Conducting market research Understanding your customers, competition and marketplace is your key to making effective marketing decisions and avoiding costly mistakes. 5 tips for effective customer surveys How market research helped one small business double sales 5 steps to conduct your own low-cost competitor analysis How to research your market to write a better business plan 3 essential market research techniques to build your business 6 key factors in targeting B-2-B sales prospects From our blog—A practical guide to market research to help you make better decisions 5 ways to improve your business with market research
Defining my target market By effectively defining your target market, your company will be in a better position to identify typical customers and tailor marketing plans accordingly. 5 game-changing consumer trends for your business in 2017 How to boost sales: Start by knowing your customer How to market your new product to early adopters 3 must-watch consumer trends to grow your business SlideShare—The socially conscious consumer From our blog—The ever-evolving digital consumer 5 things to think about before selling a foreign product in Canada From our blog—Millennials: Drivers of a new consumer era
Developing my marketing plan Doing business without a marketing plan is like driving without a map. A solid plan should clearly lay out how you intend to attract customers and persuade them to buy. From our blog—In the digital age, marketing fundamentals are the crucial differentiator A 5-step, no-nonsense marketing plan How to stretch your marketing budget From our blog—Your top marketing priorities From our blog—How to marry traditional and digital marketing 7 low-cost marketing strategies to implement now How to find markets for your new product
Creating my marketing budget A marketing budget will help you measure the ROI of your marketing efforts, so you can focus proactively on the tactics that give you the most bang for your buck. Marketing and sales: What are the Canadian entrepreneurs doing about it? Don't touch that ad budget How to avoid pitfalls in advertising your small business From our blog—Developing a budget for your Website From our blog—Open up your sales funnel by boosting your marketing budget
Branding and positioning my business A strong brand identity will favourably position your business in a competitive marketplace—the foundation of any successful marketing strategy. Score with your brand: How to propel your business with better branding Branding lessons from a successful small business Branding: 5 tips for building your company's brand The pros and cons of co-branding internationally 3 easy steps to your best logo and branding strategy From our blog—3 common signs your brand is broken (and 3 ways to fix it!) From our blog—3 essential elements of a successful brand Video—Entering new markets: Gray Tools How to find your unique selling point Why differentiation is the key to small business success How "green marketing" can provide a competitive advantage How greening your business can save you money Tentree international does well by doing good The elevator pitch: How to present your business in 60 seconds 4 steps to follow when reviewing your pricing policies How to counter a price competitor How to price your product: 5 common strategies A1 Bags & Supplies: How to win customer confidence 4 easy strategies to make your tourism business attractive to foreign visitors From our blog—5 steps to spring clean your brand and refresh your marketing Customer experience: The secret to retail success
Choosing the right distribution channels Selecting the right distribution channels will ensure that your customers, no matter their location, can buy your products or services. How to bring a new product to market Pain-free tips to find your best distribution channel
Implementing traditional marketing strategies Digital technologies have changed the way everyone does business. That said, it might surprise you to know that traditional marketing remains a key lever in promoting your business. 3 reasons why your business should be doing inbound marketing How to avoid cold calling for sales Practical strategies to maximize your trade show ROI Trade shows: 6 steps to finding potential customers How to promote consulting services Guerrilla marketing: Why you should consider non-traditional promotion
Implementing digital marketing strategies Today, a digital strategy is critical to the success of most small and medium-sized businesses; especially when it comes to attracting and serving customers. Online marketing 4 steps to unlock the power of online marketing Grow your business with a low-cost online marketing strategy Why you need to pay closer attention to your online marketing Video—Top trends in Canadian online business Video—4 steps to online success Video—Online marketing: Tips from a successful entrepreneur From our blog—Is your business ready for an online strategy? From our blog—Effective digital marketing takes time and resources. Are you ready? From our blog—Digital marketing: Small strategies… Big results From our blog—Online marketing case study: Auto Trim Design From our blog—B2B online marketing really does work! From our blog—What is mobile marketing anyway? E-commerce Which payment system is right for your online business? From our blog—E-commerce case study: Posh Jewelry From our blog—E-commerce case study: Studio F/X Content marketing 10 tips for attracting customers with great online content Canada’s anti-spam legislation: Your questions answered Canada’s anti-spam legislation: What you need to do right now Using e-newsletters to achieve marketing success: 5 tips From our blog—What is content marketing and why is it so important? From our blog—Marketing automation tools make your digital marketing easier Search Engine optimization SEO for small businesses: 10 ways to rank higher in online searches From our blog—SEO basics for entrepreneurs: Easy tips for optimizing your website Online advertising Pay-per-click advertising: 8 tips to make it pay off Learn how to win with pay-per-click advertising From our blog—Using landing pages and small data to optimize your online ad campaigns Social media How to create a social media strategy for your business 7 ways to turn social media fans into customers Online marketing: 7 tips for getting the most of your LinkedIn company page Online video: 10 easy tips to make yours more effective Entrepreneurs give Facebook a “like” Twitter: 10 ways to make the most of your tweets Managing social media: 9 tips to ensure appropriate employee use How an online community manager can enrich your social media presence—and boost sales Local marketing online: reaching customers in your area 4 ways to make sure your business ranks high in local search results How to manage your reputation on customer review sites From our blog—Social Media: Engage with your customers
Improving customer loyalty It’s easier to persuade a customer who already knows you to buy again. In fact, an existing customer can cost up to five times less than winning a new one. 6 ways to build better customer relationships How customer experience sets this company apart from the competition Facebook marketing plan: No‑nonsense tips on reaching more customers From our blog—Omnichannel marketing: 5 steps to a seamless customer experience From our blog—6 easy steps to create a customer loyalty program
Measuring ROI Even the very best marketing strategy will fail in today’s highly competitive and global marketplace if the company doesn’t track its ROI. From our blog—Small data is the big answer for small business How to measure your social media success From our blog—Small data: Learn to measure your growth
Optimizing my strategies and tactics A continuous cycle of measuring, learning and making changes to your marketing initiatives will help your company maximize its returns on its marketing investments. From our blog—5 ways you’re messing up your marketing (and how you can fix it!) From our blog—7 growth lessons I learned for 2016 From our blog—How to use easy tools to beat your online competition Internet entrepreneur: How one company's online sales surged