CLAIRANT. startup marketing. simplified.
  • About
    • Who Are We?
    • Case Studies
  • Packages
    • Marketing Audit
    • Blogging
    • Social Media
    • Email Marketing
    • Videos >
      • Doodle Videos
      • Interview Videos
    • Add-Ons >
      • Brand Guide
      • Fractional CMO
      • PR Services
      • Web Design
  • Resources
    • Buzz Blog
    • 5-Minute Marketing
    • Marketing Webinars
    • Facts & Stats
  • Contact
  • Free Marketing Audit
Picture
Buzz Blog.

3 awesome tips to grow your startup

12/30/2019

1 Comment

 
Picture
  1. Recycle content
    If you write an article or press release, take the content from it and talk about it in a video.  When the video is completed take the audio and release it in a podcast. Create social posts and small video snippets that you can spread all over every platform.  Content doesn’t have to be new.  There is great quality content that can be resurfaced and exposed to different viewers. Obviously don’t release the same content every day but some tips you spoke of last year may make sense this year as well. Freshen it up and give it some spice. 
  2. Always be cultivating relationships
    Each day brings new opportunities to meet potential customers for your business. While standing in line for coffee or the bank, (do people still do that?) strike up a friendly conversation with the person you are next to. At a birthday party for your kids?  Talk to the parents, tell them what you do in a non salesperson kind of way.  On a plane? Talk to the passenger next to you and exchange business cards. These could all lead to a sale one day.
  3. Raise your prices
    It’s not always the best differentiator to be the cheapest. Do some research and see what your competitors are charging. If you are on the low end then raise your prices.  Offer packages that blow your customers away and if some can’t afford it they will aspire to be able to. Read more about pricing strategy in this great article from Carl Gould, a CEO, business growth strategist, author, business mentor and award winning coach.

Got questions or suggestions for topics you'd like us to cover? Comment below.

1 Comment

What are dark posts you ask?

12/23/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Gary V, a well-known marketer and successful business owner does a great job promoting the use of dark posts in this short video. 4 years ago he predicted that dark posts would be the new best marketing tool and guess what?  He was right!
What are dark posts?  Dark posts are the sponsored ads on social platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. Dark posts are different from organic posts or boosted posts because they do not show up on your feed or your followers feeds.  They are sponsored ads that resemble posts but are only visible on the feeds of the targeted market you want them to reach. Dark posts are cheap and EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE. Targeted ads are great for demographics like age, geographic location and gender. But dark posts go even more in depth to target your ideal customers. You can filter almost anything and Facebook collects a whole lot of data on its members.

Each platform has its own name for dark posts:
Facebook: Unpublished post
Twitter: Promoted-only tweets
LinkedIn: Direct sponsored content
Instagram: Unpublished page post
Over 90% of businesses use Facebook ads. That’s a lot! They must work! 
Across industries you see about a 0.9% click-through-rate. And from that if the ad is enticing enough a 24% conversion rate!  This is huge compared to other channels of lead generation.

So try dark posts for a change and see if they work for your business.

Got questions? Comment below.


0 Comments

3 Excellent Suggestions for Startups and Small Businesses

12/18/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
  1. Create partnerships
    Think about what other products and services may complement your brand. Reach out to the leaders of these organizations and suggest a partnership. Partnerships allow you to share clients, co-produce products and blend your services. You can link to each other’s sites and share each other’s content on social media. You can host events together, invite your customers, meet theirs, and share the costs. Man a table or booth at a conference together and split the expense. There are so many benefits to partnerships!

  2. Think Scalability
    When setting up your business email make sure you use a scalable system such as first initial and last name.  Many companies start with firstname@domain.com because there are only a few staff members. But what happens when you grow and you have multiple people onboard with the same first name? Think of these things now before you grow and run into the problem.

  3. Learn something new every day
    As a small business owner you should set yourself on a path to upgrade your knowledge, stay current on your industry and be a step ahead of your competitors. Try to learn something new every day. A good way to do this is setting aside a block of time each day to read blog posts, articles, watch YouTube videos, listen to podcasts, read books and industry magazines. Don’t forget to attend conferences and seminars and local continuing ed courses. Put this time on your calendar so that you commit to it.
0 Comments

3 Pointers for marketing small businesses

12/10/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
  1. Join the Chamber of Commerce
    Check with your local chamber of commerce and see how much it cost to join.  Make a goal to attend at least one or two events per month. From each event set goals to collect a certain amount of business cards, and set up meetings with the people you meet.  You’d be surprised how much new business you can get from your own community with good old fashioned networking. Local chambers run anywhere from $300 per year to around $1500 or more depending on what cities your chamber covers and how many employees you have at your business. Don’t forget the advertising benefits from joining.  They usually post a small ad in their magazine, will place your logo on their site, and promote your posts on social media. They have press connections, will help you with grand openings, and some even have a radio station on which you can promote your company. 
  2. Use social media! (Yes! Even for B2B companies)
    It’s common for businesses to think that because their customers are other businesses they don’t need a presence on social media. This is not true! Where are people who are employed at businesses?  On social media. These people see posts and content from B2B businesses like yours and are influenced by it when they are at work. Your brand’s presence on social media may be the extra exposure you need for them to choose your business over a competitor. Plus it’s free!!! Set up a business profile now!
  3. Content, content, content!
    Content marketing is a great way to increase your audience and give people a virtual place to hang out.  When you provide quality information for your customers and potential clients, this shows that you know your stuff but also helps build trust in your brand and will eventually bring you new business. If you don’t already have one, create a blog section on your website and write new content for it at least once a week. Create teasers on social posts that link to the full articles. This brings in traffic to your site and ultimately, generates more quality leads. 
    ​

​Got Questions? Comment Below.
0 Comments

3 Valuable Tips for Startups

12/6/2019

1 Comment

 
Picture
  1. Set short term obtainable goals
    Don’t boil the ocean- it’s easy to move in a thousand directions at one time but progress is sacrificed when you take this approach. Choose one or two things to start and accomplish, then move on. You will check things off your list, feel like you are making progress, and will move forward more efficiently.
    Try reading ESSENTIALISM! by Greg McKeown

  2. Set up a CRM (customer relationship management) from the start!
    Many companies think they don’t need a CRM when they are just starting as they only have a few customers or clients and can manage them with a spreadsheet. Don’t make this mistake. There are many excellent CRMs on the market and some of them are FREE! HubSpot CRM for example is a fantastic platform that can start you out. It provides many tools to organize your lead pipeline, keep track of your contacts, send you follow up reminders, and has some great dashboards and analytics tools. It is comparable to SalesForce! TRY IT!

  3. Identify your strengths
    As a business owner you possess certain strengths that may not cover all areas of your business. Seek help! Hire people who are smarter than you. You may only need them for a few hours per week or month. It doesn’t have to be a strain on your budget. This is how you will grow.

Got questions?  comment below!



1 Comment

    Author

    Desirae Haluk is passionate about marketing for startups and small businesses. For the last 15 years she has held marketing executive positions for organizations both large and small. She realizes that her true passion is helping establish, grow and evolve startups and small businesses to make them successful and help achieve their goals.

    Picture
    ​Set yourself up for success. Differentiate yourself from the rest with Clairant.
    get started
    Picture
    Check out "5-Minute Marketing with Clairant" for more marketing tips.
    watch now

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019

Picture
Picture

973.507.6980
​
privacy policy

  • About
    • Who Are We?
    • Case Studies
  • Packages
    • Marketing Audit
    • Blogging
    • Social Media
    • Email Marketing
    • Videos >
      • Doodle Videos
      • Interview Videos
    • Add-Ons >
      • Brand Guide
      • Fractional CMO
      • PR Services
      • Web Design
  • Resources
    • Buzz Blog
    • 5-Minute Marketing
    • Marketing Webinars
    • Facts & Stats
  • Contact
  • Free Marketing Audit