Staying on the right side of the Digital Divide

Used to be when people talked about the digital divide, they were referring to the have's having computers and the have-nots...not. Today, the laws of faster-smaller-cheaper have taken care of much of that. Inexpensive cell phone technologies are putting powerful communications tools in the hands of every teen in the country. Legislators are tweeting their followers about the doings at the State of the Union address. Seems like social media has become ubiquitous across our society.

These days I see a different digital divide taking hold -- those that see a great digital tool and use it and those that don't.

I urge you, as a small business owner, in all of your busy-ness, sleeves rolled up, heads down plying your trade, not to get stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide. One: Because it will continue to grow. And two: because mastering digital technologies (specifically social media) has the potential to help you grow you business in the future.

While social media has yet to solidify as a business application, that day is fast approaching. Why? Because a whole generation of consumers is coming into the market with the easy access of social media as their chosen information source. Innovative business owners are already seeing the light and building campaigns on these inexpensive communications channels.

Fortunately, you can too. To get started, all you need to do is take tiny steps each week to start getting comfortable with social media.

For some this will not be easy. If you are much over 45, it is likely that embracing new technologies is something you must work at. These tools were not part of the world you came up in, and as we age, change can be hard.

So, the real purpose of this exercise is not Mastering the Tweet -- it is to embrace change and begin to feel comfortable with the power of the digital pen in your hand. The social media that matters today might not be relevant tomorrow, but you can use today's tools to master the most critical skill of all -- embracing change and seeing social media for what it is: a clever tool for communicating with people that are important to you.

Here are some steps you can take to quick start your learning curve...

• Start a blog and add a personality to your website. Write short articles that help people understand your products, and get the most from them. Build a tool that lets your customers ask questions, and answer them in your blog. (Once you get this started, perhaps a young college intern can help you keep on top of it.)
  
  
• Set up a Facebook account, and invite your friends and family to join you online. You will find it to be a delightful place where you are constantly exposed to curious new things that expand your horizons and make you laugh. Can you think of a way to use facebook to interface with your customers?
  
  
• Join Linked In, and make a practice of linking to the people you meet as you go through your business day, attend business luncheons and network to grow your business. Leverage the tool to be an active resource, connecting people, and giving referrals where they are due.
  
  There are many articles available on the web regarding how to get the most out of Linked In, depending on your objectives. Once you are comfortable with the medium itself, take some time to research what people are saying about how to maximize your experience -- to grow sales, to research partners, to find and research prospective employees, etc.
  
  
• Set up a Twitter account. Again, invite your friends and family to join you, and find some public figures that you find interesting to follow. To get started, make a point of updating your status each day. Try it from your cell phone, or your desktop. It can be liberating to share what is on your mind in 140 characters or less.
  
  What can you do with twitter? I know a man who does real-time market research surveys to take to pulse of his followers on breaking news items. You have to know the tool before you can think about how you might use it. Put your toe in and get used to the water.

Slowly but surely digital communications channels are replacing traditional media -- print, tv, radio. This does not mean that your promotional costs will radically decrease, that your need to market your business has disappeared, or that your need to be smart, strategic, planful about your business is over.

This means that in the future you will be able to be quick, flexible and timely in how you communicate. It means that instead of pre-printing thousands of costly slick glossy brochures for your sales reps to carry you might print one leave behind to help him look legitimate and summarize your key messages, and spend more of your money and efforts building out your website, building a customer community where they can ask questions and learn more about you and your products/services.

What makes these new tools exciting -- and terrifying -- is their two-way nature. That's why the youngest users like them -- they are inclusive media. Everyone has a voice. From the company perspective, public discourse can be scary, because if you have an unhappy customer willing to take their concern public, others might be swayed away from you. But think of it this way -- delighted customers can be pretty contageous too!

With social media, the burden is greater to perfect your product, improve your service. Learn how to handle the rational unhappy customer -- and turn their experience around. And have so many happy customers that the occasional crazy, irrational unhappy customer becomes an outlier.

Most business owners still have a long way to go -- not only on the social media front, but in terms of creating an army of delighted customers. Baby steps are the way to go. Aim for progress, not perfection.

Before you jump into social media with your business, it is wise to get to know the tools as a media consumer. So start today with one baby step.

Tweet me @LindaCarlisle.

Seven Steps to an Effective Marketing Plan --- (A Program for Small Business Owners)

I will be presenting a program on Seven Steps to an Effective Marketing Plan -- specifically designed for small business owners on March 31, 2009. I thought you might benefit from seeing the materials.

Follow this link: http://tinyurl.com/de8e6v

I welcome your questions.

Say what you do. Do what you say.

Anyone who has gone through ISO training in Corporate America has likely heard this basic tenet of the discipline. The idea is that you are more likely to achieve quality -- or at least, reliability -- when you document your processes, and then stick to them consistently.

Small business owners would do well to heed this advice when it comes to marketing their business. On some regular basis -- lets say quarterly -- the owner needs to carve out a little time and look at what is going on in their business and the larger business community. At this moment in time, what are the burning issues that surround you? What could you do -- this week, this month, this quarter -- to turn those issues into opportunities?

Write them down.

ISSUE :
OPPORTUNITY :
WHAT WE SHOULD DO THIS:
Week :
Month :
Quarter :


You have just written a plan. Maybe not a comprehensive, boil the ocean kind of plan, but a rudamentary kind of plan that can garner some quick wins and cultivate a new behavior in how you run your business.

Now follow your plan.

Revisit the plan in 90 days, and see how you've done.

Did you accomplish the weekly, monthly, quarterly activities you set out to, or did you get distracted along the way?

Did your actions result in the outcomes you had predicted? Why or Why Not?

Is the Issue still an issue, or did it resolve itself? Does it still represent an opportunity? Has anyone else addressed the issue in a different way?

Next week I will start a series of pieces about marketing planning , going into more detail about how a small business owner should view this process, and giving some guidance to how to get started, what you should look at, how to get the most out of the effort.

But for now, just try the exercise above, and see if it doesn't give you some greater sense of purpose and control...two of the most important reasons we ever plan anything in the first place.

Thoughts held in mind produce after their kind.

I am normally a staunch supporter of "freedom of the press", but these days I have a major beef with the media.

Do you remember reading about Yellow Journalism when you were in high school? The practice of taking the most sensational approach possible to a story in order to create anxiety, in a quest to compel readers to read on? Well, Yellow Journalism appears to be alive and well on every street corner, on every station as "The Media" competes for our attention.

Consider these two statements:

• the economy is in trouble
  
• the economy is a social construction, and its well being is the sum of our collective belief about it.
  

Now consider this -- "The Media" has the ability to control how severely you and I believe the first to be.

And in so doing, directly shape the outcome of the second.

With that in mind, here are some phrases I read today in my favorite daily:

• "Most economists now assume that the American fortunes will not improve before near the end of the year" [MOST economists unnamed, and what research study was used to gather their opinions undisclosed]
  
• "The latest grim scorecard of contraction in the American workplace largely destroyed what hopes remained for an economic recovery in the first half of this year"
  
• "2009 is probably a lost cause"
  
• "In crucial industries — particularly manufacturing, financial services and retail — many companies have opted to abandon whole areas of business"
  
• "These jobs aren’t coming back"

Stomach in a knot yet? I could go on -- but you get my drift. When you read these words, what is your reaction? If you're like me, after tossing back a tall one, you vow to pull in. Start to save every penny. You start buying cheaper coffee, and maybe a little less "rounding" in every scoop.

So, you stop spending, and start to squirrel your money away, preparing for the disaster that surely lies just up ahead. If you were considering purchasing your first home, you don't. If you were thinking of buying a car, you wait. If you were going to go on vacation, you stay home. Because you never know what is right around the corner.

But the business we DON'T do within our economy causes the economy itself to suffer. Small businesses. Large businesses. Your business. And mine. It's a self-fulfilling prophesy.

With a downshift of patrons, as a business owner, you stop spending yourself, delay purchasing needed inventories, stop hiring, take the worst possible forecast numbers, and reduce them by 20%. Then you lay-off your workers accordingly.

But like I said, it's a self fulfilling prophesy. And we had all better start prophesying a positive outcome, because we are all responsible for how this story ends!

Now, I am not advocating a Pollyanna approach, or burying our heads in the sand. But when some of our finest journalistic institutions opt to take a sensational approach instead of offering a measured, educational and constructive editorial approach to covering the economy, it is the height of irresponsibility. You become more than an "impartial" 3rd party -- you become a root cause.

Yes, our economy has serious problems -- but continually poking at the wounds like a vindictive picador before the bull is killed only further distracts and weakens the animal and ensures its ultimate demise.

We thought our way into this mess, and we can think our way out -- that is if we can all keep ourselves from becoming mindless with fear. And the media has a critical role it can play - to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Now, I do not have access to the smartest economists in the nation. But I bet the New York Times does. So, instead of asking these experts to air their worst nightmares, how about asking them to dream up how we can get ourselves out of this downward spiral? And then share with the class, so we all have some cause for hope!

Years ago I had a beloved minister who used to remind us each week that "Thoughts held in mind produce after their kind." A gentle reminder that no great invention was ever created without someone first believing it could be so. Likewise, there is no man-made disaster that can't be averted if we turn our minds to it. If we hold an idea firmly in mind, then we will act as if it were so -- we will do the things that are necessary for it to BE so.

So my plea to the media -- wherever you are -- is to please start working constructively on uncovering the best and brightest ideas for finding a way to turn the ship around. Do your journalistic duty by us, and uncover something powerful and good. Something we can hold onto...and do our part to pursue.

As for the rest of us -- let's keep the good thought. Even if you can't bring yourself to buy a home, car or vacation, at least buy the "good coffee"...and keep making it strong -- we need you wide awake and perky for this next chapter. Keep patronizing your local small businesses.

We'll get through this. Together.

Inexpensive. Fun. And one of your most powerful marketing tools.

Today I am going to write about the power of the network.

There was a time where I did not understand networking. I thought it was all very self serving -- the devotion to who you know. I was a "what you know" purist. Then I started a business. And I had an epiphany about why they call it a business COMMUNITY. Networking made it possible for me to build my business. It was a my primary marketing tool for the first few months I was in business, and it has remained one of the essential ingredients for my well being ever since. And I'm here to tell ya, it can help you too.

What is networking? Well, I define networking as the gentle art of connecting with others for the long-term betterment of all involved. It can be as simple as getting in touch with someone you used to know after a long time of being out of touch, or as complicated as getting together with a colleague and brainstorming about ways to collaborate on a project, share knowledge, connect resources or otherwise help each other out.

I use the word gentle, because networking is not strident and demanding. It is not a "push" strategy -- it is a "give" strategy. Effective networking is about being open -- open minded, open handed...open your heart and listen...ask questions and find out how you can help your contacts. Open your rolodex and generously connect people. "Givers Gain" -- the slogan of BNI international -- is a great mantra to keep in mind while you are networking.

It is also about being open about what you need. People like to be around successful people, thus the people in your network want you to be successful. So spend a little time thinking about how you can help them, help you. What are you looking for in your professional life? Who would you like to meet? (NOTE: These are not existential questions, they are near term achievable asks. Don't ask to be introduced to your next boss or your soul mate and don't ask for promotions, jobs, clients, business -- ask for connections, recommendations, warm introductions...and expect to do much of your own heavy lifting in the sales department.)

So you've let some time go by and have let your network lapse -- how do you get started?
Let's face it, you already have a network, regardless of whether you've invested time in staying connected to it. College friends, folks you once worked with, neighbors, volunteering buddies....

Step One : connect with the folks you already know.
For every friendship you've let lapse, there is someone on the other end that has been just as careless. So don't let being out of touch keep you from getting back in touch.

I like Linked In for this, especially if you are building a business network. Linked In is a great way to track and stay in touch, and a great way to cross-pollinate and refer your network members to one another. (If you want something more social, try Facebook.) To get started with either of these tools you simply log in and create a profile, including schools, companies you worked for, organizations you've volunteered with, groups you belong to, etc. Once you have entered your profile, search by organization name and individual name to find your long lost friends. Linked In makes it fast and easy to send those old colleagues a quick note -- to get back in contact. [URL: www.linkedin.com/]

Step Two : grow your network.
Groups are great. Get out and meet some new people -- learn some new things. Go to meetings of organizations that intrigue you. Set a goal of going to 1-2-3-4/month (depending on your objectives) and meeting at least 3 new people at each of these meetings. Come straight home and drop these new contacts a line before moss has time to grow on the business card -- remember, you met because you have common interests, even if that interest is growing a business, looking for a new job, or working to improve the environment. Set up a time to chat on the phone or have coffee and learn a little more about your new friend. How can you help them? Who do you know that they might like to meet?

This is where a lot of the magic starts to happen. Because people will mirror back the treatment they receive! So if you want to receive, give first. Networking is the quintessential example of "you reap what you sow".

Step Three : keep it growing.
The secret to keeping your network thriving is to stay in contact. This is why good networkers invest the time to get to know the people in their network personally. This will make it easier to stay in touch by forwarding information that you think they might find useful, or just dropping the occasional email to find out how things are going -- is there anything you can do to help?

A real-life example : I have been back in Chicago for about 7 weeks now, and I have focused much of my time on reconnecting with my network. Through the process of letting people know that I am back in town, I have also been connected with a number of business opportunities that I would not have even known about if I hadn't been checking in with people and getting back on their radar, finding out where they are at, what they are doing, if there is any way I can help them...and when asked (and I am nearly always asked) how they can keep their eyes open for opportunities for me...

Ok -- I've said enough. Go take the first steps and get yourself connected.....

Why Marketing? Why Now?

First, a brief confession. I am a "granola girl". I have been an active member of the Sierra Club for a couple of decades now. I lobby on behalf of the environment. I camp in the great outdoors. And I hang out with a significant number of like-minded individuals who think I have horns and a tail and that I've hidden my pitchfork because I work in "marketing". They just don't understand what marketing is for.

Unfortunately, neither do some of my small business clients.

Take the client that I met up with socially last week, who told me she "still had" the marketing plan we worked on together 5 years ago.

Or the client that said that investing time and money in planning was a waste of his company's money. (when asked if he ever actually implemented the last plan he had, he confessed somewhat sheepishly that it had sat in a draw once it was completed.)

Or the former client I spoke with last week who said that they were not going to do any marketing right now -- they were going to just lie low and weather the storm.

Each of these clients are smart people, but at some level they do not understand what marketing is for.

Marketing -- quite simply -- is the sum total of all activities that help you understand who your market is (and who it isn't), what they need (and what they don't), what you need to do to address those needs, and that helps you let your market know that you can help them with what they need.

Marketing helps business owners work smarter, not harder. And in a down economy it is essential to business survival.

In flush times, some entrepreneurs can afford to flail about a bit and experiment. Afterall, most folks have some money to spend, and every once in a while even a blind squirrel finds a nut. But in lean times it is more important for the business to train its sights on the best prospects -- those with money, and whose needs are undiminished by the economic downturn -- and to take some decisive steps to ensure that those prospects know you and pick you above all others.

The act of slicing your addressable market into high potentials and low potentials is called market segmentation. Market segmentation has the added benefit of helping you craft unique solutions that fit different groups within your larger market. Maybe it's a good-better-best product and pricing scheme, or maybe you have a product with different features for different market segments.

Once you have segmented your market, you will want to separate the wheat from the chaff -- you will want to winnow out the segments that are no way, no how going to buy anything from you...and you are going to stop investing time and money selling to them. Period. Save your breath. Throw your energy into attracting the attention of those high potential prospects who need you right now. That is called targeting.

Then craft a story that will force those prospects up off the couch and into your shop. So to speak. The art of creating a compelling story is called Positioning in the marketing world.

Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning are just some of the marketing techniques that good marketers employ to make their sales efforts more effective. Because they understand that when the economy dips, every step they take must be surgical in its intent.

Ok, I probably have some of you convinced that marketing is a smart thing to do afterall, but the granola eaters are still thinking I am GREAT SATAN for dirtying my hands. These folks equate all marketing with Exxon, and link my daily efforts with clubbing baby seals.

But let me ask you something...
-- do you have a pension plan? The companies the plan has invested in...do you want them to grow? Or is such growth evil? How do you plan to eat when you are 85 years old if your investments perish?
-- do you have a favorite store? Trader Joe's or Patagonia or Hemp Village? Do you think these stores understand you and your needs, wants, desires? Do they reach out and tell you about it? Or keep their fabulousness to themselves? If they reach out to you -- guess what? they are marketing! And if not, I have bad news for you, because fairly soon, you are going to have to find yourself a new store.

Welcome to Practical Marketing

Doing marketing for entrepreneurs has been the most fulfilling work I have ever undertaken. (Okay, and sometimes the most frustrating, but that's a story for another day.)

It is tremendously gratifying to be able to use your knowledge and skills to help someone else grow their business...and even more gratifying when doing so helps you grow your own.

Sometimes in my day to day dealings with small business owners I come across situations where I wish I could be of more help -- when a business cannot afford to hire a consultant to help with marketing, or when a client is heading down a path that I know will cause them undue expense, work or "heat loss". At such times, I wish I could download my experience into my client's head...

Which brings me to the reason for this blog.

In the posts ahead, I will attempt to cover some marketing basics that clients and non-clients alike can benefit from reading -- to give them a fresh perspective on some marketing basics, or a timely reminder to keep them focused on doing the marketing work that must be done.

In Practical Marketing, I will cover topics such as:
-- Marketing is more than an ad, a website, a brochure, a pretty logo
-- Key elements of a good marketing plan
-- The importance of marketing planning -- and sticking with the plan!
-- How to measure your return on your marketing investment
-- What you should know about new media and internet marketing
-- Defensive Marketing for a down economy -- if ever there was a critical time to market!
...and a whole lot more.

My intention is to create a place where small business owners can return on a regular basis to get that shot in the arm that keeps them focused on their big picture -- growing their business through smart marketing!