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Are You Brand Worthy?
Branding is one hot topic, although it is wildly misunderstood. To make things even more confusing, branding is often tossed in the same basket as marketing which makes its application to an entrepreneur or sole-practioner even more unclear. ...
Branding Your Business To Make More Money
Branding your comapny should be the first thing a company does. You have to convince potential customers to buy from you. Very few people have a monopoly like Microsoft or Ebay, Everyone else need to steer business to their company or product. When...
How Will Your Visitors Remember You And Your Business? Brand Yourself From The Crowd...
Big and Yellow 'M' reminds you McDonalds... 'DELL' with oblique E reminds you famous 'Dell' computers... No matter somebody is a beginner or a well established business person, they need to make their products familiar to the people. With so...
Is Nature A Marketing Guru?
Technology rules. Yeah, for about five minutes--then natural instincts take over. Are you stupid enough to fight Mamma Nature? Well go ahead and rewrite the rules if you can, cause the Big Mamma knows one thing. She’s tried and tested it all. And...
More Than Just a Logo: Creating Your Company's Corporate Identity
A client of mine once called after I had given a presentation to
him about his company's brand. He was calling to say we needed
to change the shade of taupe we had all agreed upon for the
firm's logo.
I was surprised to hear this busy man...
The 12 Reasons Why Most Ads Fall Flat On Their Face, Costing You A Fortune Instead of Making You The Money You Deserve!
1. You think you need ‘Image’ or ‘branding’ advertising because that’s all the so-called ‘top guns’ use in their advertising. You don’t use direct response advertising they don’t and you’d think they know best.
2. You never offer compelling...
Top Inventory Keeping Secrets
Every business knows the importance of a proper inventory.
Without one, a business would not have a proper tally of its
assets and properties. They would not be able to keep their
accounting books straight.
Broken and lost equipment would...
Using Seminars to Bump Up Sales
Many of my clients are turning to speaking at chambers and other networking organizations to generate business. This is a wonderful method of building credibility and gaining free advertising, especially when you are in a creative business that...
What Part Do Commodities Play in the Market and in our Shopping?
Commodities are any goods or wares that are up for sale or
trade. These things include such things as food, furniture,
cars, or anything that is generally manufactured, sold or
traded.
Commodities are a part of life! We use them all the...
Why "Free Agent Thinking" Is Good For Your Company
It's no secret! Day after day the news is riddled with companies who are moving operations to other countries or completely closing their doors. Those who remain must transform themselves to lean, mean, businesses with a constant eye on...
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Seven Smart Marketing Strategies Every Business Should Use
Each year, U. S. companies spend billions of dollars to market their business. Marketing is the entire process of getting a product or service into the hands of buyers and it includes research, development, planning, copywriting, packaging, pricing, advertising, publicity, sales and delivery.
But if your company is small�like more than half of all businesses in America� you probably don�t have a large marketing budget. But you can stretch your marketing dollars by applying these seven smart marketing strategies:
1. Leverage the Power Of Targeting And Branding - Determine who�s most likely to buy your product or service, then tailor your marketing message accordingly. Always send the right message to the right audience. Also, create a consistent brand or image for your company, product or service. Branding involves everything related to your company from your logo down to your style of customer service. And it can help you make sales quicker and easier, so you�re able to spend less on marketing.
2. Choose the Right Tools For The Job - This amounts to doing it right the first time. You can�t afford to waste energy and precious dollars by using marketing pieces for the wrong purpose. For example, if you want to reach a specific market segment, direct mail is ideal. But a print ad in a general-interest publication would be a waste of money.
3. Create Versatile Materials - Create marketing materials you can use for more than one purpose. Instead of a large brochure, consider printing a small tri-fold piece that can be mailed inside an envelope, handed out and placed in a display rack. Similarly, a flier can be slipped inside a presentation folder or distributed in mass quantities.
4. Be Conservative - Don�t spend any more than is necessary to
get the job done. When printing, choose fewer colors and pages to cut your cost in half. Opt for graphics software, stock photography and other tools that allow you to avoid hiring expensive professionals. Your goal should always be to produce professional materials, not necessarily the most expensive ones.
5. Capitalize on �Free� Advertising - Send a press release to print, radio and broadcast media. It won�t cost you anything to send in submissions. But what you can gain is free publicity in the form of a full article or at least a small brief. Unbiased publicity from a reporter carries a lot of weight and can help you �advertise� your business better than any paid advertising can.
6. Form Strategic Alliances - Combine your marketing efforts and dollars with those of complementary businesses. Swap customer referrals and split the cost of a postcard mailing or print ad with trusted business partners. You can also share exhibit space at trade shows or co-sponsor special events.
7. Improve and Maximize Customer Relations - Always meet and exceed your customers� expectations... so you don�t lose them. Some estimates say it costs seven times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. You can also save money and time by generating repeat business from your customers. Contact them with a special offer or piece of useful information; they�ll probably be happy to hear from you. Ultimately, you�ll be doing them and yourself a favor.
About the author:
Copyright, Kate Smalley, Connecticut Secretary
Freelance Transcription Services
mailto:kms@connecticutsecretary.com
http://www.connecticutsecretary.com
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