11 Ways to Say Thank You to Your Customers This Season

When was the last time you thought to say thank you to your customers or clients for their business? It’s nice to be reminded that someone appreciates you, especially around the holidays. And it’s wise to show that appreciation, especially to the people who made your business grow this year.

The good news is, a small gift will do the trick. It doesn’t need to be over the top or fancy (and, in fact, unless you have an unusually big budget, it really shouldn’t be).

To find out what kinds of presents make a big impact, we asked 11 entrepreneurs from the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following:

“What’s the best gift you’ve ever given customers to show your appreciation?”

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. Yearly Weekend Retreat

“At RTC, we pay for a yearly customer retreat where our clients fly out to Chicago to spend a weekend learning from one another. It is a gift we give to our community. It binds them together (with us as the nucleus), and it has paid off in spades.” ~ Corey Blake, Round Table Companies

2. Uber Gift Certificate

“If your customer works in a city where Uber operates, you can’t go wrong providing them with an Uber gift certificate. Not only is it a simple and functional gift to give, but it also saves busy professionals tons of time. ” ~ Antonio Neves, THINQACTION

3. iPad

“You can almost never go wrong with giving someone an iPad and engraving a kind note on the back such as, ‘Many thanks for being a valued client. Sincerely, SmartBooks.’” ~ Enrico Palmerino, SmartBooks

4. Chocomize Gift Card

“Our B2C customers love sharing on social, and we love that they do, so we encourage it. Every month we have a raffle for a $50 Chocomize gift card. Everyone who posts a picture of their chocolate bar on any social platform with the hashtag #Chocomize is automatically entered. It’s a value exchange for both parties, and they get to go online and customize even more delicious chocolate bars.” ~ Fabian Kaempfer, Chocomize

5. A Month of Free Service

“Customers are always trying to save money, and a free month of service can go a long way. It reinforces your relationship and provides them with the highest valued thing you can offer â€" your service.” ~ Phil Chen, Givit

6. Sports Tickets

“I work in a mainly male-dominated industry, and hockey and football tickets go a long way. Plus, I usually buy a ticket for myself and go with the client. It is a great way to build a personal relationship with a client while enjoying something we both love outside of the normal office confines. Plus, it’s just a good time!” ~ Justin Nowak, Canadian Cloud Council

7. Cupcakes

“We sent cupcakes to our top 10 customers. Rather than sending them through the mail, we did some research, found a local bakery near each office and had them delivered. It shows additional care, and our customers loved it. “ ~ Ryan Buckley, Scripted, Inc.

8. Gift Baskets

“Each year we send gift baskets to our clients. We actually take the time to personally deliver them, too. Anyone can send a gift basket, but it takes a lot more time and effort to personally deliver them. I think it’s a nice added touch. “ ~ Phil Laboon, Clear Sky SEO

9. Socks

“This year we are giving our clients custom dress socks from Sock 101 with the Influence & Co. logo on them, of course. We always look for unique gifts that will surprise clients and make them smile. And who doesn’t love new socks?” ~ Kelsey Meyer, Influence & Co.

10. Handwritten Note

“I’ve found the most meaningful gift for customers is a handwritten note. It’s such a simple expression of gratitude, but surprisingly few people take advantage of it. In today’s technology-driven society, taking a few minutes to be thoughtful about crafting a sincere, handwritten message can go a long way. “ ~ Chris Cancialosi, gothamCulture

11. Godiva Chocolates

“We sent out about 100 boxes of wonderful Godiva chocolates to some of our best customers. Whatever gift you choose, sending the gold standard for that category communicates a focus on quality.” ~ Michael Seiman, CPXi

Thank You Photo via Shutterstock

Microsoft Ponders Free Windows Phone Licensing

If you prefer Windows mobile devices for your business, you know the choices out there are limited. After all, smartphone and tablet makers must pay a license fee every time they install Windows on one of their devices. By contrast, Google’s popular Android operating system is free.

So there’s often little incentive to make a Windows device when Android is clearly the cheaper option.

But all of that may be changing soon. Here’s why.

Microsoft Uses Free Versions as Incentive

Earlier this year, reports emerged suggesting Microsoft was in talks with Taiwan-based smartphone maker HTC to add Windows Phone as a second option on its flagship HTC One. Reduced or free licensing may have been part of that discussion too.

But now the software giant may be considering free licensing of Windows Phone and Windows RT (a tablet operating system) for all mobile device developers, reports The Verge.

The company hopes the new option of free operating systems will convince other mobile technology developers to use them in more devices.

But that’s not the only reason Microsoft may be considering this change in its longtime policy.

Acquisition of Nokia May Be a Factor

Microsoft’s decision to acquire mobile device maker Nokia earlier this year may also be a factor in the company’s decision to offer free licenses for Windows Phone and Windows RT to other mobile device builders.

Why?

Well, Nokia is currently the largest maker of Windows Phone devices and the only other maker of Windows tablets other than Microsoft. So with the acquisition of Nokia, Microsoft loses its largest source of revenue from that licensing anyway, The Verge reports.

The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission recently approved the $7.2 billion deal which is now waiting on a decision by EU regulators.

The Microsoft will need to look for other sources to make up the lost revenue including apps and services. But the cutting of licensing fees should definitely lead to the building of more mobile devices using Windows operating systems.

Image: Microsoft

8 Tips to Stay Sane During the Holidays

It’s counter-intuitive: This time of year we should be taking time to enjoy life, but for many entrepreneurs, it’s the busiest season of the year. And that’s not just for those who work in retail. We’re busy with holiday party obligations, buying client gifts, volunteering, sending cards…the list goes on and on.

I’m in favor of this being the best time of year, and taking a moment to reflect on the past 12 months. To that end, below are my tips for managing the madness.

1. Say No

Sure, you feel the need to give your time right now, but you don’t have to.

We have this sense of guilt when we say no, but it’s actually freeing. We assume the world will fall apart if we don’t make cookies for our kid’s class, take on a new project and attend every holiday event.

But you know what? The world keeps on turning.

2. Start Early

If you’re just now thinking about how to market during the holidays, you’re adding undue stress to your workload.  Be like 31% of businesses, who start their holiday marketing strategy 2-3 months in advance.

You can bet they’re less stressed in executing their plans since everything was laid out months ago.

3. Make Client Gift Shopping Simple

It’s wonderful if you have time to individually curate gifts for each of your clients. But if you don’t have that kind of time, buy in bulk.

There are hundreds of sites that sell gift baskets and boxes of goodies that let you bulk buy and ship directly to your clients. You can customize by choosing different gifts from the same site. But you’ll drastically cut down on your shopping time if you can make a single purchase and send gifts to everyone on your list

4. Focus on What Really Needs to Get Done

I keep procrastinating on an ebook I want to write before the end of the year. I find a million other things I “should” do instead. But come January, I’ll be disappointed that I procrastinated on this business-building tool.

Look at your to-do list and eliminate everything that’s not a necessity.

5. Clean and Organize

I like to start a new year with an organized office. You should too. Carve out an hour each week to deal with that teetering pile of papers on your desk, as well as to organize your computer files.

In the new year, you’ll be more streamlined and able to find what you need quickly.

6. Be Selective About Events

Here you can exercise your new ability to say no. Holiday parties can be fun, but they can also be stressful, especially when they take you away from the office or home.

Decide which events you really need to be present at, as well as which you really don’t want to attend - and RSVP accordingly.

7. Schedule Your Marketing

If you’re the person at your company that writes the blog posts and social media updates, be smart about your time.

When you have an hour or more to dedicate to marketing, maximize your time by writing several posts and scheduling them for the remainder of the year. Use a tool like Hootsuite to schedule your social media updates.

It’s easy enough to set up tweets and updates to your content, then check in once a day and respond directly to any comments sent to your account from other users.

8. Stop and Breathe

Like I said, now is the ideal time to reflect on the past year. Instead of constantly going-going-going - slow down and enjoy the moment.

Don’t let the holidays stress you out. Instead, use this time to appreciate everything you’ve accomplished as a small business owner.

I’ll raise my glass of hot cocoa to that!

Happy Santa Photo via Shutterstock

Epic Fail: Ignore Video Content Marketing

“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” - Benjamin Disraeli.

The two-time British prime minister said that in the 19th century and when statistics come from the mouths of politicians, he’s probably right on target. However, when we’re looking at business trends, statistics tend to more closely reflect the truth and that’s wildly true when it comes to video content marketing.

In the last week or so it seems that everywhere I look I find a statistic that emphasizes the importance of videoâ€"and other graphicsâ€"in a content marketing strategy. Let’s grab a fistful of tasting spoons and sample a few:

• 73 percent of businesses are budgeting for video content,
• 71 percent of consumers say they have positive feelings about brands that use videos,
• 85 percent of potential buyers are more likely to purchase after seeing product videos,
• 20 percent watch videos with career content a few times a month, and here may be the most important:
• 75 percent share videos with their friends and coworkers.

These statistics come from the Content Marketing Institute and Axonn and they reinforce video’s place in a social marketing strategy. Here are some creativeâ€"and often simpleâ€"ways to pull video content into your online presence.

Blog Replacement/Reinforcement

Ideas and inspiration are the heartbeat and lifeblood of good content and we’re always looking for ways to be original and engaging. Sometimes it’s a numbers game, as with the statistics I quoted above. Confession time: a bullet list of stats is pretty bland, isn’t it?

Rather than a bullet list, take the statistics and create one of those “pen and ink” or “pencil” videos where the statistics are sketched out on a piece of paper or a whiteboard. There are freelance animators and illustrators around the world ready to do the work for you, cheap. Check out Fiverr, Elance, Freelancer and oDesk, among others.

Often the content of a blog can be replaced or enhanced by a video or a graphic. With quality freelancers ready 24/7 to take your job, you can have the power of a fully staffed art department working for you.

Google+ Video Hangouts

Every forecast I read says that Google+ will be even more critical to businesses in 2014 and that may give you the chance to use a Google+ video public hangout. With a public hangout you use Google’s “Hangouts On Air” to broadcast on the Internet in conjunction with your Google+ account and YouTube channel. (You have a YouTube channel, right?)

Up to 10 people can participate in a video hangout. You could use it to provide training, make a product introduction or have a question and answer session with customers. A recording of the hangout is made and that becomes video content you can use.

In a similar way, you can use Skype to video chat with customers. Make it one of the links on your contact information page. It will help build relationships.

Have Your Customers Make Your Videos

Some products lend themselves to “home videos.” If your business falls into that category, encourage video submissions from your customer base. It can be an ongoing process or you can have occasional “contests” where the winners are rewarded with a discount or something else of value.

One benefit here is that the people whose videos you post will all tell their friends who will then go to your site or your YouTube channel to see the videos. Great videos will have the potential of going viral.

Now that we’ve made the case for the importance of video content and shared a few easy ways to create the content, there should be no videographic epic fail in your future.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/movieingmemories/6244830775/ ”HD Cinamatic Wedding Videographer Videography Video Production Austin,” © 2011 Movieing Memories, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/  

Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. She specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide.

Homeless Man Learns Coding, Launches App

You’ve heard of startup entrepreneurs beginning with nothing. But few have probably started with less than Leo Grand.

After losing his job with MetLife, Grand also lost his home when rent on his apartment skyrocketed leaving him on the streets.

So it may be hard to believe that after nearly two years of living in shelters, he has not only learned a new skill that should make him more employable - Grand is also now an entrepreneur.  He has launched his own app, Trees for Cars, to promote carpooling as a way to help the environment.  The app is designed to connect drivers and riders.

The app is available on Google Play and the Apple app store for 99 cents and here’s a video pitch from Grand urging prospective users to download it:

Of course, Grand did not do all of this alone. Earlier this year, good samaritan and software engineer Patrick McConlogue offered the homeless man an important choice.

McConlogue would give Grand $100 to meet his immediate needs or, instead, he would buy Grand a laptop and teach him to write code.

Grand told NBC News he hopes his choice will change people’s minds about the homeless:

All homeless people are mentally ill, lazy, unintelligent â€" that’s the stigma. It doesn’t really matter your living arrangements as long as you’ve got the mindset to do it and the will.

Getting to this point hasn’t been easy. Grand spent an hour a day being tutored by McConlogue and then many hours working on his own

There were setbacks along the way, of course. In October, Grand was arrested by New York City police for sleeping on a park bench, Gothamist.com reports. And his precious laptop was confiscated. But with perseverance and the help of friends, he kept going.

Today he hopes for more than just the success of his app. He is also looking for a job and a place to live.

Meanwhile, his experiences so far have inspired another startup. McConlogue hopes soon to launch a complete Journeyman Course teaching others how to code for free.

Image: Journeyman Facebook

Epic Fail: Ignore Video Content Marketing

“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” - Benjamin Disraeli.

The two-time British prime minister said that in the 19th century and when statistics come from the mouths of politicians, he’s probably right on target. However, when we’re looking at business trends, statistics tend to more closely reflect the truth and that’s wildly true when it comes to video content marketing.

In the last week or so it seems that everywhere I look I find a statistic that emphasizes the importance of videoâ€"and other graphicsâ€"in a content marketing strategy. Let’s grab a fistful of tasting spoons and sample a few:

• 73 percent of businesses are budgeting for video content,
• 71 percent of consumers say they have positive feelings about brands that use videos,
• 85 percent of potential buyers are more likely to purchase after seeing product videos,
• 20 percent watch videos with career content a few times a month, and here may be the most important:
• 75 percent share videos with their friends and coworkers.

These statistics come from the Content Marketing Institute and Axonn and they reinforce video’s place in a social marketing strategy. Here are some creativeâ€"and often simpleâ€"ways to pull video content into your online presence.

Blog Replacement/Reinforcement

Ideas and inspiration are the heartbeat and lifeblood of good content and we’re always looking for ways to be original and engaging. Sometimes it’s a numbers game, as with the statistics I quoted above. Confession time: a bullet list of stats is pretty bland, isn’t it?

Rather than a bullet list, take the statistics and create one of those “pen and ink” or “pencil” videos where the statistics are sketched out on a piece of paper or a whiteboard. There are freelance animators and illustrators around the world ready to do the work for you, cheap. Check out Fiverr, Elance, Freelancer and oDesk, among others.

Often the content of a blog can be replaced or enhanced by a video or a graphic. With quality freelancers ready 24/7 to take your job, you can have the power of a fully staffed art department working for you.

Google+ Video Hangouts

Every forecast I read says that Google+ will be even more critical to businesses in 2014 and that may give you the chance to use a Google+ video public hangout. With a public hangout you use Google’s “Hangouts On Air” to broadcast on the Internet in conjunction with your Google+ account and YouTube channel. (You have a YouTube channel, right?)

Up to 10 people can participate in a video hangout. You could use it to provide training, make a product introduction or have a question and answer session with customers. A recording of the hangout is made and that becomes video content you can use.

In a similar way, you can use Skype to video chat with customers. Make it one of the links on your contact information page. It will help build relationships.

Have Your Customers Make Your Videos

Some products lend themselves to “home videos.” If your business falls into that category, encourage video submissions from your customer base. It can be an ongoing process or you can have occasional “contests” where the winners are rewarded with a discount or something else of value.

One benefit here is that the people whose videos you post will all tell their friends who will then go to your site or your YouTube channel to see the videos. Great videos will have the potential of going viral.

Now that we’ve made the case for the importance of video content and shared a few easy ways to create the content, there should be no videographic epic fail in your future.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/movieingmemories/6244830775/ ”HD Cinamatic Wedding Videographer Videography Video Production Austin,” © 2011 Movieing Memories, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/  

Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. She specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide.

Refine Your Online Content Marketing Strategy for Success in 2014

In order to secure loyal customers, it’s important to have an online content marketing strategy that offers zero-cost information to those who will view it or listen to it. While this can create an expense, since you have to spend time and/or money to have it created and distributed, content marketing can pay back in major dividends when combined with your other marketing campaigns.

Content marketing helps you to build trust. The customer will soon see you as an authority in your field - or perhaps as someone who willfully entertains them on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. The idea of giving something for nothing is a marketing technique that’s been used for generations now, and has been proven as a great way to generate a faithful and reliable customer base.

Generation Z wants content, and in most cases, you need to get that attention via online resources. The advancement in the popularity and technology of smartphone devices means that even people who’ve never had the Internet installed in their homes are now online - researching, downloading and otherwise being entertained.

Getting your business in front of their eyes by giving them the information or entertainment they’re looking for is a great way to ingrain your business name and logo into their brains.

1. Don’t Rely on a Single Content Avenue

A mixture of visually and mentally-stimulating content:

• Writing
• Graphics
• Video
• Audio
• Data (infographics are awesome for displaying data)
• Social media
• All types of user-generated content

This is always best. Too much can become confusing though (see #2).

Video content can stand on its own in most cases, whereas written content works best with supporting graphics and data. Check out this article if you’re trying to identify types of content marketing you can use.

2. Avoid Confusion

When most people get into content creation, they either focus on a single approach or dive right in and do everything. Start with a few methods if you aren’t experienced yet.

Discover the power of the written word, then learn about graphics creation, dabble in video and figure out how to outsource effectively if you don’t want to do everything yourself. (Hint: It’s very likely that you can’t do everything yourself.) Now, that covers the confusion that you’ll have to deal with.

Confusing your visitor is another tough hurdle to avoid. There are many unwritten rules for keeping both your site and your content uncluttered and easy to follow:

Easy Navigation

Start by using a good theme with easy-to-read navigation. WordPress is as good as they come. Free themes are fine. Use the Genesis or Thesis frameworks if you want to be able to make more customizations.

The Right Mix

A mix of everything is best and each in the right quantities. If you’re using written content, don’t scatter tons of offsite videos or external links in where the reader is redirected to another webpage (i.e., YouTube). One or two videos or links in a longer written piece is okay, but if you want people reading your written content, it’s best to keep the focus on the writing.

Mixing in pictures and animations is great too, but more than a few pictures will still draw the focus from the writing. Don’t make your photos and thumbnails so large that they take up a large space. You don’t want the reader thinking the piece is done because your massive picture of Donald Duck takes up an entire page.

Video Content

This should, just like writing, stand on its own. Don’t feel like you have to write a huge written synopsis of what the viewer’s about to watch. Let them judge for themselves and direct them to another page (such as a landing page or related article) at the end of the video.

Image Content

It’s is a great way to garner interest in your brand. The old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” is a quote that will be true forever.

Sites like Pinterest, Tumbler, and Facebook are great social venues for posting photos. Use originals whenever possible (especially on your website). Some industries get more benefit than others in the picture space, with regard to an expanded customer base.

If you’re in cooking, pets, electronics, photography (obvious), automobiles, home building/renovations, craftsmanship of any kind, restorations, etc. - then you’re indeed crazy if you’re not utilizing “picto-marketing.”

3. Optimize for Mobile

This advice is mainly for those of you who are posting on your own websites. Use a WP theme or personalized web design that’s optimized for mobile devices.

Another option is to install plugins like WPTouch, or other similar add-ons that do the work for you. It’s much easier to install a mobile-friendly theme from the get-go to avoid problems. Then when you think you have everything right, test it with your own device, or call on some friends and relatives to tell you how it looks, works and feels.

4. Get Published on Social Media and Other Sites/Blogs

No, blogs and blogging are not dead. In fact, combining your blogging efforts on both social media and blogs can help you strengthen your content’s impact.

Blog on Quora and tell the community about the useful resources you have found. Give a hint about your own page, answer members’ questions and direct them to the right resources. Be active and always be helpful. Do similar things with your Facebook fan page.

You might also want to curate for content via Scoop.it and add value by sharing your insight on your curated content. There are, indeed, many ways to get your content marketed. The big question is - which one is the right one?

Last but not least, if you’re posting your content to social media spots or guest-posting on someone else’s blog, the site admin will have clearly defined rules for the size of the content and supporting images, thumbnails, etc. When posting to Facebook, Pinterest and others, the interface won’t allow you to attach content that doesn’t meet their optimization requirements.

Don’t spam those sites to death posting updates about you, you - and you. Give back and help people solve their problems, so that they can help others - and then perhaps they will tell them about you along the way when doing so.

Success Photo via Shutterstock