How many times today have you opened your inbox and been extremely frustrated by the number of junk email messages you’ve received? Be honest, how many did you actually even read? Maybe a handful of them are from companies you’ve asked to hear from, but a majority are not and end up in the trash.

Eblasting can be a great way to market your business when done properly and sent to a specific email list. However, if your company spams others, you will devalue your brand and turn off potential clients.

Don’t put someone on your email list just because they gave you their business card at a networking function. Your email list should be made up of qualified and interested potential clients. The ideal email subscriber is one who opts-in themselves.

If you are a new company and do not yet have a mailing list, display at an industry trade show where you know your potential customer will be. Offer a giveaway or contest that requires them to put their business card into a drawing. Anyone who does this knows and understands that you’ll be adding them to your mailing list. You can also add a signup form on your website for potential clients to opt-in themselves.

Sending out a once a month or occasional email is sufficient. Any more than that and you may end up aggravating potential clients who may then opt-out of receiving your emails.

If someone does unsubscribe, for whatever reason, please do not keep sending them messages! And, don’t make it difficult for someone to unsubscribe. The other day, I wanted to opt-out of a particular newsletter and was sent to the company home page where I had to search out the option. I have also been asked to provide additional information about myself and my company to unsubscribe. Very annoying!

To be successful in terms of open rate, be creative in your message by including helpful tips, resources and information instead of just selling new services. People like to feel engaged and connected, so share announcements or news about your specific industry that they will benefit from. Encourage them to visit your website, office or call you directly so you step beyond and go deeper than the email itself.

Your copy should be short and to the point with a strong call to action so readers will respond to it. Make sure to reinforce your brand in the design of the eBlast which will help your recipient easily identify you. Write your eBlast to your target audience so they will understand and appreciate your content. No one likes to be spoken down to.

Creating a successful eBlast campaign means your emails will not only be welcomed, but also opened and read. Share with us some other tips and resources that you have found successful in developing your email campaign.

Did you know that inbound links, which point to your website, are one of the most powerful ways of climbing search engine result pages! That’s right – every link to your site is seen by the search engines as a endorsement and builds upon the credibility and reputation of your website. The more people who promote your content (link to your site), the higher you get ranked.

Last week we discussed how web crawlers, web robots, or spiders are used by many companies (like Google, Yahoo etc.) to collect, catalog, index, and return information about your website. The key to a higher ranking is to create targeted content that appeals to human visitors who will link to you, while the search engines index your site for the ultimate SEO strategy!

Getting those inbound links to your site from other websites is not that hard. Local Chambers of Commerce, trade associations, schools or other professional organizations will often link to your website as a benefit of membership. Another great way to gain inbound links is to sponsor events at local charities that the press will publish online with links to your site.

Writing articles about your business or profession and submitting them to as many article directories as possible is another way to acquire links and increase your rankings. Make sure to write about your area of expertise! Check out sites like EzineArticles.com and submit up to ten articles for free!

Sharing useful information through a blog is one of the easiest ways to help draw links. If readers find your site useful and informative, they are likely to share your information. Bloggers are always looking for inspiration, websites to link to and things to discuss. You should also list your blog with online directories and on social media sites so people can find you.

Comment on other blogs, not just because you think it will help your SEO, but to show your authority within your niche market. If your comments add value to the discussion, they can drive direct traffic to your website which could lead to natural links for you. Make sure your URL is included in your signature, but please, don’t be a comment spammer or you’ll get banned quicker than you can say “link” if you do this!

We don’t recommend purchasing text links for SEO purposes. Google actually frowns upon paying for links and will penalize those they catch! It goes against their webmaster guidelines and could harm or have a negative effect on your SEO efforts. Choose carefully and play by the rules, because you don’t want links from just any website.

Sharing industry related information on social media sites will also draw links by bringing readers to blogs and websites naturally. Sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn can help build your online brand and increase your site traffic very economically and organically. If you Google a company such as ours “Charene Creative”, you will find that more than half of the links are influenced by social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and our blog. Google us and see for yourself!

There are no shortcuts to finding good quality incoming links to your website. Don’t get caught up in link schemes or web spammers. Take your time and focus your attention on building naturally acquired organic links because they show that actual people are interest in what you have to say!

Your company just had a major promotional event and you took lots of pictures. Photography is your passion and you made sure to capture everything – customers enjoying themselves, buying your product, kids playing on the sidelines, the food vendor, and salespeople in the background. Later, you think how great it would be to include a few of the photos in one of your advertisements.

It does not matter if you are taking pictures at your kids concert or a community event, if you are using someone’s image to promote a product, you MUST have them sign a model release. Taking pictures of people in public places is legal, but using those photos commercially, in any form of advertising, is a different story.

It is not legally permissible to make a profit off of anyone’s image without their consent. If a photo suggests someone subscribes to a particular idea, product or service, get their permission. Always ask permission before you take their picture and try to give them a model release form in advance so they have plenty of time to read and understand the terms.

By signing the form, they agree that your company takes ownership of the images and has the right to publish them. Be prepared if they ask to be compensated for their time and decide if you are willing to pay them for their photo or possibly arrange a trade.

Securing a signed model release protects your company from any future legal issues claiming you used an individuals image without their permission. You don’t need to have the release written by a lawyer and it can be as short as a paragraph simply stating a photographer or company has the right to use the images of the signed individual. Make sure to have your model sign and date the contract.

It is vital that you save these signed contracts so that no one can come back later and accuse you of using their image without permission!

There is no shame in being 49, is there? After all, I’ve got gray hair and have no intention of dying it! The worst part for me was putting off getting my first set of bifocals. Not sure why I waited so long?

I got the progressive kind with no lines and I love them. The best part is being able to see all that small type on business cards! I don’t understand what motivates some designers to make images and type so small and unreadable.

It is also very annoying when a web designer does not take into consideration different browsers when creating websites. My iMac’s widescreen is 24″ and everything looks terrific on it. When I create a new website, I always check the format on a small computer screen to see how the design translates and if it is readable. The same can be said for your corporate logo.

Your company’s custom logo should be easily read in 20-foot letters on top of a billboard and still look just as good one fourth of an inch tall on your business card. When you think about all the places your logo will appear, its design and scaleability are very important. Your logo is the first element in constructing your corporate identity, image and brand.

A good scalable design is crucial to the success of your brand identity. In order to be recognizable and excite your audience it must be readable, visually pleasing and unique. A logo that is easy to read will be easier for customers to remember.

Your logo must also look just as good in full-color as it does in black and white. Do not use photography in your logo. Photos do not reproduce well when scaled and can cause confusion for your brand.

The purpose of a logo is to create an unforgettable, lasting impression in the mind of your prospective customer. A professionally designed logo must look exactly the same on all corporate elements, online and on traditional media.

Some cash on hand is a good idea, but stashing it under a mattress is probably not a wise decision. Most of us understand that to be a smart investor we should diversify our financial investments and look for ways to increase our ROI. So, why do so many small businesses think it is okay to invest in only one form of advertising?

I am always perplexed when I see a business choose just one or two marketing or advertising methods and focus on them exclusively. It can be dangerous if you take it too far because you leave yourself and your business open to stagnation or, even worse, loss of income.

In today’s world, most consumers will require a combination of different media so that they will see you over and over again and remember you. Choosing a variety of marketing platforms (online and offline), that are an ideal combination for your target audience, is critical.

Choosing the right mix of media requires that you genuinely understand your customers and prospects. You must understanding their needs, and where they are most receptive to communicated messages. In today’s social media environment, you also need to understanding how to encourage mutually beneficial, ongoing conversations with your customer.

All businesses should be looking for an integrated marketing approach to their advertising so that their business’ survival does not rely on just one marketing tactic to keep them afloat. Do you agree? Do you think it’s possible to have a fail-proof marketing plan? Are you willing to accept that your current plan may not be working?