People are being bombarded with marketing messages, from the time they get up in the morning and switch on the radio or TV, to the time that they venture out into the real world, to the time that they eat their TV dinner before crashing for the night. As an entrepreneur, you had better make sure that you have a message that people want to hear, with the ability to crash through all the other “noise”.

You might have a great product or service, one that you fully believe in, with all your heart. Your challenge is to create a marketing campaign around that product or service which causes everyone to sit up and take notice. You need to try and create social acceptance and viral buzz.

One of the first things that you have to bear in mind is that creativity does not have to be expensive. Some canny marketers make sure that they send out their direct mail message in an envelope containing an unusually-shaped gizmo. It doesn’t really matter what the object is, but the very shape of the package will cause the recipient to pay attention and open it.

One of the most important things to bear in mind is that you need to connect with your audience, in the right place and at the right time. Think about your product or service and the message that you want to portray and work out when and where you should communicate. Create an “ah-ha!” moment for them.

As you know, the Internet is your best friend. Get active. As a marketer, you can use the wonders of Facebook and Twitter to begin fan pages and create conversations. Always make sure that you provide great value and never hard-sell. Commence conversations with people of influence. Look for extroverts who use or would be interested in using your product or service and interact with them to tap their influence within the community.

Make sure that your product or service is socially acceptable and “cool”. Both your product and your message need to be realistic and beneficial. You stand the best chance of creating a viral buzz if you are seen as creative, giving, relevant, adventurous and trustworthy.

Make sure that your product or service can be transmitted or transferred to your prospect with little or no effort. You should also ensure that you can scale up your enterprise accordingly. There seems little point in trying to create a viral buzz if your infrastructure is not ready to handle the consequences!

Remember, that creating a marketing buzz takes some ingenuity and innovation. Above all else make sure that your message is authentic, as consumers will see right through this otherwise and you can create more damage than goodwill. Use the power of the Internet, wisely!

Leave a comment and tell us how you created a marketing campaign that everyone is talking about.

Matthew Toren

I am really excited about this weeks interview with Brad Sugars.

He is an amazing entrepreneur, and the founder of ActionCoach.com - read on to find out more.

1. Having had 27 jobs by the time you finished your degree must have given you a huge amount of experience in the real world at a very young age, which job did you take the most lessons away from?
Working for others is great because it gives you an opportunity to learn what not to do in certain situations, which is many times more important than learning what to do.
But one of the best lessons I had working was probably at K-Mart when I was a kid, and one of my managers told me to sell out a rack of men’s shirts for that day’s “red light” special. Being young, I took him literally, so when the real announcer was busy and couldn’t be bothered with my special, I was able to take over the PA system and broadcast my deal. I sold the heck out of it over the loudspeakers, and got a rush of buyers over to my area. At first, the managers were upset with my style, until they started ringing up the purchases for that special.
I sold out the rack – and it taught me the importance of sales in a business, and how nothing can happen until that sale is made.

2. Even though you showed entrepreneurial skills from the age of 7, you concentrated on a formal education first. Do you think that University plays an important role in moulding an individual?
University plays a vital role because it is a place where you learn how to learn on your own and where you can grow up and become a young adult and learn how to take responsibility. The trouble with most students is that when they leave university, they tend to leave their learning behind them, or think that they know everything and don’t need to continually pursue knowledge. They forget that “commencement” actually means “beginning.”

3. A process of continuous improvement is important from a business standpoint as well as for personal development. What are the key personal development course topics that people should concentrate on?
I say everything first begins with a dream, which then becomes a goal, which then becomes a plan, which then turns into a series of actions, so any course that helps get you more effectively in line with that process is sound.
Also, it’s important to realize most people look at life in a way where they think they need to have certain things to be a certain type of person, where the opposite is true. First, you need to “Be” the type of person you want to be first, then “Do” what you need to do to “Have” the things you want. This idea of “Be/Do/Have” forces you to work on yourself first to be the best you can be.
It goes back to two Jim Rohn quotes that helped me transform my life when I was 16 and attended one of his seminars. He said, “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job,” and “Never wish life were easier, wish that you were better.”
When you improve, you’ll find that your world, surroundings and circumstances will improve. But you have do to the work first before you start to see the result.

4. You mention that your father was the first to notice your entrepreneurial spirit Is this something that your family nurtured and encouraged in you?
My dad was always a bit more aggressive on the entrepreneurial side, while my mom always wanted me to play it a bit more safe and get a good steady job, but they both always encouraged me to learn more and get more knowledge. My dad would probably be termed “street smart” and my mom is more “book smart,” but having those two influences has helped me develop both types of “smarts” – at least I like to think so anyway.

5. The Internet has it’s positives and it’s negatives. The positives outweigh the negative but defamation can be fairly rife, so how do you cope with the more personal attacks?
In any service-based business, you’re going to get backlash and complaints, but you need to offer a positive voice to the testimonials from people who are raving fans and who love your products and services. It helps negate the negative voices, which always tend to be the loudest and most bothersome.
For me personally, I know early on I took a lot of the negative stuff very personally. Now, I’ve learned it is just part of doing businesses, and what other people think of me is really none of my business. I’ve also learned that for every negative thing people say, there are 100 positives that you can find to meet the negative head-on and knock the bad stuff down.

6. Have you found business culture differs around the world, and do you have to tailor your approach much to take this into account?
It’s true that cultures are different, but I truly believe business is business. That said, there are certain economies within certain cultures that are in different stages of development – and in turn require different types of products and services, and different types of approaches to sell those items.
Some owners go in to certain economies thinking they can drive the market their way, when maybe those certain economies simply aren’t ready for a particular product or service.
Just look around at the global economy, and you can see the differences. The U.S. is a maturing, service-oriented economy, while economies in Brazil or China or India are still dependent on manufacturing – which is a category in the U.S. that has been in decline for 40 years.
There are differences even within countries. In Las Vegas, for example, where my company headquarters are located, the last twenty years or so has seen a local economy driven by the building and construction industries, because the city is relatively new, without a lot of infrastructure.
Compare this to a New York or Los Angeles, older cities were you find more service-oriented industries and companies build around finance and media, or in the latter case, entertainment.
If you are a media company in Las Vegas, you might find it harder to survive than if you had a construction company. The opposite holds true in those other markets, all because each city exists in a different stage of development.
In short, you always have to cater to the needs of your particular marketplace, and not necessarily what you think those needs should be.

7. Where do you see the Brad Sugars/Action Coach brand going over the next 2 years?
Short-term, our objective is to open in 120 countries by 2012, with a longer term goal of having “a coach in every business.”
If having “a coach in every business” sounds like a stretch, it certainly is – as far as goals are concerned. But I believe one day every business owner will see the value in having an advisor and a business mentor helping him or her profit in business.
Plus, it really gives us something to shoot for and strive and stretch for – otherwise, what’s the point, or where’s the fun?

8. You come from an accounting background and you have also been through times of economic turmoil before. What are the key things that small businesses need to do to keep afloat over the next year or so?
Retain your best customers, systemize as much as possible and get your marketing in place. The good news is if your company has survived to this point, your chances of longer-term success are pretty good, because the truly marginal players have all been chased out of the market.
However, you must realize that our “economic winter” may be colder than usual and longer than normal, and you need to prepare for that. Your aim should be to build and grow your business, because you can’t ever “cut your way to success.” At least for the long-term.
However, you can grow and build your way out of most any situation, and once you get your growth programs in place, you’ll be far ahead of the competition when the next “economic spring” arrives. And it will. As sure as the seasons change, the economic cycle will recover.

9. It is important to have a sounding board outside of your immediate business circle. Do you have a coach or mentor, and if so, how do you utilise them?
I have several coaches and mentors that I meet with on an informal basis at different times throughout the year. I also have at least 250 coaches who have been with me for at least 5 years, and they are always very willing to tell me how to run the company.

10. You are a obviously a very successful serial entrepreneur. Do you think that Malcolm Gladwell’s theory holds true about the 10,000 hour rule? You would seem to be a prime example of this.
I don’t know if I agree with that premise. I mean, if it only took 10,000 hours of work or practice, a lot more people would be good at a lot more things – and I know a lot of business owners and other professionals who are so stuck in the knowledge and the practice of a thing over time that they
fail to have the flexibility to leverage their cumulative knowledge or talent in any meaningful way.
Time is important, but true wisdom and results come from applying the knowledge you have. That could take 10,000 hours, or it could take 10 minutes, but I believe you can really short-cut that 10,000 hour mark with activity and by gaining ever more knowledge and wisdom simply by doing.
By going out and actually doing something, you’ll discover new opportunities, new insights and new realizations that will appear in ways you never could have initially expected. Ultimately, those are the “innovations” that, much like technology, can leverage your efforts and considerably shorten that window of time for your breakthrough success.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/bradsugars
Home page: http://www.aboutbradsugars.com/

Adam Toren

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield have ice cream in their veins. These two unlikely entrepreneurial heroes rose to pop culture status by following different paths. Jerry is more of the joker, always ready with a quick quip, who landed his first job in the industry as an ice cream scooper in college. He tried moving through medical school without any success and reverted to work as a lab technician, whilst Ben drove an ice cream truck in his senior school year, but also dropped out of college.

The pair first met each other when they shared a Manhattan apartment following graduation, but they did not explore their entrepreneurial possibilities until they became reunited in upstate New York and decided to go into the food business.

Ben and Jerry’s could just as easily have been a bagel bakery, but they deemed that option too expensive and decided to make ice cream instead. In the equally-as-funky Burlington, VT., they opened their first scoop shop and started churning out their off-the-wall ice cream creations.

Ben and Jerry realized the power of social networking in 1978 and started off by hosting a free film festival and by establishing several traditions, including a give away of free ice cream on the anniversary of the founding of the first store. “We measured our success not just by how much money we made, but by how much we contributed to the community. It was a two-part bottom line.”

Through the 1980s, business was great and they expanded out of state within New England. By 1987, annual sales totalled $32 million and even President Reagan became a Ben & Jerry’s fan in 1988, when he awarded them the prestigious US Small Business Persons of the Year award.

Ben & Jerry’s was, and still is, known for its creativity. Flavors such as “Chunky Monkey” and “Rainforest Crunch” featured unique flavor combinations, unusual packaging and colorful marketing methods. By the end of the 1980s, the company was operating in 18 states within the USA.

Their rapid growth was not without growing pains and they had to further innovate and sometimes capitulate as they grew. They were forced to relinquish some of the firm’s informal hierarchy and more established players, such as Dreyers and Haagen-Dazs, were putting up stiff competition.

Through the 90s, however, the firm continued its growth, with sales approaching $175 million towards the end of the decade. Perhaps inevitably, the brand was purchased by the food giant Unilever in 2000, although a unique arrangement allowed Ben and Jerry’s to continue to feature its unique operating style.

Since the outset, the duo had always been on somewhat of a social mission and this trend continues to this day. They have a solid commitment to recycling and conservation at all facilities and they use hormone-free milk in all products. “Now, when we face a problem like global warming, and you understand that the biggest impacts on global warming come from business and industry, I think business needs to take a leading role,” observes Jerry.

Ben & Jerry’s is very much the quintessential American success story, but they have always maintained their strong social and community values. “Neither of us could have anticipated twenty years ago that a major multi-international would some day sign on, enthusiastically, to pursue and expand the social mission that continues to be an essential part of Ben & Jerry’s and a driving force behind many of our successes.” I’ll lick an ice cream to that.

Adam Toren

The thought of compiling a formal business plan can be quite daunting to the entrepreneur. Many of us see ourselves as the creative type rather than the formal intellectual and we might have an inbuilt tendency to try and fly by the “seat of our pants”. In spite of the pain, perceived or otherwise, involved in its creation, we must invest the time and effort to come up with a formal business plan. It is not as hard as you think, there are plenty of good books on the subject and some really great software packages, such as Business Plan Pro, for example.

So what are the most common errors people face when writing a business plan? Apart from the obvious - procrastination - you should always make sure that you include the necessary items. Make sure that you do devote time to creating the plan and don’t use any excuses, such as your busy schedule. You must look at the bigger picture, which includes the need to craft a formal projection of where you want to go.

When constructing your business plan, think in terms of cash rather than profits. Even though you may come up with a projection which you like – income being greater than expenses – you must understand cash flow. A profit and loss statement should be almost secondary to your cash flow statement, as you must ensure that you have enough cash in hand on a day-by-day basis to even survive.

Don’t focus too much on your grand idea, but make sure that you have all the fundamentals covered. A bold idea is hard to sell, so you need to stress that you have the available time, common sense and business smarts to succeed. If you are looking for investors, they will be more interested in you and/or your people, rather than the idea.

When you’re compiling a business plan, leave out the hype. Do not use any colorful language or preconceived notions. People who will be looking at your business plan will want to see hard, solid facts, backed up by very reasonable assumptions. Milestones must be set, tasks established and sound logic applied to your reasoning.

Remember that you must focus and not come up with an unachievable list of too many priorities. Your strategies are very important and you will only be kidding yourself if you try and cast your net too wide.

It’s an obvious goal to project growth, make sure that it is realistic and that any growth spurts are tied and referenced to understandable and realistic events. Your projections must be conservative at all times and you must be able to defend them.

Always make sure that you are not living in a bubble and that you are thoroughly aware of your business competition. If your business plan is too inwardly focused, you run the risk of ignoring other companies in your marketplace at your peril.

Don’t base your business plan and your very success on one mega-deal. This is known colloquially as putting “all your eggs in one basket” and should you, or your clients drop this basket, you will be doomed!

Remember, this does not have to be rocket science. A business plan is based, first and foremost, on common sense. You must, deep down within yourself, believe in all the assertions and assumptions that you’re making. Take time to sit down in a quiet room and really think it all through, before committing to paper. Solid preparation now puts you in good stead for the future.

Share your experiences on writing a business plan.

Adam Toren

Hi Everyone, Adam Toren here with another poll update!

In this poll, we are  putting together an amazing list of entrepreneurial tools and gadgets which make our busy lives so much easier. By the end of the poll we should have gathered an excellent list - so add your entry now! It’s just a click away and your entry goes live on Twitter.

We are asking…

Word-of-mouth is certainly the best form of marketing available. In a recent study by the authority site emarketer.com, it was shown that fully 53% of online traffic comes from word-of-mouth – recommendations and referrals made by others.

The growth of the Internet has certainly enhanced the potential for positive results from word-of-mouth referrals. News used to take a lot longer to spread when the telephone was the most effective means of communication. News can now travel at lightning speeds through the many forms of e-mail, instant messaging, SMS text messaging and the Web 2.0 children – Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, etc.

Nowadays, in Internet marketing terms, it is relatively easy to prompt people for a recommendation. “Tell a friend” scripts are easy to promote and these messages stand a great chance of reaching their proposed recipients, due to the fact that they are coming from a trusted friend or acquaintance. Recognizable e-mail addresses normally sail past those pesky spam filters.

There are many ways to generate valuable online publicity through the use of press release services. You should have a clear strategy, defined and regular, and strive to incorporate different tactics. A series of written press releases should aim to show your product or service as relevant and “hot”. Create a buzz around your product. Inject some controversy and color and always aim to establish yourself as a credible expert in your niche.

One of the beauties of the Internet as we know it today is its ability to provide viral exposure. Whilst aiming to brand yourself as the credible expert, consider giving something of value away for free. Make sure that you research this well, however, so that your intended audience feels that you truly are giving away something of value and that this is not just your opinion!

Find out what value and what kind of information your target audience is looking for. Are they looking for inspiration, or simply a lighthearted message of some kind? Use the many Internet distribution channels to provide something of perceived value at little or no cost. Never employ the hard sell – but do make sure that you include subtle links so that interested people can find you.
In all your Internet Marketing Initiatives, aim for viral exposure and attract valuable word-of-mouth recommendations.

What do you think of Tell a Friend forms? Do you use this method of referrals?

Matthew Toren