We’re all proud of our products and services, which we work so hard to develop and market to grow our businesses in the true spirit of entrepreneurialism. But sometimes, we get so wrapped up in what we offer that we lose sight of one key fact: The product or service has to work for the buyer. And here are some tips to help you connect to your prospects and customers.
To get your customers interested in what you’re selling, make sure your sales message about them. The question they want answered is: Will this solve my problem? How will it benefit me?
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” is the first part of the famous opening sentence to Charles Dickens’ classic novel, A Tale of Two Cities. It’s also the start of an answer to classic discussion about determining the best time to send an email blast or newsletter for your email marketing campaign.
Email can be a powerful tool for reaching customers and prospects, and it’s still one of the primary ways for us to communicate even in an age with so many social media channels. You always improve your odds for success by sending that email – whether to a single person, a tightly targeted group or a huge mailing list – on the best day at the best time for that target to be receptive.
If one thing hasn’t changed in the last 10 years, it’s that you constantly need to innovate and change to compete.
Lew Platt, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard, said in a speech 10 years ago: “You must anticipate that whatever made you successful in the past won’t in the future.” He made the statement in a speech that Industry Week characterized as “a bit of sage advice for guiding an organization in a time of rapid and turbulent change.”
If you go back and read the article, well, you’ll find that 10 years later, much remains unchanged about innovation, entrepreneurialism and change.
Word-of-Mouth Marketing has established itself as one of the most effective and cost-efficient ways for small businesses to get out the word about their products and services. In today’s highly connected world, a good word-of-mouth strategy combines a number of techniques that are all designed to develop pathways that lead back to you.
Back when the Internet was coming into its own, word-of-mouth marketing was mostly a function of networking groups, some of which functioned – and still do – as lead-generation groups.
As the marketplace and your customers become increasingly sophisticated, outsourced CMOs offer small- and medium-sized companies both high-level marketing counsel and the resources to execute marketing plans without paying six-figure salaries.
In what other ways can a fractional CMO bring value to your company? As objective, third-party advisors, fractional CMOs provide…
Further to our post last week about the importance of collecting insights from customers and prospects to find out what you are doing well and what you can improve upon, this week, we are exploring ways you can show appreciation for your advocates.
Inspired by Wendi Alpine’s recent post on client advocacy, we pose the following questions and ask you to reflect upon how they apply to your business.
If you are full, well-rested and financially strained, you survived yet another Thanksgiving holiday. As we begin December and look ahead to January, we shift our focus to 2014 planning.
Last week, Keith Finger, a B2B marketer and NicheLabs partner, shared his thoughts with us, which we would like to share with you. In his post, Keith highlighted the importance of tapping customers and prospects to for valuable insights into both what we are doing well and what elements of our marketing approaches need tweaking.
How do you obtain reliable, external input? NicheLabs welcomes you to share your thoughts on this topic one-on-one, as well.
Digital marketing trends are constantly evolving, and so should companies. While looking forward is both necessary and exciting, we also understand your company operates at a speed that is unique to your customers and your market.
Where should you begin?
First impressions are meaningful, impactful and, fortunately or unfortunately, lasting. Villa Christina, purveyor of fine Italian cuisine, realized in order to entice online guests to visit, it needed to recreate its scenic setting online. Before deciding to redesign its website, Villa Christina’s HTML site was narrow and built to accommodate older computer monitors. Today, its refreshed Wordpress CMS website appeals to guests’ senses with improved imagery, color, layout, navigation and prose.
Skilled at hosting formal business lunches to romantic dinners and awards banquets to wedding celebrations, Villa Christina welcomes all visitors to its table.
Small business owners often seek our advice regarding how much they can and should charge for advertising on their website. The short answer is, “It depends.”
First, determine the value of your online real estate.
The amount of visibility, website traffic and type of content all factor into the value of your website to potential advertisers. When determining the amount you can charge for advertising, ask yourself the following questions.