JFM Jo Foster Marketing

Bring Your Website Alive With Video

2011-06-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

You have just a few seconds to keep someone on your website, and who says no to a 'press play' arrow? Video is a potent way to quickly and effectively show your customers who you are and what you do.

We recently invited Deborah Stanaway onto the JFM team. Deb's our new writer. She also specialises in writing and producing website video. This is an exciting development for JFM as we believe video is a powerful tool in both ours and your toolbox. Stand by for the JFM video!

The website audience has little tolerance for slick, glitzy advertising-type videos. They're online to get their information quickly and efficiently. Web videos are most effective when they're professional and 'real' – telling the client's story in an honest and warm way. If you have what they want a potential customer will 'buy' you as they watch your video – seeing the real thing speaks so much louder than words.

All products, all business-types with a website are suited to having a website video.

Costs range from $2800 to $3800 for a 'welcome to our business, this is who we are and what we do' type video. More complex stories can be told – right through to a documentary, company profile, video report for stakeholders etc. Our videos are bespoke, not a formula, to acurately represent your individuality.

We can also re-purpose your video onto dvd (to give to clients or for tradeshows), YouTube, facebook, and as an attachment to your emails.

So in line with our total approach to growing your business, JFM brings you our own video specialist. Deb and I would love to chat with you about how you can bring your website alive with video, gaining advantage over your competitors by really reaching your web audience effectively.

Enhancing Performance

2011-05-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

Ask For Information - Ask successful business owners (in non-competitive industries) how they achieve success. You could gain inspiration and some very practical advice to help you streamline systems and improve your product or service. E.g. Specific technology/software.

Ask businesses who use a competitor’s product or service, what you could improve on. Yes this may help you to do business with them in the future, but focus on listening, not selling. And keep it short – ask for just 10 minutes of their time.

By choosing the businesses carefully and by being willing to also share information with them, it can be a win-win for both parties. What you give, can often come back ten-fold.

For more ideas on how to enhance performance and stay ahead of your competition, contact JFM – our services include planning and implementing effective Marketing strategies.

Your Website

2011-05-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

Does it MAKE you money and SAVE you time?

Many businesses aren’t maximising the potential of their website. Some simple ways to do it include:

Product Catalogue - with images and specs – also helps minimise returned product and incorrect orders.
Product Specifications & Costings – also reduces time spent quoting and answering the same queries over and over again.
Shopping Cart - time-poor and web-savvy customers love it. Phone/email/fax orders can be time-consuming.
Tips or Guides – how to make the most of your products. Also reinforces the benefits of buying them.

Your website can do so much more than just provide information - it can generate income by working 24/7. Even YOU can’t do that!

Make your website work harder - contact JFM – our marketing services include compelling website design
and online marketing.

What does your brand say?

2011-02-09T20:49:00.000-08:00

Every 3-5 years a business needs to look very hard at their brand to make sure the Branding is creating the right perceptions, that it’s consistent and aligned with strategic goals.

Brand connection is when your messages are relevant and appeal to your target market/s - especially on an emotional level. Think strategically - identify key target markets, their current perceptions, and make your messages relevant to their desires and needs. Focus on key benefits - what’s in it for them.

Create strong Branding material - e.g. consistent messages, a timeless logo, visual Branding with longevity. If you use multiple media, always link the branding. And when necessary customise your Branding for different target markets.

For emotive imagery, eye catching graphic design and powerful copy, contact JFM – we’ll help you make that connection!

Direct Marketing

2010-09-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

Direct marketing lets you target your message or service directly to those who are most likely to respond.

Customised personal marketing, personally addressed, is not just about selling; its service focused, and acknowledges variable market segments.

It can be done by mail, or you can also consider electronic publications like email newsletters or press releases, brochures, or flyers. You can send reminders about seasonal maintenance and activities, or warranty expiries.

Keeping your clients up to date and informed about what you are doing, and what they might be considering has never been simpler or more cost effective.

You can’t sell a secret...The power of trade show signage

2010-07-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

The large tiered rows of seats at the local A&P show grounds are not the only grandstands.

Trade shows are a magnificent opportunity to display your business to a carefully self- selected audience in a grand manner.

Whether it’s teardrop banners, branded marquees, product boards, branded balloons, flags, air ships, competition entry boxes and much more; bring your site alive.

Just as the rural community flocks to the local shows, so other sectors attend conferences, expos, exhibitions and displays of particular interest to them.

Different shaped signage, signage that moves, signage that flutters in the breeze can make a difference between the walk in and the walk past.

Make your exhibit a memorable one. Draw the current and prospective customers in by using intrigue.

Don’t be afraid of grandstanding, make your mark.

Starting a business made easy

2010-05-30T17:34:00.001-07:00

It’s a dream which has taken weeks, months, maybe even years, but now you’re ready to take the plunge into your own business.

You’ve thought about the equipment and stock you’ll need, the allied services you’ll rely on, your knowledge of the sector, and probably most of all about the financial side of things.

But perhaps the key thing for any new business is profiling, exposing yourself and your key points of difference, so the clients will be flocking your way.

How do you get your message out there?

That’s where JFM can help. Call in and pick up one of our start up packs with key points to get things humming. We ask the questions you need to consider, to get out there and be visible!

Maximise your marketing.

2010-04-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

Confidence in the economy is inching higher, and sparkling marketing is the key to building your business.

Now is the time to ramp up your advertising to bring more potential customers through your doors.

So how do you get the biggest bang for your bucks?

This means asking yourself a few key questions:

Who are you selling to?
What are your audiences’ needs?
What’s your point of difference, in other words, why deal with your business rather than someone else’s?

Study your marketing plan carefully. Will it use your advertising dollar to its greatest effect, on what works and will bring in the enquiries.

Marketing is about generating business growth, encouraging its development, through enhanced and appropriate market presence.

e-marketing

2010-03-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

How would you like to get inside the heads of your clients, discover what they respond to, form profiles on them? Sounds like a fair amount of guess work, but the cyber world has brought us yet another brilliant tool, one that allows us to gather actual information on our market and individual clients, information that tells you exactly what each one engages with and reacts to. E-marketing is no passing fad, once you use it you will wonder how you ever marketed without it. It’s a little like the introduction of emails or xcell – how did we run businesses without them?

E-marketing is pretty much self-explanatory – marketing via email, employing various tools you would be familiar with, such as newsletters, basic emails, promotional drives etc. However, and this is the exciting bit, it does take the analytical side of marketing to a wider audience, allowing you to gauge individual and overall response and reaction to all promotional material you send out. You can easily find out who read what, if they responded, which aspects did they respond to, did it result in a sale. You are suddenly (and very, very promptly) holding information that tells you exactly what your customers are thinking, what they are seeking, how they seek it and – here’s the key – you have in front of you profiles of how best to pitch to each individual client.

In the past such information has only been available at great expense, requiring major surveys that need trained brains to decipher and analyse data – only large corporate companies have been able to afford analysis at this level. E-marketing is astoundingly inexpensive, in fact major marketing agencies around the world are now employing it, replacing old methods with the far more streamlined, informative and cheap new tool. Now, no matter what size your business is, your market is your oyster.

The Click Factor

Every aspect is completely trackable; each click lets you know what the user/client responds to. Web tools are utilized to follow complete on-line dialogue, data that is specific to that user is drawn, each click developing the profile of that client, so that you are presented with information that shapes the personality, wants and needs of each of your clients.

Key to the success of e-marketing is the click factor. Without clicks the data produced can only be at a very basic level i.e. did the client read it, did they delete it, did they save it, did they reply? The more clicks you incorporate, the more information you can gather.

Data & Measurability

The data you receive results in reports that cover a complete overview of a particular campaign, as well as break data down to time frames of your choice. You will see, at a glance, how many and who opened your email, who clicked, forwarded or unsubscribed, which emails bounced and why, and so much more.

Points of Note

Your database becomes crucial to how wide your e-marketing activity can spread. A database low on numbers still gets readable results but having data come from a wider market spread has obvious benefits. Investing time and money into the development of that list is wise and recommended.
Establishing a control email allows you to develop and compare what generates response and/or success from whom. The initial email becomes one you can measure from and the variants are practically infinite! Topics, offers, frequency, hard sells, soft sells…the list goes on and on. You can even discover what colours and fonts make a difference.
Analysis is immediate, as soon as you have clicks you have data that can be assessed, so be ready to absorb and be proactive with the results.
Remember the medium you are working with and keep language and tone appropriate to it, e-mails are fairly informal, generally with quite a friendly tone to them. As a bonus, informality opens up even more reasons to contact someone.
Stick to the golden rule – keep all communication positive. E-marketing should never be used as a platform to voice any negativity.
Establish regularity and stay disciplined with it. Creating an expectation not only allows for frequent contact but builds on relationships.

Employing e-marketing means you can move your business in the direction that generates the most revenue from its market. You can now be informed and respond accordingly.

Press Release Power – Cost Effective Campaigning

2010-01-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

Very often businesses have news that is worth sharing. But how do you go about it so that it actually creates business interest, potential work and consequential revenue?

A press release is a great place to start. Saturating the media with your news will inevitably generate various features, snippets, images etc. It is one of the most cost-efficient and effective ways to create interest in your business.

Click here to see an example of a press release JFM recently sent to mass media throughout New Zealand, on behalf of its client, Hubbards Cultivation. This enjoyed sensational success, gaining nationwide coverage within 24 hours of being released; appearing on TV1 Sunday 6pm news, featuring on Radio Live’s nationally broadcast ‘On the field with Richard Loe’, got mentions on a number of different radio stations, gained spots on four different websites, was picked up by numerous publications, even had a letter to the editor – all within four days of its release. And we have only just begun!

The Mid Canterbury-based agricultural equipment business is enjoying a stack of media attention, thanks to a novel idea and a mega media drive. Hubbards’ owners, Ian Prime and Vince Rietveld, decided to paint one of their Cambridge Folding Rollers a bright and eye-catching pink, a novel idea that made a fairly big statement. This quite naturally led to a link to the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation, with Hubbards committing to raising both funds and awareness and funds for the cause.

Absolutely brilliant idea, one that the creative team at JFM were dead keen to jump on. In fact they absolutely relished working with the concept. The brains went into serious overdrive, producing a campaign that allowed the traditionally male environment to embrace the loud and obvious pink. And it worked. For Hubbards there has already been a resultant sale and, when the Pink Campaign officially kicks off in a couple of weeks, the fundraising will commence with $1000 in the coffers.

It just goes to show you should never underestimate the power of a press release. As a stand-alone tool it can achieve a fair bit, and when it is supported by a considered and planned campaign approach, combining specific advertising, signage and promotional material, you can’t help but be onto a winner.

KEY PRESS RELEASE TIPS
• Ensure your press release is good quality, those that are good are more likely to run as they are written and less likely to be attacked by an editor, inferior pieces get what they deserve...
• Make the tone appropriate to the medium you are sending it to. Don’t forget it is the medium you are trying to appeal to initially, not necessarily your market. For the media to pick it up you MUST appeal to them, this is non-negotiable.
• Employ a skilled writer, one who is au fait with marketing and media, to be able to do the job properly. A good quality press release will generate activity; one that has come from an inexperienced hand is quite likely to end up in the recycling basket.
• Back the press release up. One that is a PART of a considered campaign is going to achieve far greater results. Related advertising, signage, direct mail etc supports and is supported by a press release. It’s consolidated exposure.
• Saturate, saturate, saturate...send it absolutely everywhere, if you don’t you will never know if they would have run it.
• Follow up. Phone, touch base with who you have sent it to, in particular where you really want it to run, it could make the difference between a yes or a no.
Remember, whenever you have some business news don’t simply acknowledge it in-house, it is a very real reason to expose your business to those that matter. Give them something of interest and they will get interested. Unleash your press release power!

If you want to find out more about how the JFM team can help make a difference to your business please contact us.

DESIGN MAKES A DIFFERENCE

2010-01-11T20:05:00.000-08:00

What is more important? How many fliers you print and deliver, or how much work you get from it? It is very easy to pass this off as a quality versus quantity argument, but that is definitely oversimplifying things. You can certainly employ cheap design, yes, it will cost less, but it costs you more in lost potential revenue and can taint, even damage, your company’s reputation. No matter what your budget is, the design you use has far reaching consequences.

Great quality graphic design is clear, interesting, and memorable, it appeals to your target market, positively impacts on your branding…and achieves results.

Form, function and feeling are always given thorough analysis and consideration. Many designers can make a project look good, but the best designers ensure the design achieves the task it was meant to, generates positive interest and reflects the personality of a business.

The design process should give equal importance to your business as it does to your customer. An understanding of how your market perceives visual messages is crucial to the overall success of each project.

Knowledge of how various marketing tools work is also required; to be sure the end result works within its medium.

Employing a professional to do the job means you can expect those results. A qualified designer understands the psych behind design theories and puts them into practice, ensuring you get to deliver the message you need to, to secure the future of your business.

‘TIS THE SEASON TO....WRITE LISTS

2010-01-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

The festive season is filled with cheer and goodwill, but there are other aspects to this time of year that seem to have a stronger presence now than at any other time. Lists feature substantially in the build up to Christmas and continue into the New Year. Even if you are not usually much of a list-maker, you tend to write a few come December. Without them life can get a little scary.

There’s the mandatory list of who you need to get presents for, and each one that is crossed off brings a little sense of achievement. (We can’t forget your own wish list, one that leaves you hopeful you have dropped enough hints so that you can happily cross them off too!) Then there’s the list of functions and events that require your attendance, by the end of the month you know you deserve a break. There’s also a list of what jobs must be completed before you and others take that break, and the very real need to clean and file your way to a work space that you want to return to in the New Year.

Which brings me to the list that is the most emotionally loaded – the list of New Year’s resolutions. This list is the scariest of all, it has the potential to terrify you before you begin, frustrate you as you try to implement it and disappoint if you don’t complete it. Whether you hope to break a bad habit, commence a new health regime, commit to a fitness programme, resolve to put in more or chill out more, stress less or take life more seriously – it is a list that is designed to take you outside your comfort zone and head along a path you think you’d like to travel. Perhaps the largest concern with this particular list, is how often items remain uncrossed!

I’d like to wish everyone of you luck with your lists, may you cross off as many entries as is feasibly possibly, and may you have fun doing so!

Cheap Marketing Tools

2009-11-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

You can increase market awareness on the cheap!

It’s a pretty common misconception that marketing means you have to spend a fortune. The following are some basic marketing tools that any business can implement themselves – the bonus? Little, in some cases zero, expense...and nothing but positive results!

NEWSLETTERS – provide a reason to stay in contact with your clients (and can potentially be picked up by new ones). Show your clients you are interested in maintaining a relationship. Are a platform to procure future work by promoting various aspects of your business (you can gear clients to specific projects/products/services etc).

PRESS RELEASES – deliver appropriate media with your news. Media often run press releases as actual news stories or simply as fillers. Always provide an image – if they run it you will gain more page space. Every business has regular news or a reason to write a press release. Set up a template and you will be surprised how easy it is to implement. Not all media will run it, but everything that does get picked up is FREE.

WEBSITE UPDATES/NEWS – if you have a website make sure you use it. Your website is the perfect place to advertise and promote any items of interest. Specials, awards, new products or services, staff movement, industry information, community involvement...there is always something of interest you can promote and there is no outlay!

EMAILS – regular email contact, however brief only costs you your time. There is always a reason to contact a client, whether it’s making them personally aware of a special, or dropping them a quick hello.

DIRECT MAIL-DROPS – whether it’s a flier or a simple business card, take a few hours to do some deliveries yourself and generate some interest.

BLOGS – a great way to communicate with a wider network. Blogs are informal ‘conversations’, it’s the modern form of Friday night drinks (only it will cost you less and you won’t wake up with a headache!). Keep your topics contained to what you know and what you are passionate about and you will find keeping blogs updated a very simple process.

FACEBOOK – if you haven’t got your own Facebook page then set one up. You will be amazed who you find on Facebook and how quickly your friend list develops. Like blogs, Facebook is cyber networking, but allows you to bring in a little more of a visual element. Remember your Facebook page is NOT your webpage so make sure you keep its content less formal. And try to monitor your time, it can easily get out of hand and become a headache rather than a cost effective marketing tool.

And for those who have the gift of the gab, pick up the phone and try some old-school: TELEMARKETING - be sure to have some points you want to cover written in front of you and have some sort of an offer to promote. Be mindful of who you are contacting and what time would be suitable to contact them.

Word of mouth is still the most effective form of marketing. If you can generate interest in your business and get people talking on a regular basis you will reap the rewards.

Blog back if you wish or visit http://www.jfm.co.nz/ for more info.

Why advertise?

2009-10-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

There is always, always untapped potential within any market.

You want to be the one to tap into it and make it yours. With growth comes security and the opportunity for continued development. It’s about securing the future of your business.

Planned marketing and advertising strategies provide you with the necessary tools to move forward. Whether it be a gentle or forceful approach, it is always a considered and controlled one. Branding, print collateral, website design and maintenance, print and radio advertising, company profile, brochures, fliers, newsletters...we make it happen for you.

JFM have the depth and experience to provide the key marketing elements your business requires. If you need us to handle every aspect of your marketing approach or you simply need us to support your existing marketing systems, we can help. It’s like having your own marketing manager working with your team.

JFM combine experienced marketing expertise with considered, innovative and creative direction. We work for you, project by project, ensuring each aspect is completed on time and within budget. We don’t work with unknowns, we work with actuals.

JFM delivers you with your personalised connection to controlled success.