Corporate Holiday Cards

Today, we have so many ways to "touch" our customers – web pages, Facebook, Twitter, etc. How would you like to make powerful impact on your customers this holiday season? Skip the digital holiday card and send an “old-fashion” paper holiday card.

Pre-digital era, paper holiday cards were a staple. Today, they are valued for their physicality and their personal touch, connecting in ways digital alternatives can't.

A card sent to a client stands out in the stack of mail they receive. It likely is the first thing opened before the bills, statements, flyers, etc.

Cards are often displayed on a bookshelf or on the receptionist’s desk People glance at it and connect it with the sender in a positive way.

Stand out from your competition and send a paper holiday card to your customers!

Every Small Business Should Have a Marketing Plan

Every small business should have a marketing plan. Do you have one? The plan doesn't have to be a multi-page document, sometimes one page is fine. The act of planning itself is essential to success.

Planning your marketing for the year gives you a clear vision and helps you think about your business long term.

The options for getting the word out about your business nowadays are endless. If you have a plan and a budget, your marketing will have direction and your business will grow.

Take the time to sit down and think about how you market your business. Hire a professional marketing consulting company, like Blue Dog Marketing, to advise you. A marketing consulting company can come in and aid you in creating your plan. They can also implement the plan for you so you can concentrate on running your business.  

Marketing is more than putting an ad in the local paper. It is everything that affects the opinion and purchasing decision of your customers.

As you continue to market your business, you will get to know what you customers want and like. You’ll become better at creating you marketing plan each year. And you will have a huge advantage over your competitors that do no planning at all.

3 Benefits of Social Media Marketing For Small Business

Is your small business on Facebook? Do you blog or tweet? Do you “pin” pictures of your products on Pinterest? If not, you’re missing a great opportunity to connect with potential customers and stay connected to current customers.

Here are some reasons why social media marketing is beneficial for small businesses and some tips to getting the most out of it.

1.   Engagement

Once you enter the realm of social networking, you become less of a business and more of a personality. Every Facebook or Twitter should be the start of a conversation, so be chatty, informative and even humorous to capture interest. Keep in mind the 'social' in social media and stay away from sales copy. Focus instead on developing relationships. One way to increase engagement is to respond to posts or questions from your readers. Have those conversations and you’ll discover what your customers like and dislike.

2.   Reputation

As social media use in business has grown, it has become common marketing knowledge that a large amount of Facebook 'likes' or Twitter followers indicates business popularity and customer interest. Take advantage of this online reputation indicator by getting more people to connect with your business profiles. You can encourage people to connect and 'like' posts by creating contest and giving out free stuff. You should also include your social media information in your email signature.

3.   Information

Social media is now a source of news and information. By blogging and tweeting not only information about your business and products, but about the industry you are in, can make you an expert in your field. Keep on top of what’s happening in your industry and share the information as well as comment on it. Relate it back to your company and your customers. You can use social media to develop a reputation as an expert and keep your customers informed about your industry.

For today’s small businesses, social media is an integral piece of a successful marketing plan. Yet, most businesses simply don't have the time. That's when Blue Dog Marketing can help. Let us “ghost blog” for you, set up your Facebook page or help you create the perfect Pinterest business page.

Thinking Of Building, Or Redesigning, Your Website Alone? Think Again!

Your small business needs a website. You should drive, through your social media and other marketing materials, all customers and potential customers to it. Your website should function well and appeal visually to your customers.

If you don’t have a website or, your website is old and needs a “facelift,” you need to ask yourself first if you can build a website and take care of its design. If your answer is no, perhaps it is time you think of hiring an experienced marketing company, like Blue Dog Marketing, who can do a great job creating and designing a website for you.

An experienced marketing company can properly implement search engine optimization (SEO) to get your website to the top search engine results. Today, if people need something, the first place they look for information is the internet. According to studies, most internet users rely on the first page result and hardly continue to the next page. By moving your website search ranking to the first page, you’d have more customers coming to your website.

An experienced marketing company can also create your website in a way that will provide everything you need. It can create a very functional website that would keep prospective customers on the site.

Additionally, only an expert marketing company can create a website that looks both polished and professional. We know the perfect layout, fonts, colors, templates and content formats to go with your site. These are important factors to consider because these simple details may discourage visitors from going further into your site.

An experienced marketing company knows how best to show your brand to the world. We can also show you how to brand your other marketing strategies, such as your social media and printed materials.

Don’t be afraid to work with a marketing company. We’re here to help your business grow.

4 Important Printed Marketing Pieces For Your Small Business

There are many marketing avenues available today – websites, social media, and videos. But there is still a place for printed marketing materials in today’s digital world. Here are five important printed marketing pieces that Blue Dog Marketing highly recommends to our clients.

1.   Business Cards 
A business card serves many different purposes. It tells people who you are, what you can do for them and it gives them something to remember you by. Your business card is often the first look at your brand that people see.

Be sure to include your company name, logo, tag line, website, and how to reach you (email and phone number). Don’t forget to use the back of the card. This is often overlooked real estate. You can list your services or key products on the back. This will help remind people about what it is that you do.

2.   Flyers

Flyers are great in that they can do double duty. You can have them printed and use them electronically. Flyers should have a strong message and a call-to-action. Include a coupon that will make people want to purchase your product or service quickly. If you’re hosting an event, use a flyer to advertise the event. A flyer also gives you room to talk about your business. Keep it brief. A flyer should not be covered in text. Use bullet points and retain a lot of white space.

As a PDF, you can attach your flyer to an email blast to your customers.

3.   Brochures

What’s the difference between a brochure and a flyer? Yes, a brochure is folded, but there’s more. A flyer is generally used for a specific offer or event. A brochure is used to educate prospective customers about your company, products and/or services.

Brochures are the place for more detailed information about your company. People are more likely to read a brochure from beginning to end. You can include coupons in brochures too.

4.   Banners

A banner can be a powerful marketing tool. Used properly, it attracts attention. If you have a physical store, this type of signage can be used to draw customers’ attention to certain items. If you’re at a tradeshow, a banner is a great way to tell people who you are. This will allow you to stand out from other tables that aren’t using banners.

If you want to have a strong marketing presence, then you need these four printed marketing materials. They will help you grow your business. If you need help creating any of these marketing materials, contact Blue Dog Marketing. We’re here to help you succeed!

4 Common Marketing Mistakes and How to Fix Them

It's important to review your marketing efforts on a continual basis to make certain you're getting maximum results for all your efforts. If your marketing needs fixing, it will take time to make the corrections. Most are not marketing mistakes need more than a quick fix. If you’ve made some of the most common mistakes, there are a few ways that you can quickly and easily fix your marketing.

What are some of the most common marketing mistakes small businesses make?

1. Don’t have a call-to-action on your website or marketing materials. A call to action means you are encouraging your audience to respond in a certain manner. If you don't ask them to do something, they won't. So ask. A call-to-action can be as simple as “Call Now” or “Sign up for our free newsletter.”

The Fix: Review your website. Do you have a call-to-action on all of your key pages? Review your marketing materials. Do you have a call-to-action on them? If not, add the call-to-action

2. Be unclear about what you do. If prospective customers are confused about what you do or how you can help them, they will not buy from you. Whether someone lands on your website or meets you in person, they should be very clear about the products/services you provide and what problem you fix.

The Fix: Review your “About” webpage and your elevator pitch. Do you clearly and concisely describe what you do, what you sell and the result or benefit it offers?

3. Don’t maximize your current customer base. It is five times more expensive to secure new customers than it is to retain and up-sell existing customers.

Your existing customers can help you more than new customers. If your customers are happy with your products/services, they can add to your revenue in a few different ways. Existing customers can buy something else, refer others they know as well as share your website, content, blog posts and emails with others. Loyal customers become brand ambassadors for your business.

The Fix: Think of ways you can show appreciation to the customers you already have. Simple gestures like thank you cards, free e-books or implement a customer appreciation program.

These are some of the most common marketing mistakes and the easiest to fix. Remember, some marketing mistakes take time to fix. If you focus on one area at a time, you will not get overwhelmed and you’ll see results. So, pick one area per week and work on it. If you don’t have the time to spend on marketing your small business, contact Blue Dog Marketing. We’re here to help you grow your business!

Do You Know Your 10 Most Important Words?

Do you know the words that your prospective customers use when searching for a business like yours online? Google or Bing will help direct your customers to your website, but only if you populate your website text with the words and phrases your prospective customers will use.

Make sure your words and search meanings are in alignment. Are you speaking the same language as your prospective customers?  The right words are the foundation of your website.

First, nail down the core 4 to 5 words you know are critical and then branch out to include more related terms and phrases. Include these in your website. They are the SEO (search engine optimization) magnets that draw you website higher in search results.

Your 10 words need to live not only on your website, but in all your online marketing efforts. Your blog, news releases, white papers, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube videos should all contain these key words and phrases.

How do you find these 10 words? One great took we like is the Google Keyword Planner in Google AdWords (www.adwords.google.com). This tool will help you to determine different words that relate to your business. You’ll be able to see local search trends. This will help simplify your key words, terms and phrases.

Even if you’re an established business, you should re-examine your key words yearly. Changes in your business and industry can influence your key words.

4 Tips For Talking Directly to Your Potential Customers

How do you successfully talk to your potential customers on your home page? You must relate to your target audience. Here are four simple tips you can use to engage your prospective customer.

1.   Address their problem. Your message should show your target audience that you understand their challenges or problems. The tone of the message should be non-judgmental and express genuine empathy. This messaging should be the first information your prospective customers see. It will motivate them to want to learn more about your products or services. It also shows that you’re an expert in your field and it starts building trust.

2.   Use the correct language. Don’t over-use industry specific jargon or abbreviations unless you’re 100 percent certain that only people in your industry will be reading your web pages and everyone “speaks” the same jargon as you. If you use too many of these types of words, you’ll lose potential customers. Communicate clearly and accurately so people not in your industry can understand what you’re talking about.

3.   Offer a customized solution. You’ve convinced your reader that you understand their problem. Now, how are you going to solve it? It’s important that you show how you will solve their problem through a custom solution that shows you understand the target audience and their challenge or problem. Don’t tell them exactly how you’ll fix their problem, or they won’t need your services. Just give them enough information that they’ll want to contact you.

4.   Include a strong call-to-action. Your target audience is aware that you understand their challenge or problem and can fix it. They are motivated to act, so be explicit about what you want them to do next. The call-to-action could be to call you, like your Facebook page or sign up for your free newsletter. Make sure the call-to-action is visible and on your home page.

Three Landing Page Strategies

Your landing page is the first place prospective customers see you on the web. You want to make sure you grab their attention immediately, to keep them reading rather than clicking away to the next site.

Here are some landing page strategies to make your home page do the job you want it to.

1. Use questions to grab their attention. Have your prospective customer “find” themselves in your questions. These questions should show you understand their problem and you have a solution. Your ideal customer will answer "Yes" to each of these questions. These questions begin to develop interest, trust, and credibility.

2. Include a call-to-action. Tell prospective customers what they need to do and why. Keep them focused on the "what and why." Don’t tell them how to do it. This creates the need to contact you for more information.

3. Explain how you work with clients. Describe how you work with people so they can get comfortable with the idea of what you have to offer.

5 Easy Ways to Increase Your Website Search Ranking

 Is your website not ranking high in searches? If so, this means that potential customers can't find you.

Improving your search results can be easy, assuming you have access to your website through a content management system. Having quality copy on each page will definitely improve your search results. Here are some tips that you can do that don’t take a lot of time or effort.

1.   Typos - Typos not only make you look bad, but they can affect your search engine results. To check your website text for typos, copy and paste the words on your page into WORD and run a spell check to find the mistakes before fixing them in your site. WORD won't pick up everything, but it will be an improvement.

2.   A call-to-action – Make sure you have a clear call to action on every key page. A call-to-action can be as simple as “Call Now.” Or it can be as detailed as “Download Our Whitepaper”, where you have written a white paper of interest to your audience and automatically send it to whoever gives you their contact information.

3.   Up-to-date information - Is everything on your website current or do you have people that no longer work at your company still listed? Are products or services that you no longer offer still listed? Delete any content that is out of date.

4.   Contact information – Is there a way to contact you at the bottom of each page? Do you have a separate “Contact Us” page where visitors can send you an email, easily find your phone number and business location? Don't make people search for your contact information; make it easy for them to reach you.

5.       Images Titles - Every image should contain alt tags. Search engines don't "see" images or pictures. Alt tags not only describe the image, but when used in conjunction with your keywords, they can help your SEO. Add unique alt tag descriptions to every image on your website.