Small Business Marketing Tips and Ideas

Marketing Sherpa has once again put out it's Readers' Choice Awards for the top blogs in 10 different categories. MarketingSherpa's Top 10 Best Blogs & Best Podcast of 2006: Readers' Choice Award Results

Congratulations are in order to my friend and one of my true mentors, John Jantsch, for winning the best small business marketing category for the third straight year in a row. Duct Tape Marketing has created a large following and I'm proud to be in the family as one of John's Authorized Duct Tape Coaches.

Here is the list of results. It would certainly be worthwhile to check out each of these blogs (as long as you also come back and continue reading mine).

Best Blog on Small Business Marketing

Duct Tape Marketing
by John Jantsch
http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/weblog.php

Sherpa Note: In what can only be termed a Landslide Victory, Duct Tape wins its category for the third straight year in a row. Way to go John!

Best B-to-B Marketing Blog

B2B Lead Generation Blog
by Brian Carroll
http://blog.startwithalead.com/weblog/

Sherpa Note: Our readership is 65% B-to-B marketers, so this was a hotly contested category. Brian won honorable mention last year and has moved up a notch, sharpening his game. That's tough in a world where blog fatigue can all too easily set in. Brian's new book on the same subject was released in May 2006 by McGraw Hill, so he's having a banner year all around!

Best Blog on Email Marketing

Chris Baggott’s Email Marketing Best Practices
by Chris Baggott
http://exacttarget.typepad.com/chrisbaggott/

Sherpa Note: Email Marketing is a new category for us -- last year it was lumped in with 'online marketing.’ Chris' blog won that category this year, and he continues to prove he can dominate his league. This year he also got the highest "Excellent" percent rating out of all 107 nominated blogs across 11 categories. A stunning victory.

Best Blog on Search Marketing

Search Engine Roundtable
Bloggers include: Barry Schwartz, Benjamin Pfeiffer, Chris Boggs, Kim Krause, Shawn Hogan, Ignacio Hernandez, Morgan Carey & Dan Thies
http://www.seroundtable.com/

Sherpa Note: This is the second year in a row for this group Weblog to win the Search category. Notably, the voting for the entire category as a whole was fairly even (aside from one obvious ballot stuffer). The guys did not get the highest total votes, they were second-highest. However, they did nail the highest percent of "Excellent" ratings -- vs 'Not Bad' and 'Blah,' and that's what matters.

Best Blog on Advertising

Adrants
by Steve Hall
http://www.adrants.com/

Sherpa Note: Does sex sell? We've seen data that it can depress ad campaign results. However, obviously it doesn’t hurt you as a blogger in the world of advertising. Steve Hall, known for witty commentary combined with ad photos of scantily clad young women, has obviously captured the hearts of advertising execs.

Best Blog on Marketing to a Specific Consumer Demographic

Andy Wibbels, the Original Blogging Evangelist
by Andy Wibbels
http://andywibbels.com/

Sherpa Note: Andy's blog tells marketers and blog-writers how to attract the blog-reading public. Plus, he's now the proud author of 'Blogwild! A Guide for Small Business Blogging' which got rave reviews from Business Week among others.

Best blog on Affiliate Marketing

ReveNews
by Larry Adams, David Andrews, Connie Berg, Jamie Birch, Chris Boyd, Dave Cole, Joel Comm, Brian Clark, Henry Copeland, Todd Crawford, Chris Criswell, Sean Crotty, Jimmy Daniels, Jeff Doak, Declan Dunn, Ola Edvardsson, Caryl Felicetta, Peter Figueredo, Bill Flitter, Ben Flux, Scott Jangro, Beth Kirsch, Jim Kukral, Duane Kuroda, Dan Leeds, David Lewis, Vinny Lingham, Chris Malta, Colin McDougall, Jonathan Miller, Jeff Molander, Mike Murray, Ben Padnos, Jeremy Palmer, Scott Polk, Wayne Porter, Rick Ramos, Peter Sampson, Chris Sanderson, Brook Schaaf, Tim Storm, Shmuly Tennenhaus, Adam Viener & Brad Waller
http://www.revenews.com/

Sherpa Note: ReveNews is perhaps the oldest blog in this Awards. Launched in 1998 as an RSS headline feed of affiliate marketing news, it's now packed with fresh, original content co-written by merchant-side marketers as well as top affiliate marketing consultants.

Best Blog on the Topic of PR

Active Voice
by Matt "PodBoy"
http://podboy.typepad.com/techvoice/

Sherpa Note: With a name like Active Voice, we strongly suspect this blogger will launch a companion podcast soon.

Best Foreign-Language Blog

Marketing-Blog Biz -- Besserwerberblog * Marketing für Besserwerber
by Frank Herold, Heiko Walkenhorst, Ralf Siegfried, Klaus-Martin Meyer, Christof Hintze, Marlon Ikels, Michael Herrling & Heike Schugens
http://www.marketing-blog.biz/blog/

Sherpa Note: Thanks to our German-speaking readers who voted for this blog. Even if you don't read German, definitely check out this blog's great logo!

Best Blog on General Marketing Topics

Seth Godin’s Blog
by Seth Godin
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

Sherpa Note: Seth has been either a winner or an honorable mention every year, and this year mopped up both more votes and more "Excellent" ratings than anyone else in his category. He's also one of the only marketing-household-names in the category. So, are people voting because they adore his blog or because they've heard of him? Either way, we're impressed and you should be, too. If you're a marketing consultant, Seth's brand awareness stature is one to shoot for.

And, Marketing Sherpa also added a Marketing Podcast category this year.

Best Podcast on the topic of Marketing

Across the Sound
by Joseph Jaffe
http://www.acrossthesound.net/

Sherpa Note: This is the first year for the podcasting category. We asked that only readers who actually listened at least a snippet of the nominated podcasts would vote for them. (Yes, we included a hotlink on the voting form to make listening easier.) Congratulations to Joseph for his first-year victory!

Congratulations to all of this year's winners. There is a lot of good marketing information out there if you want it.

July 7, 2006 06:40 - Get Creative With Your Referral Marketing System

When it comes to referral marketing, most small businesses are passively winging it.

The vast majority of small businesses I meet with will say that most of their business comes through referrals. But, when you ask them what they're doing to guarantee a consistent flow of referrals, almost none of them have an answer.

A client of mine mentioned hearing about a book recently that I probably need to add to my reading list. The title of the book is called, "Hope is Not a Strategy." But isn't this exactly the strategy most are employing when it comes to referral marketing?

"If we do a great job, we would hope that our happy client will tell others about us." That's a strategy of hope if I've ever heard one. And it's a sentiment I've heard uttered on more than one occasion when asking, "How do you consistently generate referrals?"

The other common evidence of employing hope as a strategy is passing the stack of cards. You've seen it and maybe even done it yourself.

You pass a small stack of business cards to a client or someone else you think might be able to refer you business. This is usually accompanied with something to the effect of, "If you know anyone who could use my services, please pass them my card." And once again, you're hoping that's exactly what they'll do and eventually someone will call.

Get creative when it comes to referral marketing. It starts with adopting a referral mindset. If you believe that what you do truly adds value to your clients then doesn't it just make sense that potential clients would prefer to meet you through a referral.

• The most basic approach to getting referrals is to simply start asking more directly. Even still, if you're willing to get more creative, you can create you're own continuous flow of referrals.

• Offer your referral sources a complimentary sample of your services in exchange for a few referrals.
  

• Put together a valuable report or audio and ask your referral sources who they would like to send it to as a gift.

• Offer an incentive such as a chance at a drawing or some level of refund for each referral given.

Don't limit your thinking. If the service you have to offer to clients is valuable you owe it to your prospective clients as well as yourself to get creative in generating referrals.

July 10, 2006 11:21 - The Importance Of Web Site Marketing

I went to a dinner presentation the other evening where the topic was Search Engine Marketing. Interestingly enough, most of the attendees were either web site designers or small businesses who had built their web site themselves.

The topic mostly covered some of the basics that any small business should know about search engine optimization. It's a topic that can cause mass confusion and anxiety for many a small business owner. Having a web site is one thing, but having potential clients find your site while surfing the Internet is another issue.

Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for a small business to create a web presence with high hopes of increasing their exposure to their potential marketplace. But then when nothing really happens, they often become disenchanted with the whole concept of the web.

There's so much confusing information out there about how to rank high with the search engines. And everyone seems to dream of being number one or two in search engine results.

When the presenter asked the audience what they wanted to hear, almost all of them were looking for how to get higher rankings.

• How do I find the best keywords?

• What are the design considerations for getting top search engine rankings?
  

• What are the best tricks for getting ranked as high as possible?

• etc., etc., etc.

I was happy to hear it when our presenter said that first and foremost you need to focus on delivering good content. Yes, he also talked about on-site and off-site linking strategies, keyword use and placement, anchor text strategies, and use of alt tags. But first and foremost, you need to focus on delivering good content for your visitors.

Then when he opened it back up for questions, what do you think happened? That's right! They asked the same questions about the best marketing tips and tricks for getting ranked number one with the search engines.

It was actually quite unbelievable. I just wanted to shout at the top of my lungs, "Stop looking for shortcuts! Stop trying to manipulate the search engines! Focus on content!"

Here is my advice. Write your web site content as if the search engines did not exist. Listen, I'm not saying all those other things aren't important - because they are. I'm just saying that you should focus on delivering content as if it is written for each and every prospective client individually.

Once you have content that is optimized for your human visitors, then I believe it's much easier to come back and build in some of the search engine components.

It will be easier to change a headline to make it keyword rich once it and the text that follows is written to speak to the needs of your visitor. Likewise, it will be easier to create keyword rich links once the surrounding text is clear and compelling for the potential client reader. You will never be penalized for delivering great content.

So write your web site content the first time as if the search engines don't exist. Then you'll have great content which is the first secret in ranking well and you'll be better positioned to build in the other essential search engine techniques.

July 12, 2006 18:55 - What Is Your Marketing Approach?

Ready-Fire-Aim!

Is this your small business marketing approach? If so, I'd tell you that you're not alone.

You'd be in pretty good company. The company of lots of other small business owners that aren't getting good marketing results that is.

The other approach that would offer you lots of company with failing businesses is Fire-Aim-Ready! You may be quick to say you don't approach your business this way, but the actions of many say otherwise.

I see it all the time. Small business owners are convinced that there are a bunch of people out there that need what they offer. And they're probably right. So they launch into a bunch of different activities that they believe are all designed to 'get the word out there' that they are in business.

And then when the phone doesn't ring off the hook, they're often disillusioned about being a small business owner. The problem is they never did any planning. They took a Ready-Fire-Aim approach to marketing.

Why are small businesses so resistant to actually do some analysis and planning before launching off their next big marketing idea? I personally think it's a BIG mistake. And I think the mistake comes from confusing activity with doing.

As a small business owner, your time is so precious and there never seems to be enough of it. We mistakenly think that if we're not actively doing something that we're not making any forward progress. It's not that you don't think planning is important, it just doesn't feel like doing.

Sending out a thousand direct mail postcards or heading off to the Chamber to trade business cards - now that feels like doing.

Listen, I'm not suggesting that you don't use some of these proven marketing techniques. I'm just suggesting that you do some planning and think your marketing strategy and marketing plan through all the way first.

The time you spend clarifying your niche, articulating your uniqueness, developing your core marketing message, etc. will pay off tenfold compared to just launching into your next big idea.

So take a step back and look at your overall marketing efforts. I think you'll find that the marketing approach of Ready-Aim-Fire will prove much more productive to the growth of your small business.

July 14, 2006 14:20 - The 411 On Podcasting

I went to a great little joint technology conference this past week. And, I'm not just saying that because I was one of the presenters. The conference was put on by several local (Kansas City) technology association and user group chapters.

There were several sessions I was interested in as a marketing person including the keynote address on podcasting. Turns out we have one of the pioneers and true experts on podcasting right here in our own backyard by the name of Rob Walch with podCast411, Inc.

I frequently tell clients and prospects to stop looking for the next big thing in marketing. Many people waste time and effort searching for the next big thing instead of focusing on putting a marketing system in place.

I'm not suggesting that you don't take a look at new tools, techniques, and technologies as they come out. I simply suggest you evaluate the tools for what they are (just tools) and determine if and how they best fit into your system.

Now Rob with podCast411 didn't convince me that podcasting is the next big thing in marketing. In fact, I don't think he was even trying to do that. But, he did share some great information about the growth of podcasting and why he thinks people might want to sit up and pay attention.

For example, did you know that there are now more podcasts on the web than there are radio stations around the world? I'm not saying that they're all good, but it speaks volumes for what the power of this medium called the Internet makes available for even the smallest business owner. Even a solo entrepreneur can get their message out there and create a following around the world (or around the block) if the content is good.

And that is a huge key no matter what next big thing in marketing you might want to pursue. The content has to be good and relevant to your target audience or people will simply ignore you.

I've been interested in podcasting for quite some time now. I've recorded a number of things including presentations and teleclasses, but have never taken it as far as this true podcasting route. Rob's presentation certainly got me thinking more about it and I'm contemplating how I might work it into my marketing plan for the rest of this year.

If you have any thoughts, I'd love to hear them. What do you know or think about podcasting? Is it something you think might make sense in your marketing plan?

For more information about podCast411 and what Rob Walch is up to, visit his site.

July 17, 2006 07:34 - Are You Testing Your Marketing?

I've said this before. I believe great marketing should be more of a science (a system) than it should be creative or artistic.

And like a science, you need to find the marketing formula that works for you and your business. You have to be willing to experiment. You have to be willing to fail and learn from your experiences.

But, also like a science, your chances of success will be greater if your marketing is based in proven principles. Testing doesn't mean simply throwing out one idea after the next to see what might stick.

Let me try to illustrate with an example.

I get people all the time asking me to critique their new 30-second introduction, elevator pitch, 30-second commercial, or whatever else you call it. A powerful 30-second introduction has the ability to transform your business immediately. Anybody who has followed any of my work for the past couple of years knows that I believe very strongly in this. So folks will come up to me and ask me what I think of their new 30-second spiel.

The fact of the matter is that what I think of your new 30-second spiel doesn't count for much. Unless I fit the profile of your ideal prospective client, my opinion doesn't matter. Mostly what I can offer is to point you back to the principles and the formula that I've found to work very well for me.

What's most important to you is actual response from suspects and potential prospects. Did you catch what I said in that last sentence there? You need to measure actual response, not opinions. Someone's opinion is not nearly as valuable to you as actual response.

Stop asking your friends and colleagues for their opinion on your new 30-second pitch. For the most part they'll either support you or offer bad advice that points you even further in the wrong direction.

Instead, get out there and test your message. Testing a 30-second introduction is absolutely free. Just go to your next networking event and make it a goal to meet twenty new people that you can deliver your 30-second introduction to.

Pay careful attention to their reaction. Do they want to know more? Do they get kind of excited and want to tell you about their own experiences with what you just said? These types of responses would indicate a favorable reaction. All you're trying to do at this point is grab attention so that people will inquire further into what you have to offer.

Eventually your testing will reveal the kind of response you're looking for consistently. Until then, just make slight adjustments in your formula to measure whether your response goes up or down. When you find a formula that works, stick with it unless it stops producing consistent results.

July 21, 2006 07:52 - Capturing The Marketing Power Of The Internet

Are you capturing the marketing power of the Internet? Do prospects, clients, and potential referral sources even know you exist on the Internet?

Getting found on the Internet so prospects can check out your business is one of the biggest reasons for having a web site.

A web site is one of the most powerful multi-purpose marketing tools ever created. It can work like a marketing brochure, like a sales letter, like advertising, like a free marketing information kit, or even like a marketing and sales person delivering your perfect message 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

Whether you want to reach prospects from around the world or just down the street, your web site can play a vital role. But if your target prospects don't find your site, the tool isn't working for your small business. This fact has created an entire industry commonly known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO). For the small business owner, this whole topic can be confusing and quickly lead to overwhelm - don't let it.

Being found locally is becoming more and more important. Even if all you're trying to do is get the most business you can within a ten mile radius, your business can benefit from increasing your chances of getting found on the internet. More and more people are turning to the Internet to search for stuff without ever picking up the Yellow Pages.

The two most important factors in ranking well with the search engines is having high-quality, keyword rich content and getting links back to your site. While there are a lot of little things that add up to getting ranked high, these are the two most important. A word of caution - taking advantage of knowing these are the two most important factors will still take some real work on your part.

Keyword rich content means having copy on your site that's organized around the terms (information) that your target market is searching for. You will never be penalized for writing great content that provides real, useful information that your visitors can benefit from. But in doing so, you must also remember that you need some other visitors to your site to take notice - the little spider programs that the search engines send to determine what your site is about.

Getting quality inbound links back to your web site is the other important factor in getting ranked well with the search engines. Submitting your site to online directories, writing and submitting articles to online article directories, submitting press releases regularly, and participating in relevant online forums are all valid ways to create links back to your site.

Forget about all the search engine placement scams out there. Focus on developing high-quality, keyword focused content and then begin working on getting quality links back to your web site. There is certainly more than this to get your site ranked at the top of search engines, but this is where you should start. Eventually through an integrated on-line and off-line promotion strategy you can get what you are looking for - found on the Internet by your target market.

July 24, 2006 07:21 - Why You Are Failing To Get Results With Business Networking

Do you do a lot of business networking? There is no doubt that networking is the primary marketing tactic most small businesses are using to try and grow the business.

But, most small business people aren't just bad at business networking, they're terrible at it. They're running off to networking event after networking event making the same mistakes over and over again. Many think they need to work harder and harder to get the word out there about their business. So they keep going to even more networking events and making even more of the same mistakes.

I would suspect that this is one reason why several business owners give up after a period of time. They end up going back to find a job in the corporate world. It proves to be just too darn hard and they don't realize enough fruits for their efforts.

Oh sure, every once in a while they'll make a connection that turns into a nice piece of business. But even a blind squirrel is bound to find a nut every now and then. The problem is that those nice connections just don't seem to happen enough.

What most small business people don't understand is that they're going about business networking all wrong. They don't realize that they're making the same mistakes over and over again. I don't know about you, but Business Networking 101 was not a course offered when I was going to college.

Here is a handful to the killer mistakes I saw at a networking event just this morning:

• Focusing on trying to find a client instead of making a few great connections. There are two major problems with this mindset. First, it is a short-term mindset when networking needs to be a long-term marketing tactic. Second is that when you're always trying to "get something" you're actually acting like a client repellent. People tend to avoid needy people that are just trying to get something.

• Not thinking of yourself as a valuable information resource. I'm amazed at how many people go to networking events focused only on themselves. If somebody doesn't ask for exactly what you're trying to sell, you don't offer them anything. Everybody is a wealth of information about a variety of topics. Be more willing to share valuable information and resources with others.
  

• Not being sure what you're looking for or what might make for a great connection for you. Too many people show up at networking events without any plans or notion about what they might like to happen. When they meet new people they don't think to themselves. "I wonder how this person and I might be useful to each other." And because they haven't spent any time proactively thinking about what kinds of things they want and need, they usually don't get it.
  

Ready to start getting better networking results? Start focusing on making connections and how you can be useful to others. Be clear about the things you're looking for so you can help others know how they can help you in return. Keep in mind that networking is a long-term marketing tactic. It's about meeting people through other people and focusing on building relationships. That's the way to make it pay off for your business.

Any networking thoughts or stories you'd like to share?

July 26, 2006 13:31 - Marketing Seizures

Do you suffer from marketing seizures?

Michael Gerber wrote the outstanding small business book called "The E-Myth" back in the late 1980's. His updated mega-best seller called "E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It" was put out in 1995. The book still sells just a well today because the lessons are still completely relevant for small business owners.

In his book, Gerber discusses this myth that small businesses are started by entrepreneurs. Instead, he points out that most people start out working for someone else doing some kind of technical work such as a mechanic, salesman, hairdresser or whatever. Then through whatever set of circumstances, one day these technicians get hit with what Gerber refers to as an Entrepreneurial Seizure and decide they need to go into business for themselves. They don't need their employer or boss anymore because they can do this technical work better (and make more money) on their own.

I won't give away the entire story. If you haven't read the E-Myth Revisited, I highly recommend it. It should really be required reading for anyone who has or is thinking about going into business for themselves.

The reason I reference this book is because I keep seeing small business owners have Marketing Seizures. It is much like the entrepreneurial seizure Gerber describes. I think it's caused by a similar set of circumstances and inherent flaws in the business.

A marketing seizure is brought on by a slow down in business or a sudden need to get more business. The seizures are characterized by a flurry of ill-conceived marketing activity that is not planned and has nothing to do with any overall marketing strategies. You'll recognize a marketing seizure by hastily put together flyers or brochures, new referral offers that seemed directed towards anyone with a pulse, and mailers that might as well be screaming "we'll take any kind of business we can get through the door and we'll do it for 10% off."

I'm not sure if marketing seizures are seasonal, but I'm certainly noticing a lot more of them now that we are headed into the fall months. It's as if small business owners are waking up out of a long winter slumber and the realization that business is slow brings on a seizure.

The problem of course is that the marketing seizure is not planned. The flurry of activity is mistaken for marketing that will actually move the business forward. It is very reactive and any additional business that it does attract is typically not the kind of business that you want.

You can avoid these marketing seizures of course. The key is having a marketing strategy and a marketing plan in place. When your marketing plan is outlined and put on a marketing focus calendar, you're clearer about what needs to be done next. The time you spend on marketing is much more productive and leads to much greater results.

July 28, 2006 06:41 - Networking- Leverage Your Training And Seminars

Do you view training sessions or seminars that you attend as networking opportunities? You should.

Many small business owners think of their training or attendance at seminars as getting a break from some of the networking that they do. I believe that is a big mistake. I also suspect it comes from a lack of networking know-how, but I'll save that for another post.

Here are some business networking thoughts and secrets to get the most from your training or seminar attendance.

1. Remember the business networking basics...

• Don't be caught off guard by showing up without business cards
  

• Have the courage to approach others and begin a conversation

• Be prepared with your attention getting introduction - don't go back to telling people you're a consultant or an accountant

• Don't be needy or pushy - nobody likes to interact with either kind of person

2. Plan ahead so that you're conscious of your marketing objectives while you are networking. Be clear about the things you want and need that could make a real significant difference for your business if you found them. Likewise, be clear about the valuable information and resources that you may have opportunities to share with others. Constantly thinking about how you might be of value to others is one of the networking secrets of the highly successful.

3. Keep your radar up for new potential strategic alliance partnerships. People attend training and seminars to improve themselves and focus on taking things to the next level. Creative juices are usually flowing and others will be more willing to explore opportunities and new avenues to create win-win relationships. Go in with a good definition of who would make solid alliance partners and keep your mind open for new opportunities.

4. Another one of my networking secrets when you attend training or seminars is to participate fully. Don't just show up and sit quietly waiting to be spoon fed. You should ask questions, offer comments, and engage in class discussions. Not only will you get more out of it, but expect other people during breakout sessions, lunch breaks, or other breaks during the training to approach you.

5. Create a list or a file that I call the "Idea Bin" to take with you to your training or seminar. It's not unusual to have ideas or brainstorms that pop up as a result of the sessions or conversations that you get involved with. The concept behind the "Idea Bin" is that if you write it down, you don't have to carry the idea around in your head. That frees your mind up to continue learning and absorbing new things. Plus, you don't have to consume any of your energy worrying about forgetting that great idea.

Don't overlook your business networking opportunities when you attend training or seminars. You just might be surprised at how much you'll get out of your attendance.