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Are you getting the most marketing juice from your mobile device? Most small businesses aren’t.
We are all fairly savvy about downloading apps and checking email, but what if you could actually use your mobile phone to get and keep customers?
In my latest post to American Express Open Forum, I cover 6 easy marketing strategies for mobile marketing.
i haven’t spent a lot of time on seasonal businesses, but if you’ve got a seasonal business, you are no stranger to the hurry-up-and-wait mentality. Â In this insightful articles, one of our readers shares her strategies for succeeding with a seasonal business.
When it comes to running a seasonal business, you can’t help but think about the extreme highs and lows of your fiscal year. Sure, many companies go through a high and low season, but for those of us in seasonal companies, the term “off-season” is more often applicable than “peak season”.
But before we start, let’s define what a seasonal business really is. Enotes.com defines “seasonal businesses” as either a business that is open only certain months of the year, closing or shortening hours during its off-season, or as a business that actually depends on the season, i.e., summer or Christmas.
I have been working for an artificial tree company for several years now, and there hasn’t been a year without a short but intense peak season balanced by a comparably turtle-paced off-season. This business has taught my colleagues and I to have respect for tried and true methods while trying to adapt these older techniques to changing times. And, as my grandfather always told me, through hard work comes success. Here are some not-so-secret, but dependable tips and tricks to keeping your seasonal business alive during the (nicely put) “slower” months of the year:
- Off-Season Discounts
- Plan Q may work better than Plan A or B
- Reach Out and Touch Somebody
- Keep an Open Ear
If you have overstock and are not sure if your products (or services) will still be in style next
season, then host a fantastic sale to keep your stock moving. Offer deals that are enticing, but
don’t drop prices so low as to lose profit. By doing this, you create a loyal customer base while
attracting those sale vultures and possibly new clients.
In an article by Jennifer Walzer of Entrepreneurs’ Organization New York, she praises the idea
of a backup plan, and I agree. In today’s climate, you never really know what will happen -
between the hype and the truth, many seasonal businesses are frozen in action or closing
down. A back up plan maintains momentum while ensuring a future for your company. I like
to keep a running list of at around 5 different plans for each fiscal year. It’s a great help to
anticipate possible failures and successes; if one plan doesn’t go as it should have (or better
than you had hoped) you can always fall back on the next with confidence.
If your business is generally only relevant to 1-3 months of the year, then you have to show
people you’re still there during the off-season. Break out of the box and introduce your
products to a new demographic or market them in a completely new way to your loyal
customers. Promote costume parties and movie nights, or whatever you need to make your
presence known and relatable. Your business can also pursue international sales like WindRider
International did, to attract a wider audience and a different demographic. Also, market
yourself as an expert on your product or service to press and conferences. This allows you to
become well known in the industry, letting people associate your name or brand with quality.
By marketing yourself and your brand creatively, not only will your customer view your services
in a new light, but you will too!
It is so easy to interact with customers using social media and networking, but despite the ease
of modern communication, you need to make each interaction count. When creating a website,
set up a forum or a discussion board so that they can air their woes or slather on the praise, and
be sure to promptly respond in kind in a professional yet personable manner. This makes the
buying experience on your site a favorable one so that they come back, or at least recommend
you to friends and family. Keeping a mailing list is also a good idea, letting you offer customers
news about the company or products. With social media and rating sites being all the rage (I
myself recently Yelped about a rather excellent dinner out), the experience(s) each customer
has is quite possibly the most important.
By marketing yourself creatively and revisiting the basics, you create a sure-fire way to keep sales up and steady.
Isabella York earns her living providing customers with high end artificial christmas trees on behalf of Balsam Hill, an online purveyor of pre-lit Christmas Trees.
I recently wrote an article on DIYMarketers about QR Codes and mobi tags – you know those black and white images you’ve seen in magazines and in stores, but didn’t know anything about. Â Today, I’d like to feature a guest post that will give you a little more education on QR codes and how they will help your small business
These days it seems as if you can do almost anything from your phone – make a call, update your Facebook® status, send an email, watch a video – you name it. One of the latest forms of information sharing for smartphone users is the QR code – a barcode-type image that holds information uncovered when you scan it on your smartphone.
Perhaps you have seen a QR code; companies are using them in their print advertising in magazines and professionals are using them as virtual business cards. But how exactly do you use a QR code and why is it important?
What is a QR code anyhow?
QR stands for “quick responseâ€, as it is intended to be read quickly from a cell phone. The codes have information stored inside, so when you scan the image you will receive the information digitally and at your fingertips. Information could be a website URL, contact information, geographic coordinates or text.
Why are QR codes important?
We live in a world that is increasingly digital – nearly everything is available instantaneously. QR codes offer consumers another way to find information when they want it, wherever they are.
QR Code Marketing Campaigns
In July 2010, Calvin Klein Jeans jumped on the QR bandwagon by erecting giant QR code billboards in downtown Los Angeles and New York City. When you scanned the code, you were able to view an exclusive 40-second video, luring prospective customers to purchase their high-end apparel line.
Courtesy of:Â http://hypebeast.com/2010/07/calvin-klein-jeans-qr-code-billboard/
Personal Organization
Are you the type of person who has a rolodex full of old business cards? QR codes allow you to clear the clutter by downloading information directly to where you need it – your phone.
Courtesy of:Â http://idi.treelogic.com/ing/noticias/noticia10.html
Just think…You could download coupons for your favorite stores right to your phone. Or, you can register for an event while you are out and about, without having to worry about connecting your computer to a free Wi-Fi hotspot.
How do you use a QR code?
First, you will need to install a barcode scanner application to your smartphone. There are dozens from free barcode scanners out there, such as Red Laser for the iPhone® and Barcode Scanner for the Android™. Once you have the app installed on your phone, you are ready to check out the hidden message in the QR code.
Next, open up the application on your phone and scan the QR code; the code can be scanned off an email, computer monitor or printed material. After you scan the code, you will be shown the information embedded within.
If it is a link, you will be able to click it and go directly to the webpage. If it is contact information, you will be able to import it directly into your phone’s address book.
The future of commerce, and even our day-to-day leisure, lies in digital advancements. Becoming accustomed to the use of QR codes will help you stay ahead of the game!
Android is a trademark of Google Inc. Use of this trademark is subject to Google Permissions
Facebook is a registered trademark of Facebook, Inc., iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc.
About the Author: Dana R. DeLapi is the Social Marketing Manager for Rasmussen College, a college that offers an internet marketing specialization. Dana has worked in the fields of social media, interactive marketing, journalism and public relations for more than five years. Dana has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Central Florida. She also has her Social Media Master certification fromMarket Motive.
A few months ago I talked John Phillippe’s ear off of Zsalvo design — but he asked for it! Â John contacted me to chat about social media strategies for small business and I handed out a TON of tips.
Here are just a few highlights:
- Set your marketing objectives first! Use Scott Allen’s The Virtual Handshake as a guide.
- Focus on just those social media sites that will help you achieve your objectives.
- Automate using tools like TweetDeck and HootSuite.
- Manage your time
- and More.
Great to All-In-One Web and Social Media Offer – You Will DIE For
During that conversation, John had told me that he was launching a new kind of web service. Â He was looking for ways to make it easy and affordable for small businesses to get in the online game. Â And he has absolutely done it. Â I’m telling you that this is an offer that will make any busy small business owner salivate! Â Check this out!
Total Site Support for $250/mo!
Who will LOVE this offer: This is an ideal offer for the small business that KNOWS they need a cool site and wants to do social media but just doesn’t have the time. Â If you are currently spending more than four hours a week messing around with your site and blog and web sites and blogs are NOT your business — then you need to see everything that’s offered.
What IS the offer?:
- Custom website
- Custom content
- Blog articles
- Search engine
- Visitor feedback
- Content changes
- Mobile ready
- Support
But wait — there’s more! Â He’s also offering four more items to his offer that are hard to turn down.
- email marketing
- newsletters
- social media
- pay pal
It’s going to be hard not to sound like a hard pitch sales person on this offer. Â That’s because I think it’s such a terrific, hard to resist offer. Â Here’s how to decide if it’s for you.
- How much are you spending on hosting?
- How much are you spending on design?
- How much time are you spending on blogging?
- How much time are you spending on social media?
- Have you done ANY SEO activities ?
- Do you currently have an email marketing and nurturing campaign?
There are more questions I can ask. Â But when you sum all those activities, their cost, their opportunity cost and the frustration that you might have over doing them — then this just might be something worth considering.
By the way – John isn’t going to try and sell you on this either. Â Click over to Total Site Support and see if it’s interesting to you. Â There is a one-time $149 set up fee and then $250 per month.
WARNING – Don’t be late on your bill
There is one BIG issue that I have with the site — and it may not be an issue for you – in fact, I’d be interested in hearing if what you think about it.
If you decide that you want to move the site from Total Site Support – you will lose all the content. Â In their FAQ section it says that if you do NOT pay the monthly fee – your site will be taken down. Â You own the domain name, but nothing else. Â This may be a serious consideration for a small business.
I wish they had a buy-out option here. Â Because this is such an irresistible offer to get started, but what if your business grows and you become tech savvy enough to run it yourself and you love it? Â You’re not going to want to lose all the work and the traffic that you’ve started with Total Site Support are you?
But if you aren’t in the business of doing webs and blogs, maybe this isn’t that important — I want to know what you think.
Image via Wikipedia
Is it me? Â Or are you overwhelmed by how much information there is out there — and how much MORE information you’re actually looking for?!
Small business owners and executives are always asking me how they can keep up with all the information and have time to generate good information that their customers will value? Â Over the last few years, I’ve learned that you have to change up the way you collect and gather information at least once per year.
Email – RSS – iGoogle or Something Else?
When blogs first started becoming popular, everyone was using RSS feeds (Really Simple Sindication) Â That’s the orange symbol you see on each blog.
At first, I couldn’t STAND RSS because I hadn’t developed the habit of visiting an RSS reader to see content. Â So, I registered for all these blogs and requested an email every time there was an update. Â That was fine for a while – but then my inbox exploded with content and I just couldn’t keep up.
Then I discovered iGoogle! Â I loved iGoodle because I could create a digital newspaper that contained all my favorite feeds and get all feeds on a single page. Â That was super. Â I used iGoogle for a couple of years. Â but then it, too became so overwhelming that I started ignoring it.
What’s the Best Way to Consume Blog Content?
I’ve heard people say that RSS readership was down because most people were using Twitter and Facebook to link to interesting articles. Â I do a fair amount of blog reading by following social media links – but that doesn’t give me the breadth I need for all the topics I need to track.
Today, I’m back to Google Reader. Â I open the reader and quickly scan the articles and “start” my favorites that I might use as inspiration for articles or articles I might want to link to in an article. Â Another reason why I love Google Reader is because I have a Google Reader App on my Android and I’m able to read through and track articles while I’m away from the computer as well.
How are YOU getting through blog content? Â Got a tool you love or a way to process lots of content quickly — PLEASE SHARE
I’ve given up on iGoogle for now, but who knows, I may be back to that as well.
This is a guest post from Patricia Sigmon adapted from her new book, “Six Steps to Creating Profit”
How often have you spent an entire business week working to “make payroll” without a single moment’s thought about your bottom line? You’re not alone. With credit crunch and cash flow fears looming, it’s not surprising that beefing up your net profit doesn’t often make your top ten to-do list.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) of small businesses either didn’t make a profit last year or failed to increase their profit, according to the year-end report from the National Small Business Association (www.nsba.biz). It doesn’t have to be that way! There are simple, creative steps any business can take to improve their bottom line — whether you’re a solopreneur or own a small business with a few employees.
Step 1. Change the rules of operation.
To compete in today’s marketplace, you’ll need to generate more sales while reducing expenses and tweaking costly administrative processes. To increase sales, try cross-selling — offering new services or goods that complement your current offerings (e.g., a chiropractor selling vitamins). Switch to a “relationship-based” sales model that gets them coming back to you — offering monthly or yearly service plans, or a bundle of visits at a discounted price (e.g., a series of 10 gym visits). Or lure them in the door with specials or giveaways. To trim expenses, start by automating your business with up-to-date, real-time records for sales, expenses, time spent, and more. Review this data constantly, including office spending and pricing decisions to keep your business running lean and mean. Finally, audit your administrative functions. Are there specialized tasks you could outsource to save money? Would it be more cost-effective to hire part-timers to do these tasks?
Step 2. Stay visible and connected.
Even if you’ve been around for decades, it’s important to stand up to the competition and wear your reputation on your sleeve. Accreditations, licenses, and certifications — for your business or for individual employees — can set you apart from your competition. Take your reputation online, utilizing social media, your website, and a blog to connect with clients and make strategic alliances. Use ad sharing with complementary businesses, and take advantage of affiliated marketing online tools to drive new customers to your site. Also, eliminate stale, ineffective alliances that may be dragging you down.
Step 3. Maximize your cash flow.
One of the best ways to achieve a stable cash flow is to offer prepaid retainers or ongoing payment plans. For example, instead of a one-shot eight-hour job at $125 per hour, offer a discounted 10-hour retainer plan at $100 per hour. At first this may not seem as lucrative, but it establishes a relationship and keeps the door open for additional work. Maintenance contracts, for service-based businesses, are another great way to create a brand-new revenue stream. Other ways to keep the cash flowing include once-a-year or once-a-month contract renewal fees (for registration, maintenance, subscription, usage, etc.), managing workload so many customers get ongoing service, rather than just one large client holding up service for everyone else; and managing credit payments to avoid fees or to take advantage of discounts and better terms.
Step 4. Streamline management costs.
How efficient are your employees? How many customer leads do you have? How much are you owed in Accounts Receivables? Questions like these need to be answered immediately, and to do so, you need to automate your business. Create a user-friendly system for employees to access and add data, keep all information updated and synchronized, and be sure to build in back-office, administrative time (to manage your accounts and your business) into your project fees, hourly rates, or ongoing charges. Automation will allow your business to run smoothly, and will help a scaled-down workforce accomplish more back-office work.
Step 5. Raise the marketing bar.
Not long ago, networking meant suit-wearing men and women, “Hello labels,” cocktails, big smiles, and big handshakes. Today, marketing is all about immediacy. Give your business an instant presence through online networks including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Set up group meetings, sales presentations, and special promotions using webinars. Or, offer tutorials, demos, or new certification sessions as webcasts or podcasts for immediate download. Don’t forget to measure all of your marketing efforts to see which ones are indeed cost effective. You can do this with a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software solution linked to your accounts receivable system.
Step 6. Make everyone a salesperson.
From telephone to email to face-to-face meetings, every employee has the opportunity to spread your company’s message and engage in potential sales-generating behavior. Jobs are no longer about going to the office and biding your time. Everyone needs to pitch in to help: cutting costs, selling, networking on the web, marketing, and more. Get them motivated to sell your message by encouraging self-development, or through roundtables, conferences, lunch meetings, and webinars. Reward employees who seek continuing education, or who make an extra effort to represent the company inside and outside of work.
About the Author: Patricia Sigmon is a successful entrepreneur, a sought-after speaker, and one of our leading experts in the field of profit management. She is founder and president of David Advisory Group (www.DavidAdvisoryGroup.com), a boutique firm that specializes in helpingCEOs and small and midsized businesses reengineer their business practices to generate more profit, cut inefficiency, and optimize their earning potential. Her new book is Six Steps to Creating Profit (Wiley).
A couple of months ago I was chatting with my buddy Scott Allen (he’s the author of The Virtual Handshake) If you haven’t downloaded or picked up a copy do that right now, it will change how you use social media in your business. Â But I digress.
Scott is going on and on about Craig Elias. Â ”This guy blew my mind with what he was talking about….He showed me ways to use LinkedIn to get to the customer at just the time they’re ready to buy” Â and that was just the few details of what he said that stuck with me. Â What really sent me in search of more info about Craig Elias was the impact he’d had on Scott Allen. Â I mean Scott is already Mr. Guru Guy. Â I didn’t think there was that much that would impress him about how to use social media tools – and he was IMPRESSED.
I Find Craig on LinkedIn
I search for “Craig Elias” and “Trigger Events” and the first thing that pops up is his LinkedIn Group. Â So let that be a lesson to all of you NOT on LinkedIn — it’s how customers might find you.
I put in a request to join the group and start lurking around. Â I soon realized that I was late and quickly jumped into my car and started driving. Â Just before I got a block away from my house — my phone rings. Â I look at the ID and it says “Craig Elias” — I’m like WHAT? ! Â How did THAT happen? Â (The Twilight Zone Theme comes to mind). Â I pick up the phone and ask how he got to calling me. Â Craig says “I saw you joined the group and noticed that you and I may be able to work together.”
The Power of Timely Followup
Craig told me that if you call someone within 5 minutes of their filling out the form, you are 100 times more likely to connect with you and ultimately say YES.
This is how Craig does business. Â He uses the power of Trigger Events (like my filling out the form) to get to people at just the time that they are thinking about making a change or buying something.
You Can Learn to Be at The Right Place at The Right Time
After much arm twisting (well, not really, Craig is very accommodating) Craig will be partnering with my friends at Survey Analytics on a webinar called “Trends, Triggers and Tools: How to Use Trigger Events to Get More Profitable Customers”
DATE AND TIME: Â Tuesday April 12, 2011 at 12pm ET / 9am PT
REGISTER LINK: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/147262882
Be prepared to have your mind explode with insights and ideas!
I’ve just come back from the hairdresser’s and NO – it doesn’t look as bad as this picture. Â In fact, my hair looks fantastic! Â The woman who cuts and colors it is wonderful and she loves what she does. Â We both love to explore new looks and try new things. Â (Again — I don’t look like this picture) 
I’ve decided to let my hair grow out a bit and that means that she didn’t cut very much off. Â She did color it and style it and use all kinds of great product on it — so the actual hair cutting was a very small part of the process.
And yet…..
I’m noticing that I feel like if I didn’t have a MAJOR change to my look  – like say color my hair BLUE!  I don’t feel like it was worth the price.
What is UP with that?!
Would I feel like I got more of my money’s worth if she’d cut all my hair off? Â NO
Would I feel that I got my money’s worth if whatever she did magically wiped 15 years off my age? Or made me look like a super model? Â OF COURSE!
So it’s not how much hair they take off – it’s how much is left and what the result leaves you with.
Think about that the next time you’re shocked by the price of anything. Â Even more importantly – think about that the next time you have to set a price for a product or service.
Don’t price for the time it takes to do something — price for the value that’s left behind.
If Guy Kawasaki doesn’t take HIS influence for granted, then neither should you!
Guy Kawasaki has written a new book , Enchantment – it’s his tenth. Â And he’s been working the marketing for this book like nobody’s business. Â Just this morning, I received a limited offer that gives you a FREE copy of Reality Check when you purchase a copy of Enchantment. Â (THIS IS ONLY VALID TODAY MARCH 7, 2011)
Now you’d think that this guy would have hired people to do this — and he has. Â But he’s done something that many executives and companies don’t do — he’s identified where HE has more pull than his people and he’s been working those channels.
I wasn’t sure what to make of this at first. Â But, now I see that it’s a smart lesson for all of us.
About a week ago, I had the opportunity to interview Guy Kawasaki about Enchantment. During our introductory small talk, I had mentioned that my friends were excited and somewhat awe-struck that I was doing this interview. Â I’m not sure if he blushed — but he certainly poo-poo’d the whole idea of being well known. Â And when I told him that one friend didn’t know who he was, his comment had a “that’s more like it” feel to it.
There were several other exchanges we had on this call that made me see that Guy doesn’t take his influence for granted. Â I wish I had asked how that came to be, but instead, let’s look inside his new book Enchantment for some insights:
- Be Likable. Smile, shake hands, don’t impose your values on others — all those things your mother nagged you about. Â She had her reasons.
- Be Trustworthy. Be nice, help people, disclose your interests, show up, bake don’t take — make a bigger pie. Â Basically just do what you know is the right thing to do.
- Make it easy. Prepare for enchantment, make it easy for people to like you, trust you, get to know what you’re about.
- How to launch/market enchantingly. Tell a story, get people engrossed in your space, plant many seeds, don’t overwhelm people with choices.
- Overcome resistance. Show people your magic, create scarcity, be everywhere.
- Make enchantment last. Make it part of who you are, use reciprocity, build a community.
There are many more points contained in this book. Â It’s like a Dale Carnegie 3.0 – be sure to get yourself a copy.
Now 4 square differentiate between friends and followers.
That means you can see what your friends recommend and the people that you follow recommend
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HubSpot/~3/PSWLZbpVZqY/Foursquare-Now-Distingu…
