Core Values for Marketing Success

"Increased competition is driving marketers to find ways to improve customer loyalty." Everyone has heard this statement before, but you don't need to completely overhaul your organization or copy everything your competition is doing to beat them at the loyalty game.

To beat competitors to the punch, follow three simple keys to success. First, ensure you uphold the highest standards of service to your customer and employee communities. Second, make sure you attract the brightest minds, recognize achievement and promote an innovative culture through diversity. The final key to success is to celebrate the individual, yet rely on the team. Understanding these important issues is your first step in creating a model organization that others will strive to emulate.

So how do you get started on this journey? Adopt and adhere to the time-tested core values that bring success to all marketing organizations. The following five core values will drive your growth and will challenge you. Every day.

Take Ownership and be Accountable to Team and Community
Employees must embrace the company's vision and be prepared to deliver on their commitments, while operating in a culture of trust, quality and integrity.

Weave in your mission, core message and brand voice into every marketing campaign. It is always better to be upfront with customers, as they will always remember how you present yourself.

Show Respect
Listen to your community and take time to understand each other's experiences, opinions and values as you promote, encourage and recognize unique contributions by all.

Empathize, understand and respond to the customer's needs. Listening for the customer's emotional state and the actions the customer has already taken is extremely important as this shows a genuine interest in what the customer has to say. Also acknowledge customers by thanking them for their business.

Do What It Takes
Do what it takes, not whatever it takes! Doing whatever it takes implies that you are not balancing the needs of the customer with the needs of the company. You must find this balance in every campaign. Employees should stretch their boundaries while maintaining a healthy balance between customer and company.

During campaign strategy, take the time needed to ensure customers will understand your solution, and provide the information in a manner they can easily understand. Educating the customer should be a top priority.

Inject Energy and Passion
Inspire your colleagues to excel by focusing on the positive and demonstrating your enthusiasm through actions and attitudes.

By doing this, you can confidently demonstrate your value proposition while reassuring customers.

Innovate to Lead
Promote an environment that encourages employees to challenge operating norms, seize opportunities and create optimal solutions that advance the company to the cutting-edge position in your industry.

Think out of the box, but focus on what you can do, and how well, and not on what you can't do.

Incorporating these core marketing values into all that your organization does can give you a head start on the journey toward increased growth and better customer loyalty.

Marketing Ideas for Small Business - What Farm Animals Can Teach You About Marketing

Never mind bats in the belfry -- we've got avians in the air-vent.

It seems the external shutters have been broken at some point, and the sneaky starling has made a nest in there.

That's cool. It's rather neat, actually. Kinda brings the tally up -- we've got a hare in the field behind us (with four leverets), a fox who comes wandering by from time to time, and, of course, umpteen bullocks behind and to either side.

But here are a few funny things.

First, Mother Starling. Every time one of us leaves the house or walks towards the house from the gym or the other outbuildings, she rushes out of the nest and flies away from it... but not too fast.

Because she's obviously wanting us to follow her away from her babes. And the daft thing never learns. She never seems to get used to the idea we're no threat. She's just repeating the same old pattern of behaviour and is unable to break out of it.

And the bullocks?

Well... the other day as I left on my cycle ride, they were gathered by the fence running along the lane.

A couple of them saw me coming and gazed uncomprehendingly as bullocks are wont to do.

But most of them were head-down munching away.

And when I shook, rattled and rolled past them?

It startled them into charging away across the field.

Nothing particularly interesting there, right?

Right.

But what IS interesting... the ones who'd already seen me charged away, too. They, like the bird, it seems, are bound by their own programming.

But before you giggle too much and congratulate yourself on your superiority, just ask yourself how many behaviour patterns you're repeating for no good reason, and how many herds are you following just because everyone else is?

The guy who prints my newsletters told me yesterday he's had his best month for FOUR years. My guess is it's partly to do with putting his prices up -- in the middle of a Double Dip recession - after I told him that was the quickest and easiest way to increase his cashflow (and didn't anyone ever tell you increasing your prices is a genuine marketing strategy, because it sends a very clear message to your market?).

No dumbass herd-following there, Thank Glub.

And as with the clients I spoke to last week, it's no One Big Thing he can put his pinkie on, but whatever it is... it really IS.

I reckon... every month you're NOT following your own direction and instead are following all the other business owners out there... you're probably losing money. And that's not a claim I make lightly.

Earl Nightingale once said, "If you're in a situation and you don't have any clear way forward and want for clear advice, look around and see what everyone else is doing and do the opposite"

Sound advice.

So give it a whirl, and prove it to yourself.

I dare you.

Look... marketing success really does not have to be a struggle.

But it can be, if you don't know the easy way to do it. Jon McCulloch is perhaps Europe's top direct response marketing expert (and he's definitely the most irreverent and Non-PC one you'll ever meet).

So if you're feeling brave and you're not easily offended, then feel free to help yourself to his regular marketing tips by email, and a whole heap of free marketing goodies besides.

But be warned: these tips are NOT for shrinking violets or the faint hearted.

They're waiting for you here: http://www.jonmcculloch.com/free-email-tips

The Importance of Pinterest in Online Marketing

There's a new marketing powerhouse in town: Pinterest. If you haven't heard of it yet, it's an image sharing board, and is currently the fastest website to ever break the 10 million unique visitor mark. The community is largely female-dominant (in 2012, 83% of U.S. users were women), however, so not everybody will be able to successfully market there.

The site is based around user-made boards that they "pin" content to. The content is generally high-quality, aesthetically-pleasing images. Some popular categories on Pinterest include food, interior design, fashion, and crafts. When a user sees a pin that they like, they can choose to "re-pin" it to one of their boards, and everybody following that user will then be able to see it as well.

Working at a Missouri SEO firm, I have a few clients that I feel fall into this niche market. With some original content and Google analytics, I decided to do some research. I chose four images that I felt would appeal to Pinterest and posted them on a board. Keep in mind, I currently have no followers on Pinterest, and somebody with a large fan-base would be far more successful.

When you share an image on Pinterest, the image links back to the site it was originally hosted on, so it's great for sharing original content from your website. The first three pictures I posted failed to generate any traffic. However, the fourth image received over 100 re-pins in a matter of a few hours. I repeated this test a few more times and came up with some interesting data.

For every 100 re-pins an image received, my website would see about 16 unique visitors. While this may not seem like a lot, keep in mind that popular pins can receive multiple thousands of re-pins, and creating a pin takes virtually no time at all (in theory) and is completely free.

This also tells me that there are at least some users interested in where the content originated. Convincing other users to feel the same may just be as simple as creating some incentive in the image itself (ie: Click here for more details!).

So, if you're trying to market something that you think Pinterest would enjoy, I suggest giving it a try. Etsy stores have been getting a lot of success from it.

I plan to learn more about pinterest in the near future, so stay tuned!

If you would like to learn more about SEO, please contact me at my Missouri SEO firm.

How Printing Methods Have Changed

Printing is a process that involves reproducing images and text on paper using ink. The process itself has evolved over a period of time to become what it is today. Some methods originated back in 3500 BC in Mesopotamia where cylinder seals and other related stamp seals were first used. In 200 AD wood printing came into existence and examples of the same were found in Egypt and China. The rest as they say is history. Given below are some top methods that were invented over the years.

Movable type:

Movable type printing involves using movable pieces of metal which allows for more flexibility than block printing or hand copying. This method was developed around the mid-15th century and the first system was created in China and it was made out of porcelain. With further innovations durable systems were made out of wood and then cooper and bronze.

Printing Press:

Johannes Gutenberg invented the afamous press, which use the movable type page setting and it made printing faster and durable. The metal type pieces used here were more robust than the ones used in the system earlier and this led to the letters being more uniform, which in turn paved way to fonts and typography. All the movable type printing that is done today derives from Gutenberg's innovations and it is hailed one of the most important innovations in the field of printing services. Following this innovation in 1843 the rotary press was invented which allowed printing on continuous rolls of paper using impressions on a cylinder.

Offset printing:

Offset method is a modern technology and is used across the world these days. In this unique technique, an inked image is offset or transferred from a plate to rubber blanket which is then transferred to the surface. These days most newspapers and books are printed using the offset techniques.

Apart from this technique in the modern world there are a number of other techniques used to print of different surfaces.

Screen printing: This is a technique use to print on floor tiles as well as t-shirts.

Inkjet printing: This technique is used to print small number of packaging materials as well as books. This method is also used to simulate offset printing on different materials.

Laser printing: This method is used primarily in offices and is used to print transactional items such as documents or bills.

Thus printing methods have changed from the initial wood/block printing to the modern day offset printing. These days commercial printers have much more options in terms of printing methods depending on the surface that they want to print on.

Choose the best amongst the wide array of commercial printers for your printing needs.

Are You Maximizing ROI On Your Business Trade Show Displays? Three Key Metrics To Watch

Seasoned veterans of the marketing convention circuit understand that setting up a trade show stand or even simple table top displays at any promotional event can deliver an extensive assortment of benefits. From cold hard numbers revolving around face to face engagements at the function itself to less tangible data like an uptick in online traffic, these advertorial outlets can assist companies in every industry to reap a comprehensive array of positive results that can help justify the fees and expenses associated with these trade show displays.

Businesses Must Carefully Monitor ROI Of Trade Show Displays

While the itemized list of perks gained by engaging in trade show displays proves lengthy, it's still something that business leaders need to stay focused on throughout the year. Not exactly sure how to best determine around your company's return on investment from setting up exhibits and table top displays? You're not alone. Many entrepreneurs struggle with how to monitor the general success of these functions, particularly the more abstract results that are often achieved post-convention. However, maintaining a steady focus on some key metrics can help ensure that your company is consistently considering and analyzing critical success criteria.

Important Criteria To Monitor At The Close Of All Trade Show Displays

At the conclusion of marketing conventions, it's imperative for your staff to convene and compile a post-event analysis. When assembling the data, always consider the following:

Product Demonstrations: Sure, guests may stop by your table stop displays to quickly peruse your promotional literature or (more likely) to grab whatever free handout you're offering at your trade show stand. But how many visitors actually take the time to ask for a personal demonstration of what your product does? Before the opening of each event, create a way to calculate the total number of merchandise demos offered throughout the course of the function. A basic tally will certainly set a benchmark for future events, but being able to jot down quick notes like "one on one" or "group" will give your team an even better idea of how a specific convention went and how it matches up to previous venues.

Leads Generated: It's no secret that collecting leads is a major reason why a business sets up a trade show stand at all. Generated leads are also a key metric that offers tangible evidence of ROI. Rent or procure a machine that automates lead compilation to efficiently streamline the accumulation process and save both time and stress. Also, taking the total cost of the event and dividing it by the total number of leads gathered will deliver a basic cost per lead formula to monitor how this event measures up to previous functions.

Always remember that the only way to convert leads to sales is to follow up with them. Create a plan with the team to connect with each and every lead collected. Be sure to log all contact activity in the company database to monitor the end result/event ROI of each new name collected. How many turned into appointments? How many purchased from your organization?

Online Metrics: Monitoring online activity is a great way to analyze some of the post-event positives delivered from trade show displays. Get a general idea of website visitors that check out your company page in the days leading up to the marketing convention. Once the show has ended, measure any upticks in user traffic. Major boosts in clicks are generally a good indication of convention ROI. Also, always analyze other Internet resources such as social media marketing pages and carefully track increases in your business' online network immediately following the event as well to compile comprehensive analytics of overall results yielded.

Xtreme Xhibits designs exceptional trade show displays in San Antonio that help businesses in every vertical stand head and shoulders above the competition. Whether you need compact yet innovative table top displays in Austin or a full-scale trade show stand in San Antonio Xtreme Xhibits delivers. Contact the team today for more info!

The Hype in Digital Marketing

There are a number of successful marketing tactics that tap into our mobile phone craze. Some of these tactics include mobile coupons, mobile videos, mobile display ads, branded smartphone apps, scannable codes and text message marketing. Text message marketing has become the number one most used tactic when it comes to marketers implementing a mobile marketing strategy.

Text Message Marketing or SMS Marketing allows businesses to short message service (SMS) text messaging as a medium of direct advertising. An SMS Marketing campaign involves collecting mobile phone numbers usually by customers. Once numbers are collected, you can prepare special promotion and send a mass message to all potential repeat customers.

When a company is considering the use of SMS text message marketing they should weigh all the pros and cons, including the cost of SMS marketing and how their target market will likely respond. Compared to traditional forms of advertising like billboards and radio, the potential audience for SMS marketing is a bit more limited, but this form of advertising can build a loyal customer base that will help advertise and build business through word-of-mouth and social media. SMS text messaging may give the impression that your business is technologically savvy, which will greatly appeal to some customers.

Scanned coupons or sometimes called Quick Response codes are another route within the mobile marketing industry. It's a bit more tricky than SMS text message marketing. These are encoded barcode image resembling a square-like maze. Unlike a UPC code, these 2-dimensional barcodes store data in both directions and can be scanned vertically or horizontally to be decoded.

One of the positives involved in Quick Response scanned coupons is that these barcode images can be printed on nearly any surface like newspapers, TV ads, billboards, product packaging and more. This enables you to drive traffic from anywhere. The digital marketing believes an even bigger advantage is the increase in user engagement. Digital barcodes create a more enticing, personal experience for users that is can't be replicated in other forms of marketing. They also have the ability to quickly show the success of a campaign based on the number of scans per location. Additionally, digital barcodes can drive quality traffic to a company's website, which was the ultimate goal.

To ensure campaign success, consider consulting with a mobile barcode and SMS marketing expert, especially if you have never ran a these types of marketing campaigns before. Technology, trends and tools in this arena are rapidly changing. A few hours of expert consulting can bring your team up to speed and give you a better chance at campaign success. You don't want to be embarrassed from poor implementation.