The Importance of Message Development: Developing the Message and Testing it with the Public

The process of message development is one that whittles down to the core idea of what your company is all about in the minds of the public. It's a concept not all companies develop based on the thought it's impossible to encapsulate a brand message when you have a lot going on. But companies that do focus on message development end up retaining more customers, mainly because those customers will know what you stand for and what your intentions are.

Focus is going to be important in a company if you want to help solve a problem for your key demographics. Not knowing who you are exactly as a company or not properly showcasing what you offer is going to confuse the public as well as designate you as confused yourself. The public knows when a company has or doesn't have a clear focus on bringing something useful to the world.

So what kind of core message should your company have? It doesn't necessarily have to be just one message and can be several, just as long they connect to the main purpose of what you do. Before you start all your marketing, you have to hire an expert marketing team to analyze your core messages thoroughly. By dissecting them, you can see what messages are really necessary and which ones don't matter.

Deciding What Your Core Messages Are

The key aspects of message development can usually be broken down to three parts that involve a main message encapsulating your overall business goal, a message engaging people, then more detailed messages you use to engage others of influence who can help your business grow.

With the first message, you can get to the very core of your company. Once you brainstorm this key message, you'll probably find some surprises on what the soul of your company really is. It's similar to when you look into your own soul in psychotherapy sessions and discovering things about yourself you didn't previously understand. Once you understand your core message, you've already gone a long way.

By creating another message targeted to consumers, you're basically looking into their own soul and connecting your message to it. That usually means helping them solve some kind of problem with the services or products you offer. Once you identify your key demographics, you can send that message directly to them through online or offline marketing.

The same can be applied to the individual message you use to investors or others of influence to help you grow your company. They want to know your core message so they know they're investing their money wisely. Think ABC's "Shark Tank" and the core message behind products people invent in order to attract venture capitalists on the panel.

The Quality of Your Message

You may have your messages ready, though you have to give a sense of quality to them so consumers respond to them in the most effective ways. This usually means being very concise for each message, generally one to two sentences. The messages also have to compel people to action by helping solve a universal issue everyone can relate to. It can be something simple, yet something a lot of competing products have yet to solve completely.

Keep in mind writing the core messages in an active voice helps bring a more compelling edge to each one. Plus, using catchy words and phrases is essential so people will assimilate and remember it when you use the message in advertising. The shorter the sentence with memorable language, the better.

Let us help you develop your own company message here at Palomar Marketing. We're here to help you through the stages of taking a product to market and how to navigate the complex marketing waters every company has to endure.

Contact us so we can start working with you right away. With 20 years of experience in our agency, our experience working with everything from startups to Fortune 500 companies is guaranteed to help you thrive.

Has Presentation Design Passed You By?

Presentation design has changed a lot over the past few years. We think it's important that businesses stay updated about new trends and developments pertaining to the topic. Here's one that's sure to have affected many businesses.

Every few years, Microsoft Office rolls out a new update or version of Office. Sometimes the changes are minor and sometimes they're extreme. They often deal with the layout and usability of Office programs.

PowerPoint has probably changed more than any other Microsoft Office program. It all really depends on which version you're upgrading to and which version you're leaving. If there are a few updates in between, the transition will likely be more difficult. 

Remember all the commotion that the end support of Windows XP caused? A lot of those businesses who never upgraded from XP were probably still working with Microsoft Office 2003. The 2003 programs were fine, but they had a much different layout in comparison to the new ones. 

A recent Business Management Daily article describes the transition from older vision of Microsoft Office to newer versions. The article suggests that businesses inform themselves about the new programs before they actually use them:

"If you missed transitioning through Office 2007 or Office 2010, Office 2013 may be a culture shock. Before embarking on PowerPoint particulars, it’s best to become familiar with the new geography and vernacular of all your Office 2013 applications, namely: tab, group, and button."

Presentation design is different on PowerPoint 2013 than it was on PowerPoint 2003. Especially when users are actually creating and editing the presentation. 

It's important that businesses learn about the new versions of office before significant presentations or meetings. The last thing they want is a malfunction due to a different feature or new keyboard shortcut. 

If you would like to talk to us about presentation design, contact us today. Thanks.

Maximize lead generation by using Inbound marketing techniques -- forget cold calling!'

Today’s marketing challenge is not only capturing the right leads, but also knowing ‘when’ and ‘how’ to followup with them.

Inc. magazine noted that back in the 1990s it was a fairly simple approach to find those customers and handle the leads, thanks to that new digital frontier: the Web.

A study came out that focused on just how-and-when sales people, or stakeholders, should “react to sales leads online.”

Back in the ‘90s, it was within a matter of hours, at times, before the lead might’ve gone completely cold; or the wrong time of the day was chosen for follow up.

Today, and as preferences for company brands continually shift in rankings, it is critical to follow a few tips affecting inbound marketing lead generation...and closing them: leads go cold more quickly in today’s competitive market.

Forget about the ‘quantity’ of leads

More importantly, it’s about the quality of the leads that can be turned into customers, as well as when they should be followed up on. For example, a revealing survey entitled “How Much Time Do You Have Before Web-Generated Leads Go Cold,” noted that two times of the week were judged to be the best times to follow up: Wednesdays and Thursdays; furthermore, the most effective times to call are between 4 pm - 6 pm.

More importantly, it is usually best to jump on that lead because even waiting an hour means the chances of contacting that person may “decrease more than 10 times in the first hour of contact.”

Rely more on Inbound leads

Marketers should follow their social media channels and blog sites closely. By far, leads generated from these sources are far more effective than the traditional Outbound strategies like cold calls or running banners and print ads.

How intrusive ads affect website visitors

A Hubspot survey revealed that when banner ads, or other forms of advertising, deluged the website, then 84% of those between 24-34 years of age left.

Businesses who make a point of monitoring their social media channels show good results harvesting leads. In fact, about 67 percent of business/consumer brands gathered in new customers from Facebook, for example.

Our agency has 20 years of experience in working with startups to Fortune 500 companies.Contact us to learn more on how we can help you move your company to that next level of success.

The Four Best Marketing Strategy Tips You'll Read this Year

There are plenty of tips when it comes to marketing strategy but by far, these are the four best you will see this year.

Focus on your brand reputation 

Even the best marketing strategies will fail if a company has a poor online brand reputation. Solidifying your brand reputation requires an extensive campaign that encompasses several components of digital marketing. A recent Forbes article explains how social media has changed how companies manage their brand reputation:

"Power has shifted away from businesses and toward consumers when it comes to voicing a company’s marketing message. While companies used to be able to carefully craft their message and then promote it using traditional advertising methods (billboards, radio and TV spots, etc.), social media means has largely transferred that power to consumers."

Create and post quality content 

Online marketing isn't just about SEO tricks and trying to trick Google anymore. The only way your company can improve its search rank long-term is to create quality content. There are several ways to do this, ranging from writing blogs to filming videos. Once you have already made the content, post it on social media to increase your brand visibility.

Learn from the best

Consider the companies that you admire in terms of their marketing strategy. You'll probably notice that they focus on the two psractice mentioned above. Study their strategies and campaigns and try to learn from them. You may be able to incorporate some elements into your own campaign. 

Professional consultation

At the end of the day, marketing is one of the most important components of your business. It's the final link between your product or service and your target market. It's not something that can just be pieced together to get the job done. If you can't give 110% to your marketing strategy, you should consider speaking with professional consultants who understand the industry inside and out. 

To talk more about this, or anything else, please contact us. Thanks. 

4 Lead Generation Mistakes You Need to Avoid

When you’re trying to implement a good marketing strategy to generate new business leads, there are a few mistakes that many companies commonly make. Avoid these mistakes and you’ll have a much better potential to generate leads that turn into sales.

One Trick Pony

To use another common cliché, when you put all your eggs in one basket, you’re not going to be able to reach as many possible leads. Don’t focus on just one marketing strategy when you’re attempting to get new leads, be flexible and try new things to see what works for who and at what point.

Failure to Deliver

Poor implementation is one of the surest ways to lose leads due to poorly written copy, follow up emails that look sloppy or broken links on your landing pages. The sale is in the details and one of the first points of contact a leads has with you and your business is your marketing material. Make sure it shines.

Lack of Nurturing

Don’t jump to the sale right away. Oftentimes you have to let a lead marinate for a while before it becomes a bona fide lead that will turn into a sale. Have patience and take the time to continually reach out to your leads and eventually they will come to you.

All the Wrong Places

There are leads that will never be customers and too many marketers waste their time and energy on leads that will never go anywhere. Regularly cull your lists to make sure that all your leads are viable.

Avoid these common marketing mistakes when generating leads and you’ll spend your time working on better leads with better quality material.

Please contact us for more tips on optimizing your lead generation efforts.