The experience was frustrating. Firstly, it was difficult to get accurate location based information due to networks only being able to pinpoint location down to 200-300 meters. Secondly, it was expensive and you needed to deal with telecommunications companies that did not open up their location based information freely.

Then came iPhone and the app store along with freely available location information from companies like Google and Skyhook wireless. The development process for this new type of smartphone was simple and using the handset, the developer, and end user, could find themselves on the map. These developments allowed me to develop my app and while its a work in progress, it does what I intended and is a great tool for business.

So what should businesses do?

If nothing else, think about the opportunity. Since late 2008, that’s just under 2 years ago, over 270,000 applications have been added to the iPhone app store and location based services are so pervasive that they are being incorporated into many many applications. Some early uses of location include:

• Check-in Applications – allow you to check-in to tell friends where you are and earn credits, points, rewards. Examples are Facebook, Foursquare, Gowalla, Crowdsauce.
• Around Me – allow the end user to search on a nearby map for businesses, reviews, coupons and local information. Examples are AroundMe, Yelp, Myzerr.
• Travel Apps – access information in cities to tell you where to go. SitOrSquat, Tripit, Flight Status Pro.

I could go on and on about the clever apps available but the ability to pull up a map and find things using your handset presents all sorts of exciting opportunities. So as a business think about how you can use location to market your business:

1. Add your store to apps like Facebook, Google, Myzerr, FourSquare and location services that help end-users find your business.
2. Think about how location is used in your business and explore the build cost for developing an app. In my opinion, not having an app for a smart phone in 5 years will be like not having a website for your business today.

For more information on location based apps and how you can get started I recommend joining your local Mobile Monday group. If you are in Melbourne sign up at  Mobile Monday Melbourne and I hope to see you as a fellow guest at one of their functions.

Technorati Tags: Google Maps, Location Based Services, Small Business Marketing

In 2010, this social gathering is on Facebook. As a social network for ‘friends’ people go to Facebook to catch up with their mates so what does this mean for businesses with a Facebook page?

Uploaded with Skitch!

When you update your Facebook Business Page you’ll need to find a good balance between getting your business message across to your Facebook fans without “commercially spamming” them.

To stay loved keep the updates light and useful rather than advertising-heavy but at the same time give users a reason to connect with you and keep coming back.

Technorati Tags: Facebook, Small Business Marketing, Web2.0

I’m going to let the video do the talking but in summary, using their beautifully designed UI you can setup an account and then create awesome presentations. All editing is done by a simple menu and their ‘Zebra’ tool that allows you to add and edit text, images and video.

Prezi does to Powerpoint what the upcoming release of Sumwise promises to do to Excel (shameless plug for some exceptional friends of mine).

Technorati Tags: Business Tools, Small Business Marketing, Web2.0

In the past, asking about impressions, performance, results and measurement of your campaign was usually given the standard ‘rate card’ response with statistics, prepared by an independent research company. The problem, traditional media was incapable of giving accurate feedback about YOU and YOUR promotion.

One of the best things about new media sites available today is the fact that you can measure everything.

Add Google Analytics to your website and you can get detailed information about the number of hits to your site, visitors, time on site bounce rates and conversions. The best part is it’s free.

Set-up an ad with Facebook and you can view click through rates and get dynamic real time information about how your promotion is performing.

It doesn’t matter if the story is good or bad; you are in control and can make informed decisions about your promotion based on real time statistics.

So before you hand over your next advertising dollar make your ability to measure the real time results of your promotion a priority.

Technorati Tags: Marketing Tips, Small Business Marketing

1. Ask for typical redemption rates from their sales guy and see if they can backup their claims with some solid evidence.
2. See if they have examples of similar businesses to yours using their directory.
3. Ask about long-term customers. If they have long-term advertisers that keep coming back then there is a better chance that their directory works.
4. Call in to a couple of the businesses promoting in their directory and see if it’s working for them. Referrals from the people using products provide the best indication of a products worth.

These steps will give you a better idea of the value of paid local directories. If you are satisfied with the answers you have to the above questions then calculate how many customers you would need to attract to make the advertising pay for itself.

Cost per customer = advertising spend / new customers.

My preference is to go for directories that are free or have ‘results based advertising’. So you pay only when you get additional business instead of committing to fees upfront. Yellow Pages, an example of a business that relies on upfront advertising has been put under a lot of pressure by ‘results based’ options like Google AdWords where you pay per click.

Free Listing Cost Per Customer = $0

If the directory is free to get started or if you only pay for people redeeming then the above questions are less important because it hasn’t cost you to participate and there is less risk.

Technorati Tags: Local Discount Programs, Marketing Tips, Small Business Marketing

1. An 18 page newspaper format magazine promoting property in the area. This publication has almost no useful editorial content and promotes approximately 110 properties from 24 advertisers.
2. The local business area newspaper with 52 pages, an average of 3 ads on every page and a classifieds section.
3. A Melbourne Weekly newspaper with 76 pages and hundreds of ads and real estate listings. Too much effort counting.
4. A DL size brochure for Telstra Bigpond internet plans.
5. An 8 page A4 catalogue from Optus Telecommunications with new phones.
6. A 24 page Coles Supermarket catalogue promoting over 100 specials.
7. A 28 page independent schools guide brochure with 1-2 ads on each page.
8. A 30 page Target catalogue with hundreds of deals on CD’s and DVD’s.
9. A 20 page Target catalogue promoting clothes, undies and toys.
10. A 20 page ‘the good guys’ catalogue promoting white goods.
11. An HBA Health Insurance flyer.
12. A Spy Cam security monitoring brochure.
13. A Plush furniture promotional brochure.
14. A 2 page chemist brochure.
15. 2 Subway foot-long brochures with 12 coupons.
16. A Video EZY brochure with 2 offers.

In summary, I have been hit by 292 pages of stuff / spam / junk mail in just one day. (please feel free to correct my calculations as they are really rough). The amazing thing is that this influx of ‘spam’ never stops and usually ends up in the recycle bin before making it into the house. The only reason I took notice today was because the thickness of the junk inspired me to write this article.

There is no question that much of this Spam advertising approach works because if it didn’t then none of the advertisers would promote. The issue is the waste and I wonder how many of the approximately 1500 products promoted to me today get any response at all. I have limited my example to just what I received in my ‘snail’ mailbox but think about the number if you add in all the radio and television promotions, daily newspapers, Internet banner ads, spam email, billboards and don’t forget the ads above the urinal, on buses, trams, taxis, hotel boards, and bus stops.

Perhaps there is something I like in the 1000’s of ads that will be sent to me today but finding that promotion is like finding a needle in a haystack and who could be bothered.

This may appear to be a bit of a rant but my point is there must be and is a better way for business. My personal view is that businesses need to rethink their promotion strategy and focus on advertising delivery models that enable them to (1) pay for promotion only when the promotions work or (2) pay for promotion that is highly targeted.

If this were the case I would only get information that I’m likely to be interested in and I would be much more likely to buy.

Less information + more relevance = more sales.

If you are an ad agency rep and you make your living off all the junk that was sent to me today please give me your thoughts as I may be getting this whole thing all wrong.

Technorati Tags: Local Business, Small Business Marketing

1. Treat the discount as another form of advertising. I have spoken with many small businesses who don’t give a discount because they have their own customer reward program, but they then spend on advertising to attract new customers. Local discount programs or reward programs should be viewed as advertising you pay for only when it works. It’s like a brick-and-mortar version of Google AdSense in that you are only giving a discount away when someone uses the discount coupon or member card.
2. Structure discounts around your personal circumstances. For example, if you are a restaurant and you are fully booked every lunch and dinner then you don’t need to offer a discount. If you are only fully booked on weekends then offer a discount that is applicable during the week. If your store or restaurant is quiet then you have nothing to lose!
3. Maintain Control. Make sure you understand where, when and to whom the discount is going to be offered. The discount should be appropriate to your area and your desired customer base. You should always have an understanding of the terms of the expiry of the deal. Ensure the local reward program is legitimate and test their claims. Ask about the members that they will be providing discounts to.
4. Consider your branding strategy. Many business brands prefer not to discount if it’s not consistent with their branding philosophy.
5. Can you afford it? Review your product margins and make sure you can afford to give away the discount you are offering.
6. Don’t be bullied. Some local discount programs will only promote your business if you provide a discount they nominate. Ensure you can afford to offer the discount under their terms, or don’t participate.
7. Test and test again. If you provide a discount and nobody is redeeming the offer it may be because (1) the discount is not attractive enough or (2) customers from the reward program are not the right target market for your product or service. In my next post I’ll run through some approaches to testing and assessing if your discount is appropriate.
8. Communicate the discount to your staff. The benefits of the discount can quickly turn into a negative experience for the customer if staff are not aware of the discount. Ensure you are able to communicate the discount to staff as part of your internal marketing process.

As a general rule, unless you are turning away customers I think it’s worth giving promotions in local discount programs a go. Members of discount programs will select or try merchants based on their participation. So long as there are no costs to participate and you can afford the discount it’s advertising you pay for only when it works.

Technorati Tags: Discount Marketing Plan, Local Discount Programs, Small Business Marketing