Out of the Fog Marketing

If you have a locally-targeted business and a limited budget, make sure you take advantage of free listings on Google Local and Yahoo Local.

Yellowpages.com also offers a free business listing.

Labels: free local business ads, local business listing, local business marketing. Google local, Yahoo local, Yellowpages

Given this is a tech marketing blog, I usually don't coverage topics outside of this arena. I have to make an exception for Kiva. Kiva is a non-profit that collects small zero-interest loans from individuals (usually $25) and lends the money to entrepreneurs in developing countries such as Cambodia, Ecuador, and Ukraine. When the individual you financed pays the loan back, you can choose to re-invest in another venture or withdraw your money.

Entrepreneurs in this country, especially women, are so lucky to have access to capital to start a venture. What a better way to change how people around the world think of the U.S. than helping a fledgling business owner and giving them financial independence.

Labels: kiva, microloans, social entrepreneurship

WSJ Covers Business Blogs

There is a good article in today's Wall Street Journal about the pros and cons of small business blogs.

An interesting point Sarah Needleman brings out is some businesses are abandoning traditional websites all together in place of a blog site.

Labels: business blogs, small business blogs, wall street journal blog article

How to Conduct a Great Media Interview

Public relations can be a powerful lead generation tool for many small to medium-sized Michigan businesses. A key part of PR is conducting efficient yet informative interviews with members of the media. Thanks to Jacquie Taylor the founder of onQ Consulting and the person who heads up Clarity Quest's Seattle office for putting this list together.

• If you're conducting an interview for a private company do not disclose revenue numbers unless there’s a internal agreement to do so and then sync up with CFO before disclosing to media. Don’t break the numbers down even if the interviewer asks - competitors will pick up and usually use against you.

• If you're speaking on behalf of a public compan refer only to info that is disclosed in financial statements.

• Remember, everything said can be used as a quote and reporters have the right to paraphrase.

• When talking about competition; take high road. Don’t go into comparisons of how you are better - focus on the value you bring to your customers/target market

• Put together key talking points before you meet with media and stick to it as much as possible.

• Anticipate key industry issues that the media may bring up and prepare comments ahead of time, if possible.
  
• Don't ask when the story will be published, unless you have an established rapport with the reporter.
  
• Return phone calls or emails from the editor or reporter very promptly, as he/she is usually on a tight deadline.
  

Labels: media interview tips, PR Michigan companies, public relations

Monitoring Discussion Board Chatter

If you want to see what folks are saying about your firm on discussion boards, check out Boardtracker. The site now tracks 53,516,217 threads in 38,408 Forums. You can also setup a free account that will email you alerts for terms you input.

Labels: boardtracker, message boards, monitoring chat rooms

Online Project Management & Collaboration

For the past 6 months, our firm has been using Basecamp by 37signals for project collaboration and file sharing. We absolutely love it for it's simple to use interface and project administration. For a very affordable monthly rate (they have plans from $24-$149 per month), you also get the added security of online backup of your files. You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time, making it especially attractive for professional services firms that have cyclical business.

Labels: marketing project management, online project management, project collaboration

Lawn vs. Grass Seed

How many times have you seen a tech company tout the features of their latest product ad nauseum? Design Tool 2008 has super fast, multi-faceted, interlocking, interfacing, doubleplexing capability?
Who cares! Technical economic buyers and influencers, especially in the U.S., want to know "What's in it for me and my IT department?" "How are you going to make me the star of my design team?"

So in your technical marketing collateral, be sure to include a list of product specs and features to be taken seriously, but first catch a potential buyer's attention with the of your product, not features.

As my wise friend and colleague Richard Duval always says "It's all about the lawn, not the grass seed you used to grow it!"

Labels: product benefits vs. features, technical marketing, technical marketing collateral