With the explosion of mobile technology, more and more business is being conducted on the go. According to recent research by Limelight Networks, 80 percent of smartphone or tablet owners who use their device for product research or purchase say they will abandon a mobile site due to a poor experience.
Customers expect their mobile shopping experience to match their expectations of what occurs on a desktop computer. In the minds of consumers, there is no mobile Web – there’s only the Web.
Google research in 2011 shows that after conducting a mobile search, 68 percent of users visited a business online or in person and 53 percent made a purchase. Yet only 33 percent of advertisers have a mobile website, says Google. It seems businesses have some catching up to do.
And, the growth in mobile commerce isn’t coming only from smartphones. Tablets now drive 2 percent of all Web traffic in the U.S., says comScore, and half of all tablet owners have made a purchase on their tablet. A Canadian su ...
Read the rest of entry »
With advertising efforts seemingly leaning towards Internet and social networking, many might question the benefits of using posters to advertise. However, posters still have a great many benefits that are comparable. While simple, posters can lead to more customers than modern media-based advertising. The important thing to know is that no one advertising medium will be completely effective on its own, and should be used in conjunction with others.
Cost Effective
First and foremost, creating and hanging posters is an inexpensive way to drum up customers. The average cost to run a thirty-second television commercial or utilizing advertising space on Google or Facebook can be substantially more than the cost to print a poster. Depending on placement, this poster can potentially be seen by hundreds or thousands of people and, by some, more than once. Exposure from one poster easily offsets the cost and creates very attractive return on investment.
If posters weren't effe ...
Read the rest of entry »
It is very easy to get caught up in the everyday...which means you can start to lose sight of marketing your business. This in turn can cause an unleashing of sparadic marketing efforts, which may cause an inconsistency in your brand identity. So, we say to take in a breath of fresh air and pause long enough to create a marketing plan. A successful plan will help you to establish a constant flow of new business and allow you to more accurately forecast your staffing needs.
Describe your target market by age range, income level, occupation, marital status, geographical location, gender.
Describe your target market by life style, desires, perceived needs. Combine this information with step one to predict where your target market is located or gathers. This can also help increase the amount of exposure of your business in front of your determined target audience.
Estimate the size of your target market. The larger the target market the easier it is to reach them. That s ...
Read the rest of entry »
Graphic design is a marketing tool that company's should not over look, as it is a key element in gaining interest in your business. It is important to make sure you get the graphic design aspect right, as it is the key to whether or not you gain or retain a customer. A well designed piece, such as a poster, direct mail, brochure, logo, or stationary; can speak volumes of what your company does. Let's take a moment to reflect on how important graphic design is....are you more likely to trust a direct mail piece with an organized, clean-cut look, or one that is cluttered with different colors, fonts and information? We can also take a look at the effects of brand logos. When was the last time you confused the Nike and Adidas logos? Likely, never.
Skilled Graphic Design creates:
A Solid First Impression
First impressions are everything. No matter how well you can talk about how effective your business services may be, a well design piece can speak volumes to pe ...
Read the rest of entry »
Okay...so, you through one of your direct mail campaigns, you have created a new customer. Like most business owners, you understand that it will be more profitable if you can turn the new customer into a loyal customer. Here are a few tips that can help you achieve this goal:
1. Brand loyalty isn't just about keeping in touch...it is about providing additional advertising materials, such as newsletters, relevant to what the client needs after they made their initial purchase with you.
For example: You are a commerical realtor. XYZ company buys an office space from you. In the newsletter you could provide information about creating an ergonomic office space or other business related articles.
2. Create a high-switching cost. This is where you differentiate your company in such a way from the competitor that your customer will feel that they are getting less from the "other guy".
3. Give your client a reason to talk about you, beyond your product. One of the ways this can be accomplished is to ...
Read the rest of entry »
Mobile Billboard, Ad on Wheels, Advertisement in Motion...these are just a few variation of what is officially called a vehicle wrap. Vehicle wraps are a powerful marketing tool which can help increase a business' bottomline. Vehicle wraps have a proven effectiveness.
According to the Transportation Advertising Council, vehicular advertising generates between 30,000 and 70,000 daily vehicular impressions. A study by Arbitron, Inc., an international media and marketing research firm, shows that mobile advertising reaches virtually all demographics, as 96% of Americans travel in a vehicle each week. Moreover, 35% of heavy commuters come from households earning $75,000+, compared to only 23% for the U.S. average income profile. One of the best places to target those higher income consumers is while they are on the road. Driving Revenues, a Washington D.C. based advertising firm found that a $20,000 advertising spend produces the following ad impressions by type of advertising placement:
Mobile advertisin ...
Read the rest of entry »
ALLEGRA RECEIVES TOP AWARD FOR SALES EXCELLENCE
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., April 9, 2013 – John and Doreen Long, owners of Allegra in Indianapolis, were recently honored by Allegra Network with the franchise system’s prestigious 2012 Sales Excellence Award. The recognition is earned by the top 10 percent in the international network.
“Teaming with local businesses and nonprofits to help them to reach their goals through strategic marketing communications is gratifying,” said John Long. “Small and mid-sized companies have many marketing channels open to them; helping them to find the right ones – which may be print, digital or a combination – is what has helped us to be successful this past year.”
Allegra, located at 7802 East 88th Street, is a full-service marketing communications provider offering marketing consultation, copywriting and graphic design services, advanced printing technologies including full-color printing, digital color signs, posters and ...
Read the rest of entry »
Color is one of the most powerful elements of design for direct mail, ads, and other marketing materials.
Research has shown that color increases brand identity, assists in memory, increases a reader’s participation in ads, and improves readership, learning, and comprehension. There are several reasons why consideration should be given when using colors for a marketing piece, but I plan to outline a few.
Color carries meaning through association.
This meaning can be divided into two parts: natural associations and cultural associations.
Natural association means that colors bring to mind common ideas that are universal. For example, green is associated with nature because that’s the primary color of plants everywhere in the world.
Cultural associations are colors associated with significant markers within a culture. In the U.S., orange is associated with Halloween because pumpkins are a big part of that holiday. But since many other cultures don’t celebrate this ...
Read the rest of entry »
One of the things most small business struggle with mightily is differentiation. And yet, it’s probably the number one factor in the success of one business over another.Not only do you have to be dilfferent, but You’ve got to be different in a way that strongly addresses the greatest unmet needs of your market.
Right now as you are trying to come up with a powerful new package, price to differentiate your products and service, your competition could be using the same approach. Therefore, you may be addressing the same proven approcah as everyone else.
So this begs the question...Do you know what the biggest unmet need is that applies to your target audience? The issue that they are begging to have answered and are ready to pay? If you are able to find their solution, then you increase your marketing success. Finding the answer to their biggest problem is one of the most powerful ways to achieve control in an industry.
Now you are probably asking, "How do I achieve this?"
It all star ...
Read the rest of entry »
By Carol Pearson on March 7, 2013 in Event & Trade Show Marketing, Multi-channel marketing inShare
Planning an event? Getting the proper promotion is critical to success. If you have a limited budget and want to quickly and fairly inexpensively promote your upcoming business or nonprofit event, think three. Three key things will help leverage your exposure, provide your guests with the information they need, and help the event registration process run smoothly.
Create an event page or microsite. If this is a yearly event, you’ll probably want what’s known as a “microsite,” a 5-7 page website that includes all the details on your event, sponsor packages, a page for donations, information on how to register, maps and directions, and anything else your participants will need to sign up and attend. Microsites are relatively quick and easy to publish, and a good web development partner can make it simple for you.
Keep in mind, though, that you will sacrifice some o ...
Read the rest of entry »