10 Ways to Make Small Business Week Count

It's nearly the end of BDC Small Business Week^TM  (Oct 20-26), and besides talking to myself, I haven't had one conversation about the state of small business, their value to our communities, or participated in a learning opportunity or networking event! Not for lack of time, but rather for lack of attention.

This got me thinking that it really is important to take note of small business.  

We all know that if we don't use local small business, we lose them. We lose a resource, and option, an employer, and a bit of character in our towns.  

So, how do Canadians show their "support" for small business besides the obvious "Shop Local, Buy Local" programs?

Websites are the new brochure, and social media is not a marketing plan

20 years ago, just before the internet took off, we used to call it the "brochure solution" because all our clients thought they needed a brochure to sell their product, program, or business service.

They often got a brochure, or a postcard, or a flyer, or a direct mail piece, but they also got guidance on how to design them, how to write them, what to do with them, when & how to distribute them, and how to support their investment with other marketing tools like news releases, events, advertising, speeches etc.  We could add a lot of value to that little brochure request.

Today, the website is the new brochure.
While everyone needs one, and they're worth investing in, they need a lot of support.  New products, programs, and business services need more support than "putting it out there on social media." Social media can help drive traffic to your website but there's so much more than that to do. Social media (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest Google+ etc), isn't a marketing plan.  

When we develop marketing plans we consider strategies in public relations (including social media, text messaging, events, email etc), government relations, media relations, stakeholder relations, customer relations, staff relations, advertising (online, mobile, traditional etc), product and content development. When designed into an integrated marketing plan, these strategies can all help achieve your goals as well as drive traffic to your website.

So don't make the mistake of making a website and social media your only marketing solution.
If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well.

New Girl in Town Makes Twitter Pages Dynamic

Twylah is about to get famous for her amazing talent at bringing together one's Twitter stream into an exciting dynamic webpage that automatically groups and presents your tweets by topic, letting followers know what you're all about.

This creates a better brand experience for business, non-profits, and individuals resulting in more followers, engagement, and click-throughs etc.

Your tweets show up with links and pictures intact. You can pin three of the trending topics to the navigation bar so they are always clickable.  You can also hide up to 10 topics so they don't show up, which is good for older, less relevant tweets.  

Check out my Twylah: http://www.twylah.com/PinnacleComms

Three cool features available through Twylah:

1. PowerTweet button can be dragged to your browser window so you can quickly and easily tweet any web page you're on.  Fast content!  And for each PowerTweet, a custom landing page is created that includes all the links and text of your tweet. Followers can click that backlink and see your dynamic webpage. Your followers get easy access to more of your related tweets, increasing their engagement.  
2. Widgets to create clickable Trending Tweets buttons or thumbnails of your themes are available in Twylah's Resource section, making it easy to embed attractive links on your business website.
3. It's free. Whether for your business or your own personal account, Twylah can help create your brand by telling your whole story.

To check out other Twylah webpages (celebrities, companies, musicians etc) or to request your own, click here: http://www.twylah.com/

10 step checklist for small business starting in social media

I talk to small businesses everyday about social media.

They email me questions, ask for presentations, tutoring, help with setting up accounts, etc. The nuts and bolts can take a lot of time for small business, the services are always changing, and even once all the accounts are set up and integrated, they find themselves spending more and more time updating statuses and tweeting links with less and less satisfaction and results.

That’s one of the reasons I’m a big fan of strategy. Know what results you are expecting.

Know where you want to go. Sure, save all the usernames you can. That’s good advice. But you don’t have to populate them right now, or ever. Keep it simple. Blog only if you have time and your customers will value it. Tweet, definitely. Facebook page, absolutely. Maybe even add a coupon to Google places or foursquare if retail savings is your business forte. Make time to engage in key groups on Linked in if you’re a consultant.

Just keep it manageable.

Social media for small business needs to start somewhere, and starting small and making time to monitor results will help you judge your ROI. Here’s a 10-Step checklist for small business. If you’re a one or two person shop, realize that unless your business gets put on hold, putting these 10 steps into action can take 3-5 weeks. Because sometimes, well actually, all the time social media is less important than getting the work done, or going for coffee with a prospect, or sending a thank you note.

So if you’re ready to get started, here’s some suggestions. And if you need help, or want a strategy, give me a call or send me an email.

1. Ensure Google analytic tracking code is properly installed and functioning on web pages

2. Update locations and request reviews and recommendations on Google, Yelp etc.

3. Establish your foursquare account and offer a discount for anyone who checks in

4. Make your Facebook Page public with a username

5. Create your LinkedIn business page

6. Establish Twitter and Blog accounts

7. Write and post first content Blog then Integrate/Cross promote it by tweeting about it, posting on facebook

8. Add your new account addresses to your profile pages, emails, business cards, website

9. Update content on profile accounts, like your Chamber of Commerce and other site

10. Practise listening, creating and engaging strategies; monitor results!

If it was an 11 step checklist, #11 would be ... have fun! It’s called social for a reason.

A radio station isn't a radio station anymore, it's a website!

I can't believe it's been nearly two months since I last blogged. I just got word that an out of town client wants to delay my road trip this morning, so I've gained an hour or so early in my day. Still, rather than working on social media presentations this week for a Rotary and municipal groups, I have a greater interest in blogging at the moment.

We recently had a new radio station open up in our city and I wanted to track them down while travelling in my car via blackberry. No telephone directly listing-- they're a month old! They didn't show up on a google search; they have no canpages.com listing. I couldn't reach them. And it got me to thinking....

Maybe, just maybe, the station isn't a station, but actually a front for a website! Think of it: A website that has a built-in, 24/7 promotion machine (the radio station). Now as an advertiser, wouldn't you want your business to be on that website? A commercial on the radio is hit and miss-- you only reach who's listening at the moment, (kind of like twitter), but if you're on their website and they're constantly driving your demographic to their website, now there's a measurable, marketing advantage for your company.

The mass media product becomes the source for driving customers to your landing pages, just a click or two away. Wouldn't it be fun to see those conversion rates? Could work for television, and newspaper too. Throw in the QR codes and you're really getting interactive and mobile.

Crazy way of thinking about broadcasters and publishers...or a new revenue-generating model for media? Their product (newspaper, tv shows, news coverage) becomes simply a way to send clients to their web sites where businesses are paying prime dollar for "above the fold" online pages. Lock in a good contract today--online real estate with proven ability to attract readers and consumers will be going up in price.

That's my Pinnacle Thought for today. Tell me what you think!

Newsletters, snoozeletters?

This week seems to be all about newsletters for my clients. Email marketing is great, but what if no one's reading it?

Businesses and organizations of all sizes need to make sure their resources are being expended to bring results. Sometimes we keep doing things because we always have and it's hard to remove a communications tactics once it's established. There is a fear that stopping could be detrimental. So what's a business to do?

First, do your homework. What is your newsletter readership? Who is reading it and what parts are they most interested in? Whether it's on-line or hard copy, finding out this information requires asking them and gathering data. Emailed newsletters make gathering some data a little easier because you can track click-through rates and readership. However, even if we know what people are/aren't reading, we still need to find out why readership isn't all that you're hoping for so ask them.

Surveys through Constant Contact and other providers can be used for free during a trial period, so even if you're not subscribing to that functionality of your E-newsletter, it's worth trying out over a test period. You can ask your readers about design, content quality, topics of interest, length of articles, use of photos, frequency, timeliness, etc and if they would prefer to receive info from you in a different way. Find out how many are using RSS Feeds, and Twitter for example.

Second, review your responses, analyze the trends, and consider what the options are. Basically there are two: do nothing, do something. In the do something category, you might consider changing the newsletter (design, content, frequency, format, functionality etc) or discontinuing the newsletter and replacing it with other tools.

Likely there is no consensus; that is, no one solution will meet all your readers' needs. Therefore a strategy for change is required. So, the third step is implementation. Come up with an organized approach to making changes or adding new products. Be sure to write down what results you're trying to achieve, how you will engage your audience, and when you know you're making progress.

If you've decided that your newsletter needs just a few adjustments, trying making them over the next couple of issues with just a portion of your readership (eg 900 subscribers, could be segmented into thirds), and follow-up on those new click-through rates to see if, for example, adding pictures, or changing headlines, or changing format, makes a difference to your readership levels. Research, learn, change and repeat.

If you decide that introducing some different tactics such as blogging and tweeting combinations, are required, start that in addition to continuing your newsletter. This approach gives time to develop your following on these social media platforms. You can use your newsletter to promote your new sites and communications tools.

As you prepare for changes: don't forget to consider if all content you need to share is open to the public, as that will help determine the best tools to use for each message type, or if your blog, for example, should be restricted to subscribers or if you need to adopt another strategy for more confidential or customized material to replace some newsletter content.

Time and time again, communications tools and tactics seem to get added and never taken away. If your organization is making significant changes, it is possible to completely revamp your communications and make significant changes. However in many cases, communications is an evolution, and establishing news tools and measuring effectiveness is important before removing any existing products.

The goal is not to produce a newsletter; it's to achieve your organization's goals through effective communications. There are ways to add new tools efficiently. For example, social media updates can be automated for posting across multiple platforms such as Twitter, Face book and LinkedIn.

The key to improving communication is to get started. Any new communications strategy takes time. Start with good research, develop your strategy, implement, and track for results. Oh, and have fun while doing it!

#RDtweetup Red Deer Tweet Up brings out crowds

Well, it was a small crowd, yet an enthusiastic crowd.

As one of the organizers, along with Dean Owen of RDTV.ca, I was delighted to see those @twitterpeople greeting each other in-person; exchanging stories about the benefits of social media to their business, their personal and professional brand, and the opportunities for business promotion; and most of all sharing a lot of laughs. Sure, we tweeted the discussions, called up Internet pages on our netbooks, and shared our latest app finds and uses for new technology, but most importantly we met some fellow tweople and found some new followers.

The offers to host the next #rdtweetup were coming in before we'd even left the Capri Centre and so I'm sure it will be soon. Rumour has it will be hosted by Idea Market July 27. Search Twitter for our hashtag, join our facebook page, follow me @Loreleifc or @pinnaclecomms, and see you there!

4 ways to Improve Stakeholder Relations

While it's easy to define "Stakeholders" as individuals or groups affected by the actions or policies of an organization, identifying stakeholders is left up to the organizations preparing to communicate change. A recent project I worked on involved identifying a list of stakeholders for consultation purposes. Not every group of potential stakeholders was listed, nor was every listed group given consideration for participation in the consultation. That's ok, because the groups are all different and should have, and expect, different levels of engagement. In addition, though, not all groups or individuals were identified for consideration. This is where the challenge comes in for organizations.

When organizations responsible for communicating change, or seeking input, begin the process, they have to start somewhere, and it's usually with the list of traditional stakeholders. However, as online communities develop on forums, Facebook and Twitter for example, it becomes increasingly difficult for organizations to identify each group and plan effective communications strategies for them.

The elusiveness of online communities highlight what has been true all along: that corporate or government actions affect many people who are not part of formal, identifiable groups. But today, these less formal groups have more opportunity for becoming engaged. When spokespeople say, "We've consulted with stakeholders" we know not everyone who is affected or interested could have been consulted.

It's time that communications and consultation plans reduce their reliance on named stakeholders and start incorporating improved engagement opportunities for unidentified groups and the public. Individuals and groups are now more able to self-identify and to expect opportunities to engage and have input.

Whether a company is planning to build a new facility, or a municipality plans to introduce a new bus route, identifying key stakeholders is only part of good communications. It's no longer enough to post bulletins on telephone polls, stuff mailboxes in the neighbourhoods affected, or invite "stakeholders" to working sessions. Plans now must include outreach through a variety of channels to ensure inclusion of individuals, groups, and on-line communities that may not be readily identifiable.

As our world get smaller, more people are affected by seemingly far-away actions. For example, while enormous in scope, consider the gulf oil catastrophe or Iceland's recent volcano: it's nearly impossible to identify all the stakeholders and manage the message. The public must have opportunities to get information and provide their opinions and concerns.

Reducing the use of the term stakeholder relations is the first step in recognizing that communications plans, irregardless of their comprehensiveness, just cannot identify everyone who has a stake. Therefore, being specific about who has been identified by organizations is the first step in being more inclusive and looking for opportunities to engage others.

Concerted efforts must be made to reach out through all channels to identifiable and non-identified groups and individuals. A start in accomplishing this is to ensure that communications plans:

1. List stakeholder groups by name
2. Note the potential that some groups and individuals are not identifiable
3. Prepare opportunities to involve and communicate to unnamed groups and individuals
4. Provide specific messages to spokespeople about who has been engaged.

To be credible, organizations must be specific and honest about their efforts in "stakeholder engagement" and these four steps are a beginning.