LIVE EVENT:  Tuesday, July 28th, 1pm CST

Register for FREE! (click on image below)

(Twitter image credit)

First all, scan your eyes to the RIGHT SIDEBAR of this page (maybe scroll down just a little bit) and look for how you can follow Randy and Donny on Twitter.  Do that first.  I mean, you’re already here, why not see how The Marketing Twins use Twitter.

Secondly, if you want to understand Twitter in plain English, the folks at Common Craft can help.

While using Twitter, someone shared with me this resource from a Houston Search Engine Marketing and Optimization group offering 10 Examples of Creative Twitter Uses (pardon #3, but substitute another “industry”-how can you link prospects to you more personally?)

If someone has another creative Twitter use, I’d love to hear it!  Or do you have an idea on how Twitter could help a business?  For example, what if an automotive repair shop used Twitter to update customers on the status of their car.  You could send out tweets during the day about promotions (exclusively for Tweeters).  If you are a temp agency and have jobs available, you could tweet what positions are hiring.  Even a grocery store could tweet various specials during the day (again, exclusively for Tweeters – it’s a small part of building community and brand loyalty).  Gas prices drop?  Your favorite gas station should let everyone know!  So many uses . . .

John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing was also commissioned by Microsoft to write a “Twitter for Business” guide.

 These are also good to know:

https://twitter.com/search/users (find users based on username, first or last name)

http://search.twitter.com/ (find people based on content)

http://www.twitterlocal.net/ (find all Twitters based on location, city)

SPECIAL TWITTER OFFER:  If you are needing help in getting set up on Twitter, we can help!  For a low price of only $75, we will work directly with you in a one-hour session to help you get on your way to Tweeting for Business Success.  Contact us to take advantage of this special Twitter offer!

Obviously, this is a good place to start for beginners – there’s a thousand applications and tools that are Twitter-related.  Get started today!

-Randy

If you didn’t obey above, do it NOW!  Follow Randy and Donny on Twitter.

We’re excited to release the Instant Replay of our interview with Stephen Kendrick, Co-Producer of the hit, inspirational movie, “Fireproof”!

CLICK ON IMAGE ABOVE FOR REPLAY INSTRUCTIONS / CLICK PLAY ON PLAYER BELOW TO HEAR US!

Ok, so we are now officially 3 full weeks into the new year – have you developed your marketing plan for 2009?  If you haven’t, it’s time NOW to jump in with both feet.   Don’t let these struggles from 2008 continue in 2009:

•  ”I don’t know who my target audience is so I’ll just advertise to everyone”
• “I know I need a website that works 24/7 but I can’t afford it”
• “I want to do email marketing but I don’t know what to write for each newsletter”
• “It seems like everyone is getting on Facebook, but I don’t know how to use it for my business”
• “Blogging seems like a good way to show my expertise but I’m not sure how to get started”
• “My brand is important but my logo and other marketing collateral doesn’t reflect my business”

The Marketing Twins want to help you in 2009 and we can address all of these and other marketing struggles you may be facing.  And we can do this in an affordable and practical way.  We aren’t stuffy, high-priced marketing executives who charge an arm and a leg (and in some cases both legs!).  We are a Fort Worth-based company and we were born and raised in Texas so we understand how to treat people.  We feel confident that we can help you face your marketing challenges so that 2009 is your best year yet!

So go ahead - get your goggles on, your flippers on the right feet, your snorkle adjusted . . . and jump in!! 

Randy and Donny Vaughn
The Marketing Twins at 1429 Creative
themarketingtwins@1429creative.com

www.MarketingTwins.com

** ATTENTION:  Change in Interview Date **

Stephen contacted us about needing to change the date for our interview, so now we are rescheduled for TUESDAY, January 27th, at NOON, CST.  We are thrilled that Stephen can still join us for this edition of the “Double Take Live Broadcast”.

This is also the same day as the release date of “Fireproof” on DVD!  Watch the video on this site to hear a few thoughts from Stephen about “Fireproof”!

REGISTRATION is always FREE!  To receive the call-in/passcode, or if you can’t make it but would like to receive notification of when the MP3 file is available for playback and download, register now!

“You’ll run into a burning building to save people you don’t even know and you’re just gonna let your own marriage burn to the ground.”

We’ll be interviewing Stephen LIVE, Noon CST.  You must register in order to obtain the call-in # and passcode, but it is FREE! Registration is limited and there are just over 50 spots remaining . . . people are registering daily and we expect more as the event gets closer.  Don’t miss the LIVE experience!

I’ll be on Twitter throughout the interview if you want to pose a question . . . not guarantees we’ll get to all of them, but worth a shot!  Use hashtag #DT-FIREPROOF in your tweets and you can see what questions others may be asking.

-Rnady

Today at NOON CST, John Jantsch will be featuring Seth Godin as they discuss the things every small business should be doing right now to take advantage of those advantages. Enroll here

Seth Godin is a bestselling author, entrepreneur and agent of change. Godin is author of ten books that have been bestsellers around the world. His most recent titles include The Dip and Meatball Sundae and most recently Tribes. We will cover a wide variety of marketing related subjects. Make sure you check out Seth’s blog

Have you heard the news? We are interviewing the Co-Producer of Fireproof, Stephen Kendrick in our first Double Take LIVE Broadcast of 2009.

To register, go to: www.1429creative.com/doubletake

The call is limited to the first 75 participants and we have just over 60 slots remaining so act quickly!

-Donny
themarketingtwins@1429creative.com

p.s. We are also excited to announce our sponsor for the interview – AffordableChurchMarketing.com. They can handle all of your church project implementation needs as well as offer great church marketing coaching for your pastoral staff.

Has your BUSINESS made its resolutions?

Start NOW by reading my latest article on AMEX OpenForum on “7 Resolutions for Small Business”

Ate too much at all those holiday parties and family gatherings?  Me, too.  Ritualistically, nations like ours are forced to look in the mirror and scream, “D-I-E-T!”  It’s probably one of the most common New Year’s resolutions.

So you make that discriminating trip to the grocery store looking for the things that are “good for us.”  Your eyes are peeled for sugar substitutes, lower fat alternatives, and healthier options.  You reach for the traditional can of pop (oh, that’s for all you Northerners – down here in Texas, every soft drink is a Coke.  Like every tissue is a Kleenex.).  But your eyes are drawn to the striking logo emblazoned across the packaging next to your formerly favorite beverage.  DIET soda.  “It’s gotta be healthy” we say to ourselves.  You take a step down the aisle already feeling 10 pounds lighter.  But then, suddenly, like a hallelujah chorus belted out with a sudden angelic spotlight, there it is.  Sleek. Inviting.  And not only DIET, but it’s nutritious.  It’s DIET PLUS!

My wife and I have been Diet Coke fans forever!  My wife actually took one of her wedding pictures surrounded by cans and sipping on a Diet Coke (see above – isn’t she gorgeous . . . still looks that great!).  I have not had Diet Coke PLUS, but even I find myself a skeptic.  If I want nutrition or extra vitamins and minerals, I doubt I’ll consider Diet Coke my source for it.  The product’s web site claims that Diet Coke Plus, introduced in late 2007, “provides 15 percent of your RDI for niacin (a B-vitamin) and vitamins B6 and B12, and 10 percent for zinc and magnesium.”  I don’t think they are misleading, I just wonder why try and get your vitamins and minerals with a syrupy 16 oz. soft drink?

Apparently, the FDA took their time studying the new product.  One year later (and just days before Christmas – who’s the Scrooge?), the FDA slaps the wrist of the #3 carbonated soft drink brand in the U.S.

We are impressed by the lure PLUS options.  When we recognize the urgency of transformation and change – we look for any and every advantage we can get.  Similarly, you’re starting out 2009 looking to make some changes in your marketing.  You look around for ways to make better marketing choices and you start looking for substitutes or strategies that have worked for others.  The problem is that the packaging includes words you don’t understand nor can pronounce.  Some you’ve never heard of.  And then there are ways touted as the PLUS option!  You’re not sure what you’re getting, but you figure any marketing technique is a step.  You say, “Any marketing tool is good, right?”

Dieting is one of the most popular resolutions EVERY year and it’s that way for a reason.  Changing our marketing ways is similarly one of the hardest things to maintain and continue over the long haul.  You start quick trying a few new ideas.  You buy a new software, read a new book, listen to the latest marketing podcast.  You get excited, but just as quickly, you bottom out when they new strategy doesn’t produce immediate results.  If you’re not intentional, consistent and systematic, you’ll likely lose your way and revert to the things that got you into this mess in the first place.  Small businesses default back to our former ways and find ourselves content in doing nothing . . . until it’s time to look in the mirror again next year.

On our own, the majority don’t tend to do well with change over a sustained period of time.  Temptation creeps in and convinces us to turn back.  We don’t see the results instantaneously and we slug the mirror with our proverbial fist and shout “this doesn’t work for people like me!”  Discouragement can so quickly rob you of that motivation that propelled you from the start gate of change.  And somewhere around Day 41, your ability to self-motivate seems often trumped by the seemingly impossible challenge of carrying out a systematic, sustained plan.

Coaches and trainers typically provide much more significant results than doing it alone because there’s someone helping you implement a well-thought-out plan.  Coaches help you you make a comprehensive plan rather than gravitating to the loudest sales pitch or fad of the week.  And when the demon of reversion rears its ugly head, the coach is there to hold you accountable to the strategic plan you and the coach at one time had collectively determined best for you.  Remember that?  Oh, and if you never made a plan to make a significant change in strategy, well you’ll probably want to go back and do that.  A marketing plan is essential just as an architectural map is for the contractor building your dream home.  Imagine doing one without it.

Seeking the services of a marketing coach might be the most proven solutions for you.  Without the assistance of someone at your side,  Don’t make the same mistake in 2009.  As Fort Worth’s only Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coach, I’m here to help you make better decisions, choose the best plan, and keep you accountable throughout the year.

-Randy