STOMP YOUR COMPETITION

Get Social

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:17:00 +0000

Many clients have been asking us about social media and how it can benefit their business. If you haven't heard the term, you will. Social media has become more popular over the last year or two as YouTube, MySpace and Facebook has gained even more momentum with the general public. Believe it or not, these entertainment oriented social media sites have benefited businesses and paved a new marketing path.

So what are the benefits to social media and what sites should you focus your efforts?

The Benefits
The most obvious and exciting benefit of social media is that it's free. Seriously, what better way to promote your business than free advertising. Social media also has a far reaching and almost viral aspect to it. People will share what you say (if you say it well) and ultimately promote and sell your business for you. It's also a great way to network with people, or potential customers.

The Best Out There
Start with Linked In - it's the premier business networking site out there. You'll be amazed at the tools the site offers to free members. Theoretically, you would never have to pay for this site unless you get to a point where you need more than the free service offers.

Once you have a Linked In account, get on Facebook. It's a lot like Linked In, but focuses more on personal relationships. Make sure you create an accurate profile and add plenty of information about your business. You never know who knows someone interested in your products or services.

Another one of the popular ones out there is Twitter. It's the simplest out of the bunch. The goal of this site focuses on one question "What are you doing right now?" You can use this to do some one sentence promotions.

If you don't have a blog, don't wait any longer. Get out there and start one up. There are many blog sites out there, but we like blogger for it's universal simplicity. Create a theme that revolves around your company and write content that's short and sweet. And make sure you're content is conversational, like a letter to a friend.

And don't forget YouTube. Most people don't see the potential of marketing their business on YouTube, but the possibilities are endless. Create videos or professional presentations about your business and upload them for millions of people. Again, you never know when someone will be searching for your services, and YouTube shows up on popular search engines like Google and Yahoo!

Finally, the most important thing to remember is be real and be creative when promoting your business. All these services are free so there's no good reason for you to dismiss them. If they work for the Fortune 500 companies, they could work for you.

The Economy Will Flourish

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:18:00 +0000

Have you been down on the economy lately? Do you find yourself referring to the economy as the ominous and untouchable villain that keeps us all from living the American Dream? Is the economy keeping your business from growing and making money, or worse yet, causing it to shrink and lose money?

Tough times are inevitable. It's what we do in these tough times that define us as business owners, as regular people just trying to live the dream. So let's talk about what you can do right while weathering the storm.

1. Don't give up! I know it sounds cliche, but pulling all of your marketing and advertising while the economy is struggling is the opposite of what you should do. Right now it's easier than ever to negotiate better rates with publications and stay in front of your customers. You could potentially advertise more, so that when this passes and when they're ready to buy again, you'll be in the forefront of your customers' minds.

2. Keep moving forward. Sure, it's a Walt Disney quote, but it stands the test of time.

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

Who knows, that new path might save your business money. While others are frantic and losing sight of their goals, remain focused and positive. Remember that customers can sense fear and panic. Why give them a negative brand experience when you can reassure them and provide them with some certainty about your business.

3. Live your brand. This is a crucial step in inspiring employee enthusiasm and loyalty during hard economic times. Most people are worried about their jobs right now. Make an effort to talk about and emulate the brand promise as often as possible – this is a significant part of how you build credibility, trust and hope. Your employees will look to you for guidance, so the more you show them how the brand should come to life, the more likely they are to represent it properly when they are in front of your customers.

Preparing for the Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:23:00 +0000

Yep! It's hard to believe, but the holidays are here once again. It seems like every year comes and goes in the blink of an eye. So why not hit the ground running this year and get a head start on the holiday shopping season?

Pinching Pennies
I think we can all agree that the economy has not been kind lately. Many people are holding onto their money pretty tight these days. Which is why this year it is especially important to deliver exceptional customer sevice while providing new and value oriented incentives to your customers. A positive outlook always creates an opportunity to win new customers, and to keep the loyalty of existing ones. Where there's an incentive...there is a way!

It Depends On You
Are you in retail? Or do you you provide a service? What you give as an incentive is totally dependent on your core business.

If you're in the retail industry...
Try focusing your advertising messages around deals like "Items Under $10" or "5 Under 20". Make them feel like their dollar is being stretched. Another approach might be to give the customer a 10% off discount of orders totaling $25 or more. Then there's the old standby of free shipping. Combined with another offer, free shipping could give your customer that added push of choosing you over your competitor. If that hasn't worked for you in the past, try a BOGO offer or a special free product with their order.

If you sell your services for a living...
Those of us that depend on our skills to bring home the bacon can't always promote free shipping or gift ideas for under $10. So instead, try promoting your services in packages. This way you're creating value for your client/customer and giving them a price reduction incentive. In return, you might sell a service that you normally would not have if sold separately. Plus you just created an opening for future business with that customer.

Regardless of how you entice your customers this holiday season...it's important to remember to start early. This is the time. Act now!

Have you started your holiday advertising yet? Let us know. We love to hear from our readers. We promise not to solicit you...unless you ask us to!

Measuring the Return on Investment

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:18:00 +0000

Some of the oldest and most complex questions in the marketing and sales industry are:

What kind of return will I receive on my investment?

How will I know if the design costs, direct mail pieces, and branding initiatives I'm putting in place will make my company more money?

These are questions that we get asked again and again. Primarily because clients want to know what they're getting for their money. I mean, who doesn't, right? Marketing firms, advertising agencies and design shops everywhere struggle with the common misconception that they put together "pretty pictures" that don't have any real strategic thought behind them. While that could be true some of the time (because of the few bad apples out there), it's not the norm.

The reason I bring this up is because this all ties in to the questions surrounding your return on investment. Really, the first thing you should ask yourself is "What kind of price tag am I willing to place on my company's brand?" This will ultimately determine how you move forward in developing (or not developing) a solid marketing strategy.

The next thing you have to ask yourself is "What type of processes am I going to implement within my business to help quantify how my marketing initiatives are affecting it?" This is very important because it helps you establish a foundation. Once this is done, you will be able to make comparisons about your business before and after any new marketing initiatives. Remember - if you don't have a way to track the effectiveness of your marketing materials, you'll never know what the return on your investment is...

Which brings us back to the price tag you place on your company. What is it worth for you to get the right people managing your brand? Do you want pretty pictures or do you want well thought out advertising campaigns. Do you want to hire a "web guy" or do you want a web developer who can interpret your brand strategy and deploy it online. Some might say we're talking semantics, but we believe it's at the core of higher ROI and how brand management and marketing can make an impact on your business - for the better.

Do you find yourself asking these same questions? Let us know in the comments...or send us an email at ideas@2monsters.com.

Consistency is Key

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:10:00 +0000

When it comes to updating your online real estate. Remember that consistency is key to promoting traffic continuity. If you want them to come back and visit often, then you have to keep your content fresh. It might be in the form of a blog, a news and events page, or a product promotion. Anything to let your customers know that there's always something new and exciting going on.

And by consistent...
we mean stick with it.
We're all guilty of it. It's easy to get caught up in the hum drum of our day to day work routine. Even our 2MONSTERS blog has a tendency to dry up every so often. That's why updating our online brands should be part of the normal routine. Make it a priority, and make it an action item that needs to get done the same time every day, week or month. Don't take no for an answer. Dedicate someone to the task and hold them accountable. Like anything else in business, if it doesn't come with a deadline or accountability...it'll never get done.

Positive Brand Equity

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:40:00 +0000

Do you have positive brand equity?
The concept revolves around the marketing effects or outcomes that accrue to a product with its brand name compared with those that would accrue if the same product did not have the brand name. We've talked about positive brand reinforcement before, but not the equity that comes from the marketing efforts put forth.

Huh?
It's simple, and without using industry jargon, it might make more sense. How do your customers think of you? Take a look at all aspects of brand equity includes: brand loyalty, awareness, association, and perception of quality. Over time, do they recognize your company logo, it's name, colors, etc.? If they do, then your building equity in your brand. It's really hard not to build some type of positive equity as long as your marketing your company consistently and effectively.

Next week we'll touch on the idea of family branding and how positive brand equity plays a part in how a company can extend their brand.

Schedule Your Emails

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:25:00 +0000

It's no secret when we tell you that your email results will vary depending on when you send them. There is a science to the whole email marketing thing, and it's constantly changing based on the habits of our customers.

So what's the deal? When should I send my emails?
It's pretty simple...but it may seem complicated. Send on Tuesdays or Wednesdays in the morning where your target audience lives/works. When we say morning we mean sending them between 9am and 10am. The rationale is that you send them after their normal inbox purge. You know, the one where you quickly sift through the bombardment of sales pitches.

Also, try to account for your customers on either coast, or halfway around the world. If you can segment your list, great! If not, then try to send it so that everyone gets your emails at an optimum time.

Finally, don't forget to remember the holidays. Don't send on Thursdays or Fridays before a holiday, and definitely don't send on Mondays or Tuesdays after a holiday. This way you don't get trapped in the void of collected holiday emails that get swept away into the trash [folder].

If you want a free consultation on email marketing and how it can be a great marketing tool for your business, call us at 330-701-4949.

Spam Is No Good

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:47:00 +0000

Although the statement holds true for both, we're not talking about the canned precooked luncheon meat product from the 1930s. The spam we're referring to is the abuse of electronic messaging systems to indiscriminately send unsolicited bulk messages. We all know how annoying spam can be, and how it never seems to go away, even after you've reported spam to the proper authorities.

But did you know that more and more people are now classifying legitimate businesses as spammers?
That's right! The email marketing efforts you have put in place could now be at jeopardy because of those constant spammers who we all love to hate.

According to some recent research done by MarketingSherpa and Q Interactive, "the second most cited reason why people hit the ‘spam’ or ‘junk’ buttons – The email I received was not of interest to me – has nothing to do with permission or responsible mailing practices. The content simply wasn’t compelling so the recipient simply wrote off the mailer."

And who could really blame them. It's hard not to be a little bitter after cleaning out your inbox when you get to work in the morning, just to find it filled up again in the afternoon. It's become a daily routine, and a way of life for many people.

That's why it's more important now, to keep your email marketing messages relevant to your audience. Keep your list groomed and make sure the message or offer your delivering is compelling to your customers. This will keep you out of their junk mail and off their spam list.

Read More of the MarketingSherpa Article.

Web Content Success

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:31:00 +0000

What's the difference between content that succeeds on the web and content that doesn't?

Success = Customer-Centric Content
Unsuccessful = Business-Centric Content

Your customers want brutal, straight-to-the-point content that speaks to them. Get to the point...then know when to stop. It's going to engage your customers and make them react. Remember that many times - less is more!

The Post Office, Direct Mail and You

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:13:00 +0000

The USPS has been around for a long time. And as they find new ways of being more efficient (per the Postal Accountability Act), they also administer new methods for the public to get better at sending mail.

But I know how to send mail. Right?
One of the most important issues that the post office wants everyone to be aware of is keeping their mailing lists accurate. Most clients either rent lists, or maintain their own list in-house. Regardless of how you do it, the post office asks that you clean it periodically. And within the next two years, they will be requiring everyone to prove their list has been groomed every 90 days.

Not everyone is thrilled by the new regulations. Many clients, list brokers and mail houses are trying to establish new processes to ensure that they are adhering to the new rules before they are mandated.

But if you're hesitant of making changes, the statistics speak for themselves. It only makes sense that you want your mail piece to go to the right people. One right address can often pay for an entire marketing project. And regularly checking addresses actually make sense when you think about why their governing the new regulations...

One of six families move each year
The average American moves 11 times in his or her lifetime
Approximately 19.3% businesses move each year
An estimated 41.1% individuals and families file COA (Change Of Address) each year
On average - 2.3 million businesses filed COA each year
USPS adds approximately two million new addresses each year
16,000 people file COA each day

So ask your marketing professional, print house, or list broker about the mail list your using. Make sure it's compliant and stay ahead of Mr. Postman. It could mean getting your marketing piece to more of your customers at a cheaper postal rate.

Basic MONSTER Results

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:34:00 +0000

Part one, entitled Basic Human Needs focused on a list of the most common needs that drive consumers to purchase through creative advertising messages. They're as old as advertising itself, and all businesses strive to deliver and communicate how important their product or service is, through those primal desires.

So how can your customers' primal needs deliver better results? Try focusing on one of the needs. Too many times we find ourselves trying to cram everything into a small space. Visually, the average person can only digest small amounts of content at one time. That is why viral advertising is so effective. Choose a brief, engaging message and use that to reel in your customer. And use your website as a tool to deliver more information if the customer wants more.

This method delivers results, and allows you to track its effectiveness almost immediately through website statistics. That's the MONSTER need we all have - seeing immediate results from our marketing efforts.

Basic Human Needs

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:19:00 +0000

Strategic marketing campaigns focus on basic human needs...some of which are described below. Where does your business fit in? Do your advertising efforts appeal to your customers' needs?

To be popular, attractive, wanted.
To have material things.
To enjoy life through comfort and convenience.
To create a happy family situation.
To be in love.
To have power.
To avoid fear.
To emulate those who you admire.
To have new experiences.
To protect and maintain your health.

Advertising in Magazines

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 23:16:00 +0000

Today we're going to focus on just one media...magazines. They offer the highest quality printing and generally provide a longer shelf life. The nice thing about this media is that there are targeted magazines and there are broad mass market magazines. More times than not you'll want to focus on on the ones that have readers closely matching the profile you've targeted. Every magazine has a media kit which should give you that information.

Magazines Command Respect
The simple perception advertising in the right publication can give your customers is sometimes worth spending more.

They Cost More
While magazines have a tendency to cost more, the overall quality of advertising is better. They also have a longer shelf life than a newspaper. Readers usually revisit magazines several times, working their way through the articles they find of interest.

Know the Magazine
Do some research. Know who subscribes to the publication. If you know someone who buys the magazine, ask them how long they keep an issue and how many times they look at it. This will give you a good idea if it's right for your business.

How to Stand Apart From The Comp

noreply@blogger.com (John C. Kolencik) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:20:00 +0000

"The quality of a person's life is indirect proportion to their commitment to excellence."

Vince Lombardi

Most people in business are looking for an edge. They want to stand apart from the competition but they just don't know how.

Here are a 2 ideas to help you in the never ending battle for the hearts and mind of your customer.

1) ASK & LISTEN!
Ask your customer questions about their business and then LISTEN! Don't be content to ask only about your product/service. Ask about their company goals, their personal goals, ask how do the 2 intersect. I promise you, the deeper level your question, the more you know about the customer the easier the sale will be.

2) Talk About Only What Is Important To Them
One of the inherent traits of salespeople is the fact that we like to hear ourselves talk. Get over it. Learn to be succinct and get to the point. ALL customers are tuned into their own radio station WIIFM (What's In It For Me) everything else is just noise.

I promise if you follow these 2 simple ideas you will differentiate yourself from 80% of salespeople and you will be able to "pocket" the results!

Find out more about Matrix and John at
http://www.matriximpact.com/

Check out our seminar/webinar schedule at
http://www.buildyoursalesmachine.com/impactseminars.html

ReSEARCH More

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:54:00 +0000

Market research is the gathering and evaluation of data regarding preferences for products, services, and brands. It's a tool that is used to understand attitudes, perceptions, and behavior of potential or existing customers in various market segments.

So why is market research so important?
It allows your company and your design team understand why/how they need to position your brand. What are your customers thinking? What drives them to buy your products/services and how do you effectively market to them?

It's not a simple question or answer. It is an involved task that can take time and require a decent budget. But it gets results. Instead of going solely off of intuition and experience, it gives you a more focused and quantifiable benchmark to identify future opportunities.

Leap Year Marketing Mix

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:25:00 +0000

The theme today is four. And since leap year only happens once every four years, we thought it relevant to talk about the four Ps, or four performance elements that can influence a customer's buying decision.

Product: What is the product/service and how does it relate to your customer's wants or needs? This also includes warranties, guarantees or support for the product/service.

Pricing: What is the price your setting for the product? Are you including any discounts?

Placement: This includes your current advertising efforts, sales promotions, public relations, and various other methods for branding your business.

Promotion: How does your product get to the customer? Are you selling it online or in a retail store? What is the geographic region you are selling your product to, and what is the demographic segment (single adults, families, businesses) you are targeting?

So how does this help you? These four elements are often called the marketing mix, and the answers help your marketing team develop a plan that's right for your business. Remember that this is a very "inside-out" viewpoint (from the company's perspective), and should be used in conjunction with an "outside-in" approach (how the customer perceives your business).

Reactive Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:29:00 +0000

Reactive marketing is what happens when a business waits for the customer to come to them, or worse, until they have a "slow down" period where they realize marketing is necessary. It's common in small to mid size businesses, because most aren't able to justify marketing to their customers on a regular basis. It's the bottom line that keeps most businesses from seeing the true potential of strategic "proactive" marketing.

So it's important to always allocate, when possible, a budget for marketing. Make sure that if you're relying on a vendor to help market your business, that they are spending the money wisely. Get involved and have a plan. This keeps it from being desperate and reactive. It also helps create better awareness in your customers when they consistently hear from you.

Searching Your Website For Keyword Density

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:36:00 +0000

What is keyword density?
Once you've established a focused keyword list for your website, select one or two that are most pertinent to each page, and make sure to use those exact terms within the text of your page. If 'Custom Wood Cabinetry' is a keyword phrase for your business, use that exact phrase within a sentence: "We use only the finest custom wood cabinetry." Try to use it in a headline or hyperlink if possible, as the search engine's give those more weight.

Do You Speak Human?

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 20:46:00 +0000

We joke about speaking human, but the reality is that we're all guilty of the biz-speak that plagues the universe today. It's not that our marketing/business vocabulary is unnecessary, it's just overused and people are tired of hearing the same thing everywhere they go. Every business has it's own unique story that sets it apart from the competition. Taking the time to create copy that communicates with your audience effectively makes all the difference in the world.

The next time you develop (or have your marketing people develop) copy, try to entertain the reader. Make them feel like they're a part of your business. Stand out from the crowd and speak human to them.

Brand Children

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 19:43:00 +0000

You work hard to develop and groom your brand. In many ways, a brand is like a child, who needs constant care and attention throughout it's life. And when it gets older, and bigger - you still need to be the parent, and watch over it. All this in the hopes that one day your brand child cares for you in your old age.

Do you need help with branding?
Remember that branding is the soul of your business. Without getting too spiritual...it's all of the pieces/parts that interact with your customers. That could be business cards, newsletters, or advertising. You name it, we probably do it.*

*PLEASE NOTE: We probably do it means that 2MONSTERS creative group develops, nurtures, grows and guides brands for a variety of businesses. And even though we're well-rounded in our expertise...we don't do everything and anything. That being said, we'll be happy to help guide you in the right direction. CALL US! (877) 401-4949

Search Engines & Sitemaps

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:17:00 +0000

Did you know...
as of April 11th, 2007 there was no longer a need to manually submit your sitemap to search engines? Now that the major search engines have agreed on a sitemaps format, you can simply add a line of code to your robots.txt file and let the engines know where your sitemap document resides on your website.

Just include the following line in your robots.txt file and you should be all set:
Sitemap: http://www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml

Robots.txt has traditionally been used in a more prohibitive fashion - by telling search engine spiders where not to go on your site. The latest sitemap implementation of robots.txt now tells the spiders where TO go.

Sitemaps are important will help improve your website search results in the long run.

Words That Sell

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 03:06:00 +0000

It's true that words can sell anything (including newspapers)... and using the right words will create a successful marketing and advertising campaign.

Where do I start?
It all starts with a basic formula that governs all advertising copy. It's called the AIDA formula...

AIDA stands for:

Get Attention
Arouse Interest
Create Desire
Motivate Action

No matter what you want to say in your ad, make sure it follows this process. You'll find that writing headlines and body copy for your ads will become easier and the content of your ads will appear focused and motivating to your customers. Also think about using testimonials or case studies to tell your company's story and to motivate your potential customers to take action. Combined with the right graphics, words can make the difference.

Taglines...You're It!

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 02:41:00 +0000

Do you have a tagline to represent your business?
A company's tagline can contain the essential meaning of the brand. Taglines should be smart and whittled down to the basic fundamentals of the business. They should be statements that are simply worded...expressing the brand's attributes, values and principles.

Here are a few examples:

Apple - Think different
Target - Pay less. Expect more.
Chevy - An American Revolution
TAZO - The reincarnation of tea
FedEx - The world on time
Microsoft - Your potential. Our passion.

Just as brands evolve, so do their tagline counterparts. You'll notice even the biggest brands develop new taglines to fit trends and current marketing campaigns. Do you need help with your tagline? Contact 2MONSTERS for a free initial brand consultation.

Branding...A Rewarding Process

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 20:20:00 +0000

So you want to brand your business. It seems like the right thing to do. Everyone is talking about branding and the benefits of positive consumer awareness.

Branding businesses is what we do. We believe in it and the powers that it yields. But make no mistake...branding is an arduous process that can seem overwhelming at times. There is no substitute for a powerful, carefully managed brand. And there is not one company that does it right by mistake.

We often describe the similarities of building a brand to starting a workout routine. The common misconception is that once I begin a training routine - I'll see immediate results. When the reality is it can take weeks or months of training before you see substantial changes in your appearance. The same goes for branding. Even though changing the look of your business can be immediate - building brand recognition and positive reinforcement can take time. Account for the time it takes to do it right, and be patient...it's rewards far outweigh the time it takes to get there.

Happily Managing Your Website

noreply@blogger.com (2MONSTERS) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:24:00 +0000

CMS - The General Definition
Content Management is a way to keep your website up-to-date. The secret of a successful website lies not only in its looks, but also in keeping customers well informed about ever-evolving products and services. Content management solutions allow you to add content (text, pictures, movies etc...), anytime, and anywhere (all you need is a computer, an Internet connection and a browser).

Our Experience
Over the years, we've come to the realization that many clients don't use the content management systems that are built for them. As a matter of fact, most clients, end up returning to the builder of their website to make regular updates. That's why 2MONSTERS offers content management solutions, as well as web maintenance packages where we update the information on your website for you.

We'll happily manage your website for you...
Allowing 2MONSTERS to manage your website frees up your own internal resources and allows experts to be on-hand to resolve any issues that might arise. Think of it as a warranty package that assures you will be covered when you need support for your company’s investment.