Archive for the ‘Guerrilla Marketing Tips’ Category

As you surely know the downturn in the economy has made times are more challenging for the entrepreneur.  But not for Guerrillla marketers.

Any savvy marketer knows that developing powerful partnerships can be the key to whethering any economic storm.  So in this post lets look at how you can successfully connect with fusion marketing partners in your industry.

Before choosing a JV partner make sure that you:

•  Know exactly what they want most from the venture… It may not be what you assume

•  Are fully aware of your own goals… and that you’ve communicated them to your would-be partner

•  Both feel that you can better achieve your objectives working with each other

While it is not always the case, a good plan is to document the agreement in writing and make sure both parties review and accept the written agreement.

The Platinum Rule

We’ve all heard of “The Golden Rule” – Treat people the way you would like to be treated.  And while the concept is sound, it becomes problematic because it assumes that everyone has identical desires and perceptions.

Authors Tony Alessandra and Michael J.O’Conner rephrased the tenet and renamed it “The Platinum Rule.” It goes like this, “Do unto others as they’d like done unto them.”

This requires a real understanding of others and what motivates them… and there’s no better way of learning that than by asking them. Otherwise, we risk offending others by incorrectly presupposing the answer based on our own sensibilities.

Following are some quick tips for developing healthy joint venture partnerships…

•  Do your research ahead of time… make sure they’re the type of person you like and their business is healthy and respectable

•  Approach them with a “what’s-in-it-for-them” stance…  not how great you are

•  Be specific…don’t leave things “squishy” regarding anything – this is how misunderstandings begin

•  Respect their time… let them know you value theirs as much as your own

•  Develop simple deals… especially ones which don’t require either of you  to “look over the others’ shoulders”

•  Give before you get, particularly if you’re just starting out… people are understandably more leery of opening up their hard-earned business resources before you’ve proven yourself.

•  Avoid using a “sales pitch”… it’s no way to begin a give-and-take partnership

•  Don’t obsess over who’s getting more out the deal… make your best deal and forget about it.

You will find that solid  partnerships can be the key to thriving in a challenging economy.
Go out an find one today!

Mitch Meyerson, author of 9 books including: Mastering Online Marketing, Guerrilla Marketing On The Internet, Success Secrets of The Online Marketing Superstars, When Is Enough Enough and Six Keys To Creating The LIfe Your Desire and CEO of Easy Web Automation.com

Become A Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach www.GMarketing Coach.com

by Leslie Hamp, Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach & Marketing Spitfire

Summary: Gaining publicity is a key strategy for small business owners trying to spread their message on a shoestring budget. Read on to discover how to work with burgeoning media hungry for news.

Now’s your chance. While the public relations professionals are off enjoying their hard-earned vacations during the next month or two, media are left scrambling for much needed copy and story ideas. Give them what they’re looking for!

In July and August reporters are more accessible and open to lighter business stories, trend pieces, technology news, back-to-school and education themes, travel features and creative, fun releases related to entertainment. In September, the public relations and agency reps will be back at work making it more difficult to capture the attention of a busy editor, so make hay while the pros are away!

One way to capture the attention of editors and reporters, and ultimately customers and prospects that read or hear about your news through the media, is to tie into current events. Think about the upcoming Tour de France. Running from Saturday July 5 to Sunday July 27, 2008, the 95th Tour de France will cover a total distance of 3,500 kilometers including flat stages, mountain stages and individual time-trial stages.

During the 23-day event cyclists from around the world will compete for the top spot. Whatever the outcome, you can tie into this news. Plan your strategy now. A few ideas:

1. An ear, nose and throat physician can easily tie into the Tour and share his/her expertise related to the facial injuries bikers typically suffer when they go head over heels over their handlebars. Newspapers and web sites love these stories. So do prospects searching for a specialist and current patients who hear about their doctor in the news. And they’ll remember that story long after the Tour de France cyclists complete their 21-stage odyssey.

2. Bike stores can tie into the tour with special “Tour de France” promotions, discounts and contests. People love contests. So do the media. They’re fun, and they’re one of the best ways to get publicity without spending money on paid advertising. Brainstorm every possible angle, then run with it throughout the summer as you highlight contestants and winners.

3. Bed & breakfast inns and hotels can tie into the Tour with special rates and organized rides for bicyclists. Develop a news release that focuses on recreation, tourism and low-cost, self-propelled excursions while also featuring an individual, couple or family enjoying some R&R. Readers love to see themselves in others who are having fun and experiencing success.

4. Wine shops can tie into the event by featuring special Tour de France wine and cheese gatherings with a discount on French wines. A special basket filled with wine, cheese, appetizer, croissant and tablecloth could provide the essentials for the perfect picnic.

5. Children’s toy stores can tie into the Tour de France by offering special promotions on helmets and bikes. Imagine photos of kids in their new helmets or at a kids’ bicycle safety event. It may be just the ticket needed to fill a hole in an area newspaper or a 30-second spot on the evening news. Any published news or photos could also be displayed throughout the store.

6. Organizations working on a fundraising campaign or event can tie into the Tour by telling donors or registrants that a percentage of each donation/registration will be sent to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Everyone wants to support a good cause, and the Lance Armstrong Foundation has done an exceptional job in funding education and research in the fight against cancer.

7. Restaurants can offer Tour discounts on pasta, pancakes or other carbo items being devoured by Tour de France cyclists.

You get the picture. Think current events, establish a hook, and create targeted, benefit-rich releases to tout your new product, event, special promotion or cause. Bring your news to life with explanations, anecdotes and quotes that delight both media and prospects, and include the practical facts such as prices, times, web URLs, and phone numbers that enable media and prospects to contact you to learn more or to place an order. Add a headline that piques interest yet makes the gist of your story clear so that media gatekeepers pay attention.

Once written, leverage your news. Brainstorm ways to get each story into the hands of customers and prospects. Post news to your website the same day it is distributed offline. Send an email blast to your list. Frame and display the published story in your lobby.

Summer truly is the time to work with the plethora of burgeoning media hungry for news. Those who devote time, energy and imagination will garner plenty of publicity that translates into brand awareness and increased sales on a shoestring budget.

Certified Marketing Spitfires™ Leslie Hamp and Holly George are creators of the Business Boost In A Box. To learn more about the step-by-step program, and to sign up for your free Marketing Mastery Success Kit, visit http://www.boostyourbottomline.com

Looking For a New Income Stream in a Challenging Economy?

Get all the details on our intensive 12 week program and hold your spot for our acclaimed June 30th Guerrilla Marketing Coach Certification Program.

Led by Mitch Meyerson, Founder of Guerrilla Marketing Coach and special guest trainer, Craig Valentine, 1999 World Champion Speaker.

 

Details here:

www.GMarketingCoach.com

by Leslie Hamp, Certified Marketing Spitfire™

What’s the first thing that pops into your mind with the mention of the word marketing? Do you get excited about all of the possibilities…or do you freeze at the thought of developing strategies and tactics?

90 percent of small business owners do not have a marketing plan, yet most know that it takes seven to 10 impressions to make an impact and inspire a prospect to take action. Repetition is critical, but what is the best way to proceed?

The surefire way to ensure success is to pre-determine your marketing and the action required to reach seven to 10 impressions. Here are 7 strategies to focus your efforts:

1. Be remarkable. Identify your goals, your strengths, and your target audience. Define ONE quality that sets you apart from your competition and turns your customers into loyalists buying from you again and again. What are you willing to stake a claim on? Focus on that ONE remarkable quality, develop a clear, consistent marketing message, and repeat that ONE marketing message in everything you do. If you repeatedly launch new marketing messages, you are starting all over each time and will be spinning your wheels for naught.

2. Maximize word of mouth. When you have a business identity or brand that inspires, fascinates, engages and rewards customers and employees, you are going to be talked about. There is no denying that the opinions of trusted family and friends play a key role in influencing the purchase behavior of others. Can you come up with a creative campaign that will get lots of people talking? Are you encouraging referrals? Do you have testimonials in your print, web and on-site displays that reflect the ONE remarkable quality that is the basis of your business and marketing?

3. Free Media. There’s a great big world of media available online and off, and a lot of it is free. If you provide newsworthy information, your news releases will be published or aired. So what’s your hook? Are you launching a new event, releasing a new book or announcing a new program? Is there newsworthy information to highlight about you, an employee or a customer? Think big, develop a hook, and reinforce your ONE marketing message along with the who, what, when, where and why of your news release. Distribute online and off.

4. Knock Your Socks-Off Service. Be sure you and your employees are delivering unbelievably great service under every circumstance. Answering the phone with enthusiasm, putting paperwork on the back burner to assist a customer, and listening to each customer should be a no-brainer, but sometimes a hectic day puts good intentions on hold. Focus on your ONE remarkable quality and give customers knock-your-socks-off service. They’ll likely have something very good to say about you to others.

5. Get in the Limelight. One of the best ways to spread your ONE marketing message is to speak to organizations, associations, clubs, and radio audiences. Keep in mind that Rotary Clubs, local business groups, school foundations, radio networks and other organizations are always looking for program ideas. Make their job easy by offering your expertise. Determine where your target audience spends his/her time, select an organization that’s a good fit, contact the program coordinator, and offer a presentation targeted to the audience. You’ll be positioning yourself as an expert while reaching new prospects.

6. Collaborate. Also called fusion marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson, the Father of Guerrilla Marketing, collaboration is a tool that many small business owners overlook. Yet research shows that working with others increases productivity, motivation and results. Collaborations combine the efforts of two or more entities to explode joint marketing efforts. The keys: Identify potential collaborations, determine what each of you brings to the table, and create a win-win situation where you can shout out your ONE marketing message.

7. Hire a marketing coach. If you are stuck, it may be that you are overwhelmed, at “a fork in the road” and unsure of your next step. Enlist support. Hire a professional coach and consultant to help you redefine your unmistakable brand identity, your ONE marketing message, and action steps to ensure success.

While there are many more ways to guarantee you will make an impact, these seven strategies will get you started with a solid foundation for strengthening your ONE marketing message. Be sure to put it all on paper so you have a map guiding your efforts and ensuring that you focus on the ONE quality that sets you apart from your competition and makes you truly remarkable in the eyes of your customers and prospects. Be consistent. Be clear. Be ready to skyrocket results.

Certified Marketing Spitfires™ Leslie Hamp and Holly George are creators of the Business Boost In A Box. To learn more about the step-by-step program, and to sign up for their fre*e Marketing Mastery Success Kit, visit www.boostyourbottomline.com

As it turns out, plenty! I went to a Boston Red Sox game with my family this weekend and, in between buying outrageously priced $6 hotdogs and $5 Cokes, I thought about what America’s past-time has in common with marketing. I know, you may think it’s a bit of a stretch, but these simple analogies are actually pretty obvious…

1. Keep your eye on the ball – Let’s start with the most apparent. It takes an intense focus and concentration to hit a 90 mile-per-hour fastball. You’ve got to have the same kind of deliberate attention to your business and your marketing efforts. Don’t take your eye off the ball!

2. Be (baseball) ready – During every single pitch, I noticed infielder Dustin Pedroia go into his “baseball ready” stance. On his toes, ready to respond, and completely ready for anything that might be hit his way. Are you paying attention in your business? Are you nimble, prepared and ready to react?

3. Swing for the fences – It’s rare that you see a wimpy, half-assed swing in the major leagues. These guys are playing like they mean it! In your marketing efforts and in your business in general, you’ve got to take big swings. If you want to hit home runs, you’ve got to swing for the fences!

4. Work as a team – No matter how good the individuals on the team are, it’s the team that wins ballgames. While this is painfully obvious, you need to ask yourself how teamwork can benefit you. Are you developing relationships and joint ventures? Are you leveraging your partnerships? How can you use the combined efforts of your team to win?

5. Have a game plan – While pro ball players may make it look effortless, they never take the field without a game plan in place. Baseball, like business, is a game of strategy. Plan ahead. Study the competition. Know your strengths and weaknesses. And most important, execute.

6. Focus on fundamentals – While at the Sox game, my son asked me why “Big Papi” still takes hitting practice. If you want to be the best, I explained to him, you’ve got to be great at the basics. You’re never too good to practice, and it starts with the fundamentals.

7. How you play the game is how you play in life – This was another “life lesson” moment for my son. The players he most admires are the guys who are as great off the field as they are on the field. You’ve got to bring your “A” game every day, both in business and in life!

8. Never give up – The guys in the “bigs,” as they call the Major League, understand that it ain’t over til it’s over. To succeed as an entrepreneur, you’re going to need that same kind of dogged persistence and determination. The Red Sox have become famous for 9th inning heroics and come-from-behind victories. Take a page from their playbook and keep playing hard all the way through!

9. Be aggressive – Good ball players hustle. They run hard. They act quickly. They don’t let up. How are you playing in your business? Can you put in even more effort? Can you push a little harder?

10. Use a variety of “weapons” – A winning baseball team like the Red Sox uses many different ways to win. They have a variety of weapons in their arsenal: hitting, pitching, defense, bench strength, late inning rallies. Are you using an assortment of marketing weapons in your business? Look for ways to add some depth to your playbook and don’t rely on just one or two methods.

The Red Sox won the game we attended, but I can’t say I’m surprised. The defending World Series Champions do a lot of things right, and they find a way to win. Follow their lead and your business should be off to a winning season!

Lou Bortone is an author and entrepreneur with extensive experience in marketing, branding and promotion. Before starting his own company, Lou was an award-winning marketing executive in the media industry. Lou served as National Promotion Manager for E! Entertainment Television, and later as Senior VP of Marketing and Advertising for Fox Family Worldwide, a division of Fox, in Los Angeles. Today, Lou helps entrepreneurs and solo professionals navigate their online businesses with services such as copywriting, video production and creative services. Sign up for Lou’s free mini audio course about using Online Video at http://www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com.