Long-term customers make a difference. A big difference. There's no way around the fact that investing in your faithful customers pays off. However, getting more traffic in the door (virtual or bricks and mortar) can't take a back seat. Small business owners agree—a recent Manta survey found 50 percent rank 'acquiring new customers' as their top business resolution for 2015. But how can you actually do it?

1: Don't underestimate the power of word-of-mouth. Treating loyal customers well gives them the ammunition they need to rave in 140 characters to friends and followers about why they love you.
2: Draw customers to you. You know who your ideal customer is (or you should), so use that knowledge to develop targeted content (e.g., blog and website messaging) that answers questions and serves up what they need. (This is known as inbound marketing.) As you get to know customers better, make tweaks and personalize messages. 
3: Bring your products or services to your customer. There can be value in traditional outbound marketing (e.g., print advertising), but it's not for every business. Consider costs, short-term verses long-term return, and how you might combine tactics with inbound efforts for increased success.  
4: Lead generation shouldn't be intimidating. You're already doing it. The name of the game is optimization. Track all marketing initiatives, figure out what's working and improve.

Keep in mind that attracting customers is only half the battle. Add elements (such as access to a report, whitepaper or a special offer in return for an email address) on your website that empower relationship building, and conversion from visitor to customer, and eventually, to promoter! (Manta.com)

Social media experts often kick around the numbers 80/20 when they talk about the perfect ratio of social media content. It's all about cause and effect, and relates to an economic theory that says 20 percent of the input creates 80 percent of the result. So what does this cause and effect mean for your social campaign? 

The 80/20 rule is two-fold—it begins with talking about your business 20 percent of the time—with meaningful communication that specifically promotes your business, products or services. But beware, going overboard with self-promotion can sink your social media credibility. Stay afloat and engage followers by talking about things otherthan business 80 percent of the time.

Tips for the 80 percent:

• Make posts educational and informative.
• Appeal to emotions, stay genuine.
• Share interesting articles that fit your brand and appeal to your audience.
• Position yourself as a thought leader.
• Share images, facts, and info about your local area.
• Interview customers, employees, or even the shop dog.
• Ask open-ended questions to encourage conversation.

Track your most engaged followers (think of them as your 20 percent) and take good care of them. Offer things like sneak peeks, special offers and exclusive flash sales, and in turn, they'll create a flurry of activity around your business and share your brand (to the remaining 80 percent) in a positive light. (Manta.com)

While it may be trendy, co-working is not just a trend—it’s here to stay. If you currently run your business out of a home office, you know the pros and cons of working independently. Co-working offers not only social and professional engagement, but as this niche market expands and spaces become more specialized, it also provides opportunities for sharing equipment, technology and other nice-to-haves that many small business owners otherwise couldn’t afford.


Is it for you? Ask yourself a few questions:

1. What’s your work style? If you function better in quiet and privacy, you may find the shared nature of co-working space distracting. If you’re a collaborator, co-working is likely right for you.
2. Can your business benefit from new ideas, networking opportunities and random new relationships? Those with co-working experience laud interaction and a feeling of community as top benefits.
3. How important are convenience and professionalism? Most co-working spaces are plug and play, and all offer a more appropriate client meeting environment than your living room.
4. Does your work day stretch from 5 p.m., to 6 p.m., to 7 p.m. and beyond? Co-working space can help you bring more balance, and separate your work and home lives.

Rolling out of bed and making a 60-second commute to the coffee maker and on to your home office is convenient, but it’s not always productive and could be limiting growth of your business. It might be time to consider your options. (Manta.com)

Many of us hate networking. You may still be reading this only because the headline is a lie. Networking isn't really a four letter word. But 'tool' is—and thinking of networking as a tool can help you be more successful at it.

Just because you'd rather clean the office restroom with a toothbrush than go to a networking event doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, and it doesn't mean your networking has to be formal. After all, networking is about creating reciprocal, beneficial relationships that can result in new customers, new partnerships and new knowledge.

We're talking face-to-face networking here, and that means leaving someone else in charge and getting out of the office, or the store or the car. And do what? Here are a few ideas:

• Go meet your local librarian. Your library is filled with a remarkable wealth of resources for small business owners. And your librarian knows a lot of people and is good at connecting them.
• Look up from your work and see what's going on in your community. Who's making news? Where are they? What are they doing? There's a leadership concept focused on managing by walking around—try building relationships with other business leaders this way.
• Use social networking to build in-person professional contacts. Start with a local 'meetup' group focused on your interests and goals http://smallbiz.meetup.com/. Meetups are offline (in-person) gatherings of people who have a common interest, and often that interest is business.

Networking is a tool that's worth your time. And meeting someone face-to-face makes you so much more memorable than any 'like' or 'tweet' can accomplish. (Manta.com)

Some things never change. Case in point: word-of-mouth marketing. There's little question that consumers are more likely to trust a friend's recommendation than something coming directly from a company or any kind of advertising. This kind of influence is difficult—if not impossible—to purchase, but it doesn't have to only come by accident.

There's often a misconception that it only counts if 'a lot' of people say good things. And in an age of data this and data that, numbers rule … especially big numbers. But bigger isn't always better. Take social media, for example—a wonderland for savvy word-of-mouth marketers. Don't get us wrong, thousands of fans, retweets or likes can have impact, but quantity shouldn't always win out over quality. A small number of loyal and engaged online fans can produce an attractive return.

Word-of-mouth is generally free and seems simple, but many business owners have a hard time creating a structured plan. The first steps?

• Isolate and reward your top customers, or people who are already spreading positive chatter or referring others.
• Make it simple to share or refer by building opportunities into what they already see (email newsletters, invoices or receipts) or offer incentives built within a defined referral program.
• Empower sharing with contests or requests for personal experiences or for help answering a question—this personal connection encourages chitchat amongst friends.
• Seek out key influencers, build relationships and ask them to share messages.

Word-of-mouth marketing is built on trust, so you can't expect it to happen without your direct engagement. Become part of the conversation—in person and online—and connect on a regular basis. Your most loyal customers should know, and you should find effective ways to show them, that they truly are part of your story. (Manta.com)