Off The Grid News Better Ideas For Off The Grid Living

In recent weeks we’ve shown you how editorial coverage can help promote your business for free. We’ve covered the steps to writing a quality press release, and we’ve given you tips for scoring more PR in your local area. Today we’d like to help you find some unique ways to get your business noticed by the media....

Local businesses often find themselves operating with lean advertising budgets. This makes finding affordable, quality advertising a challenging task for even the most seasoned marketer. Adding to this challenge is the current climate and how today’s consumers feel about advertising in general. Consumers today are more cynical than ever before. Only a small percent of them have confidence in traditional advertising methods. Current research shows that less than 14% of consumers trust traditional advertising messages, while over 90% of people still trust

Smart marketers understand that 20th century marketing is less effective with every passing year. TiVo enables TV watchers to skip the commercials. Newspaper circulation has shrunk. Even web users have learned to tune out the ads. That’s why, in the 21st century, content marketing is almost essential. Think of it this way. What is marketing? It’s the art of understanding exactly what your customers want and delivering it to them in a way that exists to grow your business. Relevant and unique content is one of the best ways ...

One of the keys to successful marketing is learning to craft strong and compelling offers. In terms of importance, it’s second only to the list you choose to send to. Your offer is the proposition you make to your potential customer in your direct marketing. It’s the deal you’re hoping to make with him or her. Simply put, your offer is the way you say to your customer, “Hey customer, if you do this, we’ll give you that.” “This” might be sending in $39.95, filling...

Postcards are one of the best-kept secrets of successful marketers. Amid all the bells and whistles of electronic media and social marketing, it’s easy to overlook this humble workhorse. Postcards are a cost effective choice because, compared to other forms of direct mail, they’re less expensive to print. They’re also usually less expensive to mail. No matter what format your mail piece takes, you have literally two seconds to catch the eye of the recipient as he flips through the mail. Miss that opportunity, and your mail piece ...

As a business owner, it’s natural to talk about your own product or service. In fact, people expect you to. But when other people with nothing to gain from your success say good things about your products, it’s even more powerful. Testimonials are nothing more than positive comments you collect from your customers. They’re simple, but effective. They create trust and a sense of credibility between you and your buyers. Don’t be shy about asking your customers and clients ...

You really can’t please all the people all the time … and you’ll go crazy if you try. But if you can avoid some of the most common customer relations mistakes, you’ll be 95% ahead of the competition. Here are eight common things that could be keeping your customer from completing a purchase. In business, you obviously can’t control everything, but you can control the content on your website. Don’t clutter up your pages with unnecessary information or links that really aren’t important. Keep it simple...

If you want to learn how to do something, go straight to the experts. If you want advice about running a small business, there’s nothing better than finding some successful business owners to talk with. Last week I shared some wisdom from our roundtable of small-business entrepreneurs and today they’re going to share a few more tips from the trenches. A quick recap of our panel of business owners: Amy Owens is owner and operator of Hydrogroom, a mobile pet washing and grooming service in Thomasville, North Carolina....

Today, we’re going to pose questions to business owners who are making their businesses work in this tough economy. It’s my hope that you’ll find not only inspiration, but also actionable information, in their words of wisdom. First, let’s introduce our business owners. Amy Owens is owner and operator of Hydrogroom, a mobile pet washing and grooming service in Thomasville, North Carolina. Amy came up with her business idea by combining her love for animals with her own desire for convenience as a pet owner...

You’ve probably heard about the advantages of social media in terms of marketing your products or services, but perhaps you’re not sure where to begin. Social media doesn’t have to be scary or intimidating. With just a few basic lessons ...