Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Marketing Consulting - How To Set Your Rates As A Marketing Consultant

Posted on 6 January, 2013

Marketing Consulting - How to Set Your Rates As a Marketing Consultant

John J Gosselin

There are several hoops to jump through in becoming a marketing consultant. One ever-expanding hoop is of course is how to set your rates? This can be tricky, so use guidelines because with rates too expensive, you may price yourself out of the market and with no packaged rates at all, good luck trying to "reel in" sales.

Truth be told, this was one of our largest hurdles to jump over when setting out on our journey as being a professional online marketing consulting firm. In fact, how to set your rates as a marketing consultant should be the very last thing you actually solidify in your marketing plan before you set out to prospect customers.

The reason why is because without experience, you just don't know how good what you have to offer really is until you give it a shot! Sometimes you'll be successful and sometimes you won't - isn't that what being an entrepreneur is all about?

If I was to provide you with a blanket answer that would not be fair because what you charge clients for services really depends. We were throwing out quotes to prospective clients that were front-end loaded into the thousands in the beginning and getting totally frustrated at all of the NO'S we were getting.

This is when we realized the power of providing an a la carte menu of services, as well as a packaged rate for our services. When designing your sales and marketing funnel, I would suggest starting at the end first.

Beginning with the end in mind allows you to best know EXACTLY what your clients will be receiving from you. Once you know what you'll be supplying them, it's easy to be more revealing and honest on the front-end of your exchanges.

On the a la carte menu, have some ballpark numbers to work with so that you provide both you and your clients the flexibility to create a nice mixture of back and forth correspondence until you agree to the most ideal arrangement.

Most offline business owners know two things about online marketing. First, most are happy to admit know nothing about websites, HTML coding, auto-responder email marketing, QR codes, Facebook, Twitter and who knows what else. All they really want is to be more findable online and make more money.

They are also not very shy about letting you know their prior experience with other online consultants or online marketing services; most services haven't provided favorable results in the past and they can't express candidly enough that you'll be swimming up-stream just to get the chance to prove to them that you can help improve and better their bottom line. They'll open up if you stay with it.

So my best answer in helping you understand how to set your rates as a marketing consultant is to work off a baseline grid and attempt to package your suite of services into one, all-inclusive monthly cost.

One final tip is that many times, a client is much more receptive to rolling their set-up costs into their monthly cost if you are willing to amortize it over the course of the year agreement you make.

If they have the cash and are willing to pay, don't offer them the option to pay it throughout the year and put them on a month-to-month, client at will basis.

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Marketing Through Sports

Posted on 3 December, 2012

Marketing Through Sports

67

Sports Marketing

Sports marketing is popular in developed countries and it is gaining popularity in developing countries. Even fast moving consumer goods like, soft drinks and beverage products are very aggressive in sports marketing globally, whereas, telecommunication companies are very aggressive in sports marketing at national level. Health related products like innovative technology equipments to loose weight and stay fit, and dairy products like goat milk and vitamins supplements are also very active in sports sponsorship and marketing.

The commercial success and acceptance of sports marketing have made it popular in the Western countries and marketing can be in any form of media, like sponsorship in sports events, commercials on television, magazines, social media, placing advertisements in sports pages in newspapers and many more.

Marketers and advertisers see sports marketing and sponsorship a trend and a vital tool to reach consumers these days. In America , there are academics that provide professional certification program in sports marketing and associations set up to promote sports marketing, like Sport Marketing Association (SMA), founded in Columbia.

For marketers in sponsorship in sports marketing, their first priority is getting the exposure as it can assist in promoting the brand. Companies can get an association with something that is good with the investment in sports marketing as sports are where miracle happens and are full of happiness. In addition, marketers will get positive brand experiences and this might assist them to increase their sales. Brand differentiation is another important factor that governs the effectiveness of sports marketing as marketers can open up a new avenue of advertising that will set them apart from their competitors. Of course, marketers can also invest in sports marketing by creating interesting game events.

However, being clear about the Company's objective is essential when marketers are going for sports marketing and sponsorship. Objectives can include targeting the mass market or raising the brand's profile. Some people might have a misconception that the target market for sports marketing is mostly men. I wish to correct it by saying that it caters to women as well. An example is ESPN sports where around 45 per cent viewers are women. Overall the current global economic crisis impact on sports marketing is still positive and also very much depends on the sport.

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14 months ago

Despite the current global economic situation, savvy marketers realize the effectiveness of sports marketing in weathering the slowdown in sales and financial storm.

2 months ago

Useful information here . Fantastic is all I can say

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Online B2c Marketing Secrets Revealed

Posted on 5 October, 2012

Online B2C Marketing Secrets Revealed

Rob Fore

What is B2C marketing? Business to consumer marketing is when a business markets products to a consumer market not to another business (B2B).

Marketing is marketing whichever way it is done - well that's what most people think but, business to business and business to consumer marketing are two entirely different ways of marketing, and must both be approached with different criteria. B2C is all about building relationships directly with consumers.

B2B describes the commercial transactions between businesses, such as those between a manufacturer and a wholesaler, or those between a wholesaler and a retailer, where generally the total volume of transacted business is large.

Business to consumer marketing is when a business offers its products directly to the consumer market and where the consumer is the end user. Those products include clothing, electronics and food etc.

B2C Marketing - Targeting Your Market

The first step in either of these marketing situations is by identifying the customer, but from there on, the approaches become different.

The goal of business to consumer marketing is to convert potential purchasers into buyers as effectively and consistently as possible. To this end many means can be employed: coupons, promotional activities, special offers and sales and by employing strategic product placement within stores, if B2C is not employed on an internet marketing platform. Transaction time is short and it is essential to capture a prospective purchaser's attention immediately, before he or she moves on.

The goal of B2B marketing is of course also to convert prospective clients into purchasers, but generally the process is longer, especially where capital equipment and high-end durables are concerned.

Offline B2B involves a lot more face-to-face relationship-building and marketing activities that can generate leads are often utilized during the B2B sales process.

Online B2C Marketing Systems

Business to consumer marketing is often product or brand driven, and very often purchases are made on impulse and there are a number of tactics involved in enticing a prospective purchaser to buy, especially online where competition is far more plentiful. Offline there is a constant ongoing battle between supermarkets and retailers, who are vying for cost-conscious purchasers, again coupons and in-store displays and advertising have to be used as enticements.

The majority of business conducted on the internet is run on a B2C basis; even informational websites that are not actually selling or promoting products will have advertising such as Google AdWords or affiliate links to relevant products, in the hope that they can make a few dollars to cover expenses.

Large well known websites such as Amazon.com have no need to employ any other types of advertising on their sites, but if you are a small website you are probably thinking about using some form of advertising on your site. This can be paid advertising through pay-per-click, affiliate advertising or you can rent space to other companies who can place their banner ads on your site, either on a paid basis, or through swaps. However you choose to employ B2C advertising, it is a good idea to keep an eye on stats, to see how effective those ads are, and to change them out as soon as you see they are not working.

B2C Marketing - Proven Systems

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Monday, December 23, 2013

How To Estimate Your Marketing Costs

Posted on 7 November, 2012

How to Estimate Your Marketing Costs

One way to calculate your marketing and promotional costs is to hire an agency, for example a brochure printer, to represent your brand image. They should be the one to provide you a package for your promotional needs.

Another way to compute for your marketing costs is to do it yourself. This option needs you to research different types of printing brochures for example and then you can calculate the price from there.

Nevertheless, regardless of how you do it, how to estimate your marketing costs when printing brochures for example depends on how you shop for the most appropriate brands of services for your particular requirements.

When you are looking at a fair number of promotional needs, you might be interested in computing for your costs separately. For newspaper and magazine ads, your advertising costs are computed based on how many columns are needed to carry your ad.

In addition, remember to include different rates for color and black-and-white ads, as well as the fonts, lines of text, pictures and other elements found in your ad. These elements contribute to the varying total costs for your marketing campaign. Expect to pay more if you have more elements integrated in your advertisement.

When it is online marketing, you can look for banner ads to promote your products and services. Most banner ads are computed based on what their size would be and how interactive they are. There is also the pay-per-click banner ad that allows browsers to click on your marketing campaign that is strategically placed on a banner ad.

How this works is that the pay-per-click advertisements start with a monthly budget that is based on the expected number of visitors to the banner ad. As each visitor clicks on your ad, a portion of your budget is used. The advantage of this kind of advertising tool is that you can strategically position your ad that allows you to drive traffic to your website.

On the other hand, television commercials can be very costly depending on the time slot your ad is on. For a 30-second commercial in the prime time slot, you can pay as much as a hundred thousand dollars. However, the benefit to this kind of advertising route is that you are assured that millions of customers will view your commercial in a particular time slot. Just imagine the number of viewership that the television industry has accumulated over the years.

Finally, there are the radio commercials. You can calculate your costs by looking at how many impressions you get in a time slot, as well as the frequency that your ad is played on the airwaves.

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The Home Improvement Marketing Plan

Posted on 3 July, 2012

The Home Improvement Marketing Plan

Dave Yoho

Marketing in this industry means finding ways to get people to respond, creating opportunities to make presentations and ultimately to sell a fair percentage of the respondents. A large successful home improvement company is usually a "lead factory".

Leads, from advertising and those self-developed through canvassing or referrals are the lifeblood of a business. The successful home improvement retailer uses a variety of methods to consistently keep the lead pipeline full. The plan to do so is frequently regulated by the territory, economy, average contract size, the weather and even the news of the day. The marketing plan includes a budget. How much will be spent and where. It also includes projections to ensure sufficient leads to provide prospects for the salespeople. A key is the number of leads which are necessary to produce net good business. In a plan where the salesman sells a minimum of 2 contracts per week averaging 3 presentations to 1 sale and where there is a 30% of fall off from leads issued to actual presentations, the plan calls for 9 to 10 leads per salesperson per week. Since an issued lead many cost from $250 to $300, remaining within budget may require salespeople to self generate a percentage of their own leads.

How do you know the plan is working? Each week measure the number of leads which have been generated, those which are confirmed, presented to and sold, less those which cancel or are credit rejected. When some aspect of the plan is not working, adjust rapidly - eliminate low producing methods, reduce regularity, intensify methods to produce less costly leads (canvass, referral plan). Unsold leads or those not receiving presentations, have to be rehashed. Experimentation with new methods of lead getting requires concentration and control.

Ultimately, the measure of a successful marketing plan is the amount of net business (ready for installation) you have sold, measured against the cost of procuring the leads to sell that volume of business. If the cost of your marketing program when measured against this net business exceeds your budget - then the plan needs modification.

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Donald Trump Recommends Network Marketing

Posted on 2 September, 2012

Donald Trump Recommends Network Marketing

Aaron Loh

If billionaire Mr Donald Trump recommends network marketing business to you, what would you say? In awe? Well, I would take that as a yes from you.

According to Donald Trump, "Marketing is a powerful tool, and network marketing can increase that power, provided you are self-motivated. In a simple visual, see a product and then remove the advertising agency from it. It is up to you to do the marketing and advertising."

Is this is true, will that signals the dooms day of traditional advertising agency is coming? Well not really. This option is still the preferred method for traditional businesses, despite the high cost. The media of today has made significant progress by leveraging on new technologies.

Now let's get back to our topic. Donald Trump mentioned some important qualities which you must have if you want to start this business.

1. Passion Whatever activities that we involved in, we must have a certain level of passion. Why would you buy a particular car? Why would you go on date with someone? Why would you burn midnight oil to complete a difficult project? It all boils down to passion, which must be strong enough to get you going.

2. Self-motivation Self-motivation comes from internal, in other words, your inner self. I do agree that external motivation does help but eventually it is your self-motivation that will pull you through.

3. Entrepreneurial spirit To have high entrepreneurial spirit simply means to have focus and perseverance. There is no such thing as successful business but successful entrepreneur. It is the person that is running the business. To build a business requires lots of time. So you have to have lots of patience and persevere. If you identify that these qualities are lacking, get lots of trainings from your network marketing company. Most companies have good training system to mold you into a successful businessman.

4. Sociable If you dislike socializing, then this business model is not suitable for you. In fact you shouldn't start any form of businesses. In business, you need to deal with people. You got to go out there and talk, present, train and negotiate with people.

5. Break your comfort zone All sorts of resources and help will not do you good if you get too comfortable with your current lifestyle. Increasing your comfort zone means expanding your scope of learning. The more right skills that you learned the better you became.

At the beginning, you may find a lot of resistance doing network marketing business. If you persevered, maintain your momentum, undergo good training programs and do what it takes to be good at what you do, success will come to you.

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Saturday, December 21, 2013

Business - Marketing Tips

Posted on 7 July, 2012

Business - Marketing Tips

If your business is intended for local shopping, there is great way to get customers in a limited geographical area. The advertisement process is not limited since there are so many ways to do the advertising. A lot of business owners do not have a specialization in marketing, and that is the reason why they have limited ideas in advertising their products and services in their region. Here are few tips in business - marketing that I would like to share with you.

The marketing process should not take a longer time because the longer the time you a lot for this matter, the bigger money it implies. The utilization of creative strategies which attracts people in your region will draw them to your business and would definitely increase your sales.

Saving money while you advertise is really helpful in your business. You can do this by writing some press release that will be published in your local news papers which will be available to all citizens in your area. The press release should be detailed and it should tell everything about your company. Some tips available in the World Wide Web are beneficial in making a press release and you might be interested reading it. If you are not fond of writing a press release, there are institutions which cater such task for you. It might be costly but for sure, you will be satisfied on the result since such institutions are expert in writing press release. A story telling about your business will call the attention of every reader who will encounter the story as soon as it will be published. You can do this as many as you want, just make sure the press release contains all the required information for the publicity.

You can always send your customers detailed coupons regularly if you want to bring them closer to you. This way, you will not be worrying a lot on advertising innovations since you will be sending them letters such as thanking them for availing your services, welcome letters, detailed instructions on how your services work. You can send multiple mails, multiple emails; publish it in a news paper, or even utilizing cheap postcards just to make them closer to your company. You can also include a letter of invitation to all who are curious about your services. When planning to make your own post cards, there are so many guides in the Internet on how it works. Just make sure you are reading the most reliable one.

People nowadays are attached to the virtual world or the Internet. You can publish advertisements in your local websites, community websites, social net working sites or any websites which targets local customers. People nowadays prefer reading information in the Internet rather than scanning newspapers since online advertisement is more accessible than newspapers. It is fast, easy and cheaper to scan than purchasing newspapers which is being replaced every day.

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Why Network Marketing?

Posted on 6 December, 2012

Why Network Marketing?

William Carolan

Network marketing is becoming the norm as generation X and the baby boomers brace themselves and their future on this industry. If you have any misconceptions about this industry, you really need to get the right information to make a better decision.

Let me start with a German Philosopher named Arthur Shopenhauer. He said; "All Opportunity or (truth) passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."

In the late 20's department stores were laughed at, people said who would want to go to one store to by everything, they would rather go to different stores. A few years later dept stores became illegal. After due time they became self evident. Ridiculed, violently opposed, self-evident.

In the 50's people ridiculed franchises, they came within 11 votes of congress of being a pyramid scheme.Sixty years later they remain self-evident.

In the 70's you had companies like Amway, Avon, Tupperware and so on. Yes we did laugh at these opportunities and said things like oh you have get in in the beginning, Its a hoax la-de-da. This industry had to go through its growing pains as millions of people gathered up there family and friends to see the new deal. Being poorly trained and uninformed on how to build teams of people through relationships and not recruit, recruit, recruit. This left a bad taste in peoples mouth's and they just wanted you to go away.

Today this industry is self-evident as generation x conquers the the world wide web and the baby boomers near retirement, find themselves looking at ways of passive income. MLM is an awakening giant that offers people a lucrative way to make a part time income or for those who are serious can create a fortune for future generations.

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Physical Therapy Marketing Strategies

Posted on 4 November, 2012

Physical Therapy Marketing Strategies

Nitin Chhoda

As in any business, physical therapy is no exception and needs to be operated like a business rather than just a therapeutic clinic. Most physical therapists concentrate on the therapeutic side of their practice rather than the business side. Both are equally important, as it is useless to have therapy without patients.

There are many different strategies that you can apply to your business to gain greater exposure and increase patient referral. The first thing you need to do is determine your target market and establish a network of potential patient resources from various physicians, schools, hospitals, etc..

One of the easiest ways is to get more patients is too talk to friends and family as well as new acquaintances and let them know about your physical therapy practice and how you can help them. Tell them about the various ailments, injuries and physical problems that you could help them with and chances are, they will know somebody who will need your services. Word-of-mouth is always the best referral.

Talking to your existing patients is always a great way to increase your patient load. By getting great results and informing your patients about the various services of your physical therapy practice, as well as telling them about the different ailments and injuries that you can help cure will keep you in mind when they your patients refer their friends and family. Focus on getting people better, and your reputation as a good therapist will bring in more patients.

Writing a press release about your physical therapy practice is a great way to increase exposure to your business. There are some online sites that can submit your press release for a small fee and distributes your business press release to online and off-line media.

Networking with other professionals in hospitals and health care settings, as well as getting to know the personnel of various clinics and physicians offices is a great way to develop professional relationships. Maintaining constant contact will keep you in mind, especially when physicians need to refer patients for physical therapy.

Getting to know editors of local newspapers, as well as reporters are also great ways to increase your network of potential patients, as they have a huge contact list of resources that can help promote your business. You can also be a topic of a story or headline, featuring your clinic.

Paid advertisements, TV and radio commercials are other great ways to increase the exposure of your physical therapy practice. This option can be an expensive option, however there are ways to get around this by volunteering for radio and TV interviews and speaking engagements. Establish yourself as a local professional and talk about your expertise.

Yellow page advertisements and listing your services in telephone directories will also keep your practice accessible to your potential patients. Many people who have don't know where to go for physical therapy services, will just refer to online or offline directories.

These are just a few ways that you can market your physical therapy business. There just needs to be persistence, hard work and good therapeutic results to establish yourself as the physical therapy practice to go to.

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Thursday, December 19, 2013

Write A Small Business Marketing Plan

Posted on 5 December, 2012

Write a Small Business Marketing Plan

A small business marketing plan works in two directions - inward and outward. The inward portion is understanding your market (e.g. geographic, demographic, product/service, etc.) and what it wants, and developing products and services to meet its wants and needs. The outward direction of marketing is positioning your company and its products and services in the consumer's mind, distinguishing yourself from the competition, and creating demand through advertising, publicity, and other vehicles.

Inward Marketing

Your marketing strategy begins by learning about the market for your products or services. Where are they located? Are they wealthy or not? In what age group are most of them? Are the purchasing decisions made more often by men or women? Do they own homes or rent? How comfortable are they using the computer to shop or purchase? What's more important to their purchase decision - price, quality, or service?

In short, you need to gather all the intelligence you can. Research your market to learn all about it. The inward portion of your marketing plan will be used to develop products and services that meet market demand. Basically, "find out what people want, so you can give it to them."

Outward Marketing

Once you understand your market and know what products and services to sell, it's time to develop the outward portion of your marketing strategy.

Based on your inward marketing and what you know about yourself, do you want to focus on one niche (e.g. high end or specialty), or do you want to offer a product mix at all price points? Depending on your personality and resources, you might want to specialize on one portion of the market or try to be "all things to all people."

Think about how you want your customer to perceive you, and then create an advertising campaign to position yourself that way in their minds. Ask yourself how your competitors are viewed. Your company's logo, store appearance, and even letterhead should all reinforce the position you've chosen to occupy. Strive for consistency in each impression you make.

Regardless of whether a customer hears one of your radio ads, sees a mailing from you, spots one of your trucks, sees a newspaper ad or television spot, or receives an estimate from you, there should be consistent elements that they immediately recognize, and those elements should all deliver the same message you've want to send about your business.

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MLA Style Citation: Silberman, Craig "Write a Small Business Marketing Plan." Write a Small Business Marketing Plan. 4 Mar. 2011 .com. 30 Mar. 2011 <>.
APA Style Citation: Silberman, C. (2011, March 4). Write a Small Business Marketing Plan. Retrieved March 30, 2011, from
Chicago Style Citation: Silberman, Craig "Write a Small Business Marketing Plan." Write a Small Business Marketing Plan.com.

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Donald Trump Recommends Network Marketing

Posted on 5 December, 2012

Donald Trump Recommends Network Marketing

Aaron Loh

If billionaire Mr Donald Trump recommends network marketing business to you, what would you say? In awe? Well, I would take that as a yes from you.

According to Donald Trump, "Marketing is a powerful tool, and network marketing can increase that power, provided you are self-motivated. In a simple visual, see a product and then remove the advertising agency from it. It is up to you to do the marketing and advertising."

Is this is true, will that signals the dooms day of traditional advertising agency is coming? Well not really. This option is still the preferred method for traditional businesses, despite the high cost. The media of today has made significant progress by leveraging on new technologies.

Now let's get back to our topic. Donald Trump mentioned some important qualities which you must have if you want to start this business.

1. Passion Whatever activities that we involved in, we must have a certain level of passion. Why would you buy a particular car? Why would you go on date with someone? Why would you burn midnight oil to complete a difficult project? It all boils down to passion, which must be strong enough to get you going.

2. Self-motivation Self-motivation comes from internal, in other words, your inner self. I do agree that external motivation does help but eventually it is your self-motivation that will pull you through.

3. Entrepreneurial spirit To have high entrepreneurial spirit simply means to have focus and perseverance. There is no such thing as successful business but successful entrepreneur. It is the person that is running the business. To build a business requires lots of time. So you have to have lots of patience and persevere. If you identify that these qualities are lacking, get lots of trainings from your network marketing company. Most companies have good training system to mold you into a successful businessman.

4. Sociable If you dislike socializing, then this business model is not suitable for you. In fact you shouldn't start any form of businesses. In business, you need to deal with people. You got to go out there and talk, present, train and negotiate with people.

5. Break your comfort zone All sorts of resources and help will not do you good if you get too comfortable with your current lifestyle. Increasing your comfort zone means expanding your scope of learning. The more right skills that you learned the better you became.

At the beginning, you may find a lot of resistance doing network marketing business. If you persevered, maintain your momentum, undergo good training programs and do what it takes to be good at what you do, success will come to you.

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Marketing Plan

Posted on 5 September, 2012

Marketing Plan

Emma J Frost

There is a lot being said about marketing plan. A great number of different explanations describe what it is all about. These descriptions gathered from different references can be summed to this short description. A marketing plan is a guide and a list of course actions to achieve the marketing objective.

It is a simple description but making this kind of plan is not. It takes a lot of thinking and careful considerations prior to plotting out this kind of plan. This kind of plan covers a lengthy period of time and that alone is a testament that it is not an easy task at hand. An effective marketing strategy must be included because it serves as its backbone. Without an effective strategy, the plan will fail and all actions are futile.

One must focus on the marketing objective and all course actions must achieve on that objective. Marketing objectives must also be attainable because it would be pointless to have a plan that everyone knows is doomed to fail because of its unattainable goal. It is believed that this is the first step to making a perfect marketing plan.

For this kind of plan, the first thing you should do is to analyze the current situation in terms of the environment and the market. The next step would definitely be identifying the objectives so that marketing strategies would be formulated. Another step to take is to predict scenarios that might happen and provide action course for these predicted scenarios to avoid being caught off guard. This would be successful if everything is in place.

With the kind of business environment that exists today, a perfect plan must be in place. It must take into consideration what the business world has become. It must also contemplate on the channels that are used to reach out the target market. With that being said, it must ponder on the advantages of using the internet.

On this article, the internet will be singled out as the main channel for a plan to focus on because the internet provides limitless opportunities to succeed. It is a good marketing channel to accomplish the objective. It is a fact of life that almost everyone has access to the internet and that constitutes a billion of potential customers worldwide. It is a fact that could not be overlooked because even getting a small percentage of those potential customers will equate to millions in revenue. If the plan includes utilizing the internet to its full extent then it is safe to say that the plan is a complete success.

Everyone should have a clear picture on what is marketing plan all about after reading this article. It is just a guide for businesses to reach its objectives and a lot of course actions for it to reach the goal. This article breaks down the steps on how to make a perfect plan for the market situation that exists today. It also emphasizes the power of the internet as a marketing channel to will make or break a business.

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Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Fashion Marketing 101

Posted on 6 August, 2012

Fashion Marketing 101

In a nutshell, fashion marketing is a profession that takes the latest trends and designs in clothing and communicates them to a target market in such a way that the consumer is not only aware of the product, but wants to and ultimately does buy the product. A target market is a sector of the consumer market to which a company wishes to sell (i.e. market) its clothing. To fully know what fashion marketing is, it is important to understand that marketing does not stop at ads in magazines or commercials on TV. The world of marketing is just as dynamic as the world of fashion. Marketing clothing includes elements such as determining which stores the apparel should be sold in, what price the clothing should be sold for--all the way to how the in-store displays should look. Fashion marketers often are as savvy about business as they are about fashion and popular culture.

Fashion marketers are creative. At the core, the profession is about connecting with the image--the lifestyle--the consumer wants. For example, in the fashion industry, comfort, style, material, color, symmetry, and usability are just the beginning of a list of elements designers must consider when developing a line of clothing. Fashion marketers take the task a step further by determining the best way to promote the characteristics of the clothing to the consumer and to which group of consumers to promote it to. What a 65 year-old female is looking for from a piece of formal eveningwear is completely different from what a 21 year-old male wants from casual everyday wear. Consequently, fashion marketers must stay abreast with the latest fashions as well as know what styles will be successful for a variety of occasions, age groups and demographics.

Fashion marketers play an essential role within the fashion industry because they are the link between designers and the public. The success of a line of clothing does not rest solely on its design. Often, successful marketing is just as crucial, if not more so, to the line as the actual clothing itself. This is because marketing is the tool through which the designer identifies with the public, and the public identifies with the designer. Without this exchange, it would be difficult to establish the consumer base required to have a successful line of clothing.

Ultimately, fashion marketing is a fun profession--changing and reinventing itself just as often as the clothes it promotes. It integrates the artistic nature of fashion with the creative aspects of business--making for a highly rewarding career to the ambitious and innovative.

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Basic Principles Of Marketing

Posted on 6 August, 2012

Basic Principles of Marketing

Jeff Blackwell

There are a few things you must know when planning your marketing campaign. These factors are the "Principles of Marketing". Learning how to market correctly is the biggest task when starting a new business or selling a new product. Without proper marketing, your endeavors will more than likely not succeed. The following are some basic principles of marketing.

[Product] When marketing, you must first create a product or service that is clear and easy to comprehend so the potential buyers will have no problems in understanding what your company is offering. This is by far the most important role in marketing. If you are offering a product or service to impending clients and the client cannot fully understand what your product or service is and does, they will pick up and move on. A few of the things you can include in your campaign to make sure the public will understand your product and service is include a warranty, customer service, instructions, company name, visual examples of how your product or service works.

[Price] The next issue to work with when working on your marketing campaign is to create a price that is reasonable and competitive with your other companies in your market. You should do some research on these companies and find out the average prices of your type of product or service and in turn create a price that is lower than the average if it is possible in your budget and profit margin. The public will notice a product or service substantially quicker if the price is in their budget and with the growing economy, the public will appreciate a low cost product or service.

[Place] When marketing your product or service you must also choose a location that will best suit your company in reaching your prospective market. This is a task that few people will really spend the time on but it plays a major role in how well your business does. Think of it like this, would you promote your children's toy inside of a bar? You must choose a location to promote that will reach your future client base. This holds true for new products more than existing companies and products because if people do not know your product exists then how will they know they need it and buy it.

[Promotion] You must always remember that communication with your consumer base is by far the most important aspect in marketing a new product or service. If you can make your client feel safe and feel as though they are making the right choice in choosing your product, you are one step ahead of your competition. Safety with their money is a large part in the decision the potential clients make when choosing a product or service that they are in need of, and if you can make sure they feel safe, you will be 1 huge step closer in closing the deal. Safety is key, and will always be the most important aspect in marketing a new product or service.

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20 Creative Marketing Ideas For Small Business

Posted on 6 August, 2012

20 Creative Marketing Ideas For Small Business

Let's face it, sometimes ideas are just hard to come by. We are so overloaded with things to remember and things to do, that coming up with some newer ways to help promote our business can be challenging.

Over the past few weeks, I've jotted down some ideas that appealed to me. Some I thought of myself, some I discovered through all of my surfing ventures of late.

1) Create a calendar to give away. If it applies, and the photos can relate to your business all the better. Of course, this calendar will have your business name and contact information on it!

2) Conduct a free clinic or seminar about a product or service that you offer. These can be webinars as well. They don't have to be complicated, but they do need to be relevant.

3) Put together a marketing video. Google loves video. When it's complete, upload it to YouTube and then embed it on your website, and where ever else you can think of.

4) Write an article about what you know and post it on your website, blog, other websites, everywhere! We all know more about something than someone else does, so promote yourself as an expert in that!

5) Write a press release and submit it to your local newspaper. There are also numerous websites that you can submit your press release to, and some of them are free.

6) Create an annual award for something and publicize it.

7) Join your Chamber of Commerce, mostly for the incredible networking opportunities that it will offer you, but also to show your sense of community.

8) Volunteer to give a speech, or for career day at a local high school.

9) Create a customer loyalty program.

10) Create a monthly newsletter and start an email marketing campaign.

11) Team up with a non-competing business to offer a promotional package.

12) If possible, loan your facility out for meetings and other events. This is a great way to spread the word locally about your business and what you can offer.

13) Spotlight a customer as Customer of the Month. Be sure to advertise this in numerous places.

14) Start a blog.

15) Scan the Public Notices section of your local newspaper for Fictitious Business Name Statement announcements and send them a brochure, a business card and whatever your latest promotion is.

16) Have a treasure hunt on your website.

17) Write a book, or write an e-book that you can give away for free on your website. People love free stuff.

18) Help a Reporter Out - Make your expertise available to reporters all over the country who are looking for people to interview on literally every subject you could think of. Not exactly marketing, but could help in the overall exposure of your venture. http://www.helpareporter.com.

19) Affiliate Marketing - not a new concept by any means, but worth the effort. Check out .

20) Join a leads club. If you can't find one, start one!

I've implemented a few of these myself and have plans to work on a few more. I hope you find these useful, and if you have any ideas of your own that you'd like to pass along, please feel free to comment! I love hearing new ideas.

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Sunday, December 15, 2013

Using Animation For Effective Marketing

Posted on 1 December, 2012

Using Animation For Effective Marketing

Over the last couple of decades the face of marketing has changed drastically. About a decade ago marketing underwent another transformation. Where paper advertisements and radio spots used to be, the internet has stepped in to become one of the most widely used advertising and marketing tools throughout the world. Currently more people are using the internet to dig up reviews, information, and products than ever before and the amount of potential clients you can reach is growing daily. With this being the case, how can you make your site, product, or company stand out from the thousands of websites available to be memorable in a client's mind? This is where animation steps in.

A website complete with tasteful flash animations, informational videos, and interactive content allows visitors to engage with your site and remain there longer to discover more about your company. While a static website is the bare minimum for any business these days, it isn't enough to win out over a competitor who took the time to include an animation or two on their site. What is needed now is an aesthetically designed, visually appealing, and easy to navigate user interface that will provide a memorable and positive user experience.

Some forms of animation that are used to demonstrate an idea or illustrate a concept and which capture a visitor's interest are:

? 2D Animation ? 3D Character Animation ? 3D Modeling & Product Design ? 3D Walkthrough Animation ? 3D Mobile, Online and PC Games

Using one of these forms of animation in a short, tasteful, and informative manner can let your visitors get a snapshot of your company before they decide to explore further. This is very similar to the teaser trailer of a movie. You put your best foot forward and from that impression you entice a movie-goer to see your movie weeks or even months later because it impacted their desires and engaged their interest. Using this same analogy we can take it one step further. The visitor watches the trailer (your animation), then decides to read the full plot summary (your text), then they look to find out when and where the movie is playing (your company information), following that they go to see the movie (purchase your product or service). By including an animation on your page you have just moved a visitor to your website into a client for your company. Your animation gave you that leg up on the competition who decided to leave the animation out of their site. In summary the advantages of animation are:

? more visual appeal ? lasting impression ? greater product understanding ? preference is given by all major search engines to sites with animation

Properly conceived and executed animations have no disadvantages. However, if an animation is poorly done, the impact on your website can be severe. Silly animations on a professional site decrease the company's image, reliability, and value. Similarly, animations inappropriate for the intended audience can cause a perpetual block on your website and may even offend some visitors. It is for these reasons that you need to meet with a professional web design firm who can work with you to develop an audience appropriate, company mindful animation that can help influence each visitor to decide on your company.

Cybervation, Inc is a Columbus, OH based company specializing in 2D, 3D, and Flash animations for use both in websites and as stand alone marketing tools. Going with Cybervation, Inc. allows you to keep your web design, application development, animation, and internet marketing all under the same roof, saving you time and money.

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Internet Video Marketing: Dominating Video Marketing

Posted on 6 November, 2012

Internet Video Marketing: Dominating Video Marketing

Hello guys and welcome to my article that is strictly dedicated to marketing your website. Does your website get enough traffic? If your answer to this question is no, then please read on as the solution to your problem is closer than you think. I will start by saying that there are several ways to marketing your website and so to make this article more specific I will cover the one that I use in particular that had yielded great results, Video Marketing.

Video Marketing is starting to pretty much take over the web as over half of all the sites on the Internet are switching over to this type of website. One can likely contribute this growth to the many WEB 2.0 sites like You tube that are emerging almost daily. In addition web surfers are becoming spoiled and lazy and are opting to view video sites as oppose to static pages where they have to actually read content. A good example of this is when you're looking for a tutorial on how to work new software you have just purchased, unless you're a word hungry intellectual you probably would choose to watch a video to walk you through the process over reading a lengthy page of content.

How do you use video to market your website? There are several answers to this question and so I will cover a few that first come to mind. The first method is to make a video review of a product or service that your site offers and upload it to several video sites. If you can get your video ranking high in the search results of the video site then you are cooking with gas. I have also noticed that in many cases your video will out rank static pages on Google that have been around for months. Many say that this happens because Google owns You tube and when you use this site your get special treatment and perks.

The last method I will cover with be advertising on other peoples videos. This has been the most successful type of video marketing that I have used to date. The process works like this: you search the video site of your choice let's say we use You tube for this example, what you are looking for is a viral video that has over 75,000 views. Once you have located a video with the proper number of views click on the down arrow in the description box, this should tell you if the number of views are dropping, standing still or climbing.

Your aim from this point is to find a video that is climbing and that doesn't currently have any video ads in it. From there you simply send the video's owner an email that offers him a fee for putting your pop up ad in his video you will be surprised at just how many people will add your video for as low as $20 bucks. Keep up this process and before you know it you will have more traffic coming to your site than you can shake a stick at.

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Internet Marketing And Your Website

Posted on 2 July, 2012

Internet Marketing and Your Website

Owning a website is the best option in order to start your full blast marketing campaign. You can design it on your own to make it appealing to visitors and you can indicate, without any limitations, as many products as you like for your clients to see. To make it more worthwhile in your promotional activities, you can employ different marketing strategies in order to drive traffic in your site that will translate to the boost of your profits.

Needless to say, a website is very important for online marketers. It represents you in the web through the information that you provide your target market and it is your home where all your products and services can be found. Your clients, then, will never have a hard time searching for you in the net to buy your products.

A website, however, should also be promoted in order to be known in your niche. With the many strategies that you can use, you will be able to gain constant traffic in your site that will give you more chances of earning a great sale. In this article, I will give you some tips in order to drive this traffic necessary in the business.

Search engine optimization is one that you can use to increase your rank in the search engines. To increase your visibility in the search engines, use the right keywords and Meta tags in right doses. Thus, the more visible your link in the search engines, the more clients will visit your website and enjoy marketing your products.

Pay per click (PPC) will also help you to achieve this traffic. It is the placement of an advertisement in the search engines that will give you a wide range of visibility. You will not pay for the placement of the ads. You will only pay for every click that your visitors do in order to direct them in your page.

Article marketing is another way to promote your site online. You will just create an article that pertains to your niche and submit it to popular article directories. You just make sure, however, that the contents of your articles are valuable and useful for readers. With your contents, readers will be enticed to follow your link indicated at the bottom. This will drive them to your site and have a chance to earn money.

Another important thing to note is your creativity. Dull websites will never be appreciated by the visitors. They will just look at your website for less than one minute and search again for another online marketer. You have to select appropriate designs that will communicate with them to support your products and services. Use also words that will be compelling for your clients to dig more information inside your pages. Indicate also the discounts that they can get, money back guarantee, and toll free numbers that will be helpful in your online marketing campaign.

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Saturday, December 14, 2013

Marketing Lies?

Posted on 3 January, 2013

Marketing Lies?

59

Are you getting confused with the ever-changing headlines on the front of women's magazines?

Does the latest advertisement that says you'll receive a freebie upon signing up make your eyes roll?

Do you now automatically chuck out the direct marketing flier that lands on your doorstep every second day?

"Incentive-based promotion", "clever advertising", "the hard-sell". Unfortunately, all of these once-legitimate marketing tools are slowly becoming synonymous with deceptive publicity stints. Marketers seem to be now rapidly engaging in whatever method is available to get that one extra sale - even, or rather, especially, if it means lying.

Consumers in the 21st century are no longer naive, desperate for the product, and option-less. In fact, they are completely spoiled for choice, continuously over-sold to, and, quite frankly, just not interested in twisted truth. Up to 50,000 different types of messages are pushed in their faces all day, everyday, and at least 80% of those messages are marketing-related. Consumers are now savvy enough to discern that a "well-spun campaign" is actually just pure, outright lying.

Basically, marketers now have two choices:

Step up their lying game - it doesn't matter that consumers will hate you and never go back to you; just fool them once, get that sale, and move on to the next big project. Start telling the truth.

The simple fact of the communications world is that lying is no longer a strategic, sustainable marketing strategy. It will not engage the consumer, win their trust, and gain repeat business. And ultimately, these three things are what an organisation really wants to achieve in the long run.

Start telling the consumers what they really want to know - how the product can genuinely (and honestly) benefit them. Start using ethical marketing channels - a "spin" is not necessary; the truth is fine if your product is really what you say it is. And above all, listen.

Aus Marketing is an affiliate network of marketing, promotional, and business professionals. The group was formed to ensure that all types of businesses and corporations have their marketing and promotional needs met, while guaranteeing high ethical and product standards in all fields.

The organisation strives to defy the current marketing status quo, and to use genuine and honest methods in all promotional work for clients.

Their services include:

Internet Marketing Printed Promotions Databases and Faxstreaming Creative Writing and... much more...

P.S. Not all Marketing Firms and Agencies are liars. But like any industry there are some bad eggs. Just that this particular industry has many smelly eggs!

Small to large business marketing and promotion solutions, advice and help in Australia - Aus Marketing.net.au <- Read more

Comments Loading...

Daniel?2 years ago

Yesss!!! I agree! Wow. A bold statment but sooo.... true....

2 years ago

Honest marketing sounds like an oxymoron but in today's market honesty really is the best policy for long term results. Ironically Claude Hopkins statred the same thing 100 years ago.

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How To Uncover Highly Successful Internet Marketing Tools

Posted on 2 October, 2012

How to Uncover Highly Successful Internet Marketing Tools

Regardless of the success levels of any web marketer there is always more to learn and implement when trying to increase financial success. If you maintain the attitude that there is always more money to be made then you will likely have the drive necessary to learn all that you can about internet marketing tools. The tools that you are currently using certainly have brought you a certain level of success to this point but what more can you do? You should consistently be asking yourself this question to ensure that your revenue continues to increase.

1. Take the initiative to check out various internet marketing products and supplements to help you along the way. There are always new products being introduced and it is up to you to select the appropriate product for your individual success. One particular web marketer that offers some highly recognized software is Chris Cobb. Chris Cobb has built a multi-million dollar empire for himself and he is eager to teach you how to do the same for yourself.

2. Increasing Google rankings is going to be your number one goal to get to the ultimate goal of increasing revenue. Gather Google ranking tips along the way from other highly successful web marketers through doing your research. By doing the research and becoming a master of internet marketing information you can be sure to uncover some phenomenal internet marketing strategies.

3. Stay ahead of the game. The web marketing world is constantly changing and it is vital that you stay up to date with the various changes that are happening. Sometimes it may appear that you can create your success and then sit back and watch it roll in for you. This is simply not true because you must actively participate in the success that you experience. Do not ever forget that your motivation and drive are going to be major factors in uncovering the latest and greatest internet marketing strategies.

You can uncover some highly successful internet marketing strategies by implementing some hard work and dedication. You can also follow the guidance of some already established web marketers. By implementing a combination of these two things you are sure to experience a great deal of financial achievement.

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Benefits Of Marketing Strategy - Top 4 Reasons You Want A Marketing Strategy

Posted on 7 September, 2012

Benefits of Marketing Strategy - Top 4 Reasons You Want a Marketing Strategy

Kari Day

If you are attempting to market your business on your own you may have wondered what the benefits of marketing strategy is and how it can help you in your business. A marketing strategy can help you to achieve your marketing goals online by outlining the techniques and actions you can take to achieve your marketing objectives. Skipping this step can leave you feeling lost and cause you to become a reactionary marketer, rather than feeling in control of your marketing strategy.

Top 4 Benefits of Marketing Strategy

1. Developing brand recognition. It is no secret that one of the main keys to online marketing is branding. Developing a marketing strategy will help you to plan out the best way to build that recognition. Are your customers mostly women? You can research and plan your marketing around areas women frequent. You will want a high emphasis on social media if it is women you are trying to reach.

2. Have a Roadmap. A marketing strategy will give you a long-term vision of the right techniques you need to use to reach your target audience. This will enable you to use a mixture of new and proven marketing techniques rather than being scattered by the whim of new marketing trends.

3. Stop reactionary marketing. The world of marketing is changing as new media is emerging online everyday. But the benefits of marketing strategy is to take in these new techniques, and incorporate them in a planned and strategic way, rather than feeling scattered by every new technique you see online. This is reactionary and you will waste a lot of your time reacting to the market rather than driving it. Knowing your target market and where they spend time online, focusing your energy there and having a plan will bring you more success.

4. Spend less money. When you have a strategic marketing plan you can plan out where you want to spend your marketing dollars to get the most out of your money.

Online marketing is the foundation of business today. If you don't know how to market your business online it is imperative that you learn how if you want your business to succeed. Having a marketing strategy is key in achieving your overall marketing goals. The benefits of marketing strategy will help you define those goals, identify what you will use to reach your target audience and ultimately brand yourself or your business online and in the eyes of your customers.

Next to learn more about how a marketing training can give your business an online advantage go to , fill in the form, go to the second page and watch the video on step #2 and #3.

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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Top Network Marketing Companies Revealed

Posted on 4 December, 2012

Top Network Marketing Companies Revealed

Rob Fore

Here is a list of the top 10 most recognized network marketing companies in the US today, not in any particular order:

These are all successful Network marketing or MLM companies who have survived. There are over 80 MLM companies going strong today, but many thousands have failed before them.

If you are thinking about MLM or network marketing, looking at this list can tell us one important thing - all the products sold by these companies are "evergreen" products. The products were in demand 10 years ago and will still be needed in years to come.

So if the MLM company you are thinking about joining does not have an evergreen product, you should think twice about joining. What's popular today may be "so yesterday" tomorrow. MLM just doesn't work well outside of this boundary for any length of time, which means you will be out of a paycheck quickly.

So in order for your network marketing business to be successful, the company you join should already be successful, have a proven track record and also have the following attributes:

Strong Leadership: The integrity and reputation of the company's management is extremely important.

Programs: The company must have solid sales and marketing programs for you to use, and all the tools available for you and your down-line to use to succeed.

Mentor Program: If you need help beyond the sales, marketing and training programs the company provides, do they have a one-on-one mentorship program? If you can find the right mentor whom you like and trust, and who has leadership qualities, you will be amazed at the improvement of your personal successes, just with a little bit of personalized help.

Choosing three of the top companies listed above; here is why they are so successful:

Amway

Amway has sales in excess of $8 billion dollars annually and is famous for its energizing sales meetings. They sell over 450 products that cover everything from household cleaners to vitamins. Again, stuff that people will always need. The unusual thing about Amway is that a distributor does not have to buy products for inventory when they join, and when they leave the company will buy back any inventory they are holding. Hard to see why anyone would want to leave!

Pampered Chef

Pampered chef sells high quality kitchen gadgets and tools through 70,000 independent consultants. They do popular cooking demonstrations and the company has raised over $7 million to help fight world hunger. Most people will always need cookware!

Mary Kay

Mary Kay is possibly one of the most famous MLM or network marketing businesses today. They have been selling personalized beauty products since 1963 and their home beauty sessions have to be the epitome of "attraction marketing".

Top Network Marketing Companies - Safety

Seriously thinking of joining a MLM opportunity? Then you are well-advised to stick with joining a top network marketing company that has survived at least five years. Stay away from early startups because they are simply not work the risk.

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