As small business owners, the internet has given us so much. It’s often used for procrastinating, with cat videos on YouTube or reading random articles on Wikipedia. But that’s the “bad” stuff. It’s also given us social media networks that we can use to connect with clients directly.
Read MoreWe spend so much time talking about the marketing potential of Facebook and Instagram that we sometimes forget about a very popular social media service: Pinterest!Although Pinterest doesn’t necessarily have the same reach as Facebook (although that might change in the future), it does have over 200 million dedicated users who do one billion searches on it each month. That’s an incredible amount of activity and engagement. The big difference between Facebook and Pinterest is in their purpose. While Facebook is designed to bring people together, making is a fantastic way to connect with clients and customers, Pinterest is a…
Read MoreDo you know what the most effective method of advertising was back in the golden age of “Main Street” America? The storefront window. Pedestrians would look in all of the storefront windows on main street to see the most interesting. 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. In the marketing world today, the storefront window is the internet and the pedestrians are the ones browsing online. If you want to sell…
Read MoreFacebook is king. Don’t take my word for it, just ask someone if they have a Facebook account. Chances are that they will say “Yes!” Facebook and other social media channels have replaced our address books, photo albums, and even started to replace more traditional forms of advertising. By using Facebook as a marketing platform, you will be able to reach out to a huge group of potential clients for a fraction of the cost it would have just a few years ago. So let’s take a look at the reach, power, and ROI (Return-On-Investment) of Facebook Ads! The Reach…
Read MoreYou’re launching a new product! Now what?Small businesses need to walk on the edge of innovation to keep up in the market nowadays. You can’t just sit back on your laurels, you need to keep providing your customers with new and updated products and services. You need to keep things fresh! When you are about to launch a new product, it’s a time of celebration. It’s exciting! But it can also be a tremendous amount of work. Designing and creating a new product already takes a massive time commitment, marketing it and getting the word out to your customers can…
Read MoreDigital advertising is easy. Effective digital advertising, that’s hard. One of the most common things I hear from many of my new clients is that they have always gotten poor results from their digital marketing efforts. It just “doesn’t work” for them, so they tend to fall back on more traditional advertising methods. But here is the problem: digital marketing IS the standard form of advertising these days. Nowhere else can offer you the same ROI for your advertising dollars. It’s completely understandable why so many companies get less than their desired ROI their first time designing an online marketing…
Read MoreThe march of technology continues onwards! Every year, there is more and more innovation in the realm of digital marketing. With all of this changing technology comes new opportunities to get your advertising dollar to go a little further. A virtual assistant can help you take advantage of these digital marketing platforms and get the word about your business out to a wider audience using personality-infused storytelling and tested digital marketing techniques. Social Media MarketingSocial media isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The increased engagement on platforms like Twitter means that 280 characters are more relevant than ever. Facebook has completely…
Read MoreThe holidays are when everything can seem like it is spinning out of control for small businesses. Everyone wants to spend time with their family, but you still need to keep your customers happy while getting everything at the office finished by the end of the year. On top of all that, you should already be thinking ahead about the upcoming new year. By making some plans right now, you can get ahead of the game for your business and know exactly where you want to head starting January 1st. Here are a few ideas of things you can do…
Read MoreBoy, I remember my first few years of business… When I think back, I kind of cringe at some of the mistakes that I made in my first few years as a small business owner. Now, sixteen years later, I simply can’t believe that I ever made those silly errors. But the reason that I am still in business is because I learned from them. Every single mistake I ever made, I learned from. That’s how you make a small business thrive. December is the perfect time to take a good look back at your year, figure out what worked…
Read MoreThere is nothing like shopping for gifts to make the holiday stresses pile up! Even though Black Friday is behind us, the malls are still packed with folks trying to find the right gifts for their family and friends. You’re probably one of them (if you can find the time…). Gifts are more than just objects; they show someone how much we care about them. And who does a small business care about more than their clients? Small client holiday gifts or gestures can be a great way to reinforce current client relationships while also reviving old ones. These don’t…
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