5 Ways to Promote Your Business This Summer

Summertime is finally here! Now that everyone is out and about in town, it's time to put your small business outside, as well. Here are 5 great ways to market your business this summer:

1. Get OUTSIDE

   The weather is nice and you're sitting inside; air conditioning is a luxury, but that's no reason to be stuck indoors. Grab a golf umbrella and set up shop outside your store. At the very least, get out some sidewalk chalk. If you're place is on a strip or a street with other businesses, collaborate with them and start a sidewalk sale! Events like this will support the community and draw in more visitors. Your can create your event on Save Local Now to help spread the word.
   

2. Parade in Style

   Does your community have a parade in the summer? Get involved! There are great marketing opportunities in local parades. You can give out special trinkets that relate to your business or brand, or just keep it simple with candy. Either way, you're guaranteed to get your name out there.
   

3. Go to Festivals

   If it's something you might enjoy, look into becoming a vendor. Sell products that people can use like water bottles, tote bags or towels with your name on it. It's a great way to get new customers and hey, you might enjoy some live music yourself!
   

4. Get Patriotic

   Start a 4th of July promotion through Save Local Now. Even if it's not a huge sale, getting festive is fun! Hand out small flags with purchase. Show your customer appreciation and your patriotism!
   

5. Support Local Sports

   
   Check your community calendar or show up in the recreational areas or on the 5k run sidelines. Show support for your local teams. Pair up with the local ice cream store and give discounts to the little league teams after a hot summer game. People will really appreciate and recognize your efforts.
   
   The goal here is to help out your community. The more your strive to achieve this, the more people will view your business as a significant part of the community. Set the bar high – it all starts with you! Now get out there and enjoy the summer!
   

First Published at Save Local Now

Newsflash: The best CMO is a loyal customer base

In today’s digitally charged consumer market, the best marketers are your consumers. Many new customers are driven to businesses through word-of-mouth (WOM) reviews, and many loyal customers choose to abandon or stick with a company based on continued experiences. With social media and consumer review sites everywhere, it is vital that customers are happy with your goods or services.

This applies to audiences new and old. Companies often focus their marketing efforts entirely on gaining a new customer base. While this is obviously essential to growing a business, it also essential not to overlook those customers who have been on the bandwagon for a while. Pleasing both groups and maintaining positive relationships with customers is the most effective marketing tool you can have.

Financial and resource constraints also make it difficult for many small businesses to push out big marketing campaigns. This is yet another reason why building a loyal following and maintaing positive word-of-mouth reviews is crucial. It is a cost-effective way to get new faces in the door and new clicks on your website.

But how do you make sure that your word-of-mouth reviews will help and not hurt your business? It’s easy. Allow the customers into the company, and make them feel valued. This can be done by:

• Actively responding to comments and posts on social media. Engage thoroughly with customers who take the time to communicate with you.
• Immediately respond to any complaints or issues raised as these can quickly grow out of control when not addressed.
• Make sure the content you are posting to your accounts is effective, well-planned, and not overwhelming.
• Maintain your manners. Create a notification system that will allow you to thank new customers who make an account, sign up for a newsletter, or join your community. They will appreciate a personal acknowledgment of their engagement.

A 2013 study by Nielsen found that 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family more than all other forms of marketing. However, the study also found that 72% of marketers are still not harnessing the power of customer referrals (Lowitz, view source: http://blog.getambassador.com/6-amazing-stats-that-prove-word-of-mouth-marketing-is-here-to-stay/). For small businesses with limited marketing budgets, focusing power on social media and customer loyalty is a sure way to make the most of WOM and bring more success to your business.

These are simple ways to begin and maintain a good relationship with new customers. Building a loyal base will be vital to the future of your business. Once people start talking about your wonderful customer service and personal touch, more will come.

View original article here

3 Business Trends for 2014

Marketing your small business can be tricky. As marketing trends change and change again and platforms offer you more and more options, you may be wondering, what are you supposed to focus on?

Well, let’s take a look. These are some of the upcoming trends in marketing for 2014.

1. Mobile Marketing - You might already know this one. You should. Mobile marketing is still on the rise and will continue to be for some time to come. As more and more people own smart phones (147.9 million people in the U.S. by the month of September), social media, email marketing, and GPS location features will also continue to rise. Mobile marketing ads are also cheaper and easier on companies with small budgets and can have a lot more impact than television or other traditional advertising methods as they are often seen repeatedly.
   
   Save Local Now strives to continually update our mobile app. Providing sharing features to both the business and the consumer, and streamlining the way a customer finds your business are just some of the ways we put your business on top of mobile marketing. Best yet, our app is top rated and available for both the iPhone and Android market! There really is no need to go building your own app these days when you can use ours for free!


2. Geo Targeting - As mentioned above GPS locating features will continue to rise with mobile. Geo targeting is similar in that it pays (literally) to target people within a few miles of your business. This has been true especially in retail where targeting audiences within a two mile radius can help the business create marketing campaigns that are current and relevant.
   
   We offered Geo location mapping on your mobile and browser from the beginning, and as always we remain a tool for local businesses only. However, Geo targeting at Save Local Now came about a year ago with one of our app updates. With users being able to sort Deals and Events by clicking “Nearby” we give you the opportunity to create custom actionable offers specific to the customers who might be looking for you right around the corner!


3. Image centric Social Media - Twitter and Facebook are not the only Social Media that matters anymore. In fact as Facebook usage declines newer networks are getting a lot of buzz. Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, and Vine are among some of the top players even though some of these are still very young on the scene. Whats the draw? Large images or videos dominating the page with short descriptions and hashtags to browse other posts. Sites like Buzzfeed, Imgur, and Tumblr also play a part in this. We can expect to see a continued growth in image sharing as 2014 rounds the bend.
   
   Save Local Now was onto this when we updated the site in early 2013 to create more focus on your images. With larger placement for your logos or Deal & Event images, we really recommend you take advantage of this trend by updating your images with higher quality photos that pack a lot of punch. Even if you are just starting out and don’t have a logo, we have some suggestions on how to start building one for yourself!
   
   This year, why not make it your resolution to check in with the blog for more tips on how to stay current and relevant in your small business? We are going to make it ours to continue to improve ourselves for the benefit of YOU the local business!
   
   One more thing. As the year wraps up, we’d like to say thank you. We are working hard to help your local businesses thrive and though we might not be local for all of you, we are a small business that values local business being great business and we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. Please stay happy, healthy, and remember to support your community. We wish you all a thriving, busy new year!

View original article here

About Alicia

Alicia is the Brand Curator and Marketing Manager for Save Local Now. Alicia hails from Northeastern Ohio, but spent a few years after college living like a gypsy and pursuing her diverse interests. She is part of the production team, which helps to make $LN "fun and cool". alicia.busa@savelocalnow.com