This a "new twist" on an "old thing"...

When was the last time you took some time to reevaluate the way you were doing business? OR better yet, take a look at a completely different industry and take procedures and practices that are the norm for them, but would be an excellent option to modify for your own business and industry use?

This article was interesting to me from a marketing standpoint for several reasons. 1.) It's a new twist on an "old" classic 2.) It's focused on their core strength (kids/toys) 3.) It has a "real benefit" in that it actually helps the child.

Take a moment to read through and think about some old and new options that you can put into place for your own business today, this week, this month!

Enjoy!
_________

Hasbro's "Tooth Tunes":

"Hasbro plans on launching a musical toothbrush called 'Tooth Tunes' reports the WSJ.

'When pressed to the teeth, the toothbrush renders a recorded riff from a pop star that lasts two minutes -- precisely the amount of time dentists say children should spend brushing their teeth.

How does it work? 'The two-minute recording is stored on a microchip no bigger than a dot atop the letter i. Push a button on the toothbrush, and a minicomputer starts playing the song. Sound waves are transported through the transducer to the front teeth, traveling from there to the jawbone and then to the inner ear.

Hasbro is in talks with several recording artists about getting rights to their recordings. Many artists would probably consider a gig in a toothbrush beneath their talents. But others might welcome the daily exposure in their young fans' lives.'"

Read the rest of Hasbro's "Tooth Tunes article

Before you get into this article I found, may I ask you a question?

How much of a reader are you? Do you spend time DAILY learning more about what is going on in your industry and what the latest trends are so you stay ahead of your competition?

The reason I bring this up is that I am an AVID reader! I try to spend at least 60-90 minutes per day reading personal and business development material. Think about the insights you can gain for yourself and your business by being an astute student.

Just something to think about...

Here's an article I came across and wanted to share with you on the need to have "Patience in Marketing" as a Small Business Owner.

Enjoy!
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Patience in Marketing
by Jay Conrad Levinson

Take a reality check to determine how clearly you understand what your prospects are thinking each time they look at your advertisement.

The owner of a small business takes a leap of faith and contracts to run a weekly ad in the local newspaper with a frequency of once a week for a full year. After five weeks, the results displease him so much that he cancels his contract.

Five ads in five weeks seems like a lot of frequency in marketing. Five exposures do, indeed, establish some momentum. But they don't even come close to create enough desire to motivate a sale. To truly comprehend how much frequency is enough to spark that sale, you've got to know just what your prospects think from each exposure. Here is exactly what each one thinks as he or she looks at the ad you've run:

1. The first time a man looks at an advertisement, he does not see it.
2. The second time, he does not notice it.
3. The third time, he is conscious of its existence.
4. The fourth time, he faintly remembers having seen it before.
5. The fifth time, he reads it.
6. The sixth time, he turns up his nose at it.
7. The seventh time, he reads it through and says, 'Oh brother!'
8. The eighth time, he says, 'Here's that confounded thing again!'
9. The ninth time, he wonders if it amounts to anything.
10. The tenth time, he asks his neighbor if he has tried it.
11. The eleventh time, he wonders how the advertiser makes it pay.
12. The twelfth time, he thinks it must be a good thing.
13. The thirteenth time, he thinks perhaps it might
be worth something.
14. The fourteenth time, he remembers wanting such a thing
a long time.
15. The fifteenth time, he is tantalized because he cannot
afford to buy it.
16. The sixteenth time, he thinks he will buy it some day.
17. The seventeenth time, he makes a memorandum to buy it.
18. The eighteenth time, he swears at his poverty.
19. The nineteenth time, he counts his money carefully.
20. The twentieth time he sees the ad, he buys what
it is offering.

The list you've just read was written by Thomas Smith
of London in l885.

But here we are beginning a new millenium, so how much of that list is valid right now, today? The answer is all of it. Guerrillas know that the single most important element of superb marketing is commitment to a focused plan. Do you think commitment is easy to maintain after an ad has run nineteen times and nobody is buying?

It's not easy. But marketing guerrillas have the coolness to hang in there because they know how to get into a prospect's unconsciousness, where most purchase decisions are made. They know it takes repetition. This knowledge fuels their commitment. Anyhow, they never thought it was going to be easy.

As real estate is location location location, marketing is frequency frequency frequency.

**This Article from Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson

Use Blogging to Increase Your Reputation and Your Salesby Janiece V. Smith
© Janiece V. Smith - All Rights Reserved http://www.expressprofitsonline.com
Many people on eBay wonder whether they need a Web site. Is it worth the time? Is it worth the cost? Is it possible to learn the technical jargon to create a site that is worth having? Now, with blogging, the answer is yes!
Blogging is the new rage. It is a buzzword that you will find everywhere! In fact, a recent check using the Google search engine found a whopping 2,420 news articles on blogging! The question, then is, what is a blog and what does it have to do with you?
Let me first answer the first part of the question. A 'blog' is short for Web log. Basically, it's an online journal that is available on the Web. The activity of updating a blog is called 'blogging' and someone who keeps a blog is called a 'blogger.' Blogs are easy to update and maintain because you do not have to know any HTML. In fact, you don't have to understand much beyond typing! Blogs are constantly updated with new commentary and links about a particular topic.
Now, to answer the second part of the question, what does blogging have to do with you--an eBay seller. Well, it should have plenty!
Please click here to continue reading this article…..
http://www.expressprofitsonline.com/resources/eBayBlogs.htm

Small Business Marketing - Marketing Strategies for Small Business Owners: "Small Business Marketing Quote -

'For most businesses, including nearly all traditional 'offline'
businesses, the optimal purpose of a website is NOT to make a
sale, but to capture as many leads as possible.'"

Are you looking to market your small business on the Web?
Maybe establish a website for your company? When was the
last time you took a few minutes to evaluate the possibility of
utilizing the greatest marketing medium to help build your business?

What makes the Internet and having a website such a tremendous
opportunity for the success of your small business?

According to Brad Fallon, Author and Search Engine Optimization expert. . .


You already have a website setup? If so, great! I'm glad
you've taken a step forward and done something that holds
most people back, you've taken some A-C-T-I-O-N!

The real question is, "What is your website Doing for YOU?"

What specific goals and purpose is there to having your site?
If you haven't clearly defined what you hope to get from having a
website then you and your small business will end up being just
another "faceless" website on the Internet competing with the
millions and millions of other small businesses looking to
market their company!

So what can you do to improve YOUR chances of Success?

1. Establish the purpose of your website! Is it there to get new leads with contact information? Provide content and useful information to your visitors? Do direct sales with a full salesletter?



2. Put on your "construction" hat! Do you already have a site up and running? Or are you like Kevin Costner?--"If you build it, they will come!" Whether your starting from scratch or thinking of doing some "remodeling" to an existing site, you need to make sure that key elements are taken into consideration with a site.



3. Do more then just setup a "beautiful" site! It's not "just" about the design and look of your site, it's about knowing the additional in's-and-out's of optimizing your webpages to help get ranking in the Search Engines. It's about knowing what keywords and keyword phrases your target market is using online. How about working with other webmasters? Utilizing a web designer with only excellent graphic skills that can do neat "tricks" won't necessarily get you to your business goals. Look for someone who can provide the need tools in developing your site AND providing the necessary marketing tools and strategies to give you the competitive advantage!

"Giving prospects their space provides time for you to show you are serious about gaining their trust and business. . . Remember: you build good relationships over time, based on effective communication."
(Creating Customers Out of Thin Air, pg. 52)

Please contact me at either of my primary business sites:

J5Enterprises.com - Web and Marketing Consulting

Small-Business-Marketing.NET - Small Business Marketing Strategies