How A Strong Website Helps Your Business

The web is a company’s first presence to a lot of people. And, as the old marketing adage goes, it’s all in the presentation. Think about it. How would Apple look if it handed you their iPhone in a ziplock bag? What if the storefronts were all ramshackle and daub? Yes, image matters – it’s …

How to Write a Block-Rocking SEO Press Release

You know what a press release is: A press release is the #1 tool in the publicist’s bag of tricks. A press release is what publicists send to media to let the public know what their clients are up to. But what you may not know is that business owners (a.k.a. Those do-it-yourself publicists) rely …

Why Nonprofits Need To Spend MORE On Fundraising—Not Less

The Nonprofit Problem: It’s a common problem in the nonprofit sector: you’ve got limited funds for programs and a waiting list out the door. Seeing as programs are the means through which you fulfill your mission, you immediately funnel money into them and let the fundraising side of your business (and it is a business, albeit a …

Six Reasons Your Website Needs Video

Micheal shooting Brooks & Dunn video Sorry about that, my Luddite friend. I too, am a reader, not a watcher, but times have changed. Today’s websites need video and here are the top six reasons why: #1. Search engines love video. For the last few years, Google has rewarded sites that include video, presumably because …

How To Write Killer Copy (For Reals)

Copywriting has long been the black sheep of the marketing world. It’s a crucial part of the marketing process, but it’s tricky, and therefore many overlook copywriting as something that will take care of itself. Big mistake. Numerous studies have shown that small tweaks to your copy result in huge returns. Still, most don’t want to pay …

A Beginner’s Guide To Grant-Writing

You hear all kinds of things about grant-writing: There are tons of money being given away! All you have to do is ask! Grant-writing is difficult. It’s incomprehensible, time-consuming, and tedious. Grant-writing is a waste of time! You invest all that effort and don’t get funded. So what’s the truth about grant-writing? The bottom line …

Why Social Media is Important for Small Businesses

I hear this one often: you’ve got a small business, so why even bother with social media? As much as we might like to ignore it, social media has become a major player in today’s internet. As a business owner, it’s not something we can ignore, and with Facebook’s Two Billion+ reach, why would we? Lamenting …

Getting Donors To Give More

In recent years, several well-publicized studies have reported that the rich really are different: they give less. There are exceptions, of course. Where would Santa Barbara nonprofits be without generous donors like Michael Towbes, Paul Orfalea, and many others? Overall, however, the wealthy give a smaller percentage of their income (1.3%) to charity than the middle-class and …

How To Find Your Ideal Client And Rock Them

Let me present a situation to you: You’re blogging away, creating all this great content, and you’ve been at it for months yet nobody has seemed to turn into a regular follower. Your email #’s remain low, as does your traffic. What gives? If your content is good and your capture forms are in place, chances …