As a small business, you will have to respond to these business marketing trends to keep your business relevant in 2013.
As a business owner or manager, the suggested personal marketing practices will prove to be valuable for helping you to better implement them for maximum business marketing benefit.
Business Marketing Trends and Practices
#1 – Original Content is Highly Valued
If this wasn’t true, then media outlets would not always be racing to be the first to report the news to achieve the temporary prize of being first. There is no need to race when YOU are the only source.
Google Authorship is evidence that original marketing content – one of a kind – a category of one - will always be more highly prized.
#2 – Business is Now Personal
The personal perspective that you provide is what makes any type of content marketing original. Repurposing content is accepting mediocrity – something that places you in a race to the bottom.
#3 – Customers Want to Make Better Choices
Those who use their expertise to help their customers will earn their trust. First help your customers to be better buyers – then help them further with your expertise. So this year, help your community to simplify.
#4 – Social Media Will Not Fix Anything
If your business is broken social media will amplify that. So, to help you get better, why not consider blogging just for you. It will help you to dig deep and find better solutions for your customers.
#5 – Consistency Sets Expectations
How often should you be publishing to your online channels? If you make regular contributions, even if that is quarterly, it is better than nothing at all – and certainly better than anything irregular. Consistency is a mark of professionals.
#6 – You Have to Love What You Do
I love to blog and it pains me that the gap since my last post is the widest in years. Looking on the bright side, I’ve just completed my first book on social marketing for small business and that is reward enough for me – especially if members of my tribe like you find it useful.
Personal Marketing Practices
#7 – Surprise Your Audience
Pay attention to those that nobody pays attention to – it could be the greatest gift they receive all year. Buy the person’s lunch in the line with you. Send an anonymous gift.
#8 – Show up Even When You are Unprepared
We all think that we need to be prepared, and we should be, but sometimes the most amazing days of our lives are those when we improvise from the heart in service to our communities. It’s a wonderful thing.
#9 – Face Your fears
Being yourself means facing your fears and doing what you know has to be done if you are to feel the sense of accomplishment that drives your happiness and success. When you do what is uncomfortable you learn things about yourself that help you to better serve your customers.
#10 – Love Yourself
Steve Jobs famously said, “they are no smarter than you are.” When you really embrace that concept the fears that hold you back fall away. What’s left is the innate confidence in your own abilities that shines through.
#11 – Your Work is Never Done
If it were, then you would have nothing to aspire to. Try to view life, and certainly business, as a process – not a transaction. How can you do more together with your customers? They are probably wondering the same thing. Help them get what they really want.
#12 – Show Your gratitude
Believe it or not, being grateful for the contributions of others helps you just as much, if not more than them. When you put that positive energy into the world it helps you realize you are part of something bigger – an ecosystem that needs your contribution.
How about you?
What is your small business marketing manifesto for 2013?
If you liked this – please leave a comment below and share with your friends
About the Author: Jeff Korhan, MBA, helps mainstream small businesses create exceptional customer experiences that accelerate business growth. Get more from Jeff on LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+.
Jeff is also the author of Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business – Published by Wiley, April 15, 2013
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I 100% agree that small business owners must adhere to your social media rules for 2013. It’s no longer acceptable to do the bare minimum, especially when your competitors are leaps ahead. I think #9 is especially important as I was very scared to start blogging. I didn’t think anyone wanted to hear about what I was doing. After hitting “publish” for the first time, I was hooked!
My thoughts exactly Samantha in regards to #9 – once one starts publishing there is an addictive quality to discovering your thoughts and experiences have value that deserves to be shared.
In many ways we are still in the early days for small businesses because not many are yet blogging, but it’s looking like this could be a break-out year for creators of original content.
Thanks for your comment.
Thank mr jeffs!
am very gratful i have someone like you
this content is very marvelours, i think
these is the best ingrideint you can give to any one who deserve it.. infact i think its just the good and best thing to do.Thats is really making who you are.
Thanks for the advice.
My pleasure Laurine – you’re welcome!
I completely agree with the points suggested. I would also like to add that no matter what you do as a small business, keep experimenting. Do not just stick to the tried and tested. Your own failures and successes will help set a new benchmark and help you progress to join the list of big brands.
Dave – I couldn’t agree more. In fact I wrote an article early in 2012 on the need to fail: http://www.jeffkorhan.com/2012/02/practice-fail.html
We sure do learn a lot more when we fail, not to mention that it helps us appreciate the successes that follow.
Thanks for sharing that.
I Love this article. Being part of a marketing team for 3 weeks now, I have encountered a lot of difficulties and maybe a lot more in the future. I’m a Psychology graduate and I never thought I would be working in the marketing department. I’m the bubbly type of person and I always thought that in marketing and business world, you have to be a lot smarter, be ahead of others, never let your guard down, and all sorts of things. This is actually the first article I encountered that was able to relate the small things in life and marketing practices.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Jeff. I personally thank you for leading me into the light.
Cheyserr – Wow, that’s more than a comment.
One of the joys of doing what I do is helping people discover everything doesn’t have to be the way it used to be – and in fact, there is a probably a better way.
And folks like you are usually the ones that will make that discovery.
Thanks for your comment – you made my day.