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There are plenty of blog posts and articles about how to survive in a down economy.
Truth is, there lots of ways.
One approach you might consider is to focus on attraction.
Attract people to you and your company in any way possible, through a variety of channels (on the web!), and you will devise a way to NOT participate in this recession.
NOT participating means not giving in, not standing still, and it means taking dramatically different action.
You can choose to believe in attraction.
If you develop a vibrant, supportive community you will attract more people who NEED your products or services.
Social media outlets and tools will amplify your word of mouth efforts.
Here's How: (1) Plan, (2) Do, (3) Quit.
Think and Plan Think and study before you launch.
This doesn't mean you should engage in endless navel gazing.
Don't fall into a "paralysis by analysis" situation.
However, you should create a "back story" for the actions you do take.
This exercise will then drive what and HOW you interact with people - both face to face and online.
a.
Clear the Decks Uncover any mindset issues that might be holding you back, (like, "i am not good at marketing", or "my business doesn't translate to online", or "nobody will buy from me through my website.
") Clear the decks, throw away the stuff that you say that keeps you from attracting the right kind of clients.
Need help getting started? Ask yourself these questions: * What is the appropriate Point of View to approach that need? (expert? observer? counselor?) * What is the best Tone of Voice to use to communicate your Point Of View? (authoritative? questioning? coaching?) b.
Clear Client Picture Create a client focus profile.
Don't just regurgitate stuff you think about your clients, go ask them.
Take time to build a vibrant, multi-layered picture of who really needs your service.
Find time to ASK regular clients WHY they purchased your product.
c.
Unique Value Take your new mindset, and your re-focused Client Picture and apply yourself to it.
"We provide great service at a great price" is not unique.
How do you handle yourself differently? What do your key customers need? What do they say about you? NOW...
take your Clear Client Picture and create a description of yourself / your company and the unique way of handling those challenges.
Do There are scores of tools online that are designed to help your business.
It is time to set up your stuff.
You have thought about your mindset, your customers, your unique value.
Now it is time to stop thinking and DO.
The three areas where you can have an immediate impact online are: 1) Re-write your website 2) Set up your blog 3) Create your social media network.
Here's how to begin: 1) Your Website: a) Relevant Content is the name of the game.
If you sell a product...
the name needs to be in your website name, page name, headlines, and content on your home page.
Don't stress over this too much, just make sure you describe what you do or what you sell clearly, directly, and use the proper descriptive terms in several places throughout your site.
b) Change Content: Once you attract someone to your website, do you give them a variety of things to do? Do you have a place to sign up for your newsletter? Do you have a newsletter? Develop a calendar and stick to it.
Change information, add pictures, suggest other websites for your customers to look at...
whatever you do, put tasks on the calendar and stick to it.
2) Blog: Set up a blog either through your website's content management system, or on a blogging platform.
Either way, make your blog grow from your overall plan.
Develop an editorial approach and a calendar and stick to it.
Yes, you should update information on your website AND your blog.
The Tone of Voice and Point of View that you thought about in Step 1 should carry over to your blog.
Deliver value by showing people you mean what you say.
The blog can be a place to tell customer stories and connect with new and existing customers.
Illustrate your unique value by showing...
not always telling.
And remember, the blog is a conversation.
You don't always have to write a long post.
A post that causes your reader to interact with others, or with you is always a good idea.
3) Facebook: Are you on Facebook? Facebook is a tool that you can use in a number of different ways depending on your needs and plans.
Create a profile and you hear from friends you haven't heard from in a long time.
Create a page, a group or a cause and your Facebook presence can become a powerful connection driver.
Create a page and start posting, interacting and inviting people to come find out about you.
Create a group around key needs or interests...
you will be astounded.
There are people who spend a lot of time on Facebook, and they are more likely to interact with you there FIRST before checking out your website.
Know How to Quit After all this thinking and Doing, you may be concerned that you won't have time to actually do these things consistently.
And you are right.
If you conduct business exactly as you are conducting it right now, things won't get better.
Remember, NOT participating takes dramatically different actions.
So, you need to figure out what to Quit.
Quit doing the stuff that is blocking you from being a great company.
Quit allowing yourself to be distracted.
Quit giving yourself the "out"...
that you are too busy to focus on marketing.
Quit telling yourself that you "can't" or "don't think you are good at.
" Here are some ideas of things you might think about Quitting: a.
Quit Bad Customers.
Can you think of customers who suck all your time and deliver very little to you in return.
b.
Quit Saying Yes.
Sometimes you just have to say no.
If you are working hard at developing word of mouth, you will get asked to help out with things.
Take a look at all of your commitments and Optimize those that are most important.
Just remember, saying yes to something today means you have to say NO to something else.
How do you want to prioritize your time? c.
Quit Clutter.
This can be very powerful.
Take the time to de-clutter yourself.
Then follow that up with giving yourself permission to be motivated by what you are passionate about.
d.
There are many, many more things to Quit.
Make a list.
And then Quit.
Don't Participate.
You CAN refuse to participate in the recession when you Plan, Do and Quit your way to effective, consistent, efforts.
This will take time, but your focused effort WILL attract more of the right people to you, your business, or your organization.
Online Marketing can bring more customers to your door.
Online marketing tools can help you amplify your marketing.
Just remember to utilize the tools at your disposal after you have a Plan, and remember to Quit the stuff that is holding you back.
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