Twitter limits you to 140 characters.
SMS (text messaging) gives you an additional 20.
Both are useful, but largely in pointing the reader to some other source. It’s free, it’s easy, and it’s fun. But you can only point to so many things before you, especially if the “you” in question is a business, will need to take the time and effort to actually SAY something. When was the last time you had a hard look at your web site and marketing materials? Can a new prospect learn anything there about what you do?
I’m sorry, but unlike Neil Patel who tells you to stop paying for marketing, I think you might actually need some professional help. I might agree with him if he urged you to stop paying for advertising, but marketing and advertising are two very different things (a future post topic). Unless you have the time and training, you might find it very difficult to devote a large section of every day to doing the work of presenting your products or services to the your market. I think there’s a very good case to be made for hiring some talent to help you, or at least getting help to build your marketing plan and to train you to do more yourself.
Here’s a good test you can do right now to see if you need help with your marketing. Ask yourself: when was the last time I wrote a 500 word essay? If you had to write one in the next hour, would it be a struggle? Would it be any good?
If the last time you wrote a decent essay was high school or college and the thought of doing one now makes you a little queasy, you need a pro on your team. You might have the knowledge (something we call “subject matter expertise” to make it sound important), but do you know the best way to communicate it? And do you have the time and energy to do it every day?
But you’re in luck: we’re in a recession and there are a lot of marketing people on the market. And if we really are beginning to see a recovery, it’s time to turn up your marketing efforts.
Here are some things you can do today:
- Buy a copy of Duct Tape Marketing, a terrific primer on small business marketing with real, ready-to-use plans.
- Write a short marketing plan of your own
- Set up both a company blog and twitter page; then, with some basic guidelines, enable your staff to post and tweet. Be bold and make it a part of EVERYONE’S job.
- Get an editor for your blog and general web site. More on that in my post, Don’t Kid Yourself – You Need Help On Your Blog.
- Ask your customers to review your site, blog, and tweets. Listen to them.
- While you’re at it, ask if you can get short video referrals from them. Shoot them yourself or send them Flip video cameras or new iPod Nanos (with built in video cameras) to do it for you. They’re cheap, so give them away if they do the referral for you.
Sound like a lot of work? It’s just the tip of the iceberg. But if you want new customers, marketing is how you’ll do it. And it’s going to take more than 140 characters.
