» Marketing

Feb

4 Common (and Totally Wrong!) Marketing Assumptions Small-Business Owners Make

By: Heather Clifford Category: Marketing Tags: advertising vs. marketing, purchasing decisions

1) People respond to advertising no matter what your business is. Advertising is not the same thing as marketing. Advertising is one kind of marketing. I have some clients for whom ads – in newspapers, on the backs of city busses – are absolutely the way to go. I have many more clients for whom such efforts would be a …

Jan

Small-Business Resolutions for the New Year… That You Really Can Keep

By: Heather Clifford Category: Doing Business, Marketing Tags: New Year’s resolution, office organization, virtual assistants

1) I resolve to… organize just one thing. Maybe it’s the cluttered top of your desk. Maybe it’s the list of items your marketing person has been waiting for. Maybe it’s a box overflowing with six months’ of receipts. Resolving to “get organized this year” is one of those resolutions it’s impossible to keep. Pick one chore that’s been hanging …

Jul

4 Ways to Add Some Sizzle to Your Business This Summer

By: Heather Clifford Category: Doing Business, Marketing Tags: business planning, farmer’s market, marketing plan, spring cleaning, summer giveaways, summer promotions

Don’t give in to the lazy days of summer! A few ideas for adding some sizzle to your business: 1) Raise your profile with hot-weather giveaways. Offer a freebie – ice cream cones, logoed mister bottles – for anyone who comes in your store or office on days the thermometer hits 90.

Apr

Reading Round-Up: Self-Promotion, The Cloud, and Lego Furniture

By: Heather Clifford Category: Marketing, Reading Round-Up Tags: getting your business noticed, marketing, small business

No time to read any business articles this week – again? For the last few months, we’ve been trying to share one article a day with our colleagues and clients via Twitter (@InfusionStudio1). Just one article – often a blog post really. Something that will take mere minutes from your day to read. But that will keep you thinking for …

Dec

Year-End Promotions a Good Idea for Small Business

By: Heather Clifford Category: Doing Business, Marketing Tags: Erik Sherman, marketing, mistakes, small business, year-end promotions

The title said, “Don’t Make This Common Year-End Mistake” – and the first thing I see is a pair of holiday socks that eerily resemble a pair I’m fairly certain I own. Uh-oh! Was I relieved to see the writer was talking about promoting your business and not questionable taste in footwear. But Erik Sherman (whose Inc. article I tweeted …

Feb

Business Advice from Ansel Adams

By: Heather Clifford Category: Doing Business, Marketing Tags: Ansel Adams, business, Facebook, marketing, portfolio, selling, small business, target marketing

There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept. ~ Ansel Adams I came across this great quote recently – and it reminded me immediately of some of the initial conversations I’ve had with people who eventually became regular clients… and a few who didn’t.