Small Business Marketing
Our small business marketing section clarifies what the owner of a small business of one needs in their marketing kit. With information on learning new written and oral presentation skills, this section will help get you noticed.
You’ll get advice on how to write articles to promote your services, how to develop a website that sells, how to be noticed by the media, the role of direct mail, the secrets of attracting business through word-of-mouth referrals and how to avoid some of the biggest marketing mistakes.
Plus you will find tips on writing and producing your own ezine, the role of PR and advertising for small businesses and how to use testimonials in your marketing.
Whatever your knowledge of marketing, prepare to be challenged, stimulated and inspired.
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Marketing articles
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Marketing
Business logo designs: Getting what you want
My previous article discussed briefing a designer prior to business logo design. It is important to give a detailed account of your business and market as well as your design ideas. Naturally you will want designers to introduce their own ideas also.
- Published 4 days ago
- 5 Comments
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Marketing
Client feedback: Do you shy away from it?
If you did a bad job for a client, would you be happy for them to let you know where you went wrong? Do you seek client feedback or would you prefer not to know? - Published 25 April 08
- 8 Comments
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Marketing
Business logo designs: Briefing a designer
In a previous article on business logo designs I wrote about making an effective logo. If your business needs a new identity, here are some tips on briefing your graphic designer. - Published 07 April 08
- 12 Comments
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Marketing
Develop your Personal Brand - Twelve tips
Personal branding is the relationships an individual has with its public - essentially personal public relations. How others feel about your personal brand determines whether or not they want to have a working relationship with you. - Published 31 March 08
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
Market your small business with a big heart (not a big budget)
This Small Business Big Brand workshop – with Carolyn Stafford will uncover the secrets to marketing that other marketers just won't cover. In 20 easy steps and one day you’ll discover your 'missing link' to business growth.
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Marketing
Online Marketing: Google Pay-Per-Action
Targeted traffic still isn’t enough to convince most small to medium businesses to advertise with AdWords. The result is Google’s latest initiative – Pay-Per-Action.
- Published 10 March 08
- 1 Comment
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Marketing
Boost referrals with a memorable introduction
Positive word-of-mouth is the main source of new business for many soloists, and networking is a good way to build it. But people have to remember you to refer clients, so how you introduce yourself to people you meet is important to boost referrals.- Published 03 March 08
- 13 Comments
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Marketing
Successful media interviews
Successful media interviews are a great way to promote your business. But if you’re unfamiliar with being interviewed, you may get daunted by the prospect. Rather than saying no to the opportunity, there are ways you can eliminate unnecessary fears.- Published 25 February 08
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tips
My last article explained how search engine optimisation (SEO) works. Now I will discuss how to use keywords on your website to improve your ranking in search engines and how to get links from other websites to improve your credibility.- Published 18 February 08
- 7 Comments
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Marketing
A beginners guide to Podcasts
I love my iPod - it has opened my world in ways I could not imagine. The reason for this is simple: podcasts! Before I got my iPod, I didn’t even know they existed.- Published 15 February 08
- 3 Comments
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Marketing
Marketing tips for targeting small business
With more than one million businesses in Australia falling into the micro category, it can be hard to attract their attention. This article provides four marketing tips for targeting small businesses.- Published 13 February 08
- 7 Comments
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Marketing
How to make money from business blogging
Business blogging takes a big time commitment, but it could be worthwhile if it generates more customers and dollars. So how do you make money from business blogging?- Published 04 February 08
- 10 Comments
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Marketing
Why specialist positioning matters
Typically, the smaller a business is, the more important it is to specialise, and you can’t get much smaller than solo. For a soloist, specialist positioning is a powerful target marketing and business management tool.
- Published 25 January 08
- 6 Comments
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Marketing
How Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) works
Being easily found using Google and other search engines can impact the success of your business. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a way of increasing traffic to your website and ensuring your business ranks high in internet search results.- Published 14 January 08
- 6 Comments
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Marketing
Nine tips for improving negotiation skills
Professional salespeople love negotiation, but many soloists are more comfortable doing their job rather than negotiating about it. Here are nine tips for improving your negotiation skills.
- Published 10 December 07
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
Communication techniques: Showing empathy
As part of our lives as solopreneurs, we come across many different people who hold many different view points. To deal effectively with those who have a different opinion to our own, empathy is an important communication technique to develop.- Published 07 December 07
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
How to handle customer complaints
How often are you pleasantly surprised by great customer service? If you’re like me, then sadly not very often. But recently, I had a good customer service experience that demonstrates the best way to handle customer complaints.- Published 21 November 07
- 8 Comments
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Marketing
Creating a lead generating website
Creating a website whose sole ambition is to generate leads can be a very profitable exercise. A lead generating website provides valuable tools or resources for your potential clients, in the hope that they will then share information with you.- Published 12 November 07
- 8 Comments
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Marketing
Five tips for naming your business
Naming your business is one of the first steps in flying solo, although it is often not an easy task and there are many factors to consider. Here are some practical tips to help you with the process of naming your business.- Published 31 October 07
- 9 Comments
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Marketing
Ten tips to help you create a newsletter template
A commenter on my how to get ideas for your newsletter article asked for formatting advice, so here are ten tips to help you ease the newsletter deadline stress by creating a template.- Published 24 October 07
- 11 Comments
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Marketing
Why publicity wins you business
Word of mouth is a very powerful public relations weapon and one of the best ways of generating it is through publicity. Although publicity can be very valuable, it is often overlooked as a true means of creating interest in a product or service.- Published 22 October 07
- 5 Comments
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Marketing
Stop thief! When customers don't pay
Missing: One Word document, three ideas and a truckload of expertise. If seen, please return to Noel Ranger. I've been robbed and am not happy, Jan.- Published 19 October 07
- 16 Comments
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Marketing
Get more business with sampling
I know sampling isn’t new. But lately I’ve been thinking that such an effective marketing tool, with the ability to get lots of people trying your product or service, is not used often enough.
- Published 17 October 07
- 13 Comments
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Marketing
Ten tips on how to avoid business jargon
Business jargon can be misleading, confusing and boring, but as a soloist it is a trap we can easily fall into without even realising it. Here are ten tips on how to avoid business jargon and learn to speak a language your clients will understand.- Published 12 October 07
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
Price setting: How to decide what to charge
Price setting is tricky for new soloists to master. Do you charge on a project, daily or hourly basis? Do you base your pricing on what others charge, what you’d like to earn or what you think the market and/or prospect will bear?- Published 10 October 07
- 10 Comments
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Marketing
Viral marketing campaigns: How do they work?
You’ve probably heard of viral marketing, but what actually is it and how do viral marketing campaigns work? Read on to find out how to apply the principles to your business.
- Published 24 September 07
- 3 Comments
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Marketing
How to get ideas for your newsletter
As the editor or your own newsletter, thinking of ideas without an all-nighter at deadline time calls for some smart management. This article will help ensure a good flow of ideas to create a vibrant, informative and useful newsletter.- Published 17 September 07
- 8 Comments
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Marketing
Using affiliate marketing to generate leads
One of the big hurdles for solo businesses is generating leads. How would you like people you’ve never met promoting your business online round the clock and you only have to pay them when you make a sale? Welcome to the world of affiliate marketing.- Published 14 September 07
- 8 Comments
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Marketing
Choosing the right customers
Most of us see the decision to buy as the customer’s. But us soloists are, to a degree, defined by who we do business with, so our part in the decision is equally important. This short exercise will help you to focus on choosing the right customers.- Published 07 September 07
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
Deliver your message with a podcast
Podcasts are rapidly growing in popularity and have the potential to provide many benefits to your business including raising your profile and updating clients. Read on to find out whether it is time for you to stop typing and start talking.- Published 15 August 07
- 11 Comments
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Marketing
How to write a media release
Publicity is supposedly seven times more effective than advertising, and it is free if you do it yourself! Learn how to write a media release to capture the attention of journalists, and you can cash in on the free editorial coverage.- Published 13 August 07
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
Clear communication: how to explain difficult concepts
Do you ever struggle when trying to explain difficult concepts? Clear communication is important in business, but due to the different experiences and backgrounds of each of your clients, it is not always easy.- Published 10 August 07
- 3 Comments
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Marketing
Winning new business: How to avoid the giving trap
There’s you in pursuit of winning new business, all excited by the prospect landing a star client. You’ve spent months, even years, perfecting your policies and procedures and as quick as a flash you shoot yourself in the foot by giving stuff away.- Published 08 August 07
- 11 Comments
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Marketing
Survey writing: Measuring customer satisfaction
Measuring customer satisfaction is a great way to focus your business development on the areas that will really make a difference to your customers. So how do you go about writing a survey to do this?- Published 25 July 07
- 3 Comments
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Marketing
Interactive websites: What is Web 2.0?
We've all heard of Web 2.0, but what does it mean? I think of it as the Interactive Internet. It encourages collaboration between users and is driving the trend towards more interactive websites.- Published 20 July 07
- 11 Comments
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Marketing
The basics of logo design
Your logo is the primary part of your brand identity, so it’s important to make sure it communicates the right message. Here are four key things to bear in mind when looking at logo design.
- Published 18 July 07
- 24 Comments
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Marketing
Customer relations: How to apologise to a client
Mistakes in business are inevitable, and sometimes your actions will have a negative impact on your customer relations. Now the good news: my advice on how to eat humble pie enables you to admit the error and come out looking good.- Published 16 July 07
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
Client relationships: when to take on something new
If you are new in business and keen to develop new client relationships, it is tempting to take on something you’ve never done before. Or existing clients may ask you to do something unfamiliar. But when is the right time to take on something new?- Published 04 July 07
- 6 Comments
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Marketing
Customer feedback surveys: What's the point?
In previous articles, I focused on making your survey easy to answer, survey design and survey writing. To get the most meaningful results from your customer feedback surveys, it is also important to ask the right questions.- Published 27 June 07
- 1 Comment
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Marketing
Ideal clients? Man, you just gotta love big ones
Dear big, massive, ideal client, Thank you for getting in touch to request a proposal for my services. I was so honoured when you selected little old me to be officially added to your ‘strategic solutions partners preferred supplier list’.
- Published 20 June 07
- 6 Comments
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Marketing
Business blogs: Can a blog help your solo business?
Many businesses are now adding business blogs to their website to better communicate with their target market and build traffic to their website. Can a blog help your business? Or is it simply a fad?- Published 13 June 07
- 28 Comments
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Marketing
Presentation skills: What makes a great presenter?
Being able to communicate effectively is a key part of business success, making the ability to confidently deliver a speech or presentation is an important skill. Here are a few tips that may help improve your presentation skills.- Published 11 June 07
- 5 Comments
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Marketing
Business Branding: The ABC of branding
ABC, which stands for Actions, Beliefs and Clothing are the basic building blocks of business branding. You have an authentic and strong brand when these three aspects work together harmoniously.- Published 08 June 07
- 8 Comments
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Marketing
Survey writing: Is your survey easy to answer?
When survey writing, the wording of response options should be carefully considered. Customer surveys should be easy to answer, not a chore and good answer options increase your response rate.- Published 23 May 07
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
Effective Communication: Facing the frustration of "you don't understand!"
Do you ever get stuck trying to communicate a certain understanding of something? No matter what you say or how hard you try to make yourself plain, the person on the other end is just not getting it. So why aren't you having effective communication?- Published 07 May 07
- 7 Comments
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Marketing
Six strategies for sales success
Sales success depends on conversion. If you don't currently track your conversion rate, you will notice an increase in sales just by doing so. People always do more when they are being watched!- Published 18 April 07
- 9 Comments
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Marketing
Event management: How to organise and stage a special event
Special events come under the umbrella of public relations and are a great way to promote your business. If you have event management plans for your own special event, you are in a good position to make the most of the PR opportunity it presents.- Published 16 April 07
- 5 Comments
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Marketing
Marketing communications strategy: Your target audience doesn't care
Let's face it, promotion, advertising and marketing is not cheap. In fact, it's really expensive! And the crazy thing is, we're so often at a loss to know which parts of our marketing communications strategy are reaching our target audience.- Published 30 March 07
- 3 Comments
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Marketing
Telephone sales techniques: Preparing for calls to prospective clients
The telephone is a communication vehicle where you only have one chance to make a first impression and like many aspects of the business development process, preparation can dramatically enhance your telephone sales techniques.- Published 28 March 07
- 3 Comments
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Marketing
Marketing communications: the basics
Sales, PR, event management, marketing and promotion... chances are you'll have many roles to play within your solo business. You should also add Marcoms Manager to your job description. Learn more about how it can help you to succeed.- Published 19 March 07
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Marketing
How to boost website traffic and sales
The first step to boost website traffic and sales is to get listed in the search engines. Unsurprisingly, Google dominates this field, and is likely to yield the largest amount of traffic to your site.- Published 16 March 07
- 13 Comments
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Marketing
Winning proposals: Why was your proposal rejected?
Rejection is always hard to accept, and often potential clients aren't clear why they turned us down. We assume it has something to do with price or their relationship with a competitor. Are these the reasons why we are not winning proposals?- Published 09 March 07
- 6 Comments
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Marketing
How managing anger helps you communicate
Managing anger enables you to diffuse conflict and open a new way to communicate that’s powerful and authentic and serves all relationships - at work, in love and even with phone operators.- Published 05 March 07
- 5 Comments
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Marketing
Why informal communication styles work
For years, experts have been telling us it is essential to adopt a formal, professional communication style. But I believe it is way more powerful to drop the formality and add some humanity back into communication.- Published 26 February 07
- 7 Comments
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Marketing
How to write articles that generate free publicity
Writing articles and submitting them to the media is an excellent way to get free publicity. Any time you have something published it creates awareness and enhances your credibility. So how do you go about it?- Published 19 February 07
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
Grow through your existing customer base
There is real growth potential in a sole trader's existing customer base, but many fail to realise its full potential. Often, more energy goes to attracting new customers or clients than looking after current ones.- Published 07 February 07
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
Improving your verbal communication
It's easy for soloists to let their verbal communication skills lapse. If you worry about what to say at a networking event and would rather email than pick up the phone, your skills may be a bit rusty.- Published 19 January 07
- 9 Comments
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Marketing
Why to enter your business into awards
An original way to get some excellent profile for yourself and your business is to enter awards. By going through the process of a business awards program, you can learn so much about yourself and the psyche of being a soloist.- Published 10 January 07
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
How to work out your hourly rate
If you intend to charge using an hourly rate, it helps to know how much you are worth. Only then can you quote accurately and build a successful business that you can enjoy.- Published 20 December 06
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
Managing customer relationships
To succeed in business today, you need to develop a real relationship with your customers. An authentic approach to managing customer relationships can help you shine through and win out over your competition.- Published 15 December 06
- 5 Comments
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Marketing
How to make visitors stay on your website
The problem of how to make visitors stay on website looms large in the solo business community. No matter what your site’s purpose, you need loyal visitors. Capturing and keeping them means ensuring they are so happy nothing can steal them away.- Published 06 December 06
- 12 Comments
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Marketing
Gain media exposure - develop an online profile
An online profile is the ideal way to improve media exposure and that of your brand. By creating a dedicated 'media room' you will maximise your chances of getting noticed.- Published 04 December 06
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
Marketing mistake #1: No differentiation strategy
Looking the same as the competition is one of the most common marketing mistakes around. Here's a seven step differentiation strategy that one business is using to stand out.
- Published 27 November 06
- 6 Comments
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Marketing
Business logo designs: Making an effective logo
Has your business got an effective logo that is an accurate reflection of what you do? Does it work in every way possible? Here are some tips to give your logo that extra punch.- Published 22 November 06
- 8 Comments
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Marketing
Exceptional customer service: Having the right attitude
Every business should care about providing exceptional customer service. But what does that “service” really mean?- Published 10 November 06
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
How to keep customers for life
We all know the adage that it’s a lot cheaper to keep customers than it is to get new ones. Dan Kennedy, one of the world’s leading marketers, has conducted a study into why businesses fail to keep customers.- Published 30 October 06
- 7 Comments
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Marketing
Effective customer service: Keeping your client informed
Keeping your client informed, particularly when things aren’t going so well, can save your relationship and boost your business. The secret to effective customer service is how you contact your client - and how often.- Published 20 October 06
- 6 Comments
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Marketing
The art of getting a business referral
Every business needs a few influential people willing to speak glowingly about what you do and regularly send a business referral or two your way. Here’s how to cultivate these gems so both parties get great value from the relationship.- Published 18 October 06
- 3 Comments
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Marketing
Survey writing: Do your surveys say what you mean?
As we mentioned in our earlier article on survey design, good survey writing is very important. Accurate phrasing gives accurate responses you can rely on to improve your knowledge of your customers. Check your survey against this phraseology checklist!- Published 13 October 06
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
Business communication skills: Throw away your crystal ball
You don't need psychic powers to work well with your clients, but you do need to be an effective communicator. Here are five steps that will make a huge difference to your business communication skills... and take away the guess work for good.
- Published 29 September 06
- 5 Comments
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Marketing
Four ways to increase customer value
Your existing customers are people that already know, like and trust you. By focusing more effort on increasing their total customer value, i.e. the amount of money that they spend with you, you are virtually guaranteed to increase your profits.- Published 27 September 06
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
Planning marketing beats binge marketing
By carefully planning marketing you can avoid the grand daddy of all bad business behaviours: binge marketing. All it takes is some regular time allocated to the task.- Published 22 September 06
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
Marketing principles: The psychology of persuasion, part 2
Both this and my previous article on the psychology of persuasion are a must-read for anyone who is developing marketing principles and is interested in understanding why we do the things we do!
- Published 13 September 06
- 1 Comment
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Marketing
Email marketing: Making the most of your opt-in email newsletter
Publishing a simple opt-in email newsletter (or ezine) as little as once a month is guaranteed to help you increase sales. Follow these email marketing tips to maximise the impact of your newsletter.- Published 06 September 06
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
Business blogs: how to make money blogging
The self-styled Blog Traffic King describes the opportunities business blogs have presented him, explains why blogging has changed his life and outlines some ways to make money blogging.- Published 04 September 06
- 6 Comments
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Marketing
Niche marketing: the business specialist
When it comes to working smarter we shouldn't overlook niche marketing and the benefits of positioning yourself as a business specialist. Here are five compelling reasons to do just that.- Published 01 September 06
- 1 Comment
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Marketing
Get personal for effective business communication
Has modern technology stifled effective business communication and depersonalised our relationships with our nearest and dearest? Is a text message as meaningful as a hand-written note? I think not.- Published 25 August 06
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
Marketing principles: The psychology of persuasion
Why do people behave the way they do? An understanding of the psychology of persuasion not only gives us a fascinating insight into people in general, it can also help us to develop marketing principles and have empathy with potential buyers.- Published 21 August 06
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
Six simple steps for solo business branding
Credible business branding has been revealed as a big issue for soloists. Is it our problem if people don’t take us seriously? I think it is. Here are some ways we can show the world we mean business.- Published 07 August 06
- 8 Comments
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Marketing
Tips to get your marketing plan moving
Wouldn’t it be great if your overall marketing plan was streamlined and got the results you wanted? To get to this point requires effort and sometimes, we just can't motivate ourselves to move forward.- Published 04 August 06
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
A promotional campaign: Planting the seeds for success
When it's time to take your idea to the streets, a far sighted promotional campaign is almost certain to yield better results than a one-off event.- Published 21 July 06
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
New marketing: personal branding
What is personal branding and how does it impact marketing for a solo business? Here are the answers...- Published 17 July 06
- 3 Comments
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Marketing
Customer feedback: Ten steps to great survey design
Effective customer feedback helps you drive your business forward. Do you really know what your customers think about your business? That's where great survey design comes in. Here are ten steps to consider when designing a survey.- Published 12 July 06
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
Seven tips to multiply your online sales
When putting your products onto your website, don't sit back and expect the orders to roll in, instead create an online sales strategy to generate interest in your online offering.- Published 05 July 06
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
Marketing advice: what not to do
None of us want to struggle with marketing, and yet it continues to create problems for many solo professionals. Here's seven pieces of solo and small business marketing advice that reveal common marketing mistakes.- Published 03 July 06
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
Creating effective marketing strategies
As a new solo business owner, when creating effective marketing strategies it is vital you ensure your marketing has relevance. This may seem obvious, but trying to be all things to all people is an extremely common mistake.- Published 26 June 06
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Marketing
Is it good to exchange services?
From time to time it can be tempting to consider the exchange of business services, but are such contra arrangements a good idea?- Published 21 June 06
- 3 Comments
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Marketing
Internet marketing: Breaking down technical skills barriers
In our Internet marketing series, we talk about how a website, a blog, autoresponders and pay per click advertising can help your business. If online marketing excites you, but you are nervous about your technical skills, you do have options.- Published 19 June 06
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Marketing
The power of personal branding strategies
Strong personal branding strategies can help you to create a successful, satisfying and stunning solo career. Here's how to go about building a personal brand for your business.
- Published 16 June 06
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
10 ways of marketing and promoting email newsletters
In my last article on email newlsetters, I highlighted the need to be clear about what you want to achieve to manage the expectations and outcomes of your newsletter. It’s the same with marketing and promoting email newsletters.
- Published 12 June 06
- 3 Comments
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Marketing
Choosing a business name and image
Getting the right business name and creating a strong image are central to your success as a soloist. Here's how you can get it right from day one.- Published 24 May 06
- 1 Comment
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Marketing
Internet marketing: The basics of blogging for business
Blogs make it easy for soloists to create dynamic websites with little technical skill. Blogging is one of the best communication tools to “talk” to your potential customers and build relationships. Here are the basics of blogging for business.- Published 22 May 06
- 6 Comments
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Marketing
Public relations strategy: Getting action through attraction
If your approach to developing new business is based only on identifying and approaching prospects, you might need to think about a different public relations strategy so you don't miss out on attracting business to you.- Published 17 May 06
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Marketing
Customer relationship management: give first, receive later
People buy goods and services from people they know, like and trust. Therefore you should you should focus more on developing customer relationship management processes, rather than the “one step” marketing of some companies.- Published 08 May 06
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
How to conduct effective meetings
Meetings can prove to be either a positive, fruitful encounter...or a total waste of time. To conduct effective meetings, you need to bring clarity and preparation to the table.- Published 05 May 06
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
Internet marketing: Search engine optimisation (SEO) part 2
This follow up article to an earlier Internet marketing article on search engine optimisation (SEO) delves deeper into how to make your site findable via keyword phrases. Plus we reveal the top eight SEO techniques.- Published 01 May 06
- 3 Comments
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Marketing
Getting media coverage: 10 tips
You don't need a huge PR budget to enjoy media exposure. Follow these 10 tips to increase your chances of nabbing the attention of editors and journalists.- Published 24 April 06
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
So...you want your own email newsletter?
Having your own email newsletter (or ezine) is a great way to boost your profile and increase your credibility. But before you jump into the world of e-publishing, consider the following questions.- Published 17 April 06
- 5 Comments
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Marketing
Internet marketing: Introduction to search engine optimisation (SEO)
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the practice of developing your website so it appears high up in search engines. This topic is one of the most frustrating Internet marketing issues for one reason – it takes time.- Published 10 April 06
- 3 Comments
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Marketing
How to create a successful media campaign
Every day publications of all description need words to fill their pages. Someone has to provide those words, it might as well be you! When seeking to get your story into print, a successful media campaign can really make a difference.- Published 29 March 06
- 3 Comments
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Marketing
The essentials of good business writing
Good business writing is at the heart of successful marketing. Without it you will be at best, misunderstood, at worst, totally ignored. Follow these simple guidelines to ensure your business writing hits the spot.- Published 22 March 06
- 10 Comments
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Marketing
Internet marketing: How to use pay-per-click advertising
The most common complaint about internet marketing is traffic, or lack of it. So how do you get visitors to your website? Here's an overview of how to use Google AdWords (pay-per-click advertising) to attract visitors.- Published 20 March 06
- 7 Comments
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Marketing
Why following up is one of the key sales skills
Are you regularly in touch with your clients and prospects? If not you could be missing out on valuable relationship building opportunities, not to mention sales! Following up is one of the essential business sales skills to produce sales growth.- Published 10 March 06
- 6 Comments
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Marketing
Getting website traffic
You may know how to look for a business via a search engine, but do you understand how to generate your own flow of website visitors and encourage them to visit again and again?- Published 01 March 06
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
Internet marketing: Using email autoresponders
Creating an effective business website was discussed earlier in this series. Now that you understand the need to build customer relationships, let’s look at the most powerful Internet marketing tool available to achieve this, the email autoresponder.- Published 27 February 06
- 1 Comment
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Marketing
How business partnerships can work for soloists
Can business partnerships help you grow your business without getting paid? Possibly. One way is to help a client build a business by putting the value of your expertise on the line.- Published 24 February 06
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
Internet marketing: Creating an effective business website
An effective business website lets you communicate with prospects to a degree that no print publication can match. Why have a static brochure website when you could be using Internet marketing to your advantage?- Published 13 February 06
- 8 Comments
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Marketing
A pricing strategy solution for small business owners
Open-ended service contracts can leave clients feeling somewhat uneasy. How can they judge if they are getting value for money or that the price is reasonable? So it's essential for small business owners to have an effective pricing strategy.- Published 06 February 06
- 1 Comment
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Marketing
Internet marketing: Its use as a business growth strategy
How can Internet marketing be incorporated into your solo business growth strategy? This article is the first in a seven part series outlining the process of establishing a website that sells and how to build a client base using just online marketing.- Published 30 January 06
- 11 Comments
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Marketing
How to sell yourself
Do you know how to sell yourself and your business? The key is to be happy promoting who you are, what you do and be clear on the benefits of doing business with you.- Published 27 January 06
- 7 Comments
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Marketing
Customer service example: a tip on how NOT to do it
Soloists who dazzle their customers from the outset are likely to live happily ever after. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. In this customer service example I ended up on the receiving end of an IT service provider having 'one of those days.'
- Published 23 January 06
- 11 Comments
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Marketing
Quality marketing: Shortcut? Short-change!
When money and time are tight, it's often tempting as a soloist to take the cheapest and quickest option at hand. But are these cheap and hasty actions a false economy? Is quality marketing important?- Published 20 January 06
- 5 Comments
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Marketing
Strategic sales plans: Key drivers to increase sales
"Increase sales" is the stated goal of many soloists at the start of the year. Having strategic sales plans maximises your chances of securing the business you need to get on track for achieving this year's targets.- Published 16 January 06
- 3 Comments
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Marketing
Business presentation skills: How to make presentations memorable
In my last article on business presentation skills I focused on how to deliver effective presentations relevant to your customer. Let’s now focus on how to make your presentations memorable.- Published 11 January 06
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
Seven tips on how to write marketing articles
In a previous article, Promoting your business using article marketing we looked at the benefits of writing marketing articles to generate new business. Which is all well and good as long as you have something to write about – right?- Published 05 January 06
- 7 Comments
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Marketing
Small business tools: Compiling a Communications Toolkit
One of the most quick and easy small business tools is a 'Communications Toolkit’ – a repository of words, images and ideas that’s always ready with your best openers, lines, written examples and pictures of your work.
- Published 19 December 05
- 4 Comments
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Marketing
Getting targeted web traffic
So your business website is up and running. But is anyone visiting it? Here are some tips to drive the right kind of traffic to your site.- Published 07 December 05
- 1 Comment
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Marketing
Is it good business to barter?
Whether you call it a contra deal, a business exchange or a trade, bartering amongst soloists is common practice. But is it necessarily the best way to support one another?- Published 06 December 05
- 13 Comments
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Marketing
Can innovation be a marketing tool?
If you're forever hearing great things said about your work, yet not seeing these translate into sales and revenue, it could just be because you've fallen into the innovator trap. Can innovation be a marketing tool?- Published 25 November 05
- 3 Comments
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Marketing
Direct mail campaign tips
Direct mail campaigns are an important part of the marketing mix. Here are some tips to make yours a success.- Published 23 November 05
- 2 Comments
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Marketing
Five strategies for delivering effective presentations
If you've ever been guilty of subjecting your audience to death by PowerPoint, these five strategies for delivering effective presentations will help.- Published 18 November 05
- 1 Comment
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Marketing
Preparing your elevator statement
It is good practise to develop an elevator statement or elevator pitch