Marketing America

Gone are the glory days of never ending prosperity, unlimited resources, free open lands, and unending possibilities of the future. “The Golden Age” lasted a short 100 years. From the age of “Robber Barons” such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, J. P. Morgan, and others to the modern, just plain robbers of Enron, GM, AIG, and the likes of Bernard Madoff.

The land of opportunity is now the land of foreclosure, bankrupt companies, unemployment and welfare. The American dream of a house with a picket fence, married with two children, a new car in every garage and the good life, is now attainable by only a few. The quote, “Give us your tired, your hungry, and your poor”, no longer applies.

The “Welcome “ sign on American shores has been replaced by signs that say “Do Not Disturb”, “No Vacancy”, and “For Sale”. How do we market failure? How do we change a myth into a possibility? Perhaps a reality check is in order.

Lifestyles based on immediate gratification and credit, were always bogus, but ignored.

Get rich quick, aggressive personalities, schemes and scams, cannot replace hard work and intelligence.

Money cannot buy happiness, but being a wage slave is not fun either.

As ye sew, so shall ye reap. What goes around comes around. Karma is a bitch.

The mega rich have always been unscrupulous, immoral, arrogant, and greedy. We have only begun to notice, cause they have been caught at it.

Rather than market America as a concept of unlimited potential for wealth, prosperity, and success, perhaps we should market America as “home”, a place of honor, stability, respect, love, beauty, morals, integrity, and self-reliance. A concept that men/women really are equal, not merely words on paper.

Imagine marketing America that way. Imagine being “Home”.

Blog Updates, Statistics and More

OK, now I've added statistics (analytics), blog rankings, RSS Feeds, updated search engines, updated directories, added new content, affiliates, links, etc. It seems to be slowly working, but I don't see any money yet..like not even one cent!

I peruse other blogs that claim to have thousand of hits. Some are better than mine, or older, but most are worse in both content and appearance. I don't get it.but am unwilling to PAY anyone for results they promise. So day by day, hopefully after five years of blogging, I'll make my first dime! Cool.

Blog Rankings

I've rebuilt my blog appearance, blog more often, updated affiliates, updated blog directories, added "statistics", social media links, and in general have increased promotion. Now, after four years...show me the money!

I don't use scams, misleading information, spam, junk leads, etc. I don't expect to have to "pay" for followers, promotion, or to increase traffic. After looking at "competitors", I see many of the exact same promotional videos, secrets, and general hoopla on every blog. This would appear to make mine "different".

I'll retain my own "Lone Wolf" methods of honesty, self promotion and scam free links and sites. It works or not, but my personal ethics remain intact.

Advertising, Sales, & Turnover

I have lived in several major market areas in the last 15 years: Detroit, Denver, and Portland, OR. They all have one basic thing in common, the number one advertiser's on TV are Mattress and Furniture stores, who run sales 24/7, 365 days per year! Obviously, no one ever pays full retail for a mattress or a sofa. But 20% off, all the time, is just a lower "everyday" price. Off hand, their Ad budgets must be 25% of sales, and what about profit? In these same markets, dozens of these same stores go out of business yearly. Whose left to buy from?

At the opposite extreme, many merchants seem to never advertise or have sales, or ever lower prices, as if that would demean the products and reputation of what is sold. Yet, they too are slowly going out of business. Both extremes are perhaps symptoms of poor or bad management.

When I was in retail management, back in the 1980's, sales were often a monthly event, clearance was to move slow or poor sellers, in another word, turnover! Most sales or clearance starts at 20% off and continues until the inventory is exhausted. Most retailers would probably be happy with 1.5 turns per month. Some others are more aggressive, basing replenishment and mark downs on as little as a weeks sales. I am in that category...if it's not selling, why keep it?

In summary advertising and "sales" should be part of a management plan wit a goal in mind over the long term. Managing inventory for maximum profits is just as important as human resource, marketing, or financial management.

Retirement Without Money...Better Than Working?

I remember when I worked, before my forced retirement in 2005, all the stories about how much money one needed to have stashed away for retirement!

Yes, you need millions if you want that $750,000 home in a gated golf course community with a $5000 mortgage payment, a new BMW and a Lexus for that trophy wife. But you don't need that to "live" or survive.

As I blog this, it has been almost two years since I have had any money, income or assets. I'm not old enough for SS and my SSDI was denied twice. I had a "survival job for one year, working for $7.49/hr, but with %525 rent, utilities, food, and bills was worse off than with nothing!

As previous blogs mention, I was living on the street in two different states for six months, than five months in homeless shelters. It's not great eating in soup kitchens or living in a dorm with 95 other guys. I thought of it as "Camp".

But it is better than being a wage slave, not knowing if your soon to be laid off, to lose you home and car, and be responsible for feeding two kids and a wife who blames you for all that is wrong! Suicide is better than that, which is why more folks take that route!

Am I happy? My counselor probably will say no. But I am surviving, until that first SS check arrives in October 2010. Life has given me lemons and I made Margaritas!

Scams, Shams, & The Internet

Scams and shams…the Internet is chuck full of them. I fell for a Twitter Follower scam, “Get 10,000 followers per day” for my Twitter account of this Blog. I signed up…and got dozens of African–American rapper, gangster, and crack hoe followers tweeting from the hood, following faster than I could delete them, finally I had to take the site “Private”. These “followers” had nothing to do with marketing, advertising or Internet affiliates, they were just annoying and junk spam! Readers know, I have even been scammed by Ebay & PayPal…my advice, don’t take the easy way, get your followers the old fashioned way…. earn them!

Micro Marketing Challenge

What would you do if your advertising budget was slashed to $100? Not one day or month...$100 for the entire year's budget! OK, so your not a Fortune 500 Company obviously, perhaps a shoe-string start-up(been there, done that) and unsure where to spend that $100 and get the most "bang-for-your-buck" in returns.

Much depends on the nature of your business. Why advertise a lawn mowing service on the Internet, or a 1/2 page phone book ad for an Internet business. Get my drift?

You have choices, some good, some not. Here are a few which require some research, networking with others to see what works for them, and a lot of elbow grease on your part...you can cut and past correct? In no weighted order:

Yellow Page Advertising (???)

Your Own Web Page (Affiliates, banner ads, networking)

Internet Advertising (blogs, banner ads, be an affiliate)

Email (don't cross the line and be "Spam")

Direct mail (aka "Junk Mail")

Flyer's (post in public places...i.e...nearest phone pole)

Business Cards (mini billboards)

Unless you do much of the design, layout, setup, etc (elbow grease, remember) that $100 won't make a dent. Try it, see what you can creatively do for that $100 Budget, you may be surprised!

Marketing #1 Rule

by S E Campbel

You can choose to read about all the marketing tactics you'd like, but the first step in a healthy business is the planning part of marketing. It's so easy to get caught up in the "marketing event of the week". But this isn't how effective marketing is carried out.

I used to work for an advertising company (imagine that!) who reacted to the latest marketing technique. One such technique at the time was email marketing. The results were spotty at best not necessary because of the technique but because of the this-is-going-to-get-us-all-the-business-we-want mentality.

You need a planned approach which involves goals, logical steps, a budget, and partners. Anything outside of this project management approach will be knee-jerk and over time, unsuccessful. The most effective companies manage each area of the business, and that includes marketing. For some reason, many owners feel as though marketing runs on itself. Perhaps this was true in days past where one could put a sign outside the office, take out a yellow page ad, and business would walk through the door.

But in today's world the competitive landscape is fierce. You must be good in all areas...quality, customer service, operations, accounting, management, and of course (and perhaps the most important area of all), marketing.

I would suggest the first step is to take out your business plan and develop a marketing plan that complements the vision (if you don't have either I would suggest that you start writing). Determine how you're doing first. This includes the business in addition to where you are in the industry as compared to others. This would involve some industry research. Then there are marketing planning steps that are essential.

First is to narrow and define the market you want to go for...in essence your target market. Starting with your ideal customer can help you to determine that. You must understand in order to be successful that you have to narrow your view down to those who value what you offer most. It's so easy to play into the helping-anybody syndrome, and it will pull your business down quickly. You've got to say 'no' and be disciplined about this. Next is to determine a core message that will appeal to that target market and to package your business in that way. You want everything boiled down to a simple and targeted message.

Finally, you need to determine the appropriate marketing tactics for you business (e.g. direct mail, seminars, signage, etc.). Once you have defined these, you'll need to set a budget and get help (ie. graphic designers, fulfillment house partner, etc.)

As you can see, an effective approach is a planned one...one that involves commitment and focus.

Source: Free Articles
Autor: secampbel

On-Line Marketing, Make Money for "Them"

I keep this blog on a wide range of search engines, blog directories, and promote it in "social media" like Twitter and Yuku. A few minutes ago, I found the "Top 50 Marketing Blogs". I wasn't listed, but found mine to be as "professional" looking an many.

One thing they all had in common though, was that to make money on the Internet, you had to "buy" their secret information to succeed. Selling or reselling their information is how they make money from you!

I was also surprised that many sites and even a poll suggested that they do not use or generally make money from "Affiliates". In Twitter, dozens, perhaps hundreds of marketers use the exact same video to increase traffic. OK, isn't anyone original? Does this ploy even work? Is there money in sheer volume?

My goal as a blogger is two fold. Yes, I want to make money, but I also want to convey opinions, off beat information, and make my blog "interesting". It is a work in progress.

How to Market During Recession

by Katie Marcus

The it' word nowadays is recession. There is also the downtimes, economic crunch, economic downturn, slowdown however you call it, this particular time is indeed very hard for everybody.

The people are feeling the difficulties associated with having an economy that is in depression, so much so, that people are mostly trying to keep whatever money they have. Hence, there is a reduction in the general spending of consumers, and even the companies are retrenching as fast as you can say recession'.

Recession is indeed here and this is not a good time mostly for businesses. Consumers are the ones keeping any business going and growing so how can one survive if the level of spending has gone down?

Nevertheless, the fact remains that consumers did not stop spending altogether even during the economic slowdown. They need to spend in order for them to live, although everybody has curbed their spending to a minimum and mostly to those things that are necessary. In addition, they definitely would be looking for those products that can give maximum value for their hard-earned money. In addition, if they can get more, then that would be excellent.

That is how your business can keep going even during these downtimes. If you can offer value for their money in your catalog printing for example, and even go for the extra mile when making an offer to your clients and prospects, there is definitely no reason for your business not to enjoy the profits. You can survive and you can grow your business to the level that you have expected from the very start.

The key is to give your target clients additional value in your offer in your custom catalog printing for example. By giving them maximum value for their money, you give them no reason to buy from you especially if you have the solution to their needs and wants.

Your marketing campaign therefore, needs to have a change if you want to get the most of the market. Your catalog printing for one can benefit greatly if you can offer more products and services that are efficient and effective in relation to the money they shelled out. That is why you need to think out a careful plan concerning your marketing strategies. You need to plan strategies that would still make your target clients buy your products and services. The bottom line is to provide them with an offer in your catalog printing that would give more value to their money than that being offered by your completion.

If you can do that, then there is really no reason for your business to go for broke. Rather, your business will definitely enjoy the benefits of having the biggest portion of the market.

Article Tags: Catalog Printing

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

The Obama Economy

Does anyone with a minor background in economics or at least 3rd grade mathematics, think that the Trillions of Dollars in bailouts, healthcare, military spending, etc. can actually be accomplished? The US has a $12 trillion deficit, and once it reaches $29 trillion, will represent 80% of our GDP. In other words, the US is bankrupt!

All this planning or hidden agenda seems to ignore world events such as pandemics, war in the Middle East, N Korea, a Taliban win in Pakistan, $150 barrel oil, and other major “wrenches” in the works events.

In this Obama rose colored glasses, my glass is half full optimistic view, and recovery will take place. In reality, it is all a disaster waiting to happen, on a Global scale!

Reality Marketing, Revision 13

Reality Marketing 13

Readers of my Blog, can probably tell that I am not one of the millions of “get rich quick” gurus that cover the spectrum of marketing media from Twitter, Spam emails, TV commercials, print, newspaper, or trendy bookstores. If you could “get rich quick”, everyone would be rich! Except for inheritance, it probably requires intelligence and hard work.

Here are some of my thoughts on marketing during the deep recession we are in and will be in for at least the next 10 years. Yes, you read that correctly, 10 years. Talking heads, economists, various Lords of Industry that deal with reality, concur that even after “recovery” it will take at least 5 years for the unemployment rate to get down to 5%. The unemployment rate has not even begun to peak. (My own peak…15%)

1. Stash the Cash: Many of the problems existing in the financial world today are a result of rapid growth, fueled by massive debt. Use cash wisely, don’t incur unnecessary debt; you cannot pay back easily. Why would you want others to own your business?

2. Don’t Stop Advertising: Advertising exists for multiple reasons beyond that of making the next sale. It keeps your brand out there. It is a communication tool that shows the new, improved, creative, unique, or value of your brand or product. Pick the media that works for you, and stick with it. Quality, rather than quantity.

3. Cull the Herd: A reality check is needed, face it, does that $300 month yellow page ad really work more than a simple phone listing? Did you make money on all those direct mail campaigns? Product determines only a portion of the advertising and marketing decision. A limited, but fixed budget should be put into the media that actually works for the long haul. A simple statement, but one often ignored.

4. Learn New Stuff: Not everyone in business has an MBA. Don’t be afraid to learn something new. Take some classes at a local college or on-line. Read several of the hundreds of related periodicals or journals. Join a group like the American Marketing Association or local equivalent. Scan the Internet for related Blogs, etc. Read a business book from your local bookstore, college bookstore, or library on the newest trends. Be informed.

5. Forget the Jones’s: Need the newest laptop, I-phone, Tweeter application, media gimmick? Think your ready to jump on the bandwagon of newest, bigger, better, faster, most popular? Trying to keep up with those “Jones’s”…again. Forget that. You assume they know better than you, about you and your business. Again, think long haul, not instant gratification, yet another future Blog. Make do with what you have, until you find that “cash cow” we all look for. Silas Marner can be a roll model.

While many will think these five items are a tongue-in-cheek look at marketing, I hope many can pull realistic advice and information from a very serious Blog. No, really, I mean every word!

Bootstrap Budget? How to Build Your Business Online With Little Cost

by: Yolanda Allen

Building a home business can be costly, especially when it comes to online advertising. Frustration easily sets in when you feel like you’re not getting ahead and you don’t have the funds to generate leads.

However, the truth is that it doesn’t always take money to make money. Just because you have a shoestring budget doesn’t mean you’re at a disadvantage. Even if you’re on a limited budget, it’s still possible to generate traffic and leads. You just have to learn alternative marketing strategies that are low cost or even free. This requires you to develop new skills.

The best skills and strategies are the ones that will leverage your time and efforts over and over again for a long period of time. You want to avoid strategies that are inefficient (like cold calling, sending post cards, and buying leads) because they can only be used once and the return on investment is very minimal.

Mike Dillard, of Magnetic Sponsoring fame, has developed the ultimate business building guide for bootstrap budgets, called “Building on a Budget.”

“Building on a Budget” is a low cost, step-by-step guide for generating dozens of online leads for little to zero cost. The guide describes 5 simple, online, low cost or no cost strategies for driving traffic and leads to your website. The strategies are easy to follow and simple to learn, and are designed for network marketers on a tight budget.

The strategies are based on these 3 basic online truths:

1. There are millions of people searching the Internet looking for ways to make money.
2. You can gain the attention of these potential leads by properly positioning yourself.
3. The best way to get the attention of these potential leads is through the 5 methods Mike explains in his guide.

Additionally, the leads you generate using these methods are high quality leads and, these methods will work today, tomorrow, next year, the year after, and into the future.

“Building on a Budget” delivers a solution and a system anyone can use to build their business, whether they’re a beginner or veteran internet marketer. You can get massive results and actually build your business, putting you one step closer to financial freedom.

To get a taste of what “Building on a Budget” provides, Mike is offering a free video series, where he shows you how to build any home business for $500 or less.

I have watched these videos and purchased his book. I’ve been applying the techniques he teaches and I’m now generating leads using these little to no cost methods.

If you’re serious about online marketing using inexpensive means for driving exclusive traffic to your website, check out Mike’s videos at http://budurl.com/BudgetBuilding and seriously consider getting the best guide for “Building on a Budget.”

Happy Business Building,

Yoli



About The Author

Yolanda Allen is a home based business expert specializing in a financial services and education product and marketing system, where you learn to be a master marketer. Learn how Yolanda’s business partner made over $140K in one month using this system. Yolanda’s on her way and now you can be too. http://YBAMarketing.com/?t=acbb.


Visit the author's web site at:
http://YBAMarketing.com






Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/marketing/article_4608.shtml

The Post-Consumer Economy

Regardless of the temporary surges in the stock market, renewed consumer confidence, or drama in the news media, economies based on growth and eternal prosperity is over. The world is now in the “Post-Consumer” economy.

What defines this economy? I suggest it is defined by sustainability, green economics, mass transit, renewable energy, decentralization, population control, universal health care and education, demand based on needs vs. wants, and a leveling of wealth.

To the wealthy, greedy elite, and their “wantabies” this may sound like socialism, but I maintain it is the future reality. Some population experts expect a world population of 11 Billion by 2050, almost a doubling of current levels in 40 years…a generation. Many nations on Earth can’t sustain their current populations now, let alone a 50% increase. Resources like food, fresh water, strategic metals, energy, etc are not available for a population of 11 billion souls, at any price.

This unpopular, to some, position is one I have maintained since earning a BA in Political Science back in 1971. Then the “Military-Industrial Complex” was going strong. While changes have occurred since, the overall standard of living for the average human on this planet has decreased. It will continue to worsen, unless proper planning and acceptance of these issues takes place. Ignorance of basic needs like food, fresh water, and quality of life for all, rather than a select few will result in disaster. Global warming and all the associated perils are already beyond the ability of mankind to reverse. Recognition of the “Post-Consumer” economy is just a first step.

To quote a fictional person, “The rights of the many, outweigh the rights of a few!”

Creative Marketing Ideas

The following creative marketing ideas are specifically about finding new places and ways to advertise. This has always been an area ripe for new ideas. What prompted me to write this page is an article I recently read on a company called Show Media.

Show Media has advertising displays on top of 3,000 taxis in New York. They charge client (which include Levis, Nike and other big companies) $200 per month for each ad, and they pay $100 to the cab company. That leaves enough room for healthy profits. Founder Laurence Hallier says that a typical campaign, which would cost $40,000 per month for exposure on 200 taxis, is seen by 25% of the city's residents - each day.

That got me to thinking about what other creative marketing ideas and opportunities are out there in the area of advertising. The following is a short list I am coming up with as I write this. Some of these may already exist.

Street Signs - In these tough times, many cities are looking for additional revenue. Could placing advertising on street signs provide it? In addition to providing monthly revenue, the company that arranges this might have to make new signs for the city, saving it this cost.

Personal Car Ads - I know this is being done in some areas already. What is needed is a simple system. Have a place where a driver can pull in, have a sign attached to his or her car, and get a check for keeping it there for six months.

Kite Ads - In areas with consistent breezes it might be possible to have kites flying most of the day with large ads on them. Beaches are a natural location, but this may work in other places as well.

Sidewalk Audio Advertising - As people walk by certain locations an ad automatically plays. Advertisers could be charged by the number of times an ad plays (getting a good deal when more than one pedestrian happens to be there to hear it). Another angle here is to sell the units to specific businesses. A restaurant might have a recording that is triggered by each passer-by, saying something like, "Hello, come on in right now and you'll get a free drink with your sandwich."

Yard Sign Advertising - I'm not sure about the legality of this in most places, but many yards have signs supporting political candidates or announcing that some company just replaced the windows or did the landscaping, so why not have paid advertising? Residents get a monthly check for each sign, and advertisers pay twice that, leaving room for a profit for the company that does this.

Mural Advertising - This one might be an opportunity for a budding artist. He could find a building that is ugly and ask the owner how much he would want to have a nice advertising mural on it. Then he could find advertisers who will pay enough to leave him with a decent profit. The owner of the building might have to get final approval on the planned mural and agree to leave it there for a couple years.

Odor Advertising - Have the smell of fresh cooked food pumped onto busy sidewalks, alongside a sign or audio ad promoting a restaurant.

Advertising With Plants - Bushes could be trimmed into the shape of a company logo. Flower beds could be planted with logos or even in the shape of words for advertising. Cornfields near airports could have ads cut into them to be seen by plane passengers above.

Marketing Games - A company might get word-of-mouth advertising by making it into a contest or game. Participants sign up online and get a number which they give out with their recommendation. The person who has referred the most customers after a year wins a big prize.

DVD Ads - There is already advertising for other movies IN DVD movies, but what about on the box that the DVD comes in. I'm not referring to the one that it is sold in. Many movie rental stores have their own blank boxes that they send out all of their movies in. Could they sell advertising on those? It could be for local products or services (a restaurant, for example), or products available nationally.

Those are the ten creative marketing ideas that I could think of in the forty-five minutes it took to write this. You can probably add a few to the list with a bit of brainstorming.

About the author:
Copyright Steve Gillman. Learn more Ways To Make Money, and get the free Unusual Ways (To Make And Save Money) Newsletter, plus e-courses and ebooks, at: http://www.UnusualWaysToMakeMoney.com

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Advertising for Free

Advertising for Free
by: Omar Radaidehf


Advertising for free sounds impossible when mentioned, especially if we're talking about effective advertisment . But there are several ways by which the cost of advertisement can be reduced or even eleminated (money wise) though at the expense of some extra time, and with the help of some imagination and creativity.

A business wanting to advertise, through article marketing, can write articles related to their field of expertise and can submit them to media and publications having interest in that particular field. The advertising article can have information about the company and dealership opportunity. new websites have sprung up which offer free services such as article submission and press releases and articles can be written for these websites and then broadcasted for free, which will be viewed by hundreds of people everyday.

Once the business has gained some recognition, within no time it will gain popularity .

Free bulletin board located in the neighborhood, like in grocery stores, libraries, and salons, are another good idea. Advertising circulars can be posted on such boards for free. Circulars for mass distribution can be handed out at the mall, shopping center, bus stops, particularly on weekends when there is a big rush. Students can be hired on part time basis for this purpose.

Promotional advertisement can be printed on the envelopes used by the business firms. Both the sender and the receiver can view this advertisement. Promotional offers can be sent to customers by postcards, which should be utilized to its full, leaving only place left for writing the address.

Some of the new mail order publications offer free first time and seasonal deductions for advertisers. Other publications offer pay per inquiry space. Inquiries can be made about stand-by space, which means that the publication holds the submission of advertisement until the space is not sold and in that case, thirty three percent saving can be achieved. Usually local newspapers provide these kinds of offers.

If the business is involved in ad sheet or catalog publishing, other publishers can be contacted for the purpose of bartering an advertising exchange. They can place advertisement in their publication, in return for placing their advertisement in the business’s publication.

Free offers can be provided to the customer. This can be done by emailing or printing newsletter about information regarding the area of interest of the targeted customers and can be made popular by using tag lines. Attach a free coupon with it, which the customers can use it for shopping, if a criterion is met like minimum purchase of $ 50. By this the response will be huge and most of them will purchase something or the other to avail the free offer. The basic ingredient for advertising for free is imagination and research. Opportunities should be searched and a strong working force should be applied to increase the sales.

Cinco de Mayo at Maria's Santa Fe

Maria's, my favorite place in Santa Fe, NM for food and Tequila

Apocalyptic Marketing

Whether or not you may believe in the End Times, Armageddon, the Apocalypse, or the prophecies of 12-21-12, many others do. As that prophetic date approaches, there exists a marketing niche worth millions, perhaps billions of dollars.

A current local story tells of someone selling “Flu” surgical masks along the roadside for $5 each. He sold 800 the first day!

I strongly recommend against any type of scam. There is certainly enough value related products and information that will not only work to enhance safety and the feeling of security concerns about any possible Armageddon. Many of these products have multiple uses: disasters, camping, power failures, etc.

Apocalyptic Marketing follows a normal marketing path: Networking, communication, advertising, sales, market research, the Four “P’s”, and all those AMA things.

Some ideas to consider:

1. Books, pamphlets, instruction & information DVD’s, teaching

2. Supplies: dried food, equipment, 3-day emergency packs, Geiger counters, first aid kits, etc.

3. Shelters/bunkers, remote land, rural second home sites, off grid farmsteads, solar power, etc.

4. Hands on training in first aid, martial arts, fire arm safety, building skills, cooking, survival, crafts, animal husbandry, etc.

5. Local emergency supplies depending on area & possible disasters: tornado alley, tsunami coastal area, earthquakes, nuclear power plants, etc.


Some existing Internet sites:

Emergency Essentials: www.beprepared.com
Emergency Supplies: www.emergencyanddisastersupplies.com
Survival Unlimited: www.survivalunlimited.com/
US Bunker: http://www.usbunkers.com/
Rural Land Sales: http://www.landwatch.com/
Solar Energy: http://www.realgoods.com/

As you do your marketing plan, you’ll soon get the idea, and realize you’re not alone in this endeavor. Marketing a reliable product for profit, benefits buyer and seller. Even if the optimistic, “rose colored glass” view, nothing happens by 12-21-12, it is a win-win situation.

Quintessential Careers: Building Your Personal Brand: Tactics for Successful Career Branding

by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.



What is it that all successful companies have mastered -- and what job-seekers looking to advance in their careers need to master? What is it about Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Starbucks, Disney, and McDonald’s? What makes a consumer buy one product over another -- and makes one job-seeker much more sought after than others? The answer is marketing, but more specifically it is the power of branding. And branding isn’t just for products anymore.

Branding can be described as many things, but it’s best defined as a promise… a promise of the value of the product… a promise that the product is better than all the competing products… a promise that must be delivered to be successful. Branding is the combination of tangible and intangible characteristics that make a brand unique. Branding is developing an image -- with results to match.

Branding (some call it self-branding when talking about individuals) is essential to career advancement because branding helps define who you are, how you are great, and why you should be sought out. Branding is your reputation. Branding is about building a name for yourself, showcasing what sets you apart from others, and describing the added value you bring to a situation.

Most job-seekers are not proactive in establishing and building their career brand, letting their actions speak for them when seeking promotions or new jobs. But why not take the time to master some very basic tactics that can help build your career brand and make you a much more attractive employee or job-seeker? Remember, if you don’t brand yourself, others will for you. And while you may be happy and secure in your job now, you really never know when that will change.

Management guru Tom Peters, writing in his book The Brand You50 (Reinventing Work): Fifty Ways to Transform Yourself from an "Employee" into a Brand That Shouts Distinction, Commitment, and Passion! states: “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are the CEOs of our own companies: Me, Inc.” He adds, “You’re not defined by your job title and you’re not confined by your job description.”

This article takes you through five easy tactics for building and strengthening your career brand.

Gain Experience/Track Accomplishments
Building your brand begins with tracking your past accomplishments and gaining strategically important new experiences. Your accomplishments are the foundation of your career brand.

But before you seek out new work, take the time to plan and focus on what you want your brand to stand for -- and develop a strategy for gaining experience in areas of your brand in which you are weak.

So, besides doing your job, ask for new and challenging assignments that will build your brand. Consider freelancing or consulting. Use volunteering to gain experience. If you’re a student, seek out multiple internships.

Complete Education/Training
For many careers, a minimum amount of education is necessary, but to excel in your career you may need to complete additional education, training, or certifications. Getting additional education can greatly enhance your career brand.

It may be hard in terms of time and finances, but find a way to do it. Some employers even offer an educational reimbursement benefit.

If you are unsure if you need more education -- and you probably do -- seek out a mentor, someone highly respected in your field (who has branded himself or herself well), and ask for advice.

Promote Yourself
You can have an amazing brand, but if no one knows about it, you are not going to have much success with your career development. And no one more than you has more reasons to promote your brand.

Throw modesty out the window? There is a fine line between bragging and promoting -- and you need to learn it -- but it’s always better to err on the side of promoting your brand than not.

One of the oldest tools of promotion for job-seekers is the resume, and you certainly need to start there by listing all your key accomplishments, skills, and education on your resume. You may even have your positioning statement (qualifications summary) on your resume… but don’t stop there.

Begin developing two career portfolios -- a print one and an online one. If you don’t have a personal Website, now is the time to buy a domain (such as myname.com) and let the world read all about the benefits of your brand. Your portfolio should include all important brand artifacts: resume(s), mission statement, detailed accomplishments list, samples of work, articles and working papers, speech transcripts, awards and honors, testimonials, and more.

One interesting trend we’ve seen is of employers “Googling” the names of prospective job-seekers -- typing each name into one or more Internet search engines -- and basing initial candidate screening decisions partly on the number (and quality) of hits for each job-seeker. The lesson? Your brand needs to have a strong online presence.

And finally, don’t forget to promote your brand on the job. Workers often assume the boss knows your accomplishments, but often times s/he does not. Certainly at review time, have a list of all you have achieved since your last review, but also consider finding ways to let the boss know your successes throughout the year.

Become an Expert
Nothing builds credibility in a career brand more than establishing yourself as an expert in your field.

Start by writing articles that showcase your knowledge -- and getting them published (ideally) in noteworthy media outlets. Consider self-publishing.

Seek out conferences and meetings where you can give speeches and presentations.

Play up awards and other recognition that can help label you an expert.

Get quoted by offering your thoughts, ideas, and opinions to journalists and reporters.

Consider constructing a professional Website where you can publish all your articles and speeches.

Build Relationships
Nothing in marketing is more powerful than a promotion tool called word-of-mouth, which can be defined as what people say about you.

Thus, nothing is more powerful in building your career brand than what your network of contacts -- your friends, colleagues, customers, clients, and former bosses -- say about you and your set of skills, education, and accomplishments.

And keeping your network strong involves nothing more than relationship building. Keep in good contact with your network and be sure they know of your most recent successes.

But the best brand-builders don’t stop with their current network; these folks are in constant network-building mode. Search out new professional associations as well as the growing number of online networking communities.

Final Thoughts
Once you identify and build your brand, remember to continue strengthening and protecting it. There will always be competing brands (job-seekers) ready to fill any gap you leave behind. You are indeed founder and CEO of Me, Inc., and the more you do to cultivate your career brand, the more successful you’ll be with your current employer and in the job-search.




To better understand how these marketing terms apply to job-hunting it helps to first understand the terminology. To that end, go to our Marketing Concepts Glossary. And for a general introduction to marketing and career development, read: Using Key Marketing Tools to Position Yourself on the Job Market.

Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.

Dr. Randall S. Hansen is founder of Quintessential Careers, one of the oldest and most comprehensive career development sites on the Web, as well CEO of EmpoweringSites.com. He is also founder of MyCollegeSuccessStory.com and EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. He is publisher of Quintessential Careers Press, including the Quintessential Careers electronic newsletter, QuintZine. Dr. Hansen is also a published author, with several books, chapters in books, and hundreds of articles. He's often quoted in the media and conducts empowering workshops around the country. Finally, Dr. Hansen is also an educator, having taught at the college level for more than 15 years. Visit his personal Website or reach him by email at randall(at)quintcareers.com.

10 ways to Celebrate Earth Day

by Robert Budlow

Even though some geophysicists suggest that the Earth is approximately 4.7 billion years old, when do you think the first Earth Day was celebrated as a holiday in the US? If you guessed anytime greater than 50 years, you would be wrong. The first recognized Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970. It was not a celebration at all; in fact it was just the opposite. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin, known as the “Father of Earth Day” created this idea as an environmental protest, “to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda.” Over 20 million people took to the street that day to support the protest. In fact the EPA was founded as a direct result from this first Earth Day.
Now, nearly 40 years later there seems to be a resurgence of environmental conscious and Earth Day is more a celebration rather than a protest. So, what are some relatively easy things you do to help the environment today and well into the future?

1. First and foremost, you should recycle. Ink Cartridges are a killer. So are most electronics. Don’t just throw out your old cell phones, printers, computers, glass, batteries, newspapers, plastic stamped with a #1 or #2 on the bottom, solicitation mail (aka junk mail), cereal and shoe boxes. They all should be recycled.

2.Reuse bags. Bring bags back to the grocery store and refill them with new groceries. Better yet, bring a canvass bag.

3.Replace your light bulbs with CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lights)

4.Unplug chargers (phone, computer, etc.) and turnoff lights and other electronics when not in use.

5.Use organic and natural landscape techniques. Pesticides are not necessary to produce a green lawn.

6.Install programmable thermostats. Each degree up or down not only consumes less energy, but is better on your wallet too.

7.Use less water: Don’t run the water while you’re brushing your teeth, and take shorter showers.

8.Use Refillable water bottles. Those small plastic water bottles are a killer on the environment.

9.Download Digital books. No trees are harmed and no ink is used to create digital books. Better yet, download digital books about the environment. Here’s one for the kids: “All the way to the Ocean.”

10.Whenever possible, use a bus, subway, ride a bike or walk.

Here are some facts you may not know:

1.The average American generates more than 3.5 pounds of trash a day.

2.About 90% of the energy used in lighting with a standard bulb is lost as heat. (See point #3 above)

3.Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as one million sea creatures every year.

4.US industry “admits” to four billion pounds of toxic pollution released per year.

5.Approximately one billion books are put into landfills each year. (See point #9 above)

On April 22, let’s all take some time to celebrate the Earth. You’ll be happy you did. So will the generations of people who will walk this Earth in the centuries to come.


Robert Budlow, father of two, is president and co-founder of Still Motion Media, publisher of MobiStories, Virtual Books for Kids, MobiStories. Recognizing that there was little content for digital screen-savvy young children, Mr. Budlow started this company with another Dad who had left his job as a Hollywood Art Director. Prior to this Mr. Budlow was founder of a direct marketing and Internet services firm based in New York City. In addition, he is also Board President of the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation. He can be contacted at rbudlow@stillmotionmedia.com