Need to know what your target market wants? Ask them.

Tuesday Nov 25, 2008

In this day and age, with the vast amount of options for getting the word out there about your latest product, program or service, it can be a little confusing about marketing and promoting. Well, enough to leave your head spinning?

One of the biggest things you may come up again is…

What do I send out so it is read or listened to?

Who do I send my information to?

See, enough to leave your head spinning yes?

Well, it doesn’t have to be this way.

Let’s take this one step at a time.

First, think about those places that you are hanging out online and offline. Think about the types of people that you already know. Start there and ask questions.

For instance, if you are a member of a forum, ask them what their biggest challenge is with your type of service or product. Read and absorb the feedback. Respond to the feedback. This is the first place to start because it will give you possible blog posts, articles or even teleseminars you can start conducting.

Ask those whom you know questions about what they are looking for and the issues they are having in their business.

Are these problems things you are able and/or wanting to help these people with? If so, find the ways you can help them. Let them know you are there to help them. And if you don’t wish to add these service to your list OR if it is not something you have a strength in, find someone who is reliable and with integrity and give the resource to those in your group or forum.


Promoting & Marketing is about making money by offering value, however…

Monday Nov 17, 2008

does that mean it has to be done without integrity?

The reason why this question comes up for me is that there seems to be a trend going around the internet marketing or web circles that if someone signs up for a class or a conference, that automatically means you can sign them up for all that you offer?

Why is that?

If I sign up for a 3 week teleclass or 7 week group coaching, then I want information only about that to be sent to me.

I don’t wish to be sent information about your other programs or your latest newsletter or be automatically subscribed to your RSS feed.

This has happened to me more times than I wished recently and I am not sure why this is going on.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t begrudge anyone to making money, I mean HELLO that is why we
work online. I get that.

However,

If I sign up to attend a class and that is the only information I am expecting to receive, I do not think that it just means I am just waiting to hear all about what else you are doing and to get it placed in my inbox without my asking.

I believe that has been occurring way too often lately when I have signed up for different things.

And the other part of that is I realize there is value in the other products or services that someone may offer, however, you have to allow me to ASK YOU to receive those items from you. Don’t assume I want to know about everything because I signed up for one thing.

Or how about when you unsubscribe from a newsletter…and like magic….you get emails still? Ok, come on now. When someone unsubscribers from your newsletters, tips, or updates, there is a reason for that and you need to allow them to leave in peace. To me it is very rude to place someone back on your subscriber list when they have unsubscribed.

The bottom line….since promoting and marketing is about making money by offering value….don’t tick people off by not listening to them.


My Recent Journey with Local Networking

Monday Nov 10, 2008

I wanted to share with you about some recent events that I went to in my local area…Tampa and St. Petersburg.

On Saturday, October 25th, my daughter, Amanda and I went to a local event called Festival of Reading in St. Petersburg.
Well, let me just say….we had a blast!
We were able to meet so many wonderful authors and get pics with some of them too!
I got to meet Roy Peter Clark, author of Writing Tools and got an autographed copy of his book. I even found out there is a writing club right here in my area called “City of Writers”. I signed up right away—and Amanda did too!

On October 26th, I attended with my friend Zee, a Breast Cancer Benefit called “Think Pink” Ladies’ Day Out! hosted by Serenbe Day Spa, 11103 N. 56th St., Temple Terrace, Tampa.

100% of proceeds and a percentage of all vendor sales went to the Comprehensive Breast Program at Moffitt Cancer Institute.

While we where there I had the opportunity to meet, Casey Wohl, author of Girls Getaway Guide *Note: Casey is running a fantastic 12 days of Christmas prizes giveaway…so sign up for your chance to get some wonderful prizes.

I also met another lovely lady named Suzanne Beville. She is a gifted photographer and I picked up a set of note cards and a bookmark for my mom.
Unique photography gift items by Bevilled Edge Photography (Suzanne Beville, photographer)- note cards, holiday cards, alphabet photography & word art prints.

Book signing by Casey Wohl – The Getaway Girl™ – featuring her fabulous Getaway Guides to Orlando and Key West (buy a book and be entered to win a Girls Getaway to Key West valued at $795) http://www.girlsgetawayguide.net/

So what did I learn by these local events:
1) You never know who you may see and be able to meet
2) You never know what great opportunities may occur from going
3) You never know who someone else may know….connections are everywhere!