Editor’s Note: This is a sponsored post. In the United States, small businesses comprise 99% of all businesses and employ 60 million people, or nearly half of the private workforce. Despite the prevalence of small business, did you know that just one-half of all small businesses survive five years or more, and that just one-third […]
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Editor’s note: This is a sponsored post, provided by Authority Builder in San Diego. Taking your business to the next level means being smart about which services to invest in. You want to be strategic and choose products and services that will have the most overall impact for the least amount of money. This doesn’t mean to choose the […]
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Email marketing is more science than art. For many small- to medium-sized businesses, email marketing is also a mystery. The person in charge of managing campaigns has to work to segment lists, design templates, create A-B tests, track click-throughs and KPIs, plus plan and execute the content delivery. When this is your task list, you […]
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If you’ve ever been a corporate clown, you can relate to this spot aimed at small business owners who fled the office circus to live their dreams.
Puddles, the Sad Clown with the Golden Voice, sings an altered version of the 1899 song “Keep on the Sunny Side,” made popular in the 1920s by The Carter Family. His version, entitled “Keep on the Corporate Side,” is a satirical ode to all things loathed by corporate wage slaves.
From the mockery that is casual Friday to dreams of vacations we can never take, the song is depressingly accurate. Lines like, “when they give you birthday cake, it just seems a little fake,” might make you rethink every corporate-enforced celebration you’ve ever tried to enjoy. Luckily, Puddles’ antics in the video and his melodious voice keep you smiling. And, of course, the video ends on a happy note as Puddles packs up his desk and quits.
Small business loan service Kabbage Inc. created the spot with Atlanta’s BreenSmith Advertising Agency to appeal to small business owners who’ve jumped the corporate ship (and those about to make the leap).
It’s interesting to note the video encourages people to share their #sadclown stories, since that’s a hashtag already in use by Puddles for his unrelated antics. But hey, you might as well have something come up when people search for your hashtag, and you could do worse than videos of a sad clown with an amazing singing voice.
Heidi Hackemer, founder and director of strategy for Wolf & Wilhelmine, has the right idea—either rebuild the agency of the future around her own human needs or get the hell out of dodge. Hackemer is a Wisconsin-bred New Yorker who believes in good ideas, a good run and good hair. She also eloquently states several […]
The post Wolf & Wilhelmine’s #WolfHowl Reverberates Coast-to-Coast appeared first on AdPulp.
Internet domain clearinghouse and noted soft-core Super Bowl commercial creator GoDaddy recently announced that that it has “matured.” In fact, in a recent Adweek interview, the company announced it would stop making those questionable advertisements.
“We’ve evolved,” CMO Barb Rechterman said in a statement. “Our new brand of Super Bowl commercials will make it crystal clear what we do and who we stand for. We may be changing our approach, but as we’ve always said, we don’t care what the critics think. We are all about our customers.”
GoDaddy recently appointed Barton F. Graf 9000 (BFG9000) as its AOR after a stint with Deutsch, and now the brand is growing up. Sort of.
They have not outgrown Danica Patrick, who stars in this ad called “Air Wrench.” The goal of the company’s semi-rebranding is to target small businesses. From CMO Barb Rechterman:
“This commercial marks another milestone in our brand evolution. The ad definitely uses humor, as our past campaigns have, but this new campaign is not solely about driving brand awareness — it promotes more than domain names by plugging Website Builder.”
The “Air Wrench” commercial will run during broadcasts of NASCAR races and other sporting events on ESPN this summer. GoDaddy will also use social media to promote the spot. The budget was undisclosed.
Note: BGF9000 was not involved in this campaign.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Once a staple of getting from here to there, the digital age has forced the travel agent to seek work elsewhere…or has it? Believe it or not, even now when most travel plans can be made independently and online travel agents and travel agencies do still exist! They just look a little bit different now.
Going Solo
Gary Leff, for example, is an independent travel agent who helps people book trips in his spare time. He specializes in helping people use their frequent flier miles to put together great vacations and trips that they might not have been able to design themselves.
Others have taken their professional experience and knowledge and turned it into informational products that people can use to travel better and smarter than they would know how to do on their own. Chris Guillebeau’s How to Be a Travel Ninja, for example, teaches people how to travel affordably and effectively no matter where in the world they want to go.
That’s great and all, but what if you have a standard “run of the mill” travel agency and you want to keep it alive long enough to help fund your kids’ braces (or, better, college educations)?
Cover Your Business’s Bases
Before you can even think about marketing tricks or SEO techniques for raising your brand’s awareness, you need to make sure you have your business basics covered. According to the Houston Chronicle, the US does not require travel agents to have state licensing. There are, however, certificates (like the certification for travel associates and travel counselors) that you should have. Potential customers will want to know they can trust you and having verifiable certifications will help build that trust.
Insurance is another thing that you will need to have. John Noel turned us on to the special insurance that exists solely to protect travel agents. This way if you accidentally book someone on the wrong flight or give them bad information you won’t be out the cost of their trip and you won’t be held liable if a customer gets sick or injured taking a trip that you’ve put together for him. Showing proof of insurance is another step toward building real trust and will set you apart from the hundreds of other people online who are claiming to be travel agents.
Marketing Your Travel Agency
Come up with a really great tagline. Papa Murphy’s tagline is “Love at 425 degrees.” It’s something people remember and applies to their product. Coming up with a great tagline that you can use to brand your business is important whether your marketing is going to be done online or offline.
Use Photos. You are a travel agent. This means that, ostensibly, you’ve been to some really great places and have some really great photos from those places. Use those photos in your articles, blog posts and definitely on your social media pages. People will see the photos and want to know more (plus, when you use your own, you don’t have to pay royalty fees) and be more likely to visit your site.
Make Videos. Making and using videos to promote your business is one of the top ten marketing techniques advocated by Travel Agent Central. Make short videos of your trips and post those trips online. Or, better, get your customers to send you video clips of their own trips and (with their permission of course) edit those clips together into promotional materials for your business. The evocation of jealousy is a powerful motivator when it comes to booking travel.
Really, marketing a travel agency isn’t all that much different than marketing any other type of business. Make sure your business is properly set up, tell people about it in as many direct and creative ways as possible and then reap the rewards. It’ll take time but it’ll happen!
The post Wait, Travel Agencies Still Exist? appeared first on AdPulp.
Small businesses can use tools on Facebook to track customers from ad to website, and target audiences more precisely.
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Packing up your truck and driving to the trade show should involve as much planning and preparation as possible. After all, you’re going there to promote your product and stand out from the hundreds of other companies whose sole purpose is to outshine you. But the trade show isn’t just about attracting potential customers — it’s also about establishing a relationship with them and collecting data regarding how well your product may do in the market.
With that said, here are nine tips to consider when setting up your trade show booth. Following these could mean the difference between failing and succeeding.
Try to Get a Booth Close to the Main Walkway
Image via Flickr by Incase.
Showing up at the trade show without a plan in place can lead to regrettable results, so it’s important to make sure you prepare beforehand. When choosing a spot on the trade show floor (or reserving one), try to get a booth as close to the main walkway as possible (if not on it). As obvious as it sounds, many people who devote their time and energy to attending these trade shows to promote their product often forget that more people walking by their booth means increased odds of them stopping at it.
Focus on the Quality of Your Display
Image via Flickr by Pop Culture Geek
A great way to start building a strong and practical layout is to use grids, making it easier for people to view your display. This will ensure that your display design is neat and organized. If possible, consider having a white Masonite floor as opposed to carpeting. This will help reflect light on your merchandise, allowing you to showcase your products and providing you with a clear advantage. Additionally, remember to place your logo in a recognizable spot (preferably high) and that it’s large enough to see.
Use Social Media to Spread the News
Image via Flickr by mkhmarketing
Whether it’s providing updates during the trade show or inviting existing clients to it, using social media to your advantage is essential in spreading awareness about your brand and product. Trade shows are the perfect time to introduce new products and services, which will encourage your target audience to attend the show if they know about it. Also, it never hurts to have a crowd around your booth that attracts more people out of curiosity. The more people who know about your booth, the better.
Showcase Your New Stuff
Image via Flickr by Tilemahos Efhimiadis
Speaking of new products and services; showcasing something new and fresh to existing or potential customers at a trade show is an easy to succeed. Although trade shows aren’t exactly the best way to launch your new product or service (because of the timing), there are ways to use the opportunity to your advantage. Whether it’s promoting a product you’ve never featured or unveiling a new prototype, gauge the timing of the trade show and how it’ll impact your presentation.
Don’t Restrict Prying Customers
Image via Flickr by Dell’s Official Flickr Page
Customers who attend a trade show are like kids at a candy store; they want to touch everything. If you have models of the product you’re promoting on display, let your customers pick them up and play around with them. Also, keep your booth clean so customers can focus on what’s important – your product. Having a cluttered booth or placing restrictions on customers and how they handle your product is a sure way to push them away.
Practice Your Customer Service Skills
Image via Flickr by laerte
While you may think that graphics and colorful displays are the thing people who visit your booth will remember most about it, it’s not. How you greet your potential customers and interact with them is more important than anything else. After all, you’re the direct representative of your product.
If people can’t seem to like you after their first impression, then chances are they won’t stick around to see how well your product stacks up against the rest. It’s important for you to smile, interact pleasantly with every customer, and know everything possible about your product so you can answer any questions they may have about it.
Give Away Free Swag
Image via Flickr by Philip Taylor PT
Whether it’s stress balls or logo pens, it’s important to create a game or gimmick that gets people talking about your booth and attracts them to it. When choosing the product you want to give away for free, think about its use and where it’ll end up. Giving away free stuff that customers will keep means that it’ll leave an impression every time they pick it up and use it. Remember that the free products have your company name, address, phone number, and website link on them.
Don’t Pack Until Everyone Has Left the Building
Image via Flickr by 8one6
As the trade show winds down, you’ll notice that the crowds have dispersed and the energy that was once there is now gone. You may even start to pack your booth up and begin to run for the exit yourself. As tempting as this may sound, it’s a mistake that could cost you a potential client or customer.
The serious trade show attendees tend to stick around to the end, which means they want more time to talk with you about your product. Stay energized and engaged, showing anyone that’s left in the building that you’re committed to the trade show, their business, and your product.
Collect and Analyze Data
Image via Flickr by katerha
Technology has made it easier than ever to collect contact information from everyone that has visited your trade show booth. Additionally, you can take personal notes during the trade show and keep them for future examination. Once the trade show is over, you’ve packed up, and headed back to your offices, analyze all the information you’ve collected and find a way to use it to your advantage. Whether that means following up with your potential clients and customers or making your product better.
Booking a booth at a trade show and attending it is easy. But succeeding at interacting with customers and promoting your product is the real trick. Keep these tips in mind when striving to do so.
Author Bio
Author Jane is a freelance writer who loves to write about anything from tech to mommy stuff. She is featured in many blogs as a guest writer, and can write with authority on any niche or subject.
This is a guest post.
The post 9 Tips for Running a Successful Trade Show Booth appeared first on AdPulp.
Give your expertise away for free on the World Wide Web, and if you are fully dedicated and incredibly talented the community will pay you back. This is commonly accepted wisdom on the Internets today. A formula, if you will. Of course this does not mean it’s a good idea to offer free advice, just that a lot of people say it is.
One person who can vouch for the approach is Sheela Murthy, an Indian immigrant and expert on immigration law.
According to The New York Times, Murthy’s content strategy has paid off in a big way. Today, by at least one ranking, Murthy.com is the world’s most visited law firm website.
Murthy told the Times that her firm’s site is aimed at building an online immigrant community.
There’s no hard sell — its priority is not to bring in clients but to help and show we care and know our stuff. We clarify the most complicated laws, using tools like teleconferences, podcasts and blogging.
Our moderated bulletin board has over 165,000 members who share information and knowledge about visa processing trends and related matters. On Monday nights, we have a real-time chat where one of our senior attorneys explains immigration law and processes. Every two or three years, we redo the site from scratch, working with a Web development firm.
I’m impressed. This is a textbook example of brand utility at work. When you provide something of tangible value–in this case, information on immigration–the need to make a traditional pitch subsides. The firm’s service to the community is action, and actions are more memorable than words.
The post Free Advice, When Perfectly Implemented, Adds Up To Serious Cash appeared first on AdPulp.
Dollar Shave Club took 12,000 orders for its subscription razor service in the first two days after a promotional video it released went viral.
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An installer of fiberglass pools uses an unconventional marketing approach to save his company and start a new venture.
ANZ Small Business launches a bold new campaign that is expected to stand out in its category, for its energy, humour and broad appeal. Created by M#038;C Saatchi, the TVC and a wider campaign are directed at the SME market and will also impact favourably on the ANZ brand at large. The stand-out campaign is […]
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Small businesses do not have the luxury of advertising lackadaisically today. For one thing, budgets are limited and by all means, they have only one shot at making good their advertising opportunities work for their business.
Overall, this may seem easier said than done. There is a gamble and risk in using advertising tools. Being a small business on the rise, proper analysis and deliberation must be done by business managers to make sure that such resorts can indeed be helpful to the company’s cause.
For what it is worth, it would be best to consider everything through analysis and studies. By doing this, the feasibility of using advertising mediums can be justified and lowering the risk of a useless way of helping promote a business and what it has to offer.
“In advertising, large companies can make small mistakes and survive,” notes Mark Preiser of Walter F. Cameron Advertising in Hauppauge. “They can even make large mistakes and survive. Small companies don’t have the same luxury.”
(Source) Newsday.com
Technorati Tags: advertising, small business, feasibility, advertising mediums, promote, business
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