====================================================== "The Tampa Bay Marketer's Report" July, 2002 ====================================================== Published by Renae Gregoire Freelance Commercial Writer The Write Idea Make Your Message Clear. Concise. Creative. Visit me at http://www.ineedcopy.com ------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe and un-subscribe information at the bottom! ------------------------------------------------------- Table of contents: ----------------- 1. Message from the Editor 2. Spread The Word! 3. The Marketer's Bookshelf 4. Instill Confidence--Get More B2B Sales! 5. Tampa Bay Resources 6. Online Biz Resources 7. About The Write Idea ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Readers, Thanks for inviting me to your e-mail box - I hope you will enjoy this issue of "The Tampa Bay Marketer's Report". Please contact me with any questions or comments -- I am here to help. Hope to be of service to you! Cordially yours, Renae Gregoire service@ineedcopy.com ------------------------------------------------------- ---> Spread The Word! - by Renae E. Gregoire ------------------------------------------------------- Whether you're selling B2B or B2C, the Tampa Bay area is chock full of opportunities for the do-it-yourself marketer, and that's what this bimonthly newsletter is all about. As the months move on, I'll fill you in on a variety of opportunities, and then tell you how to make the most of them. Marketing Does NOT Equal Advertising Let's get one thing straight-marketing does not mean advertising. Advertising is just one form of marketing. If you have the budget and can target your efforts, it's an option. Marketing, on the other hand, means defining your niche, targeting your market, and communicating your offer in the most clear, concise and compelling way possible. It also means going the extra mile for your customer, instilling confidence, and building a happy customer base who'll gladly refer your products and services to others. Marketing also includes promotion, which in turn includes advertising, brochures, newsletters and other collateral materials, direct mail, email campaigns, hosting seminars, attending trade shows, public relations efforts, and much, much more. That's what this report is about-how you can maximize your marketing efforts in the Tampa Bay area without hiring an advertising agency or spending big dollars. It's to help you Do-It-Yourself! What's Your Mission? Before you do anything, you have to make sure you know your market, and your mission. Who is your customer? What are you offering? Why should they choose you over the competition? Sure, they sound like simple questions, but if you're just starting out they can be hard to narrow down. Anthony Putman, in his book, Marketing Your Services, suggests that business owners use a fill-in-the-blank formula to help answer those questions. In fact, once you fill in the blanks, you've created your mission statement. I support (your market goes here) in their desire to (your product or service benefit goes here) by means of (your offer goes here). In my case, my mission statement reads: I support small to mid-sized business owners (my customers) in their desire to look and sound professional and increase profits (what my services will do for them) by means of well-written and persuasive promotional materials (what I offer). Promote with Benefits Once you've got your mission statement down, it makes your do-it-yourself marketing that much easier. Why? Because once you know your market, you can determine how best to reach them, and what benefits they're looking for-what SOLUTIONS they need. If you're selling hats in a retail boutique on the beach, for example, your market may be women aged 18 to 35 who are looking to avoid the negative effects of the sun. So you don't just sell hats-you sell fresh looking and clear skin, as well as a reduced risk of skin cancer later in life. Where do you find these women in the Tampa Bay area? How do you reach them? How do you let them know about your products? That's where promotion comes into play. Instead of aiming for paid advertising, why not write an informational press release and submit it to local newspapers? An informational press release gives editors information that their readers want to know. You can't just write a press release that says, "We sell hats." It'll never get published. Instead, let your release be information itself. For example, "17 Tips to Keeping Your Skin Healthy and Fresh in the Broiling Tampa Sun." Mention how hats keep the sun off your face, reducing the risk of cancer later in life. At the end of the release, include a small note like this: "Renae Gregoire owns Hats on the Beach, a boutique specializing in helping women keep their skin fresh." Here's another idea. Send letters to local dermatologists. Ask them to carry your line of hats, and offer a portion of the profit. Or, take your hats out to their offices, and meet with the doctors in person. What a great way to get your product in front of people who may never have seen them otherwise! Overnight Results? Don't expect overnight results from your promotional efforts. Jay Conrad Levinson, in his wildly popular book Guerrilla Marketing, recommends that you create your promotional plan, and then give it at least six months to bring noticeable results. "Six months!" you may say. Yes, give it time. Levinson advises that you make a commitment, and stick to it. Plan your promotional efforts, and don't give up. He says, "If your boat sinks in the ocean and you start swimming to shore, you shouldn't give up if you don't hit the beach within one hour-or even five hours. To survive, you've got to be committed to swimming to that beach." If you want your efforts to pay off, you have to make a plan. You'll know which promotions are profitable, and which ones aren't. The beach boutique owner, for example, can plan for newspapers ads, twice a month; dermatologist letters and visits, four hours a month. And so on. Think of all the ways you can reach your customers, and choose the ones you think will be best. Try them. If they work, great! If not, you can remove them from your plan, and try other options. Plans are tools meant to grow and change as your business grows and changes.* ------------------------------------------------------- ----> The Marketer's Bookshelf ------------------------------------------------------- If there's a book on marketing out there, chances are, I've read it. In this column you'll find out which books to buy, and which to avoid. And if you know of a great book that's helped you get more customers for less money, by all means, let me know! JULY'S READING LIST MARKETING YOUR SERVICE ANTHONY O. PUTMAN PUBLISHED BY JOHN WILEY AND SONS, 1990 Putman's book is a winner! While directed towards services, those who sell products can benefit as well. He shows you how to market your business even if you hate marketing, with the main thrust being towards aligning your efforts so they're pointed directly to your target market. Highly recommended. I'm on my third read and I learn something new every time! GUERRILLA MARKETING JAY CONRAD LEVINSON PUBLISHED BY HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY, 1998 EDITION If you want to market your product or service for less, Guerrilla Marketing is the book for you. Fun and easy to read, and chock full of successful guerrilla marketing campaign stories. Highly recommended. ------------------------------------------------------- --->Instill Confidence, Get More B2B Sales, by Renae Gregoire ------------------------------------------------------- Kill Skepticism, Build Confidence So you've finally gotten a potential client's attention. Now what? The marketing continues. This time though, you've got to make potential clients feel that you're qualified, and able, to solve their problems. Your job now is to give your client confidence-in you! Shhh. Toot Your Own Horn, Quietly. How do you do it? How do you instill confidence? By tooting your own horn-quietly. You can't just declare, "I'm the right person for you!" and expect a contract to fall into your lap. Instead, show your potential customer your knowledge, ability and expertise by taking time to plan before you meet, or hold any initial discussions. 1. Find out about your client's company. Learn as much as you can about the industry they operate in. 2. Find out who their competitors are, and see what they're up to. 3. Figure out why your product or service will help increase your client's profits, or differentiate them, or solve whatever problem brought them to you in the first place! Let's say you're a web designer, and you're meeting with a potential customer who wants to take their shoes sales business online. They've got the product, a potential customer base, and all they need is a site to start selling. Your first step is to gather as much information as you can on your client. If they already have an informational site, check it out. Go online, and see if any articles have been published by or about them. Then study their industry to see what's important. Look for trade publications, either online or through your local library. They may have a database that includes the trades. Next, point your browser towards other online eCommerce shoe sites. How do they do it? What do their sites look like? How can you make your customer's site easier, faster, or more user friendly? In other words, let your potential client know how you can make their site better than their competitors. You'll impress your potential client when you discuss their competition, and your service will be that much more valuable if you can offer suggestions instead of just taking notes. Remember, YOU'RE the expert. Your client's job is to sell shoes. Your job is to help them sell shoes, not just design a web site. And during your meeting, ask your client about their plans for online promotion their site online. Will they be forming valuable online alliances and partnerships with companies that offer complimentary products? Ask them. You may be giving them a great idea-which they'll appreciate and remember! And if they do like it, offer to design banner ads for the partner sites as a part of your package. This doesn't sound like tooting your own horn-but it is! You're quietly showcasing your expertise, and your ability to help your client increase sales. That's their goal. Your job is to help them meet that goal. The same holds true no matter what product or service you're selling! In my case, I would study the competition's web content. Do they offer informative articles on site to create "stickiness," which keeps buyers coming back for more? What about the copy on the front page? Is it keyword-rich and optimized for the search engines? The point is not to try to sell as many services or products as you possibly can, but to HELP YOUR CUSTOMER reach their goals, and increase their sales. That, in turn, will increase yours!* ------------------------------------------------------- ------------->> Tampa Bay Resources ------------------- ------------------------------------------------------- Newspaper FAX Contacts If you want to send a press release to any of the papers, find out which reporter or editor you should send it to. Read the paper and see who's writing the stories that your customers typically read. If you can't determine one person's name in particular, send it to the appropriate editor, like Features Editor, or Business Editor. And don't forget to check my web site for formatting tips! FAX numbers follow: The Bradenton Herald, 941-745-7097 St. Petersburg Times, 727-893-8675 Sarasota Herald Tribune, 941-957-5276 Tampa Tribune, 813-259-7676 Clearwater Beach Gazette, 727-461-5659 Seminole Beacon, 727-397-5900 Pinellas News, 27-894-2522 Tampa Free Press, 813-251-0511 ------------------------------------------------------- ------------->> Online Biz Resources ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------- ONLINE BIZ RESOURCES Did you know that even offline business can use the Internet to increase sales, and keep themselves in the minds of current or past customers? Check out these web sites for great information for small to mid-sized businesses wanting to market on a budget. http://www.entreprenuer.com Entrepreneur Magazine brings you an excellent online edition. Loads of up-to-date information and discussion boards. Winner! http://www.inc.com Inc. Magazine's online site delves into every business aspect of interest to the corporate owner. Plan to spend some time! http://www.sba.gov The Small Business Administration's web site is jam-packed with information for business owners. From startups, to financing, to marketing-- you'll find it at the SBA online. ------------------------------------------------------- ------------->> About The Write Idea ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------- OK, SO WHAT IS THE WRITE IDEA? The Write Idea supports small to mid-sized business owners in their desire to look and sound professional and increase profits by means of well-written and persuasive promotional materials. (Nailed MY mission statement!) WHO'S RENAE GREGOIRE? That's me. Owner and President of The Write Idea, a commercial freelance writing firm serving clients in the Tampa Bay area, and all around the world! I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS. HOW CAN I CONTACT YOU? Easy. Call me at (727) 302-0232. I'm available 7 days a week, from around 8 in the morning until 10 at night. If you get my machine, that means I'm out with a client, eating dinner, or stretching my legs! Leave me a message and I'll call you back as soon as I can. Or, email me at service@ineedcopy.com. To find out more about how The Write Idea can enhance your image-- and your profits, check out my web site at http://www.ineedcopy.com. You can email me from there too. I look forward to hearing from you! ------------------------------------------------------- ------------->> Subscription Information -------------- ------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Tampa Bay Marketer's Report. It's Free! You'll find lots of information on promoting your business in our area, including resources for actually doing it! The Tampa Bay Marketer's Report is issued bimonthly, and is free to business owners who request it. Unsubscribing is easy too. Just let me know and I'll promptly remove your name from the list. Subscribe by sending an email to tampamarketer@replypro.com Unsubscribe by sending an email to service@ineedcopy.com. Just say "unsubscribe," and you won't hear from me again :) And if you enjoyed this issue, please pass it along to a friend who might also like to learn more about marketing in the Tampa Bay area. ------------------------------------------------------- And that's all for this time. Thanks for reading. Wishing you all my best, Renae Gregoire, Freelance Commercial Writer service@ineedcopy.com Make Your Message Clear. Concise. Creative. The Write Idea (727) 302-0232 Visit me at http://www.ineedcopy.com ------------------------------------------------------- ---------Subscribe & Un-subscribe Instruction --------- ------------------------------------------------------- * To subscribe email tampamarketer@replypro,com. * To unsubscribe, send a message to: service@ineedcopy.com, and say "unsubscribe." ====================================================== ==============