Blog Ramblings - Strategic Marketing Consulting, Small Business Market Research, Small Business Marketing Consulting, Business Marketing Consultants, marketing ideas for small business, cost small business marketing

Stop Advertising and Start Marketing

November 13, 2011

Marketing, to me, is the art and science of attracting and keeping clients. Advertising is a particular way to spend money to either get eyeballs to know you exist, or to remind them that you, indeed, still do. Marketing existed far before advertising, as we generally know it. Advertising started as a means of supporting mass [...]

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This is the New Normal…

November 4, 2011

…we have to adjust expectations I talk with small business owners day in and day out. I keep hearing about this recession thing and how they are waiting to do anything with their business until the economy improves. Guys, this is it. This is the new normal. It’s not just another cycle — we’re in [...]

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Don’t blame Groupon – Part 2

October 5, 2011

I just read this post by Mitch Joel at TwistImage titled Don’t Blame Groupon and I know his points are dead on. In summary: Coupons work Groupon is getting opt-in permission for sending out coupons to people that want them Merchants voluntarily sign up for the deals Shame on the merchants if they don’t take advantage [...]

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Differentiate or Lose Out

September 27, 2011

Are You Losing Customers Because You Don’t Know How To Differentiate Yourself? As a small business owner, I’m sure you’ve been told time and time again that you’ve got to differentiate yourself to make it in business. And you probably took this advice to heart. You came up with something that actually looks pretty good…or [...]

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Half My Marketing Dollars Are Wasted

September 14, 2011

Half of my marketing is wasted dollars, I just don’t know which half.” Once upon a time, this used to be true. It really was too hard to measure what was working and what was not, but a business owner did need to “get their name out there” some way, some how. Random marketing tactics, tried [...]

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Would you hire a plumber to build your new house?

September 11, 2011

Would you? I mean a plumber or plumbing contractor is always around the inside of the house as it is getting built. They see how the walls go up and the foundation is set. They have to work around all the wiring and water, is really the most difficult thing to control – because if the pipes [...]

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If I ran your marketing

August 28, 2011

The following is a letter that I composed recently for a client. All the names have been changed, but the points and processes are valid for most small businesses; especially those that sell services that require a lengthy sales cycle. If this resonates with you, take a few minutes to drop us a line or complete [...]

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You don’t have to be first, just unique

August 26, 2011

This picture just stopped me cold in my tracks. At the grocery store. Picking up some fruits and veggies and saw this: Now, I have see a lot of mini-melons over the years. But I have never seen a “Personal Watermelon” I applaud the creativity of the marketing team that named this. There is nothing [...]

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Marketing is Everything Your Company Does

August 12, 2011

Mindjet is just mindblowing. I had an experience with them that I have to relate. I am always looking for new ways to express thoughts and ideas. I have had friends and colleagues use Mindjet in meetings before and never thought much of mind-mapping software. But I have been working on a project that is about 80% [...]

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“Anybody” is my target market

August 9, 2011

I was working with a company that didn’t understand who their ideal client was. When I asked them who they thought is was, they said, “Anybody who needs…” Now, the problem with selling to “anyone” is that no one is able to see themselves in marketing directed to “anyone.” (It’s kind of like the [...]

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