5 Benefits of Having a Website for Your Small Business | Small Biz Trends

September 15, 2016September 14, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Last week at SmallBizTrends I shared the statistic that 47 percent of small business owners still weren’t using social media because they didn’t feel it was important to their business. That post spurred a lot of strong comments, both on site here and on Facebook. Eventually the conversation went from whether SMBs should invest in social media to whether they even need a Website or an Internet presence at all.

I really wish we could stop having this conversation.

You probably know some businesses who are doing phenomenally well without a website. I do, too. But I often wonder how much better they could be doing if they took the time to invest in one. And when I say “website,” I don’t mean an electronic version of that brochure they’ve been handing out for the past 10 years. I mean a legitimate, well-thought-out site that is designed to inform, engage and convert their audience.

Even newspaper ads aren’t declining as fast as desktop ads | Mashable

September 14, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The next two years will not be kind to the now rapidly declining desktop ad industry, according to a new report from a leading prognosticator.

Zenith, owned by French media buying firm Publicis Media, predicts that spending on smartphone ads will eclipse their desktop counterparts much sooner than anticipated — possibly as soon as next year — as people do more of their web browsing on smaller devices.

While not much healthier in the long term, beleaguered newspapers and magazines are expected to fare better in the next two years, losing only $9.6 billion and $4.4 billion respectively compared to desktop’s projected $10.7 billion loss.

By 2018, the forecast says, mobile will account for as much as 60 percent of all internet advertising.

Can Tom Selleck Convince Seniors Reverse Mortgages Aren’t Too Good to Be True? | Adweek

September 7, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ 1 Comment

If you were around in 1987, you might remember People magazine naming Tom Selleck the “sexiest man in the world.” You might recall how that famous, mustached face graced the covers of the glossies and tabloids, or how Magnum, P.I.—the CBS series that pulled in up to 18.7 million weekly viewers during its eight-year run—made Selleck among the most recognizable faces in America. Playing an ex-special ops Vietnam vet in the show, Selleck skillfully blended his devilish playboy charm with a smart, hardened, patriotic side. It was an unbeatable combo—and it’s one a company called American Advisors Group is hoping can still work its old magic nearly three decades after Magnum ended.

Selleck, still swarthy and handsome at 71, has continued to play tough, no-nonsense TV characters, most recently Commissioner Frank Reagan on the CBS series Blue Bloods. But Selleck’s latest screen appearance is unlike anything he’s done before. Selleck recently began pitching AAG’s reverse mortgages. (A new spot is scheduled to debut today; watch the first one below.)

3 Things To Tell Every Customer |Small Biz Trends

September 1, 2016August 31, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Your customer’s or prospect’s attention is extremely important to your business. Let’s look at three statements you should be making and backing up to your customers.

Must Have Customer Communication

1. We Want Your Feedback

At the end of any purchase, project or service with your customer, let them know you want to understand how the customer experience was for them. While it’s great to use many different methods to get your customer’s thoughts post-sale, you will get more feedback by personally letting them know you care about it and want it.

Nike’s ‘Unlimited’ Series About Everyday Athletes Was the Most Remembered Olympic Ad | Adweek

August 24, 2016August 24, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

To determine the most effective TV spots of the Olympics, Google tracked the top 12 brands with ads that aired during NBC’s broadcasts by length and frequency, including Coca-Cola, Nike and BMW.

Collectively, the ads generated 3.5 billion impressions. The company’s data includes online surveys as well as traffic stats about Google searches.

Per Google’s findings, 34.4 percent of consumers remembered seeing Nike’s “Unlimited” campaign, which champions the stories of everyday athletes like Chris Mosier, Sister Madonna Buder and Kyle Maynard—the first quadruple amputee to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

Fuel Your Business by Answering These Two Questions | Entrepreneur

August 15, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Think niche! That’s actually a scary thing for entrepreneurs. You are starting a brand new business, and you don’t want to say no to anyone. You want — and need — to make sales. Naturally, the idea of targeting a very specific market, thereby excluding others, is scary.

I get it. When I started out, I positioned myself as a life, career and business coach. I was making sales, but was also targeting three distinct personas. This was no easy task, and it left me feeling drained.

Why Your Business Needs Content Marketing | The Startup Magazine

August 10, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

We live in a world where anyone from anywhere can potentially start a business (provided they have the right tools of course) and whilst that’s undoubtedly a great world we live in, it means there is twice as much competition in any given industry.

And as if the odds aren’t already stacked against you, consumers are becoming increasingly savvy as to when they are on the receiving end of the sales spiel, and with so many ways to skip past adverts with little or no relevancy it’s easy to see how things get lost amongst the noise.

You’ve probably heard of content marketing. You may even already be doing it, although without much effort or reason, but your business needs it. Whatever your status, your businesses survival is dependent on you creating content which ultimately entices a consumer to do business with your business.

If you’re unsure on just how it can help your business to grow then this guide should help to cement just why you need it.

Why You Should Invest in Video Marketing to Grow Your Business | Small Biz Trends

August 5, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In the rapidly evolving landscape of marketing, businesses are constantly required to come up with improved ways to promote themselves and attract valuable leads. The rising customer expectations have led businesses to develop new strategies to meet and exceed the demands.

One of these strategies that have gained momentum recently is video marketing.

There is hardly any doubt about the fact that video-driven platforms are well-received by today’s generation. In fact, Snapchat has overtaken Twitter with a user base of more than 150 million every day compared to the 136 million daily users of Twitter.

Such increased popularity of videos has convinced businesses to rethink their digital marketing strategies and include videos to attract a flood of customers.

4 Reasons Your Product Presentation is Letting Your Company Down | Life Hack

August 1, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When a customer places an order with your website, or over the phone with one of your reps, there’s a promise that’s made. The customer expects their package to arrive on-time with all of the items they ordered included. While good companies make this happen, great companies deliver on their promises with style.

Consider the last time you purchased an Apple product. Did you notice how intricately, yet simple the devices were packaged and presented to you? There are many examples of great product presentation in packaging, which can help boost loyalty and revenue. Let’s look at four ways you can actually improve on your current product presentation right now: