123 eGuides

Last Chance to Order New eGuide at Half Price

We're pleased to announce the availability of a new eGuide: Low Cost / No Cost Marketing 123: 3 Steps to Effective Marketing with Little or No Money.

Small business owners are always looking for the most cost-effective way to market their product or service. In fact, many small business owners want to find a way to do effective marketing while spending little or no money. This eGuide documents a practical, proven way to do just that. It explains a 3-step strategy that combines online marketing, public relations, and community engagement – all of which have little or no cost associated with them.

Purchase Low Cost / No Cost Marketing 123 for just $2.99 at the Amazon Kindle store, in any eBook format at Smashwords, or wherever eBooks are sold. 

Special Offer for January Only
To introduce this new eGuide, we are offering it to readers of this blog only for the month of January at half price: $1.49! To take advantage of this offer, you must purchase the eGuide at www.smashwords.com. Simply go to this page: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/603790 
When you check out, use this code: KE46M to receive your half-price discount.

1 Minute Advice: Interactive Content Trending Up in 2016

Content marketing has received a lot of buzz in the past few years because it has proven to be an effective way to engage prospects and customers alike. In 2016, though, interactive content will likely emerge as the most effective form of content.

Writing for MarketingProfs, Tom Whatley discusses five specific forms of interactive content:

1. Interactive Infographics
2. Quizzes
3. Interactive eBooks
4. Calculators
5. Interactive Video

According to Whatley, "The common thread that ties these various forms of interactive content together is the word 'yes': When people interact with your content, they're not just reading, watching, or scrolling; they're committing to the content and giving you a 'micro-yes' every time they click or progress through it.

"And when they arrive at the end of a particular piece of interactive content, the likelihood of their clicking a call to action or filling a form will have become higher. They've already invested in the content itself; conversions will therefore increase."

Read the entire article here. (Free sign-up is required.)

1 Minute Advice: 7 Key Digital and Media Predictions

Global brand agency Millward Brown offers seven digital and media predictions for this year of which every marketer should be aware. Among them are:

• "In 2016, smart marketers will adopt more sophisticated online and mobile media plans to improve synergies across the overall media mix."
• "Smart brands will rethink how to create effective mobile ads."
• "Brands will invest more heavily in online -- especially mobile video advertising in 2016, but many will fail to adapt their content for different ad formats."
• "As marketing moves from disruption to attraction, content marketing will move up the corporate agenda in 2016."

Millward Brown predicts online video advertising will be "the fastest growing ad format in 2016," and that "mobile will soon account for the majority of online video traffic." Because of the vastly expanded number of media choices, "brands will struggle to align their creative assets accordingly."

You can get a free copy of the predictions report here.

1 Minute Advice: Beware "Native Advertising"

As the new year unfolds, a form of advertising that has gained popularity online could be in jeopardy. "Native advertising" -- advertising that essentially takes the form of the medium in which it appears -- is under intense scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In fact, in late December 2015, the FTC issued a specific "guide for businesses" in using native advertising. While the FTC didn't come right out and outlaw the use of native advertising, the agency did bluntly state that consumers must be able to distinguish native advertising from other content.

Here is how the FTC defines whether or not native advertising is deceptive:

"Any clarifying information necessary to prevent deception must be disclosed clearly and prominently to overcome any misleading impression. ...Advertisements or promotional messages are deceptive if they convey to consumers expressly or by implication that they’re independent, impartial, or from a source other than the sponsoring advertiser – in other words, that they’re something other than ads.

"In the context of native advertising, if the source of the content is clear, consumers can make informed decisions about whether to interact with the ad and the weight to give the information conveyed in the ad.  However, an ad is deceptive if it promotes the benefits and attributes of goods and services, but is not readily identifiable to consumers as an ad.  Thus, as the Policy Statement explains, the FTC will find an ad’s format deceptive if the ad materially misleads consumers about its commercial nature, including through an express or implied misrepresentation that it comes from a party other than the sponsoring advertiser."

In its guidelines document, the FTC offers several examples of when and how native advertising must be identified.

The FTC's new guidelines potentially deal a serious blow to much native advertising in its current form, because publishers and advertisers alike frequently "embed" advertising into editorial content without overtly identifying it as advertising. Every marketer should read the new guidelines, available here:

https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/native-advertising-guide-businesses

Restrictions on native advertising make it even more important to pursue an efficient multi-faceted marketing strategy. If you're on a limited budget, get a copy of the new eGuide, Low Cost / No Cost Marketing 123. This eGuide offers an overview of a proven, practical way to integrate online marketing, public relations, and community engagement, with specific tips for implementation. Additional resources selected especially for small business owners are included.

Purchase Low Cost / No Cost Marketing 123 for just $2.99 at the Amazon Kindle store, in any eBook format at Smashwords, or wherever eBooks are sold. 

Special Offer for January:
To introduce this new eGuide, we are offering it to readers of this blog for the month of January at half price: $1.49! To take advantage of this offer, you must purchase the eGuide at Smashwords.com. Simply go to this page: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/603790 
When you check out, use this code: KE46M to receive your half-price discount.

1 Minute Advice: Leverage This Year's Brand Trends

In 2016, "consumers will crave more authentic interactions with brands on every level," predicts Landor, one of the world's leading strategic branding and design firms.

Here are Landor's key trends for this year:

Offline is the new online: Online shopping threatened to eradicate the traditional retail experience. However, customers once again want in-person interactions in the real world.

Branding goes multisensory: Brands will need to think about the entire customer experience as they craft brands. In addition to logo design and look and feel, companies will explore all the senses to create unique worlds for consumers.

Employees as the new marketing campaign: Catchy slogans and entertaining commercials used to be enough for brands to make an impact. Now, customers care as much about employees’ opinions and how companies treat employees as they do about the services a company offers.

Life in the very fast lane: Today, consumers want convenient, seamless experiences faster than ever before. Brands will create quicker ways to serve customers.

Packaging tells a story: Packaging will go beyond the logo, as it becomes an extension of the product, revealing its character, telling its story, and making a real connection with consumers.

Read more about each of these trends here.

If you're looking for ideas to make your brand stand out this year, consider ordering the Second Edition of the eGuide, Branding 123. This guide follows a proven three-step process for building a breakthrough brand, provides lots of practical advice, and includes a wealth of additional resources... all for just $2.99.  Get the Second Edition of Branding 123 now at the Amazon Kindle Store or in any e-book format (including PDF) at Smashwords.

New eGuide! Low Cost / No Cost Marketing 123

We're pleased to announce the availability of a new eGuide: Low Cost / No Cost Marketing 123: 3 Steps to Effective Marketing with Little or No Money.

Small business owners are always looking for the most cost-effective way to market their product or service. In fact, many small business owners want to find a way to do effective marketing while spending little or no money. This eGuide documents a practical, proven way to do just that. It explains a 3-step strategy that combines online marketing, public relations, and community engagement – all of which have little or no cost associated with them.

This eGuide, intended for small business owners with limited marketing knowledge and experience, offers an overview of each of the three areas and provides specific tips for implementation. Additional resources selected specifically for small business owners are included.

Purchase Low Cost / No Cost Marketing 123 for just $2.99 at the Amazon Kindle store, in any eBook format at Smashwords, or wherever eBooks are sold. 

Special Offer for January:
To introduce this new eGuide, we are offering it to readers of this blog only for the month of January at half price: $1.49! To take advantage of this offer, you must purchase the eGuide at www.smashwords.com. Simply go to this page: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/603790 
When you check out, use this code: KE46M to receive your half-price discount.