Appreciating and Getting to know your foot soldiers!

When your business offers a quality product or service word travels fast. This is the most reliable and affective way to grow your audience and brand recognition.

Imagine if you enabled that word of mouth to grow at even a faster pace and helped it build its own momentum by providing it with tools to make it more accessible, entertaining, and full of value.

One of the best ways to grow your business is to take traditional word of mouth marketing and stretch, pull, and tug it in just about every direction it allows. The internet and traditional marketing channels provide the perfect distribution for this technique. Remember business is not rocket science its taking what you already have and building a story around it so people can relate, identify, and share your information.

Steps to expounding word of mouth marketing - getting to know your foot soldiers.
1. Every peer group, community, town, city, market, region, country, and beyond has its own leaders who pride themselves on knowing things of interest and value first. These are your first targeted group of foot soldiers that you need to identify and introduce yourself to. You need to get to know them and find out what their likes and dislikes are, where do they spend their free time, and how do they connect with people.
It's not hard - I'm sure you already know a handful of these people in your community. These are the people that when you are out and about in town, or at community events their names keep popping up. Introduce yourself to them. Strike up a conversation about the day and try to find simple points of identification. Remember you're not trying to rule the world you're just trying to make yourself known.

2. Local Groups happen naturally in Communities and are a perfect way to get to know your foot soldiers and organically grow their numbers. Reach out to local groups in your area through Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, One More Referral, Community Centers, etc... ask a member about their group and if there are any restrictions or costs on attending a meeting. When you feel comfortable enough ask if you could present yourself and your business. Remember props always bring laughs and laughter always sparks memories.

3. Involve yourself and business as a volunteer in community events. It's one thing for your business to sponsor an event its another for you and your employees to submerse yourselves and your product/brand into the day in a non intrusive way. Example? Nature's Way Market didn't hesitate to say yes when asked to be the BBQ provider for the 1st Annual Field of Dreams Home Run Derby in South Berwick, Maine to benefit local Team Laffalot. The day was amazing and it was all about breast cancer. Nature's Way Market stepped up to the plate and offered a wide array of fresh quality choices to the attendees and batters without charging them an arm and a leg. They also made a donation to Team Laffalot which was greatly appreciated. The crowds were fed, happy and stayed longer helping to build the dollars raised for the day and now a week later the community is still talking about the steak tips and baby red potato meal deal for $6.00.



These are just a few of the steps I've taken in my businesses to help encourage and grow my foot soldiers! Word of mouth marketing at its finest is cost free and the most effective. You just need to know how to stretch the limits! I invite you to call me anytime to sit down and consult how we might grow your business!

Jennifer Houghton
TRG Northeast
207-450-8441
www.tylerryangroup.com
Marketing! It's what we do.

Synergy - you know the word, do you know the meaning?

We've all been there, I call it being in the groove. When everything you touch in life, more specifically your business turns into gold and the world seems to be at your feet. It's a sense of momentum that keeps building leaving you feeling exhilarated and on top of the world, and while you are smack dab in this feeling of immortality it seems more and more opportunities are drawn to you and you are nothing short of a kid in a candy shoppe.

Did you ever stop to think that it was more than just a feeling? That there was actually a social science behind the cycle and with just a little bit of insight you can create this whirlwind of success and pure force of a positive bottom line. Business is not rocket science. Trust me it wasn't the academic icons that turned in the best projects or senior case management studies in business school. Not that there isn't merit in scholarship and the ability to apply ones studies to real life situations. The issue is that real life situations are constantly evolving and changing and it is the basic equation of synergy that will be able to propel you into a a spiral of positive cash flow and brand positioning.

In college, I remember Mr. Chaput telling us if you take nothing from his courses in marketing and actually our entire business syllabus remember the four P's. It seemed simple enough at the time but for some reason in each of my businesses I would allow myself to get ahead of where I was and forget to remember the simple equations for success. So let me remind myself as I begin this new venture with The Tyler Ryan Group and promising the CEO I can blow open the Northeast, wide open were my exact words and just in case you haven't heard of the four P's before let me bring them to your attention.

Product
Place
Price
Promotion

Which smiling to myself as I write this blog post have become my best friends in business. Each of the four P's are compelling by themselves, however when you can create a compelling strategy that integrates and incorporates each into one very strong story with legs you have instant attraction and success. While some of my friends get a shopping high, others a running high, I get my high from spinning a story and seeing how far I can spread it. As I have matured (loosely stated) I have come to realize that as you spin your story and create brand recognition it is oh so important that each of the four P's are well thought out, contain value, integrity, and have a natural tendency to balance each other out. If you have one superstar in the group and the others fall way short, I'm predicting you will have the shooting star affect in your business. You'll start out strong and bright but will quickly fade into the darkness of an overcrowded marketplace.

When you create a synergy between the four P's in business than you have created your very own super nova. Let's be realist as we are riding our business high, life is everchanging and there is always a new trend just around the corner but there is no reason that you can't catch an early ride on a wave and let it bring you all the way into shore. There is no good without bad, there is no black without knowing red, and there is no demand without supply. Remember that business is always a careful balance and although everchanging it is important to keep your perspective on the synergy, relationship between your product, place, price, and promotion. And as Tyler loves to say you can be sitting on a pile of gold for sale but if know one knows where you are and noone can afford to purchase a bar from you at the end of the day you will still be sitting on your pile of gold. And really how much fun is that? Wouldn't you rather be out creating memories from extraordinary experiences?

http://TylerRyanGroup.com

If you would like some help getting rid of that pile of gold shoot me an email or pick up your smart phone and call me. I'm personally addicted to the technology and will always have mine with me.

Jennifer Houghton
jennifer@tylerryangroup.com
207-450-8441
TRG Northeast
Marketing. It's what we do!
"excuse me while I go outsmart some bears"

Bullseye! Letting talent do what they do best!

If you are an entrepreneur of any degree than more likely than not you like to just get it done and do everything yourself. This is especially true when you first start out before you have developed the ability to trust and include and build upon other individuals visions.

Somewhere along the way it is imperative for you to let go of total control and allow others in your inner circle to do what they do best. It's important to remember that we've all been given special talents in life and when we are using these talents the possibilities are endless and the sky is literally the limit. I have the perfect example for you. REAL life story that shows you exactly what I'm sharing with you.

We are hosting a Local Home Run Derby this year to raise money for breast cancer. Early on we had the idea of putting a giant bulls eye in the outfield and having the first batter to hit it getting a large gift certificate from the Kittery Trading Post: hence the bulls eye logo. Well undoubtedly we soon got caught up in organizing the details of the Derby and finding the sponsors to underwrite and getting people to show up through guerilla marketing campaigns...blah blah blah. The point of this story is that Sue and I put off making the actual bulls eye for the Derby. So Bill jumped in and said let me just handle it. Since our version of the bulls eye was going to be foam board with Sharpee Markers we agreed and let go of all control with no expectations and moved onto finishing up other details for the day.

Last night right before 11:oo pm, Bill sent me an image of the bulls eye he whipped up for the Derby in his garage. AMAZING and incredibly professional. The Kittery Trading Post is going to be proud and people are really going to want to try to hit it!! It had never entered my mind that it would be so professional and kick ass. It so much better than it would have been if Sue and I had said no we'll just figure it out and get it done.

Your business is your baby and I know how hard it is to let go and let someone else take care of it sometimes...but be open to others infusing your business with their incredible gifts and talents!

Instead of creating obstacles...Imagine the possibilities.

When you are creative you are brainstorming and letting ideas flood in and just exist on a piece of paper. Remember back in school when the teacher would set a plain white peace of paper in front of you and have you draw a circle in the middle? Next you would put something in that circle, anything really, the actually word doesn't matter as much as what that word inspires in your creative process.

Try it. I dare you. Take a plain white piece of copy paper out of the printer sitting next to you and draw a circle in the middle of the page. Inside the circle I want you to pick just one product or service you offer as a business and go ahead right it down. Own it and recognize it as something you are proud of. Let it be your finest accomplishment. So step two this is where it gets crazy and lets you just be like a young child again not worried about coloring in the lines.

Draw spider legs out from the center of the circle in each and every direction and don't feel as though they need to be even or balanced. Go flippin crazy with the lines and don't even let yourself think about whether or not you can come up with something for each of the lines. So now it's time to reflect. What product or service did you put in the middle of the page and where do you want to go with it? Do you want growth, stability, increase in production, a new ad campaign, brand loyalty, brand awareness, a new factory or storage facility...it really doesn't matter just pick something to focus on and pick up your pen again and starting writing as fast as the thoughts come flooding into your mind. Remember this is your dream and your choice as you would have your company and product line grow.

No holds bar! The more you let go of your preconceived notions of business the more you will get from this exercise. So take some time fill your paper, draw more silly lines, and then let your paper sit for a day or so and then pick it up and take a look. We'll all be waiting here at TRG Northeast to see what you came up with and the brilliant new strategy or product line that you would like to run with will be our newest mission and goal.

Thanks for stopping by and even if you don't come back to share I hope this exercise was helpful. Love your business and watch it grow!

Are you positioning your product in the very best light possible?

"South Berwick is not the biggest, most happening town. That is why I was happy to find Nature's Way Market in the small downtown area. This business is about 3 or 4 years old and is a great addition to the neighborhood. Not the most impressive natural grocery store I've been to, but they have the basics. A nice, organic produce section. Some prepared foods such as salads, quesadillas, and sushi. Some organic snack food and frozen food items. I was particularly impressed by the wine and beer section as they carry some great craft beers that you won't find at the nearby Cumberland Farms. The prices are steep and are about what I paid last year in NYC. But I suppose to bring those products to a small town is expensive. I plan on doing a lot of my grocery shopping here this summer despite the prices though." Erica C



With the internet opening up content and copy for everyone and their brother to post, position, and get out there how do you continue to manage to place your product and brand in the best light possible for the world to see? When I found the post for Nature's Way, in an instant, at first I was disappointed in her review but then I changed my perspective and realized she is telling people that even though it is more expensive and she has been to better markets she is happy she found it and going to shop there. Eric took the time to write a post and let the world know about the little gem she found in South Berwick, Maine. How invaluable is that to have a foot soldier doing your marketing for you as a volunteer?

This is one of the ways that I was able to grow the story around The Little Hat Company so quickly. I capitalized on the testimonials, photos, comments, and postings that I found on the internet and took at the store locations and helped spread the efforts of our team of foot soldiers. Everyone likes a honest balanced testimonial and it goes a lot further than a banner ad or a randomly placed ad in a newspaper. Don't get me wrong both have their merits and importance when it comes to building your brand, just how much impact would they have collectively if you implemented a targeted strategy that used both to their full potential?

TRG Northeast knows about creative strategy and planning and taking all aspects of media into account when building a successful campaign for your brand and product placement. We work with companies of all shapes and sizes and budgets of any capacity. It's what we do and more importantly it's what we love to do. The great thing is that TRG Northeast has the backbone of TRG supporting its launch along with my 20 years of experience in the industry including relationships and contacts and did I tell you my boss, Tyler is really cute? So not so important but it helps!

I'm laughing out loud loving my job right now!!

Business is a Circus. TRG is your Ringmaster.

Tyler sent me an image today for TRG that had been done awhile ago and although I didn't think it was very good or that it even came close to representing TRG and the value it brings to its clients in brand development and positioning it sparked something in me that has pushed me off tracks for the entire day.

On my agenda today was writing one proposal, two press releases, the creation of two new facebook pages and also when I can find time, finalizing the logistics for the local home run derby benefiting breast cancer research happening this Sunday. Then Tyler emailed me the old file of a graphic that he wanted to know if I "likey". Ok so I'm in new waters with a new company and never really have known how to tread lightly. My gut said how awful rudimentary, elementary and saying nothing of the mad skill that TRG possesses in its team or capabilities. I kept looking at the damn bear and then literally fireworks went off. "we wrestle bears" kept spinning in my mind, what does that mean, who wrestles bears, who would want to wrestle bears and then it all came flooding in an instant. Business is a Circus. TRG is your Ringmaster.

Circus Bears, Ringmasters, girls in short tutus walking tightropes, Clowns trying to close the deal and make everyone happy, Angry mobs trying to push their way into a sold out circus, vendors wanting to sell their wares to the audience, live music trying to be heard above the roar of the crowds...don't you see - Business is a Circus. TRG is your Ringmaster.

Tyler and Jen are here to keep everyone on track and in focus. We're fun we like to have a good time and think out of the box - hey we live out of the box, and in fact quoting my brother we don't even know where the box is anymore. Still when building a business and bringing a circus to town you need to stay focused and make sure you keep the train on the tracks even when it becomes a wild ride and you are speeding down the mountain at a 100 miles an hour and the twist and turns are making you queasy and shrilling with excitement you need the conductor, ringmaster there to make sure you stay on the tracks and everyone gets their tickets worth at the circus.

Ok so I'm a little zany and full of wild ideas. But when you are trying to build your brand and position it effectively in an already crowded market who is going to make you stand out? The guy in the three piece suit or the zany marketing girl who thinks out of the box and has a history of getting things done?

Is anyone really doing business in the boardroom anymore?

Is anyone really doing business in the boardroom?


I'm only asking because it seems for the past ten years I have been able to juggle a family, work from home, and vacation and get things done. I work this way so I can spend a lot of time with my children and have the benefit of being home to get things done in between all the day to day business grind. My last "real" job in technology had office space and conference rooms but we spent most of our time on the road or talking with co-workers/bosses in breakfast or lunch meetings. A lot of the time we would go grab a coffee to discuss the really important things.

So now that I've been back in the swing of corporate America for a whole whopping three weeks, I'm finding it refreshing at how much I get done working from home. A week ago I was away on a lake in New Hampshire without wifi and was able to get a proposal out via my smart phone and keep in touch with contacts and boss via facebook on my blackberry. Believe me it was not ideal but we were able to make things happen. Home now I am finding myself at my computer more than I was working in an office on Congress Street in Portsmouth but still able to balance my time with the girls and making sure Aaron has rides to where he needs.

So what about the rest of you? Are you chained to an office or a desk from 9-5? Do you have flexibility in your schedule? Are you happy? What if we are more productive making our own schedules and with the invention of the Internet and Wifi we are able to be virtually anywhere at anytime and be in communication in an instant. I LOVE it, most people think its horrible. So here I am typing a blog for TRG - northeast at 12:30 in the morning while the parent company is in bed in South Carolina and feeling thankful that I can be with my girls just a little bit longer as they grow up.

Tyler and I worked together on a project today (Sunday) remotely - he is down South and I'm up here in the North but we were able to make it happen. I described the shoot I needed down to the location and his wardrobe and also the basic gist of the script. He then made it happen. He produced the video down in South Carolina in a place that might be able to pass for New England, did the editing and voice overs from home and uploaded to You Tube. Seriously, could it be any cooler to do business?

Here's a glimpse of how we come up with our best creatives:


















Check out the rest of the company - TRG!