Business Archives - Page 14 of 16 - Nadine MullingsNadine Mullings

December

27 2013

When it Comes to Your Marketing Message, What You Say Matters!

When it comes to getting your potential customers to take ACTION and PURCHASE your product or service, what you say really matters! For a business to consumer (B2C) type of company, potential customers are more moved by emotional reasons rather than logical reasons for purchasing, so creating messaging that plays into the emotional side of the sale, really works well for a B2C type of business.

On the other hand, for a business to business (B2B) type of company, businesses are less interested in the emotional side of the sale and more interested in the cold hard facts and the bottom line!

So how do you make sure you are communicating your message effectively?

Business to Consumer (B2C)

Know the WANTS of your customers
Know how your customer FEELS
Know how your customer would like to FEEL
Show your customer how your product or service can make them FEEL
Show the BENEFITS of your product or service
Show other customers just like them who are enjoying your product or service

Business to Business (B2B)

Know the NEEDS of your customers
Know the PROBLEMS your customers may be having
Show how your product or service solves the PROBLEM
Show how your product or service can INCREASE the bottom line
Show other companies who have used your product or service and have found success

How you communicate to your target market can make the difference between SUCCESS and FAILURE. Use messaging that your target market can UNDERSTAND and RELATE TO.

What type of marketing messaging have you found to be successful for your business?

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Blog, Business, Business Development, Marketing, Small Business

December

17 2013

How do you differentiate your small business from all of the rest?

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cynergy/2607120416/

Your small business is probably not the only business in the world that does what you do, so how do you differentiate your company from all of the other companies out there? The answer can be found in identify your unique selling proposition (usp). These are the things that make you and/or your company different, but sometimes it can be difficult to figure out what your unique selling proposition is? Follow these three tips to help you to differentiate yourself from the rest of the market:

KNOW YOUR INDUSTRY– the first step is to know what is going on in your industry. What is the latest and greatest thing out there. What changes have you seen in your industry? What has remained the same in your industry? How can you be an innovator within your industry? You want to make sure your company is doing things differently, don’t go with the flow, go against it! Most of the major brands out there became successful, by doing it differently or offering it in a different way. Apple did not get to be such a major brand by following the crowd and doing it the same way as the others in their industry, no Apple became a super brand by being innovative!
KNOW YOUR COMPETITORS– It helps to know what your competitors are doing, so you can be aware of what they are offering and how you can offer it in a better way. Nobody really likes to snoop around (well maybe some people do), but it helps to secretly shop your competitors and get to experience the way they do business. Sam Walton the founder of WalMart was known to be obsessed with his competitors, he wanted to know what they were doing, how they were doing it, when they were doing it, etc. so he could do it better!
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE– I know I probably say this in almost every post, but knowing your target market inside and out is really key in knowing the needs of your customers, and identifying what makes your product or service the ideal solution for your customer. McDonald knew that people wanted food quickly. They did not plan to be the best burger and fries out there, but created a system that offered reasonably good food (I know that is debatable) in a very fast way, which is what the consumers wanted!

So if you strive to be innovative, to do things differently than your competitors, and to know the needs of your audience, you are on the path to differentiate yourself from the rest of the market and becoming a successful brand!

What ways do you use to differentiate your small business?

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Business, Business Development, Business Planning, Marketing, Small Business

December

11 2013

How to reach your IDEAL Target Market

One of the first steps to any successful marketing campaign is to IDENTIFY your IDEAL target market. When it comes to identifying your ideal target market, there are two main factors that you should consider:

DEMOGRAPHICS– this is a description of your target market that includes factors such as age, gender, income level, marital status, ethnicity, etc.
PSYCHOGRAPHICS– this is a description of the personality type and interests of your target market and includes things like, values, beliefs, characteristics, hobbies etc.

Once you take the time to describe your target market, then you are better able to REACH your ideal target market!

The next step after defining your target market is finding out where your target market gathers in LARGE quantities both online and offline. This could include places like:

Associations
Clubs
Organizations
Conferences
Tradeshows
Networking Events
Meetup groups
Facebook groups
LinkedIn groups
Specific Social Networking Groups

Now you know WHO your target market is and WHERE they hangout, the next step is HOW to reach out to them, and this could include activities such as:

Sponsoring Events
Participating in Tradeshows
Attending Conferences
Speaking at Meetings
Joining Clubs & Organizations
Partnering with associations
Online Advertising
Adding to conversations on online groups

Once you know WHO your target audience is, WHERE they hangout in large quantities, and HOW to reach out to them, you are ready to start executing your marketing campaign.

What other techniques do you use to identify and reach out to your target market?

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Business, Business Development, Business Planning, Marketing, Small Business, Uncategorized

December

02 2013

Learn How to Create a SIMPLE and EFFECTIVE Marketing Plan

You may have heard that all small businesses should have a marketing plan, but did you know that very few actually take the time out to create one. The task of creating a marketing plan may seem daunting and intimidating, but you can create a simple and effective marketing plan by answering the following 8 key questions about your business:

Who is your target market?

You’ve probably heard this before, but it is VERY important to understand exactly who your target market is for your product or service. When it comes to understanding your target market, it is not limited to just knowing the demographics like the age range, gender, geographical location, income level, etc., but also knowing the psychographics of your target market. This includes items such as belief system, personality traits, attitude, etc. Once you understand the demographics and psychographics of your target market, then your marketing effort becomes much easier!
What is the problem that your target market has (as it relates to your product or service)?

List specific problems that your target market has as it relates to your product or service. Imagine how these problems make your target market feel stressed out, overwhelmed, uncertain, etc. Once you fully understand how your target market feels, you will be better able to communicate effectively to your target audience!
How does your product or service solve that problem?

Be sure to focus on how the benefits of your product or service solves their problems. You can mention some product features, but the benefits are what people are interested in. Benefits focus on the advantages i.e. your product makes a person look younger, become healthier, etc., and features focus on the characteristics of your product or service i.e. over 10 years on the market, fast acting, etc. Your message should be 80% about the benefits of your product or service, and only 20% about the features!
Why should they buy from you and not your competitors?

What is your unique selling proposition? These are the things that make you and/or your company different. Your customers want to know what makes you better than your competitors.The more able you are to effectively communicate why your company is the best solution, the better your marketing efforts will be.
Where is your target market?

You need to find out where your target market is located geographically and specific locations. This could include local (cities, counties, etc.), international (countries). Places could include associations, festivals, groups, organizations, etc.Find out where your target market is in large quantities, so you can reach them in large quantities.
How do you reach your target market?

Are you reaching out to your target offline through networking, advertising, media, or online through your website, social networks,blogging, etc.You should have several ways both online and offline to reach out to your target market.
When do you reach out to your target market?

Create a marketing calendar. Plan out the next 90 days, 6 months, to a year of marketing activity. Schedule your activity daily, monthly, quarterly, and stay organized.Plan out your marketing activity in advance in order to successful execute your marketing activities.
What do you say to your target market?

How you communicate to your target market can make the difference between success and failure. Use messaging that your target market can understand and relate to.Use appropriate messaging that your target market can relate to. Know the best keywords and buzz words to use in your content.

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Business, Business Development, Marketing, Small Business, Uncategorized

November

27 2013

3 Ways to Get Referrals from Your Current Customers

Are you currently offering your clients an incentive for referring someone to you? If you have customers who already know, like and trust your company, use that to your advantage by asking them to refer their friends, family, and colleagues to your company. Remember, people like to do business with companies that a trusted friend or family member has referred them to, so it is almost guaranteed business for you.

If you don’t already have a referral program, here are three ways to start a referral program.

1. Offer a Referral Incentive– You can offer the referrer a discount on your services or products for each referral that you receive that turns into business for you, or you can offer a visa gift card or a store gift card like Target, Starbucks, etc. Offering an incentive encourages people to actively refer business to you.

2. Create an easy way to submit a referral– For tracking purposes, I would suggested creating an online referral form where people can easily send you a referral online. A great free tool that you can use to create a referral form and track it is Wufoo. You could also have people call or email you directly to submit a referral, but you have to be sure that you have a way to track a referral that is submitted via phone or by email.

3. Promote your referral program. Just like anything else in your business, you have to promote it in order for people to know about it. You should promote your referral program on all of your communication pieces to your customers (i.e. your business card, your enewsletter, your brochures, your website, your blog, etc.)

Do you have a referral program? If so, what techniques do you use to encourage referrals?

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Business, Business Development, Marketing, Small Business

November

21 2013

3 Ways to Get Repeat Business by Rewarding Your Customers

A great way to get repeat business from your CURRENT customers is to start a rewards program. Rewards programs have become popular over the last decade or so in various industries including credit card companies, restaurants, and retail stores to name a few. Rewards programs are great because they encourage repeat business and increase brand loyalty. They don’t have to be complicated, you can create a simple rewards program for your customers.

Here are three types of rewards that you could offer:

Birthday Rewards– Send your customers gift cards on their birthdays. This is a great relationship marketing strategy to strengthen the relationship you have with your customer, and it is also a great rewards benefit because you are rewarding your customer’s loyalty by offering a special discount on the customer’s birthday.
Repeat Purchase Rewards– When a customer purchases from your business, show that you appreciate the business by offering some type of incentive to purchase again in the future. For example, you could offer, 50% off on your fifth purchase, and/or a FREE items on your tenth purchase, etc. You will have to have a way to ensure you are tracking the purchases accurately and that items are awarded at the appropriate time, but otherwise from that, this is a fairly easy type of reward to implement.
VIP Sales Events– Offer VIP Sales Events where your customers get a special offer only available to your VIP customers at a special sales event. This type of reward works well because it makes your current customers feel special because they are being offered something that the general public does not have access to, and it allows you to reward them for their loyalty.

Do you have a rewards program for your customers? If so, what types of rewards do you offer?

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Business, Business Development, Marketing, Small Business

November

12 2013

7 ways to use Relationship Marketing to grow your business

According to dictionary.com, Relationship Marketing is a marketing strategy in which a company seeks to build long-term relationships with its customers by providing consistent satisfaction. There are several ways that a company can provide consistent satisfaction by using Relationship Marketing tactics.

Here are 7 ways to implement relationship marketing tactics in your business:

Offer EXCELLENT customer service. When a customer purchases a product or service from you, you should go above and beyond to make sure that the customer is happy with your service.
FOLLOW-UP after the purchase– Many companies do not do this, so it will put you way above the rest if you decide to do this. Depending on the product or service you offer, be sure to follow-up with the customer a couple of weeks after the purchase to ask them how they are enjoying the product and to see if they have any questions. This is a great opportunity for you to build up trust and loyalty with your customer. Some people don’t want to do this in case the customer has a compliant about the product or service. However, I think this is a great way to reach out to them and solve the issue if they do have one.
Send a customer satisfaction SURVEY– In addition to a follow-up phone call or email, sending a customer satisfaction survey to get feedback on how they felt your company’s customer service was is a great tool for you to show that you care about the type of service being offered, and to get valuable feedback and shed light on areas in your service that may need improvement.
Send a “Thank You for Your Business” Card– This may seem old-fashioned, but it is a way for your company to really stand out by sending each customer a “Thank You for Your Business” card in the mail. It shows your gratitude for their business and solidifies the new relationship.
Send an “Anniversary” card or email– This is a great way for you to stay top of mind. Send your client an email or card that marks the anniversary date of when they used your service or purchased your product. An anniversary card or email is also a great way to send a special offer that encourages repeat business (i.e. $10 off your next purchase, 20% off, etc.)
Send a Birthday card- This is a nice way for you to stand out. Most people no longer receive cards in the mail for their birthday, so receiving a card from your company is a nice way to stand out and stay top of mind with your customer.
Send a Holiday card and/or email– There are several holidays that many people celebrate throughout the year. Sending a special email or card to your customers on the holidays is a great way to stay top of mind. Adding a special holiday offer (i.e. $10 off your next purchase, 20% off, etc.) can be a nice touch.

What types of relationship marketing techniques do you use?

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Business, Business Development, Marketing

November

04 2013

Top 3 Ways to Get More Business

If you own a small business (or any sized business for that matter), you’re always looking for ways to get more business. Most companies look for NEW business and neglect their most important source of more business…… CURRENT customers.

Here are three ways to get more business from your CURRENT customers.

RELATIONSHIP MARKETING– There are several definitions of what Relationship Marketing is, but for me it means creating a long lasting relationship with your CURRENT clients in order to get additional business in the future. There are many ways that you can use this marketing technique, both online and offline, but no matter what channel you use, the goal of Relationship Marketing is to continue to develop a relationship with your customers beyond the first purchase. This could include showing your gratitude for their business by sending a “Thank You” card, remembering important dates like the anniversary date of services received by your company, sending a birthday card, sending holiday emails, etc. Each time you connect with your customers it keeps your service top of mind, and it builds the know, like and trust factor for your company.
REWARDS PROGRAM– Are you rewarding your customers for choosing your company? Rewards and loyalty programs are super popular now. Many credit card companies offer rewards programs to ensure repeat business and to keep their customers loyal to their credit card. The same type of rewards program can be applied to any industry. The goal of a rewards program is to encourage loyalty, get repeat business, and to keep your service or product top of mind with your CURRENT customers.
REFERRAL PROGRAM– Are you currently offering your clients an incentive for referring someone to you? This really is a no brainer technique. If you have customers who already know, like and trust your company use that to your advantage by asking them to refer their friends and family for your services. People like to do business with companies that a trusted friend or family has referred them to, so it is almost guaranteed business for you. The goal is to get your current customers to send you more business in the form of a referral by offering some type of incentive for the referral.

What ways do you use to get more business from your existing customers?

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Business, Business Development, Marketing

October

28 2013

21 Things You Must Do to Get Amazing Results from Your Social Media Marketing (Part 3)

In the last post of 21 Things You Must Do to Get Amazing Results from Your Social Media Marketing, I discussed 7 simple tips to grow your social networks organically, for this post, I will discuss how to grow your social networks using paid methods.

Each social network is different in the types of advertising that they offer, but it helps to look into the following options of advertising for the particular social network you are using.

Here are 7 simple tips to grow your social networks using paid methods:

Purchase an Ad– consider paying to place an ad that is targeted to reach your particular target market as a way to grow your network. The ad must have a good image and good copy to attract attention and get results.
Pay to Promote- this is a great way to use existing content that has gotten a good response from your followers and fans, and pay to promote that content to a larger audience. This can include a promoted post on Facebook, a promoted tweet on Twitter, a promoted pin on Pinterest, etc.
Sponsored Stories– This is popular on Facebook, sponsored stories are messages coming from friends about them engaging with a Page, app or event that a business, organization or individual has paid to highlight so there’s a better chance people see them. It allows you to promote a story on a person’s timeline, so if they liked your page it will say “Jane likes (the name of your business)” and allows people to click to your page to also like it or get more information.
Referral Marketing– connect with someone with a large audience that fits your target market, and ask him to promote your business, you can offer some type of incentive for each fan/follower you get from that particular person’s network. This may take a little bit of work to figure out the tracking and an appropriate incentive.
Create a Contest or Sweepstakes where someone will win something for connecting with you on social media. Depending on the prize the cost of this method could be minimal or expensive. You can use tools such as Constant Contact’s Social Campaigns or Woobox to create all the necessary pieces to execute the contest or sweepstakes correctly.
Promoted Profile– this is popular on Twitter. It allows you to pay to promote your profile so you can gain new followers. Promoted Accounts are suggested based on a user’s public list of whom they follow. When an advertiser promotes an account, Twitter’s algorithm looks at that account’s followers and determines other accounts that those users tend to follow. If a user follows some of those accounts, but not the advertiser’s account, then Twitter may recommend the advertiser’s Promoted Account to that user.
Promoted Page– this is popular on Facebook. You can pay to simply promote your page without having a special ad or offer. Your business page will show up for your target market as a suggested page to like.

What paid methods do you use to grow your social networks?

To download the complete checklist of 21 Things You Must Do in Order to Get Amazing Results from Your Social Media Click Here or go to 21 Things You Must Do in Order to Get Amazing Results from Your Social Media Marketing!

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Business, Business Development, Marketing, Social Media

October

25 2013

21 Things You Must Do to Get Amazing Results from Your Social Media Marketing (Part 2)

In the last post of 21 Things You Must Do to Get Amazing Results from Your Social Media Marketing, I discussed 7 tips for creating engaging content on social media, for this post, I will discuss how to grow your social networks organically.

You can grow your social networks organically and/or pay for exposure via advertising on various social networks. Organic growth is the most affordable because you don’t have to pay money for it, and if you consistently post good content, you will be able to easily grow your network organically.

Here are 7 simple tips to grow your social networks organically.

Offline Tips:

Encourage people to connect with you online by placing your social network information on your business card. If you are out networking and meeting new people, then your business card is a great promotional tool to promote and encourage connecting with you on social networks.
If you do speaking engagements for your business, be sure to promote connecting with you on your social networks by placing your social network information at the beginning and/or at the end of your presentation.
If you have a retail space or an office that is open to the public, place signs around your establishment encouraging your customers to connect with you on social networks.

Online Tips:

4. Promote connecting with you on social networks by adding links to your social networks on your e-mail signature line. You probably send out tons of e-mails every day, adding your social networks to your e-mail signature is an easy and effective way to promote connecting with you.

5. Email your current customers inviting them to join you on a social network. It helps to offer some type of incentive for joining like a discount, coupon, e-Book, report, checklist, etc.

6. Encourage your current fans and followers on your social networks to promote your page to their network.

7. Post good content and encourage your network to share your information with their network, by asking them to like, share, retweet, repin, etc.

What techniques and ways do you use to organically grow your social networks?

Just as equally important as growing your social networks organically, is strategically using paid methods to grow your social networks. The next blog post in this series will discuss how to grow your social networks using affordable paid methods . Stay tuned for the next blog post or click here to download the complete checklist of 21 Things You Must Do in Order to Get Amazing Results from Your Social Media Marketing!

Posted by Nadine Mullings | Comments Off | in Business, Business Development, Marketing, Social Media