Charlie Cook's MArketing for Success Insider's Club

 

The Top Experts Reveal Small Business Marketing Strategies
That Get Results In This Economy

How to Optimize Your Website For Local Search

By Jason Lomberg   |   July 6, 2010

Chances are as a small business or an entrepreneur the products or services that you offer are targeted to a local area.  When this is the case it is very important to develop your search engine optimization strategy with a plan to attract localized searches.

If you are a pizza shop in Philadelphia it makes logical sense to target searches of people looking for a pizza shop in Philadelphia or if you’re a lawyer in New York it is logical to target searches looking for a lawyer in New York and not someone looking for a lawyer in California. Read More »

Elements of Successful Direct Mail Campaigns

By Jeffrey Dobkin   |   July 5, 2010

All direct mail marketing campaign packages have common elements: outer envelope, letter, brochure; most have a reply card or reply envelope.  While a 4-color brochure can supply the glitz and glamor, it’s the letter in today’s direct mail marketing campaign that brings in the orders.  Examine the letter in your direct mail campaign with an eye towards generating higher readership, which means more phone calls and orders.

Once people open your direct mail package they glance at your brochure, but they read the letter. But is it really a letter?  Read More »

How to Make Sales 2.0 Work For You

By Matt Gethins   |   July 4, 2010

In my last blog article I introduced the Sales 2.0 concept and how it is now common practice to establish the lead generation and prospecting aspect of sales into a separate business process. You do this because sales people and business owners either don’t have the time to do enough prospecting and lead generation, or they are not very good at it.

If you accept the business logic of Sales 2.0 then you need to begin understanding the elements that make Sales 2.0 effective. Read More »

Want More Repeat Business & Referrals? Stay In Touch!

By Colleen Kilpatrick   |   July 4, 2010

It’s common knowledge that staying in touch with customers is essential to a thriving business.

Yet, too often savvy business people invest a tremendous amount of time, money and effort trying to find new customers, but zero time staying in touch with the customers they already have.

The consequence: No repeat business or referral marketing done on your behalf. Read More »

The Funny Side of Communication

By Eric Garner   |   July 3, 2010

If, like me, you train regularly, you’ll know how easy it is to put your foot in it.

I was reminded of this training truth recently when I read the obituary of one of the UK’s finest support comedians, John Junkin.

Junkin had been a schoolmaster before treading the boards. The story goes that one day while taking a class of particularly uninspired fourth formers, Junkin had spotted a boy at the back of the room chewing gum. Read More »

Is Your Networking Notworking?

By Michael Katz   |   July 2, 2010

A few years ago, having just set out as an E-Newsletter consultant, I got together for dinner with my old friend Jack. At the time, Jack had been an independent consultant for about ten years, and I knew he’d have a good perspective on what worked and what didn’t in launching a business.

I learned a lot over dinner, and by the time we ordered coffee I was feeling pretty energized about my business vision and my prospects for success. That is, until Jack started talking about “networking.” Read More »

Are You Using Flintstone Marketing?

By Charlie Cook   |   July 1, 2010

Once upon a time, shortly after dinosaurs stopped walking the earth, you know when Fred Flintstone was around, if you wanted to do business with someone, you could invite them over to your cave and chat them up over a bite of bison or strike up a deal while chewing on sloth.

Of course those times are long gone and the vast majority of your target market is online, on their iPhones, Droids or on their Blackberries. Read More »

Give Your Employees the Tools Needed to Serve the Customer

By Tom Borg   |   July 1, 2010

The president of a Bank in the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, believes her bank is successful because of the way her employees treat the customers. She says, “My employees are specially trained to concentrate on what the customer needs.

The president made the point that she spends no money on costly advertising cam­paigns; she just concentrates on having her employees treat the customer the way the people like to be treated. Despite the fact that the bank has spent no money on advertising since its opening in 1985, 35% of its’ new customers have come to her as the result of referrals from her satisfied customer base. Read More »

Create Opportunities With Your Business Card

By Jeffrey Mayer   |   June 30, 2010

Television star. Movie Star. Famous Comedian.

What do you do when you’re at a restaurant and a famous person sits down at the table next to you?

A. Pretend he’s not there.
B. Whisper to your friends that a famous person’s sitting next to you, but do it so subtly that he doesn’t know you’re talking about him? (But of course he does.)
C. Say ‘Hi’ and tell him how much you enjoy his program? Read More »

12 Ways to Create Irresistible Offers that People Can’t Refuse

By Mike Jezek   |   June 29, 2010

How good your offer is in the market place will play a deciding factor in how well your product or service will sell. That’s why it’s vital you create value-rich offers that people will be excited to say yes to. What follows are 12 copywriting tips that help you do that.

But keep in mind, that these aren’t fail-safe solutions. Some of these or a combination of these ideas will work better than others. And it depends on your niche and market place. Read More »

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