Nobody will tear out your ad, take it home, unfold it from their pocket, turn on the computer, and type in WWW.BLANKer.com
Ironic. Frustration and heavy drinking doesn't happen when your efforts fail. Frustration and 3 Martiinis strike when you run out of ideas.
The following list is a collection of the most effective and ingenious marketing/pr methods used by the most successful people on earth.
Branding
No. Branding has nothing to do with marketing but without it, your marketing is worthless. So let's get the basics checked off. And never under estimate the value of branding. Major Fortune 500s get this wrong.
Quick. What do you do?
If you can't instantly remember what you do, how is anyone else going to remember you for what you do? Let's say you do know what you do. What is it? Go on, say it out loud or in your mind. Makes no difference. Now, when someone else thinks of that word, do they think of you?
What do you think of when you hear "luxury car?"
Now, think of all the other luxury cars that didn't come to mind. That is a branding problem--not a marketing problem. This time, think of a body wash. I personally think of Dove. I never buy Dove. But that's what I think of. So if my (imaginary) wife tells me to get body wash, guess which one I'll pick up. Nope. In spite of the extraordinary success of another brand, you will not pick up the Red bottle. This is why: How Weiden+Kennedy Screwed Up Marketing and Branding
So, these are the most underused and overlooked opportunities for branding you in the minds of your market:
1. Business Card
Does your card say what you do? Specifically? Are you Dr. Williams or are you Dr. Williams, Pediatrician? Are you Acme Windows or are you Acme Winterproof Windows? Are you Stella's Bakery or are you Stella's Cupcakes?
Brand yourself in a niche that's narrow enough for you to dominate. Then, broaden your branding.
2. Signage
Nobody is going to give you business because of your pretty logo. People are going to give you business because of what it says you do underneath.
3. Packaging
Say the exact same thing from #1 and #2 on all your packaging. Judging by my bachelor friends' homes, you'll be branding their kitchen counter tops, night stand, and living room floor with your packaging for days at a time. You can't ask for better product placement.
PR: Keep pulling media stunts like selling abused super models in "women to go."
4. Collateral
Again, say the same thing you did in all your letterhead, envelopes, brochures, and any other hand outs.
5. Email signature
This is probably going to be read more than all of the above combined. Again, what is it that you do? Is it something that people commonly ask friends, "Joe, do you know any good BLANKers?"
6. Checks
Yes. Checks. People are happy and receptive when they get your checks. Use the opportunity to ride the good will wave and brand yourself into the psyche of your payee. Say what you do on your checks. They will stare at it all the way to the bank.
People are happy and receptive when they get your checks. Use the opportunity to ride the good will wave and brand yourself into the psyche of your payee
7. Invoices
Yep. Even if everyone hates invoices, that jolt of adrenalin they get when they see your bill will make their brand their long term subconscious with what you do. They will tell their friends about how much this BLANKer charged them. Then the friend will forever remember you as the BLANKer.
8. Voice Mail Greetings
This is crucial. It's just as cheap to use as an email signature. And it affords you another sensory modality to reinforce your brand in the mind of your victim, ummm, prospect.
9. Call Salutation
Make sure you say, Thank you for calling (insert company name), the world's greatest BLANKer." Continued: Branding
Marketing
OK, let's get to the main course. If you, like most companies are only marketing yourself through two or three mediums, you've leaving a lot of money on the table. No. That's just not telling the story. What you're really doing is leaving a drop dead gorgeous human being naked in bed with just a hand shake.
If you're paying for advertising, stop. It's the most expensive way to market. Here are all of them:
1. Adwords
Adwords build little no brand awareness or value on impression. Most of the clicks you get will be accidental. When was the last time you clicked on a Google adwords ad intentionally?
2. Print ads
Don't. The only exception to this rule is if you can lower the bar of conversion from sale to a Facebook "Like" or an IPhone browse. Nobody will tear out your ad, take it home, unfold it from their pocket, turn on the computer, and type in WWW.BLANKer.com. What they might do is, given enough incentive, use their android or iphone to surf to your site. Once there, you've got to make it so easy to connect that you'll sit there a week later wondering why nobody has connected.
You'd also be amazed how broke poor bloggers and reporters are
3. PR
This, I like. But once you're in the news, you've got to stay in the news. Keep pulling media stunts like selling abused super models in "women to go." Rawk the boat.
4. Blog
People read insightful posts that either entertain, educate, save time, ummm... here's how to build a blog that will drive you business
5. Close each blog post with a call to action
Strike while the iron is hot. The moment you've got a reader impressed with you, the moment their blood pressure jumps and their imagination soars, use that momentum and get them to take action that will build your relationship. To chat with me about your own marketing push, answer these probing diagnostic questions at http://sparkah.com/marketing.php before moving to #6.
6. See #5
7. Send out promotional crap
Make it useful--like a stress ball that doesn't bounce or a lanyard (perfect for the executive's latch-key kid).
There are hundreds if not thousands of emails and names. That's a lot
8. Twitter bio
Does your Twitter bio have a call to action? People routinely go to the super market and forget why they got there. Remind them to click the follow button. If you are on twitter, follow me at http://twitter.com/sparkah before moving to #9.
9. See #5 then #8
10. Take a blogger or reporter out to lunch
You'd be amazed how much press and Google love you can get for just $8 and another $27 bucks in margaritas. You'd also be amazed how broke poor bloggers and reporters are. You'll get big street cred for under $35.
11. Start a competing blog
No, but seriously, rather then promote blogger obesity and substance addiction, pay college kids $20 a blog post that captures the attention of readers in your market demographic. @Problogger pays $25 for pros to, well, blog.
This is a little tricky. If you're a caterer, don't blog about catering. Nobody cares. Don't blog about recipes. You'll empower your competition--the house wife/husband/partner (not necessarily in that order). Instead, blog about a topic that will intersect like a giant inverse venn diagram and blog about hipster parties. Blog about local weddings. DJs will read it and refer you. Photographers will read it and refer you. Party planners will read it and hire you. Jealous socialites will throw parties and hire you just to be featured in your blog.
If you sell premium natural wigs, how many more people would you influence if you had a fun blog about the hottest costume parties around the world. How many new friends and potential customers would you touch if you had a blog about senior citizens' health and the elderly? I don't know. What if you had a blog about spy gear?
12. Support charities
Find a charity that can help you help them. Support them and let the relationships you build support you to support them even more.
13. Become an activist
Pick a cause. You'll make friends and customers you wouldn't have access to in any other way.
Instead, get partner maternity boutique owners in San Diego, San Francisco, NYC, Boston, Chicago, Miami, etc to share the marketing work
14. Forums
Post in relevant discussion forums asking for help. Don't spam. Don't astro turf. It's actually FTC illegal. Just humbly ask for suggestions and options about your product and leave a link. Rapidly, your Google traffic will spike. And you'll walk away with valuable public sentiment.
15. Build a forum
A forum saves your sales, support, and executive team gobs of time. Most people will google before looking for your customer service number at 9pm at night. An extra bonus is that you can use your own forum for google link building and advertising your own products. Win-win. If you need a forum built, talk to us at http://sparkah.com/websites.php
16. Vertical (regional) partnerships
If you own a maternity boutique in LA, why market to the billions around world when you only have access to about 100,000 prospects. Keep marketing to the world. Instead, get partner maternity boutique owners in San Diego, San Francisco, NYC, Boston, Chicago, Miami, etc to share the marketing work and stop leaving money on the table (or that gorgeous being in bed).
17. Horizontal partnerships
(Get your mind out of the gutter). If you sell salt, and are pouring money into marketing salt, get yourself a partner who sells pepper. You'll cut your marketing costs and labor in half while bumping your profits substantially. Here's how to find and contact Twitter users by industry, job description and location.
Again, if you sell wigs, why not swap ads with DJs and Party Planners? What if you swapped ads with young jewelery and accessory designers? What about personal stylists to the wealthy like @closetofstyle?
18. Youtube
Instead of just posting customer support answers in your forum, up the stakes and use youtube. Here's why you should really use Youtube for Customer Support.
19. Retail partners
This is probably the most frightening for you web types. But it's a gold mine. Let's say you are a travel agency. Let's say you are a travel blogger. Or let's just say you sell those 2oz travel size thingies. When's the last time you thumbed through a guest book at a quaint B and B? There are hundreds if not thousands of emails and names. That's a lot. Now, Imagine you got a B and B from every major city on earth to get you their guest book in exchange for sending them guests.
Let's say you're a Dentist. How many Facebook "Likes" would you get if you left a small netbook in every candy shop in town? All the kids would check facebook while dripping purple everlasting gob stopper saliva into the keyboard.
I don't know. What do you do? Let's figure out how to build your direct relationship with the big wide world. Call us at 310 598 1606 or just email us via http://sparkah.com/marketing.php
Let's get you into high orbit. We carry rocket fuel.
BONUS: PS... When you contact us... ask for the last and trickiest one, #20. We're working on it now.
How to Get Into the News Media and Pull Big Bloggers Like Guy Kawasaki With 
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