Your Company's Marketing Toolbox

Adding social networking to your marketing toolbox can bring you visibility and new connections with customers, but according to social media blogger, Michelle Tripp, “…at the end of the day, social media isn't magic. It's just a tool, a multi-functional, albeit bright red and shiny tool, waiting for a purpose. And without clear objectives and ultra-sharp strategy, using social media is like trying to cut a rope with those cute little Swiss Army® tweezers.” [http://trippmichelle.blogspot.com/]

I met with a new client today, who wants to get started with social media, and I was reminded about Michelle’s analogy which is one of the best that I’ve come across. Because not only do you need to have a toolbox of marketing tactics to help your business grow, you need to have the right tools to use.

There are many marketing directors who get excited about a new technology or marketing tool then run full-throttle getting set up without thinking about whether or not it is the right tool for their customers.

How to find the right tools?
How do you know which tools are right for you? Look at your current customers as well as potential customers. It’s important to know as much about them as you can in order to connect with them in the best way possible.

Different generations use and respond differently to social media. Younger generations are more likely to be online and very web savvy, so your tactics should acknowledge that characteristic. Build your connections with them online.

Is social media a tool you should add to your toolbox? Do you have social media tools and want to expand their use?

How do you know when social media works?
Before you launch your new initiative, make sure to start with goals and benchmarks. For example, if you decide that your customers may respond to a coupon for free products, you may want to add the offer to an existing email newsletter distribution. The goal would be to direct them to your website to get the details and print it out.

Before you send the email, make sure to get a baseline of your website hits (analytics) so you can determine how many people visited your site in the month or quarter before the coupon offer. A best practice in this situation is also to create a specific web page with a unique URL link for that particular offer. That way, you know that your web hits for that page would start at zero.
Knowing where all your visitors go when they visit your site lets you see to which pages these new customers may be navigating. If you find that customers come for the coupon and click on other product pages, you can use that information for your next promotion. It can give you the opportunity to “see” what your customers are interested in outside of the coupon offered.

Be careful, too, that if you do work to get people coming back to your site that you are prepared in the case of an avalanche of visitors. A recent example of this was KFC’s introduction of their 2-piece grilled chicken meal. The free offer got the attention of Oprah, who posted the coupon to her website, creating a huge rush at local restaurants. This is a great example of how easily an influencer, such as Oprah, can initiate viral response.
That’s all for today…

Social Networks: Utilizing Leverage of your companies

I came across this great article from one of my Tweeps (Twitter People). It cites a study done by UC Berkely Haas School of Business Marketing Research which looked at the influence people have on their "friends" on social networking sites.

They found that people who have fewer contacts were actually MORE influential than those who had many contacts. The conclusion was that those with a few close contacts/friends were more influential because their ties were actually stronger and so carried more weight.

"For word-of-mouth or 'viral' marketing, companies would actually be better off trying to diffuse their product through those with a small number of strong ties, instead of those who appear popular, with many weak ties. This is interesting, considering many people (and companies) would assume that diffusion could be maximized by making a product successful with popular people. It turns out that the best strategy is to market to those with the closest friends."

It comes down to the old adage that marketers have been using--it's quality, not quantity, that counts. Work develop strong relationships with your core/target customers and focus your time and efforts on pleasing them. The Pareto Rule comes into use here: 80 percent of your revenues come from the top 20 percent of your customers. Keep those 20 percent happy and satisfied.

More on the study can be found here: http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/551499/

That's all for now. You can follow me on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/pjend

Using Twitter for business

As I gather interviews and information for an article on using social media for small business, I came across an article written by one of my favorite bloggers, Chris Brogan, "50 ideas on using Twitter for business."

Some of my favorite ideas from the blog (complete link is above if you'd like to read the whole thing) are:

• What to Tweet: answer the question, "What is on your mind right now" instead of tweeting about what you're doing.
• Reply to tweets publicly if you have something to add to the conversation or a link to add. Use the Direct Message feature if your conversation is more personal and the broader Twitter community won't find it helpful.
• Twitter doesn't have to take a lot of your time. It should be about the quality of what you are saying. I have heard that tweeting 2-3 times per day for a few minutes is more than sufficient. Again, it is about saying something worth reading.
• Follow interesting people on Twitter. For instance, I am following the major PR firms in the Twin Cities as well as interesting social media mavens around the country (Chris Brogan, Lee Aase, and SteJules).
• Commenting on tweets and re-tweeting (RT) is a great way to build a community.
• Twitter can break news faster than other sources.

I hope these tips have been helpful. Read Chris' entire blog for all 50 tips. Look for my article in the June/July issue of Upsize Minnesota magazine as well as more insights from my interviews published here.

The power of testimonials

I've been reading "The Sales Advantage: How to Get It, Keep It, and Sell More Than Ever," from Dale Carnegie & Associates. I was reminded, while reading, how important it is to ask your clients for testimonials and referrals.

It can be a little nerve-wracking to go back to customers and ask for a favor when they've already bought from you. One of my favorite ways to do this is to conduct an annual or semi-annual customer satisfaction interview or survey. This will give you a chance to talk with your client about how things have been working and will give you a chance to fix any problems if there are any.

A best case scenario will have you getting good feedback and then asking: "Would you mind writing a testimonial about us? We'd like to use it to reinforce to our clients and employees that the satisfaction of our clients is important."

While you're at it, why not ask them if they know of anyone else who could use your services? An example, "John, I'm glad that we've been able to help you automate your payroll functions. Do you know of any other companies who might benefit from our help?" If not, just let them know that you're there to help when needed. If so, make sure to ask if you can use their name when calling on the new prospect.

That's all for now...

Using the Internet and social media for small business

Whether you've haed a website for years or are just moving your business marketing into the online space, it's critical to think about what some of the new tactics for promoting your business online can do for you.

First, clarify your target audience and determine if they use the Internet regularly and are likely to go there first for information. If your customers are more likely to pick up the phone and call you for what they need, you can take time to ease your customers online.

If your customers are more likely to go to the Internet first, you need to determine where they are going:

• What sites do the visit?
• Are they part of an online social networking site such as FaceBook?
• Do they read industry or competitors' blog postings?

Marketing on the Internet is basically taking your standard marketing rules and applying them to the Internet space. Make sure you have a presence where your customers are and make sure that if your compeitor is out there then you are too. Use the Internet to your advantage and go places where your competitors are not. Are their websites set up by your customers (i.e. fansites for Mustangs, PC applications, and the like).

Thanks for reading...

The importance of public relations

Over the last year, we've discovered just how important it is to be able to control your messages in the public forum. Between elections, corporate scandal, and local issues it is imperative that any organization be ready to handle difficult situations as well as get the good news out. Because of course, we all know that the media is more interested in the "bad" stories.

The "bad" stories seem to be more prevalent lately however, it could simply be that we are being broadcast at from many more different angles. I am of the generation who grew up without computers and didn't have cable television until high school. Now, I am being sent "news" through the traditional newspaper (which, yes, I still like to read in paper format), through online content providers (AOL, CNN), radio (NPR), and even verbally when I overhear people talking in public places. I am also encountering new ideas and opinions from my students and all my contacts on social networks (FaceBook and LinkedIn).

On one hand, I feel it's important, as a consumer and citizen, to be knowledgeable of what is going on. On the other, as a communications professional, I am thinking more and more about the message overload and how companies can control what gets out for discussion without becoming an ostrich who buries their head in the sand hoping no one will notice them. Where is that line of being fair to people and self-preservation? Why are we all left with a sour taste in our mouth and only seeing the dark side of everything? Are we all becoming too cynical to accept "good" news?

Small businesses have an easier time, I believe, simply because their "bad" news isn't as big of a story as "bad" news from a major corporation is. I see this as an advantage to small businesses. Take advantage of your lack of "bad" news press to emphasize the importance of your "good" news. Give your community something to feel good about.

Signing off for now...