You thought you turned heads on your last advertising campaign because it was on point. People were clicking your ads like crazy and your website had a spike in visits. But, the activity didn’t turn heads adequately to become a trend. You had a lot of the right pieces, but lacked the coordination to make a real fashion statement. Review the following Do’s and Don’ts so you can turn heads with coordinated marketing and make all the right choices in the future.
A discerning, highly influential client – let’s call her a fashionista - deigns to click on your ad. Instead of seeing a lovely coordinated landing page she spots a cluttered website. Like last season’s stilettos, she kicks your product to the curb.
The same client clicks on your stylish ad, arrives on a coordinated, trackable landing page and notices a valuable offer. She whips out her swanky wallet and hands over contact information to collect your must-have discount.
Before you can say fabulous, you move on to your next task. Just as you look away another shiny object catches said fashionista’s attention and she never redeems the discount. It’s almost like you left her in the back of the closet with last year’s handbag.
A millisecond after receiving her valuable contact information, your prompt auto-reply email lands in the maven’s inbox wrapped in a bow nudging her to use the discount before the product sells out.
Soon she begins to see your retargeting ads with more of photos of your product on other exclusive websites.
A week later – because you have set up an automated email workflow based on her interests and behavior - she receives an exclusive email offer for first-time customers who subscribe to your newsletter.
Not long after that, your next thoughtful and targeted email elegantly appears showing the latest piece in the collection along with a special offer for customers who like your Instagram page.
Follow the do’s and avoid the don’ts above you will make an impression that turn will heads with coordinated marketing and transform that fashionista into a brand-devotee ready to influence her stylish circle of friends and their matching disposable incomes.
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When your new company is created, there should be a strong emphasis on business cards. Make business cards work for you. Business cards are a tool to let others know what your company is about and what services it provides. A plain white business card does not portray the mission or creativity of a person or a business. Your cards should help make you stand out and be easily recognizable. Bright colors, a distinctive logo, and an easy to read font will make your card stand out from the rest.
Business cards do not have to be boring. They should not look like everyone else’s. Think about ordering square or round cards instead of rectangular cards.
Use the front and back of your card to share your mission. If you are an eco-friendly business, buy business cards made from recycled paper. There are so many ways to make that card work for you! Some people purposely leave a space on the back to write notes or provide other contact information.
Business card marketing is a real thing. It’s effective, and it does lead to new customers and new leads. Here are some suggestions for using your business cards to maximize your customer base:
Finally, make sure your business card is professionally printed on high quality heavy weight paper. You don't want to skimp here. Having trouble coming up with a design or getting your design ready to print? Need help with marketing? We can help. Make business cards work for you. Come by or call 573-221-3635 and we can help you with your business card and any other promotional material you need for your business.
© 2018 Poole Communications
STD. What do you think this stands for?
Yeah, me too. Sexually Transmitted Disease.
Well in some businesses it’s used for Sales Tool Development, Seize The Deal, Short Term Disability or Standard Testing Diagnostic. Hmm… would you have guessed that? Chances are slim that you would. Instead you’re probably still trying to not laugh out loud when that engineer keeps talking about that large piece of equipment’s accurate STD output.
Can we please just stop this? It confuses our customers. It stops communication dead in its track because people are trying to figure out what you mean without appearing stupid.
Take the time to spell it out and explain things clearly. Here’s why I think acronyms are stupid:
S – short sighted
T – too technical
U – ubiquitous (everywhere!)
P – passive
I – incomprehensible
D – disruptive
Take two minutes to write out (or say) what you’re talking about. It’s not going to take that much more time and it’ll save you headaches in the long run. And don’t blame texting! This has been going on long before texting was even invented.
So go seize the day, and skip the STD.
It’s time to take a close hard look at your voice mail system. If you don’t have one – don’t worry. I think you’re actually in better shape than most companies with a voicemail system! How many times have you tried to call a business and got stuck in Voicemail Purgatory? Last week I called a local station that I call frequently. I have a new sales rep and could not get to him. The phone system was overloaded with calls and asked me to type in his last name. I had no idea how to spell his last name. I needed something right away and this was aggravating – and I know their system! Think of how a new customer would have felt dealing with this same issue.
This week call your own office and listen carefully. I’m sure there’s something you can do to make your voice mail system work better. Your customers should be able to reach you quickly and easily. Don’t ask them to go to a menu or type in your last name or call another phone number. It’s dumb. It stops you from making a sale and is poor customer service. Rethink your voicemail system and seriously consider a warm live voice instead of a machine.
Sally just got done reading Manage Your Day-To-Day. The subtitle of this book is Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus and Sharpen Your Mind, edited by Jocelyn K. Glei. Here's some of the best business take-aways from the book:
If you find you've been working hard and hardly getting ahead, this book is for you. It focuses on how our work day and work world has changed. Too often we're reacting and not working on our daily to-do list. The first thing to do is schedule your creative work first and schedule it at a time when you work best. This may take a little time to find - but instinctively you may know this already. Set routines and stick to them. If a project isn't complete one day, calendar it and move it to the next day. Your capacity is limited. Schedule your renewal or "sharpen the saw" time. Stick to it. Schedule thinking time or alone time to plan. Plan blocks of time to work - calendar it and stick to it. Stop multi-tasking - it doesn't work. Work on one project at a time, focus and finish it. Understand your temptations and resist them. In other words stay off Facebook and quit texting. Keep your workspace organized. Protect your DO NOTHING time. Your brain needs some R&R. Send really short emails. There is magic in a six-word email. Schedule your social media time and use it effectively to promote your business. Sally does hers at the same time she's updating client posts. Sometimes your soul needs to rest - take a long break from being connected. Finally, stop thinking everything must be perfect. We are human. Only God is perfect.
Get the work done, do your very best and let it go.
"The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say 'no' to almost everything." – Warren Buffet
1. Know Your Audience
- What time they check Facebook, what content they’re interested in.
- Target those specific people who ‘liked’ your page.
Knowing your audience will help your business tremendously down the road. It’s not enough to have a great product these days. You need to find those people who are your target audience and know what they want to see, their interests, likes and dislikes.
2. Engage with Your Audience
- Make posts specifically to your target group.
Once you’ve figured out their likes and dislikes, it’s time to put your knowledge to work.
Think about it - a follower is more likely to like or share a post if it is relevant to them or if they find it to be something they can stand behind.
3. Provide Great Customer Service
Once you have figured out your target market and how to get their attention, you need to keep it! Keep up on your social media; it shouldn’t be on autopilot for too long. Notice when someone comments on a post of yours or better yet, shares your post. Respond to your audience; people like to know that who they’re following is responsive and actually cares about them.
In short, nobody likes to be ignored. If people comment on your post or have questions, acknowledge them! It’s easy to become automated with managing your Facebook, but don’t forget that Customer Satisfaction still rules and will go further than any boosted post ever will.
4. Customization
You can schedule when your FB status is posted weeks and months in advance, specifically to better fit your customers' schedules. When you go to make a status update there is a drop down box next to the "Post" button that gives you an option to schedule your posting. Use this free trick to optimize your social media!
5. Boost
You can also use the “Boost” button, which places your posts higher in the News Feed, so there’s a better chance your audience will see them. Although there is a charge to boost, but you can choose your own budget. The more you put towards your budget, the higher your boost.
Stay focused and use Facebook's free platform to your advantage!
How do select color when you plan the design of your logo and marketing materials? Do you generally select just what you like? If so, you might consider putting more thought into your color choices.
Studies have shown that a product’s color influences 60-80% of a customer’s purchasing decision – meaning that color can make or break a product. Color is the first thing a consumer will notice about your logo.
On both a conscious and subconscious level colors convey meaning. The use of color can bring your marketing materials multiple layers of meaning. You can use these meanings to underline and accent your branding messages.
Bright, bold colors are attention grabbing but can appear brash. Muted tones are more sophisticated, but can be overlooked.
Colors can be divided into two categories: warm – which are associated with energy; and cold – which are more about calmness and security.
We've created a cheat sheet for you to download with colors and their associated meanings. These are not rigid rules, but they’re worth keeping in mind. It’s also important to consider the global appeal of your color choices – especially if you’re a global brand. For instance, in China red is considered lucky, while in India white is the color of mourning and death.
In addition to the color cheat sheet, we’ve also included a color contrast guide displaying 18 color combinations that have been tested for visibility at various distances by the OAAA.
Think about your message and choose your colors carefully to portray your company’s image.
Download the Color Cheat Sheet.
Download the Color Contrast Guide.
The business world is changing. Ten years ago, you would have never understood "sharing your contacts on the cloud." Two years ago Newsweek stopped all printed publications. Take a look around you. It's time to move your company forward.
Last week I spent three days learning about new trends in internet marketing. I'd like to share a few ideas with you that can help grow your business:
Thank YOU for reading my post and stay tuned for more growing your business ideas.
Sally Poole
Check out our Facebook videos to see Sally's Secret Ninja Facebook trick! Find it here.
