clemans on marketing: confessions and misdemeanors

Entrepreneurs: Start Right

Entrepreneurs need to focus their vision to start and grow companies that matter. Unfortunately, because entrepreneurs are running in so many directions and wearing so many hats, the end user is often lost in translation.

I am working with entrepreneurs and CEOs in healthcare, food and beverage, technology, and professional services.

My job includes making sure they have the right positioning for every marketing and branding effort we push into the light of day.

Start your new company on solid ground and thrive:

1. Messaging matrix
2. Logo design
3. Brand personality
4. Web presence
5. Integrated social media and web marketing tools
6. Integrated sales tools
7. Marketing strategy
8. Marketing tactics and roadmap
9. Find someone smart and able with the vision to lead the charge

Marketing is a commodity

My friend, also in marketing, sent me an email post that got her ire up: 

Looking for a good, inexpensive marketing person
-------------------------------------------
I am looking for a good print and internet marketing
person/company that doesn't cost thousand/s per month.  We have a small personal training/yoga/massage business and we are trying to get the word out locally. We are also willing to give students a try, if they have a great plan.

How about an entire marketing program for two sun salutations, one warrior pose, some chapati, and a half lotus? 

Unfortunately, small businesses are often on their own when it comes to marketing. It can be tough at the bottom. 

Jump-Starting Your Business Strategy.

Stranova founder Brad Reddersen, a leader and visionary in strategic planning and innovation development for emerging businesses and startups, recently spoke to a packed room at the SDForum in Palo Alto. The entrepreneurs present listened closely as Reddersen explained how to turn strategic ideas into operational actions, both in terms of driving product development process and bootstrapping businesses moving forward. The group threw out examples of companies and products that exemplify strategy and innovation, including: YouTube, iPod, eBay, PayPal, etc. What stood out to me was the practical wisdom shared. Entrepreneurs often get stars in their eyes, concentrate on the pie in the sky, get schizy with all the to dos and then stumble or flame out.

As Reddersen explains, emerging businesses and startups need to "understand what it means to be truly competitive".

I've listed several more pearls that surfaced that evening. Take to heart. Then run fast and hard!

1. Be in a class by yourself
2. Establish strategic alliances early and leverage them
3. Know why you are the one to make it happen
4. Set standards for your industry and enforce them
5. Use patents to protect your path
6. Become invaluable to the business ecosystem
7. Harness the power of "blessings" from bloggers, customers seen as industry models, experts, media
8. Create your model for present day as well as for five years from today
9. In order to survive and thrive, many different elements must exist and be successful
10. Take chances, but don't forget what's making money for you today

Sometimes access to all the wisdom in the world isn't enough to stave off major missteps. We need in the trenches guidance to stay afloat and grow wings. Reddersen is one who can help.

Then, there's marketing....

How Start -Ups Market Smart.

Whether you're supermodel Christy Turlington pitching a new line of yoga and exercise clothes, the former CTO of PayPal promoting a 2.0 digital content sharing site or Donald Trump selling towers, you need to market. You need to find your way to the people who want what you have and are willing to pay for it. You need to explain why you're better, faster, smoother, easier or safer than the other guy. Most start-up entrepreneurs know this, but they're so busy talking to attorneys, staffing up, figuring out which trade shows to attend, getting PR or running the numbers that they often ignore Marketing 101.

MySpacestronaut.

This blog is geared to all of those people who know about MySpace.com but who are out of the loop, yet want to at least know about the loop and are probably over 22. I am starting a new online venture (announcement! announcement!) that delivers advice, support, information and connection to teen girls and young women needing help getting launched in life, love and work. As my new business progresses, I will share my exploration of MySpace and new media, both from the perspective of a slightly older yet intrepid user/business owner and from the perspective of a marketer on the search for new media opportunities.

The promoting begins.

First step, enter the world of social media and purchase the url, mothertodaughter.com (not live yet). Second step, find someone to "invite" me to get a Gmail account. Third step, start a blog. And fourth step, join MySpace.

Getting started on MySpace.

Signing up is easy, except for the field where they ask for my age. Next, upload my picture. Fill in the field "About Me". At this point, I need help, so I contact my 19-year-old friend. Marta is very experienced incorporating slideshows, graphics, music and html. She suggests that I visit mspremade.com and mygirlyspace.com to find the perfect pre-made layout to dress up my page. Wow. These two sites offer a tremendous array of amazingly diverse and creative layouts (designed by MySpace members), layout tweaks, MySpace codes and graphics to customize MySpace pages. Once I choose the layout I want (check viewer rating), all I need to do is grab the code right under the layout and paste it into the "About Me" field in the profile section of MySpace.

I've passed on getting my very own little zwinky, at least for now.

Stay in touch as the journey unfolds.