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10 Questions to Ask When You're Branding a Business
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Weekly Round-up, May 14 – 18
Some interesting articles and posts I came across this week: Uncover and Manipulate Your Triggers to Optimize Your Work and Life – Especially good for folks who own their own businesses/work from home (meaning more control over environment and schedule) … Continue reading
Weekly Round-Up
Some interesting articles and stories I came across this past week: The 13-year-old CEO Who Invented a Cure for Hiccups – I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that CEO’s are following the trend of all other occupations, with the … Continue reading
The Freedom of Limits
It sounds paradoxical, but there is a freedom and even a power that can come from setting limits. I discovered this after I started working with Ari Meisel. Ari is officially self-titled an “Achievement Architect.” He helps people achieve things … Continue reading
Is Your Business a “Benchmark Brand?”
Are you brand loyal? Think hard about this one: Do you buy a particular brand of anything because you consciously like it and choose it, or just out of habit, or because you/your family/your friends have always used it? I … Continue reading
Don’t Say What You Do – Say What You Can Do For Your Clients
I was at a marketing seminar recently where we were told that the amount of time we have to make an impression on a potential customer coming across our website is literally the blink of an eye (yes, she actually … Continue reading
Make Sure the Marketing Plan Fits the Product
I recently volunteered to assist with marketing for a theatre group that has an event coming up in about a month. While brainstorming during a conference call, one of the other volunteers suggested doing some behind the scenes videos. I … Continue reading
Technology Isn’t Going Anywhere (Except Forward): Don’t Get Left Behind
I was talking to a potential client who needed help marketing a mobile app for hotels, or, more to the point, a mobile app for hotel customers that hotels can offer. It allows the customer to check in and out, … Continue reading
Are You Designing Your Online Presence with Mobile Technology in Mind?
Though I’m a writer, I can’t ignore the fact that when it comes to marketing, writing is only half the job. I can write the most brilliant copy, but if it’s not easily accessible, it may as well be lining … Continue reading
The “Small” in Small Business: Use it to Your Advantage
Recent story from a fellow small business owner: He is a subscriber to a certain service that gives him the ability to write and distribute press releases. He has been a package subscriber for about three months and hasn’t been … Continue reading
The Best Use of Twitter by a Small Business: The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop
I think this might be the most brilliant use of Twitter by a business owner that I’ve seen. The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop was once The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck (the truck still exists, but doesn’t roam … Continue reading
What Problem Are You Solving?
If you follow me on Twitter, you may remember this article on Wisebread that I tweeted: My Pumpkin Lady’s Secret to Business Success. In it, the author describes that the reason why the “pumpkin lady” at her farmers’ market was … Continue reading
The Survey Says…Customers Need Incentives to Answer Them
How many times, when you’ve been at work on something on the web, have you brushed aside those annoying little boxes that pop-up requesting “just 5 minutes of your time” to fill out a survey that will supposedly help provide … Continue reading
How to Contact People You Don’t Know Personally on Linked In
As someone who is a LION (Linked In Open Networker) meaning that pretty much anyone can see my profile and request me to join their network, I’m often astonished at how many people whom I’ve never met request me and: … Continue reading
Network Where You Feel Most Comfortable
I was talking to a client recently, a woman who just started up her own business, and we were talking about her dislike of networking and tooting her own horn. I don’t blame her. I’m kind of shy myself, and … Continue reading
Online or Offline, Go Where Your Target Market Hangs Out (AKA Ignore Social Media at Your Peril)
Once upon a time perhaps five or six years ago, in a place not too far from here, I worked for a subscriber-based theater company. Now, if you know anything about theater companies, you may be aware of these three … Continue reading
The Business Card: Not Dead Yet, So Make It Count
Lately, it seems like everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon to declare something dead. The resume (depends on the situation), e-mail (huh?) and the business card are just a few examples. Let’s just look at the business card for … Continue reading
What’s in a (Business) Name? Tips for Naming Your Business
Starting your own business? I bet you’re thinking of a name, if you don’t have one already. Some tips for choosing a name for your business: Make sure that no one else already has that name (even if it’s … Continue reading
Networking: When in Doubt, Don’t Let It Out
We’ve all had moments of foot-in-mouth-itis, where we’ve said the wrong thing at the wrong time. The worst place that this disease can strike you is when you’re at a networking function. I was at a networking event a couple … Continue reading
Yes, a Brand is More Than a Logo or a Website, But What Is It?
[Note: for the sake of full disclosure, I bank with ING Direct]. I stumbled across a discussion on one of the groups I belong to on linkedin.com, where a member asked for a good definition of brand. The answers varied … Continue reading
How a Business Owner Made an Unconventional Location Her Best Advertisement
Even in the current economy, the one thing that hasn’t changed for brick-and-mortar businesses is the old real estate mantra of “location, location, location.” In the case of one business owner, her unusual location is not only good business, it … Continue reading
Why You Should Include Your Photo on Your Linked In Profile
One day while I was browsing the various marketing/copywriting groups I belong to on Linked In, I came across the following post: “Would you do business with an individual who has NO photo on [sic] LinkedIn profile? Yes/No? Please let … Continue reading