5 Ways to Use Testimonials in Your Marketing
Be alert to pitches foroff season discounts. In some destinationsoff season really means hurricane season. Robbin Montero
Generally thought to be the mosthoneyed time of a couple’s marriage, the honeymoon is certainly one of the most romantic trips you and your spouse will ever take. With careful planning, you will have many treasured memories of this occasion.
I highly recommend using the services of an experienced travel agent. Not only will you get the best prices, but most agents have traveled extensively and can easily provide first-hand information such as which countries are not in good standing with the United States, relevant current laws of the country, and what to pack. Most important, travel agents can insulate you from problems that commonly arise in self-booking.
Brides and grooms should agree in advance on the desired attributes for a perfect honeymoon. Decide whether you want warm or cold weather, active or relaxed recreation, a foreign country or a cruise, or perhaps an all-inclusive resort package. Verify the climate of the desired location during the time of year when you’ll be traveling.
Making Reservations
Be alert to pitches foroff season discounts. In some destinationsoff season really means hurricane season. When looking to save money on travel, I do not recommend
red-eye specials. They appear cost-effective, can easily throw off your sleep pattern and significantly reduce your overall enjoyment of the trip.
When making reservations, ask the travel agent about honeymoon specials or discounts. Some locations will provide newlyweds with perks, such as an upgraded room, a bottle of champagne, or a gift basket upon arrival. Your agent will ensure you receive them.
If you travel outside the United States, a passport or visa may be required. Apply well in advance so you will have it in time. Inquire of your travel agent about the need for shots or vaccinations before traveling to your chosen destination. Moreover, if renting a car, check all possible driving permits and ensure that the reservation is booked in your unmarried name, or the name that appears on your passport. Your married name will not yet be recorded on any legal papers, and all documents need to match the passport name. Finally, purchase travel insurance for your baggage.
Packing
Traveling light is fine, but don’t overlook crucial items. Make a list of necessary items to pack, such medications, antacids or digestive aids, birth control pills, sunscreen and eyeglasses. For cruises, carry motion sickness medication or wear a patch. Antiseptic wipes help prevent spread of germs when you can’t wash your hands regularly. Take a credit card, travelers’ checks, phone cards, and a cell phone if your carrier offers international travel service.
Utilize a carry-on for the plane that contains a change of clothes, your medicines, and eyeglasses, just in case your luggage gets lost. Ensure that your passport, visa and identification are secure on your person, along with plane tickets and hotel confirmations.
Pack sightseeing information and any appropriate foreign language translation books. Bring a camera, plenty of film and a camcorder. Think of photo-ops!
Foreign Travel Precautions
Ask your travel agent to provide the address and telephone number of the American embassy in any foreign country you visit. Take the information with you and leave copies with family at home. Before leaving, provide your family with an itinerary of where you will be staying, location telephone numbers, and the name and number of your travel agent. Make a copy of your passport and leave it with family in case you lose the original while abroad.
Once at your destination, be careful what and where you eat. Avoid street vendors and wash your hands or use antiseptic wipes frequently. If yours will be an extended stay, it is courteous to check in with your family and let them know you are safe.
Following these suggestions will help minimize any problems that could arise. Happy honeymoon.
Stress Free, Leave the Details to Me, is the tried and true philosophy of Robbin Montero, California Wine Country wedding planning expert and owner of A Dream Wedding. Robbin is the premier wedding planner in the Northern California Wine Country, transforming any vision into the perfectly designed wedding creation. Robbin and her weddings have been featured in The Knot, Brides, Elite Magazine, Your Wedding Day and Vine Napa/Sonoma magazines, and ImportantOccasions.com. Travel & Leisure magazine calls Robbin,The expert wedding planner in the California Wine Country. For more information visit www.a-dreamwedding.com.
2009 Robbin Montero
This article cannot be reprinted without Robbin Montero’s expressed written permission.
5 Ways to Use Testimonials in Your Marketing188395 Ways to Use Testimonials in Your Marketing
This is an obvious message for some of you but is it for all of you? Are there areas you’re missing in your marketing where you could be utilizing testimonials in order to give you, your business and your products and services more credibility?
Using testimonials in your marketing in various ways is a F.R.E.E. way to compel people to buy from you so you really want to maximize your efforts.
First of course you have to HAVE testimonials to show. If you don’t have any then ASK your customers for them. If they drag their heels in getting them to you on their own then offer to write them for them if you have to and let them review and approve them. If you have customers that are business owners, offer to showcase their testimonial with their picture and website link on your website or in your ezine and they’ll get added exposure for their business just for helping you out.
If you have customers that want to keep their involvement with you kept secret or the services you provide are more embarrassing for many to admit to using for example then try getting testimonials from vendors, referral sources or other means for other things.
5 Ways to use Testimonials in Your Marketing:
1. Ezines – You may always want to put a testimonial in your ezines because it could be the only thing your subscribers see about you every once in a while. Whether they read every single issue or only one once in a while, if you always have a testimonial in them then that ONE day that ONE person decides to think about taking action with your products or services from one of your ezines it could very well help them make their decision if you have a really great testimonial in it.
Notice I always have a testimonial in my ezines right below the featured article, whether I wrote the article or if I’m using a guest article, it doesn’t matter. I trade them out about every 3 ezines in case you didn’t notice…I do have many and collect them all the time for this reason.
2. Website – You should always have testimonials on your website and I say it’s better to sprinkle them all over the site, on every page in boxes or side columns so they stand out rather than just putting them all on ONE testimonial page (which you can still have but put them everywhere too).
Go to my website and see how I post my testimonials on every page pretty much.
3. Direct Mail - You want to use testimonials even in your direct mailing like on oversized postcards, letters and flyers or anything you send to add credibility to whatever you’re trying to sell. (P.S. Hopefully you ARE still doing direct mail as a means of follow up even if you’re doing email marketing too!!)
4. Marketing Materials – You can put testimonials on your brochures (if you still have them), your handouts, flyers and anything in print you use to promote your business with. Testimonials are actually more important to show here than bullet points of your products or services; those should be on your website because most people will look at your website before taking action with you anyway and one marketing piece sure isn’t going to sell them. So use testimonials to give them an incentive to actually go to your site for more info.
5. Ads – If you’re still doing some sort of traditional advertising (it’s still a good way to market for some businesses, but typically not entrepreneurs like coaches, consultants, etc.) then the same thing goes for testimonials in your ads like I mentioned in #4 above. People are less likely these days to buy your stuff from an ad but your ad if done well and compelling enough could lead them to your website where you can get them on the list and encourage them more to take action.
Another thing to consider when gathering your testimonials is to try getting them in other formats rather than just the written word. You can have your customer read their testimonial into an audio recording service with their phone even. You can videotape your clients when you meet with them or have them videotape themselves and send you the file. With videos then you can even upload them to your YouTube, MySpace and Facebook profiles in addition to your website.
The more creative you can get the more they will work for you.
My favorite thing to do whenever I can is to brainstorm with entrepreneurs on how they can design, update, recreate or shift their businesses and implement new marketing strategies in order to be happier, live a more fulfilled life and do the things they are passionate about that can make them a very good living if set up correctly.
What is YOUR favorite thing to do for ‘work’? Are you doing that or do YOU need to make a shift?
Now is the time….
Furthermore, if you want help, I would suggest signing up for one of my JumpStart Your Marketing 1-On-1 coaching services or a 1 Hour Strategy Session! You can find out what those entail and how they will benefit you on the products page of my website at www.JumpStartYourMarketing.com!
(c) Copyright 2009 K. Sawa Marketing International. Katrina Sawa is an Award-Winning Relationship Marketing Coach who’s helped hundreds of small business owners take dramatic steps in their businesses to get them to the next level in business, revenues and life. She offers one-on-one coaching, group coaching and do-it-yourself marketing planning products. Go online now to get started with her Free Report and Free Audio at http://www.jumpstartyourmarketing.com
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