Samsung and Apple Set to Unveil Smartwatches

Samsung and Apple Set to Unveil Smartwatches
When Stealing Is Good: Drawing Inspiration From Competitors
How to Think Strategically, By Asking Yourself Questions
He’s a Legend Around Here

Posted: 23 Aug 2013 01:30 PM PDT

smartwatch

A growing trend among mobile professionals is the smartwatch allowing you to check your smartphone for updates without ever taking it from your pocket.

Reports suggest both Samsung and Apple have sights set on developing new smartwatches by the end of the year. Samsung could release its Galaxy Gear as early as Sept. 4, according to Bloomberg, but some debate remains about just what this new device will be able to do.

For a look at the capabilities of smartwatches already on the market, see more on the Kickstarter funded Pebble or see an overview of the Sony Smartphone 2 expected in the U.S. in September.

What Smartwatches Can do for Small Businesses

Though they are not exactly like Dick Tracey’s gadget watch in the comics, smartwatches have some valuable uses.

They can’t yet be used as phones, but let you keep up with things happening on your smartphone while it’s still safely tucked away.

You can keep track of social media updates relative to your business, monitor incoming email from clients or partners, or even be notified of text messages coming in with questions about your products or services.

But you can also set alarms and updates for yourself and check incoming caller IDs to figure out whether you need to take your phone out and take this call or not.

Best of all, with more of these devices coming on the market, you will have more choices than ever when picking the wearable technology to compliment your phone.

Image: Video Still

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When Stealing Is Good: Drawing Inspiration From Competitors

Posted: 23 Aug 2013 11:00 AM PDT

inspiration from competitors

Ever heard the phrase "good artists copy; great artists steal?"

A similar mode of thinking can do wonders for your content marketing. Of course, you should never out and out plagiarize, which is bad for your business from an SEO (search engine optimization) standpoint, not to mention a tad unethical.

That being said, there's nothing wrong with expanding on and being inspired by your competitors' great ideas. Just look at pop art, for example. Where would Andy Warhol be without Campbell’s' marketing team?

But before I digress further, let's get to it and take a look at how to use competitors' marketing strategies and materials to come up with your own ideas.

Repurpose Awesome Content From Your Own Perspective

If you're not already repurposing your own content, you'd best go get started. I'll wait. Got it? Good.

Anyway, one of the first steps to drawing inspiration from your competitors should be to read their content. When you hit on something where you think, "Wow, I wish I'd written that," don't stop there. Instead, read it again and think about how you could write a similar article in your voice, from your perspective. Maybe you reached a slightly different conclusion, or maybe there's a spot where your expertise can bring something totally new to the table.

Whatever the case may be, try rewriting your competitors' article from a different angle and see where it takes you.

Hop on the Bandwagon

When there's a trending topic taking off, get on that bandwagon. While most of us like to think we're so unique that we can come up with something totally unique that will go viral all on its own, the reality is that it doesn't quite work like that. No one can know in advance what's going to garner tons of share, but if there's already a topic that's whirling around the internet full steam ahead, use it to your advantage.

It's a good idea to stay on top of what your competitors are writing about. If there's a topic that seems to be doing particularly well with fans and followers, make a space in your editorial calendar and add your voice to the conversation.

Take What You Can

And give nothing back, as the pirates liked to say. You don't need a parrot and an eye patch for this one, but you do need to be able to figure out those little, obvious things that are working well for your competitors.

Has a rival company hit the jackpot with keywords, bumping them up to the top of the search rankings? Find out what keywords they use, and use them yourself. Does a competitor have a website design that's simply more user friendly than yours? Learn from their example and integrate some of those structures into your own.

Inspiration, Not Plagiarism

Again, I just want to reiterate that the key here is to draw inspiration, not copy and paste. If you find yourself wholesale stealing paragraphs from your competitors' blogs, it's time to put down the keyboard and come back to it later.

The difference between copying and stealing is, after all, the difference between a good artist and a great one.

Inspirational Quote Photo via Shutterstock

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How to Think Strategically, By Asking Yourself Questions

Posted: 23 Aug 2013 08:00 AM PDT

think strategically

As small business owners we’re great at many things, but strategy is usually not our strong suit.

Early on in my marketing career, I was struggling with a strategic issue and my supervisor told me I needed to “think more deeply.” That didn’t help one bit.

In the small business world, we tend to operate in a “ready, fire, aim” way. And that’s ok, that’s what gets stuff done. That’s where a lot of innovation comes from. That’s why small businesses can be nimble and solve real-life problems faster than big businesses and that’s what moves our economy forward.

But, the transition from small business to sustainable company requires strategy.

As I’ve worked with many different small business owners, I’ve developed a few processes to make this “deep thinking” process a bit more tangible and more importantly, more doable.

First, An Analogy

Let’s say we were going to build a 10 story building. We first need an architect to draft the blueprint. Then we have a project plan. Prep the ground. Bring in utilities. Lay the foundation. Put up a frame and then plumbing and electricity. Lastly, we finish with sheetrock, paint, etc. That’s the rough idea (clearly, I’m not a builder).

But, what would happen if we tried to install the electricity before the frame was up?

We’d end up with a tangled pile of wires. That’s also what happens when entrepreneurs fly at 100 mph “getting stuff done.” It works. But only to a point.

So, how do we replicate that logical process in our business? How do we get from point A to point B?

That’s a little to vague for most people. So, a slight alteration of the question does the trick:

How do we turn a site visitor into a newsletter subscriber?
How do we turn a newsletter subscriber into a happy customer?
How do we turn a happy customer into a raving fan that refers us?
How do we get happy customers to buy more?

How to Think Strategically

Its all about moving a person from where they’re at to where they need to be. Particularly in the marketing world, this has a lot to do with what’s going on in your customers mind and emotions. What emotions does my prospect need to feel in order to justify purchasing my product? Once you’ve identified the pre-purchase state, you can work backwards to create it.

Let’s look at an example. Suppose we sell hiking boots. Here’s how we attack it.

How do we get an average person to purchase hiking boots? In order words, what is the mental state of someone who makes a purchase of hiking boots?

First: They must have a need (we need to get them to plan a hike or a camping trip).
Second: They must agree that their existing solutions are not adequate for their upcoming trip.
Third: They must be able to justify the cost of new boots.
Fourth: They must agree that our boots are better than the competition.

Ok, now that we’ve outlined the purchasing state, we must put a plan in place to create that state:

Depending on your business, you may use different media to do this. Some may use one video that walks prospects down this path. Others may use an email series. Others may use a webinar or hangout. That’s another strategic question for you. In order to get prospects from point A to point B, which medium will most easily get them there?

In this example we’ll use an email series:

Email 1: Tell about a local hike. Show pictures. Include testimonials from local people talking about how amazing the hike was, how refreshed they felt afterwards, and how much it helped them “clear their head.” Use whatever benefits your prospects need – the goal is to get them to desire and plan that hike.
Email 2: Write a review of “hiking shoes.” Include tennis shoes for neighborhood hikes on a sidewalk, cross-trainers for mild dirt roads and hiking boots for strenuous, yet rewarding hikes like the one mentioned in email 1.
Email 3: Write about the “cost” of using the wrong equipment. Tennis shoes will wear out 3 times as fast (costing you more) and they don’t support the ankles (therefore costing you more if you get a sprain). Show how a good pair of boots will last years and protect the wearer.
Email 4: Write a review of different hiking boots, highlighting the benefits of your boots. Include an offer.
Email 5: Stronger offer. Include an expiration date. Remind the prospects of how wonderful it is to go hiking (revive the feelings from email 1). Give a discount or offer bonuses to get people to act now. They just need to justify the purchase now.

Ask Yourself

This is a very simple example. But you can see how asking the right questions in the beginning helps us to frame out the email sequence in a logical way that is both educational and gets the sales job done. It sure beats writing a bunch of emails and hoping they work (just like wiring the building prematurely and then hoping the lights turn on).

In every situation, ask yourself how to get from point A to point B. Here are a few strategic questions every business owner should be asking:

How do I get my prospects to choose me over my competitors?
How do I turn purchasers into raving fans?
How do I turn raving fans into referral machines?

If you can answer those questions with well thought-out plans, you’ll be strategically moving your company from where you are to where you want to be.

Camping Photo via Shutterstock

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He’s a Legend Around Here

Posted: 23 Aug 2013 05:00 AM PDT

he's a legend business cartoon

I remember starting a new job and being given the tour by an employee. Not only did I get introduced to pretty much everyone, but my guide also gave me the skinny and her opinion on them all.

“He’s kind of a jerk, and don’t ask about his wife. She likes to drink and made a fool of herself at the last office party.” Then there was the one guy who, I swear, was a Robert Redford lookalike. “That’s Tom. He’s like a legend around here.”

Immediatley, I began to think about this Tom person as a barbarian, Robin Hood, a knight on horseback and finally – as a unicorn.

As it turned out, the guy really was great at his job and a genuinely nice guy. But everytime I saw him after that first day, I couldn’t help but imagine him with a horn sticking out of his forehead.

He’s a legend after all.

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