Resources

Patti: Three words: What, how and why. This book taught me a marketing strategy for promoting products and services with a focus on “why” and not “what” or “how.” I learned more about storytelling and how consumers respond to the “why” of a business. You’ll find yourself asking, “What is my why?”

Patti: “Give and you shall receive.” This light, easy read helped me further dial in on the concept of being open to meeting and connecting with all types of people, knowing that everyone has something to give if you can connect with them in honest, real ways. In business and in life, people are organically drawn to those who are givers because they add value to the lives of others in some way. I want to be a life-long giver!

Patti: What is one thing you’d do differently next time? What is the one thing I can do today to move closer to my goal? What is one roadblock preventing us from taking this business to the next level? “One thing” questions can change your life and your business. This book opened my mind to a new way of thinking that helps break projects down into bite-sized pieces and, also, focus energies on one thing at a time.

Patti: This book taught me more about developing recurring income streams instead of relying on unpredictable project-based revenue. I enjoyed reading about the companies that were early adopters in the membership economy market — think Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Costco.

Patti: What I like about this blog is that the info he shares is digestible. You won’t find 800-word articles with technical how-tos. What you will find are daily thoughts and marketing concepts that are worth pondering.

With graphic design software easily available at our fingertips, more businesses than ever are creating their own marketing materials. If you are a small business owner or manager making your own promotional flyers, postcard mailers or brochures, consider these three design tips. Learn more.

Is your company trustworthy and reliable? Hip and edgy? Experienced? Forward-thinking? Your brand is what conveys these ideas to customers. It makes promises that your business backs up every single day; your brand is your reputation. Where this can go wrong with branding is when your brand conveys negative ideas that you probably don’t want associated with your business. Learn more.

You’d think that with all this technology at our disposal, everything would be automated. You’d think that businesses would be able to enter a few phrases into a chatbot, flip a switch and watch the engagement happen all on its own, as if at the hands of an automated (but organic-looking!) fairy. The truth is, businesses can do all of that. It’s just an awful idea. Learn more.

How much attention do you pay to your LinkedIn profile? Probably less than you should. Often described as “Facebook for professionals,” the platform’s utility is obvious: Ninety-four percent of job recruiters turn to LinkedIn in their hunts for candidates. And even if you’re not looking for work, LinkedIn is a haven for professional development and networking. It’s also a place where potential customers seek out advice from others who’ve used your company’s products or services. But how do you use the platform? And what makes your profile stand out? Here are three things you can do to get started. Learn more.

Facebook has always been about community, with particular focus on connecting friends and family. Now, that focus has swiveled toward connecting the world. How do businesses fit into all this? The same way as ever: by providing value. Let’s look at a four specific examples. Learn more.

Where did the images on your website or blog come from? If your answer is “I don’t know,” or “We copied them from Google,” then you are at risk of being sued for copyright infringement.

This is a legal process that can cost your business hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

If you just thought, “Oh boy, we may be in trouble here,” know that you are not alone. Many educated and experienced business professionals don’t understand the rules when it comes to sourcing images from the Web — mainly because the rules are complicated and, quite frankly, confusing to research.

Learn more.

Many major marketing campaigns are designed specifically to grab the attention of potential customers — discounts usually are reserved for new signups, and educational campaigns focus on introducing a business to its target market. Without a doubt, these are important things to do. Ultimately, though, they’ll be as ineffective as doing nothing at all, if the business ignores customers once they’re in the door. If you don’t know how to retain customers, they’ll leave. Learn more.

Don’t do things a certain way just because that’s how you learned to do it. Always ask yourself: “Why am I doing this? What is my goal, and is this the best/most efficient/most effective way to get there?” This is a major concept in marketing, and it’s particularly important because the rules and tools are changing all the time. For example: Niche social media sites are the new “in” platform (but so were Peach, Path and Ello). Should you sign up? No matter what marketing tools you use — social media, print flyers, Facebook ads, word of mouth, skywriting, whatever — it’s important to audit your business now and again to gauge the effectiveness of your methods and to consider new methods that you might not have fully considered yet. Learn more.

One solid way to bring attention to your small, local business is to become involved with events — as a sponsor, vendor or participant. There are many options to choose from, including small town parades, street festivals, business trade shows and educational conferences. Learn more.

Are you a leader or a follower? If you’re not sure, just check your website and social media. After all, that’s what your customers are doing — and it’s easy for them to tell whether you’re an authority in your field or if you’re the type to piggyback on the expertise of others.

Any company’s Facebook page or Twitter account can be filled with links to tips, resources and articles created by others — and there’s a place for that, to be sure — but those practices don’t really show that you’re knowledgeable in your industry. Ideally, you want a mix of your own content (to show that you’re an expert) and a few curated links from others (to show that you can appreciate the value of others’ work, too). Learn more.

Quick question: You’re writing an email to your mom. Which of these two sentences do you type out?

• “Good morning mom.”
• “Good morning, mom.”

Which is right? Could it be either one? Does it even matter?

It does. No matter what your friends might tell you, commas are not arbitrary. Learn more.

Writing. It may not be your strong suit, but odds are you’re having to do it anyway. Perhaps your boss has asked you to take over the company blog. Maybe you’re running a small business and you’re in charge of all email correspondence and social media posts. However you’re writing, you surely know by now that it’s more than just dumping words onto the screen and moving on. Good writing is an art, and it takes time and focus to do well. You are doing the best you can, but perhaps there are some basic issues that you weren’t even aware existed. Learn more.