All Entries in the "Marketing" Category
Why Even Great Marketing Ideas Fail
Small business owners are always devising “killer” marketing or ad campaigns that – in theory at least – will send business soaring. Whether created in-house or with outside help, it can be a great concept, with sparkling design and a compelling message and yet still bomb big time. What’s up with that? In most cases [...]
Which Social Media Work Best for Business
Small business owners are continuing to try social media as a marketing channel. But with so many options – and limited time and resources to use them – which ones are working best? As with so many other things in business, the answer is: “It depends.” One thing is clear: Small businesses are moving headlong [...]
Why Marketing Metrics Matter to Your Business
When it comes to measuring marketing success, many business owners (and professional marketers) prefer to think that results are more magic than math. But that’s just not so. The digital era – with it’s easy (relatively) access to analytics – has introduced a whole new way of thinking. Using real data, business owners can now [...]
5 Free or Frugal Business PR Tools
Business owners and startup entrepreneurs are always searching for low-cost and no-cost ways to promote their businesses and get their name in front of potential customers. PR is a perfect way for most businesses to get attention and attract new customers. Nothing brings people to your door (website, Facebook page, etc.) like PR. Most businesses [...]
8 Essentials of Successful Discounting
These days, if you aren’t offering a discount of some kind (or at least the appearance of one), you might not be selling much of anything. Pervasive discounting by businesses both big and small has caused buyers to demand deals on anything and everything. In the midst of all this, how can business owners and [...]
13 Business Resolutions for 2013
Here they are, along with some of our best tips and strategies to help you pull each one off: Resolution #1: Fix my website! Here are 10 things that are probably wrong with your site, and how to fix them: 10 Things Wrong With Your Website Resolution#2: Improve our customer service! Here’s how: 8 Ways to [...]
6 Social Media Changes That Will Rattle Business
Social media has already had a huge impact on businesses both large and small. But according to the latest projections from the research firm International Data Corp. (IDC), there’s a lot more change coming. IDC analysts expect the coming year to be pivotal for social media in business with (among other things) a new emphasis [...]
The Art of the Tweet Tease
TV and other news organizations are skilled at using “teasers” to entice interest in a particular story and get readers or viewers to click or tune in. It works! So when you tweet for yourself, your business or your brand, you should aspire to do the same. The result will be a higher headcount of [...]
9 Steps to Lead Nurturing Success
If your business is spending precious ad and marketing dollars to generate leads, and you have prospects calling or clicking as hoped, great! But what now? Leads must convert to sales – either now or in the future – before they can benefit your bottom line. How and when you respond to leads is critical [...]
20 Digital Trends You Need to Know
I just completed an interactive local media conference where some of today’s smartest minds in digital were gathered, from the likes of Google, Facebook, IdeaLab, CitiGrid, Constant Contact and dozens more. Here’s my list of the Top 20 trends (and some implications) in digital, search, social media and online marketing that emerged from this semi-annual [...]
