"Hit'em Where They Ain't!"

"If at first you don't succeed...try shortstop."
-- Soupy Sales

It's April, and that means my annual salute to The National Pastime. While professional football has clearly taken over as the country's premier team sport for its grasp on virtually all media and revenue (forgetting the current NFL strife between millionaire players and billionaire owners), there is still something about the influence Baseball has played for the last 141 years on the shaping of our country.

Curiously, it is the only game where, almost randomly, the defense controls the ball (or puck?).  And it is the most democratic of all games -- anyone can be involved in a play at any time...and everyone gets to bat with an opportunity to score.  With neither height or weight having a bearing on the player's role.

I don't know about you Dads out there, but I bought my toddler son a glove well before I ever bought him a football. And I still own two gloves. (They're from the Pleistocene Era, but we won't get into that now...)

Welcome to the "BATTER UP!" edition of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips from JDK Marketing Communications Management.

Jacques Barzun, a French-born American historian of ideas and culture, once famously said "Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball..."

And along with it, some lessons we can apply to, yes, marketing.

A few years ago, I first pitched this article to the readers of this column. Here's the replay:

There was a baseball player around the turn of the century -- at 5'4" the shortest ever to play the game -- named Wee Willie Keeler. Known for perfecting the "Baltimore Chop," whenever Willie stepped to the plate the chant would ring out, “Hit’em where they ain’t!”

The meaning was simplistically clear: hit the ball where the fielders weren't positioned, to improve the chances for getting a base hit.

What if, metaphorically speaking, you could “hit” your target markets…where your competition “ain’t?”

Most businesses – however small or large – tend to market themselves through the standard avenues…the local newspaper, the local weekly, radio, TV, et al. And buckshot mailings to one’s database of clients, colleagues and friends. (And now, of course, through various forms of social media.) Chances are that your industry counterparts are doing mostly that same thing.

Maybe the next time you’re “at bat,” consider going – pardon the pun – farther afield. That is, think about hitting those markets not just among your primary audience but also to the outer periphery of your spheres of influence.

¶A CPA, for instance – whose services are needed by virtually everyone – can make herself the go-to professional with the local remodelers trade association.

¶A chiropractor might consider offering internal clinics to the staffs of Home Depot or Lowe's (think of all the lifting, stretching and bending those folks go through).

¶An etiquette consultant might consider aligning with a business or life coach to offer services to further their clients' business growth and social success.

¶A sometime caricature artist might join a wedding and event planners organization to be their unique source of party entertainment. (Hey wait a minute, that's me..!)

For that matter, maybe there’s a hobby you have, or a weekend passion you love, that can be parlayed into a business opportunity -- by providing your services to fellow aficionados. Do these enthusiasts have associations? Do they have meetings? Do they have means, i.e. literature or promotional materials, by which they communicate with one another…and in which you can contribute an ad or, better yet, an informative article?

Again, something that perhaps your competition hasn't customarily done...

Next time you grab that metaphorical bat and stand in the box…you may want to think outside of it every now and then. And hit’em where they -- your competition -- likely ain’t.

By the way, did you know that, after "Happy Birthday," the second most sung ditty among Americans is..."Take Me Out to The Ballgame?"

See you again the first Tuesday of next month, with some "chin music" edition of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips.

Joel Kweskin
http://www.jdkmarketing.biz/
joel@jdkmarketing.biz
704.846.4835 office
704.575.8850 mobile
Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo
ISES, NAWP, Visit Charlotte

The Facebook Fenomenon

Well, it didn't win Best Picture, or Best Actor or Best Director, but "The Social Network" certainly made its presence felt at the Academy Awards Sunday night earning three other Oscars, including Best Adapted Screenplay. More than anything else, though, it was the subject matter itself -- Facebook -- that will likely resonate long after "The King's Speech" has run its course in our collective conscience...notwithstanding the upcoming nuptials of Kate and William.

And that's because the latter is a fairy tale kingdom curiosity, while the former is virtually (and...virtually) part of our everyday lives.

Welcome to the Ide(a)s of March issue of Not Your Usual Marketing tips from JDK Marketing Communications Management.

Facebook can be intoxicating, it can be exasperating, it can be enlightening, it can be depressing, it can be educational, and many hope it can be a boon to their business. Personally speaking, notwithstanding a project here or there that sprang onto my "wall," the jury is still out on the sustained efficacy of that perceived capability.

But at least in the case of one pundit out in the blogosphere, you better be there...or be square.

In One Social Media -- http://www.onesocialmedia.com/blog/ -- author Mike Bal opines on What Happens When You Don't Use Facebook?

"We talk to a lot of people who don’t think Facebook is necessary for their brand or company. What they don’t realize is that millions of people have come to rely on Facebook as their primary form of interaction with companies, brands, and people.

"What happens when someone can’t find you on Facebook? They give up and look for someone or something else to replace you. The hardest thing to do as a brand is to get people to trust you. Facebook makes taking that step a little easier for the customer. They can start by clicking the 'Like' button. From there they can interact with you and your page all the while developing a better relationship with your brand.

"Marketers have spent years trying to find the perfect customer. A customer who wants to hear what you have to say and who will spread the gospel of their favorite brand. Facebook offers a way for those customers or fans to find you and we would recommend taking advantage of it.

"Having a presence on Facebook doesn’t mean you are getting anything out of it. You have to be willing to maximize your efforts by creating strategies that get your customers and “fans” involved. By being valuable to those who choose to follow you, learn from you, be entertained by and informed by you.

"How are you being valuable to your customer base?"

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Like one point seven bajillion other people, I'm on Facebook. But, with pretty much strictly a business development intent, I'm still poking my stick out there to see how truly fertile this virtual landscape can be.

In the meantime, look for us the first Tuesday of next month for another red carpet treatment of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips.

Joel Kweskin
joel@jdkmarketing.biz
704.846.4835
704.575.8850 mobile
Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo

Keep it Brief

Now that we’re about to experience Super Bowl XLV, what’s next?

Why, JDK Marketing Communications Management XV, that’s what!

Five years ago in this column, I acknowledged -- duh! -- Anniversary X. Here's a reprise of that column, amended slightly to bring some points up to date.

Welcome to the February edition of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips from JDK Marketing Communications Management.

February 14, Valentine’s Day, marks the fifteenth anniversary of JDK Marketing Communications Management. In this span of time, we’ve been fortunate to expand our client industry representation to nearly 50 different and varied companies while broadening our capabilities to some 23 “ways...to help bring business your way.”

Thank you's are in order to: my "stable" of fine creative talents (i.e. graphic designers, photographers, videographers, web developers) and commercial printer resources; business colleagues for their friendship, counsel and referrals; and, of course, to my clients who have given me the opportunity to not only make them look good, but me as well. You are all among my readers here and I appreciate your efforts in my behalf.

There, I’ve said what I wanted to…and kept it reasonably short.

Since I've been occasionally chided for being too wordy in some of my NYUM Tips, I’m trying to be more mindful of that particular proclivity. (Though obviously not enough, you see, to resist alliterative turns of phrase.)

But the point to be brief and concise is, generally, well advised.
As marketing guru Robert Middleton -- http://www.actionplan.com/ -- points out:

“Since all marketing is about communication, the faster you can get your message across, the better results you'll typically get...

”Some places you can use the short message technique:

”1. On the home page of your web site. People want to be able to glance at this one page, read a few words and know what you're about. You need to go beyond a few bullet points, but you don't need several long paragraphs outlining every single thing your business offers.

 ”2. In an email that points to more detailed information on a web page. In tests I've done, a message that was only 84 words got 50% more click-throughs than a message that was 284 words.

”3. In an Audio Logo. A concise statement in ten words or less saying who you work with and the problems you address will almost always generate more interest than a long-winded description of what you do, who you do it for and how you're different.

”4. In a phone message left on voice mail. Saying your name, company name and your phone number will generally get more return calls that a big recorded sales spiel that often convinces your prospect that they definitely don't need your services.

”5. In an answer to the question: ‘Tell me more about your services,’ it's better to tell a little and then ask a question than it is to give an itemized list of every service you offer.”

…And I think I’ll end it right here, before I’m accused of doing what I said I wasn’t going to do.

See you again the first Tuesday of next month for another “trying-not-to-be-too-wordy” edition of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips.

Joel Kweskin
joel@jdkmarketing.biz
704.846.4835
704.575.8850
Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2011, and Volume Nine (!) of this little monthly foray into observations and anecdotes touching on the sometimes craft and science, but mostly the caprice and alchemy, of that integral part of commerce we call marketing.


Each January, it's been our tradition to offer up 12 resolutions -- one corresponding to each month -- for the New Year. For those of you who missed it last year, here we go again. For those of you who read it last year...here we go again.

(That's the great thing about authoring one's own newsletter -- you get to call the shots...)

Welcome to Not Your Usual Marketing Tips from JDK Marketing Communications Management.

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):

1. Guerilla Marketing: Think outside the box for ways to promote yourself. There are rules…and sometimes they're made to be broken.

2. Networking: Don't just focus on the standard business networking groups…look into joining associations, fraternal organizations, groups comprising fellow hobbyists, etc. That means getting more active in the social media milieu, as well...i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn,Twitter, et al.

3. Publicity: Toot your own horn if you have to; no one else knows your “key” as you do.

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

5. Seminars/Workshops: 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.

6. 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).

7. Trade Shows: Go to them, be in them, network within them, write a program article for them, propose to give a seminar at them.

8. Event Marketing: Sponsor a cause, host an Open House; it’s good P.R. by “socializing” your business.

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

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

11. Postcards: Along with greeting cards, postcards are a fast, convenient, economical way to let people know about what's new with your business (think Realtors, Financial Advisors…).

12. 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?

Baker's Dozen Bonus: Re-tool your website, if necessary, with updated info, new pictures, perhaps a video.

Have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2011. Hope to catch you again the first Tuesday of next month with Volume 9, Number 2 of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips.

Joel Kweskin
joel@jdkmarketing.biz
704.846.4835
704.575.8850
Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo

The HemingWAY

It's December, and the focus this issue is on a larger than life icon with a white beard.

Of course, we're talking about Ernest Hemingway.

We're also talking about two, maybe three clients of mine who'd like to start their own e-zine, and may be incorporating my writing/editing assistance.

So, to help them out, I'm recommending they heed the principles of simple, yet effective writing, as exemplified by "Papa."

Welcome to the last edition of 2010's Not Your Usual Marketing Tips from JDK Marketing Communications Management.

Blogger Brian Clark, in his "Copyblogger" site,
( http://www.copyblogger.com/ernest-hemingway-top-5-tips-for-writing-well/ )    talks up the merits of writing for marketing purposes -- and let's face it, under the veneer of an entertaining newsletter, that should be the underlying function of an e-zine -- in a way that's, simply, easy to read.

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Ernest Hemingway’s Top 5 Tips For Writing Well

Who better?

Many business people faced with the task of writing for marketing purposes are quick to say:

Hey, I’m no Hemingway!

But really, who better than Hemingway to emulate? Rather than embracing the flowery prose of the literati, he chose to eschew obfuscation at every turn and write simply and clearly.

So let’s see what Ernest can teach us about effective writing.

1. Use short sentences.

Hemingway was famous for a terse minimalist style of writing that dispensed with flowery adjectives and got straight to the point. In short, Hemingway wrote with simple genius.

Perhaps his finest demonstration of short sentence prowess was when he was challenged to tell an entire story in only 6 words:

For sale: baby shoes, never used.

2. Use short first paragraphs.

See opening.

3. Use vigorous English.

Here’s David Garfinkel’s take on this one:

It’s muscular, forceful. Vigorous English comes from passion, focus and intention. It’s the difference between putting in a good effort and TRYING to move a boulder… and actually sweating, grunting, straining your muscles to the point of exhaustion… and MOVING the freaking thing!

4. Be positive, not negative.

Since Hemingway wasn’t the cheeriest guy in the world, what does he mean by be positive? Basically, you should say what something is rather than what it isn’t.

This is what Michel Fortin calls using up words:

By stating what something isn’t can be counterproductive since it is still directing the mind, albeit in the opposite way. If I told you that dental work is painless for example, you’ll still focus on the word “pain” in “painless.”

• Instead of saying “inexpensive,” say “economical,”

• Instead of saying “this procedure is painless,” say “there’s little discomfort” or “it’s relatively comfortable,”

• And instead of saying “this software is error-free” or “foolproof,” say “this software is consistent” or “stable.”

5. Never have only 4 rules.

Actually, Hemingway did only have 4 rules for writing, and they were those he was given as a cub reporter at the Kansas City Star in 1917. But, as any web writer knows, having only 4 rules will never do.

So, in order to have 5, I had to dig a little deeper to get the most important of Hemingway’s writing tips of all:

“I write one page of masterpiece to ninety-one pages of shit,” Hemingway confided to F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1934. “I try to put the shit in the wastebasket.”

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Thanks for your readership this past year. Happy Holidays and best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2011.

Joel Kweskin

http://www.jdkmarketing.biz/
704.846.4835 office
704.575.8850 mobile
Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo

Happy Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving month. As such, I thought I'd indulge my prerogative to fashion this column in a "not your usual" way and reflect, for once, on the professional side of things for which I am thankful.


I'm thankful for:

* The independence to be my own boss. And to work at a creative craft that can certainly be enervating...but enriching as well, as I help clients put a public "profile" on their businesses.

* The clients themselves, a virtual United Nations of personalities -- English, French, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Lebanese, South African --from whom I've learned something about their former cultures along with their equally diverse and varied businesses.

* The scope of work I've been able to do for them -- branding, logo design, corporate identity, print collateral, video, TV and radio commercials, publicity, websites -- to make my contributions all the more personally fulfilling.

* The camaraderie that comes with teamwork, as I and graphic designers, photographers, printers, videographers, web designers and other creative industry professionals build marketing programs to assist clients in pursuing their own dreams of success.

* The reach that technology affords all us small businesspeople, so that we may be competitive in a reasonable manner with our larger, more established business brethren; technology such as through various Social Media outlets as well as this E-zine you're reading...a great way, I've found, to stay top of mind with clients, prospects and colleagues.

* The opportunities afforded by living and working in a great mid-size city (that one hopes doesn't get too much bigger) so that it remains a manageable and embracing place for entrepreneurs and small businesses to succeed and grow.

* The same city that likes to have fun as well as put its shoulder to the wheel, so that there is additional opportunity, for instance, to assist party and event planners with a product as uniquely entertaining and customized as...caricatures. The proverbial "other hat" worn by yours truly:

http://www.cv-vision.com/ovse/jkweskin/

* And finally, a father who paved the creative way for me by being one of the authentic Mad Men -- an illustrator, copywriter, creative director -- I looked up to for guidance, support, perspective...and the genetic passing along of verbal and artistic capabilities.

For all this, and more, I am thankful this Thanksgiving.

See you again the first Tuesday of Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza month...


Joel Kweskin

http://www.jdkmarketing.biz/
704.846.4835 office
704.575.8850 mobile
Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo

Dan Smith Will Teach You Guitar

In the dizzy marketing world of social media, Hi-Def TV commercials, YouTube self-promo videos, over-the-top PR campaigns, digitally animated billboards and glitzy special events, there's one approach that always seems to get short shrift.

This is a great story, published recently in The New York Times, edited here for brevity sake. It makes the case, at least in one person's marketing campaign, for considering that most basic of promotional formats: a headline, a visual and a simple message, printed on one side of an 8 1/2 x 11-inch sheet.

As Rod Serling might have said: "Submitted for your approval...the humble flier."

Welcome to the October edition of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips from JDK Marketing Communications Management.

"Dan Smith Will Teach You Guitar...and How to Build a Brand"

For nearly 15 years, Dan Smith has plastered New York with fliers promoting his guitar lessons. And in the process, has become a cult icon -- and successful entrepreneur. Why even John Mayer is taking notice.

By PATRICK SAUER

Anybody who has ever set foot in a Manhattan coffee joint, bodega, or laundromat will recognize the following exhortation:

Dan Smith Will Teach You Guitar.

For those of you outside New York, these are the simple words seen on ubiquitous fliers that have enabled Dan Smith to follow his musical muse and become Gotham's most widely known guitar teacher. By combining the basic tools of paper, printer and photocopier, with a free introductory lesson, Dan Smith has created a brand that keeps him flush with 20 to 30 students at a time, soaking in his relaxed go-at-your-own-pace approach to teaching guitar. Here's our Q&A:

When did the flier campaign start?

I started teaching full time around 1996. I had been fliering heavily to get to a point to be solely a teacher, but they weren't the same ones you see today. The fliers have evolved. I put myself on the flier in 2003, but people say they've seen my face for 20 years. We all have exaggerated perceptions of things.

Did they always have the simple "Dan Smith Will Teach You Guitar" slogan?

Some form of that. I wanted to be as simple and straightforward as possible, but also set myself apart by having something that nobody could copy, like my name and face. Nobody can out-me me.

They seem to be everywhere. How often do you put up fliers?

They seem to be everywhere, but there are large parts of the city I don't flier. I am only one man wearing out shoe leather. I hang them whenever I can, on an ongoing basis. It's a bit of a dilemma because it works, which means I'm teaching, but then I don't have time to put up fliers. It's a nice problem to have.

Where do you put them up?

Wherever anyone can see them. I've been told fliers have been seen in Brooklyn even though I have never put one up there. People hang them for me out of their own enthusiasm, I guess. Some storeowners don't want the fliers, but others want them because it's a conversation piece, and I've been told it's a "stamp of approval" that makes a new business legitimate. All I want is a good spot.

The fliers definitely have a cult following.

It's got a strange life to it. There's a legion of blogs out there, John Mayer copied them, and people have posted a bunch of YouTube videos. Generally speaking, the reactions are positive. If nobody were paying attention, I wouldn't be teaching.

What is it specifically about the Dan Smith fliers?

That's an easy one -- the fact that they're everywhere. I'm consistent, and people know that this isn't a lark. I'm creating a brand. Everybody knows Coke, but it never stops advertising. Week-in week-out, month-in month-out, year-in year-out, I'm out there. The fliers penetrate people's perceptions, so all kinds of mythology have grown up around them. Consciously or subconsciously, people think of every other one they've ever seen, even if it's partially covered up.

How does it turn into sales?

Like any business, I get a lot of tire-kickers. Unlike other businesses, I probably get a lot more drunk and stoned teenagers leaving long rambling messages. Fortunately, I get a lot of people interested in playing guitar. It's not a school, which appeals to people who want to learn at their own pace. The lessons are focused and results-oriented, but it's a non-pressured relaxed atmosphere. Some people want to become great guitar players; others want to learn to play a single song at their wedding or to sing to their baby. It's great for me because I get to meet all kinds of people.

What is the financial set up?

There is a pay-as-you-go option for $100 an hour, but I also offer lesson plans, which are pay-in-advance and come with a discount. For example, there's a 10-lesson plan for $800. It's been a very successful model because the plans have a workable schedule with flexibility for real world encroachments. People know after 10 lessons they will learn something, although you get back what you put in.

It seems you've had quite a ride.

I have people dressing up like me for Halloween. I never would have imagined that. And it all starts with this low-fi, low-tech grassroots campaign. A two-year-old recognized me. Couldn't even say "guitar man" yet and was too young for me to put a pick in his hand, but who knows? Kid might need lessons one of these days.

Entrepreneur Spotlight
Name: Dan Smith
Company: Dan Smith Will Teach You Guitar
Age: 39
Location: New York City
Founded: 1996
Employees: 0

Revenue: Undisclosed

Web site: www.dansmithguitar.com

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Wasn't that refreshingly simple? Come by the first Tuesday of next month when we post on the virtual community corkboard another edition of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips.

Joel Kweskin
http://www.jdkmarketing.biz/
704.846.4835 office
704.575.8850 mobile
Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo