The development of creative and effective sales promotions is not just a guessing game for us. After we have taken the time to review your business' marketing systems and researched your customer base, we are able to develop your new marketing plan based on facts. Develop creative promotions Is the promotional message quick and to the point, easy to understand and remembered? Develop effective promotions Is the promotion increasing sales? Maximize your marketing budget and increase your profits with a Total Profit Marketing Plan today. Call Ad Trends Advertising, Inc. 816.228.1123

Labels: marketing

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• Market Area
  What is the potential of your current market area?
• New Sales Opportunities
  Is there a possibility to attack a new market?
• Additional Promotional Opportunities
  Can your products or services be packaged differently in your marketing plan?

Using the information gathered in the review process we spoke about last week, new areas of opportunity for sales most often come to light. For example, a new sales opportunity might be to focus more attention on a particular type of customer by offering a value added promotion.

A “value added promotion” is simply the process of offering an additional service to the main promotion that increases the perceived value of the promotion. These types of promotions are widely used in the retail market, Buy One - Get One, free tire rotation with tire purchase, etc. They also work very well in the B2B markets if the promotions are creative and well thought-out.

Cross-promoting with other companies is becoming a very successful marketing trend. Taking the added value concept and having the added value element offer from a partner company. Example: $10 oil change at Quick Lube with tire purchase at ABC Tire Store, or $5 lifetime car wash discount with new car purchase. The possibilities are endless.

Creative cross-promotion opportunities and added value promotions give your services a much higher perceived value by offering more to your customers for less! Researching additional sales opportunities will increase your companies sales 100% of the time.

Labels: marketing

Everyone is talking about social networking, and many businesses are looking for a more cost effective and direct way to market. Marketing on social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter can help you boost the size of your email list and help grow your business. The keys to success with this strategy is making sure members of your target market are in your network, building relationships, and establishing yourself as an expert in your field. You never know which lead will turn into your next big sale.

Many of these social networking sites are strict and very particular about how its participants contact each other. Many sites limit the number of new invitations allowed in a given day or week. If you exceed this amount you can get penalized or removed for spamming. If you stick with about 50 per day, you should stay within most limits. If you ever receive a warning, you should stop immediately for that day and reduce your efforts moving forward. Secondly, some networks have a limit on your total number of friends, so you may need to create a waiting list or another page if you become really successful.

Whether you're an experienced social networker or just a newbie, here are 10 secrets to growing your target market network online:

1. Create an up-to-date profile and/or fan page

Before you begin a "friending" (i.e. request to become another's friend), be sure that your profile is up-to-date with an accurate description of what you do, your interests, and your contact info. Make sure you include your website addresses. If you have multiple businesses invite people in your appropriate target market to become fans of your niche-specific fan page

2. Follow the favorites

Follow leaders in your field/industry and "friend" them. This includes popular products, TV shows, or other specific interests of your target market. Anytime you make a friend request, include a personal note, as that will improve the likelihood that they will accept your request. Say something like, "I'm a big fan and I'd love to have you in my network on Facebook." Once they have accepted your invitation, make comments about their status updates to help you get on the radar and in front of their thousands of friends.

3. Friends of friends

Take a look at the people in the network of your industry leaders, as they are probably part of your target market as well. Send friend requests to those of interest to you. When you friend someone that you only know by association, send a personal note as well, like "I discovered your profile in 's network and would like to get to know you better by adding you to my network."

4. Use groups

Look for groups that may contain your target market. In your search for groups, use keywords that describe your niche, industry, geographic area, interests, or whatever other terms you might use to find members of your target market. Join and begin to participate in the group so that they begin to get to know you. Then pursue the member lists for good prospects, start with the members you've connected with or have commented on similar posts.

5. Invite your existing email lists and address books

You can use your existing email database to add people from your clients, prospects, and other current contacts if they fall within your target market definition. Add a note to the invitation and make sure you are clear and professional about your motivation.

6. Recommended friends

Most of the popular social networking sites will have a suggestion list for people you might know. These recommendations are pretty solid, because they are based on similar work history, mutual friends and interests. Take them up on their recommendation and add these to your network.

7. Add by interest or industry

Do a people search by job title, industry, geographic location, or interest. People with those terms in their profile will show up in your search, and you can request to add them based on common interests.

8. Build the relationship

Once you friend someone, you need to begin to get to know them and start building trust so that you become their top-of-mind expert in a particular area. Begin building the relationship by posting a quick "thank you" note on their wall, as well as a comment about something on their profile that interests you or in which you have in common. Watch for their status updates, as well, and comment on these when appropriate.

9. Create a group

Once you've got about 500 followers, create a group for your target market. Provide the group with useful content and ask questions to stimulate discussion and get the members to return to participate in the group. You can post articles, links to blog posts, or videos you have created. Invite group members to any free virtual or face-to-face events you're hosting. This is where you really establish your expert status and credibility.

10. Integrate your marketing strategy

Once you have a good list of friends and credibility on the site, you can begin mixing in your marketing messages. Social networking sites are designed to be casual and personal, so don’t just copy an advertisement or sales messages. All you want to do is keep what you do and who you are on the top of your prospects minds. You can casually mention what you’re working on in your status, announce events, and make comments offering to help people with your product or service. Remember, people can remove or block you as easily as they added you in the first place.

No marketing strategy works unless you consistently implement it over time. As a newbie to Facebook, you might want to spend as much as 60 minutes per day researching friends and participating in groups. As your network grows, you may spend only 15 minutes 3 times per week on Facebook. The key to success is to put this strategy on your calendar and make it a routine part of your ongoing Internet marketing tasks.While social networking is an inexpensive marketing tool, it can be effective in helping you grow your business. You should maintain your other marketing strategies, and simply add this strategy to your marketing mix.

Labels: marketing, websites

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Labels: deals, products

Written By Peter Koeppel

Have you noticed a slump in your sales? Are you having trouble establishing your new business in the marketplace? Or maybe you're established, but you just can't seem to get the word out about your new product? If these situations sound familiar, then your marketing may be to blame.

So what can you do if you suspect your marketing efforts are less than satisfactory? First, understand the top ten marketing mistakes businesses make, and then learn how to avoid them.

Mistake #1:
Not Developing a Marketing Plan

A marketing plan is a critical part of every successful business. It helps you design your product and service to fill a market niche, identify your target audience, and then see what you need to do to get your target audience to buy your product or service. Also, when creating a marketing plan, you design the objectives and tactics to further develop your marketing efforts in the future.

Mistake #2:
Not Planning a Marketing Budget

You need to spend money to publicize, market, and advertise your business to make it successful. As a general rule of thumb, you may spend at least ten percent of your revenue on marketing efforts. Essentially, these costs keep your company going and your products selling. No matter what size your company, you need to have a marketing budget.

Mistake #3:
Not Targeting a Specific Target Audience

You need to understand that your market doesn't include everyone. No matter what product you have, not everyone is going to want to buy it. So decide your target demographic and use appropriate media outlets to reach that audience. For example, if you have a diet product, you may target women ages twenty-five to fifty-four, who are ten pounds or more overweight. Then you need to advertise in women's magazines or during women-oriented television and radio programs. Trying to appeal to everyone doesn't work.

Mistake #4:
Not Developing a Clear and Consistent Marketing Message

All your marketing materials, advertisements, and promotions need to convey a consistent look and message. You want your target audience to know what you do or sell no matter where they see your name; you want to be recognizable. This helps you achieve more from your marketing budget because the message is reinforced throughout all the mediums you advertise in.

Mistake #5:
Believing Your Product will Sell Itself

Many companies make the mistake of thinking that their product is so great and so different that they don't need to market it at all. However, no one will know how great your product is, or that it even exists, if you don't tell them. Word of mouth and referrals can only take you so far. No matter how great your product, you need to advertise and market to get it sold.

Mistake #6:
Not Clearly Defining the Product Benefits

The highly competitive marketplace is constantly changing and offering consumers more and more choices. For example, if you need laundry detergent, you have a whole aisle of different brands to choose from. So how do you base your decision? Something has to get your attention to make you choose one brand over another. And you need to create this differentiation in your product as well. Defining the unique selling proposition for your product will help your target audience differentiate it from your competitors. Then work this uniqueness into your marketing plan and strategy to reach the specific audience who will buy your product.

Mistake #7:
Not Diversifying Your Media Mix

At one time, you could advertise on the three big television networks and reach eighty percent of the population. But now viewers have hundreds of different networks and channels to choose from just on television. Plus consumers can choose from satellite or cable television, print, radio, satellite radio, and the internet. Media today is very fragmented, so you need to reach your audience through more than one outlet.

Mistake #8:
Not Understanding the Lifetime Value of a Customer

If you can earn a customer and keep him or her for life, then the value of that customer multiplies. For example, imagine you sell cars. If you have a customer who spends $10,000 a year to drive one of your cars, then over the lifetime of the relationship that customer will have given you $200,000. So what is it worth to earn that customer's business? If you spend ten percent, or $20,000, to get the customer's business, you'll earn a ten to one return on your investment.

Mistake #9:
Not Having a Back End Revenue Program

A back end revenue program creates additional streams of income for your business. For example, if you sell someone a cosmetic product on television, a back end revenue would be to sign them up for a continuity program where you send them more of the product on a regular schedule and charge their credit card automatically. This type of program allows you to bring in additional revenue and maintain your customer relationships.

Mistake #10:
Not Up-Selling the Customer

Up-selling means taking advantage of the sales opportunity and incremental revenue by adding additional or related products to a customer's purchase. For example, adding fries to an order at a fast food restaurant or adding additional features, such as a sunroof on a car sale, are up-sells.

Avoiding Marketing Mistakes in the Future

Marketing is critical to the success of every business. Unfortunately, many businesses discount the effect it can have, and they forego their marketing efforts for other activities. They make one or more of these mistakes, and their marketing efforts become ineffective.

Perhaps this is why nine out of ten businesses end in failure. But your business doesn't have to be one of the nine that doesn't succeed. When you avoid the ten biggest mistakes, you can market your business successfully and increase your bottom line as a result.

Labels: marketing

We review your current marketing efforts and evaluate the results or sales you are getting versus the money you are spending. We take a close look at your business systems so we have a clear understanding of your products or services. Finally, we review your target demographic and research the buying tendencies of that group. We will review your: Past marketing efforts – What image does your client base have of your company? Business operating systems – Does your current operating system deliver the best possible customer experience? Demographics – Are you reaching your target market? Customer base – Do you understand your customers’ buying cycles? Is your customer data base organized and updated? Maximize your marketing budget and increase your profits with a Total Profit Marketing Plan today. Call Ad Trends Advertising, Inc. 816.228.1123

Labels: marketing

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Labels: apparel, deals

The Total Profit Marketing Plan:
Our simple marketing solution which is calendar based that keeps your marketing efforts organized and easy to execute!

We will work with you to:

• REVIEW your current marketing efforts.
• RESEARCH new and additional sales opportunities.
• DEVELOP creative and effective promotions.
• ORGANIZE your new marketing plan.
• EXECUTE hassle-free and cost-effective promotions.

Labels: marketing