Your Mind is an Index Card

Your Mind is an Index card. If you don't believe me then play along with this simple exercise...

If I ask you "When I say hamburger what 3 places do you think of?"

The usual answer is McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's.

Why?

Your mind is an index card that prioritizes products or services in a list. How a product or service is listed on your mental index card is based on how important that business is to you. The companies listed on your mental index card swap in and out frequently. The three hamburger companies listed above spend a lot of money to remain on the top of your index card.

How does this relate to marketing?

Effective marketing is how you make your way onto a potential client's mental index card. As a marketer your goal is to create "Top of Mind Awareness"...TOMA. By creating TOMA you will begin to make inroads for your product or service onto a potential client's mental index card. The ultimate goal is to become #1 in your category so your business will be shopped 1st!

Get working on developing a strategy for developing TOMA for your product or service!

One last point...

You might be saying to yourself "Well I don't have an advertising budget the size of McDonald's or these other large companies." McDonald's started off as one hamburger stand in San Bernardino, California and grew from there! Every business has to start somewhere. How are you currently marketing your business to be #1?


Mello

The Dirty Secret of Big Advertising Agencies

The Issue:

The ultimate goal of any Advertising Agency should be to develop a Strategic Marketing Plan that will increase brand recognition and revenue for a client. What the client does not know is the agency has a dirty secret...their goal is to have you spend all your marketing dollars on TV. Why you ask?

The reasons why agencies push for TV:

• Quality TV Commercials are the most expensive to produce so agencies can charge their clients BIG bucks!
  
• Agencies make a commission on all the media they purchase for a client. TV is the most expensive to purchase, requires the biggest budgets, and allows the agency to make the most money from you!
• Does not require an intricate marketing plan to execute. In plain English...just being lazy!
  

The Panic:

• Agencies are panicking because no matter what BS study that comes out the fact IS people are viewing less live television than ever before.
  
• The Agency business model is based on getting their clients to buy TV. TV is the cash cow for agencies and once that goes away the large agencies will be gone.
  

The Solution:

Find an Agency who will do the following:

• Take the time to completely understand your business and how you drive revenue BEFORE they develop a Marketing Plan!
  
• Walk you through how the different Communication Mediums work (not just TV)
  
• Will share with you their vision of PR, Social Media, & Interactive Media and how it can potentially play a role in your Marketing Plans
• Will share with you how their customized Marketing Plan will achieve your desired Marketing Goals.
  
• Will not ram TV down your throat
  
• Is fully vested in your SUCCESS!

Mello

How Big Media Misses the Twitter Opportunity

Twitter has totally changed the flow of information. News and information is now traveling at light speed across the twitterverse. A plane is delayed and boom someone is tweeting about it. An Earthquake strikes and people know instantaneously due to a tweet. Twitter has changed communication and the way people connect. Do you think the Big media companies noticed...yes! The Bigger question is...are media companies missing out on a twitter opportunity. YES!

The media has been fanatically hyping twitter for the past couple of months. Broadcasters have raced to setup their twitter pages since it seems like the in thing to do. The problem is in the race to setup a twitter page the media companies have not thought through a proper strategy. Instead Media Companies have approached twitter the same way they approach Broadcasting...one way communication. They just keep pushing out info to viewers, followers, etc. without understanding the "Distribution Channel" or "Medium" they are using. Missed Opportunity!

When you look at any business type the ultimate goal is to gain a loyal following and to keep them. Apple has done an amazing job at fostering their fan base. Big media companies on the other hand just keep doing what they are used to...sitting on the top of the mountain shouting down information to everyone below. One way communication.

To illustrate my point on how Big Media is missing the point of twitter let's look at the Fox & Friends profile page above. I circled the important Following vs Followers info. As you can see Fox & Friends has 22,689 Followers BUT they only Follow 114 people. The translation...we want you all to follow us but we only think 114 of you are worthy of following. Look at it another way...we want to keep pushing our message out to as many people as possible but we are not really interested in what our Followers have to say. To make matters worse...If u could see the full page above you would notice over a 10 day span...Fox & Friends tweeted with followers twice! That is really sad! Once again the one way communication philosophy.

How can Big Media not miss the twitter opportunity?
Simple.

1) Follow your followers. They are following you because they are fans so don't you think they are important? Without them their is no you!

2) Engage your followers. Ask them questions, find out about their lives, why do they like watching you in the morning, evening, etc.

3) Develop a two way communication with your followers. It is built in research. They will tell you what they like or don't like about your show. What the hot topics are for that day, etc.

4) Get personal! If Gretchen, Steve, or Brian are tweeting with a follower about their life don't you think that follower will feel connected to them? Do you think they will switch the channel on THEIR friend to go see what CNN is saying? Probably not. Instead the follower will tell all their friends about how cool you are and then what happens? You develop more viewers, which drives up the ratings, which brings in more revenue, etc.

Twitter has created a great opportunity for Media companies to expand their brand loyalty like never before but only if it is used correctly. People on twitter are about two way communication not one. Miss this opportunity and your competitor who gets it will eat your lunch!

Mello

Introduction

I have contemplated starting a blog for awhile now since it seems I always have something to say. I am addicted to twitter and the great friends I have already made there. The only issue I have with using twitter is to limit my thoughts to no more than 140 characters. This blog will allow me to expound on ideas that develop from my twitter conversations or through all the reading I do.

My focus will be on the Media Industry which I served in for 12+ years before becoming the Co-Founder of BuzzCal.com. I want to discuss how the Media Industry is being reshaped due to Internal & External forces, how the combination of Social Media and Technology is changing the way we as people communicate everyday, and most importantly how a Business Owner can tie all these Marketing tools together to effectively grow his business.

For over 12 years I have been helping clients to understand how to build their Company Brand and Revenue through the proper marketing techniques. You want to know what the best feeling is? When a client has put his complete trust in you and in return you create an effective Marketing plan that increases his revenue more than expected! That experience is blissful!

I look forward to sharing my views with you and I hope in return you provide feedback to me. If a post stinks then call me out. I can handle it:) If you really like a post then please tell me. I love feedback.

Let's have Fun!

Mello

Tweet with me here