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Marketing Tip of the Week: Grammar for Business

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Grammar for Business
Good grammar is important to the success of a business. Schoolhouse Rock knows it. Sesame Street knows it. Your 3rd grade English teacher knew it as well. Just check out the video below and you’ll see.

But why is it so important? I mean, if you’re writing an English paper for a class, or your job consists of writing for a living (such as an author or journalism job), of course it’s important. But how can the everyday business man/woman use grammar to succeed in their field?

Below are a few tips for optimizing your grammar and how it can help your business in the long run.

Common Grammatical Flubs

Their are tons of examples of words out there that are completely misused by the average person. From homophones, to using the wrong form of “your” or “you’re,” it’s easy to make an embarrassing grammatical mistake. Most of this is probably due to the fact that many words in the English language sound the same when spoken, but are completely different when written out.

As I mentioned before, misusing “your” and “you’re” is one of the most common mistakes, but “their,” “there,” and “they’re” is also a very common mistake. Always make sure you know which words fit together with the sentence you’re constructing.

Other words, such “affect” and “effect,” are homonyms (words that sound the same but have completely different meanings). If you’re unsure of the correct spelling to use, always look it up in the dictionary or search on the Internet to find the correct spelling and usage.

Proper Grammar Can Make You More Professional

Which one of these sentences sounds more professional to you?

  • “During an recent claims adjusting proces, we discovered some concerns with you’re property that must be adressed.”
  • “During a recent claims adjusting process, we discovered some concerns with your property that must be addressed.”

Hopefully, you selected the second sentence. When you have to write up a report for your superior, or present to your team, you need to write with correct and proper grammar. It will be very hard to convince others that you know what your’e doing when your grammar is poor; no matter how much research you’ve done or how much knowledge you have about the project.

Proper grammar lets others see that you are passionate about your business, and presents yourself as a professional in your field. Even when you’re interacting with customers, your grammar needs to be top notch. A lot of people, myself included, will turn their nose up at businesses that have spelling or grammar mistakes on their marketing materials (such as advertisements). These so called “grammar nazis” can make or break your business, so make sure you’re always presenting yourself, and your business, in an intelligent, professional light.

Here are some more tips on how to increase your professionalism in your writing:

  • Use synonyms to spice up your writing. Ex. use “excellent” or “outstanding” instead of “good.” 
  • Try to avoid lame cliches like “we think outside of the box” or “we’re focused on making synergistic decisions.” People get tired of hearing these cliches, and they end up sounding insincere when repeated too often.
  • Work on correct usage of punctuation. For example, the ellipses is a fun punctuation tool to use…but it consists of three periods, not 5 to infinity. And you don’t need multiple exclamation points to bring home the idea that you’re excited about something!!!! One is plenty!
  • Capitalize only important and necessary words. Usually, these are proper nouns and the first word of a sentence. And avoid capitalizing every letter in a word. THIS MAKES IT SEEM LIKE YOU’RE YELLING, and that’s rude.

But, hey, even celebrities make grammar errors (quite frequently, actually) so you’re not alone in this. But it’s good to know that school kids are keeping their grammar straight on Twitter.

 

 

Marketing Tip of the Week: How to Design the Perfect Business Card

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The Perfect Business Card Infographic
What’s one of the first things you do (or should do) when you meet a new client who’s interested in starting a partnership with your business or startup?

Shake hands? Yes. Introduce yourself? Yes. Try to remember the other person’s name for when you get to the end of the conversation? Double yes.

But one of the most important things to do in any business exchange is to present your business card to the other person. Why? Because business cards are the perfect way for someone to easily get in touch with you again, and, depending on how your card looks, will leave a lasting impression on the person.

If your business card looks like it was drawn with a crayon on top of a 2″ x 2″ corner of last night’s pizza box, then here are some tips to update it, and get people interested in the services you have to offer them.

Include the Most Vital Info

Your business card is like a mini bio of who you are and what your business is about, but you don’t have to write the next great American novel on it. Sure, you need to include enough info that your business isn’t wildly ambiguous, but typically you only need 4 -5 bits of info. The most important info to include are your name, title (CEO, writer, manager), your company name, and your contact information (which can include phone number, email, and maybe even your mailing address).

Fonts Make a Difference

When selecting the typography for your business card, always make sure it’s easily readable and font is large enough to make an impact. Most of the time, sans serif fonts are the best to use because they’re simple, clear, and easy to read. Use sans serif fonts like Helvetica or Swiss for your contact info. But your company name needs to be a little flashier, so feel free to use any font that’s both flashy, and easy to read. But whatever you do, avoid using Comic Sans. If you’re struggling with Comic Sans addiction, consider visiting this site: www.comicsanscriminal.com.

Colors Grab Attention

Colors can be just as important as your typography. Make sure if you use a solid color background that it’s a color that works well with the font style and font color that you choose. Using a yellow background with a white font is typically bad news, but a black background with white font helps to make your font standout much better. And it’s a good idea to stick with CMYK colors when designing, since these colors are better for printing projects. RGB colors are better for websites and screens.

Different Materials Can Impress

Most of the time, business cards are printed on cardstock, with varying thicknesses and quality. But now there are so many options for different materials that you can use to make your business cards pop.

You want the material you use to reflect the business you’re in. For example, a carpenter, woodworker, or construction company owner might get his business info printed on different types of wood. If you’re in the fashion or clothing industry, you might want to get your cards made out of leather or wool. Or, if you’re a DJ, record store owner, or music producer, you can even get your cards printed on vinyl record material. There are so many options out there, but the traditional paper business card is the most reliable and cost efficient if you’re just starting out with your business.

Business cards are great tools, but you gotta know how to use them properly in order to make an impact on your next business partner or customer. I’m gonna say it again: don’t use Comic Sans. Please. I’ll come find you if you do.

 

 

Key Elements For Your Business Plan

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Marketing Tip – Key Elements of a Business Plan

Every business needs some sort of plan. You need guidelines to follow so it stays on track. So, what do you include in your business plan, what are the essentials? A good business plan has certain key components that  includes your goals, details about your business and how you plan on reaching your customers. So, this marketing tip is all about going back to the basics.

1. Executive Summary – The executive summary provides a synopsis of the business plan and highlights key points within it. It communicates to a future investor the size and scope of the marketing opportunity, profitability and the company’s positioning. Don’t forget that it needs to be easy to ready and 2-4 pages long. It’s basically a summary of your business, so you really need to grab attention in this part. They possibly may not read on to the specifics.

2. Company Analysis – This part of the business plan provides an overview of the company, what products and services it offers and provides details on the company’s unique qualifications on how it plans to serve the particular target market.

3. Industry Analysis – You will need to evaluate your business and your competitors. In this section, answer certain research questions like what is the size of your target market, what are the trends and other questions that you or your investors may like to know.

4. Analysis of Customers – This is where you will analyze your customers. Your company must convey the needs of your customers. It must show how the company plans to fulfill the needs of their customers.

5. Analyze Your Competitors – After you analyze your customers, you must also analyze the competitors. Define your competitive advantages against them. Also, identify your direct and indirect competitors and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.

6. Marketing Plan – This is where your company needs to explain how you are going to penetrate your target market. Included in this is your strategic positioning, detailed description of the product and service, desired image and branding, promotional strategies, pricing strategies and potential strategic marketing partnerships and alliances. This is the time to discuss how you plan on marketing your business.

7. Operations, Design & Development Plans – You will detail the internal strategies within this section. You may also answer questions like what functions will be required to run this business, what milestones must be reached before your business can begin and how quality will be controlled.

8. Financial Plan – This involves the development of your company’s revenue and a profitability. It includes some detailed explanations of various revenue and cost variables. This is where you state your plan on how you are going to achieve the overall vision for your company’s venture.

You definitely need these key essentials in your business plan when starting a new business venture. Even your business plan needs a little updating now and again as well. It’s important to lay out the plan of your business so you know where you’re going with it, what you plan to achieve, who your target market is and how you plan on reaching them. Going back to basics and reviewing the essentials is always a must. You never know when you need to review your business plan and re-strategize.

Product Reviews

Round and Loveable Plush From Squishable
Who do you shop for? What is your target market? Do you shop for your store’s demographic mainly? However, do you also focus on customers who aren’t necessarily in your demographic, yet can possibly stumble into your store as well? This goes for children. Read More About Squishable

Always Find Great Balloons From J & R Wholesale Balloon Distributors, LLC
When you focus on finding the right products in your store, you always think about what gift items you can feature in your store. You want a variety of wonderful gift items, especially since your customers don’t always enjoy the same items. Read More About J & R Wholesale Balloon Distributors, LLC

Insider Tips

Seth Godin – Two things you might take away from this: First, there’s solace in finding someone who has done it before, whatever “it” is you’re trying to do. Knowing that it’s possible and studying how it was done can’t help but increase the chances you’ll stick it out.

Second: huge value accrues to the few able to actually do a thing for the very first time.

Chris Brogan –  If you want to find great success, learn to recognize your programming, to assess whether it’s actually doing something useful for you, and then to break the pattern. This works with all things.

Vendor Spotlight

 

Must Have Items From Kraft Klub Inc.
Offering products that are on trend and items that your customers truly find useful to them is a must for your store. You want to please your customers by offering some of the latest trends, yet they are still worth purchasing. Read More About Kraft Klub Inc.
 Children Will Be Fashion Forward With SpecialTee Designs
Being on trend in your store is always a plus with your customers. They love knowing that they can walk into your store and receive wonderful products that are always on trend.Read More About SpecialTee Designs
Focus On Your Pet’s Well-Being With Peaceable Kingdom Essentials
How does your store stay on top of the ever-growing trends within the pet industry? Your customers not only look out for their well-being, they also want to ensure the well-being of their pets.Read More About Peaceable Kingdom Essentials
 Freshen Up Your Store With Greenleaf Incorp.
Featuring products that you know your customers are going to love is always a great feeling. You want to feel confident in the product line that you have chosen to feature in your store.Read More About Greenleaf Incorp.
Stay On Top Of The Latest Fashion Trends With The Alabama Girl
What will make your customers happy? Is it finding great new products that are trendy and great items that make them happy?Read More About The Alabama Girl
 Keep Your Flowers Fresh With Flot-Aire Floral Refrigerators
Having the right accessories and products in your store is essential to help it run smoothly. Of course, having the right products is a must as well.Read More About Flot-Aire Floral Refrigerators
Create One-Of-A-Kind Arrangements With ZX Decor
Every store needs variety. No matter what type of store you have, you want to offer variety to your customers, since not everyone enjoys the same things.Read More About ZX Decor
 Finish Your Outfit With With Linda Cilo Jewelry Sales
When it comes to jewelry, you want beautiful designs that will satisfy a wide variety of your customers. You also want quality, a piece of jewelry that is sure to last your customers throughout their many wears. Read More About Linda Cilo Jewelry Sales

In The News

Who Are The Millenials?
As a store owner, you are always keeping up with the latest news and what’s going on within the economy. This is important stuff for you to know. You want to understand your customers and their buying habits. So, one thing you may have noticed is a new target market called the millennials. Who are they, what do they buy and how can you reach out to them are all things you want to know. Read More About The Millenials

Do You Feature Daily Deals?
Within marketing, strategies and tactics are always changing. New and innovative ways are always being developed. Do you keep up with these changes and see how you can implement them into your store? Do you think they will even work? These are all things to consider before you even start to plan out a strategy. Read More About Daily Deals

How To Make Your Business EVEN Better: Social Media Tips

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FGmarket has had the pleasure of going to PubCon in Dallas, TX.  PubCon is an annual convention that provides the latest trends and technologies available for businesses to be successful on the world wide web! We want to encourage you to try out these tips and get active in your online communities so that you can be known amongst thousands!

I was given the great opportunity to interact with some of the wiz kids of the Social Media & Search Engine Optimization world while at PubCon, and I have brought back a few tips to help our FGmarket wholesale vendors and online businesses become more successful on the internet!

Top 5 Tips From PubCon Dallas 2010!

1. BE CONSISTENT!

  • Have a timeline and stick to it! This may seem obvious to some, but this is crucial in building a following on social media platforms. Be sure to consistently feed information to your followers during major intervals during the day and work week. This gives your supporters something to look forward to, and also something to expect!
  • Consistent Content! Be sure to narrow your subject down to your expertise.  You definitely want your followers to know what your going to share! Give tips about your industry, your product, and even your background!  Let your followers know you and trust you, and always stick to what you do best, especially if you are working from an account that promotes your business!
  • Share your content on several Social Media platforms! Don’t just be active on one social media platform, be sure that you are interacting on a multiple!  You don’t want to go all out by any means, but pick two or three platforms that work for you.  My best recommendation for local businesses would be Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn in addition to a daily or weekly blog about your business. These platforms will get your feet wet in the world of social media.

2. CONTENT MATTERS!

  • “If your content is bad, it will only look worse on social media platforms.” – Scott Stratten, President of Un-marketing.com. This concept rings true when trying to ‘sell’ your product online. Be sure that your product is worth the trouble, and then get excited about it! One of Scott’s biggest points at PubCon Dallas was to ‘stop marketing, and start engaging.’ Build up your content to make sure it is relevant, and appropriate to your product, and make sure you are providing exciting content that engages your audience and industry!
  • Be a trustworthy source of information! Now that you have exciting content, make sure that it is trustworthy! Show your expertise, don’t just tell about it was a topic that Rob Snell, author of Yahoo! Store for DUMMIES, touched on in his presentation.  The key is to be a leader in your industry, and to build a trusting relationship with your clients, let them KNOW you by sharing trustworthy information that is pertinent to your product or trade. Don’t just put content out there just to have something to say, be sure that you are sharing valuable information and links that people would want to know about!
  • Share other experts ideas, and give them credit! That’s right, you know you are watching to see what others are doing in your industry! So when you see someone doing a really neat thing, let them know you like it!  This builds rapport amongst your fellow experts, and also shows that while competition is out there, you still know a Continue reading “How To Make Your Business EVEN Better: Social Media Tips” »