Editor’s Note: Thanks to Tom Beck, owner and commercial photographer extraordinaire, at Beck Photographic for sharing his thoughts with us… Tom is the best in the business, check out his web site or connect with him on Twitter to get to know him better.

Why would you want your brand (advertising) photography to not look professional?  What purpose does it serve, except to make your business look unprofessional.

A good portrait photographer is not necessarily a good commercial photographer, and vice versa.   Photographers tend to have specialties, and just because one shoots great portraits doesn’t mean they can shoot products, or food.  Research who you’re hiring, and notice what photos of theirs stand out.

What does a “good enough” photo mean to your business and your ad?  If it looks blah, then it’ll get lost and forgotten in all the other ads out there.  And even if you do see results, how much better would the results be if you actually had a GREAT photo in your advertising?

When you hire a pro photographer, you’re insuring that you’re going to get great results.  Does the person you hired for $100 off of Craigslist have pro equipment?  Backup equipment?  A certificate of insurance in case they break your merchandise?  Are they going to behave professionally on the shoot?  Do they know the technical specs of what you need delivered, and will they deliver in a timely manner?  These aren’t (usually) a concern when you hire a true professional.

If you (or your graphic designer) is purchasing microstock photography (iStockphoto, Shutterstock, etc.), then your competition can too.  How embarrassing will it be to see the image you’re using being used by your competitor (and yes, it HAS happened, more times than you know)?  Also, is that image “good enough”, or does it stand out?  If the image is just “OK”, even if you didn’t pay much for it, how much is it costing you in business you COULD have had? In other words, are you getting the biggest bang for your buck?

What say you? What is your experience with good enough vs. great photography?

Here at the Results Revolution, we’ve had numerous guests on our show talk about the concept of “giving to get.” Basically what this means is using your own currency to market your business – instead of using someone else’s currency (usually cash). This helps moderate cash flow while keeping your business’ marketing healthy. And we like that.

Remember, the object of sampling is just that – to offer folks a sample of your business with no strings attached. You won’t win over 100% of those who sample, but for some who never have broken the invisible plane to enter your business, they will now feel comfortable having experienced this sample – and their lifetime value as a customer is worth far more than the sample.

Here is a link to a ResultsRevTV archive where a photography studio owner in Michigan shared extensively her strategy and plan for using sampling and service donations to non-profits as a primary marketing tactic. It’s a 30+ minute show, but an entertaining guest full of valuable ideas for your small business.

Here are two other ideas for using the concept of “sampling” as a marketing tool that other business owners shared with us.

BAG STUFFERS

Debra Yergen, owner of DY&Co, offers a detailed strategy for using bag stuffers for goodie bags at non-profit events to gain exposure for your business. Here’s her advice:

“If you do have a product business, such as a restaurant, give a free drink or food item, and DO NOT REQUIRE  an additional purchase. If you require an additional purchase, many people will save it for later and later may never come. It it’s completely free, most people will buy something else, maybe a whole lot of something else, while they’re there.”

GIFT BAG WITH PURCHASE

Kathy Dalton, of The Kadis Group and co-founder of Little Stinker skin care line, loves sampling because “it gets results. People love to talk, especially about their favorite products or services, and they’re also more likely to trust a product recommendation from a friend over a commercial or other traditional marketing method.”

Kathy suggests using mini-samples or a gift bag with purchase sample. When distributing the sample, she says to include stickers or business cards. But, she insists, don’t just hand out ONE flyer or business card; hand out three so your potential clients can share with friends! There’s that word of mouth marketing being encouraged while offering a sample… sounds like a magic formula to us!

What say you? Have you used sampling to market your business? How did you do it, and did it work for you? What results have you seen?
Photo Credit: Mr. T in DC (bubble tea sample)

Cheap or free marketing that works really does exist – especially for small business owners. Guerrilla marketing is still alive and well! In this post, several creative and marketing savvy small business owners share their top off-line marketing ideas to increase sales.

Remember these three things when applying these tips:

• Have your goals in place so that what you’re trying to accomplish with any marketing.
• Then, make sure that you have a strategy. This is the tone or slant that will make each of these tactics your own – or even dictate whether the tactics will work or not work for your business.
• Finally, remember that all marketing, even off-line marketing, works best when you use your domain name (your web site address) to extend your brand and your customer experience.

1. Print Customer Loyalty Coupons.
Adeena Mignogna, former retail store owner and author of Cute Little Store: Between the Entrepreneurial Dream and Business Reality, recalls using her own customer loyalty coupons to make the shopping experience fun and memorable while leaving customers with a strong incentive to return for another visit!

“We always had a theme to go along with the coupon. Often it would be a set of different coupons, related to the season or a major holiday coming up. We would make it a lottery and have all the coupons in a bag. At check-out time, the customer would take a coupon from the bag. Since my retail store was very kid and family focused, often the kids would pick the coupon and have a lot of fun doing it. We frequently saw these coupons come back into the store!”

2. Be an Educator.
Shel Horowitz, author of six books on marketing, including his latest, Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green: Winning Strategies to Improve Your Profits and Your Planet, says that he picks public speaking as his favorite cheap or free marketing tip.

“When you have 50 or 100 or 500 prospects in a room who are there to hear your message and learn from you, it does great things for your business!”

3. Label Stuff.
Dave Greenbaum, owner of a small computer repair business, recommends using magazines and mailing labels to market your small business. We think that this is a great concept that could be adapted for many uses. Keep in mind that most waiting rooms are known for having old, out of date magazines…

Here’s how this works:

1. Get magazine subscriptions at a discounted price.
2. Read the magazines and enjoy them, as appropriate.
3. Print a label or sticker that says “Magazine Compliments of…” and include all of your contact information (including web site address) and logo.
4. While visiting your local auto repair center, coffee shop or doctor’s office, leave behind a stack of current magazines with your label on the back (with the blessing of management at each location).
5. Reel in referrals from those who see the label and those who ask office management about “that guy that left the magazines.” “Doctor Dave” tells us that employees at each location rave and add value to the referrals.

It’s a win-win proposition on many fronts. Adapt this one creatively to your own business’ service or product offerings.

4. Take advantage of advertising “remnants.”
Bonnie Harris at Wax Marketing reminds us that “ALL traditional media sell what are called ‘remnants.’ These are open ad spaces in print magazines, outdoor vehicles (like a billboard or bus sign), radio ads” etc. that haven’t sold. She recommends knowing ahead of time what traditional media best fits your business and marketing strategy. Then “call the advertising reps and let them know that you are always interested in hearing about remnant ad deals.” Bonnie warns however, “You have to make a decision quickly. Be available to the rep and have your ad ready to go right away.”

Bonnie says that she’s gotten some incredible deals this way…including a block of drivetime radio ads on a top station for $5 per ad!

5. Wear your marketing.
Beverly Solomon, creative director at muse-solomon, a high-end art business, tells us that she loves wearing her marketing…literally. Beverly says, “I had a run of high quality knits done with our muse-solomon name on it. Yes, it is in effect a fancy t-shirt. However, I can wear it to elegant functions and openings. I also wear it for travel. We also give knits to our models and photographers.”

Name recognition and conversation starters are both key in business marketing. Instead of regular t-shirts and polos, consider a fashionable clothing run that serves you well in most environments. There are so many options out there now! Just be ready if you wear your marketing to tell your story!

6. Help customers find you again.
Kerri Halligan of Athena Creates in Jacksonville, Florida reminds small business owners to make sure your customers know how (and when) to find you if they want to do repeat business. Unfortunately, as Kerri so aptly points out, we sometimes miss some of the most obvious marketing opportunities! Kerri explains, “I get so many repeat customers that sometimes they turn a so-so day into a great sales day. My repeat customers seem to buy more than new customer initial purchases because they now have confidence in my products. I see many other businesses that transact with a customer, but they don’t provide ANYTHING that has the business name or how the customer can find them again.” What a shame, but it’s so true! Aside from great signage, here’s what Kerri does to make sure her customers can find her again:

1. All products have some sort of tag that includes the business name. (We would recommend she also include logo and URL on each of these tags if she’s not doing it already!)
2. She hands out business cards to all shoppers or tucks one into their bag at the time of purchase.
3. Her cash register is programmed to include her business name, logo and web site onto all receipts.

What say you? What are the most effective cheap or free marketing ideas for your business?
Photo Credit: ecastro

Are you looking for a way to inject some traffic, build word of mouth buzz and boost sales for your small business?

Whether you are a small retail business, restaurant or professional service business, there’s never a bad time to generate an increase in cash flow, especially during the often slower summer months.

Well, have we got some ideas for you!

This Thursday, we’re sharing THIRTY cheap or free, quick to implement marketing ideas that will work for your small business – it’ll all be during our webinar on Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 9 a.m. CDT called “Cheap or Free Small Business Marketing Ideas.” This webinar will be presented by marketing coach and small business expert Marianna Hayes Chapman, with questions and personalized advice being given throughout the webinar by marketing coach and small business expert Andy Chapman.

I’m not messing around here – these are the sorts of ideas that you can learn in the morning and implement by the afternoon. They are quick to implement, no or very little cost, and they are EASY!

Here are some of the categories of ideas we’re going to cover:

1. Getting more from existing customers.
2. Offline ways to get more from your web site & e-mail marketing
3. “Guerilla Marketing” ideas for 2010 – offline, free & easy!
4. How to get more buzz and sales from social media.
5. How to get the media to talk about you and your business.

The ideas presented in “Cheap or Free Small Business Marketing Ideas” are so easy that even those of you who are still shying away from social media or who can’t update your own web site will LOVE this webinar and the ideas it holds. The marketing ideas are smart and affordable marketing angles that will move the needle for your small business. They are practical, do-it-yourself, and realistic for the busy small business owner.

We know marketing is only one piece of your day, so yes, these will be REAL ideas. This isn’t really a strategy session – it’s an idea session. No theory – just specific explanations of thirty – yes, that’s right – THIRTY marketing tactics that you can use to grow your business THIS WEEK!!!

Around here, Andy often tells me that “activity brings sales.” What he means is that when we are ACTIVELY marketing our business, we notice an increase in sales. And we notice that same thing with our clients. Sometimes the smallest changes lead to enormous results. And that’s what we’re all about – RESULTS!!

This webinar is perfect for small businesses of all sizes including retail, hospitality, restaurant and professional service businesses. These ideas will work in any environment – no matter how small or large your community.

And let’s face it, this is me trying to sell you something in a blog post, but c’mon…for only $29, you really should show up. If you get ONE idea that generates a sales boost for you, you’ll more than pay for the cost of the webinar in about half a day… I’d say your odds of winning at this investment are better than nearly anything else out there right now, so go ahead, register… because space is limited, so don’t miss out!

Join the Results Revolution and our founders for this hard-hitting hour of amazing small business marketing ideas that will get you REAL RESULTS for your small business – THIRTY marketing ideas presented by Marianna Hayes Chapman! In addition, while Marianna teaches the session, attendees can submit their questions, and Andy Chapman will monitor the question and answer forum, so unlike most webinars, you’ll have the benefit of constant interaction and personalized ideas for your business.

Join us this Thursday, June 3 for Cheap or Free Small Business Marketing Ideas (only $29!!)… You’ll be glad you did!

Jackson, MS, May 21, 2010 – On Tuesday, May 25, one of our nation’s top real estate agents, Libbi Logan will be our guest on ResultsRevTV at Noon CDT on the ResultsRev Ustream channel (http://www.ustream.tv/user/resultsrev). Logan will share her marketing experiences and insights gained from starting and growing a real estate business during an economic downturn.

In 2009, Libbi Logan, a 2008 REALTOR™ Magazine “Top 30 Under 30 Realtor” in the n

ation, partnered with three other broker/realtors to start Cleveland, Miss. based Partnership Properties (http://www.partnershipprop.com). Despite a shaky national economy, the group has prospered greatly since its start.

Logan is a Mississippi-licensed agent/broker and small business partner an independently owned and operated real estate agency. She is a graduate of the Bolivar County Chamber Leadership Class of 2002 and a Graduate of the Mississippi Association of Realtors LeadershipMAR of 2004. She is former president of the Cleveland Board of Realtors and former chair of TEAM Cleveland, Cleveland’s Main Street/downtown redevelopment initiative. Currently, she is chair of Community Development for the Cleveland/Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce, and she has maintained multi-million dollar sales level since 2002.

In this episode of ResultsRevTV, we’ll talk to Logan about she works with several business partners to achieve success, how they market to win in a down economy, and how they manage to maintain such a high level of cu

The agents at Partnership Properties work together to bring success to their real estate clients.

stomer loyalty for their business.

ResultsRevTV is a weekly 30-minute broadcast featuring a successful small business owner interview. Small business owners and managers from across America tune in each w

eek to learn helpful advice from the marketing experience of other successful small business owners. ResultsRevTV is one initiative of the Results Revolution project.

The Results Revolution is a nationwide initiative seeking to create strong economies based on locally owned & operated small businesses. We encourage consumers to shop local, equip local independent small businesses to do effective marketing, and facilitate networking in the local business community. The Results Revolution was founded by small business marketing experts Marianna Hayes Chapman and Andy Chapman. Learn more at www.resultsrevolution.com or www.facebook.com/resultsrev.

Butterfly Thank You Card from Peru Paper (www.perupaper.com)

I’ve been thinking a lot about being thankful lately. Here are a few random ideas that will hopefully spark more of your own. Please post YOUR ideas or expansion on these ideas or your experience with using thankfulness in business in the comments section…

Here are a few of my ideas for customer appreciation and showing thanks in your local small business:

1. A local restaurant could give out free dessert gift cards that say “Thank You!” in random check presenters throughout an evening. At the beginning of the evening, stuff random check presenters with the gift cards for a fun twist on a thank you. With slight alteration, this same principle can apply to your locally owned small business.

2. Write thank you notes. Use the handwritten note, an e-mail or a Facebook private message. Any way you do it, the effort to say a specific “thank you” is always appreciated. No matter how small or time-limited your business, you can do this one.

3. Conduct a non-advertised “thank-you” promotion. Pick a random day each week to offer customers a discount upon checkout. Keep it a secret until the moment of checkout, then say something like “Guess what? We are having a secret sale today to say ‘thank you’ to our customers. Just for shopping with us today, we’d like to say ‘thank you’ with a 10% discount.” It’s not a big discount, and the discount didn’t motivate their shopping. This keeps your business from being positioned as a “discounter.” Instead it uses the discount as a happy surprise and a genuine “thank you.”

4. Publicly post a list of things you are thankful for in your business on your Facebook wall weekly. Tag people, places or just list the little things that make you thankful. Good weather, smiling faces, loyal customers, new merchandise, popular items, a community event, a person, place or thing that you love. Thankfulness is contagious, and your customers will catch it quickly!

5. Participate in thankfulness on Twitter by saying what you are thankful for in 140 characters or less on Thursdays and applying the hashtag #thankfulthursday. You will join others who are thankful around the globe and promote your business at the same time.

Bonus story:
Last night, our client and Results Revolution sponsor, Patty Peck Honda, gave us FOUR tickets to the Mississippi Braves baseball game. Andy and I used two of the tickets. When we arrived at the game, we walked up to the ticket counter area where there was a pretty good crowd waiting to purchase tickets. We walked to the rear of the line and Andy said, “Excuse me, does anyone here drive a Honda?” A young college aged guy turned around and pointed to his friend, “He does.” The young gentleman, looking a bit confused, said, “Yes, I drive a Honda.” Andy said, “Sir, you just won two tickets to tonight’s game. You don’t have to stand in line any more. Patty Peck Honda wants to say ‘thank you’ for driving a Honda.” After a quick snap of the camera to document the event, we were on to find our seats while overhearing a wake of rumbles through the crowd “That guy just won free tickets from Patty Peck Honda… Who?… Patty Peck Honda just gave away tickets… Patty Peck Honda… Cool… That’s great… Great folks over there at Patty Peck Honda… He won free tickets to the game… Nice…”

What random acts of kindness can you do today in your business? How can you show thanks today? Post ideas in the comments section – and more than that, go be thankful! (I have a feeling it will pay you back…)

The following questions are some critical questions that you, as small business web site owner should ask your web development guy.

If you do NOT have some of these items, they are easy, but necessary, fixes to your business web site. These are the basic building blocks upon which search engine optimization occurs (in other words – the basic building blocks that will help potential customers find YOUR web site when they search the Web – and they WILL search the Web first).

• Do I have unique, keyword rich page titles on each and every page? (View example)
• Do I have unique page descriptions written in common vernacular and keyword rich on each page? (View example)
• Do I have unique, relevant keywords and keyword phrases (meta tags) in the HTML code for each page? (View example)
• Do I have an XML site map? (View example)

If you don’t have these bases covered and your web guy argues with you about them, I’d say it’s time to move on.