I overheard Keleigh the other day, explaining to a client the difference between the branding, marketing and advertising products and services provided here at beachdog.com, and Public Relations, which we leave to specialists in PR.  The terminology of the industry can be confusing, so I thought I’d share a little something I found on the internet which I think explains it well.

Cheers!

–Keith

You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and say, “I am very rich. Marry me!”
That’s Direct Marketing.

You’re at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl.
One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you and says,
“He’s very rich. Marry him.”
That’s Advertising.

You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and get her telephone number.
The next day you call and say, “Hi, I‚m very rich. Marry me.”
That’s Telemarketing.

You’re at a party and see a gorgeous girl.
You get up and straighten your tie; you walk up to her and offer her a drink.
You open the door for her; pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her a ride, and then say,
“By the way, I’m very rich. Will you marry me?”
That’s Public Relations.

You’re at a party and see a gorgeous girl.
She walks up to you and says, “You are very rich.”
That’s Brand Recognition.

You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and say, “I’m rich. Marry me”
She gives you a nice hard slap on your face.
That’s Customer Feedback!!!!

From CHARLES GAUDET:

If you want to compete in today’s business environment, you need one thing: traffic. Your customers have to know you exist, believe that you have the right product or service for them, and take the initiative to visit your website or store and make the sale. But if you’re on a budget, getting this traffic can sound like a daunting task. Until now.

There are strategies for marketing your business on a budget, and you’ll  discover that some of the most effective marketing strategies are available to you at no cost whatsoever.

1. Sending informative press releases

Informative press releases that engage the reader are a great way to position your company as a trusted authority and leader in your market. Unlike a traditional corporate press release announcing what’s new with the company, write your press release with the intention of letting your readers know how your news greatly benefits them—not you.

For maximum exposure, submit your press release to a number of online distribution services (there are both free and paid services) and fax and e-mail your press release directly to the attention of reporters that have expressed interest in your topic.

Well-written press releases can provide your company with thousands of dollars of visibility…for little or no cost. Just think, with the right press release, you could find your company being mentioned by radio, newspaper or television…as well as getting prominent placement on search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing.

2. Become a contributing author

Whether you’re writing an article for a magazine, newspaper, blog or website, the more information you share with readers, the more likely they will view your company favorably when making a purchase decision.

Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar famously says, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

They key when writing an effective article is not to sell yourself (or your company)—but rather to write with the interests of your reader at the forefront of your message. Once you understand the problem that your target market has, begin to present them with an actionable solution that will get them closer to their desired result. The more you help them, the more likely they’ll want to do business with you.

3. Doing joint-venture marketing

Joint-venture marketing, also known as strategic alliances, is an agreement or partnership made with another company for a share in the revenue that you bring one another or in exchange for a mutual benefit that will help grow one another’s businesses.

Joint-venture marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies on the planet, and it is frequently used by companies such as Google, IBM, Microsoft, Apple and countless others. Yet many small business owners fail to realize that this opportunity equally exists for them. Heck, even Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer used joint ventures when he was asked to repaint a white picket fence. He got a group of other boys to paint the fence for a share in the profits while Tom pulled up some shade under a tree!

Locate the companies that your ideal customers are doing business with and approach them with an offer to form a joint venture, perhaps requesting that they endorse, recommend and refer their clients to your company in return for a share in the upside revenue. With joint venture marketing, the only time you have to pay someone else money is after the sale is made and the cash is in your bank.

Using these three marketing tools, you can successfully grow your traffic on a budget.

OPEN Cardmember Charles Gaudet is a provocative marketing expert for entrepreneurs and small business owners wanting to out-think, out-market and out-earn their competition. He can be found at PredictableProfits.com.

Read more…

The Internet is very much like a toolbox. You have a problem, you go to the toolbox, select a tool and fix your problem. But, with so many options, the question becomes: Which tool is best? Should you devote some of your budget to a public relations campaign or to developing and implementing a targeted social media marketing strategy? What’s right for your company? How do you know?

Well, before you rush off and start your research, it’s important to remember the Rule of ABM: Always Be Marketing. To ensure that you don’t slack off on your marketing efforts, here are a few guidelines:

It’s about quality, not quantity. Yes, it’s a cliché but it couldn’t be more appropriate when it comes to social media. Is it better to cast a wide net, or be selective? Too many initiatives or poorly directed efforts can quickly alienate and confuse your audience. If your marketing is worth its salt, it’ll deliver results, without offending or browbeating. If not, at best you’ll be irritating and at worst, you’ll be ignored.

To ad or not to ad. The choices are many; however, good choices are few. Should you buy Facebook or Google ads? Should you add advertising to your own website? The answer to this can only come from you. Take a hard look at your objectives and business plan. Are you trying to sell a big-ticket item or service? Do you need to target customers in a particular vertical? Do you have the personnel and infrastructure in place to handle the response ? Examine what your business needs to accomplish and then start small. You can always ‘upgrade’ later.

Deliver. If your brand’s social media marketing is done well, the work that’s done for clients and customers needs to have the same level of quality. Nothing is more disappointing for a customer than biting the marketing bait and being interested in what appears to be a qualified business, only to find out that the business cannot deliver on the promises made through their marketing.

Stick with what works, ditch what doesn’t. If your company has engaged a ‘big deal expert’ to provide you with marketing guidance and the efforts are not producing results, move on. Experts aren’t always right. Conversely, if your social media marketing strategy is working and someone tries to convince you to abandon it, stick to your guns — and your strategy.

Measure twice, cut once. Be sure to measure your marketing efforts and results. When you get a positive response, you’ll be able to pinpoint which marketing activities are paying off and which need additional attention.

Treat social media marketing like dollar-cost averaging. You can’t expect to get outstanding results with your first efforts (in fact, don’t expect that at all) – it’s nice if it happens, but it’s rare. It’s important to invest a steady, consistent effort and be patient with your marketing.

Social media marketing is sticky business and the worst part is there are no hard and fast rules. The absolute best thing you can do when it comes to social media marketing is to develop and implement a viable strategy and stick to it. To do so is to find your brand not only ahead of the game, but on solid ground as well.

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By Lena West – xynoMedia via American Express OPEN

Read this article by Robbin Phillips:

Hate to disappoint, but Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other social media tools are not magical. They’re communication tools and communication is hard work. Connecting with your customers on a deep and emotional level can pay off big time for all businesses, but it can also backfire. I’m not one to focus on mistakes and prefer, like my friends Dan and Chip Heath (authors of Switch), to stay focused on the “bright spots.” But there are just some basics you have to avoid.

So here are some of the most common mistakes I see:

Mistake number one. Many businesses forget that they are dealing with real human beings. With hopes and dreams and pet peeves. People relate to each other through two-way conversation, both online and in person. Ever met someone who hogs the conversation? I have. And I tend to walk the other way when I see them coming. These shiny new tools are not like megaphones. Talking about yourself won’t make others talk about you. Don’t shout offers and deals and me, me, me. Take your marketing hat off and think like a human being. Invest in getting to know your customers better than your competition does. Listen. Be curious, and interested and engaged. Tell stories and share knowledge. Most of all, ask yourself how you can provide meaning and value. How can you be helpful? How can you support your best friends and biggest fans? How can you lift them up? It’s about people.

Mistake number two: Lots of businesses, especially small businesses don’t take time to plan or set goals. There is a lot of sameness out there in small business land. What makes you different? How can you let your personality and voice shine when you communicate? What is your unique point of view? What’s the passion conversation you share with your customers? And the planning that is most often overlooked? Who in your business has the time and personality to be “social”? Get very real with this one. Don’t just add it to someone’s job description to tweet or update Facebook or keep up a blog. You have to find someone within your company who has a real passion for connecting with people. Then give them to the freedom to engage and respond. And even surprise and delight your customers.

Mistake number three: No one’s home. Said another way, don’t start something you can’t finish or don’t intend to do well. If you decide to blog, make a decision to do it on a consistent basis. Not randomly. And the more often, the better. Be consistent, present and responsive. Or don’t do it all.

Mistake number four: So many businesses believe “social media” is a magic bullet. I hate the word social media. I prefer word of mouth marketing. That’s something that has been around and will never go away. Technology by its very nature will change. What’s hot today technology-wise is often dead or very different tomorrow. Positive word of mouth requires a positive experience. Now there are just more ways to provide that experience. Be remarkable. Both online and offline. (After all most word of mouth happens in person.) Sorry to disappoint, but there is no magic bullet when it comes to making personal and emotional connections with your customers.

So there you have it. Remember you are dealing with people. Think “word of mouth” vs. social media. Let your organization’s real personality shine and you will draw kindred spirits your way. Plan and set goals. Be committed to your plan. And most of all, work on creating remarkable experiences for your customers. Treat them like your very best friends.

We’ve been testing and developing social marketing strategies for several years now. Whether you need someone to help you strategize, or someone to conduct social marketing on your behalf, we can meet you where you want to be met. Give us a call! 360-642-4431

In addition to focusing on increasing last minute holiday sales, now is the time to make sure everything is in place to make 2011 a great year for your site and business.

We should all check our sites for errors and be focused on SEO and Social Media all year long but not everyone has the time or knowledge to do everything they should.  If you are one of the offenders, now is the time to make it up to your neglected website.  Go through the checklist below and make sure you have everything in place to start 2011 off right.

An old Chinese Proverb says

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now.”

That kinda says it all!  Now on to the checklist