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Jennifer's Small Business Marketing Blog

Proven small business marketing tactics and a sprinkling of creative inspiration for your upcoming campaigns are what this blog's all about -- whether you're in need of Internet marketing advice or simply want to market your business on the cheap. If you want to know which marketing tactics really work, tune in here and subscribe to my newsletter, Avenues to Marketing Success!
		Jennifer McCay Contact me

The success mindset

Ever have one of those days where suddenly you gain clarity about something so simple that you've struggled to come to terms with for years? Today I had one of those lightbulb moments about something that is absolutely critical to succeeding in your business. It's not something that I didn't already know, it's something I've said out loud (and meant sincerely) for years, and it's not rocket science (or "rocket surgery," to quote a really bad joke I recently heard). But for some reason, as I was driving around running errands, it popped into my head and I gained a level of clarity that I never have before. And perhaps my own "a-ha" moment can help you as well.

I don't know if you know this, but there was a time when I struggled in my business to get ahead. In fact, I failed the first time I went out on my own. Miserably. And while I know now that the main reason for failure was not branding my business well enough right from the start, I also believe that I didn't plan to succeed.

Have you? Have you really ever sat down and thought about what success means for you? Have you ever thought about how you feel about success, about successful people?

Are you comfortable with it? Success is something we're often taught "only happens to others," is only "something that happens to people who brag a lot/are pushy about what they do," "is only something that happens to rich people." And sometimes that latter sentiment is twisted around to state that success only happens to bad people -- with the underlying idea being that the only way to become wealthy is to be a bad person. I've yet to meet anyone perfect :) so it's safe to say that wealth alone isn't enough to make you a bad person.

There are quite a few people I know -- some clients, some close personal friends, some distant and some very close -- who all seem to be struggling with this issue at the same time. And I've been there. Not lately, but I remember it well.

But the only way to succeed, to really get what you want, is to have your head in the game. Is yours?

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Tuesday, February 27, 2007 in Marketing, Rants & Raves :: Permanent Link :: ::

Join me next Tuesday?

In case you weren't aware of this, the first time I tried to start a business of my own, I failed miserably. In fact, after spending about 6 months struggling to find more than just 1 major client, I ended up tucking my tail between my legs and going back to the big-brand ad agency world, where I worked regularly with clients like Sony and Adobe and helped them boost their profits instead of following my heart and making a living on my own terms.

If you'd told me back then that I'd have a successful small business, become an author, coach solo professionals and small business owners around the world and have clients approach me rather than the other way around, I'd have thought you were crazy! You see, my first attempt at self-employment was so frought with stress and frustration that I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to make it ... until I made a simple connection:

The techniques I'd developed *that were working* for my big-name clients could also work for me! Not on the same scale, of course, but the principles themselves were exactly the same. I used them for my small business this time around, and that made all the difference!

So answer me this ...

Would you like to know what I figured out -- and more importantly, would you like to know how these simple principles can help you grow your own solo or small business?

Fantastic! I'm going to be giving you the details during a special F.R.E.E. teleseminar next Tuesday, February 6th called ...

Brand Your Way to Small Business Success!

During this call I'll reveal more about my own struggles and ultimate triumphs, as well as show you how you can use my simple strategies to get more clients and stop the 'stress cycle' in 30 days or less with your own small business brand!

To get all the info about the call and reserve your spot, simply head to:

http://AvenueEast.com/vipteleseminar

You don't want to miss this call! It could make all the difference for you in 2007 ... and beyond.

BTW In case you're not sure you can make the call on Tuesday, make sure to sign up anyway. We'll be making the audio recording available to you after the call so that you can still learn new ways to start getting better results with your business, reduce stress and start attracting clients to come to you!

Hope to have you on the line with me next Tuesday!

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Wednesday, January 31, 2007 in Branding :: Permanent Link :: ::

Getting back to blogging as usual

Folks, I've been quiet here on this blog for a while now, but it's time that changed. There's lots going on here at Avenue East, not the least of which is our upcoming move. I'll share more details in a few days when all our plans are finalized, but I'm excited because my current NYC apartment has been kind of cramped -- I work from a home office, after all -- but the new place is much larger, and I'll have a lot more space to spread out! (Plus, my cats will have more room to run off their kitten energy!) I can't wait.

I've also got a new coaching program in the works that will make it easier to stay on track with your branding and marketing. I'm not going to reveal all the details just yet though. I want to make sure that you have access to as much helpful info as possible to guide you in your small business marketing, so I'm still finalizing details and we're getting everything set up. I can't wait to share more, but I'm sworn to secrecy for a little while longer.

Stay tuned for more updates!

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Friday, January 26, 2007 in :: Permanent Link :: ::

Small business marketing survival tips

Just a couple thoughts that might help you with your small business marketing:

1. I know it might feel sometimes as if you're facing an uphill battle when it comes to your marketing, but if this sounds like you, relax. The more you do, the easier it gets if you learn from your mistakes.

2. Don't take rejections personally. Your prospects may be:

• uninterested because they don't value what you offer, meaning they might be lousy clients to begin with
• flat broke
• distracted by a personal health problem or that of a loved one
• understaffed in a different area than the service you provide
• uneducated about the merits of what you offer (in which case, you can do something about this)
• struggling to get by
• in the middle of a huge pitch or presentation prep work, in which case you are keeping them from progress

3. If you make marketing a part of your routine, it won't seem so tough, and you can break the work into bite-sized chunks that are more manageable.

Have any small business marketing questions? Let me know!

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 in Marketing :: Permanent Link :: ::

Introducing our newest team member

As promised, here are pics of my new kitten Pablo, who was rescued out near Coney Island and came to us flea-ridden and in desperate need of love and care.

How he looked when we got him cleaned up ...

... and here's the little charmer after he was dried off and able to make himself at home here. :)

He was so undernourished that I had to feed him every 3 hours until the past few days ... That's when I am really grateful not to have to deal with the daily grind at a regular job. And that I owe to you, my valued readers!

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 in Rants & Raves :: Permanent Link :: ::

Why blog? Practice makes (almost) perfect

In the latest issue of Avenues to Marketing Success, I wrote about the power of blogging, and it only makes sense for me to fill you in a little more on why I personally blog.

Giving out information to readers like you is one key way that I can help you grow your business a small tidbit of marketing knowledge at a time. I hear from enough of you that this appears to be quite helpful to you, especially if you are new to your business or you're uncomfortable marketing yourself regardless of how long you've been in business.

I don't get a lot of comments here directly on the blog (though if you want to comment, you're welcome to -- click on the Comments link below), but I do get tons of e-mails asking for more information about what I've written, clarifying comments I've made and that sort of thing. I love hearing from you, and you give me priceless information about how I can better help you in the future with all your questions, so keep the questions coming! And feel free to share them here on the blog if you wish.

I also shouldn't neglect the fact that I personally love having an outlet to get out my frustration about some marketers' attempts to sway you to their services just so they can make a buck, even though there is little or no value to what they offer. I just got an e-mail this morning from the 30th Internet marketer promoting the same thing as everyone else, with the same e-mail every single time, down to the typos. I know that we're all in business and don't have time to reinvent the wheel every time we send out new offers, but honestly, make sure that if you use any sort of canned sales letter for any reason in your own business to tailor it to the way YOU write. Sorry for the mini-rant, which is somewhat beside the point.

What I should have said before I got off on that tangent was that long prior to getting today's e-mails, I also got apologies ... APOLOGIES from a number of folks who had sent the promotion out because they hadn't done their homework to see if the product in question was worthwhile. C'mon. You make thousands and thousands of dollars from each e-mailing you send out, and you can't take the time to verify if ANY of the information is useful?

I expect more. Your customers expect more. And that's where your blog can come in handy.

When you write a blog, here are some hints:

Get personal.

Dig deep.

Give it your all.

Don't try to sucker people into buying from you unless you offer a good product.

Show your value by showing yourself and your brand values to your readers.

And remember:

You don't have to be perfect in your communications, but the more you write about things in a blog that are helpful to your clients and prospects, the more feedback you get about what's helpful and what isn't. And you also become a better writer, helping you with all of your promotions in the future.

I urge you to consider starting a blog to give your prospects a better sense of who you are and what you stand for (that's a HUGE part of the branding process, after all, and I would be remiss if I didn't say so!) Blog for humanity. *laughs* Blog for your sanity. After all, if I didn't have this blog, I'd have nowhere to rant and rave! :) I don't think my cat cares what I think about marketing as long as she get her ocean fish dinner in gravy!

Think a blog doesn't work to draw in clients? Then why did you read this post?!

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Thursday, July 27, 2006 in Branding, Internet Marketing, Rants & Raves :: Permanent Link :: ::

Stay in touch!

I'm writing tonight's post for 2 reasons:

1) To remind you that if you have any questions about small business marketing that you'd like me to answer, feel free to e-mail my office at contactus @ avenueeast dot com. I want to make sure that I am giving you answers to your most important marketing questions, so keep your feedback coming.

2) To remind you that if you're not doing anything to stay in touch with your clients and folks who have inquired about your services in the past, you're missing out on a lot of business. Period. Don't fool yourself into thinking that they don't want to hear from you. (They do, and they'll forget you even exist if you don't remind them from time to time.)

Both had enough to do with staying in touch, the title of this post, for me to combine them in a single message. Forgive me for killing 2 birds with 1 stone late tonight as inspiration struck. :)

:: Posted by Jennifer McCay on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 in :: Permanent Link :: ::