The Marketing Hat and Small Businesses

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Small business owners wear a lot of hats. In fact, at one time or another, they wear ALL the hats in the company.  One of the most uncomfortable can be that pesky "marketing hat". Marketing can seem overwhelming, and it's not hard to see why. Is it advertising? Is it sales? Is it social media? Is it promotional products? Is it events? Is it postcards?

We've watched small businesses take all kinds of approaches to marketing, including ignoring it all together! Formal marketing education mostly takes the approach that its students will work in large corporations, and the training is quite intense.

We've created "The Marketing Hat" as a one-day crash course in marketing for small businesses. Getting down to the basics, such as how to budget, how to make a plan and how to execute it without killing yourself in the process. You CAN scale good principles to fit your small business, and in the process learn how to find the right customers and maintain it with a good return on your investment!

Mary Beth Smith

NDMG

Dallas, TX 

If you are interested in attending our Dallas class on August 13, email me at mbsmith@NorthDallasMarketingGroup.com
 and I'll send you a promo code that will save you $40 off the registration.  

This is a good deal - you should check it out!

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"I Don't Get That Computer Stuff..."

I hear people say this every day, and some of them get a little testy if you even ask them for an email address. Admittedly, most of us are getting around fairly well with email, and have learned how to search the internet for information. I don't generally try to convince anyone who doesn't want to use a computer that they have to. Who am I to make ANYone do something they don't want to do?! (My children aren't reading this, so I can say that...)

What if you own a business that needs more exposure and sales? Clearly a marketing issue, and if you've read about modern marketing dazzlers like "database marketing", and know you "dont get that computer stuff", than I have good news for you - A database has nothing to do with your computer!

Seriously. A database is nothing more than a collection of information. A file box with index cards, each containing a name and phone number that you wrote with a #2 pencil is a database. An address book that has your Christmas card list is a database. That book you have that you filled with business cards? A database! Who knew? That's all a database is - a collection of information.

Now - if you are working with customers and prospects, it's not hard to figure out that the more of those index cards you have in that file box, the more information you have to sell more stuff to those people. And that's where computers come in handy. Moving all that data into electronic form allows you to collect it in extremely large filing cabinets - they're simply electronic.

Do you know what else you need besides lots of data? (Remember - "data" is just a short word for information) If you want your data to be more useful for you, you need some organization so you can find things. (Fancy word for finding things? Retrieval!) An example of organizing a database is doing what you were taught in grade school - just putting it in alphabetical order!

Let's say you've created a customer database that looks like this:
1. A small file box
2. 100 index cards
3. 100 first & last names
4. 100 phones #s.

First thing you're probably going to do is simply put it in order by last name, and if you're really fancy, you'll add some index tabs! That's a good, basic approach to a database, and you can now find phone numbers very easily. But...what could you do with a little more information? (Data...I need to call it "Data"!)

OK - Here's a list of a little more basic "data" you could use in your database:
1. Street Address
2. City
3. ZIP code
4. Job Title
5. Age
6. Gender
7. Email address

These are just a few of the endless pieces of information (ouch - DATA) that might help you know your customer better and figure out how you might sell to them more effectively. And...it's those endless pieces of data that finally will require someone to enter it into a computer. The good news? It doesn't have to be YOU entering it. Believe it or not, you can frequently BUY the data you need, or at least hire someone to dig through your filing cabinet and then enter it into electronic form for you.

One of my favorite things to do with an electronic database? Sort it differently!!! I just love selecting "sort by ZIP code" and watching all my customers who are in the same ZIP code magically appear in alphabetical order on my computer screen. Data retrieval is FUN! Can you do that with a filing cabinet? Well...yes...it's called 'cross-referencing', and back when I learned to type and file and all that secretarial stuff, it took forever to do. I guess that's why I love my electronic databases so much - they make my life So. Much. Easier. I love it!!

You can keep hating to use the computer, but PLEASE don't hate databases. Just buy what you need, or hire someone to make it work for you. We can do both at AlphaGraphics, and the results will be worth their weight in gold.

Data Rocks!! Get yours lined up and increase your sales!

Mary Beth Smith

for "The AG Marketing Companion

Puzzled?

Have you noticed these odd jigsaw-puzzle squares lately? We're seeing them more frequently in the US, and once you start looking for them, you'll be surprised how many of them are found on everyday objects now!

What are they? They're actually a type of bar code, sometimes called a 2D Bar Code, but usually referred to as a "QR Code". "QR" stands for "quick response". So...quick response to what? And...what does any of it have to do with marketing? Well...here's a "what if" situation.

What if...you were driving around neighborhoods looking for a house? Let's say you notice an interesting house with a "For Sale" sign in the front yard. And...let's say there's a QR Code printed on the sign underneath the agent's name and phone number. So...now you take out your smart phone, and using the easy, free app you've already downloaded, you snap a picture of the QR Code. (Just google QR reader to find a free app - it's that easy!)

Now the magic begins! While you're looking at your phone, a video pops up that tours you through the house, showing you features right there on the spot! Or maybe the realtor's website pops up with a slide show and all the details like square footage and amenities. And...maybe there's an exclusive offer that you can only access via the QR Code.

Wouldn't you think that was pretty cool?

What if you were the real estate agent? Wouldn't you love to be able to get all those juicy details in front of your prospects like that? Or what if you sell cupcakes? How about being able to put a QR Code on the box that leads to a video or website describing your cookies, also - and maybe a coupon for a customer to use for their next purchase?! What about QR Codes by menu items to show you nutritional info, or on clothing hang tags to show you fabric care or companion accessories?

They add no cost whatsoever to your printed pieces. They cost nothing to create and nothing to read. That's right - nothing! The value they add, however, is priceless because it allows you to market and enhance your product information any place at any time, simply by having included it.

QR Codes allow quick response that goes both ways. If someone wants information about your product, they can get it immediately. If you want to know more about the prospect who's looking at your product, analytics can tell you what they're looking for. It's a win-win!

That's not so puzzling, is it?!

Mary Beth Smith

for The AG Marketing Companion

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We're always ready to help you put together a campaign using QR Codes and other cool new technologies. When you're ready, contact Sherry Perry at 214-363-1101 or sperry@alphagraphics.com