Search Results for: blog choosing the right words to use in your marketing

When You Really Hate to Sell Yourself

Sales and marketing go hand-in-hand with business ownership but that does not mean that all of us are thrilled at the prospect of having to constantly go out there and sell ourselves and our products or services. In fact, I think many people quit their businesses for this very reason; they just get tired or hate to do the selling. How can a person stay focused on building a business when he or she is just not in to having to be a salesperson? Many years ago, when I started my first consulting business, one of the most aggravating and … Continue reading →

Watch Out for Words that Put People Off

Words can have a lot of power and I have written a little already about choosing the right words to use in your marketing materials, web site and other written communication. While you are looking out for the right words to use, you can also beware of some of those words that just seem to put people off or send the wrong message. Of course, there is a certain amount of taste and personality involved–some people will react negatively to a word that you think is just dandy. But, as a rule, you should watch out for using words that … Continue reading →

Statement Stuffers

Periodically, I try to share marketing ideas or suggestions for ways to get the word out about your small business. There are some tried and true methods that still work, even though they may not be as “popular” as they once were—one of those is the use of statement stuffers. Statement stuffers are little brochures, postcards, or flyers that get put into monthly billing statements. Perhaps when you open your credit card or utility bill, you notice that there are other little slick pieces of paper in there too? Those are often statement stuffers. This can be an affordable way … Continue reading →

Is Your Message Messy?

We have talked before about the importance of creating a solid mission statement and a business message. Many people think that mission statements are for nonprofit organizations or charities, but a having a guiding mission statement is important for businesses of all sizes. Once your mission is in place, you can decide what your slogan or message is that you want to put out there into the world. One of the areas where small, start-up businesses run into trouble is that their message is not clear—it is convoluted and confusing and downright messy—customers have a hard time figuring out what … Continue reading →

Watch Out for Big and Buzz Words

I’ve written before about how important it is to put some care into choosing the “right” words for your marketing materials and sales pitches. In addition to looking for words that inspire and motivate customers to make purchases, we also need to watch out for using words that are too big or too cliché—words that are “insider” or industry-specific buzz words. As a rule, I try to avoid anything that is an abbreviation or involves initials. We tend to do that in any industry—to shorten things up and come up with “buzz” terms that we all think we understand. However, … Continue reading →

Enhance Your Image

Okay, let’s talk a little bit about your business image. I know that for a small, home-based business it may seem silly to talk about image—after all, many of us get up in the morning and work in our pajamas! Image? You’ve got to be kidding! But, even if you do work in your pajamas, or at midnight, or without taking a shower or even seeing most of the people you do business with—your business still has an image, and paying some attention to that image is an important part of marketing and doing business. It might help to separate … Continue reading →

Sponsoring a Contest

Have you ever been in a store or other business location that was plastered with coloring pages or some other “signs” of a contest? Sponsoring a contest has a long tradition in business promotions and it isn’t just for large corporations. If you are looking for a fun way to drum up business or involve more people in your business, you might consider sponsoring some sort of a contest… Contests come in all sizes and forms—from those coloring contests, to puzzles, to sports “pools”, to trivia tests. Look through any daily newspaper and chances are you will see all sorts … Continue reading →

Using the Exclamation Point in Your Marketing!!!

The exclamation point is a powerful little tool. It can create excitement, stress a sense of urgency, and get attention—it can also be overused in marketing and promotional materials. Here are some things to consider in using the exclamation point as part of your home business marketing… As a general rule, you want your marketing materials to be easily accessible. Short sentences or phrases and choosing key words that convey emotion and the “feel” you want for your business are important. There are places that the exclamation point just seems to natural fit—if you are having a short sale: “Hurry! … Continue reading →

How Can You Make Your Business More Visible?

Visibility is important in the world of business, and it can be a particular challenge to home-based business that might exist and operate in isolation. Businesses started in someone’s basement or garage, or a small business operated out of the corner of a spare bedroom–don’t have the automatic visibility of a storefront or large corporation. In this day and age, you don’t have to have a large physical building to develop a presence and a visibility in the business market. However, it does take attention to marketing and promotions if you want to become more visible. This means tapping into … Continue reading →

Understanding Integrated Marketing

One of the things I try to do here is to deconstruct some of the business terms that you may notice flying around and wonder how on earth they apply to your little home-based business. After all, many of us get into business without really knowing or understanding much about the nitty gritty of the business world. Since I have such a strong background in marketing and public relations—that is one of the areas where I have a little better understanding (although I’m still bumbling along as a beginner too!). One very trendy term and business philosophy is “integrated marketing”… … Continue reading →