Archive for January, 2010

Photo: Justin Sullivan / Getty | Source: New York TimesSteve Jobs unveiled the much-anticipated iPad today, basically an iPhone on steroids. It's sleek. It's cool and it's not as expensive as some people expected. Woo hoo!

The early reviews from gadget-heads are mixed. Check out this review from Gadget Hound Ben Peterson. While the opinions of techno-prognosticators will matter to Apple and it's marketing efforts, for small business owners the most telling and important "quote of the day" (according to Time Magazine) comes from Apple's Steve Jobs, "It's phenomenal to hold the Internet in your hands."

So whether or not you run out to buy one of these hot new gadgets to run your business, the important takeaway from a marketing perspective is that now more than ever, you need an internet marketing strategy. Think of this device as a Yellow Pages for George Jetson. No more paper. The world will be at your customers' fingertips where ever they go and I expect that the iPad will spawn many competitors.

Need to find a reputable financial planner?  There's an app for that. Looking for advice on how to get approved for a loan?  There's an app for that. Need a plumber?  There's an app for that.

Yes, the digital information age has arrived and what you say about your company on your website matters now more than ever. It's about content. Your website can no longer be a pretty digital brochure with flattering pictures and descriptions of your product or service.  Frankly, no one cares about your product or service. They care about what it does for them or their business. For customer's to find you on the iPad, you'll need dynamic content that targets your niche market and explains what makes your business unique – and a social media strategy to get found – from a blog to Facebook, Twitter and more.

Apple knows this. This product will make people feel smarter, cooler and more productive.  It will entertain them and their friends.  

Are you and your business ready?  Do you have an app for that?

I gave a marketing workshop this morning to a group of small business owners and one of our topics was how to identify an "ideal customer." I asked the group to describe what they think is their ideal customer. "Well, they're kind of like me," Deanna Mueller of Fetch! Pet Care in Austin said.  "I mean, they like what I like, they think like me. They are kind of like a best friend." What a great perspective!

So, should a customer be your BFF — your " best friend forever?" Within the context of a business relationship, absolutely!  You want customers to know, like and trust you, right?  If you're delivering a great product and high quality service — if you're helping your customer succeed in their business, meet a need or solve a problem, it's natural that you'll connect with them on some sort of BFF level. If you're a man reading this, don't worry; I'm not talking about going shopping with your customers.  But if you are focusing on getting more ideal customers, it will help to think about them like a close friend. You know what makes them tick.  You have an honest conversation with them. You laugh. You cry. You send a kind note, share a new discovery or just listen to their problems. You even ignore some of their annoying character traits because you know they're not perfect — no one is.

In my last post, I encouraged you to take a client inventory to see who you might fire and to identify your ideal clients and "hire" more like them.  So go through that list again.  Look for potential BFFs and create a profile that describes them. List their type of business, their demographics and what they like and value. That's a target market you should grow. But don't stop there. A BFF relationship involves giving and receiving. Your BFF is very likely to tell others about you, so ask them to be a referral partner.

Give them talking points about your target market, your unique difference and any special offer you might have. Print up some customized promotional cards they can hand to their clients, or create a custom landing page on your website to which they can refer their customers. It should offer something of value — a free consultation or a discount that will make them look good too. It can say something like "As a valued customer, we're pleased to offer you this special program to help improve your business." 

If you don't have any BFF-like clients on your customer list, what can you change about the way you treat your customers to get some?