The answer is nothing. Facebook and other popular social media tools will not be very helpful to your business unless you have a focused social media objective and facebook and other popular formats are used in unison to accomplish the objective.

Hopefully at this point you have at least a facebook account where you socialize with friends and family. You may also have a Linked In account where you “network” with colleagues in the community and industry. If you don’t have these things I would suggest getting these things going and start building those natural contacts with the friends you already know.

Setting up basic profiles and socially participating is the easy (and fun!) part. Now you want to determine how to use all of the tools of social media marketing and web2.0 to effectively reach and engage your customers.

The best way to start utilizing social media tactics is to take the time to answer the following questions. The example “Green Goo” is a non-existent product that I made up to help illustrate how to answer these questions for your business.

1. My Ideal Customer is: (example: Omaha and Council Bluffs stay at home mothers with children under the age of 4 and household incomes above $50,000+)

2. My product/service solves this problem for my ideal customer: (example: The problem is that there is not a product that can clean without leaving behind dangerous chemicals in the home. Green Goo provides a safe, environmentally friendly and bacterial free atmosphere that frees the home of dangerous germs and is not harmful to the family.)

3. My ideal customer wants: (example: educational information and resources for safety issues involving children)

4. My Ideal Customers is most likely on the internet in the following types of places: (example: local and national mother forums, blogs, environmental forums and blogs targeted to families, etc.)

Now that you have tentatively figured out who you want to engage through social media marketing the next step is to “listen and lurk” and find out what conversations are going on about your product, brand and industry. The next post will cover how and where to “listen and what to listen for. Until then, please feel free to post comments and you are always welcome to contact the Iowa Western SBDC and the Iowa SBDC for free one on one help and advice on social media marketing as well as other topics.

If you think that your business is too small, too local or too Iowan for social media marketing to have an effect on your business, think about this.

How do you buy products and services today? What is the first couple of things that you do to begin the process? I am guessing that some type of internet research was very close to the top of your “to do” list. The fact of the matter is that the evolution of technology has completely changed how we as consumers make purchase decisions.

So if consumers have changed the way that they buy products and services, small businesses need to change the way that they market to their customers. Customers are looking for ways to engage, converse and learn about the things that they need. They are searching on Google, reading blogs, talking on Facebook, following Tweets, participating in forums, viewing product videos and demonstrations on YouTube, etc. Small Businesses need to join the conversation! Small businesses need to enter the social media circus and engage with their customers.

In the next few posts I will go through some steps most digital marketing experts suggest in some form. Before I go onto the steps, a word of caution. Don’t jump in without a little prep work.

At a recent Omaha conference Brian Jennewien, Director of Social Media at Info Group and contributor to the StormDawg Marketing Blog likened social media to a highschool party. You are trying to fit in with the “in” crowd. If you run into the party and start talking too much without knowing anyone you might be looked at as CRAZY. If you start conversations about things that people at the party really don’t care about you might be looked at as annoying. If you go in, listen, lurk, participate and then engage and share you will be “in”.

Here are the steps. Keep in mind that these may be summarized and may be worded differently from other experts, but all in all they are about the same. If I missed something PLEASE leave a comment!

1. Plan! Before you begin you need to decide who you are trying to engage and what you want them to hear from you. What exactly do you hope that social media will do for your business?

2. Listen! What are your customers talking about? Are they talking about you? Are they talking about your customers? What kind of conversations are going on about your industry and the product or service you are offering?

3. Join! Before you start sharing your own information join other conversations. Comment on blogs, answer questions in linkedin groups, etc.

4. Share! This is where you start to engage your customers through blogs, facebook, twitter, etc.

I will be elaborating on each of these steps in the next few posts.

If you have anything to add please feel free to comment. The Iowa Western SBDCwill be happy to assist Council Bluffs and southwest Iowa small businesses with their own social media marketing efforts. The Iowa SBDC’s are a free resource to all Iowa businesses for all of their business needs.

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On NPR’s “Marketplace” this morning, the host asked a simple question: Who has more disposable income — Gen Y’ers or Baby Boomers? The answer surprised me. Studies show that the Gen Y population has more disposable income than their parents, the Baby Boomers.

The Millennial Generation, also known as Generation Y, generally refers to those individuals born between the mid-1970s and the late 1990s.

If you haven’t considered how to market your products and services to Gen Y, start today. If these individuals have the most discretionary income now, their buying patterns will be crucial both for today and as they begin to age.

One other fact of interest from this morning’s report. The question: Who has more social interaction online — teenage boys or teenage girls? The answer: Go for the boys!

Here is a great resource from the Marketing Savant Group.  This is full of great information and tips to help you devise a marketing plan using social media.

Social Media Toolkit: The Nuts & Bolts of Your Social Media Strategy

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Should businesses, even in small towns and rural areas, have a blog for their business? The answer is YES. And the reason is simple.  Kind of.

The main reason is to provide interesting, useful and frequent content to your customers, potential customers, industry experts, media, etc. The second reason is by getting these people interested and reading your content a chain reaction starts. Individuals start linking to your posts via other blogs, emails, facebook pages, forums and web pages. Because of this more people read your blog and other things related to your blog like your web page, facebook page, etc. Because of the links search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo will start seeing that your page is relevant and you may begin to show up near the top when customers search for businesses like yours. And because of this more people will read about you and notice you and there will be more links. And eventually you will have more sales. Get it?

A blog isn’t the answer to everything. And neither is joining social networking sites like facebook. But doing all of this together is a great, new start to generating interest and sales leads.

Get started today. Log onto one of these free blog software platforms.
WordPress
Blogger

Blogging Tips and Useful Websites to help you along the way:
100-ways-to-improve-your-blog

5-tips-for-getting-more-from-your-blog 

9-hidden-benefits-of-blogging

25 Ways to Promote and Market Your Blog

Image Credit: ben pollard

I do a lot of reading, thinking and brainstorming on ideas for small business in small communities like Council Bluffs and across southwest Iowa. Here are three ideas that are definitely not innovative or for that matter, new… but just may work in today’s economy. 

 The main thing to think about in starting a business today is to keep start up costs AND overhead/operating costs low.  Keep them low until you can develop a market and generate sales.  Then start thinking about buying a builidng, adding employees, franchising the business, going national, etc.

Here goes:

1. Pets – Start a pet care service.  Offer babysitting services, daily visits for pets left alone, grooming services, and any other “add ons” you can come up with. 

2. More Pets — In-home grooming services are the latest trend for pet owners. You go to the pet instead of having the pet come to you. Some are run out of vans but there’s no reason you couldn’t groom on the owner’s property.

3. Gardening – Offer services to keep up gardens for residential homes. Go beyond the basic yard service and give it your tlc touch.  Weed, trim, plant, replant, suggest, etc.  Markets could be homeowners with dual incomes who have no time to keep up with the Joneses or real estate agencies or cities with foreclosed or empty homes for sale.

4. Shopping Service – Babyboomers are aging and studies are showing that they are staying in there homes.  Start a shopping service offering home delivery from stores and items they can pick from on your website.  Charge a percentage of the bill or a flat rate for each run. 

5. Freelance — Do you have a skill that others could use? Can you write, do graphic design, take photos? There are lots of freelance opportunities — from proofreading services to image campaigns — that might fit your time and talent. Check them out on your local Craigslist or visit sites like www.iFreelance.com to get a feel for what you might do.

Like I said, these are not new.  If you search for these services you will see franchise opportunities and privately owned companies that are very similar.  The point is to pick something you will be passionate about and that enables you to start small and grow as you gain loyal customers. All of these ideas could start as part-time operations and grow into a service with contracted employees fulfilling the orders.

Give us a call at the Iowa Western Entreprenerial Center and SBDC or work with a Small Business Development Center nearest you to help you build your business model and write your business plan.  And please comment below with your ideas for the next great business.
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Want to trade accounting services for goat cheese? How about bike repairs for graphic design? Advertising for overnight accommodations?

Small business owners get lots of offers to swap services or trade products. These types of barter arrangements can be quite appealing, sometimes helping you purchase a product or service that your budget precludes under other circumstances. Some businesses find the concept appealing enough that they subscribe to barter associations, the hope being that lots of businesses can swap their products and services to the benefit of all.

I believe in bartering, but I also believe in finding trades that are equitable – and in having enough cash on hand to pay the bills. That’s something no one will barter for.

Having been on all sides of the barter agreement, I would offer a few things to consider before you agree to trade.

First, is the swap equitable? If you’re trading 5 hours of consulting services for 10 free meals at a restaurant, work through the math. What would those meals cost you, and how much would you bill for the consulting time? Is it equitable?

Sometimes even if it looks equitable on paper, the trade doesn’t wind up feeling that way. And in that circumstance, both sides walk away unhappy. If I agree to write a brochure for your business and you agree to do my accounting for three months, although the hours work out as a even swap, you’ll feel like you’re giving away more because your work is spread out over time. So even if the trade is equitable, one party feels like too much has been given away.

Second, do you need the product or service you’re trading for? A barter arrangement is only a good idea if you’re getting something that you would otherwise pay for. If you don’t need what the other party offers, then don’t give your product or service away to get it.

Similarly, does a barter association offer products and services you can use? Some barter associations offer lots of restaurant meals and hospitality services. If you frequently entertain clients, this might appeal to you. Some barter associations offer magazine or other advertising services. If those services reach your target market, you might consider the barter worthwhile. But read the contract carefully before you sign up. The associations charge monthly membership fees, and some add in transaction fees that can add up quickly. And talk to some business owners who already belong to the association to see how well the set up works for them. We all know that things look different on paper (and sound different in a sales pitch) than they sometimes work in reality.

Talk to your accountant before you get heavily involved in barter arrangements. There may be tax implications. And you want to make sure you aren’t trading yourself into a cash-poor position.

When I ask new or established businesses how they plan to market their products or services they answer “…mostly through word of mouth”. This answer drives me a little crazy!  Word Of Mouth(WOM)  doesn’t just happen!  Just like everything else, businesses need a plan and need to work the plan to generate WOM. In fact, some large corporations dedicate thousands and even millions to their WOM efforts. Julie Mierau focused a past post on serving up great customer service to help generate word of mouth. The theory being that if you give great service, people will talk about you. That is a great start and a must. Here are some tips that can even further that effort. These tips are taken from a presentation from Patrick Wire, Director of Business Development Director with BZZ Agent, a word of mouth marketing firm.

Tips: 

1. Be Outrageous – BUT make sure that you are remembered for what you want to be remembered for.  Here are “10 Great Guerilla Marketing Examples”  and “15 more Great Guerilla Marketing Examples” that get potential audiences thinking and/or laughing and hopefully, remembering. Note: Read on in the comments to see how some of these strategies can be used on a budget. As a local business in Southwest Iowa, keep in mind your target market and find outrageous ideas that target that exact audience.
2. Help tell the customers story – Mr. Wire used the example of the Prius. The Prius focus’ their marketing efforts on environmentally minded people and has successfully placed the Prius as part of their “green” lifestyle. How can you put your product into the life story of your primary customer?
3. Listen to What Customers are Asking For – Keep in touch with your customer and their lifestyle. What do they want. What do they complain about. What are they talking about on Facebook? How can you give them what they want? You may be going outside the “norm” of your industry but it is time to break that norm if it is what your customers want. For example: if all businesses in your industry price their service a certain way and you have noticed it is a frustration with customers it is time to break away from the “Everyone has always done it this way” attitude and deliver what your customers want.
4. Polarize – Create a Debate. Remember the classic Eyesore vs. Eyecandy campaign used by Scion? They successfully used the hate or love it attitude of the public and became hugely successful with their target market.
5. Impose Rationing – Make what you have to offer seem scarce and customers will want it more. If you have t-shirts with your logo for sale – make them limited editions. If you are having an event at your restaurant limit it to a certain amount of people. My favorite example of this is from my favorite Minneapolis radio station, Cities 97. For over 20 years they have been producing the “Cities 97 Sampler”, a compellation of recent live performances and unique recordings. They Limit the number of cds produced and sold and the proceeds go to a local charity. They sell them at local Target stores and pre-announce the release date. They sell out in minutes! Since I don’t live in Minneapolis anymore my Mother closely watches for the release date and dutifully waits in line for my annual prized copy. (Love you Mom!) 8.
6. Create an experience (this can be tied to impose rationing as well) create unique experiences for “customers only” by RSVP only, etc. Q98.5 Radio in Omaha, NE does this very well. They have a number of “parties” that they have listeners call in for limited tickets. If the caller is number 9 or whatever number they have chosen, they are lucky enough to get to go to the party. I haven’t been to any of these yet. 9 is not my lucky number!

Tip #3 – Do Not Save Important Information for the Closing.

I work with many small businesses in many different industries.  I have found a disturbing trend among them.  They do not list the price of their service on their website or promotional materials.    They want the customer to call and THEN they will go into the pricing issue. I think their is a belief that if there is mystery, the customer will call to find out the rest of the story and then the business owner will have the opportunity to close the sale.

Guess what!  Your customer does NOT want to call you.  They are looking at your website and/or brochure  to find out everything they possibly can BEFORE they call you.  Why? Because they can. In this day and age consumers can and will spend time on the Internet finding everything they want to know about a product or service and make a decision on their own.  They avoid the hard, in your face, sales call.  They call you to buy.  Yes, that is right, their mind is made up by external information such as your website so they call when they are ready to buy.

Many businesses, especially service/consulting businesses revolt at this issue.  “I can’t list prices because it DEPENDS on the job”.  Skeptical consumers wonder what exactly it depends on. How new your car is or how big your house is? This is surely not how most small businesses price their service or product, but not being upfront about the price of your service or product does leave a certain amount of distrust for the consumer.

The solution: Close the sale on your website and other promotional materials.  Tell the consumer exactly what they are looking for. If you can’t list the exact price of your service, list your hourly rate and “sample” jobs and times, rates and cost of materials that are associated with them.  Another idea is to list different packages and the prices for those packages. It is OK to put disclaimers along with your prices to explain that certain situations or additional problems will require longer hours or more materials and prices may raise do to these issues.  Tritz Plumbing, Inc   and Well Grounded Electric have very simple and effective examples of how to list your pricing on your website.

In the next few days/weeks I will focus on some tips and observations that I have picked up in the last very busy months.    In the mean time call or visit us and the Iowa Small Business Development Centers to learn more about what we can offer your small business or startup. 

Tip #2 – Make Sure You Are Listed on Local Search Engine Directories

Can your customers find you if they are searching for you by your business name?  More importantly , can potential customers find you if they are searching for your type of business in your area?    Three of the main places people go to search for a type of business on the internet are Google, Bing (formerly MSN) and Yahoo.  All three of these search engines have local search capabilities.  When a “searcher” types   “council bluffs” or another location along with their primary search term, the search engines will automatically pull up a convenient local listing.  Try it with Google and “Council Bluffs Interior Painters”. 

It is up to you or the business to get listed or “claim” a  free listing.  Each of these search engines have places on their websites to register your business.  However, the easiest and quickest way to accomplish this is to use GetListed.org.  This very useful site will help you get started with the process of getting listed in very few steps.  GetListed.org is a resource for small business owners to whose goal it is “to help small businesses claim and enhance their listings at major search engines.”