Content marketing is a tactic any small business owner can use to promote their business.

Why invest time with content marketing?

Three reasons:

• Web searches: local, social, and mobile searches are increasingly used to find goods and services
• Content that delivers value is a great opportunity to demonstrate competency and showcase how you differ from competitors
• Custom content builds your brand

Example: Real Estate Agent

A real estate agent’s job is more than selling a house—they have to sell the entire package surrounding the house, too: neighborhood, schools, job prospects, investment possibilities, etc. There are fair housing rules to ensure licensed Realtors do not discriminate or comment negatively on, say, a particular neighborhood or street. Within this context a Realtor must sell the buyer on the positive aspects of any particular house or street.

A Realtor could create the following custom content for marketing purposes (assuming s/he stayed within the boundaries of their license):

• Monthly email newsletter highlighting positive trends, area news, or niche-specific expertise (e.g. historic home restoration and sales)
• Video clips that educate prospects on “things to look for when evaluating a home”
• Audio series that discusses area history
• Postcard series that offers bite-sized landscaping, remodeling, or other tips
• QR codes: one Realtor I work with creates QR codes which direct to custom webpages for each of his luxury homes. These codes are distributed on all his web and print content.

Notice that these suggestions are all different media: written, visual, aural, and hard-copy print.

Preferred Content Attributes

Excellent content marketing shares these specific qualities, regardless of output medium:

• Delivers value to your audience—educational aspects are particularly desirable
• Showcases your expertise in a broader, real world context
• Demonstrates how your expertise is relevant to your prospects…but without being “all about me”.

Here’s my quick, recommended content philosophy. If you’re a small business owner sign up for email tips about using content marketing to your advantage.

Uh, oh: Everyone is a Publisher

The paradox: marketing your business online is cheap and effective. But, it is time consuming. The effort involved is a commitment many overworked, independent business owners cannot afford. I can relate! There are too many other things to do to keep the lights on—particularly if your business is so “micro” that you’re the entire marketing department!

Marketing Content Produced by a Typical Small Business

Content marketing is “simply” using content to educate your target audience about your products, services, events, or industry. The content itself can be in any format (text, images, audio, video). Ideally, when the content is strategically deployed online it encourages participation with your target audience/customers.

That’s a lot different than the marketing world where simply announcing a price cut would bring folks inside!

Let’s look at the marketing content required for a small business to wiggle into hearts and minds online (the cheapest and most targeted path to your customers):

• Website content
• Email marketing
• Business blog content/article marketing
• Facebook updates
• Twitter tweets
• Online ads
• …and so on!

Easy? No! Time consuming? Yes!

Did I forget to mention that each of these disparate bits of content must be coordinated toward an overarching marketing message, too?

It’s no wonder that many business owners throw up their hands. Yes, marketing is vital—but add these to a long list of other vital tasks!

It’s Exhausting

Not surprisingly, most independent business owners are so busy they either neglect these marketing needs altogether or hand things off and hope for the best.

Can’t Afford to Hire Someone?

Custom content can be expensive. If your budget (or dogged DIY-independence!) means that you’re the entire marketing team, here are some tips:

Choose wisely.

Invest in the avenues that yield the best results. My husband and I tried producing a variety of content to market our micro-grocery. We experimented and selected a core set of channels, such as Facebook. Then, we automated the process with a regular content production schedule.

Create an editorial calendar.

Planning a calendar ensures that you produce web content frequently enough that it reaches your target customers.

For example, we send a weekly blog post that doubles as an email newsletter for George Bowers Grocery. It is produced on Tuesday for distribution Wednesday. The format and delivery schedule remains consistent although the content itself changes.

Don’t give up.

Content marketing takes time. You’ll need to amass a certain quantity of relevant content, and publish regularly to effectively communicate with your prospective customers. Small business owners should map out a year-long plan and track results as they go.

A solid content marketing plan can effectively expand a local business’s reach and brand awareness.

Friend or foe? No, the question is: friend or business page when it comes to Facebook.

In the rush to “get on Facebook” many have made a common mistake. The mistake is setting a personal profile but using it for a business. Are you “friends” with a business? Tsk, tsk. That small business set it up wrong. No worries, though: it’s an easy fix. Here’s the “how” and “why”:

Disadvantages for a Business using a Personal Profile

• It’s against Facebook policy
• You have “it’s complicated” as your relationship status
• You get annoying invitations for Farmville or other games
• You look unprofessional!

Advantages of a Business Page on Facebook

• You look professional
• You can use more diverse apps
• You can block time-sinks, such as game requests
• You can reference other businesses on your wall
• Other businesses can showcase you on their business page
• You’ll have more fans (“likes”) because you won’t be asking for access to customers’ private info that Facebook “friends” can share, such as religious or political leaning

How Can I Fix My Profile?

• Create a personal profile, if you don’t already have one. Simply go to Facebook.com and sign up.
• Create a Facebook business page. Go to any existing business you “like” and scroll to the bottom left. Click “create page”. Here’s local Staunton Parks & Rec‘s page, for example. When you create the page you’ll automatically be the business page admin.
• Tell your friends. Send a note to to your Facebook friends telling them you’ll be deleting your friend profile in favor of a business profile. Ask that they “like” your business profile by sending a direct link.
• Delete your old profile. Navigate to “delete profile”. You’ll still be able to use your legitimate personal profile. That’s the profile that is your business page’s new administrator.
• When you reach 25 fans (“likes”)… you can set a permanent address. Go to www.facebook.com/username – but be warned! You can only set this ONCE.

Here are tools and strategies to maximize your business page once you have it set up properly.

Reminder: you can follow this blog and other updates on Facebook. Virginia-based artisans can sign up for the Facebook marketing class I’m teaching this Spring, too!

Hey, Rich Women!

Thanks for dropping in. I’m pleased to be the latest woman profiled on Kim Kiyosaki‘s site “Rich Woman“. (Thanks, Sara Korn!)

If you are curious about real estate, you can see my Victorian restoration project for sale here.

Questions? Happy to discuss my content marketing and commercial writing business (this website). Or, if you want to discuss the challenges and joy of running a business with your life partner, I’m happy to do that, too. As the profile mentions, my husband and I jointly own and operate George Bowers Grocery, an independent specialty grocery based in Staunton, Virginia.

Thanks for stopping by – hope to hear from you about your creative projects, too.

Sincerely,

Katie
@KatieMcCaskey

Radio isn't dead

Solution:
A series of connected radio spots to air early 2010

Client:
Local micro-finance lending agency
—
Script 1: Stream of Consciousness
target: new entrepreneurs
:60 seconds

SFX: SMALL CITY SOUNDS: TRAFFIC, PEDESTRIANS, CONVERSATION, BIRDS, etc. UP & UNDER (:03 seconds)

ANNCR:    Have these thoughts crossed your mind?

MALE 1: No one works harder than me. Why not strike out on my own? It’s time. I have the knowledge. I could—

FEMALE 1: —be my own boss. Why wait for someone else to give me an opportunity? Life is about creating—

OLDER FEMALE: —new opportunities. I had a satisfying career. Now that I’m retired, I’d really like to focus on my dream, which is to open—

OLDER MALE: —a new business. It’s been tough looking for a job. Seems like the perfect time to take control of my future and start a business.

ANNCR: Did you know that some of most successful businesses in the United States were started during a recession?

ANNCR: Did you know the Staunton Creative Community Fund is seeking motivated, dedicated entrepreneurs? You may be eligible for up to $34,000 in loan money to start your own business.

ANNCR: Isn’t it time to be your own boss? Call XXX-XXXX or go to XXXXXXX.com for more information.

SFX: SMALL CITY SOUNDS: TRAFFIC, PEDESTRIANS, CONVERSATION, BIRDS, etc. UP & OUT (:03 seconds)

###

I’ll say, emphatically, that I love the book Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel.

The premise of the book is neatly summed up in the secondary title: “Everyone is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone.”

(Perfect example: to the right you’ll see Chris Penn of the Financial Aid Podcast, who is profiled in Six Pixels of Separation. I met Chris while at the financial start-up, Geezeo.com.)  

Six Pixels of Separation is an important book for anyone starting or running a business today. In particular, Six Pixels of Separation should be read by people who do not come from a digital media or marketing background. Why? Well, the book summarizes a variety of practical tools for digital marketing and branding. It also explores current technological trends and how they may impact small business in the near future. The entire book is easy-to-understand and sure to be thought-provoking.

Those who work in digital media and social marketing take these principals for granted. Yet, they are still remarkably new to the general public and many small business owners. My experience talking to other local entrepreneurs here in Staunton (a rural city in Virginia, for anyone unfamiliar) is that some, but very few, are using these tools.

When my husband and I started our corner grocery store last year we immediately embarked on a digitally-based, targeted marketing campaign. Nothing fancy: an email invitation to the store’s opening, a website, and a Facebook presence. This was met with great enthusiasm. We quickly met the handful of other small businesses in town using social media (e.g. Pufferbellies Toys & Books) and enjoy exchanging tips.

Not surprisingly, we also received perplexed, downright indignation from some corners of local traditional media advertising. (What do you mean you don’t want to paper the town with fliers? Why don’t you want to spend money on the radio or Little League jackets?)

It wasn’t that we felt we were better than these outlets. We just knew we were on a strict budget. Like anyone else, we wanted to reach our target audience as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Personally-speaking I was really impressed with Joel’s chapter regarding online reputation. I think it’s interesting to observe what some might call the “over-share shift”. How is it defined, and how is your reputation (as business or individual) managed?

Based on our experience marketing the grocery exclusively via social media, I believe Six Pixels of Separation should be required reading for anyone starting and marketing a business.

I’ve just finished In Cheap We Trust by Lauren Weber.

It’s a fascinating look at what most of us have probably felt at one time or another: a vexing pull between the extremes of thrift and consumer consumption.

It is particularly compelling as frugality and so-called “Recession Chic” are edging into the mainstream again. The book discusses why some groups are maligned as “cheap” and how the term itself has evolved.

I read it with an eye towards what the concept of “cheap” means for our small business (a “Mom-and-Pop” neighborhood grocery) and other independent retailers.

Our grocery store will celebrate its 1st year next month. We’ll make that milestone thanks to some decisions that directly relate to the concept of “cheap”. We made some of these decisions intuitively and some after great thought and focus.

For example, we realized early on that we couldn’t compete with grocery chains on price. We couldn’t “race to the bottom” with discounts. You simply cannot compete with volume and deep pockets of big box stores.

Nor did we want to attract the kinds of customers who were loyal only to price.

So, we don’t compete on price. We compete on value.

We define “value” a few ways. Service is paramount. Our store is modeled on one that existed in 1881. We strive to recreate a vital hub in the community and an experience. We know our core customers by name and know their dietary preferences. People come for the conversation. In modern life where do you find that kind of service?

Could we use improvement? Of course.

We are aggressively moving our product assortment to specialty food items unavailable elsewhere in the local market. These are premium food products with premium prices. But, unlike a hectic trip to a mega-retailer our customers are paying for quality food and value in the form of service and experience. For many, they are also paying for the walkable convenience.

I would caution other small retailers from trying to “compete with cheap”. It is a losing battle for two reasons. First, you’re competing with bigger companies with greater sales volume. Secondly, you compete against yourself. What does your customer do when you tell them you’ve stopped your special buy-one-get-one-free promotion? If they are price-only shoppers you’ll never see them again.

After reading In Cheap We Trust I felt really satisfied with our rule that nothing in our grocery is ever “on sale”. It’s not because I’m uninterested in getting a “bargain” (who isn’t trained to think this way?). Rather, it is because I agree with Weber’s words in the conclusion when she asks, “what kind of customer do I want to be?”

Personally, I’d like to be one who chooses to spend carefully, and with the greatest positive benefit to my community and world.

Building Small Business Brand Through Blogging

Learn how to communicate effectively and build brand awareness through blogging. We’ll discuss the strategic use of a blog to enhance your online reputation and act as a lead generation tool for your small business.

NOTE: This class is extremely limited due to the personal and direct attention given to all participants.

This class assumes you already have a blog. If you do not yet have a blog, sign up for a free blog at Blogger prior to the class.

You will learn:

• What to write
• How frequently to write
• How to manage comments, spam, and link-baiting
• How to know when your brand is mentioned elsewhere online
• Second-party tools to make blogging faster and easier
• How to outsource blogging responsibilities to a professional blog management company
• How to subscribe to, and monitor, competitors’ blogs

Class is two hours long.

Price: $200
Location: 9 South Augusta Street, Staunton at the Staunton Creative Community Fund offices
Next Session: Saturday, October 10th

Reserve your space now by paying online via debit or credit card.

You may also pay at the door if enrollment space allows.
For more info: 540-466-4141

Online Brand Management for Small Business

“Your brand is not what you say it is; your brand is what Google says it is.” — so why do so few small businesses manage their online reputation with the same zeal as their brick-and-mortar reputation?

Learn the basics about how a brand is built online through SEO (search engine optimization) and NSO (natural search optimization). We’ll work together to create an online brand-building and/or  brand-management plan for your small business.

NOTE: This class is extremely limited due to the personal and direct attention given to all participants.

WEEK 1
We’ll discuss what affects your brand online. This will include the basic principals of SEO and NSO. We’ll discuss where you’re “located” online and what this conveys about you to an unknown prospect. You’ll leave with a homework assignment.

WEEK 2
We’ll review your homework assignment and begin to outline an online brand-building or brand-management strategy. We’ll discuss practicalities as well as pitfalls. We will also discuss the value of interacting with customers or clients online. I will also show you tools to use to track your online reputation so you can respond immediately. You will have another homework assignment.

WEEK 3
We’ll review your Week 2 homework assignment. Each participant will brainstorm additional methods to increase brand awareness. You’ll be introduced to online tools used to measure and track effectiveness of your efforts.

WEEK 4
We’ll review all the online brand-building and brand-management tools discussed in class. Each participant will leave with access to a collection of tools to continue their online brand management efforts.

Each class is one hour.

Price: $200
Location: 9 South Augusta Street, Staunton at the Staunton Creative Community Fund offices
Next Session: Monday, October 5th

Reserve your space now by paying online via debit or credit card.

You may also pay at the door if enrollment space allows.
For more info: 540-466-4141

Introduction to Facebook for Business Use

Today, there are more grandparents on Facebook than teenagers. This broad demographic shift reveals the ever-growing trend of connectivity between all of us. Is your small business capturing this trend?

This hands-on class will showcase specific steps you should take to harness Facebook for promoting and marketing your small business. I’ll use our small business, George Bowers Grocery, as a case-study for interacting directly with our most dedicated core customers.

You will learn:

• How to set up a Facebook business profile and its benefits
• When and how to update your business page
• How to send updates to your fans
• How to feature your page on related business pages
• How to connect your business blog to your Facebook business page

Each participant will leave with a detailed to-do list as well as recommended apps to extend the productivity of your business’s Facebook page.

NOTE: This class is extremely limited due to the personal and direct attention given to all participants.

This class is two hours.

Price: $175
Location: 9 South Augusta Street, Staunton at the Staunton Creative Community Fund offices
Next Session: Saturday, October 17th

Reserve your space now by paying online via debit or credit card.

You may also pay at the door if enrollment space allows.
For more info: 540-466-4141