By RitaJo on December 8, 2011
When I was in college back in the 90’s earning my marketing degree, the focus was on marketing tangible products rather than on marketing services. As a result, my understanding of unique selling proposition (USP) was based on marketing a product. In this post, we will focus on your USP for marketing services as a service professional.
The description for USP in one of my old advertising textbook is: The unique selling proposition, or the differentiating features, of every product advertised; a concept developed by Rosser Reaves of the Ted Bates advertising agency.
However, according to a recent article I read by Peter Vogopoulos, co-founder of Firepole Marketing, if you are a service provider, your USP is you. Peter says, “You are the only variable that cannot be replicated. Your competitors can have the same hours, offer the same products, get certified from the same place, offer the same result, same, same, all the same as you, but they can never be you.” Click here to read the entire article.
For nine years I have been scratching my head trying to figure out what is unique about our Internet marketing services. Why should someone retain our services rather than work with Billy Bob and Associates. I was working from the premise of what I learned at Arizona State University; marketing a tangible product.
According to Peter, we have to connect to our potential clients on a personal level. When we bring our true values and attributes to the table, someone will like us and be inspired to do business with us.
According to Bob Bly, who is the author of “World’s Best Copywriting Secrets,” that in addition to your intangible USP, your personality, service professionals also have a tangible USP. Bob says, “The tangible USP is the visible, quantifiable differentiator between you and your competitors. Because it can be seen, felt, described, and grasped, the tangible USP is the one you feature in your marketing copy.” You can read Bob’s article by going here.
So, based on the concept developed by Rosser Reaves if you are advertising/marketing a product, you have to come up with differentiating features as your USP. Peter Vogopoulos says be you, and Bob Bly suggests be you, as well as create a tangible USP for your marketing copy, which differentiates you from your competitors.
What are your thoughts on unique selling proposition? We would love to hear what you think. Leave us your comments below. Come back next week for more Internet marketing tips.
RJ’s Internet Marketing Services
Posted in Advertising, Internet Marketing Services, Marketing, Rita J. Cartwright, RJ's Internet Marketing Services, Service Professionals, Service Provider, Unique Selling Proposition, USP Tagged Advertising, Arizona State University, Bob Bly, Firepole Marketing, intangible USP, Internet marketing services, Marketing, Peter Vogopoulos, Rita J. Cartwright, RJ's Internet Marketing Services, Rosser Reaves, tangible USP, Ted Bates advertising agency, unique selling proposition, USP, what is a USP
By RitaJo on April 13, 2011
When managing a company page on LinkedIn possibly, one of the most important resources is the recently built-in analytic system. Many companies have been offering this as a service for a fee, but times have changed. Now offered to its users free of charge, LinkedIn provides companies with the ability to see who, what, when, and where built right in. With the easy to read/see charts running a LinkedIn campaign has never been easier.
Page Views
Broken down on a monthly scale you can track page views, both on a specific level and on an individual as well. If your advertising on LinkedIn is working, this will tell you where and what content people are enjoying. If it is not, it also tells you what they are not enjoying. It also shows you how you may compare to similar companies.
Unique Visitors
Broken down in the similar monthly form as page views, you are able to see just how many of those views are by separate users. This tells you how many are revisits your page possibly has. Depending on the product/service you are marketing your wanted results will vary.
Clicks
This area shows you clicks based on the links on any given page, which ones are clicked the most and the least. This is helpful because it can tie into your website analytics which is a whole other monster all together.
Members following and member visits
This gives you great input, it allows you to see what number of your visits and followers are already members of LinkedIn. This will allow you to see if your advertising efforts are still best spent on LinkedIn alone or if it’s worth exploring other avenues as well.
LinkedIn in the end is just like any other social media outlet, it takes work and dedication to understand, watch and learn. It is also ever changing. No single marketing plan works for all companies, or even groups of companies. What it all boils down to, if you want your marketing to be successful, you need to seriously consider hiring a professional. Doing it on your own is great and works best for small start-ups, but eventually you have to make the financial leap if you want big numbers.
RJ’s Internet Marketing Services
Posted in Analytics, LinkedIn, LinkedIn Company Page, LinkedIn Company Profile, LinkedIn marketing plan, Marketing, Marketing on LinkedIn, Networking, Rita J. Cartwright, RJ's Internet Marketing Services, Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Networking, Social Networking Forums, Social Networks, Virtual Assistant Services Tagged business networking, company pages, company profiles, groups, LinkedIn Company Page, LinkedIn Company Profile, Marketing, social networking, website analytics
By RitaJo on March 30, 2011
Moving on for a moment from LinkedIn Groups let’s now discuss LinkedIn Company Pages. Being one of the newest additions on LinkedIn, company profiles have not only provided an avenue for employees to connect to one another, but to also advertise your company to its potential audience. Available for about a year now it has opened up the business networking experience quite a bit. Company profiles allow brands to list services, publish videos, create promotions and most importantly, get endorsements from their customers.
Developing your Company Page on LinkedIn should be taken just as seriously as any other advertisement.
Probably single handedly the most important page within the Companies sections would be the Overview Page, because it is the first impression one will get of your company on LinkedIn. This Page will have a general description of your company, list of connected employees, as well as your social networking updates.
The general description typically at the top of the page is one of the areas you will have the most control over. This is where it’s important to know your 30 second elevator speech. You want to write content that is not only short and to the point, but gets the attention of your target audience. Throwing in some SEO helps as well. You also have an option to upload a photo with the description. It is best to upload either a company logo, or some other kind of signature image. Make sure the image is of high quality.
Next you see the network/employees. This shows how well connected the company is and who works for you. Other than seeing just people who work within, you also see people that are openly affiliating themselves with the business. This can be great publicity for companies. Many even give their customers rewards for connecting on LinkedIn.
Another item you will see on the overview page is social networking updates. This gives viewer a real time look at your social networking on other platforms (Twitter, Facebook, etc). This is where it becomes important to keep engaging and talking to your audience, and why it’s important to keep your fingers in all the social networking pots.
This is obviously a bit of an involved topic, so check back next week for more information on LinkedIn Company Pages.
RJ’s Internet Marketing Services
Posted in LinkedIn, LinkedIn Company Page, LinkedIn Company Profile, Networking, Rita Cartwright, RJ's Internet Marketing Services, SEO, Social Networking, Social Networks Tagged business networking, company pages, company profiles, groups, LinkedIn Company Pages, LinkedIn Company Profiles, Marketing, Rita Cartwright, RJ's Internet Marketing Services, SEO, social networking
By RitaJo on March 9, 2011
LinkedIn is another great resource for marketing your business, product, or service. Unlike other social networking sites, LinkedIn specifically targets professionals, entrepreneurs, and the like to network right on their website. It takes the social aspect of networking to a completely different level.
Build Your Network Day-by-Day
Building your network on LinkedIn may appear to be a little overwhelming in the beginning, but it doesn’t have to be. Start out small by connecting with people you already know. With a user base of more than sixty million, it is usually a safe assumption that most (if not all) of your colleagues are on this social networking site.
Once you have connected with people you already know, start reaching out to existing customers. If you are advertising your LinkedIn profile on your homepage and other social media outlets (such as Facebook and Twitter), you are probably already receiving connection requests from your customers.
As your network grows, start attracting new contacts by searching for people who may be interested in your product or service. This is also a great way to build business relationships with other companies. Incorporating non-competing businesses into your network is a great way to get more exposure.
Remember, a hearty network takes time and effort to build, and you will only get out of it what you put into it. You need to be prepared to devote a good amount of time to building your presence within the LinkedIn site. However, you will find that the investment of your time will have a solid pay off in the end as long as you stick with it.
To Your Marketing Success,
RJ’s Internet Marketing Services
Posted in Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Network, Networking, Rita Cartwright, RJ's Internet Marketing Services, Social Media, Social Media Outlets, Social Networking, Social Networks, Twitter Tagged Advertising, build business relationships, connected, connecting, connection, contacts, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, network, Networking, social, social media outlets, social networking sites, Twitter
By RitaJo on July 28, 2009
As an entrepreneur and small business owner, you’ve probably heard the term “Virtual Assistant (VA)” and know what it means. However, there are still misconceptions that exist. I’m going to attempt to clear that up in this blog post.
“A Virtual Assistant is a professional who specializes in providing administrative support and expertise,” says Danielle Keister of Virtual Assistant Chamber of Commerce in her blog post. To read more of Danielle’s post, click here. The business community is still conditioned to think of virtual assistants as administrative assistants. This type of thinking can devalue the true worth of a Virtual Assistant; therefore, potential clients tend to focus on the cost of the services rather than the value a VA can bring to the table.
Since VAs are professional entrepreneurs, they are quite versed in business operations, marketing, bookkeeping, etc. As Danielle points out in her blog post, a Virtual Assistant can help you move your business forward. This is a very valuable skill to any entrepreneur and small business owner.
The qualifications and skills that virtual assistants possess as a professional enable them to be experts in their fields, as well as in their profession as an entrepreneur. You receive more than administrative support, you have someone you can consult with, bounce ideas off of, brainstorm with, as well as utilize some of their business practices. If it works for your VA, it may work for you in your business.
These are just a few examples of the value your Virtual Assistant can bring to your business. The benefits you reap as an entrepreneur from this type of business relationship outweighs any fees that you may perceive as being expensive.
If you choose to work with offshore virtual assistants to save a few bucks, you will not receive this type of value-added service, mainly due to cultural differences.
I hope this helps clear up the misconceived notions that yet exist. Feel free to post your thoughts and comments.
RJ’s Internet Marketing Services
Posted in Clients, Entrepreneur, Marketing, Offshore, Online Marketing, Outsourcing, Rita Cartwright, Rita J. Cartwright, Single-Person Business, Single-Person Business Owner, Small Business, Small Business Owners, Solopreneur, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistant Services, Virtual Assistants Tagged Business, Entrepreneur, Marketing, Outsourcing, Rita Cartwright, Rita J. Cartwright, Single-Person Business, Single-Person Business Owner, Small Business, Small Business Owners, Solopreneur, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistant Services, Virtual Assistants
By RitaJo on July 10, 2009
An interesting discussion was started on Twitter as to what is niche. I have seen niche used to refer to a group of consumers with shared characteristics. I have also seen niche described as a specialized service(s); for example, internet marketing.
Ten years ago, when I was in college, niche was described as a space in the market where the advertiser’s product or service will fit. Merriam-Webster online dictionary definition is a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted. Although marketing and advertising concepts and theories remain the same, the methods of delivery of advertising messages have changed.
These changes apparently have changed or gave new meaning to the word “niche” where now it can refer to a specialized service. Join the discussion by posting your comment below as to what is niche to you. I look forward to reading your thoughts.
RJ’s Internet Marketing Services
Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Online Marketing, Rita J. Cartwright, Target Audience Tagged Advertising, Marketing, Online Marketing, Rita Cartwright
By RitaJo on December 30, 2008
As an entrepreneur and/or small business owner, one of the decisions you make when starting your business is which portion of the market is going to be your niche. In order to choose your niche ask yourself, “where in the market will my products or services fit?” Has a new market been created, because of changes in technology or society, which has a potential demand that is not being met? Once you have answered these questions, you have chosen your niche.
In your niche, you will find people with shared characteristics (market segment). The factors (characteristics) that determine market segments are geographic, demographic, behavioral, and psychographic (attitudinal). Your advertising message and marketing strategy will be based on these factors.
It’s ironic how people are more alike than different. The aforementioned factors will affect how a group of people will behave. We tend to be creatures of habit, which causes us to be “sitting ducks” for advertisers and marketers. We leave clues, based on our needs, wants, and mental files, that tell where we live, how we shop, what we buy, and how we spend our leisure time. The same holds true for the market segment you choose to target with your products and/or services. They will have similar needs or wants and behave in similar ways.
In the market place, there is an area or subset where your products and/or services will fit (niche). In the market place, there is a group of clients who can use your products/or services (market segment). As an entrepreneur and/or small business owner with limited advertising and marketing budget, it is important to choose a niche, as well as a segment, in the market.
RJ’s Internet Marketing Services
Posted in Advertising, Clients, Entrepreneur, Marketing, Rita Cartwright, Rita J. Cartwright, Single-Person Business, Single-Person Business Owner, Small Business, Small Business Owners, Solopreneur, Target Audience Tagged Advertising, Entrepreneur, Marketing, Rita Cartwright, Single-Person Business, Single-Person Business Owner, Small Business, Small Business Owners, Solopreneur
Recent Comments