valadez

Faith in Marketing, Expecting the Unexpected

By Andy Valadez, StealthMarketer/The Marketing Evangelist

Summary:  Marketing is “faith-based” and that can “freak” some people out (everyone wants guarantees).  Marketers enjoy thinking about strategic initiatives and seeing them succeed, but it comes from analysis of history, “best practices in Marketing”, and “creative assimilation of ideas and strategy” (not a focus on the creative but, a strategic dialogue with the Market at large).  We like to take credit for our success, but in the end a successful venture is dependent on principles that will work for the good of the Market and the people in it.  Staying in tune with those “principles” can be critical part of the success formula in business.  More evidence is proving this out, in just about every business category.  A business that makes life better for others, focuses on the “right” thing promoting family, health, and yes, “love” (Southwest Airlines built a business around this concept and their stock trading symbol is:  LUV) for one another is standing out more and more in the Marketplace.

“Inspire More People, Eat Mor Chikin”

As a business owner and consultant to business owners, I have learned to appreciate my faith in the “unexpected” and have learned to look for “unexpected opportunities”.  The creative process of analysis and strategic thinking in Marketing is many times based on a point of leverage. What is the idea?  Where will it come from?  We know it is “out” there.  How do Marketers do it?

These questions keep many Marketers up at night constantly trying to reinvent what they do and it should be the same dynamic with business owners.  According to Jim McIngvale of Gallery Furniture , business owners and sales professionals need to “Innovate or evaporate!”  How you do business today, should not be the way business is done tomorrow.  The Market changes instantly, every second. 

There are so many ways to Market a company or service and that the thought process can become overwhelming.  The Marketing “muscle” only works, the more we use it.  As a Marketer, I love the times when our team is in the “zone”, the ideas are flowing and one member is leveraging off of the other to create truly spectacular campaigns or opportunities to build a strategic alliance with other companies in real estate, the media, movies, music, or technology.  That process happens at a quicker pace, when the strategic idea makes sense to everyone involved.  That is what I call leverage points.

Being a visionary is a lonely experience at times.  I do spend a fair amount of time in prayer, asking for direction from the creator of the universe (I am a Christian, if you haven’t found that out in my writings).  I know people are “freaked” about Jesus (I am not). That is the one name that has created controversy, the world over.  To me, he was the greatest Marketer who ever lived.  In fact, Ken Blanchard, author of the “One Minute Manager” and many other successful business books is writing a book called “Lead Like Jesus” and hosting a simulcast on October 17, 2007 on the topic (I just Googled it and found the link on his webcast – an unexpected opportunity).  I plan to attend this on-line.

Now, I don’t laud my faith on others (although there is nothing wrong with that).  I just live it.  I wish I could say that I have the greatest ideas. I know where my ideas come from and if it is a failed idea, I take the responsibility for not putting forth more effort to ensure its success or realize that it was not “meant to be”.  After all, I am human and capable of failure.  For my business, it is just great to know that I can step out into faith and believe for a great idea that makes sense, make a phone call that others are afraid to make, and to believe for miracles that others are afraid to believe.  That is the fun of what we do and as a result, we get to see some truly wonderful opportunities (you can go to our website and blogs to learn what they are:  www.MarketingDynamics.org or www.TheMarketingVortex.com ).

Marketing, when it gets down to it, is based on faith (unknown or not).  You never really know how a strategically thought-out campaign is going to work out.  One has a confident sense of how it will work and with a lot of thought, prayer, consistency and resonance, a campaign or Marketing initiative can take root and sometimes be truly remarkable (the ones people write about or celebrate).

My basic test for anything I get involved in, is based on “Will it help people, live better lives?”, “Will it make them happy?”, “Will it inspire them to do better?”, “Will it help them avoid a purchasing mistake?”, “Will it employ more people?”, “Will it make the industry better, by forcing competitors to do better to serve the market?” and “Will it equip the business owner with resources to aid the community at large?”

I am a big fan of Chick-fil-A .  They are an amazing company and S. Truett Cathy, the founder is a big believer in “unexpected opportunities”.  He once sent me an autographed copy of one of his books after I arranged for his interview on business radio program.  My goal was to share his faith story with the business community at large.  I didn’t get paid to do this, but believed in the man so much and what he stood for, that I just had to get him on the air so others could learn about his fabulous business principles.  You can learn more about him at www.TruettCathy.com .
At 86 years young, he continues to inspire leadership and people to “Eat Mor Chikin”.  Closed on Sundays, they hire some of America’s best teenagers, and contribute to the community at large, and created a strong brand that everyone loves.  They are truly a “faith-based” business and their success resonates in the Market.  Amazing!

If you are interested in testing your faith in Marketing, we would be happy to talk to you.  You can reach us at 281.463.4560 or e-mail:  info@marketingdynamics.org

Andy Valadez is President and Founder of Marketing Dynamics, a Strategic Marketing firm working with emerging entrepreneurs and growth-oriented companies, movie makers, authors, musicians, media personalities fashionistas, television shows, technologists, networkers, non-profit organizations, and real estate professionals with gross annual sales under $50M.  Andy graduated from Texas A&M University with a BBA Degree in Marketing focusing on Public Relations, Promotion Strategy, and Sales. He also received an Applied Business Certificate from Tulane University in New Orleans and served our country as a United States Marine during Desert Storm/Shield. Visit www.TheMarketingVortex.com (blog)

$35 Business Cards, Versus $1,000 Business Cards

By Andy Valadez, StealthMarketer/The Marketing Evangelist

Summary:  Your business card should reflect the Marketing prowess of your company.  When you hand it out, the recipient should go “Wow! that is a nice card” or “Who  created your card?”  A quality card can be defined and I hope this article helps you to discover what that may mean for your business.

I am a big fan of sales evangelist, Jeffrey Gitomer (www.Gitomer.com).  I try to take advice from successful people and emulated it into my programs.  I remember reading an article he wrote, where he advised that people need to pay more attention to their business card.  It caused me to look at mine and it didn’t have the “Wow! Factor” I needed it to have.  My first business card, was purchased at Kinko’s for about $35 and I thought it was “cool”, because it had “raised” lettering, an upgrade I could afford.  It was a plain, black and white card, with no information on the back, and printed on generic white card stock.  I was happy to get out of the place having only spent, $35, plus tax.  What a deal, I was in business!  I couldn’t wait to pass begin passing out my card.  After reading, Gitomer’s article, I felt awkward about handing out my card from that day forward.  So, I began my journey of changing it.

Well, the year after reading that article, I changed my card at least three times until, I was happy with it.  I still review my card at every order to see if there are any changes I need to make it.  Now, I am not saying I have the best card ever designed, but I do enjoy when I hand my card to someone and they go “Wow! nice card”.  That is the difference between a $35 business card, versus a $1,000 business card. 

How can a card cost $1,000?  Well, suffice it to say, it can, but at that price it is still worth it, given the addition business you will get as a result.  Marketing is an investment that never goes away it adds value one way or another.  Your card should be something that you and your team are proud to hand out.  Once the initial cost is complete, your actual total coast goes down.   It is usually the development costs one incurs when working on collateral.  Better to budget for it and avoid having to do it over later. 

Cost considerations for a business card:

• Use of photography - if you use your photo, make sure you get a good looking headshot, cost can range from $300 to $500 (depending on the professionalism of the photographer, their knowledge of photo software to enhance your image, angle of the shot, lighting, use of outdoor scenes, indoor lighting, be srue take a change of clothes to capture a formal, casual, and/or seasonal look for your library  – don’t skimp on photography, it is worth it)
• Logo design (I had to redesign my logo at a cost of $500, I did mine in 3D and it would have cost me $1,000 to $1,500 had I not had a friend do it for me – an advanced 3D animator)
• Use of nice, thick card stock.  Thick is relative, see samples before ordering (worth the price – don’t recall the actual price upgrade)
• UV coated – offers more rigidity to the card and helps with fingerprints and keeping stains off of your cards
• Design of the card (front and back), was $250 – most business don’t use the back of their cards, prime real estate (my card is actually two-in-one).
• My time involved was at least 2 or 3 hours, $500
• Actual printing cost $147 for 1,000 cards (plus tax and delivery
• Actual costs may vary (I would be happy to mail you a copy of my card, send me an e-mail at:  andy@marketigdynamics.org)

So, you can see the costs can add up.  However, every time I order 1,000 cards I only pay the re-order fee and I have thousands of cards in circulation. In addition, now that I am recruiting team members, the cost to create their card is only the cost of the photography (if they want their photo on the card), the information change (minimal) and the card order.  Their cards; however, look like $1,000 cards, something they are proud of and anxious to give to contacts. 

If you are interested in talking more about creating a business card you can be proud of, we would be happy to talk to you.  You can reach us at 281.463.4560 or e-mail:  info@marketingdynamics.org

Andy Valadez is President and Founder of Marketing Dynamics, a Strategic Marketing firm working with emerging entrepreneurs and growth-oriented companies, movie makers, authors, musicians, media personalities fashionistas, television shows, technologists, networkers, non-profit organizations, and real estate professionals with gross annual sales under $50M.  Andy graduated from Texas A&M University with a BBA Degree in Marketing focusing on Public Relations, Promotion Strategy, and Sales. He also received an Applied Business Certificate from Tulane University in New Orleans and served our country as a United States Marine during Desert Storm/Shield. Visit www.TheMarketingVortex.com (blog)

An Interview with Suzanne B, Fashion Designer for TropiCouture

Podcast! An Interview with Suzanne B, Fashion Designer for TropiCouture (www.TropiCouture.net)

Suzanne B is an internationally famous fashion designer who focuses on clothing for the warmer climates of Hawaii, Florida, Southern California, the Caribbean, and yes, Houston. Her list of clientele indicate the value of what she designs for people who travel and do business in other parts of the world. This was a fun and interesting interview with one of Houston’s most premiere designers.

Why I Like Radio and Why You Should Too!

By Andy Valadez, StealthMarketer/The Marketing Evangelist

Summary:  Advertising is a sub-component of Marketing.  Radio advertising is a great medium to get your strategic messages into the marketplace and represents an opportunity to generate instant buzz and discussion about your product or service (provided your commercial does that for you). As with all advertising resources, be sure to involve a Marketer to leverage your opportunities and capitalize on the dynamics of positioning your business to the masses. 

I have been a fan of radio for sometime.  Of course, as a teenager in Austin, Texas, I listened, to KLBJ 93.7 FM and “rocked out” to the music of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s.  I remember driving out to Lake Travis in the early ‘80s, on the weekends, in my shiny black ‘79 Berlinetta Camaro with T-tops, with my then girlfriend, now wife, Tina (26 years later).  We would listen to Van Halen, Journey, Charlie Sexton, or ZZ Top, as we cruised winding roads in the Austin hills (those were the days).  Of course, the commercials occasionally got our attention, like the day the “Police”, “Electric Light Orchestra”, or “Motely Crew” came to Austin and we knew we had to get concert tickets.  The commercials were major productions and the excitement of the concerts was bigger than life, they just captivated our attention.

Now, that I own my own business, I find myself listening more to business-oriented and talk radio; occasionally, letting my “mind numb” to a great contemporary rock station. I discovered an appreciation for talk radio after all of the reports on the demographic, which showed that the audiences were highly educated, had more discretionary income, were involved in the community, and were active listeners which required more brain activity as apposed to watching television (this isn’t a slam on TV, I like TV too).

Well, for the Houston market, I was really encouraged about radio when I had the opportunity to take Mr. Jim McIngvale of Gallery Furniture to breakfast, where he shared that Houston was a “radio town” and one of the main reasons he advertised on radio.  So, if radio is so good why aren’t more businesses utilizing it? 

Well, I don’t know.  I think it gets down to education; but, some people are just afraid, even when presented with the facts.  Some business owners think that they won’t be able to handle the sales volume (they envision a groundswell of sales activity they won’t be able to handle), don’t think they can afford the investment, don’t want to embarrass their company by a weak message (they really don’t know what to say about their company), heard from others that it doesn’t work, or don’t know which stations to advertise on, etc. 

Unlike many advertising mediums, radio creates the opportunity to update your message live or immediately.  You get to orchestrate your message to resonate with loyal listeners.  Just like talking to a friend, your Marketing messages should be tailored for those listeners and that may vary from station to station.  Many advertisers make the mistake of running the same commercials across all stations.  Here are a few bullet points to aid your radio buys:

• Involve a Marketer (advertisers are not Marketers)
• Write a test message :30- or :60-second  (some stations are moving away from :60 second commercials)
• Establish a reasonable budget for your size business (a portion of your overall Marketing mix)
• Test your messages, keep tweaking until you get responses
• Think dynamically about your messages: sell a price point, get them to your website, educate them on a process or attribute, ask them to tell a friend, tell them about financing, warranties, location options, offer to send them a brochure, text message you, etc.
• Give it some time, establish familiarity with your listeners
• Use that fact that you advertise on certain programs on your website, marketing materials, phone messages, and more (builds credibility)
• See if you can be interviewed about your company
• Have your commercials professionally produced
• Get an endorsement from a radio personality
• Show-up at radio sponsored events to build a relationship with radio personalities
• Give feedback to your account executive, they will go to bat for you and love feedback
• Refer clients to the station, they will appreciate your thoughtfulness
• Building up and prepare to do more radio (start small and build, based on your success)

You can hear some sample radio messages we have had the opportunity to work on, at this link: 
http://www.marketingdynamics.org/case_studies.htm

If you are interested in talking more about establishing a radio presence, we would be happy to talk to you.  You can reach us at 281.463.4560 or e-mail:  info@marketingdynamics.org

Andy Valadez is President and Founder of Marketing Dynamics, a Strategic Marketing firm working with emerging entrepreneurs and growth-oriented companies, movie makers, authors, musicians, media personalities fashionistas, television shows, technologists, networkers, non-profit organizations, and real estate professionals with gross annual sales under $50M.  Andy graduated from Texas A&M University with a BBA Degree in Marketing focusing on Public Relations, Promotion Strategy, and Sales. He also received an Applied Business Certificate from Tulane University in New Orleans and served our country as a United States Marine during Desert Storm/Shield. Visit www.TheMarketingVortex.com (blog)

Small and Mid-Sized Businesses: Get Aggressive with E-Marketing!

by Katherine Parker, Website Development and Internet Marketing Specialist

 Summary:  Guest article submission by Katheriner Parker offers some insights into website development designed specifically for users and traffic, database application, and graphical appeal.  Of course, Search Engine Placement is becoming very critical to those marketing on-line.

 Companies who forget to put the “e” in front of “marketing” are leaving a huge gap in an all-encompassing, assertive marketing campaign. E-marketing not only reaches out to customers with a forward message of product/service relevance and the ability to establish a company’s unique identity, but it also allows for the ability to provide the convenience of free useful information and free services to customers. Wise marketers know that properly harnessing the internet for marketing requires making an approach that is “designed, planned and executed specifically for the special demands of cyberspace” (Guerilla Marketing Online Weapons, Levinson & Reubin). As well, a company which fails to utilize top-notch software for e-marketing firm is making the first step down the wrong path: the path of developing yet another inconsequential web site that fails to reach any sizeable audience; a content management system that fails to conform to the needs of the business’s online objectives, and database design that is too restrictive in its programming and integration capabilities.

 Unfortunately, when a company is just getting started,  their vision for internet marketing is to find a website that prices for $2500 or less which is made from canned software—or no software at all. They feel this is good enough for starters, with no idea of what they are cheating themselves out of having in the process. Not uncommon these days: many people in business and general marketing have just enough knowledge about websites and the internet to understand the general concepts, but have no understanding of the critical nuances. For instance, many have discovered Joomla! And Mambo as free open-source content management systems which adhere to W3C standards, which makes it just as good as expensive proprietary software, right? Sorry, just like with anything else, you get what you pay for. Free and cheap content management systems and website development systems are fine if you are looking for basic template layouts with a limited number of features, but your website is not likely to be much of a threat to your competitors online. Why? There are several answers to that question.

 What is a Content Management System?

  A content management system (CMS) is software that supports the structure, content, and interactive features of a website, and theoretically makes it very easy to update information, build forms, organize an image library, and even automate certain events like newsletter emails to subscribers—all without having to know any html or scripting. A good CMS will load reasonably fast and be user-friendly.  A great CMS is customizable to conform to a business’ specific marketing design and will support whatever database needs the company might have, from article archives to searchable inventory to memberships. Good marketers know that a brilliant and effective marketing campaign, online or offline, depends on reaching the customer with a unique and memorable presentation, giving the consumer a new option they never had before, or putting a new twist on information or free services that compel a consumer to try it out. Using a canned CMS software product means a business has the same features as every other website built with that software. Website-consumer interactivity is especially limited.

 Having a proactive marketing strategy online means being able to reach out to the consumer in unique ways, and this is why it is very worth while to invest in website development with a customizable content management system. For example, let’s look at Houston realty websites. Practically all are built with basic canned software, rendering the websites to have the basic same features: a list of agents, local resource information, and the most important feature, all their property listings, almost always being integrated listings through parent listing site, the local MLS resource. However, if a visitor to these real estate websites wants to look at a greater selection of homes, they have to go through the parent site search process, and leaving the realty company’s website in the process. Will the visitor remember to go back to that agency when they are ready to buy a house? Probably not; they went to a number of websites, and they all pretty much had the same thing to offer.

 Compare any Houston area website with LakeConroeRealty.com, where they have found a new and easier approach to help home seekers search all listings throughout Montgomery County (just north of Houston) without having to go through the long form required by other sites. Visitors never have to leave the website to search lakefront homes, golf course homes, foreclosures, or any other genre of home. It doesn’t matter if they are searching by number of bedrooms or by price! Lake Conroe Realty is enjoying a cool half million hits per month with visitors who keep coming back because they offer an easier—and amazingly fun—alternative to home searching. Is it any wonder that Lake Conroe Realty’s investment in a custom website with CMS two years ago has paid for itself a hundred times over? This is e-marketing at its finest.

 Search Engine Ranking

 It is important to know that there are several elements to effective search engine ranking – adherence to W3C standards being just one of them. Search engine ranking involves site analysis with the following considerations: clean coding, spider-friendly coding, how many visitors frequent the site, the keywords contained in the actual content of the site, and of course how often the website receives updates helps to establish relevancy to site searchers, which is of great importance to search engines resources. A superior content management system is built to be spider- and bot-friendly. It is very easy for the website owner to continually update information on their website, create new pages, and keep the website fresh and up to date, and that they can do it via a content management format ensures that the site coding remains error-free. It also helps if the website is systematically updated, which is why superior programming can truly give a company an edge over competitors online. Again, LakeConroeRealty.com is an excellent example of employing superior programming to this end. Every time a new MLS listing is created, Lake Conroe Realty’s database has access to it. Here again, a custom website with custom software make this possible. This cannot be achieved with open source or canned software.

 All websites are bound by an inevitable law for getting ranked well on search engines: it just takes time. Website content is king when it comes to keyword ranking, but how fast you rise on the ranking ladder again comes down to the caliber of the website’s structure, how many visitors come by, and how relevant they find the website (quantified by how long they stay and how many hits they accumulate). A well-designed, marketing-savvy website that encourages visitors to come and explore is going to rise up the ranks quickly and displace its competitors that are not as assertive in capturing the visitor’s expectations. Never the less, gaining rank status is something that should be done now rather than later, which is another reason why it is worthwhile to invest in a properly conceptualized and designed website now, not later. Rising to the top means increased profits, and that’s the bottom line.

 The marvelous thing about the internet is that it is still very much in its adolescent stage. Most people are still distracted by the do-it-yourself possibilities in e-marketing, from build-you-own-website options to self-managed email campaigns, that small to mid-sized businesses on the whole have not recognized that they have the most to gain by investing in a custom website. It is the by far the most affordable route to competing with larger corporations in their field. And since most people these days are seeking out store fronts online before hopping in their car to eat up gas, it is a wise consideration indeed. Be the first in your industry to reach the next level in e-marketing and online services for your customers. Your customers will thank you, and so will your bottom line.

 If you are interested in talking more about your competitive on-line Marketing and website development, we would be happy to talk to you.  You can reach us at 281.463.4560 or e-mail:  info@marketingdynamics.org

 Andy Valadez is President and Founder of Marketing Dynamics, a Strategic Marketing firm working with emerging entrepreneurs and growth-oriented companies, movie makers, authors, musicians, media personalities fashionistas, television shows, technologists, networkers, non-profit organizations, and real estate professionals with gross annual sales under $50M.  Andy graduated from Texas A&M University with a BBA Degree in Marketing focusing on Public Relations, Promotion Strategy, and Sales. He also received an Applied Business Certificate from Tulane University in New Orleans and served our country as a United States Marine during Desert Storm/Shield. Visit www.TheMarketingVortex.com (blog)