Category Archives: How To

Quick and easy descriptions of how to do marketing things.

How To

15 Practical Tips for Marketing a Business Blog

Just because you build a blog and write good content, doesn’t mean it will become an overnight success.  Like anything worth doing, blogs also need some nurturing and support.  After working with a number of blogs (personal, corporate, and for clients) I’ve assembled a list of blog marketing and optimization tips:

  1. Setup a Google account for Sitemap and statistics for tracking – Google Analytics.
  2. Identify authoritative blogs, web sites and hubs for outbound resource links and blogroll.
  3. Submit RSS feed and Blog URL to prominent RSS and Blog directories / search engines.
  4. Engage in an ongoing link building campaign.
  5. If podcast or video content are available, submit to Podcast and Vlog directories.
  6. Optimize and distribute a press release announcing blog.
  7. Request feedback or reviews of your blog in relevant forums, discussion threads. If you have a resourceful post that will help others, point to it.
  8. Research and comment on relevant industry related blogs and blogs with significant centers of influence.
  9. Post regularly. If it’s a news oriented blog, 3-5 times per day. If it’s an authoritative blog, 3-5 times per week, but each post must be unique and high value.
  10. Monitor inbound links, traffic, comments and mentions of your blog – Google Alerts, Technorati, Blogpulse, Yahoo News, Ask Blogs and Feeds.
  11. Always respond to comments on your blog and when you detect a mention of your blog on another blog, thank that blogger in the comments of the post.
  12. Make contact with related bloggers on AND offline if possible.  If there are other blogs in your industry, ask around and see if they’d allow you to guest post for them. In return, you’d get a link back to your blog in your profile, or post, on their site.
  13. When making blog posts always cite the source with a link and don’t be afraid to mention popular bloggers by name. Use keywords in the blog post title, in the body of the post and use anchor text when you link to previous posts you’ve made.
  14. Print your blog address everywhere you print your phone number.
  15. Give Away – If it’s a product blog, run a promotion on the blog giving away one of your products. Sometimes the value that can come out of giving something away can be more beneficial than all the items above.

Have a few more?  Please add them below.

How To

Faulty Customer Assumptions

I was reading through some old seminar notes of mine today.  Back in 2005 I did a presentation about the need for marketers to embrace technology and use it to make customer’s lives easier.  Although the graphics in the presentation are old by today’s standards, the message was not.

Here’s a brief recap of six faulty customer assumptions that can trap a business:

  • They know about you
  • They inherently care
  • They will tolerate complexity
  • They will do as you wish/conform to your needs
  • They just want a complete list of what you offer (let them figure out which feature or benefit they need)
  • They are predisposed to your brand = loyal

Is your business customer friendly or are you guilty of some of the assumptions above?

How To

Text Message Campaign Ideas

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Although text messaging campaigns for businesses may seem like the hottest new thing, I’ve been creating campaigns for almost 4 years now (wow time flies).  In that time, I’ve been lucky to be a part of some very successful promotions.  From giveaways to contests to interactive surveys. So, I thought in this post I would share some of my favorite (and more successful) promotion ideas:

Alerts, Offers, Contests and Coupons

Sending  a special offer text message is a great way to fill unsold or slow time slots. Then, keep customers coming back using follow up texts, plus increase sales in off-times. Send text alerts with special promotions or digital coupons to customers who have opted-in to receive them.  The software  can even pick a selected number of winners for a contest or sweepstakes.

Sports/Events Trivia Sweepstakes

Ask text message trivia questions for recipients to win prizes.  Just promote your keyword in your other advertising or even at live events.

Text for Lodging Deals

Offer customers upon arrival three days of special text offers.  Use this special feature to help cross sell different profit centers at your resort or other business for food service, spas, rentals, and more.

Text In Food & Beverage Orders

Make it fast and easy for customer’s to eat and drink.  Promote your keyword for people to text food and beverage orders from their seat or table, for delivery or pick-up.

Ok, so you might be ready to move past the basics.  If so, these advanced options might be something for you to consider.

Mobile Video

Develop mobile video teasers, trailers, viral video and more. Don’t forget to deliver video sized for users’ phones.

Mobile Images & Wallpaper

Offer your customers the added value of free wallpaper with your branded content and logo. Keep your imagery appropriate for your target audience.

Mobile Ringtones

Likewise, offer your customers added value of free ringtones, audio quotes from company spokesperson, radio DJs and more.

What about you?  Do you have mobile, text message, or SMS campaigns that worked for you that you would like to share?  Please do.  Or, if something here caught your eye and you would like to learn more, just let me know.

How To

How much to budget for Interactive Media?

It’s not unusual that I have clients ask me, “should I have a specific category for interactive media such as email newsletters, blogs, text messaging, pay-per-click advertising, social media, and other web  marketing channels in my budget?” Yes, is always my answer.

Then the next question is usually, “how much?” Between 5%-10% of your overall budget and up to 50% of your marketing budget depending on your type of business and your goals.

Quite a few people will get very wide eyes when I throw out those numbers. Many times they think I’m kidding. Rarely am I.

You see over the past ten years there had been a huge shift in how people buy and the most effective ways to market. New technology and the web have played a huge role in this. So, doesn’t it make sense that it should affect a company’s budget and tactics? I know so.

I agree with Seth Godin. Advertising is dead. Very little of it works. Only targeted marketing to people who might actually buy works. That’s why the web is such a perfect medium for this. A website “pulls” interested people to it. Unlike a TV commercial that usually “sends” people “away” to another channel or the bathroom.

So, the next time you are looking over your budget, give it a good hard look. If there’s not a “web” category or a significant portion of dollars going into your website, SEO, online promotions, viral marketing, or other forms of interactive marketing, I’d think hard before putting it into action.

How To

Are you a 2.0 Marketer?

Do you Brand Your Brand?
Creating a brand experience has moved to the top of today’s marketers’ priority lists. The American Institute of Graphic Design defines brand as “a person’s perception of a product, service, or company.” That definition has nothing to do with your mission statement, logo or tag line, or the design of your website. Instead, a brand is defined by the perception, good or bad, that your customers or prospects have about you and your business.
Your brand experience is made up of the cumulative impressions your current and potential customers take from their visual and verbal encounters with your business and staff. Some experiences are controlled, such as your office environment, how you answer the phone, your advertising, the services you deliver and your Web site. An uncontrolled – but just as important – experience is the word-of-mouth about your business. Strong brands come from consistently delivering a consistent experience. Savvy marketers will look at every impression in the context of and their overall brand experience.
In the new 2.0 world, marketing is less about what you say and more about what your prospect actually hears. It has become essential that you learn the needs and aspirations of your customers and provide value through each communication.
Most inexperienced marketers are unsure of their competitive difference and place a lot of attention on features instead of benefits. So what’s the difference? Features talk about your business and the services you deliver. They talk about the details, such products, services, hours, etc. Most people don’t care about features. Benefits tell customers what results they can expect from buying from you. They explain how customers will feel and about the time and money they’ll save from you compared to your competitors. For your marketing to be effective, you must be sure that every message you craft and send is benefits-focused.
Do You Effectively Get the Word Out?
Once you have established your message, you need to get the word out. The following marketing channels should be used to get people talking about your business and the services you provide:
Mobile: President Obama’s election campaign was one of the most talked about in history, not only because of the barriers it broke down in terms of race, but also because of the innovative ways in which it engaged with the electorate. In many ways, it was a turning point for mobile messaging, employing the most coordinated text-messaging, get-out-the-vote campaign in U.S. history. Mobile marketing delivers highly personalized and useful information when and where it is needed. More than 90 percent of text messages are read by the recipient, which creates the opportunity for an instant link between you and your customers.
Social Media: Not just for kids any more, 35 percent of adult Internet users now have a profile on at least one social networking site. Wise marketers will capitalize on the growing appeal of social networks like MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook. According to USA Today, social networking grew 93 percent from 2006 to 2008. During that time, Facebook grew 500 percent.
The key term here is networking; give and take. Social networking success stories have one thing in common: they’re all about the ping-pong effect. It’s you sharing information about yourself and your business with dozens, and then perhaps hundreds, of potential customers. In turn, those people mention you to their friends. Like all worthwhile business relationships, online networks must be nurtured. Make the effort to do so, and you will reap the rewards over time.

Video: How we communicate has changed. With the Web evolving to also include richer media channels, the savvy marketer must learn how to listen, understand and use the same media. Broadband penetration is 70 percent in the U.S., making streaming video a “must” marketing tool for your business. According to eMarketer, an estimated 154 million Americans watched at least one video in 2008, and three-quarters of those told a friend about one.  Video provides you with an enormous opportunity to engage, educate and entertain your customers – the “Three E’s” of successful marketing.
Gaming: Gaming now permeates just about all of society, creating a fresh way to connect with customers. Millions of non-skiers are hitting the virtual trails in Nintendo’s Wii and playing guitar in virtual rock bands on PlayStations. Senior-citizen centers are buying Wii to entertain guests and connect with grandkids. Having fun in the workplace seems like an oxymoron. However, having fun at your business is not only good for team-building, but also makes for more productivity. People learn best by doing, and the opportunity for group interaction provided by gaming’s virtual environment can make the office a bit more enjoyable. It can also be used to show appreciation for work well-done. Work doesn’t have to be one big party, but a little bit can make the work day go more smoothly.
Take Action
The successful 2.0 marketer not only will craft a targeted message, but will also keep customers happy by finding out the best ways to engage them.  Now is not the time to take a “wait and see” attitude.  With the marketing trends moving at lightening speed, 2.0 marketers should work at being early adopters and finding the right marketing mix to take them into marketing 3.0.

How To

The Secret Rufo Wedding Soup Recipe

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Although this is a business oriented blog, I did get a request for our family’s Wedding Soup recipe.  This recently came up as the best way I could think of to get rid of a cold or flu.  Which of course, the faster you can get better, the better it will be for your business!

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Dear Reader,

As far as we know this is also the first time the “official” Rufo Wedding Soup recipe has been put to paper.  This recipe was acquired through watching the Rufo women cook the recipe.  It was handed down by word-of-mouth and never committed to paper until now.  We encourage you to read through steps, whether you ever decide to make the soup or not.  We of course included our own commentary…

We hope you enjoy the soup.  Traditionally, it was made for special occasions or people.

The Jim & Samantha Rufo Wedding Soup, Secret Recipe

Soup Ingredients
1 weekend

6-8 chicken breasts, with bones and skin

2 cups celery, chopped

2 cups carrots, peeled & chopped

7-8 good sized bunches of escarole

1 large yellow onion, whole

1 cup uncooked Acine di Pepe pasta (very tiny)

Meatball ingredients

1 pound of ground chuck

1 pound of ground pork

1 pound of ground veal

9 unpeeled garlic cloves

¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese (Please no green cans!  Only fresh stuff for this recipe)

27 saltine crackers, crushed fine

1 ½ Heaping tsp of salt

¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper

¾ tsp dried oregano (Preferably from your garden)

1 ½ tsp dried basil

3 Tbl chopped fresh parsley or ¾ tsp dried

¾ cup water

3 eggs

3 tsp tomato paste

Lots of Love*

Cookware

Cheesecloth

2 Large Soup pots

2 baking sheets

3 large mixing bowls

2 small mixing bowls

1 slotted spoon

Large colander

Measuring cup & spoons

Storage containers

Tip: Make the meatballs prior to the soup.  This is one of the more time consuming steps.

Step 1.

A) Heat a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the unpeeled garlic and toast for approximately 5 minutes or until the skins have brown spots.

In the meanwhile start the next step.

B) Measure out all the meatball ingredients for easier assemblage.  After you get the crackers together, and measure out the spices, the garlic should be ready to remove from the stove.  Take the garlic off the heat, peel, mince, and set aside.

At this point, some people might question the use of crackers in the meatballs.  All must realize that this recipe has evolved from several years of serious study and reflection both at home and abroad.  Jim has even roughed up a few Italian grandmothers for their secrets.  Our goal of the foolproof meatball, that was tender but wonderful, only came about through this recipe.  Why do you ask?

  • Why three different ground meats? No single meat can do it alone. All beef meatballs will be dark, coarse & chewy. Pork or veal alone will lack flavor. With the mix, beef provides the meatiness and chew, pork the flavor and texture, veal for tenderness.
  • Why crackers instead of bread? The higher the ration of bread, the blander and mushier the meatball. But, no bread, equals a course meatball. We’ve tried all kinds of breads. We’ve added milk to make the bread softer. We’ve dried bread for bread crumbs. But nothing seams to work to bring out the full flavor as Saltine crackers.
  • Why water? No other liquid- milk, beef or chicken broth, wine, etc. lets the true taste come through.
  • Why roast the garlic? Unless you are having a vampire problem or want to taste garlic for days, you do not want to use raw garlic.
  • Do I need to follow the recipe and the steps exactly? Yes, trust us. There is no other way. If you change it, then we are not responsible for the resulting flavor. And may result in the meatball police at your doorstep.

C) Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, cheese, garlic, and spices.  Mix gently with your fingers.  Make sure there are no clumps of garlic. Set aside.

D) In another large bowl, combine the three meats.  Using your hands works the best.  At this stage two people work well together.  One to get their hands dirty and the other to add the ingredients.

E) Now add the crumb mixture to the meat mixture.  It will be a bit dry, but keep mixing until the ingredients are combined.

F) In a small bowl, whisk the eggs.  Add the water a little bit at a time, while you are whisking the eggs.  After they are combined, add the tomato paste and whisk until smooth.  Add to the meat mixture.  It will seem like too much liquid.  Don’t worry, it’s not!  Continue mixing until the liquid is absorbed and voila, you have meatball mix.

G) Take 2 cookie sheets and spray them with a non-stick cooking spray.  Place the meatball mixture on the sheets and spread until smooth.  The height should be approximately ¼ – ½ inch.  Place in the oven for approximately 10-12 minutes.  They will be done cooking when they are no longer pink.  Pour off any grease.  Grab a spatula and start cutting narrow even lines up and across the sheets.  You are cutting the small “square” meatballs.  They should cut without crumbling.  We recommend doing this while they are still hot and easy to maneuver.  After you are done, move the meatballs to another dish and refrigerate.  They are now ready to be added to the soup, somewhere down the line.

Step 2.

A) Find a large, 4-5 gallon pot.  Prepare the carrots and celery.  Peel the onion.

B) Wash & pat dry the chicken.  Place in the pot and pour water over to cover.  Now, head back to the sink and rinse out one final time.  Fill the pot ¾ full with water and place on the stove over high heat, bring to a boil.  For flavor, the chicken breasts must have their bones and skin.  As the chicken boils, skim the froth that rises to the top.  This will take 15-20 minutes to remove all this froth.  Be patient and wear comfy shoes.

C) After all the froth has been removed; add the celery, carrots, and onion.  As the soup is cooking you will add salt & pepper numerous times.  This is the first.  Add about a ¼ cup of salt and generous grindings of pepper.  Cover and place on low heat for 1 ½ hours.

No you are not done yet.  If you need to take a break, no more than 10 minutes.  If you have not already started, grab a bottle of wine and start drinking, it helps you to forget how long this process takes.  Just remember, the finished product will be worth it.

Step 3.

A) Escarole, it’s your friend.  You and your friend are now ready for the next adventure.  Place the escarole in the sink.  Cover with water and soak to remove any grit.  Drain and break pieces into smaller sections.

B) Grab your other large soup pot and fill ¾ full with water.  Place on high heat and bring to a boil.  Fill pot with escarole.  You may still notice quite a bit left over on your counter.  As we mentioned, this might take awhile.  You will not be able to put all the escarole in at once.  Instead, it will take numerous pots.  Please note, use the same water. Hey, at least there’s one step you can cheat on!  Parboil escarole until it turns darker in color.  Drain and set aside.  Toss the water, not the escarole.

Now take some time to be confused as to how 8 bunches of escarole can shrivel to the size of a tennis ball.

Step 4.  The Final Phase, (Hopefully you are still with us)

A) Remove the meatballs from the refrigerator.  Let them come to room temperature.  Time to remove the chicken from its bath.  The broth is the foundation for the soup, do not discard or remove from the stove.

B) Remove the bones and skin from the chicken.  Set the bones aside, do not discard.  Break apart the breast meat with your hands into small, bite sized pieces.  Return meat to pot.  Place the bones in a section of cheesecloth.  Tie the cheesecloth tightly and place in the pot.  This is added for flavor, but must be removed after cooking.

C) Add the cooked escarole and the meatballs to the soup pot.  Cover and place on medium-low heat, for 2 ½ hours.  Add ¼ cup salt & several groundings of pepper.  The soup should simmer but not boil.  Stir occasionally.

D) 30 minutes before the soup is done cooking, add the uncooked pasta. Salt & pepper again to taste.

E) After the soup cools down, ladle into storage containers.

Tip: The longer the soup sits, the better the flavor.  So, yes, after all this work, you can’t even eat it right away.

THE END

How To

The One-Minute Marketing Makeover

There can be big gains from small tweaks to your marketing plan.

Marketing the Easy Way

If you are looking for a way to make your marketing more effective, read this.

10 Most Common Marketing Mistakes We See

1. The business name doesn’t communicate anything about what the company does.
2. The business is not marketing to the right people (the ones that would buy from them).
3. The business models what they do after their competitors, instead of finding their own unique voice.
4. The business puts too much information in their marketing (that no one will read).
5. The business has wrong information in their marketing materials.
6. The employees can’t explain what they do in a clear, concise, compelling manner.
7. The logo is not professional looking or there is no clear-cut standard as to how it is used (blue on some materials and green on others).
8. The marketing materials do not look like they come from the same company (mish-mash of looks) and there is no clear message or call to action.
9. The website is not effectively capturing leads.
10. There is no marketing plan or if there is one, it is not followed.

Is it possible you are making some of these very common mistakes, too?

There is an easy fix. The One-Minute Marketing Makeover template is a great way to start.  Of course, to get the best ROI, we recommend a full marketing audit (see other templates on myMarketingGuide.com) or time with a Marketing Specialist to work with you to create a blueprint for your marketing.

Marketing Audits

There are two types of marketing plan audits.  The first is the comprehensive which should occur at least one a year and then there are the One-Minute Marketing “mini” audits which should happen at minimum every quarter.

We developed the “mini” audit for clients that were looking for a simple way to check the effectiveness of their marketing plans and budgets.  The “mini” marketing audit is stripped down to the bare essentials and the goal is to create a task list which can be done quickly and easily and yield results right away.

How does it work?  Just like 1-2-3:
1.    You answer 10 questions in about a minute.
2.    The questions guide you in creating a Mini Marketing Audit Answers and Task List
3.    You put your list to work.  Hand it to everyone on your team.

In many cases you could implement your plan in a day to a week, depending on the complexity and availability of the resources you need.  The “mini” audit approach is effective since a small amount of work often has tremendous results and help sell through the bigger, more complex ideas like new product launches, re-doing a website, etc, down the road.

For more information about a Marketing Audit for your business, give me a call at 888-215-0820 or use the Contact Us link on this site.

How To

10 Tips to being Successful in Social Media

Social media is so new and ever changing it is hard to find one definitive definition for it.  My definition is an uncensored conversation in as few words as possible, in as little time as possible, to as many people as possible on a worldwide stage.  That includes blogs, wikis, social-networking sites and other online communities, and virtual worlds.  According to Alexa.com the top social networking sites in the U.S. are (in ranking order): Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, Craigslist, Blogger, Photobucket, Flickr, LinkedIn, Tagged, Ning, Twitter, and Yelp.

Here’s ten tips to using social media effectively:

1. Keep content current. Do updates frequently to stay credible and to keep people coming back for more.  Mix up what you post.  Keep the content helpful, fun, and informative.

2. Pick and choose the best for you. You do not have to be all places.  Pick the networks that are right for you.  Determine your demographics first.  Then target the networks that fulfill your objectives and where you will have the most impact.  Remember to be engaging!

3. Just do it. Try out a social site personally first.  Watch for about 30 days to get a feel for how people interact.  Once you get a good handle on how it works, and then create a company profile page.

4. Embrace conversation. Don’t just feed information about your business.  Remember, this is an opportunity to talk, interact and create advocates from your customers.

5. A picture speaks louder than words. Content is important but don’t forget the visuals such as photos and videos.

6. Be friendly. Create advocates.  After you join a network, make sure to connect with other businesses like yours, industry people, and major brands that partner with you and others in the industry.  The more people you connect with, the more they can spread your messages.

7. Give people a reason to participate.   Social networking is an incredible outlet for grass roots marketing within this high tech culture.  Create reasons for people to talk back, enter a contest, or simply participate  in a discussion.

8. Resist the temptation to sell, sell, sell. When people are invited to participate in online communities, they expect resorts to listen and consider their ideas.  They don’t want to feel like they’re simply a captive audience for advertising.  If they do, they’re likely to leave and not come back.

9. Jump on the bandwagon now, and remain in the conversation for the long haul. The sooner you act, the more leeway you will have with experimentation.  You’ll also be a significant step ahead of your competitors (unless they get there before you).

10. Oh the humanity. Get creative and try to let the conversation flow freely. The more accessible you are to your customers than your competitors, the more likely it is that you’re going to be a part of your customers’ lives.  So, as a brand, this is your opportunity to humanize your company and be part of your customers’ life experiences and their personal networks, from which they draw so much. You can be part of a positive association in the good times. And, in the bad, you may have the support of your friends and followers when you need it.