Small Business Marketing - Social Media Opportunity

Small business owners have a great opportunity with Social Media!

Becoming intentional, proactive and strategic in your social media efforts, you are able to successfully:

* Build a community of advocates of your product or service

* Dialogue directly with your target customers

* Improve the Search Engine Optimization & Search Engine Marketing for your companies website

In 2010, Fortune 500 companies are reporting to have moved 40% of their marketing budgets to Social Media Marketing.

Some stats:

* 90% of your customers TRUST their peer recommendations.

* 14% trust an ad

The opportunity - step away from your sales podium and off the stage to make your way down to the floor, where your customers are mingling. Join them in conversations! You will build trust and value; and when you listen, you will discover new, creative ways to speak with them. Building trust takes time, but when it occurs, you are sure to identify strong advocates for your products/services and they will be EAGER to share you within their circle of friends...thus growing your circle of friends.

Yes, there is HUGE value when you incorporate social media marketing into your overall marketing mix.

So....

Where to begin?

Stay tuned for details...

Social Media Marketing - The Bandwagon

Social Media Marketing (SMM) is definitely a topic of conversation in business today. After all, there are over 400 million people on Facebook, so I NEED A FACEBOOK PAGE - right?

Probably.

BUT, before a small business owner jumps onto the SMM bandwagon, you need to pause for moment and remember the basics:

* Who is my customer?

* Are they even ON Facebook? If so, what are they doing there? Where are they?

* Why do I even want to spend the energy to connect with them on Facebook?

* How do I tell them I am on Facebook?

Your jumping into SMM without a plan is similar to some companies I have seen purchase an exhibit booth space at a trade show and not let anyone at the show know they are there. They left the show defeated and upset that only a few people happened to stop by their booths.

You MUST have a plan.

You MUST tell them your there.

You MUST encourage them to visit you.

Your becoming intentional, proactive and strategic in your SMM thinking will move you ahead of the many other small business owners who have simply jumped into the social media channels and failed to bring their basic marketing life preserves with them.

Small Business Marketing Tactic: SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Absent from blogging the past few months, I am thrilled to return with some incredible information, strategy, tactics for small business owners!

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

We have been hearing much about social media marketing for a couple of years. From my own recent experiences, I plan will begin to share pertinent information and suggestions regarding how your business can thrive within this social media world too.

I will be disclose real-life examples from my current work with my client partners and suggest how you may incorporate those tactics into social media areas of your business.

REMEMBER! Social media marketing is NOT the end all of your marketing. Yes, it can definitely impact your business. We must remember that social media marketing is simply one prong within your overall marketing mix that adds great value to provide you with your own online community focus group that shares the value of your product or service and encourages them to SHARE that value with their community of friends.

Closing this post, I share this cool result from a basic use of social media:

1. My client's Twitter channel had just under 100 followers

2. Thursday night, I posted an update that the brand was going to be featured on Fox's HANNITY

3. Within 20 minutes, 3 of the followers had ReTweeted the post to their list of friends.

3. Within 30 minutes, 7000 followers of followers had received the news!

To prove, social media marketing works WHEN you are intentional, proactive and when you enter the channel with a plan. I will discuss this in future posts.

Stay tuned for a newly invigorated MarketingBloc that will focus much effort to provide YOU information, statistics, and tactics to grow your company's product/service when you add social media marketing to your marketing mix.

talk soon :)

Small Business Marketing Tactic: LIMIT THE USE OF YOUR CREDIT CARDS!

Beyond the valid Dave Ramsey platform of CUT YOUR CREDIT CARDS (which is liberating!), Entrepreneur's blog discloses industry statistics that educate and encourage (hopefully!) small business owners to LIMIT THE USE OF YOUR CREDIT CARDS!

From the blog, the study reports:

- 58% of small-business owners said they relied on credit cards for start up money in 2006

- for EVERY $1000 in additional credit card debt, the probability of the firm closing increased 2.2%

SOURCE: http://blog.entrepreneur.com/2009/08/how-credit-cards-make-your-business-die.php

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Multiple Channel Marketing

Good marketing services your target market in multiple ways:

website,

email list,

direct mail,

clear communication in advertising,

referral programs,

sponsored events,

etc

Your goal is to keep reminding your consumers who you are, what you offer, and WHERE to find you.

Small Business Marketing Tactic: E-Mail Markeing Campaign!

EMail marketing with newsletters that target your specific audience represents an affordable marketing tactic solution to any small business.

WHERE TO START?

1. Create a contest for your target market

2. Provide a high value (inexpensive) prize that appeals to your audience

3. CAPTURE EMAIL ADDRESSES from those who register to win noting the email newsletter will contain tips/advice for your target audience

4. Develop your own email newsletter and service it to your customers on a bi-weekly or monthly basis

be sure to include links back to your website/blog

IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: Provide a way for people to unsubscribe to your newsletter.

Small Business Marketing Tactic: ONLINE ADVERTISING - banner ads can work!

Research released by Dynamic Logic reveals that banner advertising integrated into the content of the webpage are MOST effective in driving online ad awareness and purchase content. A three-year study discovered half banners and rectangles were more effective than the larger leaderboards and skyscrapers.

What does that mean?

Simply, once you have identified the key websites there that your target market is visiting, these ad sizes are proven to make a stronger impact in their minds simply because they appear to be a part of the webpage content and not the headline - "HERE I AM - SEE ME!":

Rectangle; 180 x 150

Half banner; 234 x 60

Medium Rectangle; 300 x 250

Large Rectangle; 336 x 280

REMEMBER, creative quality of the ads is EXTREMELY important. PLEASE do not simply throw together an ad to spec and post it, your target audience needs you to pursue them, inform them, educate them, entertain them. With today's technology, one could efficiently create a very nice rich media ad with video to approach your online audience. Consider adding your MESSAGE to every frame of the ad for best results.

Preview Examples

Ad Formats By Online Ad Awareness

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Virus Spreads Faster Than A Speeding Bullet!

Viral marketing is simply the process that encourages large numbers of people to spread details on your product or service to their family, friends and even the world!

A prime example, I regularly receive multiple email forwards of the SAME email from my mom, my sister & various friends. As a recipient of 100s of unsolicited email forwards, I understand my family and friends care for me. They want what's best for me. So, why do they send me some email that includes some cute cat dancing around and proclaiming "Life is Short...unless you have 9"? Who knows?

What I do know - something within the email triggers a need to send that email to EVERYONE. And, they do.

So, here's a thought:

If you can come up with something really special that has significant value, there is a HIGH probability that your target audience may just start spreading the news about you, your company, your product/service/sales event.

Applying that to my business:

- What does my target audience value?

- Are they looking for instructions on how to do something?

- Do they enjoy being inspired by a story, a poem, a dancing cat?

Once I know my target audience's dream receipt, I can create and send it onto them noting my contact info (name, website address, etc).

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Banner Advertising - To Be Or Not To Be!

MediaWeek's Mike Sheilds comments, "Whether traditional banner ads - skyscrapers or 350X200 rich media units, Web ads are eminently ignorable, or rarely move one to laugh or cry."

Eminently ignorable - yes, I agree.

Other than the ads I've created for my clients, I do not recall any banner advertising that caught my attention enough to encourage me to click the link. In all honesty, as a consumer, I often ignore website advertisements. My time is valuable. I refuse to make the time to click an ad - any ad!

Today is time that we need to rethink our investment of marketing dollars beyond simple BANNER ADVERTISING. We need to work harder to connect with our target markets in effective & efficient forms of new media.

Question: How?

Answer: They are OUR customers - talk to them!

1. Find out where they are online

2. Go there!

Example:

Rather than create a banner ad for your local newspapers home page, have you given any thought to the possibilities of simply offering your customers an incentive to add your FACEBOOK GROUP page to their profiles? I mean, if they are already your customer and already enjoy your products/services, it seems sensible enough to encourage them to support your business by simply clicking "Add to Group". Then, their friends see your GROUP on their profile, which adds a new level of social interaction that an ignorable banner ad NEVER can accomplish. Just a thought.

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Use Marketing To Generate Quality Leads!

1. Create something of VALUE to your target consumer

2. Give it to them!

- Free information packet (filled with non-compete coupons & resources)

- Workshop where you can demonstrate your product/service

- Survey to complete in order to receive a FREE gift

3. Capture their contact information, so you can stay in contact with them

MarketingBloc : Strategy To Proven Marketing Tactics!

From strategy to proven marketing tactics, Marketing Bloc delivers the advantage to equip and empower small business entrepreneurs to make the most of their small business marketing efforts.

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Great Customer SERVICE is a MUST!

Provide your customers the best gift of the season...

QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE!

Great customer service is a MUST....

- to your customers

- to your vendors/clients

- to your employees....ESPECIALLY, your employees

Quality customer service is an important marketing tactic that many businesses need to reinstate in order to survive. Since the bandwagon days of the 1980's, customer service has drifted further to the back burner. Entrepreneurs can easily gain an edge when they bring quality customer service back and bring it back NOW!

Your customers need it...and face it, you NEED your customers.

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Remain Flexible!

As the economy and consumer perceptions change,

you hold the reins to review and adjust your marketing planning and strategy

as you identify what is working and what is not working.

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Offer A Free Demonstration Of Your Services!

Identify a local store that relates to your service and offer to provide a free demonstration.

For example, a Professional Organizer could contact her local office supply store and offer to host a FREE "Organize Your Office" demonstration. The store benefits because the event increases store traffic AND provides the store an opportunity to sell the products being featured by the Professional Organizer.

In addition to the store's advertising for the event, the organizer should:

1. Personally invite 20-25 local business prospects to attend the event.

2. Offer attendees a discount of your services

3. Invite the local press/media

4. Provide a fish-bowl drawing for a FREE Office Organization to the business card selected

REMEMBER! The business cards in the fishbowl are future prospects!

With the event's success, the Professional Organizer may offer to provide future

demonstrations within the store. In time and continued success, the Professional Organizer should offer to become the local office supply store's spokesperson.

Small Business Marketing Tactic: COUPON! COUPON! COUPON!

Encourage customer loyalty when you provide valued savings to your target audience with these five interesting coupon placement ideas:

1. Include coupons on your website

2. Post coupons on Craigslist.com

3. E-Mail coupons to your customers (encouraging them to "pass it on")

4. Insert coupons into shoppers' bags (offer valid during their next visit)

5. Provide an additional discount to the first 100 customers who enter your store on Saturday morning!

Small Business Marketing Tactic: ALL ABOUT LOVE Newspaper Advertising

A wonderful opportunity exists for you to foster genuine customer appreciation in your local market by incorporating them into your newspaper advertising with these five (5) easy steps:

#1: In November, purchase a full-page ad in the Sunday edition of your local newspaper. Select the Sunday prior to Valentine's Day.

#2: In January, introduce the FREE offer to your customers:

'ALL BECAUSE OF LOVE - include a message of love to the ONE that you love in our full-page Valentine's day ad in the February 8 edition of the newspaper!'

I encourage you to display a sample of how the ad will appear, so your customers may visually see what to expect.

#3: Collect your customer's entries. Encourage them to write their contact information and 20-words-or-less message in ALL CAPs.

Forms to include:

- Customer Name

- Address

- Phone

- E-Mail

- Valentine's Day message of love (20 words or less)

#4: When it comes time to design the ad, simply have the Valentine's Day messages typed into a word document, so your graphic designer may simply insert the copy into the ad design (adding boxes around every message).

#5: E-Mail or Call your customers to remind them 2-3 days before the ad is scheduled to run in the newspaper.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The promotion may be incorporated into various holidays throughout the year (i.e. Mother's Day, Father's Day, July 4th - tribute to local soldier's serving overseas, etc.).

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Market Yourself As Expert!

Be the expert!

As a small business entrepreneur, you have a great opportunity to market & promote yourself as the expert in your field. As you share your knowledge and experiences to your local market (specifically, your TARGET market), you add value to you and your company's efforts.

How?

1. RESEARCH

Locate the various media outlets in your area that your TARGET market regularly references: local cable network, local newspaper, home association newsletters, suburb newspaper, etc.

2. SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Many of these outlets need content. Contact them and let them know you are available to:

- appear on the local news as the expert in your field for interviews, commentary, etc

- provide a regular column in the newspaper/newsletter

Example:

As an event planner, you could become the source that viewers & readers rely upon for ideas regarding how they can plan, decorate, & host their informal events, such as a July 4th get together with family & friends:

- creative decoration ideas

- unique food/beverage recipes to consider

- frugal options with flair

- etc.

When you promote yourself as the expert, another window of opportunity is sure to open within your small business marketing mix!

Small Business Marketing Tactic: 3 Easy Marketing Lessons!

Lesson #1: Consumer Marketing

Know Your Customer

"Our customers are folks who live paycheck to paycheck." - Wal-Mart CEO

Lesson#2: Clear Mission

Make sure your mission Is clear for EVERYONE to understand.

"Saving people money so they can live better." - Wal-Mart CEO

Lesson #3: Consistent Message

All of your marketing messages must clearly communicate the benefit to your target audience:

"Christmas costs less at Wal-Mart."

Source:

http://contentmarketingtoday.com/2008/11/19/3-small-business-marketing-lessons-you-can-learn-from-wal-mart/

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Nonverbal Communication of Color

What are your marketing materials communicating?

BROWN: utility, earthiness, subtle richness

RED: aggressive, passion, strength, vitality

ORANGE (in moderation): fun, cheeriness, warm, exuberance, sunshine (warm sunrise/sunset)

YELLOW: optimistic, motivated, creative, energy, cheerful, easygoing

BLUE: authority, dignity, security, faithfulness, responsible

PURPLE: sophistication, spirituality, royalty, mystery

GREEN: tranquility, health, freshness, soothing, status&weath (dark green)

PINK: femininity, innocence, softness, health

WHITE: purity, truthfulness, refined, sterile

GRAY: somberness, practicality, conservative

BLACK: seriousness, boldness, classic, drama

Small Business Marketing Tactic: The Power of a CLASSIFIED AD Example

A GREAT EXAMPLE!

"Fast, efficient electrical work. Certified electricians with references. FREE estimates. Call 555-1212. All work fully guaranteed."

After the ad ran six times, he had to pull it because he couldn't handle all of the business it generated.

*The Guerrilla Marketing Handbook (Jay Levinson & Seth Godin)

copyrighy 1994 by Jay Conrad Levinson and Seth Godin Productions