[inle]

Hi fellow entreprenuers & businessmen..

Most of us are CONSTANTLY concerned about Reaching, Retaining & Regenerating customers to provide value for profits in running businesses..
At the same time, we are often stuck with brainstorming on ideas sometimes..

I hope that we can share some quick tips on Marketing to open new avenues to explore in capturing Mind/Market/Wallet Share of our customers..
Hopefully this thread can offer these insights to help us in our adventures..

Lets start sharing now..

PS:
The tips that are shared here by the contributors might and might not work for all type of businesses in varying situations & environments..
It is best to look at your overall business & marketing strategies to decide what applies and how they work for your desired outcomes..
Take caution of constant fire-fighting techniques in a directionless direction..

[inle]

Let me start the ball ROLLING..

Always DEFINE your customers..
Surely most of our businesses serve EVERYBODY and EVERYBODY can become our customers..
In the same instance, we will always have a typical customer in mind that our offerings are providing solutions & adding values to..

Things to ponder about defining our typical customers:
What's the gender?
What's the cultural, social, economical background?
What's he/she likes to hang around, talk about, enjoy doing etc?
What's his/her challenges and concerns that are related to our products/services?

The list goes on..
The more we know, define and understand them, the more we are able to add value to them..

[inle]

Second ball rolling..

One of the most common mistakes marketeers, ad designers, business people make when they do up an advertising copy is being "Too Clever"..
They try to impress people with their wits and humour, rather than getting the simple sales message across..

These "clever" ads are not made to win sales but to win design and advertising awards..
They are often selected for being the funniest, the biggest, the brightest & the most out-of-this world concept..
Never on the sales results..

When we want people to buy what we sell, go direct, fast and simple, and offer values and benefits that answer directly to their concerns..
It's not to make them laugh or having them to think how creative and smart we are..
It is ALL about getting people to read, understand and take action immediately..

ps... i hope we have more people sharing....

[businessman413]

Here's a quick marketing tip. If you do not yet have credibility, like most of us here do not. Then use other people's credibility- Get authority sites/people to start recommending you.

[inle]

What will motivate them to recommend you, especially when they are the authority & you are a nobody?

[inle]

Here' one..

In the world of accounting, marketing is an expense..
In the world of good marketeers, marketing is an investment..

Imagine we launched a $1 000 campaign and it returned us $2 000 profit within a month, is that campaign an expense or an investment?

If we run the same campaign many times, wouldn't it generate more sales for us?
Think $1 000 returns $2 000..
Logically, $10 000 will returns...yes, $20 000..

And this campaign never costs us anything as it always make us money..
Sounds like investment to me..

Marketing is ONLY an expense when done INCORRECTLY..
And that's usually the challenges of most business owners..

[pkeetch]

Originally Posted by businessman413

Then use other people's credibility

A great way to use other people's authority WITHOUT them having to recommend you directly is to use something they've said as proof or backup to a claim you are making.

For example, I firmly believe that a strong marketing plan and awareness of how to market effective is a critical factor to building a successful business - without it, you will almost surely fail.

To back up this claim, I can mention that Tony Robbins recently called marketing the "master skill" and that Peter Drucker, the famous business advisor, said there are only two functions in business - innovation and marketing.

This supports my claim using known names with a reputation, without me having to get their direct endorsement.

- Paul

[pkeetch]

A marketing tip that I recommend every business use is taking a direct-response approach to all marketing & advertising efforts. Everything you do should have a measurable call-to-action so that you can tell whether or not it is working.

Clip coupons, click here, call this number, mention this ad, visit site xyz.com are all ways that you can make a direct call-to-action in your ads.

Plus, response rates will improve if your message is targeted to the correct audience - most of your competitors are not asking them to take an action!

- Paul