How to Effectively Market Your Small Biz In a Down Economy 08/26/2009

The GrowSmartBiz Initiative An initiative to help small business owners become more successful. Share knowledge and experience gained through the Small Business Success Index to advice small businesses on future trends. A forum for the small business community to have a dialogue with thought leaders and experts in the field. www.growsmartbusiness.com

An initiative to help small business owners become more successful.

Share knowledge and experience gained through the Small Business Success Index to advice small businesses on future trends.

A forum for the small business community to have a dialogue with thought leaders and experts in the field.

www.growsmartbusiness.com

The Small Business Success Index Source: STATE OF SMALL BUSINESS REPORT THE SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS INDEX (www.growsmartbusiness.com)

Panelists Jay Ehret : Small business marketing consultant, coach, speaker, and blog author; he is a branding architect, a customer experience designer, a conversation starter, and an advertising strategist. Chief Steward of the Marketing Spot. company he founded in 2001. Susan Gunelius President and CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc. Over 15 years of experience working in the marketing field for some of the largest corporations in the world (including divisions of AT&T, HSBC, Household International and more). Jay Berkowitz Small business internet consultant with more than 20 years of marketing experience. Advised Fortune 500 brands: McDonald's and Coca-Cola, AT&T, Sprint. CEO of Ten Golden Rules, specializing in internet advertising and marketing consulting services. Prag Shah (Panel Moderator) VP of Web Storefront, Network Solutions. Leads development and execution of web channels and user experience.

Key Topics for Today’s Webinar: Activities small business should stop doing when it comes to surviving in the current economy. Essential things that small businesses should start doing to market themselves in the current economy. Some of the best marketing investments a small business can make. Real world examples of successful small business marketing. Q&A.

Activities small business should stop doing when it comes to surviving in the current economy.

Essential things that small businesses should start doing to market themselves in the current economy.

Some of the best marketing investments a small business can make.

Real world examples of successful small business marketing.

Q&A.

What are key things small business should stop doing when it comes to surviving in the current economy?

What are key things small business should stop doing when it comes to surviving in the current economy? Being skeptical about investing in marketing efforts. Putting all your marketing dollars in one basket. Taking a conservative approach to marketing (it’s time to think and act creative). Think about the customer, stop thinking internally. Short term planning; start thinking long term.

Being skeptical about investing in marketing efforts.

Putting all your marketing dollars in one basket.

Taking a conservative approach to marketing (it’s time to think and act creative).

Think about the customer, stop thinking internally.

Short term planning; start thinking long term.

What are three essential things that small businesses should start doing to market themselves in the current economy?

What are three essential things that small businesses should start doing to market themselves in the current economy? SEO strategies Weekly e-newsletter. Article syndication. SEO Press Releases. Social Media strategies Blogging/Influencer Relations. Facebook/Twitter/YouTube. Don’t forget traditional marketing (direct mail) Capitalize on lower rates on direct mail.

SEO strategies

Weekly e-newsletter.

Article syndication.

SEO Press Releases.

Social Media strategies

Blogging/Influencer Relations.

Facebook/Twitter/YouTube.

Don’t forget traditional marketing (direct mail)

Capitalize on lower rates on direct mail.

What is the best marketing investment a small business can make?

What is the best marketing investment a small business can make? Branding (knowing who you are as a business is key). Social web marketing. An integration of SEO + Social Media + Brand Management. Training employees to become brand ambassadors.

Branding (knowing who you are as a business is key).

Social web marketing.

An integration of SEO + Social Media + Brand Management.

Training employees to become brand ambassadors.

Real World Examples on Innovative Marketing

Success Story: Traditional Marketing Straddling the Fence

Success Story: Traditional Marketing Mike Knight Motors – Waco, Texas Newspaper Broadcast TV Cable

Newspaper

Broadcast TV

Cable

Success Story: Traditional Marketing King’s Daughters Clinic – Temple, Texas Direct Mail Postcards

Direct Mail

Postcards

Example: Traditional Marketing King’s Daughters Clinic – Temple, Texas Branding Targeted Objective Special Events Increase Traffic

Branding

Targeted Objective

Special Events

Increase Traffic

Success Story: Social Media Local Wine Store Increases Sales with Social Web Gary Vaynerchuk grew his father’s local wine store in Springfield, New Jersey to a $50 million per year business with HALF of those sales coming from the Web. How did he do it? Through the power of the social web. Gary’s passionate and informative video blog posts on WineLibrary.tv quickly drew audiences from around the world as word spread about his contagious content. Today, Gary is a sought after social media speaker, makes frequent appearances on television, and recently signed a multi-million dollar book deal where he will share his knowledge and experience of using social media tools to grow a small business. It all started with a blog.

Gary Vaynerchuk grew his father’s local wine store in Springfield, New Jersey to a $50 million per year business with HALF of those sales coming from the Web.

How did he do it?

Through the power of the social web.

Gary’s passionate and informative video blog posts on WineLibrary.tv quickly drew audiences from around the world as word spread about his contagious content.

Today, Gary is a sought after social media speaker, makes frequent appearances on television, and recently signed a multi-million dollar book deal where he will share his knowledge and experience of using social media tools to grow a small business.

It all started with a blog.

Success Story: Social Media Reaching 350 million people worldwide in 24 hours! W ith a multi-million dollar budget to spend as she pleased, Cindy Gordon of Universal Orlando Resort instead told just 7 people about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. A nd within just 24 hours 350 million people around the world heard the news. A ll by telling just 7 people.

Success Story: Social Media Annie’s Costumes Retail 2003

Keyword Research - Searches

Keyword Research - Opportunity

Target 250-1000 Words

Links = Site “Importance”

1,238,182 ‘Free’ Google Clicks!

Web Optimized PR!

Web Optimized PR - Add Copy to Site First!

Meta data – Tag your videos, use all the title and description and include long target phrases. Tag Videos for Blended Search

Annie’s Costumes Retail

Free SEO = 250 -1000 words, target 2-3 phrases Free SEO Links = Importance Advanced SEO = Web Optimized PR Advanced SEO = Blended Search Annie’s Costumes Success Story

Free SEO = 250 -1000 words, target 2-3 phrases

Free SEO Links = Importance

Advanced SEO = Web Optimized PR

Advanced SEO = Blended Search

Q&A

A Premier Networking Event for Entrepreneurs - The first-ever GrowSmartBiz Conference! Register with the code WEBINAR for a $99 ticket! SEPT 29, 2009 | Washington, D.C. Keynote by Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired Magazine and author of The Long Tail and Free Register Today: www.tinyurl.com/gsbiz Follow us on Twitter: @Growsmartbiz Diamond Level Sponsors: Proven strategies for growth despite the current economy Executable, cost-effective ways to market your businesses Advice for securing small business financing Free domain, free business plan software, and more! Conference Highlights:

Proven strategies for growth despite the current economy

Executable, cost-effective ways to market your businesses

Advice for securing small business financing

Free domain, free business plan software, and more!

Panelists Contacts Jay Ehret The Marketing Spot Email: [email_address] Website: www.themarketingspot.com Susan Gunelius KeySplash Creative, Inc. Email: [email_address] Website: www.KeySplashCreative.com Jay Berkowitz Ten Golden Rules Email: [email_address] Website: http://www.TenGoldenRules.com Prag Shah Network Solutions Email: [email_address] Website: www.networksolutions.com www.growsmartbusiness.com