More Than A Few Words

While every business plan covers the same basic topics the emphasis is different based on who will be reading your plan.  What a banker wants is dramatically different from what an investor needs to know.    Want to learn more?  Download our free business plan outline. 

The big game was a blow out, but what about the advertising battle played out on social media and on TV?  Anne and Lorraine talk about the real winners and losers of yesterday's game. 

All good things come to an end.  That is especially true for content marketing.  Even the best campaign can only run so long.  So how do you know when it is time to call it quits? 

It is so much easier to do anything when you plan ahead.  That is especially true when it comes to your content marketing.     It is tough to do your best work if you wait till the last minute to create a blog post, email or social media update,   Using a content calendar, you can organize your month around topics, themes or events which are relevant to your business.  You can anticipate the kind of content (video, photograph,blog post, landing page, worksheet or ebook) you will need to support each of your themes.     What should your content calendar look like?  You can find an example here or download our worksheet and create your own. 

When it comes to your website there is always something new.  A new feature or tool.  This week we share some of our favorite web enhancements, things you can do to improve the functionality and user experience of your website.    If you enjoy the podcast, consider downloading our white paper on this same topic for even more suggestions. .  

When it comes to your product or service, who are the influencers? Who will others look to when they need help deciding what to buy?  Do you have a specific plan to get these people on board to help you market your product? Allison and Lorraine discuss who is and isn’t an influencer, and how to reach out to these critical word-of-mouth marketers.

While the big social networks of Facbook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google + get lots of attention, there is a vast "underground" or private internet that bypasses these platforms completely. Increasingly, we're seeing a shift away from the kind of mass broadcast social media that has dominated for so long toward a smaller, more intimate social experience. While this shift was lead by younger adults and teens, it is now spreading as all users are recognizing that not everyone needs to know everything about you. As a user, I think this healthy; as a business owner, it presents real challenges. If people are fleeing Facebook, how do you connect with them socially? This week, we talk about this growing trend, and how you as a business owner can stay one step head. In addition to the broadcast, check out Allison's blog post on the

For businesses which have formed in the era of the internet, we have grown accustomed to getting our tools for free.  But things are changing.  Innovative tech firms have discovered that building a sustainable business requires a revenue model built on finding ways to get users, visitors and community members to pay for some or all of the services they receive.    It is going to be more expensive for small businesses, but Lorraine and Allison are actually in favor of the decline of free software. Listen now to discover why  

Does your brand really need to have an opinion on everything?  We don't think so.   For example why exactly did the childhood favorite brand of canned spaghetti feel the need to comment on the 72nd anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor? Was their content relevant or even remotely touching?     Actually no, and the negative backlash from the social media community probably left them wondering why they ever thought it might be a good idea.    

After having spent several years building a strong Facebook community, it is frustrating to see posts with visibility to less than 10% of our community. That is no accident says Facebook as they look to increase advertising revenues.     Want more people to see your updates?  Well then you need to advertise. 

When you're busy (which, let's face it, is always), it's so easy to let a week slide by without writing any new content for your blog or responding to content sent over by your marketing company. It's understandable, but in order to have great content marketing, you've got to be consistent. In this week's marketing podcast, we discuss how to keep up with content marketing even when life's crazy. 

More than just marketing hype, your brand position statement is about creating an impression of your company in the mind of your prospective customer.  It is the basis on which all your other marketing should be built.  A positioning statement contains the following elements: Description of the target customer Benefits sought by the target customer to solve a specific problem Your unique solution   This week we kick around examples of good and bad position statements.  

Word of mouth has always been a powerful way to build your business.  Even in the age of the internet it still is. The difference?  The words are now being shared on line on referral sites like Yelp and Google+.     Are you taking advantage of the tools at your disposal?  You should be.   

What if you threw a party and no one came? These days with the internet, and especially social media that is highly unlikely. You can use your website to house event information, send email invitations, invite people to register online and share their experiences real-time.      In this episode, we look at how do you harness all these resources to really create positive buzz for your event.   For more on this topic, check out blog posts on Roundpeg.biz

Build a brand by not talking about your product? Done well, that strategy is not as crazy as it sounds, especially if you are trying to appeal to the Millennial generation. Chipotle has done just that by focusing their advertising, not on the product, but on their commitment to sustainable farming and more healthy natural foods.    This strategy has delivered tasty bottom line results and strong growth. What can your business learn from Chipotle?  Listen now and find out.   

JC Penny has been in business for 100 years.  Cleraly they did a lot of things right over the years to stay in business as other retailers have come and gone.  But these days, they are struggling as they try to be something they are not.    What would you do to turn the situation around?  Well Allison and Lorraine certainly have some ideas for them. 

English is not a static language. New words, phrases and grammar rules are added all the time. In this episode we talk about why  we  must, evolve along with the beautiful, messy English to create effective marketing    More on this topic can be found here: http://www.roundpeg.biz/2013/09/grammar-rules-change-deal/

The economy cycles up and it cycles down.  Learning to roll with the punches is part of running a successful business. This week we talk about things a business owner should be doing as we head into a sluggish 4th quarter.  For more on this topic go to: http://www.roundpeg.biz/2013/08/small-businesses-and-the-economy/

While we love it when companies outsource their marketing to us, sometimes the best decision is for them to bring on a staff member.  Trying to decide what is right for you?  This conversation might help