Your business depends on the perception of value to your customers. Consumers or customers or patients or guests- whatever you choose to call the people you sell your product or service to, want to feel that they have made the right decision in hiring you to solve their problems.
When we say “Create Lust: Evoke Trust” we get down to the core of what makes people buy. They want what you have to offer because they are confident in your ability to supply what ever it is that they want. They should feel good about their purchase. They look for affirmation from others to justify their decision. Often, just a client list can instill confidence that they are dealing with a professional.
For small business, advertising has become almost cost prohibitive in these days of too many media choices, too many messages and too many options. Because advertising via mass media is almost an oxymoron, sponsored search advertising has become perceived as the only viable option for small business. I’ll define “sponsored search” for those of you new to the term: it’s having your ad appear when someone does a search on a certain keyword. Google is by far the leader in this market, and it sets it’s prices purely by auction- meaning the price of an ad depends on how much competition you have. This is very good for Google- and not very good for you.
That’s why we believe that social media (a good definition of social media can be found on the Radian6 website (update 3012- Radian6 was bought by Salesforce and the link is gone) and on Wikipedia) and good branding are so important in this age of information overload. The Next Wave is one of the leaders in teaching social media/web 2.0 to it’s clients and to others across the country as well as one of the earliest adopters of the technology. It’s part of why we’re called “The Next Wave.”
If “fake it to make it” is really a strategy, and today, more than ever, it’s apparent that guru’s can appear from anywhere. If you want an example- just take a look at “The Evolution of Dance.” Needless to say, being able to dance your way through a meeting has taken new meaning.
Which brings us back to social media and small business. Experts are always nice to have around. If you want to grow your business, finding the right expert to solve your problem can make it much easier for you to do what you do best. Social media- or web 2.0 enabled websites (like this one- partially) allow you to demonstrate your value and knowledge to the world- and have a conversation with other people interested in your area of expertise. Building networks is still one of the secrets to getting your foot in the door- only now, the network isn’t built with closed communities (Harvard or West Point grads come to mind) but in open communities online. The more people you connect with in your field, the stronger your brand.
This video on social media has a whole bevy of people who have exploited the social media tools to build their value in the greater community. Proof positive was how easy it was to Google their names and come to a their site- on the top of the list.
We’ve even connected with a few of the people in the video- like Steve Hall from AdRants.
Their tips? Here is the search friendly run down of the six minute video:
The social opportunity
Brian Solis PR 2.0FutureWorks
Grow communities around you by engaging them- you become an authority and influential
Rohit Bhargava- author “Personality Not Included”
Word-of-mouth and customer referrals- number one source- cheap, viral works.
Steve Hall publisher of AdRants
Reach out to everyone in your industry 9 times out of ten there is someone else doing it- and you want to make friends with them and their friends.
Toby Bloomberg- Bloomberg Marketing
A better way for small business to scale and to grow because of relationships.
Ryan Anderson Overlay tv
Great way to bypass traditional filters and go direct to your core customer.
Darren Rowse ProBlogger
To get your content out there- join up with others to get your content out there.
David Alston- Radian6
Use social media to build a brand in a highly targeted way.
Mari Smith- success coach
Be seen everywhere- online.
Liz Strauss- successful blog
To become irrisistable- know your goal. Three kinds of visitors- readers, people who do things or offer things- and the info sources.
Paul Chaney- International Blogging and New Media Association
How to show your product being made in process- turning his business into a story – to help the customer get to know your business.
While being on Linkedin.com,facebook.com and other business social media sites, there is nothing quite like having your own site and strategy to spread your message. Once you get your potential customers to your site, looking like you have your act together is critical- and that’s where branding comes in.
We have a small confession to make: we’ve been so busy working on other sites, that we’ve let our own slip a bit- but, that’s going to be addressed soon.
For a great introduction to how the web, search and open source content managers work (the best friend of the social media pro)- we highly recommend taking our Websitetology Seminar. If you aren’t in Ohio- we can bring it to your city- just organize a development day for your professional organization and we’ll do a revenue share that will help you raise money for your organization and build your social media knowledge.
We had a potential client come in to meet with us today. The meeting wasn’t very productive because we failed to give them a preparation checklist. Our mistake is your gain, because here is a primer for how a small business can get the most out of an ad agency interview.
Picking an advertising agency isn’t like a date, it’s more like a marriage, only the divorce can be much less painful if you plan properly. But, talking about ending the relationship before we start is not a great place to begin- or is it?
Think about your goals in this relationship? When you go into meet with an agency- are you looking for a quick fix to a business problem, or a long term partnership to build your business. We can tell you some stories about quick fixes, but, if this is what you are looking for- let the agency know in advance. The best advertising usually doesn’t come on the first attempt- or even in the first year. It takes time for the agency to learn your business- and for your business to find the right brand voice. Here are some quick things to think about when it comes to prepping for that first meeting:
Who is your competition- and what do they sound like? Bring a list of who you believe to be your competition- and samples of their advertising. Be prepared to discuss what you like or don’t like in their ads.
What makes your company different? Can you make a list of what you do differently than your competition? Can you share some client testimonials or case studies on successes that you’ve had? Differentiation is one of the most powerful tools in marketing. Think about how brands like Harley Davidson or Apple stand out from their competition. Now think about your company- is there a clear differentiation? Is this something you want the agency to help identify or amplify?
What advertising have you done already? Did it work? Do you know how you get the customers you have now? Or if you are a start-up, how do you think you’ll build a customer base? It’s not like “Field of Dreams” -build it and they will come. Please bring all the examples you have of what you’ve done- from brochures to business cards to media buys. This is the first step in establishing the foundation of the relationship.
Are there companies you would like to emulate? Do you have samples of their ads, branding etc? Mostly- this is helpful for the discussion between an agency and a start-up, but, there may be someone who wants to be the Apple of the medical devices industry for instance, where good design and ease of use are critical to their differentiation.
Know why you are meeting with that agency as opposed to the others. There are a lot of agencies out there, all of them quite different. Finding the right one for your business has to do with the size of your agency- and the size of your budget (it’s sad but true). If you are going to be a small, niche, local business- going to a global agency is probably not going to work out. Make sure you research the agency, their work, their client list- and know why you are sitting in their conference room. Don’t be shy- tell them why you like them- and even who else you plan on talking to. Advertising is a pretty small, incestuous community- more than likely, they can guess who else you’ve been talking to- and can probably recommend who you should talk to next.
Never try to cherry pick: Although it may sound like a way to save money, cherry picking some work from one agency and other stuff from another is like being a polygamist. Find a partner who can deliver on most of your needs- and then stick with them. We have a client who thinks that having one company do her graphic design, another do her web development a third do her ads and then tries to buy her printing herself is a great way to save money. What ends up happening is she spends too much time with all her vendors to get the best out of any of them.
Have clear goals for the meeting: know your budget, and what your expectations are. That way, both sides can see right away if it’s going to be mutually beneficial to work together. The last thing you want is to be a client that isn’t worth the agencies time- because you’ll get shuffled off behind other clients if you can’t pay your bills on time, or have realistic ideas about how fast the creative work will work.
Who will own the work. This is the divorce part, and sometimes pre-nups are really good to get out of the way. Many small businesses will need all kinds of print work done- from invoices to brochures. The cost of recreating the files can be prohibitive, so it may be good to stipulate up front, what will belong to you and to the agency. If you make TV spots- who will own the raw footage? Answering these questions now- can save a lot of money at the end.
Lastly- know how much time the agency is willing to donate to this first date, or if you are expected to pay for your consultation. With small budgets, it may be best to ask first how much an hour of the agency’s time is- and be willing to pay for it, you may get some of the best ideas from agencies that won’t let you hire them, but feel indebted to you and share some great thinking.
Remember, one great idea can transform a business. For Nike it was “Just do it”- for Apple it was the idea of a portable mp3 player with a new interface and an integrated music library. In your search for growing your business- remember to keep an open mind on how best to take it to market, and ask the best minds in the business for their ideas. It only takes one really good idea to make you more money than you pay the agency.
The DocTrain conferences are a technical communicators think-tank- which is an odd place for an ad agency to be making a presentation- but, when you grok the importance of good support systems in delivering a memorable brand experience- it starts to make sense.
Our presentation was well attended, with heavy hitters from the corporate world and the open source community- as well as a lot of technical communicators who wanted to learn a faster way to communicate with their customers.
The Synopsis started like this:
The lines between a “Blog” and a “Website” are blurring faster than a speeding bullet, yet many business people still think blogs are platforms for personal publishing and self-expression, when in fact, they may be the most powerful tool to connect with your customers on the ‘net today.
The key concept of modern technical writers could be referred to as Publishing 2.0 - where it’s critical that the content be separate from the presentation, so it can be easily updated and more importantly, delivered through multiple platforms.
The idea of structuring content- using the DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture) standard is so far removed from advertising and marketing, that few ad agencies would fit in at this event- but, if you are a large marketer looking to be ubiquotious in your delivery of message, across multiple platforms, languages and culture there is really no other way to control your message.
We proposed that using a WordPress Content Management System may be one way to work quickly at responding to new issues in the marketplace as a “scratch pad” for ideas and content that needs to be refined, typed and structured for general delivery. Speed of response is absolutely critical, as is having Google think your companies site is the first place to look for information concerning your products or services.
Failure to respond instantly is no longer an option.
We saw all kinds of other really interesting applications of technology and strategies for delivery of corporate communications, more on those as the presentation decks are available.
