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More than likely, you started a business because you consider yourself an expert at something. One of the best ways to tout your expertise is to draft a whitepaper. Simply put, a whitepaper is a document that focuses on the problem and solution for a given subject. In the past, whitepapers were routinely used by the government and technology sectors for positioning on a specific topic. If you conduct an Internet search on “whitepapers” now, you’ll see that these documents are used to dissect a variety of subjects that range from politics to sales and marketing.

If you’re interested in writing a whitepaper, here are a few tips to help you get started:

• Know the issue : Before you pick up a pen or start tapping away on your keyboard, know what problems the customers you serve are facing, and how your expertise can help.
• Decide on a topic : Now that you’ve identified what your customers need, pinpoint a topic and list actionable solutions.
• End on a high note : End your whitepaper with a bang by clearly summarizing how to solve the problem you’ve identified, and any necessary next steps.
• Promote, promote, promote : Finally, don’t forget to let the public know about your whitepaper. Some things that you can do for promotions include: adding the whitepaper to your website and social media platforms; offering it to current and potential clients; and distributing it at speaking engagements.

Also remember that your whitepaper can vary in length. Presenting a well-organized document that follows a logical thought process is more important than the length of your whitepaper.  Happy writing!

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About Kristina Hill

Kristina Hill is the owner of MarComm Creative Group, LLC, a marketing communications business that helps small-and-mid-sized companies tell their story. For more information visit www.marcommcreativegroup.com .

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I’m a big fan of using photos during marketing activities. Because of this, I talk to small business owners all the time about the importance of having a variety of photos on-hand just in case the occasion arises where an image is needed or even just because. Images ranging from  executive head shots, to product photos, and images captured at special events help to visually tell the story of your business.

At the very least, try to keep a no-frills digital camera around so that you can capture quality photos of your business in action. Are you speaking on a panel? Take a picture of it. Did a celebrity visit your location? Grab your camera and get a quick shot. Or, take photos of the interior and exterior of your business location just because. Staged and candid shots are always good to have around. If there’s room in your budget, think about hiring a photographer to capture a few key photos. You’ll be glad you did. And, for quick, easy tips on how to maximize your photos, check out my blog post "5 Ways To Use Photos In Your Marketing Efforts ."

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About Kristina Hill

Kristina Hill is the owner of MarComm Creative Group, LLC, a marketing communications business that helps small-and-mid-sized companies tell their story. For more information visit www.marcommcreativegroup.com .

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I love to read. I’m especially drawn to books dealing with various facets of marketing. One book that recently made my reading list in this category is “Now Is Gone” by marketing strategist Geoff Livingston and Brian Solis , principal of the PR agency FutureWorks. I heard a lot about the book a few months back and finally had a chance to dig into it.

"Now Is Gone" serves as a beginner’s course for executives and entrepreneurs looking to add social media to their marketing mix. Even with all of the blogging, tweeting, and Facebooking going on, there still are a lot of people who fall into this category. If this is the case, or even if you need a social media refresher course, I recommend "Now Is Gone" as a good read for three primary reasons:

* The book provides practical, relatable insights about what social media is, and tips on how to enter and succeed in social media in a way that’s right for your business.
* The book features a number of real-life, practical case studies from small and large businesses who are succeeding with social media.
* The book is a quick, easy read. This is especially important since the words “social media” still ignites fear in some people. No matter the level, you will be able to glean information from this book.

Also a treat were interviews taken from Livingston’s Buzz Bin Blog with marketing experts such as Todd Defren, Laura Ries, and others. If you consider yourself a social media pro, this book may not be for you. But, if you are a newbie in this space or are curious as to what others are saying about and doing with social media, "Now is Gone" is a good place to start this journey.

Visit www.nowisgone.com to find out more about this book. And don’t leave the site without checking out a few of the social media marketing case studies.

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About Kristina Hill

Kristina Hill is the owner of MarComm Creative Group, LLC, a marketing communications business that helps small-and-mid-sized companies tell their story For more information visit www.marcommcreativegroup.com.

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Almost a year ago, I wrote a post called "Do You Twitter," which trumpeted the use of the then-new micro-blogging platform. The basic premise of this writing was that companies of all sizes and backgrounds were using Twitter to promote their products and services and engage their customers. It’s funny to look back and think that this was just the beginning of the Twitter phenomenon. Since then, the popularity of the platform has exploded. I found some stats stating that Twitter attracts nearly 14 million visitors in the U.S. alone and 6 million registered users. There also have been countless articles on the site (check these out here and here ). Amazing.

I’m still excited about Twitter, and its marketing potential for small and medium-sized businesses in particular. In fact, today I worked with one of my clients, Mert’s Heart and Soul restaurant, to launch the business on Twitter. I gave a basic Twitter presentation to the "Mert’s tweet staff" and they were happy to have another vehicle to connect with current and potential customers. Twitter also will give the Mert’s team a real-time marketing tool to promote activities ranging from special offers to recipes. I look forward to seeing the Mert’s brand grow on Twitter. This should be fun.

I’ll be blogging periodically throughout this journey to offer tips, lessons, and insights that can help other small businesses who are poised to launch on Twitter, too. If you want to launch your business or Twitter but have not made the leap yet, here are a few tips to help:

1. Research : There are countless online articles about Twitter. Use this library of information to familiarize yourself with the platform. Also, if you know of people and businesses who use Twitter, ask them for advice or jump on the site to see what they are tweeting about.
2. Strategy : Develop a clear strategy for why you are bringing your business to Twitter before you join. Twitter is essentially another marketing communications engagement tool, and you want to bring real, meaningful conversation to your community of followers.
3. Training : Train your staff on how Twitter will be used for your business and the appropriate etiquette, especially if they will be charged with posting tweets.
4. Think Value, Value, Value : Think about what value you want to deliver through the platform. What are some things that your customers/followers need and expect to hear from you? How can you extend your brand promise to the Twitter platform?

Have you recently launched your business on Twitter? If so, are there any insights that you can share from your experience? We’d love to hear from you.

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About Kristina Hill

Kristina Hill is the owner of MarComm Creative Group, LLC, a marketing communications business that helps small and mid-sized companies tell their story.

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Internal communications is just as important as external communications.  After all, it is employees, board members, and others on the front lines that have the most contact with your customers and other key members of your business’ community – on and offline. Because of this, it is important, as a business owner, to find out if your employees know who you are. And in “knowing,” not just knowing the name of your spouse, kids, etc., but what makes you tick from a business perspective.

Think about it.

Can your employees clearly articulate and act upon the mission and vision you have for your business, and how this is being realized? Do they know what market forces are keeping you up at night? Do they know the long-term plans of your business and how they fit into the equation? If the answer to these questions are no, there are multiple cost-effective tools that you can use to reverse the tide. Here are some suggestions:

• Start an internal blog to open up a line of communication with employees. Be transparent with your thoughts and welcome feedback and comments. A blog is an ongoing commitment so once you start, keep going and evolving.

• Use an old-fashioned comment box and invite employees to submit to you comments, suggestions, and questions - then follow up with your response.

• If you have an internal newsletter, pen a special column that allows you to share your thoughts on various issues.

• Start revolving coffee breaks with employees. During this time, let them know that you are a real person and that you value their insights.

• If your company is tech savvy, use short video clips to share your thoughts on critical developments and post them on your intranet site.

• Make a commitment to hold regular staff meetings. Remember to talk and listen.

I know that it can be tempting to focus all your efforts on external communications and marketing. After all, it is important to continually engage current and potential customers. But your internal staff is critical to retaining long-term, satisfied customers. After all, having employees that know who you are and their role in your business is the best way to accomplish this goal.

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About Kristina Hill

Kristina Hill is the owner of MarComm Creative Group, LLC, a marketing communications business that helps small and mid-sized companies tell their story.

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I was skimming through a few marketing and PR publications the other day and stopped to ponder the change in vocabulary and foundational thinking the industry has experienced in the last several years.

Think about it. The term target audience has morphed into “community,” mostly due to the rise in social media platforms. Instead of focusing on writing copy, we now focus on creating content that can be used across multiple platforms. And, instead of "talking to" consumers through traditional marketing communications efforts, we now engage them, and earn their permission to bring products and services into their lives. (Speaking of engagement, the White House recently changed the name of its "Office of Public Liaison" to the "Office of Public Engagement." A true sign of the times. Click here to read more about this.)

This transformation is truly amazing, and makes me even more excited about what’s ahead in this arena – especially because businesses of all sizes can succeed in this new world by developing a sound strategy that connects them to the right group of consumers. Here are a few more changes that I jotted down:

Was …
Target audience
Talk to consumers (one-way marketing)
Media
Mass Marketing
Press Release
Copy
Web/Link Optimization
Interruptions (Messages/Ads)
Single Platform Campaigns

Now …
Community
Engage Consumers (Conversational)
Permission Marketing
Social Media
Individualized Marketing
Social Media Release (or Multimedia Release)
Content Optimization
Involvement (Experience/Ideas)
Multi-Platform Campaigns

Have anymore to add to the list?

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About Kristina Hill

Kristina Hill is the owner of MarComm Creative Group, LLC, a marketing communications business that helps small and mid-sized companies tell their story.

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Its very easy to give all  your attention to one or two customers who, despite the current market are giving you lots of business - “better look after these guys, can’t afford to lose them”.  Its easy to fall into the trap of relying on one product line that, despite the current market is selling well - “better keep pushing these, thank goodness we have this line”.  Its easy to stick to one market that you know inside out - “phew, good job I am expert in this sector, the rest of the market is dead”.  Don’t forget the suppliers, reliance on a single vendor can be commercial suicide, if for example they go out of business or exit the market.

All of a sudden you could find yourself in a “dependency culture”.  Too reliant on a single market, customer, product/service offering or supplier.  Heavens forbid you were to become totally dependant on a single customer, that you a sell one product too, that you get from a single vendor!

So how do you avoid the dependency culture?  Here are few pointers.

1.  No matter how strong your pipeline looks [through those rose tinted sales spectacles] keep marketing and prospecting - always be creating demand.

2.  Don’t get complacent - keep researching your market, keep asking customers if they REALLY are happy, keep an eye on your competitors, don’t let service or quality slip a millimetre.

3.  Don’t become too reliant on single vendor, keep them on their toes, remind them they they need you as much (if not more) than you need them.  Have a contingency plan for alternate suppliers.

4.  If you think you dont have the resources to get into a diferent market or customer segment, think again.  Could you  “re-purpose” what you sell for a quick entry into other markets (here is a great white paper on re-purposing ). You can capitalise on your knowledge, expertise and investment whilst broadening your market reach, quicker than you may think.

Every so often you need to be honest with yourself - “am I as a salesperson, or are we as a business, falling into a dependency culture?”.  Keep asking because dependency will creep up on you before you know it.

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This week marked the first 100-days-in-office for President Barack Obama. As with other presidents, President Obama’s performance thus far into his young term was heavily critiqued and even graded to determine what he’s accomplished, and what these developments could mean for the remainder of his term. (Speaking of grading, I loved CNN’s instant poll that allowed their website visitors to grade President Obama’s first 100-days. CNN shared the results on air after each grading segment was complete. What a dynamic way to use information).

After seeing countless news stories about the President’s 100-day milestone, I started to think that it might also be useful for businesses to critique how they are performing thus far in 2009 as it relates to their marketing efforts. Not sure about anyone else, but for me the beginning of 2009 seems like it was 100 years ago instead of just a hundred plus days ago. Taking an assessment of what’s happened and where things are headed is integral to staying on track with this year’s goals. Here are a few areas that you might want to assess pertaining to your marketing outreach as we inch further into the year:

• Have you been able to clearly articulate your story using the appropriate channels?

• Have you been proactive in trying new marketing channels when other tactics aren’t getting the job done?

• Have your marketing efforts retained current customers and attracted new customers?

• Is the copy on your website, ads, presentations, brochures, public relations documents, etc. fresh and relevant to your target customers?

• Have you been able to secure any significant traction in the media this year?

• Have you proactively stayed on top of the latest trends in and outside of your profession/industry?

• Have you explored new avenues for networking and potential partnerships?

• Are you in tune with what your customers want/need?

• Are you still passionate about your goals for 2009?

These are just a few questions that can help you measure your marketing output so far in ‘09. Did you make the grade? I’d love to hear your thoughts about other questions that should join this list.

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About Kristina Hill

Kristina Hill is the owner of MarComm Creative Group, LLC, a marketing communications business that helps small-and-mid-sized companies tell their story.

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Let’s face it. As business owners, we all need to execute some form of marketing for our businesses to attract customers. After all, marketing is the driving force in telling our target audience who we are and what we have to offer through our products and services. As important as it is to market, it’s even more important to know that you are ready for marketing. Consider the consequences of starting a marketing campaign without being able to deliver on the promise that’s being communicated. The results of this can be disastrous, and place you in a not so good spot with current and potential customers. Here are six basic questions that you can use today to determine if you are ready for marketing:

1. Do you know your business’ story : It’s important to know and be able to clearly articulate your business’ story . Questions such as why you launched your business, product and service details, who the key players are in your business, company milestones, and other foundational questions play an integral role in your marketing.
2. What’s special about your product or service : Do you know what distinguishes your product or service from the competition? Can you succinctly articulate these brand benefits in your marketing? Take time to jot down your standout product/service elements. With a little effort, you will be surprised at all of the gems you uncover. This exercise also will let you know if you need to fine tune your product or service to fit the needs of your target audience.
3. Do you have a budget : Marketing takes time and money. Set parameters for how much you are willing to commit in both areas. And remember, you can still achieve marketing success on a limited budget as long as you’re creative and know the primary selling points of your product or service.
4. Are you confident : Having confidence in your products and services will serve you well in your marketing.  People tend to be more at ease with those who are confident in their abilities. Know, without a doubt, that you have a wonderful product or service, and don’t be shy about spreading the word.
5. Should you outsource your marketing efforts: Get a clear barometer of your comfort level with marketing. Do you (or someone on your team) have the expertise to plan, execute, and measure your business’ marketing activities? If not, then you may want to consider researching and hiring a marketing consultant to fill this gap.
6. Are you committed to marketing for the long haul : Marketing is an ongoing conversation with your target audience. Before you start the race, be comfortable and committed to the journey.

These are just a few questions that you can answer as you get on the road to marketing. Are there any more questions or observations to add to the list? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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Have you ever been to a conference where a presenter tells a great story? Chances are you were much more engaged during the presentation compared to if the speaker had made a mundane bunch of stats the star of the show. The fact is that the best stories draw us in and gives us something to relate to or talk about. As a business owner, don’t just think that telling a compelling, authentic story is something that should be left to professional speakers or seen in books and movies. Being able to communicate an authentic story is actually the cornerstone of business success. Take a few moments to think of a few iconic corporations of our time. What do they have in common? Probably the ability to communicate an organizational story that resonates with consumers from generation to generation. You too can take the necessary steps to build and communicate a profound story about your business. All it takes is using a few building blocks to get there:

Know Your History : What’s the story behind how and why your business launched? Businesses are usually started out of someone’s passion and drive in a particular area. As your business progressed, who were the key players and what obstacles were overcome along the way. Successful companies usually face challenges. How they overcome them is the stuff legends are made of. Find out the answers to these foundational questions and you will be on your way.

Create New Ways To Extend Your Story : Businesses thrive when they know how to add the next chapter to their story. Explore every opportunity to weave fresh developments into your story through things like innovative product and service launches, staff hires, awards and partnerships, or even milestone anniversaries.

Communicate Your Story To Employees : Educating employees about the latest developments in your organization is important to ensuring that accurate information is disseminated in the marketplace. Your employees are the front-line to customers, whose buying decisions are based off of what story is shared with them. Try communicating important corporate information via tools like employee newsletters, the intranet, and new-hire orientations.

Tell Your Story Through The Proper Channels : Now that you know the history behind your business, how to extend your story and educate employees, the next step is to identify the proper tools to getting your message to the public. Should a press release be developed? Is there a company fact sheet or time line in your online press room? Are your sales materials updated? Identify the best tools for sharing your company’s story with the public and use them often and accurately.

Put the principles of creating a lasting story in place and you will earn the loyalty of your customers and be well on your way to carving out a unique space in the marketplace.

————————
About Kristina Hill

Kristina Hill is the owner of MarComm Creative Group, LLC, a marketing communications business that helps small and mid-sized companies tell their story.

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