Small businesses make up a large proportion of New Zealand businesses. But make no mistake, though these businesses may be small in the number of employees they have, they are in no way small in their business objectives and follow through.

Everyone from insightful mothers, style conscious women, to men who are sick of working for the man are turning their hand at creating and growing companies that have 1, 2 or 3 people on the books. But what may be taking some multinational companies by surprise is that these little guys are blowing them out of the water when it comes to online presence, social media and building relationships with their clients. These 3 things are creating dollars for small businesses that used to reserved for the big guns.

Case in point are Facebook Fanatics Belly Beyond and Vlogging Bag Diva Floozy. Both of these New Zealand based (and female owned businesses) are making use of the real-time web and interactive competitions to get client interest and keep it. So how is it with less than a handful of staff members these companies manage to do what some of the “bigger” brands cannot even wrap their heads around? How do they create successful social media campaigns to propel their brands to the forefront?

I originally wanted to speak to Lou at Belly Beyond at Kate at Floozy and do a little bit of a case study on each of them, but I have had little chance of doing that, and from their online activities I am sure they have been busy too…hopefully they will stop by and add their 2 cents as to what they think makes them successful social media divas

But here is my take on some of the winning ingredients of what these ladies do best as part of their social media marketing.

• On Belly Beyond’s Facebook page, you feel as if you are part of a greater community. Its not all just sell, sell, sell and promos (which are still good, but in moderation…). By adding a personal touch with discussions about baby names, wedding and baby photos, I feel as if I am part of a community of like minded mothers sharing information and having fun – you forget you are actually there to buy! The great part is that not only do they ask us to share personal tidbits, they also share behind the scenes photos and blog posts with us. Research shows that people are more willing to spend money with brands they  trust. How much more trusting can it get than buying from someone who is willing to share family photos and embarassing moments with you.
• Kate brings her collection of bags to life via video and you can’t beat seeing her love of all things bag-tastic as she pulls them apart and peeks inside. I love hearing her accent, makes me feel like I “know” her. I am also defnitely more tempted to spend after watching one of her videos.
• We talk, they listen. Its easy to get in touch with both companies as they have a presence across Twitter, Facebook and You Tube. They want to know what we want to buy. Does it make sense to stock what we actually want? They find out what we want, and stock it.
• Most importantly, they have their own company hubs online that are irregardless of any 3rd party platforms. Though they make great use of social media platforms, they are not at their mercy. Each has a solid websites, blogs and even wishlist facilities.

Once you can create that feeling that you understand your clients and what they want/need you are so much more likely to convert your fans into purchasers.

The flexibility that small business like these two have means that they are more intune to what their clients want and what is important to them. To cut through the marketing and advertising clutter, they are able to react fast and be more personal without a top heavy management team.

Its nice to get a personal shoutout from a business that you spend money with wanting to find out how your weekend was or if you’ve had your baby yet. Maybe the lack of a central social media peep makes it harder for bigger businesses to get to know their clientele. Don’t get me wrong, some big businesses are doing it right, but some could definitely learn from small businesses.

Being social media saavy isn’t just about setting up Twitter and Facebook – their are a huge number of platforms that you can use to help get your company name out through social media. But its best to choose only a few and to use them well.

Something that people also forget is the “SOCIAL” part of the equation. The key is in actually being social – creating conversation and connecting with people.

In an economy where their are at least 3 companies just like you, sometimes even just in your city -  you have to find a way to stand out above the rest.

These small businesses use social media to their advantage, what other businesses do you know of that are making good use of social media to market their business?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Do you know how to keep Mothers happy? (realsocialgirl.com)
• Get to know your market through Social Media (realsocialgirl.com)
• Creating Community = Creating an Experience (realsocialgirl.com)

The old saying is “A happy mother equals a happy family”. After all she is at the centre of keeping the family engine churning. As a marketer or PR person, if you can answer the million dollar question to keeping a mother happy with a resounding “yes!” you just may be carving out your success with the mommy-set.

Globally, mothers are an untapped market for brands. Marketers and PR people neglect to recognize them as a specific group of important purchasers (often lumped together with women). In most households the wife is considered as the chief buyer of household items, and don’t forget some of these same women are the main buyers for the companies they work for as well. Because we have so much going on in our daily lives, many of us have turned to the online world to find the time to get the interaction  so many of us crave. We still have to get the groceries done, take care of the kids and shuttle them to various activities on top of work and sometimes even forging our own enterprise, in comes the internet to insure that we still maintain our interaction with other mothers and to nurture personal relationships. If you didn’t know before, women/mothers strive on relationships and are inherently social beings. Its as if Social Media was born out of a need for brands to speak to us, work with us, and show us that they understand what we need.

If you are using social media to attract mothers, keep these points in mind:

• The more your brand can speak to and interact with mothers, the better off you’ll be
• What’s the motivation for mothers to return to your website? Are you giving them a quick way to relax in their busy day? Are you providing nutrition tips for healthy cooking for the family? Are you providing advice on how they can stretch their budget? These are just a few ideas, what motivator would work for your company?
• How can you make a mother say “Ah, they understand me!” when they are browsing your website, Facebook Page, Twitter account, etc…Do you understand a busy mama’s day? Do you understand her desire to grow a happy and healthy child? Do you get it that she needs ways to keep everyday tasks simple?
• Can you provide a venue where we as mothers can express our opinions and views on a subject? We love doing that! We have an opinion on everything! But be creative, there are a thousand and one forums and discussion boards battling for our online browsing time, how can you set yourself apart?

Mamas, do you agree? What else do you think brands need to keep in mind when trying to attract your buying dollars?

Brands that have been in the social media game for a few years understand how to best use the internet to showcase their brand and grow a fan base. But what about brands that are now scrambling to be part of the buzz and grab a share of the social marketing pie. Often they see bloggers as an easy and cost effective way to get incredible spread of information about their brand across the interwebs.

Is working with a blogger or a group of bloggers the right fit for your company, and if so, how best to engage with them? If your company follows a few simple guidelines, the rules for engagement are really not that hard.

1. Any blogger worth working with as part of your social media plan is not a hobbyist, and as such they do not want to be treated as one. Allocating enough funds and making them an integral part of your social media/marketing/PR team insures that they will put aside the time, energy and creativity to work towards your company’s success.
2. Respect bloggers. This is so easy, yet so many PR companies and marketing reps often do not. Sending out pitches to anyone and everyone that is on your mailing list hoping for a writeup is not the way to go. If you identify a blogger that you want to work with, the best respect you can show them is to get to know what they are about, get to know their voice online and then and only then send them pitches that you feel may interest them and their readers. From past experience I can tell you there is nothing worst than opening an email that is a press release with not even so much as a hello. Furthermore, the press release has absolutely nothing to do with what I write about over at Girlstoys Revue. In no other profession, do people get contacted for something that they are so unsuited for. When was the last time you heard of a doctor being contacted to complete someone’s income tax?

How can you work with Bloggers?

Product reviews are a simple first step, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Many bloggers are not only great communicators via written word, some use video as well as other imaginative ways to engage their readers. Respect the bloggers knowledge and insight into their readers and how best to get your message across. Armed with this information and a well thought out plan of action, you can be rest assured that you can monitor any campaign you enter into with a blogger for successful outcomes.

Bloggers have spent time creating a trusted network of readers as well as other bloggers and as such they will want to work with you to make sure they are providing quality information and resources to their readers. From my perspective, I will only work with organizations that I can stand behind – after all, it is my brand, my voice that is at stake. And for that same reason, you can expect only the most professional professional service from me and any other blogger that I put you in touch with.

If you are interested in working with one or several bloggers to launch a product/service or act as an ambassador for your company, feel free to contact me to direct your blogger outreach efforts as well as to design a campaign.

Marketers shouldn’t take for granted the stay at home mother. Restricting ads geared to mothers to Baby wipes, cleaning products and anything pink is not the way to go. Women and the subset of mothers make up a big chunk of the spending that goes on, and its not just frocks and shoes.

According to a survey by Pew Research Center, women are the key household decision-makers. When it comes to deciding on major home purchases, managing household finances, and other decisions, women are very much involved and often are in charge.

Highlights from the survey that Marketeers need to take note of:
- in families where just one person makes most of the decisions, it’s usually the woman and not the man who has the last word when purchasing a major item for the home
- Among the many dual-income families, the fact that the man often earns more doesn’t mean that he decides more
- In 74 percent of homes the woman is fully engaged in what that household will buy and from whom

So the car salesman needs to take note next time. Even though hubby may be asking all the questions, it may just be that wifey has the last word. So don’t condescend, instead keep her needs in mind, direct as much attention to her as you do her husband as she may be the primary decision maker.

What’s happening in the lounge this month?
We’re sharing tips on keeping warm and energized through winter. Do you have any special tips? Bring them along if you do cause we could all use them.

When does the fun start?

Thursday, June 25 from 8-9.30 pm.

You can access the party room by going to #RSG Twitter Lounge , login in with your Twitter username and password and tweet away! You don’t have to worry about adding the #RSG hashtag to your tweets, its already there.

What are the Prizes?
Party sponsor Floozy is giving away  a fantastic prize that EVERY woman needs. The VIP (Very Intelligent Pocket) is the key to an organised handbag, it makes it easy to change essentials from one bag to another as all you have to do is pull the VIP out of your bag and transfer to another. THE perfect accessory for the girl with many handbags or a mother switching from nappy bag to purse all the time. With the VIP you never have to worry about leaving anything behind. Kate from the decadent handbag and accessory online store Floozy is giving away one in black.

Also up for grabs is a Linden Leaves gift box of winter treats.

All you have to do is sign up for the Twitter party over at girlstoys and then be there on the night as the winner will be announced live.

See you then!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Purse Blog and Luxaholics: Adriana Castro Giveaway Day 5 (purseblog.com)
• How To Get Organized Purses In 4 Steps (getorganizedtips.blogspot.com)

Marketeers trying to influence mothers have realized that they need to attract us in new ways that are relevant to the way we shop. Some of our shopping is now done online while we juggle bubs and running a business from home. Others of us like to research online before we get to the shops, making the shopping experience quicker – which is important when you have grizzly kids in tow.

By joining online groups we can get quick advice on what others recommend, we can get feedback on products we sell, and some of us even keep up with our kids through places like MySpace and with texting.

Alot of mums are more connected than they realize. We are definitely connected in a much more different way than our mothers were.

What’s your Social Media diet look like in 2009? Do you MySpace? are you a Facebook addict? Where do you catch up with your online friends? Do you catch up with your kids online, through texting or even Skype? I would love to hear from mothers and how you are connected online.