Avoid a Big Hit to Your Small Business Online Reputation

Many small businesses, especially B2Cs, may be unaware of the explosive use of geolocation data. The practice, which digital marketing expert and author Susan Baroncini-Moe characterizes as commonplace today, pre-populates listing and review sites such as Yahoo or Bing and social media pages such as Facebook, with or without your input or permission. Baroncini-Moe indicated online mismanagement is the biggest threat to brick and mortar businesses. In a recent post on her blog, Business in Blue Jeans, she provides a comprehensive review of this serious issue and recommends ways for small business owners and marketers to manage their online reputations. Here are a few highlights:

As a result of this permission-less data creation, there are sites—and well-trafficked sites—that have your business data everywhere. And there’s very little you can do about it. Your business information is public knowledge and you want that…but there are a host of problems that come with this pre-population of data.

Last year alone, searches by people looking for local businesses increased by 62%. And with more and more people  using smartphones to look up information on local brick and mortar businesses on the fly, anything that happens with your business’s online reputation is serious.

Most importantly, the majority of brick and mortar businesses aren’t claiming their listings on sites like Google (+ and Places), Yahoo Local, Bing, CitySearch, and more, leaving others in charge of maintaining their listings, creating a laundry list of problems:

• Inconsistent, Incorrect Information … when different sites have different information, it makes your business look bad, like you don’t have your act together.
• Reviews, Good and Bad … Reviews serve an important function—they let you know about problems in your business (including consumer perceptions that need to be corrected), and for the consumer, they provide valuable insight into your business and how it’s run. …the most important thing you need to know about online reviews is that they exist in perpetuity.
• Competitor Data and Advertising … when you don’t create and populate your pages yourself, the web sites will take advantage of the empty space and populate that space with information about and ads for competitors who have claimed their listings.

Read the entire article at Business in Blue Jeans.com.
You can hear more of Susan Baroncini’s advice for small business owners and marketers on this episode of  The Marketing Mojo Show.

While the days of letting your fingers do the walking are long gone, including those confusing contracts for print directories, it is imperative for small business owners and marketers to manage their online listings. We offered a few tips in the previous post, Online is the New Yellow for Small Business Search, and would like to add a few more to the list.

Visit this link for The Moz Local Learning Center, a great read at your own pace guide on local search. The guide covers online marketing development, listings, reviews and ratings, website optimization, social media strategy and a terrific glossary of terms.

Consider an annual investment in Moz Local, a one-stop shop to manage and monitor your business listing(s) on the sites, apps, and directories that factor most into local search engine results.

Constant Contact provides an online listings management program, SinglePlatform, and you can learn more about it here. In the meantime, here are a few of Constant Contact’s recommendations for taking control of your online listings:

1. Identify your industry’s hot spots
2. Claim your listings
3. Optimize your website with location information
4. Offer location information to data aggregators
5. Encourage reviews and recommendations on social
6. Pay to sponsor listings
7. Find a better solution … there is an alternative to doing it all on your own.

Read the entire article at ConstantContact.com.

With this insight and additional suggestions, we hope your online reputation will make you say Ahhhh instead of Ouch. How do you manage your online reputation? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

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Whatever the Outcome, Serve up a Good Pitch to Maximize Your Small Business Marketing Momentum

Serve up a Good Pitch! Photo credit: Lauryn McDowell via Flickr under Creative Commons license

Not everyone connects with a good pitch. In baseball, that’s the point, right? On the other hand, in business, that’s a lesson learned by a North Carolina entrepreneur who appeared on the ABC hit television show, Shark Tank. Despite a unanimous “Great pitch, but I’m Out” on the investment opportunity, the Sharks’ refusal to bite did not derail the passion of Julie Busha, owner of Slawsa, a condiment product (ironically, in another episode, the Sharks bit on a good pitch and the business, Lipstick Remix, failed). Nor did their decision derail the marketing momentum of the product, which is currently available in more than 6,000 retail locations throughout the United States and Canada. In a post-show article, Julie shared a few small business takeaways from her out-of-the tank experience that are well worth repeating here:

Surround Yourself with the Best. …You can make your life easier if you surround yourself with the best. We live in a day of technology where outsourcing can be more effective than hiring within, especially if you’re small. But believe me, you’d rather be the quarterback who understands the game and can call the plays versus having three guys who sit on the bench.

Quality surpasses quantity every time, and making wise decisions to align yourself with the best will help your business run efficiently.

Never Let Someone’s Inability to See Your Value Determine Your Worth. …Success is not defined as making a deal on Shark Tank. Believe it or not, the voice of America reigns louder than that of any Shark, and those are the voices that matter most.

Read the article at Huffington Post.com

Back to the pitch. There’s brewing debate on the merits of company/elevator pitches. On a recent episode of LGK’s The Marketing Mojo Show, Sue Baroncini-Moe, business/marketing strategist and author of Business in Blue Jeans: How to Have a Successful Business on Your Own Terms in Your Own Style, states that elevator pitches become “weird practice speak” and generally she does not believe in them. Instead, Baroncini-Moe prefers and recommends having a conversation to position what you do and the value of what you do in a context that is relevant to the person with whom you are speaking. Flip the script, practice speak or not, entrepreneurs and small business owners should embrace the process of describing their business, the vision, solutions and target market(s) as a marketing opportunity and to maintain focus. Whether you call it an elevator or company pitch, value or purpose statement, our advice to you is to not launch or leave the office without a succinct summary that conveys your business value and benefit. That’s the basis of a good pitch.

Do you have an elevator pitch; do you think it is necessary? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section of this post. In the meantime, here’s the Shark Tank episode featuring Julie Busha of Slawsa (about 11 minutes, 30 seconds into the video).

For daily marketing communications news, subscribe to LGK’s free, online, MarCom Digest.

Marketing Audio Memo with Susan Baroncini-Moe, Strategist and Author

LGK Marketing Memo: Marketing on Your Own Terms

As you settle in for the week, spend a few moments with your favorite Morning Joe and this take on the debate of accomplishing tasks versus achieving results with Susan Baroncini-Moe, marketing and business strategist and author of Business in Blue Jeans: How to Have a Successful Business on Your Own Terms, in Your Own Style.

Now, take a moment to bootstrap the basics and revisit your marketing plan. What’s your measure of success? Is it productivity, effectiveness, or constructiveness? Is it short-term or process oriented? What advice would you like to share with fellow small business owners? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

For daily marketing communications news, subscribe to LGK’s free, online, MarCom Digest.

Summer Reading 2014 – Seven Books for Your Vacation Luggage or Staycation Coffee Table

Reading lists for the summer vacation season bring visions of romance novels, murder mysteries or mindless quick-reads.  This summer, we’d like to encourage you to switch it up with one of these selections, all hand-picked to help you energize your business, your marketing plan and your mindset.  Grab or download all seven and head to the beach.

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big:  Kind of the Story of My Life

By Scott Adams

Authored by the Dilbert comic strip character author, this book uses similar-to-Dilbert humor to reveal his personal stories of workplace dilemmas and failures and how he overcame them.  It’s part memoir, part business primer and the result is a hopeful message.

The New Rules of Marketing & PR:  How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Application, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly

By David Meerman Scott

The rules keep changing and Scott keeps updating his book to keep his advice current. In fact, this is the fourth edition!  The latest version of what has become a small business marketer’s must-have book, has updated case studies and insight on all of the new social media and marketing apps.

This excellent look at the basics of new-millennial marketing should find use in the hands of any serious PR professional making the transition.

Publishers Weekly

Business in Blue Jeans:  How to Have a Successful Business on Your Own Terms, In Your Own Style

By Susan Baroncini-Moe

From the lady who started a grape kool-aid stand as a kid because everyone was doing lemonade stands, comes a book for business owners about how to do things your own way.  Her advice comes from years of working as a consultant with entrepreneurs, start-ups, individuals and SMBs.  Her creative thought process trickles down to stimulate your thinking as well. Hear what she has to say about marketing on your own terms:

https://soundcloud.com/lgkmarketing/marketing-on-your-own-terms

The Up Side of Down:  Why Failing Well is the Key to Success

By Megan McArdle

We’ve all heard the story of Michael Jordan getting cut from his high school basketball team.  He used this failure to become a better player.  That’s the premise for this book – how to turn failures into opportunities for success, growth and new beginnings.

The Up Side of Down reveals a forgotten secret to success: failure. This gracefully written, carefully researched book offers a timely and critical message. In a world that’s obsessed with perfection, Megan McArdle shows that our accomplishments depend on whether we can make mistakes and learn from them.

Adam Grant, Wharton professor and author of Give and Take

Growth Hacker Marketing:  A Primer on the Future of PR, Marketing and Advertising

By Ryan Holiday

This book looks at marketing from a totally different mindset and is a strategy that has been used successfully by many IT companies such as Dropbox and Twitter which don’t use traditional advertising or marketing.

Growth hacking is a marketing technique developed by technology startups which uses creativity, analytical thinking, and social metrics to sell products and gain exposure. 

Wikipedia.org

Whether or not it spreads to non-tech companies, this is still an interesting look at an emerging trend.

David and Goliath:  Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of the Battling Giants

By Malcolm Gladwell

As a fan of Malcom Gladwell (and one of his previous books, What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures) we thought this would be a good one to check out and we were not disappointed.  This review provides an appropriate description:

It provides useful insights in terms of how emergent or small players can effectively compete and win when taking on larger firms, which is key for many entrepreneurial startups.

Dr. Michael H. Morris, George and Lisa Etheridge Professor of Entrepreneurship, Program Director, Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing

By Ramon Ray

The author, a Technology Evangelist, takes small businesses through the basic and advanced features of Facebook.  Some of the tips come from the Facebook staff and some from his experience as a technology marketer. This book is particularly helpful for businesses who want to start a Facebook presence and don’t know where to start.

Ramon Ray will be a guest on The Marketing Mojo Show on Wednesday, June 18 at 1:00pm to talk about Facebook and Marketing Technology for Small Businesses.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lgkmarketing/2014/06/18/facebook-and-marketing-technology-for-small-businesses

Still I Rise

By Maya Angelou

Reading this poem from a strictly literal sense, you can feel the power of a people rising above the indignities of slavery.  More generically, this poem is a testament to the power of humanity to rise above the indignities of life.  It is an inspirational ode to survival and faith and a mandatory read for all business leaders.  Technically a poem, it is available in book format on Amazon.  RIP Maya Angelou

Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise

 

Leisa Chester Weir

 

 

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Small Businesses Recognized and Encouraged During Annual Event

Since 1963, the White House has proclaimed National Small Business Week as a way to honor small businesses and educate them on the resources available through the Small Business Administration (SBA).  This year’s focus is entrepreneurship and the events this week include conferences, seminars and webinars.

The SBA will bestow honors on the nation’s top small businesses from every state and the accolades include the chance to meet with officials and network with national business leaders.  Congratulations to our fellow small business owners!

Small businesses are also invited to maximize their momentum on Wednesday, May 21 at 1:00 p.m. during The Marketing Mojo Show with Susan Baroncini-Moe, Founder of Business in Blue Jeans, a marketing and consulting firm, as she discusses small business marketing on your own terms.  Callers are welcome to join the conversation during the show by calling 1-718-664-9645 or log into http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lgkmarketing/2014/05/21/small-business-marketing-on-your-own-terms. To participate in the live Twitter chat, follow @lgkmarketing and the hashtag #mymarketingmojo or visit www.twubs.com/mymarketingmojo.

Tune in to hear and chat with Susan Baroncini-Moe

And in case you missed Google’s small business spotlight, here is an ode to entrepreneurs everywhere:

 

 

 

For daily marketing communications news, subscribe to LGK’s free, online, MarCom Digest.

 

 

 

Marketing on Your Own Terms and Bootstrapping the Basics

How do you market your small business for success?

Whether by design, default or budgetary restrictions, many small business owners pull double duty serving as primary marketers for their organization. Many will confess, privately of course, that as masters of their marketing fate, keeping up with new ideas, tools, consumer behaviors and the competition can be exciting, overwhelming, daunting and downright exhausting – all at the same time. For those who have no chance but to go solo or those who dare to be different, transform the challenges into opportunities; the opportunities into success on your own terms. Bootstrap the marketing basics, start with a plan and execute a marketing program that works for the business structure, target market and bottom line.

In an interview with Inc.com, business and marketing strategist and author of Business in Blue Jeans, How to Have a Successful Business on Your Own Terms in Your Own Style, Susan Baroncini-Moe succinctly summarized the importance of a marketing plan.

…a marketing plan is a critical component of success. If you don’t have a marketing plan, then you’ll be chasing strategies and tactics without a clear idea of why you’re doing those things. “It makes much more sense to develop a marketing plan that includes a comprehensive review of the climate of your industry, a clear description of your target market and the competition, and a blueprint for reaching your potential customers,” says Baroncini-Moe. And remember that a marketing plan shouldn’t be a static document, it must be flexible and fluid, evolving as the market changes and your business grows.

Read the original article at Inc.com.

Meet Susan Baroncini-Moe on the May 21, 2014, live episode of The Marketing Mojo Show. Tap into her treasure chest of professional and personal expertise to maximize your marketing momentum.

Catch author Susan Baroncini-Moe on The Marketing Mojo Show. Call-in to comment, log on to chat.

Do you march to the beat of your own marketing drum or is there a tried and true formula that guides your strategy? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.

For daily marketing communications news, subscribe to LGK’s free, online, MarCom Digest.