Define Success: Email Metrics You Should be Tracking

Customer Retention, Email Marketing, Marketing, Monthly Email Marketing, Online Marketing, Small Business Info
Has your company just started to implement email marketing? If so, you may still be nailing down the metrics you will use to measure success. Having a clear set of metrics defined is key to measuring your overall successes and failures, as well as deciding on smaller modifications like campaign adjustments. Even a company well-versed in email marketing can always stand to periodically reevaluate the metrics they are using to measure success as goals and business models change. Let’s take a look some tried and true email marketing metrics that every email marketer should be tracking, and one that you may not have considered before. (more…)
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How to Get More Referrals

Customer Acquisition, Customer Retention, Marketing, Monday Marketing Minutes, Small Business Info
Now that you've established your business, how do you grow your customer base? Your existing customers are perhaps your #1 most untouched resource. Think about the network of people that stems from your existing customers. Their friends, families, neighbors, etc. are all prospective customers just waiting to hear about your business! But how do you go about reaching these people on a level that will persuade them to buy? Read on for five tips on creating, maintaining and growing your referrals. 1.     Make sure you’re going after the right relationships. As much as we’d all like to have a close relationship with each and every customer, this sentiment is unrealistic. You have to put customer value into perspective — you wouldn't spend as much time going building a relationship…
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Small Business Spotlight – Mt. Airy Arts Alliance

Small Business Info, Small Business Spotlight
This week, 123Print is shining its Small Business Spotlight on ... Mt. Airy Arts Alliance! The Mount Airy Arts Alliance is an organization working to bring the arts into the hearts of the people of Mt. Airy, Maryland and beyond! This unique Arts group provides opportunities to the local artistic community to exhibit, perform and view art — in addition to expanding the knowledge of art and encourage the exchange of artistic ideas among its local citizens. [caption id="attachment_7956" align="aligncenter" width="900"] © Mt. Airy Arts Alliance[/caption] (more…)
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Thinking Inside the Box: 8 Product Packaging Tips

Customer Retention, Marketing, Products and Services, Small Business Info
How often have you received a package you've been eagerly anticipating and found the entire experience a complete disappointment? More often than not, the shipping envelope or box was underwhelming (and somewhat beaten up from its journey), the product presentation inside was non-existent, and finally, there seemed to be a potpourri of everything this vendor had available in its promotional arsenal, i.e., mini-catalogs, product inserts, a customer satisfaction survey, a packing slip and more. Most marketers would agree — the after-sale contact is the best opportunity to turn a first-time customer into a loyal and returning one. It should then come as no surprise that all aspects of your shipment — from the mailing label to the packing materials — are critical to future success. Let’s review a brief synopsis…
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Look Out! What to Throw at Your Wedding

3rd Wednesday Weddings, Wedding Inspiration
Have you ever thrown something during a wedding recessional? If you have, you’ve been taking part in a tradition that dates back to ancient Roman and Egyptian times. Back then, things were thrown at weddings as a way of wishing the newlywed couple good luck, fertility and abundance. In recent years, the habit of throwing things has evolved into fun, modern objects such as bird seed, bubbles, ribbon wands and flower petals to name a few. (Did you know the reason rice isn't thrown anymore is because it’s bad for birds?) Do you have a question about what to have your guests throw at your wedding? I was able to catch up with our own newlywed bride Michelle, to hear all about her experience of using ribbon wands during her wedding!…
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10 Best Practices for Postcard Design

Customer Acquisition, Design, Marketing, Products and Services, Promotional Marketing, Small Business Info
Sending out a postcard is still one of the most used and effective ways to mass market a message. (Remember — direct mail isn't dead!) Summertime is the perfect time of year to bring in current customers for a new product or special promotion, or to entice new customers to come out and visit you for the first time. Whatever your reason is for running a postcard mailing campaign, make sure you follow these ten best practices to get the most of it! 1.     Use colors wisely. Make sure different colors are used creatively and intelligently throughout your postcard design. You’ll want to incorporate the colors of your branding, as well as the colors of the season if you’re promoting a seasonal offer. Make sure your colors don’t clash…
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9 Ways to Heat up Your Business This Summer

Customer Acquisition, Customer Retention, Marketing, Monday Marketing Minutes, Outdoor Marketing, Small Business Info
The temperature is heating up, and your summer marketing efforts should be off the thermometers! Summer is a unique time to try some new marketing tactics for your small business that you may not feel comfortable risking during your busy season(s). Read on to learn nine outside-the-box marketing ideas for the summer season: Take a client out to lunch. Take an afternoon to bring your top customer to that new, hip restaurant for lunch. Learn more about them and their business (if applicable) and discuss the history of your relationship and get their unique perspective on the good and bad of your partnership. You’ll want to make them feel comfortable enough to know the lunch serves as an open forum and you are interested in their honest feedback to help…
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The Early History of SEO

Marketing, Online Marketing, Search Marketing, Small Business Info
“Many years in a land far away” would be an appropriate beginning to many histories. However, search engine optimization (SEO) is another — albeit unique — story. Not only is it still a relatively new industry, but its true inception as an entity is about as ambiguous as nailing down the ROI for a link earning strategy. What is certain is the importance SEO holds in the online marketing industry and the potential SEO holds for traffic and ecommerce revenue. These factors have led me to wonder where the practice of search engine optimization began and who the people were responsible for its initial growth. (more…)
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Small Business Spotlight – My Town Tees

Small Business Info, Small Business Spotlight
This week, 123Print is shining its small business spotlight on ... My Town Tees My Town Tees, a small business that makes small town and state-themed t-shirts and tanktops, was started by a pair of sisters (Jessie and Rhea) who loved their family, small towns, the south, and the perfect t-shirt!  Jessie always lived by the phrase, "the more color the better." You name it and she can draw it! Rhea is a creative people person — she can sell her ideas to anyone! While growing up, Jessie and Rhea learned the importance of using their creativity to do something you love as well as the mantra of being a good salesman is about the customer first.  The best part of their day is seeing their t-shirt and tanktop ideas transform from ideas to their finished product! [caption id="attachment_7852" align="aligncenter"…
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Keeping Your Small Business Website Up and Running: The Importance of Availability

Marketing, Online Marketing, Small Business Info, Website Tips
Like all eCommerce websites, availability is clearly critical to our success at 123Print. We fully understand that when our site is unavailable, we are not open for business. It’s as if we walked through our store and kicked everyone out, leaving half-full shopping baskets in the aisles. This is not a business practice we recommend! It’s critical that your small business' website is actively monitored so it stays available to customers — whether you have a full e-commerce site or not. Small business websites enable a wide range of capabilities, and most are not full eCommerce sites.  There are three broad categories of websites: (more…)
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