3 Ways To Market Your Business That Don’t Involve The Internet

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Offline Marketing | 3 Ways To Market Your Business That Don't Involve The InternetWhen it comes to marketing your business, there are many ways to go about this. Whilst you may think that the internet is your only option (social media in particular), there are a variety of ways to make an impact offline, and you should actually cover more bases than just those on offer on the web. But what are these ways of marketing yourself, and how do you actually go about them? We’ve put together three simple ideas, for those looking to market themselves, without sending out a single Tweet. Well, maybe you can do all of these things, you know?

1. Speak at conferences and panel discussions

Whether you’ve been invited to talk at a conference of some sort, or a panel discussion, it’s definitely in the interest of your business to take up this opportunity. Not only does this give you a platform to talk to people that you may not have otherwise had the opportunity to connect with, but it also gives you a brief window period to convince people that your business would be useful to their lives. Sometimes, there is no better way to sell yourself than being in front of the people that may be interested in your services, so make the most of these opportunities. You’ll also meet other people in your field!

2. Keep business cards on you

Business cards have existed for ages, but a lot of professionals are still ensuring that they’ve got a few on them at all times. This is one of the key ways of offline marketing, so make sure that you order some professional business cards from a company that offers a good printing service. If you meet somebody at an event, or even somewhere totally unexpected, it doesn’t really look great if you just write your email down on a scrap of paper, and the person in question will forget who you are pretty quickly. Get some printed, and take a few out with you wherever you go.

3. Advertise on local radio

OK, we know what you’re thinking. Local radio? Who even listens to the radio anymore? But think about how many people commute in the mornings and evenings, and a lot of them do listen to the local channels. In fact, more people listen to the radio in the US than those who watch TV. There are many benefits of local radio ads, but one of them is that it isn’t as expensive as national radio, and it specifically targets your community. Sure, it may cost you a little more to put an ad out during busy times, but when you see the benefits that you get from this, you’ll be glad that you tried this offline method of marketing.

So, if you’re looking to market your business without using the internet, there are a variety of ways that you can do so. Some of these options include speaking at conferences, keeping business cards on you, and advertising on your local radio station. Good luck, and happy offline marketing!

Staging Your Independent Coffee Shop

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article | Business Startup| Staging Your Independent Coffee ShopIn 2018, the US coffee shop market grew to over $45 billion, with over 36,600 stores across the country. While a lot of stores belong to chained brands, such as Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts, more and more independent shops are carving a spot to call their own in a competitive market. Indeed, more and more coffee enthusiasts are looking for a unique experience with their favorite brew. There’s plenty of room for independent business owners to tap into the interests of an educated and savvy audience. But at the same time, it’s essential to provide the same level of service than your customer would get in a branded chain.

Too many independent coffee shop owners forget to prioritize their customer expectations as part of their decor. While an independent shop can be the stage in a more rustic approach, it doesn’t mean that you should miss on some essential factors, such as:

A menu that blows your customers away

Your customers have probably experienced the likes of Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and Tim Hortons before they’ve diversified their search for good coffee to include independent stores. As a result, they’re used to updated and modern visual displays when it comes to the menu. If you want to appeal to coffee amateurs, a digital signage would allow you to capture an image of each type of drinks, which can be useful – not everyone knows the difference between a Cortado and a Ristretto, for instance. Additionally, with the popularity of Veganuary, it’s impossible to ignore the impact of the vegan diet in everyday business. With customers demanding dairy-free alternatives to milk and vegan biscuits, you need to offer a diverse and inclusive selection of drinks and snacks.

Your interior says a lot about you

Your decor is your brand. It goes beyond the choice of furniture or colors. Ultimately, you need to find options that not only fit your budget but that also supports your vision. Creating a style that emphasizes the personality of your coffee while keeping your customers comfortable is significant. Independent shops prefer to focus their attention on reclaimed materials, which gives an eco-friendly finish. Additionally, using specialist materials on the wall, floor and ceiling can help to create a space that isn’t too loud – or that doesn’t sound too echoey which could be creepy for customers. Even though it is fashionable to create an atmospheric shop with dramatic lighting, do try to maximize natural light to make the room feel brighter and friendlier.

Go big online or don’t go at all

Last, but not least, you should seize every occasion to ask your customers how they like their #coffee. Indeed, Instagram is changing the way coffee shop promote their brands, encouraging bold creations and inspiring designs. The account @coffeeoprops, for instance, bring expert together to share their knowledge and passion around coffee, through artistic photos. There’s a lot of exciting ideas for you to learn how to make the most of each shot online by playing with the light, the colors and the contrast.

Independent coffee shops need to build a solid presence, in their premises and online, if they want to appeal to an audience of brew lovers. From offering practical solutions to introducing inclusive designs and menus, you need to make your shop everyone’s cup of tea… or coffee!

Business Politics Players – The Personal Power That Trumps All Others

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StrategyDriven Business Politics Players Article | The Personal Power That Trumps All OthersEach of the six personal powers commands a level of influence relative to the value it creates. (See StrategyDriven Business Politics Players – Influential Strength of Each Personal Power) Yet one of these powers trumps all others regardless of the situation. Consequently, extreme care and deliberation must be exercised when dealing with those possessing this power.

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Introduction to Business Proposals

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The business proposal is your key to winning work in whatever competitive marketplace you operate in. Get it wrong, no matter how solid the business or your idea, and you are unlikely to find partners or customers to work with.

Startups and entrepreneurs have found many ways to the stars and business success. But, the huge majority of them rely on the humble business plan to sell their idea and attract investment and interest. Once the company is up and running, the business proposal is used to win contracts, work or gain sales with clients or partners.

Talking the Right Proposal Language

There are several types of proposals including solicited (formally and informally) and unsolicited when reaching out to a company you wish to work with. This guide shows you how to write a perfect proposal. But before writing one, you need to understand that the key to success is to align your offer with their needs and play by their rules.

That’s easy enough when you are replying to a request for proposals (RFP), which is how much of the tech, business, government, and military world works. An RFP should have plenty of detail to base your proposal on. If you are responding to an RPF, ensure your proposal meets their style and responds to the key parts of their schedule.

Copy and pasting an old proposal, even a successful one, into their template is both lazy and likely lead to inaccuracies. Ensure dates and figures are accurate, in the right format and currency, and that you answer their questions first. Then dive into how you will solve their problem or meet their needs. If you don’t understand a question or detail, don’t be afraid to ask.

For informal or on-spec unsolicited proposals, you will need to do some digging to find out how your businesses can best work together, or how your products meet the need of the target. Look for previously published examples of RFPs or projects they have worked on, research any white papers or project blogs they have published, demonstrating in your proposal that you understand their needs and how your business can add value.

Even an unsolicited proposal should broadly follow the style of a typical response to an RFP, and maintain a total level of professionalism and detail.

Produce a Perfect Proposal

Any proposal needs to be based on realism. Even if there is plenty of competition, don’t go promising the moon with unrealistic deadlines or ludicrously low costs. That will only damage your own business, likely kill any possible relationship while giving your company a negative reputation.

When writing your proposal, start with key highlights from costs, dates, quality assurance providers and deliverables. Then, add in the detail of how your solution or work will benefit them, and, without diving into marketing spiel, how it can impress over the competition.

Finally, where possible, check who will be reading the proposal. If they have a social media presence or have written articles, keynoted events, or just talked at local business forums, read about them and get into their mindset and attune the proposal to that audience. They might be straight-talkers, like a bit of history or talk endlessly about figures.

Within the document, avoid dense text. Answer each question or explain your proposal in distinct segments. Reinforce them in the cover letter and any other parts of the proposal, saving anything that sounds like marketing (“our business is passionate about…” for the executive summary.

Finally, check the proposal a few times, get other people to read it, especially if you are a small company, and take on-board any advice. If you are working on your first few proposals, ask local business support groups to check them out, or see if they can recommend a friendly professional.

Finally, ensure it is sent digitally and by post (most RFPs expect this), and don’t bounce up and down expecting an instant response. The target company may get many proposals and take some time to weigh them up.

Understanding Marketing Jargon To Improve Your Business

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Most people don’t set out to start a business without hoping that it’s going to last. However, the mystery can be in trying to figure out the formula that will ensure your business doesn’t crash and burn within the first few years. The reality is, what it takes to keep a business going is dependent on a range of different factors. One of them is marketing as it’s the only way to get your brand in front of your target audience. In the world of marketing, there are several terms and phrases used that can be confusing for entrepreneurs and other professionals alike. On that note, keep reading to discover the meaning of common marketing jargon.

Business Blogging

The first marketing jargon that will be discussed is business blogging which you may have heard at least once. It is relatively self-explanatory as it refers to everything that blogging is but includes marketing strategies in the mix. It is different from regular blogging as it’s more than a hobby and is often used to drive sales in a business. The main goal of business blogging is to get your business a greater level of visibility online.

Network Marketing

Another term that you may have heard of but perhaps don’t quite understand is network marketing. This is essentially multilevel or a direct selling method where independent-agents distribute goods and services while simultaneously building and managing their own sales force by recruiting and training other agents. Toni Vans are a great example of individuals who have gained a level of success using this business model. It provides opportunities for people to earn at multiple levels and sales reps to recruit and develop their own teams.

Bottom of the Funnel

This refers to a stage of the buying process where leads are just about to close as new customers. As a practical example, they’ve likely identified a problem in their life, shopped around for potential solutions and have now come to the point of being close to buying. At this stage of the sales funnel, depending on the nature of the business they may decide to give the lead a call, demo, or free consultation.

B2B

When referring to interactions between two companies, it’s usually referred to as B2B or B to B. More specifically; it’s a form of transaction that takes place between two businesses such as a wholesaler and retailer. The main point is that it refers to business conducted between two companies as opposed to a company and individual customer. On the other hand, references made regarding business done between a company and customer is referred to as B2C.

Bounce Rate

When a website bounce rate is mentioned, there is usually a reference made to the percentage of people who come on one of your pages and leave without navigating or clicking on any other page. This is important information for anyone with a website as it gives them an indication of how customers are interacting with their website and hints to what needs improving. High bounce rates usually lead to poor conversion rates as people aren’t staying on the site long enough.