As a small business, it’s tough to cut through the constant noise that bombards most consumers. So how do you get your audience’s attention without blowing your marketing budget? Text message marketing is a good option for small businesses. What is text message marketing and who should use it? Text message marketing, also called…
People LOVE free stuff, so using I should definitely use the word FREE in my emails, right? Wrong! Sure, some people go bonkers at the idea of free stuff, but using the word FREE in your emails – especially your email subject line – will land you in spam jail. Just a warning: trying to…
If you haven’t yet done your 2024 planning, this is your friendly reminder that taking the time to review your 2023 metrics is a good place to start. You likely have good idea of who your top customers are and what your best sellers are, but do you know what motivates someone to buy from…
Since COVID-19 came around, more and more businesses are seeking ways to do more business online. If that’s the case for you, it’s important to be aware of your choices when it comes to electronic payments. In this episode of 5 Business Rules, Monika and I cover 5 ways you can get paid online. Spend…
Many of us love the idea of passive income. The idea that you can literally make money while you sleep. This is a concept that is heavily promoted by many information marketers, who do a lot of what I call “selling the dream.” Everyone wants to make more money with less effort so many people…
Marketing automation is the process of leveraging technology to take over repetitive tasks that help create customers, and keep those customers engaged after their initial purchase. If you’ve been following along with our series on drip campaigns and sales funnels, you are already well on your way to understanding marketing automation. While most of our…
We all know that it’s easier to get additional sales from your existing customers than start from scratch with a new lead, so win-back campaigns should be a key piece of your marketing strategy. What is a win-back campaign? A win-back campaign is a strategy designed to get your customers excited about your company again.…
You may have heard that sales funnels provide a way to systematize your sales to help you move prospects through the sales cycle in order to become customers. If this has intrigued you but sounds a little complicated, we’re here to take away the mystery. A sales funnel is a series of messages that are designed to…
Lead magnets are incentives (read bribes) that offer up a specific piece of knowledge in exchange for a user’s contact info. Lead magnets are a great way to bring in leads off your website and kick start the sales funnel. Here are eight ideas on lead magnets you can use on your own site: 1.…
A sales funnel is a marketing term that refers to the process companies lead customers through when purchasing products. While most small business owners have a series a steps to move prospects through the buying process, a sales funnel brings a formal approach that defines the various phases of a client cycle. It also helps…
Most small business owners accept two types of payment: check or credit card. Some businesses still take cash and the occasional customer likes to set up an ACH or wire transfer. These are all standard types of payment that are easy to understand and account for. But they are no longer the only options. With…
I’m willing to bet you’ve heard of bitcoin, but you may be hard pressed to explain what it really is. Many people have vague ideas around bitcoin, but not every business owner is aware of how popular of a payment platform it’s becoming. In this episode of 5 Business Rules, Monika Jansen and I sat…