Marketing Entrepreneurship Business Blog for SMB's

Marketing Entrepreneurship Business Blog for SMB's

Marketing Strategy Blog - Small Business Marketing - Page 15

The Virtual Marketing Manager - are they better then the real thing for small businesses?

Sitting on a beach in the Bahama's sipping Pina Coladas, and soaking up the glorious rays of sunshine - ipad in hand... life could not get much better. If this is working, then I am totally up for it! Thus, is the virtual world. Anyone can do anything from anywhere - with no diminishing quality constraints.

The idea of a virtual anything is often something that we look at with trepidation - HOWEVER - is this the actions of a foolish person? Harsh... I get that, but as a stickler for little or no change, I am the first to admit that I am a slow adopter of many things that end up being very good for me and definately for my business. To change a technology that we may use, would be likened to going to the dentist and having my wisdom teeth removed without gas.
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Wanting to impregnate your business?

Wanting to impregnate your business?

You can tell when you have hit a certain age and everyone is either wanting to get married and have babies or they are deluding themselves with their own positive affirmations that they are in fact 'happy' just the way they are and wouldn't change their world for anything or anybody. The latter tends to think that by caring about someone other than themselves or making any changes to their lives would only lead to 'unhappiness' or as I like to think, 'putting themselves in a vunerable situation in which they cannot control'. Having spent the last couple of weeks with a number of single, middle-aged, childless, unmarried individuals who proclaim that by having anything different in their lives, they would have to change their lives and that is something none of them aim to do. Going out, drinking too much, partying too much and holidaying at every opportune moment seems to be key to what they think is the perfect life - of course, until they wake up one day and realise that they are all alone and they have spent too much time loving themselves to realise that there is no-one there to love them when they need it most.
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Business slowing down when it should be speeding up?

Business slowing down when it should be speeding up?

December 7 and counting. While most of us have a jam-packed agenda for December with Christmas shopping to be done, parties, last minute things to finish at work, deals to close and family to catchup with, it seems that many small business owners get so caught up in what is going on, that they forget about what the future may hold.

2012 isn't going to be easy. It is predicted that we will see more floods, earthquakes, droughts, heat waves and cold spells as the world's weather patterns show increasing destabilisation but fortunately the world will not end as previously predicted on December 21, 2012.
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Things Your Marketing Consultant Should Be Thinking About

Marketing Consultants or Marketing Managers are being kept on their feet these days with changes in technology, the economy, corporate responsiblity and the new green ethos that surrounds most businesses large and small.

When looking at a company, whether it is large or small, it is imperative that marketing consultants (or marketing managers) are across all areas of marketing. It's no longer about the 4P's as most Gen-X marketers who now hold the senior positions in marketing have trained on, and more about social media, customer interaction, mobile marketing, podcasts, blogs, online marketing, guerilla marketing, slideshare and of course word of mouth marketing.
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Word of Mouth Marketing - Powerful

Word of Mouth Marketing - Powerful

Yesterday, James Moran, the founder of James Moran Furniture, called to say hello. I haven't seen James for a little while as we have both been busy.

As the son of one of the most famous furniture family dynasty's in Australia (Moran Furniture), James Moran has one of the most stylish and professional showroom's in Australia and is currently selling into some of the largest retail chains select lines. Many of Toorak's great homes feature a James Moran Furniture couch and if you go down to the cinema's, chances are that in Gold Class you may be sitting in one of his designer chairs. Office fitouts for the uber trendy and professional are taken to a new level with a piece from James Moran Furniture and anyone who knows anything about furniture, can spot a James Moran Furniture piece a mile away.
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Shane Warne - is he a role model for small businesses?

He is one of the best cricketers in the world and let's face it, the most interesting. Whether you are a man who wants to be like him, or a woman who wouldn't mind trading places with Elizabeth Hurley for a night - there is a lot to admire.

Not unlike the lifecycle of a business, Shane Warne has had many ups and downs, some public and I am sure, a lot more private. He has had his haters, his supporters, his loyal fans and those who simply admire him for his achievements.
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Guerilla Marketing... you don't have to be big to use it

d23c29a0237620b7d07d829eb26053a6 [BREAKING] Facebook Arm Tattoo a Publicity Stunt Guerilla Marketing Example

Most small businesses ignore guerilla marketing as part of their marketing mix. Why? Because most think that it's just what the big companies do.

Well, that is true most of the time, but not because it costs alot of money to do. It's mainly because their creative agencies or someone with a spot of 'genius' has come up with a guerilla marketing idea that has great potential.

Have you seen the Facebook Tattoo guerilla marketing exercise that was sponsored by  Rotterdam tattoo artist Dex Moelker and his company? The pictures above, but there is a much better video floating on YouTube with more hits than you can hope for.

When this piece of guerilla marketing was being passed around, we should have realised that it wasn't for real. Let's face it... the average person firstly would not be stupid enough to tattoo 152 of their friends on their arm (because they might be friends today, but tomorrow, it's quite possible they may block you because of something you said, did or didn't do). The dead giveaway was the optimised key words on YouTube. Now, even I would not think to do that (but one of my digital marketers definately would!).

The story spread like wildfire and media outlets around the world reported the bizarre story. It's biggest impact though would have been through social media. Too bizarre to be real? You betcha! It was just a transfer - not a tattoo and a brilliant piece of guerilla marketing.

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Vision, Plan, Execute... Or You Won't Survive

Vision, Plan, Execute... Or You Won't Survive

Last night I had dinner with a good friend of mine. He is one of the smartest people I know in business. He is not only academical, but very street smart.

I talked in length about the next stage of Marketing Eye's business. That is, expansion into the US, selling rights for the company in Europe and basically becoming a truly global player in small business marketing. No else seems to be taking the lead, so it may as well be me.
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Google Plus or is that Minus?

Google Plus or is that Minus?

Where is everyone?

It appears that I may have been a bit off the mark in a previous article. I claimed that Google Plus’ entry into online social media would spell the sudden demise of Facebook. At this point in time that appears to be false. It has become apparent that social media supremacy will come after a long struggle rather than the quick and clean coup reminiscent of the Facebook takeover of MySpace that I predicted.

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