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3 Keys in a Better Small Business Outlook for You

January 30, 2019 by Thomas

As you review things at your small business, does most of it make you smile?

For some small business owners, there are things in play that in fact make them cringe.

If your small business is in need of some changes, will you make them in time before it is too late?

Money May Be Your Number One Focus

In looking at how you can have a better outlook for your small business, focus in on these three areas:

Money – How are you doing these days when it comes to your business finances? If things are tight, you may well need to look into a line of credit. When you apply for a line of credit, be sure you have all your business financial info in place. If you do not have all the necessary info available, it can slow down the application process. It could even prevent you from getting a line of credit in the first place. Even with approval, reassess your financial approach to running your business. Are you doing all you can to keep debt down? Have you done a good job up to now of finding good deals? Such deals include when you buy supplies from vendors. Are you getting a good deal on the property you rent for your business if you do not own your grounds where you work out of? By being a good manager of money, your small business has a much better chance of sticking around for the long haul.
Staff – Unless you are able to run your small business on your own, you will need help. Hiring the right employees goes a long way in determining the success or failure of your company. With that in mind, have you done a good job up to now of bringing in the right talent? While you might have the wrong hire now and then, do not make a habit out of this. Not only does it give customers pause to do business with you, but it can impact worker morale in your company. Over time, a revolving door at your company is going to come back to haunt you. That said make a strong effort to get the right people in the first time around.
Promotions – Last, how good of a job are you doing as it relates to promoting your brand? Keep in mind that brand promotions go a long way in determining how much business you will end up doing. If not taking time or spending money when necessary to promote your brand, you could end up missing out on sales. Also take note that not all brand promotions are going to cost you dollars. For instance, you can use social media to spread the word about your brand. If you have been slow to gravitate to social networking, change this up. Social media is one of the best resources out there that your business should be taking advantage of.

In watching out for your business, how do things look?

Photo credit: Pixibay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Does Your Brand Get the Right Attention?

August 24, 2018 by Thomas

Making sure your brand has a foothold with consumers is important on many fronts.

That said getting the right attention is more important than attention in general.

You do not want to be spinning your wheels trying to get the attention of consumers. If you are doing this, it can be both a waste of time and money.

So, does your brand get the right attention?

Make Sure You Are Doing the Right Promotions

In going about getting the right promotions for your brand, keep the following in mind:

Message – What is the message you want for your brand? Without a strong message, you can miss out on great opportunities and revenue for that matter. Your message should not only be on your website, but also on your promotional items you send out to the public. Let consumers know why they should do business with you and not competitors.
Help – If you are a small business owner, there’s a good chance you are wearing many different hats. As such, it can be hard to get everything done that is necessary. That said you may need to reach out for help to cover all your bases. As an example, are you using search engine optimization (SEO) to further your goals? Not doing so can be missing out on a great opportunity to connect with the public. With that in mind, you may well want to explore the top SEO companies in San Diego or elsewhere. Working with a solid SEO provider can mean the difference in success and failure.
Demographics – Know the proper demographics for your brand. Trying to reach out to consumers without focus is often going to prove worthless. You want to know which consumers will most likely have an interest in your products or services. Some simple surveys can be a good way to find out about the level of interest one has in your brand. In doing surveys; give consumers an incentive to respond.
Social media – While you do not need to have a fixation on social media 24/7, it should be in your repertoire. With that being the case, make sure you know what you are doing when it comes to social networking. Too many business owners are not up to speed on how to use social media the correct way. Having activity on many social sites is fine. That said make sure you give equal attention to them. Your best bet is to start off with one and go from there. For instance, try Facebook. Given it is the world’s most used social site, it will be a good starting point for you. Use it not only to promote your brand, but also engage with the consumer friends you build up over time. Consumer engagement is critical to a winning social effort.

While there are more promotions for your small business brand, review those above to see if you have them.

Given how important the right attention is to your brand’s ability to succeed, are your bases covered?

Photo credit: Pixibay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Your Content Can Mean All the Difference

March 3, 2017 by Thomas

When was the last time you stopped and truly looked at the content on your company’s website?

Whether you do it frequently or infrequently, you at least need to be doing it. Preferably, you are checking it rather frequently. By doing so, you will hopefully see how good content is leading more customers your way.

For many companies, their websites are essentially their online calling cards. As such, it is important that they make sure their sites are chock-full of worthwhile information for consumers.

Much of that information starts and ends with their company blogs.

If you find yourself falling short when it comes to guest posting for your brand, there are means with which you can change that.

So, are you ready to see how content can mean all the difference in the world in driving more traffic your way?

Don’t Neglect Your Blog

Given blogs can’t write themselves, it is important that you are feeding your blog a regular dose of authoritative and relevant content.

In some cases, you will reach out to guest bloggers, asking them to author a piece for your blog.

While it is certainly encouraged that you offer such opportunities, be sure that you are getting quality content in return for the chance to promote others.

If someone doesn’t take the time to see who your audience is, what kind of message you are trying to send out etc. the blog posting can be a waste of your time and their time. Worst of all, your audience may begin to slowly tune you and your brand out.

Lastly, make sure you discuss with your guest bloggers the opportunity to do the same on their sites.

Getting your brand’s name out in front of others is a great way to drum up business.

Simply ask the publisher if you can include a relevant link in the copy or bio (preferably the former) in any piece you or someone from your company writes. This then opens the door for you and the other business owner to cross-promote each other’s sites. When that happens, it is typically a win-win situation for all involved.

Socializing Your Content is Critical

If you’re not a big believer in social media promotions, that quite frankly needs to change immediately.

For starters, social media is a medium that continues to be untapped by so many brands.

Whether it is the result of not enough time or effort, feeling like it is going to cost too much to partake in, or the wrong belief that social networking really brings no return on investment (ROI), too many businesses miss out on forming social connections. As a result, they are very likely passing up potential revenue opportunities.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to be a social media addict, but you should invest some time and energy into it.

Once you have a blog post (your site) or guest blog post (on another’s site) live, be sure to promote it socially. By doing so, you get each and every post in front of countless eyes.

Also, be sure to engage with any and all consumers who reach out to you on your social channels with worthwhile questions and/or comments.

Nothing will send consumers scurrying faster than if they feel ignored by those they are trying to talk to.

Given strong content can make all the difference in the world for your brand’s long-term health, start giving it more attention today.

By doing so, you can see those revenue numbers increase, something that can mean all the difference in the world.

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Get More Social in 2017

November 30, 2016 by Thomas

What would you say about your company’s social media efforts up to now?

If they have been helping you land new business, by all means keep up the efforts.

On the flip side, if your social media efforts have been less than stellar, do you plan to change course in the New Year?

Being a social media dynamo in today’s business world is nothing short of a necessity.

If your business is pushing itself on social media, it stands a good chance of getting noticed. If it is doing little or no social media promotions, the overall results for your brand can be damaging.

With that being the case, do you plan to get more social in 2017?

Social Plans for the New Year

Given there are many benefits and advantages of using social media, are you taking advantage of any and/or all of them?

For starters, social media gives you an opportunity to engage with consumers, something all businesses should jump on.

In today’s business world, more and more companies are dealing remotely with customers.

As more walk-in types of businesses become harder to find, consumers are oftentimes having to deal with automation, computers, and of course ordering goods and services online. With less of a one-on-one touch, businesses and consumers can meet in the world of social media.

By engaging with current and prospective customers on sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (there are more out there to look at), you can get the pulse of what people are saying about your brand. You can also help those in need of information and/or solving issues when it comes to your brand or industry.

With that in mind, is it time you put more effort into social media heading into 2017?

If the answer to that question is yes, here are a few pointers to help you:

Mission – For starters, clearly define what your mission is with social media. Is it to engage with consumers? Are you only interested in having a social presence because the competition does? Does social media seem like a necessity to keep in touch with the consumer world, seeing what it is saying about your brand? Clearly defining your reasoning for being social in the first place is where you need to begin;
Efforts – If you’re a small business, you may feel you don’t have the time and/or resources to devote to social media. That line of thinking can prove very detrimental, so try and avoid it at all costs. Even if you have to outsource your social media efforts to make them work, do it. Having social experts manning your social networking needs is perfectly fine; though make sure you hire someone (or a company) with social media experience. There is much more than just posting a few messages each day or week. You should track and analyze (see more below) where you’re doing well and not so well on various social sites. Also look to see what times prove most opportune to engage in social media.

Always Stay Positive

Engagement – Although it can prove tempting to respond in a negative manner to consumer comments on your social pages, don’t do it. Given your online reputation goes a long way in determining how much business you ultimately get, coming across as juvenile and/or nasty in social interactions is bad. For starters, it makes consumers wonder if you truly care about them. Secondly, it gives your competition an opportunity to seize upon, painting you and your brand in a bad light. Find a way to make a negative social interaction turn positive for your business;
Results – Last but not least, be sure to gather and understand the results you are getting with social media. To simply post blindly and not know if you’re making inroads or not is not productive. Also use your social sites to survey consumers on different aspects of your business. What do they like? What don’t they like? Are there practices you need to do more of (or for the first time) that you are not presently doing? Lastly, should you be focusing on one or more social sites to get the best results? Knowing where to zero-in on instead of spinning your wheels will benefit you and consumers at the end of the day.

If social media has been a bit of a foreign concept to you up to this point, will that change in 2017?

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Are You Searching for Better Sales Numbers?

November 9, 2016 by Thomas

As you sit back and look at where your business is heading into 2017, are you happy?

For starters, are your sales numbers where you really want them to be? Do you feel like you’re getting everything possible out of your sales team? Finally, what visions do you have going forward for improving sales in 2017 and beyond?

Whether you are entirely happy with your sales numbers or feel there is work to be done, reviewing where you are at makes sense.

To start with, you should always hold a firm grasp as to where your company was, where it is now, and of course where it may be headed.

By being attentive to where your business may need help, you won’t be caught with your pants down so to speak.

So, will you be looking for better sales numbers in 2017?

Giving Customers What They Want

One of the keys to better sales numbers is making sure your marketing efforts are spot-on.

So, how do you know if your marketing is truly reaching the people you need it to?

To begin with, having a well-rounded marketing strategy is related to knowing what and how to use search engine optimization (SEO) to your advantage.

For those business owners a little green with SEO, turning to professionals to run your search engine optimization efforts and overall marketing initiatives makes sense. Whether you opt for search engine services for your West Palm Beach business or others closer to you, don’t turn down professional help.

With professional SEO help at your service, you can do things you probably never even thought of, especially in improving sales. Before you enlist the help of an SEO provider, be sure to do some research to see which one best suits your needs (see more below).

How Do I Select the Best?

In order to find the best SEO provider out there, make sure the following areas are covered:

Experience – For starters, do not overlook the experience of any SEO provider you consider doing business with. While there are some terrific new SEO providers out there, experience is always a plus. Be sure to ask any SEO company you might do business with to provide you with a portfolio of successful projects they have done. By seeing how they’ve helped other brands, you may see why they’re the one (possibly not) for you;
Initiative – How excited are SEO providers you talk with when it comes to possibly helping you out? Are they ones with a passion for SEO, a passion that could translate to better overall brand marketing and promotion for your business? If so, then they are definitely ones to consider;
Promotions – As any good SEO pro can tell you, a well-round search engine optimization program is what it takes to get your brand noticed. This includes not only the right SEO keywords for any content you author, but great content itself. Your goal each and every time you author content is to make it both authoritative and informative to consumers. In the event you don’t provide those two major ingredients, what purpose is it really serving them? You also need a great effort when it comes to social media. That social networking can increase your sales numbers as more consumers talk about your brand to their family and friends.

Moving Forward with Promotions

As 2017 approaches, take the time to see if your sales numbers are headed in the right direction.

If SEO has not been a part of your brand promotions up to this point, you very well may want to change that approach moving forward.

With so much on the line in terms of sales and increasing your revenue on a regular basis; stop to see how SEO fits into those plans.

When all is said and done, you might be happily surprised with what you find.

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topic on the web.

Share Your Brand’s Message

October 26, 2016 by Thomas

When it comes to your brand, would you say successful promotions are the norm?

Unfortunately, many business owners have trouble getting their brand’s message heard. As a result, they do not rise to the top of the charts. In the process, competitors end up passing them by, something that can lead to dire consequences.

So that your brand’s message is heard loud and clear, it is important that you do everything in your power to promote your business.

This means everything from referral marketing to social media and everything in between.

With that being the case, are you properly sharing your brand’s message?

Don’t Be Afraid to Promote

For your brand to get as much attention as possible, start by making sure you have all your bases covered.

The starting point is having a marketing plan in place. Why is a plan so important? Have you ever tried to do anything in general on the fly? As you probably know, it can prove to be a hap-hazard experience at best. When you have a plan in place, your chances for success are much greater.

Some keys to your brand promotions would include referral marketing, social media, videos and podcasts, a killer blog etc. As you can see, there is much to do, but a well-rounded marketing plan typically leads to success.

That said never be afraid to promote your brand. Even if some ideas are outside-the-box, it is better to try and fail. If you do not throw stuff out there to see what sticks, how will you ever know what does and doesn’t work?

Spreading the Word Isn’t Difficult

So that your brand gets as much exposure as possible, remember these tactics:

Referral marketing – More and more companies are seeing how this form of marketing can benefit their revenue streams. Referral marketing for your brand is a matter of getting as many consumers as possible to spread the word about your products and/or services. Give current customers incentives to want to tell their family and friends about your business. From discounts and loyalty programs to excellent customer service, the sky is the limit in what you can do;
Website blog – Your company’s blog is one of your greatest assets, so don’t let it go to waste. You should be putting informative and authoritative copy on the blog regularly, copy that will encourage consumers to do business with you. Your blog copy also needs to be promoted on a regular basis via social media (see more below) and other outlets;
Social media – As mentioned a moment ago, social networking is nothing short of critical in today’s brand promotions. Even if you are only on one social platform for the most part, that is much better than ignoring social media altogether. You are best off by having a presence on multiple social sites, with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat etc. being your best bets these days;
Videos and podcasts – Finally, have you been hesitant to see how videos and podcasts can help promote your brand? If so, you’ve been missing out on some golden opportunities. With videos, you can put visuals behind your written words. Even a short 60-second explainer video will give consumers great knowledge about your brand. Make the videos not only informative, but entertaining to watch. As for podcasts, these have been growing leaps and bounds over the last few years. Best of all, consumers can listen to them whenever and wherever they want.

Where and When Will You Begin?

In order for your brand to catch fire, you need to be multi-dimensional when it comes to promotional efforts.

With 2016 winding down, now would be a great time to start reviewing your marketing initiatives for the New Year.

See what your marketing budget looks like, where you can make inroads with consumers, and where you may have been lacking this year.

In the end, sharing your brand’s message with the world isn’t as hard as you might think.

As a business owner, how are you using referral marketing, your blog, social media and more to be heard?

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business and marketing topics on the web.