Small business marketing toolbox - All Comments

re: Hand-Written Notes Have Become A Power Tool

Mae — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:54:25 GMT

I agree, following-up and communicating with people is so important. Especially for businesses! I found a system that works wonders for me. Check it out:

www.BuildCustomerReferrals.com

Re: Hand-Written Notes Have Become A Power T

maryanngamble — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:27:00 GMT

I have recently started my own company, Cultivated Clients, LLC that sells this kind of service -- we will hand write addresses on envelopes, write out full note cards or letters -- whatever is needed. This is a low cost way to maximize results and show people they are special. If you are interested in our services, contact me at gamble2205@adelphia.net or by calling 412-780-3017.

Re: Duct Tape Marketing Book Gets A Cover

hotpluto1 — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 18:55:00 GMT

John, looks like a great book...can't wait to see it. In regards to marketing for the average small business, I beleive the landscape is about to change...at least where advertising, marketing, branding is concerned over the Internet. With the popularity of YouTube and other video centric sites, people are fasinated at what they can see. It's a new dimension and tech advencements have finally brought Video Advertising to the NET. I'm leveraging this move with my new site www.hotpluto.com Consumers will go see Ad's to consider purchases if you give them the control and interesting content. Actually, allow them to interact with the Advertiser and I believe you have a home run for both sides. Print ads, banners, pictures, and collateral will always play a big part in an Advertisers campaign. Giving them a platform to allow them to advertise in a new dimension, is a great value ad to the whole mix. Thoughts? Brett

Re: A Great Primer on Blogging Best Practice

vipin@MyTypes.com — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 05:37:00 GMT

Great job on this, John! As you probably know there are lots of people looking for professional blogging, and promoting the value of blogging today. There are very few actual good tools, that combine blogging and how to blog, how to write a blog, with a free business blogging platform. I had been blogging on Blogger and Wordpress for blogger, but there are down sides to all. So we created www.MyTypes.com, would you give us some feedback on it's ease of use? We also built in automatic SEO capabilities, and wanted to get your readers views and maybe even get some, including you on our Customer Advisory Council so we can get your feedback and compensate you for our V 1.2 launch. I am the CEO and really this is not just a promotional but an informative value add for you and us and check out http://MyTypes.com. We can also link to your website from our main page, we are getting signficant traffic. Thanks and best wishes your good content is what got us here.

Re: You Can't Buy Good Design Unless You Kno

salvador115 — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 17:04:00 GMT

I understand now. It's the business's job to make designers understand that logos cost $299 a pop and be ready in five days. This is not buying good design. This is not knowing good design. But this is the approach of Logoworks.com, now the bouncing baby property of HP.

Re: You Can't Buy Good Design Unless You Kno

Gon200 — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:55:00 GMT

I applaud you for taking the time to mention that business owners and entrepreneurs should seek education on good design. But might I also suggest that good design goes far beyond the "pretty stuff" of an identity for a company and certainly goes well beyond a quick and cheap design solution. I'd like to see HP take a better approach to being design savvy and cheap.

Re: Hand-Written Notes Have Become A Power T

mkaselnak — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 12:38:00 GMT

John, You hit it on the head. I built a $1 million financial planning practice by sitting down and writing handwritten notes for 6 hours every week. It started slowly and built up to a steady flow of clients coming into my office weekly 18 months into the practice of writing handwritten notes. I tried everything before it for 15 years and only had marginal success. When I started writing the notes my business exploded for all the reasons you mention. I stood out from the crowd. It is crazy to me that more people don't use this tool. It's so darn cheap and so darn effective. Thanks John! Your site is the best site on marketing on the net!

Re: 5 Ways to Get More Abundant in 2007

sswitzer69 — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 16:38:00 GMT

One of the most difficult things about being a small business owner is finding ways to generate marketing or advertising for your small business. I have found a company that really helps with promoting your business, there are just some many ideas that you can promote your business with. Look at http://www.theexecutiveadvertising.com for Promotional Products that you can put your company logo on, they literally have thousands of products and ideas. This type of advertising really keeps your company name and logo in front of your customers, something as simple as a refrigerator magnet; this really helps with local marketing. Also, look at http://www.theexecutivemarketing.com they actually offer a telephone marketing campaign that will call a list of consumers that are not on the “Do No Call” list. Depending on your industry this service can offer immediate customers using direct telephone marketing. Hope this helps, Stewart Switzer http://www.firstnational-usa.com Mortgage Loan Specialist

Re: Consistency is the real issue!

sswitzer69 — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 16:36:00 GMT

It’s really hard to get started with marketing and promoting your small business. It’s important to constantly remind your potential customers that your business is there. Keeping your company name and logo in the eyes of the consumer is expensive and difficult, but over time these investments really do payoff. If you are looking for some ideas on promotional products for your customers check out: www.theexecutiveadvertising.com they have thousands of promotional product ideas that you can browse through. Remind your consumers that you are there is, a good example is Post Card and Letter Mailings, these are great but the secret is 1) Make sure that your take the time to design the letter or post cards that you are sending, and that your product is sellable to the consumers that you are marketing to. 2) Consistently market your company! If you are doing post card mailing for example make sure that you set goals for your mailings, for example send out 1,000 cards a week, or 2,000 cards a month. It takes time for you to get a response from your mailings. Look at www.theexecutivemailing.com Stewart Switzer www.firstnational-usa.com Mortgage Loan Specialist

Re: Small is the New Big

leynard06 — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 04:53:00 GMT

The article may not be too detailes. I suggest it must be added some informative passages to be more understandable and comprehensive. The blogger has to define his article and that it should appear to be more appealing as he explains what he wants the reader to get from him.

Re: Small is the New Big

leynard06 — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 04:50:00 GMT

Re: Can Anyone Define Marketing for the Small Business?

PublicPassport — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 03:02:00 GMT

Great Blog Post...I addressed the same topic in a recent blog post entitled "Marketing Made Simple" which can be read at http://www.n2growth.com/blog/?p=77

Re: Can Anyone Define Marketing for the Small Business?

PublicPassport — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 02:52:00 GMT

Great Blog Post...I addressed the same topic in a recent blog post entitled "Marketing Made Simple" which can be read at http://www.n2growth.com/blog/?p=77

Re: How To Write A Great Press Release

imrananwar — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 23:20:00 GMT

It is interesting to me that the more empowering personal expression becomes, enabling all of us to be publishers of information in our own style, the more a sense of overwhelming burden overtakes us. This is forcing us to seek out tools that automate even the process of creating our own "unique" messages, like press releases, or even business plans. Ironically, without any of us realizing it, this may be the new wave of mass-EDI eBusiness communication, where many of us will rely on standardized "forms" for everything from press releases to business plans, to web sites and even books. even my blog, http://imran.com/media/blog , a unique take on things around the world, is based on a standard tool, blogger.com. Is this good, bad, or... what? What do you think? Imran http://imran.TV

Re: Hand-Written Notes Have Become A Power Tool

ColorExpert — Mon, 15 May 2006 13:41:00 GMT

I often send personal notes to clients and the response has been overwhelmingly positive since as you point out rarely do they receive a hand written note. You may also want to add that by selecting a distinctive stationary style even if it is one you can purchase off the shelf and using this as your signature note paper or cards can be a nice way to make the note memorable. A couple of clients have told me that when they see the envelope they know it's from me and open the note first. I find that to be a wonderful complement! Kate http://www.sensationalcolor.com