Advertisement Ideas: Pounding It Hard!!!

In basketball when we say someone is pounding the paint it is a compliment. The mentality to go hard to the basket should translate to you in business as you need to be pounding the paint, your area to cultivate new clients/customers. In basketball we refer to the ball as the rock and when that rock goes in it is a success. Getting the rock in the paint and scoring baskets doesn’t come easy it comes with hard work, dedication, and a commitment to be better every time you take to the court. In business clients/customers just don’t appear you need a plan of action to get them and keep them.

In basketball a slam dunk excites the home crowd and energizes the team. In business sometimes you have to go above the rim and throw down a monstrous dunk to excite your clients/customers and energize your brand. Ask yourself how can I pound it hard and create a slam dunk? One way is to look at your resources like your phone. When was the last time you connected with a past client/customer to see if they needed your product or service or if they knew someone who could benefit from doing business with you. I was recently in a jewelry store and the gentleman behind the counter who identified himself as the owner was complaining how bad things were and how his sales were off. I asked what are you doing to promote your business? His answer nothing. There is your answer you can not score points and garner clients/customers or retain clients/customers if you do nothing. I suggested he take out his phone and every day call 10 clients/customers that he hasn’t seen in a while and ask them if they have gold to sell or know anyone who is looking to sell gold. His answer was I don’t have time for that. I thought wow you just told me your business is off and you don’t have time to build it. I told him my theory about pounding it hard, which is to go out and hit the streets and find the people who are in your target audience and hand them information about who you are, what you, do and why they should be doing business with you. He said no people will come I have been here for 20 years. I said thank you and wished him luck. I went down the street to another jewelry store and the owner who I knew through some of my sales/marketing jobs said to me JDOGG things are doing well I have those calendars you like. I thanked him and asked him what he was doing and he say like you always say pounding it hard, I have my street team out everyday flooding the area with fliers announcing my specials, I have people calling past clients/customers to update records, I am sending out mailers to a target specific audience, I am attending networking events, and supporting charities. I left thinking that is why one business struggles while another thrives. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Pounding It Hard!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Put Out Or Get Out!!!

In the ever evolving market place where social media seems to be taking over it is still important to get out from behind the computer and put yourself out into the market. I have written many times about the 3 feet rule and the importance of getting out into the community. You can have all the social media sites in the world but if people don’t know about them they do not serve you well so it is important to get out and let people know who you are, what you do, and how they can connect with you. One key when putting yourself out there is to answer the question how you can be of service and value to the people you come in contact with.

Advertisement Ideas: Ways To Put Out Instead of Getting Out!!!

When attending networking events it is imperative to get to know a few people at the event. Do not try to get to know everyone build relationships one event at a time and each time you go to the event greet the people you meet and then set a goal to meet 3 new people so that you build your data base and also strengthen relationships. Think of the one thing you want to offer those you meet and then how you will follow up. The idea is to pick a lane and stick to it. As you build relationships through networking you will find that you are able to convert people into clients as you continue to be of service and value. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Put Out Or Get Out!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Focus, Discipline, And Execution!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Focus, Discipline, And Execution:

I am asked JDOGG how is it that you are successful with your marketing and media relations? My answer comes down to three elements Focus, Discipline, and Execution. Having an idea is great but until you implement the idea and allow it to come to fruition it will sit dormant and not serve your business. It is said what you focus on expands. This is so true when running a business or doing work in the non-profit sector. If you focus on the challenges and the negativity surrounding something you will encounter more challenges and more negativity. If you focus on the positive aspects of the project and approach it with joy you will attract more positivity and joy to the project. One element that a business needs is brand awareness and this should be a focus in all you do. I am very involved with The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of West Boca and my focus is on raising funds for research, education, advocacy, and services. I have set a goal of raising $2500. Each day that I am out in the community I wear Relay For Life apparel to draw attention to what I am doing and I also have my literature with me. By planning out the day and picking a lane and wearing my brand I am able to create a buzz and brand recognition for Relay For Life. The key is to focus on a plan, plan the work, work the plan, and make adjustments. When you are focused with the end in mind you will be able to take action to bring the plan to fruition. Ask yourself what you want from your advertising, marketing, and media relations and then focus on the desired results and take action to bring everything to fruition.

Knowing what you want and then taking the steps to get it will take discipline. If you know that you are most productive when you do a morning ritual be disciplined to do that ritual everyday. I personally get up and do a gratitude prayer, then after I shower and get dressed I tale out Rev, Dr. Dee Adio- Moses Book Heal your life with daily affirmations and prayer, then I read Marianne Morrisey’s Miracle Minute, then I write in my gratitude journal. I also play uplifting music to get me centered and grounded. In being disciplined in doing this I put in motion elements to have a successful day.

I also plan out my day and set daily goals so that I can move forward in a positive direction of my goals. In being disciplined I am able to accomplish great things and continue on my mission to help other people excel by being of service and value. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Focus, Discipline, And Execution!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: How To Reverse A Negative Trend!!!

As I skimmed the business news today and saw that Darden Restaurants had reported a downward trend in earnings and dividends for The Olive Garden Operations I immediately thought what would I do if I was a marketing director to reverse this trend? The answer came easily step up the marketing and advertising so as to drive traffic and increase the amount of visits a patron will make to the restaurant. This thinking is the opposite of what most companies do and as a result of cutting the marketing and advertising budget the downward earnings trend continues. The key to being successful and making your share holders happy is to constantly be in front of the consumer and give them a reason to patronize your business. It is imperative to look at why your sales are off and why the dividend payouts are dropping. One key factor is inconsistency in the operational process of the business. In a chain like The Olive Garden it is important to empower the General Managers of the individual restaurants to make marketing decisions. A good general manager will know who his customers are where they are coming from and how to get them coming back. I recently had the pleasure of having The Olive Garden in Boca Raton, FL sponsor the survivors/caregiver dinner at The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Boca Raton. The district manager was very supportive and is now sponsoring the survivors/caregivers dinner at many of The Relay For Life Events in South Palm Beach County. As a result of their support this particular Olive Garden is hosting The Relay For Life Wrap-Up Party that is being supported through other sponsorships. This Olive Garden will also see more business as every participant in Relay For Life is being promoted to patronize this Olive Garden. In sponsoring community events you have the chance to reverse a negative trend.

Starbucks recently announced a price increase, which is one way to reverse a negative trend as people will pay for something they desire and perceive to have value. In increasing prices though you risk a loss of customers who may go to a competitor whose price is cheaper. It is very important to keep the perceived value in your product so that you can reverse any negative trends. Starbucks while raising some prices also maintained the perception that it was worth it. Starbucks also is running many special promotions so that the price increases will not be perceived as that bad by their customers. For Example you get a Starbucks Gold Card which allows for $.50 refills on ice tea and coffee so you pay the $.10 more for your first drink but you do a refill so you still save a substantial amount of money. In promoting The Gold Card Starbucks maintains their customer base as Starbucks customers tend to be very loyal to the brand. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: How To Reverse A Negative Trend!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Street Walking As A Marketing Strategy!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Street Walking As A Marketing Strategy!

In marketing sometimes you have to use the direct approach and be like the street-walker who searches for her clients by putting herself out there. I am not saying to use sex to sell, I am saying use a direct approach to find clients/customers. Many years ago I introduced a philosophy of The 3 Foot Rule, where if someone is with in 3 feet of you talk to them and see if they may be of service and value to you and if you will be able to be of service and value to you. Like the street-walker you must have your package and your price structure in place. The street-walker displays her wares openly and draws attention to her self. This leads me to the question as to how are you directly marketing yourself.

I use street walking as a marketing strategy by always having my business cards with me as you never know when an opportunity to network and share who you are and what you do with others will arise. In talking directly to people you open up new opportunities to cultivate clients/customers. In being sales oriented and always closing you begin to build brand recognition while also creating a buzz about who you are and what you do and why people should be doing business with you. Like the street-walker who is constantly show herself off you should be in the market place showing yourself off. Though a street-walker may have many one time clients/customers she may also have steady clients/customers. The key is to attract steady customers by delivering excellent service and giving added value. The question to ask is how am I going to keep people coming back? Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Street Walking As A Marketing Strategy!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Kicking Butt And Taking Names!!!!

Advertising Ideas: Kicking Butt And Taking Names!!!!

One of the key ingredients in being effective with your advertising campaign is tracking the campaign . How you track results is very important when you are planning and implementing advertisement ideas. The idea is to have a kick butt campaign that will allow you to track customers and thus engage them on a regular basis. The appeal must be entertaining, relevant, and resonating so that it achieves the objectives that you have set in place. Your advertising program should include a great headline, a great offer, and a tracking system.

Do you recognize this? It is a QR Code where a client scans it on their phone and it takes them to your website. Once they visit your website you want to have a way to capture their information. One way to do this is to make your site a FREE Membership Site, where the visitor has to give you name, age, and email. This will give them a used code and allow you to then track their visits and thus create a program to target them to buy your product or services. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Kicking Butt And Taking Names!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: How To Use Social Media Effectively!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: How To Use Social Media Effectively!!!

Are you on Facebook and are you using it effectively? This is a question I ask all that I work with as many are just posting and spinning their wheels going in circles. The fact is that your post could be great and very engaging but only 20% of your friends are going to see it. The question is how do you combat this? The answer use the events pages and send invites, direct message those that you want to receive your message, tag as many people in posts as you can.

Advertisement Ideas: A Social Media Success Story!!!

If you are an avid reader of this blog you know that I am passionate about my involvement with Relay For Life. I have tried all types of fundraising and doing general posts on Facebook to no avail. Today (5/21/2014) I decided to use a different approach and I went on my page and began to click on my friends and sent them this message:

I hope this email finds you having a great and prosperous day. I was hoping you could help me with an endeavor I have undertaken to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. In 16 days I will be participating in and emceeing The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of West Boca Raton. I am walking in memory of my mother, Judith Miller, who GOD called home on July 5, 2012. She passed due to complications of a major heart attack while battling non-operable metastatic lung cancer. Over the years I have lost many friends and relatives to cancer and thus my way to honor them is to collect donations to support research, education, advocacy, and services. I have set up a page at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/jdogg1 where people can make a secure tax-deductible credit card donation. 100% of the monies raised are given to The American Cancer Society to help finish the fight while assisting those affected by cancer. As of today I have raised $1666.32 and sit as The #1 fundraiser for this relay. I thank you for your support.

It worked as I went from $1662.32 raised to now raising $1797.00. That is a jump of $130.68 simply by using direct messaging. Now direct messaging all 2574 friends would take some time however if I choose to do 50 a day in the course of time I can reach those I desire to reach.

Advertisement Ideas: Using Other Social Media Outlets Effectively!!!!

Navigating the social media maze can become very arduous and time consuming thus it is important to pick the top 4 or 5 platforms that work for you. In social media these are things you should know.

Engage your audience make more about them and less about you.

Make sure your message is relevant, entertaining, and resonating. The key is to grab your audience, keep your audience, and leave the audience wanting more. If you can give your audience information that relates to your industry to help them in their buying decision that builds credibility and confidence in you and when they are ready to purchase they will come to you before they go to your competitors. If you are involved in a charity you want to have a story that rips at the heart strings so the audience is compelled to take action.

Knowing what you want the audience to do is a big part of using social media effectively. Do you want them to visit a website and give you an email address so you can send them more information. The idea is to have social media interactions lead to a conversion rate. As I stated in the example with Relay For Life if you can engage and directly engage the audience with a strong call to action you will meet with success. It is important to reach people at a cellular level so that they will support your business and your charitable endeavors. People will support those they know, like, and trust so it is important to utilize social media to establish these 3 elements. For example people know my dedication to Relay For Life and they see that across the social media platforms and they also see the articles that have been written about the event that I was responsible for and thus when they seek a publicity person they connect with me.

The biggest way to make social media work is to be real. People like to deal with those who they can relate to. Share stories of success and lessons learned. Ask others to share their stories. In creating a good social media profile and being consistent across all platforms you will effectively use social media. Stay Positive.

Advertisement Ideas: Okay America It Is Time To Wake Up!

This is a call for all Americans to Wake Up especially business owners and non-profit leaders who are making excuses and not thriving. It is time to understand that until you all get together and work toward a common goal nothing will change. I met with a business owner today in a shopping plaza and he said my business is off because of the high price of gas? I recalled the scene from Animal House where Hoover covers his mouth and says B.S. I was tempted to do the same thing as it was just another excuse that business owners like to make. I didn’t I asked when was the last time you did an intensive advertising campaign with a specific strategy geared to not only drive business but to increase revenue? His answer I haven’t I do everything via word of mouth. Hello, time to wake up Mr. business owner. It isn’t the price of gas it is the fact that you don’t have a current advertising campaign. I pointed out that he was in walking distance to the town houses and single family homes around the plaza. His answer so. The point was if he did a targeted campaign to those people and gave them a reason to come to his business he may see an increase in business. Again it is time to stop making excuses and to take action and stop blaming gas prices and other outside issues.

I called on a business this week to invite them to come on my TV Show, The Anything Bucket, which airs on www.wrpbitv.com on Tuesday at 6:30 PM. Their initial response was you are catching us at our busy time of the year. I answered well I thought you might be able to find 30 minutes to come up to the studio and tape an 8 minute segment to make sure you were busy all year round as my show reaches over 50,000 viewers each week of which 77% are in your immediate service area. He then said he might want to come in. I said okay sound great when would you like to come do a taping. His answer I have your number I’ll get back to you. I stated okay. As I hung up the phone I thought wow another business that needs to wake up. Here a business had a chance to be on TV for 8 minutes and they had to think about it? Again another person to wake up.

The reason your business or non-profit isn’t flourishing has nothing to do with the economy, gas prices, competition, or other factors it has everything to do with you and you’re not taking advantage of opportunities. It is time to wake up America and be proactive with your marketing. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Okay America It Is Time To Wake Up!

Advertisement Ideas: Going The Extra Mile!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Going The Extra Mile!!!

Last night (2/23/14) on my way home after Announcing The Palm Beach Pelicans Basketball Game I had my right rear tire blow out. I didn’t have any numbers for a tow truck service but I quickly Googled local towing services Boca Raton. I called Westway Towing and they were very nice but had no one available to come help put on the spare but suggested I call The State Farm Road Ranger and I did. The Road Ranger came out and put on the spare tire and helped me put everything back into my trunk. I gave him a tip and I went on my way. I made it home safely and today (3/24/14) I went to Gold Coast Tire and Auto Centers in Tamarac, FL. The staff there were great and they actually came in under their initial quote. As I reflected on the situation I began to think how going the extra mile and being of value and service to everyone who calls or comes into your business is an integral part of the advertising process. Though I no longer have State Farm as my car insurance carrier it was nice to see that they had this Road Ranger Service. In having this service they created good will and showed that advertising in the proper market place pays off. Think about it I now have a good feeling about State Farm and have a number to call if I experience another blow out. Westway receives a big JDOGG Shout Out here on this blog and as a result has some positive public relations. Gold Coast Tire and Auto Centers has now earned my business and will receive good positive recommendations from me as a result. When you are doing business and considering advertising keep in mind the importance of going the extra mile.

When looking at this sign think about ways you can help your clients/customers and promote that in your advertising. Seek charitable alliances that are synergistic with your business. Show compassion to all that call or come into your place of business or interact with you. If you search for what truly puts you above everyone else and promote it accordingly you will start to see an increase in brand awareness and revenue. People like to do business with those they know, like, and trust. Through an effective advertising program you can show your already existing customers/clients why they should continue to use your products or services while at the same time attracting new customers. Think about what problem you solve and then go the extra mile to solve it. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Going The Extra Mile!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Customer Service Is The Key!!!!

As I sit in The Lou Bachrodt Chevrolet dealership in Coconut Creek, FL waiting for the repairs to be completed as a result of receiving recall notices I begin to think about the experience with Lou Bachrodt. When I came in last week I was told they couldn’t get to my car as the repairs required and I would have to come back. Today I arrived at 9:30 AM and waited until nearly 10 AM to be taken in. I told the service person that I only need the recall notices taken care of and his reply okay I guess we are not making any money on you today. If The recall repairs weren’t very necessary I would have left as a result. I am one who believes regardless if you are making money on me or not you should treat me with dignity and respect. This particular service rep is very good at what he does, however he could use some training in dealing with customers. I have always taught smile at the customer, engage the customer, and leave the customer happy so they will share that good experience with others. As I have stated in the past one oh crap ruins 1000 at a boys. The key is to do as Dale Carnegie says is to win friends and influence people. The fact that I knew I was going to be at the dealership all day enabled me to plan my work for the day and thus remain productive. I made plans to deliver what I promised and thus began my day at the dealership with an attitude to be of service and value to all those I come in contact with. As I sit in the waiting area I have seen many of the employees walk by and many seem to be unhappy. This energy does not serve the dealership well an can explain why some of the customers seem unhappy as well.

One of the employees at the dealership actually made me feel welcome as he interacted me and answered my inquiry about a power source in a very cheerful way. he was someone who gets it. He understood that what he does made a difference. Your employees can be a great form of advertising if they carry a positive attitude and interact positively with your clients. In advertising your business make it a point to mention your customer satisfaction rate if it is high and how you do your best to make your customers happy. The key is to deliver outstanding customer service so that when people recognize you brand it creates a buzz where people say I do business with that company and they always deliver. In creating an atmosphere focused on excellent customer service you will begin to create customer loyalty and thus enhance the customer experience. Ask yourself when you awake in the morning how can I be of service and value to those I will come in contact with today. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Customer Service Is The Key!!!!