Coleman Communications

Content is (Still) King

If America Online's purchase of The Huffington Post teaches us anything, it's that content is still king. HuffPo is a content factory where hordes of writers upload and share everything from high-minded, investigative journalism to SEO garbage. But, there's still an important message for small businesses: keep creating content.

Searchable, indexable and findable content is one of the web's most important resources. Plus, it's easy to stand head-and-shoulders above the competition when you're turning out substantive new content on a regular basis and they're not. Telling stories, educating readers/customers and offering value will likely never grow old, so what are you waiting for?

Pull together the storytelling and informational aspects of today's technology along with your business's marketing efforts to create a killer content creation machine. There's nothing more valuable on the web!

Your Business Website in an App World

Just as your business was getting comfortable with updating its website on a regular basis, apps or applications, explode on to the smart phone and tablet computer scene. The iPhone, iPad and Android devices that are flourishing everywhere these days are signaling a change in how people access and interact with your website or your brand.

The first thing to do is pull up your website on a iPhone and Android (Google) phone. If something doesn't look right, fix it. People are on the move and connected everywhere they go now. What kind of experience are you creating for people who access your website with a mobile device?

Depending on your market and your customers, consider developing a simple app for your business. Restaurants, clubs, spas, gyms, etc. would all be well served by mobile apps that could quickly and easily be downloaded to your best customer's devices. Keep the content updated. Yeah, we've been saying that for a while now, but when your business or brand is sitting in a customer's pocket on their phone, you need to distributing new, valuable content regularly. It's just too easy to uninstall your app if you're not useful.

It's time to (re)evaluate your website's traffic, value, potential and future. Commit to make the changes that will make your brand more relevant, engaging and valuable to your customers and prospects. That may be a more mobile-friendly site or creating an app to keep your loyalest customers fully informed and in the loop. Regardless, the time to get started is today.

Small Businesses Don't Need to be Bleeding Edge

Many small businesses feel they are on the fore-front of marketing when they utilize social media channels. They're largely correct. Hordes of small businesses are embracing technology like never before. Social profiles for business, especially those on Facebook, have gained momentum, followers and value very quickly. But, that doesn't mean your business needs to go and sign up for every shiny new social media service that comes along. Quora is a case-in-point.

Quora is a red-hot startup is trying to be the leader in the questions and answers service. The service has gotten off to a fast start and is being embraced by the trend-setters and the elite of the tech community. But, most small business owners, at this time, should stay away from services like Quora.

A couple months ago, Robert Scoble (a tech elite tastemaker) declared Quora "the future of blogging." Over the weekend, he stated that Quora is a "horrid service for blogging." Yes, those two quotes, just several weeks apart, came from the same person. And they illustrate perfectly why you don't need to bother with the social media service du jour. Let the bleeding edge techies argue over the future of Quora while you build your business with mainstream services that normal people actually use on a daily basis.

One moment something like Quora is hot, the next it's not. That is definitely not a consistent, sustainable marketing environment for a small business to enter into. So, don't waste your time on the bleeding edge of technology. Go for the mainstream. Go where the people are. Even then, you'll have plenty of businesses who aren't using the largest, most popular services to promote themselves so you can still get an advantage over your competition.

Let the uber-techies spend time on Quora or whatever new service the tech elite christen one day then castigate the next. Small businesses need to spend their time on mainstream, consistent platforms that actually reach their prospects and potential customers.

How Are Those Business Resolutions Working Out?

We're just over three weeks into the new year. This is about the time when new year's resolutions turn into habits or are relegated to next year's resolutions. We're not as concerned with your personal resolutions as we are with your business's resolutions. How are they doing? If the 2011 resolutions you made for your business are not being effectively implemented, now's the time to make a change. It's only January...there's still plenty of time to correct course and make the most out of this new year if your business resolutions haven't gotten off to a robust start.

Pick the top 2-3 resolutions that will have the biggest impact on your business and your bottom line. Dedicate just 10 minutes per day to their accomplishment. Over the course of just one week, you'll have worked on each one for nearly an hour. Now, rinse and repeat each week! 

The best resolutions are those that become habits in our lives. Keep your business resolutions for 2011 by making them habits in your work day. You already know they're important. If not, they wouldn't be resolutions. Commit to a 10-minutes per day plan and watch those 2011 resolutions take your business (and your life) to the next level.

Timeline Tool for Storytelling: Dipity

Storytelling needs to be more than just text. That's boring. Marketers and communicators must incorporate multi-media and its many pleasing interfaces into the story. A great tool we recently discovered to do that is Dipity.

Dipity empowers users to create interactive story timelines that are embeddable across the web. All stories unfold over time. Now, that unfolding can be visualized and stories better communicated. It's powerful stuff. 

Try Dipity for yourself - you can drop in photos, videos, text, etc - and see if makes your storytelling easier and more interesting.

Huge Opportunity for Business-to-Business Video

We talk a lot about using video for business. Most of that discussion is intended for business-to-consumer marketing. However, B2B video is experiencing huge growth and it represents a golden opportunity for business-to-business marketers. Put simply, executives like to watch video too! Considering their busy schedules, mobile connectivity and need to make many decisions fast, it's not surprising that this opportunity has presented itself.

You can review the data in more detail in this study, but if you're a B2B marketer, invest your time creating and distributing videos, not reading reports! It's time to get your message in front of the right decision makers in a format they are embracing: video.

Don't Forget About Your Business Blog

With all the talk and hype (real and otherwise) surrounding social media and online social networks, it's easy to forget about the one online messaging/marketing platform that you control: your blog.

Your blog should be at the core of your social media / online marketing strategy. Likely, it's the only web property you actually own. Make the most of it by keeping it updated and using Facebook and Twitter to drive traffic to your blog. Such social networks should be the elements that promote and raise awareness about the core: your blog or website.

Blogging may be a few years old, but buy-in from small businesses is relatively new. You can still command a place of respect in the blogosphere if you talk about and comment on the many issues in your particular niche. Be an expert, offer advice and insight, comment on what's happening in your industry. Your blog can be short-form, long-form, multi-media...whatever you choose.

This post is not meant to dissuade you from Facebook, Twitter, etc. Indeed, you should likely be using those channels to drive web traffic, connect with prospects, etc. but don't write off one of the biggest online marketing opportunities you have: your blog.

So, set up a schedule and editorial calendar, identify sources and get blogging!

Video Opportunities Abound for Small Business

As Fortune asks, "What the Hell is Going on with TV," a question for your business is, "What the Hell is Going on with Video and Your Business?"

Video is exploding across the web, mobile devices and living rooms. More people are watching more TV, and sharing, creating and commenting on more videos. Plus, as the web makes its way into the living room, time spent watching video will continue to rise.

That's a huge opportunity for small business. What are you doing to promote your business with video? If the answer is "nothing," that needs to change. Consider a quick overview video to introduce your business to potential customers, or a testimonial video featuring a client talking about how great you are. There are many options and ideas, but you need to get moving and take those initial steps.

TV and video aren't going anywhere. In fact, they're growing and expanding. That means opportunity for your business. Make it a goal to record and publish one video for your business in the next 90 days. You'll be pleasantly surprised how easy, fun and profitable it can be!

What Are You Doing Different This Year?

The new year is upon us. All those resolutions? Time to implement them. But, what about your business? What will it be doing different in 2011? Here's a few ideas to get you started...

1. Mobile - With smartphones and tablet computers proliferating, now is time to figure out a mobile strategy. From text messaging to mobile websites, people are interacting and engaging increasingly while they're on the go. Think there's a business opportunity there? You betcha!

2. Local - Part of the value that all those smartphones provide is being able to connect with people and places wherever we're at. We want to get the best local deals and be up-to-speed with all the local info. Businesses should embrace local marketing this year. From Google Places to Groupon to Facebook, local is going big in 2011...don't let your business get left behind.

3. Social - Of course, the social push continues. With Facebook now being the most visited website in the United States, your business needs to be taking advantage of it. Facebook is an amazingly powerful ecosystem and content distribution platform...but only if you use it. There are many other social applications and networks to consider, but you're first social step should likely be in same direction as everyone else...get your business on Facebook today if it's not already there.

5 Business Success Secrets They Don't Tell You

The web is littered with pages and posts dedicated to success, supposedly. Unfortunately, few of them mention the 5 secrets below, 5 secrets that successful people know and live by everyday. So, now you know...

1. Forget the competition

Seriously. Did you go into business just to try and outpace someone else? Hopefully not. Focus on delivering exceptional value to your clients. Be indespensible. Create solutions. Forget the competition.

2. Say "No"

Yep, you gotta say "no." Unproductive meetings, cheap prospects, bad clients, hours of free consulting. No, no, no, no. If you do just one thing different in 2011, saying "no" to just a few of the unwarranted demands on your time will yield some of the greatest results. 

3. Plan Your Exit

Don't take your business to the grave, and don't let it send you there. Knowing when and how you want to get out of your business is one of the things you should've considered when you got into business. Didn't think about that? No problem, but get started now thinking about how you're going to get out of your business. You didn't go into business just to work your whole life, did you?

4. Self-Promote Shamelessly

If you don't toot your own horn, do you expect other people to do it for you? Most people don't know, don't care or don't understand what you do, so the more you tell...the more they hear it...the better. Never be afraid, shy or intimidated to tell someone else why you kick ass and how you provide tons of value. If you don't kick ass or provide tons of value, then you better start.

5. Sell, Sell, Sell

Many small business owners go into business to do what they love - engineering, plumbing, cooking, etc. They never planned on being a sales person, but what when you have your own business, that's exactly what you are. Your job #1 is to sell. Embrace it. Learn how to sell, or more importantly, why people buy. Selling holds the key to riches for businesses big and small. You should learn to sell and love to sell. It's the very heart and soul of business and commerce.

Each one of the above secrets is incredibly effective and completely free to implement. The time to get started on at least one of them is right now. Your business may never be the same.

Two Clients Win Asbury Park Press Reader's Choice "Best Of" Awards

We're so happy for two of our clients who took home the Asbury Park Press Reader's Choice Award for "Best of Ocean and Monmouth Counties." The annual awards are highly anticipated each year with winning businesses using the "Best of" designation in their marketing for years to come.

This year, Coleman Communications' clients Red Bank Limo and Rockn' Joe Coffehouse and Bistro were named "Best of" in their respective categories. Red Bank Limo won "Best Limo Service in Monmouth County" and Rockn' Joe won "Best Coffeehouse in Ocean County." Both are outstanding businesses obsessively focused on customer service and providing the best value to their customers.  

Congratulations to the businesses and their founders, Bill Atkins at Red Bank Limo and Dave Terra Nova at Rockn' Joe! It's a pleasure to work with such outstanding local businesses!

Don't Dismiss Internal Communications

How your organization talks to itself about itself will impact how the organization talks about itself to the outside world. Yes, internal communications directly impact external communications, stakeholder buy-in and, ultimately, business development and survival. So, how are you communicating to your people within your organization?

Telecommuting Still Not Supported at Most Workplaces

An unfortunate but revealing data point confirms what many of us all already know: telecommuting programs are not supported nor endorsed at work. There is a silent yet undeniable hesitation to support a program that, admittedly, would give employers less control. Of course, on the flip side of middle managers having less control, companies that actively support telecommuting experience reduced costs, enhanced productivity amongst their workforce and less "sick time" abuse. Of course, telecommuting holds huge environmental benefits since it takes cars off the streets, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption while making our highways safer. As if that weren't enough, employees who telecommute are happier, committed and more loyal to their employers.

I think it's time for a telecommuting revolution!

CortlandCast #6 - Investment

CortlandCast #5 - Value

Green Your Business Easily and Affordably

You want your business to do the right thing for the environment, but you can't afford a high-priced consultant to come poke around your office to determine what to do first. If this sounds familiar, or you just want your workplace to be a little more environmentally-friendly, then take a look at NRDC's Greening Advisor. It is a one-stop shop to green up your operations. The Advisor focuses on specific areas of opportunity like purchasing, water use, air quality, etc. It's a great way to green your operation, enhance productivity and decrease expenses.

CortlandCast #4 - Consequences

Often the things we do have consequences we could never imagine nor intend. Therefore, it's essential that our actions conform to the highest, most ethical and honest standards.

CortlandCast #2 - Simplicity

Simplicity is essential to your message being heard, remembered and acted upon. What are you doing to simplify your message, evoke feelings in your audience and lead them to action? Listen to CortlandCast #2 for more information.

CortladCast #1 - The Experiment Begins

I am considering a daily podcast about public relations, media and the environment, so I thought I'd give it a try via utterz and see how I like it. Here is episode #1 in experimental mode. Enjoy.

Natural Gas CEO Takes No Prisoners

Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon doesn't mind a fight. In fact, he's tangled with governors, environmentalists and NBA fans. McClendon is not a typical CEO and Chesapeake is not a typical natural gas company. The business he co-founded with $50,000 has seen massive shifts in the market and stock price, but is now worth $25 billion. Chesapeake is in a fortuitous spot thanks to the anticipated decline of coal, booming international development and smart choices early on in natural gas. But, McClendon's not finished yet. Read this entertaining article to learn more about his plans for clean energy, the (Oklahoma!) Sonics and your bank account.

Music 2.0 Defined

A great video about the drive to open up the music industry and redefine the business of music to the benefit of artists and fans. What a concept.

Google Will Unveil Radio Broadcast Automation Next Week

Google is about to simplify an industry that's ripe for change and in need of an ease-of-use
revolution. Early next week, the company will unveil a new automation system for running radio stations. The software, known simply as Google Radio Automation, is backed by a SQL database and features useful widgets that greatly simplify on-air production and processes, including recording, library searching and more. The system also features one-touch podcasting ability and sharing that allows stations to easily and quickly share media with local outlets, syndicators, etc.

Google Radio Automation looks like a great system that will make tons of radio engineers, board operators and producers very happy, in addition to making tons of money for Google since AdSense for Audio is baked into the system. Well done.

Somebody Buy Yahoo Already!

AOL may do what Microsoft has been unable to: buy Yahoo. Meanwhile, News Corp. may join Microsoft in their bid for the big Y in the sky. Both companies seem to be thrashing about a bit in an effort to buy some innovation and interest. That's certainly been the strategy at Yahoo. It will be fun to see how this plays out. I certainly wouldn't count out Microsoft just yet, especially with the assistance of Murdoch and Co.

Clean Tech PR Opportunity Looms Large

This is a summary of an email I sent to someone regarding a big, upcoming oppportunity for clean tech communications or green PR. I thought it would make a nifty blog post. I hope you agree.

There is a big opportunity for PR firms with clean tech divisions in the upcoming auctions for carbon allowances. The first auctions to be held here in the US next year will be implemented by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) - an 11-state effort in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast region. These auctions will generate resources for states to invest in renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions and, of course, public outreach, education and marketing efforts.

Innovative firms should consider positioning themselves on the front-end and begin engaging companies and communities that stand to gain from these auctions. The states that make up RGGI are currently writing the rules and criteria that will ultimately determine distribution priorities, project scoring standards, etc. This is the first wave of carbon auctions to be held domestically and RGGI is not only blazing a path that others, including the Western Climate Initiative will most likely follow, their efforts are also informing the federal policy discussion, and with all three major Presidential candidates supporting limits on greenhouse gas emissions, a national cap-and-trade program with carbon allowances as its centerpiece is as close to an inevitability as you can get.

Bottom line...early clean tech investments will pay big dividends to firms that are pro-active and engage in the process sooner rather than later.

Billy Bragg Fights For Too Much Too Late

Anytime a musician writes an opinion piece in the newspaper, there's justifiable cause for concern. Some of those concerns were removed when Billy Bragg dropped the world "piquancy"in this New York Times piece.

Billy is understandably concerned about the current state of the music industry and its ability, or lack thereof, to produce profits for artists while fans share music files all over the web. Unfortunately, his proposed solution - at least the one he uses as an example in the article - is a non-starter. Bragg suggests that the recently-acquired social networking site Bebo pay artists on the site a royalty due to the fact that, according to Bragg:

"The musicians who posted their work on Bebo.com are no different from investors in a start-up enterprise. Their investment is the content provided for free while the site has no liquid assets. Now that the business has reaped huge benefits, surely they deserve a dividend."

Sure they are, except for the fact that the musicians never entered into to a monetary arrangement with Bebo. That would have been a great thing to build into the service on the front-end. Interestingly, Bragg goes on to say:

"In our discussions, we largely ignored the elephant in the room: the issue of whether he ought to consider paying some kind of royalties to the artists."

So there was an opportunity to discuss this issue - an opportunity that was, apparently and unfortunately, lost. That's a shame because that conversation at that particular time could have changed the course of the music industry, streaming/sharing revenues, etc. Honestly, Bragg should have and could have brought it up at that time. If he did, he may not be complaining about the state of the industry right now.

The solution to this gnawing problem will ultimately mesh with the way consumers find, use and share media while also assuring fair revenue for the artists who produce the sought-after content. Music lovers don't care if that means a $.01 per listen revenue trickle, a $850 million cash flood or something in the between as long as it's easy, affordable for the listener and profitable for the artist.