What Does it Take to be a Great Marketing Professional Today?

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Branding Your Business: Why and How to Get Started!

If you have a startup business, or one that is not doing as well as you'd like, it's time to kick your marketing and branding into gear and get things rolling! Effective marketing can jumpstart your traffic, pump up your revenue and skyrocket your profits. Many small business owners suffer from inertia-- they have no idea where to start, so they do nothing. Obviously, getting started is crucial, and doing it right is vital! Here is my simple three-step plan to get started branding and marketing YOU and YOUR business:

Local Marketing for Small Businesses

Do you have a brand-new business or one that needs some help in the marketing department?

Chances are, some local marketing would be helpful, regardless if your business is a mom and pop restaurant, a family-owned pressure washing business or a computer networking company. Because our world today is so small, some business owners overlook their own backyard. That is a big mistake!

We all know that people do business with other people that they like. Think about it--- if you walk into an establishment, and they are rude-- are you going to spend any money there? Chances are you will not, unless it's a government office like the DMV! On the other hand, if you get a warm welcome, and great service, won't you be inclined to return frequently? I love our local hardware store for this exact reason. Sure, I could go to one of the big stores and save a few pennies, but I prefer to give my business to the kind gentleman that finds me the exact doohickey I need.

Tweak Your Business's Social Marketing for 2013

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Because of the success of social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, it seems that a new site is launched every day. Some of these websites are very successful--- think Pinterest, Instagram and Google+. Other sites sometimes struggle to gain followers. After all, it is hard to draw people away from a site where all their friends hang out, unless something truly unique is being offered. 

The social media landscape today is not what it was a year ago. Who expected Google+ to shoot up so quickly in the rankings and overtake Twitter for the number 2 spot? The point is, we need to continually adapt to the changes that come our way and find new ways to capitalize on them for our businesses.