The Power of Online Communities

As a small business owner, I am always looking for affordable ways to promote my business in person and online.  I stumbled on a website this weekend called BrightTALK.com.  BrightTALK provides webinars and videos for professionals.  It is an amazing resource to share various business related ideas and knowledge across the globe from the comfort of your office.

This site is a powerful research tool where you can simply browse content as a viewer or get active by joining the community as a presenter by contributing videos and webinars.  You can search for topics within a variety of categories from human resources, IT, legal and many other areas of business.

A hot topic for so many these days is SEO (Search Engine Optimization).  Within seconds, I had over 7 dozen videos on this topic alone.  I stumbled on a recorded webinar that was hosted by Tina Stock of YP.com (formerly known as the yellowpages.com).  If you are looking for easy to understand tips on how to improve your websites SEO, I highly recommend watching this webinar, Practical Marketing: Get Customers to Know You & Hear Your Message  This is 1 of 5 webinars within a series that are designed to help Small Business owners make educated decisions.

A simple but effective tip featured in the video is to make sure your business is set up in as many business directories as possible.  Be sure to complete the profiles as much as possible and include a link back to your company website.  The top 5 business listing publishers are listed at the end of the video linked above. Many of these sites allow customers to leave feedback so be sure to check back and respond to any negative feedback that could left in a timely manner.

Leave a comment below with what you learn after watching the series!
 

The Great Summer Sale

Denielle Lue  |  dlue@stitchtomylue.com  |  (813) 789-5598

All prices and descriptions are subject to change without notice. If the price listed is different from the actual price or we feel that a different vendor is recommended, we will notify you before processing your order. All pricing shown is in US dollars. Total price is for merchandise only and is exclusive of any setup charges, shipping and duties charges, state/provincial required taxes, rush charges or any other additional charges which will be communicated prior to processing the order. Online catalog is available in English; for information in other languages, please email us at dlue@stitchtomylue.com.

Science of Persuasion 6 Shortcuts

Persuasion, defined as a process that changes attitudes, beliefs, opinions, or behaviors; may be the single most powerful skill in today's world.

Whether you are trying to persuade a customer to do business with you, persuade a friend to do you a favor or persuade your spouse to allow you to purchase that new luxury vehicle or SUV, your ability to persuade is critical.

So are you born with this ability or can it be learned.  Watch this video for 6 shortcuts to guide human behavior.

Check out http://www.influenceatwork.com for more tools on business success.

Do Promotional Products Really Make a Difference? Part 2

Generating New Business

Promotional products, or ad specialties, play an important role in generating new business.  The chart below shows the number of people that said they were likely to do business with an advertiser they hadn't previously used after receiving an item.

Items that had a higher than average impact on recipients and their decision to do business with new (to them) company are logo-ed outerwear (53%), USB drives (43%) and bag recipients (42%).

Shopping totes are a great items to create goodwill towards consumers and generate new business because people use them EVERYWHERE!  They can be imprinted on both sides and serve as a walking billboard at a fraction of the price.  Here is a simple tote that will fit into just about anyone's budget.

Contact us today, so we can find the right products for your company and budget!!  Don't forget to check back next Friday for Part 3!

Do Promotional Products Really Make a Difference? Part 1

Have you ever wondered if giving away free items to your customers or prospects make a difference?

In Part 1, we'll take a look at how ad specialty items (another term used for promotional products) make your customers feel.

Check out the chart below.  Just over 5,000 people were asked their opinions of companies who gave them a logo-ed item.  Over half (52%) of the time, ad specialties left a more favorable impression of the advertiser.

Outerwear and shirts make the most favorable impression with your customers.  One of my favorite and more useful items, is the USB drive.  Although it's quite convenient to attach a USB drive to your keychain, this drive can be easily stored in your wallet right next to your debit and credit cards!

Don't be discouraged from using pens or drinkware because they are on the bottom of the chart.  Take note that consumers still feel 42-47% better about the advertiser which still makes this an effective and very affordable option!

Based on the data above, don't delay!  Contact us today, so we can find the right products for your company and budget!!  Don't forget to check back next Friday for Part 2!

Survey data is from ASI 2012 Impression study.

3 Reasons You Should Consider Logo Wear

There are many reasons you should consider logo wear for your business.  If this is something you've considered but can't decide if you should move forward with the idea, here are three reasons to get started now!

1. Unity
2. Advertising
3. Recognition

Companies tend to run the smoothest when everyone feels like a part of the team.  Logo wear helps reinforce the team concept.  It also presents a unified look to the rest of the world.  It's very easy to determine who is a part of the team and who is not.

 Source: ASI Study conducted in 2008
 
Another great reason to consider logo wear is advertising!  Adding your logo to polo shirts or t-shirts is one of the most cost effective forms of advertising.  The average consumer keeps a promotional shirt for 8 months.  Compared to other forms of advertising (ie, TV, radio, mail, newspaper), promotional items have the lowest cost-per-impression.  Easily recognized logos are likely to stick in a potential customer's mind.  The more the logo is seen, the more it is remembered.  Promotional items, also known as Advertising Specialties, has an average cost of $0.004 per impression.


Although there are many other reasons to include logo wear in your advertising budget, the last reason listed above is recognition.  Logo wear makes a great reward!  Whether your company has just achieved a goal or you want to recognize an employee for years of service or an individual achievement, receiving recognition makes employees feel valued.  You can even give away themed shirts for a company event or at a trade show.

There are many options for logo wear which make it an easy item to include in your budget.  Whether you choose to screen print t-shirts, embroider dressier polos or explore other items, promotional products make a lasting impression with employees, clients and prospective clients!

What creative campaigns have you used in your business to increase your company's brand awareness?