Feed for content matching tag 'marketing'

Do you use Twitter as a marketing tool?

updates@sbcommunity.bankofamerica.com — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:27:01 GMT

Twitter provides a wonderful opportunity to market a product or service. Do you use Twitter effectly, and how do you use it? My Twitter account is Drachsi

Drachsi

I took your advice and revamped my website! Check it out!!!

updates@sbcommunity.bankofamerica.com — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:35:23 GMT

To Phillip and everyone else that gave me advice on my blog and my business site...THANK YOU!

Check 'em out!

www.prosperunlimited.com

I was able to setup the email subscription button on this site:

www.prosperunlimited.blogspot.com

Tell me what you think!!!

Facebook vs Twitter-- what's your preference?

updates@sbcommunity.bankofamerica.com — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:21:04 GMT

I prefer Facebook because you can make sense of the noise and there's an ad platform for rich targeting. Also, Facebook has 100 times the traffic of twitter, so if you have to choose, it's easy. How about you?

Sophia_Myles

Secrets in Email Marketing

updates@sbcommunity.bankofamerica.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:42:49 GMT

I sent out another bundle of marketing emails today and am now curious about how others are doing it these days.

The secret of mine is list separating - separate your contacts into different groups and send in different times with different IPs. It helps me a lot in avoiding being regarded as spam.

What are your secrets?

3 Ways Internet Coupons Benefit Your Business

updates@sbcommunity.bankofamerica.com — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:32:38 GMT

Getting the word out on your business and the products you sell or services you deliver can be challenging. Getting customers' interests and getting them to visit your website or store is the backbone of any successful marketing strategy. Internet coupons can be helpful when it comes to advertising your business, and may also be a great way to lure in potential customers. Repeat offers or continual marketing could bring in repeat business and other features that offer bonuses, such as check in programs, could also entice customers to return to your business.

Cost efficiency

Internet coupons are a very cost efficient option compared to other alternatives such as print advertising and having coupons printed in the newspaper. Pay-per-click advertising is one of the most popular forms of advertising online, but it is also one of the most expensive. You could start up a campaign using internet coupons for a fraction of a pay-per-click campaign, and you only pay when a lead converts instead of when they click on your link. This means that you're not wasting a single cent of your advertising revenue on leads that visit but do not convert.

There's also the fact that a lot of online coupon sites offer businesses a low monthly fee, so the costs of getting your deals out there are much lower than they would be with other sites. Look for sites that offer reduced fees on the first few months because this gives you a chance to see how your deals convert.

Flexibility

Internet coupons can be a great form of marketing, and offers a far more flexible marketing option than print media. If you choose the right site, you'll find that you're able to change your campaign at a moment's notice, so you could alter your campaign and pull coupons or introduce new ones as you go along. The changes are instant, especially when you have access to a dashboard that gives you real-time stats and information whenever you log in.

Laser-targeted marketing

Internet coupons sites often gather information about consumers that use their services, and this means that you can get access to laser-targeted leads. Your product or deal will be displayed to members within a certain geographical area, and you may be able to specify other criteria as well. Geographical targeting is a relatively new concept because most sites are focused on making deals available nationally. Using a site that displays deals based on a user's location can draw in a lot of business and interest, and it can do it almost instantly.

Doing business means keeping up to date with and using modern technology and, Internet coupons are about as 'cutting edge' as it gets. The number of smart phone and Internet users are growing exponentially, and taking advantage of this could help you increase the reach of your advertising and coupon campaigns. It's not only an effective form of marketing, but is affordable, flexible, and targeted. You'll be able to see exactly where your advertising revenue goes, and every cent spent will be on a viable lead.

Drachsi

8 Ways to Market on a Shoestring

updates@sbcommunity.bankofamerica.com — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:16:59 GMT

The dirty little secret about entrepreneurship is that most people who start a business had no idea what they were doing when they began – myself included. Oh sure, they may have read some books and articles, gone to seminars, or maybe have even written a business plan. But actually knowing what to expect, what slings and arrows would come their way – no.

The good news about that, as one intrepid entrepreneur once told me, is that you don’t know what you don’t know. That is – you don’t know enough to be scared or timid. The bad news is that there inevitably will be a steep learning curve as mistakes are made.

One mistake I see often has to do with marketing. People usually start a business because they find something they love and want to do that every day, for example a gardener buying a nursery. But because someone knows how to grow orchids does not mean that they know how to grow a business.

Indeed, most small businesses discover one or two marketing ideas, use them, then beat them to death, and wonder why they are not getting any new customers. The reason it doesn’t work is simple: By doing the same old thing again and again, the same people see your business. If you mix it up and try something new, different people will discover you are out there and your business will grow. Here are some inexpensive and easy ways to implement marketing ideas that you can use. Let me suggest that you test several (maybe four or five) and then roll out two or three of the most promising:

Click here to read more articles from small business expert Steve Strauss.

1. Email marketing: The idea is not to send out spam, but rather, individualized email offers to targeted individuals. Email marketing is the 21st century equivalent of direct mail. Create a list via a search or other means, create a snappy email offer and send it out. Maybe you will send it to members of your local chamber of commerce, or all the lawyers in town. It doesn't matter; what matters is that you can get in front of new potential customers at almost no cost.

2. Create an e-newsletter: If you don’t have an e-newsletter, then it’s time to hop on the bandwagon. E-newsletters are popular for a reason – they work. By offering interesting content (and a few specials) you can get people to agree to let you regularly contact them. Best of all, it costs nothing but your time.

3. E-newsletter advertising: What about this cool, affordable trick – find some e-newsletters that you like, and think would appeal to your type of customer, and advertise in them. It won’t cost much because the circulation numbers, especially in comparison to traditional advertising, will be small, but it will be highly targeted to your target market. Even better, as with any e-newsletter, the recipients want to receive the periodical.

4. Pay-per-click: As with e-newsletter advertising, the beauty of PPC ads is that you only pay for qualified leads – people who like your ad enough to click on it. Use PPC on Google, Facebook, Yahoo, MSN, etc.

5. Search Engine Optimization: Why even pay for a click when you can get one for free? SEO is the way. Yes, SEO takes a bit of time to learn, but it pays enormous dividends.

6. Overnight radio: Drive-time radio spots on a big station can cost upwards of $500 a minute. However, if you advertise on that same station overnight, while the numbers are of course much smaller, the costs are likely to be significantly less, potentially as low as $10 a spot.

7. Co-op advertising: My dad used to have a giant billboard on the San Diego freeway in Los Angeles that said “Carpet World . . . Elegance Underfoot.” In the corner it also said “featuring Ban-Lon Carpets.” Ban-Lon paid for about 80 percent of that advertisement. This is a perfect example of co-op advertising. If you have a wholesaler or distributor with whom you work, see if they offer co-op funds. Mention their product in your advertisement (online, in print, or over the air) and they will pick up a good portion of the costs.

8. Social media: Engaging in social media, if done right, can create new relationships and extend your brand and again, requires little of your time.

Okay, you get the idea. By expanding your options and marketing more with inexpensive, shoestring options, you can grow your business in any economy. If you want to learn even more about different ways to market your small business, you can watch this video.

About Steve Strauss

Steve Strauss is one of the world’s leading small business experts. The senior small business columnist for USA Today, his Ask an Expert column is one of the most highly-syndicated business columns in the country. Steve is also the author of the Small Business Bible and his latest book is Get Your Business Funded: Creative Methods for Getting the Money You Need. A popular media guest, Steve is a regular contributor to ABC News Now and frequently appears on television and radio. His business, The Strauss Group, creates unique, actionable, entertaining, and informative multi-media small business content.

Free Advertise !!

updates@sbcommunity.bankofamerica.com — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:29:06 GMT

I will advertise,your company or store for one week on my online store. Just to get you started.For free.
Just go to http://www.jfwarehouse.com/ and go to guestbook and let me know the name of your company or store.

We value your feedback! Please let us know how you like our products and feel free to give us suggestions on how we can better serve your needs. fill out our easy to use feedback form!

Clothing Mfg in North or South Carolina needed for new startup business

updates@sbcommunity.bankofamerica.com — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:23:47 GMT

Looking to start my own business and need an clothing manufacture in North or South Carolina. The clothing is underwear - any help with the manufacturer and/or business startup will be most appreciated. I really want to keep everything manufactured in either North or South Carolina. Thank you.

40 Home Based Business Ideas

updates@sbcommunity.bankofamerica.com — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 04:26:47 GMT

Are you wondering what of business you should start at home. Hope this list will help you decide

1. Freelance Photographer

2. Freelance Web Developer

3. Travel Agent

4. Catering

5. Tutor

6. Event Planner

7. T-Shirt Printing/Silk Screening

8. Personal Trainer

9. Direct Selling

10. Mobile Pet Grooming

11. Medical/Legal Transcription

12. Freelance Accountant

13. Freelance Interior Designer

14. Personal Chef

15. Jewelry Creation

16. Cleaning Service

17. Candle Making

18. Mobile Spa

19. Freelance Hairstylist

20. Herb Gardening

21. Gardening and Landscaping.

22. Errand Service

24. Online Boutique

25. Bazaar Organizer

26. Online Bakery/Dessert, Pastries and Sweets Shop

27. Freelance Writer

28 Flower Arranger

29. Professional Emcee

30. Home Based Tailor/Garment Alterations.

31. Online Buy/Sell

32. Video Editing

33. Pest Control

34. Handbag Design and Repair

35. Copywriter

36. Mobile Bar

37. Delivery-Only Food Service

38. Organic Farming

39. Courier Service

40. Community Tour Guide.

I just found this list on our local Entrepreneur Magazine and I think that I should share this list here. If you have other suggestions feel free to add it to the list.

You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good. - Jerry West

Staying On Message: How to Ensure Your Marketing Channels Speak as One

updates@sbcommunity.bankofamerica.com — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:09:19 GMT

by Sherron Lumley.

Who, exactly, are you? Amidst a veritable sea of sales pitches that consumers must navigate daily, that’s the essential question they are trying to answer when it comes to your small business. But if your company’s message is muddied or constantly shifting, connecting with potential customers in a way that reinforces trust and credibility becomes difficult, if not impossible.

“The world has changed,” says Sander Flaum, former chairman of Euro RSCG, one of the world’s largest advertising firms. “The whole concept has to be a unified one, because you look like an idiot otherwise. The marketing message has to be consistent. You can’t have one message for one channel and a different message for another channel.”

Staying on message means articulating a single passion or vision across all of the different platforms that your small business uses to advertise or promote itself—everything from Facebook to the phone book, from the graphics on your homepage to the signage on your front door. Keeping the content and appearance of your message consistent builds awareness, reinforces credibility, and fosters customer loyalty, while enabling you to reach multiple target audiences through the medium and style that they each prefer.

Many digital channels, one human voice.

Photographer and small business owner David Lutz, of Portland, Oregon, recently started promoting his events on Facebook. As one of the top commercial photographers in the Northwest, he understands the value of local marketing, but he also wants to position his business at the cutting edge and push it into larger markets. “Large companies have the resources,” he says, “but how does a smaller business do it?”

According to a recent social media survey from Social Strategy1 and Office Arrow, nearly nine out of 10 small business owners recognize social media does or will impact their ventures, yet half still say there’s too much social media to manage. Additionally, 44 percent of small business owners are concerned that social media can feed an “information overload,” and negatively impact a business’s image. While these fears aren’t completely unfounded, social media remains a powerful way to bundle and multiply the effectiveness of a small business’s integrated marketing strategy.

To marshal his marketing forces and keep his message consistent, Lutz’s company website, blog, and Facebook pages are all linked. He also has the ability to simultaneously post to Twitter and LinkedIn, making communicating that single message via all of these channels as simple as posting to one.

And as social media giants like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook have struck deals and formed partnerships, communication between the different applications and platforms has gotten even easier for users. (For a quick and easy how-to, check out Mashable’s articles on syncing social media, such as this one: “Twitter to Facebook, Five Ways to Post to Both.”)

Whereas Lutz’s previous methods of reaching customers mostly included art shows, galleries, and direct mailing, he says his new marketing focus is mostly digital, with an emphasis on his website, online store, and PDF versions of his catalog. “My goal with all of the social media is to drive people to my website home page, from where I get business,” he says. And while his Facebook page lets him showcase frequent photo updates, his business’s website is more content-rich, with consistent images.

Match your message to your market

“Your marketing and PR is meant to be the beginning of a relationship with buyers, and to drive action such as generating sales leads,” says market strategist David Scott. Here’s the rule: “When you write, start with your buyers, not with your product.”

Ernie Valdez, of Ernie’s Paint and Body Shop, in San Marcos, Texas, says with a wide range of customers from ages 16 to 80, his company’s slogan, “Just take it to Ernie’s,” works well because it solves a problem. Rather than selling any particular product or service, Valdez likes the idea of giving the customer a simple, reassuring answer to an age-old question: “How will I get my car fixed?”

For years Ernie’s advertising has included occasional TV commercials, billboards at the nearby college stadium, and local little league sponsorships. Now, with an increasingly saturated market, Ernie’s is expanding its marketing channels by adding an online component, highlighting its 25-year history and expertise on the company website, while also positioning the company as a trusted cornerstone of the community.

This tactic of sharing with the world your business’s expertise and developing messages that your buyers want to hear is a wise move, says Scott. Small businesses gain credibility and loyalty with buyers through content, he adds, so smart marketers will deliver messages targeted directly at their audience. When the message and image are consistent, such as with Ernie’s, the reward is a loyal customer base.

In marketing, it pays to sweat the small stuff

Consistent marketing also involves choosing psychographic symbols that trigger a repetitive recognition in the customer. These brand standards can encompass something as small as an email signature or as broad as a musical melody (think Intel’s distinctive “bum-bum, bum-BUM”). The four most important elements are: logo placement and sizing, consistent graphic symbols and shapes, specific font styles, and, finally, color, which is perhaps most important because of its link to memory retrieval and emotions (think red for Coca-Cola and brown for UPS.) A good starting point for finding a cohesive color palette is Color Scheme Designer, a free online tool used by graphic design professionals.

Once the brand standards and marketing message are set, some companies stand by them forever, but they don’t have to be etched in stone. “When a company begins to lose market share, this is when it’s time to change the message,” says Flaum. As a cautionary tale of strategy and marketing gone awry, Flaum cites one of the world’s top brands: Ford. After losing market share and dropping from the 30^th to 41^st most valuable brand in 2007, he notes that Ford acted quickly to refocus its operations and simplify its image—killing off its underperforming mid-range brand Mercury and selling off its expensive, luxury marques Range Rover and Jaguar.

Nowadays, a small business may reach its customers through a retail store, a website, social media, direct mail, email, or even text message and online chat, making it possible to tap multiple market segments and socio-economic groups of consumers. However, to build the trust and loyalty essential to strong customer relationships and long-term success, all of those various marketing channels must speak with a unified voice, so the customer can answer that key question “Who are you?”

Chris Curtis

Jim_SEO

New Small Business Owner Needs Help!

shelbymarie.hairstylist@yahoo.com — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 05:19:59 GMT

I just opened my own salon suite a couple months ago and now I'm needing inexpensive marketing ideas. The marketing that I've done so far are my own post card mail-outs, I've joined every social website to get my name out there, I made cute favor bags that included coupons and cookies in the shapes of scissors, a hair brush and a blow dryer and brought them to local businesses and I'm going to go to the local community college and put flyers up there. I've also made referral cards for my current clients to give out.

I feel like I'm out of marketing ideas and could really use some help please!!!

Thank you in advance,

Shelby