Garr Barr Group

  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • Better than Ever Blog
You are here: Home / Archives for Innovate!

May 22, 2009 By Susan Barr Leave a Comment

Is your Brand Boring?

In my last blog post, I talked about how many social media efforts fail to bring profit because the small business does not ask the customers how and where they want to engage with their brand. Does your customer want to be a part of a community? A Facebook page? A blog? A Twitter follower? What is in it for them to engage with your business on one of those platforms?

Check out this blog post from Josh Bernoff of Forrester Research that I ran across this morning. It suggests your social marketing strategy must consider whether your brand is a “boring” brand or a”talkable” brand. Combining your knowledge of the type of brand along with the customer’s engagement requirements leads you to a better social media mix for your business.

For those who are developing a social marketing strategy for your small business, I highly recommend you subscribe to Josh’s blog. I further recommend you read “groundswell” by Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li. The book gives a great overview of social technologies, statistics, and case studies of companies who are winning the social marketing game. The case studies are primarily for larger companies and brands but you are certain to find great inspiration for implementing social marketing programs in your business.

Filed Under: Get Customers!, Innovate!, Strategic Thinking Tagged With: small business marketing, small business technology, social marketing, social media, social media marketing, strategic planning

April 8, 2009 By Susan Barr Leave a Comment

Ignoring the Trends?

This is the second entry of our series Mistakes Small Businesses Make Preventing Web Profitability.

As fate would have it, I came across a terrific blog post this morning by Gerd Leonhard of Media Futurist describing the 8 Key Trends he sees regarding the future of new media. As I describe in my upcoming webinar “They ARE Talking About You”, many small businesses are ignoring the rising trends in technology that can help them leverage their brand to new sales channels using social media tools. One of the biggest trends that should not be ignored is the significant functionality and value provided by this technology for free or for unbelievably low fees.

I think Gerd Leonhard does a great job of describing the future of ubiquitous communications and its impact on media. Small business owners would be wise to become educated about the groundswell of changes in technology and revise their business strategy to take advantage of the opportunity these trends provide for them. The winners will be those who acknowledge the trends and ask “how can I add value?” to new and existing customers within these new markets.

What do you think? Is your small business crafting a customer experience across your offline and your online sales channels that profitably leverages the use of pervasive communications and your customers need to participate with your brand?

Filed Under: Get Connected, Innovate!, Strategic Thinking Tagged With: small business marketing, small business technology, small business trends, social media

February 4, 2009 By Susan Barr Leave a Comment

News Fast

Starting today, I begin a “news fast”. I am over the news. All I hear is bad news! More layoffs. Markets falling. The prognosticators say this is “the worst economic crisis since the Depression.” I don’t remember the Great Depression but I have lived through a few recessions, gained and lost in the markets, and have experienced great hardship with few prospects.

Sure, I have seen decline in business. Yes, budgets are tight. But, there has never been a better time to be a small business owner. In my memory, there has yet to be a time when the cost of entry into entrepreneurship was less. Global commerce has never been more attainable for the small business. Technology enablers have chipped away at the obstacles and hurdles for entering new markets to the point where the walls have fallen almost completely. Access to labor at staggeringly low prices is accomplished at the click of a mouse. The small office/home office is poised to receive the greatest benefits of this current technological wave of innovation.

We have been through times like these before. As before, lack of capital did not lead to a shortage of great ideas. Restrictions led to ingenuity and new methods of productivity. Simplify, skimp, cut back, clean up, organize, re-focus, plan, and evaluate the ROI of old methods. If “necessity is the mother of invention”, I sense a time of great innovation is upon us.

Filed Under: Innovate!, Lead with Vitality! Tagged With: recession, small business productivity, small business trends, virtual leverage

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3

Learn More!

  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • Better than Ever Blog

Let’s Talk!

We'd love to hear from you! Please send questions or comments via email to admin@garrbarr.com

Social

Follow Garr Barr Group:
  • Get Clarity!
  • Achieve!
  • Lead with Vitality!
  • Innovate!
  • Get Customers!

Copyright © 2023 · Executive Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in