There are right and wrong ways to go about any marketing strategy. At a networking event I just attended, I had a conversation with a CPA about doing an e-book. She felt if she wrote a book no one would hire her. That’s a response I hear from many people. When you offer a free e-book or consultation it’s not about giving away everything. It’s meant to encourage people to … [Read more...]
Promote Your Business with Coupons: Quick and Easy!
Coupons are an ideal way to promote your business. They can cost almost nothing, allow you to change offers almost immediately, and can drive prospects to your website for more information. Coupons Are Inexpensive Let’s start with “cost almost nothing.” Although print media and direct mail still offer coupons that have to be designed, printed and distributed, you can get … [Read more...]
Understanding Your Customers with Your Online Persona
You’ll often hear advice on developing an online persona to help market yourself, but it's also a powerful tool if you’re running a small business. Small businesses must be attentive to which customers they’re speaking to. Larger corporations have many kinds of customers they can market to, but small businesses have their own specialties---making it easier to know who to … [Read more...]
How to Market Your Best Asset
One of the biggest challenges for small businesses and budding entrepreneurs is effective marketing on a shoestring or with no budget. You can’t get or do any better than word of mouth. Word of mouth is mainly based on an impression you made with a client or prospect who would like to do business with you in the future. That impression has value. You can trade on that … [Read more...]
How to Identify and Develop Your Brand Personality for Small Business Success
Sponsored by Visa Business: Is your brand fun or serious? Is it friendly or professional? If your brand were a person, what type of person would it be? What is your brand personality? Every brand has a personality that positions it in consumers’ minds in the marketplace. Over time, your brand personality could become so distinct and so well known that it becomes a … [Read more...]
How to Develop a Small Business Social Media Strategy
Social media is one of the most inexpensive and easiest forms of marketing available to small business owners today. If your business doesn’t have a social media strategy, you really need to plan one and begin implementing steps to make your social media presence strong. More and more consumers are turning to social reviews and sites to determine where they are going to … [Read more...]
3 Elements to Attract New Customers to Your Business
You have finally opened your dream business – a restaurant – and you’re now ready to put all your other plans into action. You can’t expect instant results if you’ve barely opened shop. It takes time, effort, and patience to get your business on solid ground. Of course, once your business has gained ground, you need to keep it afloat, and this is where your customers come in. … [Read more...]
Small Business Marketing Strategies to Compete with Big Brands
Sponsored by Visa Business: It's National Small Business Week, which means it's time to honor the many small business owners, including women business owners, around the United States who contribute to their communities and the economy every day. In 1963, the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) rolled out National Small Business Week, and to me, it's the perfect time … [Read more...]
Affiliate Marketing for Events – How Does It Work?
Affiliate marketing is often billed as one of the top online marketing programs for small businesses. Why Is Affiliate Marketing Great for Small Businesses? There is just no risk when it comes to affiliate marketing. The whole burden of advertising, sales, and promotion is placed on the shoulders of the affiliates. You only pay money when the results come in. With an … [Read more...]
Women Small Business Owners Use Social Media for Marketing More than Male Counterparts [Infographic]
New studies by Web.com, reveal the differences between how women small business owners use the web and social media to grow their businesses in comparison to male small business owners. Web.com first interviewed 3,000 consumers and small business decision makers to determine if there are gaps between the two groups related to small business perceptions. Interestingly, the … [Read more...]