SEM: Part 1

Just returned from an all-day conference in San Fran about one topic: SEM. What, pray tell, is SEM? Simply what I believe -- along with a LOT of other people -- is the KEY for almost every business to not just survive, but thrive in today's market: Search Engine Marketing. In other words, building a really cool, even great web site isn't enough; the real "thing" -- the real art (and science) -- is not just getting people there, but getting the right people there: the people who will want to read what you have and see what you have and listen to what you have to listen to and, yes, BUY what you have to buy.

My two quick take-aways from the day (much more to come soon) are these:

Quick-take No. 1:

Buy stock in Google. Please, hurry. Buy all you can. Trust me on this: you'll thank me later. Big time. Why? Only that online advertising is expected to grow from approximately $1.6 Billion currently (yes, that's Billion) to roughly $4.5 Billion... in three years. And Google currently owns 78% of the search engine market share, with no signs of slowing down.... Buy Google stock. NOW.

Quick-take No. 2:

Every business should focus on the two critical components to creating a successful email/online campaign:

1. Have a great story to tell and use great graphics and photos to highlight that story, and

2. Have a specific, clear, easy-to-see-and-understand call to action

That's all you have to do to move to thriving.*

More about the conference soon....

*I know, I know, I'm being "funny" when I say that's all you have to do. Why? Because doing those two things well is EXTREMELY difficult. Trust me, I live-and-breathe this stuff. It's a knife fight in the back alley-kind of difficult. If you need help, or at least a resource to bounce ideas off of, contact me.

P.S. I have no idea why I added this pic, with this post; I just thought it looked cool. It's the school house in the town of Bodega that was part of the set of the movie The Birds. It's still there. If you wanna find out more, Google it.

Benefits to a Marketing Plan

I met with Nancy E. and Ray H. last week to begin the process of mapping out a marketing plan for their just-launched business of high-end, one-of-a-kind wine chests. Here are a few of the reasons they say they're excited to have -- very shortly -- a new plan:

* "gives us a clear path"

* "we don't have to do everything at once"

* "things are clear and more structured"

* "we needed the help prioritizing what to do, in what order"

* "we're honing in on what's most important"

* "Tim gave us new ideas/new thoughts"

Plans aren't dry, lifeless pieces of paper (at least not mine!). A well-conceived marketing plan helps clients sleep better at night by giving them clear direction on what to do, and in what order. Don't want to plan? That's your choice.... Just remember, if you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there.

The "A" Word

More and more in my marketing-goings-on-around-town, I'm drawn to and see the positive results of one word critically important to the success of any business (or any venture, for that matter). The word?

Authenticity.

The more a company tries to "fake it" in terms of over-blown marketing hype or "I-don't-care-enough-to-care" marketing materials (outdated web sites, poorly done brochures, etc.), the more difficult it will be for that company to thrive. So the next time you sit down and ponder your next marketing "thing", consider this question: What would we do where our true passion and sense of adventure and fun poured out onto the paper or screen? Passion, authenticity, and a sense of fun aren't just nice-to-haves anymore in the marketing world--they are ESSENTIALS.

Easter decorations, Dining Room, Sonoma Coast Villa & Spa

The Power of the Pen

As my clients know, I'm a huge proponent of professional, powerful images. While critical to catching attention and creating a mood, images only go so far, however. I'm an even bigger believer that "content is King." What you say, and how you say it, are vital to having a successful business. I call this focus on content/words "the power of the pen."

Here's another quick but powerful power-of-the-pen tip. When you're meeting with a prospective client or a customer, have a pen and paper and take notes. Why? This sends positive messages to the client that: (1) you care about what they have to say, and (2) you pay attention to details and won't trust your memory to remember every little item.

Try taking notes the next time you're with a client or prospect. In fact, make a big deal of it: take long notes, ask qualifying questions, confirm statements. The more you care about what your customers or prospects say, the more likely you'll be able to deliver a solution to meet their needs.

Your Best Customers Are...

...your best customers.

So what do I mean by this? Simple. Boil it all down, there are two ways for a business to grow its revenue: sell more products and services to new customers, or sell more products and services to existing customers. Most business owners focus on finding new customers. I'd like to suggest that you also focus on part 2: creating new products and services of interest to your existing customers.

The Wine Country Inn, wonderful St. Helena bed and breakfast inn, is a great example of this. Three or four years ago, the Inn would generate revenue from a guest staying there pretty much one way: via the nightly room rate. Over the past three years, however, WCI has sought to expand its guests services... and in the process, generate additional revenue from its best customers (those people already staying at the Inn). Now in addition to the room rate, WCI receives revenue from guests who purchase:

* spa services (massages, facials, etc.)

* beer and wine

* its day-long wine tours (see photo at right)

Talk about win-win. The just-mentioned products and services are all things any visitor to the Napa Valley would be interested in, and the Inn is now generating an additional $200,000+ in revenue per year from these items. That $200,000+ of course, is what guests were spending at other places throughout the Napa Valley... but are now spending at WCI.

Think about additional, related products or services that you could deliver to your customers. For example, a massage therapist might also sell massage oils and lotions, and candles; a photography store might begin a series of photography workshops; and so on.

Before you go to bed each night, and immediately upon waking, this mantra should be going through your mind:

Our best customers are our best customers.

Our best customers are our best customers.

Our best customers are our best customers.

...

As always, you can contact me to brainstorm or with questions.

Priorities

Yesterday I met with the owner of the Sonoma Coast Villa and Spa (a wonderful resort near Bodega Bay), and over the course of our discussion J. told me seven or eight of the marketing "opportunities" he's been thinking about doing to help grow the Villa. I hear this often from business owners: lots and lots of ideas and opportunities. Two questions immediately come to mind about this:

1. Which opportunities do you focus on (or, more likely, in what order)?

2. How do you implement each?

Let's focus on the first question. Prioritizing your marketing outreach is one of the most important components of successful marketing. It's also where many business owners mis-step. My suggestion is this: create a meeting solely to list all opportunities (brainstorming) and then pick three to focus on in the coming year. Of the three, one should be something you can implement within 30 days, one within a quarter, and one within the year. In other words, think "quick", "quarterly", and "long-term". Then schedule and hold a separate meeting (as soon as possible thereafter) to begin building the plans to implement each of the three.

Yes, this is a little like Las Vegas, in that you're "gambling" that the time, effort, and money you devote to implementing an idea will pay off. How do you pick the three ideas to focus on? Well, either bring in a marketing expert for assistance or do what I tend to do more often than not: listen to my gut.

The Power of Pictures

Do you like the photo above? Did it catch your attention? It would catch mine, and that's what I'd like to discuss now: The Power of Pictures in marketing.

Yes, yes, I know: boil it all down, I'm a word guy. I'm a firm believer that the words you use in marketing and business communications (called messaging and positioning) are critical components in moving your business from surviving to thriving. That being said, I'm also a very strong believer in the "power of pictures", and thus always advise my clients that, when creating marketing tools, to spend as much money as their budget allows on hiring and using a professional photographer.

Why? Words are great, but they also only go so far. A photograph, on the other hand, can create an instant visual appeal and positive emotion. The following are a few pics from friends at Studio on Main as examples.

Pretend that you're a bride-to-be (!), excited about your coming once-in-a-lifetime event. Would this photo generate positive emotions in you?

What about if you love vintage jewelry? Would this photo entice you?

I personally would answer "yes" to those questions. Again, I know that hiring a professional photographer requires an investment. But I firmly believe that your marketing tools (brochures, web sites, blogs, etc.) are only as good as the pieces (your content, photos, graphics, etc.) you create. So here's a Savvy Marketer insider's tip: Want better marketing tools? Create better marketing pieces. Yes, you need a word guy like me. But you also need high-quality photography. It will pay for itself many times over in terms of more and better customers.