JAX RADIO IS ALIVE

We decided to put together a fun station online to stream tunes and host parties from our private library. With all the ways to market a company, we thought this might be a fun way to get connected to our clients and have a great time as well. Check us out online at http://jaxination.caster.fm or you can also visit the http://www.jaxdzign.com/JAX_RADIO.html

~JAX RADIO ONLINE~

You can develop a quality campaign or struggle with this external marketing on your own or you can contact JAX at http://www.JAXDzign.com/contact.html, for a professional opinion and the assistance you've been searchin. Check out our group on Facebook or send an email and we would be happy to create a perfect campaign for you!

CREATING BRAND IDENTITY AT THE FRONT DOOR

We recently produced a piece for a healthcare corporation with regards to external Marketing influences and thought we would share it. The principles will hold true for your business too...

The business of providing healthcare services as a branding is very complex, and demands constant attention and evaluation. Imagine yourself as a first time patient or visitor to the healthcare provider or organization. The facility, the professional staff and the front door all play a role in the patient experience.

Successful healthcare branding is about consistently over delivering on the promise of an exceptional patient experience. Often, some of the most important elements that influence the branding message are neglected or forgotten. 

Usually when we think of healthcare branding, the logo, the tagline, the brochure and marketing communications are the elements that are most focused upon. The image of the provider is so much more and starts at the door. The first impression is everything so whether the door is represented by a phone call to schedule an appointment or the actual door the prospective patient enters the practice or organization the branding message must be tied in. The patient experience and perception of the brand will be affected by more than what they see on a billboard, pamphlet or website. The full impact of the message is influenced with each patient and each visit. 

INSIDE MUST REFLECT THE OUTSIDE 

Successful branding is the entire experience that the patient has, the full relationship that the practice has with the patient and their family and friends. If you have ever been lured into the expectation of a great experience through marketing and advertising and then been let down because the promise was not delivered, you understand that the disappointment and, ultimately, anger is something that does not fade quickly. 

When the external marketing is aligned with the exterior or actual healthcare provider experience then the promise is over delivered and the patient becomes an advocate and an even more effective part of the marketing plan. A positive recommendation goes much farther than any logo, tagline or pamphlet. The staff and facility have a lot to do with that positive experience and can overcome many objections and help communicate the message of the branding.

THE FRONT LINE
An emotional connection between the practice and its’ patients is the desired effect of clear and aligned branding. The staff and healthcare professionals are the easiest way to deliver on that emotional connection. If the staff doesn’t understand the branding message or how to communicate it, the patients aren't going to understand the message or the intended experience either. Without their assistance the message will effectively be lost. 

Things to consider:

· Proper training is the most effective way to succeed with the message. All staff should be aware of the goals and the reasons why it's important to the practice.

· Always make the staff feel appreciated and rewarded when they communicate the correct branding messages.

· If the message changes make sure all staff is aware and able to communicate it effectively. 

THE BUILDING SPEAKS THE MESSAGE 

As the patient opens the door and enters the facility for the first time, they get an immediate message about the organization or practice. When the facility doesn’t align with the brand message and underwhelms it creates the image that the experience will be less than positive and the practice or organization loses a real advocate to the branding message. 

· Location is always a heavy concern. In order to communicate a message of accessibility and ease of use, a location in a busy area might not be the best consideration. Again the overall message of the branding must be considered in all areas of the practice or organization. 

· The front door can be the first impression so the appearance of the facility and upkeep should be carefully considered in communicating the brand message. The inner office and staff should complement that first impression and the outside should complement then, the inner office. This reinforces the brand message and makes it consistent all the way around.

· A new patient seeing the facility for the first time is evaluating all of the messages and perceptions that they had about the organization or practice. It’s important to look at the facility for the first time every day as well. This means notice the small things and correct them so that the first impression is aligned with the brand message.

BRANDING HIDES EVERYWHERE

It’s not enough to design a logo, devise a tagline, create a website or give out brochures in today’s fast paced healthcare environment. This environment demands consistence and reinforcement in every area of the healthcare providers business. If advocates for the message are desired then a clear message and effective brand must be represented in everything from the usual materials, through the staff and the facility as well. The brand is who the organization is, but the way it is communicated is what the organization means to the patient.

You can develop a quality campaign or struggle with this external marketing on your own or you can contact JAX at http://www.JAXDzign.com/contact.html, for a professional opinion and the assistance you've been searchin. Check out our group on Facebook or send an email and we would be happy to create a perfect campaign for you!

Getting Social With Media

YOU NEED A BOOST! Your current marketing plan is working….Kinda! We can’t deny that social media like, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn to name a few have caused us to communicate differently.  Just look around, everyone from your Tween to your Grandmother is on some social media site and interacting with you on a much more regular basis than the postal service.  A good friend of JAX Designs was saying just the other day that he is having a hard time deciding where to place his marketing and advertising dollars based on all the constant messaging. It’s not easy, but it can be effective choosing the right social media and then working a plan to achieve the company’s goals.  Social Marketing is not about throwing messages everywhere and hoping.  It’s about having the right person execute the message and then building on that message in a non-intrusive way. Being helpful and offering great information will increase your company’s bottom line.

In the following article we will give you a couple ideas on how to position your content using social media to get the biggest punch from it…

BLAH BLAH BLAH…

If your readers can say that, over your content then you shouldn’t bother exposing them to it.  There is nothing worse than spending the 20 seconds of precious time while the boss isn’t looking on uneventful and boring information.  When a company exposes its subscribers to non-current and run of the mill information like a weather report or sports stats, it’s really giving the impression it has nothing going on in the marketplace. The content doesn’t always have to be related to your products and services directly. Often a great question can be posed that is relevant to your company and will draw your readers and potential subscribes to your company website, blog, tweets or fanpage.

Always include a link back to your site or an example picture or video so that it can be easily copied and pasted and shared.  This is how your company becomes viral and alive on the internet.  Your webpage will get better placement on Google and Yahoo and other popular search engines because you have more buzz and higher credit within the Social Media Algorithms.

THE HUMAN ELEMENT…

With so many services and companies offering social media integration and search engine optimization, your company is guaranteed to be lost in their shuffle. At its core, social media is a grass roots campaigning tool.  A President of the United States was elected using Facebook and Twitter to interact with a youth and disenfranchised movement.  By leveraging social media, the message looked as though he was speaking one on one to his subscribers. You can easily send a thank you message or respond to your audience on a regular basis and show that you are interested in them with your targeted messaging. We recommend having a Social Media Expert like JAX Designs; manage all of your social media. This will enhance your message across all of the different platforms making the message adaptable to the way that each social media targets its subscribers.  Tweets are very different from Facebook posts but the message can still come across the same way…from a human and interesting!

Always integrate your content. If you have a Facebook account and a Blog, make sure you post your information in both places and then get a Twitter account so that you can let others with like-minded interests know to come view your information and then strategically, like or share it in other social media sites. There are many other ways to get your content to the marketplace once you have the essential social media sites working for your company.

SHARE WORTHY CONTENT…

Readers are curious about new ideas and information. You will often notice that beyond the article there will be a comment section and users post the word “First”. This shows to all other readers that they got to the information before anyone else and are more likely to then redistribute it. Your products or services might not be that interesting but if you have a social media savvy programmer, they can relate your products to something else that is interesting and current.  If all you sell is brown work boots, but there is a new picture floating on the internet showing those boots helped with rescuing Tornado victims or trapped miners, you can use this information to make your boots relevant and interesting by posting that picture link along with the current information.  Tell your subscribers to recommend you and offer a deal or incentive for any referrals.

Word of mouth marketing is probably the best thing that can happen to your company.  It puts the word out to potential clients, “I have used this product and or service and am satisfied”. Often clients are on the fence about using your company and to hear that someone else has and even recommends it, can tip them over to your products and services.

Finally, if you are just getting started, keep in mind that your subscribers are not. Potential clients using social media sites are bombarded with marketing messages, so make sure your message is current and useful. In today’s fast paced and ever changing marketplace it is important to leverage a tool like social media to capture the market where your current marketing plan is not. You can develop a quality campaign on your own or you can contact JAX at http://www.JAXDzign.com/contact.html, check out our group on Facebook or send an email and we would be happy to create a perfect campaign for you!

You've Got Mail...

In a few words, email marketing is a highly effective form of direct marketing which uses the internet as a means of communicating a commercial message to a target market.  Email marketing has provided a quick and affordable medium for business communications. There are a number of distinct advantages to this form of marketing, compared to other marketing investments like direct mail, and other print advertising. It is less expensive and the return on investment can be high when done effectively. However, email marketing does have some disadvantages as well. In this article we will examine the advantages and disadvantages of email marketing and also provide some insight into how to plan and execute an effective email marketing campaign.

Email marketing is probably the most popular form of internet advertising. One of the most significant advantages to email marketing is the ability to reach a wide audience with minimal effort.  Another advantage is that generally it is extremely affordable.  Ideally you will already have a list of clients or potential clients who are interested in your products and services and the cost to send out an email is based on time and should be considered part of your regular operating costs. The true benefits of email marketing range from increased sales and lead generation to stronger brand awareness and improved customer relationships.

Be Effective

The trick to communicating an effective message is to craft an email which is easy to read and as understandable as possible. Effective business owners put a great deal of thought into the content of their communications with potential clients, avoiding jargon and a non-professional familiar tone. It’s not like texting and you should avoid shortened words and grammatical oversights. It’s also worthy to note that you can make each email personalized to the recipient to gain a better response. Mastering the craft of business communications is an absolute must, and doesn’t usually come as a natural talent but it is a skill that no business should be without.  If this is not an area that you have the time or skill, it makes sense then to work with a professional, like JAX Designs to write the copy for advertisements and create any graphics which will accompany the email communication. Use a pleasant and inviting subject/tag line with your email. This will attract attention and decrease its chances of being deleted before it is opened.

Offer Great Information

In the email write only about things that are relevant. There is no use in filling up space or adding attachments with irrelevant information. The content of the emails should be carefully considered. It should certainly highlight the products and services you offer but should do so without appearing to be a sales pitch. These emails should provide the readers with concise and relevant information and most importantly a call to action; a statement urging the reader to take a specific action such as making a purchase or researching your specific products or services in greater depth.

Spam Has A Horrible Taste

A most obvious disadvantage to email marketing is having your communications labeled as spam, which can be a violation and cause your business to receive fines.  Each day Internet users are “spammed” with unsolicited emails serving as advertisements. This problem has reached epic proportions!  It causes the recipient to be cautious about any email they receive which is unsolicited and appears to be promoting a particular product or service.  Often emails which contain subject lines or content that are similar to previously received spam will be transferred to a spam email folder by the email system automatically. Communications which are not automatically deleted may be deleted without being opened simply because the recipient does not recognize the sender of the communications. The result is wasted time for the business owner and complaints being lodged against the company for being a sender of spam.

Distribute Properly

After understanding the advantages and disadvantages of email marketing, you might wonder how you can maximize the advantages to use email marketing to your benefit. Consider how you plan to create an email distribution list. This is important because simply purchasing an email list is not likely to be effective. You may reach hundreds or thousands of internet users but there is no guarantee any of them will have any interest in your products or services.  However, if you build your own email list of potential customers, who have specifically requested additional information, you will have a well formulated list which includes mostly members of your target audience. One good way of going about doing email marketing is asking your clients and prospective clients to sign up for receiving regular emails about your business. Make sure that you also give an option to your readers to unsubscribe from your mailing list any time they wish. This is ideal because you are much more likely to sell products or services to members of your willing target market than you are to members of an email group who might not be interested in what you are offering at all.

Timing Is Crucial

There are many studies into when an email is most likely to be opened and the results vary greatly. Statistics have shown that emails are more than likely to be opened earlier in the mornings and directly following lunch time breaks. It’s hard to pinpoint the specific days that work best so we feel that a best practice is to test your email strategy and be consistent once you’ve found the time and day that works best for your company.

Evaluate Constantly

If you are going to spend the time to create an effective template email(s) and then distribute it properly it goes without saying you should want to evaluate your efforts. Keep track of what has been most successful, whether it is a subject line, effective content, a call to action or your timing. When you know what works best you can then duplicate and double your efforts for maximum impact higher rates of success with this cost effective for of advertising.

If done properly your email marketing will increase your customer base. Even a 1% response rate can greatly increase your bottom line profits. You can develop a quality email campaign on your own or you can contact JAX Designs at http://www.JAXDzign.com/contact.html, check out our group on Facebook or send an email and we would be happy to craft an email marketing plan for your future communications.

SURVEY SAYS...

In today’s fast paced and quickly changing business environment the key to thriving is QUALITY customer service. Companies face tough competition from rising stars as well as existing players with newer innovations. Client satisfaction has quickly become the deciding factor in whether your company will maintain its share and growth in the marketplace. Successful companies quantify their position in the market by conducting customer satisfaction analysis through the use of tools like surveys. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is the area of the company that utilizes this tool most. This helps keep the existing client base happy and increase the retention and recommendation rate within the target market.

Companies like yours conduct surveys to discover answers to a variety of questions. These questions are diverse, and vary widely depending on the plan and the desired results from the survey. Below are four essential reasons for businesses to quantify customer data in conducting a survey:

What's Going On With Your Client Base

Surveys are a non-threatening way for your business organization to learn about what motivates your client base and then what's important to them when utilizing your products and services.

Opportunity To Discuss Key Areas Of Interest

Having an open discussion with your client base is often difficult so being able to communicate with respondents about your strategic survey topics allow for a better insight into the questions your survey is setting out to answer. The feedback will also allow you to ask even deeper more probing questions at a later date that can shed light on topics related to your questions within a larger context.

Create A Plan Of Action To Address The Important Issues

Some business owners often rely on intuition and feelings about a target market or trends in the marketplace. Through the utilization of survey data, a business can gather objective information to make sound data-driven decisions. This is the best way then to immediately address issues that are important, rather than wasting time and resources on irrelevant concerns.

Set A Company Benchmark

Conducting a survey provides a quick look or snapshot of your target market and their attitudes about the information your survey is trying to gather. This helps a business establish a baseline to compare the target market attitudes and perceptions relative to the survey questions and establish whether these trends in information are getting better or worse over time.

An effective customer satisfaction survey should focus on measuring the client base’s view of how well the company delivers on their needs. The most common factors include ideas like service promptness, staff responsiveness, and understanding of the customer's problem in general.  A business owner can then take this data and learn from it. Here are a few compelling reasons to incorporate customer satisfaction surveys into your current business plan:

•Enhance profits.

•Increase market share.

•Increase repeat business.

•Improve quality of service.

•Gain insight on products or services.

•Improve customer satisfaction and retention.

•Provide a way for unsatisfied customers to vent.

•Measure and compensate the entire organization.

•Demonstrate commitment to listening to customers.

•Learn where the company stands in the market against the competitors.

Your business and customers have a wealth of information and insight about what it is like to be a customer of your company. Many of your customers also buy from your competitors. They know what can be done to improve your company's products and services, customer service, communications and other criteria important to achieving total customer satisfaction and loyalty.

While most companies are aware of the need to take action and make improvements to become more competitive, they often miss the hidden opportunities that can really make a difference for customers. That's where JAX Designs customer surveys come into play. We can help you uncover the hidden data you need to compete more effectively gathering the information and insight you need to keep existing customers and attract new ones as well.

By creating and effective survey and administering it we have uncovered that in general it will costs 5 to 10 times more to attract new customers than it costs to keep existing customers. That is a telling statement! Most of your customers won't complain directly to you or your staff but they will definitely complain to friends and business associates. They may remain loyal as a customer, but buy less of your products and services. The worst thing that can happen though is that they become customers of your competitors. Uncover the facts and perceptions of your products and services and your clients can be the greatest piece of your marketing plan; recommending your company, products and services to your immediate market and then through social media, like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn…the world!!

Your target market and your clients will behave, act, purchase and recommend based on their business experiences, what they hear, how they feel and what they believe about your business, your products, your staff and your service. JAX Designs takes the time to understand YOUR business, YOUR products and services, the psychology of the sale as well as the underlying factors that drive customer satisfaction and behavior. You can develop a quality survey on your own or you can contact JAX at http://www.JAXDzign.com/contact.html, check out our group on Facebook or send an email and we would be happy to create a perfect survey tool for you!