Make Your Next Move Your Best Move - Now It's On You

There is no greater mistake than when a young man or woman believes he or she will succeed with borrowed money. Why? Because every man's experience coincides with that of Mr. Astor, who said, "it was more difficult for him to accumulate his first thousand dollars, than all the succeeding millions that made up his colossal fortune." Money is good for nothing unless you know the true value of it (understand that money is merely a form of currency - and there are several forms of currency. Also, money as we know it is Fiat Currency . Which means it only has the value man assigns to it. It has no intrinsic or inherent value and no commodity-backed value ).

You’ve read about the importance of being courageous, rebellious and imaginative. These are all vital ingredients in an effective advertising campaign. However, they must be tempered with the most important ingredient of all—strategy. As long as the advertising industry has been in existence there has been debate about whether advertising is art or commerce. Quite frankly, this kind of divisive argument is a waste of time and has only helped to diminish what little respect the industry has earned through the years. Besides, the answer is simple. Advertising is the art of commerce. It can’t be pure art because pure art won’t engage the consumer on behalf of the brand. Art can certainly get people’s attention, but it rarely causes them to take action. If the consumer is not actively engaged, the brand won’t grow. If the brand doesn’t grow, the company won’t profit. And if the company ceases to make a profit, it dies and takes its brand with it. On the other hand, advertising can’t be mer...

In order to get consumers (whether they are retail or service customers or business-to-business audiences) to notice an advertising message, many companies resort to loudness and one-upmanship. Neither of these tactics works in the long run. If your competition is talking loudly and you decide to yell louder, what do you think they will do? Yep. They’ll start to scream. Nobody wins a shouting match when it comes to advertising. And usually you’ll find you even lose a few customers in the process because they can’t stand the noise. It’s the same with one-upmanship. If you have to compete on more and better coupons or more and better discounts, giveaways or incentives unrelated to your core product, your revenue per sale decreases as well as your number of sales. Customers see these types of games as gimmicky, fake and disingenuous; and they leave. The ones who do stay now view you and your competitors as commodities with no difference except your price. That is a dangerous place for a ...

While reading some very informative material recently, I found myself inspired by a concept that enables a person to soar to higher heights.  The concept of adding value to everything you do, when applied to specific areas of a person's life, can bring that person to be highly sought after by those receiving the added value.  The material I was reading focused on business and what this concept will do for the success of a business.  Another way of looking at this concept is in the idea of doing more than is expected, or doing more than that which you are compensated to do.  When doing this a person will be "weighed" against others who do not.  In comparison, the person who adds value to all he/she does will be sought after to the degree that there will be keen competition for his/her service.  As a person becomes more and more recognized for doing more than he/she is compensated to do, he/she will begin receiving more and more compensation for their service...

Good morning, Entrepreneurs! Support can come in many forms. A lot of people come to me expecting free services because I have helped many people in their journeys to accomplish their goals. However, I now provide "free help" in the form of this blog. A conversation is considered consultation. You get the benefit of about 2 decades of research and trial and error. So, for those of you who are looking to benefit from free business advice, read the blog regularly. You can even search it for what you are looking for. You can also check out the FAQs on nowitsonyou.com . From now on, every inquiry will go through the process that any prospect goes through. Calls will start being handle by my assistant. I have produced results for clients, friends, and family which exceeds $250,000 in the last 3-4 years alone. Sometimes, I help people who do not want to publicize their endeavors. However, I have produced results for a security company; a lab transport company; multiple artists an...

Most of the Internet Marketers seem to think of website promotion as just submitting to search engines, directories, link building and advertising in ezines or banner exchanges. It is a known fact that most people in the world use most of their time off-line. They read newspapers, magazines, listen to radio and watch TV, talk with their clients, friends, neighbors and family. Not all the time is spent surfing on the internet. To ignore the value of off-line marketing is to leave 65-70% of the money to be made from your websites on the table. Some suggestions for creating an off-line advertising/publicity campaign are : Let your local papers know ( you can purchase a press release from our SEO affiliate ) that you have a unique product/service that will benefit the local community and you are able to help them save time, learn more and be more effective in their daily lives. This could lead to an interview with a local reporter or even with a national program with your website as a feat...

I am constantly asked the following question: “What should I put on my content sites?” They are asking about our Autoblogging strategy where we recommend creating content sites and pushing the traffic to create income streams. Here are some things to consider putting on your content site: 1. A Resource Directory Resource directories provide visitors with resources relative to their search inquiry. Though it is not always the case, these directories are also Link Directories. According to Merriam-Webster, a directory is an alphabetic or classified list . Yahoo actually got it’s start as a resource directory. They are now one of the top visited sites on the entire internet. The search engine ranking data (http://www.RankingFactors.com) shows that outbound links are still a positive ranking correlation factor (even though so-called SEO “experts” moan about PR leak and other such nonsense). However, in this " ever-changing SEO industry " (and according to Moz ), the quality of t...

At a retail store in Hernando not long ago, the owner and I exchanged business cards. I looked at his logo, and he studied the name on my card. "I know that logo. We've been in touch in the past," I said. "That's right. I know your company name," he said. Although we weren't able to pinpoint when or why we'd exchanged mail previously, we guessed it had been at least five years back. Neither one of us remembered any details. Rather, he had created a distinctive visual identity for his store, and I had devoted effort to linking my name with creative marketing. For at least five years his look and my reputation had lurked in the other's memory banks, while thousands or hundreds of thousands of other business identities had come and gone without leaving a significant trace. Why? Memorability. It illustrates a key element of successful branding. What is Branding? Branding is the process of creating distinctive and durable imprint in the minds of consu...

The appeal of great market research data often fades after it's presentation because companies don't know what to do with it. The central issue is linking your new and terribly interesting research to your own customer and prospect data.  Fortunately there are straightforward ways to get to market segmentation and break the pattern of mass marketing that leads many companies to “also ran” status.  We call this reverse segmentation and it can create legends in the business world. Here's how reverse segmentation works.  Almost everyone has a customer database and knowledge of vendors who can provide lists of prospects.  We can use data commonly found in these databases to develop market segments.  For example, using data from a client's customer list, you can use income, education, and marital status as the basis for segments. Once these segments are formed, you can psychographically profile each segment using new market research.  The key was that the market...

If you’re looking to maximize the return on your marketing costs ("[marketing is not just an expense], it is an investment" - Lisa Sasevich ), then you need to develop an integrated marketing campaign.  An integrated marketing campaign uses more than one medium to communicate a message to your audience.  Integrated marketing can also mean a marketing campaign that leverages the power of different media types to move prospects through the process of becoming a customer. The most successful marketing campaigns begin with the media type that particular prospects use regularly.  For example, if your competitors have a higher percentage of success with direct mail than with email marketing, targeting the same market segment, you could leverage that information to your benefit.  Studies have shown that individuals who fall within this consumer segment spend a lot of time opening and reading their mail.  That being the case, you want to make sure that your first contac...

As a company with long – term goals of development you should know what your customer wants. Without it you will hardly manage to build a good service for your clients. So, what are the clients’ present expectations? No matter who is your consumer? Anyway he/she is the highest authority for you, whose opinion is a law for you. One of the best definitions of “a consumer” belongs to Mahatma Gandi, many leading companies owe their primacy to these simple postulates: Consumer is the main person in your office. He does not depend on you. All of us depend on him. He is no hindrance for our work. He is the target of our work. He is a part of our work. We don’t do him a favor serving him. He does us a favor giving us such an opportunity. The trite phrase “Client is always right” – this is the credo of any marketing – oriented company aimed at success. It can’t be otherwise. So, what are the clients’ present expectations? They want to feel secure and relaxed. In everything. A student purchas...

Although on the books, marketing is an expense, it’s really not when you stop and think about it.  What do you need to do to generate sales?  You have to let people know what you do and what you can offer them.  It’s called marketing. So when times are tough, why would you stop using your main resource outside of referrals to get more money in the company? With that in mind, forget what your accountant labels marketing as, you have to treat it as an investment. Allow me to go further on the subject to clear it up. In accounting, sure, marketing IS an expense.  But here's what happens when marketing is viewed purely as an expense: You think of marketing solely as an expense.   When business gets slow, many people cut marketing.  Now you are letting less people know about your products and services.  Results:  You get even less business. If you think of marketing only as an expense, the odds are, your marketing is nowhere near as effective as it ...

One of the greatest problems that businesses face is getting the pricing strategy right. This article explores the three key factors all companies need to consider when getting this vital element on target. Missing only one of the three can have disastrous consequences. As with everything, it does not take rocket science to get this right, however one slip, could seriously damage your bottom line. The three factors, equally weighed are as follows: The value that your customers put on your product and service (" Perceived Value "). Take a look at our article from 01/30/2018, Your Web Site's Success Are You A Perceived Expert Will you make a profit ? What your competitors charge for the same or equivalent (some use this pricing strategy based almost entirely on competition's prices. This is a common error. But don't take my word for it... ) Understand that competitive pricing is one strategy that involves many factors. Check out this article here . So ho...

I thought I would clear up some misconceptions about marketing in this two-part series: What Marketing Can Do For You and What Marketing Can't Do For You. This issue is about what marketing can’t do. While there’s no question a solid marketing program can increase your business, it can’t fix everything. Below are 5 things marketing can’t do for you: 1. Marketing alone can’t make you an overnight success. Just because you start a marketing program doesn’t mean you’re immediately going to see your business explode. Marketing is about getting your name in front of your target market on a regular basis until they finally decide to give you a try. On that note, if you’re in trouble right now – sales are down, a new business isn’t getting off the ground like you planned -- depending on how bad the trouble is a marketing program may not be enough to save you. A successful marketing program needs time to work and more likely than not, a little money as well. If you’re panicked about one (o...

I thought I would clear up some misconceptions about marketing in this two-part series: What Marketing Can Do For You and What Marketing Can't Do For You. We'll start with the positive. Over the years, I've had dealings with some business owners who have a rather skewed perception of marketing. They think you throw a few ads out there, get a couple of press releases printed and voila! You’re a big success. Oh, if it only were that easy. (Although if it were, I probably wouldn’t have a job.) But there's no getting around that to have a successful business, you need a solid marketing plan. So what CAN marketing do for you? Increase your business – no question about it. You need to be marketing if you want to grow your business. However (and this is a really big however) marketing is NOT going to result in overnight success. Marketing is about slow growth, building on last week's success and forgetting about last month's failures. (Or what you THINK are failures. I...

Market research is a crucial starting point for any business that seeks to target a particular niche market. The equation is pretty simple: if the interest in your product is low, you won’t make enough sales to keep afloat. One of the keys to success is planning ahead – seek out a ready and willing market that will buy your product before launching a marketing campaign. The internet offers the start-up business industry a lot of tools for market research, so there’s no excuse for not taking advantage of the available information. It gives you access to a wider range of consumers than you would normally be able to reach. Your target market doesn’t have to be defined by geographical location – instead, you will likely be targeting a group of people who share a similar interest - as well as other characteristics. A lot of online market research is conducted through three avenues: the web, email, and newsgroups. The first is perfect for checking out the competition. It pays to be informed...

An effective logo/tagline combination can be one of the best ways to successfully brand your business. But you don't have to take my word for it. Do any of the phrases below ring a bell? See if you can identify which companies each of the following taglines belongs to. You'll find the answers at the end of the article. But before you read ahead to get the answers, take a few minutes to test the power of taglines yourself by naming the brand each of these top-ranked taglines belong to. 1) Have it your way 2) Is it in you? 3) The quicker picker-upper 4) Just do it 5) It's everywhere you want to be 6) Drivers wanted 7) When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight 8) Finger lickin-good 9) Because I'm worth it 10)Let your fingers do the walking So what exactly is a tagline? When it comes to marketing, one of the most powerful tools you can use to build your brand is a tagline or slogan. The two terms are pretty much interchangeable. I...

You are now a business owner, congratulations! You have everything you need right down to the business plan but one thing is missing. Customers. As you sit in the darkness of your living room at night, you wonder how you can afford to advertise and where. The next morning you drag out the Yellow Pages looking for a company that specializes in marketing or advertising, make the call and to your dismay the person that you speak to informs you of the prices for their services. They tell you that it will cost from several hundred dollars to as much as 15% of your total business. You have a little bit of money left from the loan that you obtained to get the business up and running, so you agree and set an appointment to meet later in the week. What is wrong with this scenario? Nothing if you have a lot of money to spend. The problem is that most small business owners have limited budgets to work with and expensive advertising campaigns are simply out of the question. So what is the alternat...

New marketing and promotional ideas! Free! Most are related to internet-based businesses, but even those can usually be adopted in some way to other businesses. Here are half a dozen marketing ideas to get you thinking. A one-hour coupon. Offline businesses that want to increase the traffic to their websites can announce an "internet coupon" good for a free drink (or whatever). The coupon would be up on the site for an hour, sometime on a Friday, say. Visitors will return again and again to try to be there at the right time to get the freebie. If you collect pay-per-click advertising fees, this repeat traffic might be especially profitable. Free gift article teaser. A free gift is certainly not a new marketing idea, but it hasn't been done much in internet article "resource boxes." My click-throughs from articles increased when I started putting in the author's resource box, "For more information and a free gift, visit..." The gift is usually a sho...

Have you ever walked into a store in your town, and been addressed by name? This has probably happened to you at stores that you frequent often. The shop owner knows your name, and uses it. He remembers you, and he wants you to know that he cared enough about you and your business to remember you. In the offline world, this is just one aspect of customer support. Customer service like this is almost impossible to achieve on the Internet, but some semblance of it can exist when you personalize your autoresponder messages. Autoresponder messages can be set up to address people by their first or last name – or both. In fact, there is quite a bit of personalized information that can be added, depending on the autoresponder that you are using. The information is included in the autoresponder messages by using codes. Each autoresponder will use different codes to insert the information in your messages. You simply write your message, and put the codes where you want the personalized inf...