Using Memberships as a Small Business Marketing Strategy

Some years ago while living in Southern California I was asked to be the guest speaker at an upcoming Chamber of Commerce meeting. Turns out it was the month of January that I was scheduled for.

I remember the President of the Chamber telling me to be sure I had 100 copies of my handouts because January was their most attended meeting of the year. Sure enough, over 100 people showed up that morning to listen to my talk about Small Business Direct Marketing.

Then, a couple of years ago, I was again a guest speaker at a monthly dinner meeting for an association that was my client. Once again, it turns out that it was their January meeting and this time, more than 125 members showed up!

So, given my experiences, it seemed timely to begin 2016 with a post about how to make the most of your memberships.

Many of us belong to great organizations & associations only to find we don't get the business opportunities we thought we would when we joined. Guess what? With just a little bit of effort, you'll find that these opportunities are plentiful & yours for the taking.

Here's how:

1. Be selective about the organizations you join. In order to make the most of anything you must be an active participant & fully engaged. A mistake people make is to join too many groups & spread themselves too thin. It's better to go deep than to skim the surface.

2. Attend regularly. Every association publishes their list of meeting dates/times for the year, usually by January. Be sure to get these in your calendar NOW & schedule them in to your time so they don't get lost in the shuffle of your everyday hectic busyness. Seek out a committee member at your first meeting so they can show you the ropes, make introductions & orient you to the group so you feel comfortable right away.

3. Offer your services. This can be in the form of joining a committee, or offering your product or service as a 'give away' for the organization. You'll get a mention in the marketing collateral materials "....donated by ABC Company" & can use this as opportunity to showcase your goods to your audience.

4. Speak up. Offer to be a speaker. This is an amazingly effective way to share your knowledge, establish your credibility & gain exposure with those who are interested in your company.

5. Link up. All associations have an online membership directory. Be sure your company's listing is correct (check all spelling, email, phone #'s, etc.) & for the online portion, be sure there is a link to your website. This can be immensely helpful to add to your back-linking SEO. For those types of organizations that are consumer-oriented, this link will also serve as advertising for you.

6. Learn, grow, explore. Associations offer many opportunities to stay up to date on new techniques & industry research. Some of these can include webinars, in-person speakers, discounts to industry meetings/trade shows, CEU's, industry magazines/newsletters & even white papers. Don't forget to check out the Membership Benefits section of any association you join so you can begin to make the most of these opportunities from the start.

7. Discounts on items you need to run your business. Some of the larger organizations offer their members access to health insurance, as well the more traditional discounts to office supply stores, car rentals, even equipment & cell phone service.

8. Marketing/Advertising Opportunities. This can work 2 ways: Within the organization such as sponsoring meetings, advertising on their web pages, marketing to their member list & in the annual directory. Outside of the organization there can be opportunities such as discounts on local newspaper or radio advertising, bundled pricing on trade show participation, public relations efforts & more. Ask the membership representative when you join what may be available to you.

9. People sourcing. Being active in an organization is a great way to network your way into a new client's office, hire a new employee, or find about about a new bidding opportunity. Be friendly & bring opportunities to the table to share & they'll come back to you many times over.

10. Ready, set, go! Have your elevator pitch polished along with plenty of business cards each time you attend a meeting. Go prepared to relax & enjoy the company of other professionals. Don't forget to have fun & watch your investment pay off.

Copyright 2016 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC. This blog uses copyscape.com to protect against plagiarism.

Diagram of Strategic Marketing Elements for Small Business

Often when I speak to a prospect they ask "What am I doing wrong?," or they tell me "I've been doing XYZ marketing but it isn't working."

The answer can be that you ARE doing the right thing, but not to the right segment, or your timing is off, or the tactic is being done correctly, but strategically it doesn't make sense for what you're trying to accomplish.

Take for instance this case: a telecommunications company purchased an email list. They spent a significant portion of their marketing budget on the list cost & it failed. Why? Email acquisition will almost always bomb - especially in the B2B segment because email lists are sold at a premium making break-even more difficult & because filters are often so tight, nothing gets through.

Or the entrepreneur who spent far too much on local newspaper advertising to announce a new product but his potential market was such a small segment of his existing customers, that this killed his budget & bombed too.

In each stage of the marketing process, different elements come in to play.

Acquisition - All new businesses are in acquisition mode. This is where you'll acquire customers for the first time. To do this, you must choose the right tactical marketing moves to let your target audience know you exist.

Retention - Once you have customers, you must try to keep them. It costs up to 10x more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one, so retention should become part of any business's marketing activities.

Reactivation - This is a sub-segment of the elements above. For myriad reasons a customer may stop buying from you. Depending on what your product is & why they stopped, a good portion can often be reactivated to become viable customers again.

During my tenure in corporate marketing departments I learned that true marketing-oriented organizations have each of these elements as part of their marketing arsenal. This is what makes them a success. Tho the numbers & budgets may be far bigger than a small business can afford, the strategies & tactics can be easily implemented by adapting them to fit your small business marketing needs.

Make marketing a priority for 2016 & you're well on your way to success.

Happy Marketing!

Copyright 2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC

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During This Week of Giving Thanks Remember the Power of a Thank You

This week I did business with two new places I'd never been before. One was a restaurant; the other a veterinarian. Both of these new businesses seem to be doing most everything right from a start up marketing perspective – good locations; clear street signage (that's how I found them); appropriate pricing; and the like.

However, both sorely disappointed me. Neither place of business greeted me when I walked in; in fact I stood there for a good two or three minutes in both cases without any eye contact or even a cursory 'be right with you' (not that either place was busy).

Worst of all was that neither said Thank You upon receiving payment. Neither! When will business owners understand that those two words are the most powerful Retention tool there is? Why is "You're all set," or worse, "Here you go" acceptable to say to someone who has just given you their hard-earned money?

The small business world is doing its part. Small Business Saturday is in its 6th year now carving out a space for small businesses to tell their stories and jump on to the marketing bandwagon that is making permanent and lasting change in consumers' minds. Now, it's the small businesses turn to show their appreciation for this national effort.

Studies show that:

-Service experience is a top factor when customers make a purchasing choice – not price
-1 of 3 consumers say they'd pay more for personalized service or help
-Service is the #1 way to avoid being show roomed during this most lucrative time of year
-Giant retailers don't know the names of their customers walking in the door, but YOU do (or should) – say Hello to them using their name with meaning & intention
-Customers who have a negative experience tell 12 people, those people go on to tell a total of 72 more. That's 84 folks who won't give you their money – make EVERY customer interaction count
-Hire then train the very best Brand Ambassadors you can. Reinforcing good service habits on a regular basis keeps your employees happy; therefore your customers.

So, I will still continue to seek out and do business with locally-owned businesses and I do strongly believe in #ShopSmall #ShopLocal, I just wish the business owners and their employees did their part to show appreciation for us that show them love when everyone else is at the mall.

Remember, a Thank You is the best free marketing I know of.

Happy Thanksgiving.

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Small Business Saturday

Now in its 6th year, Small Business Saturday (started by American Express) has sparked a social movement to #ShopSmall and #ShopLocal for the holiday season. In 2011 even the US Senate got on board to support the movement and now it is affecting real and lasting change on consumer shopping behavior.

Here are some highlights according to the Amex website:

• In 2012 73.9 million consumers shopped small on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday
• Nationwide, over 1450 Neighborhood Champions helped rally their communities
• Last year, it grew to a record high $14.3 billion spent at small business on that day

This year, it promises to break even more records as consumer awareness of the effects of keeping money in local communities continues to grow.

Consider this: According to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance for every $100 spent at a national chain store outlet in your neighborhood, $14 stays in the community; but that same $100 spent at a small business in your neighborhood contributes $48 to the community – that's a 71% increase and the difference can often mean the availability of funding for everything from the library to the parks to the schools in your community, and it has profound effects on employment, taxes and real estate values.

ShiftYourShopping.org (#ShiftYourShopping) is a national grassroots organization that 'encourages residents to take job creation and economic concerns into their own hands by strengthening their own local economies' and it provides forums with ideas and feedback for local business owners to share. Go there to get inspired for ideas to help your small business.

For even more resources to help you make the most of Small Business Saturday this year, check out AMIBA - the American Independent Business Alliance. Another nationwide supporter of local and independent businesses nationwide.

Then listen to this month's episode of Show Us Your Business, a podcast dedicated to all things small business, of which I am the co-creator and co-host along with Cliff Ennico. Have a listen at http://bit.ly/SUYBiz2 (you'll hear AMIBA's PSA too!), then tell us what you think.

This year, as you do your holiday shopping, remember that November 29th is Small Business Saturday and shifting as little as 10% of your spending to a local, small business can make a tremendous difference in your community.

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Randye Spina is Chief Solutions Officer of Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC, a small business marketing consultancy serving the needs of small and micro businesses nationwide.

6 No Cost Small Business Marketing Techniques That Work

Some of the following techniques may be obvious, but others may not. Incorporate these NO cost strategies into your marketing efforts and you will see results:

1. Business Cards - Stash them everywhere: In your briefcase, padfolios, wallet, purse, notebook, pockets - I mean everywhere! You never know when an opportunity arises to give someone your card, or to put it up at a community location. I've been told far too often by new small business owners that they don't have cards with them - this is a terrible missed opportunity. Also, include a card with every piece of correspondence you send out. It says "pass me along."

2. Articles - To position yourself up as an expert in your field, set aside time and write articles (like these) that will get people's attention. Send them out on the web and be sure to send them to your local media outlets and publications.

3. Network - Pick up the phone and call five people every day that you think will be great resources for you. Call friends and ask if they know anyone who needs your product or service. Ask everyone, everywhere you go and make time to network once a week. I like Fridays, when people are more relaxed and open to a quick (and I mean QUICK) chat. Then, ask those people for more referrals and the list keeps going.

4. Book Reviews - Go to book sites and review books you've read within your industry and area of expertise. Get your name out there and be sure to include links to your email and website.

5. Public Speaking - This has been very successful for my business over the years. I've keynoted at workshops, conferences, and association meetings. Reach out to local groups such as the Chamber of Commerce or other similar organizations. The more people who know about you and your business, the more likely you will keep your prospect pipeline full.

6. In-store/office - If you are lucky enough to have an actual location use it to your marketing advantage. Invite speakers, have distributors give product demonstrations. Then serve tea or wine and cheese and invite your customers and prospects. Tell them to bring a friend. You'd be surprised how well this can work for you.

Bottom line, be creative & always be thinking of marketing -- after all, it IS the key to your business success.

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Randye Spina is Chief Solutions Officer of Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC, a small business marketing consultancy serving the needs of small and micro businesses nationwide.

5 Things to do Regularly to Support Your Small Business Website

Each time I receive a call from a prospect to help them with their website, I see mostly the same issues again and again. They range from a poorly done DIY site all the way up to a professionally built site that isn't producing results. No matter what the initial build was, the upkeep is usually the culprit. By this I mean:

1. Keep the content updated - Search engines love content. The way to make your way to the top & stay there is to add relevant information to your site as your business grows, your industry changes, your client list expands. Usually this is done via a blog linked to/from your site. But it can also be done by adding new services/products, creating downloadable pages, link new press releases, add new employees, etc. I often hear people say that their website is their online brochure – yes, but even better in that it can be updated frequently at little to no cost. Your site is not a static document, rather it is a living, breathing critical part of your business.

2. Look at it with fresh eyes - Every once in a while log on to your own site. You'd be surprised how this simple act can help you view your information as others do. If it's been a while since you've done this, do it right now to see what I mean. You may notice things that need adjusting, updating, rewriting or even deleting of old information.

3. Update your footer - The other day I got a call from a small business owner whose site was stale, including the footer which still had a copyright date of 2007. Oh my. This is so bad for your image as it makes you seem disconnected from your own business. As you plan your New Years' celebrations each year, put 'update website footer' on your to do list.

4. Do a logic check - A prospect who worked from home had Google maps on her site because she said someone told her it was good for SEO. Well, yes - but the map was to her business mailing address at the PO. She then admitted that over the years a couple people told her they tried to go to her office only to find out it was postal mailing address. That's bad. Imagine how many people didn't tell her? When I questioned her, she said she didn't want her home address used because she had babies at home. Perfectly understandable - just remove the tool if it isn't serving your business well.

5. Prioritize your site - Treat your website as an employee who needs to be nurtured & taken care of in order to perform well. Everyone once in a while it needs to be given direction to keep up with your business, or it may need upgrading once in a while to be the best it can be.

In a nutshell, if you treat your website well it will pay you back. It is after all your digital salesperson so give it an upgrade now & then - it's cheaper than a raise.

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The Three Phases of Marketing You Need to Know to be Successful

During my tenure in corporate marketing departments I learned that true marketing-oriented organizations budget for each of these elements as part of their marketing arsenal. This is what makes for long-term success. Though the numbers and budgets for these large corporations are far bigger than a small business can afford, the strategies and tactics are exactly the same and can be easily implemented to fit small business marketing needs.

Have a close look at the diagram. What do you see? I hope you notice that Acquisition surrounds all the other elements. This is because the Acquisition phase happens first in any new business, but also because in my years of working with hundreds of small businesses I've seen that oftentimes, the reasons a customer leaves you can be out of your direct control (they move, sell or go out of business, etc.) therefore, Acquisition should be an ongoing task in order to keep your pipeline full.

And, businesses should work at keeping their customers through great Retention Strategies as well. If your product/service is price-sensitive, then you stand a good chance of losing a recently acquired customer to a low-price competitor. A great retention program keeps customers tethered to your brand.

Finally, Reactivation strategies should be used to win back those who haven't done business with you for a while. This too, could be for a variety of reasons, but a well thought out Reactivation plan can be very profitable.

Acquisition - All new businesses are in Acquisition mode. This is where you'll acquire customers for the first time. To do this, you must use the right marketing techniques to let your target audience know you exist. This is typically the most expensive phase.

Retention - Once you have customers you must work to keep them because it can cost up to 10x more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one, so consistent Retention practices should become part of any business's marketing activities.

Reactivation - This is a sub-segment of the elements above. For myriad reasons a customer may stop buying from you (they moved, or entered a new life stage, etc.). Depending on what your product is and why they stopped, some portion can often be reactivated to become viable customers again.

To ensure your small business marketing success each of these three phases should be part of your marketing arsenal to ensure your success for the long haul.

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3 Questions to Ask Before Embarking on Your Next Small Business Marketing Campaign

The best strategic ideas not executed well will always end badly. They're a waste of money, time, and in the end, you'll be no better off than you were prior to the effort. And, in some cases, you could be worse off. So, before embarking on your next small business marketing campaign, ask yourself these three questions:

1. Am I ready? This seems simple, but in actuality is very complex. Take for example a recent campaign fail I experienced: A full page ad on the back cover of a magazine that cost $7500 (according to the magazine's media kit) + creative costs, etc. It was perfectly attuned to the audience of the magazine, looked nice, had great calls to action, but when I went to their site I got several 404 errors. This is so bad...they didn't check their links so that their back end would hold up and support their marketing. Embarrassing to say the least, and because I couldn't get through, I couldn't purchase from them.



2. Can I handle the new business? If you're a solopreneur be careful that your campaign doesn't blow you out of the water. Some examples I've seen are: Buying a list with a 5000 minimum, plus spending a huge chunk of your marketing budget to get to those names (postcard, for example), then scrambling not to fall apart on the back end because you can't keep up. Hire temporary staff if you have to; recruit friends and family too; but do everything you can to prevent your effort from backfiring. This makes for a poor service model and while you may have acquired them, you likely won't retain these new customers if they have a bad experience. Or, here's another example: A local store put a Grand Opening ad in the paper, but didn't have enough staff on hand to handle the customers. People walked out grumbling. Not a good first impression.

3. Do I understand exactly how the media works? Every day in the professional trade journals I read about more new technology platforms to use for marketing. However, if you don't really understand how they work and/or what they can do for you then you may run into trouble. For example, I recently worked with a business owner who bought into a new app program thinking that he could adjust offers, etc. on the fly only to find out that yes, he could...once his turn on line in the workflow came up. Often this turned out to be a week or so too late for him to jump on an idea or take advantage of a news tie in. So the effort did OK, but it could have been great.

Always be sure that your back end will support the front end marketing effort you just spent a lot of your heard-earned dollars on as this can make or break your small business marketing efforts.

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What is the Purpose of your Website?

I receive a lot of calls regarding websites. It's confusing to most people and unless you're entrenched in this media it's likely you find it all frustrating and so you put it off, filing it in the 'too hard' pile.

Common questions I get are:

Can you get me on page 1 of Google? Sure, but depending on your business it could cost you many thousands of dollars each month to stay there. This is a big misconception about websites, what's far more profitable for your business is to speak to your target audience and show them why they should choose to do business with you.

I have a website, but it's looking tired. Can you help? Absolutely! But I need to know the goal of your site and the part it plays in your business before we can get started, and even before I can get you a quote. If your site looks like it was built in 1999, then it likely needs to be refreshed. If the content is still good and it's ranking, then perhaps change up images, font (so many more are now readable by the search engines), tie in all your social media, etc. First impressions are everything. And please (I beg you) remove the counter at the bottom of your site. That's a dead giveaway your site should be put out to pasture.

I used a canned solution for my site and it's not performing. Any suggestions? Depending on the solution you're currently using, you may have to start from scratch. I won't mention names here, but there are some that simply won't work because they cannot be read by the search engines. Thankfully, WordPress has made it a lot less expensive than it used to be get a new site, so for under $75 (and sometimes even under $50) purchasing a template that can be customized is a great solution.

Not all websites are created equal. For example, if you're an artist or designer, you may want to use your site as a digital portfolio to showcase your work. If this is the case, then fewer words and more visuals are the way to go. I wouldn't recommend spending on SEO or related items. I'd just make sure the images are the highest quality they can be (but, please...protect yourself by using watermarks and/or copyrights on your original works.)

Or, if you're selling product you'll likely want a fully-optimized site picking up all the keywords that people search on so they can find your site. [Quick note here: just because it's found doesn't mean they'll purchase from you. That takes a lot more strategy and includes many other moving parts.]

What if you're a service provider (like my business is)? Then you want testimonials, lots of content highlighting you're expertise, perhaps case studies or white papers too. SEO is important here so that you incorporate the phrases needed so people can find you.

Websites are critical to your business success, but each business must tailor their site accordingly. Using the right blend of images, words, content, great strategy, calls to action, and more all with a great marketing spin is the key to success.

Once your site is done, the real marketing begins. You can't stop there. Your site is just one marketing tool of many to build a sustainable marketing presence in your targeted audience.

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Small Business Owners: Why you Never Want to Hear "I'll do whatever you want," From a Service Provider

Sounds good but don't fall for it. Those who tell you they'll do whatever you want are what I call 'order takers' and you should politely say No, thank you then go find business partners, suppliers, collaborators, colleagues who will consult/coach/advise you on the right things to do — and as importantly, the wrong things to be avoided — and who will openly share their expertise with you without you having to pull it out of them.

Here are a few stories to showcase the point:

1. I was explaining SEO to a new client and showing them that that's why their site wasn't performing. SEO had not been considered up front and therefore the site was not picking up traction. Their SEO score was 0%. Turns out that the client never specifically discussed or asked for SEO (because they didn't know what it was, nor that they should) so the web designer didn't address it. Now they have a site that looks pretty but isn't performing. Worse yet, they've lost time and money and are not achieving their goals.

2. Calling around to list brokers for pricing on a client project, I dealt with three different companies. All are relatively well known and reputable in the industry. Two of them simply ran counts for me without asking any questions of how the list was to be used and what the ultimate goal was. So, sure enough the next day I received the standard excel spreadsheets with counts popped into cells. A sales rep at the 3rd company picked up the phone so we could discuss the campaign in its totality and she gave me some great advice. She ran counts and even gave me alternate counts for other list uses. Guess who got our business? And, her list was the most expensive. Price doesn't always drive buying decisions, especially for professional services.

3. At a meeting with another client and their supplier, not once during the entire hour did their supplier take out a pen, offer up any solutions or advice. She just sat there on the couch with her briefcase closed beside her (and her mind just as closed) looking at her watch periodically, saying "I'll do whatever you want" every few minutes. But the point of the meeting was because we need your expertise to tell us what we SHOULD be doing to get the results we desire. That afternoon I was asked by my client to help them vet other suppliers.

4. A client mentioned that he'd read something about a new service now offered by a company he'd been doing business with and asked me to find out more. I called the supplier to ask if this is something we should be doing. Oh, yes he said. OK, but it would have made them look so much better if they had picked up the phone to call the client, as opposed to having them read a print ad. (It's called cross-selling and it works!) If the company had been proactive the client would not have had to use my retainer time to make calls, and would not have had to do the chasing. Now, you appear to be behind the professional 8 ball as opposed to the expert.

Bottom line, if you're on client side it's not always easy to ask the right questions because sometimes we don't even know what we don't know. But...if a potential supplier isn't asking you enough questions, or offering up consultative advice during a first contact, or if you feel like you're pulling info out of them, then politely say No, thank you and disengage. Then, use your network to get recommendations of expert consultative professionals to work with so that your business will thrive.

If you're on supplier side and a client tells you "This is what I want," it really means "This is what I want to achieve." Help them do that, and you're as good as guaranteed a repeat, long-term client.

© 2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Small Business Owners: Are You Sure You're Getting Through to Your Audience?

I get upwards of 200 emails or more per day. It's critical to my time management (and sanity) that I be able to distinguish immediately who sent me the email so that I can prioritize and be efficient. So, I started thinking about all the emails I delete when it isn't clear who the sender is. That thought led me to how critical it is that senders do everything they can to get through — literally and figuratively. And it's not just email either. This also applies to every other form of communication when reaching out to your customers and prospects.

Here's what I mean:

Ambiguous Subject Lines - It's raining politics these days and I'm on several email newsletter lists of my local politicians. I got an email from a name I didn't know with a ridiculously ambiguous subject line that I immediately thought was spam. At the end of the day when I cleaning out my inbox, I realized it was from my mayor's office and it was a fundraising campaign. Not the kind of thing you want folks to delete, I replied telling them what they should be doing better. No reply, but it hasn't happened again, so maybe I got through?

Gender Discrimination - So, yeah my first name is somewhat androgynous and could be construed either male or female, but...if you KNOW me, there's no excuse. Sure, I get it that you use "software" to address mass mailings, but still. What's the point of even using a Mr or a Ms or any other gender designation? Just use Dear First Name Last Name and you'll always be 100% correct and not piss anyone off. Last week I received a letter from an organization I am a member of. They know me. I've spoken with the Director on several occasions, but still the letter came to "Mr Randye Spina." Especially funny to me is when I get a call and the other end asks to speak to Mr Spina. I always say HE isn't here. So they retract and say they're looking for Randye Spina and I say Yes, this is SHE, which always prompts a nervous, embarrassed apology/giggle on the other end. Pay attention to these small details to show you're on top of your business game.

Speaking of Politics - Another email I received asked for input from the voters, so I replied as requested with my input and it bounced back to me undeliverable. What a terrible waste of everyone's time, their marketing spend, and their reputation/credibility. Even worse is that the valuable input they sought could not received. Always be sure you test your email links before sending.

Misleading Return Addresses - You can use all the tricks you want such as handwriting font to address mass mailed envelopes, teasers, and clever design, but if all you print is a PO Box as the return address without a company name, it's getting trashed. As most of us have opted into email delivery of statements and invoices, I know it isn't a bill, so why/what are you hiding? And why would you waste all that money? And, if you have that much money, can I have some? I promise I'll put it to much better use.

Pronunciation - Can you at least TRY not to mangle my name when you cold call me? Or, get my business name so wrong that I don't even recognize what you're saying. I've heard it all and while I understand that some words are indeed difficult to pronounce, at least don't completely change the name of my business please.

If you don't get the response you'd hoped for, this could be the reason why. So, when you want someone's attention to get their business, a donation, complete a survey or just simply check in, understand that time is money, people are busy and it is your responsibility to do everything you can as the initiator of the communication to do your very best to treat your customers and prospects with respect.

©2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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4 Key Differences of B2B vs. B2C Small Business Marketing

This past week I was asked to review the website of a company that's going through growing pains, having trouble getting their messaging down and not making any headway. Once I saw their site and social media communications, I could tell why they were having a problem.

This company sells high end, state-of-the-art custom software to solve a very specific business problem, yet they were communicating as if their end-user was a consumer. Their image came off juvenile and unprofessional even though their software solution is targeted to C-level executives.

Here's four differences to keep in mind when going B2B:

1. In B2B keep a check on your enthusiasm. You know what I mean — lots of exclamation points! Really high energy!! It's great to be so confident that your product or service is the best in class, just don't overdo it. If you prove it with facts, business folk will get it. Take it easy with exclamation points and overly bubbly language.

2. Testimonials must be positioned differently as well. Theirs were presented using first name only, no title or industry or company or last name. To me these appeared more like online reviews. Testimonials, combined with Case Studies or White Papers positioning your business as expert is a much better tactic to sell B2B.

3. Use the right communication vehicles. Direct mail is still the very best way to get the attention of a business owner or C-Level executive. Combine tangibility with a great sales call and you've got a fighting chance. For example, try testing a mailing and then follow up with a call. If it's a great mailing that stands out in some way the follow up call becomes much easier for your sales force. Email isn't nearly as powerful for a number of reasons not the least of which is that in my own inbox on any given weekday I receive 200+ emails amongst my various email accounts. I think we all are experiencing some level of digital drowning these days.

4. Timeline requires patience. Conventional marketing wisdom says it takes 3-5 touches for a consumer to make a purchase decision; 9-10 for B2B. This longer sales cycle requires patience and a lead nurture plan to close more sales. Using several communication channels will help stay in front of your leads. Here's where a strategic email stream (with their permission, of course) can help convert leads to sales. Tangibles such as White Papers, brochures, sell sheets and the like also play a role here as follow ups.

In the B2B game making a big impact in a professional manner is the key to success!!!! (Kidding.)

©2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC. All rights reserved.

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Small Business Owners: Stop Giving it all Away!

Groupon, Amazon Local, Val-Pak, Comparison sites, Sunday coupons...discounts are everywhere but are not always a good thing. At least not for the small business owners.

It used to be that only high-priced ticket items were shopped. Now, consumers want to shop everything from toilet tissue all the way up to mortgages. If you're selling to consumers, there's more pressure than ever to discount your prices. While this can work great in limited circumstances, it is not a great long-term strategy to position your business because it diminishes your brand. Keep at this strategy and you'll never again be able to sell your wares full price.

Don't get caught in the endless no-win, price comparison and one-upping cycle. By following these easy-to-implement, affordable steps you'll never have to give it all away:

1. Keep a customer list - By creating marketing around your existing customers, you won't have to continually acquire new ones. Because acquisition can be up to 10x more expensive than retention you'll want to focus on retention marketing. Then, use acquisition to keep your pipeline active as necessary.

2. Strategically offer promotions - There's nothing wrong with using this strategy as a reward, but NEVER use it as a punishment. For example, including the words "for new customers only" anywhere in a promotion is suicidal. Why? How do you think a loyal customer feels when they see your mass-circulation ad that favors a newcomer rather than them? (And, they will see it). Me? I cringe when I see companies make this mistake. If I've been a loyal customer of yours then why aren't you rewarding ME? Try creating a rewards program or create a communication plan to stay in touch with your existing customers.

3. Category exclusivity is the best strategy - Here's what I mean: The other day I open up my daily Amazon Local newsletter and to my horror, I saw a former client of mine giving a deep discount. Even more horrifying was that her ad was just below a direct competitor's ad offering an even deeper discount. Oh my. If you're going to discount your services, then you must ask for category exclusivity. If you don't get it, you risk large-scale digital humiliation.

4. Deliver Killer Service - The best way I know to overcome tire-kickers and price-shoppers is to become the preferred supplier. The best way also happens to also be the easiest and least expensive marketing strategy there is! Have great customer services policies in place, hire friendly employees and train them well, know your customers' names, be flexible and don't act like a bureaucrat because you think that makes you look bigger. When I hear a small, neighborhood business say something ridiculous that includes the words "our policy" I cringe and walk away - for good.

5. Sell off Excess - Used in this way, you can cut losses and make people very happy! Here's what I mean: A former client would sell current inventory on amazon.com at deeply discounted prices. This led to consumer buying from there, rather than his own site, or in his retail store. When you do that, you're undermining your store/site's success so much so that no amount of SEO spend can ever be profitable.

So, before you think that discounting is your only option - keep in mind the long-term repercussions. Then, use basic retention marketing strategies instead. Fore more information on these strategies, ask for our newest whitepaper: The Three Phases of Marketing Every Small Business Owner Needs to Understand to Be Successful.


© 2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC. All rights reserved.

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6 Ways You Benefit From Working with a Small Business Marketing Consultant

Most entrepreneurs I've done business with over these past nine years have come straight out of corporate jobs where they had marketing departments. They never had to think about this critical role of the business and therefore just took it for granted.

Once on their own they thought Hey, I can do this but then realize they don't really know how. They try and try, wasting precious time and budget but make no headway; lying awake in the middle of the night wondering what the heck they're doing wrong. Working with a small business marketing consultant gets you well on your way to getting it right, the first time without wasting time or budget. (And, you'll sleep better too.)

Think of working with someone like myself akin to the role of a General Contractor or an Interior Designer. Someone with the specific expertise and creative leadership skills who act as your advocate to help you take your vision from concept to reality — a 'connect the dots' kind of role. And, of course, someone who has built partnerships with proven professionals so that you don't become someone's guinea pig. As a neutral third-party I'm not selling you anything but my expertise which is more important than ever because there are more marketing tools and techniques than ever before. This makes for both good and bad marketing decisions: Good because now sending a postcard isn't the only way to stay in touch; bad because, well there are more marketing tools and techniques than ever before!

Here's why you should consider working with a small business marketing consultant:

1.Advocacy - When you work with me, I am firmly planted by your side. I will not let you do something that will hurt your business. I can't tell you how many times I've saved a client from a bad marketing decision. Here's a recent example: My client will be opening a storefront business soon and, of course, those who buy new business lists started selling to him right away. He was bombarded with offers from all kinds of media, new programs, software sellers and more. He had no idea the questions to ask to vet each opportunity's value. Had it not been for having me on his team, he would have been discounting his services before even opening his doors for business. And paid to do so.

2.Network of Proven Professionals - You can waste your time searching around for just the right graphic designer, web developer, printer, email service, etc. or you can spend your time with your own clients and running your business. It would take an outsider years to build the relationships that a consultant like me has access to. Here's another example: Not understanding the nuanced differences in skill sets of website developers, a client of mine engaged a developer that was not the right fit for her needs. Why? His skill set was better suited to large-scale ecommerce sites and my client was a work-from-home PR consultant. She did this outside the project I was doing for her and so she signed an agreement and paid him without consulting me. Website developers are not created equal. Some have very specific technical expertise suited to large-scale sites where a database must be built, some focus on the design of the site, some on the usability experience, some on the SEO, some on the...well, you get the idea. Had she consulted me she would have paid less and gotten a better outcome.

3.Having a plan - Without specific expertise in marketing (and even more specifically, small business marketing) small business owners sometimes engage in what I call the "Spaghetti Method of Marketing" — they cobble together a haphazard jumble of tactical steps without considering the big picture then throw it up on the wall to see what sticks. Here's a story that showcases this point well: During the depths of the recession a few years ago a client had tried and tried to keep her customers coming back to her. The problem was that her business – a day spa – is one of those personal ‘treats’ that are the first things to get cut when money is tight. She took out some inconsistent ads in the local newspaper that ate up a big chunk of her budget and weren’t performing. Out of money and ideas, and very frustrated – she called me. This seasoned business had been operating for almost a dozen years so she had a customer list of hundreds of mailing addresses, phone numbers routinely used to confirm appointments, and some emails (never used). I put together a communications plan for her to follow which included opening up an email account to inexpensively communicate with those customers whose email addresses she had, and then I created a plan to contact those whose emails were either no longer valid or were missing either by phone or mailing an inexpensive postcard. Voila!

4.Having a budget - A direct benefit of having a good plan is that it creates a budget. Having a well-thought out specific marketing budget means you can plan for expenses, get a better handle on choosing the right suppliers, and not get taken by the urge to try every new sexy tech solution. Here's a big ouch story: Construction company secretary meant well when she told the owner that a coupon company salesperson kept calling her with all these great deals, so the owner spent a couple thousand dollars to participate in their next mailing of more than 50,000 households. Sounds promising, but the problem was that these coupons are mailed to apartment, condo, and townhome households NOT just single-family homes — the company's target market. So, most of his money was wasted and because he was pressured not simply to advertise, but to offer a discount, he got a lot of tire-kickers looking to beat him up for the lowest price. The whole effort bombed. Then, he called me. I took that same money, purchased a list of single-family homeowners then using his existing stationery, envelopes and business cards, created a direct mail letter that brought in business.

5.Understanding the Phases of Marketing - The Acquisition, Retention and Reactivation phases guide the strategy of which marketing methods to use at any given time. Not understanding these lead to very expensive mistakes. Here's what I mean: A telecommunications company purchased an email list. They spent a significant portion of their marketing budget on the list purchase and the effort failed. Why? Email Acquisition will almost always fail in the B2B segment because email filters are often so tight, nothing gets through. And, because B2B email lists are usually 20% more expensive than a standard mailing list, the break-even point can be unattainable. Had they consulted with me beforehand (not after as they did), I would have advised them that email marketing is ONLY appropriate for Retention or Reactivation strategies and would have recommended they purchase the standard mailing list and either had a postcard designed or suggested they use their existing stationery as a direct mail package.

6.Connecting all the dots - Sometimes I see a situation where a client has a sales function and has a technical function, but no marketing to pull it all together. This leads to missed opportunities, mixed messages and other problematic roadblocks to creating more revenue. This last story is a perfect example: A custom software company has a large pool of tech coders writing software to continually better their product. The company also had several salespeople strategically located across the US. They had a website built by the owner (a software engineer) and his in-house tech team. Sales was never asked for their input. This resulted in a website filled with technical jargon that did not support the sales team, so each salesperson had to create their own stories on the fly out in the field. On occasion a prospect would go to website and get a completely different message. I worked with both sides to create a benefit-driven website as well as marketing collateral materials to use in the field and at trade shows. Everyone was now on the same page with the same branding and messaging. Ah...marketing nirvana at last.

Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC is your small business marketing consultant and advocate. Since 2007 I've been helping entrepreneurs, small business owners and self-employed professionals grow their small businesses using profitable marketing techniques.

My team and I have helped hundreds of businesses across the United States in industries as diverse as construction, insurance, health and wellness, aviation, consulting, legal, non profits, the arts, retail, professional associations and more use their limited marketing budgets effectively and efficiently without wasting time or money.
Contact us for your no-obligation 15 minute consultation to see how we can help you make sense of your small business marketing. randye@myaffordablemarketing.

©2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC. All rights reserved.

Small Business Marketing - Summer Reading List

Summer is here & most of us take some time off for some much-needed rest & rejuvenation. But that doesn't mean your marketing has to stop.

In fact, while you're enjoying the time off, pick up one or more these great marketing reads:

1001 Ways to Market Yourself and Your Small Business, by Lisa Shaw - this little book is a fast-paced, fun read and covers just about every marketing tactic pre-1997. Good sage, basic marketing advice.

(The) eBay Marketing Bible, by Cliff Ennico and Cindy L. Shebley - this book written by my good friend and business attorney, Cliff Ennico a certified eBay Instructor. Don't let the title discourage you if you're not on eBay - this book is a great online marketing source as well. And, don't overlook Chapter 5 - Offline Marketing Strategies and Tools, featuring yours truly as the quoted contributor.

Guerilla Marketing, by Jay Conrad Levinson - this is actually a series of many books, each tailored to a specific marketing niche such as his title specifically for Home-Based Business. Each of the books in this series is worth the read and the franchise has become legendary in business book circles.

Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results, by Jack Mitchell - written in a no-nonsense, folksy manner by the CEO of Mitchells/Richards two of the most successful clothing stores here in Connecticut. This guy can sell anything to anyone. If you've ever been to one of his stores you know the average price of anything in there is several thousand dollars, and his customers beg him for more. Fortunately for us, he tells us exactly how he does it.

Imagineering: How to Profit from Your Creative Powers, by Michael LeBouef, PhD - more than just a marketing book, this is really an idea book and shows the reader how to think big and unleash creative potential personally and professionally.

Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing Out of Sync?, by Seth Godin - the premise here is to take a step back from all the "toppings" such as ad words, blogs, videos, etc. and concentrate on the basic ice cream so that you make it great, THEN add the toppings. Billed as "the definitive guide to the fourteen trends no marketer can afford to ignore" this small book is full of interesting and funny stories.

Mismarketing: Case Histories of Marketing Misfires, by Thomas L. Berg - written from an academic point of view in 1970, this interesting book is still very on target. Professor Berg analyzes some of the biggest "oopsies" by some of the biggest US companies including DuPont, General Foods, Dow, and Union Carbide.

(The) Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools & Strategies for Business Success, by Lon Safko and David K. Brake - this book really is the size of a bible. It begins with a framework, explaining in detail how/when to use each tool available, then moves on to over 100 social media tools and their applications, and finally the authors have included mini exercises and assessments for business owners to conduct their own social media audit.

Where's My Fifteen Minutes?, by Howard Bragman - written by "the" celebrity PR guy, this is a very good primer on the art of the media and how to harness its power. He should know as he has represented some of the biggest celebrities and companies all over the world.

Affordable Marketing Solutions: Proven Techniques to Profitably Market Your Small Business, by Randye Spina - OK, so I'm shamelessly plugging my own book here, but I'm always so happy when I receive feedback from readers who tell me that my book REALLY helped them. I show you how to market your small business effectively and efficiently without wasting time or budget - period. I promise.

Copyright 2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC

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Small Business Sales - Part Two

Here, we pick up with the second half of the Sales how-to's, courtesy of my friend and colleague, Gene D'Agostino who is graciously sharing his lifelong knowledge of sales with you here.

Last blog we discussed the elements of a systematic sales approach that included:

1. Focus on the customer
2. Engage emotionally
3. Interrupt patterns

The dreaded sales call - Part Two

Mistake #6 - They fail for get a COMMITMENT TO BUY
Before making a presentation be sure your prospect is ready, willing & able to BUY. Too many salespeople get swept up in any opportunity to show their products or services, they get caught up in becoming educators, as opposed to salespeople.

Mistake #7 - They chat about everything else and AVOID STARTING THE SALE
Sure, building a rapport is necessary, but far too often the small talk doesn't end so that the sales process can begin. Unfortunately, the prospect usually recognizes this before the salesperson & takes advantage of it. This leaves the salesperson back on the street wondering where they stand...but never really knows.

Mistake #8 - They prefer "MAYBE" to "NO"
"I want to think about it." This is the deathknell of the salesperson's ability to meet their goals. Too many salespeople accept this & then have to go back to their office without a definitive answer. But the truth is, getting a "NO" is far better to a salesperson's ability to manage their time (not wasting too much of it following up a dead prospect) & manage their goals. It is far better to recognize the prospect is not a good fit for your product or service than to continue wasting time when your time can be much better spent with qualified prospects.

Mistake #9 - They see themselves as BEGGARS rather than DOCTORS
By conducting a thorough examination of your prospect you are in a much better position to recommend a solution they are likely to want to purchase, rather than find yourself begging for a sale. Be sure and use your tools just as a doctor uses theirs to qualify your prospects.

Mistake #10 - They work WITHOUT A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH to selling

Oftentimes, salespeople find themselves ad-libbing or "going with the flow" allowing the prospect to dictate the sales process. By following a specific set of outlined steps that allow you to cover all the steps of the sales process in a logical manner you will get closer to a sale while not veering off track.

Now, let's put these to the test with a cold call. You probably have only 3-5 seconds to get a prospect's attention & they're on to you. They know a cold call when they hear one so you must sound & act like no other salesperson before you.

Here's how:

Salesperson: Hello Prospect this is Gene (pause) Gene D'Agostino (the pause is the interrupt that gets their attention)

Prospect: Hi Gene (confused or curious)

Salesperson: Sounds like you don't recognize the name? (pattern interrupt)

Prospect: No I'm sorry (embarrassed or impatient), I don't

Salesperson: That's OK. I don't believe we've spoken before. Do you have 30 seconds & THEN you can hang up on me?

Prospect: OK

Salesperson: I often talk with people who, like you, are [frustrated by__________/confused by___________/troubled by_____/kept awake at night by_________]

Prospect: Well what business person isn't?

Salesperson: Which issue is the one that has been taking up most of your time?

What happens here is that it doesn't sound like a sales call. Beginning the call very differently than most. This interrupts the pattern by stating that is OK to hang up on you in 30 seconds. Also, by stating that you know they're having an issue reassures them that this is typical & that you have experience with their peers/competitors. Bottom line: there is NOTHING about this phone call that is a "typical" sales call.

Once you get the "go" for the call (i.e., they haven't hung up) then take just 3-5 minutes to talk about their issue & ask for a meeting. Try this "When I speak with people in your situation about these issues that are important to them, they often invite me in to speak with them further. By doing so, understand that just because we meet doesn't obligate you to DO anything. Any chance you have your calendar handy?"

This approach, combined with the 10 mistakes we've discussed should get you well on your way to a successful, more confident sales process.

You CAN do this.

Now, go pick up the phone!

Copyright 2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC. All rights reserved.

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Small Business Sales - The Painless Way to Succeed

The Achilles heel of most small business owners is sales, especially cold calling. I hear this time and time again so this blog and next month's, I am addressing this very important topic.

My friend and colleague, Gene D'Agostino has graciously shared his lifelong knowledge of sales with you here. Gene is the former VP of TEM Associates a sales training organization. I can personally attest to his expertise as I was one of his students.

Here, we whet your appetite with some Common Sales Mistakes made by both sales & non-sales professionals.

Next time we'll tackle attitudes & techniques that will assist you in developing a systematic sales approach - one that can be used for "cold calls," leaving voicemails that get returned, holding your price and navigating through multiple decision-makers. So whether your business-to-business, or business-to-consumer you will learn easy to apply sales techniques that will help you grow your bottom line.

So, let's begin.

The dreaded sales call - Part One (Stay tuned next month for Part Two)

Ask anyone if they like making sales calls & my guess is 99% of non sales professionals say they'd rather swallow daggers than pick up the phone to make a sales call - especially make a cold call. But yet, so much can be accomplished by simply picking up the phone. When you consider the cost of marketing, you have to admit that making a phone call is awfully affordable. So why don't more small business owners do it? Why do so many put it off for so long?

Well, what I discovered for myself was that I had the absolute wrong mindset. You simply MUST believe that you are selling something valuable & when sales is done right, it has a better ROI than most other marketing techniques.

Like everything else in life it is important to have a plan for your efforts. Without your own selling system you will default to the prospects' intentions. So many times buyer & seller are just dancing in the dark, not sure about their respective roles or responsibilities. This is called "mutual mystification." We'll help you overcome that as well as create the major concepts of a sales system.

The first concept in a sales system is to focus on the customer. In Gene's more than 35 years selling, he says "Most salespeople think they're focusing on customer needs, but they're simply waiting for a break in the conversation to jump in with their canned 'benefits' speech." Ah, so true. We've all experienced this whether we're buying a house, a car, advertising, or a complex software solution for our business. We're being 'sold' & we hate it - we want to 'buy' instead.

The second concept is that you must get the prospect emotionally involved. People (yes, even business people) make their decisions emotionally & then justify them intellectually. You know "Wow! Those $250 shoes [that you'll wear maybe twice] are only $99!"

And lastly, a good salesperson must interrupt patterns. If you move and sound and act just like every other salesperson your prospect has encountered in the past, you will get the same kind of run around those who came before you did. If you act differently, you'll get different results. Results that bring you success.

Mistake #1 - They TALK instead of LISTEN - Too many salespeople monopolize the time they have in front of a prospect by talking too much. The 80/20 Rule of Marketing applies to Sales too. Salespeople should talk just 20% of the time, while allowing their prospects to talk 80% of the time.

Mistake #2 - They PRESUME instead of ASKING QUESTIONS - Salespeople tend to think they have all the answers. Learn to ask questions early on so that you fully understand their problem. Then offer the right solution to them that fits. Imagine you are a doctor writing a prescription. You would listen to your patient before writing a prescription to fix their ills. Same here.

Mistake #3 - They answer UNASKED QUESTIONS - For example, your prospect says "Your price is high", but that is not a question. Before you start talking about value or quality - or worse - lower your price, get to heart of the issue.

Mistake #4 - They fail to get the prospect to reveal their BUDGET UP FRONT - Before you get so tied up in investing time (both yours as well as your prospects) you MUST get to the tough question "Is your prospect ready, willing & able to financially commit to solving their problem?" If yes, you're ready to begin the discussion in earnest, if not, then you're setting yourself up for the age-old standard reply "I'll think about it" which can drag on for a very long time, waste far too much of your time & make you look bad.

Mistake #5 - They make TOO MANY follow up calls - Stop wasting time chasing a dead sale. If the prospect hasn't returned your calls or emails just leave it & move on. Remember that you will never close 100% of your prospects - often for reasons that are beyond your control. Put your energies towards qualified prospects only.

Stay tuned for #6 - #10 in next blog!

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Small Business Sales Tips - Part One

The Achilles heel of most small business owners is sales, especially cold calling. I hear this time and time again. So I've asked my friend and colleague, Gene D'Agostino, a sales trainer to share his lifelong knowledge of sales with me here. I can personally attest to his expertise as I was one of his students.

The dreaded sales call - Part One

Ask anyone if they like making sales calls & my guess is 99% of non sales professionals say they'd rather swallow daggers than pick up the phone to make a sales call - especially make a cold call. But yet, so much can be accomplished by simply picking up the phone. When you consider the cost of marketing, you have to admit that making a phone call is awfully affordable. So why don't more small business owners do it? Why do so many put it off for so long?

Well, what I discovered for myself was that I had the absolute wrong mindset. You simply MUST believe that you are selling something valuable & when done right, has a better ROI than most other marketing techniques.

I'm covering 5 of the Top Ten Most Common Mistakes that people make when making sales calls. Stay tuned for the second half in my next blog post.

Mistake #1 - They TALK instead of LISTEN
Too many salespeople monopolize the time they have in front of a prospect by talking too much. The 80/20 Rule of Marketing applies to Sales too. Salespeople should talk just 20% of the time, while allowing their prospects to talk 80% of the time.

Mistake #2 - They PRESUME instead of ASKING QUESTIONS
Salespeople tend to think they have all the answers. Learn to ask questions early on so that you fully understand their problem. Then offer the right solution to them that fits. Imagine you are a doctor writing a prescription. You would listen to your patient before writing a prescription to fix their ills. Same here.

Mistake #3 - They answer UNASKED QUESTIONS
For example, your prospect says "Your price is high," but that is not a question. Before you start talking about value or quality - or worse - lower your price get to heart of the issue.

Mistake #4 - They fail to get the prospect to reveal their BUDGET UPFRONT
Before you get so tied up in investing time (both yours as well as your prospects) you MUST get to the tough question "is your prospect ready, willing & able to financially commit to solving their problem." If yes, you're ready to begin the discussion in earnest, if not, then you're setting yourself up for the age-old standard reply "I'll think about it" which can drag on for a very long time.

Mistake #5 - They make TOO MANY follow up calls
Stop wasting time chasing a dead sale. If the prospect hasn't returned your calls or emails just leave it & move on. Remember that you will never close 100% of your prospects - often for reasons that are beyond your control. Put your energies towards qualified prospects only.

Remember, that marketing TODAY keeps you in business for TOMORROW. Contact us today to ask about My Affordable Marketing Plan TM - Small Business Marketing. Revolutionized.

©2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Small Business Slogan Development

This post continues with the branding theme as we go to the next step beyond logos which is having a good slogan (aka 'tagline'). A slogan or tagline is a brief sentence - or just a few words - that when located just after your company name, gives your audience a more concrete idea of what your company does. It acts like advertising in that it consistently brands your company whenever its name is used.

"Got Milk?," "Just Do It," "Mmmm Good," "The Ultimate Driving Machine," and so many others are imbedded in our minds that in fact, no brand name's mention is even necessary, we just know the company it refers to.

When I began my firm I too wanted a slogan & began tossing around several options. I settled on "big business marketing solutions for small business." For a long time I was happy with it & used it diligently on all my marketing collateral materials. Then, one day I was having a discussion with someone who saw my services as "accessible to everyone" & so I began to think that perhaps "affordable, accessible marketing for all" might be a more focused and warmer way to convey the same thing. So, after passing it by a few trusted people, I decided to make the change.

The lesson? It may take a try or two to get it right but it's worth the effort. When I go to networking meetings & say my tagline everyone gets it. It requires no explanation & invites further discussion - which is exactly what every business owner wants!

There are myriad branding companies who charge many tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to create these taglines for big corporations. But you too can affordably create a memorable, meaningful tagline that will help your audience 'get it'. Here's how:

1. Play the name game. If at all possible, try to get at least part of your company name in. This helps to reinforce your brand and helps your audience connect the name & tagline without much effort.

2. Make it benefit driven. By doing this, it makes your selling job much easier because prospects will see your company name followed by a benefit-driven tagline. By association your company will then be remembered for its benefits.

3. Ask for help. If you're not sure exactly how your audience perceives you then ask your customers, vendors, employees, prospects - even friends and family. As you begin to gather their responses you'll see a very definite pattern of words or phrases crop up consistently. These are the words you will want to incorporate into your tagline development.

4. Be specific. So many slogans have absolutely no differentiation for their intended brand. While researching this topic I read that "Simply the best" is used in 30+ company slogans. If you can easily replace your company name with your competitors, then so can your target audience! Pick something that is unique to what you do.

5. Rhyme Time. Some branding consultants say that your tagline should rhyme. This makes it impossible for anyone to substitute their own company name for yours if you add your name to it & creates a much more memorable line. Think of "See the USA in your Chevrolet" and you'll hear immediately why this works.

6. Phrase it in the positive. Research shows that if a slogan contains negative phrases, people tune out. For example, Lea & Perrins' old tagline was "Steak sauce only a cow could hate." Cute, but not positive. In fact, this conjures up strange images in my mind. Their current tagline is "Unwrap the Possibilities®". This plays off the fact that they still wrap their bottles in paper & this differentiates their product on the supermarket shelf. It also conjures up a "hmmmm" factor such that it makes you think of how else you might use the sauce (in dressings, soups, sandwiches?)

7. Keep it legal. If you absolutely, positively don't want anyone else to ever be able to steal your slogan, then you can easily protect your marketing investment by filing for a trademark. Go to www.uspto.gov for more information. But first, search the trademark database to be sure no one else has already done so.

8. Keep it short. Branding experts say that your tagline should never be more than 10 words. The fewer the words, the easier it is to remember.

9. Once it is final, use it everywhere! My tagline is at the end of my email signature block, on all my stationery & marketing collateral materials (including the banners I use for trade shows). Say it on your voicemail message, incorporate it in to your "elevator" speech used at networking meetings. The whole point is to begin to brand your company & each of these efforts will add to your success.

Now that you've got a great slogan, go tell everyone!

Copyright 2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC

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Small Business Logo Design

Golden Arches, Bull's-eye, The Swoosh, Big Blue. These are all immediately recognizable even without saying a word. Consumers know exactly which company belongs to which logo. How? And, why should you care? Well, to put it simply the word is "branding." This gives your customers instant identification with your company, product, service & brand.

A big part of the success of branding is having a logo. How you portray your company visually when in the public eye is important. Just as we are personally judged by the clothes we wear (in other words, how we "appear"), our business is similarly judged by how it appears to its target audience of potential buyers.

According to the American Marketing Association, "...there is proof that a recognized brand can help a consumer differentiate a product from its competitors." The article goes on to say that if two companies are perceived as very similar, then the only differentiator is price - never good for any small business owner in the long run.

There are social psychologists that will tell you that color evokes strong emotion & that certain shapes are interpreted in certain ways. You will likely need the assistance of a professional graphic designer to get your look just right, but here are some tips:

1. Start with a feeling. What emotion are you trying to evoke? A bank wants consumers to think it is stable, strong, so their standard color palette uses blue. A kids' cereal wants to create a sense of fun & its colors are happy; they use primary colors. A perfume seeks to create passion; these are usually red or black with touches of metallic colors. For example, when creating my own colors and logo I knew green is my favorite color & I wanted a quirky touch. I wanted it to reflect, well - me! I have come to identify with "upside down man" & my clients expect to see him on all my materials.

2. But, there are 64 colors in my crayon box! Yes, but you don't have to use all of them. In each case discussed above they use only 1 color. Golden Arches are, well - gold. The bulls-eye is red. The swoosh is either white or black. And, of course, Big Blue is just blue. Don't overdo it.

3. Is it reflective of your product or service's benefits? I recently worked with a company that created vitamins & supplements that were scientifically superior to their competitors. The specific product I worked with them on was a formula to preserve the youthfulness & elasticity of skin. Their label, however, looked more like grandma's cross-stitch pillow. If you saw their packaging on a shelf while shopping for such a product you would not identify it with youth at all & would likely walk right by it.

4. Lost in translation. A powerful logo requires no thought on the part of the consumer. If we don't "get it" immediately, it's a wasted effort. This should hold true on a local, or perhaps one day in your company's future, global basis. Some well-known corporate logos transcend culture & language. Coca-Cola & MTV are as easily recognizable in New York as they are in New Delhi. So while today you may be a small, local business tomorrow you may be selling everywhere from your website.

5. Psychological impact. I recently met with a client who wanted a brochure redesign. She created a sketch of it herself on her computer & brought it to our meeting to discuss. She wanted to incorporate a "10 Step Plan for Financial Success" & laid out the steps vertically. I immediately noticed that the arrow was pointing down. Now, this made sense in the scheme of things as Step 1 was on top, proceeding further down to Step 10. But I suggested to her that she let the designer redo it so that the arrow pointed up. Psychologically I thought that a downward pointing arrow would not benefit her Financial Advisor business model of growing nest eggs & increasing clients' net worth.

6. Many, many media. Once your logo is finalized it will be used everywhere to identify your business, including: stationery, business cards, website & brochures. If you plan on doing advertising you may want to consider how your logo will look in black & white as this will help keep your costs down when purchasing ad space. Do you plan on taking part in trade shows? If so, give some thought to what your logo will look like when it is enlarged for use on a big banner. What about a billboard?

7. Educate and inform. It is very important to let your target audience know where you are in the market (low price? luxury brand?), what it is that you do (plumbing? estates and trust lawyer?) & what is the nature of the product you are selling (this is also true for services). Some of these can be accomplished just be using a smart choice of font (for example, script fonts evoke a sense of higher pricing.)

8. Think of all the places it will go. Once your logo is finalized, ask your graphic designer to save it for you in various formats so that you can easily use it everywhere. I suggest a JPEG format in both high & low resolutions, a black & white version & in a few different sizes; & you'll also want a TIFF file in both these color palettes as well. By doing this you are covered for every use imaginable including some you may have never thought of such as: custom mailing labels straight from your office printer, social media, create your own sell sheets, for use on your proposals & so much more.

9. Haven't I seen this before? Be aware that companies take their logos very seriously & most are copyrighted. If you use or create a logo that looks very similar to someone else's be prepared to receive an invitation for a court date. I feel fairly confident (not having a legal degree) saying that another restaurant couldn't get away with, say, "Orange Arches."

10. Consider production. It's never too early to start thinking about the final printed product. When designing a logo on a tight budget consider the # of colors used - the fewer the # of colors, the less expensive it is to print. And, consider the closeness of the colors - if 2 colors touch or overlap it is more expensive to print because of something called 'trapping' which means critical alignment so that the colors don't butt up against each other. Making sure this doesn't happen can take several steps at the print shop which adds cost to the final piece. Finally, it is recommended that you talk to your printer before embarking on a complex logo creation. In the end this will save you lots of time & trouble.

So, how does a start-up company know what its logo should look like? Find a graphic designer that will spend time with you verbally brainstorming ideas. It is a collaborative effort & the business owner must play a role in the logo's creation. The process usually works like this:

• Start with brainstorming sessions.
• Sketches are drawn & colors considered.
• Some get knocked out immediately due to various factors.
• Does it appeal/speak to your target audience?
• After some back & forth a final design is created.

What about redesigning a logo that might be out of date? Some companies choose to redesign logos after a period of time. Campbell's Soup has morphed their logo over time & even Betty Crocker has gotten a facelift. So, when should a logo be redesigned? Here are some guidelines:

• How old is it? Some logos can live on forever without ever needing a change, and some benefit from a more modern look to stay relevant in today's digital world. Recent logo changes have included Payless Shoe Source, and Stop and Shop Supermarkets.
• Has it lost its effectiveness? If it no longer evokes the right emotion or has lost meaning over time, it might need an update. Perhaps the generation gap is playing a part here, or perhaps pop culture symbolism has changed over time.
• Does it reflect your current business? In some cases, a logo was created before a business grew into itself or took on additional lines of business. If it no longer speaks to what you do, this may signal time for a change.
• What does the logo design mean to your consumers? If they're confused, or worse - can't remember what your logo looks like - think about making a change. Don't know what your customers think? Try asking them via a short email or phone survey.

So, do you need a logo? Yes. Does it have to cost a fortune? No. Consider these easy ways to get what you need:

-Adapt an existing graphic to fit your needs. Stock photography websites have millions of drawings, photos & art that you can purchase & then edit for your own needs.

-Consider a graphical treatment. That's what I did. I use a dollar sign for the "S" in Solutions to get my "affordable" point across.

-In another case, I know an accountant whose first name begins with an "S" so he made that into a dollar sign &, conveniently, his last name begins with "C" so he made that into a cents sign. Easy & inexpensive too.

-Use some piece of online clip art or other existing graphic in a unique or unusual way. For example, you can color it differently, or change it to black & white.

-Talk to several graphic designers to get the best fit for your needs. Some designers specialize in working with small businesses & can create an identity for you that won't break the bank.

So, next time you pass by a store whose logo is memorable, keep in mind that you can do it too!

Happy Marketing!

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