One of the biggest complaints we hear from prospective clients is the lack of creativity in the marketing writing.It's an age old question: How do you distinguish yourself from competitors who offer the same product or service? The fact is, most marketing copywriters are average writers who lack the ability to inspire and entice with their writing....

As of this writing, half of Dog Star Media's clients have been with us for more than fifteen years.We have two clients who are going on almost twenty years with us. Our Boutique Service approach is designed to nurture good relationships into great ones, but that is a two-way street. Do you seek the security of a long-term relationship with a market...

If you are like most small businesses you made a fairly sizable investment in your web site.It should have a look and feel that connects with your target market, guides users through an engaging user experience and works to convert visitors into customers. Let's say you had all that build and it's sitting there on the web. Now what? The Valuable Ad...

 A few factors conspire to frustrate small business owners about branding. The first is the idea that an elaborate, creative logo is needed and the second is that anyone can write a winning slogan. Both of these misconceptions bog down marketing and create unrealistic expectations. It's why at Dog Star Media, we always emphasize positioning. T...

Most web site developers, SEO companies and tech support services are not good at explaining how web sites work to the novice. Complicating matters, most small business owners don't want to worry about the small technical details of their web sites. They just want them to work and not have to be concerned with it. So, at Dog Star Media, we start al...

Marketing companies are not interchangeable parts, but that is a common misperception. A business owner who is unsatisfied with his or her marketing company must determine the source of their dissatisfaction before changing companies, or it's likely the problems causing the dissatisfaction will continue. The first thing you want to do is factor out...

Most business owners have a strong personal identification with their web site. Done right, a web site is a personal statement on style and value for a small business owner, which is understandable psychology. Thus, conversations about web sites can get emotional, which is fertile ground for someone trying to sell you a new web site, when your curr...

Win-win or no deal. That's the philosophy practiced by great salespeople and great business owners. If the transaction and service is not a good deal for both parties, why do it? Unfortunately, all of us have experienced the opposite in buying products and services. At Dog Star Media, win-win/no deal is the sales philosophy we teach clients and the...

Nearly twenty years ago, I first asked a client, "Which would you rather swallow, a watermelon or a watermelon seed?" It's an absurd question, but it effectively illustrates how positioning works. The watermelon is a concept that takes a lot of words and effort to be understood. The watermelon seed is an idea that has obvious meaning to most people...