Five productivity tips to achieve more in your day

Sometimes it seems like there aren’t enough hours in the day. A direct mail campaign needs to go out, and that email marketing campaign won’t write itself.

That’s not to mention the social posts you have to keep up with and the latest trends—it’s exhausting. Everybody has those days where it seems like you’re running the entire day, but there are small steps you can take to ensure every day is a little more productive.

Sometimes when you want to improve your marketing efforts, it starts from further back. Check out these productivity tips to help make sure you’re on top of your marketing game always.

Catch the Worm

It’s an old idiom that we’ve all heard (and some of us dread). If the early bird catches the worm, why does it feel so great to sleep in? If you’re likely to reach for the snooze button or even throw your alarm clock across the room, you understand the struggle.

But according to Psychology Today, early risers are more likely to be happy, healthy and more productive. That means to put your best foot forward at your business, you’ll need to get plenty of shut-eye and develop a routine. Plus, waking up earlier means you eliminate some distractions.

Work It Out

It may seem like this has nothing to do with your business. However, doing any sort of physical activity makes all the difference for your day. Working out releases endorphins, which makes us happier. Endorphins help to reduce stress, and you’ll be feeling great while you’re working on your marketing efforts.

Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize

Plan out which campaign needs to drop when, how you’ll reach a certain demographic with a new tactic and what exactly needs to be done on which day. Setting priorities (big AND small) will help ensure that you accomplish all you hope for. Pick the top priority and start working away.

Eliminate Distractions

An email ping here, a text message there. Every time you’re interrupted, focus is lost and you have to pick back up where you left off. Take a moment to observe each time a distraction hits, then see what you can do to minimize it.

Schedule Breaks

In a world that falsely reveres the term “busy” you’ll need to master the mindset that breaks are perfectly fine—in fact, they’re encouraged! If you’re doing your job efficiently, your business will flourish. Plus, you’ll have more energy to spend in areas that need improvement.

How to master the elusive elevator pitch

It doesn’t have to be a real elevator where the scenario happens, it could be anywhere. Researchers have widely debated the human attention span, but some say it could be as little as eight seconds. Not very long, right? Use these tips to make sure you’ve mastered how your company will be portrayed.

Sell Your Story, Not Your Business
Let’s be honest—elevator pitches get a bad rap. Many of us don’t like to come off as “salesy.” But if you truly care about your business and its success, you should be ready to talk about it at any given moment.

In lieu of sounding salesy, focus on what really matters about your business. Ask yourself questions to help develop the kind of story you’d like to tell. Why do you love your business? What would get other people excited about your business? What is the most important thing for people to know?

Shape your story around the answers to those questions. When you light up talking about your passions, other people take notice. They’ll want to be a part. So, what will your story be?

Cut the Jargon
Never assume that people know what you’re talking about. You may be trying to sound smart, but really you’ll only confuse somebody who isn’t in your industry. That’s why you should explain the pitch in terms that anybody could understand.

Start by practicing your pitch on somebody who has no idea what you do. Get their feedback. Listen to their feedback. Having somebody to bounce ideas off of makes a world of difference.

Provide Next Steps
Remember that a short-form pitch is just enough to intrigue your prospect. Now that you have their attention, remind them of where they need to go next.

You can do this by using a shortened URL that leads to your website with something that’s easy for them to remember. Better yet, make sure you have business cards or some sort of information handy that is tangible. With so much information swirling around in our day-to-day lives, it’s hard for somebody to remember something off the top of their head. Make it easy, and they’ll be coming back to learn more about how amazing your business is.

Tips from experts for creating a distinctive brand

Many small businesses struggle to find an audience, often because they haven’t been able to create a brand. If you fall into this category, here are 5 tips for creating a distinctive brand from Entrepreneur.com.

Start with a vision, not a product

Customers want to invest in a culture rather than simply buy a product.

“Focus on your attitude, not just your products,” advises Moorea Seal, creator of Moorea Seal (mooreaseal.com), a lifestyle brand that curates handmade designers from across the U.S. Your unique story will quickly differentiate your business.

Seal initially had no money. Her story and approach were all she had to stand out, so she shared her vision through social media rather than advertising. “People are smart and see through classic marketing easily.”

Interact with your customers. Constantly!

Two-way interaction with customers, however many, is the key to building a brand quickly. Hint Water’s customers constantly express why they love the product -- reasons CEO Kara Goldin may never have known about, such as helping them cope with diabetes or cancer. 

“People want to engage, and there is real value in actually listening to them. They’ll tell you how and where they use the product, what they care about, and why they buy it,” said Goldin. “If you want to be more than a flash-in-the-pan, a sticky brand needs true customer interaction.”

In fact, Hint recently launched a direct-to-consumer channel just to get closer to their customers. (drinkhint.com)

Seal feels the same way.

“Our investment in social media is key,” Seal said. “Our customers want to be invited in and welcomed, so we constantly share personal stories and curate items they love. We can give them what they want.”

Founded as an Etsy jewelry shop and blog, this approach grew the company to one million Pinterest followers, which spawned an online store and, in 2014, a retail location.

Find your own voice and tribe

For KURA, the brand-building process was an evolution (kurastrength.com).

“We developed organically as a collective,” said Melissa Guitron, founder and owner. “Initially, we ran our sessions at a local track, in a client’s garage.” 

This collective mindset of everyone pitching in is at the heart of KURA’s brand and informs all aspects, from the copy to the colors to the programming.

“It’s easy to lose sight of your message when there’s so much competition," Guitron said. “That confusion makes you do crazy things. But we found our own voice and identified our ideal clients so we could make smart decisions that stretched our start-up budget further. Find out who your customers really are and what they want and stick to that rather than trying to position all over the place.”

How to create a compelling call to action

If your website doesn't have some sort of call to action, there’s a good chance you’re losing out on sales. Calls to action tell your readers to do exactly what you'd like them to

If your call to action is engaging, your readers will be far more likely to take that action. Consider these tips for creating a compelling call to action from Entrepreneur.com

Create a personable experience

Let's say that you're promoting an eBook about do-it-yourself oil changes and you've written an article about the importance of regular oil changes for a vehicle. Instead of ending your piece with "Those interested in learning more can click here to buy this eBook," it's better to say something like "Click here to buy this eBook and become a master oil changer!"

Unlike the first instance, the second instance speaks directly to the reader as if they're a personal friend. It also tells a small story that tells readers exactly what they can expect after buying and reading the eBook. And in the end, this personable experience takes readers beyond a basic pitch and creates an engaging and compelling reason for them to buy.

Provide directions

Most people on the Internet are busy doing things like checking their email, surfing websites, and participating in social networks – all at the same time, so chances are that they won't want to spend the time trying to figure out how to actually take advantage of your offer after they have read about it.

Telling your readers where to click, explaining when to join a live session, and providing links to in-depth instructions when necessary, can noticeably increase your conversion rates.

Go big and stand out

Make sure that your calls to action stand out from the rest of your content so there isn't a chance that it will be missed by readers just skimming your page. In fact, a good CTA that catches the eye of readers as soon as they reach the page may find themselves more intrigued by the content that precedes it.

Keep it short and simple

To avoid giving your CTAs a sales-y feel, it's important to keep them short and simple. Tell just enough of a story to spark interest and get straight to the point by following up with an actionable demand. By simply saying "click here to buy" instead of "check out all the benefits" ensures that readers know what to expect when they do click your link, and it gives all the power to your landing page so it can do the job of selling for you.

Each call to action you create shouldn't be any longer than just a line or two – this will ensure that you don't leave any room for fluff or desperation.

Nightclub & Bar show names Greco chairman of advisory board

LAS VEGAS – Nightclub & Bar Media Group welcomes Thom Greco, owner of Greco Holdings, Inc. and accomplished nightclub, bar, restaurant, hotel and entertainment entrepreneur, as the chairman of the Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show Advisory Board.

Taking place March 7 -9, 2016 in Las Vegas, the 2016 Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show offers industry professionals the opportunity to connect with suppliers, network with new businesses, gain critical skills to ensure their success in the dynamic bar and nightclub industry and discover new products.

“It is a great honor to be named the new chairman of such a prestigious board,” remarked Greco. “Over the last three decades, I have enjoyed contributing to the development of our convention as an active board member, and past chairman.

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