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Marketing Strategies

Your business will not flourish without a well-executed, multimedia marketing strategy.

Successful marketing campaigns depend on the message, timing, and tracking. Tracking is essential. Why spend money if you can't figure out whether something is working or not?

I love collecting cool marketing ideas—the nuttier the better. That's why this chapter includes the most great ideas.

The key to marketing is to set a goal and figure out how to reach it. Today, social media marketing is in fashion, but not everyone looks for information online.

Through the years, I've promoted my books by giving away wacky promotional items. My favorite premium was an acrylic fortune cookie key chain. The fortune inside mentioned the book. That promotion definitely boosted sales.

Glittery “magic” wands are still my most popular giveaways. They remind people of the magic wand I use in my presentations to vaporize toxic people.

Speaking professionally has certainly helped raise the profile of my business and it can help yours, too. Honing your personal presentation skills is essential, especially since you are a “walking brochure” for your business, according to Diane DiResta, a presentation skills coach and author of Knockout Presentations, published by Chandler House Press.

“You are your brand and speaking well is the new competitive weapon,” said DiResta. “Speaking impacts every aspect of your life.”

In addition to learning how to speak with coaching by former news anchor and psychologist Christen Brown, my professional success is due in large part to creating a clear vision backed by a strong marketing strategy. Brooke Halpin, a talented musician, author, and marketing consultant, changed my life with one phone call. I was happy writing my weekly small business column for the Los Angeles Times when he called and introduced himself.

“You could be the ‘Dear Abby’ for small business owners,” he said.

I thought he was crazy, but he was persistent. I finally agreed to meet him for tea at a hotel restaurant to hear his vision and pitch. He was convinced Martha Stewart's “omni-media” model—which called for her content to be distributed on the radio, TV, print, and online—would work for me.

Although I loved writing my weekly, syndicated column for the L.A. Times syndicate, I dreamt of earning more money for my family. I was starting to envy all the entrepreneurs I was profiling every week. Most of them had no special degrees or talent—just moxie, stamina, and a great idea.

Brooke's five-year marketing plan required us to form a multimedia communications and consulting company, with my popular syndicated column as the foundation. We used a dual strategy: I would provide advice and practical information to help business owners succeed. Those efforts would be paid for by speaking and consulting with big companies to help them develop better products and services for entrepreneurs.

Thanks to Brooke and my tough, savvy entertainment lawyer, the late Jerry Gottlieb, we produced a syndicated small business radio report that aired on CBS stations for years. Top companies including American Express, Sprint, and Merrill Lynch signed on to sponsor my speaking tours.

A corny talk show pilot, directed by my wonderful ex-husband, Ron Stein, landed me a fantastic job at Bloomberg TV in 1996. It was there I met my dear friend Carla Ceasar. We developed and produced Bloomberg Small Business for the USA Network. I also served as the weekly show's national correspondent.

Since 1991, I've keynoted hundreds of business events across the United States and in France, Moscow, Canada, and Bermuda. IBM, AT&T, Canon, MasterCard, Microsoft, Hartford Life Insurance, Cox Communications, and Hewlett-Packard are among the companies that have supported my work.

In 1998, GTE Communications sponsored a 12-city book promotion tour, featuring an elaborate set transported in a moving van by a crew of roadies. After that, I hit the road for a 16-city speaking tour sponsored by Sprint and the American City Business Journals. In 2011, I plan to visit at least 10 cities to promote the new edition of this book with support from Ladies Who Launch, an organization for entrepreneurial women and other business organizations and sponsors, including HubSpot.com and Elance.com.

In this chapter, you'll find great ideas on how to create crosspromotions, find a celebrity spokesperson, and try co-op advertising. You'll learn how to add pizzazz to your business card, and why you should send pizza to potential clients and market to callers waiting on hold. If you own a restaurant or bakery, you might consider working with StirandEnjoy.com, a Kansas City-based design firm that specializes in branding food businesses.

Read on to find out how to produce an infomercial, boost sales through coupons, and why free is the most powerful word in the English language.

I hope all these ideas inspire you to dream up a new marketing plan for your business. Don't forget to send your greatest marketing and promotional ideas to http://www.201greatideas.com. We'll be posting them and awarding cool prizes to the winners.