Have you ever noticed how high school sports take on an even bigger importance in communities without big universities? That's what it's like where I live. But like everywhere else in the country, our high school sports teams are always looking for ways to make a few extra bucks. Enter the high school baseball sponsorship program. For a nominal fee (really nominal), … [Read more...] about Case Study: Low-Cost, Out-of-the-Box Marketing Ideas
Love-Based Marketing
Want Low Cost Ideas to Grow Your Business? Try Community Relations
Community relations is one of those marketing strategies that isn't talked about much, even though I venture to say practically every business owner out there ends up doing it at one time or another. In a nutshell, community relations is involving your business in your community. For instance: • Your business donates money to nonprofit organizations. • You or your … [Read more...] about Want Low Cost Ideas to Grow Your Business? Try Community Relations
Copywriting 101: How to Seal The Deal
It’s simple: If you want people to take action and buy what you’re selling, you’ve got to ask for the sale. Yet I can't tell you how many ads, websites, brochures, sales letters, branding campaigns, etc. are floating around out there without the ask—the “call to action.” Let's start by defining call to action (CTA). It's a clear statement that spells out the action … [Read more...] about Copywriting 101: How to Seal The Deal
Are Creative Stereotypes Holding You Back?
I believe one of the things that prevent people from fully realizing their creative potential is the idea of stereotypes. For example, maybe you think you “can’t” be creative, because you don't look, act, live, etc., a certain way. Unfortunately, that kind of belief can become so powerful, it actually ends up crippling your creativity. That’s why today, I’m wanted to … [Read more...] about Are Creative Stereotypes Holding You Back?
10 Tips to Make Your Marketing More Creative (and More Successful)
Let’s face it: when it comes to marketing, the “same old, same old” just doesn’t cut it anymore. To make your marketing stand out (resulting in more sales of your product and/or service), you need to get creative. Keep reading for ten tips to get your creative juices flowing. (Some of these are brainteasers, or what Thinkertoys author Michael Michalko calls “Linear … [Read more...] about 10 Tips to Make Your Marketing More Creative (and More Successful)
Quiz: Are You Creative?
Here's a little truth about success. If you want to succeed, especially as a business owner or entrepreneur, you have got to be creative. It's not enough to just master the current "hot" marketing tactic. The industry is changing so rapidly that the smart money is on what Stephen Covey called "sharpening the saw" or taking care of YOU. Your creativity, your knowledge, … [Read more...] about Quiz: Are You Creative?
[Infographic] 5 of the Biggest Marketing Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make Over and Over Again
I’ve been knocking around the online industry for well over a decade, and none of the marketing mistakes I bring up in this post are new. But it IS important. So, I thought I’d create a handy little cheat sheet for you to use every time you’re feeling stuck. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), many marketing-related challenges can be … [Read more...] about [Infographic] 5 of the Biggest Marketing Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make Over and Over Again
How to Persuade Using Love Versus Fear
If you want to sell more in your business, you might want to start by improving your persuasion. And, the key to successful persuasion is to tap into people's emotions. That's the secret to getting people to take action—you tap into their emotions. It doesn't matter if you're persuading a potential buyer to invest in your offerings or your kids to go to bed at a decent … [Read more...] about How to Persuade Using Love Versus Fear
[Making an Offer] Are You Making “Mushy” Offers?
One of the biggest issues I see that affect an entrepreneurs' success is when they're making an offer, they end up making what I call a "mushy" offer. What is a mushy offer? It's an offer that really doesn't mean anything. It's vague or too broad or sounds like every other offer out there … which means it doesn't stand out and and speak to your ideal prospects. My … [Read more...] about [Making an Offer] Are You Making “Mushy” Offers?
[Infographic] 3 Keys for Crafting A Hot Opt-in Page That Converts
Let's start from the very beginning with the definition of an opt-in page. An opt in page is a page that, in exchange for a person’s contact information (typically an email address), gives access to some sort of gift or freebie. Why would you give something away for free? To build your subscriber email list—because having a list of ideal prospects you can email anytime … [Read more...] about [Infographic] 3 Keys for Crafting A Hot Opt-in Page That Converts