Do you have a brilliant local marketing idea?

I just had to share a local marketing idea that I personally think is brilliant.

I live in a small subdivision that is part of a larger subdivision. In all, there are about 700 homes in the larger area. We were hit pretty hard in the foreclosure boom that happened recently, and are finally starting to see streets with no foreclosure or for rent signs.

Last month, a local realtor sponsored a community garage sale. They advertised on behalf of the community and posted many signs at every main entrance and every smaller subdivision entrance. This is a a smart, self-made sponsorship opportunity.

This past weekend, I found a 'community newsletter' sponsored by the same realtor on my front door. It included excellent information about the immediate local housing market, and tips about when to sell and refinance.  It even included some trick or treating tips for parents and their little ghosts and witches and information about a pumpkin patch offering a free pumpkin to those who 'like' the community Facebook page (which they also sponsor).

None of this cost the realtor much money. But it was a highly targeted marketing campaign offering very helpful information. They don't call and annoy us and they don't send post cards or flyers we'll just throw away. Instead they provide useful information that shows they are true experts on our local community housing market. I would definitely call them first if I was looking to sell.

Do you have an example of some real innovative targeted local marketing?

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Kerry Brooks is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff. Visit the ProfessionalEdge website at www.gettheprofessionaledge.com, email info@gettheprofessionaledge.com, follow them on Twitter @profedge, or like their Facebook page.

 

Should vendors and sponsors be speakers at conferences?

 

Having served on multiple conference planning committees over the years, I can say that whether or not vendors should be given the opportunity to also serve as speakers is always a topic that gains a lot of attention. Of course vendors and sponsors also want to have a workshop; it gains them and their product more exposure. But, just like your blog should never be a sales pitch, neither should a vendor conference speaking opportunity.

Conference planners value their sponsors and vendors. Of course they bring an additional revenue source; but, they also offer an opportunity for attendees to gain additional information and learn about products and services that can help them in their work. Conference planners; however, get nothing but negative reviews when any session is a sales pitch. Given the option to attend an informational session versus a sales pitch, most attendees will far prefer information.

So what can vendors and sponsors do to offer the conference value and improve their chances for a speaking slot? Here are some do's and don'ts: 

1.       Don't submit a workshop proposal only about your company and your company's products and services

2.       Don't submit a sales pitch and don’t change it into a sales pitch once you’ve been accepted

3.       Don't expect to have a speaking slot just because you are a vendor or sponsor – you must provide value to the conference and its attendees

4.       Do take the case study approach, inviting your customers to lead a session about the problem they had where you can participate as a solution expert

5.       Do focus on the solution you provide generally and not the specific product or service

6.       Do ask the conference planner about any fitting panel opportunities where you can add to the conversation

7.       Do send your best and most engaging presenters, always!

If you are a vendor or sponsor, before you submit your next workshop proposal, think about what sessions you would want to attend. Think also about the challenges conference planners face when trying to fill limited slots with informational sessions for their attendees. If you approach your workshop proposals the same way you should be approaching your blog – by serving as an excellent source of valuable information – you should increase your chances of success.

Should vendors and sponsors be speakers at conferences? Absolutely, if they go about it the right way!

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Kerry Brooks is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff. Visit the ProfessionalEdge website at www.gettheprofessionaledge.com, email info@gettheprofessionaledge.com, follow them on Twitter @profedge, or like their Facebook page.

 

Case Studies: Testimonials on Steroids

Recently, we posted a blog about how customer testimonials are so important for your business. You should be requesting feedback and testimonials after every customer transaction. But there is so much more you can do with your positive testimonials. Case studies are like testimonials on steroids. They take a simple recommendation or quote and dig deeper to provide you with a full customer story. Case studies are an excellent addition to your marketing strategy.

For marketing purposes, you can approach case studies in two ways – either a more in-depth study of one customer experience, or an overview of multiple customer experiences with a particular product or service.

Let’s take a look at the steps you’ll need to take to create your case study. 

1.     Identify the challenge  – A case study should be built around what problem or challenge you have solved for your customer(s). So the first step is to identify which problems your products and/or services solve.

2.     Identify the customer(s) – Once you’ve identified a problem, think about your customers and identify one or more you know would be willing to tell people how you have solved the problem for them.

3.     Identify the solution – A case study tells a story and once you’ve identified the problem, you should also identify the solution. What did your company do to solve the problem or challenge? Be specific – think about all the ways your company helped, like staff interactions, training, support, installations, products, etc.

4.     Interview the customer(s) – Ask your customer(s) specific questions about their experience.  Ask for more than you need and get as much detail as possible so you can choose what is best to include in your case study. Open ended questions will provide more detail. Some people prefer to receive questions and provide answers in writing, which is helpful to you as you write and use their quotes.

5.     Draft your case study – Be sure to include the challenge, solution, and specifics and be very sure to include some of the information as verbatim quotes with proper credit given. Tell a story and let the story sell your product or service. Don’t make it a sales pitch.

6.     Secure buy-in – Have your customer(s) review and make changes to the draft as necessary – you want their buy-in. It would be a shame to write a great case study with testimonials from a customer and then have them angry at you for not letting them sign off!

7.     Incorporate it into your strategy – Be sure to incorporate use of your case study into your overall marketing strategy so it is a complement to your other marketing efforts and will garner the greatest impact. Here are some ideas to consider:

a.       Develop a printed version for use at trade shows and in new customer packets

b.      Post and talk about it on your website and other social media sites

c.       Include it as a blog post on your blog and other industry sites

d.      Repurpose it into an article for publication in industry publications

e.      Send it to key customers who have purchased before to remind them how you can solve their problems too

f.        Send to key stakeholders as appropriate, like potential funders, legislators, board members, etc.

g.       Post the quotes on your testimonial pages online and as use them in other marketing collateral

h.      Don’t forget to track and analyze every use so you know what works best for next time

8.     Consider repurposing it into a video – Videos can add a whole new perspective to things. If your customer is willing, video tape the interview and cut it into a creative video that can be posted to YouTube, on your web site, and other places. If the impact of the written story is significant, just imagine how much stronger it will be if your potentials and stakeholders hear your customer speak about how you solved their problem.

9.     Thank your customer – Be sure to thank your customer, share the finished product with them, and tell them about all the marketing exposure it harvested. Remember, this is also a marketing opportunity and exposure for them!

10.  Start on the next one! – Don’t stop after just one. Case studies should become a major and ongoing part of your marketing efforts. Done right, they can provide a significant impact.

What are some ways that you’ve incorporated case studies into your marketing strategy?

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Kerry Brooks is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff. Visit the ProfessionalEdge website at www.gettheprofessionaledge.com, email info@gettheprofessionaledge.com, follow them on Twitter @profedge, or like their Facebook page.

Does Your Organization Stand Out?

Let’s face it, it’s a dog eat dog world in business. No matter the size of your company – whether you are a startup or you have been in business for a long time – you run the risk of getting lost in a sea of other organizations either just like yours or doing at least some of the same things you are doing. It is imperative that you stand out in everything you do in order to gain, maintain, or grow market share.

What are some ways you can stand out amongst your competition?

Customer Service

Customer service is one important way you can stand out against your customers. Are your employees empowered to handle any issue that arises? Does everyone in your organization go above and beyond every day? Exceptional customer service will gain you customers and repeat customers and that is the key to any successful business.

Quality of Product/Service

Another critical way to stand out is through the quality of the products and/or services you provide. In what ways are you better than the competition? Are you telling people about those ways? Are you getting customer testimonials to show potential customers that others who have used your products or services agree that yours are better quality? Be the best. And tell people about it.

Staff + Leadership

This one goes with the first two above. When you have excellent staff around you, your business will flourish, you will have the best products and services, and you will provide exceptional customer service. If you have excellent leadership you will allow your staff the freedom and autonomy to make it so.

Innovation

Always, always, always be looking at new, more efficient, more effective ways to meet your customers’ needs. Be first to market with these new ideas and you will win and keep market share.

Creativity

We recently included a blog post about maintaining an energized organization that included many ideas to keep your organization energized and foster creativity. Foster a creative culture and you will always be innovating and leading the competition.

Branding

Last but certainly not least, your overall organizational brand should stand out. Branding incorporates all of the above, along with your messaging and look and feel. Be sure your look is current, crisp, and speaks to everything else about your organization. Revise it to keep up with the ever-changing times. Tell the story through your brand through all the ways mentioned, and solidify it through excellent and consistent marketing and social media activities.

It may be a dog eat dog world but you don’t need to get lost in that sea. Stop and think about how your organization is standing out. Could you be doing better?

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Kerry Brooks is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff. Visit the ProfessionalEdge website at www.gettheprofessionaledge.com, email info@gettheprofessionaledge.com, follow us on Twitter @profedge, or like our Facebook page.

Are you using testimonials like Amazon uses customer reviews?

“Testimonials are enough to convince people for now.” Alex Chiu

I am an avid online shopper and customer reviews play a key role in my purchasing decisions. There’s nothing better to me than a current, detailed review of how the product works and meets customer expectations. Multiple reviews are even better because you get a better picture from different perspectives. I don’t often purchase something online that hasn’t been reviewed yet.

Just like online shopping sites use customer reviews, one of the greatest marketing tools your company has is a testimonial from a customer. What better way to convince others to try your products or services than to hear how well they have worked for someone else? Testimonials should be used often and everywhere. Post them on your web and social media sites, include them in your brochures, incorporate them into your press releases and articles, and build case studies around them (we’ll have another post soon on that topic).

But, it’s also very important that your testimonials are fresh. Current testimonials on your products and services are much more meaningful.

Are your testimonials a bit dusty? Make gathering testimonials a part of your processes. As soon as you complete a project or deliver a product contact the customer to thank them for their business and request a testimonial. Include past customers in a survey and add a space for a testimonial at the end. If your customers are happy, they won’t hesitate to help.

Of course this is only one part of the whole process – you have to deliver everything or more than you’ve promised to your new customer. But the testimonial can often be the first hook to get them in the door or lead them to purchase your product or service.

How are you using testimonials to convince people about your products or services?

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Kerry Brooks is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff.