Does your company sell different products to different customer bases? Do you do event marketing? Do you need segmentation of your market to narrow down the needs of each niche you serve? Are you going to hold a special webinar? Welcome to the world of the customized landing page.
Whatever you got, if you can narrow down the target to the service, product or event, even if you have made a dedicated page within your current website, it’s not good enough! The creation of a special landing page can not hurt, but help in so many ways.
If your offer is from an email, direct mail piece, telesales message; you need to make sure that the prospect sees what you want them to see quickly, easily and fast in 1 click. 2 clicks are 1 click too many. 3 clicks and your dead.
In creating a specialized landing page you can focus on that 1 target. Key words can be used. Your H1 title line can talk about it. Your Meta tag key words and description can yell out to the little Google spiders saying here I am, here I am!
In addition it allows you the chance to test marketing your service, product or even without a website remake.
If you just remember the basics on making a web page, good navigation, readable text, nice clear images.
Larson Notes & Satire: I have not talked too much about landing pages for a while. But these little things are really an untapped. It can take you right to the top in your targeted market without compromising the more broad based nature of your website. It really narrows down the clicks your targets need to hit to get to you. 1 click and they are there. Doesn’t get much easier for them to buy or sign up.
Add in a link to the home page of your company web site or any other page that makes more sense for them to hit with their 2nd click and make it happen.
Quick, easy, fast, that is what people want on the web. Make it hard and you lose them. Make yourself easy and accessible and you win.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Website Check Up
How is your website doing? Are you getting enough activity? Enough hits? The sales you were expecting off of it?
Ask yourself these questions and then decide if you need an upgrade of your site.
1. Does your home page clearly say what your company does and the kind of customer you want or serve?
2. Do you use an easy conversational tone in your copy?
3. Do you offer useful content in addition to your product and service information?
4. Is your website optimized for the best possible ranking in the search engines?
5. Are you always updating your websites copy?
6. Do all the pages of your website have an offer that they can’t refuse?
7. Do your action requests talk to the customer at all the different stages to the buying process?
8. Is your phone number on each and every page of your website?
9. If you have them, are your online forms short and asking for only the needed information, not a bunch of junk? (i.e. name, company name, address, phone number, email address?)
10. Do you have a process in place so your website inquiries get followed up on quickly?
If your keeping score give yourself a point for each yes you can answer to. If you are a 6 or below you had better get to work on your site. You’re missing some web action.
Larson Notes & Satire: It seems every day I am doing something to help get my site ranking higher and higher. Post a blog. Do an online key word string search. Ask people to look for my site or got to it and give it a hit. Website rankings don’t come by accident, but hard work. You can pay for clicks or pay to get in the pink area of a word search. But I am not talking about that. I am talking about getting you up there with no, zero money. It can be done.
And just in case you want a little help in finding quick places to improve on go to http://www.pearanalytics.com/ . PearAnalytics is a tool which is easy to use, and provides fast results concerning important SEO factors. Unlike most tools you can find to help you, PearAnalytics provides solutions to improving these factors in seconds at no cost.
If you need help call me and I will charge you to do it. I am only telling you, if you have the time and the patience you can do it all on your own. But it does take perseverance. If I can do it, anyone can.
Today on Google in a keyword sting of “telesales for printers” one of my sites was the 1, 2 and 3 listings. Go on see for yourself.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Ask yourself these questions and then decide if you need an upgrade of your site.
1. Does your home page clearly say what your company does and the kind of customer you want or serve?
2. Do you use an easy conversational tone in your copy?
3. Do you offer useful content in addition to your product and service information?
4. Is your website optimized for the best possible ranking in the search engines?
5. Are you always updating your websites copy?
6. Do all the pages of your website have an offer that they can’t refuse?
7. Do your action requests talk to the customer at all the different stages to the buying process?
8. Is your phone number on each and every page of your website?
9. If you have them, are your online forms short and asking for only the needed information, not a bunch of junk? (i.e. name, company name, address, phone number, email address?)
10. Do you have a process in place so your website inquiries get followed up on quickly?
If your keeping score give yourself a point for each yes you can answer to. If you are a 6 or below you had better get to work on your site. You’re missing some web action.
Larson Notes & Satire: It seems every day I am doing something to help get my site ranking higher and higher. Post a blog. Do an online key word string search. Ask people to look for my site or got to it and give it a hit. Website rankings don’t come by accident, but hard work. You can pay for clicks or pay to get in the pink area of a word search. But I am not talking about that. I am talking about getting you up there with no, zero money. It can be done.
And just in case you want a little help in finding quick places to improve on go to http://www.pearanalytics.com/ . PearAnalytics is a tool which is easy to use, and provides fast results concerning important SEO factors. Unlike most tools you can find to help you, PearAnalytics provides solutions to improving these factors in seconds at no cost.
If you need help call me and I will charge you to do it. I am only telling you, if you have the time and the patience you can do it all on your own. But it does take perseverance. If I can do it, anyone can.
Today on Google in a keyword sting of “telesales for printers” one of my sites was the 1, 2 and 3 listings. Go on see for yourself.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Hitting On The Rich
As we slowly recover from this wonderful fun recession we all might want to look at selling more to the “rich”.
They are out there. But who are they?
66% are women
20% are minorities
68% are married couples
56% of those households earn over $250,000
21% purchased from a catalog 12 or more times a year
10.5% growth in households of $250,000 in income and above
Top 4 wealthiest areas in the United States
$118,509 – Los Alamos NM
$107,499 – San Jose / Santa Clara CA
$100,141 – Bridgeport / Stamford / Norwalk, Conn
$ 94,599 – Washington DC / Arlington VA
$ 92,020 – Bolder CO
Selling to the affluent is changing as is and has the economy. As a marketer you will find a fierce fight for those dollars. Not only is there more competition for their purchasing but the affluent households are looking for value over status. Of that the very top 2% of all this group of people has actually increased their spending 40% from the 3rd quarter of 2009. And studies show that these wealthy Americans do consistently respond to mail and catalogs.
Do you have a product or service that the wealthy need or want?
Larson Notes & Satire: Selling to the rich. Be it the 5 areas targeted above or areas where you live that have enclaves of wealthy people. You know where they are. If not get the census report and it will help you find them.
So ask yourself do you really have a product to sell to them? If so
1. Target the right price point for your product. These people, at least most of them are not rich because they go out on buying binges. They are smart and they are thrifty.
2. Target consumer attributes that are relevant to the product. Yes that’s right; again it falls on you to target the right product into the right demographic profile. Yes you can profile here. This is marketing not airport surveillance and that is what we do. Lol.
3. Have a good website where those prospects can go to get more information or actually buy your product or service. Is your site easy to navigate? Does the shopping cart work easily? Help them to buy.
4. Have multiple ways for the prospect to contact you off your mailer. As stated above, web site, but also phone number, email address and maybe even a return card or envelope.
Don’t think that people are going to buy from you because you’re such a nice person. You will starve if you sit and wait. Grasp your future! Be the driver of your life
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
They are out there. But who are they?
66% are women
20% are minorities
68% are married couples
56% of those households earn over $250,000
21% purchased from a catalog 12 or more times a year
10.5% growth in households of $250,000 in income and above
Top 4 wealthiest areas in the United States
$118,509 – Los Alamos NM
$107,499 – San Jose / Santa Clara CA
$100,141 – Bridgeport / Stamford / Norwalk, Conn
$ 94,599 – Washington DC / Arlington VA
$ 92,020 – Bolder CO
Selling to the affluent is changing as is and has the economy. As a marketer you will find a fierce fight for those dollars. Not only is there more competition for their purchasing but the affluent households are looking for value over status. Of that the very top 2% of all this group of people has actually increased their spending 40% from the 3rd quarter of 2009. And studies show that these wealthy Americans do consistently respond to mail and catalogs.
Do you have a product or service that the wealthy need or want?
Larson Notes & Satire: Selling to the rich. Be it the 5 areas targeted above or areas where you live that have enclaves of wealthy people. You know where they are. If not get the census report and it will help you find them.
So ask yourself do you really have a product to sell to them? If so
1. Target the right price point for your product. These people, at least most of them are not rich because they go out on buying binges. They are smart and they are thrifty.
2. Target consumer attributes that are relevant to the product. Yes that’s right; again it falls on you to target the right product into the right demographic profile. Yes you can profile here. This is marketing not airport surveillance and that is what we do. Lol.
3. Have a good website where those prospects can go to get more information or actually buy your product or service. Is your site easy to navigate? Does the shopping cart work easily? Help them to buy.
4. Have multiple ways for the prospect to contact you off your mailer. As stated above, web site, but also phone number, email address and maybe even a return card or envelope.
Don’t think that people are going to buy from you because you’re such a nice person. You will starve if you sit and wait. Grasp your future! Be the driver of your life
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Blog Writing Secrets
You can be writing your own blog. It is really quite simple, just sit down and write as if you were speaking.
Really it is just that easy. No more procrastination. No more sweaty hands. No more using large, 8 syllable words. Just relax and write. Write as if you were talking to a close friend
Writing the way you talk does not give you permission to write bad. What it does is help keep you focused to be a better more productive focused writer.
Here’s how to use “write the way you talk” to end all the insecurities and avoid sounding like a complete idiot:
1. Imagine your talking with a friend. Write like you are having a good conversation with your best buddy. So when you’re writing, think about how you would explain your chosen topic of the day to a close friend who is sitting next to you.
If you were having a conversation with your friend, what words would you use? What would you talk about first? What questions would they ask you?
2. Record yourself. Not sure what you sound like, try recording yourself. If you talk to on the phone regularly, record the call and listen to it later (Be sure to check the laws in your state first. Some states require you get the other party’s permission before you record).
3. Take a deep breath, relax, take a sip of coffee, and just be yourself. When you write the way you talk, you can’t help but put your personality into the piece. Weave in a couple of good, topical, personal stories and you’re on your way.
4. Use the same words that you normally use. If you write the way you talk, you’ll be more apt to use common, everyday words that you would normally use. Words people understand and don’t need to run to the dictionary to look up. Use the KISS method, Keep It Simple Stupid. That way your writing is simple and clear. If the average person needs to get a dictionary out to know what you’re trying to say, then you need a different word.
5. Toss out the rule book and just start writing. Yes there are rules about grammar, writing styles, active versus passive voice, and punctuation. I don’t know if I have ever met an English teacher that liked me. Just keep focused on getting your points across, and don’t worry about anything else. Once you’ve done that, go back reread and fix what doesn’t sound right.
After you’ve done that, hit save and leave it till morning, come back and look at it again. A freash head cleared out might find some additional changes to make.
6. Find a friend. Want to make sure that what you write actually sounds readable and like you? Get a friend to read it, and let them be critical.
7. Read what you wrote out loud. When you read it aloud you will find all those awkward sentences that you sort of skim over when you just read it to yourself. You will find yourself stumbling over words and sentences that don’t quite fit together
So go ahead, as the Nike slogan says, “Just Do It!”
Larson Notes & Satire: It is really that simple. No English major, no degree in composition. If you are an avid reader of mine, you know I don’t follow any rules real when I blog. I have a basic outline and then, I think it and write it. It is sort of obvious isn’t it? Outside of keeping on my chosen target of blogging about marketing and advertising I just let it flow.
But here I am writing and blogging away and there you are reading. And at the same time my web site is getting a record number of hits and I have been able to hire a new person this month so…
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Really it is just that easy. No more procrastination. No more sweaty hands. No more using large, 8 syllable words. Just relax and write. Write as if you were talking to a close friend
Writing the way you talk does not give you permission to write bad. What it does is help keep you focused to be a better more productive focused writer.
Here’s how to use “write the way you talk” to end all the insecurities and avoid sounding like a complete idiot:
1. Imagine your talking with a friend. Write like you are having a good conversation with your best buddy. So when you’re writing, think about how you would explain your chosen topic of the day to a close friend who is sitting next to you.
If you were having a conversation with your friend, what words would you use? What would you talk about first? What questions would they ask you?
2. Record yourself. Not sure what you sound like, try recording yourself. If you talk to on the phone regularly, record the call and listen to it later (Be sure to check the laws in your state first. Some states require you get the other party’s permission before you record).
3. Take a deep breath, relax, take a sip of coffee, and just be yourself. When you write the way you talk, you can’t help but put your personality into the piece. Weave in a couple of good, topical, personal stories and you’re on your way.
4. Use the same words that you normally use. If you write the way you talk, you’ll be more apt to use common, everyday words that you would normally use. Words people understand and don’t need to run to the dictionary to look up. Use the KISS method, Keep It Simple Stupid. That way your writing is simple and clear. If the average person needs to get a dictionary out to know what you’re trying to say, then you need a different word.
5. Toss out the rule book and just start writing. Yes there are rules about grammar, writing styles, active versus passive voice, and punctuation. I don’t know if I have ever met an English teacher that liked me. Just keep focused on getting your points across, and don’t worry about anything else. Once you’ve done that, go back reread and fix what doesn’t sound right.
After you’ve done that, hit save and leave it till morning, come back and look at it again. A freash head cleared out might find some additional changes to make.
6. Find a friend. Want to make sure that what you write actually sounds readable and like you? Get a friend to read it, and let them be critical.
7. Read what you wrote out loud. When you read it aloud you will find all those awkward sentences that you sort of skim over when you just read it to yourself. You will find yourself stumbling over words and sentences that don’t quite fit together
So go ahead, as the Nike slogan says, “Just Do It!”
Larson Notes & Satire: It is really that simple. No English major, no degree in composition. If you are an avid reader of mine, you know I don’t follow any rules real when I blog. I have a basic outline and then, I think it and write it. It is sort of obvious isn’t it? Outside of keeping on my chosen target of blogging about marketing and advertising I just let it flow.
But here I am writing and blogging away and there you are reading. And at the same time my web site is getting a record number of hits and I have been able to hire a new person this month so…
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The Power To Last
Unemployed? Over 50? Under skilled?
Are you one of the new unemployed people out there? Good work ethic, but no job future for whatever reason? You history filled with life skills but no one wants the hire you for your knowledge? Join the club.
No not the Mickey Mouse Club but the Club of Self Employment.
To this wonderful group of business people from all you new comers or soon to be members we have those who already took the plunge as a New Business Owner or a Small business person already making their own personal mark in the world of economic self sufficiency. We are the backbone of the world!
Now ask yourself if you have the staying power to make it as a small business owner or an entrepreneur? What do I mean by that?
Many if not most of all business owners have not done the research about what is involved to launch and make their business self sustaining. They have not sat down pencil and paper in hand to calculate out what they need to make it work, for them.
Let’s start with you. Yes you! It’s ok to be selfish right now. You’re not out to save the world here, you’re here to save your families economic vitality. What do you need to exist? You might want to make $200,000 dollars a year but once you kick out cable (yes cable is a luxury) the 4 meals out at restaurants a week (sorry restaurant owner friends but you too are a luxury at times) you might only need $50,000 a year. Big difference. That will pay your mortgage, your utilities; keep food on the table and gas in the car.
But let’s stay on your figure of $200,000 or maybe I should up it to $250,000 so you’re in the upper income of those people they want to raise taxes on. Let’s go back to you earning $200,000 a year. If you are going to work 40 hours a week and take 2 weeks of vacation that will give you 2,000 hours to work. If you want that $200,000 and you need to charge $100 an hour and you will make your goal. BUT not all your time is billable. You need to market, sell, research, empty the waist basket and all those other business owner kind of things. I would guess you will spend up to 1 third of your time doing those non-billable kinds of things, cutting off 700 hours or work. Now you need to bill out not $100 an hour but $285 an hour to make your goal.
If we are only taking $50,000 you only need to bill out $28.50 an hour and that is doable. Yes?
That is if you can keep you billing time filled up. Did you become unemployed because your past employer had the work to need you?
Think before you jump.
Larson Notes & Satire: As part of what I do, is I consult with small or would be business owners or owners who what to take their businesses up the next level. You know like add an employee or more from that spare room in the house to an office.
Business is full of hard decisions and small business people and entrepreneurs are hungry for success and will take plunges with their businesses which might not be in the best interest of their businesses. I can think of one owner who I was talking with who is excessive compulsive. I kept telling him to slow down and think first before spending or getting into any long or short term contract. He is one of the lucky ones. He only lost $1200 - $3000 on a bad web hosting web / building decision. It could have been much worse had he signed a 3 year lease for an office on what he thought was a viable business.
You can start and build your own business. Just think before you spend. For more information on the Larson system see PSS below.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Are you one of the new unemployed people out there? Good work ethic, but no job future for whatever reason? You history filled with life skills but no one wants the hire you for your knowledge? Join the club.
No not the Mickey Mouse Club but the Club of Self Employment.
To this wonderful group of business people from all you new comers or soon to be members we have those who already took the plunge as a New Business Owner or a Small business person already making their own personal mark in the world of economic self sufficiency. We are the backbone of the world!
Now ask yourself if you have the staying power to make it as a small business owner or an entrepreneur? What do I mean by that?
Many if not most of all business owners have not done the research about what is involved to launch and make their business self sustaining. They have not sat down pencil and paper in hand to calculate out what they need to make it work, for them.
Let’s start with you. Yes you! It’s ok to be selfish right now. You’re not out to save the world here, you’re here to save your families economic vitality. What do you need to exist? You might want to make $200,000 dollars a year but once you kick out cable (yes cable is a luxury) the 4 meals out at restaurants a week (sorry restaurant owner friends but you too are a luxury at times) you might only need $50,000 a year. Big difference. That will pay your mortgage, your utilities; keep food on the table and gas in the car.
But let’s stay on your figure of $200,000 or maybe I should up it to $250,000 so you’re in the upper income of those people they want to raise taxes on. Let’s go back to you earning $200,000 a year. If you are going to work 40 hours a week and take 2 weeks of vacation that will give you 2,000 hours to work. If you want that $200,000 and you need to charge $100 an hour and you will make your goal. BUT not all your time is billable. You need to market, sell, research, empty the waist basket and all those other business owner kind of things. I would guess you will spend up to 1 third of your time doing those non-billable kinds of things, cutting off 700 hours or work. Now you need to bill out not $100 an hour but $285 an hour to make your goal.
If we are only taking $50,000 you only need to bill out $28.50 an hour and that is doable. Yes?
That is if you can keep you billing time filled up. Did you become unemployed because your past employer had the work to need you?
Think before you jump.
Larson Notes & Satire: As part of what I do, is I consult with small or would be business owners or owners who what to take their businesses up the next level. You know like add an employee or more from that spare room in the house to an office.
Business is full of hard decisions and small business people and entrepreneurs are hungry for success and will take plunges with their businesses which might not be in the best interest of their businesses. I can think of one owner who I was talking with who is excessive compulsive. I kept telling him to slow down and think first before spending or getting into any long or short term contract. He is one of the lucky ones. He only lost $1200 - $3000 on a bad web hosting web / building decision. It could have been much worse had he signed a 3 year lease for an office on what he thought was a viable business.
You can start and build your own business. Just think before you spend. For more information on the Larson system see PSS below.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Marketing Comes in 2 Kinds Acquisition & Retention
There really are 2 sides to any marketing program the gaining of new customers (acquisition) and the keeping of the customers you now have (retention).
To pull back or drop spending on either side of the marketing equation can put your company’s new client or client retention program in a total tailspin.
In a down economy, and it is down, I don’t care if the experts said the recession ended months ago. It is still not nice out there. I know it and you know it.
Let’s face the fact that new clients are the very lifeblood of your company’s existence. If you cut off your companies push to get new customers you will go out of business. The customers you have will slowly disappear some faster than others but it happens.
In a down market like this one it is really one of the better times to get in customers. In past recessions and this one is no different than the others, companies tend to pull back on their over all sales and marketing attack. Less time, less money, fewer resources, resulting in less competition in trying to acquiring new customers, or even holding on to the ones they have.
If you are short on marketing dollars yourself I would put them into retention marketing. Keep what you already have. It’s easier and cheaper to do. A rewards program, a good guy discount, a F2F visit at their location (do people still to real F2F sales appointments? Just kidding).
As for new accounts, get smart. Use predictive modeling to find the best nitch. Use some analytic techniques to target your marketing spending. If you can target down to the best kind of customer you will have less marketing leakage and get the best bang for your buck.
Larson Notes & Satire: If done right, this stuff works. How do I know? Because that is what we do here at Larson’s. When you work on a no contract basis like my company does, it is succeed or loose. Yes you read that right; I do not obligate my clients into long term contracts. I found I did not like long term deals when I was on the receiving side, so I don’t do it to other’s when, like now I am on the giving (of contracts) side. I do have one kind of long term deal floating around out there but that is a % of actual sale situation only and you need to meet special criteria to be eligible.
We are hitting accounts all over the place, phone, mail, email, Social Media, SEO, SEM, web site, linking, classified ads. Even with all I am using here there are hundreds out there that we are not using for whatever reason. I have a firm belief that you start with 2 marketing tools and utilize them at 100% efficacy then add a 3rd and bringing that up to snuff and so on. I have found that the most any one person can master and work at one time is probably 5 or 6, even me. After that even I seek help from other professionals. Just remember, it really does not matter if you’re using 1 marketing tool or 10. The key is utilization efficiency at or near 100%.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
To pull back or drop spending on either side of the marketing equation can put your company’s new client or client retention program in a total tailspin.
In a down economy, and it is down, I don’t care if the experts said the recession ended months ago. It is still not nice out there. I know it and you know it.
Let’s face the fact that new clients are the very lifeblood of your company’s existence. If you cut off your companies push to get new customers you will go out of business. The customers you have will slowly disappear some faster than others but it happens.
In a down market like this one it is really one of the better times to get in customers. In past recessions and this one is no different than the others, companies tend to pull back on their over all sales and marketing attack. Less time, less money, fewer resources, resulting in less competition in trying to acquiring new customers, or even holding on to the ones they have.
If you are short on marketing dollars yourself I would put them into retention marketing. Keep what you already have. It’s easier and cheaper to do. A rewards program, a good guy discount, a F2F visit at their location (do people still to real F2F sales appointments? Just kidding).
As for new accounts, get smart. Use predictive modeling to find the best nitch. Use some analytic techniques to target your marketing spending. If you can target down to the best kind of customer you will have less marketing leakage and get the best bang for your buck.
Larson Notes & Satire: If done right, this stuff works. How do I know? Because that is what we do here at Larson’s. When you work on a no contract basis like my company does, it is succeed or loose. Yes you read that right; I do not obligate my clients into long term contracts. I found I did not like long term deals when I was on the receiving side, so I don’t do it to other’s when, like now I am on the giving (of contracts) side. I do have one kind of long term deal floating around out there but that is a % of actual sale situation only and you need to meet special criteria to be eligible.
We are hitting accounts all over the place, phone, mail, email, Social Media, SEO, SEM, web site, linking, classified ads. Even with all I am using here there are hundreds out there that we are not using for whatever reason. I have a firm belief that you start with 2 marketing tools and utilize them at 100% efficacy then add a 3rd and bringing that up to snuff and so on. I have found that the most any one person can master and work at one time is probably 5 or 6, even me. After that even I seek help from other professionals. Just remember, it really does not matter if you’re using 1 marketing tool or 10. The key is utilization efficiency at or near 100%.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Social Media Marketing Up For Small Business
Tight budgets but still wanting to do something, more small businesses are turning to Social Media for a greater part of their marketing. Does that surprise you? I have said before in a past blog that the new Sweat equity in many businesses has become Social Media (Marketing). I would think that if you are reading this blog you are already most likely engaged in some sort of Social Media / Social Media Marketing.
Despite budget cuts, small businesses are doing what they can to make things happen. With the resiliency of being a Small Businesses owner, we are all adopting and implementing the free side (except for time to learn and implement) of online marketing tools that social media marketing affords us.
During the 2nd quarter for the very first time since the Merchant Confidence Index was started, Social Media was listing as the top channel to be used by businesses with over 50% of all businesses now using some form of Social Media Marketing. The next closest channel coming in at number 2 was e-mail marketing which was top marketing tool for small business in the 1st quarter.
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Nings, MerchantCircle combining in with local based sites like Yelp and Foursquare and video sharing sites like YouTube are finding ways into the Small Business marketing plan.
If you have the time and the tenacity to be a player in Social Media it can pay off, but it does take time. . . lots of time.
Larson Notes & Satire: Each week I find new ways to make Social Media work. I find ways to make it work for me and a small handful of select companies that want me to do it for them. It has helped to make my web site 1st page google and yahoo in the two keyword string natural searches of “telesales for printers” and telemarketing for printers”. I figure if I can do it for myself, I can do the same kind of thing and get the same kind of results for other small businesses, and I do. I like nothing more that going after the “Big Dogs” and getting them to put their tails between their legs when one of my small business client’s web sites goes up higher than theirs on a key word search.
It’s sort of like when a new client hires me on to do telemarketing for them in a new city. I’m sitting there rubbing my hands together in joy, wanting to blow the competition’s drawers off for not hiring me first when they had the chance. Those are the kinds of goals that make my work fun and enjoyable. It really does make work a heck of a lot more fun!
But back to Social Media, there are all kinds of ways to be getting Social Media to work, aside from pushing up your web site in the rankings. There is the posting on forums and other peoples blogs (that’s right you don’t have to write the blog yourself to get exposure just post a good related comment) to attract followers who can then become a loyal customer. It takes time and it takes an approach where you have to keep a long term one track mind in your marketing attack, but it does work. People seem to like people who don’t go changing their minds about things ideas and topics every other month. So consistency is a key here.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
Despite budget cuts, small businesses are doing what they can to make things happen. With the resiliency of being a Small Businesses owner, we are all adopting and implementing the free side (except for time to learn and implement) of online marketing tools that social media marketing affords us.
During the 2nd quarter for the very first time since the Merchant Confidence Index was started, Social Media was listing as the top channel to be used by businesses with over 50% of all businesses now using some form of Social Media Marketing. The next closest channel coming in at number 2 was e-mail marketing which was top marketing tool for small business in the 1st quarter.
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Nings, MerchantCircle combining in with local based sites like Yelp and Foursquare and video sharing sites like YouTube are finding ways into the Small Business marketing plan.
If you have the time and the tenacity to be a player in Social Media it can pay off, but it does take time. . . lots of time.
Larson Notes & Satire: Each week I find new ways to make Social Media work. I find ways to make it work for me and a small handful of select companies that want me to do it for them. It has helped to make my web site 1st page google and yahoo in the two keyword string natural searches of “telesales for printers” and telemarketing for printers”. I figure if I can do it for myself, I can do the same kind of thing and get the same kind of results for other small businesses, and I do. I like nothing more that going after the “Big Dogs” and getting them to put their tails between their legs when one of my small business client’s web sites goes up higher than theirs on a key word search.
It’s sort of like when a new client hires me on to do telemarketing for them in a new city. I’m sitting there rubbing my hands together in joy, wanting to blow the competition’s drawers off for not hiring me first when they had the chance. Those are the kinds of goals that make my work fun and enjoyable. It really does make work a heck of a lot more fun!
But back to Social Media, there are all kinds of ways to be getting Social Media to work, aside from pushing up your web site in the rankings. There is the posting on forums and other peoples blogs (that’s right you don’t have to write the blog yourself to get exposure just post a good related comment) to attract followers who can then become a loyal customer. It takes time and it takes an approach where you have to keep a long term one track mind in your marketing attack, but it does work. People seem to like people who don’t go changing their minds about things ideas and topics every other month. So consistency is a key here.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.
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