Marketing Vs. Advertising

Do you think in Marketing Terms, or simply in Advertising terms?
You should be looking at your Marketing. Advertising is simply a part of your marketing plan. Let's look at an example.
You buy a TV commercial (Advertising) However the creative in that ad is based on your overall marketing plan. Then that person calls you, how do you answer the phone call (marketing/customer service) How is their business routed through your sales process (marketing/customer service) all the points of contact during the buying cycle (marketing) how your salesperson talks to them and about what (marketing/sales). So they just bought from you, how do you thank them? (marketing/follow up)
So advertising gets them in the door and a great marketing plan gets them to be your long term customer and refer others!
That is why I have decided to open a Marketing Firm called Hard Knox Marketing starting March 15th. www.hardknoxmarketing.comMy goal with my clients will be to look at their overall marketing plan to ensure all points of contact with a customer is consistent with their overall plan. Feel free to contact me at hardknoxmarketing@gmail.com or via phone at 920.265.2255 This is not a solicitation, it's just that I am very excited about the opportunity to help others strengthen their business!

What's my name?

OK, it's a small thing to some people however it's a big deal to me! I go to local bank and usually use the drive through. Well about a month after I have been going there they said hi to me, more importantly they said Hello Andrew. Wow they know my name! Seriously they know my name. I realize that is the way banks used to be, but it's definitely different to get a hello with my name! I can go to a different branch in another part of town, but i purposely go to the bank that remember my name now.
Just think if you could remember the names of all your clients, or at least the top spenders, and say hi to them by name. It makes a difference to me and i am sure it would make a difference to your customers.

Your Plan: Remember the name of one of your current customers. Oh yeah, call them by their first name, much more personal. And how about a buisness owner telling me " I realize you have a lot of options out there, and sometimes cheaper options, I just want to let you know we appreciate your buisness" May sound cheesy, but it's honest and I gaurantee you will remember it and maybe give them the benefit of the doubt when competing on price!

No Update is an update

So lets say I am applying for a mortgage. As you know it's not always a great process, however there are times where you are waiting for numbers to come back in or something very important.

Well, it gets close to the end of the day and you have not heard back from anyone, so you call to find out what is going on. They tell you well nothing has happened.

This is super important to me, but just another transaction to them. How easy and nice would it have been for them to call me back and simply say "There is no update and we will keep you posted". Wow, 4 seconds, but a world of difference to me, the customer.

Your Job: If you are in the service or sales buisness and you are working with someone on a multi-day project, give them daily updates, yes even if there is no update. Remember this is probably more important to the other person. Plus it gives you another point of contact with your customer. Also, please don't email, call them like a real person, don't send them an email like a robot!

One call a day will make the difference!

When is the last time you got a thank you call from someone you did business with?
If you have recently I am sure you remember it, because it was ABNORMAL and pleasant.

Make this a new goal for your business: Make one, yes just one follow up call or thank you call to a customer. Here is what the goal of the call should be: First thank them for the business and tell them you appreciate it. Secondly, don't sell them anything, ask them what they liked about the experience and what they would do differently if they owned the business. It's a great way to find out what you can improve!

Everyone says Word of Mouth is the best form of advertising, this is a great way to create your own Word of Mouth Advertising. And what does it cost you? Don't be lazy, just do it daily, and it will work!
Think about it, after one year, you have over 300 people you contacted! More than likely they will have a better opinion of your business. Plus it's another point of contact with them, and you just created your own POSITIVE WORD OF MOUTH!

Your Advertising working hard

There are 6 stacks of these in the building!
I'm not bashing the Yellow Pages, just know that circulation, readership, and people using them are 3 very different numbers!

Americans Watched More TV Than Ever in 2010

January 3, 2011

It’s hard to imagine that, in an age when more people than ever are going to their computers, tablets, and smart phones for entertainment, television viewership would be at an all-time high. But new Nielsen data says that’s the case.

According to the nation's leading advertising research firm, the average American watched about 34 hours of broadcast network and basic cable programming every seven days in 2010—that's a 1-percent jump from the year prior and just six-hours short of a full-time workweek. Fox remained the most beloved station to the ever-lucrative 18-to-49 demographic, and eight of the 10 top telecasts were football games.

Of course, The Simpsons and the NFL have for decades been major draws in the United States media market. Far more interesting—and far more telling about how America is changing—is the remarkable rise of Univision, the nation’s biggest Spanish-language channel.

For the year [Univision] averaged a 1.5 rating among 18- to 49-year-olds and 3.7 million total viewers. On an otherwise quiet Monday last week, the finale of one of its telenovelas, “Soy Tu Dueña,” or “I’m Your Owner,” averaged four million viewers in that demographic, beating all the English-language networks for the night.

When it came to cable news melodrama, for the first time in its history, left-leaning MSNBC beat CNN amongst all demographics, with the latter channel losing 34 percent of its total viewers.

Probably owing to the fact that it's the only station of its kind (read: conservative) in the cable news arena, Fox News remained the undisputed king of the news networks.

Keep it Simple Stupid (The KISS Lesson)

Did you know…
8 out of 10 people read a headline, and not one word more.
Is that enough?

Only if the phone rings…online orders increase…you make more money.

Is the headline that all-powerful? Yes! Think of your own reading behavior: How often do you read a headline…and not one word more?

Here’s 1 trick to crafting a keep ‘em reading header:
Deliver a complete message – in 15 words or less.

6 ways to make it happen:

1. Write a mini sentence, complete with subject, verb, object.

2. Use vibrant nouns and verbs, skip adjectives, adverbs and lowly modifiers.

3. Engage our senses, write so we can see, taste, feel, hear and smell.

4. Build a sense of urgency. Push our “now or never” button.

5. State the benefit – how we’ll feel better, get a problem solved – if we take action now.

6. Skip “and” “a” “the” — we’ll still know what you mean.

What’s the job of a headline?
To get you to read the first sentence.
That’s it, there’s no punch line, because it’s not a joke: If you don’t write a good headline, no one will read your first sentence. If you can’t get them to read your first sentence, you’re not going to sell your product.

How do you write a good headline?
First, know your target market: Who they are, what their problem is, how you can help.

Second, write the headline first…and write as many as you can. Why?

1. It helps you clarify the gist of your offer

2. Creative headlines take time to evolve

3. You’ll spend less time writing your article

4. The extra headlines can be great ideas for future content (be sure to save them!)

3 headline styles that work best

1. A numbered list – 10 Tips to Financial Security – is descriptive and the benefit to the reader is clear.

2. A question – Is your partner leading a double life? – captures the imagination, because it hits a common fear: After the Tiger Woods scandal, NBC news reported that many marriages hit the rocks when wives (mostly) began suspecting their husbands of cheating. Choose a question that feeds on the “need to know” hook.

3. How to – We strive for mastery. Tell us how to cook, clean, build, drive, walk…and we’ll keep reading.

Remember, you only have a few seconds to capture attention. Write a powerful headline, and you’ve taken the first step towards your next sale.