Duct Tape Marketing

You’re flipping through this publication as you wait for your latte, when suddenly you decide to stop and read an ad. What made you stop? I’ll bet it was a headline.

It is a scientifically proven fact that 5 times as many people read headlines as read the body copy of an ad. So with the headline, an advertiser has spent about 80% of their advertising dollar. It doesn’t take a genius to realize then the headline is the most important part of any ad.

One of the primary tools still used by PR professionals to garner media coverage is the press release. Now, understand that the purpose of a press release is to grab the attention of an editor, not to offer a word for word story to a publication. Most professionals as well as small business owners misunderstand this concept and are therefore frustrated when they can't seem to make it work for them.

Do you know the number one reason that business owners don't get enough high quality referrals? Fear. That's it.

Now, on one hand you might think that I mean that some business owners are just flat afraid to ask for referrals. There is no question that there is a great amount of truth to that but...

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last year or so, you probably know that Google has become the king of the search engine hill. There are many reasons for this, but number one in my opinion is that above all else they put value on content. Today, I want to introduce you to two very powerful small business advertising options created by Google.

People are searching for every kind of business, right there in your hometown, using the Internet. And, every major search engine is rushing to become the next local phone book. Now is the time to get your business listed and take advantage of the growing numbers of people using local search to find businesses, services and products of all kind.

If you want to make an impact on your target market, you must get them in the habit of seeing and hearing your marketing message or offer.

That's one of the challenges for the small business owner. How do you create a big enough noise without breaking the bank?

Time to face the facts. Given nothing to prove them wrong, here’s what your prospect believe - one business is just like another.

If you can’t find a way to differentiate your business from every other business that says it does what you do, and, if you can’t communicate that difference in a way that really matters to a narrow target market, then you’re basically in the commodity business.

Any time that any person in your organization has any form of contact with your clients or prospects, they are performing a marketing function.

Marketing does not end at advertising and sales like so many small businesses assume. No, marketing is also in the way that you answer the phone, send out your invoices, return your calls, and serve the ongoing
needs of your clients.

So, what happens when all of your PR activity actually prompts a reporter to call for an interview? Getting the interview is only one-half of the deal. Follow the steps below, and you are more likely to turn your interview into a powerful marketing tool.

Many small business owners will find the need to accept credit card payments for products and services offered on their website.

When I set up my first ecommerce website, I found the information surrounding online credit card purchases to be more confusing than any other aspect of marketing on the Internet.