‘Tis the Season: How Giving Leads to Growing

‘Tis the season of giving, but for your small business, that might be easier said than done. After all, if you’re intent on growing your business, you need to save all the money you can, right?

Actually, in some cases, this may not be the best maneuver.

Turns out, being philanthropic with your business can actually lend itself quite nicely to promoting your brand and growing your consumer base.

And how? Check out these quick tips on how giving back this holiday season can actually grow your business later on.

Giving showcases your brand

First and foremost, giving to local charities in your community showcases your business brand in a positive light. Whether it’s sponsoring a local sporting event, donating to a nonprofit organization or volunteering your time, giving allows your business to give back while showing off… just a little.

When your business is out and involved in the community in a positive way, it draws consumers to your image, and shows them you’re a company that cares. Consider giving as a significant return on investment.

Your business invests in helping others, and you get free publicity in return. Sounds like a great deal to grow your brand name.

Giving is tax deductible

That’s right, supporting a charity is often a tax deductible endeavor for your business. Donations which are often tax deductible include sponsorships of local charities or events, inventory or services donations and of course, cash donations.

Generally, your business can benefit from deductions on charitable donations of up to 50 percent of your Adjusted Gross Income. Of course, before jumping into the giving season, be sure to check on what is tax deductible in your community and how this would fit into your business tax plan.

Giving motivates employees

If your business wants to boost employee morale and encourage involvement, try giving back to the community. In the last few years, employee perks have escalated to new heights, and community involvement is often something the most qualified employees look for in their company search.

By offering volunteering opportunities and encouraging giving as part of your business mission statement, your company will be able to attract the right employees who not only work hard, but have giving hearts. Gain and retain more employees by giving back in your community.

Giving gains customers

Most importantly, customers are more attracted to companies who show they care for the community. Your business can do some research in the local community to find what causes are most attractive to the population, then show your involvement by giving back.

Not only will customers like your philanthropic side, but they’ll feel more comfortable trusting an organization they’ve already seen in the community. Giving not only builds stronger relationships with current customers, but it helps attract new customers as well.

This holiday season, get your business in on the action by giving back to charitable efforts in your community. Plant the seed for your small business now and watch as it grows your company even more later on.

Using #Hashtags to market your business

If you’ve been online at all within the last 5 years, then you’ve probably heard of the very popular #hashtag.

A hashtag is the numerical pound sign # followed by a word or series of words, which groups together an idea based on the subject of a social media post.

For example, if someone were to post a picture of their pet dog, the hashtags associated could be #dog or #ILoveMyDog. These hashtags are saved and tracked by social media platforms, so later a person can click on the hashtag and see all of the posts related to the topic.

So, how can your company get in on the action? By using hashtags to market your brand, of course! Check out these useful tips on how your business can use hashtags to its advantage.

Brand Hashtags

First and foremost, think of a brand hashtag for your small business to incorporate in its social media posts.Think of a brand hashtag as a signature for your company. It should be short and concise, but still reflect your image. Many businesses use their name or slogan if it’s simple and easy enough.

One thing to recognize is hashtags don’t work when combined with symbols like the -hyphen- or apostrophe’, so if these are part of your brand, think of a way to work around them in the hashtag. With brand hashtags, your users will see a clear image presented by your business, and show solidarity later on by using it in their own posts.

Campaign Hashtags

Campaign hashtags can be used alongside brand hashtags for your business’s sales and promotional campaigns. Think of something clever and easy for people to remember, so customers can post about your business by using your campaign hashtag.

Then, promote your campaign hashtag on your own social networking sites or encourage people to use it in your store to increase brand awareness and market your product or service.

Trending Hashtags

Trending hashtags are popular tags used by a lot of people within a short period of time. For example, #TheOscars would be a trending hashtag because it’s a popular topic trending among a massive populous.

Your business can use its social media to look up what hashtags are currently trending, and then get in on the action by posting to these trends.

For example, “Are you excited about #TheOscars? So are we! Stop in today to see how we can help you prepare for the event!” Using trending hashtags makes your post more likely to get views, likes, favorites and retweets, which increases its visibility and promotes your business.

Content Hashtags

Finally, the classic: content hashtags. These are hashtags your business can use which simply pertain to the physical content included in your social media posts.

For example, a clothing company many post about a new line of jewelry they just received in store: “We’re excited about all the beautiful jewelry we have in stock! Come check us out today! #jewelry #necklaces #bracelets #beautiful”.

Your business can even do research to see what content hashtags receive the most views, and then incorporate these in your posts to increase visibility. While too many hashtags on a post can seem overwhelming to some viewers, don’t be afraid to have at least a couple to give your post more variety and versatility.

When it comes to marketing for your small business, let social media do the work for you by taking advantage of hashtags to promote your product or service. Before you know it, your business will be growing and your hashtags will be #trending.

Content ideas for your next business blog

If you’re a business owner, you know how important it is to have up-to-date content throughout your website and related online networks.

Content marketing is the way of the world, and reaching out to potential clients on topics they can relate to helps build your customer base.

Whether your business already has a blog or it’s still in the works, generating content keeps it current and interesting. No matter where you are, here are content ideas for your next blog post.

1. Showcase a product/service

Take time in your business blog to showcase an important or new product or service your company is offering. Introducing your audience to the product in a non-confrontational way will invite them to take a closer look at it later on.

2. Share a customer success story

What better way to generate customers than to have other customers tell them how great your business is? Ask past customers if they would be willing to share their story on your blog and then get publishing!

3. Show inside the business

Give potential clients a look inside the company by showing them around the inner workings. Give a virtual tour, have a question and answer session or ask the President or CEO to share a more personal side of the business.

4. Interview employees

Interviewing employees about their experience with the company gives customers a look from the other side of the transaction. Ask employees what they like about the business, what they’re looking forward to or maybe even what they think can be improved upon.

5. Answer frequently asked questions

Do you have a list of frequently asked questions by customers? Answer them! Devote a blog session to going through these questions and giving thorough answers to each and every one.

6. Talk pop culture

Show that your business is current and involved by talking about today’s issues and pop culture. Can anything current relate to products or services your company supplies? How can you tie it all in together? Find out by giving it a try on your business blog.

7. Discuss future plans

What’s your business plan for the next six months? Year? Two years? You don’t have to convey too much in these types of blog posts (you don’t want your competitors knowing everything), but let your customers in on some of the future plans your company has in store for them.

8. Tell your origin story

Let customers know about you by telling your origin story as a company. When consumers see how hard you’ve worked to get where you are today, they’ll be excited about where your company is going in the future.

If your business is invested in content marketing, utilize these ideas to either jump start your current blog or start a new one.

When your blog is up-to-date and engaging, customers will be more inclined to follow, and your company will reap the benefits.

Five reasons your business should sponsor an event

When it comes to marketing for your business, there are a lot of bases to cover. Is your website content up-to-date? Do you have active social media pages?

How is your brand representing your business to the community?

But one thing which is often overlooked is event sponsorship. Whether it’s sponsoring a one-time event, a local sports team or a series of promotions, sponsorship is a great way for your company to market itself in the community.

Still not sure? Check out these five reasons your business should start sponsoring an event.

1. Media Exposure

Nothing quite gets your company’s name out there like the media, and event sponsorship is an easy way to do just that. Big companies who sponsor events like the Olympics, The World Cup and March Madness know that sponsorship works better at marketing than taking out a page ad in a local newspaper or magazine. When the news covers local events in your area, your business name is shared, and people are more likely to come in and convert to customers.

2. Positive Image

Event sponsorship promotes your business in a positive image and shows your company cares about different causes. You get the benefit of having your name and image in the limelight, with none of the worry of running the event. Not to mention, companies which sponsor events make a positive contribution overall, which customers and potential clients take due note of. You can promote your image and showcase your company in a positive light through sponsorship.

3. Affordability

Advertisements on television and in local print or radio announcements can be expensive. In a typical marketing strategy when these promotions are paired together, the overall price can wind up pretty hefty for your business, and the running time frame is often short-lived.

But with event sponsorship, you get to negotiate how much you spend. Sponsorship gives you the same amount of promotion for your business at an affordable price, and even gets it out there to a more targeted audience…

4. Targeted Audience

Sponsorship allows your company to promote itself to a specific, targeted audience which is aligned with your ideal customer. Before you sponsor an event or organization, do some research into what it stands for and who it would reach out to. If its supporters are people likely to engage with your business, take action!

You get the opportunity to reach out specifically to a set-amount of people already interested, rather than other advertisements which cast a wide net with not as much return on investment.

5. Build Relationships

Through sponsorship, your business builds relationships in the community: with other organizations, other companies and most importantly, with potential consumers. When your business builds relationship, it thrives under client leads and new customers. Promote your product or service in a friendly way by showing the softer side of your business: the sponsoring relationship side.

Marketing your product or service can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. When it comes to promoting your business, consider sponsoring an event or organization in your local community.

Not only does will your profits thrive, but you will encourage goodwill among those around you.

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Making the most of emoji marketing

Emoji are individual images used like characters of text to convey emotions, such as a wink, smile or heart. With over 1,800 emoji available, virtually any image can describe full phrases.

The icons originated in Japan in the late 1990s, but emoji as we know them first came about in 2011 and have only grown in popularity since then. In fact, Oxford Dictionary even crowned emoji their Word of the Year in 2015.

So what do these weird little images have to do with your business?

Actually, quite a bit. When it comes to marketing, reaching as many people as possible can increase leads and customer turnout. One vital part of marketing is leveraging current marketing trends—and emoji are a current trend.

Mobile Marketing

Many brands have already started using emoji marketing to communicate through mobile phones. With today’s technology, consumers use smartphones regularly, and companies have begun to think of marketing as “mobile first.”

Emoji communicate messages simply and quickly via smartphone. In terms of mobile marketing, they are an invaluable resource to improving communication, transcending language barriers, breaking up blocks of text and reaching out to viewers’ emotions. For your small business, consider using these little icons in marketing on social media.

Email Marketing

When it comes to cross-media marketing, emoji bring an advantage. You can incorporate them in messages, website text, social networking sites, email and even print media. Because emoji are considered a code governed by the Unicode Consortium, they’re treated as a standardized language across platforms.

Staying aware of copyright privileges, your business can use an emoji campaign on print materials, or interact with clients through emoji text responses. Because emoji are considered a language, using them on various media platforms means they will look similar—if not the same—no matter how your constituents view the message.

Cross-Media Marketing

For a small business, you may wonder how to reach out to a millennial buyer base. The millennial generation (those born between the years of 1980-2000) provides a massive source of potential customers.

So how can your company reach out to this multitude of fresh young clients? By appealing to their short attention spans, of course.

In a recent study, four out of ten millennials said they would rather engage with pictures than read written text.

This means nearly 50 percent of millennials won’t respond to your business’s marketing materials if you don’t include pictures. Your company can take advantage of millennials’ instant gratification by capitalizing on emoji marketing.

As Oxford Dictionary said in their Word of the Year report, “Emoji are no longer the preserve of texting teens—instead, they have been embraced as a nuanced form of expression, and one which can cross language barriers.”

Emoji have become a mainstream part of today’s communication, and your business can get involved in marketing with them.

By taking advantage of emoji marketing, your small business can reach constituents through mobile and cross-media promotion, and reach out to the millennial generation.

Get involved in today’s technology, promote your product or service and grow your company with emoji.

For ideas for promotional products, visit our new website!

How to maximize your Facebook page

When it comes to marketing for your small business, social media is a free, easy and engaging way to make direct contact with current and potential customers.

And the number one social networking platform out there? Facebook.

According to Brandwatch, as of 2016, Facebook had 1.71 billion—that’s billion with a b—users. Talk about potential consumer base.

So, your business should definitely be on Facebook. But how can you stand out amongst all the others? How can your Facebook marketing campaign be guaranteed to catch clients’ eyes? Check out these easy tips to find out how to maximize your business Facebook page.

Pick a Profile Picture

Your business profile picture should be something crisp, clean and easy to recognize. Remember that your profile picture is the first thing clients see at the top of your Facebook page, as well as the thumbnail image displayed next to all of your updates. Choose a square image with high resolution that represents your company easily—such as a logo.

Choose a Cover Photo

Along with your profile picture comes the cover photo. Choose a cover photo big enough and with high resolution so it looks clear and eye-catching at the top of the page. Be aware of how the cover photo appears both on a computer window and on a mobile or tablet device. Cover photos can be something from your business, a new promotion or another format of your logo.

Customize Your Apps

Once you have the basics of your page setup, you can start to customize it. Check out the various apps you can add to your business page and decide on ones which would work well for your company. To add apps, go to the Facebook App Center and select ‘Add App to Page.’ Once you’ve added all the apps you want, you can rearrange them under the tabs at the top of your page for a customized and official look.

Tell About Yourself

As a company, you can use the ‘About’ section on your Facebook page to your advantage. This allows users to take a look at your page and learn what your business is about before actually giving it a like. Make sure your ‘About’ is brief, yet descriptive. You could even consider adding ‘Milestones’ to tell about important company milestones, such as founding or new products.

Share Current Content

The only thing worse than not having a social media presence is having an outdated social media presence. Make the most out of your business Facebook page by staying up-to-date on current content.

Share important updates, releases of new products and services, promotions, giveaways and calls to action. And remember: while your goal with Facebook may be to generate leads, be sure to vary it up so consumers don’t feel consistently targeted.

If your company wants to make the most out of its social media presence, use these tips to maximize your business Facebook presence. Because when your marketing strategy is engaged and meets clients where they’re at, your business will grow and prosper.

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Four content marketing ideas for your small business

The future of marketing is all about content. Consumers want to see exactly what your business has to offer and how it can benefit their lives in a real way.

But what, exactly, does content marketing mean? Literally speaking, content marketing can be defined as a strategic marketing approach which focuses on creating consistent content materials to drive customer and lead generation.

So how can your business get involved with content marketing? Here are four big ideas to get you started.

1. Start a blog.

A consistent and well-written blog hosted by your small business gives you the opportunity to relate to both clients and potential customers at the same time. Dedicate an employee to posting one blog article a week through your website, then share the article via your business’ social media accounts or email marketing.

A blog is an excellent opportunity for your business to show clients its relatability. Write about topics such as how your product or service can improve lives, testimonials about people you’ve served or why your business is a better option than competition. You can even get personal and write about daily news topics or expert tips from your field.

2. Give a guided tour.

Your small business can also utilize technology to record and share a guided tour of your facilities, complete with employee interviews and surprise interactions. Some consumers may feel uncertain about working with a business if they don’t know what’s “behind the curtain,” so make them feel comfortable by opening up with approachable content.

Record a video while touring your facilities and show clients the inner-workings of your business. Afterwards, you can share this video as part of your content marketing plan.n Customers will feel engaged and attended-to, while also gaining a sense of trust for your small business.

3. Host a webinar.

Right alongside a guided video tour is a webinar. While these may sound difficult, they offer a huge opportunity for potential customers to see your business and its expertise in the field. Develop a webinar on instructing clients how to use a specific product or service, offer hands-on training and real-life examples.

The most important part of hosting a webinar is offering real value to people. If consumers feel like your business has something important to offer them, the webinar will be more successful and generate more leads.

Once you’ve given the webinar a try, see about making it a weekly or even monthly part of your business’s marketing strategy.

4. Develop a (blank) of the week.

If your business is active on social media, create a content marketing strategy based on what you post. One easy method is developing a (blank) of the week… product, service, employee, board member, you name it. This type of content marketing allows consumers to get to know your business better and gives them something to look forward to every week.

One specific example is promoting a Question of the Week. Allow customers to write in via email, social media or snail mail with questions for your business, then answer them every week.

This shows your organization’s transparency and eagerness to work with clients on a personal and relatable level.

When it comes to content marketing for your small business, jump on board with these main ideas.

The more content you provide, the more involved your customers will feel, and your lead generation will skyrocket. So give it a try, and give it some content.

Key components of successful marketing videos

When it comes to marketing, staying current on the latest trends has a vital impact on successful lead generation.

Whether it involves a new social media app, a trending topic or an online marketing campaign, a business grows when it stays up-to-date.

Video marketing continues to grow exponentially for online in particular. There are more video posts online now than ever before, and video shares are only expected to increase. If your business wants to stay current on the latest marketing trends, put video to good use.

Interested in getting started? Check out these five key components of how to make a strategic video script which will set your marketing campaign apart and boost lead generation.

1. Get ‘Em Hooked

Like most aspects of marketing, the initial hook of a video script should catch viewers’ attention and draw them in. Let the audience know you are talking to them specifically by addressing them directly. Identify the target audience and brainstorm how you would want to be addressed from their perspective. By giving your video script a strong, attention-grabbing intro, it will draw viewers and set the tone for the rest of a successful marketing video.

2. Connect Emotionally

After hooking the viewer’s attention, establish a personal connection with them. An emotional connection makes viewers feel your company cares for them and the community, thus encouraging them to take immediate action after viewing. As human beings, strong feelings impact our decisions, logic and mindsets; your business can take advantage by connecting with consumers on a deep personal level.

3. Tell a Story

Once you’ve grabbed the viewer’s interest and connected with them, get down to the point. Every successful video marketing campaign should tell a story—the company’s story, the service’s story and benefits or a customer’s story. Use the time to expand and go in-depth on the narrative’s focal points. The goal should be to gain the viewer’s trust and empathy, but take time to give details surrounding the story and lead viewers into the next big point.

4. Share Your Values

When you’ve established a story basis, the time has come to drop a value bomb for viewers. This is the most important part of a marketing video and should be restrained to one short, concise sentence. Until this point, the entire video should be leading up to this moment. The value statement is the main takeaway viewers should get. Keep it values-driven, short and powerful to gain viewers’ attention and make them remember your product or service.

5. Reel ‘Em In

After your business has established its value statement, wrap up with an influential outro. The goal of a video close involves viewers doing something after watching—a call to action.

Depending upon the video’s focus, the call to action could be centered on buying a specific product, trying a service or just stopping in to take a look. Be sure to include information for a website, social media or any upcoming events.

Video marketing is a current and useful option to take advantage of for your business.

A strong video script consists of five key components, each one with a specific purpose, working together to produce a video and generate successful leads.

By utilizing these component strategies, your company can create engaging, successful marketing videos, which will help promote your product or service.

Try it out and see how your business grows.

Guerrilla marketing is not dead

Like guerrilla warfare, guerrilla marketing offers low-cost tactics that include an element of surprise. Your business meets potential customers where they stand, while generating leads and saving you money.

So how can your business take advantage of the guerrilla marketing phenomenon? Here’s six ideas to get you started.

1. Personal Invitation

Can you remember the last time you received a personalized letter in the mail? They’re rare, which means they’re a valuable guerrilla marketing tactic.

Try writing letters to current and potential clients, telling them about your small business. Don’t let it be cookie-cutter, though. If you can, include a little message in each letter specific to the customer.

2. Testimonials

A solid testimonial will drive respondents to your store front. Utilize people involved with your business—managers, employees and clients. Ask what they love about the business and how it has benefited their lives. Unconventional testimonials which highlight the importance of your products or services will demonstrate business capabilities.

3. Social Media

There’s no question social media exists everywhere nowadays, and with a strong guerrilla marketing focus, so can your business. Utilize platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to post interactive content with followers. Set up a content plan to educate users on your services and engage with followers by encouraging “likes” and “shares”.

4. Email Marketing

Email marketing is simple to do and cost-effective. Keep emails brief and impactful with up-to-date info on products and services. Include links to videos and interactive media for a user-friendly experience. Be sure the subject line compels the reader to open and always end on a call to action which will grab your viewer’s attention and link to your website.

5. Video Production

Videos marketing doesn’t have to be expensive and time-consuming. In fact, with the social media craze, many users feel more connected to businesses which don’t follow the conventional, unrealistic road of video production. Create your own video to post on social media, share on your website or send out via email.

6. Creative Ads

When all else fails, try guerrilla marketing for your business through creative advertisements. Guerrilla ads spring up in unsuspecting places and draw attention.

They can be inexpensive to produce, but still draw a following. Come up with ideas for ads which can promote your business in the community and generate leads.

Guerrilla marketing offers a cost-effective way for your business to increase its exposure and raise earnings. By making an effort towards a proactive marketing strategy, your small business will generate customer leads and increase revenue.

Eight Tips for Designing Your Small Business Logo

An eye-catching logo gives your business an image and appeals to the target audience.

It shows a visual representation of everything an organization stands for, enhancing potential customers’ first impressions, building loyalty among consumers and demonstrating a professional standard. Think of your logo as an ambassador to potential supporters.

And while logos exist literally everywhere in today’s society (think golden arches, black swoosh or silver apple), they’re not necessarily easy to develop. Start the process by checking out these top 8 tips about designing your small business logo.

1. Hire a professional.

Professional designers have the experience and expertise to design an effective logo. While not hiring a designer may seem like a sound fiscal idea initially, it results in more time loss and headaches for you eventually. Graphic designers in your field have the expert skills to take your business’s vision and make it a reality, while saving you the hassle.

2. Stand out from the crowd.

A lot of logos exist out there, so look at other logos in your field and develop a strategy to make yours stand out from the crowd. When your brand has a fresh and unique design, viewers will be more attracted to it and more likely to get involved with your cause. Conduct research and work with your designer to create a logo which fits your needs while still unique.

3. Focus on your vision.

When developing ideas for your nonprofit’s logo, focus on a specific vision. Consider focal points like what you do, what products or services you provide, what customers like about your group and what you want future consumers to think. If your business works in a variety of different areas, choose a focus topic and target the logo towards it.

4. Develop a tagline.

A tagline incorporates into the logo and sums up your services in 3-7 words. While not necessary, it adds an extra dose of intrigue and interest to a logo design. If your business has a significant phrase which fits in well with your logo as a tagline, work through it with your designer and use it to your advantage.

5. Consider your options.

Once you have an idea to focus on for your logo, consider your options. There are three main types of logos: font-based, icon or symbol logos and a combination logo. No matter which type of logo design your business chooses to utilize, be sure it represents your vision and products or services well.

6. Keep it simple.

When coming up with design ideas for your logo, remember: the simpler, the better. Excessively complex logos can overwhelm viewers and have a negative effect. Choose easy-to-read fonts, crisp colors and a clear design. A creative yet simple logo demonstrates your business credibility, while catching viewers’ eyes and generating more leads.

7. Choose your colors.

Your logo’s color scheme has importance. Color production costs can be excessive and too many colors overwhelm viewers, so keep the colors in your logo to a maximum of three-four. Subconsciously, different colors affect our brains in different ways. Choose colors which represent your organization, but consider different emotions colors can evoke.

8. Remember adaptability.

Adaptability is key in reaching out to a variety of different audiences. Your business logo should adapt to all sorts of different mediums—online, in print or on merchandise. It needs to look crisp and clean whether printed on a business card or plastered on the side of a truck. This means the logo can be scaled and easy to produce, so keep this in mind while working with a designer.

The logo your business chooses takes the first step in marketing your brand and growing your company. A well-crafted logo makes your business or organization stand out from the crowd.

So try it out and see everything a creative logo can do for your marketing.

Click on the the image to download our PDF with pricing for holiday bags.

How Your Business Can Utilize Pokémon Go

If you’ve recently seen people out wandering the streets with their faces in their phones, then you may have heard of the latest digital craze sweeping the nation: Pokémon Go. Developed by Niantic, Pokémon Go is the newest member of the Pokémon franchise.

Working in conjunction with a phone’s camera and Google Maps, the mobile app uses augmented reality to transform the player’s world into a real-life Pokémon universe. Since its release, Pokémon Go has been the most downloaded app in U.S. history.

With more than 60 precent of its players using the app daily, it has surpassed social media giant Twitter in user engagement.

Needless to say, businesses and organizations are jumping on the opportunity to ride the mobile app into marketing heaven. So how can your small business get in on the action? Check out these tips on how to utilize Pokémon Go so your business can catch ‘em all!

Use Pokélocations.

If your small business has a physical location, then it’s likely there is a PokéStop or PokéGym nearby in the game—an incredibly useful tool to take advantage of when marketing to Pokémon Go users. Pokélocations are physical buildings or areas such as museums, parks and historical markers that users can go to and fill up on supplies or meet other players.

Find the PokéStop or PokéGym nearest to your location, then share it with your social media followers. This offers an incentive to lure players to the area for more foot traffic, introducing your product/service and possible lead generation. And while still not possible to create your own Pokélocation, Niantic says it’s in the works, so keep watch for new game developments.

Offer social media challenges.

Your small business can take advantage of Pokémon Go by offering prizes to customers who get involved in social media challenges. Post a picture on social media of Pokémon at the location and ask consumers to do the same.

Set a specific end time for the challenge, then pick a winner from those who submitted pictures using a hashtag created by your business.

The business will grow its social media presence while marketing its products/services, engaging with customers and increasing potential lead generation.

Drop a lure.

For businesses that want to really drive Pokémon Go traffic, consider dropping a lure on the game. You can bring in cheap foot traffic by purchasing through the game either with PokéCoins or with real-world money. Lures attract Pokémon to the location (the geolocation of your smartphone) for 30 minutes, in turn attracting users to find the Pokémon.

Choose a specific time to market the lure, then spread it across all social media platforms. For example, “Hey Pokémon Go players! We’ve got Pokémon all over the place! We’ll be dropping a lure tonight at 7:00 at our Pokéstop. Stop in & catch ‘em all!”

Talk about Pokémon Go.

If your business doesn’t have a physical location to drive traffic to, it can still be involved! The most important rule of marketing is stay current, and Pokémon Go is current. So take advantage and talk about it.

Encourage players to share their pictures with your business on social media, coax users to come to events with Poké-incentives and get involved with the action.

Talk about Pokémon Go on social networking platforms like Facebook or Twitter, but try taking advantage of other outlets as well, such as Snapchat, Instagram and Pinterest.

Pokémon Go offers a new and exciting opportunity for your small business to capitalize on. With an incredibly diverse user base, marketing options are limitless.

Leverage Pokémon Go for your business and you can be the very best, like no one ever was. Gotta catch ‘em all!

-- Minuteman Press 

Back-to-School marketing 101

The month of August is upon us, which means it’s time to start packing up the swimsuits and breaking out the backpacks.

Soon enough kids will be heading to the storefronts to buy all new pencils, markers and notebooks for school.

Back-to-school shopping is an eventful time of the year, full of consumers looking for products that fit their needs. So how can your business use this time to market itself? Simple.

Check out these easy tips to take advantage of for your back-to-school marketing 101.

Utilize social media

Social media is a simple and free way to market your small business during the back-to-school season. Kids have an enormous amount of influence on purchase decisions, and social media is an effective tool to reach both them and their parents for back-to-school shopping.

Demonstrate what product or service you have that could benefit their experience heading back to school this month. Get creative and make it fun to stick in both kids’ and parents’ memories.

Host a back-to-school sale

One classic marketing technique is hosting a back-to-school sale. Get students and parents excited for the new school year by offering timely discounts and promotions.

Examples of this could include offering a mystery special to customers, a free item to the first number of customers in the door or giving discounts for customer referrals.

Take time to promote your business and its products or services while fitting seamlessly into back-to-school season.

Offer contests and sweepstakes

If your company is able, try offering back-to-school contests or sweepstakes to gain potential consumers’ attention. Sweepstakes have the broadest reach of any promotion type. Their easy admission ability results in lots of entries for your business and encourages social sharing.

You’re able to gain marketability and promotion, while customers have the potential to win a new and exciting prize for their back-to-school shopping.

Get involved in the community

Show your school spirit by using local schools to market your business. Offer sales on items connected with community high schools or colleges, promote local schools in advertisements or use them in online marketing campaigns.

You can even offer a referral campaign for students to gain discounts and save money if they refer a friend. Remember that back-to-school isn’t just for elementary school students, and broaden your marketing campaign to all ages.

This August, your business can take advantage of back-to-school season by creating a strategic marketing campaign.

By utilizing these back-to-school marketing 101 tips, your business will grow its sales and gain relevance for the upcoming school year. So go ahead, get to studying!

How to use testimonials to market your business

When it comes to marketing for your business, consumers like to feel valued, personally connected and trusting.

One of the best techniques for this strategy are customer testimonials.

Testimonials are an effective marketing tool that build trust, are candid and convincing. So how can your business use testimonials? Today we’ll take a look and find out.

Ask for Feedback

The first step in generating effective testimonials for business is asking customers for genuine feedback.

Send out standard emails to consumers who buy your products or service and ask them to fill out a short survey with room for comments. Not only can this create useful testimonials to market your business, but it can also show areas to improve.

Keep it Short

When using testimonials in marketing materials, keep quotes short, sweet and to the point. Potential customers don’t want to read a long, drawn-out claim of how great your business is, but they do want something to give a quick synopsis that will stick in their memory.

Be Authentic

Ask testimonial customers permission to include their statements in marketing materials. If possible, include their name, company and year of the testimonial. Show potential customers this is a real person who was truly satisfied with your services.

If possible, see if they’re comfortable being contacted, so consumers could ask directly about their experiences.

Give Explanation

Choose marketing testimonials that are as detailed as possible. Comments such as “I love this company!” are nice, but they give little information about what your business actually does or excells at. Utilize testimonials that give specific examples of how the company helped a customer and what bettered in their life. The more explanation, the better.

Vary Users

One testimonial doesn’t carry much weight compared with competitors’ who may have three-four. Aim for as many testimonial options as possible, and publish a significant amount on your marketing materials.

Be sure to keep some on the back burner for variation, but put multiple in the spotlight so consumers can see a wide range of positive opinions.

Stay Updated

When using testimonials online with marketing materials, it’s important to keep them updated regularly. Consumers won’t be impressed if they come back to your site various times within a year-long span and continually see the same two or three testimonials.

Continuously strive to get new testimonials and update them as regularly as possible to stay fresh and appear current with potential customers.

Marketing a business doesn’t have to be all on your shoulders. Strengthen materials by letting customers speak for you through testimonials.

Build trust, personality and credibility through client testimonials singing your praises, and your marketing strategy will thrive.

A Branded Bag Tells Many Tales!

Here is a fun and informative promotion video feature. Enjoy.

Eight pointers on creating effective flyers

When it comes to marketing a business, there’s a slew of media platforms to consider. Today, we’re going to talk about a classic: Flyers.

A flyer that stands out from the crowd can cause your sales to either soar or droop. If you’re interested in creating an effective flyer that results in significant lead generation, check out these eight useful tips.

1. Eye-Catching Headline

The headline is the first thing consumers see when they pick up your flyer. Be sure to use a catchy headline that’s interesting and pertinent to your business. A snappy headline that quickly tells customers what you do can be the difference in whether they keep reading or move on.

2. Colorful Graphics

It’s true: people love color. We look at images before we look at text, so throw in some colorful or striking graphics with your flyer. A stunning illustration grabs attention, creates a mood and supports your story. Graphics can even be used as focal points to draw consumers in.

3. Simple Design

When designing your flyer layout, simple is better. Organize the page with boxes, borders, bullets and areas of contrasting colors. Don’t be afraid of some white space, either. Make specific elements stand out and stick to the bare minimum for a clean and crisp design.

4. Relevant Information

Just like design, keep information minimal. The average human attention span is 8 seconds, so give viewers information quickly and concisely. Answer the 5 crucial W’s—who, what, when, where and why, then direct them to your phone number or website for any more info they may want.

5. Personal Language

Put yourself in your customers' shoes and ask, “What would I want to know if I were them?” Be straightforward and practical, and be sure to use “you” language. If a consumer feels like you are personally talking to them, they’re more likely to respond positively to your flyer.

6. Useful Benefits

Use your flyer to tell consumers what benefits your company can provide them with. Viewers want to know how you can make their lives easier, so use this opportunity as a chance to tell customers why they should choose your business.

7. Error-Free Writing

Proofread, proofread, proofread. Nothing can make your company look more unreliable than a grammar or spelling mistake that goes unnoticed. After designing the flyer, have at least one or two people read it over carefully for mistakes before sending it to print.

8. Clear CTA

Finally, be sure to redirect customers back to your phone or website. Have a clear Call To Action that asks consumers to “Order now!” “Start a free trial!” or “Visit our website!” Keep words in the active voice so viewers are more inclined to interact with you and generate leads.

Marketing your company can be tricky, but mastering different mediums makes it easier.

Set yourself apart from the crowd by using these eight pointers to create effective flyers that generate client leads and grow your business.

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Use humor to enhance your marketing strategy

They say laughter is the best medicine, and for your marketing strategy, that just might be true. Many businesses—small and big alike—try to avoid humor in marketing for fear it might turn sour with the public.

But if used appropriately, humor can be a great marketing tool to help grow your company. Still not sure? Check out some of these ways humor can help your marketing campaigns, and even a few tips to get you there.

Clients Remember Your Business

When a person finds something funny, their brain triggers endorphins that encode the joke into their memory, which is why adults can remember things they found funny in their childhood.

If a business utilizes humor or “AHA!” moments in their marketing strategy, consumers automatically recall that event much easier than other marketing campaigns.

An “AHA!” moment works like the punchline of a joke—you’re thinking along one line, when suddenly the joke switches course completely.

For example: “What type of bow can’t be tied? A rainbow!” In this joke, one is initially thinking of bows in terms of yarn or string, but then the “AHA!” moment occurs when the line of thought switches to a rainbow.

Humor in your organization’s marketing campaign can help you be more memorable to potential clients.

One tip to accomplish this: Deliver company data with a punchline. Poke a little fun at yourself or your business, while still being sure to market your products and services.

Clients Trust Your Business

When clients find humor in your marketing strategy they’re prone to smiling and laughter, which makes them associate happiness with your company. This causes clients to like your business even more, which then leads to trust in your products and services.

Using appropriate jokes in marketing can lighten difficult situations, add joy to usually boring topics and create a sense of mutual humor. When clients have a shared happy experience with your organization, they will be more likely to trust your knowledge and expertise in the field.

For example, take the brand Clorox and one of its recent commercials. A little boy carries his potty trainer down the hall (and spills its insides everywhere) to show his mother how proud he is that he went potty.

Using a situation that consumers can relate to, adding humor to it and then telling how your product can help, will lead clients to be confident in your business.

Clients Align With Your Business

Just like with trust, using humor can build a relationship between your business and the consumer.

It creates an alignment between both parties: You have the same struggles, experience the same surroundings, enjoy the same pastimes etc. Ever met someone funny who seems to get along well with everybody? Yea, just like that.

Pop-culture references can be a great way to align yourself with consumers. This can be a fine line, so be confident that marketing jokes are appropriate and cannot be taken out of context before utilizing them.

For example, many companies have been taking advantage of the current presidential race to showcase their products (e.g. Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts and their commercial of pop-tarts campaigning for president).

Having a mutual joke to share between your clients and your business builds the relationship and encourages a sense of unity. Consumers believe that you understand them and therefore want what’s best for them.

When it comes to your marketing campaigns, set your business apart through humor.

Not only will consumers remember your brand, they’ll also trust and align themselves with your company. After all, a little laughter goes a very long way.