So what does your marketing firm do?

I've had several conversations with different people over the past couple weeks about what our Raleigh marketing firm (aka ad agency) does and what we do best.

My old answer would have been to list our services and talk about how we are great at reasearch and strategy. Not just the dry technical part, but how we make it work for real life marketing campaigns. I might have gone on to talk about how our creative director is amazing at what he does, media buying skills, etc. I'd have had a list of other things. But I'd have put the passion we feel about helping our clients solve problems much lower on the list. I would have been guilty of burying the lead.

There are a number of marketing firms out there that can do great creative, media buying, websites, research, etc, but that is only part of the equation. We tend to go a little deeper to help with business development. Where the magic happens is the thought, planning direction and working WITH the client to get the campaign done in the best way possible. I've realized over the years, while we provide a single source for many clients, there are others who have internal or external resources that can get the job done too. Working with all team members concerned to integrate the campaign and make it cohesive is huge.

Want just an ad? We may not be the right 'vendor' to do it. Want someone who solves problems in a thoughtful and strategic manner? Want someone who cares about your business deeply and works as a brand manager? That is us.

I've learned that I'm OK if we aren't the right firm for every client. That lets us concentrate our efforts on those who fit us the best. Then this amazing synergy happens. We get a psyched and our clients benefit from better results. We love what we do and it shows.

~ Jeanne Frazer

Perception vs. Reality

Do your clients see your business the same way you do? In many cases, we proceed under the assumption that our perceptions of ourselves and our firms or businesses match those of our clients and prospects. But that is not always the case.

What happens when there is a “disconnect” between our perceptions and those of the client/prospect? From a business perspective, the client/prospect view of our company IS “reality”. When business drops off, there is a shift in client demographics, or marketing/advertising efforts no longer work, it may be time to see if there is a gap between who we perceive ourselves to be and “reality”.

Identifying gaps begins with research. Here are just a few of the things you can review to see if there might be an issue:

• Ask. It sounds simple, but it is not always easy to do this. Many people are reluctant to ask others for what may be an uncomfortable truth. And the clients or former clients may not want to be honest for fear of hurting feelings or burning bridges. A third party source doing the asking helps.
• Get input from your employees – including lower level folks. This must be done by a third-party to ensure confidentiality and promote honest answers. You might also ask your vendors what they hear from others about your firm.
• Analyze. Pull out all the statistical information you have on your business over the past two to five years and look at what the data is telling you. Make sure you factor in trends and external changes.
• Look at your primary competition. Note that this may not be the same group of businesses who were your competitors two years ago.

We can help you find out where you have gaps between your customer’s experience and what you believe you are delivering. vitalink offers competitive and market research, conducts confidential surveys, analyzes your current business focus and presents a strategic marketing plan to move your business forward – making sure that you are on-target and your message is on-point. Contact us to learn more.

The Expert Speakers has added this topic to the roster as well. Perception vs. Reality: Close the Gaps to do More Business addresses the challenges businesses have when their own perceptions do not match those of the client or prospect.

Who really Tweets on Twitter?

Twitter Bits:

1. The percentage of Twitter users who are African American is 25% - double the percentage of African Americans in the current population. Take-away: If your prospective clients or existing clients include African Americans, start tweeting!
2. Tweeting isn't just for Tweens and Teens. 1 in 3 monthly Twitter users are 25-34 (31% are 35-54)
3. Twitter users are more educated
4. Twitter users have higher household income
5. Twitter users are Early Adopters. Take-away: have a new product or service....Tweet about it!
   

Want to learn how to use Twitter to help promote your business or law firm? E-mail jeanne@vitalinkweb.com for a free consultation.

Let us know other Twitter Bits you've found and your take-away to use the information!

Source:
Twitter Usage In America: 2010
The Edison Research/Arbitron Internet and Multimedia Study

Strategic Plans that Grow Your Business

The last few months of the year are generally the months when businesses work on strategic planning and budgeting for the upcoming calendar year. Planting seeds so to speak. And for many business owners and managers, the task can seem overwhelming!

Strategic Planning helps save money when you set solid goals and develop your plan with checklists for your target markets, brand messages and budget. By setting up these checklists, you have an easy decision making guide process to follow and you will be less likely to make impulsive decisions or follow paths that will draw you away from goal conversion.

The overall strategic plan is supported by sub-plans for each functional area. The strategic marketing plan will define how the marketing department will support the overall plan and aid in accomplishing the stated goals. These sub-plans cannot be created in silos, but rather all departments must coordinate their efforts to ensure the plans are integrated and working toward the same end. As an example, if the overall plan includes the introduction of a new product in 2011, marketing must work with operations to learn product features and the timetable for release so that it may create packaging, sales materials, update web content, plan advertising campaigns, etc. Marketing must also coordinate with finance to ensure that funds are available for these programs.

In its’ supporting role, the strategic marketing plan should include the following elements:

1. A clear definition of the target markets. These targets may be different by product or service and may be narrow or broad, depending on your needs. You may also define secondary and/or tertiary markets, if appropriate. Consider geography, demographics, preferences/”likes” and behavioral restrictions. The majority of marketing efforts should focus on this group (or groups) and use the appropriate messages and channels for the group. Generally, the more defined your target is, the higher the conversion rate will be.
2. A detailed list of action items to accomplish the plan.
3. Assign budget dollars to each task or set of tasks and assign a team member to be responsible for managing to the budget.
4. Resources and due dates must be assigned, and teams built to coordinate efforts.
5. Define measurement & review checkpoints to keep the project on track.

A strategic marketing plan is a living document, like a plant. Results should be reviewed on an ongoing basis and tasks, focus and budget adjusted to ensure goals are met. Integration and coordination are key to an effective plan. A well thought out strategic plan is an asset and should help you manage to the bottom line and grow your business.

Has Social Media research killed Traditional Research?

Social media surveys tell you about people who are on-line, have an interest in taking a survey, and/or your product. Traditional surveys do this, plus they tell you about people who aren’t on-line (there are still a few out there) and those who didn’t know about you or who might be interested.


While social media surveys have a place in research and marketing, they will not replace traditional surveys. Traditional surveys reach out to those not looking to fill out a survey and cover a span of demographics (age, sex, race, etc). They also present a picture that is more statistically accurate. This gives marketers the opportunity to truly understand the market better and/or to reach out to new groups and understand the other side of why some have not been interested.