Recognizing the Power of the Business Card

In the technological world of social media, smartphones and internet marketing, there are those who believe the old ways of physical networking are long gone. Gone are the days of personal meetings, door-to-door sales and even chance encounters. Hello to the days of quick messages, email signatures and, of course, the “like” button.

But despite everything the world of technology brings with it, there’s one marketing tactic that will never go out of style: the business card. The business card is an important tool that’s useful for companies and individuals alike. But just how powerful is the business card? Let’s find out.

Business cards promote your brand.
Whether you’re an individual employee or the CEO of a small enterprise, a business card is always a vital necessity to have on you when out and about. There are limitless possibilities and ways to design your business card, so whichever way you choose, make sure it is true to your personality and your personal brand.

Whether it’s paper style, font or size and shape of the card, the choice is up to you. Be careful in choosing a shape that’s toounique; lots of people still have card holders, and if yours doesn’t fit, the likelihood of it sticking around is slim. Make your card creative and unique, so it stands out from the crowd and catches people’s attention. Then, no matter where your card goes, you can be sure it will be promoting your brand and image to everyone who sees it.

Business cards show you’re serious.
You may be thinking, “I’m just an average person; I don’t meet a lot of people. What do I need a business card for?” Well, for the few people you do meet, business cards show you’re a serious candidate for all potential professional relationships. With today’s work connections being almost entirely online, a business card shows you care enough to go the extra step in person and on paper, too.

Whether you’re interviewing for a position, networking at a career fair or simply having a conversation with someone you met at a restaurant, a business card shows you take yourself seriously and you take your work seriously. Employers and business associates will see that and appreciate it even more.

Business cards build relationships.
Of course, one of the largest advantages to having a business card is it builds a relationship with everyone you encounter. By handing out your business card—intentionally, don’t just go all willy-nilly—you’re telling the individual you want to continue this encounter in the future. Obviously, your business card will have all your basic contact information, so recipients can continue to reach out to you and further the relationship even more.

Business cards establish connections.
Finally, while business cards are part of the physical world, they also establish connections through the online world, as well. Make sure to include your LinkedIn information on your card, and encourage others to connect with you. This helps build online connections, so you can continue to reach out to them later on, without having to remember, “Oh, dang, who was that person again?” So, to recap: (1) build relationship in real world, (2) connect in online world.

The business card is a powerful little marketing tool that’s great for individuals, companies and brands. If you don’t already have a business card, now is as good a time as any to make your own, go out and start networking.

Why your business should be on LinkedIn

We all know about Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram, and hopefully your small business is on at least one of these social media outlets.

However, there’s one platform that can sometimes be overlooked, but is the most beneficial to your professional brand: LinkedIn.

LinkedIn provides a valuable tool for individuals and businesses to connect, generate leads and build their brand. It allows your company to network current and potential employees, as well as interact with other businesses in your field and beyond.

If you want to grow your business and market through online communication, here are a few reasons why you should implement LinkedIn into your social media strategy.

Other companies are using LinkedIn.

First and foremost, your business should be on LinkedIn because other companies are as well. According to the 2015 State of Marketing report, LinkedIn is the third most commonly used social network for business owners.

At least 62 percent of business owners reported they use the platform, and an additional 22 percent said they intended to use it in 2016.

For business to business marketers especially, LinkedIn has surpassed Facebook as the No. 1 most important and used social media platform.

If your company wants to tap into a wide-reaching number of businesses and establish potential networking relationships, then LinkedIn is the way to get your name out there.

Employees can find you on LinkedIn.

According to Forbes, over the past five years, the use of social professional networking sites for recruiting has exploded. According to LinkedIn itself, these sites have seen a 73 percent increase in job recruitment usage, compared to only a 15 percent increase for internet job boards and a 16 percent decrease for staffing agencies.

For employees currently in the job market, LinkedIn is the place to go in search of new opportunities. If your business is on the hunt for fresh new talent—or even if you just want to throw your name into the hat—LinkedIn is where you need to be.

Your brand is more visible on LinkedIn.

At the very least, LinkedIn provides another outlet for your brand to be visible on. Logistically, LinkedIn helps to increase your business search visibility online.

An optimized LinkedIn company page increases your chances of ranking in Google’s search engine, which boosts your business’s website and drives more lead generation.

Businesses, potential employees and customers are easily able to find your business on LinkedIn, which showcases your brand and can even promote your products or services.

You have a professional outlet on LinkedIn.

More than any other social networking outlet, LinkedIn gives your business a clean, crisp and professional image.

While consistently updating your website can be daunting, sharing mission-driven content on LinkedIn can easily become a part of your social media marketing strategy.

Post news updates, share blog entries and even promote sales at your location, all through a professional and engaging lens—with specifically targeted consumers.

If your small business really wants to upgrade its marketing performance, jump into LinkedIn to see just how far social networking can take you.

Grow your company and promote your brand visibility with a professional, optimized LinkedIn account.

Five lucky St. Patrick's Day marketing ideas

St. Patrick’s Day is this week, which means businesses and storefronts everywhere will be decked out in green decorations, shamrocks and pots of gold.

Of course, the holiday does provide a significant opportunity for marketing and advertising.

How can your small business get in on the action of marketing during St. Patrick’s Day? Here are five ideas to get you started and bring in the luck of the Irish.

1. Go green on social media.

Enjoy free marketing and advertising for small business by turning your social media green this holiday. Share a St. Patrick’s Day quote, meme or picture to show a lighter side of the company.

You can even try out different posts on different media, such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, to see which drives the most engagement. Have fun and don’t be afraid to show your goofy side when sharing and promoting on St. Patrick’s Day.

2. Host a St. Patty’s Day giveaway.

One easy way to drive traffic to your website or storefront is through a St. Patrick’s Day giveaway. Whether it’s hosting a social media contest, website challenge or in-store promotion, giveaways are an awesome tool to bring in consumers and turn them into customers.

Choose something desirable to give away, but still be sure to tie it into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit. For example, a restaurant may offer a chance to win a supply of green beer. Whatever your small business decides, have fun with the holiday and promotion.

3. Hold a leprechaun trivia contest.

Everyone loves a good ol’ fashioned trivia contest, and St. Patrick’s Day is no different. Host a holiday trivia contest either online or in-store to see who can get the most answers right, or can answer a tough question correctly.

Winners can be entered for a prize, or enjoy a small sale to celebrate their victory. The first step is finding humorous fun facts about St. Patrick’s Day. Second step is advertising the contest and letting your customers do the rest.

4. Give green day deals.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a holiday without some great deals to take advantage of. Promote your small business this week by giving good green day deals. Tie the deals into St. Patrick’s Day as much as possible and see how many customers come streaming in.

5. Get in the storefront spirit.

Finally, get in the spirit of things this St. Patrick’s Day by decorating your storefront with green shamrocks, leprechaun hats, rainbows and pots of gold.

Create some unique store signs and displays for the holiday to draw viewers in and engage them with your business. The more unique and creative, the better turnout you will have.

This St. Patrick’s Day, promote your company by trying out some of these lucky marketing tactics. Go green this week and grow your small business with a little bit of luck of the Irish.

Class is Out: Marketing to college students on Spring Break

Ah, the elusive college student—every marketer’s dream. Difficult to engage with, even more difficult to identify with, but once you find an in to the college student’s world, you’re practically guaranteed consistent business from an unwavering source.

In just a few short weeks, every college student will be enjoying spring break, a week of relaxation, rejuvenation and free time for shopping.

How can your small business tap into this time and get noticed by college students? Check out these tips for how to market to college students during spring break.

1. Give away free stuff.

If there’s anything college students love, and we mean really love, it’s free stuff. Free gear, products or services draws students in and makes them inclined to buy from your business later on.

This is pretty powerful, considering the college market brings in about $208 billion annually (OnCampus Advertising). Reach out to college students during their spring break by offering promotions or giveaways for them to get involved in. Once they’re engaged with your business in a positive light, they’ll like the products and be more excited to buy from you next time.

2. Use social media.

A 2015 Pew study found that 92 percent of teens and college students go online daily. The majority of these online hits are through social networking platforms, e.g. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 77 percent of college students alone go on Snapchat every day.

When it comes to small business marketing during spring break, this is a huge opportunity just waiting to be tapped into.

If your business wants to engage with college students, you need to be where they are: on social media. Use social platforms to promote your products, services, new sales or even just to engage with consumers and potential clients.

Especially over spring break, social media can be used as a tool to market your business to younger generations.

3. Play on spring break survival.

One fun and lively way to market to college students over spring break is to promote “spring break survival.” Spring break is often known as one of the biggest party seasons of the year, and your business can play off this by offering “survival gear.” For example, Her Campus Media created a “Spring Break Survival Kit” which included popchips, nail polish, lip conditioner, razors, shave gel, perfume and gum. Even things as simple as these can turn into a huge hit with the right marketing spin.

4. Go non-traditional.

College students are bombarded by advertisements and sales on a consistent basis. If your small business wants to get through the hubbub and reach potential customers, you need to think out of the box with a unique, non-traditional method. Consider guerrilla marketing, word-of-mouth and especially direct social media campaigns. The more creative, the better it will spark college students’ interest over spring break.

5. ...But don’t forget the classics.

While creativity is king, classic media can be as well. According to StudyBreaks College Media, 84 percent of college students surveyed redeem coupons or specials they see in magazines or newspapers; 90 percent have read a magazine or newspaper in the last month.

Don’t be afraid to test out a print ad as well in reaching out to college students, which will also prompt viewers to research online and via social media.

This spring break season, make sure your business is ready to tap into the huge potential market that is college students. Try out some of these tactics to get your business noticed and generate customer revenue. Enjoy the sun this spring break by promoting your business.

Should your business take a stand on controversial issues?

In the world of small business, it can be difficult to avoid controversial or offensive topics. You definitely don’t want to isolate consumers, but you may also have a specific customer in mind for your business.

After watching companies like Apple, Starbucks and Chick-fil-A, the question remains: should your business take a stand on controversial issues? Today we’re going to talk about pros and cons.

Pros

When it comes to taking a stand on a controversial topic, there are definitely some pros that could help promote a small business. This is probably the greatest positive of a brand taking a stand: it shows your company’s conviction.

Current customers and potential consumers can know that your small business has values and that you stand by them. Whether they agree or not, many consumers may appreciate your decision to take a stand regardless.

Secondly, controversial topics are popular. If we look in the media, we can see controversial issues being discussed in depth all over the place. When your business puts its name into the mix, it increases your chance of being seen and—more importantly—heard.

Capitalizing on recent events gives more visibility to your brand and can boost engagement simply because consumers are more aware of what your company stands for.

Finally, many customers who do agree with your company’s stance will probably deepen their relationship with your business when they find your position. For example, according to Forbes, 20 percent of adults between 26-35 years say they’re more likely to shop at companies whose social-political stances mirror their own.

While your opinion may isolate some consumers, it may engage even more, and build up positive relationships with customers you’re more interested in working with.

Cons

Of course, with the positives comes potential negatives of your small business taking a stand on a controversial issue. Because for every customer who agrees with your position, you run the risk of customers not agreeing with you, and therefore writing off the business all together.

According to Entrepreneur, people don’t separate individuals from businesses. As a small-business owner, your thoughts and opinions are in the public sphere, and for every opinion you express, the business is automatically linked to it.

And vice versa.

If your small company takes a stand on an issue, your employees could be adversely affected, because they are seen as part of the business, rather than simply connected to it.

In addition, the public never forgets. If your small business has an opinion now, chances are it will be brought up again… and again… and again.

Once your stance is open to the public, it’s out there for good. This can have especially negative effects if at some point in the future your business tries to work with a new partner, find a different employee or get involved in something that may seem “hypocritical.” When it comes to the sphere of public opinion, consumers can be unforgiving and they don't forget.

Finally, your message may even be misinterpreted. Perhaps you want to take a small stand on an issue, but it somehow ends up out of proportion, and consumers see it as a big stand.

This can have far-reaching negative consequences you could have never predicted. In a world of technology which lacks tone and nonverbal cues, it’s easy for your position to end up appearing more radical than even you considered.

When it comes to getting involved in current events, there are lots of pros and cons to consider for your small business. While taking a stand on an issue can have negative consequences, there are also some worthwhile positives.

No matter what your business decides, be sure to think carefully before sending anything out, because chances are you’ll never get it back.

Business 101: How to network like an expert

When it comes to growing a small business, we tend to think of a few main areas to share our mission: print advertisements, maybe a radio announcement, a strong website, etc. One thing we often forget and even underestimate, though, is the power of one-on-one interaction.

Networking is the process of making personal connections for your business in order to increase exposure and grow your contacts for the future. Forbes defines networking in its purest form as “…people enjoying other people, communicating passions and connecting with others who share those passions.”

What can networking do for you, and how can you get started? Welcome to Business 101, and today we’re going to talk about how to network like an expert.

1. Start with existing connections.

If you’re nervous about networking right off the bat, it’s easy to start small and make connections with the people already in your surrounding circles. Focus on getting in touch with old friends, relatives, people you went to school with, and the like to rekindle connections without having to approach complete strangers. Reach out to this close group before stepping up to more difficult connections of new contacts.

2. Get going early.

When it comes to networking, procrastination is your worst enemy. Don’t wait to get going until you absolutely need a new employee, contact or partner. A good networker starts when they don’t need to, and recognizes the importance of networking in any situation. When you’re networking with no “ulterior motive” your business will build a reputation for establishing genuine relationships, rather than simply self-serving.

3. Develop a plan

While networking is establishing relationships and having conversations, it’s important to remember that it’s not all about just having a great time. It’s a purposeful way of making connections for your business. Before attending any networking event, develop a plan for what you want to say, main contacts you want to talk to and what you can bring to the table. This will make your business seem personal and professional when the networking starts.

4. Find a way to help someone

As a small business, it’s easy to assume you can’t do anything to help the “big dogs”—get this idea out of your head. Inc.com states, “It’s always worth the trouble to find out a contact’s desires and concerns.” This puts you on the big dogs’ radar, and gives you the opportunity to help in any way you can. Whether it’s sending a useful article their way, inviting them to an event or even chatting about family life, give generously and find a way to help out.

5. Never dismiss anyone

On the other side of the coin is to never dismiss anyone. When it comes to networking, everyone has value. You never know who knows who, and burning one bridge may leave you with an entire opportunity gone. Recognize the importance of everyone you meet, and treat them equally, so you have an established list of connections at every level for when you need it.

6. Follow up

Finally, once you make a connection, remember to follow up with them and follow through on promises. For example, if you say you’re going to email someone an article, be sure to do so. This establishes your credibility and makes you much more appealing for future connections.

Whether it’s through email, phone call or (one of our personal favorites) a handwritten note, following up with connections makes them feel valued and engaged. They will definitely remember your business in the future and continue to share your mission with other contacts in their network.

Most importantly, remember to be yourself when networking. Your business is unique, so don’t try to make it anything that it isn’t. Establish positive, mutually beneficial connections with the contacts around you, and see how your business can grow through the power of networking.

Five ways to build a great company culture

In today’s world, employees are looking for more when it comes to work. Not necessarily more money or more benefits (although those are important too), but more fulfillment. Employees want to know their work matters; they want to feel valued and like they’re making a difference.

And how can your business do just that? By building a strong company culture. Your culture sets you apart from other employers, either in a good way or… not so good way. How can you ensure a great company culture that has employees (and clients) running your way? Here’s five ways to get started.

1. Find your values and stick to them.

The first step in building a great company culture is to decide what you want the culture to be. Center your culture around a few core values, and then follow through. The only thing worse than a company with no values is a company with meaningless values.

Share the things that mean the most to your business with employees, clients and potential consumers. But be cautious; for example, if you want your business to have family values, then you should probably give your employees time to spend with their families. Once you have your core values figured out, you can start to build your culture around them.

2. Listen to your current employees.

If you want to hire and retain great employees, it’s important to listen to the great employees you already have. Try sending out staff questionnaires and surveys about the current culture to see the responses you get, then listen to what they actually say.

When your staff feel like their opinions matter, they’ll be more likely to stay at the company, enjoy their work and recommend your business. Not only this, but the positivity from an employee who feels valued will contribute to a positive company culture overall.

3. Build a team mentality.

The efforts of all contribute to the goal of the unit. Entrepreneur.com recommends to stop thinking of people in terms of “employees” or even “departments,” but to build up the idea of “we’re all in this together.” You are all part of the same team, with each member doing his or her part to work towards the ultimate goal.

Building up a team mentality for your company creates a culture of unity and community, ensuring every member feels important to the organization. From here, you’ll be able to see who’s a team player and who’s not, by those supporting the company and fellow coworkers.

4. Hire to your values.

To have a continually strong company culture, you need to hire to the core values you worked so hard to develop. Not only does this hiring system give you an easy-to-follow and unanimous guideline when hiring, but it also pushes your business to be more culturally sound.

Include values and culture questions in your application, ask values-based questions in interviews or even ask for character recommendations. When you hire to fit your company’s culture, employees will thrive, and so will your business.

5. Have some fun.

Finally, have some fun. This looks different for every business, but don’t be afraid to shake things up a bit in the workplace every now and then. No matter what your company does, there is always some way to encourage employees to engage in activities that feel less like work and more like a day off. Whether it’s enjoying a beer and some snacks in the break room or taking a half day off, a little relaxation can go a long way in building a consistent company culture.

When it comes to furthering your business, few things are more important than the employees who work for it. Retain old employees, hire new ones and create an employee-friendly environment by building up your company culture. Because when your culture thrives, so will your business.

‘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.

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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.