08
May 2018
Figuring Out Your Strategy and Tactics
Strategy and tactics go together like beer and barbecue, peanut butter and jelly, spandex and disco. Strategy and tactics are besties out of the gate. You need both to achieve marketing and PR success. The difference is small but crucial, so here’s the definition of both: Strategy: A long-term plan designed to achieve an overall aim. Tactics: A key element of strategy, tactics are actions carefully planned to achieve a specific
THE 10 MOST COMMON MARKETING MISTAKES, AND HOW TO AVOID THEM If you want to run a successful business, you need to master the skill of marketing. Marketing is how you make your business known, attract customers, and entice them to return again and again. Marketing trends are always changing, and the methods that worked to build your business yesterday might be outdated tomorrow. That can make it tricky
NEED TO BECOME MORE VISIBLE? HERE ARE YOUR PR & MARKETING “UNIGNORABLES” There are four things you have to pay attention to when marketing your business. I call them ‘the unignorables’ because you ignore them at your peril. The unignorables are your social media marketing, your email list, your SEO and your visuals. This quality quartet will form the basis of your success as a business owner, and are
HOW TO MAKE THE MEDIA LOVE YOU More Good Stuff You Need to Know There’s nothing more intoxicating to the media than someone who has a powerful message, a strong brand and great delivery. You never want to miss an opportunity when the media shoot their cupid’s arrow in your direction so it’s up to you to shine and show that you’re ready for a date with destiny. To do
25
Jan 2018
The Professional Life of Your Personal Brand
THE PROFESSIONAL LIFE OF YOUR PERSONAL BRAND Entrepreneur and CD Baby founder Derek Sivers once said: ‘How you do anything is how you do everything.’ It’s perfection in a soundbite, and never more true than when applied to your own personal brand. Social media today means that that when it comes to the personal and professional you, there is no separation of work and state. It’s over. Who you
Marketing campaigns, when done incorrectly, can be difficult and expensive affairs. Each mistake you make can cost your small business not just money, but time. However, there are certain mistakes that will ripple past the clock and your bank account. These mistakes are the most dangerous ones of all, and the ones you should be aware of at all times. Here they are: 1. Not Marketing at All The worst marketing
WRAPPING UP THE PR & MARKETING YEAR AND PLANNING AHEAD How do you wrap up your business year and start planning for next year’s marketing and public relations campaigns? I’d say give yourself a break and start with your successes. Celebrate the positives and aim to improve upon the negatives. Many people start with where they went wrong but you should really allow yourself a moment to look at what you
12
Dec 2017
What is Your Millennial Sales Strategy?
WHAT IS YOUR MILLENNIAL SALES STRATEGY? One of the largest concerns in the PR, marketing, and advertising sectors today is how to reach millennials, anticipate millennial shopping behavior, and ultimately take advantage of one of the most potentially lucrative portions of consumers out there. The only problem is that there is more data and less insight into what makes millennials tick than was the case for any previous generation. One
16
Nov 2017
7 Steps to Effective Marketing
7 STEPS TO EFFECTIVE MARKETING Marketing your business goes beyond presenting a product or service to the public for purchase. Consumers today are not content to buy what you market just because you tell them to. They research on their own, on their own time, before making the purchase decision. Here are some tips to help you create and execute an effective marketing plan. 1. Research your market Still to
THE TESTIMONIAL STRATEGY THAT EVERY BUSINESS OWNER SHOULD FOLLOW As a business owner, featuring authentic customer experiences can significantly boost your business. Here’s how to collect, select, and display the most compelling reviews on your website. Why are testimonials so important? Research proves most people rely on reviews when making purchase decisions. Case in point, a Harvard Business School study found that revenues for restaurants increased by 5 to 9
My family plays full out on Halloween, it’s the one holiday we go “all in”. This year we started super late and I found myself at Halloween Town with a huge crowd on Saturday. One employee went so far out of their way to help our 10 year-old son find the costume he was searching for for his father. She made our Halloween a huge success. That store in Burbank
Survey Says – Market research surveys are an invaluable tool to grow your business. Have you used one recently? When used effectively, market surveys can help you understand your current customers and find new ones, or new ways to serve existing ones. Done well, they are golden. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of a survey is largely dependent on its response rate. If too few people respond to your survey, the resulting data