POP Marketing Blog & News
Recent Blog Posts
7 Essential Questions to Ask Before Buying a Website
What are the essential questions to ask before buying a website? My recent home life has required dealing with multiple home contractors. Many of you are already feeling sympathy for me because of your own experience. While there are ethical and talented contractors, the low barrier to entry also attracts some less-than-desirable candidates. Unfortunately, the same is true for my line of work: marketing, especially online marketing. Like contractors, many marketers take their work seriously and always do what they say. See my 5-star reviews! But because anyone can say they’re a marketer, you also have people who either don’t know what they’re doing or are only in it to make a quick buck regardless of their clients’ needs. “What Do You Need?” Questions to Ask Before Buying a Website What Are the Ongoing Costs? While I discourage “renting” your website for all the above-expressed reasons, monthly fees are not
Marketing to Ideal Clients
How do you go about marketing to ideal clients? I recently had a conversation with a close friend. She’s been a business owner for decades, but her business has shifted its focus over time. One throughline has been helping people through one-on-one appointments. Recently, she found that people have been canceling at the last minute. I suggested a pay-ahead policy, but she was wisely concerned about the root of the problem. “Am I not as valuable to my customers any longer?” she asked. Knowing what she offered, I was confident she had value to bring her clients. I was reminded of a story from my college days. A Digression In school, I was one of those irritating people with a CV as long as my arm. I did comedy and music and belonged to multiple honorary fraternities and societies. In one such group, I was in a leadership position. One
Jenn Read on Content Writing
How to Slay the Five Dragons of Content Writing The following blog about content writing is written by guest blogger, SEO master, content queen, and colleague Jenn Read of Solyndria Creative. The audience for it is marketers like me and the people we hire who write content for a living, but many of the lessons it contains can also be relevant to business owners trying to handle their own content. You can find the blog in its original form in the link above. My commentary on how it applie to you, a business owner or manager, is in blue. Enjoy! This article is republished from Solyndria Creative. Read the original article here. So you’re armored up and ready to be a content writer? Well, you’re in luck! The field is booming, and there are more opportunities than ever before. But with so many people searching every dungeon for the same
Understanding A Website’s Purpose
Do you know your website’s purpose? I spend a lot of my time on the Internet. Though I do some print-based or other writing, most of my work is social media and website marketing. When I’m not writing for the web, I’m researching on it. I research my clients’ fields. I explore new ways to do my job better. I also use the Internet to buy my dogs medicine and toys, seek out the best ways to cook, and learn when the next season of Resident Alien, The After Party, Severance, and anything Star Wars & Marvel will next release. Typically, I take a class on my exercise bike before an offline lunch. Most evenings (after walking the dogs, of course), my wife and I watch a show on a streaming service. Oh yeah, I also write emails to clients and get my news through the Internet. That’s a lot of
Why Use Professional Marketing?
Why Use Professional Marketing for Your Business? There was a time when you could sell your business or product by going out and speaking directly to the people or companies that needed it. True, not everyone wanted to speak to a salesperson, but it was a valid way to make a living. That time is long gone. As someone who used to actually do this as part of a job not so long ago, I can tell you the world is no longer friendly for salespeople. You can’t drop in and expect someone to speak with you. If no one seemed angry to see me, I considered it a win. Why is that? I blame the Internet. Kind of funny coming from a guy who writes and markets primarily on the Internet for his living, huh? I calls it as I sees it. Today we have everything we need at
Telling Your Story: Tips from a Saint
Telling your story is kind of my thing. In my previous life, I was a sketch comedian. I performed improv comedy and wrote and performed sketch comedy. It was fun and creative but not very lucrative. But this isn’t my story. It’s Saint Patrick’s. Well, kind of. And that’s the point. One silly sketch that I wrote was about Saint Patrick. In it, Saint Patrick arrived in heaven and learned that back on earth, he’d been sainted. He was understandably pretty excited about this. And only more so when he found out that he even had a holiday…until he found out how most people celebrated it. As a pious fellow, St. Patrick hadn’t envisioned or approved of the drunk rabble-rousing that was done in his name. And though he is the patron Saint of Ireland, and the day is looked at with solemnity, and as a chance to spend time
Social Media Marketing Brings the Woo
Happy Valentine’s Day, Roanoke! Social Media Marketing is bringing the woo. Relationships are all about good communication and give and take. That’s as true for your personal relationships as your business ones. A good relationship with your client benefits both of you. But when you’re in the courtship stage of a relationship, part of bringing the woo is letting your client know about you while showing them that you’re the right one for them. And what is marketing if not wooing? Bring the Woo! When you’re using social media for your marketing, there are two things you need to do to be successful – be helpful and be personal. Being personal is like the part of a first date when you’re talking about yourself. Being helpful shows your prospective client you’re the prospective suitor who meets their needs best. You Might Not Know This About Me, But…. I’ve said it
New Year’s Marketing for your business
Lines are powerful, particularly in time. The idea of a fresh start is so appealing that every December 31, people commit to how the next year will be different from the one before despite the delineation between the two being entirely artificial. So how can you use New Year’s marketing? The cynical response would be that artificial borders will do nothing to change the actual psychological blocks we’ve acquired, so we’re doomed to repeat ourselves, but I don’t share that view. Artificial or not, lines are powerful because we give them power, and what line is more powerful than the end of one year and the beginning of another? So I say, while the time for New Year’s sales may be best, the time for you to use the New Year’s momentum to use New Year’s for your marketing is only just beginning. But don’t use it in your marketing.
Content Generation: Starting is Hard
The late great Tom Petty said, “the waiting is the hardest part.” Living legend Stephen King says it’s the moment before you start. But maybe they’re both right because if you look at the spirit beyond the wordsmiths’ prose, it can sometimes mean the same thing, at least In regards to content generation. The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better. Stephen King Beginnings are difficult. But it’s less what you’re actually doing than the anticipation of it. We get in our heads. And that can be especially true with anything outside your wheelhouse, especially when it involves creativity. For many business owners, marketing falls under that umbrella. It’s creative and intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be. Content Generation: Generate, Don’t Judge The best way to create regular content is to create regular content. Let me start with this. Your content generation
What I’m Grateful for This Year
In November, POP dedicates a blog to being grateful. Here’s what we appreciate for our business and community.
Pit Bulls, Your Marketing Problem, Truth, & the Problem with Personal Experience
Put Bulls have a marketing problem. If you’re not telling your company’s story, you do too.
Holiday Marketing – Avoiding the Dangers
Holiday marketing can feel like a lot of pressure. But with a plan it doesn’t need to be.
