McGuireMarketingPRo Blog

I still like e-mail

Cindy McGuire — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:36:47 +0000

Social media keeps growing and reinventing how people communicate. Ten years ago, no one ever heard of Google+,
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or the scores of other social media sites out there. I think we had MySpace and YouTube, but there wasn’t wide spread usage. Back then, it was all about e-mail. And I think it still is. I don’t know many people who don’t have e-mail accounts.

Simple. Quick. Easy. Effective.
I still like e-mail because it is a message written specifically to someone. On the receiving end, you see which messages you want to open, read them, reply if necessary and you are done. You can delete anything from your Inbox that you don’t want. Other bonuses:

You can share information that you may not want everyone to see.
Your messages aren’t limited to 140 characters.
The message goes directly to the person you want to communicate with.
You can easily add and open attachments or paste links for people to click on.
You can’t get lost for hours searching through your e-mail account as you can on Facebook or YouTube.

Humans are social animals. We like to feel we are part of a community. No matter which medium we use, we will always have a need to communicate and connect with others. Yes, I am on the bandwagon and use many social media sites. But for me, e-mail still ranks high as an effective tool for both business and personal communication.

Focusing on what is important

Cindy McGuire — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 19:22:13 +0000

Whether it is the ”doom & gloom” from the media or rhetoric from politicians of both parties, it is painfully obvious that the economy has not yet recovered. Did anyone seriously think that things would be fixed so quickly after it took years of neglect and abuse to get it this way? I didn’t.

I usually don’t make new year’s resolutions. However, as a good business practice, I am setting some specific goals for modest growth for my business in 2011. I have to take charge of my destiny. The media and our politicians aren’t going to hand it to me on a silver platter. To achieve my goals, I will:

1. Practice what I preach. Reviewing, updating and implementing my own plan shouldn’t be the thing on the To Do list that gets shoved to the bottom. It is now at the top.

2. Network. Whether it is face-to-face or online, this is my #1 priority to grow my business. This is a constant struggle for me as I have been a shy, reserved person my entire life. While I am 100% better at this than I was a few years ago, I still have a long way to go.

3. Expand my education.

I have been contemplating taking classes and getting an additional degree for two years. I could have been done by now if I had started back then. What am I waiting for?
Read more. I used to read constantly and voraciously. Not sure how I got off track so much the past few years. I have a large stack of marketing, pr and advertising books and articles, in addition to thousands of web sites and blogs to explore to spark new ideas.

I urge all small business owners to focus on what you love about your business, get back to basics and explore new options. Purchase products and services from other small business owners whenever possible. Ultimately, customer service, personal relationships and local support are what will help get our economy back on track.

“If You Build It, They Will Come”, Especially If You Promote It Well

Cindy McGuire — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:20:27 +0000

I truly believe that marketing is a process, not something you do once or even occasionally. Effective marketing efforts are those that are planned, ongoing and consistent. A straightforward concept, yet many small business owners are not fully committed to this idea. The lack of building a marketing strategy into your business plan can affect the overall success of your business. Some things to consider:
1. Having a marketing plan and implementing it is as important as any other part of your business.
• You could have the greatest product ever invented or provide a vital service to local citizens, but it doesn’t matter if no one knows about it.
• A marketing plan can and should be adjusted to suit changing conditions.
2. Relying on one ad in your local daily or weekly newspaper to promote a sale or special event may bring a few customers to your door. But what if:
• someone doesn’t get his/her paper that day?
• someone reads the paper with the ad two days after your sale is over?
• your best customer doesn’t subscribe to the newspaper?
a. Frequency may seem like just another way for newspapers to increase their ad revenues. However, running smaller ads more frequently is a better use of your marketing dollars. Yes, it does increase your costs. But the more often they see your ad, the greater the chances they will remember you when they are in the market for your products or services. This “top of mind awareness” is a proven way to reach newspaper readers.
b. The same principle can be applied for other means of communication such as newsletters, fliers, posters, direct mail, e-mails, etc. Using a variety of methods ensures that more people see and remember the information.
3. Participating in a one-time promotion or event is a great way to get your business name in front of potential customers. But:
• After the promotion ends, what will keep those customers coming back?
• What if the event is outdoors and it gets rained out? If you spent your entire marketing budget on this one event, how do are you going to draw customers to your big holiday sale?
a. Ongoing promotions can bring people in throughout the year. Restaurants do a great job of changing things up with daily specials. You can continue to build customer interest with a variety of activities such as:
• special sales
• new product launches
• theme days
• seasonal celebrations
• guest speakers
• product demonstrations
b. Even if one particular promotion or event is unsuccessful, having an overall strategy will keep customers interested in your business for the long term. You do not need to spend a lot of money, but you do need to budget for the activities that you want to plan.

10 Simple and Inexpensive Marketing Ideas for a Tough Economy

Cindy McGuire — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:46:41 +0000

The harsh reality of today’s economy is that many people are unable or unwilling to spend money like they have in the past. It used to mean nothing to me to spend $100 or $200 on clothes and shoes every few months, go out to eat several time a week and buy things I didn’t really need but thought I wanted on a weekly basis. I also used to donate money to several local charities. During the past year and a half, I have probably spent only $300 total on these items. Not good for the local economy, not a whole lot of fun for me personally.

Obviously, businesses and non-profits are also reluctant to spend money on marketing efforts when customers like me aren’t adding to their bottom line. Another harsh reality: you can’t ignore your marketing efforts just because business is slow. Maintaining a strong presence now will help customers remember you when they feel inclined to start spending again.

While you may not be able to afford a fancy direct mail piece or advertisements in your local paper right now, there are inexpensive or even free things you can do that will help keep you in your customer’s minds:

Develop a newsletter. Keep your customers informed about new products, services or other information they are interested in.
Create fliers to promote your upcoming sale instead of more costly direct mailers. Remember, though, that any printed materials you send out need to look professional.
Gather customer e-mails. If you can’t afford to have your newsletter or flier printed, send an e-mail version.
Partner with other businesses who compliment yours to create a “niche” event: bridal fair, home & garden show, ladies night out, etc.
Start a blog. Do you have something relevant and interesting to say? Are you an expert at what you do? Of course! It is an easy way to lend credibility and increase awareness about your business or organization.
Create a Facebook Fan Page for your business. Post new products, upcoming events, etc. Remember to update it on a regular basis or no one will continue to visit your page. The same is true if you have a web site. Update your content to make sure people are visiting. This is the same principle as bringing in new merchandise or changing displays in your store.
Participate in a community event. If you support your local community, residents will tend to support your business.
Attend networking functions. Word of mouth will always be the best way to spread the word about your business.
Offer to speak to other organizations about a topic of interest/expertise that you possess. It will only cost you some of your time.
Create a unique in-store event. While you will need to spend a little money to execute it effectively, a fun, memorable event can bring a lot of people into your store.

The Importance of Being Earnest

Cindy McGuire — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:22:44 +0000

One of my favorite writers, Oscar Wilde, wrote a play called “The Importance of Being Earnest”, about two men who each pretend to be someone they are not to impress two young women they fall in love with. Jack, the main character, tells his friend, Algernon, that he is “Jack in the country and Earnest in town.” The story takes twists and turns and cleverly uses words to uncover each character’s deceptions.

Now, I am sure you are wondering what this has to do with marketing or business. The answer is that this story can serve as a good lesson to business owners: Do you live up to your customer’s expectations? Are you really who you say you are?

Your customers’ impressions begin before they ever walk in your door. Marketing isn’t just promotions and advertising. It also includes the physical appearance of your store and how you and your employees look and act.

Take an honest look through your customers’ eyes and notice the following:

Are your window displays current, interesting and well-maintained?
Is the cash register area cluttered?
Are you or your employees eating or drinking in front of customers?
How do you and your employees dress?
Do you and your employees address customers in a polite and professional manner?
Are your employees knowledgeable about your products or services?
Are your hours really convenient?
Are you closed even though your hours say you are supposed to be open?
Is your store or office clean and organized?
How do you resolve customer complaints or problems?

Facing reality is not always easy. You will never know if you may be missing out on sales from people who don’t even venture in because your store looks messy and cluttered from the street. So, if you find that your reality is not in line with how you want people to perceive you, it is time to make some changes.

Your marketing materials and web site should also truly reflect the goods and services you offer. People are inundated with messages everywhere they go. If your brochures, fliers, ads or web site are unprofessional, cluttered with a lot of copy and bad photos or artwork, you will achieve the same effect as a cluttered store front.

Instead, you want your messages to stand out in a good way. Spending a little extra time or money to have them professionally produced is more economical and effective in the long run.

So, take notice of how your customers perceive you. If you find you are not who you say you are, own up to your shortcomings like Jack and Algernon did and discover “The Importance of Being Earnest”.

What is Marketing?

Cindy McGuire — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:49:55 +0000

According to the American Marketing Association, “marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders.” Just what does this mean?

The answer seems simple: marketing is just about anything that draws customers to your business and keeps them coming back. Yet this is not so simple to accomplish. One thing to keep in mind is that marketing is a process, not an isolated activity. And you need to have a plan that is put into action on a consistent basis.

Incorporate your marketing plan into your annual business goals. It is a good idea to review it quarterly to see if it is working. If something is successful, keep it in your plan. If something isn’t adding additional business or building meaningful customer relationships, then don’t waste your efforts on it. Just because you have always done it that way doesn’t mean you have to continue it. Take a chance and try something else.

Many people confuse marketing with advertising. Advertising is a marketing strategy, not marketing in its entirety. Other strategies may include: a discount coupon, punch card or repeat customer discount, special event, newsletter, speaking engagements, participation in community events and so on. The list of marketing ideas is only restricted by your imagination and your willingness to add value to what you offer your customers.