You’re the winner!

One of the most beloved of all time is the contest. Some contests are sweepstakes where a winner is selected at random after you “enter” a pool of qualified customers. The most famous of these is Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes. Others are simple fishbowl lotteries of all entrants, such as the drawing of a business card at your local business networking group meeting. Still others are contests where entrants must comply with a set of rules. The most famous one of these that comes to mind is the Pillsbury Bake Off.

Marketing contests for small businesses

While these examples are associated with large corporations, there are many ways small businesses can implement these same concepts.

Charleston Magazine's Get Cooking Charleston contest requires entrants to use ingredients from Charleston

In Charleston for example, our local magazine just announced their Get Cooking Charleston! competition, a recipe contest and cook-off. The qualifications require all entrants to use ingredients that are either historically or geographically tied to Charleston. One of the sponsors is Piggly Wiggly Carolina whose marketing always makes the connection to Charleston’s culture and way of life. It’s smart of them to sponsor this competition. It supports their brand and positioning in the market. Same for Charleston Magazine.

Contest must be aligned with products & positioning

Your small business can do this too. If you are the maker of a product such as hand painted note cards hold an old fashioned letter writing contest. Perhaps you are a bar, you could hold a competition for the next new menu item or specialty cocktail.

Partnerships extend your reach

When you set up your contest, seek partners who may extend your reach into a new demographic, but perhaps have not yet reached. The classic example is a restaurant who wishes to reach wine aficionados and partners with a local or regional winery. You can share expenses, accomplish a common goal and cross market to each others lists.

Your company’s vendors can be your contest co-sponsors and larger vendors often have partnership marketing dollars that they can share with your small business. Homebuilders do this with their vendors quite frequently.

Enter rather than sponsor

However, you don’t have to hold the competition, you can enter a competition! The Get Cooking Charleston competition is a wonderful opportunity for businesses in the food and beverage industry segment.  Want to enter? Begin to look for local, regional and national competitions. You can enter them as an individual or as a representative of your business as Charleston entrepreneur Margaret Bjork of Private Eyes Undies did when she entered the “I am Free Enterprise” contest or just as Charleston singer Amanda L. did when she entered the Folger’s jingle contest.

Enter to win

If you enter a contest, enter to win; advice offered by internationally renowned opera singer Shirley Verrett during an opera master class. She said, “Don’t just try, bring your very best! Believe you’ll win and do everything you can to be the winner.” Do your business and your self proud.

And remember the advice of Thomas Jefferson:  “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.”

E-mail marketing is so common these days, that many business owners forget the point of it:   To engage and provide information that causes the customer to transact business with your company.

Your e-mail newsletter should:

• Be CAN-SPAM compliant. You say, “What’s that? I don’t spam.” Well, if you add people to your mailing list and then send them your latest news updates without their permission, you are in violation of the most important part of the law. From the FTC:

…the CAN-SPAM Act doesn’t apply just to bulk email. It covers all commercial messages, which the law defines as “any electronic mail message the primary purpose of which is the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service,” including email that promotes content on commercial websites. The law makes no exception for business-to-business email. That means all email – for example, a message to former customers announcing a new product line – must comply with the law.

Assuming that you are compliant with the law, what is next on the list of important information about your e-mail marketing?

• Be visually appealing. There is a reason good design works. The brain assimilates information in a particular order. A professionally  designed template (most commercial e-mail marketing services offer them and you can customize them to suit your needs) is important to use. Don’t use 5 fonts in every version (bold, italic, all caps—in fact avoid all caps like the plague.) Don’t make your newsletter look like a bad church newsletter.
• Offer information that in keeping with your brand’s message and which is of interest to the reader. It is better to avoid sending a newsletter than send one with information that is not of interest to the reader. If you don’t know what to write about, ask your customers what is important to them and then write about that.
• Make sure it is well written. Check your use of pronouns as well as subject and verb agreement.
• Use photos. Remember a picture tells a story and is worth a thousand words is not just all hyperbole.
• Have a call to action. Request your customer’s interaction.
• Monitor and test subject lines. Not all subject lines are of interest. Most e-mail programs allow you to test your subjects to see which produce quicker opens and higher open rates.
• Monitor open rates. So you know who is reading your newsletter and when. With fine tuning you can get your open rates higher by monitoring how soon after receiving readers open or what time of the day gets the most opens.

As Twitter has matured, many small business owners have joined the conversation. However, there are those out there who have tried it and don’t understand how it works. Or they have “looked into it” and are not sure where to begin.

Recently I’ve discussed social media with several groups. There are so many who feel that the whole Twitter world is going to swamp them. And there are those who are afraid of appearing silly. My number one tip is to remember that this is social media. Your goal is to be social. Your task is to engage, learn about your neighbors and develop community.

If you’re having issues trying to determine how to tweet, what to tweet or when, this post from Mark Hayward on Twitip will help you understand some of the fundamentals.

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.

Also yesterday we met with a prospective new client who is planning to bring a new service to the Charleston, SC area. When asked to define the service and what the user would get in return for the fee, the prospective client had some but not all of the user benefits worked out. They had not completed their pricing structure and did not have a solid understanding of their costs as related to delivering the service.

What both of these people have in common is a good idea that may be highly marketable. What they need is research to learn about their prospective buyers, the market and how they will make money and manage their business.

If you are an entrepreneur who wants to offer a new product or service, starting with an idea is great, but then do your homework.

Define your target market. Who is your target customer? And as I was told many years ago, “The world is NOT your customer.” Your customer is some subset of people with unique characteristics. What do they need/want in their lives? Where do they live, what is their educational background? What drives them? How much do they earn? How often do they purchase goods or services in the segment that you want to enter?

Write a buyer profile that will help focus your thinking for your customer. Learn what your potential customers have to say about similar products and services. Read blog comments and user reviews in blogs or in the evaluation/comment sections of online stores. Get into your buyers’ head and know what makes them part with their hard earned dollars.

If you know that you will have more than one type of customer, segment your customers and create a buyer profile for each segment.

Undertake an environmental scan of what others (with similar good and services) are offering in your marketing region (both geographically and if you will be a web based only product, then on the web.) Learn as much as you can about their products, pricing and the benefits to the user.

Use your insights to guide you in further conceptualizing your service or product. You need a unique selling proposition (USP) which will distinguish you from your competition and which will resonate most clearly to your target market.

Begin to think like your target customer. If they don’t want what you’re selling, it does not matter what you say or how you say it, they won’t buy. Clearly define the benefits to your user. Will this make their lives easier, cheaper, faster, more simple? How? That is your key USP. Just because you think your idea is a good one is not a reason to go into business.

And speaking of business, create a business plan. This is your road map to guide you in the development of your product/service. This process is made easier if you undertake it with support and assistance. There are many who are available to do this including SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) who offer their services in many communities. Some people may find a business coach helpful. Don’t overlook The Small Business Administration (SBA) Business Information Center which is co-located with SCORE. Another small business resource is the The Frank Roddy SC Small Business Development Center of SC with centers around the state.

Develop a management plan. Who will keep your books? What systems will you use? How will you bill? Collect monies? Where will you be located? Will you need employees? Who will sell your products? Do you need to be web only or do you need a bricks and mortar location?

Begin with an idea, but then do the work to test your idea, create a plan so you know where to go with your idea and create a structure that will give you the support you need to build a business. And if you need help when you’ve undertaken these steps and are ready to bring your product to market, call me.

Used well, Twitter humanizes people in corporations and behind brands. Just ask the folks @Zappos shoes.

Twitter is a very effective tool to shape brand perceptions. There are a crop of articles and examples of how Twitter is helping PR pros and companies.

MediaBistro which is a great resource for publicists and writers posted an interview with Robert Quigley, Austin American-Statesman Internet Editor that includes how he has used Twitter to increase audience and develop new audiences for that publication.

AdAge has a great article from @TomMartin regarding how he demonstrated the ability of Twitter to reshape perceptions of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. His research before and after his Tweets regarding the festival demonstrated attudinal change.

Closer to home @webprgirl Lyn Mettler is using Twitter to promote a virtual Myrtle Beach Blast. Not only will she reshape awareness for the participating hotels, she will plant the idea of Myrtle Beach in the minds of people at the right booking time in the year. It will be interesting to compare and track bookings at each hotel before and after the event.

Tweet on! I’m @Cheryl_Smithem on Twitter and I look forward to learning about your business and how you use Twitter. Share your experience. Write up how your company is using Twitter and I’ll post with your byline.

“Findings from the study reveal that that industries that sell high involvement products – where a buyer invests time and effort in deciding what to buy – have much higher correlations between media prominence and brand value than industries selling low involvement products, which are more likely to be bought on impulse.”

As a small business owner, if you sell products that require consumer evaluation prior to purchase (appliances, HVAC systems, automobiles, wedding planning to name a few) you can advance your business over your competitors’ business by embracing a public relations plan that puts emphasis on gaining earned media. And by the way, that no longer is limited solely only print media, but also includes electronic media, the Internet and social media.

Electronic media have a half life that is probably equivalent to that of radioactive elements. Just ask those whose businesses have been dissed or dumped in cyberspace. OR ask their competitors whose products have been featured in editorial space. What shows up when you Google your company? Stories from bloggers in your area? Newspaper articles helping readers learn how to plan their wedding? Who is being quoted or cited as an expert? It it’s not your company, it’s probably your competitor. You can impact what consumers learn about your company and its products.

How did they get there? They budgeted, developed and implemented a strategically designed publicity/media relations plan. Many have the time to do it themselves, others use PR pros. Either way requires time and money. It should be part of your regular marketing expense plan.

Don’t wait until you have a negative situation to implement a media relations plan that involves developing relationships with key media voices for your audience.

Research which sources carry the most weight and develop relationships with the right people behind the blog or by-line. Share news and information that would be of interest to the audience for each media source. Learn what stories are in the works or forthcoming. Set your company apart or your CEO apart as the expert in their field.

Provide the information in the most usable way. Stay on top of consumer trends and social change. Think of what is important to the consumer and provide information from your company to key media contacts that helps solve a consumer’s problem or issue. That will gain earned media and increase the value of your brand.

Also, don’t overlook the power of positive WOM (word of mouth.) It’s always been one of the primary deciding factors in all product purchases. In a small market like ours, WOM is more critical than earned media for services (doctor, lawyer, Realtor, financial advisor.) We trust who our friends say we can trust.

WOM has gone cyber too with the prevalence of sites like Angie’s List and The Little Black Book. Wal-Mart and Target provide online product critiques from consumers. You can buy a bed and rate it. Buy a sofa and rate it.

Provide a vehicle for and include consumer comments in your website so your customers can share their candid reviews of products and services.

The most up to date sites are built using content management systems. Small businesses can use the power of WordPress to build sites. WordPress comes with all the tools to allow comments, ratings, subscriptions to comments that a small business needs.

Worried about negative reviews and comments? Show them and turn them around with proactive monitoring and interaction in the comments. Post what you did to turn the negative into a positive. Transparency wins.

And so does your business with the power of earned media and WOM. Budget for it. Plan for it. Do it.

Dear Governor Sanford:

As a professional, I’ve been laid off twice; the first time in July 2001 and the second time in February 2008.

Each of these times I applied for unemployment compensation from the SC Employment Security Commission. While not much compensation, it is something to tide one over. However, after a few months the first time and a few weeks the second time on unemployment, I discovered that starting one’s own business is not compatible with the unemployment system. I found that to remain honest and within the system, I had to report money that I would not receive for weeks. I became fed up with the system which does not support entrepreneurial growth and left the system.

In each instance, I was successful at my enterprises. I am lucky that I have the education and drive to make a success. Are others equally equipped?

South Carolina needs to support the growth of small businesses and entrepreneurs (which are the majority types of business in our state) with a modified system and unemployment compensation or small business initiative loans, like Kiva loans to family groups in the third world.

Due to the economy, we don’t have extra resources to build new programs, but perhaps there is a better way to structure the SC Employment Security Office so that those who have a drive to be small business owners are nurtured in that path. Now, that I am aware, there is nothing in that direction. Upon the occasions that I visited the Employment Security Offices, I saw people who were in need of real counseling direction. Our legacy of paternalism and entitlement hobble us just as much as our history of poor educational results. Can there be a joining of the The Frank L. Roddey Small Business Development Center of South Carolina with the employment security system?

I do not recall any materials that were provided to me from South Carolina Employment Security Commission that gave me any understanding of resources or ways to learn about having my own business. No one at the Employment Security Commission that I am aware of is doing anything to support the awareness that one’s one enterprise can grow during these times of opportunity. Each newly unemployed person has skills, knowledge and abilities. Each person has the ability to earn for themselves, but unless they understand how to move forward, they won’t find their way.

My husband who is from New York state points to many bad things about that state, but he tells me that they understand how to work with laid off workers who wish to go back to school, start a business or define their own path. I believe South Carolina’s history as a textile mill / manufacturing state is hobbling us as we emerge into the new economy of services.

I would be delighted to volunteer my time to assist in any panels, advisory groups or others who are brainstorming ways to make our system better.

Thank you for taking time to review these thoughts. I deeply appreciate your fiscal conservatism and support your leadership in that regard.

Back in the early 1990s when I was the Executive Director of the Charleston Area Arts Council, you were very kind to write detailed letters in response to my letters requesting increased federal funding for the arts. You may not remember those letters, but your points hit home.

These days, I now am a fiscal conservative but a believer in helping people find a way. I believe we can empower people with information, Kiva style small loans in lieu of unemployment compensation and direction to help them start a small business, return to school or in other regards, “get a life.”

I don’t mean to denigrate those who depend on the current unemployment compensation system but there is a new way and we must find it! And I am willing to be a part of making it happen!

Candle in the Wind photo image courtesy of dhruvaraj’s flickr photo stream on flickr’s creative commons site.

How does one use facebook as a marketing tool? Many small business owners are successfully creating fan pages and friends groups and posting exclusive offers for members of the group. Facebook is one way to market socially at very low cost. Some have created applications to drive interactivity with items linked to their products or services. Creating applications has a higher cost than the old fashioned friend / fan page.

Best facebook marketing tips:

1. Post exclusive events to your fan page
2. Make sure your friends invite their friends to your group
3. Post a flickr stream to your facebook page and be sure photos from your recent events are there for tagging
4. Interact with the memeber of your fan group, noting their changes and updates and commenting on them to create a tighter sense of community.

When it comes to reaching women, it’s time to face facts; it’s facebook!