If you're considering adding advertising to your marketing and business development repertoire, especially if you're a small business, be cautious. An article from MadScam does a good job of listing some pros and cons and making a pros and cons list is a good idea to do anyways, but the number one question is: are you selling a product or a service? If you're selling a service, 9 times out of 10, you're successful because of the relationship that you've developed with your current clients. Advertising can't sell that relationship - it can give viewers a call to action to contact you for more information - but it won't sell that relationship.
On the flip side, you have a product that you want to advertise. You've already decided that the pros outweigh the cons and you're taking the plunge. First, look at your products current demographics - what does your customer look like? Male or female, age, household income, kids or no kids, etc. Once you've determined your demographics and developed your product's customer profile, then you can match that with an appropriate publication or media, whether it's an online ad or a billboard.
Before you get to the decision to advertise, you should do this demographic research beforehand. This information will be an asset to you in developing a strategic marketing plan, no matter what tactics you plan to implement.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Should You Post All Comments on Your Blog?
In the age of social media - transparency rules - but do you still have to post every comment that someone posts to your blog? Some people allow comments to automatically post on their blogs, but others like to review their comments before they are posted.
When you look at the content of the comments that someone is wanting to post, you have to think about what their perceived intent is, what do they want others to see, and what kind of response do you think they want (if they haven't specified in their comment). It could be a public relations nightmare if you decided not to post it (from the commenter) or if you decided to post it (from reactions from readers).
One solution is to not post the comment, but to dedicate a blog post to addressing that core issue. On the other hand, another solution is to post the original comment and respond to that comment directly.
Whether your blog is set to post comments automatically or you review them, make sure that you post your blog comment policies on your blog. Sometimes it's not necessary to create blog comment policies, but if you discuss sensitive (or potentially sensitive) items on your blog, it's a good idea.
For some fun reading, check out the Huffington Post's post for the Top 10 PR Blunders of 2011.
When you look at the content of the comments that someone is wanting to post, you have to think about what their perceived intent is, what do they want others to see, and what kind of response do you think they want (if they haven't specified in their comment). It could be a public relations nightmare if you decided not to post it (from the commenter) or if you decided to post it (from reactions from readers).
One solution is to not post the comment, but to dedicate a blog post to addressing that core issue. On the other hand, another solution is to post the original comment and respond to that comment directly.
Whether your blog is set to post comments automatically or you review them, make sure that you post your blog comment policies on your blog. Sometimes it's not necessary to create blog comment policies, but if you discuss sensitive (or potentially sensitive) items on your blog, it's a good idea.
For some fun reading, check out the Huffington Post's post for the Top 10 PR Blunders of 2011.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
2012: Is a New Year's Resolution Necessary?
I'm looking at New Year's Resolutions a little differently this year. Why should I wait until January of every year to resolve to do something differently? Why not make changes when you decide to make a resolution, whether it's in March, August or January 1.
Time.com has a list of the Top 10 Commonly Broken New Year's Resolutions. Take a look at the list and you'll see that they're also the most commonly made New Year's Resolutions. Whether you're resolving to change something for your business or personal life, there is absolutely one thing you need: a plan! If you don't have a
plan, you most likely won't achieve what you want. Your plan must have measurable goals or objectives. "Losing weight" isn't a good objective at all; "losing 30 pounds by June 1, 2012" is a measurable goal that you can track.
Also remember that it takes a long time to make a habit, and in most cases, that's what you're trying to achieve: a new habit for your lifestyle. The 21 day-to-make-a-habit rule no longer applies, instead, a UK psychology blog post suggests that it's different for different people. In their study it took an average of 66 days, but anywhere from 18 to 254 days.
No matter how long it takes for you to make a lifestyle or habit change, it takes hard work and conscious effort. The next time you think about making a positive change, don't wait for the sparkly ball in Times Square to drop for a fresh start.
Time.com has a list of the Top 10 Commonly Broken New Year's Resolutions. Take a look at the list and you'll see that they're also the most commonly made New Year's Resolutions. Whether you're resolving to change something for your business or personal life, there is absolutely one thing you need: a plan! If you don't have a
plan, you most likely won't achieve what you want. Your plan must have measurable goals or objectives. "Losing weight" isn't a good objective at all; "losing 30 pounds by June 1, 2012" is a measurable goal that you can track.Also remember that it takes a long time to make a habit, and in most cases, that's what you're trying to achieve: a new habit for your lifestyle. The 21 day-to-make-a-habit rule no longer applies, instead, a UK psychology blog post suggests that it's different for different people. In their study it took an average of 66 days, but anywhere from 18 to 254 days.
No matter how long it takes for you to make a lifestyle or habit change, it takes hard work and conscious effort. The next time you think about making a positive change, don't wait for the sparkly ball in Times Square to drop for a fresh start.
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