Marketing

  • Key Branding Essentials

    Branding Branding your business helps you develop a relationship with your potential and current customers by helping them understand your business’s personality, products and/or services. By developing a brand that people feel they know and understand, you can start to compete with other businesses in a whole new way. You can compete based on the essential value of your products and services rather than simply the cost of them.

     

    You have many different types of tools that you can use for branding your business. Some obvious and some not so obvious.

    • Business cards
    • Brochures
    • T-Shirts
    • Mugs
    • Sample Products
    • The business itself if it’s a bricks and mortar business (how it’s decorated),
    • Your Pricing Structure
    • Customer Service Style
    • Even your contract can be a branding tool in your business.
    • While some of these tools aren’t as obvious as others, they are all evoke feelings about your business in the customer.

     

    All of these tools need to have a consistent style to them. By being consistent across all of the tools that you can use to brand your business, you will increase your brand image even more. Your brand has a core value to your entire business. It helps people understand what you do, how you do it, why you do it and will bring feelings of goodwill (or bad) to your clients or potential clients.

     

    One of the branding tools that is most useful is your website. Often times when a business that has been around awhile decides to build a website, the owners get carried away and forget that they already have an established brand. Unless you want to re-brand yourself, essentially starting from scratch as a new business, it is best if you carry forth the brand you’ve already created into your web design.

     

    BrandingAfter all, it takes time to develop a brand. You don’t want to confuse your current customers and catch them off guard by changing your image in their minds. After all, a customer’s belief in your brand can change on a dime if you’re not careful. You could lose customers, and we all know that keeping customers is one of the best marketing methods there is. Getting a new customer is much more expensive.

     

    Your website, if designed well, can evoke the same feelings in new and old customers alike. Using your website to tell your story and expand your reach is an excellent use of the marketing tool, but it’s not a time to switch it all up and change everything. Instead look at the colors, images, and feelings you evoke now with the marketing collateral that you have and pull it in to your web design. Sometimes just using the same logos, the same colors, and the same font can go far in bringing the look and feel of your brand to the web.

     

    Consider allowing your customers to tell their story about your brand. Your website is an excellent place to bring in customer testimonials, whether written or in video. Who is better at explaining your brand to others than people who already know you? By expanding your brand using consistent design practices across all your marketing media, you’ll be able to engage clients and potential clients in a new way – without reinventing the wheel.

     

    Need help with your branding? Contact me today for a private coaching session.

     

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  • Hyperlocal Marketing and Its Benefits to Your Business

    Hyperlocal MarketingMarketing your business locally is clearly important to your bottom line. Hyperlocal marketing addresses just that. By definition it is focused marketing that targets a community within a local geographic area with the hopes of creating repeat business.

     

    To be successful with this type of marketing it is important to first develop a plan by getting to know your target audience, finding more than one marketing channel that works, and then you can rinse and repeat.

     

    So let’s talk about five hyperlocal options to market your business:

     

    Newspaper/Magazine Advertising

    Not only can you advertise in your local publication; you can also use your local paper to participate with your community.

     

    Event announcements, promotions, or anything special in the paper related to your target market can provide you with a way to initiate communications by simply dropping them a note of congratulations.

     

    Event Sponsoring

    Whether it’s a charity or a business event, step up and sponsor something. You can do this via the chamber of commerce or a charity, and you won’t regret it. Whether it’s hosting the entire event or buying up one table for your business associates, your name will get out there.

     

    Sponsoring speakers who are not competitors but are in a complimentary business can also be a way for you to have an opportunity to address a live audience of potential clients. I have personally found this a successful model.

     

    Local Networking Groups

    Check Meetup.com for local networking groups that consist of your target audience, or local businesses who service your target audience. Then participate fully so that you become a known expert in your niche. Be a presenter. You could even start your own group.

     

    Check out my post on networking.

     

    Personal Networking

    Never underestimate the power of personal networking. Call on your friends, family, and community to promote your business every chance you can. Definitely practice gratitude in return, by doing a great job for the clients they recommend, maybe offering a restaurant gift card or just a heartfelt thank you. And if they have a business, maybe you can return the favor.

     

    The Follow-Up

    This is something, believe it or not, that many small business owners do very poorly. I see it all the time. They meet people at events, or get a phone call from a contact, and then do not follow up. This is a big mistake. Follow up no matter what. Even if someone turns out not to be a fit for your business, you might be able to connect them with someone else, and they won’t forget you.

     

    Check out my post about following up. 

     

    hyperlocal marketingAnother thing to consider is someone else’s rolodex could be an opportunity for you to meet someone that you may not have been able to. You know that seven degrees of separation. If your community is smaller that could be even less.

     

    By putting these hyperlocal marketing resources into practice you’ll increase your business, improve your reputation, and develop a local following that will be loyal and profitable. Believe me I have personally seen this work for my own business as well as others.

     

    Using these local methods in conjunction with blogs, websites, social media and more will keep your business at the top of people’s minds in your local community.

     

    Remember that with any of these methods it’s important to repeat each technique more than once. No marketing works in a one-off manner. All marketing needs to be done multiple times to be effective. It must be repeated, tested, and done again. Always keep testing your methods, do more of what is working, and less of what doesn’t work and stay consistent.

     

    Hyperlocal marketing benefits not only your own business but also your community. By keeping dollars local and business local, tax dollars stay in your area. Not only that – building a local community interested in what you offer just feels great because you’re contributing to the local economy in terms of jobs, taxes, and more.

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  • What You Need to Know for Your Website Design

    website development

     

    When you first start out creating your website, or talking to a company like ours to develop one for you you’re going to have to stop and ask yourself, “What is the purpose of your website?” If you don’t know, it’s hard to create the website because without a purpose it’s impossible to get started. Not only that, it’s hard to use your website the right way if you don’t even know why you have it.

     

     

    Do You Want a Niche Affiliate Website?

     

     

    This is generally like an authority or expert website that is devoted to promoting someone else’s products or services using the code that they provide. This type of site requires the ability to place a lot of content and information on it, as well as a lead capturing service like AWeber.com, and it needs to be devoted specifically to the niche you want to support. It’s a lot like an authority website except it will promote other people’s products or services.

     

     

    Do You Want to Sell Products or Services?

     

     

    If this is the point of your website, then you’ll need an e-commerce website. It will need shopping cart technology, the proper security, the right type of server capacity, and a way to pull traffic and handle leads that don’t purchase right away. Knowing up front that you want to sell products or services directly from your site will help you explain to a web designer what you need.

     

     

    Do You Want to Generate Leads?

     

     

    Building a lead-generating website requires a little less technology than the e-commerce site, but it still requires such things as an autoresponder, special landing pages, attractive design and keyword-rich content that is devoted to educating the audience and collecting names to market to later (usually via an autoresponder system like AWeber.com or MailChimp.com).

     

    website development

     

    Do You Want an Authority Website?

     

     

    Many experts like to establish their online presence by creating an authority website. Usually they will fill the site with articles, blog posts, and information relating to their specific niche as well as possibly a portfolio and links to other work they’ve done that establishes their expertise more fully. This website basically requires the same technology as the lead-generating site, but it will be set up in a more personal way with the expert as the center of the website.

     

     

    Do You Want a Locally or Nationally Focused Website?

     

     

    Another important factor in considering the purpose of your site is whether you want to attract a local or national audience? If you have a local business where all of your foot traffic will come from people passing through or who live in your city, then of course you want a locally focused site. If you have a business that can be recognized nationally such as being an author, or selling products online, then you want to focus your website nationally. There are a lot of differences to the two that need to be understood before getting started.

     

     

    The makeup of your site also has many characteristics that are always important, regardless of the purpose. All need a lead capturing system with an autoresponder like AWeber.com and all need to have a beautiful and responsive design. But they each have their own purpose that needs to be clear when someone visits the site. Knowing your purpose will increase the marketability of your website exponentially. After reading this, do you know the purpose of your website? If not, contact me and I would be glad to help you figure out what direction to take.

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  • How to Achieve Results with Blogging

    Creating a blog to attract traffic to your website, products and services is a must in today’s competitive online marketing space. Blog postings are probably the most important part of your content marketing campaign.

     

    The content from each blog post will attract, inform, engage, and compel your readers to act contributing to achieving your goals. To get the most from each blog post and to maximize results from blog postings it’s important to consider all the factors that go into making a result achieving blog post.

     

    audience

     

    Know Your Audience

     

    Who are you writing the post for? You’re not writing it for search engines, you’re writing it for people. If you know your audience, you’ll be able to formulate better blog posts.

     

    Know Your Purpose

     

    What is the purpose of the blog post? Is it to get people to buy something, to take a certain course, or to join your mailing list? Whatever the purpose don’t water it down by having more than one purpose.

     

    Add Value

     

    The reader should finish your blog post feeling like they accomplished something more than wasting time. They should feel more educated, more knowledgeable and informed than before they clicked through. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about them!

     

    visual element

    Include a Visual Element

    Putting images or videos in your blog post will make it a lot more interesting to the reader. For instance, if your blog post is a tutorial, having video and images to back up the “how to” aspects will make it even better.

     

    Include a CTA

     

    Never write a single post without including a call to action (CTA), if you know your purpose the CTA should be a simple addition to the blog post. If you don’t ask your audience to do something, they’ll do nothing.

     

    Integrate Social Media

     

    Your readers should easily be able to share your blog post with their friends and connections by using the social media links on your blog post. In addition, you should always share every single blog post with relevant social media accounts and groups. Don’t just post a link either, post a description, ask for people to go read it, and ask for comments.

     

    Send It to Your List

     

    Every blog post you make should also be sent to your relevant email lists as a reminder to go read your blog. Ask your list to share your blog post with others. It’s a great way to get others involved in promoting an important post.

     

    The days of throwing up any keyword rich content are over. Today, readers expect to get value out of blog posts. Do include keywords, but realize that it’s going to take more than keywords to get readers to stick around and read what you have to say. In addition, readers want to converse about the blog post. By making it open for comments and discussion you’ll create more opportunity for more people to see your blog post and act on the CTA.

     

    If you like what I blog about why not become part of my community? Use our easy sign up form next to this blog post plus get a valuable gift for signing up.

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  • 11 Ways to Include QR Codes within Your Business

    QR ReaderIf you have a smart phone then you probably have an app that converts QR codes known as a reader. This reader converts the QR code so that you can obtain the information that is stored. If the information stores a website then you are taken to that web address. If it contains text then you will automatically see it.

     

    So exactly what is a QR code? Well QR stands for quick response and it’s a two-dimensional barcode that can be printed and displayed in a variety of locations to help drive prospects to online resources. When used properly, they can enhance your marketing campaigns and increase brand awareness.

     

    When using QR codes remember that codes need to be located where they will get the most targeted action. If you’re targeting surfers, you’ll want your code placed where surfers will see it. Here are some placement locations that you may find useful in your business. 

     

    Magazines and Newspapers – When purchasing advertising in newspapers and magazines include a QR code for special offers, coupons or other promotions. If contributing an article, use a code to direct readers to your website author page.

     

    Storefronts – Windows and flat storefronts are ideal for placing QR codes. Hang a poster or self-sticking windows cling to announce store hours, customer service information and more. In-store signage and displays can be used for this as well.

     

    Product Packaging – What could be easier for consumers than having direct access to your support center right on the product packaging? A QR code can give them this. In addition, you can use codes to direct consumers to online resources such as product manuals, information on medications, instructional videos and even coupon discounts on their next order.

     

    Business Cards – Business cards are small so you can only include your basic information. With a QR code you can expand the details by linking to your website.

     

    Conferences, Tradeshows & Meet-up Material – There is so much information available at these events that it’s hard to carry everything.  Include a QR code in your display, freebies, banners, cocktail napkins and even your ID/Name Tag so prospects can retrieve your contact details easily.

     

    Instructional Manuals – Include customer support location and hours. You could also use a QR code to send people to an FAQ or web page for training tutorials.

     

    Receipts & Event Tickets – Receipts are perfect places to include a QR code for discounts on their next order. Include them on event tickets to send customers to your calendar of upcoming events.

     

    QR Codes

    ID Tags – Animal care facilities as well as pet owners can put QR codes on a pet’s ID tag. Daycares, parents and anyone working with children can add them to the child’s backpack or coat so your contact information is immediately available in case emergency. They can also be added to flyers you hang up if a pet or child goes missing.

     

    Stickers & Temporary Tattoos – Schools, scouts, youth groups and other organizations who regular take groups of children on outings can give each child a sticker or temporary tattoo encoded with a QR code so your organization can quickly be contacted if they get lost.

     

    Promotional Items & Gifts – From mouse pads to t-shirts, anything you are giving away that has a flat scannable surface can have a QR code. Include one to promote your products, services or offer a coupon for first-time buyers.

     

    Post Cards, Gift Cards & Greeting Cards – Include a QR code for free access to a digital product for your client.  Offer a code for discount on their next order. Use them to direct prospects to sign up for a free gift or to view your sales items.

     

    Maps, calendars, brochures, take-home menus and yard signage also make great places to add QR codes. 

     

    While not all of these will work for every business, there are sure to be some that will work for yours. The goal is to supply additional information and to connect with your customers and prospects in a way that is easy for them. 

     

    Ready to design one? Here is a blog post from HubSpot that you might find helpful called “How to Make a QR code in 4 Quick Steps”.

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  • Ways to Market Your Niche

    Everyone is looking for an angle.  In business today, it is important to find the right way to reach your target customers.  One way to do that is to have a product that no one else is selling in quite that same way.  This is your niche.

    We are going to talk about marketing that niche.  You will have already done your homework and found out that this is a product or service that no one else has marketed up until now.  Check out other websites that sell similar products.  A list of these may be somewhere among your files from the time you researched to find the right niche.

    Use their examples as a starting point.  Inject some of your own creativity into the equation to expand on what they have already done.  It could be a matter of adding a few extra features to your website for customers.

    What about forums?  Business forums that deal with entrepreneurs who have made money with products similar to yours can give you hints about what works.  Since there is no direct competition, they’ll be willing to help you.  Use the forum to discuss your business and make contact with people who can add to your business knowledge.

    niche marketing

    Knowledge is the key.  When niche marketing, knowing everything about that product or service you want to offer is essential to making the whole business work.  Find out who would pay more for your specialized service and where those people are.  Knowing where they are will guide your marketing strategy for reaching them.

    What if you have found a product that no one has tapped yet?  It could be a rare book business or a special component in your product that makes it more valuable.  If the demand is there, acquiring those items would be worth the extra time, effort, and expense.

    Identify the places where your products will sell best.  You can promote the items on your website, but that is not the only place to market your wares.  What about a marketplace like eBay?  When you have found just the right niche, you can expand to increase your profits even more.

    What services would complement that product?  Additional services drive up the value of your product.  Take the time to cultivate these services and further cement the relationship with your existing clientele.

    Now that your product is selling, increase the field.  Global marketing of your niche is the ultimate.  Write expert content and submit it to magazines online and in print.  Let others know that you are the foremost authority on that product.

    What is your niche?  Are you doing everything that you know to do to promote that product or service?  Maybe the above suggestions will help you to fine-tune and expand your profits.  If you need more guidance contact me I can help.

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  • The Challenge of Keeping up with the Latest Marketing Trends

    Trends
    Staying on top of the latest marketing trends can present quite a challenge. I’m sure that if you have been in business for a while you are aware of that challenge. With that being said, there are a few ways that you can stay on top of the marketing game and make sure you are using the most up-to-date methods of marketing your business.

     

    As a business, it is essential to make your presence known. Keeping a professional website is the first step of course. Your website is the “storefront” for your business and this is what actually sets the tone for those that express an interest in your business and what you have to offer. Make sure your website is search engine optimized (SEO) and mobile friendly.

     

    Let’s look at some tactics that you can use that will help you know what marketing opportunities exist and how you can keep your business marketing one step ahead.

    trending

     

    Having a perfectly optimized website is awesome, but make sure you gain the right exposure. Here are some ways you can find out more about the latest and greatest marketing opportunities available for you and your business:

     

    • Visit Internet marketing forums and blogs.

    Interact with others in the community and read posts by others regarding marketing methods they have tried or those they intend to try. If you see a new opportunity that arises, take advantage of it if it works for your type of business.

     

    • Participate in conferences.

      This will allow you to meet other people, many of whom are right on top of the game. This is a great way to gain useful insight and information that will prove to be invaluable for you and your business.

     

    • Take time to network with other business marketers.

      Share information with others and gather information from those who are trying to do the same thing you are. This allows you to stay on top of the latest marketing trends, and extract information from others as to their experiences with certain methods.

     

    • Research is one of the most important actions you can take that will help you gain knowledge about current marketing trends.

      Put your research skills to use and find information about the newest marketing trends. If anything in life is certain, it’s the fact that marketing trends are always changing. Keeping up-to-date can really be like a rat race if you don’t do your homework and commit time and effort in keeping up with the changes presented into today’s marketing world.

     

    • Make yourself readily available for change. Be resilient and flexible.

      Don’t forget what the main goals of your business really are. Think outside the box. Those are all ways of motivating yourself to entire ownership of the actions you take in marketing your business.

     

    Your success really is based on your efforts in putting your business name right in front of your intended audience. Using the information given will give you the insight and knowledge you need in order to help you keep up with the latest marketing trends for your business.

     

    Don’t have time to keep up with the marketing trends and information out there? Outsource your marketing to us. We are a full service online marketing firm ready and able to help you with all your marketing pain points.

    Get Started

     

     

     

     

     

     

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  • 4 Tips on How to Use Your Blog to Build Your Email List

    One of the most important aspects of having an active blog is building your email list. You want almost everyone who visits your blog to feel compelled to sign up for your list. Your email list is one of the most powerful pieces of your online business. It allows you to have a closer relationship with your followers.

    So you need to think of your blog as a gateway to building your list which is essential. That’s why your blog needs to provide excellent, varied, regular and targeted content. Plus, don’t be shy, ask them to sign up. Make it apparent.

    4 Tips on How to Use Your Blog to Build Your Email List

    Excellent Content —

    For content to be excellent it has to be well-written, and targeted to a particular audience. Everything on your site needs to be accurate and above average from the normal site content such as your about page, to the rest of the content you put on your page from a blog post, to articles, to images and more.

    Tip: Get it edited, or hire a writer or VA, then you edit it. No one can write perfect content without editing. You also need to make sure that your voice is infused into everything you put out.

    Varied Content —

    If you put up the same form and type of content every week, people will get bored. Mix it up a bit and use slideshows, podcasts, video casts, eBooks, PDF downloads, apps and more. Your audience will be more excited to check out your content if they’re not sure what type it will be as long as it’s relevant to them.

    Tip: You can re-use content in one form and transfer it to the new form. A blog post can become a podcast, can become a videocast, and can become an infographic.

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    Regular Content —

    If you aren’t going to focus on putting up content on a regular basis, focus on at least 4 blog posts a month. By doing so, you’re going to get the bang for your buck you’re hoping to achieve. Shoot for at minimum 4 blog posts a month and you will reap the rewards with a bigger email list and higher targeted traffic that is ready to purchase from you.

    Tip: To be sure you have plenty of regular content, brainstorm in advance using a calendar so you know what you need before you sit down to write it or hire a writer.

    Call To Action —

    Never forget your call to action. If you want people to sign up for your email list, you need to ask them. Your email list is the lifeblood of your business. If you build a targeted list you can give yourself a raise whenever you want to by promoting a sale, promoting your new blog posts, and getting your audience involved in product creation. The key is to ask them to do what you want them to do.

    Tip: Make it a habit after every blog, podcast, videocast, and so forth to remind users of your newsletter and your other offerings. If they read all the way to the bottom, or listened all the way to the end, then they’re going to want to know more.

     

    Using your blog to build your email list is one of the easiest ways to get action and a good return on investment from your blog. Fill your blog with useful, original, credible and friendly blogs that speak directly to your audience and you’ll discover that being a blogger is profitable and fun.

     

     

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  • 3 Ways to Make Money with Your Blog



    Face it, the reason you want to be a great blogger is to grow your business and make more money, right? Of course, you do. In order to make money from your blog you will need to find ways to monetize your blog. If you do not offer anything for sale on your blog the money fairies will not automatically you give you money just because you’re an excellent blogger.

     

    You have to do things that enable you to earn money. You have many options but let’s just talk about three of them.

     

    • Your Own Products / Services

     

    One of the best ways to make the most money is to offer your own products and / or services. In order to know what type of products or services to sell to your audience you must know who your audience is, what problems they have that you can solve, and how much they can afford to pay. This requires a lot of market study, thought and consideration, but it’s the most profitable way to make money from your self-hosted blog. With your own products you can even get affiliates to help you sell them.

     

     

    • Advertising

    3 Ways to Make Money with Your Blog

    You can earn money placing advertising on your blog. You can work with a company, or you can work on getting the sponsors yourself. There are many options when it comes to placing advertisements on your site. The drawback to going with a company is that you are not usually in charge of which ads appear on your website and there could be cases where competitors’ ads appear. If you are in control of which ads appear, you’ll be better off. You want to be careful about sending your visitors off to other sites. Some ad networks do allow you to block some ads, and some don’t. Therefore check out each solution before signing up.

     

    • Affiliate Marketing

     

    Another really great way to make money from your blog is to find products and services that solve problems for your audience that someone else made. Once you find the product or service you market it on your site via textual ads, graphic ads, and by blogging about the product or service so that your audience understands what’s in it for them if they purchase what you are recommending. You can’t just put the link on your blog and expect them to click it and buy it; you need to talk about it in multiple ways: blog about it, promote it on social media, mention the product in a webinar or podcast, and so forth.

    As you see, there really isn’t just one way to make money. In fact you should choose more than one type of money making activity for your blog. You want to create multiple streams of income so that you are not just relying on one thing to make money. Within each category there are also multiple ideas from very low cost entry products, to very high cost one-on-one coaching and personal services that you can offer. Be very focused on the type of products you will offer your audience and you will earn money and become a profitable blogger.

    Need help with your blogging? If so, contact me I offer coaching for business blogging.

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  • Email Marketing Makes It Happen

    Email Marketing

    Opt-In Marketing

    One of the most valuable assets an online business can have is an opt-in list.  What’s this and how does it work?  We’re here to help!

     

    An opt-in marketing list is where a customer (or potential customer, but it’s most often somebody who has purchased something from your site) gets an option to include themselves in on an email list that your company sends out. 

     

    This is very different from spam, which is where unscrupulous business owners go “phishing” for random email addresses that they find on the Internet and relentlessly bombard these poor souls with emails.  Spam does nobody any good and basically ends up costing a business a lot of money and ends up irritating people.

    Opt-In Lists

     

    An opt-in list, though, is a brilliant for business because the people who receive your emails are actually interested in receiving them.  You can send to this list of people whoare interested in keeping in touch with your business by sending occasional emails and only when you have something of worth to say or offer – which can detail everything from the current goings-on of your business to deals and offers and promotions.  Many companies offer special promotions to those who join their opt-in list as an incentive to, well, opt in.

     

    Opt-in lists give customers who are interested in you your attention.  Even better, the effect of an opt-in list is entirely traceable, as if you start offering promotions through your list you’ll be able to tell how many of them get redeemed.  Opt-in lists are also another great way to get out more of that free expert content you offer, specially designed for those who wish to follow you.  Many smaller businesses offer Q and A sessions through their opt-in list, where followers can ask specific questions that can be answered through the general forum of your email.

    PromotionsEmail Marketing

    These lists are also the digitalequivalent to having “regulars” at a store and engaging them in casual chat.  Through an email list you can develop more intimate relationships with customers as compared to the normal “anonymous buyer” that hops into your site to pick up a few items, and then hops out without you knowing anything more about them other than what they bought. Close relationships with customers generate brand loyalty, which is a hot commodity.

     

    Want another bonus?  Email marketing can also be entirely free if you manage it yourself.  Even if you choose to outsource your email marketing or leave it to an employee to handle, it is much cheaper than print advertising because of how targeted it is.  Individual customers make specific requests, and you fill them by sending out the information direct to those who asked for it.  It’s a very simple, yet incredibly effective method of advertising that is guaranteed to optimize conversions and get people talking about you, particularly if you make your opt-in list a desirable deal to join.

    We are here to help you with your email marketing needs if you’re overwhelmed and need help. Contact us today!

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