Babies, Cats & Dogs...

Have you ever noticed how many businesses sell their products using cute pictures of babies, cats or dogs? While little scientific research has been done to determine exactly how and to what degree these images influence our purchasing behavior, these images do catch the attention of most viewers – a good thing when you have only seconds to grab the prospective buyer’s attention.

Some other ways to grab attention:

• Whether you’re writing a book, article, e-mail or social media post, a catchy headline will encourage readers to stop and look at what you have written. Note that the headline must be related to what you have written; if it’s totally off-topic, the viewer may open the e-mail this time but may discount future e-mails from you or unsubscribe. 
• Your business (or individual) personality should shine through whatever you do. 
• Make your posts timely. Value is lost if the discussion becomes “so yesterday.” 
• Keep your content brief. Everyone is busy and if your content is too long, it’s ignored. 
• Use interesting photos. If you are posting on Facebook, don’t just post a single photo. Add at least three to an album and comment on the photos for more follower interest. 
• Include statistics or numbers (“…90% of people surveyed say our hot sauce is the best they’ve ever had!”). 
• Use humor, if it’s appropriate for your product or service. Don’t try this if your business provides funeral services! 
•  Another option is video. Provide short, educational or informative pieces viewers will be likely to share with friends and associates. 
• Use client testimonials. Real people talking about the benefits they received can be persuasive. 
• Music can also catch attention. Match the music to your product or service. 
•  Try something different. Have you ever looked up at the TV when the chatter stops to see a commercial with only moving pictures or text across the screen?

Finding new ways to catch the attention of prospects is an ongoing challenge and you may need to test various approaches to find out which is the most successful for your business. You’ll also want to monitor the results over time and adjust your approach as your audience changes or grows. Want to learn more? Send us an email at cs@vitalinkweb.com. 

“Time is of the Essence...”

We’ve probably all used this expression at some point in our lives, but it is truer today than ever before, especially in the business world. Consumers have a tremendous amount of influence, and their voices are more easily “heard” everyday thanks to social media. They can be your best advocate or cause damage to your reputation. Your response model must change.

In the past, large firms typically had defined processes for handling consumer correspondence, complaints or suggestions for future products. In today’s environment, businesses that have not moved to a more immediate response mechanism are struggling. As an example, think about the huge Toyota recall that took place in 2010. From all indications, the acceleration issue had been going on for quite some time. When the story hit the national news, Toyota was unprepared to handle the public outcry; indeed, their slow response has been used in case studies on ways NOT to handle a business crisis.

There are several keywords that can guide you in defining a response plan:

• Monitor – it’s important to know who is talking about your firm and staff. You cannot address an issue or thank someone for an endorsement unless you know it is out there. Has someone mentioned your firm, staff or product in their blog? Was a staff member quoted in the online news? You need to know. It’s also good practice to monitor your industry keywords and your competitors. You may find great ideas for a new product or service by listening to what those interested in your industry are saying.
• Involvement – the more involved you are in activities related to your industry, the higher your “expert” quotient will be in the minds of your clients and prospects. As you monitor articles related to your industry, you can quickly respond and gain exposure for the firm. Some businesses have monitored consumer discussion boards for product feedback, and when a consistent enhancement is requested, implemented it quickly to please customers. Others have contacted their local media when a relevant story appears to go on camera with a response or follow-up information. Timeliness is again key.
• Responsibility – it’s difficult for one person to monitor and respond to all mentions of your firm. Setting some base rules and empowering all employees to watch for and respond to activity will expand your reach (business footprint) and make your staff members feel more a part of the team.
• Now – you cannot delay in responding to comments or issues that concern your business. Timeliness is critical. This is true for both publicly posted and private comments (which can easily become public-Wikileaks, anyone?). If the comments are negative, you have an opportunity to immediately address and resolve the issue. And if you do so in an effective manner, most clients and prospects will applaud your efforts. If the comments are positive (maybe a great mention in a news article), you can push these out to your client and prospect base, who may then share with their friends, giving you some positive “viral” activity.

Our reality as business owners and managers has changed and there is no going back. It’s important for all of us to move forward. Those businesses that find ways to take advantage of these changes will be the ones that succeed. We'd love for you to share your tips for managing your online reputation. Let us know what works for you!

Stretch your advertising investment with a “value add”

A special thanks to guest blogger Mary Ann Grooms for this post.

As a media buyer I’m often asked, “How can you help me get me more out of my advertising investment?” In an economy where every cent counts and budgets are getting smaller, stretching those dollars to obtain improved results is even more important. In the past, “value adds” or “value added” has been seen as icing on the cake for a large advertising investment. Today, media companies are more willing to negotiate value adds for all levels of advertisers. The most important lesson I’ve learned is: if you don’t ask, you don’t get!

Here are a few tips to help you stretch your advertising dollars:

1. Ask your station rep, media contact or ad agency partner about adding your logo and a link to your website on the station’s website during the ad campaign.
2. Offer trade – (free services or gift certificates in exchange for advertising or promotional exposure) - to your cash investment to really beef it up.
3. Inquire about bonus “spots” (commercials or ads) or bonus color – when ad sales are sluggish, many stations are willing to run your ads for free during non-peak hours or as fill-ins really stretching those dollars. Print publications may give free color that will spruce up your black and white ad.

It can’t hurt to ask what your media contact or agency partner can do to help you get the most for your investment. After all, if you succeed, you’ll likely buy more advertising—and they’ll succeed!

Mary Ann Grooms has been with vitalink (www.vitalinkweb.com) for over three years as Project Director/Media Buyer. She handles a significant amount of market research and sends out the firm’s press releases through her extensive list of media contacts. Mary Ann also volunteers her time for a variety of causes, such as NC Special Olympics, Raleigh Rescue Mission, and Light the Night. She can be reached at 919.850.0605 or via email at maryann@vitalinkweb.com.

Growing Fast: Location-Based Tools

You may have heard people mention Foursquare, Gowalla or Facebook Places—maybe you even use these tools. They all have fans and are growing rapidly. But if you aren’t sure what location-based tools do, you should learn more about how they work and how you might incorporate them into your marketing toolbox.

From a marketing perspective, let’s say I own a retail boutique at the mall and participate as a Foursquare vendor. Foursquare knows when my potential client is at the mall. Foursquare can send a special offer to her mobile phone telling her that if she “checks in” at my boutique, she gets a 10% discount on the new fall styles that just arrived. Built-in analytics features allow me to track the number of shoppers that use the check-in feature. Don’t forget to cross market this in displays that people will see. Put a poster in your store window asking people to check in, which gives them another reason to enter your store. Then add a reminder such as a register topper and a postcard letting people know about your location based promotions and asking them to participate.

According to a recent article by DM News, only about 1% of people currently use location-based services, and 85% of them are under age 40. But this number is growing daily as more merchants are joining the bandwagon and more people buy new mobile devices to replace their old cell phones. The usefulness of the tool does depend on your industry, client base and how you market it, but think outside the box and consider how you might include this capability in your marketing arsenal. We’d love to hear how you use these tools or if you have a success story to share!

See no evil. Hear no evil. Do no evil…. The monkey’s marketing lesson.

See no evil, hear no evil, do no evil. The three monkeys had it right in describing the 3 learning styles. And, like this famous image shows, we don’t all learn the same way. These primary learning “styles” of seeing, hearing and doing impact how an individual receives your marketing message.

What does this mean to you as a marketer? Your approach may need to integrate elements of the three learning styles to be more successful. This same theory applies to combining marketing channels to conduct a more effective campaign (a.k.a. integrated marketing).

Within the “seeing” group, some individuals are more drawn to your content and want to read all they can to learn. This group may ignore your graphics; the ad creative is not as important to them as the written word. Others are drawn to images, layout, and information delivered in short chunks. Think USA Today.

The “hearing” group learns best when they have auditory messages. This could come on the radio, recorded messages (on hold, website), music (web background), and also video which combines images, movement and sound (website, TV, in office, mailed DVDs or CDs, via smart phones).

The final “doing” group likes things “hands-on” and might be approached best with a free sample that they can touch, taste, or smell (depending upon your product!) or product demonstrations (live or on the web).

Whichever method or media you choose, don’t forget to include a “call to action” (i.e., what do I want the prospect to do with the advertisement, commercial, blog, sample, or video). Here are some ways you might combine techniques to effectively target these learning styles.
• In a printed marketing piece, position graphics and headlines to provide the highlights, then include more detail (if there is room) or add specific website information for those who want to learn more. As an option, offer a free newsletter for signing up via email (this allows you to capture key prospect information as well).
• If you produce a video, include written captions, a link to an information-filled website or blog, or offer a downloadable whitepaper or tips sheet with more information. Post segments of the video on your website and YouTube.
• Offer video viewers the option of subscribing to future videos or signing up for a written (e-mail or printed) newsletter or blog (or both).
• Sending a targeted direct mail piece for a new software product? Provide each user with a personalized link to a demo of the software that allows them to go hands-on and see how it works.
• Promote a new food product line using social media – offering free samples with a coupon that can be either printed or stored on a mobile device to show to the cashier!

Take a look at the ads you see over the next few days and see if (and how) they combine techniques and channels to reach more than one learning style. There’s not one “right” way to do this—it takes some thought, planning and testing to see which methods will work best for your target market. Begin thinking about how you can take these ideas and use them in your marketing. Good luck!

How to Use Social Media and the USPS to Create Customers

Just had another article posted on the B2C Marketing Insider site. Using social media to reach customers and propsects can be very effective, but including traditional channels - like sending a personalized note through the USPS - can really make your campaign pop. Read the full article...

Make Your Booth Stand Out at a Trade Show

I was recently asked to add a tip for an a blog on trade shows. The article offers some great advice on ways to really stand out and catch attention when you are competing against so many others for the conference attendees' time. I thought you might find these tips useful. My tip is #47: "Woo the Senses". Enjoy!