Sales and Marketing
How to Write Ads
It’s easy to say you want to put together an ad—but it’s a lot harder to write a compelling one that customers will remember. You might not think of yourself as a great writer, but by following some basic guidelines, you can create effective ad copy.
The Marketing Plan: Essential Elements
Have you thought about your marketing plan? To compete in a crowded marketplace, you have to go in with a plan that you’ve thought about and put together carefully and intentionally. No matter what stage your business is at, you should have a plan for your marketing efforts.
How Can I Get Free Local Publicity for My Business?
You can’t afford a Super Bowl ad for your small business, but that doesn’t mean you’re shut out of the media. You can take advantage of free local publicity to bring in new customers and build a trustworthy brand that people believe in.
Educate Your Customers
It may sound strange, but educating your customers should be the centerpiece of your marketing strategy. It’s one of the best ways to increase sales and turn people into long-term customers. We all like to do business with people we trust, and sharing relevant knowledge builds trust quickly.
The Brand of You
Everyone talks about brand. But in a small business, the most important brand you can build is the brand of you. All the little details of how you run your business will communicate your brand to customers, much more than the things you say your brand is. That brand is you.
Marketing for Repeat Business
The Holy Grail of marketing is getting people to come back more often to buy more. It is a very simple concept, but very difficult to achieve. If people use your product long enough and have a great experience using it, they will keep coming back to buy more and love your brand.
Applying Political Terms to Marketing Segmentation
There are important insights for product marketing that actually come from the political world. One of the most important lessons is in how to segment the market, identifying which customers to go after and which ones to ignore. You can save time and money by focusing on your most productive targets.
Advertising through Your Customers
The best advertising in the world comes from your best customers, not broadcast advertising or flyers or billboards. The credibility for word of mouth advertising is incredibly high, making it important to turn your customers into a powerful advertising force for your business.
The Art of Friendly Networking
When you’re networking, it’s important to get outside of your comfort zone and meet new people, and not just stay put with what you already know. And when you get out there, a friendly approach that focuses on building real relationships will be more effective than just looking to get something.