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For easier social media marketing, fill in the blank

By Becky McCray

Sheila Scarborough and Leslie McLellan of Tourism Currents laid out a simple starting point for all your social media efforts. Good news: it’s as easy as filling in the blank. Fill in the Blank (Our company) is where (our customers) find (the thing we offer) with (this benefit) So all you have to do is […]

August 5, 2019 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, social media, tourism Tagged With: branding, calendaring, destination marketing, effective marketing, entrepreneurship, Leslie McLellan, marketing small business, online marketing, planning, retail, service businesses, Sheila Scarborough, social media marketing, Tourism Currents

Need a downtown business idea? Try a Cookie Crawl

By Becky McCray

A tray of cookies on a craftsman-style table

  Our friend Maury Forman of Washington state, sent us this idea from Madras, Oregon: On February 16 the Madras Downtown Association and Petite Sweets hosted the first-ever Cookie Crawl. Participants paid $5 and received a box and map that listed all the locations where the beautifully decorated cookies were available. Petite Sweets decorated cookies […]

July 22, 2019 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, marketing, rural Tagged With: activities, downtown, effective marketing, entrepreneurship, events, guest post, Maury Foreman, promotions, retail, rural, service businesses, small business

Book review: Celebrity CEO by Ramon Ray

By Becky McCray

The Celebrity CEO by Ramon Ray Summary: Community building in a way small town entrepreneurs can identify with. Good section on tools, and lots of timeless techniques.  The title sounds a bit grandiose to small town ears, but the way Ramon Ray talks about building community will sound very familiar. You are the face of […]

May 6, 2019 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, marketing Tagged With: book review, branding, Celebrity CEO, effective marketing, networking, Ramon Ray, small business, social media

The secret to effective follow up: What NOT to say

By Becky McCray

women using laptops

You probably know better than to follow up with someone like this: “Just following up!” You realize that doesn’t really help either of you. But you still might be making this mistake: “Did you do that thing you said you were going to do?” That feels like it’s helping, but from the customer perspective, it’s […]

April 15, 2019 Filed Under: customer service, entrepreneurship, marketing, mistakes, rural Tagged With: customer perspective, effective marketing, follow up, FollowUpFriday, service businesses, small business, small business success

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