I read an article in Business Week called “Tech ‘Solutions’ Your Small Biz Can’t Use” written by Gene Marks, an author who writes about penny-pinching advice for small businesses. This column certainly caused quite a stir based on some of the comments posted.

Like the commenters, this article does give me angst as some of his points will lead small business owners down a bad path. I’m going to take a different perspective on what I hope he was trying to say, and one that is aligned with the advice I give my clients.

All these new technologies work if they are the right solution to the problem you are trying to solve.

Let me address these technologies from a marketing perspective.

• Blogs – Is a blog something that would help you better market your business? If yes, then go for it. Otherwise choose other marketing tactics that better suit your needs and reach your target market. You don’t have to post every day but you should try to pick a schedule and stick to it (just like you do with an enewsletter).



• RSS Feeds – RSS feeds give your target audience a way to read your blog on their terms. I love being able to subscribe to RSS feeds through my browser for information I truly want. I also love how easy it is to stop the feeds with a simple delete (rather than trying to unsubscribe which is a crap shoot in many instances). I can select the enewsletters I truly want, my inbox is less clogged, I’m less distracted by the onslaught of information, and I still have access to the information I need when I need it. If you don’t know how to use it, read an article I wrote about the Benefits of RSS.
• Search Engine Optimization – A critical requirement of a good web site, this one caused me a bit of concern as you don’t need to spend $5,000 to get SEO done. SEO needs to be part of you marketing plan for your business. If you do a web site, why bother if no one can find you? A little research on the basics goes a long way. I’ve done the basics (and a bit more) on my site, advised clients on the same and gotten first page position for specific key words. I’m afraid Gene picked the wrong firm to do his SEO and he got burned.
• AdWords – Pay-per-click advertising is one type of online marketing that has really beneficial results depending on the needs of your business. I have used Google AdWords for my business and some of my clients. Is it right for all of my clients? Certainly not. But for some clients it has been a very valuable source of lead generation as it has for me.
• Online Video – Is it effective? Yes. Is it for all businesses? No. I have not had the opportunity to use online video for my business or my clients. I’ve viewed some video podcasts that were useful and provided valuable marketing for the company that produced it. Video podcasts can be developed without the cost of a production company. I think Ron, the reseller of computer software, didn’t plan this project effectively and should put the blame on the wrong solution for the problem he was trying to solve.
• Web 2.0 – Web 2.0 is a technology. The products being built on Web 2.0 technologies are making your online experiences much more pleasant, enabling companies to market their products and services using new marketing techniques. Small businesses may utilize applications that are Web 2.0 based without knowing that they are Web 2.0 based. That’s a good thing. Technology is supposed to make things better.
• Spam Filters – Ok they may not perfect, but I do get far less junk email than I use to. It does weed out the majority of spam and what gets let through is filtered by Outlook into a junk folder. Yes, they do pick up real emails at times and annoy marketers who use email marketing campaigns, but going from over 200 per day to maybe 10 or 20 is far better in my view. Good marketing folks abiding by the rules will get through.
• Customer Relationship Management Software – CRM software IS overkill for many small businesses unless you truly have an active sales force and need to integrate sales, marketing and customer service departments. I’ve had some experience in this software space from both a user and vendor, so I do understand the value of a CRM system to help communicate among the various organizations and to track and manage your marketing campaigns. If you think you need a CRM system, look at Salesforce.com or NetSuite hosted solutions and work with someone who can guide you on the value to your business.
• Mobile Applications – From a productivity perspective, if it is right for your business, then get someone who knows what the best ones are to help you. I love my Palm Treo 700 and have most applications but I have not used the email or web features yet as I don’t need it. But I know others where those applications are invaluable for them. Make the right decision for your business.
• Anti-virus Software – This one totally scares me. I’ve seen what happens to small business owners who do not have the software configured and how much down time they have trying to recover their hard drive after it is infected. For those out there with small businesses, absolutely have anti-virus software, a solid firewall and always be suspicious of anything sent via email with an attachment from someone you don’t know.

Don’t be fooled into thinking new technology is the magic bullet for your business. But also don’t ignore new tools that can help you market your business more effectively or make you more productive.

©2012 Masterful Marketing. All Rights Reserved.

Technology Solutions to Help Market Your Small Business is an original post from Debra Murphy, Small Business Marketing Coach: Masterful Marketing - Marketing in the New Media World. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Debra on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.