I know you are wondering about the headline to this post and so you start reading this entry hoping to make sense out of it. Just like that I have got your attention. If that didn’t do it the picture with the post did. Do you have a puppy? What I mean by that is what do you use to entice your audience to read or engage with your content? Have you ever walked by a puppy and not had the urge to go up and pet it? Your marketing and public relations materials can have the same effect as that cute puppy if you are creative and think about what truly interests your market. I am ashamed to admit this but, I find myself compelled to read the cover of the super market tabloids while standing in line at the grocery store. Why? Because they have either pictures or headlines that pull me in. I will not pick one up and read it because ultimately I do not care what is happening with Brad and Angelina however, I am not like most of America that seems to eat up celebrity gossip. They are doing a wonderful job of pulling in their target market. By the way, did you know that Michael Jackson was Brought Back from the Dead!

Please do not go to the lengths of the tabloids and lie and defame others to sell your product or service. That is not what I am getting at. Just work on having enticing headlines and  imagery. Find creative and compelling ways to attract your target market. For the most part people are attracted to any of the following

• Anything cute – see pic of puppy for reference
• Attractive people – you do not have to go to the far end of the dial with sex. It does work but does not fit all business images.  Attractive fully clothed individuals on the other hand are appropriate for all business types outside of the porn industry.
• Humor- who doesn’t love to laugh?
• Innovation – Most people tend to go Ga-Ga over new technology or ideas. This is my favorite as it means the creativity actually preceded the marketing and the product or service almost sells itself. The Iphone was a great example of this, although their marketing was also very good.

So start incorporating more puppies in your marketing.

A good book to get you started Advertising Headlines That Make You Rich: Create Winning Ads, Web Pages, Sales Letters and More

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Check out this video of an AWESOME SuperHero Marketing tactic!

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I recently attended a speed networking session. It’s like speed dating…but you actually meet people you’d like to spend time with! There were about 50 people in the room and you sit with each of them for one minute. This gives both people the opportunity to share thier 30-second commercial for thier company. So in an hour you make contact with 49people who could be potential clients or a referral source. What an awesome idea!!

Networking is as valuable as you make it. You have to be able to effectively and cohesively share what you do and who your target market is.  The goal of networking is to reach potential clients or make contacts who can refer you to their clients. This is also a great opportunity to meet people who can assist your current clients. Recommending someone for another service your client may need means your aware of all your client’s needs, just just what they need from you. Most cities have a variety of networking groups available. The Chamber of Commerce, the Jaycees (Junior Chamber), BNI, and small business associations are available almost everywhere. The great thing about joining a networking group is that many groups only allow one person from each profession. I know someone who owns a pest control business who joined a BNI group and increased his business through referrals by $100,000 the first year!

Most small business owners are aware of what a 30-second commercial is. It is essential for effective networking and promotiong your business to everyone you meet. But how do you create one? In 30 seconds you need to cover the what, who and why of your business. Delivery takes practice! Practice in the mirror. Practice to your friends and family. Make it second nature when someone asks, what do you do? Our 30-second commercial for Arcimedia is as follows: We are a web design and internet solutions company that assists small business owners who want to expand their customer base and create a strong online presence through effective on and off line markting, branding, email marketing, SEO, blog optimization, graphic design, social media and social networking. Would you like a free website analaysis?

See isn’t that easy??

Now get out there–meet some people!!

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Let’s face it folks, We all want to be entertained. You cannot sell anything by boring people with your “fancy” industry lingo. Do you remember your favorite classes in school? I bet they had teachers that were engaging. You loved going to class because not only did you learn from that teacher but it was at least a little fun. The same principal applies to marketing your business. You want to make it very hard for your clients and prospects to forget you. I am not saying you need to be an “entertainer” but you do have to be engaging. If they are talking about you they are also indirectly talking about your business.

Think of all the companies and brands that have used characters or strong personalities to extend our launch their brands. The recent passing of Billy Mays really brought this idea back to the forefront of my mind. The reason he was such a great “pitchman” is because he was engaging, entertaining, and likable. Another great example is Gary Vaynerchuk, his personality enabled him to connect with a whole new audience of wine lovers.

People love to learn about wine and spend money with Gary because they like him. Part of his great personality is that he is transparent and shares who he is and doesn’t “hide” behind his brand but in a sense is his brand. He has taken his company viral by injecting it with personality. People are spreading his videos all across the internet. In short Gary V has just nailed it. Put bluntly, do not expect your marketing to spread if most of it looks or sounds like a technical journal. Industry jargon has zero chance of going viral.

Granted not every small business owner is outgoing enough to put this magic to work, my recommendation to them is to find that dynamic person and add them to your team. In today’s social media crazed world it is vital to the growth and possibly the survival of almost any type of business. I know there are a lot of businesses that have products and services that by their very nature are just plain boring (aluminum siding comes to mind) but if you are able to put some dynamic human personality behind what would normally be a ho-hum product or service, you may be amazed at the results that you get. Billy Mays did a great job of this with Oxy-Clean. I do not know about you, but Oxy-Clean by itself does not get me very excited. I leave you with a couple of things, I urge you as a business owner or entrepreneur to brainstorm on ways to inject more personality in your product or service. I also have listed below some links and videos of  examples of great “personality” marketing for inspiration.

You must watch at least one video on Wine Library TV

Marina Orlova / Hot for Words

The Late Great Billy Mays

My Friend Patrick Riddle/ Real Estate Investing Coach

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Have you seen a 3D movie this year? Unless you are like me and only see about 2-3 movies a year, I bet you have, especially if you have kids.  Monsters vs Aliens has grossed over $375 million worldwide and Up had an opening weekend of over $62 million. What has helped these movies rise to the top of the summertime box office? The answer is having them available in 3D. Though I am sure they would have done well despite the fact that 3D was an option. The movie studios are on top of their marketing game. The advances in and decelerating cost of home theater electronics combined with the cost of taking the family to see a movie are  giving us more reasons to stay home. The studios realize this so they gave everyone an “advanced option” that is not available anywhere else.

How can your business follow the Hollywood studio’s lead? Can you add on or  enhance your product or service in a way that your competition is not? I encourage you to think outside the box when contemplating this. If your business is one that meets with clients on a one on one basis for more than 15 minutes, how about getting their car detailed while they meet with you. What about packaging a service with a product? A sports equipment store could offer swing coaches for golf or baseball. I know I would rather buy a product from someone that teaches me to better use their product.

I know what your about to throw at me, “what about the cost?”  If you give customers a better “experience” you can charge a higher cost. In addition you should know that if you are able to attract a lot more customers than cost becomes less of an issue. There are plenty of  low cost things you can do to, you just have to give it a little thought and I am sure you will have that “A-HA” moment that sends your business soaring.

Start handing out those 3D glasses because you are about to “come at” your competition like a jet-packed spider monkey wearing boxing gloves in 3D.

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On episode two we cover twitter 101, talking logos, getting a free Ivy leauge education, and how to pimpify your students.

Click one of the links below to play.

Also available on Itunes

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