Great Halloween Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

Great Halloween Marketing Ideas For Small Business | Featured

The spooks and thrills of Halloween are well-engrained in American society. Whether it’s ghosts, zombies, or those delightful candies, everyone loves being a part of Halloween festivities when October 31st rolls around. With such a beautiful celebration near the end of fall, it’s time to assess the value of using this day as a way to promote your small business. Can it be done? Are there ways to make sure your small business gets out in front of people that can become lifelong customers? Indeed, Halloween is a great time to build a robust marketing campaign, which is why it’s best to look at the following Halloween marketing ideas.

1) Create Halloween-Themed Marketing Content

Whether it is your website, social media account, or email template, it’s time to make adjustments. You want to create Halloween-themed marketing content that is going to maximize the essence of this wonderful celebration.

Numerous small businesses make use of those spooky sayings and images for their websites. You want to create a similar theme around your business and its marketing. by doing this, you will be able to get people in tune with your set up and what you’re selling. Until this happens, your business can’t win people over for October 31st.

2) Change the Theme of Your Website

You will need to understand the theme of your website and what it’s saying to customers.

It should have a noticeable Halloween theme to it (i.e. logos, colors, content). Everything should revolve around Halloween as that’s what people expect. No one wants to visit a small business website that is out of touch with what’s happening right now.

The same applies to Christmas, Memorial Day, or Valentine’s Day. You want to stay in the present and put the business in a prime position to rake in new customers!

3) Hand Out Candy At Your Main Location

What is Halloween best known for in America? It’s known for “trick or treating” where kids go around and collect candy. You want to join in on the fun. To do this, you are going to have different options including setting up a small stall full of candies at your physical location.

This can be a good way to have parents come in with their children and perhaps buy things from your store. A lot of small businesses do this, especially if you are in a family-friendly niche. It’s smart to take a look at whether or not this is a good idea for your needs because it will make a noticeable difference. Parents are going to come in with their kids to collect candy. Of course, you want to spread the word on social media and your website well in advance!

4) Set up Halloween-Friendly Products

What type of products is being sold on your website right now? Are they Halloween-themed?

For example, imagine you are selling clothes and Halloween rolls around. Do you have enough orange, black, or white clothes that are built around the idea of Halloween? Are you guessing as to what is going to work and what is not?

It is always expected for small businesses to incorporate Halloween into their inventory and the same has to happen on your end. Otherwise, it is not going to work out as you want it to. When Halloween-themed products are set up, it’s a lot easier for people to buy as they are already in the mood.

It’s less of a battle when you’re willing to put in the work on your marketing campaign. Make sure to set up a collection of products/services that are Halloween-themed. In fact, you should also sell them at a discounted price to bring in new customers.

5) Create a Halloween Costume Contest

Halloweens are known for candies and fun costumes.

This means it’s time to set up an online costume contest for your followers. This is a good way to get people to interact with the business via social media and to have them win prizes associated with your business. By doing this, you are going to help showcase the business in a positive light and it’s going to get people involved too. This is when you are able to win and do well over the long-term. A well-timed costume contest is going to help promote the business better than anything else!

6) Throw a Halloween Party

Is your small business willing to host a Halloween party where people dress up in costumes?

You can easily sponsor this party and become the lead brand. This is a great way to showcase the brand in a positive light and that’s how a marketing campaign can flourish. If you are going to be hosting a party, it’s never a bad idea to include neighboring small businesses to get everyone involved.

This is going to make it easier to host the party and the benefits will still be there. When done right, this is going to help promote the business and get customers involved at the same time. it’s a true win-win for Halloween lovers.

7) Give Out Branded “Trick or Treat” Bags

The final tip is to hand out “trick or treat” bags because kids are going to use them to collect candies.

Whenever a customer buys something from you, it’s best to include a free “trick or treat” bag with your logo on it. This should go to everyone that purchases a product during October. It will help promote the business and they’ll know you’re a big part of their Halloween preparations.

Sometimes, it’s the little freebies that go a long way!

These are the ideal marketing ideas to implement for your Halloween-themed contest. Each business needs to incorporate this wonderful day into their marketing scheme. it’s the best way to win over people of all ages and truly become a part of the larger community. Until this happens, your business is always going to remain a step behind. Look at these ideas and choose the ones that are best suited for your business.


Seven Labor Day Marketing Ideas For Small Businesses

7 LABOR DAY MARKETING IDEAS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

Labor Day is a holiday that was originally designed to give workers a day off, but for small businesses, it is perhaps one of the best times of the year to keep your doors open. As people celebrate the last hurrah of the season at county fairs and backyard barbecues, you can benefit by creating opportunities for potential customer. However, that’s much easier said than done. Check out our top 7 Labor day marketing ideas you should try this year!

Labor Day is a time of year when many businesses start thinking of marketing ideas for capitalizing on what’s usually a big holiday for businesses. Special sales, deals, and events will be common. Chances are, you are also thinking along the same lines. The question is how to get the word out. Here are 7 Labor Day marketing ideas for small businesses.

1.Host a Cookout

Nothing can match the power of bringing people in like the smell of burgers or hot dogs on the grill. It does not matter whether or not you are in the catering industry. People view Labor Day as summer’s last hurrah, so invite your customers for a final cookout before the fall.

If you don’t usually serve food, it’s perfectly fine. It is an excellent way to get people together while giving them a good reason for coming. It is the perfect opportunity to market to a captive audience. Demonstrate or promote your products by setting up a display next to the grill.

2.Welcoming Fall

Labor Day might signal the end of summer, but it is still the start of fall (unofficially). Businesses usually switch gears once the seasons switch. Clothing stores start switching to warmer clothes, restaurants start offering seasonal menu items or ingredients, etc.

Instead of simply bidding farewell to the warm weather, it is now time for welcoming the new. Clothing stores can offer a glimpse at warmer fashions, restaurants can offer a sample of upcoming specials, and much more. People are sad to say goodbye to summer. So, you should capitalize on fall if possible.

3.Themed Deals

Labor Day is the time for sales and chances are that whatever you are doing, a sale of sorts will be involved. Truth be told, nothing does a great job of getting people in your door or your website like the prospect of a good deal.

Labor Day means several things beyond the end of summer and the start of fall. For children and their parents, it is all about going back to school. For others, it is all about the beginning of the football season. You can pique interest by structuring your deal around a theme such as these.

4.Social Media Contest

Labor Day is the last opportunity many of your customers have to go to the beach or barbecue before the season ends. Chances are, they have their phones with them and they will be taking lots of pictures. Social media is the perfect way for businesses to connect with customers and Labor Day is the best time to have some fun doing it.

Encourage your customers to either tag you in or send you their Labor Day photos. You can make it a contest and select the “best” one for a prize such as a discount or gift card. It is an excellent way to expand your organic social media reach while encouraging interaction with followers and fans.

It does not cost much to get started with social media contests since all you need is a $50 gift card as well as a bit of online promotion. It is advisable to start promoting early on to ensure that you have plenty of participants by the time Labor Day arrives.

5.Offering Discounted Renewals

No time is as good for securing recurring revenue as holiday time. If you offer subscription plans or memberships that renew every year, Labor Day is the perfect time to secure those customers for one more year.

You can offer your customers a discount ranging from 10- to 20-percent on their annual membership if they renew early. It gives your customers a strong incentive to stick with your business and lets you lock in those customers for one year more.

6.Free Upgrades

If you offer a service or product that can be upgraded, Labor Day is perhaps the best time of year to test this marketing idea. Upgrades typically involve moving a customer to a higher price tier. For Labor Day, you can consider being a bit more generous.

You can offer your customers a free upgrade to the next tier for a set time period. It can be 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, etc. Once the promotional period has ended, you will find that many people choose to stick with the new tier even if it is at a higher price.

7.Clear Out Your Old Inventory

Clearance sales always seem to be a big deal when it comes to Labor Day. If you have summer inventory that you would like to clear from your shelves or out of your warehouse, Labor Day is the ideal time to do it. Out with the old and in with the new.

A clearance sale is an excellent way to get rid of your old inventory, but if no one knows about it, it won’t be much of a success. Ensure that your customers know all about the amazing deals you have waiting for them and promote the sale well in advance of Labor Day.

Final Thoughts

Labor Day is a great time of year for businesses to make even more sales, establish and strengthen business relationships, and get ready for the new season. You should strive to make the most of this holiday by implementing the right marketing ideas such as the 7 discussed here.

Whatever marketing ideas you decide to implement on Labor Day, it is important to ensure that your customers know about it. Send an email blast, plaster your promos all over social media, and get the word out about all your Labor Day specials and promos.

Did you like our Labor day marketing ideas? Well here’s another one we’re sure you’ll love: How To Find A Great SEO Firm For Your Small Business

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The Ultimate Marketing Guide For Insurance Agencies

The Ultimate Marketing Guide For Insurance Agencies

Chances are, this isn’t the first article you’ve read on insurance marketing. We don’t blame you, there are plenty of articles out there that presents a handful of strategies and tips to get you more sales. Insurance agencies need to build clientele through a marketing strategy designed for their customers. In this guide, we will give you the top tips you’ll ever need to get more people knocking on your door.

Appearances Matter

If you want to have the best insurance agency, you’re going to want to create a name for your company that will brand you as experts in the industry. How do you do this? By choosing a name that will convey your company business your company will look more professional as well as more trustworthy and let’s face it, building trust is going to net you return clients who choose to do business with your insurance agency.

Let’s consider for a moment how first impressions make us feel about a business. Have you ever walked into a business that seemed like no one knew what was going on and the signage was either tattered, torn, outdated, or altogether missing? Did you feel like that was a business that you wanted to work with? Or did it give you second thoughts? Most people would want to reconsider where they were placing their trust if they walked into a place of business as mentioned above.

You want to present the best possible look for first-time clients. First impressions count. Put the right foot forward and everything else is going to flow naturally into place.

Logo

Insurance agencies must have logos. The logo that you select should remind clients of your business every time that they look at the logo. Take for example name brand grocery stores. If you see a grocery store that is a name brand chain, you know that logo every time that you look at it.

Your insurance agency should have that same eye-catching type of logo that will tell people “This is us” every time that they look at it. Now take that logo one step further and use it on your business cards, letterhead, ads, window stickers, bumper stickers and every other item that you may hand out as a promotional item for your business. This includes pens, notepads and more.

Consider wallet-sized cards that give the insured your number, emergency numbers and anything else that you may think is ideal to have on hand in an emergency. Make sure that these cards are sturdy enough to put into and remove from a wallet so that they’re not damaged.

Mobilize

Insurance agencies should have websites that are mobile-friendly. That way, if someone is at a car dealership and seeking to insure their car, they can check to price on their mobile devices. Mobile devices pull websites up slightly differently than your home computer or laptop. By taking advantage of this knowledge, you can get a leading edge so that when users need information and are on the go, they can easily pull up your website and find what information they require.

Make sure it’s user-friendly. Ask friends and family to check it out after the websites are updated and be sure to market the site accordingly.

Referrals

A happy client is going to naturally give you a great referral. But, why not give them some incentive such as a discount at a movie theater, a gift card or even a coffee mug. Everyone wants something for nothing and this is a fairly easy way to gain more clients through a referral.

It doesn’t have to be a lot, but if they do give referrals, make it something that will show them how much you appreciate their help you to gain more customers.

Use Contact Forms On Your Website

Having a contact form on your website will help your potential customers to get their questions answered. Have a contact form where potential customers can ask questions and get personalized answers. Make this a soft sales call when you call or contact them with the answers to their questions.

In this fashion, you’re building trust (which goes back to our first recommendation) and you’re developing a friendship with them which even if you don’t get the sale today, may lead to a sale down the road when they are considering something new and want to get an insurance quote.

Get Some Great Reviews

Ask your customers to give you some reviews and positive feedback on your website and blog. Ask them to share their experience and if someone is dissatisfied, answer the issue right there online in the forums, websites, and blogs where everyone can see how your company went above and beyond to resolve an issue. Encourage customers to share their experiences.

A lot of people who are looking for an insurance agency are going to read over the reviews before they make their decision. This is a great way to go about marketing your insurance agency and it will go far to help you develop more business.

Social Media

Today, more than ever before, technology has surpassed the written forms of news media that were once heavily relied upon. Insurance agencies should start interacting with potential clients and share specials and coupons with potential customers on all social media platforms. Create your business pages, share your content and engage with your followers!

Add share buttons on all of your blog posts, website pages and any other correspondence that isn’t personalized. Invite visitors to share this information on their social media pages and have a special gift or coupon for the 100th or 500th referrals or share in this fashion. Don’t forget to share your own ads on your own social media sights.

Target The Audience

Place ads in newcomers packet for local towns. Place ads in the paper where people shop for cars or homes. Use flyers near local businesses that may sell items that require insurance. Use postcards, leave business cards at local businesses.

By finding those who are going to need insurance, you’re literally leading potential customers right to your front door. It’s like laying the yellow brick road to your business and more people will find it without any effort.

By mixing and matching these ultimate marketing ideas, you’re going to literally drive business to your front door and you’ll have plenty of happy customers. Remember, first impressions matter so find someone who loves people to greet everyone who enters that front door.

Did you like our marketing guide for insurance agencies? Well here’s another one we’re sure you’ll love: How I Used the GuestReach Method to Build 21 Powerful Backlinks in Less Than 3 Hours of Work

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The Ultimate Marketing Guide For Interior Designers

the Ultimate Marketing guide for Interior Designers

Though you may be an expert at interior design, chances are you have no clue on where to start with SEO – the quintessence of digital marketing. As interior designers tussle with ever-changing consumer behavior and stiff competition, a familiar question pops up: Why is SEO important for interior designers? Today, with so many interior design contractors and companies vying for the attention of prospective clients, successfully launching and implementing a strong SEO strategy is what will give you a competitive edge and allow you to stay ahead of the curve. So, what are the tricks and hacks for successful digital marketing for interior designers? Check out our foolproof marketing guide for interior designers!

Understanding What Is SEO

Typically search engine optimization is a practice of getting web pages to rank high on search engines. SEO involves elements that not only increase a site’s rankings on search engines but also attract traffic and ensure that site visitors are interested in business. Research indicates that there are approximately 2 trillion searches on Google per day; for this reason, it becomes imperative for all companies regardless of their niche to steer their marketing campaign towards digital marketing and search engine optimization. A robust online marketing strategy ensures that your local, out-of-town and global target audience will be able to find you easily.

Here’s a look at techniques to help you build a solid digital marketing strategy for your interior design business:

Social Media Marketing

Primarily, social media was meant for connecting friends and loved ones. However, today, social media can be quite a powerful marketing tool. Having a strong presence on social media platforms helps you connect and build relationships with real people. Interior design is more about visuals, so make use of Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. When using different platforms, get to know what works for one platform and what doesn’t. Done right, social media has the power to redefine your business. For instance, here are tips on how to go about marketing your interior design business on Facebook:

  • Make use of Facebook ads; Facebook ads are not only accurate but are also quite cheap, with just about $ 10, you can reach 2,000 people. Facebook ads allow you to choose the audience location, demographics and interests for accurate targeting. Therefore, if you are targeting an audience of millennials, your Facebook ads will be shown to people in that specific demographic who have shown interest in interior design.
  • Post, comment and reply: Facebook is all about human connection. Create relevant posts for the audience without hard selling your services or products. Encourage people to comment on your posts. If someone asks about current home decor trends or office decorations, answering their questions might win your business new customers. So be sure to engage with the audience.

Email Marketing

Want to convert home decor and office decor enthusiasts into leads; then email marketing is your go-to. When properly utilized, email marketing can be your best digital marketing tool for your interior design business. Not only is it cheap but it can also bring about impressive returns. To get you started on email marketing, build an excellent list. However, make sure that you ask people if they want to receive emails from you. Create personalized emails with a catchy subject line and a not-too-pushy call to action. For instance, your call to action could say “follow the link to see the latest interior design trends in 2019.”

Another way to leverage the full benefits of email marketing is to integrate social media marketing into your email marketing campaign. When you send out emails, subtly mention to your customers to share and comment, rate or review your content, products or services on social media. Email marketing has the potential to jump-start your social media marketing campaign.
Local SEO For Interior Designers

Global SEO is a vital part of online marketing, but so is local SEO. However, tread lightly to prevent your SEO efforts from leaning too much towards search engines and forgetting one crucial fact – humans are also reading your content and visiting your site. Is your interior design business listed on Bing Listings or Google My Business? If not, be sure add and claim your business on GMB, Bing listings and Apple maps for local SEO. Also, include local authoritative links, keywords and list your business in local directories. Therefore, if you use keywords such as ‘interior design experts Iowa’ and someone is looking for an interior design business say in that location, your business is likely to pop up on the first page. Never neglect local SEO, after all, aside from your pretty storefront, your local SEO efforts are what attract customers to your store.

Content Marketing

Since 2016, digital marketing experts have been singing the same song – content is king. This fact is not about to change in 2019. Create long-form, unique, relevant and engaging content. While it’s tempting to stuff keywords in your content, don’t. Search engines are strict when it comes to poor content, and so are internet users.

Have quality and authoritative content linking to your home decor website. Today, attention spans are pretty short, and if your content cannot draw the attention of site visitors, then you stand to lose many potential clients. To help you create quality content, make sure that your content is skewed towards an audience looking for interior design products and services. You can opt to have your content drafted by interior designer pros such as interior design bloggers. Don’t forget to mention core interior design areas that your business specializes in on your site.

Though you may be an interior design guru, chances are design school didn’t prepare you for digital marketing. Therefore, traversing the digital marketing world can seem like a daunting process. However, don’t let 2019 get here without your business committing to a solid digital marketing campaign that can take your interior design business to a new level. With the above fundamental techniques, you can help your interior design company rank high on search engines and ultimately see sales skyrocket. Need help with marketing your business? Consider partnering with professional interior design digital marketing experts.

Did you find our marketing guide for interior designers helpful? Well here’s another that’ll give you a hand: Use Social Media to Generate Traffic

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Great July 4th Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

Great July 4th Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

This read is going to offer insight into what works and what doesn’t when it comes to 4th of July marketing campaigns for small businesses.

July 4th celebrates an important day in American history and is well-regarded by millions of Americans.

In this spirit, you want to make a positive marketing decision by using July 4th as a way to build brand awareness. Now, you are going to have a multitude of ideas and each one is going to seem appealing but it’s important to do this the right way. Otherwise, you can end up making mistakes and wasting away this wonderful opportunity.

1) Show Your Patriotism

This should be a given and is the heartbeat of a positive July 4th marketing campaign.

You should look to change the colors of your website, social media accounts, and any other digital asset to the American blue, red, and white. By doing this, you will showcase a special love for the flag and that’s going to set the tone as you pursue additional marketing strategies. Too many small businesses do the bare minimum (i.e. a simple July 4th post on Twitter) when this is an opportunity to get out there!

You want to avoid making this mistake and learn from what others are doing.

This is why it’s best to show your patriotism by sending out themed emails, engaging with followers, and simply celebrating the day.

2) Set Up a July 4th Sale

Yes, a small business needs to set up a sale on this day because it’s an opportunity to engage with potential customers.

Numerous leads will come through and look at your inventory, which is why it’s important to make the inventory as appealing as possible. Regular prices aren’t going to do it for customers and they will look the other way. As a result, you want to be on top of things and make sure there’s a collection of products/services that are discounted for the big day. When people see sales on a national holiday, they’re inclined to take out their credit card and make a purchase.

You want to tap into this feeling and make sure your small business has something good to offer in terms of discounted products. Otherwise, you are going to be missing out on a boatload of sales.

3) Partner with Another Small Business To Showcase Unity

What is July 4th all about? It’s about unity and there’s nothing more important than showcasing your love for the community. There are many ways of showcasing your love but one of the unique ones would be to partner up with a local small business.

This business doesn’t have to be related to your niche but should be from the community.

This partnership can include an event in the park or something to bring people together with hot dogs, cotton candy, and more. When people start to associate your brand with the community, it’s going to be a win-win for everyone.

4) Host a July 4th Party

As mentioned before, you want to take advantage of the celebratory mood and set up a patriotic party.

This party is going to be wonderful and will ensure customers come out to enjoy the day. This is going to put your business is wonderful light and that’s when sales are made.

5) Engage With Your Customers

Engaging with your customers is one of the easiest things a business can do and will help things progress at the speed you want them to. Focus on engaging with the customers in a professional manner and speak about what July 4th means to them.

This is where the brand is able to build awareness and use July 4th as a way to bring in new customers. When people are talking about a holiday such as this, it becomes easier to sell them on a brand in comparison to any other time of the year.

6) Appreciate the Veterans on Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool for marketing purposes and it can do wonders on July 4th.

In general, you want to make sure to speak out about the day, what it stands for, and how your small business respects what it’s all about. By doing this, you are going to show a deep love for the country and this begins by appreciate what veterans have done for the nation. Thos sacrifices always matter and it’s something the business can utilize to spread love and illustrate why it remains an important part of the community.

7) Partner With a Veterans’ Charity

Partnering with a good veterans charity is never a bad idea. In essence, you are taking Independence Day and ensuring it lives up to the billing by putting your money where your mouth is as a small business.

By getting your customer base involved (i.e. matching their contributions), you are able to make the day a wonderful one for everyone involved. It is also a great way to spread the word about your patriotism as a business and why you are such a wonderful part of the community. Sometimes, it’s the little things that resonate with people and there are many Americans that love their nation and want to celebrate it as much as possible. This is a real win-win opportunity for your small business and all it takes is for you to partner up with a reliable and proven charity.

Even if you don’t get involved with a veterans’ charity, it’s never a bad idea to choose any charity that’s dear to your heart.

These are the main marketing tips to focus on as a small business owner on July 4th. You are going to have quite a few options available to you but these are the ideal PR choices that will bring in new customers. Some of the finest small businesses in America have utilized these particular tips and done well on July 4th. Focus on these tips, craft a marketing strategy, and then begin spreading the word as soon as you can!

Did you find our 4th of July marketing tips helpful? Well here’s another that’ll give you a hand: Use Social Media to Generate Traffic

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Top 5 Marketing Practices For Realtors

Top 5 Marketing Practices For Realtors

In the modern-day fiercely competitive online marketplace, there is undoubtedly no shortage of prospective ways to market real estate. However, similar to other online marketing disciplines, it is now more than ever proving to be more challenging to get in front of the appropriate customers. As realtors discover the steep uphill battle the need to climb, they turn to the experts to help them in this highly convoluted and complex field of marketing. And the truth is that unless you are a realtor with a huge online platform, getting in front of the appropriate audience could take time. We have prepared the best marketing practices for realtors to embrace.

Focus on these practices, and you will reap success in online mediums like social media, search engine optimization, video, and blogging. Ignore these practices, and you will find yourself floundering in vast competition, unable to attract the appropriate clients.

1. Build a Professional Website

Those who have mastered the art of online marketing are well aware of the importance of having a professional website. However, the idea of marketing for realtors is not entirely new. All the same, there is a huge difference between a professional website and a regular website. For realtors who are looking to move properties, this is evidently more crucial now than ever.

When building a website for your real estate business, you need to focus on functionality and aesthetics. You need to make sure you address aspects such as ease of navigation, the overall speed of your website, the sharpness of the photos, quality of the content posted, and many others. You should not bombard your visitors with many ads all over your website. Besides, you want to ensure that your website is a haven customers want to visit again looking for fresh content as well as properties.

2. Use Good Quality Photographs

Even the untrained eye can easily tell the difference between a quality, professional photograph and snap that was hurriedly taken. If a client is looking for a new house and the pictures they see are blurry, grainy or at awkward angles, the chances are that their impression of the house will not be as positive as it would have been with a high-quality photograph. From 2018 moving forward, there is literally no good excuse for having poor-quality images in your marketing collateral or listings. And the good news is that you probably don’t have to spend a fortune hiring a professional photographer. Most of the modern-day smartphones come with excellent cameras as well as editing apps we can utilize for the best photographs.

Therefore, before posting your next listing of homes, be sure to take time to take quality images. You can use natural light and try multiple angles for the perfect shot. Besides, there are numerous tips online to learn how you can take the best shots. Your potential buyers will notice this and will probably appreciate it by making a purchase.

3. Actively Post On Social Media

When it comes to effective marketing, nothing lets you reach your clients than aggressive marketing. And while a realtor will not have the time to walk from one neighborhood to the other, their social media presence should be felt, and this can be easily achieved by actively posting on social media.

Almost everyone now uses social media to share different updates about their lives and a realtor should use social media channels to grow and nurture their business. A good marketing practice for realtors is meeting their prospects and clients wherever they are; that is online. One mistake that many realtors make with social media is posting home listings alone. This offers no value to any individual who is not currently in the market to purchase a new home. You will need to share value-adding content on your social media channels. This way, your network will engage with you as they share their thoughts in the comments sections. And as we all know, feedback is essential because it can help you alter your marketing practices to suit your current audience.

4. Create Content That Offers True Value

As a realtor, your main focus is on the clients who are on the market to purchase or sell a home. However, have you taken time to think about the period between these transactions? For clients who are not actively looking to buy or sell, seeing you post a listing after the other is not helpful or relevant. You need to create, share, and send content that contains valuable information to clients, whether they are looking to make a purchase or sale or are just hovering around for crucial information. Having shareable content on your website increases a realtor’s exposure to prospective clients. This way, you will stay at the top of their minds so that they will always remember you when they are ready to make their move.

5. Follow Up With Your Clients

Our marketing practices for realtors would’t be complete without this. For a realtor, it is always vital that you remain in touch with clients you have transacted with before. For many individuals, purchasing or selling a home does not happen quite often in their lives, but when there is a need for it you should be the realtor, they get in touch with. And if you are not already following up on your previous clients, it is high time you started sending newsletters. The newsletters you send to your clients should contain valuable information that helps rather than sells. By offering relevant content and reaching out on a regular basis, your past clients will easily remember you when they need help in the real estate field.

An easy way that will not cost you anything is calling back your clients to thank them, for doing business with you. You could do this if it has been just a few days since they moved in. And if you want a more personal touch, you could send a holiday card to connect in a manner that is not related to your business relationship.

Although real estate marketing is sophisticated, the practices presented above are an excellent way to build a strong marketing program for realtors and achieve tremendous success in the industry.

Top 5 Marketing Practices For Realtors

Did you find our marketing practices for realtors helpful? Well here’s another that’ll give you a hand: Use Social Media to Generate Traffic

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Definitive Google AdWords Marketing Guide for Apartment Landlords

Definitive Google AdWords Marketing Guide for Apartment Landlords

Setting up a Google AdWords campaign requires attention to detail and the willingness to understand niche-related needs. Apartment landlords have to consider all angles before coming up with a viable strategy for long-term returns. Whether it’s optimizing the website or learning how to build a robust sales funnel, the journey begins by leveraging your Google AdWords account for consistent returns. This definitive Google AdWords marketing guide for apartment landlords will offer tremendous insight into what’s needed and what works.

Use this information to push forward and build a meaningful marketing campaign.

1) Understand the Target Audience

Start by recognizing what your target audience is all about. In general, the entire city and its population may seem like a “potential target” but that’s not actually the case.

You only want to go after those that are willing to spend money and learn more about what your apartments have to offer. This is why it’s time to think from their perspective and put together a viable solution.

A good lead will be someone:

* Willing to Buy
* Interested in the Location
* Searching for Rental Costs

These are just some of the examples an apartment landlord can think about while putting together a Google AdWords campaign. These requirements will ensure things work out in the right manner because there’s nothing worse than spending money on leads that would never have converted. For example, targeting teenagers might not be the best way to go about things. They will not want to rent an apartment nor will they think about spending money on something like this. As a result, you want to focus on clear-cut warm leads that are a given to work out in your favor.

There are many keywords that can go a long way in helping out and making sure warm leads come through. Keep an eye out for these keywords such as “rent” because they will be necessary for building a robust marketing campaign using Google ads.

2) Emphasize Local Keywords

Local keywords are a must when it comes to an apartment building. The average lead is going to come from the area, so why target people outside of this little bubble?

The goal should be to use the location settings and start to focus in on the community near your building. This will save a tremendous amount of money and is going to shed light on potential leads in the area. Over time, you will be able to narrow this group down even more but it is a good starting point for the average campaign.

3) Get Rid of Negative Keywords

Sometimes, the marketing campaign can fail because you’re not focused on negative keywords that don’t help. For example, several negative keywords actually promote cold leads that aren’t interested in what you are hoping to sell or show.

These negative keywords can include:

* WIFI Password
* Fax Number
* ZIP Code

Let’s say your apartment is named Northfield and people are searching it up. If they search up “Northfield WIFI Password,” it will count as a click and eat into your budget even though they weren’t interested in renting at all! You want to ensure this doesn’t happen as it is a complete waste of funds.

4) Run Split Tests

Split tests are one of the best techniques available to marketers when it comes to targeting high-quality leads and building robust ads. The goal of an ad is to generate as many leads as possible and this can happen in a number of ways.

With split testing, you put two similar ads and make slight changes to each. Run both of them at the same time and see which one gains more traction between the two. Once you let it run for a bit, you will know which ad is doing better. Keep the successful ad running and cut the other one before you lose more money.

This is a great way to hone in on your work and truly pick gems within your ad campaign.

5) Focus on Your Sales Funnel

Google AdWords can take up a lot of your time and that’s wonderful but where is the lead going as soon as they click through? Is your website up to par with industry standards?

Your first impression is important and that is only going to happen when they hop onto the website. Make sure the sales funnel is picture-perfect before running any ads because that will lead to major losses even if the ads are good.

6) Be Patient

Patience is an integral part of any modern marketing campaign and the same applies to Google ads. Yes, it may seem beneficial to keep shifting from one ad to another but this doesn’t let the market dictate what works. You have to take a step back and let the budget work for you. By understanding what people are responding to (i.e. using split tests), you can start to find a pattern in what’s efficient and what’s not. Sometimes, this alone can be enough to push forward with a wonderful selection of warm leads. Otherwise, you may end up spinning your wheels as an apartment landlord.

Being patient is one of those requirements that have to be kept in mind from day one. It’s the only way to feel confident about how things are going to be done.

Final Thoughts

Google AdWords is a powerful tool to have up your sleeve as an apartment landlord but it’s important to use it wisely. Several apartment landlords have lost money because they were unwilling to break things down and truly understand how to use Google ads to their benefit. In this case, you want to take a look at what the guide has to say before coming up with a strategy. This is the best way to move forward with a well-designed plan that is going to work over the long-run.

Remember, stay patient and continue to work towards bringing in as many warm leads as possible. This is going to be the ultimate boost for you and your apartment building!

Did you like our marketing guide for apartment landlords? Well here’s another one we’re sure you’ll love: 10 Tips for SEO Beginners: Cover Your Optimization Bases!

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Definitive Marketing Guide for Personal Trainers

Being a personal trainer requires dedication, passion, and a well-designed marketing plan. Many personal trainers are wonderfully skilled but end up losing out because of their inefficient marketing strategies. To make sure the right techniques are applied on a regular basis, here’s a definitive marketing guide for personal trainers.

Using the information in this guide will lead to better results.

Platforms to Target

The beauty of marketing comes in the form of its options. You’re never put into a position where there’s only one way out. Whether this includes social media marketing, search engine optimization, email marketing, or even viral marketing, you will always have additional options to work with as a trainer.

Don’t be afraid to mix things up and take your time fleshing out professional campaigns.

Some of the main platforms to focus on include:

  • FaceBook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Snapchat
  • Blogs (Guest Posts)
  • Google/Yahoo (SEO/SEM)

Each platform is valuable in what it has to offer and can be the key to your long-term success. Don’t assume one will work and the other won’t. This is why so many personal trainers end up in a situation where their business doesn’t succeed.

Tips for Marketing Wisely

1) Understand Your Target Audience

With key platforms in mind, you will need to focus on the target audience. Personal trainers have a variety of clients from all walks of life but it’s important to target certain demographics based on your expertise. This is where real-life experience comes in handy because you’re already aware of what works and what doesn’t!

For example, let’s assume most clients are between the ages of 30-50 and tend to be men. This can be a great starting point as a personal trainer.

You can use Facebook’s Ad manager to input these specific details and only target those people with your ads. What better way to dominate your competition and only advertise to those known to spend money on personal training? No other marketing technique is able to offer such a targeted approach to advertising.

In the new age of technology and marketing, you need to take advantage!

2) Learn to Optimize

Optimization is a word you’re going to have to get used to. In essence, this can include any stage in your marketing process. Whether it’s building an all-inclusive website or setting up your first ad on Facebook, optimization is the name of the game!

With your website, it’s important to target specific keywords, so your website is able to rank higher on Google. Whenever a person searches “best personal trainer in [x] city,” the first website should be yours. Being on the first page of search results can be a game-changer in terms of new leads and converted sales.

Therefore, optimizing everything and making sure the website or ad is in line with what works becomes important.

With a simple ad, you can start split testing (running two ads at the same time) to see which one gains more traction. Sometimes, the split test can be something as simple as a different word or color between the two ads. Look to see which one does well and tends to garner a positive response. Once you have this information, take out the inefficient ad and only run the one bringing in results! As mentioned before, this can be done at any stage in the marketing journey!

3) Build a Robust Sales Funnel

How is your sales funnel looking?

A sales funnel refers to the moment your prospect is contacted to the moment they make a decision (i.e. to leave or buy). A great sales funnel will make sure each stage is managed wisely with quality ads, a wonderful landing page, and an even better sales page to close the deal. If there’s a flaw in the sales funnel, you may continue to struggle.

Before marketing, it’s always important to dig deep and flesh out a robust sales funnel. This is the only way to dominate your niche and truly generate great sales numbers over the long-run. Otherwise, you’re going to remain a step behind without realizing what’s going on! Be smart and take action with the help of a high-quality sales funnel.

Remember, when the sales funnel is good, it may not take as many leads to fill up your monthly schedule.

4) Build an Authentic Brand

Your brand is essential as a personal trainer.

In this line of work, you are recognizing by your skill set and expertise. If a person doesn’t believe in what you’re teaching, they will refuse to sign up and take a chance.

As a result, it’s best to focus on building an authoritative brand people can rely on. The best way to do this is to engage on social media, offer free advice from time to time and make sure to write guests posts on famous fitness blogs. This can start to fill up your resume and showcase what you’re all about as a pro.

5) Stay Active on Social Media

The final tip is to build active social media profiles (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).

Look at some of the leading personal trainers worldwide and this is the foundation of their success. To get to the same point, it’s important for you to tap into the fun and make the most of it as soon as you can.

Being active on social media is all about sharing positive information about fitness, giving sneak peeks on some of your training sessions and also answering questions if necessary.

Stay professional and over time people will believe in your authority as a personal trainer.

Final Thoughts

Yes, being a personal trainer is about setting a high standard and customizing your client’s experience. However, it’s important to run your business the way it is supposed to be. This includes sitting down and putting together an all-encompassing marketing plan for next week, month, and year. Until this plan is laid out, the business isn’t going to progress to its fullest potential!

Keep these details in mind and push towards a brighter future with your personal training business!

Did you like our marketing guide for personal trainers? Well here’s another one we’re sure you’ll love: Video Marketing Tools You Should Try Now

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Nine Best Marketing Practices For Cleaning Companies

You need to have an effective marketing plan for generating leads, fostering a stronger relationship with existing clients, and bringing in new customers, whether you operate a carpet cleaning, dry-cleaning, or professional home and office cleaning business. To target your marketing budget for the best ROI, here are 9 marketing best practices for cleaning companies to get you started.

Nine Marketing Best Practices for Cleaning Companies

Identify the Target Market

You first need to identify who your customers are before you can start developing a marketing plan. Most local business is typically generated around a particular geographical area. You need to identify the neighborhoods in your area likely to prefer your cleaning methods.

If you are able to identify the type of services that your target customers are looking for, you can tailor your services and marketing plan more effectively to better meet their desires and needs.

Email Marketing to Earn More Business

Email marketing is neither new nor dead as some people say it is. Businesses of all types have been doing it successfully for a long time. While you might be doing it already, chances are, it is possible to get extra mileage out of your campaigns. If you still send out a single email to your customer as opposed to segmenting them and customizing your campaigns by segment, this is one place to start.

If you have yet set up automated email marketing campaigns, you should consider making that your next customer retention and marketing initiative. It is much easier to do email automation than you probably assume and it is very effective for converting prospects into customers or engaging a past customer for repeat business.

Direct Mail Postcards

If you want to geo-target entire neighborhoods within a predetermined distance from your business, direct mail postcards are your best bet. If such postcards double up as coupons for discounted services, recipients are far more likely to save them, even if they don’t require your cleaning services immediately.

Door Hangers and Flyer

You can also distribute colorful door hangers and flyers to local neighborhoods, office buildings, and apartment complexes. Send out a stack of these with each cleaning team with instructions to distribute them around job sites.

Chances are where there’s one existing customers, there are numerous other potential customers who may require your services. Offer a special introductory offer for new customers and include your contact information in large, bold type.

Have a Social Media Presence

Chances are you or your employees are already active on some of the popular social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. You should strive to ensure that your cleaning services business has a presence on at least a couple of these channels.

The easiest place to start is by creating a Facebook business page. It is a very important step since people are now accustomed to seeing a Facebook connection for businesses. You should include a description of your service on the Facebook business page.

Don’t forget to include all the important elements, such as contact information, your services, your years in business, any specials, etc. All these are differentiators that will encourage people that visit your Facebook page to read on and perhaps get in touch with you via phone or email.

Reward Customer Loyalty

People looking for a reliable cleaning service prefer a sure thing over uncertainty. Knowing what they are getting and paying for is usually far much better than the unpleasant surprises sometimes associated with trying out a new service.

Cleaning services that offer low prices but later tack on additional charges almost always never stay in business for long. Make sure that your customers always get the same good value from you by offering loyalty rewards. A small gesture, such as an extra spot or room cleaning service goes a long way towards promoting customer loyalty.

Build Brand Recognition

It is always worth the additional expense of providing your employees with uniforms and painting your company vehicles with your business logo, name, and contact details. It is not only a great way to project a more professional image, but neighboring businesses and homeowners will see your uniformed employees and branded vehicles at job sites. The result will be the same as if the customer had personally recommended your business to them.

Business Review Websites

Today’s customer is savvy enough to check customer reviews on websites such as Angie’s List and Yelp before they sign up for an offer that seems too good to be true. It is important to ensure that you claim all your business listings including Google My Business, Bing Places, Yelp, etc.

It is impossible to change a negative review on those platforms, but you can mitigate it by attempting to make things right with the customer. You should also encourage satisfied customers to visit your business’s page on these platforms to leave a review.

Boost Traffic and Increase Leads Using Local SEO Data

Local SEO is now more important than ever as Google continues working to support smaller businesses in their locations. That means it is the best time to maximize your impact by including more location-specific phrases and words in your marketing strategies.

It also means ensuring that your online profiles on Google My Business, Bing Places, Yelp, Yahoo local, Facebook, Angie’s List, and others are completely up-to-date. Local SEO works to drive more traffic and leads back to your website directly without you ever having to pick up the phone.

Final Thoughts

If you offer good value in your cleaning service, word of mouth referrals will ultimately bring you many customers. To ensure that you don’t go out of business while you wait for that to happen, you will require an effective marketing plan to help things along.

Implement the nine best practices discussed here and you will generate and retain plenty of customers for your cleaning business. Do it today and you will see just how much of a difference it makes!

Stay tuned for more online marketing tips!

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Fun Memorial Day Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

Small businesses often build full-fledged marketing campaigns involving online and offline methods. These methods include a variety of tools, solutions, and approaches based on the target audience. Memorial day marketing tips are all over the internet but which one truly works?

While fleshing out a new strategy, it’s important to look at the calendar and pay attention to celebrated days in America. One of those days would be none other than Memorial Day, which has become synonymous with great marketing campaigns over the years. This is a special day for Americans and is one of those opportunities small businesses can latch onto in a bid to spread awareness.

Take a look at our Memorial day marketing tips and get ready to start drawing some attention!

1) Appreciate the Sacrifices of Veterans on Social Media

Start with something simple because marketing doesn’t always have to be a complex set of strategies. In fact, sometimes, all you have to do is incorporate praise for the veterans in your community and that will help spread the word about your business. Too many small businesses build complicated campaigns that are difficult to understand and simply take too much time on your end.

In this case, you will want to use your social media accounts and write meaningful messages about the veterans in your community. These messages should be heartfelt, meaningful, and in line with what your target audience wants to hear.

In fact, you should also look at engaging with these followers to see whether or not they have stories to share about veterans. Numerous people have relations to veterans in their family or friends, which makes it easier to build a relationship with them via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Take this as an opportunity to make the most of Memorial Day because it’s an opportunity that will come once a year.

Stay vigilant and remain active on your social media account(s).

2) Offer Discounts to Veterans

Discounts are going to be a given when it comes to Memorial Day celebrations.

This is a day to celebrate the sacrifices made by veterans but also a way to find meaningful sales online/offline. However, you have to market these sales well in advance (i.e. 1-2 weeks before Memorial Day).

A lot of small businesses leverage this day as the starting point for their summer releases and summer sales. You want to do the same because it’s a neat starting point and is in line with what customers expect to see when they visit your site or store.

The discounts should be competitive and make it easier to appreciate what veterans have done for the nation.

3) Advertise in American Colors

What about the visuals associated with your brand?

Memorial Day is synonymous with American colors and that means it’s time to give your website/email template a makeover. Otherwise, you are not going to seem as genuine as you want to be. By making subtle changes to the website or email template, you are going to showcase your love for the nation as a small business. This is when people will take the time to focus on what you have to say.

In fact, you should also take a look at changing the colors on your social media accounts (i.e. posting a patriotic image on Instagram). These are the small details that set the appropriate tone for your enterprise.

4) Donate to the Victims

Yes, unfortunately, there are many victims associated with Memorial Day and these veterans have been lost forever. However, they live on through this beautiful day on the calendar and it’s important to celebrate what they are all about.

One of the best ways to do this is to start a small set of posts that are put up on your social media accounts to shower love on these people. This is how you are going to connect with the community and truly showcase your appreciation for the sacrifices of these veterans.

Remember, don’t force the issue and remain thoughtful while doing this!

5) Unveil New Products for the Summer

You will want to plan ahead and make sure to launch new products/services on this day leading into the summer. For brands that do have a turnover in products as the season changes, this is the ideal day to make the adjustments in your inventory.

Summer releases are best suited for this time of the year because the warmer months are right around the corner. You will want people to get a quick look at these products. To maximize Memorial Day, it’s always a good idea to launch these summer releases and sell them at a discounted rate.

By doing this, you are going to catch people’s attention and they will be more likely to buy.

6) Host a Memorial Day Event

Memorial Day is not just about what’s happening online whether it’s social media or your main website. In fact, you want to step away from the digital world and take a look at setting up a local community event for the big day.

This is a way to celebrate the lives of veterans and also bring the community together. Your small business can act as the sponsor and you can even partner up with neighboring businesses. Everyone likes being positively associated with the day and this is going to bring everyone together. As a result, you are able to host a beautiful community event and have people of all ages coming in.

This can be done in front of the business location or at a local park.

Make sure it is themed for Memorial Day and watch as people start to learn more about your brand and what it stands for.

These marketing tips are going to go a long way in pushing your small business to the top of its niche. Indeed, there are many curve balls that are going to be thrown your way but these tips should help set the tone. Focus on this advice, build a meaningful Memorial Day strategy, and follow through with it professionally. This is how you’re going to build a successful brand and grow towards a brighter future!

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