Here Is a Simple Idea That Works

I just got an interesting job that I think could become a great business tool for you. This is so good a business model that I might even want to pursue it even further and use it for more than this one client.  But the best part is that anyone can do it and reap the rewards from this model.

I will be working for a distributor that has two major trade shows a year. All of the vendors he represents attend these buying shows. They offer 2 educational programs before the show begins and I will be doing one presentation for their sales reps and another one for their retailers.  

In addition to the presentations, the distributor asked me to do a rather interesting assignment that could become a major trend. What I will be doing is going from trade show booth to trade show booth, with a video camera and a microphone and asking the vendors sales/managers or sales reps a few simple but powerful questions:

1. What is HOT from your company?
2. Why is it HOT?
3. Why should the consumer buy it?
4. What’s new?
5. What are the advantages of doing business with your company?

When I edit the responses I will break the videos down to a 3 to 5 minute maximum.  They will be converted into YouTube and placed in a private section of YouTube.  Then the distributor will offer this library of videos for the retailers to use on their websites. FREE Content.  And the distributor will charge the vendor an advertising fee.  

What makes this important for you to do?  

One of the reasons that online sales have been strong is because of the amount of educational data, product reviews, customer feedback, and owner’s polls. When you think about it, an online merchant is able to beat the retailer at their own strength which has traditionally been customer service, expertise, and dependability of the specialty retailer to know and stand behind the product.

Things have changed and the difference is in the area of expertise and sharing that expertise. Having a website filled with instructional and informative short video makes your website one that people will return to again and again. Even if someone doesn’t buy from you, people will be talking about you and in time that will pay big dividends.

SO WHAT IS THE ACTION STEP?

First, ask every vendor you do business with if they have created short instructional, fun, or informational videos that you can use on your website. If not, start to bring a camera to trade shows, any point and shoot camera works since they all take movies today. Then, ask the questions I listed earlier. OR When a sales rep is in your store, take a video.  OR you can use SKYPE (it’s free or has a tiny charge) to capture a video recording right through your computer.

I have found someone to edit my videos. Trust me, there are plenty of people who do that work as a part time job. Then just have them up load it to YouTube (it’s really pretty simple- I even did 2 of them a month ago myself). Once they are on YouTube, you can easily add them to your website and Facebook site.  You can even use these videos in your store if you have a flat screen monitor.  You can use some of the smaller screens that are not very expensive.  

This is really a winner and it just enhances the shopping experience within your store. It also makes your website far more interesting and encourages your visitors to return again and again. 

The Seven Breakthrough Marketing™ Tools

If you are a regular reader of this column you are beginning to better understand that there is truly is a revolution taking place in marketing today. There is an explosion of ideas coming to market. But it’s more than just the number of ideas-- it is the speed in which these ideas become accepted and used by large numbers of our marketing audience.

The days of saying, “We do it this way”, or “Why fix it if it’s not broken” are no longer a part of a marketer’s vocabulary. Then you add one more element to the mix of quantity of ideas, the speed of acceptance, and universal use --the cost. Most of these ideas are either low cost or no cost but do require commitments in both time and education.

The bottom line is that we reach people differently today. Consumers have new buying habits and ways in which they receive information about the products and services they seek. The following is my list of The Seven Breakthrough Marketing Tools we need to know in order to compete in this overcrowded marketplace:

1. The Touch Tools - These are the ways that we get in touch with people-- from face to face, to telephone calls, to communicating via answering machines, to traditional mail, e-mail, text, newsletters, etc. The reason why this tool is so important is because if a business is collecting email addresses but the majority of their customers prefer to be contacted via the telephone, then the method is worthless. Making a business aware of the preferred touch tool can make a dramatic impact on the effectiveness of their marketing efforts.
   
   
2. Multiple Landing Pages - Today a businesses DNA is made up of the words that our prospects use to find our type of business, our products and or our services. This is perhaps the most important of all of the tools because people do not go into websites from the front door anymore. They do searches for specific words and phrases and we must have a single landing page where they land and then we can redirect them to the rest of the site or sites. In other words, if you sell Blown glass by Josh Simpson. Make sure you have a separate dedicated page for just Josh Simpson Art where you use Josh Simpson’s name as often as possible. That page links to the rest of your site.
   
   Then you want to have another site that just talks about “Blown glass” and again the term “Blown glass” appears as many times as possible. These pages are not generally long. They have only a couple of short paragraphs and, of course, they must have some graphics that will encourage the viewer to explore or learn more about your  company and entice them to click on other sections of your website.
   
   
3. Call to Action Graphics - The call to action is the action step we discussed in #2.  These are the graphic nudges that will encourage the reader to seek more information. This is perhaps the single biggest mistake that we all make when we don’t create a vehicle for a prospect to find out more what we can do for them. That is why websites today should have multiple forms to fill in to receive “additional information”, a “trial period”, or “free offers”, etc. The reason why you need graphics is to make it stand out. A call to action without graphics draws 73% less action.
   
   
4. Create Your Lead Nurturing System - When someone expresses an interest in a company or a product, what system do you have in place that will follow up with the customer? This can be a series of emails, letters, newsletters, or even phone calls over a desired time period, generally from 3 months to 1 year. I like to say, “until they Buy or Die”. But trying to come up with an idea of what to send or say every month or quarter can be a daunting task that rarely ever gets done. However, if you plan the pieces in advance the job is less intimidating and gets done.
   
   
5. Opt-in text/M-commerce - This is perhaps the fastest growing of all marketing tools and one that I am about to make a major personal investment in Texting Advantage for Retailers ™.  Here is the concept:  You will see in an ad on a sign in your window or on the side of the bus that says something like text 71277 and in the message type in “specials”.  Or it could even say get our tips on ………………………  This message can be on a billboard, store window, plastic bag, etc. The bottom line is that people can opt in to your list without ever having any contact with your business. That is a powerful concept that in turn will result in sales.
   
   
6. You Tube and the Video - This powerful technique is changing how we not only learn but also the way we entertain our self and it’s all FREE. It’s important to separate the concept of using Video and YouTube. YouTube is important because it is a first rate delivery system that has an unbelievable distribution network. But it is the use of video that is so important. These include:
   
   
1. Video Testimonials - Here you will capture comments by customers, make a video of them, and post them on your website. They can also be played in the store.
   
   
2. To Learning Minutes - These are 2-4 minute educational videos that should be branded and can teach the customer something about a product or technique. Again, they can be played in the store, in a section of a website, and can be combined in a collection that can be sold.
   
   
7. The coupons - I recently wrote an article pertaining to the use of the various coupon services. My advice is that I would get involved with as many coupon services as possible. Why? Simple, they are all pay for performance. So as long as you make an appealing offer without giving the store away, you can’t lose.
   

These are my seven tools but the way things are happening so fast, be prepared to learn new twists on some old rules and some ideas that could only happen because of the new technology that the internet delivers to us almost daily.  My advice: select what makes sense to you adapt and adopt it. But fasten your seat belt and get ready for the ride of the explosion of marketing ideas and concepts.

It’s Time Your Business Jumped on the YouTube Bandwagon…. And Here Is Why

YouTube is more than weird people trying to get their 15 minutes of fame. I believe it is becoming one of the most important tools to understand, master, and employ in your business today. What I want to do is first tell you some of the ways you can use YouTube in your business. Then I am going to take you step-by-step on exactly what to do to go from an idea to finally having your first video published.  

It is important to understand that the method or technology that is important is the use of video. YouTube is just a free service that makes using video on line so easy and inexpensive that we sometimes just refer to the videos as YouTube videos. It is really just using video but when you price out the cost to do it yourself, you will begin to understand the significance YouTube has made.

First a disclaimer: Although I have used many videos in my business, I have never been the one who handled any of the technical stuff that is involved in making this work. I say that because if I can make it work anyone can! I have never been accused of being a computer geek.  So I am going to use my very best “Dummiesque” skills and make it so easy that even someone afraid to turn on your computer will be inspired enough to give it a try.  Now, let’s begin.

How can a small business or retail store use You Tube and why should they?

1. The Testimonial. Have you ever had a customer give you a compliment about how much they like your store? Of course you have. The next time that happens just pull out your digital camera and ask the person if they could repeat it so you can film it.  If they are complimenting you, trust me they will never complain about doing it.  Then you can download it on to YouTube and the places you can use it are endless--from your website to having it play in the store.  
2. Positioning & Branding.  A short YouTube video can tell your potential customers who you are and what you do and the important question, “Why should the potential customer do business with you?”
3. Training. A YouTube video doesn’t have to be available for the general public to view . If you have lots of part time people, it is a great way to offer the same program wherever they are. Then create a test to make sure they watched it.
4. Product Information. The next time you work with a sales rep, interview them and let them talk about their product or products. Sales reps can be a very valuable source of product info. Just ask 3 basic questions and remember that the video should be no longer than 4 minutes.
5. Product Showcase /Product Presentations. This seems so obvious but it’s amazing how many people forget to just talk about the products they sell.  
6. Educational Purposes: Every retailer today is in the education business because there are so many new solutions or products that are being released weekly or monthly. But it more than just new products; it’s how we use or maintain our old products. Like the jeweler who teaches how to properly clean a ring. Or the gift store that teaches what the best gift to give for the occasion.  
7. Make it personal. Unveil the person behind the company. We like to do business with real people and YouTube videos are a great way to do just that.  Just talk to your customer and tell them how you got started in business, your successes, and maybe even failures. We love to do business with the underdog. Introduce your family and/or staff.  
8. Employee Videos: Encourage your employees to make videos about some positive aspect of the business. Or even have employees talk about the positive attributes of a business. Then take it a step further and have your employees sing the praises of another employee and what a wonderful experience they would have if that employee takes care of you
9. Contest Videos: This can apply to your employees or it can apply to a customer contest. Especially if you are catering to a younger market, it is amazing how these kids get into creating their masterpiece. The only requirement is that that it’s clean and relates in some positive way to your business. Remember the Word of Mouth thing. This is the stuff people talk about.
10. Share the Journey Videos A few years ago a restaurant chain called BGood in Boston won The Retailers Association of Massachusetts restaurant of the year. This business was built solely on their videos. Every couple of weeks they release a new video. As the owners described their unusual form of marketing, they said all we are doing is sharing our journey. They are hip, upbeat and fun. Go to bgood.com to review these classics. Wait to you see the amount of videos they have created. (There is even one when they received the RAMAE Award from me with the Legendary Uncle Ferris. He is one of the owner’s uncles and is quite the character which makes him perfect in the use of video.) 

The Steps from Neophyte to YouTube Producer and Director:

1. Log on: Go to YouTube.com Create a YouTube account. (If you have a   Google account, it’s the same.) Then log in.
2. Title:  Type in your Title
3. Description: Then type in the description of what the video is all about
4. Category: Then decide what category should your video go into. (Just pick the one that best fits.)
5. Tags: Now type in the Tags, which are simply the words that people will use to find you.
6. Broadcast Options:  Choose Open to the public or private for just friends or family.
7. Sharing Options: Choose if you want to create a URL or if you want to embed it into your website.
8. Upload from your computer and you are now done.

Now you have a basic video.  If you need any help editing and you are a Mac user, go to IMovie. Microsoft has a similar movie-editing feature. There is also a simple free service called Slideroll.com that works well.  

Don’t go crazy with creating all sorts of fancy intros at first. There will be plenty of time to get sophisticated.  There are also some wonderful YouTube videos that explain what to do.  Have a great week.

http://help.youtube.com/support/youtube/