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Business Blogging and Focus: Are You All Over The Map?

Aug 25th, 2010
by Susan Hamilton.
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Business blogging will really benefit your company, that is – unless you forget that your blog should be addressing your reader’s needs. If your blog is working for you, you know what those needs are. Going outside those lines can take you out of an inbox very quickly!

Your readers come to expect something from you, but it’s very easy to get off-task and forget what your blog strategy was working towards. It’s not wrong to add some humorous posts or even some cynicism or thoughtful words occasionally, but keep a clear eye on your goals. A business blog isn’t a journal, but it is a casual communication starter that should encourage your readers to excel at something they wanted to know more about regarding your industry or niche.

Picking topics that talk about your product lines or best practices will help you stay on point. Teach your readers how do do something that will benefit them, and make it easy.

You can have a lot of fun sharing your blog with your storefront customers, too. Add your blog URL to your business cards and counter top media like brochures or fliers. If you create an environment through a business blog that speaks to the very reason they walked into your store, you’ve added additional sales avenues requiring very little online effort. Suggest that they leave comments and give them ways to sign up for freebies. Your targeted list of pre-screened purchasers will build up in no time.

What is your business blog about? Do you suggest your blog to clients and customers? We love to hear from you, let us know about it!

Related Post:

Great Copywriting is Necessary for All Businesses

Posted in: Blogging.
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A Creative’s Controversy: Talent vs. Commodity

Aug 17th, 2010
by Susan Hamilton.
3 comments

It’s a heated debate. Are creative services, such as copywriting or graphic art, a talent or a commodity? On the one hand, business writing is a staple and can be purchased, like milk, through various locations. On the other hand, the talent behind a creative’s work must still support an income where time and talent are factors and the more developed the skill, the more valuable the time. You could look at it like a set designer or musician; the skill set is not simply learned academically, but also through mentoring and environment, as well as talent and popularity.

Wooden ReflectionsIt doesn’t seem to matter what side I take when I post, the comments always indicate support of the other perspective. I write on the importance of a strong brand identity and the role a creative plays in helping a client develop one, and the comments will be along the lines of, “Well, I do that with VistaPrint.”

I do work with a company that has a rockin’ logo and gave $30 bucks for it.

On the other hand, I know I work with the best graphic artist around because I’ve seen him in action while he creates directly from his client’s persona and his personal genius, and he won’t design you a logo for $30 bucks. You won’t find a template of his stuff on VistaPrint, either. What he gives his clients and ours, however, is definitely what cannot be found elsewhere and is gladly paid well for.

If I write on how the importance of great communication with a client adds to a price benefit for both a client and creative because of the decreased level of revision, I  get snotty comments about how copywriting is all related to talent.

So is creative work a commodity, or talent? In reality, they are both.

Talent is very important, and if you ask me, I’ll tell you it’s one of the most important factors. I realize you can learn skill in a classroom, but I also know that many who have gone to class to build a career like mine, suck at it. There are marketing departments speckled all over corporate America missing the mark big time with their campaigns, and the degree doesn’t matter – the skill, willingness to learn (flexibility), and talent all play a  part in the success or failure of a thing.

But if you’re highly skilled and talented and have no discipline or connections that bring holistic solutions to your clients regarding their needs, talent alone won’t be enough to get your head above water within any industry, let alone the creative.

You may however, with little other necessary creative talent within your niche, be able to put together your own somewhat OK business card.

So where do you stand on it? Tell us about it and share it with our readers below.

Posted in: Copywriting.
Tagged: · · · ·

Twitter Helps Your Message Grow Wings

Aug 11th, 2010
by Shari Voigt.
4 comments

According to a new report by Exact Target, Twitter users are:

  • 5 times more likely to post to blogs at least monthly
  • 3 times more likely to post product reviews and post in an online forum
  • 5 times more likely to share coupons on coupon sites

“They also are more likely to write articles for third-party sites, post videos, contribute to wiki’s and a whopping 70% are commenting on other people’s blogs.”

That would include me. As a Twitter user, I like to find interesting or educational tidbits that I can share with my readers. The statistics above are from Cynthia Boris’ article on Andy Beal’s Marketing Pilgrim, a site I follow in Google Reader. It could have just as easily come from a short post and link on Twitter. Either way, I’ll share it on Twitter and our Zero To Sixty Marketing Facebook page, and a variety of other sites. Other people do the same thing, and that’s how online content gains wings.

What does this have to do with small business marketing success? Give us something to talk about! Post your in-store specials to Twitter, offer recipes, how-to articles, tip sheets, etc. If it relates to your product or service or offers something of value, share it on Twitter, Facebook, and directly on your blog. This multiplies your message and provides more opportunity for your readers to expand your reach. Get it right, and it’s free viral promotion for your business.

Are you on Twitter? Please add your Twitter address to your comments, below, and tell us … what types of tweets are you most likely to share?

Posted in: advertising.
Tagged: · · · · · · · ·

Just Say No to the Wrong Customer!

Jul 27th, 2010
by Gerald Voigt.
7 comments

The customer is never wrong.

Well that may be true, but it doesn’t necessarily mean each customer is right, for you. Recently I was approached by a prospective client who was asking for assistance with marketing his business. I listened to him explain everything that he felt was wrong with all aspects relating to his business and its operations, mostly external. This lit the master caution light in my mind. Sure, there are those clients who just don’t start out running their businesses very well, and they struggle along the way. Some crash immediately after takeoff, yet some manage to get a little air, but no significant altitude.

divingplaneWe’ve all dealt, in one way or another, with those who have tried to fly their business by the seat of their pants – their only engine on fire, a hole in both wings and no change for the prayer phone. You can hear the crew screaming at each other and watch as passengers bail out once they’ve experienced the first few minutes of the flight. Those who make the whole trip are definitely not happy with the experience.

Do yourself a favor before making a proposal or entering into a business agreement. Do some investigation into the potential client before making a commitment. In this case, I discovered several red warning lights burning brightly. Sure, some were biased, but there were others that came from reliable and trusted sources. A simple check with the BBB might cause you immediate reason to abort before takeoff!

He was also completely out of the loop as far as what his customers were reporting about him and his business. He wasn’t connected, linked or even dialed into the main mode of modern communications…the Internet. It was something he chose to ignore for unknown reasons – reasons that are probably trivial, compared to the information it could have provided him. Those facts clinched the decision not to accept this client as a customer.

There are only so many things you can do for some people. In this case we declined the job, firmly believing that his predisposition left little room for improvement. Failure is not imminent when poor practices are in place as long as there is an understanding that those practices will need repair and a strategy put in place to overcome past issues. Failure is most probable, however, if nothing is intended to change but the outcome. What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

What would you have done?

Posted in: Small Business Issues.
Tagged: · ·

5 Small Business Tips from a Chipmunk

Jul 13th, 2010
by Shari Voigt.
5 comments

Have you ever pondered the life of a chipmunk? We have an active clan in our backyard and they’re fun to watch, along with the bunnies, birds and other occasional wild critters.

5 Small Business Tips from a ChipmunkThe chipmunk works hard and plays hard from spring through fall. It stuffs its cheeks full at one of our bird feeders, then scampers off, repeating the process again and again – filling a chamber in its underground home to feed its young ones and storing up food for the winter. Then it disappears for the winter and rests from summer’s frenetic activity.

It’s a strange balance, but balance nonetheless.

What does this have to do with small business marketing tips?

  1. The chipmunk doesn’t stop filling its cheeks because it’s hot or it’s raining. If there’s food to be harvested, it works.
    Face it, marketing is seldom, if ever, convenient. We need to approach our marketing activities with the same qualities of diligence and perseverance as that chipmunk. Do you know how much you can accomplish if you commit to 30-minutes of focused business building each and every day?
  2. If food’s not readily available, the chipmunk seeks new sources.
    When business slows down, or preferably before then, evaluate where you’re promoting your business. If you’re primarily promoting off-line, where can you supplement your efforts online? If you’re not reaching your market online (or even if you are), put some time and effort into also developing an off-line strategy. Don’t replace one promotional avenue with another. Diversify and broaden your reach.
  3. When it’s playtime, the chipmunk holds nothing back.
    Has business taken over your life or have you reserved time to play? We’re happier and more productive when we get away from the office regularly … and it usually makes us easier to get along with!
  4. The chipmunk watches for predators and chases away competitors.
    Do you know what your competitors are up to? At the very least, set up Google Alerts for your top competitors – and if you haven’t done so already, set one up for your business name and your personal name too. This is part competitive intelligence gathering and part reputation management. You need both.
  5. And in the dead of winter, the chipmunk sleeps – conserving its energy and food supply to survive until the next season.
    When business slows down, not only should you be evaluating new sources, but just as important – conserve your resources. It’s easy to whip out a credit card for an expense that normally comes out of the checking account, but it may be far wiser to forgo the expense until you actually have the money in your checking account.

We’ve made the commitment to build our business debt-free. This was a decision not made lightly and it probably isn’t the best decision for everyone – but it took our decision making process for expenditures out of the gray zone. We either have the money saved for major purchases or we don’t – in which case, we wait until we do.

What business principles have you learned or had reinforced from quietly watching or pondering something in nature?

Posted in: Small Business Issues.
Tagged: · · · ·

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