Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Jennifer Robinson
Since the turn around in Apple's fortunes investors look on to see the next big thing. "Xerox, one of the biggest brand names in the world, have got it right in their market and the rest are playing catch up" say OnlineConnect.co.uk. In many ways the companies share similar fortunes. Apple (founded by Steve Jobs, Stephen Wozniak, Ronald Wayne) produced the first successful personal computer with a graphical operating system. Xerox (founded by Chester Carlson, Joseph C Wilson) were the inventors of Xerography (later called the photocopier).
Both Companies however seemed to lose their way in the eighties. In 1983 Apple recruited John Sculley, the marketing genius behind Pepsi Cola, to work as CEO alongside Steve Jobs. It should have been the dream team. But as Apple announced the arrival of the Mackintosh, with a Ridley Scott commercial entitled 1984, an internal power struggle was happening behind the scenes which eventually saw Jobs forced out of the company he was one of the founders of.
Xerox, seeing their core product under competition in the seventies, started investing heavily in the computer industry. Building a team of innovative programmers and inventors they developed graphical operating systems, the computer mouse and what could have been the first commercial personal computer (except Xerox failed to realize the commercial value and didn't market it). Xerox foresaw the development of the document and its transition from paper to electronic data. However, while they were investing in the future of documents, they had failed to protect their core business and by the mid eighties Xerox were in rapid decline with other manufacturers having caught up with their technology in the photocopier market.
In 1979 Xerox threw opened there doors to the press and public showcasing their unique products, amongst those attending was Steve Jobs and Bill Gates."They just had no idea what they had" Jobs was later quoted as saying. Xerox internally had connected individual sites together using what they referred to as 'Inter Network Routing' later abbreviated to 'Internet'.
John Scully carried huge weight with Apple's board, having been behind the Cola wars marketing battle that had seen Pepsi catch up the worlds biggest brand name Coca Cola. But some of Apple's marketing alienated customers, such as the infamous Mackintosh Lemmings advert. The Apple Mac, developed by Jeff Raskin and Steve Jobs (before he left), became a success and the market leader in desktop publishing and the media industry. Meanwhile the Apple Lisa , which John Scully had removed Steve Jobs from, sank without trace.
By the mid eighties Xerox and Apple had opposite strengths and weaknesses. Whilst John Scully at Apple was a proven marketing guru, Apple by the end of 1985 had lost both co-founders Stephen Wozniak and Steve Jobs. Xerox meanwhile had one of the best development teams in the world at that time in the computer industry. They foresaw the rise of digital documents and communication through the internet and were speculating about a digital market where people advertised on search. But whilst Xerox had the ideas they lacked the marketing expertise and suffered in trying to make the transition from Xerox Machines to IT in the eyes of the business user.
Ultimately both Apple and Xerox hit a brick wall in the eighties when they tried to tackle the business market leader IBM. Whilst many thought the battle for the business user would be about hardware, one small software company were concentrating on the operating system. Bill Gates Microsoft had none of the overheads of manufacturers and was licensing its own version of UNIX and later DOS to computer vendors. In 1981 Microsoft were contracted by IBM to provide the operating system for the IBM Personal Computer. As IBM PC clones came to the market Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer successfully marketed MS-DOS to other manufacturers. In 1985 Microsoft released a graphical version of its MS-DOS operating system called Microsoft Windows for retail. The product was a massive success and became the most widely used operating system in the world. Microsoft went on to become the dominant operating system in business, networking and pc in successive versions of Windows and Microsoft Office. Free from the expensive costs of manufacture Bill Gates's Microsoft saw the potential of licensing the operating system itself.
Apple and Xerox continued down different paths in the 80's and early 90's. Seeing there core product sales falling Xerox began to reinvest in photocopiers and printers and digital multifunction copiers that combined scanners and printers. In response to Canon's CLC technology Xerox invested heavily in developing Color Copiers. Apple development was lead by marketing and too many products, too high manufacturing costs and the lack of technical leadership saw Apple release a series of unsuccessful products. Steve Jobs went on to create Pixar and NeXT. It was the purchase of NeXT primarily for its operating system that brought Steve Jobs back to Apple in late 1996. By July 1997 Jobs was running Apple again ousting Gil Amelio. Gil Amelio went on to form several companies with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. In 1997 Apple started retailing direct on the internet and introduced a new build to order system following in Dells success. Michael Dell commented at the time when asked what would he do with Apple "I'd shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders". Nine Years later when Apple value rose above 72 billion outstripping Dells share price Steve Jobs had the last laugh circulating an email that read, "it turned out that Michael Dell wasn't perfect at predicting the future".
In 1997 Steve Jobs announced collaboration with Microsoft to release Microsoft Office for Apple Mac and Microsoft purchased 150 million in non voting stock of Apple. Microsoft dominance of the operating system market now being so strong, that perhaps it was in their interest to keep a competitor afloat, especially with antitrust charges surrounding Microsoft at the time. 1998 saw Apple focus on a return to profitability and the launch of the hugely successful iMac. Apple's comeback continued under Jobs with retail outlets opening and has seen the brand branch out with huge success into iPhones and iPods. In an incredible comeback Apple brought in some of the best people in Silicon Valley to their board of directors including Eric Schmidt of Google.
Xerox had to wait until 2001 for there "Jobs" in the form of Anne Mulcahy who had been with the company for many years. Dubbed the accidental ceo it was Mulcahy who stuck by Xerox R and D whilst at the same time returning the company to profitability. Recognizing the huge value in their brand Mulcahy stemmed the flow of customer leakage by improvements in customer service and later improvements in technology. Reinventing the Xerox logo in the process to appeal to a modern internet audience, Anne Mulcahy focused the company on innovation and customer interaction. Xerox with its strength in R and D now fully supported started to combine their computer expertise with their hardware digital technology. The vision they showed so many years ago in the computer industry is finally combining with their core products following "the document" in all formats, be that Electronic, Internet, Email or Print. Today Xerox, now headed by Ursula Burns, are one of the leading Document Management providers in the world and with excellent hardware and leading technology such as solid ink printing Xerox seem uniquely positioned to become market leader again.
About the Author:
Jennifer Robinson writes for OnlineConnect.co.uk an office equipment and document management solution provider that specialise in the sale and rental of office photocopiers for business. Visit there website http://www.onlineconnect.co.uk/
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Earning a Passive Income is the Secret to Making Money in This Economy
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Mary Ann Desiano
The dream of working from home and making unlimited income is possible with multiple streams of passive income. Passive income or residual income is money you earn after you made the initial sale. This article will explain a few different ways to build passive residual income.
Affiliate Marketing
Selling other peoples products and services, also called affiliate marketing, offers you an opportunity to build income every month. Choice affiliate programs that pay life-time commissions and you will receive commissions on reorders and monthly fees. Hosting companies, domain names and health products are examples of products and services that people will reorder. Membership affiliate programs will pay you every month your customers stays a member with their program. Selling several life-time affiliate products will create income every month.
Online Photo Selling
Selling digital photos on the Internet is another way to earn commissions. Sell your photographs on micro stock web sites and receive commission in exchange for royal-free usage of your photos. One photo may get a thousand downloads. There are many micro stock web sites and you can upload unlimited photos to create a profitable monthly income.
Video Sharing
Video sharing web sites will pay commissions from advertisers and from membership fees. You create web pages on their sites with viral videos you find on You Tube and other video sites. You make money from advertisers when people click on an ad sense ad and other advertisements. Promote your web pages on blogs, forums and social networks. On some sites you also will make life-time commissions on membership fees. You can create unlimited web pages and receive income for many years.
Paid To Write
Get paid to write web sites offer you an opportunity to make income every month from articles that you write for the site. Paid to write programs pay per view of your article. On some sites they will pay a portion of the advertising revenue from advertisements on your article page. Earning money by writing articles is an easy way to supplement your monthly income.
Network Marketing Companies
Network marketing companies offers you an opportunity to be self-employ and to build residual income. People have become financially independent with the income they generate every month from their network marketing company. You make commission from the products that you sell to people. You also recruit sales people who will become part of your team. You will earn commissions on their sales and all the people they recruit to your team. You could build a team with thousands of members and make unlimited residual income.
Affiliate marketing, online photo selling, video sharing sites, paid to write sites and network marketing companies offers you an opportunity to make unlimited income. In this economy having your own recession proof business that pays passive residual income allows you to control your own financial destiny.
About the Author:
Mary Ann Desiano is a successful Internet marketer. To learn more about a recession proof business that pays residual income and also saves you money, visit: http://www.makemoneysavemoneytoday.com/
Read more of Mary Ann Desiano's articles.
Copyright © 2010 Mary Ann Desiano
The dream of working from home and making unlimited income is possible with multiple streams of passive income. Passive income or residual income is money you earn after you made the initial sale. This article will explain a few different ways to build passive residual income.
Affiliate Marketing
Selling other peoples products and services, also called affiliate marketing, offers you an opportunity to build income every month. Choice affiliate programs that pay life-time commissions and you will receive commissions on reorders and monthly fees. Hosting companies, domain names and health products are examples of products and services that people will reorder. Membership affiliate programs will pay you every month your customers stays a member with their program. Selling several life-time affiliate products will create income every month.
Online Photo Selling
Selling digital photos on the Internet is another way to earn commissions. Sell your photographs on micro stock web sites and receive commission in exchange for royal-free usage of your photos. One photo may get a thousand downloads. There are many micro stock web sites and you can upload unlimited photos to create a profitable monthly income.
Video Sharing
Video sharing web sites will pay commissions from advertisers and from membership fees. You create web pages on their sites with viral videos you find on You Tube and other video sites. You make money from advertisers when people click on an ad sense ad and other advertisements. Promote your web pages on blogs, forums and social networks. On some sites you also will make life-time commissions on membership fees. You can create unlimited web pages and receive income for many years.
Paid To Write
Get paid to write web sites offer you an opportunity to make income every month from articles that you write for the site. Paid to write programs pay per view of your article. On some sites they will pay a portion of the advertising revenue from advertisements on your article page. Earning money by writing articles is an easy way to supplement your monthly income.
Network Marketing Companies
Network marketing companies offers you an opportunity to be self-employ and to build residual income. People have become financially independent with the income they generate every month from their network marketing company. You make commission from the products that you sell to people. You also recruit sales people who will become part of your team. You will earn commissions on their sales and all the people they recruit to your team. You could build a team with thousands of members and make unlimited residual income.
Affiliate marketing, online photo selling, video sharing sites, paid to write sites and network marketing companies offers you an opportunity to make unlimited income. In this economy having your own recession proof business that pays passive residual income allows you to control your own financial destiny.
About the Author:
Mary Ann Desiano is a successful Internet marketer. To learn more about a recession proof business that pays residual income and also saves you money, visit: http://www.makemoneysavemoneytoday.com/
Read more of Mary Ann Desiano's articles.
The Future of the Office Photocopier Industry
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Jennifer Robinson
Since Xerox first invented and sold the first commercial photocopy machine companies and organisations have paid for use of the machine on a cost per copy basis. This has traditionally included full maintainance and toner supplied under a service agreement. In-fact the office photocopier is unique in the fact its one of the only pieces of equipment that comes without a warranty from new. But photocopier expert Online Connect UK claim all that is about to change. Here's what they have to say.
The photocopier has evolved completely from an ink or wet xerographic process to dry toner analogue machines and now to digital photocopiers. But the industry is stuck in the past, at a time where the photocopier or Xerox Machine required constant maintainance and broke down frequently. As the technology has evolved so has reliability improved and service costs fallen but that benefit has failed to be fully passed on to the consumer.
One of the easiest ways to explain is to compare photocopiers to the television industry. 30 years ago the average television broke down twice a year and being a television repair engineer was a full time living. Large companies such as Granada rented out televisions and there were even coin operated televisions. However the technology changed, not only did televisions become affordable but they became much more reliable. If I look today for Television Repair in Yell in my town I get one listing, where once I would have had 20 or 30 listings (albeit in the hardcopy yellow pages!). The same thing is about to happen to the photocopier market.
With digital technology we are now dealing with not a photocopier but a printer and scanner. The scanner part of the photocopier is very reliable and the only weakness comes from the printing and feeding of originals. With printers customers have come to expect reliability and customer changeable units. Digital Photocopiers will follow the same way. Recyclable units will replace the need for a service contract on the copier and copiers like printers will come with a warranty and the main parts will be changeable by the customer themselves.This has already been achieved in printers and the photocopier industry will eventually follow.
Consumer buying behaviour is now changing as well. Where once a photocopier was sold by a local dealer now people look to buy online off the internet. With suppliers such as Online Connect a wider choice of manufacturers is available and it will be reviews by the consumers themselves that will most influence purchase habits. The hard sale office photocopier salesperson will become a thing of the past. It's now for the copier industry to deliver what the customer wants. They want reliability, they want an end to service and cost per copy agreements and they want cheaper prices. And so they should. The manufacturer markup on most photocopiers is 500 - 1000% and easy to change units that exist already on printers with a warranty would negate the need of expensive cost per copy agreements.
In general, digital photocopiers now act as MFP's (Multifunction Printers) with scanning and photocopying as no longer the primary purpose. Slowly the idea of the paperless office is becoming a reality and both printing and copying is falling. This is partly happening because of the changing workforce. When email first came in I can remember people coming to the office and printing out all there email before they read it. Now people largely due to the internet are used to reading off the screen but it has taken time. Online Connect UK think it will be the customer that determines the speed of change within the photocopier market as they vote with there feet and ultimately it will be the companies and manufacturers that recognise and embrace change that will survive.
About the Author:
Jennifer Robinson writes for OnlineConnect.co.uk an office equipment and document management solution provider that specialise in the sale and rental of photocopiers for business and organisations. Visit there website http://www.onlineconnect.co.uk/
Copyright © 2010 Jennifer Robinson
Since Xerox first invented and sold the first commercial photocopy machine companies and organisations have paid for use of the machine on a cost per copy basis. This has traditionally included full maintainance and toner supplied under a service agreement. In-fact the office photocopier is unique in the fact its one of the only pieces of equipment that comes without a warranty from new. But photocopier expert Online Connect UK claim all that is about to change. Here's what they have to say.
The photocopier has evolved completely from an ink or wet xerographic process to dry toner analogue machines and now to digital photocopiers. But the industry is stuck in the past, at a time where the photocopier or Xerox Machine required constant maintainance and broke down frequently. As the technology has evolved so has reliability improved and service costs fallen but that benefit has failed to be fully passed on to the consumer.
One of the easiest ways to explain is to compare photocopiers to the television industry. 30 years ago the average television broke down twice a year and being a television repair engineer was a full time living. Large companies such as Granada rented out televisions and there were even coin operated televisions. However the technology changed, not only did televisions become affordable but they became much more reliable. If I look today for Television Repair in Yell in my town I get one listing, where once I would have had 20 or 30 listings (albeit in the hardcopy yellow pages!). The same thing is about to happen to the photocopier market.
With digital technology we are now dealing with not a photocopier but a printer and scanner. The scanner part of the photocopier is very reliable and the only weakness comes from the printing and feeding of originals. With printers customers have come to expect reliability and customer changeable units. Digital Photocopiers will follow the same way. Recyclable units will replace the need for a service contract on the copier and copiers like printers will come with a warranty and the main parts will be changeable by the customer themselves.This has already been achieved in printers and the photocopier industry will eventually follow.
Consumer buying behaviour is now changing as well. Where once a photocopier was sold by a local dealer now people look to buy online off the internet. With suppliers such as Online Connect a wider choice of manufacturers is available and it will be reviews by the consumers themselves that will most influence purchase habits. The hard sale office photocopier salesperson will become a thing of the past. It's now for the copier industry to deliver what the customer wants. They want reliability, they want an end to service and cost per copy agreements and they want cheaper prices. And so they should. The manufacturer markup on most photocopiers is 500 - 1000% and easy to change units that exist already on printers with a warranty would negate the need of expensive cost per copy agreements.
In general, digital photocopiers now act as MFP's (Multifunction Printers) with scanning and photocopying as no longer the primary purpose. Slowly the idea of the paperless office is becoming a reality and both printing and copying is falling. This is partly happening because of the changing workforce. When email first came in I can remember people coming to the office and printing out all there email before they read it. Now people largely due to the internet are used to reading off the screen but it has taken time. Online Connect UK think it will be the customer that determines the speed of change within the photocopier market as they vote with there feet and ultimately it will be the companies and manufacturers that recognise and embrace change that will survive.
About the Author:
Jennifer Robinson writes for OnlineConnect.co.uk an office equipment and document management solution provider that specialise in the sale and rental of photocopiers for business and organisations. Visit there website http://www.onlineconnect.co.uk/
Monday, August 2, 2010
Guerrilla Marketing: About Love Not War
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Judy Murdoch
About four times a year I fly to Chicago and visit with my extended family which includes catching up with my "Uncle Lou."
Uncle Lou has sold just about everything under the sun at least once during his 50-odd years in sales. He's funny and street smart and has great stories.
Uncle Lou has a big heart and I love him but he and I just don't see eye-to-eye on our definition of "effective" when it comes to sales and marketing.
This became evident during a recent visit when my uncle asked me about "Guerrilla Marketing."
Uncle Lou was as excited as I'd ever seen him about anything I'd ever done work-wise. He had finally visited my website and was intrigued by "this guerrilla marketing stuff you're doing."
My uncle's latest enterprise was brokering used construction equipment and thought I'd have some ideas about how he could rapidly expand and make lots of money fast.
"You've always been a bright kid," he told me.
===========================================
Quick Detour: What is Guerrilla Marketing?
===========================================
"Guerrilla Marketing" is a term coined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his 1984 book: Guerrilla Marketing: Secrets for Making Big Profits for Your Small Business.
The term is a spin on "Guerrilla Warfare," war tactics used by small, often indigenous armies fighting larger, better equipped invaders.
Guerrilla fighters depend on their knowledge of local terrain, ties with local communities, stealth, and cunning to outsmart and outlast their enemies.
Similarly, guerrilla marketing is about using creativity, networks, and close customer contacts to market more effectively and less expensively than big corporate competitors.
Small businesses can't afford marketing in which the end goal is "awareness" or "share of mind"; small business marketing goals are results and profit.
===========================================
Yes, Guerrilla Marketing is About the Bottom Line
===========================================
It's easy to understand why my uncle was excited about guerrilla marketing. Uncle Lou is a "send me qualified leads and I'll close the sale" kind of guy.
Now if I hadn't know my uncle for so many years I would have immediately gotten pissed off at him for perpetuating the "hard-sell used-car salesman" reputation.
But I knew my uncle wasn't trying to scam anyone or push them into buying something they didn't want. He honestly feels he's helping his customers by pushing them to make a decision which was in their best interest. And my uncle counts a lot of customers as friends.
So when Uncle Lou asked me for my ideas around using guerrilla marketing tactics to get more qualified leads, I knew I wasn't going to tell him what he expected but felt my explanation might still be helpful.
===========================================
My Take on Guerrilla Marketing, Don't Forget Your Heart
===========================================
I agree, absolutely, with the idea that guerrilla marketing is about choosing marketing activities that produce measurable results. And, yes, for sure, it's got to be about profitability.
Where Uncle Lou and I part ways is about the role of the business owner's heart and passion in marketing.
The reason guerrilla marketing is so powerful as a small business tactic is because we small business owners have the unique advantage of one-on-one connection with our customers and clients.
When's the last time you had a heart-to-heart with the CEO of Wal-Mart or 3M? While I see some large companies finding ways to connect and help their customers feel seen, they simply cannot duplicate what small business owners can do.
Part of the connection is sharing what we, as small business owners, care deeply about. We provide solutions to our customers, yes. But we also give our customers opportunities to feel seen and to express what they care about.
Now let's look at another business owner who is also selling used construction equipment. Let's call this business owner, Dave.
Like Uncle Lou, Dave is interested in the bottom line. When he spends money on marketing, it's with the desire that his market leads to new customers and more sales.
Unlike Uncle Lou, Dave got into his business because he wanted to support sustainability in the construction industry. Dave saw a lot of waste and it bothered him. He decided to contribute to solving the problem.
Dave likes the fact that he helps his customers get a good deal and he really likes the fact that in addition to helping customers get the equipment they need, the success of his business means:
- he can give back to his local community
- he can donate what he can't sell to a non-profit organization that reuses or recycles components
- in a small way he's helping the earth by renewing what might otherwise end up in a landfill
In addition to running ads, Dave's marketing includes;
- presenting at trade schools and engineering schools
- producing short videos he runs on youtube
- a leadership role in the U.S. Green Building Council
- sponsoring a local high school team to participate in an annual "Low Impact Development" national contest
I used Dave as a concrete example to illustrate to my uncle how substituting some creativity and sweat equity enabled Dave to get the word out about his company, services, and attract customers who not only needed a good deal...they wanted to contribute to something they truly care about.
"Well," said my uncle, "that's interesting and all but that's just not my style. I'm not against helping my community or saving the earth. I just don't have the time."
"That's cool," I said, "It's your business and you call the shots. Mostly I wanted to clarify that the guerrilla marketing I help clients with is for sure about getting results but part of the reason my clients get results is because they consciously choose marketing activities that reflect what they care about."
===========================================
Bottom Line
===========================================
The conversation I had with my uncle was not about convincing him that my way of marketing was better than his. It was to clarify a common idea that guerrilla marketing is about strong-arm, no-holds barred marketing tactics.
Yes there's a common focus on getting results but I see the more subtle values-centered, relationship building activities as ultimately more powerful than simply telling people you have the best solution for the money.
By all means, tell them you offer a great solution and tell them-- better yet--show them why you cared enough to offer the solution to begin with.
About the Author:
Judy Murdoch helps small business owners create low-cost, effective marketing campaigns using word-of-mouth referrals, guerrilla marketing activities, and selected strategic alliances. To download a free copy of the workbook, "Where Does it Hurt? Marketing Solutions to the problems that Drive Your Customers Crazy!" go to http://www.judymurdoch.com/workbook.htm
You can contact Judy at 303-475-2015 or judy@judymurdoch.com
Follow Judy Murdoch on Twitter.
Copyright © 2010 Judy Murdoch
About four times a year I fly to Chicago and visit with my extended family which includes catching up with my "Uncle Lou."
Uncle Lou has sold just about everything under the sun at least once during his 50-odd years in sales. He's funny and street smart and has great stories.
Uncle Lou has a big heart and I love him but he and I just don't see eye-to-eye on our definition of "effective" when it comes to sales and marketing.
This became evident during a recent visit when my uncle asked me about "Guerrilla Marketing."
Uncle Lou was as excited as I'd ever seen him about anything I'd ever done work-wise. He had finally visited my website and was intrigued by "this guerrilla marketing stuff you're doing."
My uncle's latest enterprise was brokering used construction equipment and thought I'd have some ideas about how he could rapidly expand and make lots of money fast.
"You've always been a bright kid," he told me.
===========================================
Quick Detour: What is Guerrilla Marketing?
===========================================
"Guerrilla Marketing" is a term coined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his 1984 book: Guerrilla Marketing: Secrets for Making Big Profits for Your Small Business.
The term is a spin on "Guerrilla Warfare," war tactics used by small, often indigenous armies fighting larger, better equipped invaders.
Guerrilla fighters depend on their knowledge of local terrain, ties with local communities, stealth, and cunning to outsmart and outlast their enemies.
Similarly, guerrilla marketing is about using creativity, networks, and close customer contacts to market more effectively and less expensively than big corporate competitors.
Small businesses can't afford marketing in which the end goal is "awareness" or "share of mind"; small business marketing goals are results and profit.
===========================================
Yes, Guerrilla Marketing is About the Bottom Line
===========================================
It's easy to understand why my uncle was excited about guerrilla marketing. Uncle Lou is a "send me qualified leads and I'll close the sale" kind of guy.
Now if I hadn't know my uncle for so many years I would have immediately gotten pissed off at him for perpetuating the "hard-sell used-car salesman" reputation.
But I knew my uncle wasn't trying to scam anyone or push them into buying something they didn't want. He honestly feels he's helping his customers by pushing them to make a decision which was in their best interest. And my uncle counts a lot of customers as friends.
So when Uncle Lou asked me for my ideas around using guerrilla marketing tactics to get more qualified leads, I knew I wasn't going to tell him what he expected but felt my explanation might still be helpful.
===========================================
My Take on Guerrilla Marketing, Don't Forget Your Heart
===========================================
I agree, absolutely, with the idea that guerrilla marketing is about choosing marketing activities that produce measurable results. And, yes, for sure, it's got to be about profitability.
Where Uncle Lou and I part ways is about the role of the business owner's heart and passion in marketing.
The reason guerrilla marketing is so powerful as a small business tactic is because we small business owners have the unique advantage of one-on-one connection with our customers and clients.
When's the last time you had a heart-to-heart with the CEO of Wal-Mart or 3M? While I see some large companies finding ways to connect and help their customers feel seen, they simply cannot duplicate what small business owners can do.
Part of the connection is sharing what we, as small business owners, care deeply about. We provide solutions to our customers, yes. But we also give our customers opportunities to feel seen and to express what they care about.
Now let's look at another business owner who is also selling used construction equipment. Let's call this business owner, Dave.
Like Uncle Lou, Dave is interested in the bottom line. When he spends money on marketing, it's with the desire that his market leads to new customers and more sales.
Unlike Uncle Lou, Dave got into his business because he wanted to support sustainability in the construction industry. Dave saw a lot of waste and it bothered him. He decided to contribute to solving the problem.
Dave likes the fact that he helps his customers get a good deal and he really likes the fact that in addition to helping customers get the equipment they need, the success of his business means:
- he can give back to his local community
- he can donate what he can't sell to a non-profit organization that reuses or recycles components
- in a small way he's helping the earth by renewing what might otherwise end up in a landfill
In addition to running ads, Dave's marketing includes;
- presenting at trade schools and engineering schools
- producing short videos he runs on youtube
- a leadership role in the U.S. Green Building Council
- sponsoring a local high school team to participate in an annual "Low Impact Development" national contest
I used Dave as a concrete example to illustrate to my uncle how substituting some creativity and sweat equity enabled Dave to get the word out about his company, services, and attract customers who not only needed a good deal...they wanted to contribute to something they truly care about.
"Well," said my uncle, "that's interesting and all but that's just not my style. I'm not against helping my community or saving the earth. I just don't have the time."
"That's cool," I said, "It's your business and you call the shots. Mostly I wanted to clarify that the guerrilla marketing I help clients with is for sure about getting results but part of the reason my clients get results is because they consciously choose marketing activities that reflect what they care about."
===========================================
Bottom Line
===========================================
The conversation I had with my uncle was not about convincing him that my way of marketing was better than his. It was to clarify a common idea that guerrilla marketing is about strong-arm, no-holds barred marketing tactics.
Yes there's a common focus on getting results but I see the more subtle values-centered, relationship building activities as ultimately more powerful than simply telling people you have the best solution for the money.
By all means, tell them you offer a great solution and tell them-- better yet--show them why you cared enough to offer the solution to begin with.
About the Author:
Judy Murdoch helps small business owners create low-cost, effective marketing campaigns using word-of-mouth referrals, guerrilla marketing activities, and selected strategic alliances. To download a free copy of the workbook, "Where Does it Hurt? Marketing Solutions to the problems that Drive Your Customers Crazy!" go to http://www.judymurdoch.com/workbook.htm
You can contact Judy at 303-475-2015 or judy@judymurdoch.com
Follow Judy Murdoch on Twitter.
Marketing Tip: Connecting With Your Target Market
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Marty Bradfield
There are four types of people in the world... There are dog people and cat people... And, there are people who would own neither and people who own both...
My wife and I have always been dog people... Our neighbor is a cat person...
My wife is fond of saying that the only good cat is a dead cat... My neighbor has threatened on dozens of occasions to kill our dog, if our dog did not stop barking at his cat... Our neighbor despises our dog, because our dog barks at his cat, and his cat walks by our yard as in fear for his life...
All you have to do is to holler real loud, when you see the cat trying to sneak by our house... If you do it just right, the cat will jump out of its skin, before setting the new land speed record for a feline... LOL... My wife is so mean...
Putting my child-like amusement to the side, there is actually a business lesson in this story...
Who Is The Real Target Market For Your Business?
I am forever amazed at the responses I get, when I ask online marketers who is in their target market...
Everyone? Really?
You would be wasting your breath trying to get my wife to like cats, and you would be equally frustrated trying to convince my neighbor of the value of dogs in this world... Both are dead-set in their ways, and you will not change their minds...
Try selling your kitty scratch pad to my wife...
Try selling your dog bones to my neighbor...
You could spend ten million dollars and a lifetime trying to convince my wife that cats are awesome and she should buy your cat toys, OR you could call my neighbor and get his business for the price of a phone call...
Honestly, which approach makes more sense?
We Must Advertise To The Right People
If you have been trying to operate a business online for any length of time, you will have realized by now that you must advertise and there is always a cost for adverising -- a cost that can be measured in either time or money...
We all have to spend time or money to attract an audience to our website, so that we can make the pitch for our products or services...
Given the high cost of advertising -- free or paid, it makes sense that we should try to talk directly to those people who are most likely to buy what we are selling, doesn't it?
This is why it is so important for us to properly identify our real target market...
If you deliver your pet-product advertising to people who refuse to own a dog or cat, then you are wasting your limited time or financial resources trying to sell your stuff to people who would never buy your goods...
Think about selling ice water to an Eskimo... Then realize that the guy in the desert is parched for a drink, and he might pay ten times the going rate to buy your ice water...
If you are talking to the wrong people, your advertising will produce few sales, and therefore, your advertising will be very expensive...
On the other hand, if you are talking to the right people with your advertising, you will be able to sell more stuff to more people, thereby reducing your overall cost of advertising...
When your advertising consistently pays for itself, you will find it a no-brainer option to keep advertising...
You will find that by taking your advertising resources and messages to the right audience, you will be able to consistently produce profitable results for your business...
Tracking Down Your Target Audience
I have often found that forums are an excellent tool for finding new ways to reach my target audiences...
Contrary to what you may have taught by other marketers, I don't seek out niche consumer forums so that I can drop links in my signature file... That could be a real waste of time, since most consumer-oriented forums do not allow signature files...
Whatever the product or service, I seek out consumer forums for the niche to do research... I want to learn about the people who are in my target market...
I have found that the consumer forums in any niche can teach me three important lessons about reaching my target audiences:
1. I can find forums where I might be able to advertise on-site;
2. I find other websites that my target audience finds useful, where I might be able to buy advertising; and
3. I find the questions that people in my target audience are asking -- questions that I could possibly answer in the form of an article for my website or a syndicated article.
I know you have heard it before, but I will reiterate the point here... Google is your best friend...
Since I have been talking about dogs and cats in this article, I wanted to emphasize the usefulness of forums with examples...
In my first search, I plugged in the words "dog forum" into Google... The first result was http://www.dogforums.com/
With more than 68,000 threads and 800,000 posts related to dogs, I am certain I would have no problem finding other dog-related websites and topics for articles that would be of interest to readers in that niche...
In my second search, I queried Google for "cats forum" and found http://www.catforum.com/
It contains 67,000 threads and nearly 700,000 posts... Once again, it will not be hard to find related websites where I might be able to advertise, and I will have no problem uncovering questions that my target audience is already asking, so that I can construct articles for my website or syndicated articles that will directly address the needs of the people in my target audience...
In Conclusion...
I have come to realize that for as long as my wife and I continue to live where we do and my neighbor continues to live where he does, my wife and my neighbor will always be tweaking each other over our dog and his cat...
The only way for that battle to end is for one of us to move out of the neighborhood... LOL
As a business owner, you must understand that your target market can never be described as everyone on the planet... It is important for you to do your research, to better understand who your real target audience is, so that you can more easily understand how to get your advertising message to them directly...
Once you understand who is in your target market and how you can reach them with your advertising, you will find yourself on the road to real success...
About the Author:
We teach the Basics of online marketing and Cutting Edge Techniques used by professional online marketers, to develop lead generation systems and new businesses. Our Online Marketing Bootcamp training is geared for new online marketers, network marketers and offline business people looking to go online. http://www.BestBusinessNetwork.com/OMB/ Author: Marty Bradfield
Visit http://www.BestBusinessNetwork.com/OMB/ to learn more.
Copyright © 2010 Marty Bradfield
There are four types of people in the world... There are dog people and cat people... And, there are people who would own neither and people who own both...
My wife and I have always been dog people... Our neighbor is a cat person...
My wife is fond of saying that the only good cat is a dead cat... My neighbor has threatened on dozens of occasions to kill our dog, if our dog did not stop barking at his cat... Our neighbor despises our dog, because our dog barks at his cat, and his cat walks by our yard as in fear for his life...
All you have to do is to holler real loud, when you see the cat trying to sneak by our house... If you do it just right, the cat will jump out of its skin, before setting the new land speed record for a feline... LOL... My wife is so mean...
Putting my child-like amusement to the side, there is actually a business lesson in this story...
Who Is The Real Target Market For Your Business?
I am forever amazed at the responses I get, when I ask online marketers who is in their target market...
Everyone? Really?
You would be wasting your breath trying to get my wife to like cats, and you would be equally frustrated trying to convince my neighbor of the value of dogs in this world... Both are dead-set in their ways, and you will not change their minds...
Try selling your kitty scratch pad to my wife...
Try selling your dog bones to my neighbor...
You could spend ten million dollars and a lifetime trying to convince my wife that cats are awesome and she should buy your cat toys, OR you could call my neighbor and get his business for the price of a phone call...
Honestly, which approach makes more sense?
We Must Advertise To The Right People
If you have been trying to operate a business online for any length of time, you will have realized by now that you must advertise and there is always a cost for adverising -- a cost that can be measured in either time or money...
We all have to spend time or money to attract an audience to our website, so that we can make the pitch for our products or services...
Given the high cost of advertising -- free or paid, it makes sense that we should try to talk directly to those people who are most likely to buy what we are selling, doesn't it?
This is why it is so important for us to properly identify our real target market...
If you deliver your pet-product advertising to people who refuse to own a dog or cat, then you are wasting your limited time or financial resources trying to sell your stuff to people who would never buy your goods...
Think about selling ice water to an Eskimo... Then realize that the guy in the desert is parched for a drink, and he might pay ten times the going rate to buy your ice water...
If you are talking to the wrong people, your advertising will produce few sales, and therefore, your advertising will be very expensive...
On the other hand, if you are talking to the right people with your advertising, you will be able to sell more stuff to more people, thereby reducing your overall cost of advertising...
When your advertising consistently pays for itself, you will find it a no-brainer option to keep advertising...
You will find that by taking your advertising resources and messages to the right audience, you will be able to consistently produce profitable results for your business...
Tracking Down Your Target Audience
I have often found that forums are an excellent tool for finding new ways to reach my target audiences...
Contrary to what you may have taught by other marketers, I don't seek out niche consumer forums so that I can drop links in my signature file... That could be a real waste of time, since most consumer-oriented forums do not allow signature files...
Whatever the product or service, I seek out consumer forums for the niche to do research... I want to learn about the people who are in my target market...
I have found that the consumer forums in any niche can teach me three important lessons about reaching my target audiences:
1. I can find forums where I might be able to advertise on-site;
2. I find other websites that my target audience finds useful, where I might be able to buy advertising; and
3. I find the questions that people in my target audience are asking -- questions that I could possibly answer in the form of an article for my website or a syndicated article.
I know you have heard it before, but I will reiterate the point here... Google is your best friend...
Since I have been talking about dogs and cats in this article, I wanted to emphasize the usefulness of forums with examples...
In my first search, I plugged in the words "dog forum" into Google... The first result was http://www.dogforums.com/
With more than 68,000 threads and 800,000 posts related to dogs, I am certain I would have no problem finding other dog-related websites and topics for articles that would be of interest to readers in that niche...
In my second search, I queried Google for "cats forum" and found http://www.catforum.com/
It contains 67,000 threads and nearly 700,000 posts... Once again, it will not be hard to find related websites where I might be able to advertise, and I will have no problem uncovering questions that my target audience is already asking, so that I can construct articles for my website or syndicated articles that will directly address the needs of the people in my target audience...
In Conclusion...
I have come to realize that for as long as my wife and I continue to live where we do and my neighbor continues to live where he does, my wife and my neighbor will always be tweaking each other over our dog and his cat...
The only way for that battle to end is for one of us to move out of the neighborhood... LOL
As a business owner, you must understand that your target market can never be described as everyone on the planet... It is important for you to do your research, to better understand who your real target audience is, so that you can more easily understand how to get your advertising message to them directly...
Once you understand who is in your target market and how you can reach them with your advertising, you will find yourself on the road to real success...
About the Author:
We teach the Basics of online marketing and Cutting Edge Techniques used by professional online marketers, to develop lead generation systems and new businesses. Our Online Marketing Bootcamp training is geared for new online marketers, network marketers and offline business people looking to go online. http://www.BestBusinessNetwork.com/OMB/ Author: Marty Bradfield
Visit http://www.BestBusinessNetwork.com/OMB/ to learn more.
How To Earn An Online Living As A Writer
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Willie Crawford
Since 1996 I've written over 1600 articles. These articles have provided me with a decent living in numerous ways.
Today, I want to encourage you to become a writer, generating content for the online world.
Here is how I've used the articles that I've written:
1) Many of the articles were written specifically to sell affiliate products. Most of those were written using the "problem, agitate, solution" formula. I talked about a problem, explained why it really was a painful problem, and then pointed out a great solution. That worked great.
2) Many other articles were written primarily to attract website traffic. The big key there is a benefits-filled title, and using the right keywords throughout the article. I have number one search engine ranking on many of my most important keywords because of my articles. After, writing the articles, I mere distributed them to key article directories.
3) Some articles I wrote to give to my affiliates, to help them market my products. In those articles, affiliates were encouraged to change the link in the resource box to their affiliate link and then put the article on their sites/blogs as well as in their newsletters. This was very effective.
4) Some articles I wrote to market as private label rights material. People who aren't very prolific writers generally bought these. I always encouraged my customers to modify the PLR articles, putting parts in their own words. I told them to think of the PLR as just a "rough draft."
5) Many articles, I have sold. There are numerous sites where you can post articles that you have for sale. There are also dozens of sites that will purchase your articles directly. I found this much more efficient than trying to track down clients.
These are the ways I've profited from article marketing over the years. I'm a very prolific writer who can write an article in about 10 minutes, so it's been a great way of life for. I often grab my laptop and write while sitting at a beach that's five minutes from my house. It lets me really live "the internet lifestyle."
Now that you see how easy it can be, I hope that you'll give it a try too.
About the Author:
Willie Crawford has taught hundreds the art of article marketing over the years. It's an excellent, reliable business model. For a list of 23 little-known places that will actually buy your articles be sure to visit: http://timic.org/23ArticleBuyers
Follow Willie Crawford on Twitter.
Copyright © 2010 Willie Crawford
Since 1996 I've written over 1600 articles. These articles have provided me with a decent living in numerous ways.
Today, I want to encourage you to become a writer, generating content for the online world.
Here is how I've used the articles that I've written:
1) Many of the articles were written specifically to sell affiliate products. Most of those were written using the "problem, agitate, solution" formula. I talked about a problem, explained why it really was a painful problem, and then pointed out a great solution. That worked great.
2) Many other articles were written primarily to attract website traffic. The big key there is a benefits-filled title, and using the right keywords throughout the article. I have number one search engine ranking on many of my most important keywords because of my articles. After, writing the articles, I mere distributed them to key article directories.
3) Some articles I wrote to give to my affiliates, to help them market my products. In those articles, affiliates were encouraged to change the link in the resource box to their affiliate link and then put the article on their sites/blogs as well as in their newsletters. This was very effective.
4) Some articles I wrote to market as private label rights material. People who aren't very prolific writers generally bought these. I always encouraged my customers to modify the PLR articles, putting parts in their own words. I told them to think of the PLR as just a "rough draft."
5) Many articles, I have sold. There are numerous sites where you can post articles that you have for sale. There are also dozens of sites that will purchase your articles directly. I found this much more efficient than trying to track down clients.
These are the ways I've profited from article marketing over the years. I'm a very prolific writer who can write an article in about 10 minutes, so it's been a great way of life for. I often grab my laptop and write while sitting at a beach that's five minutes from my house. It lets me really live "the internet lifestyle."
Now that you see how easy it can be, I hope that you'll give it a try too.
About the Author:
Willie Crawford has taught hundreds the art of article marketing over the years. It's an excellent, reliable business model. For a list of 23 little-known places that will actually buy your articles be sure to visit: http://timic.org/23ArticleBuyers
Follow Willie Crawford on Twitter.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
5 Types Of Titles That Can Get More People To Read Your Article
Article Presented by:
Copyright © 2010 Lee Dobbins
You probably already know that article marketing is a great way to get your story in front of people that can benefit from it. It helps to drive targeted traffic to your website and is the beginning of the relationship that you build with your customers.
But in today's fast paced world where visitors take only about 4 seconds to scan a webpage, you are competing with thousands of other article writers so you need to write a compelling title that draws in readers like a magnet so that your article stands out from the crowd.
Here are 5 different types of titles that are sure to get more people "clicking in" to read your article:
The Question Title
People are curious by nature, so phrasing your title as a question can cause an irresistible pull for them to satisfy that curiosity.
But not any type of question will do. You need to use an open ended question - one that compels the reader to click into your article to find the answer. This is a question that has more than just a "yes" or "no" answer.
For example, you might want to use the title:
"Do You Know The 1 Trick That Will Stop Your Dog From Jumping?"
As opposed to:
"Do You Want To Stop Your Dog From Jumping?"
See, how the first title peaks your curiosity more? What is the 1 trick? Do you know it already? Even if you do, you feel compelled to click into the article to see what the author knows that you might not.
The List Of Tips Title
Another great way to get people to click on your title is to formulate your article into a list of ideas or tips. For some reason people love a list of tips. Not only will that help make your title compelling, but having a list format in your article with subheadings for each "point" on the list is a great way to structure the article itself and makes for easy reading.
Almost any topic can be written as a list, you just need to think vertically instead of horizontally when writing your article.
Then once you have the topic and the number of "points" on your list, you simply write the title in this format:
"X Ways To {Solve Your Problem}"
So, you might try something like:
10 Ways To Help You Lose Belly Fat
5 Ways To Get Your Dog To Obey You
6 Tips For Growing Bigger Tomatoes
.... And so on
Does this type of title work? Well, it enticed you to click into this article, didn't you?
The How To Title
Let's face it, most people are surfing the web looking for information on "how to" do something. Whether it's buying a product or trying to figure out how to do something related to a hobby, or clearing up their acne, there's a "How To" for it.
So why not just give them what they want?
"How To Teach Your Dog To Sit"
"How To Choose The Best Laptop"
"How To Clean A Saltwater Aquarium"
Think about what you search the web for - wouldn't an article with the title of "How To" followed by your subject matter be something you would want to read?
The Benefits Title
If you can, you should try to work your benefit into every title - even the other types listed on this page. But sometimes, it's just not feasible to combine these different types and you might want to simply use the benefit as your title.
Benefits are very powerful because the illicit emotion in the reader. Benefits are what make people pull out their wallets and buy.
Yet, a lot of people confuse features with benefits and end up highlighting the wrong things!
A benefit is something that you can feel - that makes someone's life a little better, less painful or easier. A feature is something about the physical product or service.
For example, someone who has insomnia doesn't want a list of herbal remedies or relaxation techniques, what they really want is to get a good nights sleep. The "good nights sleep" is the benefit.
So, you would want to use a title like:
"Get A Good Nights Sleep Tomorrow By Using These Relaxation Techniques Today"
Tell them what the end benefit will be and you'll have more people clicking into your article to learn how they can realize that benefit for themselves.
The Why Title
They word "Why" grabs attention - after all, who doesn't want to know "Why"? Using "Why" in your title can turn a boring drab title into one that commands interest in your readers.
Consider this title:
"A Memory Foam Mattress Helps Ease Back Pain"
Now add the word "Why" in the front:
"Why A Memory Foam Mattress Helps Ease Back Pain"
Which one seems more interesting to you?
Using "Why" is actually one of the easiest ways to make your titles more engaging. You can add it to almost any title you currently have and make that title more interesting.
The next time you write an article and are considering the title, try to fit your subject into one of these types of titles and I think you will see that you get a better click through rate into your article.
But, of course, the title is only the first part of getting the visitor to your site. Next, you must deliver on the information you promised in the title by answering the questions or listing the tips indicated and, of course, making your article body and resource box compelling enough to get the click to your website or offer.
By using an irresistible title, you've done the critical first step of getting the reader into your article - the rest is up to you!
About the Author:
After 5 years of creating and promoting websites, Lee Dobbins has boiled the whole process down into a series of easy to follow steps. Get her free report and spreadsheet on the 10 step process that will streamline your link building efforts and start a flood of traffic at http://www.websitepromotionblueprint.com/pw
Read more of Lee Dobbins's articles.
Copyright © 2010 Lee Dobbins
You probably already know that article marketing is a great way to get your story in front of people that can benefit from it. It helps to drive targeted traffic to your website and is the beginning of the relationship that you build with your customers.
But in today's fast paced world where visitors take only about 4 seconds to scan a webpage, you are competing with thousands of other article writers so you need to write a compelling title that draws in readers like a magnet so that your article stands out from the crowd.
Here are 5 different types of titles that are sure to get more people "clicking in" to read your article:
The Question Title
People are curious by nature, so phrasing your title as a question can cause an irresistible pull for them to satisfy that curiosity.
But not any type of question will do. You need to use an open ended question - one that compels the reader to click into your article to find the answer. This is a question that has more than just a "yes" or "no" answer.
For example, you might want to use the title:
"Do You Know The 1 Trick That Will Stop Your Dog From Jumping?"
As opposed to:
"Do You Want To Stop Your Dog From Jumping?"
See, how the first title peaks your curiosity more? What is the 1 trick? Do you know it already? Even if you do, you feel compelled to click into the article to see what the author knows that you might not.
The List Of Tips Title
Another great way to get people to click on your title is to formulate your article into a list of ideas or tips. For some reason people love a list of tips. Not only will that help make your title compelling, but having a list format in your article with subheadings for each "point" on the list is a great way to structure the article itself and makes for easy reading.
Almost any topic can be written as a list, you just need to think vertically instead of horizontally when writing your article.
Then once you have the topic and the number of "points" on your list, you simply write the title in this format:
"X Ways To {Solve Your Problem}"
So, you might try something like:
.... And so on
Does this type of title work? Well, it enticed you to click into this article, didn't you?
The How To Title
Let's face it, most people are surfing the web looking for information on "how to" do something. Whether it's buying a product or trying to figure out how to do something related to a hobby, or clearing up their acne, there's a "How To" for it.
So why not just give them what they want?
Think about what you search the web for - wouldn't an article with the title of "How To" followed by your subject matter be something you would want to read?
The Benefits Title
If you can, you should try to work your benefit into every title - even the other types listed on this page. But sometimes, it's just not feasible to combine these different types and you might want to simply use the benefit as your title.
Benefits are very powerful because the illicit emotion in the reader. Benefits are what make people pull out their wallets and buy.
Yet, a lot of people confuse features with benefits and end up highlighting the wrong things!
A benefit is something that you can feel - that makes someone's life a little better, less painful or easier. A feature is something about the physical product or service.
For example, someone who has insomnia doesn't want a list of herbal remedies or relaxation techniques, what they really want is to get a good nights sleep. The "good nights sleep" is the benefit.
So, you would want to use a title like:
"Get A Good Nights Sleep Tomorrow By Using These Relaxation Techniques Today"
Tell them what the end benefit will be and you'll have more people clicking into your article to learn how they can realize that benefit for themselves.
The Why Title
They word "Why" grabs attention - after all, who doesn't want to know "Why"? Using "Why" in your title can turn a boring drab title into one that commands interest in your readers.
Consider this title:
"A Memory Foam Mattress Helps Ease Back Pain"
Now add the word "Why" in the front:
"Why A Memory Foam Mattress Helps Ease Back Pain"
Which one seems more interesting to you?
Using "Why" is actually one of the easiest ways to make your titles more engaging. You can add it to almost any title you currently have and make that title more interesting.
The next time you write an article and are considering the title, try to fit your subject into one of these types of titles and I think you will see that you get a better click through rate into your article.
But, of course, the title is only the first part of getting the visitor to your site. Next, you must deliver on the information you promised in the title by answering the questions or listing the tips indicated and, of course, making your article body and resource box compelling enough to get the click to your website or offer.
By using an irresistible title, you've done the critical first step of getting the reader into your article - the rest is up to you!
About the Author:
After 5 years of creating and promoting websites, Lee Dobbins has boiled the whole process down into a series of easy to follow steps. Get her free report and spreadsheet on the 10 step process that will streamline your link building efforts and start a flood of traffic at http://www.websitepromotionblueprint.com/pw
Read more of Lee Dobbins's articles.
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