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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Simpler The Better

"We have a tendency to overcomplicate things.

The simpler the better; the simpler the more profound."

- Jim Stengel (Proctor & Gamble, CMO)

MARKETING PLAN: 7 EASY STEPS TO EFFECTIVENESS!

An effective marketing plan provides you a road map to efficiently lead your company toward the goals on your journey. The established direction equips you with information to strategically develop initiatives and identify tactics to fuel your expedition; and with great reward, it empowers you the ability to get it done.

A MARKETING PLAN MUST BE CLEAR, CONCISE AND SIMPLE

STEP #1: Set the goals/objectives of your marketing.

The marketing goals detail exactly what you expect your results will be at a specific time in the future.

Examples:

"To increase sales revenue by 15% within the next 12 months, by March 31."

"To increase my current customers' buying rates by 15% by June 30."

"To gain one new client by 5:00pm on the last business day of every calendar month."

STEP #2: Identify the customers you plan to target.

Do not attempt to be all things to all people! You must successfully:

a. Recognize your current customers,

b. Identify who your future customers will be.

The pulse of your business is a direct result of your ability to retain and attract customers. Once you know your target audience, you have a huge opportunity and responsibility to reach them.

Who are they?

Are the married? Kids?

What do they drive?

Where do they shop?

Ask them what they want.

Listen for why they buy.

Observe what they actually do.

etc.

Examples:

"Single, working mom of pre-school children"

"Middle & upper income homeowners who have little time to mow their own lawns."

STEP #3: Define the Unique Selling Point

The unique selling point of your business sets you apart from your competition. Identity the specific benefits your customers receive when they buy from YOU. The unique selling point does more than identify what you do, it communicates what you do for your customers. Much more than a simple product feature, the unique selling point is the benefit you provide to your customers.

Exercise:

1. Make a list of all benefits your business provides to your customers.

2. Next, highlight the benefits on your list that are unique to your business versus your direct

competition.

3. Place a checkmark beside the unique benefits that are most important to your customers.

(REMEMBER, you have already identified your customers. If you don't know where to place

your checkmark, ASK THEM!)

4. Circle the checkmarks of those benefits that are most difficult for others in your industry to

copy.

5. Asterick those circled checkmarks that can be easily communicated.

STEP #4: Investigate the TACTICS to use

For many, Step 4 is the most enjoyable part of the plan. After they have invested valuable time studying and researching in order to...

- set goals/objectives,

- identified target customers,

- defined unique selling point,

...they now can confidently investigate the various marketing tactics to use in order to reach their audience.

Exercise:

1. Brainstorm a complete list of options that you know can reach your target audience.

(i.e. newspaper - radio - television advertising, public relations, online-SEO, blogging,

brochures, sales letter, in-store promotions, etc)

2. Determine how to incorporate your unique selling point messaging within ALL your

approved marketing tactics.

STEP #5: Assign a Marketing Budget

Marketing budgets for small businesses can range from 1% to 10% of projected net sales. An interesting idea to consider if you do not have a history of determining the marketing budget:

a. Select the strongest competitor you have

b. Look at the various tactics your competitor is using

c. Price out the expenses of those tactics that are reaching your customers.

d. Calculate the percent of your projected sales from Step 1 to determine how it compares to the 1% to 10% range of your projected net sales.

STEP #6: Finalize the Marketing Plan

You are now able to review the complete list of tactics from Step 4, so you may determine which best reach your audience and remain within budget.

STEP #7: Evaluate the Execution Process

Your written plan combined with a timely execution of the various tactics will definitely increase your opportunity for success. Please do plan to evaluate the execution process at periodic time intervals as you move toward your goals to ensure your efforts are moving you in the direction of your approved roadmap.

Enjoy your journey!

Key to Success - Good Marketing!

Good marketing is all about improving the odds for success.

Marketing Bloc - a free, online marketing resource for a community of small business owners. From strategy to proven tactics, Marketing Bloc delivers the advantage to equip and empower entrepreneurs to make the most of their marketing efforts.

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Seriously Consider Including FACEBOOK Advertising To Your Mix!

The Nielsen Company reports time spent on social network and blogging sites account for 17% of all time spent on the Internet (August 2009), which is almost triple the percentage a year ago. As people continue to length the amount of time they have available to social networks, small business owners need to realistic start considering those key networks into their marketing mixes.

These industries have started to use FACEBOOK as a viable option in their advertising efforts:

- Automotive

- Business to Business

- Consumer Goods

- Health

- Public Services

- Retail Goods & Services

- Software

- Telecommunications

- Travel

- Web Media

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Access The Industry Vertical of Social Media

In an Entrepreneur.com post from 9/30/09, Carol Tice reminds us that social media is not exclusive for those massive crowds of Twitter and Facebook. Some industries have their own silo of media that are being created to help members connect with each other and with your target audience.

One example she provides is LocalDirt.com, a new portal that connects farmers with customers nearby. How it works:

Farmers receive web-based orders from buying groups

Consumers arrive to local farmer's market and picks up the goods.

In its simplest form, the site basically makes shopping for local food easy!

Hmmmmm...encourages me to explore those industry verticals in my work....Shoot! Better yet, I think I will create a mini-silo on my own!

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Successful PR!

Successful public relations (PR) begins with your treating the local media contacts as a target market! Just as you have worked hard to identify your customers, you need to work to target your key media.

You have information you need to communicate to them. Your job is to ask them...

- WHAT THEY WANT

- HOW THEY WANT IT

- WHEN THEY WANT IT

- HOW BEST TO SUBMIT IT TO THEM

Get to know them and get them to trust you.

Where to start?

1. Create a list of your local newspaper, radio, television that your target market reads, listens to, & watches.

2. Identify the key people in the media outlets that might care about your field of business

3. Research to determine extra ways that those key contacts are communicating to your target audience (i.e. blog, reading the many articles he/she writes to figure out how you might eventually pitch them an idea in the future, etc)

4. Forward them relevant information based on the articles they write in your field (i.e. provide them with industry statistics from reliable sources, give them inside information to the industry-related announcements that may interest your community by tying in your expertise of business, etc)

5. After several communications with your media contact when you have developed a a relationship, you can pitch a story idea to them (or share some very IMPORTANT news with them that they can use to publish in an article.)

6. After some months, treat them to lunch.

Small Business Marketing Tactic: Make Sure Your Friends Know What You Do!

Yes, I know it sounds simple because it is. Make it a point to let ALL of your friends, family, neighbors, etc know exactly what you do for a living. People like to do business with their friends, so it's important they know what you do.

Just possibly, they will even start telling their network of friends, family, neighbors, etc.

Of course, do NOT bombard them with a marketing pitch that threatens your relationships and leaves them feeling abused, simply make it a point to let them know your business. There's a high probability they are connected with your target audience members, and this knowledge could prove extremely valuable to the success of your business.