That is a mind boggling number. It’s so high in fact, that I don’t even look in the app store anymore. I don’t want to have to sift through hundreds of options (even if they are ranked by users) to find the right new “thing” to add to my phone. I only have so much space to allot to these apps, anyway!

How does that translate to your product or services? Well, the fact is that your prospects are out there dealing with a sea of options for the products and services that they want and need (or maybe even don’t even know they want and need), and it’s far easier for them to not even look than it is to sift through the mounds of information on the internet than it is to “consider” your wonderful product or services.

So, how are you going to get these prospects to notice you? Online marketing is great, but it is equivalent to putting on your finest duds and standing against the wall at the dance. You are going to have to get out there on the floor at some point and present yourself to your prospects in a way that stands out above all the noise and all the options. How do you plan on doing that?

I received a piece of product literature last week from a company called “Mindwave Research”. I assume it’s a product brochure which describes the company’s services. It’s a 4 color, wire-bound for easy page-turning and a great deal more attractive than other information that I normally receive. I have yet to look at it, but I don’t want to throw it away, either. It seems like it may be worth looking at, just by the way it was put together. It makes me think that there must be some value to the information that was sent to me. Like it or not, the thought and investment that was put into the creation of this brochure has had some kind of impact on me.

So, it sits on my desk, gets shuffled back and forth with all of my papers, and continually beckons me. I don’t have time for it right now… after all, I have other priorities (like writing about it). But there it is, slowly making its’ way into my psyche with each accidental glance and shuffle. I will read what this company has to say…..eventually. I may not be able to use their service, but at a minimum, I will know who they are.

Is there value to your business in putting deeper thought and care into the marketing literature that you send out to your target audience? If you provide something worth keeping around for awhile, do you think that will help your prospects know more about you? Do you think if they know more about you, they will be more likely than less to engage you at some point? Will they be more receptive to your Sales efforts if they recognize your name and recall the interesting piece of marketing that they received from you?

I tell you what…I don’t really like to receive phone calls from salespeople either (and I am one). But, if the guy who sent me this nice piece of product marketing from Mindware Research calls me, I almost feel obligated to talk with him. Besides, he might save me the time of having to read all of it (winning!).

Structural Graphics specializes in helping companies to create truly memorable marketing materials that are not only more likely to be kept around, but will also encourage the recipient to read and learn more about the product or service being marketed. And, because our designs are interactive, the recipient is engaged longer, and in a more stimulating way. So, here’s how I suggest you stand out:

• Get their attention in a unique and memorable way
• Engage and encourage them to interact with your message so that they learn more about the value of your product
• Hit them with a follow up call or email about a week after it arrives (give it a little time to sink in).

Will you get all of them? Not a chance. Will you get more of them than if you don’t use this approach? I have my money on ‘yes’. And we have a whole bunch of customers who can attest to how much more effective their campaigns have been since coming to Structural Graphics.

Why do so many people watch the superbowl? Is it because they love football? Well, for lots of people that is pretty much the reason, but in order to get XX million people to stare at the same thing at once, there has to be more to it, right? The fact is, people anticipate the ads more than the game, and are very critical of the ads that don’t deliver. They stand at the water cooler (or whatever) and laud the ads that were most entertaining, the most memorable ads.

You have the opportunity to do a superbowl-sized wallop with your marketing, and get great reaction and recall from your target audience….what are you going to do to make that happen? What is so unique about your product that will make it rise above the din and scream for your target’s attention and understanding, and trip whatever switch is necessary for them to take some kind of action TODAY to find out more about your offering?

Right now, advertising agencies all over the country are getting ready for the superbowl. They are storyboarding, brainstorming, playing ping pong and going back to their clients with wonderfully unique concepts meant to thrill and entertain the largest television audience in the world during the event that will put more people in front of the television than any other. It certainly is a lot of pressure. Why is it such a big deal? Because the audience expects great things on this day. The TV ads that air during the Superbowl are talked about as much as (if not more than) the game itself! It is the ULTIMATE branding opportunity, where customer affinity can be made or broken. AND it is the only time that this guy lays off the TIVO fast-forward button.

These are huge consumer brands with enormous advertising budgets. They are the Coke’s, the Budweisers, The Geikos, the Careerbuilder.coms….all B2C products who know that this is the most efficient way to effectively get their message across.

Entertainment…that is the key to engagement during the Superbowl. If your commercial stinks, YOU stink. If your commercial is funny and unique, YOU are funny and unique. It is that simple, and that has an impact on sales.

Now, in comparison let’s take a look at B2B. No matter what kind of budget you have, you are not going to spend it on a Superbowl Ad. It’s just not efficient. Your target isn’t the entire world. It’s a much smaller group of decision-makers out there, hidden away on a precious list which is neatly kept and cared for on your company’s CRM database. But are these people any different in terms of their expectations of what is placed in front of them for their attention and consumption of their precious mental energy than those who have gathered around the tube for Superbowl Sunday?

As they sit at their desks, to-do lists of meetings and calls and projects and spreadsheets and data and metrics to analyze and important decisions to be made about the economic future of their company (and their career), how can you POSSIBLY hope to effectively gain their attention in an efficient way? Email? Well, if they have signed up for your newsletter, they might look at it once in a while if you have a title that is particularly compelling to them (a very rare event). It’s certainly a good idea to have a newsletter (and hey, write a pithy blog while you’re at it).

Here are some ways to get the attention of your audience:

1. You need to stand out from the competition. Attention-getting creative on all your marketing materials will make you stand out from the crowd.

2. Just like with a superbowl ad, you need to get your audience to talk about you and your ad. Make sure you send them something that is worthy talking about.

3. It’s a fact, consumers need to be exposed to your brand a multitude of times before you are placed in their memory. Make sure when you are thinking about a campaign, multiple touches are a must.

Now, you tell me…which of these will you choose to invest in to get your message across?

BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME….or will they?

In today’s world, people control the content and information they get and how they decide to get it. This makes a brand’s message and the way the message is delivered that much more important. Companies have to be more in tune with the wants and needs of their target audience to make sure that their message is strong and memorable and consistent with those needs and wants. If your message is not relevant, chances are it’ll get ignored. This is especially important during the holiday season when customers both B2B and B2C are inundated with holiday greetings and offers. Are you giving your target audience the information needed so that they are able to make an informed decision about the offer? Is the promotional information clear, or is it sending a mixed message? Is it all about you and not so much about how your product or service can help them? These are all questions that need to be thought about in order to generate the highest rate of success from your marketing efforts. Always make sure the theme of your marketing campaign is consistent and resonates with your audience.

It is a given that Generation Y is heavily involved in various social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. What is said about your brand online heavily influences the decision of most Millennials because social media outlets provide a reliable and easy way to spread the word and endorse a product. For most companies social media provides a free source of PR. For most millennials this is a great way to share their opinion about products and brands to their peers. Some may think that no one pays attention to these opinions but it surely does influence the opinions of the peers.

As a Millennial, I have been influenced by the critiques of my peers via social media on the newly released IPhone5.  Some peers state they preferred the iPhone4S over the iPhone 5.  I truly consider their honest opinions when considering the possibility of trading in my own iPhone 4S. Based on the opinions of my peers, I have made the decision to hold off my purchase of the iPhone 5.  The opinions which are found throughout the social media sites are listened to and heard by the companies who then feel an obligation to tailor their products to the needs of this up-front and opinionated generation.

We are constantly inundated with an onslaught of information on a day-to-day basis and most of it is either ignored or does not draw the attention of the audience. When a company is marketing to Millennials you must engage them and have a clear statement of the goals and objectives for the brand’s message in the marketing piece. If the marketing message is effective to a targeted audience such as Generation Y, we will tend to re-post or blog about it (i.e. interactive direct mailings, commercials, viral videos). This has evolved into a free form of PR that reaches all those who follow a particular individual. To be successful in this arena always remember to have an objective when marketing a product, be clear and engaging, and listen to what your audience wants.

The company, eXelate, a provider of data with its premise based off of intent and behavior, found that companies will be increasing their use of custom data in 2013. As marketing plans are launched, it is important to have reliable data that allows you to efficiently allocate the money spent on your ad. One source stated that 62% of marketers indicated that their marketing department would be increasing their data budgets in 2013. Marketers have come to realize it is necessary to use data to recognize comparable people to their paramount consumer. Does your company use custom data? If not, then ask yourself why? Data has become crucial and meaningful in assisting a company in their branding and direct marketing campaigns. Third-party data is used by 46% of marketers to help them better target the finest and most viable customer in their marketing efforts. Here is a link to the full article on eXelate