MARKETING Strategies
Dan Kennedy had a massive positive impact on me. He defies the odds of conventional wisdom and provides you with wisdom that you can draw from for many decades to come. Dan Kennedy will always be my marketing mentor, a legend and true maverick.
You’ve been led for centuries to believe that human uniqueness is wonderful when it benefits society, however it’s detrimental when it’s deployed for your own good. Are you battling to fit in into society, school, the entrepreneurial lifestyle, some crazy fashion trend, or other ‘fill in the blanks’?
Don’t let common myths and misconceptions stop you from writing a book. Don’t let other people’s good opinions infuse self-doubt and shatter your confidence. Write your book. Leave a legacy worth sharing.
When it comes to burger or fries you automatically think of McDonalds, Burger King and other similar chains. But what if your business has burgers and / or fries, too? What if you have several burgers but no sides in your portfolio? And what about those businesses which focus entirely on fries, shakes and muffins without ever considering adding a burger to their menu?
Who doesn’t love some marketing quickies that you can understand on the fly and more importantly, apply effortlessly? Sorry to disappoint you, but that’s not what today’s post is about. Quick fixes seldom last. And most things you acquire effortlessly, you value less.
Mass marketing or personalized marketing? What’s it gonna be? Are you going to blast out your posting to the masses or will you deliver individualized messages to your most relevant audience? Sometimes you can do both whereas other times you’re better off with the latter.
Having all your revenue coming from one source is a huge risk. Using a single sales and/ or marketing channel to market your business is a fatal mistake. Single-source dependency aka over-reliance on any one thing can ruin your business. How many sources do you use to promote your business?
For small business owners: discover how to gain competitive advantage by incorporating proven marketing funnels into your business. You see, most business people do not approach their business and marketing needs in an organized manner that is essential for setting them apart from the crowd.
Discover the three most common marketing mistakes made by medical professionals and learn new marketing strategies and techniques that go beyond mainstream approaches.
Do you have an international clientele? How do you manage business operations and finances without losing sight of all the atypical needs that business owners from foreign countries may have? These two online marketing tools will help you avoid outrageous bank fees when sending money abroad, closely monitor project performance, increase productivity and maximize outcomes.
Have you been to Disneyland? Disney World is a true marketing bonanza. It would be a crime to put Walt’s teachings into three simple marketing lessons. However, I do want to share with you the marketing lessons that most stood out for me because they can be applied to ALL businesses.
What happens when you put your prospects, leads or customers through your marketing funnel? How do you facilitate awareness, interest, desire and action? We’ll have a closer look at the reasons WHY some marketing funnels perform extremely well while others fail and I’m also going to share with you two best practices – one from Amazon and another one from iTunes.
Are you a savvy member of the small business community feeling totally overwhelmed and exhausted by social media, content marketing, SEO, pay-per-click and things of that nature? Are you desperately trying to keep up with technology and all the Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram craziness going on? Discover three common online marketing challenges small businesses face.
Do you have a formal referral system in place? What are the benefits of referrals, and more importantly, why do you need a process behind it? Consumers rely on word-of-mouth. Research shows that referrals and recommendations from friends, colleagues and other consumers trump every other source available.
What happens to your business when direct sales becomes less effective? What happens when people stop sending you referrals? The Parthenon Philosophy states that you build your business on several robust pillars or marketing profit centers. But which pillars?
Are you copying what seems to be successful? You see, modelling big business isn’t a good thing if you’re a small business. Big businesses have a different agenda and economics aka they operate with “play money”. Here are three common marketing mistakes for small business owners to avoid at all cost.
What podcasting system(s) do you have in place to support your growth? Do you have a checklist for creating and publishing a podcast? The following easy-to-follow podcasting system includes three simple steps…
Kindle marketing made easy: The following 10-step checklist will help you publish your book on Kindle to position yourself as an expert authority, draw in quality prospects and make more sales. Amazon is the ultimate sales machine and Kindle is a publishing powerhouse.
Marketing fundamentals are boring and unsexy. So, why bother with the very basics of marketing when there’s a new tool waiting to be discovered around every corner?
Here are 5 essential questions to ask your customers now to get better results and grow your business. Gathering valuable feedback from customers will help you deliver a more targeted service.
What is an ideal market? How do you pick a hot market? What about targeting? Discover the three mission-critical questions you need to ask yourself prior to launching your business.
Is the eBook revolution just a fad? Are headlines such as “Amazon selling over 1 million Kindles a week” a thing of the past? What category is responsible for the decline of the publishing industry? Still worth joining the Kindle game? Loads of questions… and loads of answers presented as Kindle marketing tidbits coming up…
“Will Podcasting Hit It Big? (And What Is It?)” – This was the news headline back in 2005, at the peak of “podcasting”. Since, awareness for this “new” medium has been on the rise. In 2013 Apple announced that the iTunes Store had exceeded market expectations topping one billion podcast subscriptions. OK, so 1 billion…
What does your marketing mix look like? Where do you invest most of your marketing budget? Is it all sorts of marketing campaigns that take money out of your pocket, or do you focus on building modern marketing assets?
The old model of sending batch email to a list is no longer effective — no matter how awesome that list is. And due to the huge success of this “oh so great model”, certain things changed. Gmail for example, has made unsubscribing from annoying emails a lot easier and other email providers followed… Fast…
WHO is buying from you matters more than WHAT they’re buying. This insight was a game changer for me. It shaped the way I do marketing and how I onboard my own clients. Fortunately, I learned this important marketing lesson early on thus enabling me to focus on building strong pillars for future growth and…
Podcasting is on the rise. Podcasts are undeniably popular, entertaining, educational and informative. On iTunes, podcast subscriptions top 1 billion. Obviously, podcasts are not exclusive to iTunes. Many other apps and services, so called podcatchers are eager to share the latest and greatest podcast episodes. When I launched my first podcast episode back in April 2012…
One billion heartbeats… As humans, we get an average of 2.2 billion heartbeats out of our bodies and we live more than twice as long as our heart rates would indicate. When we exercise, our heart rate increases. When we are frightened, our heart races. When we listen to music our heart tries to sync…
The Babylonians were the most powerful state in the ancient world after the fall of the Assyrian empire. They built the most famous city in ancient Mesopotamia, in the fertile plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and created the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Now,…
Are you ready to solve complex problems with everyday materials and become the next MacGyver of marketing resources? Unlike MacGyver, you don’t really need to possess an encyclopedic knowledge on marketing to achieve your goals but you certainly have to tap into your resourcefulness. So, how can you accomplish this task? Whether you’re new to…
Are you a business owner or marketing professional looking for new ways to generate leads? Do you want to get more customers through the door without overspending? Well, it’s time to use those marketing resources more wisely. Whether you are a marketing pro or an entrepreneur, you’re constantly looking for potential clients. No clients means…
Getting customers through the door, putting a powerful marketing message in front of the right people and picking the right marketing channels — all at the same time, can be challenging indeed. Inviting the right prospects to visit your virtual home aka your website, blog, or social media profiles takes the concept of customer acquisition…
Where should you promote your new piece of content? What are some of the most effective marketing channels to reach the right prospects? Which one is “better” than the others? There are so many attractive ways to bring in the audience. Some channels bring more visitors than others. And some of them convert better than…
Have you ever been to a Swiss chocolate and candy shop? There are literally a gazillion brands to choose from (Lindt, Teuscher, Favarger, Sprüngli, Frey) and each one has a gazillion flavors (milk chocolate, hazelnut, cherry liquor, mint, coconut, dark, white…). So, what happens next? You end up not knowing what to buy, right? When…
We all know that the Internet, the rise of Facebook, Twitter and all those other social media platforms have changed the way we do business. The marketing landscape continues to shift and budgets aren’t exactly exploding – to say the least. With all this, it has become quite difficult for marketers to know how to…
Attracting visitors to your website is one part of the equation. The second component is to ensure they stick around… the longer, the better. Keeping visitors on a website, inspiring them to read your blog posts, awakening the interest in them to hover over to your About page, sign up for your newsletter, or better…
Speed seems to be everything in today’s fast-paced and ever-connected world. Feeling rushed and overwhelmed? Are you missing out on being part of the conversation because you’re too slow? Is real-time marketing all about responding quickly to the latest trends and events? If you take a good look at social media conversations that are taking…
What online marketing tools do you use to build your landing pages? Are you still heavily involved into coding and customizing to make the page look professionally designed and optimized for conversions? If you love to code and have the tech know-how required to do so, I’m not here to stop you. For those of…
What do you need to be successful in eBook marketing? Content alone won’t make it. Marketing and promoting your content across multiple channels to expand your reach, influence, and credibility is as important as writing an engaging story. Social media has changed the way we consume content. Nevertheless, the rise of YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram…
Why still bother with the old-fashioned channel of word-of-mouth marketing when you have Facebook, YouTube & Co.? Do most of the independent workers aka solopreneurs really get their gigs through social media? Nothing could be further from the truth. In today’s digital world one might think that most independent workers get the vast majority of…
Google’s Keyword Tool used to be my first go-to keyword research site. The tool was intuitive, easy to use and quick. But things have changed in the online world and the much-loved keyword tool has now been replaced by the Keyword Planner. Today’s online users are sophisticated and savvy thus making it a lot harder…
How would you feel if you’d have an arsenal of deadly online marketing weapons that gives you a competitive edge in the market and a better chance for profitability? Would you like to boost your Google branding without overspending your marketing budget? If you have read Jay Conrad Levinson’s Guerilla Marketing book, you already know…
Finding the right information in this loud and crowded online marketing world can be tricky. It’s hard to figure out what’s what and more importantly, who to trust. Searching the web for marketing blogs to find reliable tidbits on SEO, social media, email marketing, or PPC can be very challenging indeed. Where can you find…
New media marketing aka online marketing requires a different approach from brick and mortar businesses. This can be challenging and often times quite overwhelming. While many entrepreneurs and small business owners are conscious of the fact that marketing principles don’t change, they don’t know how to cope with the massive shifts that are taking place…
YouTube continues to be the go to platform when it comes to watching videos online. What surprises most people is how international the content and consumers are. 60% of YouTube’s 1 billion monthly viewers comes from countries where English is not the primary language. Who would have thought, right? One last number before we dive…
What does Word-Of-Mouth Marketing (WOMM) look like today? Has the Internet changed the effect of the most credible form of marketing? Technology has revolutionized the way we do business but has not weakened the power of recommendations. Quite the opposite is the case. Let’s start our journey with a simple example to showcase the power…
How often do you shop online? When was the last time you purchased something on Amazon? Whether it’s books, electronics, tools, or goods, the eCommerce industry is booming. And so does the online retail giant Amazon. Nevertheless, there are a few items people won’t buy on Amazon. The Internet has changed the way we communicate,…
Readers are leaders. Successful entrepreneurs and small business owners love to expose themselves to new ways of thinking which is best achieved through reading books, listening to audio tapes and networking. Today I’d like to share with you a list of five must-read marketing books for small business owners. Prior to my corporate career I…
Marketing is getting into the minds of prospects; it’s about communicating to the world that your products and services are valuable and unique. Although it is fun and exciting, there will be times when you’ll feel lost and confused. To motivate you to push forward I decided to share the following 25 motivational marketing quotes…
Dale Carnegie’s book “How to Win Friends And Influence People” and Robert Cialdini’s bestseller “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” made the term influencer marketing more popular. The concept isn’t new though. It has been around for thousands of years. In ancient Babylon, those merchants who recognized the power of ‘befriending’ key individuals became wealthy. A…
Marketers are desperately trying to bridge the digital and physical dimensions to leverage social interaction at all consumer touchpoints. Is this approach going to lead you to discover the holy grail of marketing? Does everything come down to creating an emotional connection and delivering that ‘WOW’ experience? We live in a loud and crowded ‘physical’…
A couple of days ago I came across a video with Seth Godin sharing some boneheaded marketing mistakes entrepreneurs and small business owners should definitely try to avoid. Marketing doesn’t have to be expensive and most certainly it doesn’t have to be hard. The key is to know the most common pitfalls and try to…
A hyper-competitive online space requires way more than simply creating and delivering a few promotional campaigns. If you want your messages to stand out in this loud and crowded world, you need to start using your marketing mind more effectively. A couple of days ago I came across an infographic that got my attention immediately.…
The world wide web has changed the way we communicate forever. Today, any individual can harness the power of the internet and build a strong presence online. In this blog post we’ll have a look at some tips for effective personal branding online. One of the main benefits of the internet is the fact that…
Understanding consumer buying behavior has always been a challenge for marketers. Amazon has come up with a magic wand that might forever change the way we shop. Welcome Amazon Dash! Convenience is often the number one criteria when it comes to purchasing items. Indeed, it’s often more attractive than price. We are ready to pay…
What are the things that influence a purchase decision? Is it quality, design, layout, or free shipping? How do colors affect purchases? A couple of months ago I shared an infographic about the 10 key factors that influence a purchase decision. Today I’m going to focus on one of these key influencers and that is…
Marketing has a significant history. Ever since we had something to sell, we’ve been marketing. Think of Babylon and the evolution of marketing and sales ever since. The marketing landscape has changed significantly. Today we are living in a cluttered and fast-paced world. It’s easier than ever before to create products and get your message…
Having a set of proven promotional strategies that will help you increase brand awareness and position your business strategically, is of tremendous value. There are loads of ways to promote your company’s products and services. You can use one method, or combine several different methods thus fueling the marketing fire of your business. Do you…
Do you remember when the very first books were launched in digital format? Publishers thought that was the end of people reading books, just to see a few years later that quite the opposite had happened. Books kept being read, only the preferred format changed. If you ever thought about writing a book this is…
Matt Mullenweg, the founder of WordPress, has literally transformed the way we see & use software, from proprietary to free and open-source. By developing and improving WordPress, he has taken the open source movement to the next level. It seems this entire open source movement started back in 1984 at MIT when Linux was born.…
Trendy, classy and fashion-friendly marketing ideas and concepts are always welcome. Last week LAFORGE Optical started their Indiegogo campaign for Icis (pronounced eye-sis). Icis smart glasses are here to challenge Google Glass. What is Icis all about? Iciy by Laforge is a pair of eyewear that displays notifications from your smartphone. With the help of…
We all know by now, that Super Bowl is way more than just a great play. Super Bowl is a huge marketing showdown with 30 second ad campaigns running $4 million. And 2014 was no different. Although we’re going to focus on the commercials, let’s have a look at the results first. NFL Super Bowl…
In my last blog post I wrote about the importance of effectively integrating marketing channels in order to attract a broader audience and make more sales. Today, I’m going to focus on distribution channels — the concept of a vertical marketing system, to be more precise. First of all, let’s clarify the term of vertical…
Do you keep your marketing channels in individual silos? Have you considered leveraging your marketing efforts with a more integrated approach? Successful marketing requires different channels to work in tandem. If you want to achieve better results make sure you integrate your marketing channels effectively to promote your products and services. Leverage your resources —…
A Very Happy, Prosperous, Joyful and Successful New Year! How did your New Year’s celebration go? Did you watch the traditional New Year’s Concert from Vienna yesterday? The annual New Year’s Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic (German: Das Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker) is a traditional concert of classical music, comprised of Strauss waltzes, polkas and…
Many corporate brands sponsored the Olympic Games in London 2012 but one of them certainly managed to stand out from the crowd with a brilliant advertising idea. ‘Thank you Mom’ was one of the best marketing campaigns of 2012. What about this year? With the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics starting in February (Feb 7-23), there…
With only a couple of days until Christmas, I thought I’d share with you two of this years most sentimental holiday ad campaigns. They both come from major brands all of us are certainly familiar with. While some of us are still involved into last-minute Christmas shopping others are preparing lots of goodies for family…
Have you heard about “BIC for her” pens? Yes, that’s right: BIC has a line of pens for ladies. What was the company thinking when they launched this product? What were the brand’s marketing objectives? Before we jump into today’s marketing lesson, let’s see what Ellen DeGeneres had to say about the BIC pens on…
Almost half of the global population – nearly 3 billion people – have access to the internet. Exciting times for all online marketing fans; great challenges and opportunities for both SMEs and major brands to position themselves by focusing on the right marketing vehicles and advertising strategies. In order to achieve the goals and objectives…
If you want to spend some amazing days in Europe than you should definitely pay a visit to London. London is the multicultural hub in Europe, a melting pot of business, fashion, people, stories and culture. Let’s not forget the shopping mecca of Piccadilly – a place with tons of musicals, ads and some of…
Welcome to the next generation gaming console battle of this years holiday shopping season. It’s Microsoft and Sony this time competing for the hearts and minds of gamers worldwide. And both companies use a variety of strategies and marketing tactics in attempt to attract more customers, increase market shares and ultimately become the center of…
The smartphone world is dominated by the two giants Apple and Android / Google. As these 2 rival for world supremacy, Nokia and Microsoft say there is enough room in the marketplace for a third contender. Welcome to the commercial battle where the latter brand engages in a series of new advertising strategies. Before we…
As technology evolves, marketers are facing new challenges positioning their brands and making their valuable message stand out from the crowd. These parameters might get one to think that the basic principles of marketing have changed too. Some things change while others don’t. The shift from print – radio – billboards – TV – to…
Marketing objectives need to be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time specific) and in line with the overall corporate objectives. They need to be developed to support the ‘big picture’ and ensure the corporate objectives are achieved. Marketing is the core of an operating business. Marketing is the engine room that drives sales, and customers…
Pumpkin spice latte, all kinds of pumpkin pie spice recipes – we are literally bombarded these days with Halloween marketing campaigns. If you’re sick and tired of pumpkin related topics, do yourself a favor and stop reading this post. For all of you who adore Halloween stuff, Starbucks, McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts have engaged into…
Halloween means big business for retailers & Co. around the globe. Marketers worldwide are looking for ways to “Halloween-ize” their promotions, ad campains and efforts on social media. Overall a perfect time to increase the impact of your marketing by applying some simple best practices. Halloween Special 2013 – Having Fun with A Scary Snowman…
Honda has launched a new celebrity-branded marketing campaign for its 2013 Civic model starring America’s Got Talent host Nick Cannon. ‘Best Yourself’ is the title of the two-minutes long ad targeting the 18-35 market and showcasing individuals working towards their personal goals. The clip features Cannon driving a Civic and talking about self-improvement. So far,…
A smart business strategy is customer-focused and starts with solving problems. Top performing companies know how to think outside the box and come up with innovative products & services that revolutionize customer experience thus being able to keep the company in profits even when the going gets tough. Last week CNN showed an interview with…
A powerful positioning statement will make your brand stand out from the crowd. If you could define your business in one sentence, what would that be? What’s your brand positioning? The word ‘Positioning’ entered the marketing vocabulary in 1982 when Al Ries and Jack Trout wrote the book entitled “Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind”.…
Only a few brands are known for developing creative and effective marketing strategies that are customer-focused. Virgin Atlantic is one of those big brands willing to break convention with everything they do. The company launched an ad campaign that features their staff and it has the tagline “Flying in the face of ordinary”. That’s one…
The global digital marketing elite met last week in Cologne, Germany at the Digital Marketing Exposition & Conference (dmexco). The fairs motto for 2013 was “Turning visions into reality”. About 720 exhibitors from all over the globe, staged in three halls for the first time, a two-day Conference program at top international level, extended opening…
Last week Apple added one more powerful product AND statement to their marketing strategy. The iPhone 5c became a colorful add-on to the current portfolio. The new plastic-backed iPhone 5c – “c” stands for “colors” – is available in a range of vibrant colors: green, blue, pink, yellow and white. But there’s more to the package…
Last Monday the US celebrated Labor Day and retailers kept attracting customers with big discounts and all kinds of fancy marketing ideas and concepts. Besides in-store deals on furniture, clothes and electronics Walmart, Target, J.C.Penny, Kmart, Best Buy etc. were also offering major online discounts. Those who didn’t have time to visit their local store…
When it comes to brand loyalty, Harley Davidson definitely knows how to build and maintain relationships. Harley is one of those successful brands that manages to turn customers into evangelists – loving fans and loyal followers. Thousands of motorcycle riders and enthusiasts from all over the world came to Milwaukee this weekend to celebrate the…
Popeye’s marketing impact on the spinach industry is a well-known fact. Our cartoon hero continues to impress children worldwide by saving the day after drinking a tasty can of spinach. Popeye helps the one in need and is equally responsible for growing spinach sales. If you love cartoons I’m sure you remember the crazy adventures…
Are small businesses ready to meet today’s customer’s expectations? Who is willing to change the approach and improve their marketing strategies? In her roundup about marketing strategies for the future from The Entrepreneur, Barbara Findlay Schenck shares the foundation of a new paradigm in business. Barbara writes: The old paradigm — where businesses produced, marketers…
Google Chromecast – is a streaming stick that connects to your TV’s HDMI inputs and accepts videos from tablets, smartphones, and Google’s Chrome browser. The coolest part of this sticklike device is the fact that you get to control a range of devices for only $35! So, what is it that you need to know…
Marketing impact – A couple of months ago Forbes published an amazing interview with Sir Richard Branson revealing 7 important customer service secrets. Why is Richard Branson’s brand Virgin considered the ‘Gold standard’ in customer service? What makes the employees and the management team at Virgin go above and beyond to satisfy customers? Marketing Impact…
Maximize your marketing impact with a mind-blowing video commercial – do it like Heineken! Would you play Departure Roulette? Would you change your current plans and travel to a place the roulette picks for you? Heineken released a new video commercial about a game of Departure Roulette. A few people at JFK Airport were ready…
Do you have an effective website marketing strategy? Are you monitoring your marketing activities and reviewing the results on a regular basis? Marketing strategies that deliver amazing results in one niche may not work in another market; hence the importance of continuous testing. One of the tools that changes the way marketers look at web…
On one side we have a marketing strategy plan and than we have Benjamin Franklin. What are the commonalities? What can we learn from Uncle Ben about marketing? Benjamin Franklin was a courageous leader with a great vision who moved and shaped our world. “All mankind is divided into three classes: those who are immovable,…
You want to know how to boost your own product marketing strategy? Here’s the answer in three simple words: START WITH WHY! The author Simon Sinek popularized the concept of “the golden circle” explaining how the most successful leaders and organizations inspire people to take action. It all starts with understanding the driving force behind…
Twinkies are back! Is the new management at Hostess and more importantly, are customers ready to embrace a new product marketing strategy from Twinkies? Hostess, the company which went bankrupt in 2012 is talking about “the sweetest comeback in the history”. The date set for the new launch is July, 15. Here’s what ABC News…
2013 is the year of content and podcasting is by far the hottest currency. Now is the time to figure out how to create a podcast that will attract your target audience. Let’s start our journey with a few stats provided by Social Media Examiner in their 2013 Social Media Marketing Industry Report: 5% of…
Will small businesses be able to leverage this new trend called Google Glass and increase their overall marketing impact? How can this high tech device help business owners become more productive? First of all, let’s have a quick look into this new technology in order to understand the basics of Google Glass. Learn how to…
If you want to design a strong and proven marketing strategy plan, you’ll need to invest more than 30 minutes of your time. Why bother with a marketing plan in the first place? First of all because this plan is going to be your online and offline roadmap to marketing optimization. The heart of your…
Are you familiar with the terms pop-up shop, pop-up stores or pop-up retail? What’s the strategy behind this concept, and more importantly – why are marketers and corporates so keen to test these kind of shops all over the world? What are pop-up stores? “Pop-up retail, also known as pop-up store (pop-up shop in the…
In order to maximize the outcomes of your online marketing strategy plan, SEO and content creation should go hand in hand. How can you leverage the effect of both tasks and reap the long-term benefits (e.g. more traffic, higher ranking)? Two years ago Google made the headlines with the first Panda update (Google’s algorithm that…
Having a smart and sustainable product marketing strategy that attracts the right target audience is crucial in today’s competitive landscape. Needless to say, that the era of push marketing – where you promote your products by pushing them onto people – has somehow eroded. Is this statement really true? More and more businesses are shifting…
Does your business have a website? Yes – Do you have a website marketing plan to help you achieve your goals and objectives? No – Than you should definitely join the online community asap otherwise you will continue losing money (sales, revenue, profit, you name it) and customers. 2013 has already started, nevertheless there’s always…