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

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...

Use these powerful yet simple tips from the national best-seller, "Secrets of Power Marketing: Promote Brand You" - the first guide to personal marketing for non-marketers.   Create and grant an annual award.   Send hand written congratulations and thank you notes.   Send greeting cards for some occasion other than Christmas.   Send postcards when you travel and even when you are at home.   Give a good book to special clients. Always sign it with a positive message.   Build relationships with the media before you need them.   Associate with winners - attend awards functions.   Build and maintain a database of clients, prospects, and key influencers.   Earn certifications and win awards from your associations - and tell everyone.   Ask happy customers to write testimonial letters for you.   Recruit your suppliers as marketing agents. They work for free.   Join and be active in your chamber of commerce.   Write...

The internet today comes with promises of wealth and fame. This allows many to dream of riches and notoriety. The opportunity is out there but the fact is that most people don't have a clue how to get there.  So many think that they can achieve this prosperity by just showing up. Unfortunately, that is not the way this ball bounces. Is there a simple answer? I don't think there is a single simple answer, yet how to be successful on the internet is pretty basic. You have to be willing to work. Work at what you may ask? First thing is to work hard at learning everything you can about your chosen field. I would suggest you read about and study the people who have had success in the past. There is an endless supply of knowledge floating around out there and you want to read as much of it as you can - systematically and with purpose. When I first started trying to make a living on the net, I thought I was wise enough to do it on my own. It sure didn't take long to figure out tha...