Brand Tweet # 1: "Coordination and execution" http://www.pmw.net/tweets 100 days to building a better brand!

Brand Tweet # 1: "Coordination and execution" http://www.pmw.net/tweets 100 days to building a better brand!
Marketing is like a dance. When done correctly it brings recognition and ROI. Picking your target market, focusing your message on that target with laser like precision and coordinating the touchpoints is an art. Testing and measuring is the discipline that hones the art and makes it relevant. This takes determination and a strong marketing plan to achieve results. When you focus you message on a target and utilize multiple media marketing it will look like you are everywhere to your potential client. You cannot market to the world. It is too big and you are too small. Pick your market, develop your message and execute your plan.

I wish you all the success you deserve in 2010.

Happy New Year

Paul

Brand Tweet # 6: "Are Chamber Mailers Worth It?" http://www.pmw.net/tweets 100 days to building a better brand!

A number of chambers of commerce and other organizations offer mailings for their membership to take advantage of. These can be quite a bargain, and for the right business can provide a great marketing opportunity. Often the costs are right around the cost of postage if you decided to do it yourself. This is an inexpensive solution for print marketing. Just remember, you need to make about a half dozen impressions before it will start showing results. People need to see you consistently in your marketing efforts.

Brand Tweet # 8: "What does your answering machine say ...about you?" http://www.pmw.net/tweets 100 days to building a better brand!

Do you have an answering machine? Everyone does. Do you have an answering system for the office? How many links does it take for your client to get to a live person? Do they get a live person who can quickly direct them to the solution, or even better, help them immediately? What does that say about your attitude towards customer service? This is a very important and often overlooked brand touchpoint.

Brand Tweet # 19: "Coupons & Discounts" http://www.pmw.net/tweets 100 days to building a better brand!

Get them in the door with an offer. Don't make it unprofitable and it doesn't always mean cutting your price. Maybe giving an additional item would suffice. Remember to limit the time and number of discounts to generate urgency.

Brand Tweet # 20: "What's in a Font?" http://www.pmw.net/tweets 100 days to building a better brand!

I am a designer and it is really painful for me to see a marketing piece with every font in the book thrown in there just for the heck of it. Limit yourself to 3 fonts in any marketing piece. This doesn't include styling like bold and italic. But generally, use a display font for your headline, and a good font family like Times or New Baskerville for the body. They will give you sufficient options to design a professional looking piece of marketing literature. When we brand a client, we usually spec out a display and body font for use in most of their marketing. Sometimes a certain piece will require something different because of a theme but consistent font usage will contribute greatly to brand recognition.

Brand Tweet # 21: How will you manage your marketing plan?" http://www.pmw.net/tweets 100 days to building a better brand!

I've got my marketing plan, so now what am I going to do with it? Don't even think about putting it on the bookshelf! There is too much to do, now that I have clearly defined goals. I will interview a designer for the printed materials, and a web guy, talk to the exhibits people, oh right, speak with that SEO guy to bring traffic to the site... I need to write the content for the email newsletter or blog and create accounts for LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube… Then I need to find all those people on the sites that I know. What should I do first? How much time does each item take to implement in order to meet the schedule in the plan? I still need to run my business - how can I add all this to my plate? Often it isn't realistic to do it all by yourself. You need to manage it, or hire someone to do it for you. A lot of companies will hire a marketing person right out of school or with a few years of experience to manage it for them. These employees, although well intentioned and capable in their own right, might not understand your business, thus requiring a good deal of handholding for an indeterminate period. They also might not have the resources available in their network for the various skill sets needed. Sometimes you need a consultant to come in and get your plan implemented, saving you time, energy, stress, money and creating a much more effective campaign than you otherwise would have. Although perceived as more expensive, you do not need to worry about salary, vacation, benefits, management and having enough work to keep them busy on a consistent basis. A consultant can provide experience in business, a network of resources, and works on retainer-based contract, on specifically outlined deliverables. No matter which route you choose, self-management, new hire, or consultant, do not put that plan on the shelf! Implement it! In this economy, you don't want to lose a competitive advantage.

Brand Tweet # 22: "Articles" http://www.pmw.net/tweets 100 days to building a better brand!

Article marketing is a great way to make yourself known for thought leadership. It is an opportunity for you to show the world what you know. Start a blog, and tell them what is on your mind. Submit the articles to article submission sites. Here is a great one that provides a lot of information. http://www.EzineArticles.com

Brand Tweet # 31: "The Pack Mentality" http://www.pmw.net/tweets 100 days to building a better brand!

It is usually not good to bring several people from your office to a networking event. It is too tempting to stay in the safe area and not venture out to meet new people. Going out with a group of other networkers can work either way. If they understand the rules of the game, it can be a great way to quickly canvas the entire room and pick out the people you need to meet. If it is the wrong group, then it can backfire and bring you into a situation where you are with the same people most of the night. I tend to avoid these situations myself.

Brand Tweet # 32: "Plan your marketing month" http://www.pmw.net/tweets 100 days to building a better brand!

Plan what you are doing this month to market your company. Are you writing a blog, answering questions online, sending out a mailing, updating your website, all of the above? Make sure you schedule things appropriately allowing yourself enough time to get the work finished and spacing the events throughout the month so you don't overload yourself. Also, you can cross-market to build your audience. Your Tweet could read "Don't miss this month's special offer in our Newsletter, Sign up now!" Multiple touchpoint marketing should reinforce itself, increasing the visibility of your company.

Brand Tweet # 75: "Are you listening between the lines?" http://www.pmw.net/tweets 100 days to building a better brand!

The larger, non-spoken context within which all face-to-face communication takes place provides a truer picture of the speakers intent. Every conscious or subconscious behavior in the presence of another is suffused with meaning without which all verbal communication would be ambiguous. Non-verbal communication includes pitch, speed, tone and volume of voice, gestures and facial expressions, body posture, stance, and proximity to the listener, eye movements and contact, and dress and appearance. Research suggests that only a 5 percent effect is produced by the spoken word, 45 percent by the tone, inflexion, and other elements of voice, and 50 percent by body language, movements, eye contact, etc. How well are you listening?