Archive for the ‘Marketing Strategy’ Category

New research from Edelman (with chart compliments of Marketing Charts) shows that your audience needs to hear your message 3-5 times in order to believe it to be true. Does that surprise you? I actually thought it would take more exposure than that.

What does this tell us?

Right Message + Right Time + Reach + Repetition = RESULTS

What do you plan to do differently in the new year? Are there marketing channels or tactics you want to use that you haven't used previously, or haven't used in a while?

Well, before you get into the nitty gritty, here are seven marketing resolutions to consider:

1. Review your target market segments. Are they still viable? Can you focus even more for greater results?

2. Do some research. Even asking a few people in your target markets is better than doing no research at all. What are their current challenges? What are they focusing on in the new year? Where do they anticipate needing assistance?

3. Audit your marketing tactics from this year. What worked? What didn't? Why or why not? Based on your analysis, determine where to revise your efforts next year.

4. Make a marketing plan and write it down. It doesn't have to be written in stone, but having a written document with an accompanying action plan can help keep you on track.

5. Test a new marketing channel. Depending on what your research produces, test a new channel to see if it helps increase your reach and response rates.

6. Get personal. Reach out to key prospects, customers, donors, members… to connect. Don't ask for anything. Just ask questions or ask for a brief meeting to get acquainted. Begin a relationship or build on an existing one.

7. Be real. Be yourself. Represent your organization's brand with passion and a strong customer focus.

Do you have any to add to this list?

Happy Marketing in the New Year!

In the recent Strongmail annual marketing trends survey, 67% of business executives worldwide said email was a valued asset for building customer loyalty and retention. Funny how only a few months ago, many bloggers and marketing forecasters predicted the demise of e-mail marketing.

It turns out that e-mail is an ideal channel for multichannel marketing campaigns. The majority (68%) of survey respondents said they plan to integrate their social media marketing efforts with email in 2012. In addition, 44% plan to integrate mobile with their email campaigns.

Since many of us don't fall into the "big corporation" category,  do you think these statistics will reflect similar marketing tactics in small and medium-sized businesses and nonprofit organizations?

What tactics do YOU plan to use in 2012?

A point of differentiation is what all organizations seek in order to stand out from their competitors. What is your unique selling proposition, marketers will ask.

I have always struggled with this. How can I advise a client or colleague that her company or organization has some unique quality that no other has?  In today's market landscape, that could be a set-up for failure. I mean, we're not talking about the Fortune 500.

How does anyone choose one dentist over another? Reputation? Referral? Pricing? Location?

How does anyone choose one nonprofit cause over another? Reputation? Referral? Mission? Location? Connection?

So, when I read Mark. W. Schaefer's post yesterday, one of his comments really resonated.

My competitive advantage is the sum of my experiences. And since there is only one me, I am my own niche. Another way to look at differentiation.

Brilliant. And, I told him so.

If you are a solopreneur, or you work for a small or mid-sized business or nonprofit organization, surely you have a unique history, background, and set of experiences. Well, there's your uniqueness. Your point of differentiation.

Do you think this is enough to carry you into the fray? Speak up!