Archives for April 2010

Walking the Talk or Doing Business Right

Sometimes opportunity strikes from the most unlikely of sources.

Ideas come to fruition from adversity, and that goal of yours becomes a reality quicker.

So it is with the launch on Saturday May 1 of my new venture the SRM Group, a business I co-founded with a great strategy and marketing guy, Troy Claus. Our mantra is simple – ethics over profits.

Working with clients of all sizes, every single one will receive the same care, honesty, expertise and one-to-one attention that every business deserves.

No charging extra to the bigger clients “because they can afford it”, and no short-changing smaller clients with less of a service “because they don’t pay as much as the bigger ones.”

Every strategy that’s put in place will be ones that we would use ourselves. Every piece of business advice that we give will be advice that we would adhere to ourselves. Basically, we’ll walk the talk we give our clients and for one simple reason -? we care because you care.

And because our complete approach will be built around being socially responsible, we’ll be giving back with every project we work on. Whether it’s free non-profit workshops in our local community, or donating 5% of our profits to the 12for12k charity initiative, it’s our way of supporting the world around us.

Clients benefit too, by giving back automatically through project fees when working with us without the need to set up their own programs – something that our existing clients are really happy to be part of.

As I said at the start of this post, opportunity strikes from the most unlikely of sources. My recent ill health allowed me the time to assess where my focus wanted to be, and that led to the birth of the SRM Group. Thankfully, I have an amazing business partner and co-founder in Troy who shares exactly the same values and ethics.

There are many ways to do business, but to me there’s only one way to do it right. The SRM Group will always work to that mantra. If you’re interested in working with a business that puts ethics before profits and you before us, get in touch with us today.

It’s not just smart marketing – it’s simply the right way to do business.

The SRM Group website launches 12.00 noon eastern on Saturday May 1, 2010. In the meantime, you can connect with us on Twitter @SRMgroup.

Promotion Commotion

Businesses spend thousands (or millions) on launching new products. Ad spend, PR, marketing, media blitzes – and that’s just the traditional approach. Then you have social media to add to the mix.

The bean counters look at the return and either class it a success or call for the promo team’s head.

What they tend to do, though, is get lost in the promotion commotion. Not all product launches are immediate successes.

Look at The Shawshank Redemption. A failure when it hit the cinema, but now one of the most beloved movies ever and frequently on movie magazines Best Of lists, not to mention normal viewers’ favourites.

Sometimes the product is right, just the timing is off. That’s not to say success won’t come. Plan to build for the long-term and stop watching the instant ticker tape results – you might just win in the end.

Are You a Shadow or a Beacon?

Take a minute to ask yourself a question ? are you a shadow or a beacon?

Are you merely following the crowd and what they think is right, or are you following your own path and leading the way?

If the answer to the question is the former, then you?re a social shadow ? always following, never questioning.

You need to change this now if you want to be more than just a shadow.

Like so many others, you?re trying to get to grips with social media, social networking, social marketing ? in fact, you?re probably all socialed out.

Everyone telling you which social tool you should use to expand your brand ? Digg this, Stumble that, and don?t forget to Twitter while you?re at it. While it?s true that you need to Socialize to make these applications work for you, it?s only true if you?re using them effectively.

Social shadows, always reacting to the social media/network scene as opposed to being pro-active, aren?t using this online social scene effectively. The result? You and/or your business is always the perennial ?almost man? ? you know, the movie co-star that never gets the girl or the audience?s love.

Yes, you?ll get the sympathy vote ? but who wants that? Wouldn?t you rather have the leading love interest in your arms?

Now take that and transfer it to your business. Your love interest is your customer ? your co-star vying for their love is your competitor. Just like you need to have the best scenes in a movie to be the star, so you need the best impressions of your company to be the star of your field. You know that social media can help you here ? but only if you?re the leading man, and not standing in the shadows of the supporting cast.

Light Up Your Shadow

Use social media and networking properly to promote your brand and business. This doesn?t mean adding hundreds of people just to try and be noticed ? instead, offer worthy participation. Leave comments on blogs with tips on solutions to a question, or recommend sites other than yours for knowledge bases. Once people see you?re not out for yourself they?ll look to you for advice every time ? guess what? That?s a new follower/customer you have.

Be an innovator. Come up with new ways to position yourself as the business to come to for your product. Grow your brand using social media as the tool instead of social media using you. Use a blog to offer your own personal and radical views that may or may not appeal to the mainstream ? initially, at least. Instead of writing what you think people want to hear, write what you want to read.

Don?t worry about interest being small at first ? after all, true pioneers are the ones that forge ahead offering real value and knowledge; all they need is time for everyone to catch up. And they will ? contrary to popular belief last generation, this public loves change.

Ready to light up your beacon and lead the way?

photo credit: Xavier Fargas