The customer may not always be right, but the customer is certainly at the center of a brand that is top of mind. And the way these brands pull that off is by delivering exceptional customer experiences that go beyond the 800 number and help enrich the lives of their customers. Sounds like a tall…
We’ve reached a tipping point. Brands are no longer competing solely on the quality of their products and services. Consumer sentiment is favoring brands who not only deliver the “goods”, but the service to match. When combined, these brands offer a contagious customer experience that these newly minted brand advocates – customers – can’t wait…
Creating a “compelling brand narrative” sure sounds good, but isn’t quite as easy to do as it sounds. It’s not that you don’t have a story. Every brand has one. And that story should show up in every aspect of your business, from your logo design to product packaging. Website copy to social media content….
Newsflash: Your ‘About Us’ page on your website isn’t really about you. No, I’m being serious. I know what you’re thinking: “How can that be true? After all, the name of the page says that it is, you know, about us.” I get it. When we put together an About page that only details historical…
By now, you have a pretty good idea of how your marketing fared this year. You either pulled off a total win, came in about average, or completely lost the battle. And if the latter is you, don’t be too tough on yourself. Finding your way around the marketing landscape can be a little like…
And this is how it starts. That’s right, that sentence began with a conjunction. Every grammar teacher that I’ve ever had would’ve circled that in red ink and took off a few points for good measure. Painful but necessary, grammar rules exists not to stifle our desire to express ourselves, but to keep us from…
“Your business doesn’t need more content, it needs better content,” says Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs. For small businesses, this sounds like really good news. It’s hard enough to come up with what we have much less churn out more. But I sense a catch here. We may not have to create more content, but…
George Washington Carver once said, “Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” As business owners, all of us have a vision; an idea of what we want to accomplish in and through our businesses. But as inspiring as having a vision is, where it falters is in failed execution. In the book of Habakkuk, the…
The ball has dropped, the corks have popped, and a new year is upon us. Just as celebratory confetti has cleared the streets of Times Square, 2014 has graciously bowed out, leaving 2015 to take center stage. And for small business owners like you and me, you probably have a list of things you’re going…
While many holiday bargain hunters are already planning which big box retailers they’ll pitch their tents in front of this year, many small business owners are busy firing up social media and printing out coupons to commemorate the five year anniversary of Small Business Saturday, officially launched by American Express in 2009. But, the…
At first glance, the words cheap and affordable seem to mean the same thing – low price. But in your customer’s mind, cheap can also translate to low quality. Messaging is just as important as selling your products and services. So, considering how word choice or “positioning” affect customer perception is critical to gaining buy-in and cultivating brand loyalty….
Nearly 97% of consumers use online media to research products and services in their local area according to a study conducted by BIA/Kelsey.  That same study goes on to point out that of those surveyed, 90% use search engines like Google and 48% use Internet Yellow Pages. With that said, it’s fair to assume that customers…