When Should You Outsource Your Social Media Marketing?
Sure, you’ve been told numerous times how your business needs to be on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest. Instagram, and the social network du jour. Maybe you even know how targeted social media would fit in with your integrated marketing efforts. It’s just that you’ve got your hands full as it is, running a business. Not everyone has time to figure out the Tao of Twitter. So how do you know when it’s time to outsource the social media part of your marketing? Here are three indicators that are the first signs that it’s time to...
read moreThe ABCs of Signage
Signs, or signage, are so commonplace that their importance can be taken for granted. The International Sign Association (ISA) published a study indicating that when a sign was added on a previously blank side of a building, sales increased anywhere between 2.5% and 7.1%. Most small business owners know they need signage, but too many think of them as merely a marker identifying the business –certainly not a powerful marketing tool. The fact is, when designed effectively, a sign can be a part of a solid integrated marketing strategy that...
read moreThe Name Game
Selecting a Memorable Brand Name You’ve invested in a business plan, scouted for a prime location and honed your target market. Don’t settle for an ineffective, lackluster name. Here are quick tips for selecting a memorable brand name for your business. You also can follow these tips to name a product or service and create an integrated marketing naming system. A Is Better than Z Web search engines use an alphabetically driven organizational structure, so be sure your name ranks at the top of the list by choosing a name that falls early...
read moreContent Marketing Comes of Age
Content marketing is playing an increasingly central role in the channel mix, according to a new study from BtoB and reported at BtoBonline.com. The study, “Content Marketing: Ready for Prime Time,” was conducted in 2012 using an online survey involving 440 B2B marketing professionals. Key findings include: • 34% of respondents are “very” or “fully” engaged with content marketing, compared with only 18% the previous year. • 66% say they will be “very” or “fully” engaged in content marketing by 2013. • ...
read moreTell Me What You Want
(What You Really, Really Want) Do you know what your customers really want? Gathering customer feedback can help you: • Gain a better understanding of why customers do business with you • Increase your customer retention and loyalty • Quickly solve customer challenges before they become major problems • Develop new products and services that generate additional customer purchases According to Kyle LaMalfa, best practices director and loyalty expert for Allegiance, a company that specializes in employee and...
read moreQC – Jan 2013
It seems that each month represents something in America. January is known as: A. National Soap Month B. National Soup Month C. National Sauce Month D. National Spice Month Answer B: Apparently, it’s also National Hot Tea Month, National Oatmeal Month AND National Slow Cooking...
read moreThe Myth: Print and paper is a wasteful product. The Fact: Paper is one of the most recycled products in the world.
In addition to the sustainable advantage of being made from a renewable resource, paper is the most recycled product in the world. Since we began tracking how much paper gets recycled In the United States back in 1990, the recovery rate for used paper has increased dramatically. We’re not only recovering more, but we now know how to get the most environmental and economic benefits from using recycled paper in new products. Two Sides members support the implementation of effective recycling schemes and the minimization and eventual...
read moreAre the 4 Ps of Marketing Dead?
If you’ve ever taken a marketing class, you undoubtedly learned about the “4 Ps” of marketing: Product, Place, Price and Promotion. Marcus Starke, national vice president of North America marketing at SAP, believes that, as marketing channels continue to evolve and social media increases in importance, a fresh perspective is needed for each of the 4 Ps. The Product (or service) is still paramount, but its value is now measured by what people think and say about it. If your product is poor, the blogosphere will explode with negative...
read moreFuel Your Next Promotion
Too many small businesses shy away from data management practices, usually because they don’t think they are big enough and/or they don’t know how to get started. The truth is, small companies can benefit greatly from keeping their customer data clean and implementing some simple controls to ensure ongoing data quality. At Dynamark Printing, our list hygiene services ensure the data you are working with is as clean as possible. Not only can we append your mailing list with any missing data, we can save you money by improving deliverability...
read moreQC – November 2012
What soft drink company’s advertising helped shape the image of Santa Claus in his red suit? A. A&W Root Bear B. Pepsi C. Coca-Cola D. Fanta The answer: C. Starting in 1931, magazine ads for Coca-Cola featured St. Nick as a kind, jolly man in a red suit. Because magazines were so widely viewed, and because this image of Santa appeared for more than three decades, the image of Santa most people have today is largely based on this...
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