Traditional methods still have a place in the high tech world

I have a good friend who has an in at Google. This person has a close relative that works for the internet giant and it's always interesting to hear about the cool, innovative things they do there. Google is everywhere; things must be great for them, or at least I'm guessing they are. Everyone I know uses "Google" to describe search activities like we use "Kleenex" to describe tissues. Everybody googles.

Upon my arrival at work yesterday, I had a voicemail on my desk phone from...yes, Google! They had a deal going on "front page (I thought that was a print term?) availabilities for internet searches in our category in our area." We've never done business with Google before and I'm not sure how they found us, but they did. They're doing the same thing our sales and marketing people do each day -- trying to find solutions with new customers for the products they sell, especially when those products aren't selling as well as they'd like. So, please consider the following:

1. Giants like Google still have to be pro-active in their marketing approach. What about your business? The "I don't need to advertise" or "everybody knows me" routine some small businesses take is a fading myth they're selling themselves on, no one else. The market is full of messages -- you'd better shout yours out, too.

2. Traditional approaches -- getting on the phone and calling people you've never talked to before (you know, cold calls) still are necessary and still work when you do enough of it consistently. Advertising consistently makes those efforts a little less cold, and a lot more successful.

3. Turn over new rocks to find new business. Times are still challenging for most businesses. We've never considered Google advertising, but we are now. Take a different tack to try to stir the pot: consider a medium you haven't tried before or do something a little unusual with your message. Advertise in new areas or to new demographics that might spark new sales for you.

Sitting still and doing nothing leaves your market share exposed to those who are making the cold calls and spreading their word. Take a lesson from the big guys, the Googles, WalMarts, Fords and others of this world. Keep your message out there and make it easy for people to find you. We can help with that, by the way. Call us at 315-472-7825, e-mail us at info@scotsmanmediagroup.com  or visit us online at www.scotsmanonline.com . Thanks very much!

A World Cup lesson for your business

For most Americans it was a disappointing finish to the Women's World Cup; it's never easy when the "hometown team" loses in the finals of anything. But it is hard not to feel good for Japan. In a year of earthquakes, a tsunami and a nuclear catastrophe, having something like a World Cup soccer championship to cheer about must be a welcome respite for the Japanese. And our girls were very gracious in a narrow defeat -- makes you proud.

Twitter seemed to capture a lot of attention during the tournament. Barack Obama offered some pre-game encouragement via the social media platform (signs his tweets as "BO" -- a PR quandary). Notables like Lebron James and many others also tweeted their excitement and encouragement to our team during the event. I opened a Twitter account in its early days. I had one follower, a great lesson in humility. I don't do enough interesting, exciting things to make anyone want to follow me. But maybe you do.

When people are in the midst of a transaction with you or your business, make them aware of your Twitter account and your Facebook page...use the logos in your ads like the old days when print ads included the little Visa and MasterCard logos. Link the social media pages to your web presence (if your business doesn't have a web presence yet, Facebook offers a cheap and easy starting point). Sending messages about specials and coupons using these platforms is certainly easy, inexpensive and a vital part of today's media mix. A World Cup happens once every four years -- you can tweet your business excitement daily. But be careful about overdoing it -- sending a lot of messages -- especially ones that may not offer honest, exciting value -- can turn your followers and customers off in a hurry.

Need help with your social media and other marketing needs? Give us a holler at 315-472-7825, e-mail at mailto:info@scotsmanmediagroup.com  or online at www.scotsmanonline.com . Thanks!

Are we or aren't we?

I was just online looking at a chart showing the rise and fall of the national unemployment rate over the past two years. In April 2011 we hit a two year low but we've been inching back up monthly since then, just when we thought a turnaround was here. Many local business people we speak with each week believe it's just one sign that we're not out of the woods yet. Are we or aren't we still in a recession? It’s debated daily.

How about this question instead: does it really matter? Utility bill is due, kids need shoes, the family likes to eat every day...what economists and talking media heads tell us doesn’t change our facts of life. So, if you have a business that needs to grow ask your staff this question: are we or aren't we going to ignore what we can't control and make something happen?

There are a million "hot ideas" out there every day, but consistent growth comes from being very, very good at the basics of marketing your business:
1. Knowing what customers like and don't like (just ask them).
2. As a result, offering a product or service that's timely and competitive.
3. Providing something extra -- something that truly makes you unique.
4. Telling the market your story in a reliable way and consistent manner.
5. Measuring the results and fine tuning.
6. Starting back at number 1 again (and again and again and again -- it's a never ending cycle).

This is a very simple outline of what can be an intricate process. My colleagues here at the Scotsman can lend you a hand, especially with items 4 & 5. We'll ask some questions, listen to your comments and offer suggestions for making things happen. No charge. We're here to help you make good decisions for your business, not just to sell products from our business. Let us know if you'd like to chat, and thanks!

It's all about you.

I will apologize up front for where this is going.

You had to go out of your way this week to miss the Casey Anthony hoopla. A beautiful little girl is gone and no one outside a small circle of sad people likely knows what really happened to her. That's another story or blog topic, though -- this one is about business. People (yeah, me too) were shocked when Casey was found not guilty of the most serious charges. It occurred to me, though, that twelve people who sat through every minute of the trial first-hand took less than twelve hours to arrive at their verdict. That's fast. What I knew about this case I knew through media coverage, and my first thought was "could the coverage have been that tainted that we all thought 'guilty' when those close by thought not?"

I don't know if we'll ever have that answer; this is a case where perception and reality could be very far apart. It's not the best comparison to start with, I'll admit to that, but think about the perception that you and/or your business carry in your marketplace. Do you know how customers and prospects really feel about what you do or provide? Does the word of mouth advertising you have going really tell the story you want to tell? We are all victims of perception. The world we communicate in is full of noise, confusion and interference. Our job here is to help you give a strong, consistent message to your market areas with a goal of building the consumer top-of-mind-awareness that you want built.

When dealing with your media partners, it always should be about you.

Questions or comments? Drop us a line at info@scotsmanmediagroup.com  or call us at 315-472-7825 for assistance. Thanks for stopping by!