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Showing posts from January, 2023

Market Your Business With These National Days in February 2023

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National holidays can be a fun and timely way to market a business. There are lots of February national days that may be relevant to various businesses. Here’s a look at some things on the calendar this month. Why should you market your business in February? It’s generally beneficial to market a small business all year. But here are some specific reasons to keep your efforts going during February: Pick up during a slow time: Many consumers are still recovering from the holidays and spending lots of time at home during February. They may need an extra push to patronize your business. Stand out among your competition: Since it’s a slow time for many businesses, there may be less noise from your competitors this month. Use the opportunity to get your business in front of your target audience. Take advantage of gift-giving occasions: Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular February holidays. And people often buy gifts for loved ones, so it’s perfect for businesses that sell fl

Custom Reusable Shopping Bags Featuring Your Business Name and Logo

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Reusable shopping bags are becoming more and more popular as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic shopping bags. As a small business, investing in customized reusable shopping bags can be beneficial in several ways. For one, you’re providing your customers with something useful. Plus you’re getting eyes on your brand, as your reusable bag makes its way around. And, of course, you’re doing kindness to the environment by cutting down on plastic waste. Some sellers will print full-color logos, while others offer one or two-color logos. Some will only print text. Some bags are traditional tote-style bags, while others are drawstring bags or merchandise bags. In other words, there are lots of options available out there, and it can be a bit overwhelming. We took some of the guesswork out of the equation for you by searching Etsy and Amazon for the best places to get custom reusable shopping bags featuring your business name and/or logo. Tips for Getting Customized Reusable Shopping Bags

Twitter API Changes Kill Twitterrific

WebProNews Twitter API Changes Kill Twitterrific The Iconfactory has announced it is discontinuing Twitterrific following a Twitter API change that killed the app. Users began noticing in mid-January that some of their favorite Twitter clients were no longer working, with at least one developer confirming the issue. At the time, no one knew if it was an accidental error with the Twitter APIs, or if the platform was targeting third-party clients. Ultimately, it proved to be the latter and Twitterrific is the first confirmed victim. In a blog post announcing the app’s demise, The Iconfactory makes clear that they did not want to end support for Twitterrific, but that they have no choice given Twitter’s complete lack of communication on the matter. A sentence that none of us wanted to write, but have long felt would need to be written someday. We didn’t expect to be writing it so soon, though, and certainly not without having had time to notify you that it was coming. W

Twitter Officially Changes TOS to Ban Third-Party Clients

WebProNews Twitter Officially Changes TOS to Ban Third-Party Clients Twitter has finally broke its silence — sort of — on why third-party clients are not working, changing its TOS to ban them. Twitter caused an uproar when popular third-party clients stopped working without explanation. Twitterrific even shut down as a result, saying that’s Twitter’s complete lack of communication on the issue made it “a Twitter that we no longer recognize as trustworthy nor want to work with any longer.” In the aftermath, Twitter has finally clarified, although not in an official announcement, press release, or anything else that would help the company save face. Instead, it has quietly updated its TOS to ban third-party apps. The relevant portion specifically bans “use or access the Licensed Materials to create or attempt to create a substitute or similar service or product to the Twitter Applications.” Clearly, the platform views third-party clients as a threat to its advertis

My yearly recap: Then and now.

2015 is the last time I did an annual recap. Whew, where did the years go? I decided to compare this year to seven years ago … And you know what? I’m pretty darn proud of myself. Over seven years, my actions have been gradual, but I can see that a little bit adds up over time! So, if you want better projects, more time, or more freedom — take a teeny-tiny step. They really do snowball in what feels like no time. Maybe when we get a little more seasoned, we realize things don’t have to happen RIGHT NOW. They can happen little by little, and they last — instead of doing something drastic (that might give you quick results) that doesn’t actually stick. Incremental changes really do add up over time. Here’s proof: 2022 by the numbers . If you want a sure way to take those teeny-tiny steps, check out Marketing Mentor's Simplest Marketing Plan for 2023 . -- Hi, I’m Jill, a web designer/developer who partners with talented designers, copywriters, and agencies on their websites, and th

The Hidden Purpose of Content Marketing

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What’s the point of content marketing? It’s not what you think. It’s not to be part of a larger conversation.   It’s not to say something smart and impress people.   It’s not even to share useful knowledge.   While good content helps your readers to know, like, and trust you… The hidden purpose of content marketing is to remove the burden of remembering you .   If you can consistently create content that’s relevant to your clients’ and prospects’ needs (even if it’s just once a month)... They may not read it every time – in fact, they likely won’t. But when they need a service you offer, they won’t have to spend time searching for someone who can do that for them. There you will be, right in their in-box.   Where to Find Ideas for What to Share   You can watch me explain this in our recent Office Hours, here: If you tend to resist doing your own content marketing because you don’t know what you’d talk about, here’s a new way to think about it that might help… Rather than asking: “Why

A Formula to Hit Your 2023 Financial Goals

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You’ve probably laid out your financial goals for 2023, or I hope you have… But have you broken them down into the number of projects you need to reach them? Every business, and every person, is different - and money isn’t always the ultimate goal. You might want more free time or more fulfilling projects, for example. But setting a goal will help you focus your efforts and give you momentum throughout the year. Especially if you revisit it often. Here’s formula you can use to get started, straight from my Simplest Marketing Plan for 2023 - get it here . Get out a pencil and paper and answer these questions: How much money do you want to earn per month? How many of which types of projects do you need and at what rates to reach that financial goal? Ex. I need ________ (#) ____________________________________________ (case studies/websites, etc.) at ________ (price) per month to earn ________ (monthly minimum plus profit). Who will get you there? List your 5 best prospects this

Why would anyone want your content?

Why would anyone want your content? And what’s the difference between your "content marketing" and your "marketing content?" Those are just a few of the questions I answered in Episode #464, which is the opening for the first Office Hours gathering that comes with the Simplest Marketing Plan . (It's not too late to join!) So listen here (or below) and learn:   And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor. Read the transcript for Episode #464 here: Hi there. This is Ilise Benun, your marketing mentor, and this is the podcast for you if, and only if, you are ready to leave the feast or famine syndrome behind. And I mean for good. So why would anyone want to read or watch or listen to your content? T hat's a question many clients ask me when I suggest they do some content marketing to stay top of mind in their market. They, maybe you too, feel you don&

The Hidden Reason You Should Be Doing Content Marketing

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What’s the point of content marketing? It’s not what you think. It’s not to be part of a larger conversation.   It’s not to say something smart and impress people.   It’s not even to share useful knowledge.   While good content helps your readers to know, like, and trust you… The hidden purpose of content marketing is to remove the burden of remembering you .   If you can consistently create content that’s relevant to your clients’ and prospects’ needs (even if it’s just once a month)... They may not read it every time – in fact, they likely won’t. But when they need a service you offer, they won’t have to spend time searching for someone who can do that for them. There you will be, right in their in-box.   Where to Find Ideas for What to Share   You can watch me explain this in our recent Office Hours, here: If you tend to resist doing your own content marketing because you don’t know what you’d talk about, here’s a new way to think about it that might help… Rather than asking: “Why

3 Reasons Not to Freak Out About Feedback

Note: This is a guest post by  SM Quinn , a copywriter in the personal development niche who is also a member of the GRO Business Incubator I run for AWAI. Details here:  https://www.awai.com/incubator Three Reasons Why You Don’t have to Freak Out About Feedback   Fallacy 1.   Loss of The Hero’s Journey I am an absolute control freak. I seem to have an intense desire to “go it alone” on almost everything I do. This may be because I love the idea that I don’t have to wait for anyone’s permission to do – well - anything. If I want to change something in one of my creative projects, I just have to convince myself – and myself alone – that it’s warranted. And in my mind, being able to accomplish something on my own is like being awarded a badge of honor, especially if, after an intense struggle, I succeed. I have these film montage sequences scrolling one after another in my mind: a lone wolf, conquering winter, through raw instinct and physical strength. a single long-distance

Digital Marketing Mistakes Most Small Businesses Are Still Making

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Digital marketing is unique on many levels. Unlike any traditional form of marketing, it can be totally free (which means small businesses can compete with huge brands). Unlike most other forms of marketing, in digital marketing creativity and authenticity can win over large budgets (which is another opportunity for small businesses and personal brands). And yet, digital marketing is still often misunderstood, and as a result, businesses go back to other (old) marketing channels or fail to see any solid results. Here are old digital marketing mistakes that I still see being made by small businesses: Treating social media marketing the same way as other marketing Lots of businesses make the mistake of doing social media marketing the same way they have done other marketing. One big distinction between most forms of marketing and social media marketing is that authenticity wins. If loud headlines may win the game when it comes to banner, TV and radio advertising, in social media m