Introducing a new product or service?
So much to do, but what do YOU do first?

Recently I was asked how to determine a customer profile for a new business startup. Another person sought guidance on how to promote a new service for his business. Both were not sure where to start.

2008 may not even seem that long ago to some of you. But so much has changed in marketing since then that quite frankly a website even developed in 2010 can seem – well – “old school.”

Are you a social media influencer? Can you move people online to take action based on what you tweet and post? If you can, then you probably have a high Klout score.

Except for early adopters and true innovators, most people are pragmatic when it comes to making their buying decisions.  They don't want to spend time or money finding or creating the ancillary components associated with the product or service that they buy from you.  Instead, they prefer buying from a company who not only provides an excellent product or service, but who also connects them with the right complementary partners who can fill in the gaps necessary for a "whole product solution".

Maybe you need to realize that everything you must do to grow your business should involve marketing.

Wait, hear me out. I'm not talking about a specific promotion. What I mean is to use "meaningful marketing" guaranteed to bring you results.

Just when you think you’ve got it, Facebook changes something AGAIN! Changing timelines, cover photos, fans to like, the manner in which you secure personal data and more! Then all the social sites seem to follow suit; Pinterest includes more boards for you to look at; Twitter keeps producing value-added platforms (TwitPics, Twitter Counter, Twitter Grader, etc.); and monitoring tools seem endless!

There is a method to the madness. Changes are made because of the shift in how individuals and businesses are using the sites and devices. Facebook recently changed the way the News Feed displays creating a more consistent look between the web to tablet and mobile experience.  That’s a good thing – more consistency for the user. 

Twitter has been one of the most popular avenues for small businesses for quite a while. The quality of summing up your mission, purpose, or thoughts into a few words for your core audience has made a huge impact for entrepreneurs to advertise themselves without spending a dime and seeing legitimate progress from it.

A few months ago,Twitter  provided yet another reason for small business owners to invest their marketing resources in the company.  Their new app called Vine that has already shown itself to be a major benefit for entrepreneurs to have.

Image Credit: Vine

It's a Friday evening, and you're at your local Safeway picking up milk, Oreos, and a bag of Purina Dog Chow. Suddenly a stranger rushes up to you and says, "Let's be friends." What would your reaction be?

Creativity is a journey and you’ll need a few keys along the way to unlock the many doors.
I have met many business owners, managers and employees throughout the years. Now I’m even meeting more through my writings and social media. I find each encounter noteworthy but especially reading about their business stories or to answer a question or two.

One of the best ways I know to get something new done that really matters in your business is to give it the importance it deserves. There are few ways you can do this.

The first is to understand the role it plays in your business and/or life. You may have come across this grid before, but it’s always a good wake-up call.