Encourage complaints and criticism in a way that will also be seen by top executives. Often this information doesn’t filter up to the top executives who need to hear it for proper planning.
Encourage complaints and criticism in a way that will also be seen by top executives. Often this information doesn’t filter up to the top executives who need to hear it for proper planning.
This month’s book recommendation is Positioning The Battle For Your Mind by Ries & Trout. Today, we buzz about branding but the idea of positioning and the concepts outlined in this book are branding’s foundation.
What does your business do each day that is unexpected and meant to delight your customers or clients? For example, for retailers, on a hot day, have staff hand out cool bottled water to everyone that walks in your store?
Check your “info@yourcompany.com” or general mailbox on your Website several times each day. If that’s the way you want customers to contact you, give it top attention. Too many companies, especially smaller ones, forget about this or check it infrequently.
Make your direct mail pieces more effective. On the outside of the envelope, instead of promising some gift, discount or savings, appeal to the recipient’s fear or problem and how you’ll solve it.
How to make your radio commercials remembered without using an expensive jingle? Use an inexpensive sound effect, musical note or voice intonation and repeat it in every commercial.
“Everybody’s on Facebook” or are they? Your customers or clients may not be, especially if you’re B2B. Do a little market research by email or just by asking them what are their favorite social media.
Looking for ROI from your ad campaign, don’t make your target audience too broad. Most advertisers try to reach too far with their campaigns. Narrow your focus and your campaign will work better and you’ll be able to measure your results more effectively.
A photo together with your Facebook post (and other social media too) dramatically increases interest. Type-only posts generate a lot less interest.
It’s incredible the number of businesses that talk at their fans and followers in social media. It’s better to engage them in the conversation. A good formula to follow: for every topic about you, you should have four not about you, that might just be interesting.
In an age of viral reach, is frequency old school? We don’t think so. Usually a message must be seen multiple times (5-10 times) before it resonates. If your campaign can’t generate frequency, it’s missing its success potential.
Why are your competitors better than you? If you haven’t asked that question, you are missing an important dimension to your marketing strategy and overall campaign.
Change is good. Change is bad. It is said that ad agencies & clients get tired of a message long before customers do. Be careful when deciding to change your message/brand just because you yourself are bored with it.
On the product itself, Use a QR code or Website special landing page to drive repeat business, often away from the eyes of competitors. Ask customers to check out the target page for special offers, and even change the offers each month.
(Nearly) free market research – confirm your data against that published by trade associations, chambers of commerce, the government and others, to see how well you’re doing relative to your industry and to give you goals for the future.
Free market research – use information you already have in house. For example, invoices can tell you where most of your clients/customers are located. What kinds of businesses they’re in. What size businesses they are. What they buy. How much they spend on average. When they buy. And more.
Long-term public relations success often results from starting as a resource rather than pushing a particular story. Offer your client, to the media, as an expert on a topic, which can lead to more expanded and focused coverage about your client.
Did you know that the new Vine video permits up to 6 seconds of video? The new video capability on Instagram permits up to 15 seconds, plus editing, filters & focus. Remember 30 MINUTE infomercials? How does this new short video trend affect your creative?
Recently, market research firm Neilsen started tracking “zero TV” households, where the TV is not connected to cable or satellite. Most are under 35 and childless. Most watch shows through online services. Many on other devices. So is this an age/demo phenomenon or a societal shift away from conventional TV?
The longer that retail customers stay in your store or on your Website, chances are they will buy more. What are you doing to make them more comfortable and more interested in staying?
ACA/Obamacare News, Tips, & Ideas For Business
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cogitations, Ruminations & Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From GroupLevinson Advertising, Internet, Social Media & Public Relations
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