Many entrepreneurs start out their business on their own or with a very minimal staff. After all, it’s a new business, money is tight, and things are just getting started. After a time, and a bit of success, they start to add a couple more employees. A sales person, customer support staff, and office manager usually come first. Then what happens when the business stops growing as quickly or even starts to level out?
You start to ask yourself if it’s time to start expanding your marketing efforts. The problem comes in that, although you’re an expert in your field, you’re not quite sure what to do where marketing is concerned. Should you hire someone to work in your office? But if you do that, how will you know who you should hire, and will they have all of the knowledge you need them to have to properly market your business?
The best solution to this problem is to hire a marketing agency. They employ several people with skills in several different areas, so that they can give you a wide range of knowledge and expertise. An agency will be able to evaluate what you’re doing now, and offer suggestions for improvement. They will also be able to offer new advice that you may not have thought of. They are there to work with you to improve your business.
So how do you really know if it’s time to hire an agency?
1. Growth Has Slowed or Even Stopped
If you know that your product or service is good, that there is a market for it, that the price on it is right, and that your staff is doing the best job possible, then the problem could be a lack of or ineffective marketing.
2. You Don’t Have Time
You’re a business owner, which means you’re probably doing the job of 3 or 4 people, which means you just don’t have time to add another set of tasks. Especially since marketing is a process that takes time and evaluation. It doesn’t bring in the money right away that’s needed to pay bills. The thing is, it is necessary in the long run, and it needs to be a priority, even if it’s not your immediate priority.
3. You Don’t Enjoy Marketing Tasks
If you don’t like doing it, your customers and followers will know. They will see it in the boring blog posts, uninteresting email blasts, and lacking social media posts, and you definitely won’t get the desired results from those efforts. Hire someone who is passionate about what they do, and with a marketing agency that is what you are getting….people who truly love marketing!
4. You Don’t Understand It
Marketing a business is a complex and sometimes confusing task. It requires knowing a lot about several different means of communication, knowing how to effectively use those channels, and knowing how to truly evaluate their effectiveness. A marketing agency knows these things, and can help you make the right decisions and choices in your marketing efforts.
Choosing to hire a marketing agency can be a daunting task, but it is a decision that could help your business take that next big step. Are you ready to take that step?
Are you looking for ways to increase your presence in the market without having to increase the size of your marketing budget? One great way to do this is to create a strategic marketing partnership.
What exactly is a strategic marketing partnership?
Simply put, it is a partnership you create with another business with the goal of helping you both achieve your goals. In the case of a strategic marketing partnership, it is a simple and effective way for brands to expand their audience.
Why would you want a strategic marketing partnership for your business?
The real question is, why wouldn’t you want one? This type of relationship is one that can be mutually beneficial to both companies involved, because it allows you access to twice as many customers, contacts, and other businesses that could potentially be partnerships as well. By partnering with another company, you double your exposure, because while you are promoting them to your customers and contacts, they are doing the same for you. In addition to being beneficial for you, it is beneficial for your customers as well. They get access to a larger pool of referrals from someone they already trust.
How do you choose a strategic marketing partner?
1. Make a list of products or services that compliment what your business does or sells. What is it that your customers need in addition to your products? Make sure you choose things that are not in direct competition with your business.
2. Find 15-20 businesses that provide the products or services you identified in step one. You can find these businesses through your own personal knowledge or by talking to your customers.
3. Contact these businesses. You know that you hate getting cold calls from people that are trying to “sell” you something, so keep that in mind when contacting them. Try writing a letter instead that outlines what you are trying to do, what the value of it is to you as well as them, and how it will benefit both of your customers.
4. Review the responses you receive back, and determine which business best fits with your company and your marketing needs.
5. Sit down with them and figure out how you can work together and what you both need to do.
What can you do for each other to make this strategic marketing partnership work?
- Share posts on social media.
- Provide content for a newsletter.
- Write a featured blog.
- Make mentions of your partner on social media.
- Create a freebie to give to your customers that features both business.
- Provide coupons/discounts as a way to introduce your partnership to your customers.
- Make a referral to your partner whenever possible and relevant.
- Host an event that features your partner. Make sure it is interesting for your customers.
It may take a bit of work up front, but in the long run a strategic marketing partnership can be beneficial to everyone involved.
Don’t be another statistic, ensure the success of your new business.
Are you in the process of opening up your own business? Many people rush into becoming a business owner, without really realizing what it entails. To run a successful business you must avoid making these common mistakes:
1. Not having clear objectives.
From the beginning, it is important to set clear and realistic objectives. Start by making a list of goals and objectives based on a quarterly timeline. In addition, ensure that all your employees are aware of the objectives. Just think about it, a business without clear objectives is like driving a car without a destination in mind.
2. Identify your potential customers.
Who is going to use your product or service? How will they be using your product or service? It is important for you to know who your customer is, so you know how to reach them and maximize your sales.
3. Test your ads.
Run several ads at once with different copy. By doing this you can see what wording resonates best with your customers.
4. Make a budget!
Budgeting is a must with any business, new or established. You should NEVER run the risk of your business running out of money. This is especially true for your advertising and marketing needs. Sit down and plan out how much you have to spend monthly or quarterly on your marketing. Think about promotions you want to run each month, and set that amount aside. Start small, and see what works for you business.
5. Don’t give up.
Starting a business is not an easy task. On average you need to give your promotions at least 3 months before you decide to scrap a campaign. On that note, some promotions might take longer to drive results. As we said before, test your promotion on a smaller scale before you launch a larger promotion, and most importantly be patient. You need to give your business time to be found and talked about, and that takes time.
It’s important that you find employees that will preserve the integrity of your company at all times. Sure, it could be easy to hire the first person that walks in the door, but think about it, one rude customer service experience can cost you not just that particular customer but all their friends and family. So screen your future employees, and ensure that they truly are the type of person that represents your business at its best.
Overall, to be successful you need to ensure you have an array of advertising mediums. Think a health mix of social media, search and maybe even some radio or print (depending on the nature of your business). In addition, don’t just do one or two promotions and then simply wait for results. Be proactive, find new ways to reach your potential customers, think outside of the box and reach them in a relevant and unique way.
By avoiding these mistakes you can help your business achieve year round success. So plan ahead and get to it!
Are Your Business’ Social Media Outlets Ready For the Holidays?
Christmas is a week away, and that means that businesses all over are trying to keep up with the holiday rush! Regardless of the rush, as a business you need to ensure you are publicly presenting an image of festive cheer in addition to being there to help your customers who have gifts to buy, meals to plan and family to take care of in order to get everything done on time! According to Mashable, 65% of shoppers turn to social media to find the perfect gift, and, when they do, you need to make sure that you are there to help them out.
So if you haven’t turned your attention to your company’s holiday social media plan, here are 5 tips to help you get started!
1. Decorate your social media
Nothing says holiday cheer like the right decorations, so make sure you get your social media accounts decked out too! Change your cover photo to something that reflects the holiday season. You can go all out or simply give your logo a festive twist.
2. Create holiday engagement
The holidays are a great time to get people talking about your products and your business. Encourage comments and shares from your fans by posting holiday related content.
For example, post an image of your company’s Christmas tree. Then ask fans to share an image of their tree.
3. Think visual
Do you have seasonal products? Make sure you post them on your social media sites, and ensure you add call to action! Make sure you post them with seasonal sentiment, as this will help make them more engaging. A call to action will help bring your company’s name to the forefront of your customers’ minds during this busy time.
4. Holiday competitions
People love businesses that give back, and the holiday season is one of the best times of the year to show your giving side. Holiday competitions give you a great way to get your business noticed and show your customers you understand the spirit of giving.
For example, give away gift cards to help customers plan their holiday meals or buy their stocking stuffers. You can ask them to share their favorite recipe or a picture of a holiday tradition.
5. Check out what’s trending
The holiday season is the most high-stakes time of the year for businesses. Make sure you get the most exposure possible by checking what’s currently trending on social media, so you can tailor your message accordingly. Just make sure you jump on a trending topic that makes sense for your business. Your message should be relevant and fit in organically with the conversation going on.
Overall, the holiday season is a busy time for both customers and businesses, so make sure you have a strong social media strategy to increase the chances of reaching your customers. In addition, customers are turning to social media to ask questions and report problems, so make sure you are dealing with all the inquires in a timely matter. Don’t forget making customers happy at this time of the year is a top festive priority.
68% of People say a business blog can add credibility to your website
A business blog is a great way to not only establish a presence across the web, including your website as well as your social media channels, but it is also a great way to establish yourself as a credible authority in your industry. Social media is a great way to be in contact with your customers / followers on a daily basis, but you can’t always get your point across in one tweet or one Facebook post. A blog can allow you to expand on your social media presence with a quick teaser and a link to more information.
Why do I need a business blog?
There are two main purposes for a having a business blog. The first is to bring traffic to your website. The second is to create a conversation with your followers.
When someone goes online to search for a business within your industry, you ideally want your business to show up close to the top of the search results. In order to accomplish this, you have to have effective search engine optimization (SEO). One of the ways to create effective SEO, is to post consistently with relevant keywords and original, high quality content. A blog can help to accomplish some of this.
Because a business blog allows you to so easily share information about your business and industry, it can be a great way to create an online customer / reader/ follower base. Allowing your followers and customers a view inside your business can let them communicate with you in a more in-depth way. If your business website does not have a blog, you are missing a big opportunity to increase your company’s visibility, which could also correlate to an increase in your bottom line.
What needs to be done in a business blog?
The main goal of a business blog is to engage your readers / customers and build trust with them. There are a few ways to effectively do this.
- Have a clean, good looking design with a professional logo.
- Keep your posts short and easy to understand, but not too short!
- Share with your social media channels.
- Use correct spelling and grammar.
- Have good quality photos and graphics.
- Encourage customer feedback and reviews.
- Link to trustworthy sources and sites.
- Don’t write about your competitors.
- Focus on the positives of your company and products.
- Build relationships and establish links with affiliates who will promote your products as well.
- Make sure to use keywords that your customers might be searching for.
What type of content should my business blog have?
Setting up a business blog is a fairly simple task. The difficulty begins when it comes to maintaining it with original, unique content that your readers will find useful. It is necessary to keep your customer in mind, so that you can focus on writing content that is attractive to them.
You will only convert your readers into customers if you have engaging, relevant, credible posts. Therefore, you want to tell and show your readers why your products and services are unique and reliable. You also want to make sure you keep them updated with upcoming products, new services, future events, and any other relevant news within your business. Overall, it is a great forum for sharing relevant, reliable information about your business, products, services, and more.
The importance of having an optimized mobile website design that is responsive on all devices is becoming increasingly important to all businesses big and small.
The amount of time and money people are spending on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets has been steadily on the rise over the last few years, and yet, according to Adobe, there are still 45% of businesses that don’t have a mobile website that is optimized for all devices.
Mobile optimization for your site may seem like an investment you aren’t ready to take on, but just how much business are you missing out on by having a website that is not mobile friendly?
Think About This…
- 58% of all US consumers already own a smartphone. (comScore)
- Over 1.2 billion people access the web from their mobile devices. (Trinity Digital Marketing)
- Global mobile traffic now accounts for 15% of all Internet traffic. (Internet Trends 2013)
- 50% of smartphone Internet users surveyed said that even if they like a business, they would use it less often if its website did not meet their mobile-friendly standards. (Google)
- 61% of people have a better opinion of brands when they offer a good mobile experience. (Latitude)
- 95% of smartphone users have searched for local info. (Google)
- Tablet users spend 50% more than PC users. (Adobe)
Responsive Web Design is a must across all devices.
Remember This…
Mobile Sites Lead to Purchases
Although this may seem like a given, a Google survey confirmed that shoppers are more likely to buy a product or service from a mobile-optimized site. In addition, 78% of smartphone owners and 75% of tablet owners consider the “look and feel” of a company’s mobile website when considering whether or not to make a purchase from it. (Kentico Software)
Non-Optimized Sites Drive Customers Away
A large majority of survey participants said that they are looking for responsive website design. Instead of switching to a PC to find what they want from your site, they will instead find a competitor that is mobile friendly. (Google) According to Compuware, 1 in 3 respondents said that a poor mobile application experience would drive them to a competitor.
Bad Mobile Experiences Can Damage Your Company Brand
A bad mobile experience can cause frustration and annoyance with your customers. Not having a mobile friendly website design can make your customer feel as though you do not care about your business. Although more than 75% of smartphone and tablet owners say they often return to websites that are visually appealing and function well on their devices, 44% say they would never go back to the site, and 52% would not return often if the website is not responsive and does not perform well on their device. (Kentico Software)
Is it worth not having a mobile optimized site for your business?
It’s time to optimize your mobile website and take it…
