Advertisement Ideas: Using Gratitude As A Marketing Strategy!!!

I recently attended an Introduction To Gratitude Training done by Jo Engelesson who is an author and speaker who is a leader in the personal development and spiritual development industry. Her website www.tofa.us allows visitor to purchase tokens of appreciation that they can register and then pass on to those who have positively impacted their day. Jo told her story about how assuming the attitude of gratitude changed her business. I visited the site and bought 5 of the coins and have handed out 4 of them so far. Each time I have given out a token I have seen a great shift in my attitude and as a result have had a successful day. As I gave out one of the tokens of appreciation I began to think how can business owners and marketing directors and those involved in charitable work use the concept of gratitude as a marketing strategy. The answer was simple incorporate gratitude as part of the strategic marketing plan by rewarding existing customers and donors and also when procuring new customers and donors.

One of the greatest thing you can do in business or in your personal life is to express gratitude. People like to feel appreciated. In today’s world where people text, facebook, and email receiving a hand written thank you note goes a long way in making a person remember you. Sometimes the more creative you are with the thank you the better. I remember working for The NY Liberties of Major League Volleyball and asking potential sponsor’s secretaries what their favorite pizza was and then going to the owner of the team, Jerry Saperstein, and asking for a budget to send them pizza with thank you note. He said yes and I sent the pizzas and had the pizza place write a note thank you for speaking with me about The NY Liberty, Jonathan Lederman. This tactic worked and we secured a few sponsors as a result. I then began to use this tactic with reporters. If a reporter did a story about the team I sent a hand written thank you note. The idea is that using gratitude as a marketing strategy works. I would secure people’s addresses who attended games and send them a thank you note and something with The NY Liberties logo on it and tickets. This helped to take the attendance from 300 fans a game to over 1000 fans a game. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Using Gratitude As A Marketing Strategy!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Building Revenue Through Community Involvement!!!

Today I am at The Starbucks in Boca Raton on Federal Highway North of Glades Road picking up items to use in a fundraiser for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of West Boca Raton. I normally do not come to this particular Starbucks however while I was here I ordered a Venti Caramel Frappuccino and a Bagel. I plan on doing another drink and snack. In giving me items to use in the fundraiser for Relay For Life they generated some revenue that they would not have had. Think about it how many others now go to their local Starbucks because of their support of Relay For Life. I gave them a shout out on my Facebook Page as well so they reach over 2700 people that they normally wouldn’t have reached. I mentioned them in this blog so they gain some positive exposure. Think about how your business could support an event like Relay For Life and use it as leverage to build brand awareness and increase your revenue. Sometimes it is when you give that you get the best form of advertising.

Walmart is a national corporate partner of Relay For Life and gains massive exposure by being on every track marker displayed at over 5000 Relay For Life events nationwide. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of West Boca Raton is very fortunate to have a team from Walmart involve din our relay and they are doing outstanding with hosting events. You can see their progress at www.relayforlife.org/westbocaratonfl. As a result of them hosting events to raise funds for Relay For Life they have seen an increase in revenue because the volunteers have bought water and other drinks from the store. Many of the Relay For Life volunteers have also begun to do some of their grocery shopping at Walmart. You may be saying but I am not as large as Walmart and I can’t do what they do. The rebuttal to that is you can do something.

Davito’s Pizza is small Italian Pizza Restaurant in Boca Raton who stepped up ans sponsored a track marker for $100 for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of West Boca Raton. As a result he has already gained me as a customer. For frequent readers of this blog you know my love for Pizza. If I go to Davito’s 2 times a month he will make his sponsorship money back just from me. He saw the value of being aligned with community project like Relay For Life and has even offered to do a fundraiser in August for Relay For Life. If you are a business and you are seeking ways to increase your revenue being involved with community events is a great way to gain brand recognition and increase your revenue. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Building Revenue Through Community Involvement!!!

Advertisement Ideas: What You Can Learn From March Madness!!!

Each year I look forward to March as The NCAA Basketball Tournament begins. I wit for selection Sunday and then I begin to fill out my bracket and I watch with anticipation as to whether the 12 seed I picked will upset the #5 seed or will that little college that very few have heard of will make a run. This year I decided to look at March Madness from a business perspective and saw many lessons that can be learned:

1: On any given day your bracket can be busted because what you thought would happen did not happen. When this happens in business we sit back and we make adjustments so that next time our choices work out in a more positive manner.

2: The game is not over until the final buzzer sounds. How many games have you watched that have been decided on a last second shot? In business we may be having a challenging day but right before closing we beat the buzzer and come out a head because we kept shooting. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: What You Can Learn From March Madness!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Touch A Touch A Touch Me!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Toucha Toucha Touch Me!!!

Today’s blog entry is inspired by The Rocky Horror Picture Show Toucha Toucha Touch Me song. As I listened to the lyrics I thought how this mimics the cycle of customer procurement and customer retention. The customer relationship is much like that of a pursuit for someone of the opposite sex. In many cases you spend many dollars in hopes of achieving a conquest and many times the conquest does not happen. Just like in business you spend many dollars in marketing and advertising and sometimes it doesn’t work because your expectations were not realistic or the choices you made were not synergistic with your brand. In business we may not physically touch a customer but we may touch their mind or their heart so we must look at the best practices to achieve the desired result. When we begin to figuratively touch potential customers and existing customers we realize how they become ambassadors of our brand and as a result create a buzz about our brand. In touching customers we must use our why we are doing what we do as part of our marketing mix. It is important tom understand that people will not buy the what but the why. In showing your why in your advertising and marketing you will generate more brand awareness and increase your cash flow.

As The TV Show Host of The Anything Bucket at www.wrpbitv.com I am asked all the time why would you give a free interview to someone? The answer is simple because I need content for my show and I believe in helping businesses to excel. I also give businesses a chance to purchase the clip of their appearance on the show for $175 that they can use in their marketing mix to touch potential customers or retain existing customers. I believe that when you have an opportunity to reach people and touch them with your message that you should take advantage of the opportunity. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Touch A Touch A Touch Me!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Don’t Be An Icehole!!!

It is funny how you can ask about the same thing in a different manner and get two separate answers. The other day people were asked about what has become known as Obamacare and many stated oh it is bad and the president had good intentions and but the implementation lacked. The when asked about The Affordable Care Act they said oh that is much better it will help more people. One person said isn’t Obamacare and The Affordable Care Act the same thing? The answer is yes they are but the American public has become so programmed that they do not do their due diligence and investigate things and go by what they hear on CNN and FOX News making many people iceholes. I come across iceholes everyday that will make every excuse why their business isn’t doing well instead of asking what can I do differently to improve my business.

To avoid being an icehole you must take charge of your life both personally and professionally you must become aware of your actions and the effect they have on your business. If you are not coming up with new advertising ideas, new campaigns to create brand awareness and create a buzz so as to give people a reason to do business with you then you might just be an icehole. If you are not being proactive and you continue to be reactive you could be leaving money on the table making you an icehole.

If you do not have a plan you just might be an icehole. If you are not taking daily action to promote your business you just might be an icehole. It is important to make proper choices as to where to promote, where to advertise, where to share who you are and what you do and why you do it. Remember people are not buying the what you do they are buying the why you do it. If you are not taking action and moving forward toward your goals you just might be an icehole. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Don’t Be An Icehole!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Working The Crowd!!!

As I stood out in front of Wal-Mart on Saturday 3/14/15 raising funds for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life Of West Boca Raton it occurred to me that one way a business can thrive is to work the crowd and use the resources they have to boost sales. Each person who came by our booth was introduced to Relay for Life and those who told me I had a great voice I handed my business card. This was a win-win situation as I helped to raise $129 while also being able to promote who I was and how I can be of service and value to others. I left that fundraiser and headed out to a concert where I worked the crowd and simply asked people if they would like to donate to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays and as a result collected $74 bringing my total to $2204.61 raised with my Relay being held on may 2, 2015 at Olympic Heights High School from 12 PM – 12 AM. Donations can be made at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/jdogg2. As I walked the crowd a few people asked me for my business card so I gladly gave them my card. The key is to always have your business cards with you as you never know who may be interested in your business. Today (3/16/15) my phone rang and it was someone who met me at the concert and we are doing a one on one on Friday (3/20/15). By working the crowds at events you can increase your brand awareness and attract new people. Remember do not be shy and share who you are and how you can be of service and value to the people you meet. The worst that they will tell you is that they are not interested,

Many businesses attend trade shows and then complain that they didn’t get anything from the show. The reason is because they did not work the crowd properly. They didn’t have a captivating display that would draw an audience, they didn’t make friends with the emcee so they could get some plugs on the microphone, and they didn’t capture people’s contact information. I have emceed many trade shows and I make it a point to ask every vendor if they have video capability on their phone so we can do a quick promotional video that they can then use across their social media platforms and on their website. I also offer them an opportunity to come to The WRPBiTV Studios in Boca Raton to tape a segment to air on my TV Show, The Anything Bucket, which airs on www.wrpbitv.com on Tuesday at 6:30 PM EST. The idea is to work the crowd and be of service and value. If you are hosting an event you should call 954-254-8227 to book me to emcee your event and thus help you to work your crowd and give them added value. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Working The Crowd!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Get Up And Get Out!!!

Many time entrepreneurs will struggle because they forget the fundamental rule that engagement with people is a key element to success. Many entrepreneurs will sit behind their computers and not see why they aren’t as widely known as they should be or why their sales are not higher than they are. Many entrepreneurs get caught up in the symptom I like to refer to as paralysis by over analysis. They will sit and wonder why sales are down and dictate to their team that they must increase sales but won’t show them how to increase sales. The easiest way to increase sales is to reach more people and to be of service and value. One great way to reach people with you message is to simply get our in the community. When was the last time you got up from behind the computer and went out to introduce yourself to your neighboring businesses? I have often subscribed to the belief that if you walk the neighborhood where you have an office and get to know your neighbors that you will be on the top of their mind when they are seeking your products or services or they will recommend you when someone else that they know is seeking your products and services. I remember a day I was working at The Happy Herald when I told the owner/publisher I will be back in a couple of hours I am going to visit all of our neighbors and share the newspaper with them. She asked why and I said because they may want to advertise or know someone that wants to advertise. This was very effective as I signed up a few advertisers and generated a few more leads.One would think the owner and sales manager would have been happy instead of thanking me for taking the initiative they pointed out that it was not my job to go solicit business. A few months later I left the company. Remember if you have employees it is important for them to get up and get out and share the company with others. This practice should become second nature as it can lead to increased brand awareness and cash flow. The bottom line is at the end of the day a big component is cash flow. If your sales are down look at how you are sharing your business with others and how many times you are out in the community letting people know who you are and what you do. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Get Up And Get Out!!!

Advertisement Ideas: All You Have To Do Is Ask!!!

I have been teaching and preaching the concept of all you have to do is ask for many years. I have so many positive stories of where I just made the ask that resulted in obtaining donations for my charitable endeavors like The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of West Boca Raton. getting paying gigs, and booking guests for my TV Show, The Anything Bucket, which airs on www.wrpbitv.com on Tuesday at 6:30 PM EST. The key is that I made the ask with the mindset of what is the worst that will happen; they will say no? When you advertise you are making an ask for people to do business with you. When making this ask you must have a message that resonates with the target audience you are attempting to attract so that they will take action and do business with you. When you are making your advertising choices as to where you will make the ask look at who the advertising platform reaches so that the reach includes your desired target audience. When advertising and making the ask make sure people know who you are and what you do. In all your marketing make sure you have a call to action. In making the ask be aware that you want to create a buzz by being creative, relevant, resonating, and entertaining. Once you procure a customer/client make sure you are asking them questions that will allow you to continue to be of service and value to them so that you can create customer loyalty. make it a priority to train those who work for you to make the ask in a tactful and pleasant way that when a customer is asked about their experience with you they say positive things.

I have witnessed many business people not close a deal because they did not ask for the order. When I was a Jaycees member we had a saying Get The Check, meaning to get the member signed up. Many times I would go out and share Jaycees with people with chapter members and I noticed the chapter members were not signing people up to be Jaycees because they were not asking for the check. That is when I developed a system that can translate to any business:

1: Introduce Yourself

2: Ask questions to find out about the person you are speaking with

3: Share how what you have to offer can benefit the potential client/customer

4: Ask if they would like to do business with you

5: Get their payment Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: All You Have To Do Is Ask!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Persistence Breaks Down Resistance!!!

I was working with Forum Publishing Group selling advertising in a territory that many said was not fertile and that the businesses were resistant to advertising when I coined the concept that persistence breaks down resistance. I made it a point to visit businesses on a weekly basis to just drop of a newspaper and give them one benefit of advertising with the papers I represented. We had a program where they could do a 4 week program with a business card size ad for $99 for 4 weeks. Do you believe I still had businesses turn this opportunity down? However I was persistent and kept going back to those who said no as I learned a no today is not a no forever. In many cases I came across businesses that were coming from a lack mentality and making excuses not to advertise and then wondered why their business continued to be slow. I heard all the excuses like I tried that paper before and it didn’t work or I can’t afford to advertise business is slow. I would counter with what type of advertisement did you run did it have a tracking mechanism or a strong call to action or regardless if your business is busy or slow it is imperative to advertise. So many people do not understand that advertising is imperative because the more people who know about you the better chances of picking up more clients/customers.

I remember talking to an owner of a hair salon and she kept saying no then one week I went by with an advertisement I designed that simply said haircuts $15 normally $20 with an expiration date of 15 days from the publishing of the newspaper. The owner said okay I’ll try the Business card special of $99 for 4 weeks. The owner did this program and had success and renewed several times. The key is to be persistent and have something that is perceived a s a value to offer when selling products or services.

Today (3/4/2015) I decided to send direct messages to my friends on face book asking them to please visit http://main.acsevents.org/goto/jdogg2 and make a donation. I had done this before and had some success and today was no different as I resent posts to those who hadn’t responded yet and one person visited the site and donated $25 proving that having a strategy and being persistent and consistent works. In advertising it is important to be in publications on a frequent and consistent basis so that when some is ready to take action and do business with you that they know how to connect with you. People ask me all the time JDOGG why do you continue to post about Relay For Life? I always say because you never know who will see the post and who will be ready to take action and make a donation. In posting about Relay I create brand awareness and recognition while creating a buzz. As of today I am at $2094.61 raised because I continue to ask people for their support. By being persistent I break down resistance and thus help those touched by cancer while also promoting myself. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Persistence Breaks Down Resistance!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Brother Can You Spare A Dime?

Advertisement Ideas: Brother Can You Spare A Dime!!!

Years ago I initiated a fundraising campaign, Brother Can You Spare a Dime, the idea was to ask everyone I came in contact with for a dime that would be used to take underprivileged children on a holiday shopping spree. As I introduced the program I made up donation jars with that slogan and placed them in many businesses. Every business that participated in the program was recognized in all the marketing materials for The Spreading The Joy Program run by The Coral Springs Jaycees, which provided a holiday shopping spree to underprivileged children. The donation jars were one part of the fundraising process we also solicited businesses to sponsor children and they received much publicity. The Jaycees also set up collection days in front of high trafficked retail stores publicizing those stores. As a result of businesses supporting this effort the businesses received publicity which put them on top of the consumers mind.

Charitable giving should be an integral part of your marketing strategy. When you include your charitable giving in your advertising you show that you care about the community you increase the chance to procure new customers and retain existing customers as people like to do business with those they perceive to be giving back to the community. In every business where I have had a management position or was the owner I always stressed the importance of charitable giving and how to leverage it to build a brand and increase cash flow. As a result I always saw an increase in business after I publicized my community involvement.

Advertisement Ideas: Brother Can You Spare A Dime!!! Success Stories!!!

I announce for The South Florida Gold and they have helped several charities with donations at their games including Veteran’s Outreach, Homeless Shelters, Nature Centers, and The American Cancer Society. As a result of charitable giving and sparing several dimes The South Florida Gold has donated over $2000 to charitable causes and continue to strengthen their fan base by strengthening the community. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Brother Can You Spare A Dime?