BLC_MARKETING

For all micro-businesses, customer service and marketing no longer need to exist in separate silos: Given the high costs of finding new customers and consumers’ widespread use of digital media to both communicate with companies and spread tales of glee and woe, it’s time to make customer service a successful marketing strategy

If you're just launching a micro-business, you're likely in need of effective marketing strategies that can kick in quickly and won't decimate a limited budget.

According to a 2011 report on social media issued by research company Nielsen, Americans spend almost a quarter of their Internet time visiting social networking sites and blogs. That means potential clients are far more likely to learn about your freelance business on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn—the sites where they spend most of their time—than any other place on the Web.

Millions of American entrepreneurs are also military veterans. The overlap is hardly surprising. The demands of military service require sharp skills and steady discipline—the same qualities that business owners need to succeed.

Would it be a blessing or a business killer if the whole world knew what your customers thought of your micro-business? In the social media age, the question isn’t if, but in what format, people tell others what they think of your company.

Ten years ago a discussion of online marketing probably started with “So, do you have a website?” Today, having a website is a given even for the smallest micro-businesses and solo entrepreneurs. But having a website is just the start.

Small Business Legal Services was a name that said it all, but maybe too much. The problem: Many companies on the larger end of the small-business spectrum didn’t classify themselves as small at all.

In an effort to cut expenses in this tough economy, many micro-business owners have slashed their marketing budgets. Others are trying to promote their businesses through e-mail and social media.

Micro-business owners can see big benefits from teaming up with other business owners who offer complementary products or services or who target similar customers.

When consultant Jennifer Schaus joined LinkedIn a couple of years ago, she looked upon the social network as little more than a convenient way to keep track of clients and prospects.

In contrast to Chamber of Commerce gatherings or city business networking hours, being a member of a community with a common interest—such as environmental sustainability—can set your micro-business apart from the competition.

Hoping to land a product in a 2010 holiday gift guide? Then now’s the time to make your sales pitch.

Think about your favorite store or service provider. You can probably name something each one does that separates it from the crowd. They may even have made you say wow from time to time. Now think of your own micro-business. How do you give your customers a fantastic experience that makes them say wow?

Last spring, with the recession taking a toll on the business community in the Reno, Nev., area, Clint Jolly and some colleagues decided to hold an event to raise the visibility of locally-owned independents like his meat market, Butcher Boy. The May fair drew 60 of Butcher Boy’s local vendors—many of them micro-businesses like Buckbean Brewing Company and the marketing agency Media Directions. It also drew about 1,200 consumers.

Twitter is gaining popularity at an astonishing rate, and it’s not just for those in the limelight.

Word-of-mouth referrals have always been a powerful way for micro-business owners to get new customers without incurring costly marketing and advertising expenses. But, people are no longer solely sharing their opinions over their backyard fences with neighbors or at office water coolers with colleagues. These days, they’re posting their opinions online for total strangers to read. And those opinions are having a real impact on consumers and businesses alike.

It wasn’t too long ago that micro-business owners could contemplate – in all seriousness – whether they needed a business Web site.

Trade show exhibiting can be one of the most profitable and cost-effective ways to promote your micro-business — or it can be a colossal waste of time and money.

It’s the new year, and with it, business owners hope, come busy days ahead. Of course, there will likely be some slow periods, too. Rather than dread these downtimes, plan to use them to your advantage.

Marketing is bewildering to many micro-business owners, who are far more versed in their own business niche than arcane marketing details that seem to take time from their primary work.

Although the Internet seems to overshadow all forms of marketing communication, conventional options still exist for reaching customers.