Marketing your Business in a Recession

By Rita Wilhelm, Contributing Writer

With a struggling US economy, many entrepreneurs and sales people are finding that they need to change the way they market their business.

You yourself might be asking the question on how best to use the marketing dollars that you have in your budget. Where can you get the biggest bang for the buck?

I have some good news for you. And by the way, stick those marketing dollars back in your coffers, because the strategy I’m about to share with you is virtually free. Well… it is going to take an hour or two a week of your time, but other than that, it’s free.

I want to make the case for you, that spending time each week on your social media marketing, is very smart business.

So what is social media? Social media is an umbrella term that refers to the technologies and practices that are used to share information, opinions, and thoughts online.

Social media can take many forms, such message boards, blogs, wikis, podcasts, pictures and videos.

With 70% of people researching online before buying a product or service (which includes local service businesses), and 51% of internet users spending most of their time reading and watching personal content that is created by other people, you’ve got to have an online presence. But, it’s not just about having a website. You need to make sure that your business is in the path of where your target audience is spending their time online.

Here’s another little known fact. According to ongoing research from the Online Publishers Association and Nielsen//NetRatings, US Internet users will spend less than 5% of their online time using search, versus nearly 50% of their time on content sites (social media). Yet, most marketers are putting most of their online marketing dollars into paid search.

Marketing Experiments did a 12 month study, in which they compared the effectiveness of a Google Adwords campaign, to a social media marketing campaign. They created several sites in different niches to gather data from. They compared:

1) Hiring an employee at $10/hour to blog, create content, and in to work to drive traffic to the sites.

-to-

2) Using Google Adwords to drive targeted traffic. (They paid up to .75/click in their adwords campaign).

Result: Social Media Optimization yielded a 1427% greater return on investment!

WOW!

The numbers speak for themselves. But before you jump into social media marketing, be sure that you do your homework. There is a right way to network, and there is a spammy way to network. You want to educate yourself so that you are being effective in the way that you use these online communities.

With a potential recession looming, it’s smart to put your marketing efforts where you get the greatest return on investment. Social media marketing may well be your solution.

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Marketing your Business in a Recession

Minority Lawyers Network

By SCOTT R. FORCINO Esq., TNNW Legal Editor

This month I researched and gained exposure to the NACN. The "Home of America's Best and Brightest Attorneys of Color".

The mission of the National Attorney of Color Network ("NACN") is to promote diversity in the legal profession by: (i) providing corporate America and leading law firms with access to the brightest attorneys of color; (ii) creating enhanced employment opportunities for attorneys of color through the power of networking; and (iii) providing an efficient means for the communication of successful diversity strategies in the legal profession.

The NACN was organized by a former African-American partner of a prominent national law firm based in New York City. His commitment to diversity in the legal profession led him to create this network. Based in New York City, the NACN strives to work with existing organizations that are also committed to improving diversity in the legal profession.

Members of NACN search and apply for job openings posted on the NACN website and submit/update their profile regarding their experience and education. Members get e-mail alerts of job openings from companies and law firms. Members are able to meet practicing attorneys at regional and national networking events for law students and attorneys of color. Mentoring of law students of color is possible or students can be mentored by a practicing attorney of color. Attorneys of color share, and are advised of, successful career and diversity strategies and most importantly, access the valuable information provided in the resource centers.

In addition, membership in the NACN also assists law firm associates and partners in their business development efforts by making them more visible to corporate legal departments seeking to identify and hire outside counsel.

As an employment search portal the NACN is exclusively for attorneys and law students of color. The NACN offers a state-of-the-art search engine that permits employers to conduct targeted searches of the candidates in the NACN database based on a host of criteria, including, law school attended; undergraduate school attended; GPA; practice area expertise, number of years of experience; law school rankings, honors and even ethnicity. The searches will produce candidates who possess the qualifications for which the employers are looking. The NACN protects the identity of its members. A member's identity will be released to a potential employer, only if the member expressly authorizes the NACN to do so.

There are events nationwide to allow for the connection of attorneys of color to others in the legal profession. Overall, the NACN is a very important organization for the career advancement of the attorney of color within the legal profession.

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Minority Lawyers Network

Clear Solutions for the Blue Planet...tm

Clear Solutions for the Blue Planet…tm

By Sian Lindemann, TNNW Arts Editor

Courtney Milne…Earth from Space?

It is evident that a significant trend is present as it relates to marketing. The desire to create an advocacy of some kind that supports ECO-ART, a GREEN directive, or an environmental cause, is not only popular but is also a needed endeavor. Who better to demonstrate this end result than the artists themselves, who I believe have an intimate connection with the “spirit” of the earth, its plight, and thus, give voice to the cause of preservation of our natural environment.

Most artists that I have worked with over the years, have expressed in some way, a desire to demonstrate the quintessential connection between man and nature.

It is primarily a good thought. The actualization of that thought needs clear understanding for the viewer through the imagery.

It would be possible for each artist to identify this agenda as it relates to “tag” lines or “slogans” as it relates to a particular body of work, and by the way, all necessary to “TRADEMARK” with one’s attorney.

“Clear Solutions for the Blue Planet”, is just that kind of reference, and is a project of the National Living Arts Foundation.

“Clear Solutions” is an advocacy on the power of perspective. While viewing the image, above, “Earth from Space”…there is an automatic assumption that the image is indeed a photo captured from aboard the space station or a shuttle mission. However, it is an image captured by artist / photographer, Courtney Milne and Courtney has never been a part of the space program, of course. The image is actually a photo of the Canadian landscape, taken with a fish eye lens, and turned upside down.

It offers a direct challenge to the viewer to “consider” an alternate perspective, if only through art, the image clearly defines, that changing one’s perspective is as simple as turning an image in an alternate way. Or changing one’s mind, a very simple act.

In Courtney’s “Pool of Possibilities Collection,” 35,000 images depict that one subject may have a number of alternative views….each are beautiful, each are unique, and each are valuable and “essential” to “entire” collection.

In the thought of how one might participate in our global concerns for “ending hunger,” “preserving wildlife,” conserving “water,” and the like, how might you consider your next body of work, your next installation, your next art exhibition, to include these considerations?

It is a direct question that I ask our readers to consider.

If you Google Masaru Emoto www.masaru-emoto.net , Japanese Scientist and author of “Messages from Water,” you will discover the scientifically proven studies of Mr. Emoto, in reference to the structural changes that occur with simple prayer over waters that have been documented to have been polluted.

It is a rather miraculous study. In the words of Masaru Emoto, “One man cannot change the world but one man can deliver the message to change the world. We believe it is 'The Message from Water.'”

It would be worthy of your time to investigate this perspective, for in the future delivery of your art forms to market, what additional considerations could you have to inspire this kind of thinking?

We are asking the same question, with “Clear Solutions for the Blue Planet.” If thought and prayer can literally change the structural component of water crystals, then what impact can you have in your thought, action, and art forms to perpetuate this kind of new thinking?

The reaction of the waters is not a new process. It has always been with us….but for humanity to have garnered understanding of human impact on our earth, then we can change the way we think, how we take action, and undeniably have an impact on positive transition into preservation of our natural resources, water being one of the primary necessities for our ongoing existence here on earth.

“Clear Solutions for the Blue Planet” is asking of our readers a similar process….what can you do? What can you create, artistically, to demonstrate this thought as it relates to the preservation, conservation, and purification of waters on earth, one, so that there is always enough, and secondly, that it is always available in a pure form for our consumption.

“Clear Solutions for the Blue Planet,” is willing to be a project that will promote, sell and represent artists who can create a clearly defined representation of this consideration…How does your art identify, for me, and for the viewer, an absolute understanding of the “messages from water.”

Networking among our readers I would like to receive content for this program that we can utilize as a promotional and fundraising program, to create the following

1) Funding that underwrites water based programs that will create new technologies, or provide sources of clean water to developing countries

2) Sculptural Design for public installations of water feature based art, sculpture and water “fun” features in parks and public venues throughout the world.

3) Art works, jewelry, glass, sculpture, photography, film, or music, that clearly identifies this desired result, and offers clear perspective on what is possible.

4) Anything else I have not mentioned here, nor have I thought of, but that you have “dreamed” up.

I look forward to hearing from each and every one of you…and I thank you for your willingness to participate in “Clear Solutions for the Blue Planet.”

-Sian Lindemann 2008

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Clear Solutions for the Blue Planet...tm