Archives

[2003-06-23] Marketing Audits: Why Principles Of Accountability In Marketing Are Useful
More audits are being performed in financial departments today due to the irresponsible behavior of a few top executives. Why stop there? Might it not be useful also to look at marketing investments as a fertile field for scrutiny? A marketing audit would measure profit and loss just as an accounting audit does. That is, it would measure return on investment (ROI). This article points out the benefits a company can derive from measuring the ROI of marketing to see whether this vital activity is being used to its full potential.

---

[2003-06-20] eBooks: Free Marketing Tools That Promote Your Product
When I first decided to publish an eBook I wanted to test the market, so I produced a free eBook just to work through the process. My aim was to do this as inexpensively as possible. This giveaway, titled "How To Sell Your Competitor's Book Online," is downloaded approximately 100 times a month from various locations.

---

[2003-06-20] Adapting Blog Technologies To Corporate e-Newsletters
Every January, trade publications put out a list of predictions for the coming year. They discuss products, services and trends that they think will change the way business is done, labeling these "disruptive technologies."

---

[2003-06-20] Targetting an audience in Marketing
Some people still underestimate the importance of targeting audiences in marketing. Targeting your audience is a key factor to the effectiveness of your marketing activities online. First, what does it really mean? Targeting an audience in ecommerce simply means concentrating on a particular group of people that are more likely to respond in a positive way to your marketing campaign and what you do.

---

[2003-06-18] Do Your Metrics Measure Up?
At a recent neighborhood function, I had a discussion with someone who worked in the finance area for one of the Big 4 accounting firms. Since he specialized in the valuation of companies, I asked him about the models he used and he brushed me aside to tell me it was all about the assumptions, not the models per se.

---

[2003-06-13] 3 Tips to Reduce your Advertising Costs2
Advertising costs are a bitter pill to swallow for many small businesses. Many businesses rely on advertising to keep customer traffic up, but the cost of a continuous advertising presence can be overwhelming for some small business owners especially in today's sluggish economy. Here are 3 tips to help you reduce your advertising costs while maintaining your advertising effectiveness.

---

[2003-06-13] Successful Rebranding: How To Revive Your Image
When I moved into my apartment in Brooklyn, there was an Italian restaurant down the street. I never ate there because my neighbors told me the food was bad and the service was worse. One day it closed down and no one shed a tear. It was replaced by an Indian restaurant. I was going to eat there until a neighbor told me not to bother. The restaurant was still run by the same people, they had just changed the name and the menu. A few months later the Indian restaurant was gone, replaced by a Middle Eastern restaurant. Again, same owners, same employees, different menu. The Middle Eastern restaurant finally shutdown and a new owner took over the space. A successful Thai restaurant now occupies the spot.

---

[2003-06-11] How To Grow Your List From Discussion Board Postings
Are you disappointed by lack of sales? Here's one way to change that ... a Discussion Group.

---

[2003-06-10] Making News is Better Than Just ‘Making the News’
There is a major difference between making news and "making the news." It is the difference between a shotgun and a slingshot. Amateurs can "make the news." They can entice a morning TV crew to take video of a charity event. Or land a mention in a local newspaper column. Or even score a feature story in a trade magazine.But these are one-time shots that are unlikely to leave an impression on your target audience. Simply "making the news" will rarely attract a steady stream of prospects to your door. Yet even top PR pros tend to focus on "making the news." There are two reasons for this. First, it's relatively easy to score. Second, the boss rarely understands that simply "making the news" is virtually worthless to the bottom line.

---

[2003-06-09] Attract Buyers to Your Web Site with Power Words
What are power words? Power words elicit emotions and create visual pictures in your readers' mind. Here are twenty of the most important words that have proven to attract attention, motivate prospects to buy, and increase sales. Use them in your web site's headlines and copy.

---

[2003-06-07] Dialogue - Not Agreement - Is The Sign Of An Effective Newsletter
For those of you old enough to have never seriously considered getting your tongue pierced, you may recall the 1992 US presidential elections, principally involving Bill Clinton, George Bush and Ross Perot. My memory of the specifics is a bit hazy, but one thing about that election has stayed with me. Everywhere you went that year, you'd run into passionate Perot supporters - handing out leaflets, wearing buttons, eager to engage anybody and everybody in a debate on the virtues of their candidate.

---

[2003-06-06] Steps To Implementing A Marketing Program That Drives Sales
Goals 1. Determine your corporate revenue goals. I suggest you set three goals at three levels:

Minimum

Target

Stretch

---

[2003-06-06] The Definition Of A Qualified Lead
Q: What is the definition of a "qualified lead?" A: Although the definition changes from company to company (and rightfully so), generally you need the answers to the following "BANTS" questions to determine if a lead is qualified:

---