You've Been Retargeted!

By Chrissie VanWormer

If you’re anything like me, when you got up this morning you sat down at your computer to check the weather before taking the dog out for his or her morning walk. As the weather site came up, you were likely served with an ad for a product or a service. And very likely that product or service was something you looked at last night before shutting down for the evening. If it was, congratulations--you were just retargeted!

Retargeting, also known as remarketing, is a simple concept that helps marketers serve people goods and/or services they have already shown an interest in. Used in conjunction with a full online ad campaign, it can offer an advertiser a second chance when a user does not initially purchase their product or service.

To explain the concept, I like to use the example of shoes. I personally love shoes and all shoe marketers on the web have my "number." You can go ahead and insert your interest everywhere I say “shoes” and the concept is the same.

Last Saturday morning I logged onto my computer and was served up with an ad for a shoe website. I clicked on it, did a little browsing, clicked on a pair of magnificent boots, and gazed at them for awhile. They were beautiful, made of soft, supple leather, and they were super stylish. But the price was a little out of my range. I navigated away and over to another site that contained information for a project I was researching.

As I moved through that site, I was once more presented with a photo of the boots and a link to the previous website. I noticed it right away, and I decided to flip through a number of sites to see how long the boots would follow me. Quite honestly, they shadowed me for the next couple of hours as I continued my research.

You're probably wondering exactly how this all works. And if you own a small business, you might be wondering how it might work for you.

Basically, when you visit a website, the website owner begins to create a “profile” of you by collecting data that links to your web browser. It’s called a "cookie." The information being measured are things like the amount of time you view each web page, the links you click on, searches you’ve done and ads you’ve interacted with.

Website owners use this data to create what are known as "defined audience segments" based on other visitors with similar profiles. In my case, my interest in shoes puts me in a category with other shoe lovers.

A standard yardstick in advertising is the idea a company needs about seven contacts with a customer on average before they can make a sale. Retargeting allows the small business especially to add up their contacts with potential buyers without spending inordinately higher amounts of money on their advertising. And that's where the value is for small business. Retargeting improves your advertising ROI by increasing the effectiveness of your ads while offering lower cost.

However, all of this may change if Do Not Track legislation is approved. Federal regulators and online companies are currently slugging it out over the issue. It's too early to tell how it will come out, but since browsers such as Mozilla Firefox already have a ‘do not track’ option in the settings the legislation might turn out to be unnecessary to protect online privacy. Maybe that will be enough for lawmakers to decide to let small businesses continue to use this valuable marketing tool.

Believe!

By Chrissie VanWormer

Sometimes, when we’re feeling the pressures of running a small business, we get so caught up in worrying about when the next check will come in, fretting over an employee who seems to be falling down on the job, or maybe focusing on a customer who is trying to micro-manage a project, that we forget why we even started doing our businesses in the first place.

We’re tired. Maybe we’re feeling a little ragged around the edges and sometimes we even find ourselves glorifying the job we left when we decided to strike out on our own. Remember how nice it was to work 9 to 5? Oh, and regular time off. Wow, what a treat that would be! I have a friend who runs a small auto repair shop and he often jokes about having to take a paid sick day. Yup, he says a paid sick day is one of those days that you work with a stomach virus because you need to get paid!

I’d like to share a true story. I have a friend who is a very talented clothing designer. She has run her own business for a number of years now but recently found herself struggling to maintain her faith in herself. Her coffers were depleted, jobs were not coming in and she needed money to start what she knew would be a great collection of her own designs. She was sure she could make it happen but as the song goes; she was “running low on faith and gasoline”.

Right around Christmas time last year, she took a drive to New York City for a visit to the fabric district which just happens to be her own personal nirvana. She had shopped all day and was feeling exhausted so decided to stop for a cup of tea. As she sat contemplating her dream and the outcome of the day, a feeling of discouragement washed over her. Why couldn’t anything be easy? She sent up a little prayer that went something like this: “I’m sure I can make this happen but I’m running out of steam. I don’t know what to do. Please send me a sign that gives some kind of an indication that I’m on the right track.” As she doodled on a coffee shop napkin, a Salvation Army Santa rang a bell outside the window. Suddenly a bright light flashed on just across the street causing her to look up. The red, yellow, blue and green and white lights practically shouted, “Believe!” There it was; a sign…both literally and figuratively.

So what's the point of all of this? Making a small business work is hard... and many times it takes everything we have. And let’s face it, some days really stink. But in the end, if we BELIEVE we can make it happen and we’re smart about how we do it, we CAN make it happen. Life is a lot about believing; believing in ourselves and the gifts God gave us. The doing is taking that proverbial bull by the horns and making it happen. Is it easy? Absolutely not. Is it fulfilling? You bet!

Make Some Noise

By Chrissie VanWormer

Yesterday was July 4th. I stood out on my deck looking out at the woods that surround my house as I sipped my morning tea. Everything was so green, except for the grass which is brown and dry at this point; we really could use some rain. But I digress. Scanning the edge of the woods, I noticed the daisies, the purple wild flowers that the hummingbirds love, and the vines I am working on digging out of the ground, but mostly I notice the trees. They are so beautiful when covered in the green of summer glory. Such an amazing contrast from the starkness of the winter season. Then my eyes jumped back to an opening in the woods. And then I realized what had drawn my eyes back to that spot. There were three…yes three…very red/orange maple leaves. The color is beautiful and vibrant.

And then it struck me.

I noticed those three leaves because they are truly different from the other foliage in the area. Their color is bright, eye catching, vibrant and it made me take notice. In that setting, those three rogue leaves had made themselves clearly visible –sticking out from that sea of greenery saying 'look at me, here I am, look here!'

Nature has many lessons to teach us and this is just one more. Each one of us needs to find a unique way to stand out from the crowd, to find a way to be noticed, to draw attention to our business and product and/or service. Maybe it’s your stellar service that becomes known just through word of mouth; or maybe it’s a quirky name that draws attention. Maybe you’ll have an employee distribute fliers wearing a chicken costume or Superman cape. Maybe you’ll hire an airplane and have your message painted across the sky. Whatever it is you do, consider how it will make your business stand out from the rest; because as a friend of mine once told me, everyone has vanilla ice cream; what’s so special about yours? Find your voice and figure out what makes you stand out and shine.

Organic vs Advocate

By Michael Massey

A recent article in SFgate.com brought up an interesting point. It bore the question: What is the best way to advertise; organically or by advocate? Student Adnan Ebrahim was blogging about the car business alongside his collegiate studies when he caught the attention of luxury automakers. According to Ebrahim, “If you can demonstrate to Lamborghini or Ferrari that you can drive a million views to a video, they’re more than happy to lend you a car.” Bloggers and other social media mavens continue to build influence to drive traffic to websites, increasing potential purchases; and they tend to be rewarded with some fancy perks usually reserved for big players. In the past month Ebrahim has flown to Portugal to test drive the Toyota GT86 sports car, Austria for the Lexus GS and Germany to see the Mitsubishi Outlander. He never picked up a tab. And on the Portugal leg of the trip, they stopped for an olive oil tasting experience.

It’s a great gig if you can get it, but it does beg the question: how unbiased will the content be when the reviewer is whisked off in a private jet to drive vehicles through the mountains of Germany and Portugal? Melissa Ward of NewWard Development LLC notes the analogy to TV news reporting. “When it was just the news, it was reported. Now that it is sponsored, it sometimes gives the appearance that it isn't always presented free of any bias.”

If Porsche lent me a 911 Turbo S to test drive, then picked me up at the airport and asked me to spend a week driving the Autobahn, you can be sure I wouldn’t say no. The review would be ripe with all the details. I’m sure I would extoll the feel of the supple leather against my pants, the torque speed and the fluidity of the shifting experience to the way the top of the line entertainment system sounded bouncing off the mountains. I would have become an advocate.

Organic content provides a truly unbiased opinion, free of outside influence. With it you you'll be assured of getting a broad overview with likes and dislikes highlighted which is an important part of any buying process.

Advocates would mine much deeper and deliver content that speaks like a true fan.

As marketers struggle to have their message heard within the new media outlets, it’s definitely important to reach out to both sets of influencers. Using organic and advocate content will give your delivery balance.

Go Ahead…Don’t Be Afraid…Cut Your Losses

By Chrissie VanWormer

We all know them: the friend who is in a never ending crisis and wants to talk their story to death while you’re trying to finish a project with a strict deadline. Then there’s the friend who shows up with coffee on Saturday morning at 7:55 after you’ve already asked them not to come because you need to leave for a hair appointment at 8:00. Then you’re the one left feeling guilty because it was so nice of them to pick up your favorite flavor. And don’t forget about the friend who continually states they have your best interest at heart but it seems as if they have their own motives for interest in your life. A number of times over the years, I’ve taken stock of the group of people surrounding me who fall into these categories and here and there have decided to cut one or two of them loose. Just this past winter I got a very strange phone call from a woman who has called me friend for about four years. She fell into all the categories above and many times felt more like a chore to me than any kind of friend. When I picked up the phone that day, she blasted me because I hadn’t mailed her Christmas gift yet. I quietly reminded her that she’s Jewish. She hung up on me so I emailed her. When she responded with a nasty remark, I informed her I didn’t need friends like her and even went so far as to unfriend her from facebook. In short, I cut my losses.

In business it seems to be very much the same. Every so often we secure a client that after getting to know them and their work and communication style, we’re not sure we should keep. They might be the client who is a major time sucker keeping us on the phone for hours or the type who sends a myriad of emails every day without thinking anything through and then expecting immediate responses. Maybe they’re micromanagers who are checking to make sure every I is dotted and T is crossed at least half a dozen times and then decide they want to re-do everything that has already been approved with new I’s and T’s. Maybe they don’t respect the work we’re doing; that’s a big one. Or maybe they are constantly trying to get a break on the price that already has a thin margin and are looking for every little thing in an effort to make it seem like it’s a deserved price break. When we’re really busy, these are the types of clients that maybe we need to release…in other words, we need to cut our losses.

In most cases it’s a tough decision to make. Let’s face it; money is money and as small business people we work hard for what we get. But if we step back and really look at the situation, many times it’s only money in the short run. These are not the clients who stick around for the long term. They are not the clients that talk us up and refer us along. Many times they are the ones who are jumping from vendor to vendor leaving a wake of stressed out staff, over flowing email boxes and unpaid bills. Is this really the kind of client we want to hang on to?

Not on your life.

Sometimes we find we have to cut our losses because while we’re giving these clients the attention they are seeking, we are overlooking new possibilities for new revenue streams and better clients who appreciate our time and talents. A friend of mine once said that by hanging onto these bad situations, we are tripping over dollars to pick up pennies. I agree with statement wholeheartedly and have repeated it many times. Take a moment to think about that. Then take a look at your client list and talk to your staff. Is there a client who is driving everyone crazy with no real return? If so, maybe it’s time to really look at the business you’re doing with them. Is it fruitful? Do they pay their bills on time? Exactly how much are you making per hour when you really look at. Are they a client who has brought your more business by referring you on? If not, maybe now is a good time to let them go. Maybe now is a really good time to cut your losses.

Pinboards and Pictures The Future of Pinterest

By Michael Massey

Lifeboards. It’s not really a new concept. I’ve got one propped up on a book shelf now that I started and stopped working on several months ago because it became too much of a pain in the ass to cut out pictures and write in a diary everyday. I’m more of an immediate pleasure kind of guy that wants everyone to see what I’m doing 24/7.

Pinterest is great for egoists like me. It allows you to create multiple virtual lifeboards, share and post pictures and create inspiration for others and yourself.

Ben Silberman, CEO and co-founder says: “I realized that people were using it for projects that were important in their real lives.” Once Pinterest began growing, it didn’t stop. Since inception, the site has added an estimated 40% to 50% more subscribers each month.

The burning questions you should ask yourself:

1) What does the future hold for yet another social media application?

2) How can a business use it as part of their media mix?

What makes this unique is that you customize your boards and title them the way you like, reposting pictures is easy and requires no technical knowledge and it’s a snap to feed this into your Facebook and Twitter feed. As long as users continue to check out favorite travel places, fitness tips and chocolate cake recipes it has a future. Hell. It’s free to use.

And since it’s free to use, any small business can use it to build buzz through contests and stunning visuals that can position your enterprise any way you like. See what I mean. Makes you want to book a flight today, doesn’t it:

My passport and running gear are calling me (see above) so I’ll be pinning pics of a road race in Bali. What about you?

Changing It Up

By Chrissie VanWormer

Sometimes we get complacent. You know what I mean. You’ve got a good business, good clients, good cash flow and all is well with the world. That was my 2011. I was content for the first time in a while and had a bit of time to have some fun. I wasn’t thrilled with parts of what I was doing but I was finally making some decent money. Then…BAM…2012 came in like a lion. Let me just back up and say that I had set my intention for 2012 to really change it up. I put it out to the universe that I wanted to grow personally, grow my business, and finally find my life’s purpose. But I forgot to ask it the change would come with grace and ease. That was my mistake!

Shortly after the beginning of the year, we were notified that a very large account was being pulled back and away in another direction. My heart sank. My stomach sank. I felt a little sick, a slight bit depressed and maybe a tad bit angry if I will let myself admit that. We worked hard for that client and went above and beyond at all times. The change had nothing to do with what we did or didn’t do. It just happened. Life happened.

I needed time to think.

About two days later, as I sat eating a lunch time salad, I had an epiphany. The feeling came in like a lightning bolt and I was suddenly 100% aware that the change was nothing but good. Good for me, good for our business, maybe even good for the world. Well, I probably shouldn’t go that far but I’ll tell you one thing…the whole experience made me re-think and re-direct my thought processes. I had been buried in minutia for two years which didn’t make me happy but the money was good so I kept at it. We had been handed the opportunity to change it up.

The excellent part of all of this is that we are really being forced to think out of the box relative to finding new clients and a new direction. We’re even re-branding our business and becoming more of who we want to be as a business and individuals. A very wise friend of mine regularly says, “Whoa, wait a minute, let’s back up and look at that again.” I’ve never been keen on looking backward but I have to admit, hindsight really is 20/20. We’re looking at where we’ve been, looking at where we want to go and finding the path to get there. Is it scary? Darn right it is but it’s exhilarating. And anything that’s new and unfamiliar is a bit scary but growth doesn’t come from stagnation. Growth comes from shaking it up, moving out of the familiar, and changing it up.