►Welcome
►Let Me Connect You
►How Do Your Customers Behave?
►Ways to Attract Former Clients
►Meet the Team
►Quote & Cartoon
 

In the event you’ve been living on a desert island for the past few years, “Social media” is the current “buzzword” in marketing along with a variety of other terms. We’ll address other terms in upcoming issues. However, one of the more overlooked aspects of the acceptance and promotion of this particular medium as a marketing tool is the elementary determination as to whether it’s going to be used as a B2C (Business to Consumer) or B2B (Business to Business) communication vehicle. It would be very unfortunate to not delineate between the two.

As most traditional marketers would analyze a medium, their first interest would be in the readers, viewers, aka the demographics of the users of the medium. Recently I investigated the demographics of “Facebook” users. Contrary to my preconceived opinion, the vast majority of users are male between 18 and 34. Previously I imagined that they were female between 13 and 24. So depending on the demographics of your target audience it may very well be prudent to re-examine the demographics reported by the medium’s marketing department. This is especially true if you haven’t been hitting your predetermined ROI from your promotional efforts.

So we have identified a prime vehicle to get your marketing message to the male market ages 18 through 34. So have others. If you are vending automotive accessories it might be a very good match-up. However, if you’re trying to recruit students for a respected institution of higher learning with a religious origin you might elect to forgo this opportunity in the event an advertisement for “Lola’s House of Delights” places an ad next to yours.

Caveat Emptor

Not too long ago, the phrase “Let me connect you” would have only come from a telephone operator. Today, it’s just as likely to come to my inbox as I receive emails from colleagues, business partners, friends and relatives who want to connect to me through one of today’s electronic social networking sites. At age 52, this is a new phenomenon for me. On the other hand, teenagers are completely tuned in to this concept – they all have a Myspace or Facebook account. So, does it make sense in the business world? I decided to find out.

Linked in (http://www.linkedin.com) seems to be the business networking site of choice. Linked In has a simple philosophy: Relationships Matter. On their website, they state “Our mission is to help you be more effective in your daily work and open doors to opportunities using the professional relationships you already have.” When you join Linked In, you create a profile that summarizes your work and educational accomplishments.

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How Do Your Customers Behave?
by Debra J. Schmidt
used with permission

Have you ever left a store vowing never to return? If you answered, "yes," did you leave because of the way you were treated? Most customers stop doing business with a company because one employee treated them poorly.

Have you ever met a salesperson you did not like? If you answered, "yes," did you buy from that salesperson? Most customers have met a salesperson they didn't like and chose not to buy from that salesperson unless it was a product or service they could not get anywhere else. Customers and sales are lost every day because of a lack of understanding of the customer's behavioral style.

People tend to conduct business with people they like. But style differences often create barriers that can prevent you from building positive relationships with your customers.

My husband, Larry and I have very different behavioral styles. When I decide to buy a car, I wait until I can afford a brand new model. I select the style and color first. I test-drive the vehicle once. I need to be excited about the vehicle. If I like the way it drives and l think I'll look good in it, the decision is all but made. Once I've responded on an emotional level, it's unlikely that I'll shop around.

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5 Ways to Attract Former Clients
by Steve Strauss
reprinted with permission from the Microsoft Small Business Center

Q: After three years in business, I have a list of inactive clients for my salon. Should I contact them to see if they're willing to give us another try? Thanks for any suggestions. Jackie

A: You are right to want to bring former customers back. Most of us have heard the statistic that it costs seven times as much to create a new customer as it does to keep a current one, so it behooves you to romance your current and former clientele.

What is the best way to do it, you ask?

There are five ways:

Meet the Team

"What is the strangest new year’s resolution you’ve made?"

Ambar: Beat my marshmallow-mouth-stuffing record
Colin: To grow another 8 inches
Corinne: Resolve to not make resolutions
Craig: not to make any New Year Resolutions
Jay: To dislike being asked a question for the monthly newsletter
Jennifer: I don’t make resolutions
Lou: I will wake up every morning
Mary: Housetrain my teenagers
Stephen: I never make new year’s resolutions
Tarah: Watch the whole Star Wars series without falling asleep
Tim: To let my daughter dress me as her “pretty princess”. Once.
Trevor: Not break my ankle playing volleyball

Welcome to the team, Ambar and Lou!