Orange County Advertising is more important than ever to today’s business owners in what is considered a “down market”.

A study commissioned by IBM found the following U.S. Consumer Trends based on 4000k phone interviews:
• 72% of respondents have made “significant spending cuts” due to economy. Hardest hit are those earning less than $45,000, but 59% of those earning greater than $100,000 have also cut back.
• Steps taken to change: 49% shop at more stores to get best deal, 35% switched grocery stores.
• “It used to be much more about price & want, now it’s all about value & need. This is a much more sophisticated approach to shopping,” says IBM Institute for Business Value.
• Shopping for clothes is major area of cutback: 38% say they’re buying less clothing & 20% say they’re buying cheaper brands. People are also more open to online coupons sent to their mobile devices to save money.

Why is this information important to you, the Orange County Business Owner?

Noteworthy: Consumer behavior change is “49% shop at more stores to find value / get best deal
Takeaway: Consumers are actually “looking in more places” as a function of being more selective in their shopping. It is therefore important for merchants, etc to “get the word out” about their business. Why not replace “lost customers” with new residents who are eagerly exploring their new surroundings! Newcomers don’t know your business, much less where it’s located & they are not familiar with their surroundings. However, based on your Welcome Express introduction, they “find you first.” As a “get acquainted” tool, newcomers are far more likely than established residents to share their new lifestyle experiences with neighbors, friends & work associates. Let their enthusiasm work for you in your Orange County Advertising!

(Source for the above: OC Register, 9/25/09)

Granted–websites, blogs, social media, online magazines & online newsletters all contribute toward
brand credibility. However, print is still the most powerful visual tool for building your brand. Print
proactively “forces” the viewer to at least scan your information as part of the viewing process. Print
can drive a high percentage of online traffic toward your website and that of your advertisers. Here’s
a quick review of why “print is still king:”

1) Print is a lead-generation tool: well-planned print vehicles deliver targeted leads to their advertisers.

2) Print has longevity & “pass along” power: magazines & directories are shared in households &
among friends.

3) Readers are “print receptive”: people remember effective print ads. Only TV has a higher receptivity
than print.

4) Print drives users to other platforms: according to the Retail Advertising & Marketing Assoc, 47%
of shoppers are most likely to start an online search after viewing a magazine ad.

5) Print influences trendsetters: those who sway other consumers are themselves influenced by print,
even more so than by in-store & TV advertising.

6) Print travels: it is with you wherever / whenever you want—even more so than a laptop.

7) Print readers are focused: in a multi-tasking world, it is hard for advertisers to get noticed. However, according to a recent university survey—if someone is multi-tasking–print is the primary focus 85% of the time.

Print makes introductions: print makes for a great host. It introduces readers to your brand &
acquaints your prospects with keywords for local search.

9) Print offers incredible branding: a well-designed ad attracts readers, & nothing gives your brand
more recognition than an attractive, full color ad.

10) Print provides differentiation: Out of the millions of websites, how many have a print product to
drive traffic to the site? A: very few. Print provides a unique vehicle to drive traffic to online marketing.

Conclusion: Print delivers terrific branding opportunities, content for readers, and leads for advertisers-along with the ability to generate strong online traffic.

Home at Last Magazine is “home plate” for OC new residents who want and need to touch base with their surroundings. Each issue is packed with information — a combination of articles, advertorials and directories focus readers on what’s important to them: City resources (local government, libraries, parks, recycling centers), malls, beaches, automotive (AAA, auto malls, DMV), points of interest (amusement centers, harbors, sports centers), home improvement, dining and other lifestyle topics are covered. And it’s delivered along with a plethora of civic info and gift certificates to welcome new residents to OC.

Over the last 2 years, nearly every bank large to small has tightened their lending requirements dramatically making this a very tough climate for small businesses to obtain financing.

In this tough economy it is more important than ever to keep your business growing because there is no safety in just standing still. Competitors are all hitting hard times and many will cutback or outright fail. Where are their customers going to go?

Businesses need working capital to grow and that is precisely what the current credit markets are denying to many small businesses today. The result is that good and profitable companies (often with many years of historical profits) are squeezed to the point of eliminating marketing and passing on new business. This can endanger the business health of small businesses at a time when many are positioned to grow.

Factoring can help B2B/B2G businesses keep growing in these tough times. Below are advantages of factoring:

· Factoring often provide working capital in as little as 1 business day.

· Many factors do not charge to open an account.

· Look for no minimum factors so you stay in full control.

· Factoring does not impose restrictions on your day-to-day operations or take any ownership stake in your business.

· A factor does not lend money so there is no new debt on your balance sheet.

This link shows a real-life example of a small business factoring success.

http://www.inlandsocal.com/business/content/banking_finance/stories/PE_News_Local_S_bp_1207_cashflow.2eeb3f1.html
The take-away from this for small business owners is you have business financing options beyond your bank and personal money.

To learn more about Oxygen Funding and to view their profile, click Here.

The author, Adam Lomax, Executive VP and COO, Oxygen Funding, Inc., can be reached at www.oxygenfunding.com,adam.lomax@oxygenfunding.com or call (800) 790-3419 9-5 PST.

Twitter, just like any other Social Networking site, is largely used by people from across the globe. The more people who follow your tweets, the greater your chances are of reaching potential customers. Your followers, however, are somewhat pre-qualified; if they are not interested in what they see in your tweets, they will quickly un-follow you.

So, the question is, how do you most effectively communicate with your audience? SocialOomph makes it easy by offering tools that automatically respond to your Twitter followers and schedule tweets for future dates or times. Along with those features, SocialOomph also includes;Twitter ~Keyword Tracking
~Set up what’s known as an auto-DM (When you get a new follower, SocialOomph automatically     sends them a DM which you previously wrote)
~Automatically follows those who follow you, and un-follows anyone who un-follows you
~Finds you new followers while eliminating spammers in the results
~Includes an integrated console to manage more than one Twitter account

The Disadvantages of using SocialOomph

Before you type socialoomph into your browser, there are a few things you should know first; for one, you do not get all of the features listed above unless you sign up for a professional account. When you first sign up, they will offer you a week’s free trial, which includes all of the professional features listed above, and then they will ask you for a subscription fee. If you do not pay the subscription fee, you can still use SocialOomph, but on the basic package they offer. The professional package is pretty pricey, but if you use Twitter for Marketing purposes, it could well be a worthwhile investment. You should also be aware that SocialOomph recently changed their policy due to Twitter claiming that repeating tweets are a breach of the site’s Terms of Service. Duplicated content is considered spam, basically. This means that using the same URL in different tweets is considered spam.

All in all, SocialOomph is a very effective way to help save you time and maximise the effectiveness of your Twitter Marketing. It’s up to you to decide; go have a look.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_M_Williams

To see how Welcome Express can help you in the social media arena, click HERE

Orange County Business Owners Turn to Marketing Tips in Tough Times.

First and foremost, stay in the game!  Design an integrated advertising campaign that will drive consumers to a purchase decision.  EX:  Your prospects might see a magazine ad or gift certificate that sends them to a website, which in turn leads them to make a purchase.  This approach generates sales in slow times & pays even larger  dividends after the economy recovers.

Convince consumers to spend on you:  People still spend money in a down economy, but only if you convince them that spending their money with you makes sense on an emotional & practical level.  In the absence of proactive marketing on your part, consumers’ preferences, perceptions & desires for products/services will naturally drift to someone else who is being proactive in their marketing.  This means you will have to spend more time, money & energy in the future to win them back

Emphasize price promotions vs. cuts:  Two-thirds of shoppers are more likely to use gift certificates/coupons during a slow economy. The resurgence of gift certs/coupons is a strong indicator of a trend toward price-specific promotion.   Generate  promotional offers — avoid full scale price cutting, which can hinder your ability to survive & grow during a recession.

Market to newcomers & current customers:  Replace the 20% of customers you lose  every year with newcomers, while working to upsell or resell your current customer base.  Offer more services or product features.  Reach out to the customers in your database with e-mail, snail mail or sales calls.  Vary your tactics, so you maintain mindshare without wearing out your welcome.   

As the leading Orange County, California Directory and Resource Guide, we provide newcomers and established residents with essential OC information at the city and county level. Explore details on Dining, Shopping, Entertainment, Traffic, Weather and Job Search options. With more than 160,000 registered Business Listings, this Orange County Directory is rapidly becoming Orange County’s # 1 choice for Local Search.

Join 160,000 other Orange County Businesses. List your company in our online Business Directory. Listings are FREE but premium listings show up at the top of the page–just like Google–and start at $29.99 per quarter. Click HERE for more information.

It is estimated that there will be 2.9 trillion text messages sent before the end of 2009. Therefore it is no surprise that Text mobile marketing is experiencing the fastest growth of new media!  Check out this youtube video for some fascinating facts about the cell phone! 

Interested in reaping the benefits of new media — without all the effort? Welcome Express can help you implement several of the BASICS and leap into the social media arena!

TRADE YOUR INVENTORY!  

New, Excess, Last Seasons Goods
 
Now…you can sell it all at our Annual Expo in exchange for products/services you need WITHOUT  having to spend cash! 
 
Trade American Card is Orange County’s largest trade exchange. Annually trading  millions of dollars in goods/services. All while saving hard earned cash!

Sunday,  December 13, 2009 

The Grove of Anaheim

 
10am -  3 pm

  
*Bring your inventory to sell at this one day show in exchange for trade dollars that can be used to purchase hundreds of items including: advertising, entertainment, printing, medical, dental and optometric services, accounting/bookkeeping, photography, payroll, pest control, salon & spa services, business equipment, security systems, travel, jewelry, cosmetic surgery and much more.  One-time membership required.

 For  more information visit  Orange County Resource Guide  

Small business marketing, especially in a down economy, requires a psychological aspect, as Vitaly Grinblat explains. At Welcome Express we offer an arsenal of advertising products designed for Orange County small businesses to attract new customers who are newcomers themselves. The psychology is clear – newcomers are seeking a higher percentage of solutions than those who are settled into established behavior patterns of commerce.

*What is your real goal in marketing and advertising your business?
 
Let’s look at relationships as an example. When you first meet a member of the opposite sex and you feel attracted to them, you don’t come up and after introducing yourself propose marriage, do you? There’s a process involved in creating a relationship. You first usually go on a date and get to know someone before even considering marriage. If you actually did walk up to someone you didn’t know, introduced yourself and told them that you want to skip all the steps and get married, you’ll probably never see that person again, and ruin what potentially could have been a great relationship.

It’s the same in business. Not all your prospects are ready to buy right away. Depending on what your products or services are, it may take several steps before your prospect feels comfortable enough to go ahead and do business with you.  On the other hand, there are some business that all they do is advertise to get people to know who they are and there’s no tracking mechanism for any follow up to continue the relationship building process.

That’s why direct marketing solves this problem. Using the direct marketing approach allows you to build a relationship with your prospect and give them a chance to get to see what you offer before asking them to buy. Which takes all the pressure off of you and them.

Here are the steps to successful direct marketing rollout:

1. You need to pick a specific target market. Not everyone is your prospect. In fact, the more narrow your target market is, the more likelihood of success, because you can tailor make your message to their particular needs. Dan Kennedy, of the greatest marketers in the world, calls it a perfect message to market match. [ Editor's note: Welcome Express targets the newcomer to Orange County who hasn't yet selected and made habit his or her 'chosen' merchants for doing business.]

2. Create something that you can include for free in your direct response offer. Notice I said free. Because we want the prospect to act (or respond) to your offer by calling, or going to your website, or faxing you, or walking into your store, whatever it happens to be.

This step is important, because this separates the interested prospects (leads) from the ones who have no interest. You now can continue sending information via mail or email to these people, because they’re the ones that raised their hands. Why waste your advertising dollars on people who don’t even show any interest in what you have.

3. Have a great offer with your give away. There must be a compelling reason for your prospects to act now. It must be emotionally captivating and have social proof, (testimonials). Make sure you have a strong guarantee, people love guarantees, and although if your product is good, they will not ask for a refund, but it does make them more comfortable to make the decision to buy.

The ones that don’t respond, you keep communicating with. You see the timing has to be right. They may not be ready. Money could be an issue at this moment. They may have marital problems or something else that keeps them occupied at this moment, and your offer is the last thing they’re interested, for now.  So you follow up with emails, mail, send them reminders, tips, ideas, etc… Depending on your business, this would vary, but the idea is to keep the sequence of follow up going.

4. When the prospect buys and turns into a customer, keep communicating with them, and have a back end sales strategy. In other words, have additional products and services that you could sell them later. If you don’t, your competition most definitely will.

Again depending on your product this will be different for everyone, but think of what can complement the product they purchased. If they bought carpet, they might be interested in a carpet cleaning solution, to keep it clean. They may also be in the market for furniture, drapery, and other items.

The psychology of a direct response model for small business marketing is simple, if you keep your customers’ best interests at heart and do whatever it takes to nurture those relationships, which later turn into profit centers.

*Source: Vitaly Grinblat  http://www.squidoo.com/law_of_attraction-for-abundance

Ready-Fire-Aim Marketing* – The Small Business Approach to Accelerate Your Marketing Success!
Welcome Express stands Ready, at YOUR Service to propel your OC-based small business towards its 2009 business goals! Ready-Fire-Aim!

This is the approach to achieve rapid improvements in your small business marketing results in Orange County. It’s not about incremental improvements, but rather transformational improvements.

It’s the Ready-Fire-Aim approach. I’m talking about an approach to marketing, and approach to business, and an approach to life. Enlighten your small business to the wisdom of the Ready-Fire-Aim approach. I know what you’re probably thinking. That little voice inside your head is asking, “Don’t you mean Ready-Aim-Fire?”

Lots of small business owners have a tendency to think about and maybe plan things, but then hesitate to take any action. You want to make sure you get things just right. It’s sometimes called analysis paralysis.

Take a good hard look at the people and organizations you admire for the successes they’ve accomplished. You’ll likely find they are much more willing to live by the Ready-Fire-Aim approach.

It’s like a great football team. They can’t possibly know everything that’s going to happen before they get in and play the game. They call a play they’ve designed and practiced (Ready), they run the play (Fire), and then they look to see how the other team reacts, re-huddle, and call another play that they think will be successful based on what they’re learning (Aim).

It doesn’t mean that you just go out and start acting and doing without any planning or thinking. Guess we could call that the Fire-Fire-Fire approach. That would be a mistake and most likely wouldn’t work out for your business.  But, Ready-Fire-Aim marketing can lead to is a willingness to increase the pace of your growth. Be willing to learn more and do more faster. Be willing to reach for loftier goals and accelerate the success of achieving them.

The thing is the marketing mistakes you make along the way aren’t going to kill you or drive you out of business. Everyone makes mistakes. But, the Ready-Fire-Aim person is the one who learns from the mistake, adjust and then gets ready to fire again.

Be willing to give yourself a break. You can’t know everything there is to know about marketing (or your business, or your life) before you get in the game and call a play.

Go ahead and have a big vision. It’s your vision plus your commitment that will lead you to taking the right actions.
Create a marketing plan to take you towards your vision. Don’t let uncertainty or unanswered questions hold you back. Just do the best you can based on what you know and trust that you will continue to learn and improve.

 If you’re feeling stuck in moving your marketing plan forward, then get some outside help. Maybe the Ready-Fire-Aim action you need to take is to hire a marketing coach or to join a power-marketing group. Nobody said you necessarily have to do it on your own.

Ready-Fire-Aim! Following even this simple advice will put you ahead of 90 to 95% of other small business owners in the game. Just think of what that could mean to your business and your life.

*Source: Kevin Dervin

Nine Common Small Business Mistakes and Cures*
Every small business makes mistakes in the journey to success. Stay alert to the pitfalls by planning ahead and taking steps to avoid the common mistakes.

Can You Relate To Any of These Mistakes?
1. An over-reliance on the “vision” and an underdeveloped plan to get there. Your goals are the easy part to define. Work tirelessly on a disciplined strategy toward achieving these goals.

2. Not sustaining your passion for your business through the tough times. We all have times that “test us.” This is the time to dig down deep and remember why you are in business and renew that hunger for success and passion for what you do. Remember, Thomas Edison had about 1,000 failures before finally inventing an electric bulb that worked.

3. Coasting when things are going well and becoming lax about sustaining an aggressive business model.

4. Not diversifying. You should always have new plans and look for new ways to expand on your initial offerings.

5. Not budgeting enough money for branding, advertising and marketing. Business owners frequently fail to set aside adequate funds to get the word out and look credible.

6. Not setting your business apart from the competition. Actively make your product or service distinct from your competition and use this distinction as part of your marketing and advertising.

7. Neglecting loyal existing customers. Word of mouth is powerful free advertising, so keep your good customers happy and content. Always try to improve customer relations. However, if a customer becomes a major distraction to your business, find a diplomatic way to let them go and move on.

8. Not being focused on efficiency. Time is money, so let others help you reach your business goals if they can do a task better and faster. If you know the best possible way to do something, teach those around you. This will free up your schedule to focus on business growth.

9. Doing things on your own, when you need help. Sometimes we let our ego cloud our judgment and we don’t realize that we would have been better off hiring an expert. While often times cost is the true inspiration for doing things on our own, there are times when doing things on our own proves to be costly.
————-
*Source: Matt Chansky  http://www.momentum18.com/common-business-mistakes.html