Create A Catalog for Your Website

Here's an idea to make your top-selling inventory available on the web to anyone who wants to buy. You don't need to have an online store and you don't need to pay a web developer thousands of dollars to build a complicated data base.

Instead, just create a catalog with all your merchandise on your own computer and then offer it as a pdf download from your website.

In many ways, a pdf catalog is better than an actual printed catalog. There are no printing or mailing costs, and customers can save it to their computer for future reference.

DO IT YOURSELF
It may take a little time, but a catalog is not that difficult to create. You can do it with Word as long as you are comfortable working with tables and graphics in Word. Find Word tutorials here: Word 2007 Courses

Lay out your complete catalog including a cover page, table of contents, product information, and ordering instructions. Be sure to include an order form that may be faxed or mailed to you. When creating your catalog, include as much color as you can and include as many product pictures as you can.

When you are finished with the creation of your catalog, proof read it carefully. Now you're ready to convert the entire catalog from Word into a pdf document. You may already have the pdf conversion software on your computer, or you may have pdf driver installed in your printing options. If so, try those first and examine the results.

If that's not working, use this free online pdf converter: doc2pdf (donations accepted). I've found it to be very quick and completely accurate.

Once you've created the pdf document of your catalog, save it to your computer. Then send the file to your web developer and add it to the website. Make sure you prominently promote the "New Colorful Catalog" now available online.

EXAMPLES
Here are a couple of examples of some catalogs (all pdf file links):
Huetter Mill & Cabinet Molding and Stair Parts
Classic Cuisine Catering Catalog
Schlueter Dairy Technologies Catalog

When you do finish your catalog, be sure to send me a link to jay-at-themarketingspot-dot-com. If you already have a catalog, please let me know so that I can link to it as an example.


For more information on our company: www.themarketingspot.com
Read our other blog on small business marketing: The Marketing Spot

May Your Christmas Be Blessed

May the Spirit of the season and the joy of our Savior enter your heart this Christmas.

The Idea Spot will be back after Christmas with new case studies and practical marketing ideas.

Merry Christmas!

Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah! 13 Questions to Ask Yourself to Get Unique

Ben Bernie was an orchestra leader in the 1930's, who used to sign off his radio program with "Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah." It was his trademark and he became famous for that saying. Why? Because it was unique.

If you are struggling to build perceived value in your business then it's time to look at your uniqueness. The larger the sale you have to make with your business, the more you need to build up your perceived value. The key is to find that one unique feature on which you can hang all of your marketing materials.

Here's How You Do It
Start asking yourself some questions and start with these:

1. Who are the customers or my audience?


2. What should people feel when they come in contact with my offering?


3. What are my top three business values, other than honesty and quality?


4. What unique resources do I have that my competitors don't?


5. What do I aspire to accomplish for my customers?


6. If the sky were the limit, what might be possible with my business?


7. Do I have a unique model, system or process by which I operate?


8. What's my biggest weakness and how could that be my biggest strength?


9. What could be the potential risks, costs, or consequences to my customers by not doing business with me?


10. What are the top 5 questions asked by my potential customers?


11. What do my customers think must be done in order for them to be totally satisfied?


12. How does my offering give my customers momentum?


13. What is it my customers think I cannot do?

After asking these questions, you will most assuredly have jotted a list of multiple unique features about your business. Now compare that list with what your competitors are saying. Eliminate anything that sounds anything close to what they are saying.

Of the remaining items on the list, which one inspires you and would inspire your customers? There's your uniqueness. Now put that on all your marketing materials and never lead with anything else. This is what you are going to use to build perceived value in your business.

Note:
Thanks to Gerald Haman of Solution People for the inspiration of these questions. Gerald has created a truly unique pocket innovation tool call the KnowBrainer, which I use to help my clients devise unique solutions.

For more help on finding your uniqueness, see Connect the Dots: Building a True Brand, on our other blog: The Marketing Spot.

Related Posts:

1. Word of Mouth for a Realtor
2. Make the First Visit Count

For more information on our company: www.themarketingspot.com

Surprise Your Customers

Rick Spence, at the Financial Post tells us how he got pleasantly surprised by a hotel and the marketing lightbulb came on.






From the article:

"People get jaded fast," he says. "People have seen it all, and they expect it all. They expect that product quality, service and the experience will all be right. And the only way to please people who expect it all is to give them something they don't expect."

Are you surprising your customers? For more ideas, read the article here: Rick Spence: Surprise marketing tactics endear.

For more marketing advice and lessons, see our other blog: The Marketing Spot.
Our company website is: http://www.themarketingspot.com/

Branding an Office Space

Case Study: New Haven Legal Centre

Idea Wanted: Re-brand an existing office space business.

Challenge: Take an existing local office space business national, and at the same time, change the vision of the business.

Background: 25 year old President Jonathan Arabolos has a passion to reinvent office space. Jon and his mother operate the New Haven Legal Centre in New Haven, Connecticut, an office building where over 90% of the clients are legal associated practices. But Jon has an enthusiasm to serve new businesses and entrepreneurs and he want to combine that enthusiasm with his passion and into a new office space concept. He also wants to expand his reach and take the concept national.

Advice: Branding is about being different in the mind of the consumer. But it's not just about saying your different, it's also about being different. Jon needs to take his values, his passion, and his vision and turn it into a business that's real. When you have a real business that's different, you can have a brand that stands out from the crowd. We are going to advise Jon to focus on being a different kind of office space for small businesses.

Ideas:

1. The Mission. The first step to branding is to identify your mission, based on your values. Jon's top three business values are flexibility, optimism and passion*. Now those values need to be turned into a mission that will have merit with the target client: small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs. The mission we identified in working with Jon is to "To be a fertilizing ground where businesses grow."

   *For the record: We do not allow clients to give us the value of honesty when going through the branding process. Honesty is assumed as a starting point for doing business long term. This rule also applies to quality. Never use honesty or quality in your marketing materials.

2. The Brand Promise. After a mission statement is developed, the next step is to develop a brand promise based on the vision Jon has for the company. Jon's big hairy vision is to brand office space nationwide. He wants to set up a network of entrepreneurs and be a hub for small businesses through office space. To accomplish this vision potential clients will have to see Jon as a resource. Our recommended Brand Promise for the re-branded company is for Jon to "Be the resource you need to make your office space successful."
   
   
3. Proving the Brand. Branding is not about constructing a make believe image. Real branding that lasts cannot be done with smoke, mirrors and pretty words. Sooner or later you have to prove your promise. Jon wants to be a resource. We believe the best way to do this is to assemble a hub of services that most small businesses need but don't necessarily know how to get.
   
   These essential services can include: Bookkeeping, legal help, office supplies, printing, computer repair. Jon would have approved company providers for each of these services and more. He could check references and negotiate rates up front. Then when a tenant needs some printing work, rather than wasting time calling around and getting bids, they just call the "company printer" and order what they want.
   
   Another value-added service he could offer is a free logo when you sign a lease for a designated term. New businesses rarely have a logo when they start, so they can get a logo and an office in one transaction. There are logo shops that provide logos for as little as $250.
   
   
4. New Name. Obviously New Haven Legal Centre is not going to cut it as a name for the newly re-branded national business. There are a million business naming theories out there, but my favorite is probably Seth Godin's Naming a Business. We did a little creative thinking to come up with a couple of different names:
   
   Maple Office Centers - We got the inspiration from Jon's name, Arabolos, which is close to the Spanish word for trees. A maple tree is a fast-growing strong tree with a good visual presence. It's easy to spell and pronounce and we think it has nice ring.
   Harvest Business Centers - This name has an obvious relationship to Jon's mission of being a 'fertilizing ground' for small businesses. It also has a positive connotation, is easy to spell and pronounce.
   


5. Get a Signature. With a Brand Promise and a new name, we need a signature. Most people call this a tag line or a slogan. But signatures have meaning and they are personal. A slogan is a clever saying, but a signature is personal. Good signatures should tie in nicely with the name of the business and give a clear indication of what a business offers.
   
   We think the signature here is obvious: 'The Fertilizing Ground for Businesses,' taken from Jon's mission. Now we connect the business name with the signature and we get:
   Maple Office Center - The Fertilizing Ground for Businesses
   


6. Key Visual. To put the finishing touch on this brand we need a key visual. Not talking about a logo here, you can learn more about that chore here: The Importance of a Logo in Branding.
   
   Key visuals provide a consistent theme throughout all your marketing materials. The key visual is the continuity of your communication with the customer. We think the new brand's key visual needs to revolve around a hub. John wants to build a network of entrepreneurs and be a hub for them so the hub visual seems natural.
   
   If name of the business is Maple Office Center, use a maple tree as the center of the hub and extend spokes out to icons that reference the different resources. You can visualize what it might look like by applying your imagination to the this computer network graphic (sorry, we're not going to show you the graphic we would do).

The Lesson: Why go through the whole mission, vision, brand promise exercise? Lasting brands are built on values and passion, they are what we call 'True Brands.' You can see the process we went through for Jonathan Arabolos and his quest for a new brand. When we identified his values, mission, vision and brand promise up front, the rest of the process really became quite easy. That's because we didn't have to make things up. We were building a true brand.

To learn more about this process and branding your small business, we highly recommend Microbranding: Build a Powerful Personal Brand and Beat Your Competition, by Scott Gross.


For more small business marketing lessons and advice, see our other blog: The Marketing Spot
To learn more about our company, see our website: www.themarketingspot.com

Cultivate Your Customers

A great way to create word of mouth is to help your customer grow. A better way to create word of mouth is to help them grow for free.

To cultivate your customer look for some of your most valuable information, and then give it away free. Why would you want to do that?

Because:
People like to feel important
People like to help other people
People like businesses that help them without obligation.

When you give information that makes your potential customer more knowledgeable, more informed, or teaches them something that makes them better, they will take that information and talk about it to other potential customers.

How do you do that?
First, ask yourself the question: What is the most valuable thing I could teach someone to make them better (related to your industry)?

Then, ask yourself: How can I best give this information to potential customers for free?

Let's say you are a health and fitness trainer. You can get your clients to attend the workout, you just can't get them to eat properly. The problem, you find, begins in the grocery store. People just don't know what to buy.

To cultivate your customer, you produce a grocery shopping list and guidelines that people can take with them to the grocery store. Then you have it printed and laminated (with your web address and contact information) to give out, plus you convert it to a pdf document and load it on to your website as a free download.

You have now made your customers better for knowing you. You have cultivated them.

How do you cultivate your customer? Give them free information or tools that will make them better.


For more small business marketing advice and lessons, see our other blog: The Marketing Spot
For more about our company, see our website: http://www.themarketingspot.com/

We Give Thanks

We here at The Marketing Spot will be taking the next two days off to give thanks for the many favors granted to us by God. We are thankful for for all His blessings. May you be blessed this Thanksgiving and have a safe weekend. We'll be back blogging in a couple of days.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Childrens Furniture Advertising

Case Study: Punkin Patch, brick and mortar and online, upscale children's furniture and baby boutique.

Idea Wanted: New ways to advertise a new website with little to no budget.

Challenge: Get a new website noticed with virtually no money.

Background: Toks Aruoture purchased Punkin Patch, a children's furniture and baby decor boutique, in Atlanta 18 months ago. During that time they have hired 2 web designers to create an ecommerce website with the aim of selling baby furniture nationwide. After some disappointments their new website finally went live in the past week. However, during that time they made a significant investment in a year-long magazine advertising contract to promote a new website that was not ready. Add that total to the money they spent on web design and their budget is depleted.

Advice:

Punkin Patch caters to the affluent. This actually works to our advantage in trying to minimize expenditure while maximizing return on dollars spent. For Punkin Patch, we advise that they combine geographic and demographic targeting. While Punkin Patch may sell and ship to anywhere in the continental U.S. affluent consumers with more than $100,000 annual income don't just live anywhere in the continental U.S. They tend to live close to each other in particular neighborhoods.

We also advise that Punkin-Patch develop an advertising strategy that mixes both online and traditional forms of media. So let's get started.

Ideas:

1. Free press releases. Yes, we've made this recommendation before, because works. First use this press release generation tool to help you structure the press release. To give the press release more bite, other than "we sell baby furniture" we suggest that Punkin Patch offer a premium with the first order. We like the idea of a personalized burp big, but it can be just about anything baby related.
   
   After you've written your press release check this list of free press release distribution sites and begin the submission process. But hold on, don't submit to every one of them. Three is enough for right now. Then in another month choose another three...and so forth. We also suggest that Punkin Patch consider some higher level paid press release services to get a little broader coverage.
   
2. Use Google Adwords and Yahoo Search Marketing to get ads placed in searches. Here's how it works. You choose keywords for your ads. When those keywords show up in searches, your ad appears in the sponsored links section. The best part of keyword search marketing is that you get to choose your budget. You pay on a per-click basis and when all your budget is used up, then you stop getting clicks. It allows you to test the waters before going whole hog.
   
   First, you choose your keywords using this keyword tool from Google. The key is to cross-reference keywords that have as minimal competition (keywords are priced on supply and demand) with as high a search volume as possible. We have already done this analysis for Punkin-Patch and recommended five search terms.
   
3. Send post cards offering free burp cloth with purchase. How in the world can we recommend direct mail with a national website? Two ways. First, as I mentioned earlier, affluent Americans don't live just any old place. You can target zip codes, even neighborhoods where the people make a lot of money. Second, whenever Punkin Patch gets an order, they now have all of that customer's data. If that customer is typical of the ideal buyer profile, mail postcards to their neighborhood declaring that their friend down the street has discovered Punkin-Patch.com, why don't you? We'll even give you a personalized burp bib with your first purchase.
   
   We are fond of postcards, especially for websites, because they are relatively inexpensive to print and mail. There's no opening of envelopes and if the postcard is properly designed, the consumer can't help but see your message. Even if the consumer intends to throw it in the trash.
   
4. Team up with Amazon. Toks has already been approached by Amazon to add Punkin Patch to their website. Because she has had some difficulties getting her own website running the way she wants, we advise her to proceed once she has read the agreement thoroughly. She also should call a couple of references who already have an Amazon storefront. There is no direct advertising expenditure here, however Toks will have to pay a percentage of the sale to Amazon. In return, Amazon provides the exposure to its expansive customer base and it absorbs all the credit card fees.
   
5. Email marketing. This method is often maligned because of the spam implications. However, we have talked to businesses who have used email with some success. The key is to deal with a list broker that has an opt-in or permission list. People have actually given permission (whether they knew it or not) to be on this email list. Be aware, however, that these lists can still have a high degree of inaccuracy. Take the total numbers with a degree of scepticism. To buy a list, you will pay $X per thousand addresses. You also have to put together your own ad using some html. We recommend that you create the message, but have a professional put the ad together.
   
6. Women's issues blogs. here you are going to have to use some good old-fashioned internet shoe leather. Surf all the women's blogs you can find. Search Technorati and Ice Rocket to find them. Look for ones that fit the affluent female profile. Participate in the conversation by commenting on the blogs. Contact the blog author and ask for a review of your website. There may be some that you might actually want to sponsor with a banner ad. Check the blog's popularity with Technorati, and ask for the blog author's feed stats (actual subscribers). A blogger who's on top of her game will be able to tell you how many subscribers she has and is probably using a service like Feedburner.

The Lesson:
The first lesson that Toks learned, the hard way, is don't start advertising until you are absolutely ready for business. Especially when you are depending on a website for your sales. I have not yet ever seen a website go up on schedule...ever. Did I mention that I've never seen a website go up on schedule? Ever?

If you do find yourself with little to no money to advertise and you know you need to advertise, all hope is not lost. Fortunately for you, the internet still has some anarchy and you can conquer little parts of it. Work hard to find the spots where you can leverage you message for free or practically free.

Finally, before advertising, go to our other blog, The Marketing Spot and read some of our lessons on branding and advertising. You can maximize the return on any advertising investment you make by maximizing the message you communicate.

If you have any additional ideas for Toks Aruoture and Punkin Patch, please add your thoughts by clicking the comments link below.

For more information on our company, see our website: www.themarketingspot.com

Christmas Sales Ideas for Small Business

The Christmas holiday sales season can make or break the year for a small business, whether online, or brick & mortar.

1. Reward early buyers. I know we all hate Christmas displays going up too early. But you can attract extra business by giving early shopper bonuses without being too commercial about the holiday itself. Try to shy away from big price discounts as this will not attract customers who will remain loyal after the sale.
   


2. Share some of your profits. When donating, use these two criteria: donate to a cause with which you can be important, and donate to a cause for which you are passionate. Everybody does Toys for Tots and Food for Families, but there are many more deserving charities that would love your attention.
   
   


3. Make your Web site holiday-friendly. Or more appropriately, make your store & website Christmas-friendly. It is chic these days to say the world 'holiday' instead of 'Christmas'. Instead you should be all about Christmas. There may be one or two PC'ers out that you will offend (like I likely just did), but you will definitely set yourself apart from the mass of light-stepping retailers who have no backbone.
   
   


4. Offer perks or discounts. Go light on the discounts and heavier on the perks. Remember discounting your price does not encourage loyalty, only one-time purchases. Always tie perks and discounts in to a higher level of purchase. Don't offer bonuses for normal business. Reward customers for a larger, or more frequent, purchase.
   
   


5. Partner with other retailers. Always a great idea if you can team up with complimentary, non-competitive businesses. Look for businesses that sell a related product, or businesses that sell to the same demographic as you.
   
   


6. Go the extra mile. This should be standard business policy, so I would rephrase to say 'go the extra Christmas mile.' What's something extra you could do because it's Christmas? The season is all about giving and not receiving. Don't just try to sell, figure out how you can give.
   
   


7. Play to win as the season revs up. The closer you get to Christmas, the more you ratchet up the efforts. How can you do promotions or rewards with lowering the price? Maybe you host a choir or a kids play from the local church to come sing carols the week before Christmas. Get creative.

Got any more ideas to liven things up for the Christmas retail season? Feel free to add them through a comment.


For more marketing advice and lessons, see our other blog: The Marketing Spot
To learn about our company, see our website: www.themarketingspot.com

Small Business Ideas Podcast

Wow, has it really been 12 days since our last idea post? It's time to get cranked up again.

I spent last week at BlogWorld Expo and came back with a ton of ideas. Check back frequently during the next month.

Coming this week we'll have two new case studies for you. Until we get those up, I thought I would share one of my favorite idea generating podcasts with you: The Wall Street Journal Small Business report.

This particular episode covers Finding Sales in a Slow Economy, Forums for Entrepreneurs, and faxing.

Click on the link below and it will take you the mp3 podcast file. It should start playing if you have any time of audio player on your computer. If not, right click on the link below and download the file to play on Windows Media Player, Quicktime, or iTunes.

Here's the link: Wall Street Journal Small Business Report











And...if you've been thinking about blogging, check out the latest entries on our other blog: The Marketing Spot. I go over some of the reasons small businesses should blog.


For more information on our company, check out www.themarketingspot.com

Form a Strategic Partnership

Lindsay Polson of the stuff4business blog has a great idea, team up with another business and form a strategic alliance. To see his idea, click here.

In Lindsay's example, one business hands out appreciation coupons for a free coffee at a nearby coffee house. The business handing out the coupons pays for the printing of the coupon, the coffee house pays for the coffee. Both businesses create good will with the customer.

But it doesn't have to stop there. You can form strategic alliances to save money on advertising. For example, team up with a nearby business and purchase a billboard together. One of you takes the left side, the other takes the right side. This works well if you use the board for giving directions and both business are near each other.

There are almost limitless ideas on how to maximize marketing partnerships. Hey, who says you can't share websites?

If you have another idea, feel free to share.

For small business marketing advice and lessons, see our other blog: The Marketing Spot

Our company website is www.themarketingspot.com

Send Out a Press Release

Press releases can bring you unbiased publicity that can't be bought. Here's a real-life example of how to do it right.

We consult a young pro bass angler named Cody Malone, who is managed by his mother, Tina. Last week, we got the news that Cody qualified for the FLW STREN Championship as a rookie on the pro tour. We thought this would be a good opportunity to get some press.

Tina asked me to do the press release and I thought it would be better if she did it. Why? Because it's personal, and the press release would be coming from her and not from a marketing company. Tina went to this site, a press release generation tool, generated the release, then she let loose the hounds.

After calling everyone in town, here's what her efforts yielded:

• A live interview on the KWTX-TV morning news program.
• A feature on the KXXV-TV sportscast.
• A story in the Waco Tribune Herald sports section, with the promise of a tournament update story.
• An interview on the local sports talk radio station, KRZI.
• The promise of substantial coverage in a upcoming issue of a local magazine.

The Keys to Success:

1. Your press release topic must be interesting and have value to the media outlet. Don't be self-serving.
   
2. Use personal contact.

• Before you send the press release, call and speak to the person to whom you are sending the release. Ask their preferred method of receiving the release. Let them know who you are, and that you are the owner of the business.
• Then send the press release via email, fax or snail mail (note: don't do all three).
• Follow-up with a personal phone call to ask if they received it.
• Then ask if they would like to cover the story. Don't for get to ask for coverage!

3. Be timely. When something happens worth talking about, act immediately.

Note: If you're wondering what's the big deal about a local fishing story, you should know that pro bass fishing is big business. Big sponsorship dollars are at stake. Cody Malone, Pro Bass Angler, is a small business with big aspirations. For an example, see Kevin Van Dam and check back with Cody's website in a couple of months.

For more small business marketing lessons and advice. See our other blog: The Marketing Spot, recently name one of the Top 100 Business Blogs.

Our company website is http://www.themarketingspot.com/

Clothing Website Experience

Case Study: HIZwear.com

Idea Wanted: Enhance the website experience

Challenge: Give customers a more involved experience at the website without cluttering its simple, effective design.

Background: Three friends decided to turn their passion into a business. Six months later they had HIZWear.com, a site that sells inspirational, scriptural-based t-shirts for women. Now that's a niche!

Advice: Here's a website that has a great lesson for small business owners: You don't have to be complicated and flashy to be effective. HIZwear is a simple website that sells what it sells without overburdening the visitor. Our advice is to give visitors a chance to connect a little more with the website in ways other than buying a shirt.

Ideas:

1. The “Our Story” portion is good; it's an honest, personal story that reveals something interesting about the business. However it appears to all run together. It might be a little easier to read if it were broken into some paragraphs. That may make it necessary to do a little editing, but it would also make it more readable. Also, when you have several paragraphs in a story, use subheadlines to break it up and keep the reader interested.
   
2. To make the site more personal; under the “3 Girlz Picture” include a caption identifying who is whom. The picture is great, because it shows that HIZwear is not a corportation, just three friends following their call from God.
   
3. To create a future customer base, include a link for visitors to sign up to be notified when a new t-shirt is released. Releasing a couple of new models every two months or so, will keep customers involved and coming back for more. For example, in November, release some long-sleeve T's and send an announcement to the email list that winter models are now available.
   
4. Create a suggestion box and let visitors suggest new t-shirt ideas. There may be some inappropriate suggestions but this idea would also create repeat traffic and build a community of believers who are hungry for ways to express their faith. Plus, the suggestions will probably yield some pretty good ideas.
   
5. Consider putting men’s models right next to the female shirts for a hiz & herz package. It would be perfect timing for Christmas shopping.
   
6. Add the signature to the website: Clothed in the Word of God. We love the signature, but only learned about it in email exchanges with one of the owners, Leisa Gay. It appears nowhere on the website. Add it just the below logo (which we also like).

The Lesson: When you have a product that fundamentally speaks to your customer's life values, you have to give them an opportunity to connect emotionally with you. Give customers the opportunity to be part of your company by engaging them and soliciting feedback. Create a community of customers who share common beliefs and you will foster word of mouth and customer loyalty.

If you would like free marketing ideas for your small business, fill out this form: Request for Ideas
For small business marketing advice, see our other blog: The Marketing Spot

Seed Your Existing Customers' Next Purchase

Businesses are often caught up into trying to get new customers to spend new money with them. But don't forget your existing customers. Show them a little love and prevent them from becoming someone else's new customers.

Here's an idea to reward them, and nudge them along to their next purchase. Give them a seed. Not a literal plant seed, but a figurative one. A free small item that will be appreciated by the customer, yet at the same time cause them to want to buy more from you.

For example, if you have a tree trimming service, give all your good customers a small seedling to plant in their yard or give to someone else in their neighborhood. Along with the seedling, remind your customers to schedule a trimming before the busy seasons starts.

If you are an accountant or you have book keeping service, send desk calendars to your clients with the important tax days marked. Also, on each important tax day, promote an additional service you offer that the customer could use.

How else could you see your customers? Think about and watch your existing customers grow.

For marketing advice and lessons, see our other blog: The Marketing Spot
For more about our company, see our website: http://www.themarketingspot.com/

The Idea Spotters

Lest you think all these ideas come from me, here's a little love to the rest of the idea team that makes all these ideas possible. Our case studies are a collaborative effort. We get together every Wednesday morning at The Marketing Spot to brainstorm ideas for our case studies.

Lindsey Elliott
Lindsey is recently betrothed to the lucky Johnny Elliott, an officer in the Army. She has communications degree from the University of Alabama Huntsville.

Lindsey is very athletic; she was on track scholarship at UAH as hurdler, long-jumper and triple jumper.

Her greatest passion, after her husband, is her dog, Bailey, a wirehaired pointing griffon.

Lindsey's primary responsibility is marketing assistant with one of our clients: King's Daughters Clinic in Temple, Texas. She also serves as an assistant coach for another client: Montgomery Chiropractic in Belton, Texas. During our brainstormers, she gives us a much-needed female perspective getting us to think in the real world, applying our ideas to everyday life experiences.

Jason Pickrell
Jason is still single, ladies. He has an advertising degree from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.

Jason is also athletic; he played tennis at Tyler Junior College.

He is also a musician, singer, songwriter, using his gifts to glorify God through spiritual music. He even has his own CD! Get a taste of Jason's music at his MySpace page.

Jason's has several responsibilities, but his two major functions are as our graphics and video guru, and as operations manager for the Waco Real Estate Source, a free real estate magazine we publish in Waco, Texas. During our brainstormers, Jason is known to throw in ideas that seem to come from "left field," getting us to think in different directions.

Jay Ehret
This is me. I have been married for 8 years to my lovely wife, Carol, a pharmaceutical sales rep for Novartis. I have a financial services and planning degree from Baylor University.

I am not as athletically gifted as my young teammates, although I love to play basketball at a lunchtime businessman's pick-up game at the Waco Family Y.

In addition to my wife, my passions are serving the Lord, wine, and travel.

My primary responsibility is as chief steward of The Marketing Spot. I also serve as the Marketing Director for two of our clients: King's Daughters Clinic and Sykora Family Ford, and as coach to Cody Malone, Pro Bass Angler and Montgomery Chiropractic. I also serve as associate publisher for The Waco Real Estate Source.

We are blessed at The Marketing Spot to have a young (not including me) and creative Idea Spotting team. Our Wednesday morning brainstormers are the most fun part of the week. We enjoy the opportunity to put together practical and usable marketing ideas for small businesses all across the country.

If you would like a some free marketing ideas from our team; first read this post on our 4-Spot Marketing Model, then fill out the Idea Spot request form here.

Send Welcome Emails

Remember when we suggested that you Make The First Visit Count? This idea is based somewhat on the same principle.

Your brand new customer has just discovered you and purchased from you. Within 24 hours you should send them a welcome email. Why? Because marketing is courtship.

Think about about a time when you first met someone you found attractive. You're thinking about that person and carrying around that excitement for about a day or two. Then you get a phone call, email, or a text message from that person and it makes you feel a little giddy and tingly. That's what you want to do, tingle your customers a little bit.

Here are some best practices for the welcome email:

1. First, make sure you collect email addresses from all your new customers


2. Send the welcome email out within the first 24 hours of making a new customer


3. The message of the letter should be that you are so happy to have met someone new. Thank them for placing faith in your business by making a purchase from you.


4. Put your business name in the subject line: "Welcome to The Idea Spot Family."


5. Make the letter personal; address the customer by name, and have the letter be from an indivdual (preferably you).


6. Send html emails. those are the kinds with colorful graphics and fonts in them. It's easy if you use an email service provider like Constant Contact or one from this list.


7. The jury is out on whether or not to offer a discount, award or incentive. I personally wouldn't do it, because it cheapens the whole "newness of the relationship" thing by degrading the email into a sales piece.


8. At the end of the email, include an option to "opt out" from future emails by replying with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. Then make sure you remove them from your email list.

You could do the same thing with regular mail. A handwritten thank-you card would have tremendous impact. However, that's not practical for most businesses. Save some time and some money and welcome your customers with email.

For small business marketing advice and lessons, see our other blog: The Marketing Spot

Advertising a Travel Agency II

You may remember that back in early September, we tackled Baumann Travel in a case study. This week we decided to take on another travel agency because the situation and the lessons are much different.

Case Study: Diane Fazio's Dream Travel in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Idea Wanted: Advertising ideas to get more business

Challenge: The travel agency business has changed dramatically in the last 10 years as consumers turned to the Internet and largely book trips themselves online. Diane's challenge is to take her local travel agency, with a small marketing budget, and compete against the big online travel sites for customers and profits.

The Background: Diane operates Dream Travel out of her home in Lawrence. She specializes in honeymoon travel and Caribbean destinations. She started the business four years ago and said that she just loves it too much to not do it. Her business is OK, but she says she can handle a lot more.

Diane has earned several certifications including Sandals Certified Specialist. She loves travel herself and says that she has been to almost every major Caribbean destination.

Advice: You can waste a lot of money advertising your business. As a whole we believe that advertising is mostly ineffective when isolated as a marketing tool. In this case, Diane's keys to increasing Dream Travel's return on her advertising investment are: the way she positions her company, the media she uses for her message, and the message itself. Our ideas will revolve around those three areas, and then we recommend a website upgrade to give Dream Travel's advertising credibility.

Our Ideas:

1. Let's start with positioning, or building an image in the mind of the consumer. It's tempting to stand for a lot of different things and try to get business from several different segments of the market. However, people would rather deal with a specialist than a generalist. Dream Travel should be positioned in all it's advertising as the Wedding and Honeymoon specialists. Diane has a passion for this segment of the business and can genuinely position herself as a honeymoon travel expert. It doesn't mean that Dream Travel cannot book cruises, family vacations or group travel. It just means that she doesn't use her advertising to try to attract that business.
   
2. Now that we have our position, let's choose our media. We put Dream Travel’s criteria into our MediaSpotter tool and found that local community publications are Diane’s best choice. She is currently using the Perfect Wedding Guide in the Lawrence area as well as a sports display (a display case with advertising) at a local supermarket. We recommend that she not renew her ad in the sports display and begin placing ads for Dream Travel in wedding guides outside her own market (after she implements a couple of our other ideas below). There is no need to limit potential customers to her immediate geographic location. Diane has the ability to plan honeymoons for anyone anywhere. Theoretically, Dream Travel could be advertised in any wedding guide in any part of the country.
   
3. We know where we want to advertise, what we want our business to look like, now let's do makeover of the ad itself and fine-tune the message. Resist the temptation to put too much copy into your ads. Think of advertising as courtship; you are trying to court the prospective customer to taking the next step in their relationship with you. Rather than listing all the reasons customers should buy from you, use a pick-up line in your advertising. For Dream Travel, we recommend a very simple, colorful ad. Use a tropical island picture (which Diane currently does), put the name of the business at the top of the ad and directly underneath but the pick-up line: "It's like getting a free upgrade." Then in for the copy put: (headline) Dream Travel, The Honeymoon and Wedding Travel Specialists. (copy) Leave nothing to chance on the most important vacation you'll ever take. We plan honeymoons every day and we know how to upgrade your honeymoon without upping your budget. To see your honeymoon destination, simply visit our website: http://www.dreamtravelma.4mydeals.com/, or call 555-555-5555.
   
4. When visitors arrive at your website, they need to see the fulfillment of your advertisement. Dream Travel's website does not currently do this. We recommend a website redesign starting with a unique domain name. We believe Dream Travel needs to stop using the free service and invest in a professionally designed website that communicates her new position. We realize this is a tough step, but a necessary one. First, using the free service makes the web domain name too long and the 4mydeals part of the domain name detracts from the specialist image we are trying to craft. Also, the free service allows few options for customization. You have to invest some money and use a professional web designer, but you probably don't have to invest as much as you think. We believe that the website we envision for Dream Travel can be done for around a thousand dollars. However, there will be a significant time investment up front, and then few hours every couple of weeks to to keep it fresh and useful.
   
5. No, blogging is not passé yet (at least I hope not). We recommend that Diane blog on the website to establish Dream Travel as the honeymoon and wedding travel experts. She has been to almost all of the major Caribbean resorts and can offer first hand advice in her blogs. She can also give honeymoon travel tips. In her blog posts she should use keywords that will help her site show up well in web searches. Use Google Adwords Keyword Tool to find good keyword topics. We have emailed a list of potential keywords to Diane.


6. Here are some of our ideas for the new Dream Travel website: Post pictures and testimonials from past clients to ad credibility. Put Diane's picture prominently on the splash page and the blog to add a feeling of personalization. Include a photo album of all the resorts to which Diane has traveled and include tips for each to establish expertise. Put a "request a quote" form on the website to make it non-threatening and easy for people to do business with Dream Travel. Add a "Honeymoon Travel Secrets" section to make the site interesting.

The Lesson: Advertising is not magic, it does not work alone. Several factors are involved in getting business through advertising. Your ad must communicate your position in the marketplace (based on your brand), you must place your advertising where it has the best chance to succeed (think context), then your message must draw the customer in to wanting a relationship with you (courtship). Once you get them to go out on a date with you, you need a place to do business that is congruent with message you've been communicating ( Dream Travel's website).

So what do you think of our ideas? Do you have any others?

For small business marketing advice and lessons, see our other blog: The Marketing Spot.
For more about our company, see our website: http://www.themarketingspot.com/

Add Premiums to Your Product

One way to add to the customer experience and increase your value proposition is to combine premiums with the stuff you sell. Promotional premiums are items, services, or experiences that you don't normally offer and are not part of your normal product mix.

The premiums can be free or, in some cases, be sold to your customers on the condition that they do business with you. They are either limited time or limited edition offers. But if you're going to get into the premium game, make sure they work hard for you.

Here is a great idea-generating read from Steven Stark in Promo Magazine that explains different types of premiums and how they might be used: Free Monkeys For All

Some of Steven's advice:

• Your premiums should deliver real surprise and delight
• Your premium should intersect with the core ideas and assets of your brand
• Develop your premiums as you develop your promotions, not after
• Think big!

For more small business marketing advice and lessons, see our other blog: The Marketing Spot

Put On A Show

When customers walk into your business, don't just let them walk into a door. Let them walk into another world. Give them something out of the ordinary and create one of those magic spots that we talk so much about.

Here are some ideas:
From the stuff4restaurants blog: Hire a magician to entertain your customers. See the video here: Magic Bartenders

Remember our Salon Experience Case Study on this very blog? We suggested that Pepper's Salon in Puyallup, Washington, team up with a local, upscale fashion retailer and have live models showing the latest fashions during their busiest hours.

Sometimes a little entertainment can go a long way. Just be sure that when you do put on a show, it is congruent with your customer experience. A magician in a bar is great, a fashion show in a salon is fine. A mime at a billiards hall would not go over that well.

What show can you put on in your business?

For small business marketing advice and lessons, please see our other blog: The Marketing Spot
For information on our company: www.themarketingspot.com

Word of Mouth for a Realtor

Case Study: Sandra Daniels, realtor for John L. Scott Real Estate in Beaverton, Oregon.

Challenge: Increase referral business in a very competitive and close-knit market. She currently gets a large portion of her business through referrals, but says that there's always room for more.

Idea Wanted: A new strategy to create referral buzz.

Background: Sandra has been doing real estate in the Beaverton/Portland area for ten years, eight of those years as a realtor. She wants to create some buzz and get more referral business. Her advertising has been minimally effective and she gets virtually no qualified leads from the yard signs in front of her listings. Her current slogan is "The first step to your next home."

Sandra is originally from Hawaii and actually knows how to hula. She also active in the community doing volunteer work for her church, a women's and children's shelter, and the Red Cross. She prides herself on no BS, straight talk. Current marketing efforts are an email newsletter and inclusion in her Broker's ad in the Oregonian. Sandra has been thinking about starting a blog.

Advice: To get some buzz, people have to have a topic worth talking about. You need to stick out, or say something out of the ordinary.

Our Ideas:

1. Develop an image that is out of the ordinary that gets attention. Our suggestion is to drop the current slogan and become The Straight-Talking Hawaiian. Sandra should embrace her heritage and use it as a differentiator in most of her marketing efforts.


2. Get some attention by being a little controversial. Start a blog called "Straight-Up Real Estate" or "No BS Real Estate." Reveal some realtor secrets. Post case studies (where did we get that idea?) of actual sales of anonymous people and a major lesson learned from that sale. Then promote your blog to local TV & radio stations and volunteer to do a Straight Up segment for them.


3. Create a talking point with every sale. Each homebuyer receives a Hawaiian themed welcome gift when they arrive at their new home. Remember the scene from It's a Wonderful Life where George and Mary welcome a family to their new home with salt, wine & bread? Do something similar with Hawaiian gifts such as as a ukelele, hibiscus flowers, and traditional Hawaiian food. The homebuyers will be sure to tell that story when they tell their friends about their new home.


4. Throw an annual luau customer appreciation party for your past and current clients. Ask the broker to share the cost with you. It keeps customers involved and gives you a chance to visit with them in person. The event will remind them about you and spur them to give referrals.


5. Get customers involved with a cause. Conduct an annual fundraiser with former customers for the women & children's shelter where Sandra volunteers. Send out a fundraising letter with a donation envelope and invite customers to work with you to raise money for this worthy cause. People like to do business with businesses that share common values.


6. Give away some valuable information. People love lists. Create a Top 10 list such as Top 10 Mistakes Homebuyers Make That Cost Them Money. Then print it on a flyer with your picture and information on it. Hand it out to all customers and mail it to phone inquiries. Then write a press release from the Straight Talking Hawaiian and send it to the local television, radio, and print outlets. As well as creating some buzz, you may also get some media coverage.

The Lesson: Don't be afraid to step out with a bold image. If you want to create buzz, you have to be different and you have to get noticed. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that because you work hard and do a good job, that you will get noticed. People need an image to convey and something unique to say about you.

Say or do something out of the ordinary, in a positive way. People rarely talk about the ordinary. Combine your bold image with memorable actions. Then remind them to talk about you by staying in communication with them.

Word of Mouth referrals are powerful, but they don't just happen. They are created not just by hard work, but also with a carefully crafted plan.

See our company website at http://www.themarketingspot.com/
For more small business marketing lessons and advice, please see our other blog: The Marketing Spot.

Magic Spot Ideas

In Tuesday's post, Make the First Visit Count, I suggested creating a magic spot in the customer experience as a way to create a memory and encourage word of mouth.

I found an article on national customer service week that gives some excellent examples of magic spots in action. My favorite is the free ice cream from a pizza place.

Get an idea starter in this article from the Minneapolis St. Paul Star Tribune here: Celebrating Customer Service Week.

Make the First Visit Count

Many a small business is frustrated by the lack of word of mouth they receive from their customers. Even their loyal customers won't talk about them. But that's not a surprise.

Often, it's not your long-time customers that spread the news about you; it's the customer who visits your business for the very first time.

Excitement is the key.
Customers are more likely to talk about something that's fresh and new. They are excited that they made a discovery and they want to share that experience with others.

To get instant word of mouth, make a customer's first visit to your business memorable. To immediately grab a new customer you need a magic spot: a memory anchor that your new customer can refer to when they start talking about you. It's a memorable moment that's outside a normal customer experience.

Here are some ideas:

1. Give customers a surprise bonus. On a recent visit to a restaurant, the server found out it was my first visit and brought me a free surprise appetizer. I didn't know it was coming before I received it.
2. Ask for their input. People like to feel important. When you get a first-time customer, take them aside and tell them you would like a fresh perspective and some honest feedback on the business. Ask them what they really liked about their experience, then ask them what they would like to see changed, added or improved. When they tell you, write it down in front of them and genuinely thank them. Ask them for their email address or phone number in case you have some questions later.
3. Make them feel like they are part of a new group. "Your a first time customer? We like to think of our customers as extended family." Then give them a t-shirt with your logo and tag line and say "Welcome to our family." It sounds silly, but the power of a t-shirt is amazing. If you have an salon or an upscale shop, be creative and make it a tie-die or t-shirt with a unique design.
4. Give them inside information. Nothing sensitive of course. Tell them you get new merchandise shipments on Tuesday and all the new models so come on Wednesdays to get the first shot at all the cool stuff. Got a sale that starts next week but hasn't been advertised yet? Let the customer know. You should never pay retail prices for clothing at Jos. A Bank because they always have a sale. But my salesmen tells me when the corporate club sales are around the corner with even bigger discounts.
   

So make the first visit count. Create a magic spot for first time visitors. That's when their most excited...and most likely to spread the word about you.

For small business lessons and marketing advice, see our other blog: The Marketing Spot
Our company website: www.themarketingspot.com/

Get a Free Website

Every small business should have a website. It's just what's expected now. But worse than not having a website, is having a poor website.

The Challenges:

1. You don't have enough money - Getting a visually appealing, functional website costs a little bit of money. I usually recommend my clients to anticipate spending about a $1000 for a good website using a professional website designer.
2. You can't reserve the domain name you want - All the ones with your business name are taken.
3. You don't know where to start, you don't know what to do - Who do you hire? You need time to research and figure things out.
4. You don't want your website to look cheesy - Services like Go Daddy offer website builders for a fee, but they don't look very good, nor are they functional.
5. You want something now - Building a good website can take 4-6 weeks (no matter what the developer says).

One Solution:
Squidoo is a service that invites you to build a "lens" and share your knowledge with the world. I think it's a great source for you to put up a free, interim website.

I put up this "lens" for my company: The Marketing Spot

It took me less than an hour, but it might take you a little longer, because I already had much of the content on my main company website.

The biggest benefit is that when you add your lens, you get a unique URL, which in effect, makes it a website. Notice that my lens domain name is www.squidoo.com/themarketingspot. I can direct people directly to my Squidoo lens with this URL. It's now my website.

With my site you will notice that I added pictures, videos, description of my services and my blog content. You can definitely get creative with your content to promote your business. Here's one of my favorite lenses: http://www.squidoo.com/laptopbag/

Squidoo has some limitations, such as color scheme and layout flexibility. You also have to endure Google ads and Squidoo offers. But hey, it's free and it's quick.

Try it out, but hurry so you can get the lens name you want. Now you have no more excuses to get a website.

DISCLAIMER: I was neither compensated nor approached by Squidoo for this post.

For small business marketing lessons and advice, see my other blog: The Marketing Spot

Send Emails to Your Customers

If you have a retail business and a healthy customer list you should consider sending out emails to your customers. Email marketing is often touted as giving one of the best ROI's of any marketing activity.


Why do email marketing?

1. Remind your customers to do business with you. Sometimes customers just need a little prodding. Whenever I get a personal email from one of my favorite wineries asking if I want to order anything, I almost always say yes.
2. Keep them involved with your business. Maybe you have the type of business where customers purchase infrequently. Remind them who you are between purchases.
3. Create word of mouth opportunities. When you send out important information to your customers, it gives them the opportunity to forward the email on to their friends.
4. Introduce promotions, new products or services. Get people excited if this month is "Bring a Friend Free" month.
5. Keep your customers informed. Let them know if you are now open Saturday mornings, or that you've hired a key individual. My wife recently called to confirm her appointment for her annual check up and they told her, "we're glad you called, because we've moved." Luckily she called.
6. It's cost effective. If you had to personally call all your customers or send a letter, how much would that cost?

Use a web-based system to send your emails. There are several great on-line services that allow you to send out colorful, spiffy-looking emails while only requiring you to know how to click a mouse and string some sentences together. You'll be able to send out the same email to hundreds of customers, yet it will also be personalized. Using a web-based email service also prevents you from clogging up your own computer or losing everything if your system crashes.

Which should you use? Check out this list here: Email Service Providers. I have used Constant Contact in the past, but there are cheaper services. Your cost will be determined by the number of emails you send out per month. Most services will offer you a free trial period. Pick a couple and test them out.

For some basics of email marketing, see this reference list.

Have you had success with email marketing? Share your story.

For small business marketing lessons and advice, see our other blog: The Marketing Spot
For more about our company, see our website: http://www.themarketingspot.com/

Branding a Law Practice

Case Study: Kenneth Alan Forman PA, Immigration Attorney in North Miami Beach, Florida

Challenge: Re-brand a law practice that has recently expanded and has a vision of national influence.

Idea Wanted: A brand that will increase business from immigrants facing deportation, coupled with an image that carries weight across the entire country.

The Background: Ken Forman, the principal of the practice, has been in operation for more than 18 years and has just added his daughter to the practice. The goal is to expand the business to become the go-to practice defending deportation from immigration courts on a national scale.

His business values: Competence, Honesty, Protection
His Mission: To help immigrants who deserve to be here fight against the immigration courts trying to deport them.

Advice: Think through they eyes of the potential client and think big! Forman's clients are immigrants facing deportation and the firm has the vision of national reach.

To market to this specialized client you have to identify their key concerns and fears. Forman's clients are washed in fear and uncertainty. The objective is to communicate comfort, security and hope.

Our Ideas:

1. First develop the brand promise and use it as the foundation of all future marketing. We suggest the brand promise: "Safety, Security, Peace of Mind in America."
   
2. Next develop a signature that can be used in all future marketing materials. A signature is not a slogan or a tagline, because it is personal and has meaning. We suggest: "Stop Deportation, Stay in America" or "Stop Deportation, Go with Forman"
   
3. Brands need key, central visuals to reinforce the brand promise and the signature. Our recommendation for the Forman key visual is a large red, white and blue image of America with the texture of a big brick wall. In the wall their is a door open with a deportation sign above it. The two principals of the practice are blocking the front of the exit with their arms crossed. The signature is underneath the visual.
   
4. Change name and use big, important sounding titles. Adding significant staff is the perfect time to change the name of the business, especially if you want to change your target market. Because of Forman's desire to go national, we suggest an authoritative name such as the Forman and Lugo National Immigrant Rights Center, or Forman Immigrants Protection Center. Create initiatives such as the National Initiative to stop unjust deportation and publish a document backing it up.


5. Get a website. Forman currently has no website. Luckily some their large national competitors have weak websites and it would be easy to make an impact. We suggest a new website with a splash page that contains the key graphic and the signature in multiple languages. Then beneath the key visual, have a "Choose Your Language" option that includes English and the top three languages served by the practice. Don't clutter the website up with confusing options.: make it simple. Publish a document in multiple languages that chronicles a typical time line and lists immigrants rights. Then convert it to a pdf and make it easily downloadable.


6. Open satellite offices. Forman wants national reach and needs an appearance of national accessibility. Open small "storefront" offices in key immigration court cities like Los Angeles and New York. Staff them with a receptionist or use an answering service to save costs. Use a VOIP Internet phone service and obtain local Los Angeles and New York phone numbers that ring in the North Miami Beach office.

The Lesson:
When branding your business, start with your values and then develop a brand promise that clarifies what you promise to deliver beyond the stuff you happen to sell. After you have your brand promise, develop your signature; a slogan with teeth.

Always develop a vision statement of what you want your business to look like when your mission is completed. If you know what the future will look like, then you can craft your image and a brand that rings true. In Forman's example, you cannot have a vision of influence on a national scale and portray a country lawyer image, or try to maintain a personal brand.

Brand your business in orderly steps, starting with values, a mission, a vision, and then a brand promise. When you do, the big imaging ideas begin to flow more easily.

If you would like to get free marketing ideas for your business, fill out our idea spot form by clicking here.

Get more small business marketing lessons and advice at our other blog: The Marketing Spot

Learn more about our company at our website: http://www.themarketingspot.com/