Network Marketing - The Power of a Great 30 Second Commercial

I went to a networking event last night. Packed with people. Everyone had a name tag (that's a plus!) but most just had their name on it, not their company or affiliation. Now, I'm not a shy person, but there's definitely a shy factor that sneaks in when you don't know people and you've just come to meet "them."

Having a great 30 second commercial is part of getting more comfortable. The folks who could tell me what they do, without rattling it off so fast or using initials to explain (worse, using a word that is an anacronym of initials) or better, talked about a benefit to their customers, were the ones that I wanted to take a few minutes to get to know better.

Got me thinking about their marketing messages.

Have you worked on your 30 second commercial lately? Say it aloud now. Jot it down.

3 Tips to Create a Strong Marketing Message in Your 30 Second Commercial

1. Identify who you help and how you help them.
2. State the benefit to your customers
3. Make it repeatable so that the person you are telling could tell it to your potential customer again next week.

Does your 30 second commercial (or elevator speech) meet each of these criteria?

Marketing Programs Need to Be Planned Now for 2010

Now is the time to create a 2010 marketing program for your business. Growth for your market share may be achievable in 2010 but only if you step up your marketing ahead of your competitors.

CEO confidence is on the rise. Economic indicators point to a recovery.

My Treadmill Desk: How to Burn More Calories While Marketing

treadmill desk full view angle
Originally uploaded by cmcbrown

Here's the full view of my makeshift treadmill desk. "Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic came up with the idea of a "Treadmill Desk". The idea is to slowly walk on a treadmill while working at a desk built around the treadmill...a Treadmill Desk.

Dr Levine's research revealed that on the average his subjects burned 100 extra calories every hour while walking slowly -- at 1 mile per hour -- than while sitting in a chair."

Check out more info here: Blogging on a Treadmill Desk

Ascend Marketing's Cathy Pringle: "Clients Reap Huge ROI Benefits with Outsourced Marketing"

I recently interviewed Cathy Pringle. You'll want to read the profile of Ascend Marketing. They are an outsourced marketing firm that focuses on “the full marketing continuum, beginning with brand strategy and market development, but extending all the way through the execution piece, including sales support and measurement." Click on the link to read more.

Branding is Expectations and Fulfilling a Promise

When discussing branding with clients, sometimes it becomes confusing when it shouldn't be. Branding really boils down to an expectation on the part of the customer/consumer and then fulfillment of the promise.

Read more at Branding & Marketing...

Branding Strategy is one Key for Lowering Your Marketing Costs

When you have a brand strategy, you don't have to constantly reinvent the wheel every time you create an ad, update your brochure, do a new sales presentation power point or develop a retractible banner.

By having a strong niche and positioning, most of your work is already done for you.

Many small and medium businesses have trouble defining their own brand. They want to tell every feature, describe every benefit and try to sell to every possible customer in every market.

If you define your brand strategy before you do the marketing tactics, you'll find your costs will be lower and your results better.

It's one way of working smarter, not harder!

Time Management - Finding Time for Social Media Marketing

where does the time go
Originally uploaded by cmcbrown

Finding time can be difficult.

If you feel under pressure, have constant deadlines and are jumping from one crisis to another, these time management tips could give your more control of your time and reduce your stress. Read more at "Branding & Marketing"

5 Ways to Add Power to your Press Release Program

Electronic press releases can be much more powerful than traditional PR releases.

I believe that if you have a business, product or service to promote, that public relations, and press releases in particular, are much less expensive and much more effective than advertising.

See what I mean at my Branding and Marketing blog post today: 5 Ways to Add Power to Your Press Release Distribution

Guest Posts on Small Business TV

You can read more from Branding & Marketing on Small Business TV's website

Branding & Marketing: 5 WAYS TO ADD POWER TO YOUR PRESS RELEASE PROGRAM
Updated: 5/12/2009 6:37:03 AM
Press Releases are more powerful than most advertising. See how to take advantage of new electronic tools to add power to your PR. . . .
Tags: public relations, press release, advertising, branding, marketing

Branding and Marketing: HOW TO CREATE A SPEAKER SHEET TO GET SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Updated: 3/9/2009 7:18:57 AM
Creating a speaker sheet can help you get speaking engagements. Here's how. . . .
Tags: speaker sheet, speaking engagements, promoting your business

Branding & Marketing: 4 INEXPENSIVE TECHNIQUES TO MARKET YOUR OWN BUSINESS
Updated: 3/1/2009 8:06:09 AM
What are four low cost or no cost marketing techniques for marketing a small business? Crystal Robinson knows and is using them! . . .
Tags: low cost website, marketing techniques, marketing your small business

Branding & Marketing: MARKETING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS IN GOOGLE RESULTS
Updated: 2/22/2009 9:19:59 AM
Getting your business in the top results in Google search is important to help customers find your products and services. . . .
Tags: keywords Google branding marketing marketing your small business

Branding & Marketing: BRAND YOURSELF WITH YOUR TWITTER BACKGROUND
Updated: 1/20/2009 5:00:13 AM
Brand yourself with your Twitter background for added impact. contact information. Graphics. . . .
Tags: Twitter Branding Twitter Graphics Twitter Background

Branding & Marketing: INTERVIEW WITH MARKETING AGENCY PRESIDENT CHRIS BROWN
Updated: 1/8/2009 10:38:27 AM
Business profile: Interview with Marketing Agency President Chris Brown . . .
Tags: Branding Marketing Small business interview

Branding & Marketing: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SALES AND MARKETING?
Updated: 10/21/2008 5:35:00 AM
Last week I asked my community of business contacts -- or "tribe" as Seth Godin describes it -- what their opinion of the difference between sales and marketing was. The range of answers surprised me. Some made me laugh and some...

Branding & Marketing: PERSONAL ENDORSEMENT OVER MASS IMPRESSIONS
Updated: 10/4/2008 6:27:00 AM
Much more personal than mass TV or even targeted internet advertising, human billboards provide a media channel that conveys the personal endorsement of those who wear the message. Buttons, handbags, hoodies and T-shirt advertising can convey the me . . .

Branding & Marketing: MARKETING GREEN AND SUSTAINABILITY: TREADING CAREFULLY!
Updated: 9/30/2008 6:19:00 AM
Do you remember when food got lighter a few years ago? Lite. Fat-Free. It was confusing at best. I think the Green Movement has hit this same level of marketing positioning. It's both an opportunity and a challenge. Joel Makower at Greenbiz.co . . .

Branding & Marketing: KEEPING YOUR WEBSITE UP TO DATE
Updated: 9/19/2008 5:37:00 AM
I visited a website of a business this morning that has some old information on it: the old address from before they moved. Forgivable? I wonder how much business is lost because things aren’t up-to-date and look sloppy?

Branding and Marketing: BRANDING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS AS A GREEN BUSINESS -- WITHOUT GREENWASHING
Updated: 9/17/2008 7:13:00 AM
So many businesses are trying to do the right thing when it comes to recycling, using "green" marketing materials printed with soy inks and post consumer waste paper and offering employees the opportunity to work from home one day a week to . . .

Branding & Marketing: BRANDING ISN'T JUST FOR "BIG BUSINESS"
Updated: 9/10/2008 6:03:00 AM
All businesses need some branding. That is a powerful statement that many small business owners might disagree with. Some small business owners think of big, huge consumer brands like Coke, Pepsi, Dell and McDonalds when they hear the wo . . .

How to Turn Your Marketing into More Sales

Threading New Warp
Originally uploaded by LollyKnit

Are you wondering why you're not closing more sales?

You have great marketing. But not getting any more customers. Is the economy? Is it your marketing? Your sales process? Your people?

Perhaps you aren't weaving your marketing into the sales process or vice versa. Read more here to find out how to increase your sales results.

From Toys to NASCAR to Viral Commercials and Social Media Marketing

All of my recent Branding & Marketing posts are located at the Wordpress blog:

• The Secret of How 2 Juvenile Product Designers Started a Successful Business Almost Effortlessly


• 3 Tips for Turning Your Marketing Green and Save Money at the Same Time


• Marketing and Branding Resources: the Ultimate Encyclopedia


• NASCAR Marketing: Surviving Negative Attitudes Towards Sports Sponsorships


• Comcast’s Viral Commercials are Fun, but Very Ornate


• Social Media Marketing: Promote your Business, Product or Service


• Available on Amazon: Age of Conversation2

4 Inexpensive Ways of Marketing Your Own Direct Sales Business

Crystal Robinson, a Bodyshaping Consultant, is marketing her own business called "Slimmer Within" with a tag line "Experience the Magic."

She also works a full time job as a Market Manager at a savings and loan company, but runs her own company during nights and weekends by holding "transformations" and doing direct sales.

How can she find the time to market her business? She does a lot of things right! She's got several key marketing features of a direct sales business and she's doing a great job with them:

1. Website
2. e-mail
3. Promotions
4. Business cards

How does she do all that? Continue reading about Inexpensive Direct Sales Marketing Methods

Marketing to Women

If women contol 80% of the purchasing power in the US households... why are more companies and brands marketing to women?

Trendsight
Lipsticking
Wonderbranding

How to Improve your SEO results in Google

If you've ever tried to market your business on the internet, you're probably looking at the search engine results in Google and working on a keyword strategy for more ...

Finding the Silver Bullet in Marketing

You didn't think there was a silver bullet for marketing? I used to think there wasn't one either...

Recently Ralph Cutcher of Brick House Partners shared an insight with me that might actually qualify as THE SILVER BULLET of strategic marketing. Ralph and I met because worked together, but separately for the same company...just not at the same time.)

Read the rest of the Silver Bullet in Marketing story here.

Watch my interview on SBTV

COSE interview
Originally uploaded by cmcbrown

I was recently interviewed on Small Business Television SBTV.com during the COSE business conference.

You can watch the whole video at http://www.sbtv.com/partners/cose/?segid=3450

Marketing and Branding for Alpacas Farms

Krystal Acres Alpacas herd
Originally uploaded by Andrew_N

While reading this interesting article about branding and marketing cattle farms, from the cattle network written by Dan Frobose of Ohio State, I was reminded about a conversation with Pat McKay (who insures commercial embroydery businesses and non-profit organizations) during lunch yesterday where we celebrated her 15th anniversary of her business.

We were talking about the economy and how will high end, expensive businesses like Alpaca Farms make it during the economic downturn?

For anyone who wants to market and brand their farm, I would recommend reading everything that Julie Wassom has published and written on the subject of marketing an Alpaca Farm. She's a marketing expert who loves alpacas and her advice is spot-on.

When people in Marketing say "Print" - What do they mean?

What are the components of print?

Collateral:

• Publications
• Brochures
• Sell Sheets
• Fliers
• CD Packages
• Invitations
• Corporate Identity Packages
• Logos
  

Trade & Publication advertising:

• Newspaper
• Trade magazine
• Chamber of Commerce or organizational ads
• Sponsorship of related charitable causes

What am I missing??

Entrpreneur Jackie Garmier Shares her Story

Jackie Garmier
Originally uploaded by cmcbrown

Entrpreneur Jackie Garmier recently shared the story of Renewable Lubricants with the other entrepreneurs at the Entrepreneur Extravaganza at Kent State University.

She is passionate about her brand because she is:
Her company, Renewable Lubricants, uses soy based inks in printing and recycleable packaging wherever prossible.

Green Business: How Johnstone Supply Helps with Sustainability & Profitability

Johnstone Supply seems to have an important solution for greening up existing buildings --- one where the ROI payback comes in less than a year. I met them at a recent GREEN BUSINESS event in Cleveland where over 200 business leaders networked, discussed and learned from experts about how to help with the 3 P's - people, planet and prosperity. Read more at Branding & Marketing

What's the Difference between Sales and Marketing?

Marketing and sales are two different functions but often are confused or merged with each other.

How can you increase your marketing effectiveness to get better sales results?

Read more at:
Selling vs Telling. What’s the Difference Between Sales and Marketing?

When should You Cut Your Marketing Budget?

Marketing during a downturn can keep your brand alive, even thriving. When times are uncertain, often printing, media and projects become less expensive and because of less clutter in the marketplace, the results become stronger.

So when should you consider cutting your marketing budget? Read more at www.BrandandMarket.com.


Flickr Photo: Leo Reynolds

Personal Endorsements over Mass Impressions

Promoting cotton
Originally uploaded by VickyvS

Much more personal than mass TV or even targeted internet advertising, these advertising specialities convey the personal endorsement of those who wear the message.

Read the full story at Branding & Marketing Message Movers.

Top 250 Marketing Blogs

Hat tip to Spotlight Ideas and several bloggers who compiled and wrote about the top 250 marketing blogs.

Kool Aid Reeboks? Branding and Beyond

Flickr Photo uploaded by je suis erin

When does it make sense for a brand to license to other products? Read about this branding story at Excessive Obsessive Branding? Or Greedy for Profit?"

Trade Show Booths -- Time to Double Check

If you are involved in trade shows for your company, now is the time to unpack your booth and make sure it's whole. Don't wait to the last minute to find out there is a problem.

Read the full post at Branding & Marketing.

Links:
Trade Show News Network
Trade Show Week
Chicago Trade Show Displays

Outlining the Vlog Production Flow

vlog production flow
Originally uploaded by Jose Hernandez

Video Advertising is just beginning to take off on the internet.

Check out this little diagram (Click on it to enlarge) that I found on Flickr of one person's plan to help visualize the complexity of our production flow for burntwire.tv

• Green lines are for monetization.
• Yellow lines are stats.
• Red two-way lines are monetized flash content.
• Light grey lines represent creative direction.
• Turquoise lines are non-monetized high-res quicktime files.
• Orange lines are RSS feeds.
• The light grey box is my server.
• Darker grey boxes are other people's servers.
  

Thanks to Jose from www.burntwire.tv in San Franscisco for the diagram. Burntwire.tv is a video podcast of a diverse collective of filmmakers, artists, musicians and poets from the Mission, San Francisco.

More stats and how to's about Video Advertising at Branding & Marketing

Are you branding yourself as an Elephant... or a Leopard?

Although I've been out of corporate America for more than 10 years now, I sure appreciated all the stories in "Elephants can't change... but Leopards Can" by Michelle Griffin. The stories were familiar -- a real life study of organizational dynamics -- and brought back lots of memories for me.

My question to you -- are you branding yourself personally as an elephant or a leopard? Trying to whip an elephant who is stuck in his/her ways can be really difficult and will sap your energy. Nimble, forward thinking and quick -- not slow, lumboring and in the "that's the way we do it here" rut seems so much more appealing. By the same token -- changing your spots sometimes has a negative connotation as in not being sure of your direction. I think its really a balance.

If you get a chance, read thru Michelle's book - I think you'll like it.

5 Ways to Get Testimonials from Satisfied Customers

Ever feel like word of mouth advertising is your best way to build the business? Then your business may benefit by gathering testimonials from your satisfied customers. Read more at Branding & Marketing.

Going Green with Your Marketing

bee on a daisy
Originally uploaded by cmcbrown

Green efforts toward sustainability is more than a growing trend and more and more marketers are asked to help build awareness of efforts made to this goal. I call this green marketing. Read more at Branding & Marketing

Full Disclosure about the bee in this photo: When I took this photo in my backyard two summers ago, the bee was dead and just a prop... You see, my husband is an avid beekeeper, so we have lots and lots of bees in the backyard. Finding the perfect model who won't sting me and was easy to position made it much easier to get such a great shot.