A New Year, A New 60 Seconds.

January 2013

Estimated Reading Time: 60 Seconds

60-Second Articles:

1. The Eight Most Important Marketing Realities For 2013

2. Why Your Company Needs To Write Its Own Top-Ten List

3. The 60-Second Close: Are You Continuing To Do The Same As Last Year?

1. The Eight Most Important Marketing Realities For 2013

• A new year brings a new set of challenges that make marketing your business even more complex than ever.

• Successfully increasing your sales requires the use of simple, effective marketing strategies – not a “jump-on-the-bandwagon” strategy.

• Here are “the eight most important marketing realities that will impact your business and affect your customers like never before:

1. Hiring And Training: The Essential Marketing Tactic

   • A successful marketing program begins with the staff – starting with the person answering the phone. Employees are a company’s biggest marketing asset, which makes hiring and training an essential marketing tactic for your success.

2. Brand Story: Differentiation Among Category Clutter

   • How does your company stand out from the competition? What encourages customers to talk about and remember your company for future purchases? What is your company’s story?

   • To successfully set your business apart, your marketing strategy must include the development of a communications program that spreads the story of your business.

3. Leadership: Planning For Tomorrow

   • In every business there is a direct relationship between profits and company leadership. Leaders are the face, personality and culture of the company. They have a vision of the kind of success they want and develop plans to achieve it. No matter how successful the company is, leaders are always prepared to face the competition and are focused on competing for tomorrow rather than for today.

4. Wow: Random Acts Of Customer Kindness

   • What do you do to exceed your customers’ expectations and “wow” them with great experiences? Making “wow” a marketing tactic at every customer touchpoint of your business ensures long-term customer loyalty.

5. Advertising: Still The Top Marketing Strategy

   • Despite what pundits say, traditional advertising – print, billboard, direct mail, radio and TV – is still the most effective way to increase your sales.

6. Explosion Of Mobile Marketing: How It Affects Your Business

   • Before diving into mobile marketing, understand how your customers will use their smartphones with regards to your business. This crucial step will clarify your company’s mobile needs and save you time and money.

     • Can customers find you when they do a mobile search?

     • Do you need a mobile website or smartphone application?

     • Should you integrate text messaging into your marketing plan?

7. Search Engine Stability: Focal Point For Online Success

   • Developing a first-page presence on Google for keyword search phrases used by your customers or clients will continue to be a crucial awareness factor for your company.

   • Consumers visit your website for specifics, then search various social media channels for reviews and testimonials about your product or service.

8. Don’t Stand Still: Be Creative, Innovative And Take Risks

   • Creativity, innovation and the ability to take risks will move your business forward, otherwise it stands still. Take a look at your products and services. Can you super-size or down-size them? Can you develop product extensions for new markets?

2. Why Your Company Needs To Write Its Own Top-Ten List?

• There’s a reason that people are fascinated with lists: They’re easy to read, easy to remember and easy to talk about.

• Lists play an important role in your company’s marketing efforts by educating people in an easy format about the value of your product or service. Does your company have a top-ten list of the things that set your company apart from others?

• Top-ten lists give you and your staff the ability to easily verbalize how your company stands out from the competition – especially if you’re in a business sector that’s full of similarity.

3. The 60-Second Close: Are You Continuing To Do The Same As Last Year?

• Does it sound absurd for an advertising agency to talk about leadership, staffing, top-ten lists and other areas that are not usually what a normal ad agency does? We don’t think so. We believe that marketing is everything and that every aspect of your business is involved in marketing.

• We can do the pretty pictures, but marketing your business is much more than that – it’s an overall approach. If you’ve been doing the same thing year after year and expecting different results, maybe it’s time for an overall business approach to your marketing. If so, then call us. We can get you there … faster than ever.