Marketing tips, thoughts and expert advice for small business owners and other professionals
Make the Most of Obscure Holidays
Looking for an excuse to reach out to your customers, or something fun to use as the basis for a special offer or marketing campaign? As this email that I once received from Panda Express reminded me, “obscure holidays” are the answer! Every month has multiple options...
Marketing Advice from a Happiness Book
About a decade ago I bought a book that was sitting on a bookstore’s “bargain” shelf calling my name. “The Happiness Makeover: How to Teach Yourself to Be Happy and Enjoy Every Day,” by M. J. Ryan, had such a profound impact on my personal happiness that it was quite...
Are Your Salespeople Making the Most of Your Content?
Blogs…eBooks…webinars…special reports…case studies...social media posts…and more. There are many different types of marketing content that your business can create. The point of all of this content is usually to share information in order to attract and engage...
Make it Easy for Prospects to Say “Yes”
If yours is like many small businesses, much of your marketing program is geared towards attracting prospective clients to your business. Getting them in the door (or on the phone or at your website), however, is just the first step. Once they arrive, you need to do...
How to Get People to Pay More for Your Products
When it comes to the value of your products or services, perception is everything. This is because value is tied to meaning, and the same product can mean different things to different people. It’s all a matter of perception. Luckily there are things you can do to...
Don’t Expect People to Connect the Dots
Picture this: You arrive home to find ants crawling all over your kitchen. You whip out your phone and Google for an exterminator. You want a solution NOW, and the first company you find that impresses you in some way will get your business. You click through to the...
Presentation is Everything
What’s for dinner tonight? Will it be “beef, potatoes and vegetables” – or Orange Teriyaki Marinated Flank Steak with Herbed Oven Roasted Potatoes and Grilled Zucchini Ribbons? Quite often how you present something makes a big difference in how it is perceived. This...
5 Things Your Website Developer Ought to Tell You
Some businesspeople like to surround themselves with subordinates and vendors who will praise all of their ideas, whether or not their ideas are good. Luckily, none of my clients are like that! After all, what’s the point in hiring a professional if you don’t want...
Why is Business Networking a Successful Marketing Tactic?
Unless your business is located in a sparsely-populated area, there are probably a number of business networking groups near you. There are Chamber of Commerce groups; local chapters of national groups such as BNI, LeTip and NAWBO (National Association of Women...
Proofread Everything
When my kids were in elementary school they attended a school that encouraged students to write as soon as they could read. They wanted the kids to experience the joy of expressing their ideas on paper, without being limited to the relatively small list of words that...