Marketing Strategy: Care To Do It Online?

Marketing strategies are a must to all sorts of businesses. Investments will not work out the way they are intended to do so if the action plan is weak and insufficient. Marketing strategy taking its roots from the internet is now something clamored by many of the business owners.

It is due to the primary reason that the internet has become the main source of information for all people. Nearly more than a billion people are into the surfing of the internet on a daily basis.

Apart from it, internet connection has likewise become a must for all homeowners. Reality says that the internet is of great use. All of today’s actions are dependent on the use of the internet. How much more for the conceptualization of the marketing strategies?

Investments of all sorts require carefully planned out marketing strategies for they give life to the success of the business. By doing the marketing strategy online, you are surely opening the gateway to your prosperity. The internet is a host to thousands of websites that may give you further insights about marketing strategies.

Everyone knows how stiff the competition in the business has gone so it is your responsibility of keeping afloat with it. You surely do not want your competitors to get so much ahead of you. To be further open to such success, tune in to online marketing strategies.

Online marketing strategies do not just come out of the blue. It is necessary that these Marketing strategies are related by all means with the policies, objectives, and tactics with which the corporate business is geared to. It is likewise important that everything must be in accordance to the mission of the corporation or else no quality services or products will be crafted.

The worst scenario to be faced by a business owner is to see a decrease in the production and the degradation of the quality of service his company is able to extend to the costumers. If for example during your most recent board of director’s meeting you found out that everything is in chaos, then you might want to consider looking into your marketing strategies. It pays off to take a close look at the operational management which your company engages in.

There is nothing you can do to save the company if you will not think of ways to boost your marketing strategy. Ask yourself-are you able to cover a large target? Are your staff members courteous and efficient? Are your goods and services of the topnotch quality? Is your marketing strategy in harmony with your business corporation’s goals and objectives? If you spot something wrong with any of these aspects, then you may have to change your marketing strategy scope and attack.

Securing the standing of your goods and services is a must. Then you must provide a solution to keeping loyal and efficient staff. After all, they are your helpers in achieving success. Then, better think of a way to be able to cover a large number of target potential customers. Online marketing strategy has been proven to work in its finest.

A lot of business corporations see the importance of the internet as it is a tool that allows the advertisements to reach a large area. You have to go along with the flow. Level up your marketing strategy by seeking the opportunity online!

Mario Churchill
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/marketing-strategy-care-to-do-it-online-95982.html

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How To Build Your Network Marketing Business The Right Way

My experience in trying to build my first network marketing business is unfortunately probably like many others – a failure. I joined my company and then spent too much money on leads trying to recruit them into my business. I did manage to enroll a few people over the course of several months of doing this, but still lacked enough cash flow to support continued recruiting efforts.

My sponsors kept telling me that I needed to step up my retailing efforts in order to stay afloat, but those of you that have been in a product oriented network marketing business before know that developing a solid customer base takes time, and time was not on my side. I soon decided that I was not willing to subsidize my network Marketing business with the income from my corporate job and closed shop so to speak.

Bottom line – don’t buy lead packages, don’t spend hours daily calling so called prospects, and don’t rely on signing up your friends and family. All of these methods are expensive in terms of money and/or time, and overall an in-efficient way to build your business.

Building Your Network Marketing Business The Right Way:

Fast forward one year to today where I am now successfully growing my new network marketing business (I chose a different company), and doing it with no out of pocket expenses. I’m sure you want to know how I am doing it!

I am using an internet based marketing system that has taught me how to create a free endless supply of ESP’s – Educated, Serious, Prospects. The concept is called a funded sponsoring franchise, meaning the system is setup like a franchise which makes it very duplicatable, and teaches users how to generate paid (funded) leads that are indirectly exposed and sponsored into their primary business over time.

The leads I generate using the Internet Marketing techniques outlined in our internet marketing success guide, end up costing me nothing! The way I accomplish this is by exposing my new leads to several low cost affiliate programs that they can choose to join to get their franchise businesses up and running. When they join, I in turn receive enrollment commissions which end up covering the cost I incurred to generate the leads in the first place.

Additionally, all of the affiliate programs the system uses pay me monthly residual income for all recurring member subscriptions. So the more Money I spend on internet marketing, the more leads I generate, which results in more affiliate signups and greater ongoing residual income. Through out the process, my leads are introduced to the concept of a primary program A.K.A. solid network marketing company. The leads that are serious about creating long term residual income (usually the ones that enroll into the affiliate programs our system recommends), are urged to contact us to learn more about our primary business!

I never have to speak to anybody until they filter through the funded sponsoring system and express an interest in learning more about my primary business and how they can get started! That is why I call them ESP’s (Educated, Serious, Prospects) – they have been educated at this point, and are obviously serious prospects when they contact me.

The best part of the system is the comfort of knowing that my new business partners are in good hands having access to the same duplicatable system to learn effective internet marketing tactics to generate their own endless supply ESP’s. The key to building a large network marketing organization is duplication which comes from using a funded sponsoring system like the one I am now using.

This new way of building your network marketing business is a complete 180 degree turn from the old, costly, and time consuming methods of the past. I invite you to start using the same free funded sponsoring franchise system I am using to start generating your own ESP’s every day.

Tom Childs
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/how-to-build-your-network-marketing-business-the-right-way-95773.html

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How to Use Affiliate Programs Plus Smart Marketing To Skyrocket

When it comes to working from home, affiliate programs are a great way to make residual income. If the program is good, they allow you to take part in an established system that has already been tested and built up. The only thing left to do is to take control and build a down line. The combination of using an affiliate program as your home-based business along with smart marketing equals win-win situation.

Many times affiliate programs are misunderstood. In the past, the idea of building a down line and making a residual income recruiting people was called a pyramid scheme. These pyramid schemes didn’t work, as we know now, because they relied solely on recruiting and not at all on selling. The main idea behind them, though, was a good one, so the affiliate program was created. What needs to be understood is that an affiliate program is more than building a down line of people. It also is based on selling real, and hopefully, beneficial as well as useful products. A home-based affiliate program can work well because a person earns Money through their down line and through product sales.

The other good thing about home-based affiliate programs is that they are very easy to get started, and in most cases are completely free with no start-up costs. Most programs offer a website and plenty of help and advice on how to get the business going. A person gets help from their sponsor in their up line, too. The biggest challenge, though, is marketing. This is because many people who start a home-based business have no business experience much less any Marketing expertise. The good news if that there are a number of books, programs, and mentoring services that can teach everyone how to become a successful marketer.

Marketing involves learning how to use the tools provided by the program to get customers and sign ups for the opportunity. The affiliate program will provide a person with written ads and their own website, among other things. The website is the central hub of all the marketing efforts. The main goal should be to get people to visit the website. Once there the copywriting should be so powerful that not only will people buy products, but also feel called to sign up to be an affiliate. This can be challenging, but it is not impossible with a top-notch marketing system.

Marketing also involves a person taking the ads and other marketing tools and placing them where people will see them. One of the biggest marketing platforms is search engines. Most affiliate websites are simple websites, but with a little work a person can optimize it to make it rank high on the search engines. A good way to get started is to add a blog to the website and write entries everyday. These entries should be keyword rich and informative. Search engines such as Google, MSN, and Yahoo like articles or blog entries and will assign the site a higher ranking if they have them. Another way to go is to place links and ads on other websites. A person should choose websites that compliment the affiliate program, but that is not in competition with it. By using these marketing methods a person should be able to get a good start in marketing.

Home-based affiliate programs along with good marketing efforts can really help to skyrocket residual income. Building an affiliate program will take some time, but they are great tools to produce a residual income.

Monique Hawkins
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/how-to-use-affiliate-programs-plus-smart-marketing-to-skyrocket-96206.html

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Eight Dirty Little Mortgage Marketing Sins That Kill Business Growth

Little things make a big difference. That’s true in marriage, parenting, and in marketing yourself as a mortgage professional. Too often as entrepreneurs we get caught up in the “thick” of “thin things” and we lose touch with what really drives success in our business.

In the little time we have together I want to remind you (or surprise you) of eight deadly marketing sins that mortgage professionals commit that could be crippling your business growth.

Sin #1 – Working “In” Your Business Instead of “On” Your Business

I was working with a consulting client recently who was in a sales slump. I decided to perform a very simple diagnostic. I simply asked him to send me detailed list with all of their activities for the next three days, email them to me, and then give me a call back. He did his homework and I received email listing all his activities and how much time he spent on them.

With an immediate glance I could tell exactly what his problem was – - he had forgotten what business he was in. After reviewing his activities it was clear that he was in the “putting out fires” business because that’s where most of his time was spent. Rather than working “on” his business he was working “in” his business.

This mortgage professional (and you) should be spending more time working “on” your business doing things like “planning and marketing,” which have a higher long term payoff.

In his popular book, “7 Habits for Highly Effective People” Stephen Covey hammers this point home using his famous “Time Management Matrix.” Dr. Covey emphasizes that too many business owners spend their time doing “urgent – but not important” activities when they should be spending their time on “non-urgent- but important” activities.

Non-urgent – but important activities, such as planning and marketing, generate continued and sustainable long term growth.

Sin #2 – Failing to Create and Use a Marketing Plan

Last year I was speaking at a national mortgage conference and had about 100 mortgage professionals in the room. I asked the crowd to hold up their hands if they had a current Marketing plan that they use and refer to on a consistent basis. Only three hands went up!

Even I was shocked. Studies have shown that small businesses that create and consistently use marketing plans experience an average of 30% higher sales than their competitors. Wouldn’t you like to increase your sales by 30%?

Here are a few tips to help you create your marketing plan.

Tip # 1 – Start your plan choosing a specific niche market to focus your marketing efforts

Tip # 2 – Identify your niche market’s problems, fears and frustrations

Tip # 3 – Create a marketing message that offers free information (i.e. special report) that is relevant to your to your target market

Tip # 4 – Break your plan down into mini-plans such as “referral marketing plan”, “advertising plan”, and “postcard marketing plan.”

Tip # 5 – Block schedule 30 minutes every week to review your plan.

Sin #3 – Failing to Implement Systems
A system is a business process that generates predictable, consistent, and replicable results day after day. If you want to see a good example of a system simply visit a fast food franchise like McDonalds or Wendy’s. Notice how they do the same things, the same way, every single time.

Unfortunately, most mortgage professionals never take the time to “systematize” their business, which results in duplication, waste, chaos, and ultimately lost sales. Sin # 1 is partly to blame for not getting around to creating and implementing systems.

Sin #4 – Not Marketing to Your Client Database
Many mortgage professionals believe that once you “close the deal” and the happy client walks out the door, then the deed is done and you need to move quickly on to the next prospect. While that’s true, your next prospect might have just walked out the door!

Many mortgage professionals tend to think, “My client just financed their home through me – - they’re not going to buy another home any time soon so why waste my time on them. Let’s find a new prospect.” The fact is that you should be getting 60% to 70% of your business from your current clients through referrals and repeat business.

In your marketing plan you should be including customer appreciation events, monthly or quarterly newsletters, and greeting cards all designed to stimulate repeat business. In addition, every small business should implement systems that generate “multiple streams of customer referrals.” If you need more ideas for referral systems you might want to visit www.AutopilotReferralSystems.com.

Sin #5 – Not Testing and Tracking Your Marketing Efforts

John Wanamaker’s famous 1886 quote sums it up very well:

“I know that 50% of my advertising is wasted…
…I just don’t know which half!”

There’s nothing worse than spending Money on a marketing campaign and not knowing whether it worked. It’s even worse when you continue to spend money on a marketing campaign that you think is working, but really isn’t.

The only way to invest in your marketing efforts with confidence is to test a campaign, track it, and measure your results. That’s why I recommend always offering something of low risk, like a special report, seminar, or audio CD to get people to respond immediately via the phone or your website so that you can track your response.

This strategy also allows you to capture your prospects contact information so that you can continue to follow up with them.

Sin #6 – Not Following Up with Your Prospects

Studies have shown that 81% of all sales happen on or after the fifth contact. If you’re a mortgage professional and you’re only doing one or two follow-ups imagine all the business you’re losing.

Not following up with your prospects and customers is the same as filling up your bathtub without first putting the stopper in the drain!

Here are 4 keys to developing a successful follow-up system:

1. Create a lead capture system that is accurate and reliable.
2. Develop compelling follow-up marketing literature that will drive traffic to your website or phone calls.
3. Systematize the process so that the process happens day in and day out, the same way every time.
4. Automate the system as much as possible using a contact management system and/or an outside mailing house to do your mailings.

Sin #7 – “Spraying and Praying”

Believe it or not, not everyone is a good prospect for your mortgage services. If that’s the case, why would you spend your precious marketing dollars trying to reach them? It doesn’t make sense. If everyone is your prospect then no one is your customer.

Unfortunately, too many mortgage professionals send general marketing message using media like radio, bus stop ads, non-targeted unaddressed mail drops, and general newspaper ads to “spray” their message to everybody and “pray” that enough people see or hear it to make it worth the investment.

Instead of spraying and praying, narrow your focus onto a specific niche market that actually has a need for mortgage financing and then market to people just like them. If your ideal prospect is an apartment renter paying 900+ per month, then find the apartment complexes where those people live and market only to them. Your response rate will go up and your cost per sale will go down when you begin to target your market.

Sin #8 – Not Differentiating Yourself

Did you know that your prospect receives, on the average, over 3, 000 marketing impressions a day! With all that clutter that you have to compete with, how do you make your mortgage business stand out?

How do you differentiate your business in a way that separates you from the competition? Is it with ads that say, “best rates”, “best service “, or “unbiased advise?” Everyone else is saying the same thing! You need to differentiate your business in a way that stands out from the crowd and gets noticed.

A simple way to do that is to keep a close eye on the marketing that really captures your attention and make a note of it. Then borrow and modify those strategies and ideas to create your own unique and compelling message.

Conclusion

It’s true the majority of mortgage professionals are committing one or more of these marketing sins, but you can repent and improve. My challenge to you is to take just one or two sins that you’re committing and focus on improving them. When you’ve got them nailed move on to another sin and overcome it. Business success usually results from commitment to making small incremental improvements over time.

Doren Aldana
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/eight-dirty-little-mortgage-marketing-sins-that-kill-business-growth-135455.html

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6 Critical Steps Allow You To Expand Your Prospect Base By Narrowing Your Marketing Focus

If you market to everyone, “your client will be no one.” This is an old saying that is as true today as it was whenit was first spoken. Mortgage professionals waste an immense amount of their marketing dollars on ineffective advertising that blasts their general message to the entire marketplace. This is commonly referred to as “spraying and praying” in the marketing world.

The Solution: Niche Marketing

Niche marketing on the other hand, allocates a smaller portion of your marketing budget on building a list of likely prospects and then investing the rest on converting those prospects into clients. The result is a more effective use of your precious Marketing dollars and a much higher prospect to client conversion rate — not to mention a significant increase in referrals.

By definition, niche marketing is narrowing your marketing efforts to a group(s) of prospects that have a high likelihood of being interested in purchasing your product or service.

Basically, there are three types of niches, (1) business occupations such as revenue property owners or general contractors and (2) “sub-cultures” such as people who love to play golf or people who love their Harley Davidson motorcycle and, finally, (3) credit scores such as A, B or C business.

Once you come to intimately know the niches you’ve selected to market to, your ability to convert prospects into clients becomes infinitely easier.

Your 6 Step Niche Marketing Program

Setting up your own mortgage niche marketing program is simple using the following six step process. Each step in the process is important to the ultimate success of your niche marketing program. There are no shortcuts to niche marketing success.

Step 1 – Choose a Niche

When choosing a profitable niche to market to make sure that it’s one that you can easily contact by mail. A good choice would be a niche in which mailing lists are readily available. If at all possible, your niche should be one that communicates amongst itself through community groups or events. It helps if your niche suffers from problems that a mortgage professional can solve. Lastly, ensure that your niche has the Money to purchase a home.

Perhaps the easiest method of choosing a niche is to review your client list and look for groups of people in the same occupation or subculture groups. The beauty of this method is that the niche you choose has already proven that they want a mortgage.

Potential niches that you might consider are self employed business owners, first-time home buyers or people with damaged credit. Each specific niche has a unique set of problems and aggravations that they have to deal with when trying to get a mortgage.

Step 2 – Develop your Brilliant Marketing Message

Once you’ve chosen your niche, your next step is to develop the marketing message that you will deliver to your prospects. To develop your message you’ll need to know: What problems or issues they are facing? What results are they looking for? And what is it about your service or approach that is going to interest them and make them remember you?

Materials you should expect to develop are a lead generation special report or financing guide. The guide can be 5-10 pages in length and should, (1) identify your prospect’s problem, (2) create a mental picture of the negative effects of the problem, and (3) talk about the benefits your financing solutions and how you will solve their problem. This financing guide can be in written form or better yet, a CD or video.

You’ll also need to create two sales letters. One sales letter will be for promoting the free financing guide and the other for leading them to take the next step and complete their application. You should also create a “What People Are Saying…” testimonial book that contains endorsements from clients in your niche with accompanying pictures of them standing next to their newly purchased home.

Lastly, you’ll need a brochure. But not a standard mortgage brochure — one that is custom developed for your niche. So if you chose to market to renters and general contractors, you should develop two different brochures that include messages specifically targeted to the needs of your niches. The brochure doesn’t have to be glossy and expensive. But it does need to talk directly to your niche and address their unique problems.

Step 3 – Obtain or Generate a List of Prospects

Your list of prospects is the most valuable element of your niche marketing program. First, look for existing lists of niche prospects. For example, if you’re targeting business owners you might buy a membership list from your local Chamber of Commerce.

If you chose renters and couldn’t find an existing list, consider doing a deal with a local financial planner to do mailings to each other’s respective client lists.

To obtain a list of professions and subcultures to consider in your niche marketing program, send a blank email to nichelist @ mortgagemarketingcoach.com with the subject: “Niche List”.

Step 4 – Contact your Niche

It’s time to assemble your marketing message and send it to your niche market. This will be done in two steps. First, send your sales letter offering your free report or guide. Ask your prospects to respond by calling you to order their free financing guide. The next step is to send the guide to those who responded to your mail out and combine it with a note stating the benefits of taking the next step with an application.

WARNING: The next step is a common area where many mortgage professionals either cheat or skip altogether by just sending a one-step offer to the list. People are tired of one-step, “in your face” marketing. They want to be courted first. By sending good, non-sales type valuable information you’ll be establishing a warm relationship, which will prepare your prospect for your offer.

Step 5 – Follow up

Following up with your prospects is key! 98% of all mortgage professionals rarely follow up after their first mailing yet studies have shown that a prospect needs to see you and your offer at least three times to make a decision.

To dramatically increase response to your direct mailings you should consider following up by phone, introduce yourself, ask if they received your guide, and ask if they had any further questions.

Step 6 – Develop a Niche Referral Program

Now that you’ve taken the effort to establish your niche marketing program you should leverage your efforts by implementing a systematic referral program. Remember when I mentioned that it was important to choose a niche that communicates amongst itself? This is why! If you’ve created a happy client they will begin to talk to others in your niche.

For example, if you’ve targeted business owners in your city, they will start to talk about you in their monthly meetings and informal get-togethers. You can multiply this by rewarding your clients in some way when they tell their friends.

Be sure to make your referral program “systematic” so that it is an established process in your business that gets measured and for which people get rewarded for closed deals.

For instance, you might consider awarding a free dinner for two certificate or move tickets when your clients write a personal endorsement letter to two friends. You provide the endorsement letter template and they share their testimonial with two of their friends.

Conclusion

There is a misconception that if you narrow your target market that there will be fewer prospects to market to; however, you’ll find the opposite to be true. Once you begin to tailor your message to the specific needs of your niche and you begin to receive word-of-mouth advertising within your niche, new clients will come out of the woodwork. In fact, your client base will actually expand.

To be competitive in today’s economy you need to consider new methods and marketing techniques to reach more high quality prospects. Niche marketing is a proven way to uncover new prospects, increase closing rates, and boost referrals.

Doren Aldana
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/6-critical-steps-allow-you-to-expand-your-prospect-base-by-narrowing-your-marketing-focus-135471.html

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