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.

Whenever I hear that type of talk from small business owners, I cringe.

Let me get to the point. You must be on the Internet. You must find ways to use Internet based tools such as email to enhance your marketing efforts.

Most of the Internet resistance that small business owners harbor stem from a couple of places. First of all they may have bought into the initial Internet hype that made it sound as though any business could set up a web site and start raking in cash.

The other perception that keeps businesses off of the net is the belief that since they are only trying to do business in their community or maybe even their tiny little neighborhood the Internet and Internet based tools have nothing to offer.

Let me say it again. “You can use the World Wide Web even if your market is the Guy Next Door.” The cost of developing a web site and web hosting have become so inexpensive there is no excuse to pass on this form of marketing.

The first thing you must understand is how most people use the web. While there are some folks who fire up their computer to go shopping, most people use the Internet as a tool to gather information. Now they may use that information to make a purchase decision but first they will gather.

So it stands to reason that as increasing numbers of people turn to their computers for research purposes, the businesses that are ready and waiting to provide that information stand to gain over those who fail to meet this need.

I know many people, myself included, who use the Internet like a giant phone book. It is easier for me to locate a local business or service with a few clicks than to plow through a phone book.

As regional web directories and search portals grow in popularity, gaining listings in them will be more important than a Yellow Page listing. (See recommended resource for information on regional directories)

Most businesses should look at their web sites as a way to provide information and customer service first and as a way to generate leads and perhaps sales second.

A web site also allows you to enhance your advertising efforts by placing free detailed information, reports and beneficial content in a place where anyone can retrieve it. The web lets even the local neighborhood store deliver information on things such as special offerings, coupons and client previews.

Smart marketers will use a web site to get customer feedback. A web site is a great place to store all of your company’s printed sales and technical literature.

The ways to use a web site in your business are endless.

A web site is not the end all of marketing it is simply another very powerful marketing tool. To ignore it is to limit the ways in which a client or potential client can build a relationship with your firm…and that would be a costly mistake.

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.

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.

With the words that you use on your site, are you talking mostly about your customers and their needs or are you talking mostly about yourself?

In order to help small businesses answer this question, Future Now Inc. has created a “WeWe Monitor.” This is a free analysis tool that counts certain words on your site that are key indicators of whether your focus is on the customer or not.

Click here to run the customer focus calculator on your company website. All you have to do is enter your url and company name, then click on “Test Your WeWe Score.”

As you use it, keep in mind this is nothing more than a handy, but rough guide that will help you focus on something important. There are lots of variables and also remember there are no shortcuts to writing great copy.

• Discover what your word choices say about where your focus really is
• Get a sense of the impression you are making on your prospects
• See where you can make changes, quickly and easily, that will increase your sales

Small business marketing take away:

As proud as you may be of your company and your product or service, most customers only care about how well you can help them meet their wants and needs. If you want more of them to buy, your focus (online and offline) must be on your customer.

I am so pleased to report that local participation for the April 3 Inaugural Social Media Breakfast Toledo meeting was extremely strong. The planning committee could not have been more pleased at the turnout, interest and engagement for the event, which combined an overview of web 2.0 social media with an opportunity for business networking.

We had 79 people attend in person and an additional 67 watch the live stream, which exceeded our expectations. Erica Shaffer from WTOL 11 stayed for the entire event. See her reporting of the event here. It shows that there is tremendous interest at all levels in social media and people are actively looking for venues to learn, connect, share and network.

Panelists for the event included Victoria Kamm, Allen Mireles, Dave Rigotti and Damian Rintelmann. Led by moderator Michael Temple, the panel discussed such topics as attracting new customers with social media, retaining existing customers with social media and market research to learn what customers want through conversation.

The panel also answered questions on Social Networking tools such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Ning and other social media platforms, citing personal experience on tactics, tools and trends.

If you’ll be in the NW Ohio area on May 1, please join us for SMB Toledo #2.