Today there was very little to report in the “industry”. I actually like these days because I can experiment a little more. So here’s what and where I was writing today.

French Say Google’s Size Merits Ruling Against Them – Marketing Pilgrim (It’s the French what the heck else can you say?)

College Admissions Adopt Social Media More and More – Marketing Pilgrim (Mom’s always get teary eyed on this going away to college thing right? Come to think of it, Dad’s do too.)

Tracking the Impact of An App - Marketing Pilgrim (Smart parents should consider apps that help their kids get smarter. At MP I will be tracking just how one of these apps impacts the company that created it. This will look at the process from start to finish over the coming months so keep checking in)

Moms Want Content Over Coupons Via Twitter – Content Mission (Content will always win the day. Just admit it and move on.)

Frank Thinking: When in doubt think content. Engines love it. Consumers love it. Sure you need to think about the rest of Internet marketing like SEO, paid search etc. etc but all of it is null and void without QUALITY content.

For those who are interested about social media in the real world please exercise extreme caution when reading about the success stories of others. Why? Mainly because one of the major ‘gotchas’ in the social media space is the promotion of numbers that make a great headline but don’t play out in reality.

A case in point. I receive the Marketing Profs e-mail updates and I saw the subject line:

What She Did: How One Blogger Attracted 80 Comments on Her First Post; It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask (or Does It?) (The full post on the MarketingProfs site is here).

Having been around the block more than a few times I decided to see just what the miracle potion was for such runaway success. What I found was that the headline and reality had little to do with each other. This is why I have some trouble with the social media “industry”. Here’s what I mean.

Go to the blog from the story and take a look at the first week of posts and the comments on that first post. The number sure equals 80 but only half of those are from someone other than the author of the post. The author exercised excellent form in responding to every comment (something I don’t do and I am guilty as charged) but saying that the post ‘attracted’ 80 comments is just not true. It’s just hype. The post attracted 40 comments.

So 40 comments is nothing to sneeze at. In fact, I would have been very impressed if the number promoted was 40 vs. the inflated 80. So I looked a little more closely at the blog as a whole and there were some serious social media power brokers like Chris Brogan and Mack Collier promoting this blog. It’s safe to say that 99.99999% of first time bloggers will not get this kind of benefit. Why hype it in the “You can do it too!” headlines then? I think that maybe the story should have had a “results not typical” disclaimer like those weight loss ads. This kind of support is not a common occurrence (although a very good one) and is the most likely reason for the initial interest.

I say initial interest because if you look at today’s post, there are 6 comments (at the time of this writing) 3 of which come from, you guessed it, the author. What might have made a more accurate headline might have read “Fast Start Aided by Extraordinary Support Doesn’t Guarantee Numbers Stay High”. Where are all of those supporters today? Look at all the posts since day one and you will see a trend.

Look, I am not trying to give anyone a hard time. However, this kind of hype is endemic in the social media industry. That’s the problem. It’s just hype. Great headline but no real merit. That’s not how we build credibility as an industry. That’s how we look like the search marketers of years past that created such disdain among actual business people because their hyperbole never matched their delivery. The truth works so much better than hype and all social media practitioners should concentrate solely on the truth. Don’t treat promotion like the statistics that can be made to say anything we want. It’s a really obvious ploy and one that doesn’t garner long-term trust.

Honestly, I hope that this particular blog does well. I wish absolutely no ill will toward anyone. All I am asking for is less hype and more truth. Is that so much to ask for these days?

I have written for quite some time about the plight of the SMB (small and medium business) with regard to Internet marketing. The topic has endless areas that can be addressed and there can be a million different ideas that can be thrown around. Just look around and see how many people and companies offer Internet marketing services to Mom and Pop and other very small businesses.

There is a problem with the SMB market though that may always keep the vast majority from truly getting into the Internet marketing game. They are just TOO small. As a result there are too few resources from actual people to money and all stops in between to really get traction in the Internet space. This covers all aspects of the Internet marketing game including search, social media, blogging, online reputation management and more. It pains me to say this but it’s just the truth.

As a result I am changing my focus here at Frank Thinking About Internet Marketing. I am going to focus on a spot in the market place where there is more opportunity because there are more resources to do more things. It is the SME (small and medium enterprise) market.

Good luck finding a true definition of this market but I am going to call it companies that have between 100 and 1000 employees which according to a 2004 US Census report is about 111,000 businesses in the US. I a sure there are more current stats but it’s OK for now. Of course you could look at revenue numbers as well but they don’t always tell the best story.

So why the switch? Well, I love the SMB stories but the realities, especially in this economy, are very harsh. Every single SMB I speak with wants information, wants to learn about Internet marketing and thinks Internet marketing is important. They get it. Trouble is they can’t afford it. They can’t afford the time needed to do these things well. They can’t afford to hire a full time person and they can’t afford to hire a consultant who has to make a living as well. This is not a condemnation but more of a realization. Truth of the matter is that SMB’s are stretched already and when faced with adding Internet marketing to mix they may break.

So back to the SME’s of the world. I have consulted with several already and they are an exciting group. Why? Because they realize that they need to get in the game. They realize that they don’t have the time to learn everything that comes down the pike AND they recognize value. It’s the perfect storm for someone like me because unless someone sees the value of my work the price for the work will never make sense.

So today I start on a new course and I hope you will come along for the ride. I will be focusing on the needs of the SME market as it relates to search, social media and blogging strategy. I will look at examples of companies that are doing a great job and others that need help. These assessments will be unsolicited and random which should be fun. I am going to be looking for people on the client side of the business who are willing to be interviewed to share their knowledge and experience as well. if you are interested let me know.

I also plan on being a bit more consistent with posts but I will not commit to an actual schedule because I will screw that up for sure.

Lastly, I am looking to find new business for my own Internet marketing strategy, content development and social media services. It’s that simple.

If you would like to learn more about what I can provide for the SME market in the areas of search marketing, social media, content creation, online reputation management and overall Internet marketing strategy call me at 919-285-1515 or email me at freed@frankthinking.com.

I look forward to hearing from you!

I truly feel for the SMB’s of the world. As they try to achieve the American dream of building a business that is theirs they are pulled in every direction possible. Most of the best SMB owners will readily admit that they don’t know everything and depend on either other people or consultants to help fill in the knowledge gaps.

In many places that is more straightforward (notice I didn’t say easy) like accounting and HR issues. These business disciplines tend to have very specific rules and regulations that need to be followed. Of course, there are gray areas but for the most part it becomes really obvious when you are coloring outside the lines.

Not so much as it relates to social media. The confusion that was once just reserved for search marketing now includes all of the areas that everyone acts as if you should already know like the back of your hand like Facebook, Twitter, blogging and all the other new media marketing methods that exist.

That’s too bad because the resulting confusion has fostered the growth of even more confusion as everyone puts their own spin on just what social media means to the SMB. If you would like to muddy the waters even further try to put a price on services because the expectations are like snowflakes. No two prices are alike. There is no unifying sense of value around services relating to social media with the SMB.

They have heard that it is free (To set up an account – yes. After that – absolutely not). They have heard that it is THE way to get new business. That’s a nice story but is far from a universal truth. They have heard that they MUST be involved which is a flat out lie depending on their business and where their customers are. No wonder there is confusion because right now social media is more about opinions than anything else.

As a result the SMB needs a stripped down, no nonsense approach to social media and here are a few questions each SMB must answer TRUTHFULLY before doing anything with social media.

Are your current marketing efforts producing results?

If yes, continue to use whatever is working. If no, then stop wasting time and money and cut it loose (YellowPages anyone?)

Do you have the skills either personally or on staff for social media execution?

Simply put you need to be a good communicator and more with the written word than any other format. If you are a good writer but don’t have the time then you cannot count yourself as being covered in that area.

Do you have budget to put toward social media?

If yes then you are on the right track. If you answered no because you think it is free then maybe you need to stick with the YellowPages.

Can you say no?

Social media is the type of ‘discipline’ that will ask more and more of people until it literally sucks them dry of time, energy and resources. Unless you can draw the line by saying no to every social media outlet that comes across your desk then you may need to steer clear.

Are you afraid of negativity about your business?

If yes then social media is a true risk for you. If no, then you will be able to handle the slings and arrows. Many businesses have actually learned more about how they are perceived in the marketplace through their social media efforts and have made significant positive changes to their business as the result of taking a few shots from customers.

Do you tend to start things then let them taper off over time?

If yes, then social media is a bad move for you. I experience it here at Frank Thinking. When I have not posted in a week or two I realize that it looks like I am not paying attention and that’s a bad impression on my business. Be careful not to fly full speed into social media and then just let it die on the vine because that may look worse than not doing it at all.

Are you counting on social media to save your business?

If so, then you may be disappointed. This is not a silver bullet for a business. It is a tool that when used strategically can help the overall marketing and effectiveness of a business but it is not a magic potion.

So there are a few of the simple straightforward questions that should be asked and answered truthfully before any SMB gets in the social media game. If you just jump in the deep end without a lifeguard then no one will be there to stop you from drowning.

More and more SMB’s are, at the very least, experimenting with social media. You can sense that as you see the activity by local businesses no matter where you are. The “Check Us Out on Facebook” and “Follow Us On Twitter” signs are springing up more and more on Main Street USA and for good reason.

The small local business person is at a crossroads of sorts. Traditionally, this group has accounted for much of the business growth in the US and has supplied the vast majority of jobs especially to groups that are in need of a decent job. With the current climate in Washington, DC working against everything that could move the needle for this group (credit the biggest factor) the SMB needs a chance to do something for his or her business that can get them started again.

A study reported by The Center for Media Research which was done by Network Solutions and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business says the percentage of small businesses using social media doubled in 2009 (12% to 24%). That’s good news. I wrote more about this over at Marketing Pilgrim.

Here I would like to look at it from a different angle though. My question is which businesses or business types created this increase? I have a few very unscientific theories.

• New SMB’s – I think it is easier for a new business (of which there are many due to the increasing layoffs by corporate America) to get started with social media. Why? They have no real programs that they need to “unseat” in order to use it. I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard an SMB say that they have been doing some form of marketing for years and it ends up hurting their chance to expand their marketing horizons. New business folks are more open to new ideas.

• Retail SMB’s – Small retailers have a real story to tell if they are truly a local business with personality. As I talked about here regarding Our Friends’ Closet consignment shop in Raleigh, NC, the real interest in their business are the two ladies running the shop (personalities) and the fact that they have the opportunity to showcase inventory through social media which makes their customers “check in” to see what they are carrying on any given day. B to B SMB’s don’t always have that luxury or urgency and thus they tend to be less likely to engage in social media.

• Desperate SMB’s – This is the worst case scenario. When there are no other options because cash flow is shrinking and there is no money to spend on “traditional” advertising that is not the time for the small business owner to turn to social media to “right the ship”. Social media and its impact takes time and it is not a guaranteed winner. It is best used as a complement or supplement to other marketing and should be looked at as a silver bullet that will save the day.

• Aggressive SMB’s – These are the real winners. These are the business owners who just want to win. They see that while social media may not be “normal” for them it can be valuable to them. As a result, they find a way to get involved, learn the ropes and take advantage of the situation. These folks are usually doing better than others to start and it has been because of their attitude and fortitude that that is the case.

So wherever you are in this most unscientific of polls try to move yourself into the aggressive category. While things aren’t great out there, there is still business to be won. Since we are still a capitalist country for now it is important to not sit back and wait. Get in the game. Today.

I have been speaking to several owners of local franchises recently about Internet marketing and it has opened my eyes considerably. Purchasing a franchise has long been a way for people to get away from having a “regular” job and live the American Dream of owning a business. In this day and age with people having the worst job security in generations there are more an more of these small shops opening up.

My fear is that in short order they will be closing down as well and here’s why. These smaller franchisers appear to have built a model that is focused on them. They sell the franchise rights and collect fees from the franchisee but have little skin in the game moving forward.

This is most evident in the Internet marketing efforts or support that is provided to the franchisees which in most cases appears to be little or none. This leaves these fledgling franchisees / entrepreneurs to their own devices with regard to promoting their business on the Internet. As a result there is a lot of disillusionment and confusion because Internet marketing is not something that everyone knows or has the time to learn.

What these franchisees get instead are “referrals” to search marketing companies who then put them in poor performing paid search campaigns that produce little or no business. No skin off the franchisers nose here because it’s the little guy, the franchisee, that is shelling out for these services without even considering if this is the best thing for them to do as a part of an overall marketing campaign.

If you are considering buying a franchise make sure that you have the following as a bare minimum relating to Internet marketing and your ability to use it.

• Your own web site – It seems that most franchisers are loathe to let the local franchisee have any local web site that they can control and build for their market. Having a landing page on the corporate site IS NOT the same as having a web site. I see this time and time again and it always ends up with the franchisee wondering because they thought they would have their own web site.

• Internet marketing strategy – If the franchiser does not take the time and invest the money in the overall Internet marketing strategy of their franchisees then there will be trouble. Most SMB’s don’t know much about Internet marketing so when they are pushed out of the nest and told to go do business they end up struggling to find new business, especially online, due to ignorance.

• More than a referral – If a franchiser is just handing out names of search marketing service providers then stepping back and putting their hands up saying “Hey, we gave you a resource, it’s not our fault!” then that will end badly for the franchisee. Most of these search marketing shops are just putting together cookie cutter campaigns that are not addressing the true local needs of each market. They also collect fees on the monthly spend that many of these franchisees think is being spent on clicks. Not good.

• Internet marketing continuing education – If the franchise you are considering is not actively working to make you better by providing educational resources about search and social media then you may not want to buy in to the system. I am shocked at how little support is given to most franchisees I come in contact with.

I guess that there are few performance payments to franchisers because they certainly don’t seem to really want to help the franchisee succeed online from what I have seen (if there is a franchise doing this well out there please tell me about it!)

So the net / net here is that if you are already in a franchise that is not helping with your Internet marketing efforts then you need to go it alone. Take your chances by “breaking the rules” by putting together your own web site or running with social media because your business life may depend on these efforts. if there is no support from the franchiser than it’s up to the franchisee. To wait around for promises from franchisers is business suicide as well because there will always be reasons to hold off on something that may end up being an expense to the franchiser.

If you are considering buying into a franchise and the franchiser cannot provide adequate answers to your Internet marketing questions then you need to seriously consider whether this is the right business partner for you. Right now the environment seems almost adversarial but for what reason (other than cost) I don’t know. Do your homework and hopefully you will avoid some of the pain I have seen recently.

With the introduction of Google Buzz yesterday it became very apparent to me that I don’t know everything about social media and probably never will. While some might say that this is not something that should be said by someone in the “industry” I completely disagree.

What shouldn’t be said by someone in the industry (from their own mouths at least) is that they are an expert. Being an expert implies that you “got it licked”. No problemo! Been there, done that got all the T-shirts. I have done it all ….. successfully …… many more times than once. While I say it shouldn’t be said it still is said and with great regularity. As a result, the meaning is gone and the social media space starts to quickly look like the search marketing space. Let’s just say that that scenario is not a good one.

So what do I consider myself with regard to social media? A life-long learner. I had written about this subject over at Biznology just over a year ago but I wanted to revisit the idea.

Here are some of the qualities of the life-long learner as I see it:

• Humility – Admits when they don’t know something and feels no shame for not having all the answers

• Curiosity – A life-long learner was the kind of kid that probably had to touch the iron to what being very hot meant. It’s not because they are stupid, it’s because they like verification. Sometimes getting verification, though, can hurt.

• Improvability – As I sometimes do, I made up a word. So sue me. All I am saying is that a life-long learner knows there is always room for improvement and is never fully satisfied that they are “there” yet.

• Thick skinned – By admitting that you don’t know anything you put yourself into areas where your knowledge at that point in time may be limited. As a result, you may suffer a few slings and arrows but it can’t be a discouragement. Shake the dust off your sandals and move on (Where have I heard that before? Hmmmm)

There’s more as always but the point is this relating to social media. With the rapid rate of change that is taking place in the online marketing and social media industries there is no way that one person can know it all. I for instance, know little about running a paid search campaign. There is a lot to know and I don’t have the time nor the capacity to know it. As a result I turn that over to those who do know these things and they get done well.

Social media is probably one of the most elusive moving targets there is in marketing. There are few, if any, standards. There are as many techniques and theories as there are grains of sand at the beach. This means that to claim expertise in this area is kind of laughable.

I don’t like being laughed at. So to avoid that I am calling myself a life long learner of social media and I will be happy with that. Here’s to studying and learning together as we move forward and take in all the new data from day to day. By staying open to learning rather than claiming to already know everything we will stay ahead of the curve and hopefully be able to take advantage of it.