How to Use These 2009 Marketing Trends to Build Your Business

While everyone is moping, crying and predicting how deep the recession will get – there is a small quiet group out there kicking marketing ass and making money!  Which will you be this year?  You get to choose.  You can be an excuse-maker and join the group that’s crying and feeling sorry — or — you can resolve to take control of your marketing destiny and do something.

This is what I love about this kind of business environment is that there is this huge group of people pre-occupied with complaining about the economic trend instead of acknowledging the business environment and marketing accordingly.

So let’s take a moment to acknowledge some marketing trends and see in what ways you can use these 2009 marketing trends to make some money.

Social media goes mainstream.

If you’re still thinking that Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube are for kids – SNAP OUT OF IT.  Social media has gone mainstream.  Stop deluding yourself and start using these tools to market your business.  Here is your quick action list:

1. Start a blog on WordPress.com or Typepad.  WordPress has a new version out 2.7 and it’s amazingly easy.  You can also use Typepad (thanks Joel!).  I started on Typepad and it’s a terrific choice.  Their customer support is terrific.  I’ve never had a problem. If you already own a domain name – simply forward that name to your new WordPress Blog.  Stop over analyzing and start blogging.  Remember to put your new blog name and link in your e-mail signature.  Tell your customers and prospects.  A blog is an on-going advertisement about your organization and the cool new things you are doing that set you apart from other alternatives.
2. Register your company name or product names on Twitter.  As much as I love and idolize Jack Trout (guru of positioning) I’m disappointed at his article in Forbes.  Jack says that we might have gone overboard on Word of Mouth.  I think it’s a boon to any small business with a non-existent marketing budget.
3. Start a group on LinkedIn or Facebook.  Whether you choose LinkedIn or Facebook mostly depends on your product, service or target audience.  LinkedIn is more “professional.”  The audience is generally older and more traditional. Facebook is more casual and friendly.  There is no reason you can’t do both.  You can use LinkedIn to post questions and get feedback on purely business issues and you can use Facebook to get to know your customers a little better and build more loyal/friendly relationships.
4. Post on YouTube, Flickr and Slideshare. Jack Trout says the customers don’t want to talk about toothpaste and I say why not?  If millions of people could talk Blendtec — why couldn’t they talk about YOU?  Look, you will need to take some time to really let loose and think about the personality of your product, service or company.  Stop sensoring yourself and take some risk.  It costs next to nothing and the benefits are many.

The tighter the niche the better.

To build on this social media goes mainstream trend, let me just tell you that one out of every six people is using social media.  That means that you will have to take your segmentation efforts to the extreme.  You have to re-evaluate your web strategy. Before – the goal was to have a web site and put everything under an umbrella.  NOW it’s beeter to have lots of web sites (that’s why the blog is such a good idea).

• Start a web page for every segment. You will have to decide whether every segment or product or service requires a blog or is a web site/page better.  But whatever you do – make sure they are all independent targeting a specific audience.  The tighter the niche the better.  Remember Hedgehog Leatherworks?  Leather knife sheaths for outdoor/survival enthusiasts.  That is tight.

Build a Personal Brand

The job market is tight.  You might get laid off.  What if you have to take on projects to survive until the next gig?  You’re a small business that’s lost a big customer?  No matter which group you are in, you are in the pool of options for opportunities.  That means that you will have to stand out in the information clutter.

Personal branding used to be something for Oprah, but now – it’s for the rest of us.  If you don’t have a personal brand, people won’t know why to choose you.  If they don’t know why to choose you, you’ll find yourself on the couch instead of cashing checks.  Here’s how to get a brand.

1. Subscribe to Personal Brand Magazine.  This is an awesome online publication.  Dan Schawbel connects with experts and personal branding success stories and gives you practical insight in how to get your brand started.
2. Get StrengthsFinder 2.0 and do the assessment. I’ve recommended this before – it’s a great place to start and will give you the words you can start using that set you apart.
3. Network and tell people what sets you apart.
4. Start blogging and Twittering .  Twitter and share links on those topics where you want people to choose you.

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