Duct Tape Marketing Contributors

It seems that everywhere you look today, companies are going out of business.  I believe that a lot of these business failures have to do with one thing … discipline, or more accurately, the lack of it.

There are four areas where small business owners must have a high level of discipline if they are going to experience extraordinary success.

Planning

Many small business owners, myself included, have an entrepreneurial spirit and tend to fly by the seat of their pants.  They do something well, so they start a business.  They pick up a few clients here and there but never really make the kind of strides they had hoped for.

By actually taking time to sit down and write out a business plan and a marketing plan, you have just moved into the ranks of an elite group of business owners who begin to regularly experience monumental successes. read more

I hesitate to open this post with words like “in this tough economic climate” or “in times like these,” because what I’m going to share with you today are things that every small business owner can use regardless of the business climate and external circumstances.

In fact, if you implement these three things in your business, the current economic situation and other external factors become a non-issue in your success.

The first of these three things is Clarity. You must have complete clarity about your business goals, you must be perfectly clear about your ideal target market and you must be completely clear about how your product or service can benefit your client.

This clarity is not only for your sake, but for the sake of every prospect looking at your website or reading your ad in the local paper. When you are clear about what you do and who you serve, the prospects can easily determine if they are a match for you. read more

Remember the old adage about marketing - only 50 percent of your marketing works, you just do not know which 50 percent? Many marketers are still under that philosophy.

Today’s companies are innovative and focuses on waste reduction, improved lead time, maximized flexibility and upgraded quality using lean principles. But few are transferring these principles to their marketing practice.

Some marketers still believe a system will stunt their creativity, but it has been proved time and time again that a system will stimulate creativity. Applying lean principles to your marketing will lead to more creative ideas that your customer truly wants rather than just another cute campaign. Do you believe Microsoft customers wanted Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfield? Do you even think they wanted, “I am a PC?”

Increasing competition demands a continuous focus on minimal costs, maximum customer options, fast delivery and high-quality products and services. read more

Unless you have a perverse personality (you know who you are), few of us like a recession. Some industries seem to weather recessions better than others but the list is short (hint - think death and taxes)

For the rest of us, recessions come and go but we have to float our boat on them regardless.  So what can we do?
Check your attitude:
Yup, business might be bad, the kids left the house in a mess and you have reason to complain but nothing will sink the ship faster than drilling more holes with a bad attitude. Your customers will sense it.

Keep marketing - really:
A recession is when you need marketing the most. You are competing for fewer jobs so you have to work smarter. Remember marketing generates revenue. It’s not a cost center.

If you don’t have a lot of extra cash lying around (most of us) then focus on less expensive tactics

Less expensive marketing tactics: read more

Have you searched on your company’s name or product on Google, Yahoo! or MSN lately? If not, it’s time to do so. In today’s business world your online reputation is just as crucial to your success as any other marketing strategy that you deploy.

What are we talking about? Online Reputation Management or ORM, is the ongoing act of monitoring a brand or name online, proactively protecting the name via online channels, and skillfully counteracting negative online content from parties unrelated to your company. These words can come from several sources, namely blog postings, consumer alert sites, community web postings, even unique websites that were created for the sole purpose of defaming a name or company. read more

During the holidays, we are bombarded by dozens of pleas for charitable giving.  Especially during a down economy, nonprofits and charitable causes are typically suffering from low response because consumers tend to give when they are not preoccupied with how to pay their mortgages.

But what if you are a small business owner?  Whether it is the holidays or yearround, does your small business give to charity?

I think we can assume that most people and small businesses give charitably out of genuine concern and care.  People like to associate themselves with businesses that support meaningful projects.  It’s makes us feel good.  Thus, the marketing benefit is that this attaches a likability factor to your business.  And, yes, consumers are looking for reasons to like you (because they typically don’t like your prices).

Big companies have long employed charitable giving into their strategy of getting customers to know, like and trust them.  McDonald’s has a long history with Ronald McDonald House Charities and Subway is affiliated with the American Heart Association.  As a father of an adopted daughter, I love Wendy’s because of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (OK, so it’s their Frosty, too).

How will your business share your success to impact your community and the world?  Recognize the importance of rallying your team behind a passion greater than your organization itself.  Differentiate your organization by focusing on selfless acts of community service.

Here are a few of the most common ways to participate philanthropically: read more

A simple definition of marketing is engaging people to “Know, Like and Trust You,” so that you may help solve their problems - or help them have what they want – so they buy from you, and ultimately become your referral champions.

I spent five hours on Sunday, focusing on a love of mine, photography.  And, it reminded me of a very important marketing lesson for business, current economic issues and much more.

A new perspective on focus:  Did you know that when you photograph something through a wire care, the wire disappears when you put your focus on the subject?  Yes, it does.  I was a certain “doubting Thomas” at first.  Still, amazing!  It is true.  Take a look.  This beautiful bald eagle was shot through wire cares at the Fort Worth Zoo.  Amazing!!!

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If you sell an expensive product or service, it can seem like a daunting task to get buyers to commit to you right now.  People are “tightening their belt” and “watching their cash flow.”  But you as the seller need to walk into every opportunity with confidence!  Buyers feed off of your energy.  If you walk in defeated, you’ll be walking out without a sale.  You need to remind yourself — and your customers — that there’s no “perfect time” to make a major purchase.

Whether you sell to consumers or businesses, the key question to ask your prospective buyer is:  “What has fundamentally changed that it would be unwise to make an investment now, during the slow season?” 

Much of my extended family comes from a farming background.  In North Dakota, farmers are forced to deal with the cyclical nature of the seasons and their own personal economic conditions.  They work from sun-up to sun-down during the planting and harvest season.   During the winter, farmers have plenty of time to relax, but they also make absolutely sure they’ve prepared for the coming Spring, when life gets busy again.  read more