tylie eaves, Author at Vertū Marketing

Marketing On A Shoestring Budget

May 20, 2015 by tylie eaves

If an expensive and complicated marketing campaign was a requirement for small business success, there would be many entrepreneurs out of work. Many businesses have a small-to-nonexistent budget for advertising and marketing, but the key the lies in leveraging any amount of money in a smart and practical way. Marketing on a shoestring budget, while possible, requires careful planning and smart strategies. Consider the following tips:

Work with the right team. Small business owners may believe their budget is too small to designate a portion of it to a marketing team. In actuality, working with an experienced marketing team can help a small business owner maximize the impact of a small budget in ways that he or she never imagined. The key is to work with a team that understands and respects budget restraints.
Invest in the community. Small business owners will find significant benefit in wisely investing in their local community. Setting up a booth at a community event, sponsoring a charity run or partnering with other local businesses can be inexpensive ventures that may attract positive attention from local patrons.
Be a people person. Business experts of all kinds acknowledge the benefits of networking. Meeting new people and initiating personal conversations can actually be a free marketing tool. For small business owners looking to grow their business and turn a profit, there can be great value in simply talking and connecting with people.
Attract attention. People love free stuff and a good bargain, which is why you see throngs of consumers camped outside stores on Thanksgiving night and people lining up for free food when a new restaurant opens. One of the least expensive, yet most impactful, ways to garner attention is to offer an incentive. A coupon, discounts for loyal customers or a free gift with purchase can boost traffic and get potential customers inside a store or visiting a website.

Success in the small business world does not, thankfully, depend on having a huge marketing budget. However, it is important to use money, time and other resources wisely in order to maximize impact and spur new growth. At Virtue Marketing, we can work with any budget and will develop a plan that keeps your business and brand front and center. Our goal is to help you develop new, exciting and inexpensive ways to engage customers.

3 Ways to Shake up Your Business Game

May 17, 2015 by tylie eaves

Are your sales steady but stagnant? Sure, having a consistent number of sales to count on is a good thing, but businesses do not begin to amass wealth by ignoring innovation. For those who are ready to do more than just break even at the end of the month, there are several options to kick things up to the next level.

Find new avenues for selling your product.
Develop new, meaningful products.
Review the brand strategy and consider an upgrade.

There is nothing wrong with selling directly to customers through a website, and, indeed, many customers enjoy being able to navigate directly to what they want, but that does not mean that other options are less valid. For instance, consider offering a discount for certain blog readers, making a particular product temporarily available on a high-traffic website or even ask a blogger to review a product for free and then share his or her thoughts with readers.

While considering new ways to sell old products, remember that innovation is a strong force in the world of business. Consumers always seem to be ready for that new, hot product that adds real value to their lives.

During this time of rapid change for product lines, a business can also undergo a significant transformation. Letting a business’s brand lag behind its products can work against it by creating a disconnect between what customers expect and what is actually being delivered.

If a start-up has just been idling comfortably, jump in feet first and shake things up! Building wealth from a business takes time, dedication and the willingness to improve your game whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Business Hacks to Transform Your Day and Your Company

May 17, 2015 by tylie eaves

Entrepreneurs and start-up owners are no strangers to utilizing innovative techniques to tackle their business-related duties. However, it can be easier than it may seem to fall into a rut and forget all about the wild spirit of adventure that first sparked the desire to start a business.

So what is a business owner to do? You can hack your way back.

Stop putting off the things you do not want to do.

Everyone has that “thing,” organizing their files, replying to emails or any other mundane task that shows up on a to-do list. Instead of leaving it until last, get it out of the way early on and focus on more exciting tasks for the rest of the day.

Speaking of that to-do list…

Start making one again. With a clearly defined plan for the day, productivity can skyrocket while unnecessary down time can be kept to a minimum.

Make sure that “you” are on that list.

Time is at a premium for most business owners, so make sure there are some non-business related activities penned (not penciled) on your to-do list several days a week. Including time for exercise can prove to be significantly beneficial.

Ignore the phone every once in a while.

If it is your mother calling, consider answering, but otherwise, give that phone a break. Voicemail is an invaluable tool, and, if it is important, the caller will leave a message that you can check at your own leisure. Even business-related chit chat can derail whatever task was at hand before the phone rang.

Get out of the office.

Fresh air (or the espresso-scented air of that good coffee shop a few blocks down) can result in new perspectives on otherwise redundant or troublesome issues. Try temporarily working in a new area.

Ready to improve the pace of your business day? Give these business hacks a try and watch your day transform into a mean, lean, productive machine.

Dust off That Old English Book and Add Some Value to Your Website

May 17, 2015 by tylie eaves

The value that the written word can contribute to a business cannot be overstated. Consider the following: How many times has an unintelligible text message gone unread? How often does the focus shift from the topic of a press release to the spelling errors in it? Providing a valuable product is not enough to retain customers and keep a business growing. After all, who will want to order a new product if they are not even sure what the description is trying to convey?

Even with an already established business, bringing a copywriter on to the staff may be one of the most important aspects of growing a business. Skilled copywriters understand the finer nuances of writing a fine piece of copy, and they know what it takes to snag a customer’s attention.

However, say a customer is satisfied for the time being and not interested in purchasing another product for the foreseeable future. Perhaps he or she already owns or utilizes the offered products and is otherwise satisfied. So how can the written word keep them engaged and coming back? Increasingly, businesses are incorporating blogs into their websites, creating an environment to which consumers will want to return.

The important thing to remember about blogs is thatthey do matter. Customers will be reading these and possibly even sharing them with their friends through social media, so make those words count. People want engaging and valuable content, and they know when they are being swindled. Make sure the quality of a blog reflects the same quality that you strive for in day-to-day business.

While a business certainly needs new customers to grow, where would a company be without a loyal group of existing customers? One way to make a business even better is to create a welcoming environment, which can be relatively easy in the online world. Professional level copy can set the tone and welcome customers in, while an ongoing blog with exciting and engaging content can keep people coming back time after time, creating a solid foundation that will allow your business to grow and thrive.

When to Give Your 2-Week Notice and When to Wait It Out

May 17, 2015 by tylie eaves

Ready to quit that 9 to 5 and set up a business at home? Not so fast! Before you act, consider the following questions:

Am I angry about my current job? Startups based on drive and passion, not as a backlash to an unpleasant event, are more likely to succeed.
Can I be flexible when necessary? Even with the most well-written business plans, there are still unexpected obstacles that nearly all entrepreneurs will need to overcome.
What am I willing to sacrifice? Money, fancy coffee, date nights? The answer will be different for everyone, but it is important to understand what is on the line before facing the possibility of having to give it up.
Am I really passionate about this? The answer to this should be a resounding YES!

Starting a business is so much more than opening up a laptop in your spare bedroom and posting a few ads on the Internet. There are business plans to be written, research to be done, licenses to be applied for and all of the behind-the-scenes hard work that must be completed before a startup can even begin to provide consumer-ready products.

While every entrepreneur had to start somewhere, the truly successful ones understand that there is a time to take action and a time to be patient. So let’s review those questions one more time. There is no need to worry if the answers were a little unexpected or discouraging. If now is not the right time, focus on researching opportunities for your future business. When the time is right, the extra time and effort spent gathering necessary information will likely play an invaluable role in your business’s success.

Better Your Business by Bettering Yourself

May 12, 2015 by tylie eaves

Do you know everything there is to know about your product and its market? Those under that impression may want to consider the following questions:

What are competitors doing differently that is working?
How are customers actually using your product?
What is the future application of your product(s)?
Will customers’ needs evolve with time?
What is the future market for this product?
If there is no future market, what product would bemost appropriate to take its place?

Founders of start-up companies often have to work long hours and wear many different hats, such as CEO, manager, accountant and social media expert. Although a substantial amount of research usually goes on during the early phases of a new business, it can taper off at a significant pace once success hits. Understandably, it can sometimes feel as though the time for research simply is not there.

Research does not have to be a daily or even weekly event. Try setting aside time once or twice a month to review the most up-to-date information on certain topics. If you do not know where to start, try revisiting some of the questions above.

The world is far from stagnant, and changing business practices and customer needs and wants can evolve at a surprising rate in an online arena. Those who are under the impression that they already know everything that is necessary to keep a business up and running could most likely benefit from following the lead of other individuals who acknowledge that there is almost always something new to be learned in order to truly thrive in a competitive, online world.

Paths to Finding a Purpose Can Be as Unique as Fingerprints

May 12, 2015 by tylie eaves

It is one thing to discuss what role a person’s purpose should play in a successful business, but it is another to actually witness a successful entrepreneur put those words into action.

The Next Web’s founder, Boriz Veldhuijzen van Zanten, was, unfortunately, mislabeled as a stupid or lazy student when he was young. In reality, he was simply suffering from dyslexia. Even after he was diagnosed, he struggled in school and felt as though he never truly belonged. With his parent’s blessing to drop out of high school, van Zanten decided to follow his passion for juggling to circus school. Instead of floundering behind the material as he had in traditional school, he excelled. His bravery to follow his passion led to a college degree cum laude and a thriving Internet business.

For another man, being an entrepreneur was his purpose. Even as a small child, Edward Wimmer understood how to make money from doing what he loved — creating new business ventures. Eventually,his love of running and of entrepreneurship met face-to-face, and he and his father co-founded RoadID. Both father and son found a much deeper purpose through the creation of this company. They discovered a passion to help save lives.

Each individual on this Earth is wonderfully unique in his or her own way, and the path to discovering a true purpose will be different for everyone. For some, a passion in life might set them on an exciting road to a successful business. Others might think that they already understand their purpose, but time spent behind the helm of a business could reveal that they were meant for something even greater.

Yes, You CAN Be Productive on Facebook

May 12, 2015 by tylie eaves

Just because social media use is widespread does not mean that most users are proficient at using it to their advantage. Of course, the vast majority of Facebook and Twitter users are not setting out to build a platform or promote a product, so this is not exactly a skill that most people pick up by sharing vacation plans or liking a picture of a friend’s baby.

What business owners should strive to do is get those same users engaging with the content of their business’s page, and not just the highly addictive Facebook games. Those who have already attempted to establish a successful business social media page know that reaching new and existing customers takes much more work than posting a few links back to the company website. Before throwing in the towel, try some of these tips to help grow your social media presence.

Give customers a platform to communicate by postingcontent that encourages them to reply or share information of their own. Engaging with those who actually use your product or service will provide further insight into the needs and wants of your customers.
Use that information to stay relevant. Tie your product, blog post, website or business’s purpose into more of the posts that your social media fans actually want to see. Remember, there is no conversation without content. Be sure to post regularly!
Try not to let social media take over your life. Entrepreneurs do not need hours on end to be productive but rather allotted periods of time devoted to certain tasks.

In the online world, social media is practically a way of life. In order to grow your business to its full potential, a bit of social media savvy can be precisely what you need.