How do you reward your customers?

 
With so much competition in almost every area of Business, you have to be willing to do the things that make your Business stand out. When Marketing it's not just about the clicks, or the number of people that have heard about you. It's about the number of interactions. How many people really checked you out? How many talked to you and came away with a good impression? It's these type of things that will not only get you business but loyal customers as well.

  Lets be honest, any Business owner knows customers can be a picky bunch. So to keep them happy you need to do the deals and customers service that your competition does not. There's plenty of ways to do this, you have to be sure you're not making yourself lose money by providing these deals (something that happens more often then you think) and it has to be the deals that customers want. Some of my customers like extra stock in their orders, others prefer the faster shipping for a better deal, etc. These are just a couple of examples.

 When starting a new Business, meeting new clients or getting out of a slow spell, often I've found offering customers deals to be the most effective way of getting things going. You can advertise the deals on your Social Media page, your Blog, or Email Marketing (a fat email list with the right deal will bring you some serious results)

 Customer Rewards are important for gaining customers loyalty. If you haven't done so yet, give these ideas a try.

Are you putting enough information in your Marketing?

 I came across this article the other day and I thought it made a great point.

Today's consumer and especially millennials are information based. This means no matter your style of Marketing you need to inform your customers with the important details. People want to know what they're spending their money on, how it works, etc. Being vague will get you nowhere.

Why do you think people have always watched the News more than anything else on TV? Because we all want and need information. This is important to know whenever you're selling or marketing something. I remember when one of my first ecommerce websites was going nowhere in terms of sales. Customer feedback eventually told me they could not see the product clearly in pictures and this simple detail cost me a good amount of lost sales.

I've seen this same problem with clients I've worked with as well. This and lack of proper information, an inefficient layout or setup will take a lot of sales away from your business. Nowadays with everyone trying to do their own thing Online you have to stand out in every way possible. You hear all the time about connecting with the consumer. This isn't done from some magical event, it's by telling or showing the consumer the things they want to see.
Information is a valuable thing. Knowing how to use it can be the difference in deciding if you're successful or not.

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. 

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.  

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

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.

Controlling your inner control freak

   I stand guilty as charged. I can be controlling, I demand perfection to a point where I've driven myself Mad on more then enough occasions. I've always been told, even since a young age, I was too intense at times when getting my message across. Others called this passion, but the the realists saw it as passion delivered with an intense, offsetting tone.

"10% of Conflict is due to difference in opinion.. 90% is due to tone of voice"

 I came across this quote today (how fitting) and it really confirmed what I needed to know. I noticed when I started out at times my customers almost seemed intimidated when dealing with me. I thought this was because they were skeptical of my services, but no. These were people that had already hired me . The problem was when we talked I had so many ideas/suggestions sometimes I'd accidentally dominate the conversation without realizing it.

 I've noticed when I would calm down and allow the customer fully express their wants and needs we worked together much more effectively. Real surprising right? I blame it on my adhd ;) it's the downside of having an analytic brain.

 This is typical among the business or creative types. Sometimes their message comes off the wrong way.  This happens because we know what works for us and sometimes we think it works for everyone else. While working with others it's important to realize this is not always the case, in most cases it rarely is. That's why whenever you work with anyone it's important to trust them. Trust is critical to any relationship, business is no exception.

  Marketing requires a lot of interaction with clients, associates, etc. If you can't work with others you'll never take that next step. If you're serious about your business you'll find a way to make this happen, I did and it wasn't easy at first. 

  I'll leave you with this, always, always do your research. Before beginning work with anyone, you need to be sure the situation will work out. Just jumping into the fire will end up getting you burned. 

"Before anything else, preparation is the key to success"

- Alexander Graham Bell

Social Media Marketing Tips

 

  The world of Online  Marketing is a vast one so standing out is how you're going to accomplish your goals. But what do you do to truly get the results? Every Marketer has their bread and butter that brings them most of their traffic. 

  In my own experience I've found communication and blogging the best way to get results. What I mean with communication is finding te most effective way to reach your clients. I've talked about message forums before. But social media simply cannot be ignored as many of you know.

  A lot of people refuse to put much of any budget toward their marketing. If you can price yours in the middle with effective planning, social media should be a big thing for you. I've had a lot of success with retail products on Facebook and I really mean it. If you do it the right way it's more profitable then a website.

  Lately I keep hearing all about Instagram as the tool for Marketing. Personally I've found Pinterest to be way more effective. As I said though, to each their own. I recommend adding text to the photo on either platform to get your message out more.

  Going back to Facebook, I'm sure you've probably heard of contest and all that. But they really are effective. Having people share to get one free item works out very well for you.

  Social media truly has become te Juggernaut of Marketing and these are just a few tips, there's many more to learn so don't hesitate to your research .

Let's keep things simple

  I've been reading quite a few different marketing articles today, and all I have to say is "wow".

The Internet marketing craze is in full swing and I'm starting to think were getting a little too technical. You hear all about the different methods of marketing which is good. However once people start to rely on Technology for results they go from being a Marketer to being a Spam Bot.

  This morning I read one article that was so simple a beginner would completely understand it. Yet I find the things in that article more helpful then all the articles going into anal detail about data and collecting this, or automating that. How many times did you yourself see an article bringing up something like this? And I notice that when I read these articles it's always the same, non helpful technical talk.

  Look folks, I'll tell you right now I've done marketing for a few years, I started by having an online shop then after some success I decided to open others. I've found that so many things you don't hear about like message forums, Facebook stores, auction sites, etc. A lot of this is way more simple and ten times more effective then just repeating yourself in different ways. 

 

  Business is not a complicated thing. You know your business is doing well when 2 things occur, 1.) sales and 2.) customers being referred to you.  It's that simple. It's not about getting thousands of spammed hits a day, yet I see people arguing that traffic = growth. Unless your content is better then millions of others, you need to give the customer more reasons to come back to you rather then good content. 

  I urge people all the time, take a few dollars less and always offer a customer a deal when starting. While doing this take care of this customer like you would a family member. That's how you're going to get your "growth" and sales to rise.

  I remember long ago paying a company close to $1000 over 3 months. After 3 months of no sales, they'd argue that atleast I was getting "hits". Yes, hits that cost me $300 a month and not a penny made off of it. It's funny because this same thing is done by other marketers time and time again and it's something  very much against.

  The funny thing is, after firing the company I remember opening a Facebook page on my own and giving this big scary marketing thing a go. In my first month from simple paid advertising I had hundreds of dollars in sales. Not big time at all, but growth had finally begun and for much less then what you usually need to spend. You would be amazed at what $100 can do when correctly used on social media. 

 So remember folks, don't let things get too out there when it comes to doing business. Keep it simple, and treat your customers right. As long as they want what you have, they'll be back. 

Marketing items

  Being that we're online so often we don't talk about much physical advertising anymore. The other day inwas doing some promoting in down town West Palm Beach. While I was there I had the opportunity to meet a fellow Marketer who introduced me to some of his Advertising items he was using.

 I have to admit they were pretty cool and certainly effective at drawing attention. Take a look at some examples:

  I say it quite often, offline marketing is very effective still to this day. Make it fun and make your message stand out like you would on the Internet.

 Just a quick message by yours truly, until next time folks.

Don't go overboard with the Content

  Earlier today I heard someone say "Business today is all about your Content" (meaning your content marketing, and how many people see it, etc.)
Look, any of my regulars know I love me some Content. But things are getting out of hand. Marketing your Business is just a piece of the pie, not the whole thing. On my Facebook feed I have two people that "Market"  by making unfunny prank videos in their spare time and blogging about their everyday life.  Sorry if I sound critical but please tell me, what the hell kind of value are you offering doing these things if your not important or informative? Why would I watch you 10 minute YouTube video if you were none of those things? Now I'm sure these future Marketing All Stars think they're delivering content that people want...But no. 

  I think it's cool when a Business shows you a bit of who they are. It's unique when a brand like Zappos came out and showed us not all corporate work places are full of zombies. But imagine if Zappos instead constantly informed you about what they ate and what they thought about it. Or how they really wanna show you this funny joke. Sounds like something you really wanna spend some time watching right?

  Content should be about showing who you are and what your business is about. period. If you did what you had to do it's onto the sales. I'm not saying it's simple or not to be creative...But don't be annoying either. Offer something of value, and because everyone and their cousin is attempting the same thing these days make your content  really  valuable.

For instance a lot of people use Google Adwords to make their income. It's a great option to have but consider trying to sell/promote items. The more things of value there are, the more reasons people have to come.

  

Viral Marketing Tips

 Viral Marketing is a great way to bring good traffic numbers to your site. There are many different forms of Viral Marketing, a lot of it comes down to have the skills to execute. Here's a list....

Email List - If you have enough engaging users, have them sign up to receive mail updates from Blogs, Product News, etc. (Always leave an "unsubscribe option) You can easily get 100's of page views from one  single email to the right list.

Social Shares - I cannot suggest this one enough. I remember having a contest one time for a retail site. I offered a product for Social Shares. I had 100's of likes that day to my Face Book page.

E Books - This is good because it truly engages your Customer. Instead of one blog they have pages of information and if they like it they'll most likely follow/share your page.

Article Marketing - Have a Blog post that your readers couldn't get enough of? Submit it to an article site (Reddit, anyone) A good article can stay posted for a very long time

Embracing today's consumer

You hear it a lot already I'm sure. Know your audience, etc. That's good and all, but that's just a piece of the overall puzzle. You need to understand today's consumer. Unlike years past we have all kinds of communication devices and applications for those devices. Customers use this, and they use this well. This can be a great thing and can be a terrible thing. It's all about the experience the client had when dealing with you, and this is why customer service is more imprtant than ever before.

 No longer is the art of making a good living on the internet a mystery to people. I'm not sure how close you follow the economy, but this past Friday the unemployment report came out. It remains about the same. I believe a part of this is people taking up free lancing/websites and saying the hell wth a 9-5. So how will you stand out from the rest? Not the same old Marketing..But word of mouth. 

You can have 15K +followers and if none of them embrace your product what good is it? You have to think small to become big. So focus on the followers you have now. Use analytical tools to see what they do and don't like. See when they access your page. 

Once you have the customer's business it all comes down to service. You can have the best product and prices, but with horrible service you'll go nowhere fast. Try to motivate and compensate customers to spread the word. I promise you, it's a lot more effective then dumping 100's a month into a social media campaign every month asking for business. Let your good work bring them to you.

Before you read this and disagree, look at Face book. The most well known Social Media account that barely spent anything on marketing has become the king. Why? Word of mouth. This is why you need to focus on quality, not quantity. 

As they say..If you build it they will come. Just make sure when your customers come they're seeing a complete product and not something rushed. Today's consumer can be very demanding, the days of settling for mediocre Business practices are over, and rightfully so. Take this into consideration and give them what they want.

The Human side of Marketing

 Technology has invaded our lives so much it almost feels like people have forgotten this part of Marketing. I love Online Marketing for all its amazing things as much as the next guy. But one cannot deny the effectiveness of face to face marketing. Hell you can simply be around people and when discussing the site, have them pull it up on their phones. If you can get a group of people to do this often, it's little things like this that add up for page rank.

  You always hear about the effectiveness of video marketing. It builds trust, makes you more recognizable etc. Well imagine your audience actually knowing you. When you have a constant presence around the right crowd it only helps you accomplish your goals. It's much easier to build a solid relationship in person then through a Monitor. When your small in Marketing you have to be innovative with your Networking. If you can't afford to pay someone, offer them something that benefits them as well. The easiest would be to swap advertising with each other.

    This is also a great opportunity to learn. Quality Marketers can always teach each other new things. Keep your ears and mind open at all times.

Well folks, it's a beautiful day in South Florida today and I'm gonna go enjoy it. Until the next time......

Imagine Marketing without Social Media...Yes, there once was a time...

 If you can believe it, there really once was a time that Marketers depended on something not named Social Media. Were these better times? In my opinion, no because the creativity wasn't nearly as deep as it is today. So what did Marketers do in order to get exposure?

  The top dog by far at the time was SEO. Back in the day you could load $300 into a Google Ads account and with the right product you were making some money. Nowadays SEO has become much more competitive meaning it's much more expensive. Because of this we have found other ways. The new king of Marketing as we all know has become Social Media.

  It has changed the way we Market in terms of effectiveness, interaction, etc. Let me ask you this, how much does a legit, proven, company page mean today then it did just 4 years ago? It's more valuable then a Website these days and it's much easier to be found on Social Media then Google. Speaking of Google, try typing in your company name. Chances are your Social Media pages come up first. And people say Social Media doesn't help SEO? It may not boost your web site's ranking, but it damn sure boosts your name on Search Engines..That link right to your website.
 
This is just a very short list of reasons you need to get on Social Media and I suggest no less then 3 separate platforms. The more exposure, the better.

Making money with your marketing

  Times are still pretty tough ecspecially for an unproven Marketing Agency. Sometimes getting a client is difficult, with so many Marketers out there you need to stand out or be able to offer your client real value. Personally I find it difficult convincing a client to pay hundreds a month when most of them can find a company with more people for about the same price. So how does the little guy survive in this tough enviorment? Starting from the ground up.

  Find a service or two you specialize in more then others. Offer these particular services only. For instance. Just seo or just social media. Price the customer accordingly ofcourse. Try to build a relationship with the people that hire you .

  This could only help you getfuture Business or at the very least a satisfied customer. If you want Organic growth you need to show customers you offer them something they'll remember. Good results equals good reviews. 

Why you should make a Blog

Blogging is a great way to to to get exposure and although this sounds like common sense to most folks out there I find it's often pushed to the side for easier, less productive methods. Nowadays everyone living in their parents house thinks they can market for a Fortune 500 company. So putting in the most productive efforts possible in a variety of way is critical in today's marketing.

Marketing is like any other (possibly) rewarding career path. It takes hours of research of studying and content creating to truly make a difference in your campaigns. Blogs can give you links through text, image and video. The more you share those images and videos the higher your blog ranks (multimedia is long)

Originality is key. Don't post watered down YouTube videos. If you think your new traffic is going to enjoy waiting an average of 15 seconds to see your message think again. Creative content is king.

Working with the right Business

  Often times our path to Success is based on the people we work with. The thing we need to do is be able to surround ourselves with the right people to get the job done. Now while this is critical within our Business, it also matters who we choose to Market for.

  As a Marketer you don't want to advertise a product that is crap. You don't want to associate with a questionable Business either for obvious reasons. Last but not least you don't want to attempt to Market a product you have no knowledge of.

  We can all learn about a Business and a Product but knowing about it and having a liking for it is different. Ever notice how easy it is to Market something for something you're very familiar with? While you can't always have this luxury as a Marketer it's great when you have it and over time you can eventually go after those Clients by targeting and locating them.

 Remember, a Business is a huge responsibility. If you're going to do it you better do something you love.

Why Interactive Ads are Awesome

  Hey, did you hear? Marketing is kind of changing this year..A lot. And in some pretty cool ways I might add.

Seriously though, as the Marketing trends continue to come out it's important to see what's good and what's "attempting" to be good.  So What''s good? Interactive Ads. Interactive Ads give the user the Yin and Yang if you will. They deliver the cool, eye catching images and they encourage engagement from the user by doing different things. This is so important for your success in marketing. But why exactly? Well, I'll tell you why and it's not just for Google Clicks.

  When a customer actually engages in your content, they go from just seeing your ad to learning about it. We can almost rank the clicks...

1 Click - Hmmm..Interesting

2nd Click - Tell me More

3rd Click - OK, I'm interested.

  As the saying goes..It happens once, its a coincidence. It happens twice, it's a sign. It happens three times, and it becomes a trend.  Whenever I Market anything and I'm going over the Data, I always look for 3. 3 Clicks, 3 Visits. Something happening 3 times is a good sign in my opinion.

  Whenever you design a web page, Ad, anything related to Marketing, don't aim for page views..Aim for engagement. Think about it like dating someone. When you see them, your interested. After the first date or two, you want more and more. Apply this to your Marketing and I promise you will see better results.