All Things Consulting
Are you “marketing at” your precious potential clients or connecting with them? In other words, do your marketing efforts feel more like you’re shouting at them with a megaphone, or like you’re having a two-way conversation? We all have a craving for connection and conversation – for that rich, recognition-filled two-way exchange of thoughts and information. That goes for both YOU and your potential clients… in fact, the effect can be multiplied many times over for your … [Read more...]
Cutting marketing during a down economy destroys marketing momentum, confuses and demoralizes your team, and delays your recovery when things turn around. 1. More about destroying momentum: Marketing is an essential cost of doing business, and it’s expensive to start over. Marketing momentum is a beautiful thing. Leverage from successful marketing initiatives helps bring about new opportunities. Building marketing momentum takes strategy, planning, smart execution, analysis and constant … [Read more...]
Part 3 of the Series: Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Small Business Budgeting is an important part of marketing planning. If you have a set budget, you’ll want to develop and measure the results of your marketing mix with the budget clearly in mind. If you don’t have a marketing budget, you’ll want to start by putting pen to paper on what you think you have to do to market your products or services and get sales. Start with a list of what you think you need and the costs to do … [Read more...]
Part 2 of the Series: Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Small Business Guerilla Marketing is the countless free or very inexpensive tactics you can deploy do to build awareness for your brand and generate new business. Guerilla Marketing takes creativity, persistence, and work to make things happen with very little investment. A key strategy in Guerilla Marketing is to know your customer. Define your ideal customer and all of the offline and online places you can reach them. Create a … [Read more...]
Connections can make you if you have them. They can make success take far longer to achieve, if you don't. To connect for success and results, follow these four basic steps: 1. Strategize 2. Be creative 3. Be prepared to exchange 4. Plan ahead - things always take longer than you think they will Let's take a closer look at each step: 1. Strategize You have a vision or goal (whether you realize it or not, you do). Knowing that, what resources do you need for success? Of these … [Read more...]
Are you blogging? If you answered “No,” read on. If you answered “Yes,” read on. Why? Because if you have your own business, you should have a blog. No excuses. (I’ve personally run out of them. Starting a blog is one of my 2011 business goals.) And, if you already have one—a blog, that is, not an excuse—you want it work as smartly as you do by drawing more readers, positioning you as a thought leader, improving search engine results, and generating new … [Read more...]
If you’ve ever been confused about branding your small business, here’s a simple way to think about it: Branding Is Your Business’s Fashion Statement. Here’s how branding is like fashion: When you’re picking out a fashionable outfit for a night out on the town, there are several angles to consider, like: 1. Your fashion style. Do you consider yourself a sporty dresser, vintage, a bohemian, urban, or a little bit rock and roll? A trendsetter or more classic style? Your … [Read more...]
It’s hard to believe we’re almost at year-end. For myself, and many of my consultant colleagues, this year has been a very dynamic one: sluggish business growth earlier this year has rapidly turned into much more activity as we move into fall. This really makes me think hard about what next year will bring. Yet rather than passively wonder what next year will bring my business, I’m looking forward to actively planning what I’ll bring to my business—and WIC has put together a … [Read more...]
One of the questions I get most often is some variation of, "I just started my business. Don't I need to create a brand before I can tell anyone about it?" And you'd expect me to say, "Of course. You must run out immediately and design a brand this instant or else!" After all, I'm a brand designer. But, I don't actually believe that. Shocking, isn't it? What I do believe is that branding too soon can hurt a business in its beginning stages. Why? Good branding isn't cheap. Why spend … [Read more...]
The Fall 2010 WIC Mentoring Group is quickly taking shape, with just a couple of spots still available. Again this Fall, WIC Members Desiree Lehrbaum and I will lead the Mentoring Group. We developed and piloted the program in 2009, and also led the Spring, 2010 group. If you think a peer-to-peer mentoring experience may be right for you, take a close look at this opportunity. We will meet by webinar (and have an in-person kickoff session, if we can) on Wednesdays, 10-11 am, starting … [Read more...]
