PSPINC Official Company Blog

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 135 “Encourage Creativity”

Sep

29

One of the most difficult parts of owning and running a small business is standing out from the competition. But the great thing about having a small business is the space to be creative and try new things. In a bigger company, it’s hard to make big changes because it has to go through so many people before it gets approved. At a smaller company, we can achieve things much quicker and take more risks in hopes of watching them succeed.

For example, Hasbro is one of the largest toy companies in the world today. But it originally started as a textile company in 1923. Throughout the years, Hasbro transformed into a school supply company before settling and excelling as a toy company in 1942. Their claim to fame, however, didn’t come until ten years later when they introduced Mr. Potato Head to the public on TV. Companies like Hasbro remind us that the opportunities are endless. And creativity is something we should celebrate. While the switch from a school supply company to a toy company must’ve been massive, it also paid off exponentially. So, don’t be afraid to step out of the box with your business.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#advertising #blog #business #businesstips #creativity #example #hasbro #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingtips #mattel #mrpotatohead #pacificsoftwarepublishing #pspinc #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #sales #smallbusiness #toycompany #whatsnewnewsletter

5 Ad Campaigns Every Business Can Learn From

Sep

27

Creating successful ad campaigns can be tricky. It consists of striking the perfect balance between targeting the right people, producing creative content, and ensuring it’ll resonate with your audience. But a big part of marketing consists of trying new things and learning from other businesses’ successes. So, here are five successful ad campaigns that every business can learn from.

Nike: Just Do It

In 1988, Nike aired its first commercial that used the now-iconic tagline, “Just Do It, which came from Dan Wieden, the founder of ad agency, Wieden + Kennedy. Everyone else, including the people at Nike, didn’t think they needed a tagline. But eventually, they let Wieden try out his idea. After the commercial aired, the success was conclusive and immediate: people loved it. In the years following it, Nike focused the tagline on female empowerment ad campaigns, where it thrived even more. Today, “Just Do It” is a staple in Nike’s marketing efforts and the brand continues to focus on inclusivity. While that wasn’t the original idea, “Just Do It” applies to all athletes, regardless of age, ethnicity, or gender. So, focusing on inclusivity helped Nike thrive off this slogan.

California Milk Processor Board: Got Milk?

The idea behind the “Got Milk?” campaign revolved around the inconvenience and frustration that came with running out of milk. Previously, the milk industry marketed itself as the healthier drink option, promoting the calcium and protein benefits. But in 1993, Jeff Manning, California Milk Processor Board’s new executive director, realized consumers knew milk was good for them. The problem was that they didn’t care. So, he tried a different approach: this campaign focused on what people lost rather than what they could gain. And it’s something you can try for your next marketing campaign.

Skittles: Taste the Rainbow

Whether you like it or not, you’ve probably seen at least one of these Skittles commercials. People remember these ads because they’re too weird not to remember them. And the imagery they use of placing Skittles in unlikely or impossible scenarios sticks out. The “Taste the Rainbow” commercials are untraditional, to say the least. But it works for them. And at the time, it was a very risky move to show Skittles in strange or even disgusting situations. But if there’s one thing that this overall campaign has taught us, it’s that creative ads work. Even if they are unconventional, they’ll, at the very least, will be memorable.

Old Spice: The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

The Old Spice ads are ones everyone recognizes. The commercials portray a sense of humor that proves to their audience that they’re not afraid to make fun of themselves. Plus, they targeted their ads toward women, even though they’re selling men’s body wash. In 2010, ad agency Procter & Gamble pitched this concept to Old Spice after discovering women made up 60% of men’s body-wash purchases. If they hadn’t done any marketing research, they would’ve never thought to market a men’s product to women. While it’s fun to be creative in the marketing industry, it also has to be backed up by research for it to work effectively.

Always: #LikeAGirl

For a long time, the brand, Always, led the feminine-hygiene sector. But around 2010, they realized they were losing out on the 16–24-year age group. Unfortunately, it’s also the time when women exhibit more brand loyalty over ones they like, according to their research. So, while they knew their products were great, it wasn’t enough anymore. When conducting research, they discovered that girls’ self-esteem drops twice as much as boys’ during puberty. They just had to figure out why. When they did, Always used that to their advantage by connecting it back to the brand’s core values, which consisted of self-confidence. And it worked in inspiring and encouraging a conversation online about what it means to do something “like a girl”. A lesson we can learn from Always is to double down on brand equity. Especially if you can inspire a conversation the way Always did.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#advertising #always #blog #branding #business #businesstips #digitalmarketing #gotmilk #justdoit #likeagirl #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingtips #nike #oldspice #sales #skittles #smallbusiness #tastetherainbow #tech #themanyourmancouldsmelllike

PSPINC What’s New Newsletter Vol. 134 “Listening to Others”

Sep

22

Communication is one of the most important aspects of running a business. But communication goes both ways. You can’t just speak; you have to listen too. Here at PSPINC, we encourage everyone to speak up, even if it’s about something small. But most problems generally start small, so it’s our chance to tackle them before they get too big. But listening is about more than just trying to prevent disasters, it also inspires trust and loyalty in your employees.

With more trust comes new ideas. An open line of communication among workers makes them feel more valued at the company. Therefore, they’re more likely to share their ideas, through a casual conversation or a formal pitch. If the person at the top encourages these behaviors, it’ll establish a culture of interactive listening. As a result, people will work better together, and they’ll also be happier working for you overall.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#blog #business #businesstips #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingtips #newsletter #officetips #pacificsoftwarepublishing #pspinc #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #smallbusiness

PSPINC What’s New Newsletter Vol. 133 “Serving Your Customers”

Sep

15

As a business that sells to other businesses, it’s hard to sell and retain those customers sometimes. But what we’ve found very helpful is taking the focus of our company. Instead, we put the focus on our customers. It’s not about trying to get what we need from them; it’s about giving them what they need. When asking them how we can help them, it shows how much we care about them rather than just trying to push our products on them. While we do still want to make money, customers don’t like feeling like that’s the end goal.

If what you’re selling fits with what they want and need for their business, that’s great. But if it doesn’t, the relationship with them doesn’t have to end there. The customer’s best interests should still be at the forefront of how your sales team deals with customers, even if it means they won’t buy from you right now. In turn, they won’t only remember your business, but they also might recommend you to other people just based on their friendly interaction with you. This overall effort will, at the very least, give customers a great perspective on your business. They’ll see your business as one that genuinely cares about the well-being of their customers, even if it doesn’t result in a purchase.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#b2b #blog #branding #brandperspective #business #businesstips #customers #customerservice #customersupport #marketing #marketingtips #newsletter #officetips #pspinc #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #retention #sales #selling #service #smallbusiness

PSPINC What’s New Newsletter Vol. 132 "Perseverance"

Sep

8

Every business, big or small, fluctuates. There are years where we’ve excelled, but there are other years where we could’ve done better. But we’re still standing. And it’s largely because we didn’t quit. Thousands of businesses fail every year because their company founders gave up too easily. Fighting through the hard times isn’t easy. And the worldwide pandemic has been challenging for everyone, not just business owners. But the key to making it in business is perseverance.

Think of it like an athlete. Regardless of what sport it is, when you see someone fall, you also watch them get back up. I’ve seen athletes with serious injuries still push away paramedics because they wanted to finish the game. Even if it meant they lost the game, they persisted regardless. It’s easy to let your self-belief waver. Failure is part of the journey. But if you truly want to be an entrepreneur and believe in what you’re doing, you need to shake off the self-doubt. Otherwise, you’ll just be another one of those thousands of inspiring entrepreneurs that quit too soon.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#blog #business #businessowner #businesstips #entrepreneur #entrepreneurs #marketing #marketingtips #perserverance #pspinc #sales #smallbusiness

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 130 “Business Growth Takes Time“

Aug

25

As a small business, the goal is always to grow. And helping small businesses grow online is our specialty. But that growth very rarely happens overnight. Even when things go viral, it usually only lasts a few weeks before people’s interests lessen and that momentum ends. Sustained growth, however, is something that happens gradually over time. But to achieve that steady increase, it helps to break up your big goals into smaller ones.

There’s a reason why sales goals are generally reviewed quarterly. Breaking them down into shorter-term goals makes them easier to manage and attain. It’s still important to keep the bigger picture in mind, but you still need something actionable to help reach those goals. Smaller, short-term goals achieve that. They create a guideline with clear steps, making it easier to measure success and determine where to go next. It makes the overall process easier for everyone, managers, and employees alike. Most importantly, it helps businesses in the long run not only grow, but maintain that growth.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#blog #business #businesstips #goal #goals #growth #marketing #marketingtips #officetips #pacificsoftwarepublishing #pspinc #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #sales #smallbusiness

The Difference Between Sales and Marketing

Aug

16

Sales and marketing are commonly used interchangeably in business, but they don’t mean the same thing. Sales and marketing work in tandem to increase revenue. When both strike a perfect balance, businesses benefit in the long run. So, it’s an understatement to say that those in sales and marketing can learn from each other.

Although they are different, it’s not surprising that many people think they’re the same. Mostly because they have the same end goal, and that is to generate revenue. What makes them different is how they go about it and what parts of the customer journey they affect.

Marketing Professionals and Salespeople

In short, marketing is how potential customers become aware of the company and what it’s selling. Those efforts, when done effectively, encourages customers to engage with the company to purchase or at least show interest in the product. Sales, however, pushes them across the finish line. Neither can work without the other.

Marketing efforts target much larger groups of people who may be or become interested in what the company’s trying to sell. Therefore, marketing professionals focus on long-term strategies, and they aim to meet customers’ demands. Those efforts are all done through indirect methods like advertising, social media marketing, email marketing, etc. Then, it creates a trigger that will lead customers toward sales.

Salespeople, however, are more often working directly with customers after they’ve already made contact with the company. Sales aims at understanding and meeting customers’ demands and desires. While their goals are generally more short-term, arming the company with more information about what customers are looking for only helps with future sales efforts.

Sales and Marketing Working Together

To remember the difference between marketing, think of them as the internet and email. They both use the same technologies, but one can’t exist without the other. Bringing awareness to products and driving interest through marketing efforts lead potential customers closer to the purchase stage. Sales comes in at the end to meet customers’ needs. Therefore, facilitating both to work well together will allow businesses to reach prospects no matter where they are in the customer journey.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#advertising #blog #branding #business #businesstips #customersupport #digitalmarketing #marketing #marketingdigital #marketingprofessionals #marketingtips #sales #salespeople #smallbusiness #tech #technology

What’s New Newsletter Vol. 128 “Delegating as a Small Business Owner”

Aug

11

As a small business owner, it’s hard not to want to be involved in everything. After all, it’s your company. So, it’s not surprising to learn that many entrepreneurs try to do it all on their own in the beginning. But no one can be good at everything. Running a startup involves many tasks that one person alone cannot tackle on their own. So, being able to delegate is an important skill business owners need to learn.

The easiest way to do this is by focusing on what you’re best at. Then, you can hire experienced and talented people to do the rest. If you don’t know where to start, write down everything that needs to get done for your business on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis. Then, sort through which tasks you can pass off to someone else. If you try to do it all yourself all the time, it won’t be long before you feel burnt out. For someone investing so much of their time, money, and hard work into a company, it’s hard to give up control. But it’s a necessary skill for businesses to thrive.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#b2b #blog #business #businessowner #businesstips #delegating #entrepreneur #marketing #marketingtips #newsletter #pspinc #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #startup #tasks

PSPINC What’s New Newsletter Vol. 127 “Boosting Employee Morale”

Aug

4

One of the secrets of building a productive team at work is focusing on boosting employee morale and encouraging employee advocacy. People like to feel appreciated, and the same applies when they’re at work. When working in a team, members want to know they’re heard and that they’re on the right track. Conversely, constantly criticizing your team for not doing things your way will lower overall morale. But more importantly, it’ll also result in lower overall performance.

When employees feel valued, they’re not only happier, but they're also more willing to hit company goals. It can also help in future marketing endeavors. If your employees like working for you, it’ll make it easier to encourage them to check and engage with your company’s social posts. Or they may even seek it on their own outside of work hours. Employees interacting with your company’s social posts will not only help increase your brand’s overall exposure, however. It’ll also show how great it is to work for your company.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.

#blog #business #businesstips #digitalmarketing #employee #employeeadvocacy #employeemorale #marketing #marketingtips #newsletter #officetips #pspinc #pspincwhatsnewnewsletter #smallbusiness #technology

How to Create a Brand

Aug

2

A brand and a company, while used interchangeably, are not the same. A company is the name of an organization that engages in business activities, like producing and selling products. A brand, however, is about how people perceive your company through identifying brand attributes like your logo, name, and products. To remember the difference, think of it this way: a business owner, founder, and/or CEO owns a company whereas the people own a brand. While there’s significant influence coming from whoever’s in charge, the people are the ones who derive meaning from what you have to offer.

Starting a company can be as easy as setting up a great e-commerce website and selling products. However, creating a great brand isn’t quite as easy to do. Setting up your company website is a great first step because it forces you to figure out the essentials needed to run a business. If you’re just creating a business, it’s easy to go on from there by designing your website, adding your products, and advertising said products. A brand, however, also requires a vision and mission statement. A mission statement tells people where your company currently stands and what it does. A vision statement is more aspirational and tells people where you want to see the company go in the future.

After creating your mission and vision statements, it’s time to determine your brand’s values. This is what you want your business to stand for. More importantly, this is what you want your business to be known for. Truly successful brands keep all of those in mind in every experience a customer has with them. Look at Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most successful brands. But it isn’t based on the product alone. Coca-Cola’s brand is about refreshing the world in a way that makes a difference. While their drink is known to be refreshing worldwide, Coca-Cola also actively works toward its commitment to making the world a better place. And this can be seen through multiple sustainability efforts by the brand.

Lastly, with so many other small businesses out there, it’s important to consider who your competitors are and what makes your business different. To succeed, your business needs to be different in a way that’s attractive to your target market. And creating customer persona to figure that out will help immensely. After figuring all that out, then come all the recognizable elements of a brand like designing a logo and determining a color palette. While developing a brand can be a lengthy process, it’s not impossible. And great brands tend to change and evolve, so just remember that when trying to create your own.

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc.

1404 140th Place N.E., Bellevue, WA 98007

PSPINC Creates Tools For Your Business

Pacific Software Publishing, Inc. is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington and provides domain, web, and email hosting to more than 40,000 companies of all sizes around the world. We design and develop our own software and are committed to helping businesses of all sizes grow and thrive online. For more information you can contact us at 800-232-3989, by email at info@pspinc.com or visit us online at https://www.pspinc.com.