As a small business owner, you know how difficult it can be to get your name out there. Especially if you have a lot of competitors! Coming up with a marketing strategy can be difficult, but what if you didn’t have to start from scratch? We can certainly help you get started from the very beginning (a very good place to start… Sound of Music, anyone?), but sometimes it’s easier to take inspiration from your competitors. Welcome to the fascinating world of competitor-inspired marketing! Today, we’ll set out on an adventure to uncover the treasures hidden within your industry’s marketing landscape. Think of it as a treasure hunt where X marks the spot with innovative ideas, clever strategies, and creative brilliance. We’re not here to spy, but rather to gain inspiration from those who are blazing trails in the marketing wilderness.

Imagine walking into your favorite coffee shop. As you step through the door, a soft palette of earthy browns and rustic tans embraces you, like the familiar hug of an old friend. Amber light filters through the windows, casting a glow on the worn leather couches and wooden tables. The scent of freshly brewed coffee infuses every nook and cranny of the shop, inviting you to rest and unwind. The barista behind the counter dons an apron of rich espresso and a warm smile.

Cozy, right? Guess what: that’s not just flowery language captivating you; it’s branding. It’s probably safe to assume that you don’t care what this fictional coffee shop’s business name is, you just want a warm mug of coffee while you get comfy on one of those leather couches and read a book. Branding is more than just a business name and tagline. It’s also a way to communicate thoughts, ideas, and most importantly, emotions. It’s a way to show people why they should work with you without ever saying a word. This fictional coffee shop told you to get coffee from their shop because you’ll feel relaxed, warm, and comfortable while you’re there just by coating their shop in various brown tones and the objectively amazing smell of coffee. What if you could do that with your brand? Let’s talk about color theory, a little bit of psychology, and why any of this matters for your business.

By now, we all know how important certain strategies are for your marketing. You can cover plenty of bases just with social media and networking, but you risk missing opportunities if that’s all your strategy includes. Depending on who you’re trying to reach, your strategy might be improved by sending postcards, hosting giveaways, or sending out a weekly newsletter. But there’s one effective tool out there that many people forget to consider: blogging. We’ve talked about blogs before, but it’s more than just an easy addition to your content marketing strategy. What if we told you that regular blog posts can improve your SEO? Let’s talk about how you can incorporate a blogging strategy into your marketing.

Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, navigating the world of networking can be tough. According to Forbes, the reason why so many introverts and extroverts dislike networking is they “view it as transactional. They think about buying a stranger coffee and then asking about their company’s hiring policies.” The key is to shift your point of view! This is why we focus so much on giving in our networking groups. If your focus is receiving business, rather than giving business or focusing on the relationship, of course it’s going to feel transactional.

What do you call the # symbol? Is it a pound sign? Or an octothorpe? Or maybe you’re a musician and it’s called “sharp?” For the sake of this blog, let’s call it a hashtag. Pound or sharp signs aren’t all that relevant in social media marketing! Whether you’re on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or any competing social media platforms, it’s practically impossible to escape the hashtag. But what is a hashtag? No need to be embarrassed; There’s not really a reason to know what a hashtag is unless you’re in social media marketing. But if you’re reading this, chances are your business either has a social media strategy or needs one. So let’s talk about it! Here are the ins and outs of hashtags, including what they are, why you should use them, and how to best incorporate hashtags into your social media strategy.

Ever feel like everyone has left town except for you? For some this happens during Christmas, when people are focused on gifts and too busy with holiday parties every weekend. We usually end up feeling this way in the summertime, when the kids are out of school and everyone’s taking their vacations. It’s easy to panic and start worrying, but don’t despair! Veterans of the game know slow months are a common occurrence, and the pros know there are things you can do to manage them. So here’s some timely advice on how to handle your slow months!

Hey there, fellow small business owners! By now, we hope you all know how powerful social media can be for your business. We frequently talk about how to make this tool work for you, but how do you know it’s working? Social media sometimes feels like you’re throwing spaghetti at the wall, with some posts getting two likes while others explode with engagement. It can be hard to know how to improve! This is where your analytics come in to save the day. In this post, we’re going to talk about what social media analytics mean and how they can help you take your marketing to the next level, while having some fun along the way!

If you’re a small business owner, you know that networking is essential for growing your business. But attending the same networking events week after week, sipping the same boring coffee and trying to strike up conversations can get tiring. This is where speed networking comes in to freshen things up! These events are designed to create opportunities for quick, meaningful conversations that help you expand your network. But with only a few minutes to make an impression, some people can be intimidated. That’s why we’re going to share our favorite networking tips and tricks, be it traditional or speed networking. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newbie to the game, read on to learn how to make the most out of your next event.

Today, it seems like the whole world is online. It’s easy to forget that things like print media exist! We do our marketing online, we do our networking through social media, we even take meetings over Zoom rather than go to a local coffee shop. Before the pandemic, we used the World Wide Web as a tool. Now, it seems as if we’re using the internet as a crutch. Here’s the good news though: with everyone online, printed branding materials have room to make more of an impact. Something like a postcard has never been obsolete, but that invitation to your business’s event will make more of an impact now that people only get negativity in their mailbox. Let’s talk about how to make printed marketing work with your marketing plan.