Giving Ed Dale advice…

Ed Dale, of Dominiche fame, writes on his tubbynerd.com blog, asking for his readers’ advice on small business web marketing tips they would share with local business owners in the Adelaide, South Australia region. He’s speaking with the Minister for Small Business in South Australia,  federal candidates , local mayors and small businesses – with a talk on "Internet and Small Business".

Here are some of my thoughts. If I come up with more ideas, I’ll add to this post…

"Hey Ed, if a local small business has the savvy to get a website for their business, they’re ahead of the game – many are still questioning why they even need one.

Keep it simple…

A. Start up a blog – whether its a blogging platform (that’s hosted, for convenience – eg. WordPress.com, Typepad.com, Blogger.com) or a blogging software (that’s self-installed, eg. WordPress.org, Movable Type, etc) – get it up and running. This will give them full control of publishing to their own web property, instead of being held hostage by their webmaster.

B. Publish & Promote

1. Name of Company, slogan, creative (logos, pictures etc.)

2. Services or products offered – this is important, as it lets visitors and the search engines know what their offerings are, and these will naturally include some relevant search terms.

3. A Picture is Worth 1000 Words – Use product photography, happy customer pictures, owner + happy customer photos etc.

4. Directions – Embed Google Maps right into the page, so a visitor can search directions to the location from their home/office.

5. Slidecasting – Deploy ‘slidecasting’ – where they upload their photos to Slideshare.net, combine it with a soundtrack that’s relevant to their business or audience, and make a slideshow/photo movie for their blog – that’s powerful stuff. eg. seasonal specials, special events, happy customers, promotions etc.

6. Email Opt-In – Setup an email opt in capture system online on their blog – using either aweber, or feedburner, or feedblitz. When customers get referred to go to their website to enter their name and email addy, they get a downloadable coupon (immediate gratification + incentive to do this) for future use in the store. This way, whenever the owner blogs, all customers automatically get notified of the new entry.

Worst case scenario, have the owner enter in the data by hand after collecting email addies in the store – which is a pain.

Better if they could set up a laptop in the store, and incentivizing customers to fill it in right there, to get an immediate % discount off whatever they’re buying in the store today.

7. Add Value – share tips, styles, guides, tricks, techniques, how-to’s, etc on the blog, being the ‘solution provider’ – establish your influence as the authority and subject matter expert in your field. Your customers will come to regard you as the expert, and eventually more business will roll in from word-of-mouth and referrals.

8. News – being regional, there’s always local news you can read, and comment on your blog, or spin it to reflect what your store can offer. Make your blog the ‘virtual townhall meeting space’ for all locals. If locals can comment on the blog, this could really turn into something – where it might even attract local media to pay attention to it.

9. Leverage Local Media – through writings on the blog, or even have them cover an advertorial story about the store owner who has embraced and leveraged technology to help their customers.

10. Virtually Network – with other local store owners’ websites, local Chamber of Commerce websites, local community websites etc. by creating a resource page to these other services in town.

Link to them – describing what they are and what they offer, and add some personality eg.

"You would be wise to visit Jane at "Adelaide’s Best Coffee Shop" on Tuesdays for ‘Jane’s Jumpin’ Java’ – as its the best cuppa java with a smile in town! Tell her Ed from "Ed’s Guitars" sent you and she’ll give you a bigger serving!;-) "

Then email these website owners –
(a) letting them know you have linked to them, showing them your personable listing and endorsement of their service, and
(b) requesting a link back to your store, giving them the exact details of what you want them linking to you with.

11. ‘Face to Face’ – set up a Facebook account, and hunt down your local regional network to connect with, along with Facebook groups that are regional-based.

These are excellent groups that you can grab fabulous intel! Imagine locating local groups on Facebook, where you can pinpoint demographincs, pyschographics, geographics etc.

Then add value there like you do on your blog, and offer specials/discounts/daily promos etc – whatever applies to these members of these groups.

12. Leverage Offline-to-Online-to-Offline
- Publish your new blog’s web address on all your business stationary, and pass it out like a mad-person
- Publish specials / discounts / coupons on your blog, informing your customers to print off the coupons before coming into the store, and redeeming it in your store. This way, you’re educatiing your customers to connect with you both online and offline.

13. Spread The Word
If a small business owner can install a ‘Tell A Friend’ software script on their blog, in conjunction with a ‘Spread The Word’ promotion with incentives, this could prove to be a wonderful contest that brings buzz, exposure and new customers to the blog and to the store too.

14. Contest
Contests are fabulous for all businesses and for all seasons of the year. Research, invent and deploy different creative contests that can leverage buzz marketing and fun!

There you go, Ed! I’m confident the above tips will be useful to any small business owner in Adelaide, and I hope this brings them more business. Have a great meeting with the Adelaide folks – cheers mate!

ps. For my readers, I would love your feedback, and your opinions on what strategies or tactics you feel would benefit a small business owner if they could leverage online and offline marketing together. Thanks!

(Added 10/20/07) 15. Video
If the store owner is savvy and confident moving forward with video, here are a few ideas to try out with using a camcorder, or a digital camera with a video option:

a. 360 degree view of store: I did this once with a local coffee shop. Stand in the middle of the store, start your camera, and slowly and smoothly spin yourself (slowly) around 360 degrees, capturing what your store’s interior looks like. Of course, for better video, use a camera tripod and pan 360 degrees. For folks who drive by back and forth work everyday, they oftentimes remind themselves they have to pop in, or wonder what your store’s like – now they don’t have to wonder anymore. If you post your website address on the store’s windows, they can go online, in the privacy of their home, and have a virtual visit. And if you shoot this footage when your store is hopping, it adds to the ‘social proof’ that you’re busy, and they would more likely to visit your store soon.

b. Establish a bond: With Point #7 above, and with the other points that I’ve provided that speak on adding value, you can use video to showcase your subject matter expertise, your influence and your personality. If your visitors are familiar with seeing your wonderful personality on video on your blog, consider how much of a bond you’re establishing even before they visit your store in person!

c. Video testimonials or endorsements: Capture footage of yourself speaking to happy customers (get approval to use this footage on your blog), or of happy customers giving you and your store their stamp of approval – this works like a charm, and the ‘raw and natural’ feel of your videos will have a great appeal to your audience.

d. Leverage your videos: You can repurpose these videos by uploading them to YouTube and other video sharing sites. These videos and your store will gain exposure, which may lend to additional business for your local store.