Putting your name on the map

 I've been in a heavy thinking phase lately. You see, I've always more or less been the "black sheep" I've always went against the grain no matter the consequence. While I've learned to not be radical I still believe in not allowing people to tell you what to think because it's what they want to hear. So what am I talking about? It has something to do with marketing I promise. 

 I love business but I feel the enviorment needs to change and it is before our very eyes. I am sick to death of the politically correct go with the flow corporate mindset that even small businesses are trying to do. The most artistic, outspoken business will always stand out over all of these cliche sounding setups. It makes for a boring, almost suffocating enviorment sometimes.

 Don't get me wrong making money is good and all but I truly do believe in doing something other then profit. If you really want to market your business make people take notice and the best way is by action.

 I saw an ad for a food drive the other day and it got me thinking, what if instead of acquiring another billboard a business built a non profit shelter. People would know it's your business doing things and they would know that you'd ultimately put their money to good use.

Obviously this wouldn't be cheap but it's doable with the right planning.

  Also, due to gmos trying their best  to ruin our food supply the need for organic farming is around like never before. You can always build a custom green house to protect from outside chemicals. And Anyone can farm, you just need to teach them how. This builds a farmers market for you and gives the homeless/unemployed a job.

 I said months ago agriculture interested me and I love the fact I see it making a comeback in our society.  So this is now both a marketing and profitable opportunity of done correctly. It's something to truly consider because we need this across the nation. We need to do more as entrepeaneurs. Forget the material lifestyle, we have enough of that. We truly do need change and it's going to start with the most driven people. 

I can't think of a more opportunistic way to put your business name on the map.

Is your Business Useful?

  Nowadays there's a business for everything, I'm waiting for the App to flush the toilet for you to come out any day now. Technology to me is a fickle thing. When you put it into your life to help you it becomes a beautiful thing. When your every action depends on it, you're going to have a problem. America is in a Technology craze these days, and they're trying to sell you anything while giving you some lip service on how useful it is.  Or they just copy the same product...That's been copied a million times before. Anyone want to buy another brand of Marketing software? Didn't think so.

  So the question I'm asking you is simple. What's useful about your product and why do people need it? The Market is literally going through a Traffic Jam right now. Banks will tell you "be creative, come to use and get a loan!"
But if anything I think the consumer is getting annoyed. I think they're tired of hearing about Social Media start ups, and Marketing start ups. Now obviously, this is a delicate subject because I myself do Marketing so I don't want to sound hypocritical. So when I saw how overcrowded our field became I've looked for ways to stand out and offer my clients what the other 50 Marketers he just talked to don't.

 I've noticed a big drop off in demand for Social Media Marketing. I'm not surprised, Facebook tells everyone to advertise on their platform and they tell you how. A lot of folks get Facebook results and ignore or find no need the add anything else. I can't really blame them either. You really should be able to offer more then simple Social Media Marketing to your clients. If you're feeling stumped on how to do so, here's some advice. Be creative..and when I say that I mean don't follow the crowd, don't do what you always read online. Do something different, something people will see and remember. That's just Marketing..I think a lot of Business sectors are going through this.

 Look at Clothing. EVERYONE is selling clothing, and I've noticed the quality has dropped off lately. This is because the general crowd believes you can simply buy a cheap quality T, slap a design on it and bam. Obviously there's a lot more then this that goes into the field. Like I did with Marketing I can give you examples all day.

 So whatever you do, it goes without saying that you need to love it. Once you love it you will find a way to stand out from the rest that are in it just for the profit.    Be Different, Think Different. 

Blogging is good for Business

 Blogging is an essential piece for any Marketing content. A lot of people enjoy doing it, some can't stand it. For those who can't It I suggest hiring a content writer.  You can do so without breaking the bank. You can hire one for certain pieces on a freelance basis, no hefty salary to pay full time.

 A content writer is good for your Business because they help bring your message to customer. If they're good enough they can help the customer visualize what they're saying with enough detail in their message and maybe some catchy images.   ;)

 I wouldn't just stop at a Blog. A content creator can also write story lines for content videos or even write your Professional emails, press releases, etc.

 All of this can be very beneficial in being discovered and running your business as smooth as possible. 

Building a Bond

 So I've been pretty busy the past few days (note the lack of a Blog, yes I've missed you too) I recently started a pretty serious Marketing job for not just a client, but an old friend. My old Martial Arts instructor  had gotten in touch with me and the rest was history. Right off the bat we had great chemistry working together. There's always that "feeling out" period you have with a new client. Sometimes you end up getting along with the client, other times communication can be like nails to a chalk board (but you always finish the job regardless) .
affiliatemarketing
 This was obviously a case of getting along with the "client" or as I prefer to call him my Instructor. It has shown me the power of building a Bond with clients. While the relationship ultimately comes down to you as the Marketer completing the job, you can really get to know your client along the way. This is so big for us Marketers because we all need associates that help us get our message out.

  Take Dr. Dre Beats for instance...They started their Marketing by having athletes and anyone who was famous rocking a pair. The result? Success, to say the least. If your trying to get the word out for a Clothing Brand what's the best way to Market the product? Some kind of crazy viral Marketing Strategy right? No. The best possible thing you can do is have people wear the product and rave about it.

 As the saying goes, sometimes it's not what you know but who you know. I can't think of another Business other than Marketing where that applies more.

Taking the next step

 Have you ever felt hesitant with your Marketing? Maybe you weren't sure that advertising idea would work, or maybe you didn't feel comfortable opening up to your audience via Social Media or Blog posts. To some this may sound ridiculous to others it sounds pretty familiar.

 

In life we learn it's better to think before we leap. But in marketing I've found the exact opposite to be true. As long as you don't come out with too radical of a tone, it's ok if your first attempt fails. You can always go over whats not working and change things. This is the beauty of starting out.

  

 You don't have some big rep yet. To get one these are the type of things you need to do. The fun part of Marketing, atleast in my opinion, is that the most creative individuals are the ones who truly stand out and relate to the audience.

  So try a few things. It's normal for a few strategies to need editing along the way.  

Hope for the hometown

Could this be the next big thing for Port Saint Lucie? 

http://m.cbs12.com/article?id=5178696

A Chinese Investor named Lily Zhong has plans to pick up the ghost town known as "Downtown Port Saint Lucie"

 The Investor has proposed a $380 International Trade Center that includes Hotels, Residential Areas(living space), and office space. By going through with this plan, this would make an immediate and future impact to the Economy. It would create a lot of Construction jobs, it provides needed living space and office space. It also gives Businesses better opportunity to Network and also attracts larger Businesses due to the low cost of Port Saint Lucie Real Estate.

These are Must Reads For Any Marketer

I came upon these articles today and figured I'd share. Entrepreneur is a great source for all kinds of Business topics in case you were looking for some new reading material. Enjoy! 

"Marketing to everyone, appealing to no one"

 "I recently met with two founders who had launched a very cool vitamin company targeting millennial-minded consumers. Their well-designed website, content strategy and social channels had pictures, stories, posts of pregnant mothers, women in business suits and men bodybuilding. And did I mention the kids from Africa who were benefiting from company donations? Start ups are not Verizon. They don’t have the budgets or bandwidth to appeal to the Mall of America. If you try to appeal to everyone, you will resonate with no one."

Link To Fll Article

These 61  Marketing Tools Are Worth A Look

Followerwonk

Social Rank

ManageFlitter

Must Be Present

Tweriod

Tweepi

Tweet4Me...

Link To Social Media Tools

Finding your startup spot

  Being a young entrepreneur we're always looking to find that spot to start doing our own thing. Today more then ever we're flocking to cities all over the country. Why do you think cities like Oklahoma City are considered promising? That wasn't the case 40 years ago.  With the growing need for start up Business and technology on the rise it's almost possible to do just about anything from anywhere nowadays..So where do we go? Here's some sports I like.

Wynwood Miami

When you think about Miami you think Condos, Clubs, and some not so legit Businesses.
However times are changing. As more and more people move to the Cities, they want affordability, opportunity and life around them. For someone into Marketing or a Tech Business, Miami is great for B2B Marketing and Sales. Not to mention the economy is better in Miami. Living in Florida my whole life, I can tell you and as you probably know it's a very laid back, not good at getting things done for Business type of place (sorry my fellow Floridians but you know it's true so many time) However Miami is different. People have a motor that moves, they're willing to hustle their way up the ranks rather then complain. Where I'm from I could barely find a job at 16..In Miami I see a kid selling water bottles or some little nick nack all over the place. While this may have little to do with Marketing, it shows that the people here want to succeed. For a young Marketer it's a great way to Network with others in the field. It's a great way to find the right Tech guy your Business so desperately needs. Affordable, fun, cultural, great for Business, what's not to love?

 Las Vegas, Nevada

Vegas? Yes. As the Economy slowly recovers the Gambling industry continues to face tough times. Facing a pretty dire situation, Las Vegas has turned to other other forms of Business. Due to many of the hidden real estate deals in the City, Tech Companies have really grown in this area, along with Marketing companies. Being in Tech or Marketing you want a city where you can make some noise...Well this one sure helps. Art Museums, more and more crazy rides/stunt scenes, Shark Scuba Diving, etc. Are also growing stronger in the tourism industry. Las Vegas as we all know as been the Sin Capital of the USA. But because you can no longer base an economy on gambling, strip clubs. etc. they're starting to become a more diverse, but still fun filled environment.

Oklahoma City 

Oklahoma City is skyrocketing in popularity. It's one of the friendliest states to small start ups. It has one of, if not THE best housing recoveries,  a low unemployment rate and finally low housing costs. This means you probably have customers along with Business clients. I don't know if you've noticed, but it's getting harder and harder to find good paying customers in non elite areas. A good economic climate around you is huge. With low housing costs and a good economy, you'll have a strong local backing behind you here. While it may not be the flash of South Beach or The Strip, OKC is a cool up and coming City. Not only that, but a lot of people don't want the crazy Miami hustle and bustle lifestyle. For that person, a City like Oklahoma City is a great choice

Organic Group Marketing

   Lately I've been doing some marketing for some new ventures of my own. In this time I've found out quite a bit about retail marketing. I forgot what it was like to have an ecommerce site and what goes into making it profitable. If you think it's easy, no. Think your 7 hour scheduled work days were long? My friend, if you want to succeed bad enough then say goodbye to time as you know it. 

  I've really enjoyed most of the process besides the occasional bumps in the road. I've also worked with a lot of other brands in this time. By doing so this allowed me to work with them to market eachothers product. For instance, one guy started a clothing business. Besides a heavy duty marketing campaign via Pinterest/Instagram, we wore his clothes around. He paid younger people to wear the brand out to clubs, etc. 

  Organic Marketing like this can really push a brand. A very important thing to to note is ROI per customer. How much do you make off each one compared to what you spent to acquire each one? This is why Marketing is so important because overspending on it will ruin your Business quickly. 

 Product research is also key. Always look for the best deal, not necessarily the lowest price. What good is having low prices if your quality doesn't hold up? Also, you always hear not to fear change. This is true, what ever product or service you offer someone can and will provide competition to it. Keep your eyes and ears peeled when it comes to new trends.

 There's plenty more details but those are just a couple . They will take time when undergoing a new business venture but if you love what you do you'll realize it's a fun part of the lifestyle. Good luck and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me or post them here.