Who wants to improve their business and, in turn, make more money in 2011? Um, hello—everyone!
It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of actually doing what we’re paid to do that we forget the importance of marketing ourselves. That’s why my number one resolution is to devote time every day (well, at least, every week) to my business, whether it’s checking in with clients I haven’t heard from in a while, taking a class or reading trade articles to ensure I’m on top of news from my field, deciphering my Google Analytics, blogging, or anything else I can think of, CODYmcBURNETT Marketing by Design will get the attention it deserves.
For those of you resolving to better your business in 2011, I’ve compiled the following resolutions to help you stay on track. With a little effort, and maybe a little investment of time and/or funds, you can improve your business and make more money in 2011. Here’s how to start:
1. Brand Yourself Better
Does your email signature include your logo and a link to your website? Are you carrying well-designed business cards everywhere you go? Do you have a brand or just a business with a logo? If you’re happy with your branding, take it one step further this year and try something new, like a t-shirt (that you’d actually want to wear) that gets people to talk with you about what it is that you do. If you’re unhappy with your branding, maybe this is the year to rebrand. I offer rebranding packages that include strategy, so if that’s something you might want to try this year, get in touch.
2. Say ‘Thank You’ More Often
Send thank you emails. Send thank you cards. Send thank you gifts. Whatever you do, say “thanks a lot” a lot. Thank your clients. Thank the clients that get away. Thank the people who send business your way. Thank your sub-contractors. Thank your assistant. Thank the people that helped you get started. If you’re asking for something, start and end your correspondence with a thank you. Still not getting it? How abut this: When in doubt, say thank you. ‘Cause you can never say it too much and people appreciate it.
3. Blog Regularly… And Promote Your Posts!
New content gets new readers/followers. It gets people to your site. BUT: How are people going to find your new posts if you don’t promote them? Sign up for a Feedburner account, post your articles to your company’s Facebook wall, tweet them, and add them to your LinkedIn profile. Need help with this? Don’t know what to write about? Contact me—I can help.
4. Get Creative
No one stops to notice something that looks like everything else out there. If you want to stand out from the rest, get creative and try new things: a funny slogan, a custom holiday or thank you card for your clients, a new business card that’s also a sticker… Jazz it up and try something cool and creative in 2011!
5. Offer Incentives for Word-of-Mouth
Many of us rely heavily on word-of-mouth in our businesses. Why not offer your clients an added incentive to pass your name along? At the end of 2010, I let all my clients know that if they recommend me (and I get the gig), they get five hours of my time at 50% off. Happy customers can be our best advertisers and sometimes they might need a little reminder that you could use their help… And if they give it to you, you’ll appreciate it.
Bonus Resolution: Subscribe To My Feed For Tips And Tricks
I’m putting my money where my mouth is in 2011 and blogging, blogging, blogging. Sometimes I’ll write about current projects, sometimes design inspirations, and sometimes I’ll offer tutorials to help you manage your business and you website better. Like this article, and some of the following articles I’ve hand-picked to give you an idea of what you can find here, what I have to say can help you and your business, so do yourself a favor and subscribe to my feed and/or follow me on Twitter today.
Sample posts from the past month:
- How to Set Up Google Alerts… And Find Out Who’s Talking About You and Your Business
- Free Fonts: Where to Find Them and How to Install Them
- Designing a Stylish Logo and Website for a Stylist
- The Best Thank You Cards in Print and Online
Up-Coming Posts:
- How to Customize Your Email Signature to Include Your Logo and Links
- Sources for Affordable Art for Creative Inspiration at Home or at the Office
- Free Photo Editing Software Round-Up
- Make Your Own LCD Laptop/TV Cleaning Solution
- …And much, much more!
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