What business owners can learn from President -elect Obama-Part Two

Campaign Tip#2:  Targeted Marketing

President-elect Barack Obama used sophisticated targeting techniques across 18 battleground states.  Not only did he capitalize off his grass roots experience and superb volunteer efforts, Obama also used the Internet in ways no other candidate has before.  He used Facebook, Twitter and other high tech methods to target one of his key audiences:  the young, college educated population.  Obama knew the key target audience he had to penetrate and he honed in on it with a laser like focus. He never deviated from that plan. That's the same type of focus you need as a business owner.  Know who you are trying to target and then figure out the best way to get your message across.  Having a clear cut marketing plan can make or break any business.

What small businesses can learn from Barack Obama

By now...the historic election of Barack Obama as the next President of the United States is old news. Television stations across the country have returned to their regular formats as the country braces for the next big story...The Inauguration.

In the meantime, however, the in-depth analysis of President-elect Obama's very successful campaign continues. How did a man who was virtually unknown as little as four years ago win the hearts of millions of Americans to become our Nation’s 44th President?

That’s a question that will be asked time and time again. The answers can provide valuable insight for small business owners...lessons that can pay off big. The proof was in the pudding and we all saw it happen on Election Day. Now, let’s see what it can do for you. For the the next several posts, I will point out three key Obama campaign strategies that can catapult your business to the next level. Now, let’s get started.

Lesson 1: Consistency: Throughout his two and a half years on the campaign trail...President-elect Obama stayed deliberate and consistent in his messaging. Two words he used over and over again were ‘hope’ and ‘change’. He never wavered from this message. Despite ridicule and opposition, Obama stayed on course. So much in fact, that Senator McCain also jumped on the ‘change’ bandwagon during the end of his campaign.

As a business owner, you too have to keep your master plan in the forefront of your mind. Be consistent, focused and repetitive. Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself, chances are you haven’t stated your message enough anyway. In sales calls, representatives have to repeat their core messages at least 7 times before it actually sinks in to the minds of their clients or customers. Consistency is key to getting your point across.

Stay tuned for Campaign Tip #2.

Trend=Newsworthy

One of the best ways to ensure that your business remains newsworthy is to watch for the latest trends. This is very simple to do. Turn on CNN, your local news, flip open the newspaper or turn on the radio…and keep your ears and eyes open. A trend is a following of some sort, an idea or habit that has suddenly become popular to the masses. For instance, as I watched my local NBC affiliate this morning, I tuned into a story on coupons. Yes…coupons. For the first time in almost 20 years, coupons are becoming popular again. It makes sense. In the midst of a recession, consumers have to be creative with ways to stretch their dollars. Coupons are the perfect solution.

Now, retailers are capitalizing off this popular trend by advertising DOUBLE and TRIPLE coupon specials. It’s working. Consumers are pouring in by the truckloads because they are lured into believing they are getting more by spending less. All this over COUPONS ! An old idea…that’s become NEW again and it’s turning into big bucks for business owners.

The same thing could happen to you. As a business owner…you have to remain ahead of the curve. You have to progressively pursue new ideas to grow your bottom line. Watching for the latest trends in the media is an easy an effective way to do this. You’ll raise the level of publicity of your business…by being newsworthy. And what’s even better…you’ll make some money doing it.

Become an Expert

One way to publicize your business, product or service for free is to toot your own horn. You know the expression, the squeaky wheel always gets the oil. Well, the same is true about speaking out about your business. There are many ways you can do this.

• Write an article on line. EZineArticles is just one example of this. Showcase what you know about your business, something that no one else knows better than you. What is the one thing you can bring to the table that sets you apart from the masses? That is your niche.
• Start a blog. It's free, it's easy and it's a great way way to get the word about what you do best. But be brief and straight to the point. Remember to offer useful information.
• Write for your local newspaper, journal or newsletter. The subject of the article shouldn't be about you or your business. It should be about an issue or topic that affects your customers or business owners like you. It has be informative and have mass appeal. At the end of the article, the editor will give you a chance to write a byline that will give you some free publicity.

The best thing about establishing yourself as an expert on a particular topic is that it gives you instant credibility. People will start to listen to you. Then, they'll start to believe in you. People will support something they believe in, don't you? Good luck !

Recession-Proof Your Business

At a time of soaring gas prices and unemployment rates, everyone is trying to figure out how to do more with less. In this weak economy, you have to learn how to stretch the almighty dollar. Business owners know the importance of this more than anyone else.

One of the biggest ways entrepreneurs can recession proof their business is by reserving their cash flow. Now more than ever, business owners must find a way to limit their expenses. This may mean making some serious decisions. One of the biggest things that that can be impacted during lean economic times is the marketing and advertising budgets.

By now, you should know my answer to this dilemma. Advertising costs are major expenses small businesses should not have to absorb. Not when there are countless ways for them to raise their level of publicity for FREE.

If you own a business, now is the time you should be creating your EVERGREEN list of newsworthy story ideas for the sole purpose of generating some free publicity.

As a business owner, you understand the financial pressures and challenges of your customers. So make sure you get that message across in your publicity campaign. Come up with a snazzy sale that is better than your competitors. Raffle off a free gas card or a coupon good at your customer’s favorite supermarket. Then, do what all smart business owners do. Put together a smart publicity campaign around that great idea (or hire someone to do it for you). Contact your local media outlets with your creative and newsworthy story ideas. When it comes to saving your customers a few bucks, you can never go wrong. Remember, the foundation of any newsworthy story is “What’s in it for them?”. If you can answer that question, you will be way ahead of your competition in recession-proofing your business.

Public Relations or Advertising? (The Four C's)

Why should you choose public relations over advertising? What are the differences between the two? Well, since I am former journalist I am going to give you a fair and balanced answer to that question. The good points and the bad points. I like to call them the Four C’s.

First let’s start with the Cons:
Consistency:
Because you, the entrepreneur, pays for the ad space on that local tv or radio station, or in the local magazine, you can choose to run that ad over and over again, for as long as you can afford it. You can dictate the level of consistency you want.
But in pr, you generally get one shot to showcase that ground opening of your business or big event in the local media outlets. That is why you have to make that one shot count.
Control:
Again, since you will be shelling out the money to pay for advertising space, you can have the creative control over your content. You can dictate what is said, how it’s said and how often it’s said. However in pr, that control generally shifts over to the media organization and how they choose to showcase your business, product, service or idea. But a skilled pr specialist can make sure your view is heard or seen.

Now, the Pros:
Cost:
You, the business owner, pays for the ad space, which can be VERY EXPENSIVE. That cost goes up each time you choose to run that ad. For small businesses, that can really put a dent in the budget. But there is no cost for pr. That's why people call it free publicity. You can do this through news conferences, press releases, or more effectively a pr specialist who knows the buzz words that can get you the media exposure you’re looking for.
Credibility:
In advertising, consumers know when they are being sold a product or service. Phrases like BUY THIS, ACT NOW, CALL NOW, lets consumers know when they are getting a sales pitch. And in their eyes, this means the message they are seeing or hearing is biased or skewed. When a business or product is featured on the news, consumers view it differently. They become believers. They feel if a news producer or editor takes the time to invest in the business they’re seeing or hearing, it MUST be special. Therefore, your credibility isn’t compromised.

I hope that information helps. The bottom line is if used correctly and by the right person, public relations can be a very effective tool in getting publicity. That is why a skilled pr specialist, with a nose for the news, is imperative. You need someone who knows how to create the publicity you want, the publicity that will have the media and consumers knocking down your doors.

The Power of the Media

Earlier this week, I was listening to my favorite talk radio station while I was driving in my car. The subject was the incredible power the media has on the ongoing race for the United States President. The guest speaker discussed how Republican nominee John McCain has gotten off relatively easily, while Democratic nominees Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton continue to battle it out the war of the words. No matter what side of the political fence you fall on, there is no denying that the media has had a great impact on the race. In just a matter of hours, the media can have the public loving you….even hating you.

That’s why it’s imperative that you and your business use the media to your advantage.

• Keep a list of newsworthy ideas about your product, service or idea handy at all times. Remember, follow a big current trend or tie in to a current event.
  
• Do your homework and respect journalists’ time. Make their job easy by including any and all details you think they may need to tell your story.
  
• Respect the timing of the news. Your newsworthy idea may not make the top of the six o'clock news. But it may be the perfect fit for a weekend feature.
  

Don’t under estimate the power of the media…your business will thank you!