The Doherty Hotel - a historic, independently owned hotel in Clare, Michigan with a catering department that actually cooks yummy food and truly caters to the specific needs of their conference customers.

I was delighted to wake up today to find Chris Brogan’s new post on Detroit in my RSS reader. From where I’m sitting, I don’t think enough ‘atta boys’ can be sent Michigan’s way. Despite all the publicity scars they’ve endured from national media, national politicians and even their neighbor Canada, Michigan’s passionate citizens have persevered and are under the radar turning lemons into lemonade at a mind-numbing rate.

A local taco joint in Almont City, Michigan – a really small town where more than 100 folks came out to learn how to do small business better. That’s passion to succeed.

Two years ago next month, I had the privilege to keynote the Michigan Downtown Conference. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of visiting community after community and meeting business owner after business owner and to work with state and development agencies across the state – and all the time, I was learning firsthand what passion and perseverance really looks like. In Michigan, more than any other place we’ve worked, they “get” social media, and they’re using the power of human relationships to change their world and transform their image from the inside out.

If your small business is in a rut – just look to the passionate folks in Michigan for some inspiration. Is your local community or state in need of a boost of energy or even a complete image overhaul? Connect with some passionate folks in Michigan – they’ll show you how it’s done.

Need some places to start?

My first recommendation and go to person in general is my friend Joe Borgstrom (@JoeBorgstrom), a guy that didn’t wait for permission and created enormous buzz that reaped big dividends for Michigan’s downtowns among media, politicians and local shoppers alike by personally taking Michigan’s Main Street initiative into the social media world – and keeping it human and real every step of the way. He’s the guy that made the “OPEN” video happen – a video that went viral all over the U.S. last year, and he’s the commander of the simply brilliant Pure Michigan Living initiative. You should also know his wife, Kirsten, because now her PR genius unveiled at Travel Michigan is now available to the world (Congrats, Kirsten, on being another cool Michigan entrepreneur!).

Catching Fireflies is in a rehabbed train depot in downtown Rochester, Michigan.

Check out the passion at Getz’s (@getzs, Getz on Facebook) – the third largest Carhartt dealer in the nation – at home in an old building in downtown Marquette, Michigan – and running what can only be described as a Santa’s workshop on the top floor.

I’m also in love with Sandy at the Howell’s Mainstreet Winery (Howell’s Mainstreet Winery on Facebook) – where a great couple, both former auto industry folks, combined some passion with savings to start a wildly successful micro-winery, classes, and wine shop in a great downtown building in Howell, Michigan.

April at Catching Fireflies (@whimsicalgifts, Catching Fireflies on Facebook) in downtown Rochester, Michigan also has a store in Berkeley – and a fantastic wholesale line that is bringing money into the state every time she goes to market to sell. She’s creative and brilliant when it comes to making human connections using Facebook, Twitter, her blog and regular e-mails. I can never resist her passionate offers – or her fun notes stuffed in my packages when they arrive.

There’s Motorless Motion (Motorless Motion on Facebook, @motorlessmotion on Twitter), a little bicycle shop in Mt. Pleasant that loves people and educating customers – and now they can do it on Twitter and Facebook and reach the world with their information – and sell bike parts that way, too. There are the local cops who bought the floundering donut shop in downtown Clare, renamed it Cops & Donuts (Cops & Donuts on Facebook) – and made the national news in the process.

Marianna with the owner of Starring, a brilliant art gallery experience started by a former automotive exec.

And there are dozens and dozens more stories just like these – where pure passion is sprouting “green” for folks in Michigan.

Watch out world.

Michigan’s identity is transforming from the inside out. After spending some time there, I want to be more like those folks. Hardworking, passionate, friendly, helpful people they are…

How about you?

Editor’s Note: Thanks to Tom Beck, owner and commercial photographer extraordinaire, at Beck Photographic for sharing his thoughts with us… Tom is the best in the business, check out his web site or connect with him on Twitter to get to know him better.

Why would you want your brand (advertising) photography to not look professional?  What purpose does it serve, except to make your business look unprofessional.

A good portrait photographer is not necessarily a good commercial photographer, and vice versa.   Photographers tend to have specialties, and just because one shoots great portraits doesn’t mean they can shoot products, or food.  Research who you’re hiring, and notice what photos of theirs stand out.

What does a “good enough” photo mean to your business and your ad?  If it looks blah, then it’ll get lost and forgotten in all the other ads out there.  And even if you do see results, how much better would the results be if you actually had a GREAT photo in your advertising?

When you hire a pro photographer, you’re insuring that you’re going to get great results.  Does the person you hired for $100 off of Craigslist have pro equipment?  Backup equipment?  A certificate of insurance in case they break your merchandise?  Are they going to behave professionally on the shoot?  Do they know the technical specs of what you need delivered, and will they deliver in a timely manner?  These aren’t (usually) a concern when you hire a true professional.

If you (or your graphic designer) is purchasing microstock photography (iStockphoto, Shutterstock, etc.), then your competition can too.  How embarrassing will it be to see the image you’re using being used by your competitor (and yes, it HAS happened, more times than you know)?  Also, is that image “good enough”, or does it stand out?  If the image is just “OK”, even if you didn’t pay much for it, how much is it costing you in business you COULD have had? In other words, are you getting the biggest bang for your buck?

What say you? What is your experience with good enough vs. great photography?

Chatting with my BFF the other day about how best to convince small business owners and restaurateurs that online marketing was worth paying money for. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Well, I dunno… perhaps that over a year ago 63% of all American consumers across every demographic looked online first before making a brick and mortar buying decision. Most of the folks we’re talking to are targeting a higher end demographic, and it’s a year later, so that number has to be much higher………

BFF: I didn’t ask you why they should be online. I’m talking about how to convince them within their existing worldview why this is worth spending money on.

Me: The money is online.

BFF: But are they going to see value in spending money online?

Me: (insert scream of frustration)

It’s seriously this bad. In small businesses and restaurants and boutique hotels across America, folks have their heads stuck in the proverbial sand.

I hear things like the following:

“I know we’ve got to do it, but I just don’t have time.”

“I just don’t see the value in it.”

“Well, I just spent $90,000 on new merchandise, so that website upgrade to allow me to make my own frequent updates to my website…that sounds good, but it will have to wait until next year… I just don’t have the money for that right now.”

“Well, I’m in a contract with the local lifestyle magazine, and I’m running some cable advertisements and sales have been really down lately, so I just don’t have the money to invest in online. I know it would work, but I just can’t afford it right now.”

How about this, Mr. small business owner? What if you could spend half per month what you spend for an ad in the local lifestyle magazine, and you could track feedback, gain market intelligence – and oh yeah, sell more stuff and know that it was a direct result of this marketing effort? Would you do it?

Would you spend the same amount if you could get that kind of measurable results?

If you wouldn’t – then why are you in business? Because it seems like you’re only there to support the dinosaurs. As for me, I’m going to stay in business by selling more stuff. Online.

Photo Credit: blakeimeson

It’s a proven fact: Great retail and restaurant displays SELL MORE STUFF! We’ve talked about how to create great displays before and we always love window designer Amy Meadows ideas that she shares with us.

This week, we especially love the displays at Charlotte Skelton’s latest small business venture, CRAVE, in Cleveland, Mississippi. Talk about packing a punch of delicious color, enticing presentation and straightforward customer education and alluring sales messages… CRAVE’s great displays make you, well, crave their goodies.

CRAVE is a small coffeeshop and café in a converted convenience store on the main drag in small town Cleveland, Mississippi. The owner is a veteran of the local food scene, but this time she’s pulled out a few new tricks…

Let’s analyze the visuals of this small biz:

1. Upon entry into the coffee shop, you are welcomed with a bold punch of name branding, brilliant colored candy jar displays as a focal point and a black board that gives you the must-know details of the day and some sales offers. Creative – but I’m guessing it wasn’t that expensive to create, making this display idea easily modified for your own purposes.

2. Point of sale. Well, let’s just say that having a mass display of amazing looking cupcakes, brilliantly elevated on multiple cake plates, creatively labeled with handwritten cards all behind a pristine glass case makes it difficult to resist taking 1 or a dozen of these goodies home for later enjoyment. The allure of this “bonus” item probably adds many dollars to her average ticket, an improvement that can pay big dividends on your small business’ annual bottom line.

What can we learn from CRAVE?

1. Educate your customers from the moment they walk in the front door. Never assume they know what to do with your products – even if your products are as simple as cupcakes and coffee!

2. Grab customers’ attention right from the start. Have a wow factor and focal point to your store displays, especially at the entry area.

3. Look for ways to use alluring visual elements to inspire the up-sell at the point of sale and increase your average sale / transaction amount.

4. Creative doesn’t mean expensive. Look for ways to repurpose ordinary objects and low-cost display elements like brightly colored candy, black boards, scrap fabric and ribbons, and old furniture to add new life to your displays.

P.S. We wish CRAVE had a web site and Facebook presence – but they don’t. We highly recommend that pack their bold punch online as well in the very near future!!

Here at the Results Revolution, we’ve had numerous guests on our show talk about the concept of “giving to get.” Basically what this means is using your own currency to market your business – instead of using someone else’s currency (usually cash). This helps moderate cash flow while keeping your business’ marketing healthy. And we like that.

Remember, the object of sampling is just that – to offer folks a sample of your business with no strings attached. You won’t win over 100% of those who sample, but for some who never have broken the invisible plane to enter your business, they will now feel comfortable having experienced this sample – and their lifetime value as a customer is worth far more than the sample.

Here is a link to a ResultsRevTV archive where a photography studio owner in Michigan shared extensively her strategy and plan for using sampling and service donations to non-profits as a primary marketing tactic. It’s a 30+ minute show, but an entertaining guest full of valuable ideas for your small business.

Here are two other ideas for using the concept of “sampling” as a marketing tool that other business owners shared with us.

BAG STUFFERS

Debra Yergen, owner of DY&Co, offers a detailed strategy for using bag stuffers for goodie bags at non-profit events to gain exposure for your business. Here’s her advice:

“If you do have a product business, such as a restaurant, give a free drink or food item, and DO NOT REQUIRE  an additional purchase. If you require an additional purchase, many people will save it for later and later may never come. It it’s completely free, most people will buy something else, maybe a whole lot of something else, while they’re there.”

GIFT BAG WITH PURCHASE

Kathy Dalton, of The Kadis Group and co-founder of Little Stinker skin care line, loves sampling because “it gets results. People love to talk, especially about their favorite products or services, and they’re also more likely to trust a product recommendation from a friend over a commercial or other traditional marketing method.”

Kathy suggests using mini-samples or a gift bag with purchase sample. When distributing the sample, she says to include stickers or business cards. But, she insists, don’t just hand out ONE flyer or business card; hand out three so your potential clients can share with friends! There’s that word of mouth marketing being encouraged while offering a sample… sounds like a magic formula to us!

What say you? Have you used sampling to market your business? How did you do it, and did it work for you? What results have you seen?
Photo Credit: Mr. T in DC (bubble tea sample)

Are you looking for a way to inject some traffic, build word of mouth buzz and boost sales for your small business?

Whether you are a small retail business, restaurant or professional service business, there’s never a bad time to generate an increase in cash flow, especially during the often slower summer months.

Well, have we got some ideas for you!

This Thursday, we’re sharing THIRTY cheap or free, quick to implement marketing ideas that will work for your small business – it’ll all be during our webinar on Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 9 a.m. CDT called “Cheap or Free Small Business Marketing Ideas.” This webinar will be presented by marketing coach and small business expert Marianna Hayes Chapman, with questions and personalized advice being given throughout the webinar by marketing coach and small business expert Andy Chapman.

I’m not messing around here – these are the sorts of ideas that you can learn in the morning and implement by the afternoon. They are quick to implement, no or very little cost, and they are EASY!

Here are some of the categories of ideas we’re going to cover:

1. Getting more from existing customers.
2. Offline ways to get more from your web site & e-mail marketing
3. “Guerilla Marketing” ideas for 2010 – offline, free & easy!
4. How to get more buzz and sales from social media.
5. How to get the media to talk about you and your business.

The ideas presented in “Cheap or Free Small Business Marketing Ideas” are so easy that even those of you who are still shying away from social media or who can’t update your own web site will LOVE this webinar and the ideas it holds. The marketing ideas are smart and affordable marketing angles that will move the needle for your small business. They are practical, do-it-yourself, and realistic for the busy small business owner.

We know marketing is only one piece of your day, so yes, these will be REAL ideas. This isn’t really a strategy session – it’s an idea session. No theory – just specific explanations of thirty – yes, that’s right – THIRTY marketing tactics that you can use to grow your business THIS WEEK!!!

Around here, Andy often tells me that “activity brings sales.” What he means is that when we are ACTIVELY marketing our business, we notice an increase in sales. And we notice that same thing with our clients. Sometimes the smallest changes lead to enormous results. And that’s what we’re all about – RESULTS!!

This webinar is perfect for small businesses of all sizes including retail, hospitality, restaurant and professional service businesses. These ideas will work in any environment – no matter how small or large your community.

And let’s face it, this is me trying to sell you something in a blog post, but c’mon…for only $29, you really should show up. If you get ONE idea that generates a sales boost for you, you’ll more than pay for the cost of the webinar in about half a day… I’d say your odds of winning at this investment are better than nearly anything else out there right now, so go ahead, register… because space is limited, so don’t miss out!

Join the Results Revolution and our founders for this hard-hitting hour of amazing small business marketing ideas that will get you REAL RESULTS for your small business – THIRTY marketing ideas presented by Marianna Hayes Chapman! In addition, while Marianna teaches the session, attendees can submit their questions, and Andy Chapman will monitor the question and answer forum, so unlike most webinars, you’ll have the benefit of constant interaction and personalized ideas for your business.

Join us this Thursday, June 3 for Cheap or Free Small Business Marketing Ideas (only $29!!)… You’ll be glad you did!

Many times our restaurants and small business clients will talk about how they “killed it” with Twitter marketing. Why does it work so well for some, and abysmally for others? Well, I firmly believe that it’s this little thing we call strategy.

So here’s a little strategy for you – a great tip to add some pizzazz to your Twitter contests. Instead of having a contest where there is a simple “answer the question and win” as your most advanced Twitter marketing plan, try mixing it up using a hashtag (that’s a way to track a trend or topic by posting the # sign and a name – like #RRTV in every post) or having them win if they can retweet your message AND get their own tweet re-tweeted.

The re-tweeting angle gives you a larger reach with your audience. Have a short message ready for them to retweet. Or create a business hashtag and use it to lengthen your marketing message.

This is just one simple tip to add a little pizzazz to your Twitter marketing and contest efforts.