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In this issue:
- "Diversify & Ramp Up; Tips for This Economy"
- Learn Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in an hour in your PJs. Special February Discount
- Networking Tips
- John Scott Vocal Yoga, Featured Success
- Where to Find Allison
“Diversify & Ramp Up”
Those of us who've been in business since the last recession have learned how to weather this economy. This month we'd like to share two tips with you: 1) Ramp up your marketing, and 2) Diversify your "marketing portfolio."
Just as a financial advisor recommends a diversified investment portfolio, so is that strategy strongly advised in marketing. It's safer - and ultimately more profitable - not to have all your eggs in a few clients' baskets. Instead, play it safe and diversify your clientele. That way, if one client has a large business slow down, you'll still have other clients' projects to pick up the slack.
Also, you'll get better results by overlapping several strategically chosen tactics as part of your company's marketing plan. Otherwise, you're just gambling - and in the current economic climate, that's far too risky.
These tactics might include broadening the distribution of your product or service, including social media, testing new pricing options (like discounts or "packaged" pricing), and even internet sales. It's critical to have a marketing pro plan your strategies and tactics, so you're not gambling on your short-term or long-term successes.
So, what's the marketing trick?
Knowing what will work for any given company during each phase of its growth requires business management and marketing expertise – and it's different for various industries. That's what a marketing action plan and coaching sets forth for a company: clear direction, strategies, an action list, and continued support, along with advice based on analysis and experience, not guesswork. Otherwise, enormous time and costs will be wasted . . . and these days, who wants (or can afford) that outcome?
Here's a few tactics for weathering the current economy:
Since almost all companies include sales and outreach in their strategy, these tactics can be used by almost anyone doing business in today's world:
- Develop a strong sales plan using clear, well-crafted promotional materials, proper follow up, and "sales conversion." Without a true sales plan generating ongoing sales, you have no company to sustain. Feel stuck? Call us for help. If we can't help, we'll refer you to some of our expert sales resources.
Sometimes, just creating the right "script" and marketing support materials (or web pages), will enable you to feel confident enough to launch into new markets, with new campaigns. We have plenty of tricks on making sales work, so let us help if you need it.
- Ramp up your outreach if you're not getting all the business you need. If you're only using networking as an outreach tactic, start writing articles or optimizing your website so it converts more of your site visitors into clients.
If you're already speaking to organizations in your target market, let us show you how to tighten up your sales, so attendees become purchasers of your products or services. If you're a dancer, get your video onto YouTube! There are a zillion tactics, but the trick is to use the right strategies and tactics that work for your budget, resources, and available time.
If you're waiting until you absolutely, positively must ramp up - NOW is the time! Our clients who are actively marketing their businesses are still thriving. Those who are not - well, they just need to call us. After all, Knowledge is Bliss, and ignorance is just an expensive mistake.
Featured Client – John Scott, Voice Yoga
Our clients' success is our bliss. Take a look at John Scott's Voice Yoga, his proprietary technique to train his vocal students. His many successes include American Idol finalists, and graduates who have performed at the Academy Awards®.
His company, Modern Vocalist, provides professional instructors who unleash students' talent using their unique style of vocal training in their recording studio. Modern Vocalist's high-value training packages also offer music career coaching, 'voice yoga' technique videos, and on-stage performance opportunities. And I got to see John's students perform in a Berkeley club a few weeks ago: All I can say is "Wow"!
What value does Modern Vocalist get from our coaching service?
"Thanks to you, I now have new clients in England, Japan and Israel! I really don't think anyone else could have helped me in the unique and powerful way you did. Your expertise is amazing! The thing that is so fulfilling about putting your principles into practice, is that in my business identity, I've become the real me, which is exactly what I try to encourage my clients to do. Thank you for the transformation!" – John Scott, Vocal Yoga
Keep up the great work, John!
Website SEO Tip
Here are a few ideas to add to your website to help your "conversion" - the process of turning visitors into purchasers. If you need help implementing these, we have award-winning designers, web teams, copywriters, and more standing by. Take a look at some of the work of our teams: http://www.allisonbliss.com/portfolio2.htm.
A few examples of 'conversion' tools:
Don't have time? Here's a tip that will save you a half hour a day
A wise coach and friend, Clark Johnson, once taught me that I'd reduce my stress if I didn't have so many magazines lying around that I'd no time to read. He had me cancel all my subscriptions. And sure enough, as a result I now feel far more caught up. If I just have to read a case study on a business with some unexpected internet success, I'll buy just that one magazine. This tactic alone cleared out tons of space on my shelves and gave me another half hour a day. Ahhh. May this simple act bring you peace, and free time as well.
Learn Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in An Hour in Your PJs
What does it take to get top of Google? That's what our SEO (search engine optimization) and internet marketing webinar video will teach you: the same techniques we've used to get clients top-ranked. Best of all, you can view this one-hour video at home, on your own time, in your PJs!
SPECIAL FEBRUARY DISCOUNT:
Regular price for this one-hour comprehensive advice: $49
February special discount – this month only: $10 savings
Total price in February: $39 (you'll see price in shopping cart, NOT on my website! It’s special for readers of this eNews only!)
Step-By-Step Instructions to Grow Your Clientele
As the economy continues to slide, if you want to keep business coming in your door you absolutely must remain at the top of your current and potential clients' minds. Here's a few of our special report to guide you, and give you some tips and valuable resources:
Where to Find Allison
This spring, Allison will again be teaching the advanced marketing class at the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. This session is ideal for business owners who require a more extensive understanding of marketing, and wish to learn how to incorporate practical strategies into their business plans: http://www.rencenter.org/home.htm For details, contact the program department at: 415-541-8580.
ALLISON BLISS CONSULTING: A FULL-SERVICE AGENCY
Allison Bliss is founder of Allison Bliss Consulting, a Bay Area marketing and communications agency that creates branding, strategies, promotional materials, web development, television commercials, as well as workshops that teach companies to entice just the business they want. In addition to on-demand consulting and coaching services, Allison offers Marketing Coaching service packages that include the "Knowledge is Bliss" business evaluation, podcast production, search engine optimization, marketing services, and marketing plans. Allison’s award-winning writers, web, SEO, and design teams are standing by for your call, and can be reached at 510-864-8500.
We give you permission to publish this article as long as you credit Allison
as author and include a link to our website.
We hope these free marketing tips and strategies are useful to you.
Follow Your Bliss
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