Perhaps you’re new to social media – or maybe your social profiles and pages have been neglected. Don’t worry; you may be down, but you’re not out. Here are some simple steps to acquire your social legions. »

Like many Americans, I have made a conscious effort to be more responsible consumer. I’ve taken full advantage of our township’s single-stream recycling system, and find myself analyzing each piece of trash my household creates to search for something that can be recycled. I also try to research the companies I buy from, finding out how they produce their products, how they treat their employees, etc.  »

If you’re running a business with a local focus – restaurants, dental practices, law offices, and storage facilities are a few good examples – you should be focusing your efforts on marketing specifically within your geographic area. And keep in mind that the type of business you’re in will determine the size of the region you focus on: for example, someone may be willing to drive an hour to get to a great lawyer, but they’ll be unlikely to drive that far for pizza (even if it is THAT GOOD) »

On the surface it seems like such a simple question. But scratch just underneath and you’ll discover the reality can be much more complicated. So let’s examine the question about handing off your marketing to someone other than yourself. »

This is a loaded question, similar to 'how much should a house cost to build?' - it all depends. There’s an entire industry of freelancers and writing services that try to commoditize blog posts. Some charge by the post, or the total words, while others actually charge per word - with bumps for the quality of the writing. So it’s a difficult question to answer. »

As a designer and marketer I’m a strong believer that good design and branding translates into better positioning in the market. While it’s not the absolute necessity for success, it is a higher priority then some give credit. Good design can offer a leg up on competition and help foster trust in a fledgling business or startup.  »

In life – for people and businesses – first impressions are crucial. Studies repeatedly show people form positive or negative perceptions in mere milliseconds. So how your brand looks translates into how it’s perceived. Done well, your branding can give you a leg up; but done poorly and you’re doomed before you even start. »

Social media is great. But far too often we encounter clients that use it as their primary distribution source for their content. And well, that’s not generally a good idea. You lose control of your own content and what’s worse, its existence is fleeting.  »

Every entrepreneur has big dreams. It’s what motivates them to start a business. They want to make it big, to change the world, to get rich. Many do eventually. But if you talk to enough of them you’ll discover three commonalities. One; often their seemingly overnight success took years. Two; this wasn’t their first – in fact, they may have had others that failed. Three; success came when they found their niche market. »

Taking the time to pinpoint your competitors and get to know about them is a critical step in starting, and then growing, your business. Their successes can be an inspiration, and their failures an education. But you have to get to know them first. »