Sales & Marketing Strategies

Social Media Success with these Latest Graphic Design Tools

mark@montonara.com (Mark Montonara) — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 12:33:08 GMT

Many small to medium businesses don't have the budget for a 'full-fledged' social media program, much less a skilled creative team member who can produce stunning graphics. It is often the job of the existing team (and maybe even the owner) to create and post the business' social media. that's why we have long advocated several free/freemium online tools to help businesses look their best online.

The Essential Social Media Marketing Toolbox

mark@montonara.com (Mark Montonara) — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 13:19:41 GMT

Every business should be engaging with their audience through social media. It can be the best way to communicate with existing customers. AND it is one of the best ways to reach new prospects.

Social media marketing can be intimidating to the small business or 'solopreneur'Trends and tactics change constantly It may seem overwhelming to think about what it will take in time and resources.

But, there are relatively easy ways to start. And the following information will arm you with the tools and info to get started.

But, before you start posting...there are a few 'first steps' that you will need to take in order to move in the right direction. They include 'knowing your audience' and 'knowing where they are online'.

These two first steps can become a very involved process... but it doesn't have to be. As a small business, you are probably pretty involved with your current customers. You can probably already identify your most productive (profitable) customers. But, it pays to review the process again.

I Set Up My Business Social Media Accounts. Now What Do I Say?!?

mark@montonara.com (Mark Montonara) — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 12:09:02 GMT

Did you know that each social media channel has its own 'voice', based on who tends to use that channel? For example, Facebook tends to be the best place to reach the 65+ audience. Twitter tends to lean towards a younger audience. Instagram is a platform for sharing images. And depending upon who you are trying to reach for your business success, these stats should influence where you commit your online marketing time and efforts.

Learn the Skills for Social Media Success with Our New Training Course

mark@montonara.com (Mark Montonara) — Tue, 30 May 2017 14:34:20 GMT

Montonara & Associates is excited to announce that we are launching a 'pilot program' for a new Social Media Training Course during the month of June.

Did you ever say to yourself "I wish I knew how to create effective social media content that will help my business grow"? Well, if you have uttered that phrase (or something like that), this Social Media Training Course would be right for you!

When Should I Publish My Social Media Posts?

mark@montonara.com (Mark Montonara) — Mon, 22 May 2017 12:16:56 GMT

Your audience engages with and 'consumes' social media at different times. And each social channel (i.e. - Facebook, Twitter, etc.) displays those posts for different lengths of time. The 'life cylce' of a Twitter post is much shorter than a Facebook post. That is a reason to plan more daily posts on Twitter than you would on Facebook.

Compartmentalize Life for Your Best Personal Productivity [Part 1]

mark@montonara.com (Mark Montonara) — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 14:17:59 GMT

There are few people today who can claim to have a ‘singular focus’ in their lives. They might say that they have an overriding goal in life. But, life rarely allows someone to permanently tune out the rest of their life - family, finances, love and loss, etc.

What is truly the quest for most people who are seeking productivity and results in their lives (including myself), is to learn how to maximize your focus during each moment of their life -- whether that moment is focused on career, family, children, relaxation, etc.

Startup - Think Long Term, Act Short Term

mark@montonara.com (Mark Montonara) — Wed, 28 Dec 2016 14:33:01 GMT

As we approach the end of 2016 and look forward to the new year, many of us begin to reflect on what we have achieved professionally and personally over the last twelve months. Have we gotten to the place that we hoped to reach by the end of 2016?

Why S.M.A.R.T. Goals Aren’t Smart

mark@montonara.com (Mark Montonara) — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 13:20:05 GMT

Ask a competitive runner if it is 'realistic' for them to think that they will be able to run the fastest competitive time and you might get an answer like - "It might not be realistic. But, every day that I train, I visualize achieving that goal." The goal of the runner is only realistic in that they can run. The ability to be the best in class may - or may not - be realistic. But, that doesn't stop the runner from setting that goal. And it is in that goal setting that new records are set.

All companies adopt some form of ‘goal setting’. For many companies, this goal might be to increase sales by XX% over the next calendar year. Or it might be to add X number of new clients during that same time period. Or it could be a performance goal, like a reduction of XX% in customer complaints.

It is always healthy for a company to plan like this -- whether they are a new startup or a mature company.

But, I propose that many business goal setting processes (unlike the world class athelete's process) have become an impediment to growth for some companies. And top on that process list is the SMART goal setting methodology. And I’ll tell you the two reasons why I think this way.

Make Your Sales 'Touch base' Emails More Effective

mark@montonara.com (Mark Montonara) — Thu, 12 May 2016 13:20:00 GMT

How many emails (or LinkedIn InMail messages) do you receive from business associates that are just a waste of time to look at, much less worth reading. You know the ones that I am talking about.

These emails come from business contacts who want to stay in touch with you - either for business referrals and/or direct business with you.

These email senders have a reminder system in their CRM that tells them to contact you every XX days. The problem is -- those systems generally don’t come ‘pre-loaded’ with content to include in those email communications that benefit the recipient.

So what generally happens is that the email sender types some anemic-sounding message about ‘wanting to touch base’. And those emails go something like the following examples:

Selling Your Services : 5 Tactics for NOT Getting Ahead of Your Customer

mark@montonara.com (Mark Montonara) — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 13:32:12 GMT

Selling your services, such as consulting or technology development solutions, is ultimately a ‘courtship’ relationship. You and the customer will ‘dance’ with each other through several introductory and educational conversations. During that initial time period, a lot of positive things can be shared.

A customer may even mention that he/she needs the service that you provide. This can be an exciting moment in the ‘courtship’. You may start planning how the revenue from this sale will be used to help build your business.

If you are a web designer, this client comment may send you into initial development. Or if you are a consultant, you might start sharing valuable recommendations with your client.

But, there is one step that is overlooked by the seller/consultant -- the ‘authorizing agreement’ (and generally an initial project payment).