Every Business is Now a Media Company

June 2, 2013 by

2013.6.2. News

There was a time when every business courted the media.

They (the media) were rightfully considered business partners because they could significantly help any company interested in publicizing an event or similar happening as news.

Today, every business (large or small) is now its own media company – and that is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly.

If your business makes the effort to learn the new forms of media it can build a platform that will become an essential digital asset for connecting with current and future customers.

Consumers are Hungry for News

“Consumers will always seek relevant news and information to make better buying decisions. Before social media, their primary sources for doing so were traditional media outlets such as radio, television, newspapers, and of course, word-of-mouth. According to a study by Pew Research Center, the Internet is now the leading source of information for consumers making buying decisions – ranking even higher than the recommendations of their friends.

The idea that consumers trust the Internet more than their friends may initially seem surprising. However, it’s quite likely that they’re simply using the Internet to validate those recommendations. Of course, this spells opportunity for small businesses that are ready to take the initiative with the considerable resources available to them, to publish solutions online that will attract the attention of consumer searching for them – especially those in their local communities.”

The preceding was excerpted from Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business, by author Jeff Korhan (that’s me). 

Read further for some key points about being a media company that came from a recent podcast interview with Mike Stelzner, CEO of Social Media Examiner, and host of the Social Marketing Podcast. 

Better yet, listen to the podcast too, because Mike is an exceptional interviewer. It is sure to inspire you with the possibilities that small businesses now have with respect to their media marketing.

Your Business is the News

Your business IS the news – think about that.

Traditional media such as newspapers cannot publish the news without the help of people and businesses that are “making the news.” You make it and they publish it. Got that?

So, if your business is the news, then whom better than you to tell that story, especially now that you have abundant resources for doing so, with most of them being completely free?

Broadcasting the news was a practice for which one formally had to be trained. You also required access to the necessary equipment, studios, and supporting personnel.

Today media is easy to use, and the investment is negligible. Plus, the format is very forgiving – now mistakes are even welcome because they humanize the news, making it even more interesting.

Nevertheless, please do get the necessary training and advice from sources like this blog, SocialMediaExaminer.com, ChrisBrogan.com, MariSmith.com, RazorSocial.com, and Grovo.com, to name a few.

The Best News is Specific and Relevant

Nobody knows your business and its customers better than you do.  Therefore, you can personalize your news to make it highly relevant and relatable.

This is the magic behind the success of most blogs:

The top blogs today are simply more relatable than traditional media, which makes them cool – and that gets their content shared.  (opening quote from Chapter 6 of Built-In Social).

When you use media to amplify and extend your expertise, then you become a true media company.

How to Build Your Platform

Mike Stelzner started Social Media Examiner using his expertise in the white paper business, which is a form of educational content commonly used by larger enterprises. He translated that expertise to helping small businesses with their social media marketing, and developed a digital platform is arguably priceless.

Yes, priceless. How can a price on a digital asset whose value is potentially limitless.

You can do the same in your niche.

Read more about how Mike accomplished his achievement by picking up a copy of Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition.

Signing copies of Built-In Social in the Wiley booth at 2013 Book Expo America


Signing copies of Built-In Social at 2013 Book Expo America

Last week while doing a book signing at Book Expo America I had the opportunity to take some time to learn more about small businesses and what their social media challenges are. The most common topic of conversation was how can you build a platform to reach customers.

The answer is simple: Take the risk of focusing on your customers and provide answers to their top problems or desires.

What are the concerns or opportunities on the minds of your customers? That should be the focus of your media programming.

Where businesses fail with media is focusing on what they do. Instead, concentrate on what your business can do to help those that it can best serve.

In other words, use this new media to build your tribe.

That tribe is your audience. Use your media to care for them, and together you’ll make some great news with mutual benefits!

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 – Just Released April 2013 (Wiley)

Download a preview of Built-In Social here.

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Small Business Social Media Accountability

April 19, 2013 by

Small Business Social Media

Recent tragic events here in the United States (and around the world) have heightened awareness of the global reach of media, especially social media, and the consequences for businesses using it.

Small business advertising has historically been local, making it easy to craft messaging that is appropriate for the targeted audience. However, now any piece of digital content has the capability of reaching audiences far removed from those for which it is intended.

This creates new responsibilities that many businesses are only just beginning to fully comprehend.

Your small business may be local, but your words spread far and wide, and that has consequences that can dramatically affect its reputation.

It is prudent for every business to recognize that they are a media company, and with that comes responsibilities for which is must be accountable.

Have a Larger Perspective

Many businesses autopublish information on their social media channels. This practice is useful for convenience, provided the content is monitored. Unfortunately, many influencers and businesses were swept into a controversy in the wake of the Boston Marathon tragedy, largely because what they were publishing had gone unchecked.

This is precisely why delegating the social media function to a low-level employee is not a good idea. When this is done the risk of making making poor decisions rises significantly.

To be sure, this may also hold true for media agencies that are inexperienced, or do not know your business well. And let’s face it, nobody knows your business like you do.

The solution is to weigh what is published against the values and beliefs of the organization.

Naturally, this larger perspective has to come from leadership, and it has to be clearly articulated in a manifesto or core values that everyone then adheres to.

Choose a Professional Approach

Zappos is an example of a company that manages their social media well; and this is accomplished by simply linking its employees’ social media sharing to its ten core values, which are focused on achieving world-class customer service.

When a business is intensely focused on the customer, it’s messaging necessarily becomes more professional. It’s when businesses seek to draw attention to themselves that the message can be interpreted to be self-serving, insensitive, or shallow.

Vital elements of the media message to carefully consider are these:

Language – We are judged by our words. Using profanity or slang rarely postions a company as edgy or cutting edge; it is likely to be viewed as amateurish at best, and more likely unprofessional.

Timing – Choosing your timing well respects your audience. This includes both the hour and day of the week.  Nobody wants to receive a business message on a weekend, with the exception of a light wrap-up of the week.

Content – Content is king, so design it for royalty – your customers. It’s quality reflects your personal and business brand.

Stories – Stories should entertain, educate, and inspire. They should deliver value and never make people feel uncomfortable. Stories about exceptional customer experiences are nearly always be appreciated.

Personal or Impersonal – Being too personal or too impersonal is not advisable when working with clients and customers, and so it is with your social media. Just be social.

Accuracy – Do your fact checking and avoid racing to report news that you have not verified as accurate.

Be a Responsible Publisher

Have guidelines that you live by. Minimize automation as much as possible, and always bring the wisdom of experience to bear on your social media marketing.

Responsible online publishing is now essential.

Learn to hold your business accountable for its social media, because its extended communities already are doing so.

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 – Just Released April 2013 (Wiley)

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