You’ve probably done your year-end numbers by now and understand how your business fared in 2011. Some businesses did well, others not so well – it was that kind of year. But if you’ve got a goal of making 2012 your best year yet, you’re going to need a marketing plan. And yes – you’re going to have to implement it.

Most small business owners will wait until long after the effects of the New Year’s Eve champagne have worn off before even beginning to think about next year’s marketing efforts. That’s right – the whole glittery-ball-dropping-at-midnight has most of your competitors with their eyes on the ball…the wrong one!

Advantage: you.

One thing successful businesses have in common is a marketing plan – one with clear goals and tasks. But marketing planning is about more than just formulating next year’s marketing strategy; it’s also about understanding what elements worked last year – and reallocating your resources accordingly to maximize your success.

2012 Marketing Planning
Take a deep breath. Putting together your plan for 2012 isn’t as hard – or stressful -as you may imagine. You already have the tools you need; you probably just don’t realize it.

Here are some of the key questions you should ask and answer when creating your marketing plan:

1. Where is your business today? What did you achieve over the last year?

To understand where your business has been and how you got where you are, you need to know your success metrics. So think about how you measure success. How many prospective customers turned into sales? Which marketing efforts generated what sales? Did your revenue grow or contract? By how much? Which market niches did you dominate?

2. How effective was your marketing in 2011, and what did you do?

What factors led to the increase (or decrease) in your company’s sales? Did you attend trade shows or networking events? Send out marketing pieces – online and via direct mail, or give away branded promotional items? Did you tweet or use Facebook to drive awareness of your brand? Did you keep your website relevant – with fresh content – and actively link-build to draw in more web traffic? Did you use the web to generate leads? Did you advertise? Did you try something new this past year? How did you differentiate your products or services, and help your customers understand the benefits of doing business with you? If you set aside a specific marketing budget last year, was it sufficient to achieve your goals?

Be sure you figure out which of your marketing campaigns were successful (and why), and understand which ones were ineffective. This information is critical to creating a successful plan.

3. What are your goals for 2012?

Set your marketing and business revenue goals for 2012, and then set your scary stretch goal (yup – you’ve got to write that one down, too). Is your goal to double revenues, or move into a new market?  Understanding what you want to achieve is the key. Remember that throughout the year, your goals may shift, and you’ll need to modify your plans accordingly.

4. Where do you really want your business to go long-term?

You’re building a plan for 2012…but what’s your long-term dream? If you’re a dog-sitting company, do you dream of becoming a home-concierge business, as well? Does your 2012 marketing budget account for growth into areas closer to your dream business? Will you need new brochures – or a new page on your website – to tackle that new opportunity? Do you want to embrace social media and start list-building? If possible, set aside a portion of your budget to help you achieve goals towards your larger dream, and look for ways to draw it together with some of your shorter-term 2012 marketing efforts.

5. What do you need to do to reach your goals?

Once you’ve figured out where you want the business to go, it’s time to build your plan. The best-laid plans are meticulously constructed of specific, detailed and quantifiable tasks. Don’t just say ‘market the new widget.’ Be sure you break each goal into specific tasks: ‘identify target customer demographics,’ ‘purchase list of leads in X locale,’ ‘develop new brochure,’ ‘begin mailer campaign in coordination with daily Facebook posts,’ ‘grow list 15% monthly.’

Marketing planning itself isn’t difficult, but sometimes it can be a challenge to think through the short- and long-term goals of your business, list your marketing needs and implement each of the tasks that will take your business to new heights. As a business owner, it’s a valuable annual routine that allows you to spend your marketing dollars wisely.

Do you plan your marketing annually, or have you been using scattershot marketing?

Yikes! Who knew that this part was going to be so – well – hard? After all, you’re the expert in your business and you know everything there is to know, so why on earth is thinking up what to say so difficult? I hear this sentiment from business owners all the time and I have three words for you – plan your content. Getting your yearly content planning done upfront will help you avoid the monthly torture of searching for inspiration, and set you up for both blogging and marketing success!

Here are a few tips to use when brainstorming your blog content:

1. What Do Your Customers Want to Know?
Think of the questions you’ve heard during your time in business…they’re a great place to start. If you answer those questions, you’ll place yourself in the expert seat. Survey your marketing list to find out what your audience wants to know.

2. Lists: Popular and Simple.
Everyone loves a list: ‘5 Ways to Keep the Kids Entertained This Summer’; ‘Three Reasons to Check Your Tire Pressure Monthly ’; ‘10 Surefire Tips to Save Money on Your Electrical Bill This Summer.’ Think about your business in terms of helpful lists you can create for both your customers and your prospects. Readers like lists since they are easy to read (ahem, ‘skim’), and they tend to gather the critical information together in one easy-to-find place within the article – but remember to vary your posting style.

3. The Yearly Business Cycle.
What customers want – and what you need to give them – changes throughout the year. Think about your marketing themes and use them to drive blog content ideas. For instance, a promotional products company might be asked for short-sleeve company apparel in the springtime, promotional pens and bags during trade show periods and customer appreciation gifts during the holiday season. You should provide blog content that is a rich source of information for your customers when they need it. Keep topics seasonal and relevant for your customers.

4. Set Up a Regular Feature.
Try spotlighting your customers once a month – they’ll be flattered and honored, I promise! Another possibility for a monthly feature could be an educational post on specific products you offer. Just don’t go overboard – your blog is not the place for a hard sell! Also, think about inviting a business owner with a related service or product to do a guest blog once a month.

Remember, content planning is the key to easy blogging! Planning your blog content over the course of the year is essential to business blog success. Your blog is another marketing channel for your business; so make sure your blog content complements your broader marketing objectives.

Have you started your business blog content calendar for 2012?

You’ve likely begun to form a clear picture of why you’re blogging, what the goal is, and how you are going to track your success. But what takes a blog from being ordinary to becoming a customer magnet? Here are 10 tips on how to write your blog:

 1.       Choose Your Blog Content Wisely.
Blog content runs the gamut, from highly personal to strictly business. Be sure to remember who your audience is, and who you want it to be. If all of your blog posts are about cool apps for Android phones, that’s great…but not if your business is tax law. Give your audience what they want! Your posts should offer valuable information – that’s why your reader is visiting in the first place.

 2.       Be Personable.
Injecting a little “you” into your blog allows you to connect with your customers on a personal level. But beware – there are pitfalls to avoid! It’s okay to bring in personal elements of your life, but this is your brand we’re talking about. Being personable is important; people want to like the person with whom they do business. But remember your readers are potential customers. Avoid the inflammatory (unless that’s your thing), and be the likeable ‘business-you’ that helps you land customers in person.

 3.       Blog Post Length.
Your readership is just like you…they have no time to read everything, so they skim. Blog posts generally run 200 – 1000 words in length, though a standard informative blog post typically ranges from 300 – 700 words, which is ideal from an SEO standpoint. Keep it simple.

 4.       Make Your Headline Great!
You have to grab your audience right up front, and promise something valuable that will make them read on. This is what your headline is for – so make it interesting. ‘A Treatise on the Causes of Poor Coating Durability’ doesn’t come across nearly as well as ‘What to Do When Your Exterior Paint Peels.’           

 5.       Use Keywords.
I’m guessing that part of the reason you’re blogging (or considering blogging) is to generate awareness of your brand. After all, you do want the search engines to locate your content and improve your website or blog rankings, right? There are many rules about the use of keywords (none are absolute, and they’re constantly changing!) Remember to place important keywords in the title of your post, in the subheads, and in the first paragraph. Make sure you choose keywords that reflect your business; if the word ‘Toyota’ shows up in your post about selecting fencing nine times, and the word ‘fence’ only shows up twice…well, simply put – that’s not good.

 6.       Write Well.
Make your blog easy to read; a well-written blog is more likely to attract readers. Google – and most others –  measure your readability, and adjust search results accordingly. Spelling, punctuation, word choice… everything matters. Don’t sacrifice readability by overloading your content with keywords…the search engines will find out and your rankings will suffer!

 7.       Consistency is Key.
Starting a blog is like a contract with your readers. If you state you’ll be posting to your business blog every week, make sure you do. Your audience will expect your entries. Don’t disappoint them – keep your word!

8.       Sign Me Up!
Make sure you have a sign-up form on every page of your website, so visitors can easily join the mailing list for your blog or newsletter.

 9.       Blog Pictures
Don’t forget about the images in your blog posts (and on your website!), and make sure you fill out the ALT tag  information.  Use your most important keywords here, and enter a description of the photo and related post.

10.     Links
Use links to other related web content where it makes sense in your post. When you link to information related to your subject matter, it helps improve your search engine rankings.

Do you have questions about business blogs? Ask away!

 Done right, business blogging allows you to:

• become a trusted authority on your topic of expertise
• build your list of potential targets
• develop relationships with large numbers of customers (or potential customers)
• continually provide your website fresh content and improve your SEO
• increase your website traffic and sales

While many companies have blogs, researching and writing blog posts isn’t for everyone and many small business owners find themselves with little or no time to invest in their online presence. But you need to remember that your blog is another marketing channel – one that complements and works with your other marketing efforts.

So how does a blog benefit your business? Here are five ways:

1. Share, Educate and Influence: Become The Trusted Authority
   Do you want to stay in front of customer and potential customers so they think of you when they need your widget or service? Do you want to be considered someone who’s a thought leader in your industry? Whether you sell tires or manage a retirement home, a thoughtful, well-written blog strengthens your credibility as the someone others turn to for knowledge and experience. Think of a blog as a tool that allows you to share your expertise with readers, teach them important information …and potentially land real-life customers.
2. Build Your Marketing List
   A man walks in to a chocolate shop (probably my other half), hands the proprietor $5.00 for some peanut butter walnut fudge and departs. Imagine if that same person instead searched for ‘peanut butter walnut fudge’ online, arrived at your website and signed up for your blog. You’d have captured two valuable things from this highly qualified lead: 1) their interest, and 2) their contact information. That is the power of a blog – it’s another marketing channel you can use to identify and attract qualified prospects.
3. Develop Relationships With Customers & Potential Customers
   An engaging blog personality can develop relationships by encouraging feedback and interaction. While many business owners think about using their blog as a quick way for them to share a press release, a product recall, a new product offering, the real value is in giving your customer information that they want and need. Above all, business owners must remain responsive to comments on their blog. Talk to your readers and create those great relationships. After all, everyone wants to do business with someone they like.
4. Increase Visibility through SEO
   Bet you didn’t know that your blog could help your website’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO)! Search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo! rank websites according to a number of criteria, including the quality and quantity of inbound & outbound links and how often fresh, relevant keyword-rich content is posted. This is exactly what makes blogs great for SEO – you’re continually posting fresh content on your site and they give you more opportunities to build those inbound and outbound links. Blogs also create a reason for your potential customers to return. Don’t underestimate the power of having new material frequently appear on your site; search firms like Google take note of stale content and lower your search rankings.
5. Increase Website Traffic & Sales
   This one’s a no-brainer: the more people you have walking through the door, the more likely you are to make a sale. Blogs bring guests interested in your content to your website. Blogs also provide a great way to use your other social media avenues. Tweet about your blog post. Facebook some excerpts from this week’s blog. Creating conversations gives you more opportunities to keep potential customers visiting your website, so you can make the sale!

More and more businesses are turning to outside firms for social media management, but business owners need to stay involved. Remember that your business blog is a component of your overall marketing strategy and not just ‘that web thing you need to do.’

Has your company started a business blog? Have you noticed any changes in your sales, your search engine rankings or the way your customers interact with you?

Spam filters assign points to your emails, based on a number of criteria. If your email recieves too many points, then  - whether it’s well-intentioned or not – it may be marked as spam. While some of these have a long history as great marketing words, spam filters are changing the way we write for email. Here are 10 words and phrases you’ll definitely want to avoid, along with a few other hints.

1. Click (or Click Here)
2. Free
3. US Dollars
4. Risk Free
5. Now
6. Offer
7. No Hidden Costs
8. No Obligation
9. All New
10. Act Now!

There are plenty more spam trigger words out there, so take care when writing your email copy. While one or two words probably won’t get you placed on spam lists alongside the Nigerian Oil Minister, if you aren’t careful they can quickly add up and hurt your email marketing campaign. Companies like MailChimp, Constant Contact and aWeber are dealing with the ever-changing world of spam words and phrases, so you may want to check with your email service for more information about known spam triggers before you write your next email.

More Tips to Avoid Becoming a Spammer

1. Don’t use too many pictures. Spam filters can’t “read” pictures, and – if there’s little or no text – they’ll catagorize the email as spam.
2. Avoid using the words ‘Oprah’ and ‘Viagra.’  No joke…they are known spam words that are used by spammers to get attention. (Forget sticks and stones…names actually can hurt you.)
3.  Don’t use all caps in your email subject line. Not only is it a surefire sign of spam, it’s also considered rude.
4. Don’t start off your email with the phrase ‘Dear [name].’ Believe it or not, ‘dear’ is a pretty big spam word that can count against you.

In short: whether or not you are a spammer, what you say can easily get you classified as one…so take care with your words.

Have you been using any of these words in your email marketing?

What is a Blog?

A business blog is an ongoing series of (usually) short articles that you publish online. It is a way to indirectly market your products or services by sharing related value-added information and tips. Your blog is where you show your expertise to your market niche – it is where you educate interested individuals and give them information that can help them. This is not where you make a direct sales appeal.

Since a blog is a more informal type of communication, you can add your brand’s personality to the language of your posts. This relaxed interaction can help you build relationships with your visitors, clients and prospects so that when they are ready to buy what you offer – they think of you automatically.

Business blogs are usually hosted on a company’s website. Sometimes they are the company’s website, while other times they may be the personal perspectives of one of the key principals of the business (think Sir Richard Branson of the Virgin Group).

And a Newsletter?

Most people understand the old-fashioned newsletter, which once upon a time was – and sometimes still is – mailed out diligently every month to customers, employees, etc. The newsletter has found renewed life through email – reducing costs, extending reach and adding quick customizability.

Your newsletter, whether it’s produced in print or email, is a direct marketing tool. It gives your customers some educational information, but it also provides information about what you are doing and what is happening in your business. A newsletter shares with your customers the events you are participating in, big happenings in your business, any promotions, discounts or specials you are offering and a link back to your website. 

Blog vs. Newsletter Tips

Here are some easy-to-remember guidelines on the differences between business blogs and newsletters.

Your Blog:

• allows you to have an ongoing informal conversation with your audience
• explains a subject – perhaps something your customers are always inquiring about
• shares useful information from other sources
• provides evergreen (timeless) information about topics related to your business
• lets you communicate as often as you’d like – some people blog every day, others a couple times each week or month, and still others post a blog entry once a month
• usually takes a while to build an audience since visitors need to find your blog

Your Newsletter:

• highlights a specific theme or message
• targets a specific audience
• offers special discount or sales coupons
• provides value-added information and tips
• shares timely information
• allows you to touch base with customers and potential customers less frequently (usually every 4 to 8 weeks)
• is only sent to those people who have specifically requested information from your business

Your thoughts are welcome!

Are you using blogs or newsletters in creative ways to help drive sales?