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Today is Strike While the Iron is Hot Day!
Posted on June 29th, 2010 No commentsOkay, so I made that up. But its the heat of summer and so I thought it would be fun to share some HOT summer promotional ideas with you.
Strike While the Iron is HOT!
Everyone loves summer! In the summer people tend to be happier and walk with a lighter step. A lot of that has to do with the extra amounts of Vitamin D we are getting when we are exposed to the sunshine. And more people are in “vacation mode” so if you cater to people who are travelling or simply taking life a little easier, your summer months are probably better than some industries who’s business revolves the “buying season.”
Here are a seven summertime promotions to get your marketing started:1. Have a Barbeque for your clients and prospects. Give away private label barbeque sauce which you can buy at your favorite promotional products company. Give away aprons with your company logo on them. Have a hot-dog eating contest and give away prizes.2. If you have a retail store or a business that gets “foot traffic” give away bottled water.3. Set up a Lemonade Stand outside your business and “sell” the lemonade with the proceeds going to a local charity the community recognizes and supports.4. GET Social! With the slower summer months now is a good time to “get your feet wet” and test it out.5. Host a luncheon for your best customers. This is a good way to create a focus group and get valuable feedback from people who do business with you. You can learn valuable lessons and find out what you are doing right AND Wrong! Or take a customer to lunch.6. Check out all the interesting and fun promotional items available such as sunglasses, beach bags, totes, sunscreen, visors and more. Find one or two that best represents your company or marketing message and order them for your business.7. Have a sale! Not a novel idea but how about a HOT SUMMER SALE like the old fashioned side-walk sales and give away those “hot” summer items that you just ordered.June 29th is:Waffle Iron Day ~ Did you know? Waffles were sold on the streets of Paris during the 12th century. They gradually spread across Europe and became very popular in Germany and Holland. The Dutch brought waffles to American during the founding of New Amsterdam (now known as New York City). Why waffles? Those little indentions kept the syrup from running off the edges. Slurp!(source: hicards.com)Also on this date:In 1891 the National Forest Service organizedIn 1916 Boeing aircraft flew for 1st timeIn 1963 the Beatles’ first song “From Me to You” hits UK chartsWhile you are thinking about ways to promote your business, check out Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year for More great marketing ideas.
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Followup With Clients Day
Posted on June 28th, 2010 No commentsMost of us have a good idea how to follow up with people we have just met, but do you have a system in place for following up with those that already support you by purchasing your products and services? Equally important if not more so, are the steps we take to keep our companies top of mind with our clients. Not only will it solidify a relationship, you will also find out about any problems they are having before the problem gets out of hand and when you can do the most good. Not to mention you are much more likely to benefit from ongoing referrals when you follow up on a regular basis.
Here’s a simple “letter-writing /communications system” to keep those precious clients in your business life:The letter can be a “how are you doing,” letter.A “how are WE doing letter” to find out how you are measuring up to the clients expectations.A letter listing other services you provide; many times clients use us for one thing not having any idea how many other services we offer.A letter asking what other services they need that you may not have thought of but could offer.A letter updating them on happenings in your company.A letter with “changes in the industy” that might affect them or the services you provide.A letter with a special offer, such as a thank you for your business, here’s a special we are having for our preferred clients.A letter requesting referrals/ endorsements/ testimonials (this letter can be combined with one or more of the above).A letter asking what other services they need that you may not have thought of but could offer.Birthday/milestone letters, cards and postcards are also great to celebrate an annual event such as their birthday or the birthday of one of their family members or an anniversary. And really any letter of congratulations is great acknowledgement that you know what is going on in the lives of your clients and customers.
Other follow up strategies:Pick up the phone and just ask how the client is doing? Don’t sell just say “Hi!”BTW, if you are invoicing clients for work done, it is perfectly acceptable to include the letters in your invoices. The only exception would be the Birthday or milestone letter. Send that separately.If a customer/client stops using your services, that is perhaps the most critical time to follow up. Send them a letter telling them you are sorry to see them go (provided you are) and hope that if their circumstances change they will consider your company for their needs in the future. If you do not know why they left, a phone call with a follow up letter is not only common courtesy, it can sometimes repair any damages done and even get the customer back! Never burn bridges! Consider keeping them on your mailing list to send something once a year or more.
June 28th is alsoPlease Take My Children to Work DayAlso on this date in history:In 1762 the first reported counterfeiting attempt was made in Boston, MAIn 1859 the first dog show was held in Newcastle-on-Tyne, EnglandIn 1894 Labor Day became an official US holiday.In 1917 The Raggedy Ann doll was inventedIn 1938 A 450 metric ton meteorite struck the earth in a empty field near Chicora, PennsylvaniaNational Prevention of Eye Injuries Week begins today (June 28-July 5)While you are thinking about ways to promote your business, check out Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year for More great marketing ideas.
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Decide To Be Married Day
Posted on June 27th, 2010 No commentsSixth Annual Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest Rolls Out in Boca Raton.
If you can make a beautiful wedding dress from rolls of toilet paper you could win $1,000! NEXT YEAR!Roxie Radford, Laura Gawne and Susan Bain owners of the popular website www.cheap-chic-weddings.com hosted their sixth annual “Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest” based on the classic wedding shower game where contestants create a gown made of toilet paper. The contest ran from April 5, 2010 to May 15, 2010. Winners were announced on June 4, 2010. And the winner was… Galit Zeierman of Ramat Gan, Israel!As the Grand Prize winner, Zieirman received $1000, Ericka Andrade of Winnetka, CAmthe second place winner received $500 and Bailey Bickford also from California and the third place winner received $250.The rules: Create your design using toilet paper and make it stay together with tape, glue or a needle and thread. Then take pictures of your “creation” on your model or mannequin. Videos and photos welcome.There was no entry fee. All judging was done by The Official Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Judging Panel at Cheap Chic Weddings from the photos submitted.Want to see photos of some of the winners? Check it out at: http://www.cheap-chic-weddings.com/wedding-contest-2010.htmlOfficial contest rules along with lots of other wedding cost saving tips and information can be found at www.Cheap-Chic-Weddings.com.That’s taking Cheap weddings to a new level… And what a way to advertise your business – if you are in the wedding dress business that is!You can Sponsor the 2011 Cheap Chic Weddings Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest! Click here: http://www.cheap-chic-weddings.com/ for details.Also on this date:Registration begins for the Do Not Call List with nearly 3/4 million phone numbers registered on the first day providing consumers with an opportunity to limit telemarketing calls.In 1652 New Amsterdam (now NYC) passed the first speed limit law in USIn 1693 the first woman’s magazine “Ladies’ Mercury” was published in LondonIn 1847 NY & Boston linked by telegraph wires1955 the seat belt legislation was enacted in IllinoisToday is also:“Happy Birthday To You” DayAmerica’s Kids DayDescendants DaySunglasses DayWhile you are thinking about ways to promote your business, check out Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year for More great marketing ideas.
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In other Wedding News: Couple weds at Wisconsin grocery store -
Today is Soap Opera Day
Posted on June 25th, 2010 No commentsSoap Operas got their start in Radio as did the advertisers who promoted their products to the housewife and stay-at-home moms of the day. The term ”soap opera” was coined by the American press in the 1930s partly because of the strong support of companies promoting household cleaning products and the fact that the actors “dramatized” their lives on the screen through dialog.In fact, Soap Operas, or daytime dramas as they are now called, have experienced immense popularity over the past fifty years and has even moved to prime time television with the likes of Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters (in the US) as well as other countries around the globe via chronologically serialized programs.Of course, Soap Operas are not just for housewives anymore. The daytime drama audience now includes professionals of both sexes who unwind after a hard day at the office by watching their prerecorded soaps when they get home. And College Students watch “Soaps” in their dorm rooms with their roomies and friends.You can learn more about the history of Soap Operas by watching this brief informative video:Learn About the History of Soap Operas
From the 1950s to present day as the world turns you are taken to far away lands, or someplace in your neighborhood, where the dishes never need to be washed, and all my children never cry. It’s the ultimate escape from reality that appeals to the viewing audience.Soap Operas rely on advertisers and advertisers rely on the success of the the show to sell more products. It is the perfect blend of “art” and “commerce.” Companies appealing to the daytime drama audience “Own the Show.”
Where could you hang your “advertising hat” and “own the show?”
Also on this date:
In 1630 the Fork was introduced to American diningIn 1638 the Lunar eclipse is the first astronomical event recorded in US
In 1867 the barbed wire was patented by Lucien B Smith of Ohio
In 1947 the Tennis shoe was first introduced
While you are thinking about ways to promote your business, check out Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year for More great marketing ideas.
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June 24th is Hand Shake Day
Posted on June 24th, 2010 No comments
It’s a great time to get out and shake some hands – make sure you collect the business cards of those whose hands you shake and send them a note the very next day.Remember to follow up. A good follow up system could include the following:1. A phone call to say it was nice to meet you2. A shout out on a social networking site3. A card or postcard in the mail4. A hand-written note5. Sending a small gift6. Stopping by and leaving a card and a cookie or donuts or new magazine or book (or a tschotcke from your business)7. An email message to include nice meeting the person with an invitation to something such as another networking event and/or a FREE resource the person might find of value.Make a game of it. See how many hands you can shake in a day… then the next day try to beat that number. Do this weekly and add up the number of hands you shake. At the end of the month, tally up the score. Start over next month and see if you can beat that score. Share your score with your circle. Invite them to “play.” Have an accountability partner. Someone you can share your goals with. Do your best to meet those goals. Its even okay to exceed them. Or not. Make it a contest. Give away a prize… Or win a prize.
Today is:Celebration of the SensesInternational Fairy DayAlso on this day:In 1817 the first coffee planted in Hawaii on Kona coastIn 1901 the first exhibition by Pablo Picasso, 19, opened in ParisIn 1949 “Hopalong Cassidy” becomes the first TV western (NBC)1974 The UPC label is used for the first time to ring up purchases at a supermarketWhile you are thinking about ways to promote your business, check out Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year for More great marketing ideas.
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June 23rd is WORDS THAT SELL! Day
Posted on June 23rd, 2010 No comments
4 tips to jump start your copywriting … and get your audience to buy more of what you have to sellAny good copywriter will tell you words sell products (and services). Many times people will look at a picture and have the desire to achieve an outcome or be like the photo portrays but it’s the words that get most people to hand over money for your product or service. Words tell the story behind the picture. Words will make your copy stand out, get noticed and more importantly get results! Before you publish a single word, here are four tips to get you started.1. Take a look at your product or service from the customer’s perspective. Make a list of all the benefits (what the customer will gain from using your product) and features (the reasons or justification for buying the product). Prioritize your lists in order of importance.2. Now look at what makes your product different or superior to your competitor’s products. What do you offer that your competition does not? This is called positioning. Positioning will help you develop the right strategy to sell.“Customers don’t want to be befuddled by specialized language any more than you want to be hit with all medical lingo when you go to the doctor. So, speak, write, and present in a language and manner the audience will understand.” Dave Green3. Who is your target audience? What are their needs, wants and motivations to buy? Are they rich, poor, educated, young, older, professionals, blue collar workers, etc.?4. Create your plan. What do you need to say to get your point across and how many words or “copy” will you need to make your point. While it is not always the case, a general rule of thumb is that the greater the investment in a product or service, the more copy you will need to convey the message. Keep in mind, there are exceptions to this rule. Simple products/services with well-known (evident) benefits will require less explaining than those that are more complicated.©Heidi Richards Mooney ~ www.HeidiRichards.com ~ Reprinted from WORDS THAT SELL! Finding The RIGHT Words or “WRITE” Words To Get Your Point Across, Get Your Reader to Take Action and Get Your Info Products Noticed! And more importantly Sold! Including 229 Words & Phrases that PAY! This special report is available when you sign up for Cashing in on Info Products by Heidi Richards MooneyToday is also:Let it Go Day ~ if the marketing you have been doing isn’t working – let it go! What else do you need to let go of?Public Service DayAlso on this date:In 1860 the US Secret Service createdIn 1868 Christopher Latham Sholes patents “Type-writer”In 1949 the first women graduated from Harvard Medical SchoolIn 1974 the first extraterrestrial message was sent from Earth into spaceWhile you are thinking about ways to promote your business, check out Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year for More great marketing ideas.
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June 22nd is National Columnist Day
Posted on June 22nd, 2010 No comments
Is your product or service unique or different in a significant way from the competition? Write a press release about it and sent it to your favorite columnists (the ones most likely to write about you) Positive media coverage may not make you an international or overnight celebrity, but it can make you more well known to those you serve. Today is a great day to reach out and touch the media by phone, fax or email – make sure you communicate in their desired way. Some don’t like calls while others prefer email above all else. Congratulate the media on their special day!Today is also:Stupid Guy Thing Day ~ enough said.Also on June 22nd:In 1832 John Howe patents pin manufacturing machineIn 1847 the Doughnut was createdIn 1874 the Game of lawn tennis was introduced -
Encourage Energy Conservation with Summer Solstice
Posted on June 21st, 2010 No comments
HELIOLATRY (hee-lee-OL-uh-tree) ~ Meaning: Worship of the sun. Heliolatry stems from the Greek helio-, “sun,” and -latry, “worship.”The first day of summer began today 7:28 a.m. ET, the beginning of the summer solstice and the longest day of the year— in the Northern Hemisphere (it’s the first day of WINTER in the Southern Hemisphere).
The summer solstice is a result of the Earth’s north-south axis being tilted 23.5 degrees relative to the sun. The tilt causes different amounts of sunlight to reach different regions of the planet.
Today the North Pole is tipped closer to the sun than on any other day of 2010. The opposite holds true for the Southern Hemisphere, for which today is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.
Today at high noon the sun appears at its highest point in the sky—its most directly overhead position—in the Northern Hemisphere.
What can you do to promote your business during Summer Solstic longest day of the year? Have a sale! or a Sunshine Day… Promote sunlight, the beach, picnics. If you are a personal trainer and live near the beach, you could invite your clients and prospects to join you for sunrise workout. If you live near a park, do the same. Choose a place outside where people can congregate for FREE and enjoy the longest day of the year, and start their week on a positive note to gear up for the lazy days of summer ahead.
You could offer a 21% off sale for June 21st. Encourage the use of solar energy as a power source… “A new survey conducted by Applied Materials, Inc. reveals that two-thirds of Americans believe solar technology should play a greater role in meeting the country’s energy needs. In addition, three-quarters of Americans feel that increasing renewable energy and decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil are the country’s top energy priorities.” Source MarketWatch.com
Today is also:
Anne and Samantha Day
Baby Boomers Recognition Day
Midsummer Day
National Daylight Appreciation Day
World Humanist Day
Also on June 21st in History:
In 1834 Cyrus Hall McCormick patents reaping machine
In 1879 F. W. Woolworth opens his first store
In 1893 the first Ferris wheel premiered in Chicago
In 1948 the 33 1/3 RPM LP record was introduced to replace 78′sWhile you are thinking about ways to promote your business, check out Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year for More great marketing ideas.
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Today is Amusement Park Day
Posted on June 18th, 2010 No comments
Do you remember when you were a child and an amusement park or theme park would open up? You could not wait to go and ride the rides, eat the candy and see all the strange and wonderful sites to behold.Amusement parks are loved by children and adults alike. Think Disney. I LOVE DISNEY so its not too difficult to convince me to go from time to time.Amusement Park history:Originating in Europe Amusement Parks started in the mid 1500′s and were called “pleasure gardens.” Pleasure Gardens offered games, music and amusement rides. The world’s oldest amusement park is ’Bakken’, located north of copenhagen, denmark.Amusement aka”theme” park attractions begin with a mythology, or established story, and are designed around that theme, to include theatrics, architecture, design, engineering and marketing and advertising graphics.How can you weave a STORY into your marketing message? Maybe its how you started in business or why? Maybe its a story of a customer or client who had amazing results from using your products/services. Or maybe its a story of how you have made a difference in your community.Give people what they want. Fantasy and heros and rags to riches stories are still popular. The public craves it. What’s your Business STORY?Check out theme parks in America at http://www.themeparkcity.comAnd amusement and theme parks from the 1950′s through today can be found atAlso on June 18th in history
In 1892 Macademia nuts are first planted in HawaiiIn 1898 the first amusement pier opens in Atlantic City, NJIn 1928 Amelia Earhart the first female to fly across the AtlanticIn 1983 Dr Sally Ride became the first American Woman in SpaceThe 7th Annual Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival begins today in Avon, OH (June 18-20).Today is also:Work@Home Father’s DayNational Flip Flop DayWhile you are thinking about ways to promote your business, check out Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year for More great marketing ideas.
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June 17th Power of One Day
Posted on June 17th, 2010 1 commentONE PERSON CAN make a Difference!
“Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry.” Bill Drayton, CEO, chair and founder of AshokaWe call these people heroes, visionaries and social entrepreneurs. The Power of One is a person who leads for change, and has a vision a passion, inspiration, no-holds barred, take on any risks to reach the goal of the vision mentality. The Power of One individual is someone who feels an urgent sense of what’s important, that something must be done and the knowledge that they have to do something, they have an inner impatience that tells them that if they don’t do something now, who will?The Power of One becomes a Social obligation, religious or spiritual obligation, something that is greater than one person, even though one person may begin the “movement” for change, charting new courses and discovery the ONE understands that it will take a HUGE following to accomplish the goal and reach the vision. The ONE recognizes the problem, and through their vision discovers the solution and leads the charge to reach the solution through ACTION.You can recognize and honor THE Individual POWERS OF ONE in your communities by simply thanking them, hosting an event around the person, the idea and the vision.The Power Of One video presentation is about individual leaders who have changed the world through their individual effort and vision. Millions have already viewed and been moved by the essence of its message. It is meant to inspire you to spread the message of the power of one throughout your local community to truly make a difference. The Power of One begins with the Power of You!
Check out the Power of One Organization. According to their website: “Our vision includes solutions pavilions/domes that provide immersive media experiences, interactive dialogue, and connectivity through internet, radio, TV, and cell phones that will inform, educate, and inspire people and organizations to be and act as ONE as part of an interconnected energetic web of life enabling a peaceful, sustainable, and harmonious global society.” Visit http://powerofone.org/And take the Are You the Next New Hero? QUIZ
On July 17 in history:1824 the Bureau of Indian Affairs established1856 the Republican Party opens its 1st national convention in Philladelphia1950 the first kidney transplant takes place in Chicago, IL.While you are thinking about ways to promote your business, check out Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ How to Use Zany and Non-traditional Holidays to Promote Your Business 365 Days a Year for More great marketing ideas.
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