YIKES! I LIKE THE "NEW" FACEBOOK
by Donna Sams
Don't Shoot Me.
I actually like it.
Why? It's simple. If you use Facebook for many different reasons (i.e. business, staying in touch with close friends, people who are just acquaintances, or personal updates that you only want family to see), it comes in very handy. It makes it harder to miss important news and lets you decided who you would rather NOT hear from (i.e. I don't care if you just used the bathroom for the fifth time today, and now I don't HAVE to hear about it), without hurting anyone's feelings.
Another example, I have secured many new clients through social media, therefore, it's important for me to have business contacts on my Facebook page to easily stay in touch and maintain that relationship. However, I don't think my business contacts want or need to know (as an example) if I'm planning a family reunion or a surprise party for my sister. In the past, I had to create a separate group just for my family to maintain contact with them separate from my business contacts. Now, I can do it all from one page.
If you just take the few minutes necessary to learn to use it correctly, it is a big help and SAVES you time and frustration in the long run.
As always, CWI Marketing is here for you, please feel free to contact us for help with any of your marketing needs.
How Long Does it Take to Make Money?
by Donna Sams
We have a lot of small business clients and being that CWI is also a small business, we like that. It helps us to relate to our clients and understand them. One of the questions we are asked the most is, “How long does it take to build a brand?” or “How long until this marketing stuff works?” When we ask the client to elaborate, we find that what they are really asking is, “How long until I make money?”
Good question, since both building your brand and making money go hand-in-hand.
The old adage goes:
“The first year you lose money, the second year you break even and the third year you make money.”
Now, we aren’t saying you should plan on going bankrupt your first year in business, but if you plan on starting a business and striking it rich within the first few months, you aren’t being realistic. We also aren’t saying that it can’t happen, we are simply saying that if it does (especially in this economy), you are lucky. You are the exception, not the rule.
When starting a business, it’s important to plan and have enough resources to get you through the first difficult year. Don’t start too large!
When it comes to building your brand, just like making money, it takes time. The most important part of building your brand is consistency. There is no old adage or definite time frame when it comes to having a strong brand that is easily recognized. However, not being consistent in your branding will definitely slow down the time it takes to build your brand. As I mentioned earlier, building your brand and making money go hand-in- hand. If your brand isn’t well recognized or perceived as a good value, your company will have a harder time being successful. On the contrary, a company that has a brand that is well known and recognized as a good value, will be more successful. Your brand helps you attract new customers and maintain existing ones.
It’s important that the work you put into positioning your brand is ongoing. Don’t make the mistake of only working on your marketing and branding when business is good and there are a few extra dollars in your budget. That strategy will take away from the effectiveness of your brand.
If you would like some more helpful hints and ideas for building your brand, we’d love to help. Feel free to give us a call 540-295-5139, or drop us an email.
