Episodes on Marketing

“How Often Should I post on Social Media?” is something many business owners are concerned about. Business owners are usually alarmed when we tell them that they should post something every day on Social Media. They ask… - Will people get sick of seeing my posts? - Will some posts seem repetitive? If the posts are relevant and educational, don’t worry about posting daily. Read the full article here https://ecirclemarketing.com/how-often-should-i-post-on-social-media/ Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, E Circle Marketing, and other small business marketing solutions https://ecirclemarketing.com Never miss an episode Subscribe to our page and never miss a new episode of Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video http://www.youtube.com/c/MariaKeiser Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business https://ecirclemarketing.com/podcasts/ Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ECircleMarketing/ Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-entrepreneur-circle/ E Circle Marketing is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

Business owners typically don’t struggle with the idea of marketing, or the need for a marketing strategy. They usually struggle with the message. Having the Right Message is the Key to Any Marketing Strategy. Things that aren’t helpful are irrelevant posts that don’t answer the prospect’s questions. Folks are getting inundated with messages 2000 times per day. It’s important to make sure your marketing targets the topics and information your future customer wants and needs to know. Gaining trust in a noisy world is not easy, The Right Message is something your customer will care about. • Tell them who you are • That you understand them • Tell them how to get in touch with you • And let them know what you stand for. You never know where your future customer will be, so make sure you communicate on every platform. It’s also important to understand what your market needs to know and provide them with that information. Here are some examples of things you can incorporate in your marketing. Especially your social media. Social media allows you to generate information in little bite sized chunks. - Problems you solve o These can be case studies of things you have done for your clients to show your audience your capabilities. - Did you know o How many times have you said, “If they only knew I did that”, or “I can’t believe they bought from someplace else. Didn’t they know I did that?”. Did you knows, let people know about all those little things that you do to help solve their problems. - Testimonials o Social proof is an important aspect of any marketing strategy. It shows your audience, that you have solved problems for others, and that you know how to solve the problem you promise. This is a great way to get your message out there. - What you’re working on o Another way to show your capabilities, and the scope of what your future customer can expect from you. - Pricing o Don’t shy away from this one. You don’t necessarily have to provide an exact number. But provide a ballpark. If someone hasn’t bought this item before, they will want this information. They also may already have their own idea of what it costs, which may be preventing them from buying it. - FAQ’s o They are called Frequently asked questions for a reason. If your customers are asking you these questions, it’s a good indicator that it’s something that is on their mind. Provide this information to others. - Videos/Pictures o People like to see pictures and videos. Visuals are a great way for people to familiarize themselves with you and/or your product. **Please note, these types of posts, are probably not going to get lots of likes, or comments on social media. They are informational, to show your future customer that you are solution they are looking for. We can get caught up in likes, comments, and shares thing. It’s important to understand the goal of your marketing strategy. Funny memes and cat videos go viral all the time, they don’t necessarily gain new customers or bring revenue into your business. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, E Circle Marketing, and other small business marketing solutions https://ecirclemarketing.com Never miss an episode Subscribe to our page and never miss a new episode of Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video http://www.youtube.com/c/MariaKeiser Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business https://ecirclemarketing.com/podcasts/ Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ECircleMarketing/ Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-entrepreneur-circle/ E Circle Marketing is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

Writers block, or not knowing what to post is a very common thing for business owners. Here are a few things you can do to help this. - Walk away. Do something else. Sometimes the distraction will help you think of something. - Think of the 25 most often asked questions that you get - Think about what people have responded to in the past - Don’t worry if you’re being repetitive. A message needs to be delivered many times - Perhaps a good time to talk to a marketing consultant - Call your customers. Don’t assume you know why they do business with you. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, E Circle Marketing, and other small business marketing solutions https://ecirclemarketing.com Never miss an episode Subscribe to our page and never miss a new episode of Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video http://www.youtube.com/c/MariaKeiser Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business https://ecirclemarketing.com/podcasts/ Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ECircleMarketing/ Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-entrepreneur-circle/ E Circle Marketing is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

We are always asked by business owners “do I really need online marketing?” website, email, social, SEO Common complaint “I don’t see any results from it” Only about 8% of B2B is “closed” online The quick answer to the question Do I really need online marketing for my business? is yes. Why is it important to have a strong online presence? - 80% of people do online research about a business before they buy - 70% of their buying journey is complete based on what they find - You are seen negatively if you don’t have a strong online presence - You can directly interact with you target audience - You reach a lot of people much cheaper than most advertising - You can reach a lot of people quickly - You can track responses and stats - Online marketing helps with Google ranking Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, E Circle Marketing, and other small business marketing solutions https://ecirclemarketing.com Never miss an episode Subscribe to our page and never miss a new episode of Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video http://www.youtube.com/c/MariaKeiser Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business https://ecirclemarketing.com/podcasts/ Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ECircleMarketing/ Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-entrepreneur-circle/ E Circle Marketing is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

We’ve heard many times “I need to do something”, but I don’t know what to do. - I’m looking at what my competitors are doing. - Everyone’s saying the market is down. - You don’t really know how to market, or understand marketing, but your business isn’t growing like you want. If you’re happy with how your business is growing, that’s fantastic. Today’s show is for people who think they should be growing more. What should you do: - There’s no magic strategy. Don’t get lost in “I don’t know what to do next”. - Make marketing a specific department, even if you are the marketer. Make appointments during your business day to work on marketing. - Experiment, read, learn, figure things out. Don’t use “I don’t have time” or “I don’t know what to do” as an excuse. - If you truly don’t want to do it but want your business to grow, create the budget. 5-10% of your annual budget. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, E Circle Marketing, and other small business marketing solutions https://ecirclemarketing.com Never miss an episode Subscribe to our page and never miss a new episode of Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video http://www.youtube.com/c/MariaKeiser Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business https://ecirclemarketing.com/podcasts/ Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ECircleMarketing/ Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-entrepreneur-circle/ E Circle Marketing is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

When you’re looking for a company to help with marketing, it's important to understand who you’re buying from. A Web Designer will build you the website you ask them to build you. A Graphic designer, will create the graphic you tell them to make for you. A social media company will post the material you tell them to post. It can be tricky, as a business owner, marketing can be this vague mysterious thing. Sometimes we think we know what our customers want to hear, but our marketing efforts don't produce or perform the way we expect. But what if you aren't totally clear on what you should be doing, and looking for guidance? It's possible you aren't hiring the right kind of company to help you. You may just be hiring a company that can perform a marketing function, but not necessarily help you get the right message out in the way it will be received. Questions you should ask of anyone you are considering buying marketing from - Will you help me understand my marketplace? - Will you help me understand my customers and their behaviors? - Will you hep me craft the right message to them? - Will you help me decide on tactics? - Will you review my current material? Once you have a clear understanding of your message, and customer behaviors, then you can choose the best tactic or tactics. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs. -~-~~-~~~-~~-~- Please watch: "Don’t Blow Your Marketing Budget on Stuff You Don’t Need" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk4dv... -~-~~-~~~-~~-~-

Listening to your customers is a crucial component to growing your business. Recently read a story on Forbes about the company mic.com, a news aggregate site. They switched from written content entirely to video. Unfortunately, they got too progressive and have had to lay off almost all their staff due to customers leaving. We’re not saying to not try new things but what we are saying is to pay attention to your marketplace Sometimes the simplest things work. - Pay attention to how your market wants to receive your service or product. - Communicate in a way that is meaningful to them. - If they are not responding to your communication, figure out why - Don’t change your delivery on a whim – understand first how your market will respond. - Try new things but don’t scare or confuse your market. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

Do I need to hire someone to do my social media, or can my daughter do it? Choosing a Social Media Marketer. We originally wanted to call this episode “Don’t Hire Your Crazy Uncle to do your social media marketing”. It isn’t uncommon for people to think that it’s either not that important or anyone can do it. Then they say it doesn’t work. Your daughter or uncle may not know about messaging, marketing, measuring, frequency, etc. What you can do: - Take marketing as seriously as you take any other part of your business. - Understand that just because someone posts a lot on social media, it doesn’t mean they know anything about social media marketing - Learn how to do it yourself or at least learn enough to know what needs to be done. - Find someone who understands exactly who your audience is and the right messaging for them - Ask them a lot of questions. Don’t just take their word for it. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, E Circle Marketing, and other small business marketing solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... E Circle Marketing is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

At some point in your business, the inevitable question will come up “should we do our marketing in house or hire an agency”? There’s not a clear right and wrong to this question. It depends on a number of factors: - Time - Do you or your staff have the time to dedicate to doing your own marketing? - Skillset – do you or anyone in your business have the skills? Can you hire an employee that has all the right skills? - Creativity – Do you or your marketing team possess the creativity to create a comprehensive, compelling marketing strategy? - Cost – Weigh which strategy will best fit your budget. Get an idea for the cost of hiring an agency vs how much it will cost you in time, employee time, or education. - Adaptability – Do you or your in house team have the ability to be adaptable to changes in your market or marketing strategies? Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, E Circle Marketing, and other small business marketing solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... E Circle Marketing is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

We get asked all the time about how much it costs to hire a marketing agency/company. People are worried it can be very expensive. There are a ton of variables, which means you could pay somewhere between $500 and $10,000 a month. You can also choose between paying a monthly retainer or hire a company for project work. We do a combo of both. How much it will cost will greatly depend on what you need, and how much you need the Marketing agency to do. • Do you need a website? • Do you need Social media? • Do you need someone to write the copy? Do you need someone to shoot and produce Videos? • Do you need advertising? • What are your Internal capabilities? The more you can do on your own, the less it will cost. Pricing for most small businesses falls between $300 - $1500 per month. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, E Circle Marketing, and other small business marketing solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... E Circle Marketing is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

When it comes to marketing, we’ve heard so many people say “I’ve tried that. It doesn’t work” - Yes, certain marketing tactics might work better for your business - Usually someone has given a minor effort and decided it doesn’t work - What is the balance between buying things you don’t need and trying something and saying it doesn’t work? - Consider why you tried that particular tactic. - Did you do it properly? For example, are you creating posts that are compelling? - How long did you try it? Did you tweak it? - Are you getting any expert advice or just winging it? - Are you certain you know why it isn’t working? - Are you being consistent with you marketing or is it haphazard? Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, E Circle Marketing, and other small business marketing solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... E Circle Marketing is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

In this episode, we're going to share an example of how marketing plans can take you down the path of disappointment. We will discuss why this happens, and some simple techniques to help you get clearer, so you can create a plan that works for you. We’ve seen it a thousand times, small business owners implementing marketing strategies and not getting the results they want. leaving the business owner feeling frustrated, deflated, and hopeless. Do you find yourself saying? • My marketing plan isn’t working. • I need help with Marketing • I need better marketing • Can you help me get more clients? The most frequently asked questions we get from clients and prospective clients at The Entrepreneur Circle center around Marketing, new client acquisition, and prospecting. Marketing and prospecting seem to be the most mysterious aspect of owning a business, Marketing doesn't have to be mysterious, there is a right plan you can put into action. And it doesn't even need to be complicated or expensive. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

Today we are going to share a story about a client that became fixated on a competitor. So much so, that it started to stunt his own progress, and prevented him from pursuing his business in his way. We will also share how to avoid this trap, and some things that successful businesses do to stand out from the crowd. The topic of competitors comes up in coaching sessions or Roundtable meetings at The Entrepreneur Circle. For more information about The Entrepreneur Circle and Mike and Maria Keiser visit www.mentalcompass.com To subscribe to this video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

I'm so busy this year, that I don't have "time" to market, so next year is going to be slow It’s hard for me to market and sell when I am busy. Being consistent with Marketing and sales is often brought up in coaching sessions and roundtable meetings by clients working with The Entrepreneur Circle. This vicious cycle leads to feast or famine, the business owner feels like they are a hamster on a wheel, never quite getting that balance of marketing, selling and doing the work. Solo practitioners – consultants, lawyers, financial advisors, marketers, etc... are the business owners that most often fall into this trap of endless stress and worry. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

I’m Looking for a Better Marketing Strategy Need help with your messaging? Download the free ultimate guide to creating your marketing plan http://mentalcompass.com/create-a-mar... At The Entrepreneur Circle we often hear “I need a better marketing strategy” from our clients. But before we get to discussing specific strategies, there’s a few important questions we need to address first: - Is everything else in your business functioning as it should be? - Are you providing great service? - Is your offering something that people want? - Do people believe that you are capable of providing what they need? If you answer yes to all of these, then it may be time to look at your messaging. Is your message crystal clear and compelling to the right target audience? If not, that’s the place to start. Once you have a clear message and clear offering for the right audience, there’s a number of potential marketing strategies that will work. In this episode we will share a case study of a client that improved their marketing response by 300%. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to this video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

“I need to market myself better” is something we hear from Small Business owners all the time at The Entrepreneur Circle. You very well may need to market yourself better – and we can always help with that. But before, you go ahead and start another marketing strategy that may or may not work. We suggest you look at a few other things first. - What are your Personal strengths? - What are your Business strengths? - Who is your Target audience? After you answer the above questions, then create a marketing strategy to communicate with your future customers. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to this video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

"Should I do my own marketing?" is a question we hear a lot from clients of The Entrepreneur Circle. In many cases, the answer might be yes: - You know your market - You know your business and industry - You know the habits of your customers - You have the most passion for your business However, the million dollar question to ask yourself "will you do everything that needs to be done?" Marketing plans don't have to be fancy or expensive, they have to be compelling and consistent. So, yes you can do it yourself if: - You’re good at it - You stay on top of it - Willing to bring in others as necessary Another benefit to doing your own marketing is it will help you understand where you need professionals. Of course, if you try it and find it's not something for you, you can always bring in a marketing company. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to this video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

We were recently having a conversation with a client who was struggling with a marketing message. Actually, creating a clear and concise marketing message is a common conversation at The Entrepreneur Circle. For some reason we want to over complicate marketing. - We get too fancy for our own good- flowery language, expensive campaigns, trying to wow people - We want to try Bizarre TV commercials What we need to do is simplify our message. - Be super clear on your target market - Understand how prospects want to be communicated with – what’s important to them - Create a clear, simple, easy to understand message - Tell the truth - Treat people like intelligent adults Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to this video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

The Entrepreneur Circle hosted a seminar last week, we heard a number of people say, “I’m just not consistent with my marketing.” Why... - They don’t have enough time - They’re not sure what they should be doing - They haven’t seen results, so they keep trying new things - They don’t understand social media Whatever the reasons are, people often find that they aren’t implementing a consistent, measurable marketing plan. What you can do to help make your marketing more consistent... - Put the time in your schedule just like any other appointment. - Decide on a couple marketing strategies and do them over and over - Create content in your off time - Have someone else do it (hire a marketing company) - Realize that this is as important as any other aspect of running your business - Measure but don’t throw an idea away just because it didn’t work one time Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to this video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

The 3 Rules of Marketing: Simplify, Simplify, Simplify Today’s theme is something you’ll hear us talk about a lot on this show. It’s so important and we need you to really take it to heart. We see too many examples of people being too fancy/wordy with their marketing. How you can simplify your marketing - Communicate clearly - Pretend you’re the reader/receiver - Speak to your audience - Easy to understand Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to this video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

Here’s a problem I hear from a lot of business owners. “Yes, I know I need better marketing but I just don’t have the budget for it”. We don’t want you to use that as an excuse anymore as to why you have created, and implemented an integrated marketing plan. It doesn’t have to be expensive Things you can do. - Perform low cost marketing activities a. Network all the time b. Join your Chamber c. Utilize social media - Learn how to do it yourself - Find providers who specialize in working with businesses like yours. - Get more organized financially. Understand where all your money is going. Measure everything - Find the money – cut out something else if you need to. Find the $300-500 a month you need. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to this video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

Small business owner clients of The Entrepreneur Circle ask us all the time…what’s the best form of marketing for my business? There are so many choices Social Media Marketing Email Marketing Networking Direct Mail ETC... So people are often confused about what’s going to work best for them. So...how should you go about deciding which forms of marketing will have the greatest effect? There are many factors to consider, below are just a few. - How does your target audience like to get its information? - Test different methods - What has worked in the past? - Are you doing it yourself? - Where are your interests and skills? - What type of product do you sell? Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to this video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

Have you ever heard people say something along the lines of “I’m a creative? I should go into marketing”. Or, “their website is so creative” or “you’re such a creative designer, you should go into marketing”. - Creativity has its place in marketing – sort of – but don’t confuse creativity with marketing. - You can be super creative but be a terrible marketer. More important than creativity is whether or not your marketing efforts are attracting new clients. - Does your message resonate with your audience? - Is it simple and easy to understand? - Have you found the media that best delivers that message? - A lot of marketing platforms require the ability to quickly and concisely present your message. - The desire to be creative often takes away, it doesn’t enhance. - If you’re creative, be creative but don’t make the mistake that creativity is all that’s required for marketing. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to this video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

Where should I focus my marketing efforts? Small business owners are typically limited in time, budget and resources. Which can often cause them to feel overwhelmed by where to put their marketing efforts. Some things to consider when putting together your marketing plan. - Where are your prospects getting information? - What do you have time for? - Email is still very useful for many - Don’t jump from tactic to tactic - What volume of new prospects do you need? - Is your service easily understood? - Study your marketplace - Be consistent and monitor results Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to this video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

Most people are not always happy with the results their marketing produces. Unfortunately, “almost everyone will miss almost everything you do”. There is no magic bullet that will open the marketing heavens. No marketing nirvana. So why bother? Great question. You bother because... Marketing is an ongoing process not one magical thing. A better way to look at marketing - You have to experiment and try things - No matter your marketing, most business will come through referral. But then marketing can be highly useful. - You still have to know how to sell. Marketing can give you more chances to sell - Marketing gives you credibility - You have to keep trying, over and over. - You will discover things that work and don’t work. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

If your marketing isn’t getting you the results you want it could mean that you aren’t targeting your communications to the right audience. This is a step that many business owners don’t spend enough time on; and can lead to feeling frustrated and disappointed in your marketing efforts. **Very Important: Completely and thoroughly understand who your ideal client is and why they do business with you. - Not the fairytale version of who you believe SHOULD be your ideal client. - Who are they really? A good place to start is by looking at who’s already doing business with you. - As you consider your avatar, make sure they look like, feel like, and act like the people who are most likely to do business with you. - Don’t make assumptions about what drives or motivates them. Make sure you understand their: a. Fears b. Worries c. Goals d. Desires e. Challenges - Avoid descriptions like joy, satisfaction, limiting beliefs, or other cliché language. Words like that don’t mean much and they are difficult to measure and define. - Instead, consider the following questions: a. What problems do I solve? b. How do those problems manifest in real life? c. Why is this a common problem(s) for my clients? d. What makes them look for help in solving the problem? - Also consider: a. Who you love to work with b. Who you’re best positioned to help c. Who is able/willing to pay you Finding your Avatar Exercise https://mentalcompass.com/wp-content/... Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

Create an experience for your customer. Create an environment where your customer feels welcome and wants to come back. Today’s episode is based on a recent experience we had as a customer. - The company was trying to create this image but completely missed the point, and therefore our customer experience was very poor. - People talk about branding. But how about just following through, answering questions, and pretending people don’t know anything about you or your products/store, etc. What can you do instead… - Avoid insider language - Avoid words or phrase that don’t really mean anything - Assume that people have never heard of you - Don’t be annoyed when people don’t know Last week's episode Be the Easy Place to Find Information on the Internet https://youtu.be/7LJ1e3_iKDY Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

I often hear “I think it’s time to talk to you” or “I might need to talk to someone” The most popular google phrase regarding marketing - “When should I hire agency” So when should you hire a Marketing agency? - You need more predictability and consistency with your marketing - You’re not sure of the best marketing tactics for your business - Don’t want to make a full-time commitment to a marketing manager - Marketing is not getting done - Sales are stagnant - You don’t have the skills and don’t enjoy it - You are not getting results Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, E Circle Marketing, and other small business marketing solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... E Circle Marketing is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

In order to see results in your marketing, you will need to spend your time or money. Whatever you choose is based on what you have the most of at the moment. Marketing is Not Cheap…But it’s Necessary. If you’re skimping on marketing, you are increasing the odds that you are not going to thrive in your business. Proper marketing isn’t cheap. It’s going to cost you either your money or your time. For some reason, it’s one of the first things people put aside and don’t give the effort it requires. Why is it something people avoid and what should they do if marketing has been lacking? - Take a look at how the flow of new business has been. - What marketing efforts have you taken? Is it consistent? - Is it getting results? Why or why not? - What would happen if you were much better at communicating with your audience? - Why don’t they know about you? What do you need to do? - Put a plan in place to either do it yourself or hire. Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

Marketing can sometimes feel like a race to do everything, sometimes it feels like we aren't doing enough. We meet lots of folks that say “I need a new website”…“I need a new brochure” “what about LinkedIn ”…etc Sometimes the best approach is to stop, do nothing, and evaluate. This sounds counter-intuitive, especially, since we are most likely behind the 8 ball, and should have done a million things already. Although, we agree that marketing is important and vital to the growth of your business, we want to stress the importance of having a simple plan that you will follow that will help you grow your business. What should you do? - Get clear on your avatar (Who is your customer) - Understand clearly how they need to be communicated with - Create a strategy to do that - It’s not just a new brochure or a website or Facebook - Execute and monitor how it’s working - Follow your plan Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

For marketing to be effective, you need to make it an individual, personal experience. Today we want to talk about something that has become so much more relevant over the past few years… It used to be ok to talk “at” your audience and tell them how awesome you are… What we’re seeing more and more is that, for marketing to be effective, you need to make it an individual, personal experience. People want you to feel like you understand and are listening to them. Maybe you can’t reply to every single person but there are some ways you help people connect with their audience on a personal level? - Do as much one on one communication as you can. Respond to everything. - One more reason to know your avatar - Use real language - Take it personally - Be approachable - Have an automatic way to respond - Chatbots - Always follow up, you never know where the next client is coming from Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

You must market yourself to stand out, especially if you have the best product in the market. Went for a haircut at a new place near our office. While Chatting with owner as he cut my hair I asked how he’s marketing the shop. He replied with “I’m my own competition”, the results will speak for themselves. While we admire the spirit the truth is very different. Being excellent at what you do is very important, but if nobody knows who you are, or where to find you it won't yield results. Marketing allows you to have a meaningful relationship with your audience - It informs - It engages - It helps us sell - It grows - People feel like they get to know us Otherwise, you will be generally invisible Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.

According to a survey of business owners that Alignable did, nearly 60% of businesses owners say that their online presence is not generating any traffic. But they also say that they aren’t sure what they should be doing to increase web traffic and much of what they do is haphazard. So we thought we’d come up with a few “must do’s” to improve your presence - Have a platform where content is posted regularly - Organic SEO 1. Produce keyword rich, educational content 2. Make it easy on search engines 3. Draw links naturally from other sites - Email marketing campaigns - Make sure you utilize more than one social media platform. Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter - Social media marketing - Online advertising - Make sure your site is Mobile friendly and location - Check your analytics - Hire an outside firm to help you with this Find out more about Mike and Maria Keiser, The Entrepreneur Circle, and other small business solutions http://mentalcompass.com New Episodes every week. Never miss an episode Subscribe to Duct Tape and Popsicle Sticks video series https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... Our podcast Grow your Small Business Our Podcast Grow your small business http://mentalcompass.com/grow-your-sm... Stay connected and get access to our other content designed to help Small business owners Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theentrepren... Twitter https://twitter.com/TheEcircle Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... The Entrepreneur Circle is located in Manchester, Connecticut and helps small business owners solve their marketing needs.