AJRoss Blog

I hear the groans already… I hate networking. I’m uncomfortable talking with strangers. Well guess what, networking is probably one of the best ways to grow your business. The heart of any business is the connection it has with other businesses and individuals that it can call upon to help meet its needs. Networking enables businesses that do not compete with each other to refer, share leads and find creative ways to partner. Networking events help you advance professionally.

No matter what type of business you have, it is all about relationships and how people perceive your talents. Your fellow business people are a vast resource. Focus on the quality, not quantity, of your connections at networking events. You’ll get better results by making a few good connections then by handing out dozens of business cards indiscriminately.

Most networking veterans agree that it’s hard to beat a face-to-face meeting to make the best contacts. The best lead generator is a handshake –the human touch.

Networking may sometimes seem insincere pretentious or even manipulative. There are always going to be people that judge someone by their position or image but there are many people who really want to build a true and mutually beneficial relationship.

You might consider yourself shy or self-conscious to go out and meet people. Networking does require a degree of boldness. The more you do it the easier it becomes and you will enjoy the adventure. The key is to smile and take interest in other people’s interest. Listen to what they have to say. Listen and learn.

Some pointers about networking:

Go with a goal. Have a firm reason to be at the even and know what you want out of it. Are you looking to acquire new prospects, meet colleagues for possible collaborations, and create name recognition for you and your business.

When someone asks you what you do make sure you can communicate not only your business, but also its benefits, in a clear, concise manner in 15 seconds or less. Is your message crisp and to the point? Is it compelling? This is not the time to give a dull, dry description. This is the time knock people’s socks off and rally make your company shine

Leave the resumes and sales pitches at home. Networking is networking. Sales is sales. Nobody wants to be sold when the environment doesn’t call for it. These are social events. If you are there to sell you most likely will fail. Be genuine and sincere.

Remember networking is a good thing. As easy as networking sounds—and it really is pretty straightforward—it takes time build and it takes time to be good at it but it’s worth the time and energy. It will help build your client base and you might even find some new friends.

By Allan J. Ross

The instantaneous Internet has an undeniable appeal for consumers; most business owners are aware of, and take advantage of, this still-new stream of data flow to offer up their wares in the new media. Cyberspace is big, and getting bigger, byte on top of megabyte.

Information offered via quality, uncluttered print — postcards, brochures, fliers, fact sheets and the ever-useful business card — is a restful, organized and often unexpected way to reach out and stand above the rest in a world of high-tech.

Print information is carefully selected and presented to your customer clearly and strategically.

Smart business owners know to blend new media with the proven: nothing beats being handed or sent something personal and tangible. Quality is felt in the hand, and stays on the desk.

Smart marketing doesn’t confine business to a single medium. It gets and keeps customers, no matter where they look for you.

Collateral materials come in different forms, but they share a critical element: they should be effectively marketing your company. Every business needs printed material, so make everything work for you. Your business cards and even your stationery can, not just the printed pieces that are designed to sell.

A business with all its materials branded uniformly will shine above the rest in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Consider all the documents that are generated from your business: the stationery and letterhead used by your company, for instance. Is it dated? Is it designed professionally, or is it merely one of the out-of-the-box desktop publishing templates that are so easily recognizable by everyone?

Consider your sales fliers. Are they, too, victims of the desktop publishing revolution? Do they have the same professional quality as your own work does, or are they generated by someone in your office who is good at their own job, but who is, perhaps, not a professional designer?

How about your brochures? This critical piece, you may or may not know, is one of the leading sales tools available to business owners, and often can be the instrument that decides a customer. Brochure in hand, a potential customer can peruse your offerings, either in store or at home, and make the final decision on your product or service.

Brochures — designed correctly — can be easily customized by your business, too, and tailored per customer, making them even more effective. Do you have the tools to do that in-house? If not, consider the fiscal pros and cons of outsourcing this crucial sales tool, as well as the large potential savings designers can offer in quality printing costs.

You spend time, money and energy on your Web site — as well you should. The Internet is instant, and these are fast-paced times.

But in a fast-paced world, the business that wants to get — and to keep — the attention of customers will not forget the human, personal, tangible element. Information is everywhere. What a relief, what a pleasure, for your customers, to be able to absorb your information easily.

How many more customers will buy when instead of being “called to action,” they are “appealed to action”?

Allan J. Ross is president and CEO of A.J. Ross Creative Media, a full-service advertising, marketing and Web design company, in Chester. He can be reached at allan@ajross.com or 845-783-5770.

When we talk about building brands today, we have plenty of history to reference. From the members of the century club led by Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble to the relative youngsters like Microsoft, each successful brand story provides us with a richness of learning we would be foolish to ignore.
Imagine if the founders of Arm & Hammer nearly 150 years ago had the knowledge of advertising, marketing, merchandising and public relations we have now. Talk about an unfair advantage!
So why is it that despite everything we know, regardless of all the history we can call upon for advice and guidance, creating and introducing a new brand remains the single most difficult thing to do in modern business. In fact, only out of every 1,000 brands that come to the marketplace in 2003 will still be around in 2004.
They say knowledge is power. That’s true, unless, of course, you’re attempting to bring down an established brand. We are speaking of those brands customers depend on as if they were old friends. These are the brands with a personality. Successful brands that forge a bond with customers so strong, the power of knowledge alone cannot break it.
Needless to say, if you have a brand that’s 5 years old, 50 years old, or 500 years old, and you have customers who know it and rely on it, who pay to use it and will recommend it to others, it would be best to keep an eye on it. Please, never take it for granted. It is the most important business asset you will ever own. Consider this: in the R.J. Reynolds buy out back the 80’s, the brand name “Oreo,” just those four letters, was calculated as being worth five times more than the capitalized value of all the bakeries that produced the cookies..
So how do you hang on to this invaluable asset? How do you protect it? How do you build on a brand and make it an even more frequent choice? Well, it would be a good idea to have people around you who understand it’s value, conscientious, dedicated people, relentless in their pursuit of success. These people, in simpler times, were often called “brand champions.” Today, we have another name for them: brand stewards, or. more specifically, 360 degree Brand Stewards.
This is an idea that, literally and figuratively, looks at the concept of brand management from every possible perspective. The Stewardship process begins with careful analysis to define precisely what makes your brand different–what it stands for now, its customer appeal, it’s personality, and potential. Then, with this data in hand, you and your can move on to identifying new opportunities, possible threats and effective responses as well as business building ideas that encompass every touch point with customers, the full 360. Wherever the brand meets the customer, at the point of sale or in the media, a Brand Steward will be there to help you the deliver the right message .
Sometimes, your brand may need totally new creative work that enriches it’s image, or gives it a bold new look. Other times, the solution may require staying the course but with a new twist. In either case, the right result will require people working together, all on the same page, with clear goals and objectives; stewards who never take there eyes off the brand.
Knowledge. History, Learning. Experience. And stewardship. They are very powerful tools, indeed, and today you can never have enough of them. Visit A.J. Ross Creative Media at ajross.com for more thoughts and examples that will get you thinking and, hopefully, working to protect the brand that keeps you in business.

What is the right idea? That is the big question weighing on business owners everywhere. Where can I make cuts? What is going to see us through? But is surviving enough? Who is going to still be around and more importantly who is going to be on top of the game when we do see the economic light of day?

It’s no secret we are in and economic downturn, but that is no excuse to let your business fall with the economy.  The strongest business leaders know how to take a crisis and make it work in their favor.

According to an article published in the Harvard Business Review earlier this year:
It is well documented that brands that increase (marketing) during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and return on investment at lower cost than during good economic times.

Your competition is moving itself out of our way by slowing/stopping their marketing efforts. Media is being forced to lower rates due to a large decrease in advertising revenue. And your consumers still need your services. It is that simple.

But…and there is always a but. You need to be smart about your marketing. The right message, the right placement and consistency with your brand are essential. Not just anyone can do that for you and this is not the time to do it yourself.

We understand the market and continue to have success with businesses that take advantage of our services. When the real estate market first fell and developers were sitting on empty lots we helped a client sell out of quality homes in record time. How? Well that is a conversation we reserve for our clients.

The right idea cannot only help your business survive but more importantly thrive. We are proven time and time again and ready to add you to our list of success stories.

The holiday season is a time when customers are frazzled, trying to get a million things done and be a million places at once. Savvy business owners, who forever keep in mind that their role is to so-lve customers’ problems – often before the customer even realizes they ARE problems – know that now is not the time to sell.

Now is the time to soothe.

Now is a terrific time of year to remain in the customers’ line of sight, and in the best possible light. It’s not too late to spread some holiday goodwill, and by doing so, get some goodwill for your business. This time of year, business slows down for almost everyone – make the best use of that time by connecting – and reconnecting – with clients and customers.

The time you spend making personal connections, without trying to sell anything, will, in the long run, help you sell your products and services throughout the year.

Here are some tips to stand out this season and be a last-minute goodwill ambassador.

While holiday cards are nice, yours are bound to one of many customers are receiving. Try something different. Make a phone call instead. Obviously, you can’t call every client on your list, but it’s worth it, while business slows down this time of year, to sit down and spend some quality time to make a friendly call to some of your best clients. Show them the personal touch – it will pay off big later on.

Consider an e-mail blast: one that doesn’t sell anything at all. Just a simple, positive, grateful message for their business throughout the year. An e-mail can be created in under an hour, and sent in a day. In today’s marketplace, with consumers constantly blitzed with “calls to action,” and messages to “buy, buy, buy,” a concise, thoughtful greeting will be remembered. Keep in mind, however, to avoid specific holiday references, as your customers may not all celebrate Christmas. Some light a menorah, and others celebrate Kwanzaah, and other winter holidays.

When building lists of whom to contact, think of clients and customers with whom you’ve been out of touch – this time of year is a good time to reconnect with those you haven’t heard from in a while; people are much more receptive to getting back together with you.

Don’t limit your thinking to consumers, either. The holidays are a good time to connect with business partners, and potential business partners, as well. Significant and profitable connections can be made, just by making a call or by sending a message.

We hope these suggestions work for you. In the meantime, the entire staff of AJ Ross Creative Media wishes you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season.

One of the best ways to reach your existing clients and new prospects is by sending out email campaigns.

Here are some tips on producing a good and effective campaign.

The Title or subject line is the most important part of the whole project. You have only about 40 characters to motivate your members to click and read on.

That’s why subject lines must be all about benefits. The best (if not the only) reason to open a message is to find a benefit within. The goal is to get people intrigued so that they’ll want to learn more. If you give them too much info or seem too aggressive, you risk pushing them away.

The recipient’s concern is literally, “What’s in it for me?”

Once your visitor does click onto to your mail one of the crucial elements of an email marketing campaign is a clear call to action. You want the reader to start reading and then, almost without thinking about it, scroll down and continue reading. Your copy needs to be concise and focused; it should be formatted with lots of white space so that it’s easy on the eye; and it should include a call to action with a link. Don’t distract with too many links or offers, and make not only the call to action clear but also what recipients can expect when they click through. This can be as simple as “Click here for a 20% discount on your next purchase.” You want them to go to your website.

Your email marketing strategy as a whole must be an integrate part of the overall marketing strategy. Similarly, the design (and the content) of your newsletter or email marketing campaign should reflect your corporate design.

Now you need a database list of people who give you permission to email them.

With a never-ending flow of spam on the Internet people are careful with every new message they receive. Some people immediately delete suspicious emails without opening them, others use anti-spam filters that block any email they consider as spam. Its great if you already have a list of subscribers, to which you are sending newsletters at a regular basis. People know who you are and most likely have your email address in their address books or whitelists, so your email is let through with no problems. As you meet new people at networking or other functions get their card and immediately add their email address to your database. Most everyone has their email address on their business card.

Finally, your presentation of your email marketing campaign needs to be professional and well thought out. It might be a good idea to hire a professional to design your initial template. You know the old saying “first impressions” and “you get what you pay for.”

Human nature-counting on that ROI

The deeper our economy slumps, the more all size businesses that plan to stay around, will want to ramp up their exposure.The serious marketers with budgets will have ‘exposure’ advantage as they wisely invest their advertising dollars through these times…till the inevitable upswing returns.

The savvy types recognize
Investing in their brand with “Custom printed functional quality” items stretches and strengthens the brand recognition now, even more than in good times. (Ask yourself if you used a logo promo item used today?)

As business owners, marketers steeped in simple science, we hope for a cause and effect to our efforts; it is actually that domino effect with measurable rewards. No matter the venue- the sale, attendance at an event, a contribution to a charity, enrollment in a class, we all aim for Return on Our precious time, our psychic energy and emotional investment. (Ask yourself if you can recall the advertiser on your favorite promo item today?)

BRANDING can be as Memorable as the keepsake. A custom printed ‘gift’ doubles as a Reminder that soon penetrates the psyche, workspace, kitchen when Used handled and seen daily — it gets results. With prolonged exposure and experience with your brand – you can guess what can happen next. (Ask yourself if you have used the services from that promotional product you used today?)

SELLING is trackable – just ask your accountant. Invite your prospects repeatedly for a return dialogue, that test drive, that special offer, etc. The smart & serious avoids wasting time in this cycle. So, don’t start this advertising/marketing with out including a promotional product; And Don’t bother unless you are going to follow through from start to finish.

REPEAT EXPOSURE: Your promotional products will be hard at work repeating your message long after your personal encounter. (Ask yourself if you had to pick a promotional product for someone like yourself, what would you like to receive?)

The fun is crafting the plan, picking the item that fits budget, demographics and Distribution method – and tracking the action. Remember only those on the radar screen as ‘best prospects’ will see receive your promotional product

Promotional marketing items do not need to break your budget; their return is everlasting with the right product. Plus without waste, you can’t ask for a better medium.

PS This wildly popular industry has proven statistical results; if you are curious about how your answers compare to others or for the unconvinced or curious click www.ppai.org and find out how the mind recalls, remembers and how physical advertising effects behavior; Retention/ recalls studies are available.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a website. When SEO is done properly, it will place you high on search engine result pages for certain key phrases and terms (i.e. real estate, law firms, doctor, etc.).

In today’s online driven world the names Google, Yahoo, MSN are rapidly becoming more of a household name than the Yellow Pages. Most of us now have access to the Internet via work, home, and mobile phone. According to research by Jupiter Media way back in 2004, over 64% of people who are looking for information online, use search engines. The number is closer to 80% today.

In these tough economic times business owners are becoming increasingly challenged and conservative with their marketing budgets. Most of us are seeking low-risk, high-impact marketing options in a down economy. When it comes to meeting these needs, search engines like Google provide a viable and cost effective solution.

So where should your advertising dollars be spent in today’s market?

Consider the traditional advertising option of the yellow pages. For a prominent ad, your costs could be thousands of dollars per month Also, yellow page ads have limited flexibility and you are usually locked in to a one-year commitment.

How many times have you used the paper yellow pages this month?

How many times have you searched for a business or service on Google or Yahoo this month?

Now consider your website. You can further your business leads by making sure that more people are viewing it. You can optimize your website to rank in the main listings without any media spending at all. You can test multiple ads and list under multiple words or phrases all at the same time and get instant tracking on which ads are working for you.

The major search engines also can determine where the search is coming from. This means you can target ads all the way down to a city, or zip code.

If you are not currently utilizing this marketing channel, I recommend you take half of your local marketing this year and invest in search optimization or paid search ads. Work with a search analytics professional to track the new program for 90 days. You will likely be surprised to see who’s been Searching… for you, and see an immediate impact for your business.


If you’re like many of the companies I encounter, your web site has become your most important marketing tool. It allows you to deliver countless amounts of new information without printing or mailing expenses. It is your online portfolio.

It’s the voice of your company 24 hours a day. It can offer customers your latest promotions or house an entire catalog of information.

Simply having a website however is not enough. It needs to be built properly and maintained to suit users needs and the needs of your company.
So, if you’re spending money on hosting and a domain name just to have a website, you may be letting your site take advantage of your checkbook.

Your site is a tool, and like every tool works best when it’s used properly. To make sure you are putting it to proper use start by determining what your needs are and what style of website suits you best.

Website design offers many options; be sure you are familiar with them to best serve your business needs.

First, understand what your customers’/audience needs are, and what kind of web site works best to bring information about how your company fulfills those customer’s needs.

There may be elements of one kind or another, that you find you can combine to build the perfect power-seller site for your business.

If your information is simple and updates rarely, it may suit you best to have a web site administrator offsite to make any changes. It can save a lot of valuable time and money.

CMS: (Content Management System) A web site with a built-in CMS gives you the ability to manage the content of your web site. Some companies update their information frequently. This can get costly and slow you down. With CMS you can do it yourself.

E-Commerce: If your business sells products, consider a web site that functions as a store, allowing users to view and choose sizes, models, colors, styles and quantities, as well as pay securely via credit or debit cards, or even PayPal.

Database: If you are in real estate or carry a heavy volume of products, you need a database to store information, which in turn allows for search features built into your site that would retrieve the data the users are looking

Intranet: For a lot of companies it’s important to have a private company-only viewed web site to share documents, information memos, forms, calendars, meetings, or email systems with 1 database they can all draw from.

Once you’ve selected the style website that works best for you, there’s one more very important piece to keep it from taking advantage of your pocketbook – keep your content fresh. You have the potential to connect with millions of people, now it’s up to you to hook them and keep them interested with new information.

If you write articles or newsletters make sure you post them on your site and change them every month or two. If you’re selling a product, make sure you have the latest merchandise. It will keep your site visitors coming back.

Nothing looks worse than a “News” or “What’s New” section that hasn’t been updated since 2004. Keeping your site fresh and functioning effectively is a critical business tool, and will help your company rank higher in search engines.

Be smart: make sure your web site works to your best advantage in the business world every second of the day.

I always hear the same thing.

People don’t hate advertising. They hate bad advertising. What’s more: they decide in three seconds, studies show if they are going to be interested in your message.

We’ve all seen bad ads: so cluttered and confusing you don’t know where to look, or so poorly designed the ad has little impact.

When I follow up on these ads I often find the business owner’s son, sibling, or secretary has taken a design course or two in college, or knows Microsoft Publisher, and has thus been delegated the obviously underrated task of ad-building.

Advertising is simply too important – and too expensive – an aspect of your business to leave it in the hands of a wanna be designer or copywriter. It needs professional service. Don’t trust it to someone who has another whole job to do; it’s too essential a factor in a successful marketing campaign. It’s your first impression to your customers, and serves to reinforce your message to existing customers.

The goals of any print ad are: to stand out from the others next to it on a page, to grab the attention of the target audience, to let the reader know who you are and what you offer, and – most importantly, for the reader to take action.

Here are some suggestions:

Brand your ad. Most important – but too often left to the end – is to ensure your logo is situated properly and visibly, yet unobtrusively. It’s your mark, your Nike swoosh. It’s who you are.

Have a single message. The more information you throw in, the less likely your customer will act. Ads compete; so does too much information. Your message is simple. To get your potential customer to buy or to hire your services.

Write for the eye. Don’t clog your ad. White space is good. Think catchy headline first, to grab the reader’s attention. Omit all needless words. You can tell them everything else they need to know when they call you.

Copy writing: It’s an ad, not an autobiography. What are you offering? What’s in it for the customer? Focus on them. What need of theirs do you solve? Less copy is better. The more direct your message, the more they will remember.

Skin-deep sells. Use a well-considered, attractive image to support the headline. It may be beloved Uncle Ernie behind the cash register, but nevertheless, unattractive or poor quality images just for the sake of having images will ruin your ad. Never settle for a quick snap shot on the family or a co-workers camera to represent the quality of your work. Words and visuals should work together, and as shallow as it seems? Looks matter.

Call to action: It’s the entire reason for the ad, the payoff. Direct readers how to buy, how to get in touch, how to get more information. It turns readers into prospects, and prospects into customers.

While sons, siblings and secretaries often have talent, they lack the years of training in marketing, branding, and a wealth of other experience and expertise a design firm or advertising marketing agency brings to your business.

If you’re not satisfied with your advertising results, consider an agency, and if you are satisfied – consider an agency anyway. You might just be delighted at how much better the results can be.