Each year we proudly watch our B2B print and design studio grow bigger, without relying on paid advertising on any major platforms like Google or Facebook. What’s our secret? We can’t share the exact recipe, but here’s our list of ingredients, all easy to pronounce and vaguely ordered by importance.
Local SEO and Directory Listings
When you’re looking for a new service in your area, it’s likely you’ll “Google it” or, more broadly, “look it up online”. In 2022, 44% of our new leads found us through searching online.
For local storefronts like us, our Google Business Profile (GBP) matters a lot as a first impression. In fact, our GBP views (“impressions”) outnumber our website sessions by over 300%! That’s why we leverage our Google Business Listing and other listings to the fullest, which helps us get found instantly in localized searches in the Denver area.
Email Marketing
If you’re lucky, you may have noticed us sliding into your inbox. We send regular email updates to our subscribers and add value through inspiration and promotions that stick. Email marketing is a fun way to showcase clients, promote our giving campaigns, invite you to our events, show off our capabilities, and let our clients know how much we appreciate them.
We know that boring marketing emails can be a nuisance, but we put the work into making sure ours are refreshingly fun and engaging, building brand loyalty without sending readers straight to “unsubscribe”!
Let’s be email penpals. Subscribe here.
Local Strategic Partnerships
No business is an island, nor does it have to be! Our city is home to countless wonderful business and networking associations, and we’re proud to be a member of quite a few of them. Organizations such as chambers of commerce, local associations, economic development groups, and tourism bureaus are valuable partnerships for businesses of all sizes. Not only are they helpful for networking and visibility, but the educational resources, guidance, and community is also invaluable for weathering those ups and downs (cough, cough, 2020).
Positive Pawprint Initiatives
You’ll notice we talk a lot about our community (it’s one of our Core Values), but it’s not just talk. We’re extremely proud of our partnerships with nonprofits, whether it’s sponsoring events, donating to silent auctions and raffles, or extending our non-profit discount. Our team is also passionate about giving their time, contributing over 100 volunteer hours each year and organizing regular food and clothing donation drives.
We are equally as proud of our environmental efforts. By actively seeking green certifications, initiatives, and recycling programs, we cultivate our commitment to doing our part and encourage others to do the same.
(Greenwashing Allergen Alert: The marketing of positive-impact initiatives is valuable, but it means nothing if exposure is your only goal. Sincerity and third-party verification are crucial! YellowDog’s marketing is produced in a greenwashing-free facility.)
Print Marketing
As YellowDog continues to grow and embrace digital marketing, our roots remain planted firmly in print. “Print is dead” has been thrown around for millennia (don’t fact-check me on that), but the reality is that not only is print still alive, but according to this article on MediaPost.com, 71% of marketing professionals surveyed in November, 2022 are actually reallocating marketing funds away from digital platforms and back to print.
Need some print marketing ideas for your own small business? We’ve got lots. Postcards, holiday cards, gift boxes, signage, swag, stickers, and other print marketing materials continue to be a flavorful part of our marketing mix. Ask us how we can help you mix in some print in 2023.
Awards and Recognitions
We’ve built and maintained a business that we’re proud of, and we want the world to know! YellowDog’s awards and distinctions don’t just fall from the sky; we proactively work to find and apply for awards that will recognize our accomplishments and spread the word, especially awards that are geared to our specific industry and community. I was recently invited to share my awards experience with YellowDog in this article from UpCity.com.
Events and Networking
Party at YellowDog! We love to host events, finding it a fun way to mingle with and educate our clients and community. We also love going off-leash and attending a variety of events; if you see our eye-catching trade show display, come say hi (and grab some cool swag)!
Blogging and Guest Posting
See this blog post? People do. Consistently updating our blog helps us highlight new and innovative clients, projects and trends. Blog content also helps fuel our email marketing and social media posts.
But we don’t stop there! Guest posting helps reach new audiences and gain valuable backlinks to our website. Check out some examples at Destination Colorado and CoBiz Magazine. Then think about publications and platforms that would make good content partners to your own brand.
Social Media Marketing
We use social media organically to engage with clients and prospects, cheer them on (have we mentioned that we have some amazing clients?), and showcase our own award-winning marketing and vibrant workplace culture. Fostering our online community expands and complements our local community, too, and you never know what kind of new relationship could bloom from a “like”, “follow” or a simple yellow-heart emoji comment.
Word of Mouth
In 2022, a whopping 15% of our new customers came from word-of-mouth referrals! We boost our word-of-mouth marketing by encouraging online reviews and making sure that we’ve earned the praise.
Contains 2% or less of the following: Putting bacon in our pockets and visiting dog parks to befriend dogs, and therefore their owners. Exploiting our pets on YellowDog’s social media. Training Lucy, our YellowDog, to sniff out and shed on the competition.
Let’s find your optimal marketing mix
There’s no substitute for quality ingredients, and YellowDog is your local source for top-shelf marketing services. Browse some of our favorite case studies, tell us all about your Big Idea, and follow us on Instagram to see the magic in action. As you can see, we’re quite proud of our marketing mix — cage-free, locally sourced, 100% organic and free of ads on the major tech platforms — and we can’t wait to help you create your own!
by YellowDog.