Success tip #1: Set your business apart from the crowd!
Today I decided to take a walk to my daughter's school (something a bit unusual, but not unreasonable since the gas prices went up) for a change. I was totally enjoying the break from my small office routine when it hit me -- " my neighborhood has changed. Too many small businesses had just disappeared and on their windows were signs: "For lease"
Being a small business owner myself, I know how fragile a startup can be, how easily your marketing efforts could be lost in this noisy world. There is an ocean of businesses out there, and everyone is fighting for survival.
So how can you succeed? Well...it's easy -- you have to STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD! That, of course, is easily said than done.
There is one very clever way which I strongly recommend: Use Humor! Clever humor is always appreciated and if you can make your clients smile, they will always come back to you.
Before you start, ask yourself:
1. What is the main message I want to send about my services, products, company? 2. Who are my customers? 3. What is my point of difference and how can I use humor? Once you are clear on your goals, there are many easy, effective ways to add humor and make you stand out:
1. Get a Cartoon Logo: The logo is the very face of your business. You have to be really careful (read: not cheap) when you decide on a logo design. Too many places use the same fonts, the same colors, the same globe and whatnot. The final result? The all look the same. So set yourself apart -- get a custom drawn cartoon logo. There are too many benefits to mention, but I'll give you just one example: check out Eskimo Joe's in Stillwater, Oklahoma. His owner Stan Clark started with a simple Eskimo and dog cartoon logo design, created by an amateur designer. Today Eskimo Joe's is a multi-million dollar clothing company with t-shirt sales only surpassed by the Hard Rock Cafe! Now, that's amazing!
If you want a cartoon logo, I strongly recommend http://www.humorlogos.com/
2. Humor advertising: It goes without saying - humor, at least in advertising, sells as much as sex. Just turn on the TV and observe. Do you know that the new Apple advertising campaign (Mac vs PC) is probably the most effective one ever? Why? Because it is funny, and people remember it. But there is much more to advertising... There are:
Printed ads: - newspapers - fliers - Yellow pages, etc.
Street advertising: - Street banners - Vehicle wraps, etc. If you want a humorous advertising campaign, I strongly recommend http://www.funnysells.com/
3. Who said Presentations? If you have to do presentations, always consider starting with a joke or using cartoons in them. Humor is the most effective way to break the ice and add a flavor of trust to the audience.
