The competition is fierce and ad budgets are tighter than ever. If you’re looking to boost profits and gain market share, there are some things you can do to gain a bigger piece of the pie.
Give your product a distinct personality.
OfficeMax’s Rubber-Band Guy is an instantly identifiable, highly memorable character that has boosted sales and brand recognition. It personifies the brand while selling the message that whatever customers need they can get at OfficeMax.
Give them an interesting history lesson.
Some of the most common products we use today have the most interesting development histories. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, left historical records of a powder made from the bark and leaves of the willow tree to help heal headaches, pains and fevers. By 1829, scientists discovered that the salicin in willow plants was the key ingredient in aspirin, which was later repackaged and marketed by Bayer.
Sing your product’s praises.
Create a memorable catchy song, poem or jingle that that hooks in people’s minds. Gillette sold millions of razor blades using “The Best a Man Can Get,” which continues to stick in consumers’ heads, leaving a positive impression about the product’s unbeatable performance.
Re-package your product for the customer.
Create new convenience packaging that makes your product easier to buy, use or refill. Motor oil used to be sold in cans that required a punch-in can opener or separate punch-through spout. These were messy and troublesome to use. Now oil is sold in twist-open, easy-pour plastic bottles.
Let consumables take the lead.
Drop the price of your product, then promote and sell its consumables. Computer printers can be bought for as little as $20, yet the ink cartridges sell for $29 apiece. So don’t worry about making a big profit on devices, let your consumables take the lead.
Use viral marketing.
Viral marketing is any word-of-mouth or “tell a friend” mechanism that induces users to re-convey a marketing message to other sites or users. Leveraged by the power of the web and email, viral techniques can create exponential growth in your product’s visibility.
Customize your product.
Try to give customers exactly what they want by creating apparently customized versions of your product. Consider the success of Cycle 1, 2, 3, 4 Pet Foods, or Burger King’s “Have it Your Way.”
Go high tech.
Exploit the latest technological advancements in media to underscore your message. For example, explore the use of audio chips in magazines, brochures or mailers. The novelty of these devices gets people talking, and there’s that “V” word again (viral marketing).
Promote product sharing.
This can be done by showing how your product brings friends and family together. An emotional appeal like this can be very memorable. A good example is Almond Joy’s, “you can share half and still have a whole.” Another is the ubiquitous Friends-and-Family discount, which abounds in everything from cell phones to vacation packages.
Show your product being used by experts.
If possible, establish your product as the one used by recognized experts in the field. A case in point is Canon’s use of photojournalists to endorse its 35mm cameras.
Make your product sui generis.
Establish the fact that your product is generically in a class by itself. Consider Porsche’s use of the line “there is no substitute.” Or products that have become household words: “blow your nose with a Kleenex,” or “make me a Xerox copy.”
Think outside the demographic box.
Attract a new category of customers by thinking outside the box. Consider gaining younger or older buyers by expanding the utility and style of your product, e.g., cell phones for ‘tweens, or health bars for seniors.
Alex Kecskes provides a full range of copywriting services. Visit www.akcreativeworks.com for more information and samples.
12 Sales-Boosting Strategies
10 Offline Tightwad Marketing Strategies to Help You Get More Clients
Copyright 2006 Donna Gunter
Several years ago, in response to client requests for no-cost or low-cost marketing techniques, I coined the term "tightwad marketing". My definition of tightwad marketing is the art of doing more with less, or using your creativity instead of your checkbook to get the word out about your business.
Even though the saying, “If you build it they will come” worked for Kevin Costner’s character in the movie, “Field of Dreams”, life doesn't often imitate art. Usually the first thing that pops into someone’s mind when they think about marketing is, “I've got to place an ad.” Place a few ads and soon your marketing budget has totally dried up. Statistics say that someone must see your ad six times in the same publication before thinking of using your business. If it’s a weekly or monthly publication, that could be six weeks to six months down the road, and you can't afford to wait that long!
In order for the public to find your field of dreams, here are ten inexpensive ways to get started:
1. Define your USP--your Unique Selling Proposition--and use it in everything that you do. Make sure your customer knows what it is that you do that is unique to you and your business. Don't make them struggle to answer the question of why they should do business with you instead of your competitor.
2. Create joint ventures with other businesses that complement yours. For example, if you’re a real estate agent, team up with a cleaning service, an interior decorator, and a personal chef to offer a nice packaged deal to a new home buyer.
3. Stress the benefits of what you do, not the product or service. There’s a great story that’s passed around about the world’s most successful insurance salesman, who, when asked what he did for a living, responded, “I buy life assurance.” Most people responded, “What do you mean?” to which he replied, “I buy life assurance for my clients at the best possible price. Would you like me to buy some for you?” Make your potential customer think, “I've got to get that!”
4. Become newsworthy! Send out media releases to announce a new service or product or sponsorship of a charity event. Create an event or a special day. Link what you do to an existing trend or news event. Talk about your personal story in the business, i.e. if you went broke and bounded back, started to create one product and ended up with another, etc. Issue an award or give something away. Conduct a survey and report the results. Write a letter to the editor.
5. Talk to your customers. Call 5 previous customers and find out what they liked and didn't like about their dealings with you, and how you might better serve them in the future. Have them write testimonials that you can use. Ask and reward them for referrals.
6. Love what you do and become a model of what you’re selling. If you don't absolutely love what you do and feel passionate about it, your customers are going to see right through you and not be convinced to buy what you are offering. For example, if you’re a car mechanic and your shop sits on a parking lot full of clunkers that don't run, why would anyone hire you to repair their car? Or, if you’re a landscaper and your lawn is full of weeds and crabgrass, who wants to hire you to beautify their yard? If you don't truly feel passionate about your business and become a living model of that business to everyone you meet, then find another business!
7. Network, network, network! Join organizations, such as Chambers of Commerce, professional groups, civic groups, etc. and any type of organization to which your target market might belong. Attend community events like business open-houses or neighborhood picnics. Sales master Joe Girard lives by his “Law of 250”, which states that everyone knows about 250 people well enough to invite to their wedding or to be in attendance at their funeral. Lesson: Perhaps the person you’re speaking with isn’t interested in what you offer, but there’s a good chance s/he knows someone who is250 of them!
8. Use attention-getting devices -- make yourself visible. Always have business cards on hand to distribute. Have a t-shirt personalized with your business name and wear it when you run errands. Wear an outfit or uniform that shows the world who you are. UPS has taken their identity as seen in their brown trucks and uniforms and embraced it with the tag line in their current commercials, "What can brown do for you?"
9. Talk and teach. Approach local organizations about being a guest speaker at their next meeting. Give a workshop that is open to public and is low-cost/no-cost for participants and discuss a particular aspect of your business, or demonstrate what you do. Offer them valuable information, but leave them hungry for more. For example, a financial planner might offer a free seminar called, “Planning for Retirement as a Thirty-something” or a bank loan officer might offer a workshop in conjunction with a real estate agency called, “Everything a First-Time Homebuyer Needs to Know But is Too Scared to Ask.” Or, work with your local college or recreation department and get paid to teach what you know.
10. Implement 5 a day. Make a list of all the creative ways you can market your business, and implement 5 of them per day.
Remember, in Tightwad Marketing, you’re limited only by your imagination!
15 Effective Niche Marketing Strategies.
This article was written to reply numerous of the most regularly asked questions on this topic. I wish you find out all of this knowledge helpful.
1. Making More cash - Most individuals desire to make more money. They want to keep off not being able to buy all their needs and wants. You could object product niches for employment, home businesses, networking marketing, affiliate programs, employment advancement, etc.
2. Increasing Profits And Sales - Most businesses want to increase their profits and sales. You could goal product niches about marketing, copywriting, advertising, cutting costs, publicity tips, etc.
3. Making fair Investments - Most individuals want to get high returns on their investments. You could object product niches about investing in the stock market, bonds, futures trading, etc.
4. Getting A elevate - Employees want to avoid being on a low pay scales at their place of effort and losing their job. You could aim product niches about communicating at work such as asking for a raise, promotions at work, etc.
5. Getting A Promotion - Most employees want to succeed and offer their employer their best. You could target product niches about moving up the ladder at work, career advancement, above or underachieving at work with the consequences of each, etc.
6. Working From house - Many individuals would somewhat work at home. You could target product niches about home business start-up, home business opportunities, affiliate programs, network marketing, etc.
7. Working Less - Most individuals want to work less but smarter. You could target product niches about businesses that require little or no work, automated income streams, part-time jobs that pay the same as 40 hour a week jobs, etc.
8. Eliminating Debt - Most individuals want to manage or eliminate their debts. You could target product niches about money control, debt consolidation, stopping debt collectors from calling, etc.
9. Having outstanding Credit - individuals want to maintain excellent credit. You could target product niches about improving their credit reports, financial management, how to increase their credit rating, etc.
10. Finding A Bargain - Most people like to find bargains. You could target product niches about being thrifty, negotiating lower prices, where to find fair bargains, etc.
12. Retiring Early - Most people want to retire beforehand or at least have money for their retirement. You could target product niches about planning for early retirement, investing for the long designation, goal setting, etc.
13. Being Educated - Many want to new their education. You could target product niches about college grants, college ratings, college loans, college living, etc.
14. Save Money - Most people want to save money. You could target product niches about starting a budget, lower bills, stretching their money further, shopping smarter, etc.
15. Being Successful - Most people want to be successful. You could target product niches about advancing and reaching goals, motivational techniques, getting into the right mind set, etc.
I hope you have gotten some acceptable ideas from this article and that you are able to use them.
Brand New. 10 Secret And Effective Marketing Strategies
Marketing is one of the most important business factors. From my experience, I have just listed 10 effective marketing strategies that have helped my marketing development, and hope will help your business,too. Here are 10 secret and effective marketing strategies.
1. Create a directory of web sites on a specific topic. Give people the option of adding the directory to their web site by linking to it. Put your business advertisement at the top of the director's home page. This technique will get lots of people to linkto your web site and give you free advertising.
2. Do you have a product or service that doesn't sell good? Offer it as a free bonus for someone else's product or service. Get free advertising by placing your web site or business ad on the product or in the product package.
3. Trade autoresponder ads with other businesses. If both of you send out information with auto-responders just exchange a small classified ad to put at the bottom or top of each other's autoresponder message.
4. Start a free tip line. Offer a free daily, weekly, or monthly tip recorded on your voice mail. The tips should be related to your business. Include your ad for your web site or business at the beginning or end of your message.
5. Exchange content with other web sites and ezines. You could trade articles, top ten lists, etc. Both parties could include a resource box at the end of the content.
6. Offer to insert ads into your product package for other businesses. Just ask, in return that they do the same for your business. You should only trade insert ads with businesses that have the same target audience.
7. Offer a free daily class in your web site's chat room. The class should be related to the subject of your business or web site. This will get people to visit your web site everyday.
8. Do you have a product that doesn't sell good? Offer it as a free bonus for another businesses product or service. You'll get free advertising by placing your web site or business ad on the free bonus.
9. Place different emotional response ads for the same product or service all over your web site. One ad may hit their hot button to buy more than another ad.
10. Publish your e-zine in e-book format. You could offer a larger number of articles per issue. It also allows you to include graphics with your ezine.Your advertising revenue would increase because you could charge businesses for large color ads.
How would you like those 10 secret marketing tips? I could have listed more than 10 marketing strategies but those 10 tips are my interesting strategies. I hope above 10 marketing strategies will increase your sales and marketing growth.
Best Internet Marketing Strategies – Success Is Yours
Do you have a list of words that you like? I used to have a pretty extensive list. I had lots of words on there, but unfortunately I have forgotten many of them because I wasn’t thinking about them enough. This is depressing because that list was such a simple little pick me up to maintain. I also liked that I liked the words for absolutely no logical reason. For example, the word “fusia” was on there and I’m not even one hundred percent sure what color that is, but I like the sound. Incidentally, I’m thinking fusia is a burgundy-ish color.
I once was out to eat with a girlfriend named Kit (actually her name was Katrina and for some reason it was shortened to Kit rather than Kat). The relationship was clearly coming to a close, but we still had a few dinners and drinks in us before the official end. Anyways, that night she told me that she liked the word “perpendicular” and although I was mentally tainted in my thinking about her, because I knew that we were going to break up, at the moment that she said that, she seemed to me the most beautiful woman in the world. I like words and I like people who like words.
Anyways, I just realized that I also like the word “strategy”. I’m not sure why. I like it and moreover, just thinking about it makes me wish I had a strategy…for anything…except marketing. I don’t want a marketing strategy and I definitely don’t want an internet marketing strategy. Much like my feelings towards Kit in a positive way, I think that I would be negatively influenced by someone who had an internet marketing strategy. I don’t even want to think about what I’d feel towards someone who claimed to have the best internet marketing strategy. So in conclusion, I feel that the word strategy is cool and I also feel that actual strategies are cool, but a marketing strategy to me reeks of exploitative intentions and to me that is just not cool.