When marketers want to make a big impact on their marketing, they often focus on going after a big project. You know the kind: a big email campaign, or a huge website redesigns or a big social media project!

But while big projects can have big payoffs (as long as they’re executed smartly), it’s undeniable that they can also be very time consuming. And we all know that you’re already struggling enough keeping up with these 3 minute meetings, scarfing lunches down while listening to podcast proofs, before rushing off to your next meeting.

But not to worry – there are ways to make a big impact without having to run a big project. Instead, small tweaks can often make a world of difference. Especially when they’re on your call-to-actions (CTAs).

Do you ever see a marketing campaign and your first thought is “what in the world were they thinking?” Yes, we’ve all been there. Sometimes these things go viral, and sometimes they just go unnoticed because they were plain crappy.

Businesses are trying to navigate a very noisy world, and getting their marketing messages heard has become increasingly difficult. But there is a fine line between genius and insanity, and while most businesses navigate this line effectively, there are certain ones that seem to ignore it completely.

In fact, they went so far past the line they can’t even see the line!

The line is just a dot to them! (And yes, I just stole that line from Friends).  

Anyways, here are 15 of the absolute worst marketing campaigns from 2014. Read about them, learn from them, and above all – don’t copy them! 

Creating great content, having a stellar website, building relationships and working on your social media game are all factors that work to generate interest or leads in your business.

But at what point does this interest become profitable?

Lead nurturing is the process of bridging the gap between non-sales ready leads, and sales-ready leads, through providing highly relevant educational content that helps build brand and product preference long before the prospect is ready to buy.

I work remotely, which means that I have to keep myself motivated so that I don’t end up looking at cat memes all day. It’s tough, and I’ve had more than one encounter with someone who’ll admit that they’d never be up to the task. Heck, I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to do it!

It’s easy for me to write about how great inbound marketing is.

It’s great! It’s wonderful! It’s cost efficient! Your business will grow!

See? Easy!

But are you really convinced? If you answered “yes” then please feel free to mosey on over to our pricing page to choose a package, so we can help you get you started with your inbound marketing strategy!

However, if you’re not convinced (I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you’re not?), then just hold on to your horses because I’m about to change your mind for good.

How?

With proof. With real business, just like yours, who have been built and who have grown using inbound marketing. Yes, that’s businesses that have used email, social media, SEO, their website and content marketing to help build and grow their businesses.

These aren’t cases of inbound marketing “kinda helped us, a little bit, maybe…”, but real-life proof that businesses – just like your one – can and do grow with inbound marketing.

Businesses built on inbound marketing are very possible – so here’s a few examples of businesses who’ve succeeded!

First up is the app that’s taking the world by storm recently – French Girls.

In part 5, A Guide To Off-Page SEO, we discussed social signals and how they can improve your search engine marketing game. This week we’re going to dedicate some time looking at social media marketing in more detail.

What Is Social Media Marketing?

Social media marketing (SMM) is a form of internet marketing that uses social networking sites as a marketing tool. Social media marketing usually involves businesses producing content that users will engage with and share with their friends, with the aim of driving traffic to that business’ website, increasing brand exposure and extending customer reach.

The rise of social media has meant that businesses are at the mercy of public criticism like never before. In this day and age, if you slip up, there’s nowhere to hide.

This has meant that more and more businesses are coming up with social media crisis strategies. These strategies can be utilized by businesses to prepare for a social media crisis and to train their employees in the most effective strategies when dealing with a crisis.

Remember, a crisis doesn’t have to be the end of your business. In fact, when it’s handled with due care, a crisis can actually have a positive impact on your business.  

In Chinese, the word “crisis” is made up of the two words “danger” and “opportunity”. For every danger that a crisis presents, it also presents you with an opportunity to show the world what you (and your business) are made of.