Smart Phones: The Distraction Factor

Remember the days before smartphones? Not much to do while waiting for someone to take your order, call your name when the doctor is ready to see you, even television commercials enforced waiting unproductively unless you recorded it first on a  recording device.

Apparently, smart phones have moved toward the top list of biggest distractions in our lives. Which has created another challenge for television marketers striving for the attention of viewers. Seems smart phones are very handy to have around, even while watching TV. When a commercial comes on, just tune out and check email, social networks, surf the Internet…you get the picture.

According to an article by Rachel King, “Smartphones prove to be bigger hinderance to TV ads than DVRs“, the trend for consumers is increasingly focused on the Internet. This trend will continue as more viewers discover accessing TV/Cable shows on the Internet, with Internet connected devices including smartphones, to be cheaper than cable, more efficient with fewer commercials, and quite convenient.

Please share your ideas on how to go where your customers’ “eyes” are and how to garner their attention in this transforming technological and economic environment.

Marketing Tip: Habitat for Humanity

Are you looking for Win-Win ways to close sales? Here is a great idea Mike Root shares in his Furniture Today Blog, which makes great sense for furniture stores and designers alike:

QUESTION: A customer considers remodeling or purchasing new furniture and accessories, but what should they do with the outcast materials and furnishings?

ANSWER: The retailer or designer could have a program in place to benefit the local community through donation of actual goods. Or perhaps, there is a local service that would handle pickup, auctioning donated items, and forward the proceeds to local charities of choice.

Providing convenient and efficient solutions for customers, that touch on doing good things for those in our struggling communities, can be a huge consideration; not to mention the importance of refurbishing as much as possible for the benefit of our environment. I call that a Win-Win.

What other ideas can you share on creative win-win ways to close the sale so everyone benefits?

Setting up a Storefront on Facebook

Have you ever wondered how you could easily and quickly begin selling your products or services on the Internet? Just came a cross an interesting idea that is FREE, at least for the time being. Check out this link to Andrea Vahl’s web site, where her alter-ego, Grandma Mary will demonstrate how to set this new service up on your Facebook Page. Visit www.andreavahl.com for information and the Grandma Mary video.

The Grandma Mary shows have been extremely helpful to me, as I learn to navigate through various social media sites to properly set things up. There is always something interesting and new to learn, especially when sites like Facebook update and change features. What I particularly like is how much technical information is included in the Grandma Mary demos, but the information is still presented in a way most novices would find easy enough to implement on their own. As you can tell, I highly recommend Grandma Mary to anyone wanting to learn more about the ins and outs of social media marketing.

We Have Come a Long Way, Baby!

A few years ago, I was sent a link to a quaint video of San Francisco’s Market Street which was shot just prior to the 1906 earthquake. It is a remarkable comparison to what we are experiencing today with all the Information Age transformations. Back in 1906 you can see the impact transitioning to the Industrial Age had on the culture.

All in all, it was messy, chaotic, risky and perhaps a bewildering spectacle to behold. Some embraced new inventions like automobiles enthusiastically, while others continued trying to live life as they always did. We are seeing the same impact on our society today; some are resisting the new in favor of the old ways, and rules for etiquette and protection are being developed on an as needed basis. Notice the lack of traffic signals, for instance. To me it is obvious the forces of change will occur whether we are ready or not.

Expand Marketing with “Made in the USA”

More and more the question is asked, “Is this made in the United States?” Customers are often preferring to purchase American made products, if at all possible. Which makes sense, since the news is often about jobs and unemployment figures. There is a natural concern for family, friends, neighborhoods, regions and the entire country being able to weather the current economic storms well, even if one is not worried about their own income.

One site, www.stillmadeinusa.com offers consumers a quick way to find manufacturers and retailers who offer US made products. Seems to me this would be an essential site for any business with a focus on US made products to be sure they register with Still Made in USA. Designers could also find this site helpful as they research sources for client projects. The array of product categories is impressive, and they have a dedicated Home Decor section.

Dealers might even be able to advertise “Made in North America” to include products made by our neighbors in Canada and Mexico, as well. Getting the word out about sustainable and environmentally sensitive materials, even local artisans is another important concept consumers are being told to look for whenever possible.

What other ideas can you suggest to help customers to understand and feel good about how their shopping dollars are important to their community’s economy, schools, amenities and services?