First, thanks for your visit and adding to the conversation here.

Second, your insights and real-life business experience you share in your blog are truly inspirational.  (Thanks Cath Larsen, for commenting here and leading me to you, Ian)

Third, it’s amazing how much you learn reading both the original post and the following comments, and it’s amazing how when you write a post and respond to your reader’s comments your own understanding deepens.

Ian thanks for mentioning Drayton Bird... a “must-read” for all marketing pros (Yep. that includes you, Small Business Owner. Realize that no matter what you do, you are IN the marketing business).

Here’s a quote from the Drayton Bird site that gets to the heart of our conversation here:

Pretty damn fundamental and basic.

You see, when you step into the social marketing world, and build community with your prospects and clients, you can’t dazzle them with bullshit.  You can no longer throw big-bucks at interruption advertising — TV, radio, newspaper and magazine print — and expect to “buy” an image.  You must BE your image.

Have a “Rules” changed?

Nope.  The bar has been raised.  Without deep thought and understanding of your unique business strengths, understanding the fears, desires, and wants of your market, and your fine-honed “story” — the message that resonates with your market…

You are a pigeon sitting in the middle of the road about to be run over.

Perhaps the violation of the “Rules” is thinking that MSM Image/Branding thinking and tactics will work in the social marketing world?

Isn’t the challenge of social marketing about getting back to the basics and honestly communicating and building community?

Ian, thanks for sharing your thoughts here… and your insights on your blog that provides a real-life, from the heart and soul of the small business owner guide for fellow travelers on his journey.

Cheers, Ian!

Adrian,

Thanks for jumping in…

You’re right, most small business owners, (Well,let’s face it, even Fortune 100 businesses), don’t know the right questions to ask about their marketing.

Fortunately, any business has been in business for a period of time and has actually turned a profit, has tons of hidden assets that aren’t being leveraged.

The most un-leveraged asset of any established business is the client base.

Begin with a study and analysis of your client base.  Start asking them questions and really listen to the words and phrases they use.  (Can you think… keywords?).

It’s funny how this simple change of perspective from product/service focus to a client-communication and relationship-building focus will begin to transform a business.

How do you get started?  What questions do you ask?  Check out my “7 Simple Secrets for Growth-Focused Entrepreneurs” Free Report. You’ll find lots of bread crumbs hidden there.

The small-business owner must make a decision.  Does he want to personally spearhead his marketing efforts, and devote the time and effort to do it?  Most don’t.  They’re happy and comfortable doing the work of their business… tax consulting, managing construction projects, leading a sales team, treating patients… Also, marketing scares them because they don’t understand it.

My experience is that innovative small-business owners figure out how to profitably hire a marketing consultant.  They realize that the increased revenues and resulting profits will easily justify the investment.

The very top small-business owners “get it.”  They know they are IN the marketing business.  They transform their role from DOING the work of the business to driving marketing innovation throughout every aspect of their business.  These business owners are extremely rare… and usually enjoy both time and money freedom.

 Adrian,Thanks for coming back and commenting!

You’re welcome. Glad to provide the link because I think your blog has valuable information for my readers.

“Real revolutions arrive unannounced in the middle of the night and kind of sneak up on you.”… and so ends the reading of Ries and Trout’s Law of Hype.

MySpace and Facebook might be Right Media fits, social marketing tactics, for music related, video games, ring tones, and zit cream… stuff that the active demographic there wants. But, for 95% of local small businesses,it’s too much noise.

You’re right, and I stand corrected, golf rules DO change. An interesting rule change this year, especially in light of this conversation, is use of GPS and Laser yardage devices.  Seems that technology is changing things in golf and marketing.

So, is the Internet, or more specifically social marketing, literally changing “The Rules of Marketing for Small Business?”

The “Rule” I see changing is that it’s gonna force Small Business owners to move away from their unbalanced focus on advertising/media tactics, to doing the hard work of deeply understanding their Markets, and honing their Message, their unique and compelling story, so it rings true.

Right Market, Right Message ,Right Media. Market leaders balance this formula. The rest are reduced to commodity trading of goods and services in their markets.

When a business has these fundamentals in place,then they’re in a position to use the social marketing tools to build community and foster word-of-mouth client-building. I see social marketing as a tactic within a Media tactic, that potentially offers tremendous opportunity for small business owners.

Shifting back to the golf metaphor, most established small business owners right now aren’t in a sand bunker. They’re  sitting in the first cut of rough, with a scary 250 yard carry over water to the green. The water is social marketing…and all the other changes currently hitting small business owners . Now, for 95% of small business owners, the 3-wood 250 yard carry is a “defining moment”, a career shot. The smart ones will lay-up. The dumb will try it. Only the best will try the shot, hit it in the water, and try again. And, you’re also right here Jay, they need someone to teach them, to caddy them to the green.

The “hype” I rant about is not you specifically Jay. It’s that here online, social marketing is pimped as the be-all, end-all killer-app. Most local small business owners don’t have a warm-fuzzy feeling about the pets.com sock puppet era.

Yeah… the “rules” are sneaking up on all of us. But, yep,ya better watch out, or they’ll bite ya in the butt!

I’m sure David’s book will deepen my perspective,too.

Jay, Thanks for the adding to the conversation and the community here.

Thanks for visiting and I, along with all my readers, appreciate your comment.

I respect your insights as a thought leader in this arena. (Note to self: Run to Borders after this post to buy David’s books)I agree with you that what is “New” is the message delivery via the Internet. 

MSM… TV, Radio, Newspapers “controls” information via “push” to market. The Internet empowers people(those folks who buy stuff) to “pull” the information they want.

It reminds me of the line from Seinfeld:(Gotta love Newman)

“When you control the mail, you control…INFORMATION.”

MSM, and lots of business owners, and yes even some of the top marketing pros, cling to this “information control”.

Couple this with all the “noise” of social marketing online…

Result: A hellava lot of confused marketing people.

It’s like your golf game. If you’re spraying the ball all over the place for 3-4 rounds in a row, can’t get up and down, can’t seem to drain a putt to save your life…

Do you run out and buy all new tools… new driver, wedges, and putter?

Or, do you go back to the basics? Check your stance, check your alignment, have your pro check your swing…

Yep, you focus on the fundamentals.(well… you do if you’re a Pro)

But, after the hard work of getting your fundamentals down…

You might put that new Nike Sumo driver (yep, after Borders, gonna swat a couple with this new stick!) and Nike One Platinum golf ball in the bag…

Do you ditch your faithful, trusted wedges and putter after a couple stinker rounds? Nope. These are tools that are tried and true, tested, and work under pressure.

Here’s my point:

If you don’t have the fundamentals down and start using those shiny new “tools”, you’re just going to hit it farther off line and into the woods.

Losing a dozen Nike One Platinums is damn expensive!

Thanks David… keep an eye peeled here for the review of your book, “The New Rules of Marketing and PR”, and the new Nike Sumo driver.

Walt