Text Marketing: What's After the Daily Deal

While the age of daily deals, led by Groupon, seems to be on the decline, text marketing, also known as SMS marketing, is offering businesses an inexpensive, effective and easy-to-use marketing solution.

Statistics showing a nearly 50% drop-off in Groupon traffic since its peak the second week of June 2011, coupled with the recent elimination of Facebook's four-month old Deals and scaling back of Yelp's year-old daily deals product, suggest it's time to shift focus on to whom and how best to market with specific deals. The Local Deals Survey released in June 2011 by PriceGrabber® showed that while 44% of respondents said they use or search the web for daily deals, 52% of respondents expressed feeling overwhelmed by the number of bargain emails they receive on a daily basis.

Furthermore, Groupon and other daily deal products have not proved to be more valuable as more people use them. While Groupon subscribers increased exponentially from 150,000 to over 83 million in a two-year period ending March 31, 2011, the revenue per subscriber experienced a 64 percent decline, dropping from $21.69 two years ago to $7.76 as of March 31, 2011. Increasingly, questions as to whether the deep discount model is sustainable for businesses are also emerging. Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman conveyed in his blog on August 30, 2011, "We've also heard consistently from certain categories of businesses (very popular ones I'm afraid) that daily deals are uneconomic for them, which does raise questions around the sustainability of "50% off" daily deals for these types of businesses." Just as problematic for these company and their customers, internal research from Groupon shows just 22% of the people buying coupons are making a repeat visit to a business after using the coupon.

Despite these trends, and especially in this economy, couponing is a proven marketing tool. One cannot argue that deals are always appreciated and customers love to save money. So perhaps it's just that the right deals are not making it to the right consumers at the right time. How can businesses focus on attracting new customers and keep those customers coming back without a Groupon-like service?

Text marketing (SMS marketing) offers a cost-effective, sustainable solution, differentiating itself from the featured, daily deal craze on a number of key elements:

• Text marketing is sustainable. It allows businesses to reach their customers with their desired promotions, without having to negotiate a "50% off deal". Offering products or services at 25% of retail value is not sustainable long-term.

• Text marketing is branding. It allows business to distinguish themselves from competitors. In an "all things are equal world", direct contact through mobile marketing can create top of mind awareness for your business and/or product. Rather than simply offering a one-time deal, text marketing allows businesses to create a consistent presence in the minds of their customers.

• Text marketing is flexible. It allows businesses to reach their customers at their desired frequency, without having to wait to be "chosen" by a third-party. Text marketing campaigns that meet a company's objective can be created within minutes and scheduled daily, weekly or monthly.

• Text marketing is targeted. It allows businesses to communicate directly with consumers who have expressed interest in their brand by opting into the text marketing experience rather than blasting offers to bargain hunters who are interested only in one-time, random deals.

• Text marketing is good for the business owner. With a text marketing strategy, the business builds and manages its own customer database. Robust text marketing applications allow for detailed analytics on customer subscription and redemption patterns, providing businesses with data not previously available from other couponing methods. These behavior patterns can be used to inform products and promotions, ultimately improve sales.

• Text marketing is good for the consumer. Text is the new preferred method of communication. While email and web-based marketing methods seem to be experiencing customer fatigue, statistics show that text messages have a 90% read rate and that most messages are read within 3 minutes of receipt. Customers can opt-out just as easily as they opt-in. Redemption is made easy because the coupon is on the customer's mobile device.

As daily deal offerings are not living up to their hype, businesses need to expand their marketing approaches. Text marketing enables businesses to attract new customers, increase customer frequency, reward customer loyalty and boost sales.

Karl Self, Product Specialist
Avisod, LLC.
888-860-4319
http://www.avisod.com
text: avisod karl to 46786

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Get Raving Audience Response Using Video In Your Presentations

The sweetest sound in the English language is the sound of one's own name. This truism has been known since the days of Shakespeare. When you can focus on another person you get their attention like nothing else. This is a core foundational principle of Relationship Marketing.

When you are speaking to a group, the more customized you can make your message to them, the better you'll connect and the more successful you will be. Great speakers throughout history have known the importance of focusing on the needs of the audience. Today you have a tool available that can electrify your presentation and bring it to life for any audience.

I'm talking about the power of video. You know the power of television over newspapers. You know the power of YouTube and how it has transformed the way we use the Internet. Now you can use video in your presentations to do more with your message. You can show a (short, please) clip that illustrates a principle. It can demonstrate what your firm can do. You can use testimonials of satisfied clients who have already worked with you.

Video will not replace you as a speaker. Think of it like the seasoning of a meal. It adds to the message. But that seasoning can bring you raving response from your audience -- just what you want as a speaker and a marketer.

Here's what I often do in my programs where I speak to business leaders around the world. I talk with key members of the audience before my program. I interview them on pertinent topics that will be relevant to the audience during my talk. I record portions of this interview and select a few key sound bytes which can inspire and educate the audience during my presentation.

It is one thing for me to say something from the platform. But when the audience watches a video of one of their own respected and trusted members say something, it is far more impressive. I make heroes of the people I interview and the audience benefits from it. When they hear the company's top sales performer describe what she did to achieve a goal, it means a lot more than me blathering on about some platitude.

Don't get me wrong. I still talk about the principles that work and how using what I call R-Commerce - Relationship Commerce beats out any E-Commerce (the Electronics). By adding the video of participants and people the audience knows and trusts, it raises the power of the presentation to a new level.

You will have an unfair advantage over other speakers at an event when you are the one that brings in key points backed up by real-world examples they can relate to on the spot.

Plus with video shot hours before your speak, your message has a sense of urgency and CNN-timing that shows relevancy. You bring the power of information to a relevant, right-now, real-world purpose for that audience, that day.

To do this is easier today than ever before. I use a small camcorder and an attached microphone (very important) for clear, professional sound and image. Then I do some edits in my hotel room to make it look professional. There are a number of good video editing programs which are easy to use and inexpensive. Windows Movie Maker comes with Windows machines and iMovie comes with Mac computers. Other programs are available which also do a very good job in editing. Many of these are easy to learn and use. You can then make a movie that is attached to your PowerPoint or Keynote presentation.

When you are delivering your speech, you can say something highly relevant to the audience like, you know, here in the widget industry at ABC Company, we know the importance of connecting with the customer. As a matter of fact, I spoke last night with Mary Smith, who we know is the top sales producer. Would you like to know how she does it? Well, listen to what she told me when she revealed the secret she uses to be #1 salesperson in the company. Then you, as the presenter, press one button and up comes the video of Mary the audience how she did it.

Mary is the star and you look fabulous as you bring real-world, usable ideas to your audience. This is a practical example of Relationship Marketing leveraged by technology.

Successful speaking is all about connecting with other people. Just like marketing connects people, you are connecting people in your audience with ideas they can use which will make their lives and businesses better. Video is a great tool to use which gives you a competitive advantage.

Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who works with businesses to generate profitable results. He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at http://www.terrybrock.com. Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: @TerryBrock. Join Terry's Facebook Fan Page at: http://www.facebook.com/SpeakerTerryBrock

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5 Pointers When You Want To Print Brochures Cheaply

Do you want to print your brochures cheaply? Well, it is not about getting the cheapest quotations from the brochure printer. To get cheap brochures that are still quite appealing, you will have to be smart with all the different choices when it comes to the design and the printing process of your prints.

In this special tutorial, we will discuss five special pointers that will easily help anyone balance out getting cheap brochures while at the same time getting appealing enough designs. Just follow the pointers below and you should learn easily what you can apply for your brochures.

1. Be smart with your choice of brochure printer.

Printing brochures cheaply does not mean that you should necessarily get the first brochure printer with the cheapest quotation for printing them. You have to be smart and get the printing company that has an affordable printing solution with the best quality that it can manage.

This is an important concept to understand. The cheapest does not necessarily mean the best even if you want cheap brochures. This is because you will want cheap brochures THAT WORK. So make sure you choose the most affordable printer with the best possible sample brochures.

2. Refrain from using the cheapest paper.

The first thing that people actually do to get cheap brochures is to get the cheapest option for the paper materials. This is something that you actually should not do. While it will get you the cheapest possible price, you will also get the worst possible brochure. In fact, you will probably be wasting a lot of money here since those brochures have a minimal success rate at best.

That is why it is actually better and more economical for you to refrain from using the cheapest paper materials. Try to get something a bit decent, thicker but still affordable. Review the choices when it comes to your brochure printer and see what is a little bit better than the cheapest option. This will do a lot of good for your brochures most definitely without making it too expensive.

3. Choose the most appropriate brochure size and configuration possible.

Make sure as well that you are choosing the right brochure size and configuration. To optimize the cost of your brochure printing and bring in the best quality, your configuration must fit your templates exactly without any extra spaces or dimensions to fill out. Anything larger and you will of course be paying for space in the brochure that you do not need. So review your content and review your brochure templates. Make sure you choose the best match that fits your content snugly with the template.

4. Customize your design templates extensively.

If you are printing cheap brochures, do not hesitate to customize your design template extensively. Do not just leave your designs bare, the way the main template looks.

Since you will be designing your own brochures all for free, you should be as creative and as innovative as you can with your brochure designs. This should help you cover the fact that you are totally going cheap with your brochure printing. You will at least have great and custom designs that people have not seen before.

5. Do not use free images from the Internet too much.

Finally, you should be careful and do not use free images from the internet too much in your cheap brochures. While this is a cost effective practice, it also devalues your brochures, making it less original and of course making it look cheaper.

If possible, try to create your own images and graphics or at least for the most part, get high quality free images from reliable sites from the Internet. The more original and the higher the quality the image, the better for your brochure prints. As long as you do not pay for those great images, then you have a good plan for cheap brochure printing.

Take note of these tips carefully. These should guide you to getting the right kind of cheap brochures that actually work and look great.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit: Brochures

Janice Jenkins is a writer for a marketing company in Chicago, IL. Mostly into marketing research, Janice started writing articles early 2007 to impart her knowledge to individuals new to the marketing industry.

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Business Promotional Products Facts, or Shall We Call Them Reasons to Use?

Business promotional products is the subject matter of a survey recently released by the Advertising Specialty Institute (survey covered US, Canada, Great Britain, and Australia). Though there are differences in percentages from country to country, some things are the same.

A. Writing instruments are the most owned promotional instruments in all countries surveyed. The next nine most owned items (though not in the same order in all countries) are:

1. Jackets/Hoodies/Sweatshirts/Fleece 
2. Shirts 
3. Calendars 
4. Bags 
5. Caps/Headwear 
6. Desk/Office/Business Accessories 
7. Food Items 
8. Glassware/ceramics (includes mugs) 
9. Health and Safety Products

B. Writing instruments are the ones that are used the most (18.2 times in the US and Canada, 19 times a month in Great Britain, 17.6 times in Australia.

Desk/office/business accessories and glassware/ceramics (includes mugs) are the next most used items in all countries (except the US where automotive and electronics/computer items are used most; though this is based on such a small number of respondents that ASI cautions against relying too much on the numbers for these categories).

C. The overall winner? Bags, with a average lifetime impressions of 7,224, average cost of $10 per item, average per-impression cost of $0.001. The next 9, by number of impressions are (numbers are averages):

1. Automotive 
1,227 lifetime impressions, cost of $6/item, $0.005/impression.

2. caps/headwear 
2,984 lifetime impressions, cost of $6/item, $0.002/impression

3. electronics/computers 
2,243 lifetime impressions, cost of $13/item, $0.006/impression (numbers based on a small sample)

4. shirts 
2,208 average lifetime impressions, cost of $11/item, $0.005/impression

5. writing instruments 
2,005 lifetime impressions, cost of $3/per item, $0.001/impression

6. calendars 
1,984 lifetime impressions, cost of $5/item, $0.003/impression

7. Recognition awards/trophies/plaques 
1,634 lifetime impressions, cost of $35/item, $0.021/impression

8. desk/office/business accessories 
1,324 lifetime impressions, cost of $10/item, $0.008/impression

9. glassware/ceramics (including mugs) 
1,307 lifetime impressions, cost of $5/item, $0.004/impression.

(Jackets/Hoodies/Sweatshirts/Fleece has 1,002 lifetime impressions, cost of $50/item, $0.50/impression).

Is that the whole story? No. The same survey, quoting several outside sources, like the Nielsen Company, tells you that no other marketing method has lower per impression cost.

Higher:

Prime time TV - $0.018/impression

National magazines $0.045/impression

Spot radio $0.058/impression.

Comparable:

Syndicated (Day) TV - $0.005/impression

Cable TV (Prime Time) $0.005/impression

Billboards - $0.002/impression

Internet - $0.003//impression

The average cost per impression for all business promotional products is $0.005. (All the above costs are for US.)

Is that the whole story? No, it's not: 83% of the US survey participants say they can identify the advertiser on a business promotional product they own. Glassware/ceramics (includes mugs) and shirts did the best here (87% fir glassware/ceramics, 86% for shirts), and electronics/computer items did the worst (31%). Every other product of the top 10 by impressions had at least 70% recall ability.

Receiving business promotional products increases people's opinion of the business that does the giving in at least 30% of the people and by as much as 64%, on average, in the US, 11% had a significantly more favorable opinion and 30% had a somewhat more favorable opinion.

Sixty percent of the people did business with the business that gave them the promotional product (average across all products for the US), with recognition-awards/trophies/plaques and glassware/ceramics (includes mugs) at the top (71 and 70%, respectively) and health and safety products at the bottom (46%).

The survey does not address this, but it would be awesome if we knew how many of the people who did business with a company after they received a promotional product from them would not have done business with it had they not received a promotional product.

Are you convinced yet that using business promotional products makes sense? To me it seems like a no-brainer since they're inexpensive and effective. Of course, the effectiveness varies from business to business, based on factors such as market segmentation, quality of product and personalization, product delivery methods, message (logo, logo + something else), etc.

For more information about promotional products ( personalized water bottles, personalized coffee mugs, etc) visit PersonalizedPromotionalProductsPrinting.com

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Cheap Business Cards - Can They Do Your Business More Harm Than Good?

85mm x 55mm is a standard size for business cards. Cheap business cards tend to be printed on low-quality 250gsm (grammes per square metre) board.

For most quality conscious people this standard is just not good enough as the cheap card will in no way reflect the quality aspect of their own trade or business. A good quality average weight to aim for would be 335/350gsm with a 400gsm card being an ideal weight limit for a standard business card. Some companies will offer a 400gsm card as a minimum standard as they know the customer will be happy with the card quality.

Not all business card suppliers are the same though. Buying cheap business cards has the potential for things to go not as planned.

In any card printing process there are a few things that can spoil the job, no matter how much money you're paying.

e.g. Printing a job 'out of register' can cause ugly effects on your business cards.

Ink, when not applied correctly can cause your job to look pretty awful.

Incorrectly aligned cards on the printing press will cause problems at the trimming stage. The problem will definitely show on some, if not all of the cards when you receive them.

Spot colour inks, if not mixed correctly will often spoil a job.

It's imperative the guillotining is done accurately also, as the slightest wrong cut will often ruin a nicely printed job.

Cutting cards before they've had a chance to dry thereby offsetting ink onto other cards is a common issue.

Unless suitable quality control is evident there are many processes that can mean the difference between a top quality job and one that's only fit for the bin. Don't believe everything you read as online marketing can be quite deceiving. Find a suitable print supplier, stick with them and your risks will be minimised. Switching from one printer to another, chasing the cheapest price for your business cards will probably end in tears! Remember, the cheaper the price the more corner cutting will need to take place.

Whether you choose a cheap business card supplier or not, there are still some issues that can arise.

Many printers go out of business for selling too cheaply, meaning you have to start the whole buying process again with someone you don't know.` The poor old client who thought he was getting a great deal is now faced with paying a realistic price.

Another often overlooked problem is your printer, once gaining you as a client, pushing up prices to try and gain back what's been lost in the early print orders. The print business is rife with printers offering prices below cost, often just before they go bust forever leaving you high and dry.

If your printer is a cost-cutter then something has to give, and far too often it's quality. Quality control is an essential ingredient of a professional print service. Cheap business cards means the printer has to get them out of the door as soon as possible, which inevitably means a lack of quality checking time.

Many printers view business cards as a loss leader, especially those sold very cheaply and often will try to get their money back by upping the prices of their other products.

As with most things in life, you only get what you pay for so tread sensibly when buying print. A professional printing company may charge you a little more, but you'll be in good hands and may even save money in the scheme of things.

With many cheap business card services, the onus is on you the customer to provide artwork at the correct print resolution which is exactly why many people end up being disappointed with the end product. It's not going to cost an arm and leg to find a suitable printing company. We've seen so many disappointed people over the years who've bought on price alone.

Cheap often means you're not getting good value.

Author: P. Hruza - Free Business Cards, or just very cheap ones may seem like an attractive proposition but quite often in order to produce them means cutting corners. This means it may be far more beneficial for you to pay a realistic price to get the business cards you really expect. Spending a little more can often get you a great product such as Laminated Business Cards which are very popular at the moment.

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Read This If You Hate Marketing

Many small business owners hate marketing. I can understand that feeling. I hated marketing too until I discovered a new way of looking at the task which works for me and for my clients. Marketing is actually all about educating people. It is all about sharing YOUR knowledge with others to help them improve the quality of their lives. You don't have to be a bore and you don't have to be pushy. You can choose how you communicate your knowledge but communicate it, you must!

The first rule of good marketing is DON'T ASSUME. Don't assume that just because YOU know something that your client also knows it too. A good example of this happened to me recently. My youngest suffers from hay fever. I was discussing this with a colleague who told me that locally produced honey can lessen the impact of locally produced allergens. Now, I have been aware of the benefits of organic food for almost 20 years but I did not know this. Current statistics for the UK show almost 25% of the population suffer from hay fever. That's a lot of people who suffer from itchy eyes, runny noses and persistent sneezing. I can only guess how many of them would be delighted to know about a healthy product which could bring relief without leaving them feeling drugged and fuzzy.

The second rule is COMMUNICATE to EDUCATE. Simply put, tell your friends and your potential customers/clients what you know. Give them bite-sized pieces of information. (I don't want to know all about the life cycle of bees, your customer probably doesn't either.) Give your potential client/customer solid, brief information about the benefits of your product or service. Answer the unasked question 'what will this product/service do for me?' Help them by sharing what you have learned. Save them the time and energy involved in finding the information for themselves. I value the people who make my busy life easier, I am sure you do too. Become one of those helpful people.

The third rule is SPELL IT OUT. I have seen clients go to other service providers because they didn't know that I offered the service they were seeking. Why did this happen? Because I didn't tell them about everything I do! Think about everything that you do then let your existing customers/clients know all about it. Remember to do it in bite sized pieces. Now excuse me while I go to my local organic store to buy some locally produced honey.

Martine Brennan of Business Growth NOW delivers training and coaching packages to business people in Co. Kerry, Ireland. 
http://www.martinebrennan.com
Contact her on mhappybrennan@gmail.com

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Getting Maximum ROI on Training

When corporate revenues are down, budgets shrink. Executives look for ways to cut costs and 'ride out the storm'.

Cutting training altogether can be a risky proposition. The question shouldn't be "What training expense can we eliminate?" but rather "What training can we provide that would increase our 'top line' or reduce our other expenses?"

When one evaluates training from this perspective, the criteria for success and effectiveness become more apparent. Train sales people to be more strategic or more relationship oriented in their approach and revenues should increase.

Train employees on proper procedures and processes and error rates (and therefore waste) go down improving profitability.

Improve their communication skills and time-draining conflicts decrease. Various studies show that almost 85% of employees report conflict on the job. If an employee earning $30K/year wastes just 1 hour a week on a conflict, that's $721 (assuming no conflict happened during the 2 weeks they spent on vacation.) How many hours do you think employees are losing each week dealing with conflict in your organization?

Managers spend 40 - 60% of their time arbitrating conflict. A manager earning $60K/yr is 'investing' about $30K of that salary dealing with disputes. Imagine if that time were instead invested in improving processes, uncovering new opportunities.

Communication problems can be avoided or at least minimized with proper training, yet execs somehow don't recognize the true cost of conflict because they don't take the time (or don't know how) to measure it.

Train managers on workplace harassment and future lawsuits could be avoided. (Avoided costs are harder to measure, but workplace harassment training is required so ignoring it gets even more expensive.)

So, how can money-smart managers and executives continue their training efforts without breaking the bank?

- Look for new models to deliver training. 
- Rather than flying people in for meetings, use webinars or video broadcasts. Technology is improving and becoming more cost-effective. 
- Transition to e-learning, just in time, learn at your desk training. Employees select (or are given) specific modules to help them improve on the job. 
- Conduct a workshop using video with a remote speaker/trainer and even dispersed participants saving travel costs. 
- Host frequent, short teleconferences to impart information and engage masterminding/problem solving sessions. 
- Use social networking Web 2.0 technology to enable knowledge sharing across departments and locations decreasing 'ramp up' time, building repositories of solutions from which employees can draw to solve their problems and improving productivity...and profitability. 
- Tie learning outcomes to desired business results - and measure them. 
- Especially in this economy, it is critical that we develop new ways to improve our people, our operations and our profitability.

Training and knowledge sharing are critical roads toward that goal and cannot be abandoned without jeopardizing the future our enterprises.

Don't squander your upside potential. Invest today.

About the Author
Loretta Love Huff, the Dream Leader for Business™, is an award-winning business and executive coach. She helps entrepreneurs leverage their ideas and dreams into profitable & fulfilling businesses.

Visit http://www.IWantMoreClientsNow.com to grab your two free audio series titled "The 5 Biggest Mistakes Service Professionals Make in their Marketing" and "The 7 Secrets for Sales Success".

(c) 2010 Emerald Fiji Management

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Wristbands Are The Flexible and Functional Way of Promotion to a Large Audience

There are some people who will not wear a watch, a wedding band, and balk at being tagged at a medical facility with a paper identification label as if they were being handcuffed. However, throughout time, one thing that has been worn by the masses without complaint is the wristband. For whatever the reason, and there are several to be sure, men, women and children have worn a band on the wrist at some point in their lives proudly or without fuss. Today, whether demonstrating solidarity, bringing awareness to a cause, identifying oneself as a paid member of a group at a festival or social function, there is no doubt that wristband's are the flexible and functional way of promotion to a large audience.

For years, black wristbands were worn to signify mourning. Then, bands or bracelets started to take on religious meaning and were worn to signify beliefs. Popularity exploded when wristbands became en vogue as a fashion statement among the trendy signifying association with a group. The yellow wristband was the first world-wide promotional tool used to bring awareness to a cause, testicular cancer, following in the footsteps of small ribbons worn on the lapel showing support for a cause.

When the famous athlete and pro cyclist Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer, he and his supporters wanted to send a message promoting strength, solidarity and perseverance. The promotional item chosen by Mr. Armstrong and his family, friends, and supporters mirrored the message they wanted to deliver to other patients and their families going through the same struggle he did at a young age. Being strong, durable, secure, and positive will win athletic competitions and possessing those same traits will fight against disease. Soon, marketing, public relations teams and event planners realised that the versatility of wristbands can make them the perfect publicity tool.

The wristbands, mostly made from a durable silicone, are popular with men, women and children alike. Initially designed to create awareness of a cause or non-profit mission as "awareness bands" as a term coined by some promotional item manufacturers, the bands have become not only a tool to spread a message, but have become a functional item as well.

While they are still used to reach mass audiences to bring attention with regards to public relations, schools and organisations have used them for fundraisers; communities and sports teams have worn the wristbands as reminders of togetherness and the common thread which binds members while participating in activities to reach a goal or objectives; and event planners use them to signify paid attendees, a VIP status, or as age identification methods.

For large event organisers however their wristbands do not need to be as expensively made as silicone, a simplistic paper wristband that will last a day or two is all you need for an inexpensive way of showing that you belong to a certain event. More than this, businesses have seen the opportunity to advertise their company or services on the paper wristbands for large events such as a games company advertising on the event wristbands for a gaming exhibitions makes perfect sense in terms of effective marketing.

Wristbands are one of the few truly universal items in marketing and can be especially effective for charities and targeting large audience events.

Felicity works as a part time freelance writer for a number of companies in the UK. For more information on festival wristbands and other aspects relating to promotional festival items, then please visit MPM Wristbands.

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Does Your Brand Have a Voice in Social Media? 5 Keys to Online Success

For most savvy marketers, social media has grown from a curiosity to a vital component of their online strategy. According to a survey conducted by Regus, nearly 50% of U.S. based businesses use some form of social media to connect with existing and potential customers. But is having a mere presence on social media the same as having a voice?

The simple answer is "No!"

Having a presence is like sitting in the corner at a cocktail party and observing the crowd. Sure, you can say you were there, but you will have had little to no impact on the conversation. And it's not just a matter of Tweeting out volumes of words either. Your brand message must communicate authentically and consistently to be effective, to warrant a share of the discussion, to make a lasting impression. To ensure your online success, it's important to follow these common sense guidelines.

1. Determine your objectives

Before engaging in social media, first determine your goals. Are you trying to inform? Inspire? Educate others about your industry? Announce job openings? Blast a sales special? All of the above? It's important to think before you speak, to develop an overarching goal that you want your social media to serve. In most cases, using it as a sales tool to announce discounts will do little or nothing to advance your company's brand image, and even less to endear yourself in the eyes of potential customers. So think about your motivation for being online, and stay true to that goal.

2. Establish your voice

Once you know your mission, determine the tenor of your conversation. Is it fun and lighthearted? Or is it insightful and revealing? Just like people, companies have personalities. And unless you want to be viewed as a corporate Sybil, it's best to speak with one voice. Don't post a link to an industry specific article, a hilarious YouTube video and then post a Gandhi quote. You will simply appear reactive and incoherent. If you want to use humor, and it fits your brand image, then by all means do so. But remember, your brand is most credible when its congruent with its core message.

3. Communicate regularly

This is one of the most difficult objectives and also one of the most important. Nothing speaks louder than silence. If you commit to having an ongoing conversation with your customers, you need to be there when they speak with you. Thankfully there are a number of tools available for planning, scheduling and monitoring your social media, services such as HootSuite. But don't just put your social media on cruise control either. It's vital to keep an open ear to hear what others are saying about your company. So while it's great to plan out your updates, but sure to monitor mentions and respond in a timely fashion.

4. Watch your appearance

This is social media, and so appearance plays an important role. And just as you plan your wardrobe for the week ahead, it's vital to make sure your brand image has a clean, consistent presentation across all social platforms - one that your customers have come to know and expect. What does that mean? It means having matching Twitter, Facebook and YouTube backgrounds with the same company logo, type fonts and colors. it means investing in design so that your online newsletter doesn't look like a ransom note. In short, give your online social media the same attention you would a company brochure or marketing piece. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it also needs to look like you care. Don't be that guy that wears one blue and one black sock to the office.

5. Measure and evaluate

This is not as rigid as it sounds. We all want something from our social media efforts, e.g. feedback, insights, new leads, top-of-mind-awareness, etc. So whatever you are looking to achieve, set up benchmarks to see if you are achieving these goals. And don't limit it to the number of Likes or followers - look deeper to the number of retweets, customer questions, degree of interaction, etc. Again, refer back to #1 and determine ways to measure if you are in sync with your brand message, your overall mission.

It's not enough anymore to simply occupy a seat on the social media bus. If you want to extend your company's brand message, it's vital to communicate with a clear, consistent and compelling voice. If you do, you will not only win the continued confidence of your loyal customer base, but gain the attention of potential new clients who share your values. And that type of branding speaks louder than words.

Phillip Davis is president and owner of Tungsten Branding, strategic company branding consultants specializing in name development, rebranding and brand positioning.

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It's The Little Things That Matter The Most - Especially In Event Planning And Management

Live events can change the life of your business. For many promoters, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and information marketers, starting and running successful events has been the thing that's catapulted their income from six figures to seven figures. It might also be yours, or you might already be running successful events - either way, there might be a few things you could do better that would make a huge difference in the success of your events.

I was at an event not too long ago and never, in three days, did the promoter ever start on time. Not just at the beginning of the day, but coming back from breaks, coming back from lunch, and of course, if an event doesn't start on time, it more than likely doesn't end on time.

Now, you might think that's just being overly picky, or that's just setting the bar way too high. After all, what's the big deal if you don't start exactly on time? Let me tell you why this is such a big deal, it's called integrity, it's called your word, it's called doing what you say you're going to do.

What's more important than that?

It might seem like a little thing to start ten minutes late, but at the event I attended, it started forty-five minutes late, and we had the added pleasure of standing outside the doors, in the hallway, the entire time. You can imagine people were more than a little aggravated, but here's the thing if you say you're going to start at eight o'clock, or let's say you're going to open the doors, whatever it is, it doesn't matter, and you don't do it.

Now, your attendees begin to question your integrity. Now, if you're going to stand on the platform and try to teach me, and help me, and then convince me, sell to me, market to me a coaching program, a course, or anything you have, subconsciously, maybe not consciously, but at least subconsciously, people begin to wonder things like "if I can't trust him to open the doors on time, can I really trust them to help me in my business?"

So, the bottom line, events are busy and they get hectic. No one is going to hold you your feet to the fire for running behind five or ten minutes, once in a while. However, if you consistently do things that go against what you say, your integrity is in question. And that's going to cost you, not only in products and sales, but in coaching sales. And, if you have speakers coming in from the outside to speak at your event, it's going to cost them too.

So sometimes, with event planning and event marketing, it's the little things that make such a huge, huge difference.

And, that's only one of the big mistakes promoters make that a lot of people don't think about.

Diane Conklin is one of the co-founders of Complete Marketing Systems whereas a marketing and business strategist she specializes in showing entrepreneurs and small business owners how to use direct response marketing to integrate their online and offline marketing strategies, media and methods, to get maximum results from their marketing dollars so they consistently outperform their competition by measuring their marketing and strategically using multi-media campaigns to stand alone in their marketplace as the go-to provider for their products and services. For more information go to http://www.completemarketingsystems.com

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Should You Market in an Uncertain Economy?

With the stock markets plunging up and down like a yo-yo, protests on Wall Street and the risk of Greece defaulting on its debt, it seems the world's economy is hanging by a thread these days.

This economic uncertainty is enough to have even the biggest corporations on edge, wondering how to best spend their most valued resource - their money.

So it's no wonder small- and medium-sized businesses are cautious about how to spend their hard-earned cash.

While many companies' first instinct is to cut marketing to save cash, is that the right decision?

After all, marketing is an integral aspect of your business. It helps attract new customers, brands your business and helps build trust between you and new and current clients on a day-to-day basis - regardless of what the Dow Jones is at this very second. So cutting marketing dollars out of your budget altogether will hinder any chance of you attracting new clients and can negatively affect the client base you've created so far.

What's the key to marketing in an uncertain economy? The answer is to choose your marketing techniques carefully.

Here are some great tips to help you market in a cheap yet effective way:

1. Consider cutting back on some of you most expensive marketing efforts.

Are you running TV, radio, print or billboard ads? If so, this may want to be the place to look for first when cutting down on your marketing budget.

These ads are by far the most expensive to run and although effective, there are many other cheaper and effective options to choose from.

2. Get online. Now.

If you don't have a website, create one ASAP, even if it's just a blog site like blogger.com. Unlike when websites first came on the scene, today there are many free website template companies to choose from (one of my faves is weebly.com).

And remember, it doesn't have to be perfect right away - when it comes to online presence, something is better than nothing!

Next up, get going on online marketing. This is not a phase - the truth is, if you haven't boarded the online search marketing train you're falling waaaay behind.

Online search marketing is the most effective way to market your company today, and while some options still cost money (i.e. Paid Search Marketing), there are free ways to promote your business online (i.e. Search Engine Optimization, or Organic Search Marketing).

Here are some sites to help get you up to speed and marketing online right away:

searchengineland.com

metrikmarketing.com

sphinn.com

http://www.tech-junkie.net

3. Get networking.

Personal relationships never go out of style. The more people you meet, the better chance you have of growing your client base, so join industry and business networks such as BNI (bnicanada.ca).

For more information on networking, see Red queen Creative's How to Network blog posting.

4. Use the mass media to market for you.

Public Relations (PR) is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to get your company's name and brand out there. By doing things like writing effective and newsworthy press releases, you can get mass media attention.

For more information on press releases, see Red queen Creative's How to Write a Press Release blog posting.

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Do I Have the Right to Take My Car to the Body Shop of My Choice?

Getting into a car accident can be one of the most stressful events in life, no matter how light the damage. Dealing with insurance companies, understanding consumer rights and selecting a body shop for collision repair can be overwhelming. The situation is even harder when insurance companies disguise the truth and even try to get customers to choose their preferred repair shops.

Choice of a Shop in Nevada

Under Nevada law, the owner of the car has the right to select the auto body shop of their choice to carry out any collision repair. The car is the legal possession of the owner, not the insurance company. No company or policy can decide where it will be repaired. Unfortunately, many insurance companies tell customers they must use a list of pre-approved or recommended shops. A consumer who knows their rights is at an advantage and can select a body shop they know and trust.

Responsibility of Costs

No matter which auto body shop is selected, it is important to understand who is responsible for paying the bill. Of course the cost of repairs must be paid to the shop. The owner of the vehicle must pay the total cost of repairs. If the owner has insurance, the insurance provider must then repay the owner for the loss they have suffered. The amount paid to the vehicle owner takes into account the cost of repairs, minus any deductible on the policy and lost value.

What the Insurance Company Must Do

All insurance policies in the state of Nevada must conform to the law. This means every policy is required to restore a vehicle's appearance, value, safety and function. In Nevada, when a vehicle is hit by someone with insurance, the car owner is entitled to payment for the loss of value. Many shops can help a customer send documentation of diminished value to the insurance company, which is used to award compensation. No matter which shop the owner chooses for collision repair, the insurance provider must restore the vehicle to its previous state.

False Insurance Company Claims

Many insurance companies use false claims to make customers select one of their preferred auto repair shops. One popular claim is that the customer is required to use a body shop from a pre-approved list. This is false and not what the law says. Some insurance providers tell customers they can have the vehicle repaired at a better price elsewhere. There is no financial benefit to the customer if the insurance company uses a cheaper auto body shop. Other insurance companies tell customers they can have the vehicle repaired faster at one of their preferred shops. However, quality work takes time and there is no way for the insurance provider to guarantee the speed of collision repair at their body shop.

It's important for every consumer to know their rights when they are in an accident and need auto repair. According to Nevada law, only the owner of the vehicle can decide where the car will be repaired. No insurance provider or company can tell a consumer which shop to select. While some insurance companies make false claims to save money, an educated consumer will choose their own trusted shop for collision repair.

There are many things to consider before choosing a body shop to handle your collision repair, painting, detailing, and restoration needs. Before you choose, download your FREE copy of the "12 Essential Questions To Ask Before Choosing A Body Shop" provided by A1 Body Shop.

For other tips, tricks and chat about everything body shop related visit The A1 Body Shop Blog.

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Jewelry Lighting Makes Your Pieces Sparkle

When shopping for a wedding ring or a dazzling necklace, the average consumer is looking for a piece that really catches the eye and captures attention. Let's face it; most of us aren't exactly overflowing with excess money in this economy, which means that we pay extra attention when we are spending. If you are looking to help boost sales in a retail jewelry business, you need to ensure that customers can look at every piece in your shop and see the luster and sparkle that it has to offer. This is where top quality jewelry lighting comes into play.

When you step into a jewelry store, the last thing you want to have to do is have to ask to look at every piece up close just to determine if it interests you. You should be able to see a fair amount of detail even while an item is inside the case. You should only be required to ask to view the items that really speak to you in order to inspect the minute details, and that is why jewelry lighting is so important. When your store is poorly lit, you will find that it means spending a lot more time taking items out of the case, getting fingerprints on them, and even increasing the risks of lost or stolen items.

If you are looking to mitigate these issues, or simply to help give your customers a better view and a better experience, you will find that LED jewelry lighting is certainly the way to go. Tube lighting can help to highlight large areas, while cove and cabinet lighting can also provide clear, even lighting to help showcase collections and special items. There are a surprising number of colors, shapes, and styles to choose from when it comes to LED lighting, and all are incredibly eco-friendly.

Of course, when it comes to eco-friendly lighting, this means more than just not giving off significant heat and being free of dangerous toxins. With LED lighting, you will also find that it is a green solution because it requires significantly less electricity to use the lights. The result is a lower electric bill as well as increased light quality that will help make the customer experience considerably better. That is certainly the very definition of a win-win scenario.

The truth of the matter is that many jewelers put little thought into lighting selection, despite the fact that consumers overwhelmingly get frustrated when they are unable to see the items inside of the cases. If you want customers to be able to look at your collections and instantly envision themselves wearing your jewelry and capturing the attention of all who see them, employing a higher quality of jewelry lighting is an absolutely critical step. Take the time to look at the many lighting options available to you and consider the benefits that the right lighting could offer to your store. From greater customer satisfaction to better sales, lower costs, and even reduced theft and jewelry damage, there are simply numerous reasons why it would be almost foolish not to consider the implementation of LED jewelry lighting.

Looking for better ways to increase your retail sales potential by improving your store illumination? LED-Mate brings you the right custom lighting solutions. Kim Zheng is the company's main author of LED lighting for retail application articles, an experienced expert of super bright SMD based LED linear strip lighting for retail visual merchandising display and store interior design lighting applications. He reveals technology aiming to improve jewelry lighting by using super brightness LED fixtures. Learn more about LED jewelry lighting from other articles and releases written by Kim Zheng, where he offers valuable advises and tips for eco-friendly, energy efficient LED lighting fixtures with best illumination effects possible.

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Ways to Foster Employee Motivation In The Workplace

A leader must think of ways of employee motivation to keep everyone moving in a business where people are constantly at their feet with demands, deadlines and setbacks. The team must be initiated so they will persist and overcome obstacles. The leader must establish and clearly define goals to be able to foresee actions and outcomes. This is where employee motivation proves its value.

Employee motivation is an integral part of the employees' drive to succeed. The leader should be able to cultivate enthusiasm among their team members. Enthusiasm and initiative are attitudes the leader needs to inculcate so that employees would be fueled up to do their best at work.

Strategies for Employee Motivation:

1. Basically, to start, the leader must first define the objectives of the tasks. He or she must clearly express expectations for each person, for the team, and for the tasks as a whole. The leader has to be concise about their plans so that the employees will be perceptive of the probable action and the anticipated goals.


2. The leader must not only provide vital information about the tasks but also provide the necessary resources for his people. Material resources and financial assistance must be flexible and readily available. An environment where employees can be comfortable and happy should be ensured and at the same time cultivate in employees a sense of belongingness, self-worth and pride in the workplace. This kind of atmosphere will enliven the group. They will be happy doing their jobs.


3. Another way to nurture employee motivation is by giving the employees the leeway to do their tasks. Give them enough options to stir their independence, innovation and creativity. Do not dictate roles. Instead, make way for them to brainstorm and share suggestions with the group. Let them do what they want to do. Give them the trust that they deserve. Employees become motivated when they are applying what they have decided on their own. It is a challenge for them that heighten their motivation to succeed at the same time.


4. Be honest to the team members. If something bothers you, let them know about it so that you won't end up in a dilemma alone. Otherwise you will be displaying a resentful disposition that will distract your team. If the problem is within the group itself, be open and truthful about it. It will help improve the employees if mistakes are corrected and learned from. Always maintain a positive approach and don't be sarcastic or rude.


5. Be optimistic and highly spirited in the workplace. Motivation is highly infectious. Always smile, be active and cheerful to your people. This way, your employees will feel the same thing.

Employee motivation is a valuable element that must not be ignored in the workplace. Leaders must inspire their employees to pursue the goals. A motivated team accomplishes tasks successfully, that's why a business should always be concerned about employee motivation.

By the way, do you want to learn more about leadership in your company? If so, download your FREE ebook here: Guide to Elegant Courage Leadership

Jodi and Mike specialize in executive coaching with individuals and teams. http://lighthouse-leadership.com

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