Hi. My name is Kristin and I’m a Groupon junkie.

I have been for at least two years now.
I admit it, I have a problem.

I feel as if Groupon was created just for me and people like me…aka bargain shoppers. However, even though the Groupon deals are a benefit to me, the shopper, I still often wonder how businesses make a profit when they are offering such outstanding discounts.

I understand that they “hope” the customer returns and buys the product/service again but at full price, however, what really are the chances of that? Looking back at all of the Groupons I’ve purchased – from massage specials, to restaurant discounts, to boot camp deals – I have yet to go back to any of the businesses after using my Groupon.

The other day I came across this article that brought up some really great points on how Groupon does not benefit the businesses using it. One main argument the author made that really struck a chord with me was #3, Groupon does not build loyalty. And, as I mentioned before, I’m living proof of that. His resolution to this and the other points he brings up – focus on YOUR CUSTOMERS.

This doesn’t solely apply to businesses using Groupon; it also applies to B2B marketers. Of course everyone wants to win that RFP and get the new business, however, sometimes it’s best to focus on your current clients and nurture them before seeking new business.

Attempting to gain a new relationship can use up more energy and take up more of your valuable time compared to building a current relationship. If you can retain a client and gain their trust, your workload will most likely keep increasing, resulting in more $$$!

Don’t get me wrong. I believe that business development plays a HUGE role in growing a company’s assets. However, I also think that more than likely, there is a lot of additional business to gain from your current clientele that you may not even realize.

My word to the wise – continue seeking out new business, however, don’t forget about your current book of business and the hidden opportunities you may be able to uncover.

Images courtesy allspentout.blogspot.com and etresvelte.blogspot.com

I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for infomercials and the products being sold on them.

Ever seen the Happy Hot Dog Man or the Sham Wow! Mop? How about the Shake Weight? And, I’m sure everyone out there knows of the infamous Snuggie – given they’ve sold more than four million of them, I wager some of you reading this probably own one, too!

What amazes me is that these are all fairly simple ideas, but somehow these products have really caught on and earned their inventors thousands, and in some cases, millions, of dollars.

This got my marketing brain thinking. How can something such as a backwards robe become so popular and make so much money?

The answer I came up with is clever positioning. Product positioning is a marketing technique intended to present products in the best possible light to different target audiences.

Infomercial products seem to always be positioned as one of a kind, desirable and inexpensive. A lot of them are the “ah-ha” products that make you think, why didn’t I come up with that?

The successful products also seem to have mass appeal and are directed at a broad audience. For example, the Happy Hot Dog Man cutter is obviously directed at children. But my 29-year-old-self ended up watching the entire 30-minute infomercial because something about the unique hot dog cutter really had me intrigued!

Products on infomercials are proof that you shouldn’t doubt any of your marketing ideas that you feel may sound ridiculous. As long as you can think outside of the box and come up with creative ways to position the product, your “silly” idea could easily turn into genius – My Booty Belt is proof!

Nails scratching across a chalkboard…People chewing with their mouths open… Toothpaste remnants in the bathroom sink…People with no manners… Last but not least, SPELLING and GRAMMAR ERRORS!

Can you tell which pet peeve I feel very strongly about?! Ding, ding ding…spelling and grammar errors take the cake!

Growing up I always considered myself pretty good at spelling and grammar, and still do to this day. And, after being in the marketing industry for almost seven years now, I’ve come to realize how important this skill has helped me out, especially when proofreading.

Proofreading is essential when it comes to marketing. The last thing you want to do is send your client a piece that has a spelling error, missing logo, etc. So, over the years, I’ve developed many proofreading techniques that have helped me out immensely and I’m hoping can help others, too.

K-Tips:

• Print out the document and don’t proof it just by viewing an electronic version on your computer monitor. A print-out could show errors that may not appear on the monitor.
• Read the copy out loud to yourself. Sometimes hearing what you’re proofing is more beneficial than reading silently to yourself. Yes, your co-workers may look at you a little funny, but it’s worth it.
• Have at least one other person proof the marketing piece before sending to the client. If you’ve looked at the piece over and over again, you can easily skip past something as simple as an incorrect phone number or website.
• View each proof as if you’ve never seen it before, especially if you’ve been working on the project for a while. As mentioned above, you can easily miss simple errors.
• If you’re proofing a piece that is part of a campaign, compare it to other campaign pieces to make sure the message is consistent.
• Place the original document right next to the revised document and compare the revisions side-by-side.
• Read the copy out of sequence. For example, read it backwards starting with the last sentence.
• If your client emailed you changes, compare the revised proof directly to the email. Even if you noted the client’s changes on a print-out, you could have easily missed a revision which is why it’s always good to go back to the original source.
• Don’t solely rely on spellcheck to catch errors.
• Proof a document at least two times.

Hopefully these “K-Tips” help you as much as they’ve helped me. With that said, if anyone finds a spelling error in this blog post, your next Starbucks is on me!

photo credit: Zazzle.com