I know that the CEO is from AT&T, so he hasn’t forgotten about AT&T’s Reach Out and Touch Someone ads that worked so well in the 1980s.  GM needs to have the CEO stand up and say, “Hey, GM was the heart beat of America. We screwed up. But we are turning it around. We thank you for the loans. We are improving our cars every day. Come see for yourself.”

Where’s the story about the new Camaro? Or where’s the story about the Corvette?

Publix supermarkets has learned how to create great touching commercials (see one here). why not GM?

So many dumb and worthless commercials on TV. You would think that some ad firms could do better. It’s about telling an interesting story.

“”I believe that one of the key things that keep small businesses small is that the owners maintain a small business mindset. For many, being small is just fine. They don’t ever want to be anything more than a mom and pop operation. But others dream big and want to see big goal accomplished but continue to struggle to “make it big.” They can’t ever seem to get over that hump that propels them out of small-time territory.”

“If you don’t want to be a mom and pop operation, or you want to be more than the small business you are, then it’s time to start thinking not like the small business you are but like the bigger business you want to be.”

The author then goes on to talk about Online Marketing. (I am bringing in a team to present on that in-depth in Orlando in March, 2010).

What it doesn’t talk about is even more important: Marketing 101. It all starts with the Goal. What is the goal of your marketing?

Be specific. To get sales is way to general.

1. What are you selling?
2. Who are you selling it to?
3. Why should they buy it from you?
4. How can I reach my target market?
5. What will I say to them to get them to buy/contact us?

Doesn’t matter if this is online or offline marketing. The same questions apply. The answers should be all about the Customer Experience, not about some feature.

Think about how restaurants advertise. Carrabba’s radio ads describe a recipe of a delicious main course that is available for a limited time. It paints a picture. It tells a story. It has a call to action (go to Carrabba’s soon before it’s gone). McDonald’s uses a similar ad for McRib. Limited time. People love them. Come get it.

The hype with Online Marketing is that it is easy and instant. Not really. It is certainly trackable and measurable. But easy and instant notsomuch. (Nothing is).

Back to the opening paragraph, what is your Goal, your vision for your company? It’s November with December fast approaching. I will be spending a day reviewing 2009 and planning my goals for 2010. How much revenue do I want to make? How will I make that revenue? Where will I find my customers? Where do I want to speak? What will the follow-up look like?

I suggest that you take the time to review your year and plan for 2010. If you need help, call our office at 813-496-2122. Thank you.

Many companies (see this article) can’t even wrap their heads around social media. Others think it will cost way too much to afford. Still others will coast with what they are currently doing.

In this economy, retaining clients is paramount. Deeper connections would help. That can be done with social media.

Next, it isn’t so much marketing as lead generation and sales. On a case by case basis social media may work for sales or lead generation. Try to remember that much of the I-made-$4000-today-on-twitter comes from affiliate marketers who don’t provide a service or a product, but test marketing widgets to game the system every day. As I was explaining to a prospective client today, he was getting sales from Search marketing (SEO or SEM) due to organic search results and WOM (word of mouth) was working, but he wanted to ramp up the sales five fold.  Online marketing won’t help that to his target. Lead generation and old fashioned sales would.

You have to have a Marketing Plan (and Calendar) which includes not just strategy and message but delivery platform and measurement. Marketing takes time too. It isn’t a switch or spiget you turn on and off.  It depends on what you are marketing (selling) and to who.  Use the correct tool — and fish where the fish are.

The Small Biz tech Advisor has Q&A about this topic including mentioning 2 providers.

For example, Sumotext offers small businesses a monthly plan for $79, which includes up to 1,000 messages per month and 8 cents for each additional SMS. Clickatell asks you to buy credits, and if you review their site you will see the cost per message varies based on the geographical location.

Agile Communications Group in Tampa is an SMS gateway and text marketing company. It’s about 7 cents per message.

SMS messaging should be part of your overall marketing plan. It should also be OPT IN! Not every cell phone accepts text messages and many plans charge per SMS message. For example, my wife’s plan is no SMS; $0.40 per message — and she doesn’t want any.

Worst idea actually went to America’s Top Guerrilla Marketer (according to FastCompany), Sam Ewan of Interference.

By looking at good and bad pieces of marketing (and reading all that direct mail), you can get a feel for what might work with your audience.

1. 31%  Visit a search engine – most research without a specific brand or business name in mind and a specific location (i.e. a plumber in Tampa, Florida).
2. 30% Look up a business in print in the Yellow Pages or White Pages.
3. 19% Use Internet directories – often to find a phone number.
4. 11% Look at local search sites like Google Maps or Yahoo Local (usually to get driving directions).
5. 3%   Get information from a newspaper or magazine.

What does this tell you? Search counts for 42%. You might want to have a strategy for that.  I find the YP number to be high until you consider that not everyone has a computer (with broadband and powered up all the time).  So you need to start measuring how folks find you. Seriously.

Helms talked about her Board of Advisors and her customers have helped her. She has made flags for Americans after 9/11. The business has collected food – one can was a 10% discount; 2 pieces was a 20% discount.  The store sells sewing machines, so making quilts for the children hospital is a natural fit. The store donated the space and lunch while customers and employees did the labor.

It is about inspiring and rewarding customers for giving, because everyone wants to feel like they are a part of something. It is about Community, which is really what social media is all about after you get past the technology and Internet parts.And don’t forget to have an Attitude for Gratitude.

Her last question was: What are You Passionate about? Tell that story.

• Marketing is what gets people through the door, PR is what keeps them coming back.
• In my world? Marketing connects people to me as a service or brand. PR connects me to people as a person.
• Marketing gets people to the dance. In sales, you have to do your own dancing. PR makes sure there are people to keep dancing with.
• Marketing=first thing people see.  PR=showing what’s underneath
• On a cynical side, marketing is selling face – PR is saving face

Since I started in sales and moved to marketing, I wouldn’t agree with all of these answers, but I can see how PR people would.  To me: PR is media spin.  Marketing is messaging and buzz to your target audience. Sales is actually getting dirty to pay the marketing and PR people.

All too often, people in marketing, social media, PR, lead generation (SEO and SEM), and advertising have espoused how they deliver. I have to tell you: until the salesperson closes the deal, nothing happened.

Brand Autopsy has visual representation of the differences among marketing, PR, advertising and branding. It boils down to: Advertising is when you tell people how great you are. PR is when someone else says how great you are. But in PR the person saying it is usually a paid spokesperson. Referrals, testimonials, and customer reviews are truly the best sales tool.