New Media Mavens

What 'Sex and the City' can teach small businesses

The firestorm has begun. The ladies of the uber-popular HBO series, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis, will be on with Oprah tomorrow plugging the movie's debut, May 30. The movie and the hype surrounding it is one of the most important lessons for marketing and promoting your small business:

Lesson 1: FIND A HOOK

Since the movie is so well known for it's great fashions and footwear, there's no reason why every shoe and fashion store in America isn't using the movie to tie-in to what they offer.

For example, if you're a shoe or fashion store, consider running a contest on your Web site or via e-mail to ask your customers to write about their favorite pair of shoes they've bought from you this season and why. Whether it's mules or Manolos, most of the store's customers are pretty invested in what they buy so make it fun.

On your blog or Facebook or MySpace page, you could link to the trailer (see below). You could add a Forum page to your website and start chatting about the fabulous footwear all the ladies will be wearing in the movie, you could send e-mail invites to come to your store to check out similar shoe styles to the movie. The benefits extend offline as well. You can buy movie tickets and offer it as giveaways for those who buy three pairs of shoes or more. You can even host your own party and serve cosmos and nibbles before the movie showings that weekend and even sport your own red carpet. Take pictures and post them on your blog and ask your customers to discuss the fashions and shoes in the movie. And the plot too since it's been a well-guarded secret!

Seriously, this movie is a shoe- and fashion-lovers dream so make the most of it.

Alison Woo

Chief Media Maven

Blogging for business: Do you need a blogger-in-chief?

The Internet is all atwitter with the question:Does a business need a "blogger-in-chief?"

We say that it's all about what kind of company you have. Small businesses can range from a solopreneur right to the Small Business Administration's definition of any company with less than 100 employees. That's a wide range of experiences.

The person who blogs for your business should be able to not only connect authentically with your audience but they also need some expertise in what they're writing about. In the end it comes down to what type of business you have. A company like Haagen-Dazs has almost 50 different types of one product: ice cream. So if you had the head taster blog, you would have consistent blog posts who would probably talk about the flavors they have and why they chose the combinations they have. Whereas a company like General Motors has more than a dozen different product lines, which is why they have one central head of global technology guru who coordinates that huge task of getting the people at all the various departments contribute (to hear our interview with Christopher Barger, the director of global technology, click here.)

To read more from the Financial Times article that talks about the issue of "blogger-in-chief," click http://www.financialweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080429/REG/740115194.

Alison Woo

Chief Media Maven

General Motors hits it big with social media

Big businesses have a lot they can teach small businesses. And vice versa!

And there's no business bigger than General Motors. The automaker was one of the first Fortune 100 companies to launch into new media marketing. They've taken a bold step with their new social media site, I M Saturn (www.imsaturn.com).

Listen to the first part of our interview with Christopher Barger, GM's head of global technology, discuss how social media has evolved into the next logical marketing step.

Mavens launch an Internet radio show

Hi everyone!

Saturday morning at 10 a.m. we launch our radio show. Our first guest is Christopher Barger who heads up General Motors global technology. He'll talk about their brand new Saturn social media site.

To listen live visit www.blogtalkradio.com/new-media-mavens.

In the coming weeks and months, we'll be talking to everyone from big corporations that have lessons to share to small business owners that are using new media tools to help them stand out from the crowd. And now that we are in the busiest political year in recent memory, we'll be talking to those in charge of marketing many of the candidates on the campaign trail, too.

You will also get tips and tools to help boost your own business.

Call us in at our New York studios every Friday at 10 a.m at 347-838-8567 with your questions.

Crossing the Line: When Blogging Becomes Personal

The No. 1 rated video on YouTube this week is from a woman, Tricia Walsh Smith, carping about her soon-to-be ex husband.

Everyone has been talking about it from Oprah to The New York Times who did an article on the impact of personal blogging.

While this blog deals with business blogging, the above example proves to be a cautionary tale. Don't think as business people you have one identity for your business and one for your personal life. Before you think about blogging or podcasting or writing on your Facebook page about your drunken weekend in Cabo, think about who will read it. How would you like your customers knowing this information?

Feel inspired to reveal deeply personal information, write in a traditional journal or call a friend. If you must use new media to express your innermost (and potentially embarassing thoughts) use an alias. But realize that this new world of new media means everyone is watching.

Learning from the big guns: General Motors launches new Saturn social media site

I just had the most exciting conversation with Christoper Barger, General Motors director for Global Communications Technology.

Barger talked about the great success GM has had launching several blogs (including Fast Lane -- which we talk about in our book). Their latest venture hit the ground running on April 14, 2008. Saturn lovers now have their own social media site called I M Saturn. Visit it at http://www.imsaturn.com/.

Big movers and shakers like GM are leading the way in new media marketing. What can small businesses learn from them? Barger talked about how no matter what business you have it's all about engaging the customer, not talking down to them.

Look for our upcoming podcast on social media coming to iTunes soon!

Alison Woo

Chief Media Maven

How to Make Your Business Real on the Web - Part II

Using real testimonials with headshots, full names and location can establish you on the Internet as a real person that others have chosen to do business with.  Another way to amp your credibility is to write a mission statement for your business that gives a snapshot of who you are at the core. This statement tells prospects:

• who your ideal customers are
• your underlying values and vision
• your approach to business

Prospects may identify with you or not. Don't worry about the "nots". You want to only work with customers who are aligned with your mission.

Our new book, "How to Say it: Marketing with New Media - A Guide to Marketing Your Small Business Using Websites, E-Zines, Blogs and Podcasts" (Penguin/Prentice Hall Press) is packed with tips on exactly what to say to make your business real on the Web. It's ready for pre-order on Amazon.

Regards,
Lena Claxton
The Marketing Maven

How to Make Your Business Real on the Web - Part I

During the course of any given day, your customer is inundated with information on the Internet. With the proliferation of fancy website templates and slick wording, consumers are at a loss to distinguish the "real McCoy." In other words, who is real and who isn't? Who is a scam? or who is going to provide shoddy services and products despite the lofty claims?

As a business owner who provides superior service, your priority is to communicate your authenticity. You want to reassure your prospects that you deliver what you promise on your site. One of the many ways to establish credibility is to use genuine testimonials. Make them as real as you can - with headshots or even audio as well as text. Use the person's full name, website URL, city and state. I personally disregard the testimonials ending in anonymous initials like "LJ." The idea is to offer full disclosure and show that your offering is real.

Regards,

Lena Claxton
The Marketing Maven
Preorder our book "How to Say It: Marketing With New Media ..." on Amazon.