Marketing Wrap-Up and Preparations

Did profits increase in 2005? Are you pleased with the results of your 2005 marketing campaigns? What were the outcomes, and in what areas could your plan have been adjusted for better results?

I’ve been evaluating my plan since November and making adjustments to the 2006 plan. I know me. If I don’t create some type of blueprint, my business will flounder, and if that’s the case I might as well go back to working for someone else. No way.

For me, January begins by criss-crossing the country, visiting four cities to conduct 15 seminars. And time will be used wisely in the sky as I network 38,000 above the Earth and continue working on my book, tentatively titled The Solo Business Owner’s Marketing Guide.

Here are a few points mentioned in the book to consider adding to your own marketing plan.

1. Start and maintain a log of marketing methods to implement each month.
2. Secure new media relationships to gain added press coverage.
3. Attend business events inside and outside of your industry.
4. Travel to or exhibit at trade and consumer events.
5. Create a Web site or add new content each month to your current Web site.
6. Use postcards or Email to contact clients monthly or quarterly.
7. Sponsor an event for additional publicity and to secure new connections.
8. Start an online newsletter and send it regularly.
9. Consider creating podcasts to broadcast your message.
10. Recruit a college intern to assist you with a marketing campaign that’s too big to complete alone.
11. Research blogs in your industry, and evaluate what customers aren’t getting from the current mix. Then start and maintain your own.
12. Keep an open mind, change your plans as needed, and move forward to successfully market your business.

What’s on your agenda for 2006? Let me know. It’ll be our secret.

Technorati Tags: marketing campaign, marketing plan, business events, contact clients, online newsletter, podcast

If the information shared here benefits your success, please subscribe to my RSS feed!

December 26, 2005 | Filed Under Marketing News, Problems & Solutions, Recent Entries | 6 Comments

Conferences List Growing for 2006

At first, it seemed difficult to find conferences of interest to solo business owners, but the list of 2006 events is finally growing.

Check out Solo Business Marketing’s events page when you have time this weekend. Hopefully, you’ll find something to aid your growth in the New Year.

The events page will be updated each month to keep track of business and technological events as well as other gatherings where like-minded people mingle. Candy canes make the holiday sweet

Here are some excerpts.

*January - Word of Mouth Basic Training, Florida
*February - NYU Stern Women in Business Conference, New York
*March - Orange Coast County Small Business Expo, California
*May - Small Business Summit, DC

Happy holidays,

Shirley

If the information shared here benefits your success, please subscribe to my RSS feed!

December 23, 2005 | Filed Under Conferences, Recent Entries | 2 Comments

How to Write a “How To”

Education wins new customers every time Education is an important component of marketing. Along with choosing the right words that convince customers to buy products and services, you should also consider giving them a tutorial on how to select what they want before making a final decision.

Let’s focus on how to choose a day care service. What would a solo business owner who owns such a service point out to nervous parents?

1. Review the center’s credentials. (Provide the telephone number or Web site for your state board of certification.)
2. Ask how workers are selected. (Give a breakdown of how day care owners should review each worker’s experience and background.)
3. Find out if you can visit anytime to check on your child. (Mention how this plays into parents’ peace of mind.)

Your “how to” list can include as many points as needed. Ten is a favorite number, but your industry could warrant more or less.

Adding a “how to” in marketing materials and on your Web site will make a large impact on the number of accounts you win in your industry.

Here’s a sample “how to” written for one of my Web sites to help visitors decide whether or not a certain business is for them.

Technorati Tags: marketing, products and services, day care service, solo business owner, marketing materials

If the information shared here benefits your success, please subscribe to my RSS feed!

December 23, 2005 | Filed Under Customer Connections, Recent Entries | 2 Comments

Local News Creates Marketing Ideas

Read the news, make contacts, increase profits My hometown newspaper publishes a business section four days a week. It, along with other sections, gives me great ideas for contacting local businesses that need my expertise.

Here’s a headline from today’s business section, along with a reason for solo owners to pursue business by turning the story into a marketing opportunity.

Story: A local stock market trading firm is charged with securities fraud.

Marketing: Chocolatiers and gift companies should contact banks and other firms that sell securities. The contact letter explains that banks should consider contacting customers and explain how their money is safe amidst the scandal. A small box of chocolates is included with each personalized letter representing the bank’s appreciation for the customer’s continued faith. Win-win-win for customers, banks, and chocolatiers/gift companies.

Read your local newspaper. Pick it apart for ideas to build your business. You can either turn bad news, such as a scandal, into a profit-raising opportunity, or you can take another story and spin it to build a new or ongoing relationship.

Here are other marketing ideas to keep your thoughts flowing.

A Story that Glitters with Potential
Marketing Advice that Works for All Industries
Monthly Events Make Marketing Easy

If the information shared here benefits your success, please subscribe to my RSS feed!

December 22, 2005 | Filed Under Marketing News, Offline Ideas, Recent Entries | 2 Comments

← Previous Page — Next Page →