In an established city or tiny town, business alliances created to support locally-owned enterprises have shown to have a positive impact on the community. According to the New Rules Project of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, here are the top 10 best reasons for supporting locally-owned businesses: 1. Preserves local character and prosperity. Communities that [...]
Internet user preferences have been thoroughly documented. While there are exceptions to most every rule, following are some Web design basics to consider when creating or updating your site: DO: DO include a one-sentence tagline on the home page that summarizes what you do. DO put company name, logo and contact information on every page. [...]
You don’t need megabucks to be a smart marketer. Here are a few terms you’ll want to know: Cross Sell — Motivating current customers to buy different but related products or services. Free-Standing Insert — Printed advertisement that is inserted, but not bound, into a publication. Merge/Purge — Combining two or more mailings or email lists and deleting the duplicate data. Split Test [...]
Company: Commercial and residential lawn care service Situation Overview: The company’s current marketing efforts are limited to a Web site, a Yellow Pages ad and some outdated sales brochures. The landscaper’s sales force includes one fulltime employee and several part-timers. With plans to open a second location and expand their client base, they recognize the [...]
Direct mail or email. Yellow Pages or banner advertising. Radio or newspaper. Sprinkle in the pressure to get into social media and it’s enough to make your head spin. When divvying up your marketing dollars, how can you be sure you’ll end up with the right mix of strategies and tactics to sell, inspire or [...]
Whatever the format (single sheet fold-over, multiple panels or multi-page), your brochure has a job to do – and that’s to sell an idea. Solid design principles and creative flair aside, your brochure needs to say something. Here are a few tips that can help you to get your point across: Get emotional – It’s [...]
Your customers or members form a range of opinions and perceptions about your products, services, pricing and more. It used to be they told a friend or a couple of associates when they were unhappy. Now, they can instantly tell thousands (even millions), thanks to the Internet. Customer surveys can help you uncover valuable information [...]
Great customer relationships don’t happen overnight. It takes your steady, consistent delivery of a quality product, service and experience that drives long-term trust – and purchasing. For today’s skittish spenders, minimizing the risk associated with a new business partnership is paramount. Anything you can do to bolster con dence among prospects early on is more [...]
Marketing strategies in 2011 will need to address the diversity of consumers’ recession experiences to be successful, according to a recent study by Decitica Marketing Strategy & Research. The study concludes that many have accepted the creation of a new “normal” in the marketplace, rather than just a cyclical phenomenon. CONSUMER INSIGHTS The research identifies four distinct consumer segments emerging from the recession: [...]
Here are a few marketing terms you’ll want to know that will have you sounding like a pro: 4 Ps – Stands for product, price, place (i.e. distribution) and promotion. Creative Strategy Brief – An outline used to guide graphic artists and copywriters in reaching creative solutions that meet campaign goals in terms of messaging, style and tone. Integrated marketing – All [...]