Tag Archives | marketing

How to Market Your Business as a Solopreneur

By on February 26, 2013 in Branding & Marketing, Guest Articles

Guest Post

How to Market Your Business as a Solopreneur 300x199 How to Market Your Business as a SolopreneurSolopreneurs are a unique breed of people forced to juggle multiple business functions while running their businesses on a day-to-day basis. For many solopreneurs, their greatest skills lie not in marketing, but in creating the products or services that they sell. Additionally, entrepreneurs who run their own sole proprietorships likely don’t have a lot of time to devote to intricate and detailed marketing campaigns that need constant attention.

Network, Network, Network.  Promote your name and business through networking. Go to networking groups and events and talk to people about your business and yourself. Attending networking groups can be an efficient way to connect with many people in a short amount of time, often at minimal cost. In one two-hour event, you could reach over a hundred people, depending on the size of your event. Additionally, many groups have special workshop or lecture events. Once people get to know you, you may also have the opportunity to speak about your business at a special event, thereby reaching even more people and having the opportunity to talk in-depth about your business.

Be Visible.  Get booth or vendor space at an event, festival or tradeshow to promote your business. Like networking, having a presence as a vendor allows you to reach many people during the course of several hours. It also gives you the chance to talk with people one-on-one about your business as they stop at your booth to make a purchase or learn more about what you have to offer. Having a large banner with your business name or logo on it also helps to increase your visibility and make it more likely that passers-by who don’t stop will remember your business name.

Start a Referral Program.  Creating a referral program is an excellent way to get your existing customers to market for you. Offer your regular customers a special discount or a free promotional item or service if they refer a friend, relative or co-worker who becomes a customer. People listen to the advice and recommendations of the people they know, so most people are actually more likely to take the recommendation of a friend than to respond to an advertisement or other marketing tool. Use this to your advantage, and let your biggest fans – your customers – spread the word about how wonderful they find your business. Referral programs truly create a win-win situation for everyone involved. Happy customers get rewards for promoting their favorite business, potential customers get a quality recommendation, and you get new leads without having to do any legwork.

As a solopreneur, you need to maximize your marketing efforts so that you don’t spend all your time marketing, and you can devote your time and resources to what you do best – running your business. Network, market and promote yourself during events where you’re likely to make the biggest impact and reach the most people in a short amount of time. Additionally, recruit your customers to market on your behalf by starting a referral program.

Jeff Owen is an avid blogger and business event planner. He enjoys sharing his insights on various business blogs. Find out more about event planners and how they can help your business.

“Businessmen Shaking Hand” courtesy of nokhoog_buchachon /FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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How to Leverage The New Rules of Small Business Marketing

By on November 15, 2012 in Branding & Marketing, Q & A Interview, SmallBizChat

SMALL BIZ CHAT LOGO 20121 300x123 How to Leverage The New Rules of Small Business MarketingEvery week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with Barbara Findlay Schenck @bizstrong about the new rules for marketing to screen-connected customers. Barbara helps entrepreneurs plan, brand, market, and sell their businesses. She’s the author of Selling Your Business for Dummies and Small Business Marketing for Dummies, co-author of Branding for Dummies and Business Plans Kit for and marketing columnist for MSN’s businessonmain.com.  For more information http://www.bizstrong.com

SmallBizLady: How did the economy change how small businesses market themselves?

Barbara Findlay Schenck: The recession made customers risk-averse and value-oriented at the same time the Internet made price and product research easier than ever. Customers are empowered with more choices, information and opportunity to amplify their opinions more than ever before. To compete, successful small business marketers have shifted efforts away from advertising and toward development and maintenance of trustworthy brand identities and reputations, broad online presence, communications that invite consumer interaction, and the sky-high levels of customer care necessary to win customers and inspire the positive online and offline word-of-mouth now essential for success.

SmallBizLady: Has the definition of marketing changed?

Barbara Findlay Schenck: No. Marketing is still the process through which you win and keep customers. Now as always, marketing involves all the steps involved to tailor products, packaging, distribution, messaging, communications, sales and service to address the desires and win the decisions and loyalty of those in your target audience. What has changed, dramatically, is how customers shop and buy and how marketing communication takes place.

SmallBizLady: How have customers changed?

Barbara Findlay Schenck: Customers now migrate between physical and digital worlds as they research and shop. To adapt, small businesses need to be present, interactive, and reputable in both worlds, projecting a single brand image – one name, look, message and promise of value – online and off-line in order to achieve awareness, develop trust, and prompt selection among the ever-increasing competitive options. Plus, they need to deliver a consistently positive customer experience at every touch point, both to win and keep customers and to inspire loyalty and positive word-of-mouth in a world where customer comments, rants and raves can spread virally.

SmallBizLady: With access to a global marketplace, have customers gotten more price-sensitive?

Barbara Findlay Schenck: When assessing value, customers consider a product’s quality, features, convenience, reliability, product support, guarantees, expertise and reputation. If they think the value is average, they’ll expect a low-to-average price. If they think the value is superior, they’ll likely assess the product to be worth a premium price.

Want to know what else tips the value equation? The power of a personal relationship. Beyond all the rational reasons people buy, they make purchase decisions based on the simple reason that they like and trust the people they’re dealing with, and this gives small businesses with known names and great reputations a powerful edge.

SmallBizLady: Can you explain the “pull marketing rules”?

Barbara Findlay Schenck: Traditional mass media ads, direct mailers and sales calls interrupt consumers and urge them to take a desired action. The marketer talks and the consumer reacts. That’s called push marketing and it has two strikes against it: It’s expensive and consumers like it less every day.

Pull marketing replaces interruption with interaction. It replaces expensive media with online communications that share useful, entertaining or educational information that involves and pulls consumers toward the business for more information, usually via a link to a website home or landing page. The inbound-marketing pioneer Hubspot summarizes the difference this way: Push marketers buy, beg or bug their way in, while pull marketers earn their way in with valuable content that customers find, share, and act upon – at a fraction of the price.

SmallBizLady: What do you say to small businesses that still don’t have a website?

Barbara Findlay Schenck: I share the facts: Two thirds of Americans use the Internet. Web activity affects the majority of all retail sales. Most product research begins online. And nearly all opinions about the reputation of a person, business or brand are influenced by what people learn online. Yet nearly half of small businesses don’t have websites.

Unless your customers never go online and aren’t influenced by those who do, establish an online home base. A Facebook business page is an option, but a website with an address that includes your business name and to which you can direct all online interest is the gold standard.

SmallBizLady: What steps should small businesses take when ready to build an online presence?

Barbara Findlay Schenck: First, establish a site that’s findable by a search for your business name. Second, make your site findable by building it around keywords customers are likely to be searching for and establishing a network of incoming links from high-quality sites – including social media networks ­– that will help improve its search engine ranking. Third, get active online. Generate and share content. Connect with customers and thought leaders in your business arena. Post. Share. Comment. Thank. Repeat.

The Part III of Small Business Marketing Kit For Dummies gives step-by-step advice too.

SmallBizLady: With all the online and offline communication options, how can small businesses prioritize efforts?

Barbara Findlay Schenck: First, cover the marketing basics: Build a brand, open a website and a mobile version of your website, become an active networker – online and off-line – and be prepared to fulfill interest with an amazing customer experience. Then set the marketing goal you want to accomplish – whether that means more awareness, credibility, trust, customers, sales, publicity or some other goal – and define the audience you need to reach to achieve success. After that, prioritizing efforts becomes a matter of matching communication channels with the usage patterns of your target audience. If you’re not sure, talk to those you want to reach. If you want to reach customers and your customers use foursquare, get active on foursquare. If they Tweet, get a Twitter account. If they read newspapers, place newspaper ads – unless you can reach them more directly and cost effectively by text, e-mail or other one-to-one outreach.

SmallBizLady: How has social media altered small business marketing plans?

Barbara Findlay Schenck: Social media has empowered customers and given them an amplified voice. Marketers have to be listening – and responding. Social media has generated an expectation of interaction with brands. It’s created an environment where marketers succeed not by talking to customers but by talking with them. It’s also given marketers a free communication channel. For small businesses, that means marketing equality with huge corporations. Small businesses that serve customers who use the Internet – or who are influenced by those who do – can seize the benefits by getting online and active on social media.

SmallBizLady: How can small businesses stay on top of online and social media opportunities and changes?

Barbara Findlay Schenck: The dizzying rise of Pinterest is proof of how quickly social networks take hold. Among the many great resources for news and tips, I recommend the Twitter feeds of @HubSpot, @Mashable, @smexaminer, @smallbiztrends, @cnet, @techcrunch, @zdnet and @socialmedia2day.

SmallBizLady: What’s one mistake you see small business marketers make most often?

Barbara Findlay Schenck: They try to be all things to all people. Ask small business owners who they serve and what they do best and the answers come slowly, if at all.  At a time when customers don’t want to be sold but want to learn why they should buy, small businesses need to be ready with rapid responses to the what-do-you-do and what-benefits-do-you-promise questions. On Twitter you get about 20 words. In person you have less than 30 seconds. And in both places you need to convey the same answer, which is then reinforced with every subsequent encounter with your business. Dare to target an audience and stake a value proposition that’s meaningful and capable of drawing interest and prompting action.

SmallBizLady: What is the first marketing expense you think a small business should invest in?

Barbara Findlay Schenck:  One thing? I’d have to say start by investing in the development of a great and uniquely better product and customer experience. At a time when people listen to comments and reviews more than to marketing messages, invest in building an offering that people love and want to buy, rave about and buy again. Great products make great marketing easier.

SM Ninja cover2 trans 238x300 How to Leverage The New Rules of Small Business MarketingAre you ready to learn how to be a Social Media Ninja? 
@SmallBizLady’s new ebook is LIVE! 
Order now: http://bit.ly/sm-ninja

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter. Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat: http://bit.ly/S797e

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is America’s #1 small business expert. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. She writes a weekly column on social media for The New York Times. Forbes Magazine named her #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the bestselling author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works.

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How to Leverage Your Marketing Assets in Your Small Business

By on November 1, 2012 in Branding & Marketing, Q & A Interview, SmallBizChat

SMALL BIZ CHAT LOGO 20121 300x123 How to Leverage Your Marketing Assets in Your Small BusinessEvery week as @SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9 pm ET. This is excerpted from my recent interview with marketing expert Whitney Keyes @WhitneyKeyes, She is author of PROPEL: Five ways to Amp up your Marketing and Accelerate Business (2012, Career Press) 

She has 20 years in the trenches as a senior manager at Microsoft, strategic advisor for American Express, and consultant to thousands of businesses around the world. She started her business career managing her family’s retail store. Whitney also serves as a professor of Global Reputation Management at Seattle University. For more information www.WhitneyKeyes.com

SmallBizLady: What are the 5 marketing mistakes small business owners make?

Whitney Keyes: Over the years, I’ve seen several small businesses make many costly mistakes when it comes to their marketing and that’s exactly why I wrote my book. To help people avoid feeling frustrated and wasting valuable time, budget and resources, here are my top five marketing mistakes to watch out for:

  1. OVERCONFIDENT: With a nicely designed logo, stack of spiffy business cards in hand and a website up, some business owners make the mistake of thinking their marketing is all done. Marketing works best when it’s an ongoing part of your business and constantly integrated into everything you do.
  2. OVERWHELMED: There are a multitude of marketing options to choose from today, from Facebook and e-newsletters to Pinterest and YouTube videos. But this endless number of choices can leave business owners paralyzed and unable to do anything.
  3. OVER DO IT: Other people think they need to be doing everything under the sun to promote their business. They make the mistake of trying to master every cool marketing tool their friends are buzzing about, randomly revamping their website, tweeting, holding one event after another, creating online contests and the list goes on. Trying to do too much, they end up spread too thin.
  4. OBSESSED: Another mistake people make is putting all of their eggs into one marketing basket. Social media is at the top of the obsession list right now. What’s most important is finding the right combination of techniques to help you effectively connect to your clients. Remember, it’s not about what you “want” to do; it’s about what marketing works for you and your customers.
  5. IMPATIENT: We live in a culture based on instant gratification. But marketing is an unpredictable and ongoing game. You never know exactly what will work and precisely when you’ll see the results. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a business owner say, “I spent hours writing my blog article and not one person commented on it.” Giving up too soon in the marketing process is a huge mistake. Stay the course, tweak along the way and watch your marketing starts to grow your business.

SmallBizLady: How do you find your customer sweet spot: aka your target market, segment and niche?

Whitney Keyes: Make sure you don’t go for too big of a slice of your customer pie. By that I mean, if you live in Boulder, CO, and hand-make decorative leashes for dogs out of recycled materials, don’t try to promote your products to all of the dog owners of the world. Slice and dice that pie into smaller, niche-focused customer segments. For example: Start with owners of small dogs who care about the environment and shop at local stores like Boulder’s Only Natural Pet Store.

SmallBizLady: How can you maximize your time as a small business owner?

Whitney Keyes: You can get a lot done in a short amount of time. Use your action plan, and start with just 15 minutes of focused, maximized work–it can pay off in a big way.

SmallBizLady: How should a small business owner repackage their knowledge about their business?

Whitney Keyes: If you have built up a wealth of information about your product or service, use it to your advantage in as many ways possible. This works extremely well for service based businesses. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel when it comes to marketing–there are many times when you should reuse what information you already have, just in different methods and through different platforms.

SmallBizLady: How you do define a lasting trend and why do you say small business owners should jump on lasting trends?

Whitney Keyes: Most trends come and go, but some stay the course and manage to shift our thinking. For instance, “sustainability” has grown from a trendy topic to a mindset that is here to stay, and those who jumped on it early are now seen as authorities on the topic.

SmallBizLady: Many small businesses are always short-handed.  Do you suggest they create an internship program?

Whitney Keyes: Yes, interns are great. Students are desperate to add real world experience to their resume. You may not have to pay them much, but you do need to create a compelling work opportunity. An ideal internship program will help your organization and the student.

SmallBizLady: How can small business owners leverage the people around them?

Whitney Keyes: Your employees are the most valuable asset in your business. Create opportunities for your employees to have fun and truly support the mission of the company. If you have a travel-based company, send employees on customer-facing trips. This authentic form of relationship-based marketing is key to success.

SmallBizLady: How can small business owners get more out of social media?

Whitney Keyes: Every minute you step away for marketing is a minute you could be focusing on making your product better. Social media is a quick and easy way to connect with your audience yet it doesn’t require a lot of time and energy. To be successful with your tweets and posts, ensure your audiences feels the connection both ways– create interactive polls and surveys to engage them in your brand.

SmallBizLady: How can small business owners use their personal strengths more effectively in their small business?

Whitney Keyes: You can’t always do the things you want, especially when you’re in startup mode in your business or facing crunch time on a big project. But, as soon as possible, start incorporating your unique passions and strengths into your marketing. This is one of the easiest and most pleasurable ways to move your business forward. For example, if you’re an introvert, you might focus on writing Facebook posts. An extrovert might benefit from delivering an in-person workshop to potential customers.

SmallBizLady: How can a small business owner make their marketing efforts more effective?

Whitney Keyes: Integrate as much as possible. If you write a blog post, can you use that content on your Facebook page? If you design a flyer, can you incorporate some messaging into your e-newsletter? Seamless, cohesive marketing is fast and effective and essential to being more successful and growing your business.

SmallBizLady: How can you turn your satisfied customers into a salesforce for your small business?

Whitney Keyes: Work your testimonials: Don’t keep your positive feedback in a folder in your inbox. Take those supportive, appreciative words and use them somewhere–anywhere. Share it on your website, LinkedIn, e-newsletter, tweet it, or post on Facebook.

Recycle your tools: From flyers to slides presentations, effective marketing often involves a variety of communication tools. There’s no reason you can’t repurpose the ones that work well or revamp the ones that aren’t working.

SmallBizLady: How can you turn your marketing plan into a real action plan?

Whitney Keyes: The best way to convert creative ideas into results is start small. Break your marketing projects down into one piece at a time that you can focus on and develop a process that works for you. Some people spend 15 minutes a day and others spend a day a week. Do what works best for you to maximize your time and stretch your budget and other resources.

If you found this interview helpful, join us on Wednesdays 8-9pm ET follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter. Here’s how to participate in #SmallBizChat:  http://bit.ly/S797e

Nov 1 evite 03 300x198 How to Leverage Your Marketing Assets in Your Small Business

Are you struggling with social media?

Before jumping on Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+ or Twitter, let me help you get your game plan together so that you are strategic with time online. You only need to make your mark on some social media platforms to grow your business. I’ll teach you how I gained over 200K followers on Twitter and became a brand in demand and, now you can be a Social Media Ninja, too!

Join my webinar: How to Be a Social Media Ninja TONIGHT Nov. 1st at 7 pm ET.  You must register in advance to attend.  Click here to register http://www.learnitlive.com/invite/class/3021/Become-a-Social-Media-Ninja

 

For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com.

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is America’s #1 small business expert. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. She writes a weekly column on social media for The New York Times. Forbes Magazine named her #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com. Melinda is also the bestselling author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works.

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