Advertising For Small Businesses Blog

practical advertising for small businesses

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:37:25 GMT

How to do practical advertising for small businesses

business card advertising

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:01:45 GMT

13 tips for better business card advertising

post card advertising

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 03:22:02 GMT

Reveals post card advertising secrets

Yes, there is good news from Main Street.

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 23:43:38 GMT

It's here in this report about local businesses in Raleigh, NC who are repositioning themselves and surviving quite well. The Raleigh Public Record article begins with "Despite the barrage of talk about recession, massive bailouts, and staggering unemployment numbers, local Raleigh businesses seem to have quite a rosy outlook. Not booming, not collapsing, but cozy." Click here to read the article and get a fresh perspective. Hopefully, stories like this will be appearing in local newspapers across the country to restore some balanced reporting. P.S. You might even contact your local newspaper with your own story and get some free publicity for your business. Comments?

Is the sky still falling?

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:07:39 GMT

Some small business people have had enough of the Chicken Little "the sky is falling" mentality. They are using the changed economic environment to innovate or persevere.

I just came back from a regional chamber of commerce trade show here in Connecticut and it seemed as if perhaps 60 of the companies exhibiting said business was good. Either they were faking it or too embarrassed to admit they were doing much better than good.

And in this week's newspaper was a story about electronic retailer P.C. Richard going into a recently vacant Circuit City location. On the same page, a national chain had just opened a hotel that had been under construction next to a major home improvement store.

You might encounter much of the same disparities in your location or industry. Look for those rays of light as inspiration to re-invent whatever you have going.

The businesses that are relevant to their customers, provide good or great value and have good relationships are still there and thriving, in spite of everything around them.

Their leaders see and act on new opportunities, not the falling sky.

Comments?

Help Desk

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:35:47 GMT

help desk for small business advertising and marketing help

links

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:58:47 GMT

links to more small business advertising resources

e-course FIX YOUR ADS and Get More Customers

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 19:32:52 GMT

e-course FIX YOUR ADS and Get More Customers e-course and e-book gift

Tough Going? How Non-Profits Get Going!

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:04:08 GMT

These "tough going" times are teaching everyone to pare back the extras and re-examine how to use the basic advertising and marketing methods that produce the most results.

I've found that one of the best places to look for clues is the nonprofit sector where big ideas have to be applied with limited budgets.

By blending your best uses of online and offline marketing, your customer will be better able to relate to your business cause.

Here's a great article about "Non Profits Marketing Direct to Donors" article from DM News. As you read this article, substitute the word "customer" for "donor".

This should give you lots of ideas to keep yourself going!

Comments?

advertising temptation

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:15:02 GMT

How do you evaluate an advertising temptation?

Advertising Yourself To Friends

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:06:54 GMT

Tips on cultivating personal relationships and advertising yourself as an advertising tool for your small business.

creative advertising tips

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:44:19 GMT

Here are some great creative advertising tips for small business

direct mail advertising post card use

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:39:50 GMT

How to use a direct mail advertising post card

about your referrals

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:45:38 GMT

Getting referrals, creating a buzz

resources and links to advertising sites

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:42:47 GMT

useful resources and links to advertising for small businesses.

SBC yellow pages advertising

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:37:29 GMT

Talk about SBC yellow pages advertising

How small business marketing is different

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:27:51 GMT

Small business marketing is not like the "big boys" play

advertising definition

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:12:42 GMT

advertising definition for today

about us

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:08:47 GMT

about us

advertising promotion

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 03:23:04 GMT

Defines advertising promotion and gives some examples

direct marketing

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 03:19:44 GMT

How Direct Marketing is used in small business advertising

advertising design

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:00:46 GMT

advertising design

yellow page advertising

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:51:45 GMT

Here's how to think about yellow page advertising

creative advertising

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:40:55 GMT

How much creative advertising does your small business need?

site map

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 03:26:45 GMT

Find every small business advertising article by title on our site map page.

direct marketing to consumer

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:23:59 GMT

direct marketing to consumer hits the target

direct marketing trends

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:21:25 GMT

Direct marketing trends for small business advertising

local political advertising

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:55:04 GMT

local political advertising and small business advertising

marketing definition

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:47:07 GMT

Find the right marketing definition for your business

Marketing Research Definition for Small Business

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:43:35 GMT

marketing research definition for small business

Marketing and advertising small business essential steps

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:40:47 GMT

What you need to know about marketing and advertising small business

newspaper advertising idea

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:33:31 GMT

Get creative when looking for your newspaper advertising idea

postcard marketing

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:10:50 GMT

Inside tips about postcard marketing

postcards

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:06:10 GMT

Describes how postcards bring high readership

product life cycle

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:03:30 GMT

Creating ads for small businesses? Remember to analyze the product life cycle and the customer buying habits.

promotional product advertising

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:59:43 GMT

How to choose your promotional product advertising item

small businesses advertising

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:51:00 GMT

How to get results from your small businesses advertising

small business advertising idea

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:47:26 GMT

Finding your best small business advertising idea

small business web site design

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:40:43 GMT

What is good small business web site design?

How web site marketing works for small businesses

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:37:19 GMT

How web site marketing works for small businesses

Kodak and Celebrity Apprentice: Lessons Learned?

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 03:22:39 GMT

I don't know if you watch Celebrity Apprentice on TV, but a recent show featured the two teams trying to come up with a campaign to promote Kodak's new printers. This article tells what happened and gives a viewpoint different from the outcome of the winning team. I agree with this writer. Yes, the mighty Kodak (who we know is "re-filming" itself) chose the wrong winner. "Gene Simmons Knows Best"

The assumption is that the Kodak people making the choice had a clear idea of their immediate objective. If they were choosing "immediate" results, maybe they made an "ok" selection. Personally, I would have voted for the Simmons team. In my experience, as well as here, the real conflict comes when someone's immediate sales goals don't quite align with the larger overall company strategy. And Gene is an overall concept kind of guy who also has the demonstrated ability to nail down the details. He is the kind of concept guy who makes you really think about what you are doing. I'm really glad this article reminded me to ask some basic questions first. Quite a lesson! Have a comment? Click here to have your say!

Super Bowl Advertising Dreams for small businesses

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 22:48:08 GMT

As a small business owner, you might look to the advertising on the Super Bowl XLII Feb. 3, 2008 as guidance for your own advertising efforts. "Just How Super is the Super Bowl?" gives you an insider viewpoint - brand by brand - on what kinds of return the 27 advertisers expect to get. You'll find the telling analysis about the difference between "being noticed" and "being chosen" in the last paragraph of the article. Wouldn't it be amazing if we small business marketers could play in this arena? While none of us have that kind of money, it's still fun to dream. How would you handle that kind of advertising challenge for your small business? And how can you apply these examples to tell your story? Have a comment? Click here to have your say!

A comment about online privacy and tracking

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:57:57 GMT

An excellent article about online privacy and tracking in today's New York Times Technology section headlined F.T.C. to Review Online Ads and Privacy prompted over 140 comments by 4 pm today on this sensitive issue.

By tracking which sites people visit online, advertisers figure those site visits constitute someone's area of interest. Then they can send more relevant targeted ads onto that particular screen.

Yet, when you go to the supermarket, no one really knows if the purchases are for you, a family member, a friend, as a gift, etc. So even your supermarket discount card isn't completely accurate. But it is better than nothing.

Advertisers are willing to risk offending their audience in order to get their message across. And if the intense comments posted to the article are any indication, they have succeeded.

The real point is that the advertisers are closer to hitting their target than they would be by advertising the item or service to a much more general market. And, from the advertiser's point of view, a "good guess" easily beats "random" time after time.

Our web page has some ideas on marketing research for your small business. Click here.

Want to make a comment? Click here.

A creative advertising idea for promoting yourself
at trade shows and other events

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 01:44:13 GMT

A small business owner we know came up with a wonderfully creative advertising idea for promoting her company. She goes to lots of trade shows and got tired of advertising other companies who give out those big "literature collection" tote bags that always have a business logo on them. So she, along with everyone else, wound up walking around the show advertising the sponsoring company. In a flash of creative innovation, she figured why not advertise her own company and small business logo embroidered onto her own bag she could carry around? After all, the people at the shows were related to her field of endeavor. Enough was enough and this trade show attendee went to get her own bag made, embroidered with the small business logo of her own company. What a great idea, she thought. But she found it was difficult to find someone to create just one bag, since most companies that do that sort of thing all had minimum quantities of 50 or more. After an exhaustive search, she did discover a custom embroidery supplier who would apply her own logo onto just one single tote bag for about $20.00 additional. While she hasn't gotten any direct business just yet, it has turned out to be a fabulous conversation starter. But most of all, she feels great about advertising her own business instead of someone else's. And that's a big confidence builder for her small business in today's environment where people willingly and openly advertise major brands on t-shirts, jackets, caps and other promotional items. So why not promote your own small business logo, especially at trade fairs where people of similar interests gather and are in a receptive mood as they consider doing business with others. This savvy woman is right on target with her creative advertising idea for small business.

Want to comment? Click here.

Newspaper circulation - why it is down and up!

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 03:03:11 GMT

Even though the print circulation of newspapers is reported to be on a general decline, that doesn't mean they have relinquished their local impact.

Actually, it has become even greater because most newspapers have expanded their influence as they re-purpose their written material on their new web sites.

This means readers could see your message twice - once in print, and the other on the web site. Especially if you have a good public relations story.

Most readers who have abandoned the print version have turned to the web version.

It's all part of the trend to more on-line information as people's readership habits change.

Yet there is only so much online reading the human eye can tolerate.

My prediction is print publications will keep on going - perhaps in a more concentrated form - despite a forecast at a conference this week that all media will be electronic in 10 years. That's certainly an overly optimistic statement.

What's your viewpoint? Click here.

On Word of Mouth Marketing, The NY Mets and Mustaches

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 03:37:51 GMT

You see it over and over again in advice to small business advertisers.... profitable advertising happens when you can use two or three basic techniques in the right combination. There are a few places you can count on for great examples. One is the "In Advertising" column by Stuart Elliott who writes for the New York Times. The lead story is always fascinating because it examines an unusual advertising problem / solution. The thinking behind the advertising strategies and techniques the professionals utilize can get your creative juices flowing. Just consider what would you do if you were faced with solving that particular question. Today's insight combined word of mouth marketing, the NY Mets baseball team and mustaches. Click here to read the column. What a buzz!

Comments? Click here.

Finding your advertising business small strategy

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 20:05:31 GMT

Essential components to have in your advertising business small strategy

Want to touch?

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 03:25:16 GMT

That is, want to touch your customers? To make effective customer impressions and contacts, you'll want to use as many "touchpoints" or the more current "layering" term as is practical for you. So what forms of communicating with your customer works best? Recently, I talked about this issue with a business owner who services the construction trade. His solution is to use whatever communication medium the customer habitually uses. And each customer prefers different avenues. That means the business has to staff an in-store parts counter, a phone ordering department, e-mail, fax, and a web site. Your bottom line answer is to choose the two or three that work best for your target market. It could be a combination of web site, e-mails, newspaper ads, direct mail and a fax campaign. Or anything else that matches how you determine that your market pays attention and buys. In my experience, most clients have real trouble asking their customers what brought them in, or what caused them to call. That's because most folks really can't consciously identify what prompted them to call in the first place. It's something that most customers don't remember, even though you, the small business owner certainly should. After all, in one form or another, you planned it, executed it and paid for the ad or communication. The takeaway: Figure out which media each individual client prefers and use whichever combination that makes it easiest for the customer to respond to your "touchpoints".

Comments? Click here.

How To Begin Marketing Research?

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 23:49:17 GMT

Doesn't practically every advertising site say, "get to know your audience"? Do they really tell you exactly what steps to follow? Wouldn't it be great to have your own handy e-book with plenty of guidance on how to do your own interviews, conduct surveys and more! With essential worksheets and forms included. If you are looking for marketing research, I just discovered this special Step-by-Step Marketing Research Guide!

Now, you'll be able to make your own marketing research data reports easily, quickly and for free. This little gem is not to be missed, especially if you need to do your own basic marketing research into what makes your customers tick!

Click to see more details ... Step-by-Step Marketing Research Guide.

Comments?

"It's about farming, not harvesting"

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 03:56:46 GMT

I first heard that phrase several years ago at a seminar on networking, advertising and developing your business. Today, everyone wants a quick fix to their problems. But some things take time. Here's a great example: I met a man who was excited about being two weeks into his new job in sports marketing. Turns out he had sent hundreds of letters over the preceding year, sowing seed. His qualifications caused the new employer to set the application letter aside - for six months - until a vacany developed and the job interview process could begin. Farming, like advertising, has its own growing cycles. And a fruitful harvest takes time to cultivate.

Advertising For Small Businesses Blog

practical advertising for small businesses

business card advertising

post card advertising

Yes, there is good news from Main Street.

Is the sky still falling?

Help Desk

links

e-course FIX YOUR ADS and Get More Customers

Tough Going? How Non-Profits Get Going!

advertising temptation

Advertising Yourself To Friends

creative advertising tips

direct mail advertising post card use

about your referrals

resources and links to advertising sites

SBC yellow pages advertising

How small business marketing is different

advertising definition

about us

advertising promotion

direct marketing

advertising design

yellow page advertising

creative advertising

site map

direct marketing to consumer

direct marketing trends

local political advertising

marketing definition

Marketing Research Definition for Small Business

Marketing and advertising small business essential steps

newspaper advertising idea

postcard marketing

postcards

product life cycle

promotional product advertising

small businesses advertising

small business advertising idea

small business web site design

How web site marketing works for small businesses

Kodak and Celebrity Apprentice: Lessons Learned?

Super Bowl Advertising Dreams for small businesses

A comment about online privacy and tracking

A creative advertising idea for promoting yourselfat trade shows and other events

Newspaper circulation - why it is down and up!

On Word of Mouth Marketing, The NY Mets and Mustaches

Finding your advertising business small strategy

Want to touch?

How To Begin Marketing Research?

"It's about farming, not harvesting"

A creative advertising idea for promoting yourself
at trade shows and other events