THE MYSTERY PARTNER

Before You Spread Your Idea...

2009-01-29T19:51:00.004-05:00

INNOVATE YOUR COMPANY EVERYDAY...

I bet when you first started business, you thought about how great your idea was. You were going to sell it to thousands of different companies and make millions. For some of you this didn't work out. For others (a very small percentage of others, at that) it worked out great from day one. A good marketing plan might have made the difference.

When I say marketing plan, I don't mean "where am I going to spend my advertising budget?" That's backwards. A real marketing plan consists of no fluff and no bull$#it. It needs to answer the questions that count: "Why should people buy from me?" and "How is my product or service valuable?" It's the ammunition you create to attack businesses with to show value in your product or service. After a month's time, your marketing plan should already be refined, and this happens again and again each month. Why? Because time's change rapidly and people are looking for bigger and better things to make their lives easier.

My solution to everyday marketing planning is simple: innovate and evolve.

Most of us don't have the internal resources to create and much less manage innovation. It takes too much time for a big business to evolve even though they have the money to do so. And, it takes little time for a small business to evolve but they don't have the money.

Ideas (our products and services) can take a long time to spread, and that's the point of this blog. There's a difference between the winners and the losers. Losers tend to give up quickly because they can't handle the harder times when finances are low and pressure is coming from all angles. Winners see the ultimate goal of business ahead of them...the big picture, so to speak. To reach the goal at the end of the forest, you need to know where you're going and move some tree limbs out of the way in process.

If your idea is that good, then you have to be good at selling it. Sell your idea to your customers as quickly as you can, but be patient, too. Always set aside time to evolve your own ideas. If you can't set aside time (most business owners can't) then hire an outside marketing agency to help you. Better yet, a guerrilla marketing agency...their ideas consist of low budget campaigns that raise large awareness fast and effectively.

As the saying goes: do what you do best, pay checks for the rest.

I Now Respect Hackers

2009-01-28T23:03:00.002-05:00

Hackers Crack Into Texas Road Sign, Warn of Zombies Ahead
It was amusing...we had to post it...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,484326,00.html

51 Cool Marketing & Advertising Ideas

2009-01-23T13:30:00.002-05:00

51 Cool Marketing & Advertising Ideas from various companies around the world.

This is a compilation of guerrilla marketing, magazine advertisements, and outdoor advertisements. The reason these marketing & advertising ideas were put in the same video is because they all make customers' heads turn. I believe that 98% of businesses look typical and do typical advertising. Truly, the imagination is limitless and when creative minds come together they create some of the most unconventional, head turning advertisements. Whether you have a large or small budget, you can see from this marketing & advertising ideas video that creativity can create tremendous buzz from your customers.

This video has been edited, compiled, and brought to you by www.TheMysteryPartner.com. We did not create these ads but wanted to share them with the world. Music by Nomumbah.

For more information on how your business can make heads turn through marketing & advertising, visit us at www.TheMysteryPartner.com.

Confusing Your Customers...

2009-01-22T12:00:00.004-05:00

HUH? WHAT? WTF?

One of the last things you want to do is overwhelm and confuse your customers or as I prefer to call them, probable purchasers. As business owners we spend a lot of time and effort trafficking customers to our stores and websites. When customers get the first look at your product or demonstration you don’t want them overwhelmed and not even know what their looking at. Too much product IS a bad thing! There is no need to have multiple examples of the same product in your showroom, or advertising in store or online that’s too busy looking. You want to present a clean and confident style to your outward appearance of your showroom or website. If your store or website looks like a five year olds bedroom cluttered with meaningless posters and crap, then your customers are going to get the impression that you’re not a successful, clean cut operation. They likely won’t do business with you.

Keep your business message clean and to the point. My tag line for my appliance business is “Lowest Price, Best Selection, Why Buy Anywhere Else?” That is about as direct, clean and to the point as you can get. And then on my site I only offer three levels of appliances Top, Mid and Economy. This layout makes the selection process a breeze for buyers. If I have 20 different levels of appliances it would take too much time for the customer to decide on a product, or they would just get overwhelmed and leave. I mean just think about it like this…….many of us have 900+ cable TV channels and we watch like 30 channels at most……. The rest are just fluff and filler…. Don’t create filler products or advertising, and defiantly don’t overwhelm customers with too many options. You will not only confuse them, you will lose sales. You ever heard of the KISS theory? Keep It Simple Stupid…

www.TheMysteryPartner.com

Apples to Apples...to Square Apples

2009-01-22T11:48:00.003-05:00

WHAT THE F#%& IS A SQUARE APPLE?
(Left: Image of Square Apple. Copyright 2008, The Mystery Partner)

You probably already know that your competition is going to be very, VERY HIGH. This goes for construction companies, financial planners, insurance agents, realtors, mortgage reps, restaurant owners, accountants, landscapers, house cleaners, IT companies, photographers, spa and salon owners, colleges, travel agents, home inspectors...(take a deep breath)...you get the picture.

So, does your company promote your product or service in a unique way? Or does it sound like just another typical company in the crowd? Think about your current advertising. Is it just up to par or could it be more exciting and memorable?

If your company does not have a unique niche, it unfortunately falls in the category of "apples to apples" businesses. Your "apple" is comparable to other apples and, in the end, you're not unique nor remarkable. If you want to make more money, you have to figure out how to reach the next level of business. Do this by being a "square apple".

How do you become a Square Apple? Here's what you need to do. You sell a product and/or service. You NEED to create a niche for your company. A "niche" by definition is a special area of demand for a product or service. What is so different about your product or service, or what's so different about how it's used by the end user? Say you sell roofing products. Perhaps you're the only company in town advertising "Roofing...In 48 Hours or Less!" Gee, I've never heard of a roofing company that promotes this...however, I have worked as a marketing director for 3 roofing companies who all told me roofing a house can be done in ONE DAY. Did you know that?

You now have a niche about your product and service that no one else has. The next thing you need to do is promote your brand in a unique way unlike everyone else. Marketing & advertising is an area that should be left to creative people who can promote a brand visually and memorably. Think "Geico" and how an auto insurance company went from being boring to EXCITING and MEMORABLE with the Gecko and Caveman commercials. Those two things don't relate to auto insurance, but they relate to Geico and makes Geico a memorable company. Isn't it amazing how advertising something so off-the-wall can really spark interest in a company?

The point is, when you can no longer be compared to your competition because your product or service is much more valuable to your target market, no one can use the phrase "apples to apples" with you. What an achievement, right? It makes you feel more confident that your product or service is that much better than everyone else's. You are now a "square apple" which is truly different than regular apples.

(Note: You can contact us at marketing@themysterypartner.com for help in finding a unique marketing strategy.)

www.TheMysteryPartner.com

eZineArticles.com!

2009-01-22T11:41:00.003-05:00

NOW HE THINKS HE'S THE SHI....

Brandon Becsi of The Mystery Partner submits an article to ezinearticles.com. The article is titled "Cheap Advertising and Marketing Ideas". Check it out!

Cheap Advertising and Marketing Ideas Article

The Mystery Partner dot com

YouTube - TheMysteryPartner's Channel

2009-01-22T11:31:00.008-05:00

KICKIN' NASS AND TAKIN' AMES ON YOUTUBE.

Last Fall, The Mystery Partner officially opened its own channel on YouTube. Since then, our videos have generated over 850 views. Not a large number, by any means, but a decent number nonetheless. Our most popular video shows why businesses should upgrade their business cards to something much more unique, like plastic or custom-cut business cards. Check it out! Do it!

http://www.youtube.com/user/themysterypartner