How to Create an Effective Marketing Plan

Marketing is the soul of your business, it means anything you do for the promotion of your business comes under marketing. However, without a plan or strategy your marketing campaign will not deliver the desired results. Therefore, creating marketing plan for any business is vital.

Now the question arise; how to create an effective marketing plan for a company? We all know the format of a marketing plan. Whether you make a formal or informal proposal, a plan should be such which touches all the essential points to deliver the targeted goal.
To make an effective plan, there is a famous rule called 4P's. Here, P's stand for Price, Product, Promotion and Placement. In this another P is added called People. Today while doing digital marketing or the traditional marketing one should understand people or the customers you are dealing with. It's important to figure out what is significant for the business, and later make a plan accordingly.
Generally, in a marketing plan the following points are considered -

• Market Analysis: First analysis your broader market, where are the opportunities that you can look for? What are the scopes in the current market? After analyzing the broader scope of the market; target on the niche values.


• Identify the Target Customers: Unlike the broader analysis of the market; here you aim on the targeted customers. You look for the scopes where you can promote or market your product to get the higher returns and acceptance. Here from targeted customers to clients, you also find out the needs and demands of the audience. Once you know, who all are your customers and what exactly they are looking for then you can jump to next step.


• Marketing Plan: In this you perform, precise activities which helps in achieving the goals and objectives you are targeting at. Here, you plan how you will promote the product/service? What are the specific areas of promotion? What would be the budget of this plan execution? Etc. Plus, you also estimate the ROI of this marketing strategy.


• Competitive Edge: It's important to define your competitors too. One should know, what strategies are being used by the competitors to reach to the potential customers. If you know what your competitors are doing, you will be able to modify the plan and maybe your marketing analyst will come with something more innovative that can capture the mass attention.


• Sales and Strategy Forecast: If you have a target to achieve you can plan out your work according. It's just like keep the figures real and amenable. Unrealistic figures would not help you ever to get the target on time. Secondly with these forecast, you can compare your marketing strategies and come up with the best solutions for future activities.

These above tips are vital or the stepping stones for any business, but in reality, companies need to incorporate multiple web channels for their business marketing plans. Below are popular web channels that business uses for their planning and strategies:

• Social Media Marketing: One of the most promising way of marketing in today's date. From LinkedIn to Facebook and from Twitter to Google+, companies use these platforms to target the right set of customers. From a survey by social media - 93% of marketers use social media for business.


• Mobile Marketing: Another most prompting way of marketing which is used in today's digital world. The acceptance of smartphones and tablets has helped to change the way companies used to target their customers earlier; these days they implement strategies that reach customers on their devices itself. From a survey via Our Mobile Planet, 89% of smartphone users notice mobile ads.


• Email Marketing: The marketing plan via email is quite an old one. It is an effective and popular way of promotion for many small business owners. Get the email data of your possible customers and send them your customize business emails to let them know what you are offering.


• Blog Marketing: Blogging is a big focus when it comes to content marketing. Blog provides a personal touch and advantage to your social media marketing too. Here you have a freedom or control over the product or service you are marketing for. Companies are hiring full-time bloggers for this job. Although, 62% of marketers blog or plan to blog in 2013, only 9% of US marketing companies employ a full-time blogger.

These are the points you should remember while making plan and strategies and how to reach the customers for a booming business.

The author is writing about marketing strategies and planning from many years. He has good understanding about various marketing channels, marketing campaigns, interactive digital marketing, social media etc.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicolus_Cage

Read More

Using Flyers to Help Promote Your Business

Flyers are everywhere. They're used to promote pizzas, tourist attractions, village fetes, near enough everything. And there's a reason people are using them: they work! They're quick to create - your artwork could be ready almost instantly or at worst in a handful of days. They're quick to get printed - local or online printers are used to doing them so can often turn the job round quickly. People read and react to them, which is the most important part.

The precise nature of your flyer will depend on your business but they almost all follow roughly the same format:

• A single sheet of paper - one of a handful of stock sizes (A5 or A4 here in the UK, Letter or Legal in the USA)
• Most likely printed in colour on one side with the second side maybe in colour, maybe just black ink.
• Sometimes use pictures
• Almost always have a big headline
• Almost always have at least one offer
• Almost always have a call to action - website address or Facebook page plus a phone number

That really is all there is to creating flyers.Sure, you have to decide what each of those components uses. But if you've ever done any advertising before you can use that as a basis. And if you haven't then a quick look online will give you an idea what your competitors are doing.
Which reminds me, you can use the flyer design as a special offer page on your website as well, so it does double-duty.
Once your flyers are printed, it's time to get them out to potential customers.
If you're a retail outlet then handing your flyers out in the street or distributing them door to door are two old fashioned but still effective ways.
If you're going down the route of handing them out in the street, make sure the people you use look smart and ideally that they're in your company brand clothing. If you've got a mascot for your business - or can adopt one for a day or two - that's even better as they attract attention.
If you're delivering door to door, run some checks afterwards to make sure that the people you use are doing what you're paying them for.
Business to business flyers are best handed out face to face rather than being pushed through closed doors in the dead of night. It's more personal and gets a better response.
Talking of response, measure it. Because that way you'll know what worked best.
And remember to repeat any campaign that's been successful rather than letting it just stay in your company archive, never to be used again.

Check this out if you'd like to know more about getting more sales with flyers and take a look at this video for even more ideas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Dumbleton

Read More

21 Benefits of Blogging and 22 Blogging Tips

Combine "web" with "log" and you get "blog." It's a funny word, but serious business.

This post is about blogging for business - with a purpose. We have a lot to cover, so we'll knock it out as efficiently as possible with a series of lists.
We'll get right to it.
Who should read this post?

• Non - blogger - You've never had a blog and you need to fix that now.
• Unfulfilled blogger - You blogged for a bit. Magic never struck.
• Beginning blogger - You blog, but don't really know what you're doing.
• Regular blogger - You'll pick up tips from a fellow blogger.
• Expert blogger - You could steal the good stuff for your blog.
• None of the above - You have nothing better to do, but to read about blogging.

21 benefits of blogging with purpose.

1. Connect with customers - A blog is a practical and powerful way to share useful, relevant information with customers.
2. Connect with partners - Blogging allows you to connect and team up with influencers and leaders who can be instrumental in building your business.
3. Generate traffic - A strategically planned blog, with carefully chosen keywords in play, will show up in search and drive traffic to your landing pages.
4. Establish authority - Your business blog is the hub of your content marketing efforts where you share your expertise.
5. Win business - 60% of businesses who blog acquire more customers, says HubSpot.
6. Inspire your social media - If you're using social media effectively, you're sharing your blog posts regularly and taking advantage of the magical amplification of social networks.
7. Increase reach - Your blog will be shared and find new eyeballs daily.
8. Grow your email database - Your blog should inspire people to opt into your email newsletter list. Also, your email feeds traffic to your blog.
9. Give your company a voice - A blog is your pulpit, your publication, your journal - the place where you talk about whatever you choose, however you choose.
10. Humanize your company - That voice needs personality. Great bloggers are genuine. Your personality comes into play, that is, if you aim to make real connections.
11. Exchange ideas - Blogs obliterate the wall that once stood between a company and its customers. You encourage interaction, comments and feedback. You create a conversation.
12. Get (and stay) customer focused - By blogging, you'll learn how to speak in your customers' terms, perpetually improve this vital skill and grow more in touch with your audience's wants and needs.
13. Inspires content and productivity - Blogging is hard work. You need processes. Commitment. Consistency. You'll need to step up - and you'll be rewarded for doing so.
14. Increase focus - A subtle addendum to the point above, blogging consistently forces you to define who you are trying to reach and why.
15. Generate publicity - As I mentioned, business bloggers establish authority. Stick with it and demonstrate you know your niche and you'll get asked for interviews frequently.
16. Invite outsiders in - While business blogger should refrain from being relentlessly promotional, the blog is an appropriate forum for delivering insight into your company, its values, and people.
17. Get strategic - You'll get in the habit of closely examining the site's analytics and gather all kinds of insights about what does and doesn't appeal to your audience. Your marketing will get more strategic by day.
18. Learn - We'll get a bit warm and fuzzy now, but there's no denying you are going to learn a lot about yourself and the world around you. It comes with being a writer.
19. Get inspired - The research, the conversation, the experience... it's inspiring. Trust me on this: a switch gets turned on and it's impossible to turn off.
20. Have fun - Perhaps not everyone will agree blogging is fun, but I believe every great blogger gets into it and enjoys the ride.
21. Make millions - Maybe, maybe not. However, business blogging with purpose works. Every post is a long - term asset. Learn how to blog and you'll lower your marketing costs and increase sales.

Let's look at how to do it.
22 tips for blogging with purpose.
I have to give a shout out here to my man, mentor, friend, Marcus Sheridan, a.k.a. The Sales Lion. No one understands and teaches the practice of blogging quite like Marcus. I won't be replicating his great post, "50 Qualities of the Best Business Blogs in the World" here, but I did draw these ideas from it (and encourage you to check it out).

1. Answer questions - Listen closely to questions prospects and customers ask and answer every one of them in your posts.
2. Teach, don't preach - Avoid making your blog a heavy handed attempt to advertise your products. Adopt an educator's mentality and you'll win your reader's trust.
3. Converse - Ask questions of your readers, encourage feedback, counterpoints and criticism. Respond to comments as promptly as possible in an effort to exchange ideas.
4. Create a blogging culture - Invite everyone in your company and its constituents to contribute ideas and participate in the blog.
5. Use images - Take advantage of the appeal of photos, illustrations, charts and infographics to increase your stopping power and make the posts more attractive.
6. Make it easy on the eyes - Use short paragraphs, line breaks, white space, subheads and lists to make your posts look inviting.
7. Be transparent - Write with uncompromising integrity and don't be afraid to address real issues, problems, challenges, and yes, prices. Don't avoid the tough questions. Tackle them.
8. Remove internal barriers - There's no place in blogging for corporate red tape. Get permission in advance to write openly and honestly.
9. Don't back down - Some readers (or co - workers) don't love what you have to say? Say it anyway. It's not a popularity contest.
10. Be consistent - The number one reasons blogs fail is they are neglected. Set a schedule and stick to it. Make the time to post often. No excuses.
11. Nix the fluff - Your posts can be short or long. Just don't babble your way through them. Serve meat and go easy on the gravy.
12. Recognize others - Congratulate, write about and recognize customers, employees, partners, industry influencers and even competitors. Being generous will only help. You'll enjoy reciprocity.
13. Optimize - Research and use the keyword phrases that will increase your search engine rankings. Install plugins to assist you with SEO.
14. Write passionately - Make your passion pulse through your prose. Tap into your reader's emotions.
15. Tell stories - Learn how to become a master storyteller. Observe how the best bloggers unravel plots and develop characters.
16. Include customers - Drop the secrecy and anonymity. Cite real customers, real challenges and real solutions.
17. Invest seriously - Blogging only burns time and money when it's a low priority. Invest in the tools you need and put the best writers and designers on your blog.
18. Market and sell - Don't write ads and press releases disguised as blog posts, but do include a call to action and guide your readers along the path to discovering your solutions.
19. Stay tuned - Follow your industry daily and stay on top of what your peers are saying.
20. Encourage sharing - Don't forget to offer social media buttons to make it easy for readers to share and email your content.
21. Promote your blog - Promoting a post can (and probably should) take more time than writing it. Write teasers for your content and promote it across social networks and all potential touch points.
22. Have fun - Never be stiff, formal, or jam useless jargon into your posts. You have the stage. Relax. Be entertaining. Allow yourself to have fun with the writing

Business blogs are a major challenge.
Blogs are the hardest channel for business to keep updated - and to really nail.
Passle, makers of a blogging shortcut service of sorts, recently studied 525 businesses and reviewed their performance across blogs, company news pages, Twitter and Facebook. Their study, "The State of Business Blogging 2013," reported:

• 75% of companies don't update their websites in any way.
• Only 20% have a blog and over one - third of them are inactive.
• 1 in 8 companies have an active blog.

Ouch. Please understand...
Business blogs should/can/will grow your business.

• 57% of companies with a blog have acquired a customer from their blog.
• 61% of U.S. online consumers have made a purchase based on recommendations from a blog.
• Blogs attract repeat visitors who continue to come back to the website for fresh content.
• ­Blogging allows you to team up with people who already have an audience, which is an instantaneous way to attract readers.

The figures above are conservative. Blogging gets more important everyday. Start now.
Visit http://feldmancreative.com/

Barry Feldman is president of Feldman Creative. He creates compelling content by telling stories. He's a content marketing strategist, copywriter, creative director, speaker, and author. He specializes in creating websites, e-books, and integrated online marketing programs.
Twitter: @FeldmanCreative
LinkedIn: Barry Feldman

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barry_J_Feldman

Read More

Product Managers Need To Learn How To Pivot

As a part of your product development definition, one of the things that every product manager eventually does is to create a business plan for their product. In this plan we lay out a strategy: what customers we want to go after, what problems we want to solve, and what product we want to offer to them. However, what do we need to do if we're wrong? What do you need to do if you created the wrong business plan?

The Problem
So what can go wrong with the business plan that you create for your product? It turns out that a lot of different things can go wrong. First off, you don't control your market and so a major disruption can occur. Perhaps a new government regulation gets put in place, a new diet fad shows up that tells everyone not to eat your product, or the problem that you were targeting with your product is no longer seen as a problem that has to be solved. No matter what the cause, the effect on your product is going to be the same.
There is also a positive side to this type of change. You may be executing your business plan when all of a sudden a better opportunity may present itself. Once again the effect of not pursuing this new opportunity is going to have an effect on your product - lost revenue. If you want to add this type of problem solving to your product manager resume, then you are going to have to find a solution to this problem.
The Solution: Learn To Pivot
If the product business plan that you are pursuing all of a sudden turns out to not be the one that you should be executing, then the solution is for you and your product team to pivot. "Pivot" is a business term that was first coined by Eric Ries in his book "The Lean Startup". Eric defines a pivot as being ""structured course correction designed to test a new fundamental hypothesis about the product, strategy, and engine of growth."
Great. So your current product business plan isn't working and you've decided that it's time to execute a pivot. Just exactly how do you go about doing this? It turns out that there are 3 steps that you are going to need to take in order to make your pivot be successful:

• Rally The Troops: You always need to keep in mind that any pivot involves change. Fundamentally, your product team is not going to like change. You need to take the time and make the effort to get them all onboard early on in the process. This means explaining to them why the change is necessary, what the change involves, and why their lives are going to be better because of the change.


• Focus, Focus, Focus: One of the biggest challenges that any product manager who is attempting to perform a pivot has is keeping his or her product team focused on the new business plan. If you allow portions of the old business plan to continue to exist and drive some team member's actions, then you are going to lose focus and everything is going to end up taking much longer than it should.


• Keep The Money Coming: For any product to be successful, it needs to always be bringing in money for the company. This means that if you decide to execute a pivot, you need to make sure that even as you are rolling out this new business plan, your product still has to be able to bring in cash for your company. Fail to do this and the company may decide to terminate your product when you are only half-way done with your pivot.

What All Of This Means For You
Even the smartest product manager can create a business plan that turns out to be the wrong plan. Things change and what used to be correct when the plan was made may no longer be correct. When this happens you need to execute a pivot - a skill that should really be a part of every product manager job description.
When pivoting your product's business plan there are several things that you need to keep in mind. The first is that you need to take the time to get your entire product team behind the new business plan. Next, you need to make sure that your team gets focused on the new business plan and finally you must ensure that the money keeps coming in even as you perform your pivot.
Realizing that you don't always have to get a business plan correct the first time can take an enormous weight off the shoulders of any product manager. However, the true power of the pivot comes from knowing how to perform one correctly. Study these three tips and you'll be ready the next time you find yourself having to come up with a brand new business plan for your product.

Dr. Jim Anderson
"America's #1 Unforgettable Business Communication Skills Coach"
http://www.blueelephantconsulting.com/
Dr. Jim Anderson has been a product manger at small start-ups as well as at some of the world's largest IT shops. Dr. Anderson realizes that for a product to be successful, it takes an entire company working together. He'll share his insights and guidance on how to make your products a fantastic success.
Subscribe to the FREE Accidental Product Manager newsletter to get the information that you need to have a successful product and a successful career. Go here to to get your free subscription: http://tinyurl.com/p4ru9d

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Jim_Anderson

Read More

Three Online Marketing Tactics to Use

If you have a business, you might be wondering how much online marketing can help. The truth is that most businesses these days have taken advantages of this tactic and found success. In fact, if you have not tried it yet, you are probably already behind your competitors. Before you get started, you should learn a few factors of the typical campaign.

Email marketing has been a popular option for years, and many businesses still use this strategy. You can use it to send out emails to current and potential customers who might be looking for discounts or reminders of sales you are having. You can also send out emails about news for your company, such as additional locations, new hours, or products and services you recently started selling. If you are not sure how to word the emails or what qualifies as newsworthy information, you should hire someone who can guide you as you use this tactic.
Of course, more people these days are accessing the Internet from their phones. This means that online marketing is not just limited to the computer. You should get a mobile strategy, which should differ a little bit from the regular campaign. If you are not sure you understand the differences between how to market on the computer and on the phone, you might benefit from hiring a professional who can help you with this concept so you get the maximum value when it comes to your time.
Few businesses these days lack a social media page. In fact, many of them have several. If you want to engage with your customers or even reach out to new ones, you should use any online marketing skills you have to regularly update social media pages for your company. This does not involve selling directly. Instead, it focuses more on building relationships with your target audience, which means you have to listen to what your customers are saying. Fortunately, you can quickly get feedback through social media since customers often find it easy to type out their suggestions and complaints on the Internet. This makes it as easy as possible for you to fix any problems within your business.
If you are not sure where to begin when it comes to online marketing, talk to a professional. Many companies have at least one marketer they can rely on to help them spread the word about their business through many avenues. You can at least hire one for now to help you learn the basics of how to market your company better.

Searching for a way to boost your online marketing? Kansas City business owners can turn to Will GladHart Consulting for assistance. For more information, visit: http://www.willgladhart.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alfred_Ardis

Read More

Lessons From the "Dragon's Den"!

"If you ever watch 'Dragon's Den' (on Canadian TV) or 'Shark Tank' (on U.S.A. TV), then you know that there are some simple rules for success. I had the pleasure of hearing one of the 'dragons' speak at a luncheon recently and want to share his tips for success with you. Jim Treliving kept it simple - which is totally in alignment with my own style - and was very inspiring to all of us in the audience.

1) KNOW YOUR NUMBERS! I tell my clients this ALL the time. You have got to know your numbers - your revenue, your sales, your expenses, the cost of doing business, average value per client, etc. You. Must. Know. Your. Numbers!
2) SHARE YOUR STORY. That's what inspires many other entrepreneurs to either get in the game and/or stay in the game. Being an entrepreneur is tough stuff - if it was easy, then everyone would be doing it. So, be vulnerable. Share your story. It does make a difference.
3) SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY. It's always so easy, especially in the early stages, to focus totally and solely on your business. That's a huge mistake. Yes, of course, there will be times when you must throw your whole heart, soul and body into the business - 'certain 'times' - not ALL the time. When most successful entrepreneurs are interviewed and asked what one thing, in retrospect, that they would change - most of them say 'to spend more time with family'. So, just do it, OK?
4) LEARN FROM YOUR FAILURES. Everyone has them. If you're not failing, you're not trying and you're not growing - and if you're not growing, you won't be in the game for a very long time. It's OK to fail. That is how we learn.
5) HIRE SLOW - FIRE FAST! Yup - not everyone you hire is a perfect fit. Go with your gut - you know when it doesn't feel right. Make a business decision and do the firing. Everyone will benefit.
6) REWARD AND RECOGNITION. This is a critical step to success - both for you and for your team. Stop - celebrate - acknowledge - reward - have fun - and get back to work.
When you watch 'The Dragon's Den', Jim Treliving is always laughing and celebrating.
Here are some of Jim's favorite quotes:
Success is about the big picture.
I like simplicity.
I believe that simplicity is the key to success.
I have to love what I do.
I make decisions about work with my heart, about money with my head, and about people with my gut.
The hallmarks of every successful person I know are these: they want what they have, they like what they do, and they love who they are.
Get your opportunities - take them, take a ride and see what happens.
The legacy I'd like to leave back is that persistence works. Hard work works.

Pat Mussieux is fast becoming regarded as a highly valued Canadian mentor for women entrepreneurs taking her own business from zero to a multiple 6-figure home-based business in less than 4 years. Much of her success can be attributed to her expertise in marketing, mindset and money!
Pat Mussieux is a business coach, author, speaker and radio host. You can reach her at http://www.wealthywomenleaders.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pat_Mussieux

Read More

How to Effectively Market a Pharmaceutical Brand?

In order for a pharmaceutical organization to market its offerings, it is extremely important to understand who the target consumer is. In other words, it means that you need to understand the needs of future patient-doctor community and find ways to improve your interaction with them at the grass-root level. Pharmaceutical companies are under constant pressure to provide better medicines while embracing innovations in the field of medicine gracefully. The ever increasing use of the internet as a source of information is a trend that only seems to grow. Therefore, it is very important that an effective marketing strategy should be in place to make optimum use of the internet to promote a brand.

Step 1: Define Your Target Customer
Define who your target customer is before deciding to market your pharmaceutical product. This is extremely important if your target molecule aims for a specific age group or gender. Also, one must be aware of the geographical implications of the pharmaceutical product. Geographic reasons can widely influence the scale and usage of your product. Understand the market requirements and the need of the patient-doctor population beforehand.
Step 2: Get Interactive Over the Interne
Take your brand to the web. Build an interactive web page or a Facebook page to make your brand known. Allowing potential consumers to connect with you builds new channels for increasing your popularity over the web. This is also important for increasing your search engine optimization results.
Step 3: Determine the route for marketing your product.
One needs to have a defined means of marketing a brand. You could make use of direct mailers, such as letters to certain customers, referrals from online networking, social service organizations or outsourcing such a task to a healthcare marketing and advertising firm.
Step 4: Measure the effective of the chosen marketing strategy.
It is important to choose the right marketing strategy, but it is equally important to measure its effectiveness. For example, if your Facebook page receives more viewership, you could focus your attention towards making it your preferred marketing method. Complete an organized market survey and try to identify the three top-most strategies that have worked in your favor. This can be done via feedback forms that can be provided on your organization's website.
Step 5: Consistent follow-up with consumers
Pharmaceutical companies need to continuously assess consumer trends. They need to understand how efficiently a product meets consumer health needs, gather feedback from time to time- for example in the case of blood glucose monitoring devices, a client may need to understand how well its product is performing in the market.
Follow these simple yet effective strategies to market your pharmaceutical brand.

Medical writer at a Leading Healthcare and Medical Marketing Firm. Check out his blog a Medical Mantra, a pharma blog with a difference.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_Elias_D'Souza

Read More

Insider Look: Social Media Marketing Trends for 2014

With any type of marketing, it is important to know where it is headed. This is especially important for social media marketing trends where there seems to be new social media platforms every few months. New comers such as Snap chat and Vine have already garnered interest from the public and allows people to communicate in a new way. It is also important for companies to know where to invest their time and resources so that they can get the most bang out of their buck. Should they wait for a new social media platform or should they invest in what is already out there? Should you wait for the next Facebook?

Some important trends for 2014 to watch out for:
Image and video focused social media sites will grow
More and more people are increasingly turning toward sites such as Pinterest, Tumblr, Snap chat, Vine and more to express their ideas. Visual content, both image and video, may become a critical component of any future social media strategy. The above sites are opening up the opportunities for companies to interact with their consumers in new and interesting ways. Like other social media sites, to gain an audience your content both video and image will need to be shareable. It will still have to be interesting and relevant to what you are talking about. For example, if you are a restaurant you will post pictures of your establishment and your menu. You would probably not be personal pictures of your vacation to Peru.
Google+ will become more important
Google+ has recently made changes to how people will be able to comment on YouTube. In addition, Google+ can do wonders to your SEO and the importance of Google authorship. Google authorship will basically allow writers to claim their own content and if they are popular then more of their articles will also rise to the top of the search engine. Many companies that may be starting out may view Google+ as their go to social network in the future simply because of its many different benefits. Google+ profiles will not be seen as boring compared to Facebook but may actually be used by people and companies to improve their social media reach.
Investment in social media marketing will become a requirement
In the past, it was all about how you should have a social media website but some people chose not to pursue social media because of time constraints. In the near future, it will switch from "should have" to "must have", in that you must have a social media presence if you want to engage your audience and develop relationships. People are spending lots of time online and it is guaranteed that your customers may be amongst those people. Consumers are on social media sites and if you do not have a presence there then they may follow your competitors who may have a social media presence. Social media will help with online company branding, increasing awareness and increasing customer loyalty through well established relationships. There will need to be an integration of social media and overall marketing strategy to be successful in generating traffic to your website and more importantly revenue.
LinkedIn will continue to be popular in B2B markets
Not all customers are your typical household consumers. Some consumers are other businesses and their needs are completely different from those of your average consumer. The marketing efforts are different, the way decisions are made are different and how to interact with them will also be different.
For example, if Bob goes to the store he can make the decision to buy any food he desires. If Acme Inc. wants to buy something then there are various departments and management that needs to be consulted to make the action happen. Establishing a presence on sites such as LinkedIn will allow you to connect with people in those management positions and thus develop good relationships for the future.
Also with LinkedIn's influencer program, LinkedIn will allow you to follow thought leaders who can share their own professional insights and knowledge. Interacting with these thought leaders can really help people recognize who you are and what you do thus increasing your personal brand awareness.
MySpace will grow
You probably heard of MySpace. It used to be the top social media networking site from the period 2005 to early 2008. But as Facebook gained more popularity people started switching over and MySpace kept losing users. If you visit MySpace today you will notice that it looks completely different than it used to in the past. It has rebranded itself by becoming a site where people can listen to their favourite music and bands. The rebranding was probably influenced by Justin Timberlake who along with Specific Media group purchased MySpace in 2011. In addition, it also offers an iPhone app that allows users to interact with each other by posting updates of your music to your stream, sharing photos and listening to radio stations. If your business is all about music then MySpace is definitely a social media website that you should check out.
These are some important trends for 2014 that I feel will have an impact in the near future and which people should know about.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Saqib_Sherazi

Read More

The Simple Reason Customers Don't Understand You

Companies often complain that their customers and prospects just don't seem to understand what they offer, or what differentiates them from the competition. They blame those customers and prospects for a lack of knowledge or intelligence -- but they should blame that person in the mirror.

As someone who earns a living helping companies communicate, I spend a lot of time studying and analyzing what people say and what they hear. And, because my role is usually to make communication more efficient and effective, I pay particular attention to the situations in which the sharing of information falls short.
Take a sign that frequently pops up at auto-repair shops, promoting specials on something called LOF. While LOF sounds like a low-cal alternative to lox, it's actually auto technician shorthand for "lube, oil and filter." That's what most of us call an oil change. And therein rests the problem. If the average driver passing the sign doesn't realize that a LOF is an oil change, how likely is he or she going to take advantage of the special? That driver may even be in the market for an oil change. So who's at fault: the driver who doesn't know the shorthand, or the shop owner who referred to a familiar service with an unfamiliar name?
Bankers are notorious for using similar shorthand when talking with customers. Because I speak fluent Banker, I had no trouble understanding what a teller meant when I overheard her tell a customer that something had been debited from his DDA. That customer wouldn't have looked so confused had she instead said, "We took the money from your checking account." That's what the rest of us say.
I saw a sign at an ice-cream chain's store reading "DT until 10." It took a while for me to realize that the shop's manager wanted customers to know that the drive-through stayed open late. To me, "DT" is a reference to delirium tremens, a symptom of severe alcoholism, rather than a quick way to get a strawberry sundae.
Perhaps no industry is more prone to using language its customers don't understand than healthcare. If a nurse told you that you needed to be "NPO" the night before a test, would you know that meant you couldn't have any food or water? When the doctor tells you that the results of that test are "negative," should you break into tears or start to dance? The nurse was completely comfortable using NPO because he and his colleagues toss it around all the time. And when the doctor shared that negative information, she expected you to smile, because she knew that was good news. But terms like those baffle those of us outside of medicine.
What about your industry? Whether you're in construction or clothing, insurance or food service, your industry has a language of its own. In fact, many companies have their own internal terminology for all sorts of things. That's okay, as long as your use of that terminology stays within your business or your industry. But trying to use it with the outside world just doesn't work.
In far too many cases, people respond to this disconnect by becoming frustrated or deciding that their customers must not be all that bright. That's a deadly mistake, because customers pick up on that. If a customer fails to understand what you're saying, it doesn't mean he or she is ignorant. It means you're not explaining it in a way that's understandable. In other words, if your customers or prospects fail to understand you, the blame doesn't rest with them. You're at fault.
No matter what industry, no matter which corner of the global marketplace, if you want to communicate effectively with prospects, customers, or any other stakeholders, you need to speak in their language. Otherwise, you can't assume that they'll understand what you're trying to tell them. Most people won't speak up when they don't understand something. Even worse, they'll apply their own meaning to whatever they think you're saying.
When you do speak in their language, you'll notice that something will start to happen. They'll become more engaged with you and your messages. You'll see fewer mistakes and find yourself spending less time fielding those same questions that drive you crazy. The reason? You'll finally be communicating, and your customers and prospects will finally understand what you can do for them.

Scott Flood creates effective copy for companies and other organizations. To learn more, visit http://www.sfwriting.com, or read his blog at http://sfwriting.com/blog ©2013 Scott Flood All rights reserved.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Flood

Read More

3 Custom Promotional Items for Everyday Use

You may have heard of how promotional products are taking the center stage - in light of the benefits that they offer to business and entrepreneurial campaigns. And this is not really surprising, considering that this marketing strategy actually offers results, provided that you just do things right.
It is worthy to note that there are many types of products and items that you can use to your advantage. However, if you are looking to offer a more personal "feel" to the freebies and handouts that you're giving out - then you can opt to hand out custom promotional items to catch your market's attention.
How to Effectively Use Promotional Products and Items to Your Advantage
Just like in all endeavours, you will need to do some research in order to ensure that everything is efficient - and for things to remain that way. This is a basic rule in business, and one that you should follow as well.
If you want to use promotional products, make sure that you are not just giving things away for the sake of doing it. That can be a very unwise move. Instead, you must put careful thought in whatever it is you're giving out - in order to attain the results that you want.
Remember that this strategy of handing potential clients with freebies and special offers is meant for connecting with them. And the deeper your connection with them is - the better will things turn out to be. That's a primary rule in marketing.
With these in mind, let's discuss how you can use promotional products to your advantage:

• Give items that are actually usable. People don't like receiving items that in the end, they won't have any use for. Being so, it would be more advantageous if you made sure that recipients of your products will be able to use their freebies, whether at home, at work, or at play. Remember: the more usable a particular product is - the more successful your marketing efforts will be.

• Put your company logo or name on the product. This is essential. Also make sure that your brand is placed on a strategic location. By doing so, you can expect more people to see your company name - which in turn, can help increase brand recognition.

• Try to make things more personal. A direct and personal approach for your marketing campaigns is a whole lot better. As it is, you might want to consider handing out custom promotional items that will actually reflect what you and your company is all about.

Custom Promotional Items to Help Spread Your Message Across
If you want to connect with your target market on a much deeper level, here are some custom promotional items that you can use to effectively spread your message to your prospective and current clients:

1. Custom Stick-ez Decals - this option is excellent for those who are looking for affordable, yet interesting items to hand out. These can be quite useful for getting more people to go to your trade show booths, or for promoting your company and products. Note: put some thought in your designs. As much as possible, add some fun, humour and wit in your themes - in order to ensure that recipients actually use them.
2. Custom Luggage Tags - this is another option that can actually help you gain that much needed recognition from your market. This product is handy, affordable and can actually be quite usable. With this item, more people will be able to see your company name or brand - which again, will result to good things on your end.
3. Full Custom Cycling Jersey - this is a perfect giveaway for people who are into sports. Just make sure that your name is visible on the jersey (for marketing purposes) and that people will actually use them. Note: unlike the other options mentioned above, this can be a bit more expensive. As it is, choose recipients carefully. This can be an excellent option as a customer reward or as a corporate gift. Whatever the purpose may be - what is essential is that you are able to promote your business effectively.

PromosCanada.com is an advertising and marketing specialist, with years of experience and expertise in the field. It has an impressive assortment of promotional products and items for interested parties - which are all quite affordable as well. If you want to have a look at its products, and get an idea as to how the company can help - you can visit http://www.promoscanada.com/ for additional information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_Subotich

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7982043

Read More