Time for a Spring Spruce-up!

Spring has finally sprung and traditionally, it’s a time that many people think of clearing out the clutter in the garage or basement. Why not initiate a spring spruce-up of your business marketing?

The best place to start is by taking an objective look at your existing brand and/or logo. Is your logo old and outdated? Is your marketing material inconsistent? Now may be the time to enlist the help of a graphic designer to create a fresh and new image that clearly enhances the look of your business. 

When was the last time you updated the pictures you have on your social media profiles and web pages? If they are more than six months old, it’s time to post new ones. You may want to consider having your photo taken by a professional photographer.

And while you are at it, why not freshen up your data on all your social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter? Your business is constantly evolving and your social media should reflect those changes.

Haven’t taken the plunge into the internet marketing realm yet? Now may be the time to explore your social media options and make the commitment to maintain your internet presence. 

Is your website or blog in need of an overhaul?  If you don’t have a website, landing page or blog, this could be the perfect time to consult with a web designer to explore your options.

What are you doing to drive traffic to your website, blog or other social media sites? Do you send out an e-newsletter on a regular basis with “links” directing your readers to your website or blog?

All of the elements above can be included in a Marketing Strategy. Does your company have such a plan in place? A Marketing Strategy is a living document that changes monthly, weekly, and even daily, as your business evolves and adapts to your business environment. If you are currently without a marketing strategy or business plan, now is the time to create one.

I would be delighted to help you explore any of these options and welcome the opportunity to meet with you face-to-face to discuss new ideas and answer your questions on how to brand and expand your business.
 

Marketing Tip #30 - Spell Check Can Be Your Friend

Proofread. Proofread. And proofread again. Lately, I’ve gotten quite a few email blasts that were riddled with typos and grammatical errors. Hey, I’ve been guilty too. Even though I have five proofreaders look over my e-newsletter before I hit “send”, errors do happen. No time to have someone give your missive a once-over? Remember, Spell Check can be your friend, most of the time.  When there are errors, people view you as unprofessional and don’t take your message seriously. Not to mention all the emails and calls you will get pointing out the mistakes. 

Marketing Tip #22 / E-Newsletter vs. Blogging

Blogging expert, Andy Wibbels, is often asked if it is better to use an e-mail newsletter or a blog. His answer: Use both! “A blog makes managing your past newsletter archives easier, brings newsletter readers to your site, and centralizes responses and feedback. Instead of having to mess around with getting each edition of your newsletter online, you simply add the newsletter to your blog and it’s online immediately and archived for posterity. Also, if your newsletters are archived, they can be indexed more easily by search engines, providing you and your newsletter with increased visibility.” From “Blog Wild! A Guide for Small Business Blogging.  www.GoBlogWild.com

Out With the Old and In With the New!

There is no better time than the year end to do an overhaul of the marketing you have in place for your business. Below is a checklist of things you can do to give your business a fresh, new makeover for 2012:

1. A Marketing Strategy is a living document that changes monthly, weekly and even daily as your business evolves and adapts to your business environment. When was the last time you updated your plan? Don’t have a marketing strategy or business plan in place? Now is the time to create one. Remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Marketing expert Sandy Barris discusses the value of creating a marketing plan in an interview from July 2010 at http://tinyurl.com/dx7yu9c.

2. Does your company have a memorable brand or logo? Or is your logo old and outdated? Do you need to enlist the help of a graphic designer to create something fresh and new that reflects your business. Diane Krueger, the Brand Identity Artist at Contagious: Cure for the Common reminds us that a company’s logo is the starting point of the entire corporate image. http://tinyurl.com/c5v7ll7

3. Are your marketing materials consistent? Does your logo or brand carryover onto your business cards, brochures, website, blog, Facebook fan page, etc? Linda Kleist of Identity Graphic Design talks about the importance of consistent branding. http://tinyurl.com/csmcc99.

4. Are your social media sites up-to-date? When was the last time you updated your profiles and contact information on Linkedin, Facebook, etc? Is it time to post a more current photo? Are you getting the most from your social media efforts as you market yourself and your business? Marketing and social media expert, Beverly Cornell, covers the whole gamet of social media’s do and don’ts. http://tinyurl.com/bw8fu62.

5. How long has it been since your website was updated? How many hits are you getting to the site? Not a lot? You might want to have a professional revise the content, adding key words that will get you found on search engines (SEO) such as Google. Kevin Van Dette, President of Affordable Website Specialists, talks about all this and more in his 2010 interview. http://tinyurl.com/d572lny.

6. Do you currently have a blog? Is a blog right for you and your business? Are people reading or listening to your blog? Corey Perlman, author of "eBootCamp", describe blogging in concise and easy to understand language. http://tinyurl.com/ctnc4g8.

7. What are you doing to drive traffic to your website, blog or other social media sites? Do you send out an e-newsletter on a regular basis linking to your website? In a second interview, Corey Perlman gives tips on how to use e-newsletters as an effective marketing tool as well as a means of keeping yourself in front of customers and business associates. http://tinyurl.com/744wrdh

8. How current is the information in your database? Over this past summer, I purged my database of the old and outdated contact information. I was shocked as to the extent of job changes, out of state moves, and businesses that had closed in the past year. You probably will be amazed too.

Have a Happy New Year!

Maurer Marketing Minutes #50-Sandra Maurer-Maurer Marketing & Media

Maurer Marketing Minutes 50-Sandra Maurer-Maurer Marketing & Media
How does one celebrate their 50^th radio blog post? Linda Kleist, of Identity Graphic Design, takes over the host chair of Maurer Marketing Minutes and interviews Sandra Maurer. We discuss my five-step process that I coach my clients through in creating a marketing strategy and then implementing the plan. I was able to reveal my extensive marketing and networking background and the niche I have found with published or soon-to-be published authors and baby boomers that are technology challenged.
Thank you, Linda, for celebrating with us. You would make a great host of your own show! I can be reached at Sandra@maurermarketingminutes.com. Linda can be reached at linda@identitygraphicdesign.com

Maurer Marketing Minutes #49-Corey Perlman-eBoot Camp--e-Newsletters

Maurer Marketing Mintues-#49-Corey Perlman-eBoot Camp-eNewsletters
In the third interview of a three-part series, Corey Perlman, author of eBoot Camp, gives tips on how to use e-newsletters as an effective marketing tool as well as a means of keeping yourself in front of customers and business associates. He suggests that you keep the missive short, include links to other sites and make sure its full of valuable information. In addition, he recommends using a “sexy” subject line to grab attention and get the e-newsletter read. And above all, he said, it should be consistent. You can contact Corey through his website www.theebootcamp.com.