tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29488234922052723222024-03-05T06:07:02.919-07:00Gateway Gazette Marketing How-To'sUseful, hands on information and thought provoking insights to help you with marketing your business.Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-57357136843860491982012-01-31T17:02:00.001-07:002012-01-31T17:02:55.694-07:00So what helps advertising to work?There are a number of factors that will help make your advertising more effective, there are also several variables that you should keep an eye on along the way. However, there are a few key ingredients that will have a bigger, more immediate impact.
First, customers are looking for relevance & credibility. We are inundated with thousands of advertising messages every day. Therefore the Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-23764708300916085132012-01-30T09:56:00.001-07:002012-01-30T09:56:41.042-07:00Why is everyone a marketing expert?After reading this week's Monday Morning Memo that I receive from Roy Williams of the Academy of Wizards I can't help but marvel at the mindset of countless business owners.
Why is it that a business owner who is an expert in their particular industry feels that they are also an expert in marketing - despite their lack of expertise?
It never ceases to amaze me how many times I have Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-70604844519030487182011-05-30T00:01:00.002-06:002011-06-05T19:04:27.916-06:00The Advertising BudgetThis is a tricky one and honestly, there are a few ideas out there on how to best determine your advertising budget. Frankly, at the end of the day you can’t spend what you don’t have, however, if you’ve planned correctly and/or are in the process of starting up a business, then you need to have enough working capital put aside to get you through, this includes your advertising budget.
The Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-73296798819283608802011-05-23T23:01:00.000-06:002011-05-23T23:01:03.987-06:00Don't get lost Today I find myself contemplating the erroneous and irresponsible way many businesses approach their marketing. It’s scary and even scarier is the number of small businesses who take a hap-hazard approach when at the end of the day they simply do not have the advertising budget to throw away like that. For every business, but small businesses in particular, it is imperative Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-68909858883507791482011-05-16T02:59:00.001-06:002011-05-28T15:58:57.466-06:00To consult or not… that is the question!Periodically there is a surge of popularity in hiring on “Business Consultants”. It would appear the trend is on again, as in the last 2 weeks I have had several people reference to me the fact that they are planning to work with a Business Consultant.
Whenever someone makes this comment I involuntarily cringe. In truth, it’s an unfair reaction. It’s much like saying because Lawyers in Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-26904302548868119062011-05-10T09:00:00.001-06:002011-05-10T09:00:09.987-06:00Quote"The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well, and doing well whatever you do without thought of fame.
If it comes at all it will come because it is deserved, not because it is sought after."
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-16070837221008357312011-05-08T23:31:00.001-06:002011-05-28T16:00:39.358-06:00The importance of your front lineI’m going to touch on a bit of a different topic today that many businesses often over look when they think in terms of their marketing. This idea was spurred a bit by my last article with reference to choosing the right person to attend Trade Shows on behalf of your business. This addresses staffing.
Many businesses think of their staff more in terms of their experience/Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-62643798366756219582011-05-08T09:00:00.001-06:002011-05-08T09:00:06.923-06:00Happy Mother's DayWho ran to help me when I fell,
And would some pretty story tell,
Or kiss the place to make it well?
My mother.
~Ann Taylor
Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-19571091779524197722011-05-03T09:00:00.000-06:002011-05-03T09:00:02.875-06:00Quote“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."
~ Winston Churchill ~
Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-88986032492490143142011-05-02T01:49:00.002-06:002011-05-02T12:55:37.901-06:00Trade Shows - worth it or not?This weekend I managed to find some time to stop by the Okotoks Trade Show. It was great to see such a terrific turn out by both the public and businesses and with so many professionally presented booths too! Although I didn't have time to speak with every business, the ones I did speak with offered some very positive feedback - which is great to hear!
Personally, I think Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-84111596031374853442011-04-28T09:00:00.001-06:002011-04-28T09:00:05.644-06:00Quote"The early bird gets the worm,
But the second mouse gets the cheese!"
~Unknown~
Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-1784461714558370902011-04-26T09:00:00.003-06:002011-04-26T09:00:12.579-06:00Serious Marketers PackageYou understand that you need to advertise.
You understand that consistent frequency is of prime importance.
But you have a set budget and you're stuck with it.
NO PROBLEM!Advertise for the whole year and stick to your budget!Your ad included in all 25 editions!
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Enjoy the power Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-62277461433756921422011-04-25T01:55:00.002-06:002011-04-25T01:55:30.746-06:00How do I fix my bottom-line?I hope everyone managed to find some quiet time this weekend to spend with their family – whether Easter is an occasion you personally celebrate or not, the long weekends are always a great excuse to step away from our businesses and put in a little concentrated family time to rejuvenate. Personally I find that a break away from directly thinking about my business and my clients’ businessesGateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-60154078140318037182011-04-17T23:59:00.001-06:002011-04-20T22:29:40.629-06:00What are the ingredients of an effective ad?There really is no question that print media absolutely MUST take its place in your marketing plans. To overlook print media as one of your marketing mediums would be like trying to operate as a “we accept cash only” business in today’s world of plastic and credit. It’s simply not realistic if you want to grow your business.
If your market reach happens to be the south end of Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-14920007264084901662011-04-10T23:59:00.003-06:002011-04-17T09:36:47.933-06:00The dawning of a new era . . .Are you REALLY in the export business? Hoping to draw customers from all around the globe? If you’re like most small, local businesses – no you’re not. So that leads to the question “Is SEO (search engine optimization) really the thing that should be the larger focus of your marketing budget and/or time?”
Roughly 77.7% of Canadians are tapped in “online”, 81.7% of Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-86378308339266151162011-04-04T01:30:00.004-06:002011-04-20T22:45:04.261-06:00Are you working "ON" your business?As a business owner myself, I am more than aware of how precious time is, but there are certain things that you simply MUST make time for.
The obvious are yourself and your family. This is a point that is driven into everyone day in and day out. We see it on TV, in magazines, in newspapers, hear it on radios…. “If you don’t take care of yourself, you’re not going to be in any position to take Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-76616578943688810142011-03-27T23:59:00.000-06:002011-03-27T23:59:00.178-06:00Is Advertising Scalable?Most people believe advertising is scalable. These people are right. And they are wrong.
SCALABILITY: How well a solution to some problem will work when the size of the problem increases. Egg-zample: The small-scale solution: you want 24 eggs per week and you have 6 chickens, therefore you need each chicken to produce 4 eggs per week... This solution is scalable simply because on a larger Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-34506206301969588682011-03-20T23:59:00.000-06:002011-03-20T23:59:00.570-06:00How “good” is your website ACTUALLY performing?<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US ZH-CN X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-60677855289737744792011-03-14T00:15:00.006-06:002011-03-14T00:31:40.563-06:00Word of MouthOver and over we hear how “word-of-mouth” is the best form of advertising out there. It is unarguable the strength that lies in “word-of-mouth” marketing. But how many of us stop and REALLY think about that?
Are we giving our customers something good to talk about?
Do we have enough customers for “word-of-mouth” to have a noticeable impact?
How long will it take for “word-of-mouth” to Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-82524595341305323372011-03-06T23:59:00.001-07:002011-03-06T23:59:00.347-07:00What happens when advertising stops?The reasons we are unable to introspect on advertising's effects, especially in low-involvement situations, are:the effect of each single ad exposure is small;
with repetition, even imperceptibly small effects can build into larger perceived differences between brands;
if something gets repeated constantly without challenge, our minds seem to regard this as prima facie evidence that maybe, Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-54572007733052303862011-03-04T07:00:00.001-07:002011-03-04T07:00:21.598-07:00Are you part of the Wedding Market? Maybe you should be....The wedding industry is HUGE. Even in a lower economy, people still manage to find dollars for the day, that for many, is the most important day of their lives.
Did you know that over 5 million people will get married THIS YEAR alone?!
So, are you a business that is very obviously, directly related to the wedding industry? Or are you a business who typically sits back thinking "I Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-47180226126386446242011-02-28T12:00:00.006-07:002011-02-28T12:00:05.601-07:00Get your print advertising for FREE! (no joke!)dead simple
straight-forward
no song and dance
Gateway Gazette Referral Program
Not only is the Gateway Gazette all about Good News for readers… It’s Good News for businesses too!
The Gateway Gazette Referral Program is a great way to free up your marketing dollars to make them go further.
Call today to learn more or visit: http://referrals.gatewaygazette.ca!
For information on Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-4012907340698149412011-02-27T23:59:00.002-07:002011-02-27T23:59:00.509-07:00I'm not getting any calls!For most businesses, their first reaction is “That media isn’t working for me.
” But let’s face it, “that” media has an audience or it wouldn’t exist.
So why isn’t that audience calling you?
They don’t want what you’re offering;
Your ad didn’t grab their attention;
Your target customers aren’t part of that audience;
So the question becomes – is the answer to your problem to keep switchingGateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-72893906700118965602011-02-21T18:00:00.001-07:002011-02-21T18:00:03.637-07:00WHY you should advertise . . . #10The key to any successful business, small or large, is advertising. Your potential clients need to be aware of your business and products. This is the KEY!
10. Advertise Maintain Employee Morale.
When advertising and promotion are suddenly cut or cancelled, salespeople may become alarmed and demoralized. They may start false rumours in an honest belief that your business is in trouble. Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2948823492205272322.post-66635641669739911082011-02-21T06:00:00.001-07:002011-02-21T06:00:00.514-07:00Happy Family Day Alberta!!!!I hope you are all able to take a day to be with your loved ones.
They deserve it.... and so do you!Gateway Gazettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01181177393192798039noreply@blogger.com0