Marketing by Color: Don’t Try To Sell Blue Potatoes
The colors you use for your logo, your business card, your web design and even your storefront display influence consumers – sometimes very strongly.
For example, what colors do you associate with a spooky night? Most likely, you’ll choose black, shades of gray and maybe a little silver or even orange. Haunted evenings generally don’t come in vivid blues and fresh greens, after all.
Here’s another example: Think about Coca Cola. What color jumps to mind? Most people choose red, because Coca Cola has associated that color with their brand image. Their logo is red, their cans are red and everything about the soda giant seems to be red.
You would most likely wince if you tried to associate the color green and Coca Cola together.
Read more to find out how you can use the power of color psychology to your advantage.
How To Turn A Disadvantage Into A Competitive Edge
Every small business dreams of becoming a big business – but achieving size and influence can be a long time coming, especially in a market that is becoming more crowded by the week.
Fortunately, you don’t have to be “number one” to have your sales numbers experience a satisfying increase – you just have to get creative and discover how to frame a perceived disadvantage as a powerful competitive edge. Here are the stories of three companies who did just that, and enjoyed a larger market share as a result.
Marketing Essentials Part 4: Having a Website
Do you think your business doesn't need a website? Do you believe that people in your town don't care about the Internet? Do you feel that selling locally absolves you of web presence?
You might want to think again.
According to eMarketer.com and Techweb.com, nearly 400 million North American residents had Internet connection in 2007. By 2008, over 67% of Canadians and 70% of Americans were plugged into the Internet. In early 2008, 7.8 million Canadians were online every day, and 172 million Americans were online as well.
Not too shabby.
What are these people doing online? They're surfing the web, culling information on what they want and need, from music to online education to telephone numbers to store hours. They're being entertained, they're getting informed, they're making decisions…
…and they're shopping.
No matter what type of business you have, from local to international, from small to mega-corporation, from car mechanic to sports equipment store to handcrafting artisan, you need to be online. Ignoring the Internet's existence translates to neglecting your business.
Marketing Essentials Part 3: Creating the Perfect Message
Reaching consumers with your message is one of the top Marketing Essentials. If people don't hear what you're saying and see what you're showing them, why would they do business with you?
But what is your marketing message? What are you trying to get across to people? It's simple: You know their problem, you have the solution, and you are the best business to buy it from.
That's easier said than done, of course. It's difficult for many small business owners to figure out exactly how to market that they can solve problems. One of the most common mistakes is touting features or going on about being the best.
Everyone is the best these days. No one wants to hear it again. And yet, you need people to hear you, feel your message and believe it. How?
So, What Do You Do?
What do you do?
It's the most critical question you'll ever answer if you're a small business owner. You probably know the answer, too. You're a graphic designer, you sell baby toys or you own a bookkeeping service, for example.
But if you give that answer to people, you probably won't make them customers. Heck, they may not even understand you.
What you do has nothing to do with how you should market yourself. No one wants to know what you do, not really. People want to know what you can do for them. There's a difference.
A great message tells people how you can change their life. It lets your business shine. Your message needs to be out there, everywhere, making it easy for people to understand and love your company.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Marketers
For a small business, time isn’t just money – it is something that’s always in short supply. That’s why smart marketers make it a priority to get maximum results out of their marketing efforts every day. You’ve got to make sure you’re paying attention to the right things, at the right times … and in the right proportions.
Are you tackling your critical marketing activities effectively? Take a look at these 7 habits of highly effective marketers and find out.
Marketing Essentials Part 2: Branding Your Business
Building a foundation for your marketing starts with branding. Every marketing campaign, every piece of print promotion, every message your business delivers should start with a solid brand.
Branding is the collection of associations that people make when they think of your business. It’s the emotion they feel and the mental image that comes to mind when they hear your company name or think of your products or services. It creates a bond between your business and consumers. It enhances credibility, increases trust and improves reputation.
Branding creates a memory – and when people remember your business, you have a better chance of business success.
Read on for the essential information about branding a small business.
