Customers are behaving very differently than ever before. They’re more educated, with access to information from their phones at their fingertips virtually 24/7. They’re harder to reach, as programs like  TiVo make commercials feel as relevant as a drive-in movie theater, and iPods replace radio stations in most cars.  They’re constantly in touch with their peers, with sites like Facebook and Twitter, and blogs allow them to express their opinions to anyone who will listen.

All of this can be disconcerting if you’re unfamiliar with these developments, but ultimately they can help every business become more successful.

Educated consumers can find out about your business by searching for what they need and what you provide – if you make sure you have a website that represents your company well. The changes in traditional media can lower your profile – unless you take other steps to raise it, like hosting events in your community instead of commercials. And of course, a social customer is your best method of advertising. Having satisfied customers with Facebook or Twitter accounts means you have free promotion from a source that potential customers already trust.

Some companies improve information searches – like the new search engine Bing -  and some benefit from them – like Nationwide’s car accident application for iPhones. Product integration is one of the ways big companies advertise without commercials, but for local businesses something simple like sponsoring a youth team or a community charity run works with the same principles. Businesses can use Facebook and Twitter, but it’s also useful for researching consumer behaviors and getting a sense of customer interests.

If you’re able to provide your customers with something they need or want, and can do it as well as or better than everyone else, your business will benefit from today’s evolved customers. Find the strength of your business – a product, customer service, a unique experience, maybe all of the above – and make sure today’s customers know it. It’s just a matter of time until tomorrow’s customers will want to see what the buzz is about.

Our answer: YES!!

Social networking has become a buzzword recently, but I feel like there is a misconception about social media as it pertains to business and making money. Social media “experts” are telling people that the basis of participating in the on-going, online conversation is to gain important industry insights and to give those insights to others. True, following others in your industry on a format like Twitter is beneficial for many reasons. Additionally, giving out advice etc. is important and definitely builds credibility. Let’s face it though, as a business owner how much free time do you really have to devote?

There IS a way for social networking to equal money that goes beyond talking about your industry with people in China. For example, loyal customers can hear from you instantly! What better way to keep in touch with the latest promotions and coupons? How much are you saving as opposed to a direct mailing?

The ways are many, but it all comes down to time and how much your time is worth.

Barack's "O"

The “O” that won the election… at the end of the day, no matter what your affiliation, Obama owes his win to young people and never-before-voters. We can get into all of the political reasons why people showed up to vote in this historic election, but I say “he who brands…wins.” That is exactly what Barack’s camp did. The Obama brand was strong and well executed. Voting Obama was the “trendy” thing to do, this is what the brand was constructed to create. People who have never voted before “Barock’d the vote” because if they didn’t… they were no longer cool.

McCain did very little to no branding whatsoever. This caused him to suffer one of the greatest defeats any public entity can encounter: public branding. When the PUBLIC decides your brand based on their own assumptions, you quickly lose control. John McCain’s brand? Old man who will die in office. Quite a difference from the “trendy thing to do.”

What does this mean to you? Don’t fall short of your brand. If you’re a new company, a new website isn’t necessarily where you need to spend your initial marketing dollars. “If you build it they will come” is a lie. Brand yourself, promote the brand and they will come in droves. Don’t get trapped into a public perception that becomes your brand, you will spend a lot of years and too much money to over come it!