29 Jun

The Business Landscape Of 2016

Posted in Small Business Advertising on 29.06.16 by John Meloche

A few blogs ago, we talked about the modern business world today vis a vis social commerce. This is just one of the many hot trends present in today’s marketplace. So let’s look at some other notable trends in today’s business landscape.

  • Skewed Demographics. Baby boomers have always dominated the marketplace, however with their increased age their market force is declining. That being said these boomers are still outnumbering their youth counterparts, providing a skewed age pyramid. This still leaves a debate for how impactful the baby boomer demographic will be. A cohort of their size will surely remain prominent even after their departure from the marketplace. The Baby Boomer cohort will certainly provide more opportunities for elderly care, pharmaceuticals, etc.
  • Social Commerce. We touched on this before, but it’s so important that we have to bring it up again. Social media is a hub for mass communication. In today’s world, it would be much easier to reach a teenager over social media than anything else. In addition to offering maximum reach, numerous social media platforms provide specialized advertising programs that essentially allow you to advertise to exactly the person you want to target. It’s actually amazing how effective this advertising may be and it will only continue to impress.
  • Diversified Advertising. When you mention social commerce, it’s hard to neglect the effectiveness of online advertising. This in turn may create questions surrounding our traditional advertising platforms such as the television. We’ve relied on TV commercials for ever. However there is a change occurring and the TV may not be a part of it. With the rise of streaming media platforms such as Netflix, Crave, Shomi, etc., there’s no doubt TV ratings have taken a fall. A piece by Mike Vago from avclub.com discusses how even the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau has admitted that the audience for live TV is dropping at a rate of roughly 10% per year. Television ads are used for mass advertising, however with a dwindling audience, it may be ideal to start looking for new advertising mediums.

The business world of 2016 is dynamic; trends are starting and ending every day. However these trends are here to stay. This market is not synonymous with ones we’ve seen 30,20, or even 10 years ago. So if you want to succeed today, you may need to abandon traditional business proceedings and lose that old school mindset.

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14 Mar

Putting A Spring In Your Marketing Steps

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 14.03.14 by John Meloche

Flowerpots on old stairsOkay, so spring is officially under one week away. It sure doesn’t feel like it, does it? It’s been a snowy week in Toronto, making us feel as if there is truly no end to this dreadfully cold winter. The calendar can’t be stopped, however. And no matter what, spring is on the way. The cold and snowy days have to come to an end at some point, don’t they? Of course they do!

And that should be good news, not only to lovers of warmth and sunshine, but to business owners all over Canada. As we discussed in yesterday’s blog, the changing of the seasons allows for entrepreneurs to begin promoting their businesses in new ways. It’s important to take advantage of the changing weather and the new moods that come with it to promote your brand.

On Swipely.com, there are a number of tips listed on how to promote your business during the spring. Among them are simply talking about the weather and acknowledging the various holidays that take place throughout spring. In today’s blog, we’ll review a few more tips found on the website. Spring is coming. So let’s see how you can get in on the action now!

Sports & March Madness. Speaking of action, that’s what spring is all about! It’s an absolutely excellent time for sports. The Major League Baseball season gets underway (Let’s go Blue Jays!), the Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to begin (Go Leafs Go!) and then there’s March Madness which is a very popular NCAA basketball tournament. Do you have television sets set up at your place of business?

Make it a point to keep them tuned to big sporting events this spring. Doing so is bound to attract customers so that they remain for longer periods of time in your shop. Needless to say, sports make for great conversation starters. You’re bound to meet fellow fans of your favourite teams. Even if you don’t have TVs at work, talk about recent games and you’re likely to easily engage a lot of your clients.

Spring Cleaning + Fresh New Inventory. According to Swipely.com, “spring is a time to show off new product lines, and also for clothes retailers to remind customers that it’s time for cleaning out the closets and making room.” The changing of the seasons always helps for people to get that “wanting to start anew” feeling. Offer your customers ways that they can do just that.

Introduce a new product line. Begin a new “spring sale”. Offer significant discounts on your winter-based items. Plan a spring time celebration! There are countless ways that you can let your customers know that your business is celebrating the beginning of spring. In addition to new items, new décor will help to do the trick. It’s all about starting fresh and helping your customers to do the same.

Mix and Match. Maybe you’re not sure what elements of spring you want to use in your next round of marketing, says Swipely.com. Perhaps, using all or some of the suggestions provided in our last two blogs is the way to go. Use what feels best for you and your company. As long as you’re trying something new and inventive, it’s hard to go wrong. After all, how could we all not enjoy the disappearance of winter?

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11 Mar

5 Unique Business-Boosting Marketing Techniques

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 11.03.14 by John Meloche

red arrow jumping on a trampolineAs a business owner, you likely have hundreds of ideas about how to promote your company run through your mind on any given day. It’s only natural. After all, that’s part of your job. While some entrepreneurs get caught up in the ways in which they should run their businesses, others consider the ways that their businesses need to be advertised. Of course, both components are important to a company’s success.

But as Maureen Farrell of Forbes.com puts it, “you can have the greatest new product or service in the world, but if no one knows about it, who cares?” In other words, you better be up on your marketing game or your industry is bound to pass you by. Another way of putting it is “Promote! Promote! Promote!” In today’s blog, we’ll review some interesting marketing techniques laid out by Farrell.

Make ‘Em Laugh. Most marketing campaigns focus on ways to sell products and generate leads, she writes. But many times, such tactics miss the mark. Instead, companies should focus on the entertainment aspect of their advertising strategies. Many television commercials use this technique. Making a commercial for television is far too pricey though – so maybe putting together a humorous video for YouTube is the way to go.

Connect With Customers By Making Them Stars. Speaking of YouTube, you don’t have to be the only one posting videos that help to promote your business. Encourage your customers to create videos of their own showcasing their use of your products. Of course, you will want to provide incentives for this. Run a contest, offer up high-end promotional gifts as prizes, and include your favourite videos on your website!

Be A Guru. By this, Farrell means that it’s important to showcase the fact that you are an expert in your field. Although it’s recommended that you offer your viewing audience some laughs, you’ll want to show that you’re not in the business of being a comedian. Showing your expertise is a great way to gain trust from those who are part of your target market. She suggests publishing a newsletter to demonstrate your knowledge.

Stick To A Schtick. Is your brand known for something in particular? Is there an aspect of your company that totally separates it from your competition? In certain cases, it’s best to stick to what makes your business unique. If you’ve adopted a marketing strategy that has a history of success, there’s no reason to change it up. Working with what works is sometimes the best new way to market your brand.

Tweet! By now, it should comes as no surprise that tweeting has made a list of marketing techniques worth trying. At Synergy Marketing, we have recently re-taken to Twitter in an effort to further enhance our brand recognition. It works! With just 140 characters to work with, your tweets can certainly help connect you with countless would-be customers. Remember to be engaging in order to encourage conversation!

In tomorrow’s blog, we’ll continue to take a look at a few more of Farrell’s unique marketing techniques. But, as always, we encourage you to give us a call at 1-877-748-9884 to order the promotional product of your choice today. Successful for decades in helping Canadian business owners grow their companies, our promo gifts are bound to become a big part of your next marketing strategy!

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13 Nov

Holiday Gifts Are Bound To Boost Your Brand

Posted in Promotional Products on 13.11.13 by John Meloche

XCD-09-300x300The holiday season is here and naturally, it’s the perfect time of year for you to be handing out gifts. Not just any gifts mind you, but promotional gifts. Well actually, not just any promotional gifts, but holiday-themed promotional gifts will make the most sense during the coming weeks. And Synergy Marketing has an amazing array of holiday gifts to choose from!

In yesterday’s blog, we announced that our famous Christmas Music CD and Card was now on sale for just $3.99. A steal at that price, if we may say so ourselves, this great combo of a gift, is a great way to boost holiday spirit. More importantly for you, of course, is the fact that giving out this card will boost your brand recognition. The personal touch of offering this gesture is sure to go a long way.

After all, that is the entire point of handing out promo gifts, isn’t it? It’s all about building relationships that will help to carry your business well into the future. The holiday season, quite obviously, presents the absolute perfect time to get into the spirit of giving. Don’t allow your competition to outshine you. Make your brand the most merry of all by making your customers the happiest they can possibly be.

You may be thinking that perhaps, we are overstating the power of promotional products. But, in actuality, we may be understating them. For decades, promotional products have proven to be among the cost-effective ways for business owners to grow their companies. In addition, the “personal touch” we keep talking about cannot be undersold. The truth is, no other type of advertising can do what promo gifts do.

“It makes people feel appreciated,” reminded one of our reps earlier this week, “It is a form of direct contact between business owner and customer. It’s a way of saying that you appreciate their business and that you want to continue to nurture the relationship you have with them. Commercials on TV can’t do that. It’s just not the same. Especially during the Christmas season.”

This is why Synergy Marketing offers an array of holiday-themed gifts. The Christmas Tree Ornament with Beaded Accents just happens to be one of the nicest ones. They allow for your company name to be kept on the minds of your clients and colleagues all holiday season long. The ornaments come in three holiday shapes: Tree, Star and Snowman. And they go for just $5.99 each!

And how about that Holiday Wine Charm Set? It’s beautiful! It features several elegant wine glass charms in holiday shapes. They include an elf, Christmas tree, stocking, snowman, present and wreath. The set also comes packaged in an exquisite gift box. There may not be a more classy way to promote your business these holidays. For your favourite clients, collegues and co-workers, this $11.99 investment is perfect!

It doesn’t stop there, of course. Synergy Marketing specializes in holiday-themed promo gifts. Give one of our friendly and experienced sales reps a call at 1- 877-748-9884 to discuss which holiday gift would work best to promote your business. Spreading that holiday cheer around is bound to go a long way in building the types of relationships that will grow your brand.

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