Year of the Ox Should Give Hope to Small Businesses

The Chinese New Year* began January 26 and with it we welcome a bit of hope for small businesses in 2009 as we celebrate the year of the ox. Rhonda Abrams of USA Today recently wrote that businesses can learn a lot from the ox, which is characterized by prosperity through hard work – an auspicious sign for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Prosperity through hard work sounds too good to be true in today’s economy where we have become discouraged to think prosperity is possible. I say nonsense! Think like an ox! Even in such dire economic times, prosperity can be had if we commit ourselves to working hard for the results.

Abrams suggests that 2009 will be a good year to:

• Start a company – sound lofty? According to Abrams, 16 of the 30 companies that make up the Dow Jones industrial average started during recessions or the Great Depression.
• Hire people – we’ve all seen the job loss numbers and they seem to keep growing. Amazing people are out there, and they want a job now! They are more likely to be willing to come in at a lower salary with opportunities to negotiate three months down the road.
• Rent or lease new space – according to Abrams, with high vacancy rates and plummeting commercial rents landlords are willing to deal, even offering months of free rent.
• Negotiate – now is the time to drive a bargain on just about anything!
• Gain market share – your competitors are cutting back on their advertising and marketing budgets; however, customers are still out there. Take over the market share and go get them!

To see what 2009 is not a good year for, check out the rest of the article at www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/columnist/abrams/2009-01-30-year-of-the-ox_N.htm.

*In the Chinese calendar, each year is identified by one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. Predictions for the year as well as for people born during that year are based on the characteristics of the animal.

ProMoter Inc. can help you find success through the lean times. Give us a call (502-562-1969) or drop us an email (promoter@promoterinc.com) to see how we can help your small business.

Get Noticed in the Media: Media Buying for the Beginner

Whether your advertising budget affords you the luxury of hiring a media buyer to place your ads or you are charged with handling the task yourself, a basic understanding of the media buying business is necessary when positioning your company, product or services within your target audience’s scope. The most important objective when buying media is to be noticed by the largest segment of your target market as cheaply but as effectively as possible. Below are media buying suggestions which can afford you with the best buys for your buck.

• List and review as many possibilities as you can for reaching your target audience.
• Get a media kit from each potential medium and study it.
• Form relationships with your advertising sales reps.
• Assess the frequency and exposure you’ll need.
• Evaluate the costs of each advertising option.
• Choose a combination of media with the right impact.

The five major media available to the typical buyer includes newspaper, magazine, radio, Internet and television. Each media has its advantages along with advertising disadvantages accentuating the importance of varying your media saturation to include at least two different medias and a variety of sources.

• Newspapers provide advertisers with speed of reaching their target market with ad packages that can meet almost everyone’s budget. However, newspapers have a short shelf life. Consider increasing the frequency of running ads in order to be most effective.
• Magazines offer the advertiser long shelf life as some issues are kept for years. Magazines also provide the advertiser with versatility of ad layout and great production quality. Remember that magazines require a long lead time for advertisements to reach your markets.
• Radio is an excellent value for reaching large segments of your target market quickly and easily with a variety of formats to match any market. Radio, too, has its advertising disadvantages including no shelf life requiring increased frequency for effectiveness. Radio does not provide the consumer with visuals so you will need expert wordsmithing in order to create an image of your product or service to entice the listener.
• Internet advertising offers the advantage of providing a direct link to your website. You are also able to target your market by advertising on sites that your customers and potential customers frequent. The click-throughs can be tracked and analyzed. Cost varies widely so ask questions to determine value.
• Television is the most powerful means of reaching mass numbers of your market quickly but, in many cases, is the most expensive.

It is important to arm yourself with enough information when buying media so as to create efficient and cost-effective advertising packages aimed at reaching a large segment of your target market.

If you are in need of media buying services, contact ProMoter Inc. Marketing Communications at 502.562.1969.

Source: Getting the Best Buys for the Buck by Tom Egelhoff

Ring in the New Year with New Business Resolutions

As we ring in yet another new year, it is important to reflect on the past year in business and focus on means to increase productivity, efficiency and overall success. Consider what worked well, what failed and what could bring about new success. Think of it as your business resolutions; it is an important part of re-establishing your strategic business plans and getting the year off to a fresh and productive start.

•Secure your records and data: Computers crash, don’t leave your business to chance – back up, back up, back up! It is imperative to the security and vitality of your business to back up important information including business proposals, financial records and invoices, management data, client profiles, etc. Make a point to back up any new information weekly for added safety.

•Jump start your marketing efforts: Think that the slow economy is a good excuse to cut your advertising budget or nix your yearly marketing campaign? Think again! A slow economy is the perfect time to jump start marketing efforts as it keeps you top of mind with your consumers while your competition takes a back seat.

•Join a new business organization or networking group: Networking is key to establishing your name and business among the community and generating new clients. By joining a business organization, you will meet other industry professionals who can inspire new ideas, polish old ones and assist in meeting contacts.

•Work with ideal customers and tend to your best customers: Part of generating new clientele is ensuring these new clients are reliable, consistent and cooperative. You do not need additional stress by working with less-than-ideal clients. Furthermore, give your best clients extra attention. They are your best customers for a reason so you should treat them as such. Additionally, ask them for client referrals. Most likely they will refer you to clients like them, ideal!

•Learn something new: Research what your industry peers are doing to make their businesses grow and prosper. Learn of any new trade secrets or industry practices not currently in use by your business. By staying on top of the industry, you will most likely stay ahead of the competition. Additionally, look into social media as an avenue to promote your business. It is the latest trend that actually has traction.

Looking for ways to enact your New Year’s Business Resolutions in a cost effective and efficient way? ProMoter Inc. can help. Contact us at 502-562-1969 or promoterinc@promoterinc.com.

10 Words to Drop from your Advertising Copy

Is your advertising copy plagued by toxic advertising words? Entrepreneur.com has compiled 10 commonly used words to avoid when writing advertising copy in their article “10 Advertising Words to Avoid in 2009.” So dig through your word bank and delete these words from your advertising lexicon.

1. Free – While consumers love free stuff (especially during down economic times) email spam filters often trash emails with the word “free” in the subject line automatically. Why waste your time developing a free promotion and creating a marketing email if it will never reach your intended audience? Instead of “free” entrepreneur.com suggests using “complimentary” or “gratis” to sneak by spam filters.

2. Guarantee – The word “guarantee” often leaves consumers skeptical of your message. Unless you have substantial proof, try a different angle with your copy.

3. Really – Among the many filler words on this list, “really” does nothing to support your message. Review your copy and take this word out in all instances.

4. Very – Yet another filler word, “very” should be left out of your copy. Be sure not to lose your audience in useless copy.

5. That – Take a look at various advertising copy from the past year and highlight each use of the word “that”. According to entrepreneur.com, you can delete 90% of “thats” appearing in your copy.

6. A Lot – Don’t shy away from using real numbers in your advertising copy. If you offer 50 types of flowers in your shop say so! “50 flower varieties” is more compelling than “a lot of flowers”.

7. Opportunity – Consumers are looking for solid results, not opportunities. Don’t leave a consumer questioning whether you will deliver on your service promises, make sure they know you will!

8. To Be – Forms of “to be” are passive. Be sure all copy is written in an active voice as it commands action.

9. Synergy – A popular buzz word of the past decade, “synergy” should be left out of all copy in 2009. (And, please, don’t go looking for a new word to replace it!)

10. Drinkability – Entreprenuer.com chose this word to illustrate the fact you shouldn’t copy your competition. (Budweiser has made this word famous, don’t think Coors is looking to capitalize on it, too!) Find your own message (your unique selling point) which will separate you from your competition.

To read Entreprenuer.com's article, “10 Advertising Words to Avoid in 2009,” check out www.entrepreneur.com/advertising/article199152.html.

Need help customizing your advertising copy to get your message to your audience in an effective and unique way? Contact ProMoter Inc. for all of your advertising needs! 502-562-1969 or promoter@promoterinc.com

How to Weather the Storm of a Slowing Economy

With uncertainties about when the market will bounce back, many companies – small and large – are looking to tighten their budgets and lay low in order to weather this storm. However, there is no time like the present to launch back-to-basics marketing tactics to strengthen your sails.

Developing new business requires creativity, relationship building and an understanding of your market. Here are some tips to help you get back in the game and ahead of your competition during a slowing economy.

• Know Your Message: Put forth a clear, consistent message of yourself and your business. Don’t muddle the message with heavy industry jargon or mixed messages. It is also imperative to understand the tone of your market. Will your clients respond to messages of hope – “spend now to get ahead” or a restrained message – “do more with less?” This is the first step towards reaching out to new clients, which translates into success.


• Don’t Ignore Past Clients: Maintaining contact with previous clients is as important as attracting new ones. Clients need constant reminders of how great your services are or they will soon forget it. That could mean losing potential business in the future with that client or referrals that client may give. Therefore, it is important to stay in touch with those clients through monthly emails, holiday cards or phone calls.


• Obtain Referrals: Don’t hesitate to ask for a referral if you know you’ve done a good job for a client. And the best time to ask is during the transaction – six months later is too late.

Looking to increase your sales in this slowing economy? ProMoter Inc. can help. Contact us at 502.562.1969.