Monday Morning Musings

The market is lower this morning after some reverberations spreading through the market after MF Global has moved into a bankruptcy filing. It looks like the trading firm took on some big sovereign debt risks that ultimately turned out bad. Whenever a financial firm is liquidated it can rattle the market, but this should in no way be compared to what happened to Lehman Bros.

In foreign markets, officials in Japan have intervened in the Yen to try to push the currently lower after its recent runup to multi-decade highs. The lower yen is boosting the dollar and weighing on commodity markets. Oil prices are lower near $92.15 and gold prices are also down to $1725.

Earnings season will begin to slow this week, but it was another good showing for corporate profits. It will be interesting to see how 2012 estimates are adjusted in the coming weeks after forward guidance seems to have come in better than many analysts were bracing for.

The 10-year yield is lower to 2.21% after reaching as high as 2.40% last week; as for the VIX, it is +11% higher right now to 27.25, but still nicely below that 30 level.

Trading comment: After last week's outsized rally, capping off an enormous month for the markets, some profit taking today is not surprising. The chart below shows that the S&P 500 rallied all the way up to its overhead 200-day moving average, which is a natural area of resistance. This should be a battleground in the near-term. I would expect there to be some consolidation around this level for a bit. But if the market is able to get back above it, that would continue to put pressure on investors to put risk back on and chase stocks higher.

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Do you have vampires in the workplace?

Have vampires in the workplace? Want to know the 5 key ingredients for your witches branding brew? Just a couple of the treats that will fatten your wallet—not your waistline—in my Halloween marketing goodie bag a.k.a. tomorrow's email newsletter. Subscribe below then watch your email in the morning!

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Don't touch my coffee! 15 caffeine stats you can use to start social media conversations

It seems to me that people used to "like" and comment on posts much more frequently than they do now. Why? Overload. We're all consuming so much on social media that it takes something truly - TRULY - evocative to motivate us to respond.

But there are still a few topics sure to garner social media interaction, including that beloved and sacred day-starter: coffee. However you spell it—coffee, Americana, latte, mocha or cappuccino—you're likely to get attention and (hopefully!) some interaction with your audience.

On that note, the infographic below from the good people at homeownersinsurance.org contains 15 stats about caffeine that you can use as social media conversation starters:


[Source: Homeowners Insurance]


***

Do you want more creative ways to generate social media engagement -- for every day of the year? Check out 365 Days of Marketing, available on amazon.com or save $5 off the list price when you use the Code USH9VPJG and purchase on my site at 12monthsofmarketing.net.

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Proving Your Claim Is The Best Marketing.

Show and tell.
In an interesting way.
It's that simple.

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6 Ways Your Business Cards Can Make You Money

 

We think of business cards as essential to doing business in the modern world (and they are).

But you may not know that business cards have been around for hundreds of years, and they’ve always been important. Business cards were originally used by the most prosperous and the aristocratic in society to announce that they would be coming to town soon, were exchanged during introductions and were left at the homes of peers and friends to note that one had stopped by.

It’s amazing, if you think about it, that we still use business cards in what is – essentially – the same way. We use them to introduce ourselves, we send them with collateral, we leave them at other businesses, we hand them out at events and parties.

Business cards might actually be the most often-used tool in your marketing arsenal; yet it’s often given little attention in terms of design. Worse, many times people hand out business cards that contain obsolete or outdated information, crossing out and writing in new data. This sends all kinds of negative messages; that you're careless, that you don't care how you present yourself, that you're not proud of your business, that you're not successful enough to be able to afford to replenish them (and who wants to work with someone who is unsuccessful at what they do?)

Since it’s the job of your business card to introduce you to others and remind people of your existence, your business cards need to be memorable, need to reflect your brand and the personality of your business, must look professional and be kept up to date.

Once you’ve got this tool ready to work, here are 6 ways to use your business card to make money:

• Don’t leave home without them. Sounds obvious, doesn’t it, but how many times have you been at a party, a store, somewhere and in the middle of a conversation with someone, you have an opportunity to give them your contact information but find yourself without a card? If it was good enough for the rich and famous for hundreds of years, it’s good enough for you, too! Give away your business cards to people to whom you are introduced or meet at networking and social events. Introduce yourself to the managers or owners of businesses you visit on a regular basis and leave two copies of your card with them (one to give away).
• Include 2 business cards (one to give away) in each Thank-You Note you send. Which of course implies that you are, in fact, thanking your customers. All of your customers. Your most important clients. Your most loyal patrons. (Come on, you can thank at least one person each day, can’t you?)
• Send your business cards to large employers or organizations in your area for placement in common areas, like break rooms. Create a special offer and have it printed on your cards. Send or (better yet) hand-deliver a gift basket with samples from your business or with treats and your catalog or brochure to the receptionist, human resources department, etc; introduce yourself, note the special offer you’re extending and ask that your cards be placed in lobbies, break, lunch or other common areas. Provide digital ad copy that can be featured in their newsletters or on their employee/member websites.
• Place your business cards strategically throughout your building on displays. Draw attention to special offers, departmental features, awards or charity involvement, etc.
• Include business cards with products, services or gift certificates that you donate to non-profit fundraising drives, auctions, etc. When you donate, ask that your business cards be placed near your auction basket or featured in printed or online collateral.
• Create a digital version of your business card that can be downloaded from your website, blog or email newsletter and easily shared with others. Put information about your new customer offers or referral rewards on your digital business card.
  
• Bonus #7: Give them out with Halloween Treats this weekend or Monday evening from your business or even from your home.

***

Do you want more creative ways to use your business card and other marketing tools? Check out 365 Days of Marketing, available on amazon.com or save $5 off the list price when you use the Code USH9VPJG and purchase on my site at 12monthsofmarketing.net.

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Friday's 5 - Marketing Shorts and Sweets

My backyard is full of leaves but so is my tree, which means weeks and weeks of raking, piling, yard-wasting, burning and otherwise getting rid of them in order to keep the yard looking good and healthy. When it comes to your business, is your yard covered with leaves? Are there a thousand little seemingly harmless messages trying to distract your customers from what you most want them to see?

Just a thought. Here are my Friday's 5 to start your weekend with - or to give you one more burst of marketing energy and enthusiasm to end the week!


[ READ ] The most powerful 3 inches of space you own
(designer-daily.com.com)
Your business card can be the hardest-working 3-and-1/2 inches of marketing real estate you own. Believe it or not, they've been an important part of civilized society for centuries. Check out this brief history and be sure to scroll down to see some of the amazing things you can do with your cards these days.



[ READ ] Need a Do-Over? 4 Simple Steps to Reboot your Brand
(smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com)
Reboot or refresh – here are 4 steps to putting some umph back in your brand, so it can get back to work for you.




[ READ ] 5 Ways to Humanize your Social Media Marketing
Connecting emotionally with prospects and customers is key to building an army of enthusiasts and evangelists (i.e., getting people to tell other people about you!) Here are 5 ways to humanize your business social media persona in order to do just that.




BONUS: Breathe New Life Into Your Social Media
Six articles that will help you jump start or re-energize your social media marketing.



[ READ ] 13 Tips for Setting Performance Measures
(greatleadershipbydan.com)
Do you want your employees to succeed? Then you need to set – and be able to measure - clear, achievable, challenging, and unwavering performance standards. Believe it or not, clear and enforced standards are strong motivators; most employees want to excel, knowing the target helps them self-measure and prevents unfair practices due to their more subjective counterparts.



[ READ ] What Your House Will Look Like in 2015
(fastcompany.com)
Smaller, smarter, solar: words that describe what homes will look like in 2015.










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Elizabeth Kraus is the author of the newly released 365 Days of Marketing and Make Over Your Marketing: 12 Months of Marketing for Salon and Spa, available on amazon.com or 12monthsofmarketing.com.

Dispel all of the little white marketing lies that might be holding your business back - check out the 2012 Small Business Marketing Calendar: Little White Marketing Lies on amazon.com.  With hundreds of marketing ideas laid out for 2012, you'll get into a marketing groove and build a bigger role for your business in the lives of your clients.

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Do You Believe The European Solution Will Work?

The markets are flying this morning on the news that the EU leaders have agreed to a plan to deal with the debt crisis in the region. Although this deal was for the most part well telegraphed by the market, I think there was still some skepticism that the various parties would agree on all of the various pieces.

As it has been announced, the negotiations on the Greek debt agreed on a 50% haircut, the EFSF stability fund is planned to be able to leverage up to $1.4 trillion, and the banks in Europe will be recapitalized. Of course, there is a lot of skepticism as to how the whole thing will actually be implemented and if it will work long-term, but those aren't today's issues.

Financials here in the U.S. are leading the early action, with the sector fully 4% higher, as the concerns about exposure to European banks dissipates. Corporate earnings have continued to come in better than expected, and investment managers seem to be scrambling to cover short positions and add long exposure as performance anxiety sets in.

Additionally, Q3 GDP came in above expectations at +2.5%. That is both well above last quarter's figure and also makes the debate about recession more of a 2012 issue as opposed to the imminent economic collapse some where predicting.

Asian markets were up sharply overnight, and Europe is nicely higher this morning. It is also a good sign to see CDS prices dropping in Europe. The euro is also higher vs. the dollar, which is boosting commodities. Oil prices are all the way up near $93, gold is up a bit to $1727, and silver and copper are rallying nicely as well.

The 10-year yield has broken above its recent trading range and is at 2.29%; as for the VIX, it fell all the way down to the 25 level, and is currently -13% lower on the day to 25.92.

Trading comment: I admit it hurts not having more long exposure during this record rally we have seen since the Oct. 4th lows. I am glad we didn't press our shorts or add to hedges as we felt a bounce was certainly in order after investor sentiment had reached bearish extremes. The question is what to do now? With earnings holding up, the economy slow but steady, and Europe less bad now that plans are in place, I think everyone will be in dip buying mode. I want to look for stocks that reported good earnings and can play catch-up with the averages, as well as looking for new leadership. The SPX is at resistance at its overhead 200-day average near 1275, so I do expect some consolidation in the markets first, but probably not all that much.

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Breathe new life into your social media marketing - October 27 Marketing Savvy Newsletter

Style, Strategy and Marketing Savvy

October 27, 2011

I can't believe October is almost over. With the holiday season nearly here, do you have tools in place to keep your business in the forefront of your customer's minds? Today's newsletter is a social media article collage meant to help you do just that.

[ READ ] How to be your own media marketing machine
(elizabeth kraus | 12monthsofmarketing.net)
Yesterday I read a Chris Brogan post (co-author of NY Times best seller Trust Agents and author of Social Media 101) on entrepreneur.com which said "There are inexpensive ways to market your stuff, as long as you accept one fact: You're also a media company." If you're in the position of needing to run your own business while simultaneously promoting it, you might need a place to start, so I wrote this post laying out what you need most, and how to get started. <more>


[ READ ] Social Networks: Your Personal Operating Systems
(venturebeat.com)
Brian Solis, author of the newly-released, The End of Business As Usual suggests that a war for your social media soul is being waged by Google, Facebook and Twitter. Solis says, "Connected consumers are increasingly leaning on their friends for empowerment, entertainment, and enlightenment. Social networks are now personal hubs that bring information, people, and businesses together." . <more>


Most Commented-On this week:
A new joint-venture, Niche USA
promotes military spouse-owned businesses and entrepreneurs < go >
With partners Jennifer Beatty (wife of a US Marine Corps officer, mother of two, full-time day job plus entrepreneur) my long-time friend John Schmidt, who recently entered the ranks of military families when his son told him of his decision to join the US Air Force, and myself, Niche USA was conceived and launched. Check out the site or the blog and if you know someone who needs to know about this project, please forward this information on to them! One more huge favor? Please 'Like' the Niche USA Facebook page to help us get more reach.



[ READ ] 9 Ways to Build a Facebook Following
(smartblogs.com)
I've been in this spot (please note the favor request above) more than once. You set up a new Facebook page for your business or a special project, ask people to like your page, send out announcements and post like crazy, but so far, there's little to show for it. Here are nine ways to get your Facebook page 'liked' and on the move. <more>



[ READ ] Smile Your Happiness Depends On It
(vancouversun.com)
If you're old enough, you'll remember one of the original 'reality shows' whose climactic moment was punctuated with the phrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera." Well that phrase takes on a whole new meaning today, with studies showing that there's a correlation between the presence (or absence) of your smile on your Facebook profile page and your future happiness. <more>



[ READ ] 17 Twitter Marketing Tips from the Pros
(socialmediaexaminer.com)
You might have written it off before, but now is not the time to stop using Twitter, which has grown more in the last nine months than in the last five years (and the trend is expected to continue). Here are 17 Twitter marketing tips from Social Media Examiner's writers that should keep you tweeting happily in the months to come. <more>


And last, but not least:
[ READ ] It's Time You Jumped On Google Plus
(networksolutions.com)
A skeptic at the outset, now that Google Plus is open to the whole world, I'm getting the point and seeing its value. Your connections there will not be the same people you interact with on Facebook, nor those you're connected with on LinkedIn; if it were so, I wouldn't make time for it. This article provides interesting insight and etiquette for why and how you should get on and see what all the fuss is about. <more>

[ get ] more quotes

On the resources page this month and free for download and use: a full page display and a 4-up postcard-sized version for signage you can use at the point of sale, on shelves, tables, as bag stuffers or handouts at your business to get your customers to "like" your Facebook page.

 

***

For more, [ subscribe to email newsletters ].

Need social media, email and other marketing content? The 2012 Small Business Marketing Calendar: Little White Marketing Lies already has the schedule laid out for you for every month of the year, plus not only the how-to but also the content you need to carry out a strategic, effective electronic marketing plan.

Elizabeth Kraus is the owner of Be InPulse branding marketing - 12monthsofmarketing.com - and the author of 2012 Marketing Calendars, 365 Days of Marketing and Make Over Your Marketing (12 Months of Marketing for Salon and Spa).

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What to do when you have to be your own media marketing machine

Earlier today, Chris Brogan, co-author of The New York Times bestselling book Trust Agents and author of Social Media 101 posted this on [ entrepreneur.com: ] "...there are inexpensive ways to market your stuff, as long as you accept one fact: You're also a media company."

In the article, he advocates for the use of Social Media, blogging and Email, advice with which I heartily concur (and I'm assuming that you already know you MUST have a website to make all of this "go" and to get found by your target markets).

From a monetary standpoint, they cost next to nothing. They connect you with people immediately, 24 hours a day. He's right: If you are on a shoestring budget you can still promote your business and expertise; but it is going to cost you in one area, and that is time. Here are some recommendations to help you build an integrated web, email, blog and social media marketing program:

1. A Website.
   Not a blog, not a Facebook page and not a citysearch or other directory listing. You need NEED your own website with your own domain name. Why?
   
   Your customers aren't looking for you in the yellow pages, they are looking for you online. You'll be Google'ed, Yahoo'ed, Bing'ed and otherwise searched for online by your prospects, no matter whether your business is brick-and-mortar and locally based or virtual. If your competitors are online and you aren't, guess who gets 'found?'
   
   And in case you need more reasons: having a website gives you the opportunity to build your brand, before a prospective client ever walks in the door or places an order. You need a professional-looking site (which might mean different things in different industries) that (1) is visually appealing and stimulating to visitors (i.e, engages them and makes them want to know more), (2) has a clear call to action which enables and motivates site visitors to take the next step and (3) helps to educate your customers (making you the expert in your field).
2. Email marketing.
   Back to Chris Brogan's recommendations, noting that email marketing is not about throwing a newsletter "full of promotions" at your readers. Your email is in and amongst the letters, notes and education that they value. You might be sandwiched in between an invite to a friends party and a note from mom. Good email marketing gets you into the inbox and keeps your emails getting opened. Think about each one from the customer's point of view:
   
   • Connect with them emotionally so that they feel like your business is an important part of their life.
   • Find ways to communicate your feelings about how important they are to your business (and you).
   • Build trust and motivate them to want to move to deeper levels of engagement with your business.
   • Become a valuable resource of useful information about your industry, your local community or another area of importance to your customers.
     
3. Social Media.
   Specifically those platforms identified as most important in statistics everywhere including the 2011 Social Media Examiner's [ report ] which listed Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Blogging as the four most widely-used and effective social media marketing tools.
   
   • Facebook. Probably the most important social media tool for which you need a strategy and a plan. Why? One in every eight minutes spent online is spent on Facebook. And one out of 11 people on the planet have a Facebook account. You need to be there, because your prospects and customers are there. Furthermore, there is a lot of data to support the assertion that consumers identify and interact with their favorite brands on Facebook for status and self-image as well as business reasons.
   • Twitter. At a minimum, use Twitter to push out information that will pull followers back in to your website, Facebook page, blog and e-mail newsletter. In tomorrow's newsletter, you'll find a link to 17 ways to use Twitter to build business to build on.
   • LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a great place to connect with peers, vendors, manufacturers and other industry experts. Don't just use it to push your business, use it to connect with other people who share your interests and can provide you with useful and practical advice to help further your business. Seek out introductions and connections, join groups and become active in discussions.
     
4. Blog.
   To me, blogging is great. I get to talk about things that I'm passionate about. I get to share my point of view. I get to be emotional if I want to. You can do a lot of things with a blog that you can't do with any other electronic platform. Use your blog to:
   
   • Build your reputation as an expert
   • Connect emotionally with your readers
   • Be a real 'person' behind your business entity
   • Provide your readers with entertaining, engaging and thought-provoking information

You'll be sending negative messages if you neglect any of these forms of communication and marketing, especially after you've established expectations in the minds of prospects and customers that you are present and ready to help them. When you neglect your marketing, or fail to communicate often enough to maintain your visibility you may give the impression that you're unprofessional and unreliable.

So if you are just starting out, add these elements in one or two at a time and make sure that you create a manageable schedule, such as this:

• First Day of the Month: Send email newsletter. Cross-post to Twitter, Facebook and Blog
• 20th of the Month: Send email newsletter highlighting any 'last chance' opportunities (things that will expire at the end of the month)
• Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (Weekly): Post a little something on your Facebook page (once every day would be better, but things happen!) and cross-post to Twitter with links back to your Website, Facebook page and/or Blog.
• Wednesdays (Weekly): Blog, and cross post to Twitter and Facebook (and your website, if you are maintaining a blogroll there). 
  Even if you're not a writer, you can do this!  Blog posts can be brief.  Post 3-4 paragraphs about something that interests you and would be likely to interest and engage your target market on your blog.  This should relate to your business, be written personally and conversationally, should be something you wouldn't be embarrassed to have your grandmother or high school English teacher read and should not generally be a forum for hard selling.  Even so, you use your blog design and blog posts to stimulate readers to take the next step in engagement with your business.  

Build a bigger role for your business in the lives of your clients!

Elizabeth Kraus

***

For more, [ subscribe to email newsletters ].

Need content? The 2012 Small Business Marketing Calendar: Little White Marketing Lies already has the schedule laid out for you for every month of the year, plus not only the how-to but also the content you need to carry out a strategic, effective electronic marketing plan.

Elizabeth Kraus is the owner of Be InPulse branding marketing - 12monthsofmarketing.com - and the author of 2012 Marketing Calendars, 365 Days of Marketing and Make Over Your Marketing (12 Months of Marketing for Salon and Spa).

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Is Recession Being Priced Off The Table?

The market opened higher this morning, but quickly turned tail and traded into negative territory. Earnings reports have been mostly positive, with a few negative reactions in the associated stocks. And optimism still seems somewhat lofty that EU leaders will emerge from this summit with some concrete solutions.

In economic news, durable goods for September slid 0.8%, but actually rose +1.7% ex-transportation. That's a fairly good number. Also, new home sales for September also rose more than expected by 5.7%. Recent economic data has not been nearly as soft as the market had been expecting, and it seems that a few weeks ago recession was being fully priced into this market but now is definitely coming into question and at least partly explains the lift we have seen in stock prices.

In earnings news, we are seeing positive action in names like PNRA, ESRX, FFIV, and MHS to name a few. Negative reactions include AGN, LMT, F, and of course AMZN which missed its numbers and is taking it on the chin.

We should hear this morning from EU leaders about the details of their summit. The market is expecting something near a 50% haircut on Greek debt, and word that the EFSF bailout fund can be leveraged up somehow to at least $1 trillion. I don't think we are going to get a firm figure on the size of bank recapitalizations. Investors have been saying that the bank recap figure needs to exceed $100 billion. So depending on how much details we get, we will see if sentiment in the market has become too bullish. I would also not be surprised to see them say that more details will be given in November ahead of the G20 meeting.

The euro is higher today at the expense of the dollar. Commodities are mixed. Oil prices are lower near $91.20, while gold prices have broken out over the $1700 level and are currently around $1718.

The 10-year yield is slightly higher to 2.13%; and the VIX is also higher and still stubbornly above that 30 level (currently 32.68). We still need to see this come down.

Trading comment: Tough juncture as we are somewhat held hostage to political decisions out of Europe. But with solid earnings reports coming in, and economic data this isn't as bad as feared, I still feel like underinvested portfolio managers will look to put money to work and buy dips in the near-term. Barring another shoe to drop in Europe, I would look to add to those stocks that recently reported good earnings and are beginning to break out.

long ESRX, MHS, PNRA

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Earnings Reactions A Mixed Bag Today

The market is lower in early trading, which shouldn't be much of a surprise given the outsized rally we have seen since the early October lows. There are reports coming out now that leaders in Europe are having some difficulty agreeing on some components of the proposed plan, and we are supposed to hear tomorrow what they have come up with.

Earnings reports continue to roll in, and the reactions in stocks have been a mixed bag this morning.

On the positive side, stocks that are seeing a bounce include: NUS, NOV, COH, BP, UA, COLM, and ILMN.

On the negative side, stocks dropping on earnings reports include: ITW, X, UPS, DB, TROW, CMI, X, and the poster child NFLX. But the most talked about downside guidance is coming from MMM which expects slower growth in 2012 and talked about specific weakness in Europe.

In economic news, the Consumer Confidence number for October dropped more than expected (no surprise) to 39.8 from 45.4 in the prior month. Also, the Case-Shiller Housing Price Index fell -3.8% in August.

Commodities continue to rally, with oil prices now all the way back to $94, and gold inching higher to $1685.

The 10-year yield has eased back to 2.16%; and the VIX has bounced 5% back above the 30 level to 30.75 currently. This is still an elevated level, and really needs to get back down into the 20s before we can expect a noticeable drop in the big market swings of late.

Trading comment: Investors are certainly feeling better after the last week of up days in the market. I sense that a lot of portfolio managers remain underinvested, and will be looking to add to stocks on a pullback. The wildcard of course is that we are still being held hostage to political decisions coming out of Europe about how they are dealing with this debt crisis. But unless there is another big shoe to drop in Europe, I think the market has pretty much priced in a lot of the issues for the near-term, and a continued unwind of investor pessimism should provide some support to the market.

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Little White Marketing Lie #6: Marketing is an "Activity"

Have you ever wondered how important marketing really is to the life of your business? That’s like asking how important breathing is to your body!

No matter what you want to do or what it is your business provides, marketing is the means to that end. And it's not just important—marketing impacts, and is impacted by, everything about your business. You might even say that everything about your business is marketing.

Why?

Because each and every time a client comes into contact with you or any aspect of your business, each and every interaction works together to paint a picture in the customer or prospect's mind about you and your business.  Is the picture being painted in all of these encounters all you hope or intend for it to be?

Stop thinking that ‘marketing’ is a verb—something that you should be (or should start) doing. Marketing is not a verb. A verb implies action that begins and ends.

Many people think that the purpose of marketing is to stimulate sales. Wrong!

At it's most basic level, marketing includes any and all activities undertaken to attract, engage, motivate, and retain customers. Is there any part of your business that doesn't cover?

Everything that directly or indirectly impacts the customer experience in any way— retailing, communications, policies, your staff and the employee culture, training, advertising, events, your management style, décor, pricing, merchandising—everything must be viewed as part of your marketing.


[ Subscribe ] to my e-mail newsletter to get the next little white marketing lie - and more - delivered right to your inbox—it's going to be a great year!

Elizabeth Kraus – 12monthsofmarketing.com
365 Days of Marketing is available on amazon.com in book and digital formats.

Dispel all of the little white marketing lies that might be holding your business back - check out the 2012 Small Business Marketing Calendar: Little White Marketing Lies on amazon.com.  With hundreds of marketing ideas laid out for 2012, you'll get into a marketing groove and build a bigger role for your business in the lives of your clients.

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Niche USA - promoting military spouse-owned businesses and entrepreneurs

Ok a big-little announcement! My business partners and I just launched Niche USA at www.mynicheusa.com. This is a boutique site devoted to promoting the businesses and cottage industries of spouses of US military members (retirees welcome, too!)

Many resources will be free for members (and it's free for members to join!) Our goal is to help our military families -and especially spouses who are asked to make so many sacrifices - to continue growing professionally, to connect with new customers in the US (and around the world) and to improve the ability to provide for their families.

Please "like" the Niche-USA Facebook page and check out the blog and website if you have time -- and please forward to those individuals who might benefit most from this service! It's going to be a great year!

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Monday Morning Musings

Asian markets surged overnight on optimism that European officials are getting serious enough to come up with large sums aimed at stemming the debt crisis. No official details have been released yet, and there is another meeting taking place this week. But the market seems to be breathing a sigh of relief that they have again successfully kicked the can down the road.

Europe isn't up as much as I would have thought, but is still higher on the day. Economic data there was slightly weak in terms of PMI manufacturing and services readings that were lower in October than September, and also below the key 50 level marking contraction.

Caterpillar (CAT) released better-than-expected earnings this morning, and its stock is up nicely. There were also some M&A items with Cigna (CI) purchasing HealthSpring (HS) and Oracle (ORCL) buying RightNow Tech (RNOW), both for healthy premiums. All sectors are higher so far, led by consumer discretionary and industrials.

The dollar is slightly lower and most commodities are higher. Oil prices are up near $89.90, and gold prices are higher to $1565. Copper is also surging for a second day, up 7% currently.

The 10-year yield is higher to 2.21%; and the VIX is back below the 30 level, down -5% today to 29.66.

Trading comment: The market is overbought short-term, but you have to wonder how much performance anxiety is setting in given how much the markets have rallied since their early October lows. Stories abound that hedge funds are very underweight equities, and you could easily see that push stocks higher as managers chase performance. I know how they feel. Those index etf hedges we own are beginning to be a drag on portfolios, and we will need to reassess their usefulness soon.

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The Sidekick or the Superhero

Many pros are looking for the silver bullet – the magic formula – the hocus-pocus – the quick fix – the express train (if you will) to success. Even though it seems like they really want to know what it is, most don’t like the answer when they hear it, because, as Thomas Edison said, “It’s dressed in overalls and it looks like work.”

While we all dream of having that one great idea, genius breakthrough or other ticket to overnight success, 99.9% of the time, that’s not where we’re going to find it. Earlier this week, the uber-smart people at Harvard Business Review recommended three ways to achieve professional success, and not one of them had to do with a genius idea or a superstar performance. And all three can only be achieved over time:

• Strong performance.
  This is about your ‘track record’ over time in fulfilling your responsibilities, yes, but also by consistently exceeding expectations and goals. This isn’t about doing what’s expected, it’s about doing more than what’s expected, most of the time.
• Ethics.
  This is about who you really are on the inside coming out on the outside. You can discover that person in the actions and behaviors you engage in when (you think) no one else is looking. While some people can fake a moral compass when things are good, deficiencies are often exposed in times of stress and duress.
  
  Who takes over when things get tough for you – the angel or the demon? How about the little things – do you show up on time, every time? Stretch your lunch break? Do personal tasks on the clock? Shirk cleaning duties? And how about your personal appearance – do you ride the line of what’s appropriate or allowed in the workplace, or do you dress for the position you aspire to achieve?
• Drive.
  You demonstrate drive when you show up, day in and day out, ready to go. You demonstrate drive when you take on responsibilities outside of the scope of your job and complete them, with style and enthusiasm. You demonstrate drive when you seek out continuing education at every opportunity.
  
  
  And that brings me to one last point on this topic:
• To get where you want to go in your professional career, be the sidekick.
  Seek out mentors and take in all that they’re willing to teach you. Be observant and take note of what sets successful people apart from others; not only what they know or can do, but how they treat others, what they value and what they think is most important.

No silver bullets or magic formulas; but then, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. The good news is that even though this formula works (and has always worked) few seem to follow it. So you can set yourself apart and set yourself up for success for the long haul if you are simply willing to invest -- in yourself.


[ Subscribe ] to my e-mail newsletter to have more great business and marketing ideas delivered right to your inbox every week.



Elizabeth Kraus – 12monthsofmarketing.com
2012 Small Business Marketing Calendar: Little White Marketing Lies [ go ]
2012 Salon and Spa Marketing Calendar [ go ]
365 Days of Marketing [ go ]
12 Months of Marketing for Salon and Spa [ go ]

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Optimism Running High In Europe Ahead of Big Weekend

The market rallied right at the open after European markets showed signs of optimism that this weekend's European Summit would provide some answers to the debt crisis in the region. There hasn't really been any new comments. In fact, there was a headline that the "situation in Greece has taken a turn for the worse". One has to wonder if expectations have gotten ahead of themselves.

The enthusiasm sure didn't show up in Shanghai overnight. China's market was down for a 5th straight session, and fell to a fresh 2.5-year low. Don't they know the troika is about to solve all our problems?

Earnings reports have been mostly positive also last night and this morning. On the positive side are CMG, MCD (new all-time high), SNDK, and COF. On the negative side is APKT. And on the side of just okay, but not big reactions are SLB, VZ, MSFT, and GE.

The dollar is lower today and commodities are bouncing back. Copper is surging +5%, oil prices are above $88, and gold is higher near $1636.

The 10-year yield is back to the 2.20% level; and the VIX is down -7% this morning, but still at very elevated levels at 32.31.

Trading comment: Some of today's positive open may have been exacerbated by options expiration today. But technically, the S&P 500 has broken above its 8/31 highs at 1230. So for now we have broken out of the trading range to the upside. This is a good sign, but with the market up for nearly 4 weeks straight I think we could get a little pullback next week. Of course, a LOT depends on the news out of Europe. There is a summit over the weekend, and I believe a second summit around Wednesday. We could be setting up for a 'buy the rumor, sell the news' type of reaction also. Overall, if you're looking at adding to longs I think you can wait for a pullback.

long MCD, SH

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Friday's 5 - Marketing Shorts and Sweets

Hair washing robots? That's right! Let the craziness that is Friday's 5 short and sweet bits of marketing inspiration begin.


[ READ ] 4 Ways to Improve Facebook Marketing and Engagement
When it comes to Facebook, it's hard to beat the advice of Amy Porterfield, co-author of Facebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies. Here are some of her best-and-easy tips for improving marketing and engagement on Facebook (networksolutions.com)

Like Freebies? Download a PDF or JPG of this graphic on an 8.5 x 11 sign to display in your business, in windows, or elsewhere in your place of business in order to get customers to "like" your Facebook page. Since I thought you might appreciate a smaller version, there is also a PDF and a JPG of the same graphic 4-up on an 8.5 x 11 page which can be used for station talkers, bag stuffers or even postcards. <Get that or more freebies here.>



[ READ ] 6 Misleading Assumptions You Make About Quiet People
People have a lot of funny ideas about quiet people, the worst one being that all quiet people are alike. Even quiet people themselves are guilty of assigning their own traits to all other quiet people in the world. Here's a few of those assumptions. (cracked.com)



[ READ ] 7 Ways to Turn Your LinkedIn Profile Into a Workhorse
LinkedIn means business; it says everything about you professionally. And since it tends to rank well on Google for your name, people will read your LinkedIn profile when they want to do research on you, your product, service, or company. Here are 7 ways to enhance the copy on your profile to ensure that you get everything you want from LinkedIn. (copyblogger.com)


[ READ ] An Educational Angle Can Get You Into Schools
In my books, I write about how to build business in niche markets, like the education market. Teachers wield influence with co-workers and parents and most are connected with thousands of people in their communities. Since you are already (hopefully) using educational information to enhance your own blog and social media posts; now, that same type of information might get you into the halls of local schools so that you can create brand awareness among some of the most influential people in your community: educators.  (philly.com)


[ READ ] The Top 16 Gorgeous Celebrity Redheads
For whatever reason, women seem to want to warm up their haircolor in the fall. Dailymakeover.com shows you the top 16 celebrity redheads; use these images to inspire your clients to new depths of color! And just in case you missed it, [ click here ] to read my blog post, "6 Ways to Keep Hair Color Clients in the Salon."

BONUS: Hair Washing Robot Freshens up 'Do's [ Go ] (newscientist.com) (Because you just can't make this stuff up.)


White Papers: Get the Little White Marketing Lies for Small Business [ GET PDF ] or
the Little White Marketing Lies for Salon and Spa [ GET PDF ].

They're here! Get the 2012 Small Business Marketing Calendar: Little White Marketing Lies - available now on my website and next week on amazon.com or purchase the 2012 Salon and Spa Marketing Calendar from my site or amazon.com. List price for either is $16.95, and both are available for bulk purchase by distributors, resellers and others. [ Contact Elizabeth Kraus ] for more information.

[ Subscribe ] to my e-mail newsletter to get the next little white marketing lie - and more - delivered right to your inbox—it's going to be a great year!

Elizabeth Kraus – 12monthsofmarketing.com
365 Days of Marketing is available on amazon.com in book and digital formats.

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Wall Street All-Stars

I'm going to give all my Facebook friends and twitter followers a free six month subscription to WallStreetAllStars.com. Simply go sign up on http://www.WallStreetAllStars.com/ and then shoot an email letting us know you subscribed to support@wallstreetallstars.com and we'll rebate you the $49 monthly fee each and every month for the first six months -- that's worth $300.

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The European See-Saw

The market has been up recently on hopes that EU officials are getting their act together to move in a cohesive way and tackle the sovereign debt issues. Now we are getting some news blurbs that officials are having difficulty holding discussions on the EFSF and that there will be no decision on leveraging the fund this weekend.

The disappointment out of Europe seems to be trumping the positive economic reports from this morning like the big improvement in the Philly Fed Index to 8.7 from -17.5 last month. That's a big improvement, and will embolden calls that we are not going to experience a recession. I still think the odds are 50/50.

In earnings news, a few disappointing reactions in the likes of AXP, EBAY, and WYNN. On the positive side, see RVBD and PM.

The dollar is roughly flat today, but most commodities are lower. Oil prices have pulled back to $85.60, and gold prices are lower near $1617. Copper prices are plunging today as well.

The 10-year yield is hovering near 2.14%, and has been steadier in recent days than it has been in weeks. As for the VIX, it continues to climb and is now +6% higher back to 36.43. It is just above its 50-day overhead resistance, so this is an interesting juncture to watch.

Trading comment: The SPX is still holding above the 1200 level, which is short-term support (1190-1200). Bulls are hoping that we can continue to build a base around these levels before a successful push through SPX 1230. A break of SPX 1190 would likely spell another trip to lower levels of the recent trading range. Tough to gauge, as the market is very news driven by each headline out of Europe. We are staying defensive and maintaining our etf hedges.

long SH, PM

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Style Strategy and Marketing Savvy Newsletter - Oct 20

Today's newsletter is all about love -- and getting more of it -- from your customers, your employees, your career and your business, itself.

"Passion persuades." 
(Anita Roddick, 1942-2007, English entrepreneur and founder of The Body Shop)

[ CLICK HERE ] to read the October 20th style, strategy and marketing savvy newsletter and get all the links, online.

In this issue:

• Little White Marketing Lie #4 "Our Customers Love Us"
• Most read on the blog: 6 Ways to keep hair color clients in the salon
• Honorable Mention: Beer me! 45-day rules to strengthen customer relationships
• Climb the ladder of success, lipstick in hand
• Secrets to success from women entrepreneurs
• 10 Measures of a strong brand
• 10 Ways to become the leader your followers will love
and last, but not least,
• It's not the metrics. Your marketing just sucks.

NEW Free Download on the resources page for you:
a full page (8.5 x 11) display and a 4-up postcard-sized version for signage you can use at the point of sale, on shelves, tables, as bag stuffers or handouts at your business to get your customers to "like" your Facebook page.



Like the little white marketing lies series? Get 5 to use in shaping your own marketing plan or educating staff for small business or for salon and spa:

[Download pdf] 5 Little White Marketing Lies for Small Business
[Download pdf] 5 Little White Marketing Lies for Salon and Spa


[ Subscribe ] to my e-mail newsletter to get the next little white marketing lie - and more - delivered right to your inbox—it's going to be a great year!



Elizabeth Kraus – 12monthsofmarketing.com
2012 Small Business Marketing Calendar: Little White Marketing Lies [ go ]
2012 Salon and Spa Marketing Calendar [ go ]
365 Days of Marketing [ go ]
12 Months of Marketing for Salon and Spa [ go ]

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Quote of the Day - October 19

"In dreams and in love
there are no impossibilities."

(Janos Arnay)

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Earnings Reports Mostly Positive

The market is mixed in early trading, with Apple's results weighing on the Nasdaq, but the other major indexes pulling into positive territory.

AAPL dipped below the $400 level this morning, but is holding above there as of this post. The company missed EPS estimates for the first time since 2004. But they also raised guidance for next quarter, which is an equally rare occurrence for the company. And despite the weak iPhone number, gross margins were very solid.

I think for a company that has executed as flawlessly as Apple, investors should be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and see if it was just a one-quarter blip. I expect them to have a very strong fall quarter, and am not selling any of our shares at this juncture.

Other strong stock reactions to earnings reports include ISRG, INTC, and ABT to name a few. Despite a few outliers, I think the net reactions to earnings season thus far have been fairly positive and I'm interested to see how S&P profit projections hold up once we get through the rest of the reports.

Asian markets were higher overnight, and Europe is higher this morning. The tone in Europe is improved despite Moody's downgrading Spain's debt rating. This wasn't a big surprise, but it is interesting to see that CDS spreads in Europe are improved today.

The dollar is flattish today, and commodities are mixed. Oil prices are higher again to $89.40 and gold prices are up slightly near $1657.

The 10-year yield is higher this morning near 2.18%; and the VIX remains interesting in that it cannot get below that 30 level folks are watching. Today it is actually higher to 32.66. Those sustained elevated levels in the VIX mean that traders are still expecting more swings in the market.

Trading comment: The market recouped Friday's losses yesterday and then some. The price action certainly feels good, and the indexes have indeed held above their 50-day averages thus far. Earnings season remains a wild card for individual stocks, but those companies that report good earnings I think can be bought for more upside in Q4. The market may be overbought in the short-term, but there is still considerable bearish sentiment that has built up and could help offer support under this market.

long AAPL

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Little White Marketing Lie #5: We're Just One Great Idea Away from Success

Little white lies are falsities we tell people (and sometimes tell ourselves) that we believe to be benign, harmless. But there are little white marketing lies we tell all the time that may be hurting our businesses:

Little White Marketing Lie #5: We’re just one great idea away from overnight success.

Most of the time, 'overnight success' is achieved only after years and years of hard work and much trial and error. It’s not about one great idea. Success is usually the result of trying one more time, and one more time after that. It’s about experimenting, refining and continually improving. It’s about demanding the best of yourself, and then asking for a little bit more.

All of history is on my side on this one.

As Thomas Edison, the famous U.S. inventor famously said, “Genius is 2% inspiration and 98% perspiration.” And maybe he said it even better in his autobiography when he simply stated, “There is no substitute for hard work.” And that’s why so many people prefer to believe the myth that it will be a great idea that brings them success – after all – who wants to work hard? Who wants to fail? Repeatedly?

Edison did, and if you want to succeed, you’ll adopt his mentality. He didn't view himself as a failure, even though he failed hundreds of times while trying to invent the light bulb. He told reporters who asked him about those hundreds of failures that he’d merely succeeded in determining what didn’t work. And knowing what doesn’t work is important, too. Knowing what doesn’t work keeps you from going down the wrong roads, chasing phantoms (apparitions like the myth of “overnight success.”)

The truth is, you’re closer to success than you realize. You already had a great idea, that’s why you’re in business. The idea of your business may not be unique in and of itself, but how you do business can be.

There aren’t shortcuts and there are few serendipitous 'post-it-note' accidents that result in overnight business super-stardom. Not to mention the fact that you don’t want to go down in history as a one-hit wonder! History is replete with companies that had a great idea or business concept and started strong, but got stuck.

Take Steve Jobs, for example, who said, “Stay hungry, stay foolish,” speaking at a commencement address Year after year, project after project, Steve Job’s company and products took the market by surprise, and by storm. Without demanding and fostering an innovative and unique internal culture, it’s likely that his great ideas would have been someone else’s to capitalize on.

For most successful businesses, the secret isn’t in having a great idea. Amazon sold books, hardly innovative and there were many booksellers in the business before them. There’s nothing new about what they did. But HOW they sold books, how they fulfilled orders, the ease and convenience and value they built into doing business with them – that was their genius. Doing it right, over and over again, and doing it differently than the others.

It’s not what they do, it’s how they do it.

Lands End? Zappos? Again, there is nothing particularly innovative about selling shoes or clothes. But these businesses are genius – and consequently successful – because of the way they fulfill orders, the way they stand behind their products and the culture they provide for their employees. Believing that happy employees will translate into happy customers, they built their policies and business around this core value.

So don’t focus on trying to discover a genius offering. Instead, channel the bulk of your creative energies into perfecting the customer experience your business provides by (1) delivering on your promises to the customer, every time, and (2) making the customer experience at your business unique, different from competitors and more than the customer expects, in ways that are attractive and meaningful to your customers.

[ Subscribe ] to my e-mail newsletter to get the next little white marketing lie - and more - delivered right to your inbox—it's going to be a great year!

Elizabeth Kraus – 12monthsofmarketing.com
365 Days of Marketing is available on amazon.com in book and digital formats.

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Monday Morning Musings

The markets are lower in early trading following last week's outsized 6% rally. That was the best weekly showing in more than two years. So it's normal to see a pullback following such strong price action. What the bulls hope for is just some quiet consolidation, without too much distribution.

Earnings season continues to heat up. This morning Citi (C) and Wells Fargo (WFC) both reported earnings, with the former beating estimates but the latter coming up a little shy. WFC is down 5% on its miss, and weighing on the financial sector. Halliburton (HAL) also beat estimates, but it looks like some serious profit taking there after a nice run into its earnings report. Apple (AAPL) reports this week, and is breaking out to new all-time highs ahead of its report.

Asian markets were higher overnight, and Europe was higher this morning after a G20 meeting this weekend. Leaders were pressed to come up with some sort of resolution within a week. I'm glad to see they're getting serious, but I am a little wary that expectations may be getting ahead of themselves.

The dollar is higher this morning, while commodities are mixed. Oil prices have eased back slightly to $86.40, while gold prices are firm near $1686.

The 10-year is lower today at 2.18%; and the VIX has really spiked higher already this morning, up nearly 13% back to the 31.85 level. This is an interesting development after last week's drop in the VIX below the 30 level. I think it shows traders are still jittery.

Trading comment: This is a tough juncture to consider new long positions right here. First you have the big rally from last week that will likely see some consolidation at the least, as well as profit taking. You also have earnings reports to deal with. And the action in WFC and HAL show the action following earnings reports can be unpredictable. That said, I expect AAPL to have a positive reaction to what I think will be very strong earnings again.

long AAPL, HAL, WFC

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Financials Lag Early Rally

The markets are higher again in early trading on the heels of improved sentiment in Europe and a blowout earnings report from Google (GOOG).

Treasury Secretary Geithner made a lot of comments about Europe and tried to instill some confidence. He said they will continue to pressure Euro leaders to act decisively, and also said that the IMF has considerable resources that have yet to be deployed. That hints at his relationship with Christine Lagard, who is in Geithner's camp that more needs to be done.

The positive action in Europe this morning bucked the weakness in Asian markets overnight, and also ignored the downgrade of Spanish debt by Fitch.

In the U.S., stocks are rallying following Europe strength and the strong results from GOOG. Additionally, the retail sales report from September came in stronger-than-expected at +1.1%.

The financials are the biggest laggards this morning after Fitch placed several large financials on its Negative Watch list.

The dollar is weaker so far as the euro bounces, which is boosting commodities. Oil prices are higher to $86.40, while gold prices are trying to lift above $1675.

The 10-year yield continues to bounce, now back to 2.25%. And lo and behold but the VIX has finally broken below that psychological 30 level, although just barely. It is currently trading near 29.80 after getting as low as 28.25 after the open.

Trading comment: The price action has been solid all week, but the leadership in the market is lagging. I just don't see a lot of quality growth stocks breaking out. So I have yet to get a lot more bullish, and at this point am still in the camp that this is an oversold market rally that is normal after seeing investor sentiment reach extreme bearish levels. I could be wrong, but it would take continued constructive action in the market combined with some real tangible solutions out of Europe that I have yet to see. At this point there is a lot more talk than action going on across the pond.

long GOOG, SKF

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Market Overbought And At Resistance

The market is lower in early trading after a very nice rally. People often like to look at how much the market bounced from its recent lows. The SPX traded down to 1075 last week and bounced as high as 1220. That makes for a solid 13% bounce. Although if you were good enough to buy those lows and sold the highs yesterday, I have a job for you at our shop.

Bulls were hoping for some good news from JPM this morning, and they were able to top consensus estimates. But the cautious tone from management is not helping the stock, which is currently -5% lower and weighing on the financial sector which is the biggest laggard this morning.

Tech is bucking the weakness and the NDX is just barely positive as of this post. Google (GOOG) shares are higher going into tonight's earnings report. I'm sure GOOG will be able to post a little upside, but the stock reaction will be any ones guess. Also, GOOG management sometimes spends money on non-core things, so we will have to see how tight they were with their expenses. That's one thing that bothers me a bit about their management.

Asian markets were higher overnight, but Europe is down this morning. The euro is also lower while the dollar is higher. That is weighing on the commodity index. Oil prices have fallen back to $84, while gold prices are also lower around $1661.

The 10-year yield got a big bounce yesterday, but is giving some back today trading near 2.15%. As for the VIX, it almost got below the 30 level yesterday, but then bounced higher and is currently up +4% today to 32.54.

Trading comment: After being up big the last 6 out of 7 days, the market is short-term overbought and in need of at least some consolidation. Also, the major indexes have run into their former resistance levels near SPX 1220 and Nazz 2600. For the bulls, two things need to occur from here. The indexes need to hold above their 50-day averages, and these major support levels need to be broken. That could signal more upside is possible. But don't forget the list of stocks breaking out is not exactly bountiful. It is mostly utilities and defensive type stocks, not your typical quality growth names. So take the constructive action with a grain of salt, imo.

long GOOG, JPM

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