Keeping with the website theme this month, let’s talk about SEO – search engine optimization. It comes up often when we are talking with clients and prospects. There are lots of questions. What exactly is SEO? Do I have to pay for SEO? How can I tell if the SEO on my site is good? Where do I start? Here’s a quick overview on how you can control your SEO. Read More...
I love email marketing. It’s easy, it’s consistent and it’s effective. Sometimes I have to talk my customers into it, because they’re not quite sure. And sometimes we have to tweak what we’re doing. Is email marketing still effective? You bet. When it’s done right, and consistently, email marketing will bring you new customers in a cost effective manner. Here are some tips for creating an effective email marketing campaign. Read More...
In a recent issue of Harvard Business Review, the featured topic was Marketing In The Age of Social Media. It’s a great read, with information on Branding, Crowd Culture and Social Media. The article discusses the challenges facing companies today. Be sure to pick up your copy – either at the newstand or online. In this same HBR issue, there’s an article on strategies that companies use to win back customers that they’ve lost. It reminds me of a former job I had in the corporate world. I worked for a firm in the insurance world – an industry that churns its customer base fairly often. We decided to add an annual marketing initiative to try to win back former customers. It was an inexpensive campaign and one we could measure fairly well. The idea was to select 1000 former customers and mail something to them quarterly, with a letter asking for their business. We called it the “We Want You Back” campaign. Each year, this list brought us at least 100 more customers. Here’s how you can plan your own campaign. Read More...
When we talk to prospects about marketing, It’s apparent that time is a huge factor. I get it. You don’t have time for social media. You don’t have time to blog. Editing the website? Well, that just doesn’t happen. So what’s the answer? You can’t market your business without investing a little bit of time in the process. It doesn’t have to be days, but if you can set aside 8-10 hours each month, you can create a good marketing campaign. If that’s not possible, consider hiring an intern. Here are some tips. Read More...
Make It Count Marketing is partnering with DUO Media Productions for a One-Day Event designed just for small businesses. Read More...
While talking to a prospect this week, she said she just doesn’t have time to network, post on social media or write a blog. She’s too busy doing her job! If YOU don’t have time, who does? How will you find clients? And even more important, how will clients find you? Read More...
Whatever you call it – Personas, Demographics or Target Audience – knowing who your most likely customer is and how you can appeal to him or her is extremely important. When we talk to clients, very often they describe their targeted prospect as someone they think should use their service or buy their product. It’s not quite the same thing. Your target audience is defined by demographics, habits, interests, and a personal story. You probably have several target audiences – and each one wants to hear slightly different information from you. It’s a good thing for companies to re-examine their potential customer. Are you missing a key piece? Here are some ideas for defining your target audience. Read More...
Social Media Marketing is a great way to get exposure for your business. The problem is, you don’t get exposure until you build your community. I had an author call me earlier this year. He wanted to promote his book through social media. Good idea. But then I looked at his social media sites. He had 11 friends on Facebook, 26 connections in LinkedIn and 2 Twitter followers. Read More...
If your budget is tight and you need more business, target new customers through social media. Many of our clients aren’t sure where to start. Here’s a run down of the top three sites. If you’re just starting your social media campaign now, begin with one, or all three, of these sites. Read More...
It’s Buyer Beware when it comes to web developers! There’s a bit of mystery involved with designing a good site, coding it properly and making sure your search engine optimization is correct. When we are asked to give a quote on revising or redesigning a website, we do research. What we see when we look at your source code and check out your optimization is frustrating. And when we look at the directories? Well, it gets worse. The point is, what you don’t know, CAN hurt you – or at least hurt your business. So make sure, whoever you’re talking to, that you get the whole picture. Here are some tips. Read More...
