With only one chance to make a first impression, you're tempted to cram all of your product or services benefits into that small pitch. But instead of bragging, why not reel in your prospects with something unexpected, interesting, and creative? A marketing message is that main line of communication with new customers, so capturing their attention through a message that reflects your personality, gives the customer value, and is unexpected may give customers that so called "love at first sight"....
Jun 12, 2014•36 min
One goal of your marketing plan is to get people to have conversations about you. How do you earn word-of-mouth in the Age of Social Sharing and Connectivity? Special guest Andrea Goulet Ford joins us to earn customer conversations through brand engagement. In Chapter Four of the Marketing Plan Podcast, it’s time for us to discuss earning the trust and recommendations of your customers. We discuss how to engage your customers, to start the flow of word-of-mouth conversation for your brand.
Jun 05, 2014•30 min
In Chapter 3 of The Marketing Plan Podcast we will consider the main character of the story the customer. Looking at most business models, we can see that the customer is a target. Something to be captured. Customers are often considered transactions to be acquired, trophies to be won. This is the essence of transaction hunting, but I think that’s running the wrong way. The goal is an emotional bond between your brand and the customer, this transcends product and service. When you establish this...
May 29, 2014•31 min
Chapter 2: Four Questions to Create Your Brand Story My new show, The Marketing Plan Podcast focuses on transforming your business into the brand you've always dreamed it could be. In Chapter 2 of The Marketing Plan Podcast, I will guide you through four, Level 1 Branding Questions. These will drill down and reveal the essence of your brand to help you build your brand story. Below you will find a worksheet, listen to Chapter 2 for complete guidance through the questions, and examples of answers...
May 08, 2014•23 min
It's Time for a Transformation Plan This is my new show, The Marketing Plan Podcast. It focuses on transforming your business into the brand you've always dreamed it could be. Power to the Small Business is no longer being produced. This feed will continue until June 5, 2015, and then it will shut down. If you like the new show, you can subscribe in iTunes or your feed reader at http://MarketingPlanPodcast.com/subscribe But now, I'd like to treat you to the premiere episode of my brand new show:...
Apr 27, 2014•31 min
This podcast will reformatted and premier as a brand new show next week, April 24, 2014. But don't unsubscribe! I will post the new show in this feed for the first month so you can get a taste and see if you like it. It will be a focused, marketing podcast with lots of actionable ideas, AND a plan for you to become the business you've always dreamed you could be. Big promise, right? Tune in next episode to see if I can deliver. Meantime.... I invite you to enjoy the most popular episode in the h...
Apr 17, 2014•28 min
If you meet ALL customer expectations, congratulations the customer considers that to be an average customer experience and they are only 42% likely to be a repeat customer and only 32% likely to recommend you to their friends and family. In this episode, Jay takes a deep dive into the Customer Experience Wow! formula to show you how to create customer loyalty and spark word-of-mouth conversations about your business. He will introduce two tools to you to help you take your business' customer ex...
Apr 03, 2014•31 min
Jason Falls of Social Media Explorer joins Jay to discuss the news that Facebook is ratcheting back the exposure of content posts from brand pages. Now, as few as 1-2% of your fans will actually see your posts organically. Jason Falls and Jay Ehret discuss:- Is this the end of small businesses using Facebook?- How will brands, both big and small react to this move?- It will not be important to be great at content marketing- Businesses who are proficient in PPC (pay per click) advertsing will hav...
Mar 27, 2014•41 min
This episode is about better brand communication. Do you feel like customers have a difficult time "getting it" about your business? Then you may have an explanation problem. Lee Lefever is the voice behind all the Common Craft videos that changed how we explain things on the internet. His videos have had more than 50 million views. Lee is also the author of The Art of Explanation and he joins host Jay Ehret to discuss how to craft a better explanation for your business. Topics Discussed: What a...
Mar 20, 2014•36 min
Jay Ehret, Dean of Marketing Know-How at The Marketing Spot.com answers the most common marketing questions and gives advice and tips to small businesses on how to handle these marketing issues. Questions answered are: - How do I get my name out there with impact? - What local marketing tactics am I neglecting? - How do I know my tagline is good? Jay also previews how to get a discount on his new virtual workshop: Create a Custom Marketing Plan to Transform Your Business Use discount code 97 to ...
Mar 14, 2014•26 min
In this episode, how to used LinkedIn to market your business, network and directly go after business. Josh Turner, founder of LinkedSelling.com and LinkedUniversity.com joins host Jay Ehret to discuss beginning, intermediate, and advanced LinkedIn marketing tactics. Also in this episode:- How effective is social media marketing?- New online workshop announced: How to Create a Custom Marketing Plan to Transform Your Business.Get more details on the workshop at TheMarketingSpot.com/plan See the s...
Mar 06, 2014•40 min
Responsive web design is the hot new trend in websites. In this episode of Power to the Small Business, web developer Cory Webb joins us to discuss the pros and cons of using responsive design for your site, or whether you should create a mobile site, or maybe nothing at all. And if you decide to go that route, how to hire a responsive web developer. We also discuss content management systems and compare the three major CMS's: WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. Your content is being accessed by a wi...
Feb 19, 2014•24 min
According to Denise Lee Yohn, there are seven principles, seven things, that a selective group of businesses do to make themselves a great brand. She lays out those seven principles in her new book: What Great Brands Do. Denise joins Jay Ehret to talk about her new book and those seven principles. They also discuss if it's possible for an existing business to shift gears and become a great brand. TOPICS DISCUSSED: Brand influence in business strategy What is a brand? The role of marketing and ad...
Feb 05, 2014•25 min
Flinging ads at a problem does not a marketer make, not in today's business world. That's the opinion of Gareth Kay as he joins host Jay Ehret for a discussion on radical marketing. What is radical marketing? What should be the role of a marketer, CMO, and marketing agencies going forward? TOPICS DISCUSSED: A Radical Approach to Marketing The Role of Marketers Today Hacking and Doing Things Differently The Unimportance of Brands The Ineffectiveness of Advertising See complete show notes and link...
Jan 21, 2014•28 min
Brian Clark of GMD Studios mixes philosophy with experience design to create and amplify customer stories. The result is a powerful form of word of mouth that gives potential customers a vicarious taste of your business. Clark joins host Jay Ehret to discuss the application of phenomenology is experience design to enhance brand meaning. TOPICS DISCUSSED: Phenomenology Experience Design Storytelling Making Meaning Get complete shownotes on the podcast website:Create Customer Stories by Creating P...
Nov 13, 2013•28 min
Search Engine Marketing is out topic on this episode of Power to the Small Business. John Gagnon of Bing Ads discusses both Bing Ads and dispenses search engine marketing advice, then Joe Kerschbaum of 3Q Digital compares Bing Ads to Google Adwords with some surprising results. TOPICS DISCUSSED: Bing Ads Google AdWords How to Approach Search Engine Marketing Tips for success on Bing Ads Landing Pages Get complete show notes and links from the podcast site: Two Sides of Search Engine Marketing...
Oct 31, 2013•33 min
Word of mouth marketing is about passion, but not just the customer's. First, businesses must love their customers. Say what? John Moore and Geno Church from Brains on Fire, co-authors of The Passion Conversation, join host Jay Ehret to discuss the two-way conversation between businesses and customers and how the results can inspire passionate word of mouth. TOPICS DISCUSSED Word of Mouth Marketing The relationships between customers and businesses Being a talkable brand Inspiring customers to s...
Oct 16, 2013•27 min
Roger Dooley, author of Brainfluence, joins Jay Ehret to discuss neuromarketing and marketing tactics that just don't make sense. Get ready for some of your most cherished beliefs to be challenged. Trust your gut and market by shooting from the hip? Hold on there, cowboy! Topics Discussed Neuromarketing Consumer behavior Decoy products Paradox of choice Elevator pricing and anchor pricing Emotional vs. rational marketing For complete show notes and links, see: Counterintuitive Marketing: When no...
Oct 02, 2013•27 min
Would you like to know the three most important steps to improving your business? Sorry, but you won't find them in this episode. What you will do, however, is start to examine your beliefs, and the desires and beliefs of your customers. Perhaps you will begin to adopt a new way of thinking that will lead you to develop your own A-B-C's of how to be a better business. In this episode of Power to the Small Business, Tom Asacker, author of The Business of Belief, joins host Jay Ehret to discuss wh...
Sep 25, 2013•27 min
Your customer is receiving the best-of-the-world customer experiences and they are judging you against those experiences. Your competition is not just your competition. It's time to exceptionalize your customer's experience. Lior Arussy, President of the Strativity Group joins host Jay Ehret to discuss how you can turn your customer experience into a loyalty-building asset. Guest: Lior Arussy, President of Strativity Group Host: Jay Ehret of TheMarketingSpot.com Topics Discussed: Customer Loyalt...
Apr 29, 2013•18 min
There's marketing prudence, and then there's marketing foolishness. In this episode of Power to the Small Business, Spike Jones of WCG joins host Jay Ehret to discuss how business get caught up in the wrong marketing. It's a fun, post-holiday look at what not-to-do. Spike Jones is Group Director, Engagement at WCG in Austin, Texas and is author of Brains on Fire. Guest: Spike Jones of WCGHost: Jay Ehret of TheMarketingSpot.com Topics Discussed: Crowd-sourcing misteps Hijacked Hashtags Great Cont...
Jan 09, 2013•25 min
Brand Advocacy and Word-of-Mouth Marketing Author and Social Media Marketing CEO Rob Fugetta joins host Jay Ehret to talk about your most powerful word-of-mouth marketing weapon: your brand advocates. In this episode you will learn a simple way build a natural and effective word-of-mouth marketing plan. Fugetta is CEO and founder of Zuberance and is author Brand Advocates: Turning Enthusiastic Customers into a Powerful Marketing Force. Guest: Rob Fugetta of ZuberanceHost: Jay Ehret of TheMarketi...
Dec 07, 2012•25 min
Business book expert Todd Sattersten joins host Jay Ehret to discuss the trends that are shaping the future of business books. Sattersten also gives his business book recommendations for entrepreneurs and shares how to find a good business book to read. Guest: Todd Sattersten of Biz Book LabHost: Jay Ehret of The Marketing Spot Topics Discussed: The Business Book e-book Trend The Length of Business Books The Role of the Retail Store The Definition of a Book Top Business Books for Entrepreneurs H...
Aug 28, 2011•27 min
Local search expert Mike Ramsey joins host Jay Ehret to discuss the shift in the top local search ranking factors. Local SEO continues to evolve and this years rankings have shifted significantly in some areas. Mike Ramsey of Nifty Marketing reviews this year's survey of top local search factors and then gives the results of his own study. Guest: Mike Ramsey of Nifty MarketingHost: Jay Ehret of TheMarketingSpot.com Topics Discussed: The different types of search engine results The top five local...
Jul 28, 2011•26 min
Conversion Scientist Brian Massey joins Jay Ehret to talk website conversion. How to convert website visitors into customers. He discusses conversion strategy for the five major patterns of business websites. Guest: Brian Massey, The Conversion Scientist Host: Jay Ehret, TheMarketingSpot.com Topics Discussed: What is conversion? The key to a website conversion strategy. The five major patterns of business websites. Conversion strategies for the five patterns. Complete show notes and links can be...
Jul 20, 2011•28 min
Author and advertising expert Luke Sullivan joins host Jay Ehret to discuss the role of creativity in advertising, and how to create great advertising. Sullivan also answers the burning question: What is great advertising? Guest: Luke Sullivan, author of Hey Whipple, Squeeze ThisHost: Jay Ehret of TheMarketingSpot.com Topics Discussed: What is great advertising? The advertising creative process The importance of creativity in advertising Rules for creating great advertising Complete show notes a...
Jul 02, 2011•29 min
Social media and branding lessons learned from 140 Characters Conference in NYC, organized by Jeff Pulver. Host: Jay Ehret of TheMarketingSpot.com Topics Discussed: Being trapped in the now by social media. Allowing for differentiation between businesses. Using "Hybrid Higor" to create a "Corridor of Opportunity." Using social media to network instead of marketing. Premium webinar: How to create, write and leverage a blog. Complete show notes and links: Hybrid Vigor and the Corridor of Opportuni...
Jun 20, 2011•22 min
What should you definitely do and what should you avoid when marketing your business? In this episode of Power to the Small Business I analyze five marketing traps and five marketing treasures for the small business. Marketing Traps: Discounting Facebook Business Pages Letting a media sales rep handle your marketing. A good idea. An industry specialist Marketing Treasures Google Local Listings Reading marketing books. A tagline or hook. Google Analytics / Webmaster Tools A meaningful brand ident...
Jun 06, 2011•28 min
Author and social theorist John Gerzema joins host Jay Ehret to talk about local business share of local spend. The time is right for local businesses to gain a larger market share. Consumers are losing trust in larger institutions. They want to spend more money with locally owned businesses, but the business must still earn it. Guest: John Gerzema, co-author of the book: Spend Shift.Host: Jay Ehret of TheMarketingSpot.com Topics Discussed: The virtuous circle between local businesses and the co...
May 02, 2011•18 min
The WordPress for Websites episode. WordPress trainer Bob Dunn joins Jay Ehret to discuss control and content management for small business websites. How much time do you spend managing the content of your website. A typical small business owner either spends too much time or not enough time. That's because managing a website is not easy. But that has changed in the past couple of years with WordPress, the free, open-source software that is a user-friendly content management system. WordPress al...
Apr 19, 2011•32 min
