InfusionCon is literally teeming with entrepreneurs who are committed to building a turnkey marketing system using InfusionSoft software and their ingenuity. (more…)

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I’m currently at the InfusionCon marketing conference in Phoenix, Arizona.  I’m here as part of Anita Campbell’s Small Business Trends team and our objective is to promote BizSugar — the only bookmarking site dedicated specifically to small business. (more…)

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I’ve just recently read and reviewed John Warillow’s book “Built to Sell” (It’s not up yet, so I’m sending you to this article by John himself!)  This is an outstanding book and if you own Michael Gerber’s eMyth, then “Built to Sell” is a must buy and a must read. (more…)

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July 13, 2009
11:30 am	to	12:30 pm

I’ve been working with some clients recently on trade show and event marketing strategies.  I have to admit that it’s been a while since I’ve ordered pens and mouse-pads for shows – but I have to think that there HAS to be something better out there than the traditional pens and sticky notes!  Don’t YOU?

Today we’re chatting about how promotional items can build your brand and we’re trying to collect your tips and ideas on how you’ve successfully used a wide variety of promo items.

Our guest guru today is @Bruce Felber, Felber and Felber Marketing.  While they do all kinds of traditional marketing stuff – my FAVORITE way to think of these guys is 3-D marketing!  That means they are brilliant at direct marketing and using 3-dimensional items (promo items) to get their prospects to choose YOU.

Q1.  What’s the difference between a promo item and a premium?

ScottBradley: @DIYMKTchat When I think of schwag I think about the stuff you pick up on the tables at career fairs #DIYMKT

BruceFelber: #diymkt Promotional items given away w/no strings attached. Premiums require either a purchase or or some form of buy in.

BruceFelber: #diymkt Price of the item is NOT the determining factor.

ScottBradley: @DIYMKTchat When I think of a promo item I think about an “add on” to a specific purchase #DIYMKT

mabynshingleton: Promo items are giveaways to promote a cause, service or business. They are always at trade shows. #diymkt

mabynshingleton: Stuff We All Get (S.W.A.G.) … #diymkt

Q2. What’s your favorite kind of promo item to use and why?

ScottBradley: @DIYMKTchat Pens are always fun, or the squishy stress balls! #DIYMKT

BruceFelber: #diymkt A good video to explain why promotional items work. http://tinyurl.com/lpjg2u

mabynshingleton: @DIYMKTchat Q2. favorite kind of promo item = useful items…and here it all depends on budget. #DIYMKT

burkonsconsult: Q2 – Cloth carry bags w/logos – esp in today’s green world. #DIYMKT

helpitcrashed: @DIYMKTchat I always go with pens or magnetic business cards that I leave for clients I visit/meet #DIYMKT

BruceFelber: #diymkt So many items today that are green, But be aware of ‘green washing’ and do it right.

Q3.  What’s your process of figuring out what kind of item you’re going to choose?

BruceFelber: #diymkt See this recent blog entry, Cost effective at many budgets. http://tinyurl.com/kr6dln

BruceFelber: #diymkt Using promotions as part of your direct mail campaign will yield higher results. Permanent advertising works when you can’t.

helpitcrashed: @DIYMKTchat Budget is key for me as I have none, leaving pens in restaurants and bank lobbies always works for local exposure#DIYMKT

BruceFelber: #diymkt look at the message you need to get out there; look at how many people you need to reach; then the budget to reach that audience.

BruceFelber: #diymkt Make sure you always have some “call to action” on any piece unless an award or impact campaign.

BruceFelber: #diymkt Here is an example of promotional items as part of a PR campaign. http://tinyurl.com/mdrssr

Q4. Is it better to pick products that are “permanent” or products that disappear (food)

burkonsconsult: For me, the need is generally in the future, so I need products that are permanent or used often. When the need arises, there I am. #DIYMKT

mabynshingleton: I think you have to decide what your objectives are. For the St. Patrick’s Day parade here, we throw green logoed cups to the crowd. #DIYMKT

BruceFelber: #diymkt Food items are very effective if the message and delivery method is on target. Consider the carrier of the food item.

BruceFelber: #diymkt Ebroidered and screened apparel is 40% of all promotional items today. See http://tinyurl.com/nkufdc

BruceFelber: #diymkt Try this liink on wearing apparel http://tinyurl.com/dj8dwz

BruceFelber: #diymkt Consider family and business reunions, open houses and special events. Wearing apparel can be used to brand an event.

Q5. What’s the benefit of using a promo consultant or firm?

burkonsconsult: Q5 – not having to do it yourself and letting a professional do it. #DIYMKT

Q6. Share a promo item success.  Why did it rock?

BruceFelber: #diymkt I once used apples with an imprint (yes food safe ink) for a Johnny Appleseed promotion.

DIYMKTchat: @BruceFelber I’ve seen people with different colored shirts at family reunions to designate which “child” or which generation – fun #DIYMKT

BruceFelber: #diymkt another effect use is to put kits or packages together for special events, meetings etc. Education use is highly effective.

BruceFelber: #diymkt This was a very successful campaign using promotional items to open the door. http://tinyurl.com/npddgn

BruceFelber: #diymkt Consider the Co-op campaigsn where several companies share the cost and outcome. See http://tinyurl.com/nret5f

Q7. What’s the one thing we all should do when thinking about promo items?

helpitcrashed: @DIYMKTchat remember that Call to Action!! #DIYMKT

BruceFelber: #diymkt Don’t give up on trade show marketing. Still great way to reach many. http://tinyurl.com/ar9s5j

BruceFelber: #diymkt q7 – consider the recipient and expected outcome. Are we branding, informing, promoting an event, thanking a client or employee?

BruceFelber: RT @helpitcrashed: @DIYMKTchat remember that Call to Action!! #DIYMKT Yes number one. Message, contact info etc.

BruceFelber: #diymkt One more link. http://tinyurl.com/mx3bsh

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I’m currently in the process of pulling together a marketing plan. It’s recently dawned on me that I hadn’t really done a “Marketing Plan Document” in YEARS! But that doesn’t mean I hadn’t done a marketing plan. In fact, I’ve done several of them – for myself and for clients. Read more…

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What are you doing with all those digital or virtual relationships that you’ve built up over the months or years on social media?  If you’re still asking yourself the question of how social media is going to make you money or help you reach more customers, chances are you’re not doing enough to make that happen.  Not because you don’t want to – but because it takes a little practice to figure out just how social media can work and fit into your marketing plan.

In our tweet chat on the relationship between social media and PR, there was consensus that the two worked together, enhancing the strength of the other; social media with authentic relationships and PR with communicating a message and a story.

Yet we all know that social media creates a value beyond that, but we haven’t quite worked out the leverage formula.  I’m going to start one here.  Please feel free to add on and provide your tips in the comment area.

1. Set marketing goals around your social media tools.  First comes the goal, then comes the tool that helps you achieve it.  Once you’ve gone through that process, you can look at the tool and see in what ways you can leverage that tool to reach your marketing goals.  For example; one of my marketing goals is to be a resource of expertise for my clients.  I primarily use LinkedIn for this objective.  So, I make sure that I have some kind of relationship with my LinkedIn contacts. I want to know who they are, what they look like, what they are good at.  I’d like to have a conversation with them over the phone, etc.  I want to know who they are and how I can refer them.
2. Conduct “referral meetings” online or on the phone.  Social media will increase your sphere of influence – but not if you haven’t taken the extra step of getting to know the people you’re connected to.  The easiest way to do this is daily.  If you reach out to someone you don’t know and want to add them to your LinkedIn or Facebook account, then make sure you schedule a phone or live meeting if you can.
3. Look for opportunities to work together. This is something that’s often overlooked.  It’s one thing to talk about what each of you is looking for, but another to talk about what opportunities you can create together by merging your areas of expertise.

I’ve been putting this process to work over the last few months and it has yielding more opportunities that I can schedule in the short term.

How have YOU leveraged your social media relationships to create new opportunities?

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In today’s #DIYMKT Tweet Chat we confronted the issues of connecting with customers.  We all know it’s good to connect with customers, but actually doing it leaves most of us a little confused.  

What does connecting with customers mean?

Laurie Burkons (@burkonsconsult) said “Connections are mutually beneficial. Reaching out is one-sided, although the first step in making connections is reaching out. “ That’s helpful because when we use the word “connect” we’re thinking MORE about a sort of emotional connection, instead of mass mailing or even a newsletter.  We’re using the word “Connection” to allude to building relationships.

Cool Ideas for Connecting with Customers using Twitter

I did a little snooping on the internet and found some ways that both larger and smaller businesses were connecting with customers:

• A bakery in the UK (Albion in Shoreditch (@albionsoven)) actually twitters their followers when fresh bread comes out of the oven!
• Koji (A Korean BBQ) has a truck that roams around LA and promotes its location via Twitter
• @nathanegan: Make it as easy as possible for clients/prospects to follow you (put your handle everywhere) – great business will happen!

Best Tools for Connecting with Customers

• @nathanegan: Human Capital SEO – Empowering workforces with a protocol for social presence, blog out soon, subscribe: http://bit.ly/tYb2
• Use www.whistletree.com and schedule regular webinars and training sessions where you can share best practices.

 

How to Use Twitter to Connect with Customers

• @nathanegan: Make it as easy as possible for clients/prospects to follow you (put your handle everywhere) – great business will happen!
• Schedule a Tweet Chat.  Pick a hashtag keyword, pick a day and time and have a chat around key issues in your industry.

 

Why are We Afraid to Connect with Customers?

• @nathanegan: We don’t want hear what they would actually say! Social media levels the playing field of sitting back on your past successes

 

Here are two questions that we didn’t have time to address on the tweet chat:

• One Way to Connect that I’ve Wanted, But Haven’t Figured Out How
• How do you know you’re connected and not just reaching out?

 

Tell us what your best tips are for connecting with customers!

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I just ran across an article that outlined the recent results of some studies that again show that more than 85% of our decision-making is EMOTIONAL and not rational. We’ve all known this to be true on a very basic level, but for whatever reason, we still cling to this notion that we need logical arguments to convince people of our point of view.

It’s no different when we are pulling together a sales and marketing strategy.  Even though we know that emotional triggers drive the decision, we continue to sometimes force our logic into the conversation.

Have you ever heard this phrase? “Most businesses sell things so that they can have customers.  We have customers so we can sell them things.” This is one of my favorite quotes (if you know who said it, let me know).  It speaks to the fact that selling more to existing customers is more profitable for your business, and for your customer because it reduces your marketing cost and their supplier complexity.

The best way to sell more to existing customers, is to build a relationship and a history with them.  And the best way to do THAT – is through direct marketing. Direct marketing doesn’t just mean Direct MAIL.  It can include personal visits, events, sales calls, social media as well as direct mail.

In this article I’m going to give you a task list that will get your customer audience started – so you can connect with them on an emotional level.

1. Get a list of existing customers.   This may seem obvious because “everyone has a customer list.”  This is a list I want you to start BY HAND.  Don’t just do a data dump.  Pull your team together and literally start listing people and companies that are top of mind for you. This should not be a HUGE list.  You might have 5 or 10 or maybe 50.  But not too many more than that.   This is the list of either great customers or crappy customers.  The great one’s you’ll want to create strategies for.  The crappy ones you’ll want to discuss and see if you want to make them great or refer them out.  Once you’re done with that, you can go to your database and pull down some more customers that might be in the “danger of losing” category.  And see what the deal is with that.  The question you’re asking here is – “Will building a connection with this person/company increase my sales and profitability?”
2. Segment and group these customers according to “benefit segments.”  These would be groupings that might include something like “Customers who like having stuff overnight, Customers who order in small quantities, Customers who use our product outside, etc….” Notice that these groupings are based more on how your customer experience and interact with your product or service and not just their demographics or location.  This kind of grouping or segmentation is KEY to increasing your profit margins and building great relationships and connections.
3. Develop a profile of these customer segments and the decision-makers in each one.  Think of this as literally developing a Facebook or LinkedIn profile for this personified customer.  Is it a man or a woman, what is their name, where do they live, what is their day like.  This is the best way to get into their world.  Start a list of what’s important to them in their personal and professional life.
4. For each group, make a connection between what’s important to them and what you actually provide that solves their problem or challenge.  Use index cards or sticky notes in two colors.  Use one color to list what’s important to these customers, then use the other color to list the offer that you provide that gives them that.

Whew – that was some work wasn’t it.  But it will be worth it when it comes to creating direct marketing campaigns that really connect.

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Are you so busy creating content for your blog that you’re missing out on those simple things that can really make a difference in building your community?  Take the next 30 minutes and do these things to better build a loyal following.

Have a couple of blogs and link to them.

I write for several blogs, but I don’t always link to the corresponding articles.  Here’s an example.  Strategy Stew was listed as one of the top 17 blogs for Toilet Paper Entrepreneurs.   As a result of that post, I was contacted by David Garland (The Rise to the Top) and after an awesome conversation, he invited me to answer 10 Questions for him about Marketing.  Of course, we then mutually promoted each other via Twitter and other avenues.

But that’s not all that came out of this little adventure.  I was also contacted by Johnathan Kay from a company called “Grasshopper.” Check out their cool blog!.  Johnathan was checking out the TPE blog looking for an article about his company and found the mention to Strategy Stew.  He got hooked by my article on creating your own opportunity….and sent me THIS very cool thing to share with you.

Which brings me to the next item:

Create a meaningful connection and conversation with at least one new person each day.

There are so many small ways that you can open a new door, start a new conversation and create a new possiblitiy and opportunity for yourself and your company.  Here are just a few:

• Send an e-mail to the author of a book or an article.  Tell the author you liked it.  Have a conversation around what inspired you and see if you can create a new opportunity for the author and yourself around this book or topic.
• If you have a blog or write – write a review of the book, take another point of view on the article,  create a how-to or tip around that topic.
• If you are included on some kind of list or part of a group of presenters — reach out to those people and get to know them better.  See if you can help them.  See if they can help you.

What are some creative ways that you have reached out and created new opportunities for yourself and others?

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Today marks exactly the 33rd time this month I’ve told someone to get their brand online.  That’s an average of once a day that I have this conversation.  It all starts with how to connect with a targeted audience.  Then it moves on to the inevitable cost of marketing and finally ends with my asking how much time and effort they’ve spent in giving themselves, their name, their company name and brand — online.

Getting online USED to just mean having a web site.  But a web site is not enough.  You need a web site, a blog, a profile on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.  And there is so much more.

Check out my latest article on HPs Small Business Marketing Guide Blog for a detailed to-do list on how to give your brand a better presence online and get more, better, profitable customers as a result.

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