September is Apple Month!
September has been declared Apple Month by Governor Deval Patrick and the state legislature. September sis also the month that Apple is expected to launch the iPhone so to honor both the apple and Apple we have compiled some Fun Facts you may not know about apples and Apple Inc!
Live Plan
LivePlan is a fantastic tool and I love using it. I have written business plans in Word and there is no comparison. It really simplifies the planning process and allows one to focus on content instead of formatting. It puts the focus on planning the business instead of planning the plan.”
Email Marketing Is Not Enough Says Gail Goodman Constant Contact: Engagement Marketing
Email Marketing Is Not Enough Says Gail Goodman Constant Contact: Engagement Marketing.
July 9, 2012 
Most every small business has an email newsletter of some type. Maybe not your average laundromat but just about everyone else has some sort of email newsletter. Constant Contact has the lion’s share of email newsletter customers. Gail Goodman, founder of Constant Contact recently released a book, “Engagement Marketing: How Small Business Wins In A Social Connected World” that screams loud and clear that email marketing alone is simply not enough.
Her book walks you through a cycle, Engagement Marketing that consists of new prospects, wow experience, entice to stay in touch, engage and social word of mouth.
Gail says that engagement marketing allows you to encourage your customers to engage and interact with you as if you are neighbors chatting across the back fence. Another premise of engagement marketing is that if you are OUT OF SITE (not connecting with your customers) then you are most likely out of their mind – and they’re buying from the competition.
What I like about “Engagement Marketing” is that it’s not a high and might academic tome of impracticality. No – it’s a book that gives PRACTICAL guidance to every small business owner into how they can keep their customers returning again and again and again for more.
Social media is “nice” but most of us are just sending a Tweet and we think that’s good enough – it takes so much more and Gail’s book shows you how to do more.
Customer Relations
Building good customer relations
One of your company’s biggest assets is the relationship you have with your existing customers. If you are not actively and regularly in communication with the clients you have already done business with you are wasting your greatest income potential.
The cost that goes into getting new, qualified clients for your products is much higher than the cost of maintaining relations with existing clients to generate new business.
Are you actively in touch with your customers?
Do you use public relations to make your good works known? Do you send them helpful tips or even funny items of interest? You don’t want to always be selling them something. Provide value to you customers. Stay in touch so that when they think of making their next purchase, they think of you, not your competitor.
Are your records up to date? Do you have current addresses, phone #s and emails for all of your clients?
If you aren’t in touch with your past clients because your records are out of date it’s worth the time to recover this information. The time, cost and effort will be a lot less than what it would take to get new clients.
Here are a couple things you can do:
- Invest some time getting your mailing list (physical addresses, phone numbers and email addresses) up to date. Use this as an opportunity to create some good PR or do a little survey. See earlier Tips #s 3 & 4. Tell them you’re just verifying their contact information and let them know what your records show for their phone # and address. Then just ask, “by the way, can I get your email address”. Usually they don’t have a problem giving it to you if they know your company.
- If you don’t already have an email marketing service it’s one of the most economical marketing investments you can make. They’re easy to use and offer a simple and inexpensive way to stay in touch with your customers.
Reestablish and nurture the relationship you have with past and existing customers to improve sales and increase your business success!
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10 Strategies for Social Media Marketing Success
1. Have Goal Like most marketing and business efforts, it’s good to have a goal in mind as you delve into social media marketing. It doesn’t have to be anything audacious like increase sales 30% year over year. Something more along the lines of improving company/brand awareness; adding a new channel to interact with customers, members, donors, and prospects; or improving search engine optimization (SEO) will work just fine.
It’s important to keep in mind that the return on investment with social media marketing cannot always be measured in hard dollars. While one can offer deals and make sales, the real power of social media marketing is in building relationships and remaining top of mind with existing customers. Plus, the viral nature of social media can help you find and connect with new customers.
A July 2010 study by Gartner found that 74% of consumers rely on some type of social media network to guide purchasing decisions. That’s because people rely on what others have to say about a product or brand before making an investment themselves. The survey points out that marketers should use social media networks to target the people who influence others’ purchasing decisions.
Doing so may not have a direct ROI attached to it, but it can indirectly help influence sales. If you’re new to social media, set achievable goals that will allow you to get your feet wet and start building connections with your existing customer base. As your comfort level and social media savvy grow, so too can your goals.
KnowHowInsight provided by Constant Contact
Advertising
Advertising
It’s time to start promoting your product or service.
If you have been following our Tips series you now understand how to position your product with the right target audience and how to establish good PR.
To advertise effectively you must:
- Attract attention
- Create interest
- Deliver the message
The whole purpose in doing a survey was to find the button that would draw in potential clients to listen to your message. (see Tip #3 for information on surveys) The primary button will be used to attract attention.
You can make use of any secondary buttons you found in the survey to create interest before you pass the message.
The message tells the viewer about your product and service and is followed by a call to action that motivates them to take the next step towards a purchase.
Here’s an example that illustrates these concepts:
PAYING TOO MUCH FOR TAXES?!
(Primary button attracts attention – a picture is strongly recommend here)
Business owner, you work hard enough for every cent you earn. Wouldn’t you be happier if you could save more money and pay less for taxes?
(Secondary buttons create interest)
TaxPro tax planning specializes in efficient tax planning for small businesses so you can lawfully and respectably make a living.
(Delivered message)
Call now and tomorrow you can start enjoying your lawfully deserved benefits – 800-123-4567.
(Motivation to purchase)
Properly set up your advertising campaign, push the right buttons and get real results that lead to business success!
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“Here’s to the crazy ones…-Steve Jobs
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs
