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The Marketing Connection
February 2010

4 Myths About Branding

Many small to mid-sized businesses either consider branding an impossible task or an insignificant one not worth the effort. By following proven steps to branding, it is possible to create a cohesive brand similar to those used by successful large corporations. Following are the four most common myths about branding.

Branding costs a lot.

You will need to make a financial investment in a professional logo and marketing materials, but beyond that, branding is as simple as leveraging your company’s strengths and maintaining consistency. You can also build customer recognition through social media and other free sources, making branding one business tool that is accessible to all.

You have to wait for word of mouth marketing.

Word of mouth marketing is the most powerful kind of marketing - when customers discuss your business or product with others. You don’t need to wait for customers to start talking - you should build relationships and offer incentives for others to talk about your company. You may feel uncomfortable asking (at first), but it is a practice that will pay off.

Marketing campaigns should reach as many people as possible.

Many people think their business needs a broad ad campaign to build a customer base and this is a scary misconception for business owners with a limited budget. Know your target audience and the type of marketing which appeals most to them. Targeted marketing is both cheaper and more effective.

Your products/services speak for themselves.

Your products/services certainly do a lot of marketing for you if they are high quality and worth the expense. However, if no one buys your products/services, this message will be silenced forever. Getting the word out about your products/services allows people to try them and experience the message you are trying to send.

By avoiding these four myths, you can stay out of the traps that have ruined many small businesses. Branding can be very simple once you learn to avoid buying into myths and instead educating yourself about the power of your brand. If you have questions or would like more information on branding strategies for your business please contact us.

Marketing Plans

The development of a marketing plan is essential to your company’s success and should be the focal point of your business operations.

Purpose of a Marketing Plan
The marketing plan is developed for the purpose of describing the current market position of your business and its marketing strategy for a specific period of time. The marketing plan will also clearly show what steps will be undertaken to achieve your business objectives.

What's in a Marketing Plan?
• Description and objectives of the business
• Description of competitors
• Strengths and weaknesses of the business and its competitors
• Description of products/services
• Demand for products/services being offered
• Marketing budget
• Promotional plan
• Market segmentation
• Pricing strategy

The development of a marketing plan is essential for any successful business. It is the basis from which all other operational and management plans are derived and if adhered to can ensure the success of your business. If you have questions or would like more information about developing a marketing plan please contact us.

Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) is used to drive traffic to your website, which in turn should result in new leads and potential customers – eventually adding to your business revenues. SEO can be very cost effective compared to other means of marketing and advertising and should not be overlooked.

What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
It is the process of taking steps to assure that your website is placed higher in search engine results than your competitors' websites. Google, MSN and Yahoo have a hold on the vast majority of searches performed on the Internet. In fact, Google's market share is so large that most SEO tips are geared toward them. Following are a number of SEO techniques you can implement for your website.

Organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Search engine optimization is the practice of applying techniques to maximize your ranking in organic or natural search results. Organic search results are the rankings of web pages returned by a search engine when you search for a specific word or phrase - a "keyword" or "keyword phrase". Organic search rankings are free, so if you can move yourself up in the rankings your traffic should increase, which in turn can increase your exposure.

Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC) - You bid the amount you are willing to pay per click for ads you place for your website with a search engine, such as Google or Yahoo. The more you bid, the higher your ad will appear in the search engine results. Google AdWords has also implemented an additional factor in where your ads rank, that is based on the relevancy Google places on your website.

Pay For Inclusion (PFI) - In addition to search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN search, numerous directories also exist on the Web. These directories may be general in nature or related to a specific topic. You can get free listings in some online directories, like DMOZ, but most directories now charge for a listing.

An effective SEO campaign can help drive traffic to your website and increase your exposure in the marketplace. Keep in mind that SEO takes time. You won't see improvements overnight, so don't be discouraged if your website traffic doesn't jump through the roof right away. Keyword popularity and competitiveness changes over time - make it a practice to revisit your targeted keywords periodically to see if they still draw traffic and make adjustments as needed. If you have questions or would like more information about search engine optimization please contact us.