Hardware Store Mentality

Men love hardware stores and work at home dads get that. When we take on a project we generally know whether we’ve got the tools necessary to do the job. If we don’t have them we ask a neighbor, if they don’t have what we need we’re off to the hardware store.

Somewhere between our home and the store the mental shift between what we need and what we want kicks in.

Going to the hardware store can be an educational experience for marketing professionals. We know they’ve got what we need there, but they also have what we want.

New and Improved Fish Oil

Every single product we ever consider marketing has a specific appeal to a very well defined niche. Even products that are beneficial to everyone fall into this category. Not everyone wants, nor will they typically buy something they actually need.

Looking back over the years I can identify people who never developed a desire for things that our family would be hard pressed to live without. Want has always been a more powerful motivation in marketing. This is why selling went out of style long ago.

If you try to interest someone in what they need a trigger goes off in their mind telling them you’re trying to sell something. On the other hand if you have what someone wants they generally just need to know the price.

Inherent Value

Work at home dads have access to multiple income streams for two very important reasons:
1.    There are many small niches and products for every one of them.
2.    Affiliations generate more income than individual business owners.

We understand that our work in marketing demands that we prepare and present specific answers to specific wants. Niche marketing implies that although people may have an interest in several areas, they don’t want the whole store.

Nothing has value unless it’s desired. In fact the desire for a product or service precedes design and invention. Demand is the horse before the cart of supply.

One Big Happy Community

Many home business owners share common cross over areas with other entrepreneurs. The practice of affiliate marketing has essentially tied together a wide network of moms and dads that work at home.

When my network is exposed to a new business opportunity not everyone takes advantage of the affiliate offer. Even though everyone wants more money, they know there is no shortage of opportunities online, and another income stream is likely to show up any minute.

Free 3 minute video will show you how to start an internet business with unlimited earning potential. Visit me today at http://NetworkFisher.com if you want to learn more. David Beairsto supports the efforts of work at home dads as well as all entrepreneurs. Visit our blog at http://DavidBeairsto.com
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I recently returned home from Ali Brown’s 3-day Shine Event in Las Vegas.  Shine was a seminar all about entrepreneurship, marketing and personal discovery.  The second day of the event was devoted to one of my favorite topics—marketing.

Ali gave us her top marketing “mantras” in her business, and I thought they were so spot on that I wanted to share them here:

1) The marketing is more important than the mastery.  I first heard this from Ali a few years ago, and I recently wrote an article about this very topic. It doesn’t mean that what you do in your business isn’t important, it just means that mastering marketing is as important mastering your craft. You can be great at what it is you do–but if you are not marketing consistently, your skills and abilities won’t be enough to keep your business afloat.  

2) Always be marketing.  Marketing your business is necessary all the time—not just when the economy is bad or your revenues are down.  Unfortunately, many business owners are learning this lesson now in the recession.  Their bottom line is suffering because in the past, they never thought they “needed” to market.

3) Emphasize benefits over features.  When you market your products or services, think of benefits as answering the customer’s question of “what’s in it for me?”  

4) Be original, but clear.  Adding your own unique flair to your marketing can help you stand out, but make sure the message of what it is you can do for people doesn’t get lost in your quest to be memorable or unique.

5) Work your best methods.  There are numerous ways to market a business, both online and off: advertising, books, blogs, direct mail, giveaways, live events, press releases…and on and on. You don’t have to pick just one method, nor do you need to be doing a little of everything.  As it was described at the event, “marketing is a buffet.”  Choose a handful that work for you and work them continually.

So, what does marketing come down to?  Marketing is really just relationship building and communication.  Your job as a business owner is to use that communication to accomplish 4 main things:
1. Attract leads
2. Collect leads
3. Follow up
4. Close the sale

Sometimes business owners make marketing more complicated than it needs to be.  Follow these five mantras and you’ll go a long way toward simplifying the path to closing that all-important sale.

Christine Gallagher, MLS, MSIS, founder of CommunicateValue.com, teaches small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelming aspects of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. For FREE tips on how to build profitable relationships, leverage technology and create your own successful online business, visit http://CommunicateValue.com
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Facebook Marketing: Starting an Online Business

The newest trend in the internet today is joining one of the many social networking websites. Here, you will be able to keep in touch with your old friends as well as your relatives and you will also be able to make new friends as well as meet new people. With social networking websites, you will see that it will make the world a smaller place.

One social networking website that is so popular among many people from all over the world is Facebook. In this website, you will be able to post your pictures, discuss your interests and hobbies as well as do other great things.

In the past, Facebook was restricted to Harvard College students. In time, it expanded to other schools and universities until it became available for everyone above the age of 13 from different parts of the world.

Presently, the Facebook website now has more than 62 million active users worldwide.

Now, if you have an online business, you will see that Facebook can significantly help you promote your website and your business. Facebook marketing is now one of the hottest trends among online entrepreneurs today. Just think about it, with over 62 million active users worldwide, you will definitely have a lot of potential clients to do business with.

Because of the amount of people joining Facebook, a lot of online business owners are now joining this social networking website in order to market their products or services. With Facebook, you will definitely be able to effectively market your website.

The great thing about Facebook today is that anyone will now be able to join it. Whether you are a college student or you are an entrepreneur looking for a niche market, Facebook is the place that you should go to.

In fact, Facebook is now very popular that it is now investing a lot of money for advertising in order to attract more people to join. With this kind of benefit, you will see the potential on what your business can have.

Facebook as well as other social networking websites are now just beginning to see its full potential.

Today, you will see that Facebook has now launched its Facebook Ads system that will allow you and other fellow business owners to formally advertise your products and services. You have to consider the fact that people are three to five times more likely buy a particular product if their friends recommend it. If you advertise in Facebook, you will be able to increase your sales.

Facebook is now very popular that it now contains ads for big corporations, such as Microsoft, Coca-Cola and other companies.

So, if you are thinking about marketing online for your business and you want to increase your company’s sales, then you may want to try out Facebook. Here, you will be able to increase the advertising potential for your company. Also, you will be able to reach out to more people as well as get a niche market for your products and services.

So, if you think that online advertising or marketing is not working for you, you might want to try out marketing on Facebook. Here, you will be able to see how effective marketing is by using this one of a kind social networking website and you will be able to increase your sales.