Brands are made up of multiple components – your product or service; your logos, advertising campaigns, public relations and sponsorships; the behaviors of your employees and your customers’ interactions with them; the personalities of the top executives and/or owners, etc. As we’ve said many times before, it’s ultimately the market that truly defines your brand, and they do so by absorbing all of the elements we just mentioned into an overall image in their mind of who your company is and what it stands for. (more…)
Archive for December, 2017
Building Your Brand Story, One Piece at a Time
Thursday, December 28th, 2017Are You Wasting Your Time at Networking Events?
Tuesday, December 26th, 2017In a recent Entrepreneur article, John Rampton explains to readers “Why You Should Stop Wasting Your Time on Networking Events.” In the piece, Rampton writes, “If people will be there that have great ideas and energy to share, I’m game. But attending an event just to hand out business cards and get a stack in return with the hopes of landing a new client or important connection is not for me.” (more…)
In-depth SEO Analysis Supports Taking the Time to Do it Right
Thursday, December 21st, 2017Recently Entrepreneur writer Nina Zipkin covered a fascinating infographic put together by The Website Group, a U.K. – based digital marketing agency, Ahrefs, an SEO tool platform. The infographic looks at data collected and analyzed by Ahrefs based on two million random keywords. By looking at the top ten ranking pages for each of those keywords, they pulled together some great insights on how long it takes to get to that coveted top-ten spot. (more…)
When It’s Time for a Customer To Go: Ending the Relationship on a Positive Note
Thursday, December 14th, 2017Most people who have worked in any customer-facing role, whether as a waiter, retail clerk, or business relationship manager, have had to deal with difficult customers. And, when you’re working for someone else, you typically just have to grin and bear it. However, for freelancers and small business owners, you have some flexibility. You have the ability to make decisions about whether or not to keep a client or customer.
That’s not always as easy said as done, of course. (more…)
Navigating the Complexity of SEO: Some Simple Tips
Tuesday, December 12th, 2017Search Engine Optimization, or “SEO,” is a frequently used and important tool in online marketing. Yet to many it’s an unfamiliar and intimidating concept that they may naturally shy away from. Fear of the unknown is understandable, but SEO is something that can’t be ignored if you want your online efforts to pay off. And, it’s really not as complex as the terminology might suggest. (more…)
Avoiding the Top 3 Networking Blunders
Thursday, December 7th, 2017Networking is an important activity in any industry. The term has many definitions depending on who you talk to, but in a broad sense you can think of it as just getting to know people in your industry. It’s surprising how many employment, mentorship, sales and partnership opportunities come about just by tapping into who you know and who you’ve met through networking activities.
Unfortunately, we don’t always leverage those relationships to best advantage. (more…)
Captivating Consumers With Top-Notch Product Images
Tuesday, December 5th, 2017How important are product images in your online marketing activities? If you effectively describe the product specifications, give some detailed reviews and have an in-depth description, is that enough? It seems like it isn’t. In fact, Lumina Datamatics cites a survey by the National Retail Federation showing that 67 percent of customers consider images more important than product-specific information, long descriptions and product reviews.
Think about that for a second. (more…)