Real Rewards
The strategy of creating incentives for consumers to use, buy, share and talk about your product is not new. Gifts with purchase at the cosmetics counter, trading stamps that can be redeemed for prizes, frequent shopper points, coupons and two-for-one specials have been tried by merchants for decades as a way to get customers to use and reuse their products. In the age of social media, the latest iteration of reward programs, Klout Perks and Amex Rewards, are really just an extension of those same tactics. And some are better then others. A year ago, I was a really big fan of Klout and...
read moreThat’s A Wrap, Week Ending March 2
Another busy week at Roundpeg. We interviewed several potential summer interns, enjoyed the unseasonal weather on our bonus day and as always, we made the time to blog. If you were caught up in the beautiful weather and missed our thoughts, here’s a quick synopsis: Saturday – Leap! There is Water in the Pool Lorraine works best when her team has her back. Sunday – Small Business Owner Looking for Love We are looking for someone with fire, passion and real interest in what we do. Monday – Outsource Marketing: How to Get Ready Thinking you want to outsource...
read moreWho Are You Blogging For?
There are very few hard and fast rules to writing. Almost any rule someone wants to quote you can and has been broken by someone who’s a better writer than you can ever dream of being. But there’s one rule that’s fairly universal in any kind of writing: Know your audience. In blogging, understanding who your audience is and what their goals are for reading your material is one of the most important things you can do. Knowing your audience lets you better understand what kinds of things you should be writing about, how to phrase those stories and how you should promote them...
read moreManage Your Database, Strengthen Your Network
Today’s guest post is by my good friend, Hazel Walker. The most valuable thing you own is your database, to keep it valuable you have to treat it like a garden, constantly maintaining it. Adding people to it, updating contacts, and purging people from it. Just like a garden you need to take a few minutes each week and do some maintenance. It is also very important that your database be sortable. Clients, Contacts, Referral Sources, Family, Friends. I encourage my clients to categorize people using the VCP Model. Visibility – these are people you have a very weak relationship with....
read moreBrand Awareness is a Waste of Time
I never thought I would say this, but doing something just because it “builds brand awareness” is a waste of time. As a career marketing professional, I have spent years of my life helping companies build brand awareness, and now I am saying it is a waste of time? I am, with the following explanation: If building brand awareness is your end game, if you have no strategy to convert awareness to interest or purchase, it is a waste of time. If you have no plan beyond hoping someone will call you after they see your ad, you are wasting your money. Unfortunately, all too often that...
read moreOutsource Marketing: How To Get Ready
by Robby Slaughter Hey there, business owner. It’s time to take the plunge and outsource your marketing. You’ve allocated the budget to not only pay your outsourced marketing firm, but also to cover the expense of printing, mailing and perhaps even some advertising. You’ve reviewed the proposal and are about to sign the contracts. But what do you need to do to be truly ready to outsource marketing to a third party? Stop thinking about your new vendor as “outsourced marketing.” Instead, consider this team as customer advocates. They are going to be spending their...
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