Archive for January, 2009
Posted on January 19, 2009 by Miller
When people start their small business specifically if there is a physical product involved, the way to make money is to sell more of that product, or to get more outside sources to carry your product. Its all about scale, right?
But I think there’s much more to scaling your business than simply getting the widget into more stores. Right now there is a tremendous opportunity to use Web 2.0 tools LIKE Twitter, Blogs, Facebook, etc. to make new friends, have discussions, and leverage these relationships to help your business succeed.
1. Become an Expert. Discuss – Participate in discussions with other like minded business people on the web. Have a BBQ sauce to die for? Talk recipes on BBQ forums. Let people know what your story is.
2. Teach – Work through web portals with small business groups and lend a hand to people across the country who are trying to start their own gig. Give free advice. Link them up on your website. Recommend people who can help with marketing, distribution, etc.
3. Interact – Get the community involved. Do you have an apple orchard that you use for your Pie Filling? Offer your farm to local schools for field trips. Have a community Pick Off where you can teach about sustainable agriculture. Attendees can volunteer for a day on the farm. You get work done, and they get knowledge (maybe a picnic and some new friends too).
The point is… the more you give in terms of your time and knowledge….the more you care about your stakeholders in your community and beyond… the better the chances that people will support your business on the web and in your community. Sure beats providing a door prize.
Posted on January 18, 2009 by Miller
Food for thought:
Everyone loves doing custom ringtones. One ring for mom, one ring for the boss, etc. But what if you also put in all the numbers of people you would like to avoid. And give them a custom ringtone too. No Sound. That way, you’d never even know they rang you.
Posted on January 16, 2009 by Miller
In so many day to day interactions with business (big business in particular), there seems to be so much red tape and no accountability. I know this is nothing new to anyone. When it comes to asking for a donation for a prize giveaway, or speaking to someone directly who can maybe offer a solution to a product or service gone bad, the answers I hear most often are:
“I’ll have to ask the (insert department here) department at our corporate office.”
“I don’t have the authority to help you with that.”
“You’ll have to call our HelpDesk.” (Side note, I love how all crappy HelpDesks start the automated call with “Your call is important to us”)
Obviously this is frustrating on so many levels, but I’ve realized the fundamental statement it conveys is: “We call our employees professionals, but don’t trust them to make any decisions that would improve your customer experience.”
How cool would it be if each individual member of a staff could and WOULD be authorized to help you through your customer service issues. What would the value be if 95% of your customers had a good experience in solving their problem instead of 5%? What’s the worth in revenue?
Posted on January 16, 2009 by Miller
Just by happenstance, I installed Tweetie as my new iPhone Twitter client and am first of all really happy with it. Then I noticed that the logos for both Vlingo and Tweetie look eerily similar in size, and shape. Anyone else notice this? Are they from the same developers or is this something more sinister?
Posted on January 15, 2009 by Miller
This Post by Chris Brogan first of all was excellent (read it), but more importantly got me thinking….
He’s wondering where the community thinks tools like Twitter, blogs, Facebook, etc belong in a company. Should they be handled by marketing, PR, HR, etc? In addition to his ideas, it got me thinking about what a huge opportunity there is for marketers, consultants, and agencies to teach clients. I think most companies think of these tools and social media in general as a way to reach out to their user base (which is true). But there’s also a great opportunity to use these tools on an internal level to streamline communication, build teams, and solidify a brand. Check out the full article and my .02 is below:
Posted on January 14, 2009 by Miller
Enjoyed this article that got passed to me via Tim O’Reilly – from Truthout.org concerning alternative ways to ‘bail out’ the American people and using this money to instead focus on getting us on track to a greener economy. Good read. Full Article Here.
Additionally, my friend pointed out some flaws in the argument but more importantly a good comment which I’m linking to here. Check ‘em out.
Posted on January 14, 2009 by Miller
Read a GREAT post today from Chris Brogan about the importance of storytelling in marketing. This is also something that Seth Godin beats like a drum. And I have to agree. Having a story to tell, not a pitch, can be so much more effective in getting people to check out your service, your blog, or your product.
It all comes down to connections. People want to experience things with other people and I think in particular the web and social media are the most authentic way to share discovery that’s scalable and available.
BUT I’d say the most important thing in effective storytelling in marketing is that it is authentic. Period.
Here’s some snippets.. (full post here…if you do one thing today, read it)
If you’re the chief storyteller of Skype right now, what are you going to say about the product that will encourage more usage, more uptake, more awareness? The product is fairly solid, has a known set of features, and is one of a few “name brand” products in the Voice over IP space. So what can you say about it?
Companies face this trouble all the time. What will you say about Pepsi? How will you talk about the Ford Flex tomorrow? What should Titleist tell you about their Pro V1 balls?
The Stories You Can Tell
- Talk about the people. Who drives a Flex?
- Talk about success. Who used Pro V1 balls to change their game?
Talk about change. Did Pepsi help a community with an important project?
Look for Stories Everywhere
When you finish this post, stop and think. Where are the stories about your products, your services, your organization, you, the people or places you write about? How are you telling those stories? Are those stories useful? Do they resonate with people?
What comes next in all this is understanding how to move from talking about features into telling stories that make us want to be a part of them
The really cool thing is that I think when people start focusing on stories in marketing, there can be a natural byproduct of doing good, doing the right thing, and helping your community. Actually, that sounds kind of shady… You shouldn’t be doing cool stuff just for the marketing value (I know I know, it happens all the time). BUT maybe realizing the benefits of being cool to those around you, would encourage companies and organizations and YOU to do good for the sake of doing good, because at the end of the day there will be a benefit whether in notoriety or just having a great story to tell…
Posted on January 14, 2009 by Miller
Great grapic from Pixel Labs. See the full size HERE
from Pixel Labs
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