Beyond Big Marketing» relationship Marketing

Writing good content for your website or blog is underrated…

Mark Cramer — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 14:41:49 +0000

… unless you are your customer, or Google.

Too many websites are written for the search engines and not for the reader. Google Panda, a new versioning of the world’s largest content aggregator is taking that into consideration when it is delivering it’s results.

The good news is that a well written website or blog stands out from the crowd and elevates your reputation in the eyes of your prospect.

Don’t worry so much about if you have a Facebook page or a Twitter account or how to reap the benefits of a social media until you develop a strategy of what you are going to say.

Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. - Mark Twain

Here are some simple questions to consider when writing online content:

Is this a good, useful article that people would want to share?
Should I give give credit where credit is due? (link out to thought leaders)
Is your communication concise?
Is it entertaining?

Google also is taking a closer look at quality of content. Fresh and interesting content is what your customers are looking for. It’s all about relevancy and good intent.

Google has implemented a new tool called the document-level classifier that makes it harder for spammy pages to rank high.

So write original content, make it interesting and if you don’t have the time or the skill to write things well, find somebody who does.

Unlike AOL, the rest of the Internet doesn’t have an unsend button.

Old School social media works wonders today.

Mark Cramer — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:18:06 +0000

Social media isn’t new, we’ve just forgotten just how effective it can be. Here’s an example my Wife shared with me.

Grandma’s Direct Mail Program

Throughout the 1960′s and into the 70′s, my dear grandparents owned and operated a resort on a small, quiet lake in northern Minnesota. Grandma and Grampa were thirty-six miles from the nearest town, and only came into town once a week to stock up on groceries and resort supplies such as fishing bait and licenses, pop and candy bars.

The name of their rustic establishment in the middle of nowhere was the Frontier Resort, and they kept seven cabins full of guests from mid-May until Labor Day weekend every summer for nearly twenty years. Surprisingly enough, nearly one third of their returning guests were from the Chicago area, 616 miles from the Frontier.

How did people eleven hours away find this quaint wilderness sanctuary where walleyes would practically jump into your boat, and sunfish were plentiful for the kids?

Here’s Grandma’s secret to success: handwritten responses to the leads she got from the local Chamber of Commerce.

Every week she would receive in the mail a list of possible guests – people who had contacted the Chamber of Commerce and had specified what they were looking for in a vacation stay near Bemidji. She would sit down immediately and qualify her leads with either a big X over the lead or numbering down the side of the page all of the potentially good prospects.

Then together we would stuff envelopes with her brochure and a short note – a personal invitation to visit the Frontier Resort on beautiful Balm Lake. She could have typed the addresses on the envelopes – they had a really fine Underwood and that would have looked pretty slick and professional. But with her perfect old school handwriting, she would carefully address the envelopes. And I’d lick and stick the stamps.

It was a different time. A time for good penmanship, personal notes and invitations. Her weekly direct mailings would be approximately twenty letters to people who had never been to her resort, but who had simply expressed an interest in her geographic region.

I would say that her response rate was incredibly high – she’d answer her phone with “Good afternoon. Frontier Resort.” always assuming that if her phone rang (on a party line, by the way!), somebody must want to make a reservation. She was usually correct in that assumption!

Marketing success is still measured by reservations booked, sales closed, leads converted, or profits maximized with expenses minimized. But Grandma’s success was based on her passion to make a resort vacation a personal, one-of-a-kind experience for her guests. She always made it a memorable one, starting with the initial contact, the invitation to the Frontier.

What’s your marketing passion? Contact Beyond Big Marketing and find out how to build your brand, one customer at a time.

(All photos ripped from Google images. Thanks!)

BBP launches a social media blog for Onsite Sanitation

Mark Cramer — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:46:52 +0000

We launched an events blog for one of our customers, On Site Sanitation.

Looking for Fun Stuff in Minnesota?

The blog is designed to reach out customers looking for special events in Minnesota. The strategy is to drive traffic to our customer’s customers site. we are excited to help our customers help their customers. The events portal for On Site Sanitation gives them a decided edge when it comes to helping differentiate their services from their competitors. Plus this optimized site will help Minnesota residents stay on top of events in their area. It’s a win, win!”

Are you looking for creative social media strategies that don’t cost an arm and a leg?

Why don’t you try Big Black Pencil?

What Beyond Big Marketing Learned From a Little Black Mouse

Mark Cramer — Thu, 06 May 2010 01:58:38 +0000

I went to the Disney Institute for a seminar and they had some exercises for group decision-making. Being part of a Chicago Marketing Agency we like to keep on top of strategies that make our partners more successful. It was all about inspiring creativity. It was all about capitalizing on the diversity and depth of your workforce. They believe that thinking in groups and treating all employees like equals in this process will help create a steady flow of ideas that provide innovative products, services and systems.
One example of group decision making involves creating a collaborative culture.

Two principals of creating a collaborative culture is:
1. Everyone is creative
2. Your Ideas are separate from your identity

Successful group decision-making includes these components

• Passion of the purpose
• Shared Values
• Communication
• Trust
• Variety of perspectives.

One technique is Blue Sky Brainstorming

• Pick a leader
• Choose someone to take notes – keep key points down to two or three words
• Eliminate boundaries
• Be positive – Every idea is worth considering
• Encourage thought building … Yes and …
• Leader solicits group consensus

This is one way to get the ball rolling. It involves the whole company. At bigblackpencil.com we like to brainstorm with our clients. Our relationship is more like a partnership. We all win when the best ideas are collaborative.

Another technique is “Pass the Paper” Brainstorming

This form of brainstorming maintains building ideas while allowing for more individual expression. Keep the groups small and make sure the team members come from varied backgrounds within the company.

First you identify an opportunity Like… How do we make our customers feel more comfortable when they… Log on to our Chicago website?

1. State a topic on a sheet of 8 1/2” x 11” paper. Pose a problem or an opportunity in the form of a question.
2. Grab a pad of post-it notes and add nine (3 x 3) in the paper on the sheet of paper
3. Pass the paper to a team member and have them review the suggestions and add three more then pass the paper to the next team member. Repeat.
4. Once everyone has added their thoughts, the team leader reviews the ideas and opens the suggestions for group consensus

These strategies for group-think are part of continuous improvement process. The benefits are, Company-wide participation and buy in, improved morale, mutual respect, and best of all better ideas.

Try these strategies within your own company, then contact us.

Lets brainstorm together!

3 reasons why more small companies may be leaning towards an Intranet solution

Mark Cramer — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:46:31 +0000

One of the nice things about owning a small business is you can respond quickly, effectively and personally. But as you grow, it is impossible for effective communication to be handled only in this manner.

Often an Intranet is a good solution to keep people connected. Your company’s information can be secured behind a firewall and access can be provided in a variety of levels of security.
Information distribution is a daunting task for companies with thousands of employees but now it is starting to make sense for smaller companies as well.
3 reasons why more companies may be leaning towards an Intranet solution
Communication suffers when dealing with more than one person

Unfiltered communications in informal company settings lead to confusion. If you add individuals who travel frequently or employees telecommuting communication is further diluted and misconstrued. An Intranet can enhance communication through message boards, instant messaging and moderated chats. Using these tools to collaborate before scheduled meetings allows for democratic contributions and more focused meetings.

A single source for relevant content saves time and money
There is no better way to distribute time-sensitive information, scheduling information, policies, benefits etc. A single source of information combined with a company knowledge base arms each employee with all of the tools they need to succeed.

Email has its limitations
Email is a horrible way to manage projects. Imagine your team is working on a single proposal and each of you has an individual task. The project manager emails the proposal out t each person on the team. Keeping track of the most current document would be much easier if the master was on the Intranet. Scheduling and deliverable responsibilities would also be more effectively managed. Remote contributors to projects and project leaders could also manage projects and people more effectively.

Bite the bullet and get started
It’s not that expensive. Some packages, such as Instant Intranet Builder, use Microsoft Access as the core database and can cost as little as $5 per month per user.
Before you set up an intranet, set goals. Understand how employees will use it and adhere to good design principles.
You need to designate someone who owns the content and you will need to train your employees on how to use it. Once your company’s Intranet is up and running, the ROI will be significant and it will be measurable. If you need help setting up your intranet, find a marketing agency that understands and is willing to help.

Komando, Kim (2008). Why your business needs an Intranet, Small companies can act quickly. Retrieved November 14, 2008, from http://www.microsoft.com Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/canada/smallbiz/issues/running/streamline/intranet.mspx

Copyright laws and your small business website

Mark Cramer — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:55:05 +0000

The Internet is largest threat to copyright since it began. The Internet, by design, shares information, much of it protected by copyright. Everything from news stories, software, novels, screenplays, graphics, and pictures can be copyrighted.
When you decide to create your own website or design a website for others, learn about the laws that you must abide by.

Three things to consider when evaluating the legality of content you post or provide access to are:
1.    Current copyright law
2.    Fair Use
3.    Public Domain
1. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act
On October 12, 1998, the U.S. Congress passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This act encompasses many forms of protection for Intellectual property, ranging from circumvention of anti-piracy measures to providing provisions to facilitate distance education. The link below will explain in more detail what the current copyright laws encompass.

http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/dmca1.htm

2. The Fair Use provision and the four factors to be considered in a fair use analysis were dramatically fleshed out in the 2 Live Crew case. Here, we look at the fair use provision and the four factors to be used in making a determination of fair use.
1.    The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
2.    The nature of the copyrighted work;
3.    The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole;
4.    The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work
The Public Domain is that repository of all works that for whatever reason are not protected by copyright. As such, they are free for all to use without permission. Works in the Public Domain include works with the following characteristics:
1.    Originally Non-copyrightable
These are items that by their very nature are not eligible for copyright protection. These items include: ideas, facts, titles, names, short phrases, and blank forms.

2. Lost Copyright
The public domain contains all works which previously had copyright protection, but which subsequently lost that protection due to pilot error. For example, all works published before January 1, 1978 that did not contain a valid copyright notice may be considered to be in the public domain.
2. Works Granted to Public Domain
Copyrightable works may also enter the public domain if the copyright owner grants the work to the public domain.

http://www.benedict.com/Info/Info.aspx

To ensure that your content does not infringe on copyright law, do it yourself!
The best ways to ensure that the content on your website is original is to: create the yourself, ask permission to use the content, cite the resource or purchase the rights to use the content.
Here are some sources I use to ensure that content for my websites are original:

http://www.godaddy.com/

If you are looking to create an original name for your website or company, type the desired name into the domain search feature, if the domain name is available, buy it. You now own the domain name and have rights to that domain on the Internet.

http://www.istockphoto.com/index.php

iStockphoto has all sorts of photos or images for as little as $1.00 a piece. Images can greatly enhance the professionalism and interest of your website.

http://tech.yahoo.com/qg/quick-guide-to-digital-cameras/digital_cameras

If you don’t already own a digital camera or your phone doesn’t have one, go here and pick a camera that is right for you. Create your own images. It’s fun, it’s creative and it is original.
If you do find content or images on other websites you can always link to that website. Go to

http://www.ehow.com/how_4443919_exchange-links-other-websites.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art to learn how to exchange links with other sites.

If you are still unsure how to create an original website, find a reputable marketing agency like Beyond Big Marketing in Chicago and you can be sure that your content is original, findable and marketable.

Listen to your customers It’s the only way to improve your business

Mark Cramer — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:52:33 +0000

You have to buy this book!!!!!

Beyond Big Marketing is a small business marketing agency in Chicago. We learn many of our marketing strategies from the very best . Today I learned something about Steve Krug, author of Don’t Make Me Think. I recently visited his web site and thought I had uncovered a usability issue in his web site. I wrote Steve an email to let him know my thoughts.

I really wasn’t expecting a response, but Steve wrote me back and I thought I’d share the email with you. The reason I am sharing isn’t just because his understanding of usability and how people search the web is legendary, It’s because he took the time to respond to me. People who listen to their customers, never stop learning.

First my email to Steve …

From: Mark Cramer
To: Steve Krug
Subject: Problem with your site

Steve,

You are my hero. I use your book to make me look smart. I was on your website today and I had to think too much.

Your Version

“So if you know someone who’s going to buy the book, please do me a favor and ask them to buy it by clicking here.”

My Version

“So if you know someone who’s going to buy the book, please do me a favor and ask them to buy it by clicking here.”

Regards,

Mark Cramer

bigblackpencil.com

From: Steve Krug
Subject: RE: Problem with your site
To: Mark Cramer

Mark…

Thanks for the kind words. I figure we can all use all the help we can get to look smart.

About your suggestion: You’re right, of course, and it’s something I never noticed. (Which is exactly why I’m so gung ho about user testing: we’re all too close to our own “stuff” to see the blemishes.)

But this particular flaw also falls in the category of Probably-a-kayak-problem: Even though it may cause a question mark to appear over some people’s heads, it’s hard to imagine that most of them won’t eventually figure out what it’s supposed to mean (click one of the buttons over on the right that say “Buy!”).

My first instinct was to rush in and change it, and in fact I was already in DreamWeaver when I realized it was a little more complicated than it seemed at first. The two paragraphs actually say
Thanks to Amazon’s Associate program, if you use the links on this page to buy my book, they pay me a small commission.

So if you know someone who’s going to buy the book, please do me a favor and ask them to buy it by clicking here.

[“here” actually meaning “on this page”.]

I was going to change the second sentence to read
So if you know someone who’s going to buy the book, please do me a favor and ask them to buy it by clicking _____.

Except I realized I wasn’t sure what _____ would be. “The links on this page”? It already says that in the previous sentence. “One of the buttons on the right”? Kind of awkward, and why did I call them links in the previous sentence and buttons now? Maybe the first sentence should talk about buttons.

And on and on.

So in my book at least, the math works out like this in the long run:

Probably not causing most people a lot of trouble
+ No good solution obvious to me
————————————————————-
Leave it alone and hope for the best

It may not be the right choice, but at least you can see where I’m coming from.

Thanks again, though. It’s always interesting.

Steve

10 ways to improve your small business marketing plan for 2008

Mark Cramer — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:35:20 +0000

Chicago is a competitive market for small and medium size businesses. Selecting the right sized marketing agency that understands your business can give you an advantage over your competitors. Here are 10 marketing tips guaranteed to make this year’s marketing plan a success.

Create a marketing budget that you can afford. If you’re only allowing a small budget to advertising, you wouldn’t want to put in all in one media basket.
Talk and listen to your customers Offer them incentives to repeat or increase their purchases.
Review what your competitors are doing. This is important for determining what type of advertising is best for you.
Make your Marketing plan scalable to leverage immediate results and long term goals.
Use local resources. Local shopping web sites , free local TV guides, newsletters, community papers. These are targeted toward a specific audience with relatively low ad rates.
Know who your customer is. If you are a retirement home, maybe online marketing isn’t the best place to spend your money.
Negotiate with vendors. Insist on reduced introductory rates or special rates for larger reach or frequency.
Pick a full-service marketing agency that is local and has an interest in your long-term success
Set up a blog to communicate with your customers. It is an inexpensive way to gain new customers and stay in touch with current customers.
Keep your messaging consistent. If you have a web site, print ads and a direct mail campaign, keep them consistent. Use an integrated marketing agency that understands your brand

Beyond Big Marketing is interested in your business. Tell us your concerns and we will offer recommendations to help your small business succeed. We will even answer your first marketing question for FREE.

3 ways to reach out to your customers to get repeat business

Mark Cramer — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:22:34 +0000

Speed up sales when your small business sales are slow. Make your Chicago-based small business more profitable by communicating with your past customers. Turn to the customers that trust you most. Here are 3 easy ways.

Create special offers or incentives for bulk or repeat purchases for past customers only in a letter or post card.
Pick up a phone or send an email to your best customers and thank them for their business.
Contact Beyond Big Marketing to find out how to bring your customers back.

Your customers haven’t stopped needing what you sell, they just need a reason to come back.

For more marketing tips, visit the blog. The advice is priceless.

This holiday, drive more customers to your website!

Mark Cramer — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:25:40 +0000

Some small businesses have a slow period during the holidays and I don’t understand why.

Spending online from November 1 through December 12, 2006 reached $17.56 billion, up from $14.13 billion 2005.

That means that online traffic is high and customers are in a buying position. It’s a perfect time to invest in an online strategic marketing campaign.

This is the perfect time to implement a sponsored search program to attract customers who are already searching for what you sell. Yahoo Search Marketing and Google Ad words are two great services that can drive qualified traffic to your website.
The beauty of these services is that they are:

• Affordable

• Measurable

• Flexible

• Sustainable

Invest $500 into Yahoo Search Marketing or Google Ad words this holiday season. You will see increased traffic to your web site. You should see increased phone leads and if you are a brick and mortar store, you should see more traffic to your store.

To find out more, contact bigblackpencil.com and get one FREE hour of consulting on your Chicago small business.