How To Understand the Reality of Paid Advertising vs. Referred Business | Getentrepreneurial.com

January 17, 2024January 16, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In the words of Henry Ford, “I know half my advertising doesn’t work; I just don’t know which half.”

As small business owners, we face an overwhelming array of marketing options, with paid advertising being a common go-to method. However, the truth is that paid advertising can be a hit-or-miss approach, lacking guaranteed success. Fortunately, there is an alternative that can bring long-term value to your business: building high-quality referral relationships.

The Benefits of Referred Business

While I may be biased, there are several advantages that referred business holds over paid advertising. The foremost benefit is the level of trust that referred customers have in your business even before they meet you.

A 5-Point Guide to Online Marketing | The Startup Magazine

August 11, 2023August 10, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The modern world requires you to have more than one storefront. You must represent your brand in your bricks & mortar building, online via your website, through your social channels, and in any other ad campaigns you run. Online marketing is equally as important as representing yourself physically among competitors. It provides your business with unlimited potential to tap into endless audiences. If you go viral, your brand will soar.

How to Master Online Marketing in 5 Steps

Your online reputation is what drives your share in the $5.7 trillion E-commerce industry. If you are missing traffic, you are missing sales. Use these techniques to grab yourself a piece of the pie.

1 – Expanding your online presence

If your customers cannot see you, they will not buy from you. So it is on the high street and so it is online. You will need a professionally made website, social media accounts on all the currently trendy platforms, and the skill to incorporate SEO techniques. Don’t panic, you can outsource all the digital aspects of setting up your startup business online nowadays.

Once you have an online space, we call this your online platform. The next steps to mastering online marketing include using this platform as your online HQ. All your ads, all your social posts, each blog or guest blog you add will all direct your customers to this HQ.

Why Business Owners Must Trust Data Over Opinions in Marketing | Entrepreneur

August 9, 2023August 8, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ 1 Comment

When it comes to marketing any business, data never lies. However, it is easy to let our personal tastes and inner voices prevail, even if we do not have the data to back it up. The business owner’s opinions certainly have a place in devising their marketing plans, but they should never become an obstacle to success. And that is why I always use hard numbers to guide my marketing plans rather than gut feelings.

Opinions are great, but facts are better

Working with a variety of clients across the country, I see a variety of personality types, not only in the business owners themselves but in their businesses as well. I always want to respect my client’s input. After all, they know their business and clientele best. However, most of the entrepreneurs I encounter are looking for a noticeable improvement in their bottom line, and to make that happen, they must be willing to accept that they do not always know best when it comes to marketing.

How to Use YouTube for Small Business | Business News Daily

July 18, 2023July 17, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

YouTube can be an effective video platform for small business marketing. Here’s how to use it to its full potential.

YouTube is home to more than 2 billion users worldwide and drives visits from more than 122 million people daily, making it a great platform for small businesses looking to market with video content.
Video is extremely engaging and useful for many types of businesses. Creating a YouTube channel for your business offers a centralized platform for your audience to view and engage with your videos.
Fill out your YouTube profile and follow these tips to upload engaging video content that will resonate with your audience and grow your followership.
This article is for small businesses looking to improve their marketing strategy by adding video content and boosting engagement with their audience.

How to Differentiate Your Product From the Competition | business.com

April 25, 2023April 24, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As a business owner, you need to know how to differentiate your business from your competitors.

What is product differentiation?

Product differentiation is what makes your items or services unique. This can be because of a particular technology or design you own, specialty support you offer, a stellar customer experience you create or anything else. The goal here is to identify and focus on the aspects of your product or service that make customers want to work with you.

Why is product differentiation important?

These Home Page Best Practices Will Maximize Engagement | AllBusiness.com

March 24, 2023March 23, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Imagine, you have arrived at a networking event and the host introduces you to Richard, a cleaning company owner.

Just as you politely smile and shake Richard’s hand, he starts telling you about the most advanced floor polisher he’s bought, and the green commercial grade disinfectant he uses, and the fact that he has just leased a fancy car and … (yawn).

You stay and listen for a while, but when the chance arises, you make your escape, ensuring that Richard won’t spot you for the remainder of the night.

Sadly that’s how many entrepreneurs approach the design of their website’s home page—they make it all about themselves. And they can’t understand why their website bounce rate is 98%.

Unveiling The Mystery Of Effective Selling | Duct Tape Marketing

March 13, 2023March 12, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interview David Newman. He’s the founder of the Do It! MBA mentoring program and the host of The Selling Show, a top-rated business podcast. He is the author of the business bestseller Do It! Marketing, and his new book, Do It! Selling, where David helps professional services sellers land better clients, bigger deals, and higher fees.

Key Takeaway:

Successful selling requires reframing sales as an invitation, and a conversation with an approach to authenticity, curiosity, and service. David Newman joins me to talk about the frameworks needed to generate more effective selling. This requires developing skills of being strategically dumb and perpetually curious, digging deeper into the problem. David emphasizes the importance of focusing on the prospect’s needs and cultivating a mindset of curiosity.

How to Grow Your Email List | AllBusiness.com

March 2, 2023March 2, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Email is a core component of many companies’ marketing strategies, and its success depends on how effectively you can grow and maintain your subscriber list. The more people who opt in to receive your business’s newsletters and marketing messages, the greater the number of potential leads you’re reaching every time you send a campaign.

To help, 10 members of YoungEntrepreneur Council share some creative and effective strategies to help small businesses gain (and keep) email subscribers.

What’s one creative tactic a small business can leverage to gain more subscribers on their email list? Why is this effective?

Easy Ways to Promote Your Business | The Startup Magazine

February 28, 2023February 26, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Starting and running a business can be a challenging and rewarding experience, but promoting it effectively is crucial for its success. A strong marketing campaign is essential for reaching out to potential customers, establishing a brand image, and increasing sales. With the rise of technology and digital marketing, there are many ways to promote your business, but it can be overwhelming to know where to start. If you want to learn more about that, here are a few tips to help you promote your business effectively and take your company to the next level.