Atomic Penny

You have many choices when marketing to customers. Imagine the scenario where you have $3 left in your marketing budget. You want to reach as many prospects as possible and want to grow your business. Sounds absurd, right or wrong. As a marketer or business owner you have that decision to make every time you begin a new marketing concept.

What can that $3 buy you? Printing, postcards, a couple of banner ads? How about some goodwill and respect? Instead of marketing to the masses, market to the ONE. Who is the ONE? It is the one person who can influence others to interact with your business.

Your $3 can buy a cup of coffee or a piece of pie. Make the interaction special, memorable and personal. A cup of coffee by itself is just a cup, but the conversation and interaction will make or break the deal. Discuss what is important to the ONE. Family, sports, cars, world peace. It is your money but her time. The whole idea is to gain the trust of the ONE. If you do, the ONE can be your gateway to your future. Not only in customers, but in VC, media, alliances.

$3 and an hour of your time. It’s worth the investment.

POWER ON–Mark

Yesterday, I heard a father say to his son, “Dude, if you just listen to me, your life will be so much easier”.  I found this statement to be interesting as it applies to business and marketing.

On one hand if you listen and act, you tend to do the same thing over and over and fail to learn or explore beyond what you know. This perpetuates the status quo and locks you into a life of following instructions. This can lead to comfort but not much innovation. While everyone is happy that the “norm” is kept in check, what is learned?

On the other hand, if nothing changes, what is the point? Can we learn by listening and following? While it may lead others to be uncomfortable, you may discard wisom to find a new path. This can lead to amazing discoveries and innovation. Letting discovery happen, whether by a child or an employee, lets you become the tipping point to a new adventure.

The hardest thing is to let something different happen. Let your followers fail, learn and possibly fail again. Failure by itself can be frustrating, but failure coupled with effort can lead to amazing things.

Are you willing to let that happen, or are you afraid of allowing others to grow? Your choice.

POWER ON–Mark

You know the one. The person who everyone remembers from an interaction. He may not be the richest, best looking or most interesting, but the one person wh makes you feel better about yourself and others after an interaction.

The Confetti Project can work the same way. Be “That Guy” to your customers, prospects and suspects. Hugh MacLeod is “That Guy”, author of “Ignore Everybody” leaves his mark with every interaction. His Daily Business Card is amazing artwork for everyman.

Pamela Slim is  ”That Woman”,  dedicated to helping other escape from the corporate abyss. Right now she has an entire series of posts on expanding markets. She is a true confetti spreader.

Be “That Guy” or “That Woman” to your customers. Make the interaction something to remember and give everyone a reason to come back again. It’s not about the budget, it’s about the interaction. Oh, and when you interact, give those you meet a reason to remember you, and not a business card (unless you have one done by Hugh Macleod).

POWER ON–Mark

Full disclosure: I am not a fan of Madonna, nor do I watch the TV show Glee. However, their recent strategic alliance serves as a shining example for how you can achieve your own Confetti Project.

Source: Popcrunch.com

This week on the Fox TV show Glee, Madonna provided the rights to her entire song catalog. Madonna was exposed to a slew of potential new fans and her current fans were rewarded with new versions of her songs. Glee also made out with similar exposure. But what does that have to do with your business? 
What do you have that you can share to help everyone win?

You have customers who currently spread the word about your company. So reward their dedication! Create an opportunity to form an alliance, which will promote both your business and your “fans.” There is nothing wrong with giving or receiving an opportunity if it helps everyone involved. It is better to give something of value than it is to keep it to yourself. It is a gift both of you can use.

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

It’s all about the little stuff.  Confetti is little stuff, but it goes a long way. Want to advertise, but don’t have the budget to create an ad? Find a graphics art class that will take your ad on as s project. Find a local paper instead of a city wide one. It’s the little things you do that will yield big results.

Are you afraid to try? What happens if you do nothing? NOTHING HAPPENS!

Do some marketing, anything, nothing doesn’t pay.

How long will you survive by doing nothing?

POWER ON–Mark

The Confetti Project is officially here!

It’s time to think in a new way about marketing. It’s your time to think differently about how you run your business. It’s time to start connecting with future and past customers. It’s time to create new alliances, strengthen current relationships and move on to a higher level of commitment. Not a monetary or time commitment, but a commitment to excellence of  marketing in a new and different way. Thinking differently, taking the road less traveled and remembering who inspired you to be where you are today.

The Confetti Project is designed to help you get there. Different thinking, open minds and ideas that inspire are foundations of the Confetti Project. The Project is based on 4 basic steps:

• The Countdown
• The Launch
• The Explosion
• The Fallout

Watch as this takes off and come along for the ride!

In fact, I believe in this system so much, that I’m giving away my NCAA March Madness basketball tickets to prove it! To learn more, visit the Atomic Penny Facebook fan page here.

POWER ON-Mark

How tightly do you control your marketing message? Are you what I like to call a ”sweeper” who constantly makes sure the message is tight and controlled? If so…WHY?! The purpose of a message is to spread either virally or organically. If you are concerned about your efforts going in the wrong direction, maybe you have the wrong message.

This came up recently during the run to the Super Bowl by the New Orleans Saints. The NFL was so concerned that the phrase “Who Dat” was being used without license that they threatened to sue anyone profiting from the phrase. What a good way to taint a feel good story.

Instead, become a spreader. Allow your message to be shared far and wide. Be like Red Bull who gives away free samples across the world. Use your name and message to promote your product. While you can’t control the entire message, it is better than bottling it up.

Spreading is also easier. Get your product or service in the hands of new customers, without disenfranchising current customers. Remember, as long as you treat your current customers well, they should be loyal. The issue is that current, satisfied customers have already told their friends and family about you. Allow your word to spread beyond those with direct awareness, like a virus.

What message do you want your potential customers to see?

POWER ON–Mark

General George Patton Jr. said, ”If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn’t thinking.”  Are you trying to comply with everyone else because it is the thing that everyone else does? Heaven forbid you have an original thought that you shared. What happened, was it your worst fear? Or were you dismissed, or better yet was the idea considered?

Worse things have happened than being laughed at and be considered different. It is time to think and share those thoughts. If you don’t who will? What will happen to that original thought process?

Make it a habit to come up with an original idea at least once a day, share it out, email it, or tweet it. But share just like a piece of confetti, the idea may take on a life of its own. But be creative, or accept the result.

POWER ON–Mark

Did you know the average cable bill at the end of 2008 was $71. The average cell phone bill is between $63 and $77 depending on usage. Why do you pay for these two expenses? Your parents probably had neither and survived. But you probably couldn’t go a day let alone a week with out one or both of them. To be honest, neither can I.

GOOD! That is what companies and marketers want. We want you to be connected so we can create a want for something better than you have. So you have cable, but do you have HD cable. And if you have HD cable, do you need to get a new HD TV? If you have a cell phone do you have a smartphone? Or a touchscreen? What is it that you need, want desire? Why does what you have never measure up?

Maybe you are measuring the wrong thing. Stop measuring paychecks, gadgets and stuff! Start letting others measure you. What have you done to help launch a new idea? How have you helped to get ahead? What did you do that didn’t cost money that put a smile on someones face?

Free TV was great! Reality is that not much is free anymore.

Create a situation where what you give is not only free, but treasured and remembered. It is creaating a fallout of your actions, creating a marketing moment that is remembered and talked about.

What are you willing to give today?

POWER ON–Mark