Friday, February 28, 2014

Direct marketing is not dead

While a large number of companies have switched to entirely using the Internet to communicate with their consumers, direct marketing tactics should not be ignored as they still have real potential for businesses looking to use promotional advertising.Sending out emails with links to business promotional items or launching Facebook campaigns to gain awareness for new products are great ways to digitally spread a company's mission, but putting physical items in the hands of the consumer

Small Business Marketing Blog

Using Pinterest to effectively promote products

Spreading awareness for business promotional items on social media allows companies to reach an array of potential consumers, whether they're virtually sending coupons on Facebook or posting savings opportunities on Twitter. Each social networking platform offers various benefits specific to the site, and while the most popular ones remain Facebook and Twitter, one site has emerged as capable of changing the way companies market toward specific groups of consumers.Pinterest, an online

Small Business Marketing Blog

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Academy Awards give more than statues

Soon, Hollywood's most elite and beautiful stars will take to the red carpet where they will be recognized for their performances at the 86th Annual Academy Awards. Millions of viewers will tune in to catch glimpses of which designers will be best represented and which films will take home the highest honors of the evening. While winners will go home carrying the coveted golden Oscar, consumers and businesses won't have to leave empty-handed. The Oscars provide a ripe opportunity for

Small Business Marketing Blog

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Promotional products to prepare for spring

With spring right around the corner, it's only natural to get excited about the warm weather that awaits. Businesses that want to get a jump start embracing the season can capitalize on all that anticipation with some promotional products for enjoying the great outdoors. Of course, spring is known for its turbulent weather, with sunny skies one minute and heavy rain showers the next. All the better in terms of picking promo items, as there is a wealth of options for businesses

Small Business Marketing Blog

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

How to choose your customers wisely

The art of handing out promotional products often seems to be a shotgun approach - businesses hand out as many of a simple giveaway as they can and hope that they can make an impression on recipients. However, companies that want to have a better impact on their clientele may consider being more discerning.Marketers should already have an idea who their target audience is, as well as a solid understanding of the product or service they're selling. The customer who marketers

Small Business Marketing Blog

Monday, February 24, 2014

How to have great customer service

Mention customer service, and people generally think of those desks at brick-and-mortar stores where people go to voice complaints and return defective goods. It's that or the idea that the customer is always right. The truth is, this aspect of a business can't be boiled down to a catchphrase, nor is it relegated to the dealings of one desk. It's an approach to a company's affairs that starts from the moment customers hear about a brand and is inherent in all parts of a

Small Business Marketing Blog

Friday, February 21, 2014

Celebrate International Mother Language day

Business today is conducted on an unprecedented global scale. A company in the U.S. may have a subsidiary organization in France, a manufacturing operation in Mexico and a strong customer base in China. For this reason alone, companies may want to consider celebrating International Mother Language day.Another motive is the fact that the U.S. - a centuries-old melting pot for immigrants the world over - boasts a long history of multiculturalism . There are dozens of languages

Small Business Marketing Blog

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Show love for your pet: Enter our photo contest

National Love Your Pet Day is Feb. 20. That means it's time for pet owners the country over to shower their furry friends with a just a little more affection than they normally do. One of the best ways to do that is to enter Myron's "My Pet" Photo Contest and turn Fido into a calendar model for all the world to see. Participants must submit a photograph of their beloved dog or cat either through Facebook or, for people not linked to social media, Myron's

Small Business Marketing Blog

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Spread a little kindness

Now is the season to be kind. Random Acts of Kindness Week stretched from Feb. 10 to 16, spurring people to engage in spontaneous and thoughtful acts for the benefit of others. Meanwhile, Cleveland's Mayor Frank Jackson proclaimed Feb. 17 Random Acts of Kindness Everywhere Day, as part of a nationwide movement started by a local comedian.Businesses that missed their opportunity to participate need not stress - the very objective of the RAKE movement, according to its website, is to

Small Business Marketing Blog

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Educate consumers about their health

February is National Wise Health Care Consumer Month, a time for people to educate themselves about smart choices in the exceedingly complex world of health care. Some organizations are already taking efforts to partake in the month-long initiative by promoting a greater understanding of health care options among consumers. Businesses that also want to contribute can follow suit, as well as encourage some more commonsense health care tips via health-related promotional

Small Business Marketing Blog

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Celebrate Presidents Day

Presidents Day started out as a time to celebrate George Washington's birthday. Since its inception, it has absorbed Abraham Lincoln's birthday, and eventually became a general honoring of the office of the presidency, with many people paying tribute to famed founding fathers and other holders of the office that hailed from their states. It has also become a day of sales, one that's found itself being compared to the likes of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. As such,

Small Business Marketing Blog

Monday, February 10, 2014

Attract future brides with promotional products

Anyone who has spent some time around weddings knows that it's most often the bride who is calling the shots. So ingrained is this mentality for wedding planning that The Knot has even written a long-form survival guide for grooms, informing them on how to pick their battles (carefully), when to weigh in about flower choices (never) and whether to plan the honeymoon (yes). While not nearly every couple is so traditional in its  approach to weddings, businesses would still do well to

Small Business Marketing Blog

Keep dry on National Umbrella Day

The umbrella has taken on a mythical quality in the world of film, being used as an invaluable means of transportation for the magical Mary Poppins and an ingenious tool for bringing down warplanes, à la "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." Yet, the umbrella really needs no such hype, as its original function is already plenty useful. For small businesses, it's also a fantastic marketing tool. Rainy days are often the culprits behind unpleasant commutes, canceled

Small Business Marketing Blog

Friday, February 7, 2014

Encouraging online reviews with promotional products

Online reviews can be essential to bringing in new customers and developing a loyal following. According to Time, nine out of 10 shoppers consult online review sites when purchasing products or services. Getting positive online reviews, then, are key to developing a better online marketing plan.In the pursuit of more a better online presence via customer comments, businesses - especially startups - need to keep in mind two things. First, quality customer service is important, lest

Small Business Marketing Blog

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Foster creativity with promotional products

Some businesses are obsessed with the idea of fostering creativity - that quantification-defying spark that can give life to advertising and direction to marketing campaigns. Creativity can also be important in companies' use of promotional products. It's the difference between the indiscriminately gifted promotional tradeshow pen and the engaging company-sponsored scavenger hunt for customers, where promotional pens and notebooks are just the tool for an engaging marketing

Small Business Marketing Blog

Making the most of lackluster trade shows

When a trade show is packed, there can be a raucous and vibrant energy to the whole affair, as businesses clamor to get the attention of passersby. While such chaos can seem overwhelming, especially for small businesses who are trying to eke out some clientele in the face of national corporations, it is often better than the alternative. The golf industry recently underwent its own dip in trade show turnout along with the recession, according to The New York Times, and has since risen

Small Business Marketing Blog

Monday, February 3, 2014

Touchdowns and changing your business strategies

The first Sunday of February 2014 was a historic crossroads between the status quo and change. Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos endured a crushing defeat at the hands of Peter Carroll and his Seattle Seahawks. For the Seahawks, that's a sign that they may want to keep doing what they're doing. The Broncos meanwhile, may want to plan new strategies for next season. While people generally make their resolutions in the heady days leading up to Jan. 1, it seems that the wake of

Small Business Marketing Blog