Niche Article Directory

Companies seeking to become more customer-centric should define the customer experience as a formal end-to-end process in their organization.

Business leaders that subscribe to the process-centric approach to business improvement understand the importance of having well-defined end-to-end processes. Typical end-to-end processes that are well-defined and optimized in businesses today include:

* Plan to Profits (Budgeting & Finance)

* Order to Cash (Operations/Order Fulfillment)

* Procure to Pay (Procurement)

* Recruit to Retain (Human Resources)

* Idea to Market (New Product Innovation)

* Forecast to Delivery (Manufacturing & Distribution)

* Market to Sale (Sales & Marketing)

For those organizations that have formally adopted a process-centric approach to business, the process is often formally defined, measured, monitored, and continually optimized. This level of discipline is critical to deliver a process that is high performing, predictable, efficient, effective, and error-free.

In order to become more customer-centric, businesses should add the customer experience end-to-end process to their portfolio of strategically important processes.

The customer experience is a process. Like any process, the customer experience process can work perfectly (or go horribly wrong), may contain numerous scenarios, and it can be analyzed, re-engineered and optimized.

The customer experience process does not begin and end at the store, sales representatives, web site or call-center. It extends from the moment the customer becomes aware of a company and may last until they die, move, or leave for a competitor.

In short, the customer experience process is broad, deep, iterative, and (hopefully) long running. The customer experience process is comprised of three distinct phases:

1. Customer Attraction (before): Customer attraction represents all of the touchpoints and interactions encountered by your customer during initial sales and marketing activities.

2. Customer Interaction (during): Customer interaction represents all of the touchpoints and interactions encountered by your customer during payment, service, and delivery activities.

3. Customer Cultivation (after): Customer cultivation represents all of the touchpoints and interactions encountered by your customer after a purchase or transaction that includes loyalty, reward, and ongoing communications management.

Great customer experiences don’t happen by accident: They require a keen attention to detail, a focus on every touch point, and an orchestration of all customer encounters regardless of how each customer may navigate the company. Mastering the customer experience must begin with mastering the end-to-end customer experience process.

At any time that a customer is involved in the process, the ultimate goal is to deliver a customer experience process that sells more, increases buying frequency, and broadens the relationship.

A critical first step to improve any customer experience should be to map the entire customer experience end-to-end process. By doing so, companies can develop a deeper appreciation for how the business interacts with their customers.

To achieve the focus and discipline that the customer experience process deserves, businesses should add a new end-to-end process to its portfolio of strategic processes.

By defining the customer experience as a strategic end-to-end process, the customer experience process can be studied, measured, monitored, refined, re-engineered, optimized, and improved. The process will become much more disciplined and receive the attention it deserves in the organization.

Robert G. Howard, the founder of ClearBrick.com and is the author of The Customer Experience Solution Kit, and 7 Steps to Customer Experience Domination. [Blog: The Clear Brick]

One of the most difficult parts of preparing for a convention is renting and setting up the trade show display for your company. There are dozens of companies offering dozens of different products for rental to display items for the trade show and having the right equipment and advertising can make your trade show experience even more effective. So what should you be looking for when renting a trade show display for your next convention? There are a couple of things that you should keep in mind.

One of the most important things that you should keep in mind when renting a trade show display for your next convention is how much space you will need for the display. As the size of the display gets larger, the price of renting the display increases, so you will want to get the smallest size that will still be adequate for the amount of information that you will want to display. You will need to be careful not to choose a display that is too small because a small display will have all of the information crowded together in a cluttered and unattractive fashion. People tend to ignore things that they cannot easily see or read, so a small crowded display may be worse than having no display at all.

Another thing you should look for when you need to rent a trade show display is an attractive price for the display. Different vendors will have different prices for their products, so you may be able to find a great deal on a rental display by shopping around for the best price. Be careful of deals that seem too good to be true or prices that are significantly lower than those from other vendors in the area because there may be a problem with renting from that vendor, such as a very low quality display or a scam that steals money from the company. Ask several different vendors for their prices and base your decision on the price and the reputation of the vendor.

The reputation of the vendor that you are thinking about renting the trade show display from is another important element that should be taken into consideration. Trade show display vendors that care about their company know that a good reputation is very important in the business community. The old saying goes “nothing travels faster than bad news” and that is especially true for a vendor that has repeatedly given bad service to those in the business world. If the majority of the information that you hear about a vendor, either by talking to business associates or reading reviews on the internet, is negative then you will want to find another vendor to rent your trade show display from.

In some cases, the price of renting the trade show display includes the cost of a professional assembly at the location of the trade show but in other cases, the renter will be responsible for assembling the display on their own. If this is the case, then the person renting the display will want to make sure that the display is one that will be easy for them to assemble. Even though more complicated types of displays may be more attractive, not being able to assemble the display in a reasonable amount of time and the frustration that is causes is not worth the appearance of a complicated display.

Specializes in trade show display booths that are portable, lightweight and most of all, user friendly. Also provides trade show display rental, display stand rental and table top display rental.
http://www.createitdisplays.com/

When you attend a trade show, you may notice that your eye is drawn to the booths that have banner stands. That’s because banner stands provide an extremely noticeable visual display that attracts passersby. Banner stands are a great enhancement to any trade show display and provide a high-end, professional impact for a reasonable price. If you’re unsure as to which style and size is best, look for a company that offers table top display rentals.

There are several different types of banner stands on the market today, but there are a few types and sizes that stand out in popularity. What are the most popular banner stand types? Why do certain sizes of banner stands have more of an edge?

Sizes of Table-Top Banner Stands Considered an entry-level banner stand, table top banner stands provide the impact of a banner at a reasonable price. They come in a variety of formats, and they offer a great way to add visual appeal to your table-top display.

Popular sizes of table-top banner stands include 24 inches high, 18 inches high, and 42 inches high. Choosing the right height for a table-top banner stand depends on several factors, such as price and portability.

However, the most important thing to consider when choosing the size of your table-top banner stand is how the size will fit with the rest of your display. You don’t want the banner stand overwhelming the rest of your materials.

Sizes of Roll-Up Banner Stands Roll-Up banner stands provide the ultimate in banner stand portability. The banner rolls up or down on the stand and offers very easy setup. To set up the banner, you simply roll it out and connect it to the other end of the stand.

Some of the most popular sizes of roll-up banner stands include 78 inches high and 84 inches high. These sizes are large enough to get noticed and are easy to read from a distance, both important features for a trade show display.

It’s hard to miss life-size banners at a trade show. Even though they cost a bit more than table-top versions, they really draw people in.

Choosing the right size of roll-up banner stand is really a matter of budget. In general, the large the stand, the more you have to pay. However, it’s also important to consider the visual impact of these larger stands.

Sizes of Tension Pole Banner Stands The main advantage of tension pole banner stands is that minimal hardware is seen on the front of the banner, allowing the main focus to be on the graphic. Surprisingly, this option is less expensive than many other banner stands and is a more practical alternative for some companies.

A disadvantage of these type of banner stands is that the banner must be unrolled manually, causing the system to have a shorter life span than some other banner stands.

Popular sizes for tension pole banner stands include 48 inches high, 60 inches high, 72 inches high, and 80 inches high. The height of these banner stands makes them a great and highly affordable option for adding vertical aspects to your trade show exhibits.

Choosing the Right Size of Banner Stand There are several factors to consider when choosing any type of banner stand. The same is true for choosing size. The following factors are important to consider in your selection:

- How often will you be using the banner stand? Do you need it to be extremely durable? - How large is your display? Do you want the banner stand to be the main focus? - What is your budget?

These are just a few questions to keep in mind before you determine what size banner stand will help make your company stand out from the rest.

One of the most difficult parts of preparing for a convention is renting and setting up the trade show display for your company. There are dozens of companies offering dozens of different products for rental to display items for the trade show and having the right equipment and advertising can make your trade show experience even more effective. So what should you be looking for when renting a trade show display for your next convention? There are a couple of things that you should keep in mind.

One of the most important things that you should keep in mind when renting a trade show display for your next convention is how much space you will need for the display. As the size of the display gets larger, the price of renting the display increases, so you will want to get the smallest size that will still be adequate for the amount of information that you will want to display. You will need to be careful not to choose a display that is too small because a small display will have all of the information crowded together in a cluttered and unattractive fashion. People tend to ignore things that they cannot easily see or read, so a small crowded display may be worse than having no display at all.

Another thing you should look for when you need to rent a trade show display is an attractive price for the display. Different vendors will have different prices for their products, so you may be able to find a great deal on a rental display or purchasing used trade show displays by shopping around for the best price. Be careful of deals that seem too good to be true or prices that are significantly lower than those from other vendors in the area because there may be a problem with renting from that vendor, such as a very low quality display or a scam that steals money from the company. Ask several different vendors for their prices and base your decision on the price and the reputation of the vendor.

The reputation of the vendor that you are thinking about renting the trade show display from is another important element that should be taken into consideration. Trade show display vendors that care about their company know that a good reputation is very important in the business community. The old saying goes “nothing travels faster than bad news” and that is especially true for a vendor that has repeatedly given bad service to those in the business world. If the majority of the information that you hear about a vendor, either by talking to business associates or reading reviews on the internet, is negative then you will want to find another vendor to rent your trade show display from.

In some cases, the price of renting the trade show display includes the cost of a professional assembly at the location of the trade show but in other cases, the renter will be responsible for assembling the display on their own. If this is the case, then the person renting the display will want to make sure that the display is one that will be easy for them to assemble. Even though more complicated types of displays may be more attractive, not being able to assemble the display in a reasonable amount of time and the frustration that is causes is not worth the appearance of a complicated display.

In the internet marketing business world, competition is cutthroat. Businesses come and go, failure is almost expected, and newcomers give up before they really even knew how to get started. What distinguishes those that last in this fickle market? Branding. Businesses and people that brand themselves and their products tend to drastically outlive those that just fumble their way through without leaving a significant impression. Wikipedia introduces a brand by stating that “Powerful brands can drive success in competitive and financial markets, and indeed become the organization’s most valuable assets.” In the internet marketing field, branding leaves an impression that sets you apart from others. Maintaining a brand allows you also to continue your reputation for an ability to thrive over the duration of your career, and your brand becomes a recognizable symbol of your success to anyone that has dealt with you along the way.

Several main methods help you to utilize branding to positively impact your customer base and eventually your sales. One of these methods is a catchy name, either personally or as a company. Company names do not even tend to be real words as evidenced by current market trends. Companies like Google and Squidoo have used memorable names that leave a mental impression, thus their name itself assists these companies in the process of branding. A good name can go a really long way. Also, having a unique logo can help achieve brand recognition. Nike dedicated massive amounts of marketing to make sure that their trademark swoosh logo is now practically immortalized. The swoosh is a perfect example of how a great logo can leave an impression and prompt immediate association with the company it represents. Another key to branding is, of course, repetition. By constant and repeated use of a logo or name, those exposed to the repetition are much more likely to remember and potentially use the company associated. This ultimately is the desired effect.

How does all this branding information relate to the highly competitive field of internet marketing? Those individuals or companies that truly brand in such a flooded business niche inundated with countless names of marketers and almost innumerable fly-by-night businesses greatly increase their chances of success and longevity. By repeating your own name, you become the brand yourself in essence, and this may help you to sell yourself more efficiently. Also, by having a unique logo associated with your product, company, or person that is repeated continually on your advertising and website, this helps people to repeat an image in their mind. When people remember the image or see the image in advertisements, they immediately associate back to the product, company, or person it refers back to. Branding is an exceptionally helpful tool that can assist the internet marketer to achieve greater success by creating a more universal level of recognition.

Jessica Robuck-McGranaghan of RoMac Marketing Group is an Internet entrepreneur dedicated to achieving success through innovation. CLICK … HERE … to find out what we can do for you TODAY to realize the lifestyle you deserve!

We can create a brochure that is customer oriented and with the right structure. In a paragraph were the words on the left line up evenly and the words on the right do not. This is called a “ragged right.” This format is easier to read than “justified” type which lines up evenly on both sides. Why?

Consider this: Do you enjoy repeating the same task over and over again exactly the same way? How long before monotony takes over and you need a break?

Your eyes are no different than you. In justified text, each line of type is exactly the same length, over and over, with no break, and your eyes get tired and you get bored. The ragged edge gives the eyes variety and a break from the monotony of justified type. Use ragged right whenever possible.

Here are a few tips to make the right brochure for your company:

1)Ask your employees to write the brochure copy. Or, better yet, ask some of your better customers to help write it. You may be surprised at what you get.
2)Try to eliminate as many decisions as possible. Always assume the customer will eventually buy the product or service. Don’t use the words, “if” and “maybe” which invite the possibility of a negative response from the customer.
3)Never ask open-ended questions in a brochure. Make sure you phrase any questions in such a way that the answer can only be “YES”.
4)Companies always want to list the many important features of their products. The problem is that customers could care less about any feature unless there is a clear benefit to them. A “feature” is what a product has. A “benefit” is what a product does. The more the product does, the more attractive it becomes. “This car has four doors.” So what? Compare that to: “I notice you have three children.” “You’ll love the convenience of having four doors when the children are with you.”
5)You want your brochure to sound and look professional. You can accomplish this without using “stiff phrasing” or a formal tone. To most readers, “professional” is just plain boring. Pick your best customer and pretend you are speaking only to him/her. Get a tape recorder and tape a conversation telling them the points you want to cover in the brochure. Your brochure shouldn’t be a textbook, it should be a conversation between friends.

You can avail the services of any business printing company for printing your company’s brochures. They will use the method that is best suited for your requirement. If you want the conventional offset method to be used on your materials, you should meet the required minimum order of 500. But if you need less than 500, the digital method will be utilized. In terms of quality, you are a winner in either printing ways.

Kishor Nayak is a Business Consultant working with International clients. Did you find this information useful? You can learn a lot more about how business printing can help you here

Diversification has always been an extremely successful way to reduce financial risk while making consistent and positive gains. Cross Atlantic Commodities, Inc. (CACI), that trades on the Over the Counter Bulletin Board (OTCBB) under the symbol CXAC, whose diversified product offerings are in a number of multi-billion dollar industries, is a benchmark of corporate product diversification.

Cross Atlantic Commodities, a Florida-based company with offices in New York and Miami, is a commodity importer and holding company, that specializes in the coordination of bringing unique products to commercial world markets.

CACI Brands recently acquired a waterless car wash and wax product, effectively placing it at the center of the multi-billion dollar car care industry. The product effectively removes and cleans dirt, grime, water spots, bird droppings, tree sap, or road tar without harmful CFCs and most importantly, without consuming precious water.

Cross Atlantic Commodities’ Fruit2 Go is a packaged fruit product with a large market in Europe and manufactured in South America. CACI Brands owns the brand in its North American incarnation, which is 100% natural with no additives or preservatives. This product is extremely appealing as a healthy snack for people on the go and packaged in a state-of-the-art pouch container, using the NASA design for food storage during space flights.

Cross Atlantic Commodities also decided to establish the company business ad leadership foundation on the shoulders of Mr. Jorge Bravo, CEO of CXAC. Mr. Bravo has been instrumental in laying the groundwork for CACI and for establishing many of the distribution and marketing relationships that the company currently enjoys. Prior to coming on board with CACI, he was the Vice President of Sales & Marketing for a Frozen Food Manufacturer where he grew sales to over $12 million/year from $500,000/year. While there, he developed an Independent Distributor Network and sold to Major Retailers throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. He also developed and implemented a private label program, which took the company to the next level in sales.

Many investors in the market today are being exceptionally cautious when choosing which companies to support. They are thoroughly weighing all of their options, as they should, to determine which companies have a chance to reward their investment with a minimum amount of risk. What better company to invest in, than one that is already concerned with diversifying their products and assets to maximize on any opportunity that may arise?

Jorge Bravos is responsible for the CXAC previous business model and its current success. He developed and managed relationships with manufacturers as well as national retainers and club stores. Previously he was the Vice President for Sales and Marketing for a Frozen Food Manufacturer where he grew sales to over $12 million/year from $500,000/year. While there he developed an Independent Distributor Network, sold to Major Retailers through out the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. He also developed and implemented a private label program, which took the company to the next level in sales.

Rodney Marvel is currently the Director of Operations for e-media Direct (http://e-mediadirect.com/e-mediadirectcom/site/). He has five years of experience in the marketing and financial industries. You can contact him at: rmarvel@e-mediadirect.com or 866.284.2835.

Marketing rules are the same no matter how big or small your business is: (1) brand your product, (2) determine who your target audience is, (3) get the sales, and (4) establish repeat customers. Online marketing is very effective in managing all four of these rules.

Online marketing is much more than putting your advertising online. Marketing includes such areas as communicating with your customers, promoting your business or product online, and making sure that your website content is useful and up to date. The great thing about online marketing is that you don’t need to have a huge budget to put together a marketing campaign that is effective. There are tools that you can use to make your marketing techniques easy and profitable such website templates, shopping cart templates, and online marketing templates.

What do you need in online marketing to be successful?

There are some important points to consider before you get into the strategies and intricacies of online marketing:

Communication. An important part of online marketing is how you respond to your customer’s e-mail. You don’t want to lose potential customers after you’ve made the effort to have them visit your website and then contact you for more information. E-mail is a very effective and cost efficient way for you to generate more sales. The key to this effectiveness is “consistency”. You need to be consistent in your response to your customers. You’ll also want to make sure that the tone of your e-mail corresponds with the tone you’ve set in your website content.

Human Resources. If you’re going to succeed online you need to have enough people working with you. Efficient websites incorporate a personal touch with a fast response time to customers. Your goal is to turn the visitors to your website into customers. The standard time for a return e-mail is from 48 to 72 hours. If you wait any longer to e-mail back you risk losing the customer. This means that if you don’t have the man power to return e-mail in two to three days you need to take another look at your marketing strategy.

Products people want to buy online. Before you start marketing online you need to be sure that you have a product or service that people want to buy. Customers need to find a value in what you’re selling. There are two motivating factors when it comes to selling online: cost and convenience. Ask yourself if customers will find it easier to buy online than finding a local store. Does it make sense for them to buy this from you online?

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Promotional products are used in politics to promote candidates and causes. Companies used them as incentive gifts for their employees. Examples of promotional items include pens, pencils, t-shirts, caps, key chains, umbrellas, jackets, mints, etc. The collection of certain types of promotional items is a popular hobby.

A survey of 180 college students at five U.S. universities revealed that promotional products are indeed influential and appreciated. The 95% of the students surveyed mentioned appreciation at having received the items, and 85% named an imprinted item in their immediate possession or at their home. Eighty-three percent of respondents said that promotional products would motivate them in one or more of the following ways: respond to a survey, enter a contest, purchase a product or service, patronize a business or donate to a charity.

Another survey conducted for Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) by LJ Market Research reveals the power of promotional products by measuring how end users respond to organizations that use promotional products as part of their marketing. A survey was conducted by interviewing business travelers at DFW Airport. More than 71% of them indicated they had received at least one promotional product in the last 12 months. The study also showed that the 76% of the respondents remembered the name of an advertiser on a promotional product they had received; compared to the 53% of their ability to recall the name of an advertiser from a print publication they had read in the past week

According to the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), corporations spend close to $16.9 billion a year (2004) on this type of advertising - that’s more than the 14.2 billion spent on cable TV advertising.

The fact is that recipients of promotional products do remember the advertiser’s name.

Business to business gifts is a great way to start or maintain a positive presence with your clientele. They can build brand awareness within the professional community as well as amongst the general public. The next time you launch a new product or service, try introducing it with a promotional item. Remember to choose a promotional product that represents your industry. This is very important. For example, if you have a handbag store, why not give away a customized compact mirror with your store logo.

This is more than handing out one item:
This is a puzzle with many pieces. It takes a consumer an average of 6-7 times of seeing and/or hearing your promotional message before they “get” it and take action of any kind - even saying “no thank you”. No, it’s not because your target audience is dumb, it’s because they’re constantly being targeted with ads and spam from all sorts of businesses.

You have to know your target audience.
If your promotion is for teens and young adults, for example, don’t give them refrigerator magnets; they don’t usually have refrigerators! At least not of their own yet. Give them a cool key chain or CD holder, give them something electronic, something trendy and colorful. If your target audience, are executives of a corporation, don’t give them a rubber key tag or a box cutter. Give them instead a pen or a nice writing set for their desks; give them some nice executive accessory that you know they will not be ashamed to display on their mahogany desks. And if you are really on a budget, a nice desk clock, a passport holder with your company name, logo and address, or even a nice metallic photo frame will do. No matter how wonderful and unique a promotional item is, if it’s given to the wrong target audience that has no use for it, they will have no use for you.

Kishor Nayak is a Business Consultant working with International clients. Did you find this information useful? You can learn a lot more about how promotional products can help you here

A well designed brochure is an asset to the marketing department of a company. Nine out of ten businesses will want to develop the copy (words) first. Why, because you only have a certain amount of space to tell your story. You can always select graphics and pictures that will re-enforce your message later on.

Write your copy from the customer’s point of view, not yours. It’s not what the business wants to say, it’s what the customer wants to know.

Once the copy is completed, work on making it shorter and more descriptive. Mark Twain was supposed to have said, “I’d have written you a shorter letter but I didn’t have the time”. Paint descriptive word pictures wherever possible. A picture is retained in the mind much longer than mere words. Did you ever tell someone a story beginning with the words, “Picture yourself”, we do that because it’s powerful.

If you or your designer has created a visual look to your advertising, by all means, continue it in your brochure. The “family resemblance” will be more comfortable to the reader.

There are two types of brochures:

Function Number One:
This brochure is designed to attract attention. It plays on the emotions of the customer. When they see it in a display rack they must pick it up and see what it says. It has an attention getting headline. It is designed to spend all its time, on public display, exposed to as much of your target market as possible. It will contain lots of white space and short thoughts rather than long paragraphs. It contains a “call to action” that requires or asks the customer to make a phone call, come on down, clip a coupon, mail a reply card or some other action that puts you and the customer in contact.

Think of this brochure as the appetizer of your business. Something to tickle the pallet but still leave them hungry.

Function Number Two:
Think of this brochure as the main course. This brochure is designed for the customer who has learned of your company and has requested more information. He/she may have seen your “Type One” brochure I described above. Unlike Type One, Type Two can be crammed with information. Customers who request information want to know everything. They become insatiable for product knowledge. No matter what you send, it may not be enough to satisfy some customers.

This style of brochure should never be used in display racks or laid out for the curious passerby. A casual customer who is unfamiliar with your business will be “turned off” by the thought of wadding through this mountain of information just to see what you do.

Kishor Nayak is a Business Consultant working with International clients. Did you find this information useful? You can learn a lot more about how business printing can help you here

The excitement in going to a trade show is coming home with interesting giveaways. Since being at a trade show means being close to your prospective customers, it is important that you offer unique items they will remember you by.

Research proves that promotional gift items work. Several market researches have been conducted, to track the response to various promotional strategies. The results prove people who received promotional gifts and printed items:

1.Were able to remember the name of the brand or the organization that gifted them with promotional products, as compared to those that just handed them promotional product literature.

2.Were a lot more likely to report positive feelings about organizations that had gifted them promotional items, as compared to those that had sent them a direct mail minus a gift.

3.Felt more inclined to respond positively to a call from a company that had gifted them with a promotional product than those that didn’t.

Aside from giving the trade show goers the gift they have come to expect, promotional products can work some other wonders for you as well:

Drive traffic to your booth.
You can draw a huge crowd in front of your booth (as well as connect with lots of prospects) just by having an interesting gift. Everyone will want to know whatis going on and who you are. While they wait in line, you will have the perfect opportunity to explain your services and collect leads to follow-up on after the show. When people are in other locations of the convention center and see your name on a bag or a cool item, they will seek you out.

Leave behind a good feeling about your company. While any gift is appreciated, a special one can create a connection between what you do and your prospect’s needs.

What are the best promotional products to give out?

Be creative! Try to pick a gift that will not only incite your prospect’s curiosity but also tie in with your business. For example, a beauty website or fashion magazine might give out a lip-gloss or a compact. An investment bank might think about a translucent calculator.

Pens, while they may seem like a naturally inexpensive choice, are an effective way to establish your brand. Experts say that pens have a high “pass-along” value and can actually promote your company up to 8 times longer than any other giveaway. Once given to a prospect, the pen will be used at work, could be lent to a colleague, or left behind in an office. As a result, your company name will travel and inspire brand recognition.

Kishor Nayak is a Business Consultant working with International clients. Did you find this information useful? You can learn a lot more about how promotional products can help you here

In today’s information-intensive world, it’s hard for any business to attract potential customers. But promotional products offer a unique opportunity to get your company’s name out to its target market and keep it there.

The promotional items that you choose are limited only by your own creativity. They can range from market-proven goods such as pens, calendars, coffee mugs, and baseball caps to innovative items like candy and nuts, stadium blankets, toy cars and trucks, and first aid kits. Whatever items you pick, all should bear your logo and contact information.

No matter what route you take or which items you select, be sure you maximize your investment. Here are a few tips to make the most of this time-tested sales and marketing resource:

Set clear goals for your promotion. Think about what you want these products to do for your business. Should they build awareness of your company? Boost sales? Provide a way to thank your customers? Have clear goals in mind from the start in order to purchase items that make sense for your business.

Set a budget and stick to it.
Putting your logo on a coffee mug or a mouse pad tells customers that you’ve arrived and you’re in business for the long haul. Avoid overspending: Identify your costs up front, factor them into your overall marketing budget and pricing strategy, and keep careful track of all expenses especially indirect costs like shipping and handling and storage.

Let the professionals handle it.
Get someone specialized to advise you and develop your promotions and promotional ideas for you. Hire a Promotional Product Distributor. Let him/her design, create and develop your promotional campaign for you. Yes, you’ll spend a little more money upfront, but you’ll have a promotion where all the pieces work together to get your message and attract the attention of your customers - which means they will be more likely to call you instead of the other guy.

Try to deliver your promotional products in different, creative ways.
For example, instead of mailing 1000 memo boards, have 300 hand delivered. Delivering those by hand will earn you enough business so that you can afford to deliver the next 300 and so on.

Recognize the limited shelf life of most promotional products. Don’t buy more than you need. A lot of businesses have stockrooms full of outdated promotional items.

Promotional items can be a silent salesperson for your products or services. Keeping these tips in mind will help you to make the most of your promotional items’ potential.

Kishor Nayak is a Business Consultant working with International clients. Did you find this information useful? You can learn a lot more about how promotional products can help you here

The music industry in the UK is flailing. UK album sales were down 11% last year and major, established artists are now finding that album sales are not their main source of revenue.

Enter Harvest Entertainment, management services for the entertainment industry. Harvest have put their clever marketing skills to good use and have controversially found a new path in which bands and pop stars alike can increase revenue from record sales.

Placebo, McFly and Madness are just three bands linked to the company who are now looking for appropriate brands to support them.

The entertainment company was launched at the end of 2007 and is run by Ric Salmon, a man in know when it comes to the music industry. Former vice president of Warner Music International, Salmon is well aware of the transformation the music industry is currently going through.

Since the introduction of the world wide web, illegal downloads have gone through the roof, thus reducing actual sales in the shops. Bands and labels alike have been hit hard, and as a result, have turned to merchandising and tours as greater revenue earners.

Yes, the traditional music model remains intact, but artists are more open to venturing down new avenues. Take Prince, for example; mega star with a back catalogue that would humble any X Factor or American Idol winner, yet he still opted for the alternative route when releasing his latest works, Planet Earth. Instead of traditional sales, he decided to give it away free with copies of The Mail on Sunday.

Then there is Radiohead, who successfully released their latest album, In Rainbows, purely via download for the first few months before later releasing it proper. An instant success, the album reached the top spot in both the UK and US from downloads alone.

Harvest Entertainment is not alone in their adventures in the world of music. International coffee giants, Starbucks have also got in on the act, with the release of Paul McCartney’s first studio album in more than two years.

Selling out? Dear God, no. Macca claims “It’s a new world now and people are thinking of new ways to reach the people and that’s always been my aim.” If the coffee drinking population of the world don’t already know who the legend is, then something is very much awry.

Starbucks added: “This demonstrates how Hear Music can present even the most successful recording artists of all time with unique opportunities to reach existing fans, as well as a new audience of listeners.”

Similarly, dance duo Groove Armada have recently come out of a five year deal with Jive Records, one of the many arms of the Sony BMG machine. They have since opted for a one year deal with drinks maker, Bacardi, which will see the brand funding a four track EP. In exchange, Groove Armada have agreed to play at various Bacardi sponsored events across the globe.

So, you scratch my back and i’ll scratch yours, in effect. The bands are benefiting immensely from backing of large brands. They [the brands] have the money to fund studio time, tours and parties whilst they get the added kudos of ‘owning’ a band.

Whilst this may seem like the next logical step in the evolution of music distribution, die hard fans of the more underground bands such as Kings of Leon or LCD Soundsystem may have a harder time of accepting this new found love with the big brands. Selling out is definitely a term that will spring to the mouths of thousands of pubescent teenagers across the globe. And we all know what happens when somebody is believed to have sold out: Interests cease and sales decline.

So only time will tell whether or not brands and bands will live in harmony or whether consumers realise that they are being hung out to dry by the proverbial scrotum.

Samantha is an expert Research and Theatre consultant. Her current interests are UK shortbreaks including Alton Towers and LEGOLAND Windsor.

Web branding is the skill of taking your product or service and finding ways to provide an emotional connection with the consumer. However, web branding may actually serve a dual purpose.

Certainly you want the consumer to connect with your business. This is your first objective in web branding. However, you may find that working with a coalition of partners may work to help brand something much larger. The travel industry has learned that they can successfully brand their overall services and the positive outcome of one travel site ultimately provides a positive outcome for other travel sites.

In farming you have pork or beef producers, in energy you have electric cooperatives and on the web you may find common product promotion may assist you in web branding. The combination of marketing and cross-promotional ideas can ultimately prove beneficial to many.

In fact, the combined effort of web branding may be felt in the area of knowledge-based articles from suppliers. These articles help in the marketing structure of your business and, because they are made available from suppliers, they have both authority and the ability to provide web branding impressions.

In boxing you have the one-two punch. In web branding you have the cooperative efforts of many combined with the unique ideas of one. Learn to accept the help that you can and then creatively work to make what you’ve learned your own.

You potential customers should come to your website only half interested in your product or service and leave feeling as if there is no product or service that could rival yours. This is accomplished though web branding. This is a place where you become storyteller, salesman, advocate and problem solver. The more answers you have to the questions raised the better your web branding endeavors will perform.

Responding quickly to consumer questions or concerns will further brand your site as a good place to do business. No site will ever be entirely perfect, but the best sites will not leave their customers in the dark. Such commitment may be hard work and you may wonder if it’s worth it, especially at start-up. However, the longer your business is active and the greater customer support you provide the stronger the web branding becomes.

It’s possible you may have to work at web branding alone, but there may be a connected industry or coalition that you can involve yourself with that will strengthen your web branding ideas and further strengthen your position as an online entrepreneur.

Make A Website in minutes or Make Your Own Website at HighPowerSites.com. Start a HOME BUSINESS and Sell Ebooks at BooksWealth.com.

One of the most important aspects of a killer online brand is specialisation. We see it everywhere online.

There are sites focused on social networking, sites focused on sport, sites focused on current affairs and sites focused on many possible themes.

This first ingredient is known as contraction. The fact of the matter is that the most successful and well-known sites online are NOT sites that offer a variety of services from different industries or sectors.

The most successful online brands are those that focus strongly on 1 service or 1 product.

A good example would be PayPal. If you have not heard of PayPal, it is an online service to facilitate payment for online purchases. Its main function is an online paying service. Any other products or services that it may offer on its website are simply in support of their main service.

However, you may say that a site like eBay offers more than just 1 product. It’s true because it offers literally thousands and thousands of products on a daily basis. Nevertheless, eBay’s main specialty is being a marketplace for buyers and sellers.

Both PayPal and eBay are examples of companies that long before they grew and became well-known online brands, chose to contract their brand and focus on a simple product or service.

As a result, their brand has become stronger and hence contraction is what all online brands should strive for if they want to be successful.

Now onto the 2nd ingredient which is Word and/or Phrase Association.

Let me ask you a question.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when I someone mentions the name “Facebook”?

Most likely, the first thing to come to mind would have been the phrase “social networking.”

Why is this case? Because most people associate Facebook with the phrase “social networking.” You may also associate other words and phrases such as “Top Friends” and “procrastination”, however the core phrase that differentiates Facebook from other website is “social networking.” Facebook pretty much now owns the phrase.

What should we learn from this? Basically it means that any online business must focus its branding efforts on owning a word or phrase in the prospect’s mind. Especially a word or phrase that nobody else owns.

You wouldn’t want to be trying to own the phrase “search engine” because Google is clearly the leader and it is unlikely that anyone will be able to take it over.

However, I’m not suggesting that you should completely give up on trying to dominate popular phrases such as “social networking” or “search engine.” You could instead for variants. For example, “social networking for homosexuals” may be a phrase you might want to dominate and which nobody owns. Another one could be “search engines for students.” There are literally many variants possible.

This requires a lot of keyword research on your part. There are many tools out there to see what’s setting the trend. The site I recommend to do this and which I use the most is Google Trends. Why not use the biggest search engine to figure out the trends and words/phrases that you could one day dominate?

Martin Sejas is the owner of www.MyCustomHeader.com, which specializes in creating slick professional custom headers at low prices for online marketers, entrepreneurs and their businesses. Sign up to a FREE 10 Part Course on the 10 essential ingredients of killer online branding today.

Branding & Marketing. Are you confused about these 2 important elements of business? You are not alone. Nowaday, 94% of business owners, entrepreneurs & business tycoons do not know the difference between Branding and Marketing. So, they are not maximizing the corporate profits that they could have generated. They are losing 37% to 370% sales that belong to them daily. If you want to stop losing all these
sales/profits, keep on reading.

So, what is Branding?

The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods & services of one seller or group of sellers & to differentiate them from those of other sellers. Branding is all about differentiation. It is what you do to differentiate your brand. It is what you do to differentiate your company from other companies.

For instance, Apple brands itself as “COOL”. Apple differentiates itself from competitors by creating COOL products. FedEX brands itself as “Overnight delivery”. FedEX differentiate itself from all other postage service companies by being the first company that dedicates to overnight delivery.

Why is branding important?

In today competitive business environment, businesses have to position themselves strategically in order to compete. Branding is what makes you stand out from your competitors. Why the customers choose you instead of your competitors?

Let’s use the same example, FedEx & UPS. FedEx’s brand is all about fast delivery, overnight delivery. If you need to deliver an urgent document fast, FedEx will pop up in your mind immediately. Whereas for UPS, it’s brand is all about security & protection. UPS promise to keep every day & the people that stand behind the UPS shield. If you have an important document, you will choose UPS.

Then, what is Marketing?

Marketing is strategies or tactics to communicate your differentiating idea (your brand) to your target clients. Without marketing, your differentiation or your brand is only known to you or few people around you.

For instance, the founder of Apple can brand itself as “COOL”. Without marketing this idea to his target clients, Apple’s cool products could have been only known to Steve Job.

There is a lot of well-known marketing tactics, such as advertising, public relations, direct marketing, referral marketing & online Marketing. All these tactics are channels for you to communicate with your prospects.

So which is more important? Branding or marketing?
Both are equally important. There are just like twin brothers. Without branding, all you marketing effort will be wasted. Basically without any branding, all your marketing efforts are just like shout out loud to the crowd for nothing. Without marketing, your branding is only an idea that sits in your office. You need communicate your Unique Selling Proposition message to your prospects

To summarize, Branding is Differentiation. It is USP (Unique Selling Proposition) for your business. Once you identify your brand USP, then you implement marketing strategies to communicate your Brand to your target clients

WeSourze is a Singapore Web Design company, specializing in Search Engine Optimization and effective ROI Online Marketing for corporate. Find out how online marketing can skyrocket your company’s sales figure at Singapore Web Design now

The first timepieces were believed to have been sundials, though non mechanical, these devices were able to give a good indication of the time of day by tracking the suns movement. The portable time piece did not arrive until the 16th century and continued to evolve throughout the 17th century. With advances in technology the portable time piece developed from the pendant watch to the wrist watch. Now sufficiently small to enter the jewelry section, more and more elaborate designs were being created, with such beautifully crafted artwork to suit individual tastes, the designer watch was born.

For a watch to be a designer watch, by definition like any item of designer clothing or accessory, a designer has to be associated with its creation. Though there are a limitless number of designers out there, only a few of these do we usually accept as authentic designers and their creations as being designer made. The reason being the term designer is usually given by us after millions have been spent branding the person, so much so that they become a household name. It is this branding and marketing which elevates the prices of these watches and tempts fraudsters to create cheaper imitations. Agreed the reliability and quality of a watch has a part to play in enhancing a company/ designer name, though compared to the image created through marketing, this is usually a small part.

It is not always easy to tell the difference between a genuine designer watch and an imitation, e.g. a fake Rolex or an authentic Rolex, but there are a few tell tale signs to look out for. The key one being movement, a smooth sweep is a must for most designer watches, followed by craftsmanship. With cheaper mixes of alloys generally being lighter, fake designer watches will tend to weigh less than their more expensive authentic counterparts. However the weight rule may not always apply to the mid designer watches range such as Armani watches, Dolce and Gabbana watches ( D&G watches ) etc.

As a child, the colour, the look and the feel, are just some of the attributes of watches which intrigued me. With so many to choose from, so long as it looked good, felt comfortable and I was able to tell the time should anyone ask me, that was all that I needed from a watch, the brand name just did not matter. These days the above is only half of what many of us look for; the watch must be a big brand name at least and preferably depending on our budget restrictions a designer name.

Like any fashion accessory, yes the look and feel is important, but the image designer watches perceivably create may be equally important. Big brand names after huge efforts in marketing creat a perceived great image and everyone wants to have a good image, preferably one that stands equal or above those people they tend to mix. It is this obsession with image that continues to drive our fascination with designer watches.

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Some of the best ideas for web branding defy logic. For instance, if you were to develop an ecommerce site you might well seek to establish your business name as the primary branding feature. What if your business name is less important than you think?

Developing a catchy slogan seems to be an important step in branding? What if your site visitor is mostly interest in what you do or what you have to offer?

In some ways the best ideas for web branding turn the tables of conventional thought and leave the entrepreneur standing on his ‘proverbial’ head.

Would it surprise you to learn that the most common elements prospective customers look for is the immediacy of information that allow them to connect with your site as a provider of their need? Frankly, many of these prospects are interested in your company name only after they determine if you can help them.

By placing the ‘what we do or sell’ before the ‘who are we anyway’ online business may discover visitors will spend more time with the site and that may ultimately result in a satisfied customer.

Look at it this way; I am looking for a company that sells grommets in bulk. The search engine I use tells me there are over 2.5 million sites that have to do with grommets. Now, if an online business that is selling grommets has performed proper Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques I can be fairly certain some of the best grommet stores are going to be displayed first.

However, if all I find on the opening page is a fancy logo, slogan and a paragraph or two about how the grommet store came into being I may well be tempted to hit the ‘back’ button and continue my search somewhere else.

Most online visitors don’t want to spend a lot of time learning to navigate a new site, especially if it turns out to be a site that does not ultimately meet their needs.

By all means, develop an attractive logo that represents your business well, but let the branding take place in the immediacy of information. If you are able to answer your prospects most basic questions quickly this will likely impact them in a greater way than attractive flash design that supplies little relevant substance.

Branding is always about more than the logo and nothing less than a positive impression.

Does this alter your thinking about how to brand your business? What can you do to take a positive step forward?

Make A Website or Make Your Own Website at HighPowerSites.com. Start a HOME BUSINESS and Sell Ebooks at BooksWealth.com.

I’ve recently suffered a computer crash, and one of the folders that wasn’t backed up was one that contained all my testimonials. So I’m now on a mad-scramble to try to acquire new testimonials to use in my future marketing.

Testimonials are an awesome way to boost your sales and grow your bottom line. There’s nothing like social proof for easing your prospects’ minds and encouraging them to buy. Testimonials should be used everywhere - in your sales letters, on your websites, on your direct mail postcards, in your email marketing.

But it’s true that some testimonials are more effective than others, and some just don’t do the job at all. So what can you do to ensure that your own customers provide you with award-winning, or shall I say sales-generating, testimonials? Just follow these 3 simple steps:

Ask the right customers. It’s a fact of life, you’re just going to resonate better with certain customers. You like them, they like you. You consider them your “perfect customer”. These are the customers you want to ask for testimonials. Not only are they more likely to say “Yes” but others just like them will relate to their testimonials. Then you’ll be on your way to generating even more of your perfect customer!

Ask specific questions. Maybe an artist likes a blank canvass, but the rest of us usually don’t. Ask a client “Can I have a testimonial?” and you’re likely to end up with “Your store is great.” Not very effective, is it? Help your customers provide specific (and effective) testimonials by asking specific questions. Try asking things like:

How has our product changed your day-to-day business activities?
How much time have you saved by using our XYZ service?
How has your bottom line been effected by becoming a client of our company?

Ask for permission. Always ask your customer for permission to use his testimonial and permission to include his name. Now, I minored in Psychology in college, so I’m going to let you in on the secret behind this tip. By asking your customer for permission to use his name, you are reminding him (subliminally, at least) that he is taking a social stand in favor of your product or business. Once he takes a social stand, he is very unlikely to back down from this position. Not only will his testimonial help generate new customers, but it will also cement your current customer’s loyalty to your business.

Once you’ve gathered your effective testimonials, start peppering them all over each of your marketing pieces - your website, your sales letters, your emails, etc. You’ll see your sales improving in no time at all!

Action Item

Spend at least 30 minutes brainstorming a list of your “favorite customers” who you would like to ask for testimonials. Once you have that list ready, spend another 30 minutes brainstorming a list of specific questions you can use to help your customers provide effective testimonials.

Karen Scharf is an Indianapolis marketing consultant who works with small business owners and entrepreneurs. She offers several whitepapers, free reports and checklists, including her FREE Can-Spam checklist and FREE email pre-flight checklist to ensure your emails get delivered, get opened and get read. Download your copies at http://www.ModernImage.com.

So what things should you be considering when you are thinking about a name for your product? Of course there are many things to consider but let’s keep this simple. We’ll start off with learning what the four basic categories of product naming are. The four categories are descriptive, suggestive, arbitrary, and fanciful.

The first category descriptive is just what it says. Examples of descriptive product names are Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Florida Orange Juice, Boston Clam Chowder, and so on. Each one describes what the actual product is within the name itself. Obviously food products are a good example. And many food products are named this way.

The second category we have is the suggestive name. Hershey’s Kisses are a great example because they want us to feel like eating one of their small pieces of chocolate is like receiving a kiss from someone. Soft yet exhilarating. Mr. Clean cleaning products is suggestive in its way to. That they will get things clean. Burger King Burgers are the king in the fast food industry. Of course these are just some examples.

The third category is the arbitrary name. This category is not used to suggest a product meaning or be descriptive to its consumers. In fact there is no particular reason for the name that relates to the product. It usually is something chosen by the creator or owner of the product for whatever personal reason they might have. Or for no more reason than that it just sounds good. Starbucks Coffee for example is a business name that is arbitrary. Starbucks is actually named after Captain Ahab’s first mate in Moby Dick.

Our final category for naming products is the fanciful name. Examples of these sorts of names consist of products like Kool Aid, Coca-Cola, and Jell-O. These are the names of established brands. You simply need to say the name and people know what you are referring too. For a name to be effective using this technique today it needs to be meaningfully coined. An example of this would be the Razr phone by Motorola. Of course the Razr refers to its thin profile. If someone says they bought a Razr phone then people will know what they are talking about.

There are of course many other things to consider when creating a product name. But first you must start with what the point of the name should be if there is one. If you pick an arbitrary name then you are not necessarily trying to send a message to consumers. But a descriptive name is definitely one that would be used to get some sort of message across. Deciding which technique to use is an important step when it comes to naming your new product. Many products have failed not because the product was faulty but because the name failed to attract the needed attention.

Cash Miller is an experienced entrepreneur and speaker who has spent over a decade as a small business owner. His years of experience in small business cover a variety of topics. If you are looking for more small business help please check out http://www.smallbusinessdelivered.com

Mascots hold a strong mental image for most people that come in contact with one. But mascots impact on children is much stronger and profound than with any other age group. Children often react with fondness to mascots that display positive characteristics. A child may be delighted by the way a mascot dances or any funny physical action the mascot engages in. This is especially true if a mascot is the embodiment of a product that a child wants his or her parents to buy for them. Parents are often vulnerable to the marketing industry. This is true since many products such as toys, games, and food items are purchased by parents on behalf of their children.

Children may be very persistent in ensuring that their parents purchase the latest cereal or toy because a mascot said it was great. In addition, children that are not yet literate may really gravitate towards a mascot. Children at this stage of development look for pictures or symbols that represent familiar things to them.

Mascots as Strong Symbols

Children may be the most sensitive of all age groups to mascots and their symbology. An adult may be able to discern if a product or image that a mascot is portraying is worthless, while a child may see something completely different. Before language skills are strongly formed, children tend to remember events and people in snapshots like pictures in their memories. Mascots may be able to grab a place in a child’s mind that will be vivid and hold meaning into adulthood for the child.

Good Vibrations

The positive feelings that mascots elicit from children are often associated with what a mascot does and not just a product itself. In the case of sporting teams the mascots impact on children may be to excite or enthuse them about the team or a game taking place. Not to mention once again, children may be drawn to the mascot on a personal level. Instead of wanting a product lauded by a mascot, children may want something that represents the mascot such as a: stuffed animal, shirt, pennant flag, or pin. Mascots in of themselves can be easily marketed to children to promote team sales. Also, the mascot may encourage a new generation of fans to be realized by the team.

Mascots, Schools, and Self-Image

Elementary schools up to college campuses heavily use mascots to convey team image and help in promoting team spirit. Mascots impact on children may be very strong when dealing with school mascots. Children are exposed to the image usually on a daily basis. The school mascot may be present on the schools’ outside sign or on the wall or floor of the gymnasium. Also, children who play sports may wear uniforms that have the mascot proudly placed upon them. Children may come to see themselves as having many of the same characteristics as the mascot if they participate in team sports. This is why mascots that promote a positive image are very important for school aged children. Negative mascots impact on children may promote negative images of the school or perhaps even affect a child’s self-image.

Responsible Rendering of Mascots

Since mascots impact on children is deeply profound adults have a responsibility to create mascots that send out a warm and positive message. They need to keep the best interest of children in mind when designing the costume for the mascot. Also, the actions of the mascot are very important. The person portraying the mascot has an obligation to act fun and upbeat, while not engaging in any behavior that could have a negative or detrimental connotation. This will only help to paint the team or product in a positive light with not only children, but adults as well.

Loonie Times is a custom manufacturer and provider of mascots and mascot accessories for all of your branding efforts.

Brand marketing is the process of ascertaining, developing, and finally bringing a company’s image to the marketplace. It is important to know who will represent your target market. You want to know their age, gender, and location. You also want to know the potential consumer’s spending habits, and if your target market shows brand loyalty or if they can be swayed to another brand by a promotion or special offer.

How to Develop a Unique Brand

Always ask yourself what your brand can provide that no other brand can. Concentrate on your strengths. Remember to ask yourself what a potential consumer wants. Making a consumer believe that your brand is special or unique is an important part of brand marketing.

Why do Businesses Need Brand Marketing?

Businesses need brand marketing because it can increase sales. If a consumer knows your brand and says, “Hey, your company has a reputation for really getting things done,” then your chances of increasing sales are pretty good. You don’t want your brand to ever be forgettable because people will not spend money for “forgettable”.

Businesses also need brand marketing because successful brands will help generate business prospects. It’s just like in high school, the popular people always get their phone calls returned and are asked to go to all the social events. The same is true for recognizable brands. If you’re in the popular crowd, you get business lunch meetings and your phone calls stay at the top of the pile.

Brand Marketing Benefits Your Bottom Line

Brand marketing that is successful will help your business fetch premium fees and pricing for your product or service. If a consumer expects top quality from your brand, he is more willing to pay more for your product or service. This will also give you a leg up over the competition.

Implementing Brand Marketing

* Businesses can implement brand marketing by investing in its’ product, employees, and advertising. All of these factors are important in marketing your brand and serve to increase your brand value.

* Hire a professional graphic designer to design a unique look and feel for your logo, print, and online media. The result should reflect your market and current trends in brand design.

* You always want to be seen as unique in the eyes of potential consumers. They should only want to buy the product or service you offer, from you instead of your competition.

* Advertising should focus on your distinctiveness and consistency of service. This will affect consumer mind set.

* Remember to keep your brand up with the times. Use online advertising with an interactive feature. You want your brand to be seen by as many people as possible.

* Have your employees wear clothing with your brand logo on it. This gets people talking and asking questions about your product.

Brand marketing can prove to be another way for your business to increase revenues.

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Chances are that whether you are the owner, manager, or public relations director of a company, you are always looking for ways to be in the public eye. While advertising is important, it doesn’t provide the credibility that PR can. Al Ries, marketing guru and strategist says in his book The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR, “For most companies today, PR is far too important to take a backseat to advertising. In many ways the roles are reversed, PR is in the driver’s seat and should lead and direct a marketing program.”

A smart way to apply Ries’s advice is to secure valuable publicity for your company by appearing as a guest on talk radio. It’s a great vehicle for speaking directly to thousands (and sometimes millions) of listeners tuning in to hear what you have to say! In the enthusiastic words of one of our clients Dr. Cass Ingram, “Our sales have grown into millions per year from talk radio interviews alone! Regular, consistent radio publicity really works!”

Imagine that being your success!

Appearing as a guest on talk radio is a fantastic marketing medium, but if you are not media savvy it is difficult to know where to begin. The first step would be to know how to write a powerful press release for this specific medium.

When it comes to press releases most people believe they just can write one, email it to a list of radio stations and sit back and wait for the avalanche of phone calls. But as time passes and no producers are beating down their door, they make a few phone calls to the producers and hosts only to discover that no one even read the release in the first place. So, all of that time and work goes down the drain bringing you back to square one.

How to Get Started

The most challenging part of writing anything is getting started. Looking at a blank page with a head full of ideas can be frustrating. Which one do I use? Which one will get the response that I need?

The first step is to understand that you’re writing to radio hosts and producers who are inundated with press releases and phone calls every day. They are looking for the hottest show ideas that their listeners will enjoy.

So, come up with a show idea. Easy? Well not necessarily easy, but it is your chance to flex those creative muscles. Think about how you can tie your product, service or message to a newsworthy story that would grab the attention of a producer. Think outside the box a bit: some of the best radio show ideas live there!

Now that you have your show idea there is something else to consider: why should a producer interview ME? The answer is simple: Radio shows need experts, not unqualified guests sharing opinions.

And, you are an expert! Think about it: who knows your product better than you? You can talk about the problems your product solves with more knowledge and enthusiasm than anyone else out there.

With a good show idea that ties your message into the news — combined with your experience and expertise on the subject — you now have the tools to start working on a radio release that will get producers calling you!

For 20 years Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations as CEO of EMSI. Go to http://www.publicitythatworks.com to claim your free “Power of Public Relations” video today!

Your brand identity is how you see yourself. Your brand perception is how others see you. If you want your brand strategy to be successful, you need to ensure your brand message is consistent.

Your online brand includes a lot more than just your website and logo. It also often includes you and how you behave, your personality and writing style as well as the personality of any community elements within your site will affect your brand.

The brand perception you are trying to create will depend upon the subject matter of your site. For example, a site about insurance will probably aim to come across as professional and serious. Therefore you will want your brand to reflect these attributes. You will need to adopt a serious tone and come across with authority.

As a rule, you have overall control of your website. If you have a community element such as a forum within your website however, you need to be aware that this will affect your brand. You need to understand that you have less editorial control over your website once you introduce community elements. To deal with this, you need to pay attention to your community to ensure it does not damage your brand.

Having an excellent site design and excellent content won’t be enough if your online community is full of bickering and negativity. Similarly, some may doubt your claim to be a popular site and a trusted resource if your community is void of active members. Never add a community element to your website as an afterthought.

A fantastic site design and brilliant content will count for nothing if your community is full of arguments and abuse. Indeed, you may well find that your visitors will stop trusting your brand if you claim to be a popular site yet have a completely empty and unused forum. You need to have a strategy for your online community. Never tack on community elements just for the sake of including them.

You should also be aware that how you behave away from your website can also affect your brand. If you claim to be an expert on a subject but are seen on another site looking for help on this subject, your reputation will be damaged. If you take a strong stance or opinion on a certain subject but are seen on another site (or indeed, in an offline social situation) contradicting this view, again you risk doing damage to your brand.

It is important that you understand you are often just as much of the brand as your website is. You need to strive to ensure you maintain a consistent brand image. As long as you stay truthful to yourself, this should not be a problem.

Martin Reed is the developer and owner of a popular UK chat and community website. He also blogs about how to develop successful online communities.

To a small business name recognition can mean everything. Often small businesses are built by word of mouth and some business cards but so much more can be done to help your business grow. You need to develop your small businesses image. It needs to become a brand. Even if your company only serves your local market you can still build up its brand name.

So what exactly is branding? Branding is the process of creating a clear, consistent message about your company or product. Branding is about developing an image for your business. It’s about building a name for yourself, and showcasing what sets you apart from other businesses that do what you do. And with all the different forms of media in use today branding is used to send out a consistent message to consumers.

There are many aspects that can be covered when we talk about branding but they all start with one theme. A business must build and display a consistent message for consumers. Branding refers to the concrete symbols that are used such as a name, logo, slogan, design, fonts, color scheme, symbols and sound for easy identification of the product. Building consistency for our brand is the first step in building our image.

Okay so what exactly do we mean by building consistency? Well from the first day your business had its doors open and you made your first business transaction you started sending out your message. The message you decided to send was actually made before you opened your doors. You started making your choices when you ordered your business cards, letterhead, stationary, and signage for vehicles, signage for your storefront, and uniforms for you and your employees. Everything that your customer will see related to your business is a part of the image and brand you are trying to develop.

When someone looks in the phonebook and finds your company they are exposed to your brand because they see your advertising. If they first want to find out more information on your company they might check out your website. This is another opportunity for them to see your brand. When they come to visit your location or you go to see them this is another opportunity for them to see your brand through building or vehicle signage. And then you give them a business card or brochure telling them about your product or service. Once again they are exposed to your brand.

From that first contact your potential customer receives exposure to your brand and then each instance thereafter reinforces that first contact. If you run television or print ads this can further reinforce previous contact with customers. If their experience was good when they dealt with your company then when they need such a product or service again they’ll remember you and be inclined towards doing business with you again. And when they hear of a friend that is interested in the same service they may be inclined to recommend you.

Your business is a brand especially if your business is service oriented and does not have an actual product. And your brand building begins before you even open your doors to the public. It needs to be a part of your marketing plan for your business so that you can begin to imprint it on the consciousness of consumers as soon as you open your doors.

Cash Miller is an experienced entrepreneur and speaker who has spent over a decade as a small business owner. His years of experience in small business cover a variety of topics. If you are looking for more small business help please check out http://www.smallbusinessdelivered.com

Let’s start with the basics…what the heck is a brand, anyway? A brand is the enduring emotional association one has with a particular company or product - in other words, its lasting impression.

Aside from the obvious competition in the marketplace, as marketers, we have to contend with consumers who TiVo through commercials, listen to advertisement-free satellite radio, and block ads with their browsers. If you are lucky enough to garner a few precious moments of visibility, you better make them count. What can you do to get consumers to remember you?

The Solution: Burn Your Brand Into Their Consciousness
When you talk about branding, it is important to look at some of the “big guys” to illustrate how to do it well. For instance, when you think of cotton swabs, do you mistakenly refer to all brands as “Q-tips(R)?” If so, you aren’t alone. Wouldn’t it be great to enjoy that level of brand recognition? It won’t happen overnight, but it is possible. The key is to create a cohesive image…one that employs a consistent theme, color palette, logo, tagline and image.

Branding Best Practices:

* Choose an easy-to-read font for your logo, tagline, web headers, etc. Avoid falling prey to selecting fonts that will portray your business in a less-than professional manner.

* Select a color scheme that relates well to your business niche. Do you offer environmental products? If so, consider selecting nature-inspired colors for your color scheme. When designing your web pages, be sure to pair colors that will be both pleasing to the eye, and easy-to-read.

* Don’t panic if you don’t have a logo. There are many affordable services available on the net, including several do-it-yourself formats. For the true do-it-yourselfers, consider adapting stock art or clipart to create your logo. Just be sure that you familiarize yourself with the usage rights before you create your masterpiece.

* Choose a name that reflects your business. If you need inspiration, make a list of the key descriptive terms for your business, and then look those words up in a dictionary or thesaurus.

* Creative = Memorable. A great example of this is Three Dog Bakery(R). TDB’s website immediately conveys a sense that the company cares about pets. The principals of the company share their story about their dogs on the website; this makes them instantly relatable as people. Clever plays on words, like their “dogalog,” are sure to strike a chord with avid pet owners, and that is precisely what they should do. From the lively color scheme to the whimsical graphic images, this is a site you’ll remember long after you’ve cleared your browsing history.

Remember, a consumer must be presented with your advertising message on the average of seven times before making a purchasing decision. Don’t dilute the value of your brand by being inconsistent. Instead, reinforce your image with every contact. Consistency pays dividends.

Traci Hayner Vanover, The Promo Diva(R), is the publisher of Create the Dream magazine, http://www.createthedream.com, and the president of Market Outside the Box Trade Association, http://www.marketoutsidethebox.com. She also works with private clients as a publicist, copywriter and consultant.

In today’s image-conscious world, branding has never been more important. If you are able to tap into the Zeitgeist, you will be well on your way to success.

Walk down any high street and take note of ten household brands. What style have they chosen for their logos? What image does the logo project? Your business may never need to appear on the high street, but imagine if your brand is eventually just as powerful and recognisable to the casual onlooker.

Creating a logo and a name for a business are closely connected and should really be decided upon at the same time. Remember, your business name and logo will become your brand.

One important tip: avoid at all costs a logo that looks in any way like male genitals - this is surprisingly easy to do by accident, and it won’t win you many customers!

There’s always a rush associated with launching a new business, often because there has already been a financial outlay and you need to get to market as soon as possible to recoup, or because you fear that someone else might be about to launch a similar business. Either way, you simply cannot rush the creation of your logo.

Do not be tempted to use one of the pre-designed (copyright-free) logos you can find in computer design software. Even if it is only supposed to be a temporary measure, people who see this logo may recognise it as not your own creation; even if they don’t, they will probably think that it looks a little tacky.

Don’t forget, the people you will be meeting during the creation of your business will be people or companies that you are hoping to have a long-term relationship with, such as your suppliers, customers, solicitors, accountants, investors and the bank. Of all the people that you will be dealing with, these should be the most important in terms of creating the right impression. Don’t sell yourself short so early on. Pay the fee and have a designer create your logo; they may not be particularly cheap, but good designers are worth their weight in gold.

When considering a design or briefing a designer it is important not to insist on too many boundaries. Although you might have a very clear idea about how the brand should look and even the colours or fonts to be used, make it clear that you would like to see any other ideas the designer might have. The results will be strange, exciting, worrying and sometimes amusing, but what this exercise shows is how brands elicit powerful reactions in people. Use focus groups and informal market surveys to see how people feel about your logo.

Another consideration when designing your logo should be whether it is suitable for all media. Although you may not intend to launch a website for your business, you should still find out how your logo would look at the top of a webpage. Would the logo work on a TV screen or on an enormous advertising hoarding in a big city? If your staff are going to wear uniforms, or if you plan to issue company T-shirts, is the logo transferable onto clothing? Does the logo work for you when it is very large, or very small?

Ask your designer to work with a range of colours and also to create a version using only black and one other colour. Sometimes simple colours work best and if you use a whole rainbow of colours in your logo it will cost a lot more to reproduce. Full colour letterheads, business cards and adverts are considerably more expensive than two-colour versions. But don’t lose sight of the main goal - you are creating a brand that you want to be stunning, instantly recognisable and with the potential to become synonymous with your business.

Max helps people to understand why franchise businesses fail. He shows them how to look for best Franchise Opportunities.

Choosing the right branding agency can be a daunting task. The problem with the selection process is that every marketing, advertising and graphic design company says they are a branding company.

This of course is not the case. To be a true branding agency a company must focus on one thing. Branding. Branding is not about media buys, logo designs and direct mail. It is about developing your clients brand identity and positioning in the market place. Inherently that is where advertising agencies, marketing companies and graphic design firms fall flat on their face.

A branding agency should be about long term strategic thinking concerning their clients brand. Some of the strategies and tactics a branding firm should take is branding research, brand planning, brand marketing, brand image and internet branding.

How to choose the right branding agency? First do a Google search for the phrase branding company or agency. Then start calling the top results of your Google internet search. These companies have done the things necessary to appear in the rankings or Google has put value on these firms. If it is in the top results they are most likely a good company to work with.

Now that you have narrowed your selection down to say 3-5 agencies start setting up conference calls or meetings. It is nice to hire a local company but by no means is it necessary. In the internet world we are in today dealing with someone in another state is pretty par for the course. Do not dismiss them just because they are far away.

Be prepared for your first conference call or meeting. If they sound like they are really an ad agency, marketing firm or graphic design company dismiss them immediately. You are looking for a true brand firm. You will know right away as ad agencies will push media spending, graphic design firms will push, well graphic design work and marketing firms will promote things like direct marketing.

Ask them what they do to develop a brand identity and positioning. Follow that up with questions about internal branding and how to go about setting up an internal strategy for brand development. Ask to see samples or case studies of each of these elements. A real branding agency will be able to talk intelligently about internal branding.

Branding research is another area that you may want to focus on. Marketing research and branding research are two very different things. When you conduct brand research it is more about understanding how customers and prospects feel about your product or company versus quantitative approaches that marketing companies take.

Finally go with your gut instinct. The gut usually tells the story.

Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru a leading branding agency. and market research firm located in Boston, Massachusetts. As a branding company we specialize in strategy and creative.

Location, location, location is what they say in real estate. When it comes to home based programs, it is all about marketing, marketing, marketing. When you have a large budget to market with, it is very easy to drive traffic to your website. But many people that jump into network marketing do not have much money at all. Free marketing is where it’s at.

The way most people find success is not by joining a specific home based program, it’s by working with a group of successful people that have a proven marketing system that you can follow and duplicate.

Free marketing is easier than ever now, here are some steps to follow:

1. Make videos, lots of videos. Videos can drive a lot of traffic to your website, especially when you use a free service like TubeMogul (they submit your videos to 15 different videos sharing sites at once). Videos not only drive traffic to your website, they also help attract people to what you are selling. You only have 10 seconds to grab someone’s attention. Videos do a great job in creating an interest level and generating fresh leads. Some video sharing websites are YouTube, MetaCafe, DailyMotion and MySpace.

2. Craigslist is free and can also drive traffic to your website. It is time consuming to post ads, but since Craigslist is in the top 10 most visited websites on the Internet, chances are just by posting a couple of ads someone will see them and go to your website. Again, the key is to market as much as you can.

3. Free classified ads work too. There are many free sites where you can post classified ads. There are also services that can send your ads to hundreds of sites at once.

4. Article submission is a great way to build backlinks to your website. There are services that will submit your articles to thousands of publishers. Once a publisher picks up your article, it will be distributed to thousands or even hundreds of thousands of viewers.

5. Social networking sites like MySpace and FaceBook are a great way to setup a profile and push people to your website as well.

These are just the basics and a great way to start. As long as you never quit and keep marketing, you should be successful. Never let a day go by where you do not market, you have to be consistent. After you start getting momentum, everything starts snowballing and you will be on your way to becoming part of an elite group of network marketers that are truly successful. Then you will start to understand that 5 figures per month can be a reality and if 5 figures per month is a reality then 6 figures per month has to be a reality.

Phil has over 10 years experience in Internet marketing and has helped countless people succeed at making money online.

MakeCashTomorrow.com

In order to understand Attraction Marketing, it would seem logical that one must first describe marketing. This could easily fill another article, there are literally hundreds of definitions in thousands of textbooks, articles and websites. A theme common in the majority of definitions is that Marketing relates to the many forms of communication that take place between a product or service vendor and the target audience. Quite separate from the activity of selling, which refers to the transaction where goods or services are exchanged for an agreed value. Attracting people to join your company has become much easier with the advent of the internet. The old techniques employed by old school network marketers is it hard to compete with this new way of doing business.

The ratio that you can expect when using old school network marketing techniques is one out of ten people you talk to will be interested in joining your business, maybe two out of ten, if you are really good. This ratio leaves you with eight or nine family members and friends who may want to avoid you like the plague for the next month because they don’t want to feel pressured into joining your business, in other words they don’t want to be “distracted” from their activities by your sales pitch.

“Attraction Marketing” offers a much different process and outcome. This type of marketing uses on and off-line strategies to build a constant stream of interested prospects. To implement this type of marketing plan, a network marketer begins by offering valuable information to their prospects, which lays a foundation to establish an identity as a leader.

Attraction Marketing is the practice of allowing pre-qualified buyers or prospects to find what it is that you are offering. If, at the same time, you can show them that it meets their need and in a better way than your competitors can, you probably don’t even have to worry about the sales transaction or the signing up process for your particular company. After all they came looking for you, it’s not like you had to sell them anything, Right?

Attraction marketing is about the energy you feel within yourself. It doesn’t matter if you have a super fancy web site with video, if you believe you’re an awesome marketer than your prospects will as well. The loving energy you have within yourself goes out into the universe and attracts energies that match that vibration. Yes you need your own web site that sells you first and makes you the attraction, but it starts with your mindset.

Proponents of old school network marketing techniques often cite the fact that network marketing is a numbers game. Using the Internet to market yourself, enables you to sort through far more people than you could ever talk to personally, and with the right system, you can develop relationships with these people and build a duplicable business that will allow you to live the lifestyle of your dreams.

Many old school network marketers view the Internet with skepticism. But like it or not, the Internet is the future of network marketing. The Internet allows prospective business builders the opportunity to research every detail of virtually any company in the world, with just the click of a button.

Gav Shannon is a Network Marketing Professional who writes about different topics that he feels may be of an interest.If You want to know more about him go to http://www.gavshannon.com