5 Ways to Conduct Business CPR
It is a grim reality that more than half of new businesses fail within the first five years. Keep in mind, however, that firms rarely fail overnight. In fact, if you take a closer look, it becomes clear that there are some key signs to look out for to help you identify a failing business months in advance. Some of these signs include growth grinding to a halt, poor cash flow management, and a lack of innovation or differentiation from competitors. One common mistake that business owners make when trying to revive a dying business is to cut expenses, but this tends to only delay the inevitable. So what can a business owner do to shift back into gear?
Read MoreMarketing and Millennials
Love them or hate them, Millennials are major news in marketing. Not only are they the largest generation since the Baby Boom, but they are also about to launch into their prime purchasing years. By next year, Millennials are expected to spend a jaw-dropping $1.4 trillion annually- that’s one-third of all retail sales in the US alone. Savvy business owners better start thinking like Millennials – or hire marketing teams who can. In this article, we’ll be looking at the most significant trends shaping Millennial spending behavior, and some effective strategies you can use to build smarter and faster marketing campaigns.
Read MoreHow to Wrangle Customer Testimonials
There are some common traps that small business owners fall into. Relegating testimonials to mere “nice to have” status is one of them. As a form of social proof, testimonials are empirically persuasive. Econsultancy data shows that the showcasing of testimonials leads to an 18% increase in sales and an increase in the likelihood of purchase for 63% of site visitors. Brightlocal research found that 88% of people trust online reviews as much as they trust recommendations from personal contacts.
Read MoreWhat’s the Best Way to Utilize a Blog?
Recently, there was a meme going around on social media dealing with the topic of food bloggers. The meme essentially poked fun at food bloggers, who always seem to include a blog about the story that inspired the recipe. This frustrates the recipe seeker, who simply wants to know what they need to add to their grocery list. But there’s a reason behind this for these food bloggers. What many casual observers may not realize is that the entire reason why that recipe popped up high in their search results for “what to make for dinner tonight”.
Read MoreFaux Treasure-seekers jailed
A South Korean court has sentenced three business executives to prison after they were found guilty of falsely claiming to have found a long-lost treasure-laden shipwreck. Yes, you read that right. In July last year, the Shinil Group claimed it had found the Russian cruiser Dmitrii Donskoi, a vessel that sank in 1905 and has since been rumored to be holding gold valued at billions of dollars. As a result of the claim, Shinil Group reaped more than $7.6 million from thousands of excited investors.
Read MoreWhy the Quality of Branding Matters
Recently, the founder of the beauty brand Glossier was interviewed on the NPR podcast, How I Built This. Emily Weiss never thought she’d end up with a well-known beauty brand without a brick and mortar presence. All she wanted to do was start a blog — looking back, she says, she never would have thought she’d end up on the path she is on now.
Read MoreBoeing: A Case Study in How Not to Manage Your PR
As one of corporate America’s most recognizable brands, you would think Boeing would be well-poised to deal with public relations crises of all shapes and sizes. Indeed, as a major exporter and military contractor, Boeing has deep pockets when it comes to lobbying in Washington; you would think this kind of spending would carry through to the firm’s PR department.
Read MoreApple v. Qualcomm: A PR win
The scene is this: The opening arguments for Apple vs Qualcomm are well underway in the Southern District of San Diego, with the US District Court Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel first disallowing, then reversing his decision and allowing live tweeting. Included in the passionate arguments are allegations of double-dipping, talk of KFC and its secret recipe, debates over chicken and potatoes. Who says the world of corporate law is a dull one?
Read MoreLeveraging Momentum from a Successful Marketing Campaign
The marketing team is celebrating. Months ago, in a meeting, a concept for a campaign was floated around the conference table. The idea had all the right ingredients: it was daring, edgy, attention-grabbing, and emotive. After a few more strategy meetings, the campaign really began to take shape, and the Chief of Marketing was excited to launch it. And it went off without a hitch. The campaign, starring a prominent basketball star, went viral. Thanks to the clever integration of a community impact story, together with just the right music, graphics, and hashtags, the campaign seemed to grow legs of its own. Soon, everyone was talking about the brand.
Read MoreDeveloping a Content Strategy for Effective Marketing
Having an effective and viable content strategy is an important key to the success of any marketing campaign. Content is easy to brush off, and it’s also easy to rush to complete and publish. After all, more is more, right? Wrong. Remember, consumer behavior trends today identify a strong sense of fatigue. This comes from the constant stream of content seeking their attention, the conflicting reports found from various media sources on news issues, and the constant battle for subscription dollars. This creates a less-than-welcoming environment for a marketer who needs to reach more consumers with a content plan.
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