What’s the best way to reach entrepreneurs around the country without a sales force?
QUESTION:
I run a local business directory in The South Jersey area, started in 2005. We’re profitable, and now we’d like to expand by offering a franchise to entrepreneurs across the country. We envision offering the local rights county by county, so each franchise would encompass one county. Each franchise would be a one person or family operation. The only problem is that if you hire salespeople, they want benefits and a salary, so it’s been slow recruiting. The business can be very profitable if someone wants to work at it. What’s the best way to reach entrepreneurs around the country without a sales force? – Bob
LinkedIn Marketing Question – Seriously, How Different Are You?
Kristina Jaramillo
Lots of people are “different” these days. But are they really thought leaders?
1. In most cases, you can’t tell one coach, consultant or expert in a particular industry from another. They practically use the same language to describe themselves and what they do.
2. If you look at the articles on their blog and those they distribute within the different groups – you’ll notice that they provide the same old information as everyone else.
Now, look at your profile. Look at the content you provide. Now, take an even closer look. Then go into LinkedIn and view others in your industry.
Conversations with Today’s Movers and Shakers (part 2)
Alan Toman
by Alan Toman, author of The WOOF Factor
Clearly the greatest interest and the most activity are in all things mobile; it crosses all sectors. Here are just a few facts about mobile today:
- Amazon sold $1 billion worth of product through mobile in the last 12 months.
- Mobile ticketing is predicted to more than double by 2012 (from 2010 figures) to exceed $100 billion (based on gross transaction value). Mobile devices are being used for ticket purchases for all kinds of travel, entertainment and sports. Mobile ticketing is one of the main factors driving the growth of mobile commerce.
Using an eBook to Build Your Brand
Karen Leland
by Karen Leland at www.karenleland.com
By now almost everyone has heard of Amanda Hocking, the 26-year-old novelist who was rejected by dozens of New York publishing houses. Not one to give up, Hocking decided to go the entrepreneurial route and self published an eBook instead.
The results? She’s made more than US$1 million dollars to date and just sold the movie rights to one of her popular series. Oh and she also just penned a US$2 million deal for a four book series – with an old fashioned publishing house.
How do I market to homeowners?
QUESTION:
I want to market to homeowners in a specific town about my curbside recycling business. How should I go about this? The only thing I can think of is door hangers and standing on corners with signs. The town has rules about signs being put up. Any suggestions?
ANSWER:
by Naomi Kokubo, Cofounder of LavaMind
Here are 12 ideas on how you can reach home owners:
- You can mail flier to each home — if they won’t let you hang one on the door
How do I plan my Internet advertising budget for my startup?
QUESTION:
Can you please tell me how to plan an Internet advertising budget for my startup? Should it be a certain percentage of revenue?
ANSWER:
Naomi Kokubo
by Naomi Kokubo, Cofounder of Founders Space
First of all, your advertising budget should be determined by your goals. Is your goal to brand your product? Drive users to your website? Drive awareness? Drive sales? Also, how much money do you have to invest in advertising? It usually takes a while to optimize an advertising campaign and figure out exactly what works and what doesn’t.
What should I consider when putting together my online marketing campaign?
QUESTION:
What should I consider when putting together my online marketing campaign?
ANSWER:
Naomi Kokubo
by Naomi Kokubo, Cofounder of Founders Space
Start by taking a close look at your competitors. Where are they advertising? How are they advertising? The more you can learn about what’s working for them, the more time and money you will save when it comes to your own marketing campaign.
What’s the best way to find the right PR person?
Naomi Kokubo
QUESTION:
I created a humorous gift item that people can buy online. Who would be best to reach out to help me market my product? I really need PR help with this.
ANSWER:
by Naomi Kokubo, Cofounder of Founders Space
What you need are two different people:
1) Someone who is really good at getting distribution for all the online and retail outlets that sell your type of product.
How do I best market my new book?
QUESTION:
I have written The Las Vegas Showgirl Diet, and I need suggestions as to the best way to market it. I’ve sent out press kits and established a website. What’s the best way to locate individuals looking to lose weight? – Annoula Wylderich
ANSWER:
Obesity is at epidemic levels right now in the United States, so I don’t think you’ll have trouble finding people who want to lose weight. It’s just a matter of cutting through the noise. There are a million and one diet books on the market.
Here are a few ideas that might help…
How do I market to nonprofits?
QUESTION:
If you want to market to nonprofits and organizations that cater to teens or young adults, what would be the best avenue of getting all their attention, rather than going to each company separately?
ANSWER:
Naomi Kokubo
by Naomi Kokubo, Cofounder of Founders Space
I’m not familiar with all the nonprofits that cater to teens, but I’m sure there’s a network out there, and I’m positive they have conferences and websites where they exchange ideas and partner with one another.
Here’s what I’d suggest:
How do you find a good PR firm?
QUESTION:
How do you go about finding a really good PR firm? What should you look for?
ANSWER:
Naomi Kokubo
by Naomi Kokubo, Cofounder of Founders Space
There are a few good ways to find the right PR firm:
1) Ask people in your industry what PR firms they use and how satisfied they are. Ask everyone you know until you narrow it down to a few firms that come highly recommended. Then you can go meet with them and judge for yourself.
Is Twitter really worth my time as a marketing tool?
QUESTION:
I run a tech startup that does online inventory management. Does it really make sense for my company to use Twitter as a marketing tool? It seems like a lot of work to be tweeting all the time, and would anyone really care? Would they even read my tweets? And even if they did, would it translate into business? Bottom line is that I think my time could be better spent on building my business, or am I missing something?
ANSWER:
Captain Hoff
by Steve Hoffman, Cofounders of Founders Space
What are some good marketing strategies for an Internet startup?
QUESTION:
My company runs a social site focused on food. Any suggestions for good marketing strategies?
ANSWER:
Alex Salkever
by Alex Salkever, Journalist & Marketing Executive
First of all, recognize that you are in an extremely crowded space and that you need to do something to stand out. So crystallize exactly what is different or unique about your site/business into a one or two sentence statement. Then, work on your story. Without a strong story about how the site came about, its mission, where you hope to go, what your goals are, then it’s much harder to nail down a marketing strategy.
What’s more important, revenue or users?
QUESTION:
My startup has a site, and we need to get funding. What’s more important, revenue or users? Should we make our site free, and thereby gain more users, or should we start charging for the service and focus on revenue?
ANSWER:
Captain Hoff
by Steve Hoffman, Cofounder of Founders Space
Ultimately, revenue is always more important. That said, you need to look at your business and determine whether sacrificing revenue for accelerated user growth is a smart strategy.
Is Your Company Website Socially Optimized?
Nicholas de Wolff
by Nicholas de Wolff, founder of deW Process
I disagree with the contention that social media is “…just a plural term for any online vehicle that allows for, and encourages, interaction” (see one of my previous postings on Social media for details). Additionally, I predict that business websites will soon be far less crucial to a brand’s marketing strategy and market engagement than one might think (but more on that in a later post).
Think Community, Take Action
Nicholas de Wolff
by Nicholas de Wolff, founder of deW Process
The notion (and practice) of community driven consumer activity is, as with so many other things, cyclical.
For years, people lived in small microsocietal enclaves, relying on one another for word-of-mouth news and shopping recommendations, and sharing health and nutrition tips as they were discovered. Local gossip spread locally, and all was well in the Middle Ages.
As the world expanded, so did communities, becoming less microsocial, and more macrosocial. Urbanization supported mass technological, scientific, and industrial evolution, but at the cost – arguably – of social health. Social dynamics experienced a metamorphosis, from one reliant on group dynamics, to more individualized and self-centered ones.
Any advice on how to promote my iPhone app?
QUESTION:
My iPhone app is buried in the App Store. Any advice for founders like me who need to promote their iPhone apps but don’t know how.
ANSWER:
Okay, nearly every startup has an iPhone app. It’s almost a “must-have” as part of your business plan, even if you’re not a mobile company. With that in mind, I’ve hunted about for ways to promote these glorious iPhone apps we all have. Here are the results of my hard work…
First, I’ll mention some good places to get started:
- Tapjoy – pay them money, and they’ll get you downloads
Brainstorm Your Way From Commodity to Hot Property
Lyne Noella
By Lyne Noella, CEO of WavePlay LLC
Do you see frightening signs that your customers view your business as a commodity? Do your customers:
- Ask you to provide the same or more at a lower price?
- Insist on getting low-cost competitors into the mix?
- Show a lack of appreciation for your leadership and value?
Is Twitter really worth my time as a marketing tool?
QUESTION:
I run a tech startup that does online inventory management. Does it really make sense for my company to use Twitter as a marketing tool? It seems like a lot of work to be tweeting all the time, and would anyone really care? Would they even read my tweets? And even if they did, would it translate into business? Bottom line is that I think my time could be better spent on building my business, or am I missing something?
ANSWER:
Steve Hoffman
by Captain Hoff (a.k.a. Steve Hoffman)
How can I build a large Twitter following quickly for marketing my startup?
QUESTION:
How can I build a large Twitter following quickly for marketing my startup? I’ve been trying for months to market my startup using Twitter, and I still have less than 100 followers. My content is compelling, and I tapped all my friends and associates. What else can I do?
ANSWER:
If you’re a celebrity or incredibly lucky, you can build a large Twitter following quickly. Otherwise, you have to resort to more creative methods. One way is to follow other people on Twitter and hope they follow you back. This can work, but it’s very time consuming to do manually. Fortunately, some clever people have automated the process. Twollo, for example, was one of the first sites to offer this service, and they’ve done a very good job.
Do you know of a free, simple Twitter tool that allows me to auto-follow and auto-unfollow Twitter users?
QUESTION:
Do you know of a free, simple Twitter tool that allows me to auto-follow and auto-unfollow Twitter users?
ANSWER:
If you’re using Twitter for your startup, here’s the simplest free tool we’ve found for auto-following and unfollowing users. It helps bulk follow and unfollow in a very clean and simple way. And it’s free. It’s called Tweetils!
Functionality includes:
- Suggester allows you to enter a keyword or #hashtag, pick the max number of results you want, and click “Find ‘Em!”. We’ll show you users you should follow!
