Marketing Tips
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How to choose a website design service |
Before you can choose a website designer, you need to understand what type of site you need, how much money you have and how much you can do yourself. Then you need to vet them like you would most vendors. Read more
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How to do market research |
We launched a website called Dempsee to help startups and small businesses learn all about market research. It also contains helpful links we've find to low and no-cost consumer and industry data. There are a few surprises too.
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How to follow up with someone you met at a networking event |
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For better marketing results, start at the beginning |
The "promotional mix" is a way to understand communications strategy. I'll use the example of podcasters to explain it. The mix has 4 components: personal selling, like asking guests to tell people they're going to be on a show; advertising or the things you pay for, like brochures, buttons, media time, etc.; public relations or "earned media" which leverages other people's eyeballs -- this may include articles in blogs, blog posts, social media engagement, etc.; and sales promotions, which includes sampling, discounting, etc. -- like giving people clips of your show to entice them to listening to a longer program. They all have a role to play, and it's important to understand the differences between them. For example, how your listeners respond to an ad vs. a blog post.
But the first step in any good strategy is to write down your goals, i.e., the number of listeners or subscribers you want to gain within a particular timeframe. Clearly outline your target audience. Then, think about a budget (time and money) and the best way to allocate it. And finally, put together a promotional calendar, so you're promoting at the ripest moments. |
Create an integrated marketing plan that consists of "traditional" and "digital" promotional methods for best results |
The difference between traditional and digital marketing is that the latter defines techniques involving computerized devices, such as computers and smartphones. Everything else is considered traditional: TV, radio, print (i.e., newspapers), out of home (i.e., billboard), signage, printed materials, etc. To promote a business successfully -- target an audience, build awareness, generate leads and sell more products, both methods may be used to great effect, depending on the marketing strategy. They work best when used as part of an integrated marketing plan.
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How to get a press release in your local paper |
It's all about the Hook and the Peg. Get tips for writing and sending your press release.
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Why marketing outranks sales |
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Use email marketing to yield a higher marketing ROI |
This is a common tactic, to clump email in with advertising et al. The former is a direct marketing technique, often used to reach existing customers, or at least ones who have signed up for your mailing list. It shows they're already interested in what you do. Email therefore will always yield a higher ROI. The latter is used for mass marketing, and of course will have a lower ROI. To be useful, charts should be apples to apples comparisons. Otherwise they're pretty useless.
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Should I advertise on Yelp (or other online directories)? |
The first rule of advertising is be where your customers are. If you know your prospects are searching on Yelp, advertising could work -- heavy emphasis on could. You need to evaluate it against others advertising opportunities in terms of audience, cost and effectiveness. And is it appropriate for meeting your goals (which you need to know what those are first).
Once you have determined your audience is using Yelp to find businesses like yours, and before you consider paying for advertising there, make sure you're fully optimizing your organic presence (in other words, make the most of your profile and get reviews). Then, check your website traffic and see if you're getting any from Yelp. That may give you a clue as to whether advertising will work or not. Another good idea, before you pay for advertising anywhere, is to make sure your website is converting. In other words, what percentage of people visiting your site are taking the action you want (signing up for your newsletter, buying or making a reservation, etc.)? Also before you pay, make sure your website is optimized organically, so you can drive as much traffic as possible before paying for advertising on something like Yelp. Of course, these are general rules. How they apply to your business will depend on your type of business, business model, etc. |
Radio can drive immediate purchase at a low cost |
Teasing out the impact of one medium in a mix of marketing activities is a challenge. Any medium will have both financial and emotional, and therefore, memorable results -- which are all dependent on the unique qualities of a particular medium and where it fits in an overall marketing strategy -- from business model, through positioning, branding and messaging, to marketing, promotional and media mix.
Radio can impact the bottom line by both driving immediate purchase and building brand recognition over the long-term. Its qualities give it a unique spot in the media mix -- relatively low cost enables high frequency. It's a passive medium, yet the right blend of audio and storytelling can create a connection with people's emotions. In our world of media overload, the impact of any communication can be fleeting, particularly without incredible creative. To sustain those relationships, a business needs a long-term budget. |
Why you can stop worrying about getting blog comments, and what to do instead |
Comments on your blog are no longer the measure of the value of your blog, so they're not as essential as they once were and you don't have to allow them. Some pretty famous bloggers have removed them. However, there are still reasons for allowing blog comments, for example, as a way to build community, as explained in this post from Solo PR Pro.
You may want to build community on your social networks instead, although sometimes it’s just easier to allow people to comment below your post. You could test this by asking people to “get together” on a social network of your choice rather than commenting right there. Then see if that drives the conversation and increased social and website traffic you're after. |