Spinning Gold Marketing » business

Setting Yourself Apart in a Crowded Business Market

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:34:14 +0000

The Importance of Being Unique In Business

In last week’s article “What is the Marketing Hook in your Business?” I talked about the importance of having that attention-grabbing message in your website or sales copy that makes someone stop in their tracks and notice you.

Did you implement that concept in your business? If so, then congratulations! You a are obviously a person who takes action.

So what’s next? You’ve got their attention, now what?

Once you have attracted the attention of your ideal client, you need to keep their interest. What you don’t want them to say is “Oh, another coach or another web designer, nutrition expert, another……”

What you do want them to say is, “This person is interesting, different from the others. I’ll take a closer look!”

Let’s face it, you can look at most crowded fields of expertise and the basics for each business are the same. So, what makes you and your business different? In other words, what is unique about you and/or the process of your business that others don’t have? This may be some past experience, some certifications, some prominent associations you may have that others cannot claim for themselves.

How Do I Find the Unique Business Angle?

There are several ways of doing this and I will cover two of them here:

1) Ask Your Clients and Customers

An easy way of doing this is by doing a survey. You must be specific with your questions. Remember, you want to elicit responses that set you apart, what do they perceive about you that is unique and special?

2) Ask them directly after you have worked with them or served them.

Golden Tip:

Testimonials are vital in growing your business and establishing credibility. Remember to get written testimonials as well as video testimonials from those whom you have served.

Everyone has a uniqueness that they bring to the table. Do the work of digging deep, and maybe even you don’t have to go very deep before you find that one golden nugget of inspiration, and unearth your own greatness!

Laurie Polinski

Spinning Gold Marketing

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What Is The “Marketing Hook” In Your Business?

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:27:44 +0000

Get More Clients With An Effective “Marketing Hook”

Everywhere you look today you are exposed to one form of marketing message or another. It might be on a billboard, in a magazine or on the internet and no matter what media you are engaged in at that moment, the message is basically the same; “buy our product or use our service.”

Marketing experts understand that they have just a few seconds to capture their target or ideal audience or their message will be a failure. They have just a few seconds to grab your attention and arouse your curiosity to know more of what they are offering or you will move on to something or someone else. Have you ever surfed the web and gone through countless of web pages without any interest and then one page just popped out and grabbed you, causing you to read more? Have you ever zipped through the channels on your television and found yourself stopping on an infomercial even though it was not your intention? You had no plans on buying anything and you know that they are just trying to sell you something and yet something they said or something they showed you, made you stop and say,”Hey, wait a minute. What’s this?”

This is what business marketers refer to as the “hook.”

Do You need A “Marketing Hook” In Your Business?

If you are in business and if you want to attract clients then the answer is yes, you most definitely need a “marketing hook” in your business. There is far too much competition out there to just hope and pray your ideal clients will find you and invest in your product or service instead of your competitor. Today there are thousands upon thousands of websites and for you to be successful on the internet, it is a must to be able to grab your prospect’s attention.

What Is Your “Marketing Hook?”

Before you begin writing a single word for your web-page, sales page or ad, you will want to do some serious research. At this point what you are looking for is that unique piece of story that will arouse a burning curiosity in your ideal client to make them feel compelled to continue to find out more. It is the eye-popping piece of story that will jar even the most distracted reader into full attention. The best hooks are the ones that come early in your message. Remember, the objective here is to grab attention immediately, to get noticed.

Every business is going to have a different hook. Every niche market is going to have a different hook. Your business might also have more than one hook, one for every kind of client you serve.

Many times business owners and entrepreneurs are too close to their product or service to be able to see what is unique about them. What sets them apart from their competition? Mentoring programs, coaching programs and mastermind groups are great resources to turn to in order to get an outside perspective of you and your business’ uniqueness to discover your very own “marketing hook.”

Laurie Polinski

Spinning Gold Marketing

3 Key Drivers to a Strong and Memorable Brand Image

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:46:57 +0000

Let me get this straight; you show me ferns and you tell me you want to manage my finances?

Most entrepreneurs start a business based on a passion, a talent or a skill they have. They believe they have something that others can benefit from and will buy from them. The mistake most entrepreneurs make is to set up shop and go directly to the sales process, giving little or no thought to the most important piece of the business – marketing.

Let’s face it, without marketing, your business has little chance of succeeding. You may start getting clients to work with, but eventually, you will find yourself struggling to find clients who want to buy what you have, and burn yourself out.

Actually, many entrepreneurs dip a toe in the water with their marketing by giving their business a name, coming up with a catchy tagline and getting an icon or clip art to put on their business card and website. Yes, done right, this is a piece of your marketing. So, what else is there, and how can you make marketing the piece that ensures your business success?

Recently, I was at a local networking event and one of the people in the group was allowed 5 minutes to get up and speak about her business. As she was speaking, I realized that I was having a hard time understanding what it was that she wanted to get across, and why I might want what she had to offer. And, I was not at all compelled to want to find out more about her or her product. That’s not to say that there was anything wrong with her or what she said…… in fact it was more in what she didn’t say.

I learned her name and her business name right away. That’s always a good thing ~ however, believe it or not, neither really told me what she does.

So, here’s tip #1: Having a business name or tagline that tells people what you want them to know and remember about you.

This is the beginning of getting your branding across. Putting all of your pieces together in a concise, clearly understood message so people remember what you want them to remember about you. Yes, you want them to like, trust and respect you, but more than that, you want them to know and remember what you can do for them.

If your name, business name or tag line doesn’t clearly tell people who you are, what you do, how you uniquely help, and why they should choose you to spend their time and money with, then this needs your attention now! Typically, we have only 30 seconds to capture someone’s attention. In those 30 seconds we want to be sure they walk away with what we want them to remember about us. Basically, what’s in it for them?

Here’s what you need to know to craft an effective tagline.

What are the components of your overall marketing message that you want to highlight in your tagline?

What do you most want clients to remember about you?

What distinguishes you from others in your field?

Make a list of words that you would want associated with your company or service; then

Using those words, craft a basic tagline you could use for your company or service.

An effective tagline helps you clarify what makes you or your service special and enables you to sum up your “competitive advantage” in just a few words.

Next, this speaker handed out her brochure which was professionally printed, on nice cardstock. That’s always a good thing ~ however, believe it or not, the picture on the cover was of a forest of fern plants. Is she a gardener? A botanist? A landscaper designer? No, she is a financial investment manager. I guess money is green and so are ferns and that’s where that connection comes in???

So, here’s tip #2: Your Brand Isn’t Just a Logo, or the Colors You Use, or Your Business Name

…… it is all of these things, and more, together. Everything must consistently give the one singular message you want people to remember about you. Money management / ferns; I still don’t get the connection.

A company’s logo, colors and the images it uses all serve to support and reinforce the brand identity. The more you reinforce the features of your brand identity, the more familiar people will become with it and the more likely they will be to do business with you repeatedly.

To strengthen your brand identity, be sure it is:

Reflective of your company’s promise, message and values. Your identity should be consistent with, and reinforce, your purpose and your core message to your customers.

Consistent. Decide on an appropriate design, style, color scheme and tagline and use them consistently in all of your marketing and advertising materials.

Used frequently and repeatedly. A brand identity works only if your audience becomes familiar with it by seeing it over and over again.

Your brand identity can be extremely valuable if done and used effectively. Do everything in your power to build a strong, well-regarded brand image and just about every aspect of building your business – especially the marketing piece – will be much easier.

Then, this speaker went on to tell the facts about her company and what she does. Actually at that point, I was disinterested because I already know someone who does what she does. In fact, there were 3 others in the room who do the same thing; one of them sitting right next to me! So, what would compel me to learn more about how she can help me, or to recommend her to someone else who may need her services? What does she do brilliantly well that the others don’t? What makes her unique? What differentiates her from the rest? Perhaps it is that she grows ferns in her yard? I don’t know, she never said that, but it’s a guess on my part based on her brochure.

So, here’s tip #3: Your Brand Identity is, or Should be, Unique to You.

That’s why people choose you to work with over someone else in the same field. You must unearth your own brilliance and unique qualities so that you can make them part of your brand identity.

To create a strong brand identity, you must be clear on:

Values. What are the values of your company? Your values is what helps your clients and prospective clients relate to you at a deeper, emotional level and creates brand trust and brand loyalty. Many people choose to spend their money and do business with companies that reflect the values they hold, or aspire to hold themselves.

Make a list of the values you want your company to reflect and be associated with.

Core Message. What do you want clients or prospective clients to remember about you? What do you want them to think when they think about you or your services? Your core message is where it all comes together. Once you are clear on these things, you can create a concise summation of what you do, who you work with and what differentiates you.

Develop the core message for your company:

What is unique about you or your business? What sets you apart from others in your field? What are your differentiators?

What are the specific products or services, benefits or features of what you are selling?

What is the promise you are making to your customers? What’s in it for them?

Your core message, including your set of values, is what defines your brand. It’s what you want customers to remember about you. When you have a strong, clear message, you’re much better able to develop a strong connection with your customer base.

These are three key drivers which help to create a strong, memorable image and message for your business. You need to keep your core message in mind when you’re developing your advertising, website, packaging and marketing materials (such as brochures, business card, catalog, etc). It must permeate every aspect of what you do and be the foundation of all your marketing activities.

The message that clients or potential clients get from you about your business is the key to success. It’s imperative that you create the core message you want to send for your business or service. Without articulating your core message and consistent brand identity, it’s impossible to develop an effective, meaningful marketing program.

Remember, if you don’t create the message that you want people to “get” and remember about you, they will create their own.

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

Is Your Business a Wallflower or a Rock Star?

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:36:19 +0000

3 Things to ask yourself to make sure you are delivering a compelling message so that you can attract your ideal clients and accelerate your business success!

Think of your business as a person. What if your business had a face, a personality, a particular look, a feel; what if when potential clients thought of your business, they got a sense of how it thinks and what it believes in, just like a person? Guess what!?! Your business is just like a person and does have all of these things. Your business has its own personality.

Some people are considered wallflowers. They hang back, are quiet and do not draw attention. In fact, others barely know they’re there!

If your business is like a wallflower, it probably isn’t drawing much attention, either. In fact, as the business owner, you may feel like your working just as hard as all the other businesses, maybe even harder, but you still aren’t drawing the clients and income you’d like.

On the other hand, some people have the personality of a rock star! These people have no problem letting others know who they are, what they do and why they exist! If your business is like a rock star, you probably have all the clients you can possibly handle, and are busy creating more programs and products just to keep up with the demand! Lucky you!

If your business feels more like the wallflower right now, and you’d like to have more of what the rock star has, ask yourself these 3 three key questions:

1) Have I articulated and written down my brand promise?

The most important thing to remember about a brand is: A brand is a promise–a promise of consistency. A client chooses one person or company to do business with because they know what to expect from that company every time. That company has done a good job of defining who they are and what they can do for their clients, and it has done a good job of repeating that message over and over so that people understand what they are promising and trust it!

Clients have a certain set of expectations of people or companies they do business with. They want to know they can trust that the product or service will be very much the same as it was the last time they used it. That’s the brand promise.

Some promises a company, or brand, can make to its clients are:

Consistency (Most important)

Quality

Price

Convenience

Customer Service

Better than the competition in some way

Your brand promise should come through in all of your marketing and advertising efforts.

2) What do I want my clients to remember about me and/or my business?

When clients, or potential clients, think about you or your product or service, what is the core message they get? Your core message is a precise description of what you do, who you work with and why you are different (better) than your competition.

Your core message should be based on:

The nature of your services or products–what you are selling–and the benefits or features of your service or product.

Your unique selling proposition, or what sets you apart from the competition.

The promise you make to your clients–what’s in it for them?

It’s important that you understand and clearly articulate the core message you want to send for your business. You need to keep your core message in mind when developing all of your advertising materials such as your website, brochures, business card, etc. Your core message is what you want your clients to remember about you. This is how you create a deeply meaningful connection with your clients and prospective clients.

3) Does my company name and/or tagline explain the nature of my business or what I do?

When people see your company name they should be able to understand what you do. If that isn’t clearly articulated in your company name, it should be clear in your tagline.

For example, my company name is Spinning Gold Marketing. Now, people may, or may not, understand exactly what I do. My tagline is: “The Entrepreneurs’ Business Growth Coach for Focused, Fast Results.”

My tagline tells 3 things:
1) Who I work with – “Entrepreneurs”
2) What I do – “Business Growth Coach”
3) What I promise – “Focused, Fast Results.”

Taglines don’t have to be catchy to be memorable (although it certainly doesn’t hurt!). Your company name and your tagline do need to tell potential clients, or remind current clients, that you specialize in exactly what they need.

Your brand identity is the power and force behind your business success. Your brand message is what clearly tells clients and potential clients who you work with, what you do for them and why they should choose to work with you. And, remember, once you are clear on your brand promise–your core message–and have an effective company name and tagline, be sure it is consistent in everything you do.

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

Keys To Awaken Your Potential Through Effective, Authentic Branding

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 02:34:57 +0000

How to gain clients, grow your business and make more money with your message.

When entrepreneurs launch, or are getting ready to launch, their business, there is a gold mine of knowledge, passion and courage that backs their visions of success and the goals that they have for their clients. Unfortunately, many business-owners, at some point, find their progress stalled because they cannot seem to draw the right clients and don’t understand why. What is helpful to know is that, often times, a good brand is a key piece that is missing for so many entrepreneurs in their business, and many don’t realize that lacking a brand message keeps them from easily attracting their ideal clients and growing their business the way that they would like.

What Is Your Business Brand?

Your brand is the message that you create around your business from the inside out. Its primary function is to let your audience know who you are, what you do how you help people and what they can expect from you. An authentic branding message will also express how you’re different from others in the field of your expertise; it’s developing your positioning and staying true and in perfect alignment with the core of who you are and what you promise to deliver.

What Will An Authentic Business Brand Do For You?

In addition to letting people know about your business with a single glance, a brand message is one of the most important tools that a business has in marketing itself and letting people know that the business exists to serve their needs. Most entrepreneurs are passionate about helping others by doing what they do best, but if people don’t know that you’re out there, or don’t quite understand how you can help them, then you won’t be doing much of what you love or making the money that you need to make in your business.

To be successful, a business must have a magnetic, positive and authentic branding message that connects with their audience on a deep and emotional level. And, remember, your brand is who you are and what you stand for, so not only will the right brand message attract more of the right clients, but it will also strongly symbolize your vision and allow you to be more confident when asked, “what is your business, and what do you do?” And it will provide the guiding light to where your business can go.

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

7 Key Steps to Taking Control of Your Business This Year

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 02:58:11 +0000

It is important to have clarity and focus in order to achieve your goals in your business. Without a good plan to get what you want, you will keep chasing the new idea and wind up nowhere near what you set out to achieve.

Be sure to take the time to build that solid foundation under your business.

Here are the:

7 Key Steps to Taking Control of Your Business This Year

1. Know yourself: In order to achieve success in your business, it is necessary to first understand what it is that you are hoping to get out of your work. Without personal satisfaction, your determination to perform at your best will wane, and both you and your clients will lose enthusiasm for your business.

2. Know what your unique brilliance is: As in knowing yourself, deciding on your unique brilliance takes a bit of soul-searching. Take time to figure out what it is that you do so well, and what you are most passionate about, that it doesn’t even seem like work to you, and begin or continue to build your business around that.

3. Be able to describe exactly who your ideal clients are: Being able to target and attract your ideal clients is an indispensable instinct and art. Your clients will certainly play a main role in your work every day, so it is important to choose a client roster that you operates well with you so that your work is pleasurable rather than dreadful.

4. Know exactly what your clients want from you: The first step in attracting clients is to realize what business professionals need from you in order to realize their goals. Once you’ve obtained your clients, be sure to stay tuned into their goals.

5. Be able to clearly and easily communicate who you are: Through effective branding and communication through your website and online social networking, clients and potential clients will be able to effortlessly determine how you can help them manage their business, and that will attract them to your services.

6. Develop passive streams of income: Your a professional who is good at what you do. Your time is valuable. Start generating the income that you desire so that you don’t become burnt-out while trying to achieve your goals.

7. Create your plan, and stay focused on that plan until you get the results you want: Your business plan is your recorded path to success. Once you have constructed a business plan that you feel confident in, continue to trust yourself and don’t deviate from that path.

It’s easy to stray from the course, but with these pieces in place, you will find that your business is moving forward with less stress, and new visions and opportunities are begging to come your way.

Laurie Polinski
Spinning Gold Marketing

Are You Paralyzed With Information Overload?

admin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:11:56 +0000

Help! I Don’t Know Where to Start

Have you spent 2009 and previous years gathering knowledge and information through books, seminars, ebooks, teleseminars, online courses and…did I miss anything? Are you on so many email lists that you know there is no possible way you could read all of them and put them to use? Is your head spinning because you have learned so much and yet you fear there might be something you are missing?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions you might want to sit down and brace yourself, for the news I am going to tell you might be a little frightening. My friend I believe you have it and it looks bad…..I believe you have Information Overload Syndrome!

What is Information Overload Syndrome?

Many entrepreneurs, especially when new in the game spend much time on training and gathering information on the business they are pursuing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with research and education, the challenge is, there is so much information available and it is so easily accessible in this electronic age that before you know it, you have so much material, you don’t know where to start because you are overwhelmed. Usually what follows is not starting at all or paralysis.

3 Steps to Overcome Information Overload

Chances are you have plenty of training, knowledge and information already and more might not necessarily help you, in fact it might just make things worse. What you need to do at this point is channel all the information and training you already have and move forward. Here are three steps that will guide you from paralyzed to productive:

Time to focus or refocus - Once overwhelmed it is easy to lose track of what you set out to accomplish in the first place. Take time to reevaluate your goals and determine if they need to be adjusted. Be clear on your niche and your ideal client. What can you offer them to serve their needs?
Develop a plan and strategy – Now is the time to go over the materials you have learned so far, all the knowledge you have amassed and pull it together into an organized system that will move you in the direction of your goals. Doing so will start you on your way to answering your ideal clients’ needs and making you money.
Get into action - One of the things I have learned through experience is, always move towards completion – not perfection, and make adjustments along the way. It is important as entrepreneurs to always be learning, the key is to learn while the wheels of your business are in motion.

So let’s summarize: To overcome information overload: 1. Get yourself focused; 2. Develop your plan; and 3. Get into action and 2010 will be your best year yet!

~Laurie Polinski

Spinning Gold Marketing

4 Steps To An Orginized Office

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:54:53 +0000

An Organized Office Means Freedom For You

When it comes to productivity, creativity and inspiration, having an organized workspace to complete your daily tasks efficiently and without distractions is crucial to your success. Unbury yourself today by following these easy yet effective organizational tips.

Keep Office Supplies Nearby

Keeping the supplies that you use most frequently—such as pens, staplers and your stress management tools(stress balls)—close-at-hand and storing the ones that you don’t in designate spaces will play a big role in keeping your desk and your office clutter-free, and will make finding items all the easier which will save you precious time.

Create a Comprehensive Filing System

Make documents easy to find by creating a well-organized filing system. A great way to do this is by creating categories for your paperwork, and storing them appropriately. It will also be helpful for you to review your filing cabinet regularly so that you may discard of papers no longer needed. Keeping paperwork scattered on your desk. his is a distraction as well as a thief in that it robs you of your time, energy and creativity.

Organize and Prioritize Your Snail Mail

Just like your e-mail service, equip your office with an inbox for hard-copy mail that you have yet to read. As you immediately open your mail each day, prioritize and discard! Separate your bills, payments on invoices and letters that need responses and shred the rest. This little tool will keep your workspace clear of mountains of unopened envelopes, and will make it much more difficult to lose important mail pieces.

Start Tomorrow off With a Clean Slate

We all know how important it is to start each day off right and in order to build the needed momentum first thing in the morning, you have to be without distraction. It will be helpful for you to clear your office of its clutter at the end of each work day. Filing the papers that you will need, throwing away the ones that you will not and storing supplies in their designated areas will allow you to begin the next day dynamically; instead of spending your morning sorting through the mess you made yesterday. Don’t procrastinate on organizing; you’ll thank yourself in the morning.

Organization Leads to a Happy Life

As you can see, these four steps are very simple for anyone to accomplish and can make a huge impact on the productivity of your day. It amazes me how many offices I walk into that are in total chaos and surprisingly the people who own these offices can’t understand why they cannot complete their tasks in a timely manner.

Get yourself in a routine of keeping your office space clean and organized and you’ll surprise yourself at how much you can accomplish in a day with increased creativity and still have time for yourself.

3 Essentials To Your Best Year In Business Yet!

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:07:05 +0000

Back To Business Basics

With the beginning of a new year only weeks away, now is the perfect time to start laying a solid foundation for a successful 2010 in your business. As this year is coming to a close, this is a perfect time to take a step back and take a close look at where you can make adjustments to make 2010 your most profitable year yet! Here are 3 ways to put your business on the right track for the coming year.

Research Your Niche

Take some time to examine your niche market and area of expertise. Observing how other professionals in your field do business may be an inspiration to try a new approach to your own business that may open some profitable doors for you. Also, research potential clients for ideas on how to win over new business opportunities and how you can continue to serve the needs of your current clients.

Invest In Business Education

When applied properly, the axiom “you have to invest money to make money” really pays off. For you, the entrepreneur, investing time and money to further your education in your business niche through college courses, training and certification and coaching will expand your knowledge and skills and strengthen your position as an authority in your field, helping you to better recognize and respond to the needs of your clients while pulling you ahead of the competition.

Create a Clear Business Plan

Having a comprehensible business plan is vital to the success of your business. Begin constructing your 2010 business plan now by determining and recording your goals and strategies for the year. In other words: where would you like your business to be by the end of 2010, and what is the best course for you to get it there? One of the biggest mistakes many entrepreneurs make is not mapping out a clear and precise plan. If you don’t have a clear vision of where you want to be, how do you expect to get there? By creating a clear business plan now, you’ll be able to bring in the New Year hitting the ground running.

Researching your niche, investing in continuing business education and creating a business plan are some key ways to ensure that 2010 will be the best for your business, and for you, so far. Here’s to a profitable New Year—here’s to your success.

Laurie Gracie Polinski

Spinning Gold

Stay on Schedule

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:46:08 +0000

The Importance Of Keeping a Schedule

Tips for better focus and clarity: staying on task by creating and keeping a schedule

If you’re an entrepreneur and especially if you’re working from a home office, it may sometimes be difficult to create and keep a schedule that helps you stay focused and productive. After all, many of us have wandered from the rigid course of the corporate world to explore our own path that allows us to be free and, lets be honest, to make us more money. And while that sounds wonderful on the surface, the challenge is that we no longer have someone standing above us, demanding we punch-in at 9 a.m., keep this meeting at 10 a.m. and have that on someone’s desk by 3 p.m. No, now we are responsible for making and keeping our own schedules and holding ourselves accountable.

Scheduling is not a dirty word and when done properly, allows any business to operate smoothly and more efficiently. Creating and keeping a schedule is one of the best–if not the best–ways to keep yourself on track, and one of the best ways to create a useful schedule is to use a daily planner. So, pull yours out of the drawer, dust it off and open it up. After each work day, grab your planner and write down on the page designated for the following day what you need to get accomplished, listing tasks in order of most to least important. This way, when you walk into your office each morning, you’ll be able to hit the ground running. If there are tasks on your planner that you were unable to finish during the day, make sure to write it down on the next page to be certain that you stick with it. There is something powerful about physically writing anything, down, pen to paper, that makes it easier to remember rather than just entering it into your Blackberry.

As an entrepreneur, your daily planner should always be nearby, lovingly watching you as you complete task after task, and meet deadline after deadline. I have an erasable marker board hanging in front of my desk where I can always see and know the tasks that need to be completed.

Spinning Gold