Tag: Voice of Customer
Brandon Carter
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| PR for the Rest of US: Public Relations for Small Businesses and Startups |
| 06.05.2009 05:57:07 | |
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Over the course of next few months, I'm doing a series over at my personal blog (http://bscarter.com) on PR tactics for small businesses. There are a lot of PR blogs out there that talk about the industry as a whole, or what tactics the big firms/companies are using. These are useful, but there is a serious lack of good information for the majority of us out there trying to promote startups, small businesses, individuals...things like nail salons and moving companies. There are a few sources for those of us who aren't repping Microsoft or P&G. Hopefully these blogs (which I'll continue to simulcast between bscarter.com and the Sprout blog) will help arm you with a few basic tools to take with you in the battle to get noticed. One of my biggest frustrations as a PR guy is the lack of relevant information for those of us that don't have massive accounts like Dell or Microsoft. I think it's great that Sony launched a Twitter game for 'Terminator Salvation' and that (Name of Huge Agency) landed (Name of Huge Company) for (Name of Upcoming Campaign). Every one of those stories has something to gleam off the top that we can all use. For instance, I didn't even know you coul play games thru Twitter.com. Cool, I guess. But does that really help me in my day to day life as PR guy at a firm specializing in small business? I'm working with startups and small businesses who struggle every day just to keep their doors open.
I need information that helps me on THIS level of PR. My campaigns are much different - I'm just trying to get my client's name out there. My client doesn't have the money to pull off massive events. They're not paying some Web development company tons of money to develop a Twitter game. Most of them won't even spend $400 to put a release on the wire. And agencies signing big accounts? Great. Doesn't help me much. Theoretical thought pieces on the industry? Great stuff, but not helpful in serving my clients. So for those of us looking to build a foundation through PR tactics, I'd like to do a few blogs on specific things small businesses and startup operations can do to get their name in front of their preferred audiences without pouring a boatload of money into it. (I'll post a blog later on which sites have good advice that can make you a better PR person at the exact moment you read them. This is a good example.) I realize I'm far from a perfect PR guy, but I've worked for big companies and one-man operations, so I feel like I have something to contribute. I also strongly encourage you to share your thoughts and criticisms in the comments, or send me an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Today, I offer tip #1: Know your Audience, Your CustomersThis is fairly simple, and most businesses should have this figured out by the time they get to a stage to roll out PR. By know your audience, I intend that you should have an idea who is the most likely consumer of your product or service, and a few things about those people: Where do they get their information? Are they TV watchers? Do they read the local newspaper? Are they online in social networks? The best way to do this is to talk to your current customers. The Six Sigma types call it VOC (voice of the customer, natch), but you don't even have to get all scientific the way they do. The goal is to find out their stream of influence and insert yourself into that stream. It might be Twitter, the local news, friend's recommendations (aka word of mouth), newspapers, magazines...and on and on. What moves them to decisions? What moved them to your store or product? Chances are what moved them will move others as well. Knowing where to direct your efforts is half the battle. If your audience doesn't watch much TV, don't spend much time pitching broadcast outlets. If you're in a scientific field, your readers probably are into journals and peer-approved areas. Focus your efforts, because time is short and few outlets have the wide grasp of the Wall St. Journal. Immerse yourself in their world. Learn the language and secret handshakes. You should be talking to your customers regularly anyway, it's good business. By becoming a part of their stream of influence, you broadcast the message you want Knowing where to direct your efforts is the first and most important item you can learn. As we progress, I'll talk about what to do next, finding opportunities, reaching new audiences and actual tactics you can use. Again, jump in the comments and throw out your thoughts and criticisms if you feel compelled to.
Tags: PR | Public Relations | Twitter | Brandon Carter | Voice of Customer | VOC | small business | startups Hits: 954 | Read more... |
| Melissa Flinn |
| Talk To Me |
| 16.12.2008 07:34:18 | |
![]() Consistently checking in with your customers, taking a genuine interest in their comments, and then acting on their feedback can prove to be one of the best ways to generate a loyal customer base. After all, customer loyalty is an investment not an expense. Tags: market research | VOC | Voice of Customer Hits: 719 | Read more... |
| Melissa Flinn |
| The Lemonade Stand |
| 19.07.2008 03:44:29 | |
![]() Yesterday I played 9 holes Park City Golf Course. Don't worry. This isn't going to be a real golf story. They bore me a little bit too. Anyway, the course runs through a neighborhood in Park City and the summer is really busy for them so the course frequently gets backed up. As we get to the 6th hole, we are waiting for the two groups in front of us. There are two boys that must be about 8 or 9 years old who live in the house by the 6th tee box. They have golf balls and gum for sale. On occasion an extra golf ball would be nice but generally I haven't lost all of my balls by the 6th hole and most people are better golfers than I am so they haven't lost all of theirs yet either. But, by this time I am hot and very thirsty having already finished my first bottle of water. So I asked them if they were selling lemonade. They answered to me, "that is what everyone else keeps asking for." I told them, "if that is what everyone is asking for, don't you think you might sell something if you had what they want?" Both boys looked a little confused but one eventually agreed with me and said they would try lemonade next time saying only, "I guess if that's what people want maybe they would buy something from us." I'm sure he didn't realize how profound this statement was. But maybe today, with a product meeting the needs of their customers, they are having better sales. Tags: Park City | Golf | Lemonade | Research | VOC | Voice of Customer Hits: 1204 | Read more... |




