Marketing•
on October 19th, 2009•
Today many small businesses are marketing themselves on the Internet. As a matter of fact many small businesses today are actually Internet businesses themselves. Here are 3 affordable small business marketing strategies and you can use to get the word out about your business.
1. The first thing we want to talk about is utilizing a pay per click advertising campaign. Google Adwords and Yahoo Marketing are the two most well known companies that offer pay per click advertising campaigns.
These are great because you control how much money you want to bid on a targeted keywords, and you also control how much money you want to spend every month. You know that the traffic that you are getting to your website is targeted because people are searching for specific keywords or keyword phrases.
What makes this affordable for many small businesses is you only get billed when somebody actually clicks on your ad. This makes it very easy for you to determine if this form of our marketing is the effective for you or not.
2. Blogging is another affordable small business marketing strategy that you must be using. As a matter of fact, you can blog and get the word out about your business and your only investment will be in the time it takes to write the blog articles.
The key point to making blogging work is to social bookmark your post to the proper social directories. The other thing is to write your blog articles to target specific keyword phrases that relate to the theme of your small business.
This may take a little while to get the hang of, but it is really quite simple to do. You must be consistent in how you blog and how often you blog as well.
3. A third small business marketing strategy that has proven to be very effective is ezine advertising. The reason this is so good is because there are many email newsletters today that have been around for several years and have very loyal readers.
This gives you an opportunity to get the word out about your small business to people that actually will read either your classified ad, your solo ad, or an article that you run that is picked up by the ezine publisher.
This is three affordable small business marketing strategies that you should be implementing to promote your business on the Internet today. You may not know how to do any of them right now, but you can quickly learn the ins and outs to make these strategies affective for your small business.
By: David OgdenAbout the Author:
David Ogden is an established online marketer who specializes in practical website resources and advice that have helped many people like you start their very own home based business. He can help you launch your very own money making website today, ready to take orders and pull in massive profits for you right now, guaranteed!
Want to make money online now?
Internet Business Training Program
Copyright – David Ogden
accounting
Marketing•
on October 11th, 2009•
Small business marketing is a passion of mine! It is very exciting especially when you start to see results. When a customer says “I saw you on top of Google and went to your website, then I did a search on YouTube and you came up 1st there, after that I called a sign on the side of the road, that was you too, I figured i had no choice where I was going to buy… Who does your small business marketing? and you say, I do… It makes you feel good.. all the way to the bank…
Search engines are the best place to start when you begin your quest for the best small business marketing ideas. Google gets most of the traffic and their results are sent to many other search engines. Getting on the 1st page of Google is really much easier than you think…
There’s a friend of mine that owns a business near mine and as a result of using these simple ideas he was listed on the 1st page of Google in 2 days. He landed a $3600 job as a result of his efforts. This small business marketing stuff not rocket science, it’s just following a proven system that works.
If you are looking for small business marketing ideas, in specific geographical locations, then Google Local is quick and easy way to start. This is the listing on the top of google when you search for a local listing like (Hot Tubs Minneapolis) there is a map on the left with businesses on the right. Google Local is a great website marketing strategy because, its easy, free and fast.
There are a few tricks I have figured out over the years with Google Local , like how to show up for more than just one city. This is the best place to start for online small business marketing for local results.
PPC (Pay Per Click) is another service that is offered by Google and great for small business marketing. The “Pay” part shouldn’t scare you because you have complete control. You pay $5 to start and choose the areas you want your add to show up. You can choose 10 miles around your location, or a metro area, or state or country..
With PPC you can write unlimited ads and Google rotates them automatically so you can see which ones are getting the best click through rate. You can then delete the losers and keep the winners. You can set a budget anywhere from $5 and up or you can set a monthly budget of $300 per month. PPC has been a very important strategy for my small business marketing.
I’ve spent $52,000 with Google since January of 2005 and it is hands down the best and easiest small business marketing I have ever done. The cool part is I have never spoken to anyone that works for Google. I actually have never had to email them either… I do get a Christmas card from from Google each year. Tip: Again there are a few tricks with Google PPC that can save you money and time setting up your account. In summary this is the quickest way to increase website traffic and learn cutting edge tactics about small business marketing…
By: Joe S. WhiteAbout the Author:
financials
Marketing•
on September 7th, 2009•
Most women entrepreneurs would love to double their income, but when they think about going from where they are now to their new goal they either think too small, panic or go blank.
It’s as if the gap between their current reality and their goal number is just too big of a leap to make all in one jump. These women entrepreneurs quickly become discouraged, and time goes by without seeing any real change in how much they’re making.
I, too, used to struggle with this until I created a simple solution that has resulted in helping nearly triple my income into the high six-figures in just one year (and be on track to reach seven-figures this year).
The small business marketing system I created is called your “Bold Money Goal.” The concept is simple and has worked for hundreds of women entrepreneurs who happily see their monthly income skyrocket!
Here are four marketing strategies you can use right now to leverage this powerful tool:
Small Business Marketing Strategy #1: Choose a short time frame.
Short time frames give you focus and create momentum. Plus, they’re fun and exciting! I prefer a 30 – 90 day Bold Money Goal time frame to get you to stretch your thinking and spark your creativity as to how you’re going to reach your Bold Money Goal. Short time frames are also powerful because they cause you to take big, measurable action rather than procrastinating because your small business marketing goal seems fuzzy or out of reach.
Small Business Marketing Strategy #2: Pick the right new amount to bring in.
Aim too low and you’re unlikely to make any significant changes or progress with your woman-owned business. But aim too high and the amount can feel so far out of reach that it doesn’t feel “real”. I recommend that women entrepreneurs choose an amount they want to make that is anywhere from 40 – 50 percent more than they currently bring in.
Small Business Marketing Strategy #3: Go for the low-hanging fruit.
You don’t have to suddenly add entirely new services or products to your woman-owned business to reach your Bold Money Goal. In fact, I advise to look for the low-hanging fruit that’s just waiting for you to pluck it off of the ‘Money Tree’.
Low-hanging fruit are typically services and products you already have that can be dusted off, re-launched, re-titled or expanded. Try also offering a teleseminar, program, a group or a private service focused on a single topic with which your clients commonly struggle. One of my Platinum clients did this and within a few short days had nearly 400 people signed up for one teleseminar!
Small Business Marketing Strategy #4: Be open to new approaches for achieving your goal.
The power of the Bold Money Goal isn’t just to bring in the bucks – although that IS important! It’s to help you make a big leap forward in expanding what’s possible for you and your woman-owned business. Be open to doing something in a new way, a bigger way and certainly, in a bolder way so that the rewards of achieving your Bold Money Goal continue to grow.
Creating and achieving a Bold Money Goal every 30 – 90 days will help you “chunk down” your ideal income in a way that will help you reach it faster and easier than you’ve every thought possible!
By: Kendall SummerhawkAbout the Author:
Would you like to learn more small business marketing strategies that help women entrepreneurs quickly move away from “dollars-for-hours work” and create more money, time, and freedom in their businesses? Check out my web site, www.kendallsummerhawk.com, for free articles, free resources and to sign up for my free audio mini-seminar “7 Quick and Simple Tips to Brand, Package and Price Your Services for More Money, Time and Freedom in Your Business.”
Award-winning small business expert Kendall SummerHawk is the “Horse Whisperer for Business.”
small business articles
Marketing•
on July 15th, 2009•
Small business marketing is small, as noted by the name, but too many times business owners think that small business marketing is too small for planning, budgets, or strategies. Since small businesses usually have little or no marketing budget and are concentrating on just keeping the doors open, owners, more times than not, neglect their marketing planning. No business should exist without marketing planning and strategies!
Actually, small business marketing requires planning and strategy more than major companies.When the marketing manager of a large corporation has a $20 million marketing budget just for print ads, they have room to make mistakes, produce the wrong ads, and even scrap the marketing plan half-way through completion. Small businesses don’t have such freedom and liberty. Small business marketing should contain a plan before anything else happens in the company in the area of sales and marketing. There should be budgets and strategies created as early as possible and reviewed as often as possible.
Create a marketing plan as soon as you decide to start a business.My company specializes in helping small businesses with marketing and design, and we encounter many of the same problems, and they all stem from lack of early planning. Once you decide to start a business, start creating a marketing plan.
Who are your customers?
What are their needs and wants?
How will you acquire new customers?
What kind of customer relationship management systems will you use?
What do your customers expect from you?
What are your products’ benefits?
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
How will you advertise?
How much will you budget for marketing?
This list is actually very small when it comes to creating a marketing plan, but you must answer all of these questions and more. Small business marketing must be precise, have a defined strategy, and contain at least a rough budget. Figure out who your customer is, how you will reach them, and why they will buy from you. Starting with these three areas will give you a plethora of other questions to answer in figuring out the maze of small business marketing.
By: Nate StockardAbout the Author:
Nate Stockard is the owner of Stockard & Associates, Inc, a marketing and design firm in Houston, TX specializing in small business solutions. He is also the author of The Market Seedling, an informative source of information, articles, tips, and advice for small business owners and marketers.
marketing
Marketing, Promotion•
on June 18th, 2009•
You know the definition of insanity, right? Not the Webster’s version, but the other one…?
The one that says insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results.
I’d always thought this saying was mostly funny, and just a little bit true. But now I suspect that-based on this definition-most folks really are at least a little bit insane (myself included). And small business owners tend to suffer from this kind of insanity even more than most.
Let me give you an example…
I was working with a client recently who brought me in because he was not getting enough new clients. I spent hours learning about his business and creating a marketing plan based on his needs. I even incorporated a number of ideas he was already planning to put into action.
Then I mentioned that he really needed to define a strong unique selling proposition (you know, something special that-all other things being equal-would make me choose to do business here instead of with the guy down the street).
Now, mind you, I wasn’t suggesting he change the way he does business. Just that he needed to better highlight the qualities and services that made him different from his competition.
You know what the first thing he said was…?
“I don’t want to change anything.”
Of course, I’ve heard this fateful phrase shoot forth from the lips of clients many times before. Yet it still never ceases to amaze me.
After all, he hired me to help him with his marketing because what he’s currently doing isn’t getting results. Yet when I propose a very minor change in the way he presents his business-one that is sure to improve his returns-he immediately slams on the brakes.
Why? Because, like most people, he is simply not comfortable with change.
But if he keeps doing the same thing, we all know what will happen…
He’ll keep getting the same poor results.
If he wants to be more successful he has to let go of this insane way of operating, and stop doing things the same for no other than that is how he has always done it.
After all, the one thing you can always count on is change.
That leaves you two choices…Let change happen to you, or make changes happen.
The first is how most people operate. They won’t change anything until and unless they feel forced to. Now sometimes, you can’t help it. Something happens…New competition, legal restrictions, patent infringement-the list is endless.
But even when the catalyst for change is outside your control, you still get to decide how to deal with it.
Do you avoid the inevitable as long as possible hoping a way out will miraculously appear? Or do you make a plan and take action as quickly as possible?
Successful people, and businesses, recognize the need for change early. They embrace it. And they go looking for it. Because of this, they are also usually quick to see when something is not working and not afraid to change it.
Bad employees are let go, products or marketing campaigns that are not performing are changed, improved or replaced. Life goes on. And almost always, they end up better for it in the long run.
Now I’m not saying you need to go crazy with making changes either (though sometimes a bit of a business-ectomy is perfectly in order). But you do need to be open to it, prepared for it, and always on the lookout for ways you can change for the better.
How do you know when you need to make a change?
Sometimes it is just gut instinct. But I also like to use these three rules of thumb…
1. If I have a number of months of data showing me that I am not on track to reach my goals, I know something needs to change.
2. If I find myself complaining about the same problem three or more times, I know it is time to make a change.
3. If I am presented with a better idea or system for my business, I always at least consider making the change.
If you’re really uncomfortable with change, or have a hard time letting go of things or ideas, start small.
Drive a different way to work. Try a new restaurant. Order something other than the usual at your favorite haunt. Rearrange your office. Wear a new color.
Whatever you do, make it fun. Before you know it, your business-and your life-will be growing and changing for the better!
Marketing•
on June 4th, 2009•
The return on investment for the engagement of MJH Group for
Small business marketing is based on the following;
Business Growth
• Increased sales and profit from effective strategy and campaign outcomes
Marketing Strategy• The insight and direction provided by our strategic recommendations
• Provision of a documented strategic marketing plan which acts as the blue print for the successful marketing of your business
• Allowing you to proceed with confidence
• A planned and structured approach to marketing success
Campaign Outcomes• Effective communication of your brand and offer
• Generate awareness in the market to achieve
• New customer acquisition
• A greater share of wallet from existing customers
• Increased sales and business growth
Commercialisation• Assess the viability of new products or services
• Develop and implement strategies for the introduction or relaunch of products and services to provide commercial success
Direct Bottom Line Savings • Direct Bottom Line Savings due to effective marketing management
• Measuring the ROI of promotions and campaigns to determine effectiveness
• Customer focus reducing the risk of ineffective promotion or campaigns
• Redirection of marketing investment into areas with the greatest return
Effective Brand Management• Long term business growth through the ongoing and positive development of your brand in the marketplace
Effective Positioning• Identifying the positioning strategy and building a strong market position to insulate against competition and the threat of new entrants
• Maintaining the desired position of your business in the market place
Communication• Effective communication via regular meetings and easy to follow project plans to ensure you are kept informed and up to date on the progress of activities throughout the life of the program
Peace of Mind• Experienced marketing professionals providing peace of mind that the marketing program is taken care of: you have one less thing to worry about
• MJH Group is transparent in our selection of clients to ensure no conflict of interest during engagements
• A marketing resource dedicated to the growth and development of your business.
For more details visit our site:
http://www.marketinganswers.com.au/
By: Marketing AnswersAbout the Author:
MJH Group Customer Understanding assists companies who want to improve customer relationships and find opportunities for business growth in the customer and prospect base.
small business tips
