There are a lot of positive signs that small businesses are starting to adopt social media marketing as an integrated component of their overall business plans.  One significant change, based on a February 2010 Small Business Success Index report, is the fact that social media usage among small business jumped from a meager 12% in 2008 to 24% in the following year (Yes, doubled).

Of those using social media, 69% post regular updates / articles of relevance to sites like FaceBook and LinkedIn. Two additional stats that made me smile were: 54% monitor positive / negative feedback via social networks, and almost 40% of the small businesses author a blog pertaining to their field of expertise.

OUTSTANDING!

But hold on, that’s still only 1-in-5 of those surveyed.

So, let’s address some of the restraints keeping small businesses form jumping on board?

According to the report, 50% of the users say it takes more time than they expected.

This is a surprise? Okay, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, but the reason they may have been caught off guard is a result of one or a combination of following:

1. Some “Social Media Expert” duped them with dollar signs and drummed up statistics, set up a Twitter account and a FaceBook page and then ran off with  little to no strategy or support.
2. They took it on by themselves with little to no understanding of building a social media community or marketing.
3. They underestimated how little they knew about their brand, the audience and the business.

Of course social media marketing takes time! Just like scheduling  time to check voice-mail or email, small business owners need to adapt to make time for a little proactive community engagement. It pays off in the end.

Then there’s the statistic that made me laugh the hardest.  17% expressed that social media gives people a chance to criticize their business on the Internet.

Do they actually think criticism won’t happen if they stay away?  Go ahead, try it.  Then, call me when the business folds.  I know Realtors that need the square footage.

***

Come on, folks, this should stand as a call to action for all small business owners (as well as those that market to/for them).  Social media is not going away any time soon.  And the quicker you figure out how to use it to your advantage, the better chances you’ll have for surviving the years to come.

Here are 10 starting questions I like to ask those looking into social media for marketing.

1. What will make you stand out among the others “yelling into the chasm?”
2. Who is your target audience?
3. Who are your direct competitors?
4. What could be some indirect inhibitors?
5. Do you have a marketing plan – written down with goals, strategies, tactics and a reasonable budget?
6. Is there a strategy or tactic within your marketing plan that social media could compliment / support (Public Relations, etc.)?
7. Do you have the manpower/ time for social media marketing?
8. (If not) Do you have the budget to outsource components of social media marketing?
9. Do you know how to carry on an engaging conversation?
10. Do you have patience?

As with any marketing tool, social media has a unique profile in each company’s marketing plan. While a blog is a great core component to a social media marketing strategy, Twitter, YouTube and FaceBook may not always apply. Heck, If your target audience isn’t active online, don’t be a fool and put your time into broad social media integration. Just make sure to do a little research before jumping in and you’ll know what’s right for you / your company.

Where does your small business stand when it comes to integrating social media into your marketing plan?  Is it an add-on that will eventually fade away?  Or do you have the plan and vision to make social media work for you?

If you’re a small business that hasn’t embraced social media as a marketing tool, then I have two things to say:

1. You’re losing out on a fantastic way to extend your marketing message as well as build brand equity.
2. You’re probably not reading this and I’m writing for my already savvy followers and this is pointless.

Food for thought.

Keep Cooking! (Purposeful, results-oriented decisions)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

“I’m sorry, our network only features prefabricated breasts. If you’re a woman with a healthy body image, you’ll need to step to the back of the line.”

Or so I expected to hear from networks ABC and FOX after reading a BrandWeek post this morning.

Reportedly, on Lane Bryant‘s blog, Inside Curve, the company claims, “ABC and Fox have made the decision to define beauty for you by denying our new, groundbreaking Cacique commercial from airing freely on their networks. …these are the same networks that have scantily-clad housewives so desperate they seduce every man on the block — and don’t forget Bart Simpson, who has shown us the moon more often than NASA, all in what they call ‘family hour.’”

All commentary on the objectification of women in advertising and how “big girls” are portrayed aside; I want to address this from a branding, marketing and public relations standpoint.

First off, to Lane Bryant, I’m on your side, BUT I wonder if the approach to this issue was handled with passionate brand focus and the community your brand serves in mind.

That said, here are a few things Lane Bryant should think about (as well as any brand that serves a specific, sensitive demographic):

Your brand lives on and grows through your community. Help them advocate for you!

While doing research for this post, I, of course, wanted to see the spot in question. From all angles, I found a lot of Lane Bryant brand advocates voicing their opinions on being slighted by the networks (here, here and here). But when I looked for Lane Bryant’s discussion or a YouTube video with commentary, I find a membership-only site and the “groundbreaking” spot taken off YouTube.

Why? They’ve pulled their community (their advocates) out of the conversation.

This is a perfect public relations opportunity for Lane Bryant. Lena Bryant (the original voice of plus-sized women everywhere) should be rolling in her grave at the idea of the big boy networks slighting the integrity and creativity produced on behalf of the legions of women looking for fashions complimentary to “real women.”

Does your brand have the “Balls” to fight the big girls? If not, don’t pretend it does.

While this is purely speculative, I wonder if Lane Bryant’s marketing and public relations crew simply doesn’t want to play in the same court as the brands that they imply get “preferential treatment” from the networks – referring to their comments on Desperate Housewives, The Simpsons and their comment on the über-sexy Victoria’s Secret spot:

“While it’s no secret that Victoria’s Secret ‘The Nakeds’ ads are prancing around on major networks leaving little to the imagination, steaming up TV screens and baring nearly everything but their souls, our sultry siren who shows sophisticated sass is somehow deemed inappropriate … Does this smack of a double standard? Yep. It does to us, too.”

GREAT argument, but if you walk up to the playground bully and slap her on the cheek, you’d better be prepared to defend yourself. Again, what good is it to complain and then withdraw all access to a productive dialogue? I get the impression that Lane Bryant, while advocating for the “poor big girls out there,” seems to be content playing the victim.

Social culture is harder to change than marketing culture. Advocacy for cultural change needs to come from the heart and not from the bottom line.

Bigger picture – like it or not, “little” girls in risqué attire have been a standard in advertising since anyone one of us can remember. We complain. We protest. Shaking our fists at the TV, we swear off beer, sports cars and restaurant chains. But when it really comes down to it, changing the American culture is much harder than it looks.

Culturally, changing the perspective of the “Big Girl Taboo” needs to be an effort driven outside commercial aspirations. Since Lane Bryant has a stake in changing how “real women” are perceived, driving the message through marketing and advertising, (while trying to compete in the same vapid market as Victoria’s Secret) may not be the best approach.

Food for thought:

While I have no idea what FOX was thinking, ABC IS owned by Disney. While that doesn’t explain the hypocrisy of Desperate Housewives and other spots we’ve seen on their network, they can still wave their “Family-friendly” flag with a modicum of legitimacy.

Without seeing the spot, your comments can only be formed by my post and your perspective of Lane Bryant. But I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Do you think Lane Bryant responded appropriately? Do you think ABC and FOX have a responsibility to respond to accusations of “favoritism or discrimination?”

I’d love to hear from representatives from Lane Bryant on some of the points I’ve made here as well. Are there set plans or processes in place for reacting or have we seen it?

Until next time,

Keep Cooking (big, beautiful, brand-driven decisions)!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Additional Articles on the networks’ decisions to ban the Lane Bryant spot:

Fox News | Styleite.com | zimbio.com | BrandWeek

I’m a HUGE Paul McCartney fan.  If you follow my “Get-Going Groove of the day” tweets, you probably figured that out.  But I remember when I first read the rumors of Paul McCartney’s early demise. It was in a retrospective in Rolling Stone magazine (here’s some current news from them about the Beatles) when I was just a kid discovering my own musical pulse.  I think I was 11.  And to hear that Beatles fans – no, the entire world thought that Paul had died just prior to the release of the monumental Abbey Road album completely blew me away!

And it all turned out to be a hoax!

One of the first disc jockeys to give the story “credibility” was Roby Yonge of WABC-AM in New York (Now a vehicle for Don Imus… ick). Listen to him talk about the beginning of the roumors here, in an aircheck from Oct. 21, 1969, found on the Musicradio 77 site.

Yonge was later fired on the air because of the commotion he raised talking about this.

The next day, it was picked up by American Contemporary Radio, and it gained even more ground.

Now, of course, if you’re not privy to the hoax, you can read all about it.  It has it’s OWN WIKIPEDIA PAGE! So, If I don’t sit here and recount all the “clues,”  please forgive me. (honestly, you don’t have the time…)

Over the years, there have been magazines published and books written, including “The Walrus Was Paul: The Great Beatle Death Clues” by R. Gary Patterson and “Turn Me On, Dead Man: The Beatles and the ‘Paul Is Dead’ Hoax” by Andru J. Reeve.  And Des Moines, Iowa’s own Drake University was one of the first known publications to print stories about “Paul McCartney dying and being replaced by a look/sound-alike.” Really?

The fact that some people ever took this seriously is astonishing. … but I’ll try NOT to let my “Fanboy” passions get in the way of the reporting.

As Paul McCartney said at the time,

“The people who are making up these rumors should look to themselves a little more. There is not enough time in life. They should worry about themselves instead of worrying whether I am dead or not.”

Yet, even after Paul (or someone alleged to be him) appeared in LIFE magazine and said he was alive, the rumors persisted. And I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a core group of folks who still think seriously about this today.

So, what makes a hoax as effective as the “Paul is Dead” rouse pulled on millions-upon-millions of unsuspecting music fans?

So how do you spot a hoax? The type of hoax usually determines what characteristics will be present. However, some general tips for spotting a hoax include:

1. The information presented is one-sided or the claims can only be validated by one or two people – this includes Alien, UFO or Bigfoot sightings.
2. There are usually no references to back up claims – this is often used in internet and e-mail related hoaxes. The person or company referenced is often made up, so there is no valid contact information provided.
3. Appeals to the emotions

Hoaxes and jokes can get out of hand; just ask Paul McCartney’s publicist (what a nightmare THAT had to be).  Could the Beatles’ brand have been damaged by the hoax?  Sure.  But as history shows, album sales SKYROCKETED.  While some conspiracy theorists say it was for THAT purpose the hoax was started; I tend to disregard that P.R. move.  For the Beatles it would have been too risky.

So, on this April Fool’s day, use common sense. Look for the signs that you’re being “put on.” And be prepared to laugh at yourself.

Oh… and your shoe’s untied…

Keep Cooking! (fun and frivolity for everyone)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Look deeply into my eyes… you are feeling veeeery sleepy… sleeeeepy… deeeeper… deeeeeeeeper… relax and let the social media mystique take you to a happier place. Deeeeper…

Yeah, sometimes I feel like social media has cast some kind of spell over businesses, specifically the marketing departments of some companies. It’s easy to be seduced. It’s easy to be swayed by viral videos, tweets and blogs with thousands of readers. It’s easy to think that social media can be the magic pill to fix marketing mishaps. But in our passionate pursuit to capture the social media magic, maybe we should be mindful of the limits to ANY marketing tool – ESPECIALLY social media.

Social media can’t fix a broken branding model.
Broken brands need to back up to the beginning and find the TRUE Brand (Truthful, Relevant, Unique, Engaging) that lies within. I’ve written about this before, so I won’t go into the specifics, but social media won’t make you something you’re simply not ABLE to be. What social media WILL do is amplify and accelerate the core values and attributes (as well as the ugly flaws) of your brand. So be cautious of where you step.

Social media can’t substitute for strategy.
Obvious? I guess not. Sure, we’ve all seen those companies with the languishing Twitter account or empty FaceBook pages. Or the contrary – companies screaming, “Become our fan on FaceBook,” without much further engagement or incentive for the end users… WHY? Without strategy and objectives how do you know if social media is a successful addition to your marketing? And the number of fans or followers of your account does NOT equate to marketing success.

Social media can’t succeed without a TRUE focus on the customer.
While this should be part of the above strategy, I wanted to make sure that I brought attention to it. If all you’re about is pushing messages about your company / product / service, etc… then you need an ego check. This is SOCIAL media. If you want to have TRUE customer engagement, you need to show you care for the benefits of the customer, not just pumping your own bloated ego.

Social media is not a stand-alone solution.
I’ve been in the marketing and advertising industry since… well, let’s just say my first job didn’t involve a single computer. And guess what, companies successfully marketed themselves. Some even made money! In all seriousness, being a practitioner of social media does not make one a marketing guru. Sure the tools are great and they have their applications in “modern communications,” but without EXPERIENCED marketing strategy, advertising, public relations, traditional media and a good understanding of digital technologies, you’re just adding to the noise.

So before that “Social Media Magician” starts with their hocus-pocus pitch that social media is the answer to all of your marketing woes, just blink. Clear your eyes of the social media smoke-n-mirrors and take a clear look at your marketing. If social media can be integrated into your marketing plan, you’ll see it. If you can’t see it, and still need to know, then consult a professional marketer with a mastery of social media marketing tactics.

When you’re looking for TRUE social media marketing integration. Think of those you follow online. Who would you trust with your company’s brand? Then, ask the question SOCIALLY.

Keep Cooking! (Strategic marketing decisions…)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

For those of you that know me, locally, you’ve all probably heard (or even witnessed) the troubles I’ve been having with my 2004 Jeep Liberty. It seems like the winter of ’09-’10 has taken a pretty good toll on my little SUV. And for the past 14 to 16 months, I have been in one auto service center or another for everything from new tires, new break pads and rotors – all ’round, dead battery, cracked windshield (not yet fixed), various alignment issues (I need to stop plowing through snow drifts), and, of course, the routine oil changes and maintenance.

For a while there, I’d become accustomed to sitting in small, cold, white rooms and drinking stale coffee out of 8 oz Styrofoam cups. Hell, I used so many of those little things; I think I’m partially to blame for this global warming crap. We’ll need to talk to Al Gore about that one.  And what’s up with those 19″ RCA TVs mounted in the corner, flickering the local PBS station. Is that a service department prerequisite?

Anyway, yesterday, I’d finally had enough. For about three weeks now, I’d been driving my little Jeep 40 to 60 miles a day with a heater that would only blow hot air if it was going 45 miles per hour or faster.  Yes,  I live above the Mason-Dixon line and I have a shoddy heater in my car…  Brilliant!

It wasn’t such a huge deal for the trips into the office and back; I take the bypass in where 75 MPH is the median speed.  But once I got off the bypass or was driving through town, the frigid bite really set its teeth in.  Yesterday, it was -12˚F on my way into the office, and 30 seconds off the bypass, my car went from cozy warm to cold enough to freeze snot (trust me). By the time I got to the office parking lot, I was worried about frostbite on exposed extremities (thank GOD for seat warmers)!

So, I called my local Jeep dealer (yes, the dealer…).

When I called, of course I expected this:

Mechanic: “Hey…  huh?  Oh, man…  I s’pose we can work you in some time early next week.  Oh, by the way, we have an $80 inspection fee.”

Me: “sigh…  oooohkaaaay…  lemme bend over…”

What I got:

Mechanic: “Sure, Mr. Clark…  we close at six tonight, but we’d be more than happy to come get it for you.  A heater, in this weather, is nothing to mess with.”

Me: “uh… no, I’ll drive it down after work, thanks.”

Mechanic: “Will you need a ride home?”

Me: giddy like a school girl, “Hee hee… no, my wife can pick me up.”

Mechanic: “Great, Mr. Clark. Robert will expect you around 5:30.  Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Me: “No… I love you…“

Okay, I didn’t say that last part, but I was very attracted to the concept of good customer service, for once.  I hadn’t even gotten my car to the garage door yet and it was already a pleasant experience.  What a breath of fresh air!

So, upon arrival, I looked at my watch and realized it was about ten ’til six.  When I drove in, I fully expected half of the lights in the work bays to be off and a single, growly dude, in greasy coveralls, standing at the counter looking at his watch.

Not the case at all…

When I drove in, there were three employees working diligently at their respective check-in desks.  I parked and turned off my car (with numb fingers) and before I could get out, a friendly, clean-cut gentleman was standing at my door, clipboard in hand, ready to gather my information.

We quickly went over my needs and as soon as I gave him my name he said,

“Yes, Mr. Clark, I’m Robert.  Why don’t you go have a seat and I’ll be in to talk to you once we get ‘er looked at.”

Ah…  the dreaded waiting room…

I poured myself a MUG of coffee and went through a pair of hinged doors to …wait for it… the cleanest, most comfortably lit, cushy waiting room I’d ever seen!

There were two love seats and a couch flanked by oak end tables with every (auto, political and society) magazine one could imagine.  And on the other side of the room was a 60″ plasma television streaming ESPN via satellite. And the coffee tasted like Dunkin Donuts breakfast blend, but I couldn’t be positive…  Color me impressed.

I plopped down on the couch, pulled out my BlackBerry to check in on FourSquare and to do some Tweeting when I was shocked back to reality by the sound of my car’s horn honking.  I looked up and there was Robert, sitting in my driver’s seat honking the horn and waving toward a sign on the window…

“We have FREE WiFi!” He yelled through the glass.

I began to weep…

I’ve since moved in with Robert and the crew down at the Jeep dealership.  Although the beds are a little firm for my bad back, I’ve become accustomed to the warmth and comfort their waiting room provides.  Sure, I need to call-in for food, but the cleaning crew and back rubs make it all worth it.  I’ll miss my wife.

***

Why not make working with your company a positive experience?

What extra steps has your company taken to make your customer feel “at home” – or at least comfortable with your services? Next time you have a customer call on you, will you be like my Jeep dealer or will you be leaving your customers out in the cold?

Food for thought.

Keep Cooking! (Customer service that’s second-to-none!)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef