‘Tis the season for shopping. For small business owners everywhere, this is usually one of the most profitable times of the year. And even in tough economic times, people will still be out buying presents, putting up decorations, and finding ways to celebrate. Budgets may be a little tighter than we want them to be, but we’re still going to enjoy the holidays and spread the cheer.

For locally owned businesses, the holiday season is the perfect time to build relationships with new customers, because the simple increase in shopping activity means you’re more likely to be getting new faces on your retail showroom or in your restaurant.

The important question you need to be asking is how do you maintain and continue that relationship once the holiday shopping season has ended?

Making a great first impression is the first step; a cheerful greeting, a nicely decorated space, helpful and friendly staff, great products and great service all combine to make an unforgettable first impression.

Then what?

Consider, in the products and services you offer, how you can convert a one-time sale into an ongoing, subscription-based sale. Subscription-based sales work well for both customer and business. The business is assured of ongoing sales, and has an automatic way to continue building the relationship with the customer. And the customer gets to pay for the subscription on a monthly basis (or other ongoing, time or delivery-based basis), which makes the purchase easier on the budget. Think of all those “Coffee of the Month” or “Fruit of the Month” clubs.

If you’re a restauranteur, do you sell packaged food products from your restaurant? Why not create a monthly food gift from your offerings? It could be the “Gourmet Food of the Month” club, and it will enable you to keep selling those fabulous packaged foods well past the holiday season. For retail sales, think about your specialty product and how that could become an ongoing, subscription-based offer. It could be seasonal or simply spin off from your most popular items: candle of the month, fragrance of the month, book of the month, movie of the month, and so on.

Be sure to offer various buy-ins and price points so that the subscriptions can appeal to all sorts of shoppers, no matter the budget. You can offer three-month, six-month, and twelve-month subscriptions. You can give customers the option of paying for it all in one lump sum (you might make it discounted that way) or paying with an “as-you-go” plan.

Subscription-based sales not only ensure you’ll have some cash flow in those slower winter months; they also give you a way to keep communicating with those new buyers. With every month’s item, your customers get a reason to remember you. They’re continuing to invest in your product or service, and you’ve got a great way to get feedback from your customers.

What products or services can you turn into subscription-based services?

Image by mmlolek.

Evernote is a great technology tool that can be especially helpful with organizing your small business ideas, blog posts, e-mail marketing content, etc. It’s been around a little while, but it’s uses seem to only grow while it gets easier and easier to utilize – so I hope you’ll use it to organize your small business marketing as much I have in mine.

Evernote was built as a multi-purpose, multi-platform tool to help folks save their ideas, photos, and notes in one place and access it from anywhere – and I mean anywhere. Evernote works with nearly every type of computer, phone and mobile device out there (including Android, iPhone, iPads, Mac and PC, etc.)

It’s really easy to use, and most notably, I’ve discovered that it’s made my blogging and business life a lot more organized since I started using it. And that’s why I want to share it with you today.

Small Business Uses for Evernote

I’m always emphasizing that small business owners should create content for the web as much as possible and create it on their own real estate as much as possible – using outposts like Facebook and Twitter to drive traffic back to the mothership, so to speak (YOUR web site, YOUR blog, YOUR e-mail list, etc.). But creating all of that content can sometimes be burdensome. Don’t you hate it when you think of a great idea for a blog post or an e-mail campaign – and you even snap a couple of photos with your mobile phone – only to get busy and forget about the idea or the photo or both until it’s become old news?

Lost opportunities equal lost income in our small business lives, and Evernote is a great solution to help you consolidate all of those ideas into one place, organize them by topic and easily access what you inputted on your phone from any Internet connected computer to be converted into that all-important blog post, web site update or e-mail marketing send.

Here is just one example of how a retail storeowner might use Evernote to make their business blogging easier:

As a retail storeowner, a great blog post idea is to share ideas on HOW to use the products that you sell. Consider a home interiors, gift or decor store seeking to market their products at Christmas. As you decorate the store or re-arrange merchandise, use Evernote to snap a photo of a decorating or gift idea right there in your store, then attach a short note to it explaining the idea and tag it in Evernote as “blog idea, Christmas 2010.” All of this can be done from your smart phone. Maybe later that same day you visit a customer’s home to deliver that fully decorated Christmas tree that they ordered – or you attend a holiday party and notice the decorations are amazing. Snap photos, write a note about how to use YOUR products in this everyday setting and tag them accordingly so you can easily find them later.

Then, when you’re ready to sit down and blog later that night or the next morning, simply login to your Evernote account from your desktop or laptop computer, and you’ll discover all of the photos and notes you made from your phone earlier are ready to access from your computer with blog posts already half-written because you jotted down those simple notes.

Time to Setup YOUR Evernote Account

Now it’s your turn. I’d encourage you to go setup your FREE Evernote account on your computer and go ahead and add the Web Clipperso that you can save ideas easily into Evernote that you find on the Internet. Then add it to your phone, and get started right away collecting marketing content, business ideas, to-do lists, and much, much more. It took me a total of 10 minutes to get all of the Evernote entry points setup on my computer, phone and web browser.

Evernote has great video tutorials, a helpful blog and many other resources available to help you make the most of their really easy-to-use tool – and did I mention that it’s free??

Happy Evernote-ing.

Disclosure: I have not relationship with Evernote and will receive NO financial incentive for writing this post. That means that I really like this tool and am thrilled to share it with you.

This week I have a very simple marketing tip of the week for you Make sure that in the rush of the holiday season and pushing out lots of marketing messages to meet those media deadlines that you make sure you match your marketing message with your call to action.

First off, why should the marketing message & call to action match? (And similarly, why is a call to action so critical to marketing?) Here are a few of the reasons:

1. You’ll get to your goal faster (and increase sales) by asking for what you want.

2. Your marketing will be more measurable – so if it’s not working you can quit wasting money and if it is, you’ll know where to focus.

3. Clear messages and action items are easier to share – which will expose your business virally to more new customers.

Case Study: Wrong Call to Action

We drove past a billboard last night that basically said “Losing Weight Can Start Online.”

And it displayed a phone number.

Marketing Tip of the Week: Match your marketing message with your call to action.

It’s a simple step-wise process to achieve this marketing tip:

1. Have a marketing strategy. (What is your goal? What do you want customers to do? How can you reach them and motivate them?)

2. Create a marketing message. (What marketing message will motivate folks to do what you want them to do? What can you say or offer that will inspire action?)

3. Insert a call to action. (Ask them to do what you want them to do. Don’t forget to actually HAVE a call to action – and make sure that the call to action makes sense with the message that you sent.)

Examples of Matching Messages & Calls to Actions

Marketing Message: Invitation to attend an event and RSVP for a chance to win!

Call to Action: RSVP online with an e-mail address (so even if they don’t show up, you have their contact information).

Marketing Message: Get updates on new merchandise & special offers

Call to Action: Link to sign-up for the e-mail list / URL for sign-up landing page

Marketing Message: Buy Gift Certificates for Christmas Gifts!

Call to Action: Buy Online or In-Store – include web site URL where gift certificates can be purchased and store physical address

Of course, what should have the billboard have done differently?

Of course, if weight loss starts online – then there should be a URL where I can start my weight loss. Not a phone number.

What marketing messages are you sending this holiday season? Do you have a strong and connected call to action in all of your marketing messages? What’s working well for you?

Photo By: SeeMidTN.com (aka Brent)

I’m always on the lookout for a great new local business marketing partnership idea. Local business marketing is tricky, and I’m convinced that the number one tactic has a lot more to do with working together in business partnerships than working against one another in a competitive stance. With this in mind – and a few other things – I return to the Bathroom Blogfest.

In my first post for this year’s Bathroom Blogfest, I explored an idea for using signage in public bathrooms as a customer experience tool.

There are two items in play in my mind today.

1. I spend a lot of time helping LOCAL businesses connect with customers – I do local business marketing. And ultimately, I want to convince the public to be like me: to choose locally owned businesses – no matter where they are.  For example, if I’m traveling through Mobile, Alabama – I’d rather choose a locally owned place to eat, shop, get my car serviced, etc. Of course, when I’m at home in Jackson, MS, I stick to the locally owned places nearly exclusively.
2. In helping local businesses with their marketing, I spend a lot of time connecting local businesses so they can enjoy the benefits of business partnerships – some folks call them business alliances.

Yep, this applies to bathrooms…

Folks who use public bathrooms don’t usually live around the corner. If they did, they’d just use their own bathroom. The folks using public bathrooms are outsiders to the local area. They are either trade area shoppers or they’re passing through for business or pleasure. Regardless, they’re an opportunity waiting to happen for the local economy.

I say it’s time for local businesses to identify those public restrooms – in convenience stores, hotels, service stations, welcome centers, and the like – and the owners of the same. Then, band together a group of businesses and create a simple way to educate and welcome these passersby – and get them to drop some of their change in your business before they leave.

Maybe it means getting permission to post signage in a bathroom with a Twitter account or text message shortcode that will lead to local offers and invitations. Maybe it’s simply a link to a mobile friendly web site that lists several things that are “can’t miss” before they leave town. Ideally, the information would be fresh, relevant to the time of day, month and current local events. But regardless, I’d like to see local businesses seeking to offer their hospitality in that short moment of private pause. It’s local business marketing that I think might just work magic.

Tricks to success:

1. Simple message – SIMPLE.
2. Multiple simple offers compiled in one place.
3. Technology tie-in that makes it easy to engage.

How to Earn Cooperation for this Business Partnership

In case you’re wondering how to gain cooperation from your newly identified partners-to-be? Well, it’s easy – turn them into customers and partners at the same time. Offer a sampling or regular portion of your goods or services to them in exchange for the advertising space in their bathroom…

Closing Comments

So, I guess this is yet another bathroom signage idea, but if I were the customer, I’d definitely count it as an improved customer experience that the bathroom owner though it was valuable to show me hospitality in his/her community in this way. Of course, the sentiment will fall short if the bathroom is dirty.

Moral of this story: Choose your bathroom business alliances as carefully as you should all the other business partnerships you make.

Editor’s Note

Yes, I’m participating in a blogfest with some other bathroom experience junkies around the country. It’s one week only – but hopefully it’ll get you thinking – and doing something – to improve that all-important potty space in your own business. And even thinking about how you can benefit from such spaces in OTHER businesses. As you ponder these things, be sure to check out what some of the others are writing about, too!

Valerie Fritz from The AwarepointBlog writes about Hospitals, Bathrooms and RTLS: Bathroom Blogfest 2010. Did you know that RTLS prevents hospital patient falls and keeps track of critical equipment – all relating to bathrooms?  Very cool stuff.

Bill Buyok from the Avente Tile Talk Blog came up with nostalgic images capturing Stuck in the 60s? Trends & Changes in Bath Design while also putting the times into perspective.

Becky Carroll from Customers Rock! showcases beautiful bathroom examples she has uncovered in Las Vegas. Her contrasting example makes the point of Bathroom Blogfest 2010 – Stuck in the 60s?

Susan Abbott from Customer Experience Crossroads elevates the bathroom discussion in Bathroom Blogfest 2010: Bathrooms are aspirational.

Nora DePalma from Professor Toilet unearths preposterous advertising and promotional materials in American Standard: The Groovy Years. OMG!

Arpi Nalbandian in the TILE Magazine Editor Blog offers An ode to bathrooms blue and pink, or, real ‘Mad Men’ like pink tile too!

Shannon Bilby for Dolphin Carpet and Tile writes about Creating an Attractive Universal Design Bath.

C.B. Whittemore addresses Toilet Paper, Advertising & Bathroom Blogfest 2010 on Flooring The Consumer and Real-Time Marketing & Bathroom Blogfest 2010 on the Simple Marketing Blog.

In lieu of reminiscing on the best and worst bathroom experiences, bathroom marketing experiences, that is, of my past year (as I have in the past), I thought I would contemplate some recommendations for small enterprises and local businesses who truly want to cover all their bases, so to speak, when it comes to customer experiences.

When it comes to bathrooms… it stands repeating: we don’t give them enough attention. You would think after a few years of this Bathroom Blogfest-ing business, we’d have raised some awareness, but nonetheless, there’s still a LOT of improvement to be done in this area. My only fear is that, in this new age of Twitter, that folks will start tweeting from the potty that they need more TP. But I digress….

One this is certain: customers now have a very loud voice, and they can use it to talk about anything they want.

Here’s my “what-if” of the day:

BAD IDEA: Instead of having a gross bathroom and running the risk of an unfortunate social network outcry…

GOOD IDEA: Create a bathroom experience that is outstanding. Then hang signs in the bathroom that say “If our bathroom is in need of service, please text a request to xxx.xxx.xxxx or speak to any one of our staff. If our bathroom is sparkling, please feel free to compliment us by tweeting @acmebiztweets.” Then, take the opportunity to do something nice for those who connect. This technique may sound outlandish, but it would seem the sort of tactic that could lead to a lasting relationship with the super-connectors among your customer base.

What do you think of all this potty talk?

I’m participating in the Bathroom Blogfest 2010, and here are links to a few of my fellow bloggers this week. Check them out!

David Reich wrote on My 2 Cents Bathroom Blogfest: Some Pay for Captive Audience.

Renee LeCroy from Your Fifth Wall asked Are You Overdue for a Bathroom Redo?

Steve Tokar in Please Be Seated discussed Bathroom Blogfest 2010: back to the 60s.

Valerie Fritz in the AwarepointBlog highlighted Customer Experience in Hospitals: Why Bathrooms Matter!

Paul Anater in Kitchen and Residential Design Blog wrote Still stuck in the 60s? That may not be a bad thing…

Jeanne Byington in The Importance of Earnest Service offered bathroom perspective and advice in Service of Nostalgia.

Joseph Michelli wrote about Quality Toilet Paper on Dr. Joseph Michelli’s Blog.

Christine Whittemore contributed New Jersey’s Best Bathrooms: Bathroom Blogfest 2010 on the Smoke Rise & Kinnelon Blog, reminded us in Flooring The Consumer that Water Matters. Bathroom Blogfest 2010 and put forth a content plan for the week on Simple Marketing Blog in Bathroom Blogfest 2010 Begins.