Business philosopher Jim Rohn says that, “life and business is like the changing seasons. You cannot change the seasons, but you can change yourself.” For many small business owners (particularly those aimed at the college market), the summer season represents not only a change in weather, but a transformation of the market itself. Students are moving, people are traveling, and a surfeit amount of activities reveal themselves to the consumer as the sun warms the Earth into motion. Summer marketing challenges lie in maintaining brand recognition among those who leave while at the same time differentiating from the usual, everyday marketing routine to attract new customers: the remaining niche group. This is a feat not easily achieved, especially when one considers the patterns most marketing plans are structured using. Dipping two feet in different streams, all while under a smaller sized budget, can seem somewhat daunting to those without a full-fledged marketing department. But once one gains insight into some obtainable strategies, a shift in content style could be the change needed to cut through summer noise and rise to the top of the ranks.

Social Media

Social media is the best way to keep in touch with those not physically near a location while still marketing towards new customers. The trick to summer social media marketing is to tweak content style- keeping those who aren’t around reading your wall, and appealing to the interest of one’s short term new buyer personas. If, as a restaurant, photos of food generates the majority of content shared; add a third-party Facebook app and start running contests (make sure the prize is worth-while). If one specializes in year round promotions, perhaps photo/video sharing is the way to go. As physical proof of what people are missing will entice new viewers into a “trial mode”. The central theme in content sharing over the summer should be more than just the usual dialogue between friends. The market has changed, and so should one’s page.

Add a Content Stream

The cheapest and most radical way to climb up the summer social ranks is to add a completely new content stream into the wave of social sharing. YouTube is one of the most popular social sites that businesses (for whatever reason) seem to ignore. With the use of a well designed flip or camera phone, one can use their customers as the focal point of their content data (a massive advantage when it comes to local sharing). Filming a DJ mixing at one’s venue, an all-you-can-eat food challenge, or any sort of fun event or promotion encourages both participation and sharing by simply adding the prospect of a customer finding video of themselves online. Perhaps the most advantageous aspect of video sharing is that a business is literally as limited as their own imagination allows. And the more creative the project, the more one’s business will stand out- and the more local hits will accumulate.

Support a Summer Event

One of the best attributes summer brings along is the freeing from a structured schedule. Wednesdays could potentially become just as crucial to success as the usual weekend trio. Take a cue from bars and try running daily summer deals. A big enough discount is bound to attract those looking to try something new, and one might find a diamond where there once was just rough.

Coupon, Coupon, Coupon

Focused on bringing in new business over the summer? Nothing interests people more than a well placed coupon. Many business owners feel that paying to run a coupon during the months where their market decreases is a negative (as less will be around to see it). The truth is that passive marketing never helped any business grow. The key to winning with coupons is that one has to make the discount large enough to build excitement. With a coupon backed by an aura of excitement, those who remain could potentially form a funnel that translates into a sort of tipping point that grows business way past the summer months.

As we approach the mid-point of 2013, marketers know one thing for sure- the landscape is quickly changing. Print ads are dissolving into video thanks to augmented reality. Social media is constantly updating and adding new features (along with new social sites.) And still email marketing and door-to-door flyers hold strong onto their niche of communication mediums. For the most part, small business owners have been willing (and dare I say eager) to adapt. Most are lovers of technology themselves, and many more understand the benefits added when one connects with their customers. Rarely does a technology come along that knocks the floor out from under marketer’s preferred platform (think television/smartphones/Facebook.) Google Glass seems to be one of those products, or at the very least of their nature.

Google Glass and You

While you may already know that Google has released some beta forms of Google Glass to various tech-venturers for documented testing, what’s not clear is how business owners (or society in general) is going to react to the onslaught of issues regarding the technology. Many have voiced concerns over a lack of privacy (not being able to see what/when someone is recording- availability for hacking into one’s vision.) Others, such as blogger Taylor Hatmaker, praise the headset for its uniqueness and ease of use. Hatmaker claiming in a recent article that, “Snapping a picture instantly from your eye’s perspective makes for unique photographic opportunities. Friends and cats are more candid than ever.” Most debates regarding Google Glass seem to be void for now, until it’s full launch sometime next year. In the meantime, should marketers be making changes now that could place their business ahead of the game when Google Glass’ers will inevitably appear?

Marketing with Glass

Many industries such as movie theaters and casinos are already banning the technology from entrance and would have to undergo drastic (and at this point unforeseen) changes before any allowance could occur. But for most small business owners the question remains, do the pros of  embracement outweigh the cons?

Social Media

Perhaps the most beneficial aspect of a nation of Glass wearers to marketers is the addition of social media involvement with one’s page. Just as the camera-phone launched social sites with a plethora of photos, Glass will serve as a catalyst for all forms of recordation. Check-ins, “foodie” photos, and general updates could potentially sky-rocket as a new form of communication demands our attention. Suddenly, precious content marketers have so longed for, could fall directly into their laps. A definite advantage for those with- vs those without.

Advertising Upgrade

Want to cut through advertising noise? How about running a promotion through a medium that links to your target’s eyeball. The possibilities for advertising with Glass are, in a word, endless. Video links, coupons, and even notifications when a customer is within a certain radius of one’s business, are not only possibilities but definites. In a future where Glass roams free one will be drifting constantly through a virtual/real world hybrid (the beginning of Kurzweil’s singularity?) complete with everything the internet has to offer. To market online but not within the Glass realm simply wont exist. Of course, only those who wear the product are susceptible to this virtual reality. Which, may be enough evidence to initially embrace the technology and therefore attract the users.

For now, marketers can just make plans and wait. After all- no one fully knows that the market for a funny looking cell phone will take off, and some who dig the look wont make it past the privacy concerns. To implement changes anticipating a target market that doesn’t exist is counter-productive in the truest since of the word. But if theres one thing marketers can know for sure- it’s that the landscape is quickly changing.

Watch a free contest webinar here.

Contest Planning

The promotional strategy process generally breaks down into three stages: building a team, choosing a promotion (and the details that go with it) and developing newfound interest into revenue.

Building a Team

• Having the essentials such as a Facebook, Twitter, and website
• Using Facebook or an outside strategy to grow an email database
• Having a task force dedicated to promoting the contest itself

Choosing a Promotion

Many factors go into choosing a worthwhile promotion. Most contest strategist start with their environmental forces (time of year, target user demographics, promotional niche market) and look to run a contest that will be broad enough to generate user input that might not have previously existed (without diminishing the company’s core values). Once an actual promotion is decided upon, the next step would be deciding how long to run it (a shorter time might be seen as more exclusive, but one would lose in overall viewers), and what price discount/prize the company could use to entice users.

How to Monetize contests

One of the main things business owners need to consider when looking to capitalize on their contests, is runningit through as many forms of media as possible. As a business, one’s success lies in a growth of either a system database or potential users of a product/service. Contest-savvy businesses (if possible) should look to employ a third-party form of traditional media to grow their audience, and then push new users towards their various new-media platforms (smartphone/laptop/tablet). Remember, all growth leads to more. A small advertising premium could be the investment needed to build one’s promotion to a level of reach previously unmatched. If one doesn’t have the means to acquire advertising services, the discount/prize offered must be heavily considered (as that remains the main driving point).

 Top Contest Ideas

Here are some tips for those looking to brush up on their profile basics:

LinkedIn: online business card

The average LinkedIn user is over forty years-old and earns approximately 100k a year. This is important data to know when creating ones own personal profile, because it gives the user an idea of (1) what the majority of users’ pages might look like (thus giving the creator a status quo template to build on) and (2) it supplies the user with an accurate estimation of the demographic profile of their LinkedIn peers (providing him/her with a basic understanding of how to conduct himself/herself conversationally online).

Because of the business implications LinkedIn thrives on, one could equate a personal profile to an online business card (as it essentially tells the story of both who you are and what you do).  

LinkedIn Profile details

1- Have a photo headshot (as opposed to logo, third-party picture, ect.) Choosing a smiling (or generally in a good mood) profile picture is important, as in most cases this is the first impression a potential business client will have of you.

2- Married females should highlight their middle name between their current first and last (so users who knew them pre-marriage can still link up)

3- Build an informal headline. A headline is a space consisting of 120 characters to promote individual job titles and a short description of one’s unique personality. The more informative headline the better. Someone searching for a specific contact wants a clear picture of who they are looking for and why.

4- LinkedIn Summary

The summary is both the most important section of the LinkedIn profile, and where most users find themselves gone astray. “Most summaries dont have anything in it,” social media expert Kevin Knebl explains. “Don’t leave money on the table. This is where you have the most real estate to explain who you are and what about you adds value.” Knebl suggests uploading a client testimonial or self-shot promotional video in the allotted space. “Most people don’t know that this space exists. If you as a LinkedIn marketer can add value in the form of a YouTube channel or promotional video, that could be the difference in you winning potential business.”

But limited with 140 characters, what’s the most effective form of communication? And furthermore, how does one diversify themselves without losing quality of content? Believe it or not, there stands a “tweet formula,” or a breakdown of tweeting styles designed to grow an audience and add flow to daily twitter chatter.

heres what it looks like

For many small business owners, advertising is limited to a restricted number of avenues. Cheap pricing and the potential for exponential sharing almost automatically throws social media/online marketing into the forefront. Begging the question; in an increasingly digital world, is print advertising still worth the investment? Some evidence suggests it is.

Print Advertising Breakdown

Advertising in Newspapers

It’s no secret that on many levels, newspapers are failing. Readership undeniably consists of an older generation and most papers tend to trend exclusively through online divisions. That being said, few publications resonate with a tight-knit community more than the local paper. Many small businesses invested in a hyper-niche area (targeting the right demographic) could benefit greatly from a local ad. Newspapers carry with them a certain level of credibility that, when tapped, could serve as an ally for those looking to develop a local reputation on the cheap.

Promoting Through Magazines

Magazines are a different form of print in the fact that they are independent from societies standards, and therefore more free to embrace and adapt towards technology (see augmented reality). Many have embraced magazines as a niche-source and statistics show that readership is as strong as ever reporting that 82% of the U.S. population reads one or more magazines a month. Although pricing can steepen compared to other forms of print (depending on the publication) a magazine ad could bring a lot of value to the table in the form of a dedicated niche audience, an established online reputation, and an enhanced visual dimension to the ad itself.

Social Media Myth

Many business owners think of social media as a three-in-one package (advertising/marketing/PR). While technically this may be the case, the simple truth is that it is extremely difficult to build a large social following without an outside source pushing traffic towards one’s page. This is traditionally where a paid for, third-party ad would come into play.

Perhaps social media best suffices purely as a marketing tool (targeting demographics/like interests/lead generation). After all, if one believes in the Pareto Principle (more commonly known as the 80/20 rule) then one would see the importance of increasing their overall audience to consistently add towards the 20 group. It is extremely difficult to do this through social media alone, as a large chunk of content will recycle through “followed” users (who are already participating in sales). Of course many business owners combat this by throwing parties, hosting events, posting flyers etc. But there is an equally large group out there who are just too focused on their work to tack on that much extra organization. Instead of spending the money and investing in a third party promotional group, they are eating up hours of time online spinning their wheels, living month-to-month with patterns of small scale growth.

While smartphones continue on their quest for internet domination, mobile users are growing increasingly agitated when businesses don’t adjust their model to include a mobile site. Google Think Insights reports that 96% of consumers have encountered sites that weren’t mobile friendly. 48% remembered feeling particularly frustrated and annoyed when navigating through non-mobile sites.

Mobile Site Advantages

Although consumers are quick to judge businesses lacking a mobile site, the same study shows that they appreciate those who cater to their smartphone experience.

• When they visited a mobile-friendly site, 74% of people say they’re more likely to return to that site in the future
• 67% of mobile users say that when they visit a mobile-friendly site, they’re more likely to buy a site’s product or service

Mobile Site Search

Perhaps the most convincing data harnessed from the study is that concerning repeat users.

• 61% of users said that if they didn’t find what they were looking for right away on a mobile site, they’d quickly move on to another site
• 79% of people who don’t like what they find on one site will go back and search for another site
• 50% of people said that even if they like a business, they will use them less often if the website isn’t mobile-friendly

In today’s modern era, consumers expect businesses to be actively keeping up with technological innovation. Those who fail to digitally mature, fall behind defeated from a loss of credibility. Constructing a mobile-friendly site isn’t just a decision based on interface, but instead it persists as an investment in brand, loyalty, and general user impressiveness.

• 36% said they felt like they’ve wasted their time by visiting those sites
• 52% of users said that a bad mobile experience made them less likely to engage with a company
• 48% said that if a site didn’t work well on their smartphones, it made them feel like the company didn’t care about their business
• Global mobile data traffic grew 70% in 2012
• Average smartphone usage grew 81% in 2012

Study Breaks is looking for The Next Big Thing–a dynamic, ambitious college student with an awesome idea

In anticipation of Study Breaks magazine’s post-grad, career-oriented May issue, Study Breaks College Media is searching for two things:

-THE NEXT BIG THING:

Study Breaks is searching for ambitious, innovative college students with a flair for the entrepreneurial who are, to put it simply, the next big thing! Whether they’re launching an awesome mobile app or social network; filming an amazing indie movie; designing a line of Karl Lagerfeld-caliber clothes; or in the process of opening the next best bar–Study Breaks wants to know! Interested parties can submit their awesome ideas here for a chance to be featured in the magazine as one to watch.

-THE TOP 40 COOLEST JOBS:

Secondly, Study Breaks–in conjunction with Campus2Careers and Startup America Partnership–is searching for the 40 Coolest Jobs looking to hire post-grads in 2013! These are jobs that are far from mundane–jobs that provide fun, challenging and dynamic atmospheres for young professionals to grow and prosper. Promising businesses should think along these lines: Are there sweet stock options, an in-house bar and an on-call, in-office massage therapist? Are there ping pong tournaments? Is there a relaxation room with bean bags, lots of free food and the opportunity for every employee  to make the big bucks? Businesses should submit why they are the best place for a post-grad to transition from the frat house to a crazy cool career for the chance to be highlighted in Study Breaks magazine’s May feature, a list of the 40 COOLEST JOBS out there now! They can click here to submit their company now.

When all is said and done, Study Breaks will have a sneak peek of the college kids to keep an eye on–the future Forbes features–along with 40 coolest jobs looking to hire new college grads now! We look forward to sharing our finds with you!

Although augmented reality is still a fairly new concept for most print publishers, some of the larger advertisers are jumping at the chance to impress their customers by promoting the cutting-edge technology into their campaigns.

Augmented Reality Brief

In short, augmented reality is a concept using technology similar to  Google Glasses, where a user can look through a third-party device (in this case a smartphone or tablet app) and a still image will transform into an animated video. Obviously, this changes the print game completely as advertisers will essentially be paying for a print priced ad packed with hidden video usage. And although users have the opportunity to bypass the augmentation (by not using the app) data shows that consumers will appreciate the innovation as Cisco reports that two-thirds of the world’s mobile data traffic will be video by 2017.

Companies employing augmented reality in their print campaigns

Welcome to the Future reported in their blog that they witnessed a surprising number of mainstream companies who were leveraging their print ads with augmented reality when they visited AdFestival in Cannes. Among them include:

• Kia
• Volvo
• Lacta
• Asos
• Voltswagon
• JC Penny
• Starbucks

Even titans like Kraft and TaylorMade Golf are hopping on board the augmented reality train. When TaylorMade, one of the elite brands in the golf community, wanted to showcase their new R1 driver (that hadn’t yet made it to shelf) they decided to run an augmented print campaign highlighting the new features of the club, both in still and video form. Users of the augmentation app could not only get a first-hand digital view of the club; but they also could spin the club-head, rotate the club itself (to view from multiple angles) and even digitally customize the club by adjusting the loft and face angle.

What does all this augmentation mean?

As technology continues to evolve our society, resisting change to continue with the “status quo” not only jeopardizes us as individuals, but that type of thinking especially hurts businesses who by definition are supplying what consumers demand (just ask newspapers). Savvy owners learn to swim with the tide and embrace the patterns that the data presents (smartphone usage grew 81% in 2012). Augmented reality, and furthermore Google Glasses seem to be a mainstay as long as video continues to intrigue.