This little unassuming yellow sticky note has done so much. I am looking at my screen and surrounding it are about 8 post it notes at this time.  It really is the perfect invention you can’t add to it and you can’t take anything away from it. What do I use a post it note for, well it has been used as a reminder for my passwords (and no post-it note is not my password), making little stickman cartoons and leaving messages. I have used about 500 post it notes  to tell my wife that I love her (the walls looked kinda neat). What have others used post-its for? When there’s no Scotch tape, cut the sticky edge from a Post-it to use as fake tape. Well check this little video out  Stick Note Fun . The possibilities are really endless.

No matter what you use them for they are so much more persuasive then you might think. A study done at  Sam Houston State University by Randy Garner has asked that very question. He wanted to find out just how persuasive this little yellow square was. He sent out surveys and would record the response rates. He mailed 150 surveys out, some with post it notes (Post-it group)  on the post it written was a request that the survey be completed. The second group had the same message just written (written only) on a cover page and the last group it was just the survey (no message). The results speak for themselves take a look.

The surveys with the post it notes not only have a higher % of surveys completed. The time taken to complete the survey was shorter. So was is it just the little neon sticker? Is it just “ooh ahh” a mini fireworks show? Randy Garner conducted another study to find out the true reason.  Was it just the novelty of the yellow post it or was there a deeper reason ?

The same parameters in this study, three groups first group  post it with a message (Post-it with message group)  survey with just a fresh post it (blank post-it) and a control group just the survey (No-post-it).

The results found something interesting a personalized message was the trigger, the key to this puzzle. So what to make of this information? What conclusions should we draw?  The underlining principal in this study is what?  Garner offered this explanation,  although the effort required to place a personalized post it note is not much its still extra effort. People recognize that and feel compiled to reciprocate that extra effort.

The conclusion is this is an exercise in reciprocity,and post it notes are just the tip of the ice-burgh. The relationship, the social aspect, that is what is important to take away which is  the true discovery in this study. The old proverb can be rewritten “an ounce of personalized extra effort is worth a pound of persuasion”. An even closer look  discovered the more personal the message the higher the response and the faster the survey was returned.

The simple act of placing a personalized post it note on our correspondence is worth so much. We will not only gain the timeliness and quality of compliance with each request, but the social aspect, the relationship will have improved. So try it next time you send something out, stick a post it note on it say something personal and just watch the results, just might surprise you.

First what is indoor billboard marketing; it’s a lot of things. Marketing that takes place out of the home. Most indoor marketing takes place through billboards placed inside bars and restaurants and health clubs.

The top ten reason to use Indoor Billboards

1.     Welcomed advertising (easy on the eyes)

People are bored entertain them and they will reward you. They want to read something; a study done by Rice University found 98% had a positive reaction to indoor billboards.

2.     Reach Readers with higher disposable income

With the economy slow and people cautious about what they spend, you need to be where they are still spending money. If they are going out then they are spending money they have money to spend. Indoor Billboard are where they are spending money. This is where your next customer will be.

3.     Two MINUTES  “How much time?  2 minutes !!”

That’s right 2 minutes to tell them why you can solve their problems. Make them laugh and make them think. You have 1- 3 minutes; that’s a lot of time. With normal billboards you get 6 seconded that’s it.  Advertising at 65 miles an hour. Radio you have maybe 15-30 seconded . (Seconded-not sure if that’s the right place for it, but we are using it anyway!)

4.     Target-able Gender, income, area, sex, and more

You can target demographics like no other media. By gender on go in one restroom. Hair color, okay maybe not hair color. Within the network of venues you can choose billboards in the area you want to target based on income, sex and geographical factors so you do not waste advertising that’s not targeted to your main customers

SHOW YOU THE MONEY!!! I LOVE BLACK PEOPLE!!!

5.     Cost. CPM ROI

With the average CPM (cost per thousand) metric indoor billboard is at 2.00 – 4.00   per 1000 and you have them for 2 minutes so the quality of the CPM is higher. The ROI (return on investment) is much higher another study found that for every dollar spent on indoor advertising you returned eight.

6.     Its new and old at the same time

Using new and innovative products, that is the way you separate yourself form the competition, a key differentiation. Seeing a trend and riding the wave. With indoor billboard advertising you can get creative and create a one of a kind message moment.

“People are looking for something new that’s targeted and attention-grabbing. This is the way to do It.?
-The Wall Street Journal

7.     Immune to customer avoidance

I the restroom it’s a liability for men to turn left or to turn right. They will be looking at your advertising. Radio adverting is just the worst Commercials on the radio last forever and you turn the channel. TV with DVR they get skipped, junk mail gets put in the trash. They call it spam and it get deleted and how easy is it to delete. Indoor advertising gives you an advantage compared to traditional media.

Total Recall

8.     Recall Rate

• University studies have found the recall rate to be 60% or higher 78 percent, recalled one or more of the Indoor billboard ads, according to Audits &Surveys Worldwide
• 92% were able to name specific advertisers without prompting. BARBOUR &MONROE SURVEY

SO EASY

9.     Indoor Advertising Easy to use.

Contracts are 3 months on average and they compliment a big campaign with multiple mediums in use. And Indoor billboards work great as a standalone advertising approach. Track the advertising with a simple metric. How did you hear about us? Offer a discount only on your indoor billboards and measure the results.

10.  Effective

All the studies that have been done show the effectiveness of indoor advertising. The idea of having a captivated audience  for 2 minutes that spend money, is a profitable idea. The cost is more than competitive its smart business. To test the effectiveness is a small price. Look at the facts this is a great way to have your product or service in front of those who will respond and can respond. 4GX388S6PUZK

1. Send Christmas cards

The time of season when something is not a bill is a welcome distraction, Wishing your customers a wonderful holiday season creates a relationship a emotional experience. Sending a Christmas card will show that you care and well you do right? It is a very cost effective way to stay in your customers mind. And it’s easy to toss in a coupon or a promotion to a “friend”. Make it a nice card and it will not be thrown away.

2. Have a special discount

If you are in the retail business then offering a holiday discount can mean all the deference. With the volume to be higher you can give even more of a discount.

3. Have more staffing

We want it now and we want it now, providing customer service to the holiday shoppers is the simplest idea. The more customers you have the more staff you need. Customer service with a smile can make or break a sale.

4. Longer hours

Everyone works for a living that will be shopping. You need to understand that being open for those who just got off work is just an extension of customer service. Holiday hours will not cost as much as you think using that time to restock shelf’s during a slow period will be a effective use of that time

5. Smile

Simple smiling will not only brighten your day but all of your customers will truly enjoy their shopping experience. A simple smile can change everything it is so contagious and being kind to a rude customer is your job. A simple easy way to defuse a confrontation is to compliment, a genuine compliment.

6. Christmas gift cards/ gift certificates be ready!

Providing gift cards and gift certificates to your customers to be used as gifts is a trend you need to be a part of. Make sure you follow all the applicable laws concerning gift cards. Giving your customers as many ways to spend their money with you and make it easy to do. Gift cards are easy and you can even get other companies to sell them a great way to allow affiliates to sell for you.

7. Smile

This is so important I put it on here twice, so all you do is talk on the phone, still smile it can be heard through the phone. People remember those that smiled at them it made them feel good

8. Price checkers

Providing price checkers will save you a lot of headaches and lets your customer provide his/her own customer service. If you already have price checkers make sure they are clearly marked and are functional. And if you can record all items price checked you can see a trend and be ready for it.

9. Christmas music & Decorate

By simply having Christmas music people will spend more and have a better experience in your store. Not only is it great for your customers it’s a great moral booster for your staff. The ROI is outstanding.

10.Free shipping

This is the number one promo you can offer your customers for online purchase. Uses a simple email campaign and you will see a dramatic rise in your conversion rate. Easy to implement and surprising low cost makes this a no brainer. Post it on your website; use it in your ad words campaign.

11.Email campaign

Sending holiday email advertising is a simple way to promote any Christmas event, sale or to simple say merry Christmas. The cost is small and if you’re using the emails of customers who already shop with you then the ROI will be through the roof. Advertise

12.Free wrapping

A simple way of showing you care to your customers, providing gift wrapping service for free, saves your customers time and the time factor can mean all the difference in the world. One company had their name printed on the back side of the paper as an extra advertisement.

13.Seats in the store

Most of your customers will have been to at least 4 stores that day and have spent 4-6 hours shopping. If you provide seats your customers they spend more time shopping and where you place the seating have impulse buy products remember to place them at eye level. I have seen one retail store provide a phone with a catalog allowing customers to purchase another way.

14.Gift tag printing

With most modern POS systems adding another printing device for your customers to have pre made labels is easy and again provides customers with something extra. This will place you where differently than the competition.

15.Be stocked.

Find the trends for the year; be ready; if you advertise a product has that product in stock. Do your researches on what size color other features and how many you should need?

16.Salt the sidewalk

Caring for your customers by have a safe place to shop is paramount .Keeping the store clean and providing a safe place to shop can show people you care.

17.Clean bathrooms

This is the simplest thing you can do to make sure customers come back after the holidays. This is a most basic form of customer service.

18.Give candy away, and no not the accountant named Candy

The brain works on glucose and providing candy will keep your shoppers, shopping. Having sugar free candy will show you care. Look at all the warehouse clubs they have demos all day long and it works.

19.Inspire your staff

Being a leader means getting the best out of your staff. Inspire them. Let them know you are there for them. Letting them know that the job they have is important they can see the most important aspect in the company is them. They are the reason people come back.

20.Remember what Christmas is about

Giving, Family, and Love. Spending time with those you care about. Being in a business that provides customers a way of showing the ones they care about love is a great business to be in. Remember that Christmas is about giving, putting smiles on your friends and family.

In these difficult times being informed is not just an option or a good idea. You need to know, Marketing can be tricky, and buying the right media is not always as easy as it looks. Small businesses need not advertise like the national accounts. Okay so I have been doing a bit of research (Googling) and learned some very interesting things; there have been about 9 recessions in the US, every company that chose to advertise in a recession grew. Grew by 230% on average I know, I am like sign me up.

Then why do so many companies (this is business 101) not advertise. It’s not the proof okay maybe for a few it’s the proof, most companies see marketing as a drain, as an expense that does not produce. With the right analytics you can know where your customers are coming from. One of the best analytics is this “How did you find us?’  I know so simple it hurts. Knowing what works for you is simple and it’s not only important but smart. This is something you can add to the POS system, Your staff can in a conversational manner ascertain how the customer got here, example I  think of is Radio Shack, they asks for your email or phone number. The process, the logistics are not too difficult to implement.Knowing what advertising campaign is working and what is not is priceless.

What I find is that in a recession you have so much you can get for such a discounted price, everything is on sale. So in being smart and choosing the right media type what is next? It’s the customer, knowing the customer, marketing in Pittsburgh or anywhere for that matter is not always easy. Advertising is necessary in any business; you cannot grow without advertising. So you have made the choice to advertise and in Pittsburgh the options are pretty standard.TV, Newspaper, Radio, Indoor billboards, but it’s not about what media you use, nope it has more to do with whom. Each media has its pros and cons. The who in the equation is the biggest factor.

Pittsburgh economy is strong and steady, very few outlandish purchases, modest in our approach to consumer spending. And we love our beer and football; we love our football so much that we made the other teams black and gold. Advertising to Pittsburgh means you have to understand that we have grandmas that are die-hard Steelers fans and the young crowd 18-35 drink Yuengling. In discovering all that Pittsburgh has the people make it very unique a true one of a kind place. Who is Pittsburgh well they pay bills on time, respect their elders (there’s a lot of them here) Yell at the TV (Football or Hockey) Have no real idea what traffic is.

ruffed grouse PA State Bird

Orange Cone the Second Pittsburgh State Bird

We have 2 state birds the Orange Cone and Ruffed Grouse. Who is Pittsburgh how do you market to them honest true with respect, understand we will buy local if we can and Wal-Mart second. Property taxes make us mad, and if you tax our beer we will get pissed. If you’re  going to be marketing to Pittsburgh ,So how to make the most of it well TV can be the beginning, you produce a high quality commercial use stills from it to create billboards and print, the audio to create a radio spots, if you’re doing it right you can have the consistency you need in all mediums maybe a different approach in each media but a consistent message Ultimately, it comes down to creating a call to action (not commercials) that are based on groups and their behavior, defining a purpose a reason beyond themselves for the brand, allows people to  interact with the brand, and in so doing, makes the brand something that is bigger than the business it  becomes an emotional experiences. Being able to plan and create for experiences (functional and emotional ones alike) is the key business to be in.  I know it sounds complicated and it can be hard, but it’s not complicated. It’s about creating more than a commercial it’s about the experience you bring to the customer.

What is the purpose of a website?

First let us start off with a few answers to the question. To sell something, some kind of offer, provide information, have a conversation, find new customers, interact with customers, to share your thoughts, have a web presence, out do your competition. To do any of those things we have to get found. So in needing to be found we have search engines by which I mean Google. To do a search you ask it a question, look at Ask.com it has that in its name.

So what is it that a website does, it answers a question that has been asked, better it answers a very specific question and is easily found by Google. So if you have a website you need to be thinking what questions are asked by my customers? And do I have those answers, are they easily found?

Look at successful websites, a practical example, Facebook. What questions are asked?  Where are you? Let me tell you who I am! And how fat is the prom queen now? Those are the questions and look at all those answers, over 200 million and 100 million keep updating the answer. When we are selling something and we use a website to do that selling, we need to be thinking what the questions the customer is asking. If we are providing information we need to have that question in order to provide the most relevant answer.  “What is the closet pizza shop?” When we have the answer to those questions you can deliver.

Let’s make another practical example something a little more easier said than done. A photography business, (I have no idea how to run a photography business just saying) what are the questions customers asking? How much does it cost? Are you first-class at what you do? How long have you been doing this? What should I look for in a good photographer? Who does the senior pictures in my area? So on and so forth.

So looking at the questions from the customer’s perspective we now have a great place to start. A website with content that’s geared towards answering the questions will be the most successful.

What is the question?

So what is the answer your website gives to the question?

This principal works with or without a website, just made much clearer on the web. What question are you answering, and do not answer too many questions, Give the best answer to a few questions and your company will be the answer to that question most often.

Find the revenue,

Revenue can be elusive at best.  In some cases it’s not just hard to find it’s almost impossible. Running a small business is well … one of the great loves of my life. The blood, sweats, tears, the smiles the joys “this is my business “and this is exciting. The long hours the short vacations worth it? Yes an emphatic YES. Then you sit down with your accountant and he tells you what your company is worth. The balance sheet doesn’t add up and you need more money. All your work, the long hours and you need more cash, more income but sometimes needing more money is not exactly what you need. We have a saying among senior staff “How do we make money,” they say “We save money”. Saving money is just that simple, coupons work. All the places we spend money. Ask the question ‘Do we need this?’ Can we get it cheaper with out sacrificing quality? Who is my insurance guy anyway? What did I just buy ?( buyers remorse that’s really remorse)Can I raise my prices on my appetizers?  Who do I need to let go? Knowing personally every bill, knowing personally how the money came in when, where, and why. I say theses things one to hopefully inspire, I know as a small business owner that’s all it takes.  To be reminded that the business we work for is exciting. That being an owner, decision maker is exciting, mostly dreams realized, hard work is par for the course. So practical examples, here are some real ways of finding revenue.  Finding partners to create win-win outcomes, one example comes to mind is a fish restaurant that sold an exotic fish, finding out that the fin of this fish is an aphrodisiac in Japan literally taking the trash and turning it into cash. Another example working with a indoor marking company like Peedabo, they place advertising in the bathrooms and share the revenue directly with you The puns are endless with that one .Building better relationships with our customers asking them questions, they will tell you all day long why they come back and why they spend their money .Asking the questions thinking not as the employee but as the owner the decision maker you are. So I hear a few saying “I am not the owner, I am not the decision maker”, you have responsibilities that affect the bottom line you make decisions that have impact. Please do not be so naive to think that this business will work as good without you, you see things from the perspective that is priceless. And that place is from where the transaction takes place from the threshing floor, be creative know that there are a multitude of places to find revenue. Creative partnerships, saving money on what you spend there is no rule there is no wrong answer, most of the time it’s in the most obvious place.