BlackBird Copywriting

Dear Fellow Dream Builder;

I want to share some Calgary marketing strategies that I’ve been using to help local businesses that I know will be able to help you improve your business wherever you are in the world. I’m basing this on the belief or my belief in relationship marketing. To me, everything is about relationships and relationships are built on trust. And people all around the world build relationships every day with businesses and with each other. My argument is that we aren’t all that different from each other deep down. In fact we have more similarities than differences.

That’s my treatise for this blog post. If you get it, your business will improve in leaps and bounds.

This is why the Calgary marketing advice that I’ve been offering folks here in cowtown will help you too. The biggest marketing tip that I can offer  businesses is to see every single customer as a real person.  This is what this Calgary copywriter keeps trying to drum home. Step back from the hard numbers of your business for a minute. Close the accounting books and put away the spreadsheets. Forget about profit and loss statements and push yourself away from the table.

Have a look around you. If you’re in most businesses in the world there are other people very close by. Your customers are very real people and take a moment to appreciate that. It is easy to let the fog of numbers cloud that fact, but your customers are people just like you with similar needs and desires.

If you’re fulfilling those needs and desires then your business is doing well. You don’t have to look at the books. You’ll know it from the telephone calls you our your customer service reps get. You’ll know from the sales that your sales reps or business is bringing in. This isn’t rocket science. So many piss poor businesses do well because they excel at understanding the customer as an individual human just like them. So many great businesses fail because the forget this very simple fact. Calgary marketing is all about relationship building. When you build that relationship with another human being and not just a customer, wonderful things happen. Your business improves and you get rich as a side benefit.

So next time you’re looking at those numbers and you’re not happy with the results just remember who your customer is. He or she is likely someone very similar to you. Are you treating them like you would want to be treated or better yet how you’d like your grandmother, child, wife or husband to be treated? This one Calgary marketing tip is worth millions of dollars to the long term success of your business. If you get it.

Seeing YOUR big picture,

Jason

Dear Fellow Dream Builder;

Calgary marketing for small business can be a little different than what you are used to. Small businesses are not necessarily looking for the same outcomes as large businesses or conglomerates. With this in mind, I’ve decided to share some strategies that small businesses can use to grow and prosper. Especially in these difficult times.

The suggestion today for small business marketing is Twitter. There are some great opportunities to reach your audience and customers through the social media of Twitter. Now not all small business owners will benefit from Twitter so I’ll try and make some suggestions as to the kinds of businesses that will be able to make the most of a Twitter profile.

Twitter is a social media platform used to update your followers about any important happenings going on in your business. It’s also a great way to keep the conversation going on between you and your customers. One of the best tips I can offer is to not make your tweets all about sales offers. You need to engage your customers with lots of great and valuable information. But also more than that, it’s important to allow your customers to get a flavour for your personality. So many small business owners think that by being professional and stiff that they are doing their business a service. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Your customers are eager and hungry to know you in a real and intimate way. You won’t please everyone, but you don’t need to. And you don’t need to be worried about that. Your customers will love you more, be more loyal and devoted if you build that intimate relationship with them.

As far as your tweets. Make sure that you are tweeting quality more often than quantity. Twitter is an immediate/live social platform. So use it with that in mind. A great example is if you have any type of service business. For a Calgary marketing small business example, let’s say you own a local coffee shop. Offer a tweet late in the afternoon for a free coffee with a pastry purchase that is good for the following day only. Maybe you are a auto service shop. How about a 10% coupon valid on any oil service within the next week. These are more successful the more followers you have. But it is more important to have interested followers rather than a large disinterested audience.

Hope this helps. If you’d like more information on making Twitter work for your business, give me a call 403 836 2640 or contact me.

Seeing YOUR big picture,

Jason

Dear Fellow Dream Builder;

Thank you once again for reading my scribbles. I want to offer you some value today about Calgary marketing. These Calgary marketing strategies are not just for those of you who live and work in Calgary. You’ll find that the marketing tips I’m offering will work wherever you are. Whether you’re in Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles or New York.

Heck, so long as your product or service is needed and sold to human beings you’ll make some good use of these tips. That last comment was in no way meant to be facetious. Truly, marketing is not some magic whoo-whoo that only divine soothsayers can figure out. Sure there is a science to marketing properly to folks whether you’re marketing online or marketing offline. Every business owner can build a terrific marketing campaign regardless of your marketing background. If you’ll only choose to think about these ideas that I’ve called Calgary marketing tips.

Engage your customers in a conversation. What I mean by this is that your business will prosper if you nurture your customers. You wouldn’t expect your friendships to evolve, deepen and last if you didn’t take the time to visit your friends, talk to them and ask after them. Treat your customers as you would your best friends.

Reward those who are your best customers. In line with the above Calgary marketing tip, segment your customers an create a VIP club if you can with only special rewards and offers for your best customers. Above all else though, continue to reach out and engage your customers. Send them valuable information way more often than you send them offers. The 80/20 rule works well here. Offer value 80% of the time and ask for business only 20% of the time. Send your best customers a physical birthday card on their birthday. Write something specific to them in your own hand. Watch the results increase your profits and revenues.

One last marketing idea that you can use, and this one might sound contrarian. Fire those 20% of your clients who bring you the least business and the most headaches. This can be hard, I know. But your best customers will be better off for it and your employees will respond well to it. You never know the amount of sorrow that your worst customers are creating for your business. It can be affecting employee morale which in turn affects all of your customers. Trust me, those 20% are dragging your business down like dead weight. You’ll be happier and your business stronger if you’ll just do it.

It’s hard I know. In today’s economic environment we think we need all the business we can get. But this is just not true. Fire those customers who are holding you back and your business will soar to new heights. Hope you’ve enjoyed this Calgary marketing advice. Now just implement it!

Seeing YOUR picture,

Jason