Business

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This is a common need in today's evolving landscape. Many traditional market segments are shrinking, aging, or unfortunately dying. In almost every board meeting I've seen, this same issue and question comes up.

How do we reach a younger audience?

Some said email - but "experts" say young people don't use email anymore. They text.

Then they tried using SMS messages, only to find out very few are going to place an order in class.

Many have used facebook. This is a good way to build and communicate with an audience. But success can be fleeting, and conversion to order is many times too slow.

Try this graphic on for size
Students Love Technology
Via: OnlineEducation.net

If you took the 15 minutes to read and decipher the graphic...

You may be left with a puzzled look on your face. So, which technology will reach the most younger customers? How can I invest in these methods to communicate with them? Will they respond?

My Opinion Differs from the Norm

For decades, marketers have been trying to figure out how to get young people to be interested in their product or business. The real question they should be asking is how can their product or business adapt to be interesting to them. People respond to items they need, want, desire, or crave - the channel which drives it is as irrelevant as whether your printing press has moveable type!

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Well, that sure is an easy question to answer...

Why Not?

Seriously, there are some considerable benefits to blogging, as a company. Sure, we all likely have one (or two, or three...) blogs, as well as a personal facebook profile. Many also have a LinkedIn profile in the unlikely event of a change in the economy... However, very few businesses have realized the power of a blog from their company.

Creating and maintaining an open blog for your company will generate additional revenue.

Perhaps difficult to believe, but in my experience, this is entirely true. A number of factors prove this to be true, but the highlights are:

  • Producing online content in a blog offers another opportunity for your site to appear to web searchers
  • Blog content is more readily available for others (including search engines) to drive traffic to your site
  • Blogs can more easily be syndicated to additional sites online expanding your reach
  • It really is the customers who make a difference - and making a personal connection takes your business a long way.

First, this chart from emarketer's recent report shows the clear trend in increased corporate blogging. Notice the rapid growth of the trend. Of course, just because everyone else is doing it isn't necessarily the best reason to jump off the bridge, or blog wagon...

Here are just a few examples to prove this point.

More chances to be seen

Provided your blog is posted at a different domain than your main site, and does a good job of linking between itself and your marketing and e commerce sites, you can gain extra visibility. Blogs tend to have more content than your promotional site, and tend to be updated more regularly. Therefore, by hosting a blog, more content is posted more regularly, improving your chances of discovery.

Smart Web Users will see you quickly

The past few years have given rise to continued enhancements and new features in search. Many smart business owners are using basic web tools for reputation management (more on this some other time). Posting content in a blog almost ensures more visibility through those notifications.

By way of example, I personally use the "Google Alert" program to monitor several specific queries and types of content online. In the tool, Google sends an email (or RSS message) when content matching the parameters is posted. This is a great way to keep tabs on competition, customers, or trends in your market.

A few days ago, a post went up on this site linking to, and discussing, the website DailyGrommet.com. Since Jules and her team are on the ball, they very quickly saw the post, and proceeded to comment on the article. You can see the post and comments for Sneaky or Smart. (If you're watching, thanks again Jules for such a fine example!)

What's the point here? Those who run the website have their act together, so likely have little need of my help or expertise. However, merely by posting a blog with a mention and link to their site, they stumbled upon the site, engaged, and opened a conversation which otherwise wouldn't happen.

Open to syndication

Because most blogging platforms rely on fairly basic functionality, they have some built-in features that are prime for standardization. Most blogging tools (wordpress, typepad, blogger are all best bets) all include basic RSS functionality.

Let's not scare ourselves with RSS - Really Simple Syndication - it happens automatically as a part of these tools. The value in these for this discussion is simple. Each blog post you make generates a new entry in the RSS feed.

This means by blogging, you can instantly have a universally usable file of your blog content to send to another website as free content (in trade for acknowledging and linking to your site).

Customers Love You

Gone are the days of one-way conversations where businesses, magazines, experts, etc. speak unidirectionally and we poor consumers take their word for it. The advent of social media, user ratings, etc. forces honesty in business. As a pleasant side effect, it gives us a direct connection to our consumers.

A client of ours recently noticed in reviewing her website activity something that surprised her. The articles, posts, images, etc. that were most often clicked, shared or commented were those showing her personal travels and experiences. We all like to drink from the fountain of our own wisdom, yet consumers who look to us gain far more trust in us... not only our products.

Not sure how to get started with your own blog platform or strategy?

Contact Spartan to learn some options today.

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Where do you focus your sales and marketing efforts?

Many businesses have traditionally selected either marketing directly to consumers or sales to trade/distributors. Prior to the blossoming of the internet, the primary choice had been to focus marketing effort on retailers and distributors of the product, who then invest their efforts and money into selling the products.

For decades, if someone wished to purchase an album from their favorite band, it was necessary to either find it in the stores, or pay to go to the concert where it might be sold. As a consumer, when I need to replace my dishwasher, the point of purchase will be a retail store. Of course, now there are dozens of research options to decide what option is best before heading to the store.

This distribution-reliant model in the current economic turbulence is wreaking havoc on most businesses. Due to depressed sales at Barnes & Noble , many book publishers have been shrinking staff, shrinking the amount of new products produced, and experiencing financial difficulties. Consumers instead are purchasing these products digitally through devices such as the ipad and kindle.  Yet this model is still based on the retailers' ability to sell the product to consumers, and continues to press the entire industry.

Some forward-thinking businesses are beginning to realize what successful marketers have known for quite some time. Marketing effort must be spent on both trade and consumer awareness. For example, no matter how hard you try, it is impossible to purchase a cold, refreshing Bud Light at Budweiser.com. Yet, it would be difficult to go a day without seeing some form of advertisement for a product they sell. Legal and logistical issues likely prevent direct sales from Budweiser, but they've come as close as possible to selling product directly to consumers.

I just read a recent spread on some new developments in New York's Fashion Week. The highly-visible, yet exclusive event has inspired fashion-lovers with the newest products from the new designers. The goal of the event has been to generate some consumer buzz, but is primarily an event to drive interest among buyers who will distribute the products. While quite effective, consumers then are left hunting for a way to start wearing the new fashions before everyone else. Now, many of the designers are hosting their own events, streaming the show live, and offering direct sales online - During The Show!

We can learn a lot from many aspects of the changing business and opportunities here.

  • If your business relies on sales to distributors or retailers to meet its bottom-line goals, start looking for alternatives.
  • It is not sufficient to merely drive interest among the buyers and retailers. Consumer desire for your products will ensure your distribution does increase.
  • Consumers love you and your products. There is little risk, but huge upside potential, in allowing your customers to purchase your product directly from you.
  • Whether difficult economic situations or just the desire to grow, it is critical to look for new means to reach consumers directly.

Are you investing in advertising and marketing directly to consumers? If not, contact Spartan to find out how you can move ahead in the game.

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Answer this question for yourself: "Is it wrong to promote a product that is high quality, good for consumers, and really does what it promises?" Of course not! Yet, many businesses feel this is some sort of taboo if the business also profits from the promotion of the product.

What am I talking about you may ask? There is a very interesting article today from the New York Times. You should check it out for some pleasure reading. But here's the synopsis.

  • Successful online business, Daily Grommet has a unique model
  • Every weekday, the site posts a new product selection
  • The products are selected by the Daily Grommet team
  • All products are created, manufactured, marketed by another company
  • Professional demonstrations, videos, and information highlight the product's value
  • Customers can then buy the product

Since Daily Grommet doesn't make or produce the products, you may be asking yourself a basic question. "What is so strange about this? Every media and product review company does this."

Yes, but here's the kicker. According to the Daily Grommet's website, "We're independent—no one pays us to select a product. "  That is surely a 100% true statement. Yet, a percentage of the sale of each item made through the Daily Grommet's website goes to... The Daily Grommet.

This post is not to denigrate the website, the work they are doing, or to call anyone out on the carpet. Rather, this is Pure Genius! Many businesses have a lot to learn from their business model. Here's what they're doing that can be a lesson to all of us:

  1. Consumers hunger for unbiased opinions on new products, old products, or anything they can use to improve their satisfaction. By creating this website, they have manufactured a true, unbiased authority who provides consumers guidance.
  2. Social-sharing is built into the model. Every step of the way, readers and consumers on the site can see ways to share their experiences with each other, and to share the recommendations with their network of friends
  3. Affiliate Marketing is a viable business opportunity. Rather than building products to sell consumers, these folks have decided they can make more profit by promoting other people's products.
  4. By establishing trust, consumers return for the latest recommendations.
  5. The schedule of new content is consistent. By posting the new review each day, at the same time, consumers' expectations are met, and I imagine Daily Grommet's business metrics become very easy to predict.

Kudos to the folks at Daily Grommet!

How are you using innovative strategies and making money without selling your own products and services directly?

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Your hunt for expert, efficient ebusiness information and services may be over. Now that you've found Spartan, your online business is one step closer to the growth and success you've strived to find.

Whether you need an online strategy, a little help with some details, or perhaps just an expert voice in the industry, Spartan will provide that to you . Look around our website sections to find both information on services and helpful tips to expand your business for free.

Contact us today for any questions, or to find out how you can get your business running efficiently toward success.

Plus, register for a free site evaluation and you're business will never be the same!

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Email Marketing provides the most cost-effective means to communicate with customers. Whether you are trying to provide readers with excellent content, sell items directly to consumers, or just maintain regular contact to solidify the future sale, email is critical to this success.

Unfortunately, many people underestimate the value of email, and offer some common arguments keeping them from their own success.

  • I don’t have anything to say
  • People already get too much email
  • There isn’t enough time to email customers
  • Email marketing costs too much

These are all common misconceptions, which we’ll tackle individually.

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We can learn alot from the NFL, professional sports, and the businesses behind them. While I’m not really a fan myself, and don’t entirely understand the concept of Fantasy Sports, they are a rapidly growing phenomenon around the office and online. Basically, people gather together to create the list of players for their “team”. Then, the real-life players play their normal games, and these folks collect and review the real-life stats to count points for their virtual team.

Confusing, yes; Informative, definitely!

The growth of Fantasy Sports has produced an entirely new set of fans. People who weren’t really interested in the “atmosphere” of sports, sports bars, or Sunday parties with beer and pretzels are now finding an interest in the game. Well, not the game itself, but the stats. We can learn from why the outgrowth of Fantasy Sports has been a tremendous business decision to boost the NFL and other professional leagues.

Fantasy Sports Become Free Marketing

Whether someone was interested in the game, specific teams or the latest prison-drama, buzz and competition spreads in the Fantasy Leagues at the office, church, school or online community. Monday mornings are now filled with people talking about football, specific teams and individual players. Post-game talk and promotion is no longer limited to highlight reels on the local news or SportsCenter. Now, the conversation is extended throughout the week, and to new people by nature of the Fantasy game. And it doesn’t cost a dime!

Now anyone can be a fan

Let’s suppose for a moment you live in Cincinnati – as do I. Watching the local NFL team is much like going to the dentist – painful time spent lounging in a chair only to be told to come back for more pain later… Or, perhaps you live in an area where there is no professional team nearby. These scenarios both mean it’s likely a large portion of the potential viewing audience and licensed apparel customers may not have an active interest in the team or game.

But, get people interested and invested in Fantasy leagues, and they are now not only interested in one team – but EVERY team. Building this new network and game breaks down regional interest barriers, and gets individuals actively engaged in the game, regardless of how their local team plays.

It’s a money-making machine

The NFL already has some very powerful and successful businesses built upon it. Contacts with major networks for games bring direct revenue. Licensing deals with individual manufacturers and companies also secure ongoing money. Plus, expansion of cable and satellite options further expand the money-making potential.

As we discussed before, Fantasy leagues engage viewers in all games, rather than only one or two. So, watching the games on my local network isn’t enough if I want to be on top of my Fantasy league. Now, I need to subscribe to premium services on the television or internet to allow me to see how all games are progressing. Meaning – more people watching more football, equating to higher advertising dollars!

Plus, networks, leagues, and independent companies are shooting up like LA wildfires to put their own spin on a league with high prize values to the champion.

Great – Fantasy Sports are Genius – But what’s the point?

As I was writing this, I was thinking the same thing to myself. “Self, you’ve written a great item about football and fantasy sports. Now, how am I going to apply this  building business online?” For us, the key items to learn from this strategy are just under the surface.

Create a reason for increased engagement

We’d all love it if the entire world visited our site daily. But, unless we keep new reasons for someone to return, they won’t. Do everything in your power to keep fresh content daily. Plus, spread your website’s wings beyond your individual area of the world or business. Create an engaging game or “hunt” for tips, clues or items that force readers to dive more deeply into the content and the site. Perhaps you can create a contest where readers submit a content, questions, clues, etc. No matter what you offer, make sure you give a reason for people to keep coming back.

Get people invested

Let’s face it, not everyone is going to love what you had to say. But, most people love what they have to say. Actively find ways to give your readers a voice or opportunity to share what they have to offer. We all love talking about ourselves; let’s use that to our advantage. In the same way Fantasy sports make everyone a team owner and manager, we need to find ways to make everyone an author, publisher, expert, designer, etc.

Get people “marketing” for free

Recall the Monday morning conversations about who’s player did what on the field. Wouldn’t it be great if there could be watercooler discussions about what was going on in your world? Find a way to get people talking about what they found on your website. Perhaps you offer a weekly hunt for a typo, daily odd tip, or user-submitted joke. You could have your own little sect of followers who are looking to be the best at viewing your site.

Good Luck!