Merely one portion of Las Vegas at night

What Fabulous Las Vegas Has Taught me about Business Marketing –

Since I was of legal gambling age, I have always enjoyed taking short trips to Las Vegas, Nevada. If you’ve never been there, I highly recommend it, even if you aren’t into gambling. So much to see and do, from outdoor adventures, relaxing by the pool and shopping to shows and of course the decadent food.

How have the Las Vegas casino/hotels managed to get me to return there so many different occasions? With clever marketing practices, of course. And just because your business doesn’t have slot machines or an all-you-can-eat buffet to lure in customers, doesn’t mean you can’t learn a thing or two from the Las Vegas marketing masters. Here are a few things that I noticed about how Las Vegas (and the casino/hotels in general) practice effective marketing:

• Get a great Brand and Memorable Tagline: Even if you’ve never been to Las Vegas, my guess is that you know their tagline: “What Happens Here, Stays Here,” which many have copied for their own campaigns. Check out some of their ad campaigns on the Las VegasYouTube channel. They’ve even taken it a step further, and added a page to their website which talks about an oath you must take when you travel there. Hilarous, yet it is so memorable. This great brand helps to build up the mystique and the excitement that is only Vegas. Does your brand convey something memorable or exciting, or give customers a good feeling? If not, it’s time to change it.
• 

  What everyone hopes to do in Las Vegas (Hint-it's the opposite of lose)

  Market to Loyal Customers (and Reward them): The casino/hotel where we stay always sends us a postcard within months of our previous stay, with a special offer, asking us to return. Many times, this comes in the form of a giveaway, such as a free night or two of hotel stay, slot play, spa discount or dining credit. Because Vegas knows that once you experience a stay there, you’ll want to return soon. And of course the more you spend, the better the offer. Are you marketing to existing customers to get them to come back for more?

• Know your Customers Well: If you have been to Vegas and used one of the hotel’s loyalty cards (which tracks your gambling play, dining activities, and more), or charged any activities to your room, you’ll most likely be invited for a return trip. That’s because the hotel/casinos use this information to learn more about their customers, in order to cater to their likes and dislikes when they return. How well do you know your customers? If not very well, how can you find out more about them by implementing a loyalty program or tracking their purchases?
• Market to and Support New Customers: Vegas doesn’t forget that every year, millions of people turn 21. Or that millions of others have never been to Las Vegas – whether they are intimidated or don’t think that it’s for them. They have a section on their page devoted to newcomers, so that their first trip doesn’t seem overwhelming, and that they can take advantage of all that the city has to offer. This serves as a great customer service tool as well, to help people navigate around, and ensures that their customers will have a great experience while there.
• Segment by Target Audience: Las Vegas knows their audiences well, so they make sure to market different types of activities,  depending on their customer. A high roller might be more interested in accommodations or privacy, a casual traveler might be more interested in clubs, events or special offers, and a family with kids might be interested in when the pool is opening for the season, along with any family-friendly shows. And since Las Vegas is always changing, they have done a great job of keeping customers updated on everything that’s new to see and do in the area. Do you market differently to customers based on how they spend, or segment out your email marketing, ads or direct mail campaigns accordingly?
• Make it an experience: One thing that Las Vegas does well is make it an experience to visit there. From the time we arrive, to the time we depart, we feel like royalty. Just looking down the strip and seeing all of the lights and sounds puts you in a different frame of mind. Even though I might have spent most of my time playing video roulette, there was always a cocktail waitress handy to refresh my beverage.  Even if you win $2 on a slot machine, when you cash out (electronically, mind you), what do you hear? The sound of coins falling, as if you’ve hit it big. How can you make your retail or service business an experience for your customers? Sometimes the little things make a big difference.

What other things have you noticed about Las Vegas that could help others in their marketing efforts? Or what do you enjoy most about visiting the city? I”d love to hear about it!

PS: Las Vegas has not paid me to write this post. But I’d love for them to invite me back!

So by now, most of you have heard about or seen the new Facebook timeline and changes to how Facebook fan pages will display at the end of March, 2012. So what does this mean for small businesses?

1) If you haven’t branded your fan page yet, you’re in luck. Gone are the days of custom tabs where companies practically begged you to follow the gigantic arrow pointing to their “like” button. Now, companies simply have a place to post a simple graphic or photo in the top banner, which cannot be promotional in nature. The good news is that if you haven’t really taken the time to customize your page before, you haven’t wasted any resources thus far. But it’s a good idea to keep up with the times and get your fan page customized.

The Indianapolis Business Journal Fan page - marketing their brand via a colorful mural of the Indy skyline

2) Your fan page should reflect your business brand. In many ways, the new format makes your Facebook page more about your brand. So think about what images come to mind when customers experience your brand. The Indianapolis Business Journal Fan page, at the time of this writing, has a cool mural of the city as its backdrop. Use this opportunity to incorporate a tagline or to tell people about your company.  Incorporate the color scheme and graphics from your website. Or, simply change out the banner graphic as needed to tell the story and keep fans engaged. A good example of this is Coca Cola’s fan page.

3) Need ideas for good Facebook fan pages? Look to the national brands. On that note, if you’re struggling to decide what to put on your Fan page banner, check out some of the national brands such as, Arby’s who uses (at the time of this post) their fan page to promote a seasonal offering (I hate sauerkraut but this sandwich actually looks yummy). This could work for any business who offers products that they could highlight.  Macy’s fan page, as of today, just posts a photo of one of their stores, boasting their tagline “world’s largest store.” This would be an idea for a retail or business that has a really cool office building or storefront, and would also increase visibility.

4) Think about the customer experience. What about taking photos of customers using or enjoying the products? If you have excellent customer service, or technicians in the field, show them hard at work. Use the area to display a customer testimonial quote or highlight a project that you have completed. Create tips or answer frequently asked questions, and rotate these on a regular basis.

5) Facebook has made it harder for people to want to “Like” you. With the new timeline and layout, companies can no longer give people an incentive (such as a giveaway or the like) for liking the page. And with the missing arrows and in-your-face promotion, your business will have to work that much harder to encourage “likes.” So the content that you post and share will make a greater difference, as people will view this to see if your page is worth liking. Thus, you need to make your posts count, and make them consistent and valuable to your audience of fans.

Need help with a Facebook marketing strategy? Let me know via the contact form on my site. I provide 1-1 social media training, can set up your pages for you, and also provide outsourced social media management for my small business clients.

PS: I’d love it if you’d like AimFire Marketing on Facebook! My new timeline brand/design will be revealed in the next week!

First of all, I want to start by saying that there is not one way to use Twitter. Obviously, there are many types of Twitter accounts. There are celebrity profiles where thousands follow their favorite celeb’s every thoughts, national brands that celebrate the fans that love them, and even customer service accounts, where sometimes irate customers can rant or get advice on a recent experience with a company or service. But what about Twitter for small businesses?

New Chick to Twitter? Learn how to Fly Right.

If your small business has a Twitter account, what is the most effective way to post on Twitter for maximum effectiveness?

1) Start with a goal for Twitter: Is your goal simply for brand awareness? Are you seeking sign-ups for your e-newsletter? Selling a specific product? Filling seats for an event? Retail sales? Or simply to be seen as a resource or expert in your industry? Before you begin a Twitter strategy, really take the time to think about your goals for your business, and how Twitter might be able to take you there.

2) Who is your Audience? Twitter is a big world. In an ideal scenario, whom might you want to become a follower of your Twitter feed? Who might be a good source of information to share with your audience? What companies or individuals that sell to a similar audience or who are in your same industry are also on Twitter? Use the answers to these questions to guide you as you follow others and develop segments of Twitter users to watch and interact with.

3) Who will be the face of your Twitter account? For businesses, you have the option of having one company account on Twitter but also a personal account with your name and photo. If you are a solopreneur, it probably makes more sense to be the official “face” of your Twitter profile, with your company name but your photo on the account. Just remember to let your personality come out a bit and don’t just hide behind your brand. If you have multiple employees, you may want to consider letting your employees cross-promote your business profile through their feeds.

4) 80/20 Rule (at least): Keep your tweets 80 percent conversational or educational, and 20% promotional, at a minimum. If all you do is promote yourself, it will turn your followers off very quickly. It’s okay to provide a link to your latest blog post, new product offering, special discount, or press release, but make sure this is not all you are doing on Twitter. I have seen many accounts that only toot their own horn, and these profiles will not grow in popularity (unless of course, they are a deals site or have a sole purpose of notifying  people of special deals).

5) What to tweet? What to tweet? Develop your own personal style for tweeting. Some people enjoy commenting on others’ posts, and engaging in conversations with other Twitter profiles. This is okay and can serve as a cross-promotional tool as well, but overdoing back-and-forth conversations on Twitter can result in your Twitter feed looking like a bunch of private chats that the rest of the world isn’t privy to, and that can frustrate your followers. If you’re one of those people who likes to share where they are and what they’re eating, this is okay if kept to a minimum, but at least take a little more time to promote the business where you’re dining, or review a special dish you’re enjoying. For most B2B businesses, stick primarily to sharing business-related content on Twitter, and interject some personality here and there.

6) All Business and No Fun Makes Your Twitter Account….Dull. Try to incorporate something interesting into your Twitter feed, rather than to simply post links to your blog, other content or re-tweets of another post. Comment on something in the news (don’t forget to follow your favorite reporters), pose a relevant question to your followers, boast about one of your customers’ successes, or provide a resource to your followers that they might find useful.  The key here is to mix it up a little bit. Give them a little of yourself, a little of your business, your customers, your partners, your industry, the world. Don’t give them all of one thing.

Hopefully this post helps you think outside the box a little bit about how to engage your Twitter followers and find new ones. If you follow trends, engage in thoughtful conversations, share meaningful content, do a little promotion, and all while keeping your followers’ needs in mind, you’ll be on your way to success.

Know any other annoying habits of Twitter profiles? Post them in the comments below!

Need help getting started on Twitter? Susan Young of AimFire Marketing offers personalized training as well as social media management packages for small businesses. She can be found on twitter too: @aimfiremktg where she tweets mostly about small business marketing, SEO, social media, national brands, her hometown of Indianapolis and occasionally about her two kids.

I’ve always told my small business readers to tie their marketing into the time of year or season. Well, with Valentine’s Day coming up on Tuesday, I had to share with you some creative email subject lines that I received in my inbox this past weekend:

Indianapolis Company: Ray Skillman Westside Mazda: Email Subject Line: ”Pamper Your CX9 this Valentine’s Day.” I am on their list because I purchased a car from them. Now, I would never think to incorporate Valentine’s Day into an email if I were a car dealer, but they did so very creatively with the subject line. And it’s great that they’ve even customized the email with the exact model of car that I’ve purchased. Even the email inside was customized for the holiday with various offers, such as a “Sweetheart Special,” in which the body copy states: “Give your CX9 the special treatment it deserves.”  And of course, they have a few other specials, a great call to action (click here to schedule your service appointment or call) and the service hours and address clearly listed below, and of course a link to their website. The design wasn’t perfect, but they did a great job overall.

National Companies: Some of the other email subject lines which I found intriguing were from national brands, but we can still learn from them because they find ways to connect with their targeted audience through the subject line to get them to open the email. These days, with information and email overload, the subject line just may be the most important component of the email campaign. Here are some good ones that caught my eye:

• Bob Evans Farm: Email Subject Line: “Snow is Coming! Pick up a Warm Meal for Your Family this Weekend” What a great way to contrast the cold winter months with the warm, comfort food of Bob Evans. Inside, the email shows a snowy scene with a Bob Evans billboard reading “Snow Day! Meals for Under $20″ and an offer for their 10 Family Meals to go for under $20, with convenient curbside service, along with a soup promotion and a few other promotions, and of course social media links. The copy also further enhances the concept, with words such as “Bad weather shouldn’t stop you from enjoying a great meal.”
• Fisher Price Family: Email Subject Line:”Two Days Only: “KISS” Shipping Charges Goodbye!” This one is appealing to our wallets, of course, but also ties into the Valentine’s Day theme. Inside, they spell out the meaning of their subject line: “Let’s Keep It Sweet and Simple, Valentine…”, offering complimentary shipping on their site to entice people to shop on their website for Fisher Price toys.
• Dole Sunshine Times: Email Subject Line: ”Find Your Winter Paradise with Dole!” Okay, so this one caught me because I could use a little paradise now in the middle of winter. Inside, the company features a tropical recipe, a link to their contest to win a Hawaiian vacation, and a link to print a coupon (my girls love their fruit cups).
• Uncommon Goods: Email Subject Line: ”You Can Hurry Love!” This one, of course, appealing to the last-minute Valentine’s Day shoppers, who now realize that they had better hurry if they’re going to find a gift for their loved one online and have it arrive by Tuesday. Inside, the company gives selections for different gift recipients, and features an expedited shipping offer for an extra $3.

Now, to clarify, these emails were sent to my personal email account, which I use for most of my non-business email newsletter subscriptions. After scrolling through most of the B2B email marketing messages I received in my business inbox last week, I didn’t really see a ton which caught my eye.  Most of the subject lines pertained to content inside, but weren’t completely compelling. The ones that were more likely for me to open answered a question or problem that I was having in my business, or a topic that interested me.

So the bottom line for creative email marketing subject lines:  Be clever, entertaining or seasonal, and get personal. After all, you’re emailing to a real person, with true feelings and emotions — not just a business. Keep those things in mind the next time you create your email campaign, and I bet you’ll have a higher open rate.

As Indianapolis gears up to host one of this year’s biggest events — Super Bowl XLVI — I can’t help but notice all of the marketing and promotion the city has done to ensure that it makes a great impression on all who visit this week. Everywhere I look, I see banners on storefronts welcoming “Super Fans,” ads offering “Super Discounts,” and more. And of course, most of the planning for this event was done well in advance of the festivities all over the circle city. There were committees to put in place every last detail — from the super scarves and the gift baskets and cards in hotel rooms, the “Super Service” training for volunteers and business owners — to the websites and social media outreach. As a branding effort, Indianapolis has done a superb job of presenting itself as a world-class city, worthy of hosting any major event in the future. I am truly impressed and proud of my city!

Indianapolis, Indiana: Marketing a Super City

If you are a business owner in Indianapolis, have you fully taken advantage of all of the opportunities to join in the festivities, even if you cannot afford a game ticket like most of us? Here are some ideas:

• Attend Super-related business events and social events around the community. You never know who you might meet and how it could impact your business. Wear your local company logo’d shirt and stand in line to ride the zipline for some free advertising!
• Reach out to your customers in a Super Way: Offer a special, game-day or game-week discount in your weekly e-newsletter or in-store.
• Display game-day signage to welcome customers and visitors. Even if you’re not a football fan, you’ll show everyone that you’re in the spirit and give a good impression for those visiting you for the first time.
• Throw a party: Like I mentioned, most people cannot afford a ticket to the big game, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be lots of Super Bowl parties going on all around the city. Use this as a chance to invite some key customers, prospects, partners or vendors to your office or home to watch the game.
• Game-related PR: Is your business doing something special for the Super Bowl? Tell the local media about it, and you might just score some free publicity — maybe even some national coverage.
• Don’t forget the post-game wrap-up: Just because the game is over and the hundreds of thousands of fans have left town, doesn’t mean you can’t capitalize on all of the fanfare. There will be plenty of talk surrounding the game and the city of Indianapolis for weeks after the event. Mention it in your communication or offer a post-game special.

Most importantly, take a lesson from Indianapolis when you are thinking about your marketing and advertising efforts. Even though you don’t have an entire city of volunteers to help promote your brand, you can look at Indianapolis as a good example of a marketing maven that got the job done.

PS: If anyone happens to have any extra Super Bowl tickets for Sunday that they’re willing to give away, I’m available!

Here’s How to Get Started

I’ve talked to so many small business owners who know that social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) is the latest trend they should be capitalizing on to help grow their business. But ask them how to go about initiating a social media campaign and they give me a blank stare. They just don’t know where to start, and it all seems so overwhelming. So if you’re among the confused, or you just don’t have the time but know you should be doing social media, here are some tips and thoughts to consider.

No Time for Social Media? Hire an Expert to Set things Up, Train You, and even Post for You.

First: The Benefits of Social Media

To start, maybe some of you are wondering why they should care about social media. Isn’t it just for young folks? Well, the answer is: no. Many individuals from all generations are getting involved in social media, and many businesses are building a fan base and a following in social media too. (including some of your customers or favorite regional and national brands). I like to think of social media not as a replacement of traditional media, but an alternative method of building brand awareness and communicating with customers, prospects, fans, vendors, partners and the media. Social media is a great place to show your company or your brand’s personality, as well as to share news or information that is important to you, your business or your industry. It can be a great way to connect with reporters and media, as well as to follow what media are publishing. It’s a great way to get feedback from customers about a new product idea or to handle customer service issues. It can also be used as a tool to drive traffic to your blog or website, to position you as an expert, and many more benefits. One of the greatest benefits of social media is that it is a low-cost marketing method (but don’t forget to account for the value of your time).

Next: Start with Why Your Company Should Do Social Media:

I want to reiterate that social media marketing is not going to be the perfect fit for every business or industry. That’s why it’s important to first take the time to investigate whether or not this is the best channel for gaining awareness for your business, communicating with prospects and customers, and sharing your message. So think for a minute about your ideal customers. Do they spend time online? Do they read blogs, watch videos on YouTube, have a personal Facebook page? If so, then social media might be a good fit for your business. If your customers don’t have regular access to a computer or smartphone for visiting social media sites, than it might not be the most important marketing vehicle for your business. One way to discover this is to ask your customers if they use Twitter or Facebook regularly. In addition to determining which social media vehicles are right for you, think too about how you can incorporate existing marketing and advertising into your social media efforts. Could you drive people from a print ad to your Facebook fan page for a special offer? Also think about how you could drive people from your social media accounts to your storefront or website to complete a sale. When you integrate your social media with your overall marketing efforts, you’ll have a greater chance for success.

Next: Setup and Initial Social Media Training

If you do not already have a Facebook fan page, Twitter or LinkedIn account, now is the time to get started (we can assist with this if needed). For Facebook, you can go through the advertising link at the bottom of the page to create and manage your business Fan Page. On LinkedIn, you can create and manage your company profile and add employees and basic company information, as well as links to your website. On Twitter, you can create both a business and a personal account, depending on whom is going to be doing the tweeting. What I recommend is to spend some time looking at other company’s accounts to see what they are doing, and just using this time to “follow” or “like” other accounts. You can see some examples of good Facebook landing pages as well as what people are posting and the information they’re sharing on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Look for companies or individuals you already know and try to find them on social media. You’d be surprised at how many people are already using social media. AimFire Marketing can help with initial training on how to use your account, common features and tools, how to increase followers, etc.

Next: Content Strategy

What I see many people doing with social media is that they create their accounts on Twitter and Facebook and then let the accounts lie dormant, because they don’t have the staff or the time to spend posting. If you or your team don’t think you will be able to devote at least a few hours a week to social media, then it’s probably best to outsource it to an agency or consultant (like AimFire Marketing) who can handle this for you. We can work together with you to develop a content strategy and ideas for blog posts, as well as the kinds of topics that might interest your clients and followers.  If you have a regular blog or e-newsletter that you send to customers, or case studies or press releases that you send out, this content can be easily re-purposed on social media sites. In addition, we can work with you to find content that others have written that we can share online too. The most important thing is to have some sort of content strategy going into social media marketing so that you’re not just haphazardly posting information without a goal in mind.

These are a few things that you should keep in mind as you launch into the world of social media marketing. Don’t be afraid to dip your toes in the water, even if you’re intimidated by the thought of social media. Once you get used to it, you may actually start enjoying it — and see the results of your efforts.

What we can learn from Disney to Market Our Businesses

It had been years since my parents had taken me to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, so when the time came to take my two daughters, Elaina (4) and Evelyn (2 1/2) to Disney World this summer, I was more than excited to see what had changed. I was also eager to look at the company and the experience from a different perspective (a marketing angle), since launching my Indianapolis marketing business in 2005. Why not learn from one of the masters of marketing? So when we arrived with our extended family for our 2-day adventure, I took note. Here were some of the things I noticed:

Evelyn & Elaina at Disney World, waiting for the Country Bear Jamboree show to begin

• Keeping it Classic: The old, familiar Dumbo ride where I got lost (not once, but twice) as a toddler is the same as it was 30 years ago. The Country Bear Jamboree show was very much like I remembered it (but much cheesier now that I’m an adult). Even the evening electrical light parade through downtown had the same feel to it, even though the light displays were much more modern and elaborate than when I was a child. Disney has done a good job keeping some things classic, so that through the years, they stay consistent in their brand experience. Business Marketing Takeaway: Do you have some things in your business that you hold onto because they hold a special place in customers’ hearts?
• VIP Treatment: Disney has many options for visitors to make them feel special. For instance, we received “1st Time” buttons for my daughters, which was supposed to give them extra attention throughout the park. And another extra package my daughter, Elaina, got to experience was at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, where she received the royal treatment from her own, personal
  

  Evelyn receiving a special kiss from Sleeping Beauty, at a princess character breakfast. We will always remember this experience Disney created.

  “fairy godmother” with a princess dress, hair, makeup, tiara and accessories. Despite the 90-degree heat, she didn’t want to take the dress off for most of the day! I also experienced what it was like to see my daughters meet and get autographs from Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White and all of the princesses for the first time at a Disney Character breakfast. These experiences made the Disney trip extra special for them (and for me), and were worth the extra cost. Business Marketing Takeaway: Could you offer some kind of VIP package or special treatment for customers willing to pay more for the experience?

• Improving Customer Service: One of the coolest features of the two days at Magic Kingdom were the Fast Passes. These allowed us to avoid waiting in 90-minute lines with impatient toddlers just to enjoy a 60-second boat ride. We were able to skip around between several rides by picking up a Fast Pass ticket, and then coming back later to ride the ride or see the show with no more than a 10-minute wait. Disney has done a great job with this system, because it alleviates a common complaint that visitors have had for years — lines are long during peak operating season — and improves the overall customer satisfaction with the Disney Experience. Business Marketing Takeaway: Is there something you could improve upon in your current business process to enhance the customer experience, wait time or service expected?
• Creating Memories (and Brand Evangelists): Aside from the many Mickey Mouse eared-souvenirs we could purchase from the various gift shops throughout Magic Kingdom, Disney also gave us a photo pass, which we could use to get our picture taken in various places throughout the park. While in concept, it’s a great idea for an additional service offered (and who wants to tote around a digital camera all day?) the drawback to this was the $15 per photo price tag, which made it a negative for me. One marketing tactic that I think they’ve done well with is their “Let the Memories Begin” ad campaign. If you’ve seen the TV spots or magazine ads, they feature submissions from real families visiting the parks, sharing a photo or video of their experience with Disney parks. One photo shows a family riding the famous teacups ride, and another features a video of two parents (and the children’s reaction) telling their kids that they’re packing their bags for Disney.  The website also allows you to share your own memory, and thus feeds the emotional connection between the Disney brand and the customer/visitor. They have also re-purposed these memories on their social media sites, blogs, ad campaigns and more for greater impact. Business Marketing Takeaway: How can you create an emotional bond with your company and its customers, and get them to share their experiences with others, as brand evangelists?

Overall, I was very impressed with my most recent trip to Walt Disney World – from the hotel staff at the resort to the rides and the experiences. And I was even more impressed with Disney’s marketing prowess. Hopefully you can learn a few lessons from a marketing master on how to improve your marketing and customer experience.

Normally I like to keep my blog posts fairly professional, but this time my personal and professional lives have overlapped a bit, so I have decided to share.

This past Sunday morning, one of my first real bosses, Dana Buerkett, died tragically, along with her husband and daughter, in a small plane crash just outside my college town, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. To read more about the accident, and the family impacted, click here.

I still remember, as a college junior, sending out cover letters and resumes to area advertising agencies, hoping to get an internship the summer before I graduated. Buerkett Marketing Consultants was one of the agencies who responded, and I was so excited to get a call from Dana saying that I could work for her that summer (and she was going to pay me too!

As an intern, I didn’t just get to make coffee, send faxes (we did that back then) and take notes during meetings. Dana gave me a lot of responsibility, and allowed me to learn the ropes in the advertising world. Back in 1997, the Internet world was fairly new. I remember updating Amazon bestsellers in HTML on a news magazine website, and helping brainstorm for advertising headlines and taglines. I participated in event management and online advertising sales. I even got to assist in judging for a student advertising competition.

Dana helped me to learn a lot about running an advertising agency, as well as how to treat clients and partners. It made me excited to enter my chosen field, and although she didn’t have a job for me out of college, we kept in touch over the years, and I had recently written a recommendation for her on LinkedIn. I will always appreciate her guidance and willingness to give a new advertising grad a great start. My prayers go out to Dana’s daughter, as well as her other family and friends during this sad time.

Upon reflection of this horrific event, I have been reminded of the precious value of each day, and hope that I can always make the most of every moment — both as a marketing professional and as a wife, mother, sister, daughter and person. My wish is that you, too, will value each day and live it as if it’s your last.

Just as no snowflake is alike, your business marketing plan should be different too

Not all businesses are created equal, right?

So quit marketing and advertising your business like everyone else.

My point is simple: Find the right combination of advertising, marketing, PR and promotional activities that fit the unique offering, customer base and budget of your business, and you’ll find success.

Don’t just jump on the Twitter or Facebook marketing bandwagon because the company down the street has found success with it.  Or, alternatively, spend thousands on one strategy while ignoring others that might prove effective.

Creating the perfect marketing strategy does involve some trial and error. Gently test the waters of any new marketing tactic and see what kind of results you get, before investing huge sums. However, with that said, you also need to give each marketing tactic enough time and impressions to see results, so don’t give up too early.

So how should you go about creating a marketing plan or strategy for your business?

Many business owners want to skip this step of creating a marketing plan. But it’s very important to the future success of the business. While I highly recommend a formal, written down and thought out marketing plan, if you don’t want to pay a professional like myself to develop one, you should at least sit down and analyze the basics of your business:

1. Define your product/service, niche, industry, competitors, unique selling proposition (USP), price point, and primary/secondary target audiences.
2. From there, investigate all possible advertising/marketing/PR/promotional options available, along with associated cost, audience reached, timing and other details. Include the cost of your time as well in these estimates.
3. Then make a recommendation of a combination of these tactics to try and put them in a marketing calendar for the upcoming quarter/year.
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of each tactic when determining whether to renew your investment in it.

A simple way to a marketing strategy that works for you. Just remember: All businesses are different, and thus the ways used to promote them should be unique as well.