It’s often said that we make our own luck — and that’s exactly what you need to do when it comes to getting referrals for your business. One way to honor the heritage of the hard-working Irish people is to tackle one of the toughest parts of running a business — growing it. And referrals are one of the best ways to do just that!

The power of referrals

Besides customer loyalty and glowing testimonials, a referral is one of the greatest things a customer can give you back. It’s proof that the customer’s experience with your business has been so positive and fruitful, that they want others to share in it and have the same great experience. And of course, to show their support your business!

Truly, people WANT to send new customers your way — because we all want great products/services, and exceptional experiences that we can talk about with our family, friends, customers and colleagues.

So while you’re giving your customers great products/services and exceptional experiences, how do you make sure you get their referrals?

1. Start by educating your prospective customers.

Strong relationships need a solid foundation. From the beginning, you need to communicate effectively and honestly — taking the time to explain your products/services and setting reasonable expectations for results.

2. Use “surprise and delight.”

This is a popular saying in today’s business world, but it’s more than just buzzwords — it’s a concept that can truly help build your business. 

If customers know what to expect from you, do something unexpected! Reward them for choosing you with a gift or exclusive promotion. Or ship them a big “new customer” kit full of branded premium items. Or a simply-written personal letter/email of gratitude to provide a personal touch. Or all of the above!

3. Something wrong? Make it right.

You need to care about every single detail of your customer relationship — it doesn’t just end after they buy a product and go home. You need to know if anything is wrong, and resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Follow up to make sure things are going well. And if they’re not, do more to make it right. Because that’s what customers will appreciate and remember the most.

4. Get their feedback.

Make sure your customers know that they can contact you — using whichever way they want (phone, email, website, in person) — with any issues whatsoever. Some people have no problem telling you when they’re dissatisfied, but many others don’t want to make you feel bad or just don’t care enough to pick up a phone or send an email. You want to know how they feel, and that concern for your customers will pay off with loyalty.

5. Ask for a referral.

At the end of the customer journey (post-purchase), give them the opportunity to provide a referral. Make it easy for them — send a quick note or email, and ask nicely if they’d mind giving you the name and contact information of someone they know who might benefit from your products/services. It also helps to offer them an incentive or discount for a positive review on social media or any industry forum.

Working towards a referral is something that continues throughout the entire customer journey. So make sure you’re doing the right things (like those above!) all the way through — and when you’ve reached your goals, you’re ready for the kind of parades and parties that St. Patrick’s Day is known for!

But there are also the intangible factors that affect your decision. How committed are they to your success? How responsive are they to your questions and concerns? Does it feel like a good “fit” for your business?

Once you’ve chosen a marketing partner…

…you need to give them time. They need to delve into your company and your industry, to develop a strategic plan, to execute it effectively, and to show you results.

For argument’s sake, let’s say you’ve had a marketing agency (Agency X) for two years. They’ve built a relationship with you, learned your business, and executed their marketing plan.

And now your two-year contract with Agency X is up. Will you renew it? Will you part ways?

It’s Decision Time.

There are Three Big Questions to ask yourself when determining if it’s time to change your marketing agency. Here they are:

●    Are you successful?
Timing is an important factor. If you’re a new company — let’s say from 0-5 years in business — you’re focused on growth more than anything. Is Agency X helping you reach the sales numbers you want?If you’ve been in business for 5-15 years, you’re most likely shifted your focus from growth to “maintenance” — keeping your existing customers happy and working to deepen your connection with them. Is Agency X helping you achieve these goals?And if you’ve been around for 15-25 years (or longer), you might be thinking about retiring and/or selling the business. Is Agency X doing what it takes to prepare your business for its next phase? (It could be working to impress a potential buyer, or setting up the next owner/generation for continued success.)

It all comes down to success and how you define it — at every stage of your company’s lifespan. From year-over-year growth to your place in the industry, there are many factors to consider. You’ll need to take a step back and think — Are we successful? Is Agency X helping us to be successful?

●    Do you have a plan?
No matter how many years you’ve been in business — and no matter what your marketing budget is — you’ve got to have a plan. Knowing what your goals are, then breaking them down into focused tactics and targeting specific results are hugely important to the success of your company. And Agency X needs to be a valuable partner in making these things happen.Your plan can be any length, depending on your industry and preference. You may want to ask yourself the age-old interview question: “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Of course, any marketing plan — especially a five-year plan — has to have flexibility built into it, unless you’ve hired Nostradamus as your COO.Focus on achieving simple goals and assigning them to Agency X. Maybe you want a higher Google ranking, or unique website visits, or simply a 10% increase in sales over 12 months. Think about both your short-term and long-term goals — and remember that while strategic partnerships and marketing plans take the time to develop and grow, Agency X needs to be accountable for deliverables and providing value.

●    Are you happy?
The answer to this question can’t just be calculated or quantified. Results alone might not be enough — what if Agency X helps and you are somewhat satisfied, but every interaction with them is unprofessional or uncomfortable?

A true marketing agent (we like to say marketing PARTNER) needs to listen to you and be responsive. They need to provide you with innovative, effective ideas that get results and grow your business. And together, you need to establish a courteous and professional working relationship that you both enjoy.

Choose wisely.

Change for change’s sake is not always the wise decision. But you don’t want to be stagnant or stuck with a marketing agency that makes it hard for you to answer the Three Big Questions positively.

Of course, there are other questions that need to be answered — but they’re more quantifiable, “yes” and no” things:

●    Is your marketing partner PROACTIVE on your behalf?
●    Has your marketing partner updated your website recently, and do the nickel and dime you for small updates?
(Are they using responsive design for your website?)
●    Is your marketing firm helping you manage and organize your brand assets?
Do they provide you the final files that have been paid for without you asking for them?

A marketing partnership requires a responsive, smart and collaborative agency. Of course, you have an important role to play as well — it’s a “give and take” relationship. You need to provide Agency X with the proper information and clear direction, so they know what they need to accomplish. Your relationship should sincerely be a partnership.  Every client Envision Works Marketing serves is treated as a priority and with respect! We go above and beyond, are proactive when providing new solutions and perform as if we are a formal business partner that is liable for all efforts!

It’s a new year. Maybe it is time for a new marketing partner!  Contact Envision Works Marketing today, and discover how we are different from the others.

If you’ve been working with the WRONG marketing partner, this is your opportunity to make a change—and make things right. Envision Works is the smart, strategic, perfectly sized candidate to give you fresh, creative solutions that will revive your marketing efforts and business results.

• We only work with a handful of clients at a time.
• We provide category exclusivity.
• We don’t believe in cookie cutter solutions.
• We make sure you work with senior-level people only.
• We provide strategy, creative, implementation and automation.
• We are passionate about helping our clients succeed.
• We are ethical and have integrity!

  

Free Two-Hour, No-Obligation Assessment

Before you make your final decision, call Envision Works for a
FREE two-hour, no-obligation assessment.
(offer good through 11/15/16)

YOU have the right to vote for the candidate that is
most in line with your business goals.

YOU can decide to make a change and get better results.

YOU can control the outcome.

VOTE for better marketing. Contact Envision Works today!

●    Product
●    Price
●    Place
●    Promotion

But every business owner needs someone to handle the marketing. Is that you; the owner, a current staff member or a new hire? What about working with an outside marketing firm?

Effective marketing…A long To-Do list

The most important and relevant marketing happens when an entrepreneur invests time to develop a comprehensive plan. Plus, strategic execution and results tracking must be a priority.

Having the right person (or people) in charge of developing and executing your marketing plan is crucial. Competency, dedication, and accountability for following the 4 Ps brings the greatest success. The responsibilities include:

●    Market research
●    Competitive analysis
●    Metrics and data mining
●    Customer service evaluation
●    Sales and acquisition
●    Brand promotion and management
●    Advertising and promotions
●    Effective communications
●    Sales collateral development
●    Special events and social media networking
●    Online presences and ranking

Can you handle all this yourself? Should you?

You may know your industry inside and out, and have the knowledge and skills needed to execute a marketing plan. Think about this honestly. Do you have the time? Is that the best and most profitable way to spend your time?

 Even if you have the marketing know-how, your time should be spent running your business and focusing on industry challenges and the future. Adding marketing responsibilities to your plate — especially the time-consuming marketing tactics, can eat up your day.

You can delegate and have an expert (or experts) handle it! But who can you trust?

There are three options when delegating marketing responsibilities:

1.    Train a current employee and hope for the best
2.    Add a new hire with marketing knowledge and experience to your payroll or…
3.    Retain a marketing firm that has the experience, staff, tools and resources to benefit you.

At first glance, most business owners think it’s better and more affordable to have (or add) someone from the internal team.

But it turns out that the true cost of having an internal staff member or a new hire can be 1 to 1½ times the base salary alone. Once all costs are factored into the equation, i.e., such as recruiting, training, equipment, software, employee benefits, and more, the numbers paint a different picture.

A qualified marketing person should be a master at all of the responsibilities listed above. That employee may be hard to find, not very affordable, and you might still end up outsourcing some of the responsibilities.

Let’s compare.

The tables below break down the numbers concerning this decision:

•  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •
COST ANALYSIS:
Hiring a Marketing Manager vs. Hiring a Marketing Firm
Please note: Figures are approximate and rounded to nearest thousand; taken from Salary.com profile for a Marketing Manager.

•  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •

The many benefits of hiring a marketing firm.

Although you can work with a firm on a project-by-project basis, many clients rely on lower-fee retainer deals to act as “agency of record.” Your business is then added to the marketing firm’s production schedule and services are performed on a regular basis.

A marketing firm can provide you with:

●    Expertise with your market niche
●    Experience in developing and executing marketing plans
●    Cost savings, thanks to the firm’s experience and ability to meet your specific needs
●    No employee training required
●    Time saved, since a marketing firm can typically execute your plan immediately
●    Avoid H.R. issues
●    No additional overhead
●    Tax deductions, not tax liability
●    Efficiency for short-term and urgent projects
●    Access to resources, tools and solutions that can be costly to you on your own

It’s up to you.

Naturally, you have to do what you believe is best for your business. Our advice — examine the situation. Do your best to delegate and not handle the marketing yourself. You have a business to run.

Don’t just throw someone in a marketing position or hire someone because it’s convenient and affordable. In many cases, it’s the opposite, especially if that person does not have the skills truly need, or leaves after you’ve made an investment in them. Starting over can be very frustrating and more costly.

So which is it for your company — train your office manager to do your marketing, hire a new marketing director, or partner with a marketing firm?

 If you are still not sure, contact EnvisionWorksMarketing.com and evaluate all of your options.

Today, there are lots of options for online directories where you can quickly search for whatever it is you’re looking for. And the more of them that have your business listed, the better.

Here are a few that can help you get found!

• Angie’s List

For accurate and reliable reviews of services, Angie’s List is one of the best. With real testimonials from real customers, businesses can read and respond to reviews and find additional business tools as well. Click to list your business on Angie’s List.

• Bing Places for Business

After Google, Bing is a close second. This search engine is also crucial for businesses, especially since Bing has Microsoft behind it. It’s quick, easy and free to register, and you can add multiple locations at one time, as well as post additional content in your listing (such as photos, videos, etc.). Click to list your business on Bing Places for Business.

• Citysearch

For restaurants, bars, spas, hotels, restaurants and more, Citysearch is a must. Also available through a popular mobile app, the network’s listings are free and easy to update. Plus, Citysearch has guides available for many major U.S. cities. Their extensive network of partners includes Expedia, MerchantCircle (see below), and Urbanspoon. Click to list your business on Citysearch.

• DexKnows

Listings on DexKnows help you track how people interact with your profile — a unique feature that allows businesses to gauge their online reputation. The site also helps to identify online and print opportunities and provides detailed lead information through reporting tools. Click to list your business on DexKnows.

• Foursquare

Because it’s both a business directory and a social networking site, Foursquare has unique features and benefits. The site allows customers to check in and comment on your business — potentially leading to more customers. Also available as a mobile app, Foursquare lets people Tweet messages to you directly. Click to list your business on Foursquare.

• Google Places for Business

Well, it’s Google — clearly, a “must-be-listed” for any business. With nearly 6 billion searches a day, Google outpaces every other search engine by miles. Signing up for a listing is easy and free, and your listing appears in Google Maps as well. Plus, satisfied customers can provide their reviews on your Google+ page.  Click to list your business on Google Places for Business.

• Hotfrog

In less than 5 minutes, you can have a free listing on Hotfrog — and start adding as many details as you want, with the goal of getting your site listed in Google search results. You can even create coupons to offer your customers.  Click to list your business on Hotfrog.

• Kudzu

If you offer home improvement services, Kudzu is a great site for you. More than 90% of Kudzu users are homeowners; almost 75% of them are interested in home renovation projects. If you get an enhanced profile, they provide you with a dedicated account manager.  Click to list your business on Kudzu.

• Local.com

Powered by Yext.com, this free business directory gives searchers detailed information with current events, deals and information on popular businesses in their city. Local.com offers you resources to ensure your business is listed accurately throughout the Internet, as well as additional advertising options. You can also add a coupon to your listing.  Click to list your business on Local.com.

• Manta

With more than 30 million unique visitors every month, Manta is one of the fastest-growing business sites online. You can get set up within minutes, highlight your products and brands, and increase your site traffic with business optimization packages (for an additional fee).  Click to list your business on Manta.

• MapQuest

To bring nearby customers right to your location, there’s MapQuest. This web mapping service (just $3/week) is built for businesses that are trying to increase foot traffic, offering detailed driving directions and a central dashboard to manage your listings across multiple sites (extra fee). Click to list your business on MapQuest.

• MerchantCircle

To connect with local customers and other small businesses, MerchantCircle offers geographic localization to your target audience, as well as free marketing tools and the ability to boost your listing with advertising. You can even host a business blog on the site.  Click to list your business on MerchantCircle.

• Superpages.com

This user-friendly online directory provides unique features such as “cars for sale” listings, lottery results, and helpful tips for finding business-related services. Visitors will find popular search categories and even local weather listings right on the home page. There’s even a Facebook sign-in option.  Click to list your business on Superpages.

• The Business Journals

Featuring 8 million monthly searches — with an average income of nearly $100,000 — The Business Journals offer four levels of service options: free, bronze, silver, and gold. Each of these options will display your listing in the directory; but the higher-level options provide more opportunities to receive targeted traffic to your website.  Click to list your business on Business Journals.

• White Pages

Basically, this is the online version of the classic White Pages phone book. With this directory, you can list your business among 30 million businesses and reach more than 200 million people. It also offers a premium text message service for your mobile marketing efforts, as well as sponsored advertising opportunities.  Click to list your business on White Pages.

• Yahoo! Local Listing

Millions of searches take place on Yahoo every day — it’s the 3rd most popular search engine. Yahoo’s Local Basic listing is free, but you can include photos, company description and more for $9.95/month, or get maximum views and listings on 40+ additional directories for $29.99/month.  Click to list your business on Yahoo Local.

• Yellowbook

A subsidiary of Hibu Business — a multinational directories and internet services company — Yellowbook lets you create an easily searchable business listing on their network. With your listing comes a complete profile for your business information, a link to your website, product descriptions, and even an innovative map feature. This information is distributed across their network and partner sites. Plus, display and video ads are also available.  Click to list your business on Yellowbook.

• YellowBot

Also similar to the Yellow Pages, this online directory provides basic contact and location information about your businesses, and also allows customers to post reviews. You can easily sign in with Facebook, Google, Twitter, Windows Live or Yahoo, and add searchable tags to your listing. A Premium Listing is also available for enhanced account management.  Click to list your business on YellowBot.

• Yellow Pages

The online version of the classic Yellow Pages gets millions of searches every day. Featuring a well-organized structure, the directory offers advertising, detailed ad performance data, lead generation services, and online payment options.  Click to list your business on Yellow Pages.

• Yelp

A highly popular online review site, Yelp is a great place to seek out word-of-mouth advertising. You can create exclusive deals for loyal customers, send public and private messages to them, and even view business trends in the site’s reporting tool.  Click to list your business on Yelp.

So go get your listings — and get ready for lots of new interest in your business! If this list seems a bit overwhelming, Envision Works Marketing is here to help you in an efficient and cost effective way!

•   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •

Have you had success with listings on these sites? Any others we might have missed? Please share in the Comments below!

But what’s the best way to figure out which changes you need to make? Getting feedback from your customers and prospects — with a survey.

If you do it right, a survey can give you plenty of information — some of which can be truly surprising — in order to make positive changes.

But if you do it wrong, you’ll get unusable data and potentially annoy (or even anger) your audience.

Creating your survey

It’s vital to focus on the entire survey experience. After all, you want your respondents to accomplish two tasks:

• complete the whole survey; and
• give you honest, clear and specific feedback.

Here are some ideas for creating a survey that will keep your audience engaged — while ensuring that you get the actionable responses you need:

• Give them a “why.”  Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. Would you want to fill out a survey sent by your company? Do you want to take the time out of your day?Basically, you’re counting on them to be nice and generous with their time. So tell them why you need their feedback, what you’re hoping to do with it, and why they should care at all.Let them know that their responses will help you serve their needs better, and that they have a say in the future of your company.

• Let them know what they’re in for. You’ve probably taken a survey that seemed to go on and on — so long that you start to think about quitting (or you just quit because you’ve got better things to do.Don’t be that surveyor! Tell your audience about how long it will take to complete your survey — this will reduce the number of people who either rush through it or quit in the middle.Some surveys include a progress bar, which can serve as an encouragement along the way. When the bar says they’re 50% complete, it’s like saying “You’re halfway done!”And there’s no rule that says you can’t put messages like that right in your survey — like “Just two questions to go!”

• Write the survey in your “voice.” A little personality goes a long way — so don’t be too formal or boring. Your survey should be engaging to the point where respondents are motivated to give you constructive input.Write the survey the same way you’d have a conversation with them — as if you were chatting over coffee. Thank them in advance for their time and their complete, honest answers. And offer some helpful words if you’ve asked something complicated, or for an open-ended response.The friendlier and more encouraging you are, the more likely they are to complete the survey and provide you with valuable feedback.

• 
Give them the chance to be heard. It’s definitely worthwhile to ask some questions that give your respondents the opportunity to give a longer answer. They may not want to — in fact, you ought to assume they won’t — but if they’re motivated to provide additional feedback, you should encourage it.So at the end of your survey, thank them for completing it and remind them how much their input means to you — and how you’ll be using their answers to improve the customer experience.A quick “If you’d like to share any other opinions or advice, please type your response in the box below” might just provide you with a great insight into improving a part of your business. And even if they don’t respond, they’ll probably appreciate that you made the offer and were interested in whatever it is they might want to share.

• Be the first respondent. Done creating the survey? Take a break — you deserve it! Go get some fresh air, pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee (for the antioxidants!), and sit back down to take the survey yourself.Some great reasons to do so:
  — Make sure you’ve given people a compelling reason to fill it out.
  — Ask yourself if you REALLY think your target audience will complete the whole thing.
  — Check to see that every single question is necessary — and worded correctly, too.
  — Confirm that you’ve made it easy to read, understand and complete.

• Post-survey: Share with your respondents. After you’ve received your responses (oh, did we mention you should put a “Please complete this survey by [DATE]” note at the end?), you’ll have plenty of raw data and results. (Letting respondents know that they’ll get to see the results is one more motivation for them to complete your survey.)As long as you don’t share any personal identification information, feel free to share the raw results with your respondents. Anyone who completes the entire survey will certainly be interested in what others have to say.And later, once you’ve completed analyzing the results, go back to your respondents and explain what you did with their feedback. This will make them feel heard, appreciated and empowered, especially since it’s usually (and unfortunately) rare for companies to go to those lengths.Plus, they’ll be much more likely to participate in your next survey — and even share the news of their experience with friends and colleagues.

If you put all of these tips into action when creating your next survey, we’re confident that you’ll get a strong number of responses, well-thought-out feedback, and superb results that you were hoping for!

Do you have any tried-and-true tips for better surveys? Share your ideas in the Comments below!

Last year, Google started including mobile friendliness as a ranking signal, and you should be glad they did. If the power of Google is causing you to take a fresh look at your site’s mobile friendliness, be grateful. Obviously, mobility is critical to the success of any company, of any size.

Here are a few things you should know when looking at your mobile site, and a few things you should avoid.

Three Things You Should Know

1. Make It Easy

The goal of any website is to make it easy for visitors to do what you want them to do, whether it’s to place an order, register, find more info, read your great blog posts, etc. Since more visitors are going to your mobile site, that experience has to be just as easy – if not easier. Work with your web team (Envision Works, for example) to outline the potentials steps in your customer’s journey to make sure everything is clear, and try to streamline the experience as much as possible.

2. Measure the Effectiveness

According to MediaPost, mobile shoppers put ease of use foremost when it comes to mobile shopping sites. Just because you tried to make your mobile site easy to use doesn’t mean you actually achieved that goal. Use surveys, focus groups and friends to put your site through the paces and see how user pathways can be improved.

3. Be Consistent

We suggest you use a mobile template, theme or design that is consistent for all devices. In other words, use a responsive web design. When you do, the page uses the same code and the same URL whether the user is on a laptop, tablet or smartphone, and the display automatically adjusts to be easy to read on each device. Another benefit of using responsive design is that when it comes to updates, you only have to update one version of the site.

Three Things You Should Avoid

1. Don’t Forget Mobile Customers

Sometimes, developers create a specially formatted site for mobile that, in the transaltion, loses some functionality of the full desktop site. Instead, build a mobile-friendly site using responsive design (see above), and give yourself – and your customers – the best of both worlds.

2. Don’t Put Your Mobile Site Elsewhere

While Google supports multiple mobile site configurations, creating separate mobile URLs requires a great amount of additional work for you and your team. Not only is it harder to maintain and update your site, it also introduces additional possibilities for technical glitches. Keep it simple, and everyone benefits.

3. Don’t Work Alone

When you work in isolation, you miss out on a world of inspiration. We’re not suggesting you steal from anyone, but take the time to look around at other mobile sites in your space for ideas and best practices. If you’re late to the mobile site game, at least you have the benefit of learning from everyone else. Take advantage of it.

If you are undertaking a mobile re-evaluation, don’t panic: you are not alone. First of all, you can always contact Envision Works at 800-295-1220 for help. Besides that, Google has a ton of very helpful, very readable documentation. We recommend their guide for developers called Mobile-Friendly Websites, as well as a more informational doc called The Mobile Playbook. Both are well worth reading.

You’re busy. We get it.  In fact, we’re grateful you’re taking the time to read this!

But, even in the middle of your hectic schedule, you really need to think about your brand.
Because every company has one, whether they know it or not. What do your customers, prospects and competitors think about your business? What kind of reputation have you built? Are you the #1 choice in your community?

What should your brand be doing in the first place?

Before we get into the “how’s” and “why’s” of rebranding, ask yourself if your current brand does these things:

Make a good impression. What’s a person’s first impression of your business? If you have a physical location, is it clean, attractive and staffed with friendly experts? Is your website updated and easy to navigate? Are your marketing materials well-designed and interesting to read? All of these things contribute to your “getting the sale” — or not.

Communicate your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). There needs to be something — at least one big thing — that you do better or different than your competition. (Otherwise, why choose you?) Maybe you have the very best product/service, excellent customer service, or something else unique that nobody else offers. When you’ve identified your USP, make sure you communicate it in everything you do.

Connect with your target audience. Do you truly understand the people you need the most? One of the most important things you can do is listen. Talk to your customers and engage with them to get their feedback. Compliments are great, but you can only learn and grow from honest, constructive criticism. After you make adjustments, reward their loyalty. It’s also important to reach out to your local community and be a good corporate citizen — which usually pays off with a better reputation and increased sales.

Define your business’ personality and image. Step into your prospective customer’s shoes for a moment. When you see the business, do you think “they’re friendly professionals who will help me with my needs?” Everything about your company should be a consistent representation of who you are. Customers want to feel good about their purchase decisions and do business with people they like. So work from there!

The bottom line is that your brand should demonstrate what’s special about your business and show you in a positive light. If your current brand doesn’t do those things, it’s definitely time for a rebrand. (Of course, if you’ve been around for 30 years and never updated/changed your brand, it’s also time to get moving!)

How do you know when it’s time for a rebrand?

Companies of all sizes rebrand — and some older companies have been through multiple rebrands over the years. If you think about it, a rebrand can be a sign of long-term success; you must be doing something right to stay in business long enough to need one!

There are many reasons to rebrand, but here are four common ones:

• Leadership changes. Whether it’s a new CEO or CMO, companies with new leadership often do a rebrand. Sometimes it’s just because those new leaders want to “put their stamp” on the company, but many times it’s a change for the better. (There’s always room for improvement!) A new brand identity or a refresh represents a new direction for the company — or a new way of representing what made it successful in the first place.

• Mergers and acquisitions. This can be tricky, since we’re talking about two distinctive companies coming together. With a merger, you have two brands to consider and one big decision: Does one company’s brand “go away” while the other takes over? Or, do you merge them together to create a brand-new identity altogether? It’s a little easier with an acquisition, in that usually the acquiring company’s brand remains intact and incorporates the other brand. Whichever strategy you choose, any changes in your company’s brand identity — and the reasons for them — need to be clearly communicated to keep customers informed and avoid confusion that could result in losing them.

• Customer changes/evolution. Just as your company grows and evolves, so does your customer base. They grow up, they move, their budgets change; there’s a lot that can happen, even from year to year. You can demonstrate that you’re changing with them by rebranding, and remind them — in a new way — of the reasons they chose you in the first place. You might even win back some old customers with a fresh, new look!

• Repositioning. As your business grows, your brand changes — and may begin to stand for something different than it originally did. You need to evolve the brand to reach new audiences and connect with them. Make your brand work for you, and update/refresh it to reflect a smart, dynamic business that is dependable and relevant. It might even be a whole re-do from the ground up, changing the basic elements of your brand (logo, colors, fonts, taglines, etc.).

You’ve committed at least a few minutes to read this. (Thanks, by the way!) We urge you to spend a few more minutes thinking about the questions we’ve asked — and consider where your brand is right now. If you’re super-successful, keep up the great work.

But if you think a rebrand is in order, you have the building blocks here to start planning. And of course, you can always call on us for help!

Your goal at this point is to develop a high-level view of your marketing year.  So, while everyone else is making leftover turkey sandwiches or standing in line for the hottest new toy, you’ll be productive with these simple, goal-setting steps:

Choose your objectives for next year.

What would you like to achieve next year? It might help to use the SMART goal concept, which simply means that your goals should be:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Timely

These should be business-building objectives that will help you reach your goals of profitability, customer trust, and name recognition.  Here are a few ideas to get you started:
• Grow your email list 20% by the end of the year.
• Update your website by June 30.
• Try new SEO tactics from January 1 – June 30.
• Run an online promotion to increase your top product/service’s sales 25% by the end of the year.

Choose the promotions/strategies you want to use to achieve those objectives.
Looking at your list of goals, start thinking about promotions or strategies to prioritize in the coming year.

You might want to consider:
• Sending a regular e-newsletter and/or adding a “Subscribe to our emails”
feature on your site.
• Choosing a team of existing employees or outside resources to rewrite
and redesign your site.
• Conducting an SEO audit and search for alternate keywords to try for six months.
• Brainstorming different online tactics for a creative campaign focused
on your top product/services.

Some types of promotions to think about:
• New products = Pre- and post-launch promotions
• Old products = Refresh existing promotions or create product updates
• Low-cost products = Front-end promotion
• Back-end promotions and upgrade offers for customers
• List-building promotions
• Lead-generating promotions

And, don’t be afraid to get creative! Test new ideas and trust your knowledge of your target audience. Do what you think will work — even if you’ve never tried it before and nobody else is doing it. You might be onto something!

Set a schedule you can stick to.
Now you know what you want to promote, and when you want to promote it.  But, is your plan practical?

Ask yourself:
• How long can/should each promotion run?
• Should you repeat a promotion during the year OR bring back a previously successful promotion?
• Do you need to create new promotional materials?
• Is there time to develop new products/strategies? Will you need outside help?
• Have you got the resources and budget to do it all?
• Can you fit it all into your calendar — without overwhelming you, your team or your audience?

A few more tips:
Your plan needs “breathing room.”  Don’t run too many big promotions or feature too many products.
Think about grouping similar products into a package and promoting them that way.  Or, maybe promote a few front-end products to your entire list, while only offering EXISTING customers more frequent back-end promos.

Remember, you don’t have to do everything on your list. One idea might be so good/effective that you can take another off the list. You could focus on building one area of your business this year, and another next year. Just make sure you set your priorities and stick with them!

Believe it or not, you don’t need to do much more than this to have a good start on your marketing plan. (The steps above should probably take you a few hours, at most).

Get a bird’s eye view of your business objectives and the promotions you want to run. Think about how they fit into your calendar, and jot down any ideas as they come to you.

You’ll have organized your entire year.  And, that’s the first step to getting it all done.

Happy Holidays!

Leaves are falling, scarf weather is here, and many people are thinking about the upcoming holiday season.  However, for anyone in the marketing world, it’s time to think about the 4th quarter — and how you can plan to finish the year on a high note!

Here’s a handy 7-step checklist to help you plan your 4th-quarter marketing efforts:

• Define your goals for the rest of the year. Did you have a list of business goals at the beginning of the year? It’s time to see if you’ve accomplished them. You’re almost there OR you have a lot to do quickly. You can’t wait until the end of the year to do this — it’ll be too late!

• Develop your content strategy. Take a look at the content you’ve published so far this year, and map out a plan for these last three months. This is an especially important time to talk about topics that are relevant to your target audience — because they’ll be pretty distracted this time of year; between holidays, vacations and planning for next year.

• Review your SEO results. Track your website traffic from the year so far, and set a goal for Q4. Based on your year-to-date results, you may want to make changes to your SEO strategy. For example, if you identify popular keywords that you weren’t using before, add them throughout your site so they have a strong presence.

• Audit your digital and social efforts. This is key to understanding what your online presence and social media have allowed you to accomplish so far this year. What did you do well? Where can you improve? What was your most popular web page, blog post, online promotion and social media post? How many followers do you have on each social network? Are you engaging with customers, prospects and industry leaders?

• Schedule your email marketing for the next few months. Remember, like we said above, many people are distracted this time of year — but you still have emails to send, and you want them to be opened and read!  So be picky, be smart, and you can pretty much avoid the end of the year madness in both November and December.

• Get ready to gather your year-end reporting. Hopefully, your marketing strategy was successful in the past year. You’ll want to look at your ROI, year-over-year sales numbers and other important marketing stats.  HOWEVER, if you don’t have any marketing to report on, stop waiting — contact us and we’ll help you plan for next year!

• And, of course, start preparing for the holidays! Get those holiday cards printed and order promotional products for gifts you can distribute for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas and the following NEW YEAR. Stay “top of mind” with everyone you need — in Q4 and beyond!

Have any additional ideas for the Q4 checklist? Add yours below in the Comments section!