Small Business Marketing
There’s a curious phenomenon at church potlucks, which anyone who has cooked for one has witnessed. Simply cooking a dish you know to be delicious is not enough to entice people to eat it. As my mom taught me, you have…
Read MoreMarketing gimmicks give marketing a bad name. The worst form of marketing gimmick is falsely promoting a cause to profit from it. These days, this tactic usually takes the form of “green marketing.” Take, for instance, this “Save the Earth…
Read MoreThe basic marketing question, “What is a brand?” is rarely even adequately covered in marketing classes. But understanding your business’s brand is the most crucial concept for any marketing effort to be successful. So, what is it, then? Your brand…
Read MoreIf you’ve got a great product or service, what’s the best way to market and sell it? By letting customers try it out! Lighthouse Carwash does this whenever they open a new car wash. For the first few days, all…
Read MoreThe plumber ruined my plaster ceiling. A year later, the roofer broke my deck. They both told me, “I want to make this right.” Then, they did everything in their power to avoid paying. (With limited success. I’m pretty tenacious.)…
Read MoreMarketing management is an ongoing activity, and it’s key to your business’s success. Marketing is something you do everyday, whether you are conscious of it or not. From your customers’ perspective, every experience they have or belief they hold about…
Read MoreWhen you send mixed marketing messages, your customers become confused, suspicious or even angry. Take, for instance, the dissonant image below. The dry cleaner says they love customers but damaged the suit they cleaned. I believe the dangling button more…
Read MoreRecently, I outlined five small business marketing rules and invited you to take the test to see how your small business’ marketing performs. This article focuses on the first rule- Be easy to do business with. Small businesses have the competitive advantage…
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