Folks, please don’t get me wrong. This post is not a negative about the application Twitter. It’s about some rude people using it.

I recently attended a large Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon. Each month at these events they have guest speakers. Our guest speaker this month was from a consulting/news firm that specializes in social online media and he was going to present about online media.

So here’s our guest speaker sitting at the front table with the Mayor, the president of the Chamber, the three of us that are sponsoring this month’s luncheon and the Chairman of the Chamber.

Here’s where the rudeness starts. While our President is up at the podium talking to the audience and thanking everyone for attending, and the mayor gets up and talks about the Christmas tree fund, and while the sponsors are up talking about their company’s. Our great guest speaker has his phone in front of him, he’s looking away from the speakers and he’s tweeting and responding to people who are tweeting him. I can guarantee you he had no idea about anything that was said, nor did he present an attitude of caring about what was being said. He was focused on his social online media world.

Excuse me, can you say, “Please give the speaker your undivided attention?”

Then he is introduced and he stands up and tells everyone in the audience that over 50 people in the last three minutes have tweeted him back and they said to tell the people in the audience hello.

Who cares!!!! Can you tell me what was said in the room for the last three minutes?

Of course don’t get me started about the fact that he then stood up and tried to convey to the entire audience (Oh how I hate this line), but he stood up there and said “ALL your customers are using social online media, so you’d need to be using it too.”

Now first of all, ALL my customers (or at least 75% of them) have little to know time for online social media.

Stop trying to scare everyone into thinking they’re missing out on something!!!!!!!!!!!!

Grrrrrr, let me just stick with the topic of this post. That it’s extremely rude to be tweeting and texting and responding to your phone while someone is at the podium speaking to the audience. RUDE, RUDE, RUDE!!!! 

When using online social media, please consider this. If you are at a luncheon, and the president of the group isup there talking, would you stand in the center of the same room and have a separate meeting with 50 people in a little group and ignore the main speaker? The answer is no! So, why would you do that online?

Does anyone else besides me think his actions were rude?

Chris Nastav, KC Web Specialists, LLC, www.kcwebspecialists.com
Experts in how business gets done on the Internet

For over the last year, myself, and the other contributors here, have been dulling out our advice and expertise to help small businesses be more successful; to grow. Now I am interested in hearing from you!

As a PR professional I love to hear people’s success stories in achieving positive media, and more importantly about what resources helped you garner press.

I invite you to leave a comment of your success. No strings attached. Just an opportunity for you to further generate awareness about your business.

I can’t wait to hear your stories!

Jennifer Fortney
Cascade Communications
Follow on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert

In the past, as a PR professional there were a multitude of great resources we used to help generate news stories for our clients.  Back then many were pay services that came by fax or even mail!  Can you imagine how far ahead journalists had to plan to get a query posted on that one!

Well those days are mostly gone, thanks to the Internet and many service, while still pay are offering part of their service for free (promotionally) and others are just FREE.

Now my cohorts would ask me why I’m giving these away, but the reality is that if you really wanted to find them online, you will and I would rather have you visit Small Business Daily and save yourself some serious time.

Help a Reporter Out – sign up to receive this free email distribution three times daily with the latest queries from journalists looking for sources.  Be ware.  Participation has rules so best to read them before you get booted from the list.

Pitch Rate – also an email distribution that’s focus is on industry experts

Reporter’s Source – free email distribution with leads but you don’t have the chance to pitch the reporter yourself.  Actually, you send in your pitch, it’s evaluated by the publishers and they pitch it for you.  If the journalist is interested they put you in touch.

My Story Source – just launched.  Free email distribution to media that allows you to pitch your news in the email and journalists contact you at their convenience. Also a good place to build community with other small businesses and nonprofits.

The Publicity Hound – a great place to get tips on improving your ability to generate positive PR for your organization.

Toilet Paper Entrepreneur – another great resource for entrepreneurs of every shape and size.  A wealth of knowledge and information.  Read the blog daily!

Jennifer Fortney
Cascade Communciations

Follow me on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert

This is such a great article on the perils of social online media I wanted to take a moment and provide it for those who may be reading this blog.  Remember your past and present can come back to haunt you!

Sorry, this post is a bit long.

Thank you Donna for providing this information:

Chris Nastav, KC Web Specialists, Experts in how business gets done on the Internet. http://www.kcwebspecialists.com 913.908.5642

Here’s the Article…..

9 Hidden Dangers of Social Networking

How Facebook & Twitter Can Be Hazardous to Your Wealth

By Ken and Daria Dolan, Dolans.com

posted: 1 DAY 19 HOURS AGO  (10-23-09)

When President Obama was asked by a student what advice he had for kids who wanted to grow up to be President, he warned them to be careful what you post on Facebook. That’s good advice even if you don’t want to be President.

 As the popularity of social media sites (such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace to name some biggies) continues to explode, stories about the dark side of social networking are piling up.

 Personal finance experts Ken and Daria Dolan of Dolans.com warn you about nine ways using social media can be hazardous to your wealth.

 Lawyers Love Facebook

Are you about to be involved in a messy divorce or taken to court? You may want clean up your Facebook page.

 Lawyers and private investigators routinely troll social media sites as part of their research for any case. Such sites are a treasure trove of evidence, especially when they are looking to:

 Prove adultery. Perhaps the woman you suspect of being your husbands’ mistress tweets about the fancy new jewelry she got, or about an expensive vacation she just took.

 Hunt down alimony. An ex-husband says he can’t afford alimony but tweets about his new job or raise or his brand new car.

 Collect evidence for a custody case. A women fighting for full custody of her children claims she doesn’t drink or smoke, yet posts a picture of her smoking at a bar on her Facebook page.

 Prove harassment or fraud. Copies of nasty or threatening messages left on an ex-boyfriend’s Facebook page make great evidence.

 Your Resume Isn’t the Only Thing Employers Scrutinize

More From the Dolans:

• Rules to Protect Yourself on Social Media Sites
• Simple Ways to Prevent ID Theft
• 10 Steps to Erasing Your Debt

A recent study by Harris Interactive found that 45% of the employers they questioned are using social networks to check out job candidates before hiring them. That’s a pretty significant percentage. But here’s an even more surprising number: 35% of those employers decided not to offer a candidate a job because of what they found on an applicant’s social networking page.

 Bad-mouthing your last boss online? Posting questionable pictures? If you are on the job hunt, be sure to review your pages and profiles and make sure there isn’t anything there that can cost you a job.

 Burglars Are Fond of Your Constant Updates

Would you stand up in the middle of a crowd of strangers and announce that you’re leaving on vacation for three days and then tell everyone your address? Of course not, but that’s exactly what you are doing if you share such information online.

 Burglars are now using Twitter to find victims. One Arizona man tweeted to 2,000 followers that he was heading out of town and came home to find someone had broken in and stolen thousands of dollars worth of video equipment he used for his business.

 Even saying you are running to the mall, going out to dinner, etc. is too much information.

 Prepare for Bigger Insurance Premiums

A leading insurer in England warns that social media users could face higher insurance premiums because of the added risk they face from burglary.

 Legal & General insurance believes that burglars use social media sites to “shop” for victims. Posting photos of your home enables burglars to know whether you have any security features or what you own that’s worth stealing. Plus, your posts reveal other details, such as whether or not you have a dog to fend off intruders or if you constantly let people know when you’re out of town, that can affect the chances of you filing a claim.

 Teenagers are especially likely to reveal personal information, leading the insurer to warn parents that they could face higher homeowner’s insurance premiums if their children are online.

 Tweets Can Get You Fired

A waiter in Beverly Hills was fired recently for one of his Twitter updates (called Tweets). In his tweets, he complained about actress, Jane Adams, who he says skipped out on her bill and didn’t leave him a tip. He said her agent later paid her bill.

 The waiter was fired two weeks later.

 That may seem like an extreme case, but people have been fired for blogging about work, blogging while at work, even for calling in sick and then posting on Facebook. One woman was fired for badmouthing the boss on Facebook because she forgot she had “friended” her boss and he could see everything she was saying. Oops.

If you are using any social network, assume your boss is watching everything you say and do!

 Social Networkers Are an Identity Thief’s Dream

Social networking is a dream come true for identity thieves — millions of people sharing endless amounts of personal information right out in the open. According to PC World, 33% of social network users have at least three pieces of information posted that could lead to identity theft.

 Think about the types of things people share on social media sites…their birthday, address, kid’s names, pet’s names, mother’s maiden name, previous address, where you went to school. Besides being used to steal your identity, this information can also give thieves the answers to some of the most common security or password questions used on your personal accounts.

 Yes, social networking is about sharing, but that doesn’t mean you can blindly violate basic rules that help protect you from ID theft.

 Let’s Go Phishing on Twitter

Just last week, Twitter users were the target of a huge phishing scam. Scammers sent direct messages (DMs) or Tweets that included a generic message such as “You’re on this video” or “I think I see you here” in order to get people to click on a link.

The link took those who clicked on it to a fake Twitter page that asked them to log in with their username and password …which the scammer then used to hijack the victim’s account.

 Twitter Can Be Infectious

Fake Twitter profiles have been used to spread malicious software (known as malware).

 To lure in victims, scammers use fake celebrity profiles or news about celebrities. The posts look legit, but infect your computer with malware that lets the scammer use your computer to send spam, install spyware, steal your identity or launch attacks on other computers.

The IRS Wants to “Friend” You

As state budget get increasingly pinched, internal revenue agents are getting more aggressive in their pursuit of tax revenue. In fact, some states are even using information posted on sites like Facebook and MySpace to track down tax dodgers and dig for unreported income.

 In Minnesota, tax agents reportedly levied back taxes on a long-time tax evader after he announced on his MySpace page that he was moving back into the state and would be working as a real estate broker.

 While the IRS refuses to say whether or not they are using social media to find tax evaders, it’s best to assume that they’re watching everything you post.

 Makes you want to be a little more careful the next time a stranger asks to “friend” you, doesn’t it?

 In Conclusion

You don’t need to quit Twitter or Facebook now that you know about the dark side of social media. But we do hope that you think about how your tweets and posts could come back to hurt you. We had our identity stolen last year, and it’s no fun. Use some good old common sense and follow our simple rules for protecting yourself on social media sites to keep trouble at bay.

I’ve been feeling REALLY bad because over the last two weeks my computer crashed, I got a loaner (although I’m regretting the choice of company supposedly fixing my computer – I’m still on the loaner) and I’ve been having ongoing issues with my Internet service.  Oh yeah, the phone company for some reason because of all of my calls lately about the service up and disconnected me altogether and now tell me it’s going to be two days before they can get me up and running.  All of this is NOT MY FAULT and it’s thrown a real wrench in running my business and blogging.

Now I’m definitely stressed about all of this because it seems that no one at the phone company has the same information or can give me the correct information, until this morning.

This morning I spoke with the nicest gal (this is after being transferred three times.  Yesterday I spoke to 12 people and no one could help me).  This young lady knew I was upset as I told her my neverending story and she apologze profusely.  However, what got me was that right out of the gate this young woman was throwing one month free service, she subtracted the curreint month’s service from my bill and sent me a $75 Visa gift card.

Now, I don’t want to say that good customer service means giving stuff away to customers (although it does feel good on this end).  My point here is that out of all of the stuff I’ve been dealing with these last few weeks she is the only one who came right out of the gate to solve the issue and provide compensation for the trouble, agony, hair pulling frustration I’ve been dealing with.  Even the IT company fixing my computer has offered nothing for the inconvenience of having it for three weeks with “no real news”.

And, most importantly, let me tell you this: because this young woman left me feeling as if someone cared, someone at the phone company is “on it” and taking care of my problem and “understands” the pain and agony I’ve been going through, I’ve told EVERYONE my story – including you.  This is the best PR you can ever achieve for your business.

Certainly you don’t want someone to have a negative experience, but the reality is that not every customer is going to be happy and it’s how you deal with it (immediately with understanding and apologies) that will determine if you keep or lose that customer.  More importantly, it determines whether that person is going to refer other customers to you.

In business, today, I see a lot of bad customer service or little attention on attending to the customer.  People seem to believe that there is a large enough, neverending pool of customers that they don’t need to be concerned with keeping who they’ve got today.  It’s foolish and describes the reason why there is such a small amount of loyalty to companies.

If you want to keep a customer you’ve got to work to do it

Remember, people are willing to share their good experiences with family and friends.  If asked for a referral they want their referral to be used.  They want to know that they have done something to boost the business of a company or individual they find to be valuable.

This word-of-mouth endorsement is the most important and valuable you will ever receive for your business outside of a media story.

So the next time you’re dealing with an unhappy customer remember they power they have to bring good PR to your business, and make sure you’re quick to resolve the issue to the point the person feels they have been heard and understood.

Jennifer Fortney
Cascade Communication
Follow me on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert and @MyStorySource

Posted in start a business ]]> http://smallbizexperts.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/customer-service-best-pr/feed/ 0 smallbizexperts http://smallbizexperts.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/digital-hoarder-online-backup-can-capture-critical-business-information/ http://smallbizexperts.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/digital-hoarder-online-backup-can-capture-critical-business-information/#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:30:28 +0000 smallbizexperts http://smallbizexperts.wordpress.com/?p=1388 ]]>

Every time I move house I realise how much “stuff” I have.  You know, it’s the stuff that lives in boxes in the closet, and under the bed, and in the garage.  Stuff I just shift from one location to the next even though it has no immediate purpose.  Yet I don’t want to throw it out. 

But in this decade, more than ever before, the stuff we accumulate and carry around with us extends beyond physical possessions and in to the realms of the digital world.  From music and video to bills and tax records, the amount of digital data we store is growing exponentially.
 
This applies just us much in our work lives and our businesses.  Think about the last time you changed jobs, or even just bought a new computer.  Even though you may have a company server and tend to store most formal work related data there, I’m willing to bet you still had a bunch of other “stuff” on your computer that was copied off separately.  Stuff that you don’t use much, but can’t be without.

The issue with our digital hoarding habit is that digital data is much more at risk of loss or destruction than the physical gear we keep in boxes.  Yet there’s a surprisingly lax attitude to protecting our digital baggage.

Small business workers are often the worst of the hoarders due to a lack of enforced network policies:  Let’s assume most small businesses have a central server with an effective backup system in place and that most formal company documents, such as quotes and proposals, are stored on it.  Then think about all the other data – let’s call it informal data – that can live on PCs and notebooks.  Often there are spread sheets full of ad-hoc analysis, documents with plans and ideas, flow charts of possible process and procedure improvements and presentations about potential new product and services.

Much of this data I’ve listed, when grouped together, can be the most important information within the business.  It’s the business’s IP; its future, its competitive advantages.  Yet it can all be lost in the blink of an eye when your notebook is snatched from the front seat of your car.

Luckily, just as much as our life revolves around digital stuff, the digital world is evolving to accommodate.  Online backup services are proliferating as storage space and bandwidth becomes cheaper.  Such services can be thought of as online closets where our digital stuff is automatically archived.

I’d suggest most small businesses with computer based workers should consider adopting online backups of their key personnel’s PCs and notebooks.  Not doing so puts you at risk of not capturing some of the most valuable information in your business.  And the investment to backup invaluable data is minimal – most vendors charge only $1-$3/month for 1GB of storage.  So a small business with half a dozen computers to backup may only have to invest around $200-$300/year.

Checkout some of these popular services:
- Carbonite
- SOS Online Backup
- Data Deposit Box

Our digital “stuff” doesn’t always seem immediately important, but ask anyone who’s lost it all and they’ll tell you how devastating it is.

Clayton Moulynox – Evolve IT Australia
We fix business problems, not computer problems -  Develop, Solve, Evolve.
Follow me on Twitter: @claytonhm

Last week I talked about www.summize.com, or now-a-days the search feature in Twitter. With that tool you can quickly search for who’s talking about you or your company on Twitter.

Well, there’s another equally important free tool out there that let’s you keep track of who’s writing about you or your company on the Internet in general.

Google provides a free tool call Google Alerts. With this tool you can put in as many terms as you like, and Google will send you an email when new information containing those terms is put on the Internet.

For example, I have two alert terms:

1. “KC Web Specialists”

2. “Chris Nastav”

Now, whenever someone puts those two terms out there on their Website or blog,  I get an email alert with a link to the location. Simple, inexpensive method for keeping track of who’s putting information about me or my company on the Internet.

Chris Nastav, KC Web Specialists, LLC.

http://www.kcwebspecialists.com Experts in how business gets done on the Internet (913) 908.5642 chris@kcwebspecialists.com

So many business owners are struggling with social online media for their business. Their struggle is not how to use the tools. Those are free and easy to work in. The struggle is how do they effectively use these tools to help their business. To add some clarity to your businesses online social media plan, I suggest you follow a simple three step process.  

Step 1.

 You must have a Website! The one constant that continues to be the main stay of the online business world is a company’s Website. What do you do? How do I get a hold of you? Where are you located? What are your CURRENT specials? What is NEW with your company? etc, etc, etc. YOUR WEBSITE MUST STAY CURRENT!

In the next three years there will probably be 30 or more new online social media break through’s that come and go. Your Website will still be there.

Step 2.

Start a “business” blog! You, or someone in your company needs to write in it once a week. As a business owner you know things about your industry that others do not. Write in your blog about your business or about current events in your industry. A blog is another constant out on there on the Internet that is not going away. What you write today on your blog will be categorized and available to people for months and years to come. A blog over time will establish you as an expert in your industry.

Step 3.

Start with one online social media tool and use it to drive awareness to your blog and Website!

Use this one social media tool just as you would any networking event where you have the opportunity to talk about your business. Use it like you would a Chamber of Commerce event, radio advertising, tv advertising, BNI membership, trade show, or any other type of live networking event. Use the online tool to advertise your company, your products, services and events by driving awareness to your Website and blog.

All that is going on with your company MUST be on your Website or blog.

Use social media to get people there!

Chris Nastav, KC Web Specialists, LLC. http://www.kcwebspecialists.com
Experts in how business gets done on the Internet (913) 908.5642

Several months ago I saw a listing on LinkedIn for public relations pros, like myself, who are interested in giving back by offering their skills and services to organizations that can’t afford PR at no cost.  The organization is I Should Be In The News and I must confess that I am such a believer in this organization that I sit on its board of directors.

Nevertheless, I want to make people aware that there is a way for you to generate some PR and have the opportunity to work with a professional!  ISBITN has a national network of pros and can very easily set you up with someone in your area or an expert in your industry.  If you are a nonprofit or very small organization that can’t afford PR, ISBITN is definitely worth looking in to!

Jennifer Fortney
Cascade Communications
Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert and @MyStorySource

I was talking with a girlfriend of mine, and fellow business owner, last week and she began asking me several questions about social media.  She seemed completely and utterly overwhelmed about our conversation.  Then I told her: “This is part of our future and here to stay.  Even if you have an assistant manage social media for your business, you really should have a good understanding of it and how it can work to promote your business!”

She is not unlike many small business owners out there who are busy running their business and really don’t have time to take on anything new.

Here’s the deal:  You have to make time!

The Internet is changing the way we connect, network, work, sell, start businesses a how we market them, and it really is here to stay.

In the PR world, we are seeing the positive impact that “smart” social media participation can have on small businesses and nonprofits.  It really is rather exciting.  However, many in my industry are lagging behind as they fear it will put an end to the traditional way that they approach public relations.  The truth is that it’s a new and exciting element that we use to boost credibility and increase awareness for our clients, and you can do the same for your business.  In fact you should be doing the same for your business.

Why you need to jump on the bandwagon now:
Everyday the Internet brings new offerings and ways for us to interact and achieve professional success.  That means it’s evolving up everyday and every day that you don’t jump on the social media bandwagon is one more day that you’re behind.  Like anything, you have to start at the very beginning and work through the more complicated.  I have a feeling that things are going to start increasing in this category pretty quick, so spend a day now learning all you can so that you are not left behind!

Social media and PR:
As a PR professional I am very excited about the impact social media can have not just for my clients but on my business, and other endeavors.  So far, we’ve been able to utilize it to introduce clients to media outlets, relative organizations, help them build business partnerships and drive followers to the physical store or online store.  Moreover, it’s a great tool for positioning experts by offering daily tips and advice, something we do for our own business on a regular basis.  So, if you don’t think it can make a difference and give a boost to your PR strategy, I dare tell you that you’re very wrong.

Success relies on content:
If you’re new to social media then you must know one thing: Success with social media is reliant on strong, interesting content.

So what does this mean?  It means that if you’re going to Twit something, blog, or post a video it better be interesting; something people will find interesting and may even forward on to their followers and users.  This is where social media becomes viral.

Our success in using social media as part of our PR strategy comes from positioning our clients as experts, providing strong content that isn’t 100% self-serving but instead has a goal of helping people; informing them and making a positive impact in their lives.  Then there is the interaction with people who comment, follow and more on the various SM outlets.

At the end of the day we’re positioning clients as credible, reliable experts and building relationships that increase sales, interest and awareness, get them  in front of bloggers and relative media in a fresh way (not just a pitch email), and brought them business opportunities and partnerships they wouldn’t have achieved before.

So, you ask why you need to know social media…..well, this is just one side of how social media can impact your business, marketing strategy and bottom line.  You better get on the bandwagon to find out just how much it might really be able to do.

If you do use social media, tell me what positive outcomes have developed!!

Jennifer Fortney
Small Business PR Experts
Cascade Communications
Follow me on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert and @MyStorySource

Thanks to one of  my Twitter friends, I came across a great article written by Nick Saalfeld of the True Business blog titled “How to buy technology”.  Nick is both a journalist and a small business owner and manages to succinctly summarise in one article what I, and many of my colleagues, have been advising to small and medium business owners for years.  And that is:  To be successful in your small business, you must adopt technology strategically to drive innovation and create a competitive advantage.

Technology is now ubiquitous – every business has access to core technologies due to the increase in affordability and availability over the past decade.  Just having the technology gives you little advantage or return on investment.  It’s how you leverage the technology – how you apply it strategically to your business – that sets you up for success.

Nick’s article wonderfully summarises this through three key points:

• Buying IT is no longer a single decision
• Committing to technology demands a strategy
• Technology is an investment

Read the article for Nick’s insight and further explanation.

And don’t forget, you can now subscribe to Small Business Daily by email!

Clayton Moulynox – Evolve IT Australia
We fix business problems, not computer problems -  Develop, Solve, Evolve.
Follow me on Twitter: @claytonhm

It’s astounding how many fantastic free resources are made available by some of the big technology vendors out there.  It’s even more astounding to discover how many people fail to utilise, or even know about, these resources!
So in this post, let me introduce you to a couple of resources you never knew about.  These tools are so useful you’ll want to keep them a secret from others so you can “skill up” on the sly and become a genius!

HP Learning Centre – Free online classes, 24/7! 

This site is like a mini online university.  It offers everything from quick “how-to” videos to comprehensive instructor-led online courses.  Yes, that’s right; instructor led, for FREE.  Click on the “See all classes” tab and you’ll find a long list of classes covering a broad range of topics.  Try out “Create and print your own high-quality marketing materials” under home office, or “The other 90 percent: unlock your vast untapped potential” in business basics, or for the weekend, “Beyond basics: fundamental photography techniques” in the digital photography category.

Microsoft Business Resource Centre

An excellent resource for small businesses, courtesy of Microsoft, that offers personalised self-help, support, community connections, training and articles based on a simple profile created on sign up.  So a small business owner with 10 employees in the finance industry will see content relevant to her, whereas a Creative Director in a 200 staff advertising agency will see different content more relevant to him.  Note that this site is still in beta so it’s subject to changes and content may be a little light-on currently.

Jump on and sign up now – just do it! 

These are only two of close to ten tech learning resources in my internet favourites – what do you think, should I reveal some others in another post?  Would you like to see more?

And don’t forget, you can now subscribe to Small Business Daily by email!

Clayton Moulynox – Evolve IT Australia
We fix business problems, not computer problems -  Develop, Solve, Evolve.
Follow me on Twitter: @claytonhm

Are you a small business expert in taxes/finance, franchising, hiring and managing employees, copyright/trademark and other law-related issues and more? We’re looking to add more long-term contributors to Small Business Daily, including guest posts, so contact us!

Jennifer Fortney
smallbizexperts@live.com

Thanks to YouTube video has become an integral part of our everyday world online.  In fact, I wasn’t all too surprised that my former corporate video class in college has been morphed into an online video/news class.  That means that tomorrow’s PR pros and journalists are focusing their efforts to creating video and telling stories online.  So why wait until tomorrow?  You need to look at building a video campaign now.

My clients often ask me what the importance of online video is to their business or organization.  Think of it this way, when you go to a restaurant and the chef comes out or the owner of the shop helps you personally you feel great!  Why?  Because these people are perceived as individuals that we want to know.  They make us feel important.  One of the first things I see people do is tell all of their friends how the restaurant owner came out to talk to them and maybe even offered them a complimentary dessert.  What happens?  You’re going to go back.  They’re building relationships with you to promote return business.

The same goes for today’s hottest CEOs.  Anyone can go online and suddenly have the CEO of Sprint, Sun Microsystems and the like in your own home.   it makes it persona to you the customer and makes CEOs appear “touchable”, human.  Everyday people perceive that they are building an intimate relationship with top corporate leaders.  Now, small business has the opportunity to do the same.  Here’s a great example.

Here’s why you need to add a video component to your PR/marketing campaign:

1. Engage and connect with customers: Video allows people to “meet” you and in turn they’ll feel they know you.
2. Because customers feel they “know” you they are more apt to be loyal to your business: customers want to have a relationship with you.  Give them a positive experience and they will become long-term, loyal customers
3. It’s a great way to make announcements: Then utilize social media to push the video and drive traffic (best with online offers/promotions)
4. It helps build credibility: sure public relations can boost credibility but video gives individuals a chance to see and hear you in your own words.  If you appear credible they’re more likely to purchase your product or service.
5. Media love it: For people who want to be seen as an expert source for media, adding video to your website and online press room gives them an idea of how you will perform in an interview.  So, share your tips and advice via video to increase your odds of getting PR.
6. News is moving online: It’s not just television stations that are utilizing news video on their websites but newspapers, magazines and radio and they’re looking for content.  Not to mention the “news sites” that rely solely on user generated content!  Offering them a b-roll (or raw video) package on your online press room (along with a press release) allows them to edit the story and produce their own voice over for allowing for a customized story for their site.
7. Good video becomes viral: Think of all the businesses out there that have gotten creative with their marketing by producing a fun, interesting video that became an immediate online hit.  Small business have a real opportunity to use video to boost brand awareness and sales.  Many of these have become national news stories and then aired.  So, get creative!
8. Video improves search: If you read this blog regularly you know the importance of search to your businesses success.  Remember: People don’t know they’re looking for you until they find you!  That’s why adding a component like video and can further increase the odds that your customers will find you!

Producing a good video is easier today than ever before with high-quality webcams and digital cameras.  If you want to produce a more “newsy” package for your site’s online press room I suggest finding a local partner who is affordable and skilled to do it for you.  Give them credit and it may give a boost to both of your businesses!

Jennifer Fortney
Cascade Communications and SmallBizPRMadeEasy.com
Follow me on Twitter for Daily SMB PR Tips @SmallBizPRXpert

I read a very interesting article in this month’s Wired magazine (which can also be found online) about the “MP3 effect”; i.e. the current trend towards cheap and simple being good enough.

It’s been coined the “MP3 effect” because MP3s are a classic example of the principle in practice: Digital music files have become popular to the point where traditional studios have had to rethink how they distribute music or risk declining sales, even though CDs offer a far superior sound quality to MP3s.  As the article says, “we now favor flexibility over high fidelity”.

It seems being superior doesn’t matter so much anymore – in the tech world anyway.  What consumers want – what you and I want – is simplicity; accessibility; flexibility.  We want to be able to use things here and now, quickly and easily.

I think this “good enough revolution” is an exciting prospect to apply to your business.  I chat to business owners who are hesitant to adopt changes (usually technology driven changes in my case) in the way they do business with their customers, or in the tools they provide their staff, for fear of the new solution not being world-beating.  But best-in-class needn’t be the goal here.

Perhaps it’s unrealistic to think you can afford a top-of-the-line CRM system with built in e-marketing features, but you could utilise a free blogging site with email subscription facilities to deliver simple communications directly to your customers – it might just be good enough, yet more than what your competitors do in terms of customer service efforts.

Can’t justify giving laptops to your sales force to work on presentation when at home?  Consider utilising a free product like Windows Sharepoint Services, or a very affordable hosted solution like Microsoft Sharepoint Online, which gives staff access to office files by logging in from their own PCs at home. Another good enough solution your staff may come to love because it’s simple, accessible and flexible.

Technology solutions don’t have to be big complex beasts that rattle cages and gnaw away at budgets.  Take note of what the bigger players out there in your market might be doing and think about how you could offer similar experiences that might take advantage of the good enough principle.

Have you seen the “MP3 effect” in practice in your line of business?

Clayton Moulynox – Evolve IT Australia
We fix business problems, not computer problems -  Develop, Solve, Evolve.
Follow me on Twitter: @claytonhm