Hire a dedicated staff (member)
Some marketing campaigns operate on a schedule – only so much content should be put in front of consumers at any one time. Social media requires constant attention because it is an interactive platform and businesses frequently need to update pages to increase the odds of consumers viewing the content often enough to develop brand recognition. This task can be difficult for owners who have an advertising team working on various projects and campaigns.

Hiring a single employee to control a company’s social presence can make the difference between an effective page and ineffective one. A worker dedicated to social media content ensures that advertising messages are sent consistently and without tonal shifts between voices. The staff member can be charged with tracking the response rates for different promotions and marketing content to find patterns in what generates the most interest from consumers.

Larger companies should consider hiring an entire social media team. A successful business needs more than one pair of eyes to watch over digital branding because of the sheer volume of users. Forbes notes that a corporate image is an important part of establishing an identity that customers can view and recognize as a symbol of quality. Sites like Facebook make it easy for clients to share negative experiences, which can harm an establishment’s reputation if not properly handled.

Have specific goals
The most important part of every attempt at raising brand recognition is having a gauge for success. A social media site creates a direct communication outlet between a business and its customers, but what good is it if a company doesn’t know if its advertising strategy is effective?
Owners and marketers should develop goals and benchmarks to see how rapidly or slowly a brand is growing online. When first developing a web presence, the initial objective should focus on directing clients to the website and establishing a digital audience. Then companies can start thinking about how to turn those leads into investment returns. This is when traditional market tactics come back into play – using techniques like offering a discount to generate business and including them in social media allows establishments to see if consumers actually respond to the web content.

Seek feedback
Making a business easily accessible to customers develops business relationships and maintains a positive brand image. The connections created on social media sites provide an easy method of direct advertising and serve as an opportunity to hear from consumers about what they want from a company. Establishing a rapport with clients online can help owners learn what improvements they need to implement to earn further success. Marketers can offer an open forum or a poll on a social media site to see how interested consumers are in available products or find out which services should be offered in the future.

It can be difficult for owners to effectively raise their brand’s visibility on social media sites, but looking at the common traits from successful campaigns can help develop a plan for integrating a web presence into day-to-day advertising.

The post How to Effectively Market Your Brand Using Social Media appeared first on Small Business Marketing Blog.

Continued success and hard work should be rewarded. Recognition programs can motivate employees and, as recent findings have pointed out, lead to better business. Bersin & Associates, a human resources firm, found that companies with established recognition plans are, on average, "12 times more likely to generate strong business results than their peers."

Owners and managers must establish clear criteria and rewards for their programs. Personalized business gifts can make excellent prizes, but associates should be told how they can earn those awards.

Set attainable goals
Employees want to know what actions are rewarded by their company. Staffers usually put forth their best efforts, so setting abstract goals like hard work over periods of time can be confusing. Some associates will wonder why their efforts weren't recognized while their co-workers' were.

You can set goals based on your business. For example, if you own a car dealership, you can give gifts to the sales representative with the highest monthly sales totals. Having a clear goal gives your employees something to work toward.

Have a schedule
The best recognition programs adhere to schedules so employees know when they'll be rewarded if they reach certain goals. Clear timetables motivate associates because they know they're working on deadlines and there isn't a moment to waste.

Your program may not succeed if staffers don't know when they're being monitored or when new reward periods begin. Some of your staffers may grow unhappy if they're not alerted to key dates for recognition programs.

Pick appropriate gifts
Because you're rewarding workers for their business successes, the prizes you hand out should be professional. Gifts that are functional around the workplace may be appreciated more than frivolous awards.

A personal touch can go long way toward satisfying workers. Personalized calendars and other office items, like pens, are small tokens, but show that managers are truly paying attention to who is putting forth a strong effort.

Every recognition period you can distribute a different gift so employees stay motivated to earn new prizes. Owners who want to make their rewards truly special can allow winners to pick their own rewards, whether it's a custom coffee mug, personalized portfolio or any other item that can be used around the workplace.

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Accuweather's seasonal forecast doesn't show much snow arriving in the United States until later this autumn, but the summer's mild temperatures aren't expected to last much longer, either. Small business owners and managers can capitalize on the change in weather by handing out scarves and gloves from the Adler Collection as personalized business gifts.

Employee recognition
A business is only as strong as its employees and recognizing the efforts of the best staff members could keep them on board. According to the Spring 2012 Globoforce Workforce Mood Tracker, 81 percent of respondents said receiving recognition for good work improves overall job satisfaction. It isn't necessary for management to buy lavish gifts for workers, but a small token of appreciation goes a long way.

Some associates have long commutes through the cold weather every morning. A company could give its best employees gloves so they don't have to jam their hands in their pockets to avoid the crisp autumn air. Managers could show they are paying attention to their staff by picking out the perfect pair for each worker. For example, the salesman who drives in to work each day might appreciate driving gloves more than the accountant who uses public transportation.

Customer rewards
Regular customers want to feel appreciated by companies. Part of a business relationship is returning the loyalty that clients show toward an establishment. Gifts from Adler's fall collection of scarves and gloves could help owners demonstrate how appreciative they are of their consumers.

The cold weather affects customers as well as employees. Giving a new scarf as a token of appreciation for months of regular patronage might endear a client to an establishment. The item reinforces the business affiliation by showing the consumer that the company is paying attention to more than the bottom line.

Business gifts can help a company maintain relationships with employees and clients as functional and fashionable presents from the Adler collection keep them warm through a chilly autumn. Staff members and customers will appreciate an establishment that gives these items away. 

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On April 25th, businesses and corporations around the United States will celebrate Administrative Professionals Day, which will experience its 60th anniversary this year. The day focuses on the unique skill sets that administrative experts have developed over the years, which include data management, gatekeeping and more.

If you can think of any employees that fall into this category, you might want to consider having a promotional giveaway to honor them on April 25th. However, there are a few guidelines that you should keep in mind before embarking on a promotional advertising campaign.

The International Association of Administrative Professionals

If your secretaries, administrative assistants and receptionists are not a part of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), you should encourage them to join immediately. This non-profit organization aims to improve the industry by offering educational events and seminars based upon the administrative world, and they are always seeking new members for lectures and other events.

According to their website, the IAAP claims "there are more than 4.1 million secretaries and administrative assistants working in the United States and 8.9 million people working in various administrative support roles. More than 475,000 administrative professionals are employed in Canada. Millions more administrative professionals work in offices all over the world."

Promotional products can raise awareness of this agency by providing the history of the industry in general. For example, custom coffee mugs may mention that the IAAP was formed int 1942 as part of a timeline logo. This way, anyone who uses the mug can pursue membership immediately.

Keep promotional giveaways short but sweet

If anyone respects time management, it is an administrative assistant. Therefore, when holding a ceremony to honor the time a person has spent helping to organize an office, it is important to keep it as succinct as possible. This does not mean having a five minute presentation, but celebrations should not drag on longer than an hour.

As the business owner or marketing manger, it will be your responsibility to gather everyone and introduce the administrative assistance for applause. Then, everyone who wishes to speak about the employee's dedication should be given a turn, followed by a speech from the honoree his or herself. Extended fanfare can be celebrated at restaurants and bars after five o'clock – while in the office, keep it professional and give out only respectable executive gifts.

Choose items that will be remembered and used for a long time

The longer your administrative assistant has been working at your company, the more luxurious a business gift should be. A good idea is to create employment tiers that are categorized by increasing years spent with the company. For example, you might stagger these at five year intervals. By stretching out these awards, you ensure that they are special enough that only dedicated employees will receive them. After all, if someone can last fifteen years at a company, chances are they deserve a rich, embroidered tote bag or personalized laptop case.

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Though promotional advertising can be a great way to make employees feel validated, you have to make sure that business gifts are professional, practical and of superior quality. If you are giving out these items during the month of April, keep the following tips in mind to secure the maximum return on investment.

Provide inspirational messages along with recognition

It's important to recognize employees for a job well done, but promotional products should be emblazoned with motivational messages to remind workers that hard work is rewarded accordingly. For example, a slogan like "A penny saved is a penny earned," can be written on custom coffee mugs distributed to the accounting department. These practical items can be used to hold pens, calculators or other office supplies, and may be seen by many employees if placed in a public location. This way, a person looking for some motivation will receive inspiration while remembering a company logo or brand image.

Organize a promotional giveaway to officially recognize employees

Managers can take a page from the book of tradeshow giveaways and organize such an event right in the office. Essentially, this is the chance for long-term employees to be recognized by their friends and colleagues for dedication and resilience. These events do not have to be lengthy or take away from valuable free time – as a supervisor, you can dedicate a half-hour to the presentation of executive gifts.

Quality over quantity

Items that are given to employees should always be of superior quality when compared to other promotional products. Since staff members have dedicated so much of their time to your company, the least you can do is give them something that they will be proud to showcase. For example, personalized leather briefcases or laptop cases are perfect for both men and women and can be a classy, functional business gift.

If these simple tips are combined during Employee Appreciation Month, any business may experience increased productivity as a result of happy, satisfied workers.

The post Take advantage of Employee Appreciation Month with quality promotional products appeared first on Small Business Marketing Blog.

A promotional wall calendar is a welcome tool for anyone with a long roster of times and places that need to be planned in detail. From collaborators to suppliers to clients to customers, personalized calendars will be useful for managing the remaining months of the year that are often packed with obligations.

When small businesses use a personalized calendar to market themselves, they end up making their brand, image, products or services difficult to forget. The frequency with which a busy person will glance at his list of obligations only serves to reinforce this familiarity with an organization.

Promotional wall calendars are also valuable marketing tools because they can be customized with all sorts of images. These can include themes that reflect a certain geographic area, seasonal pictures, escapist visions of warmer climates or simply beautiful scenes of nature. This allows companies to further specialize the messages they send to consumers.  

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1- Get the word out!

Make sure your customers are aware that you are participating in Small Business Saturday. www.smallbusinesssaturday.com has several tools available for small business owners including social media tips and in-store signage. Passing out flyers, wearing a promotional T-shirt advertising the event, and making sure your website reflects your participation are all good ways to raise awareness.

2- Make them an offer they can’t refuse.

If there was ever a time for discounts or coupons, this is it! In the frenzy of the shopping weekend, there are lots of options for the consumer. It is time to put your best deals in front of them. A great deal on a hot product or service can get them in the door and then you can sell them on everything else you have to offer. Coupon books for return visits are a great incentive as well.

3- Everyone loves a gift!

Customers will be thrilled to receive a gift for themselves while shopping for others. Make it fun, unique, or utilitarian and you’ll have your customers talking about your business all year long. Put your business’s name and phone number on a USB flash drive or colorful umbrella; a nice calendar or mug filled with coupons will have clients remembering your name long after the weekend is over. Promotional products do double duty as great gifts and better advertising.

4- Create a buzz.

Plan hourly giveaways of high-end gifts, community trivia with coveted prizes, games for the kids; any or all of these ideas give the feeling of a true “event”. People will be curious to see what is going on and will want to get in on the fun.

5- Put your name out there!

Make sure that every person in your store, restaurant, or business has something with your name and phone number on it when they leave. This will ensure that the traffic of Small Business Saturday will return to you throughout the upcoming year.

The post Top 5 Ways to Prepare for Small Business Saturday appeared first on Small Business Marketing Blog.

These companies have worked hard to forge lasting relationships with their consumers that endure for years. They tend to target consumers in non-traditional ways – rather than going after specific demographics, their advertising purveys a particular worldview. Apple, for instance, distinguishes itself from its competitors by creating a sense of magic around its products. Details are often kept under wraps until they’re officially presented to the public. As a result a constant air of anticipation surrounds Apple and its products.

Not every company has the resources or media presence of Apple, however. This doesn’t mean that business owners and C-level executives aren’t able to develop loyalty amongst consumers. Rather than giving off the mystique of an all-powerful technological behemoth, small and middle-sized companies should cultivate an air of dependability. Passionate customer loyalty is something that comes from a subconscious understanding that a product line has accomplished good things in the past. Businesses which provide this dependability and mark it with their distinct brand will find themselves the object of strong consumer interest for years to come.

Staking the visual space that customers gaze at can be accomplished many ways. Organizations that wish to build a good reputation and brand recognition can invest in promotional products, such as promotional pens or tote bags that feature their logos, slogans or branding images. So long as the company provides a good service and the brand is highly visible, the consumers will follow.

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1. Executive portfolios
Despite dictating them in prodigious amounts, teachers take quite a few notes themselves. A personalized executive portfolio is a wonderful way to help teachers prepare a curriculum and create test questions for the next batch of bright young minds.

2. Personalized calculators
Math and science teachers might have made students do their math out by hand, but for them a calculator will do nicely. A personalized message will be a pleasant reminder of a successful grad every time he calculates a grade point average.

3. Executive pens
A beautiful pen with a personal message is a fitting gift for professors, the perennial paper-graders. Now that the next phase of a student’s life is beginning, a pen can also accompany a request to keep in touch.

4. Personalized computer bags
Many teachers use computers and tablet PCs, so this choice is fitting for most. Computer science and programming teachers in particular can be appropriately thanked with a means to tote around their weapon of choice.

5. Solar clip charger
Science teachers who taught students about the principles of light and energy can use this personalized gadget to stay charged while on the go. Life science and other outdoorsy types will also get a kick out of a tool that acknowledges the knowledge that they’ve imparted.

The post The top 5 gifts for teachers at graduation appeared first on Small Business Marketing Blog.

1. Individual milestones
They will vary depending upon the nature of a business, but certain lengths of employment deserve recognition by employers. For some companies, the completion of a training program might warrant something as simple as a personalized key chain. At other offices, 2, 5, or 10 years of work are significant accomplishments and deserve a personalized pen or portfolio that features the company’s logo.

2. Team Accomplishments
In retail settings, the holidays can be a brutal time of year. Small businesses can reward their staff for making it through another season with a useful and stylish USB drive keyring or other business gift. Different companies might find their crunch time at the end of every month or after the completion of a major account. Managers would do well to reward the workers who made these efforts possible with personalized products that recognize both the individual and team contributions.

3. Departures
A present at the end of a long period of service to a company rewards the worker to whom it is given. However, it also demonstrates to current employees that their efforts are worthwhile and that they’ll be rewarded themselves one day, should they continue on at the organization. Because of how rare these departures might be, high-end personalized gifts might be appropriate. Companies could consider personalized cocktail sets, computer cases, or a handsome watch.

4. Company milestones
When a business makes it for five, 10 or several dozen years, its workforce should be thanked. Companies that endure can thank their entire staff for years of hard work with many gifts at once, including personalized pens, promotional calendars and logo gadgets, that commemorate the anniversary.

The post The top four occasions to reward staff with personalized gifts appeared first on Small Business Marketing Blog.