Yes, this is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but truly this is an area that has been neglected for too long. The digital connections can only take you so far. We all know that people like to do business with people they like, know and trust. But, how difficult is it to get a sense of someone in real life if you’ve never met them? Yes, digital connections are helpful and I’m a big believer in the power of LinkedIn, but, I have greater faith in the power of human interaction.

PS – Funny how it seems like those times when I really just don’t feel like smiling, being nice and social and force myself to get out amongst the living are the times when I have a truly pleasant and productive experience. So, go on – get out! It’s good for you and even better for your business.

Jimmy Dean & Rowlf

Well, I’m not quite sure how much Jimmy Dean* knows about marketing, but he had a pretty successful career as a country music artist, actor and then with his Jimmy Dean Sausage business. So, what does Jimmy Dean have to do with marketing? When I was doing research for our own marketing, I came across the following quote by Jimmy Dean:

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach
my destination.”

For some reason, this quote resonated with me. I think it’s because what we’ve been seeing lately are a lot of business people with their finger in the wind trying to determine what direction they should be heading. And every time they think they have it figured out – the direction of the wind changes. And, it’s probably not their imagination – it’s quite a challenge to stay on top of all the choices available to market your business. Here’s the way I see it…

1. Every business needs to do what’s right for them. What works for one company, may not work for another. And how you determine what works for you is always based on your available resources – which are always time, talent and money.
2. Be sure to provide value to your prospects and customers. How do you know what’s valuable to them? Just LISTEN. If you don’t someone else will. How do you listen? Your sales people are talking to your prospective customers every day. They’re your front line. Support them and they’ll produce results. Even better, speak directly to your customers – or we can do it for you. Your customers are much more likely to tell us that your baby is ugly – something that you need to know before they leave and go somewhere else where there’s a cuter baby.
3. Be nimble and review your analytics. Yes, the wind changes direction so you need to adjust your ‘sales’. If you went to a conference and didn’t see any spike in web traffic – maybe you don’t need to go next year. Sent an email with  very low click through rates? Try changing the subject lines or try a different offer. Review your analytics and make the changes you need fast so you can keep on track to get to the point you want to be.

Check out our Spring Analytics Audit Special.

* Fun fact. It was Jimmy Dean who introduced Jim Henson and the Muppets to the public on the  Jimmy Dean Show. Early on in Henson’s career, Dean was offered ownership of nearly forty percent of Muppets Inc., but turned it down, feeling he had no real right to what Henson was doing or had created. Dean stated in a 2004 interview that “I didn’t do anything to earn that. If I had done something to earn it I would have said, ‘Alright, fine.’ But I didn’t. A lot of people have said, ‘Well, I bet you’re sorry now.’ No, I am not. Because I couldn’t have lived with me. I’ve got to do things that let me live with me and shave my face in the morning.”

“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted;
the trouble is I don’t know which half.” - John Wanamaker

I think reviewing Web Analytics is exciting. I know, I’ve been told that I have a twisted sense of what’s exciting¹. But, to me, what can be better than seeing the results of a successful marketing campaign? Those spikes in web traffic are such a thrill!

But seriously, there’s so much more to web analytics than many people realize. Web analytics are defined^² as “the objective tracking, collection, measurement, reporting and analysis of quantitative Internet data to optimize websites and marketing initiatives.” So what’s the thrill? With a thorough understanding of your web analytics, John Wanamaker’s quote about wasting advertising money no longer rings true. When you are able to interpret your web analytics, you can clearly see what’s been working and what falls flat.

Do you find Web Analytics baffling?

How does this work? We’ve been looking at Web Analytics for a long time. So, we see a story in the numbers. And by using Google Analytics (which is a free application) you can get a sense of what’s happening with your company’s website traffic down to a very granular level. You can easily see the number of visitors that came to your site (each day), the percentage of those visitors who are unique, where they went, how they got to your site, how long they stayed, the list goes on. Yet, many people are overwhelmed by the data. But, you don’t have to be…we’d love to show you what to look for so you can see the story in the numbers, too.

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¹One of my favorite gifts from my husband is my Swiss Army Knife with a USB Flash Drive.

²By the Digital Analytics Association – www.digitalanalyticsassociation.org

Marion Meets Austin Craig
aka Orabrush Man

“Get out amongst the living.”

These are the words of advice that I often give my clients. “Good things happen when you get out from behind your desk and meet people.” And, that’s what we did when Deb and I  attended the NY Times/American Express Small Business Summit in NYC on June 25th. If you’re an entrepreneur and/or a small business owner and want to put your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the world of small business I highly recommend attending this event. So often, I go to an event and walk away saying to myself “well I could have taught that”. I’m not being arrogant, it’s just that…well, it’s true! Not the case here.

Aside from the general sessions, we attended the breakout sessions Demystifying Data, Becoming a Productivity Ninja, Evolve Your Brand, Making a Great Impression and Speed Networking. The trend that I observed was that all roads led to social media. Whether it was an effective use of Twitter to communicate (I see Twitter replacing email for some) or the ability of video to level the playing field (my favorite social media vehicle). The fact is that businesses are being driven to participate in the social media conversation – whether they want to or not.

Another message that was consistent throughout was the importance of meaningful content. There is so much noise out there that you better have something interesting, compelling or relevant to say. If you don’t – then it’s better to say nothing at all. If your customers are so excited about your product/service that they provide you with their own content – then you’re pretty damn lucky (search Warby Parker or Birchbox on YouTube). If not, well, you just have to be smart – and gutsy. See my all time fav – Orabrush the official trailer.

We learned a lot. Got affirmation for the work we are doing (or not) and for the recommendations we make. And I met Austin Craig, the Orabrush guy. That made me happy.

Focus…Focus…Focus

When you don’t focus, you try to be everything to everyone. Soon, you are being pulled in so many directions that you lose sight of your core competencies. This “multiple personality” factor clouds your message and you end up missing your mark.

The key to developing a targeted and effective marketing message is to identify what your audience believes is important when making a buying decision. Provide them with that important information. Even if there are other interesting facets of what you do, avoid information overload. You don’t want to lose sight of the forest for the trees!

Interesting… Here was a group of 45 people who wanted to “connect” on LinkedIn. What I’ve found in my years of experience,  is that there is no replacement for in-person human interaction. The fact that there were 45+ members in a room was an indication of the need and desire to connect. Let’s face it – everyone at the meeting had some sort of agenda and I don’t mean this in a negative way. There were people in transition, publishing books, looking for affirmation of an idea, launching a business, etc. If the members of the group had introduced themselves and honestly shared the reasons why they were there, then the exchange of information and networking would have occurred naturally. The members would have greatly benefited.  In this instance, the use of LinkedIn would be in support of the formation of the group, not the other way around. There truly is no replacement for human contact or IRL (in real life) communication.