3 Little Must Do’s for your Business Facebook Page
It's the simple things that always separate you from your competitors. Nothing is more evident of that fact than with Facebook. It’s not hard to tell the difference between businesses that do the homework before they jump in and those...
Separation of Personal Page and Business Page Like Separation of Church and State
A lot of us have Facebook personal pages as well as business pages. A pet peeve of mine is people who spend most of their time on their pages talking about their business, sharing the links from their business, and...
Protecting Your Brand Image: The Role of Publicist and Bodyguard
Have you ever considered how often your brand is on stage in the public eye? The reality is that your brand is always on stage. It never takes a break, never retreats to the dressing room, and never blends into...
Informational Marketing: Position Your Brand as a Knowledge Hub
One of the most potent ways you can (and should) use your brand is to position it as an informational marketing resource for your customers. Think about it: every one of us accumulates significant information/trivia in our given field simply...
Going the Extra Mile for Customers: Turning Ordinary Moments into Memorable Experiences
You know those moments when you intentionally choose to go the extra mile? When you do something unexpected to ensure your customers have an experience they won't forget? In these moments, your brand takes flight and transforms from being expected...
We Can’t All Speak the Same Can We?
We see blogs every day with five ways to do this and ten ways to do that—this is how you need to do social media. If we all operated our social media the way the gurus say, then what would...
Marketing Features vs Benefits: Why Should Your Customers Care?
Is your business volume not entirely where you'd like it to be? Are you thinking of launching an advertising campaign to drive traffic to your business? That's a great idea! But before you dive in, it's essential to stop and...
If Organization Networking Why Not Social Media Networking?
For years, local business owners have joined networking organizations and clubs. Regional Chamber, 20/30, Rotary, BNI, to name a few. Some are exactly what they are networking, and some are disguised as charitable, although we know that 90% of the...
Choosing the Right Marketing Agency: What to Look For
As the new year approaches, many businesses evaluate their strategies and marketing plans. If you don't have a marketing agency, now might be the time to start looking for one. If you already have one, you might be considering a...
Why Twitter? Maybe for the News
Everyone talks about how to use social media, and if you follow their ten steps, you'll succeed. The one category that is using Twitter the right way is our local journalists. That is why you, the local small business owner,...
Evolution of Marketing: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going
As another year approaches, it's the perfect time to reflect on the evolution of marketing over the past decade. Ten years ago, the marketing landscape looked vastly different. Social media, mobile marketing, and online reputation management were emerging concepts, far...
How the Marketing Landscape has Changed for 2011
The marketing landscape is changing quite rapidly these days. If you're still advertising the way you were in 2009, you're missing some valuable opportunities today, and more importantly, you'll miss significant opportunities as we move into 2011. [caption id="attachment_383" align="alignright"...
Why You Should Revisit Your Marketing Plan Regularly
As we often assess our personal lives and make resolutions for change, the same should be true for our marketing strategies. Whether you've already developed a marketing plan for the year or are just starting, this is an ideal time...
Brand Book Tutorial: Does Your Brand Have a Brand Book?
I recently stumbled upon this hilarious brand book from The Quietroom about their Santa brand book, and I'm glad I did for several reasons. First and foremost, it's funny! Having written a few brand books myself, I can confidently say...
Choosing a Target Market: The Key to Effective Marketing
Focusing on and choosing a target market is often one of the most complex decisions for a business. The hesitation makes sense—you don't want to exclude potential customers or show preference for one over another. But here's the thing: getting...
Best Advertising Strategies for Small Businesses: Where to Get the Biggest Bang for Your Buck
Lately, I've had a lot of conversations with business owners about finding the best advertising strategies for small businesses. It's a common challenge—deciding where to invest your limited budget for the best results. You're not alone if you're wondering how...
Layering Social Media Marketing: 5 Ways to Maximize Effectiveness
Like any other advertising medium, social media works best when layered. The beauty of layering social media marketing is that it's easy to do, and it amplifies the impact of the work you're already doing. Here are the top five...
Assessing Your Marketing Efforts: Why Brutal Honesty is Key
I came across a tweet this morning from @DeeBlick that read: "Being painfully honest about where you wasted money on marketing is positive. Don’t repeat the same old lacklustre stuff. Embrace change." This is an excellent reminder for all of...
Creating an Effective Elevator Pitch
We've all heard the advice—you need to be able to describe your company and what you do in the time it takes to ride an elevator from one floor to another. Known as the "elevator pitch," this short and impactful...
Facebook Marketing for Small Businesses: Why You Need to Be There
The other day, I was chatting with someone whose experience with Facebook had been less than stellar. It felt like a meat market or a single scene, so she was understandably mystified about why any business would want to be...
