Five Ways To Attract Attention At Your Next Exhibition

Attending an exhibition is still one of the best ways to get in front of thousands of potential customers in one go. Whilst your internet site might be accessible by people the world over, an exhibition is only attended by people who are interested in your sector and it’s an ideal opportunity to make your presence known.

1. Choose your space well

If you leave it too late, all the best stand space has already gone. Book early and you can have your pick of the best spots ...

Keywords:

display stands, point of sale display

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Attending an exhibition is still one of the best ways to get in front of thousands of potential customers in one go. Whilst your internet site might be accessible by people the world over, an exhibition is only attended by people who are interested in your sector and it’s an ideal opportunity to make your presence known.

1. Choose your space well

If you leave it too late, all the best stand space has already gone. Book early and you can have your pick of the best spots – directly opposite the entrance; unmissable from the bar or café; a corner stand or a stand at the top of the stairs. These are all great places for your company to be, so the earlier you book, the better your chances of getting a top spot.

2. Think about design

Your stand needs to be eye-catching, so think about what distinguishes you from the opposition and use it to attract attention. From bright colours to unusual photography, there are lots of ways you can stand out from the crowd. Enlist the help of your designer to make sure that you do.

3. Clever marketing

Exhibitions are full of giveaways and we know that most of it goes in the bin when delegates get back to their hotel rooms. Be creative with your marketing. Consumer-led companies can give away vouchers, whilst others need to look for gifts that add value or have immediate use. Put your brand on water bottles or blister plasters or face wipes – anything that’s going to attract the attention of a hassled executive.

4. Get your displays right

Stands that are crowded with leaflets or where information isn’t readily available are often by-passed. Delegates don’t always want to speak to you, but they might want to take your literature and they shouldn’t have to fight their way to the back of your stand to get it. Use a variety of display systems for products and literature to entice people onto your stand rather than shy away from it.

5. Smile

You’d be surprised how often stands are by-passed because the stand staff are eating, drinking, smoking or looking downright unapproachable. It’s amazing the difference that a smiling, welcoming face can make – the difference between netting a big client and getting nothing at all.

Differentiate Yourself And Attract More Attention, Sales, and Profits

How to sell more of anything via effective, cheap, useful, fruitful and intelligent advertising. Specific strategies to increase your sales in any type of business, online or off, without spending a fortune on copywriting.

Keywords:

selling,sales,small business marketing,advertising,marketing,small business,business,sell more,make more sales

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Differentiate and you stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Present your uniqueness and emphasize your rare attributes in your sales copy and promotions and you'll capture the imagination and interest of those you want to reach.

In a world of copycats, it pays to be an original. It’s usually the creator of a new concept who gets the most mileage from it. Innovative entrepreneurs often become market leaders while competitors keep doing things the same old way – until change is forced upon them. Differentiate or die.

Challenging the way things have always been done can lead to creative new options that reward you with a windfall of profits.

Differentiate your business and you attract attention. It’s new, different – even revolutionary – and it’s the kind of thing that generates excitement and creates a stir in the market. After all, few new customers would be drawn to you -- if you were doing the exact same thing, the exact same way as everyone else.

Consider this question... “What Could You Do To Differentiate Yourself, Your Business, Or Your Product In A Way Prospects and Customers Would Appreciate?” Another thought to ponder is this... “What Traditions Could You Break That Would Capture Attention And Interest?”

Putting an effective new spin on your business should be done with the needs and desires or your customers and prospects in mind. Differentiate from their point of view.

What changes can you implement that would make customers say “Wow!”?

Think in terms of what people want. Essentially, they want to be served better, faster and with more convenience. They want to be entertained. They want to solve problems with less effort. They want instant gratification. They want respect and to be treated as VIP's (which customers are, of course). They want to do business with companies that care about them, their environment, and the world at large. Differentiate in a way that appeals to these desires.

Look at every facet of your business and compare the way you do things to the way competitor does. Are you operating in a similar manner? How might you do things differently? What changes could you make in that area that your customers would truly appreciate and value?

Differentiate and you gain a huge advantage.

Re-invent your business operations and marketing materials as though you were the customer. Design everything from the customer’s point of view. Take “tradition” and turn it upside down. Recast your business. Make it more user-friendly and benefit-oriented. Blaze a new trail... even if it means re-inventing your entire industry.

Let’s look at a few simple examples.

Many retail stores have their cash registers right up front – near the entrance. Couldn’t that prime real estate be better used to display enticing new merchandise and lure in more customers? PJ’s Pet Centres does this well. They’ve cleverly placed a large cage of adorable puppies right outside the front entrance. Few people can walk by without a short visit... and many of those are drawn inside the store.

Some entrepreneurial-minded restauranteurs do the same thing with their kitchens. Patrons find it interesting and entertaining to watch the chef expertly prepare a multitude of culinary delights. At the same time, most competing kitchens are at the back of the restaurant and out of the way, so no one ever sees inside.

East Side Mario’s has done something unique to differentiate itself. They know that desserts are among the most profitable items any restaurant can offer. So they don’t employ the traditional dessert tray or standard menu. Instead, they present beautiful color slides of their delicious, mouth-watering creations in a View Master. A View Master is a small plastic toy -- about the size of a camera – that you hold to your eyes and click to change the image shown. Who can resist viewing each one of their specialties? It’s a fun, novel way to unveil delicious treats. Everyone gets a chuckle out of it the first time around and I’d be willing to bet that more people buy dessert because of it.

Take a close look at your business and industry. What is considered “standard practice”? How might business be done differently? How could you change things in a way that creates interest, desire, curiosity, and more sales?

In a world of apples, it pays to be an orange.

More resources at www.makeyoursalessoar.com

Creative And Affordable Way For Small Businesses To Attract New Customers

One of the biggest challenges that any small business faces is finding creative ways to attract new customers.

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Creative And Affordable Way For Small Businesses To Attract New Customers

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One of the biggest challenges that any small business faces is finding creative ways to attract new customers. Without the marketing clout of a Fortune 500 brand, it's hard to get the word out about a product or service. Yet, with so much competition in the marketplace, a business can't afford not to.

The most effective marketing campaigns include a combination of different media. The more places a potential customer sees a brand or message-from TV, radio, newspapers and online-the more likely they'll remember it. However, small businesses tend to rely primarily on local print and Yellow Pages advertising because they believe TV advertising is out of their reach.

Now there are new companies using technology to make TV advertising easy and affordable. One such company is Spot Runner, a unique new ad agency that has dramatically lowered the cost and complexity to develop an ad campaign. By putting the entire process online, the agency can provide a complete TV ad campaign for as little as $500 a month.

Creating the campaign takes just a few days. Clients start by logging on to Spot Runner's Web site and selecting an ad from a library of thousands of professionally produced ads. The agency personalizes the ad with the business' specific information and then, using its proprietary technology, creates a customized media plan. Clients can advertise on any broadcast and cable channel available, such as CNN, ESPN and Lifetime. Once the client approves the ad and the media plan, the agency gets it on air.

"We're a small boutique firm and TV advertising allows us to compete on an equal footing with the larger firms in town," said Ryan Lapidus, founder of the Lapidus & Lapidus law firm. "To see our ad on TV, side by side with Fortune 500 companies on major channels, is really exciting."

Spot Runner offers these five important tips to creating an effective marketing campaign:

1. Understand your audience and the messages that will resonate with them. A campaign geared towards homeowners is very different than one geared to teens.

2. Pick a campaign to fit your objectives. A campaign to raise brand awareness will require a different strategy than one to promote a new product or sale.

3. Choose an ad that reflects your company's brand values and image.

4. Make it easy to understand. People are thinking of other things when they see your ad. Don't make them think. Make them act.

5. Invest in your company's growth through a sustained marketing campaign. Advertising works over the long term by increasing awareness of your company among new customers and serving as a reminder to your existing customers.

Whether you're a professional, a retailer or a service provider, television advertising can fit into your budget and be an essential part of your marketing activities.

Five Ways Small Cap Companies Can Attract Big Investors

Start using the proven strategies Wall Street’s top companies use. These simple yet effective steps your investor relations director can take right now to dramatically increase your company’s exposure and attractiveness to investors thus bolstering share value and shareholder support

Keywords:

Investment stocks shareholder awareness business marketing

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If you work for a publicly traded company, there are simple yet effective steps you and your investor relations director can take now to dramatically increase your company’s exposure and attractiveness to investors thus bolstering share value and shareholder support. These are simple, yet proven strategies for gaining and maintaining a loyal and ever-increasing investor following. Read ‘em and reap.

[1] Stay One Step Ahead of your Investors – Provide accurate and timely information about your Company

How do most investors tell a good stock from a bad one? They don’t…it tells them. It tells them by its trading activity, volume, chart history, etc. But most importantly, it tells them at the click of a button: "View Latest Headlines".

In fact, do that right now. Go online (where most investors conduct their due diligence and make their trading decisions) and view your company’s last five press releases just as an average investor would. Based on what you see, is your company’s stock a buy?

If you recently repainted the building; that’s great! Brag about it at the next office party. But if your company just signed a multi-million dollar global distribution deal--- spend the few hundred dollars on the press release. Better yet…try dividing that one big PR into three or four smaller PR’s. When it comes to substantive positive news, quantity is better than quality, also known as the Shotgun Effect. When the news is not particularly flattering or general housekeeping stuff, the reverse is true; keep those announcements few and far between if possible.

Also keep your company’s website current. Be sure all recent press releases are reflected on your company’s website and the information is updated quarterly. If your company is not growing or changing enough quarter by quarter, somebody is not doing their job. (For help with your website IR section or shareholder awareness campaigns, try contacting the people at www.EvergreenMarketingInc.com.

[2] The Whispers of Happy Shareholders can be Deafening

Word of mouth is still the best advertising there is. If you get the chance to speak directly to any of your shareholders try asking them how they first heard about your company. The answer will most likely be, "from a fellow investor". There are people out there right now who know enough about your company to recommend it to everyone they know….or not. They’re called shareholders. The key is keeping that army of voices well supplied with a steady stream of good news to spread.

Remember, your shareholders can promote and discuss your company and its investment potential in ways and places that you legally cannot. In this Internet / information age, you, as an executive of a publicly traded company, are one of the few who do not have total freedom of speech. Those shareholders are your not-so-silent majority out there for (or against) you on the World Wide Web, 24/7 in places you probably don’t even know exist.

If you really want shareholders to get excited enough about your company to tell everyone they know about it, try getting one of them on the phone sometime or sending a personal email; even if it’s just to say hello and thank them for their support. Speaking directly to the CEO of a company they own stock in is like talking to the Governor to some investors. I’ve seen it. More importantly, I’ve heard about it.

[3] The Hungry Cat Makes the Best Hunter

If a tree falls in the woods and there’s no one there to hear it, does it still make a sound? Who cares! But if your company releases positive news and there’s no one there to hear it, someone will care; your shareholders.

Nothing discourages current shareholders (as well as potential future ones) more than seeing a stock end the session with little or no increase in share price or volume on a day when positive news is released. Sure, the wire services are global, but more than likely, it will only be your existing shareholders who will be watching for and (hopefully) reading your company’s press releases.

As we discussed earlier, the best way to attract future shareholders is by utilizing current shareholders to help do the "hunting". Think about this; if every one of your shareholders fully understood and believed that if there were twice as many of them, the share price might be twice the price it is now. You must keep your army of shareholders constantly growing if for no other reason than the fact that all of your current shareholders will eventually sell your stock and move on…it’s only a question of when.

[4] Get Organized. Get Ready. Get Going!

All eyes in the room are on you. "Okay Boss, what’s the plan?" And then you answer….

Your corporate plan to increase shareholder support and awareness is like a roadmap that details the fastest and shortest route to your destination. Planning the trip is the easy part. Getting everyone else on board for the ride may take some work. That "work" starts with everyone knowing what their specific duties are and the most effective way of carrying them out.

This leads us to; "Get Going!" Activity creates productivity and productivity creates new shareholders, as well as helps keep existing ones. You should put together a 30 to 60 day calendar that outlines your shareholder awareness program. You should be able to identify specific developments that should take place during each week.

In the beginning, be sure to avoid the getting ready to get ready trap. Once you have the bulk of your operation and team in place, get them started. Don’t get too discouraged if your early results are less than hoped for. This type of undertaking is more like running a marathon than a sprint. It may take a few small steps at first to get your operation up and running for the long haul.

[5] You Cannot Expect What You Are Not Willing to Inspect

Delegation does not equal leadership. You need to stay updated from those actually implementing your shareholder awareness and support programs. What they do right and what they do wrong will determine the success of your program. Your management (and inspection) of the program and those implementing it are key factors in achieving your goals.

I’m sorry to say the bulk of investor relations duties are often viewed as a necessary evil. However, if you want your stock to reflect a strong market capitalization you need to be willing to go the extra mile. On behalf of your shareholders, take charge of your investor relations program then let everyone involved know exactly what is expected of them.

These simple yet effective steps will have a huge impact on how current shareholders as well as future investors view your efforts to gain their support by first supporting them. Leadership is easy….if you’re willing to assume it.