CWI Marketing

The Ever Changing World of Business Etiquette

2011-11-14T11:56:00.000-08:00

As long as there has been business, there has been business etiquette. Many manners from 20 and 30+ years ago, still apply today. For example, don’t wear so much perfume or cologne that people smell you when you pull into the parking lot. Don’t speak so loudly while on the phone that the person in the cubicle on the next floor can hear you (while we’re at it, keep personal conversations to a minimum). These are some of the common sense basics of office manners.

Today, there’s a whole new world of business etiquette that we need to be aware of, such as:

• When making presentations and emailing, use full sentences, not social media acronyms. Believe it or not, not everyone tweets or is on Facebook and some people have no idea what LOL, FTW, FWIW or IMO stands for (Laugh Out Loud, For the Win, For What it’s Worth or In My Opinion).

• While we’re talking about email, before you click “send,” think about how you would feel if someone forwarded it to the CEO of your company. If you would be uncomfortable with the company head reading it, you shouldn’t send it.

• When it comes to cell phones, keep them on vibrate while in the office or in a meeting. Seriously, if I’m on a conference call, I don’t want the person I’m on the phone with thinking I’m at a Lil’ Jon concert (WHAT? OKAY! YEAH!). Also, don’t set them on the table in front of you during a meeting; it is distracting and disrespectful to the person conducting the meeting.

• If you like to decorate your home with flashing neon lights, palm trees, grass skirts and that great picture of your spouse in their bathing suit to remind you of your wonderful honeymoon…GREAT! Don’t do it at the office. Your office space and cubicle should not be distracting, distasteful or disrespectful.

Basically, what this all boils down to is being considerate of others. Be considerate; use your manners and your common sense to avoid uncomfortable situations!

The Death of the Postcard

2011-09-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

I understand how this may seem like a strange post from someone who is in the marketing and printing business, but my goal is to help my clients to be successful.

I'll cut right to the chase.....Unless you have a history of seeing results from postcards, I don't recommend them.

There, I said it.

Recently I conducted a poll in which I asked a two part question. With the first question I asked what people do with sales postcards when they received them in the mail. The majority said they simply threw them away without even reading them. Not a single person saved the card. I've been saying for a long time that you have about 3 seconds to get someone's attention and get them to read your post card. Question 1 supported that point.

I've also been saying that, in most cases, postcards are a waste of your marketing budget. Question 2 supported that point.

In question 2, I asked if a postcard had ever influenced a buying decision. Not a single "yes." Not. a. single. one. All the time and money spent didn't get a single person to buy a product.

With the advent of social media, email marketing and the slew of other effective marketing tools out there, the next time you are tempted to spend hundreds of dollars on postcards, save a few trees AND a few dollars; invest your money elsewhere.

As always, CWI Marketing is here for you, please feel free to contact us for help with any of your marketing needs.

Facebook Releases a Guide to Marketing on Facebook.

2011-08-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

acebook has published their “Best Practice Guide: Marketing on Facebook.” This guide gives ideas on how to foster product development and innovation, generate awareness, increase traffic and sales, build loyalty and deepen relationships, gain insights, as well as meet several other objectives. While this guide is specific to Facebook, many of the helpful hints they list can be used anywhere in social media. If you’ve read my blog before, portions of it will be familiar, as the advice they layout covers some of the topics I have tacked before (i.e. engaging your clients, interacting with them, building relationships).

If you are new to Facebook, new to business or are interested in kicking up your Facebook page a notch with Facebook advertising, plug-in’s, etc., then this guide will be very helpful to you and I would recommend checking it out.

If you would like to read the Guide (it's not too long, only 14 pages), click here:

As always, if you need help with creating your Facebook business page or any other social media projects, contact us. It would be our pleasure to help!

Five Great Reasons to Use Online Videos

2011-08-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

1. It helps your Google rankings. Did you know that Google owns YouTube?

2. It helps build your brand. If you read my blog, have been to any of my classes, or simply have NOT been living under a rock the past several years, you know how important it is to build your brand!

3. It’s an opportunity to present yourself to potential clients in a way that words just can’t. It helps people to connect with you.

4. It allows you to offer a more effective presentation of your product (i.e. in real estate, a video tour of a home can have much more pizzazz than simple pictures. Not to mention, gives the potential buyer a better feel for the home).

5. To get started is easy. You can start with a simple power point presentation and convert it to a video. If you are camera shy, your video doesn’t have to include you. In addition to the benefits stated above, simply having video helps keep people on your page longer and enables you to tell a story in a more visual way.

If you need help with online video creation, if you already have a video and simply need it edited or if you need a Power Point presentation converted to video, contact us. We’d be happy to help!

Community Involvement....a Blog for Thought

2011-07-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

CWI Marketing routinely presents at workshops in our community. What does your business do to help your community?

Community involvement is an important part of any business. Not only is giving back simply the right thing to do, it also builds trust and respect in your community and who doesn't want their business to be trusted and well respected?

There are many ways your business can volunteer to help in your community:

Are you a real estate agent or a mortgage broker? Why not sponsor a first time home buyer's course for the members of your community? Now really is the best time to buy, but it can also be scary and confusing for first timers. Give them someone to turn to.

Own a local sports equipment store? Sponsor a little league team.

Allow your employees to donate some of their time to local charities during the work week.

Are you a florist? Offer a class on how to make centerpieces, corsages or other floral arrangements at the local senior center.

There are literally hundreds of ways you can donate your services. Take the time to help out in your community. Giving back is not only good for you, it's good for your business!

As always, CWI Marketing is here for you, please feel free to contact us for help with any of your marketing needs or ideas on how to help in your community.

Marketing Trends 2011 - What's In and What's Out

2011-05-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

WHAT'S IN:

Mobile/text marketing.

Did you know that mobile phones outnumber computers 4 to 1? Just about everyone has a mobile phone in their pocket, purse or somewhere close by. The use of apps, mobile coupons, etc. is a great way to quickly and easily reach out to clients and motivate them.

Personal Relationships.

The social media explosion has created more consumers wanting further personal communication. Consumers want to know that they are important individuals, not just some group of clients you are trying to sell to.

Interaction.

Get feedback from your clients. People love to tell you what they think, so give them the means to do that.

Coupons.

Yes, coupons. There is even a show on TV all about people who save hundreds of dollars every time they shop just by using coupons. With the advent of mobile coupons for smart phones, iPads, E-readers, etc., coupons aren’t just for clipping anymore.

Outsourcing.

When it comes to marketing, there is so much to do and keep abreast of. From technology, to analytics, to strategy, to marketing plans and ad campaigns, to graphic design and print materials. Most companies have an in-house marketing manager, but are finding that it’s more successful to outsource particular portions of their marketing effort. It can also be more cost effective.

WHAT'S OUT:

Postcard marketing.

In most cases, it just doesn’t work in today’s world. A majority of people simply throw them out. There are still a few markets where postcard marketing can work, but a lot of the time, the return on investment isn’t worth it.

Target Markets.

While it is important to know who your target market is, it’s more important to treat customers as individuals and not focus so much on putting them in any one particular group.

Dictation.

Don’t just tell your clients what they want or what they need. Ask them.

Rebates.

People still love a rebate, especially in these economic times. However, the ease of simply using a coupon at the time of purchase attracts more customers than offering a rebate.

Trying to do it all yourself.

Some businesses try to save time and money by doing it all themselves. What they are finding is that instead of getting everything done effectively, they are only getting some things, halfway completed. This is a recipe for disaster.

Of course, this is just a sample of some of the new trends in marketing for 2011. If you would like to know more about what is on the horizon and make sure your company is ahead of the curve, please feel free to contact us.

Say WHAT? Social Media Misconceptions

2011-01-04T07:51:00.000-08:00

I was recently told that 20% of small business owners don’t believe their clients use social media and 27% weren’t sure about it.

Say WHAT?

62% of the adult U.S. population is on Facebook alone. That’s 139 million potential clients. What about Twitter? There are currently 105 million users on Twitter. If you are not using the internet or social media, you are missing a major opportunity to market yourself and bring in new clients. And, don’t get me started on the potential to reach a global market! There are currently more than 1.5 BILLION people connected through the internet worldwide. Think BIG! Don’t limit yourself to your surrounding area.

I have also heard people say, “But my clients are older and they don’t use the internet.” Wrong. In one year alone, internet users age 50+ went up from 22% to 42%. Oh, and guess how many 70-75 year olds are online? 45%!

A majority of people go online and do research prior to purchasing anything. ANYTHING, not just online purchases. From a house to a pair of shoes, people go online prior to walking out the door. Make sure you have an internet presence. It is no longer enough just to have a web site. Using social media is key to building a successful business.

As always, CWI Marketing is here to help. If you would like help with your social media, please feel free to contact us.

Postcards/Mailers and Email Marketing Tips

2010-12-31T07:04:00.000-08:00

Direct mail advertising as well as email marketing via email newsletters and/or email blasts works to build customer loyalty. It’s an easy and effective way to stay in contact with your customers and tell them they are important. Research shows that 68% of customers that don’t return to a company say that the company never contacted them, was indifferent, or had a poor attitude. Here are some things to remember:

1. Think Fast! Remember, when doing a mailer, you have 6 seconds to get someone to open the piece. Once opened you have 11 seconds to get them to read it.

2. Ditch the Sales Pitch. Don't try to close sales directly from your postcard or email. You don't have enough space to provide all the information most prospects need to make a buying decision. Instead, use this opportunity to generate sales inquiries.

3. Motivate. Begin by briefly stating the major benefit(s) you offer. Then use the remainder of your postcard/mailer to motivate readers to get more information from a source where you can close sales, such as at your web site or from a phone number they can call.

4. Get Right to the Point. Postcards are delivered "ready to read". Take advantage of this. Get right to the point to capture the reader's attention immediately. This makes it difficult for prospects to avoid reading your postcard - especially if your entire message is brief and easy to read.

5. Watch Your Timing. Send your postcards, mailers and emails so they arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday. The volume of mail delivered in the US on those days is usually the lightest and your postcards won't have to compete with a lot of other mail delivered at the same time. Try to avoid having your postcards delivered on Monday. It's usually the biggest mail delivery day of the week and a very busy day for most people. The same goes for email marketing, avoid Monday and Friday. Most people have a very full inbox on Monday making it easier for your email to get lost in a sea of other emails. By Friday, most people are just trying to hurry and finish up before the weekend, making it less likely that your email will actually be read.

A final note, make sure your employees understand and reflect your message and brand and are familiar with your direct mail and email marketing campaigns.

As always, we are here to help with any of your marketing campaigns. Contact us for help with your email or direct mail marketing projects!

Why Hire a Marketing Company?

2010-10-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

Marketing is an indispensable part of any business. Marketing makes your product or service recognizable, it increases awareness about what makes your company unique and helps potential clients to feel as if they know you. If people don’t know who you are or what you do, they aren’t going to buy from you. They also need to feel that they trust you. A marketing company can help convey this.

Creating an effective marketing campaign takes time, experience and creativity. Creating an effective logo, stationary package, advertisement, etc. requires the same. It may seem that trying to do your own marketing in house saves you money, but does it really? Say you spend 5 or 6 hours creating a marketing piece. Is that piece really as effective as it could be? If it isn’t, not only have you lost the time you spent, but also any costs incurred with printing, mailing, ad fees, etc. In a nutshell, you’ve lost money. Would that time have been better spent meeting clients and closing sales? Yes. If you hire a marketing company, you can have them handle your marketing needs while you handle your business. Hiring the right marketing company can help make your business successful by saving you time, stress and money.

For more information, or answers to any of your marketing questions, contact Donna at CWI Marketing & Printing.

To Grow or Not to Grow? THAT is the Question.

2010-06-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

When I decided to start providing marketing and printing to the New River Valley the goal was simple; provide small businesses with the marketing tools they need to be successful and compete with the “big fish.” I am so happy that this goal has been met. The goal with this business was never to make tons of money. I know a lot of people start businesses with the goal of making big bucks, not me. Being able to help contribute to family finances, help small businesses in the area in order to help the local economy (in some small way) and also having a creative outlet are the motivating factors for me. I love doing graphic design, the personal interaction with my clients and actually helping small businesses compete, grow and succeed. That is what makes it worthwhile.

Many of my small business clients were previously unable to market themselves effectively due to the fact that they didn’t know how to or did not have the necessary funds. Because CWI Marketing & Printing is a small business, there is very low overhead and I can offer exceptionally affordable pricing. Now, my clients are proud of their logo, brand and marketing campaigns. That makes me extremely happy for them.

The problem I am now facing is a good one, a problem that I am so very thankful for. There are some “big fish” clients (yes, more than one) who want to hire CWI. They have seen my work, spoken to past and current customers, met with me and really liked my ideas and what I can bring to the table. I have to admit, it’s a great feeling to know that people really like my work. It is also extremely satisfying to know that my customer’s are happy. However, if I move forward with these “big fish” isn’t that going against my original goals? Am I saying to all of my current, very loyal clients that I’m abandoning them to move on to bigger and better things?

Another concern is time. I’ve worked in the corporate world where 60+ hours per week was not at all uncommon. When you don’t have a family of your own, that’s easier to manage. I now have a husband, two kids and a dog and I love them all very much. They are my priority. One of the reasons I like keeping my business small is that it’s easier to manage. I don’t want to grow to the point that my children are spending more time without me than with me. If I take on the “big fish,” it will take more time away from family.

I could hire employees or contract out the work and that is something I am considering and researching. There is a lot to think about and I’m thankful to be facing this dilemma. Stay tuned!

2010 Marketing Trends

2010-04-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

Another year has come and gone and what a year 2009 turned out to be! With all of the financial fall out, there have been some definite changes in marketing trends. If you are wondering what some of the top trends are for 2010, keep reading:

Consumer Opinions - Consumer's listen to other consumer's. Whatever your current client is saying about you will impact your future clients. Have you heard of Google's Sidewiki? The Sidewiki allows web visitors to leave feedback on any website for others to view. This trend is continuing to grow, so stay ahead of this trend by connecting with your customers and listening to what they have to say by soliciting their opinions and feedback for yourself. At the same time, monitor your web presence, go out there and see what others are saying about you.

Value is more important than ever - Value has always been important. Now it is more important than ever. With the economy being the way it has been, people are more cautious than ever and want more "bang for their buck." Find out what needs are not being met for your clients and meet them. In 2010, customers are going to expect it.
Social media - Of course social media isn't new, but in 2010 social media is a must. Facebook alone has over 300 million users and almost half log on EVERYDAY. Social marketing was at first thought of as a novelty, but is now considered a reliable method for businesses to engage customers. Customers are looking more and more to Twitter, Facebook and other social sites to gather information and other consumer opinions.

Email marketing - Direct mail is declining and email marketing is on the rise. For either types of marketing to work, it's imperative that you collect customer data. You have to know your customer to effectively market to them. Data collection is becoming more important and as the data is collected, reaching out to customers via email is proving to be the preferred method.

Offering your knowledge, tips and advice for free - Again, the economy is another reason for this trend. FREE attracts attention. If you are a web designer, offer free tutorials. If you are in real estate, offer free advice to buyers via a blog to help them get more out of their sale. Show people that you are an expert in your field and build good will by offering free advice.

To be a successfull company, make sure you stay ahead of the trends. It's counter-productive to play "catch up." Blaze a trail, stay ahead of the curve and you will make it through the difficult times.

"Nowism" Have You Heard About the Latest Marketing Trend?

2009-12-29T11:41:00.000-08:00

Even if you haven’t heard of it, chances are you’ve experienced it. The instant-gratification consumer. You know, the guy or girl who wants what he wants when he wants it. Not yesterday, not tomorrow, not five minutes from now. NOW! They want real-time services, features and products provided to them. There are such a growing number of consumers requesting these real-time services that we now have what is known as the “Nowism” movement.

People are feeling more of a pinch than ever on their time and want a better life-work balance, so anything to help them achieve this is going to be successful. Surveys have shown that people are willing to spend more if it saves them time. What can you do? Here are a few things to help:

• Be prepared to provide instant attention to a client. Even if they just “pop” in, don’t put them on the back burner and take a day or two to get back to them. If a clients calls, emails or texts just as you are preparing to go into a meeting, answer them. You don’t have to go into an in-depth conversation. Take a few seconds to let them know you are there, they are important and find out what their call is in reference to so you can be prepared when you call them back (saving time).

• Twitter. As you may have guessed, Twitter has been called the “Poster Child” of the Nowism phenomenon. If you aren’t on Twitter, you are missing an easy way of becoming a part of this trend. You are also missing an opportunity to reach Nowism consumers. Even Google founder Larry Page stated that "Twitter has done a great job of real-time search. I think we’ve done a relatively poor job of... things that work on a per-second basis. I’ve been telling our search teams for some time, you need results for every second. They laugh at me. I don’t think they understand this. I think we will do a better job of some of these things now". (Source: Wired, August 2009.)

• Instant advertising. Think about Krispy Kreme donuts. Okay, stop drooling now and focus. They were on top of the “Nowism” trend. They have a bright neon sign in their window and as soon as the donuts are hot and fresh from the oven, the neon sign turns even brighter with the words “Hot Now.” How many times have people pulled into pick up a nice, warm, soft, donut because they’ve seen that sign turned on? It’s okay, you can admit it, we’ve all been there. If you are a restaurant, think about doing something along those same lines with email or Twitter. Around noon, send out a tweet or email describing your delicious, warm special soup of the day (especially if it’s cold). Or in the middle of August, let people know what that new tasty ice cream flavor is that you just got in. Offer a discount to people when they come in and tell you they received your Tweet or email so you can track the effectiveness.

• Go mobile. Who hasn’t heard someone say, “Hey, I have an app for that!” Thanks to the Blackberry, IPhone, etc., just about everyone is online almost all the time. Familiarize yourself with these portable devices and have a presence. Make sure you are listed in real-time search engines, alerting services, etc. Check out the Top 50 Real Time Web Companies for a more complete list.

There is so much more to the “Nowism” trend, but being that we are all pressed for time in today’s world, send me a tweet at CWIMarketing, drop me an email or give me a call 540-295-5139, I’d be happy to discuss the topic with you further and help you get on board the “Nowism” train.

Don't Be the Itsy-Bitsy Spider

2009-11-03T07:25:00.000-08:00

So, I’m wearing my marketing hat again. I know what you’re thinking; what does the itsy-bitsy spider have to do with marketing? Glad you asked. I was thinking about this children’s song yesterday when I found a frozen spider on my deck. No kidding, he was frozen solid inside of his web. This spider didn’t make it back up the water spout. I’m sure you all know the song about a very small spider that climbs up the water spout, until the rain comes. The rain washed the spider away, but when the sun came back out, so did the spider. Great, the spider was persistent, but only persistent when it was comfortable for him. He was only persistent when the conditions were perfect.Let’s pretend the rain is our current economic times and the water spout is your company’s marketing. Don’t wait until the rain (current economic times) ends to start back up that water spout (marketing your company)! Studies have shown that once you cut your marketing budget, it takes an enormous effort to get your marketing back up to snuff and your branding back on track. Branding yourself is like tending to a garden. If you consistently take care of it, it will provide you with sustenance. This sustenance will save you money, since you won’t need to go to they grocery store to buy it. But, if you stop watering your garden (especially during a drought), it won’t produce. Now you are stuck spending more money in the long run and getting produce from the grocery store that may not be as good as if you had continued taking care of the garden, even during the dry spell.Don’t be the itsy-bitsy spider. Don’t wait until the weather is better to climb back up that water spout. Be consistent with your marketing, even during these economic times so you don’t lose all the hard work you have already put into branding your company.

Time Changes Everything - Even Marketing

2009-11-03T07:23:00.001-08:00

I was just thinking about how much time changes things. We all know the effects time has on us in everyday life. Be it your memory, that extra little ache you may feel in the morning that you didn’t feel a few years ago, or that (gasp!) gray hair that has seemed to pop up overnight.
Time doesn’t just effect how we feel or look. It also has effects on how we think and get things accomplished. Take the phone book, for example. Ten years ago, if I needed anything from a plumber to a doctor to someone to bring me a hot meal, I’d go right to the phone book. Today, I looked under my phone table and found two phone books from the last two years that are still in their plastic wrap and have never even been opened. At first I started thinking about what a waste of paper. Think about all the poor trees that were cut down so that my phone books could collect dust (which made me realize that ten years ago, I never would have thought that much about the environment, either). Then I realized that, like me, phone books are suffering the effects of time. I wonder how long it will be until they no longer exist in paper format? Most people today just look things up on their computer or cell phone. I know I do. I hope that everyone who has an ad in the phone book has also invested advertising in other mediums. If you haven’t, I can just about guarantee you are not getting the most from your advertising dollars. I’m not saying don’t advertise in the phone book, I’m saying make sure you advertise in several different places in order to get the most bang for your buck. By just sticking to print, you are missing all of those who do research online and vice-versa. Another advertising medium that has suffered the effects of time is newspaper advertising. In today’s online and environmentally friendly world, most forms of print advertising are on the decline. Again, if you only do print advertising, you are missing a large number of potential clients. Review your marketing, make sure you are keeping up with the times and spread your marketing out among several different mediums such as the web, television and radio. Just think, 10 or so years ago many small businesses and professionals couldn’t have imagined the importance of having a web site or blog and now they couldn’t imagine going without it. Stay on top of the trends, only time will tell what the best advertising medium will be for you 10 years from now.

Without Direction, We'd All Get Lost - Especially in Marketing

2009-10-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine getting ready to take a several-day long road trip and not taking along a map or GPS? You may eventually get there, but without direction, the trip is going to take much longer and you may never even reach your destination.Now imagine you are going to buy a house. You find a real estate agent and tell them you want to buy a three bedroom house, but that’s it. Without giving the agent further direction (i.e. location, lot size, type of home, etc.), the agent is going to have a hard time finding what you are looking for (if they will be able to at all) and it will take much longer. Most people understand this and wouldn’t send an agent out without giving them direction.The same principle applies when creating marketing materials, graphic design projects and web sites. The project can take several days, even weeks, but without direction from the client; the project will take much longer and may not end up being exactly what the client had envisioned. Just as directions are important when you are traveling, important to give to your real estate agent and important to give to any other person you hire to assist you in your personal life or business, directions are vital when hiring someone to assist you with your marketing projects. Directions save you time and money.It’s not realistic to tell your graphic or web designer, “I sell cookies, please make me a cookie logo and a web site about cookies.” Then expect to have a fabulous logo and web site three days later. To get exactly what you are looking for, you’ll need to supply some direction. For example, how many pages do you need your web site to be? Will you need hosting? Are you planning to sell your cookies from your web site? Do you want your logo to have a more contemporary look or something more traditional? Are there any colors you want to use or avoid using?No matter how talented or qualified your marketing professional is, no one can create your perfect marketing materials without a little direction from you. Try to have an idea of what you want to accomplish with your marketing project, what you like or don’t like, what your budget is, etc. prior to hiring someone. It will definitely save you time and money in the long run!