Do you re-use your print advertising and positive publicity?

Have you run newspapers and magazines ads? How about blog posts? Are there any articles that have been written about you, about your business, or about your products and services? People may be impressed when these articles and ads run the first time, but how many of them are ever seen again by the public?

Running an ad can be very expensive, so you may not be able to run an ad for an extended period of time. Articles written about your business that get printed in the media have a short shelf life. When the current issue of a publication that contains the article about you or your business is taken off the shelf, people won’t be reading your positive press anymore.  But you can re-use these items in other marketing efforts of your own.

When ads for your business (or positive articles about your business) are printed in a newspaper, Website, blog or magazine, have them copied or reprinted at a local “quick print” shop. You now have the ability to use these reprints in a lot of marketing projects.  Here are some inexpensive ways to distribute your reprints:

• Scan or save as a pdf and e-mail your ads to clients and prospects.
• Post your ads on your web site and blog or Facebook
• Mail reprinted materials along with statements and invoices.
• Include reprints with your next direct mail effort.
• Have some high school students put reprints on parked cars or on the “community posting boards” at the local library or college.

As you are making your reprints, be sure to add the caption, “as seen in (Publication Name),” under the actual ad or article. This caption will give your new marketing effort added credibility.

I ran a small ad for my book “97 Marketing Secrets to Make More Money” in the Wall Street Journal and you can bet I captioned all of my reprints and other marketing efforts with the phrase “as seen in the Wall Street Journal.”

Your advertisements can also be enlarged and displayed at your place of business. This will remind patrons about the offers in your print ads. Your advertisements may only run once in print, but they can live forever. You can reuse them for years.

The same technique can be used to extend the life of any positive articles that are written about your business in newspapers, journals, and magazines. Another great idea is to take these reprinted articles and distribute them to any of your clients and/or prospects who you feel might have missed seeing them in the original publication.

If you want to re-use or re-print an article, you may have to get permission from the author or original publisher and pay a small fee. Remember that it’s priceless when someone who isn’t connected with your business, writes positive comments about you or your business in the media. You can use these comments forever.

“This is like deja vu all over again.”
- Yogi Berra

It is wise to collect and save all the advertisements that you run, all the positive articles that are written, and all the testimonials that you receive from satisfied customers. Put these materials into a binder, and use it as a brag book. Use the material regularly in your marketing efforts, to build credibility and help people feel more confident about making a decision to do business with you.

How many old advertisements or positive press articles do you have lying around that could be reprinted and used in your future marketing efforts?

Other, more-established companies have designed their own; without seeing more success than they had prior to using this very important tool. Or (the worst-case scenario), there are the companies that have paid a very large sum of money to a huge marketing company for this very-much essential tool of business growth; only to have the investment give them a lackluster return.

Well, there are marketing calendars available that are made to fit your particular marketing plan. There are also marketing calendars out there that are easy-to-use yet, very in-depth at the same time. And, there are marketing calendars that are positive in both of those ways and, that get it right the first time!

So, whether you are a rightfully-jaded (in regards to marketing calendars) business owner or, this is your first time considering using one, we can point you in the direction of a marketing calendar that will go above-and-beyond your expectations; perhaps, even showing you possibilities that you previously hadn’t known that you business had!

Whether you have your own marketing plan that is already gaining you serious success, or you are looking for a marketing plan/marketing calendar combination, we have found a solution for you! The key factors that set a great marketing calendar apart from a run-of-the-mill one are laid out in this article.

First, we must have an understanding of what a marketing calendar really is. The simple definition is as follows: A Marketing Calendar assists you in putting your different marketing concepts into motion in a structured and organized way.

While the name “Marketing Calendar” (as well as this short definition) may invoke only thoughts of coordination of marketing efforts, a truly great marketing calendar also assists you in budgeting your marketing concepts and various business moves. So, expect more than a scheduling tool when you are making the ever-important choice of which marketing calendar to choose!

Oftentimes, those running businesses find themselves a bit overwhelmed; as, things come up (and decisions have to be made) that get them off of their original course of action. The right marketing calendar will keep the original aspects of your marketing plan in order; no matter what spur-of-the-moment crisis presents itself. Right before your eyes, you will always be able to pull up the calendar and see where you are in both the short-term, and the long; in regard to your overall goal.

Moreover, a fitting calendar can help you to be sure that you are not dispensing too much effort in the wrong areas! None of us are perfect and, we often get caught up in wasting valuable time (and we all know that time is money) on the wrong aspects of our businesses!

Most importantly: An expertly-crafted marketing calendar can help you rest at night, with the knowledge that worries like planning, budgeting and even staffing are fully under control. And, aside from the absence of worry, implementing such a needs-based calendar can garner you funds that you already had, without your knowledge! In short; such a marketing calendar saves time, money and worry!

Normally, something that assists a company so much is costly and difficult to design. Well, the right marketing calendar doesn’t have to be either of those things!  If you have designed your own plan, all that is needed from the right company is your plan and, your details are simply inserted in a way that will allow you to keep your primary focus on your day-to-day work and, simply consult the calendar to be sure that things happen when they should, how they should and, within the budget that you set out for them to work within. If the right company designs both your plan and your calendar, it is even easier to coordinate the two and, once this has been done, you are on your way to the kind of success that you long-ago imagined – the kind of results that got you into business in the first place!

Our main concern is catering to your specific needs. (As should be the main aim of any good company).  We make our marketing calendars as detailed as possible and, they are easy for anyone to use. Even those who consider themselves to be technologically-challenged can use an online, expertly-designed marketing calendar; so that they can have an overview of their business and all of its details at any time – in any place.

With that being said, your calendar should also be the magnifying glass for your marketing plan! At any time, right before your eyes, you will be able to take in easy-to-interpret (yet, detailed), organized information that will let you know whether or not you should adjust your original plan; in order to suit your current needs. This definitely helps to keep your business stable! Stability is key; most businesses who fail do so due to their owners’ inability to adjust to the ups-and-downs of income and/or changing of plans due to ineffectiveness or so-so results.

In summary, think of your marketing calendar as your business plan’s map to success. Without it, at very best – your business can survive without one. At the very least – with the right marketing calendar – your business will thrive!

Now, you may want to check out FastMarketingPlan.com to discover a fast and easy way to create your next marketing plan and marketing calendar

So you have your marketing plan, marketing calendar, marketing ideas, and, hopefully, marketing yourself, advertising plan together and a punctual person to hire.  You are well on your way to having the foundation to a successful way to market you and your business.

You’ve taken the reins on all these aspects. Now it comes down to when you deliver your product or service.  Some due dates are simple.  If you are a distributor for say, locally grown fruits and vegetables, it is the farmers that will tell you when your product will be ready to be picked up and delivered.

Other fields, and frankly, most other fields, you are doing the work.  It is all on you.  We all want to tell the client they can receive their goods or services right away! Tomorrow!  It’ll be done next week. But, like I have written before, “Life Happens” and, you know what, let it happen.  Enjoy it.  Here are a few ways how to enjoy the life and ways to keep you sane while being kind to the due dates.

DO NOT PUT UNREALISTIC DUE DATES ON YOURSELF.

This is an obvious one, but is it?  Many people, especially self-employed, tend to feel like they must be full of stress and anxiety in order to feel like they are being productive and pushing themselves.

Self-employment is just that and it is tough to gage what other people are doing in your field and how fast, so the solution to legitimizing oneself? The marketing problem here is the: “Do it faster, tell the client you can do it faster for less money” scenario.  It’s the American way.  Don’t.

This is an admirable marketing goal, but speed costs and what are you willing to spend or sacrifice?  Many times the quality of the work deteriorates or it is a completely unenjoyable, unfulfilling process.  Nine times out of ten this pain stake is translated somewhere in the work delivered.

Take your time.  You are worth the wait.  Make the best of the task at hand and market yourself in delivering the best work.  If it takes you a few extra days then you think someone else producing the same work is, so what.  Odds are you will get better at your craft if you take your time and the turnaround time will naturally increase.  Which leads me to….

DO NOT GIVE YOUR CLIENT AN UNREALISTIC DUE DATE.

Even if you do start turning work out faster as you get increasingly comfortable in your work, does not necessarily mean you need to tell the client an earlier due date.

Again, life happens and it is a life to enjoy.  Give yourself a few extra days to produce your work and, who knows what you can accomplish beyond your clients expectations with that time. Give yourself the time to make errors, learn and most importantly…time to blow your client away with a quality product or service.

The worst feeling is telling your client you are going to be later then you anticipated.  We all do it, but try to prevent that conversation from happening.  It falls right in line with your new punctual self.  You are on time to your meetings and on time with your due dates.  These are valuable traits and word will spread fast through the grapevine about you.

WIGGLE ROOM FOR THE TIME SENSITIVE DUE DATE CRUNCH.

Particularly in the marketing and advertising realm, some jobs are very time sensitive and tight due dates are impossible to avoid.  Another huge reason to give yourself some wiggle room when stating a realistic completion date.

Now, all of a sudden, you are the person that produces great work on a timely basis AND the person that can deliver when a client is in a crunch.  That’s a strategic and truthful marketing and advertising plan.

If you have too many tight due dates because you want to be the fastest to deliver, then when a client comes your way saying, “I need this now!” you won’t be able to accept the work without most likely, delaying all your other due dates.  This will screw up the reputation of meeting deadlines you have worked so hard to earn.

BE BETTER THEN THE STEREOTYPES.

A few days ago, I saw a commercial for, I think a Gillette air freshener.  It is advertised to last 30 days but may last longer.  Parallel to this statement is a guy that is redoing this couples kitchen and they both say it is going to last longer.  The guy says their kitchen will be done in a month and the couple says that it will last longer.  Sure enough, the air freshener and their kitchen rehab last 60 days.   It’s great advertising, marketed towards all of us who know that many people don’t meet their due dates.

Certain professions, we all get that it will probably take longer then what is quoted.  Be better then the stereotype your profession may have or, as usual, people anticipating that it will take longer to see a job completed.

I recommend not giving a due date immediately.  Go home and give it some careful thought and consideration to everything that could happen (including life!).  If you think about it and communicate the reasoning behind your due date, the client will have a better understanding of what steps it will take to meet the deadline and respect the thought you put behind it.

People love honesty, integrity and seeing a job meeting the deadline.  My personal gauge, is if I think something is going to take me three hours, I triple that time first thought to 9 hours.  Maybe the task at hand won’t take me 9 hours, but the bottom line is I covered myself, maybe have some extra time to let life happen and have a happy client on my hands.

I hope this helps you to meet your due dates, think about how your want to market and advertise yourself,  and to have fun doing it.

An “Entrepreneur’s Toolbox” includes things that must be within the prospective entrepreneur’s very person but also; external tools.

First, let’s cover what you – the prospective entrepreneur – must have within yourself, in order to have a productive future.

First-and-foremost, “vision” is an absolute must.

The most successful visionaries normally have a very big picture of where it is that they want to be. (It is easier to scale back to a more practical  – and smaller – overall vision than it is to open your mind to a larger vision; once you have set your mind to something small and simple).

Secondly, you must possess plenty of “Self-Trust”.

Many speak of “innovation” as part of the ideal entrepreneur’s mind. Well, without belief in your ideas and the inner trust in yourself that what you wish to provide is needed in the world, your ability to innovate means nothing!

And, last (certainly not least) an entrepreneur must have a bit of “Intuition”. And, despite some of the ideas that the term ‘intuition’ may bring to mind, the sort of intuition that I am referring to is simply: “Knowing something without knowing how you know it”.

And, while it seems to be an in-borne quality, intuition can be developed.

The purpose of this article is to show you the external tools that can develop your intuition – as well as your vision and self-trust – to its fullest potential; in order to cut your costs and to increase your overall efficiency!

A proper business and marketing plan, devised by an outside, expert source; can help you to avoid the mistakes that many make. (Passion and drive are great qualities but, sometimes they get in the way of the bottom line!).

When it comes to your marketing, it is important to be aggressive but also, to be sure that you aren’t aggressive to the point that you trap yourself into one course of action.

Also, you don’t want to ‘burn yourself out at both ends’. So, a well-tuned Marketing Plan is absolutely crucial. To go along with that marketing plan, it is positively a must to possess a detailed, easy-to-use Marketing Calendar.

As covered in one of our other informational articles, a marketing calendar can also help you to be sure that personnel staffing, budgeting and foresight are already taken care of; with little work coming from you! Therefore, you save money, can dedicate your time to more constructive things than worrying and, have that overall satisfying feeling of stability.

A Budget Plan is very important, alone. And, while it is fine-tuned and worked-around (as well as made to be flexible) within your marketing plan (and calendar), having a realistic, organized and easy-to-monitor budget plan is an absolute must. And, just like your other external tools, a budget that is designed for your particular business and reviewed by objective experts increases the odds of your business being a success.

Just like your Marketing Plan, your overall Business Plan should contain “what if” strategies.

No matter your foresight or intuition, you can never be completely certain what emergencies may come up; nor, can you always correctly predict what you competition is going to do.

Put simply, our Business and Marketing Plans must be very flexible and objective. Being “fixed” in your planning can lead you to failure; in fact, it normally does, for most!

A Strategic Investment Plan is something that you must have ready when beginning your career as an entrepreneur.

While you may know exactly what you wish to invest in and when, just like the tools covered above, you must have plenty of flexibility in terms of your investment planning.

What your competitors do, things that happen in the economy and possible failures of past marketing are all things that may play into your needing a flexible and objective strategic investment plan. And, a common mistake that many make is grouping their investment plan in with their budget plan. When you put some thought into those two things, it becomes apparent that they need to be separate; or else you wind up with too many important factors compartmentalized into one category!

Also, depending on your business, you may be thinking more locally than Globally. Well, the right Marketing Company takes things like this into account from the very start. If you consider yourself as an aspiring entrepreneur (or if you are already an entrepreneur looking to increase his success) we have plenty of essential and proven tools that can help you along your way!

Many businesses complain that their Web sites do not generate enough contacts and sales leads to justify the cost. They want a better ROI for their Web sites.

We were also getting very frustrated because our Web site was generating very little e-mail and/or phone contact information. After testing a few different web design ideas, and finally decided to insert a bright, attractive, attention getting box on each web page.

This box contained our phone number and e-mail contact information.

As a result of this change, we started to receive many more calls and e-mail leads. This simple change made it very easy for anyone to contact us, and made those who did contact us feel more secure and willing to give us their business.

How can you make your business more accessible and available to new prospects and clients to generated many new sales.

As you know form experience, people will leave your Web site if they have to put too much effort into navigating it, or if they run into trouble trying to figure out how to contact you.

When a future client needs more information from you and your contact page is buried somewhere deep in your site, then it may never be found. If this happens – and it does at many sites we all have visited – then the customer is gone, maybe forever.  The sale is essentially lost. Don’t let this happen on your Web site.

What can you do to make it very simple for visitors to your Web site to find your contact information?

Have you run newspapers and magazines ads? Are there any articles that have been written about you, about your business, or about your products and services?

People may be impressed and respond when these articles and ads run the first time, but how many of them are ever seen again by the public?

Running an ad can be very expensive, so you may not be able to run an ad for an extended period of time.

Articles written about your business that get printed in the media have a short shelf life. When the current issue of a publication that contains the article about you or your business is taken off the shelf, people won’t be reading your positive press anymore.

Repurpose, reuse and republish your marketing

But you can re-use and re-purpose these items in other marketing efforts of your own.

When ads for your business (or positive articles about your business) are printed in a newspaper or magazine, have them copied or reprinted at a local “quick print” shop. You now have the ability to use these reprints in a lot of marketing projects.  Here are some inexpensive ways to distribute your reprints:

• Scan and e-mail your ads to clients and prospects.
• Post your scans on your web site.
• Mail reprinted materials along with statements and invoices.
• Include reprints with your next direct mail effort.
• Have some high school students put reprints on parked cars or on the “community posting boards” at the local library or college.

As you are making your reprints, be sure to add the caption, “as seen in (Publication Name),” under the actual ad or article. This caption will give your new marketing effort added credibility.

“The future is here. It’s just not widely distributed yet.” - William Gibson

Your advertisements can also be enlarged and displayed at your place of business. This will remind patrons about the offers in your print ads. Your advertisements may only run once in print, but they can live forever. You can reuse them for years.
The same technique can be used to extend the life of any positive articles that are written about your busi¬ness in newspapers, journals, and magazines. Another great idea is to take these reprinted articles and distribute them to any of your clients and/or prospects who you feel might have missed seeing them in the original publication.

“This is like deja vu all over again.”
- Yogi Berra

If you want to re-use or re-print an article, you may have to get permission from the author or original publisher and pay a small fee. Remember that it’s priceless when someone who isn’t connected with your business, writes positive comments about you or your business in the media. You can use these comments forever.

It is wise to collect all the advertisements that you run, all the positive articles that are written, and all the testimonials that you receive from satisfied customers.

Put these materials into a binder, and use it as a brag book. Use the material regularly in your marketing efforts, to build credibility and help people feel more confident about making a decision to do business with you.

Do you have old advertisements or positive press articles lying around that could be reprinted and used in your future marketing efforts?

5 Ways To Stretch Your Marketing Dollars

B2B businesses seem to have much smaller marketing budgets then B2C businesses.

If you are a B2B business looking for a few ways to stretch your marketing dollars, here are 5 to get you stretching.

5 Ways To Stretch Your Marketing Dollars

1. Use the ads you create in other way besides publication advertising. When you run your ad pay for reprints (they are very lows cost) and mail your reprints to clients and future clients. Also turn you ads into data sheets by printing feature data on the back of your reprints.
2. Don’t change a thing. If your ads are working, keep running them until they stop working. You’ll get bored with them long before your future clients.
3. Pay your suppliers on time. Taking advantage of discounts and avoiding costly late fee can save you a lot of money. Plus, you’ll build your reputation leading to referrals and better service from your suppliers.
4. Don’t get to fancy with your ads, brochures and marketing. Many times going overboard will turn off potential clients, especially in the industrial marketing. Concentrate on your headline and offer, they are far more important then the bells and whistles.
5. Do it yourself. The everyday marketing tactics such as distributing press releases, updating your marketing plans and meeting with media resources can all be done by your or and administrative assistant or even a virtual assistant for some of the repetitive tactics.

If you had to choose just one of these dollar-stretching ideas, which one would you do first?

By the way www.FastMarketingPlan.com is getting close to being completed. I’m shooting for a November 30 launch. So click on the link above and sign up for updates and you’ll be in the front of the line for a 30-day $1 trial where you’ll love building all the marketing plans you need, FAST and the best part, you’ll get reminders and help every Monday morning about your upcoming marketing tactics to kick into action

© 2009 Sanford Jay Barris