It’s estimated that the average American is exposed to more than 3,000 commercial messages a day, and as a whole $620 billion is spent each year by businesses with the aim of making their product more desirable to the public (Union of Concerned Scientists, http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/).

So how do we maximize our advertising spending to make sure we’re capturing and keeping as much business as possible? Read on to learn the secrets to successful advertising:

We may be in the midst of a recession, but not all is doom and gloom. In fact, it’s important to remember that many of the largest companies around today were started during depression eras. In fact, the Great Depression created more millionaires than any economic times to date.
The Federal Government defines a recession when we experience two consecutive quarters of negative Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. What this translates to the business owner is a general slowdown in business activity and consumer spending – but it doesn’t have to …

It’s obvious that as technology grows, we need to either embrace it or get out of the way. In several recent conversations I’ve had with industry leaders and business owners I’ve been surprised at the amount of buzz and focus there’s been on website visibility and online social marketing. More and more people in our industry – even down to the one and two truck businesses – are becoming aware of the need for an online presence and realizing the effectiveness of online networking through social media. I wanted to …

Do you blend in or stick out?
When starting any business, whether in plumbing, HVAC, carpentry, real estate or a corner pizzeria, it’s vital to make efforts to differentiate your business from your competitors. Sounds simple, but why is this oh so simple, often overlooked marketing strategy so crucial to your success? Why should you strive to set yourself apart?
Because you can’t afford to let your business become a commodity.
Blending in to the crowd sets your business up for failure. If you do what everyone else is doing, offer the exact …

This Buzz tip may ring a bell -
it’s a topic we’ve covered before, but certainly bears repeating. The service
industry is a heavy player in phone book advertising. How can you make the most
of your advertising dollars in a highly competitive market? Well, let’s take
some things into consideration before we tackle that question.
First, phone book usage (particularly in the
yellow section) is on the decline. If their own launch and heavy promotion of a
dot com doesn’t indicate their print division is hurting, here are a few facts
from a recent report in PHC …

How many marketing opportunities do you utilize that can easily add an additional 20% to your bottom line? Whatever your answer, it’s not enough! This issue of ShuBee Business Tips, we’re taking advice from ShuBee founder, Steve Stone on a simple and inexpensive, yet highly effective way to grow your business.
Steve explained a technique called “Clover Leafing,” which he used to gain new customers when he was operating his plumbing/HVAC business. The concept is simple; after he would finish a call with one of his clients, he would go to …

You’ve already spent money putting together a flyer, promo package or other mail piece to send to your customers, this week we’re going to go over a six pointers on how to make sure it doesn’t end up filed away in the trash can.

Stuff It – If you’re sending a sample or other trinket to a client or prospect, find a way to make it puff the envelope. This makes it harder to stack other mail on top of yours which means your mail is more likely to end up …

It used to be that an adequate advertising budget consisted of a large business listing in the big yellow book and a receptionist on standby to field the flood of incoming calls.
Those days are long gone.
If your business is still solely relying on this level of advertising campaign, its days could be numbered as well. Fact is, Yellow Page usage is on the decline. If their own launch and heavy promotion of a dot com doesn’t indicate their print division is hurting, here are a few facts from a report …

Marketing is Essential. This is an important concept to grasp. You must market your business in order to grow it. You may have incredible services, but if they’re not being marketed appropriately, well… few people may ever hear about how great your company is.
Ralph Waldo Emerson is quoted with, if a man can make a better mousetrap than his neighbor, the world will make a beaten path to his door. Do something better than the next guy and you’ll be successful, right? It’d be great if it were that easy. …

Small businesses are in a bit of a pickle right now with the not-so-great economy.
So what’s a small business owner to do? Well, you may think dropping your price is a great way to attract new clients! However, there are a few things to consider before you make those price cuts.
Fact #1
Price Indicates Value
You’ve heard the saying, “You get what you pay for.” Most people automatically assume the price indicates the value of a product or service.
This month was my husband’s birthday and he really wanted a new digital camera. …