Why Seasonal Menus Are So Effective (& How to Use This Strategy for Your Business)

Posted on April 23, 2013 by

Why Seasonal Menus Are So Effective

It happens without fail: as the seasons change, so do restaurant menus. We experience this firsthand when we go out to eat, but we also see evidence of this with TV commercials that some of the big chain restaurants release. And now, thanks to social media, smaller players—those favorite restaurants of yours that have a social media presence on places like Facebook—are also taking advantage of the marketing boost that comes from promoting seasonal menu changes.

Here’s why seasonal menus are effective (and how you can leverage the magic in your own business).

1. Seasonal menus capitalize on the “Look, something new and shiny!” concept. If you keep talking about the same old boring services and products, in the same way, day after day, year after year, well, you know that’s not necessarily going to light a fire under your prospects and customers. But by launching something “new” every quarter or so, you give people a reason to give your business a second look.
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5 Signs You’re Overthinking Your Marketing

Posted on April 18, 2013 by

Small Business Marketing Tips You Can Use Today

5 Signs You’re Overthinking Your Marketing

You want to make the right decisions when it comes to your website, your email newsletter, and the copy you’re going to use on the packaging for your new product. You want your marketing to shine because, after all, it’s a reflection of your company. In essence, you want things to be perfect—or, at least, you’d like to strive for perfection.

However, somewhere between “we need to get this done” and the pursuit of perfection, things fall apart. You start questioning whether your tagline is strong enough. You start wondering if you should change your website from three columns to two. You start tinkering with the copy for the new product packaging, changing a word here and there, a sentence or two, and then throwing it out and starting all over again. Sound familiar? It happens. So how do you know when you’re being productive or when you’ve reached the point of “overthinking”? Here are 5 signs.

1. Your marketing has completely stalled. This is the biggest red flag that you’re overthinking things. If you’ve gotten to a point where you’re overwhelmed by everything marketing related and/or you’re unsure of what to do next, even when it comes to basic decisions, you’re likely overthinking things.

What to do about it: There’s a good chance you’re either too close to your marketing or that you’ve taken on too many of the marketing responsibilities. When you’re too close to your marketing, it’s easy to forget about the big picture and, instead, to obsess over and sweat the small stuff. For example, if you’re questioning something like the font style in an email newsletter, stop and ask yourself if the font is going to affect sales. The answer is “probably not.” Is the font readable? Is it a standard font that most people can read on their computers and devices? Then it’s good enough for now. Don’t obsess. Hit send. If you allow enough of these situations to build up, suddenly your marketing will stall.
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Creating “Virtual” Thought Leaders: How to Use Quora for Business

Posted on April 16, 2013 by

Creating “Virtual” Thought Leaders

We’ve been hearing so much about Quora lately that we wanted to learn more about it. So we did the research on this cool platform so you don’t have to. Here’s what you need to know, and here’s how it can help you position yourself as a thought leader.

Q: What, exactly, is Quora?

A: Here’s how we describe it: It’s one big giant Q&A party. Post a question. Get answers, quoraoften thoughtful and in depth ones, from people who (usually) have relevant expertise. Quora is a great place to receive information and to give information. And, yes, it’s free. That’s our take. Quora’s official description on its About page goes like this: “Quora’s mission is to share and grow the world’s knowledge.”

Q: How’s the learning curve?

A: If you’re familiar with other social media platforms and how they work (specifically Facebook, Twitter, and Google+), the learning curve isn’t that bad. Here are the basics: Continue reading →

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Stop! 7 Things You Should Never, Ever Do in Social Media

Posted on April 11, 2013 by

Social Media Crisis Management That You Need to Know

7 Things You Should Never Do in Social Media

Sometimes we all need common sense reminders on what we should—and shouldn’t—do or say on our social media accounts. Here are seven things you should never, ever do.

1. Never jump on board “trending” topics without investigating them first. You’ll see an actual list of trending topics on Twitter, but we’re also referring to anything that goes viral throughout social media, be it news stories, videos, etc.

It’s tempting to want to jump right in with a comment so that you can look current and relevant, but resist this temptation and make sure you understand what’s trending first. Ask yourself these questions: is the topic accurate or a hoax? For example, social media is famous for starting celebrity death rumors. Is the topic evolving quickly? This is true for breaking news, when lots of erroneous information is shared, simply because people don’t know all the facts. Is the topic controversial? We’re not saying you should never weigh in on a controversial topic—it depends on your brand, and you’ll need to make that call. But you should consider the pros and cons of doing so before making an offhand comment.

Want examples of brands and people who did not follow this advice? Continue reading →

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Case Study: Why Business Owners are Ditching Laptops for Tablets

Posted on April 9, 2013 by

We talk to five business owners and get their take on the laptop vs. tablet debate.

Laptop vs. Tablet Debate

Laptops vs. tablets. Tablets vs. laptops. Ever since Apple unveiled its iPad in 2010, it’s become a hotly contested debate. Way back in 2011, Mashable reported the Forrester prediction that tablet sales would eclipse PC sales by 2015. Today, some are even saying that tablets will outsell laptops this year. And advertising growth suggests that for many, tablets are the new PC.

Regardless of when it happens, the fact is that more and more people are turning to tablets, for pleasure and for business (or both).

We thought we’d ask some business owners why they made the switch, how they’re using the tablets to conduct business, and what advice they’d offer fellow business owners who are trying to decide between laptops and tablets. Continue reading →

Posted in Amsterdam Printing, Case Studies, Promotional Products, Small Business Marketing, Small Business Resource | Tagged | 2 Comments

Psst. When’s the Last Time You Checked Your Company’s Online Reputation?

Posted on April 4, 2013 by

How Your Business is Perceived Online Will Affect Sales – Here’s How to Manage Your Online Reputation

Your Company’s Online Reputation

It’s easy to think your company’s “online reputation” involves only your website and social media networks, like Facebook. But it goes WAY beyond that. Those are the places you see and likely monitor on a regular basis. What about all those other places where people might talk about you? We’re talking lesser known review sites, status updates by people who aren’t fans of your Facebook page, and blog posts by people you’ve never heard of. Do you monitor these? When’s the last time you did a vanity search in Google on your company’s name (and some of its key players)? What are your employees saying during their down time? This post isn’t meant to alarm you. Instead, it’s going to arm you with easy ways to keep tabs on what people are saying and how to manage your online reputation.

1. Set up Google Alerts. We love this free and easy-to-use tool from Google (you can read how to set up Google Alerts here). You can monitor your company’s name, the names of key players, and different brands of products/services. Any time these phrases are mentioned online, you’ll receive an alert via email. The beauty of this? It gives you back control: you can post comments (when appropriate) to articles, reach out to happy or unhappy customers, share positive news with your fan base, and get ahead of any negative stuff. Google Alerts also eliminates the need to do regular “vanity searches” on your name or your company name in Google.
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2-in-1 Promotional Products that Rock!

Posted on April 2, 2013 by

Get two fabulous promotional items for the price of one and WOW your customers and prospects

2-in-1 Promotional Products that Rock!

Since the value of promotional products depends on how useful the product is, we’d say that by choosing 2-in-1 products, you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck.  People who receive your promotional product have double the reasons to use yours (and plenty of incentive to avoid your competitors’ gifts). For example, if you offer a flashlight pen, there’s no need for someone to carry around your competitors’ pen, right? Your promo product has more value.

So let’s get to it: here are five of our favorite 2-in-1 promotional products.

1. Marcello Stylus Pen. It’s a stylus! It’s a pen! Oh, wait – it’s both! Enjoy the popular Marcello pen design…with a bonus! The polished silver barrel is also ergonomically designed for added comfort. You’ll find a pen on one end and a stylus on the other to help easily navigate screen devices. And, of course, there’s plenty of room for your custom logo or message.

marcello stylus pen

2. Phone Holder ‘n Screen Cleaner. Keep your phone safe and clean with this cool holder-and-cleaner combo. There are plenty of colors to choose from and oodles of space for your logo and custom message.
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Posted in Advertising, Amsterdam Printing, Branding, Customer Relations, Promotional Products, Small Business Marketing | Tagged | Comments Off