Strategy

You need a smaller net

August 15, 2011

 

…are you fishing with too big a net?

Fear can make us take our eye off the ball and lose focus on what really matters.  In marketing, that often translates to these sorts of mistakes:

• I’m afraid this is the only ad/website/sales letter they’ll ever see so I need to cram everything I can into it.
• I’m afraid they’ll choose someone else so I’ll lower our price, even though my price is fair.
• I’m afraid we won’t have enough customers, so I’ll chase everyone that breathes.

I must admit, I get on my soapbox about this one.  One of the best things about smart branding is that it repels the wrong customers.  People who are not a good fit.

Every business has a “right fit” customer and those are the only people you should be actively pursuing.  Why would you want to win a new customer only to deliver at a so so level.

You can rock the socks off the “right fit” customers.  They’ll brag about you to their friends.  And you’ll love working with them.  Stop being content with anything you can catch in that big net of yours.  Go get a smaller net and chase after just the right fits.

Need more convincing?  I got this note on Facebook the other day from Sherry Borzo, a business woman I know here in Des Moines.

“Must tell you, because I’m pretty sure you were the one who said it so often in my presence a few years ago, but I truly GET the idea of working only with your ideal customer. It makes for a much happier environment for both business person and customer. It is like you’re building your own little community. So important. Always think of you saying that when I’m working with a customer that fits well with what I do.”

Amen to that!  Toss that big old net in the garbage and begin catching your right fit customers.

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Just because you can…

July 6, 2011

At MMG, we’re often heard saying “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”  This applies to many things but it seems to come up most when we’re talking about design.

• Just because you can use 12 fonts on one piece doesn’t mean you should
• Just because you can auto tweet every 5 minutes doesn’t mean you should
• Just because you can make your logo spin and catch fire on your website doesn’t mean you should
• And so on….

Which is why this direct mail piece I received caught my attention.  It’s a perfect example of this axiom.  Check out the short video demo.

 

How about you?  Are there places in your marketing plan that perhaps you’ve crossed the line a little?  Are you guilty of doing more just because you can?

I see this a lot when a business owner tries to DIY their marketing.  They just aren’t quite sure where the line should be drawn.  Remember in most things — simple and clean will beat complicated any day.

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Radio show on book crowdsourcing

July 5, 2011

 

…media coverage for Age #1

One of the best benefits of being a part of the Age of Conversation series is that I’ve met a lot of really smart, generous people who do good work and celebrate others’ good work.

That’s how I had the good fortune of being a guest on the US Media Radio show with Deborah Chaddock Brown (her co-host Candace Benson was called to the White House…so hard to fault her absence!) to talk about crowdsourcing and the Age series.

It was fun to tell stories of how Gavin and I kicked off the first book and all the crazy, surprising relationship/business building outcomes that have come as a result of the series.

If you’d like to listen to the conversation Deborah and I had — all you have to do is click here.

 

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Essential Twitter Tools

June 10, 2011

Twitter is an important part of my daily communications and community.  I use it to:

• Share great resources
• Chat with friends and peers
• Share my own writing/posts
• Access resources, articles, and keep current
• Test ideas, vent, laugh and connect
• Give myself a mental floss — you never know what you’ll see, read or jump into

But…I have a day job so I can’t spend all day, glued to the Twitter screen, waiting for someone to say something relevant.  So, I rely on a handful of Twitter tools that make it much easier for me to accomplish my goals and cover my day job as well.

Let me preface my tool talk with this statement:  Twitter is not about automated conversations between your bot and mine.  It’s about real interactions between real people.  But that does not mean all automation is bad.  It’s about finding the balance.

Twitter Tool #1: HootSuite.

Re-arrange tweets into conversations

Much has been written about this software.  It allows you to manage your Twitter activity (follow the main stream, when someone directs an update to you or sends you a direct message) but what I appreciate the most about Hootsuite is that it allows me to schedule updates (on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) so I can be sharing resources, blog posts etc. throughout the day, even if I’m in a meeting or asleep.

It also lets me “re-arrange” tweets into conversations, as you can see in the screen shot to the right.

Twitter Tool #2: Boxcar

Keep me in live conversations 24/7

Boxcar is an app on my iPhone and iPad.  It streams any message sent directly to me (I have it set just for Facebook or Twitter but you could set up Google Voice, e-mail and much more) right to my device and pops up with a portion of the message so I can decide if I want to read it, respond to it etc.   It’s very elegant and simple and very easy to set up and use.

This allows to to respond in real time — no matter where I am or what I’m doing.

Pre-set a handful of blogs to autopost

 

 

 

 

Twitter tool #3: Twitterfeed

This is a tool I use very sparingly.  You create an account and then add URLs that post new content (typically blogs).  Then, anytime one of those sites has new content, it automatically tweets it out on your account.  (You can set it up to do Twitter, FB and others).

I would only add blogs that stick to their core content faithfully and consistently deliver A+ content.  In my Twitterfeed account, there are only about 10 blogs loaded up.  I can regulate how often it updates my status with someone’s new content and it tells me what my Twitter friends are clicking on.  I don’t want to bombard my Twitter followers, but I also don’t want to make them wait until I get to my feed reader to share the best stuff.

Manage your followers with a click!

 

 

 

 

Twitter Tool #4: ManageFlitter

Oh how I love this tool!  With a couple clicks, I can see what tweeps I follow that have gone dormant, who are the super talkers (might be bots) and who has stopped following me, etc.  Then, I can unfollow or add people very quickly.

This used to be one of my most laborious tasks… cleaning up my Twitter followers.  But now I can do it in minutes and it keeps me connected to the people I want to follow and disconnected from those who got bored and haven’t tweeted in 6 months.

What the set up screen looks like

Twitter tool #5: Tweet Old Post

This WordPress plugin allows me to tweet out some of my older posts from my blog.  I’ve been blogging for over 5 years, so in theory, there’s some good stuff in there.  This plugin randomly grabs an old post (I can identify categories I do/don’t want included) and tweets it out.  I can add a prefix like A golden oldie… or a hashtag like #GreatestHits so my followers will know what’s up.

This is a great way to breath new life into old but still relevant content.

So there you have it….these five tools (along with some RSS feeds for listening by topics and Twitter lists for listening to my favorite people) are how I manage my life on Twitter.  They let me connect in real time, share my favorite writers, schedule some of my tweets and manage my followers.

I hope that at least one of these tools is a new find for you and that a mix of them can make your Twitter experience even better!

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Do you have a crisis communications plan?

June 6, 2011

 

…You need a crisis communications plan

If you own your business, you probably have all kinds of insurance. You’ve protected your building, your equipment and depending on your field, you might have errors and omissions, liability or other insurances as well.

But 95% of you are missing one of the most vital insurances of all. This safety net could literally prevent the ruin of your organization. It’s a crisis communications plan.

Just like you can’t anticipate a fire or theft, you can’t possibly know when you’re going to face an accident, C-level misconduct, or misuse of your product that results in a death, tragedy or other news garnering disaster.

There are five must do’s for effective crisis communication planning. Be sure, as you draft your plan, to include all five aspects.

Be prepared: In today’s 24/7 world with continuous news channels, blogs, Twitter and other on demand media sources – you can’t afford not to be ready long before disaster strikes. Within minutes of the 2010 accidental death of the SeaWorld trainer – the news was already being shared on Twitter and YouTube videos were being uploaded. You do not have time to huddle up once the crisis has hit.

Listen and monitor: One of the best ways to prevent a wide scale communications crisis is to nip it in the bud. By identifying potential problems before or immediately after they surface, often you can mitigate a great deal of the damage. Create strategic listening posts that allow you to monitor what is being said about your company, your leadership, your products and your industry. This shouldn’t just be about monitoring social media. With so much of mainstream media producing content for the web – you need to keep a watchful eye on them as well.

Be human and be humane: It’s easy to get defensive and hide behind “no comment” or your lawyers. But when tragic strikes – your audiences (employees, community, customers, etc.) want to see and hear from you. They don’t expect you to be perfect, but they do expect you to genuinely care about what happened and how it impacts them. They want to hear from a real person who is being honest and forthright with them.

Over communicate: This is good advice in almost any situation but it’s critical at a time of crisis. You need to be very present, you need to offer regular updates and you need to repeat the same information in a wide variety of formats, media and potentially, time zones. Even if you don’t have anything new to report – don’t be dormant for too long. It makes people worry and wonder.

Create community: One of the best things you can do is to create a community of supporters and fans. That way, when you’re under fire, you’ll have a legion of people who will stand with you and help you fight off the attack. With the shift to “everyone can produce content” this becomes a vital part of your plan. You want lots of people singing your praises if/when you hit a bump in the road.

We’re going to dig into each of these five over the next couple weeks.  I’m really hoping that you tune in and take some action.

Unfortunately, most of you will disregard this advice and not put a crisis communications plan in place. And even more tragic – several of you, down the road, will sorely wish that you had.

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Are you built to sell?

June 1, 2011

Whether you are a business owner, a consultant or a W-2 employee — you want to be able to sell off what you have of value.

• For the owner, it’s probably the business itself.
• The consultant wants to evolve into having product to sell, so they aren’t just selling their time.
• And the employee wants to sell his services — either to re-sell and demonstrate value to his current employer or be sought after by a new employer.

Although it was written with the business owner in mind, the book Built to Sell by John Warrillow speaks to all three circumstances.  (click here to buy the book*)  Absolutely every business owner should read this book but so should anyone doing business today.

A few key insights from the book for all of us…regardless of job title:

#1: If you remain a generalist, you will only be able to charge generalist prices and you’ll compete with everyone for their business.  Specialists command higher prices and are sought after — rather than having to chase down their potential customers.

#2: Let process and technology systemize your business and create the consistency that your customers can come to count on.

#3: Package what you sell and make it something that needs to be re-purchased/used often.

#4:  Say no.  Define who you want as a customer (or boss) and say no to the rest.  Don’t settle, don’t compromise and don’t spread yourself too thin.

The book is a fast, enjoyable read.  It’s written in the business parable style that many authors like Steve Farber, Patrick Lencioni and others have done so well.  And…you get more than the story.  John’s built an implementation guide with plenty of how to’s into the back of the book so you can get right to work on making yourself/your business ready for the next sale!

So — jump into the comments section and let’s talk about how to make ourselves more sellable.  What are you going to do first?

 

*Yup, it’s an affiliate link.  And yes, someone (publisher or the author) sent me the book to read.  As you know, I get books in the mail every day.  I only share the ones I think you’ll find valuable.   Otherwise, you’d think I sucked.

Related articles

• John Warrillow on Selling Your Company (blogs.forbes.com)
• Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You (smallbizsurvival.com)
• Top 8 Books Every Small Business Owner Should Read (businessinsider.com)

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How does a seasonal business sell year round?

May 26, 2011

A guest post by Isabella York

 

 

Within most any business, there is a peak and a slow season. The truth is that there are times when a customer wants to buy all of our stock, and a time when we just want to move units out of our storage space. When seasons and trends come to pass, so does the flow of customers.

If you have a business that is expected to make the lion’s share of sales over two months of every year, it is a constant marketing strategy game, getting creative with concepts and ways to use your products, and coming up with methods to stimulate profit for the whole year.

Here are a few things we need to note to keep our seasonal business thriving all year round:

Plan ahead: Kevin Fraley of Printworks talked to the Wells Fargo Business Insights Series about planning months, even years, in advance when it comes to business. Anticipation of the inflow of income during the season highs and the strategy to keep moving units in the slow seasons will ensure that the business stays active year round. Like the Boy Scouts, preparation in a seasonal business is the key to success.

Slash prices in the off season in a creative way: Offer a sale they can’t refuse, and make it interesting. Off season sales at unexpected times, like Christmas in July, when people are craving the chill and comfort of the holiday season, or Halloween costumes to celebrate an iconic horror movie’s redistribution in a digitally re-mastered version, are consistently popular and strike a happy image in the customer’s mind. Use popular television shows, movies or albums to tie in your stock, and hear the cash register ringing all year long

Manage your online reputation: These days, the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to market your company is to do it online. Create, manage and take care of your online reputation for an easy way to connect to the customer on a 24/7 basis. Create a fan page on Facebook and offer deals and steals on the page; connect with past and potential customers while on the site. Check online review sites and offer explanations to customer complaints on these review sites, as most of them give the merchant the option to do so.

Offer your business in a new light: Michael Jones of Chicago’s In Bloom Floral & Events knew his summer was going to be a hard one due to the seasonality of his flower shop, so he created another way of getting his customers inside his store during the off peak season. He opened up an art gallery in his store space, creating more interest in his other offerings by getting people inside to see his items. He drew them in using art, and showcased his flowers as well.

Ride the highs and the lows of your seasonal business by working the unexpected, and planning ahead. Creativity with a lot of planning will get you ahead, and thriving year round, all the whilekeeping your business in tune with the trends.

Isabella York has been in the business world her entire life.  Having seen business cycles ebb and flow, she knows a thing or two about developing strategies for changing demands, however her job with a purveyor of Artificial Christmas Trees and Christmas Trees has catapulted this skill set to a new level.

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Viva the underdog!

May 24, 2011

 

…a blast from our past…it’s Underdog

Most of our clients at McLellan Marketing Group could be classified as underdogs.  Call them challenger brands, the little guy or the rising star — but odds are, they have a Goliath or two in their path.

We love helping them topple the big guys and steal their thunder.  In fact, we believe that it’s a market ADVANTAGE not to be the biggest.  Yup…. being an underdog is a plus in our book.

Why?  In today’s world of constant change, it’s a lot easier to win the hearts and minds of buyers if you’re nimble, not bound by layers of corporate and committee decision making and you can wear your heart on your sleeve.  Market leaders don’t actually want to engage in a fight and they hate scrappy little guys who take them off their well prescribed path.  That’s how you beat them — you make them play your game.

Here’s the unspoken truth of underdog marketing.  You don’t have to actually destroy the industry leader — you just need to take a good sized piece of his pie.  In fact, you don’t, in most cases, want to be the leader.   Why wear the target on your back?  It’s more fun to be the challenger — the one who can break some rules, change the game… and create love affairs with your customers.

That’s why I was eager to read Stephen Denny’s book Killing Giants (click here to buy*)  Denny interviewed 70 “giant killers” and tells their story in his new book which outlines some powerful techniques for knocking the big guys down a peg or two.

The book presents 10 strategies that businesses can adopt to overcome a market leader. The strategies run from taking advantage of the speed and agility of being small to the willingness to take on some risks that the big boys can’t stomach.

He’s structured the book well — each chapter is divided into the strategy, the stories and the take aways.  My only “complaint” is that Denny’s underdogs are what many of us would consider to be giants in their own right — like Adobe or Hersey’s Krackel.  But it’s a good reminder that even large organizations like Hershey can be an underdog and have to think differently.  The techniques they used translate just fine to a local bank or CPA.  So don’t dismiss the book just because many of the examples are national brands you recognize.

I think you’ll find the book gets you fired up to go out there and take on a giant or two!

 

 

*Yup, it’s an affiliate link.  Also — Stephen sent me a copy of his book to review. You know me well enough to know I only review books I think you’ll find valuable. (I get several every day…so I am pretty choosey.)

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Know. Like. Trust.

May 12, 2011

 

Too many organizations go hot and cold with their marketing.  They’re aggressive or at least active one month or one quarter and then are dormant for months at a time.  Or other companies market like crazy when sales are down but when they get busy, marketing falls off the radar.

Or maybe your particular version is that you only deliver the first half of the one/two punch.  You drop the direct mail piece but you never follow up with the phone call.

Regardless of how or why — the inconsistency of your marketing hurts you.  It turns a warm prospect into a cold one, by the time you get back around to marketing again.

This is one of the most common marketing mistakes that companies big and small make over and over.  They try to time their marketing.  Much like a day trader who believes you can time the market, knowing exactly when to jump in and out – some business owners and marketing types believe they can guestimate exactly when their marketing message needs to be in front of their consumers.

Maybe.

I’m not saying it’s impossible.  I’m saying it’s not necessary. And I would contend, it’s actually detrimental to your long-term success.

Here’s the kernel of truth we don’t like to acknowledge.  We can’t know (unless you sell Christmas trees or some other very seasonal product) when our prospects are going to begin their buying process. I’m not talking about when they’re going to buy.  The reality is – we need to get to them way before they make that decision.

To be one of the considered choices – you have to on the list to begin with.  Marketing is all about getting a prospect to know who you are, like who you are and trust who you are.

Just like in our personal relationships – that doesn’t happen in an instant.

Getting them to know you: We get to know others gradually, through either an extended contact or many quick hits.  Marketing works the same way.  In most cases, a prospect isn’t going to give you their time and attention for more than a few minutes…so you have to go with the “be present all the time, so when they need/want you – you’re there” model.  We call this drip marketing.  There are lots of ways to do this and I’ll dig into them next week.

Getting them to like you: This is about being authentic.  Will everyone like you?  Nope…but you don’t need everyone.  You just need enough of the right someones.  Here’s the tough part about this phase.  They have to like more than what you sell.  They also have to like the people selling it.  Let them get to know your organization and your people.

Getting them to trust you: The bigger your price tag, the deeper the trust needs to be.  But no matter what you sell, trust is the cornerstone of actually making the sale.  How do you get a buyer to trust you?  In marketing terms, it’s actually pretty straightforward.  You are honest (see getting them to like you), you are consistent and you actually follow up when you say you’re going to.

While all of that sounds simple, most businesses fail miserably at it.

 

 

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Build your digital footprint in a hub and spoke model

April 18, 2011

The hub/spoke model. Click on it to enlarge.

Whether you’re a Fortune 500 company, a small retail shop or an individual consultant trying to be found — everyone is concerned with being findable on the web today.

And with good reason.  It’s the 21st century — so when we want to find anything or anyone, we Google it.  Being findable in relevant search queries matters to businesses (and people) big and small.  And to achieve that — you need a strategy.

We recommend to MMG clients that we build their web of content creation in a hub/spoke model.  You need to have a core or hub for all of your social media activity.  One place that is the repository for your core content.   In my case — it’s  this blog.  It’s home base — containing the bulk of the content I have created.  It’s where I link out from and it’s where I want people to ultimately land if they’re searching for marketers, marketing agencies in the midwest, Iowa advertising agencies etc.

You can have lots of spokes…but they all build off the same hub.  If you look at the diagram I’ve created for my own model (clearly not an art director!) you’ll see that both online and offline activities all point back to the blog.

The logic behind this is pretty straightforward:

• You want to point all your links and backlinks to the same place — the spot you want Google to drive people to.
• You don’t want to spread out the Google juice — you want it concentrated on your hub location. The more links and juice pointed at the same place, the higher your ranking.
• You want people to find your best thinking, depth of knowledge and most authoritative voice — typically a blog or website.
• You want the search engines to drive people to where they can actually connect with you — human to human.

I’m not suggesting for a minute that everyone should have a blog.  You know I don’t believe that to be true.  So for some businesses, it might be your corporate website.  It might be your Facebook fan page.  It might be a Squidoo lens page.

You need to look at how/where you’re going to be spending your time online and then carefully build your strategy around choosing a home base and building off of it.

Don’t dilute your online efforts by not having a smart strategy about how and where you want to be found.

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