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3 steps to better marketing
3 steps to better marketing
There are about as many ways to reach out to potential clients as there are fish in the sea. If you haven't done so already, now's the time to evaluate your current marketing strategies. Here are 3 tips to help you get started.
Branding Your Retail Store
Creating your identity can be a real challenge. Your brand image is what people feel and think when your store comes to mind. You'll need to conform your services and products to the image that you choose, so choose wisely. Consider what types of items you want to sell. Consider your demographic. Consider your location. Research your competitors. Figure out what they've done that helped them become who they are. The most important part of branding your retail store is to be original; completely and utterly original. Your originality is going to be what people identify with your name.
My Starbucks Idea
Great marketing tool created by Starbucks that others could modify and use as well.
The Power of the Press Release
When creating a marketing plan for a business, many people rely heavily on paid advertising and promotions to get their messages across to their target market. While paid advertising and promotions are a critical part of the marketing mix and can be extremely effective, they can also be very expensive. Often overlooked, a regular cycle of newsworthy press releases distributed by a business can be a powerful addition to a company’s marketing efforts.
Associations
Direct Marketing Association (DMA)
Direct Marketing Association (DMA), with 5,000 member companies worldwide, is the primary association for companies involved with any aspect of direct marketing. Member benefits include an extensive range of seminars and conferences, member directory, newsletters, journals, use of the DMA Library and Resource Center, and access to the DirectLINK online information service. Special subgroups include the List & Database Council, whose members focus on list brokerage, management, compilation, and ownership issues.
Phone: 212-768-7277
Web: http://www.the-dma.org
Incentive Gift Card Council (IGCC)
Incentive Gift Card Council, a branch of Incentive Marketing Association (IMA), has information about using gift cards in incentive programs. Membership is open to retail, catalog, entertainment and hospitality companies directly involved in the promotion, marketing and sales of gift cards/certificates to the incentive industry.
Phone: 630-369-7780
Web: http://www.usegiftcards.com
Promotion Marketing Association (PMA)
Promotion Marketing Association (PMA) is the main association for this category. Its 700+ members are mainly companies dealing in promotion services, sales incentives, and premium merchandise. Other members include advertising agencies and consultants. PMA offers seminars and conventions throughout the year, a membership directory, and legal information services, as well as two newsletters, The Legal Bulletin and Outlook.
Phone: 212-420-1100
Web: http://www.pmalink.org
Promotional Products Association International (PPAI)
The Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) is the promotional product industry’s only international not-for-profit trade association. It offers education, trade shows, business products and services, mentoring, technology and legislative support to its more than 7,500 global member companies. Promotional products are an $18 billion industry, and include wearables, writing instruments, calendars, drinkware and many other items, usually imprinted with a company’s name, logo or message. Since its founding in 1903, PPAI has worked to expand the market, establish standards, enhance the professionalism of the industry and support the growth of member companies. PPAI is headquartered in Irving, Texas.
Phone: 888-426-7724
Web: http://www.ppa.org
The Conference Board
The Conference Board sponsors conferences of interest to executives of companies from all industries. Topics include outsourcing, customer loyalty, enterprise resource planning, marketing and brand management, among others.
Phone: 212-339-0345
Web: http://www.conference-board.org
Books
401 Questions That Every Entrepreneur Should Ask
This book looks at the nitty-gritty of starting a business, in a Q&A format, and asks questions like "How will you stay on top of cash flow?" and "Do you have someone to take your place in case of an emergency?" Questions cover such issues as business organizational structure, locating your business, dealing with customers, risk management, time management, and use of technology.
James L. Silvester.
Career Press.
256.
Paperback.
Cost: $17.99
Brands: The New Wealth Creators
The authors of 20 essays look at branding from a wide range of perspectives, from the creation of a new brand and development of brand names through packaging design and advertising. For executive-level managers who are either directly or indirectly involved with marketing and branding, this is a must read.
Susannah Hart and John Murphy.
New York University Press.
224pp.
Hardcover.
Cost: $50.00
Create the Business Breakthrough You Want: Secrets and Strategies from the World's Greatest Mentors
Tracy, the lead author of this book, is one of the most well-known and respected motivational business gurus in the world. In addition to Tracy and his writing team, this book also features 57 other business/motivational leaders who write about everything from individual to corporate success.
Mark Victor Hansen, Robert G. Allen, Bob Proctor.
Mission Publishing .
312 pages .
Paperback.
Cost: $19.95
Creating Demand
An analysis of what it takes to exploit the market potential of a product. The original hardcover edition was declared one of the top 30 business books of 1992 by Executive Book Summaries. Now, it's been updated for the 21st century and available in paperback.
Richard Ott.
Symmetric Systems Inc.
258pp.
Paperback.
Cost: $22.00
Creating Winning Marketing Plans: Planning, Strategies and Objectives
Creating Winning Marketing Plans discusses concrete suggestions, thorough analyses, and sound marketing strategies in order to succeed in the marketing industry today. This book is for managers who are just starting out or industry veterens.
Sidney J. Levy.
Dartnell Corp.
273pp.
Hardcover.
Customer Centered Growth: Five Proven Strategies for Building Competitive Advantage
Customer Centered Growth reveals the secrets to company growth by putting the customer at the center of your efforts. Using dozens of case studies, the authors outline five strategies that a company can use to grow no matter what the business conidition.
Richard C. Whiteley, Diane Hessan.
Addison Wesley Longman.
321pp.
Paperback.
Cost: $11.05
Customer Connections: New Strategies for Growth
Customer Connections discusses information and knowledge management technologies to connect with customers in a new way. This new model promotes collaboration and playing the right role in supply and demand chain. This book is good for any businessperson.
Robert E. Wayland, Paul M. Cole.
Harvard Business School Press.
267pp.
Hardcover.
Cost: $29.95
Customer Equity: Building and Managing Relationships As Valuable Assets
In Customer Equity: Building and Managing Relationships As Valuable Assets, authors Blattberg, Getz, and Thomas, explain the strategies and tactics that make customer equity management work. They outline customer equity's three core strategies: customer acquistion, customer retnetion, and add-on selling. With very detailed how-to chapters this book is good for any buisness person looking to strengthen the bon between them and their customers.
Robert C. Blattberg, Gary Getz, Jacquelyn S. Thomas.
Harvard Business School Press.
228pp.
Hardcover.
Cost: $26.40
How to Find and Cultivate Customers Through Direct Marketing
This is for people ready to get serious about implementing a customer-focused direct marketing strategy. The author addresses: building useful databases, using research, developing marketing programs, segmenting markets, and estimating customer value.
Martin Baier.
McGraw-Hill.
245 pp.
Hardcover.
Million Dollar Networking
Networking, according this book's subtitle, is "the sure way to find, grow, and keep your business." It looks at strategies for PR and self-marketing as well as following up with and getting referrals from potential business contacts as a way to grow your business.
Andrea Nierenberg.
Capital Books.
260.
Hardcover.
Cost: $19.95
Outfoxing The Small Business Owner: Crafty Techniques For Creating A Profitable Relationship
Outfoxing The Small Business Owner helps entrepreneurs create a new strategy to get more of the small business market in order to raise their bottom line. This book offers innovation ways to get your product or service noticed by small business, fost long-term partnerships, identify and address your customers' true business needs and collect payments in a a timely manner.
Gene Marks.
Adams Media Corporation.
227pp.
Hardcover.
Cost: $10.62
Relationship Marketing: Bringing Quality, Customer Service and Marketing Together
This book, which broke ground six years ago by outlining relationship marketing, provides an excellent overview. The book is intended for all marketing managers coming to terms with doing business in turbulent markets and facing up to strategic quality and customer services issues.
However, it lacks implementation details and doesn't take into account advances in Internet and database technology that have taken place since its publication.
Martin Christopher, Adrian Payne, and David Ballantyne.
Butterworth-Heinemann.
204pp.
Paperback.
Cost: $3.33
The 7 Irrefutable Rules of Small Business Growth
This review of the small business landscape argues that there are seven "rules" of growth for entrepreneurs and small businesses: 1) Establishing and maintaining a strong sense of purpose, 2) Understanding the marketplace, 3) Creating a growth plan that is realistic and specific, 4)Developing customer-driven processes with a focus on acquisition and retention, 5) Leveraging technology wherever possible, 6)Recruiting and retaining top performers, and 7) Monitoring trends to anticipate market changes.
Steven S. Little.
John Wiley & Sons.
236.
Paperback.
Cost: $18.95
The Entrepreneurial Mindset
Subtitled "Strategies for Continuosly Creating Opportunity in an Age of Uncertainty," this book is more of an academic or strategic look at what goes into being an entrepreneur and creating new business opportunies -- perhaps most valuable for advice on creating an entrepreneurial "mindset" within existing companies. It includes material on "creating an entrepreneurial frame" and developing "attribute maps" for new products as well as advice on "assembling opportunity portfolios" and selecting and executing entry strategies.
Rita Gunther McGrath and Ian MacMillan.
Harvard Business School Press.
400.
Hardcover.
Cost: $35.00
The McGraw-Hill Guide to Starting Your Own Business
This book is billed as a "step-by-step blueprint for the first-time entrepreneur and includes advice and tips on identifying business opportunities and creating a new business, preparing a business plan, finding sources of funding, and entrepreneurial "do's and don'ts.
Stephen C. Harper.
McGraw-Hill.
254.
Paperback.
Cost: $14.95
Truth or Delusion?: Busting Networking's Biggest Myths
Many books teach the "who / what / where / why / how" of professional networking. Truth or Delusion separates the reality from the fantasy by presenting Truths and Delusions about networking and then shows why they are either real or fakes.
Ivan R. Misner.
Thomas Nelson .
160 pages .
Hardcover.
Cost: $19.99
Events
Annual Conference for Catalog & Multichannel Merchants (ACCM)
Catalog industry statistics are presented at the catalog industry's largest conference and exhibition. Offers more than 100 educational sessions and 300 exhibitors. Includes sessions on marketing strategies, merchandising, and Web and e-mail marketing. Also included are the MCM (Multichannel Merchant) Awards, which honor the most effective multichannel merchants.
Producer: Prism Business Media
Venue: Gaylord Palms Resort
Location: Orlando,
FL,
USA
Phone: 800-559-0620 or 203-358-9900
Website: http://www.catalogconference.com
B-to-B Loyalty Virtual Seminars
Loyalty marketing programs aim to improve customer retention and increase sales from best customers. The B-to-B Loyalty Virtual Seminar series offers an opportunity for live computer-based interaction with loyalty markting experts.
Producer: Direct Marketing Association
Venue: Online
Phone: 212.790.1500
Website: http://www.the-dma.org/seminars/loyaltyweb/
Basics of Direct Marketing
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Basics of Direct Marketing seminar will introduce marketers to all key issues of direct marketing, enabling them to develop skills and gain more knowledge about such vital topics as offers, creative, copywriting and research/testing. It will also provide tools and techniques, help nurture ideas, and teach the essentials of direct marketing. Non-Member: $1,199, DMA Member: $999.
Producer: Direct Marketing Association
Location: Various venues,
USA
Phone: 212.790.1500
Website: http://www.the-dma.org/seminars/basics/
Basics of Promotion Marketing Seminar
This two-day seminar from the Promotional Marketing Association (PMA) is designed to help those entering the field understand the basics of promotional marketing. It's a great way to learn a great deal of information about the industry very quickly, as well as to learn skills that are both creative and practical. In addition to educational sessions, the conference includes presentations by industry experts.
Producer: Promotion Marketing Association Inc.
Venue: Elephant & Castle/Club Quarters
Location: Chicago,
IL,
USA
Phone: 212-420-1100
Website: http://www.pmalink.org
Direct Marketing Association Conference & Exhibition
Hosted by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), this conference highlights all that is new in the world of direct marketing: products, services, and media. There is a wide list of exhibitors, bringing in some of the most experienced practitioners in the direct marketing industry. The conference also includes the ECHO Awards, a look at the year's best marketing promotions.
Producer: Direct Marketing Association
Venue: Moscone Convention Center
Location: San Francisco,
CA,
USA
Phone: 800-293-7279 or 330-425-9330
Website: http://www.the-dma.org/conferences/dma06/
DM Days Conference & Expo
The Direct Marketing Association's annual "DM Days" conference and exposition includes sessions on Internet marketing basics, affiliate marketing, e-mail lists, e-mail marketing, and targeting on the Internet. It also offers roundtable discussions, workshops, and Web usability labs to highlight new strategies and market trends. With more than 250 exhibiting companies, this is also a good networking opportunity.
Producer: Direct Marketing Association
Venue: Jacob Javits Center
Location: New York,
NY,
USA
Phone: 212-790-1500
Website: http://www.dmdays.com
DMA Comprehensive E-Mail Marketing Strategies Seminar
This two-day Direct Marketing Association (DMA) seminar will teach you how to develop winning e-mail marketing strategies for acquiring and retaining valuable customers in a world revolving around legislative restrictions and spam blockers. Marketers learn how to develop e-mail marketing strategies, techniques, and campaign planning in a dynamic hands-on interactive environment. Non-Member: $1,699, DMA Member: $1,399.
Producer: Direct Marketing Association
Venue: DMA Seminar Center, Millennium Broadway
Location: New York,
NY,
USA
Phone: 212.790.1500
Website: http://www.the-dma.org/seminars/dmaemail/
DMA Copywriting Tools & Techniques Online Seminar
This virtual seminar offered by the Direct Marketing Association over the course of six weeks will help attendees will improve their skills and learn the latest techniques in direct market copywriting. Key benefits include: 1-on-1 weekly lectures, writing assignments, and critiques led by a copywriting expert. Non-Member: $1,199, DMA Member: $899.
Producer: Direct Marketing Association
Venue: Online Seminar
Phone: 212.790.1500
Website: http://www.the-dma.org/seminars/aco/
DMA Creative Direct Marketing Strategies
This day-long seminar from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) focuses on how to develop innovative and successful direct marketing strategies. Marketers learn about how to position their product, choose the right target market, and develop an effective message and creative work. This seminar can also be applied to DMA's Certificate in Direct Marketing. Non-Member: $1,699, DMA Member: $1,399.
Producer: Direct Marketing Association
Venue: Various locations
Location: USA
Phone: 212.790.1500
Website: http://www.the-dma.org/seminars/creativedmstrategies/
DMA Direct Marketing Institute
The Direct Marketing Association's Direct Marketing Institute is an in-depth course for beginners and a great refresher for experienced DM professionals wanting to sharpen skills, expand their expertise, and update their knowledge. This seminar can be applied to DMA's Certificate in Direct Marketing. Non-Member: $1,799, DMA Member: $1,499.
Producer: Direct Marketing Association
Venue: Various locations
Location: USA
Phone: 212.790.1500
Website: http://www.the-dma.org/seminars/basic/
DMA Introduction to E-Mail Marketing Seminar
This one-day Direct Marketing Association (DMA) seminar will help get company e-mails read by customers. It also offers information on beginning an e-mail marketing campaign, if you don't have one, of if you do have one, it will make sure your strategy is up to speed. Non-Member: $999, DMA Member: $799.
Producer: Direct Marketing Association
Venue: Doubletree Hotel Downtown Boston
Location: Various venues,
USA
Phone: 212.790.1500
Website: http://www.the-dma.org/seminars/email101/
DMA Secrets of Copywriting Seminar
This is the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) two-day copywriting basics seminar. It teaches how to write clear and compelling copy through exercises and studying real-life examples and case studies. Non-Member: $1,699, DMA Member: $1,399.
Producer: DMA
Venue: Various locations
Location: USA
Phone: 212.790.1500
Website: http://www.the-dma.org/seminars/copywriting/
Exhibitor Show
A five-day educational event combined with a trade show featuring the latest products and resources shaping the future of exhibitions and event programs. Anyone who is responsible for planning, managing or implementing any part of an organization's trade show or event marketing function should attend. A great way for those interested in becoming more involved in exhibiting to meet industry experts and leaders.
Producer: Exhibitor magazine, The National Conference for Trade Shows, and Event Marketing Professionals
Venue: Mandalay Bay Convention Center
Location: Las Vegas,
NV,
USA
Phone: 507-289-6556 or 888-235-6155
Website: http://www.exhibitornet.com
Licensing 2008 International Expo
Licensed products have a major role in premium programs. This show, sponsored by the International Licensing Industry Merchandiser's Association (LIMA), is the major event for the licensing industry, with exhibits and an education program covering all aspects of the industry.
Producer: Advanstar Communications
Venue: Javits Convention Center
Location: New York,
NY,
USA
Phone: 888-644-2022 or 218-723-9130
Website: www.licensingshow.com
Loyalty Marketing Virtual Seminars
This online seminar series from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Colloquy offers interactive advice on how to increase customer loyalty and retention and turn customers into advocates from loyalty experts. DMA/Colloquy members: $149, non-members: $199
Producer: Direct Marketing Association/Colloquy
Venue: Online Seminar
Phone: 212.790.1500
Website: http://www.the-dma.org/seminars/loyaltyweb/
Marketing to U.S. Hispanics and Latin Americans Conference
For the latest and most successful strategies in winning over the growing U.S. Hispanic market and new markets in Latin America. This event is attended by some of the world's largest and most influential businesses, such as Microsoft, Toyota, Burger King, and Disney. Includes an exhibition, a long list of educational sessions, and presentations by industry executives.
Producer: Strategic Research Institute
Venue: Miami Beach Resort & Spa
Location: Miami Beach,
FL,
USA
Phone: 212-967-0095
Website: http://www.srinstitute.com
Mastering the 50+ Marketplace
Soon the 50+ age group will be the largest group of consumers in the country. They also have a large disposable income, so it should be a goal of yours to tap this market. This seminar will show you how by teaching you techniques to reach it. You learn to creatively use telemarketing, the Internet, and other media to tap it. A valuable workbook is included with attendence of this seminar. Non-Member: $1,699, DMA Member: $1,399.
Producer: DMA
Venue: DMA Seminar Center, Millennium Broadway
Location: New York,
NY,
USA
Phone: 212.790.1500
Website: http://www.the-dma.org/seminars/mature/
MRA Annual Conference
This Marketing Research Association (MRA) annual event aims to help marketers understand and use marketing research. Attracts over 700 attendees who represent all segments of the industry. The conference includes both educational and networking events. The 2007 conference will celebrate the MRA's 50th anniversary.
Producer: Marketing Research Association
Venue: Hyatt Regency
Location: Atlanta,
GA,
USA
Phone: 860-682-1000
Website: http://www.mra-net.org
The Basics of Promotion Marketing Seminar
The Promotion Marketing Association (PMA) seminar is taught several times a year at different locations. This is a well-rounded introduction taught by senior marketing executives and marketing law attorneys, with the focus primarily on consumer promotions. The conference is internationally acclaimed, and attracts a diverse group of attendees.
Producer: PMA (Promotion Marketing Association)
Venue: Elephant & Castle/Club Quarters
Location: Chicago,
IL,
USA
Phone: 212-420-1100
Website: http://www.pmalink.org/
Word of Mouth Marketing Forum
This event is for directors, managers, and executives involved in marketing and brand management interested in word-of-mouth marketing. It is a great opportunity to network and share strategies with other word-of-mouth practitioners. There are educational sessions with topics such as online word of mouth, using negative word of mouth to your advantage, and predicting consumer trends.
Producer: ASMI (American Strategic Marketing Institute)
Location: Arlington,
VA,
USA
Phone: 858-874-6876
Website: www.ASMIweb.com/WOM
Publications
Business Week
Business Week is one of the leading business news magazines in the U.S. and includes regular columns and reports on technology and the Internet, media, and global business.
Phone: 212-512-2000
Web: http://www.businessweek.com
Customer Relationship Management
Customer Relationship Management is the membership journal for the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals (SOCAP). It features articles by SOCAP members and other experts on consumer affairs, customer service, customer loyalty, and customer relationship management.
Phone: 703-519-3700
Web: http://www.socap.org/
Entrepreneur Magazine
Entrepreneur Magazine covers the whole range of issues that might be encountered by an entrepreneur or small business owner. A typical issue might include articles on networking, starting an e-business, financing your business, identifying insurance needs, hiring strategies, technology, and more. Its website also offers a variety of small business checklists to download.
Web: www.entrepreneur.com
Inc.
Inc. magazine bills itself as "the daily resource for entrepreneurs." It offers articles on marketing, financing, business growth, technology, business development, and frequent case studies of successful entrepreneurs. The Inc.com website also offers a variety of other downloadable resources.
Web: www.inc.com
PROMO
This publication features and defines promotion trends, presents critical "how-to" information and case studies about promotion, and serves as a meeting ground for companies and professionals in the industry. It also offers an annual report on promotion industry trends.
Phone: 203-358-4320
Web: http://www.promomagazine.com
Success Magazine
Success magazine is a business service magazine offering articles addressing the personal and business needs of small and medium-size business owners, CEOs, and entrepreneurs. It offers success stories, advice, and step-by-step guides to such things as online marketing, setting up a new office, and taking advantage of small business tax breaks.
Web: www.successmagazine.com
Researchs
The Future of Small Business Technology
This article summarizes the findings of a report by Intuit and the Institute for the Future about what's on the technological horizon for entrepreneurs. Among them: more sophisticated mobile communications connections and a greater blurring of the virtual and physical worlds in terms of marketing. The author offers some suggestions on how entrepreneurs can take advantage of these trends.
Web Sites
10 Networking Steps of Successful Businesswomen
Relationship-driven business contacts frequently generate a great deal of business, today, a year from now, or five years in the future. The more people you network with, the more people who know about your business acumen, and the better your chances of being a successful businesswoman.
10 Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Should Take Relationship Building Seriously
It's not always necessary for entrepreneurs to build out an entire network of various resources by themselves. Rather, they need to be aligned with power connectors who have large and diverse networks. As you get to know these people and build trust, they can become one of your biggest assets.
100 Sites Entrepreneurs Should Visit
These days, it seems that almost everyone has a blog, so it's often hard to separate what's really worth reading from what isn't. Luckily, we've done the work for you and narrowed it down to 100 highly informative sites. Take a look at what they have to say and see how they can help you grow your business.
11 Steps to Create a Successful Website
An easy-to-follow roadmap that can be used by anyone to build a successful website, with the resources you need to choose and buy software, do the work yourself or hire a pro, and even understand the technical jargon that so often scares people away from setting up shop in the Web's business boomtown.
5 Do's and 5 Don'ts with the Media
Did you know that there are literally thousands of media outlets from newspapers to magazines to local and national TV shows, seeking story ideas on a regular basis? They are constantly seeking news angles, novel ideas and unique information. For small business owners, this translates into countless opportunities to get your company in front of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of potential clients.
5 Steps to Marketing Your Website
While many other guides might start with tactics for building traffic, we will start by discussing your content. After all, why make a herculean effort to drive people to your site if, when they get there, it’s a dud? You’ve got to deliver value and make the most of each visitor. So let's start by analyzing the site you’re driving traffic to in terms of content and code.
6 Benefits of Email Newsetters
Company newsletters have long been used to share information about current events, upcoming highlights, and latest news. With today's blogging and website capabilities, many companies have simply turned to web-based versions of newsletters, allowing both customers and employees to access critical information and the latest news. E-mail newsletters offer many benefits beyond a printed form, and can reach out to both your current customer base and potential subscribers through the website.
7 Essentials of the Marketing Plan
Developing a marketing plan can be a part of business planning and development, but it's easy to confuse it with the formal business plan or startup strategy.
8 Steps to Networking Like a Celebrity
If you want to succeed in business then you need to network like a celebrity. But not all of us can go to star studded events full of influencial people. Below are 8 tips to help you on your way to becoming a networking celeb.
8 Tips for Increasing Your Average Sale
Walk into any McDonald's, order a Quarter Pounder, and the clerk will invariably ask, "Do you want fries with that?" Each affirmative answer adds $1 or more to that particular sale. If just a fraction of McDonald's' 54 million daily customers say yes to that question, that's millions of extra dollars in the burger biggie's pocket.
The same strategy is important for startups.
A Business Card for Your Wild Side
How many business cards does a person really need? Maybe more than you think. Increasingly, people are carrying multiple versions to reflect different aspects of their lives.
Advertising in Digital Media
As entrepreneurs, we have to either adopt--or adapt to--new methods of advertising to reach potential clients and customers. With so many of them connected to the internet with their mobile phones and/or laptop computers, it's no wonder that digital media advertising (DMA) is the new hot button for any seasoned or newbie entrepreneur.
An Event to Remember
Whether it's a flying competition or an art show, these companies prove that businesses of any size can host a memorable event.
Article Marketing 101: Writing Your Article
On the Internet, you are what you publish. Article marketing is a great way to get your company's name out there by offering tips, tutorials and commentary on the state of your industry. You might be considering putting the articles on a company blog, into databases, or using them to populate your newsletter.
Banking on Thanks
More and more, retailers are showing their appreciation for customers in an effort to keep them spending.
Become the Key(word) Master
There's a lot of talk about search engine optimization in marketing and PR circles these days. Many are employing traditional SEO techniques while others are using press releases to draw target audiences to specific websites.
Beyond Bagels and Coffee - New Ideas for Networking
It's 8 a.m. You're sitting at a table with other entrepreneurs, business cards at the ready, sipping coffee and chewing a bagel. As the networking event’s speaker drones on, you rehearse your 30-second elevator speech in your head. You hope the meeting will be fruitful, but wonder if there’s a better way.
Sound familiar?
Blog-a-Thon
Your company's blog could be one of your strongest marketing tools--so get talking.
Blogging's a Low-Cost, High Return Marketing Tool
TO its true believers at small businesses, it is a low-cost, high-return tool that can handle marketing and public relations, raise the company profile and build the brand. That tool is blogging, though small businesses with blogs are still a distinct minority.
Brand Management: The Hilfiger Lessons
It has been quite a decade for Tommy Hilfiger. During the 90s, it seemed his brand could do no wrong. The business experienced meteoric growth and, by 2000, was generating $2bn in worldwide sales.
But then came the new century, and Hilfiger struggled to maintain the momentum. Tommy would learn some of the key lessons of brand management the hard way.
Branding Like the Big Boys for Business Success
Whether you're a "solopreneur" or a CEO with a staff of 20, you can position your firm in the marketplace by mirroring the branding tactics of big, successful companies. Business owners in the know understand the importance of branding. And branding done right isn't hocus-pocus; it's a blend of tactics and initiatives that yields results.
Business Cards Are Not Just About Contact Details
In a recent post where we asked you to submit your best-kept marketing secrets, 3 or 4 different submissions related to business cards. One tip suggested dispensing with a business card altogether and replacing it with some other kind of card. Others suggested that a business card needed to be approached creatively, perhaps putting special information on the reverse side.
Business Startup Checklist
You've decided to start a business. This is both an exciting and demanding time. The checklist below is meant to help new business owners by providing a list of the most common startup steps. Depending on your particular industry, additional steps may be required for your business.
Cold Calling - Get over the fear and improve your success
Most sales people hate to cold call. It is frequently considered by many to be the single most stressful part of selling. So much so that many people have given up this noble and proud profession for non-selling positions. There are actually several reasons why sales reps consider cold calling one step below getting a root canal.
Composing Knockout Sales Letters
A sales letter is a low-cost selling tool; in fact, an email version is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach customers. A good letter by itself may be enough to get the message across.
Crank up your website traffic
We all want to maximize the effectiveness of our websites. In this show, hosts Rich Sloan and Troy Janisch talk about how to do just that. Listen in as they discuss email marketing strategy with John Arnold, author of Email Marketing for Dummies. Learn about what you need to know to get started on email marketing, how to build your distribution list and how to approach important aspects like frequency, content, subject lines - all critical components to increasing open rates.
Creating a brand with Spunk
Say you've got a super new product you can't wait to unleash. Just get some packaging, maybe a company logo, and you'll be ready to launch, you might think.
Not so fast.
Deskside Story
As the latest buzzword suggests, PR firms are happy to drop by.
Entrepreneurial Journalism in the Facebook Age
Every now and then, I meet someone idealistic and perhaps foolish enough to want to embark on a career in journalism. Until recently, my advice was largely the same as anyone had given for many decades: Find a gig where you can write - a small town paper, freelancing for an alternative weekly, a business trade publication (my route). If you're good, the story went, you would find you way to bigger publications and forge a career.
EntrepreneurialConnection.com
This website aims to provide information on basic business skills for entrepreneurs and small businesses. It offers articles and seminars on a range of "success skills," including marketing, tax advice, finding partners, and more. It's powered by the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE).
Extreme Networking
A group of internet entrepreneurs take male bonding to a whole new level with their jet-fighter flights and dune-buggy races--and just maybe secure some new business in the process.
Five Ways to Market Using Email
There are many ways to market a home-based business. But one of the simplest ways is to use an every day business tool - email. By using these five easy tips you'll see how easily your business can grow without much effort on your part.
Fix Your Facebook Profile
Many college entrepreneurs have decided that Facebook is important to their business - so it's not surprising that most of them have Facebook accounts.
Get Your Copy Write
Do you consider yourself a great writer? If you're like most business owners, writing anything--from a brochure to a newspaper ad--probably isn't your strong suit. That's why "copywriting" is often left to professionals. But what happens when you need to create your own sales letter, online ad or marketing postcard without the help of a copywriter? Or suppose you're not flush with funds to hire outside help?
Guide to Creating a Facebook Fan Page For Your Business
Last year social networking site Facebook saw an 89% increase in unique visitors to the site, and has seen a demographic shift away from college students and towards post grads. Warrillow touts Facebook as a platform on which small business owners are promoting their businesses and learning about their customers.
Guide to Managing Customer Relationships
Your best source of additional revenue is the customers who are already doing business with you. Learn how to better serve them and you'll spare yourself the trouble and expense of constantly trolling for new prospects.
Help, My Logo is So 1999!
Do you look at your own logo and get the feeling you're still stuck in the 20th century?
Most large corporations "refresh" their logos over the years. Periodically they give them makeovers. An updated font here, a new color there, maybe some stripes - and you have yourself an updated logo.
How to network online
Who says your favorite Myspace / Facebook / Multiply / Bebo accounts are plainly for socializing? With a significant number of small or medium enterprise (SME) owners thronging the net to date, online social networking communities have found a new face as potential marketing tools.
How To Unlock Your Company's Creativity
Innovation is one of those sexy-squishy words that big companies throw around in splashy ad campaigns and white papers. Innovation implies new stuff; new stuff implies growth; and growth implies higher stock prices and beach houses in the Hamptons.
How to Use Text Messaging to Reach Customers
Businesses are always seeking innovative ways to communicate efficiently and effectively with customers in order to maintain good customer service and to increase sales. While postal mailing, phoning, and most recently emailing have been utilized as methods of communication from businesses to its customers, a new communication star is emerging, known commonly as "text messaging" and also known as short message system ("SMS").
How to Use Your Blog to Bore Everyone to Death
Your blog can be a potent killing machine. It can cause an online catastrophe without even trying. You can maximize your blog's body count by following advice from regular blog assassins (like, possibly, us).
How Twitter Made My Website Better
A few weeks ago Chris Brogan published a list of the 100 blog topics that he wished people would cover. One of them was, "How Twitter Improved My Blog," and I accepted the challenge to write something along these lines. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with Twitter, you can read "The Tao of Twitter," "Newbies Guide to Twitter," or "Ode to Twitter.") Here is my answer to Chris's request.
Idea Bar: The Uber Business Card
I've been to a lot of conferences and tradeshows recently, and as most attendees of those types of events know, you get a lot of freebies. The whole idea of many exposition halls is for companies to find ways to give away the right free crap with their names on it to that they can increase awareness of their solution among the right influentials and maybe even sell their solution or product to a few people as well.
Improving Customer Service & Customer Retention Levels
The obvious importance of the collection of accounts receivable is, that a sale isn't a sale until you're paid, and that all businesses run on money. A less obvious but important reason is that of customer service and retention levels.
Is appreciation referral motivation enough?
I talk to lots of small business owners and marketers about referrals. One of the burning questions always revolves around the topic of motivation. In other words, how do you motivate someone to refer your business when the time comes. Or, the perfect situation, how to do you get them to proactively evangelize your business.
Is networking online really that different?
With all of the hoopla these days about networking online I can't help but wonder why people get so confused about how to approach these new tools. See, networking is networking, only the tools that you can employ have changed.
When you think about it, hasn't networking always been social networking?
Is the Opportunity Real?
We've all been in that sales situation where you think you have it wrapped up and at the last minute it stalls. They stop returning your calls and emails, all correspondences are very short and to the point, the RFP is hanging out there, it seems like your prospect has simply fallen off the face of the earth. So what happened?
Join Forces
Marketing for a charitable cause can benefit your company, too.
Lights! Camera! Sales!
Online video has become a daily fix for millions of people. Now entrepreneurs are starting to cash in on that obsession.
Location, Location, Location
Ads are placed in locations with the highest amount of visibility to effectively reach their target, the consumer. On the average, people go to the bathroom 6 times a day. Public restrooms are used very often. Why not place your business or product in front of thousands of people who use restrooms everyday? This is a sure-fire way to grab people's attention.
Make them smile
Adam Golomb from Eat'n Park sent me these delicious cookies in response to my post "Never a normal thank you."
These folks know how to get people talking about you.
Make Your Ads Workhorses
Tough economic times demand productive ads. Learn the 4 most critical elements for ads that get results.
Marketing in Your Local Community
For most small businesses, all marketing is local marketing - as it should be. But even if your company is regional or national in scope, it's a good idea to "go local" to select, targeted communities. The keys to effective community marketing can be summed up with three guidelines.
Marketing to Gen Y: What you can't afford not to know
Generation Y. You've heard that they don't watch TV, and you've probably been told that they don’t read that much. Your research tells you that you can't target them through MTV anymore, and you certainly can't tell Gen Y what is cool. So how do you reach these 71 million "Millennials" that spend over 200 billion dollars annually and will soon replace the baby boomer generation as the largest percentage of the workforce? The answer is simple—you STOP marketing to them. Let me explain.
Marketing to Gen Y: What you can't afford not to know
Generation Y. You've heard that they don't watch TV, and you've probably been told that they don't read that much. Your research tells you that you can't target them through MTV anymore, and you certainly can't tell Gen Y what is cool. So how do you reach these 71 million "Millennials" that spend over 200 billion dollars annually and will soon replace the baby boomer generation as the largest percentage of the workforce? The answer is simple-you STOP marketing to them.
Marketing With the Pros
There's plenty of help available when it comes to marketing. The key is choosing the right kind to help grow your business.
Marketing Your Home Based Biz
Even if it's the only thing you do to promote your home based business, e-mail marketing will get you repeat business and referrals without breaking the bank.
McDonald's Shows Off Talented Workers
As the title implies, this is the second time around for the event, which debuted in 2006. Then as now, company talent shows were nothing new. But the sheer number of McDonald's participants-some 3,600 working at restaurants in 53 countries signed up for the most recent contest-helped generate valuable media coverage and customer involvement.
No More "Me Too" Marketing
Before you can beat your competitors, customers have to be able to tell you apart. Here are 3 steps to becoming the leader of the pack.
One Person's Networking Is Another’s Spam
Is it ethical to add your online social networking connections to your annual holiday update email, your company's monthly newsletter list, or even just to a list of people you routinely contact? Where are the boundaries?
Perfecting a Great Elevator Pitch
Timely tips for creating a unique, results-oriented elevator pitch. Achieve success with an innovative elevator pitch, and boost your networking returns fast.
Printing 2.0
Started on slick and colorful calling cards for the social networking circuit, Moo has quickly become an international stationery brand.
Promote a Product By Giving It Away
As important as his editorial and advertising strategy was to the success of Ocean Drive, Jerry says the most important thing he did from a business perspective was to give the publication away.
Real Moms Do Blog
Whether you start your own or visit someone else's, blogs can help you build the relationships your business needs.
Rebrand Awards- An Inside Peek
I spent the major part of last week in Rhode Island on the jury panel for the 2008 Rebrand awards, a yearly award series that offers companies the highest possible recognition for brand rebuilding and redesign in the business arena.
While the winners we finally agreed upon cannot be revealed until March of next year, the process of meeting with business, marketing and design minds from a range of different places and backgrounds, and of considering the applications submitted by over 100 companies that have recently engaged in substantial rebrands, is worth a brief glance.
Relationship marketing helps you stand out in the crowd
How can you stand out from the crowd?
Today we're swamped with way too much information. I'm not talking about the junk mail ( we can filter that out), but the good stuff that we want is in the way. It is like going to your favorite restaurant, ordering your absolute, lust-after favorite food---and they bring you WAY too much of it.
Should your business be on Facebook?
A lot of small business owners are asking themselves if diving into the social networking phenomenon will work for them and, if so, where to begin.
Shut Up And Open Your Ears
If all products were one-size-fits-all, the motor-mouth approach might work. But most accounts are custom jobs--especially when they involve technology solutions or financial and consulting gigs.
Staying top of mind
It's a pretty accepted fact that finding ways to do more business or get more referrals from your existing customers is a smart way to build a business. But as the din of noisy demands captures your attention it's easy to forget all about those existing customers until they pick-up the phone and reorder.
Stop Blaming Your Network
Not getting the referrals you want? Stop pointing fingers and start taking charge of your company's success.
Stop the Small Talk
Maximize your word-of-mouth marketing efforts with these 4 talking tips that'll help you capitalize on your conversations.
Ten Things You Didn't Know About Facebook
Jesse Stay is a social media guru. He is the co-author of I'm on Facebook--Now What???: How to Get Personal, Business, and Professional Value from Facebook with Jason Alba. This book helps individuals and business owners better manage their lives through Facebook. I asked him to provide ten Facebook power tips...
The Art of the Business Card
A few weeks ago I was in Charlotte to make a speech for Network Solutions, and I met Justin Ruckman. He handed me his business card--which I just loved. For once, a business card that cuts to the chase and is readable. Hallelujah! So I asked him to make business cards for me. Take a look at your business card: Can people really read the 8 point type?
The Case for Case Studies
If you're a successful business owner, you probably have a roster of clients that have successfully used your product or service. Customers that have experienced greater profits, improved productivity or reduced labor expenses as a result of your company aren't just trophies on your business mantle. They also are fodder for publicity. In fact, they're gems.
The Digital Divide
Why is it so hard for marketers to fully embrace the digital revolution? Old habits die hard, says Kevin Roberts, Saatchi & Saatchi's worldwide CEO. And there's foot-dragging in all quarters. But denial is not a winning strategy, and recogni
