As I’ve said before, using social media as one marketing tactic is becoming crucial for businesses of all shapes and sizes. But what happens when someone has something bad to say about your business or agency and does so online? Receiving negative comments on your company’s Facebook page, blog, Twitter feed or Yelp reviews is always uncomfortable. Often, our first reaction to negativity is to try and remove the comment or jump to our own defense, but, because you represent your business as well as your fellow employees, it is important to approach these comments with sensitivity. An eloquent response which addresses the negative feedback will go a long way in upholding your reputation. Definitely do not ignore it. And only remove the negative comment if it is scandalous. Removing a mild negative comment  makes it appear as though you have something to hide.  Following are some negative comments along with suggestions on how to respond:

Negativity regarding your service:
“I hired Agency X for cooking and light housekeeping for my elderly mother and these services were not performed as stated! I advise everyone to stay away from Agency X and try Agency Y instead!”

How to Respond:
Because this negativity relates to your service and caregivers, it is important to address your regret that the customer had a negative experience and offer assistance, but also note that others who have hired your agency have had positive experiences.

Example: “I am so very sorry that you did not feel our services lived up to your expectations. Our clients are very important to us, and I hope you will contact us directly at customer.service@agencyx.com or phone number #X so that we may rectify the situation. We work very hard to make sure we provide top quality care at all times as our clients and their families are so important to us. We can only make it better if you identify yourself and let us see if we can make the situation right.”

Negativity regarding your company:
“Company A has bad business practices. I called their customer service line for help and they were rude and unhelpful. Never doing business with them ever again!”

How to Respond:
This comment is in regards to how your company operates and/or treats its clients. Again, respond with sensitivity that the client experienced rudeness, and let others who may read your response know that your company prides itself on quality customer service. Never, ever be snippy or negative in your responses.

Example: “We apologize that your customer service experience was less than satisfactory in your search for help with Company A. If you let us know a bit more about when this happened we could make certain that it does not happen to anyone else. I can assure you that we will look into this issue and see what we can do so it never happens to anyone ever again.  Company A has always prided itself on delivering the highest quality services while rendering helpful and professional customer service, and we will continue to strive to uphold that value. We appreciate that you took the time to bring this to our attention.”

You may encounter even nastier comments than the kind listed above on Facebook or your blog. If a commenter seeks to just be nasty or uses an employee’s name, or worse, a client’s name, simply remove the comment if possible. If the person continues attempting to post comments of this nature, block him or her from your page or account. In all cases, be professional and never go on the offensive or attack the commenter back. Showing professionalism in your response to negativity speaks volumes about your agency and its values.

Social media and social networking are so very important in today’s marketing. Our professional social networking team will gladly work with you to create a strategy, offer constructive ideas, or even do the work for you. Call or email us today to see how we can assist.

HomeTrak is an industry leader in home care business management and scheduling software. corecubed accepted the challenge of creating an interesting look for their new Companion software program. Specifically, we were tasked with everything from logos, brochures, and CD covers all the way to a new trade show booth and web presence. corecubed helped HomeTrak Companion make an impression with both new clients and those who have been loyal customers for years.

Now, consider our work for Arrow, which offers a niche market home care software product to agencies requiring complex reporting requirements based on a variety of payment sources. Their main customer base is in New York, but they also have clients in nine other states. They came to corecubed for rebranding, new messaging, and a strategy to grow their already successful company.

When you hire me and my team of marketing experts, you receive open ears and brilliant creativity that brings out your voice in a fresh, unexpected delivery. Pop over to corecubed’s online portfolio to browse our work—and start imagining the facelift you’d like for your home care agency or company.

In the sage words of our Web Manager, Will Chatham, “it is not ‘if’ my site gets hacked, it is ‘when”.” Right now, more than ever before, the Black-Hat hackers are working to disrupt how we all do business on the internet. There are some reasons that a site gets hacked, and in the last few weeks we have seen all of them in use.

The reasons and the fixes are from Ask Securi:

1. Website with known vulnerabilities
2. Out of Date Software
3. Bad Usernames and Passsword

So, what can you do? My advice would be to hire corecubed to monitor, update and backup your site if that site in is WordPress, but there are the words from another source if you are more of a do it yourselfer:

• Stay away from Soup Kitchen servers – dedicate a server for your testing, staging and production environment. Familiarize yourself with the concept around website cross-contamination.
• Please, please, please update your software – this includes all thing from the web server OS, CMS platform, associate plugins and themes. In the last month or so we have seen updates to both WordPress and Joomla.
• Back up your site, data and anything else associated with the site – don’t back it up onto the same server, that kind of defeats the purpose of a backup.
• Engage a professional – Would you allow your cousin to operate on you if you needed surgery?
• Use unique credentials, stay away from admin and use random generators for your passwords. This applies to everything from your cpanel to database access, every one of those access points are possible attack vectors. Here is an article you might find interesting talking to how someone would crack your credentials, “How I’d Hack Your Weak Passwords“. Here is another one of a small test we did internally to identify the most commonly used credentials through the use of brute-force attacks.
• Don’t forget about your local environment, ensure you are running an AV on your machine – more often than not we see infections initiate from compromised  machines housing trojans.
• Educate yourself – learn the do’s and don’ts about operating your own website, even if you have a professional. Don’t let yourself be a victim to a professional.
• Learn how to use .htaccess to lock down your site.
• Proactively scan your site manually to make sure things aren’t missed. There are a number of tools available to you, here are a few free tools (no emails and or registrations required): SiteCheck and UnmaskParasites

We all benefit greatly from the freedom and access we have with the Internet. Now it is time to put some extra locks on that open door, and to protect your self and your business, and those who do business with you. Call us or email us and we will be glad to help!

Here in Louisville it will soon be time for a beloved annual tradition. The 138th Kentucky Derby is just two weeks away. It’s thrilling to see all the elaborate spring hats, taste mint juleps, spot celebrities, attend Derby parties, and to hear the sound of one lone trumpet play the tune of “My Old Kentucky Home.”

But above all this, Derby-goers get most excited about a bang, the sight of the gates opening and an announcer screaming, “And they’re off!”  Many horses will gallop, but there will only be one winner.

The business world is a lot like the Kentucky Derby. Competition is fierce and the stakes are high–and only companies with well thought-out strategies succeed and mature. Mature businesses, home care or not, are companies that have a strong base of clients and are well known within their industry or region. Plus, they’ve done a good job of branding—their name, logo and products or services are easily recognizable.

So how can you draft a marketing strategy that fits your unique stage of business life? The following marketing tips can help start the process:

TIP #1: Don’t get complacent.

Complacency is dangerous. A well-established customer base can deliver a decent influx of cash for a business, but it can also bring a false sense of security. Far too many agency owners fall into the trap of thinking that name recognition means they can fudge on their marketing plan, or not pay attention to their customers.

TIP #2: Use a strategy that fits the times.

Well-established companies often make the mistake of getting stuck in a rut when it comes to their marketing strategies. It’s not surprising–after all, if a marketing strategy got you this far, why abandon it? The answer to that question is that customers change and marketing strategies and tactics change with technology and competition.

TIP #3: Don’t stray from your core message.

It’s important that your company continues to develop new ways to market your products or services—but be certain that changing strategies doesn’t result in wasted time focusing on issues other than marketing. If you’ve got a good product that works, don’t change it unless a changing customer base demands revision. Change the marketing strategy – not the product.

My expert team at corecubed provides integrated marketing communications services using a strategic approach to help clients create high-impact campaigns to launch or rebrand products or companies. Contact us today!

Hopefully, if you are in business,  you have interesting, unique things to say about your business. According to the findings of a recent survey conducted by HiveFire, Inc., it turns out that your personal reflections, advice and comments on industry trends are what your target audience really wants to read about. I’ve known since I starting blogging, using social media and writing newsletters that the more original the content is, and the more engaging and contemporanious it is, the more success you will find in reaching new listeners. So, if you enjoy writing, and can make it interesting, then write, write, write, and marry the content with a visual as much as possible.

Stay engaged to what your peers are saying and I guarantee you will easily have much more to contribute. The survey results also find that capturing reader attention can be as easy as adding a photo or image to your post. With this advice, sharing via blog, Twitter or Facebook once or twice a week can be a piece of cake.

Recently, I wrote about visual marketing and how relevant graphic campaigns—with the launch of Pinterest and Facebook Timeline—are with today’s audience. Read the post and my earlier posts about home care marketing tips, and you’ll soon realize even more how all the dots of marketing strategy connect, and how a healthy online presence is so important.

My fabulous team at corecubed can set up social media accounts, create a strategy for success, and implement!

I think its a homer....

Aren’t we at corecubed lucky that one of our strong points is the design talent we possess? With the meteoric rise of Pinterest to Facebook’s $1 billion purchase of Instagram, it is clear that visual marketing and messaging are gaining popularity based on results – success.

From an article about Facebook purchasing Instagram:

“Anyone in marketing, PR and social media should clearly see that the momentum is moving to visual marketing and messaging. Pinterest, Instagram Path and Facebook’s shift to the Timeline format all point to the value of messaging through images. ”

So, what can corecubed do for you?

We can create graphic campaigns.
We can tell your company story in images and share it all over the Internet.
We can create strategic, targeted visual messaging for you through Facebook, Pinterest, etc.

Request a free complimentary 15 minute telephone conference with me, Merrily Orsini, by requesting here. It’s certain to be a homer! Thanks to Marissa Snook, corecubed’s MOST Program Administrator for the great shot taken at Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory.

Social media has gone viral, and social media, although still in its infancy is a game changer. Note some of the latest findings from the “2012 Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report”

• Ninety-one percent of today’s online adults use social media regularly
• Revenue per email averages two times higher for “friends and family” campaigns
• Twenty-eight percent of smartphone owners watch videos on their phones in a typical month
• Pinterest is now the third most popular social networking site behind Facebook and Twitter
• Ninety-two percent of businesses feel their contact data is inaccurate in some way

What can YOU learn from these results?

#1.  Start looking at how your business can incorporate social media into its marketing strategy.

#2. Get some help in understanding how to utilize your businesses contacts in the best way

And, if you want some professional help, call corecubed and we will provide the guidance you need. In the meantime, check us out on Pinterest!

Social media is a lightning fast way to communicate and publish content that expresses your authority in your field—you’re reading my blog, right? Social media can also increase your following and pump traffic to your website—and, as I’ve always said, a website should be at the core of all marketing efforts. Earning trust isn’t limited to your patients and clients, either; local media and bloggers may be listening as well.

A strong online presence is so important because search engines notice when content is shared. Google translates this sharing of information and links to recommendations and influence, thus moving your name up the search engine rankings—which helps potential clients find you in their time of need. And, traditional media are reporting through social networks and online news outlets more than ever before, and they reach a large segment with each post. Securing print and online coverage is still a sure way to increase valuable influence.

In fact, speaking of online reporting, dozens of newspapers are creating pages on Pinterest, which is the latest social media platform to really take off. I’m sure we’ll be posting quite a bit over the next few months about retailers and businesses pinning lots of hope on Pinterest accounts. Will you Pinterest?

My fabulous team at corecubed can set up social media accounts, create a strategy for success, and implement! We know the value of social media as well as traditional media in marketing, and are staying ahead of the curve.

Landing pages are usually single pages (sometimes double with links) that are specific to a product or service and have a great call to action. A landing page is a page on your site dedicated to delivering on promises made by the offers in your content. The goal is to get a consumer of your content to take another step toward becoming a customer. Your home page is not a good landing page. It really needs to be a specific page, either attached as a part of your website or using a standalone URL so it is impactful.

I just came across these great tips for content marketers, which is what marketing home care is all about. Here are some of those tips (borrowed) for turning content into sources for traffic, leads and sales through powerful calls to action:

Be bold. Catch the reader’s attention.

Offer something of value, even if it’s more content. For home care it should be helpful tips and resources or checklists.

Be inline. Put calls to action right in the copy.

Be mobile. Add QR codes so your readers can go on a little adventure to your next offering.

Be creative. Just like an ad in any medium, you want to create compelling calls to action for placement in your valuable marketing educational content.

Be generous. Have great content. Be miserly. Hold something back that the reader or viewer has to click through to get. For instance, hold back five of ten tips.

Be exclusive. Offer something exclusive to consumers. Include the offer to those who attend a presentation or an event.

corecubed’s MOST program for home care agencies is based partly on content marketing. Want to experience all of corecubed’s 2012 marketing series, including the most recent MOST webinar? You can view past presentations on our website. See you today!

Here’s how your agency will benefit by participating:

Self Evaluation – The survey is designed as a self evaluation tool. Simply by answering the questions, you will be gaining a competitive advantage over your competitors who do not participate. Also, rest assured, your answers are completely anonymous and confidential.

Participant Incentives – This year’s incentives for participants are greater than any other year. To learn more about these incentives, including the Personalized Benchmarking Report, watch the video at www.privatedutybenchmarking.com. This report in particular, will be among your greatest assets for your business to date.

Competitive Advantage - Those who take the survey and then purchase a discounted copy of the 2012 Private Duty Benchmarking Study, especially the personalized version, will have a significant competitive advantage over their competition.

To learn how to participate, go to www.privatedutybenchmarking.com and take the 3 steps outlined on the site. Thank you in advance!

When ordering the Personalized Benchmarking Study, be sure to use corecubed’s promo code at checkout for a total 40% discount off the pre-order price. Promo code is:  CORE2012

In fact, with the advent of so many web-based marketing tactics, aging care providers across the country—from care agencies to senior living facilities—are exploring new marketing practices because the way they have previously received business and referrals is changing. An emerging trend in the industry, and one that has strong roots here in Louisville with Humana and Senior Bridge, is the new alliances forming between insurance providers who are managed care companies and home care and care management companies. These alliances create hybrid forms of a variety of services for the elderly.

Tackling the new business referral issue in this changing environment is an important topic that I educated home care agencies about during the New York State Association for Health Care Providers industry meeting on January 31 of this year. I addressed the conference attendees about planning and adapting to new marketing strategies with the goal of securing a spot on coveted and narrowing referral lists.

My experience spans nearly all aspects of the aging care industry—from owning and operating a home care agency to serving on national boards and influencing political leaders on home care issues. I serve as a home care marketing thought-leader and provide expert counsel to national organizations and businesses on aging and care issues as well as strategic marketing for products aimed at those targets. Additionally armed with strategic knowledge of the latest developments in mobile technology and social media, a new frontier for leaders in aging care, I am introducing, with the talent of my corecubed staff, a fresh marketing perspective that is relevant to businesses and their targeted audiences today.

Recently I had the fortune to go on an expedition to Antarctica. While there, and prior to going, I learned about the early explorers to the White Continent and the hardships they suffered. I read about the efforts of many to chart unknown waters and to trudge through icy and snow covered mountains filled with unsuspecting crevasses. Alone with the penguins and whales, normal life seemed a million miles away, and should I have needed help from the mainland, none would be forthcoming. Antarctica is a long way away from anything else and unreachable except by a 2 day voyage across treacherous waters.

The White Continent

This lost and alone feeling is the same that people experiencing elder care issues for the first time feel. And they also feel the crevasses and the treacherous waters that keep them from safe harbor. So, how can those who offer elder care services make the journey less fearful, less painful, and more warm and fuzzy for the adult child? Education that is specific to the need. An active listener who actually hears the fear and the unknown and can pinpoint the issues and help solve the problems. Now, I am feeling rather dramatic as I write this, but searching for answers is the first step. And, having a great website that targets specific issues is one of the answers. Not the complete answer, but a start. Won’t you join us for an educational webinar on our award winning MOST program? That is one, simple way for agencies to have all the information needed to respond to the lost adult child, and to start developing a website that is chock full of safety  nets for those who feel lost in the wilderness of eldercare issues.

According to TechCrunch.com, “Sales completed from mobile devices grew, reaching 14.4 percent versus 5.3 percent on Christmas Day 2010, representing an increase of 172.9 percent. In terms of specific mobile devices, the iPad led all mobile device traffic to retailers at 7 percent, followed by the iPhone at 6.4 percent and Android at 5 percent.”

So what does all this mobile use mean for health care? A lot, actually. Mobile technology is being used across all areas of the industry, with big names like Verizon and Sprint getting in on the game with remote patient monitoring devices. And, with customers and potential clients spending so much time on their mobile devices, it’s important for health care industry professionals to have a mobile-enabled website  to increase sales and awareness of services, locations served, as well as brands.

A surprising number of businesses have still not taken the steps to make their websites mobile-friendly, so many, in fact, that Google recently sponsored an effort to encourage businesses to make sure they offer websites that work well on mobile devices. The bottom line is simple. Similar to the retail industry, increasing numbers of potential clients will be searching for their health care needs – doctors, local home care agencies, independent living aids – from mobile devices. If a company’s site is not mobile enhanced, chances are the customer will search for what they need elsewhere.HIPAA Regulations and Compliance

When conducting health related business via mobile devices, as so many physicians and health care agencies are doing these days, it is vital to ensure that all interactions are HIPAA compliant. According to a white paper published by Diversinet, “A large number of new entrants and small mobile health companies are providing targeted wireless personal health monitoring devices and services that collect and transmit health data. An even larger number of smart phone application companies have developed specialized mHealth apps for patient monitoring, scheduling medical appointments and medication reminders. At the other end of the vendor spectrum, well-established global technology service providers are adapting existing security products for the healthcare sector.”

The paper also lists mobile security best practices such as, encrypting patient health information on mobile devices, authentication of users prior to transmitting patient health information and automatic session timeout, logoff and device locking. To read more about mobile security and HIPAA compliance for health care professionals, download Diversinet’s white paper.

So what can you do to get up to date with offering your services to a mobile user? Make certain that your website is built with mobile applications in mind, and, if not, look into what it would take to make that transition. And, get on board with the rest of the world that is going mobile!

corecubed can help. We have mobile enabled many business websites, updated them for today’s business searcher, and continue to maintain them for best results.

One of my daily reads is a series of articles about marketing, and today this one hit the spot:

“If you aren’t meeting the right kinds of customers or clients, try fishing further upstream, in another river, or hunting quail instead. There’s no shame in changing course, and you may find that a very small change can pay very large dividends—for your business and your lifestyle.”

So, how do you get people to call? You give them a reason, based on their need for information. You stay in front of them on a regular basis so they remember your agency name. Unfortunately, the needs for home care often come at unexpected times, and what home care means may not be totally understood. Be the local, approachable resource for information and be a comfort during a time of tough decisions for your audience.

As a former home care agency owner myself and a marketing expert with today’s technology, I know from working experience that growing an agency means:

• Having the right information available in a variety of online ways;
• Interacting and responding appropriately, online and directly;
• Integrating all outreach, communication efforts with online inbound efforts.

My next post will explore finding your target audience and referral sources. In the meantime, check out MOST^SM, our coveted monthly turnkey marketing communications program designed for home care agencies—so you can put my strategic marketing practices into play immediately.

Due to the advancement of mobile technology and ad screening/blocking software, businesses of all kinds are focusing more on being found online than pushing their products and services out to potential clients. Knowing your target audience can help you narrow down your focus and attract the clients that are most likely to buy what you’re selling.  This blog from corecubed provides more information on how to use inbound marketing to get clients knocking at your door.

For home care agencies, regular blogging, maintaining a presence on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and optimizing websites for search engine rankings are the top ways to boost your inbound reach and ensure you can be found online.

Want a visual of how inbound and outbound marketing work together? This handy infographic should do the trick.

Click image to enlarge

When designing a website to be a successful marketing tool, be mindful of search engine optimization (SEO)—key words written into your messaging that will help your company to be found during online searches (think Google, bing, etc.).  And, use your new site to build a referral base and contact list. Many agency sites use a “Contact Us” form for online visitors to fill out for referral tracking and future outreach.

A contact management process allows companies to remain in regular communication with people and helps keep the agency top of mind with emails or newsletters. However, going beyond basic contact information and asking more questions can mean the difference between just another email address and a potential referral source. When implementing a “Contact Us” page, ask referral sources for additional information such as:

• Is there a specialty service you provide that our patients might want to use?
• Do you have educational needs that one of our home care experts could fulfill?
• Is there a particular type of patient that you work with best?
• What is the most important item you look for when making a referral?

Also, create a separate section within the online contact form for direct inquiries from potential patients or family members and ask:

• Are there any physical limitations which require special assistance?
• Are there special dietary needs or restrictions?
• What is the current level of physical activity?
• Are there any special medical conditions?

And for each and every inquiry, ask:

•  How did you hear about us?

Collecting answers to these simple questions will help the intake process run smoothly. Just remember to keep it brief! Check back next week for tips you won’t want to miss about marketing messaging that engages and connects with your target audience.

In the meantime, if you have questions about marketing your home care agency, I would love the opportunity to strategize to help you meet your marketing needs. Or, book me to speak at your next home care or marketing event.

Definition of inbound marketing: Using the Internet and related media to learn about products or services; offering useful information, tools and resources to attract and develop relationships, educate and engage.

Platforms used with inbound marketing: SEO; Blogs; PPC; Social media; QR codes

Inbound marketing means remaining relevant with your audience—and building an online presence that fits the new model for how people find goods and services. With high-speed Internet access available almost anywhere and with smart phones and tablet computers quickly becoming the hub for much of home care sales and marketing, social networking, mobile-friendly websites, online directories, industry blogs and interactive communities should be an active part of any marketing strategy.

Confused about where to start? My next post will explore website design and development—which is a necessary starting point for implementing inbound marketing. I have plenty to say about content creation, search engine marketing, and mobile applications. A good company website is arguably the most important marketing tool and absolutely crucial. Read this recent article that I wrote which may serve as a great introduction to our continued discussion.

In the meantime, if you have questions about marketing your home care agency, I would love the opportunity to strategize to help you meet your marketing needs. Or, book me to speak at your next home care or marketing event.

My home care marketing discussion is rich with first-hand understanding that private duty home care is an at-need service, so being remembered when a need arises is the key to increasing referrals. This can be accomplished by using a variety of tactics across all media. It’s all about marketing, marketing, marketing! 

Today’s session, titled “Resource-Rich Marketing to Referral Sources: A Way to Stand Out from the Crowd,” further defines the strategy behind this concept and how it has proven to be effective. And, participants will:

·    Be able to demonstrate the importance of a marketing strategy by understanding the “at need” component of home care services

·    Be able to discuss the human elements of reactions to branding, consistent messaging and educational and informational components that resonate with referral sources

·    Be able to identify how to implement consistent, branded and resource-rich marketing messages and visuals across a wide variety of referral sources to generate new referral sources

Thanks for reading my ongoing homecare marketing tips, resources, and strategies for success here at www.merrilyorsini.com. You’ll always find something new to bring to your marketing strategy, be reminded of home care marketing basics, or simply stay in the loop about upcoming conferences, webinars, and marketing and technology topics. 

If you would like more information about booking me for a consultation, to speak at your conference or event, or to review and provide input on industry ideas, information or materials, please fill out the form here and someone will be in touch with you shortly.

The article warns about using emotion appropriately. With healthcare, it’s easy to want to lean on scare tactics to equip an audience with the grim facts. But, if you overdo it, you risk sending your listeners running for the hills and tuning everything out. On the opposite spectrum, if messaging is too positive, it may not seem serious enough for treating patients—unrealistic. A clear understanding of the desired impression is needed to determine an appropriate marketing tone. Educating your audience in a positive way communicates confidence and assurance. 

Stand above the crowded field by using robust and resource-rich content. Using MOST gives you web-based instant access to a library full of themed sales, recruitment, design, and advertising materials created by home health experts. Spanning all types of sales and marketing communications, such as print, web and email, as well as services such as social media, blogs, search engine optimization and public relations, MOST lets you choose what fits your agency best.

As you consider revisiting your marketing strategy, remember the advice spelled out in the article mentioned above—and remember the ever-expanding library of resources you can use with the MOST program.

The first – and most common –action when economic things are scary to a business is to cut the marketing budget. It makes sense, after all. When you have less income coming in, it’s best to cut expenses where you can and marketing is the easiest function to slash without affecting day-to-day business operations. Or so it may seem.

The other option is the choice the wises business person makes, and that is to focus on marketing, and start with planning how best to reach the right people with the right message so they will take action, even in tough times.  In a downturn, when money is tight and consumers are making tough choices, marketing is more important than ever before.  This presents a great opportunity when others are cutting marketing to get in front of your target audience and show the consumer why your products or services deserve their dollars. Customers who may have been in the bag when the economy is riding high suddenly need some extra convincing. They need to hear your message. That’s where strategic marketing comes into play.

In an classic interview with BNET, Dr. Gary Lilien, author of “Turning adversity into advantage: Does proactive marketing during a recession pay off?” a report by Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, pointed to three factors that should be considered before determining whether a marketing endeavor is worth the expense:
• Do you already have a marketing infrastructure in place? If not, it’s going to be difficult in this economy to launch a brand new marketing arm from scratch.
• Does your company have “the guts” to throw down the marketing dollars during a recession?
• Does your company have the budget to spend the money without damaging normal business operations?
“Companies that have been looking at marketing as an investment, and not an expense, and have been running their business through customer knowledge are the ones that are going to come out of this [recession] really, really well,” the article quotes Lilien as saying.
It’s important as well to make certain that your marketing efforts are reaching consumers through venues that they frequent. It’s pointless to spend money on distributing a message that no one will ever see.

Using a variety of media, including the traditional as well as e-mail and social media- outbound and inbound efforts makes it more likely to reach both an older market as well as younger consumers.

No one knows right now what the economy is going to do. If expenses have to be cut, however, choose – but choose wisely. If you abandon your marketing efforts completely, you may soon find that your revenue is going the way of the stock market when it is dipping down.

Come to corecubed for help. We have strategic marketing services that can fit any budget, a talented team that understands how to get business to come a knocking, even when financial times are tricky.

A good article that reinforces this also discusses the “Five Permissions” that a well branded company can expect.

Access. Having a good brand opens doors. Whether trying to sell something or just talk to someone, being from a well known and recognized entity opens doors. A good example is Rotary. Wearing a Rotary pin or mentioning Rotary to a fellow Rotarian will get your call through faster than anything, or, get an introduction made.

Latitude. Because a well branded company means a more trusted company, those from that company can expect more latitude in taking chances. Having proven oneself to the public means that more permissions will be granted in areas unproven.

Recovery. Permission to recover is granted to a well-branded company. A smaller business may not be given permission to restore confidence when a mistake does happen..

Scale. Trust and perception are built into a well branded company. It’s this greater trust in the brand  that allows permission to grow and take on bigger projects..

Set standards. Unknown services, products or technology are oftentimes given a chance simply because a well branded company has a proven track record and it is believed that the company, if they are recommending a product, service or technology, are doing so because they believe will eventually be a standard.

Branding is not just a logo, font, colors, it is what someone thinks and feels about the company, and the reaction that seeing the company name or hearing about the company generates in the viewer. Branding takes time, focused strategic integrated marketing efforts, and a good product or service to back it up. Lately corecubed has been receiving accolades on our branding efforts. IS your brand working for you? If not, give us a shout and we’ll see if we can help!

My test this trip was to use my iPad as a laptop and to be able to work efficiently and effectively with the iPad and not lug that heavy laptop around. As i write the “heavy laptop”, which is all of 8 lbs or so, I am reminded……

When I started in technology in 1969, I worked as a programmer on IBM mainframes with said machines inside an air conditioned room. There was another room full of key punchers who typed my programs into punch cards which were fed into computers. And the air conditioned room was BIG as the storage for those computers was space eating.

My first home computer was an Atari in 1984. Not the gamer Atari, but a real PC. Atari was a leader in gaming applications, and they saw the need for home computing as well. You almost had to be a programmer to understand how to  use it, however, but I did use it for data base management as I had started an in-home care business, and there was lots of data to manage. This early adaptation of technology to business was probably one of my reasons for success then, as well as now.

So, having the power of  one hundred thousand or so IBM mainframes from 1969 inside a tablet that does not even have to be run through the security scanner at the airport, is more than amazing. And to watch videos, listen to music, work, have instant news and weather, play games with my granddaughter, and teach an entire marketing and sales team from all service lines how to use a tablet for efficiency and effectiveness and creative marketing, is truly amazing.

As I said, I am having a love affair with my iPad right now. If you have any ideas of apps that work for home care or home health, please let me know. I’d like to continue having reasons to travel and show how easy working in the cloud can be.

And if you want to know how to use your iPad for work, June 21, 2011 at noon,  Will  ”where there’s a Will there’s a Way” Chatham and Tammy Brown, Creative Director are giving a webinar.  Register here now.

It has been my experience over these last 30 years serving seniors, or those who responsibility for taking care of seniors, that the there is not much common if age is the only factor. It is interests. And, when someone becomes ill or has an accident then they are interested in what to do to take care of themselves or their loved ones. And not a moment before that, in most cases.

There might be a son or daughter somewhere who notices that care is needed, so they may look for resources or try to find help, but, even then, unless the person for whom care is needed thinks that care is needed and is appreciative of efforts to “help”, there will be no transaction. Insurance, of course, is different. Insurance is something that we all think we need or else catastrophe might bankrupt us. So, selling insurance to a group is totally different from selling home care services. So, what would make seniors pay attention to Humana over the competition?

This is where Value Based Consultative Marketing comes into play. What is it that someone needs to know about in order to make the decision about which insurance to buy? Scenarios that play out the options would be my best guess. If A, then B. Income levers, risk aversion levels, preexisting conditions, heredity…all of these could be measured simply, and a best guess as to what insurance fits could be presented. My next best guess is that Humana has a ton of research to prove or disprove this, and that I am not telling them something that will make an AHA moment.  However, the students were attentive, interested, and all truly want to do a good job for their employer.

Consultative Marketing segments customers based on identifiable needs and provides information that is valuable to them as individuals. The Internet is perfect for consultative marketing, as it is performed on a smaller scale, requires significantly less financial resources, and using the Internet to deliver makes the time investment for each transaction reasonable. Interested in Parkinson’s disease? Interested in COPD? Whatever the niche interest, given the time to develop the questions someone might ask, and deliver the answers is the key to adding value to the marketing equation.

The MOST program that corecubed runs is a perfect example of material that is used in value added consultative marketing. People have a problem, and they want to know what to do about it. MOST takes many questions asked by people who are at various stages of needing care, and answers those questions. Online, through educational events, through direct, targeted mail, through social media…MOST provides value added information positioning the agency as an expert, and helping someone with a problem find a solution. Home care may be only one of the solutions possible, but, if it is the right one, then the agency gets the sale based on the helpfulness of the information.

April 12, 2011 – 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST (11:00 am – 12:00 am CT)
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Non-member: $75

You’ve built your agency – isn’t that enough? Think again. You must market to stay in business and grow sales! Avoid the common pitfalls by learning how to create a strategic marketing plan, budget and understand the differences between marketing, sales and public relations. Gain insights into the components of a successful marketing plan in this 1-hour session.

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So what does a “Marketer” for home care services need to do to generate business?

First, they need to treat any potential clients or referral sources as if they are the most valuable person in the world. Secondly, they need a plan and a system for success with goals they can reach and  some measurement so they will know when they reached those goals.

• A plan includes setting goals and objectives, and targeting those with the best chance of buying, or being interested in an ongoing relationship

• Focus on the more high-potential opportunities, which can be high potential for revenue like 24 hour cases, or high potential for ongoing referrals, like a hospital discharge planner or a rehab facility, or an assisted living facility that does not provide home care

• Follow up consistently. Plan on at least three to five meetings to get noticed and to be recognized

• Listen more than they talk  to learn what the client or referral source needs and wants

• Ask for the business when appropriate .

Some people are natural  “rainmakers”.  However, it is like luck and chance, those who succeed may be lucky and take advantage of chance, but usually they are where they are for a reason. Rainmakers  start with a plan, take advantage of opportunities, set goals, and persist.

Make certain that all  activities, advances, time spent on developing business is measured and evaluate, over time,  whether your approach is working . Change things that are not.

The World's #1 Brand

The world’s number one brand according to Business Week is Coke.

When you hear “Just Do It”, does Nike spring to mind? How about “Make my day”? A vision of Clint Eastwood is almost instantaneous.

This is the essence of what companies search for when thinking messaging. This is the stuff dreams are made from for a marketer. Can your brand, your name, your tagline bring something to mind? “Where’s the beef?” Now that’s a good one. I’ll bet  you do remember that, but do you remember what product/business it was touting?

Messaging seems so simple. One of my favorite clients is adding a new product line, and he keeps saying to me, “It is so simple!” Well, if it were so simple, then he and we would have the messaging down pat. What makes it NOT simple? Everything!!!!

Let’s start with differentiation. Something has to be different or noticeable about a product or service. Something has to stand out and grab your attention. Or make you think. Or make you salivate. Or make you smile. Or MOVE you in some way.

And the visual has to marry that message to enhance the effect. Now this is a simple thought for today, but, as I set about my day today wringing the essences out of the businesses with whom I deal, and creating the start of a brand, I just wanted to share that it all starts with simplifying the message.

Barry Sharp, a consultant from Vancouver who has helped me with some strategy in the past, sends me a message each day, and, this was today’s message, “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” I guess I just wanted Barry to know, publicly, that his daily message a)makes me think of him daily and b) sometimes it really hits the mark with what is on my plate and makes me think about solving a problem in a different way.

BTW, “Where’s the beef?” is from an old Wendy’ ad.

As an industry, private duty homecare has little data upon which to draw conclusions, benchmark progress, and know effective marketing strategies and tactics.  The last study completed by Home Care Pulse was an industry first in its participation across all types of private duty agencies and across all types of service providers.

The 2011 Private Duty Benchmarking Survey/Study needs each and every agency that provides private duty to participate. It does take some time (30-60 minutes), but to get accurate information on results from a large number of participants, the outcome is well worth the time.

Imagine, running a private duty homecare agency and having this information on the industry:

• In-depth details on caregiver training, recruitment methods, screening, and benefits
• Specific information on billable hours, bill & pay rates, and client retention
• Greater in-depth financial comparisons among geographic regions and states (based on the # of participants from each state)
• 42 marketing methods identified and rated by survey participants

To learn more about the benefits of participation and to be directed on how to take the survey, go to www.homecarepulse.com/studyparticipants.

Survey questions are designed to help participants self evaluate their own performance and plan for the future.

Participating agencies get the full report for $29.95 ( a 90% discount), which really is just to cover the cost of printing, shipping and handling.

To help the industry even further, please alert every private duty home care owner/manager you know in your area, or in your network. The survey closes February 17^th, so take the time to do this today.

The Power of WordPress by Tech King

corecubed has a special expertise in creating websites designed in WordPress.

If you said the viewer needs to know what home care is, who needs it, and how it can be used, you are correct. Add that also who pays is a question that needs answering, how much does it cost, and how does one select a provider.

Like bananas used to be before they were readily available everywhere, home care is something that people do not know about until they have a need for it. Then they simply cannot get enough information about it.

Most people do not know that Medicare does not pay for home care. Or that Medicare only  pays for a small portion of home care, and that portion is VERY highly regulated and tied to specific conditions for which there is a progressive recovery. Home care needs that most people have when they need assistance with activities to help them live daily, are not covered by Medicare and probably never will be.

However, unlike bananas, home care is a hard subject to teach, because it differs based on disease or frailty, support systems available to the recipient of care, financial abilities and geography.  corecubed has a great program we offer for agencies that educates around the questions that someone needing home care might ask. Perhaps we need a cute jingle and a dancing walker to go along with the teaching…..

Technique follows technology was his opening statement. What does that mean? It means that a technology may be developed, but its final usage or its morphing usage is based on how it is helpful. Example: Travelocity and other travel sites. They were developed for cheap flights. However, according to Terry Jones, the founder, when they booked their first $15,000 cruise online, they realized that the usage had far exceeded their expectations. Now more than 65% of all travel is booked online and the combined total of the next 4 highest selling items does not exceed travel online bookings.

Relating his talk to home care, he said the person seeking help first explores, then interacts, then makes a decision. And, they are not searching specifically for home care or private duty. They are searching for some help and they do not know when they start what that help is, exactly.

His example, was that when he goes into Home Depot to buy a drill. He does not really need a drill. He needs a hole. The drill is just what he has to buy to get his hole. The same with home care. Someone might want to know how to handle living with a broken hip, or after suffering a fall. So they would search for broken hip or help to prevent falls. The smart home care agency will hire a great digital marketer who understands and can implement. Actually Jones said just that. Communicating in the digital world is different, and to understand and be effective doing it, one needs an expert. That dovetails perfectly into my presentation today about using the website and integrating digital marketing to capture the customer when he or she is looking.

In home care scenarios there are loads of new inventions and ways to use technology. Jones’ ideas for home care were wide ranging, but based on how people use the Internet. The client, the frail elderly person, may be in Long Beach, but the adult child, and oftentimes the one who is paying for the services, may be in New York. So, using technology to communicate, to check status, to pay bills-all are not necessarily home care based technology, but the technique will follow the technology.

Skypeing with grandma is a perfect example. Now someone home bound can see and interact with a grandchild or friend far away. From a marketing standpoint, the web is the technology and home care agencies better follow and learn the technique. Katie Roper from Caring.com visited PDHCA yesterday and the concept of Caring.com is truly based on the strategy that Jones laid out.

corecubed’s MOST program is another example of a marketing strategy, specifically for home care, that follow’s Jones’ examples of how people find home care.

Measurement as a way to make decisions was highlighted as a vital component of digital communication. After developing the fare comparison sites, they notices that the consumer was comparing and then going direct to the airline to purchase. Thus the advent of Kayak.com where there is no middle man. The technique follows the technology.

Take a look at some of the ways corecubed is using technology to get business for our clients. Then give us a shout, and see if we can help.

Last night’s dinner of apple and onion compote with colcannon and a thin, skillet fried pork loin slice could have been served in the wood burning kitchen on an Irish bog. And the Irish Rover, a popular casual ethnic dining spot in Louisville’s Crescent Hill area is always a great place to go for some feel good times accompanied by comfort food. No matter that the comfort food is not what grandma would make, unless you are Irish. O’rsini perhaps would work for me….

Differentiation is at the heart of success as well. And the Irish Rover by name and looks is differentiated. If you have a business, how are you different from all the rest? What is it that sets you apart and makes you memorable?

This is just almost the middle of January and still time for you to set a strategy for marketing. Start with writing down all those things that set you apart, that make you different. Then, scratch off the ones that apply to other agencies. Then look hard at what it is that makes you different, and start thinking of ways to capitalize on that and to take that to market.

Having trouble? See if we can assist you. At corecubed, we happen to be really good at helping our clients determine strategy.

Measuring results is a typical accounting function and not only as it relates to home care. It should be a typical marketing function as well. And not only measuring, but taking action to either stop doing something or start doing more of something.

Creating a homecare marketing plan should include a way to measure if your efforts are succeeding. How do you do that? The number one way to tell if your marketing is succeeding is in revenue, number of new cases opened, and increased numbers from those referring. How do you know what of your efforts is working to drive these numbers up?

Website analytics will show increased traffic to the site. An online inquiry form will allow you to see who is inquiring. An online referral form will do the same. Simply asking the caller how they heard about the agency is a good way, although not scientific, since sometimes it takes 10 impressions or 10 encounters with a company before the call is made. The post card in the mail might be the reason they called, but it was really that reinforcing the article in the paper, the website visit, and hearing an educational presentation by a nurse on Alzheimer’s disease, which is what the problem is that makes the caller need home care.

And the Yellow Pages. Seems that in rural areas, and some outlying areas around cities the Yellow Pages is still being used. Or at least being given credit for calls. I tend to think that using the Yellow pages will become obsolete as the cost of printing them will soon outweigh the profits, so only those who request them will get them, thus further reducing their effectiveness.

If you need help in creating a strategy for your home care agency, then corecubed can help. We have created successful strategies for numerous agencies and businesses from start up to multi-site, from locally owned to large franchise organizations. Just send us an email, call us at 800-370-6580 x 3, or fill out our easy inquiry form.

To recap this series on homecare marketing planning, there are several steps to creating a home care marketing strategy. First you have to differentiate the home care agency, then understand the target audience you are trying to reach, then marry the message and the visual, and pick the right channels and communicate often in those channels.  Establish a brand and then extend the agency brand. Finally, measure for results and revisit the plan often, and you will watch your numbers soar.

Establishing a home care agency brand is more than just logo and colors. It is the feeling that your home care agency generates in the marketplace. It is how people think of you.  It has now been 15 years since I ran a home care agency in Louisville, KY, and just last week I got a call from someone requesting information and service on elder care. In the 17 years that I ran my non-medical in-home care business in Louisville, I had established such a strong brand that it has lasted all these years.

Establishing a home care agency brand takes consistency and diligence. It takes using all the strategic marketing steps listed above and discussed over the last week. But it also takes creating a personality for the home care agency. If the agency were a person, what would they look like, how would they present, and what characteristics would they have? Establishing an agency brand is being true to the differentiating factors that set the agency apart. It is being true to the graphics and the visuals and using them consistently each and every time anything is in print or on the web. It is being true to the brand when presenting, when collaborating, when training staff, when networking.

Each and every home care agency is unique in some way. Whether it is the owners, or the services, or the process of selecting and matching caregivers to clients, the agency has some unique qualities based on who it is, how long it has been in business, the management team, or the services offered. Understanding what constitutes the brand, and then hammering that home in as many ways as possible creates and then extends the agency brand.

Signage, logo wear, and office interior are areas that should be included in extending the agency brand, as much as advertising, communicating and presenting. Being true to the brand is something that takes time, diligence, perseverance, and hard work, but it is a necessary step in setting and implementing home care marketing strategy and planning.

Take a look at some of our client portfolios to see how we at corecubed have successfully worked with clients in many parts of the US to create a unique brand and then see how we are extending that home care agency brand.

Delivery is specific to the target. McDonalds uses billboards because on highways hungry people see the billboard, the familiarity of McDonalds resonates with them, and they pull off the Interstate. Home care, on the other extreme, is a niche market service. Plus, home care is a misunderstood service. Plus home care only becomes important to the purchaser or the seeker of home care when the need for it arises. There is an education component, and a timing component, and, for private duty, a financial consideration that  may determine services needed and appropriate.

For private duty home care, deciding the market and the channel, is like a needle in a haystack. Anyone who becomes frail and needs some assistance is a potential target. Actually it is more like anyone who has the need for care or anyone who knows anyone with the need. So the key is being where people looking for care are bound to look when they need care.

This means that the channel will vary according to geography, competition, demographics to name a few. The one thing certain about the channel, is that, there are many options and a home care agency must make hard financial decisions about where to spend marketing dollars that bring in the most results.

Having a good, informative, helpful, easy to navigate website that is optimized for search engines is the one most powerful tool in the homecare market planning toolkit. Networking is essential in marketing home care, so tools that better facilitate networking are also incredible important. The smart agency uses educational information on the website that is also useful for networking. Helpful resources and community educational presentations are the best bets to keep an agency out in front of as many people as possible who have expressed an interest and who might have a need in the future.

Media relations is the next best thing to use, so that people can read about how an in-home care agency met a need, kept a frail person at home, created a positive and safe environment for that person, and served to be the “family” when family could not be there.

There are many other channels for marketing, both external and internal that an agency can use to get to potential customers or referral sources. However, to start with, these three should be at the top of the list.

If you have not already checked out our MOST program that offers franchise level support for independent agencies, do so. The websites we build for home care are unsurpassable for design, quality, ease of use and optimization for search engines. We also provide strategy and support for home care agencies in all areas of marketing.

The more the differentiation, the messages and a visual representation of the message/differentiation  “speaks” to a potential target, the more possible it is for that message to resonate, be accepted and understood. And the more the possibility that action will occur as a result of the target coming into contact with the message/visual.

The whole point of a home care marketing strategy is to create a way to get in front of an audience and to have your service understood so that when the need arises for in-home care, your agency will be the home care agency called for service. So, you can have the best service imaginable, but if it is not differentiated, targeted to the right audience, clearly messaged so that the differentiation is obvious, you can still not get the business you want unless the visual representation is married happily with it all.

My very favorite representation of that was an example Todd Bright did once at a workshop where he showed farm fresh eggs and showcased how someone might not stop of the sign at the side of the road were computer generated. For farm fresh eggs, a hand painted sign would attract far more business. Why? The visual is married with the message. Anyone can buy eggs at a store, but to get eggs right from the chicken? (Still warm perhaps?) A had painted sign on weathered barn board posted at the end of a lane or in front of a small corner grocer would draw a crowd.

The same applies to home care. For quality a home care agency needs to show quality. Exude quality. In each and every communication the quality must show through. Forms left in the home. Inquiry letter responses.

Are there logos on all material? Is the material copied from a clean copy or Xeroxed to death and crooked and hard to read? Are the forms in the home all logo laden and clean copies? Are the envelopes in which the inquiry response is sent hand written or branded and printed professionally? Simple, small, perhaps seemingly insignificant items, but the person or the referral source making a decision is dealing with a lot of information and many choices. This is taking care of a most prized possession, a mother, a father, a beloved aunt, perhaps. The subliminal comes into play here, and quality comes from each and every thing an agency does, says, sends in the mail or leaves in the home.

Marrying the visual with the message is the 4^th part of creating a homecare marketing plan and implementing that strategy for best results.

Take a look at some of the websites corecubed has designed for our homecare clients. Take a look at the MOST program, our turnkey marketing program that brings franchise level support to an independent agency. Take a look at our an Home Care Agency Marketplace, an affordable shopping place that offers quality items for home care agencies so the wheel does not have to be reinvented.

If you are selling private duty in-home care services they are buying peace of mind if they are adult children at a distance or local but unable to provide the care themselves. They are buying safety and security, so that the living at home experience when frail is one that assures they will not be subject to abuse, neglect or predators of any kind. They are buying quality time so that the time the family or loved ones can spend with their frail elders is quality and not filled with the tedium of daily caregiving tasks.

For referral sources who are charged with making a good, appropriate referral to discharge their patients from their care into another level of care, they are buying efficiency in transition. They are buying a relationship that allows for continued involvement with either the doctor or the facility should the patient have a need for that type of care or intervention in the future. They are buying assurance that the patient will be cared for in a legal, medically competent manner so their referral is a positive one in the eyes of the family, others in the care team and the government oversight entities.

If you are selling in-home services to an indigent population dependent on your agency to keep a frail person at home to avoid institutionalization they are buying consistency, qualified caregivers/care providers, assurance that the designated hours approved are spent, assurance that those hours are enough to accomplish the intended tasks with communication back and agreements to change if they are not, partnership in care so that the goals of the agency on aging or county department on aging can be met through your agency’s service delivery.

Each of these messages is different depending on what your agency provides and who you need to reach to sell services. And, within each of these three types of differing messages are subsets that may respond to a different message. Doctors respond and expect communication differently than social workers. Families respond and expect communication differently than elder law attorneys.

Add to all of this messaging the fact that, in  most cases, as an in-home care provider you are offering services that no one really wants to have to buy. No one wants to be frail, home bound, unable to provide self care. No one wants that for their family members or friends. So, the message also has to be one that takes that into account and is gentle, reassuring, and the message needs to be found when that person seeking care has the need.

Developing strategy is not rocket science, but it is a science and an art. And done well by someone who understand home care marketing and strategy, taking the time to create a strategy that takes into account differentiation, targets and messages will make all the difference in the world as to whether or not the intended targets actually “hear” and respond to your marketing efforts.

What does this mean to you, the home care executive or administrator or marketing director? It means that you really need to review (or have a competent, experienced marketing expert) the collateral material, the website, and all the correspondence that relates to inquiries. Review and edit, I should have said.

Personalizing the message is far more beneficial than a generic message, anyway. And with today’s technology it is really easy to have specific information that can be targeted to whoever is making the inquiry, or whoever the target is.

If your agency sells mostly to referral sources, discharge planners and doctors’ offices, then your messages should reflect that target. If you are responding to an inquiry from a daughter with a mother who has Alzheimer’s disease, then your communication and messages should be appropriate to her.

And more is not necessarily better. For the daughter concerned about her mother’s Alzheimer’s and your ability to provide appropriate in-home care, the communication should only be about that. Don’t throw in an article on Arthritis just because you have it printed and ready to send out. Focus on the inquiry or the target. Focus on the message that would resonate with that specific person, that specific target.

Marketing communication is about meeting unmet needs. It is through the meeting of those unmet needs that the inquirer, or target will connect with your agency. The message should resonate with the person reading it, or finding it, or receiving it.

So, if you have decided what your differentiation is, and if you now understand the importance of speaking to the target so they hear you, then  you are two steps closer to understanding the strategy behind marketing (and selling) in home services.

Your marketing strategy is your message, your target markets, how you plan on reaching them and how you visually present yourself and your business.

Sounds simple? If done correctly, it is simple. At least it is simple AFTER you have decided the key components of that strategy. #1 is find a way to stand out and differentiate to be remembered. This may be as simple as the fact that you and your husband are partnering together to fulfill a lifelong dream of caring for others, or as complex as the fact that your home care agency is a part of a larger health care delivery system that has achieved quality as their first priority.

Take some time today and write down all the ways that your agency is different, achieves its goals, approaches problems, and does daily business. Then scratch off the ones that could also be said of others. What is left is what makes you different. That is the starting point, and the point from which all the branding and communication must begin.

Today is the first work day of 2011. Make some time each day this week to set a strategy that will start you on the road to home care success in 2011.

Setting goals is one inherent part of reaching goals, and planning on how to reach goals is the second part. Realistic goals. Measurable goals. Steps it takes to get to those goals. Simple ideas. So why are we not all rich and famous if it is so easy?

Two more Les Brown quotes might help here:

“Get your ideas on paper and study them.  Do not let them go to waste!”
“You must take action now that will move you towards your goals. Develop a sense of urgency in your life.”
Several years ago I took a Priority Management course. In fact, I took it twice as the concept so intrigued me. Given the gift of a short attention span, I was fascinated by the ability to prioritize based on severity of outcomes. You see, it seems that there are always urgent but relatively unimportant tasks to complete. Those long term strategic tasks always (or many times) fall to the important but not urgent quadrant. So we get the mail opened, answer the p hone and email, and let the planning wait.

That was when I started making time to plan, and making goal setting a regular event. After all, how do you know you have gotten anywhere if you have no destination? And that is where Les Brown comes back into the equation.  Once you are on an upward trajectory, then shooting for the moon is reasonable and attainable. And, if you miss the moon, setting your goals high will certainly get you closer, among the stars, than staying close to home with low goals.

What does all this have to do with marketing? Goal setting for businesses, and goal setting for home health businesses specifically, is the first step. Expansion, more billable hours, different staff, extra services or telemonitoring equipment to offer…all of these are parts of strategic plans for growth. Anyone can grow and reach goals if a plan is made, measurements are taken and noted, and the tactics to reach those goals are put into place. More quotes to follow this week, as I am giving Thanks to all those who have impacted my life in positive ways.

• Create an engaging profile. A business account on Facebook is a bit different than a personal account in that, instead of requesting friends yourself, your business will be “liked” by others. Because of this, you’ll want to create a page with relevant and informative content that will help draw friends and clients to you. For starters, make sure your contact information, website and business hours are listed in the info tab of your profile. You can also add photos, videos and post events that those following your profile can RSVP to.
• Connect with your community. Facebook makes it relatively easy to post different types of media, from text to videos to links. This allows you to create targeted content that your Facebook followers can appreciate and comment on, allowing them to feel like they are a part of your organization. For example, post event invitations for fundraisers or other promotional events and follow up with videos of these events, or post an article that is relevant to your company and clients and link posts from your company’s blog.
• Control your brand. Once you engage in conversation with others on Facebook, you’ll need to closely monitor the posts and comments that you receive. Facebook users can post not only compliments, but also questions and criticisms about your business. Dedicate time to review and respond to any queries or negative remarks posted on your page in order to maintain your business’s integrity.

Most of all, enjoy sharing. If you do not like interacting with others, you won’t enjoy social media. And, if you have nothing to say, then don’t say it! Spend your time linking to others whose words do speak to you in a meaningful way.

Know the lingo. More than any other social media site, Twitter employs a seemingly complex language of special terms and symbols. Working with Twitter, you’re likely to see things like hashtags (#), retweets (RTs), @username, direct messages (DMs) and shortened URLs. It is important to learn these terms and their functions in order to get the most out of your Twitter account. Twitter offers a glossary of key terms at http://business.twitter.com/twitter101/learning.

Be interesting. This sounds like a no-brainer, but it bears mentioning. People search Twitter using specific keywords, which is how total strangers will land on your feed. Producing compelling and relevant feeds will attract more followers. So take time to play around with the style you want, be it chatty and personal or strictly information based, and find the one that best fits you and your business. Above all, create content that your followers and clients will find interesting and keep your posts fresh by posting daily if possible.

Join the conversation. Once you have some followers and are following others, take part in the dialogue. Reply to messages and posts with meaningful or helpful information, make sure to answer any questions posed to you and retweet information from others that you find interesting. This way your followers know that you’re engaged and active.

Marketing is all about communicating, and Twitter is just another means of keeping the communication open.  You can hear me speak on social media in Kentucky at the home care conference Thursday, Nov. 18 and then Long Beach January 23rd at the PDHCA conference.

It  remains to be seen how this all plays out, but the writing is on the wall for entrepreneurs to meet the needs and to continue to change how America ages, and where we age. More options are now available for living elsewhere, and more options are available for staying put. The question will be: can you afford to stay put or to move elsewhere given the current economic climate? I think the answer is with planning it is possible.

Marketing to a segment that has wealth, has mobility, has long term plans, and is not planning on slowing down is like marketing to a moving target. The secret is to get their attention when the need arises. And that, in this day and age, means using the internet and media to their greatest advantage. Simply put, when someone needs care, it comes unexpectedly and oftentimes urgently, and that is the exact moment that they want information.

This is what the internet is perfect to accomplish-someone with a specific need finding a solution. A niche market. An unmet burning need. Marketing home care services, or long term care services, is all about meeting needs, educating when that need presents, and then some personal follow-through. It is not rocket science, but it is highly competitive and there will only be a few winners.

corecubed knows how to market to a senior affluent market that needs that information there when and where they need it. We have over a decade of direct focus on the senior industry, and over a decade of satisfied customers who keep returning. What better testimonial for success?

Louisville will serve as a great host city for this event, with participants staying at 21C Museum Hotel (voted #1 hotel in America by Conde Nast) in 2009. Dinner at the renowned Mayan Café on Friday night after a personal demonstration by Centre College graduate and artist Brook White at Flame Run Glass Studio and Gallery. Working all day Saturday on specific pre-identified issues, the group will relax at the Orsini-Heath home before reconvening on Sunday morning for a wrap up and takeaway task session.

There are so many benefits to being in the MOST program, but one of the soft ones is the knowledge gained by sharing successes and failures and working together to make home care in America the quality service that it needs to be. Plus we love getting to show Louisville off, and to bask in the glow of mutually beneficial relationships as we all grow and mature in our businesses.

Is it not amazing that someone in this day and age would have a question about Alzheimer’s disease and what to do? And, even more amazing is that a physician in this day and age is diagnosing age-related memory loss. Reminds me of the joke about the malfunctioning knee and when the doctor said to his patient, “Well you are 80 years old, so you should expect some malfunctioning.” To which the patient replied, “But my other knee is 80 years old as well and it is fine.”

This scenario and question are at the heart of marketing home care services, or geriatric care management services as well. It is simple – when the care need presents, people then start looking for answers and for information. If an agency is positioned so that they have the answers to the questions, and can be found by the person looking for those answers, then that agency is going to get the business. (a few other items come into place here, like great service and quality caregivers).

Check out the newly revamped approach to our MOST program to get the very best marketing through education that is available on the market today. Listen to the last webinar for insights into how it works. Download the brochure for up to date information. Register for the next webinar.

Amazingly the trend is for people to search by company/agency name. The keywords for which people search has not changed hardly at all except that home care jobs is now in the top ten and health care is also right at the top, replacing the “home” in home health care.

What does this mean to the agency wanting to get ranked? It means that traditional marketing and branding are increasingly important in addition to using tactics to get higher ranking.

So, how does an agency with a limited budget compete with the large organizations that are spending mega bucks on marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) and pay per click (PPC)? It means that you had better find a way to get your agency name out there in many different ways that are all internet marketing related.  It means that using social media, using strategic internet marketing and having a well designed website are all things that should be in your corporate marketing tool box. It means that back links to your site are also important. It means that you had better be out giving presentations and educating on home care and making certain that your agency is seen as a leader and an expert in home care. Sounds daunting, does it not? Well, the only program that I know of that accomplishes this is the MOST program. Now in its 3^rd year, with over 30 themed complete packages for agencies to use for their corporate marketing, the MOST program delivers content, design and a team of professionals to implement. Give it a look see and ask me for a special deal that we are running through September 15^th.

Searching for solutions on line is no different. In shopping for a home care solution for a mother, the basics must be present. For home care it is the services, explained clearly and in a layman’s language, and location(s) served. Also good for home care is some personal information about the agency staff, in particular where does the buck stop? Is that person one who drives the staff towards excellence?  A concerned adult child is looking for some assurance that her mother will be cared for in a loving and safe manner. So, the website as the adult child’s first encounter with the world of home care must relate something personal about the agency and its management.

Then that first phone call to the agency, or in some cases, an inquiring email, is the make it or break it moment. If phone, does the person answering have joy and interest in his voice? If email, is the inquiry answered promptly and personally?

Excellence in business is something for which each of us needs to strive. But it is not enough for just the owners or administrators to strive for excellence, all staff must understand that each and every task can be better if each and every task is accompanied by a quest for doing it better each and every day, and always learning what works best and applying more of that the next time. When is the last time you asked yourself or your staff what it is that makes an excellent company? And then benchmark against that as you grow your business. You will know excellence when you experience it, and your customers will tell you, over and over, how much joy it brings them that your team understands and strives for excellence.

Check out our team corecubed, and ask us to do something for you. See if you don’t agree that we have excellence as our goal no matter what the task.

Fishcar Lobster Conductor

The fishcar’s inventor calls this the Sashimi Tabaernacle Choir, and he travels around the country astounding those who vie for attention at art car functions. And, with all the singing (my favorite was Aquarius from the musical, Hair) and the lighted moving sea life, it is hard not to stop dead in your tracks and admire (?) the workmanship and ingenuity. And he did get some good press while here.

So what is the marketing message? Like wearing a sandwich board or standing on the curb dressed as a chicken the art car makes a statement, gets attention, and makes folks want to know more. In home care, it is hard to take a message from such a frivolous and fun event, but there are things that get attention and make folks want more. Clinics that offer services for free so people can try out a service before buying it, dial-in information lines so people can find out if the agency does provide a good, friendly service…just two examples of things that a home care agency could do to make a statement and get attention. There are loads more, and if they fit with the agency’s  branding and mission, then all the better.

Planning how to get attention for a home care agency is not as easy as its coming naturally as a fishcar, but it is possible. And then following up with media and web based communication about the event gives it “legs” so more people can find out about it. Plus the benefits will spread around for more time than just the time of the actual event. Read Amy Chilla’s blog on corecubed if you want an insight into telling your story better. Fishcar or no.

Self selection is how folks get there, and referrals. No TV, no cell phone access, just pure nature and rustic accommodations with touches of luxury where needed.  So how do they market? Catering to the high end travel and leisure business they invite the travel writers to come and visit and then just let them experience it. They provide excellent services and accommodations to their guests, and the property manager makes certain that guests know what they are in for prior to booking. It certainly is not for every vacationer, as this is a place where one can be inactive as possible (picture book at lake with view), but also highly active with kayaking, canoeing, hiking and exploring the countryside. There are no locks on the cabins. Nothing unsafe in the area (except for moose and bear) and no reason for alarms or calendars.

"Truly Remarkable" Just Needs the Right Place to Tell the Story

This is one of those truly remarkable places/products/services of which I often times write. Give folks something truly remarkable and the telling of that story is easier. On a side note, it was Coolidge who provided one of my favorite quotes, “ Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”.

The difference between experiential knowledge and knowledge obtained by research, consulting or learning from others is simply different. Thinking of an analogy, it seems that you can learn how to climb, what supplies to take with you, what to do in case of an emergency, but until you have donned the equipment, faced the elements, and actually climbed a mountain, you really cannot empathize with the hardships you face, the meaning of split second decisions in an emergency, the responsibility and the feel of the weight of the responsibility that comes from having safety over the lives of others.

Translated into running a home care business, it seems that starting, growing, understanding hardships, facing challenges and the problem solving that evolves comes out of that experience allows a person to walk that talk better than not having experienced it. It is facing a difficulty and working through it that gives a greater depth of ability to understand issues.
Our Private Duty Business Manual and all the forms one could ever want to use are available for sale on our Home Care Agency Marketplace, www.markethomecare.com. All of these processes and forms come as a result of years of experience actually starting and growing a business, and running it profitably along the way. Many of the questions I get on the private duty marketing webinars are answered in our marketing module, and all the information in all of our forms and manuals has been personally vetted, if not written, by me. So, why not use a proven tool to help growth, and one that comes from experience, having walked that talk for over 17 years and having talked that talk for 13 more.

The message was that the core marketing revolution is about the way businesses communicate – not just with customers but with entire constituencies – partners, vendors, employees, prospects, investors and the media. Author/philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer once observed: “All truth passes through three stages: first it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, and third it is accepted as being self evident.”  This new interactive marketing (revolutionary at the time in 2006) was being called “conversational marketing, open source marketing, two-way marketing, even corner grocery store marketing”. Now we just use it and it has become self evident!

Basically, Scoble and Israel state that blogging is not for anyone, but it works for a company that is a good company, has a good product, and has some interesting stories or referral possibilities in a particular knowledge base. The blogger-writer must be authentic, passionate and an expert with knowledge to impart with the time to blog regularly.  It is this transparent, authentic communication between business and customer that draws the attention of users who are interested in the product or service. Then the interactive communication becomes a customer generator, as trust is built.

They quoted John Naisbitt, author of Megatrends: “Everything never changes.  Something has changed, and it impacts everything else.  Your life is the same; people go to the same jobs at the same places, they go home to the same families and watch the same TV programs.  Everything never changes.  Something has changed, and that something will impact a great deal; but life as we know it will continue.” And I beg to differ with this noted futurist, that life as we know it has changed. The impact of the personal computer via a mobile hand held device and the impact of social media on daily time spent interacting has changed, and it has changed dramatically.

The authors of the book agree with me in that they felt the blogging phenomena was creating revolutionary changes. The book asks, “If we were to have met you in 1994, the same young developers at Netscape were finishing up a browser that would let you view internet pages and get to those pages quickly on links, and that is what started to change the world of information sharing.” Would you think that the World Wide Web or the stagecoach, or the Gutenberg press were revolutionary changes when they were first used? History has to tell us when something is revolutionary. However, apparently history, recent history, has told us, and the Internet and how businesses are selling products and service has changed. And the way partners, vendors, employees, prospects, investors and the media get information, make decisions, and impart information has changed dramatically.

The crux of this interactive marketing, however, and one that seems to have been missed lately is that companies need to offer something so unique, valuable and compelling that people will want to tell others about it.  The writers of this now landmark book state that what turbocharges word of mouth is loyalty to people you trust, not companies whose brands you recognize.  And, “None of this matters unless the product or service is truly remarkable.” (I did just reference this statement recently, and did not know where I had seen it. Sorry to not credit you, Scoble and Israel)

If you create something remarkable, something worth remarking about, then people may actually choose to remark about it.  If they do, the word spreads.  Ideas that spread win, and they rely on people telling people.  The best way to do this is to make something worth talking about.  Marketing is now about product development, not hype.  Remarkability the authors state, is in the eye of the consumer; if the marketplace doesn’t think your product is remarkable, then it’s not.

By offering a Web-based library full of operational, sales, marketing, recruitment and retention materials, targeted to home care, the MOST program members have access to highly professionally designed marketing and related collateral material as well as a team that implements the external communication of the material: we send our a monthly eNewsletter and update a member’s Web site with resources, links, and downloads.

All of this activity is just to keep the agency top of mind with the customer and to create the agency as an expert in care matters for their exclusive geographic area. The home care provided by our MOST clients must indeed be truly remarkable, but we are driving the traffic to give those agencies a chance to rise above the competition.

The program has morphed over the almost three years we have been offering it, and anyone who has looked at it in the past, needs to take another look at it today. If anyone wants a personal tour inside the Web based system, just ask! email info@corecubed.com and request a private tour. You will be glad you did.

There is a power in marketing that is really beyond imagination, but many do not understand it, nor take the time to really internalize what it means. Branding is the essence of blow your top off marketing. However, branding takes strategy, time, patience, measurement, and perseverance.  It is not a quick fix to a dying business.

Introspection is the first step. Think about, study, and figure out exactly what your service differentiation (brand) really is. Do you pride yourself on being customer-friendly? If so, does everything you do—from the FAQ on your Web site to the length of time a caller spends on hold when inquiring on the phone—support this image? If not, revisit the essence of your service’s branding.  As a reminder, here is what “branding” means. Branding is the perception of your business that is created at every point of contact with the public.

Our MOST program provides the opportunity for an agency to reinforce a brand image that is knowledgeable, helpful, resourceful and caring. Everything we do in that program is geared towards enhancing the home care agency brand, and, because we know the power of branding, we continue to help our home care clients succeed in this increasingly competitive world.

Have a good day today, and think about how much better it would be if you subscribed to the theory of using blow your top off marketing.

What this means, is that we now have complete modules that are based on a 30+ home care themes (PPTs, press releases, brochures, resource tips and helpful information, Web links, Web banners) as well as many standalone items. What started out as targeting referrals within the industry has now become a robust resource for an agency allowing an independent agency (or a location of a franchise) to compete in this crowded home care market place with the very best marketing and sales material available anywhere.

Communicating regularly is one key to staying in the mind of people who might need services, and the corecubed team implements the direct mail, the email eNewsletter (topical and VERY interesting and well read amongst the agencys’ email lists), so taking time to have regular communication with clients, families, referral sources and prospectives of each of those categories is not only done for the MOST program members, but also the communication adds value because of its helpful and informative nature.

Home Care In-a-Box is the theme of the next MOST Webinar that is sales oriented (disclosure) but also will take the attendee inside this incredible system to showcase the content, material and quality design that has been developed. If you are a home care agency or if you have a friend who owns one, I suggest you either sign or direct them to sign up for the Tuesday, October 26^th one hour free (3 PM Eastern time)  Webinar now. The program is only offered to one agency in any geographic area because it is so good team corecubed does not want 2 people getting the same helpful information. The program maintains a 92% retention rate with our most successful home care companies using MOST and corecubed as their marketing partner. This is really a marketing program that is beyond belief in its depth and quality, and we are proud to say that we continue to listen to our clients and develop new ways for the MOST program members to compete and to rise above the crowd.

Focus is what won that race. Alright, he is talented, skilled, experienced as well, but it is the focus that separated him from the others who did not win on Saturday. And it is focus along with persistence and determination that makes businesses succeed. Take a look at your agency’s or business’ marketing efforts, and ask yourself if you are approaching a) the right targets with b) the right message and c) the right way so they will respond as you are desiring.

Take a look at Responsive Home Health’s new Web site and notice the focus on the right target with words, photos, and interactivity. Then take a look at the content. Resource rich, helpful, targeted. Then add on the well designed and realize also that you are looking around because it interests you, it invites you in, and it fills a need when you are there.

Think of a Web site as your office. People who come to you need  to get what they want, find it easily, complete their business and move on to the next step of doing business with you. corecubed has added to its bench strength in our Web design department, and the results are powerful.

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Louisville, KY – April 27, 2010 – Award winning entrepreneur and home care marketing expert, Merrily Orsini, MSSW, today announced the launch of a product that promises to open a potentially lucrative revenue opportunity for established home care agencies.  In a strategic alliance with Barth Holohan of Continuum, the duo has created a how-to manual for private duty home care agencies to provide services to retirement community residents, thus avoiding a move to a higher level of care.

Dubbed the “Private Duty Services to Retirement Communities: A Turnkey Program Manual of Operations, Forms and Marketing Materials” and based on actual working partnerships between Continuum in St. Louis, MO, a private duty agency and retirement communities, the newly released manual is a complete how-to with customizable forms, procedures and developed materials, providing agencies with everything needed to begin offering services to retirement communities as well as material for the communities to market the services to their residents and families.

“An established private duty agency has a largely untapped opportunity to deliver services to retirement communities, creating another revenue stream for an existing work force.  In an increasingly competitive marketplace, home care agencies need to be able to offer flexible services and provide something that the agency down the street does not.  The new “Private Duty Services to Retirement Communities: A Turnkey Program Manual of Operations, Forms and Marketing Materials” does just that,” commented Merrily Orsini, MSSW and founder of home care marketing agency, corecubed.

With this turnkey manual of operations, Orsini and Holohan guide agencies through the set-up process and provide the tools to make the process of offering services to retirement communities easy to understand and implement, saving agencies valuable time to market.

“Partnering with a retirement or assisted living community provides a way to gain ‘easier’ hours and add an ongoing revenue opportunity.  Avoiding all the costly mistakes of creating a program, an established private duty agency can use this manual to help start and run a successful offering of private duty services to retirement communities,” continued Orsini.

Features of the “Private Duty Services to Retirement Communities: A Turnkey Program Manual of Operations, Forms and Marketing Materials” include:

• How to select the right retirement facility to make an offer of private duty services
• How to make the staffing in the community work from an internal process
• Specifics to give to the retirement community to market the service to its clients and potential customers
• All the forms needed to start and maintain this new revenue stream
• All the processes needed to start growing a base of extra billable hours

Pricing for the manual starts at $1,999.00 with the option of adding training webinars and one-on-one consulting.  For additional product and pricing information, please visit www.markethomecare.com/retirement.  A webinar will also be offered on 4/29 at 4pm Eastern, providing an inside look at the manual. To register for the webinar, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/795625987.

Barth Holohan, MBA, MSW, of Continuum in St. Louis has shared his 8 years of expertise on developing these programs, and Merrily Orsini, MSSW of corecubed and a private duty home care expert, have put it all together in a manual that is easy to use and can jump start an agency’s offerings to local retirement communities.

About corecubed
corecubed provides interactive marketing communications services, with an industry specialization in private duty home care, Medicare Certified, geriatric care management. corecubed uses marketing, social media, design and public relations for agencies seeking to grow their business and establish a positive reputation through focused communications efforts. Further information can be found on the Web at www.corecubed.com, www.most4yourmarketing.com, www.markethomecare.com or by calling 800-370-6580.

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Barth came to me with the idea that corecubed could use our organizational and design expertise to work with him to bring this manual to market. We have done just that, and it is now available for sale on www.markethomecare.com.

If you have an established private duty agency, you can purchase this manual and have a new revenue stream up and running in no time.

Barth is going to discuss this online at a Webinar this Thursday, April 29 at 4 PM Eastern time. You can register online here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/795625987.

After spending several years (and untold dollars) trying to find the formula that works both for the home care agency and for the retirement community, the system is in place. To say that this program can generate an additional revenue stream, is a mild understatement, as Barth is experiencing 6 figure revenues from this service line alone. And there are mutual benefits with the community in his model.

This is just one of the ideas percolating in the minds of senior care marketing experts here at corecubed. Thought I would share!

Note that this manual is not for sale in St. Louis city, St. Louis county or St. Charles Counties in Missouri.

Access their Web site here:

http://hhc.sagepub.com/current.dtl

Some highlights of the article:
“One of the most common – and most costly – mistakes business owners are making today is to underestimate the power of social media or to think that it doesn’t apply to their business.”

“Who would have predicted that viewers of the U.S. Presidential Debates would upload their questions as videos to YouTube to be televised to millions and asked of the candidates themselves? Who would have thought that Twitter – a farcically-named Web portal that acts as today’s telegraph, limiting users to messages of only 140 characters – would become the vehicle for dissidents protesting the results of the Iranian Presidential election to bypass government censors and report on the chaos and violence taking place in their country? And U.S. President Barack Obama’s election is often credited to his campaign’s ability to harness the power of Facebook and online support.”

“In his book, Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day, author Dave Evans provides this all-inclusive definition of social media.

“Social media is the democratization of information, transforming people from content readers into content publishers. It is the shift from a broadcast mechanism to a many-to-many model, rooted in conversations between anchors, people and peers. Social media uses the “wisdom of the crowds” to connect information in a collaborative manner. Social media can take many forms, including Internet forums, message boards, weblogs, wikis, podcasts, pictures and video.”
Evans, Dave. Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day. Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing Inc; 2008. Pg. 33, 35.”

Identifying and addressing objections covers privacy issues and control of content.  Plus there is a section specific to health care applications.

corecubed is an active player in social media and has been for several years. We create blogs for clients, design and maintain Web sites or design them for our clients to maintain themselves, assist with setting up FaceBook and Twitter and LinkedIn accounts. We even help our clients populate social media activities.

Example 1 is the client who bought lots of new domain names (URLs) and wanted to “trick” the search engines by creating lots of mini sites that all drive traffic to the main Web site. A dangerous strategy if Google perceives that it is trying to be tricked, and a waste of effort and money. The better strategy? Get great back links by doing something worthy of being posted on some dynamite site. Write a relevant article and submit it to a national publication. Create a blog and build interest by offering something of worth on that blog. Use short video that addresses issues that the prospective client might find interesting, or that answer questions usually asked and hard to answer. The best strategy is to have a current Web site, well designed and maintained and optimized for search engines.

Relevancy is the key to getting ranked well, and there is an art to keeping that ranking by making the site work for you. Blogs, videos and changing content will help as well. But the key to ranking is relevancy and the key to getting and keeping interest is to be interesting (and relevant).

Example 2 is the client who wants a dynamite Web site so there is measurable ROI. Yes, corecubed can build a dynamite Web site that will be relevant, designed for search engines, and we use SEO in creating content and naming pages and photos. But how do you measure ROI from a Web site? Inquiries? Traffic to the site? Downloads? All of these are definitely measurable events, but the REAL ROI for any business is growing revenues and increasing profits. And the Web site is just one component of good marketing.

The start of good marketing strategy is starting with the basics. Who is the target customer? What messages resonate with them? What visuals will attract them that also marry with the message? THEN you build a dynamite Web site that is interesting, attractive, organically optimized for the search engines and one that does attract your target customers. So, no silver bullet unless you create it the way it is intended to be created with no shortcuts!

Marketing strategy starts with some basics, and the most basic is branding. Then messaging. Defining targets that are most receptive to the sale, and then creating a process to inform and communicate to all so the potential to MAKE the sale is spread across a wider and wider (although targeted) audience.

What you are looking for is marketing that is being conducted consistently in order to get the most effective results for the long-term.
Pam Selker Rak  writes so perfectly that “Organizations spend millions in research and development, and they hire the best talent to turn their ideas into breakthrough products or services. They further provide millions of dollars so that their staff is constantly updated as to the latest technologies. Yet they often fail to take this same process to further understand their market, or communicate with their customers in a structured, ongoing manner to build their brands for the long-term.”

Two more great quotes from Rak that are worth repeating here: “Marketing cannot sell a bad product or service (at least not for the long-term). And a good product or service can have only limited success in selling itself. It may have some success in the short-term but will not have mainstay without marketing to build and retain awareness and retention among targeted audiences.”

And the final thought is that “marketing should never be viewed as an expense; it’s always a long-term investment—if it’s done right.” It is that “if it’s done right” component that is usually the issue. Many people who are in marketing do not take the time to understand the product or service, know the industry, and get the basics done right prior to launching into the sales process.

corecubed knows the home care and senior care industries. corecubed staff keeps up with the news and the events in the industry, follows trends, and pays attention to what people are buying and how they are getting their information. corecubed keeps on top of technology and uses it to the greatest leverage for our clients. We understand the power and strength of good, strategic marketing and our clients’ successes reinforce that.

Then think about the fact that designing a Web site is not like designing a brochure. For a brochure, you are sending it out, or hand delivering it, or folks are picking it out of a rack in a health care facility. So it is the design and message that attracts them. For a Web site, unless the potential customer stumbles upon your site, or can find it via a search engine, they will not find it. So design, although important, is only one factor in what makes a Web site work.

The most important element is Web site design is the ability for search engines to pick up on the words that someone seeking care in your area would use to find home care. If search engine marketing (SEM) is not a part of the design strategy, then you might as well not spend y our money to have that cousin/brother design the site, no matter how low the cost. Think of it as designing a brochure and then putting all the printed pieces in a box and storing them in the basement. Sure, someone who is looking in the basement might find them, but that does not mean they accomplish your marketing goal.

Take a look at these sites: http://www.livefreehomehealthcare.com/ and http://www.independence4seniors.com/ and http://www.blackstonehc.com/. Three VERY different sites in designs, but all designed a) to  match the agency branding and b) to get attention with search engines and c) created and implemented by corecubed. Designed with SEO in mind, we call it. And ONE of these sites has had over a 1000% increase is visits over the past month, since it went live because of great media timing as well. Both employee applications and legitimate client requests for service started immediately upon the sites going live.

If you wanted a fancy wedding cake baked and designed for your oldest daughter’s wedding because that would make her happy, would you go to your neighbor who bakes for fun? When outcomes are important to you, hire someone who is an expert.  Choosing wisely which items to have done locally and which ones to outsource to experts is key to getting the best results. Your Web site, in this day and age, is simply one item that needs expert attention, and not causal or familial assignment. We at corecubed have been building Web sites since 1998 and I have had a Web site since 1993. Our Web design team is steeped in SEO knowledge. So we design for beauty, messaging AND SEO.

Take a questionnaire to have a new design priced: 
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=IxzRSjoJaEyrVN86uuAEbw_3d_3d

Herre is a link to a redesign questionnaire:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=LYR08Vcg_2bsBZhvYzeXb9jQ_3d_3d

I suggest that there are several ways to gauge the ROI of social media. The first is to focus on the number of relevant followers not just followers per se.
Other numbers that really count when measuring for effectiveness:
• The number of people who fill in a form to get more information (or register for an event).
• The number of people who use a specific coupon associated only with the social media campaign.
• The number of influential people who tweet something about you or the event or the business.
• The number of influential blogs that link to you, mention you, refer to you.
• The number of Twitter followers from a specific location or demographic that is important to your business.

March 11 in Philadelphia, I will be presenting on the strategy of social media at the 8th Annual NPDA  Conference: You can read more here, sign up, and come hear me talk live and in person!

Entrepreneurs interested in claiming a stake in the growing elder care industry will likely have questions: “Where do I start?” “What are the costs associated with starting a business?” “Am I the right person to have a business?” “What tools do I need?” “How do I go about marketing my business?” “What procedures, forms or resources are available for my new business?”

Listen to my FREE Webinar archived on www.MarketHomeCare.com and find out the answers to many of the questions you may have about starting and running a successful non-medical home care agency. Then browse around on the site to see all the tools we offer to assist you in starting and running and growing a profitable agency.

During my FREE educational Webinar, you will learn:

• The basics of starting and operating a non-medical home care company, including estimating costs and creating an efficient administrative operation
• The basics of strategically marketing your home care company internally and externally, attracting and retaining reliable staff members as well as new clients

These useful hints and tips for start-ups are just the beginning. You’ll also learn about a variety of tools, resources, products and customizable solutions for starting or growing your private duty business.

Listen NOW! Find out more about starting a non-medical home care business, visit www.startprivateduty.com. Or, check out the Private Duty Business Manual, an experienced-based how-to guide written by me, using my years of first-hand knowledge of owning a home care agency. It is a great tool for starting or growing a home care agency!

So how can you measure social media ROI? Understand that some benefits of social media will be intangible. It’s not always easy to put a dollars-and-cents figure on social media returns.

I dined last night at a Different Pointe of View in Phoenix with one of my MOST clients, Suzanne McNeely and her husband. We are in Phoenix for the 5th Annual Private Duty Homecare Association Leadership Summit, and Suzanne is leading a roundtable on Geriatric Care Management. One of the topics was the ROI in social media. So, in thinking about this, I offer more of McCauley’s questions,

“What is the ROI in regards to having lunch with a potential big client?” he asks. “What is the ROI in regards to playing a round of golf with a trusted advisor?”

Of course McCauley’s statement has to be a bit over the top, because there are indeed ways to determine ROI, but it does mean we’re going to have to try to quantify the unquantifiable. What is the ROI of your telephone? Of your iPhone? Social Media marketing is really a new way to communicate. Not simply a marketing tactic.

Play to play is the word for the day in Social Media. And we at corecubed are working to bring our clients along so they can benefit from social media in a way that makes sense, is not a total time drain, and will get results.

More details: Effective marketing is key for growing any business. The home care industry, however, requires a marketing approach that differs from standard and traditional marketing efforts in many crucial ways. Do you want to learn the foundational basics to improve your marketing efforts for your home care agency to stand out from the competition?

These three Webinars offer an overview of marketing strategy as it specifically relates to growing a home care business. Industry veteran and marketing home care expert Merrily Orsini, MSSW, will introduce you to marketing tools and techniques proven to take your agency to the next level.

These  educational Webinars teach:

- What important marketing information you need to know when it comes to home care
- The essentials of keeping your brand top of mind
- What marketing efforts you should start right away
- How to budget for the best results
- Techniques for allocating marketing time when time is scarce

Plus much, much  more.

In fact, social media – that is, interactive networking Web sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Flikr and Linkedin – may someday be seen as one of the most innovative marketing tools ever to come out of the early 21st century. Make no mistake: It’s not an automatic guarantee of marketing success, (and as we learned from the dot com bust of the 1990s, neither is an online presence) but – in moderation and wielded skillfully – it can be a valuable asset.

Previously unheard of, now patients can share experiences with the world. Below is a YouTube video wwith a patient sharing his experiences with prostate cancer on Twitter and Facebook.

With this kind of access to information and with a world of people able to access it, the savvy home care company will cease to ignore the Internet as a valuable marketing tool

In the past week, the online behemoth made some radical changes when it began incorporating social media into its search results. Until now, individual posts from sites like MySpace, Twitter and Facebook have been MIA in Google searches. Not anymore.

Now Google displays any social media posts that contain a particular search term in real time – as they are posted.

It’s not that this never-ending digital gossip wasn’t happening before – it’s that the largest search engine in the online world now brings it to consumers “at the speed of live.” That means that anything and everything that’s screamed, spoken or whispered about your agency in the MySpaceFacebookTwitterYouTube world is spotlighted for the entire Web population.

And it’s not just social media that’s appearing on Google, according to a December 7 article that appeared on InternetNews.com. Google has revamped its entire search engine infrastructure to accommodate an arsenal of new tools.

So, if you want to be found on the Internet now is the time to get active in the social media landscape. 

How can you do that?

1) If your company doesn’t already have a presence in social media, get one.

2) Start posting regularly and often on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. These are the top three, but they’re not the only social media sites. Monitor other sites – including startups – and consider joining them as well.

3) Maintain your list of SEO keywords and use them regularly in your posts, as well as your agency’s name. Remember: you want your posts to be seen by people searching for your company, or words related to your company’s mission and product/service offerings.

4) Videos, videos, videos! Invest in multimedia. Fill your site with video and audio files.

Companies like Google thrive because of their ability to identify and take advantage of certain trends. The same goes for home care agencies. Google has just handed us several new marketing tools for our arsenal. Take the time to become familiar with the tools – and you’ll quickly find you’re able to use them to your advantage! Or, better yet, just hire corecubed to do it for you!

Watch Google’s new Social Media Search in action:

There are a number of interchangeable titles commonly used to describe the position: public relations director, public information officer (PIO), media relations director, press secretary and spokesperson are just a few. Even the slang term “talking head” will do is an apropos descriptor for this man or woman who holds press conferences and enjoys bringing the company’s message before the masses.

But what does it take to be a good spokesperson? How do you know if you or another candidate has the “right stuff” to go before the camera lenses and not embarrass the company? Creating a good impression in the minds of viewers is not as difficult as you might think.

Here are some tips to get you started:

1) Know the company. As a spokesperson, it’s your job to represent the company to those on the outside. You carry its brand reputation on your shoulders and you’re given the task of telling the agency’s story. You can’t tell a story you’ve never heard. That’s why it’s critical for the spokesperson to know the story front and back.

2) Convey the proper image. If the spokesperson is going to succeed at using the media spotlight to win new clientele, she is going to have to forge a special connection with your target market. To do that, she’ll have to convince them that she is just like them: they she has the same dreams, goals, limitations, challenges and fears.

This will, in some ways, limit your pool of prospective candidates. Obviously if you’re trying to build an image of responsibility and professionalism around your agency, you don’t want to choose spokespeople who remind viewers of Cheech and Chong.

“If your product requires an elderly man to convey experience and trust, you won’t waste your time looking at children,” explains an article on eHow.com. “Know the image you want your product to represent in customers’ heads and build a spokesperson around that.”

3) Be both spontaneous and diplomatic. In the YouTube clip inserted at the end of this article, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs had to respond to an annoying disturbance – the repeated interruption of a press conference by noisy cell phones. He could have simply let the interruptions continue – or worse – he could have become angry and turned the media against him. Instead he took action by commandeering the cell phones while turning the entire event into a humorous comedy sketch. His decisiveness won diplomatic points in the media, and the exchange got a lot of airplay, both online and on television.

It only goes to demonstrate how company spokespersons have to think on their feet. While they can’t sacrifice the message for the sake of diplomacy, neither can they sacrifice diplomacy for the sake of the message.

4) Look good on TV. Last but not least, good spokespeople have to feel comfortable in their own skin knowing that, behind that camera lens may lay thousands of adoring – and not so adoring – viewers. She has to feel (and look) comfortable on television talking to those who may not like the message she’s conveying.

“On TV physical comfort is essential,” writes Susan Harrow. “You need to be able to laugh at your gaffs and handle anything that comes your way. Be ready for people to say off-the-wall things to you. If you’re not physically comfortable in your clothes, the way you look and feel, that impinges on your ability to banter. The audience can tell immediately and it reflects on the product you’re promoting.”
Being a company spokesperson can be a fun and exciting challenge for those who enjoy the limelight. At the same time, it’s important for anyone who fills the role to understand both the dangers and the rewards. Not every story or TV appearance is a chance for positive PR. Sometimes it’s best to turn down that interview request – especially if it might forever link the company to a negative experience or news event.

Call corecubed today and we’ll give you the guidance you need to succeed on or off camera!

Robert Gibbs at the White House with Cell Phone Interruption

They’re sponsors – and they’re utilizing a unique form of marketing to build their brand and solidify their hold on the market.

Sponsorship marketing is an effective and accepted part of the world’s business culture. From the moment we first heard Big Bird tell us that this episode of Sesame Street was “brought to you by the Letter Q and the Number 7,” we came to grips with the fact that events cost money, and it’s the generosity of the movers and shakers in a particular industry that make any given event possible.

Sponsorship marketing – particularly in the health care industry – can be a surefire way to position your agency as a leader in the area of home health care provision. The key is to be shrewd and strategic in the way you choose your sponsorship opportunities. The events you sponsor should provide windows through which you can reach your target market.

Blogger Kathy Hendershot-Hurd considers the example of a chiropractic practice that specifically targets children. In this case, she argues that a children’s sports team would be an excellent sponsorship opportunity to reach youngsters – and their parents.

“When the coach contacts you to pick up the check for sponsorship, be sure to have brochures prepared for the coach to hand out at the beginning of the season,” Hendershot-Hurd writes. “Ideally, the brochure should cover things young athletes can do to avoid injuries and what to do if injuries occur. Of course, the brochure should also cover which injuries can best be treated with chiropractic care.”

By attending the games, cheering the players on, meeting the parents and holding an ice cream party at the end of the season, she argues, the chiropractic practice will cement itself in the minds of the community as a generous health care provider that cares about the needs of children. When a child suffers a back injury, the parent will know where to go.

There are a host of sponsorship opportunities other than sports teams:  trade shows, seminars, speaking engagements, state fairs, and holiday celebrations – the possibilities are endless. How can you choose the right one for you? Here are some tips.

1) Consider return on investment. What kind of exposure will your agency receive? Specifically, will it help you reach your target market? If it’s not targeted enough, the cost of the sponsorship may outweigh your relative gains. Run the numbers first to make sure you’ll come out on top.

2) Does the event enhance your image? One of the driving motivations of sponsoring an event is to improve your brand. Obviously a health care provider likely would not want to sponsor a pipe smokers’ convention. Find events that would highlight your agency’s experience, compassion and professionalism.

“Coca Cola, for example, is always looking to generate a positive influence of their products in the minds of their consumers, and as such regularly support events they feel can influence consumer opinions,” writes Susan Friedman for About.com.

3) Who are the other sponsors? Like it or not, you are often judged by the company you keep. You can’t control how other sponsors conduct business, but you can choose whether to co-sponsor with them. Blogger George Torok suggests taking a closer look at those who might be joining your endeavor and determine if the association will enhance your reputation or decimate it.

4) Believe. Above all, Torok says it’s crucial that your agency knows about and supports the event that’s taking place. “If you don’t believe in the program, group or their battle cry – then stay away from it,” he writes. “If you fake your support you will be uncovered and it will haunt you and hurt you.”

5) Flock with birds of a feather. For a home care agency, the best sponsorships are with chronic disease associations. Find which ones are favorites of physicians that are on the #1 target list. Look for associations that are not already sponsored by competitors so your agency can really make an impact.

Sponsorship marketing does more than get your message out. It demonstrates to the community that your agency has heart – that it is involved with the community. Now more than ever, it is critical for health care providers to show that they’re focused on care – not the bottom line. It also positions you to be with those who are potential referral sources for your agency. Referrals come from those who know and trust you, and working together is the best way to gain that trust.

corecubed knows how to best help you pick the right sponsorship for your agency. Let us help. Call today. We can show you how sponsorship can make you Number One in your community.

Watch the video below about IBM’s strategic sponsorship of Wimbledon:

Bright Pink does. The Chicago-based non-profit organization devoted to promoting women’s health issues has developed a mobile marketing campaign to remind women to regularly examine their breasts for signs of cancer. Yes, that is MOBILE marketing campaign. According to a report posted by Genesis Davies, a blogger for EverythingPR, that campaign consists of text messages – somewhat dicey ones at that – distributed to mobile phones. And they are getting the desired attention.

Breast cancer awareness month is not just a time for non-profits like Bright Pink to point out the benefits of early detection. It’s also an opportunity for home care agencies to reinforce their caring brand by demonstrating their concern for the community and their commitment to curbing health problems like breast cancer.

Few things bolster an agency’s public image better than a genuine concern for consumers. But that concern does need to be showcased so folks will notice.

The best way to discover your agency’s opportunities is to find a non-profit organization that addresses a health issue that fits with your agency mission and contact the local chapter. There are a myriad of disease and charitable organizations that hold fundraising events to raise awareness, such as walks, bike-a-thons, auctions and other visible and fun group activities.

For maximum benefit, it’s important to let your clients and the public at large in on your involvement. As a home care agency you’re committed – first of all – to improving the quality of life for others. Show the world how you’re living out your mission. Here are some tips on how to do just that.

• Take part via sponsorship opportunities.
• Provide some great health tips relevant to the observance in question.
• Take digital images of agency employees as they take part in walk-a-thons, auctions, fundraisers, etc. and include them on your Web site.
• Shoot video testimonials of employees who describe their involvement and put them on YouTube and the agency Web site.
• Blog, Tweet and write on Facebook about the event.

Community involvement requires foresight and planning. It’s important to choose the right community involvement with the audience that is best for your agency. corecubed can help you make the right choices, get involved so it is the best for the charity and you, and really show your clients that, by supporting your agency, they’re investing in a home care company that takes responsibility for those around them.

Stay with me here while we talk video game consoles for a moment. Like the Nintendo Wii. Just for the sake of argument, I want you to close your eyes and picture what the target market of a Nintendo Wii looks like.

You’re probably picturing a tech-savvy teen. Maybe someone in their 20s. They’ve probably got bleached jeans with holes in the knees. Maybe they have long hair, are unshaven and randomly punctuate every sentence with the word “dude.” There’s a good bet that they consider themselves “professional” students and haven’t held a job for longer than six months.

Fair enough. They’re out there. But if your perception of the Wii market is limited solely to the young, I’ll-never-have-a-real-girlfriend demographic, you don’t truly understand the product, or the needs of the consumer. The truth is, if Nintendo were to focus its Wii ads entirely on this one group, it would lose out on a lot of revenue.
Jeffrey M. O’Brien, a feature writer for Fortune magazine explains,
“While game consoles typically attract youngish males with an antisocial streak, the Wii is bringing people of all demographics together: in nursing homes, for Wii bowling leagues, on cruise ships, at coed (!) Wii-themed parties….”

Who would have thought seniors, and people of all ages would be flocking to Wii consoles to engage in mock boxing matches, make-believe bowling contests or even pretend fishing expeditions? Why do they do it?

According to Carol and Richard Eustice of About.com, it’s about the exercise. In order to play the Wii, people must engage in physical activity by swinging, shaking and jerking a motion-sensitive controller. The result can be a full-fledged workout – with a little bit of fun added in.

“What is most exciting about Wii is that it has unexpectedly put the fun back into exercise and physical therapy too,” the Eustices write in their blog to seniors.

“So why are you pushing this, Merrily?” you may ask. “I own a home care agency – not a game shop. What do you want me to do, stock up on Wii’s for my clients?”

That’s not the point at all. You see, I think there’s an important marketing lesson to learn from the Wii’s story – one from which home  care agencies can benefit. That lesson is this:

Never let your target market get so specific that you ignore other prospective potential clients and referral sources.

When Nintendo developed the Wii, it was quick to recognize that the game console provided more than just a convention gaming experience. It provided something else: exercise. This was an added value the other game systems didn’t have – a value that could appeal to people of ALL ages. So instead of marketing to a single group, the progressive company marketed to everyone who might be drawn to that value.

The same applies to home care agencies.

Home care agencies restore independence, uphold dignity, bring security and peace of mind. Often, the target is solely to the elderly themselves. After all, the vast majority of clients who need home care services are senior citizens.

But home care agencies sell themselves – and prospective customers – short if they are only targeting this one segment. There are other demographics who need care: the physically handicapped, those with mental disorders, parents of infants who suffer from rare diseases.

Think of how these individuals would benefit from in-home caregivers. Yet many of them don’t even realize the option is there. As compassionate care providers, don’t leave them behind. Think of ways to expand service offerings and then marketing messages to reach them as well.

They’ll thank you for it. They may even invite you over for a few rounds of Wii bowling.

Imagine the difficulties of taking out five or six skeets all fired at the same time. The task is virtually impossible. Even the most skilled marksman would balk at the challenge. You can’t expect to fire one bullet and hit all seven. You have to take each skeet one-by-one, so you can devote all of the necessary time, energy and skill to them all individually.

Unfortunately, some fail to recognize this strategy when creating collateral and communication to the target audiences.

One of the cardinal rules of any marketing communication is that it must speak to the needs of its target audience. Nothing irks a homeowner more than to receive an ad in the mail for rental insurance: they don’t need it, so it’s a complete waste of their time.

The same truth in targeting goes for eNewsletters. The truth is some businesses — such as home care agencies – serve a plethora of diverse clients with various needs, and get referrals from those who are not the care recipient. Such an agency might want to target:

• The frail elderly potential or current clients.
• Families or loved ones of those who need care.
• The medical community that refers for home care.
• Ancillary business that interface with those who might need care or care advice: attorneys, trust officers, real estate agents, etc.

It’s clear that each of these sub-groups have their own challenges, goals, needs and desires when it comes to information needed on home care. Thus the marketer is faced with a challenge: How can the agency distribute communication that speaks to all of these diverse sub-groups?

The answer, in many cases, is this: They can’t, unless they REALLY work at it. And sometimes, they just can’t.

That’s right. You read it here. You can’t apply a one-newsletter-fits-all solution for a diverse audience any more than you can take out a dozen clay targets with one bullet. It’s one thing if your client base is made up of apples. It’s another if it’s comprised of apples, oranges, pears, bananas and ugly fruit.

So how do you know when it’s time to come up with two, three – even four – different versions of the same newsletter?

The important thing is to identify each target market and then read the eNewsletter once for each group in an effort to determine whether that specific group would be excited or energized by the content. Read each article – every piece of content – and place yourself in the shoes of each market segment. How would the 98-year-old World War II veteran react to the e-newsletter? What about the doctor who specializes in orthopedics? Or the son who lives in California while his mother is in New Jersey?

You likely will not have to rewrite the entire newsletter. When done correctly, many articles will span the targeted audiences. That article on the tax deductions involved in home health care might be of interest to the elder himself or to his adult child, but if you want to interest the trust officer, you’ll likely want to replace that feature story with one on Alzheimer’s symptoms or when to take the keys away.

The key to eNewsletter marketing is providing the reader with information they need – and want! When you can track the hits back to your Web site you’ll know they’re reading what you have to say, and taking action to see who is saying it.

And they’ll remember your name when they’re in need of your services – and when they have the opportunity to refer friends, family, clients or colleagues.

We at corecubed understand the integral role that an active, reliable ongoing monthly eNewsletter can play in a company’s marketing campaign. We don’t just throw eNewsletters together: We provide targeted content that is relevant and informative in addition to being positive about your company. Our careconnect eNewsletter program is just one example of how we can help an agency send out the right information that can target many. To learn more, shoot us an e-mail, check out our Web site or give us a call!
Click here to view a feed of videos relating to eNewsletters.

We will also have a booth (#1449) which I encourage you all to visit and enter our raffle. The winner will receive a great prize with custom branding!

When it comes to getting that message out, one way to get the job done is with face-to-face communication. And, rather than one-on-one, you get more leverage if you are reaching more people. And if those people have an interest already, then all the better.

And what people should you reach and how should you go about it? First, look at your marketing plan. Hopefully you are tracking where you get referrals, and that includes not only what types of referrals are your best, but where are they located. Then, you systematically start trying to get in front of groups of those folks. It may be an association meeting for a disease organization, or an in-service for aides at a nursing home. Church and community groups oftentimes seek speakers on interesting topics.

And instead of selling your services, try educating on some aspect of frailty or disease that might be of interest to the group. For instance, elder law attorneys may want to know options for finding good care. There are liabilities and risks associated with hiring private aides that attorneys or trust officers may not have realized. And for senior groups, how about discussing when one knows it is time to seek assistance. What are signs of stress and burnout or malnourishment? And how does one seek assistance. And what does ‘assistance” mean? Are there contracts and set hours, or can the person seeking care have input into the caregiver and the duties.

First make a list of all the things that you do know, and then look for ways to get in front of people to educate them about what you know. Below are some tips to help you identify – even create – good speaking opportunities, and overcome your anxiety to deliver a lecture that’s informative, persuasive and effective at getting inquiries that may turn into new business.

1) Seek out venues where you’ll reach your target audience. A home care agency has a number of target markets to reach. Several come to mind immediately: funeral home directors, children of elderly parents, associations that cater to those one have frailties, like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or cancer. Call them up and find out if you can speak at their next meeting.

2) Choose a topic that’s of interest to the audience. You simply can’t deliver a speech on why your agency is the best, or on what your agency does. You need to give a speech that’s informative about an important issue in which the audience is interested. If your audience is senior citizens, give a speech on how proper nutrition can improve bone density. If it’s physicians, talk about how they can improve patient satisfaction by referring families to home health agencies rather than nursing homes.

3) Partner with other speakers. If you’re giving a speech on fall prevention, consider partnering with a local homebuilder who can provide tips on redesigning the home to eliminate obstacles for elderly loved ones with limited motor skills. They’ll likely jump at the chance to do it for the good PR – plus, it will cast your agency in a positive light while positioning you as an expert.

4) Consider inducements. Inducements such as refreshments, door prizes, raffles, etc. provide incentive for people to attend your event. The more attendees there are, the greater the likelihood is that you’ll win new clients. It may mean forking over a little bit of cash, but that could be money well spent if it translates into new business. And giving away a plant or a flower and asking them to put their information on a card to be eligible will give you contact information after the talk.

5) Bring an informative handout. The main purpose of the seminar IS to win new business, so giving the audience something to take home with your information on it will let them know to call if any needs arise.
Want some tips on public speaking from Toastmasters? Click here.

No one wants to place the care of their elderly loved one into just anyone’s hands. By talking and looking like an expert who is knowledgeable, experienced, compassionate and thorough, your company can cement its place as the go-to agency for in home care.

And if you need materials to accompany a presentation, check out corecubed’s excellent monthly marketing program that we call MOST. It is robust in its information, and is perfect for positioning as an expert.

If you can laugh about it, click here to view a humorous take on the complexities of health care, hospital based humor.

At the same time, health care is also one of the most controversial issues in public discourse. Few other subjects grip our emotions quite as tightly as the topics of geriatric care, end-of-life counseling, health insurance and the rationing of services. One need only to review recent news headlines to see examples of how proponents and critics of universal health care have galvanized their forces and played on these emotions.

It’s clear, then, that we must tread carefully. Anytime you combine intricate, complex subjects with volatile emotions, you have an unsettling prescription for bad decision making. The key to calming these troubled waters is a solid education of the facts.

Education plays a critical role when it comes to health care marketing – particularly the marketing of home care agencies. These agencies must often reach an untapped client base who:

1) Don’t even realize that care at home is an option, and
2) Don’t understand why it may be the best option.

Thus the savvy marketer must don a teacher’s cap to build a foundation of knowledge for prospective clients. Only through education and understanding is it possible to make the right choice for care.

Each situation is different, so the best marketing strategy is to just pick some related topics, and provide  helpful information on those. One of those topics should be “When is home care appropriate?” and some items that must be covered include:

• Based on my condition, what should I expect from a home caregiver?
• What services can a home caregiver provide?
• More importantly, what are a caregiver’s limitations? Can they provide certain health care treatments?
• What is the cost of in-home care?
• What are the alternatives to in-home care services and what are the advantages and disadvantages (and costs) of each?
• Are in-home care services covered by and programs for which I may be eligible?
• Is there any regulation of in-home services?
• Who can I talk to for straight answers?

Educating about home care goes hand-in-hand with marketing home care, but many marketers make the unfortunate mistake of attempting to sell the prospect a product or service they don’t know they need. You’ll never succeed in compelling someone to buy into something they don’t understand. Thus, it’s important to remember that teaching comes first – then selling.

Sometimes education means dispelling certain myths prospective clients or even potential referral sources may have about in-home care. According to an article by Dr. Barney Spivack, some of those misconceptions might include:

• It will be easy for me to care for my elderly loved ones myself.
• My elderly loved ones can definitely handle legal arrangements on their own.
• Medicare and Medicaid will cover all of their health care costs.
• If I take care of them, it will strengthen our relationship.

There really are a whole host of misconceptions about in-home care.

Education is the basis of corecubed’s monthly marketing program, MOST. MOST brings the MOST return-on-investment of your marketing dollars through regular monthly marketing touchpoints with your prospective clients and referral sources.

Through MOST, corecubed is able to provide a framework for the ongoing education of your clients. Tools such as Power Point presentations, Web content, direct mail pieces, flyers and e-newsletters regularly instruct the reader on the realities of home care. At the same time, prospective clients are given a rich background on issues related to geriatric care in general, including nutrition, exercise, Alzheimer’s disease, fall prevention and a host of additional topics.

Here are a couple of additional ways to educate your prospects:

• Presentations: Your agency might speak to a group of seniors or to a group of referral sources on a variety of topics. Foe example, speaking on, “Fall Prevention: How to Make a Home Safe” would work for many groups and imparts some useful information to make staying at home with care safer.

• Online resources: In today’s age of the Internet, creating an expert resource is easy. Providing links to sites with information and providing downloadable checklists allows anyone who is seeking care and/or answers to care questions a place to go for information.
The industry experienced team at corecubed has a host of additional communications tools in our box – and outside of it. We’ll turn those prospective clients and referral sources into teacher’s pets.

Holohan’s recent PR success is only the beginning. His initial appearance on the news program went so well that the news channel asked to feature him on a regular basis. Talk about PR longevity!

Misty Delegato, another recent beneficiary of the MOST press releases, whose agency, Relevar Home Care, competes against a number of established agencies in the volatile Detroit market, was thrilled to be featured as an expert on elder abuse in a recent article in the Macomb Daily, a local newspaper that circulates within Relevar’s service area.
“I knew little about the importance of PR when I started the MOST program,” Delegato admitted, but after talking with Merrily Orsini about how to work with the press, she decided to give it a try, and was thrilled that it worked on her first try. “Within a week of sending out the press release, I got a call from the managing editor at the local paper in the county we serve. He told me he was doing an article on elder abuse and asked if I could be quoted in the article as an expert.”
The article has really helped establish Relevar as a leader within the local home care industry, and Delegato couldn’t be happier. “I absolutely plan to keep doing what I’m doing with the MOST program,” she said, including ongoing PR efforts. “The most important thing in marketing is that you have to be consistent, and MOST provides the products to reach your goals of staying on the radar screens of our growing list of referral sources.”
“Part of that is networking with the media,” she added. “One media contact could potentially give you a ton of foot traffic. That’s definitely an added benefit to our marketing efforts.”
For more information about how the MOST program can help create positive press for your home care business, visit www.most4yourmarketing.com. While there, sign up for the next free Webinar to see how this robust turnkey marketing program can position your agency as an expert in your local market.

Now it’s time to expand – time to spread your reach into families and neighborhoods that need your help, but don’t yet know your number. In short, it’s time for some marketing mailings and collateral.

Of course you could call a professional to craft the material for you, but why go through all the trouble? We all had to write book reports in high school, right? How hard can it be to throw a few paragraphs together and dash out some letters? Plus you know your own business, right?

Many companies make that assumption, and unfortunately, many of those companies (that were only trying to save costs) discover that they’ve wasted money on written material that was confusing, hard to read – and ultimately – impotent.

Why go with a professional team that includes a copywriter?

The truth is, there is more to writing that meets the eye – or the page – and that’s particularly true of business writing. Marketing material is vastly different from book reports – or even a novel – in this respect: the ultimate goal of marketing material is to persuade the reader to do something. It wants them to buy a product. It wants them to call for a free estimate, visit a Web site or become a client of the business in question. And, for home care especially, because the service is so personal and happens unexpectedly, the message is different than messages for other items or other services.

It takes a wordsmith with a lot of skill, industry experience, and marketing savvy  to get the reader to take some action.

Here, then, are three reasons why it’s better to go with a pro:

1) Professional copywriters understand the power of language. Regardless of how you may feel about former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, a commentator on one of the 24-hour news networks noted that her speech on Monday, in which she handed over the reigns of Alaska to its next governor, was far superior to the speech she gave a few weeks ago when she first announced her resignation.

Why? For one thing, she seemed confused and agitated in the first speech. But this time, she hit a home run, according to the commentator, because she seemed to understand “the power of language.” Her use of alliteration in phrases like “dizzying debt,” he said, was much more potent than saying “we’re spending too much money.” This time, she was direct, concise and persuasive.

That’s the difference a good copywriter can make. Copywriters who understand the power of language know how to wield it effectively. They can use tools like alliteration, similes, personification, aphorisms, assonance, irony, euphemisms, oxymorons, humor, sarcasm, poetry and the cold, hard facts to tug at the emotions of the reader and win them over.

2) Professional copywriters understand the value of SEO. Search Engine Optimization, typically referred to as SEO, comes into play when drafting marketing material for the online arena. It’s the practice of formatting text and Web pages so that the Web page is not only quick and easy to find, but also appears at or near the top of a Web search.

Good professional copywriters know how to craft online content for SEO. They know how to use various tools such as Google AdWords to identify key words that users are searching for and incorporate those words into the online content.

“He must understand current online advertisement strategy and the techniques that allow receiving high rankings on your Web site,” writes Peter Finers for Articlesbase.com. “He also should know how [to] develop [a] highly efficient marketing program that will advertise the site and gain promotion of it online.”

3) Copywriters know people. Good copywriters aren’t just good wordsmiths. They also know what to do with those words once they’re written. They have relationships with the media, so they can get your story in front of the limelight. When you need brochures, direct mailings and other printed media, they can recommend the best commercial printers in the area – and they may be able to set you up with a good deal. A good copywriter will have relationships with Web designers, photographers, video production companies, radio and television station and others.

At corecubed, we’re in the fulfillment business. We fulfill the copywriting, marketing and branding needs of home care and home health care companies across the U.S. One way we do that is through our careconnect monthly e-newsletter program. Careconnect is the perfect way for your home care or home health agency to reach its clients at the touchpoint of today: their e-mail Inbox! Our careconnect e-newsletters focus on topics important to them, such as respite care, Alzheimer’s disease, fall prevention and crisis management. To learn more, call us at (800) 370-6580, ext. 3, or e-mail us at connect@corecubed.com.

One of the best parts is that it’s cheap and it’s easy. There are no stamps, no envelopes, no having to distinguish between First Class and Standard Overnight delivery. It’s quick. It’s free. And it takes little to no effort.

Which is why e-mail is one of the most abused forms of marketing in the 21st century.

The ease that accompanies e-mail marketing means that far too many marketers feel no impetus to get it right. They fail to learn the dos and don’ts of e-mail marketing, and as a result, they send out too many e-mails. Even worse, those e-mails often contain information that is irrelevant and fails to hold the attention of the reader.

We all know what happens then, because we’ve all been on the receiving end of these e-mails. Goodbye Inbox. Hello trashcan.

NPR’s Yuki Noguchi comments on email overload at NPR. Take heed.

Irate readers are not the only downside to a lackadaisical e-mail marketing strategy. If the e-mail is classified as “Spam,” there could be legal penalties. Just ask Jeremy Jaynes, the first U.S. citizen to be prosecuted via anti-spam legislation. In 2005, he was sentenced to nine years in prison.
So what can you do to keep your e-mails out of the spam can? Here are some tips.

1) Don’t wear out your welcome. It’s one thing when an old college buddy shows up on your doorstep for dinner once a month. When they start popping up daily, you know it’s time to throw down the gauntlet. It’s the same with e-mail. If you send e-newsletters too often, you’ll find your readers unsubscribing in bucketloads.

There are no hard and fast rules on how much is too much. Monthly e-mails are fine. You’re maybe safe with two a month, but weekly may be overload for many.

“Most of the time you will find that a lot more people will open your e-mails when you send occasional e-mails,” writes James Woolley in an article for ezinearticles.com. “I personally send no more than one or two messages a week and have always found this to be the most profitable strategy.”

2) …But don’t be a stranger either.  In the same article, Woolley warns that infrequent e-mails, or e-mails that come too rarely to have any effect, do nothing to help your marketing message.

“If you start e-mailing them after a very long absence, they may mistake you for a spammer,” he writes. “Even if they don’t, your open rates are likely to be low because a lot of people will have forgotten who you are.”

According to Woolley, an absence of e-mails of longer than two months will start to do damage to your brand.

3) Use the carrot and the stick approach. Readers want valuable information. They’re much less tolerant of advertising and irrelevant data. An e-mail that is pure advertising is likely to get their dander up, even if it’s only a monthly communication. Instead, give them a reward for taking the time to read your e-newsletter. Provide helpful tips and free information about things they care about before you start advertising. It’s simple courtesy.

4) Resist recession panic. There’s no denying the fact that the worldwide economic recession has slowed the income of most businesses. When that happens, some marketers might be tempted to send more e-mails to corral more customers. Bad idea, according to Aaron Smith, principal and co-founder of Smith-Harmon, a provider of e-mail marketing.

“E-mail is such a low-cost channel to send that people have the impression they can keep pulling that lever,” he told BtoB Magazine. “There’s a saturation level in the Inbox that is unprecedented right now, and you are far more likely to oversaturate your customer base, upset them and turn them off.”

The moral of the story: don’t let bad times trick you into breaking the rules of e-mail etiquette.  Too busy to implement these yourself?  Check out our newly launched email marketing service, careconnect for home care agencies.

If you’re a tech-savvy 21st century business professional (and chances are you fit that description, since you’re reading this blog), you probably open your Inbox several times a day. A dozen maybe? We all check our e-mail more than we care to admit. And some are absolutely addicted to checking email.

And who can blame us? As Internet usage continues to expand, more and more people are pointing to e-mail as their preferred choice of communication. It’s easy to use, it’s fast and you don’t get that stomach-turning taste in your mouth from licking envelopes and stamps.

What’s more, there’s rarely ever a time when the Internet is beyond our reach. Wireless Internet has become much more prevalent than it was five – or even two – years ago. Devices like BlackBerrys, iPhones and PDAs mean our Inboxes are never more than a click away, even when we’re out on the street or at the hairdresser.

e-mail communication is cost-effective and reaches consumers and business professionals directly. BtoBonline.com reports that “spending on e-mail marketing in the U.S. will grow steadily to $2 billion by 2014, almost an 11 percent compound annual growth rate.”

If your business is not taking advantage of e-mail marketing, then it’s time to try it.

The most common form of e-mail marketing is the e-newsletter. An e-newsletter is exactly what the name implies: a newsletter that regularly appears in the reader’s Inbox. It may be distributed weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or over any period of time that the marketer specifies.

eNewsletter distribution is very cost-effective compared with direct mailings. If you’re interested in getting involved with e-newsletter marketing, here are some valuable tips:

• Place a link on your home page where users can subscribe. Services like Constant Contact offer a choice of pre-formatted boxes and links where your site visitors can sign up for your e-newsletter. These links can be added to your company’s home page. When they use the link, they’re taken to a form template where they enter their contact information, which is automatically added to your database.

• Pay attention to your subject line. The subject line of an e-mail is often the deciding factor for whether or not that e-mail gets opened. The subject line should pique the reader’s interest, while at the same time not coming off like the headline for an ad in the Sunday morning paper. MailChimp.com compared subject lines with very high and very low open rates..

• It’s not all about ads. eNewsletters should contain a mixture of advertising and informative articles – about 50/50. It should never be 100 percent advertising, or you’ll quickly find your subscribers opting out. For example, an e-newsletter distributed by a dental office might feature reviews of toothpaste, tips on cutting back on plaque or a glossary of dental terms, in addition to testimonials from clients. Articles on other sites can be referenced as long as you credit those sites and provide a link. For some good examples of eNewsletters and valuable reader content take a look at my company’s newsletter archive.  corecubed has been distributing these monthly for almost 10 years.

• Conduct analytics to evaluate progress. Most online e-newsletter distribution providers offer services that gauge the effectiveness of your mailings. Metrics such as open rates, click-throughs, opt-outs, forwards, etc. are all quantified and placed in an easy-to-read report so that the marketer can determine whether his efforts are successful. If open rates are down and opt-outs are up, it might be time to change the e-newsletter’s format or content. Either way, you won’t know unless you’re on top of the metrics.

corecubed specializes in providing monthly marketing communications with a specialization in the home care industry.  We have had such great success with email and eNewsletter marketing ourselves, we wanted to extend that to our clients.  In fact, we just launched a home care targeted eNewsletter called careconnect, which can be used by agencies to target valuable referral sources and build new relationships.  Is your agency communicating via email?

These are all characteristics that the agency name should convey. Now it’s time to use your creative juices to find a unique, attention-grabbing name that properly reflects your brand and persuades the hearer that your agency possesses the characteristics listed above.

One thing you might consider is also adding in some differentiating factors, based on your personal interests, or some geographic icon, if the agency is local.

Some examples of real agency names include: Senior Planning Services, Freedom Eldercare, Continuum, Assisting Angels, Atlanta Home Care Partners, and Responsive Home Care.
Shakespeare’s Juliet once remarked, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet.” It’s a good thing she didn’t run a business. In today’s world, your name is the start of everything marketing related.

The fast food giant launched its “McCafé” coffee chain in Melbourne, Australia with plans to offer the coffee brand in all of its 14,000 U.S.-based stores by the end of this year. Public reception of the McCafé brand has been surprisingly positive. In fact, McDonald’s has unseated Dunkin’ Donuts from the donut chain’s Number Two slot as the most-preferred coffee retailer. No surprise that Starbucks holds the top position.

Many attribute the rise of McCafé coffee to McDonald’s marketing strategy: “All the taste and quality of a coffeehouse with the convenience and price of McDonald’s.”

In other words, great tasting coffee on the cheap.

Perhaps it is not surprising that, given the current economic situation, McDonald’s is opting for a price point marketing strategy. After all, its Number One competitor in the coffee space, Starbucks, was born out of the 1990’s – a period of economic prosperity. It doesn’t have a “slogan,” per se, but instead relies on consumer recognition of its logo – the “Siren’s Eye” – and its brand, which positions Starbucks as a high-class dining experience for the sophisticated coffee drinker. That strategy may be a detriment to the chain during the current economic recession, as some price-conscious consumers have come to view Starbucks as an expensive luxury, causing profits to drop and the chain to close 200 U.S.-based stores.

So McDonald’s is wise to employ a marketing strategy that is based on price-point, right?

Not necessarily.

There are pros and cons. It’s true that, in an economic recession such as the one the world is currently facing, consumers seek out less-expensive alternatives to some of the products and services they consume. Thus a price-point strategy might seem advantageous in some cases (just ask Wal-Mart), but there can also be disadvantages with basing your entire brand on cost effectiveness.

The fact of the matter is, economic recessions are temporary. Customers may be clinging to their wallets now, but as the economy improves, so will consumer confidence. When that happens, it stands to reason that companies like Starbucks that provide a “customer experience” rather than just a product, will stand to gain.

The danger, in essence, is that customers will eventually abandon the “cheap imitation” for what they see as “the real thing.” Thus any gains achieved through a price point marketing strategy are likely temporary, based entirely on fluctuating consumer confidence. Price point marketing might be a good idea for the short-term, but there is a danger of losing out on long-term goals when making it the foundation of your company’s brand.

NOTE: Price point marketing is a particularly bad choice if your business is providing high end personal services, like senior care services at home. Consumers might be willing to go cheap on soda they purchase at Wal-Mart, but prefer quality over cost when it comes to the idea of someone “cheap” taking care of mom or dad. It’s best to base one’s brand on quality of care. To find out how to start end effectively run a care managed in-home care agency, check out corecubed’s Private Duty Business Manual offered for sale on our product site www.markethomecare.com.

The business world is competitive by nature. In this economy, it’s positively cutthroat – in a professional, may-the-best-man-or-woman-win kind of way. Getting ahead of your competitors doesn’t require you to carry a dagger under you cloak, but it does mean you have to keep a shrewd eye on your rival’s every move – and adjust your marketing plan to compensate when necessary.

The best way to do that is to periodically conduct a competitive analysis.

There is no one “right way” to do a competitive analysis. One method involves identifying success factors in your industry and ranking your competitors’ abilities to meet those factors in a two-dimensional matrix. This presents you with a weighted, numerical score of the threat each competitor represents.

Another method is to write profiles of each company, explaining strengths and weaknesses in the areas of background, financials, products, marketing, facilities, personnel and corporate strategies.

Either way, the competitive analysis should answer the following questions:

• What products or services do they offer?
• What do those products or services cost and how are they priced?
• How many customers do they have?
• What are their competitive advantages and disadvantages?
• How do they/will they react to your market penetration?

The competitive analysis is an excellent tool when it comes to the company’s marketing strategy. If your competitor offers home care but does not utilize care management then this is a great selling point to emphasize in your marketing material. If you do not offer as wide a range of services as the competitors, then specialization can be stressed so you are emphasizing quality over quantity. It’s all about zeroing in on your strengths and their weaknesses – and marketing them.

It’s painless. It’s efficient. It’s non-violent. But it’s sure to help your company get its foot on the next rung of the ladder of success.

But why is a predetermined strategy a necessity? What constitutes a crisis?
A crisis can be anything with the potential to adversely affect your agency’s message or reputation. A crisis occurs when one of your client’s homes is demolished during a tornado, or a caregiver is injured while tending to a client. The unexpected death of a administrative executive, the criminal arrest of a high-profile marketing person…all qualify as crises.

The truth is, every business is going to face rainy days. But how you react to those difficult times will make or break your business.

So how do you create an effective crisis communications plan? Here are some tips:

Consistency is important. Make sure no constituency is getting communication from more than one person.

 Create a crisis communications team consisting of
1.  a senior executive, and
2. individual communications reps to deal with employees, the media, customers and investors.

Create a phone tree – a list of people (employees, clients, clients’ families) who should immediately be contacted in the event of a crisis.

Create a communications system people can use to get more information.
 A special Web site with additional material is a great example
 A hot line where people can hear a recording or – better yet – speak one-on-one with a representative who can answer their questions.

 Act with speed and honor.
 Tell people what to expect.
 Don’t make excuses.
 Clarify what has been learned.  If more trouble is coming, let them know.
 Acknowledge uncertainty.
 If apologies are necessary, offer them, but don’t be defensive and don’t use the word “regret” or “at fault.” It sounds as though you are preparing for a lawsuit.

  Be quick to demonstrate your follow up. If a crisis is the result of a mistake your company has made, acknowledge the mistake
 Show what your company is doing to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Make restitution promptly.
If restitution has been made to affected families, let the media know. If new safety measures have been put in place, call a press conference and demonstrate.

 Help victims return to normalcy.

Avoid all “Red flags” for the media. Claims like
  “It’s just an isolated incident
  “We can’t take responsibility or we’ll be sued,” “Let’s not overreact”
 “The standards are unreasonable”

Behave as though your mother was watching and you have to explain your decisions and actions to her over dinner tonight.

After I thought about this for awhile, I turned to my arsenal of home care agency tools and created several new products that I think many of you will be able to use…and all based around recruitment!  From training resources to caregiver orientation, save valuable time with these new products!

But viral marketing is good, not bad. Because of the ease of ‘spreading” the word via the Internet, viral marketing has emerged as one of the most effective new tools in a business’ strategy to attract attention.

Viral marketing is simply  a “marketing phenomenon that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a marketing message.” It usually takes place online and can come in the form of online videos, e-mails, eNewsletters, text messages, images, e-books and other media. It often has an educational or entertaining component in addition to the advertising component, making the user want to share the communication with his or her friends.

A great example of video-based viral marketing involves the hit ABC show “Lost.” At the end of the third season, the producers and actors of the show created a dozen “Missing Link” mini-episodes that ranged from 2-3 minutes in length with a couple of distinct advantages. They reached consumers where they were – in their homes, at their computers, on their phones. They also served as entertaining commercials which the fans could easily send to friends who might also become fans.

Of course, viral marketing is not solely limited to videos. There are numerous other examples of viral marketing campaigns that use other forms of media. Take a look at some of the examples below:

The Million-Dollar Homepage – This site sold pixels on its homepage to advertisers and eventually made over $1 million.

Elf Yourself – A popular viral campaign launched by OfficeMax which allowed users to turn their headshots into dancing elves.

And for those home care companies who want to educate their clients, referral sources and get their name passed around? Resource rich information is the best educational format to use, and in an eNewsletter format, the viral component is a natural.

Each of these viral campaigns plays a role in getting in front of the public in a way that is easy to share. That’s the power of viral marketing.

And gathering contacts is all about three things: networking, networking and networking. However, you cannot simply go to a Web site and sign up for a contact subscription list. Building relationships takes time. And most movers and shakers or designated sales/marketing targets don’t hang out at the same place.

Or do they?

It’s a good bet that many – if not most – are members of some kind of professional association. An association serves as a meeting place where professionals who share a common interest can connect and discuss their mutual ambitions.

It’s also a great way to meet new clients.

For example, let’s say Do-It-Yourself Inc., a fictitious company that manufactures software for self-service food ordering deli kiosks, joins the Self-Service & Kiosk Association. That association accepts two types of members: self-service vendors (companies that manufacture the kiosk hardware and software) and self-service deployers (companies that purchase self-service kiosks to deploy in their stores.)

The membership advantages to Do-It-Yourself are numerous. Representatives of the software company might interact with reps from a kiosk hardware company and a new partnership might be born.

But most importantly, membership would drop them into the middle of a beehive of deployer members – prospective clients – who are all looking to meet the key players in the industry in the hopes of finding a technology vendor to help them with their project.

There are associations for practically every profession out there. Restaurants have the National Restaurant Association. Food and nutrition experts have the American Dietetic Association. The International Air Transport Association serves professionals who work in the aviation industry.

Most of these associations have a modest membership fee. In addition to networking, they can lend credence to your company’s professional credentials. Many provide certifications, and most have association logos you can add to your company’s Web site to show off your membership.

Wherever you join, get involved. Attend association functions. Serve on a committee. If the association has a blog, ask if you can contribute columns. The exposure will raise your visibility – and that means you may have to buy another Rolodex.

Information on purchasing available from Carmichaels Book Store in Louisville.

The book was published by Mercer University Press.

But what about promoting more complex products … like word-processing software, or a reengineered hybrid vehicle, or home health care? In situations like these, the complexity of the product often obscures the marketing message. Instead of a clear understanding of the product or service and why he should buy it, the prospective customer sometimes gets an overwhelming barrage of irrelevant information – everything from an in-depth analysis of how the technology works to a long-winded narrative of the product’s history to inundation with industry vernacular that is meaningless.

British mathematician Erik Christopher Zeeman once said, “Technical skill is mastery of complexity, while creativity is mastery of simplicity.”

The key then is to identify what’s important to the prospective buyer and what isn’t. Everything else is excess fat to be trimmed away.

So how does one creatively simplify sales campaigns for complex products?

The process is not much different than that used to market the banana. Consider the case of the hybrid vehicle. Unlike the banana, the hybrid is a sophisticated piece of cutting-edge machinery. But like the banana, its proponents purchase it for very specific reasons. The creative marketer must identify these so-called “selling points.”

The selling points for a hybrid vehicle might be:

• Eco-friendliness
• Fuel efficiency
• Cost effectiveness
• Reliability
• Performance

Once these selling points have been isolated, the marketing campaign should focus solely on them. Everything else must fall by the wayside. There may be an interesting story behind the design of the hybrid, but if it doesn’t impress upon the target audience the hybrid’s eco-friendliness, fuel efficiency, cost-effectiveness, reliability or performance quality, then it’s a waste of time to tell it.

Brenda Keener, Director of North American Sales for Wi2Wi Inc., suggests that the marketer draft what she refers to as an “elevator pitch” that endeavors to sum up the product’s selling points in two minutes or less. (Roughly the amount of time it should take to convince someone in an elevator to purchase the product while traveling between floors.)

When it comes to complex products, a good marketer must be a good harvester. Weed out unimportant information. Cultivate worthwhile sales pitches that focus on the things consumers need.

And most importantly, keep it simple.

Suppose your company builds widgets and you design the snazziest widget Web site ever to hit the information superhighway. There’s Flash video of dancing widgets on the home page. The resources page is stocked with dozens of white papers informing visitors of all the different types of widgets available. There’s even a message board where widget lovers from around the world discuss how the invention of the widget has changed the course of manufacturing forever. This site should, without a doubt, establish your company as the world’s foremost authority on widgets.

Unfortunately, when you run a Google search on the word “widget,” your site is ranked as the 187th search result. The user has to read through 19 pages of results just to find you. Don’t count on them to be so patient. According to this article by InformIT, many users don’t bother to look past the first couple of pages of search results.

Your site is, if not optimized for SEO, in essence, a “diamond in the rough.” Though this phrase may have positive connotations, it’s not a description you want for this application. Today’s impatient user doesn’t have time to search through all the “rough.” You need to be as close to the top as possible when someone searches for your site on the Web.

Search Engine Optimization -SEO- is the technique of designing your Web site so as to better ensure top ranking in traditional search engines. There are many tricks and stratagems involved in SEO, but here are some tips to making your site more SEO-friendly:

• Fill your site text with key words and phrases someone might use as search terms. A coffee site should make frequent use of the words “coffee,” “grounds,” “filters,” “caffeine,” “coffee beans,” etc. A home care site should use home care, homecare, nursing, caregiving, elder care and senior care.
• Bold letters often get the attention of search engines. Don’t overuse, but make sure that some keywords are in boldface. Also put some key words in larger font closer to the top of the page.
• Include several links to related pages that rank high in their fields. For example, a news site on coffee should probably link to the Starbucks and Sanka Web sites.  A home care site should link to industry organizations like NAHC and PDHCA. And use keywords in your links, so, instead of “click here” write “Find out more about home care here”.
• Make sure other sites link to you. Search engines like Google keep track of links coming in and going out of a site. Sites that get both (particularly to and from other high ranking sites) get placed closer to the top of a Web search. Make certain your site is listed in as many online directories as possible, and definitely in your trade association sites, local resource directories or product sites listing distributors.
• Make sure all pages include keywords in the page titles.

An entire industry has grown up around SEO technique. For more tips on how to improve SEO, click here.

Williams cites government statistics that indicate that the odds are more likely than not that an adult will serve as an unpaid caregiver to a family member at least once in their lifetime. Roughly 44 million Americans will do so in a given year – that’s 21 percent of the adult population. According to the article, 80 percent of the long-term care in the U.S. is provided by non-professional family caregivers, 61 percent of whom are women and 13 percent of whom are aged 65 and older.

Now for the shocking bit: 59 percent of non-professional caregivers are members of the workforce and have to juggle regular jobs on top of their caregiving duties.

The moral of the story: There are a lot of family caregivers out there. And to put it mildly, many of them are stressed out. They need relief, and the agency that crafts its marketing plan to meet the needs of this market segment will be the most successful.

How can this be done? By following these easy steps:

• Recognize the primary market for agency-provided caregivers. According to the stats, that market consists mainly of employed, middle-aged adults, most of whom are women.
• Recognize the predicament: They’re juggling too much and they’re overwhelmed.
• Use your marketing material to demonstrate how your agency can meet that need. Remember: you have the answer.

Case studies are an excellent way of showing how caregivers can make life easier for families:

1. Interview a client who was stressed out and get them to explain how your agency’s services made their life easier.
2. Get numbers. How many hours were they working per day?
3. How many hours did they spend as a non-professional caregiver before they found your agency?
4. Were they recently able to enjoy a vacation with their spouse and children because your agency was there to care for their loved one? If so, where did they go? Details are everything.

Home care agencies do have the answer. Thanks to these powerful government stats, we now know just how many people are asking the question. All it takes is good marketing to put the two together.

source

Ned, an overzealous darts enthusiast, buys a dartboard for a local bar. The bartender has never played a game of darts in his life and thinks it will disrupt the normal operations of his establishment. He wants Ned to remove the dartboard, but Ned convinces him to play one game, thinking he’ll be hooked in a matter of minutes.

When the bartender’s turn comes up, he grabs a fistful of darts and – without even aiming – hurls them in the general direction of the dartboard.

Ned is embarrassed. Not only did the bartender completely miss the bull’s-eye, most of his darts never even made it to the board. Two of them are jutting out of a barstool and one has poked a rather unstylish hole in one elderly patron’s Derby hat.

“See what you’ve done?” the bartender shouts at Ned. “This is a ridiculous game! Now take the darts and go!”

It’s a humorous story, but unfortunately that’s how some companies view their marketing programs. They cast a skeptical eye at their advertising budgets (“Won’t these expenditures disrupt the normal operations of our business?”) and they doubt that marketing can do anything for them.

When the time comes to launch a communications campaign, it’s done with little zeal. Instead of identifying a target market and customizing the campaign to reach it, the company lackadaisically embarks on a one-size-fits-all approach, targeting anyone and everyone.

The result is that, like the bartender’s throw, the campaign fails to produce any positive results. Since the company didn’t take the time to aim at the people most likely to purchase its products or services, the advertising will likely fall on deaf ears. The skepticism perpetuated by the company’s culture becomes its own self-fulfilling prophecy.

The answer? It’s as easy as the phrase, “Ready, Aim, Fire!”

A skillful marketing, design and public relations agency can help your company’s image to find its mark. This is critically important – now more than ever. Consider the following:

• An increase in the number of television stations (satellite, cable) means increased segmentation of viewing audiences.
•  The prevalence of satellite radio means increased segmentation of listening audiences.
•  The rise of the Internet and millions of Web sites centered on niche topics that provides much more focused information.
• Consumers who have been empowered to do their own market research are less tolerant of messaging that’s not relevant to them.

The implications are clear: a targeted marketing strategy is essential.

http://www.corecubed.com/news/08/10/

http://www.corecubed.com/news/08/09/

http://www.corecubed.com/news/07/10/

http://www.corecubed.com/news/07/07/

http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/marketing/a/targetmarket.htm

Facebook. Twitter. MySpace. LinkedIn. They’re the online Web tools that form the framework of social networking. In the “old” days, networking required the business owner to attend gatherings such as charity auctions, professional development seminars or cocktail parties to build and maintain relationships with prospective clients.

While there’s no way to replace that kind of face-to-face interaction, the advent of the Internet – and online social networking in particular – has provided additional tools for the arsenal of the marketing professional.

How does online social networking work?

Take Facebook, for example. A business can open a Facebook account, just as an individual can. Set up the account and invite clients, prospective clients, vendors and business partners to “befriend” your business. Once your Facebook page is up and running, you can post videos and images of your new products and your friends will instantly be notified. You can also use your Facebook “status” to inform users of upcoming events, like your next trade show exhibit.

It’s a means of providing regular, ongoing contact with your clients in a format they’re comfortable with. It also broadens your outreach potential – you’ll be able to make contact with some prospective clients who are located much too far away for face-to-face contact.

Some tips for using Facebook for business marketing:

• If you already have a personal account, keep it separate from your professional account. Your clients probably don’t want to see your friends’ comments about what you ate at the party last night.
• Use your account to post links to stories related to your core competency. If you provide tax preparation services, post occasional links to outside articles that provide tax tips.
• Interact. Post comments on your clients’ pages. If a client reaches a milestone or wins an award, congratulate them publicly. The more you comment, the more your name will be on the screen.
• Join a “group.” There are several professional organizations with pages on Facebook. Joining one of these groups can give you access to other professionals around the world.
• Upload multimedia regularly. Images, videos, notes and audio recordings are all great tools to show friends what is happening at your business.

Businesses are just beginning to harness the power of online social networking sites like Facebook. If you haven’t already, it might be time to explore the type of networking the 21st century has to offer.

The term – a combination of the words “advertisement” and “editorial” – refers to a print or online advertisement that promotes a company’s products or services while at the same time reading like an editorial. The effect is that the reader often forgets that he is looking at an advertisement, so he ingests the selling points of the service offering, without experiencing the negative reaction readers so often have when stumbling across ads.

A perfect example of a very effective and strategic advertorial is used by Omaha, Neb.-based home care franchise, Home Instead Senior Care, advertising its services through an advertorial written about the relationship between caregivers and their clients. The piece focuses on Melisa Bours, a part-time caregiver who explains how working with her clients has enriched her life. She provides examples that demonstrate the closeness she feels with the seniors she works with, and the article ends with the contact info for her agency.

The piece is engaging, but more importantly, it provides a favorable view of the agency. Bours is not just another caregiver, according to the piece. She takes time to forge relationships with her clients. That’s enough to make prospective clients want to contact the agency.

Roscoe Barnes, author of Direct Response Advertising Made Easy, provides these helpful tips for writing advertorials:

• Study the publication the ad will be appearing in to understand its style.
• Double-check to make sure the publication accepts advertorials.
• Match the size of the advertorial with the size of the publication’s regular articles.
• Write a “newsy” (as apposed to ad-like) headline.

Click here for more tips on writing advertorials.

Or here:

http://www.ebiztutors.com/index.php/?p=430

http://www.homeinstead.com/home.aspx

With a focus on making joyful moments for those who are caring for a person with Alzheimer’s Disease, Dr. Jane Thibault a noted Gerontologist recommends Caring Moments of Joy by Jolene Brackey Read a news excert about this book here.

Release Your Brilliance is Simon T. bailey’s latest book and it is about taking the 4 Steps to transforming your life and revealing your genius. Simon says that everything you need to be brilliant is already inside you.

• Reawaken your genius
• Re-ignite your internal light
• Release your potential

Simon shared his four key steps to cut and polish the gem that is you in his keynote presentation:

• Clarity: Seek Profound Insight
• Color: Discover Unwavering Belief
• Cut: Take Bold Action
• Carat: Choose to Be Big

You can order the book here

Read more about Simon here.

Chip R. Bell is a customer service specialist who knows how to get customers to rank you a 5 on a 1-5 scale for attentiveness and response. His new book, Take their Breath Away is authored by Bell and John E. Patterson and will be available May 2009 in a bookstore near you. Visit www.chipbell.com/ to read more about this expert.

www.premiertrainingsolutions.com is another Web site run by Chip Bell with training offerings all focused on making employees perform better.

It is commonly believed that certain professionals and tasks lend themselves especially well to specific brain types. Scientists, mathematicians, for example, are lefty types while creative professions like designers and free thinking occupations tend to be more right brained. But occasionally, you find professions where using both sides synergistically can make a person, not just good but GREAT at what they do. Marketing is one of the professions where being great involves being both right and left brained.

At a jazz concert at the University of Louisville’s Comstock Hall last week, jazz musician (and professor) Harry Pickens’ trio played jazz and Harry talked about the music and answered questions about his incredible talent at playing jazz, and the group’s ability to work together to make the sum of the parts far greater that each alone.

Harry explained that he knows music, technically, because he has studied it, practiced it, played it and read it so that his left brain can simply play when called upon to do so. And with those skills, he technically can play anything….then he played a pretty amazing version of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” to prove his point. But then he said something interesting. “When I let my right brain take over, I am still playing well because of the technical expertise I have—but the music takes on a personal meaning and transcends just note playing. It becomes jazz.”

At that moment it dawned on me that that is what great marketers do. They have a base of technical skill from years of practicing the strategy and doing the work, which allows them the tools to put the pieces together….but then the truly GREAT marketers approach the project or problem from a right brain side which adds in the creativity to do amazing things with the learned tools.

There are lots of types of marketers. Statistical number crunchers, project managers, creative artsy types, etc. Each of those types approaches the same task in entirely different ways. The real skill lies in melding the skill sets together, using strategy and available talent that comes together synergistically to create a campaign that delivers results. To solve a marketing dilemma and create a results-focused marketing solution is where the true mastery lays. And that comes from working very well with both sides of the brain.

Well said and well played, Harry.

1. When the need arises, it is often immediate and must be fulfilled right away.
2. When the need is immediate, someone is more likely to others for guidance and advice and, most usually, follow their suggestion.
3. OR they will go to the Internet and seek a solution.

We also know the following about marketing “at need” services:

1. You cannot market an at need service like you would a service people know—like dry cleaning or shoes or something that is well known and understood.
2. Instead you must position the service using educational marketing that forms public perception of your brand…this way, when they have a need or know someone who has a need for what you offer, they will think of you.
3. As for the Internet, using education and helpful resources, communicated regularly and changed and posted regularly, finding that solution becomes easier.

A basis for marketing “at need’ services is teaching that a product or service solves a problem. Tylenol has adopted this strategy in a new print ad, pictured below. “Increasing the font size on your computer screen,” the ad reads “can help prevent eye strain and headaches.” It then shows a simple image of computer keys that one would need to hit in order to increase the font size on a computer, in both PC and MAC.
Brilliant.

Below that, it offers an educational explanation—that staring at a computer screen all day can be strenuous on your eyes and cause painful headaches that make it difficult to concentrate. Tylenol, it says, works with your body to silence headache pain you can’t avoid.

This ad is perfect for the professional who stares at her computer screen all day. The problem is stated and a solution offered. Perfect example of how to effectively market an “at need” service.

She gave a few stellar examples. When asking the class, comprised of 150 people (mostly women) what European car is synonymous with “safety”- in total unison the entire group said “Volvo”. (Well there was one Mercedes Benz, but there is always one in every crowd.) Why this crowd knowledge? Because the company’s targeted, on the spot branding efforts have positioned the Volvo, in the minds of consumers as being safe, if not the safest car in the market today.

Ellen also used Tide detergent as a great example of ingrained brand loyalty. Brand loyalty is so ingrained in many that it motivates us to purchase the same product over and over again without really knowing why—instead we buy based on a truth that we simply “know” and believe. This is brand loyalty. A very powerful brand asset. What the essence of marketing strategy tries to achieve.

Ellen’s “write this down” message is the three key elements to effective branding. While it might seem as if this simplifies the branding process (it does- branding is subtle and requires great skill) these three points should be taken into consideration when strategizing what marketing works for a product or service.

1.  Make the visual communicate the message. The visual has to match the personality of the product , the targeted market, and also communicate the message visually.
2. Generate an emotional response to the visual. The targeted audience must FEEL a reason to care about the product or service. Tug at the heart strings, motivate, inspire, create humor- anything. Just make them have an emotional response that brings them closer to wanting or needing the product or service.
3. The rational response (I want to buy this- I need this) flows naturally if visual and emotional has worked. It is not until the visual and emotional combined to form a general perception that a targeted audience can start to think rationally about the product or service. When this happens, and only when this happens, does branding happen, and do sales occur.

Let’s use my creative NYC corecubed off the charts employee Sarah and an unexplained loyalty to Tide as an example. Having grown up in Manhattan, Sarah not only is not a professional laundress, but doesn’t even pride herself on doing laundry very well (and has admitted to shrinking a sweater or two before). So why does she know, in her heart, that Tide is the best product for her?

1. The Visual. According to Sarah the bulls eye logo of Tide catches her eye every time. She looks for it and expects it to be there in the aisle. It’s clean, bright and, for her, the logo gets the job done. It doesn’t have stuffed animals on it or silly, flowery messages. It is strong and standard and simple.
2. The emotion. Sarah says she can trust Tide. She knows the detergent is strong and will transform her dirty laundry into clean sweet smelling clothes. It will address her needs. She can depend on it. Sarah goes on to say, that Tide, unlike Snuggle, which suffocates Sarah with its “silly” teddy bear mascot, is simple, strong and she can count on it. Tide’s slogan “Tide Knows Fabric Best” is “simple and to the point”, she says. It implies that the chemicals of tide know something about her clothes that other brands don’t. Snuggle Bear might be soft and cuddly—but that bear just doesn’t know how to care for her clothes like Tide does.
3. The rational response. Sarah chooses Tide because she simply believes it is the best, unfettered, detergent out there. The combination of logo and message solidified in her mind that Tide is her detergent. Sarah just “knows that Tide will do my laundry right.”

So, in thinking about how to go to market with your product or service, think about your brand loyalty. Are your customers buying your products or services because of the results from experience? Or are they buying because powerful, calculated branding has enticed them to do so?

Learn more about Ellen Looyen at her Web site.

Internet Retailer had a graph in the back of the magazine this month that states ways to make your online store sell more. Isn’t it fascinating, that, no matter what you are selling, positioning it (merchandising) is the key, and upgrading it or “redesigning” it accounts for 51% in ways to improve sales. That same thought is probably true for every single Web site around. Just rearranging the merchandise, not necessarily adding new, but rearranging makes folks think things ARE new and they buy more. Good psychology.

On a personal notes. at a birthday party tonight I met Andrew Jefferson Offet IV and he is a prolific science fiction writer, and an interesting conversationalist. He writes about Conan.

Someone sent me this simple test this week, and it is perfect for targeting folks born between 1935 and 1955.

Questions: (Answers are at end. Don’t peek!)

1. What builds strong bodies 12 ways?

A. Flintstones vitamins
B. The Buttmaster
C. Spaghetti
D. Wonder Bread
E. Orange Juice
F. Milk
G. Cod Liver Oil

2. Before he was Muhammed Ali, he was…

A. Sugar Ray Robinson
B. Roy Orbison
C. Gene Autry
D. Rudolph Valentino
E. Fabian
F. Mickey Mantle
G. Cassius Clay

3. Pogo, the comic strip character said, ‘We have met the enemy and…

A. It’s you
B. He is us
C. It’s the Grinch
D. He wasn’t home
E. He’s really me an
F. We quit
G. He surrendered

4. Good night David.

A. Good nigh Chet
B. Sleep well
C. Good night Irene
D. Good night Gracie
E. See you later alligator
F. Until tomorrow
G. Good night Steve

5. You’ll wonder where the yellow went…

A. When you use Tide
B. When you lose your crayons
C. When you clean your tub
D. If you paint the room blue
E. If you buy a soft water tank
F. When you use Lady Clairol
G. When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent

6.Before he was the Skipper’s Little Buddy, Bob Denver was Dobie’s friend….

A. Stuart Whitman
B. Randolph Scott
C. Steve Reeves
D. Maynard G. Krebbs
E. Corky B. Dork
F. Dave the Whale
G. Zippy Zoo

7. Liar, liar…

A. You’re a liar
B. Your nose is growing
C. Pants on fire
D. Join the choir
E. Jump up higher
F. On the wire
G. I’m telling Mom

8. Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Superman fights a never ending battle for truth, justice and…

A. Wheaties
B. Lois Lane
C. TV ratings
D. World peace
E. Red tights
F. The American way
G. News headlines

9. Hey kids! What time is it?

A. It’s time for Yogi Bear
B. It’s time to do your homework
C. It’s Howdy Doody Time
D. It’s Time for Romper Room
E. It’s bedtime
F. The Mighty Mouse Hour
G. Scoopy Doo Time

10. Lions and tigers and bears…

A. Yikes
B.. Oh no
C. Gee whiz
D. I’m scared
E. Oh my
F. Help! Help!
G. Let’s run

11. Bob Dylan advised us never to trust anyone…

A. Over 40
B. Wearing a uniform
C. Carrying a briefcase
D. Over 30
E. You don’t know
F. Who says, ‘Trust me’
G. Who eats tofu

12. NFL quarterback who appeared in a television commercial wearing women’s stockings…

A. Troy Aikman
B. Kenny Stabler
C. Joe Namath
D. Roger Stauback
E. Joe Montana
F. Steve Young
G. John Elway

13. Brylcream…
A. Smear it on
B. You’ll smell great
C. Tame that cowlick
D. Grease ball heaven
E. It’s a dream
F. We’re your team
G. A little dab’ll do ya

14. I found my thrill…

A. In Blueberry muffins
B. With my man, Bill
C. Down at the mill
D. Over the windowsill
E. With thyme and dill
F. Too late to enjoy
G. On Blueberry Hill

15. Before Robin Williams, Peter Pan was played by…

A. Clark Gable
B. Mary Martin
C. Doris Day
D. Errol Flynn
E. Sally Fields
F. Jim Carey
G. Jay Leno

16. Name the Beatles…

A. John, Steve, George, Ringo
B. John, Paul, George, Roscoe
C. John, Paul, Stacey, Ringo
D. Jay, Paul, George, Ringo
E. Lewis, Peter, George, Ringo
F. Jason, Betty, Skipper, Hazel
G. John, Paul, George, Ringo

17. I wonder, wonder, who..

A. Who ate the leftovers?
B. Who did the laundry?
C. Was it you?
D. Who wrote the book of love?
E. Who I am?
F. Passed the test?
G. Knocked on the door?

18. I’m strong to the finish…

A. Cause I eats my broccoli
B. Cause I eats me spinach
C. Cause I lift weights
D. Cause I’m the hero
E. And don’t you forget it
F. Cause Olive Oyl loves me
G. To outlast Bruto

19. When it’s least expected, you’re elected, you’re the star today…

A. Smile, you’re on Candid Camera
B. Smile, you’re on Star Search
C. Smile, you won the lottery
D. Smile, we’re watching you
E. Smile, the world sees you
F. Smile, you’re a hit
G. Smile, you’re on TV

20. What do M & M’s do?

A. Make your tummy happy
B. Melt in your mouth, not in your pocket
C. Make you fat
D. Melt your heart
E. Make you popular
F. Melt in your mouth, not in your hand
G. Come in colors
Below are the right answers:

1. D – Wonder Bread
2. G – Cassius Clay
3. B – He Is Us
4. A – Good night, Chet
5. G – When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent
6. D – Maynard G. Krebbs
7. C – Pants On Fire
8. F – The American Way
9. C – It’s Howdy Doody Time
10. E – Oh My
11. D – Over 30
12. C – Joe Namath
13. G – A little dab’ll do ya
14. G – On Blueberry Hill
15. B – Mary Martin
16. G – John, Paul, George, Ringo
17. D – Who wrote the book of Love
18. B – Cause I eats me spinach
19. A – Smile, you’re on Candid Camera
20. F – Melt In Your Mouth Not In Your Hand

Catering efficiently and effectively to a specifically targeted middle income population the casual, down home cooking at the Houston Inn has kept it open and popular for almost forty years. One finds affordable, solid American fair served in a comfortable setting. The Houston Inn has specifically picked its targeted market well—older Americans with time on their hands, retired persons who like to have choices, and who love a bargain to boot.

Here is what Houston’s does that should serve as an example for all in the restaurant industry who are interested in growing their numbers of the middle income older set. Volume dining sometimes has its positives, and Houston’s has capitalized on these positives. What did I experience that others might want to copy for making dining out with an elderly person/s an enjoyable experience?

1. Friendly management. It might seem obvious, but a patient and attentive wait staff is not always a given. The Houston Inn management, waiters and waitresses were patient and polite and didn’t mind any idiosyncrasies of clientele. In fact, they seemed to appreciate the particularities of each guest.
2. Being more than just a reservation. No reservations are accepted at Houston’s, actually. Instead, you call ahead and they prepare space for you. People are names and faces and are greeted like friends. Early diners are welcome.
3. Oodles of choices. And no choices with any odd foreign names. The salad bar at the Houston Inn has over 54 items on it. The menu is extensive and moderate to low price. Patrons can eat, and eat well, for about $20. And the drinks are full drinks, not smidgeons of whiskey, but 3 fingers of red eye.
4. Lots of time with no rush to make decisions. Staff did not press upon or rush diners to finish their meals. People were left to their own time to enjoy at a leisurely pace, and to go back to that voluminous salad bar as often as desired.
5. Don’t we all love that bargain feeling? At Houston’s Inn, portions were huge and the pleasure of taking home a doggie bag is almost 100% guaranteed. Diners leave feeling full and feeling that they have gotten a great value for their meal with leftovers galore!

And will they tell their friends? You betcha! This Houston’s Inn is a place for people who like to eat American food at a good price in a friendly atmosphere.

If you are ever in southern Ohio, be sure to make a stop at The Houston Inn. Their Web site and URL is gloriously unforgettable.

And yes…they do serve frog legs. They taste a bit like chicken. But then fried sort of tastes fried whatever it is!