By Chelsey Fox Marketing your small business is crucial to your success, a concept most people agree with. Of course, that is sometimes easier said than done. Many entrepreneurs don’t come from a marketing background, and even if you have, your knowledge is unlikely to be current. Trying to manage your marketing on your own is very rarely an idea that leads to big gains in the future. #1 You Have an Outdated View of Marketing If you’re still relying on old fashioned outbound forms of marketing for your company, your views need to be updated. The fact is, marketing has evolved greatly over the last few years and information you previously learned in business or marketing classes is probably no longer relevant. How do you know if you’re being left behind? If you’re still pumping out press releases to newspapers, ignoring social media, and spending your entire budget on radio ads, you need help. In a recent study, 80% of business decision makers favor getting brand information via an article series more than ads. Clearly, Inbound marketing is bringing in much better ROIs, so it’s definitely worth looking into the switch. #2 You Have a Low Marketing Budget Recommended for YouWebcast, February 21st: Supercharge Your 2017 Recurring Revenue with Channel Partners This may sound counter intuitive, so hear me out. The best alternative to you handling the marketing around your company is not always to bring in a dedicated person to do it. Hiring an internal marketing person gets expensive quickly. Even a modest salary and benefits can cost way more than what you would pay an agency, leaving nothing left over for paid campaigns and other additions. And that’s only one person, meaning you’d have to find someone who can handle the strategy, content writing, design, social media and website development- if you can. Your business could be out of $200,000 just from a few quality hires. When you factor in a typical three month ramp up period, you’re looking at a major investment without a proven track record. #3 Your Sales Team Doesn’t Have Good Leads Sales and marketing share a symbiotic relationship, with each one needing the other in order to survive and prosper. Consistently bringing new Leads into the pipeline is the basis for a solid sales team and a profit you’ll be happy with. If your sales team has bad or no leads at all to work with, then there’s not much point to having sales team. That kind of disappointment should be put squarely on your marketing. A qualified professional marketing agency can fill your sales pipeline with enough marketing qualified leads to make everyone happy, and your sales team can take over from there. #4 You Aren’t Happy with Your Digital Performance
You don’t need to love marketing to recognize its value. Consider the number of emails, ads, social media posts, and telephone calls you yourself see every single day yet never click on. Do you want your company to be ignored in the same way? Of course not! The most pressing reason to bring in a marketing agency is because you want results. According to Content Marketing Institute, 44% of businesses have a documented Inbound Marketing strategy. If you’re having a hard time getting your marketing right, or if you aren’t getting the right people for your sales team to reach out to, Mariposa can help. We can use your blog and other digital content to start drawing customers in, getting the attention you deserve and the Leads you need to have a profitable 2017. In fact, Mariposa is so good at doing these that we’re actually winning awards! Recently, we have been selected for inclusion into the marketplace of Top Content Marketing Agencies in the United States! Out of over 1,000 agencies across the country, Mariposa was determined to be one of the most influential, reputable, and commendable Agencies for small- and medium-sized business. This is recognition we’re truly proud of. Contact us today by clicking the button below and let’s’ discuss what our services can do for you. Source:http://www.business2community.com/marketing/4-signs-need-bring-marketing-agency-01779473#303YgHYkJS2g1wRx.97 By Andrew Martin It’s no secret that video use in content marketing is on the rise. Online video is becoming an efficient means for people to gather and consume information quickly and frequently impacts purchasing decisions. However, many businesses are failing to include it as part of their marketing strategies—doing so at their peril.
If you aren't currently using video or don't believe your strategy is effective or appropriate, now is the time to shift your thinking. Video is the perfect format to quickly grab busy audiences’ attention. Promoting visual and interactive content enables businesses to show, not tell. It can help explain more complicated stories in a short and compelling format viewers can enjoy—and marketers can measure. Research shows that 46% of consumers confirm they made a purchase after watching a branded social video. That stat is supported by the reality that YouTube is the second-largest search engine. Additionally, half of the marketers who use video in email campaigns see increased click-through rates, increased time spent reading the email, and increased sharing and forwarding. The best way to get your marketing messages across to the right people is by understanding the role your content is playing in the customer experience. By being customer-centric, you can speak directly to your target audience with the right message, at the right time of the customer journey. So, for example, if we’re talking about Generation Z, research shows that in four years, they will represent 24% of the U.S. workforce and 40% of consumer spending. As their purchasing power increases, it will be critical to recognize they are one of the largest consumers of video content and if you’re trying to reach them, you need to adopt and develop video strategies for engaging them successfully. For the most part, individuals respond positively to emotional connections from large brands. Designing emotion into video requires new insight methodologies and data sources that deliver deep, ethnographic understandings—interpreted and analyzed through a customers’ viewpoint. Often, how a customer behaves relates to how they feel. From our perspective, the emotional experiences are foundations for business success. Customers want brands they believe in, that respect their time, understand their needs, and make them feel valued. Brands creating videos can effectively set the tone, explain who they are, provide solutions, and share stories in a visually captivating way. Online videos are also easy to share and consume. Audiences are about 10 times more likely to engage, embed, share, and comment on video content than on blogs or related social posts. Furthermore, video is clearly a priority for social media channels, which are making it even easier to execute on their platforms. For example, Facebook's Canvas advertising product and its partnership with BlueJeans, “the first platform for large-scale, interactive video events that can broadcast over Facebook Live,” will only extend the trend. Many marketers have the impression that delivering a video marketing strategy is difficult and expensive. However, new technology and the proliferation in platforms have led to a vast range of choices and have made major improvements to video and its implementation online. Now that video is finally easy enough to produce, edit, and publish, marketers can feel more comfortable experimenting with it. Depending on the production quality you’re aiming for and your budget, you can invest in an in-house videographer or, for a more professional execution, outsource to an agency to collaborate with throughout the whole process. To get started, review your company’s overall needs. It’s important to outline your scope, research your audience, identify relevant content, and develop a strategy to contribute to reaching each of them. You’ll need to know what type of content you'll make, who you're making this content for, where your content will live, and what the call to action will be. A solid, data-driven plan can make the difference in knowing if your content is delivering on ROI. The “post and pray” method won’t cut it when it comes to generating a pipeline. Measuring performance is the only way to know if your videos are successful. Collect data on how your videos are performing and resonating with your audience. Data has the potential to be your most valuable marketing resource. With the right information, you can gain a better understanding of your customers and their behavior. Ultimately, to truly appreciate the value of video as an effective business solution, don’t think of it as a one-hit wonder. Approach it as a long-term tool with a long-term goal. It takes commitment—you want to sustain momentum by improving on and learning from each video you make. With the right video strategy in place, your company will benefit from its powerful potential to tell engaging stories and inspire audiences to take action. Source:http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/Column/Marketing-Master-Class/The-Rise-of-Video-Marketing-and-How-it-Affects-Your-Business-116322.htm By Eric Samson As the CEO of a boutique digital marketing firm, I am often asked my opinion on all things relating to my field. Frequently, I am solicited for my expertise regarding how to find and select the best digital marketing company for businesses of all sizes.
Now, of course, I’m going to be a bit biased, but, in all honesty, my own digital marketing company is not always going to be the best for every business. It is imperative to find a digital marketing firm that is going to represent you and your business in the best way possible. Here are five of the most important considerations I’ve found when it comes to selecting the perfect digital marketing company. 1. Know your needsLong before you begin your search for a digital marketing company, you’ve got to know what you want. Are you looking for impeccable content creation and SEO expertise? A better social media presence? Or are you more interested in research and demographic studies? Get your team together and make a list of everything you’d like your future digital marketing company to do. This list might include:
2. Know their strengthsNot all digital marketing firms are created equal and just because they might be big doesn’t mean that they’re better. If your company specializes in, say, sportswear, you wouldn’t necessarily want to work with a big marketing firm that mostly caters to companies outside of your niche. It may behoove you to find a digital marketing firm that fits with you, even if that means going boutique. The benefit is that they’ll already know the market and whom you’re trying to reach. Of course, there are firms out there who would be enthused to get your business despite the fact that they might not know much about your product or field. Are they exceedingly creative? Have they done work, even if it’s outside of your wheelhouse, that you admire? Maybe you don’t want someone who’s been marketing the same types of products for the life of their firm. They’ll be quick to get your work done, sure, but it may look and feel a lot like the rest of their portfolio. 3. Research their current workThis goes back to what I mentioned above. If you think that a creative campaign, maybe something that has a playful voice, might be just the thing to start driving traffic, do some research on the tone of their marketing. If you want something a little more buttoned up, look for a firm that specializes in a more professional voice. This applies to all facets of the marketing company as well. How is their SEO/SEM presence? Were you driven to their website because it was the first one that popped up on Google? If so, this might be a good indication that they can apply the same methods to your business. Go through their blog and check out their content. Is it what you would want stylistically? Remember, you are in the unique position to judge the firm as a customer -- the same way your customers will judge your business while the firm is handling your marketing. To that point, what are the metrics they use to consider success? Find out the company’s methods for deducing what’s working and what’s not. You’ll want a firm that’s open about these sorts of things, this way, you won’t be left in the dark when it comes time to make these deductions yourself. 4. Consider the priceChances are, the final price is going to be determined through contract negotiation. It’s an uncomfortable practice, especially for those who are not particularly attuned to it, but there are ways to make it easier. Be flexible and consider putting your quote on a spectrum instead of settling on a number and trying to stick to it. If your number is non-negotiable, then consider negotiating on other aspects on the contract like length or specific clauses. Keep in mind though, if you’re their lowest paying customer, there’s a good chance that you’re not going to get the marketing company’s major players. It’s a decidedly unfortunate side of the process, but those businesses that are willing to pay top dollar are the businesses that get allocated the top talent. 5. Don’t be afraid to be bluntAll things considered, this is your business’s money we’re talking about. Even if you’ve gone far into the negotiation process, don’t be afraid to walk away. While you need to set realistic standards, being open and clear with the direction of your company will help reveal whether or not the digital marketing agency is the right one for your needs. In the end, staying firm to your convictions and finding a digital marketing company who is willing to work with your business plan will be a better outcome for all parties involved. As you’ve probably noticed, this is going to be a process, as it should be. You didn’t build your company in an instant so don’t expect finding the right digital marketing company to be any different. Take your time, do your research, be flexible but be staunch where it counts and you’ll find the right firm to take your company to the next level. Source:https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/287883 By Josh Steimle Tesla, Virgin Galactic and Oculus all have something in common: They build sexy products and the media loves to give them coverage. Most businesses are more mundane. They lack the flash and sizzle inherent in an industry such as space travel. Because these companies don't have a built-in marketing advantage, they companies have to get creative if they want the media to shower them with love.
For example, consider the self-storage industry. Could there be a more boring business? The building is shaped like a box. Inside are box-shaped rooms, each filled with boxes that customers leave there for years. Not exciting. Yet the industry hit gold when "Storage Wars" became the most popular show in A&E’s history. The series attracted millions of viewers and brought attention to an industry that pop culture previously had ignored. Related: 5 Ways to Fall in Love With Your Business All Over Again Not quite boring enough? Here's another: flowchart software. It’s one of those things no one thinks about until he or she needs it. That's precisely the challenge Lucid Software faced when marketing its flagship product, Lucidchart. The cloud-based platform helps users create flowcharts. It’s sophisticated technology, but unless you're an engineer, it isn't likely to raise your pulse. “We had to find a way to change how people think about diagramming,” Lucid PR head Jackson Carpenter said. “So our marketing team decided to see if we could attach the brand to trending stories by making flowcharts for superfans and pop-culture geeks -- people like us.” The company since has made flowcharts for topics ranging from Star Wars and fantasy football to Dungeons and Dragons. Flowcharts created in Lucidchart have been featured in The Huffington Post, Gizmodo, ScreenRant and more. The marketing campaign itself earned ecognition from the Utah Marketing Awards and produced more than 2 million views for Lucid Software in seven months. Not bad for a boring little software company from the Beehive State. What lessons can the rest of us take from Lucid’s success? Think bigger than your product.If your product isn’t newsworthy on its own, don’t pitch the product. Instead, tie it to something bigger and more exciting. Lucid used movie premieres, sporting events and video-game releases to create relevant content that major outlets were sure to pick up. Source:http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Your-Business-Can-Be-Boring-But-Your-Marketing-10935356.php By Hajra Rahim Avoid jargon in job adverts and show prospective employees how they can really develop and grow in your company, say these experts.For young people looking to take their first step on the career ladder, small businesses aren’t usually the first port of call, because when it comes to dream jobs, it’s the recognisable brand names with attractive salaries and strong benefits packages that appear the most desirable.
So how can a small business compete with the big players when it comes to recruiting young talent? Being visible is the first step, says Rachel Suff, policy adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Young people will have less experience of applying for jobs, so it’s vital to ensure that your company’s recruitment process is youth friendly, she says. “This can be as simple as avoiding technical business jargon in the advertisement, or advertising in places where young people are more likely to see the job, such as school, college and university recruitment fairs, and social media.” One tip for ensuring that your advert will be read is to get a young person to look at it before you post it. They’re often the best judge of what will attract their peers, so ask them for feedback and make the changes, adds Ms Suff. Responding to applications speedily is also key, she says. Young people are so familiar with technology doing things for them instantly that they will expect things to happen quickly with an application, so put a transparent and well-organised recruitment process in place. For Rob Blythe, director and co-founder of graduate recruitment agency, Instant Impact, having a clear company mission that a young person can relate to and get behind will attract them to your organisation, and make them feel more involved and engaged when they join. A fun office culture is also a winner, he says. Smart young people can sniff insincerity a million miles off. They won't join if they don't believe youRichard Townsend, Circus StreetPromoting an opportunity for growth at your company is also what can separate it from the big corporates, says Richard Townsend, chief executive of online media and marketing company, Circus Street. Part of that could be offering some light-touch mentorship, he adds. “Try not to be too hierarchical in your structure and ensure that the most junior people get to spend time with the most senior people in your organisation on a regular basis.” If you’re the founder of your business, making yourself available could be an option. Circus Street’s mission to be at the forefront of technology and the visual arts – and a culture where employees treat each other with fairness and respect – has helped attract younger workers. But you have to do what you say, says Mr Townsend. “Smart young people can sniff insincerity a million miles off. They won't join if they don't believe you.” Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connect/small-business/how-to-attract-young-talent-to-your-small-business/ By Aimee Woodall To stand out in the business world, you need to do something valuable and unique — and you need people to know about it. Simple, right? From there, all you need is an integrated strategy, a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram, plus an SEO-optimized blog and a video production arm that creates snackable content. Still sound simple? For the few that have made it this far without immediately calling HR about hiring a new social media person ASAP, I have good news: It doesn’t have to be like this.
Marketing today, for small and large businesses alike, is complex. It’s a choreographed dance of content, cadence and clicks that makes even the most seasoned marketers nervous. There’s a reason there are an endless supply of articles that promise “10 Tools to Pump Up Your Digital Strategy,” and “Internet Ninja 101: How to Win Twitter.” The truth is that the marketing landscape is crowded and that there is always something new to learn, to keep up with or to conquer so that your message is heard. No matter what changes, there is a true path to marketing success that will withstand the test of time. Here’s how you reach people no matter what medium you choose. Be Clear. Like trying to follow a person’s rambling story about that one time they went on vacation to Croatia (or was it Latvia? Or was it Prague?) and they can’t keep the details straight, your brand needs a message: A clear one. One that speaks to the heart of what you do. Often called an elevator pitch, this bite-sized story needs to be communicated quickly and easily no matter where your audience encounters it. Get Specific. Your customer isn’t “everybody” — even first-year marketing students know that. Embrace who you’re made for. Get granular about who you’ve built a business to serve and go serve those people with gusto. Make Memories. Memorable brands are the ones that stick around. That’s why marketing experts are always chasing the “sticky” brand experience — one that people will remember and think fondly of for years. In a noisy world of brands competing for eyeballs and dollars, think about how you can create memories for your customers. How you can draw them in and wow them so hard they can’t help but tweet home about it. No matter what platform people are talking out about next, no matter how “new” new media gets, these principles can guide you to a brand people don’t forget. Source:http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2017/02/15/how-your-business-can-stand-out-no-matter-the.html Content marketing offers the opportunity to build greater loyalty among your current restaurant customers, and catch the attention of potential customers who may not have otherwise known about your restaurant.
While you likely don’t have a ton of time for restaurant marketing, a simple content strategy can help take your revenue to the next level. We’ve pulled together an overview of several content types to get you started. Email marketing If you’re most interested in measuring the results of your content marketing program, content industry expert Joe Pulizzi recommends building in an opt-in email program as part of your loyalty efforts. Since customers who join your loyalty program are among your most engaged, sending them a monthly email newsletter or occasional menu update alerts will keep customers coming back for more. Overall success can be measured by open rates and click throughs to your website. Such measurement can also help you better understand what types of content interest customers most. For example, maybe a menu update will see higher click rates than a staff spotlight. SEO Search engine optimization (SEO) helps ensure your restaurant is easy for local customers to find via Google and other search engines. If you own a Thai restaurant, for example, is your restaurant showing up in results when a customer searches “Thai delivery?” If not, there are a few simple ways to improve your search ranking – all of which might take some time up front but will keep your restaurant popping up in search results for the long haul. These include, optimizing your website with keywords customers might search, creating a dedicated menu page and developing profiles in other places, such as Google+, TripAdvisor and MenuPages. Blog Creating a blog is another way to increase search-friendly content and drive potential customers to your website. While a blog might seem like a significant undertaking, much of your content can be repurposed from other marketing efforts and general restaurant updates. You can highlight topics including new menu items, customer testimonials and upcoming events. Drive traffic to your blog by promoting on social media and through your email marketing efforts. Also consider adding an option for readers to subscribe to your blog, to help measure success and growth over time. Source:http://get.grubhub.com/blog/why-content-marketing-is-important-for-your-restaurant.html MANILA, Philippines – A brilliant idea has come to you and you jump to your feet to start working on it immediately. Such eureka moment is priceless for innovators and entrepreneurs.
But don’t get too excited. You need to make a solid plan first and iron out a lot of important details. You also have to make several decisions as you take off in this venture. You can start working on your startup by answering these important questions: 1. Who are your competitors?Who are you going to be up against? Can you keep up with the competition? What kind of game plan should you draft? To find out the answers to these questions, you’ll need to explore the industry and know your competitors. Close Ad X There are many ways to discover what the other players are like. You can personally visit their stores to see their marketing gimmicks and what kind of experience they’re giving their customers. Conferences are also a great venue to meet other entrepreneurs who are in the same industry you’re pursuing. You can also fish some information from your suppliers. This way, you can leverage your overall business strategy and product development. You can also come up with great ideas on how you can be different from your competitors.The insights that this study will give you can help you establish your company’s value in the market. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 12. Who are your customers?One of the first things you need to settle before actually setting out in a business is your target market. The key is to make it as specific as possible. Otherwise, your strategies won’t work to meet your business goals. To define your market, you can start with the demographics—age, place of residence, gender, education, income, civil status, occupation, and the like. Then you can proceed with the psychographics or aspects in your prospective customers’ profile that pertain to their values, interests, personality, behavior, lifestyle and affinity.You can also get customer insights through your competitors. Once you’re done defining your target market, it’ll be easier to craft your branding and marketing strategies, and develop your products or services. 3. Are you ready?A flourishing business starts with a big idea. And it’s thrilling to get the work started once that big idea strikes you. But first, reality check: Entrepreneurship requires hard work. Are you ready? When starting a business, dedication, diligence, patience and perseverance are some of the important attitudes you need to put on. Otherwise, you will never be prepared to face failures, which, by the way, are very normal in the initial stages of venturing into a business. You know you’re ready to run your own startup when passion is what drives you. You are also willing to take big risks and understand the pros and cons of your plans. You have a realistic vision for your business and possess solid experience in your chosen market. But if you think your experience and skills might not yet suffice until you get more training and exposure in the industry, make sure you have people around you now who have the relevant know-how. Are you building a startup? Set up your headquarters at a Regus office. Check out your options at regus.com.ph. Source:http://www.philstar.com/business/2017/02/15/1672496/3-important-questions-when-building-startup |
Marcus Guiliano
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