Category: Business

  • Video Marketing Mistakes That Every Marketer Should Avoid

    Video Marketing Mistakes That Every Marketer Should Avoid

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    In today’s digital era, a marketer should not underestimate the power of video, as it solidifies your presence over the internet or intranet. It’s no real surprise that it has now become the need of the time, without which your digital marketing strategy is incomplete. To hit the head like a pro, you need to get out of your comfort zone and jump on the bandwagon that gives you the results. Customers or visitors find videos more interesting and easier to communicate than the content itself. It clarifies and conveys the thoughts better than the written text. While indulging in the strategy, here are some mistakes that you need to avoid, have a look to know them.

    • Creating Never-Ending Videos: Just because videos have now become an integral part of digital marketing strategy, doesn’t mean you make it lengthy or never-ending. If you did so, it’ll only ruin your impression and break your images in front of the clients. Thus, you should keep in mind the duration of the video and try to make it as short, simple and knowledgeable, as possible.
    • Try Not To Push Sale: While creating a video for your company, you need to keep in mind the point that it is to attract people and advertise your products or services to them in a smarter way. If you are not doing so, it’ll break your impression and deliver the wrong results. Make sure the video you create convenience them to try out your products and services, rather than trying to foist it on them forcefully.
    • No Title And Description: Video makes it easier for a viewer to understand your offerings, similarly, title and descriptions help the Google to index it for better ranking. Thus, you should create SEO-friendly title and description that justify your video and make it easier for search engines to index it.
    • No Call-To-Action: Be it content or video content, a call-to-action phrase is very much important to attract the audience and, to increase the chances of conversion. If you are not adding it to your videos, so, it’ll zero your efforts of generating the leads.

    These are a few video marketing mistakes that being a marketer, you must avoid. To add a professional touch to your videos, you shouldn’t hesitate to take the assistance of the experts. Do remember, video marketing has the power to make or break your company’s impression and, you should use this tool ideally to make it work for your goals.

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    Source by Gunjan Singh

    Views: 1

  • How to Select the Right Marketing Strategy for Your Business

    How to Select the Right Marketing Strategy for Your Business

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    I’ve probably had more conversations about this topic with clients than any other: What marketing strategies should I use to market my professional services?

    These days, there are more options to market yourself than ever before. And you may have a tendency to look for something quick and easy that will generate a never-ending stream of new prospective clients.

    I wish that solution existed. Some of the newer methods of marketing, such as YouTube videos, are very powerful, but extremely difficult for the average person to pull off successfully.

    Over the years, I’ve had tremendous success with three primary marketing activities. And I’ve also helped a whole lot of clients implement these strategies successfully as well. Nevertheless, for all of them it can take a tremendous amount of time and energy to get consistent results.

    Here are the pros and cons of each strategy and my overall recommendations about how to integrate each one into your overall marketing plan.

    Networking and Direct Outreach

    This strategy about building relationships with others in your field who can connect you to prospective clients. This means having conversations, attending meetings (individually or in groups), and doing follow-up. Sometimes it means reaching out directly to those in your network (including LinkedIn), being proactive, and exploring possibilities for projects.

    Pros: Networking is the most concentrated, focused, personal kind of marketing. And if you do it well and consistently it can be extremely effective in building strong relationships and trust with your business associates and prospects.

    Cons: The downside of networking is that it can drain your energy. This is a particular issue for introverts like me. And networking only enables you to reach a limited number of people.

    Recommendation: Start marketing your professional services by meeting as many people as you possibly can – face to face. Join organizations and associations and then learn how to use LinkedIn to connect with new prospects.

    Speaking (Live and Webinars)

    If you want to gain a reputation as an expert, nothing is better than speaking. And it combines the best of networking and writing, in that you are connecting with people directly and also sharing your valuable expertise.

    Pros: Speaking can quickly establish you as an expert. And you can immediately follow up with those in your audience.

    Cons: The downside of speaking is that, for many people, it comes with a high fear factor, therefore a lot of people avoid it.

    Recommendation: As your network expands, start to find audiences to present your ideas through professional associations, chambers of commerce, and other groups both offline and online. Learn the skills of giving a great presentation and of following up with your audience members.

    Writing

    Publishing articles and books have always been a good way to market professional services. It establishes your credibility. And with the expansion of various platforms on the Internet, such as Medium, and tools such as WordPress, it’s easier than ever to put your ideas out there.

    Pros: There is no better way to get your ideas out into the world and in front of a large number of people quickly and at virtually no cost.

    Cons: The downside of writing is the sheer volume of online material. There are so many articles published online these days and sent out by email that it can be hard to break through. And yes, writing is a lot of work and takes lots of time.

    Recommendations: You should publish an online newsletter and blog as soon as possible. Work at growing your list and you’ll expand both your reach and credibility. Note that this can take years, so you need to be patient.

    This is the fifth of five articles about the 5 Pillars of Marketing, my marketing model that helps get your marketing on track. 5 Pillars article here.

    Social Media (supplemental strategy)

    For independent professionals, social media is a fast and easy way to communicate about what you’re up to in your business. It’s worth the time to set up LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter accounts.

    Pros: It’s easy to set up social media accounts and start posting and linking almost immediately.

    Cons: It can take a long time to gain traction that results in any new business. And it can also eat up a huge amount of time.

    Recommendation: Think of social media as a supplement to networking, speaking, and writing. It can increase your visibility and credibility among those you already know.

    All of these marketing strategies take time to master and don’t yield immediate results, but in my experience, the time and effort you put into them will reward your investment many times over.

    Perhaps the biggest mistake you can make in marketing your professional services is implementing these activities randomly and superficially. For success, you need to do all of them regularly and frequently. And for that you need a solid, step-by-step plan.

    Cheers, Robert

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    Source by Robert Middleton

    Views: 1

  • Give Away Your Best MLM Success Stories

    Give Away Your Best MLM Success Stories

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    Give away your best MLM success stories during special days throughout the year. Sounds crazy but if packaged right and promoted to deal with pain points you could see a boost in business. You can bundle them or change formats of any of them. The best way is to find a mixture of formats and use them in your marketing plan during holidays or other special events. Why should you give them away? Holidays are often cash restrictive. This prevents prospect from spending money on things that may not have a high priority.

    MLM success stories can break down walls

    If your finding a lot of resistance in your day to day operations. You could offer something special to help gain business, especially if it’s around MLM success stories or events. The stories can make a difference between success and failure. There is a set up to the whole idea. It must have a good promotional length and should be easy to access and the material should be complete. These three areas are important to the execution of your promotional campaign.

    The individual MLM success stories can include a variety of themes. You may want to run a single theme if you chose. Single themed stories are aimed at specific areas of a pain point in the person’s life. They can be done in most formats that include videos and eBooks. You can design a themed campaign for them that is separate from a multi themed set. Even though these sets can reach a broader audience that is looking for a generalized picture.

    Plan and measure for success for MLM success stories

    Plan your MLM success stories campaign carefully. The stories are the end product and are given away for free. This doesn’t mean you can’t link them to an email list. You may be able to link them to a social media follow and like. If you use WordPress, keep an eye out for new tools that can help. The end goal is to drive success in all areas. You could and should like premium content from your freebie in order to create a strong path for the visitors to follow.

    Always check your analytics for information regarding to the success and of your campaign. Measure the visits to the bounces and take a snapshot before launching the campaign. This can help you adjust and realign your efforts. Check it at least once a week and take a snapshot often as well. Especially if you are running a quarterly campaign.

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    Source by David L. Feinstein

    Views: 1

  • Multi Level Marketing Leads – How to Get the Best Leads For Your MLM Business

    Multi Level Marketing Leads – How to Get the Best Leads For Your MLM Business

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    Finding the best multi level marketing leads can sometimes seem like a difficult thing do. Especially when you're not sure what you can do to get them. So, what I'm going to do is share with you some ways to get the best multi level marketing leads.

    That way, you will be able to start adding a lot more people into your downline.

    The tips on getting the best prospects are:

    1. The first way to get great leads is to use PPC advertising. This is also referred to as pay-per click advertising. You can do this by using Google, Yahoo, and MSN. This is probably the best way to get targeted leads.

    The prospects you generate will be looking forward to joining you. Not all of them will join you, but a good majority of them will end up buying from you.

    2. Another tip on getting the best multi level marketing leads is to use video marketing. The great thing about video marketing is, you can put a video up on YouTube and have a lot of people watching it. This means you will have people from all over the world watching your video. This could lead to you adding tons of people into your downline.

    3. The third way to get the best leads for your multi level marketing business is to use social media. This is great way to connect and socialize with other marketers and people who are interested in joining a MLM business.

    There are a lot of multi level marketers that are using social media to generate a ton of leads and sales every day.

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    Source by Tony Bernard

    Views: 1

  • The Top 5 Multi Level Marketing Companies

    The Top 5 Multi Level Marketing Companies

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    Multi level marketing companies are companies that rely on a different sort of method for advertising their products; basically, it is wherein an independent representative or spokesperson refers other potential buyers to the company they represent. This is done through e-mail and other online means. The MLM advertising tactic has been increasing in popularity over the years, and today, it has produced numerous companies that rely on that strategy in order to make sales. This article will cover the best and most well-known multi level marketing companies that people frequently search for in various search-oriented websites.

    Herbalife is the single most popular among the multi level marketing companies. It is a company dedicated to nutrition, helping individuals by selling a myriad of vitamins, all manufactured by Herbalife itself. The variety of pills offereed range from ones that can assist in weight management to stress management vitamins. The company has its significant share of success stories that have played in a role in getting Herbalife to where it is today.

    Another popular, well-respected MLM company is Mary Kay. With the popular slogan “enriching women’s lives”, it has taken the world by storm and offers a wide range of beauty products. It even provides consultation services to women who wish to improve their appearances. Aside from skin care products, Mary Kay also offers makeup, perfume and spa and body treatments. Boys won’t feel left out; it is also not just all about women, for the company also has a division dedicated to men’s beauty products, too. Its reputaton has made it one of the most formidable multi level marketing companies around.

    The third most renowned multi level marketing company focuses specifically on multilevel marketing. As the self-confessed “gloal leader in multilevel marketing”, it provides numerous business opportunities and unique products of its own. It sells its items worldwide, and enables regular people to start their own Amway business and become an Amway business owner. The items it sells ranges from vitamins to skin care products, to water purifiers, exemplifying the wide scopes of the company itself. Amway is on a different level compared to other multi level marketing companies.

    Arbonne International is another beauty-oriented company that, unlike others, is available to the entire world. With creams that help prevent skin aging, assist in weight loss and improve skin care, no wonder Arbonne products are widely used. It is a company with the customer’s best interests (and looks) at heart, and will not cease in trying to make the world a more beautiful place.

    The fifth but not least popular of all multi level marketing companies is Pampered Chef, which makes online sales of kitchen tools. Everyone needs food, and what better way to make excellent food than with the best equipment? Pampered Chef certainly has this in mind, because it offers kitchenware, bakeware, cookware and more. Gift certificates are also available, and all products can easily be ordered online! MLM companies like Pampered Chef are living proof that multi level marketing can help send a company straight to the top.

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    Source by Michael Goudelock

    Views: 1

  • How to Bundle Your Leveraged Sales Offers

    How to Bundle Your Leveraged Sales Offers

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    Is there a way to bundle leveraged sales in a way that it is lucrative to both you and your prospects? The answer is yes and we will cover the basic process promotion of bundled goodies. If you're looking to increase your income potential without having to rely on your primary offer, leveraged sales is the way to go. Small gains over time leads to decreased overhead and a stronger bottom line. You can see places like McDonald's, Amazon and even Starbucks offer unique items at a low cost. They offer value to their prospects that ends up building up their revenue flow.

    Bundle your leveraged sales on the need of the prospect

    Leveraged sales are only as effective as the planning that has been put into creating them. From concept to research and finally to deployment, every aspect requires attention to detail. Just like when you created your marketing strategy. The leveraged sales offer must be developed from a need. This need comes from knowing your prospects. It will take time to ensure that your offers are gaining sales. If they are not, you can look at your promotion efforts, type of offer and prospect profile to see if you're hitting the mark or not.

    You can bundle your leveraged sales ideas together in order to increase value to your prospects. They can then lead to other offers or even to your main attraction. The most common way to bundle offers are to include two different offer types. As an example, for this would be an eBook and worksheet bundled in one package. Other examples include podcasts with personalized email correspondence. There is no limit to what you can bundle, you can bundle a series as well. The most difficult elements to work with is the pricing.

    Promoting your leveraged sales bundle effectively

    Promoting your leveraged sales bundled offers is very important to your success. Self-promoting can be hard, but nevertheless your revenue will require careful monitoring as you cast your offers out on various social media networks. As you promote informational material, you may want to mix in your offers as well. Some channels can offer you other ways to reach your audience, running a small advertising campaign could provide great insight to the effectiveness of your call to action message. Be careful with the data and always keep analyzing it to see where you can make improvements.

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    Source by David L. Feinstein

    Views: 1

  • The Real Reason Why Small Businesses Can’t Get Approved for a Loan

    The Real Reason Why Small Businesses Can’t Get Approved for a Loan

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    Oh no, not again. Yes, that’s right, I’m not going to go there… at least not for today. There’s no shortage of excuses and reasons why small businesses can’t get approved for business loans. It never fails to amaze me the coverage this topic gets especially when the national economy goes into recession or when major political races are at stake. Yes, I agree that small business growth and success is the economic back bone of the US and also, that more than 60% of the US workforce are employed by small businesses. But where I get off the group think is when it comes to the lack of financing for a small business with a business loan. In this article, let’s explore the REAL REASON that small business don’t qualify for loans and the truth may even surprise you.

    It’s Deeper Than Statistics

    I love numbers and even better, I love reading financial statements and the notes. The love for numbers did not become a passion for me in the world of small business lending until I came to understand that the financial statements tell the story of a business. Similar to the story behind the financial statements, there’s a story behind the statistics stating that small business owners can’t get approved for loans especially if they’re of a certain ethnic group, gender, and / or industry. I’m not completely washing away the reality that there’s a shred of discrimination in our world… hey, we live in a broken society with broken people. However, a large part of this thinking (small business owners can’t get a loan because of skin color, gender, etc) is just simply untrue. I’ve been on both sides of the fence so to speak in the world of small business lending. I’ve worked for a big bank, and I’ve worked for a not for profit community development financial institution and it’s always the same. The number one reason why small business can’t (and don’t) get approved for loans is due to the considerably large operating risk that exists in these businesses.

    Operating Risk: It All Starts with You

    What does operating risk mean? Well, here’s a question to bring some clarity. What speaks more to sustainability: a business that’s been operating for at least one year or a business that’s still in the owner(s) mind? I’d go with the first option. Operating risk means that you have and continue to execute on your business plan(s) and that the business is cash flow positive (i.e. returning a sustainable profit margin to cover costs and make you money). Here’s the sad truth: not many small businesses get to this point. Most if any, within two years are still trying to figure things out. OK, granted, there are levels to this particularly when you observe the diversity of businesses. However, I’m speaking to the ones that endeavor to obtain a business loan.

    In closing, I offer a couple of ways to minimize your operating risk and increase your chances of getting approved for a loan. (1) Grow tough skin and learn to survive. The game of business is one of survival. Most days, things will not go your way and you just have to stay the course, be adaptable, and stay true to the business mission. (2) Never forget the 3 P’s – Production, Processes, and Personnel. Become efficient in the production of what you offer for sale, create and put in place processes to enhance production efficiency and ultimately the customer experience, and finally, hire, train, and invest in people who share your vision for the business.

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    Source by Pierre Pinkerton

    Views: 1

  • Money Is Actually Important

    Money Is Actually Important

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    “If you think that money is not important, you don’t have any”

    After hearing the panelist make this comment, I immediately looked around the room to see who he just offended. Although I agree with him, I was surprised to hear him make such a strong comment in such a public forum. The truth is, this type of belief makes people without money, and no plans to get it, feel better. I have heard this a thousand times from family and friends when the topic of money comes up.

    I remember growing up and watching the movie “Can’t Buy Me Love” in school. The basic idea of the movie is that an unpopular male high schooler is desperate for approval and pays the lead cheerleader to date him for a month; or to at least make it look as though they are dating. This way he will become popular, which was a guarantee of his happiness. The result was that she starts to fall for him and he does in fact become popular. The popularity however, does not make him happy. In fact, the lesson was that money cannot buy you happiness. He was much happier with his original relationships than he was with the new ones from the “cool crowd”. I was in elementary school when this movie was shown to my class and I still remember it.

    I have always believed that money cannot buy happiness and that I could honestly be fulfilled without it, but I still wanted it and I still pursued it. I focused a huge part of my life to attain it and now, after all the years of hard work and struggle, I am glad I did. I live a very happy and fulfilled life, and money enhances it.

    I relate money to alcohol. Alcohol, when consumed responsibly, can enhance an experience. It can make challenging situations easier and it can bond people together. It can also ruin your life! A difference of course, is that alcohol is much easier to get, but outside of that, there are a lot of similarities. They both are enhancers and they both can be addictive. They both can ease stress, but they both can create stress too. I know rich people that are miserable, and I know rich people that are happy. The money does not create one or the other.

    There was a time as I was trying to create wealth that I lost almost everything financially. I went through an extremely challenging time in my business and my personal financial life. I stopped answering the phone because I knew it was debt collectors on the other end. I learned a great deal with this experience. One thing I know for sure is that I never want to be broke again. Although I believe having money is not a guarantee to happiness, not having money is a guarantee of at least some stress and pain. It is possible to be happy without money, but it is a hell of a lot easier with it. Money is important.

    From my experience, the only sure-fire way to happiness is through solid relationships. These days I spend a lot more energy strengthening relationships with friends and family that make me happy. I also focus on limiting time and energy into relationships that drain me or do not make me happy. This is tough to do, but the results are positive. Over the years in business, my circle of friends has shifted to more supportive and positive people. This happened organically, but now that I am aware of it, I can focus on it. The real estate industry has been good to me in many ways, but the most important is the people that I have met and that I now spend time with. Some of the most generous, supportive, and amazing people in the world are real estate investors. It is helpful to have a little extra cash to have amazing experiences with people I want to be around.

    It is true money alone will not make you happy, but it sure helps. Money is important.

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    Source by Kevin Amolsch

    Views: 1

  • Successfully Resolve Customer Service Problems to Retain Customer Loyalty

    Successfully Resolve Customer Service Problems to Retain Customer Loyalty

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    It seems that as our technology improves, the business/customer relationship is declining. With online technical and sales support, the personal side of customer relations is not as prevalent. There is no longer any loyalty to a business and its products and services. This trend can cause a significant decrease in sales. One way to counteract this trend is to resolve customer service problems successfully and efficiently in order to retain customer loyalty.

    The following list outlines simple but effective methods of successfully resolving customer service problems:

    Create a Customer Complaint Department: The best way to deal with customer complaints effectively and efficiently is to have experts who are able to manage irate customers with their problems

    Be Polite and Courteous: If a customer walks into a business or calls, it is important that the customer service representative takes the time to show that they care and are willing to listen and help. Empathize with the customer’s problem. An angry customer will calm down if they feel they are valued and respected. Be positive.

    Record the Problem: Writing the complaint down and the actions that will be taken helps avoid any misunderstandings. It also shows the customer that the matter is important to the business.

    Provide Solutions or Methods of Resolving the Problem: Don’t list business policies and practices. This will only infuriate the customer. Work with the customer to come up with a solution that will satisfy the customer. If possible, don’t pass the problem off to another representative or transfer the call to someone else. If you do, make sure the new representative has all of the pertinent information so the customer does not have to repeat himself.

    Empathize, Don’t Apologize: A direct apology will assign blame to the company. It is better to empathize using such phrases as: ‘I am sorry you have had such a difficult time with our product.’ It will show that you care about the customer’s situation. Try to understand the customer’s feelings and point of view. Understanding will go a long way in satisfying the customer.

    Keep Your Promises: Make sure that you don’t make promises that you can’t keep. It will reflect badly on the company and make you look incompetent. The customer will also appreciate reliable service.

    Produce Positive Results: Always follow through with your plan to resolve the problem. Bad or poor quality service will cause you to lose customers. The key to maintaining customers is to always follow through with your promise.

    Offer loyalty Incentives: If the problem cannot be adequately resolved, offer a customer an incentive so they will continue being a loyal customer. This can include giving them a replacement product or service along with a gift or discount on their next purchase. Everyone loves free things. It will make the customer feel appreciated.

    Think of customer complaints as lessons for improving customer care. The solution to great customer service is being able to identify the type of customer you are dealing with. To reap the rewards of customer loyalty, the customer needs to be put first when there is a problem. Showing the customer you care and are willing to resolve the problem efficiently and effectively will go a long way in retaining customer loyalty. Customer loyalty cannot be established immediately, but the investment is well worth it. A happy and satisfied customer is essential to achieving a successful and long term business.

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    Source by Amy Nutt

    Views: 1