6 Ways To Get Your Business Marketing-Ready.

Hi there, my favourite listener …

This time I write to you from high above Alice Springs on my way to Perth.

I’m heading over to give speak about the new marketing landscape at a financial planning conference. It’s one of 13 keynotes I’m giving over the next 6-weeks.

I gave the first one of these last week and was amazed at how amazed the audience were at the marketing ideas and opportunities I shared! The fact that you’re reading this letter and most likely tuning in to my show means that you’re already ahead of the game – but by way of reminder, there’s never been a better time to market a small business. Ever!

And if you’re a Small Business Big Marketing newbie, then all you need do is revisit my blog and past interviews to catch up.

Now, here’s some other juicy marketing bits I’m dying to share with you to get your business marketing-ready:

Exclusive Jules Lund interview.

In this week’s episode I have a fireside chat with national TV and radio star, Jules Lund. You may well ask what would Jules know about small business marketing? Well, it’s like this … Jules is an opinion leader in his industry. And you should be too. It’s the opinion leaders that get more opportunities, can charge more and generally make a better go of things. One way to become an opinion leader is by having your own show (podcast) – so it’s in this chat that Jules and I go deep in to doing exactly that. Listen here as Jules spills the beans. You can also subscribe via iTunes here.

Are you loving your suppliers?

The client who’s sending me to Perth kindly arranged for me to be chaffuered to the airport and is flying me Business Class. That tells me they really care. And as a result, I really care (just that little bit more). Now I’m not saying I give below par service to clients that ask me to find my own way to the airport and fly me Economy (of course not). However, it got me thinking about the way we all treat our suppliers. Not that we should all be flying them Business Class around the country, but we could probably treat them a little better in some way, shape or form. Try it out and let me know what comes of it.

How to write headlines that encourage action.

Geez headlines are important. They’re often the difference between an email being opened or a web page being read. For me they are a constant source of creative tension. The master of headline writing are the dudes who write those catchy phrases that appear on the front of magazines – we can learn so much from them. So next time you’re stuck for an idea, head down to the newsagent and check out the cover of Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan or Wired magazine.

Freebies for you.

Netregistry are running two free, four hour workshops in Sydney next week laser-focussed on how to drive more revenue from your website. They’re hosted by Sam Shetty who is an online marketing genius. As an SBBM listener you can register free by clicking here.

I’ve also got some copies of the newly-released book Power Stories to give away next week once my interview with best-selling author Valerie Khoo goes live. Look out for that on the Small Business Big Marketing Facebook.

The impact of empty shelves.

I remember Tom O’Toole, Australia’s most famous baker who I interviewed a few months ago, has a mantra that a shelf should always be fully stocked. It gives the impression of freshness and success. These shelves I walked past at the airport portray quite the opposite. Empty shelves also remind me of a brand’s Facebook page or Twitter profile that hasn’t been updated for weeks. It reflects so poorly on the business. Are your ‘shelves’ always well-stocked?

Give me a reason to like you.

Would you walk up to someone in the street and ask them to like you? I hope not! So why is it OK for a brand to demand on a chalk board “Like us on Facebook” without giving good reason. I think we too often forget that social media is simply people having conversations online – and the same rules as offline conversations apply. Give me a reason to like you and I just might ;0)

Tool Of The Week.

Is there a question you get asked so often that it gives you the you know whats? And to add insult to injury the answer to the question is bleedingly obvious? Then stress no more. Let me introduce you to Let Me Google That For You. Type in the question, hit the Search button and LMGTFY will generate a link that you can then email to the person who asked you the question in the first place. Try it out here.

Enough from me. My Fra Gois is about to be served ;0)

Yours in marketing success …

Timbo Reid
Host of Australia’s #1 marketing show.

P.S. If anything I shared above triggered an idea or thought then share it below with the rest of us.