Ever now and then something finally clicks. For quite some time I have been thinking about the term, innovation as it seems to be one of the big buzzwords going around in the business world. At the same time I have also been extremely bothered by the the lack of commitment to optimization in the areas of design, programming and media in general. The term optimization doesn’t sound very exciting but when you are talking about true innovation it’s my opinion that it’s all about optimization instead of change for the sake of change.  In the world of sports and in particular, racing it’s about optimization, how the engine can be fine tuned, how much weight can be removed, etc.

Why do we seek innovation? We seek innovation to make our lives and business more productive. A bigger bang for the buck if you will. One of my companies products is web site design and often I hear the phrase from potential customers, “We need to redesign our web site.” That may be true but if your desire for a new or redesigned web site is to just look cool then I recommend you take a little more time to think about the reason for the change. Obviously a site should be considered for redesign if;

• It need a way for content creators to add new information to the site
• Update security
• Usability issues (are people have a hard time navigating your site, etc?)
• Optimizing images - (I see way too many sites created with “cookie-cutter” programs that don’t optimize the images for faster downloads, etc.
• Search engine optimization
• Consistent branding - does your web site match your companies or organizations other marketing materials?

If you are going to get your site redesigned I would definitely talk to you about the above topics as well.
This post was targeted to web site design but I could probably name just about any other product line or service. Can you share some examples of products or services that have changed but didn’t really optimize and thus were truly innovative even though it was marketed as “New and Improved”? I’m a little tired of hear innovation as a buzzword for “new stuff” but rarely is the conversation mentioning how products and services can be optimized. What’s your take?

I recently saw that someone did a web search for “Greenville, SC Bumper Stickers” that lead them to our web site. Bumper stickers are one of the products we will produce for our clients to help get the word out about their business in a very passive way.  I’m not sure if the searcher was looking for Bumper stickers to promote the town or bumper stickers that are produced in here but we can do both regardless.

Advertising on vehicles by bumper stickers, magnetic or vinyl sign is a very effective and passive way to let others know about your service as you drive around town, visit job sites and even go outside your local market on trips.

I tell people we provide web, print and portable media solutions for small businesses and organizations and this recent web search reminded me that I need do a better job of communicating that we can produce products like bumper stickers, magnetic, vinyl and other signs.  Also while podcasting is considered  “portable media” I will have to point out that vehicle advertising is very effective means of “portable marketing.”

I can’t even begin to count the number of business cars and trucks I see with logos, business addresses and hard to remember phone numbers yet an easy to remember web address is often left off!  Are you a current customer of SpinningSilk Multimedia?  We can work with you to get a clear marketing message on your vehicle.  Do you have a product or service that other people would want to advertise your product or company?  I know a lot of churches and church members would love the opportunity to promote a church and church web site via vehicle marketing.

One of my first branding experiences in my professional life involved helping a religious non-profit organization develop a consistent brand. I was not the official person in charge of this but I was doing a lot of the leg work including redesigning the logo, advising on a video production, etc. At the time I was working for Outreach North America, the church planting and revitalization agency of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. ONA had hired Jeff Hathcock to help ONA market itself better to the churches and presbyteries of the ARP. In fact it was probably Jeff who drilled into me the importance of consistent branding which became a core focus of my company when I went into business for myself.

The concepts of branding and marketing may seem like “worldly” or less than noble concerns to many churches and non-profits for a variety of reasons, many of which are based on myths or misunderstanding of branding and marketing. Some of those include;

• It’s too expensive
• It’s a “worldly method” and we need to trust in God or our mission is “noble enough”
• If we focus too much on marketing we will look “showy” or our donors may think we are wasting their money.

They are many more but those are some of the most common objections and roadblocks to branding and marketing a church or non-profit organization. Sadly this attitude come across all to well. Jeff’s company, U-Turn, Inc. * specializes in church marketing among other things. One of the aspects of church branding and marketing he points out is the need project a clear message of what your church or organization is all about as opposed to how big of a noise you can make. You are probably thinking that church branding or marketing only involves signs, web sites, brochures, etc. but have you ever considered the building and grounds, Quality of the sunday school program or how visitors are greeted?

Maybe you are involved with a non-profit organization that is not a church. What are the concerns there? Often they are the exact same concerns. A limited budget, volunteer workers, perceived notion or worry about spending too much on “marketing”, etc. Having experience with some local non-profits groups I can tell you a lot of the concerns are the same. As a small business owner I am fascinated and encouraged that the concepts and skills of small business branding can apply to churches and non-profits as well. Including;

• Focusing on a core mission and communicating it with focus
• Taking advantage networking within the community at large, not just inside my “circle.” If you “preach to the choir” you may be facing the wrong way!
• You don’t have to spend a lot of money, just a little time to have a consistent image

When people think of your church or non-profit do they have a clear image of who you are and what you stand for? Does your brochures, business cards and web site all have the same message, logo and look clean and professional or does it look like it has been done by different people at different times?

One of SpinningSilk Multimedia’s core client bases is churches and non-profits, Especially churches and ministries in the ARP Church. We are also involved with quite a few community non-profit organizations that help our community grow. How can we help we help you based on that experience? What questions do you have based on our experience with churches or groups?

*Disclaimer- U-Turn, Inc. is also a client of SpinningSilk Multimedia

The concept of “branding” to a small business or entrepreneur may seem like a concern of the big business but smart branding is a crucial strategy for the small business too. As a small business person I have become fascinated with the concept of branding on the small business, non-profit and personal level. I hope this series is bringing a little more meaning to the concept of branding. Anyone can take advantage of the principles. It’s not only for the large mega-corporations.

The Duct Tape Marketing blog described small business branding as,

A small business brand is so much more complicated than a tagline, colors or logos, a small business brand is everything the business does and has done, much like a biography…
made up of who the owner is, who the customers are, what the employees say, what the press says, and who you had lunch with today - in your business, everything is brandographical!

Let’s get this out in the open. Most small businesses don’t have the budget to create awareness campaigns or commercials that have been made famous during the Super Bowl, multiple billboards or product placement in movies. Most small businesses work on the local level or in a specific niche with a smaller audience and thus such “awareness campaigns” are not needed at that stage in a companies life.

SpinningSilk Multimedia currently has two employees, my wife and myself and even when we hire more people in the not too distant future we will still be considered “small” by modern business standards(unless something radical happens). How are we “doing small business branding?” Here is a list of some things that have helped us grow our “brand” since we have been in business;

• We have a creative name the opens up the conversation and helps us explain what we do, our vision and mission. SpinningSilk is inspired by spiders spinning strong webs out of a thin material. Of course the World Wide Web concept inspired this and one of the products we want to provide is effective web sites with optimized code, graphics and other elements that not only load quickly in a browser but also capture people’s attention.
• Our branding elements like logos, etc. are consistent across our web sites, print material, how we answer the phone, etc.
• Our mission and personal beliefs are part of how we do business.
• We participate in local networking groups
• Made our brand know in various online social networking services like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube to name a few.
• Standing firm that our company is “real business entity” and not just a couple of freelancers. We have plans for growth beyond ourselves as business owners.
• Focusing more and more on niches so we are unique and experts in our field
• Constantly adding fresh content to our web site via this blog which has significantly boosted our search rankings and visibility.

Read more about how a small business can build its brand and market itself on a small business budget in a couple of recommended books, Duct Tape Marketing and Buzzoodle Buzz Marketing.

Are you a small business owner? How have you been able to build your brand with the resources you have? What challenges are you facing?

2007 was a turning point year for SpinningSilk Multimedia and our parent company, SpinningSilk, LLC and the first month of 2008 seemed to have as many positive milestones and the whole year of 2007. February 2008 is looking great as well!

Milestones reached in 2007–

Established downtown Greenville office
Became a LLC after a few years as a sole proprietorship
Became more active in the PNC–involved in two networks
Became an active organizer of the Upstate Entrepreneur’s Forum
Established a business partnership with CHIC Magazine
Increased sales by 48% for the year!

Milestones Jan. 2008

Joined the Greenville Chamber of Commerce
Participated as a stop in a virtual book tour and interviewed Seth Godin
Prepared to launch E-mail defense service
Launched new Blog & Business Card package

Future 2008 Goals…so far

Our first in-company podcast
podcasts for our clients and our own original shows
Selling managed services to protect and restore your valuable content
A seminar for local business people on the importance of new media in their marketing efforts