Jason Rose, president and founder of PR firm Rose+Moser+Allyn

Update: Jason Rose, of Rose+Moser+Allyn, is no longer representing Amy’s Baking Company. The tips he shared with us below are still good, however, so keep reading!

You may have heard Jason Rose’s name in the press recently — and with good reason.

He’s now representing Amy and Samy Bouzaglo from Amy’s Baking Company. Yes, that Amy’s Baking Company.

As founder and president of public relations firm Rose+Moser+Allyn, Jason Rose is no stranger to controversy.

In fact, his firm has been behind some of the most talked about publicity stunts in Arizona. (E.g., attempting to name the Cardinals stadium the Pink Taco Stadium.)

Before the whole Amy’s Baking Company debacle, we interviewed Jason Rose for our guerrilla marketing ebook to get his advice on what to do when a marketing tactic starts going south.

You can check out his expert tips for dealing with negative press below and score 10 guerrilla marketing tactics for small business owners in our latest (free!) ebook while you’re at it!

All Press Isn’t Good Press

So you came up with what you thought was an amazing guerrilla marketing idea and things didn’t go quite as planned? Don’t worry, we spoke with local PR genius and guerrilla marketing expert, Jason Rose, about his advice for what to do when guerrilla marketing goes wrong and how you can help make sure your campaign is a success.

Check out what he had to say below:

Scott’s Local Business Corner: Jason, you’re founder and president of local PR firm Rose+Moser+Allyn. Can you start by telling us a little about it?

Jason Rose: Started in 1996, we have represented some 450 clients focusing on public relations, public affairs (getting government to do something – or not), elections, crisis communications, and lately, events. Indeed, it was a real privilege in 2012 to help lead marketing efforts for Garth Brooks, Bob and Renee Parsons, and the largest single-day polo event in the United States this year – the Scottsdale Polo Championships: Horses & Horsepower. We have a particular reputation for creativity and aggressiveness.

SLBC: You’ve created a lot of guerrilla marketing campaigns for your clients. Can you offer any advice on what a company can do if a campaign goes wrong?

Jason: Apologize and move on. The public is forgiving. You just have to have the courage to say you were wrong.

SLBC: Should a company try another guerrilla marketing tactic if their first attempt isn’t well received?

Jason: Of course! Public relations is a lot like being a starting pitcher in baseball. Success occurs when you win more than you lose but you won’t even be in the game if you don’t take the mound. It’s the same in public relations. Not every execution will be a home run. You just can’t be scared of striking out.

SLBC: Are there any guidelines a company should follow when deciding if a guerrilla marketing campaign is right for them?

Jason: We never like to pull plans off the shelf, so no. What may work for someone may not be right for someone else. Clients deserve customization. And while some ideas may be used more than once (unless two companies are Siamese twins) approach and deployment should be different.

SLBC: What are some of the guerrilla marketing campaigns you’ve run in the past?

Jason: The Stingray Sushi political campaign signs have received a lot of attention. Those started during the 2010 elections and were also used in the Phoenix mayor’s race in 2011, and most recently, they were used to highlight President Obama and Governor Romney. Not everyone liked them, but rare is anything one does. And in this case, the client used innovation and free speech rights to garner valued attention.

SLBC: Do you have a favorite guerrilla marketing campaign you can tell us about?

Jason: When Tempe Marketplace opened several years back, we commemorated by placing naked mannequins all over the Valley. That got media attention and a lot of water cooler discussion! But my favorite will likely always be when the Pink Taco restaurant opened at the Scottsdale Waterfront. The mayor of Scottsdale didn’t like the name so it got a lot of local and national attention. And then a big idea came along. The owner of the restaurant was very wealthy as he was the one who founded the Hard Rock Cafe. The restaurant offered many millions to name the then nameless Arizona Cardinals Stadium Pink Taco Stadium. The response was extraordinary.

SLBC: What can a small business do to help ensure their campaign will be a success?

Jason: Hire us. All kidding aside, budget drives strategy. Even a little budget can help pour lighter fluid on an idea. It’s all about concept and execution — otherwise you are just talking without speaking.

There You Have It!

Thanks to Jason for sharing his guerrilla marketing advice with us on how small businesses can rebound from bad press. It will be very interesting to see whether or not he’s able to help Amy’s Baking Company do the same, especially with the overwhelmingly negative press they’ve been receiving from all angles: television, blogging, social media, word of mouth, (we could go on…).

Either way, at least you’re armed with some great tips… and a free ebook — sounds like win-win to us!

What do you think of the guerrilla marketing advice shared by Jason Rose?

Related articles

• Marketing – Top three guerrilla marketing techniques for start-ups
• How My Marketing Failures Taught Me to Succeed
• New Report: Small Business Owners Optimistic About 2013
• New Online Shopping Study Proves Women Wear the Pants
• The 3 Biggest Mistakes Small Business Owners Make with Their Signage

How many times have you made plans for your business only to end up doing absolutely nothing with them? When I was just starting out as an entrepreneur, this was one of my biggest problems. I would plan and plan, but never take action.

As a result, I’m sure you can guess, my business failed.

Although I had high hopes for my business, I had to admit to myself that there was a reason sales were sluggish and my website could not be found on search engine result pages.

Could it be because I did not have a clear strategy on what I wanted to achieve? Even worse, because I was marketing my business incorrectly?

After wasting a lot of time doing things the wrong way, I decided to come up with a clear plan to follow. It was time to take action.

Luckily, my failures over my first few years as an entrepreneur helped me to understand the changes I needed to make. They also helped me realize the importance of branding my business.

Once I had a clear path to follow, I made it a point to not only get better at marketing, but learn what avenues worked best for me. This included learning that inbound marketing (blogging, social media, ebooks, etc.) was a much better fit for my small business than outbound (direct mail, print advertising, cold calling, etc.).

After a while, my business started drawing in more clients. I learned from my mistakes and my small business started to see the success I always knew it could.

To help you do the same, I’ve shared some of my worst business failures with you below, as well as information on how I turned them into successes using inbound marketing techniques.

Failure 1: I didn’t blog regularly

Although I knew about the importance of blogging, my mindset was that I simply didn’t have the time to sit and write. Heck, I would rather be busy reading about how to blog than actually do the blogging.

Granted, I did write a few blogs posts, but I gave up because no one commented on them. It turns out that my content was poor and I was not patient enough.

How I succeeded: I started blogging anew with the aim of creating compelling content to gain quality links, increase traffic to my site, build authority, and curve out my brand. I listened to my customers to find out the topics they’d most like to read about, then created in-depth blog posts that provided answers to their questions.

Readers don’t appear overnight; I should have never expected comments that quickly, nor should I have given up after just a few blog posts. And neither should you. Spend time creating quality blog posts, add compelling images with strong captions that will draw in readers, and then promote your content on your social media sites, forums, and through guest blogging opportunities.

Failure 2: I didn’t utilize inbound marketing correctly

I used to focus my efforts on a variety of low-level offers (free logo design, free business card design, etc.) with the hope of attracting more customers. My promotional content was full of “FREE” products and services, but to my surprise, it didn’t work. So, people don’t really like free things? It took a while for me to answer that question.

How I succeeded: After realizing few people were interested in my current free offers, I concentrated my efforts on figuring out what free items would be of value to them. I decided to provide free, high-quality articles and ebooks. Once in a while, I even do a webinar. These are items my target audience enjoys and regularly wants to consume, but it’s also a great promotional tool for my business.

Failure 3: I ignored the power of social media

Inbound marketing techniques, like social media, can help you promote new products and upcoming sales while connecting with your target market in a more personal way.

I had a Facebook account which was terribly dormant. It hit me really hard when I researched and realized people did not know about my Facebook page, let alone the company itself.

How I succeeded: I revived my Facebook page by posting content regularly (at least every other day), including my own blog posts and any YouTube videos. I also opened a Google+ account and invested in Facebook Ads. The result has been an increase in social media referrals to my business.

Failure 4: I stopped learning from others

Like all small business owners, I was busy. I felt I didn’t have time to keep up with ongoing education about my industry and marketing techniques. I unsubscribed from most of the lists where I was receiving internet marketing advice. I stopped reading them because I was not applying the concepts anyway.

How I succeeded: I figured out the time of day where I could commit to learning about how to better myself and my business from experts in my industry.

I now read a variety of articles, blogs, ebooks and newsletters about online marketing for two hours every night. I also started attending webinars and took a number of paid courses to ensure I keep learning and my business keeps growing.

Failure = Success

My struggles made me go through almost all the mistakes a small business can go through, especially with marketing. If there was a marketing mistake to be made I am almost positive I made it. The term “expert,” which I now am in my industry, comes from a result of a long stretch of making almost every possible mistake and learning how to correct them.

I’m happy to report that, today, my business is doing well and I have a strong online presence. I am getting referrals from inbound marketing, mostly from social media and search engine marketing. I have a passion for content marketing and branding and my email list is constantly growing.

What I’ve learned over the course of building my business is that if you don’t market your business, you will be playing a losing game. My advice to all small business owners is to try a variety of marketing techniques to promote your business till you find the ones that get you the greatest results… and then lather, rinse, repeat.

Never stop learning and be open to new marketing trends as they come out. Most importantly, learn from your mistakes so you can turn any failures into successes, and you’ll be well on your way to coming out on top.

Have you made any mistakes with inbound marketing?

Like this blog post? Subscribe to Scott’s Local Business Corner to receive local business marketing advice right to your inbox.

Related articles

• Social – A Key Ingredient For Your Inbound Marketing Recipe
• Top 5 Inbound Marketing Strategies
• Facebook Police Set Cover Photos Free
• Defend Your Reputation Like a Knight: Tips from Sir Richard
• Social Media Marketing World’s Best Tips for Business Owners

We know a secret, na-na-na-na-na-nah! (Disclaimer: We will not be held liable for any unpleasant playground flashbacks that statement may have caused.)

Okay. Fine. We won’t taunt you about this secret any longer. It’s not nearly as fun as we thought it would be and we actually really want to share it with you.

Why? Because this is one of Google’s secrets and it’s a surprisingly simple way of testing websites for effectiveness.

What happens if your website isn’t effective, you ask? Well, it’s not going to get results.

And unless you’re some kind of Encino Man, you’re already well aware that results lead to more customers, profit, and exposure.

Sound good? Check out Google’s website test below to get started.

So Easy a Caveman Can Do It

Caveman jokes make caveman angry!

So what do you have to do? Well, I learned this secret from Neville Medhora while watching his course about copywriting (Kopywriting Kourse).

Neville says he has a friend “really high up at Google,” (oh, you fancy, huh?) and this, he said, is how they test their web pages:

1. They set their laptop on a table.
2. They take 10 steps back.
3. If they can’t tell what to do within ONE second, they have failed.

Welp, there it is. A website test so mind-blowingly easy that, yes, even a caveman can do it.

If your website didn’t quite pass the test, don’t panic. We have three great tips for you below (including one more secret from Google) that’ll have you passing with flying colors next time around!

Tip 1: Let Your Inner Dominatrix Out

How can your website be effective if you don’t make it clear what your desired call to action is?

If you want your web visitors to take some kind of action when they’re on your site, you’re going to have to tell them exactly what you want them to do. And they’re going to like it.

So put on your best black leather thong (okay, that part is optional) and dominate your web visitors hard with a clear call to action on every page of your website.

Examples of calls to action include:

• Call us today
• Buy now
• Request a quote
• Learn more
• Click for details
• Download now
• Join today
• Start your free trial

Tip 2: Make Some BIG F*cking Buttons

Thanks to Neville and his inability to keep things on the DL, we also learned another one of Google’s secrets from his copywriting course.

He said that the way Google makes their calls to action clear to web visitors immediately is by using big f*cking buttons or BFBs for short.

Really?

Could getting your web visitors to convert into paying customers seriously be as simple as using BFBs?

Sold!

Since we can’t all be super successful small business owners who also happen to specialize in designing and programming BFBs, hiring a professional to do this for you is probably going to be a necessary, yet smart, investment.

If you’re reluctant to fork over the cash, keep in mind that if your BFBs do their job, you’ll end up making up whatever it cost for you to get them on your website because your conversion rates will have increased and you’ll have gotten more customers.

Think about it this way: All those big-f*cking-button-pressing customers will be unknowingly paying for your big f*cking buttons. Genius!

Tip 3: Clean Up Your Dirty, Dirty Site

In certain situations, being dirty can be a good thing. Amiright?

But a dirty, cluttered, hard-to-navigate website? Nope, doesn’t work here.

With a few simple changes, Neville says, you can clean up your website’s content by making it more visually appealing and easier to read, while helping your marketing message become more apparent overall.

Here’s how you do it:

• Keep paragraphs to 3-4 sentences max
• Use headings and subheadings to keep your reader engaged
• Add italics and/or bold where possible to add emphasis and draw attention to important words and statements
• Use bulleted or numbered lists to highlight important facts/benefits/features

See? It doesn’t have to take piles of money or tons of high-tech resources to improve your website! We hope Google’s secrets make you realize that even small changes to your site can make a significant difference in the amount of web visitors you’re able to convert into regular, paying customers.

Will you try Google’s secrets for improving your website?

Like this blog post? Subscribe to Scott’s Local Business Corner to receive local business marketing advice right to your inbox.

Related articles

• Lights, Camera, Action: Video Marketing for Beginners
• Direct Mail Marketing: Get Your Goods in Their Mailbox
• Bow Down, Bitches: How Local Businesses Can Beat Big-Box Stores
• Are Bloggers Your Secret Online Marketing Weapon?
• Join the Ultimate Local Business Directory

It can be exhausting thinking about all the different ways to market to your customers. But, there’s no way to know for certain which techniques will work best with your target audience until you experiment.

With your goods.

Yes, we are telling you to experiment with your goods by putting them in your target audience’s mailboxes (and hopefully, right in front of their faces) but only because this marketing technique gets results.

To be clear, we’re talking about direct mail marketing and if you’ve been avoiding it, this might make you think again: According to a study conducted by Target Marketing, direct mail had the highest return of investment (ROI) for customer acquisition.

Check out these stats:

For customer acquisition, direct mail (34%) topped email (25%), search engine marketing (10%), and affiliate marketing (8%), with 23% of respondents citing a variety of other channels.”

Pretty impressive, right? Keep reading for some great tips on how you can use mailings to get more customers this year.

Get Up Close and Personal

Getting up close and personal with your target audience is possible – and you don’t even have to buy them a drink first. Tom Foti, manager of Direct Mail and Periodicals for the U.S. Postal Service via Fox Small Business, says, “Direct mail creates a one-on-one connection that’s hard for other media channels to match.”

Tom went on to note that the average household receives no more than two pieces of direct mail per day, in comparison with 150 email ads per day. Sounds like pretty great odds to us!

Plus, you can incorporate “response mechanisms,” Tom adds, like coupons, reply cards, QR codes, and URLs in your mailing to help increase your chances for conversion.

Score with Direct Mail

If you’re going to make the investment to try this technique out, put in the time needed to make sure it’s successful. Here are some great tips below courtesy of Corte Swearingen for Complete pURL that’ll help you score with direct mail marketing every time.

1. Have a compelling offer. What exactly is your call to action? Make it clear to your customer what it is you want them to do and make sure your offer is persuasive. For example:

• Free product trial
• Discount on product or service for a limited time
• Free consultation
• Free report for download at your website

Make sure you capture contact information so you can add it to your database. On your website, this can be as simple as having them fill out a contact form before redeeming the offer.

2. Track your results. If you can’t track it, don’t do it. Make sure your mailing contains a way to track whether the customer took action. If you don’t do this, you will never know if it had an impact.

Here are three suggestions for tracking your mailings:

• Mail a postcard that contains a promo code that must be brought into your retail store.
• If your business is web based, use a unique promotion code that must be entered at your website when redeeming the offer.
• If you are referring people back to your website, send them to a special page your regular web visitors can’t access.

Remember, the more you can track and measure, the more you can adjust in order to create a more effective mailing the next time.

Get Started

Ready to create your first mailing? The USPS has a great option for small business owners called the Every Door Direct Mail program. For less than 15 cents a piece, you’ll be able to send fliers, menus, brochures, and advertisements to consumers.

The USPS site explains, “You can map out a target area, select a delivery route and mailing drop off date, and pay online — all from your computer. And, you can create your mailings up to 30 days before you plan to mail them.”

The site provides a link to find local printers in your area and you can also sign up to receive a kit filled with information on this cost-effective program.

Will you try direct mail marketing for your small business?

Like this blog post? Subscribe to Scott’s Local Business Corner to receive local business marketing advice right to your inbox.

Related articles

• Direct Mail Marketing – Small Business Advice
• 3 Reasons To Implement a Direct Mail Campaign Today
• Here’s What’s In A Great Marketing Tool Box…

A sneak peak at Scott’s Marketplace

Looking for a local business directory? Scott’s Marketplace, a soon-to-launch online marketplace for local business owners, is all that – and more. By joining, you’ll not only have a greater chance at being found online, you’ll get a fully functional ecommerce website where you can sell your products.

Yep, we know. It sounds too good to be true. But be assured, it’s not. Scott’s Marketplace is the vision of founder Scott Curry, a local business owner himself.

It was Scott’s experience as a small business owner that made him realize just how large of a gap there is in the online sales market. Yes, consumers can currently shop online, but often only at big-box stores and corporate chain retailers. (We know… yuck, right?)

Enter Scott’s Marketplace: A fun-to-shop website where only local business owners can sell their products and get the tools they need to become even more successful online.

Scott believes strongly that local business owners shouldn’t have to go it alone. He says, “I wanted Scott’s Marketplace to be a united front for local business owners. A place where they can connect and learn from each other while easily being able to reach the online consumer who loves to shop local.”

The Non-Directory Directory

Okay, so Scott’s Marketplace isn’t exactly a local business directory by definition. But, when you sign up for the site, you’ll still get the same benefits, plus a whole lot of extras, including:

• Sell your products or services in your own customized web store
• Receive promotion for your online store via Scott’s Marketplace’s online advertising, social media sites and blog
• Increase your chances for being found online through search
• Gain more exposure for your local business
• Access free resources to help you succeed (How-to articles, e-books, guides, and much more.)
• Connect your web store to your social media accounts for easy social sharing

Do You Really Need to Sell Your Products Online?

You may be wondering if selling your products online is really all that important. Can’t you be successful simply by getting your products in local stores and/or selling at local festivals and shows?

You certainly can, but why limit your success when Scott’s Marketplace will allow you to bring your products to the online consumer? Even if you have a brick-and-mortar location, with Scott’s Marketplace, you’ll have an online shop that never closes.

According to Statistic Brain, the total online U.S. sales for 2012 were $50,270,000,000. Do you really want to miss out on profit and exposure because customers aren’t able to buy your products online?

The top reasons consumers choose to shop online are listed below, courtesy of Statistic Brain:

• 73% of consumers shop online to save time
• 59% of consumers shop online because it’s easier to compare prices
•  58% of consumers shop online because they don’t have to deal with crowds
• 40% of consumers shop online to spend less on gas money

Your customers are online — why aren’t you?

Why Join the Launch List?

Scott’s Marketplace will be launching soon and those on the launch list will be the first to know when the site is up and running. But more than that, the first 500 local business owners who sign up for Scott’s Marketplace will have their transaction fees waived for a whole year.

This means when someone purchases one of your products from the site, you won’t have to pay anything else on top of it (aside from the normal PayPal transaction fee, of course) for an entire year.

Scott’s Marketplace is currently still in beta, but local business owners who have tested the site have said some really great things about it. Check out what Tammy Fraser, one of the beta testers and owner of Gifts to Go, had to say about the site:

“Scott’s Marketplace is igniting those who value local communities throughout the country. The site makes it possible for us to stay in touch and continue to enjoy [local communities] while supporting those locales with our tax dollars and small business patronage. So happy to be a seller and a buyer on Scott’s Marketplace — it’s easy to use, keeps me connected, and makes the world a much smaller place in which to do business. Thank you, Scott’s Markeplace!”

Ready to Sign Up?

We promise selling your products on the site will be even easier – and more fun – than it sounds. A local ecommerce site may be a new concept, but Scott’s Marketplace believes in all it can do for the local business owner.

Let Scott’s Marketplace help you get the exposure, customers, and profit your local business deserves by getting on the launch list today.

Scott’s Marketplace: The friendly, local business directory that’s designed to take your business to new heights!

Join the Shop Local Movement Online

Scott’s Marketplace is working hard to spread the shop local message far and wide. Teaching consumers just how important it is for them to spend their dollars locally is a way for Scott’s Marketplace to help attract consumers to the site.

For a little shop local inspiration and to hear a message from Scott, watch the video below.

Will you join this newer, better version of a local business directory?

Like this blog post? Subscribe to Scott’s Local Business Corner to receive local business marketing advice right to your inbox.

Related articles

• No More No-Shows: Get People to Keep Appointments
• Event Marketing Tips: How to Rock Your Next Event
• 5 Ways to Combat Showrooming
• Bow Down, Bitches: How Local Businesses Can Beat Big-Box Stores
• Small Businesses: They Do a Body Good
• The Ultimate Cash Mob Guide: How to Promote on a Budget

If he can do it, you can do it.

“It’s too expensive.” “Too time-consuming.” “Too hard.”

Yep, we’ve heard every lame excuse in the book when it comes to why a small business owner avoids video marketing, but we’re here to tell you you’re wrong. Dead wrong.

Creating videos isn’t just for those with an endless budget and super-fancy video equipment. You can – and you should – be creating videos for your small business… and guess what? You can do it on a limited budget – or without spending anything at all.

Why would you want to create videos in the first place?

• To help you get found online
• To gain more exposure
• To get new customers
• To boost your profit

Marketing expert Marcus Sheridan, of The Sales Lion, says small business owners take one of two approaches when it comes to the creation of marketing videos: failure to launch or launch to learn.

When you launch to learn, Marcus says, you will get better and better with each video and you’ll make sales in the process. He stresses, “This is what smart business and marketing is all about, which is why waiting for perfection is a ridiculous business model.”

There you have it! Don’t fail to launch because you’re afraid your videos won’t be good enough. Launch to learn and get better with each one.

Ready to get started? Check out our video marketing tips below!

Tip 1: Work With What You Have

So what if you don’t have a video camera. Chances are you do have a phone with built-in video capabilities that’ll do just fine. According to the Small Business CEO, “Most cell phones have cameras that can capture video – often in high enough quality for web publication.”

See? You already have the equipment – and you haven’t spent a dime! If you’d prefer to purchase a camcorder specifically for creating marketing videos, here’s a great article via About.com that gives you a variety of camcorder options for the business owner on a budget.

Tip 2: Talk About What You Know

You may think you don’t have anything to say on video, but that’s just not true. There are many angles you can take, so consider the message you want to get across.

You’re an expert in your industry, right? Maybe it makes sense, then, for you to do a how-to video showing your customers how to properly use one of your products.

Or maybe you want to do a lighthearted behind-the-scenes video to show a different, more entertaining side of your small business. Whatever angle you decide to take, writing a script first and taking the time to memorize it will help your video flow better (and make you feel more confident and prepared).

Here are more video topics for you to choose from courtesy of Small Business CEO:

• Product promos
• How-to videos
• News and current events/roundups
• Humor/jokes and other popular entertainment
• Interview with industry insiders
• Interviews with consumers on the street

Tip 3: Don’t Get All Salesy

He’s a video-marketing don’t

A great video marketing tip comes from Zsolt Bicskey via Business2Community. He suggests that you speak directly and candidly to your viewers without getting too salesy in the process.

“Most online users have grown wary of overly slick, promotional ads,” Zsolt notes.

Instead, he recommends that you “Speak directly to the camera, offer your insight and expertise on a particular topic and talk passionately about your business.”

Doing this, Zsolt says, can resonate with viewers in surprising ways — and keep you from coming across as a pushy, blatant salesperson — the exact opposite from what you want to portray.

Tip 4: Lead Them to an Action

Including call to action is a crucial component to getting the results you want from your video. Zsolt advises, “This does not mean you need to make your marketing videos excessively promotional, but ending each one with an invitation to place a phone call or visit your company website can help you use those videos to generate real leads.”

Remember, you need those leads if you want your videos to start helping you make more profit. If you overlook adding in call to action, your videos won’t have much of a shot at converting your viewers into paying customers.

Tip 5: Upload and Add 

YouTube is a great, user-friendly place to host your videos. Once you’ve created an account and uploaded your video, (you can check out our beginner’s guide to YouTube if you need a little help) you’ll be able to add in some search engine optimization (SEO).

Don’t be intimidated by SEO. It won’t be near as difficult as you think thanks to YouTube’s easy-to-understand setup. Just be sure to use the descriptive fields, Zsolt says, and you’ll be good to go.

You will need to fill out the field for your video’s title and summary and you’ll want to include a couple important keywords. You can do some basic keyword research by using Google’s Keyword Tool. (The topic of your video and your keyword need to match. If it’s a how-to video on how to properly use your product, search for the best keywords related to that.) Once you have your research done, use your keyword in your video’s title and in your summary — but don’t be spammy. Sleazy SEO will get you nowhere.

Tip 6: Show Off Your Hard Work 

Your video is done – hooray! Now it’s time to make sure it gets seen. Share a link to your video on Facebook, Twitter, and Google + to help get viewers — and don’t just do it once. Linking to it once or twice a week on your social media accounts is good, but switch up what you say each time. You might be able to get away with tweeting about it more than that, especially if you have a good amount of followers. Just be careful not to spam your followers — they’ll delete if you do.

If you do any email marketing, this is another great option for increasing your views. Putting your video on your website will also help it gain some traction. Remember, the more elbow grease you put into promoting your video, the better your chances are for getting it seen.

Have any video marketing questions? We’ll be glad to answer them!

Like this blog post? Subscribe to Scott’s Local Business Corner to receive local business marketing advice right to your inbox.

Related articles

• Promoting Your Business Through Video Marketing Techniques
• How To Make Online Video Marketing Work To Your Advantage
• What You Need To Know Right Now About Video Marketing

“It was incredible! I’ve never seen anything like it. The store was packed with book-people, arms loaded with large tomes and baskets filled with paperbacks.” These words were Melanie Tighe’s, owner of Dog-Eared Pages Used Books, as she happily explained the turnout for the cash mob Scott’s Marketplace hosted to help save her bookstore from going out of business.

A cash mob is when a community comes together to “mob” a business with cash at a specific time on a designated day. In Dog-Eared Pages’ case, we asked mob attendees to spend $20 in their bookstore – and spend they did, with most generously going well over the suggested amount.

We’re thrilled that our first cash mob was a success, but that’s not to say it didn’t take a lot of hard work to make it happen. If you’re interested in holding your own cash mob, we have some great tips for you below on how you can promote yours on a limited budget — and we’ve included some fun pictures from our event too. We’re hoping it’s just one of many successful cash mobs to come!

Tip 1: Ready, Set, Blog!

Once you have the details of your cash mob set in stone, it’s time to drum up some publicity for it. Writing a blog post about it is a great way to spread the word far and wide — and best of all, it’s free! Just make sure your blog post not only explains when and where you’re holding the event, but why.

Here’s the initial blog post I wrote about our cash mob that explains why showing support for a local business in need was so important to Scott’s Marketplace and how the community could get involved: Local Business Needs Your Help.

If you need a little help writing your blog post, check out our e-book — Blogging Tips: A Beginner’s Guide.

If you don’t have a blog and don’t have enough time to get one up and running before your cash mob, why not talk to a friend who does? See if they’ll let you write a guest post about your event so you don’t miss out on the benefits blogging can provide.

Tip 2: Alert the Media

Writing a press release for your cash mob will give it a much better shot at being covered by the media. And you definitely want as much media coverage as you can possibly get – so don’t overlook this step.

Writing a press release is much different than a blog post, however. While a blog post can be written in a fun, flowery, conversational tone, a press release cannot. Think: ‘Just the facts, ma’am!’

To help you get started with your press release, here’s a great how-to article that will teach you the basics from Publicity Insider titled: How to Write a Great Press Release.

Once you’ve written your press release, it’s time to get it distributed to as many local media outlets as possible. You can find sites that’ll distribute your press release for free, but keep in mind they’ll have basic features and a limited reach. Check out PR.com and PRLog.com.

If your budget allows, check out PRWeb.com. They have different pricing tiers for you to choose from and each comes with a variety of different features to maximize the reach of your press release.

You also don’t need a distribution site — or a budget — to promote your press release at all. What you will need, however, is a little elbow grease. Conduct searches online to find local media contacts and then email them directly. Be sure to customize your cover letter and attach your press release.

Tip 3: Use Social Media

One of the best free marketing tools for the promotion of cash mobs is social media. Here are the sites we used to promote our cash mob and how often we posted on each one: Twitter, daily; Facebook, Google +, and LinkedIn, every 3-4 days; Pinterest, we created a board just for the event; and Instagram we used to promote the event the day of. (Keep in mind that this is in addition to our normal social media activity.)

Not only did we send out status updates and tweets about the event details, but we also used social media to promote the blog post we wrote about it. (See how easily you can interwine your marketing efforts with social media?)

To help make your social media posts more effective, Jerilyn Soncrant, Scott’s Marketplace’s senior manager of social media, suggests that you use images that include all the event information and also link to a page with more details. We created a Facebook event where people could RSVP, get more information, and leave comments.

For social media sites like Twitter and Instagram, make sure you’re using a hashtag (#). Before the event we used the hashtag #CashMob since it’s a popular term people search for. On the day of the event, we branded the hashtag to #CashMobSMP and sent an email out to our subscribers letting them know what to tag their images with at the event. 

Example of a tweet using our hashtag

Tip 4: Email, Email, Email

Email is truly a marketer’s best friend because it allows you to get crucial information delivered right to the inboxes of your target audience. And yes — it’s free! All it’ll cost you is a little bit of your time.

If you already have an email list, you can send out an email to your subscribers highlighting the details of your event. You can also link to your blog post as a way for your subscribers to get more information about it.

Jerilyn sent out one email per week to our subscribers to help publicize our cash mob, including one email on the day of. To help ensure our emails were opened, we had to come up with a unique (and hopefully intriguing) email subject line each time. (Email subject lines with 28-39 characters get the highest click-through rates).

Some of the email subject lines we used were:

• It’s Cash Mob Time!
• We Need Your Help
• Have You Joined the Mob?
• The Cash Mob Is Today!

If you don’t already have an email marketing program to help you create professional emails, a great (free!) option is MailChimp. It lets you send professional email newsletters to your customers completely free of charge (if you have fewer than 2,000 followers and don’t send more than 12,000 emails per month).

Partnering up with another local business is also a great way to further your email marketing efforts. Talk to a local business owner (or two) about having them send out an email blast to their subscriber list with details about your event. In turn, you could do something for them at the event to drive traffic back to their business, like handing out something branded (maybe they have pens, magnets, or other little items they’d like you to give out) to customers.

Tip 5: Hit the Internet Hard

Local bloggers in your area are likely to care about local events, like your cash mob, so consider seeking them out and emailing them details. (Do a blog search on Google to find the ones you’d like to target.) I emailed quite a few local bloggers to let them know about our event and asked if they would consider covering it on their own blog, sharing it on social media, and/or attending it themselves.

Some replied, some didn’t, but the ones who did really helped us out a lot. Liz Ekstrom of The Blue-Eyed Owl wrote her own really awesome blog post about Dog-Eared Pages’ plight and included details of our event. Check out Local Spotlight: Dog-Eared Pages to read her post.

Coley Arnold from Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market also shared details of our cash mob with her social media followers and brought her family to the event so they could load up on books. And we got all of that free promotion and support simply by asking!

Another idea is for you to scour the internet looking for additional places to post details about your event. We posted our event details on Yelp.com (they have an event section where you can post full details of your event for free).

In hindsight, we realized we should have also been looking up local book clubs and emailing the administrators (possibly through Meetup.com) to see if they’d send out an email blast to their group with the our event details. Book lovers were our perfect target and that was definitely a missed opportunity for us to reach more people. (You can learn from our mistake, though, by doing something similar with your target audience when planning your cash mobs.)

Also, there were quite a few blogs and media outlets that picked up Dog-Eared Pages’ story of struggle, but didn’t necessarily include details of our event for them. In hindsight, again, we could have done a quick search for these articles and left a comment about how we were trying to help this business by hosting a cash mob so all of that site’s followers would still get the event details. You can easily do this when hosting your cash mobs, however, so be sure to incorporate it into your plan of attack.

Tip 6: Make It Fun

Jill Hoffman, Scott’s Marketplace’s senior director of marketing and media, suggested that we get balloons, purchase cookies from a local bakery, and give away prizes to help entice people to come to our event. After all, a cash mob is a fun event, so why not advertise it as such to get a better turnout?

Jill says, “Find a prize that fits your audience and hold an on-site raffle. On the entry form, be sure to ask for permission to add e-mail addresses to your list. Use those addresses to start a conversation with new customers. This is a perfect opportunity to entice them to return and continue spending!”

Bonus tip: Find an area where you can “cut corners” so to speak to save a little money. Jerilyn happens to be quite crafty, so she made colorful, homemade signs for us to place out on the street so people could easily locate the cash mob when driving past. Jill also made raffle tickets on her computer and we cut them out in the office the day before the event. Being crafty saves cash!

Now It’s Your Turn!

Cash mobs are a lot of fun to plan and we hope these tips help you promote yours effectively. More than that, though, we hope this post inspires you to help a local business in need.

When we received an email from Melanie the day after our  event that it had brought in enough money to keep them open for at least another month, it made all of us feel as if we had been a part of something really special.

We brought the community together to help revitalize a deserving local business — and it worked! (Although, we know keeping those customers coming will be an ongoing battle for Dog-Eared Pages.)

As Melanie put it, “Thom [Melanie’s co-owner] ran our numbers for the day. He studied the report tape and without saying a word, he walked over and put his arms around me. Then he told me my bookstore was safe for another month and well on its way towards its second goal. We drove home with grateful hearts, lighter spirits, and in dazed amazement over all the encouraging support and well wishes from everyone.”

Melanie’s words are a great reminder of just how important it is to continually make the choice to shop local – and how doing so (or not doing so) can directly affect the fate of irreplaceable local businesses like Dog-Eared Pages Used Books.

Tell us: Do you think cash mobs can help save local businesses from closing?

Like this blog post? Subscribe to Scott’s Local Business Corner to receive local business marketing advice right to your inbox.

Related articles

• Can a Cash Mob Help Save This Local Business?
• ‘Cash mob’ encourages people to buy local
• Cash Mob Pumps Up West Side Business
• Cash mob at West Side Market

Less than six months ago, Dog-Eared Pages Used Books was named ‘Best in the Valley’ in the bookstore category by PHOENIX magazine. Today, they’re in very real danger of having to close their doors forever.

The owners of Dog-Eared Pages, Thom Butcher and Melanie Tighe, have spent almost five years doing what they love: making connections with a local community of readers and writers while trying to turn their bookstore into a profitable business.

Thom and Melanie

But as too many small business owners have come to learn, having a passion for what you do may be what keeps you going every day, but, unfortunately, it doesn’t pay the bills.

As Thom put it, “Our landlord has been very patient with us while we tried to build the bookstore into a viable business and they graciously allowed us to float on our rent a few months but now it’s time to pay the piper or shut our bookstore down, as they cannot allow us to float any longer, and rightfully so.”

Giving Back to the Local Community

Local authors selling their books

Over the years, Thom and Melanie have done a lot for our local community, including hosting book clubs and writing groups, as well as supporting local authors and the arts. Melanie explains: “We allow all local authors to hold book signings here and to sell their books on consignment. We also joined up with the Arizona Consortium for the Arts to hold monthly open-mic art and culture talks and feature the work of one artist on our art wall each month.”

They’ve also supported many local charities and organizations through the donation of books, including the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Center, the American Legion’s book drive, Girl Scouts book collections, the Volunteer Non-Profit Service Associations’ annual book sale, and various shelters and libraries.

Books for Soldiers program

And all of this is in addition to their Books for Soldiers program. Melanie says, “Thom came up with the idea of the Books for Soldiers project after one of our customers, who had just returned from Iraq, told us about the shortage of books there. We had noticed customers were placing books we didn’t take in for trade in the dumpster, and so that project was born. Customers donate the books and the postage and one of our customers writes a nice note to the soldier receiving the books. We’ve shipped about 8,000 books so far!”

Despite all of their good deeds and years spent trying to grow their business, Dog-Eared Pages now faces closing its doors in less than 30 days. And that’s exactly why we’re hoping to rally the community they’ve given so much back to into immediate action. How? Scott’s Marketplace is putting together our very first cash mob to help provide them with the money they need to stay in business.

Together We Can Save This Independent Bookstore

Our communities need the charm and character local businesses like Dog-Eared Pages provide – but they can’t stay open without your support! Please join our cash mob for Dog-Eared Pages Used Books on Saturday, March 16 from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

We’re asking that each person spend (or donate) $20 at Dog-Eared Pages (with their great prices, that’ll score you quite a few awesome books) and Scott’s Marketplace will be on site with some tasty treats and prizes for cash mob attendees.

Here’s how you can help:

• Please RSVP for the Dog-Eared Pages cash mob.
• Spread the word about the cash mob on Facebook by sharing it with your friends. Don’t forget about Google +, Pinterest, Instagram — and even your own blog!
• Tweet about the cash mob on Twitter: [Click here to tweet your support]

Not in Arizona but still want to help support a local business in need? You can visit Dog-Eared Pages Used Books’ website to browse their book selection, spend your $20, (or more!), and have your items shipped right to your home. Shipping is available to anyone in the U.S.

Dog-Eared Pages’ story of struggle is, sadly, just one of many. Please remember to shop local whenever you can to help keep small businesses thriving and our communities unique.

Like this blog post? Subscribe to Scott’s Local Business Corner to receive local business marketing advice right to your inbox.

Tell us: Will you participate in our cash mob for Dog-Eared Pages Used Books?

Related articles

• Forget Flash Mobs. Here Come the Cash Mobs … and Other Hot Topics
• KC metro area cash mob’s goal: Help local businesses
• Small town’s ‘Cash Mob’ works to help local businesses

One of the main goals for launching a website is conversion. Conversion is getting people to act and take action in a manner you want. Newsletter signups, filling out a contact form, clicking on links and ultimately purchasing your products or services are all conversion points.

Now think about it: What do you want people to do when they visit your site? Hold that thought… Next question: How easy is it to do that from your site? Uh oh…we have a problem.

Here are some tips on how you can increase conversion rates for various conversion points:

Step 1: Contact Points

When developing a website, I like to have multiple contact options on each page. On the Marketing Press site, we have five ways for someone to contact us on the homepage; three of which are above the fold for laptops and smaller monitor sizes.

Who cares if your visitor doesn’t go any further than your homepage and contact you. Consider that a win.

On the interior pages, have your phone number or a contact form in your sidebar. Allow people to take action from wherever they are on your site. Make it easy for your audience to find your information.

[Quick note about contact forms: If your contact form is the same size as a mortgage application -- you're doing it wrong. Only ask for the vital information. Don't be greedy, minimize your fields -- this will also help increase conversion rates.]

Step 2: Symbols of Trust

Place logos of people you work with, organizations, or any affiliations your company has near your contact information. This will put your audience at ease and make them feel like they are dealing with a reputable company.

Step 3: Landing Pages

If you are running PPC ads or specific deals, take your visitor to specific pages crafted especially for them. Give them all the information promised in your PPC ad or social post. Apply the two above principles, create something that works and get leads. Invest time in A/B testing your pages.

Step 4: Review, Refine, Repeat

This has always been my favorite mantra when it comes to web development. I say it all the time — I say it like a broken record and if you’ve ever heard me speak at WordCamps you’ve heard me say it a million times… review, refine, repeat. Measure and review the metrics and what you’ve done, refine it to make things better, deploy and repeat. The process should never stop.

Set your website up for conversion success and give your company an opportunity to edge out the competition. The best part is — they won’t know what hit them.

In my final guest blog post of this series, I’ll tell you where you can go for help with your WordPress site.

Tell us: What have you found to be the best way to increase conversion rates?

Related articles

• Meaningful SEO Metrics
• 7 Simple Improvements to Increase Website Lead Generation
• Why PPC Should Be a Part of Your Online Marketing Strategy

We asked you to voice your biggest problems and frustrations when it comes to running your local business — and today’s blog post is proof that we listened! In fact, our senior manager of social media, Jerilyn Soncrant, turned your comments into a silly series entitled ‘Things Local Business Owners Never Say’ as a fun way of addressing your issues.

Feel free to share the images below, (simply right click, select ‘save as,’ and then choose the location of where you’d like it saved)… but you didn’t think we’d leave you hanging without also providing solutions to your problems, right? Be sure to check below each image for a free ebook that is filled with tips that will effectively combat each problem.

Problem: Business Plans

Solution: Writing a business plan should be an exciting time in your life, not an overwhelming one. We’re here to help with a free ebook that’ll show you how to write a professional business plan in the most stress-free way possible! Download 4 Easy Steps for Building a Business Plan now!

Problem: Blogging

Solution: Why let blogging get you down when it’s such a fantastic way to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry? Instead, download our free ebook for tips on how to get started with blogging, ideas for blog posts, and more! Download Blogging Tips: A Beginner’s Guide for Local Businesses today!

Problem: Time & Money Management

Solution: Every local business owner is busy — there’s just no getting around that. What you may not know, however, is that there are many tools and apps you can use to help you manage your time and money more effectively. We’ve compiled a great list of time and money-saving tools for you in our free ebook titled: 38 Small Business Software Tools.

Problem: Facebook

Solution: Facebook doesn’t have to leave you frustrated. Download our free ebook that’ll show you how to set up a Facebook fan page for your business, what to include — and not to include — in your Timeline photo, how to complete your ‘about’ section, and more! Check out Facebook Timeline Basics today!

Bonus Facebook Solution: We’re giving one lucky winner a full Facebook Marketing Makeover in our latest sweepstakes. The winner will receive: $750 in Facebook ads (plus guidance on how to run your campaign), 12 Timeline covers, a 12-month Facebook strategy developed just for your local business, a one-year membership to Scott’s Marketplace, and more. Enter now!

Enter to win a $1500 Facebook Marketing Makeover presented by Scott’s Marketplace