Just Bark!

Did you ever notice that when dogs have something to say, they just say it? They don’t sit and agonize over the perfect phrase to convey their love or fear or enthusiasm. They just bark!

We could learn a lot from our dogs. In fact, a little canine wisdom can go a long way these days. Lately I’ve met a lot of small-business folks who are just afraid to make a marketing move..any marketing move. (Heck, even the big companies are holding back.) They want to drum up business but they’re afraid to spend the money–and many don’t have much to spend–“in this climate.”

What, exactly, is “this climate”? I say we define it ourselves to a great extent. The current consensus seems to be that the sky is not only falling, it’s falling in big flaming chunks. Well, meteor showers or not, “Troubles are just Opportunities in working clothes,” my ma used to say. So are we going to settle for fear and paralysis, or are we going to be the heroes that get out there and hustle? I don’t know about you, but I love a challenge and I think barking is a good answer to just about any mess.

Now that doesn’t mean I advocate reckless spending. A Wily Dog doesn’t rush head long into battle. Wily Dogs advance with a fencing sort of movement. They go forward a bit, they sniff, they move back, they move forward again. This is a perfect form to practice in marketing.

The wise marketer knows the value of testing a new approach before rolling it out on a big scale. This is especially important for small businesses with small budgets. Here are some tips on how to market wisely in a shaky economy.

1. Attitude check. Who’s going to hold the leash, fear or hope? If you pick hope, read on.

2. Start with a sniff. Your nose can lead you to a lot of free or low-cost marketing vehicles out there test your next big idea. Sniff around for opportunities. One is a blog, like this one. We’ll talk about blogs in a future post, but if  you have a good idea, a blog is a good place to test it because you can ask for free feedback. People LOVE to comment. (That’s one of the reasons I like dogs.)

Another hot idea is web-based news releases. There are lots of vehicles out there that let you upload your news (just make sure it’s really news) to the world–i.e., directly to consumers–while targeting specific lists and markets and even media groups. Again, that will be the subject of a future post, but just do a search on “internet press releases” and take a drink from a fire hose. Spend 20 minutes clicking around and you’ll learn a lot.

Here’s a fun idea that will get your creativity flowing: Sign up for free marketing webinars. An hour online and on the phone listening to an expert can be inspirational and informative and save you TONS of research time.

Another idea, compliments of my friend Barb, is to give a free presentation on your product or service. Yes, FREE. Everyone loves “free” and if you have something of value to share, your local chamber of commerce, speech writing club, or any business group can help you set up to entertain the clueless. Think of any organization or association that could benefit from your expertise…many are eager to welcome you and your slide show. (We’ll talk about presentation skills in (you guessed it) a future blog.)

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock you know that social networking sites are now being captured for business purposes. If you want to find out how to do that, do an internet search on the subject. But beware: Social networking is a two-way street. Make sure your outreach is clean and respectable, and know that ANY content you post can be viewed by your future customers or employers.

Don’t forget traditional avenues like a direct mail piece or a coupon in a local paper! If you’ve got the bucks, hire a professional copywriter and designer to do it up nice and sale-focused.

3. Retreat. Okay, I’ve given you a few assignments above, so take some time to research them and see what feels right. Then….

4.  Bark! Try out your first new tactic…just one…and put some effort into it. Don’t kill yourself trying, just DO SOMETHING. Keep it on a small scale so if it’s a total wreck you aren’t busting the bank or your reputation.  

5. Wag! Expect good results, but if you don’t get any, try again. Remember, when dogs greet each other, there’s lots of wiggling. You might have to try out a couple things first to get that new customer to trust you enough to want to play.

The key, I think, is to think like a dog: Put your best paw forward and trust the universe. Start small so if it’s a misstep you can recover quickly. Only cats sit around sulking, trying to punish everyone.

Last bit of advice: If you find you’re just not sure where to begin or how to proceed, consider calling a professional marketer, writer, designer, web geek, or media maven. For one thing, if they’re any good at all, they probably know a lot of other people who can help you, so before you know it, you could have your own virtual agency working for you at a tiny fraction of the cost of a traditional agency! And here’s a secret: Most freelancers and self-employed types are more than willing to offer some free advice to win your trust. And these days you might even find some of them offering “new client” specials or discounts.

So who said “this climate” can’t work to your advantage? Not me!

Rrrrff!