Here’s a great infographic from MDG Advertising in Boca Raton, Florida:  How advertising and consumers have changed over the past year. Let’s discuss.

Infographic by MDG Advertising

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One of the most drastic changes is the number of dollars being spent on social media vs. TV and other traditional media. For an interesting take on this, see Business Insider’s article, The Death of Television.

At the Traveling Office we’ve seen two other big changes this past year: 1) The increase in company use of Social Media Managers to monitor consumer feedback and behavior and 2)  More “fans only” content—-unique content that is available only to fans or followers.

What’s this mean for your business?  Not every business is suited for every social media platform or even social media in general. But it may be time to readdress how your customers’ behaviors have changed over the past year.

We predict next year’s big change will be a sizable increase in mobile apps. Mobile devices have become affordable enough to become the standard rather than an upgrade. Business owners may want to either explore having mobile apps developed for their business, research available apps that can promote their business or, at the very least, optimize their existing websites to be more easily read on mobile devices.

 

Here’s what I often see on typical marketing material:

 

“We have the best customer service!”

 “Our product rocks!”

 “We’re number one!”

 “I’m a million-dollar sales producer!”

 “Me, me, me, it’s all about me!”

 

 

News Flash:  Your prospects don’t give a rip how fabulous you are.

 

There is one phrase you should always remember when communicating with your current and future customers.  It is:

 

“Your product or service is far less important than its ability to fulfill your customers’ needs.”

 

Or, to put it more simply:

 

“What’s in it for them?  What’s in it for them?  What’s in it for them?”

 

Too often, we get caught up in trying to promote our credibility.  Here’s the fastest way to being credible:  Offer an awesome product with great service and get OTHER people talking about how fabulous you are.

 

One of the best examples I’ve seen of this in a while is the website of www.georgekao.com.

 

When you go to his site, here’s what you’ll see:

 

1)    What he does and the benefits he provides his clients

2)    Why he believes you should work with him, and (more importantly)

3)    Dozens of testimonials of what his clients have gained from working with him.

 

It’s okay to share with prospects why they should do business with you.  Just remember:

 

Show the benefits they’ll receive, not the success you’ve achieved.

 

Visit us at:  http://www.TheTravelingOffice.com