It's the new year, and one of your resolutions may be to grow your business. If so, keep reading; if not, skip directly to the fun stuff on the right and enjoy!

Okay, you're ready to make more dough this year. Have you examined your marketing plan lately? If your answer is “what plan,” you've got a lot of homework to do. Even if you do have a plan, it never hurts to re-evaluate your direction and goals, doing some fine tuning along the way.

MARKETING DEFINED

First of all, what is marketing? Anything you do to get ñ or more importantly keep ñ a customer.

Through personal experience, research and education, we've developed our Top 10 Marketing Tips, below. The list is a quick overview of some of the newsletter topics we'll cover throughout 2007. If you're really confused, call us; we can help you send the right message to your target audience.

Here's to success in 2007!

Top 10 Marketing Tips

1. Know what you're selling: Determine, and then communicate your branding every step of the way.
2. Know why you're selling: New customers? Upselling old ones? Future sales?
3. Know who you're selling to: Define your customer base and avoid the chameleon syndrome.
4. Stand out and fit in: Purple cows still give milk.
5. Unleash a virus: Word-of-mouth is contagious - cultivate it.
6. Location, location, location: Find out where your customers are and show up.
7. Make it easy to buy: Find the need and fill it, or make the connection. Hours/Location/Web.
8. Build partnerships: Cross-pollinate geographically and with complimentary businesses.
9. Reward loyalty royally: Be personal, be creative, be thankful. Loyal customers are the future.
10. Spend money…or not: Plan your marketing budget, set priorities, and stick to 'em.

Diversions

Since traditional word-of-mouth is often no longer enough to create a product or service “buzz,” businesses of all sizes are turning to viral marketing.

Remember the “I'd like to buy the world a Coke” TV ad? Advertising surveys consistently identify it as one of the best commercials of all time. Go back in time and check out the “behind the scenes” story…it's fascinating!

If you haven't yet seen the Honda “Cog” commercial, treat yourself to 2 minutes of astonishment. No CGI; created in real time with real Honda parts.

After you watch it, get the complete scoop HERE