Debbie LaChusa

As a marketer I'm always on the look-out for examples of good marketing. I must admit, I don't often see great examples when it comes to small budget, retail advertising. But that changed recently. Over the past few months, I have seen three examples of local yogurt shops all embracing the concept of brand positioning.

These yogurt shops seem to understand they are selling more than just dessert. They also seem to understand that to be successful, they need to establish a distinct brand positioning in the mind of their customers. Otherwise, yogurt is yogurt is yogurt.

These three yogurt shops are all within a one mile radius of my house, so they are competing for the same customers. But each has it's own distinct positioning. One has adopted the positioning of "making your own" yogurt dessert, or DIY. Another promotes itself as the healthy alternative for ice cream lovers. The third does promotional, fund raising tie-ins with local schools and sports teams.

All three are selling frozen yogurt. Yet all three have distinct brand positions. And the best part is, it doesn't cost any more to market this way, than to market themselves as a generic yogurt shop. I'd say these guys 'get it." Kudos to them.

Can you apply this thinking to your small business? What brand positioning can you adopt to separate you from your competition?

After months of planning and preparation, my brand new "Step of the Month Club" is set to launch after the July 4th holiday.

If you get stuck when it comes to putting your marketing plan into action, THIS program is for you!
 
With my "Step of the Month Club" you will put ME on your marketing team. That means you'll get MY step-by-step help every single month with a different aspect of your marketing.

We'll tackle everything from Websites to Auto-responders, Email Marketing to Uncovering your Unique Selling Proposition, Determining Your Key Marketing Message to Pay-Per-Click advertising and PR. A new topic every month!

You'll even have the chance to vote on what topics will be covered!

This program is all about TAKING ACTION!

Taking action is what is going to make your business successful. So, every month you'll learn how to implement a different marketing activity in my signature step-by-step style, with live "how-to" teleseminars, downloadable recordings, how-to videos, 10-step Checklists, Q&A sessions, and more!

Join the Interest List NOW and get a Special Bonus Gift! But you've got to hurry. This special offer ends when the July 4th holiday is over!

Weekly Marketing Success Podcast: "The Power of Taglines ... Take My Tagline Test!"

An effective logo/tagline combination can be one of the best ways to successfully brand your small business. But you don't have to take my word for it. Listen as I share 10 popular taglines and see if you can guess which companies they belong to. I'll bet you can. Learn why powerful taglines and slogans aren't just for big business. And, how you can use a tagline to brand your business, even on a shoestring budget.

Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 7:15 minutes)

Public Relations is a great small business marketing tool. It's an inexpensive way to generate free editorial coverage about your business, products or services.

My marketing plan includes issuing at least one press release per month. But I've been so busy developing new products and services over the past few months, I haven't gotten around to issuing any press releases. And quite frankly, I didn't have anything "new" to announce.

Even though the guidelines about what is newsworthy has relaxed a bit with the advent of online press release distribution, I still believe that what you announce needs to have a strong news hook. So I opt not to distribute my monthly press releases if I don't have anything to announce.

And this past weekend, it was time to play catch up! I suddenly realized I had three newsworthy announcements to make. So I spent a few hours on Sunday drafting three press releases and posting them on my favorite online press release website, PRWeb. They are scheduled to release one per week over the next three weeks. And, you can be sure I'll be announcing this news right here on my blog, too!

I'll also have my virtual assistant post these press releases to a variety of other free press release websites over the coming weeks. By doing so, I'll be creating lots of links back to my website, and hopefully driving traffic and improving my search engine rankings.

I increase my chances of this by making sure my press releases feature important keywords related to the subject matter. And, by using a free, Live Keyword Analysis Tool that's available online.

This is just an example of the kind of resources I use and that are included in my Small Business Marketing Resource Center.

I'll be curious to see what affect posting three press releases in one month has on my website traffic. And, to see where my news shows up. To date, my biggest press release hit was the coverage of my Extreme Marketing Makeover Program in Entrepreneur Magazine.

10stepmarketing Introduces Marketing Membership Club to Provide Small Business Owners with Monthly Marketing How-to Teleseminars, Videos and Support

I am happy to announce the launch of a brand new small business marketing support program called the Step of the Month Club. This monthly membership club is designed to provide entrepreneurs and small business owners with step-by-step, how-to small business marketing instruction on a new marketing topic every month.

Topics covered will include online and offline marketing activities such as “how to create a client attraction website,” “how to publish an ezine” and “determining a marketing message that sells,” among others. Members will have the opportunity to vote on the small business marketing topics to be covered each month.

For a monthly membership fee of $24.95 club members have access to monthly small business marketing how-to teleseminars, question-and-answer teleconference calls, small business marketing how-to videos and a private members-only website with a discussion area and additional support materials and information.

All new members receive one free month of membership to celebrate the introduction of the club. Registrations are now being accepted online at www.StepOfTheMonth.com

I introduced my VIP Mentor Program to my 10stepmarketing and 6FigureWorkAtHomeMom clients in June and was very happy to receive over 20 applications for this exclusive program. In this program, I will be working over the next year, one-on-one with a handful of solo-professionals and small business owners who are serious about taking their business to the next level.

We will be working hard to get their businesses set up for success and to help them start attracting more clients and generating more sales. My goal for these folks is that at the end of the year, they will have a viable business up and running, and they will know what they need to do to continue to grow it to whatever size they desire.

The maximum number of people I will accept into this exclusive program is 10, and 6 people have already been accepted and have secured their spots. There are a few others who are still deciding if they want to embark on this year-long journey.

If you are ready to take your business to the next level over the next year, and you'd like a marketing partner to help guide you, work with you, and hold you accountable, I encourage you to apply for one of the remaining spots in my VIP Mentor Program.

Once the program is full, I will not be accepting any new members for at least 6 months.

You can learn more about my VIP Mentor Program here.

You can submit your VIP Mentor Program application here.

To celebrate the launch of my brand new Step of the Month Club, I am offering a free month of membership to anyone purchasing my The 10stepmarketing System

Small business owners and solo-professionals who purchase The 10stepmarketing System digital guidebook or 3-Ring Binder System will receive one month of free membership in the monthly marketing how-to club, with an option to cancel after their free month or continue with their membership at only $24.95 per month.

Members of the Step of the Month Club have access to monthly how-to small business marketing teleseminars, question and answer teleconference calls, how-to videos, a private members-only website and more.

To get your free month of membership by purchasing The 10stepmarketing System, please visit www.10stepmarketingSystem.com

Weekly Marketing Success Podcast: "Where to Start? Taking Your First Marketing Step!"

I receive a lot of emails from new business owners, or people who want to start their own business, asking "Where do I start?"

They want to know what to do first when they start their business, or what's the first thing they need to do to create a marketing plan for their business.

Yes, it can be overwhelming when you're just starting out. Listen as I share some advice about how to avoid the overwhelm and what to do first.

Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 6:46 minutes)

I have been involved in the marketing industry for over 21 years. And, up until three years ago, I worked primarily in offline marketing, creating and implementing marketing plans that consisted primarily of print advertising and broadcast advertising for my clients.

Three years ago when the idea for 10stepmarketing was born, I jumped head-first into the world of Internet marketing. And, I have spent the past three years as a "sponge" soaking up everything I could learn about online marketing and applying and testing what I learn in my own online businesses.

This week, I am about to embark on yet another new form of marketing - Direct Response TV. For the past year I have been working with an infomercial production company to develop a long form infomercial (28:30 in length) to promote and sell my 10stepmarketing System nationwide. We'll be selling the newly updated CD version of this product.

After a full year of hard work and lots of patience, that infomercial begins testing in markets across the U.S. today. The test will run for two weeks and based on the results generated we will make a decision whether or not to roll-it out in full force.

I've learned a lot about the infomercial business over the past year. And, I've gotten over some of my initial reservations about using this sometimes controversial marketing avenue. I have realized that while this is not an avenue that I included in my original marketing plan, this is a wonderful opportunity reach and help many more people, much more quickly, than I could otherwise.

I've learned that there is a definite science to direct response television marketing. And, I am very glad I have a team of seasoned direct marketing professionals working on this project with me. This team involves direct response script writers, seasoned infomercial television producers, a call center staff, project managers, and of course my fulfillment company. This is definitely a project I could not do without this entire team!

For now, we are all crossing our fingers and hoping to achieve a MER (media efficiency ratio) of at least 1.8 so that we can proceed with a national roll-out. Our goal at roll-out is a 2.0 MER.

If we don't achieve a 1.8 (that means the infomercial generates at least $1.80 for each $1.00 spent on media airtime) we will either go back and make some adjustments to the show, or we'll abandon the project. As I said, there is a definite science behind direct response TV advertising.

Needless to say I am dreaming of 1.8's or higher!

I just completed writing and publishing a brand new Ebook titled, Top 10 Marketing Mistakes Solo-Professionals And Small Business Owners Make and How To Avoid Them So Your Business Will Grow and Prosper! This 29-page Ebook is available for free on the 10stepmarketing website.

After training solo-professionals and small business owners in small business marketing techniques for the past five years, I noticed I was seeing the same mistakes being made over and over again. So I felt it was time to get this information out to small business owners and solo-professionals in the hopes it will help them avoid making these business-stifling mistakes.

To get your copy of this free Ebook simply subscribe to the free 10stepmarketing Ezine on the 10stepmarketing website.

Weekly Marketing Success Podcast: "Do You Know Where to Find Your Ideal Clients?"

One of the most important steps you can take when developing your marketing plan, is to identify who your ideal clients are. But once you've done that, then what?

Pretty simple actually, you have to figure out where you can find them. And, you have to get your marketing in front of them. Well this is often easier said than done.

Listen as I share some tips on how and where to find your ideal clients.

Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 5:13 minutes)

I am very proud to announce that my flagship product, The 10stepmarketing System "How to Successfully Market Your Business in 10 Simple Steps," has been awarded the 2007 APEX Award for Publication Excellence in the How-to Writing category. This is the second year in a row my small business marketing how-to guidebook has been honored with an Apex Award. Nearly 5,000 APEX entries were received with 1,521 Awards of Excellence handed out. A PDF with a detailed list of all award winners is available here.

This award was presented to my completely updated 2007 Step-by-Step Guidebook. The updated version includes over 40 new pages, including two new sections on advertising and Internet marketing. The 188-page updated how-to guidebook is comprised of 10 steps that teach small business owners and solo-professionals how to market effectively while also helping them create and implement a marketing plan.

The how-to guidebook is part of The 10stepmarketing System which sells online for $97.

APEX 2007 awards were based on excellence in graphic design, editorial content and the success of the entry in achieving overall communications effectiveness and excellence. The APEX Awards are sponsored by the editors of Writing That Works: The Business Communications Report, published by Communication Concepts, Inc. of Springfield, Virginia. 2007 marks the 19th year the awards competition has been held.

I am a constant student of Internet marketing strategies. And, a tried and true online marketing method is to build an email list. So, from day one, I have been publishing a weekly ezine (e-newsletter) for 10stepmarketing.

Over the past two years, I have tested various ways to build my email list. I have played with the placement and color of the opt-in box on my website home page. I have added an opt-in box to all of my web pages. I have tested a squeeze page - a home page without navigation where the only option to get more information is to subscribe to my ezine.

I have used article marketing and online public relations to drive more traffic to my website. And, I started this blog in 2006 to build upon my online presence, share free marketing information and 10stepmarketing updates, and yes, to continue building my list and provide additional linkbacks to my main 10stepmarketing website.

And, this month I am testing yet another list building method: a hover ad. A hover ad is a form of pop-up that actually floats within the same page as your website home page, so it typically is not detected by pop-up blockers.

Now that may upset some people because it sounds like I am trying to get around the pop-up blockers. But as an Internet marketer, whose livelihood depends in large part on people joining my email list, and as someone who shares online and offline marketing advice with other small business owners and solo-professionals, I must be open to testing new Internet marketing methods. I also offer tons of free marketing information to anyone who joins my email list.

Besides, my hover ad is not an obnoxious pop-up. It is simply an invitation to get my brand new free Ebook, "Top 10 Marketing Mistakes Small Business Owners Make" and a subscription to my free, weekly 10stepmarketing Ezine, that slides in over the top of my website home page.

I will be tracking the effectiveness of this hover ad approach and comparing it to the mailing list opt-in's I received with my standard website home page, and with my squeeze page. For the record, when I moved from a standard home page to a squeeze page in 2006, I TRIPLED my opt-in rate!

By the way, a friend recommended I purchase Corey Rudl's Hover Ad Creator for $97. But after I purchased it, I realized that my email list management service, Aweber, also offers hover ads. So I am testing out the Aweber version first.

I'll be sure to keep you posted on the hover ad results.

Have you tested a hover ad? If so, I'd love to hear how it worked for you. Please post a comment and share.

Weekly Marketing Success Podcast: "Take a Business Time-Out. 5 Steps to More Success."

Building your own business is not an easy task. While I find it one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done, and I love creating, it can at times be overwhelming.

There's so much to do. And all the decisions rest in my hands. That means I am responsible for the successes, and the failures. If you're not careful, that can turn your life into a virtual rollercoaster ride.

Here are 5 Steps you can take to avoid overwhelm and create more success in your business.

Click Here to Download MP3/Audio

(length 6:56 minutes)

I work out at the gym every morning. And, as I put in my 30 minutes on the cross trainer I have a pretty good view of the entire gym floor. Lately, there has been a guy who has caught my eye. Not in THAT way ... I'm married! No, he has attracted my attention because of the way he works out.

You see, I used to work for the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and I spent a lot of time around folks who know the proper form for lifting weights. The big thing at ACE was "safe and effective" exercise.

Well this guy uses the worst form I've seen. He expends so much energy ... he's jerking and swaying and pulling - it's quite a sight. Instead of isolating his muscles and working them in a controlled way, he is trying so hard to lift as much weight as possible, that there is no way he can maintain proper form and do the exercises correctly.

The bottom-line is, his workouts are probably not very effective, even though he is spending a lot of time at the gym. And, odds are, eventually he is going to hurt himself.

So what does this have to do with marketing? Well, many business owners are expending a lot of time, money and energy on their marketing, but they aren't following the basics to ensure their marketing will be effective. They are focused on quantity, and getting as much marketing out there as possible, but in the process they are not taking care to ensure they are reaching the right audience, or using the right message, or implementing the right marketing activities.

So just like the guy from the gym, they are spending lots of time on marketing, but they aren't getting the maximum benefit.

What's the solution? Getting educated. Learning how to market the right way. Taking the time to create a marketing plan so you have the proper foundation for your marketing activities. A marketing plan focuses your marketing the same way proper form isolates your muscles. Both are required for maximum effectiveness with the minimum effort.

And, as a solo-professional or small business marketer, with many hats to wear and a small marketing budget, being efficient with your time and money is crucial.

For nearly three years, I have been building 10stepmarketing on the side, while I operate my marketing consulting business, DLC Marketing, Inc. Running both businesses has been a lot of work, but because I was new to Internet marketing and information marketing, it has been necessary for me to continue to operate my marketing consulting business while I learn and build my Internet marketing-based business.

I have learned a ton about Internet marketing over the past three years and have launched two additional Internet-based ventures during that time: TwinConnections.com and 6FigureWorkAtHomeMom.com.

Things have been going well, and with all the projects I have in the works for my Internet-based businesses, there seems to be less and less time for consulting. So I made the decision this month to finally transition away from my consulting business and focus 100% of my time on my Internet-based businesses.

This month alone I launched two new 10stepmarketing programs, my Step of the Month Club and my VIP Mentor Program. Thanks to these two new programs I had my biggest month ever in July!

I introduced 6FigureWorkAtHomeMom in May and received an overwhelming response to my first teleclass series where I was able to teach nearly 30 women how to build work-from-home businesses that can earn them 6 figures.

My 10stepmarketing Infomercial launched this month, and I am working on two books, one for Twin Connections and one for 6FigureWorkAtHomeMom.

Moving away from my marketing consulting has definitely required a leap of faith. It's something that I have been doing for nine years and it has allowed me to earn a very comfortable living. But I feel the time has come to follow my true passion of teaching and coaching, and it is amazing to see how the Universe has opened up in the past month, now that I have taken this leap of faith.

To have my biggest sales month ever in over two years of Internet marketing is amazing! If that isn't a sign I'm moving in the right direction, I don't know what is!

Have you taken a leap of faith to start a new business? If so, I'd love to hear about it. Please post a comment and share.

If you are in business today, you absolutely need to have a website. But often, for the solo-professional or small business owner, getting a high quality website can seem like a cost-prohibitive proposition.

After all, many website development companies charge thousands of dollars to design and build a website.

I faced the same problem when I started my own business 9 years ago. Even though I had contacts through my work with local advertising agencies, I realized I couldn't afford to hire these companies.

Fortunately after spending the past 9 years uncovering inexpensive marketing options to suit my budget and my clients' budgets, I have discovered several ways you can get a high quality website at a very low cost.

There are website builders you can use to easily build your own website. Website Tonight from
Go Daddy is one such service.

You can build your own website using Microsoft Frontpage and a Frontpage Template.

Or you can hire someone to design and build your website for you on Elance.com. I also have several website designers that I recommend in my 10stepmarketing Resource Center. So, no matter how small your budget, you can easily get a quality website for your business.

Personally, I have built my own websites from scratch using Microsoft Frontpage, I have use Frontpage Templates and I have used a professional website development company that I located on Elance.com. And all three have proven to be great website solutions at very cost effective prices.

Have questions about these services? You can get them answered in my Step of the Month Club Q&A call happening tomorrow, August 1st at 11am Pacific Time. This call is free for all Step of the Month Club members. Not yet a member? Join today and get one month on me!