You may think price or service, but the reason that customers choose a brand and stay there is emotion. Consumers prefer brands that give positive feelings, and stay because the experience continues to make them happy. Researchers have found that 95 percent…
Google users have two options for storing photos. They can save pictures on Google Drive or Google Photos. Which should you use? These two separate applications serve different purposes and have different features. Both have a huge advantage of off-site storage and…
For those of you who use Instagram, with mixed feelings, I would like to give you something else to think about: your post grid. Once you see it, you can't unsee it, so only proceed if you want to up your Instagram…
When someone asks me, "what do you do?" I could answer, "I am a graphic designer." You want to keep it short, but no job title sums up your work. Rethink how you respond. Make the most of every opportunity by sharing…
What is your marketing budget limit? Regardless of how much (or how little) you spend to market your business, these five marketing essentials will help you get more marketing punch from your daily activities. 1. SEO Learn SEO basics. From blog articles…
So, you've found a natural referral partner in your network. You want to help them out and let them help you and maximize the results. Here are some things you can do to optimize the relationship: Get personal! For referral partners to…
If you are not familiar, the visual rule of thirds is a classic guideline for arranging visual images. From your social media posts, photos, and artwork on your walls, it works! Picture your image divided into thirds both vertically and horizontally. You want to…
Want more clients? Build up your personal brand... you as the expert in your field. "Here is the secret to making it happen with ease: Focus on your personal brand, and start building your visibility and audience online. Social media offers a brilliant platform to establish yourself as a…
The Marketing Rule of Seven The 'Rule of Seven' in marketing claims it takes an average of seven exposures to your marketing message before a prospect will make a purchase. Why does this old technique still work? The longer exposure gives you time to build up a…
Brand Color Theory Color, which affects mood, helps your potential customer choose your product when making a purchase decision. You cannot ignore brand color theory because color speaks first - before your image or words. You can't fight it! As a general…
You can't beat word-of-mouth sales leads! Referral sales come gift-wrapped in a recommendation and are usually ready to buy when you speak to them. How can you get more of these? Networking, of course. Strategic networking, specifically. Strategy: Referral Networking Adding strategy…
When someone adds a link to your site it is a vote of confidence. Perhaps they are recommending you. Maybe they found some of your site content useful. Either way, it helps your site rank acting as a vote for your popularity.…
Take a look at this chart on small business marketing, and you may find yourself. This useful study was conducted by OutboundEngine, a provider of marketing automation software for small businesses. They surveyed more than 350 small and medium business owners throughout the…
I recently attended a short training from StoryBrand.com called "5 Reasons You Lost Your Last Deal." I invite you to check out their resources. It is very valuable information. Here's the essence of the things to check for the most effective proposal.…
You may have heard of the book Story Brand by Donald Miller. His basic concept is to engage potential customers by helping them see how you can solve their problem. He wants you to draw them into a story where they, the…
In 2019, 1000 small businesses (1-100 employees, 30 industries) were asked what their marketers are doing to reach the right audience at the right time. The winner for the best small business marketing value is… Email Marketing! Small businesses should focus on 1:1…
In the previous article, we discussed that Your Brand is Your Promise. I challenge you to review these items with a fresh eye and see if your branding is consistent. Are these pieces saying what you want to say to your customers?…
Recently I read a good article "The Basics of Branding" from Entrepreneur that describes your brand as your promise to customers. This is one of the best definitions of branding I have heard. Here is a summary. Your brand is derived from…
Don't Forget Bing! The world may describe searching as "Googling", but Bing is also an important search engine. Make sure that you build/update your bing listing so your future customers can find you. Your first step is to go to BingPlaces.com and…
Local marketing through Google MyBusiness is YOURS! It fills the listing below the map in a local search, and the boxed next to search results. It could even provide a response from Google Home. Your business needs to be listed completely and…
A free local listing with product details. You may have heard of this website, Alignable, that connects local businesses and encourages networking. The website gets light traffic, but is recognized by Google and offers you an opportunity to connect your name with…
Let the BBB help you! Have you claimed your Better Business Bureau listing? You may notice when you do a search for your business that your BBB listing comes up pretty high in the search results. By claiming this listing, you can…
If you are NOT actively asking your customers for google reviews, you are missing a golden opportunity. Grab more gold stars with some of these ideas: Ask for Google Reviews with your thanks for the sale. Just ask! When you are accepting…
Got a Yelp Listing? Right now, before you start another project, go to Yelp.com and search for your business. What do you see there?Many people think that Yelp is just for restaurants. Not so! Yelp offers every business a free listing which…
Google local listings are the ones that show beneath the map when you search for a general term, like doughnuts. Help your Google business listing to display more gold stars, indicating your quality at a glance. Get more great reviews and build…
Claim Your Google Listing! This is your most important free listing. How does your Google listing look? In order to have control over your Google Listing, you have to claim it as the company owner. In this illustration, you'll see: Type your…
SEO, Search Engine Optimization, helps your business get found and ranked higher on search platforms. SEO for the Beginner provides you a quick list of the most impactful factors. Search engines are trying to find and understand internet content and provide relevant search…
Our last article covered the basics of Instagram. This time, let's discuss some tips to create the best posts and build your brand and business personality through posts. Time to up your visibility with your business Instagram account. Mix It Up When…
Not Active with Instagram?Time to join in! Very visual Instagram is popular with younger adults and teens. In fact, more than half of the users are age 34 or younger. Find interesting images around you that you can share, and have fun…
If you don't have a LinkedIn account or haven't updated yours in a while, now is the time! Your Personal LinkedIn Page Choose the right profile PICTURE: a current, professional-looking headshot. It matters! Add a BACKGROUND PHOTO to your profile page. It…
A short while after you create a post, Facebook will offer to “Boost” your post for a small fee. A Facebook Boost of a popular post is a great way to reach more people, but you need to proceed wisely. When you…
How do you feel about the answer "It depends."? On average, the best days to post, according to many studies, are: Facebook: 1:00 to 4:00 pm, especially on Thursday and FridayLinkedIn: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10:00 to 11:00 am, and 5:00…
Myth: Your brand = your logo. Actually, your brand encompasses every aspect of the customer experience, from advertising through customer service follow up. Be distinctive and find out what your customers hope for. Myth: Brands are just a way to sell at…
Feedback from your customers can provide you with improvement ideas, new product additions and insight into the emotional parts of the purchase decision for them. Stay curious about your customer experience. Ask your customers for feedback and really listen. Then share with…
Too many choices overwhelm most people. When creating a proposal for a client, don't give too many options. Instead, offer one really stellar option, and explain why and how it will help. Use stories to help your client understand the benefits and…
Use stories and experiences to illustrate your product features and advantages. Customers are more likely to remember the stories and possibly share them with friends when they are talking about your service or product.Customer success stories also express your company's values and…
Web design can cost an arm and a leg! Luckily, a savvy small business can create a unique online store for less, like the site below. Contact Brimming Design to build an inexpensive WordPress store in less than two weeks! WordPress stores…
You may have heard of experience marketing. You are not just selling a product... you are selling a relationship, yourself, and the experience of buying and using the product. You are also selling what happens if there are any problems with the…
Why spend time on Content Marketing? Content Marketing builds relationships by providing useful, relevant information both on your website (blog), email campaign and over social media. Filling your website with a knowledge base of information your customer values makes you an authority.…
You want to make an educated decision on spending for product branding, so tell me, where is fancy bread, in the heart or in the head? MAKING FANCY BREAD Your product branding does more than create visual appeal. It assigns a value.…
We understand busy... You plan to handle your marketing tasks on Tuesday. You need to place an ad, make a social media post, prepare for the booth display next month and work on a blog article. Whoops. Tuesday flew by in a…