This week we are talking with Rod Kirby from the Success Center. Rod knows his way around the social media marketing arena well and you can tell from the posts he cranks out over at his blogazine. I thought it was a good idea to start this series of interview with one of the most Savvy Entrepreneurs I have met in a long time.

Tell us a little about your business.

My company is called, SBLS Enterprises. It’s basically a holding company for my intellectual and media properties such as The Success Center (Christian entrepreneur blog-a-zine), Inside the Success (online radio and web show), and an audio book titled, “Business Leadership Wisdom from Proverbs.” Officially, I’m an editor, author, speaker, and business coach. It’s a tough job but somebody’s gotta be successful . . .

What is it about social media that makes it so unique for marketing?

There are a couple of things that make it unique, #1 – With no overhead, no print marketing materials to develop, and zero fees the return on investment can be huge if utilized correctly. #2 – It opens up conversation and dialogue between the seller and buyer that wasn’t there before. Instead of going directly for the sale, the seller has the opportunity to ask questions and get to know potential buyers first.

What do you think most people miss when it comes to marketing online?

I think people get excited about the tools to help them market online but fail to understand the best way to use them. They just jump in without testing the water or reading the instructions on how to use the boat. . .

What are your top three marketing tools?

Firstly, I don’t consider them marketing tools, I consider them marketing platforms. A tool is typically used once and discarded (in other words, something useful but not valuable). A platform is something solid used to stand on. Something sturdy you can build something on top of. My top 3 platforms are Twitter, Facebook, and my blog. Twitter for starting conversations, sharing information, and broadcasting my offerings. Facebook for deepening relationships. And the blog for offering valuable advice, tips, and information.

What advice do you have for the business owner seeking a viable online presence?

Therein lies the problem, you can’t have just an online presence. . . you have to present value to visitors, followers, fans, and friends. A website is only as good as it is useful to someone visiting it. A blog is only a great as the conversations started there. Create something valuable and you’ll find the success you’re looking for.

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About Rod

Rod Kirby is a success coach, speaker, and editor-in-chief of The Success Center; the #1 Christian entrepreneur’s blog for small business, marketing, social media, and personal branding help.

He is also the producer of Inside the Success, the show that aims to equip entrepreneurs for success by going “inside” the lives of others making it happen in their industries.

Rod has been on the forefront of entrepreneurship since 2002 when he started his first business, a video game tournament event company. In March 2009 Rod launched his personal blog, The Success Center, where he shared inspirational success stories and offered small business advice. The blog quickly developed a following and in June 2009 Rod re-launched it with a “blog-a-zine” focus. One factor in the blog’s success is Rod’s multimedia content, focus on community, and consistency in delivering quality content 5 days a week.
Rod’s mission is to inspire, empower, and equip entrepreneurs of all walks of life for success.

You can read more about Rod on his very informative “About page” over at the Success Center.  You will enjoy what you read.

I love watching Shark Tank. I don’t watch a lot of TV; but when that show comes on, I am in my seat waiting to see what unsuspecting rose colored glass wearing folks will try their hand at getting one of the 5 sharks to invest in their vision. There is seldom a yes but no one leaves that room without learning why they won or lost the deal.

It all boils down to marketing and promoting. The sharks want to know a few pertinent details before they shell out their dough. These points we can all take to heed and use for marketing, promoting, and developing our business.

• Branding is important. The first impression you make when you walk through the doors into the Shark Tank is the way you look. A product is just a product until it has the look. What does it say? What does it represent? How are you presenting it? Branding is all about creating an unforgettable memory in the minds of the consumers. For example, in last week’s show the Grease Monkey Wipes owners presented a perfect branding strategy. The branding was consistent from the colors to the monkey to the shirts on the owners’ back. It was so impressive and their message so consistent that they ended up having two of the Sharks invest in their dream.
• USP (Unique Selling Proposition). What sets you apart from the rest? What makes your business structure different from that of your competition? What is it about your business that will draw the consumer to use your product or service? The sharks take this serious. There was a young man on the show who sold silk screen t-shirt but besides not having a brand, he had no real valid selling point and he had no way of proving that he is different than the competition. With a product like t-shirt you had better have an edge, something that sets you apart from the rest. Sadly this passionate young man did not and all the Sharks backed out.
• Know your target market. The Sharks want to know it all; so if you are not aware of your market they are not likely to invest in your dream. It is important to understand that in order to reach people you need to have a specific target to hit. Think about a sharp shooter. If he does not know his target, what happens? He will likely kill an innocent person.  The same goes for your business. If you have no target to hit you will likely kill your message and thus your business.
• Know how your product will benefit your target market. It is important to know how your product or service will benefit your market. On last Friday’s show, there was a sister and brother team who wanted the Sharks to invest in their company Wee Can Shop. The concept is that children have a special store built to suit them where they can shop for there loved ones. Cute concept but no real benefits to draw the customers in, other than the fact that Wee Can Shop is cute. Maybe if they would throw in birthday parties or do it yourself stuff like Build-A-Bear, they would have had something. But the company truly had no real value for the consumer. Really can’t a child just take their money to somewhere like say Target and buy for loved ones. No real benefit at all! Needless to say that the Sharks did not take the bite.
• Have a Strategic plan. Going into the Shark Tank you need to know how you are going to approach them. They will want to know what you want to accomplish, how you plan on accomplishing it, and what you need in order to accomplish it. This is true for any Entrepreneur. You have to have a plan of action. You need to know what tools and resources will benefit your marketing efforts. Ask the poor guy from the Podillow company who went into the Shark Tank with no real plan and very little knowledge about what his market needed.

Marketing is no easy feat and online marketing can sometimes prove to be even more daunting. You have to create, evaluate and tweak often. You have to talk to your market on a regular basis. You have to keep your brand and product fresh. It can be hard.

However these few tips from the Shark Tank are worth applying to your business marketing structure.

How many products do you have available at this very minute that could be a part of your income stream? What does your product tree look like? Is it ready to be harvested and enjoyed?

I ask these questions because I watch many people pump out product after product and grow branches that are ripe for the picking. However their promotional efforts still need a lot of nourishing.

I have had clients approach me and ask why they aren’t making money. The first thing I ask them is how are they marketing and promoting so that their market knows what they offer. The answers often throw me for a loop:

• I have a few buttons placed on some sites.
• I don’t enjoy writing.
• I am not good with talking to people.
• I have a website. Isn’t that enough?
• Well you are my social media/marketing VA! What are you doing to promote me?
• What exactly is promoting?

Trust me the list goes on.

If you are pushing out report after report, e-book after e-book, internet marketing product after internet marketing product, but you are not going forth with your promotional efforts; then you are going nowhere fast. Been there, done that, wrote the book… wanna read it?

This was one of the many reasons I decided to start my VA business. I was watching too many people make the same mistakes I did when it comes to marketing and promoting- a lot of production but very little return due to poor promotional efforts.

Think of where companies like Coca-Cola or McDonald’s would be if all they did was push out products and did no promoting.

It makes little sense to pump out all the products if you have no marketing plan. Marketing includes the promotional part as well and  it is not as hard as it seems. It just takes time. If you invest and your product is good, then the money will come. It may trickle at first but then you will start to watch it grow and grow.

Promoting is a very important part of marketing and there are many ways to promote yourself.

• Content marketing: Content is King
• Video marketing…GOT FLIP!
• Teleseminars/Webinars: People love to hear you talk if you know what you are talking about
• Virtual Blog Tour/Guest Blogging: Strategic guest blogging is a great way to find your market and share your message
• Your own blog with great SEO in place and regular quality posting will keep your market coming back for more
• Podcasting: There is likely an audience who needs your expertise
• Talk it up: Using your social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Ning is a great way to share your message. Just don’t be spammy and remember to offer your help where you can. Be a value and not a nag
• Business cards: Every business needs them because you need to promote online and off.
• Speaking engagements: Trust me the more you do them the easier they get.
• Freebies: Are you giving away stuff to entice your market to want more
• A List: Opt-in lists are a great way to promote because the people who sign up are usually interested in what you have to say

These are only a few ways that you can promote yourself and your products. There are many more creative ways to get your message to the masses.

Have a good support team is a great way to outsource some of your promoting efforts. It saves you time and helps you to spread the word in a more efficient manner.

It makes not sense to have a full branch if no one is around to taste the fruit of your labor. It will just get old and rot!