Archive for the ‘Marketing Strategy’ Category

Why White Space?

white-spaceSpace…the final frontier. I’m not talking about outer space; I’m talking about white space. White space is usually a subject that is overlooked. In a world dominated by media, it seems that information is more important than the actual message. What are you trying to say? Is your message getting through the white noise to make a statement? Not to worry. White space can help you clear out the clutter to reach your target and build a foundation of good design aesthetics. What is white space? It’s the unused space between text and graphic elements within a composition. Don’t be fooled by the word “unused.” In our minds, unused is synonymous with wasted. Not so. White space is strategically placed space. It’s the stealth bomber of the design world. You don’t have to fill up...

Is Your Company Newsworthy?

Is-Your-Company-NewsworthyWe know that publicity in the form of television, newspaper, radio or internet coverage has the potential to be more powerful and effective than any form of advertising. We also know that it’s usually fairly difficult for a small company to generate the kind of interest needed to earn this type of publicity. The job of any media outlet is to provide useful information to their consumers, and the reality of the situation is that most small companies haven’t put in the time and effort to be truly newsworthy. Often, with just a little more effort than your competitors, you can turn your company into something that media outlets want to cover. You simply have to innovate in some useful way. For some, that may mean developing a way to offer significant price reductions (while...

Your Mom is Not Your Target Market!

Your Mom Is Not Your Target MarketMost people, at some point, have entertained the idea of starting their own business. Since you’re reading this, you’re probably one of them. For some, it might be the latest social-media-web-2.0 software. For others, it may be something more practical, like custom wall murals. What ever your product is, I can almost guarantee that you haven’t done your homework before jumping in with both feet. Most people don’t. Oh sure, you may have refined, tweaked and polished your idea until you felt it was perfect. You probably researched potential competitors well into the wee hours of the night and toiled endlessly to develop a solid business plan. Hell, you may have even asked a few friends and business associates what they thought about it. But you missed one critical step. You didn’t find even a...

Halloween Marketing Ideas

Halloween Marketing IdeasAnother holiday season is quickly approaching, and we’ll soon be surrounded by ghosts, ghouls and goblins yelling “trick or treat,” but Halloween isn’t just for kids anymore. Americans are ready to spend an estimated $5.8 billion on the spooky festivities, and you can leverage their enthusiasm to promote your business. The connection is obvious for some companies, like Costume Discounters, but what if your company has absolutely nothing to do with Halloween? Can you still use a Halloween theme to market your business? Absolutely! You’ll just have to get creative…and maybe toss in a bit of eye of newt and toe of frog for good measure. Host a Halloween party Invite your staff, vendors, clients, and of course, prospects to enjoy traditional Halloween activities like bobbing for apples, pumpkin carving and maybe even a costume...

How to Make More Money with Fewer Customers

How to Make More Money with Fewer CustomersI know. It sounds counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? After all, the mindset of most people is that when we want to make more money, we need to find more customers. This almost always leads to more sales calls, broader and more expensive marketing efforts, and of course, lots of extra work and frustration. Sometimes it pays off. Usually it doesn’t. Is finding more customers really the answer to making more money? For most businesses, the answer is usually a big, loud and booming no. More customers means more work, more headaches, more staff and of course, more overhead. Sure, you may generate more revenue than before, but do you really want those new customers if, after the additional expenses, you’re still bringing home the same amount of money? The only thing you’re really gaining in that...

4 things you need to know before you redesign your website

4 Things You Need to KnowFar too often, a website redesign starts off focused on appearance instead of measurable goals. If appearance is your first priority, you’re on the fast-track to failure, so before you jump into the fun stuff, grab a pad and a pen and spend some time figuring out the answers to these 4 questions: What are your goals? Before you change a single line of code, before you even start thinking about what your new website will look like, you need to know exactly what you want it to accomplish. Do you want your new website to present a particular image? Do you want it to generate more leads/sales or do a better job of converting the traffic you’re already getting? Figure this out and you’ll get a lot more from your new website, plus, the...