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/