Think about your own responses to the advertising and promotions you receive. Much of it probably goes right past you, deflected instinctively and even unconsciously by your Ad Filtering System. Yet some messages resonate with you. They connect somehow, in ways that you're not even aware of, and you respond to the...
What’s more important to you? A one-time purchase, or a customer with a long-term relationship with your business? Customers-for-life is the strategy and the hope behind all great brands.
You love a good conversation—where both participants care what the other has to say, demonstrate interest, listen, and respond appropriately. A good conversation allows both parties to reveal themselves, uncover what is important from their perspective and shared values. A good conversation offers an opportunity t...
Almost every business owner wants more leads for their business. In fact, for many owners the need for a constant inflow of qualified leads often dominates their thinking. There are, however, many challenges to ensuring and maintaining that supply. And, in addition to the needs of today, growth objectives and prof...
No business is too small or too specialized to warrant the time and energy it takes to develop a brand. Brand building is essential for any business. A strong, positive brand is just as important for a 200-person technology company as it is for a 3-person retail shop.
We've received a lot of requests for an article specifically about branding as it applies to a retail business. First, a reminder: the basics of branding are similar regardless of your business. So I’ll start with some general advice then give more specific direction for branding a retail operation.
We continue our podcast series with exit planning expert and author, John Warrillow whose book Built to Sell, outlines the eight steps he says are critical to creating a sellable business.
There are a lot of things marketing automation software can do for you. It can help you increase traffic, educate and inspire potential customers, and give you a microscopic view of what happens at every step of your buyer’s journey. But like all good things, it’s not quite that simple. It takes a real investment ...
It’s never been easier to chase after the wrong customers. With the explosion of online marketing tools, you and your team can spend all day (and all night) doing it. Which is why it’s never been more important that you have something—or more specifically, someone—to guide you. The challenge for today’s business o...
You’ve got a blog. Maybe an email newsletter. You’re tweeting and linking and trying to figure out the whole social thing. You even set aside time each week to meet with your team to try to come up with new ideas for how to get people interested in your product. It seems like you’re doing all the right things, but...
Inbound marketing is drastically changing the way we think about customers—down to the very terminology we use. There are a lot of new things to think about: personas, calls-to action, buyer stages and so much more. It’s about creating remarkable content, understanding who your customers are, what frustrations the...
Would you apply for a job at your business? Think about it for a moment. With where you are in your life—with your unique talents and dreams—is it the kind of place that would support you in getting closer to the life you want? Do you think you have any employees who aren’t evaluating their jobs, right this very m...
Is your blog getting you down? Do you wonder whether it’s worth all the effort, whether people are really getting something from it, whether you’re “doing it right”? Maybe you think you’re not a writer, or you simply feel like you don’t have the time to write with all the other demands of your small business.
In 2010, it’s estimated that people sent more than 1 trillion emails. That’s a staggering number. And of course, you have to ask yourself: with the plethora of emails being sent every minute of every day, how can you rise above the inbox clutter to reach your prospects?
We spent $500 billion globally on advertising in 2013. Every year we're spending more money, to interrupt more people, more often, with messages they don't care about and don't pay attention to. We've come to believe that the way to succeed is to have an advantage—by being different or better, more visible, or jus...
Can your website be your secret weapon? The silver bullet that makes all the difference?
Are you still putting off writing that blog or newsletter for your business? How long has it been haunting you? You keep telling yourself it's a great opportunity to get your business out there, and connect with your customers. But becoming a blogger on top of everything else?