Marketing | BizSieve.com

Social Media Essentials for Small Business Marketing

Most small business owners have started relying on social media networking for their internet marketing needs. It is a simple and effective method of reaching out to your target audience in a focused yet inexpensive form. The sheer popularity of social media has left it an indispensible marketing tool to incorporate in your campaign. Whatever be your target audience demographic, marketing through popular social networks will ensure that your message reaches out effectively and creates a buzz.

It is important to plan your social media presence and campaign in a detailed manner to gain maximum return. Let us list down five best practices which have been known to generate results for small business in the social media sphere.

Image by Pete Simon

Try to be Subtle

Social media does not come with the time limitation of more conventional advertising platforms like radio or television. One must respect this fact and try to inculcate their marketing message subliminally with content that your target audience is interested in. Social media is about information – Create your space and posts around interesting information related to your product or service.

Once you have the attention of your potential client only then should you go for turning him into a lead. Going social helps you build trust among your audience, but only if you let it build by offering content relevant to their interests.

Social Media is about Socializing

At times business owners fail to understand the whole purpose of social media which is to socialize with like minded people and communities. Your presence on social media should never be about ostentatious self promotion. Try to engage with your audience in an interactive way. Your business should come across like a brand personality which understands your audience and communicates like them. Be as interactive as possible, hold contests, ask questions, answer queries, be like a person.

Try to be a friend, there is nothing more trustworthy than a good understanding friend. Clients that you will be able to build like this will most likely remain clients for life.

Go Wide With Your Campaign

Social networks might have its high rankers and they command involvement in any sensible social media campaign but one must not ignore other platforms at any cost. There is a long list of networking sites and each one has some following. As a business owner or marketer you don’t want to leave any stone unturned.

Make accounts and gain presence at as many platforms as you know of. You may decide to prioritize your level of focus, that is acceptable, but do not ride on just one or two networks.

Work on Your Appearance

Just because you are a small business it doesn’t give you the right to look less professional than the big guns. In fact, many small business owners brag about their customization capabilities over big brands. All your content, designs and texts should go under a magnifying glass before being posted. Be aggressive in your strategies and let the world know that you mean business. You may not be able to match with the big players on size but you must equal their quality if not exceed it.

About the Author: ZK is an expert associated with WebTrafficROI, which is a web marketing blog aimed at people who are interested in web business and blogging. The blog also helps entrepreneurs, bloggers, companies and small businesses to make their business better on the online forum.

How to Make Your Marketing Message Do the Magic

Please don’t do it again. I mean do not make people feel devastated by bombarding with another advertisement. We have enough of this shit already and having said that I can safely assume that we are less likely to show any interest in your marketing message if you indulge in this practice. Therefore, it is quite evident that marketers need to step up their effort to make their marketing messages sound less promotional so that people do not necessarily object to them. You need to make it intense, clear and vivid so that it does not scare the hell out of the targeted audience. Wondering how you are going to do that? Here I am going to narrate some cardinal rules of creating a great marketing message:

do not make it stinks

Do Not Make It Stink: What irritates me is the attitude of some marketers. They believe that they are here to promote their services and they have no such intention to give two hoots to the likes and dislikes of audience. But to make your marketing message curry favor with the targeted audience, you should not behave like this. Do not make your marketing message sound like another sale pitch. Add some personal elements, funny twists so that the audience can relate to it.

make your message clear

Make It Clear: If you cannot convince them, confuse them. This is one of the few marketing mantras that are religiously followed by marketers around the globe. But you should not apply this tactic while creating a compelling marketing message. Describe your service in clear language and make it a point that you are giving adequate reasons to the audience to choose your products over others. In short, people love simplicity and therefore, do not make the whole things appear complex by using jargons or evasive language.

sense of urgency

Convey A Sense of Urgency: The purpose of all marketing campaigns is to drive as much traffic and conversion as possible. So, your marketing message needs to show certain signs of urgency so that the audiences are prompted to action. Rather than ending with the benefits of your service or product, you can convey a sense of urgency in the form of adding texts like this – “Sign up now before the offer ends”, “Offer available still stock last”, “Hurry up, grab the offer now !”.

Humanize Your Message: People are most likely to stick around you and your company if you make them believe that you are not there just to make profit. Definitely, a business cannot survive without making profit, but you should not give too much attention to that while writing a sales pitch for your business. Rather you should add some human elements in them to inspire a long-term loyalty. Try to make it evident that your business is real and you will always be there to protect the interest of the customers.

think like a customer

Put on the shoes of a Customer: Once the draft is ready, you need to refine it as much as possible. Focus on the objectives of the sales pitch and trash anything that appears to be unnecessary. Think like a customer and find out what interests you and what irritates you in the draft. Once you got clear idea, fine-tune the draft and hopefully, it will be another arsenal in your marketing campaign.

Author Bio: Michael Evans is passionate about search industry and web design.

Maximizing Your Marketing Potential by Using a Mail House

If you have a business you would naturally want to maximize your marketing potential. In order to achieve this, you must utilize sources such as a mail house to push your marketing strategy over the top.

However some businesses are discouraged to utilize the direct mail approach to marketing because they think that it is expensive. Instead, these businesses put their marketing funds into advertising on television, print and radio. Then there are some companies who would go with the online approach because they believe that it serves the same purpose as direct mail, and thus offer the same benefits without the cost. What not many businesses realize is that online direct mail marketing often goes directly to mail users’ spam folders where they are not likely to be opened, let alone be read. Direct mail approach remains the most effective tool in promoting a brand or product.

With direct mail marketing, you promote your brand directly to your target market. Many companies take a wider approach to marketing by utilizing broad marketing strategies which make use of media such as print, radio, and television. A broader approach is all very well, but it offers businesses little control over whether who receives their message and leaves them wondering if their target market has seen, read or heard their pitch. Direct mail marketing eliminates any uncertainty that your message is received by targeting your clients where they live.

Enlisting the help of a mail house has been proven time and gain to boost a marketing campaign. As such, it is a smart idea to make something that has been proven effective a part of your marketing plan. A mail house can help you in each aspect of your marketing campaign. A reliable mail house can provide you with client listings that are appropriate for your brand or product, or help you search for your target market. They also have the resources to help you penetrate a bigger client base.

Employing the services of a mail house can make it easier for companies to launch their marketing campaign. Aside from providing client listings, businesses will also have the benefit of working with a team of experts who know the market and who can help him in terms of planning and strategizing their marketing campaigns. Reliable mail house has a wealth of experience in dealing with marketing campaigns and will be able to provide expert advice on how to properly market a brand or product. What is more, a mail house can also help a business create worthwhile content or copy, as well as help you come up with interesting graphics.

A direct mail marketing campaign requires creating and properly arranging various mailing components into one neat package. A mail house would be able to offer these services and more. A reliable mail house has the personnel and equipment to print, sort, address, insert, seal, package, fold, tab, apply postage to your mail, and so much more including assembling binders and laminating. If you are considering assembling the various components of your mailing in-house to save some money, think again. Doing it in-house will eat up a lot of your time and resources, and could cost you a lot of money in the long run. With a mail house, your mailing components will be assembled neatly and properly.

Because they work closely with the post office, many mail house service providers can get postage discounts and save you a considerable amount of money in the long run. Couple that with the effectiveness of direct mail marketing, and enlisting the services of a mail house makes it really worth investing in.

About the Author: I’m Kaycee Mabborang, I write for Print & Mail 4U, a company specializes in various printing and direct mail services. I have been producing top quality content at a very quick pace since 2007.

Rule the Outdoor Advertising Scene with Your Banner Printing Campaign

Banner printing is one of the oldest forms of outdoor advertising and it remains an effective and reliable option for all types of businesses. Banners are simple and inexpensive to produce and hang or place. In the old days, banners are made by painting large pieces of cloth. Modern outdoor signage are now produced using materials like polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the third most widely-manufactured plastic.

Image by Sam Howzit / Flickr

Computer-generated designs and large automated printers make production a breeze. Vinyl is ideal for outdoor applications due to its durability, as it can withstand all types of weather conditions and last for more than three years. Banners also require little or no maintenance and can be easily folded and stored when not in use.

Advertising Made Easy by Banner Printing

Banners help you attract all types of clients or customers. The basic purpose of hanging a banner is to mark the location of your business. You can also hang your banners away from your premises where they can attract drivers or pedestrians who do not regularly pass by your office or shop. But of course you can design your banners in such a way that they will be able to target specific demographics while enhancing the reputation of your company.

If your company is offering consumer goods and need to announce a sale or other special promotions, printing a banner is more likely help you generate sales compared to putting up a newspaper advertisement, buying radio spots, or direct mail, which are only good for a limited period of time. Banners can be used for as long as you want. You have the option of choosing the artwork, colors, designs, fonts, images, and other details. After you have approved the proofs, you can expect your banners to be delivered in less than a week. Many printing companies also offer discounts if you order banners in bulk, which helps you increase your savings.

A banner is a hardworking ad, promoting your products or services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whether your office or store is open or closed since they do not need any electricity or power source. As drivers and pedestrians see your signage more and more as they pass by, they will become more familiar with your business and eventually pay a visit to your office or store. You can also use banners for outdoor personal events like beach parties and reunions. The signage will help relatives who are coming from out of town to find the party.

About the Author: I’m Kaycee Mabborang, I write for Arete Digital Imaging http://www.aretedi.com a leading large format printing company that provides vehicle wraps, architectural wraps, and banner printing services. I have been producing top quality content at a very quick pace since 2007.

5 ways banks are attracting more customers

For a bank, getting customers are pretty difficult these days; launching great bank account offers is a plausible way to get new customers, but having great programs alone is not enough; you need to get your hands dirty and be active.

Since what you are offering are pretty much similar with your competitors, your bet way in soaring above the competition is by adding value to your conventional banking products. One of the most effective ways to add value is via rewards.

unique bank ad
Image by IK’s World Trip / Flickr

If you are involved with any banking institutions here are some ways banks can attract more customers to give you an idea or two:

1. Offering unique – even quirky – rewards

Giving new customers rewards are quite common (and still effective, somehow.) However, sometimes banks need to spice up their offers. Offering something unique that has never been offered by other banks will surely make a bank stands out above the rest. For example, Hanmi Bank has given customers a bag of rice (!) for opening a checking account (source: MyBankTracker.com) The sky is the limit!

2. Ask customers for referrals – and reward them

Customers are banks’ best evangelists. If a bank’s service is top-notch, chances are customers will likely to tell their friends and colleagues about it. How about encouraging your customers to get you referrals by giving them rewards – shopping vouchers, etc. ?

3. Partnership

A good partnership is always crucial for any type of businesses – including banks. Partnering with, say, an education institution can allow you tap onto a strong customer base (students, teachers, etc.) How about cross-selling with a, say, department store to give customers special discounts if they have an account with your bank?

4. Use social media

Just like many traditional industry, banks are slow to adopt social media. According to The New York Times, banks are slow to embrace social media. Given the success of others in social media arena, banks should embrace social media more.

5. Go back to the basics

This is probably the best way to attract customers to your bank: Build a relationship in a good, old fashion way. Help customers with their needs – nurture and care them well. No advertising budget to spend; just focus your efforts in serving your customers. Local customers are indispensable, indeed.

So, there you go – some of the most effective ways for banks to attract more customers. Of course, there are many other (creative) ways a bank can do to get new customers; so if you have any please share with us by leaving your comments below.