Thursday

Business Gifts - The Most Effective Promotional Item

One of the most important tools of establishing a successful business is to build a good client base and a most tried and tested way to achieve that is by giving away business gifts. The business gifts may not necessarily have to be huge or expensive items but can just be small tokens of admiration that will go a long way in strengthening relationships with the client.

Though there are a lot of options available while giving away business gifts, a couple of things will have to be kept in mind to ensure maximum benefit for the contributor. While giving gifts, do not forget that it is a form of advertisement and should constantly remind the receiver of the giver. It is therefore advisable to have your company name, logo or a short message clearly printed on the product. Phone or fax number can also be etched on the item.

Another thing to keep in mind is to give gifts that are useful and such that the receiver will need regularly in his daily activities, or you may run the risk of getting the gift thrown into the trash and thus defeating its entire purpose.

A laptop bag or carry bag for files with your company name imprinted on it would be an ideal gift for your clients as these are things that a person will use daily and thus will be reminded of your product every time. Besides the person using it, it will also be seen by others in the person's circle and may result into additional business for you.

Other options for ideal corporate gifts are t-shirts or caps as these can spread your name and message to a large number of prospective customers. Umbrellas are also a recommended option as these are used almost every day and have a huge printable area.

Desktop items such as Mouse mats, Desk Calendars and USB promotional gifts such as USB flash drives can literally keep your promotional message at your Client's finger tips throughout the working day. A quality useful business gift will generate much more business than it's modest cost.

Popular promotional gifts that will be used regularly are printed mugs and personalized pens. These business gifts can be printed with your company name and contact details and each time they are used they will remind your Client of your business relationship.

Business gifts should be presented personally if possible. This will show that you care enough to visit your clients. It will also give the opportunity to discuss latest developments in your company. Give thought to deciding the most appropriate business gift for your clients.

David M Foster is an industry leader in helping companies promote themselves. Keep up to date with the latest products that will get you noticed by going to =>> http://www.promotionalpersonalisedgifts.co.uk/


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3 Ways You Should Be Using Email In Your Business

Email marketing is still one of the most under utilized and misunderstood marketing tools ever invented. Nearly every day, there are articles in business publications and websites that share misinformation and misleading information in regards to Email marketing.

Even with all of the technology and social media platforms in existence, Email still plays an important role and acts as a gateway to most if not all of the social media sites. Without an Email address, would-be users cannot gain access to certain sites or cannot use the full functions of sites.

Almost every transaction you make online requires that you share an Email address in order to complete your transaction. Whether your goal is to make a purchase or download free software, most website owners will require you to share your Email address with them.

Email is integrated into our lives. Its on our cell phones and most paper forms that we fill out these days. So, Email is not going any where any time soon. We'll be using Email for a long time to come. There hasn't been any technology to come along to replace it.

This gives businesses an advantage in that it Email still offers another medium or channel for them to reach their leads, prospects and customers.

This leads us to discussing how your business should be using Email in your day-to-day operations:

1) Lead Generation - There are almost no businesses that can't use Email in some capacity to generate leads. For example, if your business is a house painting contractor, you could offer a free report titled something like "Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Have Your House Painted Every 7 Years." And, the only way your prospect could get the report is by signing up via Email to receive the report. You could have the prospect either sign up via a form on your website or simply by sending an email to your Email Autoresponder account.

2) Lead, Prospect and Customer Follow Up - Studies have shown that it takes 7 to 12 follow up contacts to convert a lead or prospect into a sale. Whether that contact is done via phone, mail, fax, in-person or Email, the studies show that it will take up to 12 follow up contacts to make the sale. This is especially true for high ticket products and items. Proper Email follow up is an art and a science in one. If writing effective sales copy isn't your expertise, it is much advised that you find a competent copy writer to follow up with your Email leads.

3) Cross Promoting - Getting your leads and prospects to sign up to your Email list can be difficult. So, if you're going to go through the time, energy and effort to build an Email list, you might as well get the most from your Email list. One way to get a return on your investment from your efforts of building an Email list is by cross promoting products and services that are closely related to what the prospect originally signed up to receive. If you have a good relationship with your Email list, you could also sell advertising to other businesses where either do "solo" Emails promoting the paying advertiser's product or service. Or, you could offer a 4 line advertising "blurb" placed inside one or more of your regular Emails to your list.

Developing a relationship with your list of prospects is very important. And, an article for another time.

To get more email marketing tips, visit Jerry B's blog at http://www.imarketerlab.com/


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Wednesday

What's YOUR Business' Magic Number? So How Much Marketing Does It Take to Win in Business?

Perhaps you've heard it said that you're more likely to regret the things you DIDN'T do, than you are to regret what you DID do. It's a quirk of human nature that's been validated by Cornell University research. And if you talk with business owners who've had to close their doors, the same holds true. Often their regret is not committing more effort and resources to bringing new customers through the door. What business owner hasn't wrung their hands about how much they should be spending to advertise their product or service? A marketing plan is fundamental to any comprehensive business plan. There is a reliable and proven method of finding the 'magic' number for your business. But it's not as simple as a flat percentage of gross sales. It's a grid that starts at five-percent of gross receipts, but then asks a series of questions to fine-tune the number to determine a more precise level of spending for your particular business situation.

Does the age of my business matter?

Yes, the length of time you've been in business SHOULD influence your marketing budget. Older businesses with well-established brands can afford to invest slightly less (approximately one-percent less) in marketing themselves and their products or services than new businesses. It may be tempting when resources are tight to reduce marketing, but most business experts will tell you the best bargains can be had marketing in recessionary times. There may never be a cheaper time to change the dynamics of the market in your favor. And it is commercial suicide to drop off of your customer's radar altogether. Customers can be fickle. Cutting messaging to them entirely leaves an opening for more hungry and aggressive advertisers to step in. All businesses, whether B-to-C or B-to-B are in a battle for TOMA, Top of Mind Awareness. The busier we all get, the less time we have to think about WHERE to go to find the products and services we need or want. Those customers researching options may only explore 2-3 companies. You must resolve to be one of them. Effective branding helps instill trust in your prospective customers. Trust that they will find the price and quality they seek with YOU.

Does location matter anymore?

Location is becoming a less important factor for some businesses in an online world where everyone has a website. But if you rely on storefront sales, location still matters greatly. With the right signage, a more prime location can act as its own marketing, slightly reducing, but not replacing the need to market your business. Businesses that are not on well-travelled roads will have to increase their visibility through marketing, hence a higher magic number.

But, I have no competition. Why would I need to market myself?

The level of competition in your field will help determine what your magic number is, but even if you have no current competition, people still need to find you. In fact, the more innovative the product or service you're selling, the more marketing is required to help customers get their head around the new concept. The more explanation needed, the more targeted the marketing must be. Less innovation = slightly less marketing and a comparatively lower 'magic number.'

What if I'm only selling to other businesses?

B-to-B businesses can get away with spend slightly less to market themselves than B-to-C businesses, all other factors being equal.

While we're talking about marketing numbers, we thought you might like to know what the 'big boys' are doing - those publicly traded companies with the deepest pockets...and access to arguably the most industry research and guidance. After all, if you're a small business seeking to compete in a global economy, it's vital you understand the landscape.

What are the big guys doing?

Schonfeld & Associates researches what publicly traded companies spend on advertising each year. The Libertyville, IL-based company was founded in 1976 by late Northwestern University marketing professor Eugene Schonfeld. Their annual report, entitled 'Marketing Ratios and Budgets' gleans the SEC filings of the top publicly traded companies and reports on the actual amount companies budget for advertising and promotional expenses. The report originally sprung from work commissioned for a single client. Now in its 34th year, it is summarized annually in Advertising Age Magazine. While you can't generally draw a straight line between these publicly traded businesses and YOUR small business, the trending information they contain is valuable.

Carol Greenhut, the President of Schonfeld & Associates, says, "Contrary to what some small business owners may believe, marketing budgets do not appear to have shrunk with the economy, as judged by the spending of publicly traded companies."

The yardstick most commonly used to measure any company's marketing investment is the Ad-to-Sales Ratio, or the percentage reached when you divide total ad spending with the total amount generated from sales. Ad-to-Sales ratios have become the universal benchmark used to compare ad spending across various industries. "Ad-to-sales ratios haven't changed," according to Schonfeld's Greenhut, "but where those dollars are being spent has changed. As new online options have emerged, advertisers continue to test the waters in non-traditional media."

Every year Schonfeld and Associates report, which comes out in mid-to-late June, encompasses the previous year's budgets, and projects spending for the two following years. Some interesting notes in this year's report; the largest growth in advertising is projected in Health Care, largely driven by health care reform. Perhaps not surprising, the grimmest view for advertising growth was with Banks. Schonfeld forecasts cuts in advertising budgets of 17.4% for the Financial Services sector, which is still reeling from the financial meltdown.

So what does this all mean for YOUR business?

While it's important to have a sense of the landscape you are doing business in, you can't assume that your marketing budget will be identical to that of your competition. There may be factors you need to overcome, that your competition doesn't. It is crucial that you determine the amount of marketing that YOUR business requires. Arriving at the appropriate 'magic number' and marketing budget is part of the foundational work that a marketing consultant will help you determine. That piece should be part of any comprehensive marketing plan.

Marketing 101 - Why We Market

Marketing is the art and science of creating an appetite for what you offer, turning up the urgency for action NOW and helping potential customers find you. Marketing amplifies the effect of word of mouth advertising. It's great that your customers are singing your praises to their friends. That's the way it should be. Given everyone's limit of time and geography, word of mouth can only take you so far. True, social media has expanded everyone's sphere of influence, and social media is a valuable pillar of any marketing budget, but while it will increase your reach, it is less likely to get you the frequent exposure to your message that will drive customers to action. But none of us are likely to switch loyalty to a product or service based on a single recommendation. Usually the first few exposures simply introduce the option to your consciousness. The next few exposures, if the message is well-received, may help to re-shape your attitude about the choices you've been making, and will present this new choice as a viable option. Seven is the magic number for frequency. Ad recall and response rates are well documented to rise with the number of impressions, as demonstrated by the Ebbinghaus Retention Curve. Most people need to be exposed to a message 5-7 times before it has the potential of influencing behavior. It is referred to as the 'rule of seven'. Social media and word of mouth can HELP get you there, but unless you are targeting customers who live on Facebook, you're not likely to get what you need to keep your business alive with social media alone. The goal should be for customers to see your ad in proximity to when they might be already thinking about seeking out your product or service, then, as they consider the decision recall other times they've seen your brand or heard of your business. Repetition alone will help instill confidence.

Article Written by Leigh Geramanis of Media Link Inc. - http://www.medialinkinc.com/.


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Stand Out With Die Cut Business Cards

The current trend today in communication these days is electronic mails and social media. This is not surprising considering that new gadgets and technologies are constantly introduced almost every month.

If you want to get a better and quicker communication line with your customers, then these modern advancements are a sure effective option. However, there are instances when you still have to make use of conventional marketing techniques in order to communicate well with your customers and prospects. Because not everyone is willing to accept modern avenues and materials entirely, it is best if you still take advantage of the traditional marketing tools. You might want to still include the business cards in your marketing program. These cards are among the important materials every business owner should have on their pocket or wallet. Despite being old fashioned, they are still popular and important.

However, with more and more businesses making use of business cards these days, you have to differentiate yourself so you are noticed right away. Remember that people remember only those businesses that were able to draw their attention. If you want people to remember you for a long time, you need to make your cards memorable. So, how do you do that without spending a fortune? A good answer is through die cut printing. Have you ever seen those business cards that look unique? Those that are shaped distinctively that you were left wondering how the card was created. Well those are the cards made through die cutting. Die cutting is actually easy enough to do. If you want to give your cards that extraordinary appeal you want, you can give them a distinct shape. The shape can be anything that suits your business.

With the perfect design and shape, you are sure to achieve a fresher and exciting look for your cards. Just use your imagination and creativity in order to come up with exciting and striking cards. If you are not familiar with the design process, you can always the help of a competent graphic designer. Just ensure that the designer understands you and knows what you want to achieve so you get the exact design that you want. There are plenty of designers out there today. Do you homework so you find the perfect man for the job.

You can use a theme to make the design process so much easier. This will help you find the right image, color, and style that will suit your business image. You can always look at other die cut cards to get ideas, but remember not to copy them. Show your own unique style by creating your own design. Many die cut printing services can help create the perfect cards for your need. They have the skill, knowledge, and machinery to help you come up with the ideal design for your cards. You can check out the printer's previous work so you are able to determine the quality of job the printer is capable of. It is always best if you do comparisons so you find the perfect printing company for the job. Do not be scared of the cost of creating die cut cards. These days, many print shops provide discounts and special promos making it easy for you to print the cards you want.

Kaye Z. Marks is an avid writer and follower of the developments in die cut printing or die cut printing services that help businesses in their marketing and advertising campaigns.


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Monday

Three Ways A Website or Blog Directory Can Help Your Business

There are many website and blog directories online today and for good reason. They are popular because being listing in a directory gives a link back to your site, which all sites need to rank with the search engines. A website or blog directory is a place for you to describe your site, services, and products without being afraid to toot your own horn.

Some directories give you only enough space to list your website URL with a brief description while others will give you enough room for a full-page display. The more room you have the better. On directories that allow a full- sized article about your site you can go into a lot more detail, giving you the chance to open visitors up to the idea of your product or services. Most of these directories that allow a full-sized article will also allow you a couple of anchor text links back to any page on your site. This is like gold and is the kind of website or blog directory you should be seeking out.

Three Ways Directories Help Your Site

A Backlink - Every time you list your website or blog URL in a directory this creates a backlink to your site. Backlinks are a lot like a report card to the search engines, so the more backlinks you have the better your site may be rated.

Traffic - Not all directories will produce traffic for you, but some of the more popular sites will occasionally send traffic your way. In this case the backlink is more important than the amount of traffic.

Exposure - The exposure you get from listing in a directory is two-fold. You get your site exposed to visitors of the site as well as the people listing their blogs or websites. In fact, more of your exposure may come from other website owners. Before they list, they look at sites already on the directory to see what competition they may have.

Promoting and marketing your blog or website takes a lot of time if you do it right, unless you outsource some of the tasks. And promoting through directories is just one of the ways. Many of the directory sites allow free listings and some ask for a reciprocal link. You can also pay for a featured listing in many cases. Usually these featured listings don't cost that much and could last for a month or year, depending on the owner of the site.

A featured listing usually either highlights your listings or even shows it in a rotating slider across the pages. Anytime you can have a featured listing it will get your site more attention.

Promoting your website is the one thing people tend to ignore after getting it up. The right directory will give you a head start to building backlinks and rank.


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6 Obama Strategies to Grow Your Business

Regardless of your political affiliation or whether you are a registered voter, there are some business strategies you can learn from President Barack Obama. Whether you are just thinking about starting a business, have just started a business or you are looking for ways to take your business to the next level, you would be wise to pay close attention to how President Obama manages his team. Here are six tips you can to advance your business by using the strategies gleaned from the leader of the free world:
Share freely - While he was a candidate President Obama shared a lot of 'inside' information on how they government works that many of us had never heard of or paid attention to. Take the "pork barrel" and "earmark" talks. He made sure we understood what all of this meant. Don't hesitate to share great information and content in your newsletter, on your blog or website because you think if you share too much free stuff, people won't buy. This is simply not true; people will buy. They will buy because now that you have shared all this knowledge you are now considered an expert and you have increased your validity in the eyes of potential customers.
Admit when you have messed up - President Obama quickly acknowledges when he has made a mistake be it selecting someone for a post that was not thoroughly vetted or something else. If you have messed up with a customer, quickly admit it and do something to rectify it. If you have lost that customer, try to gain them back by acknowledging your mistake and offering a gift to make it up to them. This free gift could be a free product or service, a huge discount or a refund. It's best if you do this immediately after the infraction has occurred but as they say, "Better late than never."
Make it about them - President Obama always put staffers out front so they get the credit for a great job. If he has asked them to head up a project, notice how he allows them to go to the microphone first at the beginning of an important news conference. If you have employees, do the same - give credit where credit is due and let others shine. If you don't have employees, put your customers first. Whether you are creating a new product or service or adding content to your website, always keep in the front of your mind the benefit to the customer. It's not about you; people are seeking your goods and services because they are hurting some how or they need help with a problem. It really is about them.
Learn how to ask for help - President Obama doesn't pretend to know everything. When he selected people for various posts, he stated, "... will help me with..." You'll often hear him say "My team will help me with..." Even if you are a solo entrepreneur, you need to assemble a team to help you and don't be shy about asking for their help. Some examples are hiring a virtual assistant or enlisting the services of a business coach or mentor. You may have to rely on your family too. Do you have a spouse or teenager that could help with packaging and mailing your products or updating your database? Ask for help; your family will be especially honored that you thought enough of them to ask.
Get personal - People do business with people. While remaining professional, find ways to connect with customers and potential customers in a very real and personal way while maintaining your professionalism. One can't help but feel like they know President Obama, like he's one of us - the regular folk. Notice how in the past he an NBA game between his beloved Chicago Bulls and the Washington Wizards. Now, I'm sure he could have sat in the owner's skybox but guess where the President of the United States chose to sit? He sat courtside and shook hands with common folk and had quite a chat with a cute little blonde boy. A very dear friend of mine met President Obama during the campaign. My friend is a retired professional basketball player and he told me that while at a private event for then presidential candidate Obama, when my friend was introduced to him, Barack Obama asked, "Do you ball?" When my friend shared his background, Obama connected with him - very deeply.
Stay in contact - Even after the 2008 election was over, the Obama team still churned out emails. The email may have been controversial encouraging the reader to take some type of political or civic action or the email may have been a 'just keeping in touch with you' type email. The emails did not feel intrusive but the emails kept the Obama brand before the recipient. To successfully build and market your brand you must stay in front of your prospective customers and your target market. When you do send newsletters, emails, postcards or other communication, make sure you are offering substantial information that the reader can actually use and make sure what you are saying ties into what you are selling without sounding like you are selling each and every time you communicate. Yes, there will be times that you are straight out selling - it could be a new product or service you are announcing; just make sure that you balance your customer communication by sending out great, informative and helpful information while mixing things up with your sales message.

President Obama is a political genius but he is also a smart politician and leader because he knows how to share credit and information, acknowledge his mistakes, put others first allowing them to shine and he allows people to get to know him as a person while maintaining his professionalism and leadership status. Finally, he stays in constant contact with his target market. Whether you are a budding entrepreneur or you have built a multi-million dollar business, your business will thrive if use the lessons taught by President Obama.

Carmin Wharton is a home-based business expert and the founder of http://www.e-blackwomennetwork.com/, a membership community designed to take businesses owned by women of color from startup to prosperity. Carmin's mission is to help women earn what they're worth and make it big in their home-based business on their own terms.


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