10 Ways to Grow Referrals in Under 10 Minutes a Day

Wow! Referrals are the lifeblood of any business. And a way to get them in under 10 minutes a day!! Tell me how.

Laurie Hayes, founder of The HBB Source, writes that while most businesses are spending enormous amounts in an effort to attract new customers, a select few use a strategy that has virtually eliminated the need for marketing.

"Building a business on referrals isn't costly or time-consuming once you know the secret." says Hayes.

Hayes says the simple greeting card has the power to make that happen. "You will be astounded by the impact this individual attention has on the number of referrals you attract, the loyalty of your existing clients, and the reduction in complaints, returns, and advertising expenses."

Among the suggestions of when to send cards:

•  After a customer makes a purchase.
• After a prospect says no.
• Birthdays, anniversaries and even Thanksgiving.
• After a group presentation.

Read the complete article on Business Know How for all 10 ways to get referrals.

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Add a Johnson Box to your Sales Letters

By Bob Bly

Sixty years ago, Frank H. Johnson was looking for a way to increase the impact of his sales letters.

Johnson decided that instead of forcing readers to wade through a mass of copy before making the offer, he would highlight the offer in a centered rectangular box placed at the very top of the letter above the salutation. The results were terrific, and the "Johnson Box" has been going strong ever since.

Copywriter Ivan Levison shares some tips you can use for putting a Johnson Box to work the right way:

1. Put the right content in the box. What should you include there? The offer. The main product benefit.

2. Use it in the right kind of letter. If you're writing a non-personalized letter that's going out bulk rate in a window envelope using teaser copy, a Johnson Box will fit right in.

3. Make it the right size. If you're mailing an 8 1/2" x 11" letter (folded twice down to 3 5/8") you want the Johnson Box and the salutation line to appear above the fold.

4. Use an appropriate box shape made from a fine-ruled line. For added impact, throw a screened-back second color inside the box.

5. Use a box in the body of the letter. There's no law that says you can't throw your guarantee into a small box somewhere within the letter. Or a few testimonials. Or a short excerpt from a glowing product review.

6. Show your fulfillment piece in a box or at the top of your letter. If you're offering a report, guide, White Paper, Executive Summary, whatever, use a picture of it.

Source: "The Levison Letter."This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly Direct Response Letter."

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33 Keys to Thriving During a Recession

Here's a nice, quick report, "33 Keys to Thriving During a Recession."

With today's tough economic times, every small business owners and entrepreneurs are looking for that competitive edge. Check our this free resource for 33 keys to make sure your business thrives during the current recession.

Among the tips include:

• Mine your customer list.
• Emphasize the value you provide.
• Have a risk-free introductory offer.
• Pursue publicity.

Again, the PDF is free. Download "33 Keys to Thriving During a Recession" here.

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The Keys to Persuasion, by Bob Bly

If you want to persuade people to believe something, do something, or buy something, you must rely on three factors, according to Herb Cohen:

1. They have to understand what you're saying. It's imperative that you put your reasons into analogies that relate to their experiences, their particular imprinting. In order to do this, you must enter their world. (That's why it's so hard for you to negotiate with someone who's stupid or who you think is a lunatic.)

2. Your evidence must be so overwhelming that they can't dispute it.

3. Their believing you must meet their existing needs and desires.

Of these three factors, the third is by far the most important. Why? "Even if you present me with overwhelming evidence I understand, should the conclusion depress me, I will remain unconvinced," says Cohen. "Your facts and logic may be unassailable but their acceptance will not meet my existing needs and desires."

If you want to persuade people, show the immediate relevance and value of what you're saying in terms of meeting their needs and desires.

Source: Herb Cohen, You Can Negotiate Anything, Carol Publishing. This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly Direct Response Letter.

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4 Secrets for Selling Value Instead of Price

Are your customers worried about price and not seeing the value of your product or service?

Tessa Stowe, who teaches small business owners and recovering salespeople simple steps to turn conversations into clients without being sales-y or pushy, offers four secrets that can help you sell on value so that price is no longer an issue.

Tops on the list... Forget about selling and trying to get your prospect to buy your products and services.

Read the complete article at Business Know How.

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Use Unconventional Ideas to Grow Your Business During These Tough Times

Karin Price Mueller writes that during these tough economic times, growing your business takes money, but capital can be hard to find in today's economic climate.

"If you've planned well enough that you have money in the bank, that's great, but you'll be taking a risk if you spend everything in an attempt to grow. That doesn't mean you have to put expansion plans on hold. All it takes is a little creative financing."

Mueller offers nine unconventional ways you can grow your business without blowing your stash. Among the ideas:

• Offer educational sessions
• Stage a publicity stunt
• Use social media
• Form an alliance

Read the complete article for all nine ideas and more details on each.

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Be Sure to Create Value for Your Sales Calls

From "The Sales Blog" by S. Anthony Iannarino comes a good article on ensuring that you create value for your sales calls. Among Iannarino's suggestions:

• Know the Buyer’s Stage in Their Buying Process
• Confirm Your Agenda and Include Their Agenda
• Have a List of Powerful Questions
• Help Them To Better Understand Their Needs
• Help Them See Their Vision of a Better Future More Clearly

Iannarino conludes by noting that "to advance from commitment to commitment in moving your deal forward, you have to create the value on every sales call that will earn you the right to your next sales call."

Read the complete article online on The Sales Blog.

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Be a Better Networker

by Bob Bly

1. As soon as possible after meeting new contacts, jot down notes on the back of their business card. Your notes should include memory joggers (mustache, red hair), reminders of where you met, what you discussed, and things you have in common.
2. The next day, transfer their details and your notes into your contact management system.
3. Follow up. Send a short note or e-mail to strengthen the initial contact. Note: unless sales information was specifically requested, your first follow-up should not be marketing oriented.

This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly Direct Response Letter.

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Postcard Marketing: Bond With Customers

by Marcia Yudkin

Imagine the difference between a company whose customers have so-so feelings about it and one whose customers wouldn’t dream of buying from anyone else. That’s a tremendous gap that can be narrowed with just a little expense and effort, using an inexpensive, often overlooked tool – the postcard.

By sending simple yet strategically chosen postcards to people who have already bought from you, you can turn an iffy, indifferent buyer into a sticky, delighted one. Here are five ways to use postcards to create a bond with customers and thereby encourage them to become strongly loyal, to refer friends and colleagues to you and to send interesting opportunities your way because they care about your success.

1. Thanks. Set up an ongoing thank-you postcard campaign that sends a card to each new customer the week or month after they first bought something from you. If it’s feasible to have a handwritten signature, that’s best. You may choose to include a limited-time special offer, such as 20% off their next purchase or a free gift if they stop in the shop again before a certain date, but even if you don’t do that, a warmly worded thank-you card makes a significant impact.

2. News. Remember when it was common for financial services companies and other professionals to send a monthly or quarterly newsletter to clients? This stay-in-touch technique reinforces your expertise and helps the customer remember you when they need your services again. Printing one newsletter item on a postcard rather than sending a four-page, folded-twice newsletter is much more cost-effective and much handier for the customer to save by the phone or post it on a bulletin board or refrigerator. Make sure there’s a human element in the postcard content, with the word “you” liberally sprinkled around it.

3. Come-back offers. Don’t let your buyers feel faceless and interchangeable. Send periodic postcards with an appealing discount or bonus and a friendly message. I doubt very much your competitors are doing this. I travel a lot, and only once in my life have I received a “come back and see us” postcard from a hotel or inn where I stayed. In fact, I still remember who sent it, even though it was years ago: The Jailhouse Inn in Newport, Rhode Island. Design the postcard so it tells an inviting story about a customer who’s bought from you again and again or an anecdote about someone on your team who went above and beyond for a customer.

4. Birthdays or anniversaries. Do you have or could you get your customers’ birthdays? Some businesses wow their clients and create a closer bond with them by sending a postcard for a free haircut, massage, house plant or dessert in honor of their birthday. You could do the same for a milestone that was specific to the recipient, such as their child’s first summer or winter, or halfway through their fiscal year.

5. “Wish you were here” cards. Don’t you like it when friends and family members send you funny or gorgeous postcards when they’re on vacation? Think up convincing and appealing reasons for you to send postcards to new clients when you travel. For example, if you’re attending a conference or trade show in New Orleans, you could show a photo of the French Quarter with a chatty message about how you’re collecting ideas and inspiration at the XYZ national show that you’ll be sharing with anyone who sets up an appointment for June. This way, you come across as active, interesting, thoughtful and constantly reaching out to customers.

Which of these ideas are you excited to implement? Get started on your next postcard campaign today!

Veteran postcard marketer, consultant and author Marcia Yudkin teaches the strategic, logistical, design and copywriting secrets of successful postcard marketing. Discover the top 10 ways - some of them simple and inexpensive - to generate results using postcards in her Postcard Models Report.

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The Business Card Project

Even with the power of social media, online marketing, websites and viral videos, the old fashion business card is a powerful marketing tool. And right now, small business owners and entrepreneurs have a chance to get their business cards redesigned -- for free!

That's right. The Business Card Project, created by the folks at Moo.com, are holding a contest to find 500 small businesses who will receive free design services and 50 premium business cards.

If you'd like to enter your company for consideration, visit http://businesscardproject.com. But hurry. The contest is only open until the end of August.

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Generate More Leads with a Bait Piece

By Bob Bly

Never do a lead-generating promotion -- ad, banner ad, e-mail, direct mail -- without a "bait piece."

The "bait piece" is an informative booklet, white paper, or special report addressing some aspect of the problem your product or service helps the reader solve.

Example: Fala Direct Marketing, a letter shop specializing in producing personalized direct mailings, offered a free booklet, "Should I Personalize?" It helps clients decide whether and how to personalize their mailings.

You will greatly increase response to your direct mail and other promotions with the offer of a strong bait piece, e.g., "Call or write us today for a copy of our FREE booklet, '7 Ways to Reduce Energy Costs.'"

Conversely, not having a bait piece will significantly lower the response rate to lead-generating direct response promotions, whether business or consumer.

This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly Direct Response Letter." Learn more at www.bly.com.

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Zig Ziglar Says "Everyone Sales"

Sales/motivational guru Zig Ziglar writes, "My friend, Lowell Foletta, has on his business card the statement:

“Our sales department is not the whole company, but the whole company is the sales department.”

“He is absolutely right. Every employee of any company, regardless of what their position might be, plays a part in the eyes of the general public in the acceptance or rejection of that company and what it does. I frequently make the observation that of all the associates we have at our company, we do not have a single one who is not completely capable of costing us a sale.”

Read the complete article from the Zig Ziglar weekly newsletter archive.

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Why it Pays to Be an Unpaid Consultant

Should salespeople be willing to give free advice to their clients? Does free consulting lead to increased sales and profitability or is it a waste of time?

"Those are the questions Landy Chase, author of "Competitive Selling: Out-Plan, Out-Think, and Out-Sell to Win Every Time," poses in this article about selling and being an "unpaid consultant," which Chase encourages.

"I was recently reminded of this when I was asked to participate in a phone conference involving one of my clients. The company had a number of their senior executives together for a meeting, and they asked me if I would be willing to join their group for a teleconference during my lunch hour"

"Here’s the “catch”, if you prefer to think of it that way: there was no offer of payment for my time; this was “free work” in the form of giving advice. Yes, I was being asked to be the Unpaid Consultant. And, as always, I welcomed the opportunity"

Read the complete article at Business Know How.

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Here's How to Put Together a 13-Week Personal Sales Development Plan

Here's a good article from the Sales Blog by S. Anthony Iannarino on how to easily develop a 13-week sales development plan. It's not difficult. Some of the steps to focus on each week include:

• Stop Hitting the Snooze Button on Your Life.
• Get a Bigger Vision of Yourself.
• Clean up Your Pipeline.
• Spend More Time Prospecting.
• Write Your Scripts.

Read the complete article with all 13 weeks and a brief description about each one.

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Pew Report Shows Growth for Cell Phone and Wireless Laptop Internet Access

According to the most recent Pew Internet and American Life Project report on mobile devices, "Mobile Access 2010," cell phone and wireless laptop internet use have each grown more prevalent over the last year.

Nearly half of all adults (47%) go online with a laptop using a Wi-Fi connection or mobile broadband card (up from the 39% who did so as of April 2009) while 40% of adults use the Internet, email or instant messaging on a mobile phone (up from the 32% of Americans who did this in 2009).

This means that 59% of adults now access the Internet wirelessly using a laptop or cell phone—that is, they answered “yes” to at least one of these wireless access pathways. That adds up to an increase from the 51% who used a laptop or cell phone wirelessly in April 2009.

The use of non-voice data applications on cell phones has grown dramatically over the last year. Compared with a similar point in 2009, cell phone owners are now more likely to use their mobile phones to:

• Take pictures—76% now do this, up from 66% in April 2009

• Send or receive text messages—72% vs. 65%

• Access the internet—38% vs. 25%

• Play games—34% vs. 27%

• Send or receive email—34% vs. 25%

• Record a video—34% vs. 19%

• Play music—33% vs. 21%

• Send or receive instant messages—30% vs. 20%

Read the complete report online.

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12 Point Checklist for Successful Sales Negotiations

Mark Hunter, "The Sales Hunter", asks, "Do sales negotiations make you nervous?"

Then put yourself at ease Hunter says and increase the likelihood of a successful outcome with a 12-step negotiation checklist. Among the tips on the list:

• Never negotiate with anyone who is not qualified to negotiate.
• Know at least 5 things the other person wants that you can offer.  
• Use the sell/buy approach first. 
• Always put the negotiated outcome in writing immediately.

Read the complete article online at Business Know How.

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Six Principles for Cold Calling

Here's some good tips for anyone in sales, especially if you are "cold calling," from S. Anthony Iannarino of "The Sales Blog."

• You Are Going to Hear No. Don’t Believe It Means Anything.
• Your Dream Client Receives Lots of Calls. You Have to Differentiate Yourself.
• You Have to Prove You Are a Value Creator. Not a Time Waster.
• You Are Already Using a Script. Write a Better One.
• Your Goal Is an Appointment. Nothing Else.
• You Are Going to Have to Push if You Want an Appointment.

Read the complete article online on The Sales Blog.

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Everything You Wanted to Know About Facebook

Don't think Facebook has any followers or value to your business? Then check out this chart/poster of Facebook facts you probably weren't aware of.


Via: Online MBA

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Marketing Tips to Improve Your Business During a Recession

In today's economy, here's an article that's definitely on target from Bob Bly that provides four powerful marketing tips to use during this time of recession.

"Dozens of my readers are complaining to me of declining response rates, a downturn in business, and the weak economy. "Our web site isn't converting like it used to," they complain. "What can I do?" Here's what I have found works:

1. Take massive action. Figure out what you think you need to do to generate the level of leads and orders you need. Then do twice that amount.

2. Don't rely on only one promotional vehicle, like direct mail or cold calling. Do three, four, even five things: send out mailings; advertise; regularly e-mail your list; write an article; give a speech.

3. Make every communication a direct marketing communication. Offer a premium with a high perceived value. Stress your free offer in your promotion.

4. Test different offers, ideas, copy, formats, and media to see which work best. Roll out with those promotions that work. Scratch the others. If they don't do well in a small test, mailing more won't help."

This article appears courtesy of Bob Bly Direct Response Letter."

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5 Up-sell Strategies for Your Business Website

Up-selling is one of the best ways that you can make a little extra money with each sale online. When a company uses a great up-sell strategy, they can increase each sale made by 20 percent or more.

Here are five easy to implement up-sell strategies for your website, from Business Know How.

• Add complimentary products on the order confirmation page. 
• Give them a chance to purchase a warranty.
• Offer a small discount if they will add something to their order.
• Offer a bundle of items at checkout for a lower price.
• Offer a chance to purchase the upgraded version of the product.    

By implementing up-sell strategies such as these, you can increase the profits for your company and help your customers to purchase things that they will enjoy.

Read the complete article on the Business Know How site.

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ShrinkTheWeb Puts the Power of Screenshots at Your Fingertips

Here's a cool tool every entrepreneur needs. It's called ShrinkTheWeb.

ShrinkTheWeb is a simple tool that takes any web page and creates screenshots that can be used in blog posts or other content areas on your site. With one click, you get six different sizes of screenshots, from 320×240 down to a 75×56 thumbnail.

And the best part? The basic package is free!

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Facebook "Fatigue" in the Teen Market

If your business relies on the teen market and you've been using social media marketing, or want to, here's a good article from Mashable that speaks to a recent survey about "Facebook fatigue."

"Online gaming site Roiworld surveyed 600 teens ages 13 to 17 in late April and found that teens spend two hours per day online on average, 80% of which is spent using a social network. These same teens are, however, showing signs of “Facebook Fatigue,” as nearly one in five (19%) who have an account no longer visit Facebook or are using it less.

"Of the group that are saying goodbye to Facebook, 45% have lost interest, 16% are leaving because their parents are there, 14% say there are “too many adults/older people” and 13% are concerned about the privacy of their personal information.

"While interest in Facebook may be waning, it’s still the most popular social network among teens — 78% have created a profile and 69% still use it. YouTube ranks second; 64% of teens claim to have a YouTube profile and continue to use the site. MySpace comes in a distant third (41%) and Twitter takes the fourth spot (20%).

"The study also suggests that the teens that continue to stick to Facebook do so primarily to play games. Roiworld found that more than one-third of the teens who play games on Facebook admit to spending at least 50% of their time on the site immersed in gameplay. The online gaming trend extends far beyond Facebook, as 75% of surveyed teens claim to play games on the web."

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Duct Tape Marketing Interview with Tom Peters

John Jantsch recently interviewed mega best seller "In Search of Excellence," Tom Peters in an episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast. Peters is undoubtedly one of the most influential business voices since Peter Drucker.

Peters new book "The Little BIG Things" is a collection of solid information presented in snack size format. Jantsch wrote that "these kinds of books are so easy to read and can be picked up at any point in the book and still deliver great value."

Listen to the Duct Tape Marketing podcast.

Read the Duct Tape blog post.

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The Popularity of LinkedIn Continues

LinkedIn is a social networking site that has rapidly gained popularity among professionals looking to connect with contacts, colleagues, and potential employers. Recently passing 70 million members, LinkedIn has become one of the most popular social media tools along with Facebook and Twitter.

Here's some interesting info on LinkedIn from HubSpot's Inbound Internet Marketing Blog.

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SBA Offers Research Contracting Opportunities

The SBA Office of Advocacy’s mission includes providing research documenting the status of small businesses and the impact of important trends on them. In addition to increasing knowledge about small business in general, these areas are noteworthy because they may provide policymaking insight or serve as a foundation for further research.

These research opportunities are being offered through a broad agency announcement (BAA) with various research areas listed. Bidders will submit proposals in one or more of the following areas based on this one solicitation. Bidders are not required to submit a proposal on each topic.

The deadline for submitting proposals is FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2010. The following issue areas are currently open:

• SBAHQ-10-R-0023: Research on Equity Financing among Women- and Minority-
• Owned Firms
• SBAHQ-09-Q-0024: Research on Small Businesses and the Macroeconomy

The proposal solicitations and synopses are listed in FedBizOpps. Go to www.fbo.gov and search for Small Business Administration listings, solicitation number SBAHQ10021202BAA.)

Each of these research opportunities are small business set-asides. There will be a question-and-answer period for potential bidders through July 15, 2010; all questions must be submitted in writing to the contracting office.

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"The Lost Symbol" is Top Book of 2009

According to Marketing Charts, Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol, the the long-awaited follow-up to The Da Vinci Code, took top honors as the best-selling adult fiction book in separate 2009 ratings lists from both The Nielsen Company and Amazon.com.

The list of Amazon’s top 10 bestsellers for 2009 (ranked according to customer orders through October. Only books published for the first time in 2009 appear on the list):

1. The Lost Symbol, by Dan Brown
2. Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto, by Mark R. Levin
3. Glenn Beck’s Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine, by Glenn Beck
4. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment, by Steve Harvey
5. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett
6. Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution, by David Zinczenko
7. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, by Jeff Kinney
8. Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 9), by Charlaine Harris
9. The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 5), by Rick Riordan
10. Cook Yourself Thin: Skinny Meals You Can Make in Minutes, by authors from Lifetime Television

So who says books don't have marketing power and can help make you a household name. Ever thought of writing your own book? Now's the perfect chance to start!

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7 in 10 Consumers Act upon Mobile Email

Sixty-eight percent of global consumers act upon email they receive on a mobile device while using a desktop PC, according to a new report [pdf] from digital marketing firm e-Dialog.

While the PC remains the primary manner in which consumers access their email, analysis from “Global Perspectives” indicates mobile email activity presents new challenges and opportunities for email marketers.

Whether or not it is accessed via mobile device, email is an established presence in the lives of most global consumers, according to other results from the e-Dialog study. Of the nearly 13,000 consumers e-Dialog surveyed around the world, 96% of them have a personal email account. Of the 13 countries surveyed, consumers in South Korea reported the highest percentage of having a personal email account at 99%.US adoption is at 97%. The lowest reported percentage is Italy at 87%.

Read more at Marketing Charts.

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Happy July 4th

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What Wrestling Can Teach You About Social Media Marketing

We here at Entrepreneur's Tips admit it. We've been a wrestling (or is it wraslin'?) fan for a long time, so we read with interest this story (case study) by Casey Hibbard from the Social Media Examiner.

Read it carefully... there's lot of good info here for entrepreneurs and small business owners just starting or looking to improve their social marketing.

photo courtesy of the Social Media Examiner

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Content Marketing Spending Report

According to the 2010 Content Marketing Spending Report from Junta42, for the third straight year, marketers are planning to spend significantly more on their content marketing efforts. For 2010, approximately six in 10 marketing professionals surveyed plan to increase their spending on content initiatives.

Key Content Marketing Survey Findings:

• According to the survey, Content Marketing Spending comprises 33% of the total marketing budget (up 11% from 2008)
• Smaller companies spend more than 2x that of larger companies on content marketing
• Marketers are increasing their focus on mobile content solutions
• Only 7% of marketers are spending less on content in 2010

Download the complete content marketing spending report.

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How To Use Customer Reviews To Market Your Business

Increasingly, writes Gail Goodman of Entrepreneur, consumers are searching for reviews before they commit their dollars to buying products, booking services or donating to a charity. They want to read a positive review or comment, expressed in your customers' own words.

Sharing customer success stories demonstrates how you deliver on your brand promise in the real world, with real people. A positive customer review resonates in a way that other marketing efforts just can't. It conveys more than honesty, a glowing review:

• Confirms your product or service quality with credibility and trustworthiness.
• Illustrates how your products and services solve problems and improve lives from the buyer's perspective.
• Extends your reach to a broader audience when customers publish reviews on social media and third-party websites, such as Yelp and Epinions.com.
• Makes for engaging content to share on your website, in your e-mail newsletter, via social media sites and in print materials.

There are many ways that businesses, nonprofits and entrepreneurs can ask for and share customer reviews, testimonials and success stories. Read the complete article for details on how.

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