Want to fix a kitchen sink, restore a broken dryer to health, or create the perfect crème brulee? A quick trip to YouTube will give you dozens of do-it-yourself videos. People like the DIY approach because they feel it empowers them and saves money. Entrepreneurs in particular love to boast about “bootstrap” approaches to their business [...]
It's no surprise that an estimated 8.8 trillion photos were taken worldwide during 2018, given that most of us carry high-quality cameras in our phones. But shooting all those photos doesn't make us photographers. Digital technology has become a powerful equalizer in so many ways. Everyday people have access to tools that are far more sophisticated [...]
Does this make me look fat? The classic question and deadly measure of spousal honesty illustrates the inherent dilemma in conducting customer surveys. Just as spouses typically hesitate before responding, wondering whether the asker is truly seeking honest feedback or fishing for a compliment that might be a little untruthful, many companies claiming to be interested [...]
Ask a business owner how her customers think about the services they receive or the products they use, and you’ll hear comments like "they love us." But when a third party asks those customers the same question, the results can be eye-opening. I recently shared the story about developing a customer profile for a professional services [...]
If your objective is to increase the number of customers you serve, a prudent way to start is by taking a closer look at the customers you already have. If that sounds odd, consider that the customers you already work with are presumably happy with the work you perform on their behalf. If you use [...]
We had carefully studied the client's stated objectives and analyzed the budget, then created a strategy that addressed both with great efficiency. So we were startled when our plan was completely tossed out the window. The reason? One of the executives walked into the meeting and said he really liked a particular technology, so using that [...]
Typically, testimonials come in two forms – written and video. Both are effective, touching its audience visually, emotionally, and mentally. Testimonials provide credibility for your company’s products and services, leveraging the power of word of mouth. Additionally, testimonials enhance your brand, verify your expertise and establish and/or deepen trust.Testimonials should be leveraged by placing them in [...]
Many companies in the business-to-business world sell their products through networks of outside dealers, independent distributors, or similar arrangements. While those arrangements make it possible for even a small company to quickly gain a broad reach, they can also reduce the control the company has over its image and messages. Our marketing agency works with a [...]
One of the first metrics business owners learn about is return on investment, or ROI. Earning the highest possible ROI is critical when running a business. You make investments with the expectation that you’ll have something to show for them.So how's the ROI on your investment in marketing and advertising? If you’re like most business owners, [...]
For many companies, participation in trade shows devours a healthy portion of the total marketing budget. But as with so many other aspects of business, what matters isn't how much you spend -- it's how intelligently you spend it.After each year’s show, many companies conclude that they could have had better results if only they had [...]
