A job interview is a two-way street. The employer asks questions to determine if the interviewee is an ideal fit for the job, and the smart candidate uses the interview to assess how she would fit in, if she would be able to do her best work there, and how well aligned her goals are with those of the employer.
“Candidates must ask questions to determine if the job fits their career path and objectives,” says Lynn Taylor, a workplace expert and author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant. “The fact that this is a two-way interview is often lost on many job candidates, especially in this period of high unemployment, when it seems like employers hold all the cards. While you don’t want to be too choosy, you must be prepared in advance to ask any and all questions that will lead to the best possible match for you.”
So while you need to use the interview to convince the employer that you are the best candidate for the job, you also need to be convinced that the job and the company would be a great fit for you. “There is only one way for you to determine if the job is for you, and that’s to ask the interviewer the right questions,” says says Andy Teach, author of From Graduation to Corporation, and host of the YouTube channel FromGradToCorp.
Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources at CareerBuilder, agrees. “You are interviewing the employer just as much as that employer is interviewing you. Asking questions can give you a better sense of the company’s growth opportunities and culture, the manager’s leadership style
There will come a time in the interview—usually toward the end—when the employer gives you the opportunity to ask questions. Not everyone takes it. “Candidates sometimes freeze and are caught off-guard when they have the floor,” Taylor says. Sometimes it’s because they truly feel that they’ve gotten all of the information they need to help them make a decision about whether or not the job is for them, Teach adds. “Other candidates may feel that they don’t want to be seen as being annoying by asking too many questions in the interview. Some candidates realize by the end of the interview that they are not interested in the job and therefore don’t need to ask any more questions. If you’re not interested in the job, it’s perfectly acceptable not to ask any final questions. However, if you are interested in the job and don’t have any final questions, you risk being perceived as someone who is not truly interested, and that’s too big a risk to take,” he says.
Alexandra Levit, the author of Blind Spots: The 10 Business Myths You Can’t Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success, says if you decline the offer to ask questions you are missing a perfect opportunity to show that you’ve done your homework on the organization and given a lot of thought to your potential role. “Asking intelligent questions leaves the interviewer with a powerful impression of your value.”
Haefner says when CareerBuilder surveyed more than 2,500 employers for a study completed in December 2012, it found that 32% of hiring managers reported that not asking good questions is one of the most detrimental mistakes job candidates make during interviews. “If you don’t have questions, this could potentially send the message that you may not be that interested in the position or show a lack of confidence,” she says.
So when the tables are turned and you’re invited to ask questions, do it. “Remember that hiring managers appreciate an engaged conversation and value an inquisitive mind,” Taylor says. This may be your best chance to determine whether the job or the company is right for you.
“Asking the right questions also shows the interviewer that you’ve prepared carefully and are serious about the opportunity,” Levit says. It also says that you are savvy enough to take the additional opportunity to sell yourself. And finally, questions allow you to showcase your knowledge about the company and its industry, and to steer the interview into areas where you excel, Haefner adds.
Asking questions will only work to your advantage if they are the right ones. “I think hiring managers expect people to have thought through questions before for the interview,” says Anita Attridge, a Five O’Clock Club career and executive coach. “Asking a bad question is worse than asking none at all.”
Taylor agrees. “You don’t want to delve into touchy competitive or proprietary areas to appear particularly industry savvy. For example, you’re better off inquiring about their vision or mission than discussing competitive threats or market share loss. As interesting as the latest company buzz might be, remember that what you ask could ultimately be life changing if this truly might be your dream job.”
Lesson learned: Plan ahead and use caution when you take the floor in an interview.
Questions you should ask in an interview:
How would you describe the company’s culture and leadership philosophy?
Can you please show me some examples of projects that I’d be working on?
What is the single largest problem facing your staff, and would I be in a position to help you solve this problem?
What specific qualities and skills are you looking for in the job candidate?
Is this a new position, or did someone leave? If someone left, why did they leave or what did they go on to do?
What is the typical career trajectory for a person in this position?
What would you say are the three most important skills needed to excel in this position?
Who would be my manager, and will I have the opportunity to meet him or her?
Why do you like working here?
What does a typical day or week look like for the person in this position? Is there travel, flextime, etc?
How do you see this position contributing to the success of the organization?
What do you think distinguishes this company from its competitors, both from a public and employee perspective?
Does the company offer continued education and professional training?
How can I best contribute to the department?
What particular achievements would equate to success at this job? What would success look like?
Are you most interested in a candidate who works independently, on a team, cross-functionally, or through a combination of them all? Can you give me an example?
What is your ideal communication style with your staff? Do you meet regularly with your team, rely heavily on e-mail, use status reports or work primarily through other means?
How do you see me as a candidate for the job in comparison with an ideal candidate?
Do you have any concerns about me or about my qualifications that may prevent you from selecting me for the job?
What is the next step? When do you think you will be making a decision?
Questions to avoid in an interview:
Never ask for information you could have easily found with a quick Google GOOG -0.88% search.
Never ask if you can change the job details, the schedule, or the salary.
Never ask many questions about the interviewer’s background.
Never ask about pay, time off, benefits, etc. (Wait until later in the process to inquire about these things.)
Never ask “What does your company do?”
Never ask “If I’m hired, when can I start applying for other positions in the company?”
Never ask how quickly you can be promoted.
Never ask “Do you do background checks?”
Never ask about gossip you’ve heard.
Never ask if the company monitors e-mail or Internet usage.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/07/05/30-questions-you-should-and-shouldnt-ask-in-a-job-interview/
“Candidates must ask questions to determine if the job fits their career path and objectives,” says Lynn Taylor, a workplace expert and author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant. “The fact that this is a two-way interview is often lost on many job candidates, especially in this period of high unemployment, when it seems like employers hold all the cards. While you don’t want to be too choosy, you must be prepared in advance to ask any and all questions that will lead to the best possible match for you.”
So while you need to use the interview to convince the employer that you are the best candidate for the job, you also need to be convinced that the job and the company would be a great fit for you. “There is only one way for you to determine if the job is for you, and that’s to ask the interviewer the right questions,” says says Andy Teach, author of From Graduation to Corporation, and host of the YouTube channel FromGradToCorp.
Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources at CareerBuilder, agrees. “You are interviewing the employer just as much as that employer is interviewing you. Asking questions can give you a better sense of the company’s growth opportunities and culture, the manager’s leadership style
There will come a time in the interview—usually toward the end—when the employer gives you the opportunity to ask questions. Not everyone takes it. “Candidates sometimes freeze and are caught off-guard when they have the floor,” Taylor says. Sometimes it’s because they truly feel that they’ve gotten all of the information they need to help them make a decision about whether or not the job is for them, Teach adds. “Other candidates may feel that they don’t want to be seen as being annoying by asking too many questions in the interview. Some candidates realize by the end of the interview that they are not interested in the job and therefore don’t need to ask any more questions. If you’re not interested in the job, it’s perfectly acceptable not to ask any final questions. However, if you are interested in the job and don’t have any final questions, you risk being perceived as someone who is not truly interested, and that’s too big a risk to take,” he says.
Alexandra Levit, the author of Blind Spots: The 10 Business Myths You Can’t Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success, says if you decline the offer to ask questions you are missing a perfect opportunity to show that you’ve done your homework on the organization and given a lot of thought to your potential role. “Asking intelligent questions leaves the interviewer with a powerful impression of your value.”
Haefner says when CareerBuilder surveyed more than 2,500 employers for a study completed in December 2012, it found that 32% of hiring managers reported that not asking good questions is one of the most detrimental mistakes job candidates make during interviews. “If you don’t have questions, this could potentially send the message that you may not be that interested in the position or show a lack of confidence,” she says.
So when the tables are turned and you’re invited to ask questions, do it. “Remember that hiring managers appreciate an engaged conversation and value an inquisitive mind,” Taylor says. This may be your best chance to determine whether the job or the company is right for you.
“Asking the right questions also shows the interviewer that you’ve prepared carefully and are serious about the opportunity,” Levit says. It also says that you are savvy enough to take the additional opportunity to sell yourself. And finally, questions allow you to showcase your knowledge about the company and its industry, and to steer the interview into areas where you excel, Haefner adds.
Asking questions will only work to your advantage if they are the right ones. “I think hiring managers expect people to have thought through questions before for the interview,” says Anita Attridge, a Five O’Clock Club career and executive coach. “Asking a bad question is worse than asking none at all.”
Taylor agrees. “You don’t want to delve into touchy competitive or proprietary areas to appear particularly industry savvy. For example, you’re better off inquiring about their vision or mission than discussing competitive threats or market share loss. As interesting as the latest company buzz might be, remember that what you ask could ultimately be life changing if this truly might be your dream job.”
Lesson learned: Plan ahead and use caution when you take the floor in an interview.
Questions you should ask in an interview:
How would you describe the company’s culture and leadership philosophy?
Can you please show me some examples of projects that I’d be working on?
What is the single largest problem facing your staff, and would I be in a position to help you solve this problem?
What specific qualities and skills are you looking for in the job candidate?
Is this a new position, or did someone leave? If someone left, why did they leave or what did they go on to do?
What is the typical career trajectory for a person in this position?
What would you say are the three most important skills needed to excel in this position?
Who would be my manager, and will I have the opportunity to meet him or her?
Why do you like working here?
What does a typical day or week look like for the person in this position? Is there travel, flextime, etc?
How do you see this position contributing to the success of the organization?
What do you think distinguishes this company from its competitors, both from a public and employee perspective?
Does the company offer continued education and professional training?
How can I best contribute to the department?
What particular achievements would equate to success at this job? What would success look like?
Are you most interested in a candidate who works independently, on a team, cross-functionally, or through a combination of them all? Can you give me an example?
What is your ideal communication style with your staff? Do you meet regularly with your team, rely heavily on e-mail, use status reports or work primarily through other means?
How do you see me as a candidate for the job in comparison with an ideal candidate?
Do you have any concerns about me or about my qualifications that may prevent you from selecting me for the job?
What is the next step? When do you think you will be making a decision?
Questions to avoid in an interview:
Never ask for information you could have easily found with a quick Google GOOG -0.88% search.
Never ask if you can change the job details, the schedule, or the salary.
Never ask many questions about the interviewer’s background.
Never ask about pay, time off, benefits, etc. (Wait until later in the process to inquire about these things.)
Never ask “What does your company do?”
Never ask “If I’m hired, when can I start applying for other positions in the company?”
Never ask how quickly you can be promoted.
Never ask “Do you do background checks?”
Never ask about gossip you’ve heard.
Never ask if the company monitors e-mail or Internet usage.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/07/05/30-questions-you-should-and-shouldnt-ask-in-a-job-interview/
Marketing Ideas (Overig)
*****
505 Marketing Ideas
Sillars June 3, 2010 business, podcast, Seo, social media, speaking
I’m working on marketing strategies for my clients. I thought writing down 500 marketing ideas, thoughts, tools and concepts would help to stretch my mind and push the limits. Some ideas are standards. Others, if I’ve done this right, will lead to incredible profitable ideas. Not every idea is for every business, but I hope the list will stretch your mind, too.
If you don’t have a Web site you are not in business.
Create a Facebook fan page.
Create targeted Facebook ads.
Create an AdWords campaign.
Create very targeted adgroups for your AdWords campaigns.
Ask current customers for referrals.
Start a newsletter.
Create a social media calendar.
Create a marketing calendar.
Advertise in your industry trade magazines.
Regularly send quality public relations releases to trade magazines.
Attend local networking events.
Start a networking event.
Train sales people on how to find referrals for your networking partners.
Start a rewards program for networking partners.
Start a rewards program for good customers.
Register your business with Foursquare.
Reward your Foursquare mayors and frequent customers.
Write an e-book.
Start a podcast.
Create videos about how to use your product or service.
Create videos related to new or unique ways to use your product.
Create a marketing journal to track what works and what does not.
Create videos specifically for Facebook fans.
Search engine optimize (SEO) your Web site.
Use call outs in your Web site.
Make sure your Web site is easy to navigate.
Start a blog.
Open a Twitter account.
Open a LinkedIn account.
Look for target companies on LinkedIn.
Review your competitors on LinkedIn.
Create a direct mail campaign.
Create custom landing pages for all your marketing efforts.
Create a company mascot.
Use a Web camera and offer specials whenever your mascot is displayed.
Use Social Mention to monitor the conversation about your brand.
Optimize a Web page specifically for Yahoo search.
Optimize a Web page specifically for Bing search.
Write a white paper about your industry.
Leave pens with your logo and information on them in strategic locations.
Learn to golf and invite others to join you.
Invite someone to lunch regularly.
Offer your services to charity.
Sponsor a charity event.
Write a book and sell it on Amazon.
Review books in your industry on Amazon.
Retweet (share information on Twitter) people who you are interested in knowing better.
Use A/B split testing for your online campaigns.
Learn to write better headlines for all your advertising.
Offer coupons.
Offer your service on Craigslist.
Leave helpful comments on industry blogs.
Open and use Google reader (or any RSS reader).
Subscribe to RSS feeds and organize the feeds related to industry and interest.
Create lists on Twitter of people in your target market.
Make sure your front Web page title tag says what you do, not who you are.
E-mail relevant articles to clients and prospects. (Do not send jokes.)
Make your newsletter about your customers and not just about your company.
Read Purple Cow by Seth Godin.
Make sure your Web site has a site map.
Open a Google Webmaster tools account.
Use Google Wave to collaborate in real time.
Submit your information to Google local.
Use spyfu.com to keep track of your competitors’ Internet ad activities.
Offer a referral fee for new business.
Partner with related companies.
Have your logo professionally redesigned.
Create a FAQ page for your Web site.
Add a Like button to your blog and Web site.
Add a Tweetmeme button to your blog and Web site.
Add social media locations in your e-mail signature.
Know what your bounce rate is and think about how you can improve it.
Create a fun game for your Web site.
Create a mobile advertising campaign.
Place a company sign on your car.
Test ad headlines with Google AdWords.
Place successful Google AdWords ads in newspapers and magazines.
Send thank you cards after every job.
Start a Flickr page to share behind-the-scenes and event photographs.
Ask your clients for a video testimonial and display the passionate ones.
Start thinking about your customers’ return on investment (ROI).
Return all phone calls the same day.
Consider hiring a live answering service. (It’s not that expensive.)
Create new and unique business cards.
Try TV advertising through Google.
Advertise on Yelp.
Trade something of value for your Web site visitors’ e-mail addresses.
Call all of your current customers and introduce a new product.
Write an article to publish on sites like ezinearticles.com.
Ask to be a guest blogger.
Interview top people in your industry and share their ideas with your clients.
Create a poll on for your Web site.
Use PollDaddy on Twitter to ask questions of your followers.
Ask how your product or service could be better on Formspring.me.
Host a carnival for the families of your clients.
Hold a photo contest.
Use link shorteners with analytics to test headlines and ideas.
Create an affiliate program.
Don’t show people what the product or service is, demonstrate why they need it.
Create supporting Web sites that link to yours.
Create Web site descriptions that entice people to click on your search listing.
Do you know your organic search click-through-rate?
Make sure you fill in all your Alt tags so Google images can find your photographs.
Submit your Web sites to relevant directories.
Ask visitors if information you provide is helpful.
Use Facebook analytics and demographics to see who your marketing is attracting.
Use YouTube’s insight tools to find out when people lose interest in your videos.
Use insights for Search to see what people are looking for in the search engines.
Use Google keyword tool to find new and better keywords.
Ask your best customers for a referral.
Make it easy for people to give you referrals.
Make it easy to do business with your company.
Don’t send spam.
Make sure your contact information is on every page of your Web site.
Understand your brand. (It’s reputation, not your logo.)
Update photographs of every employee for social media and public relations.
Develop relationships with local reporters.
If you want someone’s attention, write about them.
Treat everyone like a VIP (Very Important Person).
Champion other people in your industry.
Use Google Alerts to keep track of trends.
Use Google Alerts to keep track of people writing about you and thank them.
Include hot topics in the title of your blog posts.
Never stop thinking about finding new link bait ideas (topics that attract links to your site).
Ask your lowest-ranking employees how to improve products and marketing.
Include translation options to widen your market.
Create a privacy policy for your customers.
Update your Web site shopping cart for a better experience.
Use Feedburner to track and manage your blog subscribers.
Remember, design does matter.
Don’t let the dangerous, business-killing words, “It’s good enough” hurt your company.
Develop an incredible and true company story.
Protect yourself from spam comments. They will hurt your Google rankings.
Increase your Web sites speed. It’s better for visitors and Google SEO.
Apologize first.
Describe your target customer in once sentence.
Join a BNI group. (I was in one for fourteen years).
Create biography sheets for all your employees.
Create a direct mail marketing plan.
Post your new blog posts on Twitter.
Speak to groups and organizations.
Buy mail and e-mail list from reputable companies. (Be careful.)
Don’t purchase e-mail lists.
Make it easy for representatives to up sell.
Give holiday gifts.
Send thank you cards on Thanksgiving.
Send birthday cards to your clients.
Take time to knock on the doors of businesses around you; you might be surprised.
Change, refresh or upgrade your corporate look every three to five years.
Develop a specialized niche and become the expert.
Cold call.
Create a cold-call script.
Never forget a call to action in your marketing material.
Join clubs.
Write original content. Duplicate content is ignored by the search engines.
Refer the professional people your company hires.
Analyze what is working for your competition.
Use compete.com to compare Web site traffic.
Use SEOmoz tools to track links.
Read Mashable and Techcrunch to keep up on emerging technology.
Hire teens to pass out fliers.
Sponsor a local sports team.
Join a professional organization.
Get a vanity phone number.
Make your e-mail address simple.
Don’t use Web-based e-mail as your company e-mail.
Sign up for Help A Reporter Out (HARO).
Teach your networking partners how to refer you.
Become the expert: Teach at a local college or university.
Develop ways to stand out in a crowd.
Increase your fees.
Network with other sales people at trade shows.
Cross-promote with other businesses.
Develop a co-op advertising group.
Offer a guarantee.
Sit in a room for an hour and list marketing ideas for your business.
Post your business cards on public bulletin boards.
Create a lens at Squidoo.com.
Create a company 365 photography project usingTumblr.
Use Website.grader.com to see how Google views your Web site.
Create an exclusive online club for your best clients.
Offer free Webinars.
Use the WordPress plug-in Sociable to support sharing of your content.
Introduce yourself to you seat mates on an airplane.
Don’t forget traditional newspaper classified ads.
Barter with start-ups (but be smart about it).
Create a welcome kit for new clients.
Create a memory hook.
Reward non-sales employees for referrals resulting in closed business.
Make it easy to embed your stuff on other Web site. Scribd.com is a solution.
Use your voice mail as a marketing tool.
Answer questions on Yahoo answers.
Use an e-mail service like Constant Contact, iContact, Mail Chimp or Vertical Response.
Support top colleges in your industry or client industries.
Attend local meet-ups.
Organize a Tweet-up (meeting of twitter users).
Organize a Barcamp.
Start a LinkedIn group.
Start a Facebook group.
Answer questions on LinkedIn answers.
Create fun T-shirts related to your product.
Contribute to forums.
Create a free social media platform for your target market.
Use e-mail auto responders with friendly messages.
Offer an e-mail option to your blog RSS feed.
Always have a your biography and a recent photograph on your desktop.
Create a page where media and clients can access your logo.
Offer free consultations.
Offer expensive consultations.
Tell your family it is OK to send you referrals.
Listen to dissatisfied customers.
Ask clients why they hired you.
Avoid heavy Flash on your Web site. It’s bad for search engine optimization.
Remember SEO is great but search engines don’t buy your products or service.
Claim your sites on Technorati.com.
Place meta tags on all your Web site pages.
Create unique meta tags for each page.
Offer multiple pricing levels of your service.
Offer a free trial.
Create a custom name tag for networking.
Submit your company’s products or service for awards.
Paint your building a unique color.
Post ads on Backpage.com.
Make e-mail request contact forms short and easy to use.
Call in to radio shows. Become their expert.
Create an iPhone and iPad application for your company.
Create an Android application for your company.
Use text messaging advertising.
Create a presentation and share it using Slideshare.net.
Don’t use intro splash pages on your Web site.
Share your location using an Internet map service such as Mapquest, Google maps, or Bing maps
Share your information on Delicious.com.
Create a shared calendar using Google Calendar.
Create an easily accessable v-card for prospects and clients.
Create a Flickr group for customers to share photos.
Give away micro drives with your information on it.
Sell the experience.
Don’t use white envelopes. (Instead, pick a fun color).
Be a mentor.
Take a successful business person to lunch and ask questions.
Use telephone call tracking to analyze what advertising works.
Post special offers on your receipts or invoices.
Use QR codes to help people to find more information using their smart phone.
Create a downloadable PDF with helpful information.
Engage in at least one marketing activity every day.
Every time you see a great visual marketing idea, take a photograph of it.
Look for new markets.
Publicize every milestone.
Rosh Sillars is a photographer, author and marketing consultant.
Advertise in the Yellow pages. Yes, people still use it.
Display portfolios using a flat screen TV in a window.
Donate your services to a charity auction.
Create a mission statement.
Create a weekly office happy hour and invite clients.
Use Eventbrite.com to organize free or paid events.
Start a photo blog.
Find a marketing mentor.
Exchange links with related businesses in different parts of the country.
Create a technique for your industry and name it after your name or company name.
Fire bad clients so you can market more and serve good clients.
Create a multi-media story about your company using photography stills, video and audio.
Self-publish a book through sites like Lulu.com.
Use services such as 37 Signals’ Highrise to manage contacts.
Define your ultimate client.
Business is always booming. Never complain to your customers.
Call all your competitors to keep tabs on pricing.
Always stand in a V formation at networking events to invite others to join your conversation.
Become a connector at networking events. Introduce people.
Look prospects in the eye.
Write testimonials for your best vendors.
Use an iPad or tablet to display your portfolio of products and services.
Ask yourself would you buy from your company? Why?
Give customers more than expected.
Understand marketing is everything you do in business.
Use the AdAge 150 list to find helpful marketing blogs.
Do unto others.
Use internal links. Link related content within your Web site and blogs.
Use widgets to display and share content.
Be strategic about tagging your videos.
Reuse your best social media content for marketing material.
Use Ning.com to develop communities.
Create a ustream program.
Don’t be afraid of testing new marketing ideas.
Ask people why they unsubscribed to your e-mails.
Stop doing what doesn’t work.
Keep your marketing consistent; don’t stop.
Keep extra marketing material in your car at all times.
Use your smart phone or digital recorder to dictate new marketing ideas.
Focus on one product and message at a time.
Remember you can always ask for more client information later.
Segment your e-mail. Make sure your e-mail is focused on the right prospects.
Consider holiday advertising outside your religion or traditions.
Don’t accept outside advertising on your company blog.
Use integrated marketing techniques; employ traditional and digital marketing to drive Web traffic.
Consider advertising your company’s “green” efforts.
Advertise your newsletter in e-mail signatures.
Make your brand extremely different from your competition.
Deliver high-value presentations or work on an iPad. Let your clients keep the iPad.
Give away iPods or mp3 players with a special audio segments or podcasts about your company.
Read Presentation Zen, by Garr Reynolds before you give your next presentation.
Keep your promises.
Advertise on local cable stations. The rates are often reasonable.
Be remarkable. Thank you, Seth Godin.
Be aware of non-verbal communication.
Think about how you can make it easier to purchase your product.
Offer financing.
Get to know your local politicians.
Leave a call to action on voice mail messages.
Host a directory of resources for your target market prospects.
Increase your business hours.
Create a company holiday.
Make your brand exclusive and expensive.
Be less concerned about vanity searches.
Don’t create videos more than five minutes long. (Two to three minutes is best.)
Don’t mix family and business social media.
Invest in fast and reliable Web site hosting.
Subscribe to Chris Brogan’s blog.
Subscribe to Mitch Joel’s blog and podcast
Listen to the Marketing Over Coffee podcast.
Monitor your Web sites for malware.
Use Yahoo’s SiteExplorer to review your links and important pages.
Note that social media is not just Facebook and Twitter.
Ask questions in your headlines.
Claim your listing on City Search.
Use a lot of relevant people’s names in your blog posts.
Search for your prospect’s No. 1 point of pain and find solutions.
Keep a list of good public relations Web sites such as prweb.com.
Create a company show for blip.tv.
Offer a free Internet service to attract attention ie: Twitter.grader.com.
Use Twitter grader to search and connect with top tweeters in your area.
Conduct regular Web meetings to stay connected with your clients. Try goto meeting.
Sell a special version of your product on eBay.
Use WordPress as your Web site platform.
Share company events via Web cam so people can tune in to what they are missing.
Keep a list of freelance writers to write great copy for your business.
Use Buzzom.com to find new relevant Twitter followers.
Sell branded wearables using Cafepress.com.
Turn your brand into a cause.
Upload interior photos of your store on Google local search.
Use professional product pictures on your business cards.
Video white board sessions to share online.
Create a program designed to make using your product easier.
Create a Photosynth image of your business interior.
Recommend your clients on LinkedIn.
Subscribe to your competitors’ blogs.
Create an info-graphic about your industry
Find out who owns competing Web sites: http://ajaxwhois.com/.
Host a chamber of commerce event at your office.
Visually track how people use your blog or Web site with Crazyegg.com.
Donate to your client’s favorite charities in their name (with permission).
Use Aweber.com for their e-mail delivery and auto responder services.
Use sites like Verbalink.com to transcribe audio or podcasts for marketing.
Use eBay labs to see what products are hot.
Use Google’s Wonder Wheel to find related keywords.
Use Evernote to capture and save great ideas and information.
Use Tweetdeck or Seesmic to engage with your social media community.
Trade banner ads with relevant companies.
Create a Hubpage.
They don’t care how long you’ve been in business.
You can’t tell people about your service, you can only show them.
Share interesting photos via instagram (updated)
Ask your customers how they would like to be contacted.
Don’t send single advertising e-mails. Create a campaign of three to five e-mails.
Simple works extremely well in advertising.
Consider Salesforce.com for customer relationship management.
Ask your sales team what is working.
Use Facebook pages to promote your events.
Invite good clients to view exclusive product previews.
Create funny videos that might go viral.
Use risk reversal techniques. Put the risk on you rather than the customer.
Include a postscript message in your business letters. It’s the most read part of a letter.
Make sure your fax number is easy to find.
Fax specials to clients who us faxes regularly.
Test Web site button shapes, colors and sizes for better click-throughs.
Place your Web site on all marketing materials.
Display your brochures prominently in your office.
Use the link shortener http://su.pr so followers can easily Stumble your content.
Use surveys.
Display and promote your associations.
Don’t decide in advance what customers want or can afford.
Stop talking about yourself.
Look for excuses to visit clients in person.
Make sure your About page is interesting and full of useful information.
Visit industry or customer-related chat rooms.
Host a virtual trade show.
Create a wiki.
Create a Web page list linking all positive mentions of you or your company.
Post comments on large news sites. Especially news related to your industry.
Link to Google blogs when relevant. They offer good traffic back to your site.
Review products related to your industry on opinion Web sites.
Send your products to bloggers to review.
Target advertising on specific Web sites through Google AdWords.
Test: Target your entire daily Internet advertising budget on one state or city at time.
Claim your name on new social media sites. You never know what will take off.
Hire a marketing consultant.
Use Instapaper.com to save good articles for future reading.
Set your blog up for sale via the Kindle.
Employ a good copy editor.
Create an icon that represents your company. This is great for linking and branding.
Keep your vehicles and equipment clean and updated when in public view.
Check for broken Web site links.
Turn your 404 (missing page) into a marketing tool.
Don’t submit new sites to the search engines, link to them.
Create Web pages dedicated to long tail keywords.
Prepay for your domain years in advance. Google likes that.
Keep old domains; they are valuable.
Create a box-opening video of your product.
If your best clients like to text, keep in touch via text.
Religious institutions are a great place to network (with class and respect).
Hire interns to do the mundane marketing activities.
Make it a policy to make the effort to save clients in trouble, it creates loyalty.
Find jobs for your unemployed clients; this creates more loyalty.
Attend weddings and funerals to show respect (but avoid business talk).
Visit a new city to be inspired and gather fresh ideas.
When making a pitch, focus on what the client or prospect will get in return.
Create a company theme song or jingle.
Create an online suggestion box for your clients.
Spend more time impressing existing customers.
Send customers an advance letter letting them know of any price increases.
Kids and pets always attract attention.
Create an office video series for YouTube. Make it interesting and fun.
Set up an employee contest to create the next advertising campaign.
Delegate good marketing ideas so they get done.
The unexpected attracts attention.
Make visiting your office or store an exciting experience.
Create 24-hour online conferences using industry-specific YouTube videos.
Sometimes absolutely stupid ideas will make you millionaire.
Submit product photos to Flickr Creative Commons and require a link to your home page.
Allow customer rankings and reviews on your Web site or blog.
Develop a strategy to become a “best place to work.”
Offer a Groupon
Include discount coupons with your invoices.
Create a well-designed annual report.
Create business cards from Moo.com.
Never go to an event to quickly hand out business cards and then leave.
Advertise in industry newsletters.
Submit a tutorial for your product to online how-to Web sites.
Share office space with a partner service.
Create a list of the best books in your industry.
Avoid business and industry clichés – think outside the box.
Create unique or humorous job title descriptions for employees.
Back up all files and data bases on a regular schedule.
Make sure your Web site looks great on all browsers.
Calibrate your monitors used in all marketing and advertising work.
Remember names.
List your best referral sources and create a marketing plan around it.
Offer free shipping.
Embrace the negative and turn it into a positive.
Consider product placement on TV and movies.
Consider lower-budget projects for product placement.
Buy season tickets for entertaining.
Ask for the sale.
Put your tagline on your business checks.
Improve delivery time.
Let angry people talk until they are done and then offer solutions.
Join a service organization.
Send gift cards as a thank you.
Don’t burn bridges.
Follow all leads. Find a trusted source to direct unwanted leads.
Use Facebook notes to offer specials.
Advertise products in the Facebook market place.
Promote the fact that you are hiring.
Outrageous can be good.
Sponsor a bloggers tour.
Share ideas on Google plus (updated)
Ask how can you make your client’s job easier.
Don’t be afraid to offer your expertise to big media.
Don’t let little things become big things.
Borrow marketing books from the library.
Create a cool poster and give it away.
Take editors to lunch. Ask what they consider a good story.
Give a surprise extra — after the first purchase.
Volunteer for local government committees.
Don’t place ads just one time to see if they will work. Run an ad a minimum of six times.
Advertise and network in Second life.
Remember your competitors are watching you, too. Don’t fear it.
Define your unique selling proposition (USP).
Follow up with former co-workers. LinkedIn is a good resource.
Cross-promote on other companies’ newsletters.
Remember that most purchases are emotional not logical.
Answer your phone cheerfully.
Price differently than your competition.
Don’t race to the bottom to be lowest price.
Trade prospect lists with companies that have the same target market.
Network with companies and trade lost referrals and leads (for a second chance).
Sponsor a parade.
Train third-party sales people how to best sell your product.
Serve.
Make the customer the hero.
Read the classic How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
Follow Twitter hashtags to find prospects.
Read the The Long Tail by Chris Anderson.
Focus on keeping great employees.
Promote your vendors on Twitter.
Host a photo walk.
Don’t accept average.
Different people consume media differently; give people options.
Trade commercials on podcasts
Advertise on a targeted podcast
Create a public Wave to share information.
The best social media Web site is where your clients and prospects hang out.
Host an informational meeting on Google plus (updated)
Create a list of 505 marketing ideas
Read this list again
Thank you to every teacher, author, speaker, blogger and podcaster who has influenced me. You made this list.
There are many more Web sites, ideas and concepts. What would you add?
http://www.roshsillars.com/2010/06/505-marketing-ideas/
Sillars June 3, 2010 business, podcast, Seo, social media, speaking
I’m working on marketing strategies for my clients. I thought writing down 500 marketing ideas, thoughts, tools and concepts would help to stretch my mind and push the limits. Some ideas are standards. Others, if I’ve done this right, will lead to incredible profitable ideas. Not every idea is for every business, but I hope the list will stretch your mind, too.
If you don’t have a Web site you are not in business.
Create a Facebook fan page.
Create targeted Facebook ads.
Create an AdWords campaign.
Create very targeted adgroups for your AdWords campaigns.
Ask current customers for referrals.
Start a newsletter.
Create a social media calendar.
Create a marketing calendar.
Advertise in your industry trade magazines.
Regularly send quality public relations releases to trade magazines.
Attend local networking events.
Start a networking event.
Train sales people on how to find referrals for your networking partners.
Start a rewards program for networking partners.
Start a rewards program for good customers.
Register your business with Foursquare.
Reward your Foursquare mayors and frequent customers.
Write an e-book.
Start a podcast.
Create videos about how to use your product or service.
Create videos related to new or unique ways to use your product.
Create a marketing journal to track what works and what does not.
Create videos specifically for Facebook fans.
Search engine optimize (SEO) your Web site.
Use call outs in your Web site.
Make sure your Web site is easy to navigate.
Start a blog.
Open a Twitter account.
Open a LinkedIn account.
Look for target companies on LinkedIn.
Review your competitors on LinkedIn.
Create a direct mail campaign.
Create custom landing pages for all your marketing efforts.
Create a company mascot.
Use a Web camera and offer specials whenever your mascot is displayed.
Use Social Mention to monitor the conversation about your brand.
Optimize a Web page specifically for Yahoo search.
Optimize a Web page specifically for Bing search.
Write a white paper about your industry.
Leave pens with your logo and information on them in strategic locations.
Learn to golf and invite others to join you.
Invite someone to lunch regularly.
Offer your services to charity.
Sponsor a charity event.
Write a book and sell it on Amazon.
Review books in your industry on Amazon.
Retweet (share information on Twitter) people who you are interested in knowing better.
Use A/B split testing for your online campaigns.
Learn to write better headlines for all your advertising.
Offer coupons.
Offer your service on Craigslist.
Leave helpful comments on industry blogs.
Open and use Google reader (or any RSS reader).
Subscribe to RSS feeds and organize the feeds related to industry and interest.
Create lists on Twitter of people in your target market.
Make sure your front Web page title tag says what you do, not who you are.
E-mail relevant articles to clients and prospects. (Do not send jokes.)
Make your newsletter about your customers and not just about your company.
Read Purple Cow by Seth Godin.
Make sure your Web site has a site map.
Open a Google Webmaster tools account.
Use Google Wave to collaborate in real time.
Submit your information to Google local.
Use spyfu.com to keep track of your competitors’ Internet ad activities.
Offer a referral fee for new business.
Partner with related companies.
Have your logo professionally redesigned.
Create a FAQ page for your Web site.
Add a Like button to your blog and Web site.
Add a Tweetmeme button to your blog and Web site.
Add social media locations in your e-mail signature.
Know what your bounce rate is and think about how you can improve it.
Create a fun game for your Web site.
Create a mobile advertising campaign.
Place a company sign on your car.
Test ad headlines with Google AdWords.
Place successful Google AdWords ads in newspapers and magazines.
Send thank you cards after every job.
Start a Flickr page to share behind-the-scenes and event photographs.
Ask your clients for a video testimonial and display the passionate ones.
Start thinking about your customers’ return on investment (ROI).
Return all phone calls the same day.
Consider hiring a live answering service. (It’s not that expensive.)
Create new and unique business cards.
Try TV advertising through Google.
Advertise on Yelp.
Trade something of value for your Web site visitors’ e-mail addresses.
Call all of your current customers and introduce a new product.
Write an article to publish on sites like ezinearticles.com.
Ask to be a guest blogger.
Interview top people in your industry and share their ideas with your clients.
Create a poll on for your Web site.
Use PollDaddy on Twitter to ask questions of your followers.
Ask how your product or service could be better on Formspring.me.
Host a carnival for the families of your clients.
Hold a photo contest.
Use link shorteners with analytics to test headlines and ideas.
Create an affiliate program.
Don’t show people what the product or service is, demonstrate why they need it.
Create supporting Web sites that link to yours.
Create Web site descriptions that entice people to click on your search listing.
Do you know your organic search click-through-rate?
Make sure you fill in all your Alt tags so Google images can find your photographs.
Submit your Web sites to relevant directories.
Ask visitors if information you provide is helpful.
Use Facebook analytics and demographics to see who your marketing is attracting.
Use YouTube’s insight tools to find out when people lose interest in your videos.
Use insights for Search to see what people are looking for in the search engines.
Use Google keyword tool to find new and better keywords.
Ask your best customers for a referral.
Make it easy for people to give you referrals.
Make it easy to do business with your company.
Don’t send spam.
Make sure your contact information is on every page of your Web site.
Understand your brand. (It’s reputation, not your logo.)
Update photographs of every employee for social media and public relations.
Develop relationships with local reporters.
If you want someone’s attention, write about them.
Treat everyone like a VIP (Very Important Person).
Champion other people in your industry.
Use Google Alerts to keep track of trends.
Use Google Alerts to keep track of people writing about you and thank them.
Include hot topics in the title of your blog posts.
Never stop thinking about finding new link bait ideas (topics that attract links to your site).
Ask your lowest-ranking employees how to improve products and marketing.
Include translation options to widen your market.
Create a privacy policy for your customers.
Update your Web site shopping cart for a better experience.
Use Feedburner to track and manage your blog subscribers.
Remember, design does matter.
Don’t let the dangerous, business-killing words, “It’s good enough” hurt your company.
Develop an incredible and true company story.
Protect yourself from spam comments. They will hurt your Google rankings.
Increase your Web sites speed. It’s better for visitors and Google SEO.
Apologize first.
Describe your target customer in once sentence.
Join a BNI group. (I was in one for fourteen years).
Create biography sheets for all your employees.
Create a direct mail marketing plan.
Post your new blog posts on Twitter.
Speak to groups and organizations.
Buy mail and e-mail list from reputable companies. (Be careful.)
Don’t purchase e-mail lists.
Make it easy for representatives to up sell.
Give holiday gifts.
Send thank you cards on Thanksgiving.
Send birthday cards to your clients.
Take time to knock on the doors of businesses around you; you might be surprised.
Change, refresh or upgrade your corporate look every three to five years.
Develop a specialized niche and become the expert.
Cold call.
Create a cold-call script.
Never forget a call to action in your marketing material.
Join clubs.
Write original content. Duplicate content is ignored by the search engines.
Refer the professional people your company hires.
Analyze what is working for your competition.
Use compete.com to compare Web site traffic.
Use SEOmoz tools to track links.
Read Mashable and Techcrunch to keep up on emerging technology.
Hire teens to pass out fliers.
Sponsor a local sports team.
Join a professional organization.
Get a vanity phone number.
Make your e-mail address simple.
Don’t use Web-based e-mail as your company e-mail.
Sign up for Help A Reporter Out (HARO).
Teach your networking partners how to refer you.
Become the expert: Teach at a local college or university.
Develop ways to stand out in a crowd.
Increase your fees.
Network with other sales people at trade shows.
Cross-promote with other businesses.
Develop a co-op advertising group.
Offer a guarantee.
Sit in a room for an hour and list marketing ideas for your business.
Post your business cards on public bulletin boards.
Create a lens at Squidoo.com.
Create a company 365 photography project usingTumblr.
Use Website.grader.com to see how Google views your Web site.
Create an exclusive online club for your best clients.
Offer free Webinars.
Use the WordPress plug-in Sociable to support sharing of your content.
Introduce yourself to you seat mates on an airplane.
Don’t forget traditional newspaper classified ads.
Barter with start-ups (but be smart about it).
Create a welcome kit for new clients.
Create a memory hook.
Reward non-sales employees for referrals resulting in closed business.
Make it easy to embed your stuff on other Web site. Scribd.com is a solution.
Use your voice mail as a marketing tool.
Answer questions on Yahoo answers.
Use an e-mail service like Constant Contact, iContact, Mail Chimp or Vertical Response.
Support top colleges in your industry or client industries.
Attend local meet-ups.
Organize a Tweet-up (meeting of twitter users).
Organize a Barcamp.
Start a LinkedIn group.
Start a Facebook group.
Answer questions on LinkedIn answers.
Create fun T-shirts related to your product.
Contribute to forums.
Create a free social media platform for your target market.
Use e-mail auto responders with friendly messages.
Offer an e-mail option to your blog RSS feed.
Always have a your biography and a recent photograph on your desktop.
Create a page where media and clients can access your logo.
Offer free consultations.
Offer expensive consultations.
Tell your family it is OK to send you referrals.
Listen to dissatisfied customers.
Ask clients why they hired you.
Avoid heavy Flash on your Web site. It’s bad for search engine optimization.
Remember SEO is great but search engines don’t buy your products or service.
Claim your sites on Technorati.com.
Place meta tags on all your Web site pages.
Create unique meta tags for each page.
Offer multiple pricing levels of your service.
Offer a free trial.
Create a custom name tag for networking.
Submit your company’s products or service for awards.
Paint your building a unique color.
Post ads on Backpage.com.
Make e-mail request contact forms short and easy to use.
Call in to radio shows. Become their expert.
Create an iPhone and iPad application for your company.
Create an Android application for your company.
Use text messaging advertising.
Create a presentation and share it using Slideshare.net.
Don’t use intro splash pages on your Web site.
Share your location using an Internet map service such as Mapquest, Google maps, or Bing maps
Share your information on Delicious.com.
Create a shared calendar using Google Calendar.
Create an easily accessable v-card for prospects and clients.
Create a Flickr group for customers to share photos.
Give away micro drives with your information on it.
Sell the experience.
Don’t use white envelopes. (Instead, pick a fun color).
Be a mentor.
Take a successful business person to lunch and ask questions.
Use telephone call tracking to analyze what advertising works.
Post special offers on your receipts or invoices.
Use QR codes to help people to find more information using their smart phone.
Create a downloadable PDF with helpful information.
Engage in at least one marketing activity every day.
Every time you see a great visual marketing idea, take a photograph of it.
Look for new markets.
Publicize every milestone.
Rosh Sillars is a photographer, author and marketing consultant.
Advertise in the Yellow pages. Yes, people still use it.
Display portfolios using a flat screen TV in a window.
Donate your services to a charity auction.
Create a mission statement.
Create a weekly office happy hour and invite clients.
Use Eventbrite.com to organize free or paid events.
Start a photo blog.
Find a marketing mentor.
Exchange links with related businesses in different parts of the country.
Create a technique for your industry and name it after your name or company name.
Fire bad clients so you can market more and serve good clients.
Create a multi-media story about your company using photography stills, video and audio.
Self-publish a book through sites like Lulu.com.
Use services such as 37 Signals’ Highrise to manage contacts.
Define your ultimate client.
Business is always booming. Never complain to your customers.
Call all your competitors to keep tabs on pricing.
Always stand in a V formation at networking events to invite others to join your conversation.
Become a connector at networking events. Introduce people.
Look prospects in the eye.
Write testimonials for your best vendors.
Use an iPad or tablet to display your portfolio of products and services.
Ask yourself would you buy from your company? Why?
Give customers more than expected.
Understand marketing is everything you do in business.
Use the AdAge 150 list to find helpful marketing blogs.
Do unto others.
Use internal links. Link related content within your Web site and blogs.
Use widgets to display and share content.
Be strategic about tagging your videos.
Reuse your best social media content for marketing material.
Use Ning.com to develop communities.
Create a ustream program.
Don’t be afraid of testing new marketing ideas.
Ask people why they unsubscribed to your e-mails.
Stop doing what doesn’t work.
Keep your marketing consistent; don’t stop.
Keep extra marketing material in your car at all times.
Use your smart phone or digital recorder to dictate new marketing ideas.
Focus on one product and message at a time.
Remember you can always ask for more client information later.
Segment your e-mail. Make sure your e-mail is focused on the right prospects.
Consider holiday advertising outside your religion or traditions.
Don’t accept outside advertising on your company blog.
Use integrated marketing techniques; employ traditional and digital marketing to drive Web traffic.
Consider advertising your company’s “green” efforts.
Advertise your newsletter in e-mail signatures.
Make your brand extremely different from your competition.
Deliver high-value presentations or work on an iPad. Let your clients keep the iPad.
Give away iPods or mp3 players with a special audio segments or podcasts about your company.
Read Presentation Zen, by Garr Reynolds before you give your next presentation.
Keep your promises.
Advertise on local cable stations. The rates are often reasonable.
Be remarkable. Thank you, Seth Godin.
Be aware of non-verbal communication.
Think about how you can make it easier to purchase your product.
Offer financing.
Get to know your local politicians.
Leave a call to action on voice mail messages.
Host a directory of resources for your target market prospects.
Increase your business hours.
Create a company holiday.
Make your brand exclusive and expensive.
Be less concerned about vanity searches.
Don’t create videos more than five minutes long. (Two to three minutes is best.)
Don’t mix family and business social media.
Invest in fast and reliable Web site hosting.
Subscribe to Chris Brogan’s blog.
Subscribe to Mitch Joel’s blog and podcast
Listen to the Marketing Over Coffee podcast.
Monitor your Web sites for malware.
Use Yahoo’s SiteExplorer to review your links and important pages.
Note that social media is not just Facebook and Twitter.
Ask questions in your headlines.
Claim your listing on City Search.
Use a lot of relevant people’s names in your blog posts.
Search for your prospect’s No. 1 point of pain and find solutions.
Keep a list of good public relations Web sites such as prweb.com.
Create a company show for blip.tv.
Offer a free Internet service to attract attention ie: Twitter.grader.com.
Use Twitter grader to search and connect with top tweeters in your area.
Conduct regular Web meetings to stay connected with your clients. Try goto meeting.
Sell a special version of your product on eBay.
Use WordPress as your Web site platform.
Share company events via Web cam so people can tune in to what they are missing.
Keep a list of freelance writers to write great copy for your business.
Use Buzzom.com to find new relevant Twitter followers.
Sell branded wearables using Cafepress.com.
Turn your brand into a cause.
Upload interior photos of your store on Google local search.
Use professional product pictures on your business cards.
Video white board sessions to share online.
Create a program designed to make using your product easier.
Create a Photosynth image of your business interior.
Recommend your clients on LinkedIn.
Subscribe to your competitors’ blogs.
Create an info-graphic about your industry
Find out who owns competing Web sites: http://ajaxwhois.com/.
Host a chamber of commerce event at your office.
Visually track how people use your blog or Web site with Crazyegg.com.
Donate to your client’s favorite charities in their name (with permission).
Use Aweber.com for their e-mail delivery and auto responder services.
Use sites like Verbalink.com to transcribe audio or podcasts for marketing.
Use eBay labs to see what products are hot.
Use Google’s Wonder Wheel to find related keywords.
Use Evernote to capture and save great ideas and information.
Use Tweetdeck or Seesmic to engage with your social media community.
Trade banner ads with relevant companies.
Create a Hubpage.
They don’t care how long you’ve been in business.
You can’t tell people about your service, you can only show them.
Share interesting photos via instagram (updated)
Ask your customers how they would like to be contacted.
Don’t send single advertising e-mails. Create a campaign of three to five e-mails.
Simple works extremely well in advertising.
Consider Salesforce.com for customer relationship management.
Ask your sales team what is working.
Use Facebook pages to promote your events.
Invite good clients to view exclusive product previews.
Create funny videos that might go viral.
Use risk reversal techniques. Put the risk on you rather than the customer.
Include a postscript message in your business letters. It’s the most read part of a letter.
Make sure your fax number is easy to find.
Fax specials to clients who us faxes regularly.
Test Web site button shapes, colors and sizes for better click-throughs.
Place your Web site on all marketing materials.
Display your brochures prominently in your office.
Use the link shortener http://su.pr so followers can easily Stumble your content.
Use surveys.
Display and promote your associations.
Don’t decide in advance what customers want or can afford.
Stop talking about yourself.
Look for excuses to visit clients in person.
Make sure your About page is interesting and full of useful information.
Visit industry or customer-related chat rooms.
Host a virtual trade show.
Create a wiki.
Create a Web page list linking all positive mentions of you or your company.
Post comments on large news sites. Especially news related to your industry.
Link to Google blogs when relevant. They offer good traffic back to your site.
Review products related to your industry on opinion Web sites.
Send your products to bloggers to review.
Target advertising on specific Web sites through Google AdWords.
Test: Target your entire daily Internet advertising budget on one state or city at time.
Claim your name on new social media sites. You never know what will take off.
Hire a marketing consultant.
Use Instapaper.com to save good articles for future reading.
Set your blog up for sale via the Kindle.
Employ a good copy editor.
Create an icon that represents your company. This is great for linking and branding.
Keep your vehicles and equipment clean and updated when in public view.
Check for broken Web site links.
Turn your 404 (missing page) into a marketing tool.
Don’t submit new sites to the search engines, link to them.
Create Web pages dedicated to long tail keywords.
Prepay for your domain years in advance. Google likes that.
Keep old domains; they are valuable.
Create a box-opening video of your product.
If your best clients like to text, keep in touch via text.
Religious institutions are a great place to network (with class and respect).
Hire interns to do the mundane marketing activities.
Make it a policy to make the effort to save clients in trouble, it creates loyalty.
Find jobs for your unemployed clients; this creates more loyalty.
Attend weddings and funerals to show respect (but avoid business talk).
Visit a new city to be inspired and gather fresh ideas.
When making a pitch, focus on what the client or prospect will get in return.
Create a company theme song or jingle.
Create an online suggestion box for your clients.
Spend more time impressing existing customers.
Send customers an advance letter letting them know of any price increases.
Kids and pets always attract attention.
Create an office video series for YouTube. Make it interesting and fun.
Set up an employee contest to create the next advertising campaign.
Delegate good marketing ideas so they get done.
The unexpected attracts attention.
Make visiting your office or store an exciting experience.
Create 24-hour online conferences using industry-specific YouTube videos.
Sometimes absolutely stupid ideas will make you millionaire.
Submit product photos to Flickr Creative Commons and require a link to your home page.
Allow customer rankings and reviews on your Web site or blog.
Develop a strategy to become a “best place to work.”
Offer a Groupon
Include discount coupons with your invoices.
Create a well-designed annual report.
Create business cards from Moo.com.
Never go to an event to quickly hand out business cards and then leave.
Advertise in industry newsletters.
Submit a tutorial for your product to online how-to Web sites.
Share office space with a partner service.
Create a list of the best books in your industry.
Avoid business and industry clichés – think outside the box.
Create unique or humorous job title descriptions for employees.
Back up all files and data bases on a regular schedule.
Make sure your Web site looks great on all browsers.
Calibrate your monitors used in all marketing and advertising work.
Remember names.
List your best referral sources and create a marketing plan around it.
Offer free shipping.
Embrace the negative and turn it into a positive.
Consider product placement on TV and movies.
Consider lower-budget projects for product placement.
Buy season tickets for entertaining.
Ask for the sale.
Put your tagline on your business checks.
Improve delivery time.
Let angry people talk until they are done and then offer solutions.
Join a service organization.
Send gift cards as a thank you.
Don’t burn bridges.
Follow all leads. Find a trusted source to direct unwanted leads.
Use Facebook notes to offer specials.
Advertise products in the Facebook market place.
Promote the fact that you are hiring.
Outrageous can be good.
Sponsor a bloggers tour.
Share ideas on Google plus (updated)
Ask how can you make your client’s job easier.
Don’t be afraid to offer your expertise to big media.
Don’t let little things become big things.
Borrow marketing books from the library.
Create a cool poster and give it away.
Take editors to lunch. Ask what they consider a good story.
Give a surprise extra — after the first purchase.
Volunteer for local government committees.
Don’t place ads just one time to see if they will work. Run an ad a minimum of six times.
Advertise and network in Second life.
Remember your competitors are watching you, too. Don’t fear it.
Define your unique selling proposition (USP).
Follow up with former co-workers. LinkedIn is a good resource.
Cross-promote on other companies’ newsletters.
Remember that most purchases are emotional not logical.
Answer your phone cheerfully.
Price differently than your competition.
Don’t race to the bottom to be lowest price.
Trade prospect lists with companies that have the same target market.
Network with companies and trade lost referrals and leads (for a second chance).
Sponsor a parade.
Train third-party sales people how to best sell your product.
Serve.
Make the customer the hero.
Read the classic How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
Follow Twitter hashtags to find prospects.
Read the The Long Tail by Chris Anderson.
Focus on keeping great employees.
Promote your vendors on Twitter.
Host a photo walk.
Don’t accept average.
Different people consume media differently; give people options.
Trade commercials on podcasts
Advertise on a targeted podcast
Create a public Wave to share information.
The best social media Web site is where your clients and prospects hang out.
Host an informational meeting on Google plus (updated)
Create a list of 505 marketing ideas
Read this list again
Thank you to every teacher, author, speaker, blogger and podcaster who has influenced me. You made this list.
There are many more Web sites, ideas and concepts. What would you add?
http://www.roshsillars.com/2010/06/505-marketing-ideas/
Ondernemingsplannen schrijven; mamamarketing (Overig)
*****
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Ieder jaar starten er duizenden webwinkels – en ieder jaar vallen er net zoveel weer om. Want starten is niet zo moeilijk – dat kan iedereen.
Wat niet iedereen kan (en doet): goed nadenken. Hoe onderscheidt je van al die andere webwinkels? Hoe zorg je ervoor dat klanten jou weten te vinden? Waarom zouden ze bij jou kopen? Kortom: hoe ga jij blijvend geld verdienen met je webwinkel?
Het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen is een praktisch e-book waarmee je op een inspirerende manier jouw kans op een succesvolle webwinkel vergroot.
Je kijkt kritisch naar je ondernemerskwaliteiten, brengt de markt in kaart, analyseert de cijfertjes en bestudeert de concurrentie. Met die inzichten staat jouw webwinkel sterker.
Nu investeren in leren = zelf succesvol toepassen in de toekomst
Als je het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen hebt doorgewerkt, heb je een duidelijk beeld van waar je met je webwinkel heen wil én inzicht in hoe je dat kunt bereiken. Zo versterk je je merk en vergroot je de kans om van jouw webwinkel een succes te maken.
Bestel hier jouw werkboek Ondernemen voor MamaMarketeers
Waarom zou ik een ondernemingsplan moeten schrijven?
Zeven op de tien webwinkels sluit na een jaar zijn deuren alweer.
Vinger opsteken als dit je bekend voorkomt:
je bent zo druk met allerlei kleine dingen – dat je geen tijd hebt om grote stappen te maken met je webwinkel?
het lijkt wel of er iedere dag meer webwinkels bijkomen – die precies hetzelfde verkopen als jij?
grote webwinkel kapen jouw klanten weg – met hun snellere service, lagere prijzen en grotere aanbod?
je hebt het idee dat je veel meer zou kunnen bereiken met je webwinkel – als je maar wist hoe?
het runnen van je eigen webwinkel lijkt wel een baan – je haalt er veel te weinig plezier en energie uit?
Door je ondernemingsplan te (her)schrijven:
dwing je jezelf over de grote lijnen na te denken
begrijp je hoe je je kunt onderscheiden van andere webwinkels – ook als ze dezelfde produkten verkopen
maak je van jouw webwinkel een sterk merk waar mensen graag bij kopen
creëer je een duidelijk toekomstbeeld van jouw webwinkel – en verkrijg je inzicht in hoe je dat kunt bereiken
ga je met een hernieuwd enthousiasme en vertrouwen aan de slag met je eigen merk!
Waarom een Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen?
MamaMarketing biedt praktische hulp bij het ontwikkelen van je eigen marketingstrategie. Maar de basis van zo’n strategie is jouw merk – en dat moet staan als een huis.
Met dit Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen ga je terug naar die basis. Dankzij de heldere inzichten, duidelijke voorbeelden en praktische werkbladen versterk je je merk.
Door éénmalig te investeren in het (her)schrijven van je ondernemingsplan, kun je daarna vanuit je eigen kracht, creativiteit en visie, marketing bedrijven die perfect bij jouw webwinkel past.
Wij zijn wij?
MamaMarketing helpt vrouwen met een webwinkel om met een beperkt marketingbudget meer en blijvend klanten te trekken en zo een groter succes van hun webwinkel te maken.
Wij zijn Laura van den Brink, Diana van Ewijk en Dana Taberima – MamaMarketeers in hart en nieren. Samen hebben we ruim 20 jaar ervaring met het vermarkten van webwinkels en adviseerden we tientallen ondernemers.
Over het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen
Het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen is een praktisch e-book waarmee je op een inspirerende manier je merk versterkt.
Het e-book bevat 9 hoofdstukken. Ieder hoofdstuk is voorzien van huiswerk: een opdracht waarmee je direct de opgedane kennis vertaalt naar jouw webwinkel.
Inhoud van het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen:
Wie ben jij?
Huiswerk: Breng je kwaliteiten in kaart
Het gat in de mark
Huiswerk: Breng jouw idee in kaart
Omgeving / de markt
Huiswerk: Analyseer je omgeving / concurrenten
Doe de SWOT
Huiswerk: Duik in je SWOT
Kies je niche
Huiswerk: Ga op zoek naar je ideale klant
Merkkompas
Huiswerk: Zet jouw koers uit
Marketingstrategie
Huiswerk:
Marketingcommunicatie
Huiswerk: Maak jouw plan de campagne
Financieel Plan
Huiswerk: Zet je tanden in de cijfertjes!
Liquititeitsbegroting, Investeringsbegroting en Financieringsplan
Bestel hier jouw werkboek Ondernemen voor MamaMarketeersAls je het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen doorwerkt, heb je alle bouwstenen voor een ijzersterk ondernemingsplan in handen. Je hebt een duidelijk beeld van waar je met je webwinkel heen wil én inzicht in hoe je dat kunt bereiken. Met de kennis uit het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen creëer je een ijzersterke basis voor jouw merk!
Veelgestelde vragen
Een ondernemingsplan schrijven? Dat heb je toch alleen nodig als je een lening wil aanvragen?
Mispoes! Het is essentieel dat jij exact weet waar jij met je webwinkel staat – en waar je heen wil. Dit is informatie die een leningverstrekker nodig heeft om te bepalen of zijn geld wel veilig is bij jou. Maar het is ook informatie die jij nodig hebt om een gezonde koers voor je webwinkel uit te zetten!
Ik ben al twee jaar bezig. Heeft een ondernemingsplan maken dan nog wel zin?
Juist als je al langer bezig bent, is het zinvol nog eens kritisch naar je situatie te kijken. Ben jij blij met alle onderdelen van je webwinkel? Verdien je genoeg? Wat zou je anders willen doen of zien? Vragen die je moet beantwoorden om duurzaam te groeien met jouw webwinkel.
Ik heb helemaal geen tijd om een ondernemingsplan te maken. En het gaat best lekker zo… dus waarom zou ik dat doen?
Als jij tevreden bent met hoe je webwinkel nu draait, dan hoef je natuurlijk niets te veranderen. Maar als je meer wil verdienen, dan is het hoog tijd om een ondernemingsplan te schrijven. Want als je nu al amper tijd hebt, en toch niet genoeg verdient – dan doe je iets verkeerd…
Ik heb al weleens geprobeerd een ondernemingsplan voor mijn webwinkel te maken, maar ik kwam er niet uit. Waarom zou het nu wel lukken?
Omdat wij je helpen! Wij leggen, stap-voor-stap en in gewone-mensen-taal, uit hoe je een ondernemingsplan schrijft. Met de bijbehorende werkbladen word je direct op een inspirerende wijze aan het werk gezet. Zo word je ondernemingsplan (her)schrijven stiekem een klein feestje – met een zeer nuttig resultaat!
BONUS 1:
13 praktische werkbladen
Het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen is voorzien van maar liefst 13 praktische werkbladen. Na ieder hoofdstuk zet je de kennis direct in om je eigen webwinkel te verbeteren.
BONUS 2:
9 motiverende affirmatiekaartjes
Het schrijven van jouw ondernemingsplan kan best lastig zijn. Doe je het wel goed? Is jouw idee wel onderscheidend? Met deze inspirerende affirmatiekaartjes kun je weer met frisse zin aan de slag!
Klaar om je merk te versterken en meer geld te verdienen met je webwinkel?
Met het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen krijg je alle tools in handen voor een overtuigend ondernemingsplan, versterk je je merk en vergroot je de kans om van jouw webwinkel een succes te maken.
Begin nu met het (her)schrijven van jouw ondernemingsplan
http://www.mamamarketing.nl/hulp-bij-het-schrijven-van-je-ondernemingsplan/werkboek-ondernemingsplannen-schrijven/
Ieder jaar starten er duizenden webwinkels – en ieder jaar vallen er net zoveel weer om. Want starten is niet zo moeilijk – dat kan iedereen.
Wat niet iedereen kan (en doet): goed nadenken. Hoe onderscheidt je van al die andere webwinkels? Hoe zorg je ervoor dat klanten jou weten te vinden? Waarom zouden ze bij jou kopen? Kortom: hoe ga jij blijvend geld verdienen met je webwinkel?
Het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen is een praktisch e-book waarmee je op een inspirerende manier jouw kans op een succesvolle webwinkel vergroot.
Je kijkt kritisch naar je ondernemerskwaliteiten, brengt de markt in kaart, analyseert de cijfertjes en bestudeert de concurrentie. Met die inzichten staat jouw webwinkel sterker.
Nu investeren in leren = zelf succesvol toepassen in de toekomst
Als je het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen hebt doorgewerkt, heb je een duidelijk beeld van waar je met je webwinkel heen wil én inzicht in hoe je dat kunt bereiken. Zo versterk je je merk en vergroot je de kans om van jouw webwinkel een succes te maken.
Bestel hier jouw werkboek Ondernemen voor MamaMarketeers
Waarom zou ik een ondernemingsplan moeten schrijven?
Zeven op de tien webwinkels sluit na een jaar zijn deuren alweer.
Vinger opsteken als dit je bekend voorkomt:
je bent zo druk met allerlei kleine dingen – dat je geen tijd hebt om grote stappen te maken met je webwinkel?
het lijkt wel of er iedere dag meer webwinkels bijkomen – die precies hetzelfde verkopen als jij?
grote webwinkel kapen jouw klanten weg – met hun snellere service, lagere prijzen en grotere aanbod?
je hebt het idee dat je veel meer zou kunnen bereiken met je webwinkel – als je maar wist hoe?
het runnen van je eigen webwinkel lijkt wel een baan – je haalt er veel te weinig plezier en energie uit?
Door je ondernemingsplan te (her)schrijven:
dwing je jezelf over de grote lijnen na te denken
begrijp je hoe je je kunt onderscheiden van andere webwinkels – ook als ze dezelfde produkten verkopen
maak je van jouw webwinkel een sterk merk waar mensen graag bij kopen
creëer je een duidelijk toekomstbeeld van jouw webwinkel – en verkrijg je inzicht in hoe je dat kunt bereiken
ga je met een hernieuwd enthousiasme en vertrouwen aan de slag met je eigen merk!
Waarom een Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen?
MamaMarketing biedt praktische hulp bij het ontwikkelen van je eigen marketingstrategie. Maar de basis van zo’n strategie is jouw merk – en dat moet staan als een huis.
Met dit Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen ga je terug naar die basis. Dankzij de heldere inzichten, duidelijke voorbeelden en praktische werkbladen versterk je je merk.
Door éénmalig te investeren in het (her)schrijven van je ondernemingsplan, kun je daarna vanuit je eigen kracht, creativiteit en visie, marketing bedrijven die perfect bij jouw webwinkel past.
Wij zijn wij?
MamaMarketing helpt vrouwen met een webwinkel om met een beperkt marketingbudget meer en blijvend klanten te trekken en zo een groter succes van hun webwinkel te maken.
Wij zijn Laura van den Brink, Diana van Ewijk en Dana Taberima – MamaMarketeers in hart en nieren. Samen hebben we ruim 20 jaar ervaring met het vermarkten van webwinkels en adviseerden we tientallen ondernemers.
Over het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen
Het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen is een praktisch e-book waarmee je op een inspirerende manier je merk versterkt.
Het e-book bevat 9 hoofdstukken. Ieder hoofdstuk is voorzien van huiswerk: een opdracht waarmee je direct de opgedane kennis vertaalt naar jouw webwinkel.
Inhoud van het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen:
Wie ben jij?
Huiswerk: Breng je kwaliteiten in kaart
Het gat in de mark
Huiswerk: Breng jouw idee in kaart
Omgeving / de markt
Huiswerk: Analyseer je omgeving / concurrenten
Doe de SWOT
Huiswerk: Duik in je SWOT
Kies je niche
Huiswerk: Ga op zoek naar je ideale klant
Merkkompas
Huiswerk: Zet jouw koers uit
Marketingstrategie
Huiswerk:
Marketingcommunicatie
Huiswerk: Maak jouw plan de campagne
Financieel Plan
Huiswerk: Zet je tanden in de cijfertjes!
Liquititeitsbegroting, Investeringsbegroting en Financieringsplan
Bestel hier jouw werkboek Ondernemen voor MamaMarketeersAls je het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen doorwerkt, heb je alle bouwstenen voor een ijzersterk ondernemingsplan in handen. Je hebt een duidelijk beeld van waar je met je webwinkel heen wil én inzicht in hoe je dat kunt bereiken. Met de kennis uit het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen creëer je een ijzersterke basis voor jouw merk!
Veelgestelde vragen
Een ondernemingsplan schrijven? Dat heb je toch alleen nodig als je een lening wil aanvragen?
Mispoes! Het is essentieel dat jij exact weet waar jij met je webwinkel staat – en waar je heen wil. Dit is informatie die een leningverstrekker nodig heeft om te bepalen of zijn geld wel veilig is bij jou. Maar het is ook informatie die jij nodig hebt om een gezonde koers voor je webwinkel uit te zetten!
Ik ben al twee jaar bezig. Heeft een ondernemingsplan maken dan nog wel zin?
Juist als je al langer bezig bent, is het zinvol nog eens kritisch naar je situatie te kijken. Ben jij blij met alle onderdelen van je webwinkel? Verdien je genoeg? Wat zou je anders willen doen of zien? Vragen die je moet beantwoorden om duurzaam te groeien met jouw webwinkel.
Ik heb helemaal geen tijd om een ondernemingsplan te maken. En het gaat best lekker zo… dus waarom zou ik dat doen?
Als jij tevreden bent met hoe je webwinkel nu draait, dan hoef je natuurlijk niets te veranderen. Maar als je meer wil verdienen, dan is het hoog tijd om een ondernemingsplan te schrijven. Want als je nu al amper tijd hebt, en toch niet genoeg verdient – dan doe je iets verkeerd…
Ik heb al weleens geprobeerd een ondernemingsplan voor mijn webwinkel te maken, maar ik kwam er niet uit. Waarom zou het nu wel lukken?
Omdat wij je helpen! Wij leggen, stap-voor-stap en in gewone-mensen-taal, uit hoe je een ondernemingsplan schrijft. Met de bijbehorende werkbladen word je direct op een inspirerende wijze aan het werk gezet. Zo word je ondernemingsplan (her)schrijven stiekem een klein feestje – met een zeer nuttig resultaat!
BONUS 1:
13 praktische werkbladen
Het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen is voorzien van maar liefst 13 praktische werkbladen. Na ieder hoofdstuk zet je de kennis direct in om je eigen webwinkel te verbeteren.
BONUS 2:
9 motiverende affirmatiekaartjes
Het schrijven van jouw ondernemingsplan kan best lastig zijn. Doe je het wel goed? Is jouw idee wel onderscheidend? Met deze inspirerende affirmatiekaartjes kun je weer met frisse zin aan de slag!
Klaar om je merk te versterken en meer geld te verdienen met je webwinkel?
Met het Werkboek Ondernemingsplannen krijg je alle tools in handen voor een overtuigend ondernemingsplan, versterk je je merk en vergroot je de kans om van jouw webwinkel een succes te maken.
Begin nu met het (her)schrijven van jouw ondernemingsplan
http://www.mamamarketing.nl/hulp-bij-het-schrijven-van-je-ondernemingsplan/werkboek-ondernemingsplannen-schrijven/
9 Eenvoudige Manieren om Geld te Besparen (Overig)
*****
Geld besparen hoeft niet moeilijk te zijn. Met deze eenvoudige manieren om geld te besparen bespaar je geld zonder dat je er veel voor in hoeft te leveren!
Doe één keer week boodschappen voor de hele week. Hiermee bespaar je geld omdat je niet steeds valt voor alle verleidingen en ‘nog even wat lekkers’ meeneemt. Geef jezelf een budget voor de week en probeer daar binnen te blijven. Je haalt één keer boodschappen, op is op.
Bezoek als eerste de goedkoopste supermarkten. Haal zoveel mogelijk spullen bij een goedkope supermarkt als de Lidl of Aldi. Haal de rest bij andere, minder goedkope, supermarkten.
Douche je twee keer per dag? Kijk of dit echt nodig is en of je jezelf bijvoorbeeld in de ochtend niet op een andere manier kunt opfrissen. Je kunt je gezicht ook wassen aan de wastafel. Ook scheren en tandenpoetsen hoeft niet persé onder douche. De gasrekening wordt een stuk lager wanneer je de helft minder doucht.
Schakel ongebruikte elektronica altijd uit. We gaven al eerder de tip van de multimedia aan een stekkerblok zodat je alle apparaten die ‘stanby’ staan kunt uitschakelen. Koop daarnaast stopcontacten met een afstandsbediening, overal verkrijgbaar waaronder bij IKEA. Omdat je vanuit je luie stoel lampen uit kunt schakelen zul je dit sneller doen als je even weg gaat. Je kunt bovendien alle sfeerverlichting op één toets koppelen. Hartstikke makkelijk en stroombesparend.
Heb jij ‘bloedzuigers’ in je maandlasten? Blader door je internetbankieren en kijk naar de afschriften van de afgelopen maanden. Zie je afschrijvingen van zaken die je al lang vergeten was? Blijk je nog steeds lid te zijn van dat magazine of schrijft de sportschool nog altijd iedere maand geld af terwijl je al maanden niet meer bent geweest? Stop deze onnodige uitgaven zo snel mogelijk om geld te besparen.
Ben je kip liefhebber, maar wil je vanuit dierenleed niet teveel vlees eten? Halveer dan je portie. Heb je echt een hele kipfilet nodig om je maaltijd compleet te maken? Deel samen een kipfilet met je partner en als je dit iedere dag doet, bespaar je iedere maand de helft aan vlees-boodschappen, en daarnaast ben je ook nog een beetje verantwoord bezig! Doe dit ook voor andere aanbiedingen, zoals het delen van een zak chips in plaats van het alleen opeten van een zak.
Verlaag je internet abonnement naar een snelheid die je echt gebruikt. Weet je zeker dat je 40 mb per seconde nodig hebt? Kun je goedkoper uit zijn door naar een minder snelle verbinding over te stappen? De snelheidsbeperking ligt vaak niet bij jouw internet verbinding maar bij die van alle webservers wereldwijd. Zelfs als je nu op razendsnel glasvezel zou worden aangesloten zul je in het dagelijks leven niet veel verschil merken. Dus weet je zeker dat je niet te veel betaalt?
Ben jij iemand die regelmatig plat gaat voor leuke gadgets of geweldige kleding? Leg dan deze impuls aankomen aan banden. Zodra je merkt dat je iets wilt kopen dat je niet ‘echt nodig’ hebt zet je het in je agenda over twee weken en laat je het los. Als je het na twee weken weer tegen komt het nog steeds heel graag wilt hebben is het geen impuls aankoop meer, en kun je misschien overgaan tot aanschaf. Lees ook ‘voorkom impulsaankopen in 6 stappen‘.
Schakel over op een sim-only abonnement voor je mobiele telefoon als je toestel het nog prima doet na de contractperiode. Vaak vervangen we ons toestel voor een nieuwe, alleen maar omdat we het leuk vinden om een nieuw mobieltje te krijgen. Je kunt je abonnement ook verlengen als sim-only en zo maandelijks veel geld besparen. Een mobiele telefoon kan bij normaal gebruik zeker drie jaar mee gaan!
http://www.stofzuigerzen.nl/geld/9-eenvoudige-manieren-om-geld-te-besparen.html
Doe één keer week boodschappen voor de hele week. Hiermee bespaar je geld omdat je niet steeds valt voor alle verleidingen en ‘nog even wat lekkers’ meeneemt. Geef jezelf een budget voor de week en probeer daar binnen te blijven. Je haalt één keer boodschappen, op is op.
Bezoek als eerste de goedkoopste supermarkten. Haal zoveel mogelijk spullen bij een goedkope supermarkt als de Lidl of Aldi. Haal de rest bij andere, minder goedkope, supermarkten.
Douche je twee keer per dag? Kijk of dit echt nodig is en of je jezelf bijvoorbeeld in de ochtend niet op een andere manier kunt opfrissen. Je kunt je gezicht ook wassen aan de wastafel. Ook scheren en tandenpoetsen hoeft niet persé onder douche. De gasrekening wordt een stuk lager wanneer je de helft minder doucht.
Schakel ongebruikte elektronica altijd uit. We gaven al eerder de tip van de multimedia aan een stekkerblok zodat je alle apparaten die ‘stanby’ staan kunt uitschakelen. Koop daarnaast stopcontacten met een afstandsbediening, overal verkrijgbaar waaronder bij IKEA. Omdat je vanuit je luie stoel lampen uit kunt schakelen zul je dit sneller doen als je even weg gaat. Je kunt bovendien alle sfeerverlichting op één toets koppelen. Hartstikke makkelijk en stroombesparend.
Heb jij ‘bloedzuigers’ in je maandlasten? Blader door je internetbankieren en kijk naar de afschriften van de afgelopen maanden. Zie je afschrijvingen van zaken die je al lang vergeten was? Blijk je nog steeds lid te zijn van dat magazine of schrijft de sportschool nog altijd iedere maand geld af terwijl je al maanden niet meer bent geweest? Stop deze onnodige uitgaven zo snel mogelijk om geld te besparen.
Ben je kip liefhebber, maar wil je vanuit dierenleed niet teveel vlees eten? Halveer dan je portie. Heb je echt een hele kipfilet nodig om je maaltijd compleet te maken? Deel samen een kipfilet met je partner en als je dit iedere dag doet, bespaar je iedere maand de helft aan vlees-boodschappen, en daarnaast ben je ook nog een beetje verantwoord bezig! Doe dit ook voor andere aanbiedingen, zoals het delen van een zak chips in plaats van het alleen opeten van een zak.
Verlaag je internet abonnement naar een snelheid die je echt gebruikt. Weet je zeker dat je 40 mb per seconde nodig hebt? Kun je goedkoper uit zijn door naar een minder snelle verbinding over te stappen? De snelheidsbeperking ligt vaak niet bij jouw internet verbinding maar bij die van alle webservers wereldwijd. Zelfs als je nu op razendsnel glasvezel zou worden aangesloten zul je in het dagelijks leven niet veel verschil merken. Dus weet je zeker dat je niet te veel betaalt?
Ben jij iemand die regelmatig plat gaat voor leuke gadgets of geweldige kleding? Leg dan deze impuls aankomen aan banden. Zodra je merkt dat je iets wilt kopen dat je niet ‘echt nodig’ hebt zet je het in je agenda over twee weken en laat je het los. Als je het na twee weken weer tegen komt het nog steeds heel graag wilt hebben is het geen impuls aankoop meer, en kun je misschien overgaan tot aanschaf. Lees ook ‘voorkom impulsaankopen in 6 stappen‘.
Schakel over op een sim-only abonnement voor je mobiele telefoon als je toestel het nog prima doet na de contractperiode. Vaak vervangen we ons toestel voor een nieuwe, alleen maar omdat we het leuk vinden om een nieuw mobieltje te krijgen. Je kunt je abonnement ook verlengen als sim-only en zo maandelijks veel geld besparen. Een mobiele telefoon kan bij normaal gebruik zeker drie jaar mee gaan!
http://www.stofzuigerzen.nl/geld/9-eenvoudige-manieren-om-geld-te-besparen.html
Taboe! Maak Winst op je Verjaardagsfeest: 15 Tips! (Overig)
*****Wie zegt dat je af en toe niet een beetje commercieel mag denken binnen het huishouden? Als je een verjaardagsfeest moet organiseren kan dat soms aardig in de papieren lopen. Het kan dus geen kwaad om een beetje inzicht te houden in wat je uitgeeft en wat er binnenkomt. Het liefst maak je zelfs winst op je feestje! Wij hebben tips!
Zo maak je Winst op je Verjaardagsfeest!
1.Nodig veel mensen uit die cadeau’s meebrengen. Ideaal zijn mensen die alleen of samenwonen en geen kinderen meebrengen. Zo hoef je minder eten en drinken in huis te halen voor hetzelfde cadeau. (dit is het voornaamste taboe)
2.Vraag om geld of cadeaubonnen en geef in je uitnodiging aan waar je dit aan wilt uitgeven. Bedenk een doel waaraan mensen graag willen bijdragen. Mensen zijn geneigd meer geld te geven als ze weten waar je het aan gaat besteden. Kom met doelen als een eigen autotje, je uitzet, een cursus of een eigen laptop. Kies dingen waar mensen het mee eens zijn.
3.Laat het feest beginnen na het eten, bijvoorbeeld om half 9. Zo hoef je geen avondeten te regelen!
4.Doe bewust inkopen en ga niet voor dure merkproducten. Haal goedkope frisdrank en zorg dat hij goed koud is, dat verbloemt de smaak. Schenk in de keuken zodat de gasten het merk niet zien. Selecteer vooraf wat wijnen die goedkoop en lekker zijn en kies voor voordeliger bier. Zoek naar de optimale balans tussen prijs en kwaliteit.
5.Schenk altijd gekoeld water bij wijn. Dit is prettig tegen hoofdpijn maar neemt ook op een goedkope manier de dorst weg.
6.Je kunt een kan ranja aanmaken en in de koelkast zetten voor de kinderen. Dure drankjes zijn echt niet nodig!
7.Koeken zijn doorgaans goedkoper dan een paar taarten. Bovendien kun je veel meer keuze bieden aan je gasten.
8.Wees creatief met je hapjes. Maak er iets leuks van zonder dat het veel hoeft te kosten. Denk aan de presentatie, dat is een belangrijk deel van de smaakbeleving. Als je eigen hapjes maakt kun je zorgen dat ze een beetje voedzaam zijn zoals stokbrood uit de oven, dan eten mensen minder van de andere snacks.
9.Zorg altijd voor wat goedkope hapjes als gezoute pinda’s en zoute sticks. Deze zakjes kosten praktisch niets dus je kunt ze onbeperkt aanvullen. Als de luxere hapjes op zijn kunnen mensen terugvallen op deze snacks. Goedkope borrelnootjes kunnen smerig zijn, goedkope pinda’s smaken eigenlijk altijd hetzelfde als duurdere varianten.
10.Maak je eigen eiersalade en maak er direct veel van zodat je het de hele avond aan kunt vullen.
11.Zet wat gezonde hapjes neer zoals komkommer. Lekker goedkoop en nog gezond ook!
12.Knakworstjes zijn niet duur en erg geliefd.
13.Verlaag de temperatuur als mensen teveel drinken of als je ze weg wilt hebben.
14.Als je een einde aan je feestje wilt breien kun je de muziek langzaam zachter zetten en uiteindelijk uitschakelen en langzaam minder drankjes aan gaan bieden.
15.Als je mensen weg wilt hebben moet je wachten tot het moment dat het af en toe stil valt. Vraag vervolgens of ze nog iets willen drinken. Grote kans dat ze zeggen: “Nee bedankt, we wilden net gaan.” Misschien waren ze zonder jouw vraag nog een kwartier blijven zitten, nu geef je ze een directe aanleiding te vertrekken.
Je moet natuurlijk niet te ver gaan!
Hoewel het heel slim kan zijn om op de kosten van je verjaardagsfeest te letten moet je er natuurlijk niet te ver in gaan. De mensen op je verjaardag komen langs omdat ze van je houden. Je kunt ze dus nooit als ‘commerciele klanten’ zien.
Door subtiel te zijn in je aanpak kun je op een vriendelijke manier onopvallend letten op je inkomsten en uitgaven. Het kan geen kwaad om je bewust te zijn van de ‘winstmarge’ die je maakt op je feestje! Zolang je bezoekers het maar naar hun zin hebben.
http://www.stofzuigerzen.nl/geld/taboe-maak-winst-op-je-verjaardagsfeest-15-tips.html
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