Tips to Building an Email List

One question that we get consistently is this: How do I build an e-mail list?

The first thing you can do is ask. If you have a brick and mortar location, put out a tabletop display that says: “Join our email list.” Let customers know that joining a mailing list will keep them up-to-date on the latest news and specials.

Many people today are protective of their email addresses for fear of being bombarded with spam. However, as a small business, you already have a level of trust with your customers that is very difficult for a large chain store or business to replicate.

Even with a more devoted customer base than a large-scale business, some businesses equate asking for email addresses from customers with begging customers for loyalty. Many stores ask each time someone is at the checkout line for an email address, making customers feel overwhelmed or harassed. 

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FAQ | SEO | How can I get more visitors to my site?

You successfully started your business. You developed and launched your website. Now you need visitors, so how can you get more visitors to your site? Maybe the question should be: why would visitors want to come to your site? If you owned an empty warehouse, you wouldn't ask: “How can I get more people to come to my empty warehouse?” Instead, you would first begin by offering products and services people want. Then you would have a business.

Valued Content
Your website should be no different. You need content. It starts with basic marketing questions. What services or products do you offer? What are the benefits to the customer? How do you differentiate yourself from your competition? What reasons can you give for them to return? Your sites' information should clearly communicate these messages. Your website is like a virtual storefront. So your site should state the mission of your business, its products and services, as well as contact information and hours of operation.

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New Media Vs. Traditional Media

What do we mean by build your network? Let’s start by looking at it from the point of traditional media. With traditional media, like the newspaper, for example, the goal is to build up subscriptions based on interest in the content of the newspaper. 

A newspaper will then “rent” space in their network in order for you to hopefully reach your customer base within the total subscription base. The main goal of a newspaper reader is to stay up-to-date on the latest news. Your ad is placed within the news content with the intent that it will be discovered while the subscriber is reading the news. 

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Facebook Fan Page Vs Personal Page

Business owners often don't realize that there are two types of Facebook pages, a Personal Page and a Fan Page. A Personal page is a private walled page that allows you to let others in by "friending" them. A Fan page is for businesses, organizations and groups where people can follow you by "liking" your page. A business page is public and not walled and anyone can follow you.

You can think about it like owning a home (Personal Page) versus owning a restaurant (Fan Page). With your home you can either invite people over or they can knock on your door before you allow them to enter. With your restaurant, anyone can walk in.

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Village Hub

Resource Media welcomes you to our up-and-coming marketplace: Village Hub! It is here that we connect and display a diverse variety of the small businesses in our community. Joining forces with other small businesses is a win-win situation; you can refer your own customers to the many different services they may need, while other small businesses refer their customers to you. Increased traffic on any one website will benefit the entire network. Visit our Facebook page or website to learn more!

Drive Traffic to Your Site with a Newsletter

Email news, website and social media round out the new media network. They work in harmony driving visitors to your business. Newsletters direct readers to your website, and continue to build your hits and page rank, moving your page higher in the Google search results list. Your Facebook posts, as they are “liked” and shared by fans, push people to your site to find out what your business is all about, all resulting in more promotion for your business.

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Limits of Time: Why Small Business Owners Don't Have Time for Marketing

As a small business owner, you do it all. You make the donuts, keep the books, try to satisfy customers’ requests, innovate new products and services, and so much more. At Resource Media, we understand the time restraints you deal with. We know that when it comes to prioritizing for your business, details like keeping the content on your website up-to-date are usually, so to speak, number 11 on your to-do list of 10 things.

We often hear from our clients phrases like, “I know I can do it, but I just don’t have the time.” It is for this reason that we have realized the importance of helping our clients create and maintain a schedule. We have found that the most efficient method of doing this is to create a Content Strategy

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FAQ - Facebook

“I don't go on Facebook. Who cares about someone sharing what they had for breakfast?”

The truth is: people do share information about their breakfast on Facebook. However, they also share all kinds of information -- such as the businesses they patronize and the products and services they like.

Facebook is a communications tool just like the telephone. I'm sure when the telephone was first invented you heard a similar conversation. It might have gone something like this, "Hey Bob, you should get a telephone for your business." Bob: "Nah, who needs that, I heard it’s just a lot of people yammering about a whole lotta’ nothin.”

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“I’ve gotten great discounts by joining their newsletter.”

Word of mouth is one of the most powerful marketing tools- networking yourself is great way to use it! Through sharing and social media, your network will quickly expand. If customers receive a particularly alluring promotion in an email or a chance to win a giveaway on Facebook, they’ll share it with friends. You’ll develop a closer connection with your customers, and they’ll feel at ease spreading their good experiences with your services and networking efforts. Use Facebook to continually remind customers of business buzz, such as upcoming sales, promotions, and events. Some of the most effective posts are simple, factual tidbits that keep you present in customers’ minds.  

Sustaining the Trademark

Just say the word- trademark- what do you see? The letters T and M in superscript with a little circle around them? Do you think of the world’s biggest trademarks out there: Nestlé, Apple or Exxon-Mobil?

When you are looking to develop a trademark and ultimately brand your business, it is critical to find an image, name or typeface that is visually appealing but it also relates to your business’ purpose. No doubt when I mentioned the three of the world’s most valuable companies you pictured their logo, their products or recent press coverage just because I said their name.

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“How do I get customers to visit my website?”

Once you have great content on your website, you’ll need a way to attract consumers to view it. Start with an email list. What better way to drive traffic to your site than by sending an e-newsletter or promotion to customers who have already used your services? We recommend setting up a table display with small forms where customers can enter their name and email information. In exchange for this information, consider offering customers a coupon or a free service. This generates a network made up of people who have already become customers or, at least, interested browsers. Even if only a few customers sign up for email newsletters and promotions in the beginning, you’ve laid the foundation for your network.

How Facebook Works

The main component of Facebook is the news feed. Its a scrolling message board showing all the moment by moment daily posts of anyone you've chosen to friend (for individuals) or become a fan (for businesses or organizations). Each person's news feed is unique to their interests and relationships. It is important to keep posting regularly to stay in view. Then, anyone one can respond to any post which creates a conversation. Of course, it is assumed that any content posted by a business must be relevant and have value to their fans. Otherwise, you will be seen as an intrusion.

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Networking Yourself Through New Media

As a small business owner with access to today’s technology and tools, networking has never been so easy. With the help of social media and search engines, you can specifically target people that have shown an interest in your services. But how do you go about finding these potential customers and gaining their loyalty? We’re here to help. 

The value of your content is extremely important. Your website and Facebook page should clearly convey a detailed description of your services or products, as well as a clear differentiation between you and your competitors.

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