Three Basic Recipes for a “Marketing Stew”

I’ve been designing brand image and marketing materials for over 20 years. I’ve prepared meals for my family for about as long. So I can’t help but notice the occasional metaphor as one world crosses over into the other.

For example, I’ve notices a lot of similarity between how small town and rural entrepreneurs prepare and present their brand image and their marketing materials – and stew.

Yes, stew.

Think about this for a minute. A stew is a straightforward, one-pot solution that provides the essentials of a well-balanced meal: meat, potatoes and vegetables. All your nutritional requirements are met. It’s simple. Anyone can make it. It’s a staple in every home.

The same holds true for a business when they create their branded marketing materials. They have the basics: business card, brochure and website. They are the essentials so a prospective customer can “get a taste” for a business (if you’ll excuse the pun). All the requirements are met, it’s simple and it’s a staple in every business.

But like making stew, it’s tempting to cut corners when you’re pressed for time or strapped for cash. And when you do, the quality of your “marketing stew” suffers.

Whether it’s a stew you prepare to serve your family or your corporate brochure, there are basically three ‘recipes’ from which to choose:

1.    Crack open a can.
Ugh. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think it’s a stretch between a can of stew and a can of dog food. They’re packed with salt and preservatives, and have the texture of something that’s already been chewed. It will look and taste the same every time, as it will for the guy who pulls out the can next to yours on the shelf.

Are you using cheesy clip art or ready-made templates to create your brand image or marketing materials? If you are, you are resorting to using “canned” solutions. Quick, cheap and no thinking required – just heat and serve. Worse yet, there is nothing in that “can” to differentiate your business from the competitor that used the very same off-the-shelf product. The names may be different, but the content is the same: Re-labeled dog food.

And because your image is ‘canned’, you turn your business into a commodity. Your prospects think: “Why pay $2.49 for this ‘can’ when I can get the one next to it for $1.09?”

If you’re using “canned” solutions, you are going to just be another product on the shelf – easily overlooked, cheap and blending in with all the other ‘cans’.

2.    Throw together a “Make-Do Stew”
This is the kind of stew that our pioneering grandmothers would have prepared during the Great Depression. Maybe they didn’t boil worn-out boots for a broth, but understandably, there wasn’t a lot to go around back then. Times were tight and food was often scarce.

“Make-Do Stew” is a big step up from canned – after all, someone did make it from scratch with all the best intentions to prepare a good meal. The only thing is, it’s watered down. Thinly sliced ingredients are meagrely rationed so the food will go further around the table. Everyone should get just enough and no more. Seasonings? Nothing elaborate – that costs money. Good old salt and pepper is all you’ll taste.

Do you “make do” with what you have in your pantry? Are you limiting yourself and your business by spreading your ‘ingredients’ to thin to be noticed? Do you pass on those little extras that put you over the top by adding the zest needed to be memorable?

If you are, you could be boring your customers, or letting them think you don’t have what it takes to deliver the meal they are ready to pay for – something so completely satisfying they leave the table content and bound to return for more.

You don’t have to “make-do”. There is no scarcity of resources today, and there are providers available that can create good materials for you no matter your budget. Start with your local printer, ask for references, or search online.

3.    The Creative Genius’ Flavour-Packed, Stick-to-Your-Ribs, One-of-a-Kind, “Simply-to-DIE-For” Hearty Full Meal Deal

I’ll be honest: I make a mean stew.

Big chunks of meat. Quartered new baby potatoes. Generous heaps of veggies. And I go totally nuts with seasonings and herbs, vinegars and sauces, whatever I think will add a punch to a thick, rich gravy.

The kids (and a couple grown men I know!) literally lick their plates clean!

THAT’S the reaction you want from your customers!

You want them to notice those flavors that are unique to your business. You want them to know they can sink their teeth into the “meat” of your products and services. You want them to recognize and savor every drop of detail, those ‘secret ingredients’, that you put into what you do.

You want them to fill up at the trough and come back later looking for more!

My stew ingredients cost only a few dollars more than the “make-do” stew – but I get more out of it because one serving is plenty at one sitting. So there is more value gained from putting in those special secret ingredients that make your ‘marketing stew’ your very own – because it lasts longer.

When you create well-designed branded marketing materials, you ensure that the essence of your business, your brand, is clearly communicated to your prospective customers. That means that it’s going to ’stick’ with them longer.

The materials themselves have a longer shelf-life because good design doesn’t stale-date. So you won’t find a “Best Before” sticker on your brand image.

It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Mostly it’s how the ingredients come together that makes the impact. Some imagination, creativity and yes, a little risk in trying something new… these are the things that set you apart from all others.

Perhaps the most important factor in creating a great “marketing stew” is the time to put it all together and let it simmer to perfection.

Now it’s time to spread your “marketing stew” on the table. Does it look canned? Watered down? Or positively ‘mop-up-the-gravy-with-buttered-biscuits’ kind of delicious?

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting hungry for dinner…

©2009 Patricia Simoneau | smartypantscreative.com

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Patricia Simoneau, Creative Genius, provides creative brand image and marketing solutions to rural entrepreneurs looking for fresh ideas. Patricia works with clients in non-urban locales and makes their marketing more memorable! Sign up for her wacky and wise e-zine at www.smartypantscreative.com and receive her FREE Bonus Report, “The 5 Biggest Mistakes
Small Businesses Make with Their Brand Image”.

Content is STILL King on The Internet!

There’s lots of chatter on the Internet now about Web 2.0 (and even the rumblings about Web 3.0 now – sheesh). It seems that there are new apps and bells and whistles popping up daily.

Still, the first rule of design still seems to apply even outside the realm of design:

Keep It Simple, Sweetheart.

Look, people are online for one of two reasons: Entertainment or Information.

If they’re online for entertainment, then your business is about entertaining them. You develop games, record music or videos, write jokes or stories.

If they’re online for information, then your business is about GIVING them that information. Blogs, reports, white papers… things they can use right now. Give them the information they’re researching. For free.

Yes, give it away for free.

Don’t go giving away the whole cow when all they really need is a pint of milk. Just give them the pint of milk. If they like it, they are more likely to come back to you when they need to buy some heavy cream. One day, they may even return to buy the cow.

Content – useful, relevant, desired information that consumers need to help make purchasing decisions – also helps to boost your ranks in the search engines. Incorporate your keywords so it’s easier for them to find you when they key in those search terms.

Keep content up to date. Take out what is not current. Add to it from time to time. Just remember to write for people first, search engines second. You’re selling to people, not computers.

(This is a sample tip paraphrased from my ebook “The Pocket Patti Guide to Websites and Online Marketing”, on sale until August 31.)

Looking for an ISP?

If you are looking for an Internet Service Provider to host your website, consider blacksun.ca

I’ve been with BlackSun for three years now and I can tell you – they are fantastic.

They’ve got all the state-of-the-art facilities that you can expect from a top-drawer ISP, but for me, it’s the people they have that make them the go-to resource for small town and rural entrepreneurs getting their online presence rolling.

The office – and all the staff – is based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Which is probably one reason why they’re so well liked by we small town folk: they rarely forget your name.

I suspect that many of the people on their team came from small prairie towns like I did. We took the time to get to know our customers, neighbours and members of our congregations. We knew just about everyone in town on a first-name basis. And we grew up with that traditional Saskatchewan philosophy: You can’t go too far wrong when you speak with a smile and – in all you set your hand to – put in your best effort.

I sent a client to them a few months ago, and when speaking to a Customer Service Rep on the phone, my client informed them that it was I who referred her. The CSR said, “Oh yes, I know Patti!”

How many ISPs provide THAT level of recognition for their clients?

True enough, I’ve probably referred or had hosted with them a dozen sites in the past three years, so my name likely pops up a fair bit on their radar.

Still, in an online world where your files are hosted in a distant city and technical support is 5,000 miles away with an offshore outsource company, it’s refreshing to get a little friendly “down home service” once in a while.

I’ve got LOTS more resources for you in my 101 Must-Know Tips for Websites and Online Marketing e-book.

Website Tip for Small Rural Businesses: You get what you PAY FOR!

Oh, like this is anything new…

Still, I find myself rolling my eyes when people start ‘bargain shopping’ when it comes to creating an online presence.

And I roll them again when I see small town flyers advertising websites “as low as $99/$299/$499”… just insert whatever you deem to be a ‘blue light special’ price in here.

If the vendor is treating their service as a commodity, how good can you expect it to be?

Do they take the time to understand your business objectives? Can they do any advanced programming, put in a shopping cart, or implement your marketing strategies? Are they actually DESIGNING a site that will support your brand and message or are they resorting to templates and couldn’t reformat the thing if their life depended on it?

Are they even going to be in business next year when your domain needs to be renewed? Can I tell you how many times I’ve heard of rural and small town businesses losing their domains because the ‘cheap’ provider closed up shop and left town without passing along any instructions or contact information?

Oh yeah… it happens.

Look, this is a reflection of your business, your brand. Don’t mess it up by looking for the cheapest solution. And unless you’re willing to start learning HTML, CSS, CGI, PHP, ASP and a whole mess more of alphabet soup in coding and programming, you might not want to take on the D.I.Y. option either.

Shop around, sure, but get referrals from people who have websites you like to visit. Ask for estimates. Look at a provider’s portfolio. Talk to references. This is an investment in your business folks, not a heifer sale at the local auction mart.

To get your copy of 101 Must-Know Tips for Websites and Online Marketing, visit www.smartypantscreative.com. It’s on sale until August 31.

Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

I have this saying drawn up in a little framed print, hanging on the wall of our camper. I put it there to remind me that – although I love my work and I’m constantly writing or planning or reading even while at our little ‘retreat’ – it’s critical to step away and enjoy some fun times in life. And with summer now here and holidays planned, it’s a good time to mention this topic.

I have on occasion found myself drooling over the latest laptops and wireless network ‘sticks’ that permit the remote worker the flexibility to get online anywhere… at the coffee shop, out on the deck, by the lake…

But therein lies the problem. We don’t get the ‘downtime’ we need to rejuvenate and refresh our mental faculties. Our brains are constantly processing data, feeding in more information, dealing with more decisions. We’re subjected to a perpetual bombardment of instant messaging, “tweets”, emails, SMS texts – and we’re burning out.

Instead of surfing the Internet at the coffee shop, why have a face-to-face visit with a friend over that cup of latte? Instead of writing emails on the deck, why not pot some flowers for some aroma and colour? Instead of preparing proposals at the lake, why not rent a boat or a canoe and take the kids out for a ride? Those are the moments that make up our lives. These are the activities that spur creative thinking.

As I head off to the camper again this weekend, I will be bringing some notes and sketches and a book or two to peruse. I’ll likely jot down lots of ideas… the camper is one sacred creative place for me. Because I do stay unplugged, I find I’m more connected with the Source of ideas, and they come to me much more easily.

I do not have a wireless notebook. The notebooks I take with me are of the old-fashioned paper variety. Scribbling and scratching my thoughts gets the creative juices flowing. And creative thinking begins when the mind is clear, rested and open to new experiences.

Believe me, it has taken a great deal of restraint to not go get one of those nifty laptops with the wireless connectivity so I can tippety-tap online while I’m at the camper. My husband helps in that regard though. He said that if I’m going to do that, then we might as well get rid of the camper since I’m just going to be working even more out there when I’m supposed to be spending time with the family and resting…

Job done. Thanks dear.

Have a good summer.

Sneak Peek: Tip #1 from The Pocket Patti Guide to Websites and Online Marketing

I’m letting my blog readers have a peek at a tip from my ebook, on sale this summer. In this ebook, I look at websites from the perspective of a small business based in a small town, or in a rural or remote location. Those of us who live in such places don’t always have easy access to the resources we need for our businesses, so I’m bringing a few goodies to you.

The book is broken down into five sections: Your Business, Your Brand and Your Customers; The Mechanics of Links, Navigation, Keywords and Optimization; Design; Content; and Marketing.

Here’s Tip #1 from my ebook.

Understand that you are making a long-term commitment.

A website is not a newspaper ad or even a brochure. Those items are physical, they have a shelf life, an expiry date. They can be put out for people to pick up, and you have little to nothing to do with it beyond that point.

A website, on the other hand, requires your constant attention. You need to have long-term goals for your site, a maintenance plan, business objectives, marketing strategy and a reasonable budget to get it all done – and done well. Consider it as adding an entire department to your business, or an entire business in and of itself.

Without this level of commitment, much like a marriage, the lack of attention will eventually become glaringly obvious to the outside world.

For a closer look at the book or to purchase, please visit www.smartypantscreative.com.

Are small town, rural and remote businesses more challenged with websites?

When you live in an urban centre, there never seems to be an end to the availability of website experts in the neighbourhood. From young college kids working out of their parents’ basement to the big corporate behemoths, there’s a plethora of providers in the city from which to seek the information you need to start or revamp your website.

But what if you live in a small town, or rural location? What if you have to drive several hours just to GET to a city? You access the Internet (with a dial-up connection, perhaps) and you can see tons of services online. But whom can you trust? Where can you turn when you really just want to understand the basics before you make a decision?

Do big city providers even understand that you ARE on dial-up connection and not high speed? Do they GET that?

Website technology is growing in leaps and bounds – it’s tough to keep up. And like so many other aspects of design and marketing these days, too many providers are relying on the technology to do their thinking for them, instead of looking at what the market wants or needs.

If you are looking for some straightforward information on getting started with your small business website, I have an ebook, The Pocket Patti Guide to Websites and Online Marketing. I’ve got it on sale for the summer until August 31.

And keep watching this blog – I’ll be sharing more tips and advice for rural and remote businesses in the coming weeks.

Are missed details spelling disaster for your brand?

There are more than a few things that annoy the heck out of me in this world of design and marketing. Probably one of the biggest pet peeves that gets up my nose is how industry ‘professionals’ overlook the importance of proper spelling!

It’s particularly frustrating to see industry references misspelled by the pros. Be they designers, writers or other such experts, too many in this business rely on the wisdom of the almighty Spell-Checker more so than their Grade Three Language Arts notebooks.

They don’t pay attention to the details of their work!

If they were paying attention, they would know the difference between ’stationery’ and ’stationary’.

We’re not talking about the semantics between American and British spellings here. The debate will never end between whether or not there should be a ‘u’ in the word ‘colour’.

(There it is again, that imbecilic Micro-Snot spell-checker telling me I’ve misspelled ‘colour’ when I’ve told it time and again that this is the way I want it spelled…)

Colour, colour, colour, colour, colour, colour, colour, COLOUR!!!!

Ahem. Back to the issue at hand…

No, this is not a U.S. – Canadian spelling bee. I’m talking about using the correct word in its proper context. And it’s about taking a few extra minutes to double-check that you’ve got it right.

Few people these days take the time to check!

What got me ranting on this subject today was the proliferation of references to ’stationary’ when designers were addressing items in their portfolio.

One such designer was a hotshot magazine art director in New York City. Madison Avenue type… you know, the one that has to build an addition onto his estate to house him AND his ego…

Gotta give him some street cred… GORGEOUS web site. But that one, small detail just got my goat. I thought: “How could a professional this high up in our industry make such an obvious blunder?”

We designers, of all computer users in the WORLD, should know the difference between ’stationary’ and ’stationery’! So how does this happen?

Too many designers – and computer users in general – have gotten LAZY!

We trust technology to do our thinking for us. We convince ourselves that if nothing pops up with that little red squiggly line underneath it, it MUST be spelled right! After all, it passed through the spell-checker!

For too long now, we’ve put WAY too much faith in spell-checkers. The results? I mean, aside from the general denigration of the English language…

Can I tell you how many web sites I see in a day that are absolutely riddled with misspellings?

Can I tell you how many print jobs I’ve seen over the years that have been distributed to customers with misspellings in them?

Can I tell you what kind of impression that makes on customers… and how much it can damage your BRAND?

I’ll be honest with you… when I find a misspelling on a piece of marketing material, that company or individual INSTANTLY LOSES CREDIBILITY with me.

I’m a piranha that way. I make no apologies for it.

Oh… and do you want to take a wild stab at how much MONEY is spent reprinting jobs with spelling errors in them?

SAVE MONEY AND YOUR CREDIBILITY!

In most circumstances, it helps to have a piranha, not a computer, checking over the details on your marketing materials – with a fine-toothed comb.

And just to set the record straight, let’s see what Mr. Webster has to say on this matter:

Stationery:     1 : materials (as paper, pens, and ink) for writing or typing
2 : letter paper usually accompanied with matching envelopes

Stationary:     1 : fixed in a station , course, or mode  : IMMOBILE
2 : unchanging in condition <a stationary population>

Designers may have ’stationery’ items in their portfolio, but their clients won’t remain ’stationary’ for long. They’ll eventually leave for someone who goes over those little details for them.

© 2009 Patricia Simoneau. All rights reserved.

Patricia Simoneau, Creative Genius, provides creative brand image and marketing solutions to rural entrepreneurs looking for fresh ideas. Patricia works with clients in non-urban locales and makes their marketing more memorable! Sign up for her wacky and wise e-zine at www.smartypantscreative.com and receive her FREE Bonus Report, “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Small Businesses Make with Their Brand Image”.

The best way to predict the future is to create it.

When it comes to marketing, you truly can predict the future. At least, you should be able to make a good ballpark estimate.

The easiest way is to have a plan. It’s now essentially the end of the second fiscal quarter. I am now implementing actions in the coming two weeks with the intention that it secure my sales objectives for the fourth quarter.

Not for next month, or even the late summer… the last three to four months of 2009.

By the time September rolls around, I’ll be starting in on my plans for 2010. I already have some ideas brewing.

If you are simply reacting to life, then you will find it is something that happens TO you. By planning your marketing activities and implementing your strategies, you can better control of the outcome of your business success.

“Chance favours the prepared mind.” – Louis Pasteur

I’m a bibliophile. As we prepare to finish the basement of our house in the coming months, I already have visions of my ‘library’ that will sit at the entrance at the base of the stairs. My books will greet me with insights and information and entertainment every time I enter or leave through the door.

Books feed my brain. So often I see patterns, correlations between books of completely divergent subjects. And since I know there are no ‘coincidences’, I make careful note of these relationships. If I see a connection, then one exists.

By continuing to learn and observe, I feel more prepared to tackle whatever challenge may come my way, or whatever new creative pursuit I undertake.

Being prepared mentally can be equally important as any other preparations one needs to make in order to expand their abilities or their business. Remember that “luck” is what happens when opportunity meets preparation. Prepare yourself by continuing to learn and expand your understanding. Not just of developments your industry; try learning something new once in a while and see what connections you start to observe.