Small and midsize businesses need to stay competitive and relevant in order to survive this recession. But how do they get noticed among all the other companies? Duct Tape Marketing's John Jantsch explains what type of marketing smaller companies should focus on and how to harness social networking.
Getting the word out and raising awareness about your business is crucial to driving revenue, and that's even more true in a recession. But business can't succeed just by spending more. Smart marketing requires focus and attention to clear objectives and goals. That's the message that John Jantsch has been preaching for years, and his targeted, focused approach has built Duct Tape Marketing into a small-business success story that keeps growing and doling out invaluable marketing advice.
Jantsch spoke with bMighty about how business owners can improve their marketing efforts, the best ways to approach social media, and how to get traction as a blogger.
bMighty: What one thing would you recommend business owners do to enhance their marketing?
John Jantsch: I can't preach enough about the opportunities to harness the Internet. Business owners need to think beyond the Web site; it's about a Web presence. Think in terms of the Web site as a hub that reaches with different spokes -- a blog, social networking, social search such as Yelp and CitySearch -- and spending time making each of those spokes stronger and adding new spokes from that hub.
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bMighty: What should business owners be doing differently in this down economy?
Jantsch: What I tell people right now is that they're asking that question because they haven't been focused about what they've been doing. Businesses are impacted, no question, but what often happens is that businesses that are getting by just fine during good times aren't focused, and then they start to feel the pinch in bad times. The natural impulse [in a downturn] is to go out and find new customers and expand what you say you do. I disagree. Now's the time to narrow the target focus and find a clear point of differentiation -- do you have a product or service that no one else has? Can you package or deliver it differently than anyone else does?
bMighty: How is the opportunity with social media different for small and midsize businesses than enterprises?
Jantsch: The difference between how big and small companies use social media is the same difference that exists in all forms of marketing. Large corporations can drive big initiatives that establish brands; they have lots of bodies and resources to hire specialized agencies and contractors to push their brand in the same way they do with traditional marketing. The same opportunity is there for small businesses, but the resources are different. The advantage that's perhaps more powerful for small business is the flexibility and willingness to try new things and change things up because there's not an investment in a sprawling staff.
Next Page: Which Social Media Will Work For You?
