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Don’t do it. Do not believe it.  Do not pay $99 to hear some guys talk about how YOU can market for just $1! 

Let’s start with the obvious… by paying $99 you have already blown that budget… have you not?  Next, marketing is a skill that needs to be backed up with experience.  It is no different than me taking my computer apart to try and fix it.  I could try it but it is not advisable.  Why would you waste your time to struggle through to get your marketing programs off the ground when you could be selling or doing whatever it you do best?  Just because you are not writing yourself a cheque for your services does not mean that you there is not a cost involved for a DIY marketing program.

The internet has many wonderful resources for you to draw from that would make it seem almost simple to become a one-man marketing guru for your business.  Or perhaps you will buy a book for your bookkeeper and ask him/her to give it a whirl. Bad idea!  Business is about doing what you do best and finding the best for what you don’t.  So please do not attempt this at home. Find a trained professional for your marketing programs.  In the long run it will cost you less, help your business grow more rapidly and earn you buckets of revenue.  Yes, I said buckets.

They say that mechanics have the worst running cars… apparently I am a mechanic as I have been terribly slack in my blogging. I resolve to spend more time you with this year!

Speaking of resolutions, January is basically here and it is full of new opportunities and planning for your business.  Now that the recession is slowing, are you ready to get back into the marketing swing of things?  To help you get started, here are a few resolutions you may consider for 2010.

1. Become an active p...

Have you tested your so-what factor lately?  With the introduction of social media we have access to more information than we know how to process.  So with that, how do you reach your customers with all of this noise going on in your market and in every market, for that matter?  The first step is to test your so-what factor.  This is often a very defensive exercise I help CEO and other client facing executives through to challenge their way of thinking and communicating.  I warn you, ...

I had to check just to make sure that I am not the only clearly confused Rogers viewer.  Not confused over their programming but rather their new advertising campaign – red vs. blue. 
Overall the “slide-on-over-because-we-save-you-money” pitch is effective.  The clearly blue (for Bell) vs. Red (for Rogers) challenge is visually recognizable (strongly supported with a print campaign), the message is clear, the people are happy and smiling and the story board is smooth.  That is until I s...