Edan Gelt

Did you know that 90% of consumers research online and rely on review sites before making a purchase? Google reviews make it or break it for your business. We live in a world where everybody Googles everything, and ratings can make or break your business. Just a half star increase in your rating is equivalent to a 9% increase in revenue per Harvard Business Review .  Comparing your business to a book on Amazon:       5-Star or four-and-a-half star books sell well       4-Star books sell occasionally       3.5-Star or below books rarely sell one copy  If your business was a restaurant, Berkley economists found that a half star improvement makes it 30-49% more likely that a restaurant will sell out during peak hours.  Let’s compare the data above to a home seller looking for a lawyer or real estate agent.   Starting at the top of the sales funnel – you send out emails, adve...

In my last blog “ Marketing and the Power of Free ” and subsequent vlog , I wrote about the impact of giving away products and/or free services.  By sampling or giving your product away at no cost builds brand awareness, increases sales and enhances your budget.  But how does it work and why? Have you ever been to Costco and enjoyed the free samples?  How often did you buy what you tried because you really enjoyed it?  And if you didn’t buy the product, did you feel guilty?  Maybe you even put the product in your cart and unloaded it a few aisles down.  That’s just a sample of the Law of Reciprocity.  The law of reciprocity says that when you offer something first for free and it is valued, people feel a sense of indebtedness toward you, thus in turn you then wanting to return the favor. The law of reciprocity is one way marketers use psychology to entice or influence people to buy products or services.  It’s an innate reaction that if used correc...

Social media plays a huge role in the lives of consumers. It has been estimated that 2.62 billion people worldwide use at least one social media platform and the average time spent amounted to 135 minutes per day. According to Forbes, personal branding is now more important than ever and, if managed effectively, will give you an edge over your competition and allow you to build trust with potential clients. Brand communication is therefore key to creating a solid and trustworthy image.  When starting out you will need to choose a social media platform to broadcast your content and this means knowing your audience and where to find them. For example, if your audience is interested in the beauty industry and loves to watch hair and make-up tutorials then maybe podcasting isn’t for you and it would be best to stick with Instagram or YouTube. Business guru and YouTuber Vanessa Lau advises not to get caught up in "shiny object syndrome", trying to launch your brand across a multi...

In my last blog “Where Video Marketing is the King of Content”, I discussed the importance of creating video marketing to stay relevant online.   While writing this blog series, I also created my own vlog “Minute of Marketing” as a how to DIY guide, sharing insights and examples of marketing initiatives.   Depending on the type of business you own, your goals and the clientele you cater to will determine where you should share your video content. Are your clients business professionals or are they casual customers? What social sites are you most comfortable on, what social sites do they frequent? Do you have a website and social channels set up yet? Regardless of platform, a multi-channel distribution strategy is key – you need to place your media where your customers and prospects are and often they are not all in the same place at the same time.   WEBSITE If you have a website, start posting your videos there.  One “About Us” video isn’t enough – regular...