Happy to Help

     Many businesses forget about one of the most important marketing tools, word of mouth. The question that arises from this statement is, "how?". How do you make a product or deliver a service that people will want to scream about from their rooftops? A great way to achieve this attitude is by simply being helpful. Think about the companies you love. What sticks out about them? If you are like me, the companies that stand above the rest are the ones who seem to care about your needs. Remember to always help your customers. This will help you to succeed as a business. 

Social Media Marketing

About a year ago, I started an Instagram account for my dog. This helped me learn about growing a following on social media. Social media has become important in marketing, but it is easy to make mistakes, because it is a relatively new tool. The main thing I learned was to post consistently. If people follow your account that means they WANT to see more posts. It is crucial not to let them down. I have found it's best to post one picture everyday. Make sure, however, not to over post. This can annoy your followers and scare potential followers away. The other thing I learned was to post quality pictures. I use my Canon Rebel to take the pictures I post. People are more likely to follow an account which posts quality pictures or information. There are many other tips for using social media. Social media is a great low cost way for businesses to get their name out there.  

The Tale of Two Coffee Shops

This summer in a nearby town a coffee shop opened. Everyone was excited because it was something the town had wanted for a long time. Then it happened. A second coffee shop opened up just a few stores down from the other. There was not enough need for two coffee shops in such a small town. Not only did the second coffee shop hurt the sales of the other, they also hurt themselves because they did not take the time to find out if the need for a coffee shop had already been met. If they had investigated they would have found a larger town nearby did not have a coffee shop.  Market research is essential.

Integrity is Your Best Policy

Zig Ziglar once said, "You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want." This saying still holds true today. Don't try to cheat people out of their money by tricking them into buying your product with false advertising or gimmicks. It may gain you a few dollars in the beginning, but as time goes on you will lose much more. People are more willing to spend money at a business they trust, but if your company has cheated them, good luck getting their business back. Being honest in business doesn't cost a lot of money, and people will remember your company when you them fairly. Honesty is a great marketing tool, it has helped to build many trusted companies.

 Try New Things

  The easiest way to sell more of your products is to increase sales to your current customers. For example, my family started selling beef several years ago. Our customers began asking for other meats, we began raising lamb, pork, and eggs. We didn't have to spend any more money on advertising and we increased our sells tremendously. So the bottom line is, develop a brand people trust then try adding new products.

Direct Marketing

Direct marketing is not a norm in some parts of the business world, but it is something to consider when you start a company. Direct marketing means you sell directly to consumers, skipping the middleman. This adds risk to your business, but it has a lot of benefits. If you direct market you can price the product for less than your competitors. That means you can make more money and your customer can get a better price. You are able form a relationship with your customer. Not only will your customer appreciate the one on one care, you will also receive invaluable information from your customer if you keep your ears open. Relationships are hard and often impossible to form when you sell through stores.

What Do You WANT?

Watching people can be an excellent way to discover a new business opportunity. People can tell you what they think they want, but sometimes that's not actually what they need. It's up to you, the entrepreneur, to find viable businesses that meet consumers' needs. Go watch people and see if you can find a recurring problem they have or even think of a problem that you have been faced with yourself. When Ben Franklin was eleven he invented, "flippers." He was swimming in the creek with friends. He wanted to be able to swim faster, but he was trying as hard as he could. He put two wooden boards with holes in the center on his hands. These allowed him to swim faster without exerting so much energy. He found a problem and he solved it. Once people are made aware of the problem, selling the solution will be easy. Today, millions of flippers are sold every summer.