Pat Morita (Mr. Miyagi) teaches Ralph Macchio (Daniel Son) an important life lesson about focusing. The scene that is very poignant is Miyagi says wax on wax off focus.I used to walk around my office sharing this with my fellow staff members so as to motivate them. It worked as a great strategy.
Advertisement Ideas: Miyagi Says Focus!!!!
I was out in the community representing Life Publications today and realized just how many people couldn’t answer the question of who their ideal client was. I began to think if you do not know who your ideal client is then how can you stay focused and build your brand and increase your revenue. One particular business asked me what I was selling I said eventually I would like to put together an advertising program for you but first I wanted to know who your ideal client is so that I can see if my magazine would be a good fit for you. I was told I am not interested to which I replied sorry to hear that because outside of the advertising I believe I could have been of service and value to you. I continued to stay focused and use this approach as I continued to peel back the onion by asking questions of the potential advertisers that I was calling on. I was doing the sales calls cold, which is not something I recommend, however those that I have relationships with are already in the magazine working with other reps. As I finished making the sales calls I began to realize that their must be a focus on marketing so as to create top of the mind awareness with those that are in your ideal client profile.
Advertisement Ideas: Strategic Focus
When was the las time you sat down and did a real introspection of where your focus is and what strategic partnerships I should be focusing on? Have you looked for a strategy focus that will build your brand? Have you sat down with others to get their input on strategies? Have you sought out groups or organizations that are synergistic with your focus? Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Miyagi Says Focus!!!!
Jonathan JDOGG Lederman uses a video to express a marketing tip while also promoting his blogs.
Advertisement Ideas: How to Use Video Testimonials
This is an example of a testimonial that was done by someone I worked with helping her to receive media coverage. Since the taping of this testimonial, Barbara has used my services on several occasions and each time makes the comment “When I have enough money I want to hire you full-time. You may be asking well you have a video testimonial how is it helping your business? It is helping my business as I am able to post it on my youtube channel www.youtube.com/jdogglederman, I am able to share on Facebook, www.facebook.com/jdogglederman, and at twitter, @jdogglederman. When you have video testimonials you can use them to build your credibility. One way is to use them effectively when doing a presentation at an event and you want people to sign-up for a workshop or to hire you for one on one projects. You can use the testimonials at a trade show by having an endless loop of 4-6 to show visitors to your booth. When you have a testimonial you can use it to build people’s trust. Remember people do business with people they know, like, and trust. People will hear and see what people are saying and be compelled to hire you for your services.
A few keys to remember are:
1: Make the video seem scriptless.
2: Make it seem that the person is genuine and coming from the heart
3: Use the video effectively by annotating it with your web site or phone number- The above still needs to be edited.
4: Share the testimonial whenever and wherever possible
What speciality do you have? How are you carry yourself? Do you walk with a swagger? Do you speak with confidence? This has gotten me to think of the adage flaunt it if you got it, not in a mean or condescending way but is a subtly in their face way.
Angie and her FLAUNT Girls attract a lot of attention as they perform at The Full Throttle Saloon during Bike Week in Sturgis South Dakota. They are used in many promotions and as a result attract many male customers to the saloon. Some may say that this is over the top, however it works. Think about it showing off your skills may be just what a potential client/ customer is looking for. By flaunting your skills in a subtle way you will begin to build strength in your brand. A few year ago NIKE Introduced Customizing their sneakers, where consumers could go on-line and design their own sneakers.Knowing they were the #1 athletic footwear in the world they flaunted their position and offered this opportunity and a s a result remain #1. Imagine if you could custom make a few pairs pf sneakers to wear while doing business that effectively represented your company. This would definitely lead to be a flaunter.
These were designed for a Dance Krew, who won MTV’s America’s Best Dance Krew and now the Jabbockeez are a recognizable brand who flaunt their talent.
After NIKE offered this program of customization others followed suit. Someone designed this from Adidas and I immediately thought if I had a burger place I would order these for my employees with the company name on them.
What a great innovative way to market your business.
I started to use statistics to illustrate a point to those who were being negative about The American Cancer Society and I began to think how effective the use of statistics is when delivering your message. Being armed with statistics will most likely squash any hesitation that a potential customer may have. It is not about beating them up and telling them they are wrong it is about presenting facts that will turn them into buyers. Over the last several months I have been told that The American cancer Society only lines the pockets of its employees. When hearing this I stated did you know that because of The American Cancer Society in Florida 1,578 patients received support through Reach To Recovery for Breast Cancer, that 3,186 patients were given 40,420 transportation services to and from treatments, 2,111 women restored self-confidence after treatment through Look Good… Feel Better, that 672 patients received free lodging at one of Florida’s Hope Lodges while undergoing treatment. Many time this turns a skeptic into a supporter. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Strengthening Your Message
This question came to mind to me today (4/18/12) as I was out collecting donations for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of West Boca Raton, FL 33322. Most everyone I came in contact with was open and receptive and were polite even if they weren’t in to donate. There were a few who I started to think What Is Your Problem? I went to a wireless provider (Verizon on Yamato Rd in West Boca) and the gentleman behind the counter stated Ia m too busy to which I replied it only takes a minute to reach into your wallet and grab a $1, my goal is to see 100 people and have each of them donate a dollar. He answered I told you I am not interested. I figured out what his problem is, his attitude toward giving and being of service to others. He complained how slow things were in one breath and then that he was too busy to take time to make a donation. Think about it for a $1 donation he could have helped to build his business as he was dealing with someone who has over 1500 twitter followers, over 1700 friends on Facebook, a good linked in network, hosts an Internet Radio Show, and has many contacts in the community that could have benefitted from his service. Instead of goodwill he now gets listed in the ugly customer service category and this negative story gets told. W.hen you are representing your business be it as an owner or an employee the key is to take time to support those that come in supporting the community and leverage your goodwill through advertising and marketing. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: What’s Your Problem?
When I think of vehicle I think of cars, trucks, or vans. This is a vehicl wrap, which is an effective way of advertising. One of the best at wrapping your vehicle is Vinylot in Margate, FL.
As I stopped into Vinylot to see Gwen about advertising in The Coconut Creek Life magazine that I represent I started to get all these ideas about how to choose the right advertising vehicle as business have so much to choose from. A vehicle wrap can have a great impact as it is seen by all those on the road. Tee-shirts and ball caps and other promotional items work as well. The you have radio, TV, print advertising and social media. Many times it must feel like you are being bombarded and in many cases overwhelmed. The choices seem endless and they are because everyone seems to have a way to promote your business. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: How To Choose The Right Advertising Vehicle
This blog was inspired by a recent call I made to Arts Alive in Coral Springs to follow up on a voice mail message that I left.I was told I don’t recall, thus I stated why I was calling to set up an appointment to see how I could be of service and value through marketing and advertising. I was told I have A PR Company I answered okay I am not looking to be your PR Company I am looking to maximize your message by showing you what I have to offer through Life Publications. His answer was we aren’t interested. I said no problem can I ask you I was told no you are being pushy and this is the type of call we don’t want. I hung up and laughed because oblivisously this man missed the day they taught phone etiquette.
Attention Business People!!!! This is the phone learn how to use it properly so as to attract business as you never know who is on the other end.
On another call a business owner from The Funky Biscuit stated I do not get involved with the advertising and you will have to email my partner. This always strikes a nerve as we do not have to do anything we have the ability to choose to do things. This was a real turn off. I stated okay I’ll email your partner. A suggestion I have for those answering the phone, be courteous and open to receive and never tell someone they have to do anything instead state tahnk you for inquiring about that we handle all those requests via email or please direct this inquiry to our marketing director at his/her email address. Also think about it you may be speaking to someone who has some influence in the community, like myself who has a blog and decides to share a negative expereince or a positive experience with those that visit. Those visitors may know some people who would have become customers so your one negative encounter can have a rippling effect thus remember the way you act on the phone can impact your business. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Do You Give Good Or Bad Phone?
How many times are you going to blame others, make excuses, and do the same thing over and over again expecting different results? It is time to wake up and Market Your Self. Think is there anything that you do that no one else can do? What is it that makes you stand out? What is it that truly makes you a leader in your marketplace.
In The Olympics the difference between a gold, silver, bronze or no medal at all is the fact that you reach down deeper inside and find something that no one else can do. In 1976 Bruce Jenner, won the decathlon and has been using that fame and his positive attitude to market himself ever since.Bruce Jenner captivated the world when he broke the world record and won the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympic games, earning the title, Worlds Greatest Athlete. Jenner has become a highly respected motivational speaker, sports commentator, entrepreneur, commercial spokesperson, television personality, actor, producer, author, and charity supporter. Audiences are captivated by ‘ unique Olympic, personal and professional success story.
Using the decathlon as an example think of ten things that set you apart from your competition and capitalize on them using them in all your marketing material.
Advertisement Ideas: Brand Yourself
Whatever business you have the key is to brand yourself and market yourself. When you find out what you have that no one else has you can capitalize on that and market yourself. For example I have a unique voice and come from a spiritual perspective and I also have great experience in marketing and media relations thus my tag line is The Spiritual Emcee Maximizing Your Message. What is that you are known for and what do excel in?I ask this question of my clients so as to create a tag line for them and then help them to market accordingly. I recently met with a women who was helping people to creat a better financial position for her clients and thus gave her the moniker of The Financial Fixer, another client was helping people to find happiness and create the life they were seeking and I named her business, The Happiness Way, and gave her tips on marketing and promoting.
One of the best people at branding is Donald Trump, like him or not he has built a strong brand and you see his image everywhere. You may not have the resources that he has, however you have resources that when used effectively will build your brand. To build your brand you will want:
1: Consistency- From logo design to advertising you want to convey the same message
2: Recognizablity- When someone sees your logo or your name they should be easily able to know it is you
3: Publicity- You will want the media to take notice of you so make PR a priority
4: Reaching Your Target Audience- Know who you want to reach and use resources to reach them
5: Promotion- You want to promote creatively and effectively so as to maximize your message
How Recognizable Are You?
When I say Allstate what do you think of? When I say Nike what do you think of? When I mention McDonald’s what do you think of? You may not have the budget of these big companies but you can use their models to follow. They all share one thing in common they developed a brand that most everyone recognizes. Getting recognition can be as easy as using a 3 foot rule and talking to people that are within 3 feet of you. You can also look into print publications that are synergistic to your goals and objectives and offer them content thus creating a following. You can create a blog and publicize it with information. You can utilize social media to gain recognition.
Think of ways you can stand out and build your brand. I often look at the set up of a business and ask what they are doing to drive business. I have this uncanny ability to look at a retail establishment or a home based business and come up with plans that will attract new business. For example I was at a Pizza place that had two TV’s and the owner was telling me how slow things were. I asked him have you thought about capitalizing on events like March Madness? He asked me what that was? I explained it is what the NCAA Basketball Tournament is referred to as. I explained that many offices have office pools where people pick their teams and if that team wins they win a prize. I suggest that he put a sign in the window Watch March Madness Here. I also suggest that he run a pool where patrons would fill out a bracket give him their name and email address and the winner gets a meal for 2. By be creative and using the resources he has The TV’s he could increase traffic to his restaurant.
I chose this calendar so as to plant a seed for you to consider what can you do in your business to create a buzz and attract client/customers. take August 1 Sports Day and offer a special to anyone that wears their favorite team shirt, ball cap, or jersey. You can get shirts made up like a jersey with your company name and if someone spends a specific dollar amount or higher they receive the shirt as a token of your appreciation. You could also do a chance drawing for sports memorabilia with the proceeds being donated to a charity. The more creative you are the more recognizable you will be. You could do in-business and external promotion. Think about an ad that Says Come Celebrate Sports Day at XYZ and spend $50 or more and receive one of our collectible jerseys. We will also have a chance drawing for (Insert Charity Here). Show your team pride and receive a 10% discount. Place this ad in your local publications, around the store, place it on your social media sites, your web site, record a commercial and play it on your voice mail.
This week think of ways you can wake up and market yourself.
Advertisement Ideas: Stop Making Excuses and Do Something
Magic Johnson didn’t make excuses when in 1992 he was diagnosed with HIV, his performance in the NBA All Star Game that year was amazing. I chose Magic as my lead example because he could have said poor me, however he used the resources he had and stayed on a regiment to keep him healthy. When the economy wasn’t so good and most people were pulling money out of the community Magic was expanding his commitment to the community.
Kevin Costner hears and acts upon the voice,”Build and They Will Come,”
We all remember the scene in Field of Dreams where the voice says build it and they will come, well people did come, then again it was a movie. Due to the large promotion of the movie many people trek to the movie site in Iowa. The Convention and Visitors Bureau for the area lists in in the attraction section. They have a marketing director and a special events coordinator to keep the traffic coming. What are you doing to create your Field of Dreams? Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Building Isn’t Enough!