Marketing

It’s OK to not do it all!

No Comments
March 18  |  Advertising, Business, Marketing, Marketing Bridge, News, Partnerships  |   JDostal

Had a great conversation last night with a long time client. He went back to when we first started working together and told us that the best decision he made to grow his company was realizing he couldn’t do everything and he needed to find people he could trust to help him. He said that’s when he decided to partner with Marketing Firepower. Wow, that was awesome to hear!

Tracking your ROI (solution revealed!)

No Comments
March 16  |  Advertising, Business, Marketing, News  |   JDostal

So how do you know if the money and time you are investing in your marketing and advertising is working? It’s quite simple when you understand the purpose of your efforts. Advertising has one job and that is to communicate your message. What that message communicates determines if someone will come to your business, visit your site or give you a call. At this point, you still have not made the sale but advertising has done it’s job. Now you have to do the rest. So how to you know if your advertising efforts are working, do more people come in to your store than before? Do more people call? Do more people visit your website? It really is that simple. The problem, most companies don’t know how many people are connecting with them today so they won’t be able to know if that number goes up or down. Know your baseline and you will know if your advertising is working.

Tracking Your ROI!

No Comments
March 8  |  Advertising, Business, Marketing, Marketing Bridge, News  |   JDostal

There is not a business owner out there that does not want to know if the money they are investing in advertising is working or not. So what do they do to find out? Many will ask that infamous question, “How did you hear about us?”. I hate to break it to you but most of us don’t remember where we heard about a business. Aren’t you happy that we are simply there to buy something? The other common solution by small business is the infamous coupon. We rationalize that if the coupon comes back, our advertising is working. Really? All that worked was the offer. We just spent money to give someone a discount for our product or service. And let’s think like a consumer. Once we receive a product or service at a set price, have we not just created a value in our mind? Why would be come back at a later date and pay full price? You can judge if your advertising is working. You can create an ROI for your investment. Come back in a few days and I’ll share with you how. If you want to know right away, give me a call (402) 817-4864 or send me an email to jeff@marketingfirepower.info.

Do You Treat Them Right

No Comments
February 11  |  Advertising, Business, Customer Relations, Marketing, Marketing Bridge, News  |   JDostal

Over 65% of customers who leave a business say they do so because of a “perceived attitude of indifference”.  They don’t think the company cares. Do you. Do you show your customers you value their business. How many companies offer special deals and one time opportunities to “new customers” leaving loyal customers out in the cold? Too many. Your first priority should be your current customers. If you need help understanding how to do that, give me a call. We’ll visit about a lot of ways that are free or very inexpensive.

Don’t Fall Into the Yellow Page trap!

No Comments
February 9  |  Advertising, Business, Marketing, Media, News, Partnerships  |   JDostal

A client we partner with has gone from investing over $100,000 a year in the yellow pages to just a few years ago to only $11,000 this coming year. They have taken the difference and become much more intrusive and effective with their advertising. This is just one of the many benefits of a partnership with us here at Marketing Firepower. It just might be the best marketing decision you’ll make.

Advertising and Marketing: What’s the Difference?

No Comments
May 18  |  Advertising, Marketing  |   VCoker
Van Coker, Vice President of Marketing Firepower

We often hear consumers and business owners alike confuse the terms “advertising” and “marketing.” How would you differentiate the two? I know I mistakenly mixed the terms for some time before learning the difference. It’s really quite simple once you know.

Longtime professor of advertising at Harvard University, Neil H. Borden, defined advertising as, “the chief means by which businesses communicate with the customers about their products or services to bring about an exchange.”

Advertising and Marketing - What's the Difference?

Professor Borden did not define advertising as “building store traffic” or “selling” merchandise or services. The keyword in the definition is “communicate.” Continue Reading

We All Need to Create Our Own Consumer Franchise

No Comments
May 8  |  Business, Customer Relations, Marketing  |   JDostal
Jeff Dostal, President of Marketing Firepower

A consumer franchise is when a consumer patronizes your business to the exclusion of your competition. Do you have a consumer franchise with any of your clients? If you do, how did you achieve it? Advertising is simple when you think about it. What did you do with, or for, that consumer over time that they now buy from you at the exclusion of the competition? You may not know unless you ask, but isn’t it worth a conversation to find out? Isn’t it worth a few minutes to find out what single act or long term action you provided that took that consumer from being a

Create Your Own Franchise

customer to being a customer with no thoughts of the competition? Sure it is. So, why don’t we do it? Why don’t we take a few moments to talk to our customers and find out what was so great and what is so great that they keep coming back for more? Continue Reading

The Importance of “Price” and “Value”

No Comments
May 1  |  Business, Marketing, Marketing Bridge  |   VCoker
Van Coker, Vice President of Marketing Firepower

One of the most essential ingredients of any successful business is an effective Marketing Bridge. If you are unfamiliar with the term, “Marketing Bridge” refers to all the forces that combine to make a sale and create a customer for your enterprise—or any enterprise. Every business has one. Most don’t even realize it. Some are in good shape. Some are in need of major repair and reconstruction. The inventor, designer, and creator of the Marketing Bridge, also just happens to be the founder of Marketing Firepower, Norton E. Warner.

In future articles, we’ll focus on each and every element necessary to build your successful Marketing Bridge. This month, let’s talk about “price” and “value.”

To state the obvious, the “cost” of an item refers only to price. Either the cost you paid to stock the item in your inventory, or the price the customer paid to take it off your shelf. Or, as Warren Buffett once stated, “Cost is what you pay, value is what you get.”   Continue Reading

Don’t Hide Your Value

No Comments
April 20  |  Business, Customer Relations, Marketing  |   JDostal
Jeff Dostal, President of Marketing Firepower

Have you ever seen or heard advertisements that proudly proclaim they are the “best kept secret?” Not something that should be a source of pride. The same can be said for businesses who don’t want to “toot their own horn.”

Is there a reason consumers should spend money with your business? Then tell them! Don’t make them work to find out. Are you guilty of saying “come on down and see how we do business” or “ask you friends what it’s like to do business with us” or “you should find out what it’s like to do business with us?”

Don't Add Your Value

Stop this! Stop it right now. If you have a place to say these things then you have a place to give people reasons to do business with you. As a consumer, I’m a busy person. I don’t have time to “come on down and see what it’s like” to do business with you. As a consumer, I don’t have time to ask around to find someone who’s done business with you. TELL ME! THEN, TELL ME AGAIN because I’ll forget. Continue Reading

Don’t Ass/u/me

No Comments
April 13  |  Advertising, Business, Marketing  |   JDostal
Jeff Dostal, President of Marketing Firepower

Ever seen that one written on the chalkboard? (Chalkboard. Did I just give my age away?) In over 16 years of helping small business attract customers, I’ve yet to come across one that didn’t assume their customers knew more than they really did. I hope you are the exception to the rule, but I won’t assume you are.

Don't Assume

There may be six very important reasons to do business with you. Your best customers may be aware of a few. The average consumer may not know any of them yet businesses go about their day assuming that consumers and customers know all the great reasons to do business with them. Here is my nugget of knowledge for today…they don’t! Continue Reading