Jul
17
Interview With a Marketing Man: 7 Questions for Nikolas Allen
I was invited to join Thumbtack.com, an online marketplace that connects buyers with service providers, like myself. I created a profile for BAM! Small Biz Consulting on the site and they had many questions for me to answer, which will help educate the buyers so they can determine which companies will provide the best solutions for their needs.
I felt the questions were relevant and wanted to share them with you here on the BAM! Blog. Enjoy!
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Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A. The mistake I see most Small Business Owners making is not giving enough thought to their marketing message. All the marketing tools in the world are not going to help if you don’t offer a compelling message that differentiates your company and resonates with your target audience.
Therefore, when hiring a Marketing Agency or Consultant, make sure they can help you create the most Meaningful Content you can before determining which tools to implement. If their main focus is on setting up the tools and not on your unique message, you should probably keep looking.
Another bit of advice is: Be ready to do the work! Shopping around is fine, but when you find the right vendor, make sure you’re ready for action. In some cases, your Marketing Agency or Consultant may be helping you with implementation, but usually, it’s up to the client to have someone within their organization responsible for maintaining marketing content and activities.
Remember, marketing is not an as-needed undertaking, it’s an ongoing process that needs to be built into the foundation of your company.
Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?
A. If I were a customer, I would want to know the Secret Ingredient to a Successful Marketing Campaign.
Therefore, I’m going to give away that Secret Ingredient right here: Successful marketing is the process of using the Right Tools to reach the Right Audience with the Right Message that speaks to your company’s Brand Promise.
First, determine your Brand Promise: How do you want to position your company in the minds of your prospects? What One Thing do you want to be known for? What do you do better than your competition? What is the greatest benefit of doing business with your company?
Then, create a Meaningful Marketing Message that speaks to this Promise.
Next define your Ideal Audience: Who are they? Where are they? How can you reach them? How does your offering improve their lives?
Finally, determine the Tools to reach your Audience: Are they online, reading blogs, using social media? If so, you should be too, and if not, you shouldn’t waste your time there. Do they read magazines, listen to radio, watch TV? How do they shop – online or in person?
By answering these questions, your company can create successful marketing initiatives that resonate with your intended market.
Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?
A. First and foremost, buyers need to have a budget designated for their marketing strategies, resources within the company to maintain their marketing initiatives, and an agreement within the organization that they are ready and willing to do the work necessary to implement their strategy.
Having a desire to create a stronger brand, or improve the success of your marketing is a great first step, but the aforementioned things need to be in place in order to turn your desire into action.
I’ve found prospects who express an interest and a need for my services, only to drag their feet on the scheduling of their sessions because they don’t have all these other elements in order.
When you step in the ring with BAM! you better be ready to rumble!
Q. What do you like most about your job?
A. Whether I’m teaching a workshop, giving a speaking presentation, or working one-on-one with a client, my favorite part is when I see my audience experiencing an “Aha!” moment.
They start getting excited and inspired and realize that branding isn’t some mysterious concept that belongs to the Nike’s and the Apple’s of the world, and that any Small Business Owner can build a powerful and meaningful brand that resonates with their audience.
One of my specialties is simplifying the concept of branding and making the process of marketing fun. For me, there’s no greater thrill than see people “get it” for the first time. After all, you have to be passionate about what you’re doing, and when my passion for this subject resonates and inspires my clients to embrace concepts that were nebulous to them, it reinforces the belief I have in my purpose.
Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?
A. I spent 15 years as a Creative in Advertising in Minneapolis, MN. Half that time was working as an employee at various companies and in-house agencies, and the other half was working as a freelance Graphic Designer, Art Director and Creative Director for companies large and small.
I moved out to California in 2008 and tried to launch an art and apparel business that never took off. The recession was hitting hard and I was seeing so many vacant storefronts, closing businesses and struggling entrepreneurs – including myself! I decided that instead of using my knowledge, experience and passion for branding, marketing and social media for my own business endeavor, I would be serving a greater purpose by using it to help others grow their business.
In a flash of inspiration, BAM! (which stands for Branding And Marketing) Small Biz Consulting was born. BAM! helps Small Business Owners determine what is unique about their offering and create meaningful marketing messages that their audience cares about. I help my clients define their ideal audience, determine the most effective marketing tools to utilize, and grow their business by attracting more loyal customers.
Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.
A. I’ve been Marketing Director for Liberty Arts, a non-profit, contemporary art gallery in Northern California, since August 2010. When I performed an initial Brand Audit, I knew their static website was weak, and moving them to an interactive WordPress platform would serve them better. I mentioned it early on, and the idea wasn’t received very well. I figured I had to earn their trust before they were ready to buy off on such a large project.
Instead, I chose to focus on implementing a new Email Marketing program and a YouTube presence to better engage their audience, grow their membership and increase awareness. After both of those initiatives proved successful, I pitched a proposal for a website overhaul. They signed off, I went to work, and we launched their new site on May 5, 2011.
The feedback from the staff, the Board of Directors, and the intended audience has been outstanding! Nothing like turning a group of skeptics into a satisfied client!
Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?
A. Constantly! I love education through reading, therefore, I’m a voracious reader of business blogs, books, e-books, articles, newspapers, trade journals and magazines. I’m thrilled that there are so many intelligent people out there sharing their knowledge.
I love amazon.com and I’ve always got at least one book going on branding, marketing, selling, small business, social media, blogging, etc. As for magazines, I’m loving Inc., Fast Company and Entrepreneur.
I don’t own a TV, so Twitter is my main news source. I follow many people in the industry and read myriad marketing-related blog posts on a daily basis. Social media can be a tremendous time-waster, so I make sure the time I spend there is about education rather than mindless entertainment.
I’ve also taken several marketing workshops in the past few years, which I enjoy. However, since the amount of educational info available on the Web is staggering, I’m mostly taking full advantage of that as often as possible.
While the basic principles of marketing don’t change much, the tools and methods to implement them do. Keeping up with these changes is a responsibility I take seriously.
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Heavyweight Marketing Champion, Nikolas Allen, runs BAM! Small Biz Consulting, where he helps small business owners attract more loyal customers and grow their business through creative branding and marketing strategies.
If you’re ready to step in the ring with BAM!, contact Nikolas Allen for your FREE 30-Minute Needs Assessment. Phone: (530) 859-5454 • Email: bamsbc@gmail.com
