Posts Tagged ‘marketing’

Who has money to burn in 2010?

As a solopreneur or startup in 2010 you must know this: Insightful, well planned and conducted market research is as important as the product you wish to sell. Your tight budget has little room to waste money developing a product that your assumed target won’t purchase. Some assume the cost of research is cost prohibitive; however, actually the opposite is true. Wasting money on an undesired product is cost prohibitive. In real estate or corporate mergers it’s called due diligence and it should be the first step after you have the idea to create a product, extend a line or launch a new business.

Yesterday a colleague and I agreed that we see hesitancy among some businesses to conduct market research. Insights gained as a result of research allow for fine tuning of a successful product and positive message creation. SCORE (Senior Corps of Retired Executives) offers this advice in their Business Plan for a Start Up Business:

No matter how good your product and your service, the venture cannot succeed without effective marketing. And this begins with careful, systematic research. It is very dangerous to assume that you already know about your intended market. You need to do market research to make sure you’re on track. Use the business planning process as your opportunity to uncover data and to question your marketing efforts. Your time will be well spent.”

You should conduct qualitative as well as quantitative research. One on one focus groups conducted by a skilled interviewer yield significant understanding which can be analyzed in light of detailed research conducted by online surveys or pencil and paper surveys.

Businesses that use sound research are far and away more successful than those who make assumptions without data.

If you are writing a blog for your business, you need to stay focused on the goals you set when you decided to begin. Was it to demonstrate your firm’s experience and capabilities or was it to help search engine results by providing keyword rich posts that also demonstrate your businesses’ knowledge?

Hopefully the later is your goal. So here you are, committed or not to the blog and you are short of ideas. These ten ideas will help you write interesting blog posts even when your creative muse has gone on vacation.

1. Look to the news of the day; are there any major news items that impact some aspect of your businesses core competencies? If so, write about how and why. Google News has a robust search feature which allows you to hone in on your most significant keywords.
2. Look to your interactions with your clients. Did you have any “teachable moments” or interactions in the past few days that you feel are common and which, when shared, can provide learning opportunities? If yes, write about those moments; be sure to keep the names of those you mention and identifying comments discrete. You don’t want to embarrass your clients or yourself.
3. Write about some of the “basics” of your business. It is always good to refresh yourself on core competencies and share fresh insights as to why these basics are so important.
4. Write about management issues affecting your business. Each business has issues that are common to them all and often generalize to others in the industry.
5. Look to trends in your industry and analyze how one of them may affect clients in your industry.
6. If your blog is client facing, write about new developments that are sure to produce results for them. Tell why.
7. Invite another industry / sector expert to be a guest blogger. They can write about their insights into key issues in your industry.
8. Share a client success story (with permission of course.) Tell why they succeeded and if you were a part of that success, help readers see how and why the client succeeded.
9. Share a major learning experience; an Ah-ha moment. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be bullet proof…just healed. So say how and why you got insight that helped you redirect.
10. Share information about your colleagues or employees or even new staff member news, awards and competencies. I would even suggest having one of your employees write a guest post. Invite them to share some of their personality and talents they bring to working with you.

Forrester Research publishers of one of my favorite business books, Groundswell, released research that quantifies a new category of those active in social media. Dubbed conversationalists, these users are active and influential.

According to Forrester, Conversationalists are,

56% female, more than any other group in the ladder. While they’re among the youngest of the groups, 70% are still 30 and up.”

Recently I was a presenter with Shauna Heathman of Makenzie Image Consulting at the Columbia, SC National Association of Women Business Owners discussing personal branding whenone of the attendees asked others at the meeting, “Do you read blogs?” Her question stimulated discussion about of who reads and publishes blogs. Only a few did not regularly read and comment on blogs. However only 2 attendees maintain and write a blog. Earlier in the presentation the majority of the women recounted using their Facebook profiles to support their businesses’ marketing.  Forrester’s more scientific research confirms my “woman on the street” first-hand knowledge.

If you want to reach the customers (and I mean women) who make 85% of brand purchasing decisions, you need to be active in social media. Eight-six percent US women now have a profile on at least 1 social networking site a 48% increase. (Up from 58% in 2008.)

Women are conversationalists. Our brains are wired that way and data show how we have leveraged our innate ability into a powerful force.

Over this last year, we’ve seen the explosion of social media onto the “big screen” of businesses. Many have scrambled to create Facebook pages and put their customer service online while hearing constantly of the death of print media. Lots of businesses have pulled their traditional advertising to the point where many print media have folded, shrunk or downsized. We seen the complete acceptance of wireless / mobile devices and understand that there is no message downtime.

As the dust settles on this year we see the frantic scramble to get into social media normalizing. More businesses understand the new conversation channels or are at least trying to incorporate them in their mix. We understand that television and print media while changing will not go away. We understand that there is a conversation and that the customer truly owns the brand.

What do you see in your crystal ball for 2010?

We recognize that the U.S. is composed of a diverse population, with 38% of us being over 44 years of age; 37.4% of us being 18-44 years of age and the remainder under 17 years of age.

As marketing and business communications professionals, this means we comprehend each audience segment has preferred information channels. As we promote our services and products, we understand that a 21 year old will get their news from Google reader and that at 58 year old from most probably from either TV or print media. That there are some of us who, while in the older segments, use new technology, embracing mobile media as much as the younger generations. We also understand that not only younger generations care about social responsibility; that social responsibility is a required part of being in business. That when it comes to media relations, the media are just as stressed as other business segments and are trying to do as much with fewer resources. That our job is to work in tandem with them by supplying truly interesting information and sources to help them do their jobs.

2010 promises to be rich with opportunity for small businesses to act like big corporations when it comes to reaching customers through all the channels with a straight to consumer approach that is more about what the customer wants in their lives.

In summary:

• Marketing Communications
  • More segmentation of message—We’ll use Twitter, Facebook, the local newspaper as well as television, and increasingly, mobile technology.
  • Social media acceptance as one of the major message delivery vehicles
  • Social responsibility as a requirement of doing business
  • Blurring of the difference between advertising and public relations
• For PR
  • Video pitching
  • Social media acceptance as one of the major message delivery vehicles to media contacts and the consumer
  • Increasing message delivery direct to the consumer
  • We’ll turn more to multi media releases, using the power of video sharing, and pod casts to enrich press releases
  • Public relations professionals as major advisors for not only publicity but for advertising and marketing messages.

Share your prognostications with us. We look forward to learning from everyone how they see the new year shaping up for them.

Just a few weeks ago, we shared the news of Andi Mill’s search for a ride share to enable her to return to college in order to gain her degree in professional writing.

Today her story is written up in The Anderson Independent. Journalist Charmaine Smith-Miles captured Andi’s spirit and her pluck.

Once again, I am struck by the ability we have as public relations professionals to do good. Many perceive us as flacks shilling for celebrity clients. However, the vast majority of us work daily to bring interesting news to light. We frequently share our abilities with non-profit organizations whose missions we align with.

At the close of this year and the opening of the next, as marketing and public relations pros, we need to remember the power we have to make change, embrace it and work to make our world a better place.

We’re doing our part, how about you? Share your pro bono efforts with us.

In this very well written article from The Washington Post and PC World, small businesses are counseled to “set up a Twitter account, establish a Facebook page, and start talking.” Unlike some articles I’ve read, this one is on point with a good explanation of how to establish goals, listen to the conversation and gain results.

So far in 2009, 66 percent of marketers used social media in some form, according to the Association of National Advertisers. That’s up from just 20 percent in 2007.”

The article brings together the latest metrics and good case studies about how several businesses use social media. The article also mentions several of the best of class tools for using social media and tracking results.

Today I came across this article on how and why changing content on a website can help benefit you in search engine positioning. The chart above is from the article and demonstrates how dramatic a result one can have with fresh content.

Bloggers are influential. A study reports that 50% of those who report reading blogs, trust them for their evaluations of products. And of those using blogs to evaluate products, 52% of respondents said that blogs tipped their decision on which product to purchase at the time of their purchase.

Developing A Personal Brand

Workshop Cost

Members $22.00 Guests $27.00

Professional Development Seminar on personal branding offered by the American Business Women’s Association

Sept. 19th, 2009 — Summerville, South Carolina – The Summerville chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) invites the public to a seminar on personal branding on October 12, 2009 at the Westcott Plantation Clubhouse at 5000 Wescott Club Drive in Summerville, SC, 29485.

The seminar, to be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., will be presented by ABWA members Shauna Heathman of Mackenzie Image Consulting and Cheryl Smithem of Strategic Marketing & Charleston PR, experts on personal image, strategic marketing and public relations. They will be discussing the significance of building an effective and appealing personal brand to help you reach your professional career goals.

The seminar is the first installment of the quarterly professional development series put on by the ABWA Summerville chapter. Each quarterly workshop will feature programs designed to educate women with regard to relevant business practices, provide networking opportunities and offer the tools and skill sets to start and/or grow a company.

Workshop admission which includes dinner and iced tea or water is $20 ($22 when paying by credit card) for ABWA members and $25 ($27 when paying by credit card) for non-members. The deadline for RSVP is Saturday, October 3rd. To reserve your spot, RSVP to ABWA President, Kathy Berman at 843-795-9751 or kathy.berman@psgltd.org. Send checks or cash to PO Box 32338, Charleston, SC 29417 care of ABWA – Kathy Berman.

American Business Women’s Association, Summerville Chapter:

The Jessamine Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association’s Mission is: “To bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support and national recognition.”

Mackenzie Image Consulting:

Would you like to improve the way you’re perceived?

People often think that creating a compelling image requires a great deal of time and money, but that isn’t so. We focus on bringing your personality to the fore in a way that feels comfortable and contributes to your success personally and professionally… and we can help you boost your bottom line not only by enhancing your success but by showing you how to utilize your wardrobe most effectively now and best invest your clothing budget later.

We can help guide impressions in ways that go beyond clothing, too. From nonverbal communication to executive-level skills like business etiquette and knowing how to speak to the media, we can help you mold the first impressions others form when they encounter you. Whether you’d like to enhance your image for personal reasons or find greater success in your career utilizing the services of an image consultant can help you achieve your goals. http://www.mackenzieimage.com/

Strategic Marketing & Charleston PR:

Strategic Marketing & Public Relations develops communications that motivate and connect.

Creating compelling, highly successful messaging that engages consumers and translates into greater revenue is what we do.

Our varied experience includes brand research, development and management, strategic planning, media relations, public relations, development and implementation of marketing and communications strategies and plans. http://www.CharlestonPR.com

This week we met with several clients who need a corporate identity. Each of them has been using some form of marketing materials to identify themselves and their companies. In most cases they’ve been using clip art and stock computer fonts in their business cards and logo.

While this may work for some, in the long run, you lack an iconographic presence that speaks for you when you are not there to speak about your company. In short, you lack a distinct, compelling way of communicating your brand message.

If you are establishing your business today, you need every advantage to set you apart.

No doubt you’ve crafted a strong position for your business or service; you’ve researched your competitors; you’ve researched what the market needs and then you use stock materials to present your company? You can understand the disconnect here.

There are a number of ways to have a corporate identity created. Some people are using internet based sites where for a very low price you can get a logo. But you don’t get the interaction with experienced marketing professionals who know your community, market and understand your USP.

We recommend you work with an experienced marketing professional who will assist you in bringing together all the insight you’ve gathered for your company, their professional experience in crafting successful brands and join it with compelling graphic design.

One of the clients with whom we met wondered what’s involved in creating a corporate identity. She couldn’t understand the cost / time involved and needed to actually see examples of how, for one prior client, we begin brain storming ideas, sketching up concepts, studying type, and then joining it all in ideas to present to the client.

A simple analogy is that of going to a custom tailor or couture fashion designer and asking for a bespoke creation. The result is a garment made for you, your measurements, with quality fabrics, excellence of cut, design and fit. When wearing such an item of clothing, you know you look good.

The same applies to creating your corporate identity. If it’s made to fit, to measure and just for you with the highest standards it is something that you know makes you look good, you stand taller, are more confident and are emboldened to do business, knowing your message is speaking without you having to open your mouth.