Month: July 2012

Business Advertising and Marketing Ideas–3 Ways to Create a Customer Retention Program that Will Raise Your Revenue

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Here’s a business advertising and marketing idea for you, the small or home-based business owner, that is often overlooked: treat your customer right!

How? By creating a customer retention program!

Why is this important? Because your current customer is your best customer. This seems to be forgotten by most companies, even major corporations. How many of us have been repelled by a big business that once we became a customer we were treated like we didn’t exist? I know I have!

If you keep the well-being of your customers in the forefront of your mind, you and your brand will be on the top of their minds! This is a business advertising and marketing idea you can bank on!

So how does this work and what can you do?

Here are some customer retention business advertising and marketing ideas to get you started:

1) Treat your customer the way you want to be treated.

It’s called the Golden Rule and it was taught by Jesus Christ. This is a timeless principle and applies in all areas of life, especially business.

If you treat your customer with respect, just like you would want to be treated, you will be elevating your brand. You will be building trust and credibility.

In this day and age, customer service has taken a rapid turn for the worst. Having an excellent customer service ethic will distinguish you from your competition.

CEO of Chick-Fil-A, Dan Cathy, has this value at the heart of his company. In an interview with Mike Huckabee on Fox News, he described how he trains his employees to greet every person with a smile so that they are happy to be there. Now, I realize Chick-Fil-A is under a lot of controversy right now (which I fully support them), but as I’ve heard from others, they have no lack of business, even in these hard times!

2) Set up a thank you, birthday, and Christmas card program.

Let’s face it. Our mailboxes are either filled with junk or bills. Actual personalized mail is very few and far between!

So here’s a chance for you to shine! Set up a system where you send out cards to your customers, whether that’s a thank you card for new business, a birthday card, or a Christmas card.

Big corporations get this. Branded Christmas cards are very popular with big business. What is it they know that we don’t know as small businesses?

They know that sending cards for whatever occasion is worth the investment. Why? Because you are showing your customer that you care. And when you show them that you care through something as simple as a card, your business and your brand will be in the top of their minds.

When they find themselves in need of a product or service like yours, you will come to mind first. And what will this do? Raise your revenue!

3) Give gifts to your premiere customers.

For your best customers, consider creating a gift retention program. Again, corporations get this. Reward loyalty. Send unique items that will remind them of who you are.

There are many options available out there. It’s really only a Google search away. Plus, you can also create branded products that your customers need, want, and desire. This is going to put your business literally under their noses!

Treat your customers well and you will be treated well. This is a simple law of reciprocity, kind of like the law of gravity. It is immutable. Because what goes around comes around.

And when you treat your customer well by instituting these business advertising and marketing ideas, your brand will sizzle and your future will dazzle!

Want more ideas to make your brand sizzle? Click here to take my FREE mini-video course!

What is Branding? 3 Ways to Make a Sizzling One!

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What is a brand, why should you care, and how do you make an effective one? Watch the video below to learn what branding is, why you should care, and how you can create an effective one.

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Want to learn more about how to make a brand that sizzles? Click here now to take my FREE mini-video course!

Brand Identity Design–What is the Difference Between a Logo and a Brand?

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Brand and logo design. Are they the same thing or are they different?

A recent consultation with a potential client got me thinking about this when it comes to brand identity design. What is the difference between a logo and a brand and why should you, as a business owner, care?

The following is my answer. I hope it helped you as it helped my client! Because my chief role as a brand consultant is to educate my clients to think outside the box when it comes to designing logos.

A LOGO is a symbol that describes a company, product, organization, or idea. It usually is comprised of a name and an image. Sometimes the logo is only the lettering itself.

A BRAND is an emotional connection, a kinship, that a company, product, organization, or artist has with a target market. A brand encapsulates the essence of an entity’s reason for being and communicates to an audience what is unique about it. An effective brand builds trust and credibility over time with its intended target market. It is a living relationship.

A LOGO encapsulates a brand’s message through visual means. But not all logos reflect a brand.

So why should you care about this difference?

If you only put a logo up that does not represent your brand, you will be missing out on leads, conversions, sales, and profits.

Recently, I ran across one company that really had neither a logo or a brand. Their company name was just set in a nondescript font. The business owner revealed to me their struggle in marketing because they have no brand and no logo!

Don’t get caught in this scenario!

With a logo that does not communicate effectively your marketing message, your Unique Selling Proposition, you will confuse your prospects.

A logo that effectively reflects your BRAND will attract your prospects to you. Instead of pushing them in, you will be pulling them in.

We all know what it’s like to receive solicitation calls from pushy telemarketers. This kind of tactic does not build trust and credibility. A logo with no thought to branding is kind of like these pushy telemarketers that no one pays any attention to. A brand is a living relationship between you and your customer. Protect your brand because it is your most valuable asset.

Building a brand is an essential step in building your business. You will create effective name recognition for your brand with a professional logo that accurately reflects who you are as a business. You will be building trust, credibility, and a living, engaging relationship.

And that will truly make your brand sizzle and your future dazzle because you will see an increase in revenues!

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