17 Essential Elements of a Successful Direct Mail Marketing Campaign
“Direct mail marketing doesn’t work!!” “Direct mail marketing is expensive!” Chances are that you’ve said or heard the above statements regarding direct mail marketing many times. But the fact is that direct mail marketing does work and can be an inexpensive way to gain new leads. Why use Direct Mail Marketing? Direct mail marketing can...
5 Marketing Lessons We Can Learn from Google
I am always looking for marketing lessons to help my small business clients get better results. This week I got an unsolicited telephone call from Google, of all companies, which started me thinking. Why is Google, who is unquestionably the king of online marketing, engaging in telemarketing? I'd be interested to hear what the people...
86 Common Sense Marketing Ideas for Startups
When starting a business, marketing is (or should be) the business owner's biggest priority. Yet many startups have no clue about marketing. With that in mind, I thought who better to learn what works in marketing than from those who have gone before? I reached out to established business owners across all industries to see...
10 Budget-Friendly Ways to Market Your Business
Every business owner needs to make the most of their marketing dollars and sometimes thinking outside the box can help you do much more with less. Here are 10 great ways to market your business without busting your bank account provided by business owners across the country. I love writing posts like this. The advice...
5 Creative Marketing Ideas for Mother’s Day
Mother's Day is Sunday May 13th, 2012, and is an excellent opportunity to build buzz for your business with some creative marketing! From Mother's Day Contests to Mother's Day themed promotions, here are 5 creative Mother's Day Marketing ideas that will help you bring more customers in your door. 1. Create a Mother's Day Gift...
9 Big Marketing Ideas for Small Business
Small business owners are always on the lookout for that one big marketing idea that will catapult their business into the stratosphere. What I've found, however, is that it isn't just one marketing idea but many marketing ideas, implemented strategically and consistently over time that reap the best results. Here are nine of my favorite...
6 World’s Worst Marketing Tips
I spend a lot of time talking with small business owners about how they can get new customers and grow their business. I love hearing about new and innovative ways that companies and business owners have used to market their brand, build some buzz, and get their company in front of the right prospects. While...
5 Tips to Optimize Your Facebook Timeline for Business
Business owners beware! Facebook has changed the game again, and this time the change involves your business! On March 1st, 2012, Facebook rolled out Facebook Pages (otherwise known as Timeline) for businesses, brands and organizations. All business pages will be converted to this new format automatically on March 30th, 2012. You can choose to have your...
The Downside of Guerrilla Marketing-Four Things You Need to Know
If you have ever seen a group of people suddenly start dancing in the mall, noticed a barrage of bumper stickers covering surfaces downtown, or been attracted to an unusual display in a shop window or on a street corner, you have experienced guerilla marketing. This strategy, which is touted as a low-cost, high-impact alternative...
23 of the Best Smartphone Apps for Businesses and Fun
If you are like me, your smartphone has become your window to the world, both for your personal life and for your business. I have had both and Android phone and an iPhone and I have to say I liked them both! In fact I have to admit I liked my Android phone a little...
What Business Owners Can Learn About Marketing From Girl Scout Cookie Selling Superstars
It's Girl Scout cookie time and you don't have to go out of your way to find a group of girls in green uniforms with a table full of colorful cookie boxes and sweet smiling faces asking if you want to buy a box or two or three. From the outside, these girls may look like...
5 Things You Need to Know About Marketing Your Business On Pinterest
I've found a new addiction on the Internet; it's Pinterest. And it appears that I'm not the only one that's addicted to this amazing website. With close to 12 million active visitors in the US per month Pinterest just happens to be the newest "big thing" in the social media world. In case you haven't...
Are You Missing Out on This Direct Marketing Opportunity?
Last weekend I went to a local farmer's market to buy some fresh fruits and vegetables. As I visited the different businesses exhibiting at the market, I couldn't help but put on my marketing hat. After all that's what I do! My biggest observation was that while all of the businesses were there to sell...
Business Owners: If I Had Known Then What I Know Now
I've made many mistakes in business as a business owner the last 20 years. There was a time in the beginning when I thought that I had all of the time in the world. But now I feel like I can't afford the luxury of wasting precious time anymore by making costly mistakes. If you're...
30 Ways to Make Your Business Stand Out From the Crowd
Let's face it, starting a business can be very easy, but staying in business can be very difficult given that our customers have too many choices on where to spend their hard-earned cash. So the question I posed to small business owners was "How do you make your business stand out from the crowd so...
4 Reasons to Use Google+ to Market Your Business
Many of the small business owners I work with are suffering from social media fatigue. The past few years have been a whirlwind of new technology that has left many of us wondering; "is all of this social media really worth while for marketing my business?" The recent introduction of Google+ for business into this...
5 Tips for Using Email Marketing to Boost Your Business
Every small business owner understands the value of building relationships with customers. But many of us get lost when it comes to building relationships with potential customers. As a business owner, I've learned that success in marketing is all about timing. The optimal time for a business to sell a product or service to a...
28 Small Business Marketing Resolutions for the New Year
It is common practice to set New Year's resolutions in our personal lives, but how often do we do it for our business? As you look forward to running your small business in 2012, think about what resolutions you can make specific to your marketing plan that will give you the most buzz for your buck....
5 Tips For Writing Your 2012 Marketing Plan
2011 is almost over and planning for the next year can get lost in the business of the of the holiday season. However, the best way to get 2012 off to a great start is to put some thought into your 2012 marketing plan outlining where you want to go and how you plan to...
5 Easy Ways to Participate in Small Business Saturday
Note: A couple of weeks ago I wrote about holiday marketing ideas and Liz Cies from Aweber had so many great marketing ideas I invited her to write today's post! I think you'll find some valuable nuggets in her article. Enjoy! Thanksgiving is over and the fun is just beginning. For many people, the day...