Marketing

Running a business is a difficult task – especially if you try to do it all on your own. It is easy to get bogged down in the employees issues, financial reports, and bills due and forget about all the things we have going for us. Being grateful for what we have and what we have accomplished is an essential part of maintaining your passion for your business. There are many things to be grateful for: clients, employees, supplier and vendors, lunch – big or small it doesn’t matter! But recognizing those things does.

Spending less time on marketing is great, right? It frees you up to do what you do what you love (the reason your got into business in the first place!) and what makes you money (an integral part of any business!). A great way to increase your contact with past clients or prospects but not increase the number of hours you spend on it is an email marketing campaign.

I recently asked a client for some feedback after designing a few marketing projects for her. She willing sent back an email:

"I think your work is superb. You stick to your professional guns when you need to. Your way of handling invoicing and proofs is very professional.

When networking, Lisa, however, I would consider that you are your own bulletin board and be more dressed up and less casual. I looked past that because I saw your work, but not everyone will."

Referrals are the best way to get quality leads, we all know that. But do the people around you know exactly what you do? If you asked a family member or friend, would they be able to tell you specifically what you do and who your clients are? Ask around and you'll be surprised! They may know you are a personal trainer but do they know you are a personal trainer who specializes in sports injury rehab?

I have always been curious about advertising on Facebook. I see lots of ads while wasting away the hours, but do they work? Because it is a relatively new option, there really isn't much information on how effective it can be. Recently I was given a a $50 Facebook Ad credit ,so I placed my own ad to get a feel for the system.

My inner geek was overjoyed when I came across this article today (link below). Science explaining why we like design? Fantastic! Don't worry, I read it so you don't have to.

I don't know about you, but my motivation takes a nosedive on rainy days. If I find it hard to sit at my desk, I will often get out of the office and work on an aspect of my business that always gets pushed to the bottom of my list. For many people marketing and advertising are those aspects - we have the best intentions but there never seems to be time to think about creative ways to advertise!  Here are a few exercises that help me refocus my restless, rainy day energies into something productive.

I just read this great quote from our friend, Laura, at Vertical Printing:

"Marketing without design is lifeless, and design without marketing is silent"

What your marketing pieces say (marketing message) and how they look (graphic design) are inseparable. You must have both to get your reader/viewer to do whatever it is that you want them to do (click, call, buy, etc...) If you are not sure if your marketing pieces have effective marketing AND design, let us take a look. We'll give you feedback for free.

Believe it or not, email newsletters are still one of the most cost effective ways to stay in touch with your existing clients. If you aren't sending one out, the beginning of the year is a perfect time to start. The keys are sending it out regularly and including content that is interesting to your reader. If you have a  current email newsletter, now is the time to analyze your statistics, refresh the design and reengage your audience. Here is an article to get your started:

When most people consider marketing, they focus on attracting new clients. This is a very important aspect of marketing, but communicating with your past and current clients is equally important. Repeat business and referrals from past clients are the best leads you can get! If you have not been consistently keeping in touch with your past clients, right now is the perfect time to consider a client newsletter. Whether you choose a print or e-mail newsletter, it is the most efficient and cost effective way of reminding your clients why the love you and how much they value your services.