Posts Tagged marketing
Free Small Business Marketing Webinar
On Wednesday, August 26, Network Solutions® is hosting a FREE small business webinar on successfully marketing your business during the economic downturn. Due to the economy, many small businesses have lowered their marketing budget in an effort to cut down on expenses. The GrowSmartBusiness team recognizes that marketing, in any form, is crucial to driving business growth and sales. The “How Do You Effectively Market Your Small Business in a Downturn Economy?” webinar is designed to teach entrepreneurs and small biz owners how to find and utilize creative ways to successfully market their businesses, all while staying within a smaller budget. Featured speakers include:
- Jay Ehret, founder and Chief Steward of The Marketing Spot in Waco, Texas
- Susan Gunelius, President and CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications provider
- Jay Berkowitz, CEO of Ten Golden Rules, a business-to-business Internet marketing agency in Boca Raton, Florida
This event promises to be a great learning opportunity for all who attend–and it’s free! To register and learn more, visit http://growsmartbusiness.com/small-business-news/2009/08/free-webinar-how-do-you-effectively-market-your-small-business-in-a-downturn-economy/.
Add comment August 21, 2009
Tips for Your Business’ Facebook® Profile
If your small business has a Facebook® page, you should check out this list of things you should—and shouldn’t—do when it comes to filling out your profile, connecting with other Facebook users, and sharing information. Meryl Evans gives a lot of great tips (I encourage you to read her whole article), but there are a few that really stand out to me:
Tip #5: Separate your business and personal lives. You can give your business some personality with Facebook®, but don’t turn your business’ profile into your own personal profile.
Tip #10: Get a personalized URL. This is a relatively new feature. Now you can set your profile’s URL to something like “facebook.com/mybusiness.” Your customers will be able to find your business easier, and it’ll also help you from an SEO perspective.
Tip #11: Include a link to your Facebook® page in your email signature. This is an effort-free way to ensure that word gets out about your profile.
Tip #24: Suggest friends to your network. If you think someone can be a valuable contact for one of your contacts, encourage the connection. They’ll appreciate the thought.
Tip #29: Keep your contacts updated on company events. If your business is going to be present at an event, is offering a sale, or has added new products, write about it in your status or in a note.
Facebook® is free, easy to use, and effective—that’s a rare combination these days, so take advantate of it! With a little help, your profile page can become a successful way to promote your small business.
To read Evans’ full article and find great advice on maximizing the potential of your Facebook® business page, visit http://webworkerdaily.com/2009/07/21/32-ways-to-use-facebook-for-business/.
Add comment July 24, 2009
Interview With Bob London: Gain Valuable Marketing Tips
Marketing can be a tricky area for small businesses: A lot of small biz owners haven’t been through any formal training, making marketing a learn-as-you-go process. If you need some marketing advice—and let’s face it, most of us do—check out this interview with Bob London. Bob is the mastermind behind London, Ink, a firm that helps businesses set up successful marketing campaigns. Shashi from GrowSmartBusiness.com recently caught up with Bob at a networking event, and lucky for us, he took the opportunity to capture some of Bob’s business advice on video.
To watch the full interview with Bob London and gain great marketing insight, visit http://growsmartbusiness.com/2009/06/great-marketing-tips-from-bob-london-of-london-ink/.
1 comment June 1, 2009
Effective Written Communication Starts with a Good Headline
Blogs, marketing emails, press releases and brochures – what do these promotional materials have in common? They all require strong headline copy.
You must be able to grab your audience’s attention if you want your marketing efforts to be effective. The following article provides great tips on writing effective headlines: http://www.copyblogger.com/magnetic-headlines/
Add comment March 17, 2009
Why Your Small Business Needs to Find Its Niche
Small business owners, whether single, married, or happily dating, can learn a thing or two from online dating sites. How? Just take a look at some of the online dating Web sites that are out there: JDate® connects Jewish singles; Trek Passions is for sci-fi fans looking for love; ScientificMatch takes the biological match-making approach by using DNA to find your perfect partner; AgeMatch caters to those seeking a May-December romance. (To see a few more unique dating sides, check out David Spark’s article “Most Unusual and Unique Online Dating Sites” over at Mashable.com.)
What do small businesses and online dating sites have in common? They both thrive when they find their niche. The “less is more” way of thinking works for online dating services because it narrows the dating field down to a group of individuals who already know they’re going to have something in common. Clients don’t have to waste their time with dates that are destined to turn out poorly, and can instead spend more time with potential Mr. or Ms. Rights. This can work for small businesses as well.
Limiting the amount of products your business offers gives you the opportunity to become more knowledgeable in your industry. Customers will be drawn to your business since they know that you’ll have both the product and the expertise they are seeking. Niche marketing is another strategy that works well for small businesses since it lowers the amount of competition they are facing, and since money isn’t being spent on marketing to the “wrong” groups, niche marketing can be very cost effective as well.
Finding a niche is a great way to improve your business’s marketing success since you can focus your efforts on your target audience, and it also allows you to become more of an authority on the products or services you offer. For more information on finding your business’s niche, marketing, and other small business topics, visit MySolutionSpot.com.
1 comment February 20, 2009
Why Incorporating Printable Coupons Is a Good Idea
Your Web site is more than just an informative resource about your business. It is an incredible marketing tool – a vehicle through which you can communicate with your target market. You should treat your Web site like an online billboard and maintain fresh content that will grab consumer attention.
Incorporating printable coupons is an incredible way to draw in new customers and expand your client base. Through periodically publishing limited-time discounts or specials, you will be able to encourage people to try out your services or buy your products, and return to your site.
Printable coupons can also be used as part of your loyalty program. By rewarding repeat customers with printable coupons, you will be able to show them your appreciation for their business and give them an incentive to continue their relationship with you.
Printable coupons are just one of many ways you can use your Web site as a promotional tool. To learn about other methods for enhancing your business through the use of your Web site, go to www.MySolutionSpot.com.
Add comment October 13, 2008
Need Promotional Ideas?
Recently, we’ve come across an interesting blog entitled Matt’s Creative Advertising Blog. Comprised of contributions by a number of marketing professionals, this site provides insight on variety of promotional tools, from business cards to toll-free business phone numbers. If you’re shopping for ideas, this is a good place to look.
2 comments September 30, 2008
