the 10 most powerful marketing strategies in 2010

The 10 Most Powerful Marketing Strategies in 2010

Marketing Strategies 2010Copyright © 2010 by GC Franchising Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Presented by Glenn Smith, Owner & Lead CoachThe Growth Coach, 281-841-6680, [email protected]

Overview of Today

• Introduce the “New Rules” of Marketing (You must understand these to succeed in 2010 and beyond)

• Part One:– 5 Ways to Grow Your Business– The 3 Critical Components of an Effective Marketing Plan

• Part Two: – The 10 Most Effective Marketing Strategies Emerging in

2010– Create a Plan of Action


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The New Rules of Marketing• Marketing is more than just advertising {~process}• You are what you publish {~educate}• People want authenticity, not spin• People want participation, not propaganda• Instead of causing one-way interruption, marketing

is about delivering content when needed• Marketers must shift their thinking from

mainstream marketing to the masses to a strategy of reaching “target segments” via the web (see The Long Tail by Chris Anderson)


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5 Ways to Grow Your Business1. Keep the Customers/Clients/Patients You Have –

Build Loyalty!

Loyalty Building Process:

• #1 Marketing Priority = customer loyalty• 8 times cheaper to retain a customer than to acquire a new

one• Your best customers are your competitors best prospects!


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AdvocateMember “Tribe”

Customer/ Client/Patient Raving Fan

5 Ways to Grow Your Business1. Keep the Customers/Clients/Patients You Have –

Build Loyalty!

2. Attract New Customers/Clients/Patients

3. Increase the Average Transaction Size (Unit Sale)

4. Increase the Frequency of Purchase

5. Say “No” to Bad Customers/Prospects!


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Market ONLY to Your Ideal CustomerDescribe Your Ideal Customer/Client/Patient:


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The 3 Critical Components of an Effective Marketing Plan

1. Your Marketing Message

2. Your Marketing Mediums

3. Your Marketing Calendar

Marketing Strategies 2010 Copyright © 2010 by GC Franchising Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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THE 10 MOST POWERFUL MARKETING STRATEGIES IN 2010

From surveying small business owners locally and around the U.S.

Copyright © 2002-2010 by GC Franchising Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved

8Quarter One

Strategy #10: Thought-LeadershipGoal: To build trust and become a valued resource to your customers & your target

market! You position yourself as a “thought-leader” (an expert) so that your market looks to you for information & guidance.

Starting Point: Know your market! What do they want to know? What do they need to know? Where do they look for that information? How can I become that source?

Positioning: The content that you create will be a solution to those people’s problems and will not mention your company or products at all!

Tactics: 1. Blogs 6. Webinars/Seminars2. White Papers 7. Research & Survey Reports3. E-books & Ezines 8. Podcasts & Videos4. E-newsletters 9. Photos, Images, Charts, & Graphs5. Twitter 10. Wikis, Listservs, Forums, Groups


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Strategy #9: PR – Reputation Management

Definition: Public Relations activity for the small business consists primarily of gaining positive mention of your company or your products in the media

New Rules for News Releases:• Don’t just send news releases when big news is happening; find good reasons to send

them all the time• Instead of just targeting a handful of journalists, create news releases that appeal directly

to your buyers• Write releases that are replete with the keyword-rich language used by your buyers• Include offers that compel consumers to respond to your release in some way• Place links in releases to deliver potential customers to landing pages on your website• Add social media tags for Technorati, DIGG, and del.icio.us so that your release can be

found• Drive people into the sales process with news releases


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You need to fundamentally change the way you use news releases. If you follow these specific strategies for leveraging this once-lowly medium by turning it into one of the most important direct marketing tools at your disposal, you will drive buyers straight to your company’s products and services at precisely the time that they are ready to buy. (Scott, The New Rules of Marketing and PR, p.88)

The web has turned all kinds of companies, non-profits, political campaigns, individuals, and even churches and rock bands into just-in-time and just-right publishers. As publishers, these organizations create news releases that deliver useful information directly onto the screens of their buyers – no “press” involved! (Scott, The New Rules of Marketing and PR, p.91)

Buyers now read your news releases on Google, Yahoo!, other search engines, on vertical market portals, and with RSS readers.


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The best way to publish news releases so they are seen by your buyers is to simultaneously post a release to your own website, your blog, through social media, and send it to one of the news release wires.

A Selection of the Larger U.S. News Release Distribution Services:• Business Wire: www.businesswire.com • GlobeNewswire: www.globenewswire.com • Marketwire: www.marketwire.com • PrimeNewswire: www.primenewswire.com • PR Newswire: www.prnewswire.com • PRWeb: www.prweb.com


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1. Leverage News Releases (see the “New Rules”)1. Have a new take on an old problem? New research? Write a release.2. Serve a unique marketplace? Write a release.3. Have interesting information to share? Write a release.4. CEO speaking at a conference? Write a release.5. Win an award? Gained new training or certifications? Write a release.6. Add a product feature or service? Publish a white paper? Write a release. Etc.

2. Leverage Online Reviews1. Use Google Alerts & check review sites – monitor your reputation2. Claim your Directory Listing and build positive reviews on Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.

Also build positive reviews on dedicated review sites (rust reviews, local reviews, industry reviews, etc.)

3. Respond well to criticism – quick and corrective; focus on customer service and process improvement; NEVER be defensive or harsh!

4. Link to your reviews; point people to your reviews using social media


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Strategy #8: Email Marketing

Email marketing is powerful, but it is also a challenge because the inbox is a hostile environment. Here are 10 keys to make your email marketing successful. (See The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing.)

1. Only send email to people who know you.2. Don’t treat smail addresses like email addresses; treat them like relationships.3. Send relevant content that has value to your recipient.4. Engage your audience in the content you write.5. Maximize your delivery rate.6. Don’t share email lists with anyone.7. Set expectations with your recipients.8. Look professional whenever you communicate; use a professional service.9. Be ready to respond.10. Regularly review your campaign results.


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Strategy #7: Social Media-LinkedIn

Goal: To build a professional, targeted network that will generate leads

Tactics: 1. Make sure your profile is up to date & complete; make sure it is keyword-rich; make sure it

is linked to your website and other online media – Optimize!2. Identify specifically the prospect that you’re looking for (your Ideal Customer)3. Use Advanced Search feature to find your Ideal Customer; create a list; search for their

groups & join their groups; once accepted request to connect4. Use Status Updates to add value and nurture relationships5. Mine your clients to find prospects, marketing partners, potential referral sources &

strategic alliances6. Consider getting a Service Listing through a recommendation7. Join related groups and engage in discussion; offer value; look for ways to offer customized

value; create your own group(s); deliver value, don’t sell!


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Strategy #6: Social Media – Facebook

• Build your Profile with your business in mind

• Create a Fan Page for your business

• Build a Strategic Network

• Begin adding value through intentional tactics

• Continue to nurture the relationships through customized content

• Convert these relationships into leads (lead generation)


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Strategy #5: Website/Landing PagesProblem: Most websites are big brochures that do not offer specific

information for different buyers. They are not integrated into the selling process.

Tactics: You must begin with a thorough understanding of your target customer. Use their language for search purposes. Then ask yourself, “What do you want them to believe about your organization?” Your content strategy is the most important aspect of any website! Develop a message for each buyer persona using landing pages. Create a smooth, flowing, selling process that leads to a “next step.” Then track and measure everything!

Goal: To provide great content that engages the buyer, a smooth selling/buying process, and a call to action that converts the visitor into a lead and/or a customer. The end result is either contact information, or a sell.


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Internet Advertising

Strategy #4: Facebook Ads

Strategy #3: Google (Search Engine) Ads


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Strategy #2: Relationship Marketing

• Relationships start out tentative and fragile. They are nurtured through experience and familiarity. Mutual trust and shared benefits will cause relationships to evolve through three phases:

• Visibility – you and another individual become aware of each other; you begin to gather information about each other.

• Credibility – this is the quality of being reliable, worthy of confidence. Credibility grows when appointments are kept, promises are acted upon, facts are verified, and services are rendered. Third parties also give you credibility.

• Profitability – as a credible relationship becomes mutually satisfying and mutually beneficial, it enters the profitability stage.


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Strategic Relationships

• Re-activate relationships with past customers

• Identify some informal sales partners

• Leverage some indirect competitors

• Ask current customers for introductions & testimonials

• Use complimentary businesses as strategic alliances


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Strategy #1: Referral Marketing

• Many business owners have built thriving businesses entirely upon referrals. In fact, almost all businesses start this way.

• We all prefer to buy from people whom we know, like, and trust. To have a real opportunity to make a sale, you have to overcome the buyer’s skepticism. You have to achieve a certain level of trust – and sometimes building that trust is difficult if you’re a stranger. A good referral allows you to begin the process with a certain level of trust already built in.

• What Is a Referral Marketing Strategy?A Referral Marketing Strategy can be defined as a way of getting your existing customers and friends to promote your business for you. It is the systematic cultivation of word-of-mouth business. Building a word-of-mouth business that generates good referrals requires a system.


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What Makes a Referral Marketing Strategy Successful?

• A successful Referral Marketing Business calls for a commitment from you to devote a certain amount of time and effort to building relationships that will pay off in increased referrals. It is a whole new way of doing business for most people.

• While referral marketing typically has a low hard-dollar cost, some referral strategies can be quite time consuming. Create a system.

• To build a successful referral marketing business your service must be extraordinary! Having good service is not enough. You must turn your customers and friends into Raving Fans.

• You cannot be satisfied with simply satisfying your customers. You must exceed their expectations. You must give them something to talk about. You must think of different things you can do to get them talking. Raving Fans are people who can’t stop talking about you and your service.


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Train Your Referral Sources

• Be sure they have enough information about you and your business. Be sure your relationship has been growing. Remember, relationship first, opportunity second.

• Develop sample correspondence and literature for them. Prepare outlines and scripts that they can use when making contacts with prospects. Give them clear instructions on what you want them to do for you. Pay any expenses that they might incur. Make it as easy as possible for them to support you.


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Tactics Your Source Can Use

1. Source can make the initial contact with the prospect (his/her acquaintance) to assess her need and, if appropriate, alert her that you will be getting in touch.

2. Source can send the prospect background information about you and your business

3. Source can let the prospect know the nature of his relationship with you

4. Source can give the prospect a brief description and endorsement of your products or services (testimonial)

5. Source can arrange to introduce the prospect to you6. Source can follow up with the prospect after you contact her


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Train Your Source (cont.)

• Coach your source on what they can do next. Offer suggestions, or if you know them well enough, ask them to take some specific action.

• Remember, the key to good referral sources is a strong, growing relationship where there is a high level of trust and mutual benefit.

• Informally educate and train your source.• Maintain your sources by making contact with them

regularly. Keep them motivated to help you.• Reward your sources and keep them informed.


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A Plan of Action1. ________________________________________

2. ________________________________________

3. ________________________________________

4. ________________________________________

5. ________________________________________

26Marketing Strategies 2010 Copyright © 2010 by GC Franchising Systems, Inc.

All Rights Reserved