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Learn how to market your book and increase sales with the help of marketing experts. For daily marketing tips visit http://goodmarketingtips.blogspot.com or http://www.marketingscoop.com.
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1. Easy SEO Marketing Tips to Boost Small Business Sites
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 4/21/2016
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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People who have been in the internet marketing world for years know how dynamic SEO marketing tips can be. In 2016, the keyword-stuffing habits of the past are more than obsolete; they can actually destroy your search engine rankings and leave your small business website lingering in obscurity on some never-seen results page.


Although SEO marketing has changed considerably since the early days, it is still one of the most powerful ways to get targeted traffic to a website, page or blog. These SEO quick tips can help you regain or retain those high SERPs for your small business site and continue to improve traffic, conversions and profits.


SEO Small Business Tips


These tips for SEO use evergreen techniques that focus on the searcher or site visitor instead of the bots and spiders that crawl pages for search engines. The main goal of modern SEO is to provide value for real people.


1 - Keywords still count, but current keyword trends really focus on phrases that people actually type in search engines. Many more people type, "How to get my dog to roll over" rather than simply "dog training."


2 - Find these phrases by exploring the intention of your small business website. Are you trying to sell a skin care product or get people to sign up for a newsletter so they can learn more? Instead of doing SEO for words or ideas, do it for purposes that benefit visitors.


3 - Get social. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram have become big players in the search engine optimization world. Interactions can boost rankings because when people talk about a site or something posted there, it rises in importance in the industry or subject.


4 - Go local. Directories and review sites that focus on local businesses improve search engine rankings these days. This is especially true for companies that have a physical, brick and mortar location, but virtual businesses who want to market to their community can also benefit.


5 - Focus on new popular technologies like mobile computing and voice activated computer usage. Every website needs to be mobile ready because an ever-increasing number of people access sites from their smartphones or tablets. Also, voice commands from systems like Siri or Cortana mean people are searching in different ways than ever before.


6 - Create content that excites search engines and visitors to the small business websites. Although you never have to be a world-renowned writer or videographer to create content for a site or blog, knowing how to do so effectively will do more good than other SEO small business tips.


SEO Writing Tips, Content and Video Creation


1 - Do not stuff a particular keyword or phrase into page content, an article or blog post. Major search engines are now working with algorithms that can recognize synonyms and related terms just as easily as a particular keyword. Write naturally and use plenty of words that all have to do with the specific topic. For example, if you are writing about dog training, you will also include terms that describe tricks you can teach or synonyms for training.


2 - Write long. Search engines and people value in-depth coverage of a topic more than a quick blurb about it. Most people use searches to find answers to questions or solutions to problems and the people who create the SEO rules know this. Web pages on your small business site and blog posts should be at least 1,000 words to make the most impact.


3 - Make the content interesting enough that people are inspired to read it, share it with friends on social media sites and comment on it. The more sharing and interaction you get, the better that page will do in the SERPs.


4 - Include photos, graphics and video whenever possible. Multi-media content on websites is ranked higher by search engines than ever before. Using unique graphics, pictures you took or created yourself or self-made videos have the greatest benefit because they are unique and more engaging for site visitors.


When presented with a neat list of SEO marketing tips for modern internet usage, small business owners may think the process can be done quickly and then left alone. In some ways, effective SEO does provide on-going organic traffic for the long term. However, the greatest benefits occur when the site owner or marketing team creates more optimized content consistently, builds brand recognition through social media and local directory presence and keeps tracking, analyzing and tweaking what works and what does not.


About the Author: Riya Sander is a freelance writer and a small business owner. She currently writes for several companies including Andaman SEO. In her free time, she always improve herself by reading the finance and management blog.

For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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2. The Cost of Marketing: Successful Marketing Channel Management
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 3/15/2016
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  marketing budget, Add a tag

Having a proper marketing budget can make or break your business - it's one of those facets of owning a company that is absolutely crucial. This isn't an aspect of running your business where you want to cut corners. Taking the time to consider the cost of marketing for your company is something you'll want to take slowly and with a lot of careful planning and consideration. Let's take a look at a few very important points to successfully dividing and evaluating your marketing budget.

First Things First: Get Organized

Financial organization is the cornerstone of marketing channel management. It's likely that you'll have to estimate your projected future earnings and expenses, but try to be as accurate as possible.

Begin by having as crystal clear of an understanding as possible regarding your net 30 (monthly) revenue. For example, let's say that after expenses, your business earns anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 monthly - what you're trying to determine here is your reliable revenue, which is the term for the funds that you can expect to bring in each and every month.

To determine your reliable revenue, you'll want to use the lowest possible figure. So in this example, that would be $10,000. Anything you happen to earn over that amount becomes additional revenue which can be allocated at the time, but not before.

Think of this as starting your budget from a "worst case scenario" position. If you're uncertain when calculating your monthly expenses or mezzanine debt rates, tools like a monthly budget calculator or the help of a financial manager can be very useful.

Deciding Which Marketing Channels to Utilize

Even if you can successfully apply for loan, you'll want to allocate your funds based on the figures you determined in the first step we discussed here. You'll first want to figure out where and how you'd like to spend your marketing budget.

There are usually three considerations successful business owners make before spending their marketing budget:

●      The size of his or her budget

●      Where and how the target demographic will be reached (i.e., which marketing channels

●      Past experience and expertise



For example, even with the best construction loan, a building company should take these points into consideration. Organizing your marketing budget will likely begin with considering just how much money you have to spend - if your budget is quite small, you'll want to consider relatively inexpensive options like email advertising and lead generation, online advertising, creating a strong social media presence (which can be quite cost effective and, in many cases, cost nothing at all), and even reasonably priced print advertisements.

If your marketing budget is larger, you may also wish to consider marketing channels such as television, radio, or other forms of targeted media. Don't be afraid to find and use a marketing budget template to use as a helpful reference as you work out the details.

Knowing Your Target Demographic

In order to determine the best marketingchannels for your specific needs, the best place to start is to develop a demographic profile of your target audience. Begin by considering some of the following points of your target audience:

●      Gender

●      Age

●      Income level

●      Interests, hobbies, and behaviors

●      What kind of media they are most likely to consume


The last point is perhaps the most important and often the most difficult to accurately determine, however this will likely shed quite a lot of light on which marketing channels you should be using. Once you know where the eyeballs of your target audience are the most likely to be, you can begin working on developing your integrated marketing communications.

Test, Test, Test

A portion of your marketing budget should be allocated to testing. This should only be money that you can "afford to lose" - however, don't think of losing money on a failed marketing campaign as a hard loss. This is money you spent to gather data - you paid to find out what did and did not work.

If you haven't already, familiarize yourself with split and/or A/B style testing. This means that you'll develop multiple versions of each advertising campaign and test to see which works better. A/B testing involves two versions (A and B). If campaign B yields you a higher return on your investment, it's the "winner" and gets pitted against another variation of the same ad. This process repeats so that you are continually optimizing your marketing channels.

Analyze Data and Adjust Accordingly

The final step to finding the optimal marketing channels for your business is to take all of the data that you've gathered from your tests and analyze it. Ruthlessly cut out the channels that failed and optimize the ones which were successful. By repeating this process over and over, you'll eventually reach a point of peak marketing channel efficiency.

Marketing Channel Management is an Ongoing Process

Understand that marketing channel management is often an ongoing process that will need to be adjusted over time. Trends, shopping habits, and audiences themselves will change over the span of years and sometimes even months, so it is necessary to continually develop new marketing strategies and test new channels. As your audience changes, so should you.

About the Author: This article was written by Tully  with the help of HoldenCAPITAL, a specialist construction finance group in QLD, recognized as a market leader through its successes in deal structuring and the sourcing of debt and equity solutions.

For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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3. How to Market Your App to the Masses
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 2/12/2016
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Developing and releasing a mobile app can be an expensive and time-consuming project. But the work does not end once the programmers figure out how to start an application and finish it. Without a well-done launch, all that time and effort will go to waste. With millions of apps now on the most popular marketplaces, it can be difficult to get attention and market the app to the right user base. Once there, it can be even harder to get consistent users. In fact, 1 in 5 apps never get used more than once after download. The key is proper marketing. 


Define Your Goals
Before you begin the actual marketing, you need to have a realistic measurement of how you define a successful launch. The exact metric you use depends on the type of app that you have made. The metric could be how many people install the app, how often people use it, the retention rate of those who install and do not uninstall, the number and quality of ratings received, or in-app purchases made. Keep in mind that this goal should focus on sustainable returns. Expect installation to be highest during the first month.

Use Social Media
Make sure to claim all the relevant social media accounts for your app prior to launch. This should go side-by-side with creating a website for the app. With registration so easy there is no need to be scrambling after the fact. Claim the accounts on all the most popular social media sites and apps, even if you do not plan to use them all. It is better to have your name already reserved in Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, and everywhere else rather than finding them unavailable when you need them. Consider Go Far, a company which launched a driving optimization app, they set up a Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Linkedin, and even a Podcast to promote their app launch.

Use these social media accounts to advertise the app even while in development. Showing features in progress can build a community before that crucial first week in the wild. It also shows good interaction with potential customers, something that people find comforting and that can be essential in getting the app shared naturally between people. Make sure that all bios get switched over on launch day to include a link to where the app can be downloaded. 


Create the Narrative
Instead of waiting for the buzz to build on its own, give it a push. For many, app downloads are spur of the moment decisions so you need to put out interesting content to draw them in for just long enough. Make press releases and send them to websites that cover your industry, as well as websites that write about apps on the marketplaces you use. Write blog posts about what the app can do and how to use it and post these on a number of blogs, not just on the company website. 

Video serves an even more important role than text these days. Use a program like Camtasia to capture footage of the app being used. Add voice over to make a slick demo that can be posted to YouTube and Facebook. Make sure to detail what the app is used for, and more importantly what problems it can solve for a user. You will be surprised how quickly just a glimpse can lead to clicks. Do not stop at a simple demo. Make more videos that showcase different problems being solved by the app; title these videos after the problems primarily to draw in those searching for the solutions. Those who already need answers are easy to sell the answer to. 

Consider inviting early followers to a closed beta that makes them feel exclusive and appreciated. These people are your front line evangelists; make them happy. 

Supplement with Paid Advertising
Know your demographic and where they go. Use available tools like targeted Facebook ads, Google ads, and ads within other apps to grab that demographic. While this does not attract as many users as individualized and organic marketing, it brings in additional users that you need for launch. 

Respond to Customers
Use those accounts you set up. Keep customers informed and respond to their issues. Nothing makes a company look better than providing personal service. Use social media and the app itself to encourage those who love your app to review. Those reviews increase your visibility.

For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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4. The Changing Face of Marketing
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 1/29/2016
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  ben doda, marketing, Michael Fleischner, Add a tag

With people, some things never change. The same can be said about marketing.

Such as the fundamentals, according to Michael Fleischner, author of the new, 5th edition of SEO Made Simple - having the right message, testing your offers, getting the timing right and understanding your audience’s needs.



From the early editions of the book until now, not much has changed about Michael - except maybe everything.

More than a decade ago, he couldn't have articulated the concept of SEO without his first self-built website failing to rank. Then, to create his book’s 1st edition, not only did he have to teach himself how to write a book - he also had to learn how to design it, edit it and get it published.

No one would publish it. So, he taught himself how to self-publish a print version - with a full-time job and two little kids at home. Then, he taught himself how to publish an e-book version.

Fast forward years later to today, and for the latest 5th edition, Michael has created an audiobook version. How? Sure enough, by teaching himself how to do it.

When it comes to entrepreneurs, they grow and evolve, but do they ever really change? 

Actually, yes!

One sentence changed Michael’s life, and made him question everything, including his vision of himself. Famed marketer Greg Cesar told him over the phone one night that “the only reason you haven’t made more money online is because you don’t think you can."

A few short months later, Michael made $24,000 online in a single night, a defining moment that encouraged him to do more - ironically, in the end, by doing less. 

Feeling that he had “arrived,” he quit his day job and started his own successful marketing consulting business not long after the Greg Cesar story, only to willingly shut it all down and go back to corporate life.

There is Michael the corporate marketing executive, Michael the author, and Michael the entrepreneur. Each persona is open to persuasion. Do you have the right content?

Today, success to Michael means a sense of completion and purpose, gravitating toward meaningful things that have a defined beginning, middle and end. There’s a time for open ends, and a time for closed loops. Is your marketing one or the other?

So, not only is SEO not dead, according to Michael, it’s here to stay - because as long as people are using search engines to find what they need, you can’t ignore SEO. Whether it’s a meme or scholarly article, what makes content high-quality is subjective, which is why Michael wants us to better understand our audiences - like he has come to better understand himself.

Written by Ben Doda

Ben is a Senior Account Executive at Resound Marketing, a contributor to New Jersey Tech Weekly, and a TEDxCarnegieLake organizer.  

For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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5. Making Sure You're Getting Your Money's Worth Out of Your Website
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 1/13/2016
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  online marketing, marketing, website, Add a tag

Competing with giant online companies is difficult, but proper web design for small business will convince your share of visitors to become customers. Here are some ideas on how to get more sales.

1. ONE-CLICK
 Make it simple. The more involved purchasing is, the less likely it happens. Complex or multiple forms may be asking too much. So are needless steps. Making it easy for visitors to convert to customers is the best way of upping conversion rates. It might be worth paying a web design company for an eye-catching and streamlined process.

2. BRIEF COPY
Let images sell, as images inspire deeper emotional reaction than paragraphs of text. If visitors want to learn more, provide links or menus that allow them to do so. But try to limit explanatory text to thirty words or so, and choose images that show off your product and its benefits. The right photos get an instant positive response. If you need to do explaining, use a series of images and meaningful captions, not a stream of text. It's frustrating to scroll through long paragraphs on a small screen, these are reasons why design website that suitable for mobile devices. If you don't know how to embed YouTube videos, find out.

3. REPEAT, REPEAT
 It's boring in everyday communication, but mental conditioning comes from repetition. Not that you want to brow-beat or brain-wash your visitors. Repeating a few key selling points can help drive the point home. Regarding repetition, frequently review your own site to identify room for improvement. Your selling strategy should always evolve with your market. Always make the time to see what your top competition does, and make note of any web design tips and tricks that could improve your own customer conversion.

4. FREEBIES
This might seem contrary to the whole idea of making a profit, but you want visitors to be pleased with your website, even if they aren't ready to purchase. You don't have to give away merchandise. Offer a free service, or buy or create informative eBooks as free downloads; just make sure it’s relevant to your site, that it's fairly unique and quality information, and includes a link back to your site.

You might also consider giving away freeware. If you're prepared to spend, you might hire someone to produce brand-able software with your own logo and links. A Google search can surprise you with what you can get for nothing. Add more, and let subscribers know; this way, you've got a network of happy people, for little or no cost.

Search for free tools, such as search engine submission, SEO analysis, or keyword research. There are free sources for art, eBook compilers, and logo and banner makers. Used correctly, these things bring more professional results.

5. PROMISES
 Believe it or not, your word is still worth something. If you provide guarantees, discounts, or next-day shipping, make sure visitors know it. Willingness to go the extra mile might be what seals the deal. Once you make a promise, though, go out of your way to make it happen. Site admins know better than anyone how tough it can be to get noticed and get paid. Adopt and track successful website design tips and tricks for yourself. Knowing what works with your visitors will mean steady increases in sales.


For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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6.
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 1/11/2016
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  marketing, outsourcing, Add a tag

Your initial reaction to outsourcing may be to say no. After all, if something needs to be done, then it needs to be done correctly, right? Despite this mentality, outsourcing is necessary for success; there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything yourself, and one of the easiest tasks to outsource is online marketing. 

There are a host of benefits of outsourcing, but there are downsides as well. Let's focus on the benefits first. 

Outsourcing can be a hearty boon to most businesses, especially startups. If you lack the skillset to get a necessary task done, then outsourcing it to an offshore worker can be a great way to focus on your strengths while still accomplishing everything you need to do for your business. You could outsource SEO work to a third-party firm and rely on them to revamp your website to generate the most organic traffic possible. You could outsource your marketing emails in order to find web design clients. 

If you need a logo designed but have only rudimentary Photoshop skills, then outsourcing is a better use of your time. While you may be able to design a passable logo by investing 10 or more hours into it, is it worth it? By spending a small amount of money and outsourcing the task to someone else, you can have your logo done and still accomplish a host of other tasks. Whether this is worthwhile to you or not depends on how much you value your time; what is an hour worth? 

That said, despite all the benefits, there are a few glaring disadvantages to outsourcing. Perhaps the first and most commonly felt issue is that of communication. Outsourcing means you must develop clear and cohesive communication skills with your offshore staff; failing to do so can result in mistakes or dissatisfaction with the delivered product. While many people can explain what they want easily enough in person, the same cannot be said for email. Take the time to read over any briefs you send and ensure they contain the necessary information. 

Another downside is that you will have to train your offshore staff. While they may ultimately save you time in the long run, there is an initial investment of time necessary to ensure they know how to perform the tasks you need them to perform. This applies to more general staff; as a rule, those hired to perform specific jobs will already know what they're doing. 

 Finally, your work will be outsourced to people who are not as passionate about the job as you are. While your startup may be your pride and joy, to your staff it is nothing more than a paycheck. This doesn't mean they won't deliver the right quality, but it does mean they're not as likely to respond to you at 3AM when you're pulling your third all-nighter in a row in search of clients. 

Whether or not to outsource is your decision. Take the time to evaluate the possible benefits and disadvantages and decided whether it is right for you.

For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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7. SEO Made Simple 2016
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 12/29/2015
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  SEO, SEO Made Simple, Add a tag

Many people are wondering if SEO, search engine optimization, still matters.  As someone who's been focused on SEO for a long time, I can definitely say it's essential for success. However, the process of optimizing your website and the process for doing so has radically changed.

Back in the day you could trick search engines into believing that your website had more authority than your competitors. Authority is essentially Google's way of assessing a point value to indicate site popularity. Google has become much more sophisticated and trying to put one over on them is a waste of time.

One of the most fundamental changes in search engine optimization is local optimization. Thanks to the proliferation of mobile devices, most searches using search engines have some type of local intent. This type of search query has changed the Google algorithm and ranking factors. Even if you are a national business, you must think locally and optimize for local search.

The second area that have evolved over the last few years is content.  As I talk about in SEO Made Simple (audio version), content is the driving force behind site authority and valuation.  The more engaging content you produce, the more users will stay on your site, interact with, and share your web pages. This had a dramatic and lasting impact on search engine results.

When people ask me for my optimization advice, I always point to the two items above, local optimization and content creation. When these two factors are at the heart of your optimization strategy, you can influence search engine rankings.

What about those old SEO tactics?

If you're still getting emails from India promotion number one Google rankings, there's probably a bunch of outdated tactics behind it. The best case scenario is that you don't get penalized when these companies start posting links to your website all across the internet. The worst case scenario is that Google catches on (and they will), banning your site.

I've found that websites who have received a Google penalty rarely, if ever, fully recover.  Is it worth the risk?  No, definitely not.  My recommendation is always to learn SEO best practices and either implement them on your own or simply hire a reputable firm to implement specific tactics like blogging, digital assets, etc. under your supervision.

To be successful with search engine optimization, you need to take a fresh approach. Focus on how to build quality information online that others want to interact with. When you do, you'll naturally attract links to your website or blog and improved organic rankings will follow.

For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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8. How to Use Pricing Psychology to Generate Sales
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 12/7/2015
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  marketing, pricing theory, Add a tag

No matter the market, developing a pricing strategy is essential for ensuring something sells. However, the price can't be determined based solely on what the seller hopes to get for it; there are a variety of factors that come into play, including demand and the current market atmosphere. There are a number of psychological tricks that come into play, as well.

Pricing Based on Market

In some situations, you can price a product as high as you want -- and no one will buy it unless they are stupid. For example, a real estate agent would advise homeowners against pricing a home $200,000 over the market price. If the homes on a street are identical, but one is priced much higher, it may attract more initial interest; after all, buyers are curious. However, once they realize it has no advantage over any of the competitors, they will certainly settle on the lower priced options.

Pricing Based on Competition

Another strategy for pricing something to sell is based on the price the competition sells for. This is a common retail strategy; store A will offer a product for one price, while store B offers it for several dollars less. In most cases, store B will have the market for that product because of the pricing difference. The only time customers would choose to buy at Store A would be due to convenience. Of course, there are downsides to this: the profit margins usually end up being very narrow. The 'race to the bottom' tactics only benefit consumers, not businesses.

Pricing Based on Loyalty

This is often called a penetration strategy. A company will sell a very high-quality product at a price much lower than the competition would. This is most often used for smaller companies trying to break into an industry dominated by giants; it allows them to get a wedge of the market share without offering any initial innovation, but through building customer loyalty, they're able to build slowly until they can compete with the bigger players.

Loss Leaders

This price strategy definition is sometimes called promotional pricing. Because the business doesn't make any profit off the initial sale, it's called a 'loss leader' -- it brings customers in to purchase other products that will turn a profit. The initial purchase is just to capture their interest. As a result, the original product is usually priced much lower than the market is asking.

Using an 'Almost' Price

This tactic is exceedingly common. Companies will price a product at $4.99 instead of $5, but because it isn't quite $5, customers don't see it as so great an expense. It's a simple way to trick the brain into believing a product actually costs significantly less than it does, even if the actual price difference is only one cent off.


These four pricing strategies in marketing examples should help you better understand how to implement them into your own business. By using smart pricing strategies and psychologies, you can begin to generate sales even if there are far stronger competitors against you.

This post comes from Sarah, an inspirational writer who is taking QLD real estate course online at NREL Australia to grow her marketing career. She is part of crews at a specialized training center for the real estate industry, working with entrepreneurs and small business owner to upskills and achieve results that raise the standards of professionalism and respect in the Real Estate industry.


For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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9. How To Market A Company After You Buy It
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 11/24/2015
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  marketing, online marketing, Add a tag

Buying a business is one of the best ways for someone to become their own boss. There are many different things to remember when it comes to buying a business. First of all, the legal step when buying a business is to sign a contract with the price that is agreed on. Although that sounds simple in theory, there are other things to keep in mind during this process. There are many contract agreement forms that must be signed before the business can officially be turned over. 

Marketing the new business is something that many people do not understand. Here are several tips in marketing for anyone who has just bought a new business.

Invest Early

It is vital to invest in marketing early on in the process. When buying a new business, it can be tempting to simply put all of the time and energy into getting the business up and running again. However, marketing needs to be considered an essential future component of running the business. 

There are many people who understand this and have had success. With all of the different technology available today, there is no excuse not to leverage this into something larger in terms of marketing.

Use Social Media

Social media is one of the best things a business can have when it comes to spreading the word about its products and services. However, social media must be used correctly in order to have leverage with customers. Simply producing content is not enough to drive the results that are needed. Always make sure to take a targeted approach to social media when trying to attract your customers. This focused effort will pay off over the long run.

Thank You Notes

Many people forget about the power of thank you notes in our new world of technology. However, this is one of the best ways to make your company stand out from the rest. Especially when first starting out, this can be a great way of letting customers know of the business transition after the purchase. Once your customer base grows to a certain level this will not be possible, but until then this is a great gesture to make towards customers.

Build a Website

If your company does not already have a website in the purchase agreement, make sure that you start building one the moment you take over. A website is an essential marketing tool in today's world. Anyone who wants to reach the most customers they can needs to make sure their website is as high quality as possible.

Treat Customers Right

The best marketing tool that anyone new business owner can have is to simply treat customers the right way. If customers have a great experience with a company, they have a much better chance of coming back to do business with them against. Over the long term, the most successful companies are those that treat customers the right way.

About the Author: Tully Rickets is a writer with interests in healthy living and marketing. When he's not blogging about healthy behaviors, he enjoys researching ideas for his marketing website from many blogs and websites.
For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

0 Comments on How To Market A Company After You Buy It as of 11/24/2015 4:29:00 PM
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10. Online And Offline Marketing Strategies That Make a Difference
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 11/18/2015
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  offline marketing, tully, online marketing, Add a tag

Today's world tends to be one of extremes, particular in terms of business; rather than focusing on both online and offline marketing, companies will do one or the other. However, it's important to combine your efforts. When you market online, do it offline as well. A marketing campaign that combines both online and offline elements are more effective, cost-efficient, and successful than one that focuses only on one or the other.


1. Embrace the hashtag
Hate it or love it, the hashtag is here to stay. The key to successfully using a hashtag is to remain consistent in your usage; make sure to use the same hashtag each and every time across all platforms. Use it on your offline marketing materials as those online. Within time, your business will become known for that specific hashtag, even though you have no 'real' ownership of it. .

2. Content In the online world, content is king. The same applies offline. By providing helpful, high-value content to visitors of your website, you give them a reason to return time and time again. Your offline efforts should be to direct users to the relevant pages online. A marketing strategy example of this is to send purchasers of a garlic press to your company's Pinterest page or blog for recipes that use garlic. .

3. Check-In on mobile devices People love to announce where they are online. It's the modern-day status symbol. That said, you can easily make use of this by having customers check-in when they're at your store. Offer a small discount at checkout if they can prove they've checked in. Not only will this encourage more people to do so, but you'll receive free advertising and social proof online as a result. It can be as easy as hanging up a fence sign that says, "Check in on Facebook here!" This is an even more effective strategy if you run a trendy store like a coffee shop. .

4. Use custom URLS By using custom URLs, you can track your efforts and find out how much of your traffic is coming from your offline efforts. Bit.ly and other websites allow you to create customized, short URLS that are easy for users to enter but provide you with the information you want: how many people used that URL to find your website. For example, if you're preparing a campaign for the upcoming holiday season, a cloth banner printing with your URL on it will let you track how many looked for more information through that URL. .

5. Use QR codesMuch like check-ins, QR codes can be used to offer discounts, display more information about a product, and much more. Over 50% of web traffic is from mobile devices, and people never leave home without their phones. By ensuring you include QR codes in all of your offline marketing material, you can grab your customer's attentions and direct them to your online presence.

It's important to make use of every marketing avenue available to you. By mixing both your online and offline strategies, you reach out to two separate demographics and create a more coherent marketing strategy. Developing a marketing plan that makes use of both offline and online elements can give you an edge over other companies in your sphere that haven't yet caught on.

About the Author: Tully Rickets is a writer with interests in healthy living and marketing. When he's not blogging about healthy behaviors, he enjoys researching ideas for his marketing website from many blogs and websites.
For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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11. 5 Easy Tips to Kickstart a Google Business Page
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 11/13/2015
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  google, google my business, local marketing, Add a tag

Google plus local business page effects small business's marketing in a positive way. When you create Google+ business page, you increase the chances of getting highly targeted visitors from Google's organic search results. You should pay attention to this strategy as it brings your business to the top as far as Google searches are concerned. Increasing authority and influence of your business and adding directions to your brand are benefits that you will not want to miss. You don't need a web designer to create a professional Google Plus business page. It is DIY process that can take only a few minutes to complete. This article highlights five easy Tips to Kickstart a Google Business Page.

#1 Verify Your Google Business Listing

The next step after creating a Google+ business page is to verify your business information. Any update that you include on your Google+ business profile such as description, contact details, operating hours or photos appears on the Google Maps and other Google properties. Before you add your local business, make sure meets the given Google guidelines

#2 Make Your Google Business Page Visually Appealing

You should put in extra effort to make sure your Google Business page is visually appealing. You can achieve this by adding appropriate branding information such as informative videos and captivating cover images. If you are running a boutique business, you can add beautiful behind-the-scenes photos on the cover section. If you are running a bakery business, you can add captivating photos of daily specials to draw in customers. You can also include external links to your social media sites to help improve your Google Search ranking.

#3 Using Hashtags Frequently and Strategically

Just like Twitter, Google Plus also has an open posting environment that supports the usage of hashtags. You can check things that are trending in your local areas under "What's Hot." In any trending hashtag, you can start your conversation or comment of the active conversations. As an added advantage, these hashtags also appear in Google searches. Additionally, when visitors search for your business, Google retrieves the recent Google+ post that you made on your page.

#4 Take Advantage of Gifs

Optimising Google business page also require you to take advantage of Gifs. However stupid they may look, Gifs are considered Google plus gold. In addition to allowing Gifs to play automatically on your page, Google Plus also offers a tool that collects your photo's to create Gifs for them. Engaging and funny Gifs not only adds beauty but also adds interest to the posts being shared. Unlike other social media business platforms, Google Plus business page is the only medium that plays gifs automatically. So you will need to utilize this feature.

#5 Continue Sharing Images

Make sure you include a high-quality, interesting and relevant photo in your post. Posts with images perform well compared to text-only posts. If you have other social media pages, you will find that these same rules apply. You can use an image that encourages your audience to click. Post interesting images and infographics with helpful information and share them on your other social media sites. One of the brands that understand how to use images on their social media platforms including Google Plus is the National Geographic.

About the Author : Tully Rickets is a writer with interests in healthy living and marketing. When he's not blogging about healthy behaviors, he enjoys researching ideas for his marketing website from many blogs and websites.

For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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12. Yeah, Market Research Still Matters...
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 11/3/2015
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  market research, real estate, big data, Add a tag

Successful businesses have expansive knowledge about their competitors and customers. Market research is the process of gathering market data about the current and potential customers to enable you react to the potential or current products or services. Many small businesses carry out market research without even knowing they are doing so. For instance, when a small business owner inquires from customers about how they feel about the services offered, or a business owner checks competitor product prices, then he/she is conducting market research.

The main aim of market research is to prepare for the marketing research report. Marketing research report includes a summary of the important data and analysis of the data for decision making in the business. Market research has been enhanced with the advent of the internet which makes it possible to reach the target market quickly and with ease and still gain important consumer knowledge to drive business forward.

The main questions property decision makers would want to ask themselves is - is there a useful way to conduct market research for a property business to make informed decisions about the way forward? And why is market research important? These questions can be answered by understanding how effective and efficient market research can be to help business find the opportunities and strengths, and where to eliminate opportunities to help the business expand.

Let’s start with why is market research important? Market research defines a clear direction for a company. When market research is done effectively and market research report is prepared well, businesses have a clear view of the customer needs and a clear path which the company need to take to achieve the needs of the prospective customers. Unfortunately, many small businesses may not be in a position spend the thousands of dollars to hire the most reputable market research firms. In this regard, many of them prefer to ignore taking market research into consideration or use approaches which may not lead to useful information.


The importance of market research include helping to understand the market, which may include the target age bracket, target gender and other demographics. Market research is critical to understand the competition, know the right product customers need and building connections.

Big Data has been a game charger as far as market research is concerned. Market researchers are faced with large amounts of data to analyze and monitor both online and offline to understand the customer needs. In this regard, Big Data is continually being used by researchers as a compliment to market research to know what consumers need and monitor changes in tastes and preferences. The five insights gained include - creating a more accurate profile of the target customers, to monitor and analyze the consumer reaction to product offerings and marketing messages, develop strategies for retaining customers in a more effective and efficient way, plan marketing campaigns and digital marketingto the target groups and monitor changes in tastes and preferences.

Queensland property market is currently a BOOM market thanks to Queensland’s economy which has started to improve. For instance, the latest RP Data CoreLogic Home Value Index for Brisbane show an increase of 0.7% for September 2014, 0.6% increase over the last quarter of 2014 and 6.4% year-to-year increase. Small businesses investing in Queensland property market should use these kinds of market data and outsource market research from property research companies to achieve real value of their investment.

This post comes from Sarah, an inspirational writer. She is part of crews at Real Estate Academy Australia (a specialized training center for the real estate industry), working with entrepreneurs and small business owner to grow their careers and achieve results that raise the standards of professionalism and respect in the Real Estate industry.


For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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13. Social Responsibility Goes Vegan
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 9/30/2015
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  vegan for one day, vegetarian, vegan, social responsibility, Add a tag

Marketing gets responsible.  As a leading marketer and founder of The Marketing Blog, I know that companies have to stand for something. Whether it's giving back to the environment, focusing on positive outcomes for individuals, or helping those less fortunate, social responsibility is essential for any business who wants to thrive.

What is your social responsibility?

For a long time I've been helping companies grow, achieve marketing success, and deliver top line results.  But to what end?  Recently I had some pretty significant changes in my life and started asking some pretty big questions like, "What will I leave behind?", "Have I done enough?", "Have I been socially responsible?"  And it occurred to me that businesses need to be asking themselves the same questions.  As marketers, we should be leading the dialog.

It also occurred to me that my answer to the question, "Have you done enough" has been an emphatic NO.  But the good news is that it's never too late to change and individuals can make new choices and go in new, more productive directions at any time.  

I'm happy to announce the launch of a new website that has grown out of my own need to become more socially responsible and make a difference.  The site is called, Vegan For One Day, and we'll be changing the world one bite at a time.  This site is dedicated to millennials and other health conscious individuals who are looking more carefully at what they eat and the impact it has on the environment and their health.

You can make a difference

Our goal is NOT to make everyone on the planet a vegan (although we wouldn't mind). Rather, the goal is one of education and self reflection. When people are truly informed, they tend to make better choices.  Look at smoking for example. As individuals learned about the harmful implications of lighting up, they changed, albeit slowly over time.

The same is true about diet and nutrition.  Our goal is to educate individuals about the impact of what they consume on both their health as well as the planet and the lives of animals impacted every day.  We've also introduced a challenge for people to try going vegan, no meat or dairy, for a day, week, or month.  This will have a positive impact on all of our natural resources.

Social good

No matter what you do or who you work for, consider the implications of your actions.  Are you making the world a better place? Are you having a positive and lasting impact on the world or the people you care about most?  Social change happens when we start asking ourselves the right questions like, "Am I doing enough?"

Don't wait until the end of your life to begin asking questions about your legacy, the impact you'll make, and how you can help.  Get started today and make a difference.



For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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14. SEO Coaching
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 9/8/2015
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  seo coaching, Add a tag

Despite what hear, SEO is not dead.  In fact, finding a good SEO coach can help you optimize your website and drive tons of qualified traffic to your website to purchase products and services you offer.

SEO Coaching

As someone who's been in the search engine optimization field for over a decade, I can honestly say there are two types of people.  The first group is comprised of those who want number one rankings but don't want to do the work themselves.  The second group are the do-it-yourself'ers.  The reality is that both groups need to have a fundamental understanding of organic search if they want to be successful.

SEO coaching is a great way to start.  The benefit of using and SEO coach is that simply the efficiency by which they can help you achive your goal.  When you start with an SEO program or book such as SEO Made Simple, you'll acquire the fundamentals but they won't be customized to your specific website history and situation.

That's why having someone who can understand where you are on the organic evolutionary chain can save you time and money.  Just because you want to achieve an online, don't be fooled into thinking you have to start from scratch.  

What Will Your Coach Do?

A good SEO coach will begin by understanding your current situation and doing a technical crawl on your website.  SEO's have tools they can use to evaluate your site and pinpoint areas that are deficient. With the proper keyword research and technical analysis, you learn about your website's strengths and weaknesses.  Both of these factors are essential for achieving your online goals.

Often times a technical crawl is all you need to get started.  Sites, no matter how bad they are, have some qualities that are worth leveraging and others that need to be brought into compliance with the current Google algorithm changes.  Begin your optimization process here and you will see gradual improvements in organic traffic.

Where to Find Your Organic Ranking Coach

There are plenty of people out there who claim to be SEO experts.  Make sure to ask your potential coach about his specific experience - what sites he's worked on, the company's he has helped, and also, ask him to validate his authority (articles, interviews, books, etc.). You obviously want to make sure you're getting good advice.

When I coach others, I like to charge by the hour and work with clients to direct the sessions.  Said another way, it's important to work with my clients in a way that allows them to set the agenda while being directed towards a specific outcome.  My goal is to teach people to, "learn to fish" organically.  Good SEO coached do that.  They want clients to be able to recognized good SEO from bad SEO on their own.

If you're looking for someone to mentor you in the search engine optimization space, then be mindful of your goals and expectations.  Find someone who you can learn from and acquire all the resources necessary for top organic rankings.

For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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15. SEO Made Simple 5th Edition Review
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 8/17/2015
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  SEO, SEO Made Simple, seo 5th edition, seo book, seo books, Add a tag

When people think about search engine optimization (SEO), they can't help but do a quick Google search for information that can help improve organic rankings.  When looking online for SEO resources, you'll likely find conflicting information - this is why it's so helpful to use a simple guide that only shares the best practices for improving website rankings.

SEO Made Simple 5th Edition

There's lots of information available online on SEO best practices.  However, information related to the organic search changes regularly as Google improves their ranking algorithm. As such, the best place to find the latest and most accurate information is by follow leading SEOs who work across numerous websites and industries - specifically within the SEO field. This ensures access to the most effective strategies from those getting real-world results. 


SEO Made Simple 5
In this book, SEO Made Simple (5th Edition), you'll discover the latest information on optimizing your website for improved organic rankings. It's designed to cut through the clutter and misinformation that can be difficult to navigate. The book has been recently updated to educate those interested in search engine optimization in both the standard optimization techniques required to get them most from your website as well as advanced techniques to further enhance organic results.

There are a number of topics that have been updated to further enhance SEO results for your website. An updated section on developing an authoritative link profile is worth 10x the book's value as it shows how you can easily attract quality links to your site. This improves website authority and organic rankings.

The second area that has been significantly update is the information on local  and mobile search which is now driving more than half of all search engine traffic. If you are a business owner or trying to promote your business online, this is critical to the success of your organic marketing.

People who purchase SEO Made Simple 5th Edition will be impressed with the level of detail and simplicity related to learning and implementing effective search engine optimization strategies.  The book has been updated for 2016, reflecting this year's changes as well as pre-planning for upcoming changes announced for next year.  

Pros:  

--SEO Made Simple (5th edition) has been updated with the latest techniques for proper search engine optimization.
--The book has been updated to include information on local and mobile search.
--Strategies included have been proven effective across thousands of websites.
--Top selling book in the category, more than 30,000 sold.
--Techniques are presented in a very simple format, ideal for beginners and intermediate SEOs who want to improve organic rankings.
--Additional resources are included with the book at no additional cost.

Cons: 
--None to mention

Get started today optimizing your website, blog, and other digital assets.  Join the tens of thousands of individuals enjoying more organic traffic thanks to the powerful strategies revealed in this top-selling SEO guide.  SEO Made Simple 5th Edition is the best SEO book available today.

For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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16. Ty Cohen Interview Ranks Number One
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 7/20/2015
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  ty cohen interview, Add a tag

Some days, you have an epiphany, that moment when the light bulb goes on and you experience a moment of SEO euphoria.  Sunday was that day!  I realized that all I needed to do for improving the ranking of a recent interview was to share a link on an authoritative site - The Marketing Blog.

Ty Cohen Interview

For those of you who haven't heard of Ty Cohen, he is one of today's leading online marketers.  I met Ty a couple of years ago through a mutual friend and have followed him ever since.  He is the author and publisher of Kindle Cash Flow and other popular products and inspiration to many of us looking to achieve multiple revenue streams and the Internet lifestyle.

Ty Cohen Interview
I was fortunate enough to conduct a Ty Cohen Interview a few months ago and had been working on optimizing the interview for top rankings.  Instead of focusing on the keyword "Ty Cohen", I decided to focus on "Ty Cohen Interview".  This is because sites like YouTube and others already have the top placement for this entrepreneur.

In an effort to get the top spot on search results, I decided to leverage social media in addition to on page optimization techniques. We all know that organic results take time so I gave myself a few weeks of making social media posts to see if I could get a particular web page to the top of search engine results.

In just a few short weeks, I was able to move this page to the number 3 position on Google.  At that point, I decided to give it a slightly bigger boost with some inbound links for high profile sites where I could make updates or direct links.  Boom, the ranking went to #2.

SEO is about Quality Links, Social Media and More...

On Sunday I was doing a little work on my next update to the top-selling book, SEO Made Simple, and had an epiphany - generate more quality links to the page I'm trying to optimize using my own resources.  Whether you know it or not, you have a number of high quality websites at your disposal.  
Whether you have a blog like this one here or a profile on Facebook, there are a number of digital assets at your disposal you can use to give your rankings a boost.  Think about all of the places where you can control information being distributed online and determine how best to use them for improving link authority and website rankings.

For now, I'm glad I realized there are things in my control easily leveraged for top rankings when I need them most.
For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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17. 8 Tactics To Help Manage Your Marketing Campaigns & Boost ROI
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 7/2/2015
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  internet marketing, ppc, marketing, SEO, Add a tag


As digital marketing becomes more complex, the more difficult it becomes for businesses to
manage an effective budget. Spreading resources across every avenue of the industry is a 
difficult task, and it can lead to key areas being neglected. 

Why is it important to get campaigns right? In 2014 marketing budgets went up by 10% - by 
2016 it’s expected to make up 35% of the average businesses’ budget. Maximizing your 
strategy for strong ROI is now all important, and understanding how to get a shrewd plan 
together should be at the center of any business plan. 

In this 8 point guide the vital tactics which can make a campaign work are explained. It’s an 
insight on how to spread a digital marketing budget across the right areas, ensuring the best chance of excellent ROI. 

1. Get A Plan In Order

Many businesses (particularly start-ups) have a habit of launching into digital marketing 
campaigns without a thorough plan. The idea of winging it and expecting good results can betempting, but the fact is it is essential you work out what your objectives are.

Promoting brand awareness and increasing conversion rates tend to be the key goals, but how do you intend to achieve this? Can it be managed on a long term scale? Who are you going to employ to make it happen? 

The questions can pile up, and there’s also the need to manage a budget between the likes of social media, PPC, and SEO. Knowing where your business needs to focus is the essence of a strong digital marketing plan, which means you need to understand your audience. 

2. Research Your Industry 

One of the forgotten factors is not all businesses can work with SEO and PPC. Not everyone is always looking for the keywords you may want to rank for, meaning there is no point in funding a SEO campaign. Conversely, a PPC strategy won’t work if you have low margins –all this tends to do is lose you money.

The solution to this is to understand your audience and get to know what your competitors are doing. Examine the market and your position in it – how authoritative do you genuinely see yourself? If you’re entering an established and competitive market, for example, then PPC is a great way to learn which keywords to focus on. In turn, this can shape your SEO efforts. 

3. Get Your SEO Structured

Capturing key SERPs is what SEO is all about. SEO is more sustainable than PPC, the problem is the results take quite a while to show, and you run the risk of facing a Google penalty if you get it badly wrong (such as with Black Hat SEO – steer well clear of it).  

For start-up businesses Google uses a cautious tactic to wait and see how the new site 
develops. Many new businesses can fold and the site is essentially abandoned – if this isn’t 
your plan, get on with SEO before your launch: ensure your site is streamlined on a technical front, is mobile-friendly, and structure excellent on-site content. 

Off-site work is also vital – with online buzz around your business, the signals sent to Google will be positive and will assist your ranking. In the meantime, PPC can generate interest in your site whilst Google’s algorithms crawls your site and organic traffic builds up. 

4. PPC Will Always Back You Up

PPC is a safety net of sorts as it can be used to drive relevant traffic to your site. In moments of marketing uncertainty, turn to PPC – even a budget of $1,000 based around broad keywords can have significant results. 

This tactic can help you understand top-performing keywords and popular new ones (again, 
which comes in useful for SEO activities). However, do be aware if you’re a B2B company 
as competition is rife and prices can be extremely high. Respect your budget and see what 
you can achieve with it. 

5. Take A Look Into PPC For Mobile

With Google’s mobile algorithms now in place (benefiting sites with mobile-friendly sites), 
now is the time to capitalize on mobile marketing features. For mobile PPC, there are brilliant CTA options which come in particularly useful for lead generation. 

6. Use The Power Of Remarketing

Setting aside budget for remarketing is another essential tactic which, when deployed 
properly, can deliver great results. Your marketing efforts can’t always win over your 
audience, as many will visit your site, show some interest, but then leave.

Remarketing is an unobtrusive way to get back into their field of vision – setting up tracking 
codes can ensure they return to your site with subtle imagery and clever wording. 

7. Take To Content Marketing With A Flourish

Having good content is now more important than ever. Google’s algorithms will notice poor 
copy and send the site plummeting down SERPs - sculpting quality content through a White 
Hat SEO campaign can build a strong link catalog, boost your authority, and have a steady stream of CTA driven social media output going. 

8. Recognize Key Social Media Tools 

Most businesses are on Facebook and Twitter – this is a given. However, many brands don’t put the effort in to taking advantage of other formats, such as Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and even the likes of FourSquare. 

YouTube, as an arbitrary example, offers an advertising format where companies can tap into utterly vast audiences. It remains largely underused by brands, so try setting aside some budget to get in front of a site which has a hundreds of millions of views a day. With its localized options and specific targeting services, you can effortlessly focus in on your 
demographic.   

Use This Handy 8 Point Guide To Keep Everything On Track

Now we’ve highlighted the areas to focus on, it’s time to take action and make sure your 
budget is spread over the most crucial areas of digital marketing. To get things moving you 
can:

1. Identify if your business is better suited to SEO or PPC – if both, set aside your 
budget appropriately. 
2. Setup a PPC campaign to identify keywords which and relevant to you and, 
importantly, convert.
3. Take the data from this to develop your on-site SEO efforts.
4. Set aside budget for off-site SEO/
5. Begin a major PPC campaign to attract your target consumers.
6. Monitor your progress in Google’s SERPs – perhaps subscribe to Moz to have 
detailed results of your search rankings. You can adjust your PPC expenditure based 
on the results, and focus your efforts on SEO areas which need work.
7. Put in place a remarketing campaign which will boost your conversions. 
8. Don’t forget about your mobile opportunities – accommodate your budget towards 
appealing to this vast audience. 

The award winning Soap Media is a digital marketing specialist from the UK. It has been 
delivering quality results since 2005.
For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

0 Comments on 8 Tactics To Help Manage Your Marketing Campaigns & Boost ROI as of 7/3/2015 1:14:00 AM
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18. Better and Faster - Your Path to Unstoppable Ideas Now Available
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 3/15/2015
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Add a tag

Better and Faster
As a marketer, I'm approached on a regular basis to review books, products, and ideas from some well know entrepreneurs as well as young adults hoping to make a change in a particular niche or industry.  Unfortunately, finding a real gem can be far and few between.  The good news is that every so often, I do find something that changes the game, elevates my own thinking, and is literally too good to share.

Better and Faster by Jeremy Gutsche is the latest find that I couldn't put down.  Jeremy is the CEO of Trendhunter.com and an amazing entrepreneur and author.  This book explores the genesis of creative ideas - the best creative ideas, and provides insight into how they happen.  The best part is that by reading this guide, it can make YOU better in the area of discovery, innovating faster and better, and recognizing your full potential.

The book explores neurological traps that are holding you back.  As I've always said, "Change your thinking change your life!"  It also reveals a number of ways to innovate more quickly which you've likely never considered.  Jeremy calls his six patters of opportunity: convergence, divergence, cyclicality, redirection, reduction, and acceleration. 

These finding are based on real data.  In fact, they studied more than 250,000 ideas through the trendhunter.com audience of more than 100,000,000 individuals to discover what causes opportunity.  Wouldn't you like to know where to find true opportunity and how to use it for personal and professional development?  Of course you would. That's why this book is such a valuable resource. It's also why more than 300 brands rely on Jeremy's method to accelerate innovation.

I strongly encourage you to "be in the know".  Connect with Jeremy and start innovating.  Jeremy has offered readers of the Marketing Blog exclusive access to content which you can find by clicking here.  Enjoy the content and be sure to pick up Jeremy Gutsche's book on Amazon.  It's content you can't innovate without.

For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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19. Does Your Lack of Creativity in Packaging Reduce Profits?
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 10/13/2014
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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In theory, marketingis about the science that builds brands, but in practice, it is often something simpler—getting the packaging right. In a grocery store, a customer is unlikely to be aware of a company’s latest promotional events, but he or she will be acutely aware if the company’s product appears to be attractive and affordable as it sits on the shelf.

Sometimes marketing is more about humble common sense than exciting theories about emerging trends. Consumer interests are often stirred by simple questions.

Describing A Product
Seth Godin once described marketing as “a contest for people’s attention.” Good packaging can make it easier to win that contest.

The questions consumers have about the value of a product on a shelf can often be answered by the package the product is in.

Packaging is much more than putting products in the right-size box and sticking on a label. Packaging should not be underestimated. Sometimes good packaging may be responsible for millions of dollars in sales figures. You can get entrepreneurial and creative even in your use of cardboard boxes. In fact, it would be quite easy to develop a full semester’s worth of information about the best practices around highly-attractive packaging.

3 Common Features

Here are the common features behind good packaging.

1. The package protects the product. Before the product reaches the consumer, it passes through many hands and stops at many destinations as it travels by air, sea, or land to get to the store or the customer’s mailbox. Damaged products will not result in repeat business or referrals.

2. It should make a good impression. For instance, through the careful use of shapes, colors, images, and copy an ordinary box of crayons can fill a child with instant delight at the possibilities of art. Packaging has the power to excite the needs, interests, and desires of the buyer.

3. It should differentiate itself from products provided by competitors.It makes a difference to the consumer if their package comes in a plain cardboard box or one with a few design elements. For some products, plain boxes without printing will suffice—for example, it is a waste of money to have a colorful box for computer printing paper because customers are unlikely to get excited about reams of paper. For others, packaging is very important. For instance, in MLM shipments, consumers always look forward to their monthly shipment of health care products.

An Art and Science
Remember the words of SethGodin: marketing is “a contest for people’s attention.” Good packaging can make it easier to win that contest. In some ways, packaging is a science. Packages have to have the right blend of size, strength, and weight for product protection and reduced storage and distribution costs. Manufacturers are also able to offer direct printing and a choice of one color, two colors, or lots of colors. In other ways, packaging is a science. A box of cereals, for example, in an attractive design will outsell another brand of cereals on the shelf right next to it many times better even if the contents are similar. 


For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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20. 5 Creative Marketing Uses for Swag
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 9/18/2014
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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In theory, “swag” is a great way to get a brand or company out there. Receiving anything for free often leaves a memorable impression on consumers, regardless of whether the swag is in the form of a pen, t-shirt or memorable token. 

Marketing tactics lose their influence over time though. People get used to ignoring radio ads, billboards just become part of the blurry scenery, and Internet banner ads become something we avoid clicking. So is swag still a valid marketing tactic?

Just like social media, it depends on your audience. But overall, recent marketing tactics involving swag still make a big splash with consumers. Companies just have to use it in new remarkable ways.

Bookmarks Instead of Business Cards

Everyone has business cards, so how is your’s going to stand out? Get creative! A substitute in the form of a bookmark actually has a purpose beyond sitting in someone’s wallet. Big enough to cram whatever contact information you need, a bookmark contact card will also remind people of you and your business every time they open and close the book they are reading.

Stylish T-Shirts

T-shirts can be one of the most effective forms of swag, since people wear them around town and essentially become a low-cost source of effective advertising for a brand. T-shirts are certainly one of the costlier swag items to produce, though, so it’s important to use a genuinely good design. 

I’ve received t-shirt swag for a variety of reasons from purchasing products as a bonus, similar to what National Abrasives offers, to getting a well-designed t-shirt from Short Stack for talking about their brand in one of my previous articles. 


People may accept a free t-shirt, but they won’t wear it if it’s dull or ugly. Avoid basic white tees and go for something more visually appealing, with a relative fashion sense, instead; it’ll be costly, but worth it if designed properly.

Digital Content

Offering free “digital swag” - in the form of things like a free wallpaper, app, eBook, or digital coupon - usually costs little to nothing to produce, yet can still prove beneficial in exposing your brand. Offer digital swag via social media to increase your following on there, as well. Social media followers and free content often results in higher engagement.

The most important part of digital swag is it must offer real value to your consumer. 
Digital swag is an excellent investment because of its low cost production and high return on investment. Since it’s online, loyal customers and fanatic fans can share your swag and do the work of distribution for you.

Think Outside of Swag

Giving swag isn’t the only option. Take a lesson from the startup Medallia who at this year’s SXSW made a big brand impact by collecting everyone’s swag for the homeless. It was a unique idea that got a lot of media attention for the new company while also doing something good for those in need.

Care Packages

If you want to go all-out, create care packages with consumers’ well-being in mind. A small, brand-laden bag with items like a small water bottle, aspirin, and apple inside will be perceived as a healthy and welcome surprise by consumers, perhaps even elevating their mood. Care package swag may be time-consuming to create, but it will certainly make for a striking impression among consumers.

Swag certainly still works for businesses and brands as a great means of exposure. They can be effectively implemented into most business plans, as long as the swag is creative, interesting and fresh, as the five aforementioned examples are.

Special thanks to Ali Lawrence for today's post. Ali Lawrence is a content specialist for a web design company and blogs in her free time at MarCom Land. Her articles have been published by Hot in Social Media, Yahoo! Small Business, and Business2Community.

For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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21. Nostalgia Marketing: Did We Just Kill Advertising?
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 6/23/2014
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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If you thought the nostalgia marketing bubble was due to burst any time now, keep thinking. Reputable ad firms are producing more “remember this” campaigns than ever, leading some to wonder whether this is now a permanent part of advertising.

Recently, AutoTrader.com launched a series of ads featuring the original Dukes of Hazard stars--not the actors who played those characters in the big budget reboot from a few years back. AutoTrader’s campaign is fun and memorable, and plays off themes Dukes fans will love, but you have to wonder: Have we broken the industry?

Hollywood Syndrome

When was the last time a major film studio backed an exciting new franchise? Godzilla, Star Trek, Josie and her Pussycats…you’ve seen it all before. And it’s not just the pulp! Studio execs haven’t met a Shakespeare or Jane Austen rewrite or spin-off they couldn't throw a huge budget and a pile of A-listers at.

Be honest: Every time you see a new trailer for an upcoming I dream of Jeannie or Voltron reboot, you worry nothing new will ever be funded. Hollywood has dusted off and propped up all the good ol’ days favorites, and we all know it’s just plain laziness.

If we all agree this strategy is sub-par, why are we marketers relying on lazy appeals to the characters and products we outgrew decades ago?  

Nostalgia Sells

The short answer is nostalgia has worked pretty well for many brands. Sure, there are some disaster stories, like Nintendo’s downward spiral, propelled by appeals to people who love characters created 20 years ago.

For the most part, though, we love seeing our old favorites re-imagined and sporting the latest brands. Blame it on whatever suits you:

• Wistful longing for better days
• Regret over the loss of our 9/11 or pre American Idol innocence
• Acceptance of  the fact Hannah-Barbera is relevant in any context

As long as our audience keeps rewarding our efforts to associate everything new with anything old, there seems to be no reason for the marketing industry to move on from lazy, cloying sentiment. We've become reliable machines, chugging along and doing the same things we've done for 20 years. 

Remember Creativity?

It’s a sign of the times that even consumers are nostalgic for the marketers of old. Remember when an ad manager would have responded to your pitch with: 

“Dukes of Hazard? That’s been done twice already, show me something fresh!” Then he would have lit up a Marlboro, backhanded you in front of your peers and tossed back a fifth of gin.



Is it time to give creativity a second chance? If you’re afraid you’ve forgotten how to think outside the Nick at Night box, here are some exercises to jumpstart your marketing General Lee:

• Read a book
Shaking up your mental imagery can kick-start your brainstorming. Some of the most original imagery and ideas are being published in literary fiction and graphic novels. Take a break from your favorite marketing blogs and HBO movies for a few nights and earn some paper cuts.

• Resurrect the classics
Read up on marketing strategies people used prior to the television age to rediscover what used to get attention and influence people, and how to apply that to your audience. If you’re stuck in a reinvention rut, you can at least reinvent the classics.

• Remember why you outgrew all that stuff you outgrew
Change the way you think about the things consumers are supposed to feel sentimental toward. You stopped watching Two and a Half Men and ThunderCats for very good reasons, and so did your audience. Just because it used to be popular doesn't mean you need to subject the next generation to it.

What we do isn't rocket science, it’s persuasion. Shouldn't we have more in our toolbox than The Jetsons and Apollo 13?



For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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22. Scalp Med Reputation Management
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 5/13/2014
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I've been working with a client for some time to improve their online reputation.  Some people don't feel that reputation matters, but it does.  One area that most companies ignore is what content is already available online for further promotion and optimization.  For example, the following URLs are on page 2 of Google results as of this post.  However, they should be moving to page one shortly due to their authority and focus:

www.prweb.com/releases/2013/6/prweb10835047.htm
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Scalpmed/427265147327786
www.linkedin.com/company/scalpmed
https://twitter.com/ScalpMed1

In order to fully promote these URLs, we are adding new content, link building, and continuing to optimize based on the metrics we see through our search crawler tools.  The key is patience.  When you're dealing with a company like Scalp Med, or any online retailers, it's important to remember that slow and steady wins the race.

If results happen too quickly, then it's possible that Google will penalize the websites and page one rankings will never happen.  However, when you have sites with a positive page rank and a variety of other factors that indicate authority, it's just a matter of time until rankings improve and the assets you want on page one not only "arrive", but stay there over the long term.

I'll be updating everyone on our progress.  Over the next two months we will again be building quality links into the above mentioned sites to continue building authority. 
For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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23. Interview with Kevin Madison
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 4/24/2014
Blog: The Marketing Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Yesterday I had the honor and privilege of interviewing Kevin Madison, founder of the KGM group, on business, marketing, and entrepreneurship.  Kevin's company helps businesses get to the next level by taking new approaches to common problems and thinking differently about their business.

During the interview, Kevin shares not only his business approach but mindset for success as well.  I've learned that having the right mindset and beliefs can radically transform anyone's business.  During this interview, Kevin shares his personal struggles, triumphs, and what they have taught him.

If you'd like to improve your outlook, business, or achieve a specific goal, Kevin's advice will have you thinking differently.  Not only was this interview fun and informational, but transformational.  Don't waste another minute thinking about how you're going to achieve success, live it.  Listen to this exclusive interview with Kevin and you'll see why he has been a positive force for so many so often.

Click here for more information about Kevin's interview.

Special thanks to Kevin and other Internet marketing related experts who have offered their time for interviews and sharing their expertise!   
For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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24. Social Networks: How Many Is Too Many?
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 4/18/2014
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JacketFlap tags:  social media, social media marketing, Add a tag

Blogging takes a lot - creating awesome content , designing , moderating comments , commenting on other blogs, guest posting , … And social media is just a part of it. There are over 200 social sites (at least according to Wikipedia ), but does this...

For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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25. 3 Powerful Tips for Effective Blog Writing
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By: Michael Fleischner, on 3/27/2014
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Blog writing has become increasingly popular these days. However, many people don't know the basic rules on how to write blog posts and leave readers in a good mood after they read it. You should make a good impression on your readers, because they will...


For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

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