PrinterBees.com

There are many great tools you may not know about to automate your social media marketing, freeing your time up for more important tasks. I have my two favorite below and you likely wouldn't be reading this post if I didn't utilize these tools. I've had to find ways to make sure I'm consistent with my social media marketing and automating it was the only way.

Buffer: I don't know how I would do it without Buffer. Buffer actually got me back in the game with Twitter as I was really struggling to stay consistent and Read the rest of this entry »

If you consider the biggest impact any marketing piece can have is the repetition of seeing the marketing piece over and over and over and over. Obviously using pens for your marketing is not only a great marketing medium, but it's also perfect for the repetition required for great marketing. And…who doesn't need a pen! Everyone needs a pen and the best part…they cost less than a stamp! They do a lot more for your marketing than a stamp too!

I was prompted to write this post when I realized one of our vendors was having an unbelievable special on promotional pens. The pens pictured below, write really well, are normally .50 cents and are currently on special for only .30 cents each. The minimum order is only 250, and there are no setup charges when using typed text or image ready artwork.

250 custom printed pens are only $75 bucks!!! 500 pens, only $150! It's a deal that shouldn't be passed up. We ordered a bunch ourselves, it's such a great deal. Please contact PrinterBees if you wish to have a sample sent to you before you order. They really write great!!!

This offer is only good until April 30th, 2012! Order now… before its too late.

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Absolutely Free Marketing

I'm always looking for new ways to promote PrinterBees as the best on-line printing company on the Internet, in ways that won't use the marketing budget and get the most bang for a buck, or lack thereof! I watch our website traffic closely and where the traffic comes from so I know what's working and what's not.   There's been a significant jump in traffic/business using these no cost ways to increase web site traffic and business.

Here's some of what we're doing to increase business, and it doesn't cost a penny. Read the rest of this entry »

Our day of visiting small business owners on Valentine's Day was really fun, busy and super insightful.  We learned so much about the marketing struggles small business owners face to keep bringing in business.  Stepping in to as many businesses as we could on Main Street, handing out candy and Valentine's Day cards, we saw one common theme.  Small business owners want to do more marketing, they just aren't really sure where to start and need some direction.

One of the businesses we visited caters to dog owners and his big question had to do with where to start.  He said, "Should I focus on the website first or get going on some postcard marketing? I need to so something, just not sure what to do first." He mentioned the number of sales people who stop in regularly trying to win his marketing business, it's overwhelming and confusing to decide which sort of small business marketing to start with and who to trust.

One of our other visits was with a real estate agent who is currently transitioning her business to Keller Williams.  She too finds herself in a bit of a pickle and feeling overwhelmed.  There is so much to do, so much to decide on.  Does she order business cards before her website it up and running?  Should she send postcards letting people know she's changed company's with "I've moved postcards".  How will it all be paid for without any deals in her pipeline at the time?

There was the young stylist who had just started her career with a new salon and felt frustrated at the lack of walk in traffic directed towards her chair.  Sitting in a salon without a client in the chair Read the rest of this entry »

Having attended a lot if networking events lately, I've handed out and been collecting a lot of business cards. As I review my stack of cards, I'm continually puzzled as to why a small business owner (obviously networking) would not invest $69 in professional business cards, and that's for a 1000.

I've created this simple (yet, fun and amusing) test to determine if your business card is indeed tacky. Followed by a fun and amusing challenge.

You know your business card is tacky when…

1. You hand someone your business card at a mixer, when they accidentally spill wine on it or use it as a coaster, the ink smears!
2. When you hold it by the edge, it bends like a wet spaghetti noodle!
3. Your headshot makes your business card look like a "calling card"…if you know what I mean.
4. Your headshot looks like a mugshot from the last time you "did time". Read the rest of this entry »
   

If you've never heard the "pop-by", it's time you learned about it and put it to work in your business. Valentine's day is around the corner and the perfect opportunity for a "pop-by". Let me explain.

A "pop-by" is quickly popping by to a see a client or prospect to drop off a small token of any kind. It should be something very inexpensive like; popcorn (perfect for the "pop-by"), candy, carnations, a branded promotional item, postcard or anything else your prospects and clients would find useful or appreciate. It should always include your business card, special offer or coupon, etc. The perfect "pop-by" is very non-intrusive because you're there for only a moment. If stopping by someone's home, you may

Read the rest of this entry »

What comes first, the chicken or the egg? Does it at feel the same with your marketing…what comes first, the customers or the marketing? It shouldn't feel like that, but all too often it does, especially in the space of small to medium sized businesses. It should never be a matter of "if" when it comes to marketing, it should be a decision of how often, how much and by what medium will the marketing will be delivered?

The problem with with most marketing plans is that there is no real plan. Most small business owners are so overwhelmed with actually running the business, handling billing, customer service, tech support, developing sales strategies, what to sell and how to sell it, Read the rest of this entry »

Reading Google Analytics everyday is for me, is probably like checking the weather for others. It's a report I read everyday and it helps me to make business decisions about my website, the content on the site and how to convert the visitors we're attracting to customers.  I've blurred the number data because it isn't mine to share and belongs to a client.

One the greatest benefits of having a online presence is being able to easily determine who your audience is and why they are there via Google Analytics. The Analytics tell you what people are searching for, how they got there, where they came from, where they exited, how many pages they visited, how long they were on your site and so much more. It's almost like having basic background on the visitors who enter the site.

In this post, I'm going to stick with the basics and what is most important. Read the rest of this entry »