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

Every small business knows that Facebook is the most popular social networking site on the planet. Every SMART small business knows that if they’re not on Facebook yet, they’re missing out on a huge opportunity to connect with customers and grow their business.

What small business owners may NOT know is that they need to get started RIGHT NOW.

Ireland’s LaCucina Limerick has a simple recipe for success that any small business can replicate to get their business on Facebook TODAY and start seeing results TOMORROW! The Simply Zesty blog featured them because they were able to use Facebook to:

• Connect with 2,000 people, the majority of which were local and their best prospective customers
• Ask questions, post pictures, and p interact with her customers and prospects (a simple status update of “Pineapple on pizza?” got more than 60 comments)
• Leverage the popularity of restaurant frequenters, such as the Munster rugby team, by posting stories and pictures and helping the team’s fans become their own
• And have fun with their products with a great give-away – “Tag the Pizza” (they post a picture of their pizza, ask fans to “tag” themselves in the photo for a chance at a freebie, spreading pictures of their food throughout their fans’ friends)
• (Click here to learn more about how they’re using Facebook.)

You cannot afford to wait any longer for success like this. If you don’t get your business on Facebook RIGHT NOW, then your customers won’t be talking about your business at all…or worse…they’ll be talking with your competitors.

Click here to get your business on Facebook RIGHT NOW. Then, leave us a comment below with your business’s name and a link to your page. (We want to become your fan, too! )

Does your business already have a page on Facebook? Leave us a link as a comment below and share your success!

We’ll follow up next week with some great tips on what to do with your page, and who knows…we might just feature YOUR BUSINESS!

Bryan D. Jennewein

ABC News reported in their article, “Neb. Small-Business Owners Say They Get No Help,” that Small business owners gathered in Omaha Tuesday to discuss what they feel is a lack of help from government stimulus programs and banks. Some of the business owners interviewed recount tales of home foreclosures, lending struggles and land devaluations – all things that significantly impact the small businesses that Omaha representative Lee Terry describes as the backbone of the U.S. economy.

If this article (and the 50 small business owners that gathered in Omaha) indicates anything, it’s that the recession is far from over, small businesses are STILL struggling, and many are having difficulty finding the help they “need.”  … or was it “want?”

We blogged a while back about a few great resources for small business: The SBA, SCORE, local banks to name a few. Now it’s not always easy… handouts (bailouts?) are easy. These are more like hand-ups. Our free marketing contest has even helped-up a few hundred small businesses drum up new customers and breath life into some marketing practices. (For those of you waiting to enter again… February we’re opening the contest back up, and it’s going to be BETTER THAN EVER!)

With all of the cries of small businesses these days, I’m reminded of a saying from another one of our blog authors, Christina Kudym: “Mom said no… … … Da-a-a-a-d!!!”  (She’s hilarious; follow her on Twitter @ChristinaKudym.)

With all the “bail outs” going on for larger industries, are we losing site of our own responsibilities? Do we “need” help or “want” help? Or to say it differently, are we just whining too much? Is there an opportunity to take even more pride from owning a business if you can steer it successfully with whatever resources are made available to you?

Or… does the government have a responsibility to the backbone of the U.S. economy to step in and help when times get tough?

Or further still… is there a risk to the greater economy without greater intervention?

Would love to hear your thoughts on this evolving discussion.

Bryan D. Jennewein

Have you been thinking about starting your own business or going out on your own? Very soon (in two days in fact) it will be a new year… is this the year for a new you or your new business?

The AMEX Open Forum featured a fantastic article about seven truths everyone should know before going out on their own. Check out the article here: “Don’t Quit Your Cozy Corporate Job and Go Out on Your Own Until You Master These Seven Truths.”

One in particular struck me as a really good piece of advice:

Focus is the solitary suggestor of success. Spraying is the enemy. Focus is mobilizing. Therefore: Take your index finger, cover up the tip of the hose, and shoot out a frozen rope of focused effort. Otherwise you’ll spread yourself too thin, the result of which will be a diffusion of energy investment. This is not good. Your challenge is to constantly ask yourself questions like: “Is what I’m doing RIGHT NOW consistent with my #1 goal?” and “What consuming my time but doesn’t make me any money?” Remember: William James was right when he said, “The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.” How much time are you spending on things that diffuse your focus and hamper your goals?

What do YOU think makes great advice for anyone going out on their own?

Bryan D. Jennewein

Ever feel like there’s just too much to do? If you’re a small-business owner or entrepreneur, you’re answer is almost always “Yes.” In fact, you’re probably exclaiming, “Yes! Yes! All the time!”

Want a solution for calming the chaos? I came across a great article in the AMEX Open Forum website by the Behance Team titled, “5 Ways to Reduce Anxiety in 2010,” and I just knew these would be tips you’d love.

Check out the article here: http://bit.ly/5W1qFJ

The five tips were surprisingly simple:

1. Avoid reactionary workflow
2. Reduce your insecurity at work
3. Worry only about problems within your circle of influence
4. Practice saying “no”
5. Eat (I LOVE this tip!!)

Now… does anyone have any tips for DOING these things?

Bryan D. Jennewein

One of our earlier winners of our Free Marketing Contest, Texas Mountain Cedar, is seeing such great success, we thought we’d share it with all of you, and finish with an incredible offer… a 20-40% discount! Keep reading or click here for discount information!

Background of winner: Texas Mountain Cedar Designs is a family owned and operated business. With more than 18 years of experience working with Texas mountain cedar, the company has developed a unique artistry building pergolas, trellises, arbors, and fences from cedar.

Marketing plan: For this business, we selected a combination of direct mail marketing, email marketing and web site advertising. We designed a custom tri-fold brochure (click here to see it!) promoting their arbors, pergolas, trellises and the like. For email, we targeted both business and consumers, and repeated the message twice (click here to see it!). Finally, we promoted their website with Google AdWords (Paid Search) and a targeted landing page PLUS got them listed on Google Local. (They didn’t have business cards, so we printed those, too.)

Campaign details:

Direct mail marketing – Tri-Fold Brochures (click here to see it!)

The brochures are in the mail right now. The unique 800# we included will help us track how many calls come in.

Email – “Add Beauty to Your Landscape” email blast to businesses and consumers (2x) (click here to see it!)

We emailed a total of 1,294 recipients 27,356 recipients, including businesses and consumers. (You never know who will respond to your message and in what setting.) We targeted the email list to Texas Mountain Cedar’s best prospects, so we didn’t waste a dime mailing to the wrong audience. We saw an unbelievable 30% 38% open rate with business and 16% open rate with consumers, and the calls are starting to come in!

Local – Submission of main website to Google Local Search

We submitted the Texas Mountain Cedar to Google Local Search, so people could find them easily when searching for their products in the area. This tiny improvement has resulted in only one phone call lead for them.

SEM – Google Paid Search Marketing

We leveraged some of our strategic partnerships to sponsor some Google AdWords (Paid Search) for Texas Mountain. We tested eight variations of ads with a conservative budget to find the best one. Our tests alone yielded 2 calls and 5 web form leads, while these in combination with the website resulted in an additional 22 calls and 1 more web form lead.

Has it worked?

Overwhelmingly yes! 25 calls, 6 web form leads, and more than 926 unique visitors to their website. And this doesn’t even include their tri-fold mailer! (We’ll report on that soon.)

Here’s what Nancy, one of the owners, had to say recently about one of her successes:

“We are going to a home in Southlake on Sunday to look at a yard for a pergola to cover an area 15′x17′x30′. It’s the perfect neighborhood – high-dollar homes. Most everyone has a pool. […] I’m hoping for more inquiries after the brochures go out. Then I’ll start to follow up with the businesses, starting with the ones closest to us and work my way out. Lots of work ahead, but I’m loving every minute of it!”

It worked for Nancy and Texas Mountain Cedar, but will it work for you?

We believe it will! And we’re offering any reader a 20% discount on successful services just like these! Get your campaign started right now by calling 1-866-549-6811.  Call now, this offer won’t last!

Or, lock in your discount and get an additional 10-20% off! Just fan us on Facebook and tag us on your wall! Just follow these three easy steps.  Or call 1-866-549-6811.

Good morning. For today’s post, we’ve decided to feature a local business owner with  strong opinions about serving customers.  We hope you enjoy his post, and please share your thoughts!

- Bryan D. Jennewein

Good morning,

To understand my approach to customer service, it is helpful to explore customer preferences. To do that I have created a small theater complex I call “Customer Service Cinema.”

Customer Service Cinema is composed of a ticket office and two theaters. The two theaters are physically identical and always run the same movie. Even the show times are the same.

There is one difference between the theaters. One theater operates under the axiom “The Customer Is Always Right” (CIAR) and the other under the axiom “The Customer Is NOT Always Right” (CINAR).

If you choose the CIAR screen, you will encounter customers who think as you do. One or two have brought laser pointers and use them during the movie. There will also be a few patrons texting and talking on their cell phones while the movie is playing. You can expect to have at least one cell phone ring and to be answered. The person answering may even use their “outside voice” so you can share in every detail of their call.

While there are a few empty seats in the middle of the theater, your seat isn’t as good as you hoped. When you asked about sitting in the empty middle seats you were told those seats were “taken.” Only after the movie started did you realize they were “taken” by the coats of the people in the seats next to them. You can also expect that there will be someone about three rows behind you that has seen the movie enough times that they are able to deliver key lines just a few seconds ahead of the actors.

On the other hand, if you visit the CINAR screen, you will find something quite different. In that theater, laser pointers, text messaging, cell phone conversations, and talking during the movie are not tolerated. If your cell phone rings, you will be asked to leave. Patrons are not allowed to reserve seats. If you deliver lines, others will shush you and the theater staff will ask you to leave. If you do manage to get tossed, you will not be given a refund.

Which theater would you prefer?

I have yet to have a single customer tell me that they would prefer to attend the CIAR theater. Most are actually adamant that they would want to attend the CINAR theater and there is usually an “ah ha” moment when they realize the insanity behind the axiom, “The Customer Is Always Right.”

As a business owner, I have tried to follow “The Customer Is Always Right” approach for too many years. It has been a no-win proposition for thousands of good customers, hundreds of well-intentioned and hard-working employees, and for me. We have all suffered because I tried to serve what more and more has become the lowest common denominator.

No more.

With every fiber of my being, I do not believe that the customer is always right. I believe that the customer is always served. For some requests, the answer will be a resounding and unapologetic “No!” Most customers applaud this approach. You can probably guess which ones do not.

As a business operator who represents the interests of my good customers, my good employees, and my own sanity, I respectfully ask anyone that believes that the customer is always right to take their business elsewhere.

Joel Potter
Chief Enlightenment Officer
Fit Happens – Gold’s Gym – Omaha, Lincoln & Battle Creek

I had an interesting online interaction this morning that I feel compelled to share. So I am. I believe it touches on an issue that is at the heart of most successful small businesses: how we serve our customers.

First, let me catch you up to speed. A few weeks ago, we blogged about some new changes you were going to see on here. Part of that is a new design (shhh…don’t tell anyone). We’re also examining things such as software platforms, hosting providers, et cetera. We decided to stick with the WordPress platform since it’s widely used, easily supported, and growing with new plug-ins every day. For design, we’re looking at some agencies and freelance designers (anyone out there good with WordPress theme design and interested in a potential trade? We’ll happily promote you here and help you market in exchange for an awesome new design).

For hosting providers, we have the option to host through ourselves or use a provider. (This is what brings me to today’s post.) By chance I came across a company called FatCow. They were mentioned as the #1 hosting solution through a website called Hosting Review (www.hosting-review.com). My goal was to explore all of our options. And FatCow was rated number one, seemed the most inexpensive, and has support for WordPress. Even better…they pitch themselves as “green” and entirely wind-powered (with redundant backups… don’t worry… I bet your website will still work even if the wind stops blowing).

I poked around FatCow.com to find specific server configurations, supports, etc., mostly because in addition to being infoGROUP’s social media marketing guy, I’m also their social media technology nerd. When we set up some of our newest blogs, I install the software, design and/or theme it, and administrate it moving forward.

It was during my initial chat with a FatCow representative that I felt a familiar sense of entitlement wash over me. Their representative kept demanding that I send, via chat, the URL of the website where I clicked to initiate our chat from. This seemed to me…odd. In fact, the representative flat out refused to serve me or answer any of my questions until I answered his.  Again…odd. (See the full chat transcript below.)

It was then that I realized that “FatCow” was very likely one of the larger hosting companies simply pitching itself under this new name to grab a niche market.  Smart. In fact, we here at infoGROUP do that, too.  And it works.

So I dug a bit deeper. Turns out that FatCow hosts their own domain with themselves (duh)… but the company Hosting Review points its domains to ThePlanet.com, one of the bigger hosting providers. This makes me think that FatCow is likely owned by ThePlanet, and that the website Hosting-Review.com could potentially not be “non-partial” like they claim. I’ll keep digging to clarify this one and report back.

In this scenario, I felt like I was their customer, and I was entitled to an answer to my questions before I had to answer theirs… if they wanted my business.

I am their (potential) customer, and I am right. They should have answered my questions. Their biggest problem: They haven’t connected their diversification strategy with their online customer support. The chat representative probably didn’t have permission or authority to disclose what I asked him.  (Maybe they’ll rethink that transparency…or heck, maybe they’ll even come across this post?)

What do YOU think?  Is the customer always right?  Should I have gotten my answer before giving them mine?

Bryan D. Jennewein

Full Chat Transcript

Chat transcript with FatCow

The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced yesterday that is has run through all of the stimulus money allocated by Congress.  To catch you up, Congress gave the SBA $375 million to help back small business loans.  Typically, the SBA charges a lender for this type of guarantee and will only guarantee a small portion of the loan.  But since the stimulus took affect, the SBA has waived the fees and been guaranteeing up to 90% of the loan amount.

There is the possibility of Congress allocating more funds, but without them…what else can a small business do?  I have a few thoughts that might help:

1. Venture capital or investors. Do you have a proven-successful business, or are you starting up a business based on a proven-successful model?  If so, then venture capital and/or investors might be the way to go.  Remember, though, that what these investors care about most is getting a fast and plentiful return.  Be prepared with financial statements and forecasts that describe, in detail, what the investment will be used for and how quickly the investors will get their return.  Also, be wary of those who offer money only in exchange for equity.  You might just be financing the farm only to have to give it away later.
2. Traditional lending. Often overlooked because many people assume banks won’t lend right now.  Not true.  In fact, some smaller regional banks have actually increased their lending.  If you’re local and looking for a local solution, this is a great one to pursue, but have your ducks in a row.  The key is the details.  These banks will need to believe your business is secure, stable and profitable.
3. Ask for help. Don’t know where to turn?  Look for more seasoned professionals in your community.  Contact the local Chamber of Commerce.  Ask friends or other business owners.  Hop on LinkedIn and “Ask a Question.”  Throw a question up on Facebook.  Use all of your networking resources to find some advice or mentorship.  You might just be surprised by how many people, and who, are willing to help.

And speaking of asking for help… how about it, readers?  Do you have any advice for one another?  Or better yet, do you have a real story about how you successfully funded your business?  We’d love to hear about it and share it.

Bryan D. Jennewein