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Small
Business Marketing Idea: Award
Winning Marketing
I work
with an advertising agency that doesn't believe in entering their work
in awards competitions.
Here's
the reason. The CEO believes the goal should always be to create
advertising that grows his clients' businesses. NOT to create work to
win awards.
He
wants that to be perfectly clear to everyone he employs.
And
you know what, that makes perfect sense to me. If I were one of his
clients I certainly would want the team creating my ads to be solely
focused on growing my business.
So in
his case, I support his decision not to enter awards competitions.
On the
other hand, as a marketer, I also believe that awards can be great
marketing tools.
Winning an award means your work has been judged superior. It provides a
third party endorsement of your product or service.
Let's
face it. You can say anything you want about your own products and
services. And hopefully most marketers have integrity and don't make big
claims their products and services can't support.
But in
the end, it's still your opinion ... it's still YOU talking about your
own stuff.
A
Great Credibility Builder
An
award is someone else's opinion that your stuff is good. And that can be
worth a lot, depending on the award and the judges.
Plus,
when you win an award, you have an opportunity to merchandise that award
- to use it to market your products and services.
And A
Great Way To Get Press Coverage
For
example, you can issue a press release announcing the award. This can be
worth thousands of dollars in media exposure ... that's free marketing!
Or you
can add copy and the award logo to your website or your sales materials.
This adds credibility.
You
could even use the award as a reason to host a special promotion for
your customers, to thank them for helping you win.
So I
encourage you to look around your industry. Find out what awards
competitions recognize products or services in your category of
business.
And
seriously consider entering.
You
won't always win ... but when you do, you can use it to generate some
great marketing exposure.
Debbie LaChusa created
The 10stepmarketing System to
make marketing your own business as simple as answering 10 questions.
Learn more about this unique, step-by-step system and get a free 10-week
Marketing E-Course when you
subscribe to the free, weekly 10stepmarketing Ezine at
www.10stepmarketing.com
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