Successful Blog

Here is a good place for a call to action.

Are You Searching for Better Sales Numbers?

by

hand-895588_640As you sit back and look at where your business is heading into 2017, are you happy?

For starters, are your sales numbers where you really want them to be? Do you feel like you’re getting everything possible out of your sales team? Finally, what visions do you have going forward for improving sales in 2017 and beyond?

Whether you are entirely happy with your sales numbers or feel there is work to be done, reviewing where you are at makes sense.

To start with, you should always hold a firm grasp as to where your company was, where it is now, and of course where it may be headed.

By being attentive to where your business may need help, you won’t be caught with your pants down so to speak.

So, will you be looking for better sales numbers in 2017?

Giving Customers What They Want

One of the keys to better sales numbers is making sure your marketing efforts are spot-on.

So, how do you know if your marketing is truly reaching the people you need it to?

To begin with, having a well-rounded marketing strategy is related to knowing what and how to use search engine optimization (SEO) to your advantage.

For those business owners a little green with SEO, turning to professionals to run your search engine optimization efforts and overall marketing initiatives makes sense. Whether you opt for search engine services for your West Palm Beach business or others closer to you, don’t turn down professional help.

With professional SEO help at your service, you can do things you probably never even thought of, especially in improving sales. Before you enlist  the help of an SEO provider, be sure to do some research to see which one best suits your needs (see more below).

How Do I Select the Best?

In order to find the best SEO provider out there, make sure the following areas are covered:

  1. Experience – For starters, do not overlook the experience of any SEO provider you consider doing business with. While there are some terrific new SEO providers out there, experience is always a plus. Be sure to ask any SEO company you might do business with to provide you with a portfolio of successful projects they have done. By seeing how they’ve helped other brands, you may see why they’re the one (possibly not) for you;
  2. Initiative – How excited are SEO providers you talk with when it comes to possibly helping you out? Are they ones with a passion for SEO, a passion that could translate to better overall brand marketing and promotion for your business? If so, then they are definitely ones to consider;
  3. Promotions – As any good SEO pro can tell you, a well-round search engine optimization program is what it takes to get your brand noticed. This includes not only the right SEO keywords for any content you author, but great content itself. Your goal each and every time you author content is to make it both authoritative and informative to consumers. In the event you don’t provide those two major ingredients, what purpose is it really serving them? You also need a great effort when it comes to social media. That social networking can increase your sales numbers as more consumers talk about your brand to their family and friends.

Moving Forward with Promotions

As 2017 approaches, take the time to see if your sales numbers are headed in the right direction.

If SEO has not been a part of your brand promotions up to this point, you very well may want to change that approach moving forward.

With so much on the line in terms of sales and increasing your revenue on a regular basis; stop to see how SEO fits into those plans.

When all is said and done, you might be happily surprised with what you find.

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topic on the web.

Put Some Life Back in Protecting Your Identity

by

Advanced Technology Innovation Development Evolution ConceptRunning a business in 2016 means many different things.

One of those is making sure both the identities of your business and your customers are safe from I.D. theft thieves.

If an identity theft thief is able to infiltrate your business, he or she could cause irrevocable damage to your company’s reputation. In the event that occurs, you could see your revenue stream come to an abrupt halt.

If your business has an exposed identity, you are flirting with danger, danger that can very easily snowball its way into angry customers and more.

With that in mind, are you putting some life back in protecting your identity?

Know the Danger Signs

In order to stop identity theft thieves from penetrating your business, there are a number of steps you must be taking.

Among them:

  1. Recognize the danger – For starters, don’t think identity theft can’t happen to your business. As it turns out, many businesses are prime targets for I.D. theft thieves, especially smaller ones. Those smaller companies typically do not have all the bells and whistles in place to prevent a notable identity theft attack. As a result, they become prime targets for criminals. To not be cognizant of the danger is like leaving your front doors unlocked when you go to bed in the evening. No, most people do not do that in this day and age, so don’t be the business owner who leaves his or her business exposed to I.D. theft;
  2. Put a plan in motion – One of the best means with which to fight back against identity theft is by having a protection plan in place. For example, working with an I.D. theft protection provider allows you to give your online activities (and others involving finances) as much protection as possible. The question oftentimes becomes, how do I know which protection plan to go with? Along with asking around, do some online scouting to see which services get the highest ratings from folks who know them best. Whether you look to LifeLock reviews or another such provider, be sure to see which service best meets the needs of your brand. Once you decide on a service provider, make sure to protect not only your computers and online activities, but also other related financial activities. For example, you want to make sure that any company credit cards are secure and safe at all times. For instance, if one of your employees is tasked with wining and dining a prospective client, he or she may use the company credit card to pay for the meal etc. If for some reason the employee would misplace the card or someone got ahold of the I.D. numbers on the card, they could easily run up a sizable bill before you even knew what hit. By having a protection plan in place, you can be alerted immediately as to any suspicious activity involving the card;
  3. Don’t overlook your employees – Finally, as much as you want to (and should) trust your employees, workers committing I.D. theft against their employers is certainly not out of the question. As a result, you should never take for granted that such an event could happen to you. Make it clear from the day each and every employee is hired that you trust them, but any breach in that trust will result in notable consequences. Such consequences could include suspensions without pay, termination of one’s job, perhaps even criminal charges being filed.

With all you have on the line, making sure your business does all it can do to minimize the I.D. theft threat is important.

Keep in mind that even just one successful identity breach can change your business and its financial safety forever.

Be the business owner who takes identity theft and its threat seriously, lessening the odds you will be the next victim.

Just as importantly, in the event your business does suffer such a breach, make sure you act immediately to limit the damage. Such actions will give you a better opportunity to stem the tide of lost trust with your customers.

If identity theft was not on your radar before, it certainly should be moving forward.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

#GetMomentum – Interview with Jason and Jodi Womack

by

Everyone has felt it at some point in their lives. You have the desire, but can’t seem to start moving in the right direction. Maybe you haven’t even figured out what the right direction is, yet.

With Get Momentum, the new book from Jason and Jodi Womack, you’ll be able to work through a series of exercises and guided thought processes and come out the other side with a clear set of actions. I enjoyed having a paper copy of the book, so I could write in the margins and create my own roadmap along with the activities provided. There’s also a wealth of additional information on the GetMomentum.com website.

Jason and Jodi were gracious enough to answer some of my questions.

What inspired you to write your new book Get Momentum: How To Start When You’re Stuck?

We’ve been working together for more than 20 years, and over the past 9 years we’ve served as leadership and executive coaches helping busy professionals improve their productivity – and their lives. We wrote this book to share the secrets to success that we know will help people achieve more, work smarter, and be happier.

 

What are the key themes of the book?

When you know what you want to be known for, it’s easier to decide what to do and what not to do. As you read through each of the 5 stages of momentum that we describe, you will begin to understand the approach you can take to Get Momentum on projects you want to start or changes you want to make.

There are 5 distinct stages you’ll pass through; they are:

  1. Motivation: Here, you decide what you want to be known for so that you can more easily decide what to take on and what to let go of.
  2. Mentors: At this stage, you identify the people you can learn from, the ones willing to help you by sharing what they have learned (often, the hard way) so you don’t make so many mistakes.
  3. Milestones: By choosing 3 subprojects (milestones) you can complete over the next 90 days, you are spreading the work out. Even a project that will take you a year or more NEEDS to be divided into chunks that you can work on.
  4. Monitor: At the end of the day, you must reflect on success. You have to look back and recognize that you “moved the mission forward”. Identify what you want to watch for, what you’ll want to have completed, and celebrate what you accomplish.
  5. Modify: Along the way, you’ll make small changes, consistently, that act as guard rails that pull you back on track as you continue moving toward the goals you’ve set. As you become what you want to be known for, you’ll be ready to take on new goals.

What is the most important thing you want readers to learn from the book?

Ask for help. So much time is lost and so much hardship is endured because we wait too long before we ask for the assistance we COULD have used to achieve success. Once you know what you want to be known for, and as you surround yourself by people willing to help you, it’s easier and easier to make progress on those subprojects you’ve set for yourself.

 

Why do you think it’s so hard for people to get and keep momentum?

Many leaders subconsciously believe that they should already know everything there is to know about how to work, manage teams and projects, and make progress on their goals. When people lose momentum it is usually because they’re comparing themselves to someone who has it different than they do. There’s only one person to compare yourself to, and that is you!

Reflect back on what you DID get done today and think about what you can do tomorrow. Create a plan, ask for the help you need, and honor the process as you move from where you are to where you want to be.

 

How did the two of you meet?

We met in the front row of a history class at the University of California. Jodi asked Jason if she could borrow his notes. He said, “No”, and that was the beginning of what has become a beautiful relationship.

After spending time as school friends, the “No” turned into many “Yeses” and 23 years later we are still sharing our notes and editing each other’s writing. We’ve grown up together as we worked in our local, small town high school where Jason taught history and Jodi worked in the Counseling office. We moved on to found our own consulting firm, The Womack Company. We help busy professionals be more productive through coaching, consulting, our Get Momentum Leadership Academy, and now the book… Get Momentum: How To Start When You’re Stuck (Wiley, May 2016).

 

What is your favorite thing to do together?

Our version of nothing… That’s going for a hike in the hills of Ojai, California or Costa Rica… a long road trip, singing (badly!) to the 80’s tunes we both grew up with…dreaming of the next article or book we could write that would help the people we love working with and serving all over the world. Basically, we love doing life together!

 

How do you balance being partners in both work and in life? How does that play out in a practical way for each of you?

We are different. Sure, some days it’s tough because we both can see the very same problem from two different perspectives, or with one perspective we see two very different problems. However, what our Get Momentum Leadership Academy members tell us is that the “she said / he said” approach is a healthy way to recognize the many ways they can address the projects they are working on and the problems they are solving. In a practical way, we work very well together when we recognize the strengths each of bring to the work we do.

 

What was it like writing your first book together?

Oh, it was easy! Jason wrote the book. Jodi deleted it! Seriously, we played to our strengths. Jason is prolific. He can write hundreds and even thousands of words in a sitting. Jodi can read through all that “raw material” and choose the best lines and paragraphs that are going to help readers Get Momentum!

 

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

 

I was given a free copy of this book for review purposes. Opinions expressed are my own. ~Rosemary

Has Your Brand Tasted Mobile Marketing?

by

success ingredients - ideas, passion, time and action - a napkinIf your brand has been slow to gravitate towards mobile marketing, change that moving forward. As for that change, make it sooner rather than later.

As more brands are discovering, mobile marketing has many positives and few if any negatives.

How you deploy mobile marketing can go a long way in determining the level of success you have with it.

So, is your brand ready to taste mobile marketing if it has not up to this point?

Consumers Want More Mobility

Brands galore are moving forward with mobile marketing plans on a number of fronts.

Whether you are just rolling out a product or service or have been around for many years, you can’t sit back and watch the benefits of mobile marketing pass you by.

Successful brands have everything to gain and really nothing to lose with mobile marketing.

With that in mind, how can you best take advantage of mobile marketing without coming across as too sales hungry?

Among the ways to do this:

  • Geo-location for on-the-spot sales – Knowing where current and potential customers are shopping at any given time may seem like over-reaching to some, but it actually makes good business sense. For example, say you’re a food brand and you know by tracking shoppers that some customers (ones you have now or ones you hope to add) are out doing their weekly grocery shopping. By pitching them a coupon or two over mobile devices, the consumer is more apt to by your product. With just one simple text, you’ve likely made a sale you might otherwise not have had. When one of the focuses of your brand is providing more affordable options for consumers, especially in today’s challenging economic climate for so many of them, you can hit the jackpot by targeting shoppers in action. Another such example is sporting events, concerts, movies, and more. Just about no one can go to one of these venues without downing a drink or two and getting some food. If you have the data to suggest some of your regular customers will be at such events, text them a rewards coupon they can redeem. Once again, you build up good PR with consumers when making such efforts;
  • Entertaining Apps for consumers – Another means whereby you can connect with consumers is giving them entertaining short videos to watch. From the vantage point of a beverage company, showing consumers drinking your respective product in a happy and healthy environment is almost always going to go over well. If your product is a drink loaded with healthy ingredients, showcase it. From individuals taking a drink after a workout to mothers seeing the delight on the faces of their children after consuming the drink, you want happy people and positive vibes. Introduce a short 30-second spot that can be easily watched on a mobile device. A consumer who is not a customer presently may see the video and decide they need to try the product. Next thing you know, you’ve registered another sale;
  • Socialize the mobile experience – Finally, if you’re not already using social media as much as possible that needs to change today and not tomorrow. Social media for the most part is free, so why wouldn’t you take advantage of it? By using your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube accounts, you can let consumers know that mobile marketing is a big component of your overall brand marketing. As an example, remember those short 30-second spots discussed a moment ago? Plugging them on your Facebook and Twitter accounts is great public relations for your brand. Once you upload a 30-second spot on YouTube about your latest product or service, link to it on your Facebook page, and then send out a Twitter post with a correlating hashtag. Many companies are getting creative with their social media marketing. For example, Hampton Creek has a YouTube channel where it posts videos of recipes in action. It then shares those pieces of visual content across its social networks. Target is known to announce which brands are becoming exclusive members of its store’s shopping experience. Next, consumers are passing a link around via their mobile devices. Before you know it, you’ve created a buzz, a buzz that very well can translate into more sales.

No matter what your brand or brands may be, they can get so much more traction when they are given some mobile marketing love.

The question is has your brand tasted mobile marketing?

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Be Afraid of Technology

by

Market.Given all that technology has to offer your brand, why would you in turn run away from it and try to hide?

Unfortunately, there are businesses out there that do just that.

For myriad of reasons, some companies see technology as too cumbersome, too expensive, too much to try and teach their employees. As a result, they miss out on all the great things technology can offer a brand.

That said has your business embraced technology as it should. If not, are you in fact afraid of all technology has to offer?

Consultants Can Make the Difference

For some of those businesses that are afraid of technology, what if they hired consultants to implement and manage such needs?

While some brands may shy away from using consultants, many other companies see much benefit in using men and women who have extensive experience in the world of technology.

With that being the case, how can your business put I.T. consultants to work for you?

Among the ways they can assist:

  1. General website production and upkeep – Your website should know no boundaries when it comes to promoting your brand. That said your website must always be maintained so that not only is it working as it should, but also giving visitors to the site what they need. You can opt for a provider such as Maryland I.T. services or others that are out there, searching for the one best suited to your needs and financial means. Don’t just automatically opt for the one offering the cheapest price. Then again, the most expensive one doesn’t automatically guarantee the best service. When you combine great experience with an affordable price, you typically hit the nail on the head. Speaking of upkeep a minute ago, your site’s I.T. pro or pros should review the website regularly, looking for any errors. Some of the typical gaffes can include 404 errors, pictures that do not match with the content, headline typos etc. While the occasional error may slip through from time to time, a website filled with errors is likely going to give many visitors the wrong opinion about your brand. If they feel like your site is nothing short of a joke, can you really expect them then to fully trust your products and/or services? Don’t let visitors be the ones to routinely find gaffes on your site;
  2. Blog content – Assuming your website offers a blog, that blog is some of your best marketing means available. With the right focus on the blog, you can write and/or include guest posts that revolve around your particular industry. The number one rule here regarding content is that it must be informative and authoritative for the reader, not trying to sell something every other sentence. The content should also have a call to action, thereby leading you to potential sales at each and every opportunity. Finally, the content should be shared (see more below) as often as possible, allowing you to get it in front of as many eyes as possible;
  3. Social promotions – If your website has been lax at promoting itself on social media, that needs to change immediately. Your presence on social networking sites can open so many different doors for your brand, so don’t hesitate to use it. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn etc. are all great tools to give your brand the social exposure it truly needs. Make sure your site has its respective social media icons in an easy to locate area, allowing those wishing to an opportunity to follow you. Yes, some business owners will lament that they have trouble truly figuring out if social media provides a good return on investment (ROI), but the overwhelming evidence shows that it does.

These are but three of the ways I.T. consultants can educate business owners on improving their technology efforts.

If you have been only a so-so player in the world of technology, perhaps it was because you didn’t have the right consultant help available?

When you stop and think about it, technology is only going to get bigger and better in the years to come.

That said don’t be afraid of it and lose out on all sorts of potential business.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business and technology items on the web.

Rent the Right Marketing Approach to Businesses

by

Engagement Level To Maximum Conceptual MeterFor businesses renting or selling equipment to other businesses, the approach to marketing is and isn’t all that different from reaching out to consumers.

On the one hand, you’re trying to sell or rent products that other businesses require in order for them to sell to consumers.

The approach to marketing your products is typically in-step with how you would go about marketing to individuals, notably demonstrating why your products are the best around.

On the other hand, renting or selling to other business owners means you are marketing to many of whom do just that, market their own products and services. Such individuals are more likely to know a good marketing campaign from an average or even bad one.

With that in mind, are you renting the right marketing approach when going after more business with other businesses?

Use All the Tools at Your Disposal

Start off by reviewing your marketing campaigns of recent times, seeing which ones soared and which ones quite frankly failed to take flight.

Undoubtedly, some campaigns were just not meant to be, whether they were ill-timed or the audience wasn’t quite right. No matter what the reason or reasons for them not working, you can learn from each and every campaign.

With that knowledge in your back pocket, consider the following:

  • Your audience – It is crucial that you have the right audience for each and every marketing campaign. Whether you are marketing real estate, office furniture or technology, pneumatic lifting bags, construction equipment or any other host of products or services, understanding your demographics can never be overlooked. If you spend time and money pitching the wrong audience, you have just wasted both resources;
  • Your budget – Given the challenging financial times of recent years, it is understandable that some businesses have had to tighten their marketing budgets. With that being the case, getting the most for your marketing dollars becomes even more important. If you have to watch when and where you spend for marketing, target which campaigns are most likely to bring you the results you want. Depending on what you sell, look at the current trends in the market or markets you work in. If there is a slowdown in need for a certain product or service, adjust your marketing campaigns accordingly. Trying to market something when the market for that product or service is slow is not going to bring you the desired results in most cases;
  • Your content – What you say (and don’t say for that matter) in your marketing pitches can go a long way in determining your level of success. It behooves you to be 100 percent sure of each piece of marketing content that you send out. Is it well written? Does it address the needs of your core audience? Does it offer a call to action? Will it be properly promoted on channels such as social media (see more below)? These are all questions you should be able to answer with relative ease. As for the content itself, never take a short step when it comes to this area. Along with any traditional marketing and/or mobile content you send out, it is important that your blog content is powerful too. Use your blog to help promote your brand, giving other businesses reasons to find your brand appealing;
  • Your social interactions – With solid marketing content goes proper promotions on social media. Use the full powers of social media to get your branded content in front of as many eyes as possible. In doing so, you are basically getting free marketing and advertising on sites with millions and millions of members. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest etc. all offer your business the opportunity to get noticed and make new sales.

In the world of B2B marketing, there are so many opportunities for your brand to shine.

Knowing how to reach the right audiences and give them what they want is crucial.

Whether renting or selling your products and/or services, be sure to have your marketing game firing on all cylinders.

If it isn’t, you stand to watch those business dollars go by the wayside.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.