May 03
Clients often ask me, “What is the number one most effective marketing tool?” My answer is, “Delivering consistent customer service at or above the level that is consistent with yo...
Continue ReadingApr 19
One of the challenges I face on a regular basis is getting clients and prospects to understand that their marketing should be a reflection of them without being all about them. It’s a difficul...
Continue ReadingApr 05
So, I’m on the freeway when I see a van with signage for a plumbing company I know. Traffic is moving a bit slowly, so I’m able to peek in the window to see if the driver is one of the e...
Continue ReadingNov 30, 2021
I recently read an article that said that even the most memorable TV ads didn’t cause any type of significant, sustained uptick in business for the company advertising! Those super-expensive a...
Continue ReadingNov 16, 2021
For years, I used to belong to those one-industry-rep-only “exclusive” networking groups. They were Chamber affiliated or independent groups, but built on the same basic model as BNI or ...
Continue ReadingSep 21, 2021
I attended an event featuring a LinkedIn expert who spoke on how to leverage LinkedIn to grow a business. I must admit that I was impressed by what he had to say – his strategies made sense to...
Continue ReadingAug 10, 2021
While COVID has changed some of our behaviors, I suspect that many of those networking-related actions will return once in-person events resume in full-swing again; if they haven't already in your a...
Continue ReadingJun 15, 2021
One of the things I love doing most is helping my clients make their trade show/tabletop show exhibits more successful. It's been a quiet year in regards to those live shows, but they're baaaaack! Wi...
Continue ReadingJun 01, 2021
It's been a while since I offered my “Developing a Strategic Marketing Plan” seminar, but I remember how I would get a lot of requests at the end of December wanting to know when the next ...
Continue ReadingMay 19, 2021
I was reminded today of a discussion I had some time back about our local Chamber where I mentioned that our Chamber knows how to sell, but not how to market. Not sure what that means? Think that s...
Continue ReadingMar 23, 2021
I was having a conversation with someone the other day about the definition of marketing. She believes that advertising is not a part of marketing. In my opinion, that is incorrect. The way I see i...
Continue ReadingFeb 23, 2021
Sometime ago, I wrote about developing a 30-second commercial and five of the key points that go into making a successful elevator pitch. Part of that pitch can be your unique selling proposition, or ...
Continue ReadingFeb 09, 2021
Determining what is a successful marketing technique for any business can be challenging. Most businesses don’t have good tracking methods in place to measure ROI/ROO. Those that do, tend not ...
Continue ReadingDec 15, 2020
Having been a startup once and having worked with several over the years, I've learned some critical lessons. One of them is that startup owners' goals are usually lofty and they have the willingnes...
Continue ReadingDec 01, 2020
While we may not be sharing elevators too much right now, we are still attending networking events - virtual or otherwise - and that pesky "elevator pitch" is still important to your introduction. ...
Continue ReadingNov 17, 2020
I recently read a post on LinkedIn talking about trade show someone had attended in the past month. There was a comment that the best thing in the show bag was a COVID-19 rapid test. I have to admit t...
Continue ReadingJul 28, 2020
Every month, I update the Lev Promotions website with a list of upcoming commemorative dates, holidays, and events that can be used as wonderful marketing tools. Many of them are fun, silly little n...
Continue ReadingJul 14, 2020
Good marketing is all about making you stand out from the others – building a brand that is recognizable, unique and compelling. Why then do so many business owners insist on doing what someon...
Continue ReadingJun 30, 2020
I was on the phone the other day with a prospect. I asked him who his target market is and he told me, “Every church in town.” When I told him that, although in theory “every churc...
Continue ReadingJun 02, 2020
Ever notice that, once you’ve put your mind to something, things kind of fall into place to make it happen. I was reviewing my strategic marketing plan to see where I was on track and what ne...
Continue ReadingMay 19, 2020
With businesses opening back up and bringing along better access to our clients and prospects I am fielding a lot of questions about choosing and using promotional products effectively; especially g...
Continue ReadingMay 05, 2020
As businesses begin to open up again, it's time to make sure that we've done everything we can to polish our image and make some changes to the way we present ourselves to our customers and clients. ...
Continue ReadingJan 28, 2020
So 2020 is officially here. Have you taken the time to review 2019's business successes, challenges and (dare I say it?) failures. If we want to make a difference to the growth opportunities we have...
Continue ReadingDec 17, 2019
I've noticed over the many years I’ve been in business helping others market theirs is that there is often lack of clarity with the terms “target market” and “referral source...
Continue ReadingDec 03, 2019
Anyone who's known me for more than 2 minutes knows that I am an avid Disney fan. Not only do I enjoy just about everything Disney on a personal level, but I find many things about their business ...
Continue ReadingNov 05, 2019
Does your business have a change coming up that you’d like to publicize? A custom branded product that has a changing image component to them are the perfect item to get people excited about t...
Continue ReadingAug 13, 2019
I remember when I enlisted my then 0-year old daughter to stuff and label envelopes for me for a Lev Promotions’ mailing. Each envelope required seven steps in order for it to be ready to mail...
Continue ReadingJul 30, 2019
So you’re a micro – to mid-size business owner and you just don’t/can’t find the time to be away from the office long enough for a vacation? I’m in the same boat, but I k...
Continue ReadingJul 16, 2019
At the risk of creating a great LinkedIn controversy and alienating my photographer friends, clients and prospects, here is my view of using your photograph as a marketing tool. I know the most popul...
Continue ReadingJun 18, 2019
I’ve been working with several start-ups recently who are looking to put together a marketing plan. Their goals are lofty, but they have the willingness to work to achieve those goals. The pro...
Continue ReadingMay 21, 2019
I often see the question “What’s the difference between marketing and advertising?” posted in chat groups and discussion boards. Do you know the difference? Or is there one? Adver...
Continue ReadingMay 07, 2019
Every business has something that they are promising, along with the product or service itself - a benefit. The item will work better or faster. It will last longer. You will receive it within a cer...
Continue ReadingApr 23, 2019
You may have seen that stress or mood card, often used as a business card, which shows your stress level when you put your finger on the test button. It turns a color which you match up with the c...
Continue ReadingApr 09, 2019
I often start a seminar/presentation/workshop on marketing by saying, “Your number one marketing tool is great customer service. Without at least good customer service, there’s no sense in...
Continue ReadingMar 26, 2019
I often see the question “What’s the difference between marketing and advertising?” posted on chat groups and discussion boards. Do you know the difference? Or is there one? Adver...
Continue ReadingJan 02, 2019
There are those who are of the belief that any publicity is good publicity – even if it’s bad. I don't believe that a bad story about you can be "good" publicity, but there may be a way ...
Continue ReadingDec 18, 2018
A great marketing tool for businesses and organizations is holding an event. It can be an open house, a launch party for a new product or service, a grand opening for a new location, an anniversary ...
Continue ReadingNov 20, 2018
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how it’s already time to start thinking about holiday business gifts. Well, after the gifts have been chosen, the big question is all about the imprint. Althou...
Continue ReadingOct 25, 2018
If you haven't already started thinking about your holiday business gifts, then now is the time. While most people believe that the best time to give holiday business gifts is the week or two leadi...
Continue ReadingOct 09, 2018
Now I may have addressed this topic before – I may even have an entry under the same name; nevertheless, here I go again. Why, you ask? Because I am currently on hold to speak with a customer ...
Continue ReadingAug 28, 2018
It seems to be a constant refrain from the many business owners and managers: “We just don’t have the money to market the business.” My question to them is, “How do you expe...
Continue ReadingAug 14, 2018
Without revealing my own political beliefs, I can honestly say that politics embodies one of the worst examples of marketing that I have ever seen. Really doesn’t matter if it’s for a pers...
Continue ReadingJul 31, 2018
‘Tis almost the season for developing marketing plans for 2019. But, really it's never too early to start planning. When a developing a marketing plan is on your to-do list, it's important to ...
Continue ReadingJun 19, 2018
I believe the most overlooked, and yet very important, part of a marketing plan is evaluating the components to see what is working and how effectively it is working. That means examining the results...
Continue ReadingJun 05, 2018
You’ve probably heard the phrase “viral marketing.” If you’re unsure what it means, it is word of mouth taken to the nth degree by having people spread the word quickly and e...
Continue ReadingMay 29, 2018
I firmly believe that customer testimonials are one of the most powerful marketing tools available to any business. Nothing says “success” like a customer willing to put into words how m...
Continue ReadingMay 08, 2018
We’ve all heard the phrase "under-promise and over-deliver." I am a personal fan of that saying. I heartily believe that you should deliver at least to the level you promised. When possible, p...
Continue ReadingApr 10, 2018
It seems that the biggest argument for decreasing marketing budgets is that the results are seemingly "impossible to measure." Without hardcore proof of ROI or ROO, how do you justify spending the t...
Continue ReadingMar 27, 2018
I recently saw an old networking group cohort of mine who told me that the group is considering changing its name because they feel their branding is non-existent. Although I don’t disagree wi...
Continue ReadingMar 14, 2018
I have too often heard sales people and business owners say that their target market is “everyone.” No matter how useful, ubiquitous, inexpensive, or absolutely necessary a product or se...
Continue ReadingFeb 14, 2018
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a bit about who appealing to as many senses as possible reinforces your brand. Here's a great example of one company that does it amazingly well: Anyone who has known...
Continue ReadingJan 23, 2018
A networking organization asked me to speak on branding to four of their chapters a while back. Since I wrote about an aspect of how our brand is really built last time, maybe another installment on...
Continue ReadingJan 02, 2018
Looking back at a previous post, I noticed that I kind-of-sort-of-almost talked about creating an experience around a promotional product as part of the branding process. What I didn’t do, how...
Continue ReadingDec 19, 2017
One promotional product I discovered at a trade show quickly became a favorite of mine because it immediately awakened the punster in me. I realized that this item was perfect for drunk driving awar...
Continue ReadingDec 06, 2017
This may seem like a strange question. After all, if we’ve already defined them as “your clients,” doesn’t that mean that they’ve already done business with you? And, i...
Continue ReadingNov 21, 2017
Using video can be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal. Since I understand this, but concede that this is not my area of expertise, I defer to my friend and client, Shawn Dennison, owner of D-...
Continue ReadingNov 07, 2017
So we all know the importance of marketing to our customers and prospects. Without their patronage, we can’t have a successful business. But what about your internal customers? Are you market...
Continue ReadingOct 25, 2017
Getting your name out there can be tricky, especially for the smaller business which may have the challenge of a big-name competitor whose name everyone recognizes. One way to combat this is to tak...
Continue ReadingSep 26, 2017
Most of us take our vendors for granted. We choose them based on some combination of price, quality and service. If one part of that equation falters, then we may look for a replacement, or we may e...
Continue ReadingSep 14, 2017
Social media is such a hot topic in the marketing world. People are spending several hours per week (or day) updating their profiles, looking for connections, posting, and more in the hopes of build...
Continue ReadingAug 29, 2017
Lately, I’ve run into several business owners who don’t understand why their business is not more successful than it is. After all, their current customers seem happy, they just don’...
Continue ReadingJul 19, 2017
I was recently approached by someone who had gotten my contact information from a local printer. This person publishes e-books and had decided, on his own, that license plate frames and "maybe pens" w...
Continue ReadingJul 07, 2017
There is an old cliché in the marketing industry: “Half of my marketing is effective. The problem is, I don’t know which half.” The fact is, most people don’t really kn...
Continue ReadingJun 20, 2017
This is a tough one for me. I have a client whose whole business is developing contingency plans for businesses. (You know, those plans every business – and family, for that matter – is su...
Continue ReadingJun 06, 2017
Today, I'm bringing you the thoughts of Candy Adams, The Booth Mom®. Candy is the owner of Trade Show Consulting and an expert in all things trade show related. I'm thrilled to be able to learn fr...
Continue ReadingMay 24, 2017
As I was looking at some samples I’d recently received from one of my suppliers for a client's needs, it dawned on me all the amazing opportunities there are to utilize these to make a variety o...
Continue ReadingApr 25, 2017
So you’re all excited about using a promotional product as a marketing tool! You’ve found the “perfect” pen/mug/t-shirt/key chain/whatever and can’t wait to give it away ...
Continue ReadingMar 29, 2017
This was taken from an e-newsletter that I write where we feature case studies of promotional product and trade show marketing successes. I wanted to share this promotional product case study here b...
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