I recently agreed to administer the client database for a non-profit organization I volunteer for along with managing their email promotions.  I wasn’t surprised to find a large number of  unidentified client segments in their database. When you have many hands touching a data resource coupled with staff turnover it doesn’t take long for the data to go awry. I was once again reminded of the strategic importance client data management plays in the success of sales and marketing.

Like Jim Gilbert, I get asked by clients what they can expect from putting the time into developing a social media strategy.  The answer of course is it depends.  Jim, a fellow social media strategist and blogger came up with 9 immutable laws of Social Media Marketing to help clients set expectations.  With Jim’s permission here they are:

In preparing materials for a social media 101 seminar I was looking for an example of how a local small business might be using social media to market their business.  Since I was using restaurants as a reference for how web 2.0 and social networking have changed forever the way we reach customers I decided to check out what my favorite local diner was up to.

I live in NJ and we have diners on almost every corner which makes it a very competitive landscape. I was delighted to see they had a robust web site which had a gallery of restaurants photos and menus along with providing   web visitors an opportunity to sign up for coupons, special offers, events and more.

I also saw they were supporting a local charity.  A nice way to build even better relationships with their customers and distinguish themselves from their competitors.  Afterall if the local diner restaurants are similar might I not want to patronize the one with a heart?

In a recent conversation with a small business owner I recommended that his web site needed work. My jaw dropped open when he told me he didn’t think his web site was that important and he didn’t see it driving a lot of business especially since he sells his products and services locally.  I realized after a few seconds that my mouth was open and had the presence of mind to close it and count to 10 before I said something I’d surely regret.

I did manage to get out that perhaps the reason the web site wasn’t driving prospects was because it desperately needed an overhaul. ( See my last post).  I’m finding that many entrepreneurs without marketing experience or professional advice make the mistake of not making the connection between the importance of good  marketing and sales development.

I just discovered a white paper titled 5 Social Media Marketing Best Practices for B2B on one of my favorite sites btobonline.com.  Two of the recommendations really stood out to me:

1. Be transparent to win customers
2. Be a listener, not a policeman

The first and the most important to me is a reminder that you don’t want your brand known as disingenuous. Remember people buy from companies they know and trust. Today’s savvy social media users have been know to ferret out companies that are being dishonest in their communications.  The white paper gives the classic example of Wal-Mart making the mistake of hiring bloggers to travel around the country visiting with Wal-Mart customers and employees and blogging about their experience.  When it came to light the bloggers were working with Wal-Mart’s PR agency the campaign was quickly dubbed a “flog” (fake blog).

I recently volunteered to become a member of our local chapter of SCORE, a national non-profit organization that mentors and trains small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs just starting a business. SCORE volunteers have a diversified collection of business knowledge and skills. Volunteers come from all walks of life including retired business owners, corporate executives and professionals who donate more than 1 million hours of service annually.

SCORE is helping build America’s economic future one small business at a time.  It is evident how important that service is today when job creation is a priority for our nation. Today, SCORE has 12,400 volunteers in 364 chapters around the United States.

Free is still the most powerful marketing word any business can use.  Well maybe.  If there is real value attached to the offer then indeed it becomes even more powerful.  If there is no real value attached then it’s going to be discovered pretty quickly. In today’s connected world customers share the good, the bad and the ugly. Either way, you can expect to have a light shown on the offer as fast as the swine flu virus spread.

Fellow marketers in my network share links to free ebooks, white papers,blogs, events etc, they have reviewed and know I will also like.  In the same manner they are quick to discuss and share their opinion about what they consider of no value.

BtoB the magazine for marketing strategists just posted their recent survey on 2010 marketing budget expectations on their web site. The news is positive but more interestingly are the quotes mid-article:

“As marketers learned from marketing in a recession, nothing beats understanding the customer and marketing to prospects with a laser focus.”

“It is all about understanding the audience and understanding how they want to receive their information, then developing marketing programs that are targeted exclusively to their needs,” said Bob Meldrum, VP-marketing at TW Telecom.

We all know the adage that the three most important things in real estate are location, location, location. In marketing, especially for small business and small budgets it’s all about focus, focus, focus.  And the first rule is know your customer.

If you haven’t written out a description of your customer yet, do it.  It’s never too late and it’s a tactic to help you focus marketing efforts.  Start with demographics that include age, sex, geographic location, etc and add in psychographics such as  likes, dislikes, and other personality traits.  Never lose sight of this description and from time-to-time as your business expands make sure it’s still an accurate picture.

Recently while running some errands my husband stopped at 2 small specialty stores to make some purchases. He’s been to both stores before and with a 17 year career in customer service, knows what good service looks and feels like.  I point this out because as an expert he’s not just groaning when he gets bad service he leaps in to make positive suggestions for improvement.  The reaction by these two business owners couldn’t be more different then their businesses.

At the first store customers are made to feel welcome, questions are answered with patience and suggestions acknowledged and often implemented.  At the second store everyone knows when the owner is behind the desk because you can see customers backing out of the store or driving right by when they see his car in the parking lot. This entrepreneur takes his bad attitude to work rather than checking it at the door. His business survives because he has staff that get it right.