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Jennifer's Small Business Marketing Blog

« December 2005 | Here you'll find archives on strategic internet marketing, branding, copywriting and other important small business marketing issues. Want the latest posts? Try the main page or contact me with your comments or questions.

The Magic Question

Ever read an article and think, "My sentiments exactly"? This happened to me a moment ago.

As I sat sorting through the dozens and dozens of my e-mails from the past couple of weeks that I didn't get to during the Thanksgiving holiday, I came across an article by Paul Lawrence that focused on a philosophy I have espoused in my life for a long time -- and it might be of help to you.

Whether you're aware of it or not, fear likely dictates a large number of your actions, day in and day out, both in your business and in your personal life. It might be fear of failure, fear of being unable to provide for your family, fear of success, you name it. We all face these fears on a regular basis.

Lawrence talks about the power of the Magic Question, however, as a way of coping with his own fears ... and since it is *exactly* what I ask myself when I face a new challenge, I wanted to share this Magic Question with you too.

Before I mention the question itself, consider this: Most solutions to your huge problems are not earth-shattering. They are not mind-blowing, over-the-top changes that you must make to achieve your goals. You just have to follow the common-sense advice and put it into action.

So what's the Magic Question, you ask? "What's the worst that could happen?"

When you are in a situation that brings out your fears and insecurities, simply ask yourself what the absolute worst thing is that could happen to you if everything went wrong.

For instance, I am about to launch a new course on how to brand your small business, and although I have already had a number of clients express interest in the course, of course there is always the possibility that no one will buy it, everyone will laugh me out of town and my business will fail to grow at the rate that I have planned. But none of that is likely to happen, and allowing my fears to rule my actions would be silly.

The same goes for you: What's the worst that could happen if you took a calculated risk?

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 in Branding, Internet Marketing, Marketing, Rants & Raves ::
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Don't take for "granite" that your sales copy works!

If you got the joke in the title, you'll feel my pain about a prominent line in an e-mail promotion that I received this morning. A well-meaning marketer wanted to suggest that we take something for granted, but wrote, well, that we take things for "granite" instead. Ouch!

And don't even get me started on the difference between "its" and "it's" ...

Folks, take my word for this -- if you make nasty errors like these in your own sales copy, you are losing sales left and right because people aren't taking you seriously. For the price of a good copyeditor to review your copy, you will gain a tremendous amount of respect and business from your prospects. It's so easy to hire an editor that I personally take it for granite, oops, granted in my own business. You should too.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 in Copywriting ::
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Small business marketing success ... or bust!

After yesterday's painful database dilemma here on the blog, it was hard to work up the energy to post something new and helpful about small business marketing for you, my valued readers.

What if I spend a lot of time on a new post, only to find that the database problem -- which is supposed to be fixed now -- comes back, deleting the small business marketing tip I had planned to enter?

What if the subject I choose isn't as helpful to my readers as I hope for it to be?

What if ... Forget it, this "what if" business could go on all day.

I generally think of marketing of any kind as a calculated risk. Going in to literally any project, you know that some of your promotions won't reach their target, some won't be taken seriously by the folks you're trying to reach and you will get a few negative responses to anything you do.

I talked myself out of my little blogging "pity party" by reminding myself that I chose a profession that relies on rejection to gain knowledge. :) And sometimes bad things happen, like blogs dying, mailings not getting sent on time, printers botching print jobs, etc.

It's a rough road to travel sometimes, but then, running your own small business is always tough, and marketing that small business is just a part of it (a big part of it, but still ...).

In your own business, you may get discouraged by exactly the same frustrations that I named above -- fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of something going wrong that you can't plan for. But the fact is that for every small business marketing campaign that goes awry, you have the amazing opportunity to learn something new.

In what other part of your life could you take rejection as a positive? If I send out an e-mail campaign that gets a lower response than I originally expect, there's a good reason for it, and one that I may not have considered in advance. If you run a special that your prospects don't respond to, well, you now have a "control" by which to judge the performance of future campaign.

And yes, sadly, sometimes lousy stuff happens, like my blog dying right before my very eyes. Even sadder, a wildly expensive set of brochures (due to the vast quantity, not the cost per brochure) that I once developed for a huge client turned up in the back of a storage facility months after the initial launch, ruined due to poor climate control and carelessness on the part of another vendor.

And yet the beat goes on. Even when there are setbacks, we must move forward.

Sorry to get so philosophical today, folks, but I thought my initial sad sentiments might resonate with some of you who've had a bad time at some point with your own small business marketing. I always try to see the positive, however, and I know from experience that if you apply knowledge gained from lousy experiences into your next small business marketing campaign, more likely than not, you'll see greater success the next go-round. Chin up! I'll do the same.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Thursday, November 17, 2005 in Marketing, Rants & Raves ::
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Blog back on track

If you've been to this page in the past few weeks, you'll notice that I have been neglecting this blog, only posting every now and again. Today when I fired up my blog program and was ready to get started with my first post since this long break, I encountered a severe database error that wiped out all of my files. Thankfully, I had the documents backed up, but all blog items had to be reposted from scratch.

As a result, all items are now in the November database, rather than dating back to May. I've also created a new category, Rants & Raves, to elaborate on, well, anything marketing-related that brings out the best or worst in me that I feel you should know for your own marketing. If you have any marketing tools or other marketing-related issues that would be relevant for this category, let me know at publisher at avenueeast dot com!

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Rants & Raves ::
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What job hunting and branding have in common

[Reposted due to database problem]

I get enough inquiries from new subscribers asking me for advice on job hunting that I decided to post about it once and for all. The key principles of job hunting are so similar to that of marketing as a whole because a job hunt is, in essence, finding a job (market) for yourself that needs what you offer and convincing your employer (prospect) to select you over all other applicants (the competition).

Some simple suggestions before you start your next job search (and notice that these principles work for small business marketing as well):

Develop a personal brand that maximizes key strengths that only you can offer your employer.

Establish a network of people throughout your industry who can help you meet others who might want to hire you. I love hiring people who are referred to me because I know more about the person than what I'm seeing on a resume and cover letter.

Get professional "marketing materials" made up. In the case of a job hunt, you need to have a professionally written resume and cover letter that tell your prospective employer exactly why YOU and only you can meet their needs. If you're not a professional writer (and most of you are not), hire a resume writing professional to help you. Just like a copywriter trained to sell with words, a good resume writer knows how to make you look good on paper.

Dress the part. You don't have to wear a $1,000 suit to look professional, but dress as nice as (or nicer than) the folks interviewing you. You only have 1 chance to make a good impression.

Look up practice questions on a job search website and think through your answers prior to entering the room with your prospective employer. The fewer surprises you allow for, the more confident you'll be.

Shake hands like a winner. Come across confidently and you're halfway there.

During the interview, turn comments about yourself into benefits you offer the company. When a company is looking to hire someone, whether we're talking about an employee or a vendor, they want to know what they have to gain. So show them!

Follow up. Dash off a quick thank-you note to your contact at the company reiterating your interest in working with him or her. If you don't hear back within a reasonable period of time, write a polite e-mail or make a quick phone call to ask about the status of the job. Don't be pushy, but show your interest.

When you look at the steps, it doesn't seem all that difficult. But many people skip one or many of the items on this list, whether for their small business marketing or in the midst of a job search. The most important lesson of all, however, is to learn from your mistakes. If you go into one interview and find that you aren't as prepared in a particular area as you should be, work on this for the next appointment.

Good luck ... in your job hunting or your small business marketing. It's all based on the same principles, after all.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Branding, Marketing ::
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Adding audio to your website revisited

[Reposted due to database problem]

In a recent issue of the Avenues to Marketing Success Newsletter, I mentioned a service for adding audio to your website to boost your conversion rate.

By now, I've spent some time trying out AudioGenerator for my own purposes. You literally pick up the phone and dial in to record your website audio, and then the program generates a line of code for you to add to your website. That's pretty much all the work involved. No complaints on my end.

After much consideration, I've decided not to go with AudioGenerator for my own websites -- not because of the quality of the service, which is excellent, nor because it is easier than the alternatives (which it is).

Flying solo

Rather, I decided that since I have an entire web server at my disposal that can handle the extra bandwidth of audio downloads, there's no need for me to add on another service that charges a monthly fee when I could do it myself.

Although I am not a techie, after many years promoting consumer electronics, I am pretty comfortable with garden-variety devices such as voice recorders and the like, so I have decided to try to make my own audio files using one of 2 options: either my digital voice recorder's USB capability or a separate mic and easy-to-use software.

I'm not going to announce my findings until I've gotten everything wrapped up and running so that you can sample it, but wanted to let you know that if you've got a high-capacity web hosting account you're not utilizing fully and a little (not a lot) software know-how, I'm pretty sure there's a better way.

For now, I recommend AudioGenerator if you're low-tech (or no-tech) or don't have a hosting account large enough to accommodate audio files, and I'll get back to you on the less-expensive, but more technical solution very soon.

More on adding audio to your website soon!

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Internet Marketing ::
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It's the thought that counts ... isn't it?

[Reposted due to database problem]

As you may know, I celebrated my birthday about a week ago while I was on the road. Early this morning I began doing the weekly email inbox clean-up session that keeps me sane and ensures that I haven't forgotten to take care of anything each week. In the midst of doing so, I came across a handful of emails from vendors I've registered with -- including my favorite local radio station here in SoCal.

The station is smart enough to know that they should pamper their loyal listeners to keep them happy and tuning in, and they sent me a ecard to wish me a happy birthday. Sounds sweet, and it's nice to receive (even if in my heart of hearts I know that it is computer-generated and not a one-on-one note from my fave DJs) ... but there's also a *wee* little problem with the card.

In it, there was a note that allows me to accrue additional points (they have a customer loyalty program in place in which you trade points for goodies like CDs and concert tickets) just by going to their website and typing in a specific phrase. The problem? They didn't include their URL, and it's been a long while since I've been to their site, so it's no longer anywhere to be found in my recently used URLs file in Internet Explorer.

Secondly, the number of free points gives me essentially nothing. I'd have to have 15 times the amount given away in the ecard to even begin to be able to get anything at all.

So I've got a present that I'd have to do work for just to be able to someday possibly accrue enough points to get that Milli Vanilli CD I've been saving up for since the mid-80s ... if, that is, I can ever find the radio station's website when the time comes.

Folks, if you want to do something nice for your clients, make sure that:

a) it requires no work on their part to enjoy

b) it actually provides something of value to your clients

c) you include relevant contact info because your clients are not psychic and might not know how to proceed

All of the above will keep happy clients even more thrilled with you and your business.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Internet Marketing, Marketing ::
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Making marketing fun

[Reposted due to database problem]

A good friend came to me recently, pretty much begging me for help with her marketing. "Marketing makes me miserable," she said, "and I'm no good at it."

I'm the opposite -- I find marketing thrilling about 99.9% of the time, mainly because I am genuinely curious about the people I work with and help with their small business marketing issues. When I tried to get to the bottom of my friend's frustration, it turned out that she'd always thought that going into business would be about what she wanted to do, not what other people needed from her. For her, marketing is a vicious tug-of-war, and she's the one who ends up with her face in the mud, making less profit than she wants and staying frustrated about her fruitless efforts.

I encouraged her to contact a couple clients whom she really likes -- and ask them to let her know what they're looking for in a vendor. That info, combined with her own likes and dislikes, will guide her to a better business plan -- and she'll likely see the marketing results in short order.

When you do your homework about your prospects, it doesn't have to be a lousy experience to market yourself and your small business. In fact, it's almost a guarantee that you'll see success. And every time I make a little extra cash, it makes me smile. You don't have to suffer through your marketing -- just find the right balance.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Marketing ::
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Branding and the Supreme Court

[Reposted due to database problem]

I'm not one to combine politics and business, but it occurred to me when I saw the early morning news today that there's a serious connection between branding and the Supreme Court Justice nominee process that's going on here in the U.S.

Bush's latest nominee, Harriet Miers, is apparently a workaholic dedicated to her job. Regardless of your politics, that in and of itself isn't a problem (though I prefer to work fewer than 17 hours a day, thank you very much, unlike Ms. Miers). But she isn't flashy. Doesn't call attention to herself and her accomplishments, either on the job or in the church in which she is active. No one knows who she is, what she does and why she may or may not be good at doing it.

That's fine and good if you don't want to achieve a high level of success -- in your career or your small business. If you want to succeed, however, you need to create a solid brand for yourself and/or your small business.

We like to tell ourselves that we should be able to remain true to ourselves and get noticed in our own right without our having to work at it. With all due respect, however, if you believe that, there's a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you ...

People are busy. Their lives are crazy. These people -- your prospects -- have more distractions today than they've ever had in the history of time. Cell phones. PDAs. Just logging onto the Internet provides more distractions than you would have had in an entire day 20 years ago.

You need to shake things up, figure out what's special about yourself and your small business and then go out and spread the word! What are you waiting for? If you're up for Supreme Court Justice someday, wouldn't you want people at least to have some clue who you are? That's what High-Concept Branding is all about. And in a shameless plug, my forthcoming branding book will launch in just weeks. So stay tuned for more info.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Branding, Marketing ::
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Persistence really does pay off

Don't give up on prospects who haven't responded to your initial inquiries. It takes 7 or more contacts to get your brand firmly planted in your prospects' brains as a solution to their problems.

If you give up too quickly, you could very well miss out on a major opportunity.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Marketing ::
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Something money can't buy: good customer service

[Reposted due to database problem]

I'm sure we've all been in situations where a vendor of some sort has let us down because of their customer service.

Avenue East is in the midst of one such situation at the moment. A vendor we rely on seemed to be a great choice prior to purchase -- committed to customer service, recommended by many top businesses in our field and used widely in our industry. Their product appeared highly functional and trustworthy and yet since starting a (thankfully) short-term contract with this vendor, nothing has gone right.

In hopes of not incriminating a firm that may get it right most of the time, I will not name the company outright. But let's just say that in less than two weeks' time, we have faced 7 pretty intense problems that all required the attention of the company's support staff. In each case, we submitted our support issue and got a response fairly soon thereafter. In most cases, we received prompt, pleasant responses. So far so good.

But the nature of those responses was not so good. In more than one case, we were informed that the firm was having technical problems that, quite frankly, have hurt our business and caused us to throw a part of our marketing budget out the window. It was implied that the problem would be solved by the end of the day. The apology we received the first time seemed genuine and even elicited a phone call.

Two days later, however, the problem was still not solved. When I followed up, however, the new support team member assigned to our case made mention of the problem again, in essence telling me that they had worked out the kink in the system, but not giving me any more info than I had when I started. I furthermore deduced from this conversation and a handful of additional back-and-forths with the support team that the firm has no accountability built into their service.

In other words, if something goes wrong, they have no way of knowing whom it affected. So I couldn't even fix problems for my clients unless they contacted Avenue East directly -- a customer service nightmare, to say the least.

Even worse, the vendor was unable to solve the problem without it affecting a large group of clients at a time. Adding insult to injury, a strange glitch meant that something happened that shouldn't have. Imagine that I clicked on red, and everything but red is what popped up. Worse, the change was permanent, and the support team informed me that I must have done something wrong.

Human error is a given in any and all situations, but honestly, I just don't think so this time. I personally double-checked everything prior to confirming my choice, and what happened just didn't make sense based on my selections. The end result was very random and my selection had been systematic. Very disconcerting, to say the least.

When I mentioned, finally, in writing, that these problems were giving me serious doubts about using the vendor, I got a polite, but unhelpful answer from the support person who also happened to be the one who said that I was in the wrong. Again I was told that the problem was now solved, but my concern with their service as a whole was not addressed.

Sadly, there's even more to tell, but I think that I have shared enough business "don'ts" for the day. So I'll get on to the constructive part of this mini-rant ...

Lessons to glean from this customer service experience

1. Prompt, please customer service responses are fine, but make sure that your answers (or those of your support staff) actually show a glimmer of understanding for your clients' needs. I cannot imagine why anyone would use this firm for any reason other than the one that I do, so the problems that were caused last week should have been anticipated and acknowledged by the support staff. When your clients have problems, they need to feel like you understand them and are making every effort to correct them.

2. Admit you're in the wrong when you are in fact to blame. It's the only right thing to do.

3. Avoid causing problems to begin with. Whatever you offer -- whether it's coaching sessions, software development or real estate -- it helps to make a list of the potential problems that might arise after purchase and know how to prevent them in the first place.

4. Solve your clients' problems quickly. Accidents do happen, and no system is perfect 100% of the time, but having some method of solving problems quickly will keep your clients in your good graces much more easily.

5. Always respond to your clients' customer service concerns by addressing them outright. If clients go to the trouble of letting you know that they are considering going elsewhere for your business, it means that they are willing to give you a chance to make it up to them. Most unhappy clients will take their money and run, so responsive ones -- even clients who aren't telling you what you want to hear -- generally can teach you something.

Less than 10% of unsatisfied clients will tell you what they do or do not like about what you offer; that small handful of clients who actively correspond with you are worth keeping happy.

6. If you have caused your client major stress, do something to show that you appreciate their hanging in there. It doesn't have to be a refund or gift, but find some way of showing your concern for your clients' well-being. People like to feel like they are dealing with human beings with hearts. Prove to them that they are and that you are worth the short-term hassle.

7. Make sure that you live up to your brand promise. If your company stands for top-of-the-line service, you need to ensure that that's what your clients actually get. We have been paying a premium because we thought that we would get our money's worth with this company, and sadly that extra cash hasn't bought us the good customer service we thought we would be getting, based on their marketing and their reputation in the industry.

It's actually pretty easy to keep most clients happy -- just make good on your promises and let your clients know that you care. That's the kind of customer service that will keep people coming back to you again and again.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Marketing, Rants & Raves ::
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Beat the heat and bring in more customers

[Reposted due to database problem]

It's hot, hot, hot here in Los Angeles, and I have brought in every fan I own to beat the heat in my unair-conditioned office. In doing so, I was reminded of something my colleagues and I used to do when the heat in our Hamburg, Germany, office got unbearable (a rare treat in that usually-gray clime) that made everything seem better: ice cream!

Now, ice cream may not be your thing, but it sure was a nice surprise on a sweltering summer afternoon. And it was even nicer because it was a surprise.

Most of the time, it was a group of colleagues who chipped in to get the treats. I know I made more than 1 treat run to cheer folks up who desperately needed a break. Sometimes the company would buy enough ice cream to feed a small army and distribute it to everyone in the entire agency.

What does this have to do with your marketing? Plenty.

Many people (myself included) take it easy because there's just no motivation to do more than absolutely necessary when it's triple digits out and close to that within your own 4 walls. Your job is to find the right motivation for your prospects and clients.

I'm not advocating sending over ice cream sandwiches to your best clients, but you could easily create a summer "Beat the Heat" promotion of some sort playing on the idea of relieving your clients in peak summer months.

What other "pain" might they be feeling at the moment? Use it to your advantage and you might just see a steady rise in your bottom line.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Marketing ::
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How to keep people from talking badly about you while you're away

[Reposted due to database problem]

In case you think that the little things don't make a big difference in the way you communicate with your prospects, think again.

Here's the scenario:

A busy email list on a marketing-related topic. Lots of posts each day. Lots of helpful input each day. Lots and lots of opinionated folks on the list. Some bickering here and there, the occasional over-the-top sales pitch by a new member who quickly learns how not to make friends and the usual conversational banter as people catch up online on their fellow listmates' time.

In other words, a good, professional list that isn't too uptight, but does enough self-policing to keep the content relevant to its members.

Until disaster strikes. Not one, but two individuals on the list went on vacation and were diligent about setting up an Out-of-Office reply to let their customers know they weren't available. That doesn't sound like a big deal, right?

The problem was that every last email to the list automatically generated that Out-of-Office note from both listmates.

The quantity of useless messages would have been enough to frustrate most people, given the high traffic of the list.

But things didn't stop there.

One of the two listmates had set up a cutesy note about the "extracurricular activities" he would be participating in on his vacation that, while perhaps charming to those who know him, was unprofessional at best and had literally no relation to the list's topic.

Now, this didn't affect me personally because I don't require the services of either of the above-mentioned people, nor did I participate in the discussion about my listmates' poor email etiquette.

But a couple dozen other people did, and those messages got distributed to thousands and thousands of listmates who are potential customers, colleagues or employers. And that was just the discussion on a single list.

The moral of the story

Sometimes I think we forget that our businesses still exist while we're away from the office, whether that absence is for business or pleasure. People continue to form opinions of your business even when you're not around, and seemingly tiny things like email settings can cause you to send out negative messages to the people you need to impress most.

In this case, the list members could have easily set up their list subscriptions to go no-mail or at least chosen an option in their email software to send an Out-of-Office reply only once to each recipient. This isn't failsafe, but it's a start.

The lesson to glean from this situation has to do with far more than how you configure an email system, though. Rather, it's important to understand that even when you're not actively promoting your services, you are sending a message that has major marketing implications.

What kind of opinion do you want others to have about you? The choice is yours.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Marketing ::
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The power of a good headline

[Reposted due to database problem]

How lucky am I? In addition to getting to enjoy the fabulous 4th of July fireworks here in New York, I've also had the good fortune of seeing an excellent headline in action on a sign touting a parking garage near the Garment District:

[paraphrased] "No, there really isn't a better spot around the corner. Park here for just $XX."

If you live in a large city (or frankly, anywhere with a high-traffic, low-parking ratio), you know this scenario all too well.

"Hmmm, honey, should I park here or try around the corner? Surely there's got to be something better." You turn the corner, oh so hopeful, only to find that no, there are no spots, and in fact, you've just passed up your only shot for the next 5 city blocks. Misery (also known as endless circling with no reward) ensues.

Good headlines always speak the language of your prospects. This one in particular uses normal drivers' everyday speech to capture their attention and pull in lots of business.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Copywriting ::
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New for the sake of new? Is that marketing idea a winner?

[Reposted due to database problem]

Just posted a new article about how to determine whether that new marketing technique that's got you drooling is right or wrong for your small business marketing. Take a look at the article here if you're the "take-action" type and tend to react the second any hot new marketing opportunity heads your way.

Before it sounds like I'm throwing stones here, it's anything but the case; I've been known to want to try out new tactics the very moment I hear about them!

To make sure you don't break your business bank account, however, you've got to have a method to your new marketing idea madness.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Marketing ::
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The power of blogging: What are people saying about you online

[Reposted due to database problem]

Blogging is powerful stuff indeed.

On Steve Rubel's excellent Micro Persuasion blog, he referenced a story about some bloggers who have been posting all sorts of negative, yet very funny stuff about Kensington's new laptop lock. (Apparently, all you need to crack the lock are readily available items we all have at our fingertips -- a toilet paper roll, scissors and that ever-present, ever-ready, ever-useful stuff known as duct tape or the 8th world wonder to you DIYers out there.)

Funny as the story may be, there's a real marketing lesson here. The Kensington folks seem unaware of their faux pas, although it's plastered all over the Internet. What are your customers blogging about you online? And could this be blemishing your otherwise positive image?

A quick Google search could work wonders! And blogging on your own site to respond to such rumors might also be in order.

(And while we're talking about duct tape, for everyone still in need of a good Father's Day gift, there are quite a few books on new and exciting uses for duct tape out there. Got my dad one as a fun gift for a recent gift-giving occasion and he loved it!)

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Internet Marketing ::
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Is there a face behind that name?

[Reposted due to database problem]

In my early-morning plan-my-week surfing, I came across a marketing/computer website (yes, both at once) with decent content, but no indication of who the person is who's running the show.

A note on the homepage lets me know that the person has been watching the Internet expand and has a background in computers. (Both of which don't tell me how he or she will help me with my extremely specific computer issue, but that's another blog post entirely.)

But there's no picture of the person (whoever he or she is) on the homepage, nor is there an About Us page to give me the opportunity to find out more.

Now, I'm the last to advocate putting a lot of time and focus on an About Us page -- but when dealing with a small business on the Web, I (the hesitant prospect who's seen a lot of Internet scams and is very, very wary), I want to know names, faces, backgrounds.

Are you showing your prospects and customers who you are? Not just on your website, but also in your other materials.

If hungry prospects are actually seeking out info on who you are, it's a sign they might be convinced to buy. (Active prospects are literally trying to give you business.) But you've got to give them the opportunity to see who you are and why they should trust you.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Internet Marketing ::
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Great resource on Google Adsense straight from the horse's mouth

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While looking for info on a particular aspect of Google Adsense, I came across this great article, right on the Google website, no less.

If you feature Google Adsense on your site, you should take a look -- it outlines good places to put your ads on pages, how to improve your results, etc. For the bargain price of free, it has just about all the knowledge you'll end up gaining from any number of high-dollar ebooks on Google Adsense, one of which I recently bought and cannot recommend.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Internet Marketing ::
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Tell me what you really offer

[Reposted due to database problem]

I'm currently in the market for several types of (marketing-related) software. You would think it would be straightforward to find all of the above, but it's not.

To get an initial idea of what's out there, I did a quick Google search for the first product in question and the usual 100,000 results popped up. A few strategic additions, and the search narrowed down to a comfortable number of results.

Here's what happened:

I came across a lot of soft-sell "corporate" sites that literally did not tell me the features of their software and whether or not it could run on my own web server. In other words, all benefits and no features makes for fuzzy copy that says exactly nothing.

One standout "techie" site, for lack of a better term, had the longest list of product features I've ever seen in my years of writing copy for software firms. But there was only 1 sentence that included a benefit, so if I weren't fairly tech-savvy, I wouldn't have a clue what I was reading. And that product didn't seem quite up to par. All features and no benefits leaves readers yawning, folks.

Other pages told me what they offered but weren't actually selling software; they wanted me to sign up for a couple years' worth of pricey services hosted on their own machines. The one site that seemed the best match out of the lot had long copy that was compelling, emotional and even would have convinced me to buy had I needed what they offer. But I don't.

I'm well aware that most people don't have a web server at their disposal, but I do, I want software, not services, and I don't like being told I'm getting info on one thing, only to be presented with another. Nowhere in the copy did the merchant tell the truth. Not once.

By this time, I'd spent over an hour hunting for something straightforward and couldn't find what I needed.

In desperation, I went to an online forum known for its savvy in this area and posted a plea for advice. I expected a handful of posts in response and one or two useful bits of information to walk away with.

Then, the unexpected happened. It wasn't business hours when I posted, nor was it a timeframe where I even expected a quick answer to my query. But lo and behold, the phone rang.

Someone had seen my post and gave me a call to let me know about something he sold that could help me. Now, ordinarily I don't like sales calls anymore than anyone else, and I sure don't tend to buy from someone I've just met. And I don't like getting business calls after hours (though I'm the fool for answering the forwarded call, I suppose). However ...

This call actually showed me that the vendor in question had understood what I was looking for. He knew the features and benefits of his product. He told me his background and how to find out more about him online. He let me know how to reach him if I had further questions.

Then he quickly got off the phone and let me think. A day later, I received a polite follow-up email that confirmed all of the contact info and product advice he offered.

And although I still haven't purchased, I'm seriously considering buying from this vendor, whom I hadn't heard of until that phone call.

Why? Because he was honest, told me the truth about his products, knew that the right combo of benefits and features are what sell a product, reacted quickly and followed up, all without being pushy. He let me make up my own mind and gave me the tools I needed to see that his business is legitimate.

That's what it means to simplify someone's life. Not soft-sell that says nothing for the sake of not offending people. Not features to prove that your product is technically superior while telling us exactly zip about what those features mean. (Guess what? We don't care as long as it runs properly the way we need it to.) And not lying to try to make a sale. Trickery doesn't breed trust.

Be straightforward. Go ahead -- tell me what you really have to offer. I dare you.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Copywriting, Marketing, Rants & Raves ::
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An on-line marketing service: To hire or not to hire?

[Reposted due to database problem]

As you know, I recently launched my website, blog and all its accoutrements, and I have been using a lot of techniques to get visitors to my site, all of which are measurable. I'm also asked by clients a lot what to do, and of course there are plenty of methods I can and will share at a later date (that's a "whole 'nother" set of posts, however).

However, while I have been helping others generate traffic to their websites for some time on a semi-casual basis (as in, I get to wear jeans <g> and offer advice without being the one to do a lot of the implementation myself), I'm wondering how many of you have hired an on-line marketing service to get traffic to your site.

I'm not talking link farms, search engine optimization firms or pay-per-click traffic -- I'm talking a company that uses ethical means to get more viewers to your website for a reasonable fee. (To clarify, I don't mean that SEO firms and pay-per-click ads are unethical, just that I don't need help in these areas. And yes, some SEO companies ARE shady, so do your research before hiring.)

If you have in fact hired an on-line marketing service, please do let me know. I'd love to hear any pros and cons, especially if you're also a small business owner with a typical small business budget. I want to be able to give solid advice that has been proven to work.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Internet Marketing ::
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It's not about you -- it's about THEM!

[Reposted due to database problem]

One of the most common mistakes I see marketers make -- including old pros at this marketing game who've made a killing for themselves or even large companies -- is thinking about their own likes and dislikes when they evaluate a new campaign.

It doesn't seem to matter if it's an Internet marketing website, a direct mailing or an expensive print ad.

If you "don't like" a marketing campaign, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Are you your target audience? 99.9% of the time, you arenot the person in need of your product or service and in fact, might not even come close to having the same needs and wants as the folks you're able to help out with your wares.

The only way to know if any marketing communication works is to test it. Again and again. Till it shines and outpulls all of your other options ... yep, even the ones you like more.

Forget about "like." If it doesn't sell, it isn't doing it's job. Marketing is ultimately communicating what you have to offer to your customers (sales copy) and prospects and listening to their responses (purchases) ... and if part of that discussion is giving the wrong impression to the people who need what you're sharing with them, the communication process breaks down.

I'm going to sound like a broken record after another few dozen posts in this blog, but again, TEST your marketing materials to see which one works best. If you're using Internet marketing, all the better because it's easier to test and faster to solve nasty problems along the way.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in ::
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Sometimes thinking smaller is better for your marketing

[Reposted due to database problem]

I've never been the type to advocate aiming low, but it's become clear over time that when it comes to marketing, thinking smaller really is better, at least when you're a small-business owner trying to accomplish all of your marketing on your own.

Now, before I incite a riot here <g>, I should clarify that I don't mean you shouldn't set your sights high in terms of the success you plan to achieve with your small business. Quite the contrary -- shoot for the sky!

But when it comes to your marketing techniques, it has been my experience that if you really concentrate on a handful of different marketing activities, you will get better results and get less burned out than if you try out 20 of the best techniques.

In other words, choose a small number of tactics (as in 3 or 4), try each one out, test it, optimize it and repeat the process. Start with simple marketing tactics that have a small learning curve. Once you've got these promotional activities underway, choose a slightly more complex technique and optimize it until it works its best.

The "think small" technique works for just about any type of marketing you do -- and especially Internet marketing, which typically can be done without spending a lot.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Marketing ::
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Small business branding -- Tale (Tail?) of the weird

[Reposted due to database problem]

After a weekend jaunt to lovely San Diego, late last night my husband and I arrived back in Los Angeles tired and hungry, so we walked the small handful of blocks to a local all-night diner to grab a quick bite to eat. And it was there that we were smacked in the face with an example of unusual branding, to say the least.

We live in a neighborhood that is about as historic as you can find in L.A. -- 1920s-era homes and quaint shopfronts for small businesses that cater to everyone from folks like us to the elderly who live in the retirement homes on the opposite side of the shopping district. And it was one store catering to this population of older citizens that had my husband and myself in hysterics when we should have been concentrating on finding some grub.

You might think a shop selling wheelchairs would have it easy in such a neighborhood -- huge target audience planted right there, a captive audience if you will. And you'd be right. So maybe branding isn't so important for a shop like this, right? Wrong.

What stood out about this shop for me was an oversized poster in the window promoting a new model of wheelchair ... complete with a grumpy, overweight bulldog planted right in the middle of it.

Sure, it's lovely that the dog's fanged underbite finally got the recognition it deserved, but the photo overshadowed any credibility the store might otherwise have had in terms of their expertise in finding less-able people the right wheelchair for their needs. Why? Because apparently, they also help pedigreed pooches do the same.

Of course I say this in jest, but use this as a lesson for your own marketing materials -- whether a simple website, a brochure or even just your business card, are you branding yourself the way you want to be perceived by your customers? Use this tail -- I mean, tale -- and see if there's anything you can improve in your own branding.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Marketing, Rants & Raves ::
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Common-sense small business marketing advice shouldn't be hard to find

(Reposting post from 05/12/05 after recovering from a database error)

Dear Reader,

It's not everyday that you make your very first blog post, so I wanted to make sure this one is worthy of its pixels (or is that its ones and zeroes?).

If you're at all like me, you spend lots of time thinking about how to promote your small or micro-business. And it's hard to decide who to trust.

There are many marketers out there who will tell you they have a marketing formula that always works. Many of them are my colleagues and trusted friends, and they've found a solution that makes them money hand over fist.

But their approach might not work for you because it doesn't apply to your marketing goals, your business model or it just simply doesn't feel right for whatever reason.

Then there's the camp that claims you have to have an expensive website in order to make a living on the Internet. And for some sites, that might be the case, and I'll readily admit that I've worked on some campaigns for big brands that essentially required a "pretty" site because of the corporation's business model. YMMV (that's "your mileage may vary" for those of you who aren't quite as addicted to the Internet as I am).

And I should also note that while I modestly would like to think that the way my site currently looks is part of its allure (admit it -- you love it) ;) if I prove otherwise, you can bet I'll be testing new designs, approaches, what have you, in very short order indeed.

But the one and only marketing technique that stands out and has proved time and again to work -- for myself, colleagues and clients -- is to create a great product/service/etc., come up with a solid brand identity for yourself by establishing what you stand for, get the word out and use smart marketing methods to generate business. Online. Offline. Doesn't matter, just so you use effective techniques.

OK, OK. That made it sound easy, didn't it?

But even if I've oversimplified things just a wee bit here <g> and there are many ways to achieve the goals I've mentioned, it really does come down to this killer combo.

And frankly, that's why I'm here. There's no need for you to have to wade through all the garbage just to find the small handful of marketing gems out there that will really get the job done for you. This blog and my newsletter, Avenues to Marketing Success, are my way of cutting through the hype and showing you what really will make a difference to your marketing.

I promise that the upcoming posts will be shorter and less philosophical so that you can take my recommendations and run with them.

As I wrap up this intro to my marketing approach, let me leave you with a few thoughts:

1) If it works, do it.

2) If it proves not to, don't make the same mistake twice.

3) If it doesn't appear to make sense, but others have proved it does, give it a shot.

4) Keep an open mind: if another marketer's "ugly" website is making tens of thousands of dollars of revenue and yours isn't doing squat, it might just be time to rethink your business plan.

5) Most important: If you're not testing, you're losing money.

More to come in future blogs ... I wish you much success in your marketing and invite you to contact me at any time with your questions or recommendations!

Cheers, and all the best,

Jennifer

P.S. If you're not already signed up for my newsletter, Avenues to Marketing Success, you're missing out on more common-sense marketing advice for your small business, whether it's about Internet marketing, branding, copywriting or another tried-and-true method of boosting your income.

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 in Marketing, Rants & Raves ::
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