My Pro Marketing Solutions offers the following services:

• Full Content Marketing Services with Contenzio
• Online/Offline Marketing Integration Services
• Search Engine Optimization and Search Marketing Services
• Local Web Design and Graphic Design services

If you do not see the service you are looking for, please email me at dan@myproonline.com

We look forward to doing business with you soon!

Opportunity? I’ll bet that every bone in your body is telling you that the current economy provides anything but. Luckily, there is over 80 years of well-documented research on the critical question of marketing during a recession that can help guide you and your company through these tricky times.

Cycle after cycle since 1923, many big brains have examined the periodic evidence and reached the same conclusion: companies that invest in marketing during a down economy come out ahead. Whether it’s sales, profits, market share, return on capital or total market value, those that spend (or invest) in advertising end up better than the cutters.

Easier said that done, right? I understand the reality; we have a budget to manage with our business too, and we need to be smart with it. On the surface, marketing and advertising seem like easy things to cut back on. “I need to keep the phones on more than I need to place an ad here or set up a booth at that home show,” you may say to yourself. “I can re-start my ad campaign next year.”

The problem with the logic is that effectively marketing your business, even in a recession, is what brings in new sales, which in turn pay the bill to keep the phone on. You need to stay visible, so that you have the image of being stable, and you’re on your prospect’s mind when they need your goods or services.

Another reason to keep advertising going strong is that you may have a chance to grab market share, and even dominate your market. Professor John A. Quelch of Harvard Business School says “It is well documented that brands that increase their advertising during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve return on investment and market share at lower cost than during good economic times.”

Look at it like this; if 10 people are all talking to you at the same time, it’s overwhelming. It’s hard to understand what anyone is saying. But if 9 stop talking, suddenly the one person who’s still talking can be heard loud and clear.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Focus on your core values: Reinforce your brand values with marketing that uses strong and consistent messages. Remind customers and prospects why you’re different… and better.
• Market to your constituency: Define and communicate to your optimum market. Whether that is homeowners with high income, baby boomers with bad vision, or fondue lovers, determine who purchases your product and find marketing that specifically targets them.
• Stay consistent with effective advertising: The long-term benefits are cumulative, and therefore hard to completely measure. If it’s working, stick with it, and over time the rewards will be even greater.

Much to my delight, I was pleased to find that most (90%) of these web design firms are nothing more than agencies posting nationwide advertisements on the search engines to grab a little business from all over this country. Now, don’t get me wrong here, I think this is a brilliant business plan and hope to someday pull off this same stunt in one capacity or another. I know that you can amass a fortune by picking up all the pennies you cross in the street.

The reason I write this blog is to report that although there are lots of people out there seeking cheap, no frills websites, there are many local Modesto business owners who want to be able to meet face-to-face and sit down to put their website together. I know that these people want to look you in the eye and explain to you who they are, where they are going and why they need your help to get there. This is where My Pro Tech Solutions comes in and puts the personal touch back into business.

Here at My Pro, we are glad to shake your hand, sit down with you over a cup of joe or in your company board room and hammer out the details of your vision. We specialize in custom sites, made to order, and optimized to be search engine friendly. We know what it takes to claim your spot on the world wide web and we look forward to the partnership we will forge with your business. We like to think that we are a small business out to help and partner with small businesses. We have to stick together in this world if we are going to survive.

So the next time your considering a new business, cleaning up an old one or just looking for a fresh start, please give us a call. We look forward to helping you with all your online marketing needs in Modesto.

These days everyone is abuzz about the economy and how bad things are and I have to agree that in my 36 years on this planet, I have never experienced times such as these. I am told that “The Great Depression” was far worse than anything most of us youngsters could comprehend. My hope is that we will never have to experience what our grandparents and great grandparents experienced during the depression. My hope is that we as a nation will raise our heads, get pissed and turn this country around. My hope is that I don’t have to tell my grandchildren and great grandchildren about the “American Financial Disaster” of the new millennium.

I do not proclaim to be anything other than a small business owner who is trying to be successful, provide for my family and change my financial family tree. My goals are much like many of you out there. My goal is to be happy, healthy and wealthy. My goal is to set a good example for my children and to prove to them that no matter what you decide to do with your life, you can do it if you put your mind to it. Cliche you say? Well, maybe, but I truly believe this to be true. So, I have come up with a list of things “NOT” to do in a down economy.

1. Do not feed into the negativity of the media, the neighbor or the naysayers. Do the opposite, inject your sphere of influence with enthusiasm, positivity and hope.

2. Never stop progressing. Keep your plans to go on that vacation, buy that car, move into a new home, get married, have children….. whatever it is that you would do in good times, you must do in bad times. Do not let outside forces keep you from achieving your goals.

3. Do not stop loving this country. The United States of America is an unbelievable place. We have more freedom, hope and opportunity than any place on Earth. You are blessed to reside in this country and you should be proud to call yourself an American. Be proud of these United States, and do whatever it takes to keep the heartbeat of this country strong and powerful.

4. Do not think that this will never happen again and let the lesson pass you by. Use this opportunity to be more efficient, make smarter buying decisions and educate yourself about being prepared for future market down turns. Times like these are an expensive life lesson for many. Do not blame your current situation on anybody other than yourself. If you lost your job, then you should have had a nest egg to cover you until you found another one. If you are financially struggling, then you should have conserved in good times to survive in bad times. We all have to take responsibility for our actions, even the author of this article.

5. Do not ignore those in need. If you are flourishing in these tough times, be sure to help those in need. The simple things such as filling somebodies tank with gas or picking up their grocery bill for the week or providing them with medial jobs around your home will pay dividends ten fold. Pay it forward, you might be quite surprised at how good it makes you feel. Take the opportunity in tough times to brighten someones day, give them hope and prove to the outside world that Americans are amazing people.

I hope you find this article inspirational and mind-changing. I know it has been for me while I sit here and type it. We all need to be reminded to do the right thing, be the better person and live a great life. Its not that hard, you should give it a try sometime.

Now, on the other side of the spectrum is those businesses that think the internet is just a trend and that they will just kinda play along with the idea that people are using the internet, all along just burnin up inside because, frankly, they just don’t get it and think it is a waste of time. These people like to categorize the internet as a liberal mess that just won’t seem to go away. They also use the phrase “I’ve been doing business without it for the last 10 or 20 or 30 years, so why do I need to be a part of it now!” Well, I am sure that back in the mid 1800’s before the telephone was invented, that many a business men refused to use one of those stupid talking devices, because their people always came to visit them, so why did anyone need to call them? And I almost gaurantee you that when the television came out, alot of business people said, who needs television? My local newspaper brings me all the business I could ever handle. Besides, the darn TV doesnt show my products in color, so it would never work for me. Now, I am too young to remember when black and white TV came out, but I guarantee you that every teenager in America could picture in their head what the beautiful red corvette looked like. Even though it was bright grey on the tv screen.

My message is clear……get linked or get lost!  The internet is not a trend, you can be found on the internet if you know the tricks. You can generate large amounts of business by marketing your products and services on the web. You can double your business with out hiring sales people or opening another location just by investing in the future of your business. Its really that simple.

Here it is…..

Consistency

Diversification

Differentiation

These are the 3 keys to a successful marketing and advertising Program!

Let’s cover each in detail….

Consistency- Whatever image, avenue, message or idea you decide to pursue in your quest to teach the world about yourself and your company and your products, you must be consistent. Consumers will not waste their time trying to keep up with your effort to find the “perfect” place to broadcast your message. If you decide to participate in any kind of print media, you must plan on running in that publication for a minimum of 3 months. Readers and potential buyers want to know that you are not a “fly-by-night” company. Consistency in advertising gives you a small amount of credibility. So, next time you decide to throw some dollars at advertising your company, plan on proving yourself to the readers before you see any return on your investment.

Diversification- This is huge. So many businesses will pick one single avenue to market their business and never try anything else. I see this often in print advertising and marketing. Remember, what you see is not necessarily what you get. Your probably thinking…what?  Let me clarify. I will use the newspaper business as a perfect example of my “what you see is not what you get” theory. Most people believe that everyone in their hometown or city obtains the newspaper daily via home, work or newsstands. They also believe that everyone reads the newspaper front to back. Let me let you in on a little secret……..this is incorrect thinking. Let me provide you with an example…… Let’s say the Modesto Bee Newspaper circulates roughly 75,000 (educated guess) newspapers to Stanislaus County on Saturday by delivery, news stands and business freebies. First, the easy math is looking at the total population of Stanislaus County. According to the 2006 Consensus Bureau, there were 512,138 people living in Stanislaus County. So, 75,000 newspapers only serves roughly 19% of the population. Now, the paper has aproximately 8 sections in it. It is safe to say that 2.36% of the population or 9,375 people read no more than 2 sections of the paper per Saturday. Now, how do we breakdown the 100+ services offered in those sections and figure out what the chance that the reader will zone in on your service or product? The chance is slim to none, but what is more crucial is the amount of money the advertiser spent on that gamble. Considering that a Saturday Newspaper ad can run you from $250 to $5000, your cost per potential lead is astronomical. So, now you see why it is important to diversify your advertising dollars across print, web, radio, television, directories, trade-shows and your industry advertising opportunities. This is a time consuming process and would be best served by hiring a Marketing Director or an Advertising Agency. This will help you to be consistent, negotiate the best rates and diversify.

Differentiation- This is simple! Know your competition and don’t always do what they are doing. I am amazed at how many business people will only advertise if their competition is already advertising in that particular medium. I am astounded by the “Sheep” mentality when it comes to marketing your business. One very important note that makes you different from your competition is your differentiation in marketing your services. Industry advertising avenues are different. Businesses that have a service to offer most of the population must be willing to step out of the box and do something different. For example….. who would have ever thought that you would see Tide Laundry Soap being advertised on a Nascar? Who would have guessed that sports stadiums would have names like 3Com park or Arco Arena? My point is this……. these companies stepped out of the box. They decided that branding their name was more important than what that name was seen on. If you want to brand your company name on a bigger scale, then start thinking on a bigger scale. Start differentiating yourself from your competition!

I hope to hear your comments, feedback and opinions soon! Thanks