The Community News and Information roundup is here again. Taking the pulse of the online small business community, we look at the concept of putting service before sales and the secret of underdog marketing.
Service Should Come Before Sales. (Proforma Blog)
It goes without saying that when you visit a customer, especially for the first time, you’re looking for a sale. But perhaps you should be looking for ways to provide customer service from the beginning too, says Gina Zahran. Take the time to learn what your customer really needs and whether your product will fill that need.
Underdog Marketing Has Its Advantages (Capture Commerce)
One of the challenges of being a small business, especially a new one, is that many of your competitors are already entrenched in the market. And they have customers already using their products and services. So it’s pretty ironic that this can also be one of your advantages too. Tom Shivers discusses the definition of an underdog with the BizSugar community.
Email Marketing Remains a Key Technique (High Road)
There’s a reason Kent Garner asks the question. That’s because email continues to be the “workhorse†of online marketing. So unless you’re collecting customer email addresses and are fully maximizing this resource, you’re missing an important component.
Make Sure Your Advertising is Delivering Its Message. (Neuromarketing)
To this neuroscientist, advertising is more than a persuasive art. Its effectiveness can be measured right down to the length of the message. Important components including grabbing the audiences attention, engaging them emotionally, and giving them something to remember.
There’s a Reason Your Team Doesn’t Like Meetings (SmallBizDay)
Sure it could be the fact that you don’t have a more effective agenda. And it could also be the fact that they aren’t as productive as you’d like them to be. But the real reason could be a great deal simpler. And it has to do with a quality you’d welcome from your people under different circumstances.
Perhaps You Need a Project Manager. (Young Upstarts)
There are obviously qualities a project manager can bring your organization that won’t be available otherwise. So once youâ€ve decided you need this person on your team, veteran project manager Russell Harley makes these suggestions about to find the right one. As with anything, Harley says, you must start by deciding what you need.
It Starts With a Strong Brand. (Success Center for Entrepreneurs)
Business need a story, an explanation of who they are and where they come from. Here Randall Hampton explores just how brands are made. It’s an important thing for your small business to consider, especially if your just starting out. Do you have a strong brand? And what does it tell your customers about you?
Marketing Is the New Journalism. (ThursdayBram.com)
Advocacy journalism is a radical departure in the way the news has been covered up until now. It can refer to the work of activists, say, in support of a cause they feel to be just. But just as easily, it could serve your brand’s purposes. Bram discusses the implications of this new approach to journalism with members of the BizSugar community.
Now it’s your turn. Email us with your suggestions for coverage at sbtips@gmail.com. Or share your news on BizSugar.com. It’s the small business community we visit most often to find the freshest and most authentic small business voices.
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