Whether you have an existing online business or a traditional storefront with an online presence, you will likely find yourself in situations in the real world where you’ll discuss your online business with people in the real world. Off line, that is. How do you take advantage of those situations?

There are a variety of ways to take advantage of off line promotions. One of the most powerful and effective ways is to simply put your web address on your business cards. People do read those and they keep them for future reference.

But I’d consider the business card a starting place, not a stopping place.

You’ll also want to utilize other ways of self promotion. You can use car magnets, which usually work while driving around town (and if you do a lot of driving a car magnet can increase your visibility tremendously), T-shirts, pens and pencils, banners at trade shows and such, and even billboards. If you have the budget for it, you might even try T and radio advertising.

The idea is to use off line methods of promotion to drive traffic to your website. This is perhaps the best way to get new traffic to a new local website since you are active in your community and doing business with local people. Become a master of off line promotion and you’ll see your online business survive and thrive.

Things are starting to happen. President Obama’s stimulus package is now in place, and people are just plain tired of being miserable. Besides, it’s spring. We’ve endured the winter, the economic kick in the gut, the financial fall out–but life goes on. Some people are fortunate enough to get new jobs, and even the real estate market showed a small sign of life last month. If you’re a small business and you’ve been limping along, it’s time to make some plans.

Eveyone has had to tighten the reigns, and even though it’s going to be a slow comeback, it’s time to think about the future. We had to nix those three and five year goals we made back in 2007, 2008 because it’s a “new economy.” But that doesn’t mean that you can’t regroup and make more realistic plans.

Stage Your Comeback by Asking These Questions:

What have we learned?
What are we really good at?
What’s the meat and potatoes of our business?
What areas can we specialize in?
How can we protect our business financially?
How can we best care for our employees and meet our financial goals?
What online and traditional marketing techniques have worked in the “new economy,” and what has proved less useful?
Who are we networking with–and who should be we networking with?
Are we using our tools (website, blog, e-newsletter) to build an online presence?
How can we incorporate “green” practices in your business and personal life?

Everyone’s office is leaner. Perhaps you moved your small business home, or had to cut your staff. Perhaps you sold off some of your product line or tailored your services to meet the market. Maybe you’re now offering maintenance to your customers more than you’e selling them new products. That’s okay. Now you know–what works and what doesn’t.

Begin to stage your comeback. Most likely, it’ll be a bit more conservative than those goals you made back in 2007/2008, but we’re different now. We’re all grateful to work, grateful to have a business, and we’re adjusting.

Your small business could make a difference–in your community, your online community, with your loyal customers who have stood by you. As you move forward–know that as our country rebuilds, you’re part of the new foundation.

“Do you really want everyone to like you?” That’s what I told my teenagers when they were feeling the need to cave into peer pressure. Sometimes trying to fit in costs you your true identity. It’s the same for small businesses. Sometimes we try to cover too much territory. Our true power lies in what we’re good at. You’ve earned the right to call yourself an expert–by hard work, dedication, and doing one thing well.

If you haven’t honed in on your area of expertise, ask yourself:

What makes my company unique?
If I had to only do one thing, sell one item, what would it be?
If I had to let go of one line of service or product, what would it be?
What do I do/sell that no one else does? (Or very few)
What services do I offer that fills a real need or void?
If someone introduced me/my company at a party, what would they say?
What other business is the most like mine?
Does my website really state your expertise?
Do my keywords reflect my products or services accurately–or are they only close but not spot on?
What segment of the market have I not quite tapped into yet?
What do I enjoy doing the most? What’s easy for me?

Once you answer a few of these questions, then make sure you input these changes into your online marketing, local marketing, and traditional marketing plans. What good does it do to specialize and then not let people know what you’re good at!

Ways to promote your expertise:

Do a news release (also known as a press release)
Start a separate website that focuses on your expertise–and list is as a separate page on your main site. Besure to list your new site on the various directories. Go to OpenDirectory.com and register your site. Now that you’ve learned a thing or two about websites and SEO strategies, implement your knowledge.
Begin to blog about your expertise–what you have to offer, how you got to be good at this one area, and focus on how you can help others.
Change or add pertinent keywords and keyword phrases
Pitch yourself to a radio show. Start using your voice and stating that you’re an expert in a given field. Don’t consider it arrogant. If you’re really good at something, then it’s a service to offer your advice and direction to others–as long as it’s presented in a way that’s helpful.
Do a search on your area of expertise and check out the competition. You should have less now that you’ve narrowed your focus. What are they doing right? How can you tweek your site to offer something slightly different?
Mention your expertise when it’s appropriate on your social media–especially in your profiles on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Author Marcus Buckingham reminds us in his book, Now, Discover Your Strengths, is that we shouldn’t try to be good at everything. Our brains are even hardwired at birth to begin to pull away from the less strong connections, and that our neurons bundle around one strong cord–that’s how we begin to specialize–and why some of us can play the piano and others can whiz through calculus. By fleshing out and then promoting your expertise, you begin to define your small business and discover your true market.

Brand recognition is important–for big and small businesses. It’s everything from the font you use on your website and store front–to the icon that’s on your stationary and business card. The key to branding is to stay consistent and use your brand “look” everywhere–so you become instantly recognizeable.

There are lots of tried and true methods to create brand recognition–and now thanks to the Internet, there are fresh ways to utilize all your hard work.

Tips for Creating Your Business Brand:

1. Pick a font and color for your company name and look–and stick with it.
Font matters. You don’t think it does, but your business card, web pages, blogs and posts should all have the same font. It’s a subtle identification of who you are.

Many companies don’t have a cute lizard selling their product–they simply state their name in a color that is clear and definable. IBM, Xerox, Subway, Barnes & Noble are great examples. I say these words and you can instantly see their name in your mind. IBM is blue. Subway is yellow and light green. Barnes & Noble is a darker green. You see them clearly–all the way to the ones whose letter slant and those that don’t. It’s as simple as color and font–and it’s used in everything they do.

You argue, you have a font and a color aready–great–but how much are you capitalizing on it?

2. Use your name (and the colors and font you’ve chosen) on all of your promotional materials.

Let’s go with our Subway example. Not only can you see Subway in your mind on the lighted sign outside the restaurant, you also see it on the paper they roll and tuck their sandwiches into–and their napkins–and the shirts their workers are wearing, and the door you opened to walk into the restaurant. Just as an experiment, the next time you walk into a fast food chain (and you know you will), count how many times you’re exposed to their name (or mascot) in the first five minutes. Brand recognition comes after the public is literally inundated with your product “look” everywhere they turn.

3. Use your brand name and color on the web.
From your website to your social media networking, to your blog posts, repeat your brand look everywhere you go. You don’t have to point out the fact that our colors are red and gold, simply make something on your website–gold–and something else red. Use this idea on every webpage, and if you have a product or a company log line (a phrase that you use–it usually goes under your name), make sure it follows you wherever you go.

4. Are “you” the brand? Is your name, face part of your business? For many local brick-and-mortar companies, this is true. You’re part of the community, and you need to carry you, the brand, with you into “internet land.” Put a picture of yourself on the webpage and as your avatar when you’re on various social media sites. Just like Colonel Sanders or the Mac and PC guy, you become synonymous with your product. When you become the brand, and then use it wisely. People trust in you–they want you to be consistent–and part of consistency is showing up on the web just like you do at the store.

Small businesses can learn from the corporate giants who have learned the importance of brand recognition. Brand recognition leads to brand preference, and brand preference leads to brand loyalty–and that’s a goal worth aspiring to.

Have you ever considered writing a press release to promote your small business?

When would you write a press release?

• When your business opens
• When a franchise opens
• When you’re promoting a really big sale (say, once or twice a year–connected with a holiday or event)
• When you’re giving to the community in some way–a charitable gift of products, services, or if your employees are donating their time and energy such as doing a walkathon, canned good drive, or other service oriented event for a charity.
• When you’re taking on a partner.
• When you’ve hit a milestone such as a tenth anniversary, one thousandth customer, or other promotional moment.
• If you’re promoting a contest, give away or raffle or whenever you participate in a community event such as parade, festival, or town anniversary.

What is a press release anyhow?

A press release is a way to let the press–(also known as the media) know what’s happening.
This includes television, radio, newspapers, and other forms of mass communication, including the Internet (known as the World Wide Web).

Send a copy of your press release to your Chamber of Commerce. They want to support your business, so stay in touch.

Press releases let your community know you’re involved. Find ways to give back, seek interesting approaches to draw people in, the more you do, the more you’ll become a hometown favorite small business.

If you own a small business, then you know how important it is to get exposure. Paying for a television commercial might be out of your marketing budget, but don’t give up hope. There are other ways to be featured on local television–if you figure out your angle, present it professionally, and then deliver with a community based message or offer.

It might be time for you to start considering how your product or service can be of help.

Brainstorm Methods for Getting on Local TV:

Can your product or service be used for storm prevention or clean up?

Can your product or service be of use to a certain segment of the population? The elderly? Given as gifts for teachers or firefighters? Can it help a pet shelter?

Have you considered offering free services to the local homeless shelters or homes for the mentally challenged?

Have you thought about a holiday tie in? A funny contest or challenge that your local TV station might want to film?

Can you offer 5 helpful hints based off your business? (I know a local beauty product business that is featured on local TV for every holiday and offers gift ideas, beauty tips, and has become a “regular” by building a relationship with local programming).

A television news program, special interest program, or interview is not to be used as a commercial. You won’t get on if that’s your motive. It’s about helping others. Your pitch has to be about community service–or it has to be about a quirky, funny, over-the-top contest or promotion that is so appealing that it’s newsworthy.

Don’t be surprised if it works! Local shows need local features. Why not yours?
It’s a great way to promote your small business–and do something great for your community.

There`s a lot of hype about the newest methods of internet marketing, mobile phone advertising and a whole slew of other techniques that are up to the moment and very effective. What many people don`t realize is that chasing after every new fad isn`t the answer. Traditional marketing is still very much alive and when you use this as the base for your publicity campaigns, you`ll be far more effective.

This isn`t to say that there is anything wrong with the newer marketing methods, in fact, I use them myself, as you know. But some of the original types of marketing are the most important. Offering quality and value for the money, providing quality customer service, these are things that will never fail.

While using the latest and greatest methods of marketing is going to help your business soar, remember that traditional marketing techniques are also very important. Without them, you will have an uphill struggle to success.

Why not make it easier on yourself by using traditional marketing techniques? You won`t be sorry.

I’ve got a couple of upcoming meeting opportunities for small business owners that I know you don’t want to miss. If you are in Minnesota then you should sign up.

On September 15, 2008, the Biz Bloggers Meet-Up Group meets. We’re meeting at Latuff’s Pizza in Plymouth at 5:30 p.m. The event is free but a collection will be taken to pay for the pizza. Bring $4. To RSVP and receive updates prior to the event go to http://blog.meetup.com/409/. Latuff’s is located at 11333 Hwy 55 in Minneapolis. In case you lose your way, the phone number is (763) 545-2914.

Then, on September 16, 2008, I’m hosting the Social Web Training Workshop at Byerlys Community Center Ridgedale. This event starts at 6 p.m. I’ll be discussing search engine optimization and how you can use a blog to draw in new customers. The fee for this class is $50. The address of Byerlys Community Center is 13081 Ridgedale Drive in Minnetonka. The phone number is 952-541-1414. For more information and to register click here.

Well, Labor Day is behind us and school has started. That means things are on full force between now and Christmas. Fall hits, we set our clocks back, send the kids to school, and wait for Thanksgiving. Right?

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m not waiting. I’m planning. And if you’re smart, you’ll start planning too.

Why? Because it’s just a short hop from here to Christmas. And Halloween will be on you before you know it.

Sell costumes and party supplies? You should be blogging about it and setting up your pay per click campaign now. Sell turkeys and yams? Start planning because online people shop early and research before they buy. I’m not just talking about turkeys either. They research everything and they start their research online. Already, people are thinking about what they’re going to get their Uncle Bob for Christmas. Already. And by Thanksgiving many of them will already have made up their minds. It’s time to start planning.

A quote from Peter Drucker:

(Source)
Where does marketing really begin? As management guru Peter Drucker stated it, “Marketing is the whole business seen from the customer’s point of view.” Put another way, every single interaction the customer has with your business can and should be seen as marketing.

If this is true, and I believe it is, then there is no beginning or end to marketing. Everything you do is marketing. Customer service. Shipping. Selling. Labeling boxes. Dumping the garbage. And …

OK, did I go overboard?

If marketing is your whole business as seen from the customer’s point of view then everything you do has an impact on that. You can’t minimize any aspect of your business without affecting the whole. That should put a new twist on what is important for your business, right?

Instead of thinking of marketing as communicating with your customers, you should also be thinking about it as your customer hiding behind a tree and watching you work, oblivious to their presence. Would you act that way if your customer was present? Would you throw that item in the garbage if your customer was present? Would you put that item on the half-off shelf if your customer know why you were doing it?

It is important to think about these issues because your customers could find out things about your business you don’t want them to know. There is always somebody watching. And it’s important in this day and age to stay competitive, which means beating your competition in every way possible - even at the Watch Me game.