With the sky-high price of advertising and direct marketing, only Fortune 500 companies can afford to promote their products and services through traditional channels. Add to this problem the greening, graying, and huge youth markets that have learned to turn off Madison Avenue-style promotions, and the vast majority of small to mid-sized companies, entrepreneurs, and overworked marketing staffs are challenged to expand their customer base in other ways. That's why "guerrilla," aka "unconventional marketing," was born. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Guerrilla Marketing, written by marketing experts Susan Drake and Colleen Wells, presents a detailed blueprint of the dozens of new and exciting methods available-methods that save money and get new customers.

From online marketing to old-fashioned word-of-mouth, readers will find a comprehensive update on key marketing basics, as well as such topics as: • Guerilla marketing. • Marketing to Boomers and Latinos. • Online marketing. • Targeted, but affordable direct mail. • Sample marketing plans for several types of small businesses (as well as a couple of larger projects). • Practical, do-it-yourself distribution strategies. • Analysis of business segments and trends, and much more.

Pinterest is a social media site that enables users to create online pinboards of compelling images they find online by "pinning" the images and curating them into various categories. It has exploded into American consciousness with big media attention and exponential growth-most notably reaching 10 million unique monthly visitors more quickly than any social media site in history. The vast majority of early devotees have been women of higher income between the ages of 25 and 49, and the images they pin frequently fall into the categories of clothing, crafts, food, and home décor. This represents a significant opportunity for companies and brands whose products are targeted to this market; however, Pinterest has value far beyond its initial popular use. Companies large and small are hearing the hype and hoping to get an early start with a site that shows signs of continued growth and influence. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Pinterest Marketing helps small business owners as well as marketing experts at larger companies get on the Pinterest bandwagon and learn how to use this exciting new phenomenon to increase online exposure for their products, strengthen their online presence, and connect with customers in a place where they are now flocking. In it, readers learn how to: Use the basic features of Pinterest, including setting up an account, creating boards, and pinning images. Develop a Pinterest marketing strategy and integrate it with other online and offline presences. Project a brand voice onto Pinterest through strategic pinning and writing compelling pin copy. Create pins that get repinned. Grow a following organically and understand the importance of whom a brand follows. Engage an audience through contests, collaborative boards, and more. Determine who in the organization will pin, or whether to outsource it. Gauge and quantify the success of a brand's marketing efforts on Pinterest.

Twitter has tens of millions of users and its active "tweeters" and followers look to it to answer to the question, "What's happening?" Businesses both large and small can quickly and easily send out highly targeted messages to key customers using Twitter. However, simply grasping only the mechanics of Twitter and flogging a message nobody cares about isn't enough to make a measurable difference. Worse, using Twitter the wrong way can damage a company's brand. The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Twitter Marketing blends an understanding of Twitter's powerful tools and reach with marketing savvy and the key to really engaging followers and converting them to customers. It also covers new features such as the increasing importance of search engine optimization.

Discusses management models and concepts, strategies for sharing knowledge, and ways to implement the concept within a company.

A comprehensive guide to running a retail store, with advice on hiring and training, licenses and registrations, working with customers, and learning the retail market.

Gain some insight into the game of life... Game Theory means rigorous strategic thinking. It is based on the idea that everyone acts competitively and in his own best interest. With the help of mathematical models, it is possible to anticipate the actions of others in nearly all life's enterprises. This book includes down-to-earth examples and solutions, as well as charts and illustrations designed to help teach the concept. In The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Game Theory, Dr. Edward C. Rosenthal makes it easy to understand game theory with insights into: • The history of the discipline made popular by John Nash, the mathematician dramatized in the film A Beautiful Mind • The role of social behavior and psychology in this amazing discipline • How important game theory has become in our society and why

The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Social Media Marketing, Second Edition, covers cutting-edge techniques for small and large businesses alike. Ask the Author Q: How has social media marketing changed business and personal lives? A: The playing field has been leveled for business. No longer do you need a 6 or 7 figure budget to reach people around the country or globe for that matter. Personally, many lives have been affected. Many people more connected, businesses have grown because of the connections, TV and singing careers have been launched, money has been raised for charity, books have been marketed and purchased, and so on. Q: What has been the most challenging part of utilizing social media? A: I think the learning curve. With all of these sites . . . they come with no directions and no LIVE phone number. Q: What has worked the best and worst thus far? A: Facebook because of it’s broad reach really has worked for me, but many would argue that YouTube works the best; particularly since it is the search engine of choice with the 11–34 age group. Q: How can a person searching for a job use social media marketing? A: So many ways. . . . They need to be on LinkedIn with a professional looking profile, photo, and contact information. They could also utilize video to begin sharing their expertise. Candidates need to stand out in a crowd of millions so if they say . . . sent in a video introducing themselves and a video follow up email . . . that would wow them! Q: What is the newest thing since Twitter? A: I believe companies and individuals are starting to utilize audio for creating their own iTunes channel, and also location-based social media like FourSquare. I personally, am not sold on location based services as of yet from a safety point of view, but for retailers it can be a good thing. I believe video is going to explode in popularity in 2011 for the 35+ market as well. They just need to get comfortable being on camera!

Offers advice on saving money, paying off credit cards, and planning, executing, and sticking to a budget

Get digital with your brand today! Digital Marketing for Dummies has the tools you need to step into the digital world and bring your marketing process up to date. In this book, you’ll discover how digital tools can expand your brand’s reach and help you acquire new customers. Digital marketing is all about increasing audience engagement, and the proven strategy and tactics in this guide can get your audience up and moving! You’ll learn how to identify the digital markets and media that work best for your business—no wasting your time or money! Discover how much internet traffic is really worth to you and manage your online leads to convert web visitors into paying clients. From anonymous digital prospect to loyal customer—this book will take you through the whole process! Learn targeted digital strategies for increasing brand awareness Determine the best-fit online markets for your unique brand Access downloadable tools to put ideas into action Meet your business goals with proven digital tactics Digital marketing is the wave of the business future, and you can get digital with the updated tips and techniques inside this book!