Dear Truth,

I, myself, am an ex-smoker. I, myself, fully support your mission to end teen smoking. I, myself, do NOT, however, support your latest ad campaign, which I like to call the Stupidest, Most Ridiculous Ad Campaign of All Time. Or SMRACAT, for short.

One of the FAQs on your website is, “Do celebrities really impact teen smoking decisions.” Your answer is, and I quote, “Yeah. When people see their favorite celebs smoking cigarettes, they’re like…”that guy is badass. And he’s smoking. So smoking must be badass.” Says who? Science. Lots and lots of science.” 

So, let me get this straight:

1. Teen sees celebrity smoking
2. Teen associates smoking with badass-ness
3. Teen starts smoking 

And your genius response to the scientifically-proven, research-based causal relationship between celebrity and teen smoking…is to plaster images of celebrities smoking all over your ad campaign.

SMRACAT.

Do you really think that teens care that these celebrities are “unpaid tobacco spokespeople?” All they’re seeing when they see this campaign is Rihanna, Orlando Bloom, Lady Gaga, Kiefer Sutherland and dozens of other celebrities smoking cigarettes. 

Glamour shots they’re not, no. But who cares? Teens will continue to be influenced by these celebrities, and these celebrities – who I understand you’re trying to “shame” into quitting – are going to continue smoking. Because they are addicted. Because if they were going to be shamed into quitting smoking they would have done so long ago. 

If you knew anything about quitting smoking, you would know that people do not quit smoking for the reasons they shouldn’t smoke. 

I could go on and on and on for days about the nature of quitting smoking and how ridiculous it is to try and quit nicotine by using nicotine and blah, blah, blah. Read Allen Carr’s book, The Easy Way to Quit Smoking. I feel your marketing people could learn a LOT from it. Like, a LOT! And I don’t know Allen Carr, I don’t work for Allen Carr, and I’m not intentionally plugging his book. But I tried Chantix, I tried the patch and the gum, I tried using willpower, I tried and I tried and I tried to quit smoking, and the only thing that helped me quit – enjoyably, might I add – was this book. But I digress…

You say it yourself: every time a photo of a celebrity smoking is posted, big tobacco gets tons of free marketing. So your response, essentially, was to spend your advertising budget marketing for big tobacco.

May I reiterate: SMRACAT.

It was recently brought to a client's attention that her Facebook posts weren't being seen by one of her fans. "Why isn't she seeing my posts? She 'Likes' me, she should be able to see what I'm posting! Are we doing something wrong?"

No, we're not. Facebook has just changed its algorithm for populating news feeds. Mostly because it wants small businesses to pay up for advertising.

As this Bloomberg Businessweek article suggests, there are a few ways to make sure your posts reach your fans. The first is – you guessed it – to shell out some cash.

This is, of course, the best way to make sure your posts get seen. But at Birdhouse Marketing, we're big believers in ROI. If you can afford to spend a few bucks promoting a new product that can be purchased through your website, then yes, it's worth paying for the ad space. If your ad isn't going to directly drive sales, then your budget can be better allocated elsewhere.

You can also place Facebook ads that drive people to 'Like' your page. Companies do this by offering a discount or special promotion specifically for new fans. These are really only worth it, though, if Facebook acts as a sales funnel for your business. As we all know, Facebook fans are more a matter of quality than they are a matter of quantity. Having thousands of fans is only helpful if they are engaging with your business, loyal to your brand and helping to spread your good word. If they 'Like' you just to get a free gift or one-time discount, they're not the type of fan you really want. They're just not that into you...

Of course, some small businesses don't have the budget to add Facebook ads to their marketing repertoire at all. For these businesses, here are a few suggestions to help increase the reach of your Facebook updates:

1. Open-ended questions don't work so well. "What are you doing tonight?" "What's your favorite sushi place on the South Shore?" "What trend are you most excited about rocking this summer?" These types of questions seem like a good idea, but research has shown that they are ineffective at driving engagement or results. Updates about sales, new products, events, what's happening at your business…these are the things people want to hear about. They 'Liked' your page because they actually like your company. Stay focused, but err on the not-so-sales-y side. Your fans won't respond to a hard sell approach, either.
2. Use Facebook Insights: Find out when your fans are using Facebook and what types of posts get the best results. Use your findings strategically.
3. Ask fans to change their news feed settings and opt-in to more of your business's posts. Just don't bombard them with junk posts or they'll get annoyed and your master plan will backfire. Also, remind fans that the more they engage with you – likes, shares, posting to your wall – the more they'll see from you.

Whether you're able to pay for ads or not, Facebook is an invaluable marketing tool for small businesses. For more information on using Facebook to your business's best ability, contact Birdhouse Marketing & Design. We can help get you going in the right direction...

the value of good branding in the small business world

Me? I've got a few pet peeves. Passive aggression. Uggs. Improper grammar. And bad branding.

Yes, bad branding makes my skin crawl.

When one company uses more than one logo, I hear nails on a chalkboard. I practically hyperventilate when a company's website looks nothing like their brochure which looks nothing like their business card which looks nothing like the inside of their store which looks nothing like…well, you get the point.

The other day I refused to shop at a Walmart simply because the old, outdated all-capital-block-letter-star-as-a-hyphen logo was plastered across the front of the building. I went to CVS and spent twice as much buying the things I needed instead.

Psshhh. I showed them…

Listen, I'm all for variety. In fact, I believe that variety is the spice of life.

But variety is NOT the spice of branding.

Consistency is the spice of branding. This I promise.

Now, not a whole lot of shoppers recognize the role that bad branding plays in their choice to buy or not buy from a company. I bypassed that Walmart because of the outdated logo. Because, to me, that logo represented a large, impersonal corporation with zero business ethics, dingy stores, and poor quality products. When Walmart unveiled its new logo did it change as a company? Of course not. But it changed as a brand. Its stores got a facelift – suddenly they were clean and bright and sold organic fruits and vegetables at prices I could afford. Their new logo, in title case, with a pretty little sunburst at the end…this logo was consistent with the look and feel of their stores. It was consistent with their updated website. It was consistent with the tone of their TV commercials, with their presence in the social mediashpere, with the look of their gift cards even. Consistent, consistent, consistent. All except for that one store, which I refused to shop in.

So, in short, their logo – be it new or old – evoked a psychological response strong enough to influence my decision to shop there. And that's what a brand is supposed to do.

I used Walmart as an example, but don't be fooled: branding isn't just for multi-billion dollar corporations. It is as much for the 99% as it is for the 1%. In fact, it may be more important to the 99% than it is for the 1%. And if you don't believe me, I strongly suggest reading Anita Campbell's article, 'What is Branding? And Should Small Businesses Care?'

The truth is, that, given the choice between a company with an inconsistent, unprofessional looking brand and a company with a brand image that is consistent across all of its marketing channels, the vast majority of people will go with the properly branded company. It's a subconscious decision, but a decision nonetheless. A small business with good branding just seems more professional, more credible...

At the very minimum, a small business should have:

a. an official logo
b. business cards
c. a professionally-designed website

These should all look and feel the same.

Depending on your industry, and on whether or not you have a brick-and-mortar location, you may also need signage, brochures, letterhead, or an email template, etc. Again, these should all look and feel the same.

The bottom line is this: good branding drives sales and bad branding doesn't. Think you can't afford branding? No, you can't afford NOT to brand.

I am constantly coming under fire for being “too nice.” “A pushover,” they say. “It’s okay to say ‘no’,” they say. But I don’t want to say no. I like helping people. I more so like helping people whose businesses I am passionate about. After all, if I am going to spend most of my spare time working, it better be rewarding work.

I am constantly coming under fire for spending more time on a project than what I invoice. Excuse me for wanting to do the job right, but spending the extra time to deliver something that I am truly proud of is rewarding to me and, usually, rewarding for my clients as well. And isn’t that what I’m hired to do? Deliver effective work that generates a financial reward?

I am constantly coming under fire for my generosity…but now all of you naysayers out there – all of you it’s-business-not-charity-sayers out there – feast your eyes on the Attention Max article by Max Kalehoff, ‘Why Generous People Get Things Done.’

Fast forward to the end of his article, “The mandate: To be successful as a leader or manager, you’d better help others, and hire and associate with people who like helping others…Your organization and your world will become a much more pleasant, nurturing place.”

And his sources are Forbes and an Ivy Business School article.

I am constantly coming under fire for my generosity. But it has never bothered me. I am happy being generous. I wish there were more generosity in business, in the world. I will spare you a socio-political rant about our rat-race driven, morally corrupt, do-whatever-it-takes-to-make-a-name-for-yourself-no-matter-how-many-people-you-leave-dead-and-bloodied-along-the-way country.

But, I will ask you to be generous. In your business, and in your life.

It's around this time each year that our fair nation is swept with an epidemic. It hits hardest on Sundays, though flare-ups occur regularly on Mondays and Thursdays and, in a few short weeks, Saturdays. Symptoms include impatience, nervousness, superstitiousness, and periods of manic highs interspersed with brief moments of anger and – sometimes – long periods of depression. Yes, it's around this time each year that football fever strikes. And this year, with tight playoff races and rivalries heating up, it means business.

There are a few reasons why football season is a critical time for your business to get down to business. First of all, it's the holiday pre-season which is now rolling into prime time. It's time to "prepare" your customers for the season of giving. More importantly, though, millions of Americans essentially focus their lives around this sport. If your business can wedge itself in there, then you've got millions of Americans focused on football...and also focused on your brand. There's no better way to make a stand than with a business accessory like the Elleven Vapor Zippered Padfolio from Leed's which includes a tech trap stand that your clients can use to carry their devices to the big games.

So, how does your business "wedge itself in there?"

There's always sponsorship. You can sponsor just about anything nowadays! The beer line? Maybe the bathroom break? Or you could run a TV ad during the broadcast! Yeah! A TV ad!

Unfortunately, if your marketing budget is less than a couple mil, these options, well, aren't options.

In my opinion, football season lends itself perfectly to promotional items.

Think about it: whether fans are watching the game at home, at the local bar and grille, or at the stadium, there is an effective and affordable way for your brand to "wedge itself in there" through the use of promo items.

At the stadium, cold-weather tailgaters can be warmed up with an embroidered fleece blanket in their home team's colors. Or beverages can be kept cold in a cooler imprinted with your logo.

Bar room promotions - held during gametime - are perfect for promotional giveaways. Customized bottle opener keychains are inexpensive, effective, and welcomed by bar room crowds.

Finally, for the fans who tune in at home, imprinted beer mugs are a great way to get your brand seen...and remembered. It will, after all, be responsible for distributing the most important part of the party (besides the game, of course). You can find many of these promotional items at PromoManagers, and get free shipping in the process (this is especially good for bigger items).

The bottom line is that your existing and prospective customers are going to be affected by football fever. You can't beat it. So you might as well join it.