Posted on September 2, 2010
In many communities, fall events such as Halloween parties and craft fairs are often put together; usually inside a building because of the changing weather. Consider sponsoring one of these events, should the opportunity present itself. During the course of the event, take a car from your large selection and park it in a place where people will see it. Let them sit inside and look around, but do not let them drive; doing this in a place full of people is not the most safe idea. Should somebody express interest give them a card with contact information so that they can reach you at a later time. Make sure that the building that the event is being held in allows cars to be parked inside, if it is even possible.
Ask somebody, either a member of the staff or a person with great experience, to film a video that you can put on a video sharing site like Youtube. With attention grabbing music playing in the final production of the video, give people a tour of the inside of the limo or other vehicle. Some visitors have probably never seen the inside of a limo, and may be so fascinated that they will want to learn more.
Give out free pumpkins or special fall themed gift bags to your already established customer base. By showing them that you appreciate their business, they are sure to want to stay with you. On top of that, they will want to tell their friends and family. Include items such as fall recipes, stickers for the younger members of the family, note pads, and so on. Be sure to include at least one item that bears your company logo. This will make it easier for people to remember your name.
Join a social networking site like Facebook and Twitter. Not only will you show people that you can keep up with the times, but you will be able to interact with them on an immediate basis. They will not have to email you or make a phone call in order to ask questions or file complaints. All they need to do is leave a comment, and you can get back to them. Accounts are not difficult to set up, and anyone can maintain it with a little practice. Should you run into any trouble, we can help you manage your brand, both online and offline.
Posted on August 27, 2010
At Create-A-Card, we have noticed how often we have to convince our clients that their advertising budget must have a healthy slice delegated for printed materials. Apparently, the success of the Internet has given the impression that it should be able to handle the bulk of the promotional business. We remind them that the print industry has survived the onslaught of radio and television successfully, and is now meeting the challenge of the Internet as a direct competitor for its customers.
A recent study conducted by the California Polytechnic State University entitled “The Reality About the Promise of Printing in the Digital World” discovered that the printing industry is making radical changes to demonstrate how effectively they can compete with digital marketing and concluded that “the results make it clear that print will survive as a medium of choice in advertising, marketing, and communication….” They quoted a 2004 audit by the Magazine Publishers of America who found that “on average subscribers pass along their printed issue to an additional 3.6 industry decision-makers. So even the elite of the IT world recognized and benefit from print. What’s more, specific magazine content can be spotlighted and passed along on a one-to-one basis. A Magazine Publishers of America survey found that 24 percent of readers typically pass an article along to someone else while 23 percent save the article for future reference, and 13 percent visit a related Web site.”
Print media is keeping pace with modern trends by offering on-demand, customer-oriented services, especially in promotions where digital media is inappropriate. By integrating modern computer technology and Internet accessibility, print shops have developed the ability to make the best of both worlds. Clients can now design their own promotional material, add the graphics, include Internet links and even specify paper and ink preferences, usually without ever entering the print shop.
Direct mailing campaigns are an excellent example of a print strategy that still is effective and has verifiable results. These “old-school” techniques continue to bring in the clients because there is still a certain appeal to a piece of mail that was sent to your address with your name on it and has a special offer just for you. All the flashy Internet advertisements you can devise will not replace this kind of personal attention.
Business cards are another aspect of marketing they should always be trusted to a printer. You should avoid the temptation to “make your own” business cards on your personal printer like the plague because it will make you look like an amateur. Once again, print shops have risen to the occasion and offer complete online services that take you step by step through the process so you get just the card you want.
Also keep in mind some of your clients may still not be Internet savvy and won’t appreciate the fancy social networking sites, flash players and PDF links that you have spent so much money on, in fact they might find them downright irritating. They would much prefer to sit down with a hard copy of your report or proposal than squint at a computer screen with no ability to make notations in the margins.
All in all, the print industry is here to stay and maintains its vital role in a well-rounded marketing campaign. Smart business managers realize that they must reach beyond the impersonal digital market to keep that one-on-one connection with their customers that got them in business in the first place. The key is to balance your promotional budget to take full advantage of all the avenues available to connect with customers.
Posted on August 16, 2010
At Create-A-Card, our experience in media relations has taught us how important a good business card can be — especially for a word-of-mouth enterprise like a limousine service — and how many ways it can be used to generate new customers, provide contact information for existing customers and remind old customers of your services. The more creative you are at distributing your business cards, the broader you cast your net and benefit from the grapevine.
A business card basically transmits your contact information and succinctly conveys information about your limo company’s particular style. Resist the urge to skimp on your business card budget and go ahead and invest in an assortment of cards in lavish colors with eye-catching designs printed on high-quality paper. Consider unique places you can tuck business cards besides the traditional gift baskets and leave some every place you go, especially at restaurants and hotels.
Networking Your Business Cards
Talk to you local printer about other clients who put together promotional packages for travelers, and offer to leave a box of your cards with them so they can be included if their client agrees. Also ask the printer’s help in designing material such as introductory packets, bid packages and promotional mail-outs that are die cut so that multiple business cards can be inserted without falling out.
Since limo companies have so many affiliates businesses they work with on a regular basis, invest in attractive business card holders, perhaps some that hold cards from multiple related businesses, that you can ask them to display. You can even propose making specialty coupon business cards that you honor for mutual customers to help add value to their product or service. Inquire if they are interested in including these cards in any promotional material they distribute and supply them with plenty for their projects. You can offer to do the same for them in your outreach campaigns.
Creative Cards
Since there is such a limited space on a business card, creativity really pays off. Obviously, a card shaped like a the classic black limousine or a brightly colored party limousine complete with hot tub would get the message across quite clearly. A more subtle approaches is to use business cards that look like common travel items like passports, credit cards and hotel door keys. You can create different business cards for your various clientele that maintain the basic information yet have a targeted appeal.
If you have a “green limousine” company, look into producing cards made of recycled, nontoxic materials and that are shaped like natural objects to make it clear you support sustainable ground transportation practices. Also think about who you prime customers are and contemplate having cards designed in shapes that reflect their niche market, like a heart-shaped card for the bridal planner.
Virtual Business Cards
With so many people using the Internet, having a good virtual business card is mandatory. Get a high quality scan of your business card and have it converted to a crisp JPEG file that can be used as a live link to your business from other web sites.
Vcards can be included in your e-mail signature so that anyone who receives a message from you can click on the icon and automatically add your e-mail address to their contact list. Vcards can also be distributed on social networking sites and major networking hubs like travelocity.com and Expedia.com. There are also business card CD-roms that will play in any CD player and provide the listener with your contact information and details about your services. These are excellent to include with new business presentation packages.
Posted on August 11, 2010
In the green world, knowing your audience is important. Miscommunication can cause a host of backlash, so it is important to be very specific and understand that consumers are wise to ‘come-ons’ and suspicious of extravagant claims. When you design material to communicate with this demographic, keep the following 10 tips in mind so you don’t lose business before it ever gets to your door.
Five Common Mistakes
1. Underestimating the intelligence of the audience
According to the New York Times, the green consumer tends to be inquisitive, suspicious, more open to new ideas and better informed than any other group of consumers in the marketplace. They have value standards to uphold that are considered for every purchase, and they do their research before deciding on what product to buy. It is important to provide verifiable facts and figures for them to use in their decision-making process and appeal to their heads as well as their hearts.
2. Making and disseminating vague or misleading environmental statements
When Ford launched its “Kermit the Frog” advertising campaign for their Ford Escape Hybrid, they ran ads that said, “Green vehicles. Cleaner factories. It’s the right road for our company, and we’re well underway.”
Meanwhile, Ford only produced 20,000 ‘green’ Hybrid SUV’s per year, while continuing to produce almost 80,000 gas guzzling F-series trucks per month. Needless to say, smart consumers caught on to the hypocrisy quickly and the campaign backfired so severely that the term “Greenwashing” became synonymous with Ford. Greenwashing is a derogatory term that consumers pin on misleading claims in green-targeted advertising. A company once accused of greenwashing has to do serious damage control to attract environmentally conscious consumers back to their company.
3. Use sweeping generalities to define the green consumer
The green demographic is not one single entity that reacts uniformly to all environmental criteria . A green consumer can range from 19 percent deep greens (who are totally committed to basing all purchases on green standards) to 33 percent medium greens (who are willing to make moderate sacrifices and pay a bit more for green products and services) to 16 percent light greens (who make green choices only if it makes economical as well as ecological sense). Make sure you know which demographic of this audience you want to address with your message and craft it accordingly.
4. Committing sins of omission
Transparency is everything in the information rich green market. When Horizon Organic Dairy advertised happy cows, it didn’t take green consumer’s long to investigate and discover that their cows weren’t so happy after all and were subjected to harsh factory conditions. Consequently, a protest was organized against the dairy that damaged their credibility and allowed a host of other products with higher standards to rush in and fill the gap. All the great PR in the world can’t correct a ’sin of omission’ marketing blunder.
5. Underestimating the power of the Internet
The internet has changed the way consumers shop, and the word-of-mouth network can spread bad news like a virus through blogs, social networking sites and comments on posted stories. In a flash, millions of consumers are alerted to misdeeds or extravagant product claims, and the green community has extensive, sophisticated internet networks and they know how to them effectively. This is why advertisers targeting the green market have to display a sense of integrity that leaves the flashy sales techniques and come-ons behind. All it takes is a click of the mouse for word to spread like wildfire, so make sure the gossip about your product or service gets the right kind of reviews by forgoing hype and maintaining integrity.
The most important mistake to avoid in marketing? Not calling Create-A-Card, Inc! With our decades of experience, we help you avoid common mistakes that can wind up costing you more than you can afford! Give us a call today.
Posted on July 19, 2010
Create campaigns — not ads
If you notice, most successful long-playing ad campaigns have a theme or story line that connects them, like Geiko’s talking gecko or the lonely Mayflower appliance repairman. Green consumers are just as susceptible to a well thought out storyline, so don’t make the mistake of designing ads one at a time, develop a long range strategy that builds anticipation in the consumer and makes your product or service develop a new dimension of desirability.
Tell the truth
The bottom line in dealing with the savvy green consumer of the 21st century is to be honest, which means you don’t want to use hard sell techniques or extravagant claims. As advertising genius William Bernbach pointed out, “The most powerful element in advertising is the truth.”
Design ads that create desire
As advertising expert Leo Burnett once noted, “Good advertising does not just circulate information. It penetrates the public mind with desires and belief.” To create an effective ad campaign, you need develop a strategy that creates a desire to have the product or service that you have to offer. Determine an unique aspect of your green product or service to set it apart from similar items and craft your presentation to make that aspect desirable to the consumer.
Highlight your green practices
Since the field is so competitive for emerging green technologies, it is crucial to employ multiple avenues to generate the right kind of interest in your product or service. If you have a commitment to green practices in your factory or office, be sure to document and highlight your efforts to reduce waste and align with ecologically sound policies. If your company contributes goods or services to disaster victims or participates in community programs, find ways to work such information into your website copy, press releases and advertisements. It can make the difference in a consumer’s mind when he is faced with a close decision.
Be sincere
The green market is estimated to reach $1 trillion in the next five years. To get noticed in this highly competitive field, you have to understand your audience and appeal to their desire for facts, figures and data. Dressing it up with overblown claims or flowery text is not going to impress the green crowd, in fact, they find it a turn off.
Lastly, the best tip of all…Call us here at Create-A-Card, Inc. and we’ll help you determine the best, most effective marketing campaign!
Posted on July 12, 2010
“Social networks are like gasoline for your personal business networking machine. If you aren’t plugged in, you will be out-done by better-connected, hyper-networked colleagues and competitors.”
Many forces are reshaping the business landscape. Evolving business models, emerging markets, changing customer expectations, and new regulations (think green) are making it imperative that companies become more dynamic so that they can remain competitive in a fast-moving and uncertain global marketplace. We are caught in a wave of unprecedented change; technological, environmental, and economic trends are having tremendous impact in our local markets. These shifts are impacting the way we do business and, if you are not tuned in and keeping pace, the odds are, you are going to get left behind.
Rapidly identifying and capitalizing on new opportunities, mitigating risks, and constantly honing a competitive edge are hallmarks of a dynamic organization. Operating across global distances with near-instant response to your customers’ needs is increasingly vital to business.
In other words, the development of a global network can bring a great deal of additional revenue – both farm-in and farm-out – but only if it is well-organized and reliable. Translation: strong relationships throughout the “supply-chain” are critical in developing new streams of revenue. Unless you know who can provide a service level that is exceptional enough to handle your most important customers, and vice versa, an affiliate network makes absolutely no sense – business or otherwise. And, in a global economy, identifying who the “players” are in a market and establishing mutually beneficial relationships is often “easier said than done.” So, how can you get “upfront and personal” to recruit both affiliates and clients whether they are in Tokyo, Topeka or Tobruk?
The internet, of course. More specifically . . . welcome to the world of social networking.
Don’t let the word “social” confuse you. “Social” networking is very good for business, and the research is showing just how good.
William Baker, a marketing professor at San Diego University (and former VP of Marketing at Ericson Marketing Communications) has conducted research on Social Networking in business. Surveying 1,600 executives, his research found that companies – especially smaller companies – that rely heavily on external social networks are more innovative, speed up their ability to respond quickly to events in the marketplace and capitalize on their competitive advantages.
Knowing and implementing the best strategy across traditional marketing channels and social media channels can sometimes make or break your business’s marketing success. This can translate to money either gained or lost in your business. Real social media engagement takes time and a great deal of strategy, something many limo company owners don’t have a lot of.
Finding the right partner to outsource your social media marketing to is sometimes challenging but, if the right company is chosen, the payoff is on the bottom line.
Posted on June 30, 2010
Here at Create-A-Card, we have noticed how our many of our ground transportation customers are missing great opportunities to network with other businesses. Limo company managers have learned the many benefits of creating affiliations with other transportation providers, but are missing opportunities to create dialogues with a host of other businesses whose clientele dovetail with fleet services.
For example, set up exclusive package deals for customers who plan to use your limousine service to attend elegant galas. Contact beauty salons, day spas and formal wear rental companies and establish an account with them that stipulates flat discount rates for the customers you refer. This will make it easy to establish a budget for the package deals so you do not lose money. In return, you can offer packages featuring their product or service to your customers attending black-tie affairs. Create a win-win situation by arranging to have joint advertising on websites and printed materials.
For formal events like proms and cotillions, make arrangements with a floral business to supply corsages and boutonnieres at a bulk rate for customers you send their way. Locate posh clubs along popular routes and set up a running account that offers your limo customers a free drink and appetizer before — and after — the event. You can even make arrangements with a local photography studio to have pictures taken of their party exiting the limo.
When there are special events in your service area — like concerts, sports or opening nights — take the opportunity to work directly with event managers to set up package deals that include other vendors with which your are networking. Propose an advertising strategy that both parties can use to create a dual promotion. Offer seperate contests or drawings for a package deal that includes arrival in a limo. This strategy will promote your services to the public as well as create brand recognition for your limo company. With proper management, these type of mutual promotions can boost the business for both companies and create a buzz by launching a clever contest that attracts media attention.
Another networking strategy you can implement is offering event managers a list of reliable local references for the types of goods and services they routinely need. Include information on licensed electricians, light and sound technicians, security providers, gourmet food vendors and cocktail services. Let these companies know that you have posted their contact information on your referral list, and offer them incentives for sending you customers in return.
For your corporate customers, use the same strategy to develop a network of hotels — from five star accommodations for visiting executives to working suites for long-term contractors — for guests who use your ground transportations. Have coupons for local eateries and entertainment venues as well as nearby souvenir stores and local boutiques. To take it one step further, work with a local graphics company to make a colorful map of your area that highlights participating merchants that you can post online or print up to include in your welcome packages.
Create-A-Card can help you make the most of your network connections by providing the kind of marketing strategies designed to reach beyond your normal baseline. Using SEO strategies and social networking techniques, we can get your limo company affilitated with all the popular events in your region. Our knowledge of the ground transportation business can be put to your advantage as we explore and develop even more opportunities to network with community businesses, organizations and agencies in a way that drives more business to your door and helps promote the local economy.
Posted on June 21, 2010
These days, a great way to draw in new customers is by appealing to their environmental awareness. As a part of an effectively executed marketing plan, the promotion of your company’s eco-friendly advantages can help it stand apart from the competition in a dramatic and lucrative way. If you operate a limousine or transportation company, you’ve already got plenty of green benefits built in to the way that you do business. Why not play them up? A few top tips for doing so are outlined below.
Define Your Audience – Your niche marketing plan will be dead in the water if you don’t know who to aim it at. Many people rely on the services of transportation and limousine companies; many others are on the fence, but would use them quite often if the environmental benefits of doing so were made clear. Therefore, your target audience is mostly going to consist of people who either already use the services that your company offers – but who will become loyal customers if you promote your organization’s green benefits. Those who rarely use your services, but would do so more often if they knew the environmental benefits of doing so, would be another part of your target audience.
Choose Your Focus – You’ve already decided to focus your niche marketing plan on the green characteristics of your company, and of transportation companies in general. Now, you should zero in on a couple of ideas that you’d like to get across during your campaign. You could point out that passenger vehicles cause a lot more pollution than large buses do, on a per-passenger basis, or you could choose a number of different points to emphasize. The point is, you want to select a main point – and stick with it.
Present Your Points in a Clear Way - Whether your marketing campaign is going to be small or large, the main points that you’ve chosen to highlight should remain consistent throughout it. The last thing that you want to do is confuse your prospective customers.
Practice What You Preach – Finally, make sure that you can easily back up any claims that you make. Exaggerating or stretching the truth about the eco-benefits of using your company can backfire in a seriously damaging way. Besides, there’s no reason to do this: The limousine and transportation industry really does have many green characteristics that you can stress in your marketing campaign.
Posted on June 14, 2010
With internet commerce becoming more competitive by the day, the importance of staying at the top of the search engine pile becomes crucial to a sound business strategy. Consequently, smart businessmen are realizing they need a good media consultant to create and maintain websites that can generate value added sales by linking current market trends directly to their product. Having an online marketing consultant can brings sales in from multiple targets by creating the kind of buzz that generates reviews, comments and affiliations.
Website Design
Generating added value content into your website is the first step in having a successful internet presence, and professional tricks of the trade are needed to make sure your copy, keywords and graphics all link together to form a cohesive unit. Visitors to your site should find well-crafted home pages that load quickly and provide direct links to further information. The order forms and shopping carts need to be simple, efficient and safe so customers don’t get frustrated and change their mind. A well maintained forum or on-line chat feature is an invaluable method to keep customers’ interest and overcome any objections.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Key words are the tool that media consultants use to drive sales to their customers’s websites, and like any tool, it takes a practised hand to get good results. To efficiently optimize a website, the key word combinations should be adjusted regularly to incorporate popular phrases and buzz words that rank high in search engine queries. Since 90 percent of internet commerce is generated from the first page of search engines like Google, maintaining a high SEO ranking is crucial.
Social Networking
Facebook and LinkedIn have inadvertently created a whole new promotional tool to drive quality traffic straight to commercial websites. Of course, this tool also requires a skilled hand to create the kind of strong web links that interconnect into a solid network. With proper programming, these sites can be regularly updated with minimum fuss so it is easy to add fresh, relevant content to multiple sites with a single posting.
Blogs and Microblogs
Creating and maintaining regular blogs on services like WordPress and Blogger provides yet another portal for media consultants to use to funnel interested customers to their client’s website. Informative blogs that address common customer questions may not seem profitable on the surface, but on a deeper level they develop product branding that can influence a customer’s final decision. Short, informative Twitter microblogs can be stylized to grab attention and generate the kind of word-of-mouth buzz that is still the best advertising technique in the world.
The professional team at Create-A-Card can provide your company with the kind of service and attention that can turn your website into a valuable asset. Just give us a call or drop us an email and we’ll be glad to show you some of the other tricks we have up our sleeve for keeping your internet business generating increasingly profitable returns.
In many communities, fall events such as Halloween parties and craft fairs are often put together; usually inside a building because of the changing weather. Consider sponsoring one of these events, should the opportunity present itself. During the course of the event, take a car from your large selection and park it in a place where people will see it. Let them sit inside and look around, but do not let them drive; doing this in a place full of people is not the most safe idea. Should somebody express interest give them a card with contact information so that they can reach you at a later time. Make sure that the building that the event is being held in allows cars to be parked inside, if it is even possible.
