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Is Osama Bin Laden Dead?

May 1, 2011 by Kenny Leave a Comment

President Obama announced tonight that Osama Bin Laden is dead.

United States military troops took out Bin Laden during a targeted military strike in Pakistan. There was a fire fight in which the terrorist leader was killed and US military troops took possession of his body.

Officials long believed bin Laden, the most wanted man in the world, was hiding in a mountainous region along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Just a few months prior to the tenth anniversary of the al Qaida attack of September 11th and finally…

So what is the marketing angle on the biggest world news in years?

You may already understand that timing your sales and specials with current events like holidays helps drive sales.

Black Friday after Thanksgiving is one of the biggest shopping days of the year…specials galore.

On Saint Patrick’s Day bars sell green beer.

Even April 15th is big for some businesses as they capitalize on tax returns and offer special sales.

So what does a business do when there is a major event that you are unprepared for (such as the death of Osama Bin Laden).

You didn’t plan for this so…think fast and move quickly.

Here are some ideas:

Sell guns– In celebration of the world being a safer place as of today, make your home a safer place and buy yourself a new Colt 45….

Shooting range– Free range entry when you buy an Osama Bin Laden poster to shoot at.

Sell Cars– Throw a party. Now that the world is a safer place we want to celebrate and give you the opportunity to drive around in our car that won “Safest car on the road in Consumer magazine”. Come down to the dealership with your $10 donation to the 9-11 Victims Fund receipt and get a car for the weekend.

Music– There are a host of songs that you can have a special for from artists like Toby Keith, Alan Jackson, Darry Worley. Or you can go down to target and buy these Patriotic/Remembrance songs and give them away with a purchase of whatever it is you sell.

Any Business– Give away an American flag with every purchase.

Cigars– Put an American flag wrap on a box and run a special.

Maybe you do not own any of these types of businesses. Still not coming up with anything?

Focus on your market. What do they have to say about this historic day? Go onto Facebook, local blogs, or forums and listen to what your market is saying. Get a feel for how they feel about this day.

If your market includes military personnel you can probably count on the fact that it is a proud day for them. Throw a military appreciation event. Honor or congratulate them with something. Call the press, they are dying for good content. Unbox that video camera I recommended you buy for Social Media videos and invite some military people in and interview them. Ask them how they feel now that justice has been brought to Bin Laden.

Even if there is no way to tie your product to this event you can create a “We are proud” feeling in which everyone is rallying together.

Share your ideas below about a specific industry. Share an idea and I may help you expand upon it. Or just state how you feel about this long-awaited event.

Avoid Content Farms – Reason #277 To Go Social

March 1, 2011 by Kenny Leave a Comment

Google has done it again…

Can’t find your website?

Are you lost in this maze called the internet?

You spent all this time and money to get your site indexed and moving up the search engines. You’ve added great content and newsworthy relevant content from other sources because it may appeal to your audience. You have played by the rules and made your site relevant to the viewer/internet searcher. Now your website has disappeared and you are wondering why your SEO company does not have an answer…

I do!

But first…what happened recently could affect you with one click of the Google equivalent of the nuclear button.

They have made a change in their algorithm. Google’s algorithm determines where your website ranks for a relevant search. Nobody knows exactly what the algorithm is or savvy Internet Marketing Consultants would do everything they can to game the system. As a Marketing Speaker and Consultant myself I can tell you that all we really have are educated guesses.

The change Google just made regarding the new alogrithm and content farms is to make the viewer experience better…but who decides what is better?

Google does. That’s who.

Isn’t it the viewer that really matters?

According to many educated guessers, Google has decided that websites with similar content to other sites are getting something called the Google SLAP. If your site is full of unique content this should not hurt your…I did say should not.

Nobody knows for sure. The point of this article is not to give all the technical details of how the Google slap works or the definition of a content farm. This article is meant to wake you up to the fact that major search engines can make a change with one click of the button and your website is near extinction.

That is why you need Social Media.

If you are providing great content, resources, a great product and service…Facebook Fans and Twitter followers will decide if you are relevant.

Don’t get me wrong…I love Google and what they have done to bring search and Pay per click where it is today but Social is the new Black.

To learn more of the technical side and the details of the change Google just made check it out right here:

Content Farms

or you can get Social Media Marketing Services right now.

Hire a Social Media Marketing Employee No Thanks

February 25, 2011 by Kenny Leave a Comment

Should you hire a full-time employee specifically for your Social Media Marketing?

The options are:

Do it yourself
Let the current marketing person handle it
Hire your 16 year old niece
Hire a part-time employee
Hire a full-time employee
Hire a professional consulting company

Your Social Media Marketing Strategy should be ongoing. It is not a billboard you put up next to the interstate and wait for the mad rush of customers. To effectively market your business using sites like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, you should be adding content regularly.

Another big question to answer is, “What is my budget for Social Media”?

The answer to this question as well as who you should hire depend on the type of business you are in and the size of your company. Most businesses can benefit from implementing a marketing campaign that utilizes Social Media. If your product or service is purchased by humans then there is a good chance your potential customers and current customers spend time on Facebook and other social sites.

“Go where the eyeballs are.”

The following statistics are from Facebook:

More than 500 million active users
50% of our active users log on to Facebook in any given day
Average user has 130 friends
People spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook

What type of businesses can skip the social aspect of marketing? Maybe a corporate attorney…maybe… morgue owner…there are not many.

If your business provides a social type of product or service your marketing budget should be significantly in favor of Social Media.

A bowling alley, golf course, and a restaurant all fit into this category. Your customers may actually help you populate your own social space with user generated content.

Here are some quick tips regarding all these questions:

If you are doing it yourself…who is running the business?
If you let your current marketing person handle it…they are probably not experts in this area and they will need training.
If you hire a part-time employee…expect shoddy part-time work unless the person has a passion for your industry, your company, and your product.
If you hire a full-time employee…make sure they know what they are doing. They do not qualify to be a social media manager just because they have 10,000 Myspace friends or 5,000 Facebook friends. It proves they like to spend time on those platforms but it has nothing to do with writing great content, enticing copy, recording engaging videos, and analyzing and testing various marketing metrics.
If you want to hire a consulting company…good for you. Just make sure you are not tied into a long-term contract. Probably the #1 over blown hyped up business to start this year is a Consulting business with a focus on social. People are hurting for money and looking for ways to pay the bills and next thing you know, they are a consultant.

Look at their website and determine what type of content they provide. Do they provide valuable content? Do they beg for business? Do they allow you to pay month-to-month because they are confident you will continue to use their services?

While you are considering all the questions above watch this video from CBC News about social jobs.

Then check out our Social Media Marketing Services page for a more in depth look as well as one of the most powerful and informative videos online.

Extremely Small Business – Case Study

February 21, 2011 by Kenny Leave a Comment

Let’s take a look at our first small business marketing adventure from so long ago…we may not even remember.

Be honest…are you doing as many things right as they are?

We are going to pick it apart and apply it to your business now.

You may be thinking, “What the heck are we going to learn about marketing a business from a Lemonade Stand?”

Well, hang in there and you are going to find out…but be honest with yourself.

First we will analyze the complicated marketing and business system at a lemonade stand and apply it to a bigger business.

One – Presentation matches the product. The product is only ten cents so typically a cardboard box as a sign can work. Put a nice tablecloth on it to dress it up a bit but for the most part, it’s simple.

Two – The lemonade stand equivalent of target marketing…sell on a hot sunny day. If it was winter sell hot chocolate or coffee.

Three – The owners (probably little kids) participate in their business marketing efforts rather than being the absentee owner. They could sit back and let Mom and Dad work the lemonade stand but they know that they are the best representation of their business model. Their voice will sell more than some employee.

Four – Sell more than lemonade (cookies, bottled water, etc.)

Five – Kids get noticed more than adults so with adult supervision, kids doing the selling can work well.

Six – Kids usually put their product through a quality control test by tasting it before selling it.

Seven – Go where the customers already are…the street.

So how does this apply to your business?

One – Presentation matches the product– If you own a Las Vegas casino your website should be fancy and it will probably cost $20,000. For most small businesses that is not necessary. Keep it simple.

Two – Target marketing – Online marketing allows you to laser target your market. If you sell pink ceramic unicorns then your secondary market is people searching online for ceramic unicorns. Your primary market is people looking specifically for pink ceramic unicorns.

Three – Participating – You don’t need to be an expert in online marketing but you know your business better than anyone. As an example…when we run your Social Media we will ask you for 20 quotes, or small blurbs about your business. Then we will make sure those get tweeted on your behalf. We will still add our own content that represents you but you participated in some of it with your own voice.

Four – More than lemonade – Does anyone go to this lemonade stand just for good lemonade? Probably not. They go because the girls are as cute as buttons and everyone loves to hear, “Would you like to buy some lemonade sir?”

Five – Females get noticed – Marketing split tests have proven that the exact same ad gets clicked on more if there is a female in the ad rather than a male. The same study shows that kids get noticed more than men also.

Six – Quality control – Word spreads with hyper speed online if your product stinks. One click of the button and your customer can tell 5,000 of their Facebook friends that your product is a ripoff. Don’t forget the basics.

Seven – Go where the customers hang out – These girls are aware that their thriving lemonade business will not thrive in their backyard…so they took it to the streets where their business is visible to potential customers. Take your business to where the customers are already hangin out…Facebook. Get a custom Fan Page and sell to them over there.

Video Marketing Challenges For Small Business

February 21, 2011 by Kenny Leave a Comment

Video marketing may be the most powerful form of marketing for small business yet so many business owners don’t do it…why?

Here are the top 4 challenges I often hear.

It’s expensive.
How? It’s difficult.
It’s time consuming.
Where do I put the videos?
I don’t want to speak in front of the camera.

Answers to these challenges:

Compared to other forms of marketing, it is not expensive. You don’t need a $3,000 camera for most small business marketing. Get a KodakZi8 and do it yourself. Upload your videos to Youtube and get additional exposure for free. If you need videos hosted on your own website without a Youtube brand on them there are two very inexpensive options.
Cameras like the Kodak are point and click. Upload it to the computer and then to the video site. Then all you have to do is embed it on your website. The editing takes some skill and if you want maximum exposure you need to know how to optimize videos. Or you can hire someone that knows how to properly edit the videos and optimize and upload them…like Creative Profit Pros.
Yes it is time consuming…but it’s worth it if you do it right. If you don’t have a split second, hire someone. You can hire someone to get you started then do it as you go so you are not pressed for time and you are not breaking the bank.
Upload your videos to Youtube. Use a site like Screencast.com to make them private or without branding images on them. Then put them on your website. Your webdesigner will know how to do this…or get rid of them. Add your videos to Facebook and Yahoo as well.
Have someone stand behind the camera and just talk to them…forget the camera. Have someone interview you that does speak well on camera. Use a picture slide show if you still can’t get past it.