September 3, 2010
Our New and Improved Blog Site
Check out http://www.onestepheadlines.com/ to read an industry blog with up to date information on print marketing, brand management, social media marketing, small business and real estate marketing. Feel free to comment, give suggestions or let us know if you want to guest blog.
June 16,2010
Grab Your Sword! Five Weapons to Fight the Social Media Monster Under Your Desk
When Sandy hired me as her personal assistant a few months ago, I was pretty excited. She had a slew of jobs and projects for me, and one of them was to keep up on the company’s social media accounts. “Sweet,” I thought, “I’ll get paid to play on Facebook.”
“Play” might have been a bit of an understatement. This social media stuff is hard work and more than slightly confusing. Not only are there several different social media networks to choose from, several of those networks have thousands of applications to enhance the users experience. The more you know, the bigger the monster gets.
The fact is, however, that social media seems to be here to stay and we can’t let our fear of the monster keep us from reaping all of the benefits it has to offer. Here are five weapons I’ve found to be effective in taming the social media beast.
1) Start Out Slow
Like I said earlier, there is an insane amount of social networks and applications available. Do not get overwhelmed and feel like you have to have a presence on every network and use every app. I suggest starting with the major networks: Facebook, Twitter and Linked In. Right now I’m focusing on Facebook, Twitter and blogging (which is a whole other beast…we’ll post more on blogging later). I also try 1 or 2 new Facebook applications a month to see which ones really enhance my experience and which ones are a waste of time.
2) Set Realistic Goals and Tangible Objectives
A goal is focuses on the big picture; an objective is a concrete way to obtain the big picture. I sat down last week and made a list of social media goals and objectives. My goals were to use our social media outlets to increase traffic to the website and to increase the number of fans and followers. My objectives included writing a new blog once a week, tweeting four times a day, posting to the fan page once a day and tracking web traffic using Google Analytics. The goals are realistic and measurable; the objectives are specific and will hopefully support the goals. If not, I’ll reevaluate next month.
3) Do Your Research
The great thing about social media is that it is constantly talking about itself. Fan and follow social media leaders like Problogger, Social Media Examiner, Mashable, (Anti) Social Development, and Real Estate Social Media. They post great articles about ways to manage social media, changes to networks, helpful applications, new ways to use social media and so much more. You don’t have to scour the Internet looking for useful articles. By friending and following these profiles you’ll get useful articles popping up on your social media feeds
4) Protect Your Privacy
Lack of privacy has been a major issue lately many people find social media’s lack of privacy extremely daunting. However, the major social networks all have privacy policies and settings so users can control what information goes where. Take the time to get acquainted with these policies and you shouldn’t have any problems. Just keep in mind that common sense is the best privacy control. Probably not a good idea to post your address on your profile and then tell everyone your vacation dates. You might as well stick a sign on your house that says “Rob Me.”
5) Get A Custom Design
Most things on social media networks can be accomplished by the average user. A professional and effective design, however, is best left to the professionals. One Step is currently working on a service that will customize your Twitter, Facebook and blog with your custom brand that already appears on your business cards and mailing pieces. How cool is that? I’ve seen prototypes for this service and the design quality is unbelievable. A professionally designed social media profile will stand out amongst the sea of amateurs
Well there you have it, my two cents worth. If you have questions about these or any other social media problems, look me up and we’ll chat. I’m plastered all over the facebook at www.facebook.com/onestepservices, /onestepfans, /briannalexander. Or you can talk to me on twitter.com/onestepservices. And of course there is good old fashioned email Brianna@onestepservices.com
June 9, 2010
Commit, Integrate, Rinse and REPEAT!
Commitment. Repetition. Integration. As America slowly creeps through and out of this recession, these three marketing principles are going to pull businesses out of the economic slump.
In his book Guerilla Marketing, Jay Conrad Levinson says that one of the secrets of successful marketing is a long term commitment to a marketing strategy. Most marketing plans do not work their magic overnight. Just because you set up a Facebook fan page on Monday does not mean you’ll have 1,000 fans and a drastic sales increase by Friday. Marketing strategies can take anywhere from 3-12 months
Why do marketing plans take so long? This is the information age. Consumers are constantly bombarded with brands, facts, figures, ads and attention grabbers. The only proven attention grabber is repetition. Most likely a consumer will not pay attention to your ad, direct mailing piece, business card or website the first time they see it. They might not even pay attention the second time. However, the more people are exposed to your brand the more likely they are to use it when they need it.
Just how much repetition are we talking about? In 1885 a successful London businessman named Thomas Smith wrote about the importance of repetition in advertising. One hundred twenty five years later, his words remain true. After all, basic human psyche hasn’t changed that much. Here’s what Mr. Smith has to say about repetition
1) The first time a man looks at an ad, he doesn’t see it
2) The second time, he doesn’t notice it
3) The third time, he is conscious of its existence
4) The fourth time, he faintly remembers having seen it
5) The fifth time, he reads the ad
6) The sixth time, he turns up his nose at it
7) The seventh time, he reads it through and says “Oh, brother!”
8) The eight time, he says, “Here is that confounded thing again.”
9) The ninth time, he wonders whether it amounts to anything
10) The tenth time, he will ask his neighbor if he has tried it
11) The eleventh time, he wonders how the advertiser makes it pay
12) The twelfth time, he thinks it must be a good thing
13) The thirteenth time, he thinks it might be worth something
14) The fourteenth time, he remembers that he wanted such a thing for a long time
15) The fifteenth time, he is tantalized because he cannot afford to buy it
16) The sixteenth time, he thinks he will buy it someday
17) The seventeenth time, he makes a memorandum of it
18) The eighteenth time, he swears at his poverty
19) The nineteenth time, he counts his money carefully
20) The twentieth time he sees the ad, he buys the article or instructs his wife to do so.
Now imagine if you had not stayed committed to your marketing plan and had given up when consumers were saying “here is that confounded thing again.” You would have missed out on a sale.
How does one generate so much repetition? I’ll give you a hint, the answer is at the beginning of this post. Hurrah you guessed it…integration! The best way to repeatedly expose consumers to your brand is by integrating your marketing strategy. How do you direct people to your website? Through direct mail and email marketing campaigns. How do you get more Facebook fans? By putting a link in your website and on your business card. How do you keep people interested in your brand? By setting up a blog, constantly posting useful information, interacting with your clients and feeding that blog through Facebook, Twitter, email RSS and your website. And if you can get one of those blog posts published in a trade magazine or newspaper, even better.
People are starting to buy things again. So come on, think of an integrated marketing strategy, repeatedly repeatedly repeatedly expose consumers to your product or service and stay committed until people start to realize what you’ve known all along: your business is necessary, useful and just plain awesome.
It's Time To Start Making Resolutions!
It's the holiday season already??? Seems like we just rang in 2009 and, yet, here we are looking down the barrel of 2010. Besides the changing of seasons, besides taxes, besides inevitable change, there will always be another thing we can count on - New Year Resolutions. We make a lot of personal resolutions for the new year during the holidays, and this is also the time to consider business ones as well. Did you do enough to make your work hours payoff? Did you invest enough quality time in your work to see the results? For most of us, the answer to that is a resounding 'Yes!', for some it's the area they need to focus on going forward. No matter what your answer is, one thing is true for 2010 - this is going to be the make it or break it year. As strange as it sounds, this year's resolution should be made with only one thing in mind - where do you want to be in 2011? I know where I want to be and where I want my company to be; right by your side as you fulfill your business goals. We want to be your marketing partners and help you through your hurdles. We want to provide your business with the marketing support it needs to succeed! So, New Year's Resolution #1 for us is already on paper, bring on January!
July 31, 2009; 09:12am PST
What is your business goal?
We've been asked by a lot of people lately the thing that seems to be on everyone's mind: where is your company heading and what are you doing to put it there? What we are doing is the same thing we have done for the past two years: we've put our money where our mouth is - into marketing. We counsel hundreds of clients to advertise their services no matter what the economic market is doing and we did just that for the past two years. We have increased our business nearly 30% in the challenging economy of the past months and we just keep doing what works -promoting our business while others close their doors. So, as the summer draws to a close, it's time to ask yourself that same question: what are your business goals for this year and, more importantly, looking forward? If you don't know the answer, don't worry, we can help you define them, execute on them, and ultimately succeed where others are failing. Just take a page from our book, marketing yourself really, really works when you have a terrific service to sell!
June 10, 2009; 11:28am PST
New DRE Requirements for our Real Estate clients Effective July 1, 2009
As many of you already know, the changes to DRE requirements for the publishing of DRE License numbers on all soliciation materials becomes law on July 1st. But don't worry, we've got you covered! If you need to update your business cards, stationery, flyers or other handout materials, just give us a call and we will get your order done and printed in time for the compliance deadline.
May 28, 2009; 08:15am PST
Our Grand Opening Party - A HUGE Success!
We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our friends and clients that attended our Grand Opening party on May 27th. An eloquent, entertaining Ribbon Cutting speech given by Rich Cosner, Owner and President of Prudential California Realty's North Orange County office, kicked off our afternoon event perfectly. We had over 200 clients come through to tour our new facility and, by the comments overhead, everyone seems pleased with the new diggs! But our new office design is only the tip of the changes in store for our large client base: along with it comes more services, better capabilities and a committment to being THE marketing agency in Southern California for business professionals ready to launch their level of success to new heights. Again, thanks to everyone for attending and thanks to all those who made the day truly special for us!
May 1, 2009; 09:30pm PST
An Introduction To Our Newest Addition To The One Step Family
It's been a year of changes for us, but none quite as big as this one - along with our new office comes the addition of a phenomenal marketing professional to our award-winning team. Please help us in welcoming our new Executive Director of Client Relations, Allison Jones. Allison has joined our company after a tremendous 18 year run as the Director of Marketing for Prudential California Realty, a residential real estate firm ranked among the top five brokerages in the nation and an affiliate of the prestigious Berkshire Hathaway group of companies. Her background in marketing and advertising development runs the gamut from identity brand development to full-service campaign management and her skills will add volumes to the services we provide for our clients.
We are honored that Allison has chosen to join our One Step family, and we are confident that her many talents will bring even more to the table when you're ready to embark on a successful marketing plan to increase your own business!
April 26, 2009; 11:30pm PST
It's Time For Something Different!
We are proud to announce the Grand Opening of our new office in Mission Viejo! It's been a long time in coming, but it's been worth the wait - our new showcase office is a state-of-the-art advertising agency that has been custom built to serve the needs of our clients. We have a full compliment of designers, customer service and support personnel ready and available to help you make the most of your marketing dollars, all under one roof. For those of you familiar with our company, you already know that we offer a turn-key solution for your design, printing and mailing campaigns. What you won't believe is the transformation of our facility, all designed to provide a one-on-one atmosphere where convenience is paramount. We invite all of you to stop by for a tour and find out just how important the point of difference we can create for you can be in determining your future success!
Our new office address is:
23456 Madero Ste 180
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
We are located just two miles from the Alicia Pkwy exit off the 5 Fwy in central Mission Viejo. We look forward to seeing you soon!
January 11, 2009; 12:30pm PST
A New Year, A New Outlook on Business
Welcome to 2009! No doubt, we are all glad to turn the page on 2008 and see some light up ahead. There is a lot of speculation in the news about how the current economic conditions are going to play out in the months ahead this year, but rest assured of one thing, it's going to be a real ride. If we've said it before, we've said it a million times - there is no better time than now to get yourself and your business out there in front of the consumer base that your product or service appeals to. Less competion = more potential results in the long run. Whatever your plans are for this year, put a restructuring of your marketing dollars at the top of the list - by the end of this year, you will be glad you did!
October 10, 2008; 3:30pm PST
The Economy and Your Business
Well, there's certainly no denying the obvious - we are in troubling financial times. You can hardly turn on the TV, read the paper or listen to the radio without the bad news blasting your eardrums about which banks, stocks and housing-related crisis is next. We have had so many conversations with our clients, some of them realtors, financial advisors, accountants, mortgage lenders, bankers and small business owners, that all share the same questions: what do we do for our business now? Well, to prove that I am not the only one that sees tremendous opportunity for growth in the current economy, I thought I would publish the sage words of advice from a recognized expert in the field of sales and marketing, Mark Tewart. Mark is an accomplished consultant in the business world, and here is an excerpt from his recent book, detailing the Top Tips For Winning In A Bad Economy...enjoy!
1 - Don’t Drink the Cool Aid
The news is sensationalized and fear sells. Things are rarely as good as they seem and things are rarely as bad as they seem. If you allow yourself to give in to the news you will determine your destiny. When people tell me about the bad economy I tell them I have chosen not to participate.
2 - You can’t cut your way to a profit
Expense management is done at all times not just in bad markets. Cutting expenses in bad times is a misnomer. It’s like taking Tylenol for a heroin addiction. You set your good and bad habits in good markets not bad. Be selectively extravagant and prudently frugal. I have never seen a business survive and thrive a down market by trying to cut expenses as their long term strategy.
3 - Don’t cut your life line
Some of the easiest variable expenses to cut out are advertising and marketing. That also takes a bad situation and makes it worse. When your business drops and you take action to stop the flow even more, you are doomed. Be smarter with your marketing...but don’t cut marketing because it’s the easiest cut.
4 - Dance with who brought you
The past and present customers are the life blood of any business. These customers are also the most over looked and underutilized asset in ALL businesses. Everyone gives lip service to their glorious love of their customers but what are you really doing to create and nurture the relationship. Do you have a relationship building program that creates over fifty positive customer contacts per year? You can have all the BDC’s and CRM’s you want and that does not mean you are creating personalized based marketing that creates relationships. The people who have done business with you already like and trust you and will most likely do business again and bring others if they are appreciated, rewarded and yes asked. NOBODY does a good enough job with their customers. There is gold in them thar hills.
5 - Make the bad news good
Use all the bad news and the fear and negative emotions associated with it to your advantage. Use the headlines in your marketing and advertising and become the solution provider.
6 - Stop Boring Me to Death
If I get another one size fits all, looks the same mailer for an event sale I think I will puke. Be creative and use trash can mailers, wallet mailers and other dimensional mail. Stop trying to get the lowest cost per piece and concentrate on the highest ROI for your mailings and other marketing. Boring does not sell in any media format.
7 - Go back to the basics
Everything is basics. Instead of cutting your education, double your education efforts. If the market is really that bad then you should have tons of time to educate yourself and your team. If your opportunities are fewer then you must maximize each customer contact. TLC - Think like a customer. Examine your process from a customer’s point of view and ask yourself what creates heartburn for those customers.
8 - Super-size it
You can impact your bottom line immediately by increasing either transaction size or the gross margin. In my entire career I have never found a business that cannot increase their transaction size and margins. Stop accepting fate as a commodity and differentiate yourself, your product and business and ask for more money. You can do this through add-ons, bundling, value-added presentations and better process for asking for and negotiating money. Do want fries with that and do you want the large popcorn for 25 cents more are not accidental questions.
9 - Create Multiple Orgasms
If your customers buy one product or service from you then they will buy more. The average automobile dealership only retains 19% of their customers from sales to service. That number is business suicide. Sending a one time mailing for a discount oil change does not constitute a continuity program. With a continuity program any business can mover from that 19% figure to 50% and more. When you create a continuity program you will insulate your business from bad economies in the future because you will be less dependent on conquest customers.
10 - Speed of the Boss, Speed of the Crew
As the leader thinks and acts, the team shall too. If the leaders of your business talk bad economies and bad markets the team will believe it. What are your leaders doing right now? Don’t major in the minor. Spend every minute of the day in the pursuit of things that will create customers and incomes now and in the future. Just last week I had a dealer tell me that he was waiting for this bad market to turn around before he did anything with this business. My reply was, “how is that working for you?” If the leader does not believe, don’t expect the troops. to.
Author of “How To Be a Sales Superstar”
- Break All the Rules and Succeed While Doing It
(John Wiley & Sons 2008)
August 15, 2008; 8:00pm PST
How is your business doing?
In taking a survey of most of our client's biggest challenges these days, marketing, and how to market effectively in a down economy, is taking center stage. Everyone realizes that no matter how good you are, no matter how fantastic your product or service is, it will remain largely a mystery if no one else knows about it. The cornerstone of business is simply this - market yourself and the sales will follow. Big companies do it, little start-ups hang their future hopes on it - so why is it that when the economy is floundering, the first thing most businesspeople abandon is their marketing? It is definitely the wrong approach, since getting out of a financial struggle relies heavily on sustained income and the development of new clients. According to most business strategists, marketing should be front and center when the going gets tough. You've got to advertise, you've got to reach the elusive consumers...but how do you do that when money is an object you just don't seem to have enough of? Simple: you market more effectively. Instead of taking on the masses, you refocus your efforts and your limited budget and target the central core of where your business comes from - your past clients and their potential referrals. The biggest mistake every business owner I've met with in the past 16 years makes is the lack of a past client database. They are the source of so much potential income, they just need a regular reminder of who you are and what you sell. Those past, satisfied clients are the basis for new business, too - they refer people they know who, in turn, will refer more.
So, how is your business doing? If you are not taking advantage of the potential, then the answer is probably not well, or at least not as well as it should be. Let us help you out, we have a team of professionals that can work within your budget constraints to make it work for you. Together we can get through the leaner times, all it takes is some direction!
July 14, 2008; 8:00am PST
Welcome to our New Site!
First of all, a thank you to all of our clients for your patience while we updated our site to give it a new, fresh look. The new site is feature-rich with sample design galleries, interactive questionnaires and a wealth of information about our company and the services we offer to get your business moving towards the top. We have a fillable form on the Contact Us tab that you can submit any question, concern or praise (we love that!) to us with and we also have a online Quote Form in that section for any marketing services or printing you made require done. We also have, for the first time ever, published a Sample Gallery of our bountiful work for you to use as inspiration or guidance for your own project with us! We can begin a marketing campaign for you in as little as 15 minutes with our new online Design Questionnaire in our Artwork & Design tab on the site once you have reviewed our Gallery images to get some ideas of the kind of work we do. All in all, we have tried to provide a simple, easy-to-use site that lets you take a peak into the world of marketing....as we design it!
As always, we warmly welcome your business. You can call us, hit the button on this site to send us an email or fill out one of our forms. Whichever way you choose to get in touch with us, know that one of our experienced, qualified representatives will be on the other end to assist you. We are looking forward to working with you, all it takes is One Step to get things started!br />
