Storm Dawg Marketing

Ok people… this is HUGE!
( &  yes I still owe you all a review of the Twitter tools…it’s coming…until I get you mine…check out this great video review of Hootesuite and some other complementary Twitter tools done by G4

Very recently (a week ago) my father a restaurateur who is almost 70 asked me to help him set up a Twitter and Facebook for his business.  I was totally floored.  First and foremost because, well this is my dad we are talking about.  He doesn’t usually ask me for advice.  Like EVER.

He is one of my mentors when it comes to all things small business, including the marketing of small businesses.  I usually bounce ideas off of him to get his feedback.  Though most of his feedback finds me disagreeable (sorry Dad) …it’s really his experience that I am looking for and learning from.

He doesn’t really know what I do for work…I actually don’t even think that he knows that I write for a Blog.  For the expressed reason that he will tell all of my relatives and they will all leave comments on my posts like “Good job honey,” and “Can’t wait to see you at Sunday Dinner.”  It’s not Facebook… I don’t invite them here. Sheesh!

So for all of you who said “of course he would ask you about Twitter; you write about it and use it”.  You would be wrong.  He has no idea.  And with my dad I’ve learned not to offer suggestions.  It’s better to wait until my opinion is asked.  And boy was it ever!  So here is my chance to explain to my dad “this is how you can use Twitter for your business.”

So I asked him 3 Things:

1.  Why do you want to be on Twitter?

2.  What do you want to get from Twitter?  (New customers, return business, to connect with your clientele…what?)

3.  How are you going to measure the effectiveness this has on your business.  (Site traffic, foot traffic…what?)

I was surprised by what my dad said, though looking back I don’t know why….

His Answers:

1.  Well I know that by being on things like Twitter and Facebook I can improve my natural search rankings.  (How does my dad know this?)  I can reach my customers in their homes and on their phones with little cost besides “sweat equity” on my part.  (Jeez he is freaking amazing me here!)  Is this the cool new thing?  I thought I was ahead of the curve.  (That you are Dad…that you are…but not that far ahead, so we’ve got to move QUICK!)

2. I want new business.  (Totally saw that one coming!)

3.  Well measuring foot traffic is never really something I’ve done…  Site traffic is something I will for sure measure.  But my measurement will be in increased revenue.  (HMM…well ok….but how will you know what is driving this since I know you are doing other marketing?  Of course I didn’t ask him that!)

With his first answer surprising me…the other two are for the most part what I expect any other businessman to want from their social media efforts.  After all, business owners aren’t doing this for the “fun” of it.  They’re there to make money.

To Be Continued…..
For the suggestions I gave my dad please check out my next post.

Thanks
Christina Kudym

Yes, social media can be time consuming but it’s worth it. Like anything worth doing, it’s worth doing well. And to do it well, it may take you a little time.  Thinking of not investing the time?  Ask yourself this:  Can I afford not to invest the time?  I know, “Time is money”…trust me, I know!  Let me explain why I think you should invest your time.

Unless you are a huge brand like Coke that had a “fan” create their Facebook fan page for them - imagine that…their customers taking the time to do their social marketing for them…and people talking all day about how they love their product…whoa – you will need to devote some time to figuring out a social media strategy.

Maybe you’ll start with a Facebook ad or Fanpage…Maybe a Twitter account…maybe all three.  Whatever you do, have a “game plan.” Look around and see what other businesses like yours are doing. I’m not saying you should copy them, but you can certainly learn from them.  Play around with Tweetdeck,  Seesmic,  HootSuite and other free services that help you organize your online presence and engagements.  Find the one that suits your needs and makes sense for your business.

Think your customers aren’t talking about you online?

Think again! Not only are they talking about you, they’re also sharing their opinions with their friends, relatives and total strangers.  Can you afford not to listen to what they are saying? Wouldn’t you like to be able to thank the people saying nice things about you…and have an opportunity to turn an unhappy customer into a happy one?

More and more small businesses are running targeted ads on Facebook, developing fan pages and keeping customers happy on Twitter. Why? Because that is where their customers are!  So that is where you need to be.  Not should be…NEED to be.  Did you know that Comcast, Southwest Airlines, QWEST and Verizon all use Twitter for customer service?

Here is a great article that gives you seven cases of businesses using Twitter to service customers.

Engagement is key. As most of you know, when you make a connection with a customer, they’ll keep coming back to your store.  They come in because they like something about you or your store.  They will tell you by their reactions to your small talk or smile what level or type of engagement they want.

What people who use SMS (Social Media Sites) are telling us/you is they want to engage on these sites and expect to be engaged with before they make a purchase.  Here is another great article that will give you some insight into how small businesses are using social media to compete with large brands.

There is a new breed of consumer coming…really they are already here.  If you don’t understand where they are coming from, you aren’t going to know where to look for them,  and more importantly, how to sell to them.

So…do you have time for social media?

Next week I will give you my thoughts on a few of the free tools I mentioned today -  Tweetdeck, Hootsuite and Seesmic for starters.

If you have any questions on anything you see here, just leave a comment on this post…I will be glad to help you out.

Until next week,
Christina Kudym

Good morning, everyone!  I am working from home today due to some extreme weather conditions.  Anyone else out there working from home today?  One thing I noticed about working from home is how much coffee one can consume when working but a few feet from the coffee pot.  Seven cups and counting, folks.

Today’s caffeine-enhanced post is about this blog being rebranded. Yay!  I’ve been talking about branding over the last month, and now most of you probably know why. 

If you don’t, let me enlighten you.  Infogroup – our company/mothership – has rebranded.  We are now showing our united front to the world.  Yep…we’re global…so watch out world, and watch this really great video all about it. 

Since we are now showing a unified front through our product and service offerings, logos and branding, we will also be giving StormDawg a new look and feel.  The new look and feel will be one that represents our entire organization and all of our customers’ interests.  We are going to be launching this sometime in January so keep your eyes open.  We think you will really really like it! 

Although I cannot give you too many details, I will say that the new blog will be in one word…AWESOME!  We have been working with the design firm Dizzain on the new look for the blog.  They have been great and are a talented crew.  Thanks, guys – we can’t wait to see what you’ve cooked up!!

Meanwhile, Bryan and I have been gathering research like mad to put together some great content.  What we want to do is create a place that you will want to stop in every day for your daily dose of humor, sales and marketing tips…and well, I can’t give it all away.  You will have to stay tuned! 

In the meantime, stay warm!

Christina Kudym

In my last story I told you about how my parents successfully rebranded their business.  It worked for them…but would it work for you?

To continue my short series on small businesses and rebranding, I wanted to talk about some reasons for rebranding,  and about why rebranding might not always be a good idea. 

There are a few reasons that would have you deciding to change how you are seen by the public.  One reason is that some businesses want to be classified differently so they are seen in different sections of the Yellow Pages or Yellow Pages look-up and search services. 

For Example: Exterminators vs Pest Control vs Pest Management Services.  You would think these are pretty much the same thing, but each title/classification gets searched for differently and with more or less frequency than the other.  By changing your name to the title/classification that gets searched or looked up more often, you are increasing your chances of being noticed.

Another reason to change might be that your business is expanding its products or services.  Offering more is always a good way to get more customers and to keep existing ones.  But unless you are changing your name to reflect those additional products or services, what is the point?

Another reason for a name change might be that your company has been sold.  Here’s a little story about that… 

A friend of mine works at a company that had a well-known brand and a good service to offer.  At the beginning of the year another company took note of their “reputation” and “offerings” and decided to acquire her company and roll their service and products into their suite of offerings. 

Apparently, that created quite a good combination because within 4 months of the initial purchase, that company was sold and she again had to email us her new contact info.  

Her signature line on her email to me last week read: 

Friends Name
at Blank Company (previously Blank Company & Blank Company)

Ha!  Seriously??  Obviously, there is value in the previous company names if you are still using it in your corporate signature line…so why change the name?  Letting acquisitions operate under their own name is not a bad idea if they have a strong brand. 

Don’t get me wrong, I understand why you would change it…but don’t advertise your identity crisis in your email signature on outward communications.  I wonder if any of her customers have moved on because they feel there is a lack of stability in the company?  Would you? 

Have a fantastic New Year!
Check in next week for the next installment in my rebranding series! 

Christina Kudym

 As a business, you always try to make your mark…to be known for something.  Whether it be through great signage/logo, a signature product, a service or a catchy slogan, people always know you for something.

Here is a personal and humorous story about one small business that rebranded itself successfully.

To start, let me explain that my parents have been in the restaurant business for over 40 years.  Thus, my passion for all thing small business, especially ways to help the small business.  Small-business owners work hard…they deserve all the help they can get!  My parents’ first restaurant was a partnership with a few of  their friends.  It was a diner that served homestyle comfort food in large portions. (Just thinking of it brings back memories…and makes me a little hungry!) 

After a few years of running the business with his partners, my father wasn’t liking the direction things were headed and decided to buy his partners out.  Luckily for him, they had all realized that owning a restaurant was quite a bit of work (ya think?) and they didn’t want to do it anymore.  Needless to say he got a great deal in buying them out. 

One big hurdle he saw that first month was a name change, you see the largest partner, who started the business, had used his own name for the name of the restaurant.  With him out of the picture and with a lack of resources, my dad was faced with a dilemma: Keep the name and continue, or change the name and go into even more debt. 

The restaurant was known for good food, great service, and a clean and well-run establishment.  So he worried, ”If I change the name, will customers and prospective customers think ‘everything’ is changed and effectively wipe my slate clean?  Or will people not even pay attention and come in to see the ‘new’ place?”

Well, my dad made decisions about the staff and menu and added things here and there, but the name of the business kept looming over his head.  His ex- partner was pushing for a change and wanted to charge my father for using his name.  You see, when my father made his little tweaks business picked up.   Apparently, making the breakfast menu available “all day” and adding a salad bar were KILLER busines moves in the 80’s. :)   Well, the partners were none to happy about this and wanted additional $. 

To squash this effort and avoid any legal battles, my father decided to change the name of the business.  Being the funny guy that he is, he took one letter off of their sign – changing the name of his business from LAMPE’s to AMPE’s.  The business flourished.  And for as long as I can remember, everyone thought our last name was Ampe.  So not only did my father rebrand a business, he also rebranded our family. 

My parents recently purchased another established business named Sam’s…I wonder how long before everyone thinks his name is Sam.

Until next time,
Christina Kudym

People are spending money… but where they are spending that money has changed considerably. You might be thinking, “This is nothing new”, but I like to think I’ll give it a little something extra…plus I’ve got some fun stats for you.

Who would have thought that going to a movie or buying perfume would become a “luxury” purchase?  Those things always have fallen under “discretionary” purchases, but the majority of people probably wouldn’t have thought of them as a “luxury” – until now.

People are being frugal with their money, and more people are staying home to rent movies, drink and eat.  So how do you get them back? The first reaction is to run a deal or a special to draw in the business.  Not a bad idea, but what happens when you go back to regular price – will your customers be happy?  Watch your specials and don’t go overboard.

Since it seems people aren’t going out as much….do girls need to get all “done up” as often? Survey…Says…..NO.

One industry that usually doesn’t see a large decrease in sales is the beauty industry. As a girl, I can tell you yes, I will eat in more often if it means I don’t have to give up things that I deem essential – hair, cosmetics and perfume.  I mean…if my hair doesn’t look good, if I can’t smell fantastic and if my skin isn’t balanced, then I don’t feel good about myself. And the end result is my work and social life suffer.  Right!?

Deep down I think/know that I can make do without these so-called essentials.  But I’ll do my best to make sure I never have to find out.  Please send your friends to read this post…I need a haircut and color next month!

It appears, however, that some girls have had to find out if they can make do. So sorry!!  According to NDP Group, skin care sales between January and June 2009 were down 6%, makeup was down 7% and fragrances down a whopping 10%.  There has been a slight increase in these numbers, but it just goes to show that people are giving up certain things to buy the essentials…food, water, break and milk…who knew?  Oh and some are even paying down their debt – imagine that.  Please see the attached research from our friends at ORC Guideline. It’s a great piece and worth checking out.

Until next time,

Christina Kudym

As you know, most small-businesses owners have barely enough time to complete their day-to-day tasks, so planning for the future…past next month…is probably not something that most of them can achieve.  But seriously, you really REALLY need to.

Think about it, as a business owner what would happen to your business tomorrow if you were hit by a bus today?  Would your staff be able to run the business without you?  Ego might have you saying “no”…but if that is true, will you have a business when you get out of the hospital?  That is where one type of succession plan comes into play.  Make sure at least one person knows how to do what you do.

Another scenario involves the “family” business.  Who in your family is going to take over the business so you can retire someday?  Are you waiting for one of your children to take the initiative?  Don’t wait too long.  Hiring outside the family to have someone manage your business is always an option!  Keeping the business going doesn’t mean keeping it “all” in the family.

Attached is some great resarch from our friends at ORC Guideline on succession planning.  There is some great information here I think that you really need to check out.   Let me know if you have anything to add to this, especially your own experiences!

Christina Kudym

You keep hearing about people and businesses “going green”…  What does that mean to/for you?  Possibly another way to increase traffic to your business by way of new products and services?   Um…YES!

More and more people are feeling the urge to lessen their carbon footprint & want to buy the products that will help them accomplish that.  Can they buy them from you?  The green consumer base is growing, and where they want to be green, they also want to save green.  So offering products that are green and affordable is a goal you should add in 2010.

That being said I’ve attached some research from ORC Guideline that says by 2013, green product offerings will increase by 19% as well as some trends out there now.  See if you can take advantage of these trends.

As an added bonus, you are also doing your part to keep our planet healthy -small businesses are so numerous they can have a large impact on the environment by way of the green products and services they offer.

Until next week…

Christina Kudym

Consumers are taking penny-pinching to the max this holiday shopping season.  What are you doing to compensate?  Are you thinking of creative ways to get your name out there?  You should be.  Keeping less in stock so you don’t have to discount it later?  Maybe…

I mean…I’ll say it…how are you competing with Walmart and Target?  Marketing is going to play a bigger role this year than any other.  How are you getting your offers, deals and steals in front of people?  Do not cut back on your marketing – trust me, they (Walmart & Target) aren’t.

I received no fewer than 7 catalogs in the mail this week, and I looked at all 7…. of course I did…Christmas is coming!  If you are short on marketing $, consider joining forces with other small businesses in your area to put out a “combo catalog.”  Help one another out, for Pete’s sake!  Find a nearby store that sells something complementary to yours and share a marketing campaign.  Or join forces with everyone in your strip mall and coordinate your marketing efforts on mailers, emails and the like.  Why not?  And for heaven’s sake, get a Facebook ad.  Everyone and their mom is on Facebook.  Well….actually not my mom. I just showed her how to get an email address…no kidding.  She shops QVC; however, she’s not your demographic anyway…no worries.

Consumers plan to spend an average of $683 on holiday-related shopping this year. That is down 3.2% from last year’s $705.  How much do you think they plan on spending with you?

For some interesting holiday shopping stats,  take a look at the attached research from ORC Guideline.  If I didn’t motivate you to market, these stats might do the trick.

Do you have some marketing tips for this holiday season? Share!

Talk to you next Thursday,
Christina Kudym

Agents & brokers alike are jumping on the social media train.  It is abundantly clear that in this economy it is important to get more exposure in social networks if you are a small business.   Realtors have figured this out and are learning quickly the advantages.  A survey conducted by the NAR found that 84% of it’s agents use SMS (Social Media Sites) for business purposes.  I’m sure that you may have seen this at one time or another and not realized it…  Your friend telling you on Facebook that their home is for sale…and inserting a link to their realtor’s site.   It’s Social Media at it’s best.  Word of mouth Social.  So not only are realtors doing it…their clients are as well.  Imagine how much faster you can sell a house when you put it on your facebook wall….your clients puts it on theirs and between the two of you, you have 300 friends.  Those friends then share it with their friends…and so on.  Well now you’ve just gone viral with your listing and it didn’t cost you a thing.  Please see the attached research from our friends at ORC Guideline.  There are some great stats that you should see.

If you have any questions or stories about using Social Media Sites to get word out about your business please write in and share them!  I’d love to see what you are doing.

Have a great week!
Christina