You Gotta Save Money to Make Money

We’ve all heard the statement “You got to spend money to make money” but in this economy I think the opposite is true for small businesses.  Before I get any further, lets get one thing clear. I’m not saying small businesses need to cut marketing spend. Some may argue, this is the best time to increase marketing budgets (if one can afford to). If increasing marketing spend is not an option, then small businesses need to get better data, and make better decisions about where to spend money.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past two years, you should already know that the yellow pages, and most print adverts are a complete waste.  As always, there are exceptions… attorneys, for example, still do well in the yellow pages.  If you can find a targeted print ad, you may be able to drive incremental volume. For example, a local wedding feature in the newspaper or regional magazine may drive business to a local bridal shop.

Below are my suggestions for low cost e-marketing options. All of these could be managed in-house if you have the skills.

Work existing relationships. Email marketing is great for this due to its low cost, and availability of campaign data to measure effectiveness.  Don’t be scared to ask for repeat business or referrals. You’ll be surprised how people may respond to a well crafted offer.  For self-managed email campaigns, I’ve used Constant Contact and MailChimp.  I prefer MailChimp simply because their site is cooler, and feels less corporate. If you don’t feel you have the time, or the skills, don’t hesitate to call a local marketing company for help. Expect costs to be $0.02-$0.06/email depending on the design and email list size.

Work existing relationships(2). Social media is the epitome of working existing relationships. Through your network of friends, colleagues, and customers, you can develop an online community that is engaged in your brand and goes out of their way to tell others.  However… a big however… developing this online community is not for the faint of heart. It takes a huge investment in time, a little know-how, and some trial and error to get it done right.  There are many social media networks, so figure out which networks are right for your business before jumping in head first.

Facebook ads. Its super-easy to set up paid ads on Facebook and the targeting is outstanding. You can focus on your key demographic, and narrow the demographic further by targeting keywords located in an individual’s profile. You set your budget, so it doesn’t matter if you want to spend $10/day or $100/day.  The campaign data available is  top-notch, so refining the ad campaign is pretty easy.

Pay for ads on targeted websites. Advertising on smaller sites is usually pretty affordable. This is a little tricky, but try to find a site that focuses on your target demographic and see what advertising opportunities exist. If you don’t have graphic design skills, or have a graphic designer on standby, don’t hesitate to contact a local one to make your display ad pop.

Kundenservice: Warum sich Unternehmen auf eine neue Diskurskultur mit der Facebook-Generation einstellen müssen

An einem offenen Umgang mit dem Kunden, auch und insbesondere in Problemsituationen, führt in der Social Media-Welt kein Weg vorbei, so das Plädoyer des After Sales-Spezialisten Peter Weilmuenster, Vorstandschef von Bitronic in Frankfurt am Main. „Die Gespräche des Marktes finden auch ohne Einwirkung der Unternehmen im Internet statt. Jeder muss sich diesem kritischen Diskurs stellen, ob er will oder nicht“, erklärt Weilmuenster.

Sehr viele Konsumenten würden sich vor einer Kaufentscheidung über Suchmaschinen informieren, wo sie vermehrt Gruppendiskussionen aus Foren und sozialen Netzwerken finden, so Björn Behrendt, Geschäftsführer von www.service-community.net: „Insofern rate ich Unternehmen sogar, Kundendialoge auf der eigenen Unternehmenswebsite stattfinden zu lassen, sich der Kritik zu stellen und die durch Nutzer generierten Inhalte für die Suchmaschinenoptimierung und für ein durch Offenheit und Ehrlichkeit gekennzeichnetes Firmenimage zu nutzen“, empfiehlt der Internetexperte, der am 6. Oktober beim Nürnberger Fachkongress Voice Days plus zum Thema „Service für die Facebook-Generation“ seine Positionen vertreten hat (Diskussionsrunde mit Andreas Rebetzky von Bizerba und Thomas Dehler von Value5. Moderation: Ranga Yogeshwar, Wissenschaftsjournalist). Die Audio-Aufzeichnung der Diskussionsrunde kann man hier abrufen.

Wie Unternehmen die Social Media-Kanäle einsetzen können, skizziert Blogger Klaus Eck: Den Kundenservice mit Get Satisfaction online verbessern.

Mein Resümee zu den diesjährigen Voice Days plus kann man sich hier anschauen.

Sneaker Ads You Can Spank It To

I’ve made it no secret that I’m not into Reeboks. If you ever see me wearing a pair it’s because they paid me multiple-thousands of dollars in some fashion. If you see me dating a girl with a nice butt, she won’t be wearing any of those corny new sneakers by ‘bok & others being marketed to women that have funky-shaped soles and promise to tone your thighs and butt as you walk in them:

If you have a nice butt it’s because of genetics (or a great plastic surgeon). If you have a fat butt it’s because you eat too much and don’t move around enough. However I totally believe, as long as the products are benign, that it is the consumer’s bad for falling for any gimmick such as this. Cheers for the seller, boos for the buyer. I guess if putting on a pair motivates you to get your ass to the gym, that’d be worth it, but any pair of normal running sneakers would do the trick. Do you know any women that wear these new butt & leg toner style sneaks? How do you like the ad?

Where to Find the Top Opportunities in Network Marketing

The top opportunities in online business are found only in companies with a strong marketing system developed through the years of seamless operation.  These marketing groups are usually the ones accredited with regulatory agencies like the Better Business Bureau and US Federal Trade Commission.  Essentially, their marketing system provides leveraged income which feeds on group dynamics.  This means that the leading producers in the system unselfishly share with members the techniques and strategies that propelled them to profitability. They have large affiliate networks that provide all the support and training necessary for successful Internet marketing.
CarbonCopyPro fits this description perfectly.  In terms of training, compensation package and products, CCPro dwarfs other communities in the home business industry.  Whereas other companies design their systems for instant profit, CCPro’s marketing system is designed for long-term profitability. So its training system aims to develop motivation, commitment and perseverance.  Training calls are conducted weekly on successful Internet marketing, communication skills, lead generation, mindset development, while a discussion board is available for members to ask questions, get pointers from other members, and receive support.
The compensation plan of CCPro is one of the most attractive in the business. The system also pays a monthly commission every time someone joins your team.  There are even compensation plans that reward a new car if recruits to a team reach a certain number of people.  The more people are successfully recruited into a team, the bigger and more expensive the rewards.
In terms of reputation, CCPro is among the most respected and admired companies because of its strong referral program and affiliate networks with hundreds of advertisers.  As for its products, CCPro provides study tools that help newbies overcome the learning curves usually faced by new entrepreneurs.  It has a tutorial product that instructs how to build a personalized and professional online marketing system and websites, a professional call center to help close sales, unlimited and toll-free email and live chat support, daily marketing and mindset training, access to the members’ forum, a monthly newsletter, and a one-year membership to a powerful product line for your system.   Another product that goes with the system is a profit system that provides outsourcing options, high-quality training support and brand-building abilities that lead to maximum profits.
The rich potentials of online business then are in the hands of CCPro which is focused on leadership, education and training.  Such a system will work for you because it steers you away from the painful trial-and-error experiences that the system’s leaders and mentors went through.  To access CCPro, read the testimonials page first.  If impressed, turn to the application page and apply. Once your application is approved, you’re in.  Some applications are rejected when the upright networks sense that the individual is not really serious about the undertaking.
You can also enter the bright new world of online marketing by being referred by an existing member.  Members are accepted on a strict application process and must come referred by an existing member.  With principal sponsorship, the door opens to an unlimited access to support systems and professional business coaches.
Please check out http://mattarney.com for more information.

"Magic Tricks Or LIFE Transformation!?"

A man I respect greatly shared some ideas about some stuff we chatted about a month or so ago… I am honored to call him friend and “Life Changing Master Of The Universe!”

HERE is part of the share… to read the entire thing, you want to go to “The Dean’s List, Your University of Success” and join in the conversation…

CHET:
The shows are not about me anymore, nor are they about the mentalism — Mentalism is the tool by which I’ve been educating people about diabetes control, getting over their fears of insulin, etc. They honestly listen and learn much better with the entertainment than without it. And everyone has been asking me to come back. “Do you have a program about heart disease?” “Can you teach us how to motivate ourselves to exercise?” Etc.
I’m going to have to take a few weeks off (I don’t know when!) to prepare new shows along these new themes. Man oh man, I get to perform mentalism AND save lives! How cool is that?

Roooock Oooon Brother Man! You KNOW my passion is for just this perspective… THANK YOU for sharing!

No offence to those who don’t yet know the pleasure and passion for ‘doing your dream’ and “USING” entertainment to get there, as well as the RUSH that accompanies it, PLUS it is the most truly effective way to accomplish real success in the long haul are just plain missing-out of the immense joy of knowing we are really helping people in real, tangible ways!

YES, just good, old-fashioned ‘entertainment’ helps people in some way as well, but to be able to help facilitate real, lasting life transformation is something that will change the world for the better, even if it is one person at a time!

Funny thing is… most of the time, we never really ever know what true impact it has long-term other than when good ‘people let us in on the magic’ per!

I JUST got another one of those “letting me in on the magic” type notes from a relationship that I have not seen or heard from in over 25 YEARS!

He writes: (…on FaceBook none the less! – - Edited for brevity and privacy)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hi Dean,
I remember you from about 1983 in San Jose. I went to an elementary school… Lone Hill. You used to perform your magic there. (Note: It was my “Character Education Educational Assembly & Fund Raising Family Show)

Anyway, It’s good to see you are still entertaining as you did then. You never know what kind of positive impact you have on others. I’m one of those school kids (now 38) that remembers your shows and help at that school. Thank you for being a blessing to me all of those years ago!

Brian Xxxxxxxxx
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I was BLOWN-AWAY! Nearly three full decade later… and he remembers the impact and find me on Facebook to tell me! Sure, this kinda’ thing happens, but not every-day, and it still blows me away every time it happens!

Whoo Hoo, Holy Cramoly… gotta love it!

Yeah, it was a FUN and ENTERTAINING program, but the POINT was the message! At some point, many of us will figure out that magic, music, entertainment is just a tool (a amazingly powerful tool, but a tool non-the-less) to impact and change people’s lives and THEN ‘watch-out’, you will become unstoppable on so many levels!

The killer news is, this applies to just about every market, so there really are no limits to the value, impact and contribution you can have… now THAT’S a “legacy”!

This week alone, besides using my magic and music, we are using our Game Show (The WOW-We-Zowee Won Something FUN Show!) for weekend services in church to impact & transform peoples lives… forever and beyond! – Not bad for some silly game show eh’?

Thinking Of YOU and Your “BIG $uccess rEvolution”!

I am at your service and in HIS Service,
Deano (Helping YOU $ucceed!) in Reno
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Why do your emails need to be friendly?

Most of the emails I get in my inbox are from businesses that I have shown an interest in trying to sell me something. The vast majority of these emails look professional, but in my opinion, this is not the way to win more sales. Read on!

 

In my opinion, an email that is going out to a previous customer, or a prospective, needs to be friendly. I think that you need to develop a relationship with them. This will obviously depend greatly on the industry you are working in, but 90% of the time it will work.

 

If a customer has a relationship with you, regardless of if it is an online one, they will be more likely to buy off of you than your competitors. The reason? Because they trust you more.

 

So, a few tips to make you email friendly;

 

1. Your tone – Even in emails, you have a tone of voice that will portray as much in an email as it would in a phone call. Do you want a happy, easy-going tone, or do you want a boring, dull tone?
2. Include some pictures – Some eye catching pictures, related to your content, will give the reader a break form all the text in your email
3. Keep it short.
4. Review everything – Before you send out your email, re-read it. Make sure your tone is right, and that if you were the reader you would think it is a friendly email.

 

I hope that you found this helpful. If you have any thoughts on this topic, please leave me a comment. See you next time!

การจัดการการตลาดระหว่างประเทศ

762312     การจัดการการตลาดระหว่างประเทศ     International Marketing Management

การวิเคราะห์สภาพแวดล้อมการตลาดระหว่างประเทศ ลักษณะที่แตกต่างและแนวโน้มในตลาดต่างประเทศ กลยุทธ์ การวางแผนและการควบคุมทางการตลาดระหว่างประเทศ ผลกระทบที่เกิดจากความแตกต่างของสังคม วัฒนธรรม เศรษฐกิจและการเมือง ปัญหาและอุปสรรคในการตลาดระหว่างประเทศ

(Analysis of international marketing environments. Distinctive characteristics and trends of foreign markets. International marketing strategies, plan, and control as well as effects from different societies, cultures, economics, and politics. Problem and threat in foreign market.)

(762312 มหาวิทยาลัยเกษตรศาสตร์)