How To Compete With The Big Boys

The Renegade Marketing techniques taught by Ann Sieg have truly been an inspiration for my marketing strategies. I'd like to share with you some of her insight in a three part post. This post comes directly from an issue of her Newsletter.

It makes perfect sense to me. Read it and see what you think:

How To Compete With The Big Boys
by Ann Sieg

You know that feeling when you're out having
coffee with a friend... or you bump into someone
you know at the grocery store... and you think to
yourself, "I really need to talk to this person about
my opportunity. I haven't done anything yet to
build my business today?"

And then, afterwards, when you fail to share your
opportunity with them, you feel really guilty about
it because you know you're not any closer to your
dreams of financial freedom?

How would you like to never have that feeling
again?

Let's face it.

We all hate talking to people about our products or
our opportunity, and none of us would do it if we
knew there was a better option available.

It's about as enjoyable as chewing on broken glass
and somehow, at a gut level it just doesn't feel right.

So why do we force ourselves to do it?

Well, a lot of us have been given the impression
that it's simply the only way to do this business.

Many of us have been told that the very core of
network marketing, the very reason it's so
powerful, is the one-to-one relationships that allow
us to immediately connect with our prospects and
have our message heard above everyone else's.

Remove the "one-on-one" aspect and you no longer
have network marketing.

There are three main reasons we're repeatedly
engrained with the idea that this form of direct
selling is superior to all others:

-It's more effective than other forms of advertising.

-It's the only way "the little guy" can compete with
the big companies and build a business today.

-It's duplicateable.

But is all this really true?

Let's take a look at each one of these arguments.

#1. "Direct selling is more effective than other
forms of advertising."

The average person today is busier than ever before
and the amount of things competing for our
attention is at an all time high.

We're constantly bombarded with as many as 1,600
to 3,000 different ads or marketing messages every
single day.

Because of this, we're told that the only way to cut
through all the noise and get people's attention is
through personal, pre-existing relationships.

An individual is actually able to get much better
market penetration with their "circle of influence"
than a big company with a huge advertising budget
because "people buy from those they know, like and
trust."

Now, at face value, this seems to make really good
sense.

But if you've made even the smallest attempt at
expanding your business through your warm market,
you know that something's not quite right with this
picture.

Were you greeted with open arms by every friend,
family member, coworker, referral and
acquaintance you've ever tried to prospect?

Did they happily whip out their checkbook and
immediately buy from you because they know you
or because you're a friend of a friend?

Probably not.

In fact, you're probably more familiar with the
experience of being avoided or shunned by people
the moment they found out what your real motives
for talking with them were.

So much for "cutting through all the noise" right?

So why doesn't it all play out perfectly the way it
should? Why the big disconnect between theory and
reality?

It's because direct selling, regardless of whether or
not you already know someone, is still a form of
interruption marketing.

You're still intruding on people's lives with the one
thing that we humans hate almost more than
anything else: An unwanted sales pitch.

Sure, you'll be able to get your foot in the door
because they know who you are... but it doesn't
matter if you're their best friend or a total stranger,
once you hit them up with a sales pitch, all of that
goes out the window!

You've just placed yourself in the same category as
all the other solicitors they ignore! It completely
voids the fact that you have any kind of relationship
with them.

Any trust between the two of you has been damaged
because people don't like being taken advantage of.
And that's how they feel when you assume that
they'll automatically give you their money just by
virtue of the fact that you know them. Especially if
you've used some sneaky, bait-and-switch "I just
want you to evaluate what I'm doing" or "I can't
explain it, you've just gotta come and see it for
yourself" tactic that many uplines teach and
employ.

(Deep down inside we all know this instinctively
because that's not how we would want to be
treated. That's why it just doesn't feel right when
we push our stuff on people.)

More importantly...

----------------------------------
ANY PRE-EXISTING RELATIONSHIP YOU
HAVE WITH ANYONE IS COMPLETELY
MEANINGLESS IF THEY DON'T ALREADY
WANT WHAT YOU'RE SELLING.
----------------------------------

This is the most important and fundamental rule
of marketing and it's prerequisite to everything
else.

If you're not abiding by this rule, NO form of
advertising is going to work.

In fact, person-to-person is actually the worst form
of advertising for practicing this sort of
"interruption marketing" because with something
like television or a magazine ad, your prospect can
simply change channels or turn the page if they're
not interested. No big deal.

But nothing is more uncomfortable than having to
turn someone down who won't take "no" for an
answer. Especially when you're trying to be careful
and polite about it because that someone is your
friend.

It's also a lot harder and more wearing on you
because you personally have to deal with the
rejection over and over again (another thing that we
humans don't do well with), as opposed to an ad
that couldn't care less.

While the whole point of direct selling is supposed
to be to allow you to breakthrough all the other
advertising clutter, there's actually a much better
and more natural way to accomplish this.
Effectively getting someone to listen to you has
nothing to do with communicating at a one-to-one
level.

It's all about whether or not you're tapping into a
need or desire that already exists.

If you're not offering them something that they're
already highly interested in, you're not going to be
able to hold their attention and you're certainly not
going to get them to take action.

The REAL KEY to getting and keeping your
prospect's undivided attention is to deliver laser-
targeted messages to them at the exact moment
that they're looking for answers.

-----------------------------------
GOOD MARKETING IS ABOUT DELIVERING
THE RIGHT MESSAGE, TO THE RIGHT
PERSON, AT THE RIGHT TIME.
-----------------------------------

This is how you stand out from the crowd and the
internet allows you to do this like no other
advertising medium in history because what are
people doing when they go on the internet?

Searching for information!

This is the exact state of mind you need someone to
be in in order for them to be receptive to your offer -
not when they're having dinner or out grocery
shopping.

The very nature of the internet is that people go on
it to look for answers. It's like a giant virtual yellow
pages, except infinitely better and more powerful
(in ways that I'll talk about more in future emails).

It's THE perfect pool of prospects - warmer and
more receptive than any "warm" market.

END OF PART 1. PART 2 TO BE PUBLISHED SHORTLY

For more Renegade Marketing techniques visit my website at:
rjfanucchi.ws

Email questions to:
support@rjfanucchi.ws

Online Marketing Tips That Will Save Your Advertising Campaign

The field of Internet marketing has undergone numerous changes in recent years. Many are due to increased levels of recognition and the subsequent rejection of marketing tactics by potential customers. As Internet customers become educated about various marketing methods, they increasingly find ways to avoid the advertising.

What can you do to avoid the avoiders? How do you get your message out to consumers who are already wary of any type of advertisement? How do you get them to your website? There are a few online marketing tactics that have proven very successful and they may be simpler than you think.

Email marketing boasts the best advertising ROI. The advertising budget that you spend on email marketing is directly traceable to recorded sales. This doesn't mean spamming will translate into a fat bank account. It means by targeting and sending your audience an active advertisement, you will get better results than you would with a passive advertisement on a website.

The difference between the two -- passive ads and targeted email -- is delivery. An email advertisement conveys a sense of urgency, a prompt to act immediately. Email marketing is priceless for building and maintaining relationships with customers by keeping your brand and products fresh in their minds. Think of it as nearly-effortless lead generation: You put the information out there and prospects act on it because your email sales message has a tangible, irresistible call to action.

On the other hand, passive ads put the customer in control. Prospects decide to navigate their way to a website, read advertisements and click on them if moved to do so. Unless ads are spectacular or very well-placed, chances are most customers will not click them. This is not to say that text and link advertising doesn't work. On the contrary, both are extremely effective lead generation tools. However, ads have to stand out and convey a real sense of value for customers in order for them to take the time to click through.

That brings up another point about online marketing: Links on websites make the modern consumer nervous. Audiences who realize that you are trying to make money from their clicks will be far less likely to click on links on your site, whether they are advertisements or not. One of the best ways to solve this dilemma is to employ a link cloaker.

A link cloaker is an ingenious little plug-in that lets you disguise the target address of links on your site. Ordinarily, when a customer hovers over a link, the status bar will show the target address. Some customers avoid clicking on affiliate links. Others choose to simply open a new browser tab and type the address in directly, which means a loss of income for you. With a link cloaker, the stated target is whatever you want it to be: the name of the target site, your own site address, or some other text chosen by you.

The Internet advertising media has afforded endless opportunities for business. It doesn't matter what type of business either. There is a way to make an online marketing campaign that works using the Internet. The trick is in knowing how to present a campaign so that customers see a clear benefit. Potential customers don’t like being "pitched" But they do appreciate help and advice. Assist your customers in making decisions and you’ll success with spectacular results.

For more Renegade Marketing tips visit my website at:
rjfanucchi.ws

Email questions to:
support@rjfanucchi.ws

Can Newspaper Advertising Help Your Online Business?

Whether you’re running a small business or a Fortune 500 company, every dollar you spend ought to be seriously considered, especially any spending done for marketing. It doesn’t matter really if you have a limited budget or not. As a rule, you do not spend any of your hard-earned money just for brand identification. The purpose of your marketing campaign is always to get the highest Return On Investment (ROI) possible with plenty of sales.

That’s why choosing the right advertising medium for your business is crucial to your success. The right media vehicle can get you a greater increase in sales and steady profits. It is therefore your duty as a marketer to learn all there is to know about the medium you’re going to use. Is full color printing appropriate or not? What kind of print ad would be most appropriate for your needs?

Here’s one of the most popular media tools that have been used by many business owners and marketers to promote their business. Learning its benefits and drawbacks can help you choose the best medium to accomplish the goals you’ve set for your marketing campaign:

Newspapers

Newspapers are considered the most traditional advertising vehicle to reach both local customers and target clients in cities all over the world. Placing your ads in newspapers affords you the opportunity to reach a wider set of prospects. Depending on the newspaper’s readership, a regular media buy will give you consistent exposure every time. This means that the same target readers can read your ad again and again.

Since you can adjust the size of your ad as well as where you want it placed, you gain advertising flexibility. You can have as large an ad as you need that can tell as much of your message as you want to your target readers.

For the most part, newspaper ads are well accepted marketing options because of their fast turn around. You don’t have to wait more that a few days from creation of your campaign to seeing your ad printed. Since newspapers are published daily, you can even create an ad today and have your target clients reading it tomorrow.

Newspaper advertising, however, can be expensive. If you have a limited budget, that could present a real problem indeed. In addition, because many businesses use this particular medium for advertising, you have to vie for your target readers’ attention. You have to compete not only with the small ads but also with the ads run by big franchisers which often dominate the pages of any newspaper.

You also have to consider the fact that your ad’s life is short – as short as the life of the newspaper because a newspaper is usually read only once and then discarded.

While newspaper advertising can generate sales results, you need to weigh the pros and cons before you decide to run your ad. Depending on your needs, understanding these factors can help you maximize your investment and your results.

For more Renegade Marketing tips visit my website:
rjfanucchi.ws

email questions to:
support@rjfanucchi.ws

Three Home Based Business Marketing Secrets

Marketing is the part of business that no one seems to like. Perhaps that's because it's confusing and made to be even more confusing when you begin to read books on marketing and its applications to the business world. So, are there any secrets that actually work and that you can actually apply to your online business? The answer is yes. There are three home based business marketing secrets that you can keep in mind as you begin this adventure into running your own business - and as you become a success.

Less is More

One of the things that marketing professionals don't tell you is that you really don't need to do as much as you think you do. By simply adopting a strategy of telling as many people as you can, treating each customer with respect, and then repeating this cycle, that's going to bring in a lot of new business. Word of mouth advertising may not get as much press as it once did, but it certainly still works when it comes to smaller home based businesses.

You also want to keep in mind that these marketing secrets don't require a lot of time or a lot of money in order to be effective. Something as simple as adding your website address to your emails is just as effective as running a commercial on TV and a lot less expensive to implement. Think about smaller ways to spread the word instead of bigger ways. Target only the customers that have already shown interest in what you have to sell and you're certain to market for success.

More is Less

You also want to remember that a customer on the Internet these days is accustomed to seeing a lot of advertisements, so they know when they are being 'sold' something. Instead of focusing your messages on sales exclusively, try bringing the customer information they can use - informational articles, etc.

When you put too many advertisements in outgoing emails or you simply push your company too much, you will turn off prospective customers. Even if they are interested in what you have to say, the more you talk to them about the same things, the more they're going to wonder what the 'catch' is and why they should buy from you at all.

Recognize that your customers are smart and that they WILL respond to you, even if you don't tell them about every sale or every feature for your products. You just don't have to beat them over the head with what you want to sell them.

Use Your Home Based Appeal to Bring People to You

By adding a personalized touch to your marketing strategies, you will begin to pull in more customers, almost without trying. So often, online businesses forget that it's their placement and location that allows them to be unique. Instead of downplaying the fact that you work from home, make sure that your customers know it. Show them pictures of your office and pictures of yourself to make the experience more personal. This is a marketing strategy that works no matter what you are selling. Since people aren't meeting you in person, the personalization will do the 'talking' for you, making a customer more comfortable with you.

Try adding a blog to your website that will introduce the kind of person you are and what you are capable of helping a customer with. Or you might want to include a video of yourself talking about your product or a personal story that relates to your product. The Internet can be such an impersonal place, so try to connect with your customer more.

For more Renegade Marketing techniques visit my website:
rjfanucchi.ws

Please email questions to:
support@rjfanucchi.ws

Online Heads for 10% of Total US Ad Spending

When the going gets tough…Sub-prime mortgage meltdowns. Floundering credit markets. Burst housing bubbles. Trillions wasted in war. Gold hitting $1,000. Tumbling stock markets. Falling payrolls. Oil at record highs. The dollar at record lows.

Is it any wonder that—even in a year of the Olympics and a presidential election—US advertising is struggling?

Almost all US advertising, anyway.

In the midst of the doldrums, like the Energizer Bunny, Internet advertising is still going strong.

”Even if its rate of growth is declining slightly,” says David Hallerman, eMarketer Senior Analyst and author of the new report, US Online Advertising: Resilient in a Rough Economy. “US online advertising is proving to be far more robust than other media channels.”

eMarketer predicts that this year online advertising will grow to nearly $25.9 billion and account for 8.8% of total US ad spending.

”Even more impressively,” says Mr. Hallerman, “in 2009 online advertising will reach $30 billion and account of fully 10% of all US ad spending.”

It is important to note that even as growth rates decline through 2009, overall Internet ad spending increases will remain in positive territory, the mid-teens or higher through 2011.

”This growth, even if less than before, will surpass all other major media,” says Mr. Hallerman.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking the Internet is impervious to downward economic pressures, however.

”Whatever label you slap on the current economic climate, US ad spending both online and offline will be shaped by overarching business trends,” says Mr. Hallerman. “While Internet ad spending is in no way immune to a recession’s impact, it is more resistant to ad spending cutbacks than are other media.”

For more Renegade Marketing tips visit my website at:
rjfanucchi.ws

email questions to:
support@rjfanucchi.ws

Boost Your Business With Blogging

Business blog is an incredible online marketing tool that saves you thousands of dollars but provides great business opportunities in just one click. Blogs are user-friendly, customized and flexible medium for disseminating useful information for effective positioning of your products in the market.

Companies engaging in business blogging have a definite edge over its competitors. Here are some advantages:

a) Word-of-Mouth. In a survey, there are currently 14 million blogs with 80,000 more being added each day and about 30 percent of the 50 million users are blog readers. Imagine how much gain your company will have, if your products are advertised through blogs. With Internet, information spreads so quickly especially if an impressive write-up goes with your product. Soon your blogs will be passed on to hundreds of possible customers.

b) Awareness and loyalty. Open communication with your customers creates trust and loyalty among them. Being there to respond to their questions and comments make them all the more willing to try your products and services.

c) Feedback. Blogs is good for product research and reviews. It would be easier to improve on your products if you observe your customers’ thinking and behavioral patterns. You can also take immediate action to your customers’ concerns.

d) Community halo-effect. Bloggers are reasonable, friendly and helpful. They are more than willing to create blogosphere of comments regarding your product. The only thing you have to do is embrace and take active part in the culture and your product will surely be considered in their next stop to the supermarket.

For better marketing results, actively promote your business blogs by submitting your blogs to blog search sites and directories. Do not forget to paste in with your blogs, your URL. Be sure that your blogs contain exclusive information with value and are always updated to keep readers popping in, read up your blog, move on to the next and click on again for updates.

Blog is like a setup booth in the biggest trade show on earth everyday. Marketing possibilities are just around the corner waiting to strike your sale scales up.

The Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds are important too in conjunction with your blogs to get the best benefits. Use effective keyword phrases to generate high ranking status in the search engine traffic. In this way you have better chances of people finding your website leading to your blogs. More traffic means more potential sales.

For this to be successful, you can use RSS for news update feeds which can be read through RSS reader application. This is a very useful tool for business and internet marketers as well.

If you are already convinced with the potentials of business blogs for marketing and targeting sales increase, your company is now ready to start blogging. But first, you have to be in tune with your company’s business objectives and determine if blogging will really help you achieve your goal.

1. Several blogs are dedicated to teaching people the do’s and don’ts of blogging, READ them! Include in your reading materials blogs that are consumer-based too to give you an idea.

2. Setup several test blogs right away.

If your initial try out with blogs worked well, you can now start setting up your blogs.

1. Study blog design. Blog hosting services provide pre-designed templates. But if you opt for paid blog service, you can ask your artist to design and layout your blog site to match the company’s identity and needs.

2. Choose a topic. Its good to have a line-up of topics you want for your blogs but be sure they are in consonance with your business objectives. This would be a test of your flexibility and open-mindedness since results may be going against the set objectives.

3. Remember the following safety measures in blogging:

legal issues are sometimes involved in blogging; it is safer to include disclaimers and limitations of liabilities; corporate communication and legal department are responsible in educating the senior management on how blogs might affect business; create blogging policies; set limits on who gets to blog and what information are allowed to be made public; avoid outright marketing blog or you will shy away your readers;make content updated, relevant and fresh; reinforce the company’s core values; and,encourage employees to use it.

4. Start blogging and complete 20 posts before going to marketing.

5. Begin marketing.

6. Regularly monitor the coming ins and outs of readers and get updates. Then, measure your results.

7. Adjust if needed. You can always play with your designs in the blog site as long as it remains to match the company’s identity.

8. Strive to be consistent with your topic all the time.

9. Try to have unrelated topics with general and broad appeal.

10. Schedule updates regularly. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday would be best to update blogs.

Once you have done all these things, you can now ultimately enjoy the benefits of business blogging.

For more Renegade Marketing tips visit my website at:
rjfanucchi.ws

email questions to:
support@rjfanucchi.ws

Social Networking Strategies For Small Businesses

There are now millions upon millions of people all over the world joining the social network boom. They’re logging on, finding old and new friends, and using those connections to make their lives better.

For smaller businesses, social networking is nothing less than a shortcut to success. Fully utilized, social networks offer an intriguing platform for customer, employee and supplier relationship management that can serve not only existing connections but also help to identify new prospects.

One of the challenges of mastering social networking is determining where to best invest your resources--time, energy and possibly capital, too. As you gain experience using Gibline, you can begin to identify--and ultimately prioritize--the universe of possible initiatives to enhance your busines, brand, and revenue.

Reviewing the commercial spectrum of social networking opportunities reveals gleaming possibilities as well as some potential problems for smaller businesses that pursue social networking initiatives. Here are some tips:

1. Prospecting

The marketing potential of a social network is undeniable. Potentially, it's an enormous database of prospects, and some of those prospects are future customers, suppliers or even employees. But uing social networks for cold calling can be a fruitless waste of time.

Tip: Mining social network information and contacts identified through social networks requires subtlety. For example, it's a good idea to do favors for others on social networks, such as recommending suppliers or former co-workers. That's what some refer to as "paying it forward." We recommend spending time on the message boards and discussion areas on Gibline to get to know others in the community better before launching in to ask favors.

2. Sourcing on a Social Network

Social networks are a great place to find suppliers and employees--cheaply. Hiring a recruiter or commissioning a search for a new supplier can cost thousands of dollars, and by comparison, membership Gibline is relatively inexpensive with immediate access to thousands of enterprising members who think just like you and want to do business with you.

3. Building Your Own Networking within the Site

It’s easy to get started. First off, check around for old friends who have similar interests. Bring them into Gibline. Then look for new friends among those already on the site. How can you add value to their membership and in doing so, add value to your own position here? Can you steer a friend who needs a part supplier to someone who has those parts? Are there any connections to be made among your friends?

Tip: Helping others can only enhance your standing and status in business and as a desirable connection on Gibline.

4. Build a Club for your Friends and Customers

This is true goldmine for some of our members. A club can be a group that focuses on working various sources for sales of services, or a group that augments each others sales, or more basically, a group of friends. Give your club a strong brand. Work with each other. If you have expertise, offer it. But ask for another friend’s expertise when you can as well. Whether it’s marketing, supplying services or goods, or discovering ways to keep the coin coming in, working together is the best way to build your business. It’s really true that when you do a good turn, it comes back to you.

One potential downside, sometimes we make the wrong choice at the wrong time for your business. Ask yourself is--is it worth the time, effort and money on your part, or can you better utilize a club that already exists within Gibline with a better return on your efforts? If you’ve got a truly unique approach, we recommend you go for it!

These are just some of the great reasons to social network. We think you’ll agree that growing your circle can only help you grow your business with connections to be enjoyed on and off the internet. We hope these tips will help you realize the benefits social networking can have on your business.

For more Renegade Marketing techniques, visit my website at:
rjfanucchi.ws

email any questions to:
psrjf@lycos.com