Cost Effective Marketing with BETTER Results

Who says you can’t compete with the advertising budgets of bigger businesses? Research shows that small businesses areBOOMING due to better customer service, more personal engagement, and strong word of mouth. Corporate entities simply can’t compete with that kind of intimacy and direct connection.

There is No Better Form of Advertising

While there’s no single formula for word-of-mouth success, no one can deny the power of trusted referrals. An estimated 80% of small business customers are facilitated through trusted networks and personal recommendations. Research shows that word-of-mouth marketing is by far the most effective (and economical!) form of advertising there is.

Even with the explosion of review applications (such as Yelp) research clearly demonstrates that word-of-mouth—product or service recommendations- made by people that you know and trust—is stillthe most effective way to win new customers.

I’ve experienced the power of word-of-mouth firsthand.

You may remember that Our Milk Money was started by a single email sent to immediate friends and family which went viral within a few days. By the time we launched the business directory, we had more than 800 pre-approved membership applications…all from personal connections and genuine word of mouth buzz.

Years later, I quickly became known as “The Twitter Coach.” Once word got out that I was teaching a guaranteed formula to drive targeted traffic, I had a wait-list of clients for more than 2 years. I never once paid for advertising.

Cash in on the Chatter

When we have a positive experience with a service provider, we love to share it with others. Women especially love being “in the know” on the best resources, and hidden gems. To capitalize on the PRIDE that your clients have by being worldly and well-informed, incorporate the following into your business practices:

EXCEED EXPECTATIONS. Get current clients to toot your horn by providing exemplary service and high-quality products on a consistent basis. Add that extra something-something, and you’ll be golden.

BE GENUINE, RESPECTFUL AND HONEST. Admit when you make mistakes, and always make it right. Stay approachable, receptive, and willing to demonstrate improvement. By developing meaningful relationships with customers and colleagues, you’ll find that others will stand behind you and enjoy taking part in your success.

MAKE IT EASY. By keeping your online presence ACTIVE and DYNAMIC your brand will easily stay top of mind . Be engaged, relevant and easily attainable on social media outlets.You’d be surprised how many opportunities might have been missed because a colleague or a friend couldn’t remember a complicated website address, or because you weren’t readily available in online circles.

PROVIDE INCENTIVES. Be ready and willing to be endorsed by others, and give them an added reason to do so. Never forgo your appreciation for those who have given you a favorable mention.

DO UNTO OTHERS… Share your positive experiences by recommending your colleagues (and enjoy receiving excellent endorsement karma in return!)

On This show…

My guest, Ken Empie is the owner of DotMeBaby.com, a domain registry and website hosting service. I’ve personally been working with Ken for several years and he’s someone that I feel 100% confident recommending to others –and I have– on COUNTLESS occasions. His attention to personal service is impeccable, his dedication to his clients is unrelenting, and his expertise in his industry is of the highest order. I am thrilled to be able to present Ken to you and to learn from him about domains and hosting for small businesses.

Meet Ken Empie!

Ken is the owner and operator of DotMeBaby, an internet domain registry and hosting solution. With a personal touch, Ken has built over 700 web sites and 71 applications to date.

Getting his start by building and troubleshooting networks and consulting for AutoCAD, DOS and Novell, Ken co-designed software for assets disposition in the late ’80s during the banking crisis and then founded the RTC Store in 1990. Soon after that, Ken created “Beyond Bit & Bytes”, a local access comedy cable television show that showcased software and helped people “Learn By Laughing”.

Ken headed the India division of ResolveNet, designing and building the first CAC (Computer Assisted Classification) system, a proponent of the UN-SPSC. He was the kenote speaker at ResolveNet’s World Leadership Conference in Cabo San Lucas for members of the United Nations, Governments and heads of fortune 1000 companies.

After the “dot-com” bubble burst in 2001, Ken was appointed Secretary of The Code Resolution Translation Authority where he designed and co-authored the UCIC, (Universal Commodity Identifier Code) to integrate the world’s top 124 international commodity codes.

Ken was a ghost writer and technical consultant on many internet related technical books to include some Apache and DOS series books and is known for his work on the CAC and other loose coupling translation systems. Ken currently does private consulting for businesses, celebrities and government agencies. **