With all the hype about Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn these days, business owners are discovering a new way to build their brand name through the use of social media. There’s a whole passel of potential customers and clients that are just waiting for YOUR product or service to show up on the web; in fact, social media is becoming so rampant that if you’re not online, you’re probably missing out on some major profit!
Throughout the weeks ahead, we’ll be introducing a series of blog posts on how you can utilize social media sites to promote your business. If you’re not familiar with the use of such websites, you may want to spend some of your spare time learning how to use them as we explain the basics of setting up. Should you find yourself strapped for time, allot the work to someone else, like a secretary or family member who would be willing to manage and update the pages for you. There are also marketing companies available who can help you maintain and set up your social media sites without costing you a lot of money.
Since most folks already have a Facebook profile, that’s where we’ll start this series. If you don’t already have a personal account, you’ll want to set that up first by visiting http://facebook.com. This process is fairly simple and doesn’t require a lot of assistance on our end, and you will need to complete that step before proceeding with this article. If you’re already operating on Facebook and ready to start promoting your business, then let’s roll.
You may be familiar with the popular use of Facebook “Fan Pages” that are used to promote everything from a product or service to a famous actor or singer. Instead of people adding you as a friend, they instead “become a fan” and are able to see all of your business updates, much like on your personal profile.
To start your own Facebook fan page, visit any fan page and scroll down to the bottom. You will see a link on the left side bar that says “Create a page for my business.” Click that, or you can also visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php where you will immediately be taken to the setup form. You will be required to fill out all information relating to your business, such as product or service type and your business name . Make sure you enter the name you want for your page correctly, because you won’t be able to change it later. (Tip: Capitalize your words appropriately and check the spelling before hitting the submit button.)
Once your page is started, you will want to upload a photo and add any additional pertinent information such as your main website link, contact phone and email, mission statement, and your location. Your company logo will usually make the best profile picture for your business page (don’t upload a photo of your cat for this one :).
When all of your information is added, it’s then time to start acquiring your fans. The best place to start is by using the “Suggest to Friends” option under the profile photo. Select all of your friends that may be interested in joining the page, then click submit. Your friends will receive a recommendation from Facebook to join your new business page. As they each join, an update will appear on their personal profile (i.e. “John Doe just joined Absolutely Business Magazine”) which will be visible to all of their friends as well, therefore promoting your page beyond your own personal contacts. This is how many pages take off and begin to see a big increase in their numbers.
As your Facebook fan page begins to accumulate fans, you need to be sure that you’re providing content that will be of interest to each person who has joined. Don’t just tell your fans to buy your product or service, ask them questions that are targeted to your specific market. For example, here at Absolutely Business magazine, we might ask our fans what businesses most interest them in northern New York, then use those responses to better serve our readers. If you focus more on what you can do for your fans, versus what they can do for you, you’ll always come out a winner.
Helpful hint: Want to promote your fan page to a specific audience? Check out Facebook Ads! You can typically place an ad with Facebook for less than $1 a day, which will help you gain fans even faster.
Follow Absolutely Business on Facebook and Twitter!
Coming soon:
- How to connect with professionals on LinkedIn
- What’s it mean to Twitter, anyway?
Article written by Mandee Widrick.
Adworksop & Inphorm Team
By Gordie Little
Adworkshop & Inphorm, based in Lake Placid, is touted as “the North Country’s largest, full-service market communications company.” Adele and Tom Connors formed Adworkshop in 1977, starting out in a tiny office with a gigantic dream.
Thirty-two years later, they are one of the largest advertising and public relations firms between Albany and the Canadian border. And to celebrate National Employee Ownership Month in October, they announced the formation of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) that the company and its 30 professional employees insist has created a win/win situation.
Those involved say the ESOP is a wise financial move for the company and bodes well for its future in the region.
General Manager Darcy Norfolk explained, “This ‘small’ business has grown to become a pretty sizable employer in the North Country.” One of the reasons Adele and Tom decided to transition to an ESOP was to ensure that the business remains in the community. If the business were to be sold or liquidated, the jobs might be at risk. Tom and Adele decided on the ESOP as a succession plan. They continue to remain principals and 66 percent owners in the company. They’re not retiring and do not plan to do so for some time.” With the ESOP, the employees now own 33 percent of the company.
They have purchased shares of stock as part of their retirement in the program, which is almost unique in this region. The plan was established in July of 2007; however the stock was finally purchased at the end of April this year.
Norfolk says one of the greatest benefits of an ESOP is, “It allows employees to participate and share in the agency’s growth and success. This will assist us in attracting and retaining the best marketing professionals in the area.”
She says another important benefit is that “it sets up a succession plan for the agency. In instances when businesses are purchased in upstate New York, they are often closed, and staff relocated out of the area. Tom and Adele wanted to avoid that possibility and help secure a future for the Adworkshop and its employees.”
Norfolk pointed out that another plus of the ESOP is the tax benefit. She describes it as “an incentive” and added, “…if it were eliminated, that might jeopardize the viability and success of Adworkshop as an ESOP.” She says there are some negative vibes on Capitol Hill as pertains to this benefit and they are urging Congress to “stand against any proposals negative to ESOPs.”
Founder Tom Connors says he is thrilled with what the ESOP is doing for Adworkshop. He said, “Employees now have even more incentive to excel in their jobs because they are working to provide for their own financial security.”
Adele added, “Among our proudest accomplishments is the acquisition of clients throughout the northeast and the creation of jobs in the North Country. We would like to see the company continue to grow for years to come.”
The Adworkshop’s mission statement is as follows: “Adworkshop and Inphorm provides integrated, results-oriented marketing expertise to the travel and hospitality, active outdoors, healthcare, education and financial sectors in Upstate New York. Layered with talent from different backgrounds, brought together by a choice to live the Adirondacks lifestyle, Adworkshop channels that energy, wrapped with passion and experience for marketing, to build successful brands.”
Norfolk said, “Each employee has a unique story of what brought them to the area and Adworkshop. My husband and I are both originally from Watertown. We moved to the Adirondacks by choice six years ago from Long Island. We escaped the rat race for a better quality of life and haven’t looked back. We work just as hard, yet now we don’t have to sit in traffic and experience a long commute.”
She shows facts and figures, “constituting overwhelming data that ESOP companies consistently outperform non-ESOP companies.” She says that bodes well for her company far into the future.
A news release for the ESOP creation explains, “Adworkshop is an employeeowned tragidital (yes, it’s a real word) marketing communications agency headquartered in Lake Placid, New York. Since 1977, the agency has been effectively producing creative ideas and delivering custom marketing communications strategies and tactics for its clients. Services include brand strategy, development and execution, web site design, development and content management systems, online newsrooms, search engine marketing, e-newsletters and interactive tools, social media marketing, public relations, creative production of print, outdoor, radio, video, and TV, as well as media planning and placement. The agency’s integrated marketing capabilities allow it to stand out among larger agencies, while its intimate size allows for a true market partnership.”
It further explains that Inphorm, the public relations division of the agency, “specializes in media campaigns and monitoring, search engine optimized content, multi-media online newsrooms and digital relations.” It started in 2002.
The agency’s theme has always been “Quality of Life Equals Quality of Work.” Further, the company line indicates, “Every member of the Adworkshop team could live and work anywhere. All of us choose to live in the Lake Placid area. While we are layered with diverse talents and we come from different backgrounds, we are brought together by our passion for marketing and our choice to live an active Adirondack lifestyle. We channel this unique energy and passion for marketing to build successful brands for our clients.”
Another line that catches the eye is, “Marketing is our nature.” The word passion appears often in print to describe the motivation of Adworkshop employees. For example, one agency statement says, “Our process is distilled from our passion. The way we communicate is based on simple human truths. You will see us begin every meeting with something that is irrefutable. Just let us prove it.” How’s that for an upfront challenge? For this article, we spoke with principals Adele and Tom Connors, General Manager Darcy Norfolk, Finance Director and ESOP Trustee Sandra Gagnon along with Marketing Strategist/Media Director and ESOP Trustee Jon Bouman.
Chuckling about their humble beginnings in 1977 just before the Olympics, Tom Connors said, “The two of us worked for a year and a half before we had our first employee— Kathy Ford—who is still with us.”
Adele added, “We didn’t envision Adworkshop as it is today. Our biggest passion was to live in the Adirondacks. We were going to do whatever it took. We started out slow and grew over time.”
The group agrees that agencies their size cost them considerable business during the recent economic downturn; but Tom said, “We’ve managed to hold our own. Other agencies have lost quite a few clients and thus have needed to release employees.”
He pointed out that search engine marketing has become a sizable part of what they do these days. Connors described it as “adjusting web sites to be more search engine friendly to ensure better results for people who do specific searches. For many of our tourism clients that compete with other destinations or other resorts, we help them get better search engine results and better ranking. That’s become a primary focus for a lot of companies nowadays. We kind of jumped on this early.”
Adele said, “Our services are tremendously diverse, because the business has changed tremendously. We’ve been keeping up with that since the day we started. With the dawn of the Internet, we started really early and we’re very thankful that we did so.”
Her husband added, “Web site development is huge for us—application development and web site development. There is a strategy behind it to make sure it’s effective once it’s developed.”
Sandra Gagnon explained that the new ESOP plan, in basic terms, is a “qualified retirement plan wherein there is a trust. At this time, one third of the company’s stock is owned by the trust. Each participant of the ESOP has an allocation of stock within the trust. Each year the company makes a retirement plan contribution.”
She added, “ESOP motivates the employees now that they have a stake in the company. We hope that they will take pride in it and will work for the betterment of the company and the benefit of themselves.”
Norfolk said, “We’ll be doing some fun things for our employees, such as an employee of the quarter and a box where they can ask questions and get educated. As part of the education process, employees will now see our financials so they can obtain a better grasp of the company. It’s making a difference. One of our public relations managers, Rebecca, asked one day how much a long distance call to Belgium would cost. She was just thinking proactively to learn how she could save us money if she called during a certain time of the day. Employees are now interested in things like our electric bill. We are using energy efficient bulbs, shutting off lights, printers, monitors and the like more often. We even post the bill for everyone to see year to year.”
Jon Bouman used UPS as an example, saying, “That company has been employeeowned for some time. You always see them running in and out of the trucks. I think part of that is because they have a stake in the company themselves.”
Tom Connors said Stewarts and Kinney Drugs in the North Country are also ESOPs and he believes that is a big part of their success here.
Bouman added, “Every year the business is valuated. The employees get their annual statements around the holidays and that’s a good indicator for everyone as to the state of the agency. The value of the company determines the value of their stock, so that’s a real tangible asset at the end of the year.”
Adworkshop is a member of the National ESOP Association as well as of the Vermont Employee Ownership Center.
Will ESOP make for a better company? There is a universal “YES” from the group we interviewed and they say their answer reflects total acceptance from all their employees at the time ESOP was instituted. They insist that it will make theagency stronger, better and more effective in the long run so they will be able to even better serve their clients. Toward that end, they say, they are fine-tuning all their processes and building in better systems for great efficiency.
Adworkshop works closely with Fort Drum Regional Liaison organization (FDRLO) as well as businesses in the Watertown region. They are presently working on a project to re-brand Fort Drum. Four years ago, they assisted the FDRLO with a communications strategy to “keep Fort Drum off the BRAC closure list,” according to Adele Connors.
She said they are also producing DVDs to be distributed nationwide to attract soldiers and their families who want to come to Fort Drum. She added, “It will be for all incoming soldiers so they can see what it’s like in Drum Country. A lot of them only know that it’s really cold and snowy up here. Our objective is to show them how supportive and beautiful the Drum County is.”
Tom Connors says he is proud of the work the agency does with tourism organizations in the Adirondack Region, Thousand Islands, Cooperstown/Otsego County, Franklin and Hamilton Counties and others. He added that the company also handles healthcare and banking accounts as part of their diverse offerings. He explained, “We’re about 50 percent destination marketing, 25 percent healthcare, ten percent finance and ten percent education.”
Account executives and members of the team regularly travel three or four hours to meet face-to-face with their clients across the North Country whenever possible. They work with businesses and municipalities and many other groups.
Tom says they actually work far outside this area through their Internet business. They currently are designing and marketing web sites for clients in several other states.
The group agreed their vision is to build their reputation nationwide and they firmly believe they can achieve that end with their diverse skills, particularly in tourism.
Adele said, “We’re only as good as our biggest idea, so I think creativity is what we hang our hat on at the end of the day, although we’re not really image-based. We’re much more return-on-investment-based in our strategy style.”
They have full departments in eachmedium, according to Tom. When asked what kind of employees they look for, he said, “We look for people who want to live in the Adirondacks. We want them to come here and become in tune with the area. That’s how they become creative. People want to get out of the city and move here. They want to get out of the long commute with its related hassles. So, we get highpowered talent in spite of the fact that we can’t quite match the city pay. But they love our quality of life.”
Adele further explained the continued growth of the company over the years, “We adapt to new technology and new marketing areas such as the social media space with Facebook and Twitter. We’re successful because of our totally integrated approach.
Clients can get it all here under one roof.” Adworkshop & Inphorm in Lake Placid–yet another of the North Country’s great success stories. You can take that to the bank.
With the challenging economic times that we are facing, it is especially important for businesses to be smart about how they operate. Spending decisions that are easy to make when times are good come into question during a recession. Should I continue to advertise? What do I do if my bank won’t give me the financing I need? How can I keep my customers coming back? Is there anything for my business in the Stimulus Package?
These and other questions will be addressed at the 2009 Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce’s Business Fair, to be held on June 10 at Jefferson Community College in Watertown. This signature event has been scheduled earlier than usual this year in order to provide a series of workshops designed to specifically address issues that the business community is facing during this recession - in time to impact the bottom line for many businesses in 2009.
The one-hour workshops will be held throughout the day, some more than once, to make it as convenient as possible for business owners, managers and employees. The workshops, and a brief description of the content, include:
Effective Marketing in a Recession, Presented by Greg Gardner, Associate Professor of Business, SUNY Potsdam
In a recession, consumers become value oriented, distributors are concerned about cash, and employees worry about their jobs. But a downturn is no time to stop spending on marketing. The key is to understand how the needs of your customers and partners change, and to adapt your strategies to the new reality. Businesses that increase advertising during a downturn can improve market share and return on investment. Early-buy allowances, extended financing, and generous return policies motivate distributors to stock your full product line. These, plus other strategies, will be discussed to help you reorient your marketing to be more effective.
Is your Website Working for You? Presented by Bryan Garrant, Owner and Senior Web Developer, Garrant Consulting LLC.
Is your website achieving its goals? Is it driving sales to your company? Learn about the importance of having an internet presence, current website trends, how to keep your content current and a variety of other techniques to make your website work for your business.
These are difficult times for businesses all over the world. The recession has left many corporations - large and small - with lower revenues and shrinking budgets. During these challenging times, it is absolutely essential that marketing campaigns reach their desired targets with frequency and efficiency. And that is why, with marketing dollars so precious, that there has never been a better time to turn to the web as a means of reaching new customers.
It all starts with a great website. Your online presence should be an extension of your brand - offering visitors product information, answers to commonly asked question and an overall compelling experience that makes them want to come back time and time again. Think of your website as a storefront with little overhead and a 24/7 cycle of operation that customers can visit any time of day or night.
Tweet this: Connect TO current and potential customers through new, budget friendly ONLINE resources, Presented by Jonathan Bouman, Media Director-Internet Strategist, AdWorkshop and Inphorm �
Web 2.0: How to use social networking (facebook, twitter, linkedIn, etc) to promote your business and build your customer base. “Web 2.0″ refers to the second generation of web development and design that facilitates communication, secure information sharing, interoperability, and collaboration on the World Wide Web. These concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities, hosted services, and applications; such as social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies. Although the term suggests a new version of the Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but rather to changes in the ways software developers and end-users utilize the Web. Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as a platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.
As people’s media habits have changed, their receptivity to marketing messages has as well. While consumers are continuously bombarded with ad intrusions, advertisers can no longer practice “telling and selling” - especially on the internet. With an emphasis on social networking, we’ll discuss how marketing transparency is vital and how to pull the consumer into our conversation, not just push static messages out to them.
SHARE THE PAIN - REALIZE THE GAIN: EmployeeS ARE FEELING IT TOO, Presented by Mary Lu Moriarty, SPHR, Assistant Professor of Business, Jefferson Community College
During these difficult economic times companies are forced to make very tough decisions. But how do you carry out your strategic plans that may include reductions in force without negatively impacting your employment brand? First we’ll look at mistakes employers commonly make when downsizing. Then we’ll explore alternatives to layoffs, looking at some strategies innovative companies are using to avoid pink slips. Finally, when downsizing becomes inevitable, we’ll discuss strategies for doing it humanely, including “do’s and don’ts” of layoffs. Learn how to keep your organization’s brand positive even while you’re carrying out painful strategies.
Small Business Check-Up, Presented by Peter Whitmore, Director of Corporate Relations, Jreck Subs Inc.
Businesses are facing challenges on many fronts during this economic recession, including lower consumer spending, rising unemployment, tightening credit, and inflation pressures that hit both businesses and customers. Business owners can consider a number of ways to take stock of their current situation, make changes to reduce costs and increase their profitability. By assessing business conditions and focusing on what you can control about your business, you can plan to preserve cash and map a plan for sales success. This workshop provides a general discussion on evaluating current business practices including; marketing, customer service, money management and vendor/customer relationships. It is the goal to take a closer look and see if good operations are in place and being executed professionally.
How the Stimulus Package can Help Your Business, Presented by Joan Gleason, New York Business Development Corp; Andy Gray, Key Bank; Michelle Pfaff, Community Bank, NA; Christine Powers, Watertown Savings Bank; Deb McAtee, M&T Bank
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has identified approximately $800 billion to stimulate the economy, with $730 million provided for small businesses through new and existing SBA programs. The funding includes:
- $375 million for temporary fee reductions or eliminations on SBA loans, and increased SBA loan guarantees from current levels to up to 90% for certain loans
- $255 million for a new deferred-payment loan program to help small businesses meet existing debt payments
- $30 million for expanding SBA’s microloan program, enough to finance up to $50 million in new lending and $24 million in technical assistance grants to micro-lenders
- $20 or technology systems to streamline SBA’s lending and oversight processes
- $15 million for expanding SBA’s Surety Bond Guarantee program
- $25 million for staffing up to meet demands for new programs
- $10 million for the Office of Inspector General
The bill also authorizes refinancing for certain SBA loans so borrowers can expand their business on favorable terms, and expands leverage capability for small business investment companies. It also authorizes the SBA to establish a secondary market with federal guarantees for pools of “first lien” loans under the 504 program
If you are interested in how your business might benefit from loan fee reductions, higher loan guarantees, new programs, secondary market incentives and enhancements to current SBA programs, this workshop will help you understand what it all means.
Great Personal Credit is Good for Business, Presented by Jennifer Huttemann-Kall, Vice President and Commercial Lending Officer for Community Bank, N.A. and Sarah O’Connell, Certified Business Advisor, NYS Small Business Development Center
Personal credit isn’t just a good idea at home, it can also affect your ability as a business to get commercial loans and establish relationships with vendors. All businesses, no matter what size, will need to develop credit and likely need to access capital at some time. For small businesses, the owner may be able to dip into his or her personal savings, or friends may be able to lend the needed money. Usually, however, the owner will have to look to outside sources for financing and lines of credit. Obtaining money when you need it is as necessary to the operation of your business as a good location or an adequate labor force. But before a bank or a vendor will lend you money or extend credit, they must feel that you and your firm are credit worthy. Learn what your personal credit report really means and how you can improve it.
Customer Service PAYS! Presented by Pope Vickers, Assistant Professor of Hospitality & Tourism, Jefferson Community College
In the business world, good customer service often isn’t good enough anymore. Customers and clients are becoming increasingly disenchanted with the merely adequate. For them, extraordinary service is the rule, not the exception. Anything less and they’re happy to vote with their feet and their wallets. That makes extraordinary service necessary, not just desirable. And that, in turn, mandates a strategy to help ensure that your business matches that standout service standard on a daily basis. Learn valuable customer service techniques that bring long-term dividends to your business and keep customers coming back for more.
GREENING YOUR BUSINESS, Presented by James Juczak, Author and Lecturer
Bring environmental sensitivity into your business strategy with ideas that will save energy, save materials, save money-and reduce your impact on the Earth. Learn that by spending a little time and money on things for your business, you can reap a greater profit. Energy conservation, critical pathways, recycling, and having a healthy workplace are all factors that must be considered in this goal. In this workshop, you’ll discuss the nuts and bolts of these practical and mostly easy changes.
Incentives Programs to Help You Grow Your Business, Presented by Cheryl Mayforth, The Workplace; Jill Bettinger, Jefferson Community College; , Lyle Eaton, Jefferson County Job Development Corporation; Don Rutherford, Watertown Local Development Corporation; Claire Seiferth Procurement Technical Assistance Program
From workforce development services (including customized employee testing and assessment, on-the-job training wage reimbursement, training grants, job seeker services, funding and grant opportunities) to business development assistance (including capital financing, low-cost facility options, assistance selling to the government, and economic development incentives) the county’s leading economic and workforce development agencies will provide information on services that can help your company grow through these challenging times.
How to Keep your Young Workforce Engaged, Presented by: Michelle Capone, Greater watertown JayCees; Jill Bettinger, Emerge; Alicia Dewey, Thousand Islands Young Leaders Organization; Jason Brown, North Country Artists Guild
The region’s leading young professionals’ organizations will be providing information on how to get the young professionals in your business involved and engaged in the community.
The Greater Watertown Jaycees is the local chapter of a national leadership development organization, which builds tomorrow’s leaders with the focus on self-growth for our members. This is accomplished through a hands-on approach to running projects that enhance the local members’ communities. Chartered in July of 2003, the members include media professionals, teachers, outreach professionals, military population, consultants, and retail managers. They offer many programs and ideas that are directed at the needs of the community
Emerge NNY, an off-shoot of the Jaycees, was conceived by a core group of young professionals that recognized that the region was experiencing a “brain drain,” or loss of educated, ambitious young people who left the North Country to live and work elsewhere. Their goals are to ENCOURAGE creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and innovation in the North Country; EMPOWER those who wish to impact the direction which the area advances; EMBOLDEN those who don’t believe that they have a voice; EXCITE young professionals who live and work in the region, and ENACT a new way of thinking about what young professionals can accomplish in our community.
Based in Clayton, the Thousand Islands Young Leaders Organization’s mission is to help young leaders
- connect to other young professionals and to the area’s top business and community leaders;
- develop professionally through networking, skills development and through giving back to the community;
- explore career opportunities, local issues & challenges and their potential;
- understand the issues going on in their community;
- contribute service and leadership to their community;
- empower young leaders by strengthening their influence in the community;
- attract & retain young leaders in this region;
- enhance the quality of life in the Thousand Islands
The North Country Artists’ Guild is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and promoting the arts in northern New York. They represent all areas of the arts - music, theatre, dance, literary arts, visual arts, and crafts and are committed to promoting and providing opportunities for growth in and through the arts. Their belief is that a vibrant arts community is good for individuals of all ages, families and businesses.
A complete workshop schedule can be found on the Chamber’s website, www.watertownny.com. Registration is appreciated but not required. Workshops are free to all businesses exhibiting at the Business Fair, and for those not participating; a $10 fee provides unlimited access to any or all of the workshops plus “A Taste of Success” featuring samples of local restaurant specialties. There is no cost to visit the exhibits and displays that will run from 9AM to 5:30PM
This year’s Business Fair should be one of the most exciting ever. Along with the great local products and services that will be featured, we are hosting “A Taste of Success”, an auto show highlighting the newest in technology and hybrid cars, and valuable educational programs to help businesses succeed during tough economic times. The 2009 Business Fair is all about “Smart Business in the New Economy” and will help you plan for success today and into the economy of the future that will emerge when the recession is over.
One of the region’s undisputable success stories, the owner of SunFeather Natural Soap Company continues to embody the entrepreneurial spirit by taking her company to new heights and extending her reach and influence out into the community.
As more and more “big box” retailers move into the North Country, some small businesses may have figured out the recipe for survival in the climate of the giants: find a niche, maximize personal customer relations and locate in an area that helps lure traffic by emphasizing its historical features. Read more
