May 22, 2012

Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women Presentation

Share the goods.

This afternoon, I will be presenting to the Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women organization on Marketing on a Shoestring Budget.

This is one of my favorite topics to chat about, mostly because I truly believe it takes more time and energy than it does money to launch and maintain a successful marketing program. Marketing is every bit of contact your company has with anyone in the outside world. That means a lot of marketing opportunities. It does not mean investing a lot of money.

Don’t get me wrong, money still needs to be invested, and I recommend it is a percentage of your projected gross revenues. You, as a company, need to decide what percentage will be allocated to marketing.

Once you have decided your budget, and made the commitment to invest the necessary time and energy, you need to define the combination of marketing tools that are right for your business. These tools should expand your reach, all while keeping costs down. Utilize social media, public relations, networking and more.

Before you get started, it is important to – Research. Research. Research. You need to understand and define the below:

Your product or service.
What are your product or services benefits? How are they different than a competitors?
Market – become an expert.
Industry – spot vulnerabilities and opportunities.
Competition – know them, understand them, learn from them.
Customers – your customers and your competitors customers.
Prospects – identify and locate them.
Media – know the best ways to reach prospects.
Internet
Technology – how can this propel you to your goals?

Marketing is a process, and the next step is developing your strategy. This can be done in seven sentences.

The purpose of the marketing
How you’ll achieve this purpose
Your target market
Your niche and your position
The identity of your business
Your budget

Now, define the tools you will use to accomplish your marketing goals. *@*******gn.com“>Email us for our list of low-cost marketing ideas.

And remember, of all the steps in succeeding with marketing, maintaining it takes the most time. You spend a relatively brief time developing the plan and inaugurating it, but you spend the life of your business maintaining, monitoring and improving your strategy. At no point should you ever take anything for granted. At no point should you fall into the pit of self-satisfaction because your plan is working. Never forget that others, very smart and motivated competitors, are studying you and doing their utmost to surpass you in the marketing arena.

Sources: Guerilla Marketing, Jay Levinson

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Something on Your Mind?

A little rain didn’t slow @bodespeaks down.

Kim was in Washington, D.C., this past week for #AUSA2026 - three days where Army leaders, industry partners, and the defense community come together for innovation, insight, and connection.

We can’t wait to hear some of her takeaways. Stay tuned for more soon.

@ausaorg #DefenseIndustry #Leadership #AUSA

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A little rain didn’t slow @bodespeaks down.

Kim was in Washington, D.C., this past week for #AUSA2026 - three days where Army leaders, industry partners, and the defense community come together for innovation, insight, and connection.

We can’t wait to hear some of her takeaways. Stay tuned for more soon.

@ausaorg #DefenseIndustry #Leadership #AUSA

Who made all these rules anyway?

Don’t wear color. Don’t share your ideas. Don’t put yourself out there. Don’t talk about your family.

We’re told to follow them, but @bodespeaks says question every single one. Then uncover your big hairy audacious goal, throw out the rulebook, and build a personal brand that actually works for you.

Thank you to Aggie and Cristy for having Kim on the @badass_women_in_business Podcast and, well... for being total badasses.

Listen to the full episode in bio.

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We had some fun in the office this week and asked some of the 8THIRTYFOUR team what “square up” means.

Surprisingly, the Gen Z of the group got it, but one of our Gen X’s did not (not saying any names…)

How do you “square up”?

#trending #fyp #squareup #agencylife

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We had some fun in the office this week and asked some of the 8THIRTYFOUR team what “square up” means.

Surprisingly, the Gen Z of the group got it, but one of our Gen X’s did not (not saying any names…)

How do you “square up”?

#trending #fyp #squareup #agencylife

The 834 Learning Hub is where we throw fun shindigs, where cool people come to work, where Big Deal Energy gathers, and where we push you to get uncomfortable.

It’s not your typical event or coworking space - and we like it that way. The lighting, colors, wallpaper, layout, and yes, the dogs, are all very intentional.

If you need a spot to host your offsite team training, leadership quarterly, photo shoot (dogs can be included), or you just need a space to network or cowork - reach out.

We got the goods:
- A sweet sound system
- State-of-the-art digital whiteboard
- A really big T.V. Like it’s big.
- Your own private entrance
- Free parking
- A dog (or two) if you ask nicely

Drop us a line at hello@8thirtyfour.com or click the link in bio to rent the Hub today.

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The 834 Learning Hub is where we throw fun shindigs, where cool people come to work, where Big Deal Energy gathers, and where we push you to get uncomfortable.

It’s not your typical event or coworking space - and we like it that way. The lighting, colors, wallpaper, layout, and yes, the dogs, are all very intentional.

If you need a spot to host your offsite team training, leadership quarterly, photo shoot (dogs can be included), or you just need a space to network or cowork - reach out.

We got the goods:
- A sweet sound system
- State-of-the-art digital whiteboard
- A really big T.V. Like it’s big.
- Your own private entrance
- Free parking
- A dog (or two) if you ask nicely

Drop us a line at hello@8thirtyfour.com or click the link in bio to rent the Hub today.

We love Dr. Karen May’s mission.

What if we taught our daughters AND our sons about women’s health, hormones, and pregnancy? Not as a whispered “talk” or a one-time awkward conversation. Just normal dinner-table stuff.

The girls deserve to know what’s coming (perimenopause shouldn’t be a surprise party nobody wanted). And the boys? They’ll be partners, dads, coworkers, and bosses to women going through all of it.

Thank you, Dr. May, for sharing your best practices to keep the women’s health conversation going at our Uncomfortable Conversations | The Pause event.

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We love Dr. Karen May’s mission.

What if we taught our daughters AND our sons about women’s health, hormones, and pregnancy? Not as a whispered “talk” or a one-time awkward conversation. Just normal dinner-table stuff.

The girls deserve to know what’s coming (perimenopause shouldn’t be a surprise party nobody wanted). And the boys? They’ll be partners, dads, coworkers, and bosses to women going through all of it.

Thank you, Dr. May, for sharing your best practices to keep the women’s health conversation going at our Uncomfortable Conversations | The Pause event.

Showing up to an interview with an iced coffee? Not the move… unless it’s for @bodespeaks

#icedcoffee #agency #PR #trending #grandrapids

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