She Works Hard for the Money

Hard work usually pays off, but so does wisdom and knowledge.  You can work as hard as an ox, but if you don't know what you're doing, it could all be in vain.

Do your research to find out what your customers want, what the best ways are to reach potential customers, and how to best spend your advertising/marketing money.

Seek advice and help from those who have had success in your area of expertise, and see how they do things.  Many will offer help for free, and many have classes and videos you can watch for a fee.

Hard work combined with knowledge and wisdom will be your key to success!

People Power

The People Behind You Make All the Difference

Many businesses falter and even fail once their employees lose momentum, drive, trust and enthusiasm.

Are you doing everything you can to keep your people motivated and happy? If not, you should be!

If you find your business flourishing one moment and declining the next, check the attitude and work ethic of those under you.  Have they lost their passion and drive for your business?  If so, why?  Figure out how to get them back into a position that will benefit your business, rather than hinder it.

If your employees are unhappy, that attitude will spread quickly and your business will suffer for it eventually.

Treat people right, keep them motivated and happy, and you will see your employees and your business blossom like never before!

Keep Your Stuff Up-to-Date

Is the information on your website and social sites up-to-date?  If not, it can really make your business look bad.  

Keep photos fresh and phone numbers current.  If you move or change your phone number, make sure you update all your sites to reflect those changes.

Keeping your sites current and active is also good for SEO.  Search engines like sites that are active and keep their content current.

If you need help with any of these things, let me know!  The services I offer are found at Promoting Muskegon.

YouTube is Big!

YouTube Videos are Great Ways to Promote Your Business!

Many businesses today use YouTube as a means of promoting their business, and I believe that's a wise decision.  YouTube is hot, and it's a great way to let others know a little about you and what your offer.

You can use photos, text and action videos to get your message out to the public.

If you are striving to brand yourself online and build a strong online presence, then YouTube is ideal for you!

I've made a few of my own Promotional Videos and would be happy to help you out, too!  You provide the text and photos you want included in the video, and I will do the rest.

Here is my promotional video for my children's book...

Is Your Website Enjoyable for People?

What is your website like?

Is it easy to maneuver?  Does it contain pertinent information about your business, such as what you provide, hours and days of the week (if applicable), and prices?

If you have too much information on each page, it might turn the reader off. I know I like things that are simple and to the point. I like to find what I'm looking for easily, and I want the facts.

If a website is too busy or confusing, I won't stay on it for too long. I'll look elsewhere for what I need.

Keep it simple, both in looks and navigation. Make it appealing to the average reader, and provide the information people are looking for. Someone who has never heard of your business, should know what it's about by a simple and short visit to your website.

Building a Positive Personal Brand

Is a personal brand really that important?

Yes, it is.  Build a positive online reputation, gain customers' trust, and make a good name for yourself, and you can more quickly recover from any negative feedback that might arise from the rare customer here and there.

If you have a good reputation in your business, then you can regain any lost trust quicker, and keep customers coming back to do future business with you.

This "good" reputation must be real, and you must be honest, so make sure you and those who work with/for you do well at building and maintaining a good name for your business.

I found this article very interesting, and it will give you more details about building a personal brand for yourself:

The Inbox Diaries: Video Pokes Fun at Ad Cliches, HBO Go Fails Game Of Thrones Fans, and a Personal Branding Infographic

Your Competitors Are Checking You Out

Your competitors are most likely checking you out, to see what they are up against.  They are going to look for Facebook Pages, Google Plus Pages, Twitter Accounts and more.

Competitors will see how active you are online, and how others are connecting with you and the activity you are receiving.

What will they find when they search for you online?  Are you known around the web, or hiding?

Read more here... 

Quick Tips on Gleaning Information about Your Competitors

Great Customer Service or Not?

I've seen so much poor customer service lately that it makes my heart sad.  People act as if they hate their job, and everyone they have to deal with on that job.  Why are they allowed to continue?  I don't get it. Perhaps it's because their employer is not aware of their behavior, or they are too scared or "nice" to deal with the bad employees properly.

If you own a business, the people under you are a reflection of you.  You need to make sure they are properly trained, and you need to make sure they know what you expect and are dealt with properly when they don't perform they way you expect them to perform.

Have you ever had a CS Rep or Cashier just look at you when you come up to their register?  No "Hello," no "Thank you," nothing is said, and they look at you with a blank stare?  I have, and it's not pretty!

I once asked a WalMart associate if she was having a bad day, because she began "barking" at me and being very mean and rude.  She responded by nastily saying, "No I'm not having a bad day are you?"  I should have reported her to management right then and there, and I regret not doing that.  Believe me, the next time it happens, they will be reported!  I'm tired of bad customer service, and you should be, too!

As a business owner, you need to make sure the customer is taken care of, and dealt with in a cordial manner.  That doesn't mean they are allowed to be unreasonably mean or abusive to your employees (train employees how to deal with these situations, too), but it does mean the customers need respect and to know you appreciate their business.  After all, without customers where would your business be?

Growing Your Business Online


I'm seeing first-hand how sharing your business online really does help it to grow.

I have a client who has an online business.  It's fairly new, and she is just starting to market it heavily online, with my help.

We are sharing various pages from her website all over the web, and she is now found on page one of Google search for many keyword phrases!

For a business to succeed online and offline, it is very important to brand yourself online, and get word out there about your business.

What do you want to say to potential clients or customers?

What Do You Want Customers to Remember about You?

Think about your reputation.  What do you want customers to think about when they hear your name?

Good customer service?  Great prices?  Dependability?  Those are all important for any successful business.

Also keep in mind that customers today want to be able to find you easily and quickly.  Most people don't use phone books anymore, but they search online for phone numbers, address and other information.  At least that's what I do, and I tend to think I'm not alone on most things.

You need a strong online presence that will tell others who you are, what you offer, how they can contact you, and so on.

How do customers remember you?  Do they remember that you were hard to find?  Do they remember that your website information wasn't up to date? Do they remember they had to search long and hard to even find you?

Make your presence known online, and watch your business bloom!

If you would like my help, get in touch with me via my website, Promoting Muskegon.

Social Media Shares Can Help Your Business

You can make a great name for your business by social sharing it on Facebook, Twitter, G+, Pinterest and more.

This article, The Truth About Social Signals and SEO explains the benefits of social shares by reputable people online.  This helps build a customer base who will trust you more, and seek out your business for their needs.

Boost your business' credibility while building your business brand and increasing your website's signals!

Are you known?  Is your business trusted?

Get Your Name Branded Online

Get your business name branded online.  I am offering services to local businesses in Muskegon, MI at Promoting Muskegon for those who want to build a strong online presence.

However, I will gladly help promote your business outside of this area, as well, whether it's offline or online.

Message me HERE to get started.

Have you ever looked for a business online, only to find they have no website, no Facebook Page, no Twitter account and no Google+ page?  I've found businesses both large and small who cannot be found online, other than in the online "yellow pages."

So lets get started today by getting your business known online and offline. People want to know more about you, and they want to be able to find you easily.  Let me help you achieve success today!