|
|
| Marketing Information |
|
This Information Brought to you by TopWebProducts, knowledge is power. |
|
|
Niches - The Path to More Profits
Hey, as business owners we CAN'T be all things for all customers. I mean it would be fantastic if we could, however, you just can't meet the needs and wants of everyone, you would run yourself ragged trying :o( BUT ... that doesn't mean you throw your hands up in dispair and give up ;o) Stick with me for a few minutes and we'll go over a few ideas that come to mind and see if they get your creative juices flowing. Firstly, what the heck is a "Niche" anyway?? I mean I am sure you have seen the word flying around the Internet and a lot more lately. You've seen newsletter articles and email letters from some of the top guru's now sprouting "Niche" as the new "catch" word of the time. The term is NOT NEW. Basically a "niche" is finding a specific target market and catering to their specific wants and needs. Ummm let me give you an example... As a marketing coach/consultant my business is providing a service "marketing" to businesses. Now obviously the business arena is too general so what I want to do is break it down into bite size sectors or smaller target markets. I may want to deal specifically to the needs and wants of Dental Offices and decide to specialize in Dental Office Marketing. I could take on the legal sector and specialize in marketing legal practices. Get where I am going here?? I can't be all things to all businesses out there, so I break the business sector down into target markets and the find the ones that I want to specialize in and cater to that group specifically. Now, you may be thinking ok, that's good for you being a marketing coach, but I am an affiliate for a progam...how does "niche marketing" affect me? Glad you asked ;o) When people first come online with the desire to start some sort of eBusiness they typically go into the "emarketing" niche and promote products/services with a marketing theme. It makes sense from a marketing point of view, you go where there is demand. However, with demand also comes competition and the "online marketing" arena is saturated and highly competitive. So...what do you do? Well, what you need to do is sit and think of markets outside of the "online marketing" arena which could also use your products/ services and target your messages specifically to them. Umm I feel an example coming on here...ah ok, here is one for you. Lets say you are an affiliate for an autoresponder service. Excellent service because you know that anyone who starts a business online needs an autoresponder. While that is great, what isn't so hot is the fact that you are not the only autoresponder service in cyber-land and they too are targeting the same niche you are. But...the difference between you and them is this article ;o) See, we all go for the obvious niche or target market when we sign onto an affiliate program. We go after the others just like us and market to them. What we fail to do is find the OTHER niches or target markets out there that haven't heard of an autoresponder and have no idea what it is let alone how much time we can save them. I am thinking about niches like, oh...perhaps Real Estate Agents. A few friends are in the market for a new house. Every week they get in the mail (snail mail) the new listing sheets for all the houses listed that week. The idea is that they go through these sheets and see if any of the houses peak their interest and then they are to call their Agent and ask to view them. It was an ok system, but imagine how much time and MONEY a Real Estate Agent could save if they had an autoresponder service? All they would have to do is create the new listing templates, enter the email address and names of their client base (even that is automated) and blast out the new listings once a week, or more often if they wanted to. No more printing costs and gone are the mailing costs and the time factor you have saved them is PRICELESS! See the potential here??? Are you beginning to get the idea about finding other market segments (customers) for your products/services?? If you are an affiliate for an autoresponder service you could promote autoresponders to Dental Offices. They send out appointment reminder cards...imagine the cost savings for them if they had an autoresponder service, not to mention the time savings of having staff to stick labels and post them out?? It is just a matter of seeing what they do and how your service can save them the time and money. AND...the best part about this thinking is that not many take on this sort of business stance. Now lets get away from the "online marketing niche" for a second and think of other ways of creating profit through niches. Another thing is to look to your hobbies and interests. Lets say you dabble at DJing on the weekends as a hobby. With that very hobby you could create profit by creating a little niche site geared towards DJing. Your site could focus on showing someone how to break into the weekend DJ business and provide sites that offer good DJ equipment (that you are affiliated with of course). The idea about NICHE Marketing is that you DON'T have to stick within the "Online Marketing" niche. You can find a niche based on an affiliate program, a hobby or a special interest. Some of the top marketers have found other niches like; stop smoking, weight loss, online dating, model trains, travel, golf and yup even cooking. Don't limit yourself to the niche of online marketing. Step out and find other market segments that are not being served or where there is limited competition and build your niches around those. It's like taking a path of least resistance and a path to more profits! Denise Ryder is a Marketing Coach writing from her home office in Northern Ontario (Canada). Imagine What You Could Accomplish With a Marketing Coach in Your Back Pocket! Take the No Cost TEST DRIVE! http://www.profitspace.com/coach
Check out the many ways to use this and learn about all the
aspects of each form of this that is available. Explore and learn
from all that is given here. There are many uses for this
in all of it's forms. For your use from TopWebProducts. |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Marketing Through Associations ©2004 Jeffrey Dobkin Encouraging Contact The small time promoter has to work hard and on a shoestring to get an audience of a few hundred people to fill a venue. Flyers, word-of-mouth and media name checks are some of the tools promoters use to fill small venues or club nights. Building a loyal following from grassroots is no easy task. Considering the amount of effort that can be required to fill even the smallest of venues it is surprising that very few promoters capitalise on their efforts and use the actual event to maximise the opportunity to encourage further audience contact. How to Use Business Cards to Network and Market Your Business You've had one thousand of the finest, most eye-catching business cards printed. Now, what do you do with them? Ten Breakthrough Marketing Ideas Ten Breakthrough Marketing Ideas 15-Minute Marketing: Lots of Results in Little Time Do you think you don't have enough time to market? Here's a solution that can help you get started on marketing, or any other task you've been putting off. Your Secret Marketing Weapon As a professional service provider, you're paid for what you know. People come to your firm for the expertise you offer, first and foremost. Did you also realize that this is also your secret marketing weapon? Increase New Customer Traffic to Your Business One person tells another, who tells another, who tells another and so on. You get the idea. Let's see how to make that an actuality. Forward Thinkers Stay Ahead of the Curve What is it like from a marketing perspective to be yesterday's news? We rely on what is tried and true in marketing because it is usually safe, tried, and tested. It saves us time, as well, since we don't have to put on our creativity cap to craft an innovative strategy. A Jack Of All Trades Is Often The Master of None You've heard variations of that saying your entire life. Marketing Tips- Who Are You Competing With? Before you can market, you need to know who you are marketing to. Who is your customer? How will you market? Will you cold call, mail, set appointments or employ a walk in approach? Be careful with the walk in approach as many businesses do not permit soliciting. You might just want to drop off information and follow up with a telephone call. Fax Marketing : Reaching a New Niche of Customers Traditional marketing and advertising assumes that all of your customers are traditional people. Even newer technologies like email assume that the best way to reach people is when they are at their computers. But think about it ? there are plenty of people who move around and work on the go. Checking email may be a lower priority, and may be a task they only tend to once a day, once a week, or whenever they get around to it. When your target customers aren't checking their email, your email advertisements aren't being seen. Fax marketing can help reach this niche of customers by matching their fast-moving, real-time work style. Is Your Marketing Working... That is the question, you should be asking yourself. Many feel that it is I'm sure. But is it really! Avoid the Duds: 10 Strategies for Selecting The Perfect Speaker Today, more than ever, the success of meetings relies heavily on the strength of program content and presentation. Nothing can spoil a meeting more than hiring the wrong speaker. That's because speakers do more than just convey the overall meeting message. You look to them to provide insights, awareness, and cutting-edge information in an energetic, motivational, entertaining, and professional manner. What more could you ask for? Well, the right speaker can emphasize an important message, offer inspiration, help people cope with new assignments, and lead the way towards change. Selecting the right speaker for your event is one of the most important, yet daunting elements for creating a successful meeting. Your speaker can often make or break the event. If he bombs, your reputation not only takes a severe nose-dive, but you also have the pleasure of dealing with the barrage of complaints from a disappointed audience. Yet, if he does well, you can walk away with many of the accolades, compliments, and of course, the rave reviews. By now, you probably realize that this massive responsibility is not to be taken lightly. Raise Your Expectations The skill to selecting a great speaker is determining what combination of education, motivation, and entertainment best fits your function. Then set out to find a perfect match. But keep your expectations high, since nothing can spoil a meeting faster than booking the wrong speaker. The following 10 guidelines should help you keep your focus and also keep you away from the "duds." 1. Know the program objectives. Before you can start looking for the right speaker, you must know the program objectives. Begin with the end in mind. What are you looking to achieve? Is this an annual meeting, a training program, an incentive get-together, an awards celebration, or another type of event? This will probably be a committee or management decision, rather than one you will have to make. But you may have to make an intangible concept tangible. 2. Understand the audience's needs. Along with the program objectives, consider the needs of your audience. Does your group need industry-specific or technical information? Will a mix of motivation and entertainment serve your group's purpose? Today's audiences are generally younger, more educated, more diverse, and more sophisticated than in the past. They want content. They want to learn, but they also want it to be fun, so consider the audience needs and exactly what they expect. Consider surveying your audience. Ask them what they want or what skills would most help them in their jobs. For example, sales people may ask for advanced selling skills, but managers may request teambuilding programs. 3. Check for reputation. With countless speakers out there vying for your business, how can you possibly determine which one best meets your needs? Many speakers produce highly professional or glitzy marketing materials to help sell their services. You must look deeper than simply scanning a few brochures and ask pointed questions to find the right fit, such as What experience does this speaker have? How familiar is this speaker with this industry? and, Who else has used this person? 4. "Test drive" your prospects. If you don't have the opportunity to preview a speaker in person, then the next best thing is to request a video or audio recording of a previous presentation. A session that was recorded before a live audience gives you a better sense of a person's real ability.Watch or listen carefully to how the speaker builds rapport and interacts with the audience. Ask yourself if this person would be right for your group. Is the combination of education, motivation, and entertainment appropriate for your needs? Does the speaker have a message that is appropriate, timely, and relevant to the theme or purpose of your event? Does it conform to your company's philosophy and policy? Do you feel the speaker is genuine and has the expertise to deliver a solid presentation? 5. Don't be star-struck. If you are considering celebrity speakers, make sure they can speak! TV personalities do a great job on the air, but sometimes have little public speaking expertise, and you should be aware that the skills needed for being on TV and for speaking live are very different. However, many well-known personalities make excellent speakers and can add enormous value and clout to your event. Politicians and sports, media, or entertainment celebrities often share life experiences, offer advice, or have an inspirational message to impart. 6. Be wary of grandiose claims. Speakers who claim to be all things to all people are probably desperate for work. Avoid them. True professional speakers, on the other hand, usually have certain areas or topics of expertise. They would much rather refer potential business to a true expert than jeopardize their reputation by trying to do a program outside of their knowledge zone. Also, beware of the charismatic and fluffy speaker as your audience wants good, solid take-away value. 7. Provide and ask for good information. Reputable speakers want to find out as much as possible about the meeting objectives, the audience, industry challenges, and so on in order to tailor their presentation to the group. Share information on your organization and audience to help the speaker design a program to fit your specific needs. provide them with newsletters, catalogs, or any other publications that highlight industry trends, key people, industry jargon or buzz words, and insider news and views. Also include as much information as possible about the size and demographics of the audience such as age, gender, and positions. 8. Ask for an outline. Ask prospective speakers for an outline of the presentation to make sure they will be covering the material as you discussed. This will clearly lay out what's expected as verbal communication is subject to being misunderstood or misinterpreted. Seeing exactly what speakers plan to cover in the sessions should help to ensure that the material is tailored to your specific needs. 9. Maximize opportunities. Look for ways to maximize opportunities with your speakers. Discuss different ways they can add extra value and be a significant resource to help improve your meeting's success. Brainstorm ways that you feel they can assist you in planning, preparing, promoting, and presenting. Some suggestions include serving as an emcee, conducting special sessions or roundtable discussions about current issues for select groups such as company executives or the board of directors, and participating in a spouse program. 10. Trust your instincts. Through your communication with the speaker, you will quickly form an opinion or have a feeling about this person. First reactions count here. "I like this person" or "I don't like this person," or "I feel comfortable or uncomfortable working with this person," are strong indicators. These responses usually comes from your gut - a very trustworthy organ. Have confidence in your instincts and trust that so-called sixth sense. If you experience any kind of negative feeling, think about looking for someone else or get another opinion from a colleague. You want to make sure that you can work with this person and that both of you are on the same wavelength. The true objective of hiring a professional speaker hinges on establishing a partnership where a mutually beneficial relationship grows and flourishes. When this happens, you know you've chosen well. The Perfect Match Overwhelmed with the plethora of speakers to choose from? You may want to turn to a speaker's bureau for advice and guidance. A good bureau should act as a consultant and partner to help your event succeed. Even though many hundreds of bureaus are out there, the numbers pale in comparison to the thousands of speakers. A bureau's sole purpose is simply to make your job easier and provide you with solutions. They want to find the best possible match for your event within your price range. So, where do go looking for one of these bureaus? Here are a few places to start your search: the phone book, chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus, the Internet, industry colleagues, and friends. A Final Note: Look for CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) or CPAE (Council of Peers Award for Excellence) designations. Both these are conferred by the National Speakers Association and are considered the speaking profession's international measure of professional platform skill (http://www.nsaspeaker.org). Armed with these guidelines and resources, your search for the perfect speaker will be more fruitful. And with a little effort and some time, you will connect with a speaker who will fulfill your goals- one that will be both inform and enlighten. Your audience will thank you. Marketing Tips: Free First When people think about promoting their business, the first thought that comes to mind is, "What is is going to cost?" While marketing and advertising should be part of any well-considered budget, there are a number of opportunities to market your business for free that are often overlooked. Easy Marketing Methods with Letters, Post Cards, Referrals and Testimonials Easy Direct Marketing Methods for Insurance Agencies Measuring the Return on Your Direct Mail Investment In direct mail lore, there's a rule stating that you can measure the success of your efforts by a minimum response rate of 1-2%. In other words, if you send out 10,000 pieces, you'll have a successful mailing if at least 100 recipients respond to your offer. (One percent of 10,000 is 100.)That's one view of direct mailing success. Permit me to offer a different perspective: one from the small business world. Specifically, I'm referring to those small business people who work by and for themselves. Call them "One-Man Bands," "Working Soloists," "Free Agents," or whatever you'd like.To help you remember these two perspectives, let's give them a couple of catchy names:1. The "Playing the Percentages" Perspective. This is the "industry standard 1-2% response rate on your mailings" perspective you've heard so much about. This is the yardstick favored by businesses that are sending large quantities of direct mail to sell mass market products.For example, if I own a pizza parlor, and I'm doing a "use this card for 10% off on your next order" mailing to all residences within a three-mile radius of my business, I might have a mailing list of 10,000 names. You'd better believe that I'm going to watch the overall response rate like a hawk, and I'm going to be looking at precisely where those hungry customers are coming from. If most of them are coming from a handful of apartment complexes next to a college campus, I'll know to send my future mailings to those complexes. 2. The "You Only Need A Few" Perspective. This is the one for those One-Man (or One-Woman) Bands who are selling services that take a fair amount of time to provide. Like marketing consulting, public relations services, graphic design, or customized computer software applications. For these folks, a handful of new or repeat clients from a promotional mailing is quite enough. After all, as the owner of a one-woman graphic design studio told me once, "I don't want to be a victim of my own [direct mail] success." Radio Advertising Works With These Tips! Advertising on the radio can be an effective lead generation strategy. But like all marketing tactics, success or failure lies in its implementation. Here are 15 important tips to help make your radio advertising more profitable. 5 Steps for Developing a Marketing Tag Line for Your Product, Business, or Website A marketing tag line is the one or two line descriptor that often comes after a product logo or company name. It is one of those things that looks simple but isn't. Large companies pay advertising agencies a lot of money to develop tag lines for their companies and brands. Dont Let Your Business Cards End Up in the Trash Business cards are such wonderfully creative little marketing products. Most of them, unfortunately, end up in the nearest trash basket. Nobody wants to be bombarded with a big sales pitch. If you meet someone and within two minutes you are promoting your own business or stretching out that business card, your card will more than likely end up in the trash. Marketing ? Like a Game of Chess Have you started thinking about your Valentines Day Promotion yet?
|
| home | main | site map |
| TopWebProducts © 2006 |