Does Your Small Business Marketing Suffer From The Bulldog Effect? > NetSparsh

Home
>
Small Business
>
Does Your Small Business Marketing Suffer From The Bulldog Effect?

Does Your Small Business Marketing Suffer From The Bulldog Effect?

If you're an entrepreneur responsible for your own small business marketing, there's a marketing method you should avoid at all costs, which I've coined the bulldog effect for reasons you will understand shortly. Keep reading to find out if you're guilty of using this technique in your own marketing and learn how to fix it.

After a recent weekend jaunt to San Diego, my husband and I arrived back in Los Angeles tired and hungry, so we walked the small handful of blocks to a local all-night diner to grab a quick bite to eat. And it was there that we were smacked in the face with an example of unusual small business marketing, to say the least.

We live near a shopping district where small businesses cater to everyone from people like my husband and myself to the elderly from the retirement homes nearby. And it was one store catering to this population of older citizens that had us in hysterics when we should have been concentrating on finding some grub.

Your products sell themselves? Think again

You might think a shop selling wheelchairs would have it easy in such a neighborhood -- a huge target audience planted right there, a captive audience if you will. And you'd be right. During the day, you see almost as many disabled elderly individuals out shopping as you do younger/able-bodied people.

So from the sounds of things, maybe small business marketing tactics aren't as important for a shop like this because the products practically sell themselves. Right? Wrong.

Despite the fact that I am not the target audience, I am a marketer and take notice of new marketing approaches so that I can try them out myself and share them with subscribers to my small business marketing newsletter. But that night, my husband and I just wanted a bite to eat.

Some things you can't ignore

As we walked, however, there was no way to miss the latest marketing efforts of the shop in question. This shop, which features very little in the way of shopfront advertising, had put an oversized poster in the window to promote a new model of wheelchair ... complete with a grumpy, overweight bulldog planted right in the middle of it.

Sure, it's lovely that the dog's fanged underbite finally got the recognition it deserved. And of course the wheelchair came across loud and clear as the other "hero," the main focus of the image ... other than the dog sprawled across the seat, smiling that is. (I am also almost certain that a wheelchair wholesaler created this poster and not the store itself.)

And you bet the poster got our attention. However, displayed as prominently as it was, the poster overshadowed any credibility the store might otherwise have had in terms of their expertise in finding less-able people the right wheelchair for their needs. Why? Because apparently, they also help pedigreed pooches do the same.

Of course I say this in jest, but use this as a lesson for your own small business marketing materials. No, I'm not suggesting that you have an image of a bulldog on your homepage or in your catalog -- and if you do and it makes sense, by all means continue to do so.

Rather, take this bulldog story as an analogy to your own marketing and think of ways to make your small business marketing message clearer and more meaningful to your target audience.

Rid your own campaigns of the bulldog effect

Here are some questions to get you thinking about your own small business marketing:

1) Whether we're talking about a simple website, a brochure or even just your business card, are you marketing yourself the way you want to be perceived by your customers?

2) Some use of characters (comic book characters, superheroes, etc.) is effective when used appropriately. Are you using the right type of character to set the tone for your business? Think critically about how others might perceive your campaigns.

3) Trusting your own instincts is dangerous without a reality check. Ask some of your customers what they think of your current marketing. Bear in mind that if they are customers, they are, in fact, buying from you despite any protests they may have with your marketing approach, so take their feedback with a grain of salt.

4) Ask strangers to your business what they think of your current marketing. These should not be people you know or else they will not be as candid.

5) Test everything! Regardless of what approach you take, test one version against the next to see what sells more. Experiment. Mix and match. But measure your results so that you know that your bulldog should be removed. Or not.

In closing, first impressions count, and you need to ensure that the message you're broadcasting to your prospects is the right one. Use this tail -- I mean, tale -- to see if there's anything you can improve in your own small business marketing.

Copywriter/marketing strategist Jennifer McCay helps individuals and small businesses turn their expertise into marketing success stories. She is the publisher of the Avenues to Marketing Success Newsletter, which delivers tips to help you rev up your small business marketing. To subscribe and receive a FREE special report on 7 ways to improve your sales copy, head to http://AvenueEast.com

In The News:

View: Amazon’s winner-take-all approach to small business Economic TimesBy Noah Smith Small businesses are a pillar of capitalism and of a healthy economy. They provide a path into the middle and upper-middle class for people who ...

Look Beyond The Web: 4 Ways To Promote Your Small Business Offline ForbesThanks to the internet, getting the word out about your business is faster and easier than ever. With the push of a button, you could potentially reach hundreds, ...

How One Small Business Found Its Way Into Restaurants Across The US ForbesIf you're having a burger at Shake Shack or a salad at Sweetgreen, you may be seated at a table made of reclaimed wood from bowling lanes by a small ...

How To Start A Startup As A Small Business Owner ForbesIt can be enticing for successful small business owners to start a technology startup when funding is no longer a challenge, however, many first-time startup ...

Your Small Business Roadmap for 2019 CRM Success Business 2 CommunityYour patrons have shared their data all last year through clicks, subscriptions, customer *service* requests, sales inquiries and more — and now expect your ...

$50,000 up for grabs in FedEx small business contest Tacoma News TribuneTop prize in FedEx small business contest is $50000 plus $7500 in FedEx Office print and business services.

5 Low Investment Small Business Ideas in Hyderabad YourStory.comThe old city of Hyderabad serves as the capital of the southern Indian province of Telangana. The city is bipolar in a record of advancement. The old piece of the ...

Some tips to help small business owners manage change Star TribuneWhile change at small businesses can come in a variety of forms, owners can improve their chances of success by being strategic and empathic with staffers.

4 ways to protect your small business from internal threats | UNR Business Reno Gazette JournalAs busy days take over and the business starts to grow, paying attention to a few key things will save a small business time and money in the long run.

#Budget2019: What Small businesses hope to hear IOLJOHANNESBURG – When Finance Minister Tito Mboweni gives his Budget Speech for the 2019/20 tax year, I hope to hear examples of how the government ...

Black Entrepreneurs: Win $50000 In 2019 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest Black EnterpriseAs you know, black entrepreneurs face tough challenges when it comes to acquiring capital to grow their business. If you're looking for funding for your small ...

The best of deals and the worst of deals: Small business lessons from the NBA USA TODAYBack in the 1970s, the NBA negotiated the worst deal of all time with ABA team owners the Silna brothers. They paid for it a billion times over.

Value of small business, payments front and centre in estimates Sydney Morning HeraldSenator Doug Cameron questioned whether small business is the true engine room of the Australian economy in senate estimates on Wednesday, while the ...

Mastercard, GCA Create Small Business Cybersecurity ... Dark ReadingA new toolkit developed by the Global Cybersecurity Alliance aims to give small businesses a cookbook for better cybersecurity.

Military training helped these veterans launch small businesses Military TimesA group of veteran-run small businesses participated in a pitch competition Tuesday as part of Bunker Labs' third-annual Muster Across America Tour.

Amazon's winner-take-all approach to small businesses The Japan TimesIf small businesses are to survive in the digital age, the online economy can't be allowed to be winner-take-all.

#Budget2019: Is small business back on the agenda IOLSmall business is identified as an imperative in the National Development Plan 2030 and as a primary job creator with plans ...

State agency unveils small business loan fund Long Island Business NewsEmpire State Development has announced a revolving loan fund for small businesses in economically distressed areas in Nassau, Rockland and Westchester ...

Study: Small business optimism declines amid drop in revenues AZ Big MediaSmall business owners indicated declining optimism in the latest quarterly Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, with an overall Index score of 106.

4 steps to building a savings strategy for your small business Dallas Business JournalWhether you're a sole proprietor or run a growing business, you've likely experienced an occasional tight month or season. A client was late in paying a large ...

Spotlight: Ace Cleaning Systems Keeps South Florida Offices Clean Small Business TrendsFind out how commercial cleaning *service*, Ace Cleaning Systems, got started and what they'd do with an extra $100000 in this week's Small Biz Spotlight.

Senate Democrats table bill to simplify tax collection rules for small businesses Watchdog.orgSenate Democrats on Tuesday voted to table a bill that proponents say would have provided small businesses with relief from new sales tax collection rules.

Small Business Owners Spend at Least One Day a Week Managing People Paperwork, Study Finds PRNewswireWEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly one out of two (45%) small business owners spend roughly one day a week or more on ...

Fairborn teams with Columbus-based ‘social enterprise’ to transform Main Street Dayton Daily NewsFairborn has partnered with COhatch to take over the city's business incubator, becoming the first to be licensed under the Columbus-area based social ...

#Budget 2019: What small businesses should look out for Fin24The Small Business Institute (SBI) has called for Finance Minister Tito Mboweni to request an audit of government's overall financial support from all departments ...

Small Business Spotlight: Newtex Industries WHECWhen things start really heating up and you need protection from extreme conditions, it's good to know there's a company like Newtex Industries...

Quesnel’s Long Table Grocery shortlisted for Small Business BC Award Quesnel Cariboo ObserverA Quesnel business has been shortlisted for a provincial small business award recognizing socially responsible organizations that are making a positive ...

Yoco disrupts payments, now eyeing small business finance Moneyweb.co.zaNew kid on the payment-devices block set to disrupt the credit business.

Legal report released Wednesday on Marcus Bruno 2016 small business loan from LNEDC KLFYOver 100 pages of documents related to the federal loan given to LCG employee and aide to the City-Parish President Joel Robideaux were released late ...

Three Small Business Trends That Many Businesses Just Don't Need ForbesYou don't need to go the extra mile in every area just because other small business owners are doing so.

Nevada GOED hosting small business event next week in Minden NN Business ViewMINDEN, Nev. — The Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) is hosting an event next week to help match Nevada small businesses with ...

Niagara Falls Community Development Department launches small business support fund Niagara Frontier PublicationsThe Niagara Falls Community Development Department (NFCD) is launching the small business support fund (SBSF) to help local entrepreneurs improve their ...

Champaign council OKs more funding for small-business program Champaign/Urbana News-GazetteCHAMPAIGN — City council members said they are prepared to continue funding the city's small-business incentive program, but not without the stipulation that ...

The Atlanta Small Business Show Atlanta Small Business NetworkThe Atlanta Small Business Show, airing daily on myASBN.com features interviews with successful and start-up entrepreneurs in and around Atlanta, GA.

Embracing technology: Should a small business take a loan to upgrade? Economic TimesBy Rishi Mehra To ensure your business stays ahead of the curve, it is very important to invest in technology. Being up- to-date with technology means you can ...

Small Biz Focus: Celebrating the Sheroes of Business During Women's History Month ARLnowMarch is right around the corner and this weeks Small Biz Focus celebrates the "Sheroes" of business.

Votes Still Needed: Searcy falls to 2nd place in Small Business Revolution contest KARKThe city of Searcy is quickly gaining national recognition after making the top 6 cities in competition against one another to have a small business television ...

Loans available from the SBA for small businesses, agricultural cooperatives, aquaculture and private nonprofit organizations who suffered from Hurricane Florence Allentown Morning CallThe U.S. Small Business Administration announced Wednesday that economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural ...

How Amazon uses search to bigfoot small business Chicago TribuneHow can e-commerce and small business coexist? Amazon's private-label products offer a glimpse into the challenges ahead.

6 small business tax deductions WTOPSmall business owners looking to reduce their tax burden can take advantage of several money-saving deductions. Regardless of whether you file your own ...

Following a review by Small Business Bureau three training partners were identified from approved list Stabroek NewsDear Editor, In a letter published in the Stabroek News on February 7th headed `Small Business Bureau contracts for training raise serious procurement ...

Here's How Small Business Owners Can Track Their Credit Reports For Free Yahoo Finance UKA study shows that about a third of small business owners have never even checked their company's credit report.

Durant sits atop as voting enters final day for Small Business Revolution KXII-TVDurant has moved into first place for the Hulu show Small business Revolution as online voting enters its final day Tuesday. Voting ends at 10:00 p.m..

Yorkshire Entrepreneur Meets Theo Paphitis After Winning Small Business Sunday Competition Business Up NorthYorkshire Entrepreneur and Founder of Little Beau Sheep, Sarah Turner, is celebrating this week after meeting business tycoon and ex-dragon Theo Paphitis at ...

News Briefs: Small Business Basics offered in March Fremont News MessengerFREMONT - The Ohio Small Business Development Center at Terra State Community College will offer free, two-hour seminars, “Small Business Basics,” that ...

Cañon City anxiously awaiting results of 'Small Business Revolution' contest KOAA 5CAÑON CITY – People are anxiously awaiting the results of Hulu's “Small Business Revolution – Main Street” contest. Cañon City is sitting in third place, right ...

Sales Team Productivity: Lessons from Struggling Car Dealerships Small Business TrendsHere are a few tips, from the example of struggling car dealerships, on how to make a sales team more productive while retaining more salesfolks.

Column: Carmel’s small business owners deserve more respect in city hall Current in CarmelCommentary by Fred Glynn. Small businesses are the engine that drive Carmel, and they deserve more respect than they are getting under the current city ...

Gent's Grooming named chamber's small business of the month Covington NewsGent's Grooming, a 2-year-old barbershop in Porterdale, was named this month's small business of the month by the Covington/Newton County Chamber of ...

Searcy among 6 cities competing for makeover on 'Small Business Revolution' KATVA city in Arkansas is among six finalists for a small business makeover program on the reality show "Small Business Revolution - Main Street. " Searcy, in north ...

'A moment in the sun': Political maneuvering delivers access to justice for small business Sydney Morning HeraldLabor's small business access to justice measures are set to pass parliament allowing small business to more easily access legal action.

Business insurance hikes not recorded, warns ISME Independent.ieThe majority of small firms say they are being hit with huge increases in business and motor insurance premiums, but these hikes are not being captured by ...

DOT Seeks Small Business Ideas for FY19 Research Grant Program ExecutiveBizThe Department of Transportation has issued a solicitation for the first phase of its fiscal year 2019 Small Business Innovation Research program that will fund ...

Small-business incubator Ponyride sells Corktown building for $3.3M The Detroit NewsPonyride co-founder Phil Cooley prepares to measure some lumber to build a table for a customer in the Ponyride wood shop. After selling the Corktown ...

Food delivery startup Munchery folds, leaving small businesses on the hook Marketplace APMIn 2018, U.S. venture capital investment surpassed the 2000 dot-com peak for the first time. According to the financial data company PitchBook, investors put ...

UK small businesses plan ahead despite Brexit paralysis Business LeaderMore than two in three (68%) small business owners have put plans in place to grow their business over the next three months – and even 59% those that fear ...

Facebook Aims To Train 1 Million People And Small Business Owners With Digital Skills By 2020 ForbesHow do you train 1 million people and small business owners at grand scale by 2020? The largest social media company joins the online education ecosystem ...

Government shutdown poisoned small-business sentiment across the U.S. MarketWatchA loss in revenue, weaker confidence, and regulatory and lending delays all hit small businesses hard.

Almost 60% of small business owners launch with less than $25,000 CNBCAspiring entrepreneurs take note: You don't need millions from angel investors or venture capitalists to launch your own business. Instead, a small cash pot and ...

Tolls may cause a burden on small businesses, truckers in the state WFSBMONTVILLE, CT (WFSB) - The return of tolls to Connecticut highways would be a burden to many small business owners and fleets.

Bookworm: Ninja kids; a killer granny and small business moves Marco NewsYour kicks have superhero powers. Just one, and criminals go flying. A chop of your fingers, and they run.

Enterprise empowerment The Indian ExpressWomen constitute only 14 per cent of the total entrepreneurs in the country. Women in rural areas face multiple barriers to pursuing income-generating activities, ...

A reality check on how small businesses were really affected by the government shutdown: Survey CNBCA new CNBC/SurveyMonkey Small Business survey reveals how much the small-business sector suffered in the federal government shutdown. The threat of ...

Race to the finish line: Voting for Small Business Revolution contest ends Tuesday Canon City Daily RecordCañon City's standing in the Small Business Revolution contest slipped to third place Sunday, but the community's commitment to moving up the ranks by the ...

How to start a small business in South Africa without money Briefly.co.zaHere are actual and implementable steps on ⭐ HOW TO START A SMALL BUSINESS IN SOUTH AFRICA WITHOUT MONEY ⭐. Pick one idea from the listed ...

For small businesses, gaining media coverage takes a deft touch The Globe and MailGetting attention for your business in the media – television, newspapers and Web publications – is the stuff of entrepreneurial dreams. But what does it take?

Republicans Unveil Plan to Aid Small Business With Insurance U.S. News & World ReportRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Senate Republicans are offering their own solution to help North Carolina small businesses offer reasonably-priced health insurance ...

Small business brings opportunity to communities, entrepreneur says KSL.comOnline commerce has been a boon to small businesses in rural areas nationwide. With high-speed internet, and FedEx and UPS readily available, small-town ...

Money matters: How to arrange funds for your small business Economic TimesBy Rishi Mehra Money is the most critical element in starting and running a business and an entrepreneur has to find ways to get funding for his small business.

Tight job market hits small business confidence Marketplace APMThe monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey showed that those job openings are at a record high. Another report — the NFIB Small Business ...

Things To Consider Before Seeking Small Business Financing ForbesA good business owner knows how to use different products and services to benefit the business and grow or solve issues to keep it alive. This includes ...

U.S. small business confidence falls to more than two-year low ReutersWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. small business optimism tumbled last month to its lowest level since President Donald Trump's election more than two years ago ...

Which Small Business Retirement Plan Is Best? ForbesWant to know how to choose the best retirement account for your small business? Curious how to pay less taxes on your self employment income? Which ...

MYOB Innovation Nation: A virtual reality check for small business New Zealand HeraldThis is the second edition in an eight-week series, made possible by MYOB, looking at how technology is changing the way New Zealand businesses operate.

Small-business owners look to grab this 20 percent tax break CNBCBy now, you may have heard of the qualified business income deduction — a tax break for small-business owners. But do you qualify for it? Here's what you ...

What Presumptive Tax means for small businesses Business DailyOver the past few years, we have seen a raft of changes in the tax legislation by the Government as it seeks to enhance revenue collection with a view of.

SBA gathering data on shutdown’s impact on small business contractors Federal News NetworkFederal contractors affected by the 35-day partial government shutdown won't receive back pay under the spending deal reached by Congress, but the Small ...

Budget 2019 prediction: Farmer, middle class, small businesses to get big bonanza! Business TodayExpect the season of sops to continue as the wooing gets more intense in the Budget speech.

VOTE NOW! Cañon City one of 6 finalists for small business television series KKTV 11 NewsGet out the vote! Cañon City is one of the last six towns standing for a chance to receive a makeover and feature on season four of TV show 'Small Business ...

8 Workplace Safety Issues You're Probably Not Addressing Small Business TrendsA new infographic highlights the need for management and employees to come together to overcome workplace safety issues and create a safe environment.

No, Podcasting Is Not a Small Business FortuneBelieve it or not, there's money in podcasts. Spotify is in advanced talks to acquire Gimlet Media, the Brooklyn-based narrative podcast company, for more than ...

HDFC Bank forays into small business loans Times of IndiaIndia Business News: MUMBAI: HDFC Bank has made a big foray into small business lending with the launch of an analytics-based credit appraisal tool that will ...

Bracing for the Next Small Business Credit Crunch EntrepreneurFor small business owners, raising capital has never been as easy as it is today. Banks have eased credit to small businesses. Fintech startups are expanding ...

How Eskom is crippling small businesses BusinessTechBusinesses in South Africa are struggling to operate amid rolling blackouts that affect their operations for as many as five hours at a time.

Stoush at Avondale Business Association prompts funding freeze for small businesses New Zealand HeraldAuckland Council has stepped in after an ongoing stoush at the Avondale Business Association. Following an 18-month dispute with the association and its ...

WhatsApp Business for iPhone Launched in Beta for Small Businesses: Report Gadgets 360The beta version of "WhatsApp Business" -- a free-to-download communication tool specifically designed for small businesses -- has been made available for ...

Small business faces $8bn holiday pay hit The AustralianBill Shorten has moved to repeal a Coalition law aimed at protecting small and family businesses from up to 8 billion in double dipping holiday pay claims from ...

6 Ways Small Businesses Can Fight Climate Change Small Business TrendsSo in the spirit of the Annual World Economic Forum at Davos, here are six ways small businesses can fight climate change.

AI Is Within Reach for Small Business Marketing EntrepreneurLimited budgets have traditionally left small businesses at a disadvantage when looking to market themselves. Thanks to affordable artificial intelligence (AI) ...

Lost revenue, clients leave small business owners fuming over load shedding EWNSmall business owners from Cape Town have vented their frustrations after the untimely return of load shedding.

To tech startups, small biz grants are small potatoes DefenseNews.comIs the Small Business Innovation Research grant a bold enough tool for the Pentagon?

The top 10 tax changes affecting small business owners MarketWatchThe Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) included a bevy of changes that will affect the 2018 federal income tax returns of many small and medium-sized businesses ...

Treasury accused of ignoring plight of small business under no-deal Brexit Financial TimesThe Treasury has gone “Awol” in recent weeks, ignoring banks' efforts to co-ordinate an emergency funding programme for small businesses in the event of a ...

Small Businesses Have a New Tax Break, but There Are Many ‘Ifs’ The New York TimesSmall businesses may be able to receive a big tax break this year, thanks to the new rules. They also may face a big headache: figuring out whether the tax ...

Finance Ministry To Discuss Interim Dividend, Small Businesses Loan Issue With RBI NDTV NewsThe Finance Ministry will take up the issue of dividend and Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) and easing of SME (small and medium enterprises) loan norms by ...

Types of Crowdfunding for your Small Business Small Business TrendsFor small businesses looking to bypass traditional sources of financing, crowdfunding is a great choice. Here's a quick primer on the types of crowdfunding.

Township small business sales take a dive SowetanLIVE Sunday WorldDozens of township businesses have been hit hard by load-shedding that some have been forced to close shop. Small business owners told Sowetan yesterday ...

5 Tips for Getting More Online Reviews for Your Small Business EntrepreneurIs your small business struggling to get reviews online? It's hard to compete with the big guys who have hundreds, even thousands, of amazing online reviews ...

Stemming the loss of small businesses The GuardianOne way to help stem the loss of small businesses from our high streets (Retail property values to dive and more high-street jobs to go, experts say, 21 January) ...