At Promise Productions, we make a distinction between expensive advertising and smart marketing. A lot of advertising just costs your business money whereas smart marketing generates new money. A great example of this are the recent SuperBowl TV ads.
Ad Age demonstrated in a recent article that these kinds of ads are indeed entertaining and likable. However, they do not generate results when it comes to actual sales! Call us silly, but communication without persuasion is useless. Surveys confirmed that consumers were not inspired to shop at the retailer whose TV Commercial they liked the best. In fact, the most-loved Super Bowl add of all time -- the Mean Joe Green Coke Commercial -- was canned within months precisely because it did not stimulate actual sales. It is clear that being cute and likable is no longer enough.
You see, we are in a social age, not a sales age. Selling is dead. We've been inundated for years with so-called advertising gurus treating the public like lab rats, and simply putting any product with beautiful, enviable, smiling people to give us a good feelings, and then inserting the company logo at the end. We are now immunized from such blatant selling that insults our intelligence.
Today we want to know there's value in our products and services. We don't want an actor acting like there is value; we want actual value! The "benefit" of the current financial recession is that we THINK before spending value time or money.
Friends, is your advertising making -- or just costing -- your business precious money? Do you want a higher degree of results from your efforts? Then abandon the old models that no longer work and come with us into the present age of effecting marketing.
Our new media strategies and social media marketing strategies are geared for positive results. So dismiss those flashy, "Super Bowl" approaches with hype and no substance, and turn to trust-based marketing -- for a loyalty you will see measured in significant cash-flow. We believe your marketing should be as unique as you are. Come, call your marketing communications resource. Call Promise Productions today at 214-703-0360.
Showing posts with label Advertising Agency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Advertising Agency. Show all posts
Dec 3, 2009
How to Boost Your E-Commerce This Christmas
So you have a well-designed E-Commerce website. We are about to reveal how you can increase sales. These strategies are true all the time, but the purpose of this post is focused on the Winter / Christmas 2009 season.PRICE
Of course your online shopper is cost-conscious. You have to offer a competitive price and I am assuming you already are doing this with your e-commerce website. This much is obvious so I will not say more.
One thing I will say about price is that if you are looking for a good product to sell online, my suggestion is to choose smaller items that do not weigh a lot. The reason is simply that these items have lower shipping costs, thereby making the overall cost lower (and more attractive) to your clientele.
You should already be savvy about your product prices. What you want to focus on is TRUST.
TRUST
The best way to increase trust (which smooths the way for more sales) is to put 3rd party opinions and reviews on your site. The best e-commerce sites allow users to even upload videos about the particular product they themselves have made.
One reason is that all marketing is shifting rapidly to "social media marketing". Your e-commerce web site design will increase in sales because other consumers "just like them" have already bought and tried the product and tell you how it performed for them.
Now, if your site contains products that are consistently rated low, you need to remove them. Who needs more disappointing customers? This forces a level of honesty and forms the basis for trust and value for the items on your site.Sure, people can play some games with this feedback review system by putting in fake reviews, but, over time as dozens of buyers rate the product, a theme will emerge as the general consensus about how the product performs and compares to others.
In this case other customers will tell your customers which products to buy and how good of a value they are. The price you pay is the time to incorporate feedback reviews into your e-commerce site. The advantage you get
When your prospective buyers see you are not afraid to have a bad review of your product here and there, they trust you more and your sales increase.
So do yourself a favor and boost your profits with products that have real value. You'll be glad you did.
For strategic e-commerce that enjoys maximum profits, call Promise Productions Web Design and Marketing Communications at 972-822-3587.
Oct 14, 2009
Upgrade Your Web Site Now For A Strong 2010
As the fourth quarter of 2009 begins and the country moves from recession to recovery, businesses are wise to starting to plan for next year. Those who embrace today's smarter marketing strategies can expect to enjoy a larger market share!
With a brighter economy on the horizon, it is imperative companies do not forget to set aside marketing dollars now to invest in improving their website design, their search engine visibility, and their marketing strategy.
If you put off doing improvements to your Web site and online marketing, you're falling behind and must begin making proactive improvements to your Web site.
Your WebSite is an Opportunity to Better Serve Your Clients and Prospects
Web sites have evolved past merely being an online brochure. Making things more attractive for your customers by offering them the ability to interact with your business online and at their convenience can go a long way, especially in a busy and competitive business climate.Since your business website has become your all-important first impression, the time is now to consider expanding the functionality to better serve your potential and current customers.
Be Social, Be Strategic, Be Smart
Social media marketing has exploded on the scene and has everyone scrambling to get a company presence on Twitter and Facebook. Social media marketing can't be ignored becuase your customers and compeitors are already there, looking, listening, commenting, contributing, networking, researching brands. Many companies have run out to get a Twitter account but have no strategy for using it. Smart companies will let Internet Marketing Consultants such as Promise Productions devise a strategy for the desired results. Key factors to evaluate include:- Determine if and how social media marketing can be a fit for your prospect and/or client base.
- Figure out your social media approach. Are you the conscientious corporation showing goodwill to all, or a fun, less formal side to your business? Do you push discounts and generate new leads? Do you speak to only existing customers?
- Social media marketing isn't free. To conduct a social media marketing campaign effectively, a company must have people spending time to stay on top of the effort. In most companies, that means someone isn't spending their time doing the jobs you hired them to do. If no one in-house can dedicate the time and effort, then outsourcing your strategic blogging and social media orchestration. Don't fall into the trap of not truly evaluating all the clear and hidden expenses or the campaign will fail miserably. Haphazard actions do not generate profits, strategic ones do!
- Ensure your social media presence promotes the company's brand. Who's doing the tweeting, and do they represent the company's social media personality? Are the posts on topic and in the company's and customers' best interest? All too often the social media actions are well-intentioned, but sporadic and not done in a marketing-savvy way. You would not want your employees guessing about how to dress on a business meeting, but that is exactly what you are doing when you are making first impressions of your company's product and services on Social Media by making it up on the fly.
- Too much posting or not enough posting can cause the initiative to go bust. And nobody's interested in following a deadbeat Twitter or Facebook account or someone who posts pointless, self-gratifying babble.
- Develop a method to measure the success of this marketing channel. Why spend all this effort if you can't determine how it translates into new business or improved customer relations?
Satisfy the Searchers, Track Results
Search engine marketing is a crucial factor and shouldn't be pushed aside for the hot, new fad. Just because you have a Web site doesn't mean people looking for your services will find it through the search engines. Searching by your company name doesn't count. We're talking about people searching for keywords associated with your business or industry. A solid, comprehensive, diversified search marketing strategy can lead to improved visibility to your site and improve lead generation. A well executed strategy can also provide you measurable stats to determine what works and what doesn't and, in turn, identify tweaks to make to the campaign.
Failure to Plan = Planning to Fail
Some companies will be conservative as we head into 2010. Some businesses will decide to invest in improvements to their websites and others may overhaul the whole thing. Just know that sowing sparingly guarantees you will reap sparingly.Whatever your business situation is, don't look back this time next year and wish you would have budgeted funds to improve your Web site's functionality and visibility. Don't set your company up to be passed by because the odds are that a competitor will pass you by with a bigger, better online presence. As businesses and consumers begin spending again, a strong online plan could provide a nice boost to your company's 2010 performance.
In this business climate, if you don't plan and invest to continually improve your Web presence, someone else will. It's not a question of whether you can afford to make improvements. It's a question of whether you afford not to?
Trust Promise Productions for smart marketing strategies of all kinds to attract clients and profits by calling 972-822-3587.
Jul 16, 2009
What recession? Social Media Profits Are Exploding Right Now!
By now, most businesses have come to understand that how and where the public consumes (and now interacts with) media is changing, but few consider the long-term impact of the subsequent shift in dollars. The changes in how customers connect with products and services is transforming the way you need to market to your industry. To say that it is changing "quickly" is an understatement!
Social Media is exploding by the month, so the same tactics that worked the previous fiscal quarter have evolved several generations in this quarter. In particular, the large corporations and larger ad agencies are burdened by too much sluggish infrastructure to respond quick enough and are dragging in the dust in the rear view mirror.
Unless you have a dedicated Social Media person on staff (or outsource your social media marketing campaign to experts like Covenant Designs), it is frankly changing faster than many companies can comprehend. This leaves even the best-intentioned companies generations behind in their taking advantage of social media marketing opportunities.
The economy is an easy scapegoat; most people conveniently blame the recession and are simply awaiting the recovery out of laziness, fear, or a lack of other options. The truth is that there are amazing opportunities right now for short-term and long-term profits for companies that position themselves properly in their marketing.
For the first time in history, the most important entity in the media equation is the advertising agency and its marketing strategies.
Historically, advertising agencies have always controlled where ad dollars are spent. But times have changed. Media budgets now include social media marketing. Advertising agencies control how many media dollars are being spent in media as compared to social media -- a completely different industry. In most cases, dollars spent within the social media space are dollars not spent with a traditional media outlet--TV networks, newspapers, or gawker-esque blogs. The media dollars used to pay an agency (whether a social media shop or an international giant) to create, manage, and grow a Twitter profile are media dollars that once funded a banner campaign. The money used to pay an agency to create a brand's own viral site content and then get that content bookmarked on the homepage of Digg once funded a TV campaign. And so forth.
Marketers may not all completely understand what it is or how to do it, but they want (and need) social media. Savvy companies that will survive the economic downturn all want engagement with their consumers, they want conversation with their target market. They aren't getting these things on NBC. They aren't getting that on CNN. They aren't even getting them on NYTimes.com.
The age of interruption is over. No longer should your company's value proposition interrupt a TV show or article. It will be placed where people want and need it. In other words, you will not attempt to gain marketplace mindshare by force, but rather by attraction.
The "interruption" mentioned above refers to interrupting the consumption of traditional media with advertising. That interruption is over not because the media world is changing its branded executions, but because brands have moved past the era of traditional-based advertisements.
This development is very significant. For advertising agencies, it means they need to be creative and learn how to advertise within the social media world. Today's smart marketers are doing a very good job of that. The media world however, can't change that fast--and the marketing executions (ad dollars) themselves are actually being removed from their airwaves, pulled from their pages, and nixed from their websites.
Talk to the icons of advertising and you will hear them uniformly say that "traditional media outlets are freaking out." They should be. They no longer offer as much value as interactive media online and on cell phones and so they have been bypassed. Today's average iPhone user, for example spends more time each day getting information through his phone than through newspaper, TV, radio, magazines... combined.
What characterizes the successful business of today.. and of tomorrow? Expect change, embrace change and prepare for change. Evolve with the times, not against them. Shred your old business model and don't wait to react. Instead let industry changes inform how you change the way you operate.
Social Media is exploding by the month, so the same tactics that worked the previous fiscal quarter have evolved several generations in this quarter. In particular, the large corporations and larger ad agencies are burdened by too much sluggish infrastructure to respond quick enough and are dragging in the dust in the rear view mirror.
Unless you have a dedicated Social Media person on staff (or outsource your social media marketing campaign to experts like Covenant Designs), it is frankly changing faster than many companies can comprehend. This leaves even the best-intentioned companies generations behind in their taking advantage of social media marketing opportunities.The economy is an easy scapegoat; most people conveniently blame the recession and are simply awaiting the recovery out of laziness, fear, or a lack of other options. The truth is that there are amazing opportunities right now for short-term and long-term profits for companies that position themselves properly in their marketing.
For the first time in history, the most important entity in the media equation is the advertising agency and its marketing strategies.
Yes, you heard that right!
Historically, advertising agencies have always controlled where ad dollars are spent. But times have changed. Media budgets now include social media marketing. Advertising agencies control how many media dollars are being spent in media as compared to social media -- a completely different industry. In most cases, dollars spent within the social media space are dollars not spent with a traditional media outlet--TV networks, newspapers, or gawker-esque blogs. The media dollars used to pay an agency (whether a social media shop or an international giant) to create, manage, and grow a Twitter profile are media dollars that once funded a banner campaign. The money used to pay an agency to create a brand's own viral site content and then get that content bookmarked on the homepage of Digg once funded a TV campaign. And so forth.
Marketers may not all completely understand what it is or how to do it, but they want (and need) social media. Savvy companies that will survive the economic downturn all want engagement with their consumers, they want conversation with their target market. They aren't getting these things on NBC. They aren't getting that on CNN. They aren't even getting them on NYTimes.com.
The age of interruption is over. No longer should your company's value proposition interrupt a TV show or article. It will be placed where people want and need it. In other words, you will not attempt to gain marketplace mindshare by force, but rather by attraction.
The "interruption" mentioned above refers to interrupting the consumption of traditional media with advertising. That interruption is over not because the media world is changing its branded executions, but because brands have moved past the era of traditional-based advertisements.
This development is very significant. For advertising agencies, it means they need to be creative and learn how to advertise within the social media world. Today's smart marketers are doing a very good job of that. The media world however, can't change that fast--and the marketing executions (ad dollars) themselves are actually being removed from their airwaves, pulled from their pages, and nixed from their websites.
Talk to the icons of advertising and you will hear them uniformly say that "traditional media outlets are freaking out." They should be. They no longer offer as much value as interactive media online and on cell phones and so they have been bypassed. Today's average iPhone user, for example spends more time each day getting information through his phone than through newspaper, TV, radio, magazines... combined.
What characterizes the successful business of today.. and of tomorrow? Expect change, embrace change and prepare for change. Evolve with the times, not against them. Shred your old business model and don't wait to react. Instead let industry changes inform how you change the way you operate.
Got expertise? Got results? Got strategy? Let Promise Productions show the way with effective online marketing and social media campaign management. Call 972-822-3587.
Jul 15, 2009
Short Term Summer Profits For Struggling Companies
Hello collegues, marketers, CEO's and associates. I wanted to share today what I am seeing out in the marketplace. I see many companies that are committing slow suicide and that bothers me. They hunker down hoping the "economic weather" will change as they become leaner and leaner. They ignore the kind of seasoned marketing advice you will find on this blog and have gone into reactionary mode, into pulling back instead of pushing forward. Or, to say it another way, any promotion they do is so half-hearted, resigned and tiny, that it is doomed to make any meaningful financial impact.
It is time for a reality check. If you have NOT been marketing consistantly, you too will likely find yourself, in the Summer business slowdown, in a cashflow crunch. This post are for the increasingly desperate.
1• Don't Panic. Strategize. Get our of reacting into proactive. I realize there are many half-baked ideas out there that can distract you from solid marketing, with tempting scams or confusing rabbit trails. Well forget all that and read on...
2• You need short term cashflow. I will make that mean 1-3 months.
3• Do keyword reasearch and SEO your company website, quickly. This can be done usually in 3-4 days. Then, based upon the reasearch, you may find very popular and relevant search terms for which your site is not specifically addressing. Build landing pages for these -- one page per term. Your organic page rank will improve in the search engines usually within 2 weeks, better positioning you for more visibility, attention from prospects and profits. But depending on your marketplace and service area this by itself may not be not enough.
• Keyword Research Costs: $895 flat fee.
• SEO each page of your site based on the keyword research results: as low as $20 per page.
• Web Site Analysis for your specific marketplace and service area: $300-$2,000 depending on how involved your website is.
• Build SEO-Friendly Landing Pages for the best terms: $120 per page. I usually start with the top 5 terms and expand from there.
4. The next step is to create a strategic blog for your company if you do not have one. A big reason for this is to create blog posts which are geared to link to your corporate website. This is an inexpensive and fast way to futher boost your web site's visibility in search engines in 24 hours! The secret sauce for getting this kind of quick-but-lasting boost is all in the strategy behind the setup of the blog. To setup a blog is simple. However, to setup a blog that best promotes your company in the search engines requires a strategic series of steps.
We know 2 ways to do this right and 200 ways to do it wrong. If you don't have months to experiment and refine your blogging in a strategic business way, oursource it to us knowing it will be done right.
Cost: $400. With subsequent blog posts as low as $25 each.
5. The next most valuable thing that will get fantastic shirt-term results is to create simple web videos. There is a lot that could be said her about how and why, but just look at my other blog posts on Dallas video production. One primary value lies in distributing your video -- putting it on your Corporate Website, Your Strategic Blog, and many Social Media Places including YouTube.
All this creates more links that reinforce each other and raise visibility in the search engines and put your products and services in front of new prospects.
Cost: $800 and up.
6 • Activate a Google Adwords campaign. There are many ineffective and expensive ways to do this, but again the foundation of accurate keyword research will be the key. Pick only the juiciest key terms -- ones that are relevant with decently high search volume. Then spend only what you can afford, but we recommend $50-$150 per day or there may not be enough visibility generated to impact your cashflow significantly.
By the way, "significant" to us means specifically that a small business can target a local area and make an additional $8,000-$17,000 per month. Targeting profits less than that is not worth our time.
We are aware of 107 tips and techniques to get the most out of your AdWords account, so if you are serious about results, call us at 214-703-0360 to manage that for you. However, even a novice can expect some cashflow gains by (a) targeting the most relevant terms, and (b) not overspending on those terms while you learn how your market and prospects respond to your ad and can establish a ROI from the results. Remember not all traffic is profitable traffic. Don't throw mad money at Google AdWords Pay-Per-Click, instead keep it controled, monitored and strategic.
Cost: $895 to $2,000
One tip: take the profits you make from this and invest 25-33% straight back into your marketing, including your AdWords spend.
6. From there, limit your focus to marketing activites you can follow through on and perfect.
• Make ongoing blog posts in a strategic way, each targeting specific key words. Create these posts in the order of the importance of the key words and link them to your corpoate web site.
• Monitor your AdWords account for effectiveness, look for click rates of 1-3% or more. Make sure you are selling items that make you enough profit to justify the cost of gettting those customers.
• Expand into more Social Media Marketing outlets (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. etc. ) and link all these activites to each other as much as possible.
• Look for ways to better understand your customers needs and meet them.
There are a lot of good businesses that are sadly headed for extinction because they are not adapting to the current marketing landscape. Yes, we know times are changing quickly, but we humbly do have the answers and are willing to share them with you. Change = Opportunity. You can be crushed by a wave or surf that very same wave – your next actions will choose which outcome will be your experience.
Promise Productions provides marketing experts in many media including Print Marketing, Direct Mail Marketing, Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing and Video Marketing. We have distilled the strategies that work for today's business.
All you need is the willingness to change and embrace success, along with modest financial investment to activate the profit strategies with the most leverage for your marketplace. How big do you want to succeed? We welcome your inquiries at our Dallas offices at 972-822-3587.
Companies with a superficial grasp of marketing will react by thinking "money is tight; I will not spend money and horde what I have." Companies that position themselves to score big think "I need to market myself more than ever, but need to be careful about the right marketing investment to target my best prospects more effectively than ever."
It is time for a reality check. If you have NOT been marketing consistantly, you too will likely find yourself, in the Summer business slowdown, in a cashflow crunch. This post are for the increasingly desperate.
1• Don't Panic. Strategize. Get our of reacting into proactive. I realize there are many half-baked ideas out there that can distract you from solid marketing, with tempting scams or confusing rabbit trails. Well forget all that and read on...
2• You need short term cashflow. I will make that mean 1-3 months.
3• Do keyword reasearch and SEO your company website, quickly. This can be done usually in 3-4 days. Then, based upon the reasearch, you may find very popular and relevant search terms for which your site is not specifically addressing. Build landing pages for these -- one page per term. Your organic page rank will improve in the search engines usually within 2 weeks, better positioning you for more visibility, attention from prospects and profits. But depending on your marketplace and service area this by itself may not be not enough.
• Keyword Research Costs: $895 flat fee.
• SEO each page of your site based on the keyword research results: as low as $20 per page.
• Web Site Analysis for your specific marketplace and service area: $300-$2,000 depending on how involved your website is.
• Build SEO-Friendly Landing Pages for the best terms: $120 per page. I usually start with the top 5 terms and expand from there.
4. The next step is to create a strategic blog for your company if you do not have one. A big reason for this is to create blog posts which are geared to link to your corporate website. This is an inexpensive and fast way to futher boost your web site's visibility in search engines in 24 hours! The secret sauce for getting this kind of quick-but-lasting boost is all in the strategy behind the setup of the blog. To setup a blog is simple. However, to setup a blog that best promotes your company in the search engines requires a strategic series of steps.
We know 2 ways to do this right and 200 ways to do it wrong. If you don't have months to experiment and refine your blogging in a strategic business way, oursource it to us knowing it will be done right.
Cost: $400. With subsequent blog posts as low as $25 each.
5. The next most valuable thing that will get fantastic shirt-term results is to create simple web videos. There is a lot that could be said her about how and why, but just look at my other blog posts on Dallas video production. One primary value lies in distributing your video -- putting it on your Corporate Website, Your Strategic Blog, and many Social Media Places including YouTube.
All this creates more links that reinforce each other and raise visibility in the search engines and put your products and services in front of new prospects.
Cost: $800 and up.
6 • Activate a Google Adwords campaign. There are many ineffective and expensive ways to do this, but again the foundation of accurate keyword research will be the key. Pick only the juiciest key terms -- ones that are relevant with decently high search volume. Then spend only what you can afford, but we recommend $50-$150 per day or there may not be enough visibility generated to impact your cashflow significantly.
By the way, "significant" to us means specifically that a small business can target a local area and make an additional $8,000-$17,000 per month. Targeting profits less than that is not worth our time.
We are aware of 107 tips and techniques to get the most out of your AdWords account, so if you are serious about results, call us at 214-703-0360 to manage that for you. However, even a novice can expect some cashflow gains by (a) targeting the most relevant terms, and (b) not overspending on those terms while you learn how your market and prospects respond to your ad and can establish a ROI from the results. Remember not all traffic is profitable traffic. Don't throw mad money at Google AdWords Pay-Per-Click, instead keep it controled, monitored and strategic.
Cost: $895 to $2,000
One tip: take the profits you make from this and invest 25-33% straight back into your marketing, including your AdWords spend.
All the above is achievable in less than 3 weeks, if you commit to it and recognize its value.
6. From there, limit your focus to marketing activites you can follow through on and perfect.
• Make ongoing blog posts in a strategic way, each targeting specific key words. Create these posts in the order of the importance of the key words and link them to your corpoate web site.
• Monitor your AdWords account for effectiveness, look for click rates of 1-3% or more. Make sure you are selling items that make you enough profit to justify the cost of gettting those customers.
• Expand into more Social Media Marketing outlets (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. etc. ) and link all these activites to each other as much as possible.
• Look for ways to better understand your customers needs and meet them.
There are a lot of good businesses that are sadly headed for extinction because they are not adapting to the current marketing landscape. Yes, we know times are changing quickly, but we humbly do have the answers and are willing to share them with you. Change = Opportunity. You can be crushed by a wave or surf that very same wave – your next actions will choose which outcome will be your experience.~~~
Promise Productions provides marketing experts in many media including Print Marketing, Direct Mail Marketing, Internet Marketing, Social Media Marketing and Video Marketing. We have distilled the strategies that work for today's business.
All you need is the willingness to change and embrace success, along with modest financial investment to activate the profit strategies with the most leverage for your marketplace. How big do you want to succeed? We welcome your inquiries at our Dallas offices at 972-822-3587.
Jul 12, 2009
July & August is Your Critical Marketing Strategy Window
This Summer is the critical time where your marketing direction -- right now -- determines your business' success, not just for the rest of 2009, but your business' survival and market share for the next 5 years. Yes, that is what I said, it is THIS time of change, where your course and marketing approach will determine the next five years.
Now is the Ideal Time to focus on marketing because it will determine feast or famine.
Sometimes businesses take it easy in the Summer. But THIS Summer, that is a big mistake. Now is the ideal time to position your company for success. You see, as business kicks into gear come September (for psychological, economic, and sociological reasons), your company has to be ready for that. Get up to speed and positioned now is vital, or else your company will be lost behind those better positioned than yourself. People will be doing business with whichever company they see serves them best -- will that be your's?I do not want you operating out of fear or scarcity, but rather to simply realize the vital importance of wisely shifting with the times. Market trends, economic trends, and the shift in communications through Social Media is happening so quickly that if your marketing goes on vacation in July and August, you will be so far behind those companies who Marketed through the Summer, that you will be eating their dust. Again, I stress that THIS particular Summer is unlike any previous summer because of the non-stop growth of Social Media Marketing even since May 2009.
When I say to "move forward" with marketing, I am not necessarily saying to spend a lot of money buying visibility in July and August. I am saying to put in the smart strategies now or you will soon be too busy simply reacting in survival mode to do so in September.
Here are Your Most Important Assets as A Business.
1• Your Name & Reputation (your brand and its PR)
2• Your Network of other businesses and customers that know, like and trust you.
It used to be that the big companies could get away with being selfish or minimally innovative and simply throw enough advertising dollars at their Image and maintain a positive reputation. That is no longer true for two reasons:
(1) People have wised up to this scam. They distrust overly slick advertising and are no longer naive to the fact that money has often been used to spin the facts for ulterior motives.
People don't believe it when you praise yourself. A generation ago, customers gave you the benefit of the doubt; today they see it as a red flag.
(2) The blog and social media commentary and online reviews let customers find what the community and global reputation has experienced from their business and customer-relationship with your business.
This underscores the fact that companies are not islands to their customers. Companies are in relationship with their clients and NO company (large or small) will survive long without serving those that feed the company through the money they give in exchange for goods and services.
You see, your business survives (or dies or thrives) based on cashflow. Cashflow depends on customers wanting what you offer. Customers wanting what you offer depends on if it really is of value to them -- satisfying a current need or desire. Your customers have what you want - money. If you are not serving them, they will easily go elsewhere where they are served, leaving your money sources cut off.
It is so simple, but many companies are absorbed by looking out for their own immediate interests to truly focus on how to gain an edge in the marketplace by understanding the motivatioins of their customers and by out-servicing their competitors.
Thus hype is less and less effective to falsely boost the benefits of a company, service, or product. A company cannot be inauthentic and get away with it anymore becuase technology allows information to flow more and more freely. Thus your business either sincerely commits to serving others or it will die.
Servanthood Marketing
Attraction marketing means giving your prospects a real reason to want you and choose you. It means compelling benefits that solve a problem or fulfill a need/desire.
Contribute to your prospects and they will give you their attention. Teach, inspire, and spread positive influence in others. This climate of giving, generosity and service will attract business. Companies with a self-serving orientation can no longer get away with it and will be bypassed for companies that give more value.Social Media Marketing is about leading and attracting through spreading positive influence. It is about empowering instead of dominating. It is about recruiting those around you to support your cause, to see things your way. It is about positive persuasion. Today's customers will not care about what you know, unless they first know you care.
How people talk about your business (and they ARE talking) is your brand. Future posts will explore how to genuinely enhance your reputation. They will talk about how impulse buying can no longer sustain a business model. And we will address how your marketing has to be innovative to keep generating profits.
To put Promise Productions to work with innovative strategies for your short-term and long-term prosperity, call 972-822-3587.
Jul 11, 2009
How Effective is Your Online Marketing?
Many Business owners struggle with their day-to-day operations. From the moment they sit down in their office, they are confronted with the anxiety created by the day's marketing events. How many calls? How many emails? How many new sales? Are we headed up or down? Understandably they are consumed with moment-to-moment management and operating their company.
With all that, it is easy to lose focus and start reacting to the immediate and seemingly urgent, instead of responding to what's really important to grow your business.
One of the best ways to avoid "paralysis of analysis" is to write out the next days activities before you go to sleep. This will help you to avoid the morning feelings of "I don't know where to start". It also helps to imagine yourself completing all the tasks with ease.
As you plan and prioritize, allow yourself to feel the satisfaction as you know the most important tasks were accomplished, or at least forwarded to the next step.
When it comes to Internet marketing, there are many paths one can take to make their marketing efforts successful. However, many of them can be costly. So where is the best value for your business - both in the long term and short term?
If your budget is tight, article marketing and strategic blogging can be a very helpful source to get your message out. People are always looking for new and improved ways to do the things they are doing. That is called "value" by the way: people want value.
With all that, it is easy to lose focus and start reacting to the immediate and seemingly urgent, instead of responding to what's really important to grow your business.
One of the best ways to avoid "paralysis of analysis" is to write out the next days activities before you go to sleep. This will help you to avoid the morning feelings of "I don't know where to start". It also helps to imagine yourself completing all the tasks with ease.
As you plan and prioritize, allow yourself to feel the satisfaction as you know the most important tasks were accomplished, or at least forwarded to the next step.
When it comes to Internet marketing, there are many paths one can take to make their marketing efforts successful. However, many of them can be costly. So where is the best value for your business - both in the long term and short term?
If your budget is tight, article marketing and strategic blogging can be a very helpful source to get your message out. People are always looking for new and improved ways to do the things they are doing. That is called "value" by the way: people want value.
Online Marketing On A Budget?
By writing articles for e-zines and your own blog articles, you will simply share much needed advice to people actively looking to be helped. This is also helps get your message and name out to the communities you are looking to target.
Sharing your expertise through blogging and articles also positions you as a giver, which is exactly what you want to be. You see, Branding is becoming even more paramount as website marketing becomes flooded with competition. Just having a company landing page that looks like everyone else's just won't cut it. Your web site has to quickly and effectively communicate your value proposition before you lose your prospects attention -- remember they are busy just like you.
Another advantage to video marketing is overcoming the "trust gap" and eliminating any skepticism in your prospects. They see You (or a spokesmodel) and your authentic passion about your products and services. A face they can feel good about is sharing with them in plain English.
Sharing your expertise through blogging and articles also positions you as a giver, which is exactly what you want to be. You see, Branding is becoming even more paramount as website marketing becomes flooded with competition. Just having a company landing page that looks like everyone else's just won't cut it. Your web site has to quickly and effectively communicate your value proposition before you lose your prospects attention -- remember they are busy just like you.
Insider Tip -- video is the absolute best way to powerfully convey your value in a short amount of time. It gets the most responses and is most remembered, so if you want help doing that right, contact Promise Productions. Reality is that from being hardened by too much hype in bad marketing, your prospects are more skeptical these days, and they want to be able to connect with the someone attached to a certain product or service. When you produce a video about your business and the product or service you offer, your conversion rates will be much higher.
Another advantage to video marketing is overcoming the "trust gap" and eliminating any skepticism in your prospects. They see You (or a spokesmodel) and your authentic passion about your products and services. A face they can feel good about is sharing with them in plain English.
The Value Of The Right Plan & Right Strategy to Your Online Marketing
A strong marketing plan is always valuable and it must be written down on paper with actions steps. Otherwise you have just vague wishes that continue to take up space in your mind but never become reality. As they say, to be successful, you must plan your work and then work your plan.
It is helpful to be able to cross off "money getting" activities as you go. This will also help you keep a log of your progress. There is no way way to track the effectiveness of what you are doing without this. If you don't make note of it, part of your brain will stay in "spin cycle" mode and decrease the energy and passion you could be using to develop and enjoy the business you want.
How effective is your marketing? Without a plan, without a measure it will be ineffective. Without the right strategy the best intentions are never enjoyed in reality. So don't' just fantasize about success; live it!
A strong marketing plan is always valuable and it must be written down on paper with actions steps. Otherwise you have just vague wishes that continue to take up space in your mind but never become reality. As they say, to be successful, you must plan your work and then work your plan.
It is helpful to be able to cross off "money getting" activities as you go. This will also help you keep a log of your progress. There is no way way to track the effectiveness of what you are doing without this. If you don't make note of it, part of your brain will stay in "spin cycle" mode and decrease the energy and passion you could be using to develop and enjoy the business you want.
How effective is your marketing? Without a plan, without a measure it will be ineffective. Without the right strategy the best intentions are never enjoyed in reality. So don't' just fantasize about success; live it!
Promise Productions offers many marketing and advertising services that other guys do -- web site design and development, logos, corporate blogs, even video production. The essential element that enables us to deliver superior results is the marketing savvy we put behind each activity and the smarter strategy that positions you for sweet success!
Call our Dallas strategic marketing communications office at 972-822-3587.
Call our Dallas strategic marketing communications office at 972-822-3587.
Jul 10, 2009
The Future of Advertising for Small Business?
Small business sales and revenues have declined over the past several months, motivating many entrepreneurs to take a critical look at their traditional marketing, business development and advertising and ask why it is not working. Many are wondering if it every really worked that well in the first place.
Stopping your marketing and advertising is not the answer, so the search for a better solution begins. Perhaps we need to begin with a better question: If your advertising ever worked, WHY did it work?
Once you “get it,” you realize that relying on interrupting/annoying people as the core strategy to grow your business is fundamentally flawed. You will always be disappointed with the results of your advertising and business marketing if that is the most creative solution you can develop.
A successful business development strategy may be the most important ingredient to your long term success. So, at this point you have two options. First, become part of the conversation, interact with customers and prospects. Let them find you... but POSITION your company to be EASILY found. STAYING in the social media conversation means you are very findable when your prospects are ready to take action and BUY.
Proper internet marketing is very good way facilitating this process. To be successful you need to realize it is a process, you’ll need to spend a bit of time to find your voice and engage your audience (your future customers), just like you do in the real world.
Back in the days where there were only 3 main TV stations, we as customers had little choice, so we accepted being pushed at by ads that interrupted what we were actually interested in.
But today it is the reverse. We are glutted with options, entertainment and information. 200 cable channels. The one trade magazine on your industry is now 12 trade magazines. The waters are muddied and results have become hard to get and even harder to measure.
Seize The Future Today
In 5 years, ALL businesses will have a regular strategy to become apart of the conversation their clients and prospects are having. It will be common sense -- like a listing in the yellow pages was 10 years ago. But in 2009, it is still an innovative concept and a powerful tool to grow your business.
NOW is the time to gain the marketing edge, position yourself for optimum profits, attract new customers and gain significant market share.
What is the future of business marketing? Don’t advertise, entertain. Don’t interrupt, intrigue. Don’t annoy, engage. Now that you've read this, you have just been handed a 5 year head start on your competitors who are slow adopters. How will you handle this opportunity?
Promise Productions provides savvy marketers who are specialists at clarifying murky messages and making complex ideas refreshingly simple. Use our marketing services to gain market share and optimum profits -- call 972-822-3587.
Stopping your marketing and advertising is not the answer, so the search for a better solution begins. Perhaps we need to begin with a better question: If your advertising ever worked, WHY did it work?
Once you “get it,” you realize that relying on interrupting/annoying people as the core strategy to grow your business is fundamentally flawed. You will always be disappointed with the results of your advertising and business marketing if that is the most creative solution you can develop.
A successful business development strategy may be the most important ingredient to your long term success. So, at this point you have two options. First, become part of the conversation, interact with customers and prospects. Let them find you... but POSITION your company to be EASILY found. STAYING in the social media conversation means you are very findable when your prospects are ready to take action and BUY.
Proper internet marketing is very good way facilitating this process. To be successful you need to realize it is a process, you’ll need to spend a bit of time to find your voice and engage your audience (your future customers), just like you do in the real world.
Back in the days where there were only 3 main TV stations, we as customers had little choice, so we accepted being pushed at by ads that interrupted what we were actually interested in.But today it is the reverse. We are glutted with options, entertainment and information. 200 cable channels. The one trade magazine on your industry is now 12 trade magazines. The waters are muddied and results have become hard to get and even harder to measure.
Seize The Future Today
In 5 years, ALL businesses will have a regular strategy to become apart of the conversation their clients and prospects are having. It will be common sense -- like a listing in the yellow pages was 10 years ago. But in 2009, it is still an innovative concept and a powerful tool to grow your business.
NOW is the time to gain the marketing edge, position yourself for optimum profits, attract new customers and gain significant market share.
What is the future of business marketing? Don’t advertise, entertain. Don’t interrupt, intrigue. Don’t annoy, engage. Now that you've read this, you have just been handed a 5 year head start on your competitors who are slow adopters. How will you handle this opportunity?Promise Productions provides savvy marketers who are specialists at clarifying murky messages and making complex ideas refreshingly simple. Use our marketing services to gain market share and optimum profits -- call 972-822-3587.
Jul 3, 2009
Dallas Advertising and Marketing Requires An Effective Value Proposition
One of the most valuable assets both your company and your prospects possess is time. Business relationships are both formed and dissolved faster than ever -- based on effectively meeting customer needs (or not).
If you want to make the most of precious time to attract the best level of new customers for optimum profits, then you will want to keep reading...
Marketing Communications is the art of most effectively appealing to your ideal customer's needs. The appeal must touch their minds, emotions and wallets. There is no better investment for success than to get your Marketing Communications FINE TUNED in all your Advertising and Marketing (print, web, social media, etc.).
The 3 Biggest Marketing Mistakes That Rob You Of Profits
There is business being done all around you right now. Opportunity abounds in every economical climate. If it is not abounding for your business, (1) either you have a lousy product or service, (2) or you need professional marketing services (from a company like Covenant Designs of course) that attract new business using today's successful marketing strategies.
Unless your company uses a dedicated marketing communications professional, doing business becomes like trying to saw down a tree with an old, dull saw -- it can still be done, just slowly and with a lot of unnecessary struggle.
These are the three avoidable mistakes that we, as a Dallas Advertising Agency see most often that kill off the profits you could be enjoying:
1• Not getting to the point. You must quickly state your Value Proposition to your prospect. Respect everyone's time and communicate what you have to offer in the way that best appeals to them. What is the value for them to engage with your business proposal or your services? Unless your marketing and advertising quickly states your value, you are missing opportunities left and right. Many businesses fail badly here and don't even realize it because they...
2• Fail to focus on benefits. Businesses know themselves and their business. Good right? Not entirely! The most successful businesses know their customers. Marketing and advertising that speaks your language but fails to speak your customer's language is simply wasted money.
Many businesses sincerely imagine they are promoting benefits, when in reality, they are pushing Features at their prospects. There is a world of difference. Put your marketing in the hands of a professional that clearly knows the difference between benefits and features and your ROI will gain much more traction. Read More on Banefits vs. Features here.
3• Behind The Times with Social Media Marketing. The third reason we see so many businesses struggling is that their advertising methods are not in sync with their customers. Today social media marketing has exploded in size and popularity, but many businesses are at a loss as how to take advantage of this powerful new media.
Social Media Marketing communicates in a different way than corporations are accustomed to. Your value proposition must attract, not push. It must be short and it must be often. Bypass any awkward or ineffective stabs at social media and use Promise Productions to go direct to the most effecitve methods and strategies.
CONCLUSION
If there is a mismatch in the way you present your benefits or neglect to communicate them because they are choked by your features, even though you may have something great to offer that could make your company a fortune, your prosect will not "get it" (shutting down that enthusiasticly open wallet). If your Value Proposition is blurry, your business will be passed by.
Lastly, if you are not leveraging social media, you are missing an enormous opportunity to engage with your best prospects in the media they prefer and trust.
Each marketplace and business is unique. So at Promise Productions Marketing Communications, our strategies are custom applied to bring your business both short-term and long-term properity. Call 214-703-0360.
If you want to make the most of precious time to attract the best level of new customers for optimum profits, then you will want to keep reading...
Marketing Communications is the art of most effectively appealing to your ideal customer's needs. The appeal must touch their minds, emotions and wallets. There is no better investment for success than to get your Marketing Communications FINE TUNED in all your Advertising and Marketing (print, web, social media, etc.).
The 3 Biggest Marketing Mistakes That Rob You Of Profits
There is business being done all around you right now. Opportunity abounds in every economical climate. If it is not abounding for your business, (1) either you have a lousy product or service, (2) or you need professional marketing services (from a company like Covenant Designs of course) that attract new business using today's successful marketing strategies.
Unless your company uses a dedicated marketing communications professional, doing business becomes like trying to saw down a tree with an old, dull saw -- it can still be done, just slowly and with a lot of unnecessary struggle.
These are the three avoidable mistakes that we, as a Dallas Advertising Agency see most often that kill off the profits you could be enjoying:
1• Not getting to the point. You must quickly state your Value Proposition to your prospect. Respect everyone's time and communicate what you have to offer in the way that best appeals to them. What is the value for them to engage with your business proposal or your services? Unless your marketing and advertising quickly states your value, you are missing opportunities left and right. Many businesses fail badly here and don't even realize it because they...
2• Fail to focus on benefits. Businesses know themselves and their business. Good right? Not entirely! The most successful businesses know their customers. Marketing and advertising that speaks your language but fails to speak your customer's language is simply wasted money.
Many businesses sincerely imagine they are promoting benefits, when in reality, they are pushing Features at their prospects. There is a world of difference. Put your marketing in the hands of a professional that clearly knows the difference between benefits and features and your ROI will gain much more traction. Read More on Banefits vs. Features here.
3• Behind The Times with Social Media Marketing. The third reason we see so many businesses struggling is that their advertising methods are not in sync with their customers. Today social media marketing has exploded in size and popularity, but many businesses are at a loss as how to take advantage of this powerful new media.
Social Media Marketing communicates in a different way than corporations are accustomed to. Your value proposition must attract, not push. It must be short and it must be often. Bypass any awkward or ineffective stabs at social media and use Promise Productions to go direct to the most effecitve methods and strategies.
CONCLUSION
If there is a mismatch in the way you present your benefits or neglect to communicate them because they are choked by your features, even though you may have something great to offer that could make your company a fortune, your prosect will not "get it" (shutting down that enthusiasticly open wallet). If your Value Proposition is blurry, your business will be passed by.
Lastly, if you are not leveraging social media, you are missing an enormous opportunity to engage with your best prospects in the media they prefer and trust.
Each marketplace and business is unique. So at Promise Productions Marketing Communications, our strategies are custom applied to bring your business both short-term and long-term properity. Call 214-703-0360.
Jun 15, 2009
In Dallas Marketing & Advertising, STRATEGY is King
Success does not come from luckily landing at the right place and time. No, strategy is needed to activly ensure you PUT your value proposition at the right place and time for optimum results.
Strategy is King. You see, it is not the economy or the environment that has the final say, it is your business strategy. Sowing the right seeds now is crucial to reaping the right harvest in today's marketplace.
Sadly, many companies are either (a) afraid to sow seeds, or (b) sowing old seeds, hoping somehow that that will bring in a new kind of harvest – when reality is that the fields have changed. Fresh strategy that is "adapted to the now" is, many times, the single determining factor between those business that will succeed or fail in the next 3 months.
Some species thrive in the desert whereas others die quickly. Some businesses are thriving like crazy in the identical economic conditions that have made others go bankrupt. Why do some thrive? Because their strategy is adapted for success today. If your business is ready for massive success; it will take the right strategy for massive success.
This is where our marketing savvy, combined with our video production and social media strategies are your best friend. We have many strategies that are being proven today to make profits thrive. There is no single solution for every business, but there is a strategy that is best for your's. Our ability to look at your marketplace and correct the mismatches in your advertising and marketing will make all the difference in both short-term and long-term profits.
Our Services For Your Success
• marketing communications
• integrating your messaging
• applying Social Media
• amplifying your message through video
• search engine visibility
• better prospect targeting
• how to do more with less
Rest assured, we have strategies both for the short-term and long-term. Let us show you how easy it is to change -- to implement the vital changes that make all the difference. Call our Dallas Marketing Advertising department at 214-703-0360.
Strategy is King. You see, it is not the economy or the environment that has the final say, it is your business strategy. Sowing the right seeds now is crucial to reaping the right harvest in today's marketplace.Sadly, many companies are either (a) afraid to sow seeds, or (b) sowing old seeds, hoping somehow that that will bring in a new kind of harvest – when reality is that the fields have changed. Fresh strategy that is "adapted to the now" is, many times, the single determining factor between those business that will succeed or fail in the next 3 months.
Some species thrive in the desert whereas others die quickly. Some businesses are thriving like crazy in the identical economic conditions that have made others go bankrupt. Why do some thrive? Because their strategy is adapted for success today. If your business is ready for massive success; it will take the right strategy for massive success.This is where our marketing savvy, combined with our video production and social media strategies are your best friend. We have many strategies that are being proven today to make profits thrive. There is no single solution for every business, but there is a strategy that is best for your's. Our ability to look at your marketplace and correct the mismatches in your advertising and marketing will make all the difference in both short-term and long-term profits.
Our Services For Your Success
• marketing communications
• integrating your messaging
• applying Social Media
• amplifying your message through video
• search engine visibility
• better prospect targeting
• how to do more with less
Rest assured, we have strategies both for the short-term and long-term. Let us show you how easy it is to change -- to implement the vital changes that make all the difference. Call our Dallas Marketing Advertising department at 214-703-0360.
Jun 5, 2009
Avoiding Marketing Communications Disasters
With all the current headlines of GM's bankruptcy, it reminds me of the marketing communications disaster when Chevy introduced the "Nova" and then wondered why it tanked in the Hispanic market. The reason for the flop is not in the design, production, capabilities or pricepoint of the car; it is in bad marketing communications.You see, "No va" means "Doesn't Go" in Spanish. Who wants a car that doesn't even go? No one. How many millions did that oversight cost the auto industry?
My business friend, although you mean well, don't be your own worst enemy by unprofessional corporate messaging. Often these kinds of disasters come from trying to say something that is clear in your mind and simply doing an awful job of translating it into a message that your audience can appreciate or even understand. Worse, the mistake is not realized until it is too late.
This presents a great example of why getting an outside professional marketing communications perspective on your advertising is not just a good idea, but a necessity in times where you don't have the budget to dig your way out of a marketing disaster.
But frequently companies fail to get that outside expert opinion for a number of different reasons. Here's the shoddy thinking that, while intended to benefit the company, actually sets it up for innefective marketing or even a bankrupsy:
1 • "Our company can't afford the time/money to get a real professional to look at it."
I don't know how much your time and effort is worth, but few companies have the surplus funds it costs to keep missing the ball. Your advertising dollars can be wasted on inefficient marketing without the company's leadership even knowing it. Like trying to saw down a tree with an old, rusty saw -- the time and expense to get the ideal saw is minute compared to the benefits your receive. Likewise, it is the ideal marketing STRATEGY that makes your marketing communication go further and produce more.
2 • "Our company does not need an outside firm to review our work."
Sadly, we see this attitude from time-to-time and it's such a destructive approach. Smart communicators realize that they come from a certain perspective, experience and bias and as a result, know that it's critical to make sure that when they speak or write that what they communicate can resonate with the target audience. It's not an admission of weakness; in fact, it's an act of wisdom to accept that you're not all-knowing.
After all, you are not marketing to yourself; you are marketing to them. So doesn't it make just to ensure that you are effectively reaching them with all your promotions?
3 • "We just didn't think of it that way."
This is the most common reason a well-indended marketing campaign turns into a waste of time and dollars. But why not enjoy the benefit of "hindsight" ahead of time through outsourcing your marketing strategy to a firm like Covenant Designs?
Today, you and I are in the happy circumstance of having the opportunity to benefit from someone else's painful experience. At Promise Productions, we specialize in creating ideal marketing campaigns for optimum results.That means effectively targeting and communicating with your prospects. It means motivating them into your desired action. Come, see the difference professional marketing in any advertising media can make for your company's profits. Call 972-822-3587.
May 29, 2009
Summer 2009 - Best Business Growth Approach
Push or Pull -- how to get the best business Return on Your Investment of Time / Effort / Marketing.
Kellogs released and advertise their Rice Krispies new line of products. The result was that even when spending money was at its lowest point in 1933, Kellogs actually made nearly a 30% increase in profits. You see, they took advantage of the timidness of other "pulling" companies and competitors and pushed through to be the most profitable company of its era!
James Surowiecki (New Yorker) underscores the case for "pushing" marketing initiatives forward when he observes, "… the uncertainty of recessions creates and opportunity for serious profits, and the historical record is full of companies that made successful gambles in hard times: Kraft introduced Miracle Whip in 1933 and saw it become America's best-selling dressing in six months; Texas Instruments brought out the transistor radio in the 1954 recession; Apple launched the iPod in 2001."
Do you pull back and retreat to the "safety" of trying to wait the recession out? Of should your business push ahead, allocate Marketing and Social Media dollars and engage with your business prospects here and now?
Case In Point
When the recession hit in the 1930's, two cereal companies (Kellogs and Post) responded in opposite ways. Kellogs pushed: they decided the time was ripe to dominate the market through massive advertising. Post pulled back: they scaled their advertising down.
Kellogs released and advertise their Rice Krispies new line of products. The result was that even when spending money was at its lowest point in 1933, Kellogs actually made nearly a 30% increase in profits. You see, they took advantage of the timidness of other "pulling" companies and competitors and pushed through to be the most profitable company of its era!James Surowiecki (New Yorker) underscores the case for "pushing" marketing initiatives forward when he observes, "… the uncertainty of recessions creates and opportunity for serious profits, and the historical record is full of companies that made successful gambles in hard times: Kraft introduced Miracle Whip in 1933 and saw it become America's best-selling dressing in six months; Texas Instruments brought out the transistor radio in the 1954 recession; Apple launched the iPod in 2001."Do you want to take your company's profits to the next level? You want want to learn how to massively profit from the current recession? Contact our strategic marketing specialists to spend your advertising dollars the most profitable ways possible.
Sow sparingly and you will reap sparingly. But push forward with strategic marketing and you will be the next success story. Call us at 972-822-3587 for details.
Apr 15, 2009
10 Deadly Sins That Are Killing Your Direct Mail Profits
Direct mail is still a great way to generate positive cash flow for all kinds of businesses. It puts your message right into their hands. But is it the right message?
Direct mail must avoid these 10 pitfalls in order to produce significant profits. A smart direct mail marketing communications strategy will produce loyal customers who are ready to buy your products and services. At Covenant Designs, we have been doing direct mail and postcard campaigns for 17 years and typically product 3-6% response rates with some responses even higher than 10%.
As we have all experienced, lots of sales letters are regarded as junk mail these days. When was the last time you opened a sales letter in the mail and actually read it? Why not? Because the letter did not entice you, didn't speak to you – didn't give you a reason to care.
Remedying these 10 deadly sins will release thousands and thousands of dollars that are otherwise missing from your direct mail and marketing campaigns.
#1. Vague Targeting
Your letter doesn't speak to anybody in particular. Have you identified your ideal customer and made sure your mailing list targets them? Companies fail to get to know their market, and it undermines, not just their sales letters, but their marketing as a whole.
Take some time to study your target audience - what makes them tick? What problems do they face? What are their values? What motivates them? Only then can you send a sales letter that speaks directly to their wants and desires.
#2. Missing or Poor headline.
Sales letters need to attract the eye – to grab you. Without a headline, a sales letter is just a chunk of words that can easily be ignored. Just look at the headline of this post: it speaks directly to YOU, doesn't it? It speaks in the present tense, and it implies that there is information in this article that you need to read now (true). That's a big reason why you are reading this, isn't it? So do the same – motivate your readers to keep reading!
#3. Failed to Focus on BENEFITS and are bogged down in Features
If you do not understand the distinction between benefits and features in marketing, then you will experience frustration and struggle in your marketing. This is the biggest, most common mistake that companies make in their sales letters.
If you get a letter that says, "Hey! Look at what we've got! Look what we've done! Aren't we great?!?", you're going to throw it away in a heartbeat, right? What do people want to hear about? Themselves. It's simple human nature – our focus is on our present needs.
Instead, your direct mail needs to talk about them: "Hey! You know that problem you have? This is how we can help you out..." If you are writing about your business, you are writing a FEATURE. That's not what you're supposed to be writing. If you are writing about the consumer, you are writing a BENEFIT. That's what people want to hear about - what's in it for me?
#4. Failure To Motivate A Response
If your response rates are down, you may not be giving your market enough of a reason to contact you. Where's the offer? Give them a discount or some form of special offer for responding to the letter. If the consumer reads your entire sales letter, but they are not motivated to take action IMMEDIATELY, you did it wrong. (Tip: pinpointing the exact benefits that matter most to your prospects is essential to motivating a response)
#5. Assuming they'll simply take your word for it.
Face it, you need proof. That means statistics that show it works. That means testimonials from people who have enjoyed the benefits. People won't just listen to you based on what you say - show them what others are saying.
#6. Unattractive Design.
How is your communication formed? Is it just a mass of words? Then forget it. You may as well have mailed them a letter in Chinese. At least put in some sub-headlines or lists. Photos are even better! They need something they can easily scan to get the gist of the letter beforehand. It will encourage them to read, to understand the benefits, and to respond.
#7. You didn't Break Down the Barriers.
This is a biggie. Barriers are things that keep prospects from doing business with you. Usually RISK is their barrier – they worry that they are investing their time or money in something that won't work. You need to guarantee them that it will be worth it. Offer them a 30-day, money-back guarantee. Give them a reason to take the plunge, risk-free, and there's a good chance they will.
#8. You don't have a "P.S." at the end.
The "P.S." is a great way to hit the last few skimmers - people who aren't reading. Sum up your biggest benefit, combine it with your offer, and throw it in as the last line in your letter. Then watch those response rates soar!
For example: "P.S. Stop wasting your time resharpening old kitchen knives! Order your complete set of Mighty Sharpy Steak Knives and use them for 60 days at no cost!"
#9. Nothing makes you stand out.
Who are you targeting and why? You need to position yourself as something unique. Differentiate yourself from the competition. What's your advantage? If you are just like the others, why should anyone choose to do business with you?
#10. They're not even opening the envelope.
If your letter comes in a plain white envelope, you're going to lose. One way around this is to use oversides postcards with color printing on both sides. We've had great success with these.
But for letters in an envelope, print your strong headline on the outside of the envelope. Consider hand-addressed envelopes. Make it distinctive in color, size or shape. Or, as many companies do, take advantage of the "lumpy mailer", where you put something in the envelope that makes it feel bulky - so people will tear it open – intrigued just to find their free gift. Your visual presentation needs to stand out from the rest of the mail. How is your sales letter standing out?
Direct mail must avoid these 10 pitfalls in order to produce significant profits. A smart direct mail marketing communications strategy will produce loyal customers who are ready to buy your products and services. At Covenant Designs, we have been doing direct mail and postcard campaigns for 17 years and typically product 3-6% response rates with some responses even higher than 10%.
As we have all experienced, lots of sales letters are regarded as junk mail these days. When was the last time you opened a sales letter in the mail and actually read it? Why not? Because the letter did not entice you, didn't speak to you – didn't give you a reason to care.
Remedying these 10 deadly sins will release thousands and thousands of dollars that are otherwise missing from your direct mail and marketing campaigns.
#1. Vague Targeting
Your letter doesn't speak to anybody in particular. Have you identified your ideal customer and made sure your mailing list targets them? Companies fail to get to know their market, and it undermines, not just their sales letters, but their marketing as a whole.
Take some time to study your target audience - what makes them tick? What problems do they face? What are their values? What motivates them? Only then can you send a sales letter that speaks directly to their wants and desires.
#2. Missing or Poor headline.
Sales letters need to attract the eye – to grab you. Without a headline, a sales letter is just a chunk of words that can easily be ignored. Just look at the headline of this post: it speaks directly to YOU, doesn't it? It speaks in the present tense, and it implies that there is information in this article that you need to read now (true). That's a big reason why you are reading this, isn't it? So do the same – motivate your readers to keep reading!
#3. Failed to Focus on BENEFITS and are bogged down in Features
If you do not understand the distinction between benefits and features in marketing, then you will experience frustration and struggle in your marketing. This is the biggest, most common mistake that companies make in their sales letters.
If you get a letter that says, "Hey! Look at what we've got! Look what we've done! Aren't we great?!?", you're going to throw it away in a heartbeat, right? What do people want to hear about? Themselves. It's simple human nature – our focus is on our present needs.
Instead, your direct mail needs to talk about them: "Hey! You know that problem you have? This is how we can help you out..." If you are writing about your business, you are writing a FEATURE. That's not what you're supposed to be writing. If you are writing about the consumer, you are writing a BENEFIT. That's what people want to hear about - what's in it for me?
#4. Failure To Motivate A Response
If your response rates are down, you may not be giving your market enough of a reason to contact you. Where's the offer? Give them a discount or some form of special offer for responding to the letter. If the consumer reads your entire sales letter, but they are not motivated to take action IMMEDIATELY, you did it wrong. (Tip: pinpointing the exact benefits that matter most to your prospects is essential to motivating a response)
#5. Assuming they'll simply take your word for it.
Face it, you need proof. That means statistics that show it works. That means testimonials from people who have enjoyed the benefits. People won't just listen to you based on what you say - show them what others are saying.
#6. Unattractive Design.
How is your communication formed? Is it just a mass of words? Then forget it. You may as well have mailed them a letter in Chinese. At least put in some sub-headlines or lists. Photos are even better! They need something they can easily scan to get the gist of the letter beforehand. It will encourage them to read, to understand the benefits, and to respond.
#7. You didn't Break Down the Barriers.
This is a biggie. Barriers are things that keep prospects from doing business with you. Usually RISK is their barrier – they worry that they are investing their time or money in something that won't work. You need to guarantee them that it will be worth it. Offer them a 30-day, money-back guarantee. Give them a reason to take the plunge, risk-free, and there's a good chance they will.
#8. You don't have a "P.S." at the end.
The "P.S." is a great way to hit the last few skimmers - people who aren't reading. Sum up your biggest benefit, combine it with your offer, and throw it in as the last line in your letter. Then watch those response rates soar!
For example: "P.S. Stop wasting your time resharpening old kitchen knives! Order your complete set of Mighty Sharpy Steak Knives and use them for 60 days at no cost!"
#9. Nothing makes you stand out.
Who are you targeting and why? You need to position yourself as something unique. Differentiate yourself from the competition. What's your advantage? If you are just like the others, why should anyone choose to do business with you?
#10. They're not even opening the envelope.
If your letter comes in a plain white envelope, you're going to lose. One way around this is to use oversides postcards with color printing on both sides. We've had great success with these.
But for letters in an envelope, print your strong headline on the outside of the envelope. Consider hand-addressed envelopes. Make it distinctive in color, size or shape. Or, as many companies do, take advantage of the "lumpy mailer", where you put something in the envelope that makes it feel bulky - so people will tear it open – intrigued just to find their free gift. Your visual presentation needs to stand out from the rest of the mail. How is your sales letter standing out?
P.S. For professional results from your direct mail or postcard campaign let the experienced marketing communication experts at Promise Productions position you for massive success. Call 972-822-3587
Mar 29, 2009
Better Dallas Website Design for Better Results
Let's define our words. Better Dallas Web Site Design means marketing-savvy design to bridge the credibility gap to get more responses. "Better Results" means nothing less than conversions and profits.For a business web site to reap profits, there are 3 Objectives it must accomplish:
1 • Credibility: a professional website design to communicate (visually & verbally) that your business has it "together" and is trustworthy.
2 • Value Proposition: it must convey the value and benefits your product or service. It must be free from hype and "cut to the chase." By the way, an online video is the best way to do this.
3 • Visibility: your website must be found in the search engines by those with purchasing intent at the right place and time. This means it has to be search engine optimized and might need to be actively promoted with Search Engine Positioning.
People write books after books about each one of these. The bottom line is that Promise Productions is a Dallas Marketing Communications firm that has mastered each of there areas. We streamline you for results. Many others offer one of these. A couple offer two of these benefits. Only a rare few offer the whole package for true success.
Attention Small and Medium sized businesses: if you follow what we advise you stand a very good chance of making an additional $1 to $2 Million in profits in the next 12 months. We have "been there and done that"; let us do it for you.
Attention Larger and National Companies: we can position you to dominate your marketplace for enormous profits.
These are not idle promises; they are tried and true smart marketing tactics we learned firsthand modeled from Fortune 50 companies and further refined to be up to the minute.
The question is how profitable is your business truly willing to be? How much growth can you handle?
Forget the "economy"; our tactics are somewhat influenced, but NEVER THE VICTIM OF any situation going on in the economy. Your customers will always want solutions that give them tangible value. Your ideal customers will pay a premium for the positive difference you make for them. If you have a legitimate business, our strategies can give you legitimate profits.The TRUTH is that there are MORE than enough clients and profits to go around -- your business just has to succeed at attracting them through the 3 pillars of: Credibility, Value and Visibility.
Mar 21, 2009
Best 2009 Business Advice
Words To Conduct Good Business By:
1. Make business development a priority. Good businesses who market better, DO better financially than great businesses who market poorly.
2. Develop a true and compelling marketing message that attracts prospects to come to you. Put that message online and marry it with compelling visuals.
3. Focus your marketing on a target market. Within that market, focus on your ideal prospects.
4. Get visible in low-cost-high-impact ways, preferably by educating your marketplace about the problems they face and how to solve them. Show them answers to the questions they did not even know they should have been asking. Include Social Media Marketing in this equation. And for best results, use Online Video to do that interaction.
5. Think big. Act big. Market big. We have only one life to live, so don’t waste it on small thinking. Don't shrink back and go extinct in a tar pit of regret; push forward with passionate business that is the overlap between your skills and gifts and the need out there.
6. Do what you love and always always always do your best for your customers. Value what you do and work with those businesses and customers that value the service you provide.
2. Develop a true and compelling marketing message that attracts prospects to come to you. Put that message online and marry it with compelling visuals.
3. Focus your marketing on a target market. Within that market, focus on your ideal prospects.
4. Get visible in low-cost-high-impact ways, preferably by educating your marketplace about the problems they face and how to solve them. Show them answers to the questions they did not even know they should have been asking. Include Social Media Marketing in this equation. And for best results, use Online Video to do that interaction.
5. Think big. Act big. Market big. We have only one life to live, so don’t waste it on small thinking. Don't shrink back and go extinct in a tar pit of regret; push forward with passionate business that is the overlap between your skills and gifts and the need out there.
6. Do what you love and always always always do your best for your customers. Value what you do and work with those businesses and customers that value the service you provide.
If you feel at home with this advice, then consider that we are the Marketing Communications firm for you. Call Promise Productions at 972-822-3587.
Mar 18, 2009
Searching for New Customers in Today's Marketplace?
Customers with cautious budgets are doing more research online before choosing their products and services. This apples to everything from daycare to hotel travel.The luxury shopper or the luxury traveler is still willing to pay a premium BUT ONLY for a top notch product or travel experience. Does your web site design give them that reassurance? Are you using smart video online to, not just tell, but SHOW them what you have to offer?
As a business, your need to be found in the search engines at the right place and time is more important than ever before.
The current recession is motivating businesses to fine turn their online marketing for optimum results. There are several strategies to be found online and savvy businesses are working ALL these angles simultaneously:
• Pay Per Click Marketing
• Search Engine Optimization
• Social Media Campaigns & Blogging
All three areas of online visibility are and will experience dramatic increased spending. By 2013 eMarketer estimates total US search marketing outlays will surpass $23 billion. We think that is far too conservative because:
• Search Engines are THE #1 way customers and businesses find those they do business with -- both locally and abroad.
• Social Media is exploding with no signs of stopping and it has the trust factor with the consumer that slick advertising agencies no longer deliver.
The writing is on the wall -- you either make online marketing an immediate priority or go extinct. Your customers are using the search engines to find the best deal. Businesses HAVE to be found in the search engines because that is where their customers and prospects are.Got profits? Contact Covenant Designs at 972-822-3587 for Search Engine Marketing Camaigns, Social Media Campaigns, and Marketing-Savvy Blogging.
Mar 17, 2009
Promise Productions awarded ClipperWind Contract
Promise Productions was chosen as the Marketing Communications firm of choice for the Clipper Wind contract. Clipper Windpower Inc. is an international wind energy company manufacturing and deploying wind turbines, doing over a billion dollars of revenue annually.
Promise Productions was selected for the year long contract for its multimedia prowess, efficiency and ability to take information on diverse subjects, master it and communicate it to all levels of management. Our marketing copy writing and technical copy writing will come in handy. Our graphic design skills will reinforce the marketing and training verbiage with compelling graphics, illustrations, photography and videography.
Our considerable Business-To-Business marketing experience also gave us an edge in communicating to their technical and industrial divisions as well as the Green Industry marketplace.
Clipper has an aggressive schedule with 250 gigantic wind turbines being deployed throughout the USA this year. They are behind on their employee training needs and value our one-stop-shop approach to all their marketing communications challenges including:
• Employee Training Video Production
• Corporate Training Video Production
• Multimedia Presentation
• Articulate Online Testing (SCORM compliant)
• Digital Photography
Promise Productions is into its first month serving Clipper Windpower and already we are told we are producing 400% the results for the same time and money of the previous internal department plus their outsourcing. We look forward to continuing this level of excellence. Stay tuned to our blog for quarterly updates.
For corporations needing training videos, internal communications, marketing communications and their story told in a compelling way to a variety of target audiences, turn to Promise Productions for results that reinforce your brand as well as your cash flow.
Call 972-822-3587 to speak with a marketing-savvy business communications expert.
Mar 14, 2009
Trust Based Marketing For Profits Today - Part 3 of 3
Six Steps To Generate Trust & Credibility in Your Target Market
Okay, enough theory. Let’s get down to the nuts and bolts of building trust. There are six steps to follow if you want to develop a trust-based marketing strategy:
1. Select a target market. It is much easier to build trust in a specific, target market. By focusing on a target market, you can demonstrate your understanding of your prospects’ needs, and tailor your solution in ways that resonate with your prospects. People are more likely to trust business professionals who speak their language, understand their issues, and have developed comprehensive solutions for their industry.
2. Develop educational products that prospects in your target market will appreciate. Most Web designers and other IT professionals want to show prospects how talented they are. That is necessary when you get into a competitive bidding situation, because you have come late to the game.
However, with trust-based marketing you establish your credibility and reputation before your prospects even have a need. The way to do this is by providing free information. Articles, speeches, newsletters, press releases, white papers, seminars, audio CDs, and simple surveys of your target market are examples of valuable information that prospects appreciate.
Your informational products should address specific problems that your target market faces. Sample titles might include: “The 10 Dirty Secrets About Web Design that Other Web Designers Don’t Want You To Know;” “Five Mistakes That Most Realtors [or your specific target market] Make with Their Web Presence;” and “How to Double Traffic To Your Web Site for Under $100.” You should be able to come up with dozens of truthful, interesting, attention-grabbing topics to present to people in your target market-- and many formats in which to present your content.
3. Build a list of prospects. Your list of prospects could become the most valuable asset you have in your Web design business. Once you have a list of prospects in your target market, you can continuously follow up with them in ways that establish trust and credibility. Capture prospect information by offering a free newsletter on your Website, any time you speak, and every time you offer informational products. Ask your network to let people know about the free information you offer (which is much easier than asking for referrals).
If you have a budget, you might also invest in advertising and direct mail to build your list. Use these techniques not to promote your services, but to offer a free report or subscription to your newsletter. Opt-in list building services, Google, and Yahoo search marketing can help build your list, too. All of these paid services are less effective than free strategies, but will allow you to build your list more quickly.
Note that staying focused on a target market makes it easier to build your list. For instance, if you focus on developing a Web presence for lawyers, you can easily obtain lists of lawyers, write articles for publications targeted at lawyers, and speak at conventions that lawyers attend. You can also develop information that lawyers specifically need, for instance, by comparing legal Websites to one another.
4. Follow up with prospects. Once you’ve chosen a target market, built a list, and created a few educational products, you can follow up with prospects on your list in ways that build trust.
Your newsletter or business blog is the best way to follow up with prospects. Every time you send it out, you remind your prospects that you are an expert in your field, not by telling them, but by showing them with expert insight and information. And, with each issue, you can promote additional opportunities through which your prospects can gain education and information from you, such as speeches, seminars, roundtables, eBooks, white papers, and articles on your Website and Business Blog.
Similarly, each time you follow up with prospects through other vehicles, you should offer other ways for them to get yet more information from you. For instance, if you speak in public, offer your prospects a free white paper that will interest them, and fits your expertise.
The more you follow up in valuable ways, without coming across as a salesperson, the more trust you’ll build.
5. Develop proactive referral systems that bring more prospects to you. Referrals are fantastic, because they bring you prospects that already trust you, based on the recommendation of somebody they respect. Unfortunately, many Web designers assume that referrals come automatically from satisfied clients. They don’t.
You have to ask for referrals from clients, and ask specific questions about people they know who might have a need for your services (e.g. “You told me that you’re on the board of the Chamber of Commerce. Do any of the other board members need help with their Web presences?”). You should also build referral networks with complementary professionals, for instance, by creating your own “mastermind groups” of professionals that meet on a weekly basis to help each other grow their business.
6. Be patient. Remember that it takes at least five favorable impressions with a prospect before he or she trusts you enough to contact you. Don’t destroy the trust you are developing by suddenly pitching your services, offering a free consultation (which prospects automatically translate to mean “sales pitch”), or asking for an appointment. If you offer enough valuable information to a focused market, soon people will begin calling you.
If you do want to contact prospects on your list, there are two effective ways to do it. The first is to follow up with a call after they take advantage of one of your information products or programs. Ask them for their advice and feedback, and offer to answer any questions they have. Don’t sell them anything; if they have a need, they will let you know. Then, send them a handwritten note thanking them for their time.
Second, create a research study or survey, and contact prospects to participate. Offer them a free copy of the study after you are done. Topics might include: “Top ten concerns [your target market] has about their Web presence;” “Benchmarking: How much your competitors are spending on their Web presence;” and “Web results: Top traffic drivers for [your target market].” Research studies show your prospects that you are an expert, and give them a great opportunity to share their issues and concerns with you.
If you follow these steps consistently, within six months to a year, you’ll have a huge database of prospects. They will call you first when they have a problem that you can solve. Best of all, you can achieve these results without a large investment of money.
~~~ OK, the following is the bonus section of this article! ~~~
Why Most Web Designers Will Avoid This Advice -- And Why That Is Great For YouMost Web designers will not act on this approach to business development. There are a few reasons why. First, many Web designers come from the “If I build it, they will come” school of marketing. They know they are talented, and believe that eventually people will learn about their capabilities. Unfortunately, this strategy only works in baseball movies directed by Kevin Costner! Average Web designers with superior marketing skills will almost always do better financially than brilliant Web designers who don’t make marketing a top priority.
Second, trust-based marketing strategies are somewhat unusual. It requires GIVING, believing that you will receive back in time. That is, it requires faith to make the up front investment of time and energy (and some money) to establish trust and credibility within a focused market. Most Web designers rely on traditional marketing approaches that push their services, and old habits are hard to break. They think too short term. Others try these approaches for a while and then give up, or don’t commit fully to implementing these strategies as a top priority.
Finally, many Web designers lack the patience and discipline it takes to focus on a target market and become a recognized expert in that market. They want business, and they want it fast. So they go to bidding sites, and battle dozens of other competitors from around the world to get jobs. If they would only invest a few months of effort to build trust and credibility, they would have all the clients they can handle for the long haul.
But all these reasons are good news for Web designers who do choose to base their marketing strategies on building trust. You can get the most desirable clients in your target market, while your competitors continue to slog it out. They will have to compete on price, submit competitive bids, and deal with prospects that don’t trust them enough to give them straight answers. You won’t.
I hope you make the right choice! We invite you to choose Promise Productions for your marketing communication needs. Let us cause your business to thrive in any conditions through integrated and strategic messages (and compelling visuals) that reach your ideal prospects with the understanding and solutions they long for!We're ready to learn about your goals. Feel free to call us today at 972-822-3587.
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