Here is a case study of a company that totally changed their marketing focus from new customers to current and past customers.

The company decided their focus would be every customer that ordered in the last 12 months.  They concentrate 80% of their allocated marketing budget on these customers, instead of trying to acquire new clients.

Their first strategy was to “hit” their current customers EVERY SINGLE MONTH with some type of marketing piece, a postcard, a flyer, a promotional product, specials etc.  They stayed away from email marketing and went with a more personal touch.

Here are the results they documented

After just three months of targeted marketing to current customers their business began experiencing Double Digit Growth…every month for the rest of the year (in 2008).

So if you focus on your current customers and clients, giving them 80% of your time and attention your business will grow even in a down economy.  Stop chasing your tail and wasting valuable marketing dollars on new customers.  New customer will come naturally from referrals and word of month – which do not cost you a penny.
 
Keep in touch with your customers each and every month of the year; they are your life line for survival in any economy.

Tim Somers
Bizarre Promotions, Inc.

1. Show up late and or “multitask” during the meeting.
2. Absence, no big deal; it doesn’t really matter attitude.
3. Why invite your own guests? Just focus on those who show up.
4. Use others’ 60-second presentation time to think of referrals to give.
5. Focus your efforts on selling your services to the members.
6. Don’t rush following up on a member referral.  They know where you are.
7. Use 1-to-1’s to talk the weather rather than your business.
8. “Wing It” with your 60-seconds; you’ve got plenty more chances anyway.
9. Use your 10-minute presentation to explain minute details of how your business works.
10. Go ahead and air your grievances among the other members and guests; after all, we’re all adults here.

Networking groups are a great way to get referrals for your business, but you also need to bring referrals first and foremost to the other members helping others before you expect others to help you.

Staying away from these 10 “do-not’s” will make your experience worthwhile and your business will grow without question.

Tim Somers
Bizarre Promotions, Inc.

Grand Prize
Fans of the Bizarre Promotions Facebook Page are eligible to win a $25 American Express Gift Card. 2nd Prize

2nd Prize
$5 Tim Horton Gift Card

3rd Prize
$5 Tim Horton Gift Card

Sweepstakes Starts
July 08, 2009 at 10:59 am (PDT)

Sweepstakes Ends
July 24, 2009 at 10:59 am (PDT)

No purchase nessescary, void were prohibited by law.
Remember you MUST be a “Fan” of the Bizarre Promotions, Inc. Facebook Page to qualify.

Become a fan here then enter to win:
Best of Luck!

Tim Somers
Bizarre Promotions, Inc.

Marketing and Advertising Solutions through the power of promotional products.

To combat this, make sure everyone on board focuses on how to effectively appeal to your prospects, clients, media, and other visitors. Ask these questions: What does my visitor want to see? What will encourage them to interact with me, my company and brand? How can I use my site to better assist my customers? Once these have been analyzed, you are ready for the next step, developing the Site Plan.

The Site Plan
The first step in developing a site plan is to further define the objectives of the site. Do you want to generate leads or are you selling online directly? How do you want to go about achieving that goal? How does your site fit into your interactive marketing platform, and for that matter, your overall marketing efforts?

The second step is to outline the navigation, where will each section of the site go, and what will be included in each area.

Last, what will be the focus of the homepage?  What do we want the visitor to see as soon as it loads? Only after all these steps have been considered, do you now contemplate the design element.

Don’t Forget the Basics
Visitors expect sites to function. The content should load quickly, so limit the amount of new software required to view the site. All pages should have content, instead of telling visitors they are under construction, and all links should work.

Second, visitors want Web sites to be easy to view and navigate. No one wants to be confused or get trapped within a site. Requiring the use of the back button to navigate out of a page does not provide a positive user experience. Make sure extra attention is spent on guiding visitors through the site.

Third, and probably one of the most important things you can do for your site, is to make sure that once the visitor has made the decision to interact with your brand they can do it easily. Is there easy access to a phone number or information form? Does your site offer “chat” functionality? Once the visitor initiates contact, is someone available to speak with them?

Better Control with Content Management
When negotiating with your web designer, insist they include a Content Management System with the site. When you know you will have sections of your Web site that require constant updating, changing of content, etc., having one of these administrative systems will allow you the ability to update it internally without the assistance of the Web designer. This feature will save you money and time on the long run.

Guide Your Visitors Experience
When designing your site, you want to guide your visitor instead of allowing them to wander. You can accomplish this by creating “Conversion Scenarios” that lead visitors to specific pages on the site.

Highlight the main features on the homepage of your site and then expand on them on a dedicated landing page. This way, you present your selling features just as if you were in front of a client, only you utilize “clicks” to move to the next step.

The final step is the close. Make sure you have a contact form, contact phone, or a click to call back form at the end so you can truly begin the sales or lead process.               

Put Your Best Foot Forward
Research shows Web sites have less than 10 seconds to get visitors’ attention before they move on to another site. It is important to make sure that you meet your visitors’ expectations immediately upon the site loading. 
With that in mind, make sure you put your best foot forward by placing your most appealing assets front and center. What makes you or your product unique? What edge do you have over the competition? Tell your visitors, but not in a self-serving manner. Inform them in a way that piques their interest.

It’s Not Done Until Your Customers Say So
One of the critical issues in Web development is that everyone thinks the site is done once the client has accepted it. There is one final step after client acceptance is user acceptance. The site is only complete once the content and design have proven to be of interest to the visitor. Do visitors visit the homepage and leave abruptly, or, are they clicking through the site? Are they going to the sections and areas you want them to? These are all metrics you can track and are some of the key indicators of a successful site.

As you can see, it’s not just about design. A well thought-out plan, a solid foundation and a mindset that looks outward at the consumer are what make Web sites successful.

Tim Somers
Bizarre Promotions, Inc.

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Good Luck!

Tim Somers
Bizarre Promotions, Inc.

In the 1950’s the original self-sticking bumper stickers were simple and straight forward.  The fluorescent inks grabbed people’s attention and became a leading product for political campaigns.

The 1960’s brought in the use of vinyl, replacing the paper.  The vinyl bumper sticker was easier to remove, peeling off in one piece compared to needing a razor blade to remove the paper version.

In the 1980’s Gill Studios (Gill-Line) introduced UV cured inks, these amazingly vibrant glossy inks looked much better and were more durable and were much better for the environment.

2009 brings us to a new generation of advanced technology introducing the Full Color Custom Bumper Sticker.  Forest Gill’s inventive idea has come a long way in the past 62 years making bumper stickers a consistent marketing tool that now offers high quality graphics in full color

As a distributor for the Gill-Line we at Bizarre Promotions are excited about their new line of full color bumpers stickers.

Marketing using Bumper Stickers

Bumper stickers are a high exposure, low-cost way of marketing your business, event or cause for just pennies on the dollar.  Bumper stickers are often used to communicate political messages or brag about your kid being on the honor roll. They are also used to create an element of suspense and surprise and make statements on a person’s thoughts or views in regards to a specific topic.

Driving through traffic is not very exciting for the most part, but reading bumper stickers with funny messages, reduce the boredom of being stuck in traffic.  When someone sees a funny or cool bumper sticker they are encouraged to look around for more bumper stickers. A bumper sticker on a single car could easily be read by thousands of people in just a matter of months.

Bumper stickers can also create brand awareness for products which aren’t well positioned in their market. With the right message and graphics this can be achieved in a short amount of time for very little money. When designing a sticker it should be noted that humor grabs the maximum attention. More and more businesses are beginning to take advantage of the low cost effectiveness of marketing with bumper stickers.

Tim Somers
Bizarre Promotions, Inc.

Second, call on new people – yes cold calling!  I know no one likes to cold call, but making a quick call to introduce you and your company will then set the tone for following up with a greeting card or promotional product. You must also work your networking group and gather warm leads.  Do not forget to ask your current customers for 2 or 3 referrals.

And lastly, you must think outside the box by sending customers and prospects things (promotional items, gifts, etc) that you normally would not consider or wouldn’t waste the money on.  You need to stand out from the crowd of desperate competition.

Try doing these simple things over the next 6 months and your business will prosper.

To Your Success

Tim Somers
Bizarre Promotions, Inc.

It’s quick and easy, you don’t have to supply your email address and best of all it’s FREE.

For more details visit the site by clicking here: I Want More Twitter Followers!

Please come back to this page and post your results.

Thank you,

Tim Somers
Bizarre Promotions, Inc.

Advertising via Google TV will be a streamlined process, allowing advertisers many options including bidding on cost-per-thousand (CPM) bases.  Ads are then shown based on targets, budgets and bids and are then shown in the regular ad slot that would have taken place during the specific shows original airing.

In related Google Video news, YouTube will now be offering up feature films and various TV shows.  Below you can view the brief video explaining this new Google venture.

Tim Somers
Bizarre Promotions, Inc.

While there are many forms of advertising you need to get the most bang for your buck when your dollars are limited due to a sluggish economy. Promotional Products deliver the best return on your investment and should be without question part of your recession busting marketing strategy.

In a recent promotional products impact and exposure study it is pretty clear that using a branded advertising specialty will be an investment that is second to none in regards to pushing through these turbulent times.

Here are some of the statistics:

• Increased sales. 62% of customers do business with the company
after receiving the promotional product.
• Brand awareness. 84% of customers remember the business that
provided them with the promotional product.
• Return on investment. At $.004/ impression promotional products
have the best CPI of popular advertising media.
• Improved relations. 42% of customers view the business more
favorably after receiving the item and virtually none indicate a
negative feeling.
• Frequency and repetition. A key to advertising, promotional
products are kept on average for 7 months and many are used
every business day!
Advertising Specialties Impact and Exposures Study, visit www.asicentral.com/study for more details.

Tim Somers
Bizarre Promotions, Inc.