Marketing Strategies
Wordification: Cook Up a Creative Title, Brand or Product Name
You’ve seen other people do it. Stephen Colbert used to do it all the time. George Bush (Jr) is probably still doing it. Both of them got pretty famous for their efforts (although, for different reasons). That word they create is sometimes called a portmanteau,...
Visual Marketing: A Review and Interview with the Authors
I recently spoke with Anita Campbell of SmallBizTrends.com and BizSugar.com and David Langton of Langton Cherubino Group — the co-authors of “Visual Marketing: 99 Proven Ways for Small Businesses to Market with Images and Design.” If you’d like...
Your Secret Sauce: 9 Steps to Create an Addicting Brand
If you’ve been a freelancer or a small business owner for even a few months, I’m sure you’ve heard the advice, “Differentiate, or die.” The experts are like a dog with a bone: “Nail down your USP, if you want to succeed,” they say....
Bigger Bang for your Marketing Bucks (and grocery dollars)
A guest post by Nicole Fende, the Numbers Whisperer™ We’re going to start by talking groceries. Don’t worry, I’ll sneak in the finance. Since Tea is the Chef, groceries seem appropriate. When you go to the grocery store you may be like me, and have a list. Big shout...
Wordalicious: How to Choose the Tastiest Words to Tell Your Story
“Words, are our most inexhaustible source of magic. They are our most potent forms of enchantment. Rich with the power to hurt or heal.” — Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Yes, words have a great deal of power. Here’s a short...
Are You Smokin’ a Joint (Venture)? Why Collaboration MUST Come First
I’ve been doing a lot of hanging out with freakishly cool kids. (Have you noticed?) First came the Word Carnival carnies. (An ever-growing close-knit tribe of bloggers who write for the small biz crowd.) We’ve been together for almost nine months now. Then...
Just Say No to “Fast Food” Marketing: 10 Tips for Healthy Marketing on a Budget
When you’re really hungry, it’s easy to opt for fast-food. It’s cheap and it’s quick, and it gets the job done. But a Whopper isn’t beef bourguignon. There’s about a 2-hour difference in the time it takes to create them. The Whopper...
10 Solid Tips for Marketing Your Online Courses
This is a guest post from one of our Digital Dining Room members, Abe Crystal of ruzuku.com. If there’s one question we hear at ruzuku over and over again, it’s, “How do I effectively market and promote my online course?” Fundamentally? Marketing your...
Boost Awareness by Piggybacking on a Bigger Brand
Earlier this week, I talked with Abe and Rick of Ruzuku.com — an online platform created to make it “ridiculously easy” to teach better classes on the web. Ruzuku first came onto my radar when Abe posted this question on my “It’s All...
10 Ways to Spice Up Your Writing and Let YOUR Voice Shine Through
Your writing is tight. Authoritative. You're already speaking directly to one reader. Not using jargon. And yet...It still sounds like it could've been written by anyone in your industry. Here are 10 ways to make sure YOUR voice and personality shine through your writing.
Vision and Mission: Your Two Brand Messengers
Two turtle doves… It’s Day 2 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed Day 1, you can find it here. In today’s installment we talk about two important foundations for any brand: The Vision and Mission. If you could wave your magic wand and create a...
Book Marketing Lessons from a Finance Rockstar
As the President of Small Business Finance Forum, Nicole Fende, aka the Numbers Whisperer™ is a credentialed actuary with experience as a Chief Financial Officer, Investment Banker, and successful entrepreneur. She’s also the author of the new book, “How...
The Secret Way To Grow A Successful Business Really Fast With No Effort At All*
This is a guest post by Carol Lynn Rivera. *That was a lie. Just like it is every time you read it in a headline or on a blog or in an email and every time you hear it in a webinar or hinted at in a sales pitch. But did I get your attention? Ok, I admit to a teensy...
The Goldlilocks Zone: How Many Times Should You Share Your Offer?
Julia leaned back in her chair and watched her laptop power-up. Coffee. It was 5:42 in the morning. And coffee was about the only coherent thought she could muster. She opened her Google calendar. What time is that appointment again? She had a 10:30 call with a...
Build Your Brand and Your Business Without Cash (A True Story!)
When I first started my consulting practice I used a combination of just three funding sources: savings, credit cards and a little thing called barter. Bartering can be great fun — especially when you find someone who has what you need and who needs what you...
The Remarkable Purple Carrot: A Marketing Parable
Here in the West, purple carrots aren't a commonly found in your local produce departments. In fact, you'll probably have to go out of your way, by searching for them at the fringes: places like your farmer's market or a specialty grocer. There's a little vegetable stand near my house where I can find maybe 3 or 4 at any given time (mostly because there's a woman who comes in every morning and buys nearly all of them for herself). The shop owner literally can't keep enough of these guys on hand. In short, these guys are special. Remarkable even. And they're almost certainly a topic of conversation when served to dinner guests. They're so special, they make the chef look special, too.
How to Launch During the Holidays without Crying in Your Wine
This is a guest post by Michelle Nickolaisen. Launch stress is awful at the best of times, but it’s definitely not something you want to have mess with your holidays. There are a lot of factors to launching during or after the holidays without ripping your hair...
My Big Why: On Motives, Mentors, and Defining Moments
Every hero has one: an origin story. Bruce Wayne watched a mugger brutally kill his parents when he was just a child. Peter Parker found his inner hero after a radioactive spider bit him. Buffy discovered she was “The Chosen One” and learned to leverage her slayer...
Passion and Purpose: Why They’re Both Crucial to Your Brand
We branding folk talk a lot about passion and purpose. In fact they’re two key elements you must figure out if you want to make sure your business has a fighting chance for success. Why? Because Passion is what gets your motor running. It sparks and fuels your...
Revamp vs. Rebrand? 10 Considerations for Your Business Website
Most people don’t know that my parents named me Christina. I changed my name to Téa in college (I’ll share why at the end of this post). Yes, it’s my legal name. Believe me, the IRS, the DMV and every government office between Los Angeles and Portland can verify...
Brand Turnaround: An Interview with Karen Post, the Branding Diva
Karen Post, aka the Branding Diva, has a great new book called “Brand Turnaround: How Brands Gone Bad Returned to Glory…and the 7 Game Changers that Made the Difference.“ I spoke with her earlier this week on the Word Cafe podcast. Here are the highlights....
Lovably Unpopular: An Interview with Erika Napoletano and a Chance to Win Her New Book
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that around here, figuring out your Secret Sauce is a pretty huge deal. That’s why I was so excited about the chance to talk with Erika Napoletano (the person behind the persona at RedHeadWriting.com)....
Doctor Who’s Favorite (Marketing) Dish: Fish Fingers and Custard!
“New mouth, New rules!” — The Doctor Worried that your marketing sounds a lot like everyone else’s? It happens. To the best of us! Usually because we’re too insecure to throw away those sales page blueprints and email templates and create...
Collaborate in the (Online) Kitchen and Yield Exponential Results
Have you ever tried to do something big? No, I mean, massively huge -- something even a little audacious? If you haven't, you're missing out on one of the best adventure of your life. But if you have, then you know you can't really pull off something enormous without the help of other people. Which is why my Entrepreneur's Manifesto calls you to "Collaborate in the Kitchen. Here's a story about one woman who is doing just that...
(Infographic) If Your Blog Were a Beer, What Kind Would it Be?
I always love when food (or in this case, drink) and marketing come together. Once you’ve read thru this infographic, share what flavor you think your blog is in a comment below… If Your Blog Were A Beer… infographic by...
Create a Truly Memorable Brand Story: 8 Tips to Help You Get the Most Impact
8 Maids a-Milking It’s Day 8 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed any of the series thus far, you can find them here. In today’s installment we look at unexpected ways to build an impactful and memorable brand. You’ve heard the phrase, “Milking...
From Guest Post to Published Author: An Interview with Beth Hayden of “Pinfluence”
Beth and I met last year in a guest blogging class taught by Jon Morrow, and it wasn’t long before we’d hit it off. We’ve even managed to meet up in person a few times, and it’s always an energizing exchange when we get the chance to talk. This...
How to Stand Out, Stand Up, and Help Change the Business World
Do you look the same as your competitors? SOUND the same? You might find this hard to believe, but even with my branding background, I’ve had a blind spot about HOW to stand out from the crowd. Differentiation — that fancy word for your Unique Value...
5 Ways to Make Your Marketing Stick
When I was still a youngster (in the days before the Internet was considered a valid way to get your message out), I spent my nights and weekends at the UC Davis Extension learning the "official" rules of "Product-Price-Place-Promotion." One of my first professors (I think his name was Mr. Aguilar) had a strange attachment to the term "pasta marketing." He must've used this term at least twice in every class. His point was that lots of people do their marketing like they cook their pasta: they throw it against the wall to see if it's done. If it sticks, they think it's good. And if doesn't, well...you go back to the drawing board.
Feed Us a Story
Stories are food. Feed everyone and be willing to let them feed you, too. Remember humans love stories — it’s hardwired into how we learn and grow. Why did you start your business? That’s a story. Who are your best customers (and what makes them the best)? That’s...
The Art of Growth: An Interview with Tara Gentile
Everyone has a different idea of what it means to grow their business. Some of us think we need to reach for 6- or 7-figures. Others would prefer a 4-hour work week. And then there are those who would just like to be able to pay the bills and put a little away for...
5 Ways to Keep Your Marketing Costs from Boiling Over
This is a guest post by Samar Owais Marketing is a lot like cooking— easy for those who enjoy it and hell on earth for those who don’t. Until a couple of years ago, I sucked at both. While I didn’t kill my business or food poison anyone in my family, I came...
Storytelling à la Reality TV: What The Next Food Network Star can teach you about marketing
I'm normally not drawn to reality TV shows. I'll admit a wee addiction in the past -- especially the early years of American Idol and The Apprentice. But I nipped those habits in the bud after a few seasons. It was easy. I just cancelled my cable. But at the beginning of this year, I moved in with my boyfriend and rediscovered my love of reality TV through The Next Food Network Star. The main idea of the show is to find the next FN "star" (while also promoting FN and its current cast). But here's what you can learn from watching...
Schrödinger’s Email List: Are Your Readers Dead or Alive?
If you’re any sort of geek, you know about Schrödinger’s Cat. Is it alive? Or isn’t it? You won’t know until you open the dang box. Which brings me to next point: Your eMail list is a lot like that cat. If you think you have one, but you never...
Strut Your Stuff: 9 Examples of Edutainment Branding
Nine Ladies Dancing! It’s Day 9 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed any of the series thus far, you can find them here. In today’s installment I’ve got 9 great videos for you. These are excellent examples of how you can use the strategy of...
We’re All Guinea Pigs Now: Life and Business as Continual Experiments
A guest post by Zeus Yiamouyiannis. What if, underneath it all, your carefully planned and wished-for life was nothing more than an adventurous experiment? Would that free you or strike terror into your heart? What if you were both the guinea pig and the dude in the...
A Solid Brand Begins with One True Passion
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: a partridge in a pear tree… Welcome to Day One of my 12 Days of Branding series. Each day — from now until Christmas* — you’ll be gifted with branding advice, case studies and more. If...
10 Quantum Leap Actions to Create a Stand-Out Brand
Ten Lords a-Leaping… It’s Day 10 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed any of the series thus far, you can find them here. In today’s installment I give you ten quantum leap actions from ten “Lords” of branding on how to create a stand-out...
Add Your Secret Sauce: Five Ways to Add Your Personality to Your Website or Blog
Your "Secret Sauce" is your personality. It's the flavor that you bring to everything you do. And it comes across in many ways -- your voice, your style and your sense of humor. When you interact with real-live human beings, your secret sauce is pretty evident. Most of the time, people can "get" who you are after just a few brief conversations.
Has Your Brand Reached its Expiration Date?
(Or, does it just need a little freshening up?) When we start our ventures (if we do things right), we create branding that eventually accomplishes the goal of telling our story in a way that is unique, compelling and builds community. Both the visual and written...
Small Biz Finance Forum: Interview with Nicole Fende
Nicole Fende, aka The Numbers Whisperer, interviews Tea about cooking up a killer brand. Check out the podcast on her BlogTalkRadio show: The Small Biz Finance...
Is Your Ideal Client Trying to Tell You Something?
Last month in the Digital Dining Room we focused on Market Research. Specifically, how the heck do you find out what your Ideal Client is ready and willing to pay for? Because there’s a difference between them needing and wanting something. Traditional business...
#Follow Friday Much? My Love-Hate Relationship with Fan Base-Building Tactics
Yes, we all know it’s about quality, not quantity. But still. It’s tempting to want to take shortcuts with building your connections on social media. After all, at some point, you DO need a critical mass to help you get traction. But when we stoop to...
The PB&J Guide to Building a Tasty Brand
Peanut Butter and Jelly. Two simple, timelessly appealing ingredients. Like most of us, you probably became a fan in childhood. Of the PB&J, I mean. I know it was the only thing my little brother would eat. Period. White bread, creamy peanut butter and grape jelly...
Context Matters: How to Stop Confusing People and Connect With a Hungry Audience
Meet Joshua Bell. He’s HUGE in the classical music world. A few years ago, he posed as a street musician in in Washington DC, and nobody paid him any attention. Normally, if you want to see this guy play, you have to shell out a minimum of $100 (that’s for...
11 Tips for Making Your Brand a Word-of-Mouth Superstar
11 Pipers Piping! It’s Day 11 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed any of the series thus far, you can find them here. In today’s installment we look at what needs to happen in order to get people talking about your brand. If you know me at all, you know that...
Marketing: It’s Not What You Think (and, Why Knowing the Truth Matters)
During our mentoring wrap-up call last week, I asked Zeus for some feedback. I wanted to know what I might’ve done better or differently during our time together — something that could’ve possibly made a bigger difference to him and his marketing...
Deep Fried Kool-Aid: a Marketing Parable
There's a guy in San Diego named Charlie who likes to fry things. Weird things that most people would never think of. Stuff like Klondike bars, Girl Scout cookies, and Pop Tarts.
Table Talk Q&A: How Do I Pick the Best Marketing Strategies for My Business (and Avoid Wasting Time/Money)?
Question: There are SO many resources, opportunities for learning, mentors, etc., how can I efficiently choose the marketing technique(s) that will most likely align with my business plans, goals and industry? How do I best allocate my limited resources (time/$) to...
No More Marketing: Why I’m Done
What I’m about to tell you might kill my business, but I have to say it: I’m done (yes, you can stick a fork in me). I’ve never wanted to build an empire — at least not one whose sole purpose was “bigger, better marketing.” And a...
Spinning Your Plates: How to Find Balance and Order
A guest post by Zeus Yiamouyiannis. For those of you just tuning in, this is the latest in a series of posts for The Zeus Experiment, whereby I chronicle my learning curve and ups and downs in developing my own successful online business. Tea Silvestre is my mentor in...
What I Wish I’d Known Then about Starting a Business…
Advice for My (Much Earlier, More Naive) Entrepreneurial Self (Note: Much of this post first appeared on the Prosperity’s Kitchen website under the title, “An Open Letter to New Entrepreneurs.” I’ve modified the text somewhat.) Hey Girl,...
5 Marketing Lessons from Celebrity Chefs
Except for my client Rebecca Joseph (aka The Rabbi Chef), your goal is probably not to be the Next Food Network Star. But there's a whole lot that celebrity chefs can teach us about working in a crowded marketplace. The successful ones truly excel at building their brands and growing their fan base. How do they do it? Here are five of their marketing strategies that you can (and should) adopt today:
Case Study: Using Email Marketing to Deepen Relationships
Last month in the Digital Dining Room, the group’s mission was to create a welcome email that would help them get to know their subscribers on a deeper level. Here’s how we got them there: Step One: Brainstorm three questions they could ask a new...
Biggest Business Lesson of the Year: Be (Gasp!) Human
Earlier this month, I talked about the Bears (and how to keep them from eating your business). That post sort of explains the comeback to small biz ownership I made last year. But it’s not the whole story. Nope. See, this is the anniversary of something pretty...
7 Ways to Use Facebook to Find and Research Your Target Market
Back in the day, if you wanted to really understand your customers, you’d need to pay dearly for the information. Market Research firms around the world still command a pretty penny for conducting statistically valid research projects for the big corporations...
Return on Influence: The Revolutionary Power of Klout, Social Scoring and More (an Interview with the Author)
Mark Schaefer stopped in at the Word Café last week and we had a chance to talk recently about his new book, Return on Influence. Here are the highlights: Q: How did you decide to write this book? I have to be honest…I’ve been watching this whole Klout...
Social Media is Bullshit: An Interview with the Author, Brandon Mendelson
Meet Brandon Mendelson (aka BJ Mendelson), an ex-marketer whose recently published book, “Social Media is Bullshit,” has been getting mostly favorable reviews. (A lot of the flack comes from folks who make a living from social media.) You can listen to the...
When You Just Need to Get ‘Er Done! Employees vs. Independent Contractors
You’re at the crossroads. (And I totally feel your pain.) We both know there aren’t enough minutes in the day to finish up all that work on your plate. Clients are trying to track you down. And the emails and phone calls are coming in faster than you can...
Quirky Much? How Your Oddities, Flaws and Peculiar Habits Help Build a Stronger Brand
You and I may never meet in real life. So there are a few things you might never learn about me. The fact that I’m 6 ft. tall, for instance. Or, that I generally operate on the “piles and post-its” filing system. (But those are just surface quirks....
Table Talk Q&A: How Do I Expand My Local Business to the National Level?
Question: My corporate training business has been doing well in the local markets where we live. But how to do we get national clients and expand our business? On a small budget of course. How can we get that kind of reach to potential corporate clients without...
Case Study: Create a Content Strategy to Support Your Launch
Last month in the Digital Dining Room, the group’s mission was to identify their main business goal for the final quarter of the year and then to develop a content strategy to support it. Here’s how we got them there: Step One: Brainstorm ideas using a...
5 Goldenly Creative Ways to Tell Your Brand Story
Five Go~lden Rings! It’s Day 5 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed any of the series thus far, you can find them here. In today’s installment we look at 5 creative examples of how to tell your brand story. One of the easiest places to tell your story is the...
Turbo-Boost Your Brand using Social Media (+ 4 Unique Ways to be Human)
Four Calling Birds… It’s Day 4 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed any of the series thus far, you can find them here. In today’s installment we’ve got an awesome case study on how to do things that work, plus I give you four new ways to...
What Small Biz Owners Can Learn from Superbowl Ads (Besides How to Waste Ungodly Amounts of Money)
I must confess: beyond the pleasures that come with watching a slew of manly men in tight pants run around and get sweaty, I’m not really a fan of football. I watch to support Mr. Perfect’s interests and because (let’s face it) he’s holding the...
How Well Do You Tell Your Brand’s Story?
This past weekend I attended (via simulcast) Andrea Lee‘s Lasting Lead Generation event. It was three days of fabulous teaching, coaching and delivery of actionable content. And I gotta say, she really knows her stuff! One of the first exercises she had us do...
How To Write Fun and Engaging Survey Questions
This is a guest post by Josh Pigford Did you know that online surveys don’t have to be boring? Gathering feedback is a necessary part of running a business, but the process doesn’t necessarily have to be dull. Instead, surveys can be fun, engaging...
Wanna Be My Plus One? Why I’m Falling in Like with Google + (and Why You Might, Too)
About a month ago, I made a conscious decision to spend more time over on Google+. I did this knowing that the odds are you’re not hanging out there (yet) — even if you do have a G+ account. I did this even though I have no desire to learn some newfangled...
Expressing Brand Values: 3 Case Studies
…Three French Hens! It’s Day 3 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed any of the series thus far, you can find them here. In today’s installment I give you three examples of small business brands with solid core values that know how to walk the...
[Infographic] Solopreneurs: How We Market Online – 2012 Survey Results
What We’re Doing, What’s Working and What’s Not Created from survey data collected from nearly 1,200 respondents during June 2012. A full length research report is also available. For more, click here. Embed this Infographic <a...
Real-life Brands Find Clarity and Their Secret Sauce
“Clarity is power.” (author unknown) Over the years, the one challenge most of my consulting clients have in common is still the same: a struggle to define themselves. Sound familiar? Most of them know what their business is about and what they have to...
Solopreneurs and Online Marketing: How Do You Compare to Your Peers?
Do you make your money independently? As a solo professional, freelancer or “solopreneur?” If the answer is yes, please read on… Wearing all the hats AND looking good while you do it isn’t as easy most people think. Your marketing hat might be...
On Rattlesnakes, Marketing and Building a Business
Rattlesnakes have a bit of a reputation. You might even call it a “brand.” Their collective brand includes stories that usually end in life and death scenarios. Very much a “handle with care” kind of item, right? So if I offered you the chance...
Designing a Brand that Works: 6 Key Eye-Catching Elements
Six Geese a-Laying! It’s Day 6 of the 12 Days of Branding. If you missed any of the series thus far, you can find them here. In today’s installment we’ll look at the six key elements of using design to create memorable visual representations for your brand. Set...
Brainfluence: An Interview with the Author
Roger Dooley, the author of Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing, stopped by the Word Cafe for a quick chat about his new book. Here are the highlights: TS: How did you get started with neuromarketing, Roger? RD: Practically my...
Speak Up! Why and How to Find Your Voice
This is a guest post by Zeus This week I quadrupled sign-ups for my mailing list, and re-taught myself some valuable lessons: Trust yourself. Be original in voice. Put quality first. Tap into your existing community. Write what you know. Here’s what happened: My...
How to Get 5-Star Referrals From Your Peers and Colleagues
Most of the advice out there about referrals is related to your customers (i.e., getting them to send you new ones.) In short, make them happy and they’ll want to tell their friends about you. But you can also get some fabulous referrals from your peers and...
How I Grew Site Traffic by 60% in Three Months: A Peek into the Small Biz Branding Contest
As many of you noticed, we recently wrapped up the First Annual Tastiest Small Biz Brand Award campaign. The event/marketing efforts lasted nearly three months and worked to accomplish (or surpass!) several goals. These were: Help establish Word Chef authority in the...
How to Reach Your Target Market in a Down Economy
Recently, I wrote a post called It’s All About YOU. (That’s the page you might want to bookmark and visit later as it was made especially for our readers to share themselves and their questions — no expiration date!). Today, I address a question from Karen...
