Archive for the ‘Marketing’ Category

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Incorporating Social Media In Your Marketing Plan

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

I am now privy to some amazing marketing information and I can now share that with you, the small business owner.  A great opportunity for small business owners is social media.  It has amazing opportunities to take your brand to a new place for a very limited budget.  Click here for a great example of the little guy (Method) fighting a giant (Clorox) through social media:  http://votedaisy.com/. 

What causes do you stand for?  How could you incorporate this into your business.  For more information on social media, listen to one of our many Social Media Teleclasses.  Topics include How to Plan, Build and Promote Your Blog, Secrets To Leveraging Facebook, Turn Followers Into Fans (and Leads!) and Be On Top Of Google.

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The Most 100 Valuable Brands In The World

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

Millward Brown Optimor has released its fifth annual BrandZ report(.pdf file) that shows the 100 most valuable brands in the world–and it shows just how integral technology has become in our lives. The top spot goes to Google, with IBM and Apple following close behind–and out of the top 10, there are just three non-tech brands: McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and Marlboro. 

Of the 16 categories, however, it was not technology that posted the biggest rise but, rather, financial institutions, with a 12% growth, compared to half of that for tech. Only beer and fast food, with increases of 10% and 1% respectively, showed positive, with the other 12 sectors dropping. It’s worth comparing the list with Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2010.  

The report–its methodology is explained here–has a lot to say about social media and how it affects a company’s brand–especially for those in the tech sector. The BrandZ list didn’t feature Facebook in the top 100, but it slipped in at 20th in the tech rankings. The site, however, featured large in the report, and is seen as a crucial tool in how the big firms will increase their reach using social networking sites. 

Its advice to budding Jobses, Brin/Pages, and Zuckerbergs is to forget about philanthropy (not something, whisper, that either Apple or Facebook is known for) and embrace responsibility, to see mobiles as the new billboards–RIP Don Draper–and that successful brands are built from the top down.

How does this relate to your small business?  If your branding was as strong as your organizing skills, you could drastically increase your revenue.   Once you create a powerful, compelling brand, business comes to you instead of the other way around.  To create a compelling brand purchase audio recording with fellow organizer and brand expert, Krista Green, called Get Noticed, Be Remembered.  You’ll learn how to communicate your values, personality, talents and unique skills to create your own personal brand and influence the way others perceive you.  Brand is not only for the fortune 500 company, perception is everything.

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Posted in Grow Your Business, Marketing, Teleclasses | No Comments »

Unique Closet Organizing Trick

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

I am the type of person who wears the same clothes all the time because I grab the same clothes from my closet.  Same clothes, same exact outfit every time I wear it.  Boring!  So even clothes I once liked, I now dislike, because I’ve worn them so many times the exact same way.  Last month we had an awesome teleclass (now available as an audio purchase) called Brand Yourself Through Your Appearance and since then I have wanted to implement what I learned on that call with expert Darcey Howard of LifeStyled.  Yesterday two friends came to my house and we went through everything in my closet.  We did get rid of some stuff that did not support my goals and style, but the best part was that we created about 50 new outfits from my existing wardrobe.  I am not kidding.  One pair of pants, I thought didn’t match anything in my closet, goes with almost every shirt I own.  It was amazing! 

It was one of the most fun days ever.  We went through all my clothes, drank wine, laughed and just had fun.  My husband is thrilled because now I don’t have to bother him every morning asking him how the same old outfit looks.  As if it looks any different than the 30 times prior I’ve worn it.  I have a few things I need to buy to complete the wardrobe, but I now with them help of our teleclass and my friends, I know how to put clothes together in a whole new way. 

Additionally, they taught me a little trick that is pretty helpful.  Since I always gravitate to the same item, they said instead of organizing my closet by clothing type and then color to only organize it by color.  So now all my black clothes, or brown or red, or blue, or whatever color are in one place regardless of whether they are a shirt, skirt, jacket or pants.  So the next time to go grab the same blue shirt I wear all the time, I will see the other 10 blue shirts with it and the pants opening my mind to many more outfits.  Its a pretty good idea.

So if you find yourself saying you have nothing to wear, give our teleclass a listen and apply what you learn to your closet.   Darcey says, “If you are your own brand then your wardrobe is your logo.”  Best part, as an organizer, using what you learn on this call you can help them project the image they want to portray and use this class as a CEU.

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Posted in Continuing Education, Marketing, Teleclasses | 1 Comment »

What Does Your Appearance Say About You?

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

“Tired. Worn out. Out of date. Drab. Does this sound like your wardrobe?    How many times have you looked at your closet said, “I’ve got nothing to wear!”  I say it all the time, in fact I go through waves of hating all the clothes in my closet.  And then I contact my good friend and style expert, Darcey Howard of Lifestyled to come to my rescue. 

Style Expert, Darcey Howard

Whether you are dressing for a new consultation, a networking event, a date or taking your kids to the park, to create great style, and make the right choices for you, there  has to be a connection between identity and image.   

Attend our next live teleclass with Personal Style Expert, Darcey Howard of Lifestyled and we’ll help you bridge the gap between how you feel and how you look.  Don’t worry. This isn’t about bright orange suits, $3,000 hand bags or dresses that require tape to stay on.  LifeStyled is about you, your own personal style, the life you want to lead and how you want to wear it.   The facts are you have about 6 seconds to make an impression so from calm and casual, to slick and stylish, to professional and powerful, we’ll teach you how to identify the personal style that plays to your strengths, increase your self confidence and make you feel like the person you’ve always wanted to be.

On the call, we will talk about how todevelop your own style, how to create a fantastic capsule wardrobe you can grow from and share some do’s and don’t of the pros.  Best part, as a professional organizer, many of us work with clients on closet organizing project so you can share what you learn on our call with your clients.  How many clients have held up a sweater with shoulder pads and said, “Is this out of style?”   Using what you learn on this call you can help them project the image they want to portray and use this class, called Brand Yourself Through Your Appearance, as a CEU.   Click here for more information and to register for this April 5th class. 

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Posted in Continuing Education, Marketing | No Comments »

Social Media Habits

Friday, March 5th, 2010

The Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA), a division of the National Retail Federation (NRF), yesterday unveiled the results of a survey on the habits of social media users, at NRF’s Retail Innovation Marketing Conference in San Francisco. Comparing social media users to the average U.S. adult, RAMA’s survey, “Social Media: An Inside Look at the People Who Use It,” examined differences in demographics for each group, including male and female usage, as well as age differences in social media users vs. other adults.

Highlights of the survey include the following:

  • Seven out of 10 social media users between the ages of 18 and 34 regularly use Facebook more than such other sites as MySpace, Twitter and Classmates
  • 71.8 percent of social media users said that after an online search, they tell others about a product or service through face-to-face communication
  • More people who use social media prefer to give advice about a product or service rather than receive it
  • Social media users are more likely to use other new media, compared with average adults age 18 and older
  • 70.6 percent of female social media users regularly use Facebook, vs. 61.0 percent of males
  • More men than women like to communicate with others via cell phone conversation after searching for a product or service online

Click here to review the full report.   This is interesting stuff, social media is changing the way we market ourselves.  For more information on how you can use social media in your business, check out our Social Media Teleclasses.    These classes, which feature will answer your most common social media questions for both new and seasoned users.   We had a Facebook expert, a Twitter expert, a LinkedIn expert and an expert to talk about time management and social media.  We wanted the goods, no fluffy stuff; if you are a social media beginner or Tweeting several times of day, you want to learn how to maximize your social media results through questions, examples, case studies and tools, you can start using immediately.  No one needs one more thing to do; but everyone wants and needs new clients.  By listening to our social media audio recordings you will finally understand how this marketing phenomenon can expand your clientele to a place you have not imagined.

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A Red Bench Spotlighted by Constant Contact

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Jason Meserve, an associate for Constant Contact wrote a spotlight article on A Red Bench and how we use Constant Contact to reach our audience.  Read on to find out how we use this e-mail tool to help us with marketing and reaching our clients.

A Red Bench Effectively Uses Email Marketing by Jason Meserve, Constant Contact

A Red Bench is a continuing education and resource organization that targets service-based businesses, such as designers, wardrobe consultants, professional organizers, and interior decorators. Founders Christa Wagner and Angela Ploetz started the company in 2007 after recognizing that small business owners don’t have a place to turn for continuing education and business development tools. (Christa herself owns another consultancy, called Savvy Solutions, and has experienced these challenges personally.) The duo host fee-based teleseminars featuring interviews with topic experts, and they also publish a monthly newsletter and an ongoing blog on topics ranging from work/life balance to pricing your business.

For the A Red Bench team, since the entire business is online, being able to promote their various e-books, live seminars, audio recordings and membership offerings — while cutting through the inbox clutter — is a challenge. “Everyone is overloaded with information,” Christa says. “We’re trying to communicate to them and do so effectively.”

As little as four years ago, that communication took the form of a PDF newsletter that was emailed around to customers. That is, until someone pointed Christa in the direction of Constant Contact Email Marketing. Now, the monthly communications go out as professionally-designed HTML newsletters. Christa and Angela also send out weekly email reminders about upcoming seminars and send customers directly to 1Shoppingcart for payment.

Christa and Angela continue to build A Red Bench’s database by collecting email addresses when clients register for their free audio magazine and other information available from the company’s Web site and blog. “They receive free, valuable tips in exchange for giving us their info,” Christa explains.

In an effort to save time and be more efficient, the duo also combines their blog writing with their newsletter production to ensure the content that gets mailed out is fresh and well thought out. “This way, I don’t have to sit at the computer and come up with a topic right then and there,” Christa says. “I blog on a frequent basis and always have relevant content available making the newsletter easy to get out the door.”

Christa loves Constant Contact’s reporting features, which allow her to track what customers opened in the newsletter or clicked to. They use the tracking information to better target those interested in a seminar offering, sometimes following up with a phone call. “Plus, it allows us to see what posts and articles are of most interest to our clients – that is extremely helpful.”

A Red Bench saves money and increases its reach by using Email Marketing, as opposed to another advertising media. “Our list is large — to advertise to that many people six times a month, I’m not sure how we would do that affordably,” Christa says. “That’s a huge cost savings. Our entire business is advertised through Constant Contact.”

If you would like to use Constant Contact, e-mail us at info@aredbench.com and get a $30 credit for your account with them!

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Year-end Highlights for A Red Bench

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

We hope you and your families had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Now it’s off to the races during December which is often a very busy and stressful month.  It’s hard to believe the year has gone by so quickly, but so much has happened.  We hope you take some time to review your year; what made you happy?  What would you change?

As we look back at our year, we are thrilled with all we accomplished.  We strive to bring you the best experts we can find on business and organizing-related topics.  Our job is to help you manage your business a little easier.  Here are some of the highlights:

  • We kicked off the year as a finalist in the “Most Valuable Educational Resource” category of the 2009 LA Organizing Awards.
  • We hosted our first booth at the NAPO Conference.
  • We hosted our first Social Media Event where 8 trailblazers from this new phenomenon shared their tips and tricks on how to make the most of this amazing technology.
  • We kicked off our Become An Infopreneur Program and have a class of organizers creating their very own information product.
  • Christa presented, “From Organizer to Infopreneur,” at the POC Conference.
  • Angela was selected as a panelist for the 2010 NAPO Conference “Ask The Organizers” Panel.
  • We were once again nominated in the “Most Valuable Educational Resource” category of the 2010 LA Organizing Awards. Cast your vote here.
What a year!  Sure, there are things we would change, but overall we are pleased.  We want to thank you for all your support.  We love working with you and look forward to what may come in the new year.Happy holidays!

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Posted in Goals, Information Products, Marketing, Organizing Skills | No Comments »

Organized Holiday Quote

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Happy & FreeThe holiday frenzy has officially started and it’s easy for people to get caught up in buying fever.  However, as a professional organizer, this is typically something we advise our clients to beware of.  During the frenzy of the holidays here is a simple quote to keep in mind:

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Wishing you happiness.”
- Helen Keller

 
What a beautiful quote to remind us of the real meaning of happiness.  Simple acts of kindness can often take us further than an over abundance meaningless items.  Feel free to pass along this quote to your clients by inserting it in an e-mail footer, your newsletter, blog, or even on your holiday cards.  It may be just what someone needs to see right now.

Here’s to all the happiness you desire this holiday season.

~Angela

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The Holidays are Here … Put Your Networking In Gear!

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Its that time of year again and we wanted to revisit a great article from our newsletter last year.  By Marny Lifshen, Author of Some Assembly Required: A Networking Guide for Women:

No sooner is the Thanksgiving turkey digested when the Holiday Party Season begins.  Many dread the often hectic schedule of December, as seemingly every company and organization hosts a lunch or cocktail party for their customers, clients, employees, suppliers, members and friends.

It’s true that this annual ritual of party hopping can add inches to your waist-line while stealing precious hours of down-time.  But it can also be a great time to meet new people and solidify your existing business relationships.  While part of you may wish to hide behind the craziness of your own year-end work and personal schedule and avoid this revelry altogether, staying away from holiday soirees is a networking mistake.

People do business with people they know and like; you need to take advantage of holiday get-togethers to build closer relationships with others in your business community or industry.  Think of it this way; when someone invites you to a holiday gathering they are announcing that they like you.  When you make the effort to attend their event you are returning the gesture.  And try to remeber that most of these parties are a lot of fun!

Marny was our guest expert speaking on the topic of Turning Networking Into Actual Business.  If you missed the call, click here to purchase the audio.

A Red Bench offer continuing education for professional organizers and small business owners.

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Don’t Throw Yourself Under the Bus When Doing Public Speaking

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Public speaking is a powerful business development tool, yet it’s a common source of stress for nearly everyone. I love speaking in front of a crowd. It’s what I feel I do best; for some reason I feel really comfortable and in my zone. Public speaking is a great way to promote your business, get in front of potential new clients, have an audience to sell your products to and for people to get a taste of the solutions you offer.

One thing that really irks me is when someone gets up to speak and says something like this:

  • I am really uncomfortable
  • I am really out of my element
  • I am so nervous
  • I have never done this before

The reason this bothers me is since nearly everyone is afraid to speak in public, there’s no reason for you to announce your insecurity. If you are standing and speaking, don’t let people know you may be a little nervous. Nine times out of ten, they will think you are awesome and would never know otherwise.

If you would like some help public speaking, purchase our audio recording called Take The Fear Out Of Public Speaking and learn how to create powerful presentations that turn attendees into clients.View more of A Red Bench’s teleclass recordings here.

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