4 Ways Print Can Grow Your Business

Unlike online advertising, print is a tangible product that a customer can hold in their hand or keep in front of them on their desk.  You don’t have to wait for the customer to come to you or find you online.  You go to the customer.  Because of this, print material is a great way to grow your business. Here are a few creative ways to utilize this tried and true marketing product.

1.      Newsletter To Existing Customers

Send your customers a monthly or bi-monthly newsletter through the mail.  Make it something to look forward to by including well written articles and tips. This is a good way to stay in front of them and to remind them to refer their friends.  Engage their interaction by holding a contest and announce the winner in the following issue.  I receive a monthly magazine that hides a symbol somewhere in the issue each month and it is fun to comb through the pages to see how fast I can find it.  Be creative and remember, make the newsletter worthy of receipt so that it doesn’t get tossed.  Keep it informative.

    

                                                                                                   

2.      Business Cards

Yes, we all know this is an obvious printed material.  However, are you making the most out of this mini billboard? Is it living up to its full potential? Your standard everyday run of the mill business cards unfortunately don’t stand out and aren’t that memorable. 

You can change this easily enough with a well designed card.  For instance, a brick mason may opt for a card that leaves no doubt to what he does.  Because of the unique design, you’ll remember the card.  Rounded corners are a nice touch.

Try something different than the typical rectangular card. 

Think about Circle business cards, half circle, leaf shaped, square and oval shapes. Use bold colors, creativity, and imagination to set yourself apart from the competition.  

 What about a plastic business card?  With several finishes available, a plastic card's texture and thickness automatically sets itself apart from the competition.

3.      Signs

Signs are means to communicate a message. Try some of these cool products to capture attention.  Have a store front?  Try static window cling or adhesive vinyl signs to advertise promotions, contests, events etc.  Make them interesting by giving your sign movement.  This can be done with custom shapes. Step out of the box and lose the rectangle. 

Make it fun and get noticed.  Utilize mobile advertising by using magnetic vehicle signs. Create a set for each season to showcase a special promotion.  For instance, if you are a florist you might want to put a big bouquet of roses in full color on the sign with a special sale price for Valentines’day or birthdays. Use magnetic signs to your advantage by advertising more than just your business name and phone number. Everywhere you go your message goes with you.

4.      Brochure

Think of a brochure as an appetizer for the main course. In this case, the main course would be your website.  It’s a good idea not to include every single product or service that you offer in a brochure.  Instead, think of a creative way to spoon feed the customer enough information that they will want to go to your website to learn more.  With folding, die cuts and creative design you can make an otherwise boring brochure into an imaginative work of art. A professional graphic designer can apply some of these techniques to create a piece that will be the attention getter you need to stand out from the crowd. 

If you are already using some of these printed marketing products, try jazzing them up and make them interesting by applying some of these ideas and say it in full color.

View more business card shapes at http://www.tumblr.com/blog/creativesoupthings

5 Simple Ways To Increase Website Traffic

When it comes to SEO (search engine optimization) most business owners have a hard time determining what the best course of action is to boost their website traffic.  It can be mind boggling and a bit intimidating when it comes down to it.  However, there are some tried and true techniques that you can do.

1.      Keep it fresh

Change the content on your site often.  Google and other search engines like this simple strategy.

2.      Do your research

Stuffing your site full of keywords used to be standard practice but that technique has become outdated and is not recommended.  In fact, you can be penalized for this practice.  The best way to utilize keywords is to use the Google Adwords Keyword Tool to search for local queries that have been generated for your industry or product.  See what key words people have searched the most and then pick a term that has a high search result that is not too competitive.  For example; if I chose the term “Tennessee Dentists” I would not get as high in the ranking because it is too competitive.  However, if I changed my focus to “Pediatric Dentistry in Nashville” or “Oral Surgery in Chattanooga” I may receive a more desired search result.  Once you have established good keywords for your business, use them in all of your online content.

3.      Build Solid Backlinks

Backlinks are links on another website that direct traffic to your website.  Again, this is a tricky area and abuse has led to Google penalties.  Avoid link farms and content farms.  Seek out legitimate backlinks on sites such as a chamber of commerce directory, a local business that will share your link on their website in return for you doing the same for them and local business directories.  This will give your site credibility and increase traffic.

4.      Create A Social Media Presence

No one can be on every social media platform out there.  However, you need to have a presence on the most popular. Create a business page on Facebook, create a Twitter account, and add Goole+1 or Pinterest. When you post or tweet, try to include a link to a special product or web page on your site.  Make the link relevant to the post.  This will draw traffic to your site.  Add social media icons to your website so people can share if they like what they see.

5.       Create A Blog

The first rule for a blog is to give the customer value.  Educate and make your blog a resource.  The fastest way to turn someone off is to be one huge commercial for your business.  Find a creative way to work in sales information that directly pertains to your blog article. Think of this as subtle product placement.  We see this technique in movies all the time. 

Try these simple tips and you should see a rise in website traffic.  If you don’t see the traffic increase desired then you may need to invest part of your marketing budget in an SEO campaign. 

5 Online Marketing Terms You Need To Know

As they say, “Let’s talk shop”.  Online terminology continues to morph into acronyms and terms that you may or may not know.  Sure, you’ve probably already heard of SEO (search engine optimization) and PPC (pay per click) but here are five more to add to your online marketing vocabulary.  Staying up on the latest jargon will help you know what to focus on to grow your  business.

Mobile Marketing. 

The number of consumers that have smartphones continues to grow and so does your potential to reach your target market.  If your audience is on the go then your business needs to be on the go too. It is important to make your website mobile or to create an app for your business.

Geo-Targeting.   Search engines use IP addresses to determine if a user is in the area that you are trying to market to. With geo-targeting, you can set your PPC campaigns and other online ads to only reach those in a specific city/state/region.

Day Parting.  Digital signs that advertise breakfast outside of fast food restaurants only run the ads during breakfast hours.  As soon as it gets lunch time they change their message to advertise to the lunch crowd.  Day- Parting works much the same way. You set up your ad to only display at certain times of the day or night that your target audience is online. By targeting a specific time instead of running your ad throughout the entire day you save money while maximizing your reach.

Unique Value Proposition (UVP). This is any characteristic that sets your product or service apart from the competition. It is the reason that you give potential customers to choose your business.

CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization). If you are selling a product or service then planning CRO is vital. Asking site visitors to sign up for a newsletter, open a free account, or other action helps marketers understand how effective the call to action is on their website. 

If you don't yet have a website or your site has simply become outdated, you should probably consider updating with a fresh new look and new content.  Help your site work for you instead of just sitting out there.

5 Things You Can Learn From A Zen Buddhist Master About Marketing

5 Things You Can Learn From a Zen Buddhist Master About Marketing

I recently stumbled upon some of the Buddhist teachings while conducting research on another project.  I discovered that some of the key fundamental practices can be applied to a solid marketing regiment.

Thich Nhat Hanh has been a Buddhist monk for more than 60 years.  His students call him Thây which is the Vietnamese word for “teacher”. He founded Plum Village in Southern France, the Buddhist meditation practice center and monastery where he lives.  In a recent interview with OprahWinfrey, Thich Nhat Hanh discussed the tenets of Buddhism – including mindfulness, the development of a practice (a regular activity, such as mindful walking, that redirects you toward right thinking), and enlightenment. 

These principles have been the foundation of the Buddhist religion for more than 2,000 years.  They are not only fundamental steps to enlightenment of the human spirit but can also be classified as vital factors to a successful marketing plan. Although the comparison between the two may sound mismatched, they do exhibit striking similarities.

The following quotes from Nhat Hanh not only apply to life but also to best marketing practices. 

~ "Every thought you produce, anything you say, any action you do, it bears your signature." ~

Corporate branding plays a key role in how your customers perceive you.  Being consistent throughout print and digital marketing efforts sends the message that you are a viable business while evoking a feeling of trust and credibility.  Actions speak louder than words which is why poor customer service can be detrimental. Word of mouth travels fast and poor customer service can swiftly destroy the reputation that you have worked so hard to build.  You are - as you are perceived by the customer.

 

~ As you walk, you touch the ground mindfully, and every step can bring you solidity and joy and freedom. ……………there is a time for everything; one thing at the time. ~

Yes, every step you take should be mindful. Each marketing strategy should be implemented with purpose, with consideration to budget and ROI. A solid marketing plan is essential to business growth.  How do you know which road to follow if you don’t have a plan to get there?  Start- up businesses often fall into the “let’s do everything” trap.  Without researching your target market and competitors, setting budgets and creating a marketing agenda, a new business can waste precious marketing dollars with little to no return. It is much like throwing darts in the dark hoping that one will hit the bulls eye. A detailed marketing plan will redirect you toward the right path; the path that leads to growth and success.

~ There is the mud, and there is the lotus that grows out of the mud. We need the mud in order to make the lotus. ~

No marketing plan is set in stone.  It should be tweaked from time to time.  If something isn’t working it should be evaluated and possibly even discontinued. What works for one business may be totally wrong for another. Take note of each marketing effort and remember to track the results. How else will you know if the money you just spent on a campaign was worth it? Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. If it weren’t for mistakes the world would not have penicillin, microwave ovens, potato chips or ink-jet printers. 

~ We have to continue to learn. We have to be open. And we have to be ready to release our knowledge in order to come to a higher understanding of reality. ~

Marketing can become stagnant if not open to change.  Don’t be afraid to try out of the box guerilla marketing ideas. Put yourself out there and people will talk.  Conversation is what you want because conversation leads to referrals and customers.  Doesn’t every business dream of being a household name?  No one ever knows all there is to know about marketing. Trends change and new technologies soon become standard practice. With the use of QR codes, mobile apps, social media and mixed media, digital technology has engaged the consumer like never before. Be open and seek to learn how to capitalize on newly introduced opportunities.

~ Development of a practice

I can’t forget to elaborate on the importance of regular activity.  Marketing works best when it is repetitive.  Doing something one time is going to yield poor results.  Doing the same thing multiple times will produce a favorable result.  It takes the average consumer a minimum of three touches to remember your name and two to three additional touches to be able to explain what exactly it is you do so that they can refer you or become a customer.  Therefore, if you plan to send out a postcard mailer you should budget for at least three mailings.  Whatever your marketing strategy, do it.  Yes, do it and do it consistently on a regular basis. Doing something is a step in the right direction.  Doing nothing will generate nothing.  Develop a practice and stick with it. 

Read more quotes here http://www.tumblr.com/blog/creativesoupthings