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Category : Advertising
As businesses large and small are adapting to the rapidly evolving new media platforms, several case studies show how they are using Twitter to attract customers and close sales.
These companies, including Etsy, JetBlue, NakedPizza, Pepsi, and Levi’s, are leading the way and showing small and large businesses that micro-blogging can be a powerful sales tool. From coupons to simple product updates, Twitter offers an opportunity to connect and maintain customer relationships.
Among the many case studies of companies that use Twitter to increase sales is Dell Outlet. Dell Outlet, which refurbishes and sells Dell computers, uses coupons to drive traffic directly from Twitter to its Web site. The Twitter Web site case study states: “Do the coupons work? Big time. Not only do they get retweeted and picked up by coupon sites, both of which spread the brand name, they also drive sales. Dell Outlet has booked more than $3 million in revenue attributable to its Twitter posts.”
Category : Advertising &Blog &Marketing
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a fairly hot topic these days. Every business wants to know how to get found online.
Anita Campbell from Small Business Trends is running a short information-packed webinar entitled:
Getting Found in Search Engines, for Beginners
These two bullet points jumped out at me, since I have clients who are trying to navigate this new frontier:
- Simple techniques you can do yourself to improve your website so you can get found by potential customers in the search engines more easily
- When and how to hire SEO professionals — over the years I have hired a number of search optimization and marketing experts and I will share some tips for what to look for
I’m planning to listen in and tweet about it. Please join in, if your schedule allows. If not, you can check the Twitter feed using the hashtag #SMBTOOLS. I’m a fan of TweetChat.com for these sorts of events, so you can use the hash tag to enter the room, as they call it.
Category : Advertising &Blog &Business &search engine optimization &SEO
What is the purpose of a business card? It should be designed to attract and acquire new customers to your product or services. It is not only one of the most cost effective advertisements, a networking and lead-generating tool, Not to mention a visual representation of you and your business. The bottom line is if it is not bringing you business and presenting a professional image of you and your company, it is not working.
For most people, especially for those just starting in business, the business card is the only marketing tool used.
People frequently think a business card that can be designed and printed on their home computer will be a good enough tool to get them noticed and remembered. The truth is business cards are one of the most overlooked of all business tools. A well-designed, professional card makes a professional presence; a homemade business card typically gives the impression of an amateur taking a stab at being in business.
Please post your comments below:
Category : Advertising &Blog &Business &Business Cards &Marketing
I think this is a really informative article, especially if you are trying like everyone else to get your site listed higher in the search engines. It is small things like this that always takes you over your competitors.
In great news, Google, Yahoo and MSN have agreed upon a XML sitemap standard.
What’s this mean to you? Well, you just need to create one XML sitemap and you can submit it to all three engines. I’ve been doing that for a while and didn’t seem to have any problem but now it’s official.
Category : Advertising &Blog &Business &Business Cards &Marketing &search engine optimization &Search Engine Ranking &SEO &Sitemaps
That’s a partial list of business technology brands that have recently abandoned print.
Tech publishers, which led the way online with visionary Web sites such as ZDNet in the 1990s, have long been bellwethers for other sectors of b-to-b media. With that history in mind, the departure of these brands from print raises the question: Are these tech magazines functioning as canaries in a coal mine, indicators that b-to-b marketers will see the number of trade publications in their sectors begin to decline?
That’s a partial list of business technology brands that have recently abandoned print.
Tech publishers, which led the way online with visionary Web sites such as ZDNet in the 1990s, have long been bellwethers for other sectors of b-to-b media. With that history in mind, the departure of these brands from print raises the question: Are these tech magazines functioning as canaries in a coal mine, indicators that b-to-b marketers will see the number of trade publications in their sectors begin to decline?
“I don’t think print survives,” said Greg Strakosch, CEO of Tech- Target, which shut down its three print publications in the past year. “I just don’t see how that happens.”
Mike Parker, managing director of media investment bank AdMedia Partners, is far less pessimistic about the state of trade magazines. “If, in a sense, they [tech publications] are canaries in a coal mine and harbingers of the future, I think it’s a long-term future.”
TRADE PUBLICATION NUMBERS DWINDLING
There’s no disputing that the number of b-to-b publications has dwindled. In 2007, 137 closed, according to MediaFinder, a database of publications. In 2008, 120 folded. The pace seems to be picking up this year, with more than 20 business magazines being closed in the first two months of the year as marketers shift dollars to the Internet, especially to search engines such as Google.
In the past week alone:
? Penton Media announced the closure of Direct and Promo, saying it plans to fold their content into a new title, Chief Marketer. Penton shuttered six publications in 2008, according to MediaFinder.
? Crain Communications Inc., parent of BtoB, announced the closing of the print versions of Automotive News Europe, Business Insurance Europe and RCR Wireless News. In December, it shut down the print version of Financial Week.
? Vance Publishing said it was closing Design & Décor and Furniture Style.
The consensus is that the economy will force the closure of more trade publications, especially in industries hit hard by the recession, such as finance, construction and marketing.
“Any publication in real estate is going to suffer, depending upon how much they have in the bank,” said an industry observer, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The same can be said for publications covering Wall Street. Look at Double Down.” Double Down, which published Trader Monthly, folded earlier this year.
There does, however, appear to be a difference in how tech and nontech magazines are being folded. The nontech books are being pushed into closure by the economy, while the tech publications are jumping of their own volition–at least in part–and landing on established Web properties. “It came a little bit sooner than they wanted it to, but they have been preparing for years,” Parker said of the discontinuation of the print versions of PC Magazine and Computer Shopper.
“It’s not a transition you can do overnight,” said Jason Young, CEO of Ziff Davis Media, adding PC Magazine had been preparing for a digital-only future since the 2001 downturn. The title published its last print edition in January.
Young said the decline of the print version of PC Magazine (whose ad revenue dropped by $16 million between 2007 and 2008) and the rise of PCMag.com were inevitable as its audience and advertisers migrated to the Internet. He added that PCMag.com is up both in traffic and revenue so far this year. “I think we’re quite happy with that decision [to go online-only],” he said.
Similarly, Josh London, general manager of ComputerShop-per.com, said SX2 Media Lab acquired Computer Shopper from CNET in 2006 with the goal of transforming it into an Internet-only brand. “Our best quarter online was the fourth quarter of 2008, and that allowed us to take this important step,” London said. The final print edition of Computer Shopper will be published in April.
ComputerShopper.com now has 1 million unique monthly visitors and 3 million page views, London said. The versatile site generates revenue from cost-per-thousand, cost-per-click and cost-per-acquisition models.
Stamats Business Media published the last print issue of Archi-Tech, a publication about the intersection of architecture and technology, earlier this year. The brand is alive as a Web site and a weekly e-newsletter. “It’s a bold new experiment for us,” said Tim Fixmer, president of Stamats.
Meanwhile, Vance Publishing doesn’t appear to be keeping the décor titles it closed alive as Web businesses. In an internal memo, Vance Chairman Bill Vance and President Peggy Walker said the moves were driven by the “worldwide recession” and designed to bolster investment in other sectors in which the company competes. “The moves we announced today will allow us to continue to profitably serve the agriculture, beauty and wood industries,” according to the internal memo.
Reed Phillips, co-managing partner at media investment bank DeSilva & Phillips, said of nontech magazines that have shut down: “If they haven’t established a viable business in print that connects readers and advertisers, then they’re probably unlikely to do it on the Web.
“If they haven’t already got that presence on the Web and they’re killing the print version, they’ve probably decided not to publish in that sector any longer.”
Category : Advertising &Blog &Marketing &Printing
Your business card is often the first impression a potential client has with your company. The business card design and message will ultimately determine whether it gets thrown in the trash or filed for contact later.
Reach in your wallet and pull out your business card. Your Small Business Information guide has put together the business card test. Learn if your business card will pass or be trashed.
Size: Does your business card conform to the traditional size of 3.5″ by 2″? Anything greater will not fit in wallets or most business card holders. End result trash.
Paper Quality: Is your business card design of professional quality or is it flimsy with perforated edges? Cheap cards are trashed.
Ink: Drop some liquid on your business card. If the ink runs, it’s in the trash.
Color Test: Colorful cards can add to your professional image. Too much color can be detracting. Trash your card if it is black and white or has more than 3 colors unless it’s a photograph.
Message Design: Your business card should clearly tell people what you do and offer a meaningful benefit. No message adds confusion so your card ends up in the trash.
Image Match: Your business card design should match your business image. If you’re a designer, then the card should be creative. If your card is out of synch with your image, time to toss it.
Font Size: Is your card crammed with information? White space on the card will make it easier to absorb your message. If you have a lot to say, add it to the back of the business card. Is the print so tiny you have too squint to see it? This one is heading for the trash.
Contact Information: Your clients or potential clients should have as many means as possible to contact you based on their preference. Your business card design should include: voicemail, phone, fax, email, and website. Lack of contact information puts your card in the trash.
You only have one chance to make a great first impression. Make sure you invest in the best business card design you can afford. The business card is your introduction to a client, for the low cost per card that is money well spent.
By Darrell Zahorsky, About.com
Category : Advertising &Blog &Business Cards &Design &Marketing &Printing
To some, branding might not feel like a tangible aspect of running a business. It can’t be seen like a product on the shelf, or counted like a cash drawer at the end of the night. But, branding is the reason people pay three times more for a product at one store over another.
To some, branding might not feel like a tangible aspect of running a business. It can’t be seen like a product on the shelf, or counted like a cash drawer at the end of the night. But, branding is the reason people pay three times more for a product at one store over another.
Good branding is the product of a clear vision, and nobody knows more about vision than small business owners. But, with limited resources, creating a brand identity can be tricky. Fortunately, building brand awareness on the Internet doesn’t need to take a lot of money or resources.
Here are seven strategies to build your business brand:
Define the vision. Before moving ahead with the web site, create a brand positioning statement. “This isn’t just, ‘What kind of web site do we want to be?’ This is ‘Who are we?’” says Harley Manning, vice president at Forrester Research in Cambridge, Mass., a technology and market research firm that advises on the effects technology has on consumers and businesses. Good brand statements typically include the company’s mission, vision and values. “It’s succinct. It’s typically something that will fit on a page easily,” he says.
Build a brand worth believing in. “Do you so believe in what you’re creating that you would trademark it?” says Andrea Fitch, president and CEO of RedCarpet Creations, Inc., and national president of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, both based out of Alexandria, Va. Really consider what kind of brand could represent the business through the next decade. “Don’t have a logo that in five years you’re going to be tired of and discard for another,” she says.
Remember, the web site is the brand. “A web site is not just a communication medium,” Manning says. “It is actually a channel that must deliver on the promise.” Essentially, a web site should embody the promise that it makes to customers. If, for instance, a business claims to be innovative, the web site should look fresh and modern.
Create a cohesive experience between all mediums. Before she launched her company’s new web site, Fitch made sure it would be an event that her potential clients would never forget. RedCarpet Creations mailed 4,000 silver tubes containing scrolls that looked like rolled-up carpet. Inside the scrolls was an announcement about the web site’s launch. Once online, the web site was an extension of the invitations because it followed through on the themes of red carpet imagery and references to visitors being treated like a VIP. Customers should easily be able to recognize the company’s brand, whether it is print, online or some other form of media, Manning says.
Don’t sacrifice creativity. Once the brand’s guidelines are established, creative choices must bring those attributes to life, Manning says. Don’t let the company’s brand become so dominating that there is no room for new thoughts and ideas. Brand should be the jumping-off point for interesting ideas, not the place where every new idea dead-ends. Fitch stresses that a sense of fun and whimsy will only enhance the likelihood that people will take an interest in the web site.
Don’t communicate brand at the expense of delivering. While a web site can be a significant tool for building brand awareness, clarity and functionality are paramount. “Just be careful not to let the communication about your brand get in the way of delivering your message,” Manning says. People should be able to understand how to navigate the site without knowing a thing about the company’s catch phrases. “You can’t frustrate and annoy people into liking your brand,” he says.
Listen to the customers: They determine a brand’s true value. Pay attention to customer feedback about the site because, ultimately, it’s the customers’ opinion that counts. When it comes to building a brand, a company can incorporate everything from signature colors to catch phrases, but at the end of the day, it’s the consumer who decides what a brand is really worth. “It’s not what you say [about] yourself, it’s what others say of you,” Fitch says.
7 Ways to Build Brand Awareness
Category : Advertising &Blog &Branding &Marketing &Products
The secret to success in the new year may lie in divining the right keywords. As Christine Churchill says at Search Engine Land, the words you buy in pay-per-click, the terms you target for organic, the phrases you focus on in your images and videos, all depend on making good keyword choices up front. Yet, “the process of identifying keywords is wrought with pitfalls,” she says. She identifies a few common mistakes companies make, and offers some advice:
Targeting keywords that people never use.
Category : Advertising &Blog &Business &search engine optimization &Search Engine Ranking &SEO
Most business cards I see put me to sleep. At best they’re good for jotting down notes. Beyond that they do nothing to make me want to do business with the person who’s name is on them.
You can get more from your business cards though. Here are a few ideas to get the most from them.
Why Have Business Cards?
The first thing to remember when buying business cards is “why are you buying them?” Are they just to sit on your desk and impress people who come to you? Or are they “working business cards” that get are expected to generate business? Do you want them to be passed on so they produce referrals for you? Or would you prefer they stay in your customer’s wallet, briefcase or desk drawer so they call you when they need you?
Build Your Business Cards to Suit Your Purpose
Cards to impress should be fancy. They should shout “I’m expensive!” Cards that are meant to get more business should be designed to send a different message. They should tell your customer why they should do business with you. Use your cards to deliver the same message the rest of your marketing delivers.
Or, you might design your cards to encourage people to pass them on so you get referrals. Create a clever way to suggest this and put it on your business card. Make your cards viral! Think of the dollar bills or stuffed animals that travel all over the world. How can you encourage people to pass your cards on?
The Practical Side
If your budget is moderate and your business cards do not have to be fancy, the online printing companies are a good choice. But, if you want something of high quality, or that is unique (and you’re not a graphics designer) then my advice is to use a local or chain printing shop.
If you use the “bricks and mortar” option, get at least two bids. There is a BIG variation in pricing. The chains are usually more competitive and consistent in their pricing but they might not offer all the bells and whistles a local shop might.
Category : Advertising &Blog &Branding &Business &Business Cards &Marketing
