Part 2 is here! In this article the fine people on our moboZilla team bring us the WHY you should use a QR code….and Why not! In this article reasons are laid out on the effects of QR codes on marketing materials and some warnings on when a QR codes should never be used. It also lays out why customers feel like following a QR code and why they are wary about the process.
Here’s a website idea that you might not have considered. Why not try building a WordPress blog for your business? You can promote your business and connect with your customers. What you write about doesn’t even have to be related to your business! Write about something that interests you and that you can write about for a long time. Examples of these could be cooking, fishing, dining out, or even random trivia. Tie it into your business and keep it interesting! The point is to make people stop and say, “What’s this about?” [note image to left]
You may have seen images like the one here (left), and some people may have asked, what is that funny image? Is that a new barcode? Chances are if you are in the industry, or if you are younger than 20 you probably know what it is and are laughing at this question. It is a QR Code. This article is the first of two (maybe three) on QR codes. In this article we will uncover a brief history on QR codes, why they were created, and what they are “supposed to be” used for. The next installment coming next week will look at how to use a QR code and how you should NOT use a QR code. Hopefully by the end of this series everyone will understand the functional importance of QR codes and give a big step forward in the implementation of these fascinating and powerful two dimensional images!
Click Here to read the Full article on our other site!
We’ve all seen the stores out there that offer programs for being a “loyal” customer. To be honest, anyone and their mom can typically become a member of these loyalty programs and receive a card to keep with them and use while shopping. These programs can range from coupons used at check out to reward points based on qualifying purchases. Airlines use frequent flyer miles for every trip a loyal customer takes with the airline. Several companies employ these loyalty marketing tactics, but the real question from a business perspective is whether or not it is worth the cost to create a loyalty program within your organization. The answer is yes…and no.
Research has surfaced that says that only about 57% of Americans participate in loyalty programs. The question lies in why does only a little over half the US population use loyalty programs, and what can businesses do to ensure repeat business?
Without going into a history lesson, let’s cover just a few bases on how loyalty programs have evolved and then we will talk about how and/or why you should (or should not) use a loyalty program to retain customers.
Loyalty marketing has existed for several decades; however, it was only in the mid ‘90s that consumers really started to buy in to the trend of loyalty programs. We know that coupons have been successful in the past, but did you know that couponing actually originated in the 1880’s (1887 to be exact) by Coca-Cola. Airline frequent flyer miles were introduced in 1981 by American Airlines. Since its inception the American Airlines program has grown to over 50 million active members.
So what does this mean for you? Does it work or doesn’t it? Well we can’t answer the question based solely on the history of loyalty programs. The second part of the answer comes from the feedback of the consumer over the past several years. Brandweek went the distance to survey the consumer market to find out that answer, and the survey says “Yes…but no”. Statistics quoted from the report on brandweek are as follows:
- 69% say their experience with loyalty programs has been “pretty good”
- 50” said their loyalty program “strongly motivated” them for repeat business
- 37% said individual rewards had less to offer by way of value
- 32% said they felt the program had little value
- 10% said they were “very satisfied”
So what do these numbers mean? They basically say that if you are going to invest in a rewards or loyalty program make it a good one that offers a lot by way of value to the customer. Notice the key word of “value”. It doesn’t say that you have to give them the farm in order to create loyalty, but it does say that they need to feel like they are benefiting from the program. To give you a high note to end on, there was a 19% improvement from 2007 to 2009 in loyalty programs!
So, if you decide to invest in a loyalty program, here are a few tips that will help you keep customers coming back, instead of creating a customer for your competition.
- Choose the right value to offer your customer.
66% polled said they liked programs with “discounts and savings
43% were looking for “better deals and offers”
38% wanted “free products and premiums”
36% asked for “perks and privileges”
33% said “cash back”
18% wanted “recognition and appreciation”
And 12% said “more individualized attention”
- People are looking for the best prices everyday – not just on Sunday
Thanks to consumer retailers like Wal-Mart, IKEA, and others the consumer has now been conditioned to check for the cheapest price everyday and not just in the Sunday ads. Be cognizant of your consumers search and build a program that offers the ideal shopping location every day.
- Be aware of your competition (and don’t carbon copy!)
Too many times in the business world we look at our competitors to see what they are doing to engage their customers. There is nothing wrong with researching your market; however, do not rush to do the same thing as your competitor. Euromonitor suggests that the increased competition in the market is causing a decrease in certain marketing initiatives and can cause more harm than good to your marketing budget.
When looking for a way to engage your current clients, be original in your attempt to re-engage them. If a loyalty program is your answer and your competition already has one, offer something different to your customers. You may even draw some of the customer from the other establishment by offering what the customers want.
- Lastly, treat your customers right
However you determine to initiate a loyalty program, make sure the customers best value is in mind. If you can give things away without losing money then do it. If you can offer more quantity for the same price, give a little more. The consumer who is appreciated and feels good value is offered will shop with you again and again and again and they will tell their friends.
Determining whether or not to initiate a loyalty program depends on your business and what you are going to offer to your loyal customers. Take the time to research what your customers want, what your competitors are doing (so you know what to do differently), and give your customers the loyalty program they have been waiting for!
*Statistics compiled and distributed by Brandweek by Mark Dolliver from AdWeek. Euromonitor information obtained from the May 2009 Euromonitor International Strategy Briefing.
We have all tried Norton or McAfee and paid good money for them only to be let down by a program that slowed our system to a halt and didn’t protect the computer the way it was suppose to. So why not try a free anti-virus you wonder? Well, most free anti-virus tools only protect you from viruses, leaving you to find another program to protect against adware/spyware. In addition, you can only use the free anti-virus programs for non-commercial use. Now, if you don’t mind using a few programs to scan for Viruses or Malware/spyware – JMC Brands and ETC TechSolutions recommend AVG Free.
A few notes on Anti-Virus protection:
When looking for an Anti-Virus, stay away from the Internet Security programs that include a Firewall, Identity Protection, PC Tuneups, etc… Most of these tools will drastically slow your computer down and will cause you headache after headache. What most people don’t realize is your wireless router is a basic Firewall, it stops incoming attacks from the internet from reaching your computers. As soon as you install the software firewall then easy tasks like sharing a printer or folder become challenging. Save your money and stick with a standard Virus Protection that wont slow your computer down. For more information on managing your computers with anti-virus protection click here to learn more!
As a small business owner, you know that your most valuable asset is your customers. Without them you wouldn’t be in business. Many of us wonder how much communication with our customers is too much. That answer can vary by person. Some people like a deal of the day and others only want to hear about promotions every month. The key is to determine what your customers prefer then analyze what you can handle. Some people have the ability to send an update daily, and others do not. Send communication as often as you can, but always be cognizant of what your customers want. There are two things you should do to not only gather information about your customer, but how to use it to follow up with them. Data collection of your customer, and follow up communication. This week we will talk about data collection.
Data Collection
Collecting data from your customers is a great way to gain research about who is shopping at your stores, what they are buying, how often they shop, and much more. This data is very valuable for customers. On average one name in a database can be worth $10 of repeat business. How many customers shop at your store? If you were to get each name what would your value be at $10 per name? Use the following steps to collect data on your customers.
Build a database capable of housing the information.
This step can be easy if you pay for software to manage your customer, it is likely already capable of performing the following. If you don’t have software for managing customers you can buy a Consumer Off The Shelf (COTS) product easily to capture this data. In most cases these software titles can do a lot more than just gather names. They can normally capture data, track what customers are buying, and tell you a lot of information about your customers. If you don’t want to spend extra money on a database, use the resources at your fingertips. There are several applications already installed on your computer that can help you capture this data. The easiest of these is Microsoft Excel or Access. These programs require more manual work but will do the job.
Build collection points. When building your database think about how the data is going to be entered. 
Will the cashier gather the information by asking the customer at checkout? Will a person be able to input their information on your web-site? Make sure they you have a collection point where ever your customers are! The more names the better! *Remember the branding section of this guide – ensure a consistent brand image for your customers at the collection points! See how the Army branding shows through on the site here. Offering an incentive is a great way to entice your customers to give your their information. Point of Sale (POS) information collection is easy without the need for promotion, but don’t expect your customers to just give you their data online without significant cause.
Capture contact preferences whenever you collect data. As mentioned before, your customers don’t 
want to be bombarded with your communications. Make sure you ask how often they want to be contacts and how they want to be communicated with. Don’t forget to ask if they prefer Mail, E-Mail, Phone, or other ways of being contacted. If people select mail, remember that printing and postage costs a significant investment. Don’t offer it unless you are planning on using it.
Whenever you decide to contact someone you have to decide who to contact. Why not re-contact someone who knows you already? It’s cheaper and easier than someone you’ve never met. Use these steps to collect information about your customers, learn how to re-contact them, and then follow through by sending them a communication. It’s that easy! Make the most of your money by re-engaging your current customers and you and your customers will both win!
Next week we will focus on the actual communication you send. Should you send a coupon to a loyal customer or a refer a friend promotion? We will look at these and other tactics on obtaining your ideal return customer and how each tactic works.
Organizations small and large are considering the Twitter revolution. The answer to the question greatly depends on the organization. Whether you are currently using tools like Twitter or still deciding know that there is no right answer to the question, but it should be evaluated properly. There are a lot of reasons why a company should tweet. There are also a lot of reasons why a company should not.
Let’s start with why a company should tweet. First and foremost Twitter is a huge social network with millions of users of a wide range and diversity. A company can target almost anyone they are looking for through Twitter and can build a reputation on the social network which can attract a portion of these followers. Additionally, it is an easy, fast, and effective tool for mass communicating, relaying information, or even sending coupons! Twitter is a powerful tool to those businesses that choose to use it and use it properly.
Some companies, however, should NOT use Twitter. This relates to those companies that don’t have the time to dedicate to making the service work for them. Twitter, albeit different from blogging, has some similarities (as with several social networks and even any web-based solution). If you are not planning on updating don’t bother publishing! This is an often misunderstood and definitely underutilized phrase that could help companies all across the world. Twitter falls in to this category. The reason people follow a persons or company if because they like what they have to say. If you stop saying things, people will stop paying attention. So if you cannot dedicate enough time to tweet at least once a day, then you may not want to use Twitter. It also takes some time to get an adequate following. If your company doesn’t have the time to devote to researching Twitter (or hiring someone to do so for them) then you could be venturing into a hurricane on a jet ski. The key to a company using any social networking tool is to know what you’re getting in to before you jump in with both feet!
If you decide that your company should be on Twitter, below are a few rules to maintain your company’s reputation.
- Don’t use Twitter as a sales tool only! This will only cause you to lose followers. Remember, people will follow you on Twitter if they are interested in what you’re saying.
- Choose your tweets carefully. You only have 140 characters so be concise and effective in the little you have to say. You don’t have to be very formal, but you should say exactly what you mean.
- Bring something to the table. If you have things you can give out for free this is a great way for people to start following you. It’s a great way to break the ice and can develop a loyal following. One caveat to this…don’t bring coupons the first day to Twitter, again see point #1.
- Join conversations. Use this opportunity to show your expertise with industry leaders and gain a following from others in the conversation. It will also show that you’re not looking to spam them and will build trust.
- Tweet enough, but not too much! There is always a line between good and too much. Once or twice a day is ideal for giving your followers something to look forward to, but don’t post every hour as it can become mundane and even irritating to your followers.
- Tweeting is not blogging. If your company is looking for a place to show its latest research and showcase its partners then Twitter is not the place for your company. That is what a blog is for. Twitter does not allow any HTML formatting except for hyperlinks.
- Follow-Up with your Follow-Ers! Ask the people who follow you on Twitter to link up with you on Facebook, your web-site, or another social site you manager. Engage your followers often to reap the most benefits from your time with them.
Whether you tweet or not make sure your company is prepared for the decision. Twitter can be a powerful tool if used properly, but can greatly hinder a company if used incorrectly. If you have questions on whether or not Twitter is right for your company, contact us we’re happy to help!
Sun Tzu famously said, “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”
We often get caught up in the day-to-day noise of program activation and overlook the strategy behind each tactic. When you’re chasing one fire drill after another, it’s easy to overlook the strategy.
When developing marketing campaigns, we often jump right into the tactical details and skip the following three foundational questions faced by prospects:
1. Why do anything?
2. Why you?
3. Why now?
Sir Isaac Newton taught us that a body in motion stays in motion until affected by an external force. By answering the above questions we can get a prospect to stop what they’re doing, hear your message and take action. In short, ensure that your marketing messages quickly and clearly address these three simple, yet powerful, questions before you dig into details like booth space requirements, creative details and vanity URL’s.
Why do anything?
Prospects have their own glide path. They’re busy living life. With 30,000+ marketing messages thrust at us each day, we completely ignore most advertising. By answering “Why do anything,” you have a better chance of breaking through the clutter. You can get their attention by speaking to the ultimate beneficial outcome they will receive by using your services or buying your product.Why you?
Your target audience has a lot of options on the horizon. Don’t assume that your prospects understand your value proposition. Don’t assume they know anything about your offerings. You have to convince them why you are the first choice; the preferred choice. We live in a world of abundance with too many options to pick from. Help your audience understand why they should pick you.Why now?
Moments of opportunity are fleeting and we need our prospects to take immediate action or they’ll move on to the next shiny object in the room. The questions above address the benefits of changing course and why your company is the right choice. Interested prospects now need to be told what to do next. Your call-to-action and incentive answer “Why now.” Your campaign materials should clearly show the prospect what to do next—and what they will get in return. Providing an incentive is a powerful way to get a prospect to take the next logical step in your marketing & sales process.
Sanity Check your next campaign by filtering it through these three questions. If the answers are clear and convincing, your campaign has a solid chance at generating leads. A little bit of thought and planning can generate massive improvements in marketing ROI.
This post was written by Nick Rice. Visit www.nick-rice.com/blog for more from this author.
Have you heard the phrase “Consistent Brand Image” but don’t know what it is? Look at all of the advertisements you have placed in that past 6-12 months. Do they look the same? If you were your customer, could you tell that each ad is from the same company offering the same items or services? If you answered “Yes!” then you probably have a brand image that is, at least somewhat, consistent. If you answered “No” then don’t fear, you have just taken an important step towards understanding brand identity. In the coming weeks we will be discussing company image in more depth, but for now let’s look at what brand image is, why it is important, and understanding how to keep your company’s brand image consistent.
First, what is a brand image? Let’s start by looking at the words individually. A “Brand” in 2010, is a collection of experiences and associations connected to a person, business, service, or product. Historically a “Brand” was a mark made by burning or otherwise, to indicate kind, grade, make, or ownership. Really, they are quite similar. The point of the “Brand” is to identify who or what something is or belongs to, like a trademark, logo, or brand name, etc. “Image” is simply the image that you are using to represent your company. That can be a picture, a logo, a group of words, or letters. Anything that you choose as a company to identify yourself in the midst of millions of companies.
So what is the big deal about having a consistent brand image? The key is found when you look at the fundamentals of advertising. Advertising is the process of getting your message in front of your customer. Successful advertisers will place an ad in front of their customer several times. Statistically, the most successful campaigns reach customers at least three times! The importance comes from hitting a customer three times with advertisements that the customer KNOWS is coming from the same company. Look at the two images below. Are these two ads from the same company?
Ad 1
Ad 2
If you said yes, then the company has made two impressions on you – one for each ad. However, if you said no, then the company lost its power behind multiple ad placement. This is where having a consistent brand image is so important. Now look at the two ads below. Are they from the same company?
Ads 2 and 3
I think the answer here is pretty apparent. If you gather one thing from this article, it is to understand what your customer sees and to not waste resources by publishing ads that don’t appear to be from the same company. If you concentrate on a consistent brand image then every ad that you place will have a stronger impact.
So how does a company without a large budget create a consistent brand image? Here are a few tricks.
1. Build a brand guideline:
Simply put this is a document that has a list of your logos, colors, and key identifiers and what they should look like. As in the Army example, the font, text colors, logo, and even the sizes of each are all outlined in a detailed list so that no matter who is creating advertisement for the Army they will all look the same.
2. Provide tailored logos
An easy thing that any company can do is to create a logo and save it in many different formats so no one has to try and recreate it (or stretches it out) to make it fit a uniquely sized ad. If you save your ad to the size requirements of the ad it will always look right.
3. Hire a designer/design company
Not all companies can afford their own design staff, but for those who do there is a world of opportunity. With a designer on staff, your company can create custom creative for every ad and will always keep the brand consistent. A design company that freelances or sub-contracts can also provide this service and may offer the service free if combined with other products or services.
Simply put this is a document that has a list of your logos, colors, and key identifiers and what they should look like. As in the Army example, the font, text colors, logo, and even the sizes of each are all outlined in a detailed list so that no matter who is creating advertisement for the Army they will all look the same.
Use these tips to create your company’s brand and keep with it. One of the biggest momentum stoppers is losing customer interest because they are confused. And above all, remember as you are trying to reach your customer always look at your ads from their perspective and ask yourself whether or not your customer will know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that your company is the one sending the ad.
1. Build a brand guideline
Simply put this is a document that has a list of your logos, colors, and key identifiers and what they should look like. As in the Army example, the font, text colors, logo, and even the sizes of each are all outlined in a detailed list so that no matter who is creating advertisement for the Army they will all look the same.
