life, be the best at it so that no one can ever do it better than you. Get all the training you can possibly get so that you can be the EXPERT in that field.”

And with that my marketing friends, be well, be the best, and enjoy a bit of Will’s inspirational thoughts!

The nightmares that marketers face

I was chatting with a good friend of mine yesterday about how she always appreciates all of my marketing advice. She said I was one of the smartest people in the industry she knew. It was a nice compliment, however I told her sometimes I find myself  having a reoccurring nightmare about not being able to

How to get people to your website…and keep them there!

When it comes to a website, sometimes the hardes part is not how to get them there, but how to keep them on your site longer than 2 minutes. Well, for me anyway. So, I thought I would share some techniques that have worked for me.

First things first
Your content should be the first thing you consider during a redesign. You need to make sure that you CALL THINGS WHAT THEY ARE!! Don’t use words like “surrogated-liner impact sealer” when its really just a door knob. If a search engine is trying to help a potential customer of yours find a door knob…do you think they will know your

New ways to reach your customers with an old technique

Let me start this conversation like this…”Do you want your company to be all over the internet with bad press or good press?”  Testimonials are one of the most unique and fastest way to sell and brand your product.  They also happen to be an older method of marketing that is often forgotten. But ask yourself this one question,

Segmentation…even with Twitter and Facebook!

Segment your customers into different markets.  Once you have your customers segmented (this can be extremely detailed or not – depends on what type of life cycles you put toward the segments) you can begin targeting them in a more focused manner or you can broaden your marketing efforts.  Either way, you will understand more about your customers by the process of segmentation. Many of these techniques can be used in social media marketing as well. You can segment your followers on Twitter with the use of lists. You can segment your friends on Facebook through the use of lists through the customize tool in the privacy settings, not to mention all the different tools within Linked In, MySpace, etc. Understanding the importance of segments will allow you to better market! Keep reading to find out how.

Buying Behaviors

Past response is indicative of future response.  The most predictive piece of marketing is the

What’s your strategy to get people to open your blog via Twitter?

I have seen several methods used on Twitter and have tried most of them. There is the good old “Hit them hard and hit them fast” method.  This method consists of sending 4 – 5  different

Understanding the gaze of your customer

The design and graphics of your marketing material must support and strengthen the copy message.

• Make it easy to scan
• Have a focal point
• Have an easy transfer of information (easy to read)
• Communicate not decorate

What draws the eye, are warm colors and people. The best place to put your illustration is on the

Referral Systems as a Means for Marketing

Referral systems can be beneficial in some industries but not all.  The best way to find out if it works for our industry is to simply test it (I stress frequently testing programs rather than ruling them out).  The best way to test this is to ask for 1 to 2 names from your customers who have recently purchased your product (they will be the most happy) and leave it at that.

How to improve your offers on your marketing materials

An offer is a reason to act.  Focus on the offer first rather than the design of the direct mail piece.  The offer needs to be clear and a focal point on the mailer.  If there is any call to action, make sure that it is easy to find visually.  An offer is like bait for our customers to hook them.  Offers that are successful are:

Is your marketing lacking creativity? Try using a creative brief!

If it doesn’t sell – it isn’t creative

First develop a creative brief.  A creative brief is a report detailing out:

• Target Audience
• Objectives/Strategies
• Product Positioning Statement
• Obstacles/Barriers
• Action

Good creative briefs help everyone.  A creative brief will show the 3 major benefits that matter to customers (the way customers think, act and feel from the product).  Historical results should be in a creative brief if it is a similar product that has been done before. Characteristics of what the customers want and need to change should be included in the creative brief.

Science tells us that large purchases are made with 80% emotions and 20%