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The Phone Still Works

April 26, 2009

Tags: albany lead generation, Albany marketing, Albany Sales, Banis Marketing, Gorilla Marketing
Categories: Advertising, Business Development, Marketing ROI

Content is king in any campaign. Then it needs various pathways to flow to the target.

One pathway that’s gotten a bad rap is the telephone. Too many pushy telemarketers have spoiled the bunch for those who want to use the phone in a responsible way as part of their communication mix.

For B2B targets, all’s still fair game. For B2C customers, the Do Not Call registry and the CAN-SPAM act have done a fairly good job of closing down that channel.

There is, however, a growing technique for integrating voice into your campaigns. And it is proving to be extremely effective even with individual consumers.

Recent case studies are showing that a relatively small investment can yield big returns.

Boston College achieved a 2000% return by generating a $200,000 profit from a $10,000 investment in a voice-based campaign.

Next week, I’ll tell you how they did it.

Posted by: Steve Banis

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Love The Ones Your With

April 19, 2009

Tags: Albany, albany advertising, Albany marketing, Albany Sales Leads, Albany Social Media, Banis Marketing, Branding, recession marketing
Categories: Advertising, Brand/Reputation, Business Development, Courage, Customer Focus, Decision Making, Marketing Blueprint, Strategy

Driving down I-75 in Ashworth, Georgia you can find what’s claimed to be the world’s largest peanut. I know what many of you are thinking – “Who cares”, right?

A giant peanut may not be your definition of fun, but for many others it may be just the right fit.

Millions of Americans take in one or two of the hundreds of quirky roadside attractions each year. The family roadtrip wouldn’t be the same without it. Neither would sales at the gift shops and local merchants surrounding these landmarks of kitschy architecture. They bet their livelihoods on it.

Albany Marketing - World's largest peanut

Business owners are often worried about alienating some portion of the marketplace. “If I focus my marketing towards older customers, that’ll put off the younger end of the market, won’t it?”

Maybe, maybe not.

One thing’s for sure though. If you try to be all things to all people, then you’ll be nothing to nobody. To be successful in your marketing efforts, you’ve got to stand for something. It takes a little courage. But think of it this way.

Square peg, square hole

If you were looking for the best steak in town, would you think first of your local diner or of the place with the picture of a cow out front? Diner’s have huge menus – there’ll be a steak there for sure. But the place with the cow and all the cars in the lot tells you that this is where your red meat craving will be satisfied.

Creating a business of excellence is naturally exclusionary. Developing your detailed expertise, your customer service, even your accounting process is all tailored to fit the unique relationship you have with your customers. It’s not meant to fit every type of customer.

Competing in a crowded market, especially in more difficult times, requires you to focus on the segment of the market that’s the best fit for your business. There are 300 million people in the United States. Almost 30 million businesses. And a couple more outside our borders.

For most, capturing even a small fraction of their market will constitute a huge success.

So don’t worry about pleasing everyone, it’s not possible. It’s not even desirable. Be who you really are. Be authentic. Strive for excellence – and you’ll attract your kind of people.

You’ll be more profitable and happier for it too.

Posted by: Steve Banis

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Start Slow To Become An Overnight Success

April 12, 2009

Tags: albany blogs, albany business development, albany leads, Albany marketing, Banis Marketing, banismarketing, Social Media
Categories: Brand/Reputation, Business Development, Customer Focus, Lead Management, Lead Nurturing, Management, Marketing Blueprint, Marketing ROI, Strategy

Recently, I’ve been running into some business owners who are starting to ask some really good questions.

There is opportunity now. But where? With whom?

I need to hang onto my customers What’s the best tack to take?

I’m determined to get aggressive. Where’s my best bang for my buck?

Last year’s questions might have been about branding, advertising, or how to go “viral”. Many wanted to talk about that. And agencies are only too happy to oblige as these are the highest margin products and services they sell.

Today it’s different. It will stay different.

The right questions to ask today are who, what, and what’s the return on that? For the most part, that means starting with the few and working outward.

Back on April 2nd, Seth Godin wrote a little about this approach. Begin with 10 utterly loyal clients, friends, associates, etc. and work from there. Start slowly and let it build.

Depending on your situation, the place to start is with your team, moving onto your key customers, and then finally to dedicated FOOs (friends of the organization).

Let your team in on the secret…you need them. They need you. You both have roles to play. Yours is to lead – provide vision, direction, tools, and resources. Theirs is to perform their jobs with gusto. Relate to customers better than ever. Spread the word with more sincerity and urgency. Share ideas.

Strength in numbers

Same with your customers. Not only do you want to keep your important customers happy, you also need them to know that you need their help to succeed with other customers as well. Testimonials, invitations to present within their circle of influence, and asking for their ideas is not only helpful, it can also be flattering.

FOOs can also be a fountain of good ideas. They have exposure to other industries, competitors, and can help you get a handle on things that might be working for others. Also, because they typically have no axe to grind, any referrals from them, even those that may not lead directly to business, may lead to something more concrete.

Bottom line? Yes, there is opportunity now. Yes, there are customers out there up for grabs. Most of the best ones seem to be laying low.

Now’s not the time for a big splash. Now’s the time to throw a bunch of pebbles into the water and make many little ripples. In time they’ll all connect to make a big wave.

Posted by: Steve Banis

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A Little Inspiration

April 5, 2009

Tags: Albany marketing, Banis Marketing, Blogs, saratoga marketing, Social Media
Categories: Brand/Reputation, Decision Making, Lead Nurturing, Social Networking, Uncategorized, Websites

There are a number of good reasons to create and maintain a business (or personal brand) blog.

You give readers a chance to get to know what you’re about and provide them a forum for discussing your ideas. Posting regularly (at least once or twice each week) offers search engine spiders the one thing they crave most: new content. So it helps with SEO.

The best blogs try to provide a service to readers. Good information, insights, and tips. That’s what keeps them coming back and builds your credibility.

Blogs also provide an essential service to its creators…it lets them think out loud.

We take in so much information that it’s hard to remember all of the little observations that can turn into big ideas each week. So writing is a chance to noodle through your thoughts, organize them, and pick out a few gems.

Panning for gold

This process goes on all over cyberspace. And readers are the big winners. You can mash up your favorite blogs using your reader. This allows you to decide which “gems” have value to you.

My fellow bloggers are some of the most brilliant and creative people on the Web. I use their ideas in my business and for my clients almost every day.

I’d like to share a few of the best resources I’ve found on the web for marketing ideas and information in hopes that you’ll find a little extra help in these difficult times.

• • • •

(the brief descriptions are by EvanCarmichael in his post last year)

• • • •

Duct Tape Marketing Blog – The award-winning John Jantsch offers his astoundingly practical advice, tips and tricks for small business marketing.

Seth Godin’s Blog – One of the most famous names in the industry, Seth Godin’s blog has long been a favorite for all things small business marketing. As the author of the most popular ebook ever, his blog never fails to give you advice you need.

Marketing Profs – What started as a simple blog by marketing professor Allen Weiss in 2000 has today turned into a fully-staffed venture that provides marketing know-how and offers valuable B2B articles and event information.

Brand Autopsy – How do you conduct a marketing physical for your brand? Check out John Moore’s blog to find out.

Marketing Sherpa – Using case studies, surveys, and other techniques, Marketing Sherpa researches what works – and what doesn’t – in all things marketing. (BMB note: Emarketers and online merchants will find studies by affiliate Marketing Experiments extremely useful)

• • • •

This list is by no means complete. In the future I’ll try to add to it so you can extend your own blog library.

…your comments on the burstmarketingblog are always appreciated.

Posted by: Steve Banis

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The Phone Still Works