September 2006 online newsletter

Buzz for your Biz

What is it that makes you remember one business and not another? Regardless of what they did, they somehow created excitement. They somehow got to your emotions and created a buzz inside of you.

How can you create excitement for your business? Well, for one, you must avoid herd mentality.  Just because something works for one, does not mean it will necessarily work for another.

Some Basics

Before we get into the creative blitz, let’s look at some basics.

1. Pricing
Have you set a firm pricing policy? Nothing loses a consumer faster than having a disorganized business. You may advertise or preach fair pricing, but do you and your consumer have the same definition of fair pricing? Are your prices competitive? If they are higher, are you offering more? If they are lower, why is this?

2. Meeting Needs
One bad experience can mean that the consumer will not work with you and it can snowball into others doing the same; meanwhile a good experience will snowball to your benefit. Make sure that you meet the needs of clients and you are half way to your goal of increasing your client base.

3. Convenience
Are you available for prospective clients? Do you have a staff ready to answer calls, questions and calm concerns? Does your web site provide easy 24-7 answers to basic questions and is ordering easy? If not, those prospective clients may be attracted to you but easily let down and call someone else or go somewhere else if you are not providing convenience.

Gather Information

If you have a marketing team, this will be done for you, and usually will be much more detailed and analytical than you might do. However if going it alone, you may have a feel for your clients, but probably need some factual details.  You may find yourself learning more than you expected.

First, you need to determine why people choose you. Is it word of mouth? Do you have a great telephone book listing? Do you have a friendly, informative staff with compassion and patience who answer your telephones?  Have you ever actually had a confidential survey that asked your clients why they choose you over others? Put together a survey with leading questions that will help you find out what your clients feel are your true strengths and weaknesses. Remember, you may perceive strengths and weaknesses that they do not – and vice versa. The gathering of information is a learning experience.

How to Decide WHAT Excitement to Create

There is so much “out there” isn’t there? The possibilities are endless. You will soon learn, doing your own marketing or even by supplementing the marketing you have contracted, that the creative aspects of marketing are just one small detail. Most creativity is a natural talent that is honed through lifelong learning skills; however, knowing how to channel creativity and creative programs is the real key. So that being said, you need to ask yourself four instrumental questions.

1. Will this promotion/excitement attract new clients or am I working to make present clients more satisfied?  This is important. You could do both, but it may be easier and even more influential to work on your present client base if you are not sure of their satisfaction level. This can include previous clients simply showing appreciation.
   
   
2. Will the new prospective clients be attracted to our services/products or are they only interested in our promotion for the sake of its excitement level? This is a hard one. If you work to lure prospective clients, you do run the risk that you will be spending resources only to find that their needs or wants are satisfied elsewhere. It is a good idea perhaps to run a promotion with a survey, so that you know what the future client wants at this time.
   
   
3. Does your promotion or excitement buzz promote the present image of your business, or are you trying to change your image? This is extremely important. If you are traditionally an upscale service business, you may not want to have an Elvis Impersonation promotion; and if you cater to a less affluent crowd, a black tie dinner with violins may not bode any better. If you like your image, be sure to maintain it within your promotions.
   
   
4. Can you hold a promotion with your current staff or will this cut into service for your existing clients? Grandparents of yesteryear used to hum a little poem like this, “Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold”.  That goes for clients also. Don’t forget the golden clients you already have when you hold a promotion.

These are important questions. A good idea is only a good idea if it begets a positive result.

Create Excitement!

You’ve got all of your ducks in a row. Now you are ready to truly create a buzz that will work for you.  As we mentioned before, you must not have a herd mentality. One way to create a buzz that differentiates you is to simply look outside of your comfort zone. What could possibly ignite a creative flair for you?

Autumn, Columbus Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving – these are obvious calendar moments of which you can take advantage. Sponsor a contest, take part in a parade, get involved in community events, hold a raffle, donate, or your business could volunteer as a group. There are a myriad of outreach and community events relating to these upcoming dates. And tapping into holidays, commemorative events and trade events can create national opportunities to build some excitement around your product or service.

Will you be launching a significant new program, product or service? Let the press know, but also have an open house to let the media or prospective clients visit. Hold a web open house if you have a product or service that warrants some national attention.

Excitement means energy, and energy increases everyone’s productivity and morale. This is an added benefit that often reflects upon the client directly. You can’t afford not to create excitement!

corecubed can help!

Having a skilled team of integrated marketing communications professionals who understand strategy, buzz and excitement and how to create it is crucial. corecubed’s team of marketing, design and PR professionals can develop a buzz that is right for your company’s needs.

Other corecubed services available include:

• Product Launches
• Proactive Story Generation
• Press Coverage and Industry News Tracking
• Signature Events and Trade Show Management
• Internet and Online Publicity
• Competitive Analysis
• Web Site Design
• Blog Set-up and Writing
• Strategic Planning
• Idea Brainstorming

For more information on how corecubed can assess your needs and build and implement a strategic marketing and PR plan that will create excitement, visit us online at www.corecubed.com, contact us at 1-800-370-6580, x1 or email us at info@corecubed.com. We can help create buzz and excitement for your company, bringing you increased business.

Back to top

corecubed.com
800-370-6580
info@corecubed.com

© 2006 corecubed