There are so many new articles, books, profiles, and the like written each week that it’s impossible to keep up! But with our recommended reading, you can track some of the most important and most interesting news and ideas for small business owners today. Books: Many of the world’s most successful groups have been characterized…

Read This Article

Another Algorithm Update? Just in case you haven’t been checking your feed (what are you… on Twitter or something?), Facebook released their latest algorithm update a couple of weeks ago. Check out Mark Zuckerberg’s post about the update. But what does it all mean? Like many Facebook announcements, this one is extremely vague and lacks real substance…

Read This Article
Finding_Corporate_Sponsorship

Question: How should I approach potential sponsors for an event that seats about 550 people per month and reaches thousands through online marketing? Is there such thing as a sponsorship proposal form? If so, what type of information should be in there that would be intriguing to a sponsor? Each sponsorship opportunity will be different…

Read This Article

Brands don’t stay the same. They change and evolve over time, responding to both external and internal factors. Simms Jenkins of BrightWave Marketing says that his brand has been influenced by many of his team members, and evolved in very positive ways. “I’ve certainly been influenced a lot on our brand by our Creative Director…

Read This Article

If you think branding isn’t important for a B2B business, think again. In the past, a lot of B2B marketers didn’t pay as much attention to branding, but in today’s market where it’s easy for people to find you—and your competitors—branding is an essential way to capitalize on people’s attention and generate more business. “I…

Read This Article
The_Lost_Art_Hand_Written_Thank_You_Note_Ted_Jenkin_Oxygen_Financial

I’m really not sure why any of us get excited about going to get our mail anymore — we already know what’s in there. Here’s mine on average: three bills, five different types of nonsensical catalogs I didn’t order, and one incredibly bulky Val-Pak stuffed with coupons, sound familiar? Even the halfhearted effort of companies…

Read This Article

Finding new business is vitally necessary for every business. But as Simms Jenkins of BrightWave Marketing points out, businesses don’t always have to use the same formulaic approaches to finding and measuring those new customers. “The best way of attracting clients since Day 1 has always been word of mouth and referrals,” he says. “That’s…

Read This Article
The_Brand_of_You

Let’s talk about you for the next few minutes, about your “Personal Brand,” the “Brand of You.” There’s real value in identifying your personal brand, giving yourself a recognizable voice, and then leveraging it appropriately. It can be a very challenging, introspective, and yet rewarding process. We’re going to find out more about you, what…

Read This Article

Contrary to what you may have heard, direct mail is not dead as a marketing tool! In this session of the GSB TV Sales & Marketing Show, Chris Barnes talks about this tried-and-true marketing method, and discusses some of the reasons why it is still a viable strategy even in the 21st century, when everyone…

Read This Article

LinkedIn is one of the most important social media platforms for business professionals, with a huge audience focused on business. One of the best ways to increase engagement on the platform and get more likes and shares for your content is to be authentic. That means showing your personality, knowing your audience, and communicating plainly,…

Read This Article