The Secret To Success – WYAO
by Lee on Aug.16, 2010, under Marketing & Advertising, News & Views
Working in marketing has allowed me an opportunity to meet many successful business leaders. Our process of discovery before rolling out a marketing program has given me an even greater opportunity to have in depth discussions with these visionary entrepreneurs.
Your chance for greatness can be realized if you adopt their common entrepreneurial traits. They’re excited about what they do, they know their business inside out and they are without exception… workaholics. Life balance may have escaped them but business needs leaders and the ones I’ve met seem comfortable with their calling. Maybe like sharks that need to keep swimming to stay alive, true entrepreneurs need to keep building their business for the same reason.
Assuming the best and being prepared for the worst are characteristics that put these individuals on a pedestal far above us common folk. I used to be in awe of their bigger than life personas. Over time, that awe has transformed to respect and the realization that the people running 2 million, 20 million or 200 million dollar companies have many similar characteristics.
Off comes the cloak of mystery. The truth is these entrepreneurs have learned and applied these simple lessons and you can take these 5 undisputable facts to the bank too:
- Multiply your efforts through others.
- Attract and keep great people.
- Focus on your unique ability and delegate what you dislike or are not particularly good at to capable individuals on your team.
- Make the bold move and seize the moment when it presents itself.
- Let success build your confidence and increased confidence build your success.
Lee’s Quote for the day
“If you find something you love, that there is a market for, become really good at it, hang in there long enough, and add a little WYAO… success will be yours.” 
The 3M’s – Motorcycles, Music and Marketing
by Lee on Jul.23, 2010, under Marketing & Advertising, News & Views
As I get to know my customers better, I’m surprised to find so many boomers in charge of transportation sales and marketing who share my interest in riding motorcycles and playing guitar. Many of us have rekindled these passions later in life, but is it a mid-wife crisis, a way to keep our Mo-jo workin’ or just good old fashion fun?
Regardless of the reason we enjoy the 3M’s, here are a few things to keep straight as we continue these activities into our senior years.
• Music. If your plucking your G string make sure it’s attached to your guitar.
• Motorcycles. Although wearing leather chaps promotes safe cruising on the highway, prepare for different reactions if you mistakenly wear them to the boardroom or the bedroom.
• Marketing. If you don’t understand how you are different from your competition, neither will your customers.
Lee’s Quote for the day. “You need to blend out, not in, to get noticed. This applies equally to your marketing, your music and your motorcycles.”
Top Ten B2B Website Tips
by Lee on Jul.14, 2010, under Marketing & Advertising, News & Views, SEO, Website Design
From my experience, many of our larger B2B customers view their site as a customer portal for relevant data and are not overly concerned with anything beyond that functionality. During this past recession, our company has shifted a lot of our resources to web development and understanding how to make it an effective marketing tool for our customers. Without getting too technical, my top 10 suggestions for a more marketing orientated B2B website are as follows:
- Give your web some personality.
Many companies put website development in the hands of their IT department. Although they certainly play a big role, there should be a second set of eyes directing your look and message to the marketplace. - Take a message first approach.
Don’t keep what you do best a secret. Make sure your value proposition is front and center. Narrow your focus and increase overall results by speaking specifically to your 80% strength and customer target. - Use an effective combination of Flash and HTML text in your web layout. Too much of one or the other can leave the viewer either frustrated with download time or bored from lack of effective design and text heavy layouts. A “picture is worth a thousand words” applies to websites too.
- Optimize your site.
Having a site without SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is like having a hot dog without the bun. Proper SEO can dramatically change your presence on the web through increased rankings. - Keep your news or blog category current.
Having original news and/or blog content will increase rankings and customer interest, while copying others verbatim and having out of date entries can work against you. The more you update your site, the more reasons search engines such as Google will have a reason to visit. - Attention to detail is important.
Use quality photos and well written and proofed text. Make sure your logo and tagline are reproduced consistently and correctly throughout your site and please avoid extended “under construction” postings. - Make your site customer centric.
Make it easy to navigate. Tell your message quickly and concisely. Have applicable customer log-in portals front and center. For new visitors, the majority are looking for contact info so make it easy to find. - Benchmark your activity before and after.
Use Google Analytics to better understand traffic demographics. Review regularly and make changes to your site based on the data received. Set targets to better capture your viewers’ attention and increase frequency and lengths of visits in the future. - Use a combination of push and pull strategies to increase your web presence.
Don’t wait for business to land in your lap. Push out your information. Promote your website to customers and prospects. - Use one capable marketing provider. Your results will be more cohesive, cost effective and less demanding on your time. Taking a “too many cooks” approach (within your company and by using multiple vendors) could result in poor overall delivery and lack of consistency with your branding efforts.
Lee’s quote for the day,
“To catch the big fish, your marketing needs to have the right hook, line and thinkers.”
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Welcome to the Palmer Marketing Blog!
Welcome to our blog, a place where we write about advertising and marketing industry trends, ideas, tips, and our thoughts for improving your marketing communications. Palmer Marketing delivers creative solutions that contribute to our clients' success. Located in Mississauga (Toronto), Ontario, we create everything from complete advertising campaigns to promotional items, web sites and intranets.
