Presentation delivered at the Ottawa Business Summit Feb 3, 2010. "Clearing the Muddy Waters" Marketing Strategy for Small Business.

1. CLEARING MUDDY WATERS MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS SOCIAL MEDIA

2. THE PANEL MODERATOR Kathryn SchwabPRceptive Communications PANELISTS Jim DonnellyOttawa Business Journal Arash MahinvdoLIFE Kneale MannYouIntegrate | CEPSM Karen McNaughtonThe Marketing Hub Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

3. CLEARERWATERS CROSS MEDIA MARKETING TRADITIONAL ADVERTISING EMAIL CROSS MEDIA MARKETING VIDEO MEDIA COVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA Interruption vs.Integration Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

4. ENSURE CUSTOMER-CENTRICITY ACROSS ALL CHANNELS MKTG COLLATERAL PRINT PUBLIC RELATIONS CUSTOMER RADIO / TV DIRECT MAIL TRADE SHOWS POS ONLINE Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

5. Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

6. TOP 10 MARKETING CHALLENGES FOR SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED BUSINESSES Limited financial and human resources Stronger competition Crowded marketplace Customer loyalty and volatility Unclear message(s)/Market confusion No internal champion/owner of strategy Strong story to tell but nowhere to tell it “One-off” marketing/advertising campaigns aren’t working Trying to decide between all the new marketing tools Where to start? Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

7. Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

8. CASE STUDY:EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGN CLIENT TYPE: Medical/Cosmetic Surgery Clinic CLIENT NEED: Customer engagement/loyalty programs PROPOSED SOLUTION: Integrated programs using website, email, direct mail, events, incentive/promotional program and case studies TIMEFRAME: Engagement over12 months APPROX. COST: Less than $1K/month RESULT: Increased new business 15%, repeat business 20% Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

9. CASE STUDY:EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGN Consistent look & feel First name personalization Feedback form Contact Us Facebook link Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

10. Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

11. CASE STUDY:VIDEO CAMPAIGN CLIENT TYPE: TMP Worldwide - Advertising Agency CLIENT NEED: Entice a digital call to action among viewers during a targeted ad campaign PROPOSED SOLUTION: use a vdoSpokesperson. 6 clips in rotation with targeted 5 second message TIMEFRAME: 3 weeks APPROX. COST: Confidential to client RESULT: 4.96 million views; 35.9% click-thru Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

12. Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

13. CASE STUDY:SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN CLIENT TYPE: Real Estate Team CLIENT NEED: Increase sales and visibility. To determine what social media channels could best help their efforts. PROPOSED SOLUTION: Create a revised business plan, outline roles and responsibilities, scrutinize budget, determine social media channels to best serve the company’s objectives. TIMEFRAME: Planning – 2 months. Execution – ongoing. APPROX. COST: Confidential to client. RESULT: Business Plan with roles and responsibilities has given the company a clearer vision of goals. They have increased sales-to-date, streamlined their database activity, established better processes and focused their social media activities. Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

14. Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

15. CASE STUDY:TRADITIONAL/ONLINE MEDIA COVERAGE CLIENT TYPE: Software Security Company Startup CLIENT NEED: To gain visibility with Technology and Business Media, and achieve consistent momentum in the US and Canada, post launch PROPOSED SOLUTION: Launch the company ahead of a major IT Security Trade show held in the US. Offer “sneak peaks” to relevant media. Without customers or partners, keep the media interested in doing stories with Company experts. (company had a number of well known Security gurus inside). Proactive pitching to media for new angles related to eHealth, government, retail security and IT security breaches. Proactive pitching to business media about unique people and activities within the company. Press releases, when there was REAL news! Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

16. CASE STUDY:TRADITIONAL/ONLINE MEDIA COVERAGE TIMEFRAME: First year in business (of a three year engagement) APPROX. COST: First year $ 30,000, which ramped up significantly over the following two years as company acquired customers and partners RESULT: First two months of company’s existence coverage in Top IT Security magazines, business press, and top analyst firms. Through continued outreach, company became the de facto source for media to call upon for stories about security breaches, hackers, best practices in eHealth, government, IT infrastructure. Over 50 media hits and mentions in the first year. Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

17. Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

18. Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

19. TOP 8 THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN PITCHING TO TRADITIONAL MEDIA Is your story about? Why do people care? Does it have news value? Figure out which medium makes the most sense for your story. What is your target audience? Does it jive with that of the outlet? Determine whom to contact and address your email/call to them. Write a succinct note – no long paragraphs or generic language. Follow up by phone within 24-48 hours. The more you can offer, the better. Think of visual aspects of your story, suggest a supplementary interview along with context facts and figures. Media people are busy people. Don’t be pushy. But if you have yet to received a “no” the be persistent – with respect. Don’t think your story is special, it because it is not. You want to go in to this process as if you are pitching to an investor. You have got to show them the money. Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

20. TOP 5 WAYS TO WORK WITH THE MEDIA AS A SMALL-MEDIUM SIZED BUSINESS Determine core strengths as a company – and your people – and, from that, what you can offer media types hungry for content If you have a story that's worth telling, pitch it – this is of course the most direct method of working with media Offer up your expertise as a third-party source for stories – though this isn't done by many SMEs, it is probably the #1 method of keeping your business in the media consistently Pick up the phone and call a reporter/editor/producer/publisher, to establish a relationship Invite media people to your events, but make sure the events are relevant to them Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

21. Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

22. TOP 10 QUICK TAKEAWAYS FOR BUSINESSES WITH A MARKETING BUDGET Start with a Go-To-Market Plan (short term and long term) Plan with your audience/customer in mind – how do you create that dialogue? Examine your human and financial resources Consider shifting budget allocation past campaigns didn’t give good results Start collecting customer testimonials – written, video, audio – every little bit counts! Basic formula= use SEO to attract, website to engage, email to nurture, CRM (database) to monitor/convert Do not try to do EVERYTHING Expect a “wait time” for new strategies and tactics, most results do not happen overnight! Find your experts within your company (for ANYTHING) and offer them to the appropriate media as “sources” Join Social Networks appropriate to your business and start participating Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

23. Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

24. TOP 10 QUICK TAKEAWAYS FOR BUSINESSES WITH NO OR LITTLE BUDGET Plan along the way, get ready to spend marketing dollars later Start building a database of customers – think about who you can reach when you’re ready Start monitoring your competition online, replicate and differentiate Start “appearing” at more free or low cost events Start collecting customer testimonials – written, video, audio – every little bit counts! Join online conversations – Social Networks appropriate to your business Reach out to media directly if you have content expertise and offer to be a source for a story Become a thought leader in your space/market – talk to who will listen Offer a promotion/incentive at low cost to you/high value to your prospects/clients Reward your evangelists Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

25. STAY OUT OF THE MUD Clearing Muddy Waters: Marketing. Communications. Social Media

26. CLEARING MUDDY WATERS MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS SOCIAL MEDIA Kathryn Schwab prceptive.com Jim Donnelly obj.ca Arash Mahin vdolife.com Kneale Mann onemann.blogspot.com Karen McNaughton themarketinghub.ca Photo Credits: Microsoft | Bill Pugliano |Getty Images | ArtistsWhoThrive