One of the most cost effective ways to promote your company's brand is
through a quality item of clothing or personal accessory that has been
tastefully embellished with a logo.
Why? Because logo apparel
and accessories literally become a walking billboard when in use by the
recipient. The key term being in use. Here are a few tips for making sure the items you provide are actually used.
Dress
your own employees for success. Their appearance is a critical element
of your brand, especially if you are in the home services industry,
personal services industry, or operate a store front. Invest in stain
resistant materials designed to maintain their color and shape through
many washings. Make sure the items are properly fitted, and replace
them when they begin to show wear. It is much less stressful to provide
the employee with the look you want them to have than to coach them on
how to buy their own clothes. Further, tasteful apparel with the
company logo has a better chance of being worn outside of the workplace,
and therefore viewed as an added benefit of employment. The return on
your investment will be added brand exposure, higher employee morale and
lower turnover.
Support your clients and/or employees at play.
Does one of your top accounts love to golf? Supply their management
team with sports shirts, jackets or hats with your logo. If they would
rather be fishing, supply them with Columbia style fishing shirts.
Marathon running more their thing? Try moisture-wicking tanks. You get
the idea; the recipient will appreciate receiving a gift tailored to
their lifestyle, and every time they wear it your are getting the added
benefit of branding.
Provide something that helps people on the
move. Donate branded shopping totes or badge wallets at your trade
association's next convention or expo. Reward top producers with
customized beach towels, sunshades and flip flops to go with the trip
they won. Or perhaps a folding chair or rolling soft sided cooler for
the next company tail gating event. All great ways to recognize and
motivate your team while your brand literally travels with them.
And
finally, send the message home with embroidered aprons, kitchen mitts,
towels, robes, blankets, or even socks! Customers and employees alike
will enjoy these comfort inducing items while thinking most kindly of
your company for providing them.
Best of all, when you know how
to buy them, logo apparel and accessories can be available in very
small quantities at an affordable price. Consult your Allied Marketing
Professional to find out which products best suit your industry and your
budget.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Does Every Business Need A Web Site?
Many a small business owner has asked me, "Do I really need a web site?" Well, that's like asking, "Does my business need a phone number?".
So, yes. Absolutely. Your business does need a web presence.
From everything you see and read, sometimes it seems like all of marketing is going to the Internet. While customers are turning to the world wide web more often to search for products and services, Internet marketing, including social media and email, is becoming a necessity. However, it is just one marketing tool among the hundreds available to the savvy small business marketer. And, like all the others, it's how you use it that counts.
Chances are very good that your potential client is going to be active online. But where are they looking? And how do you want to show up for them? Here is a good analysis of popular social media hot spots. Imagine you are having a conversation with a prospective client.
On Twitter: You would be at your local watering hole.
On Facebook: You would be chatting in your own living room.
On Linked In: You would be meeting in your place of business.
So where do you want your online content to land? And how do you position it there?
What is the purpose of social media or email marketing campaigns in your business? Lead generation? Bringing more traffic to your web site? Brand recognition? Customer retention?
Since one of the most powerful uses of social media is to point prospective buyers to your web site, then I guess it's very necessary to have the site in the first place. It's like spending thousands of dollars on beautiful company brochures, then never taking them out of the box.
Remember, the best marketing plan utilizes the lowest cost, most effective tools available that bring your company the highest quantifiable results. In business, quantifiable results mean only one thing- profit!
So, yes. Absolutely. Your business does need a web presence.
From everything you see and read, sometimes it seems like all of marketing is going to the Internet. While customers are turning to the world wide web more often to search for products and services, Internet marketing, including social media and email, is becoming a necessity. However, it is just one marketing tool among the hundreds available to the savvy small business marketer. And, like all the others, it's how you use it that counts.
Chances are very good that your potential client is going to be active online. But where are they looking? And how do you want to show up for them? Here is a good analysis of popular social media hot spots. Imagine you are having a conversation with a prospective client.
On Twitter: You would be at your local watering hole.
On Facebook: You would be chatting in your own living room.
On Linked In: You would be meeting in your place of business.
So where do you want your online content to land? And how do you position it there?
What is the purpose of social media or email marketing campaigns in your business? Lead generation? Bringing more traffic to your web site? Brand recognition? Customer retention?
Since one of the most powerful uses of social media is to point prospective buyers to your web site, then I guess it's very necessary to have the site in the first place. It's like spending thousands of dollars on beautiful company brochures, then never taking them out of the box.
Remember, the best marketing plan utilizes the lowest cost, most effective tools available that bring your company the highest quantifiable results. In business, quantifiable results mean only one thing- profit!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Know Before You Go: 8 Trade Show Musts
Here are a few simple steps that will greatly improve the results from your next show:
1. Determine your purpose. Are you focused on meeting new prospects or having face-time with existing accounts? Don't get roped into a show if you are not certain who the attendees will be so that you can plan how to interact with them in advance.
2. Target your prime prospects and find a way to invite them to your booth in advance if possible; if not in advance, then by the type of giveaway, event-publicized contest or even the design of your exhibit. If permitted, draw them in with the aroma of fresh baked cookies or hot buttered popped corn.
3. Give away an item that can be used immediately and afterward. Totes, pens with notepads, mints, hand sanitizers and can coolers get a lot of exposure. Be sure the item you choose to give away is targeted to your best prospect and avoid gimmicky items that may end up in a child's toy box, product samples, or coupons/discounts that have no value without a required purchase.
4. Don't hoard your marketing materials. Bring an ample supply and plan to leave empty handed. However, you may want to limit the number of promos you display at one time. Too many items create clutter and give the impression of low value. Exhibit one or two of each, and offer others directly to the attendees who actually stop to chat. Avoid the attendees who simply want to grab and run.
5. Offer a contest to get attendees to perform a specific response, like opting in to an e-letter subscription or setting an appointment. Promote the contest with mailings and social media prior to the show, flyers inserted into goody bags or even workers handing out leaflets where allowed.
6. Obtain the list of registrants so that you can do a pre-show mailing. Call your key customers to ask them if they know anyone you can send an invite to.
7. Send pre-show mailings that include a product giveaway and your booth number. The object is to get them to come see you first.
8. And the single most important ingredient for a profit-making show: Follow up! Since this is where most of your competitors will fall down on the job, you can absolutely clean up in appointments, repeat business and referrals by making a personal contact with each registered prospect after the show.
1. Determine your purpose. Are you focused on meeting new prospects or having face-time with existing accounts? Don't get roped into a show if you are not certain who the attendees will be so that you can plan how to interact with them in advance.
2. Target your prime prospects and find a way to invite them to your booth in advance if possible; if not in advance, then by the type of giveaway, event-publicized contest or even the design of your exhibit. If permitted, draw them in with the aroma of fresh baked cookies or hot buttered popped corn.
3. Give away an item that can be used immediately and afterward. Totes, pens with notepads, mints, hand sanitizers and can coolers get a lot of exposure. Be sure the item you choose to give away is targeted to your best prospect and avoid gimmicky items that may end up in a child's toy box, product samples, or coupons/discounts that have no value without a required purchase.
4. Don't hoard your marketing materials. Bring an ample supply and plan to leave empty handed. However, you may want to limit the number of promos you display at one time. Too many items create clutter and give the impression of low value. Exhibit one or two of each, and offer others directly to the attendees who actually stop to chat. Avoid the attendees who simply want to grab and run.
5. Offer a contest to get attendees to perform a specific response, like opting in to an e-letter subscription or setting an appointment. Promote the contest with mailings and social media prior to the show, flyers inserted into goody bags or even workers handing out leaflets where allowed.
6. Obtain the list of registrants so that you can do a pre-show mailing. Call your key customers to ask them if they know anyone you can send an invite to.
7. Send pre-show mailings that include a product giveaway and your booth number. The object is to get them to come see you first.
8. And the single most important ingredient for a profit-making show: Follow up! Since this is where most of your competitors will fall down on the job, you can absolutely clean up in appointments, repeat business and referrals by making a personal contact with each registered prospect after the show.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
The Secret 5th Ingredient For Marketing With Results
It is a well known fact that the most successful companies are those who:
1. Have a marketing plan with a dedicated budget,
2. Strictly adhere to their marketing plan,
3. Track the results of their marketing plan, and
4. Make adjustments to their marketing plan on a regular and ongoing basis.
But do you know where most companies fall down? On the 5th ingredient: Implementation.
The best marketing plan will come off only half baked without doing whatever is necessary to insure that every detail of the plan is executed in a timely and consistent fashion.
Perhaps your company has a great marketing mastermind at your disposal. You have paid the price for genius and now possess a perfectly printed and bound step-by-step marketing plan including pricing to support your budget and contacts for each of the multiple vendors needed to provide the various products and services necessary to take your company to the top. Who gets the job of putting the plan into action?
Hiring a full time marketing manager is often a moot issue for the very small business, since the going rate of pay for such a professional is likely to be more than 100% of the average annual marketing budget for small companies.
A part time marketing assistant may be within the budget, but who will give this person the direction they need to get the job done?
Delegating to an existing employee who has little or no marketing expertise may be disastrous to the success of the plan while adversely affecting other business operations.
And the reason you hired the big guns to create a marketing plan for you in the first place was because you already have too many hats to wear and not enough time or experience to commit to marketing. So you are not the best person for the job, either.
The secret 5th Ingredient for successful small business marketing is OUTSOURCED marketing implementation through the efforts of a professional marketing advisor who is willing to roll up their sleeves and get into the nitty-gritty details of your marketing plan. How will you know if you have found the right person for the job?
1. Fees are proportionate to your annual budget
2. They have preferred vendors and are willing to work with yours
3. An itemized 12 month calendar is prepared and followed
4. The advisor is responsible for moving forward without prompting from you
5. Regularly scheduled progress reports are written into the plan
If you have any questions regarding the development or implementation of a marketing plan for your small business, feel free to post them here. If I don't know the answer, I will consult someone who does!
1. Have a marketing plan with a dedicated budget,
2. Strictly adhere to their marketing plan,
3. Track the results of their marketing plan, and
4. Make adjustments to their marketing plan on a regular and ongoing basis.
But do you know where most companies fall down? On the 5th ingredient: Implementation.
The best marketing plan will come off only half baked without doing whatever is necessary to insure that every detail of the plan is executed in a timely and consistent fashion.
Perhaps your company has a great marketing mastermind at your disposal. You have paid the price for genius and now possess a perfectly printed and bound step-by-step marketing plan including pricing to support your budget and contacts for each of the multiple vendors needed to provide the various products and services necessary to take your company to the top. Who gets the job of putting the plan into action?
Hiring a full time marketing manager is often a moot issue for the very small business, since the going rate of pay for such a professional is likely to be more than 100% of the average annual marketing budget for small companies.
A part time marketing assistant may be within the budget, but who will give this person the direction they need to get the job done?
Delegating to an existing employee who has little or no marketing expertise may be disastrous to the success of the plan while adversely affecting other business operations.
And the reason you hired the big guns to create a marketing plan for you in the first place was because you already have too many hats to wear and not enough time or experience to commit to marketing. So you are not the best person for the job, either.
The secret 5th Ingredient for successful small business marketing is OUTSOURCED marketing implementation through the efforts of a professional marketing advisor who is willing to roll up their sleeves and get into the nitty-gritty details of your marketing plan. How will you know if you have found the right person for the job?
1. Fees are proportionate to your annual budget
2. They have preferred vendors and are willing to work with yours
3. An itemized 12 month calendar is prepared and followed
4. The advisor is responsible for moving forward without prompting from you
5. Regularly scheduled progress reports are written into the plan
If you have any questions regarding the development or implementation of a marketing plan for your small business, feel free to post them here. If I don't know the answer, I will consult someone who does!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Targeted Promotional Items Earn The Highest ROI
I have been approached many times by customers and prospects looking for an item with their logo on it to give away at an event or trade show. The first questions I ask is this: "Who is your target prospect and what will they be doing when they think of you?" Next, I want to know: "What is the purpose and theme of the event?"
Knowing your target prospect is essential. For starters, it tells us how many items need to be ordered. Is every event attendee a prospect, or only a select few? If every attendee is a qualified prospect then by all means order enough for everyone and display them for frequent and easy access. If only a few in the crowd are good prospects, then we will need to brainstorm ideas for attracting that group and rewarding them for their presence with something of higher quality than your average freebie.
It is important to think about what the give away item will be used for after the event. For example, an electrical repair company might give out a magnet with their contact information printed in glow-in-the-dark ink. The idea is for the recipient to place the magnet on the metal circuit breaker box at their home or business. When the lights go out, the number to call for service will be easy to find.
The purpose and/or theme of the event is something to think about as well. If your logo imprinted item is going into a goody bag for a golf tournament, it's better to invest in something a golfer is interested in using. A bag of tees or a divet tool on a key chain will see more use than a note pad or pen that is likely to never make it off the cart.
Remember to select promotional products with your target market in mind. Find out what types of products your best prospects and customers find useful. The most memorable gifts and premiums are those that the recipients have a use for beyond the event, therefore creating multiple opportunities for your brand to become top of mind as the item is used again and again.
Knowing your target prospect is essential. For starters, it tells us how many items need to be ordered. Is every event attendee a prospect, or only a select few? If every attendee is a qualified prospect then by all means order enough for everyone and display them for frequent and easy access. If only a few in the crowd are good prospects, then we will need to brainstorm ideas for attracting that group and rewarding them for their presence with something of higher quality than your average freebie.
It is important to think about what the give away item will be used for after the event. For example, an electrical repair company might give out a magnet with their contact information printed in glow-in-the-dark ink. The idea is for the recipient to place the magnet on the metal circuit breaker box at their home or business. When the lights go out, the number to call for service will be easy to find.
The purpose and/or theme of the event is something to think about as well. If your logo imprinted item is going into a goody bag for a golf tournament, it's better to invest in something a golfer is interested in using. A bag of tees or a divet tool on a key chain will see more use than a note pad or pen that is likely to never make it off the cart.
Remember to select promotional products with your target market in mind. Find out what types of products your best prospects and customers find useful. The most memorable gifts and premiums are those that the recipients have a use for beyond the event, therefore creating multiple opportunities for your brand to become top of mind as the item is used again and again.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Planning A Meeting? Piece of Cake!
No matter how large or small your company is, at some time in the near or far future you will likely find yourself organizing a meeting or gathering that requires at least some level of planning on your part. This will require quite an investment of time and money for things like reserving a spot, ordering food, sending invites, and procuring the various materials needed to conduct the meeting and present a professional appearance. Here are some facts to help you through what can be a somewhat arduous process.
Avoid costly rush charges and mistakes made in haste by planning ahead. The most successful outside events are planned a full year in advance, but you can do a decent job in as few as 90 days if you are meeting in your own rooms. This will allow ample time for obtaining samples of customized products so that they are not purchased sight unseen, designing and proofing printed materials well ahead of drop dead print deadlines, sending save the dates, invites, and reminders, and organizing handouts.
Save on costs by offering sponsorships. Do you have vendors or strategic partners who might provide cash or goods in exchange for the opportunity to network with your attendees? Sponsors can provide name badges on lanyards imprinted with their logo, tote bags imprinted with their logo and yours, notebooks, writing instruments, etc. Their logo on the item is good advertising for them and will help you keep your overhead low. If you prefer cash, offer sponsors an opportunity to exhibit at the event, time at the podium, or ad space in the printed program.
Outsource the coordination of your collateral materials. Find a vendor who can perform several functions under one roof. For example, the right promotional marketing consultant can source printed badges, badge holders, and lanyards from three different suppliers, assemble them and deliver them directly to the meeting location. They can also get a three ring binder with your logo on it and have your meeting notes printed, collated and inserted with tabs before delivery. This same consultant can work with your sponsors to provide customized promotional items that meet with your approval and blend with the theme of the meeting. Again, everything flows through a single vendor and is delivered directly to the meeting location.
So there you have it- three ways to save some time, money, and your sanity! The overall message is start early, enroll sponsors to offset costs, and hire a promotional marketing consultant to manage your product procurement. Piece of cake!
Avoid costly rush charges and mistakes made in haste by planning ahead. The most successful outside events are planned a full year in advance, but you can do a decent job in as few as 90 days if you are meeting in your own rooms. This will allow ample time for obtaining samples of customized products so that they are not purchased sight unseen, designing and proofing printed materials well ahead of drop dead print deadlines, sending save the dates, invites, and reminders, and organizing handouts.
Save on costs by offering sponsorships. Do you have vendors or strategic partners who might provide cash or goods in exchange for the opportunity to network with your attendees? Sponsors can provide name badges on lanyards imprinted with their logo, tote bags imprinted with their logo and yours, notebooks, writing instruments, etc. Their logo on the item is good advertising for them and will help you keep your overhead low. If you prefer cash, offer sponsors an opportunity to exhibit at the event, time at the podium, or ad space in the printed program.
Outsource the coordination of your collateral materials. Find a vendor who can perform several functions under one roof. For example, the right promotional marketing consultant can source printed badges, badge holders, and lanyards from three different suppliers, assemble them and deliver them directly to the meeting location. They can also get a three ring binder with your logo on it and have your meeting notes printed, collated and inserted with tabs before delivery. This same consultant can work with your sponsors to provide customized promotional items that meet with your approval and blend with the theme of the meeting. Again, everything flows through a single vendor and is delivered directly to the meeting location.
So there you have it- three ways to save some time, money, and your sanity! The overall message is start early, enroll sponsors to offset costs, and hire a promotional marketing consultant to manage your product procurement. Piece of cake!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Caution: Web Site Under Construction
Several years back my husband and I contracted with a builder to erect a house from scratch. Without going into the gory details, I'll just tell you that it was an experience I plan to never repeat. We got what we wanted in the end, but not without my being banned from direct communication with the contractor because we all feared that I would choke him to death if I got within arm's reach.
What one goes through during the development of a company web site may be fairly compared to building a house, can it not? We have a picture of what we want in our mind's eye, so translating our wants and needs to a virtual masterpiece seems simple, but when work gets underway things don't always go as planned.
Here are some facts I picked up from the home building experience that were quite useful during the development of my company web site:
Know and love your contractor. Your web developer will be your translator, your editor, your whipping post and a shoulder to cry on. This person needs to be someone you can still be friends with when it's over.
Invest in a good plan. A professional web development firm will guide you through the architecture for your site, insisting that every detail has been addressed.
Establish a time line that is reasonable for your developer and honor it.
Don't start construction until all of the elements for your site are in place and you have double checked to be certain everything works together.
Hold edits and changes until the final draft, then provide a written list.
Upon completion, ask for a walk-through of the back side of your site so that you will be able to make simple updates on your own.
I don't know if it's because I learned so many valuable lessons during the home construction experience, or if I am just getting mellow after all these years, but I wanted to HUG my web developer, Jeannie Fredrick with WSI, once my site was done. It's terrific! www.amppromotions.com
What one goes through during the development of a company web site may be fairly compared to building a house, can it not? We have a picture of what we want in our mind's eye, so translating our wants and needs to a virtual masterpiece seems simple, but when work gets underway things don't always go as planned.
Here are some facts I picked up from the home building experience that were quite useful during the development of my company web site:
Know and love your contractor. Your web developer will be your translator, your editor, your whipping post and a shoulder to cry on. This person needs to be someone you can still be friends with when it's over.
Invest in a good plan. A professional web development firm will guide you through the architecture for your site, insisting that every detail has been addressed.
Establish a time line that is reasonable for your developer and honor it.
Don't start construction until all of the elements for your site are in place and you have double checked to be certain everything works together.
Hold edits and changes until the final draft, then provide a written list.
Upon completion, ask for a walk-through of the back side of your site so that you will be able to make simple updates on your own.
I don't know if it's because I learned so many valuable lessons during the home construction experience, or if I am just getting mellow after all these years, but I wanted to HUG my web developer, Jeannie Fredrick with WSI, once my site was done. It's terrific! www.amppromotions.com
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