Here’s the simplest, most jargon-free, definition of marketing you’re ever likely to come across: If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying ‘Circus Coming to the Showground Saturday’, that’s advertising. If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that’s promotion. If the …
There’s an enormous amount of confusion, especially among small businesses, as to what a brand is. A search on the Internet gives the following diverse range of answers: “It is the emotional and psychological relationship you have with your customers” “A type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name” “The name, …
Much of the time we spend here is devoted to discussing strategies for rapid business growth through marketing. However, I’ve found it’s just as important to learn from mistakes as it is to follow good advice. In this article, I’ll outline three of the most common marketing blunders made by small and medium-sized businesses. These …
Whenever I speak to business owners, the topic of conversation invariably turns to marketing. When I ask how they market themselves, “word of mouth” almost always comes up as the primary or only form of marketing they rely on. This used to shock me but now I’ve come to expect it. Whilst word of mouth …
Is Word Of Mouth Marketing Slowing Your Business Growth? Read More »
Whether you’re selling freshly baked bread, accounting services or IT support, the way you market yourself will have a dramatic impact on the clients you attract and the amount that you can charge for your services. IT’S NOT ABOUT THE PRODUCT A commonly held belief is that “it’s all about the product” i.e. if you …
It’s natural to always try and present your business in the most favorable light possible when marketing yourself. However, this often leads to one of the most common marketing blunders – discussing only the positive aspects of doing business with you. Avoiding the elephant in the room – the risks associated with buying from you, …
Skyrocket Your Sales And Destroy Your Competitors With “The Risk Reversal Strategy” Read More »
You’ve got a splitting headache. You open your medicine cabinet and start rifling through your museum of half-used tablets, creams and vitamins only to realize you’re totally out of pain relief medication. So you rush down to your local pharmacy in the hope of getting the tablet that’s going to give you the relief you …
I’ve had “the naming discussion” with entrepreneurs many times. It usually goes like this – I’ll be asked for my opinion on a new name or several variations thereof for a new product, service or business venture. Then often follows an explanation of the name or names which are being considered. TITLE SHOULD EQUAL CONTENT …
I passed high school mathematics, not because I understood any of it, but because my uncle kindly tutored me long enough and often enough to help me pass the final exam. Uncle Abe had a frequently used catch phrase to indicate there was a better way of doing something, “You’re not wrong but that doesn’t …
I’m often asked questions like, “What’s a good response rate for direct mail?” or “What kind of open rate should I expect when doing email marketing?”. The expectation is that I’ll give a numerical answer. Something like, “expect a 2% response rate from direct mail” or “expect a 20% open rate for email”. Usually, these …
