ADVERTISING IDEAS FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, Part 3

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By Shawn Deacon, Independent Media Professional

http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawndeacon

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A friend of mine has a statistic up on his BBM profile. It reads: Last year 30, 622 folks in this nation took their own life by hanging. That many people can’t be wrong. SUICIDE – hang with the “in” crowd.

Luckily it’s a new phone with, up to the point of writing, only twelve contacts; otherwise he’d be solely responsible for a much higher mortality rate this year. For those of you still not convinced, that’s what clever advertising does. He’s doing it from his BlackBerry Torch – and it costs him nothing.

I read of a pharmaceutical company that abandoned a cold medicine because their experts couldn’t remedy the drowsiness it produced. Some genius renamed it Nyquil and sold it as a bedtime cold medicine. Undoubtedly, it became the largest selling cold medicine on the market. Just food for thought. Here are other things you might want to consider.

  1. Have a visible, solid presence in the community of your business. If you can, write a weekly column for the newspaper; hold press conferences; attend trade shows and consultations for the purpose of answering questions. Teach a class or hold a workshop on a topic of broad interest; have displays or promotional booths. Offer seminars to current customers as a means of attracting new ones. Establish yourself as an expert on your product or service. Follow-up with attendees by mail or in person.
  2. Keep up with changing events in your industry by subscribing to trade magazines, taking refresher courses, browsing the net or if you can afford to, travel. See what’s happening in the world.
  3. The public library has more information on business than anyone can possibly read. The librarians will research and find the information you need. A real time saver. Look the books over for two weeks and buy the ones you want to add to your business library. Yes, start a business library.
  4. Make envelopes from flyers; insert an introductory letter, business card or promotional dvd for prospective customers. May also include a coupon (to be redeemed by a certain date), an event ticket, stage pass or a raffle ticket.
  5. Maintain a database of prospective customers.
  6. Keep a board of “advisors”. This can be friends, family members, business associates whose opinions and judgment you value and who you allow to critique every aspect of your business. In his book, Tiger Traits, Nate Booth explains why Tiger Woods is not only a Golf Master but a Business Champion as well. From an early age, Tiger had carefully selected teachers, heroes and teammates to guide, inspire and support him to mastery. Create a “team tiger”.
  7. Always be ready to be where your customer wants you, when your customer wants you, with what your customer wants.

The advice from many advertising and marketing experts is to duplicate i.e. take something that works for someone else, somewhere else and do it exactly the same way. Franchises work on a system of duplication. KFC for example opened other branches all over the world duplicating the product, service and quality of the parent branch.  . . . and there’s nothing really wrong with that except that what worked for Colonel Sanders thirty years ago, or the Microsoft Corporation, Toyota or Amazon may not necessarily work for Cutting Room Studios, or Zita’s Flowers, or Immortal Designs in the year 2013 – and this can be for many reasons.

Today, small business owners are charged more than before, with a responsibility to be new and creative. Creative advertising is everywhere. Instead of writing heavy, long worded introductory letters about your business, one genius suggests stapling a business card to a teabag and scribbling at the back “Let’s meet for tea”.

Backed by your own determination to succeed, I can guarantee you that any combination of these ideas will yield the results you want quickly. Take a few months and test it. Leave me a comment, let me know what worked for you. I’d love to hear from you. Of the entire series what was your favourite tip? I’ve given you a lot of information, don’t be afraid to share with others now. Follow me on Linked In at http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawndeacon

ABOUT CUTTING ROOM STUDIOS

Cutting Room Studios is an evolving company with a simple vision of becoming a household name synonymous with high end DVD and video productions. Our customers will already attest that we maintain equal, or exceed ideals and standards set by the industry. To you we will continue to deliver on this guarantee. Our approach to every client and every project is with one goal in mind – to leave a lasting impression.

For a free consultation or for bookings, please call 1 868 384 2167 or contact us via email at cuttingroom.ttproductions@gmail.com and liaise directly with one of our qualified team members.

ADVERTISING IDEAS FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, Part 2

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By Shawn Deacon, Independent Media Professional

http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawndeacon

It has been said of the human mind, that once it is stretched to the limits of a new idea, it never goes back to its original dimensions (Oliver Wendell Holmes, US author and physician). In fact, the simple things that entertain us daily, in some modest way helps to change the way we think. Imagine for a moment the effect of a ten second image of the same brand of water, every fifteen minutes, during a four hour night of television. Think about the violence, sexual content and / or strong language impressed upon a young mind carelessly left with a particular video game to keep him occupied every day. Your favourite song may last only a few minutes but played over and over. . . Well you get the idea.

Advertising gurus and geniuses have long realized this and spend billions of dollars annually on advertising spots on radio and television that last, sometimes just 30 seconds. Arguably, these advertisements can actually change our behavior and affect our decision making. Why would a rational thinking woman choose a hair dye that has ranked for forty years as the most expensive in the world? It’s obvious. “Because I’m worth it.” Even our decisions to purchase things that cost very little are impacted upon by clever advertising. Think about it! “There are some things money can’t buy, but for everything else . . .”

Keep reading; it only gets better.

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  1. Be consistent. Remember that old Aesop fable of the hare and the tortoise?  Slow and steady wins the race. Buy ads that last months at a time – the classifieds in a popular newspaper or the yellow pages. Let your customers “see” you. Build a reputation for consistency and diligence. Don’t be afraid to ask for a referral.
  2. Get a quotable, reputable endorsee.
  3. Remember your customers on important days with a greeting card. Be sure to very subtly include the promotion you’re having, or discount or a reminder. Postcards convey a sense of urgency. The customer may not read your letter but they will turn your postcard over.
  4. Start a “Swipe File.” A swipe file is a collection of ads and brochures that copywriters and artists collect, or swipe from other artists, for those times when they are stumped for good ideas. I know how this sounds and I’m not suggesting copy. The idea here is to find inspiration for your own work where and however you can and build on it.
  5. Find the group that your competition is presently not serving with that particular product or service. These maybe elderly persons, persons with disabilities, or you may even find a customer base among those without the necessary transportation to get to your business place. Don’t ignore these groups and find a way to serve them. They may become a big market and you may be able to capture a loyal and lucrative customer base.
  6. Don’t ignore questions that new customers may ask. It may be that they are telling you about an unpleasant experience they had with a previous company. If they ask about service, exchanges, return policies, etc. have an employee meeting and go over some protocols. You can guarantee that you will solve their problems without hassles or complications.

On a final note always remember that not always a joke is intended to make you laugh, sometimes it’s meant to make you think. A young man who was getting a haircut one day and was chatting with his barber about his plans for vacation.

“I’m going to Rome” he boasted.

“Really,” his barber replied. “But why there? It’s terrible and has absolutely nothing to do. The weather is the worst and everything’s so expensive! Where are you planning to stay?”

“I’m staying at this little place called The Inn” he answered a bit dismayed.

“Oh I know that place,” the barber began. “Its so small, there’s hardly room to turn in the bathroom and the food is always awful. What are you planning to do when you get there?”

Really disheartened now, the young man answered “Well, I’m going to visit the Pope”.

“You can’t be serious!” the barber said immediately, “That’s how you’re going to spend your vacation!”

A few weeks later the young man entered the barber shop again and the barber greeted him excitedly. “Hey you’re back! How was your vacation?”

“It was great,” he began. “I went to Rome, stayed at The Inn and visited the Pope.”

“And what happened next?” the barber inquired. “Did you kiss his ring, what did he say?”

The young man smiled. “He looked at the top of my head and said ‘My son, where did you get that awful haircut?’”

I know you’re smiling, maybe you’re sucking your teeth and rolling your eyes but in case you missed it, the moral here is simple. There’s a reason that there are more critics than creators and it’s because it’s always easier to criticize.

ABOUT CUTTING ROOM STUDIOS

Cutting Room Studios is an evolving company with a simple vision of becoming a household name synonymous with high end DVD and video productions. Our customers will already attest that we maintain equal, or exceed ideals and standards set by the industry. To you we will continue to deliver on this guarantee. Our approach to every client and every project is with one goal in mind – to leave a lasting impression.

For a free consultation or for bookings, please call 1 868 384 2167 or contact us via email at cuttingroom.ttproductions@gmail.com and liaise directly with one of our qualified team members.

ADVERTISING IDEAS FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, Part 1

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By Shawn Deacon, Independent Media Professional

http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawndeacon

            In the early 1950’s, an interviewer for The Paris Review, George Plimpton, asked Nobel Prize awardee (for Literature) Ernest Hemingway, to explain the best “intellectual training” for an hopeful writer. Since then, many critics have had volumes to say on Hemingway’s reply. Simplistic? Maybe. Unreasonable? Perhaps harsh? Okay they’ve said that as well. Still, Hemingway’s point is clear and arguably still practical today as it was nearly 60 years ago. In fact, it is this single piece of advice that has steered me to putting these points to paper. In case you’re curious, Hemingway’s response:

“Let’s say that he should go out and hang himself because he finds that writing well is impossibly difficult. Then he should be cut down without mercy and forced by his own self to write as well as he can for the rest of his life. At least he will have the story of the hanging to commence with.”

It’s still the beginning of 2013, millions all over the world are projecting and making personal and professional commitments. I know of teachers who want to change careers, qualified engineers who are unemployed, lawyers, professional athletes, fathers, students and dozens of other groups of people who are writing tons on things they’ll be happier doing for 2013. We all have ideas and resolutions for ourselves and others. At the time of writing, I’m planning to move a step closer to unshakable faith in God. I have family members and close friends who are on the verge of launching their own small businesses and, if you’re like them and thinking of a career change or starting your own business, then you know that advertising is crucial and can be expensive. This article is for you.

  1. Get people talking about your business. Word of mouth remains the most cost effective method of advertising and there, in that detail, lies its value. Encourage personal testimony of your product or service, beg if you must but generate talk. My personal brand, Cutting Room Studios, was launched in 2008 and people still walk up to me and ask if my work is as good as they keep hearing. They’re doubtful and I understand that. I would always smile and put two or three business cards in their hand. Why two or three? Each person I come in contact with leaves with an impression and eventually, they’ll be able to say to others “I happen to have an extra card, give him a call”.
  2. Use the internet to you advantage. Its an amazing tool if you’re doing it right. Blog about it, upload commercials or videos of your satisfied customers to You Tube. Show samples of completed projects on your webpage, or Facebook or Twitter pages. Open a group in Linked In, have members comment on projects and ideas, hold discussions. Use your social network profiles for publishing. Write an eBook and offer as a freebie – and all of this gets people talking.
  3. If you find yourself assuming that the costumer already has a similar product; or that they won’t like you; or your service costs too much; or the client won’t return – stop right now and take a deep breath. Believe that your product or service is unique to a particular market. Define your target, no one else is worth your time – and don’t be afraid to tell them that. “I decided to come to you first because I knew you’d be excited about it”. Then make an offer, don’t try to sell.
  4. You’ll also want to make it easy for customers and potential customers to find you. Print your business name, address, email address and website (if you have one) on all business related correspondence including notepads, packaging slips, invoices, receipts and promotional items. Remember the name of the game is Competition. Business cards aren’t the only thing that a person will slip conveniently into a wallet, handbag or pocket.
  5. Be proactive and monitor all ads. Find out how the customer found you (television radio, newspaper, magazine, flyer, word of mouth). This is a typical oversight for many business owners who spend resources like company time and money to produce expensive television commercials or full page newspaper ads, without first recognizing through research the media most effective for drawing customers. Don’t be like Schulz’s Charlie Brown who built a sand castle on the shore and stood watching as the water carried out into the sea. “There’s a lesson to be learnt here somewhere” he says to himself.  Have customers mention a radio or TV ad for an immediate discount. Offer a discount on the spot if people follow you and / or like your page and if they share a comment about you. Ask every customer how they found you.

It certainly sounds all very simple, right? Who says everything has to be complicated? When I started Cutting Room Studios just over four years ago with just a hand-held camcorder and a desktop computer, I had no idea that the three hundred attendees at a conference one weekend would be just a small part of my business. Now let’s get something straight – I don’t have three hundred employees. I network however (point #6), I join professional memberships and attend conferences with like-minded individuals. Now back to Hemingway. Certainly he was on to something when he gave that little scenario to the interviewer.

For a brief moment just imagine Ernest Hemingway in the year 2013.  Instead of George Plimpton, you’re conducting the interview. You sit at a table in his house maybe, across from each other. He leans forward in his chair, a shimmer in his eye. Your heart beat quickens, you know what’s coming but yet you don’t know. You put the tape recorder closer to his lips.

“You want to know the secret to success?” he says.

You can feel the beads of perspiration appearing on your forehead. The pause seems to last forever. Then he says “Stop being lazy”.

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ABOUT CUTTING ROOM STUDIOS

Cutting Room Studios is an evolving company with a simple vision of becoming a household name synonymous with high end DVD and video productions. Our customers will already attest that we maintain equal, or exceed ideals and standards set by the industry. To you we will continue to deliver on this guarantee. Our approach to every client and every project is with one goal in mind – to leave a lasting impression.

For a free consultation or for bookings, please call 1 868 384 2167 or contact us via email at cuttingroom.ttproductions@gmail.com and liaise directly with one of our qualified team members.