Jason Rose, president and founder of PR firm Rose+Moser+Allyn

You may have heard Jason Rose’s name in the press recently — and with good reason.

He’s now representing Amy and Samy Bouzaglo from Amy’s Baking Company. Yes, that Amy’s Baking Company.

As founder and president of public relations firm Rose+Moser+Allyn, Jason Rose is no stranger to controversy.

In fact, his firm has been behind some of the most talked about publicity stunts in Arizona. (E.g., attempting to name the Cardinals stadium the Pink Taco Stadium.)

Before the whole Amy’s Baking Company debacle, we interviewed Jason Rose for our guerrilla marketing ebook to get his advice on what to do when a marketing tactic starts going south.

You can check out his expert tips for dealing with negative press below and score 10 guerrilla marketing tactics for small business owners in our latest (free!) ebook while you’re at it!

All Press Isn’t Good Press

So you came up with what you thought was an amazing guerrilla marketing idea and things didn’t go quite as planned? Don’t worry, we spoke with local PR genius and guerrilla marketing expert, Jason Rose, about his advice for what to do when guerrilla marketing goes wrong and how you can help make sure your campaign is a success.

Check out what he had to say below:

Scott’s Local Business Corner: Jason, you’re founder and president of local PR firm Rose+Moser+Allyn. Can you start by telling us a little about it?

Jason Rose: Started in 1996, we have represented some 450 clients focusing on public relations, public affairs (getting government to do something – or not), elections, crisis communications, and lately, events. Indeed, it was a real privilege in 2012 to help lead marketing efforts for Garth Brooks, Bob and Renee Parsons, and the largest single-day polo event in the United States this year – the Scottsdale Polo Championships: Horses & Horsepower. We have a particular reputation for creativity and aggressiveness.

SLBC: You’ve created a lot of guerrilla marketing campaigns for your clients. Can you offer any advice on what a company can do if a campaign goes wrong?

Jason: Apologize and move on. The public is forgiving. You just have to have the courage to say you were wrong.

SLBC: Should a company try another guerrilla marketing tactic if their first attempt isn’t well received?

Jason: Of course! Public relations is a lot like being a starting pitcher in baseball. Success occurs when you win more than you lose but you won’t even be in the game if you don’t take the mound. It’s the same in public relations. Not every execution will be a home run. You just can’t be scared of striking out.

SLBC: Are there any guidelines a company should follow when deciding if a guerrilla marketing campaign is right for them?

Jason: We never like to pull plans off the shelf, so no. What may work for someone may not be right for someone else. Clients deserve customization. And while some ideas may be used more than once (unless two companies are Siamese twins) approach and deployment should be different.

SLBC: What are some of the guerrilla marketing campaigns you’ve run in the past?

Jason: The Stingray Sushi political campaign signs have received a lot of attention. Those started during the 2010 elections and were also used in the Phoenix mayor’s race in 2011, and most recently, they were used to highlight President Obama and Governor Romney. Not everyone liked them, but rare is anything one does. And in this case, the client used innovation and free speech rights to garner valued attention.

SLBC: Do you have a favorite guerrilla marketing campaign you can tell us about?

Jason: When Tempe Marketplace opened several years back, we commemorated by placing naked mannequins all over the Valley. That got media attention and a lot of water cooler discussion! But my favorite will likely always be when the Pink Taco restaurant opened at the Scottsdale Waterfront. The mayor of Scottsdale didn’t like the name so it got a lot of local and national attention. And then a big idea came along. The owner of the restaurant was very wealthy as he was the one who founded the Hard Rock Cafe. The restaurant offered many millions to name the then nameless Arizona Cardinals Stadium Pink Taco Stadium. The response was extraordinary.

SLBC: What can a small business do to help ensure their campaign will be a success?

Jason: Hire us. All kidding aside, budget drives strategy. Even a little budget can help pour lighter fluid on an idea. It’s all about concept and execution — otherwise you are just talking without speaking.

There You Have It!

Thanks to Jason for sharing his guerrilla marketing advice with us on how small businesses can rebound from bad press. It will be very interesting to see whether or not he’s able to help Amy’s Baking Company do the same, especially with the overwhelmingly negative press they’ve been receiving from all angles: television, blogging, social media, word of mouth, (we could go on…).

Either way, at least you’re armed with some great tips… and a free ebook — sounds like win-win to us!

What do you think of the guerrilla marketing advice shared by Jason Rose?

Related articles

• Marketing – Top three guerrilla marketing techniques for start-ups
• How My Marketing Failures Taught Me to Succeed
• New Report: Small Business Owners Optimistic About 2013
• New Online Shopping Study Proves Women Wear the Pants
• The 3 Biggest Mistakes Small Business Owners Make with Their Signage

We know a secret, na-na-na-na-na-nah! (Disclaimer: We will not be held liable for any unpleasant playground flashbacks that statement may have caused.)

Okay. Fine. We won’t taunt you about this secret any longer. It’s not nearly as fun as we thought it would be and we actually really want to share it with you.

Why? Because this is one of Google’s secrets and it’s a surprisingly simple way of testing websites for effectiveness.

What happens if your website isn’t effective, you ask? Well, it’s not going to get results.

And unless you’re some kind of Encino Man, you’re already well aware that results lead to more customers, profit, and exposure.

Sound good? Check out Google’s website test below to get started.

So Easy a Caveman Can Do It

Caveman jokes make caveman angry!

So what do you have to do? Well, I learned this secret from Neville Medhora while watching his course about copywriting (Kopywriting Kourse).

Neville says he has a friend “really high up at Google,” (oh, you fancy, huh?) and this, he said, is how they test their web pages:

1. They set their laptop on a table.
2. They take 10 steps back.
3. If they can’t tell what to do within ONE second, they have failed.

Welp, there it is. A website test so mind-blowingly easy that, yes, even a caveman can do it.

If your website didn’t quite pass the test, don’t panic. We have three great tips for you below (including one more secret from Google) that’ll have you passing with flying colors next time around!

Tip 1: Let Your Inner Dominatrix Out

How can your website be effective if you don’t make it clear what your desired call to action is?

If you want your web visitors to take some kind of action when they’re on your site, you’re going to have to tell them exactly what you want them to do. And they’re going to like it.

So put on your best black leather thong (okay, that part is optional) and dominate your web visitors hard with a clear call to action on every page of your website.

Examples of calls to action include:

• Call us today
• Buy now
• Request a quote
• Learn more
• Click for details
• Download now
• Join today
• Start your free trial

Tip 2: Make Some BIG F*cking Buttons

Thanks to Neville and his inability to keep things on the DL, we also learned another one of Google’s secrets from his copywriting course.

He said that the way Google makes their calls to action clear to web visitors immediately is by using big f*cking buttons or BFBs for short.

Really?

Could getting your web visitors to convert into paying customers seriously be as simple as using BFBs?

Sold!

Since we can’t all be super successful small business owners who also happen to specialize in designing and programming BFBs, hiring a professional to do this for you is probably going to be a necessary, yet smart, investment.

If you’re reluctant to fork over the cash, keep in mind that if your BFBs do their job, you’ll end up making up whatever it cost for you to get them on your website because your conversion rates will have increased and you’ll have gotten more customers.

Think about it this way: All those big-f*cking-button-pressing customers will be unknowingly paying for your big f*cking buttons. Genius!

Tip 3: Clean Up Your Dirty, Dirty Site

In certain situations, being dirty can be a good thing. Amiright?

But a dirty, cluttered, hard-to-navigate website? Nope, doesn’t work here.

With a few simple changes, Neville says, you can clean up your website’s content by making it more visually appealing and easier to read, while helping your marketing message become more apparent overall.

Here’s how you do it:

• Keep paragraphs to 3-4 sentences max
• Use headings and subheadings to keep your reader engaged
• Add italics and/or bold where possible to add emphasis and draw attention to important words and statements
• Use bulleted or numbered lists to highlight important facts/benefits/features

See? It doesn’t have to take piles of money or tons of high-tech resources to improve your website! We hope Google’s secrets make you realize that even small changes to your site can make a significant difference in the amount of web visitors you’re able to convert into regular, paying customers.

Will you try Google’s secrets for improving your website?

Like this blog post? Subscribe to Scott’s Local Business Corner to receive local business marketing advice right to your inbox.

Related articles

• Lights, Camera, Action: Video Marketing for Beginners
• Direct Mail Marketing: Get Your Goods in Their Mailbox
• Bow Down, Bitches: How Local Businesses Can Beat Big-Box Stores
• Are Bloggers Your Secret Online Marketing Weapon?
• Join the Ultimate Local Business Directory

It can be exhausting thinking about all the different ways to market to your customers. But, there’s no way to know for certain which techniques will work best with your target audience until you experiment.

With your goods.

Yes, we are telling you to experiment with your goods by putting them in your target audience’s mailboxes (and hopefully, right in front of their faces) but only because this marketing technique gets results.

To be clear, we’re talking about direct mail marketing and if you’ve been avoiding it, this might make you think again: According to a study conducted by Target Marketing, direct mail had the highest return of investment (ROI) for customer acquisition.

Check out these stats:

For customer acquisition, direct mail (34%) topped email (25%), search engine marketing (10%), and affiliate marketing (8%), with 23% of respondents citing a variety of other channels.”

Pretty impressive, right? Keep reading for some great tips on how you can use mailings to get more customers this year.

Get Up Close and Personal

Getting up close and personal with your target audience is possible – and you don’t even have to buy them a drink first. Tom Foti, manager of Direct Mail and Periodicals for the U.S. Postal Service via Fox Small Business, says, “Direct mail creates a one-on-one connection that’s hard for other media channels to match.”

Tom went on to note that the average household receives no more than two pieces of direct mail per day, in comparison with 150 email ads per day. Sounds like pretty great odds to us!

Plus, you can incorporate “response mechanisms,” Tom adds, like coupons, reply cards, QR codes, and URLs in your mailing to help increase your chances for conversion.

Score with Direct Mail

If you’re going to make the investment to try this technique out, put in the time needed to make sure it’s successful. Here are some great tips below courtesy of Corte Swearingen for Complete pURL that’ll help you score with direct mail marketing every time.

1. Have a compelling offer. What exactly is your call to action? Make it clear to your customer what it is you want them to do and make sure your offer is persuasive. For example:

• Free product trial
• Discount on product or service for a limited time
• Free consultation
• Free report for download at your website

Make sure you capture contact information so you can add it to your database. On your website, this can be as simple as having them fill out a contact form before redeeming the offer.

2. Track your results. If you can’t track it, don’t do it. Make sure your mailing contains a way to track whether the customer took action. If you don’t do this, you will never know if it had an impact.

Here are three suggestions for tracking your mailings:

• Mail a postcard that contains a promo code that must be brought into your retail store.
• If your business is web based, use a unique promotion code that must be entered at your website when redeeming the offer.
• If you are referring people back to your website, send them to a special page your regular web visitors can’t access.

Remember, the more you can track and measure, the more you can adjust in order to create a more effective mailing the next time.

Get Started

Ready to create your first mailing? The USPS has a great option for small business owners called the Every Door Direct Mail program. For less than 15 cents a piece, you’ll be able to send fliers, menus, brochures, and advertisements to consumers.

The USPS site explains, “You can map out a target area, select a delivery route and mailing drop off date, and pay online — all from your computer. And, you can create your mailings up to 30 days before you plan to mail them.”

The site provides a link to find local printers in your area and you can also sign up to receive a kit filled with information on this cost-effective program.

Will you try direct mail marketing for your small business?

Like this blog post? Subscribe to Scott’s Local Business Corner to receive local business marketing advice right to your inbox.

Related articles

• Direct Mail Marketing – Small Business Advice
• 3 Reasons To Implement a Direct Mail Campaign Today
• Here’s What’s In A Great Marketing Tool Box…

A sneak peak at Scott’s Marketplace

Looking for a local business directory? Scott’s Marketplace, a soon-to-launch online marketplace for local business owners, is all that – and more. By joining, you’ll not only have a greater chance at being found online, you’ll get a fully functional ecommerce website where you can sell your products.

Yep, we know. It sounds too good to be true. But be assured, it’s not. Scott’s Marketplace is the vision of founder Scott Curry, a local business owner himself.

It was Scott’s experience as a small business owner that made him realize just how large of a gap there is in the online sales market. Yes, consumers can currently shop online, but often only at big-box stores and corporate chain retailers. (We know… yuck, right?)

Enter Scott’s Marketplace: A fun-to-shop website where only local business owners can sell their products and get the tools they need to become even more successful online.

Scott believes strongly that local business owners shouldn’t have to go it alone. He says, “I wanted Scott’s Marketplace to be a united front for local business owners. A place where they can connect and learn from each other while easily being able to reach the online consumer who loves to shop local.”

The Non-Directory Directory

Okay, so Scott’s Marketplace isn’t exactly a local business directory by definition. But, when you sign up for the site, you’ll still get the same benefits, plus a whole lot of extras, including:

• Sell your products or services in your own customized web store
• Receive promotion for your online store via Scott’s Marketplace’s online advertising, social media sites and blog
• Increase your chances for being found online through search
• Gain more exposure for your local business
• Access free resources to help you succeed (How-to articles, e-books, guides, and much more.)
• Connect your web store to your social media accounts for easy social sharing

Do You Really Need to Sell Your Products Online?

You may be wondering if selling your products online is really all that important. Can’t you be successful simply by getting your products in local stores and/or selling at local festivals and shows?

You certainly can, but why limit your success when Scott’s Marketplace will allow you to bring your products to the online consumer? Even if you have a brick-and-mortar location, with Scott’s Marketplace, you’ll have an online shop that never closes.

According to Statistic Brain, the total online U.S. sales for 2012 were $50,270,000,000. Do you really want to miss out on profit and exposure because customers aren’t able to buy your products online?

The top reasons consumers choose to shop online are listed below, courtesy of Statistic Brain:

• 73% of consumers shop online to save time
• 59% of consumers shop online because it’s easier to compare prices
•  58% of consumers shop online because they don’t have to deal with crowds
• 40% of consumers shop online to spend less on gas money

Your customers are online — why aren’t you?

Why Join the Launch List?

Scott’s Marketplace will be launching soon and those on the launch list will be the first to know when the site is up and running. But more than that, the first 500 local business owners who sign up for Scott’s Marketplace will have their transaction fees waived for a whole year.

This means when someone purchases one of your products from the site, you won’t have to pay anything else on top of it (aside from the normal PayPal transaction fee, of course) for an entire year.

Scott’s Marketplace is currently still in beta, but local business owners who have tested the site have said some really great things about it. Check out what Tammy Fraser, one of the beta testers and owner of Gifts to Go, had to say about the site:

“Scott’s Marketplace is igniting those who value local communities throughout the country. The site makes it possible for us to stay in touch and continue to enjoy [local communities] while supporting those locales with our tax dollars and small business patronage. So happy to be a seller and a buyer on Scott’s Marketplace — it’s easy to use, keeps me connected, and makes the world a much smaller place in which to do business. Thank you, Scott’s Markeplace!”

Ready to Sign Up?

We promise selling your products on the site will be even easier – and more fun – than it sounds. A local ecommerce site may be a new concept, but Scott’s Marketplace believes in all it can do for the local business owner.

Let Scott’s Marketplace help you get the exposure, customers, and profit your local business deserves by getting on the launch list today.

Scott’s Marketplace: The friendly, local business directory that’s designed to take your business to new heights!

Join the Shop Local Movement Online

Scott’s Marketplace is working hard to spread the shop local message far and wide. Teaching consumers just how important it is for them to spend their dollars locally is a way for Scott’s Marketplace to help attract consumers to the site.

For a little shop local inspiration and to hear a message from Scott, watch the video below.

Will you join this newer, better version of a local business directory?

Like this blog post? Subscribe to Scott’s Local Business Corner to receive local business marketing advice right to your inbox.

Related articles

• No More No-Shows: Get People to Keep Appointments
• Event Marketing Tips: How to Rock Your Next Event
• 5 Ways to Combat Showrooming
• Bow Down, Bitches: How Local Businesses Can Beat Big-Box Stores
• Small Businesses: They Do a Body Good
• The Ultimate Cash Mob Guide: How to Promote on a Budget