Petchup is a long established and successful supplier of pet health supplements and pet nutritional products to the veterinary profession. Now, building on the expertise gathered from the Veterinarian range, they are happy to announce the launch of their new website to showcase their innovative range of pet health supplements under the brand name Petchup.

Paul Bies



President,
Mystique Creative

In October of 2010, Zoomerang partnered with GrowBiz Media and launched a survey in an effort to understand how small to midsized businesses used their marketing budget in 2010 and what changes they were planning for 2011. The survey was sent to businesses with less than 1,000 employees across the US )sorry I haven't come across a similar survey with Canadian SMBs).

I admit a sense of astonishment in seeing that only 54% of the 751 respondents indicate that their business currently has a website. Not so surprising was that E-mail and social media marketing continue to grow in popularity. Heading into 2011, most SMBs plan to increase their marketing spend in both online and print mediums, with online activities receiving the largest increases.

Here are the Key Takeaways –
• Businesses are continuing to adopt social media and build these practices into marketing budgets.
• The growth of social media could be linked to more than half of the businesses surveyed having a marketing budget of $1,000 or less.
• Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are the top three social networks, respectively, utilized by SMBs.
• Respondents under the age of 30 are the highest adopters of social media.
• The top five budget areas that SMBs plan to increase in their 2011 marketing budgets are: website, e-mail, direct mail, social media and print advertising.

For more information on the survey and its results, click here to download the report in its entirety.

Paul Bies



President,
Mystique Creative

While the answer is technically yes, a better ending to the question may be – 'will it be around long?".

98% of internet business fail or are unable to provide business owners with a substantial income. Lack of targeted website traffic is a major factor leading to their demise. So, unless you're spending a wad of dough pushing traffic to your site, it is imperative that you understand the importance of search engine optimization to the success of your site.

Search engines are the largest source of web traffic and will continue to be so in the years ahead. In this respect SEO becomes the most crucial factor for any website. And in the Search Engine space Google absolutely dominates when it comes to actually driving traffic to websites.



Do you know how your site is performing in regards to the search engines? If not, I invite you sign up for Mystique Creative's Free Website Checkup.

Imagine the value of knowing if, or why, your site is underperforming, and how it can be improved. This comprehensive and objective analysis will help you by pinpointing problem areas and recommending solutions. Instead of replacing your site, you may be able to revitalize it, saving the company time and money.

For more information visit: http://www.mystique.ca/checkup/

Paul Bies



President,
Mystique Creative

Scents Alive ia a custom manufacturer of natural personal care, skin care, pet care, and natural candles.

Since 1987, they’ve helped customers formulate better quality natural products, or reformulate their existing products to make their lines more natural.

Mystique Creative was commissioned to create a new website that was not only fresh but optimized for the search engines. Traffic is up as a result, as is business!

Paul Bies

President,
Mystique Creative

While the economic situation seems better now than it has for some time, cash flow is still a problem for many of the small businesses that we talk with. A resulting challenge is how to build your brand when there's little or no money to invest in brand development? Keep in mind that it's absolutely essential that you continue your branding efforts even in lean times. Stay committed to a long-term strategy.

Here's six practical ways you can brand with a small budget:

1. Research. Do your homework. What's your competition doing? Strengthen your knowledge of your industry and competitive products. Read books on branding. Take the time to evaluate your brand - possibly repositioning it to ensure that you differentiate from your competitors.

2. Embrace free and low cost tools. There are many online tools available to you that you should consider integrating into your branding strategy. Use social networking tools such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Delicious and others to promote your products and services. Use a blog or comment on other blogs to help build your network. For that matter, network by phone or in person in an effort to extend your brand presence.

3. Work in phases. Consider your needs and categorize them into Essential, Non-Essential, and Potential categories. Focus your efforts on the essential needs, and work on other areas when possible.

4. Build relationships. Create a list of your customers or clients outlining strategic marketing information such as their industry, and their general interests etc.. When you come across relevant articles or information send these to the appropriate contact. And while email works… don't under estimate the power of a hand written note attached to a torn out article or a simple card.

5. Co-brand. Look for colleagues, fellow business owners, or others who may be interested in co-branding their organization with yours. Discuss ways to help boost each others' businesses. Possibly host marketing initiatives together such as seminars or webinars sharing the cost of the marketing materials.

6. Negotiate Terms. Chances are your consultants, designers, and agencies are hurting too. Don't shy away from negotiating options such as deferred compensation with interest, a percentage of future revenues, or payment plans. Depending on your business, you may even be able to work out a barter arrangement. Some may not be able to make such arrangements, but others may be willing.

So even if finances are stretched out, you need to stay positive and keep focused. As long as you're working hard towards your goals, you'll be closer to achieving them. Bottom line is that when it comes to growing your brand there are ways to do so even with a small budget. Be creative. Stay informed. Develop a strong brand idea, and solid brand strategy, and you'll profit from you branding efforts.

Paul Bies

President,
Mystique Creative