7 Tips to Become a “Rock Star” in Your Own Backyard without Breaking the Bank on Advertising

Let’s clear the air here. Advertising is not evil. In many cases it’s not even expensive… that is of course so long as it’s done right. However one thing I’ve learned by working with small businesses like you over the years is that you typically don’t have unlimited marketing budgets. Therefore wherever you spend your hard-earned marketing money must provide a sufficient return on investment (ROI). That being said, here are 7 tips that if leveraged properly, can save you a fortune in marketing dollars while still allowing you to become a “rock star” in your own backyard:

1. Be In the Know and Get Involved
Know what’s going on and rub elbows regularly with the who’s who of your local area. I’m a firm believer that wherever you choose to play... play hard.

2. Be a Connector
Now that you’re tuned into the local people, businesses, and events, always look for ways to connect them in ways that add value... people to people… people to businesses… businesses to people… people to events… and businesses to events. Trust me; your thoughtfulness will go a long way.

3. Educate, Educate, Educate
If you like to speak… regularly conduct local seminars and teleseminars. If you like to write… publish a blog or a newsletter. The key idea here is that regardless of the marketing medium you choose for delivery, position yourself as the local authority on your subject matter.

4. Become a Local Media Darling
Get to know, and regularly find ways to contribute to your local media. This goes for both online sources such as local web sites and Internet radio as well as offline sources such as radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and more. Remember, it’s one thing if you tell me you’re great. Maybe I’ll believe you, maybe I won’t. It’s quite another if an unbiased and respected third party such as the local media tells me your great.

5. Local Search Engine Optimization & Submissions
One of the first places people look… yes, even locally… for a business that provides what you do is online. They simply conduct a search in one of the many search engines like Google or Yahoo. Many of these search engines realizing the vast amount of local searches going on, as well as the potential revenue stream it brings, now offer local search engine counterparts (e.g. Google Local and Yahoo Local). In most cases this is a separate submittal process from the main search engine. Get listed in both!

6. Have a Content-rich and Useful Web Site
Face it, online color brochures just don’t cut it any longer. To be considered a viable solution for most consumers, you have to go the extra mile and provide them with clear-cut incentives to pay attention to and ultimately buy from you. Fortunately for small businesses, the Internet makes this very possible for a very reasonable cost. Think of your web site as an extension of your office or storefront… dress it up and nurture it the same way you would your physical space. Leverage it to magnetically attract your local target market by regularly providing resources to make their lives better.

7. Share the Wealth
Give back to the community… period! Regardless of how you give of yourself, at the end of the day, find ways to leave your community a little better than when you got there.

So in closing, just think about it for a minute… with gas prices continuing to rise… the costs of many products and services we use every day are as a result going up as well. We’ve got companies adding fuel surcharges to your tab now… costs of travel have skyrocketed… and quite honestly there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight… we’ll get there, it’s just going to take some extreme creativity and some time. In the meantime, as a small business it’s even more reason to step up your game locally. Customers are already incentivized by these rising costs to look for better deals. If they can save money by grouping together trips to several local businesses as opposed to spending the money traveling afar to get what they want, there’s a good chance they’ll look to fill their needs locally first. Be ready for this trend! Take immediate action on any or all of the 7 tips shared here to position yourself for success as the “rock star” in your backyard.

© 2008 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then check out Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal' at http://www.MotivationalMarketer.com. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute' at http://www.onlinemarketingmuscle.com/marketingminute/ , -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

How To Push Past Common Marketing Demons And Become Unstoppable

Regardless of what your thoughts and feelings are about marketing, let me assure you, it is not a bad thing. It’s not evil… it doesn’t bite. On the contrary, marketing happens to be a critical cog in the wheel of business success. And in my opinion for small businesses, it’s the most important cog because if your target market doesn’t know you exist, you most definitely won’t make any sales… and no sales equal no business!

And let me suggest that if you’re not screaming your marketing message from the rooftops, there may be more going on here than meets the eye. I repeatedly hear two common excuses from small businesses all the time… those being either a lack of money or a lack of know-how to support their marketing efforts.

Now I’m a firm believer that where there’s a will there’s a way, so let’s go ahead and diffuse those two excuses right now.

For those of you who claim poverty…

Yes, there’s no doubt that money can expedite the effectiveness of your marketing however there are dozens of marketing strategies and tactics available to you for little or no cost… just a little sweat equity so to speak. Take networking for instance. It doesn’t cost you a dime to tell someone what it is you do and how you can add value to their business. Or how about starting an e-newsletter or blog? Both can be done for little or no cost.

For those of you who claim ignorance…

There are simply way too many free or inexpensive marketing resources out there to use that excuse and be able to look yourself in the eye. Take this article for instance… it cost you nothing but your time and some energy to pull value from it. Sign up for some free e-newsletters or read the blogs of marketing experts. Tap into free resources from organizations such as SCORE (www.score.org) or the SBA (www.sba.gov). The resources available to you are unlimited.

How about this? Here’s one simple answer that addresses both the money and know-how excuses. Go to the library, borrow some books from Jay Conrad Levinson’s “Guerrilla Marketing” series, skim through them, pull out 2 or 3 ideas out of the dozens available that you would feel comfortable doing, and do them.

Or how about this idea? Barter. Trade your products or services for some marketing help. Not sure how to go about doing this, then join a bartering network. For a small fee these networks can connect you with others looking to trade.

Yes, it can be that simple. Marketing can be as simple or as difficult as you want it to be… you choose. If you say it’s difficult, you’re right, it’s difficult. If you say it’s easy, guess what… you’re right, it’s easy. Bottom line is yes, it is a choice… your choice. So why choose to be stoppable? If you are really passionate about what you do, choose to be unstoppable.

Now remember earlier when I mentioned that if you’re not screaming your marketing message from the rooftops, there may be more going on here than meets the eye? Well typically there is. My experience tells me that in many cases, a person’s unwillingness to do whatever it takes to market their business usually stems from beyond the two excuses we’ve just explored… it tends to border on the psychology-side. So if by clearing up the previous two excuses doesn’t do it for you, use the following revealing questions to dig a bit deeper and get to the root cause:

• What excuses or stories are you making up to let yourself off the hook for not marketing enough?
• Is there a confidence issue here? If so, what are you really afraid of?
• Is there an underlying fear of not looking good?
• Do you honestly and truly believe in the value of what you do? How about in your ability to deliver it?
• Is there a fear of failure at play here?
• How about a fear of success? Are you consciously or unconsciously sabotaging yourself so that you will not have to step into bigger shoes?

And we can go on and on and on here with the questions however my point is for you to dig a little bit… figure out what’s really going on. If you’re having difficulty, bring in a professional like a coach to facilitate this process.

So in closing, be willing to shine the light on yourself to see what’s really going on. The clarity that this exercise can bring as well as the possibilities you can discover can be life changing for you and your business. Just remember, it all starts with you, your desire to succeed, and the willingness to do whatever it takes to make it so.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, blog, e-newsletter, small businesses, marketing

15 Creative Ways to Make Your Business Card Sizzle

In my opinion, probably the most important and misused marketing collateral that small businesses have is their business card. Now I network an awful lot and tend to gather my fair share of business cards and I have to say, I’m often at a loss how people put such little thought and effort into constructing what very likely will become the lasting image that they leave me with. That being said, if you’re willing, with a little effort, you can use your expertly-crafted business card to easily stand out from the pack.

Let’s try a little exercise. Grab a handful of business cards that you’ve received from people you’ve met and spread them out on a table, face-up so that you can easily see all of them. Now take your eyes off the business cards for a minute and then look back at them. Select the top 5 business cards that for whatever reason just seem to catch your eye. Then analyze those business cards. What about them grabbed your attention and why? The idea here is to learn what works and what doesn’t work in terms of having an immediate WOW impact.

Now once you’ve grabbed their attention, at a bare minimum, I highly recommend that your business card contain the following staples: your name, business name, business address, phone number, email address, and web site address.

Now in my book, these should be a no-brainer. However, I can’t tell you how many times I get a business card from someone without one or more of them.

Another possibility for the above list of staples could be your “title”. However, I’m not crazy about titles and often they are more limiting than anything else. So unless they serve a dual purpose of maybe say communicating what you do, such as “Business Coach” or “Certified Financial Planner”, I’d leave it out and use the real estate for something more valuable.

Now are you ready to step up your game? Well alright -- here are 15 of my favorite tips that can make your business card really sizzle:

1. Use Both Sides of Your Business Card

I don’t know about you but the majority of the business cards I see very rarely take advantage of this precious real estate. Why? I couldn’t tell you. Just remember to leave a little white space if possible for the receiver of your business card in case they want to jot down a few notes about you.

2. Add Your Photo

Take it from a guy who networks a lot; don’t waste any opportunity to be remembered. A photo on a business card definitely makes your marketing work overtime for you and in my book should become a staple. Three of the most important benefits of doing this are one, that it’s personal, two, it establishes a comfort level with you, and three, it makes you easily recognizable.

3. State What You Do

Don’t make me guess. This is typically the kind of note someone will jot down on the back of you business card unless of course you make it easy for them and include it.

4. State Who You Do It For

Again make it easy for me to either hire or refer you.

5. State a Key Competitive Advantage -- Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Why buy from you? Give me a reason. What makes your product or service special? Include this little tidbit on your business card so your target market won’t soon forget.

6. Have a Call to Action

Clearly spell out for me what action you’d like me to take next (e.g. sign up for your newsletter, visit your blog, etc.)

7. Use an Odd Size or Shape for Your Business Card

Some possibilities may be a larger business card size, rounded edges, a specific and relevant shape like a flower if you’re a florist, etc.

8. Magnetize the Back of Your Business Card

People seem to have a hard time throwing away business cards if they are magnetized. As a matter of fact it’s pretty common that they’ll stick them on something like a file cabinet or a refrigerator.

9. Include Tips Related To Your Business

How about a list of 5 things to look for when hiring someone who does what you do? And obviously you can slant this towards your competitive advantages.

10. Include a Calendar on the Back-side of Your Business Card

This technique is one that can keep people referring back to your business card as often as possible.

11. Include Important Dates Hinting When Someone Should Think of You

If you’re an accountant serving small businesses, maybe you include important tax dates that they need to remember. If you’re a landscaper maybe you provide dates on when they should call you for specific services like mulching in the spring, pruning in the fall and so on.

12. Make It Serve Double-Time As A Frequent Rewards Card

Stamp it every time they buy something from you and after a certain number of purchases, give them something of value for free.

13. Make It Serve Double-Time As A Coupon to Use during Their Next Visit

Just leave a spot where you can handwrite an expiration date to cause some sort of urgency to purchase again soon.

14. Make It Serve Double-Time As an Appointment Scheduler

Just leave spots where you can handwrite the time and date of your next appointment.

15. Include Other Web Site URLs Where They Can Connect with You Further

For example your blog; your pages on Social Networking web sites such as MySpace, LinkedIn, or Ryze; Squidoo pages; etc.

So in closing, don’t miss this golden opportunity to have your business card work overtime for you. Implement one, two, or all of these techniques if they make sense of course and watch your business connections bear bigger and better fruits.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter the 'Marketing Minute', -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, Online Marketing Muscle, business cards, target market, blog, social networking, web sites, MySpace, LinkedIn, Ryze, Squidoo

The 3 Things Needed To Turn a Good Web Site, into a Great Web Site

Alright so you have what you think is a good web site. Now what? What do you need to do to not only get it to earn its keep, but turn it from good to great?

Well, in order to have an effective web site of any sort, there are essentially 3 things that have to happen:

1. Your target market needs to know that both you and your web site exist in the first place. So let me ask you, do the people, who you need to know, that you exist, know that you exist? Additionally, what actions are you taking to build awareness?
2. Knowing is not enough, you need to persuade them to visit and in most cases, visit often. So what actions are you taking to do that? What’s in it for them?
3. So now they see the value your web site offers them and they finally do stop by, now what? Well you need to convince them to carry out your intended call to action… whether that is to sign up for your newsletter, comment on your blog, or to buy whatever it is you’re selling. Your ability to get your target market to take your desired action is the bottom-line determining factor of a great web site.

So in closing, you need to be aware that owning a web site is not a set-it and forget-it sort of activity. Without continually implementing the 3 things I just mentioned, your web site, any web site will simply become a money drain.

© 2007 Online Marketing Muscle -- All Rights Reserved.


Want to use this article in your newsletter, blog or web site? You have my
blessing so long as you include the following complete blurb with it (including
links).

Liked this article? -- Then you won’t want to miss Long Island-based marketing consultant, coach, and entrepreneur Dean Mercado’s highly acclaimed marketing blog 'The Motivational Marketer’s Journal'. Additionally, for even more small business marketing and success tips, sample the latest edition of his FREE marketing tips newsletter, the 'Marketing Minute' -- a weekly multimedia e-zine designed to give you a jolt of marketing wisdom in less than 5 minutes.

Technorati Tags: Dean Mercado, target market, web site, blog, newsletter, call to action