by IMC | Dec 14, 2012 | Blog, Credibility, Marketing Mix, Partnership, Tactics
Anyone who has made a presentation to a board of directors at a corporation, a group of venture capitalists, or security analysts on an earnings conference call knows the importance of numbers. Although sophisticated professionals understand that numbers can be manipulated, they still demand them – lots of them.
Because of the so-called “creativity” involved in marketing and public relations those heading organizations might have held back on including numbers in messaging. Mistake. Numbers seduce. They are entities which prospects and current customers and clients can put their arms around. Also, digging them up and putting them out there show you care.
One set of numbers which get more than the average share of attention is this: results from a survey. For example, an expert on employment law includes in her communications the numbers from ManpowerGroup which found that 86 percent of employees in America plan to look for a job in 2013. In higher education, Quinnipiac University developed a powerful brandname through its Polling Institute. And you can also harness this power of the survey.
How to conduct a survey? You can Do It Yourself (DIY) through a free mechanism such as Survey Monkey. Or, you can seek out a partner to share the cost and enhance the opportunities for promotion. You can also use a professional agency such as Image Marketing Consultants.
Kate Sirignano, founder of Image Marketing Consultants, can help you with collecting and presenting the numbers which could be the tipping point in your marketing, public relations, and partnerships. Contact Kate for a complimentary consultation Kate@imagemarketingconsultants.com, 860-863-5861.
by IMC | Dec 10, 2012 | Blog, Branding, Credibility, Digital Communications, Mission Statement, Tactics
Is your residential real estate agency targeted toward the professionally established Generation X house hunters or the under-30 struggling to find property they can afford? If you don’t know that, neither will your potential customers. With such severe competition in just about every industry it is key to be clear about what your business is as a brand and what segments it can most profitably focus on.
That applies whether your business is residential real estate, dining, driver education, or affordable housing. The most common mistake businesses make is attempting to be all things to all possible buyers. That confuses the shopper. It also dilutes the brand message.
For the new year, please go back to the drawing board and determine which are the most profitable market segments or single segment. Then develop your strategic plan and tactics for reaching them effectively and cost efficiently.
Kate Sirignano, founder of Image Marketing Consultants, invites you to a complimentary consultation on your marketing, public relations, partnerships, special events, and social media kate@imagemarketingconsultants.com, 203-404-4868. This holiday season give yourself the gift of a more successful business.
by IMC | Dec 4, 2012 | Blog, Branding, Credibility, Tactics
The curtain will be going up on 2013.
There’s optimism in the air. Retail sales, especially online, are strong. The housing sector is picking up. And the aftermath of Sandy will be generating plenty of work. Therefore, you are asking Image Marketing Consultants how you can capture this momentum for 2013?
We have been warning you about not rushing to introduce too much “new and improved” too quickly. WordPress learned from Facebook’s stumbles to move slowly and carefully in providing users with change. Too much change can overwhelm customers.
But, of course, too little change can send the wrong signals. Among them are:
- The organization doesn’t care and isn’t digging around for what customers want.
- The organization is set in its ways, feeling entitled to the business it has.
- The organization is out of touch with shifting realities.
A useful exercise is monitoring the competition. How much change have they put in play and how does that seem to be working out? If it’s retail, you can observe the traffic. If it’s professional services, you can follow the trade media about new accounts and analyze the tone of its communications. Does the organization sound desperate?
That context provides you insight about what you might change and what to put on hold, for now. Change always represents risk. But not changing, of course, is equally risky.
Kate Sirignano, founder of Image Marketing Consultants, invites you to a complimentary consultation for marketing, partnerships, public relations, special events, and social media kate@imagemarketingconsultants.com, 203-404-4868.
by IMC | Nov 25, 2012 | Blog, Credibility, Marketing Mix
The beauty of posing those connecting questions to prospects is that we marketers send the clear message: We are here to listen to you. Those questions which trigger that immediate connection can be asked in person, on the home page of your website, in the subject head of an email blast or blog post, or as part of a tweet.
Here are some examples of connecting questions which have converted browsers to buyers:
Do you want your family to be happier?
Can your child be doing better in school?
Would owning a house make you feel secure, finally?
How long has it been since you had a sit-down meal in a restaurant?
Why are you afraid to ask a decorating question?
Do you need to stop overspending on the holidays?
After the connecting question, there are many ways of listening. One is simply to provide the “white space” of a pause. After that, you can offer brief snippets of information, a complimentary consultation, a no-pressure demonstration, or a free sample.
Kate Sirignano, founder of Image Marketing Consultants, asks you: Could you be selling more? Could you be raising more funds for your cause? Could you be spending less on marketing? Please contact her for a free consultation kate@imagemarketingconsultants.com, 203-404-4868.
by IMC | Nov 5, 2012 | Blog, Credibility, Marketing Mix, Partnership, Tactics
A classic in marketing is to identify your customer’s pain points and then recommend solutions. You ask them what is keeping them up at night.
For example, you supply antique dolls to your customer’s upscale gift store. During the last two quarters, doll sales have been down about 35%. Ouch, that hurts, both the customer and you. One solution is for the customer to begin an ecommerce doll business. You provide all the vendor information needed to make that happen. Within two more quarters, sales could surge, thanks to the online sales.
But you can also take that classic approach one step further. You can help your customers identify the pain points for their own customers/clients. That can even be done if the customer’s business is doing well. The insight could increase sales futher, generate new lines of business, and deepen their relationship with customers/clients.
For example, you help your gift-shop customer shift from simply selling to developing a digital community with customers/clients. Incentives such as discounts, contests, background information, and entertainment can encourage them to join in. From their conversations with the owner as well as among themselves pain points could become obvious. Another means of diagnosis would be hosting a special event such as a doll show or a lecture by a doll expert. Those attending would be rewarded for revealing their wish list, disappointments with getting and giving gifts, and what price points go beyond their budgets.
Often your customers are so preoccupied with the painful matter of declines in their own revenues or the current surge in business that they don’t focus on how their own customers/clients may be hurting. When you help them do that you can significantly help your own business.
Kate Sirignano, founder of Image Marketing Consultants, invites you to a complimentary consultation for marketing, public relations, partnerships, special events, and social media kate@imagemarketingconsultants.com, 203-404-4868.
by IMC | Oct 26, 2012 | Blog, Credibility, Partnership, Tactics
The horrific news of a nanny who allegedly murdered two children has gripped the nation. Organizations associated with parenting now have a new issue parked on their doorstep. That issue is this: Should parents entrust the rearing of their children to The Nanny? Parent bulletin boards are buzzing about this controversy.
The good news for you is that, unlike the media, you do not have to come up with an instant response – or any at all. When clients or customers approach you about the matter, you have a number of options. You can turn the question back to them and ask what they think. In many cases people want just that: An invitation to air their views. You can also indicate that you need more time to consider the issue.
After you have reflected, you could create and publish an opinion-editorial in the local newspaper and post your point of view on your blog, Facebook, and twitter account. You would invite the community to join in the conversation.
In addition, you can leverage this as an opportunity for a special event and sponsor a panel to discuss it. That could be a public service. The media are likely to cover it. You could also conduct a survey of public opinion. For that you might establish a partnership with a School of Social Work or a Sociology Department at a University.
Controversy, especially one such as this which involves children, can seem scary. However, it does present the forum to participate in an issue which counts a great deal to your customers and clients.
Kate Sirignano, founder of Image Marketing Consultants, invites you to a complimentary consultation on Marketing, Partnerships, Public Relations, Special Events, and Social Media kate@imagemarketingconsultants.com, 203-404-4868.
Page 4 of 5« First«...345»
Anyone who has made a presentation to a board of directors at a corporation, a group of venture capitalists, or security analysts on an earnings conference call knows the importance of numbers. Although sophisticated professionals understand that numbers can be manipulated, they still demand them – lots of them.
