A shift in traditional marketing: VALUE MARKETING is NOW

I’ve been involved in marketing and advertising for well over a decade now. I started when new media was a one-person gig at a big company. That was my gig. I sat in a cubicle on the fringe of the marketing department. How appropriate.

There were no real budgets to speak of because no one knew what to expect, but because internet advertising was in its infancy (remember + $100 CPMs?), you better hope that someone in the traditional media advertising department had the ability (and trust) to authorize internet advertising contracts in the thousands of dollars. Luckily, I had a great time learning about online media (something that my college program hadn’t yet included), and it set the stage for the rest of my career.

Fast forward a dozen years… 
Since that time, as is to be expected, the world has continued to evolve. What I have learned is just how much marketing has been a mirror of society’s evolution in that time. Marketing has always had a symbiotic relationship with people and society. Afterall, if there is no one to market to, what is the point? Who is listening? 

Marketing depends upon people and personally, I think it is time for an industry wake-up call. The people part of the equation is what is going to make or break business in the near future. Those not paying attention will be left behind.

SIDE NOTE: A bit of  background here...As we know, marketing in the past decade was revolutionized with the advent of self-publishing, where everyone and anyone can take the mic and BE OUT THERE. Web 2.0 levelled the playing field for small companies to exist on the ‘big stage’ that use to be out of reach unless you had millions of dollars to spend on marketing and advertising. This changed the dynamic of advertising and marketing from being a one-way broadcast to a two-way method of communication. That shift is key. While this isn’t news anymore, it is plain to see that some companies still don’t get it – and that, my friends IS newsworthy. Why? Because that is the crux in the big marketing machine. THAT is what small business can use to its advantage. Read on to learn why...

Here's the big reveal: The companies that recognize the value of communicating with their customers and then using the information as insight to meet needs, add value and in turn, stay relevant, will succeed. This is what I call VALUEMARKETING. Companies who ignore the power that customers hold, will perish: it’s as simple as that.

Is your business among those who will succeed? Are you ready to be part of that shift in marketing - a shift that will involve a new and more relevant approach to your customers? I'm very excited to discuss and explore, and most importantly, help small businesses take advantage of this unique time in consumer culture to be the difference, to stand out and make the lives of their customers better, and in turn, become remarkable.

More posts about implementing VALUE MARKETING and free video tips to come...want to stay in the know? Register at right for first notification.

Best of luck, 

Nancy~

P.S.: To read more about the importance of VALUE MARKETING to small business success, read my next post that really gets into the nitty-gritty of this approach and necessary shift in thinking: People are marketing; NOT products, gimmicks or how many ‘likes’ a photo gets - coming soon! 
Register at top right to know when its up!

Start 2014 with purpose! A social media purpose that is...

How often have you sat down at the computer to work on your social media presence, only to feel overwhelmed, distracted, and ultimately unsure of just what it is you are doing and if you are being effective? 

You are not alone! 

Everyone has found themselves there at one point or another. In fact, most businesses are unsure of how to make the most of social media to support their particular business.

If you are tired of losing valuable hours of your time on your social media networks, then this 2-hour training session is for you.

Come in with NO plan, but leave with a purpose
This training workshop was developed based on the theory that you learn 90% of what you actually DO versus 20% of what you read. 

Throughout the workshop, you immediately apply the techniques to your own business through the series of worksheets built into the training session. 

This means that not only are you learning, but in 2 hours you are also defining your business's social media purpose!

What you get: 

• An actionable plan to take home with you, customized for YOUR business
• Hands-on training workbook filled to the brim with worksheets and valuable information
• Digital copy of the workshop
• Free access to on-going support via my closed [insert name here] Facebook group
• Discount code to "The 20 Minute Marketer" e-book/webinar series coming in 2014.

Information:

Tuesday, December 10th, 2013

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

TD Canada Trust 
5679 Hazeldean Road (at Huntmar)
Stittsville, ON


Cost: $60.00 + HST

There are only 10 spots available!
Register today by emailing me: info@theroguepeamarketing.com

Don't wait until January to take a BIG step forward in you marketing strategy. By attending this 2-hour training-workshop, your business will be better positioned to maximize the results your social media efforts while reducing the time spent online - all by defining your social media purpose.


Want to see what we'll be covering? Here's a sneak peek at the training materials.


Translate purpose into success
The key to experiencing success in anything is determining what goal you are trying to achieve. This training workshop will do just that! I do away with the clutter and cut right to the chase -focusing in on what is the BEST way for you use social media that has the most impact on your customers.


Bring a friend, save $5: If you sign up with a friend*, you BOTH receive a $5 discount off the registration cost. *Must sign up at the same time, in advance only.

Additional incentive: sign up NOW for my email newsletter (at right) and you are automatically entered into a draw for FREE admission to the workshop. Deadline to qualify is 11:59 p.m. December 9, 2013.

Advance registrations only! 

Are you ready to start off the New Year with more focus and purpose driving your business online than ever? It's as easy as sending an email directly to me at info@theroguepeamarketing.com!

Looking forward to seeing you!

Nancy

Social media management: Win the fight for control once and for all!

Reading time: 4 minutes

Just because social media is on 24/7 doesn't mean you have to be. I've too, felt the need to always be connected in case something new comes up. While social media is  always 'on' and new things are always coming up, it usually isn't urgent.

The TRUTH: Social media doesn't have to be the insatiable beast we have come to know.

Follow these 3 tips to successfully manage your social media networks, maintain your sanity AND improve productivity in the process!

Tip #1: Know your purpose

Being on social networks is different than actually being productive with them. To be productive, as with any aspect of marketing your business, you need to have an identified purpose for what you are doing. This is otherwise called an objective. 

Setting objectives is a challenging process but it is essential. If you want to make the most out of ANY marketing activity, defining your purpose by setting objectives is a must. Social media is no different. 

Here are some sample objectives:

• Reach new audiences (as measured by new likes)
• Engage audience with brand (as measured by comments or shares, retweets, repins, etc.)
• Encourage action (be specific - more sign ups for a newsletter? more downloads of a free tool?)

Identifying why you are on social media in the first place goes a LOOONG way to making it work for you, and not the other way around. Remember, the key is to make it measurable.

Tip #2: Set a time limit and stick to it 

Social media can often feel like the demanding child that is always begging for attention. It keeps calling you, drawing you in to it's vortex of time-sucking. Yes, I did just make that up. ;-) 

The point is, YOU have to take control over your time by setting a time limit and sticking to it. Sure, you will feel like there is so much more you could have done when that buzzer rings, but the reality is, while social media never turns off, neither the world nor your business will end after you log off. 

A very wise and web-savvy marketter named Lynn Terry taught me that you ABSOLUTELY can get what needs to be done in 15 minute blocks of time per social network. Do this as often as fits into your routine or lifestyle. Ready to give it a try? Go!

HINT: You know that purpose you defined earlier? This is where having a purpose comes in handy. Now you can make the most of your time online by focusing only on those activities which support your objectives. Which leads to the next point...

Tip #3: Make a list of your daily (or weekly) social media "to-do's" by network

Make a TO-DO list for each social network you are actively engaged with. This helps keep the distraction-clicking to a minimum, boosting your productivity. 

For example, make a list of keywords relevant to your business and purpose. Keep this list handy, and perform searches each time you go online. When you find interesting things, share and comment on them.

More examples of objective-oriented tasks for social networks:

• Want to extend your audience and reach? Find 3 new people to follow each session. Comment on their content, say hi' and introduce yourself.
• Look specifically for content that you can share on other networks (this is dual-use time because it fuels your need for content elsewhere, ie. find article links on Twitter and repost them as a status updates on your own Facebook page. Include the article link for your readers and voilà! You have new content to engage your audience/followers)

POP QUIZ: Have you noticed that a lot of the activities are related to engaging via commenting and sharing? 

This is important because you want to provide VALUE to  your audience and also contribute VALUABLE comments to other ongoing conversations in established communities where your audience hangs out. This is important because it makes your business (BRAND) look good. By not only 'selling' yourself and your business, by offering more substance through engagement and content, you are creating a more personal and valuable connection to potential customers. And isn't that what we, as business owners want?

For more on the value of building relationships, what I call VALUE MARKETING, and why it is the KEY to establishing brand loyalty, check out my other blog post about why you should be building relationships, and NOT selling your business.

Best of luck, 

Nancy

PS: Want to receive more one-on-one help with marketing  your business? Join me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheRoguePeaMarketing

Want to be unforgettable to your customers? Here's how...

Short and sweet, here is the first in a series of 

VALUE MARKETING tips: 

Small business success: EASY, FREE weekly organization worksheet

Since I started my business, The Rogue Pea Marketing, I have been working on several projects simultaneously. I have always used a notebook to scribble my daily to-do's and stay organized when I worked my full-time job and this seemed to do the trick. But now that my days were filled with multiple clients not to mention household responsibilities and activities, I found I needed a new organization system. Low and behold, the Week-in-a-Peek time management worksheet was born!

Here is a quick look:

I know I'm not the only one struggling to remember all the 'To-Do's' in a week, so here it is for you. Download a copy for yourself for FREE at this link to the worksheet.

Printing instructions: ensure that you have selected 'Shrink oversize pages' in Size Options. I make this in Photoshop and did not account for margins, however, selecting this takes care of it, no problem!


If you know of anyone else who would benefit from this super easy, fast organization tool, be sure to share the link or send them to visit Rogue Pea blog too!


And remember...
The key to success lies not in not adhering strictly to rules and schedules, but making the best of things when life strays from our plans.

Best of luck!

Nancy

P.S. Do you have a go-to organization method for daily tasks? I would love to hear about how you manage your small business and stay organized with family life. Leave a comment below!