Atlanta, GA, May 3, 2013 – Lori Tilt, owner of Tilt Marketing, is presenting two educational sessions on marketing at The Cutting Edge: 2013 – Remodeling Education Expo on May 14, 2013. The Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is hosting the Expo at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA.

The day-long event runs from 7 am to 6 pm and offers a full day of CEU courses, interactive roundtable discussions, an exhibit hall featuring innovative products and processes, a networking lunch featuring roundtable discussions and a happy hour mixer. The Expo will bring together leaders in the building industry for a day of education, innovation and collaboration. Registration is $75 for NARI members and $110 for non members.

The event features over 20 informative and interesting educational sessions that provide up to 6 credit hours of Continuing Education Units (CEU) that meet Georgia Residential Contractor Licensing Requirements and NARI Certification requirements. Architects and designers may earn up to 5 AIA-HSW CEU hours. The Expo will also bring together members of related industry associations including the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Building a Solid Foundation for Your Marketing Success (Marketing Basics):    

Tilt is presenting an educational session titled Building a Solid Foundation for Your Marketing Success. Attendees will learn about marketing basics and the importance of creating a solid marketing foundation to grow their business. Tilt will explain the importance of setting SMART goals and discuss the basics owners need to cover before moving on to more advanced strategies. Tilt will review ways to effectively stay in touch with past, present and future clients. She will review the the best ways to generate leads and jobs. This session will cover traditional marketing activities and also provide an overview of online basics to give attendees a handy checklist to create their OWN personalized marketing plan.

Effectively Positioning Your Brand in an Online World (Advanced Marketing):

Tilt is also moderating a panel discussion titled Effectively Positioning Your Brand in an Online World. Attendees will learn about advanced online marketing strategies from top industry experts. Panel members include: Adam Japko, President of Network Communications, Inc.’s (NCI) Digital Sherpa social media management business and Jason Montoya, Founder and CEO of Noodlehead Marketing.

Japko and Montoya will review online opportunities to promote business and reinforce a company’s brand. This session is designed for business owners who feel overwhelmed with the world of online opportunities and for attendees who are ready to take their online presence to the next level. Attendees will learn about the benefits of blogging, discover strategies to leverage social media and learn about the importance of local search and the optimization of their website. The panel members will discuss how to use online rating sources to generate more jobs and discuss the pros and cons of online advertising. The panel will also reserve time to answer audience questions

About NARI Atlanta: 

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is the homeowner’s source for trusted remodeling professionals. NARI members are the best quality contractors, design-build firms, suppliers and other related professionals in the Greater Atlanta area. NARI Atlanta is a not-for-profit trade association committed exclusively to the service of the professional remodeling industry. Representing professional remodeling contractors, product manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, trade and consumer publications, utilities and lending institutions, NARI stands as the spokesgroup of the industry and an ally to the nation’s homeowners.  

About Tilt Marketing: 

Tilt Marketing was established in 2001. The firm’s owner, Lori Reed Tilt, has over 25 years of marketing experience. Tilt Marketing assists clients in both the commercial and residential design industries. The firm’s clients include commercial developers, architects, interior designers, engineers, construction consultants, residential remodeling firms and luxury product lines. Tilt Marketing specializes in strategic planning, business development, public relations, marketing materials and social media campaigns. Tilt is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). As a representative of long-term client Speedheat U.S., Tilt is also active with the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) and the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). Tilt holds a degree in public relations from the University of Georgia.

Then I started thinking about WORK, and how fortunate I am to actually LOVE what I do. Even in my free time, I am thinking about MARKETING and how to do things better. Sometimes, I even DREAM about it, and come up with some interesting solutions in my sleep. It is literally ALWAYS on my mind.

To me, marketing offers the perfect mix of creativity balanced with strategic planning to make it successful. In my experience, marketing is as much of an art as a science, and I enjoy the thrill of seeing a client achieve their objectives when we do something a little unique or unexpected. I  also love the challenge of helping businesses working on tight budgets achieve their goals. To me, the success is sweeter, because the obstacles are greater.

My Valentine’s wish for all of my followers and friends is for you to enjoy as much LOVE as possible in your life. You can love your work, kids, spouse, family, pets, neighbors, friends, church, hobbies, travel, etc. No matter what you love, make sure you take time to enjoy it, not only in February, but all year round!

SMART Goals + Right Activity Mix + Accountability = Marketing Success

Over the years, I have reviewed many marketing plans (as well as many business plans with an emphasis on marketing). While these plans may look good on paper, they often fail to achieve the desired results over time. Why?

The three most common problems I have seen are:

1) Unrealistic Projections for Generation of Income or Revenue – The plans seriously underestimate how long it will take to generate sales or penetrate the market. This has been especially true during the Great Recession, when all the old business rules seemed to change.

2) Lack of Specific Activities that Should Drive Desired Sales – For most businesses, it takes more than an attractive website and a good SEO plan to enter or stay in the marketplace. Are you planning to advertise or use an aggressive public relations campaign? What materials will your sales force or customer service team use? How are you training your sales team or customer service representatives? How do you specifically plan to enhance relationships with your current clients, new prospects and also stay in touch with former clients or customers?

3) No Serious Accountability for the Overall Plan – Even if goals are specified, if no one is making sure they get accomplished, the wheels will fall off the bus. In my experience, it takes a commitment from TOP management to make things happen and keep things on track.

So, how do you avoid making these common mistakes?

1) Set SMART Marketing Goals to Achieve Success

SMART stands for…

• Specific – The objective states a specific goal, to increase sales or market share by a specific amount, not to just make more money or increase market share.

• Measurable – The goals must be measurable in terms of dollars, percentage of market share or some other measurement criteria.

• Achievable – The goal is do-able based on the company’s actual skills, talents, resources and availability to capital (if needed to expand and meet the goal).

• Realistic – While this sounds similar to achievable, it is different. Even though a goal may meet the other objectives, it may take too much effort, time or overall resources from the team or owners to make it a truly viable goal.

• Time Bound – The goals need specific deadlines, such as a quarterly, six month or annual time frames.

Example of a Non SMART goal:

I want to grow my business.

Example of a SMART goal:

I want to increase my revenue by 10% in 2013. My goal is to add two new retainer clients and bill an average of 30 hours per week, leaving up to 10 hours per week for non-billable activities. To attract and retain business, as well as stay in touch with former clients, I will do the following:  add new contacts to my database and connect with them via social media,  stay in touch with my existing network via social media with weekly or more frequent updates, attend a minimum of two networking events a month, blog once a month, send out two mailing campaigns per year, send out a minimum of two email campaigns per year, deliver Halloween presents to clients and prospects and send holiday gifts to all retainer clients.  

Perhaps a more generic example of a personal goal might help as well…

Example of a Non SMART goal (personal example, not a business goal):

I want to lose weight.

Example of a SMART goal (personal example, not a business goal):

I want to lose 2 pounds in the next 4 weeks. (One pound is equal to 3,500 calories, so I need to burn an extra 7,000 calories over what I consume to lose 2 pounds.) To do this, I will work out a minimum of 30 minutes 5 times a week (burning approximately 210 calories per session: 210 x 5 = 1,050 per week x 4 weeks = 4,200 calories), and I will reduce my normal caloric intake by 100 calories a day (100 x 7 = 700 per week x 4 weeks = 2,800).

2) Select the Right Mix of Activities to Achieve Your Goals

In developing your plan, you also need to select the right mix of actives and tasks to achieve the desired results. Marketing is as much of an art as a science in my opinion. With great execution, even the most basic plan can achieve stellar results. However, a great plan, with poor execution, limited creativity and lack of enthusiasm from team members can fall flat. (I outlined the mix of activities I actually use in my business in the example above, and I will write more about this topic in the future.)

3) Make Sure Action Items Are Completed On Time 

Also, companies that have the greatest success don’t just write a great marketing plan with SMART goals and put it on the shelf. It is critical to layer the action items onto a daily or weekly planning calendar and review them regularly to make sure you stay on track. I suggest meeting weekly or every other week (at a minimum)  to review goals and make sure you are getting everything done on time.

Even if you set SMART goals, sometimes the plan doesn’t work as planned. When this happens, it is important to review the goals (based on economic and competitive pressures) and discuss trying new tasks to achieve the objectives. If you are gaining more traction in one area than another, evaluate allocating more time and resources to what seems to be working, but also be sure to evaluate and ask “why” for future planning purposes.

If you found this article helpful, please check out my other blog postings and be sure to come back often because I add new content frequently. Thank you!!!

In years past, I made a donation to a charity in honor of all clients (Toys for Tots, for example) or in the name of one particular client (Habitat for Humanity, for example).

This year, I decided to start a new program called “Give Thanks & Give Back” where my kids and I selected a toy to represent each client that we are donating to a local charity. For example, we selected a toy camera to represent Creative Sources Photography, and building blocks for Urban Design Group, an architectural firm.

We sent each client a picture of their special toy and explained why we selected it to represent them. We plan to do this each year as a fun and memorable way of saying thank you while also giving back in our local community.

In addition to donating toys, we send gifts to our retainer clients. For offices with several employees, I recommend sending in a gift that can be shared, such as a big tin or box of premium cookies or a gift basket of coffee, tea, cocoa and treats. Personally, I love the Delacre Prestige collection because the chocolate biscuits are delicious.  Optionally, the beautiful packaging on Elsa’s Story homestyle cookies is simply exquisite.

For smaller businesses (or for the actual business owners), you might want to consider a gift card for each key contact, a book they would enjoy, a donation to their favorite charity or a more personalized gift. Amazon.com is a great source for ideas, especially for more personalized options. Occasionally, I order gift baskets from Harry & David, which offers some wonderful assortments of treats and also offers more healthful options, such as organic fruit. For meat lovers, a gift box from Omaha Steaks makes a memorable impression, but not if you send it to a vegetarian client!  The trick is knowing what your clients like. When in doubt, go with a more generic gift!

Holiday cards are also a nice touch! With so many people sending electronic cards these days, “snail mail” really stands out more than ever. I love Vistaprint.com to create my own personalized cards, and I generally use a generic Happy Holiday or Season’s Greetings for the printed portion and personalize with a handwritten “Merry Christmas” for my Christian clients. My goal is to say thank you and wish people a happy holiday season, but not manage to offend anyone in the process.

Lastly, Santa starts with a list, and you should too! Make a list of your clients and come up with a gift for each. If you are sending holiday cards, make sure all your addresses are current. Starting early is best, but even if you just started the process in early December, you still have time to get everything done by mid month with some quick planning and smart gift selections!

Your smile is like a sparkle, keep glittering!

My boyfriend was in a waiting room recently, and a lady walked in with a large, clear bag filled with many colorful boxes. Being inquisitive by nature, he asked what the lady had in her bag.

She explained that her nickname is The Box Lady, and that years ago she started making origami boxes from greeting cards and putting a little positive message inside (like a fortune cookie) and giving them to people. She said folks reacted so positively, that she continued to do it, and has met all kinds of interesting people as a result.

The Box Lady gave my boyfriend a box, and she also gave him one for his son, and one for me. Later, he and I talked about how wonderful her simple act of random kindness was to us, and how much we appreciated her thoughtful gesture.

My boyfriend even unassembled his box in front of me, to show the care she took in making a perfect square (with the image from the card centered attractively on the top of the box) and the marks she made on the template to make sure she folded the box perfectly. (He carefully put it back together.) Each box is a small, perfect work of art with one of her 23 positive and inspirational notes inside.

I called to thank her, and she left me a wonderful message in return. She offered to teach me how to make the boxes. She explained,

“I make them just to spread kindness, and I get much more than I give, and it really helps some people. It is a joy to do.”

My box is beautiful, and I have it perched on the upper shelf of my desk as a reminder of how meaningful and significant a random act of kindness can be to someone. My goal is to find my own unique way to “pay it forward” and keep The Box Lady’s positive energy moving in the right direction. I hope that you will join me too!

While it is very common for businesses to hire accountants and attorneys, some business owners are reluctant to bring in marketing assistance. However, a skilled marketing consultant can bring great value to your team and often dramatically improve your marketing results.

Many companies would benefit from an experienced marketing director to help them develop their overall strategy and accomplish key projects, but most small companies simply can not afford to hire a senior level, full-time marketing executive. In these situations, a marketing consultant can often serve as an affordable alternative and bring much needed skills to the table.

Here are several reasons to consider adding a consultant to your team:

Add “Seniority” Without Adding Staff:

A marketing consultant can allow you to affordably add a senior business development or marketing executive to your team on an “as needed” basis. They can also mentor and train junior employees to boost productivity.

Gain Specialized Marketing Expertise:

If you need to address specific marketing issues on a project-by-project basis, a marketing consultant is a great resource. For example, a consultant can help develop a corporate identity package or develop a direct marketing campaign.

Overcome a Personnel Shortage:

A marketing consultant can provide you with qualified, temporary assistance to get you through a crunch. Also, there are no costly employee benefits or taxes to pay.

Get Relief from Deadline Pressures:

When multiple priorities come crashing in all at once, a marketing consultant can help you meet your deadlines without compromising quality.

Benefit from an Outsider’s Perspective:

A marketing consultant can offer you unbiased recommendations and provide you with a second opinion to help you make informed business decisions.

Make the Most of Your Time:

Think about the marketing activity you enjoy the least. Now, think about handing that activity off to a qualified consultant. With a good marketing consultant in your corner, you can get more done and make the most of your valuable time

Tips for Selecting a Good Fit for Your Business:

In selecting a consultant, it is important to identify your goals and find someone to work with you as a ‘partner’ in the process. You should feel comfortable exchanging ideas and brainstorming with them.

To avoid surprises, it is important to clearly define the work to be accomplished and the corresponding compensation up front. Many consultants also work with a team of other resources and can help pull in the right specialists on an as-needed basis. Therefore, it is a good idea to search for someone who is well-connected and highly resourceful.

To find a consultant that matches your needs, start by asking locally and/or within industry-related groups for referrals and screen them thoroughly. Check out their website and social media pages. Google their name and the company name to cross check their reputation. I’ve heard horror stories about consultants promising to fix every problem under the sun especially when it comes to online marketing. There is no silver bullet or magic marketing pill, so do a little homework and use common sense before you shell over a large retainer. (I will now step down from my soap box.)

By adding a quality marketing consultant to your team, your business is one step closer to reaching its goals. When you improve your marketing, you will achieve better results. Here’s to your future success!

If you found this article helpful, please check out my other blog postings and be sure to come back often because I add new content frequently. Thank you!!!

Atlanta, GA, April 30, 2012 – Tilt Marketing was selected by NEU Homes to help launch their new business venture. NEU Homes offers a virtual one-stop shop for both prospective home buyers and current homeowners wanting to renovate properties. Tilt Marketing is providing NEU Homes with strategic planning assistance, input on collateral materials and public relations support services.

“Chris Norris has created a solid business plan for NEU Homes, and he has pulled together an incredible team of resources to assist home buyers and homeowners in renovating properties. I am excited to be a part of their team and have the opportunity to help introduce their unique one-step solution to the Atlanta market,” said Lori Reed Tilt, President of Tilt Marketing.

About NEU Homes:

The NEU Homes One-Step Solution brings together all the critical resources to help people buy, finance and renovate a home with the assistance of ONE dedicated project manager who handles ALL the details. The NEU Homes approach is a unique solution that brings together an array of professional resources and seamlessly manages the entire process at no additional cost to the home buyer or homeowner. NEU Homes is conducting classes to introduce this new concept on the first Thursday of every month starting on May 3. Additional classes are scheduled for June 7, July 5 and August 2. The classes are being hosted at the Harry Norman Realtors office located at 776 Whitlock Ave., Marietta, GA 30064. Online registration is suggested. Onsite registration begins at 5:30 pm, and the classes run from 6:00-7:00 pm and are followed a quick question and answer session. For more information and to register for a class, please visit http://www.neuhomes.biz/.

About Tilt Marketing:

Tilt Marketing was established in 2001. The firm’s owner, Lori Reed Tilt, has over 25 years of marketing experience. Tilt Marketing assists clients in commercial and residential design industries. The firm’s clients include commercial developers, architects, interior designers, engineers, construction consultants, residential remodeling firms and luxury product lines. Tilt Marketing specializes in strategic planning, business development, public relations, marketing materials and social media campaigns. Lori Tilt is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). As a representative of long-term client Speedheat U.S., Tilt is also active with the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), Women in NARI Networking (WINN) and the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). Tilt holds a degree in public relations from the University of Georgia. For more information, please visit http://www.tiltmarketing.com/.

Atlanta, GA, April 18, 2012 – Lori Tilt, owner of Tilt Marketing, is presenting an educational session on public relations at The Cutting Edge: 2012 – Remodeling Education Expo on May 8, 2012. The Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is hosting the Expo at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA. The day-long event runs from 7 am to 6 pm and features a full day of CEU course offerings, a keynote address by Sal Alfano (Editorial Director of Remodeling Magazine), an exhibit hall, networking lunch and a happy hour mixer. Registration is $75 for NARI members and $110 for non members.

The Expo features 18 innovative educational sessions to include 6 credit hours of Continuing Education Units (CEU) that meet Georgia Residential Contractor Licensing Requirements and NARI Certification requirements. The Expo will also bring together members of related industry associations including the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Build Your Business with Smart PR Strategies:

Lori Tilt is presenting an educational session titled Build Your Business with Smart PR Strategies. Attendees will learn how to write and submit their own news releases and pitch articles to specific publications. Tilt will review how to develop a media list and discuss the value of online distribution services. Tilt will explain how to leverage PR coverage by integrating it into an overall marketing program. Tilt will review how to “recycle” PR by using coverage in marketing materials, adding coverage to websites and blogs, incorporating coverage into advertising campaigns and leveraging coverage on social media channels such as facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Tilt will also be representing long-term client, Speedheat U.S., at their booth, before and after her presentation.

About NARI Atlanta: 

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is the homeowner’s resource for finding quality contractors, design-build firms, suppliers and other related professionals in the Greater Atlanta area. NARI Atlanta is a not-for-profit trade association committed exclusively to the service of the professional remodeling industry. Representing professional remodeling contractors, product manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, trade and consumer publications, utilities and lending institutions, NARI stands as the spokesgroup of the industry and an ally to the nation’s homeowners. 

About Tilt Marketing: 

Tilt Marketing was established in 2001. The firm’s owner, Lori Reed Tilt, has over 25 years of marketing experience. Tilt Marketing assists clients in commercial and residential design industries. The firm’s clients include commercial developers, architects, interior designers, engineers, construction consultants, residential remodeling firms and luxury product lines. Tilt Marketing specializes in strategic planning, business development, public relations, marketing materials and social media campaigns. Lori Tilt is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). As a representative of long-term client Speedheat U.S., Tilt is also active with the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), Women in NARI Networking (WINN) and the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). Tilt holds a degree in public relations from the University of Georgia.

There were over 400 booths, and we saw LOTS of great displays and creative promotions. However, many of the booths started to run together after walking down aisle after aisle.

Interestingly, some of the unique things that stood out the most were NOT expensive or elaborate; they were just very creative, highly entertaining and completely unexpected. Here are three examples:

• The ALLGOOD Pest Solutions booth featured a tarantula named Kendra that brave attendees could actually hold. (A great amatuer photo opportunity, as evidenced by my picture.) They also had hissing roaches in an aquarium, and an impressive collection of other preserved villainous pests and bugs on display.

• Party Til You Pop had a huge balloon display of yellow sunflowers in an orange pot to showcase their unique ability to make balloon sculptures. They were also giving away free balloon swords and free balloon flowers.

• The State Farm insurance booth was printing old-fashioned flip books (on the spot) featuring a brief video of the visitors posing with fun props. It was a clever way to draw traffic into the booth and engage people in a memorable way. They also had games and prizes.

Again, there are many aspects to successful trade show promotion including pre-event promotion, attracting and engaging traffic, collecting data, and especially following up to convert leads into real business. In highly competitive product and/or service categories, it is critically important to differentiate your company and stand out from the crowd to even get a shot at collecting data and qualifying your prospects!

So, next time you are planning your trade show strategy, avoid the typical pens, magnets and mints. Put your “thinking cap” on and focus on creating something entertaining, unusual and memorable to attract more potential clients and customers!

BTW, I do not receive any compensation  from the companies I mentioned. My kids and I voted and just felt these were the three most unique examples from the show.    

If you found this article helpful, please check out my other blog postings and be sure to come back often because I add new content frequently. Thank you!!!

Also, if you have made any of these common mistakes, don’t worry! With each posting, I will tell you how to quickly and inexpensively fix the problem.

Common Mistake #3 - Bad Headshot or No Professional Photo

Years ago, before social media was all the rage, many business people did not have a professional photo taken of themselves. Now, having a good looking headshot is vitally important to your online business presence. (Also, if you enjoy participating in social media from a personal perspective, many of these tips apply as well.)

On business-related social sites such as LinkedIn, please use the best quality, most current professional photo possible. I see people with no photo, old pictures, poor lighting, unprofessional attire and busy backgrounds. Think of LinkedIn as an online resume where you want to look your absolute best in terms of content AND in terms of having a professional-looking photo.

If you have a facebook page for your business, please post professional pictures here. (If you have a personal facebook page that your business and professional contacts also see, please try to keep your pictures looking reasonably good and don’t post anything you would be embarrassed to show your Grandmother.)

If you use a headshot on your website, in your collateral materials, along with your news releases and with the articles you submit for publication, (again) please use the best quality, most current professional photo possible.  

Ask around to find a good, reasonably priced photographer and make sure they will give you permission to use the images online. Occasionally, photographers run promotional packages on sites like Groupon where you can get a great package at a low price. I even noticed the photo studios in Target are offering professional headshot packages these days. 

Another way to make the cost reasonable (per person) is to see if you can get a group deal for your office, group of friends, or members of an association by lining up a photographer to do headshots for multiple people during the same session. If you are totally strapped for cash, have a friend with a decent digital camera help you get the best picture possible. And, please don’t forget to smile!

If you found this article helpful, please be sure to check out my entire series on Marketing Mistakes to Avoid and How to Fix Them and also read my series on Free Marketing Tools!