Aglow Marketing's Blog

QR Codes: Fab or Fad?

Marketing trends come and go (some more quickly then others) so it'll be very interesting to see the fate of the uber trendy QR (Quick Response) codes. 

Are QR codes here to stay and more importantly to marketers, when does it make sense to use them?

First, start by considering your audience. Are they aware of how QR codes work? Do they have the technology accessible to utilize them? A recent survey on QR Awareness showed that nearly 20% of teens didn't even know what these images were. In fact, only 33% were able to identify the image as a QR code, with only 19% having the right software to read the QR codes.  Having said that, 74% who had used a QR code thought it was worth their time.  Moral of the story - start by considering your audience and their willingness and ability to accept this marketing tactic.

Next, consider what is your goal? Sounds simple enough, but as we markters know sometimes the novelty of a given tactic can be enough to sway decision makers to want to use them.  Are you trying to increase sales of a certain product? Raise awareness of a service you provide? Entice customers to view you as a thought leader?  Start with the goal and then ask yourself if a QR code can help you achieve it.

Here's a few effective ways we see QR codes being used, and a few thoughts on when not to use one.

Fab

• Coupons & Discounts - QR code research shows that consumers will take the time to scan a QR code if they get something out of the deal.  It's also a green marketing technique that some audiences will really appreciate.

• Contact Information - A brilliant use of the QR code is to provide instant down-loadable access to your business contact information/VCard via a QR code conveniently located on your business card.  Time savings for your contacts means a innovative brand image for you and your company.

• Events - Did you know you can create a QR Code for an event which creates a calendar instance when scanned?  This is an effective use of QR codes for those putting on workshops, seminars and other events who want to offer a quick and easy way for potential attendees to plan to attend.

• Captive Audiences - Think about using QR codes in locations where your audience isn't going anywhere anytime soon.  Table top displays at restaurants or events, point of purchase displays, waiting rooms, airports, etc. 

• Customized Content - At trade shows, consider a hand out with a QR code that directs your audience back to a unique landing page with an article or white paper about the trade show topic. The key here is customization - with the ease of creating QR codes at will, one size does not have to fit all.

Fad

• Primary Web Site Promotion - Creating a QR code to simply link back to your main web site is likely not the best use of this technology.  While it may seem novel at first, your not providing any extra value. However, QR codes can be effective when directing someone to a landing page with customized content on a given topic. This can be as simple as directing someone to an interior page of your web site, or as elaborate as sending them to a micro site. 

So how do you get a QR code? There's a few reputable & free services out there, but we personally love QRStuff.com, which even allows you to make your QR Code pretty! Choose the color to match your brand, vs. the boring black you see nearly everywhere. Another way to breakt thru the marketing clutter!

At the end of the day, QR codes are just one more tool at your acccess when creating your marketing plan and strategies.  If you're interested in learning more about our marketing strategy service, simply scan the QR code above ;-)

Marketing That Moves Us: I Was Born Green

Lily and I were chatting today about a new blog series entitled "What Marketing Moves Us" - because even though we are marketers, we're also consumers and buyers of goods and services. In fact, I'll be the first to admit I'm any great markete'rs dream.  I will buy new products, shop at new stores, and eat at new restuatuants based upon marketing alone.   So...the idea is that we'll be doing a regular post on marketing that moves us, makes us want to buy, and pass that insight along to you.  Our hope is that we can learn a little something from these examples that can be applied right away.  

THE CONCEPT:    A simple sticker on a Chiquita bannana that proudly states "I was born green."

WHAT GOT ME:   Such a clever play on words, especially with Green Marketing & Green Iniativies being one of the hottest  topics right now. (Interested in learning more about Green Marketing? -Join Indy AMA for a special luncheon focused on this very topic this April.)

WHY I THINK IT WORKS:    It's smart, it's  humourous -- plus it's worth passing along to a friend in conversation.  Also, when checking out Chiquita's web site I noted that they actually have an section dedicated to Being Green - so it's more than just a fun slogan, it actually is part of their culture and value system.

WHAT WE CAN LEARN:     When you are thinking of how you position your product or business, don't think quite so literally.  Expand your mindset. Think about how can you position yourself that evokes a sense of humor in a clever, thought provoking way that makes people think, remember you...and smile.

Making Time for Marketing: How To Make Sure Your Marketing Isn't an Afterthought

Is it just me, or has the beginning of this year gone by in a flash?  Between snow days and sick days, it's been difficult to get into a solid work groove.  As a result, the Aglow Marketing team has been keeping up with our clients' needs but (as is the case for many small business owners) not carving out time to work on our own marketing.  It's the same old "the cobbler's children have no shoes" conudrum. 

Many of our potential clients face the exact same issue - they know they should make time for marketing, they believe in the value of marketing, but as duty calls they simply don't make time for it.  As a result, their efforts become reactive or - worse yet - non-existent.  So how do we make sure that marketing isn't an afterthought and that it becomes a part of our daily activities?  Here's a few quick steps to get going:

1. Get A Plan -  It's difficult to make marketing a priority when you don't know what you are supposed to be doing.  Sounds like common sense, but so many people wish to bypass this important step and jump straight into tactics without an integrated plan.  Think through what you are trying to accomplish, who you are hoping to reach, what will move them to act, and how you will measure success.  Take the time to formulate a solid marketing plan rich with well-thought-out strategies to reach your goals - you will never regret it.  
2. Timelines & Calendars - Move your marketing plan into action by plotting out your tactics on a calendar.  Assign due dates and reminders - whatever it takes to engrain marketing your business into your daily life.
3. Be Accountable - By meeting with your marketing team on regular basis and reporting back on your progress, you will ensure your marketing activities are getting done.  Don't forget to track your success through analytics or whatever other metrics you have established in your marketing plan.

Lily and I recently spent a half-day working through our own marketing plan, and although it's not yet complete we are making sure we practice what we preach in 2011.  Stay tuned for some fantastic marketing efforts for Aglow yet this year.

We'll Do Good One Way Or Another...

After 2 months of your amazing voting support, the race for the Pepsi grant has come to an end. While we didn't finish in the top 10, the Do Good for Indiana story is far from over.  We are more dedicated than ever to bring the program to life in 2011.  

We are in the process of working with  CanINE Express, Indy Reads, Jameson Camp and Seeds of Hope to formulate a new plan to launch this program next year.  It might not be as big as we'd initially hoped for, but it will still be meaningful and have great impact.   In time, we also plan to reach out to corporate sponsors to help us in expanding the program.

Again, many, many thanks for your votes and emotional support during these last 2 months.  To get a sense of the impact we've made…we’ve had:

• 944 Visits to the Do Good for Indiana Web Site
• 358 Unique Visitors to the Web Site
• More than 160 subscribers to our daily voting reminder
• 70 views of our Do Good for Indiana You Tube Video
• 61 Daily Voting Reminders, which is given new exposure to our great non-profit groups
• Who knows how many votes on refresheverything.com!

Even if you did not get a chance to vote or if Do Good for Indiana is new to you, we hope you'll come along with us in 2011 as we tell the stories of these non-profits.  If you have any suggestions, resources, ideas or would like to help, please don't hesitate to contact us.  We'd love to hear from you.

Who's Managing Your Customer Experience?

I'll be honest - I've never noticed the details on my pizza box before. I typically just dive right on end.  But, for some reason this little detail caught my eye today.  I squinted closely to read the fine print on the Papa John's box which said that "My pizza experience was managed by Anthony."  Why thanks Anthony - I had no idea!

Now I highly doubt Anthony is a member of the marketing team...but yet he is charge of my customer experience and thefore my impression of the Papa John's brand. Depending upon how I was treated and ultimately the deliciousness of the pizza I received, my viewpoint of the restauant can be swayed one way or another.

When you consider who your end customer interacts with - keep in mind that that person is representing your brand.  Depending upon your business, that initial contact point may be a receptionist, a sales clerk, or a delivery person.  Are they representing your brand promise? Are they even aware of what your brand stands for?  If you hope to be known for being friendly & approachable, make sure your first line of defense brings on the charm and isn't harsh or abrasive. 

Zappos.com is a great example of how a brand promise is exemplified through it's customer service.  If you've ever ordered from this great online store, you know exactly what I'm talking about.   Not only do they offer fast/free shipping, their customer service team lives and breathes their brand promise of providing no-hassle, no-questions-asked, easy to deal with returns and exchanges.  You can tell that Zappos' brand promise is a part of their culture. 

So as a small business owner, consider who your customers interact with the most and (perhaps mostly importantly) first.  Are they aware of your core values and goals as a brand?  If not, arm them with this information so the very essence of what you want to be known for shines through each and every interaction.

Why Setting Goals Matter - Professionally & Personally

Over the past month or so, I've been serving as the President of the Indianapolis Chapter of the American Marketing Association.  As I began my term, I was excited to jump into one of my favorite tasks - strategic planning!  Sure - call me a weirdo - but I love nothing more than a solid plan that you can work from and measure success.  I blame the fact that I have way too many balls in the air at all times at home & work at all times.  If I don't have a checklist or to-do list handy I go mad.  Typical Type A Personality.

To kickoff our strategic planning, we re-visited & refreshed our Chapter's Mission & Vision.  After we were in agreement on these big picture ideas, we set our high level goals, our tactics to reach these goals and a scorecard to track our success monthly.  We took it a step further and drafted individual committee monthly checklists so we can make sure the details don't get missed a few months down the line.  I won't lie - this was a TASK!  But, now we have guide map to get us where we want to be at the end of our term, which makes me sleep a little better at night!

So in the midst of all this strategic planning, I got to thinking about my role as a mom and how I should apply the concept of setting goals here at home.  The last year has been crazy around the Sweeney house -- with Aglow kicking into high gear and my AMA responsibilities ramping up. I'm sure every working mom struggles with the balance of work & family time - and for those of us who work from home that battle can be even tougher at times.  I took a long hard look at myself as a mom and knew some things needed to change - the way I was acting was not in line with the vision of the type of mom I wanted to be.

I want my kids to have great memories of a mom who isn't a workaholic, who isn't rushing from one thing to the next, who can pry herself away from e-mail and work and make time for playing.

• My vision -  to be a peaceful, relaxed, and playful mom.
• My goal - to make every day special and fun.
• Tactics - oh they range from the occasional day trip to the zoo to a simple game of baseball in the backyard. 
• Scorecard - are my boys smiling at the end of the day and can they tell me something fun or special about their day...and do they grow up embracing these qualities in themselves someday as a dad. 

This doesn't mean the entire day here is a party - much to the boy's dismay - but it does mean that each day I am much more focused on injecting the right amount of fun into it.  It also means I've adjusted when I work to make sure when I am with the boys I am focusing my attention just on them.

Recently Lily sent me a quote that I felt was worth sharing...think of this as you set your goals for your business, organization or for yourself.  Life is way too short to not have a plan to make it exactly the way you want it to be.

"Begin doing what you want to do now.  We are not living in eternity.  We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand-and melting like a snowflake." - Marie Benon Ray

Quick Tips to Develop A Stellar Brand Strategy

I recently had the opportunity to present on the topic of Branding to the Indy Non Profit & Marketing PR Group.  We had such a great time chatting about branding and all that goes into, including: 

• What really is branding?
• Why is it important?
• How do you develop your brand strategy?
• How your brand is so much more than a logo.
• How do you make sure your brand remains consistent across all marketing materials?
• How do you make your brand likable - or better yet - how do you develop brand love?

One of the primary points of discussion was walking through the steps of developing your brand strategy. Here are a few quick questions to get you started:

What is your brand position?  Find out by asking yourself:

• Who does our company serve?
• What do we offer each audience?
• Who is our competition?
• What is it that we do different/better/more unique than the competition?

What is your brand promise?  Find out by asking yourself:

• What is the problem we are solving? 
• What is the emotional pull that we have to make people feel good about buying from us? 
• What do we promise to provide our customers – every time and in every experience with us?

What is your brand personality?  Find out by asking yourself:

• What keywords and personality traits do want people to use to describe our company?
• What comes to mind when people hear our organization's name - hint: ask other people outside of your organization too!
• What type of tone and style should our messaging have – playful, formal, etc.

You can check out the full presentation here (also found in the show on the right) plus use our complementary Quick Branding Checklist to implement the information here: Download AglowBrandingBasicsChecklist  This is a great starting point for all marketers to keep handy when developing their brand. 

Take your time and have fun developing your brand strategy - it's such a cornerstone of all you do!  And if you need a little help getting started, we hope you’ll contact us. We offer training and can facilitate a brand strategy session with your group.  So let’s get to it!

Making Your Dream Business a Reality

One of the most exciting things about working with our clients is helping those who have started (or are getting ready to start) a new business realize their dream.  These entrepreneurs are putting it all on the line to do what it is that gets them excited to start the day every morning.  You have to love the passion for what it is they do - it truly is inspiring to see in action.

We've all had those moments - maybe while taking a walk or perhaps even at work, when our mind starts to wonder and we think...what if I could...open my own business, write a book, start an event planning business, begin a non-profit for kids, you name it.

No matter what that dream may be, the important thing is that you are following it.  For Lily and I, our dream of starting our own marketing company is finally a reality. We had talked about doing this for years, and finally took the leap and said - why not - let's give it a go.  And I can tell you wholeheartedly, it's been one of the best decisions of my life.  Is it still hard work - of course.  But, it's work that I love and am truly passionate about which makes all of the difference.

If you are getting ready to launch your new business, keep in mind these initial planning steps..

1) Choosing a name - It's almost as hard as naming your child! However, give it lots of thought as you will be living with it for some time to come. We chose Aglow because it means "generating warmth & excitement" which is what we want our marketing to do.  Select a name that is memorable and evokes the feeling you want people to have about your business.

2) Designing a logo - Another major investment in your long term success. Sure your brother-in-law could help you out, but I encourage you to invest a little money to get this right.  Your logo is your identity and it will show up on everything from your business card to your web site.  You want to make sure it looks professional and again represents the image you want to project.

3) Determining your key marketing messages, target audiences & tagline- What is it that you offer that makes you unique?  What is the tone you are setting?  Who needs what you have to offer? And what is that phrase that will help people either remember you or understand quickly what it is you do.

There are many other planning steps that you'll need to take to move your idea into implementation, but don't let those steps stand in your way!  And if you need assistance, Aglow can offer brand image design services as well as marketing strategy services to help you with your business plan or in applying for a grant to fund your idea.

So, what's your dream? And what's stopping you from chasing it? 

Hints for Copy Writing for the Web: Putting Your Customer First

Q:  What do these 3 words have in common?

• We
• Us
• Our

 

A:  More than likely, they’re the 3 most over-used words on your business’s web site.

 

Writing with the customer in mind sounds simple enough, right?  However, most of us find it kind of hard to describe “our” company, “our” services, and “our” products without placing the focus back on “ourselves”.  

 

Bryan Eisenberg had a great analogy comparing web sites that are overly self-focused to an annoying party guest who can only talk about themselves.  We’ve all had that happen to us, and you know you avoid that person like the plague!  Keep that thought in your mind as you consider the impression your web site is giving its audience.  Are people turned off when they read your copy because they feel “talked at” and not “communicated with”?  Or are you serving as a party host, welcoming them with open arms, addressing their pains and solving their problems.

A few years back a co-worker turned me on to the We-We Calculator, a handy tool that gives you a quick gut check on the level of customer focus that your web site has.  Simply enter your URL and the name of your company and within seconds you are given a score on both your company focus & self-focus. Pretty snazzy!  The creators of the tool stress that it should only be used as a reference point as there are lots of variables involved with writing great copy.  I’m also happy to see you can now run the customer focus calculator on text or ad copy too.

So, be honest…does your web site copy address your customers’ needs, wants, and desires?  Are you using “you” more than “we”?  What can you do to improve your focus on the customer and make them feel like they valued, understood and right at home on your web site.

6 Interesting Social Media Stats

We've been conducting research for a strategic marketing plan for one of our clients over the past few weeks.  As a result, we've discovered several interesting stats about social media usage.  I've pulled together 6 of the most intriguing stats below:

1. 96% of the Millennials (Generation Y) have joined a social network.  Generation Y (also known as the Millennial Generation or Generation Next or Net Generation) describes the demographic group following Generation X. Its members are often referred to as Millennials or Echo Boomers. This includes those with birth dates ranging somewhere from the mid 1970s to the early 2000s.   
2. Facebook boasts more than 400 million active users and its users are responsible for 60 million status updates daily.  
3. According to Forrester Research, nearly ½ of 18-24 year olds are what Forrester calls “Creators” – those who publish a blog or website, upload a video or audio they created, or write articles and post them online.  Just 24% of adults perform these activities.
4. There are over 200,000,000 Blogs.  And of those who are blogging, 34% post opinions about products/services and brands.
5. According to NASPA, 76.7% of College Students engaged in Online Videos with half doing so at least weekly. 
6. According to Compete.com, the growth rate for Twitter was 752%, for a total of 4.43 million unique visitors in December 2008.  In the start of 2008, Twitter had only around 500,000 unique monthly visitors. Source: Mashable/Compete, Jan 9, 2009

While these stats are certainly interesting, at Aglow Marketing we feel it's important to remember that Social Media, like any other marketing medium, is just one piece of the bigger marketing puzzle. 

There's no doubt that most, if not all, businesses should be considering their social media marketing strategy.  However, until you think through how social media really can support and enhance your overall marketing plan, the stats become just number on a page. 

Interested in discussing how you can leverage Social Media to meet your marketing goals?  Contact us to get started!