Remaining fearless and positively-focused in a recession

It's hard to remain positive when financial reports and the nation's economy seem to be tanking. Just watching the daily news is enough to set fears ablaze. When we allow fear to dominate our thoughts, we begin to make poor business decisions. We may react by cutting back on marketing or not rewarding our employees for jobs well-done. Fear is not your friend, especially in business. Here are some tips to remaining fearless and staying positively-focused:

1. Stop focusing on the news! That doesn't mean you have to put your head in the sand, but remember from where the media is coming. They are in the news business to make money, and they've been quite successful at it by managing its "shock" value. The more dreadful or shocking the news, the more listeners, watchers and readers.
   
2. Remind yourself that you're a business owner because you had a vision and enough guts to make it happen. You've survived tough times in the past, and your business will weather this storm, too.
3. Never lose sight of the good you are providing for your family, employees, and your community.
4. When those negative thoughts try to come in, replace them with thoughts of success.
   
5. Speak positively.

Quick Tips on Improving Your Opt-In Email Campaign

As most business owners have discovered, email campaigns are a very inexpensive marketing investment. If done correctly, a consistent email campaign will increase awareness on the various products/service you offer. It will also be instrumental in bringing in new business. Here are some quick tips to improve your opt-in email campaign.

1. The first key to the success of any email campaign starts with... "opt-in." That means you have permission from the recipient to periodically send them emails. Not only is an opt-in email campaign part of good business practices, it increases its cost-effectiveness since it's directed to individuals who have already expressed an interest in your business.
2. Build your opt-in list by having a sign-up form on every page of your website, within your social media pages, and on all your email signatures. If you have a brick and mortar establishment, create a hand-written sign-up sheet and have it at the point of purchase. Direct your sales staff to actively ask customers to sign-up.
   
3. Make sure your emails provide value. Advertising is coming at us from everywhere. Most people have become so immune to advertisements, they just tune them out. If your newsletter educates your customers, you'll begin to build upon that trust factor that's so important to your success.
4. Consistency and frequency are extremely important issues. Finding the best frequency to send out emails really depends on the type of product or service you offer. You don't want to send out too many, yet you want to make sure your business remains in the forefront of your prospects and customers. It's also important to make sure you send them out according to the schedule you select.

Need help with an email campaign? We can do it for you; saving you time while increasing the return on your email marketing investment. For more on our email campaigns, visit our website at:

http://eaglesoars-marketing.com/our-services/marketing/email-campaigns

Does your business need a marketing plan tune-up?

Once upon a time, when the economy was booming, a small business could prosper with very little effort and investment in marketing. Now that times have changed, so have the buying habits of consumers and most businesses have noticed a decline in new business.

If you have seen a slowing trend in your business you may want to ask yourself one question, "Is it because times are tough or is the marketing message of my business no longer effective?" I would even go one step further to ask, "Was my company's marketing message ever really on target or was I just reaping the benefits of a good economy?"

Regardless, if you are beginning to notice a slow-down, it might be time for a marketing plan tune-up. This is especially true if you notice any of the following:

1. Your marketing materials don't have a consistent look to foster a brand image. Take a look at all your marketing materials. If they lack consistency in message, logo, colors, etc., you are giving your customers mixed messages.
   
2. Your vision for the business has changed. When you first opened the doors to your business, you had a fairly concrete idea of what you wanted to accomplish. Over time, every business evolves. You may have created new products or services to meet the needs of customers. Maybe the demand for certain products or services has changed.
3. Your marketing materials are focused on "you" instead of your customer. Building relationships is the key to building a successful business. To build strong relationships, you've got to be focused on your customer - their needs and their desires.

Remember, first impressions are critical. You've got to clearly and concisely communicate who you are and how a prospect can benefit from doing business with you. More importantly, you have to build in that trust factor right from the start.

A marketing plan tune-up will make sure your marketing message is on target and that you are current with the needs of your customers. At the very least, you should have an expert in marketing take a look at what you are doing to see if there are ways to make improvements and maximize the return on your marketing investment.

Eagle Soars Consulting can do that for you. To learn about our marketing plan tune-ups, visit our website at:

http://eaglesoars-marketing.com/our-services/marketing/marketing-plans

Building Customer Loyalty

When you capture the loyalty of your customers, not only will they continue to purchase from your business, they'll be more than willing to refer their family and friends. Here are a few tips on how to build customer loyalty.

1. The most important character your business needs to portray is integrity. There are no compromises when it comes to integrity. It starts with you, the business owner, and filters down to every employee.
2. Remember that marketing and customer relations is all about building trust and developing relationships.
3. You've got to listen to your customers and their needs and then create a product or service that exceeds customer expectations.
   
4. Identify and build your brand image. Think about what you'd like your customers to say about your business when they refer you to others and work to develop that image.
5. Take a genuine interest in your customers as you focus on their needs.
   
6. Never take customer loyalty for granted. There's plenty of competition out there, and your customers can very easily go somewhere else, but they choose to purchase from your business. Let them know you appreciate them and their business.