New Year, New Opportunities

Ready to face a New Year of business, braced for all the challenges the marketplace, the economy, new technology and fateful caprice will invariably throw at you?

Neither am I.

But, like the Nike commercial philosophizes, sometimes you gotta pull yourself up by the boot straps and "Just Do It." (What I'd like to know is, who still wears boot straps..?)

Welcome to the inaugural entry for 2010's Not Your Usual Marketing Tips from JDK Marketing Communications Management.

...And my annual revival, with some modifications, of proposed resolutions for the New Year:

There’s a great scene in an old “Seinfeld” episode where Jerry has apparently telephoned reservations for a car rental. Except that when he gets there to pick up the car, he’s told there are none to be had. The woman at the counter explains that, for whatever bureaucratic reason, his rental was released to someone else. In his customary exasperated manner, Jerry “educates” her with the admonition that although it is their business to MAKE the reservation…they also have to be able to HOLD the reservation..!

It’s January of a New Year. From a marketing standpoint, presuming you’ve MADE your New Year’s resolutions, are you planning to actually HOLD them?

Here are 12 Resolutions, one for each month (in no particular order):

* Guerilla Marketing: Think outside the box for ways to promote yourself. There are rules…and sometimes there are no rules.

* Networking: Do more, by joining more…business networking groups, associations, fraternal organizations, fellow hobbyists, etc. That means joining the social media milieu, as well...i.e. Facebook, Twitter, et al.

* Publicity: Toot your own horn; no one else knows your “key” as you do.

* Positioning: All things being equal…what makes you “more” equal than others?

* Seminars: You think you know it all? Heck, maybe you do – at least as far as certain audiences are concerned, and the new business opportunities they might provide for you.

* Newsletters: Share your ideas, broaden your constituency; send out industry-relevant information either as hard copy…or as an e-zine (such as what you’re presently reading).

* Trade Shows: Go to them, be in them, mingle within them, write a program article for them.

* Event Marketing: Sponsor a cause, have an Open House; it’s good P.R. by “humanizing” your business.

* The Newspaper: Remember that old-fashioned concept? For business ideas, for client contact opportunities, simply to stay topical, don’t just rely on the 11:00 PM news. Read the newspaper.

* Greeting Cards: It doesn’t have to be Christmas to send them. Stay top of mind year-round, with Valentine’s Day, July 4th, Arbor Day – whatever! – as an excuse.

* Postcards: Along with greeting cards, post cards are a fast, convenient, economical way to let people know about your business (think Realtors, Financial Advisors…).

* JDK Marketing Communications Management: Yeah, I know, I “fudged” on this last one. But how else are you going to be able to effectively take care of the previous 11 resolutions…without first resolving to contact yours truly?

Did I mention re-tooling your website, if necessary? Mine was necessary...and so I'm pleased to announce my newly revamped and updated site. Come visit:

http://www.jdkmarketing.biz/

Thanks go to graphic designer Tim Faragher, now flexing his muscles in the web world: tim.faragher@gmail.com

Have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010. And we’ll see you again the first Tuesday of next month with another edition of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips.

Joel Kweskin

joel@jdkmarketing.biz
704.846.4835
704.575.8850
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