Maui Printing Company

Anyone who has ever worked in marketing understands the value of market research. Solid research can teach you about your intended audience and what your customers are looking for, which will allow you to grow your company and position it for success. Imagine if nearly everything you needed to know about your customer base existed in a single space, and all you needed to do was find a way to listen to the conversation. Well, it is -- and you can. That space is social media. Social media (and the Internet in general) has come to dominate nearly half the globe. Customers use the Internet to communicate and connect with each other and the brands they want to do business with. These customers are telling you what you need to know about the needs of your intended audience. Here are a few ways you can put social media to work for you. Pay attention to how your customers speak You likely already know you should be monitoring social sites for mentions of your brand in case cust...

Anyone who has ever worked in marketing understands the value of market research. Solid research can teach you about your intended audience and what your customers are looking for, which will allow you to grow your company and position it for success. Imagine if nearly everything you needed to know about your customer base existed in a single space, and all you needed to do was find a way to listen to the conversation. Well, it is -- and you can. That space is social media. Social media (and the Internet in general) has come to dominate nearly half the globe. Customers use the Internet to communicate and connect with each other and the brands they want to do business with. These customers are telling you what you need to know about the needs of your intended audience. Here are a few ways you can put social media to work for you. Pay attention to how your customers speak You likely already know you should be monitoring social sites for mentions of your brand in case cust...

Building brand awareness is one of the cornerstones of successful marketing. People need to see you as the trusted leader you know you are. Every message you put out into the world -- from flyers to advertisements to the content on your website -- must reinforce that core ideal. The goal is to create a consistent brand experience across every marketing channel. To illustrate just how important a consistent brand experience is, take a look at a company that has mastered it: Apple. Apple is notorious for the strength of its brand. Say what you will about its products and services, but you can't argue with the fact that when that shiny white "Apple" logo appears on a computer, portable music player, or advertisement on television, a very clear image of what that logo represents pops into your mind almost immediately. The major theme of Apple's company over the years has been simplicity. The lengths to which the company has gone in its effort to reinforce that con...

Imagine building a house. Before you saw a single board or dig the footings for your foundation, you must first finalize your blueprints. Without plans telling you what your desired result should look like, you won't be able to accomplish very much. You also need to make sure you have the tools to accomplish the job. In construction, tools all have very defined purposes, and failing to listen to safety guidelines about using the tools can end up either hurting you or destroying your house. Once you have your final plans and all the tools and materials you need, it's time to get to work. Now is your opportunity to put all your knowledge to the test. The process might be slow, but as you go step by step, you start to see progress. Before you know it, the final result begins to take shape. The further you get, the more confidence you gain in your abilities. Most of us will never build anything more elaborate than a bird house. That doesn't mean, however, that the s...

Inspiration can come from many places. While it's always important to look toward successful leaders to see what you can do to better yourself and your organization, you can also find tips in the most unlikely of places, including film and television. While certain fictional characters may seem like little more than "kids stuff" on the surface, entertainment is actually filled with budding entrepreneurs, successful businesspeople, and everyone in between. 1. Lex Luthor - Supervillain, Business Leader, Or Both? If you've only known Lex Luthor as a "mad scientist" who will do whatever it takes to stop his arch rival, Superman, you haven't been keeping up with the character for the last several decades. In the classic Richard Donner film, Superman , Luthor's plot involves buying up thousands of acres of worthless Arizona desert that will eventually be transformed into a "new West coast" of high-priced real estate after he separates Cal...

Trust is essential to success in today's business world. It's not enough to offer a terrific product or service. You need to back that offering with the type of high-quality brand experience people won't find anywhere else. Doing so doesn't just create customers -- it creates advocates. It creates a legion of followers who are willing to champion your brand to their friends and family members, extending your reach farther than you ever could on your own. In order to achieve this, however, you need to focus on two key qualities: transparency and authenticity, especially in your marketing message. What is Transparency in Marketing? At its core, transparency means being truthful about your business at all times. Far too many business leaders believe that acknowledging problems or mistakes is akin to showing signs of weakness. As they see it, letting people know your business may be going through a rough patch is proof that blood is in the water and the sharks will ...

Did you know that 71 percent of customers have stopped using a company because of the poor customer service they received? Did you also know that the average value of a lost customer is $243? Poor customer experiences cost companies money and seriously hurt the bottom line. No company can afford to just throw away $243 per person. Fortunately, there is a solution. By focusing your efforts on improving your customers' experience, you can help encourage them to return to you, improving retention and stopping the bleed of past customers going to your competitors. Here's how to do it. Focus on employees Your employees are the face of the company when customers interact with your brand. Make sure they represent you well. Develop a strong relationship with employees by giving them degrees of independence, flexibility, and a work environment that's a pleasant place to be. Employees will become more appreciative and enthusiastic about your brand and pass that along to c...

Is your business on Pinterest? If not, it should be. Pinterest can have a huge impact on your company's success. Here are three ways you can use Pinterest to your best advantage to gain more customers and increase profits: Establish Your Business as an Industry Authority Pinterest is golden when it comes to establishing your business as an authority in your industry. Provide real value in your pins and boards, and you can quickly position yourself as the go-to expert in your field. Value is the key. Go out of your way to give as much free information as you can with your pins and boards. Your pins should tell a compelling story about who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Don't just make one board on Pinterest. Create several, and put them into categories, such as "how to," "FAQs," "interesting uses for a product or service," "how other people are using the product or service," "tips for getting the most out of the ...

Engaging with customers has always been the name of the game in marketing. Thanks to the Internet, target audiences are increasingly spread out. That isn't to say the Internet hasn't been a benefit to marketers. It unquestionably has. However, the Internet isn't marketing's final frontier. Far from it, actually. When you think about some of the biggest digital channels businesses are using today, mobile devices like smartphones and social networks like Facebook unquestionably come to mind. When you break down those two categories into their core elements, however, what you're left with is the same type of local marketing businesses have been using for decades. This is why traditional print marketing and -- more specifically -- local marketing remain hugely valuable tools to businesses in the 21st century. What Is Local Marketing? Studies have long shown that most people do most of their shopping within a ten mile radius of their home. This is still true...