Skip to main content

Articles in Category: Insights

Taking Advantage of the Holidays

The holidays are approaching and although it can be difficult for entrepreneurs to unplug and unwind, it’s vital for your health and the success of your business. So, plan out your vacations now and then reap the benefits of some time off:

Instagram vs. Pinterest for Your Business

Instagram vs. Pinterest for Your Business

Social media is an invaluable marketing tool for your business because it allows you to reach out to, and interact with customers, gain exposure, push traffic to your website and discover market trends. Most business owners realize that they need to be on social media, but a lot of them don’t know which platforms to focus their energy on.

The Secret Gold in Your Business

Did you know that your business owns marketing gold, and that it’s in plain view? All of that content on your website, blog and social media pages were time-consuming and costly to create. So why not repurpose it and earn a higher level of return on your investment?

Here are a few reasons why it might be time to revisit the content you already have, instead of spending more time and money on new material:

Holidays Are Coming – Is Your Marketing Ready?

As back-to-school items fly off the shelves, they’ll be replaced by Halloween décor, Thanksgiving essentials, and finally, a Christmas/Hanukkah/New Year’s explosion. The holidays are coming, whether you are ready or not. And even if you’re not ready, your marketing plans need to be. Here are a few tips to get you started now:

Plan early.

This is the golden rule of holiday marketing. Dedicate your summer to your Q4 marketing plan and solidify your strategy now. Advertising becomes more expensive and more competitive during the holiday season, so preparing ahead of time is key.  

What Kind of Entrepreneur Are You?

Entrepreneurs are the backbone of every company ever created, and according to Chris Kuenne and John Danner, entrepreneurship professors at Princeton University, the personality those business starters have is the most important factor in determining their success.

Together, they studied the motivation and self-identity of 450 entrepreneurs whose companies made at least $3 million in annual revenue and had been around for at least 3 years. Through their work, they discovered that these entrepreneurs all had one of four personalities:

6-Part List-Building Series: Using Direct Mail

6-Part List-Building Series: Using Direct Mail

If you thought direct mail was dead, think again. It is still a powerful marketing tool, especially when paired with an email campaign, and can help you gain more valuable customers. So, in this week’s installment of our 6-Part List-Building Series, we put together five tips for using direct mail to build your email list:

6-Part List-Building Series: Using Networking

6-Part List-Building Series: Using Networking

Networking is a fundamental part of being a successful business owner and it’s also an essential step in building a strong email list. That’s why we put together this week’s installment in our six-part list-building series: 7 ways to build your email list using networking.

6-Part List-Building Series: Using Your Website

6-Part List-Building Series: Using Your Website

If you want to connect with your customers, an email list is a must. So we’ve created a six-part series on building this invaluable link to your customer base. Here are 5 ways to build your list using your website:

Create a pop-up for each page of your website.

This is probably the most popular way to build an email list through a website. But don’t fret. Pop ups aren’t as bothersome as they sound. Today, they are usually timed so that once a visitor to your website spends a certain number of seconds on your page, he or she will receive a pop-up relevant to their behavior. Follow best practices when creating your pop-ups, such as including a clear call to action, personalizing them to the user, offering an irresistible incentive and using an eye-catching design.

New Social Media Platforms You’ve Never Heard Of

When you hear the term “social media,” you probably think of all the big names—Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, and maybe even Pinterest. But did you know that there are actually hundreds of social media platforms available to you?

Most of them probably won’t become big names like the ones listed above, however, if your job requires you to specialize in social media, audience growth, online engagement, or any type of marketing, really—or if your company’s audience includes Millennials and Gen-Zs, then you should probably keep tabs on what is out there.

Using Membership Sites With or Without Community

If you’ve decided to take a leap and create a membership site, the next big decision you need to make is whether or not you should include a community. In most cases, a community is a great idea, but there are a few things you need to consider before making a final decision. Here are the pros and cons:

Do You Video? No? Why Not?

Do You Video? No? Why Not?

Did you know that including a video on a landing page can increase conversion by 80 percent? Or that 55 percent of people watch videos online every day? We’re in a video marketing revolution, and if you haven’t joined in yet, you should… and quickly! Here are just a few more reasons why you need to get into the video marketing game now:

Appeal to all ages.

Members of Generation Z aren’t the only ones watching videos online. Millennials, Gen Y and Baby Boomers are also seeking out quality video content from the businesses they purchase from.

How Making a Pie is Like Starting a Business

Nope, you’re not seeing things and we’re not crazy. Making a pie is just like starting a business and we’re going to explain how:

Determine the need for pie.

When you decide to make a pie, it’s because you’ve determined that there’s a need for a pie. Maybe it’s Thanksgiving or another special occasion, or maybe your child or spouse just REALLY wants one. The same applies when you decide to start a business: you’ve determined that there’s a need for the product or service that you’ll be offering and you commit to doing something about it.

6-Part List-Building Series: Using Other People’s Lists

In the last installment of our 6-Part List Building Series, we’re going to explain how you can use other people’s lists to build your own. And no, this does not mean buying email lists… that’s always a bad idea! However, collaborating with other businesses to promote each other, a technique known as co-marketing, is a great way to gain subscribers.

PRO tip: Always, yes ALWAYS, have a call-to-action so ‘other people’s customers’ can opt-in on YOUR list for something free or paid. That’s the secret to using other people’s lists to grow your own.

So here are five ways to collaborate with another business and use their list to build your own:

6-Part List-Building Series: Using Speaking Engagements

6-Part List-Building Series: Using Speaking Engagements

Speaking engagements are a great way to promote yourself amongst industry peers and to your audience. So, in this week’s installment of our 6-Part List-Building Series, we will provide you with four easy steps you can take to build your email list using speaking engagements.

6-Part List-Building Series: Using Social Media

6-Part List-Building Series: Using Social Media

We’re back with our 6 Part List-Building Series and this week we’re sharing 9 ways to build your list using social media:

Host a Facebook Live.

Facebook Lives are a great way to help your audience put a face to a name and feel more connected to your brand. During the recording, teach a concept or share actionable tips and strategies. Create additional useful content or a handout that contains all of the information you shared during the live stream and offer it to your audience—in exchange for their email, of course.