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Social Media and Online Marketing for the Foothills

I'm Stan Zenk, and I opened my first retail shop in 1984, so I know how the Internet has changed the way we do business. Especially how we market ourselves. In 1999, I began helping small business owners get into Internet marketing. Back then it was about putting up a website and getting an email address. Today it’s about Google rankings, business blogs, Facebook pages, geo targeting, clickthrough rates, inbound links, social media optimization, and that puzzle small business owners struggle with: “To tweet or not to tweet??” One thing’s for sure: tomorrow’s puzzle---whatever it is---will likely be more confounding than that.

 I know how hard it is to stay up with it all. How exhausting running a business is, even without any of this to have to figure out or try to use. But I think it simply doesn’t matter what specific business you’re in. We’re all in the marketing business. And we all need to be good at it. Especially now.

 If you don’t use the Internet in your business, it’s time to start. If you do use it, it’s time to reevaluate and retool. Because today’s Internet is not what it was---even in 2008. Social media has fundamentally and forever changed more than just the Internet. It is changing society. It’s not a joke whether you should be tweeting or not. It’s now a serious question. (Not because of the answer though. Sometimes knowing why to ask a question makes you smarter than having its answer. Learn why you should consider twittering, and you’ll be ahead of the class!)

Reading Your Rights

If you and I were to sit down over Ben & Jerry’s to look into spiffing up your online marketing, this is what we’d talk about:

1. Your Right People
2. Your Right Message
3. Your Right Image
4. Your Right Online Channels
5. Your Right Reputation

Your Right People are the ones whose needs/wants perfectly match what your core business provides. If you know who your Right People are, your Right Message is the one that they instantly “get.” Your Right Image is one that they instantly like. Your Right Online Channels are those which present your Right Message and Image in the places your Right People frequent. And your Right Reputation is the one your Right People share with other Right People who aren’t your customers yet.

That’s it in a B&J’s carton. Except to emphasize that the shift in business/consumer relations which social media has created is a shift you have to take into account now for all your business decisions. If you do, you’ll find and keep your Right People. If you don’t, you won’t.

If you’re not happy with the results of your current marketing, I’d like to help you figure things out and help you make the changes you decide you need. I live and work in the El Dorado County Foothills. I don’t prefer big city clients. They’re not my Right People. What I like most is helping small-city people achieve what they believe themselves capable of. If your vision calls you forward, but you feel held back because you need some clarity, some learning, a practical helping hand, or just somebody to brainstorm with, I’d like to have that Ben & Jerry’s talk with you soon.