7 Small Business Marketing Strategies Every Entrepreneur Ought To Know

Before the Internet came along and changed human behavior
forever, small business marketing was pretty
straightforward. An entrepreneur had merely to focus his
or her efforts on offline marketing strategies to maximize
returns.

With the introduction of the Internet, however,
entrepreneurs have now been presented with a piece of
technology that has already begun to revolutionize the way
businesses market and sell their products and services. It
has become the quintessential medium for entrepreneurs to
gain better competitive advantage and stronger economic
footing in their marketplace.

As exciting as the Internet is for entrepreneurs, however,
it inevitably poses a new set of challenges for small
businesses, specifically in marketing. So, if you're a tad
bit confused about creating your marketing strategy to fit
today's global marketplace, then here are 7 small business
marketing strategies that you and every other entrepreneur
should know about:

1. Start A Blog

You know a marketing strategy is working extremely well if
Microsoft is using it. The revolution of the Internet made
websites mandatory for any business seeking an online
presence, but the evolution of the Internet has made it
mandatory for entrepreneurs to start blogging. There's a
lot that should be said about blogging, but in a nutshell,
it is a distributed media that entrepreneurs create and
relinquish control to their audience (prospects and
customers) to establish a long-lasting customer
relationship.

Blogs are probably the quickest way to create awareness and
draw attention to your business, building trust with your
prospects and removing perceived risk by tearing down
communication barriers. It puts a human face to your
business, illuminating an element of business transparency
your customers can easily identify with.

2. Network Online And Offline

Networking is seldom referred to as a marketing strategy
and those who undervalue its potential to grow a business
couldn't be more wrong. The proof of this is in the
popularity of social networking sites like MySpace.com and
Facebook.com. So popular are these digital networking
sites in today's Web 2.0 era that there is practically a
site created around every interest imaginable.

Networking sites like Ryze.com and LinkedIn.com are
specifically centered on like-minded small-business
entrepreneurs like you and are perfect platforms for
seeking out new business opportunities and partnerships.

Let's not forget the traditional methods of networking as
well, such as attending seminars and business events which,
although outshone by the current frenzy of online social
networks, still play a huge role in carving out big chunks
of business opportunities.

3. Branding

Let's face it, growing a business is easy if you know how,
but giving your business a unique identity amidst all the
competition in your market is tough. Here's where branding
can lend a helping hand, personifying your business by
leveraging on brand awareness to build stronger
relationships with your customers.

Ideally, your brand should influence every aspect of your
business operation because the successful brands of today
will be those capable of producing customer-centric
business models consistently.

4. Targeted Traffic

Getting traffic to your business is obviously a must for
survival. No business can survive without traffic, whether
it be online or offline. But the key to outsmarting your
competitors is attracting targeted traffic, which pose a
much higher chance of converting to paying customers.

Attracting targeted online traffic is a much faster and
more cost-effective way of growing a small business and can
be achieved by utilizing strategies such as search engine
optimization, buying traffic (using PPC, CPA, or banners),
recommending affiliate programs and syndicating content.

5. PR

Want to spark a buying frenzy for your products or services
in a flash? Then, nothing comes quite as close as landing
a press coverage about your business or about your success
as an entrepreneur. Yes, advertising in papers or
magazines has its perks, but consumers know that these can
be biased. Gaining publicity via a news release, on the
other hand, lends huge credibility to your business and
should only serve to boost your sales for the long term.

6. Writing Articles

The Internet has made it extremely easy for anyone to
establish themselves as an author and information
publisher. Take advantage of this by writing articles
promoting your business. Why? Because as an entrepreneur,
writing articles makes you an authority in the eyes of your
customers, a marketing strategy often used by CEOs of
Fortune 500s to garner a following of pre-sold prospects
for easy sales.

7. Public Speaking

Probably the hardest strategy for the publicity shy, but
speaking to promote your business is a critical marketing
strategy. Communication experts list speaking and writing
as the two most important skills to develop as an
entrepreneur due to the instant recognition that these
skills contribute to your business.

Small businesses experiencing a growth spurt on the
Internet can be attributed to one common factor: a
successful marriage of both online and offline marketing
strategies. So put these 7 marketing strategies into
practice and watch your business takeoff from a whole new
level.

----------------------------------------------------
Robert Moment is an innovative small business coach ,
speaker and author. Robert specializes in teaching
entrepreneur how to start a small business that profits and
grow. Visit http://www.howtostartyoursmallbusiness.com and
sign-up for the FREE Small Business Coaching 7 day e-course.

No Logo?: Launching a Business Without a Logo Can Sabotage You

The initial lack of customers and cash flow often causes
new small business owners to put off designing a logo and
marketing materials professionally "until they get a few
clients" or "until they get started." Unfortunately,
designing their own marketing materials when they launch
their businesses instead of having them professionally
created will make getting those initial clients more
difficult and may result in a business that will not
succeed.

Many entrepreneurs choose to design their own marketing
materials when they launch their businesses, especially by
creating their first business card. Or sometimes they will
have an amateur designer, friend, or relative create the
design. There are several reasons why this is not the best
idea. An amateur logo design and business card can make
your business more likely to fail for a number of reason.

- Your business will not look stable. It will appear to be
more likely to fold or to fail. Clients will not have
confidence in doing business with you. Would you do
business with someone who seems to be on unstable footing
and who might not be in business by the end of your project
or after you have purchased an item?

- You will look like a very small business. Large,
successful businesses would never consider doing business
without professional, originally designed marketing
materials. Using materials that are not professionally
designed (i.e., Microsoft or Vistaprint templates) makes
your business appear even smaller and can possibly indicate
that you cannot perform to or meet the standards required.

- You will look unpolished and rough. Not having a
professional "look and feel" can make it appear as though
your business does not matter to you. Customers may get the
impression that you do not care about the way your business
presents itself, which might indicate that you would not
care about the quality of your work or the way that your
work reflects upon their business.

- You will look unfocused. Unprofessional, uncoordinated
marketing materials can make your business look "jumbled"
or confused. If you have a business card with one look and
feel and a Web site with another, this creates a
confused-and confusing-look and feel for your business.
This can also cause an identity crisis for a small
business. When looking at your differently designed
materials, potential clients may be fooled into thinking
that they are looking at materials that represent different
companies. About half of all businesses fail within their
first few years. One source of failure that is commonly
cited by experts is sloppy or ineffective marketing. If
your marketing materials do not stand out from those of
your competitors, your sales will suffer.

When you start a business, you need to create the quickest
possible route to business success. A logo helps to create
this by contributing to your business's visibility,
credibility, and memorability-three factors that will help
your business to grow and achieve success. So, while
putting off your logo development may seem like a prudent
idea from a cash-flow point of view, it could result in
your business never getting off the ground. It can also
lead to your business folding when it would otherwise
succeed.

If you think that you can't afford to design a logo when
starting your business, consider the outcomes-how can you
afford not to?

----------------------------------------------------
Erin Ferree is a brand identity designer who creates big
visibility for small businesses. As the owner of elf
design, Erin is passionate about helping her clients stand
out in front of their competition and attract more clients.
Her "Define Your Difference Branding Workbook" will help
you with your brand definition - the most important step in
the brand identity design process.
http://www.elf-design.com/products-define.html

Working Hard Does Not Produce Success

One of the pieces of advice about life that many young
people hear is, "If you want to be successful and get ahead
in life you need to work hard." That advice means to get a
good job and put your nose to the grindstone by working
hard at it, and doing your best.

A lot of young people start out doing just that. They
really put forth a great effort and work hard, sometimes
working long hours and weekends too. They believe that
being successful requires hard work, and they are willing
to work as hard as they can so that they will be successful.

When things are not going as well as expected, many think
that it is because they aren't working as hard as they
should, so they begin to work even harder. Many people in
their 40's and 50's have taken on a second job. It
certainly is a lot more work when you have two jobs than
when you have just one job. That is definitely working
harder.

I remember someone once saying, "Learn to work smarter, not
harder." What great advice that is.

I have nothing against hard work. I enjoy working hard,
putting all of my effort and energy into the project at
hand. And, it is true that if you are going to be
successful you do need to work hard. But, if you look
around you, it is evident that many people who have worked
hard all their lives do not have enough means to enjoy
their sunset years.

Plenty of people who have worked hard their whole lives are
now struggling to support themselves. So, they still work
a job. I'm willing to bet you that most of the over 60
crowd you see pouring your coffee at Denny's, or greeting
you at Wal-Mart, are not there by choice. And yet, they
worked hard all their life. What happened?

Is there a deeper issue to consider? It is very obvious
that just working hard will not bring you success. It is
true; working smarter can be very advantageous. But, it
seems that something vitally important is often overlooked
or dismissed.

The picture that you carry of yourself will determine the
course you take in life. If you have no specific, clearly
defined goals or desires, you will not just wake up someday
in nirvana, with a well padded retirement account.

Yes, we work hard to be successful, but we also have to
choose to be successful. It is a decision. It is a
conscious effort. It takes mental discipline. It is a
deliberate mindset.

It takes consistently evaluating our thoughts and then
changing those thoughts when necessary.

It takes specific goals and desires that we must pursue
with diligence. It is up to us to reevaluate and
reformulate those goals and desires as life changes. A lot
more is needed to be successful than just arriving at a job
and working hard all day!

In addition, we must remember that negative, defeating
thoughts will always produce defeat. Fears and worries
will bring failure.

It is through positive, successful mind processes, that we
come up with ideas for success. When we keep our mind
focused on our desires, opportunities become very obvious
to us. That is a big part of the "working smarter."

Our culture has really changed in the last 40 years.
Working for one company and then retiring with a nice
pension has become almost obsolete. Staying at the same
job for a long time is becoming a novelty. And social
security will not pay you enough, even if it's still there
when you retire.

So, work hard at your job, but work even harder with your
brain. Stay clear and focused on where you truly desire to
go in life. Stay clear on the things that you really desire
to see happen, and then, act on those desires.

Look for and expect opportunities to come your way. Expect
to have more ideas for your own personal success. And,
never forget that the Creator has promised to give you the
desires of your heart.

And by the way, the next time you're in Denny's and a
grandmother waits on your table, give her a ten or twenty
dollar tip.

----------------------------------------------------
Michael A. Verdicchio is a husband, father, minister,
author,and broadcaster. He has been the voice on numerous
productions over the years, and offers, "Pep Talks" on
audio CD, at http://www.MikesPepTalks.com . Michael has a
free newsletter called, THE PEP LETTER, at
http://www.christianinspirationalgifts.com/pepletter.html .

The 7 Traits of an Exceptional & Successful Entrepreneur

How often have you either referred to or considered the
expression, "Success is a journey and not a Destination?"
Probably many times, yet often being in a hurry to get
there, we forget that success is not an end unto itself,
but is instead an ongoing process.

Though some people seem to have the Midas touch and easily
turn everything to gold, most of us have to give our
endeavors lots of time, effort and the sweat of our brow
before seeing things come to fruition. The simple truth is
that the majority of us are simply not born leaders, but
become leaders by who we are and the actions we take.
Consequently, whether or not you're an established
entrepreneur or just starting out on your journey, there
are particular traits you'll usually find operating within
the exceptional entrepreneur. In fact there are 7
particular traits you'll generally discover deeply embedded
within the exceptional and successful businessperson.

If you've already taken the plunge as an entrepreneur, you
know that it takes a great deal of planning, development
and strategic marketing to succeed. At any given time,
there are changes to be considered and new directions to
examine. In which case, whether you're the CEO, CFO, Chief
Marketer or Chief Solutions Officer of your company, your
journey to success is probably full of trials and
tribulations.

To support you in your journey to success, be willing to
open your mind and sense of reasoning as you consider
whether these traits are part of your driving force. If
they are not yet ingrained within you, I recommend that you
give them some thought.

THE 7 TRAITS TO SUCCESS

1) Successful Entrepreneurs Gain the Respect of their Peers
One of the first and most obvious characteristics you'll
see operating in an exceptional entrepreneur is an
equitable and unbiased disposition . Plain and simple the
successful entrepreneur recognizes that no one is above or
below. With an attitude of respect for others, the
successful entrepreneur gains the respect from everyone
they encounter. Strategies, attitudes and methods filter
down to each person and reflect on all actions and
activities. A successful entrepreneur gives everyone the
space to be great. No matter how effective or beneficial
your expertise, becoming a successful entrepreneur requires
building up of your character muscles, traits and habits,
which correspondingly make your dreams a reality.

2) Successful Entrepreneurs Believe and Trust in Themselves

The savvy entrepreneur is good at trusting his or her own
ideas and instincts. Starting out as an entrepreneur
requires persistence, determination and a high level of
self-discipline. Continuing as a successful entrepreneur
requires even more persistence, determination and
self-discipline. The wise and successful entrepreneur
knows this and works hard at developing their level of
confidence. If you have a strong code of ethics and
believe in yourself, then your ideas can work. Having the
desire and passion are the first steps on your journey;
getting there requires believing in yourself.

3) Successful Entrepreneurs Follow a Plan

The successful entrepreneur follows a plan. Haphazard or
trial and error have no place for the triumphant
entrepreneur, for no one gets to his or her destination
without a map or a guide to follow. That doesn't mean you
won't go off course if another road seems better, but it's
still more effective to have a plan in place. Most
successful entrepreneurs start out by writing a basic
business plan that acts as the impetus and guide for their
endeavors. It doesn't have to be fancy or lengthy but it
should include marketing strategies, goals, intentions,
ideas and why you can do better than your competition. A
business plan should be reviewed and updated periodically
for each new idea stirs and inspires other ideas.

4) Successful Entrepreneurs Think Creatively

Successful entrepreneurs are not afraid of thinking
creatively. Whether a business idea has already been tried
makes no difference to the exceptional entrepreneur. He or
she sees better ways of doing things and knows that every
idea can be expanded upon, made better, enhanced or
broadened . The successful entrepreneur is willing to think
outside or the proverbial box, which means using
imagination, trying new things and expanding on a vision.
The savvy entrepreneur pays careful attention as to whether
a particular strategy is working. If after giving it his
or her best shot the entrepreneur realizes the particular
strategy isn't working, they know there's no point in
continuing to invest energy, time and effort in the
strategy. They move on to another approach and idea.

5)Successful Entrepreneurs Explore Their Exceptional Skills

Successful entrepreneurs realize that we each have our
strengths and weaknesses as well as a multitude of skills
and talents. Successful people ask themselves often what
skills they have that no one shares in quite the same way.
An exceptional and successful entrepreneur explores their
particular skills until they find the ones that match most
closely with their ideal. They don't try to be and do
everything. If the successful entrepreneur needs help,
they're willing to find someone who can do it better, and
allows in the support. The successful entrepreneur stays
open to change for they recognize that as they move
forward, doors open in unexpected places that carry them to
their next level of success.

6) Successful Entrepreneurs Envision Their Success

The successful entrepreneur gives time to envisioning how
they want their business to look and how they want it to
be. Intention is a powerful and dynamic tool. For those
who are not inclined towards intention and visualization,
talk to a successful athlete and you'll discover that
before each sporting event, the successful athlete
envisions exactly how he or she wants things to turn out.
Imagine what it will feel like when you've reached a
particular set of goals. Get in touch with the feelings,
you'd have as a successful entrepreneur. Practice and
conceive of the sense of empowerment and the joy of having
succeeded. The successful entrepreneur knows they have the
power to live life the way they want, but to make it a
reality, they know it has to be seen first.

7) Successful Entrepreneurs Never Give Up

Giving up is never in the vocabulary of the successful
entrepreneur. Of course there may be days when a
successful entrepreneur feels discouraged or disappointed,
but giving up is not an option. Having faith, trust,
confidence and determination are the qualities needed for
the successful entrepreneur. To keep their focus on track,
they seek out the support of those that know them,
encourage them and bring out their natural enthusiasm. The
smart and successful entrepreneur realizes that there will
be good days and not so good days. Being a successful
entrepreneur requires accepting the ebbs and flows of
business for it is in fact what separates the exceptional
and successful entrepreneur from the one who gives up far
too soon.

----------------------------------------------------
Robert Moment is an innovative small business coach,
speaker and author . Robert specializes in teaching
entrepreneurs how to start a small business that profits
and grow. Visit http://www.howtostartyoursmallbusiness.com
and take the FREE Small Business Coaching 7 day e-course
titled, "Turn Passion into Profits: Small Business
Startups".