Do you remember what it was like when you were a kid during the summer? It was like heaven! Three entire months off school with no work whatsoever! I remember waking up to the smell of fresh cut grass and would scramble out of bed to get outside! Unfortunately, endless summers can’t last forever. But here’s the good news! One of the benefits of being an entrepreneur with a business is that you get to make your own schedule. Yes, you absolutely need to work like crazy during the summer to grow your business, but if you want a three…
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Ok, I’m going to admit it. I… occasionally… binge watch Netflix. I know, I know, I’ve heard all the arguments against it. It ruins the show, it’s a waste of time, etc. But the fact is that it’s fun to binge watch a show with your loved ones (or by yourself with a giant bowl of popcorn). Binge watching has gone from something that only those who buy DVD box sets do to something that just about everyone does. You pick a show on Netflix, sit down on the couch, and enjoy the ride. But Netflix is only one option…
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Remember the old adage for those with gigantic cable packages? “300 channels and nothing’s on?” That certainly isn’t a problem anymore. Ignoring the phenomenon of cord cutting (I mean, how many people really want to pay for cable today?), you can find just about all of the entertainment that you want from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, YouTube and other video services. Streaming video has mostly replaced traditional cable, offering people the ability to watch whatever they want, whenever they want. You no longer have to scroll through guides to see what’s on. Instead, you just type (or speak!) what you…
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Do you hate writing? With content marketing on the rise as one of the most effective ways to reach out to customers, having strong writing skills is more important than ever. Being able to come up with a compelling and well-written blog post is often the cornerstone of any content marketing strategy. Not everyone enjoys writing. You might have had a bad experience back in school, where writing every single word could be an exercise in frustration. Because of this, many people have no idea how to write a great blog post. Well, good news because I’m here to help.…
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How much engagement is your blog getting on your website? If you don’t know the answer to that question, then you might be in trouble. Many small business owners spend hours and hours every week writing the perfect blog that will get them clicks. If you’ve followed me in the past, then you know I am hugely in favor of this! Having a blog on your website is one of the best ways to keep it active and updated regularly. It also gives you lots of material to work with on social media and through email marketing. But here’s the…
Read MoreLet me ask you a hypothetical question. Imagine you are looking for a virtual assistant to help with your small business (a fairly good bet, seeing as you’re here right now). You narrow your choices down to two VAs. To make your decision, you bring up their websites. Both of the sites look good. They are cleaned and polished, not looking dated at all. There are lots of services offered, some solid testimonials, and the graphics and copy are all high quality. Ah, but then you visit the “Blog” sections. In one of them, you see that they haven’t updated…
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Do you know what the most effective method of advertising was back in the golden age of “Main Street” America? The storefront window. Pedestrians would walk by and look in all of the storefront windows on main street to see the most interesting and expensive items sold. And it worked! People would come in off the street to take a look around the stores. If the store owner was a particularly effective salesperson, they would walk out with a bag full of products, maybe even the one they saw in the window. In the marketing world today, the storefront window…
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When was the last time that you got a really good night’s sleep? As a small business owner myself, I know what it’s like to have to have to work 12 to 14 hour days. Back when I first started my business, I would get up in the morning, work all day, and then go to sleep. It’s rewarding, no question, but also exhausting. And what choice do we have? As a small business owner, you’re responsible for everything and, if something doesn’t get done, the only person that you can blame is yourself. But what if it didn’t have…
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Providing your customers with value is what business is all about, and that also goes for your advertising. No one wants to read dry, boring copy going on and on about how great your business is. Customers are far more savvy than that, they know how advertising sounds and they know to ignore it. The way you can connect with your customers today is with content. If you provide them with authentic, personality infused, valuable content, like blog posts, free downloads, email campaigns, etc, then you can sneak in under the advertising radar (stealthy selling, anyone?) by giving them what…
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Do you have an email list of your customers on your computer? Most companies do, but few companies properly take advantage of them. There is a reason why every single lottery, freebie, or giveaway asks for your email, and it isn’t actually to get in contact with you if you win. They want your information. The more emails they have, the more people they can potentially contact. Your company should be utilizing this exact same model of gathering emails and informations of potential and current clients. Developing your email list is not only a fantastic email marketing tool, but also…
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