InSights consulted with a company recently and performed an Organic Marketing Review according to our Tic-Tac-Toe board. The company was considering taking on a partner product line and was going to do a re-brand. Part of their arrangement was going to be adding their name to the other company, abandoning their domain, and directing all their traffic to the new site. Did we mention that the agreement with the “national” site was that every lead that came into their territory was going to cost them $100?

As we progressed through the review, we came to the website and online house square. A quick peek at Google Analytics for the site showed well over 1000 hits per month on this domain, with at least 450 in Michigan, where the local company was located. We encouraged the company to keep their domain, and not redirect traffic to the national site. We even suggested that they sell leads to the national site, since the site was getting decent traffic for a specialty niche product.

We did the math. By keeping their domain themselves, they are going to keep the traffic that is already coming in as a result of previous marketing. Any leads that come through the national site, they are willing to pay for. At a promise of 3 leads per week @$100/lead, we’re talking an average of $1200/month. Multiply that by 12 and you’ve got $14400…just think what would have happened if they redirected all their traffic and had to buy back all the leads from their site averaging over 1000 hits. It could get pretty pricey.

The Organic Marketing Review was relatively inexpensive and saved the company from making a big mistake…it pays to look at your entire marketing process when making decisions for online marketing including social media and websites.

If we can help you perform an audit or analysis of your marketing with our Organic Marketing program, please contact us today!

Here’s a great spot from Sandy as posted on the Terry Goss and Associates Blog. What great ideas!

Ok–time to draw straws and have some fun! For all of the multi talented people we work with lets take a look at some of the job titles we never advertise for–but have the potential for the right person. ( I see additions to your profile page)Here we go:

• Director of Mind and Mood
• Vice President of Cool
• Chief Imagination Officer
• Intangible Asset Appraiser
• Director of Intellectual Capital
• Visualizer
• Creatologist
• Storyteller
• Court Jester
• Chief Morale Officer
• Goddess of the People
• Chief Dreamer
• Chief Catalyst
• Co-ordinator of Synchronicity
• Ego Enhancement Consultant
• Friction Arrestor
• Dream Broker
• Misconception Eradicator
• Chief Fulfiller of Needs
• Empresario of Equalities
• Carbonated Beverage Specialist
• Consultant of Leisure
• Director of Chocolate Flavors
• Director Of First Impressions
• Irony Consultant
• Laughter Therapist
• Word of Mouth Marketing Manager

Grab yourself a new name. Pick a new job title worth testing out. I’m torn between Chief Imagination Officer, Creatologist, Dream Broker, Chief Fulfiller of Needs, Laughter Therapist, and  Misconception Eradicator. Who says we have to pick one? Let me know how it goes.

Seth Godin has a great post about the little bit that makes the difference. Check it out here

So it’s been a year since we launched the Organic Marketing Tic Tac Toe Game. You can now find the concept on webinars, cds, and lectures with the InSights Group. Let’s take a peek at an original post about the new idea:

Today was another amazing example of how Insights continues to blow my mind. I am sitting here at 10:15 pm still pondering what happened today. There is nothing but possibility in this incredible world I find myself living in!!!
For starters, the day began with our 7am meeting which lead into a few private meetings that focused our energies toward something much larger than we are. At 1pm we started to lay out the marketing program that will revolutionize how things get done. Those of you that choose to be involved will not be disappointed. The first lady is definitely on fire. She has a brilliant mind so get ready! Stay tuned as this concept starts unrolling itself.

If you have stayed tuned you will know that our CD series now includes two Organic Marketing Programs, and the Tic Tac Toe concept is being used for new product and business launches around the country.  Our two day setting your Media Strategy Boot Camp also follows the program.

How exciting!!

(photo by ocean.flynn @ Flickr CC)

So many media choices, how do you navigate it all and incorporate social media? This CD explains Organic Marketing and the Marketing Tic-Tac-Toe (TM) Board, for you to follow along and create your own unique strategy.

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• What is Organic Marketing? (insights-group.com)

We will be covering personal branding in depth in Organic Marketing ™ on Wednesday, and will be helping you create your own personal brand. I came across this online, and thought it was worth sharing. Let’s explore the question, what is brand identity really about?
Is it about the image that you think you are creating?
Is it about the look and feel of your product?
Where does the experience weigh in?
Is it about what you think, or what they think?
Who are they?
What feeling does your brand create?
What is your energy signature!?

Brands are created by individuals. For that, there is no subsitutue.

Social media helps us create the brand of us.

Where are you in creating your brand identity?

More on focusing in on our “PERSONAL BRAND IDENTITY” later. Stay tuned!

An advertising campaign is often a single part of a larger marketing strategy. When we talk about advertising in organic marketing, the actual advertisement may be a piece of paper, a page on a website, a postcard, or even a business card that is used to encourge someone to do something. The action that will be taken is the key.

A good advertising strategy will need to create awareness within people about a product or service, influence a desire, and result in an action, such as requesting more information, brining in a coupon, visiting a store’s location, or to make a purchase of a product.

For an advertising campaign or an advertisement to be successful, it needs to make sense to the audience. The better the creativity used, the more options there are to attract and influence the audience. Benefits of using the product or service should be used, the message needs to be in harmony with the brand personality, and any special company culture should be shown through the ad.

(photo by _emtaddbel @flickr cc)

Organic Marketing ™: What is it? <

Think of organic marketing as you would the planting of a garden. You need to start with a seed, or the idea. Then you need to decide where the best location is to plant your seed, the type of soil you need, the amount of care and contact it requires, and you need to monitor the growth and progress to appreciate the transformation. Organic Marketing ™ is just that, for your business.

Our approach to organic marketing is geared at understanding where you are in your current business, and where you would like to go. Using an approach where you can begin putting elements in place and watching the results as you go, being able to change directions, implement new elements, change what may not be working, and focus forward are all elements of the natural, organic strategy.

As an example, you can’t build an entire Star Wars ship out of legos without first starting with the very first building block. In a similar fashion, when building your marketing mix, you need to start a marketing plan by starting with the very first piece. It’s important to start with your intention for being in business, and what your goal is. This includes why you do what you do, how people will work with you, and what you hope to accomplish.

The first question is, what is your intention with your business? The second, What is your goal? and the third, How are you compensated? Once you have considered these, you are ready to build on a foundation, and choose the next legos from the box.

(seedling photo by tico_bassie @ flickr cc)
(lego photo by Leo Reynolds @ flickr cc)

We’ve got a really cool model to follow for marketing a business in 2009. I’ve coined in Marketing Tic Tac Toe. It’s a easy way to at a glance monitor what activies someone should be involved in for marketing this year. Take for instance the thought that so many businesses spend all of their time targeting new customers. Tic Tac Toe breaks down marketing efforts into three categories, personal, business and the universe. Sure, you should be looking to connect with new clients. What about your existing clients that are your absolute best source of repeat business and word of mouth marketing? How will you market to them? Tune in for upcoming installments of the Marketing Tic Tac Toe system, and please share with me, what’s your favorite marketing activity and why? Where do you find the most benefit? What would you like to avoid, or change so it would be an easier challenge? Where are you in terms of marketing your business?