Articles vs advertising

Articles vs advertising

Marketing Notes, Marketing Tips
To promote his home center, Steve Lundon went beyond traditional advertising. Instead, the owner of Northern Do-it Center in Fort Frances, Ontario published weekly how-to and DIY articles in the Fort Frances Times newspaper. "The tips are a great marketing tool," said Steve. "Customers tell me they love checking our site for info and ideas, and can’t wait for the next tip of the week. Naturally, when it comes time…
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Four press release tips to get your business story promoted

Four press release tips to get your business story promoted

Marketing Notes, Marketing Tips
A press release that's truly newsworthy or tells a story worth reading is still a powerful method of getting your business story in online publications, print publications and broadcast media. Use these three tips to get your story to the top. 1. Make it easy on the editor by providing the release in a format they can easily use and tweak. While a PDF is a universally easy-to-read format, it's…
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Re-brand and re-position your company to succeed – a lesson from Lisa Simpson

Re-brand and re-position your company to succeed – a lesson from Lisa Simpson

Marketing Tips
In response to derisive comments from brother Bart regarding her new babysitting business, Lisa retorts, "I'm not just a babysitter. I'm in the business of supplying peace of mind for one dollar an hour." What a positioning statement! Lisa has the ability to translate a feature into a benefit, and to define her enterprise not only by the service she sells, but by what the service means to her customers.…
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Ten newsletter tips to get results

Ten newsletter tips to get results

Marketing Tips
Print, online, or ezine – newsletters are a powerful marketing tool. Maybe you've considered the possibility of creating a regular newsletter to send out to your customers, but you're daunted by the commitment. You could hire a professional to do the job for you, or if you're a do-it-yourselfer, use these tips to get started. 1. Keep it short. In print, two, four, or eight pages, max. Give a lot…
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How to teach your customers to buy

How to teach your customers to buy

Marketing Tips
Customers who frequent Peninsula TIM-BR Mart in Miller Lake, Ontario often come away with more than tools, nails and lumber. They come away with the knowledge to do something with their purchases -- plus ideas and tips that will keep them coming back. Clinics on framing and drywalling and product demonstrations by suppliers fire up do-it-yourselfers to launch new projects, and very likely, buy more. Educating your customers may be…
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