Advertising is a great indicator of what is ahead. You just have to listen carefully to what is being said and how it is being said.
There is a significant shift in tone over the past few months in many of the broadcast ads I am seeing and hearing. For a long time now, ads have focused on promoting value. This is because in an economy with restricted cash flow, nearly everybody is focused on getting the best value for their dollar. This mirrors what we have been experiencing for the past few years. Value, low prices, package offers... those have been the hallmarks of much of the advertising I have observed over the past few years. In general, it focuses on a dollar figure and positions that dollar figure as a great value, even if it has to compare it directly to a competitor. This sort of advertising in a restricted economy promotes a knife-fight for every available dollar... or so it feels.
However, lately, I have noticed an important shift in the focus of advertising lately. I am beginning to hear more and more ads focusing on quality, rather than price. I even heard one ad for a major car company that was exclusively about loving the product. So what does this mean?
It means that the more aggressive competitors are seizing improving conditions and striking out with a move designed to grab more market share. While the more conservative elements stick to the low-price, focus on the dollar sort of ads that were necessitated by The Recession, the more aggressive and more plugged-in players are changing the conversation back to something they can use for an advantage.
We are seeing this with our clients as well. Over the past several weeks, we have had several orders for new web sites, particularly ones with video. In fact, we have had more video discussions with dentists and surgeons over the last month than we have had any time in the last 18 months. Why is that? Just like the more aggressive players are returning to advertising and positions more focused on quality, our more aggressive clients are, too. And, video is the best way to separate yourself from competitors online.
So, what is advertising telling us? It is giving us a hint that its ok to begin returning to a more impactful presentation on the web and trying to separate yourself from competitors, not by price/value, but by quality/value. And, for you, there is more money in that.
If you are interested in making a dramatic move back to an aggressive presentation online, please email me about adding video to your web site or redesigning your site entirely. Please contact me at donald@dogstarmedia.com for help.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
It’s in the details
I have had numerous meetings lately with prospective clients that have wanted to change their marketing strategies. Some want to retool their web site to make it more competitive. Some want to put together campaigns that work and some still are looking for the magic bullet. I listen to their concerns and, of course, we talk about addressing their main issues but it seems that they all have one thing in common: They have no real idea how their current marketing purchases are performing because they are not tracking them properly.
This is the simplest, most inexpensive element of a marketing program and I am shocked at how many people do not track their results. And, I mean with tracking technologies, not by rigorous screening at the front desk or on some pre-consultation paperwork. Those methods invite human error when that is not necessary. A good question to ask a person is “Where do you remember seeing us?” That will give you a good idea of what elements of your marketing campaigns are most memorable which is good information. However, if you want REAL results, you have to use technologies.
I am talking about the kind of analytics you get with Google or a paid search campaign with a major company like ReachLocal. I am also talking about the easiest and least expensive method of measuring production... tracking telephone numbers. Tracking phone numbers are unique numbers tied to tracking technology that allow you to measure all the details of a phone calls coming from a specific media placement. You get call volume, length of call, answered/not answered/ Caller ID and you can record the calls. Spending 15-20 minutes every few weeks reviewing these statistics is the key to understanding what is really going on in your campaigns... all the way to how the phone is being answered.
Everybody talks about ROI and rightly so. If you are doing it right, ROI is easy to figure: compare this year to last year. The sum total of what you did versus what you did the year before is the return you made on your overall effort in time and expense. That is how to measure ROI because it is all connected. The key to measuring performance and response is tracking technologies that tell you how each line item is performing. A well-managed plan has metrics available for all parts of the plan, benchmarks established for performance on each part of the plan and a marketing supervisor to analyze the results and react as needed. And, once this is in place, it is only a matter of moving the benchmarks up to move the needle into the black.
But none of this works without tracking technologies like tracking numbers. Our tracking numbers are $480/year. That’s $40/month! This is by far the least expensive and most important marketing tool we offer. I strongly suggest using this tool on all elements of your marketing plan. Reports are delivered to your email once per month but you can log onto a web site to see real time statistics any time. If you want to start marketing with the clarity of precise measurement, please let me know at donald@dogstarmedia.com. You can have your tracking number in a matter of days.
This is the simplest, most inexpensive element of a marketing program and I am shocked at how many people do not track their results. And, I mean with tracking technologies, not by rigorous screening at the front desk or on some pre-consultation paperwork. Those methods invite human error when that is not necessary. A good question to ask a person is “Where do you remember seeing us?” That will give you a good idea of what elements of your marketing campaigns are most memorable which is good information. However, if you want REAL results, you have to use technologies.
I am talking about the kind of analytics you get with Google or a paid search campaign with a major company like ReachLocal. I am also talking about the easiest and least expensive method of measuring production... tracking telephone numbers. Tracking phone numbers are unique numbers tied to tracking technology that allow you to measure all the details of a phone calls coming from a specific media placement. You get call volume, length of call, answered/not answered/ Caller ID and you can record the calls. Spending 15-20 minutes every few weeks reviewing these statistics is the key to understanding what is really going on in your campaigns... all the way to how the phone is being answered.
Everybody talks about ROI and rightly so. If you are doing it right, ROI is easy to figure: compare this year to last year. The sum total of what you did versus what you did the year before is the return you made on your overall effort in time and expense. That is how to measure ROI because it is all connected. The key to measuring performance and response is tracking technologies that tell you how each line item is performing. A well-managed plan has metrics available for all parts of the plan, benchmarks established for performance on each part of the plan and a marketing supervisor to analyze the results and react as needed. And, once this is in place, it is only a matter of moving the benchmarks up to move the needle into the black.
But none of this works without tracking technologies like tracking numbers. Our tracking numbers are $480/year. That’s $40/month! This is by far the least expensive and most important marketing tool we offer. I strongly suggest using this tool on all elements of your marketing plan. Reports are delivered to your email once per month but you can log onto a web site to see real time statistics any time. If you want to start marketing with the clarity of precise measurement, please let me know at donald@dogstarmedia.com. You can have your tracking number in a matter of days.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Importance of Being Decisive
I had a fantastic client meeting with a long-time client last week. I’m not going to name any names or many details because I do not want to give away any competitive advantages this client will soon have in his marketplace, but I will say...“Wow! That was refreshing!”
A little background first. Generally, in cosmetic surgery and cosmetic dentistry, I have seen two major trends in the last five years: Wasteful extreme spending with little research prior to the Recession and an extreme 180-degree turn-and-run for traceable, web-based solutions during the Recession while every penny counted. However, in most cases, those decisions were made based on cashflow. In other words, both were emotional decisions based on how the business owner and market felt. Don’t get me wrong. That is legitimate factor in making marketing decisions. However, it is not the way solid business people make marketing decisions.
When a client or prospect comes to me with an idea, I offer evaluation based on proven marketing principles. Often times, this throws cold water on unfounded or bad ideas and I know I can be perceived as too conservative. And, I hear every possible flyer... for instance, buying mass media but not buying enough of it to make a difference, buying into a program that promotes another’s brand instead of the client’s brand and buying media or marketing strategies because friends or family are selling them... these are all common scenarios in which I try to take tactful, factual positions to discourage unless there is real merit. And, when I suggest courses of action, I offer strategies with proven benchmarks and track records for success. Of course, your mileage may vary even on the most proven strategies but with proven strategies, there are metrics and benchmarks to guide your evaluation. I bet 99% of those reading this blog see themselves in at least one of these scenarios at one point or another.... looking for the magic bullet that will finally work like a charm.
In general, this is the read-and-react world of small business marketing. I hear it every day, “I’m a doctor (or dentist), not a business man. I’m not trained for this.” Some listen to sensible, measurable strategies. Others do not for whatever reason. Most will not hire a consultant for a real analysis of the situation. And, fewer will do their own analysis. In a nutshell, what we see is most small businesses making less-than-well-thought-out decisions related to the direction of their business and, thus, the marketing of their businesses. I am shocked at how many practices build without doing a demographic and feasability study prior to opening doors or building a building. I am equally shocked at clients who invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in post-graduate education without determining a need for services related to their investment within their community. These are business decisions that ultimately affect marketing decisions. And, in the corporate world, all this thinking and analysis is called a Business Case and it is a good way to proceed.
So, what was so refreshing about the client meeting I had last week? This person came in and proceeded to tell me about the analysis he had done of his business over the past few years. Everything was measured and he took his practice trends into consideration, took market trends into consideration and the metrics of his own marketing into consideration and told me it had let to rock-solid business decisions about the future of his practice. The business analysis was professional, well-thought out and sensible. It was exactly the kind of analysis and decision-making I would have performed as a consultant. Citing his direction and telling me he was ready to commit to a plan that took him that way, he asked for my best advice on making his new strategy work. With such clear targets, it was easy to recommend a web-based strategy with a properly funded mass media traffic driver. What was refreshing? A client coming in with his own olid analysis, clear direction based on the analysis and sturdy on-going commitment at the proper level to make it successful. It all started with the client being decisive, a quality which came from his confidence in the analysis.
Yes, this is possible with small businesses. This client did it himself. In case you are reading this and wondering how you can do this, too, all you need is a real business analysis. You can ask us at Dog Star Media to read-and-react like most of our clients or you can ask us to start with a real analysis of your situation. It may be expensive to do right, but it will eliminate all the guess work on choosing good ideas. If you want help making solid marketing decisions for the short- and long-term, please contact me today at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
A little background first. Generally, in cosmetic surgery and cosmetic dentistry, I have seen two major trends in the last five years: Wasteful extreme spending with little research prior to the Recession and an extreme 180-degree turn-and-run for traceable, web-based solutions during the Recession while every penny counted. However, in most cases, those decisions were made based on cashflow. In other words, both were emotional decisions based on how the business owner and market felt. Don’t get me wrong. That is legitimate factor in making marketing decisions. However, it is not the way solid business people make marketing decisions.
When a client or prospect comes to me with an idea, I offer evaluation based on proven marketing principles. Often times, this throws cold water on unfounded or bad ideas and I know I can be perceived as too conservative. And, I hear every possible flyer... for instance, buying mass media but not buying enough of it to make a difference, buying into a program that promotes another’s brand instead of the client’s brand and buying media or marketing strategies because friends or family are selling them... these are all common scenarios in which I try to take tactful, factual positions to discourage unless there is real merit. And, when I suggest courses of action, I offer strategies with proven benchmarks and track records for success. Of course, your mileage may vary even on the most proven strategies but with proven strategies, there are metrics and benchmarks to guide your evaluation. I bet 99% of those reading this blog see themselves in at least one of these scenarios at one point or another.... looking for the magic bullet that will finally work like a charm.
In general, this is the read-and-react world of small business marketing. I hear it every day, “I’m a doctor (or dentist), not a business man. I’m not trained for this.” Some listen to sensible, measurable strategies. Others do not for whatever reason. Most will not hire a consultant for a real analysis of the situation. And, fewer will do their own analysis. In a nutshell, what we see is most small businesses making less-than-well-thought-out decisions related to the direction of their business and, thus, the marketing of their businesses. I am shocked at how many practices build without doing a demographic and feasability study prior to opening doors or building a building. I am equally shocked at clients who invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in post-graduate education without determining a need for services related to their investment within their community. These are business decisions that ultimately affect marketing decisions. And, in the corporate world, all this thinking and analysis is called a Business Case and it is a good way to proceed.
So, what was so refreshing about the client meeting I had last week? This person came in and proceeded to tell me about the analysis he had done of his business over the past few years. Everything was measured and he took his practice trends into consideration, took market trends into consideration and the metrics of his own marketing into consideration and told me it had let to rock-solid business decisions about the future of his practice. The business analysis was professional, well-thought out and sensible. It was exactly the kind of analysis and decision-making I would have performed as a consultant. Citing his direction and telling me he was ready to commit to a plan that took him that way, he asked for my best advice on making his new strategy work. With such clear targets, it was easy to recommend a web-based strategy with a properly funded mass media traffic driver. What was refreshing? A client coming in with his own olid analysis, clear direction based on the analysis and sturdy on-going commitment at the proper level to make it successful. It all started with the client being decisive, a quality which came from his confidence in the analysis.
Yes, this is possible with small businesses. This client did it himself. In case you are reading this and wondering how you can do this, too, all you need is a real business analysis. You can ask us at Dog Star Media to read-and-react like most of our clients or you can ask us to start with a real analysis of your situation. It may be expensive to do right, but it will eliminate all the guess work on choosing good ideas. If you want help making solid marketing decisions for the short- and long-term, please contact me today at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
A basic principle that should not be overlooked
There is a lot of marketing activity going on right now, which is fairly typical for the elective surgical and dental markets. And, when people shop, they make decisions based on opinions. If you are doing it right, you solicit expert opinions and do your own research, then form a fact-based opinion on what to do. However, most people shoot from the hip without doing that. They see something someone else is doing and just jump. While you have to admire the willingness and initiative, that can be a formula for disaster. So, this time of year, I like to reach back to the basics in case anyone reading is about to make such a move. For the rest who are deliberating making decisions on what to do, here is an expert opinion that you can count on to help you make proper decisions.
All strategies at Dog Star Media are based on a simple communications principle we call the Flow of Information. All sales and marketing communications occur through a flow of information one way or another. And, when it does flow, these communications flow through a medium. Where people get into problems is when the wrong media is chosen for a certain kind of communication or a certain kind of medium is misunderstood or misrepresented, thereby creating unrealistic expectation. In short, if you are breaking down your information flow properly, then you are using the right tool for the right job.
Here are the three basics of communications as they relate to sales:
1) Media - When you put your message into a medium, it is conveyed one way: outwardly. You are projecting an idea. And, given that limitation, messages that are put into mediums must be crafted to produce the desired result. The biggest mistakes we see are the result of misunderstanding this.
2) Sales - The information in a sales communication is exchanged between parties. In other words, the information flows both ways, allowing for comprehension, analysis and reaction. So, we like to define the act of selling as the exchange of information leading to a resolution. This implies that somehow the sales conversation will be brought to a conclusion, Win/Win or No Deal.
3) Marketing - We consider marketing the proper balance of messages and media and sales communication. The balance is critical. It is the cocktail that produces measurable benchmarks which can then be adjusted. Also, we find that separating these terms makes people focus the above two definitions which are often highly misunderstood.
So, using these basics, you begin making decisions. Here is a typical scenario. Let’s say a doctor wants to buy a radio ad campaign. (I choose that because there seems to be a lot of interest in radio among our clients these days). Radio is a broadcast mass medium. Broadcast mass mediums on successful stations have several benefits, one of which is called Reach or the number of people who will be exposed to their signal over a period of time. Some may listen all day, some my just fly by the channel. Most industry professionals will confirm that most radio listeners listen for short bursts of time but do have good brand loyalty. In other words, when they listen, they typically listen to familiar stations regardless of the length. Sometime that length tends to be only a few minutes. You know how you listen to the radio. Just apply that to thousands of people all at once and you get an idea of what radio advertising offers.
Based on these principles, the way to be effective on broadcast mass media is to buy volume and sustain it over a long period of time. In other words, you increase the frequency and duration of your campaign are critical to your message being understood. Right there, you have a limiting factor that small businesses which require an adjustments: cost. Most small businesses cannot afford a saturation campaign, so if expectations cannot be set properly with what can be achieved with a small budget in this medium, the most most likely result is failure and resulting disappointment.
But, you REALLY want radio. So what do you do? You begin by understanding the flow of information with this medium. Radio listeners use their ears, there is nothing visual and a lot of this listening occurs while the listener is doing something else like driving, working out, working, etc. So it is more likely that a small drop of information is going to get through best due to the conditions under which the medium is used. Small, short, effective bursts of memorable information on radio can be very affordable if you buy it right. However, if you go in buying what is sold traditionally, such as a 60-second spot or 30-second spot, then the cost for the time is much more, thereby eating up your small business media budget and reducing your frequency. So, it is smarter to buy a higher volume of brief mentions so you can do the same on your budget with higher frequency. Now you are using this medium the way it was designed to be used for success. One more step in this hypothetical plan. The biggest mistake I see people making in radio spots is having a telephone call to action. Next time you are listening to a radio ad and you hear a random spot for a telephone number, try to remember the number ten minutes later. It’s much harder to remember a 7 or 10 digit number than it is to remember a memorable word, like a catchy domain name. By using short burst of radio spots to drive traffic to your web site, rather than call you, the likelihood of your radio campaign working for you improves dramatically. Why? Because you understand the nature of the one-way flow of information through that medium. Only a droplet is going to get through. Let’s make the droplet as memorable as possible and price the campaign to where you can get as many droplets as possible. Are you going to explain your whole practice or all the benefits? No, but you can do that in another medium where projecting all that information is appropriate for the medium.
This is only one common example. I see dozens every year. Understanding the flow of information and how it works with your choices of mediums is how you make good media choices. And, when you don’t rely on your media buys to do the selling (another HUGE mistake I see all the time), then you have a good balanced approach on how you can attract people, let them educate themselves to a degree, then join into the process and help them through the decision-making process of choosing you as their doctor or dentist.
The Flow of Information. It starts and ends there if you are going to be successful. If you think that your approach can be refocused using these principles and you need help in refining your marketing plan, please email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com. We will be happy to help.
All strategies at Dog Star Media are based on a simple communications principle we call the Flow of Information. All sales and marketing communications occur through a flow of information one way or another. And, when it does flow, these communications flow through a medium. Where people get into problems is when the wrong media is chosen for a certain kind of communication or a certain kind of medium is misunderstood or misrepresented, thereby creating unrealistic expectation. In short, if you are breaking down your information flow properly, then you are using the right tool for the right job.
Here are the three basics of communications as they relate to sales:
1) Media - When you put your message into a medium, it is conveyed one way: outwardly. You are projecting an idea. And, given that limitation, messages that are put into mediums must be crafted to produce the desired result. The biggest mistakes we see are the result of misunderstanding this.
2) Sales - The information in a sales communication is exchanged between parties. In other words, the information flows both ways, allowing for comprehension, analysis and reaction. So, we like to define the act of selling as the exchange of information leading to a resolution. This implies that somehow the sales conversation will be brought to a conclusion, Win/Win or No Deal.
3) Marketing - We consider marketing the proper balance of messages and media and sales communication. The balance is critical. It is the cocktail that produces measurable benchmarks which can then be adjusted. Also, we find that separating these terms makes people focus the above two definitions which are often highly misunderstood.
So, using these basics, you begin making decisions. Here is a typical scenario. Let’s say a doctor wants to buy a radio ad campaign. (I choose that because there seems to be a lot of interest in radio among our clients these days). Radio is a broadcast mass medium. Broadcast mass mediums on successful stations have several benefits, one of which is called Reach or the number of people who will be exposed to their signal over a period of time. Some may listen all day, some my just fly by the channel. Most industry professionals will confirm that most radio listeners listen for short bursts of time but do have good brand loyalty. In other words, when they listen, they typically listen to familiar stations regardless of the length. Sometime that length tends to be only a few minutes. You know how you listen to the radio. Just apply that to thousands of people all at once and you get an idea of what radio advertising offers.
Based on these principles, the way to be effective on broadcast mass media is to buy volume and sustain it over a long period of time. In other words, you increase the frequency and duration of your campaign are critical to your message being understood. Right there, you have a limiting factor that small businesses which require an adjustments: cost. Most small businesses cannot afford a saturation campaign, so if expectations cannot be set properly with what can be achieved with a small budget in this medium, the most most likely result is failure and resulting disappointment.
But, you REALLY want radio. So what do you do? You begin by understanding the flow of information with this medium. Radio listeners use their ears, there is nothing visual and a lot of this listening occurs while the listener is doing something else like driving, working out, working, etc. So it is more likely that a small drop of information is going to get through best due to the conditions under which the medium is used. Small, short, effective bursts of memorable information on radio can be very affordable if you buy it right. However, if you go in buying what is sold traditionally, such as a 60-second spot or 30-second spot, then the cost for the time is much more, thereby eating up your small business media budget and reducing your frequency. So, it is smarter to buy a higher volume of brief mentions so you can do the same on your budget with higher frequency. Now you are using this medium the way it was designed to be used for success. One more step in this hypothetical plan. The biggest mistake I see people making in radio spots is having a telephone call to action. Next time you are listening to a radio ad and you hear a random spot for a telephone number, try to remember the number ten minutes later. It’s much harder to remember a 7 or 10 digit number than it is to remember a memorable word, like a catchy domain name. By using short burst of radio spots to drive traffic to your web site, rather than call you, the likelihood of your radio campaign working for you improves dramatically. Why? Because you understand the nature of the one-way flow of information through that medium. Only a droplet is going to get through. Let’s make the droplet as memorable as possible and price the campaign to where you can get as many droplets as possible. Are you going to explain your whole practice or all the benefits? No, but you can do that in another medium where projecting all that information is appropriate for the medium.
This is only one common example. I see dozens every year. Understanding the flow of information and how it works with your choices of mediums is how you make good media choices. And, when you don’t rely on your media buys to do the selling (another HUGE mistake I see all the time), then you have a good balanced approach on how you can attract people, let them educate themselves to a degree, then join into the process and help them through the decision-making process of choosing you as their doctor or dentist.
The Flow of Information. It starts and ends there if you are going to be successful. If you think that your approach can be refocused using these principles and you need help in refining your marketing plan, please email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com. We will be happy to help.
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