|
August 15th, 2008While family owned businesses may seem insignificant, they account for over 1/3 of Fortune 500 companies and for 80% of all new job creation, 60% of employment, and 50% of gross domestic product.
Marketing a small family business and focusing efforts around those attributes is a strategic marketing choice and not so much done to save money or resources according to small business marketing and management writer Joanna L. Krotz.
She writes first and foremost that connecting family values to your company is a sign of stability and responsibility to potential clients, which has become more valuable in recent times, especially following the aftermath of major corporate scandals such as Enron.
"The family-ness factor works well in marketing," says Ira Bryck, who directs the Family Business Center at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. "Just as long as the business is treated like a business and the family is treated like a family."
One family style marketing success story of recent history features Columbia Sportswear company owner Gert Boyle, whose parents founded the company in 1938. The ad campaign portrays "Mother Boyle", an aggressive but humorous character that emphasizes the matriarchal standard "One Tough Mother" and later "Don't forget who makes the pants in the family."
Techniques abound for promoting and marketing a family image for smaller, newer businesses. Highlighting history is a good method and has been used successfully by small businesses borne out of historical events such as natural disasters and Prohibition for example. Other methods include publishing company history in marketing materials.
However, family or no-family, nothing takes the place of a good business and marketing plan. In the end, customers will judge your business on the merits, so pricing, quality, and service are absolutely essential issues.July 7th, 2008A recent survey by Business Owner's Toolkit indicated that while small business owners remain wary of current economic conditions, they are pretty optimistic about their current outlook.
By an overwhelming majority, 83% of small business owners plan some sort of expansion to their business in the next year. Half of those are pretty optimistic while the others are more cautiously optimistic. Out of 1300 businesses surveyed, 85% stated that they have not seen a decrease in demand for their products and services.
Nearly 70% of respondents expect demand for their products in increase in the next six months while only 5% stated they expect their demand to decrease.
However, business owners surveyed indicated some concerns. These include: economic conditions (52%), energy costs (42%), materials cost (26%), taxes (23%), and access to credit (21%).
"Small business owners have heard messages of gloom and doom, but the majority aren't experiencing it," said Troy Janisch, publisher of Business Owner's Toolkit.
These concerns though reflect the growing trend in improving operational efficiency. A majority of small business owners are seeking information on how to effectively market their products, manage finances, market their business using the Internet, improve planning, and build personal wealth.
The next survey of members of the Business Owner's Toolkit, numbering over 60,000, will occur this August.June 13th, 2008With the rise of niche social networks, many business owners are considering whether a specifically branded social network fits for their businesses and industries.
Unlike general social networks such as Facebook and MySpace, branded networks are built for users to connect and communicate about topics related to their industries. Examples include Shelfari.com for book enthusiasts and ImSaturn for Saturn owners.
Considering a branded network to foster discussion about your industry and promote more traffic to your site? There are some factors that you need to address in order for the benefits to outweigh the costs in time and money.
Business writer Scarlet Pruitt suggests the following points to creating a successful niche social network.
The first and most important issue to address is to ensure there are enough active users before even considering beginning a networking site. To achieve this, you will need to offer a wide platform of topics beyond just your brand and include discussions on how your industry affects the world at large.
Once a cadre of dedicated users is secured, you can move on to obtaining the needed software. There are a few companies out there that specialize in social networking platforms, such as Ning and ONEsite, and offers wide ranging options from inexpensive basic software plug-ins to entire Web 2.0 platforms. You can cut some costs by establishing a revenue-sharing agreement with the provider or by including ads.
Finally, integrating the networking site into your main website will take a little more time and money. But once you have everything up and running, engage your community through blog posts, networking with your community, and sharing information with other sites.
April 9th, 2008Government contracts can be fertile ground for a small business to grow but earning their business takes a little education and legwork. The first and most important step to obtaining government contracts is to do your homework.
Different government entities have varied processes and rules for bidding. For federal contracts, the Small Business Administration provides a solid overview of their policies and procedures. The National Center for Small Business Information offers courses to entrepreneurs on government work at all levels.
In order to even bid on federal government contracts, a small business must register with the Central Contractor Registry, which is an electronic system that provides automatic payment transfer when a contract is awarded. The registry requires a business to submit a brief profile summarizing capabilities, etc. so it is important this is the best it can be.
Preparation is also key to winning government contracts since the bidding period can vary. Sometimes, the open bid period is less than a month. Not streamlining your paperwork can result in you losing money if you have to "reinvent the wheel" advises Greg Brooks of West Third Group, a Plattsburg, Missouri consulting firm.
Brooks also advises that procurement and contracting officials do not necessarily accept the lowest bid and in fact, is pretty low on their list of considerations. It is more important to demonstrate experience since past performance is scrutinized much more so than price.
Networking is also a big component of not only winning government contracts but good business period. Gary Beckert of the NCBSI says that most small business get their start in government contracting by teaming with someone else. He advises, "A small business isn't going to succeed without a network of peers, economic development organizations and other contacts."
And don't expect a major windfall from government contract work. Many contracts set a 15% profit limit and some are as low as 10%, which is nothing to dismiss but not the golden egg some might expect.
Government contract work can be very beneficial for your small business if you know the basics and are prepared.
February 21st, 2008Website design helps support your site's business goals with graphics that communicate, but a skilled website designer will also ensure that navigation and other usability concerns address the needs of your target audiences.
As a small business, you want to make sure your website design contributes to every aspect from the site's user experience and enhancement of content to search engine optimization (SEO). Unfortunately, SEO is a very specialized field, and few website designers hold more than passing knowledge, usually recommending outdated, incomplete practices to small business owners. In the worst case, the infrastructure that a website designer may use when building your site could actually hinder your site's chances of ranking in the search engines.
To make sure your new website design (or redesign) builds in best practices for SEO, a leading search engine optimization provider is offering a limited time deal where a comprehensive SEO program is included free when you work with the company's website design team to build or redesign your web site. You can see more about the free SEO/web design offer here.
October 30th, 2007With the rise in online marketing trends, many businesses often overlook the cost advantages of the post card as a sales-boosting, lead-generating marketing tool.
Post cards are easy, low cost to design. Post cards are great do-it-yourself marketing tools. You can use free clip art and desktop publishing software like Microsoft Word and Publisher to create eye-catching post cards.
Post card printing is inexpensive. You can print professional post cards yourself using your laser or inkjet printer and not lose any of the cards design appeal. You can also print an inexpensive batch of post cards at your local Kinkos or other printer.
Mail standard post cards with US post office for 26 cents each. You can mail 100 post cards for less than $30. Need we say more?
Post cards are budget-friendly marketing tools. Use them for newsletters, direct mail letters, introductions, or to say thanks. No matter what the use, you can't go wrong with these money-savers.August 6th, 2007Squidoo is adding to the online touch points and opportunities available to dominate for your area of expertise, letting you become a lens master for your subject. Not only expanding your "footprint", your lens can also help improve Page Rank for your other sites when incorporated into your online media strategy effectively.
Last week I started an online incorporation lens for MaxFilings on this very informative, addictive social media/marketing site.
Stay posted, and we'll update you on how this lens is working as the latest component of the small business SEOBuzz Marketing Program...
August 17th, 2006By Craig Lutz-Priefert
If Brand is identity, Package is the wrapper identity is presented in. A strong Brand really helps small businesses pull new customers into the store. Satisfied customers spread the word about your business. We call this “Waving your Brand Banner”.
But a freshly minted referral customer is a fragile being. Even if the new customer visits your store on the basis of a good word from a trusted friend, that first-timer will still be a bit skeptical. Be sure to keep that in mind. Recall your own experience as a consumer. The first time you enter a new place you are unfamiliar with the surroundings and the specific retail culture. Unless it is a cookie-cutter like franchise chain, you probably won’t know where the washroom is, how long it will take you to get help, or exactly where the particular item you are looking for will be.
Now come those vital minutes when two components of your Package become critical in holding that prospect as both a first-time and a repeat customer: Climate and Staff. This is you chance to really shine for that first-time customer; to validate to her that yes, her friend was right to recommend your small business. You want to give her that feeling that, yes, this is where I want to shop.
When we mention Climate, we are really discussing the physical surroundings all around your customer. Staff involves the interaction of your employees with customers while they are in your store. Once you become familiar with these elements of Package, you can further subdivide the concept into other groups; whatever makes sense for your unique business. After all, you know your business best.
Breaking down the concept of Package into these two major components of Climate and Staff will allow you to isolate and focus on specific areas of your marketing that need improvement.
Most small business owners achieve superior results by tightening your focus and taking on one challenge at a time. If you try and overhaul the physical aspect of your store, and customer service and sales all at once you will probably find yourself facing confusion and resistance. And you’ll find you accomplish none of the three.
Remember: Brand (who you are) + Package (your Face to the Customer) + People (customers and employees) = Marketing Success
© 2006 Marketing Hawks
Craig Lutz-Priefert is President of Marketing Hawks, a firm providing essential marketing vision for small business. Marketing Hawks also sponsors the ongoing small business adventures of entrepreneur Crystal Trino at the JourneyToday website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_Lutz-Priefert
December 19th, 2005by John Moore
Marketing Comet - Small Business Marketing Secrets
Here's another Marketing Comet principle: Value is always 100% subjective.
"But $1 is worth a $1, and some items are commodities with fixed values right?" Well, without going into economics the value of $1 changes (mostly based on perception). Even commodities have markets. A cup of coffee is worth absolutely nothing until somebody is willing to trade $3 for it.
The following comes from Judgment in Managerial Decision Making by Max Bazerman: Read this scenario twice - first with the words parentheses and excluding words in brackets, and second with words in brackets and excluding the words in parentheses.
You are lying on the beach on a hot day. All you have to drink is ice water. For the last hour you have been thinking about how much you would enjoy a nice cold bottle of your favorite beer. A companion gets up to go make a phone call and offers to bring back a beer from the only nearby place where beer is sold (a fancy resort hotel) [a small, rundown grocery store]. He says that the beer might be expensive and asks how much you are willing to pay for it. He says that he will buy the beer if it costs as much as or less than the price you state. But if it costs more than the price you state, he will not buy it. You trust your friend, and there is no possibility of bargaining with the (bartender) [store owner]. What price do you tell him?
20 years ago, the median prices were $2.65 for a beer from the resort and $1.50 for a beer bought from a store. Same thirst, same beer - 76% price difference. In Bazerman's book he is speaking about a concept called transactional utility - the value you place on the deal you are getting as opposed to the value you place on the commodity.
Why is this important to small business marketing? It shows clearly that controllable factors can affect what people are willing to pay for your products or services. Obviously, you would like to be able to maximize what you can charge - while still keeping your customers.
If you have a retail storefront - keeping it clean, comfortable, and in good repair can affect how people perceive the value of what you are selling. Your packaging is important, so are your business cards, web site, and everything else your customers see. Investing in a polished, congruent image is a good idea.
I still like the $3.95 pork fried rice from the hole-in the wall Chinese takeout, but I won't pay $8.95 for it. However, when I go to the sit-down Chinese restaurant with the white tablecloths, the nice decor, and the waiters in bow ties - I have no problem paying $11 for fried rice. the quality of the food might be better, but is it 178% better? It doesn't matter - because I'm not even making that calculation when I choose to eat there.
What can you do to increase the perceived value of what you are offering?
Copyright 2005 Marketing Comet
---
J D Moore - Marketing Comet
Get my free e-course and learn low-cost marketing methods that could multiply your profits twenty times or more! Go here now: http://www.marketingcometcoach.com/free_marketing_ecourseDecember 5th, 2005by Matt Hockin
So, you have a great product or service, yet your web site is not getting the high rankings and traffic you desire from the top search engines like Google and MSN Search.
You're not alone. This scenario is playing out all across the web, yet there is a simple solution to the problem. Publicity. Publicity is the art of gaining exposure for your web site, product, or service with press releases, articles, and other promotional methods.
A consistent publicity campaign can get you links from some of the best web sites on the Net. These links provide your web site with “Link Popularity” and the Google PageRank numbers you need for high search engine ranking and traffic. Plus, the links themselves can bring you a significant about of targeted traffic.
The Top 5 Tips for Getting Publicity (and Links)
Here are a few of my tips for getting publicity and links on the web sites, AND getting news stories and articles in the newspapers, magazines and Internet radio show sites.
1. Be Consistent - Stick With It For The Long-Haul
For maximum results, use public relations as a long-term awareness and link-building campaign. This will allow your messages to be delivered to the appropriate audience and generate visibility, traffic and sales for you.
The biggest mistake I see businesses making with publicity, is they're not consistent at all, only sticking with it for 1, 2, or 3 months. It pays to be consistent is because sometimes you'll send out a press release and get no response back, no publicity, nothing... In fact, this is when most people quit, when they should realize that publicity is a “numbers game” that generates exposure over the long-run if they would just stick with it.
Plus, if you know where to submit your articles and send your press releases, each one that you write can generate 3-20 or more new publicity hits and new links to your web site! So, send something to the media at least every month, if not every week or two. Stay on track by scheduling your articles and news releases on your marketing calendar.
2. Offer Great News Ideas and Quality Articles
To maximize your results, don't send corporate “flack” to the media. “Flack” is blatant advertising disguised as a press release. Instead of wasting the media’s time, be their ally by sending them real news and quality articles that help their audience.
Don't think you have enough time or ideas for writing articles and press releases? You probably already have the content for 12 press releases or articles without having to write a bunch of new content.
Where is this “hidden” content that’s already written? It’s the content on your web site, and in your white papers, and other marketing materials. Simply “repurpose” and edit this content into announcements, articles, press releases, tip sheets, and other publicity materials.
3. Expand Your Publicity Campaign By Building A Media List
In the publicity game, your greatest assets are your contacts. Since you know your ideal customer, you can target the web sites, media, and publications that your customers use to get their news and information. Your media list should consist of the following types of media...
* Industry-specific web sites, and e-newsletters
* Internet blogs, discussion forums and discussion lists
* Article syndicators
* Trade publications
* Newspapers
* Magazines
* Radio & TV shows
4. Distribute Via E-Mail
A 2003 study by the Meta Group revealed that approximately 80% of business people say their e-mail is more valuable than the phone. This applies to media professionals as well, so send your press releases and articles via e-mail. E-mail is f*ree and easy to use, but adhere to these guidelines for e-mail press releases...
* Introduce yourself via e-mail to the media professionals on your list and start building a relationship.
* Use a compelling subject line that is personalized by including their first name.
* Never ever send attachments.
* Be sure to format your e-mails in ASCII text file with hard returns at 65 characters. (Use Microsoft NotePad)
* Following up via the telephone will greatly increase your results, but never ask “did you receive my press release?” (The media hate this question since they get hundreds of press releases a day!)
5. Post Your Articles On Your Web Site And E-Mail Newsletter
Content is King on the Internet, and the search engines love web sites with great niched content. Your articles and news releases are a perfect source of keyword rich text that’s tasty “spider food” for the search engine crawlers. So, post your articles and press releases on your web site to increase your search engine traffic.
But don't stop there. Send them to your e-mail newsletter subscriber list, you never know who might be on your list who will love your article and link to it!
CONCLUSION:
As the great P.T. Barnum once said... “Without publicity a terrible thing happens... nothing!" Publicity is a great way to build your web site links, visibility, traffic and sales. Use these tips to maximize your publicity campaign’s success.
Promote! Promote! Promote!
---
Matt Hockin is President of Interactive Marketing, Inc., an Internet marketing company that specializes in helping other companies increase sales and leads by maximizing web site search engine visibility and "sales-ability" through the process of Web Site Optimization http://www.interactivemarketinginc.com.
Sections
- Business Articles
- Customer Service
- Email Marketing
- Franchises
- Home Based Business
- Human Resource Management
- Legal
- Outsourcing
- Sales Strategy
- Small Business Best Practices
- Small Business Marketing
Recently
- Marketing a Small Family...
- Do's and Don'ts of Cell...
- Preparing Yourself to...
- Small Business Owners See...
- Should You Launch Your Own...
Links
