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In order to have a thriving business, a good marketing plan is necessary. However, many business owners make the mistake of approaching their marketing strategy with a just "wing" it mentally or improvising along the way. Instead of planning ahead, they'll only take action once problems arise or when a looming deadline or goal is just a few days away. Avoid this type of marketing approach and set your business up for success by creating an organized and detailed plan that will kick-start your marketing strategy. Check out these 5 tips that will help you get started. 1. Identify your Audience Every business has a niche or audience they cater to. Identify your ideal customer and take the time to evaluate...

There's a big reason why we tend to gravitate to one specific grocery store, bar, hair salon, restaurant, etc. All these businesses that you frequent have created a pleasant and memorable experience, which keeps you loyal to the brand. When it comes to retail, overall experience and engagement is what keeps customers faithful. The digital world is no different. Think about how you feel when you are browsing through a new site or a site that has frustrated you beyond measure and why. Design, color scheme, speed, and functionality all contribute to user experience. An exceptional user experience on your site will ensure that visitors can find everything they're looking for easily and quickly. There are plenty of methods that you can apply in...

Coming up with an ideal marketing budget for any kind of business is a tedious task overall. However, startups and small businesses tend to struggle with this the most because they must maintain a healthy balance between revenue and costs while also investing on marketing and growth. This is where the big question comes in: how much of the budget should go into marketing? According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses that generate a revenue that is less than $5 million should only be spending 7-8 percent of their revenue on marketing. This recommendation is based on businesses that have margins in the 10-12 range after expenses. Although these numbers are extremely helpful, there are several other factors to...

  When it comes to business in general, following up with your leads or current clients is crucial. However now that SMS marketing is more common than calling, picking up the phone and having a productive phone conversation isn't getting any easier. When a customer reaches out to you, the way you handle that follow-up conversation can make or break your relationship with that customer.  A bad or unimpressive first impression can cause a major impact on your business and your numbers will start to suffer. In order to become a follow-up master, try applying the following tips to your strategy. 1. Schedule your Phone Calls Catching someone at the right time seems almost impossible, especially because everyone seems to increasingly...

  Word of mouth marketing brings in 5 times more sales than paid media does. Think about it, FIVE TIMES more. So wouldn't you agree that word of mouth marketing is highly necessary to promote your small business? This incredibly effective form of advertising can't be bought with even the largest marketing budget. Yet, it can influence a mass audience you'd never expect. You can think of word of mouth marketing much like the suggestions you hear from your friends about a recent restaurant experience they had. In fact, 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends. At this point you may be wondering how to generate word of mouth marketing for your own business. Well, here are 7 effective and simple ways that will help...