Broad Reach Marketing Services, LLC
Broad Reach Marketing Services, LLC
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  • Practical Marketing
  • About
    • Client Listing and Recommendations
  • Businesses We Serve
    • Healthcare >
      • Direct Primary Care Practices
      • Patient Satisfaction
    • Professional Services >
      • Client Satisfaction Surveys
    • Local Small Businesses >
      • Coaching
      • Customer Satisfaction
  • Our Team
    • Marketing Expertise
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Name your new business eBook
    • Name your practice eBook
    • Marketing your Business For Growth
    • Small Business Networking Groups

Marketing Tips for growing businesses

How much should you spend on a new business website?

5/17/2019

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When considering marketing options for new business, owners often ask about websites.
Questions like Do I really need a website? or How much will I have to spend? are frequently on their minds. There is a good reason for this – a website is a major investment of time and resources. 
So if this is something that you've been thinking about, keep reading!  We've compiled the following considerations, recommendations, and cost estimates to help you.
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Question 1  -- Do you need a website? 
Yes.  A website is a recommended investment in the success of your business. 
A well-developed website:
  • Helps legitimize your business -- most prospective customers will check websites and reviews before contacting a business. 
  • Can function as your online brochure, showcasing the products or services your offer and why they would want to do business with you. 
  • Can function as the “hub” of your marketing efforts, helping bring in leads, educating and engaging current and prospective customers.
  • Can help clarify your vision for the business. The process of developing the website, especially the home and about pages, will help the business owner clarify their values, target audiences and differentiators.
 
Note: There are a very few small businesses that can survive totally on word of mouth or by having a great location. But for the vast majority of businesses, prospective customers will use the website as a verification that you are a real business.
 
Question 2 – how much should you expect to spend?
The answer depends on your business situation - the type of business, the profile of preferred customers and the marketing strategy to attract them. 
  1. Do people typically conduct online searches for your type business? Will you depend on search results to bring in new business?  If so, then expect to spend more for a website and search engine optimization (SEO).
  2. What customization do you need?  If your business needs special features, like a secure customer portal, then that will add to the cost. Do you expect to sell products?  Then it will be important to invest in ecommerce features that optimize the buyer experience. 
  3. Do you have a vision for exactly how you want it to look, function, and communicate your brand?  To achieve this, a custom website may be the way to go. On the other hand, if you’re a new business or feel a unique design isn’t a high priority, a template-based site might be the answer as it will guide you to fill in certain spaces and pages.  
  4. What resources do you have? If you know a good website developer or marketing agency, use them.  If not, ask around business networks and check their references. But there are other options. If you are starting out with a very limited budget or just testing the market, you can experiment with template-based sites like Wix, Weebly and Squarespace. These sites are user friendly and when well thought out, can look very professional.  One drawback is their SEO capability, but they are trying to improve that. In fact, Wix is currently hosting a contest for marketing agencies to try to convince them or their to their improved SEO capability.
  5. What is your total marketing budget? A small business working with a web developer or design firm can expect to pay between $2K to $9K for a website (depending on number of pages and complexity) and $5K + for e-commerce capabilities. Be aware, you should not spend all your total budget on your website as you’ll need a combination of marketing tactics to attract visitors and convert them into customers.  For example, If SEO is important to your business, you may want to jumpstart your optimization efforts with Google/Bing Ads. But winning the SEO battle takes a continued and diversified effort so you’ll not want to put all your eggs in the SEO basket, so to speak.

Effectively launching or reinvigorating a business goes beyond creating a website and includes developing a  marketing strategy with more than one way to attract customers. So how much you should spend depends on several factors -- look for options that fit your business goals and budget.
 
Thanks for reading!  For questions on websites or marketing strategies to grow your business, contact us.
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Marketing Trends Small Businesses Should Note

3/8/2019

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Marketing trends
What direction is marketing going in 2019? 
According to recent research reports, there are 5 trends that local businesses and professional practices should watch closely in the year ahead:
 
1. The Need for Speed (for Mobile)
Google has made it clear that the time it takes for your site to load on a mobile device is extremely important and will be used as a factor in determining search ranking. This had been driven by more consumers using mobile devices -- they tend to be impatient. Slow pages will lose out!
 
2. The Ever-Growing Importance of Online Reviews and Ratings
Local businesses already know they benefit from having good online reviews and ratings. But these are growing in importance -- these evaluations are not just nice to have but should become an essential part of your marketing strategy. A recent survey found that 86% of US consumers consult online reviews and ratings when evaluating local businesses.
 
3. Customer Reviews Growing Impact on Search Engine Optimization 
Because online reviews and ratings are so highly valued by consumers, they can now impact local search engine optimization (SEO). Google appears to be incorporating high ratings and positive reviews in ranking mapped local business. This means that without a number of good reviews and ratings, your practice may be less easily found in search results.
 
4. Google My Business Increases Importance
After phasing out G+, Google put more emphasis on their Google My Business platform. If you only have time for one marketing activity, update your Google My Business listing!  An analysis by Moz of local search rank factors found that Google My Business elements — the specified address, keywords, categories, etc.— have the most influence on local pack results and the fourth-most influence on organic results overall.
 
5. Facebook Changes and Recommendations Become More Valuable
Facebook has also had a series of recent product changes. These include easier options for highlighting things like special events and sales. In addition, Facebook has emphasized Recommendations, a feature that allows people to suggest firms they like by using text, photos, and tags.
 
If you’d like to discuss how to best use these trends to help your business this year, let me know and we’ll set up a phone chat!
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5 Tips to get more people to read your blog

1/21/2019

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Do you feel like no one is reading the content you've so carefully composed, edited and maybe even sweated over?  

If so, you have a good deal of company -- there are many blogs out there and very few business owners start with a large following!  To help you get more readers, here are some tips from Neil Patel (who should know, as he  averages 37,000+ visitors to his blog) : 
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  1. Quote people you admire and link to them.  Then, send them a note to thank them and let them know you've shared their expertise. You might add that you'd be thrilled if they would share your blog! :) 
  2. Share your post on all of your social networks, but don't just share the link, add a brief introduction.  And don't share just once -- not everyone sees what you share the first time.  But space out the shares so you aren't boring people -- for example, plan to share a post 6 times a year, or every two months. 
  3. If you get comments -- great, repond!  That helps your reach and engagement score (part of most social media platforms algorithms) Be sure to respond (politely) to the comments and if you can, ask them another question!  (To encourage even more engagement).
  4. Send out to your list quickly after publishing and encourage your readers to share the content if they like it.  Don't have a list?  Add a form so they can subscribe and start building one. ​
  5. Look at your website analytics for top posts. Which posts attracted the most visitors from last year?  Take some time and if appropriate, update them so they have fresh content.  ​

Thanks for reading!  Let me know if any of these work for you. :)
If you need more ideas, go to the link for Neil's original post -- you can find it between post 902 and 903. 
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Does your website have the five things B2B buyers are looking for?

1/18/2019

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Whether you are an established business or just starting out, your website is an important vehicle for prospective clients to find and become interested in your services. It should be a great representative of your brand and the expertise you offer. 
 
Does  your site contain the information your prospects need to consider your firm?
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Let's start with some  facts - according to a recent survey conducted by the Society for Marketing Professional Services, SMPS, there are five types of information prospective buyers look for: 

What B2B Buyers are looking for on your website
#1 Expertise /Project Descriptions -- Prospects check for expertise to see if the firm has successful experience with projects that are similar to the one that they are looking to hire an outside firm to help with.
#2 Firm profile/history -- Prospects visit this section to learn about a firm’s size, longevity and priorities to see if they should contact them. They might also look for credentials, methodology, value or techniques/process. For example, for Architecture and Engineering firms, they may check for an ACASS rating (rating from the Federal Government) or professional memberships.
#3 Services provided -- This section helps prospective clients verify that the firm cam provide the types of service(s) that they need. Examples can help illustrate expertise and this information could be on the same page as the project descriptions.
#4 Client lists -- The fourth most visited area is client lists. Viewing a client list gives a prospect the confidence knowing the firm has worked for others in their industry. Testimonials are also helpful.
#5 Staff info -- While this area was only visited by 24% of respondents of the survey, when asked about what things they would have liked to check that they did not find on websites, they answered staff information, especially qualifications and certifications in the biographies of the staff.

Other items that impact prospect perceptions include:
Quality of the site itself – typos, difficult navigation, or outdated web design were sited as items that reflected negatively on the quality of the firm.
​Inconsistent Branding - images, content and graphics that do not reflect the companies values, culture and offerings.
Contact information – it is important that there is a way to contact the firm on each page.  

Does your website provide the key information listed above a way that supports your brand and business development efforts?  If you are not sure, please contact us to schedule a website review.
 
Other blogs on this topic: 
 http://www.broadreachmarketingservices.com/blog/do-you-really-need-a-new-website
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7 Ways to Thank Your Customers

12/7/2018

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'Tis the season to thank your customers!
 
Thanking your customers is a simple but effective gesture to let them know you appreciate them. This can be done in many ways. Here are a few:

  1. Write a note –  a thoughtful handwritten note and card can go a long way to show your appreciation. This is especially nice if you have good handwriting as it adds a very personal touch.
  2. Give a book – is there a book that has been especially helpful to you?  If your customers are other businesses, a book can also be a gift that helps explain your business values or philosophy. Writing a personalized note inside adds a nice touch.
  3. Send a treat – nice items to eat are usually a hit -- but be sure to take into account your customer’s food preferences before you do this.  Are they into losing weight?  Vegetarians?  You get the picture.  
  4. Take a customer or client to lunch or coffee – or if they prefer, bring a lunch to your customer’s office.  You can include everyone in the office in your invitation.  Make it casual and fun, and ask about their high points for the year. It's a great opportunity to listen and get to know the customer and their staff and you might even learn other ways you can help them.
  5. Try a gift card or “raincheck”– for customers who are too busy to take time out this time of year, send a gift card or schedule for January.
  6. Reward your loyal customers  – if you are in retail, you can email VIP specials, include small extras shipped with orders. or surprise them with discounts given at checkout.
  7. Make them smile – send a funny card, tell a joke, or share a heartwarming good news story with your thanks.
 
Note: However you choose to appreciate your customers, remember to stay consistent with your brand values. 
For example, if your values include supporting the local community, choose treats from non-profits or gift from locally-owned businesses. In the Triangle area, Life Experiences, Inc offers wonderful brownie and cookie trays for your office or key customers.  For those environmentally minded, the World Wildlife Fund has a array of choices. Or instead of gifts, you could donate to a charity of their choice.
 
Do you have some innovative ways your company appreciates your customers this holiday season? What type of customer appreciation do you value most? 
Or if you know of a non-profit with ideas for customer gifts, please feel free to share the links in the comments. 
 
Thank you for reading!  We appreciate our readers and wish you a wonderful holiday season! 
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How to Perk Up Your Social Media Efforts

10/14/2018

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​Are you posting more but getting less from your efforts?  As a small business marketer or owner, you only have so much time and resources. Explore the eight questions below to see how you can increase your social media impact.  
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​Eight Questions you should ask  

1) What is your goal for your Social Media efforts?
Take a step back (or grab a cup of coffee) and remember why you started doing social media in the first place.
What did you want to accomplish? For example, a new healthcare practice might be trying to grow awareness and interest. An established service business may be more interested in engaging existing customers for referrals and repeat business.
Your goals could include:
  • Building awareness
  • Generating Leads
  • Converting more leads to sales
  • Quickly responding to customer questions
  • Engaging existing customers
  • Creating upsell opportunities

Tip: It is better to focus on one or two goals and do them very well than to dilute your efforts by trying to do too much.
 
2) Do you know how well you are doing?  
If you already have metrics in place, review how well you’ve done so far and make the needed adjustments. If not, here are a few example measures that might be helpful:

Marketing goals and measurements
3) Are you reaching the right people?
The businesses that experience the most success with social media have a clearly defined target market. Think about who your ideal customers are and what would interest them.  For example, a gift shop surveyed their customers and found that they were interested in the locations where the products are made.  The shop began posting fun facts, short videos of landmarks, interesting places and the people they met on their buying trips. The result - likes and sharing increased. 

The key is to build followers that are truly interested in your product or brand. It helps to have someone in mind and feel like you are talking to them when creating posts.
 
4) Do you have a content plan?
Don’t have a content strategy or plan? Planning your themes, channels and posts for the next six months is well worth the time.
Planning and gathering ideas and images in one place will save time when creating posts. In addition, checking the month to month calendar will make sure you don’t miss important seasonal or holiday activities. There are many fun but little known holidays and it’s hard to keep track of them unless you have it on your plan.
In addition to regular holidays, there are lesser known, specialized, and sometimes even wacky days. For example, the fourth Saturday in October is Make a Difference Day.  Seems like a great day to celebrate if your organization does good work for the community.

If your plan feels overwhelming, check to see how your channels are working for you. 
Which channels are the best fit for both your ideal customer and your business?
Maybe you need to try a new channel to better connect --  and delete those that aren't working. If you haven’t posted on Instagram or Twitter in three months, think about why and determine whether you should continue.  

You do not have to be everywhere. Formulate a plan and use what works best for you and your business.
 
5) Have you offered to guest post?
This is a way to get your name/brand out and extend your reach to people beyond your normal circle. It is also a way to set up "backlinks" that help with search engine optimization.
It's a popular tactic, but it takes work. Before you ask for the opportunity to post on someone’s blog, do your research to make your addition relevant, advantageous and complementary to the blog host's businesses. And be prepared to follow through on the opportunity if they agree.
 
6)Are you engaging?  
Are you asking questions?  See what types of questions your target market responds to. Facebook has made it harder for business pages, but engagement still is key to extending your reach and having more people see your posts.
Listen -- if you get comments, reward them with a reply! 
Keep experimenting to see what works best. Monitor which posts and topics get the most shares and likes and use them as a model to create more like them.
 
7) Can you create “Evergreen” content?
Evergreen content  is not tied to trends and can be reused or repurposed on multiple channels.
Examples of evergreen content include:
  • Answers to frequently asked questions from your customers or followers
  • Industry tips, "how to" explanations or advice  (like back to school tips or how to change a tire)
  • Explanations of common industry concepts that may be confusing for readers (customer success vs customer service)
  • Here is an example from our blog 

8) Can you add a fun factor? 
Show that your company or brand is made of real people. Tell stories, show what’s behind the scenes and seek to connect on an emotional level. One way to do this is by describing any unusual traditions, people or company celebrations.
  • Does your company participate or have events that benefit the community? Show how you and/or your employees help make a difference. (Then you can celebrate Make a Difference Day!)
  • Do you have a fun side?  It’s okay to show the lighter aspects of your brand. The days of perfect video are over – you can show outtakes, improvisations and mistakes as well as achievements.

In conclusion, building a social media presence or brand takes time and effort. Through a focused, consistent and discipline approach, social media can be a valuable tool in your marketing toolbox that drives your business towards success.  If after giving social media a good try you find that it's not paying dividends, your business might be better served by focusing your marketing resources on more effective tactics. Don't feel bad -- there are many ways to market your business and you can still use social media in support of your other efforts. 

If you need help determining which marketing tactics work best for your business, please contact us for a  consultation to see how we can assist you. 

Thanks for reading! 
 
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36 Small Business Marketing Ideas to Give Your Sales a Boost

8/5/2018

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Are you feeling like you need to step up your marketing efforts?
If that’s the case, here are some ideas to consider. Some may be new, but you may also be reminded of ideas that you’ve been wanting to do but haven’t had time to implement.
For quick reference, we’ve organized the ideas by category. Take a look and see if any of these would help build your business! 
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​Market Planning and Research
1. Update or create a marketing plan for your business. To make sure you get optimal results, your business should have a marketing plan that aligns timing, tactics and implementation with market opportunities.
2. Ask your customers how you’re doing -- revisit or begin customer satisfaction research. 
3. Revisit your Value proposition  – does it still ring true?
4. Refine your target audience and niche.
5. Explore the advantages of offering a new product or service in combination with your current business. Example - conduct focus groups and get input from your target market.
 
Check over your Marketing Materials
6. Take a close look at your business cards  -- do they still represent the right image and convey key information about your business?
7. Think about printed materials – does your business need to create or update a brochure / sales sheet to leave behind with customers?
8. Evaluate if you need to update your website.
9. Check your online directory listings and get listed in desirable directories. 
 
Person to Person Networking
10. Update your (and your company’s) voice mail message – keep it current, change it when you have new events or specials.
11. Enhance your email signature.
12. Revisit your elevator pitch. Does it still fit? Can you make it better?
13. Introduce yourself to other local business owners – you can do this in person or using Alignable.com. Explore creating a promotion with other local businesses.
14. Find a creative promotional product that fits your business and brand -- give them to prospective customers and referral sources.
 
Direct Mail
15. Launch a targeted direct mail campaign. Think through your offer and call to action. You can create and test multiple approaches and measure their impact.
16. If you’ve used direct mail before, add tear cards, inserts or attention getting envelops to increase the impact of your mailing.
17. Contact past customers; send them an incentive to refer you or revisit your business.
 
Consider Advertising
18. If your business appeals to a wide target market, explore radio, billboard or even local TV advertising.
19. Use your car as a billboard – add a magnet, sticker or car wrap.  If you have employees, see if they would be willing to add your magnet to their cars.
20. Use a sidewalk sign for specials or to attract walk in traffic.
21. Run a Google AdWords (Google Ads) campaign
22. Create a Groupon to attract new customers or get them to try a new product or service.

Social Media Marketing
23. Experiment with social media for your business – or evaluate the results of your current efforts. 
24. Advertise on social media to attract new followers.
25. If your business sells to other businesses, try advertising on LinkedIn.
26. Evaluate starting a business blog.
27. If you already have a blog, try using video – add a video blog, and short video posts for your social media accounts.
28. List your business on Google My Business.
29. Add photos and videos to your Google My Business profile.
30. Create a post for your Google My Business profile.
 
Email Marketing
31. Add an email opt-in on your website or blog.
32. Create an offer that encourages people to add their email address to your list.
33. Send periodic email campaigns to your list.
34. Measure the effectiveness of your email campaigns.
 
Less Usual Marketing 
35. Create a business mascot to help promote your brand. This can be fun!
36. Take a stance on a hot industry or community topic, one that you have in-depth knowledge of or that aligns with your brand values. 

We hope you found this post of value. Did you find some ideas to try?
Please be aware that not all ideas will fit your business --
and the success of many of them depends on having the right messaging and timing. 
For help with planning or message development, contact us.
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How to Make it Easy for Patients to Find your Practice

7/6/2018

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Marketing strategy for findability
​If you're opening a new practice or want patients to find you more easily, put your practice on the map!  Registering to be found is one of the key building blocks to an effective local marketing strategy.

Start by creating a profile that accurately describes your mission, services, and contact information. 
Then claim your profile at these sites:  
 
1) Google.  When you open a new practice, sign up at Google My Business. This is one of the first actions you should take because listing with Google can literally “put you on the map” (Google Maps) and get your practice hours, phone number and location shown on the map results. Once you're in their system, you can add photos and videos to enhance your information. In addition, Google offers the option to add posts to your listing, noting any specials, new services, or events. You can even feature your latest blog. These posts can help your practice stand out -- and you don’t have to pay for this feature. 
 
2) Bing  Though Google is the dominant search engine, 1 in 5 people use Bing, to complete and verify your profile on this search engine as well.
 
3) Yahoo comes in third for search engine usage.  Now Yahoo has partnered with Yext on their listings and they try to confuse you into paying for the Yext service, but if you look closely and scroll down past the paid  options, you can still obtain a free listing. 
 
4) Yelp – a surprising number of people look at Yelp reviews for healthcare practices and providers.
To claim your listing, first check here to see if your practice is already listed.
Then if your practice is not yet listed, click ‘add your business to Yelp’, enter your information and submit.  
Please note that you will need to confirm the email address you provide to complete your business submission. 
If your practice is already listed,   here's how you can claim it.
 
 5) Patient review and rating sites are also important – Check your profiles at sites like HealthGrades.com, ZocDocs, Vitals.com  and RateMDs.com
 
   
In addition, depending on your practice type and situation, there are other sites and organizations that may be worthwhile to consider. If you are willing to pay a fee, local groups may also offer listing opportunities -- for example, listing with your local Chamber of Commerce is usually worthwhile.
  
Remember to verify and maintain accurate information on search sites. This is important whether you're in a new practice or one that's well established.  
 
Once you are registered, set up a schedule to review your listings on a regular basis to make sure they reflect the current state of your practice. Be sure to reflect changes in practice hours or services and check for new reviews.  Four Tips on maintaining your online reputation.
 
For help with creating or maintaining your online presence, call Broad Reach Marketing for more information.
 
Thanks for reading! 

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Prioritizing New Products, Services or Promotions

4/23/2018

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In our last blog, we talked about generating ideas. Good ideas can come from many sources, including   observation, employee suggestions and brainstorming sessions.

But what if you have more good ideas than time or resources to implement them? How do you make sure the best ideas don’t get overlooked? The answer is to systematically prioritize your ideas inline with your resources.

Large organizations have formal “Stage-gate” processes to manage the flow of ideas and prioritize implementation of the best ones. But if you are part of a smaller team or organization, you may not have such a system set in place. Without a way to evaluate and rank the ideas, you or your organization can fall into opportunistic mode, trying to jump on every opportunity as it comes along or working on "pet" projects that don't leave resources free for ideas that have more potential.
To help you sort through and prioritize multiple opportunities, check out the framework we've developed: 
 
                                               The Broad Reach Marketing 5-Step Prioritizing Framework

​1) List and describe the ideas you've generated. 
Some great ideas might require a bit of refinement or explanation. Look to see if any ideas are better when combined or built upon. Take the time to think through and define each one. 
 
2) Filter
  • Check for constraints – these could be legal, organizational or partner conflicts.
For example, a new product idea might violate an agreement with a supplier or distributor of your current products or services. There may be a physical constraint, such as a lease that limits the ability to re-locate that makes an idea unfeasible in the near future.

  • Evaluate for Alignment – see if the idea fits with your organization’s mission.
  • Assess how it utilizes and leverages distinctive competencies.  
 For example, a healthcare packaging company had a new product under evaluation. The idea was thought to have good potential, but there was a concern that it could cannibalize an existing product’s sales. Consulting the organization’s mission statement made this an easy call. When examining the future, the new product fit the company's mission even better than the existing product.
 
  • Think about the ability to execute – can you or your organization execute on this idea? How well can you do it with current resources?
(Note: Not having the resources to do something doesn’t mean the idea should be automatically rejected. If it is a truely a breakthrough idea, it might be worth pursuing a separate “how can we do this” or “Build, buy or partner” session.)

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​3) Rank
 Score each idea on the following aspects:
  • Perceived market need – does this solve a problem better than current solutions?
  • Market Opportunity – how large is the market; is this a target market that the organization currently reaches?
  • Differentiation – if the idea is not unique, can you differentiate it in some way that makes it stand out?
  • Effort and Resources needed to create the product or service
  • Estimated Margin potential
  • Return on Investment (SWAG)
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4) Plot on a chart so you can visually see where your ideas rank when you consider effort vs. return on that effort. 
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5) Test! 
Meet with potential customers. Don’t tell them the benefits of your idea; just show or illustrate what it does and ask the following questions:
  •  What problems (if any) does it solve?
  •  How would they benefit from using it?
  • What impact would it have on them, their business or their family?
  •  ​Where does this new idea fit on the impact scale?  
  • What is the value – what would they think this solution would be worth to them? 
This process can be done using whiteboards, flip charts or spreadsheets -- or a combination of all three. The key is to focus on the ideas that fit with the organization and will generate the best return on investment.  
Have questions about generating ideas or implementing this process?  Contact us! ​
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How to Generate Ideas

3/6/2018

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Need more ideas for your business?  Try these tips. 
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Change is rapid, constant and challenging to keep ahead of – products and marketing strategies that worked last year may not be as effective this year.

Implementing the same strategies as in the past may keep your business treading water, but new ideas are needed now more then ever for you to compete and engage with your preferred customers.

The need for creative ideas can span a wide range of possibilities and topics. Depending on your business type, market dynamics, target customers or stage in the product life cycle, your challenges may include ideas for new names, taglines, products, services, promotions, content or social media posts.

Whatever your objective, following the tips outlined below can help you generate that golden nugget you are looking for!

​1) Clearly define the problem, challenge or objective – write a single sentence which states what it is you are trying to get ideas around. This may sound basic, but getting clarity can help spark ideas. 
 
For example, if you were looking for new products you might start with why. Has your current product line stopped growing due to a gap in the offering or a feature it is lacking? Maybe you have received feedback indicating a characteristic of your offering is either unattractive or even annoys your customers?  This allows you to focus on how you can address these known challenges.
 
​“Simple can be harder than complex:
You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.
​But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
​– Steve Jobs
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​2) Set a timer – generate as many ideas as you can in short bursts of time. We’re talking 10 – 15 minutes here.
If you’ve eve been in one of those meetings that go on and on, did you notice as time goes on creative productivity decreases? The timer also gives you a constraint, which research has shown helps with creativity.

Try to do a couple of these sessions without evaluating or reiterating things from previous sessions.
You can do this on a screen, paper, on a white board or a flip chart, whichever makes you feel most creative. 
 
Here is how it may play out - if you are trying to generate a new name for your business, start with a clear idea of what you want the business to be.
Then, on a flip chart, write down all the words you can think of that describe or relate to this concept. Once you have your initial list, search to see if there are additional words or ideas from brands you admire even if they are unrelated. 
Then have fun making combinations of the words on your list and see how they sound.
For example, let’s say you’re designing a logo and branding for a holistic medical practice. You think of successful companies that have branding that emulates some of your practice's characteristics. Apple’s success in branding pops into your mind. That gives you the idea of fruit -- and maybe an unique image of a person combined with a super fruit like apricot or pineapple . . . remember at this point, there are no bad ideas, record them all without judging.
Picture


​“Ideas come from everything”
- Alfred Hitchcock
 

3) Be patient -- If ideas don’t flow, walk away.  Work on something else, get a cup of coffee, or go for a walk outside. Getting away can help relax and free your mind, letting your subconscious mind have a turn to work on the challenge. 
​
​"The air is full of ideas. They are knocking you in the head all the time. You only have to know what you want, then forget it, and go about your business. Suddenly, the idea will come through. It was there all the time." - Henry Ford
​
​4) Observe and Gather -- You have heard of hunter-gatherer. The creative you is now an Observer-Gatherer!
​Keep your eyes open and notice things around you.  Whenever a lightning bolt idea hits you – no matter what the topic – gather it up and save it. Useful techniques for this are to use Evernote, One Note, send yourself an email, or go retro and carry a little notebook. Do whatever works best for you - but do it – after just one month you will be surprised at the number of really cool ideas and original thoughts you will have collected!
Ideas are like shooting stars

​​
Great ideas can be like shooting stars –
capture them when you get them – jot them down –
​ and review them at a later date.
 
5) Bring others into the mix -- if you work with the team or have trusted friends, colleagues or advisers, share your ideas with them and get their reactions. Often, people that aren’t directly involved with the challenge can raise good questions and contribute novel ideas.
 
Tip: Create an evaluation free zone (or times) to share and discuss ideas. When you are trying to get good ideas, there are no bad ideas. An outlandish or crazy thought might not be so crazy with a few tweaks.
 
​ 
“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.”
- John Steinbeck
​
​6) Finally, if you work with a team, conduct a structured brainstorming session. This can be a very effective process in generating creative solutions. There are process parameters and session ground rules that should be followed – if done correctly it is amazing what your team will come up with!  Here are a few guidelines to get you started:
Invite open-minded, energetic positive people.
Don't allow criticism or editing of ideas; encourage participants to:
  • Build on each other’s ideas
  • Combine elements in novel ways
  • Bring in ideas from other situations or industries that are totally unrelated
  • Stand the idea on its head –try reversing or turning the idea upside down
  • Add humor – it stimulates creativity!

​“The best ideas come as jokes. Make your thinking as funny as possible.”
​- David Ogilvy

Author’s note: I love brainstorming and idea generation. As a marketing professional with a background in team dynamics, I’ve lead many brainstorming sessions to generate new product concepts and solve persistent or sticky problems. It works, it’s fun and truly more minds are better than one when it comes to creative problem solving.  
I hope these tips will be helpful for you.
Please comment or send me additional thoughts or experiences -- and thanks for reading!
Nancy 

Great idea generation usually results in more ideas than can be used. The next step is prioritizing and selecting ideas. If you need help with that, read our next blog or contact us to see how we can help your business grow. 

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