Develop Foundational Marketing Messages for Social Media

Today, business owners understand they need to have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and some of the targeted niche sites for their particular industry.  But what most business fail to see is that social media is only one aspect of creating a profitable business.  In other words, there are Six Marketing Tactics that should be developed before engaging in social media.  They will help when designing and implementing your social media platform.  Social media will enhance your ongoing efforts to build your base of customers and expand your reach into the market.

Each tactic is designed for you to create a solid foundation of communication with your current and future customer.  Most of these tactics are low cost or no cost.  Just knowing what to do next is just as important than getting a new customer.  These tactics are how you interact with your customers and how they perceive you and your business.  You may already be developing these tactics or just working with a couple of them.  When you consistently have your business messages involved in all six categories at the same time, then you have a solid foundation to move into social media.  This isn't the answer to all businesses nor do we make any claim that if you do implement these tactics that your business will expand.  However, if you do implement these ideas and move forward, you may see improvement even with your current customers.

6 Main Marketing Tactics

1. Business Communications
• Business Communications means everything you do as part of your daily operations and a marketing tool.  For example, using your email address to promote your business.
2. Networking and Personal Marketing
• Networking is everything you do to connect with others.  Networking extends beyond you business day as you are always interacting with others, and everyone you know is a potential customer or referral source.
3. Advertising and email
• Advertising and email can either be very effective marketing tools and/or very large wastes of time and money.  Nearly all advertising (78% - 90%) dollars are 100% wasted!  For your advertising dollars to be cost effective, you must must target your marketing.  Put research statistics, scientific data, and the principals of psychology to work!  Forget what you've been doing.
4. Public Relations
• Public Relations is one of the most effective, least understood marketing tools.  Public Relations is everything your business does relative to what the public knows and/or thinks about your business.  This includes Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Linked In and many other social sites.  It also includes the traditional methods of writing Press Releases to local media outlets, articles to trade publications and how you are perceived in the community.
5. Promotions
• Promotions are special events (or tactics) with the specific purpose of generating new prospects for your business. 
6. Customer Development
• Customer Development and Customer Base Marketing using specific marketing tactics targeted at your current customer base for the sole purpose of developing them into better, more valuable customers for you business.

During the next several weeks, I will explain each tactic in depth.  I will offer suggestions and give ideas on how to develop an easy system for you to implement. I will also explain the basic understanding of social media and what users need to know to get started.  It's not complicated and information is all over the Internet if you have time to find it.  For most businesses it's a time factor to stay up to date and be consistent with your message.  However, just know what to do next is just as important as getting that next customer.  Hopefully we can help your message get out on a consistent basis and bring in that next  new customer.

Thanks,
Scott

Not another "Deals" website? Really???

It seems like everyone is jumping on the bandwagon of these discount websites. You know the ones that has some special deal that's at least 50% off their advertised price. Groupon ignited the nation with a way of bringing in new customers to take advantage of a great deal. Their philosophy started out in Chicago by finding these hidden little businesses and attracting new customers to these gems. Groupon wanted people to rediscover Chicago and the hidden treasures off the beaten paths. The best way and most efficient way of announcing these little businesses was to collect emails of followers and send out daily deals to entice customers to buy the deal. Add in Social Media and fans start following through Facebook and Twitter and you have an instant hit.

The tsunami started with Groupon, now these sites are popping up all over the place. Valpak just announced it's now offering this program in three cities Omaha, NE; Long Island, N.Y.; Las Vegas and more to follow soon. They have a strong franchisee/sales force on the ground in most cities searching for small businesses to advertise in their big blue envelop; they ought to do well. Like most great ideas, copy cats are out in a full assault for new business.

So what's this all about? It's not the "deal" the business owner wants to hand the customer. It's reducing advertising costs and controlling risk to bring a new customer in the door. Now if your new customer does not have a pleasant experience the opportunity and money spent to promote your product or service was lost. If you don't have a plan to retain those new customers the program is a loss. It's just throwing away your profits despite your customers.

Let's just cut to the chase shall we? I was watching sales occur on a local restaurant through one of the largest "Deal" sites. They had over 3200 sales over a day with a $30 worth of food for $15. Is this a good thing for this restaurant? You may say, "look at all these new customers". But if you break out the break even point of food costs and the cost of the program. You realize it just cost this restaurant $45,000.00 in profit. This isn't chump change, this is trying to survive over the next 6 months with all these "New Customers" coming in and enjoying your food. The tough part is seeing your regular customers coming in and enjoying your food at a huge discount. They're not new they just saw a great deal at a place they love to go... This is a losing money proposition. Uncontrolled sales is not always a good thing. That's why businesses put limits on product and services. Too much of a good thing will break the bank.

So you ask, "why am I writing about a "Deals" site?" We just launched a site http://www.e-vitedeals.com/. Our philosophy is to bring new customers to businesses in a manageable and efficient way. Attract new customers with an incredible deal and focus on keeping those customers with a marketing plan in place. If a business can manage the number of new customers coming to their door and have a plan on how to keep them; it then becomes a win win for everyone, including you and your customer.

Our plan isn't to drive a business into the ground with thousands of customers. Our plan is to work on customer development and build a life long satisfied customer. It's difficult to do with 3200 new customers standing outside your door. But you can manage 500 new customers that frequent your business on a consistent basis.

If you have any comment or questions please drop me a line.

Thanks,
Scott

So... What's so special about you????

So... What's so special about you??? This is one of the most important questions to ask a small business. What is your fundamental reason for being in business? What is your competitive advantage? Most small business rely on the basic "customer service" comment. Sorry small business owner but no one cares!!!! Your customers will walk right pass you on a day you are dying for a customer and go right to your competitor because they will give them a small discount they found in Val-Pak... Or, even better, they need to capture the next badge on FourSquare.

Does this sound familiar to you??? Well, that's the way the new marketing landscape is shaping up. If you don't know why your customers are your customers then it's back to the drawing board. If you think customer service is your key to success or fast service then you and every other business on the block are saying the same thing. There are no customer loyalties to a "me too" business. Be unique and customers will be standing outside your door trying to get in.

Find out what makes you and your business really different. What special technique, recipe or geographical area do you have that makes what you do so different than your competitor. Once you find out what makes you so different then announce it to the world. It need to be on every business communication, sales material, announcements, promotions, social media and customer development programs you have. If you don't then your customers think you are just like the other guy and they want to save money, or get that next badge.

If you don't know why you're in business then it is awfully difficult for your customers to know why they come and spend money with you. Take time to find out why you are whom you are and you will be surprised how many people will take time and pass those other competitors to come and see you.

This is one of many tactics that needs to be developed for your Foundational Marketing Messages. They are your keys for success and to aid you in developing your marketing strategies in all aspects from traditional to the social media landscape. If you don't know what your messages are then you will have a difficult time gaining a loyal following of customers.

If you want to know more just let me know.

Thanks,

Scott

Social Media

After several months of studying Social Media and what it brings to the table for businesses it brings one thing to my attention. OK, maybe several things to my attention. The first one is that I've been studying this for several months and just now starting to understand what it takes to bring a marketing tactic to the big three or four social media sites. It takes time, energy, persistence and patience.

I understand the potential of what social media can do for a business and how well it can boost revenue and profits, but for a small business to implement these strategies and run a small business at the same time it becomes a difficult task. I have worked with major businesses and they are busy with what's on their plate. It's difficult for them to move in a different direction without hiring someone new. Busniesses have already cut departments and personnell down to the bone to maintain profits and adding a new marketing professional costs money.

Social Media sites maybe free... but if you don't know what to do this becomes a big issue. It's not like uploading photos and letting everyone know what you did last weekend is going to bring in customers. You need strategies and a plan. Look for professionals to help you get to where you want to be in the Social Media revolution.

They will help you understand and help set the goals you want to accomplish and measure the results. The best part is that they can usually do this for a lot less then hiring a new person and creating a position.


Social Media is here to stay until the next big thing comes along... Until then, embrace the new way of communicating and jump on board with both feet and get ready to ride the way. It's only just begun.

Thanks,
Scott

My blog on blogging....

Writing a Blog may seem daunting at times. Unless you absolutely love writing and just want to see your words on paper, don't over burden yourself thinking you have to write something everyday. Blogs are supposed to be interesting and fun. Blogs are about telling your audience something that you believe in and that they might want to hear more information on. This is why I am writing about... yes, writing a blog.

Sit down and write something fun, humorous or interesting. Keep it short if you don't have a lot to elaborate, but make it interesting if you can. If you don't enjoy writing, then don't write a blog. Have someone eles on your team write blogs on behalf of your business. If you write a blog two to three times a month it's plenty of information for your audience to enjoy and learn from.

Now if you love to write and have a lot to say... then this is your paradise; you can write as much as you want when you want. Although, if you have this much to say then maybe you need a personal blog to write. Too much of a good thing does not mean it's perfect for your customers. Write what is pertinent to your business on subjects that make sense. This goes a long way to improving customer retention and opening up a dialog to your customers.

Blogs are just another avenue to opening up a dialog and presenting your customers with who, what, where, how, why and when about your business. Blog too much and your customers will tire of reading all of them. Not enough and they wont come back to see what you have to say. Every week or so is just enough to make it interesting. Unless of course, this is how you make a living. :)

Happy blogging...

Best Practices

In the age of electronic marketing and social media sites being so prevalent it is better to know what the best practices are to utilize the service to its best ability than it is to just jump in and not know the best practices on how to use the system. More harm than good will come from not knowing how to use the service the right way. It's not the service that's bad, its the person utilizing the system. Don't blame the technology... you get out exactly what you put in.



Let's take a look at e-mail marketing. There have been white papers galore written about this subject. How to use, what to say, what is spam, what happens when it is spam, how to avoid spam etc... The list goes on and on.



Most commercial sites (the ones you pay for) that send opt-in emails have this technology built into their system. If you don't plan on building your own bulk email system, just sign up to one of these services and work with their systems. Remember, these are e-mail address from your customers and not ones that have been purchased. If the email are not opt-in then it's considered spam.



If you are buying an email list, you can use the email service from the company you purchased the list from. They can pinpoint who you want to reach and then send it out in your behalf it's just like buying a mailing list except it's email not snail mail. After the email is sent they can give you a report on how many people opened the email up, who clicked on specific links (if you had any) and what type of response you had. This is a good way to build a email list fast if you want to start right away. Build the email and have a link to your website directly to your opt-in page and give them something they want in return to have them sign up (i.e. buy one diner receive one free)



One white paper I truly like is from Right Now Technologies. http://www.rightnow.com/ They explain all the idiosyncrasies of sending out opt-in emails. Your customers will thank you by spending money with you.



If your going to use this method to increase sales do it the right way and see how your bottom line increases.



Thanks,

Scott

Welcome to e-Vite Marketing

Hello, welcome to our blog. I am excited to start writing about our philosophy at e-Vite Marketing. We believe that business begins at the grass roots level and the solutions available to the small and medium sized businesses in our community are just a marketing tactic away to build upon solid growth.



We focus on low-cost or no-cost marketing avenues and helping small to medium sized businesses find more value for their marketing dollar.



Stay tuned to our blogs and you may find money making ideas that can propel your business to the next level.



Thanks,

Scott