Marketing. Ahhhh, Marketing! A 4-letter-word to some; a wealth of ideas to others. No matter how you market and brand your business ventures, it comes down to this: We want customers, we want to remain in business for the long-term and we want to be paid for our time and talents.

The thing with marketing is that, at times, it can be a crap shoot. You try something in August and the customers flock to you in droves. You try something else in February and it stinks like last week's garbage. Don't let the latter get you down; indeed, take the "stinky garbage" attempts and turn them into learning experiences. Do the research, check your numbers and figure out what went wrong. Whatever you do, don't think of these attempts as failures--they're not!

One of the successes in my marketing and branding arsenal is the landing or sales page. Now, it must be said that I fully despise the "typical" sales page--you know, the ones with "Dear Friend" and today's date at the top. Or the one ones with lots of big red bullets and arrows and testimonials in table format in a yellow background. I'm not you're friend and I don't read those testimonials. The typical landing page does not appeal to me …

What does appeal to me is letting my personality and aggressiveness shine through. I want visitors to my blog and websites to immediately think to themselves, "I must talk with this person." One of the ways I've accomplished this all important goal is with Lori's version of the sales page. Read on for more …

Guppy or a Shark? You Decide …

I categorize business owners in one of two ways: Guppies or Sharks. The former let the world pass them by and show no aggression; the latter are in business for the long-term and do not allow anything or anyone to stand in their way. The result of this categorization may be viewed on this landing page, http://www.GuppyOrShark.com.

Another thing I do to drive home the Guppy/Shark marketing and branding is to address my blog readers as either Sharks or Guppies. And it must be said I adore when folks contact me and tell me, "I want to achieve Sharkdom!" or "I'm a Guppy … help me change!" or "I'm a Shark and I want to work with you." This landing page is simple and yet to the point, and it asks one very important question, "Do you want to be a Guppy or a Shark?" More important, it's yet another way I market myself and attract the types of clients with whom I want to work.

Killer Customer Care

Yet another example of Lori's version of an effective sales page! For those of you who don't know me, you need to realize just how important awesome customer service is to my business. Me and my team work virtually with clients, and goodness knows it's tough enough making business owners jump on the Virtual Assistance bandwagon. One way I accomplish this is via my Killer Customer Care http://www.KillerCustomerCare.com, sales page.

On my blog and this sales page, I make it perfectly clear that the concept of Killer Customer Care is one which me and my staff eat, live and breathe every day. I also call out those companies which either deliver it in spades or really need help in this department! Guess what else I'm finding? Even though DavisVA's rates may be a bit higher than those of other Virtual Assistance providers, clients are coming my way in large numbers because they know that I know that the Customer Care experience is THAT important. They're willing to pay a bit more because they know they'll be taken care of very well. Indeed, they receive Killer Customer Care every day they work with us.

As the title of this article states, "There Ain't No Silver Bullet When it Comes to Marketing." You know it and I know it. Take the time necessary and market and brand your company in a way which truly reflects your values and personality. Remember, don't get hung up on "failures;" instead, turn 'em around and make 'em work to your advantage!

Copyright (c) Lori Davis, Davis Virtual Assistants. All rights reserved in all media.