How To Compete and Win Against Today's #1 Brands

This week we hear from
Danny Iny, someone I highly respect in the area of Internet marketing and small
business communication.  He has been an
entrepreneur for most of his life, quitting school when he was fifteen to start
his first successful business, and has been doing it ever since.  Danny has worked with companies of all sizes,
from the very huge (Nokia, Google) to small businesses and entrepreneurs who
are just getting started.

These days, he is a
prolific blogger and educator in the Firepole Marketing training program, and
works one-on-one with client businesses to improve their marketing and help
them make more money.  He’s also a fellow
author;  Danny’s book about effective
communication in writing is a must have, and he’s co-authoring two other
titles that are about to be
released with co-authors that you may have heard of, like Guy Kawasaki,
Brian Clark, Mitch Joel, and many others! 
Danny, thanks for sharing your thoughts with all of us on The Marketing
Blog.

1.   Hi
Danny.  You’ve been working with small
businesses for many years.  What are some
of the unique challenges small business owners are facing today?

I think the core challenges that small businesses face today are the
same challenges that they’ve faced in the past; too much to do, too little time
in which to do it, and not enough expertise to drive it all, because they can’t
be experts in everything, and have too much on their plates. I see this
particularly in the areas of marketing, and it is even worse because marketing
is one of those fields where anyone who’s read a book or taken a course thinks
they really get it, even though in many cases they really don’t.

2.   How has social media impacted the small
business owner?

Social media has impacted the small business owner by opening a new
channel through which they can connect with their audience. It’s not just
another channel, either, because it is qualitatively different from what was
previously available, both in terms of the cost structures (it’s a lot cheaper,
and is often free), and in terms of the bi-directionality (prospects and
customers can talk to you and about you as easily as you can talk to them –
more easily, in fact).

3.   What type of online marketing are you
recommending to the businesses you consult for?

That really depends on the client, and you’ve actually hit on one of
the biggest mistakes that I see most small businesses making, which is assuming
that there is one “best” way to do online marketing, whether that be SEO, or
PPC, or Twitter, or Facebook, or whatever. The truth is that the only way
tactics will work for you (unless you just happen to get lucky) is by
understanding who your customer is, where they hang out, and what drives their
behavior. In other words, even if you can get very cheap clicks on a certain
medium, it doesn’t mean anything if those clicks aren’t the people you’re
trying to reach, or they’re not in the right head-space to receive your
message.

4.   How can business owners grow their referral
networks online and offline?

There are two parts to this; the first is having something that people
want to talk about – that includes just having a great offering, of course, but
also making it “buzz-worthy”. There are things that people like to tell their
friends, and things that they don’t. You need to be great at what you do, but
you also need to find some remarkable way to shine through the clutter (like
BlendTec’s Will It Blend
YouTube videos). Then the next step is to make it easy for people to tell their
friends about you – for example, with easily embedded buttons that let people
share with a single click.

5.   How can small businesses use the web to
compete against larger, more prominent brands in their niche?

Well, first of all, don’t try to beat big companies at their own game;
if David tries to beat Goliath by fighting like Goliath, then David gets his
butt kicked. Instead, focus on what value you can bring to the table that your
big competitors can’t – for example, since you’re smaller and more agile, you can
probably offer more personalized service to your customers, or service a market
segment that desperately needs your offering, but is too small for the big
competitor to justify investing the resources. Don’t focus on the competitor,
but rather on what can make your relationship with your customer as special as
possible.

6.   Is there any other advice you can give
regarding effective online marketing and communications for the small business
owners reading this post? 

      What makes online marketing effective is the
same thing that makes offline marketing effective – understand your audience as
well as you possibly can, because that’s the information that you need in order
to differentiate yourself and really stand out in their minds. The “online”
part of online marketing is mostly tactical, and not that complicated or
important. Focus on knowing your customer, and serving them as well as you
possibly can – the rest can almost take care of itself.

 

      Special thanks to Danny Iny for his contributions to The Marketing Blog.  I encourage all of my readers to follow Danny and visit Firepole Marketing for GREAT marketing insights and information.  Once you start reading his blog you'll be hooked!

For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

Marketing Must Be Remarkable

This week I was searching online for some inspiration and was lucky enough to find it.  As is usually the case, I found more than enough to get me thinking about today's post:  Social Media, SEO, Search Marketing, YouTube... I mean, where should I begin?  The good news is that I found the inspiration I was looking for.



One of the biggest challenges we all face as marketers, online and offline, is cutting through clutter.  This has always been a challenge but has grown increasingly complex with the addition of social media and portable devices.  I don't know about you but I'm pretty much addicted to my gadgets.  I always feel the need to be plugged in and I know that I'm not alone.



Cutting Through the Clutter

Okay, so back to my online search for inspiration.  I came across a video of a well known marketer (name omitted on purpose) who had a great solution for cutting through the many messages that our target segments hear on a daily basis.  I was amazed at how simple the solution truly is to this growing issue. 



To reach your target audience and stand above all the "noise", you need to do one thing, be REMARKABLE.  That's right, be remarkable, stand out from the crowd by being different.  Think about the brands that capture your attention.  One of the reasons that Starbucks has such a strong brand is because it charges almost four bucks for a cup of coffee.  Some of the "marketing gurus" will disagree and say that Starbucks can charge that amount of money because of other factors (quality, store experience, etc.) but the reality is that Starbucks does it differently.  

Another great example is the Mini-Cooper.  When you look at the car, it's different, unlike virtually anything else on the road.  The lesson is clear, to cut through clutter you must be different, you must stand out from the crowd.  Me too brands and me too marketing won't get the job done in today's market where we must compete for just a few moments of someones attention.  



Mee Too Marketing

How can you make your marketing different?  Remarkable?  It all begins with a big idea and some original promotions. Once you pick a theme for your campaign, a big idea - something outside the box, you can use different media to communicate your message over and over again.



Whenever rolling out a new promotion it's always a good idea to test your campaign with a small portion of your target audience before you make any significant investment.  Once you work out the bugs, go big!  And think remarkable.  Even if you're hanging on to the traditional letter, stick something in the envelope:  a pen, a cube, a button.  How often do you get an envelope with a bulge in it?  See my point?



The last thing I want to mention is that you should start paying attention to other promotions, products, and experiences, that you notice - that capture you.  Notice what they all have in common and think of ways that you can differentiate your marketing, your products, and your campaigns to get people to stop and take notice.  It's my belief that what you pay attention to are the things that are different and unique!

For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.

Marketing Magazines: A New Approach

Not too long ago I was approached by a publisher who aggregates and sells subscriptions to Marketing Magazines for a partnership opportunity.  As the owner of MarketingScoop.com, I get approached by dozens of vendors on a weekly basis to showcase and promote their products.  And truthfully my process of evaluation, should I work with them or not, is rather simple.  

If I don't use the product, have never bought from the company, or wouldn't purchase the product for personal or professional use, I simply move on.  Of course the next step is to discuss terms, business philosophy, and so on, but you have to start from a good place.  I think this is one of the reasons why the site has become so popular over the last few years - readers see through the promotion and see that I provide real value.

Marketing Magazines?

Okay, so what's the deal with marketing magazines and why is this the topic of today's post?  The reason I chose this vendor to showcase is because I liked their approach to marketing so much, that I actually partnered with them via MarketingScoop to feature their marketing magazines.  Not only do they provide a comprehensive offering, but they have enhanced their business model to offer a number of cost-free magazines and marketing white papers to prospective customers.

For example, check out the following offer for a free report from IBM on "11 Key Marketing Trends for 2011".  By giving away valuable information, TradePub builds long term relationships and delivers for customers. This is a great marketing tactic and one that earns Kudos in my book:

  

Receive Your Complimentary Survey Report NOW! "11 Key Marketing Trends for 2011" See how marketers are looking for ways to turn more marketing possibilities into better marketing results. “More” is certainly the key word for our times. But, as the results of IBM's annual survey of marketers reveal, the proliferation of marketing channels and the concomitant explosion of data pose a wealth of challenges for marketers in 2011. Offered Free by: IBM Corporation Other Resources from: IBM Corporation

Attract Customers With Free Offers

This is a great example of a great way to attract new customers.  Not with some useless gimmick, but to actually provide something of value.  In exchange, people are often willing to give you something in return.  This may be their name and/or permission to market to them.



You can do this with more than informational products.  Think of the ice cream store that offers a free sample or the software solution that gives you a 30-day free trial.  What can you offer to attract customers to your business?  Maybe its a portion of the service you offer for no cost or a reduced fee.  Or, it could be access to information that you possess based on your years of experience or expertise.



Regardless of what it is you have to offer, focus on providing something of true value.  As I mentioned before, consumers are not easily fooled.  Additionally, word will spread quickly in either direction.  If your offer is good, people will share it on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.  This is also true of a bad user experience or an offer that doesn't live up to its claims.



Move From Idea to Practice

As a take-a-way from today's post, consider what you will be offering in exchange for customer information in the form of a newsletter sign-up or registration.  If it's something you already have available, how will you host and deliver it?  Do some research online to find the best way to package and distribute your offer.  The goal is to ask for something in exchange, even if it's just an email.



As always, once you launch a campaign, be sure to measure the outcome.  You may also want to test different offers.  Basic A/B split tests or running campaigns one week at a time, and comparing the results, is essential for improving campaign effectiveness.

For more free marketing advice, visit the marketing experts at http://www.MarketingScoop.com.