How to get a great logo
For small businesses, having a logo is about creating a consistent and professional image rather than gaining instant brand recognition.
Business networking with social media
With everyone from your neighbours, family, friends and colleagues jumping on the social media bandwagon, there is no surprise that companies are using the continually evolving digital platform as a valuable marketing tool.
Branding Basics - How do I use my brand strategy?
Together with your competitive positioning strategy, your brand strategy is the essence of what you represent. A great brand strategy helps you communicate more effectively with your market, so it is vital to follow it in every interaction you have with your prospects and customers.
Can't buy me love
Why customer loyalty doesn’t have to cost big bucks!
Building a brand
A brand identity represents a mental or emotional association in the mind of a customer. It is initiated by the images used in your advertising, and by the words used to describe your products. After sufficient impressions, the customer remembers these associations and a brand is born.....
Market like a guerrilla
Many small to medium sized enterprises start up their businesses with high hopes, a million and one things to take care of and – no marketing plan. Ironically, a solid marketing plan with structured activity over 12 months is the one thing that can keep your business going when customers become scarce and the economy falters.
How to appear bigger and better
Dressing up a small business to appear larger than it actually is can help in securing bigger clients and will send a message of seriousness and credibility to customers, suppliers and prospective employees....
It's midnight and you're not famous yet!
You know what you’re doing is good. Right? You know that nobody can do it quite as good as you with just the right amount of this and that and nobody can surpass you in quality and service. Right? But how many other people out there know that?
Case of mistaken identity...don't let it happen to you
One of the truths of modern business is that there is almost nothing that your competitors can’t duplicate. If you have a great idea, you can be certain that somebody will copy it, fake it, cheapen it or just plain rip-it-off. They may even be able to do a better job selling ‘your’ product or service at a lower price. But what they can’t do, the one thing you’ll always have going for YOU, is your brand.
Every business needs a system
A business without a system is like a car without wheels. Whether you are a one man band, employ 50 people or are somewhere in between, every business needs a system and that means Marketing and Sales, Operations, Finance and Human Resources.
Tracking costs by lead – the what and the how
Every business can only afford to spend a set amount of money on marketing, so read on for steps to reduce expenses by tracking costs per lead.....
Give your eMarketing an 8 point health check
eMarketing is not a set and forget solution. There are 7 key areas that can stop your strategy performing.
Go global and grow
Becoming a global business can be an effective way for small business owners to achieve growth, increase sales and make more profit.
Building a brand on a budget
Branding is the foundation of all successful marketing strategies. It heightens customer interest, sets your business apart from your competition and helps you achieve greater profits.
Six deadly website sins
Everyone’s got a website nowadays, but how many are effective? (By which I mean, how many are generating quality leads, building your brand and increasing your sales?) Have you had your website created with a ‘best practice’ checklist, or has someone just put together a few basic pages that you’re hoping will garner you some attention in the off chance that a prospect finds you?
Imagination in cutting business costs
Here are some strategies that can be implemented that can help you save money and reduce the stress involved in running a business.
Your business online
Check list for planning for your business website.
Get on the media's good side
No matter what business you’re in, seeking to attract positive media attention should be right up there on your list of ‘to do’s’ – after all, you can’t have your competitors grabbing all the headlines, especially if you know that your product or service is superior and better meets your markets’ wants and needs.
Making money from affiliates
These days, nearly all businesses (mostly like yours included) have an online presence. What you might not be doing however is making the most of that presence, nor squeezing every last drop of money making potential out of it. One way to make sure you’re getting maximum ‘bang for your buck’ from your business website is to look at linking up with an affiliate program.
Social media marketing
The rapidly evolving social media network, when taken advantage of, can become an advanced marketing platform.
The secrets of profiting from drop shipping
Use drop shipping to generate repeat business.
What are you really saying?
How to build a brand that speaks volumes.
The 5 marketing mistakes you must avoid
Most business owners have the best intentions in the world when it comes to their marketing, but often, they get so excited with the ‘big picture’ of how many new leads a certain campaign is going to bring in, or the creative execution of a particular piece of collateral, they come unstuck by falling into at least one of the five following pitfalls – read on to find out what they are and how YOUR business can avoid them.
The route to success: a marketing roadmap for the New Year
While most businesses have a good idea of what they are driving their marketing efforts towards, few actually have pinpointed a destination and created a detailed roadmap to help navigate the sea of marketing options and choices enroute. You see, without a roadmap or plan, your marketing efforts could break down half way, or take a wrong turn and end up somewhere entirely different! In fact, businesses without marketing roadmaps often find that they underestimate the performance of their marketing, or focus only on solving short-term problems, rather than working on the long-term growth of their business.
Search engines to increase your business
Improve your marketing exposure and increase business by using internet search engines to drive traffic to YOUR website.
Building your business one tweet at a time
If you haven’t yet heard of Twitter then it’s possible you’ve been living on another planet for the past couple of years. Or, if you’re like most business owners, you’ve simply been really, really busy. Or at least too busy to bother with social media sites (which is what Twitter is, in case you’re still wondering).
7 Strategies to increase your online orders
Here’s a hint: the easier you make it for people to purchase, the more sales you’ll get. In the online world, there are some specific things you can to do to increase the perception of ease, safety, and reliability on your site that will in turn lead to increased purchases.
Becoming the leader of your tribe
What is a tribe and how can your business benefit from one? Follow these steps to create your own tribe and turn your attention to delivering the products and services that your tribe wants, instead of the more traditional focus on finding more customers for existing products.
Internet sales are for EVERY business
Think of any product or service that you’ve purchased in the last month. Now take a moment to reflect whether it would have been possible to purchase that product or service online. No? Would it have been possible to buy part of it online or make the booking / start the process online? If not in Australia, elsewhere in the world?
The times are changing - the four P's are dead
A lot of business owners would know about the 4 P’s – Product, Promotion, Price and Place – but in these challenging economic times say goodbye to the conventional way of doing marketing. The four P’s are DEAD!
How to blog your way through the recession
Global financial uncertainty has meant that many business owners are currently seeking more cost-effective and targeted marketing strategies.