Despite the rapid growth and popularity of internet marketing techniques, print advertising is still a popular, affordable and effective medium favored by many small businesses. The multitude of available options includes newspapers, weekly periodicals, local magazines, directories, catalogs, and various other forms of consumer-targeted printed matter.
Personally, I enjoy collecting various regional print media, in order to peruse the local business climate, and to see what small business owners are doing right – and wrong – when it comes to marketing their companies with printed advertisements. Read the rest of Dissecting the Formula for Effective Print Ads »
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One of the most effective ways to improve your marketing message is by articulating the end results customers derive from your offering.
Humans make decisions based on emotions, then use their rational mind to justify decisions. In the battle of the heart vs. the mind, the heart often wins, therefore, in order to earn the attention of your prospects, you need to hook them emotionally. Read the rest of Successful Marketing Speaks the Language of Results »
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One of my clients was frustrated recently when she got the monthly bill for email marketing and website management services I provide her company. She felt it was too high, and didn’t quite understand the cost-to-value ratio.
After a long phone conversation, we managed to clarify the confusion and alleviate her frustrations. However, this scenario reminded me that communicating the value of your product or service does not stop once the sale is made. Read the rest of Communicate Your Value Before AND After The Sale »
I was at a business networking meeting recently and was privy to a debate regarding the merits of traditional marketing versus online marketing. One party was partial to print advertising and praised its time-honored effectiveness, while another extolled the virtues of the online marketing realm.
The debate seemed to boil down to this single question: Which medium is better?
Just as I did at the meeting, I will chime in here and say: That is the wrong question to be asking. Read the rest of Online Marketing vs. Traditional: Which is ‘Better’? »
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I took a vacation to the Central Coast of California, and on the way down from Mt. Shasta, stopped in San Francisco for the night. I had booked a hotel in South San Francisco because it was that much closer to my Day 2 destination of Santa Cruz. Due to its close proximity to the airport and myriad corporate office parks, I wasn’t expecting much more than a place to sleep.
The minute I walked in to The Inn at Oyster Point, my low expectations were blown out the window. I was totally impressed with the crazy, fun and irreverent mish-mash design aesthetic, pop-art laden walls, community iMac (what can I say, I’m a Mac, not a PC) in the lobby and friendly, attentive service by the attendant who called my by name for the remainder of my visit. Read the rest of Being Irreplaceable Means Being Different »
Photo Illustration by Nikolas Allen. Model: Fina Noel Wolfe
Google recently entered the social media fray with Google+ (Google Plus), and for weeks the blogosphere has been buzzing about how it’s going to be the death of Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, and anything else that might make for a compelling headline.
While it’s too early to making such grandiose predictions, Google+ is poised to become a strong competitor, and will no doubt keep Mark Zuckerberg on his toes.
Currently billed as The Google+ Project, the site, not yet open to the general public, is in an invitation-only field trial stage, similar to a beta-testing phase. I was invited to join (Thanks to Michelle Quillin @NEMultimedia) and, after a little investigation, I see that there are currently five key features of the platform: Circles, Hangouts, Instant Upload, Sparks and Huddle. Read the rest of Is Google+ The New Sheriff In Social Media Town? »
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I was invited to join Thumbtack.com, an online marketplace that connects buyers with service providers, like myself. I created a profile for BAM! Small Biz Consulting on the site and they had many questions for me to answer, which will help educate the buyers so they can determine which companies will provide the best solutions for their needs.
I felt the questions were relevant and wanted to share them with you here on the BAM! Blog. Enjoy!
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Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A. The mistake I see most Small Business Owners making is not giving enough thought to their marketing message. All the marketing tools in the world are not going to help if you don’t offer a compelling message that differentiates your company and resonates with your target audience.
Therefore, when hiring a Marketing Agency or Consultant, make sure they can help you create the most Meaningful Content you can before determining which tools to implement. If their main focus is on setting up the tools and not on your unique message, you should probably keep looking. Read the rest of Interview With a Marketing Man: 7 Questions for Nikolas Allen »
I was asked to write a guest article for Personal Branding magazine, by successful author and speaker on the topic, Dan Schawbel. Since submitting articles to blogs and publications is a great way to establish yourself as an expert and build your brand, I jumped at the chance.
But first, a quick recap: Branding, whether done by a business organization or a solo entrepreneur, is simply the practice of defining and articulating your own unique value and positioning your value in the minds of your audience.
Once you define your position, you must continue to take the necessary actions to maintain the positive reputation you have created. If you don’t, your brand will suffer and your value declines. It happens to companies all the time: AT&T has a terrible reputation. Groupon took a hit after airing controversial commercials during the Super Bowl. People have a love/hate relationship with discount retail behemoth Walmart. Read the rest of How To Become An Opportunity Magnet »
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Graphic by Nikolas Allen
Due to a combination of active PR, event marketing, direct contact and follow-up, social media marketing and word of mouth referrals, my consulting business has been booming over the past couple months.
Lately, I enjoy getting phone calls from numbers I don’t recognize, because more often than not, it’s a new prospect on the line. After working so hard for the past three years revising and refining my business concept, it’s a thrill that random phone calls are becoming hot leads, speaking engagements are manifesting new prospects, and Facebook referrals result in signed checks.
Of course, as I schedule more Free 30-Minute Needs Assessments, meet with more prospects and submit more BAM! Solution Proposals, I’m also encountering something that’s not quite as thrilling: Lots of fear. Read the rest of Why Fear-Based Marketing Strategies Don’t Work »
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Nikolas Allen greets students during “Marketing Your Art” workshop
On Saturday, May 21, 2011, I had the pleasure of teaching a marketing workshop to a dozen artists at various stages of their careers. My workshop was one in a series of ten put together by the Siskiyou Arts Council for a program called, “The Business of Art,” which covered many topics aimed at helping artists improve their business skills.
Since I have spent the past three years in Northern California actively involved in the art scene, while branding myself as “the pop artist who’s crazy about marketing,” I was hired early on in the development of the program to help define it, and to teach the marketing portion of the series. Read the rest of Nikolas Allen Hosts Artist Marketing Workshop »
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Nikolas Allen on Twitter
Integrated Marketing: If You Knew It, You'd Do It || http://t.co/bJNgbeF4 || #smallbiz #marketing- RT @C_ConsultingLLC: Are you using Social Media to compliment your #networking strategy, or to replace it? Remember, it's just a tool.
- 13 Questions That Will Lead You To Your Perfect Marketing Strategy || http://t.co/A4ehrVj6 || #smallbiz #marketing
- Hey Janelle Boatright do you mean these little guys? There my 'Pop Rocks' ~ painted river rocks with appliqué... http://t.co/pd1meMxV
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Branding and Marketing Strategies for Small Biz
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