You can't afford NOT to read EXCELLENCE magazine! 
Fantastic NetMarketing tips and techniques, how-to's, home business 
help, and personal growth/success gems. It's YOURS, for
FREE, with no-obligation, just for visiting our site! CLICK HERE

 Subscribe to ATOM XML Feed
GROW WITH NETWORK MARKETING
for Selected Articles
       
                   ______________________

See my BLOG

GROW WITH NETWORK MARKETING

___________________

Blogarama - The Blog Directory    

Article

Maximize Attention for Your Small Business

By Jeremy Cohen

If you have a great product or service that people want you 
are well on your way to being successful. However, in order 
to lock in and grow your success you need to maximize the 
attention your products and services get. 

As a small business owner you probably don't have millions 
of dollars to spend on advertising campaigns to drill your 
company's name into your prospects minds. That's okay. 
Many small business owners find their success by effectively 
developing and using their marketing message. You can use 
your marketing message to position your business in such a 
way that your prospects will think of you when they decide 
it's time to take action to tackle a problem they have that 
you help solve. 

A marketing message is not a slogan or catch phrase. There 
is an important difference. An effective marketing message 
speaks directly to a specific audience and features 
benefits, results and the value of a product or service. 
Slogans and catch phrases often have nothing to do with a 
specific market or results and benefits. Slogans and catch 
phrases are used by big companies to imprint their corporate 
image in our minds simply by sheer repetition. They need 
not relate to hamburgers or sneakers for us to immediately 
associate a couple of words with the appropriate company. 

Here are five simple steps you can take to help maximize 
attention for your business. 

1. Drop the Slogan 
If you're using a slogan or catch phrase to market your 
small business you're probably missing opportunities to have 
prospects identify you as the solution to their problem. If 
your slogan does not clearly identify the population you 
serve and the results you provide you are definitely 
allowing business to pass you by. 

Make the decision to drop the slogan and develop and use a 
marketing message. You will increase your ability to 
develop new business. 

2. Develop or Correct Your Marketing Message
Once you have decided to let your slogan go the way of the 
Dodo you must develop your marketing message. When writing 
your marketing message think about those you help and the 
benefits they seek from your product or service. Ask 
yourself as many questions as you can to identify your 
customers and the results they seek. When you've answered 
these questions you can use the information you've gathered 
to put together a marketing message that sells. 

3. Use Your Marketing Message
Once you've developed your marketing message you'll want to 
include it any aspect of your business where a marketing 
opportunity may present itself. Remember, the purpose of 
using a marketing message is much the same as that of a 
slogan or catch phrase, you want to position your business 
in your prospects minds so that they think of you when they 
decide to take action to solve their problem. 

Because you don't have the capital to run thousands of 
television and full page print ads in major periodicals, you 
must massage your marketing message into the every-day 
occurrences of running your business. 

For example, how often do you give someone a business card 
or answer the phone? These are great opportunities to 
splash your prospects with your marketing message. You 
don't need a $2.5 million commercial to run during The Big 
Game to successfully market your business. So, do some 
brainstorming and come up with a list of other frequent 
opportunities where you can use your marketing message. 
You'll be glad you did! 

4. Demonstrate Value
If your marketing message is good it will help your 
prospects recognize you as the solution to their problem and 
it will also inspire them to take the action you want them 
to take; visit your web site, for example. Use this step to 
demonstrate value to your prospects. Once you've drawn them 
in, show them you're for real by giving something away for 
free in exchange for their contact information. Some common 
giveaways are E-Books or instructional articles. By giving 
something away you create the opportunity to demonstrate 
your expertise and you also give your prospects something to 
talk about with their peers and colleagues. There's nothing 
like word of mouth referrals. 

5. Develop a Relationship
Once you have your prospects' contact information you can 
maximize attention for your business by staying in touch. I 
suggest publishing a helpful newsletter. Send it as often 
as you can, but probably not more than once a week. You 
don't want to become a bother to your prospects. Get 
permission to send it when your prospects sign up for your 
freebie. We don't want to send unwanted email. 

By sending a periodic newsletter or other correspondence you 
help to keep yourself on your prospects radar screen. As 
time moves on you will maintain your position in your 
prospects' minds and vastly improve your chances of having 
them turn to you when they decide they need help. You can 
also use your newsletter to inform them of new products and 
services as you develop them. 

Move Your Marketing Forward
Make the decision to drop the slogan and take the time to 
develop, use and follow through with your marketing message. 
You will be amazed by your ability to have new clients 
contact you. 

RESOURCE BOX FOR ELECTRONIC REPBULICATION 
Copyright © 2004-2005 bettermarketingresults.com & Jeremy Cohen

The author, marketing coach, Jeremy Cohen, helps small 
business owners implement proven marketing strategies to attract
more clients and grow their business. Inquire about his coaching 
service or request his free marketing guide:
Jumpstart Marketing:More Profits, Clients and Success at: 
http://www.bettermarketingresults.com/marketing-services.asp