MarketingSherpa's Email Marketing Handbook 2nd Edition
Research-based strategies for accelerating email marketing performance.
When it comes to effective marketing campaigns, my first choice of
information is MarketSherpa. These guys know what they're talking
about and in the 2nd Edition of the Email Marketing Handbook, you'll
find valuable information on how to utilize email marketing techniques.
Elevating the Effectiveness of Your Email Program
Today's marketers are tasked with trying to communicate effectively in a world of competing advertising
messages to an audience experiencing email fatigue. Complicating matters further, marketing strategies have
shifted from command and control methods to more open and inclusive tactics. Brand is no longer separated
from the conversation; rather it is expected to participate.
For marketers to accelerate their email and overall marketing performance, they must overcome daily
obstacles to work with a variety of communication channels (social and mobile) and data centers to assist the
customer along the path to purchase.
Best practices and sales and marketing intuition are not enough to build strong relationships with customers.
Rather, it takes a measurable and repeatable methodology by which people, process and technology are
aligned to effectively engage customers from introduction to conversion.
MarketingSherpa’s new Email Marketing Handbook 2nd Edition helps guide marketers through a step-by-step
process to elevate their email programs results. This handbook is broken down into actionable steps, allowing
marketers to methodically improve the accuracy and effectiveness of their email communications. It begins with
identifying ways to help the subscriber at each funnel stage, and finishes with the safe arrival messages in
subscribers inbox.
Inside the 252-page handbook we have uncovered the best practices to give your organization the sustenance
to increase the speed and accuracy of its email communications. It also includes worksheets and exercises
designed to help you prioritize and fine tune your message when adding lifecycle communications or
promoting the latest mobile app. Our goal is to have this handbook become your trusted resources for
executing meaningful email communications.
HOW NOW BROWN COW?
My client and good friend Sheri Paris, found out how to utilize Facebook as a forum to generate business. I've
been telling all my clients about Facebook posts for a few years now and as in Sher's case, the proof is in the
pudding, or wiith the Brown Cow. When Sheri, a very talented artist, posts her work on Facebook she gets a lot
of "Like's" from her many friends. In this instance she received an offer to paint three commissioned pieces.
Why can't I get all my clients to understand that Facebook is FREE and all your friends, and potential clients,
read just about everything you post. Having a special at your business and offering 20% OFF? Post it on your
Facebook page. It's like having your own blog. Talk about your business, your experiences with other
customers... Become an expert in your field and people will respond to you.
Take a look at some of Sheri's artwork by visiting her website at: www.sheriparis.com
WHAT IS MANTA?
based, free advertising, Manta has proven its weight in Gold. Since i started utilizing Manta a few months ago,
I've been rewarded with two new clients! My opinion - Get your business listed on Manta, it's free and it allows
you to showcase your product/service. I tell my current and future prospects all the time, "the more links you
have going in/out of your site, the higher you rating on the search engines. Have a question about marketing
your business? Give me a call, send an email for a Free Consultation. Have a great day!
WHAT'S NEW IN SOCIAL MEDIA?
American Express has entered small business social media with a useful
business tool called YourBuzz . This is ‘one stop shopping’ for business owners
interested in knowing when a company or an individual has mentioned its own
name.
Through an easy-to-navigate YourBuzz dashboard, select those social media
sites, such as Facebook and Twitter (Yahoo, Foursquare, Yelp, Bing,
CitySearch, Superpages are additional options) that you wish.YourBuzz to
automatically monitor for you. When a mention of you or your company appears
in one of the connected social sites, you will be notified. Then you can take that
information and reply, comment,thank someone…whatever you wish to do with
hat ‘mention’. YourBuzz allows small business owners to act as their own online
reputation managers! Logon for more information > https://www.yourbuzz.com
WATCH THE VIDEO
PAY PER CLICK ADVERTISING
PPC or pay per click is a manner of advertising in search engines where you pay for every click you get. When
done rightly, you will surely get a great profit from this. In search engines, there are two types of results,
the organic and the paid results. Organic results are the result of SEO as how SEO specialists analyze it while
paid results are those websites who paid to have their links placed on a particular spot whenever a certain
keyword is typed. PPC could surely increase the chances of conversion and could give an incredible number of
traffic to your website. Another benefit is that PPC campaigns target customers who are usually ready to
purchase an item. You would need the help of PPC professionals for your PPC campaign but you wouldn’t
regret this for it will make your site more profitable.
Many PPC campaigns, such as Facebook and Google, will give you a boost in the form of money to get
started. Google Adwords usually gives a new customer $75.00 to get started, Facebbok claims you can "reach
over 800 million people where they connect and share." The sky is the limit and depending on your advertising
budget, you can (and will) make a huge impact on your bottom line.
Here are the top PPC sites:
FACEBOOK
GOOGLE ADWORDS
CLICKABLE
Sell More by Adding Variety
By Jainice King
People buy more jelly beans when they're offered an assortment of colors. This is true even if all the jelly beans
taste the same. In experiments involving thousands of consumers, researchers at several major universities
concluded that the more choices shoppers have, the more they buy
Sometimes buying a product is difficult because of the variety of models--with options, add-on items, and
services--the customer must choose from in order to obtain a complete solution. Promotional materials for
these products must present the choices clearly and take advantage of opportunities for cross-selling and
upselling.
Cross-Selling Adds More Items
Cross-selling promotes an add-on or accessory product or service that, when combined with the primary
product, makes a better or complete solution. A classic example of cross-selling is the question, "Do you want
fries with that?"
In many cases, cross-selling involves helping customers assemble a tailored product from a variety of options.
An effective cross-sell presents these options clearly and makes it easy for customers to choose among them.
Upselling Adds More Value
Upselling promotes a more powerful or higher level model than the one the customer is considering. To use the
fast-food metaphor again, an up-sell would be "The deluxe burger is not only bigger, but it includes the special
sauce and only costs a little more. Would you like that instead?"
A product model that offers greater capabilities, flexibility, or capacity might be suitable for upsell. In this case,
the seller's job is to make sure a customer is aware this model exists and to encourage consideration of both
models before the purchase decision.
Promotional Ideas
Both cross-selling and upselling can be done in print materials and on the Web. The following ideas can be
used for print materials such as brochures, catalogs, and selection guides:
•Include a brief "Related Products" section that lists the names or model numbers of upsell and cross-sell
products.
•Present a chart of available options, describing the target use or environment for each.
•Describe typical packages or product combinations, especially when a customer must purchase multiple
components. This can be done with a simple bullet list that describes the content of each package.
Because of the dynamic links between pages, cross-selling and upselling are especially easy to implement on
a Web site. For example, you can create links among catalog pages to show related products, or link to a
services page from a product page. The navigation process you define for purchase transactions on a Web
site can also guide a visitor through pages that present cross-sell or upsell options.
More Choices, More Sales
If handled correctly, cross-selling and upselling can help customers choose the best products for their needs
and generate a stronger customer relationship for your company. And of course, more revenue too.
About the Auhtor: Janice is an award-winning freelance copywriter who helps technology companies around
the world produce clear, compelling sales and PR materials. This article is excerpted in part from Janice's
latest book, Copywriting That Sells High Tech, which has been called "a superb guide to great copy for any
technology-based product or service." Learn about the book and find many valuable resources for high-tech
marketing at Janice's site: http://www.writinghightech.com. Copyright(c)2006, Janice M. King. All rights
reserved.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janice_King
http://EzineArticles.com/?Increase-Product-Sales-with-Cross-Selling-and-Up-Selling&id=252233
10 Marketing Message Myths
By Kathy Slusher-Haas
Your marketing message is a crucial piece in your overall marketing plan. Without it, you won't have a
foundation for your marketing. Your marketing message is meant to elicit curiosity and stand out. Far too often,
however, marketing messages are flat and gain no attention. Here are 10 marketing myths that can lead your
marketing message astray.
Myth 1: Facts and Figures Sell. Wow Them With Numbers
Unfortunately, too much emphasis is placed on showing facts and figures and not enough on the emotions
behind what these facts and figures mean. People decide they want to buy based on emotional factors. Are
you speaking to their values? Are you hitting on emotional triggers? Do you understand the thoughts, fears and
desires of the people to whom you are speaking? That is what makes people want to buy. The facts and
figures help justify the purchase and will help demonstrate the value of the purchase. Value = Benefits-Cost.
Myth 2: Find & Fill a Need
While there has to be a need in order for people to buy into your product or program, the need alone doesn't
guarantee a sale. One of the biggest factors in people choosing whom they will buy from is the genuine
passion of the person they are speaking to. You have to truly believe in what you are selling. If you're not bought
in, they won't be bought in.
Myth 3: Overcome Mental Chatter
We get over 3,000 messages a day. That doesn't include the messages we are constantly telling ourselves.
You may feel as though you have to overcome that mental chatter and chatter loader and longer to get the
attention of your audience. The point is not to overcome that mental chatter, but rather to tap into it. Figure out
what your target audience is facing; what are the thoughts that are keeping them up at night? This will
demonstrate to your audience that you truly understand.
Myth 4: Teach Them About Me and What I Do
Your marketing message is not about you or what you do. Your marketing message is about what your target
audience is going through and what they desire to be, have, and/or do. What you do, whether it be coaching,
massage therapy, intuitive readings, social media consulting etc. is the tool to help them achieve what they
desire.
Myth 5: Get in Front of as Many People as Possible. It's All About the Numbers
You can get in front of thousands of people and not get a single client. It's not about how many people you talk
to. It's about talking to the right people about the right thing. This is why it's so important to define your niche:
target audience + the challenge they are facing/solution you offer. Understanding your niche will help you
describe their world and what they are experiencing.
Myth 6: Spread Your Message Across as Many Mediums as Possible
One of the biggest mistakes business owners make when marketing is trying to do it all. You can't, especially if
you are a solo professional. Pick 3 to 5 marketing outlets, article marketing, public speaking, teleclasses,
networking etc. and own those 3 to 5 activities. Consistency is more important than spread.
Myth 7: They Need to See the Value
Yes, they need to see the value. But the emphasis should not be on THEY HAVE TO SEE but rather on WE
HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE. It is our job to demonstrate the value of what we offer and justify the prices we are
asking.
Myth 8: Speak to Your Target Audience as a Group
Although we are speaking to many people through our marketing messages, they should be written and
spoken as though we are talking to one person sitting across the table from us. Personalize your marketing. No
one wants to feel like one of the masses. They want to feel unique and special. Speak to them as though they
are.
Myth 9: Don't Use Lingo
The issue here is really whose lingo are you speaking. Many industries have their own lingo. But this myth is
about speaking in lingo in general. When speaking to your target audience, it is perfectly OK, if not preferable,
to speak in their lingo, using their language. It helps them feel as though you are one of them and understand
them.
Myth 10: The Intention of My Marketing Message is to Get a Client
Many times when I ask my clients what is your intention with this marketing message, they say to get clients.
The trouble is, a marketing message is meant to be the first step in developing a relationship. The relationship
will end in clients.
There are really two intentions you should focus on when writing your core marketing message. The first is what
you would like your target audience to get out of it. Do you want them to feel understood and heard? Do you
want them to know the possibilities of what might be? Do you want them to know they're not alone?
The second is what would you like to get out of your marketing message? Do you want them to see you as an
expert or resource? Do you want them to think of you first when they decide they want to make a change? Do
you want them to know you have the answer?
While these are only a few marketing myths out there, they are biggies. Don't fall into the trap of a flat,
ineffective marketing message. Your marketing message is often the first impression people will receive about
you and your business.
About the Author: Kathy Jo Slusher-Haas is a certified marketing and business coach who specializes in
helping other certified coaches build their coaching empire. Interested in more tips to help you grow your
business and market like an expert? Visit http://www.marketyourcoachingbusiness.com/Free-Stuffs for instant
access to your own free Marketing Survival Guide.
Seriously... Teach Me How To Utilize Linked In For My Small Business
Over the past few years I've written a lot of articles about what Linked In (LI) could do for your small business.
One of those articles was, "Why Linked In Is The Best," but no one was catching on to what I was saying. Well,
now it's time to break down the key benefits of LI and how to utilize them in marketing and promoting your small
business.
Within the LI community their are groups, tons of them, ripe for the picking. What you have to do is utilize the
search feature in LI, just like you utilize Google. These links hook you up to your industry, what you want to
accomplish or as a source of inspiration to compliment your business marketing strategy.
Here are a few examples;
I wanted to find out more information and receive tips from the top professionals in the publishing industry. In
the LI search, I included terms such as publishing, book publishing, book marketing, book promotion, book
publicity... Do you get where I'm going with this? Seriously folks, it's that easy. With those search terms I was
able to join: The Publishers' Publicity Association and Book Publicity and Marketing. These two links brought
me into a circle of highly skilled individuals and I've been able to learn a great deal from the articles they publish
and by being able to get answers to questions.
My clients ask me where I've learned all these tricks of the trade... "Simple, I tell them, the key to success is to
never stop learning!" Another great example was to use the search terms advertising, marketing, publicity,
promotion, creative... etc. From these terms, I was able to come up with an amazing assortment of groups, like
Advertising Freelance, Advertising Professional, Creative Designers and Writers , just to name a few.
Let's take my friend and client Bob Drake and his small business "Excellence In Basketball." Bob can get on LI
and search for the terms basketball (501 groups), high school basketball (34 groups), basketball coaching (13
groups) and basketball products (3 groups). With those four search terms I was able to find 551 related groups.
What does that mean for Bob, his small business and his product line? 551 new markets to explore, to learn, to
promote his company! What if Bob searched for basketball marketing? That's another 10 groups of "industry
specific" groups to help Bobs company.
Do you want to know more? Check out the "Linked In Learning Center." You will find an amazing amount of
information on how to utilize LI as a marketing tool, such as; Training Webinars, The LI Guide to Small
Business Success, which is a great video presentation and a valuable resource. Whether it’s a question about
the best payroll solution, structuring stock options, or putting together an investor deck for the first time, the LI
"Entrepreneurs" page will teach you everything you want to know.. One of my favorite pages is the "Business
Development" page. It allows you to develop the right partnerships and connections to grow and expand your
business.
How about the "Non-Profit" section of the Learning Center? Find and connect to the most influential people in
your industry by searching for skills like Volunteer Management or Fundraising using LinkedIn Skills.
Oh, I almost forgot - IT'S FREE!
Five Successful Marketing Techniques
Keep Adding Something New
Every time you add something new to your business you create an opportunity to get more sales. For example,
something as simple as adding new information on your web site creates another selling opportunity when
prospects and customers visit your site to see the new information.
Adding a new product or service to the list of those you already offer usually produces a big increase in sales.
The added product increases your sales in 3 different ways:
+ It attracts new customers who were not interested in your current products and services.
+ It generates repeat sales from existing customers who also want to have your new product.
+ It enables you to get bigger sales by combining 2 or more items into special package offers.
Become a Valuable Resource
Look for ways you can be a resource for your prospects and customers. Supply them with free information.
Help them do things faster, easier, less expensively. You get another opportunity to sell something every time
they come back to you for help.
Separate Yourself from Your Competition
Find or create a reason for customers to do business with you instead of with someone else offering the same
or similar products. For example, do you provide faster results, easier procedures, personal attention or a
better guarantee?
Determine the unique advantage you offer to customers that your competitors do not offer. Promote that
advantage in all of your advertising. Give your prospects a reason to do business with you instead of with your
competition and you'll automatically get more sales.
Promote the End Result
Your customers don't really want your product or service. They want the benefit produced by using it.
For example, car buyers want convenient transportation with a certain image. Dental patients want healthy and
good-looking teeth without suffering any pain. Business opportunity seekers want personal and financial
freedom for themselves and their family.
Make sure your web pages, sales letters and other sales messages are promoting the end result your
customers want.
Anticipate Change
Change is the biggest challenge to your business success. The days are gone when a business could
constantly grow by simply repeating what it did successfully in the past ...or even recently. Aggressive,
innovative competitors and rapidly changing technology make it impossible.
Expect change and prepare for it. Don't wait until your income declines to take action. Develop the habit of
looking for early signs that something is changing. Then confront it before you start to lose business.
Tip: Insulate yourself against the impact of change by increasing the number of products and services you offer
and by using a variety of different marketing methods. Only a small portion of your total business will be
affected if the sales of one product decline or the response to one marketing method drops.
How many of these 5 proven marketing techniques have you overlooked or ignored? Start using them today
and you'll see an immediate increase in your sales.
7 Deadly Marketing Mistakes Small Businesses Make
By Jessica Swanson, Manta Marketing Expert
Before you launch your next marketing campaign, whether online or offline, make sure to avoid some of the
most common marketing mistakes.
1. Failure to write a powerful headline.
Whether you're writing a newspaper ad, email message or press release, you must create a powerful headline.
Research suggests that your headline is the most important part of your ad. It is absolutely essential that you
draw your prospective customer or client into your ad and keep them interested in what you have to offer.
2. Absence of an irresistible offer.
In marketing, 40% of the response that you receive from your prospects is directly related to your offer. In
today's competitive marketplace, you need to present your client or customer with an offer that they simply can't
resist. Offers can range from discounts to offering a free report, but the fact remains that if you have an
irresistible offer, people will respond.
3. A weak or non-existent call to action.
Every single time you create an ad, you want to direct your prospective client or customer to take a specific
action. This action can be to call a toll-free number, visit a website or place an order. If you fail to tell your
prospect exactly what you want them to do, they won't do anything. Take your prospect by the hand and show
them what they need to do next in order to guide them through your sales process.
4. An inadequate list.
Even if you have the best product since sliced bread, you need highly targeted and responsive prospects. This
can be accomplished by building a list. There are dozens of tools that allow you to build a list quickly and
efficiently. The best way to accomplish this is by asking prospects to supply you with their name and email in
exchange for your “irresistible free offer.” Most marketers agree that growing a list is perhaps one of the most
important jobs for any small business.
5. Relying on one marketing message.
On average, consumers are exposed to over 4,000 marketing messages every day. Recent research suggests
that your clients and customers will need to see your marketing message between seven and twelve times
before they even take notice. That means you can never rely on sending one message to your prospects;
instead, you need to send repeated messages to them over and over again. Decide how you will deliver your
message and then make sure to develop and continue a relationship with your prospect in an ongoing process.
6. Failure to measure campaign effectiveness.
There are literally hundreds of ways to market your small business. Over time, you'll most likely tap into dozens
of these marketing platforms. However, it is absolutely vital that you take time to measure the effectiveness of
your various marketing campaigns. This can be done with simple spreadsheets or fancier CRM systems. No
matter how you measure your marketing, you must understand what is working and what is not working so that
you can be extremely effective.
7. Not communicating with your current customers.
It's vital to provide ongoing communication with your current customer base. You've spent valuable time and
money acquiring new customers. Moreover, 20% of your current customers will purchase from you again. Make
sure that you communicate with your customers on a regular basis, solicit their feedback and provide value to
them over the long-term. This will help build your small business over time.
Whether you are a brand new small business owner or an established veteran, it's essential to avoid these
most common marketing mistakes. To be successful over time, you must continually work to improve your
marketing effectiveness. If you do, your business can grow with ease.
The Psychology of Creativity
Here's a deceptively simple question: if we all have the potential to be creative, why is it so hard?
Part of the problem is that so little attention is paid to the psychological research on creativity. If we can
harness what scientists already know about creativity, we can propel ourselves to new heights of achievement.
Creativity isn't just for artists, we all need it—at home, in our relationships and, for many of us, at work. By one
measure around 30% of workers in the US are members of the creative classes. Along with designers, writers
and artists this includes professions like lawyers, business people and healthcare professionals; in fact it
includes anyone who has to use an existing body of knowledge to reach creative solutions.
For many of us, then, our incomes rely on our creativity. Boost our creativity and the rewards will come.
Collected below are recent PsyBlog articles which explore how to be creative:
Boost Creativity: 7 Unusual Psychological Techniques
The Creative Power of Thinking Outside Yourself
Get Creative: 7 More Psychological Techniques
Unusual Thinking Styles Increase Creativity
6 Ways to Kill Creativity
Creativity for the Cautious
How to Promote Visionary Thinking
How Mark Zuckerberg Can Fix Our Federal Budget Deficit
By Gene Marks
We are facing a huge deficit problem in this country. A problem that is already severely impacting our
productivity and our economic growth. A problem that is affecting our younger generation today and, if not
stopped, will affect future generations to come. A problem that has called into question the moral and
economic leadership of America in today's world order.
The problem is Facebook.
This is all my kids are doing. And my friends too. Facebook is everywhere. It's wasting everyone's time.
Americans, both young and old, have come to rely on this service to post embarrassing videos of themselves
at parties, irrelevant updates of their daily activities and nonsensical comments on the activities of others. This
problem is severely draining the communication skills of our youth, the intelligence of our adults and the overall
output of our country. If not stopped, the problem of Facebook could bankrupt the future of our nation. It's
creating an intelligence deficit on an unprecedented scale.
This is why I feel that Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg (like other business owners I know) is suitably well
equipped to deal with that other deficit problem facing this country: our nation's Federal budget deficit.
We all know that Zuckerberg's incredibly bright. And ruthlessly competitive. And if he's anything like he's
portrayed in The Social Network...he's my kind of guy! This is a smart, smart business person. How else could
he entice hundreds of millions of people to join his service just so they can update their friends about how great
Casey Abrams' performed on American Idol the other night?
Mark Zuckerberg has created an intelligence deficit problem in this country. So he owes it to us, the American
people, to fix this country's Federal deficit problem. He can do it too. I don't know him personally, even though
he does look like a lot the guy I cheated off of in Sunday school. So I'm just conjecturing. But I do know that he
was smart enough to realize that most of us are idiots, preferring to check out each other's Facebook photos
and play games like FarmVille than read a book or have a simple conversation. So if he's smart enough to do
that, then I believe that Zuckerberg, like many business people, is capable of making the difficult, but common
sense decisions that most politicians are afraid to make.
For starters, I believe that he would not raise taxes. Like the other business people I know I think he would
reduce them. This guy didn't get millions of people to sign up for his service by charging them for the privilege.
Instead, he gives away Facebook's services for free. Why? Because he understands that by giving people a
low cost way to join a marketplace he's creating a vast community for others to profit. Thousands of businesses
have been created because of Facebook. Not just small companies marketing their products and services. But
larger companies have profited through advertising to this market. And other companies have created
products and applications designed specifically for Facebook users. Hundreds of millions of revenue dollars
have been generated as a result of this model. The costs to do business in the Facebook marketplace are low.
The potential to grow, and profit, is high.
Business people want to see the same thing happen in this economy. We see high corporate and individual tax
rates as a barrier. It takes an already large cost and makes it larger. It absorbs funds from companies who
would otherwise use that capital to expand, buy more equipment and hire more people. It takes money away
from individuals, particularly those "high wealth" individuals living in those ritzy suburban communities, paying
mortgages, driving their kids to soccer practice and going to Disney World. Using the Facebook model for the
overall economy, I think that Mark Zuckerberg would want to lower the tax burden for businesses and
individuals so they too can grow and profit...and pay fees back from those higher profits in the form of taxes.
Next, I believe he would make significant changes to our current system of entitlements. For starters, and I'm
still trying to cope with this: Zuckerberg still under thirty. And like most people that age I'm betting retirement is
a long way off in his mind. But that's not even important, because it's highly unlikely that Mark Zuckerberg will
even need social security or Medicare at that age. The guy's not just rich...he's Facebook rich! Now, none of
the small business owners I know are as loaded as Zuckerberg. But most of us don't expect to rely on the U.S.
government for our retirement either. We are independent people, which is why we're business owners. Those
that can are putting away money for their retirement. Or they're paying what they need to pay for health
insurance.
I think Zuckerberg would agree with me on this: People who don't need to be getting social security or
Medicare benefits...shouldn't. They can afford not to. That would save some money. So would increasing the
retirement age. I don't think many business owners would disagree with this either. In fact, most of the business
owners I speak to can't understand how that cute girl from 11th grade back in 1978 put on so much weight in
her Facebook photo. But the guys I talk to do understand one thing: the social security and Medicare tax is...a
tax. They also understand that if they don't need the benefits they shouldn't be getting them. Particularly if those
same benefits would instead go to people who need them more and any savings would go back into the
system, helping to reduce our Federal budget deficit.
Finally, I believe Mark Zuckerberg would treat the Federal budget the same way he would treat Facebook's
budget. Facebook is incredibly popular and I'm sure incredibly profitable too (they're not a publicly held
company and thus do not have to disclose their financial performance). But things never stay the same and it
wouldn't be unusual if someday Facebook faces its own financial challenges. Maybe they expand too fast. Or
take on too much debt. Or find themselves in a more competitive environment where other companies eat into
their market share. Maybe their expenses rise faster than revenues. Sound familiar? It probably does to the
President and Congress.
I'd have faith that Zuckerberg would do what most other business owners and managers would do. Which is
exactly what he'd probably do if he were in charge of the Federal budget, too.
For starters, he would cut all the embarrassing photos of me from college that my friends have posted without
my permission. Then he'd cut expenses. He'd realize that although it would be great to have everything and pay
everyone he couldn't do that on a limited budget. So he'd make some hard decisions. He would lower costs.
He would have to lay people off. He would cut programs. He would cap outgoing cash. He would make sure
that his revenues were enough to cover operating costs. This would hurt. I mean it's Facebook, for God's sake -
the king of social communities, the brightest tech start in a decade. Just like America. But even Facebook can't
afford everything. Even the people at Facebook would have to live within their means. That is, if they want to
survive. Just like America.
And if the company was saddled with enormous debt I'm sure Zuckerberg would take action on that too. He'd
include a debt maintenance plan within his budget. He wouldn't be asking for more debt to cover expenses. In
fact it wouldn't be likely that he could get it, without paying for it dearly in the future. So he'd have a concrete
plan for paying down debt over a reasonable period of time. Something that would make his investors and
board members comfortable.
Because that's what good business people would do...small and large. That's what Mark Zuckerberg would do.
He would apply those same principles to the Federal deficit.
I know, I know. This guy is ruining the moral fiber of society. He's created an intellectual deficit. It's because of
him that I get all those annoying requests to join Mafia Wars. But you can't deny he's a smart business guy. And
if he were in charge of cutting the Federal deficit just think how many "likes" he'd be getting.
Gene Marks, CPA, is the owner of the Marks Group, which sells customer relationship, service, and financial
management tools to small and midsize businesses. Marks is the author of four best-selling small business
books and writes the popular "Penny Pincher's Almanac" syndicated column. He frequently speaks to business
groups on penny-pinching topics. More penny-pinching advice from Marks can be found at http://www.
quickerbetterwiser.com. Follow Gene on Twitter at @genemarks on and Facebook at http://facebook.
com/quickerbetterwiser
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gene_Marks
5 Big Mistakes To Avoid in Your QR Code Marketing Campaign
from Matthias Galica
Consumer-facing QR codes are hitting mainstream America hard this summer. Despite the idea that a rising
tide lifts all boats, many well-intentioned marketers are crippling their campaigns with simple mistakes.
This is a big reason why QR codes still get a bad rap from some folks. QR codes by themselves are
fundamentally neither good nor bad, they’re just a means to an end: an offline-to-online delivery mechanism. It’s
what’s beyond the code that usually determines whether the experience will delight or disappoint.
Unfortunately, many early adopter marketers aren’t yet fully versed in the best practices or optimal use cases.
It’s the adventurous consumer that suffers from the growing pains.
Since I’ve spent the past 18 months waist-deep in this fast-developing market, I’m compelled to offer up my
short list of basic mistakes to avoid at all costs. While heeding all these rules won’t make your QR code
marketing great by itself, they will likely save you from some embarrassment.
MISTAKE 1: NOT TESTING THE CODE
Common sense right? Until you’re able to read a QR code just by looking at it, you should always test the
proofs with a variety of smartphones and scanning apps before you release a campaign.
This is the simplest way to spot scanning problems. For instance, a small placement (less than an inch) will
often be too dense to scan if you’ve encoded a longer URL, but using bit.ly or goo.gl to automatically generate
a short URL QR code is an easy fix.
Since QR codes feature up to a 30% error correction rate, there’s flexibility for creative branding and tweaks.
But if the designer accidentally overdid it, test-scanning is an easy path to being the office hero that day.
MISTAKE 2: GETTING TOO FANCY WITH TEXT
If your goal is to get people to a mobile web experience, you should only ever encode a short URL. Don’t
include any plain text, since many barcode scanners (even gold standards like ShopSavvy) won’t tease out the
link. If you’re hoping a user will copy/paste on a mobile device, don’t bet on it.
Think of the QR code as a physical hyperlink that every barcode scanner should be able to immediately “click.”
If your QR code requires the user to do much more than point and scan to arrive at the intended content, you’re
probably doing it wrong.
MISTAKE 3: SERVING UP NON-MOBILE PAGES
Your QR code scans successfully but you’ve pointed the user to a standard desktop website, when 99.9% of
QR codes are scanned by a mobile device. Fail.
Get acquainted with HTML5 to give your mobile web app that native app feel. You can either hire a developer
to build your mobile site or use a non-technical modular CMS (content management system) like Paperlinks if it
suits your campaign objectives.
MISTAKE 4: PUTTING QR CODE WHERE THERE'S NO DATA SIGNAL
Where your ad will run is just as important as how you implement it.
Tesco’s recent QR code “grocery store” in a Korean subway worked great because those platforms have Wi-
Fi. This is not the case in the U.S. Placing QR codes in locations without Internet access is a sure way to make
your audience upset. Make sure you know where the ads will be, and if possible, run tests to make sure they
are visible and will still work.
MISTAKE 5: NOT OFFERING ENOUGH VALUE
This point is highly subjective but also probably the most important. The proper mindset is to reward the user
for scanning your QR code. This “reward,” however, will change depending on what you’re trying to promote.
Try to avoid redundancy (a digital copy of your flyer), irrelevance or dullness (your company’s street address).
Take the above image. The U.S. Marine Corps. QR code promises a cool experience but instead leads to a
wallpaper download and a commercial.
When coupled with a clearly articulated call-to-action near the QR code, we’ve found the most compelling
campaigns tend to offer one or more of the following:
- Exclusive rich media, videos and photos
- Exclusive or time-sensitive access
- Free downloads or swag
- Instant Win” contests
- Special offers, coupons or gifts
- Secret” information
- Deep integration with social media to activate viral loops
The best advice is to put yourself in the shoes of your target fan. Would you bother pulling out the phone for your
campaign? Would you be happy with the pay off? A little bit of time and thought can create a truly successful
QR campaign.
Research-based strategies for accelerating email marketing performance.
When it comes to effective marketing campaigns, my first choice of
information is MarketSherpa. These guys know what they're talking
about and in the 2nd Edition of the Email Marketing Handbook, you'll
find valuable information on how to utilize email marketing techniques.
Elevating the Effectiveness of Your Email Program
Today's marketers are tasked with trying to communicate effectively in a world of competing advertising
messages to an audience experiencing email fatigue. Complicating matters further, marketing strategies have
shifted from command and control methods to more open and inclusive tactics. Brand is no longer separated
from the conversation; rather it is expected to participate.
For marketers to accelerate their email and overall marketing performance, they must overcome daily
obstacles to work with a variety of communication channels (social and mobile) and data centers to assist the
customer along the path to purchase.
Best practices and sales and marketing intuition are not enough to build strong relationships with customers.
Rather, it takes a measurable and repeatable methodology by which people, process and technology are
aligned to effectively engage customers from introduction to conversion.
MarketingSherpa’s new Email Marketing Handbook 2nd Edition helps guide marketers through a step-by-step
process to elevate their email programs results. This handbook is broken down into actionable steps, allowing
marketers to methodically improve the accuracy and effectiveness of their email communications. It begins with
identifying ways to help the subscriber at each funnel stage, and finishes with the safe arrival messages in
subscribers inbox.
Inside the 252-page handbook we have uncovered the best practices to give your organization the sustenance
to increase the speed and accuracy of its email communications. It also includes worksheets and exercises
designed to help you prioritize and fine tune your message when adding lifecycle communications or
promoting the latest mobile app. Our goal is to have this handbook become your trusted resources for
executing meaningful email communications.
HOW NOW BROWN COW?
My client and good friend Sheri Paris, found out how to utilize Facebook as a forum to generate business. I've
been telling all my clients about Facebook posts for a few years now and as in Sher's case, the proof is in the
pudding, or wiith the Brown Cow. When Sheri, a very talented artist, posts her work on Facebook she gets a lot
of "Like's" from her many friends. In this instance she received an offer to paint three commissioned pieces.
Why can't I get all my clients to understand that Facebook is FREE and all your friends, and potential clients,
read just about everything you post. Having a special at your business and offering 20% OFF? Post it on your
Facebook page. It's like having your own blog. Talk about your business, your experiences with other
customers... Become an expert in your field and people will respond to you.
Take a look at some of Sheri's artwork by visiting her website at: www.sheriparis.com
WHAT IS MANTA?
based, free advertising, Manta has proven its weight in Gold. Since i started utilizing Manta a few months ago,
I've been rewarded with two new clients! My opinion - Get your business listed on Manta, it's free and it allows
you to showcase your product/service. I tell my current and future prospects all the time, "the more links you
have going in/out of your site, the higher you rating on the search engines. Have a question about marketing
your business? Give me a call, send an email for a Free Consultation. Have a great day!
WHAT'S NEW IN SOCIAL MEDIA?
American Express has entered small business social media with a useful
business tool called YourBuzz . This is ‘one stop shopping’ for business owners
interested in knowing when a company or an individual has mentioned its own
name.
Through an easy-to-navigate YourBuzz dashboard, select those social media
sites, such as Facebook and Twitter (Yahoo, Foursquare, Yelp, Bing,
CitySearch, Superpages are additional options) that you wish.YourBuzz to
automatically monitor for you. When a mention of you or your company appears
in one of the connected social sites, you will be notified. Then you can take that
information and reply, comment,thank someone…whatever you wish to do with
hat ‘mention’. YourBuzz allows small business owners to act as their own online
reputation managers! Logon for more information > https://www.yourbuzz.com
WATCH THE VIDEO
PAY PER CLICK ADVERTISING
PPC or pay per click is a manner of advertising in search engines where you pay for every click you get. When
done rightly, you will surely get a great profit from this. In search engines, there are two types of results,
the organic and the paid results. Organic results are the result of SEO as how SEO specialists analyze it while
paid results are those websites who paid to have their links placed on a particular spot whenever a certain
keyword is typed. PPC could surely increase the chances of conversion and could give an incredible number of
traffic to your website. Another benefit is that PPC campaigns target customers who are usually ready to
purchase an item. You would need the help of PPC professionals for your PPC campaign but you wouldn’t
regret this for it will make your site more profitable.
Many PPC campaigns, such as Facebook and Google, will give you a boost in the form of money to get
started. Google Adwords usually gives a new customer $75.00 to get started, Facebbok claims you can "reach
over 800 million people where they connect and share." The sky is the limit and depending on your advertising
budget, you can (and will) make a huge impact on your bottom line.
Here are the top PPC sites:
GOOGLE ADWORDS
CLICKABLE
Sell More by Adding Variety
By Jainice King
People buy more jelly beans when they're offered an assortment of colors. This is true even if all the jelly beans
taste the same. In experiments involving thousands of consumers, researchers at several major universities
concluded that the more choices shoppers have, the more they buy
Sometimes buying a product is difficult because of the variety of models--with options, add-on items, and
services--the customer must choose from in order to obtain a complete solution. Promotional materials for
these products must present the choices clearly and take advantage of opportunities for cross-selling and
upselling.
Cross-Selling Adds More Items
Cross-selling promotes an add-on or accessory product or service that, when combined with the primary
product, makes a better or complete solution. A classic example of cross-selling is the question, "Do you want
fries with that?"
In many cases, cross-selling involves helping customers assemble a tailored product from a variety of options.
An effective cross-sell presents these options clearly and makes it easy for customers to choose among them.
Upselling Adds More Value
Upselling promotes a more powerful or higher level model than the one the customer is considering. To use the
fast-food metaphor again, an up-sell would be "The deluxe burger is not only bigger, but it includes the special
sauce and only costs a little more. Would you like that instead?"
A product model that offers greater capabilities, flexibility, or capacity might be suitable for upsell. In this case,
the seller's job is to make sure a customer is aware this model exists and to encourage consideration of both
models before the purchase decision.
Promotional Ideas
Both cross-selling and upselling can be done in print materials and on the Web. The following ideas can be
used for print materials such as brochures, catalogs, and selection guides:
•Include a brief "Related Products" section that lists the names or model numbers of upsell and cross-sell
products.
•Present a chart of available options, describing the target use or environment for each.
•Describe typical packages or product combinations, especially when a customer must purchase multiple
components. This can be done with a simple bullet list that describes the content of each package.
Because of the dynamic links between pages, cross-selling and upselling are especially easy to implement on
a Web site. For example, you can create links among catalog pages to show related products, or link to a
services page from a product page. The navigation process you define for purchase transactions on a Web
site can also guide a visitor through pages that present cross-sell or upsell options.
More Choices, More Sales
If handled correctly, cross-selling and upselling can help customers choose the best products for their needs
and generate a stronger customer relationship for your company. And of course, more revenue too.
About the Auhtor: Janice is an award-winning freelance copywriter who helps technology companies around
the world produce clear, compelling sales and PR materials. This article is excerpted in part from Janice's
latest book, Copywriting That Sells High Tech, which has been called "a superb guide to great copy for any
technology-based product or service." Learn about the book and find many valuable resources for high-tech
marketing at Janice's site: http://www.writinghightech.com. Copyright(c)2006, Janice M. King. All rights
reserved.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janice_King
http://EzineArticles.com/?Increase-Product-Sales-with-Cross-Selling-and-Up-Selling&id=252233
10 Marketing Message Myths
By Kathy Slusher-Haas
Your marketing message is a crucial piece in your overall marketing plan. Without it, you won't have a
foundation for your marketing. Your marketing message is meant to elicit curiosity and stand out. Far too often,
however, marketing messages are flat and gain no attention. Here are 10 marketing myths that can lead your
marketing message astray.
Myth 1: Facts and Figures Sell. Wow Them With Numbers
Unfortunately, too much emphasis is placed on showing facts and figures and not enough on the emotions
behind what these facts and figures mean. People decide they want to buy based on emotional factors. Are
you speaking to their values? Are you hitting on emotional triggers? Do you understand the thoughts, fears and
desires of the people to whom you are speaking? That is what makes people want to buy. The facts and
figures help justify the purchase and will help demonstrate the value of the purchase. Value = Benefits-Cost.
Myth 2: Find & Fill a Need
While there has to be a need in order for people to buy into your product or program, the need alone doesn't
guarantee a sale. One of the biggest factors in people choosing whom they will buy from is the genuine
passion of the person they are speaking to. You have to truly believe in what you are selling. If you're not bought
in, they won't be bought in.
Myth 3: Overcome Mental Chatter
We get over 3,000 messages a day. That doesn't include the messages we are constantly telling ourselves.
You may feel as though you have to overcome that mental chatter and chatter loader and longer to get the
attention of your audience. The point is not to overcome that mental chatter, but rather to tap into it. Figure out
what your target audience is facing; what are the thoughts that are keeping them up at night? This will
demonstrate to your audience that you truly understand.
Myth 4: Teach Them About Me and What I Do
Your marketing message is not about you or what you do. Your marketing message is about what your target
audience is going through and what they desire to be, have, and/or do. What you do, whether it be coaching,
massage therapy, intuitive readings, social media consulting etc. is the tool to help them achieve what they
desire.
Myth 5: Get in Front of as Many People as Possible. It's All About the Numbers
You can get in front of thousands of people and not get a single client. It's not about how many people you talk
to. It's about talking to the right people about the right thing. This is why it's so important to define your niche:
target audience + the challenge they are facing/solution you offer. Understanding your niche will help you
describe their world and what they are experiencing.
Myth 6: Spread Your Message Across as Many Mediums as Possible
One of the biggest mistakes business owners make when marketing is trying to do it all. You can't, especially if
you are a solo professional. Pick 3 to 5 marketing outlets, article marketing, public speaking, teleclasses,
networking etc. and own those 3 to 5 activities. Consistency is more important than spread.
Myth 7: They Need to See the Value
Yes, they need to see the value. But the emphasis should not be on THEY HAVE TO SEE but rather on WE
HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE. It is our job to demonstrate the value of what we offer and justify the prices we are
asking.
Myth 8: Speak to Your Target Audience as a Group
Although we are speaking to many people through our marketing messages, they should be written and
spoken as though we are talking to one person sitting across the table from us. Personalize your marketing. No
one wants to feel like one of the masses. They want to feel unique and special. Speak to them as though they
are.
Myth 9: Don't Use Lingo
The issue here is really whose lingo are you speaking. Many industries have their own lingo. But this myth is
about speaking in lingo in general. When speaking to your target audience, it is perfectly OK, if not preferable,
to speak in their lingo, using their language. It helps them feel as though you are one of them and understand
them.
Myth 10: The Intention of My Marketing Message is to Get a Client
Many times when I ask my clients what is your intention with this marketing message, they say to get clients.
The trouble is, a marketing message is meant to be the first step in developing a relationship. The relationship
will end in clients.
There are really two intentions you should focus on when writing your core marketing message. The first is what
you would like your target audience to get out of it. Do you want them to feel understood and heard? Do you
want them to know the possibilities of what might be? Do you want them to know they're not alone?
The second is what would you like to get out of your marketing message? Do you want them to see you as an
expert or resource? Do you want them to think of you first when they decide they want to make a change? Do
you want them to know you have the answer?
While these are only a few marketing myths out there, they are biggies. Don't fall into the trap of a flat,
ineffective marketing message. Your marketing message is often the first impression people will receive about
you and your business.
About the Author: Kathy Jo Slusher-Haas is a certified marketing and business coach who specializes in
helping other certified coaches build their coaching empire. Interested in more tips to help you grow your
business and market like an expert? Visit http://www.marketyourcoachingbusiness.com/Free-Stuffs for instant
access to your own free Marketing Survival Guide.
Seriously... Teach Me How To Utilize Linked In For My Small Business
Over the past few years I've written a lot of articles about what Linked In (LI) could do for your small business.
One of those articles was, "Why Linked In Is The Best," but no one was catching on to what I was saying. Well,
now it's time to break down the key benefits of LI and how to utilize them in marketing and promoting your small
business.
Within the LI community their are groups, tons of them, ripe for the picking. What you have to do is utilize the
search feature in LI, just like you utilize Google. These links hook you up to your industry, what you want to
accomplish or as a source of inspiration to compliment your business marketing strategy.
Here are a few examples;
I wanted to find out more information and receive tips from the top professionals in the publishing industry. In
the LI search, I included terms such as publishing, book publishing, book marketing, book promotion, book
publicity... Do you get where I'm going with this? Seriously folks, it's that easy. With those search terms I was
able to join: The Publishers' Publicity Association and Book Publicity and Marketing. These two links brought
me into a circle of highly skilled individuals and I've been able to learn a great deal from the articles they publish
and by being able to get answers to questions.
My clients ask me where I've learned all these tricks of the trade... "Simple, I tell them, the key to success is to
never stop learning!" Another great example was to use the search terms advertising, marketing, publicity,
promotion, creative... etc. From these terms, I was able to come up with an amazing assortment of groups, like
Advertising Freelance, Advertising Professional, Creative Designers and Writers , just to name a few.
Let's take my friend and client Bob Drake and his small business "Excellence In Basketball." Bob can get on LI
and search for the terms basketball (501 groups), high school basketball (34 groups), basketball coaching (13
groups) and basketball products (3 groups). With those four search terms I was able to find 551 related groups.
What does that mean for Bob, his small business and his product line? 551 new markets to explore, to learn, to
promote his company! What if Bob searched for basketball marketing? That's another 10 groups of "industry
specific" groups to help Bobs company.
Do you want to know more? Check out the "Linked In Learning Center." You will find an amazing amount of
information on how to utilize LI as a marketing tool, such as; Training Webinars, The LI Guide to Small
Business Success, which is a great video presentation and a valuable resource. Whether it’s a question about
the best payroll solution, structuring stock options, or putting together an investor deck for the first time, the LI
"Entrepreneurs" page will teach you everything you want to know.. One of my favorite pages is the "Business
Development" page. It allows you to develop the right partnerships and connections to grow and expand your
business.
How about the "Non-Profit" section of the Learning Center? Find and connect to the most influential people in
your industry by searching for skills like Volunteer Management or Fundraising using LinkedIn Skills.
Oh, I almost forgot - IT'S FREE!
Five Successful Marketing Techniques
Keep Adding Something New
Every time you add something new to your business you create an opportunity to get more sales. For example,
something as simple as adding new information on your web site creates another selling opportunity when
prospects and customers visit your site to see the new information.
Adding a new product or service to the list of those you already offer usually produces a big increase in sales.
The added product increases your sales in 3 different ways:
+ It attracts new customers who were not interested in your current products and services.
+ It generates repeat sales from existing customers who also want to have your new product.
+ It enables you to get bigger sales by combining 2 or more items into special package offers.
Become a Valuable Resource
Look for ways you can be a resource for your prospects and customers. Supply them with free information.
Help them do things faster, easier, less expensively. You get another opportunity to sell something every time
they come back to you for help.
Separate Yourself from Your Competition
Find or create a reason for customers to do business with you instead of with someone else offering the same
or similar products. For example, do you provide faster results, easier procedures, personal attention or a
better guarantee?
Determine the unique advantage you offer to customers that your competitors do not offer. Promote that
advantage in all of your advertising. Give your prospects a reason to do business with you instead of with your
competition and you'll automatically get more sales.
Promote the End Result
Your customers don't really want your product or service. They want the benefit produced by using it.
For example, car buyers want convenient transportation with a certain image. Dental patients want healthy and
good-looking teeth without suffering any pain. Business opportunity seekers want personal and financial
freedom for themselves and their family.
Make sure your web pages, sales letters and other sales messages are promoting the end result your
customers want.
Anticipate Change
Change is the biggest challenge to your business success. The days are gone when a business could
constantly grow by simply repeating what it did successfully in the past ...or even recently. Aggressive,
innovative competitors and rapidly changing technology make it impossible.
Expect change and prepare for it. Don't wait until your income declines to take action. Develop the habit of
looking for early signs that something is changing. Then confront it before you start to lose business.
Tip: Insulate yourself against the impact of change by increasing the number of products and services you offer
and by using a variety of different marketing methods. Only a small portion of your total business will be
affected if the sales of one product decline or the response to one marketing method drops.
How many of these 5 proven marketing techniques have you overlooked or ignored? Start using them today
and you'll see an immediate increase in your sales.
7 Deadly Marketing Mistakes Small Businesses Make
By Jessica Swanson, Manta Marketing Expert
Before you launch your next marketing campaign, whether online or offline, make sure to avoid some of the
most common marketing mistakes.
1. Failure to write a powerful headline.
Whether you're writing a newspaper ad, email message or press release, you must create a powerful headline.
Research suggests that your headline is the most important part of your ad. It is absolutely essential that you
draw your prospective customer or client into your ad and keep them interested in what you have to offer.
2. Absence of an irresistible offer.
In marketing, 40% of the response that you receive from your prospects is directly related to your offer. In
today's competitive marketplace, you need to present your client or customer with an offer that they simply can't
resist. Offers can range from discounts to offering a free report, but the fact remains that if you have an
irresistible offer, people will respond.
3. A weak or non-existent call to action.
Every single time you create an ad, you want to direct your prospective client or customer to take a specific
action. This action can be to call a toll-free number, visit a website or place an order. If you fail to tell your
prospect exactly what you want them to do, they won't do anything. Take your prospect by the hand and show
them what they need to do next in order to guide them through your sales process.
4. An inadequate list.
Even if you have the best product since sliced bread, you need highly targeted and responsive prospects. This
can be accomplished by building a list. There are dozens of tools that allow you to build a list quickly and
efficiently. The best way to accomplish this is by asking prospects to supply you with their name and email in
exchange for your “irresistible free offer.” Most marketers agree that growing a list is perhaps one of the most
important jobs for any small business.
5. Relying on one marketing message.
On average, consumers are exposed to over 4,000 marketing messages every day. Recent research suggests
that your clients and customers will need to see your marketing message between seven and twelve times
before they even take notice. That means you can never rely on sending one message to your prospects;
instead, you need to send repeated messages to them over and over again. Decide how you will deliver your
message and then make sure to develop and continue a relationship with your prospect in an ongoing process.
6. Failure to measure campaign effectiveness.
There are literally hundreds of ways to market your small business. Over time, you'll most likely tap into dozens
of these marketing platforms. However, it is absolutely vital that you take time to measure the effectiveness of
your various marketing campaigns. This can be done with simple spreadsheets or fancier CRM systems. No
matter how you measure your marketing, you must understand what is working and what is not working so that
you can be extremely effective.
7. Not communicating with your current customers.
It's vital to provide ongoing communication with your current customer base. You've spent valuable time and
money acquiring new customers. Moreover, 20% of your current customers will purchase from you again. Make
sure that you communicate with your customers on a regular basis, solicit their feedback and provide value to
them over the long-term. This will help build your small business over time.
Whether you are a brand new small business owner or an established veteran, it's essential to avoid these
most common marketing mistakes. To be successful over time, you must continually work to improve your
marketing effectiveness. If you do, your business can grow with ease.
The Psychology of Creativity
Here's a deceptively simple question: if we all have the potential to be creative, why is it so hard?
Part of the problem is that so little attention is paid to the psychological research on creativity. If we can
harness what scientists already know about creativity, we can propel ourselves to new heights of achievement.
Creativity isn't just for artists, we all need it—at home, in our relationships and, for many of us, at work. By one
measure around 30% of workers in the US are members of the creative classes. Along with designers, writers
and artists this includes professions like lawyers, business people and healthcare professionals; in fact it
includes anyone who has to use an existing body of knowledge to reach creative solutions.
For many of us, then, our incomes rely on our creativity. Boost our creativity and the rewards will come.
Collected below are recent PsyBlog articles which explore how to be creative:
Boost Creativity: 7 Unusual Psychological Techniques
The Creative Power of Thinking Outside Yourself
Get Creative: 7 More Psychological Techniques
Unusual Thinking Styles Increase Creativity
6 Ways to Kill Creativity
Creativity for the Cautious
How to Promote Visionary Thinking
How Mark Zuckerberg Can Fix Our Federal Budget Deficit
By Gene Marks
We are facing a huge deficit problem in this country. A problem that is already severely impacting our
productivity and our economic growth. A problem that is affecting our younger generation today and, if not
stopped, will affect future generations to come. A problem that has called into question the moral and
economic leadership of America in today's world order.
The problem is Facebook.
This is all my kids are doing. And my friends too. Facebook is everywhere. It's wasting everyone's time.
Americans, both young and old, have come to rely on this service to post embarrassing videos of themselves
at parties, irrelevant updates of their daily activities and nonsensical comments on the activities of others. This
problem is severely draining the communication skills of our youth, the intelligence of our adults and the overall
output of our country. If not stopped, the problem of Facebook could bankrupt the future of our nation. It's
creating an intelligence deficit on an unprecedented scale.
This is why I feel that Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg (like other business owners I know) is suitably well
equipped to deal with that other deficit problem facing this country: our nation's Federal budget deficit.
We all know that Zuckerberg's incredibly bright. And ruthlessly competitive. And if he's anything like he's
portrayed in The Social Network...he's my kind of guy! This is a smart, smart business person. How else could
he entice hundreds of millions of people to join his service just so they can update their friends about how great
Casey Abrams' performed on American Idol the other night?
Mark Zuckerberg has created an intelligence deficit problem in this country. So he owes it to us, the American
people, to fix this country's Federal deficit problem. He can do it too. I don't know him personally, even though
he does look like a lot the guy I cheated off of in Sunday school. So I'm just conjecturing. But I do know that he
was smart enough to realize that most of us are idiots, preferring to check out each other's Facebook photos
and play games like FarmVille than read a book or have a simple conversation. So if he's smart enough to do
that, then I believe that Zuckerberg, like many business people, is capable of making the difficult, but common
sense decisions that most politicians are afraid to make.
For starters, I believe that he would not raise taxes. Like the other business people I know I think he would
reduce them. This guy didn't get millions of people to sign up for his service by charging them for the privilege.
Instead, he gives away Facebook's services for free. Why? Because he understands that by giving people a
low cost way to join a marketplace he's creating a vast community for others to profit. Thousands of businesses
have been created because of Facebook. Not just small companies marketing their products and services. But
larger companies have profited through advertising to this market. And other companies have created
products and applications designed specifically for Facebook users. Hundreds of millions of revenue dollars
have been generated as a result of this model. The costs to do business in the Facebook marketplace are low.
The potential to grow, and profit, is high.
Business people want to see the same thing happen in this economy. We see high corporate and individual tax
rates as a barrier. It takes an already large cost and makes it larger. It absorbs funds from companies who
would otherwise use that capital to expand, buy more equipment and hire more people. It takes money away
from individuals, particularly those "high wealth" individuals living in those ritzy suburban communities, paying
mortgages, driving their kids to soccer practice and going to Disney World. Using the Facebook model for the
overall economy, I think that Mark Zuckerberg would want to lower the tax burden for businesses and
individuals so they too can grow and profit...and pay fees back from those higher profits in the form of taxes.
Next, I believe he would make significant changes to our current system of entitlements. For starters, and I'm
still trying to cope with this: Zuckerberg still under thirty. And like most people that age I'm betting retirement is
a long way off in his mind. But that's not even important, because it's highly unlikely that Mark Zuckerberg will
even need social security or Medicare at that age. The guy's not just rich...he's Facebook rich! Now, none of
the small business owners I know are as loaded as Zuckerberg. But most of us don't expect to rely on the U.S.
government for our retirement either. We are independent people, which is why we're business owners. Those
that can are putting away money for their retirement. Or they're paying what they need to pay for health
insurance.
I think Zuckerberg would agree with me on this: People who don't need to be getting social security or
Medicare benefits...shouldn't. They can afford not to. That would save some money. So would increasing the
retirement age. I don't think many business owners would disagree with this either. In fact, most of the business
owners I speak to can't understand how that cute girl from 11th grade back in 1978 put on so much weight in
her Facebook photo. But the guys I talk to do understand one thing: the social security and Medicare tax is...a
tax. They also understand that if they don't need the benefits they shouldn't be getting them. Particularly if those
same benefits would instead go to people who need them more and any savings would go back into the
system, helping to reduce our Federal budget deficit.
Finally, I believe Mark Zuckerberg would treat the Federal budget the same way he would treat Facebook's
budget. Facebook is incredibly popular and I'm sure incredibly profitable too (they're not a publicly held
company and thus do not have to disclose their financial performance). But things never stay the same and it
wouldn't be unusual if someday Facebook faces its own financial challenges. Maybe they expand too fast. Or
take on too much debt. Or find themselves in a more competitive environment where other companies eat into
their market share. Maybe their expenses rise faster than revenues. Sound familiar? It probably does to the
President and Congress.
I'd have faith that Zuckerberg would do what most other business owners and managers would do. Which is
exactly what he'd probably do if he were in charge of the Federal budget, too.
For starters, he would cut all the embarrassing photos of me from college that my friends have posted without
my permission. Then he'd cut expenses. He'd realize that although it would be great to have everything and pay
everyone he couldn't do that on a limited budget. So he'd make some hard decisions. He would lower costs.
He would have to lay people off. He would cut programs. He would cap outgoing cash. He would make sure
that his revenues were enough to cover operating costs. This would hurt. I mean it's Facebook, for God's sake -
the king of social communities, the brightest tech start in a decade. Just like America. But even Facebook can't
afford everything. Even the people at Facebook would have to live within their means. That is, if they want to
survive. Just like America.
And if the company was saddled with enormous debt I'm sure Zuckerberg would take action on that too. He'd
include a debt maintenance plan within his budget. He wouldn't be asking for more debt to cover expenses. In
fact it wouldn't be likely that he could get it, without paying for it dearly in the future. So he'd have a concrete
plan for paying down debt over a reasonable period of time. Something that would make his investors and
board members comfortable.
Because that's what good business people would do...small and large. That's what Mark Zuckerberg would do.
He would apply those same principles to the Federal deficit.
I know, I know. This guy is ruining the moral fiber of society. He's created an intellectual deficit. It's because of
him that I get all those annoying requests to join Mafia Wars. But you can't deny he's a smart business guy. And
if he were in charge of cutting the Federal deficit just think how many "likes" he'd be getting.
Gene Marks, CPA, is the owner of the Marks Group, which sells customer relationship, service, and financial
management tools to small and midsize businesses. Marks is the author of four best-selling small business
books and writes the popular "Penny Pincher's Almanac" syndicated column. He frequently speaks to business
groups on penny-pinching topics. More penny-pinching advice from Marks can be found at http://www.
quickerbetterwiser.com. Follow Gene on Twitter at @genemarks on and Facebook at http://facebook.
com/quickerbetterwiser
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gene_Marks
5 Big Mistakes To Avoid in Your QR Code Marketing Campaign
from Matthias Galica
Consumer-facing QR codes are hitting mainstream America hard this summer. Despite the idea that a rising
tide lifts all boats, many well-intentioned marketers are crippling their campaigns with simple mistakes.
This is a big reason why QR codes still get a bad rap from some folks. QR codes by themselves are
fundamentally neither good nor bad, they’re just a means to an end: an offline-to-online delivery mechanism. It’s
what’s beyond the code that usually determines whether the experience will delight or disappoint.
Unfortunately, many early adopter marketers aren’t yet fully versed in the best practices or optimal use cases.
It’s the adventurous consumer that suffers from the growing pains.
Since I’ve spent the past 18 months waist-deep in this fast-developing market, I’m compelled to offer up my
short list of basic mistakes to avoid at all costs. While heeding all these rules won’t make your QR code
marketing great by itself, they will likely save you from some embarrassment.
MISTAKE 1: NOT TESTING THE CODE
Common sense right? Until you’re able to read a QR code just by looking at it, you should always test the
proofs with a variety of smartphones and scanning apps before you release a campaign.
This is the simplest way to spot scanning problems. For instance, a small placement (less than an inch) will
often be too dense to scan if you’ve encoded a longer URL, but using bit.ly or goo.gl to automatically generate
a short URL QR code is an easy fix.
Since QR codes feature up to a 30% error correction rate, there’s flexibility for creative branding and tweaks.
But if the designer accidentally overdid it, test-scanning is an easy path to being the office hero that day.
MISTAKE 2: GETTING TOO FANCY WITH TEXT
If your goal is to get people to a mobile web experience, you should only ever encode a short URL. Don’t
include any plain text, since many barcode scanners (even gold standards like ShopSavvy) won’t tease out the
link. If you’re hoping a user will copy/paste on a mobile device, don’t bet on it.
Think of the QR code as a physical hyperlink that every barcode scanner should be able to immediately “click.”
If your QR code requires the user to do much more than point and scan to arrive at the intended content, you’re
probably doing it wrong.
MISTAKE 3: SERVING UP NON-MOBILE PAGES
Your QR code scans successfully but you’ve pointed the user to a standard desktop website, when 99.9% of
QR codes are scanned by a mobile device. Fail.
Get acquainted with HTML5 to give your mobile web app that native app feel. You can either hire a developer
to build your mobile site or use a non-technical modular CMS (content management system) like Paperlinks if it
suits your campaign objectives.
MISTAKE 4: PUTTING QR CODE WHERE THERE'S NO DATA SIGNAL
Where your ad will run is just as important as how you implement it.
Tesco’s recent QR code “grocery store” in a Korean subway worked great because those platforms have Wi-
Fi. This is not the case in the U.S. Placing QR codes in locations without Internet access is a sure way to make
your audience upset. Make sure you know where the ads will be, and if possible, run tests to make sure they
are visible and will still work.
MISTAKE 5: NOT OFFERING ENOUGH VALUE
This point is highly subjective but also probably the most important. The proper mindset is to reward the user
for scanning your QR code. This “reward,” however, will change depending on what you’re trying to promote.
Try to avoid redundancy (a digital copy of your flyer), irrelevance or dullness (your company’s street address).
Take the above image. The U.S. Marine Corps. QR code promises a cool experience but instead leads to a
wallpaper download and a commercial.
When coupled with a clearly articulated call-to-action near the QR code, we’ve found the most compelling
campaigns tend to offer one or more of the following:
- Exclusive rich media, videos and photos
- Exclusive or time-sensitive access
- Free downloads or swag
- Instant Win” contests
- Special offers, coupons or gifts
- Secret” information
- Deep integration with social media to activate viral loops
The best advice is to put yourself in the shoes of your target fan. Would you bother pulling out the phone for your
campaign? Would you be happy with the pay off? A little bit of time and thought can create a truly successful
QR campaign.
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