Business Hurting? Maybe You Need a “Brand-Aid”

One of the projects I’m working on is helping a client “rebrand” his company. To assist in that process, I presented him with some guiding principles to consider. Some are intuitive, others less obvious, but I thought I’d share them here in case you are wondering if your brand is healthy or needs a “brand-aid”. CLICK HERE to read the full article on TipTopics.com.

The 5 Dimensions of Effective Marketing Communications

Marketing can encompass many functions, operations and decision points. It can mean different things to different people in different organizations. So you’ll notice in the title of this article that we’re NOT focusing on the entirety of marketing, but rather on marketing communications.

Now, you might think that marketing communications is synonymous with advertising. Indeed, advertising can be one facet. But marketing communications really includes much more and it requires that you embrace and execute the 5 D’s: define, design, develop, devise and deliver.

DEFINE Your Target Market: It’s hard to measure success for your marketing communications if you haven’t clearly defined your ideal customer. This essential step can be the most difficult. For many of us it’s tempting to say that we can serve anyone and everyone. The problem with that is that it’s difficult to get specific and actionable referrals with such a loose definition. Success Coach Tom Barnes (find him on TipTopics.com) tells of a financial planner who determined that nurses were his ideal customers. Being that specific led the planner to serve not only nurses but others stemming from these leads. People want to make referrals. You can make it easier for them by tightly defining your target market.

Keep in mind, however, that some ideal customers might be surrounded by gatekeepers. Want to sell to a CEO of a major corporation? Your initial target, then, should probably be someone already professionally or personally connected to your ultimate target. LinkedIn and Facebook can be good resources to help you identify these referral partners.

What are the rest of the 5 Dimensions? CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article on TipTopics.com.

The Key to Business Marketing: It All Comes Down to This

Why do we do what we do? Why do we seek what we seek? There’s a reason.

Why are we in the business we’ve chosen? Why do we surround ourselves with the friends we keep, the groups we adopt? What one thing colors our surroundings, influences our purchases and informs our opinions, our prejudices? There is one reason, one underlying human pursuit at the core of everything we do, every thought we have, every decision we make.

FIRST, WHAT IT’S NOT: No, it’s not money, although that can be a part of it. Nor is it fame. It’s not love or harmony (although that comes pretty close). It’s not really about tranquility or peace on earth or doing the right things at all times for all people. (Who amongst us is that centered, that noble?) No, the singular pursuit that shades every decision in every moment is something that is, unfortunately, not even always in our best interest. But understanding its good and bad aspects can help us succeed, in business and in life.

To find out the key factor to business marketing success, CLICK HERE to read the full article on TipTopics.com.

Are You Positioned for Success?

Nearly forty years ago, in articles published in Advertising Age, marketing gurus Jack Trout and Al Ries introduced the concept of “positioning” as a key factor in effective marketing. Positioning is, essentially, creating a positive image that consumers will keep in mind (and, ideally, act on and share with others). It stands to reason, then, that when the consumer is ready to buy, the well-positioned company — or even a professional solopreneur — will be among the short list of preferred providers.

But is positioning still as critical today? If so, how can you strategically position your company in the minds of consumers? And finally, can positioning be managed and maintained against brand reputation threats?

CLICK HERE to read the full article on TipTopics.com.

Revealed: The Secret to Expert Marketing

Okay, no beating around the bush. The secret to expert marketing is (drumroll, please)… delivering the right message to the right targets at the right time. Achieve that and you’ll make the right connections to grow your business. Simple, huh? Well, maybe not.
______________________________________

THE FIRST STEP: As with most facets of business, simply having the “secret” formula doesn’t guarantee successful implementation and results. A treasure map is meaningless if you have no vehicle to reach that pot of gold. So when it comes to succeeding with marketing communications, you’ll need both a roadmap (your own carefully planned adaptation of the “3 Rights” formula) and a reliable vehicle (your best mix of marketing media).

Let’s take a closer look. CLICK HERE to read the full article on TipTopics.com. You can also watch the short video below:

Expose Yourself: The Bottom Line On Staying “Top of Mind”

In a 1997 episode of the Seinfeld sitcom, Jerry and the gang wrestled with the notion of “good naked” vs. “bad naked”. What on earth does that have to do with business? Well, it occurred to me that the same critical eye might be applied to marketing exposure, specifically to the concept of “top of mind” awareness. What is good “top of mind” to one might be bad (i.e., overexposure) to another. Eye of the beholder, you know.

If you’re the marketer, of course, being “top of mind” is typically a good thing (if it holds that “there’s no such thing as bad press,” how can there be bad top-of-mind awareness?). If you’re the marketer’s target, however, too much information is, well, TMI.

Where’s the middle ground? How can a marketer — and that should include all business professionals — create awareness that’s generally respected and positions the sender as a trusted authority? CLICK HERE to read the full article on TipTopics.com.

All You Really Need To Know About Business (You Can Learn From A Five-Year Old)

“Want to play ‘I Spy’?” my grandson asked. I looked up at him in the rear-view mirror; he leaned forward in his car seat, eyes wide and hopeful. “Sure,” I said. “You start.” Chase spied (with his little eye) something red: a truck I did not see. As we continued the 15-minute trip toward his school, where his third day of kindergarten awaited, Chase correctly noticed nearly everything I spied. I struggled to match his prowess, but reasoned I was at a disadvantage because I had to stay focused on the road. Later, it occurred to me that maybe — okay, probably — he was merely more observant than me; better at seeing the remarkable in what I took to be commonplace.

I was reminded of Robert Fulghum and his seminal work, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, where he echoed the fundamental Dick-and-Jane mantra: LOOK. While Fulghum was examining life through a childlike lens, including lessons for sharing, fairness, non-violence, cleanliness, etc., I was thinking specifically about business. What other business lessons could I learn from my grandson and our morning adventure? There are many, but these came quickly to mind:

CLICK HERE to read the full article on TipTopics.com.