Creating a small business marketing plan

Duct Tape Marketing Founder, John Jantsch, talks about a calendaring system that helps small businesses focus on executing their marketing plan daily, weekly and monthly.

AdWORKS is Coming

Come to learn how to be a part of the biggest Marketing & Advertising opportunity in Northwest Ohio at the AdWORKS Kick-Off event Thurs., June 25.

This social hour is free to attend by all. Ad Club of Toledo President, Sara Shiels and I, along with other Ad Club members, will be unveiling all the juicy details of the upcoming AdWORKS event on October 9. You will learn how to be a part of the show by exhibiting, serving on a breakout discussion panel, sponsoring a portion of the event and much, much more.

Those attending the AdWORKS Kick-Off have first crack at exhibitor location, sponsorships, and additional options. You will want to attend this to be in “the know” for the upcoming event!

The Toledo Club - “Red Room”
235 14th Street
Toledo, OH  43604

Thursday, June 25
5:30-7:30 p.m.
AdWORKS Preview Presentation at 6:00 p.m.

Free to attend. Cash bar.

Please RSVP to Patty Schoepf by calling 419.866.4199 or e-mail director@adclubtoledo.org.

Why Messages Aren’t Enough

I found this fascinating quote today:

Core messages. Key messages. Messages, messages. We really put a lot of stock in that word, don’t we?Why Messages Aren’t Enough, Apr 2009

You should read the whole article.

Smart marketing in a tough economy

Last week I had the distinct honor and pleasure of participating on a marketing panel organized by Leasa Maxx of Maxx Marketing & Design and the Maumee Chamber of Commerce.

On the panel with me were three very talented marketing professionals: Susie Joyner, marketing manager at Allshred Services; Deborah Rasmusson, director of vocational services for Sunshine Inc. and Georgette’s Grounds & Gifts and Tim Langhorst, executive vp at Thread Information Design.

We covered a lot of ground on topics such as:

• how small businesses can get more bang from their marketing dollars, without spending more
• what can small businesses do to combat the need for cold calling
• how can small businesses foster stronger relationships with clients and prospects
• what is social media and does it make sense for “my” small business
• tips and advise on how to build a practical online strategy

Small business marketing takeaway:

Carve out 60 minutes and watch this video. It’s loaded with tons of practical information and tips on how to market smarter in this very tough economy.

The renaissance of small business marketing

How users engage with you through digital channels will ultimately define your brand.

Try not to interrupt what people are interested in. BE what people are interested in.

Hot off the presses! Check out my column in Abec’s Small Business Review

Over the past few week, I’ve touched on the importance of differentiation to small businesses.

Now, check out my full article in the February/March issue of Abec’s Small Business Review.

The closest thing to a small business marketing magic bullet

I recently asked the following question to several LinkedIn groups I belong to: As a small business owner, what are the top three marketing challenges you face that need to be addressed within the first quarter of 2009? Even though the method is highly unscientific, I wanted to take the marketing pulse of small businesses, not just in northwest Ohio, but around the country.

As you can imagine, the things that keep small business owners up at night are varied, from the economy and branding to time management and referrals. While I believe that there is no “magic bullet” to marketing, almost without exception, the answers that were given can be boiled down to one thing: finding and communicating the core difference of their business, product or service .

If you remember one thing from this post remember this: if you can’t find a way to differentiate your business from every other business that does what you do and if you can’t communicate that difference in a way that really matters to a narrow target market, then you’re basically in the commodity business. If I can’t tell how one business is different than another then I will use the only thing I can measure – price. Yes, the driving force in the commodity business is always price.

Marketing is about creating know, like, trust with your clients and developing an ongoing relationship - this doesn’t happen quickly and there’s no magic bullet. It takes hard work, time and consistently communicating your core difference to build your reputation and loyal customer base.

How to avoid getting punched in the face

Great post by Jay Ehret over at the Marketing Spot.

Why is it that some still believe that a product or service will become preferred and remembered if we scream our message louder than our competitors and “saturate the market” with mass media. Coincidently, that was the phrase a senior marketing professional made to me the other day. I was astounded that in this time of fragmented media, niche audiences, micro trends and tribes there are still some marketers who utilize mass media, not as a compliment to a well-rounded marketing strategy (which includes social media, emerging technology, etc) but as the be-all, end-all. To me, this reflects a lack of understanding of the basic way people absorb and use media today.

Mr. Ehret says…

Forget about advertising your way to success. It won’t work. At least not in the long run.

And he provides four reasons why…

Preconception

Believability

The Myth of Response

Money

I’m not saying that all mass advertising is a waste. I believe that traditional media can still be part of the mix but only to the extent it’s needed to increase awareness for new products, time sensitive promotions and differentiation of low-involvement, saturated markets. Just focusing on traditional, one-way awareness ads will surely make your brand seem stiff, too inwardly focused and annoying.

Marketing professionals today need to recognize that prospects no longer move predictably from one mass media touch point to the next. They move around, nibbling on video, connecting to people via socla media tools, reading their RSS feeds, leaving comments on their favorite social networks, reading a few new blogs or, better yet, creating content on a blog of their own.

Interview with Mary Caracci – Northwest Ohio SCORE

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of speaking with Mary Caracci, counselor and marketing chair for Northwest Ohio SCORE, a nonprofit association dedicated to entrepreneur education and the formation, growth and success of northwest Ohio small businesses.

Mary was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, and earned a degree in pharmacy from The University of Toledo. After a 33 year career in pharmacy and business, she retired in 2004 from her position as Executive Director for Specialty Sales at a Fortune 100 pharmaceutical company. In that role, Mary led the implementation of sales and marketing plans in fifteen Midwestern states, through a talented team of 140 managers and sales professionals. She joined the Northwest Ohio Chapter of SCORE as a volunteer business counselor in 2005, organizing a new branch in Ottawa and Sandusky counties, east of Toledo.

What is SCORE?
SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” is a resource arm of the Small Business Administration. For more than 40 years, SCORE has been the premier, free business counseling and advice service in the United States. SCORE is a non-profit association, with 389 offices nationwide, and more than 10,500 working and retired business professionals who volunteer to help a new generation of entrepreneurs.

Tell us a little about the Northwest Ohio Chapter of SCORE?
The Northwest Ohio Chapter of SCORE was founded in August of 1965. Northwest Ohio SCORE has more than 40 volunteer business counselors offering a wide range of business experience. Our counselors have been corporate executives, bankers, small/midsize business owners, engineers, architects, non-profits, etc.  Our main office is located on the Mercy Hospital campus at 2200 Jefferson, with branches in the counties east, west, and south of Toledo.

How did you get involved with SCORE?
When I began planning for my own retirement, I realized that what I would miss most was my role as mentor and coach to young people in my company. Although I had a great deal of corporate experience, I had not developed myself as a volunteer, because I was too busy working on my own career. A personal friend who volunteered for SCORE approached me to become a counselor. This provided me with the perfect opportunity to “give back”, to share my knowledge and experience with business owners in my own community.

What types of small business clients do you typically work with? Is it mainly existing businesses or individuals who have an idea and are looking for ways to get their business off the ground?
Here in Northwest Ohio, our SCORE clients span the full spectrum of business models, from construction to retail to restaurant to service businesses and more. At the present time, about 60% of our counseling sessions are with individuals seeking assistance in starting their own small businesses. The other 40% of our current clients are already “in business”, and request assistance in one or more aspects of running a successful business.

When clients come in what are some of the most common questions you get? What are some of the more popular inquiries about? Is it writing a business or marketing plan, funding for their small business, what?
Our “start-up” business clients often have questions about developing a business plan, obtaining financing, sales and marketing, business accounting, or choosing a business structure. Our “in business” clients may be struggling in one or more areas of running their business, such as cash flow management, managing employees, customer service, or inventory control. Many already successful business owners are just looking for fresh ideas or suggestions on marketing and promotion, pricing strategy, market research, or eCommerce.

What resources do you have for small businesses to utilize?
Business owners and those thinking of starting a business may contact the Northwest Ohio chapter office at 419.259.2798 to arrange a free, confidential  counseling session “face to face” with one or more SCORE volunteers. “Ask SCORE” is a free online service for entrepreneurs to submit questions to a SCORE online counselor at www.score.org. SCORE also provides award-winning business resources for entrepreneurs. With more than 2,000 pages of content, this how-to site provides practical solutions and suggestions on a wide variety of business issues.

What are some of the other backgrounds of your counselors?
Some of our SCORE counselors in Northwest Ohio offer real-world experience from owning their own businesses, such as retail stores, manufacturing firms, engineering firms, or construction companies. Other counselors served in leadership positions for large companies, heading up sales and marketing, operations, finance and accounting, human resources, or international business units. Still other counselors have backgrounds in commercial lending, mergers & acquisitions, venture capital, buying or selling businesses.  Every effort is made to match the specific needs of the client with a counselor or team of counselors who have relevant experience to share.

Are you currently looking for SCORE counselors? If so, what’s the process for interested parties?
Yes, Northwest Ohio SCORE is always seeking new volunteers who want the opportunity to share their real-world experience with small businesses in our community. We also expect our volunteers to serve on SCORE committees or in leadership positions within the chapter. Those interested in learning more about volunteering with SCORE may contact the Northwest Ohio chapter office by calling 419.259.7598 to request a volunteer application.

In your mind, what’s the biggest difference between successful businesses and not-so-successful businesses? In other words, what are two or three things that successful small businesses do that others do not?
My most successful small business clients are those who bring relevant experience and industry knowledge to running the business that they start. They also set goals, and regularly measure their progress toward achieving those goals. They have adequate capitalization to survive the start-up period, seasonal variations in sales volume, and downturns in the overall economy like the one we are currently experiencing.

Any last comments or suggestions for the small business owners and budding entrepreneurs reading this interview?
One of my clients recently told me, “Many small business owners are so busy working IN their business, that they do not make the time to work ON their business.” Take time to find a mentor, or better yet, develop a network of outside-your-business people who can help you achieve your business goals. No one person has all the answers. Ask questions, and listen for great ideas!

O.K. let’s have a little fun. In the back pages of Vanity Fair each month, readers find The Proust Questionnaire, a series of questions posed to famous subjects about their lives, thoughts, values and experience. HubSpot has been running an adapted series on their blog. Below are Mary’s answers.

Device you would never give up?
Absolutely, my laptop with wireless card. It is my link to the world of information and communication, whether I am at home or at work or at sea. You can have my cell phone, but don’t touch my computer.

Website(s) and/or blog(s) you read most frequently?
Women’s Success Blog – to learn from women entrepreneurs
Golf Handicap Information Network - to work on my golf game
Cruising Club of America – to plan my boat trips

Social media tool(s) you actually use?
LinkedIn

Favorite business book(s) and why?
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
This is not a business book in the traditional sense, and the idea behind the book is certainly not limited to business. What this book does describe is how new ideas and products and behaviors and messages spread, just like viruses do. It changed the way that I think about selling products or ideas, professionally and personally.

Follow these five steps to create successful cause marketing campaigns

Entrepreneur.com

In this new era of social responsibility, what you don’t do can cost you. “Cause marketing” is now the norm, and customers who visit your website and see your advertising want to know that you share their desire to make the world a better place by supporting an important cause.

…

There’s a strong connection between entrepreneurship and giving. The challenge is to make your socially responsible efforts a winning proposition for the nonprofit group you support, the community and your business. You can master this marketing challenge by following these five important steps:

Step 1. Give from the heart

Step 2. Choose a related cause

Step 3. Contribute more than dollars

Step 4. Formalize your affiliation

Step 5. Mount a marketing campaign

Next Page »