Monthly Archives: September 2008

What’s A Good Tagline For An Online Yoga Portal?

Names + Taglines

I am looking for a tagline to energize DubaiYoga.com. I plan to develop this site into a yoga/wellness portal in the UAE that offers yoga wellness/resources in the Middle East & info on international yoga centres, yoga conferences, summits, etc. The three words that come to my mind to describe all this are Energy. Inspiration & Collaboration.

What I envision for a tagline is something that captures the “larger than life” essence of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates region.

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Jay’s Answer: Energy/Growth will cause your site to get lost in the search engines (especially when adding “Dubai”). Instead of “energy” use words that reflect emotion: Feel energetic, Rejuvenate, Reawaken, Revitalize, etc.

Also consider: Stretch Yourself Beyond The UAE

Jump Start Your Marketing Brain

Book Reviews

Buy Jump Start Your Marketing Brain

My engineering mindset always has me ask, “Is this the right solution for this problem?” In marketing most people give something a “good shot” and hope for the best. Doug Hall has done what I’ve been wanting to see for years: he’s done extensive research of what works in marketing, why, and how you can apply it to your business. His passion is Meaningful Marketing (as contrasted with Mindless Marketing).

The book begins with a 13 question multiple-choice test (the author reports that typically marketing professionals get 4 out of 13 correct!). Here are some of his questions:

  • The smartest way to grow sales is: a) build loyalty or b) find new customers
  • Most new products or services fail because of: a) poor execution of sales and marketing, b) poor product or service performance, or c) not being a very good idea in the first place.
  • When selling to a customer it is best to: a) be blunt and direct about what you offer or b) use a softer, relationship-focused approach.

While the research is based mostly on corporate marketing, many of the points apply to small business as well. The chapters cover the following topics: marketing strategy, marketing message, Mindless Marketing, selling, leadership & teamwork, and Meaningful Marketing vs. Mindless Marketing.

The format of the book is deceptively simple. The left-hand page details a specific scientific advice, and the right-side gives practical ideas to help you implement the advice. Implementing any of the advice is hard work, and that’s where consultants (such as myself) can be a huge benefit to your company.

Here are the author’s secrets to success:

  1. Be bold and brave.
  2. Add uniqueness to innovation-decision metrics.
  3. Seeking new markets is 10 times more successful than pursuing incremental innovations.
  4. A future-focus strategy is 10 times more valuable than a “voice-of-the-consumer” approach.
  5. Pioneering results in double the sales volume over being fourth to market.
  6. The bottom line: If you offer the “same old stuff” (S.O.S.) you are “— out of luck” (S.O.L.)

Those who cannot learn from (marketing) history are doomed to repeat it. Don’t make your business a failed statistic.

Optimize Your Website’s Search Engine Results: Rap Videos

Creative Business Ideas, Videos

Tired of reading articles and books on how to improve your website? Spend a few minutes with these videos. The key point is that not everyone learns the same way. Try different approaches to sharing your information and measure what works best for your target market.

(Note: Poetic Prophet is making great use of his rapping skills to share his knowledge. What’s missing is a link from the video to his website and also a PDF tip sheet reviewing his suggestions.)

Are You Wedded To Your Marketing?

Creative Business Ideas, Publicity

Scott & Liz Market Their WeddingThe other day I received a most curious email from someone I’ve never met.

“My name is Liz Flowers and my fiance’s name is Scott Bland. We are a “not your average couple,” looking for a “not so average, ‘think out of the box’ type company” who would like to obtain some great exposure while truly showing pure generosity.

…

We were online securing vendors for our event and ran across a term known at “wedding sponsorship.” We read that a MAJOR Cola company granted a bride to be, $10,000 as long as she would give them publicity and serve their product at the reception!!

With that being said, we are seeking sponsorship gifts and or financial donations going towards both our wedding and honeymoon in exchange for media coverage and targeted publicity. Here’s how this would work…”

For the sake of argument, I’m going to assume that the couple is really going to get married and that they feel that they are entitled to having strangers underwrite their wedding. From a creative marketing perspective, is what they did good?

Certainly it was creative, since I hadn’t heard much about this before (although, as part of my research, I’ve found many other resources: ABC News and even a business specializing in this). However, is this an effective marketing campaign?

In a word, “no”. To be effective, it needs to clearly target me (or my business) and let me know how this opportunity will help me (other than being on their website, in their wedding program, and maybe incidental PR opportunities). First, why me/my business? The letter wasn’t tailored to me at all – it was a bulk emailing (“a spray and pray”). It puts the burden on me to read the email and figure out if there’s a tie-in worth my time/money.

What the couple should’ve done is identify specifically what services and products they wanted, and focus on vendors that could provide them. Instead of contacting everyone, contact only those that can clearly help them directly and create a win-win proposition. Furthermore, each contact should be directed to the right person in the organization. No doubt if another couple received a major sponsorship, they had a very specific request to the right person with a clear benefit to the sponsor.

Advertising That Drives People Away

Creative Business Ideas, Publicity

Ford Dealership Advertisement This advertisement got my attention, but not in a good way. The image of pliers grabbing a tooth made me immediately turn away. It didn’t get me curious what the ad was about, what was being sold, or who was selling. All I could think about was, “uggh!”.

The point of the ad is that every 3 years (or so), when people are shopping for a car, they inwardly groan.The #1 least trusted profession is used car salesman. A new car salesman is not much more trusted. This advertisement is focused on reducing pain (a good thing), but misses its mark.

First, let’s figure out the basic marketing strategy for this car dealership:

For local legal drivers

who need a new car

we have a system

to prevent the hassle of dealerships

unlike other non-trustworthy dealers/salespeople

our offering as transparent and easy as can be

Okay, so how to change the ad? Since the underlying pain is un-trustworthiness, try to make the association to professions that are trustworthy (according to a Harris Poll ): doctors, dentists, or nurses.

Here are some ideas:

  • Your Prescription For Pain-Free Car Shopping [key words are: car shopping (who), pain-free, and prescription (association to medical professionals)]
  • The New Way To Shop For Your Next Car [key words are: shop/car (who), new way (instead of the old/yucky way)]
  • We Feel Your Car Shopping Pain [key words are: car shopping (who), pain, and we feel (emotional connection)]

Also, I would change the graphic from pliers/massage to a salesperson wearing a white coat (embroidered with the logo of the dealership) to further the association.

Self Test: Small Business Marketing IQ

Branding, Creative Business Ideas

Test Book
How much do you know about marketing your small business? Spend a few minutes with this quiz and see how much you know.

1. Does your business need a website?

a. Yes, definitely . A website is needed so people can find you around the world.
b. No . My business is tactile, and doesn’t translate well to an impersonal online experience.
c. Maybe . All my friends tell me I should be online.

2. You should hire an expert to help your business:

a. Write a marketing strategy / business plan
b. Design your marketing materials
c. Create your website
d. Write your advertisement
e. Create your logo

3. Compelling marketing copy is all about “selling the sizzle”.

a. Sure. That’s what works, doesn’t it? Otherwise, it’s boring.
b. Only if you are a huckster. You tell people about the benefits of using your services/products, and people that need it will be interested.

4. Do you need to spend money to make money?

a. Yes, of course. That’s the way the world works.
b. No . A good idea will naturally attract the right people to my business.
c. Maybe . I should be able to bootstrap my business, spending as-I-go (but not all at once).

5. The best way to assure business success is to:

a. Get an MBA. If it works for corporations, it will work for my small business.
b. Hire a business coach. They know how to motivate me to get ahead.
c. Find a mentor. There’s nothing like learning from a wiser person.
d. Read. Business books are a great way to learn new skills.

6. The Small Business Administration (SBA ) / SCORE counselors are for:

a. Cheapskates. They don’t charge for their services.
b. New businesses. They have expertise for startups.
c. Old businesses. They have expertise in brick-and-mortar companies.

7. The best way to attract attention to my website is:

a. Use flashy graphics to grab attention.
b. Write compelling text to make the reader interested.
c. Use SEO techniques to grab the search engine’s attention.

8. The best way to become an expert is to:

a. Say you’re one. If you don’t shout it, who will?
b. Write lots of articles on your expertise. Let people judge for themselves.
c. Comment on others’ articles. Let people see how you give-and-take.
d. Write white papers sharing your strategies. Let people see your big-picture strategy.
e. Read articles, books, blogs. You need to build your wisdom on the shoulders of others.
f. Take classes from other experts. Learn from an expert and get a chance to interact with them.
g. Get an advanced degree. Let others teach you the best practices of the past.

9. Marketing and Advertising mean the same thing.

a. Of course. You’re just telling people to buy stuff from you.
b. Not quite. Advertising (telling people to buy stuff from you) is a type of marketing (focusing on what people want and fulfilling their needs).

10. It’s important that your website and other marketing materials are top-notch.

a. Obviously, yes. If your image isn’t polished, no one will believe you’re great.
b. Not me. Top-notch marketing materials look too “corporate”, and I’m selling something more intimate. Besides, if everyone else’s materials look “corporate”, mine will help me stand out.
c. Maybe yes, maybe no. It depends on what you’re selling. If you’re selling something very expensive, yes. If it’s cheaper, having marketing materials that you can afford to do is better than bankrupting yourself.

11. As a small business owner, I should be able to know how to do everything to run my business.

a. Of course . I can’t trust someone else to care as much as I do.
b. No, I’m not a jack-of-all-trades . It’s better to leave some things to the experts.
c. Yes, but I don’t have to be an expert . I need to know what the process is, but I can get help to complement what I don’t know.

— Answers —

As you will see, there’s no right answer for all businesses. What’s right for your business is what works. However, here’s how I approach these issues with my clients:

1. Does your business need a website? Most businesses do benefit, but they’re not necessarily where everyone looks first to find you. Look at it this way, can it hurt to have a one-page website?

2. You should hire an expert to help your business. If you’re just starting out, having expertise is a shortcut for saving you time, money, and aggravation. If you don’t have the funds for hiring an expert, then you’ll need to do-it-yourself until you can get others to help. Doing it initially yourself (and seeing the results) will also give you a better appreciation for the various specialists that can help you.

3. Compelling marketing copy is all about “selling the sizzle”. Traditionally, “male-oriented” copy is about sizzle while “female-oriented” copy is about emotional benefits. As sizzle has become overused, selling emotional benefits becomes more important.

4. Do you need to spend money to make money? If you have lots of time, then you can use your time to make money. If you have lots of money (but not a lot of time), then you’ll need to spend money to make money.

5. The best way to assure business success is to. .. There are no guarantees for business success. However, having someone who’s “been there, done that” can be a huge boost. However, if you’re trying to break the established rules, having a “voice of reason” can become a headache (that you may wish you listened to).

6. The Small Business Administration (SBA ) / SCORE counselors are for anyone who wants help 1 on 1 from experts. The US Government wisely invests in these organizations, since a successful business pays more taxes. If you need expertise, talk to them. If you don’t like their services, find other offerings.

7. The best way to attract attention to my website is (b & c). Flashy graphics are often used poorly by site designers. Keep it simple, clean, and compelling.

8. The best way to become an expert is to …be patient. Anyone can say they’re an expert, but the next question will be, “Oh yeah? Prove it!”. Have a volume of quality work speak for you.

 

9. Marketing and Advertising mean the same thing . (b = Not Quite)

10. It’s important that your website and other marketing materials are top-notch . (c = Maybe yes, maybe no). A top-notch first impression is wonderful, but isn’t always realistic. What is important is that your materials are improving, better targeting your prospects’ needs.

11. As a small business owner, I should be able to know how to do everything to run my business . (c = Yes, but I don’t have to be an expert). Ultimately, it’s your business, so you’re the decision maker. The more you understand about how a business operates, the better the business owner you’ll become.