by tradespeopleinsights | Jun 24, 2010 | Marketing Tools, Marketing Trends, Social Marketing
Although this market segment is rated low, currently the projections for the next five years shows exceptional growth. According to a study by eMarketer 70% of Hispanic population will be online by 2014.
This online population is young and thriving according to a new report, Hispanics Online: Demographics and Media Usage, and are very active online.
What does this mean for those of us who want to sell them stuff? It means there is a great opportunity for us to communicate to these contractors online. The majority of online Hispanics are native born and speak English proficiently, but they take notice when marketers’ Spanish-language efforts are lacking.
According to a survey from Opinion Research Corporation in March 2010, Hispanics were more likely to respond to e-mail or banner ads than their White or African-American counterparts.
To be successful in this space, marketers must move beyond the perceived language barrier and make a commitment to reach them. There are trade magazines that reach out to the Hispanic contractors, but they are given out primarily at distribution points and manufacturers don’t know who they are. Social media lets them identify themselves to you.
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by tradespeopleinsights | Jun 23, 2010 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing
Sometimes you’re better off using video to get your point across. It lets you demo your product and even have customer testimonials telling their peer groups how good your product is. Video works!
This may not be a surprise to some of you, but are you taking advantage of those videos by doing video marketing? Video marketing places them online, and hopefully you are doing a social media program that encourages posting videos.
One advantage of putting them online is that they will be there forever and will keep generating leads because of your key words and tags.
Forrester Research found that videos were 50 times more likely to show up on the first page organically than traditional texts.
I recently read a post from Amy Porterfield in Social Media Examiner, 16 Tips for Successful Online Video Marketing, that outlined some helpful hints when doing online video marketing. Here are 6 quick tips:
- Make your title count – make sure appropriate key words are in the title
- Content is king – make sure you give them good stuff
- Include your URL in video – give them a way to contact you
- Don’t forget branding – make sure your logo is prominently displayed on the screen
- Always provide an HTML link – lead with a link to where you want to drive them
- Go beyond YouTube – embed it in your website and blog
Amy also gives you 10 ways to supercharge your videos.
Don’t miss an opportunity to extend your credibility by using online video marketing.
If you like this article, you might like, Why Online Video Attracts Professional Tradesmen.
by tradespeopleinsights | Jun 22, 2010 | Marketing Trends, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
Sonnhalter is deeply involved with the professional tradesmen. We recently completed an page overview of the HVAC market. The purpose of the document is to give the reader a quick snapshot of the industry, its players and trends for 2010.
Highlights include interviews with editors of the top two trade publications. Also included are association and buying group contacts, trade shows/meetings, industry trends and media publications.
A free copy for download is available. Click here to sign up.
by tradespeopleinsights | Jun 17, 2010 | Marketing Trends, Social Marketing
Social media continues to grow to no one’s surprise, and both B-to-B and B-to-C are utilizing this medium at a higher rate than ever before.
Different industries are adopting social at different rates and many haven’t positioned it as one of their top priorities to reach their customers.
I recently read a post by Amy Porterfield from Social Media Examiner, 3 New Studies Prove Social Media Marketing Growth that has some interesting information, a lot of which can relate to those of us trying to reach the professional tradesmen.
Here are some highlights:
Small business doubles social media adoption – from 12 to 24%, and 20% are actively using social media as part of their business strategy.
- 75% have a company page on a social networking site
- 69% post status updates or articles of interest on social media sites
- 57% build a network through a site such as LinkedIn
- 54% monitor feedback about the business
- 39% maintain a blog
- 26% tweet about areas of expertise
- 16% use Twitter as a service channel
Nearly 20% of marketing dollars will go to social over the next 5 years.
- Currently businesses allocate approximately 6% to social
- Next year, they expect to increase it to 10%
- And 18% over the next 5 years
A top goal of marketers: Master social media.
- Top challenge is to identify ROI
- 72% of companies are planning social initiatives in 2010
- Most initiatives will be done internally
- When selecting a vendor for social media, they look for those who influence over a target market and have networks already established
So what are your thoughts? Does your company fit any of these profiles? What are you doing new in social for 2010?
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by tradespeopleinsights | Jun 16, 2010 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing
I believe LinkedIn is one of the most under-utilized social media tools, and I’d like to share with you my thoughts on how you can make the most of it.
- It’s a way to stay in front of your connections on a regular basis.
- It’s a way to build thought leadership and credibility.
- It’s a way to talk to people who share the same interests that are not in your network.
The LinkedIn webinar shows the ins and outs of LinkedIn for businesses. The webinar shows manufacturers and marketers how to harness the power of this social media tool by teaching how to grow contacts, join groups and use it to promote your thought leadership and ultimately generate leads. If you are in sales, customer service or general management, LinkedIn knowledge is a must in the toolbox of business tools
The webinar will be Tuesday, July 13 at 2 PM EST. Registration is closed.
Please pass this on to business associates.
by tradespeopleinsights | Jun 15, 2010 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
Many of the clients we represent go to market through independent reps, so I thought I’d have one of the leading ones give manufacturers some tips on how to hire one.
Bill Via, who is President of CSV Marketing, has been a long-time friend and represents some key lines in the Industrial/Construction markets. I’ve asked him to give his insight on how to hire a rep. Enjoy.
I’m amazed at how Manufacturers choose Manufacturers Reps. Over the years, I’ve sat through hundreds of interviews either in person or on the phone and very few of those spent more than a couple of minutes talking about specific account details, in fact, I’m reasonably sure that they themselves had never spoken with their own customer base located in the territory. It seems the decision is often largely based on an initial personal connection.
Some years ago, I sat through a workshop at the now dissolved National Independent Representative Association on this very subject; the conclusion of the presenter and the attendees was that the decision on who was to be anointed as the manufacturers newest agent was made within the first three minutes of meeting the rep!
Why is it that we’re treated differently than if that Manufacturer was hiring a direct salesperson, when often the existing commissions might be multiples of the cost of a direct sales person.
Here are 6 things you should do before hiring a new manufacturers rep:
- Prior to the initial call, contact existing accounts and find out whom they work with, who helps them move product.
- On the initial call, ask the rep what his or her main accounts are and would it be acceptable to contact them for an endorsement.
- Ask for details on each Regional Manager to identify commonality or expertise within the group.
- Now it’s time to make a face-to-face visit and not at the Bob Evans closest to the airport. You need to get a clear picture of your potential new partner and the facilities and means of support they offer.
- The next question will have some of my Rep brethren squirming. How many lines do you have and where do we fit in the ranking? It’s fair to get an understanding at the time commitment available to your products.
- Finally, your new prospect should give you every Principles contact information they have and you should consider contacting them for an endorsement.
Reps take one of two directions, growth through acquisition (adding lines) or you can pick Product line partners that fit your focus, philosophy and long-term expectations. Your entering into a relationship that could last an entire business lifetime and like a marriage, it’s best to take your time during the courtship.
Bill can be reached at [email protected] or 440.967.9300.
