Atomic Penny

Creating a marketing program can be amazingly tough. Do you base it on media, social media, referrals, or inside actions? Do you spend a massive amount of money using a ‘push’ strategy, hoping for the best? Or do you create an ‘pull’ strategy with your customer’s assistance? The possibilities are infinite, as are the frustrations. When starting your Confetti Project, the countdown is an essential step to determining what will work best for you in your situation. The countdown starts with a blank sheet and an open mind. Being proactive instead of reactive can lead to ideas that really fly.

There are resources also that will help stimulate your process. Here are four that can help you out:

Seth Godin-Author, Marketing Expert, All-Around Good Guy

John Jantsch-Duct Tape Marketing

Dave Crenshaw-Author, Time Management Whiz

Pamela Slim-Coach, Speaker, Small Business Expert

These are just a few experts, use them, or find your own. Just don’t carry the burden alone.

POWER ON–Mark

McDonalds, Coke, Apple, Microsoft, Nokia and GE. Big names, big companies and really, really big marketing budgets. These companies are among the top 20 “Best Global Brands” according to BusinessWeek Magazine. They are also common names, almost generic when you are looking to buy one of their products.

As a small business owner, you may think you can’t compete on brand with the big boys. Think again. You are your brand! You can build your brand in many ways, you need to choose the medium. One way is through PR. It doesn’t cost much if you use the right approach. John Jantsch, author of “Duct Tape Marketing” discusses five low or no-cost PR options in his blog.

As you build your own Confetti Project, deciding how to build your brand should be a part of your countdown phase. While at the time you may not think of it as important, it will become important, probably sooner than you expect. Start ahead of the curve and build your brand as you build your business. What does your brand say about you and/or your business?

POWER ON–Mark