Small Business Marketing Talk – #1

This is my first blog post in an ongoing series that I threatened to launch back on January 29th of this year.

There were a number of considerations that held me back.  One was settling on a clever title for this series.  I solved that problem by abandoning the idea and keeping it simple, pragmatic, and to the point – which is what it takes to be a successful small business operator. 

And that is what this series is about.

I will profile an actual small business in these posts.  We will learn by what is working for real businesses.  That's how many small businesses become successful – by learning from their peers.  Sure, we have to refine these lessons so that we can apply them, but it is seeing how one of our own has succeeded that inspires us and shows us the way.

To be very clear – this series will cut through the hype.  It will move beyond the fluff and theory.  That's right, we will get down to business!   I'm hopeful that you will see your business in these examples, and as a result, use them to develop your own solutions. 

Of course, I hope you will also share your ideas with the community of this blog.  Feel free to support and challenge what is discussed here.  There is no right answer.  What's right is what works for you.  

Dowco Enterprises Inc

The reason I am starting with my friend Maurice Dowell's business is one of simplicity.  Dowco takes a simple approach to their social media networking and marketing efforts.  Every day Maurice, his wife Donna, or other members of his staff and support team make a post to their Dowco Facebook Page - yes, every day!

Regular readers to this blog know that while I admire and encourage creativity – both of which happen to be areas in which I excel, I especially respect consistency, because that happens to be a skill that like many of you, I will always be challenged with. 

A Team Approach

By taking a team approach to their social media efforts, Dowco is able to ensure consistent messaging, consistent progress, and practical results.  Unless I missed it in our conversation, Dowco does not maintain a blog.  Their Facebook Page is therefore their primary network for engagement, and it points back to their website, which is also a model of simplicity and elegance. 

Social Media Success

It only takes one significant success for you to realize that the social media platform is indeed a viable platform for growing your small business.  The example we get from Dowco is that they were able to snag a key member of their management team from BYU – Brigham Young University, which happens to be one of the top schools in the United States for green industry talent. 

And this is the point of this post.  You can have thousands of fans and followers, but that only feeds your ego.  Having a notable success is something that clearly says – yes, we are on the right track.  That success can be large or small, but it nonetheless predisposes you to future success. 

One of the challenges with the social networks is it is difficult to measure success.  It is challenging to point to one thing and say – this is working.  Yet, just one success is the kind of feedback that the networks provide – and that is invaluable.

A Practical Example

For Dowco it was a Facebook Ad that did the trick.  Their ad, and the PDF application that was associated with it, is what resulted in the successful hire.  Now, take a look at this from the applicants point of view.  In order to follow through on the suggestion of the ad, he is going to do his homework too.  This means he is looking for evidence that this company is a good fit.

What is that evidence?  A professional website is just one piece of the puzzle, but when that is supported by friendly updates on a Facebook Page, it places it in a much more favorable context.  What else?  Industry leadership – which is supported by membership in leading associations, and evidence of that comes from Facebook and LinkedIn groups that indicate leadership in those associations. Maurice is the Education Chair of PLANET – The Professional Landcare Network, a leading green industry association.

The Complete Package

What we see here is that Dowco carefully built their business, as many of you have, and then extended that presence to the social media networks.  That's the complete package.  If there are any holes here, I haven't found them.

Then, when it came time to fill a key management position, they were able to capitalize on their offline and online marketing efforts. 

Because Maurice Dowell is a friend of mine, I can tell you he frequently posts on the social networks about his family, his interest in sports and fitness, and of course his business.  This 360 degree approach to humanizing his social media networking and marketing is what makes his business attractive.

You can incorporate links, images, videos, and other multi-media content into your social media marketing, and I recommend that you do. However, in this case study, it is the element of consistency that resulted in success.

Small Business Marketing Talk lesson No. 1 is consistency.

I make no promises, but if you would like to see your small business profiled in Small Business Marketing Talk, just send me an email or leave a comment below about how social media has worked (or not) for you.  For full disclosure, I have about 20 on my list already.

I'll do my best.