Remember Yakov Smirnoff?

He was big in the ’80s and used to tell jokes like this:

In America, you can always find a party.
In Russia, The Party can always find you!

See the switch-eroo there? Clever, right?

I was thinking about that after I read the Network Solutions report I referenced in my last post about whether social media marketing was viable for small businesses. My riff off Smirnoff went something like this:

Before the internet, marketing hid poor customer service.
In a web 2.0 world, customer service IS your marketing!

Not quite as catchy as ol’ Yakov, but still possessing that kernel of truth, don’t you think?

Where Are We And How Did We Get Here?

The Network Solutions data (PDF) showed that small business owners were largely successful with customer service, but that overall marketing and innovation was ranked the second lowest of six success attributes.

So, in my last post, I took the four lowest qualities in the marketing and innovation category (from Network Solutions data) and compared that with a large study of what social media marketing does well (Michael Stelzner data).

This comparison proved that social media marketing just might help your small business. (If you’re shaking your head and muttering “No Duh” as you read this, hang with me.)

So What’s The Next Step?

Logic then dictates that we examine just how social media marketing could help your small business.

If you’ve read Now, Discover Your Strengths you know that your best option is not to obsess about improving in areas you have little skill. Instead, you want to leverage what you’re good at. And remember what Network Solutions’ data said small business owners succeed in?: Customer Service.

What the hell do customer service and marketing have in common? These days, almost everything.

Here’s the secret: Your customer service IS your marketing. If you take nothing else from this post, remember that!

Let me show you. I’ll take those four worst attributes of small businesses’ marketing and innovation and create scenarios where your customer service becomes your marketing.

A Closer Look

Problem: Finding efficient ways to advertise and promote your business.

Solution: Remember how Craigslist basically crushed the classified ad business? Likewise, don’t think of advertising as a huge line item in your budget. Let your good work be your advertisement.

Ask your best customers to put in a good word for you on Yelp.com or Angie’s List. Better yet, offer a small discount on a customer’s bill – no strings attached – and just mention that you’re listed on those sites. Some may not post about their experience, but evidence in Yes! says that a lot of them will. (It’s a good book, by the way – read my review here.)

“Approaching the potentially cooperative relationship in this way [unconditional and no-strings-attached] should not only increase the likelihood that you’ll secure their cooperation in the first place, but also ensure that the cooperation you do receive is build on a solid foundation of trust and mutual appreciation, rather than on a much weaker incentive system” (page 59).

Problem: Converting marketing leads into buyers.

Solution: Ug, “leads.” Could there be a more self-serving term? They aren’t individuals or customers or even users, but leads?

What if you could make them come to you? What if you spent less time cold-calling “leads” and more time being the go-to expert?

Become a resource on Twitter or answer questions on LinkedIn. Join an industry group on your favorite site or get active in a forum discussion.

Here’s the thing: rather than trying to convince people to hire you, instead convince them about how good you really are. Isn’t that the point? You didn’t start your small business to become a salesperson (well, most of you). But if you become a resource for a community, you will be the first person community members call when they need help.

Problem: Positioning your organization as having the same capabilities as big organizations in your industry.

Solution: Again, maybe I’m missing something. Why are you trying to make your small business seem big? Why not focus on the benefits of a small business?

Have you been watching The Office in recent weeks? The main character left his corporate behemoth and started the eponymous Michael Scott Paper Company.

He didn’t try to convince people he could do everything Dunder Mifflin did. Instead, he focused on what his small team could do: provide real value, excellent customer service, and those 5am paper deliveries in the Korean church bus.

What’s the equivalent for your business? Be agile, hungry…and successful.

Problem: Identifying new prospective customers.

Solution: In a sense, you could use elements of the other three problems to attract more customers. You can also create a destination for prospective customers who would be interested in your product.

For instance, let’s say you’re an expert on high-end coffee beans. Start a blog and go relentlessly after keywords like Kona and Jamaican Blue Mountain. Write posts about the product and show your expertise (just don’t be a jerk about it). Prospective customers will search for those keywords and find your amazing posts – Bingo!

Readers who comment on these posts should be of special interest. Sure, they’re even more likely to be prospective customers, but they could also be brand evangelists or someone who could teach you a vital aspect of the business.

Convinced yet?

Just yesterday, The Chicago Tribune published a story about small businesses who found success with social media marketing. Here’s what Andy Sernovitz, chief executive of GasPedal, a Chicago consulting firm specializing in word-of-mouth marketing and social media, had to say on the subject:

“Because of the viral nature of social media, companies that take the time to communicate are likely to see their goodwill spread. One simple technique for building relationships involves responding to positive mentions by saying ‘thank you’ and following up on negative mentions with an apology and a solution to the problem, Sernovitz said.”

Excellent customer service – even if the product is momentarily sub-par – creates goodwill, positive conversation, and might even improve your business.

Are you more convinced about my Yakov Smirnoff riff now?

Before the internet, marketing hid poor customer service.
In a web 2.0 world, customer service IS your marketing!

What a country world!

*

Tweet This Post!

If you enjoyed this post, consider signing up for free updates via email or RSS. Otherwise, I hope you share this post on digg, StumbleUpon, or the other social media tools found below.

(Photo courtesy of amanderson2 via Flickr)

Network Solutions recently published an intriguing report about small business success metrics. Their Small Business Success Index research (opens PDF of executive summary) contends that small businesses excel at customer service – but that small business marketing leaves much to be desired.

Why is this? How can small businesses improve their marketing without costly ad campaigns?

The State Of Small Business

Network Solutions breaks out six key factors that influence success for small businesses – capital access, marketing & innovation, workforce, customer service, computer technology, and compliance. (Details about each factor are included in the full report, available on their website.)

Customer service is the highest ranked of the six factors, meaning most small businesses do well at pleasing their customers. But marketing and innovation records the second worst score.

The problems become more apparent when marketing and innovation is broken down into sub-indices.

Where Are Small Businesses Failing (And Can Social Media Marketing Help)?

Out of seven marketing and innovation sub-indices, I’d like to examine the four lowest ranked and determine whether a social media marketing strategy could help improve sagging attributes.

Consider Michael Stelzner’s report published last month: Social Media Marketing Industry Report. In his extensive survey, Stelzner details how marketers are using social media to grow their business.

Consider Network Solutions’ marketing and innovation sub-indices when paired with Stelzner’s benefits of social media marketing:

• Finding efficient ways to advertise and promote your business – Network Solutions score: 67 (lowest sub-index)
• 81% of marketers reported that social media marketing generated exposure for their business (Stelzner)

• Converting marketing leads into buyers – Network Solutions score: 68
• 35% of marketers reported that social media marketing helped them close business

• Positioning your organization as having the same capabilities as big organizations in your industry: Network Solutions score: 71
• 61% of marketers reported that social media marketing increased their traffic/subscribers/opt-in list (key positioning/branding tactic)

• Identifying new prospective customers – Network Solutions score: 71
• 48% of marketers reported that social media marketing generated qualified leads

Social media marketing isn’t for everyone. It takes a lot of time and energy. These solutions are often highly personalized to your business (read: one size does not fit all). I have a history of warning marketers before they dive right in.

That said, I think the Network Solutions research and the Stelzner survey prove that social media marketing might be exactly what a lot of small businesses need right now.

So What Does This Mean For Me?

Later this week, I will drill down into the Networks Solutions data. I’ll give specific examples of how small businesses could improve their scores in the marketing and innovation sub-indices.

What’s this mean for you? Well, my hope is that you’ll garner something from my advice that provides a solution to your own small business marketing problem.

If you leave a comment about your personal small business marketing problems, I will try to address it in that post. Please join us later in the week for this follow-up – the easiest way not to miss out is to subscribe.

*

Tweet This Post!

If you enjoyed this post, consider signing up for free updates via email or RSS. Otherwise, I hope you share this post on digg, StumbleUpon, or the other social media tools found below.

(Image courtesy of shashiBellamkonda via Flickr)