Is it really possible to create a viral marketing effect? Sure, it's possible to create a viral marketing strategy. And it's certainly possible to know what viral marketing is and, theoretically, how to use it. But can you just simply create a viral response in some formulated or calculated … Read more about Viral Marketing: Why You Can’t Just Force It
Small Business Owners: Does Your Audience Care About What You Do?
Simply put - no, they don't! Your audience doesn't care a lick about what you do. They're too busy caring a lick about what they do, what they need and what they're interested in. It's likely you're not even on their radar. And with every business in the world vying for their attention, they just … Read more about Small Business Owners: Does Your Audience Care About What You Do?
Two Things Your Small Business Audience Needs
Owning and operating a small business is pretty easy, in all honesty. Think about it for a second: you find something you do well and offer it to people who you believe need it. That's it. That's all you have to do to have a semi-successful business. Doesn't matter whether you're selling toothbrush … Read more about Two Things Your Small Business Audience Needs
Consumer Choice: Give Small Business Customers Simple Choices
Is choice a good thing? Walk through any supermarket here in the U.S and you'll find tons of choices. Want a simple can of soup, you have to wade through 15 different brands of chicken noodle. Or toothpaste, or cereal, or ice cream. Heck, we even have to make a choice between ketchup … Read more about Consumer Choice: Give Small Business Customers Simple Choices
Small Business Advice: Relationships Are the Key to Success
Business is about relationships. Relationships are about people. So it should be obvious that people do business with people, not businesses. Yet I'm always surprised how many small business owners miss this. Somewhere in all their efforts to develop their business plan and marketing strategy they … Read more about Small Business Advice: Relationships Are the Key to Success
Word of Mouth Marketing: Can It Get You In Trouble?
You know I love word of mouth marketing. I find it to be one of the purest, simplest and most rewarding ways of getting my business known. But did you know that word of mouth marketing can be illegal? According to Andy Sernovitz there's a new bill (pdf) being introduced in the U.K. which will … Read more about Word of Mouth Marketing: Can It Get You In Trouble?
Small Business Advice: Make Your Business Mean Something
A couple of years ago John was laid off from his job working in the assembly plant for Ford Motor company. He'd been there 15 years and came to work on a Tuesday to find out he was being laid off. John had worked at some sort of job since he was nine. He had a paper route, then three. When he was … Read more about Small Business Advice: Make Your Business Mean Something
Small Business Success Advice: Quit
Have you ever considered quitting? Neither had I. But since hearing Seth Godin speak about his book, The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches you When to Quit (and When to Stick), last year it's constantly been on my mind. In The Dip, Seth suggests that all successful people know one thing before they … Read more about Small Business Success Advice: Quit
Small Business Positioning: What’s Your Market?
There are lots of keys to creating a successful business. Yet the one that I've found to be most important - and often most lacking in small businesses is positioning. There's lots of definitions of positioning because the term is often used along side branding. The definition that I gravitate to … Read more about Small Business Positioning: What’s Your Market?
Why Your Business Needs To Focus On Relationships More and On Money Less
Every business owner wants to make more money. Doesn't matter whether you sell products or pitch a service - you probably want more clients, customers, buyers, patrons, consumers, subscribers, users, etc. Doesn't matter what you call them - you'd like more. After all, doesn't more subscribers … Read more about Why Your Business Needs To Focus On Relationships More and On Money Less
3 Easy Steps to Creating a Web-based Business
In truth, having a web-based business isn't difficult. What's difficult is getting really clear about who you are, what you do and who you do it for. The problem is, there are tons of approaches for doing this which sometimes leads to confusion. Do I need to write a business plan? What about … Read more about 3 Easy Steps to Creating a Web-based Business
Small Business Marketing Tip: Use Word of Mouth
Want to know one of the biggest secrets to social marketing? It's really quite simple... People share things they find enjoyable, helpful or interesting with people they know. In other words, people pass it on. That's what social marketing is about - passing it on. But sometimes we forget. … Read more about Small Business Marketing Tip: Use Word of Mouth
