Small Business Summer Survival Mode Marketing: Cooperative Activities, Week 1

Until very recently, a website was the way you drove people/clients to your Facebook account. Now Facebook is becoming the tail that wags the dog, and it is driving people/clients to websites. Part of this phenomenon is because of the wide use of smart phones, and random and generic surfing of the Net is being somewhat replaced with talking back and forth on Facebook. The amount of social emailing is declining gradually because of Facebook, too.

Email is still a vastly useful tool, and will continue to be, in terms of marketing. But direct word of mouth marketing is being impacted heavily by Facebook. (And word of mouth marketing is the latest buzz. As the saying goes, everything old is new again.)

For yourself:

1. Go onto Google Places, and sign up for a free business account.

2. Check presence on Kudzu.com. Enlist help of customers/associates to place positive feedback.

3. Check presence on Yelp.com. Enlist help of customers/associates to place positive feedback.

4. Consider creating a Facebook business page.

For others:

1. Leave reviews and recommendations on Kudzu.com and Yelp.com for five businesses or services that you have used recently.

2. Leave a positive remark on the Facebook business page of at least two businesses or services that you have used recently.

3. At the very least, make a three line recommendation that another small business can quote in its promotion.

[Need help? Call Jody at 623-561-0240, or email jody@sereyjones.com.]