SMB marketing

It’s a common misconception in the promotional products industry that the best way to reach Millennials, and really the only way to reach modern customers, is by amping up your business’s online presence. In other words, if you build an online persona, the customers will come.

Or so they say.

With a full slate of industry trade shows coming up over the next few months, it’s important to know that the time and investment you’re putting into events will be worth your while. So, sorry folks: that means late nights partying with industry friends and then sleeping through the showroom floor is probably not the best strategy.

“Hi! Um, my name is Sam and I’m just calling to see if you’re interested in [click]” Ugh! Cold calling is the worst, right? It’s an unfortunate part of business, though, one that everyone must do at some point in their careers — especially if they are trying to sell promotional products to new customers. How else do you reach people beyond the ones you already know?

The 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games may be wrapping up over the next week, but for some promotional products companies, the benefits will be felt for months. This season’s competition, as is common with the games, has led to a boost in Olympics-branded merchandise sales.

It is important for business owners to stay current on the latest marketing trends, but that can be difficult if you are wearing many hats. It is especially hard when you realize that marketing is constantly changing and what worked at one time for your company might not be very effective today. Plus, there are always new tools and tactics to learn that could set you apart from the competition.

Typography is more than the font options in the drop-down menu of a Word document or the Adobe Creative Suite. There is far more complexity to each font that it is important to know before you make selections for your small business or your customers. Typefaces have personality and can evoke emotion and even inspire potential customers.

You may have asked this question when considering your own company’s branding. Certainly, several major corporations have invested a great deal of time and energy in selecting typefaces.

For years people have talked about the sweeping changes of the digital age. Information technology is seen as a force that would transform everything . . . and it has! Thanks to advances in software, the microchip, social media and cloud technology, we can be "plugged in" and communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world within seconds.

Have you heard of the "engagement economy"? It’s the idea that engaging a customer, rather than just selling products, has become more critical for large brands as was well as small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).