Karen Scharf | Small Business Marketing Consultant

I don’t know about you but I just love summertime! It’s a time for outdoor barbecues and pool parties and meeting lots of fun new people.

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And then along comes this marketing thing… Now we’re forced into a left-brained activity. We need to be creative. We need to think outside the box. We need to step outside of our comfort zones, shift gears, and look at our business from the customer’s point of view.

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When the economy gets tough, an ironic thing happens… people stop marketing their business and services. I call it ironic because now is the best time to ramp up your marketing, not cut back on it…

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Your email subject line has to serve two very powerful purposes. First, it has to get your message delivered into the inbox rather than getting trapped by a spam filter or sent to the junk folder. Secondly, it has to entice your reader to open your email and read the message.

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In marketing we’re always taught to talk about the customer, to use benefits statements, to include the ol’ WIIFM (what’s in it for me) statement. So how does that translate to your web site’s About Us page?

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Now that the year is more than half-way over it’s a great time to assess what’s worked for you, and prepare for the months ahead.  Here is the straightforward assessment I use to critique my email marketing campaign and plan for improvements. I suggest you apply this evaluation to your own campaign as you put your 3rd and 4th quarter email marketing plans together. Simply ask yourself the following questions:

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I know it’s only July, but now is the time to get your website in shape for the fast-approaching holiday season. Afterall, holiday shopping often begins in October, and October is only 3 months away. So here are 7 quick fixes you can easily implement on your site in one single afternoon:

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There comes a time in every entrepreneur’s life when they realize they just can’t do it alone. They realize they’re maxed out – either on time or ability – and there’s no way their business will grow until they start delegating some tasks.

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Alright, I’ll admit, I’m a little down on social media right now, so my opinion at the moment might be a bit jaded. But I think I have a good reason for that, and I’m sure you’ll agree when I tell you what happened…

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