Differentiate Your Company and Yourself

Every company has something to sell. In order to sell or market that product or service we often describe its features, benefits, add-on’s, etc. The fact is that many products and companies are very similar to each other and offer comparable benefits. So how can you make your product, service, or company stand out and above the competition? Buyers purchase from companies and people that they know, like, and trust. Many times in order to land a sale, you may have to differentiate yourself from the competition.

Differentiating Your Company

What distinguishes your company from your competition? You probably sell very similar products that offer very similar benefits for very similar prices-so why should the buyer purchase from your company? Why is your business unique?

Some things to consider sharing with your buyer:

• Perhaps your company is actively involved in the community.
• Your company has been serving your customers for X number of years.
• Your business is family owned and operated.
• Maybe your business is a minority or woman owned establishment.

Differentiating Yourself

Everybody is selling something, so why would someone want to buy from you? Many salespeople are commission based and they earn a stigma that they are “fast-talking salespeople”. Plus, there is always someone else following right behind you trying to get the buyer to purchase something else. The buyer’s time is precious and their dollar is valuable, so convincing them to hear you out can be easier if you can convince them of what differentiates you from the pack. What makes you unique as a person? What do you have to offer outside of your company’s credentials and reputation?

Some things to consider:

• You may share similar interests or hobbies with your buyer (look around their office for clues).
• Perhaps you attended the same alma mater or fraternity/sorority.
• You may be actively involved in your community.
• You may be an avid networker with a rolodex full of contacts to refer.
• You may have personality traits that the buyer may find attractive or necessary to close a business deal.  Are you assertive? Anal? Patient? Organized? Hands on? Would any of these characteristics make you more attractive to a buyer? Share them!

So go ahead, share a little about yourself or your company. Differentiating yourself and your company could help you land a sale and it will make you more relatable to your buyer.

Amanda Moore

www.piptampa.com

The Latest Mobile Marketing Application

Today, your customers and prospects are becoming more mobile and depending on their smart phone devices more and more as sources of information. Utilizing a QR Code in your marketing materials will give you an opportunity to reach out to your mobile customers and prospects in a new and efficient way!

What is a QR Code?

A QR Codes is a two dimensional bar code that can be printed on any marketing materials to link printed materials to mobile and Internet marketing efforts. QR Codes can be easily programmed to communicate several types of information. After the receiver scans the QR Code with their smart phone, the bar code will automatically prompt the user‘s phone to launch a website, play a video, automatically enter contact information into contact list, send an email, send a text message, or make a phone call. QR Codes are completely customizable and the possibilities are truly endless. Most importantly, they are trackable and we are able to see how many individuals scanned a specific QR Code and when. This trackability makes QR Codes a valuable (and affordable) response tracking mechanism for all marketing materials.

How does it work?

1. Use a smart phone with Internet access.
2. Download a free bar code reader app (see bottom of article for app suggestions).
3. Scan or take a picture of the QR Code with the reader app.
4. Phone will automatically launch the code’s message or feature.

How to use a QR Code

What can QR Codes do for you?

QR Codes are basically an image, just like any other graphic, and can be placed on any and all marketing materials such as: business cards, fliers, brochures, promotional items, t-shirts, car wraps, signs, posters, direct mail, print ads, and more! They can be used alone to drive traffic to a website or along with a personalized URL or coupon offer to increase response rates. They allow you to:

• Increase response rates (almost anyone who knows about this technology finds it difficult to resist scanning the bar codes).
• Measure the effectiveness of your campaign; different QR Codes can be generated for each individual project and tracked.
• Integrate print, mobile, and Internet marketing with three “touch points” in one printed item.
• Plus, you will be on the cutting edge of a marketing strategy that is still relatively new in the United States.

More Information:

For more information use your smart phone to scan the QR Code at the top of the page (if you need to download an app see the suggestions at the end of this article). If you do not have a smart phone but are still interested in learning more, just click on the QR Code at the top of the page.

Go ahead, give it a try!

QR Code Reader Suggestions

(all apps are free and linked to the image, just click the logo)

iTunes App Store (our favorite is i-nigma)

Your marketing efforts can make it rain money...

I spoke with a young lady today who spends a considerable amount of money on marketing every month. When I asked her why she invests so much in her marketing efforts her response was:  “you have to market in order to grow your business.”

Great answer! I then asked her what her response rates were on those marketing efforts-but she didn’t know. I asked her what the conversion rates were from prospects into customers -again she didn’t know. Finally, I asked about her return on investment (ROI)-she had no clue!

Does this sound familiar? Many businesses spend their limited marketing budgets on campaigns while having no idea if their efforts are paying off.

“Marketing without efforts to determine what is working is no different than throwing a bunch of pasta at the wall and seeing what sticks. Defining your returns and ratios are critical in your success,” says Joe Malinowski, of Business Networking Life.

To dissect the ROI of your latest marketing campaign ask yourself the following questions:

• What campaigns or initiatives generated the most leads over the past two years?
• What is your conversion rate for leads to customers?
• What campaigns generate the most revenue for dollars spent?
• Was your marketing successful? Did you conduct a ROI analysis?
• If so, what was your return on investment?

Analyzing your marketing performance can turn your marketing efforts into an investment, rather than an expense. How much is one new customer worth to you? Is that profit worth your investment?

Amanda Moore

www.piptampa.com

Proper email etiquette can work wonders...

Email marketing is a fast growing trend. It is quick, easy, and generates a substantial response rate when utilized properly. According to the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing produced the absolute highest response rate for users seeking to generate leads.

While many marketers are jumping on the email blast band wagon, some still opt for a plain old fashioned email written personally. The latter can be just as effective as a professionally written and flashy email blast, if you mind your email etiquette.

I received two emails this week that caught my attention for two drastically different reasons. The first was from a job applicant who was submitting a resume. Although my company has no job openings right now, I opened the attachment because his email was so well written. The applicant had perfect grammar, spelling, addressed me personally, and took the time to do some research on my company. As I read the email, I felt as if this job seeker knew me, my business, and what I was looking for in an employee. Unfortunately, I do not have a position to offer him but you can bet I am keeping his resume.

The second email was forwarded to me by a friend and actually was a marketing email from a competitor of mine. I have never seen a more unprofessional email. The email had purple font, grammar mistakes, spelling issues, illegal use of ellipsis, capitalization mistakes, random poetry-like indentations all over the place, and exclamation point abuse. My first impression was that I would never do business with this person.

Good email etiquette can be very handy in trying to get your message across. I’m not suggesting that you need to write like Mark Twain but a few tips can help:

• Use a subject line that is interesting and pertinent. You reader should be enticed to open it.
• Use a professional font, color, and signature. Anything too cute will be seen as unprofessional.
• Personalize the email, especially if you want to get the reader’s attention. If you can’t afford expensive email blast services then send the same email to all of your contacts but perhaps personalize the opening sentence.
• Use proper grammar. You don’t need to sound like and English professor, just utilize simple rules you learned in grammar school. Mistakes are fine (no one is perfect) but avoid obvious mistakes such as punctuation or capitalization.
• When in doubt-Google your question. A useful grammar sight can be found at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
• Spell check is your friend, but do not rely on it to catch misused words or grammatical errors. For example, if you are trying to say “whether or not” and you spell it “weather” the spell check will over look it and your receiver will think you want to discuss the recent cold front.
• Reread your email for mistakes. I can’t stress this enough!
• Do your homework. Find out about the company and include some of that information in your email. Looking at your target’s website is a great way to learn their mission statement or business objectives and incorporate some of those key words into your email. The receiver will unwittingly get a sense that you mesh with their company.

Remember, this email could be your first and last communication with a prospect. Emails are easy to ignore and easier to delete, so make your email worthwhile and professional.

Amanda Moore

www.piptampa.com

Aim for your target market!

Your marketing will fall flat if it is not reaching the correct person, so knowing your target audience is key to any marketing campaign.

A few questions to consider: What are the attributes of your best customers? What is the demographic like? Do they have any buying habits or patterns? Be sure to tailor your messaging to identify with this customer.

Data is often overlooked, but it is essential to an effective marketing strategy. Be sure that you are utilizing your current customer list properly. The list can be segmented to identify specific demographic characteristics such as location, gender, age range, income level, and purchase history.

You already know who they are and what, where, when, and how they buy so it is possible to customize your marketing to reach them specifically. A personalized marketing piece is much more effective than a generic  one. Perhaps you would prefer to purchase a new prospect list. These are also useful and can be segmented accordingly so you can market to them specifically.

This segmented data is extremely useful for appealing to your target market. For example, consider a gym who might want to advertise its new babysitting service that will watch kids while their parents are working out. The gym’s target audience may be women from their mid twenties to mid thirties with children. A list can be acquired with their addresses but most importantly the creative can be customized to appeal to the consumer. A postcard with a buff body builder lifting weights might not be as appealing as an everyday mom next-door on a treadmill.

Identify you target market and utilize your data to customize your marketing.

Amanda Moore

www.piptampa.com

Get your customer's attention and give them an incentive to act now!

Your marketing piece should have a clear call-to-action that expresses to the customer exactly how you want them to respond. To implement a call-to-action, simply ask yourself how you want the recipient to react to the piece and include it in the creative and messaging.
A call-to-action can take on many forms. It could be to respond to a personalized URL or generic URL, go to a website, call a phone number, contact a representative, attend a trade show, or go to a retail location. Ask the recipient to act now! Include this call-to-action in an obvious and noticeable location in your creative. Perhaps bold letters, in the headline, or in a star burst.

The call-to-action seems to go hand in hand with an incentive. Infomercials utilize this tactic regularly to get buyers to have a sense of purchasing urgency. Call in the next twenty minutes and receive an additional ______ free! Incentives give the receiver reason to act on your call-to-action. It can be in the form of a giveaway, a discount, a contest, or a free gift with purchase.

Again, you must think like your consumer. Is a free $5.00 Starbucks gift card enticing enough or would they prefer to be entered in a drawing to win a new iPod Touch? Some offers can be pertinent to your business or others can be fun items that you think your customers will appreciate.

In any case, a call-to-action linked to an attractive incentive will give receivers all the more reason to react to your marketing piece.

Amanda Moore

www.piptampa.com

Think outside the box!

This is usually where most of the thought and work goes into a marketing piece, and rightly so. Eye catching, colorful, and meaningful creative will get the receiver’s attention more than a dull piece (but the message will keep their attention).

It is important that the creative reflects your company and what you are trying to advertise. First, you might want to choose a mood for your marketing strategy. If you were to characterize the tone of your marketing, what would you call it: professional, playful, informative, dependable, light hearted, comedic, testimonial? Is complex graphic design going to enhance your piece or might photos help you convey your message more effectively?

Branding is also very essential. The receiver should immediately know who sent the piece and how to contact you for more information. Your company logos, color schemes, and slogans should be prevalent on everything you distribute. It is also helpful to design a campaign around a particular theme, gimmick, character, or slogan that is static in all of your marketing efforts.

Good branding and creative will allow you to build brand awareness and protect your company’s integrity.

Amanda Moore

www.piptampa.com

Timing is everything...especially when your marketing is involved!

Timing is everything, and sometimes a successful campaign can be completely dependent on when it is distributed. Be sure that your marketing is time effective if it corresponds with a particular holiday or season. If you have a marketing campaign that is relevant year round, even better.

Bakeries that are busiest in the spring would have more success marketing in the late winter or early spring when customers are preparing for events. Likewise, advertising clothing a school supplies during the late summer will be well received by parents who are anticipating sending their children back to school.

Recently while driving in my car I heard a radio jingle that included a Christmas song. The advertisement caught my attention because it was the middle of August, so I listened. Turns out the advertisement had nothing to do with the holidays but it stood out. That advertisement would not have caught my attention if I heard it in December on a radio saturated with holiday songs and advertisements.

Frequency is one of the most overlooked aspects of marketing. For a marketing piece to be effective it must have several touch points or follow-ups. I often hear customers who say they have had absolutely no response on their annual post card campaign. I am never surprised by this statement.

As a consumer, ask yourself if you remember something you got in the mail six months ago, six weeks ago, or even yesterday…chances are you don’t. It only makes sense that the more often you contact a buyer, the more likely they will be to remember you and show interest in your product or service.

Try doubling or tripling your marketing frequency. Instead of yearly mailers, consider mailing quarterly. Now before you cringe at how much it would cost to quadruple your mailings consider this: 4,000 post cards mailed once a year will cost nearly the same amount as mailing 1,000 mailers four times a year. Qualify the leads ahead of time and increase frequency; chances are you will get a better response.

Amanda Moore

www.piptampa.com

Make sure your message helps you stand out in all the clutter!

The message and copy on any type of marketing piece is the most important component. Messaging should be clear and concise while communicating your offer to you buyer.

First you must decide what it is you are marketing. What is the single most important message that this project must communicate? Is it a specific product, service, event, or special? Be sure that the receiver will have a clear understanding of what you are advertising.

Next, you need to examine the content of your marketing piece. Is it meaningful? Does it add interest or value to the piece? If not eliminate it. Nothing kills a marketing piece faster than too much text (the receiver will overlook it).

Your buyer is just like you and will respond similarly to marketing. So think like a consumer and ask your self would I care enough to read this? Would I skim it and throw it in the trash? If you don’t care enough about the copy then chances are, your customer wont either.

Amanda Moore

www.piptampa.com