Although strategic marketing is considered a critical element for business growth and continued success, some business owners turn to the same excuses to either ignore marketing altogether, or only implement a strategy when absolutely needed. By stating that they don’t have the time or budget for marketing, or don’t feel that marketing works, these owners are ignoring potential customers and creating opportunities for competitors to take leadership within a given space. Successful businesses understand that effective marketing does not require great expense or a specific time, but rather creativity and proactivity.

Author and small business expert Kim T. Gordon shares the best ways business owners can shift their minds away from these common marketing myths, and offers tips to ensure you get the greatest results possible from your campaign.

For some business owners, extraordinary creative writing skills may not come naturally. Even for savvy experienced marketers, developing the best copy to fit the audience, medium and subject matter within a particular campaign is a constant challenge. In a crowded marketplace, making even the smallest tweaks to the words your prospects will hopefully has the potential to make a great difference in garnering a desired reaction.

Author and small business expert Kim T. Gordon shares five basic wordsmithing tips both inexperienced and veteran copywriters can rely on to ensure the language in their materials makes the desired impact among prospects.

When customers hear your company’s name, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Developing memorable branding remains an ongoing challenge across the marketplace, as companies strive to stand out from their competitors. Doing so may require marketers to consistently tweak the messages associated with their brand, as well as the gaining a better understanding of the specific needs of prospects.

Author and small business expert Kim T. Gordon reveals four cost-efficient strategies businesses can implement to create a strong, consistent message that will resonate with prospects and increase your sales.

As marketing dollars become more precious in tough economic times, business owners continue to seek new cost-effective tactics that can produce sales. Linked to that goal is the increased challenge for marketers to understand what their customers need and provide relevant messaging. With the growing demand for online resources to guide product purchases, and the traditionally open minds of online shoppers, a website that offers ratings, reviews and recommendations combined with effective online advertising can serve as the mix marketers need to attract new customers in a down economy.

Author and small business expert Kim T. Gordon shares proven tactics and contemporary insights on how to effectively leverage online marketing tactics to deliver new customers.

What does your company stand for? As corporate social responsibility becomes more of a deciding factor in today’s market, businesses need to take additional steps to create a strong link between entrepreneurship and giving. Nearly 90 percent of customers today indicated they would consider switching to a competitor if it was associated with a strong cause. By developing and executing a cause marketing campaign, businesses can demonstrate their own goodwill, keep those customers from defecting and create successful synergy between the business, cause and community.

Author and small business expert Kim T. Gordon shares five essential components of a successful cause marketing campaign, and the different steps businesses can take to build a greater connection with their causes and customers.

In times of recession, finding new customers can be challenging. Recent studies show that acquiring a new customer can cost up to five times as much as keeping an existing one. With that in mind, savvy sales professionals should focus on upselling current customers to generate fresh activity. One avenue to do so is through a customer loyalty program that gives your current customers more incentive to spend with you rather than your competitor, while also building long-term revenue and relationships.

Author and small business expert Kim T. Gordon provides six essential steps to building and maintaining a successful customer initiatives program to reward their loyalty and increase your revenue.

As businesses compete for sales, wouldn’t it be nice to have a steady stream of interested prospects contacting you? By establishing and executing a referral campaign that combines sales and marketing, you can begin to build relationships with key influencers who can help convince prospective customers to look into your business. Winning over influencers requires more than passing out business cards and high-level networking – making a lasting impact on the people who can help your business most is a long-term, multi-tiered effort.

Author and small business expert Kim T. Gordon reveals five strategies sales and marketing professionals can implement to win referrals from key influencers, and the best strategies to maintain consistent communications over time.

While often an effective way to reach target customers, sometimes, even the best traditional advertising is not enough to sway purchases. When campaigns need that “something else”, public relations can become an indispensable element to influence buying decisions. Most shoppers today base their decisions largely on what they read online, and businesses can leverage press releases and media relations to increase their credibility in the eyes of their target markets. Today’s online release holds influence greater than media interviews and hits, with the potential to lead directly to sales.

Author and small business expert Kim T. Gordon shares the four most efficient ways for marketers to supplement their campaigns with public relations, including how to develop a press release that will capture the attention of the online community.

Both consumer and business spending have shifted more towards necessities, with purchases being more scrutinized. How can marketers and advertisers best offer the right incentives to convince on-the-fence customers to spend? Crafting a consistent, directed offer that keeps audiences interested across multiple channels is a vital element to any successful marketing message. Understanding what makes your customers buy, and providing specific reasons why they need your product now, can generate greater sales.

Author and small business expert Kim T. Gordon shares the five most effective tactics to persuade customers to take action, as well as the best ways to determine if your message is working.

In addition to the competition from within a crowded marketplace, marketers must fight the crowds within a target customer’s selective memory. Each customer filters different messages, making it a challenge to create the one message that sticks within the memory from the thousands encountered each day. An effective campaign must provide something different that consumers will remember, and it is important to build that lasting connection that will hopefully come to the surface when it’s time to make a purchase.

Author and small business expert Kim T. Gordon shares the four most effective marketing tactics to create messages that generate thought and stick with customers.