Trade Show Basics for Small Business

Catamount Marketing tradeshowThe very words “Trade Show” make some small business owners shudder. Attending a trade show or business expo can take a lot of time and money. Quite frequently, those are two things a small business owner just doesn’t have a lot of. With some careful planning, however, a trade show can not only be fun but profitable as well.

These 10 tips may be basic but the best tips usually are; and even for seasoned trade show pro’s, brushing up on the basics is never a bad thing. Tiger Woods, arguably the best putter in golf, got that way by stroking tens of thousands of back to basics practice putts each year.

  1. Set clear goals of what you want to achieve at the show. Do you expect to sell products, launch a new product or promotion, or possibly meet suppliers? You can set more than one goal but be clear and focused on what your participation will involve. Most B2B trade show participants don’t expect to take orders on the spot; but rather look for is hot leads. At each trade show attempt to identify 3 – 5 hot leads. Do this by gathering business cards from participants. If you’re able to engage them in a conversation, even better; but know that like in a retail store, many show attendees are skittish about being approached and will consider themselves just looking. The best way to engage a stranger is to ask them a question about themselves. When you approach people showing interest in them, the walls start to come down. Make this a goal as well and you’ll be in the game before you know it.
  2. Find out everything you can about your space in advance. There’s nothing more frustrating than showing up to a show only to find that your booth is too big or too small to fit the space. Finding out the location of your booth in advance prevents you from lugging around boxes and products in search of the right spot. Finding out everything that is included (table, table cloth, electricity, etc.) in advance is a big time and headache saver.
  3. Have everything you need, like extension cords, tape, push pins, etc. with you when you arrive to set up your booth. It prevents last minute searching for items needed to set up your booth which, if you’re in a strange town can quickly turn into a nightmare. If doing trade shows becomes a fairly regular occurrence, keep a box that contains a hammer, thumb tacks, pens, rubber bands, notepads, band aids, extension cords, replacement light bulbs, tape, breath mints, and anything else that you’ll potentially need, ,and keep this box intact and ready to go for each trade show outing. Another option is to create a checklist of these items to review before leaving for the show. Attending a show can be stressful enough without having to scramble for a push pin at the very last minute!
  4. Make sure your display is appropriate for the group you are targeting. Who is your target market with your trade show display? What kind of questions will they have about your products and services? With a trade show, it is entirely possible that you will be mid-conversation with an attendee when another attendee comes to peruse your booth. Make sure your booth offers promotional signage (if you are giving something away), answers your most frequently asked questions and provides an attendee with something to do or look at while you are otherwise engaged.
  5. Advertise in advance of the show. Let the public know that you are participating in a particular trade show. Invite your clients, customers, suppliers and be sure and give them your booth number. Advertise your attendance to the trade show on your website as well. A couple of email blasts leading up to the show to your invitees or target audience can be very effective. Personalizing your message with a “Hi Mary” by inserting a [FIRST NAME] merge field as part of the salutation is exponentially beneficial for attracting attention and a higher ROI.
  6. Stand out! Don’t just be another booth and vendor at the show – find something different and unique and use that to draw visitors to your booth. Arrange your booth strategically so that everything can be seen quickly by visitors. Put larger items in the rear and shorter items up front. A table runner on top of the table cloth is an effective way of making your table stand out. Be creative with your booth, include pictures if possible and be sure your company name and logo are more than obvious.
  7. Should you give something away? Most people who attend trade shows are expecting some giveaways and food is always popular. Make sure you package your food in a way that allows you to have your company information on it. Gift Certificates for some of your services are another great Trade Show giveaway – there’s nothing better than getting a deal on your services. And when they redeem their certificate, they will learn how great your services are and come back for more. Offer a drawing for a prize that complements your business and appeals to everyone. Have visitors and guests sign a guestbook, fill out a form or drop their business card in a bowl. You can then use this information later to make a follow up contact.
  8. Arrive early enough to the trade show and make sure everything is set up correctly and that everything works. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes – you’re going to be on your feet for most of the day!
  9. During the show, never turn your back to the crowd and don’t sit down unless you’re having a conversation with a guest and you both are sitting. Stand in front of your booth, if possible, saying “Hi” to those that turn and look toward your or your booth. Have your elevator speech ready. More importantly, be ready to listen to what your guests have to say, you may learn a lot about them and be able to fill a need that they have.
  10. A portfolio or display of your work should be on hand for visitors to see. A digital photo frame is an excellent way of showing your work or placing a Power Point® presentation on a laptop – your visitors will find this visually appealing and it will draw their attention. Offering a brochure with your best work for them to take with them will serve as a reminder once the show is over.

These 10 basic steps to Trade Show exhibiting will make your booth stand out, draw visitors in, and save you time, money and stress.

Conversation question… with more and more information and communications being digital, do you think the age of the trade show is dying or still alive and well? Why do you think?

5 Steps to Growing Sales ebook

Courtesy Offer from Catamount Marketing
Effective selling is more a controlled process than the dreaded reputation of cold calling and prospecting.

Download this FREE eBook to learn about a very simple sales process that works and attracts clients that are a good fit for you and your business.

5step-ebook-download

 

Marketing based on “who you want to be”

who-you-want-to-be-CatamountMarketingZoom zoom… the Holidays are back and it’s the end of another year. This finds me reflecting on the goals I set, new goals ahead, and how many people, discoveries, and things I have to be grateful for. There’s no shortage of each, but I’m devoting this final article of the year to one introspection theme, if you’ll allow me, before diving into the Holiday eggnog (with maybe a little rum).

Looking back on 2014, my personal mission was to try to discern reality from illusion in both my personal and business life activities. Heady stuff, if not a bit “out there”, but when I boil virtually every thought, word, or action down to I can/should do this or I can/should do that, the answer usually lies with reminding myself of who I am and then deciding who I want to be in relation to that.

So what does this have to do with marketing? Back on July 23rd, in my weekly email message to my client and prospect list, I invited readers to go to Fascination Innovation to partake in an online personality assessment to receive back a report describing how the world sees “you”. About 45 readers did so and in return, each received a fairly comprehensive, if not fascinating, report with definable insights into themselves.

So what’s the significance of taking seemingly another personality profile examination? All of creation begins from a place of knowing – having a fundamental knowledge of a pursuit, even if that’s only knowing what we don’t know – before we can begin to create. From having a clearer understanding and acceptance of who we are, we’re then able to form ideas about who we want to be.

So what’s the marketing connection? Because our job, as marketers, is to create the finest and most trusted brand we can, given that the root basis of marketing is getting someone with a need to know, like, and trust you. Our success is assured when we apply the best parts of who we are to create who we want us and our business to be. It’s from this perspective where we can begin to discern illusion from reality, and think, speak, and act accordingly. At times, this is easier said than done; but with practice and repetition, over time the mind begins to frame ideas, opportunities, and decisions within this context and clarity and confidence begin to replace confusion and hesitation. As reality begins to sink in, the brand solidifies.

Neale Donald Walsh, author of Conversations with God, states so eloquently…

“The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew. Seek therefore, not to find out Who You Are, but seek to determine Who You Want to Be.”

Thank you for reading my messages this year and I hope some part of them have been helpful to you and your business.

I wish you yours a very Happy Holiday and a prosperous and creative year ahead.

Tom

Using print to further your marketing efforts

print and online marketing convergenceThere is no doubt that the Internet has changed the way small business owners market their business. Digital marketing, like e-newsletters, search engine optimization, social media, and search engine marketing, can be powerful forms of advertising.  Even more powerful, however, is digital marketing with a collaborative print marketing effort.

Here are a few ways print and digital working together can generate leads.

Tip #1: Postcards rule. One of the most powerful marketing strategies today is to promote your website via direct-mail postcards. Postcards serve many purposes. Whether you want to invite people to an upcoming webinar/class or showcase a few of your bestselling products, using a postcard to direct traffic to your website is a great idea. Motivate response with an exclusive offer or personalized URL which will allow you to track your response rate, conversion rate, and ultimate return on investment.

Tip #2: Use in store signage to increase newsletter subscriptions. Whether you run a restaurant, a school, a retail shop or a B2B service-based company, chances are good that you’ll have a client visiting you at your office at some point.  Use in store promotional posters, counter signs, table tents, hang tags, window clings or other signage to encourage customers to visit  your website and sign up for your email newsletter. Include a QR code that links to a mobile optimized page on your site with a short subscription form for a great customer experience. Entice customers to subscribe with an instant money saving coupon that can be emailed directly to them and shown to staff as proof of subscription for redemption.

Tip #3: Use print to connect you socially.  The digital world is cluttered. Every 60 seconds 700,000 Google searches are performed, 60 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube and 168 million emails are sent. Making sure that your fan base sees your posts can be a challenge unless you find other ways to promote your social media accounts. Help people find your social media accounts by including your most used and valuable account on your business cards. If you print a newsletter or brochure, include some of your positive Google, Yelp or Facebook reviews and encourage readers to view your full profile online.

Tip #4: A personalized letter. For a more personal touch and for situations which warrant a more professional approach, there’s still nothing like sending a personal letter; especially when both parties are acquainted with each other on some level. People do business with people and success in sales is about developing relationships. A well-crafted and sincere letter can accomplish this. To be sure, the content and tone should be tailored to your audience and written so as to provide value and not waste the readers’ time. Doing so can open doors, increase acceptance of phone calls, and make your next touch a little warmer.

As with all print, the fundamental keys to success are:

  1. The list: mail to the right audience
  2. The content: with or without a valuable offer, the content must be appropriate for your right audience. Everyone’s time is valuable so give them a reason to read past the salutation.
  3. The creative: whatever you mail, make it eye-appealing and captivating in relation to the right content for your right audience.
  4. Test, and then test some more: we may “think” we know what our audience wants, but often times we don’t know what we don’t know. Testing, like using an A/B split as part of your direct mail campaign, is an excellent way to put your print and mail budget to work for you; providing valuable data that help shape your ongoing marketing direction and budget.

Finding the right marketing mix is less about your business and more about your customers. Thinking about who they are, how they purchase and what influences them will help you determine how to reach customers with a mix of print and digital advertising.

Have you come across a cool marketing campaign played out online and in print? Share all! Let us know about it in the comments section below.

Small business perseverance takes flight!

Plane Profiles CorsairWho doesn’t love a good success story? The kind where some part of human spirit, energy, persistence, and skill all gel to make a happy ending; or more aptly, a happy situation – because the experience is never ending.

Our small and thinly populated state of Vermont is laced with such success stories; some of which evolved into  with some pretty famous brands like Ben & Jerry’s, Phish, Burton Snowboards, VBT (VT Bicycle Tours), Magic Hat, Bag Balm, and Chris Bohjalian, to name a few. In the wings are dozens of other lesser-known brands who are no less creative, innovative, or relevant, just not on the big stage… yet.

One such success story has been unfolding for the past 3 months or so, but in reality, has been building for years. Out of Stowe, Vermont is rising star and local artist whose passions, pursuit, persistence, and skills are now on the runway and cleared for take-off. Tod Gunter and his sole-proprietor Plane Profiles Company is landing his first order of technically detailed and historically accurate prints of select U.S. warplanes at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C. These aeronautic enthusiast prints will be for sale in the museum’s gift store and also at Washington’s Dulles International Airport. My own company, Paw Print & Mail, is proud and pleased to be the company printing of these magnificent pieces of technical art. You can read more about Tod’s story in an article and interview with him at Seven Days.

As a fellow entrepreneur myself, these stories serve to both inspire and remind me about the purity of patience, persistence, and the truism that slow and steady wins the race. It’s about becoming really good at something and then honing it further to a place of value for others to enjoy and benefit from. Stories like this abound of course, but they have even more meaning when one is witness to or part of the experience. In an age when more and more of everything is available at our fingertips from our computers, phones, and tablets, we’ve gotten used to having and achieving most everything “now”.

But the reality is that anyone who’s good at something got that way through many hours, months, and years of doing the small things over and over again while working through the trial and errors that build upon themselves to take form into something that works. Malcom Gladwell, in his book Outliers, says that it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field. The Beatles did it, Bill Gates did it, Tiger Woods did it, and now Tod Gunter has done it. Great work is great work no matter what the level of fame.

Now the real work begins. Creators generally love what they do so the many hours devoted to develop their craft, skill, or talent is often not work at all, but a process of discovery and practice. For many, the more challenging work is getting found and defining a relative value in a crowded marketplace. Slow and steady wins this race too. The older I get, the wiser I’ve become if for no other reason than to appreciate the patience, persistence, and evolution that goes into success.

Way to go Tod!

3 SEO Tips that Aren’t Rocket Science (but work!)

Catamount-Marketing-SEO-not-rocket-scienceWinning SEO is not rocket science in its most fundamental and effective form. There are a few basic things even the most non-technical people can do to their website to help the search engines understand what the site is all about. By making the following changes to the text on your site, you can improve the search engine ranking for your selected keywords.

Before you do any page optimization, brainstorm a list of every word or phrase you can think of that someone may use to search for what you sell. This is a great group exercise. Try asking others who are not intimate with your offerings to provide suggestions on what they may type to find what you offer.  Once you have a good list of keywords, narrow the list down to 2 or 3 that you really want to be found for.  We’ll focus on how to optimize your home page for just those top 2 or 3 keywords, however, the steps that we will go through below can be repeated with other keywords on additional pages of your site.

1.    Set your page title.  Many websites come with a built in content management system that gives you the ability to enter in some search engine optimization (SEO) settings. In the title section (location shown below), you should type in the major terms or phrases that you want the page to show up for in a search. Ideally, each page on your website will have a unique title that targets a specific keyword.  Your title should have 8 – 10 words and should be written with the end-user in mind. Your title should not:

  1. Contain more than 2 keywords plus the business name. Any more than this is known as “keyword stuffing;” where you try to stuff as many keywords into the title as possible. Too many words in the title dilutes the value of any one of the words.
  2. Be the URL for the website
  3. Be generic. “About us” or “Page 6” is not a great title for your site.
  4. The title appears in two places that are visible to the user. The first place is at the very top of your site in your browsers tabs.  In the example below, the title of the active tab is “Appliances, Decorative Plumbing…”

Catamount-Marketing-Browser-SEO

The second place the title is shown, is in the search engine results page. When we did a Google search for “Burlington Appliances,” the following site came up on the search engine results page and the area circled in red is the title for the site.

Catamount-Marketing-Search-SEO

Creating and implementing a well written title that includes your primary keywords is a great first step to increase your search engine rankings.

2.    Optimize your text. If, for example, you wanted your website to be found when someone searched for “appliances in Vermont,” then you would want to make sure that the text “appliances in Vermont” actually appeared on the homepage. Try working your keywords into your existing content. If you have little to no content on the page, consider adding a keyword rich paragraph that explains what you do, who you do it for and why you do it better than the competition.  Google and the other major search engines read and index text. If your website is 100% graphic based, adding text to the site will aid in increasing your search engine results.

3.    Optimize your links. Each website we build has a goal in mind. Whether it is increasing sales, decreasing support calls, or something as simple as downloading an e-book, your site should tell the user what you want them to do. Often, we see sites that do this by saying “click here” and the text “click here” is a link to the action they want the user to take. Rather than having the text “click here” be the link, create an action oriented statement like “Download our e-book today” or “Order widgets online now”. By making the links action items, you are helping the search engines understand what will happen with the user clicks on that link and will help them index the page appropriately.

The second way you can optimize your links is by linking the text on your page to other pages on your site. If you have a paragraph on the home page that lists the products and services that you offer, each one of the items in that list should link to a page that describes the product or service in more detail.  This will help you cross link between pages and create keyword rich pages that will be beneficial to both your end user and the search engines.

Making these 3 relatively easy modifications to your site can pay large dividends in your online visibility.  Try making the changes to your homepage first, then continue on to the other pages on your site. If you have any questions, contact us for a quick website review of your modifications.

Lights, Camera, Action! Video Best Practices

Video-SEO-Catamount MarketingMost people know that engaging social media posts and relevant, well-crafted videos are good for helping grow your brand and your bottom line. Unfortunately when it comes to video most people get it wrong. Not that the video is necessarily poor quality or does not provide value, but more often than not, little thought is put forth to optimize the video for search engines spiders which makes it nearly impossible to find.

According to Cisco, 84% of the Internet Traffic may consist of video by 2018. Unfortunately, then as now, most video will be buried too deep in the search results to be of value to most searchers simply because the publishers did not spend time making the video easy to be indexed. If the bots do not know what your video is about, they cannot present the video in the search results high enough to be of value to a searcher.

Here are a few things you can do to ensure your video is properly optimized for indexing:

  • Include relevant keywords (include longer keyword phrases as well).
  • Provide a summary of your video in as few words as possible, but make the summary relevant to the subject of your video.
  • When posting to YouTube or other video platforms, take the time to add search tags, categories and captions.
  • Post your video on YouTube, your website and other video platforms to get the most exposure for all search engines.
  • Do not create pages on your website with multiple videos. Make sure your video and page content are in sync and that you only have 1 video per page. Summarize the video using the page content for better understanding by search bots of what your video is all about.
  • When it makes sense, encourage others to embed your video on their site, blog posts, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter increasing your potential exposure to more people who can benefit from your video.
  • Have a goal. If you want your video to be shared, include instructions for sharing at the end of the video. If you want people to pick up the phone, make sure your phone number is prominently displayed throughout the video. Whatever action you want people to take, make sure it is obvious to the user and encourage the behavior frequently.
  • When creating a video, keep in mind that your video must entertain the audience, solve a problem or answer a question in order to be shared, liked and watched. Make sure the lighting is bright enough and that the audio is clear and loud enough. Your video does not need to be professionally produced or edited; if the message is clear and the audience finds value, your video will be a hit for your audience.

If you’ve shied away from video and are thinking now might be the time to start jump in; you’re right.  Check out these numbers:

  • Videos make up 53% of the internet traffic today
  • After 72 hours, an average human can retain 95% of video as opposed to 10% of text
  • Mobile Video has grown by 5000% in last 3 years
  • 72% of the audience are likely to have a greater understanding when shown a video

Now go get ’em… “lights, camera, action!”

Website Review Checklist – Taking Stock of Your Website

I meet a lot of people at networking and social events. When I talk to them about what I do (help businesses make more money and reach more people), I often get asked to review a piece of their marketing material and then provide my opinion on how it could be improved. Most recently, I was asked by a small business owner to review the website that he had just created with a template based solution.  As I was going through the site, I created a checklist of items to look for when evaluating a website. Below are the items that I look for.

  • Does the site look good? What kind of a first impression does it make?  I know this is subjective as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, however, most people can agree that a cluttered, mismatched website with clashing colors can be offensive to look at and may turn people off.

 

  • Is the navigation easy to understand and use? Are the page names labeled in a manner that I can easily find what I am looking for. Quite often, I see designers create clever navigation that looks great, but is a usability nightmare. It works in one browser but not in another and isn’t consistent from page to page. Clearly labeled navigation with obvious links make moving from page to page easier for the user.

 

  • Is the logo a link back to the homepage? This is often overlooked but is a very easy addition to your site and creates a single click back to the homepage from anywhere on your site.

 

  • Is the company’s contact information easy to find?  Ideally, the contact information should be on each page above the fold (meaning I don’t have to scroll to find the contact information).

 

  • Do I know what to do next?  When creating a website, you should always start by defining what your goals are for your website. Ask yourself what it would take for you to think of your website as a success. Is it more sales? More phone calls? Less support calls? Whatever that goal is, create a call (or multiple) to action around that goal. If you want more sales, try putting educational material on your site and telling people where to look to find them. Make your call to action obvious so the user knows what to do once they are on your website.

 

  • Is there a way to search? If a user can’t find what they are looking for, they will often do a keyword search within the site. Adding a search box to your website will allow the users to drill down to the page they are looking for more quickly.

 

  • Is it mobile optimized? With over 40% of traffic coming to a website from a mobile device, it is a true missed opportunity – if not a disservice – not to have a mobile solution for visitors.

 

  • Can I quickly scan the website and find out what this company does? And by quickly, I mean within 3 – 5 seconds. Is it obvious to the user what problem you solve?

 

  • Is there an appropriate amount of text? Again, this one is slightly subjective, however there needs to be enough content on the page to educate the user about your products and services. Content is also very important for search engine optimization. Having unique content that answers questions and clarifies your service offering will help potential customers and the search engines find your products.  If you have a lot of content on a page, try breaking it up with bulleted lists or info-graphics to help explain the text in a more visual manner.

 

  • Can I access their social accounts from their website? Your website is typically filled with marketing support and sales information. Your facebook page, blog or twitter feed usually shows a lot of the personality behind a company. When making a decision on whether or not to do business with you, looking at your website and your social accounts provides a more complete picture of what the company culture is.

 

  • Is the website maintained well? Websites are often neglected and not updated as quickly as they should be. If your website has old information on it or broken links or images, you are telling the visitor that you don’t place much value on them. You don’t mind if they are reading an outdated press release or looking at an old address for your company. Treat updating your website as a main priority if and when products or services change at your company.

Making sure your website is easy to use should be a major priority for your business. A website is a relatively inexpensive 24/7 selling machine that can make or break a sale. Use this checklist to review your website? Are you impressed or depressed? Leave your comment below on what you think is the more important part of a business website.

A Case for Mail Chauvinism

I’ll admit up front, I have a strong bias for direct mail. I grew up with it, I use it, and I sell it as part of my business printing and mailing services. If that makes me a mail chauvinist, so be it; I submit my face for the Mail Chauvinism recruiting poster.

But, as you are used to seeing me in your inbox each week, I’m also a proponent of email. What I’m REALLY a big fan of is using both because either one on its own is limiting. Printing and postage make mail more costly than email marketing, and email has become intrusive due to the sheer volume to wade through and manage. It’s the combination of the two, when done well, which deliver the most potential to build brand awareness and generate leads.

Many of our local clients at Paw Print & Mail use direct mail marketing regularly; including Champlain College, Efficiency Vermont, COTS, Creative Habitat, Burlington College, International Coin & Currency, and UVM College of Medicine, to name a few. They believe in direct mail because it generates higher-quality leads. Yes mail costs more than email, but it’s the ROI that determines the true cost; and higher quality leads generally convert to higher returns.

The keys to their success are:

  • Mailing to the right people (the “list”),
  • Connecting with their audience with relevant headlines, content, and sometimes an offer
  • Driving recipients to their website to engage further and ultimately convert
  • Finally, applying an email lead nurturing campaign, triggered by the direct mail piece, can improve results even more.

So what about integrating email with direct mail… what’s the skinny on that? If “data” is Queen (“data” used to be “King” but in my opinion “content” is now King), that makes having it key to marketing success; and for purposes of this discussion, I’m referring to data as someone’s email address (and preferably their name too).

There are multiple ways to acquire valuable contact information and one of the best ways to do so is to publish content that is compelling enough for someone to relinquish their valuable privacy. This can take the form of regular blogging, but also using direct mail. Why? Because each recipient physically lays their eyes and hands on a mail piece before they decide what to do with it.

When executed well, by virtue of an attractive design, relevant content, and an incentive (if/when appropriate), people will willingly and happily submit their email address if the content meets their needs. And THIS is why content is now King; because until I can get someone to know, like, and trust me, my product, or my organization, I’m just spending dollars on printing, mailing, and postage. But if those dollars convert to a genuine lead, then those dollars flip from dollars “spent” to dollars “invested”. Once someone opts-in with their email address, I now have a new connection and person to carry on the conversation with.

And this is just the beginning. Capture a genuine lead and then nurture those folks with continued help and advice; and the business will follow. This works for me and it’ll work for you. Sure beats going door-to-door.

Direct mail can be daunting to the uninitiated, but that’s where mailing professionals like us come in. We’ll process your list for the best postage rate and can handle every detail from planning, to design, to print, to mail drop.

Please contact me to discuss how direct marketing might work for you.

Some Ideas for Driving Traffic to Your Website

drive_traffic_to_your_website_Catamount_MarketingYou may recall the previous article spoke of various tactics to capture email addresses on your website for further marketing purposes.

So the next question becomes… how do I drive visitors to my website in the first place?

Some ideas include:

Direct Mail. Using direct mail to grab attention off-line is a very effective way to drive people on-line, to take the next step. Options include newsletters, postcards, and letters. Whenever possible (easier today than ever), personalizing a mail piece always produces better results. Those next steps could include:

  • an on-line purchase
  • redemption of a coupon
  • an invitation to “visit our website to see more sizes and colors”
  • schedule a free consultation or estimate
  • see our product video at www.ourcompany.com
  • and more

Content Marketing. Publishing blog articles with good content about your business, products, and services, while including a call-to-action (CTA), is not only one of the best ways to improve search ranking, it’s a great way to encourage prospects to visit your website. Compelling content makes you look and sound like an expert, and THAT’S who most people choose to do business with.

PPC. Pay-per-click works, but only until your PPC budget runs out… then you disappear. The better approach, one that’s organic and exists FOREVER, is to publish great content on a blog and social media page(s) that build your lasting authority on the internet.

Broadcast Media. Radio and TV are options and win the “reach” award, but because messages are fleeting, a listener/viewer’s ability to capture what to do or where to go next can be challenging.

I ask myself “what do LL Bean, Dakin Farms, local colleges, Bed Bath & Beyond, local banks and credit unions, and Dick’s Sporting Goods do?” These are all smart marketers, and smart marketers do what they do best… market across multi-channels to drive traffic, collect data, and generate leads.

In case you didn’t know, we’re experts in direct mail and we’re also expanding our content marketing services. Please contact me anytime to continue this discussion for your business.

Some Ideas for Capturing Email Addresses

email-assets-Catamount_MarketingI get asked this question a lot… “How can I acquire email addresses to use for my marketing?” Good question!

This is a good opportunity to put your website to work for you and have it start earning its keep. Having something of value to offer a visitor in exchange for their email address is a great start.

Some ideas include:
·    A whitepaper or e-book produced by your company about a topic relevant to your audience and the related products or services you provide.
·    An offer to provide a professional consultation, inspection, or assessment of a prospect’s current needs that you’re in the business of meeting.
·    A survey (keep it short and sweet).
·    A special product offering or limited-time promotion.
·    An e-commerce transaction.
·    Signing up to receive your online newsletter, email broadcasts, or blog articles.

Any of these mark the initial steps of building an organic list of email addresses as part of your overall marketing plan for establishing new business relationships.

For my next post, I’ll follow up here with some tips on how to drive people to your website to trigger these engagements.