Is your marketing plan basically building off last year’s marketing plan?
C&PB Media’s second annual Marketing Summit on Feb. 28 aims to jumpstart your marketing through networking with Cape and Plymouth area businesses and a panel of experts who can shed light on the latest strategies to promote your business effectively.
Speakers will include Dale Shadbegian, C&PB Media, Hyannis; Nicole Porter, Monomoy Social Media, Harwich; Judy Crocker, Make You Known Marketing, Hyannis; Kevin Hennessey, Brabo Payroll, Rockland; and Rachel Leone, Leone Marketing Solutions, Hingham.
Update That Profile
C&PB Media CEO Dale Shadbegian often helps clients with web strategies and his presentation will discuss the ins and outs of Google Business.
“A Google Business profile is a free service offered that allows business owners to control how their business is viewed in the Google search engine,” he explains. “Claiming and optimizing your profile helps searches understand what services you offer, and also improves your chances of being found by searches in your area looking for products and services a business offers.”
Social Media
Monomoy Social Media’s Nicole Porter will be focusing on “10 Things You Can Do On Social Media in 2023 to Increase Business.” Porter’s company helps small businesses create awareness for their brands, connection and real conversation with their customers in order to drive traffic to websites, and brick-and-mortar locations to result in more sales.
“I plan to talk about how the increased focus on authenticity will only grow in 2023; people don’t want curated feeds any longer,” she notes. “Also, the focus is on conversation and community, with purpose-driven marketing. It’s important to be tied to a cause you believe in as an organization. Also, short-form videos (Reels, Tik Toks, YouTube Shorts) will continue to grow in popularity, making them very algorithm-friendly.”
She is a chocolatier-turned-digital marketer, and a mother of three sons. She co-owned Gone Chocolate in Osterville for a few years before opening up Beach Way Sweet Shop in Harwich Port.
“After getting a degree in marketing from Assumption College, I spent 10 years owning and marketing my own small chocolate and ice cream shops on Cape Cod. During this time people were constantly asking me, ‘How do you send all those great emails?’ or ‘I always see you on Facebook/Instagram; teach me.’”
After starting her family, she returned to her marketing roots and founded Monomoy Social Media.
Know Your Audience
It’s never repetitive to revisit the question “Who is your audience?” says Judy Crocker of Make You Known Marketing. Her business helps small- to medium-sized companies answer the question, “What do you do well that not enough people know about?” Services include strategy and branding, social media, email marketing, media buying and graphic and web design.
“People are so busy telling people the features of their business but not the product,” she says. “Someone told me, ‘Don’t tell me about your grass seed, tell me about your lawn’.”
She will discuss the importance of knowing your audience, your consumer. “Who are you trying to convince to buy your product?”
Payroll & HR
Brabo Payroll specializes in payroll benefits and human resources services.
“We help companies to evaluate, acquire and implement technology to streamline their operation and better engage their teams,” says CEO Kevin Hennessey.
Hennessey is going to lead a training program about ChatGPT, a product by Open AI, an artificial intelligence company.
“It is an incredible tool that can help with creating content for advertising, drafting outlines for strategic plans and for getting a starting point on some legal documentation,” said Hennessey. “I will outline how to effectively interface with ChatGPT and some unique ways you can leverage it to tell your story and to streamline your company.”
Swag, Swag, Swag
Promotional swag carrying your business logo is an easy way to get your company’s name out there whether you’re attending a trade show, conference or other event.
“Every year, I start with a prediction post to guess which custom products will do the best for the upcoming year,” says Rachel Leone, president of Leone Marketing Solutions. “I feel like things are really starting to get back to our new normal and we are doing lots of promotional items for events and trade shows.”
Her top 10 picks for 2023 are:
- Stress balls
- Drinkware
- Cheap items – “One of the most requested items isn’t an item at all. Yes, we carry ‘cheap’ marketing giveaways for times when you need to give A LOT of items away. Promotional pens are the most popular within this category, but lip balms, hand sanitizer, webcam covers, mints, candies, and cell phone wallets all make my customers’ ‘favorites under $1’ list.”
- Sunglasses
- Custom-embroidered fleece jackets
- Coolers and lunch bags
- Flashlights
- Hand sanitizer products
- Yeti drinkware
- Beach balls – “They’re fun, affordable, and easy to distribute at conferences and special events. They’re great for parade throws or keepsakes at weddings and birthdays. Do you know that beach balls are ranked on TIME’s all-time greatest toy list?”
2023 C&PB Media Marketing Summit
Tuesday, Feb. 28, 9 a.m.-noon
Alden Park, Plymouth
Tickets: $35, Tables of 8, $240
