We were greeted with this beach artwork as we stepped onto the beach today and it reminded us of a Dali painting. The magic of nature and imagination in action
How have you changed your view recently?
– Suzie Cheel
Are you spending money on advertising brochures for your business? If so, it is important that you begin calculating the return on investment (ROI) to find out how much your business is benefiting from them. This also helps you prioritize your marketing efforts as you’re going to want to focus your marketing dollars where they have the greatest effect.
The sole purpose of making an initial investment in a marketing method such as advertising brochures is to end up making more than that original investment. Your goal is to spread the word about your business, gain new customers, and ultimately make more money.
If you have never before attempted to calculate your ROI, don’t be intimidated. By following a few fairly simple mathematical equations (nothing a small business owner can’t handle) and gathering the right information, you can become a master whiz at knowing your profits for brochures, postcards, or any other print marketing material.
The calculation for ROI is simple: (Profit – Cost) / Cost.
So let’s apply that to a sample project. You have the following costs:
$1,000 – designing the brochures
$1,000 – 10,000 brochures
$3,000 – mailing the brochures
$5,000 – total cost
After mailing out your brochures, you start to get orders. After a few weeks you step back and calculate that your total sales for the brochure campaign were $15,000. Here’s how you would plug this data into the ROI calculation:
($15,000 – $5,000) / $5,000 = $2
So you have two dollars as the result of the calculation. What are you supposed to do with this information? The result of this calculation tells you that for every $1 you invest, you get $2 back. That’s an excellent return on investment!
Simple, right? As long as you know how to determine which of your sales actually came about as a result of your advertising brochures.
Most business owners appreciate the simplicity of ROI, as it is easy to calculate. But tracking actual profits that come explicitly from a campaign can be tough. When you create advertising brochures, you should have a specific advertising campaign in place. Since you will need to find out how many sales actually came from that specific campaign, make sure you use specific methods for tracking your campaign numbers.
Some of the techniques used for tracking a specific campaign include:
The fact is that you probably have several marketing methods going on at any given moment for a single campaign from social media to emails to brochures. Be sure to isolate, as best you can, which is providing your profits so you can track properly. Therefore, if all of your marketing efforts are for advertising your latest product line – running shoes, let’s say – then be sure that your email leads to a different landing page than your brochures do.
As a business owner, you do not want to waste your money or your time, which is why you need to calculate ROI and track progress of the campaign on a regular basis. Once you do this, you can get a better insight into what consumers like and do not like. You will be able to figure out which brochures are working and which ones are not worth the initial investment at all.
Blogging is one of the fastest and easiest ways to get your content and ideas out to readers, but content sharing is changing quickly as video is becoming more and more popular. YouTube is the largest search engine after Google, with over 800 million unique visitors per month. With the popularity of video skyrocketing, the future of blogging will gradually move towards video content.
If you want your blog to remain relevant with your readers, it’s important you know how to use video on your blog effectively. Distilled has designed a video marketing guide that can help you understand and utilize video more successfully in your blog or business.
Let’s go through 4 keys for succeeding in video marketing.
Using video will establish your personality, style, and voice as a blogger much fast than traditional, static content will. If your blog depends on your personality or style, you should consider using video, so your readers and potential readers can establish a “relationship” with you quicker. With text content, it might take readers several articles to get to know your personality, but by using video small mannerisms, tone of voice, and body language can be picked up on instantly.
By establishing a relationship with your readers on a more personal level, you establish trust and loyalty. If your readers think they know you better, they are more likely to remain regulars to your blog.
Not many bloggers are dabbling in video yet, and choosing to do so will differentiate you from other blogs. Readers are always looking for new, fresh ideas and video is one way to give it to them. If you are blogging in a specific niche, using video can give you a unique and successful position. Even if there are other blogs in your niche that are using video, few people know how to use video effectively, and integrate it into their blog site well.
In our video marketing guide we cover how to ensure your video content is placed well on your site, and how to build a great internal linking structure, so that any links built into your video will provide value to your domain as a whole.
Using video on your website or blog is also going to help you attract mobile device users, because video is much easier to view on a phone or tablet than text. With so many people using mobile devices, and gathering information on the go, you need to make sure that you’re meeting your readers where they are.
One snippet from Distilled’s guide explains well why video is not always the answer, “While video can be an extremely valuable asset for businesses with an online presence, it’s not always going to be the best form for every kind of content and every type of business. The skill to creating great video is in working out when and where to use it, focusing on identifying and filling content gaps rather than form gaps.”
While video is immensely helpful to blogs, it’s important not to use video just for the sake of video. Your video content should have a clear, identifiable purpose, which works well with video format. This guide covers types of content that works well with video, and how to put that content through a creative process to build the most successful video for your message.
You can easily enhance your blog and stay relevant to your readers by using video, but video is only effective if it is done well. For more information on how to utilize video successfully, click on the downloadable PDF below, and check out Distilled’s website for more resources and information.
h4> by
Niamh Allan
The surging popularity of eBay has grasped the interest of entrepreneurs who are looking to make money with an online business. Many of these businesses are boot strapping. Drop-shipping is a logical solutions for those entrepreneurs who wish to set up a shop, but can’t spend big amounts on inventory.
Good product sourcing is vital for any business, and drop-shippers help businesses make profits without investing much effort. Reputable drop-shippers offer good wholesale pricing and ship orders the same day. Yet, risks are inevitable. Research and experiment with drop-shippers before you choose one.
Though drop-shipping has some of the best benefits, it does not come without pitfalls. Some of the most common pitfalls in drop-shipping are:
While drop-shipping has some inevitable risks and pitfalls, there are also some common mistakes committed by drop-shippers. Some of these are:
Choosing inexperienced and unethical drop-shippers can create unnecessary problems. Retailers bear the brunt of supplier inexperience and dishonesty. The inexperienced suppliers can also commit careless mistakes which would reflect badly on your business. Have a sample order shipped to you first. Inexperienced suppliers leave their own logo on the packaging instead of using yours. Inefficient suppliers have often miscalculate stock requirements and fail to ship products on time. While choosing suppliers, go for ones who are honest, efficient, and experienced.
The attractive discount may lure you to buy products at retail prices while drop-shipping, but have you already included the VAT or taxes, business overheads, shipping and packaging costs? You need products with high profit margins to succeed on eBay. If you are not quite sure calculate your exact cost and profit margins, and understand how to compete with other retailers on eBay.
Businesses often fail when they ship poor quality products. Most retailers are competing for customers on eBay. Good quality, inexpensive, and popular products are what will dent the competition. Carry out a proper product research and a thorough market research to emerge victorious.
Instead of succumbing to the tough competition on eBay, overcome it to ace the rat-race!
h4> by
Heather J. Sanchez
While real estate investing is a diverse field with avenues for all skill levels and incomes to participate, I find the most successful hands-on investors tend have a few qualities in common.
I’ve seen these five qualities in successful investors ranging from my own mentor, Steve Davis, who works full-time in real estate, to men and women who have turned one or a two good investments into a reliable second income.
For individuals who purchase homes for investment, creating plans and having the commitment to execute them is vital.
Buying an apartment complex, for instance, is a major decision. Without the right research and due diligence, you might miss out on the fact that the property has liens against it totaling millions of dollars. Or you might miss out on a chance to negotiate an amazing deal, simply because you never took the time to [understand the seller’s needs](http://www.lifestylesunlimited.com/four-ways-to-better-chance-your-real-estate-deals/).
Of course the most successful real estate investors I know are smart. But what really sets them apart is their willingness to work hard in order to acquire and maintain investments that are profitable.
Very little stays the same in real estate investing. Neighborhoods are different. Houses are different, and tenants are different.
To realize the greatest success in real estate investing, you’ll need the open-mindedness to consider different strategies for different investments. Furthermore, you’ll need to be able to create or find solutions to problems both big and small that arise seemingly out of nowhere.
And finally, you need the flexibility to be able to walk out of a deal at the last minute.
Very simply, you can’t do it alone in real estate investing. Whether you’re buying houses to flip or to rent out, you’ll need to work with a small army of professionals.
And let me assure you that not all contractors, escrow agents, and home inspectors are the same. The more you’re willing to network and make connections with others, the more likely you are to find the people that can help you achieve a successful investment strategy.
A real estate investing club is a great place to find allies, but don’t discount the people you meet at PTA meetings or company softball matches. In this business, you really can “make your own luck” by stumbling upon people who can be of great help.
A good real estate investor doesn’t let her emotions lead her into making rash delicions. She doesn’t give up after minor setbacks. She is willing to look at dozens of homes before finding one that she determines will be profitable.
Many times, beginning real estate investors are quick to jump the gun on property purchases because they’re eager to start investing. However, by only investing in properties that fit your criteria and by turning them into long-term investments, you’ll realize the greatest benefit in terms of income and personal satisfaction.
To be a successful real estate investor, you need to be the kind of person that others can rely upon.
You want fellow investors to call you with opportunities because they know its worth their time to work with you. You want tenants who are glad to renew their leases because they enjoy working with you.
You simply can’t achieve this if others don’t trust you. I find the individuals who genuinely want to help others and who are guided by strong ethics realize the greatest successes in investing.
No matter the business or the calling, if we’re set for success, it’s easy to see how investing in these five traits can give us all an edge.
h4> by
Amanda DiSilvestro
One of the most important things you can do for your business is continue to be informed -â learn the strategies of the top industry leaders, keep up on the latest news, and do what you can to understand how Google works and how you can improve your company website. Knowing what is buzzing in your industry, the Internet landscape, and the overall economy will help ensure that youâre prepared for anything. One key way to make sure that you are present and informed about your industry is to attend quality seminars, conferences, and conventions.
Unfortunately, many companies are still not taking advantage of all that these meetings have to offer. Attending conferences takes time, energy, and money. Business owners are typically so busy that they barely have time to go home and be with their families let alone attend a conference, so it simply doesnât get done. However, most business owners who do attend one to two conferences per year find them to be extremely valuable for a few reasons:
The important thing about attending conventions is making sure you attend the right conventions. Try to go to a convention or seminar that has a good reputation and has been going on for a few years. There are conventions that occur in all different parts of the U.S., so chances are you will not feel as though you need to travel to attend.
Some of the most popular conventions occurring in 2012 revolve around SEO and social media. These lessons can transfer over into every industry and work for any company with a company website. Fortunately, there are still a few left in 2012:
This is by far one of the most popular and talked-about SEO events of the year, and itâs coming up quickly! A great variety of industry leaders will be speaking at the event, and there are so many different seminars that occur that you can really pick and choose what you need to learn about the most. People come from all over the world to go to one of the many SES conventions, and Chicago is the last one in the U.S. this year. Prices differ based how many different presentations and/or workshops you want to attend (you can also get a discounted price if you sign up early!).
This convention has workshops including International Search Summit, aimClear Facebook Marketing Intensive, Advanced Adwords Training, and Bruce Clay SEO training. Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Land is the co-chair of the event, so you know youâre getting top information and a personalized experience. If you sign up before August 31 you can earn Early Bird specials, which will save you an average of $150. The price will depend upon whether youâre looking to attend the entire weekend or just one day, so you can click here for more details.
This is another one of the most famous seminars for small businesses because it offers very specific information about technology and how you can use technology to your advantage. Many attend this event only to attend what is called an âinteractive site review,â which is where you can talk with several industry leaders about your website specifically. This isnât something many conventions of this size offer, so itâs a huge benefit. If this doesnât interest you, Matt Cutts of Google will be speaking, so have your questions ready! There is a huge range of prices, so visit the Pubcon website to decide which itinerary is right for you.
Despite the name, this convention has been around since 2003 because it is always so successful. According to the Under the Radar website, 67% of their presenters have gone on to raise funding or be acquired by top names like Google, Yahoo, Cisco, BT, Microsoft, Twitter, Fox Interactive, and more. Naturally, hundreds attend this convention to follow in their footsteps.
Many of the conventions discussed above are very broad and allow you to choose different seminars youâd like to attend. Content Marketing World, on the other hand, is very specific. This convention is all about SEO and content marketing, which is something that is becoming increasingly important for companies looking to improve their SERP ranking. Visit the website to learn more about prices and options.
I know I said this was a top 5 list, but I couldnât leave out the convention coming to you from our own Successful Blog. This seminar is full of interactive sessions and features some of the top industry leaders, including Liz Strauss. The conference is mainly focused on starting a business or re-starting your business. With so many looking to go in a new direction for the New Year, this is one of the best conventions to attend. You can sign up now by visiting the website.
I tried to find conventions that were spread out across the U.S., but there are certainly more to be found. Do you know of any great SEO or social media conventions in your area? Would you go back again? Let us know in the comments below!