Free Marketing!

(Real life marketing . . . also see my first blog on why businesses need a web site!)

I was recently working with a business that shunned social media. "No" to facebook, "no" to blogs and especially "no" to twitter. Included in their reasoning was:

• "You don't know who is out there"

• "I'll have all of these people sending me messages"
• "This is going to take some time"

To that, I said "yes", "yes" and "yes". I also said two additional words . . . "free marketing". With millions of people using social media, a single message to one customer can echo to their friends, and their friends, and so on, and so on . . .

(Click here to see the Faberge commercial . . and so on, and so on . . )

I needed to move the conversation back to my client . . . "consider your own situation - if one of your friends recommended a new restaurant, would you want to try it?" "Yes" (depending on the friend) was their answer. Once I could see that they were picturing that customer success story echoing through their friends, and their friends, and so on, and so on . . . I knew that my message was hitting home.

So, we do know who is out there, it's your customers. You will have people sending you messages and you should respond . . . when you are communicating directly to your customers, they will feel connected with your business. And, yes, it will take some time, but that time will add up to additional business and profit.

Why should a business engage in social media? 

• It is free marketing
• Your customers are here
• Connecting with your customers = more business
• It can be fun

At the end of the conversation, my customer asked "can I still send out my e-mails?". I said "yes, you can still send out your e-mails" . . . for now!

Its All About Credibility

Is the internet trustworthy?

Can it make your business credible?

I was talking with a client today about their overall web presence. They made a very succinct statement regarding web sites, facebook, twitter, blogs, etc., when they stated "well, for me, it is all about credibility". This was coming from a new business owner that is just beginning their web presence.

This is a very simple thought and a very powerful business message. With very little effort (a lot of this stuff is free), a product that will sell and a great marketing/design team (like SolidBlueTie!), a business can build strong credibility.

My client went on to say that they want their company web presence to show that:
• We are a business
• We are market experts in this area
• We have satisfied customers
• Our customers are willing to recommend me and my business
• We will give you the best value for your money
• We are trustworthy

Talk about a strong 'value statement' . . . did I mention that I love my customers . . .

Watching the NFL is NOT lazy

I've been trying to think up a way to correlate the start of the NFL or college football season with the business / technology / marketing world. I would take this idea and develop a clever story with pictures that will certainly entertain anyone stopping by my blog.

OR . . .






I can let the ideas themselves be the topic.

Let's go!

• There should be a programmers draft where companies get to bid on technology experts as the graduate from college   

• Watching football is NOT being lazy (try to explain the difference to a 7 year old . . . I did!)

• The expectations you have for your team before the season rarely equal the results at the end of the season

• Your franchise may be riding on the back of a star player (I'm not saying that this is a good idea, but it is true) I'm also not mentioning any names

• If you have the right skill sets and are healthy, your team (company) can go a long way

• There will be surprises throughout the season

• Players will shine in areas that you may not have predicted



There are probably many more . . . right?

The web will remain the same (cue your favorite Led Zeppelin song in the background)

Is it naive to think that a technology - or how we use a technology would always stay the same? My short answer is yes.


I've decided to chime in on the Wired / boingboing / mashable / etc . . . debate regarding the web and it's deceased status. I believe that the statistics and facts within the major stories (wired.com / boingboing.net etc.) are accurate; however their conclusions are miles apart and self serving.

*Source wired.com

Jumping right to my point, the web is not dead, our habits as users are simply changing. Yes, peer to peer communication is gaining in popularity. Video is streaming to all endpoints. You can't look around the corner without bumping into an 'app'. And, yes, browsers, e-mail and FTP are still widely in use (and declining).

Our habits as users are moving to everything that is 'cool' (OK, cool is dead). Video, social media, direct apps and mobile use are just a few of the ways that we are using the web in new and different ways.

Even though my opinion is interesting, a couple of statistics always help prove a point:

• Total internet traffic rose from 1 exabyte to 7 exabytes between 2005 and 2010 *Cisco / Boingboing.net
• Global IP traffic grew 45 percent during 2009 to reach an annual run rate of 176 exabytes per year or 15 exabytes per month (and is expected to reach 64 exabytes per month by 2014) *Cisco
• The sum of all forms of video (TV, video on demand, Internet, and P2P) will continue to exceed 91 percent of global consumer traffic by 2014 *Cisco

*Source boingboing.net

It should also be noted that the statistics I have quoted come from the same sources that were used in the 'Web is dead' article from wired.com.

So what is the real message or "news" here? There are a couple of stories:
• The web is not dead, users habits are just changing
• Statistics can be twisted to prove almost any point
• Self serving headlines sometimes work - as there has been an explosion of stories on the topic since the wired.com article

The Teutuls: Family Feud or Brilliant Marketing?

For those of you who have watched American Chopper on TLC, you are familiar with the Teutul family of Orange County Choppers (OCC.). The father and son duo of Paul Senior and Paul Junior (OK, and Mikey!) produce one of a kind choppers usually based on a special or corporate theme (think US Army Reserves, Siemens, Ford, etc . . . ).


The gem behind the show is the family interaction that occurs while OCC builds these incredible bikes. The Tuetul family dynamic could be described as intense, heated and unpredictable. So much so, Paul Junior and Mikey were fired at the end of last season by Paul Senior. There was also news of the show's cancelation and a law suit between Junior and Senior.

Tonight, the Tuetuls are back with TLC pitting both Paul's against each other. The season has been dubbed "Junior vs. Senior" The lead question . . . who's side are you on?

And your question to me is . . . why are you writing about the new season of American Chopper in a tech blog?

In my opinion, being a techie is only one side of producing a valuable presence on the web. At the end of the day, a lot of this stuff is all about marketing. I believe that American Chopper and TLC have stumbled upon a brilliant marketing plan (why I am discussing the topic here) for a show that was probably getting ready to jump the shark.

I say stumbled because I do believe there is conflict within the Teutul family (is there a family that doesn't have conflict?), however, they are smart enough to seize an opportunity.

There is another option here . . . TLC is using the Teutul family to boost ratings and bring in more sponsors - regardless of the impact to the family. OK, everybody is probably using everybody here, but the Teutuls are not going into this season with their eyes closed.


Where do you stand?

• Is there a real Teutul family crisis?
• Is this a brilliant marketing plan?
• Is TLC trying to make money regardless of who gets hurt?
• Is all of the above?

Why do I need a website?

While working in the web design / web presence market, I was surprised to uncover that there are many businesses that do not (and don't plan to) have a web site. (USA today: 7 out of 10 solo businesses do not have a website)

OK, I thought, in a sales situation - it is normal to have to prove to a customer what a product (web site) can do for their business. After all, if a business is going to spend money on a web presence, what will the return on investment be? A logical question for any purchase.

As I talked with more businesses, similar statements came up time after time. I questioned deeper. The responses I received were very interesting:


• I've been in business for a long time and am doing fine
• I'm the only game in town
• My customers don't use the internet for this type of thing
• I'm already on restaurant.com (or other group business site)
• I am just starting my business and it is on my list
• I don't have the money right now

Why is this perception out there? Is it because the businesses are based in a smaller town? Do they dislike me as a salesperson? Or, do I need to describe the market and business reasons behind a web site / web presence?

I'm going with the latter! Here are my top 5 (yes, there are more!) market and business reasons behind a web site / web presence:
 
• Your competitors have one - A web site is a simple way to get into the game and play at the same level as your competition no matter the size of your business

• Your customers are looking for your web site (even if you don't know it) - This is a customer behavior pattern . . . period

• Your customers will become involved in your business including adding other social media tools such as facebook / twitter / etc.  Customers love to be involved, hear things first and first hand, share with others and interact with you

• It strengthens your credibility - Having a well-designed, professional website (this is key!) will give your business a credible presence and will increase the trust that customers have in you

• It is working 24/7 for your business

References

USAtoday.com; entrepreneur.com; wordpress.com; restaurant.com; restaurantreport.com; cnn.com; bigmarketingsmallbusiness.com