2011 Marketing Trends in a Nutshell

Do you have a small business? Are you interested in the marketing trends for 2011? This article by Susan Gunelius at Entrepreneur.com
via Reuters.com sums up what you need to know perfectly.

As the global economy struggles to correct itself, and social-media marketing becomes a strategic imperative, small businesses will have exciting opportunities to expand in new directions this year.

The need for trust, value and brand transparency, among other trends from last year, are just as important today. But the current shift to geotargeting, mobile marketing and online reputation management require that small businesses modify their plans to surpass competitors.

Here are 10 marketing trends that small businesses should incorporate now to be positioned for success from the start.

1.Building reliable brand advocates. The idea that you need tens of thousands of Twitter followers, blog subscribers, LinkedIn connections and Facebook friends to build your business via social media is dead. Quality connections with those who are loyal to the business and the brand are far more helpful to spread your message than large groups of connections who disappear after the first interaction.

2.Excelling in one area rather than being all things to all people. This will be a year for small businesses to focus on their unique niches and position themselves as the definitive source for information, products and services related to the specific places in the markets where they operate.

3.Creating quality content as a viable marketing tool. Social media marketing and content marketing go hand-in-hand, and this is the year businesses will create useful content that adds value to the online conversation and to people's lives. The Web is a cluttered place. Amazing content is essential to break through the noise.

4.Moving more marketing dollars to social media. Statistics show that large and small companies are shifting budget dollars to social media and other digital marketing initiatives and away from print and radio advertising. Consumers spend more time online than ever and to reach them and stay competitive, small businesses need to have a presence on the social Web.

5.Tracking brand reputations on the social Web in greater detail. Social media has given consumers a large platform to voice their opinions, and small-business owners are realizing the importance of actively monitoring their reputation on the Web. With dashboards and social media aggregators like Hootsuite and Spredfast, it's easier than ever for small businesses to develop, nurture and track their stature online.

6.Increase in branded online experiences to meet diverse consumer needs. Simply having a Twitter account or Facebook page isn't enough this year. Small businesses must surround consumers with branded online destinations such as a blog, LinkedIn profile, YouTube channel, Flickr profile and so on. Consumers can then pick and choose how they want to interact with your brand. Of course, quality trumps quantity, so extending a brand across the social Web must be done strategically to maximize opportunities without compromising content and communications.

7.Pursuing mobile marketing. There is absolutely no doubt this is the year of mobile marketing. While still in its infancy, it is the marketing imperative of the future. With mobile advertising, branded mobile apps and mobile marketing apps like Foursquare, consumers will expect businesses to have a mobile presence in 2011.

8.Geotargeting and localized marketing will become a top priority. Local discount websites like Groupon and local review sites like Yelp make it easy for consumers to find deals and reviews about businesses in their neighborhoods and beyond. Creating targeted, local marketing campaigns using these popular tools will become the norm this year.

9.Accepting that silo marketing is ineffective. Offline, online and mobile marketing initiatives create an opportunity to lead consumers from one message to another by integrating those strategies. You can drive a significantly higher return on investment by cross-promoting branded online destinations, discounts, contests and events.

10.Co-marketing to boost returns and lower marketing costs. The economy is still struggling, which means small businesses can benefit from economies of scale by partnering with complementary businesses to develop co-marketing programs in 2011. Promotional partnerships not only lead to reduced costs but also can lead to increased exposure to new audiences.

This year, all businesses will be experimenting with a variety of online, localized and mobile marketing initiatives. Remember, even if you're not leveraging marketing trends and opportunities, your competitors are.

Are You "We-ezing"? Try "You-sing" Instead

It's a simple yet difficult mindset to attain, but it's a critical element of successful and relevant marketing strategies: think and act from the customer's point of view.

As tough as it might be to accept, the truth is, the buyer of your product or service and/or the supporter of your organization is only going to be moved into the desired action (i.e. buy something, give money or time) if there is something in it for them. What is that 'something'? It should be the crux of your marketing message.

Take a look at your marketing collateral, your organization's language and policies, your website--if you're referring to 'we', 'our' or 'our company name' more than you are framing your information from a customer's point of view, you're 'we-ezing'. Try 'you-sing' by talking about the benefits an individual receives by being involved in your organization--the ones that matter to them...not you.

People regularly ask questions about the Chamber. "What is it? What does it do?" Recently we updated the wnswers to those questions and have adopted the following "Elevator Speech" that describes the Chamber to a tee!

" The Adrian Area Chamber is a living breathing social network that enables members to create personal and professional relationships. It is a resource for information and learning, a collaborative partner and a venue for interpersonal interaction. Members are often only one degree of separation, one phone call or one introduction away from many of the people they want to meet - potenetial customers and vendors, community, political and business leaders."

If you don't have an effective, descriptive "Elevator Speech", start working on one today. It's one of your best marketing tools.

Ann Hughes
President & CEO
Adrian Area Chamber of Commerce
www.adrianareachamber.com

Keeping your customers happy

I recently came across an article that focused on things that we can all do to keep our members, clients and customers happy and returning to our businesses and organizations. It was in the October edition of the Chamber's Business Intelligence Report which also has articles on local sourcing for small businesses, crowd funding and what the increasing number of multi-generational households means for businesses in terms of supply, packaging and marketing.

Do you know that there are better times to post on FaceBook than others? The author of this piece says that Friday posts result in more engagements than any other day and are followed by Tuesday and Wednesday. The lowest rates of response follow Saturday and Sunday posts,

The publication also includes a short article which insists that customers really do pay more for exceptional service and do so willingly! Research shows they will pay up to 10% more for service that exceeds their expectations. Keep that in mind as you deal with customers and train employees on how to work with customers as well.

To request a copy of the October Business Intelligence Report, call the Chamber at 265-2320, Members receive an e-mail edition each month.

Ann Hughes, President and CEO

Adrian Area Chamber of Commerce

517-265-2320

www.adrianareachamber.com

Regenerate Tech Conference & EXPO

Technology can make your operation more efficient, maximize the efforts of yourself and your employees, reduce costs and make dealing with your clients and customers simpler! Learn how this Saturday, Ocotber 16th at ReGenerate - Business & Tech onference & EXPO. Logon to www.regentechexpo.com to learn all the details.

regeneragte

Regenerate Business and Technology Conference and EXPO is a result of a collaboration between the Chamber, LISD Tech and JCC @ LISD TECH. It will take place at the TECH Center on Saturday, October 16th. It is a business-to business event that will feature lectures, workshops, and opportunities to engage vendors who have the ability to address participants' technology needs.

Available at the event will be management and small bu...siness consultants to speak with business owners about their needs and concerns. The Business Resource Center will be free and open to all attendees. We than Sounth Central Michigan Works for sponsoring this portion of Regenerate!

Guest speakers, Pat Farver, President and CEO, Blissfield Manufacturing Company and Oded Gur-Arie, Ph.D. will offer keynote addresses at this inaugural event developed by the Chamber, LISD TECH and JCC @ LISD TECH. They will be addressing new environmental technologies being developed at Blissfield Manufacturing and fostering entrepreneurial initiatives and creating jobs in today’s economic environment, respectiveoly.

Additionally, the LISD TECH Center will have their technology programs/labs open for viewing and local auto dealers will be on hand with displays of the latest in vehicular tecnologies.

Cost to attend is $20 per person and businesses are encouraged to purchase advance tickets for employees. Vendors will be supplying prizes and attendees will be able to select which prize(s) they would like to have a chance to win! Brochures will be available by September 8th and will be online by that date as well. Call the Chamber at 265-2320 for more details.

A recent post from the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center recommends joining your local chamber of commerce in order to find support during the current challenging economic times. They go on to point out that working along side the MI-SBTDC, the local chambers are a great resource to small business owners, providing advocacy, networking and marketing opportunities.

By becoming a member you will be able to participate in activities such as expos, golf outings, educational sessions and special events while networking with other professionals and business owners. Through this established network, business owners have the opportunity to make connections with others who could be their future clients and customers or who cold generate referrals for their business.

Chamber membership affords you many marketing avenues - website links, membership directories, sponsorships, social media outlets and affordable advertising opportunities are available to you as a chamber member.

Membership makes a statement about you and your business. It says that you have chosen to be an active participant in your business community. Your membership investment is actually an investment in the economic development of the community. For information about membership in the Adrian Area Chamber of Commerce, contact Phil Hughes at 265-2320.


Ann Hughes
President & CEO
annhughes@adrianareachamber.com
www.adrianareachamber.com