Like it or not, whether you work for an agency or client-side marketing department, much of your success is out of your hands. In the “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink” analogy, it’s your job to lure the horse to the water. But you are depending on the […]
Mistakes
7 Common Causes of Failure to Communicate in Business
Most business mentors tell me that the single biggest problem they have to deal with in small companies is the lack of open, honest, and effective communication, both from the top down and from the bottom up. Some entrepreneurs forget that talking is not communicating. Fortunately these skills can be learned, and the barriers to […]
Caution: 3 Main Reasons for Business Failures
Running out of money Lack of planning Growing too fast There are countless scare stories out there and it’s true, many businesses don’t make it in the long run, but according to the SBA, only 30% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, 50% during the first five years and […]
Let Your Board Help with “What” and “Why” but Rarely “How”
I am sure you can argue with this one. Sometimes a board member is valuable in teaching the “how” to get things done inside the company. But experience reinforces the usual fact that a board member telling the CEO or founder “how” to perform a function crosses a line and can diminish the CEO’s confidence […]
The Top 7 Marketing Offenses I Abhor and Why
There are always going to be things in life that aggravate us. Sometimes, they’re minor offenses – like when men leave the toilet seat up, or when someone cuts in line. Depending on the day, our tolerance levels may fluctuate. However, in the marketing world, some offenses can annoy customers or prospects to the point […]
These 7 Social Media Mistakes Can Dramatically Hurt Your Sales
The social media landscape has allowed smaller brands to exponentially expand their reach. It’s given them much easier access to audiences and the ability to engage and connect like never before. But as with most marketing tools, it’s not a magical solution without its downside. Mistakes can happen, with the most glaring ones able to […]
Are You Annoying Your Email Prospects?
Even though email marketing has higher conversion rates than social media and search engine marketing combined (Wordstream), it isn’t a panacea marketing channel. It has pros and cons like any other tactic. Email Marketing Pros It’s relatively inexpensive. Some email service providers (ESPs) offer free services if you have fewer than their maximum limit. And, […]
11 Common Mistakes in a Startup’s First Year
Getting a company up and running is an exciting time. You likely have a strong passion for what you’re doing and a vision for where you’d like to go in the next few years. Everything is new, fresh and exciting. Unfortunately, you’re also inexperienced in running a new business and may make mistakes before you […]
6 Reasons Franchise Businesses Fail and How to Avoid Them
As an investment and a point of personal pride, you want your franchise business to succeed. So does your franchisor, your customers, and your employees. So, as you begin your franchise journey, let’s look at some reasons franchises fail and what you can do to avoid them. 1) Lack of Capital We’re putting this right […]
Why I Refuse to Read Your Digital Content
Do you ever wonder whether your audiences read your digital content? The content for which you painstakingly brainstorm, research, write, and edit? Sure, you can track email open and click-through rates, unique and returning website visitors, session duration, bounce rates, and other metrics. But do your audiences really read it? One way to find out is […]
