In all likelihood, the dramatic recession of 2008 and 2009 will continue into 2010, and no amount of government intervention is going to provide a cure. Instead, Americans will use their own independent spirit to dig us out of this economic mess through innovation and entrepreneurship. More and more of us are recognizing the iffy status of corporate employment and seeking ways to take ownership of our work life and future. Entrepreneurship is the best path to recovery, whether the startups are independent contractors or fast growing gazelles, or any size in between.
Historically, startups that are considered gazelles account for most of the growth in private sector employment and revenue in the US economy. These companies can be launched in just about any industry but are most commonly found in whatever field is the hottest at the time. In the 1990s, most gazelle firms were high-tech companies on the dotcom highway. Now, the most recent gazelle-like startups are in the petroleum industry. Still, these high impact firms can be developed from just about any viable business idea. The primary factor that sets the gazelles apart from the rest of the startup field is their overall efficiency – they generate for more revenue per employee than either traditional ventures or most other startups.
The average staff size of gazelle companies is around 50, and gazelle firms generally grow to that point very quickly relative to other startups. They typically are responsible for more than 85% of all job growth, though they represent only 2% of all businesses. They tend to be industry innovators that identify and exploit unique market opportunities. They move and change quickly and place significant focus on applying entrepreneurial fundamentals and creative thinking to streamline and revolutionize the way things are done in business.
Of course, not all startups can be gazelles – in fact 98% are not. But smaller startups make significant contributions as well, and the outcome of this recession is likely to see that impact be even greater. Small businesses employ millions, and every startup that begins with the intention for growth will build that security for a few to a few dozen workers. And, most economic development councils provide second-stage loans and grants to help existing businesses grow. Savvy entrepreneurs develop new markets (often international) and drive innovation through better processes of producing and delivering goods and services. In addition, small business owners tend to wield significant political and social power in their communities. Thus, those who join the ranks of entrepreneurship can and do influence the culture and social standards within their communities.
Many long-time cubicle workers will take this opportunity to strike out on their own as independent contractors as well. While these workers are not technically entrepreneurs, they still will be taking control of their work lives and creating a larger class of people willing and able to influence legislation and standards regarding the self-employed. Qualified independent contractors also provide a strong support base for the larger startups – bootstrapping …
If you are tired of using traditional marketing methods, try something new. You should be if you want to attract more customers. But have you given video marketing a shot? Now is your chance! You can reach broad groups of individuals in this way. These video marketing tips can help you see what to do.
Few marketing tactics are as effective as video clips. Have your customers send questions related to your products, select the best questions and answer them in your weekly video. Free giveaways can be incentive for the questions.
Optimizing your videos is key. When you upload videos to more than one site, you should have unique titles and descriptions for every one. You have to remember to place targeted keywords into these, as well. You should put in contact info so that people can get ahold of you.
If your video’s objective is pushing a product to the individuals watching, make certain that you include some hyperlink near the bottom of the frame or the page’s margin. The link ought to be embedded in the video itself. That way, the link will stay with the video if the video gets shared or embedded elsewhere.
Make sure you always have fresh, exciting content available so viewers come back often. Boring content does nothing except repel viewers, and that is not good for business. Leave your viewers waiting and wanting to see what you come up with next. The more interesting your content is, the more it will attract viewers.
Once you’ve collected data from statistics and comments on your videos, make another video! Put into practice what you’ve learned to improve the content and quality of your videos.
You can use a tripod in order to make your videos more effective. Don’t let your video be shaky and unsettling. Marketing material needs clean, steady shots. Most people just take a couple of seconds to decide if they will watch the rest of the video.
The key to success in video marketing is to share it as widely as possible. Email it to friends and family. Put a blog post onto your site, encouraging your viewers to share your videos. Let current customers know about it by sending an email message or other type of communication. Additionally, post your videos on Facebook, YouTube and other social media sites. Spread the message!
In most cases, it is best to keep videos brief. Your viewers’ attention will wander if your video rambles on. You can make one up to five minutes, but longer than that is really unnecessary. A great motto to follow is to keep things short and sweet.
To make your video marketing efforts successful, you have to make sure you’re real and above-board. Never have a hidden agenda. IF you want to sell your product tell them that. Monitoring and responding to comments is a great way to engage your customers. Establish networks with people in your niche and make it known you’re an expert, as well.…
The more you understand about network marketing, the greater the likelihood that your success will increase. So, try to adhere to the lessons in this article to improve your success.
You must visualize success if you are delving into network marketing. That may seem overly simple, but in network marketing, it’s important to be able to visualize the future. After all, your future network size has a lot to do with how successful you will be in this field. Positive creative visualization is an effective way to get you in the proper mindset for network marketing.
If you have unique qualities, anyone can be interested. People will choose what they want, but if you give them a good alternative they will often pick whatever it is that you have to offer.
Pencil in some time off to spend with friends and family. This will reduce your stress levels and maintain good relations. Starting up a business can mean long hours at the office, but they tend to ease up once you get a firm handle on things.
Email databases are the best ways to be successful with network marketing. A robust email list will keep your business expanding, whether you build it yourself by soliciting subscriptions online or purchase preexisting lists.
Study and know your product very well. Being passionate about the product will show when you are marketing it to others. People will also be more willing to join your downline if they see how passionate you are about your products. Learning about the product makes it easier to give honest, sincere reviews that your potential clients will appreciate.
Promote conversation among your network contacts. It is easier for you to promote your product, if you take the time to get to know your networking contacts. You now know what they need, what they want, what their fears and dreams are, and can market directly to them.
Focus on a short timescale to maximize success. Even though your bigger business plan may be three to five years out, you need to evaluate your network marketing activities on cycles no more than ninety days long. Achieving smaller goals within a long-term plan will give you valuable insight into what works and what doesn’t.
Sit down and set up a monthly budget to stick to. A budget is very important when developing a network marketing campaign. You must be able to afford to maintain your budget without taking any money away from your company for the first few months.
Pattern your strategy off of successful role models’ actions. Look to the organization’s leaders for inspiration and motivation. Watch their success and try to have the same approach and attitude. By mimicking the approaches and attitudes of these people, you will be able to rise to the top quickly. It is important to both learn from the mistakes we make, and also the successes that others achieve.
All of this wisdom you’ve learned in this article should improve your success. Your largest …
It’s important to stay up to date when you are advertising your business. Take full advantage of the potential of Facebook, since most individuals tend to use it. The following article will give you advice on using Facebook for your marketing campaign.
Sometimes, you need to post stuff about your brand other places besides your own page. If you are posting on a page that isn’t your own, it can gain you attention. Having said that, it’s crucial that this attention is desirable. You always want to keep your posting professional and a reflection of your business. Do not spam other pages.
If someone “likes” your page, give them something exclusive. Having a lot of likes brings attention to your page. You may want to offer a free giveaway to those who like your page. It could be a sweepstakes prize or something offered to everyone. If you give them something they like, they will probably not hesitate to “like” you.
Give your audience spots to sign up on the Facebook page. Giving your visitors some sort of prize for signing up or registering for a service is a great way to connect with them. You can hold a contest or a spot for them to put their information in.
Consider Facebook carefully when choosing a platform for marketing on social media. This network is extremely popular, but some age groups or subcultures prefer other sites. Do some research on the audience that you’re targeting so that you can figure out where they are getting their social media needs taken care of.
A group is a great idea for a company. This can be a one stop shop, a place where you can field questions and where customers can chat with each other. You can inform group members of special discounts and offer them all types of useful information. Another benefit of the group is finding out all about your customers feelings and needs.
It may be tough starting out in Facebook marketing. Incorporate a Facebook button onto your page. This way your customers can easily flit from one medium to the other without you having to be too “in their face” with promotion. After they like your page, you can inform them of new updates.
Become an authority in your field. Facebook offers a great place to become a leader within your niche. Look for every opportunity you can to answer questions and make comments related to the area of your expertise. That not only shows you’re the best, but introduces you to new customers.
Realize why you’re using a Facebook page. Don’t create a Facebook page just because it is the hip thing to do. Do you use your page to stay in touch with customers? Is it a means for them to communicate with you? Using Facebook to get your business to make more sales is quite different than using a page just to work with customers that are already buying from you.
Rather than assuming that …
To stay current with your competition, use social media to your advantage; many businesses do not do this. They don’t understand how much money they can make using social media. Successfully using social media can really help a business. You will gain some knowledge of how to begin your social marketing campaign.
No matter what content you are adding, make sure it is easy for your readers to see. Enticing titles or headlines cause readers to want to click on your content learn more about what you have to say.
If you want to maximize your social media efforts, make sure they all tie together through links. Add links to different sites and your blog where people can click on them to get to you on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. On Twitter, include in your profile a URL that links to your Facebook page and blog. When you come up with different types of links in social media, you help to generate a larger customer base.
Include on the upper right hand portion of your Facebook page a “like box.” This lets people “like” you for Facebook. If it is easy to find and prominent on the front page, people will not need to look around. The easier it is to do for you, the better it will be for you.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your social media presence. You will need to slowly build a following, so don’t expect massive results overnight. It has happened, but it is very unlikely that you will go to a viral state the instant you create your site. Your followers will increase as time goes on.
Successful social media marketing require you to respond to comments in a timely and professional manner. The same thing goes for reviews. This one aspect could prove the factor that spares your campaign total failure in lieu of resounding success. You must respond when you get a negative comment or review. If you ignore negative comments, it can hurt your business’ reputation. However, a fast and proper response can actually make you look good, because it shows you care.
Syndication of content is built into Facebook through feeds, making it easy for followers to share your posts. If an individual makes a comment on your post, all their friends will see a mention of this in their feed. Find ways to encourage the readers to interact to help gain exposure.
When working with social media to promote your business, it is crucial you work your promotions into as many social media outlets as possible. Although Facebook is possibly the most effective and popular social media site, Twitter and Myspace can be effective too. The more your business is out there, the more chances of you being successful.
You now have a better understanding of some key things to consider regarding social media and advertising, and how to crush the competition. As the web continues to evolve, be sure to evolve when it …
It is very difficult sometimes to generate leads. How can you obtain new customers? Knowing the right way to generate new leads is important. Lead generation is key to your success, and the following article will show you how.
If you are advertising online, create landing pages for potential leads. A good landing page is one that a consumer expects to be brought to, and is targeted to the product you’re selling and what the person needs. This way customers get exactly the page they have been searching for. Get that tied in with your contact form and you can start building some leads.
Incentives to buy something can help you get real leads, because people may have specific interest in obtaining the extra perk. For instance, offering something people need anyway often steers them toward your pitch. Provide an additional incentive to choose you, and your lead base will explode.
Use case studies and consumer reviews as you try to generate more leads. Consumers will be more likely to give you some information or to buy your products when they’re given data that’s supportive. Utilize applicable research to support your claims and also provide real-life testimonials.
When you look at keywords to get leads, consider long-tailed keywords. Make certain that you use a minimal number of them that are highly specific to your business. Try some out, make necessary adjustments and look for those that are efficient in boosting traffic.
Check out online lead groups. These groups are helpful is the business you have is hyperlocal. For instance, while a certain person can’t assist you with a home pest problem, they can give your number to the person so that you can help out.
If you find yourself waiting on line with other people, then chat them up. You may find that you are speaking with a potential lead through just a friendly conversation. Don’t push your sales on them though, that can be very off-putting, especially if they aren’t that interested.
Make sure that you have a calendar set up. It is important to organize all of your leads and stay on top of them. Creating a schedule makes you come off as more professional and friendly. This also prevents you from making useless pitches to the same potential leads over and over.
Check each page on your site and make sure there is a clear call to action. People will need to understand how they can get your product. Be clear and concise. Don’t over-complicate things.
Without social media, your website is unlikely to draw leads. From Twitter to Facebook and all of the ones in between, they can help you find new leads. Make sure that you change your lead generating strategies from time to time, to ensure that you understand what is working and what does not.
This article has helped you generate more leads for your company. Quality leads will ensure that you are profitable. You should now understand how it works, and what …
To maximize the amount of money you make from email marketing, be sure to customize your campaigns to different customer needs. When you target the needs of each type of person your message comes across more clear. This article will help you reach a wider range of audiences through email marketing.
Know who your audience is. After you have accumulated some readers, try to get them to pass the good news about you on to others. It is important to add a subscribe link to your emails. With any luck, people can forward it to friends that may be interested. This is a straightforward, ground-up approach to growth.
To get your customers excited about receiving emails, give away special discounts and offer limited promotions through your newsletters. This type of email marketing gives your customers an incentive to participate and they could also have the chance to refer friends. As a matter of fact, referral programs are great ways to grow your email base at the same time you are growing your customer base.
You should have people who would like to receive your emails double opt-in. This helps to ensure that the customer is legitimately interested in receiving your emails. It also helps to keep your business emails from being viewed as spam.
Do not send more than 1 email a week to your subscriber base. Most likely, your customers receive a bunch of messages a day. If you are sending too many emails, people will get annoyed and block these messages or unsubscribe from your list.
In general, don’t send important email marketing messages near holiday time frames. Many people will never even see your email because they will not be near their offices or their computers. Yet, there may be exceptions to this. For example, emails advertising a holiday sale or a Black Friday campaign will attract attention at almost any time.
It is important that your strategy is persistent. While you need to be persistent, it must be with the right customers or else it is not going to make that much of a difference. Persistence with the incorrect audience can annoy them and waste your time.
Always remember that as each day goes by, your subscribers will likely be viewing your messages on a mobile device or through a smartphone. These gadgets have lower resolutions than modern computer monitors, so you won’t have as much space to use. Understand the limitations that mobile devices have, and find ways to work around them.
You should not use images to convey your most important information. Most email clients today, especially web-based ones, will not properly display these images. This might mean that your emails are unpleasant to look out, or can’t be read at all, because of the images that they contain. Make sure that the most crucial information is readable and that images have alt tags.
It is critical that you incorporate a variety of methods to increase the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. By giving …