Have you heard the term O2O yet?  If you haven't, you will.  It stands for Online to Offline and it's the newest strategy in marketing.  It is actually considered to be one of the top trends to shape small businesses in 2011.  While most small businesses focused on getting online and involved with social media last year, the trend this year will be to integrate the online marketing with the offline marketing.

The O2O marketing strategy provides a more personal experience by bringing people from your online networks to your offline networks.  This is done by connecting and engaging with people online and then inviting them to your store, a networking event, a Chamber meeting, for coffee or lunch.  I have met many people "in real life" that started as online friends or connections.  Some have turned into great friends and some are now clients.

There were many predictions last year about traditional marketing being dead.  While it may have slowed down, it definitely seems to be making a comeback.  People miss seeing people, the handshakes, and real conversations.  Networking groups have increased nationwide, thanks to the popular site Meetup.com.  In this high-tech world, people still need high-touch.  I've always believed that you need a combination of both traditional and technology styles of marketing.  This past year I've helped clients establish an online presence for their business and implement social media marketing.  Now, it's time to integrate that with offline meetings and events.  Online and offline marketing will be working together!

So, add the O2O strategy to your marketing plan for 2011 and have fun meeting people. Let us know your thoughts on O2O!

Hello Activ8 Blog Readers:

It’s a pleasure for me to be with you as a guest-blogger on Lynne’s blog. I’m always happy to reach out to anyone interested in public relations – it’s an area that isn’t only my business but my passion.

I hope to hear back from you on your thoughts about what can be a polarizing topic: public relations and the difference between good and lousy service.

It’s a particular soapbox of mine. I see, far too often, the budgets of small- and medium-sized businesses (big business too, but they can usually afford the loss) being squandered on some silly publicity campaign or other communication project that won’t pay off for them.

Let me tell you what to look for so your communication budget isn’t blown.

First, please believe that you need PR. Yes, I am biased. It’s how I make my living, after all. But you wouldn’t accuse a dentist of being self-serving were she to tell you to get twice-yearly check-ups, would you?

A good public relations program helps create a positive environment where potential customers and clients will get to know you and will want to buy from you. Good PR is more than flash. It’s about building solid relationships with the individuals and groups your success depends upon.

The challenge for you as a business owner is this. How do you know where to spend your finite resources so you get the most return, and how to know if you’re getting the best advice for your business?

Let me tell you.

You have to be willing to focus, which means sometimes having to say, “No.”

That’s it. Focus. And a good PR person should be able to help you with that.

If you’re working with someone who doesn’t care about your business, doesn’t seem to understand what you do or what your goals are, someone who spends your money like you mint the stuff, find someone else.

I work with a few small business owners. One recently spent $4,000 on a radio ad campaign that did not result in one new client. Not one. Another spent nearly $5,000 on a special event with little result. Another buys up print advertising every time an ad rep from a newspaper calls her – the scattershot approach.

I am not suggesting that any one of these activities might not be good ones. They may be, in the context of a larger plan with clearly articulated goals. But a one-shot deal that blows your budget for the year isn’t going to get you anywhere. A communication or publicity program must be sustainable.

A good PR person should be keen to learn your business and understand your clients (current and wished for).

Certainly, all your clients are important, but there are one or two or three groups upon whom your business really depends. Without this group or groups, you’d flounder. Unless you have a large communication budget, these are the key people you have to spend your PR budget on and no one else.

It’s harder than it sounds because you are likely bombarded with advice and great deals.

Each time one of these great deals comes along, you should confer with your PR person and/or ask your self the questions:

• Will this reach my target group?
• Will this help me achieve the goal I’ve set?
• How will it do this?
• How does this fit into my plan and budget?

You also have to be willing to plan for the long-term. The truth is that PR takes time because relationships take time to build.

If a PR person is guaranteeing a particular result for you, run away. Not only is that unethical, it’s a lie. It’s the old saw about having crystal balls and being rich. If we had the former, we’d be the latter.

Your PR person should ask lots of questions about your business and what you want to achieve. S/he should set communication objectives that help you meet your business goals, that target your key clients and that set out tactics to reach and appeal to those groups.

Did you know that it takes between seven and 30 “touches” before someone buys from someone? That’s right. A potential customer has to have heard of you or about you or from you between seven and 30 times before they buy.

That’s why it’s so important to build name recognition and a great reputation while they’re deciding.

And that’s why a long-term plan is necessary and why a one-time radio ad or single event won’t get you the results you want.

Here’s a quick checklist you can use next time you’re shopping for PR expertise.

• Does this person care about my business?
• Does s/he seem willing to understand my goals and/or help me define them?
• Does this person seem to know how to identify my key clients?
• Does this person want to implement a sustainable plan that respects my budget and is geared toward helping me be successful?
• Am I willing to spend time on promoting my business? (Unless you have an ample budget, you may want to do some of the implementation work like writing a blog or keeping your Facebook page up-to-date.)
• Am I prepared to commit to a partnership with my PR person? (Because a plan to build your business will take time, you have to be willing to work with your PR person over a longer period.)

I hope this has been more than just a rant for me and has been helpful to you. I really hate seeing new business owners being taken advantage of through a flash-in-the-pan offer.

I’d love to hear what your experiences with PR have been and where you have found success.

All the best,

Colleen

Colleen Gareau is the principal of The Seventh Estate Public Relations Group, a carbon-neutral, goal-focused communication firm in Halifax, NS. The company specializes in public relations counsel, communication strategy and implementation, internal communication, media relations, social media, change communication, training and facilitation, writing and editing, and website advice. Seventh Estate PR publishes PR to Go each Monday and Wednesday. Please visit http://www.seventhestatepr.com/ for more information.