Marketing on a Shoestring: Guerilla Marketing, PR & Social Media

1. Marketing on a Shoestring: Guerilla Marketing, PR & Social Media April 2, 2009

2. Definition of marketing • Everything you do to promote your business on a regular basis in order to create a desire for your product or service.

3. Three secrets of marketing • Know your message • Know your audience • Know how to reach your audience with your message

4. Six Strategic Questions • What is the goal? • Who is the target? • What do they think? • What do you need them to think? • What is most motivational to your customers? • Why should they believe?

5. Know your message • People make decisions emotionally, justify with logic • Awareness is good – motivation is better • Motivate people to agree with you, reinforce beliefs and behavior – and cause action • See through your audience’s eyes • Make it meaningful, believable and unique

6. Cut through the clutter • Create emotional response • Keep it fresh and different • Use simple, direct wording • Use common language • One message, one thought per communication • Enthusiasm counts • Ask for the order – close the deal

7. Know your prospective customers • Define your target audience • By demographics: age, gender, occupation, income level, marital status, education, interests, hobbies • By familiarity • By current attitude

8. Know your current customers • Talk to them! • Use questionnaires • Use a market research firm • Use focus groups • Coffee and cookies after hours • Find out what the hot button is for your customers

9. Reach your audience • Determine current market position • Who are your customers? • Where do they come from? • How do they find out about you? • What do they think of your product? • What do you want them to think?

10. Now apply it … on the cheap • Guerilla marketing • Public relations • Social media

11. Definition of Guerrilla Marketing • Recognize and use everyday marketing opportunities to create a desire for your product or service. • Get creative!

12. Guerrilla Tactics • Stamped envelopes - lick stamps for mailing rather than using postage meter • Give samples of product/service – pretzels in the mall, vacuum demo • Offer gifts for responses • Telephone – quick, personal and cheap

13. Guerrilla Tactics • Membership club – greeting card clubs, coffee clubs, etc • Signs on public bulletin boards – in grocery stores, business offices, daycares • One good graphic -- for letterhead, business card, ads, etc. • Personal letters

14. Guerrilla Tactics • Classified ads – inexpensive marketing to a large audience • Flyers – use as signs, mailers, brochures • Canvass prospective buyers – contact them, do your presentation, close the sale • Solve a problem – show how what you offer solves customers’ problems

15. Guerrilla Tactics • Customer service! • Follow up – call customers to see if they are satisfied • Customer recourse – have a plan for turning unhappy customers into happy ones • Phone manners – Be cordial, helpful, polite, sunny • Enthusiasm – Get it and give it away, it’s contagious • Get warm – Smile, be positive, use customer’s names

16. Guerrilla Tactics • Newsletters/Facebook groups – make it personal and about the audience

17. The power of PR • PR is a bank account of goodwill and positive perceptions for your business. • It pays off long-term • It’s a guerilla tactic all its own

18. PR is… • Relationships with local media • A column or LTE in the local paper • Blogging • Facebook groups! • Steep Me a Cup of Tea • Team sponsorships • Public speaking gigs

19. Know your local media • Read your local paper and family publications • Watch local news broadcasts • Listen to local radio to learn more about the style and interests of local journalists. • Get to know the reporters and editors and which topics they cover.

20. Media relations • Be the source for your specialty • The media wants information, help them get it • Relationships with writers, editors • Speaking engagements with partner organizations • Sponsoring the team

21. Social media is… • Not scary! • An old fashioned conversation in a new-fangled location: online.

22. Listen and learn! • People are sharing what they love • And what they hate • Talk to them and learn from them

23. Social media • Vehicles like Facebook bring people with a passion for something together. • Mr. Delicious • 345 people in the know • Steep Me a Cup of Tea • 71 people connected over tea

24. Social marketing • Don’t panic, you know how to do this • Think real-life analogies • Community • A group that shares common characteristics or interests • Neighborhood/neighborly • You can borrow a cup of sugar from your neighbor or ask her to bring in your mail. • A potluck with a purpose • Getting to know people. Networking!

25. Social marketing dos • Make it relevant and actionable • Introduce intriguing topics that drive action and sharing • Make it fun • Make it real • Make it friendly • BE FLEXIBLE

26. Social marketing don’ts • Don’t be the sales guy in the room • Be cool -- don’t push your product • Don’t crash the wrong party • Know the neighborhood and its power • Don’t separate business and personal • Don’t wait for approval • Don’t be so uptight • Don’t try to do everything. • Pick the best, get good, expand. • Facebook, Flickr & YouTube

27. Marketing Bridge • Remember! It takes a while to re-educate people: • Unawareness • Awareness • Comprehension • Conviction • Action

28. Your to do list • Find a friend, and explore Facebook (and ignore the other social media talk for now) • Create a profile • Join a group/become a fan to learn how that works • Travel North Dakota • Steep Me a Cup of Tea • ND Ambassadors • Help a reporter out with a story idea that will benefit you • Call Kim Schmidt at ND Tourism – 701.328.2532

29. Resources • Books • Publish & Prosper: Blogging for your Business • How to Win Customers and Keep Them for Life • Guerilla Marketing • Wizard of Ad

30. Discussion & Questions • Marketing on a Shoestring: Guerilla Marketing, PR & Social Media Marnie Piehl, Odney mpiehl@odney.com 701.222.8721