Could you be accidentally driving away customers with a pricing policy that isn’t quite clear enough?
Or is it a perfectly acceptable and rewarding strategy to hide certain costs until the very last second?

A strangely popular school of thought exists which maintains that there’s nothing wrong with holding back a few vital chunks of the final invoice until the very last step of the process.

After all, you’ve already hooked the customer.
They’ve spent valuable time and effort on jumping through your hoops, filling in your registration forms, giving you bank details or credit card information, choosing the exact desired options available from your range of products and services…
They’ve already made a mental commitment to buy. They’ve made up their minds and now they just want to get to the end as quickly as possible.

Unless you do something really silly at this point, it’s surely too late for anyone to turn back now?
After all, who could seriously object to just a couple of unexpected extra costs popping up from nowhere right at the last step?

Well, I would suggest that plenty of people would object. Myself included.
In fact, some people would probably get very angry about it indeed, whilst looking at your business in a whole new negative light and making a solemn vow never to return ever again…

I got thinking about this today after trying to place an order for a cat playhouse in the shape of a fire engine.
It’s not normally the kind of thing that I would buy. Honestly. I don’t even have a cat for starters.

But a good friend of mine has recently adopted a new feline friend, and I thought that this would make a light-hearted welcome gift for his new addition to the household.
The price was so temptingly reasonable that I reached the decision to buy fairly quickly.

The actual online ordering process was far from quick, though.
The website was sluggish and unresponsive, I was asked for a whole stack of completely irrelevant details, and when I made a very tiny mistake on one of the ordering forms, I had to type in everything all over again.
Gah! I hate it when that happens!

There were moments when I considered abandoning the whole idea…but I just happened to be in a particularly determined mood today, and so I persevered with the order right up until the very last step.

It was here that I got clobbered with an avalanche of hidden costs which the supplier had decided to keep back as a special treat for me.
Huge shipping rates. Administration fees. Compulsory cat-safety components not included in original price. Fire engine paint. Convenience charges. The actual hole in the design which the cat is supposed to poke its head through…
The overall cost suddenly became significantly less reasonable. In fact, it was over twice the price that I had originally envisaged paying!

Now, if we go back to the school of thought above, none of this should matter.
I’ve already made the commitment to buy and I’ve come this far, so I’m expected to shrug my shoulders and just pay the surprisingly high total without making a fuss.

But guess what? I didn’t.
I immediately closed down the website screen, loudly cursed the business that had just wasted my time and tried to con me, and looked elsewhere for a suitable gift.

In fact, I ended up getting a pretty good deal on a Cat DJ Scratching Deck from a very friendly Small Business.
It looks just like a DJ’s mixing deck, but the rotating turntable is actually a scratching mat, so when the cat paws at it, it almost looks as if…

Actually, that’s far too much detail.
All the mattered at the time was that the price I was originally given at the start was the exact same price I paid right at the end.
It sounds such a simple concept, but it made all the difference…

Of course, the diverse world of Small Business dictates that life can’t always be quite as simple and straightforward as we’d like.
The potential complexities of your own pricing and ordering system will largely depend on your field of business and the range of products, services, and additional options that you deliver.

Speaking just from my own experience with Martin Print, I’m in a fortunate position where I can offer very clear pricing right from the start, with zero risk of the final cost suddenly spiking at the last step!

The handy online calculator on every product page gives our clients an opportunity to quickly review pricing options with total confidence – and shipping on all orders over $50 is completely free Australia wide, so there’s no danger of feeling ‘caught out’ by a surprise extra charge on the final page!

We do ask clients to help us with the postage costs on our sizzling exclusive deals for 100 Free Fridge Magnets and 100 Free Glossy Stickers (that’s $15 for the Fridge Magnets, and just $2 for the Stickers!)
Whilst it’s perhaps not always possible to include details of the postage costs for these offers on every tiny Facebook graphic, advertisement, or Promo Button – purely for reasons of space! – I always ensure that the postage costs are explained clearly at the very first step of the ordering process.

Being completely honest and open from the start is the only way that makes any real business sense to me.
I really can’t see why any business would want to ‘lure’ a potential new client into believing that the first price they see is genuine, only for the client to feel let down, disappointed, and perhaps even ‘conned’ by the truth.
That kind of strategy creates such negativity around the whole experience, and is unlikely to inspire the client to make a return visit in the future…

Whilst I understand that it’s not always possible to introduce widespread crystal clear pricing into every field of business, it’s always worth keeping an eye on your own system and considering potential tweaks and refinements to your strategy.

It could be the case that there’s still room for further transparency and clarity in your prices, or perhaps certain shipping costs and extra charges could be factored into the price at the beginning of the process instead of taking people by surprise at the end.

But how do you feel about hidden costs and nasty surprises?

As a business, are you keen to embrace clear and transparent pricing, or do you believe that holding back a few small charges for the final page is an acceptable – and perhaps even expected – business practice?

As a consumer, when was the last time that you felt ripped off by ridiculous hidden charges?

Send to Kindle

There’s a guy down at Smokey Joe’s Small Business Bar who would spit out his drink in surprise at this kind of talk.
Happy Henry always enjoys a drink or two at these crucial business events.
In fact, he insists on it. He reckons that it’s a compulsory component of the whole networking process.

“It’s a social thing!” he will argue.
“Having a drink in your hand delivers a certain winning impression. It makes you look friendly, human, and thoroughly approachable. Alcohol helps to oil the wheels of business! Everybody knows that.”

Hmm.
Well, some of us might be inclined to agree with him.
However, it has to be said that Happy Henry does have an unfortunate tendency to get a bit carried away.
The last time that I happened to attend a business networking event with Happy Henry – and I should stress that it really was the very last time – I ended up having to carry him home.

He had somehow managed to finish off the evening with his trousers over his head as he tried to get his photograph taken inside a coffee-dispensing machine whilst making increasingly frustrated attempts to exchange Business Cards with a tropical pot plant.
On the whole, I think it’s fair to say that he didn’t really capture any significant results from the event, other than a blinding headache when he woke up the following morning, along with a sense of horror and regret as the memories came flooding back.

Naturally, I’m sure that most of us are far too sensible to ever get caught up in that kind of extreme alcohol-fuelled situation.
Ahem. Yes, I’m quite sure of it. (If you’re not convinced, just nod politely, and we’ll quickly skip over to the next bit.)

But according to Rhondalynn Korolak, Small Business marketing expert and author of Sales Seduction, even the seemingly innocent act of holding a single alcoholic drink in your hand at a business function or event can damage your reputation and drive away potential new leads.

Rhondalynn highlights the findings of a revealing survey to back up her point, which firstly suggests that the majority of us enjoy a tipple on these occasions.
At a recent business networking event, 71% of the surveyed business owners claimed to have enjoyed at least one drink, whilst a further 36% reported that they had enjoyed at least two!

But here’s the important and mildly surprising statistic thrown up by the survey.
Those 36% of surveyed Business owners who consumed at least two drinks exchanged significantly fewer Business Cards at the event and generated less qualified leads.

Meanwhile, 29% of the respondents never actually touched a single drop of alcohol throughout the entire event – and, strangely enough, they exchanged twice as many Business Cards and gained over 40% more leads.

Coincidence?
Maybe…but Rhondalynn suggests that we could be talking about image and perception here, rather than the amount of alcohol you may or may not consume.

If you’re seen with a glass of wine in your hand, then your I.Q goes down by between 10 to 20 points.
Not in real terms, of course. That would be silly.
But simply in the way that fellow business contacts and potential new clients perceive you. It might seem totally unreasonable and totally unfair – it certainly does to me – but a stranger is likely to instinctively assume that you’re less intelligent if you’re holding an alcoholic drink in your hand.

Furthermore, if you’re holding a soft drink in your hand, then a stranger is more likely to assume that you’re intelligent, professional, and reliable.

This is why most great leaders, prime ministers, and presidents prefer to have their photographs taken when they’re surrounded by huge leather-bound books or reassuring family pictures.
This kind of image is supposed to inspire natural feelings of good character, admirable worth ethics, and genuine trust.
It generally delivers the desired impression. It works out so much better than having your photograph taken whilst you’re dancing in a conga line and pouring a whole bottle of wine over your own head.

Well, that’s the theory…but what do you think?

Personally, I can’t help feeling that it’s all about the individual event and the individual situation.
If just about everyone else in the room seems to be enjoying a nice drink, then I really can’t seem much harm in joining in with the vibe – especially if you’re supremely confident that you can still project a professional and reliable image whilst you’re holding a glass in your hand!

Having said that, it’s perhaps a good idea to bear in mind how easy it is to follow in the wonky footsteps of Happy Henry and get a little bit carried away. Please do remember that a tropical pot plant is never going to be an ideal recipient for your Business Card.

But do you think it’s okay to enjoy a sociable tipple at a business function or networking event?
Or would you rather completely avoid the risk of being dismissed by strangers, just because they perceive you as being less intelligent and less professional than you actually are?

Send to Kindle

This is the kind of greeting that I often dream of hearing as I’m reluctantly making my way to the local gent’s hairdressers just around the corner from Martin Print H.Q.

However, the reality never quite matches my hopes.
Instead, I usually get something along the lines of;

“Oh no, not you again! Are you really due another haircut so soon? You’re determined to ruin my day, aren’t you? Oh well, sit down and be quiet, and try not to scare off my other customers. Don’t touch anything either, I’ve got my eye on you…”

To be fair, it’s not quite as bad as it may sound. I’ve been enjoying this kind of ‘banter’ with my local hairdresser for years. Besides, he’s the only one around for miles, so he knows that I’m unlikely to take my custom elsewhere.
I’m fairly sure that he wouldn’t treat new clients like this. If he did, his business would never have lasted much longer than a week…

But are Small Business owners ever in danger of accidentally annoying customers and colleagues with Bad Business Etiquette? Could some of us be at risk of displaying common rude behaviour without even realising it?

I got thinking about this topic as I settled back down at my office desk again, following my typically blunt experience at the Hairdressers.
Doris, our resident cleaner, popped her head round the door to say hello.
Well, kind of.

 ”Oh no, you’re back again!” she cried. “I was going to clean your office, but you’re in my way again. You’re always in my way! Can’t you just go away and do something constructive instead of sitting there and pretending to look busy? Why don’t you go and get your hair cut or something? What? You have? Oh, right. It looks terrible. Did you ask for your money back?”

Hmm.
You know, any normal person might start to feel paranoid about constantly soaking up so much abuse in one day!
But, fortunately for everyone concerned, I’m far from normal.
And I know for sure that no harm or malice was intended in any of these abrupt conversations. No offence was taken.

I’m also fairly confident that most of us would never dream of communicating in such a seemingly discourteous manner in the professional arena of Small Business – either to customers, business associates, or fellow team members.

But what if we’ve picked up some bad business habits which cause offence without our knowledge?
Here are some of the most common examples of rude business behaviour which should be avoided at all costs…

What’s In a Name?
Let’s kick off with a fairly mild example. This isn’t really about being rude – it’s more about missing an opportunity to show respect and generate a reassuringly warm and friendly buzz.

In this modern world of text messages and emails, we’ve perhaps become quite accustomed to composing short and snappy notes to each other. We don’t write big, long, rambling letters anymore. We tend to keep things as brief and concise as possible.

But even when you’re trying to cut a very long story short for the sake of simple clarity, let’s not forget to address each other by our names!
If a client has given you their name, then you should always try and use it when addressing them, whether it’s face-to-face or in an online environment.
When a business forgets this small but crucial point, the end result can come across as incredibly impersonal – and will often deliver a poor impression of your overall customer service.

Unreasonable Demands
On a similar theme, there are moments when a simple request can come across as a rude demand, purely because the communication is missing one simple word;
Please.

Again, this problem arises from the new trend of keeping our communications as brief as possible.
For example, let’s imagine that the coffee dispensing machine in the Martin Print canteen has exploded again. I would need to contact the vending company to get them to come out and repair it.

I could just fire off a quick email along the lines of;
“Our coffee machine is broken. Come and fix it ASAP.”

Or I could take the extra second or two of my life to write;
“Hello, our coffee machine seems to be broken. Can you please send somebody to fix it as soon as possible? Thanks!”

The first email comes across as a rude demand from a grumpy old man.
But with just a few extra words, the second email comes across as a perfectly reasonable request from a polite and friendly business.
Who knows, such a courteous communication might even inspire the vending company to fix the machine properly this time, instead of rigging it to explode at least once a week!

No Time To Be On Time
I’m sure that most of us know people who seemingly find it impossible to turn up on time or even keep an appointment at all.

There’s a guy down at Smokey Joe’s Small Business Bar who’s just like this.
I’ve lost count of the number of times he’s left me hanging around impatiently, wondering to myself if he’s ever going to turn up.
His excuse is always the same.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, but I’ve been very, very busy…”

It doesn’t really cut the mustard. And in fact, it’s quite insulting.
The implication here is that he leads a far busier lifestyle than me, and so it’s perfectly reasonable to leave me hanging around and twiddling my thumbs, as I wait for him to squeeze me into his busy schedule.

The truth is that we’re all busy. And nobody likes to be kept waiting. It just makes us feel as if we’re not quite important enough to matter.
So, try to avoid letting people down in this way. If we can find the time to make an arrangement, then we should do everything possible to turn up on time!

Not So Smart With Smartphones
Ah, the good old Smartphone.
Smartphone Etiquette is such a huge topic that it probably deserves a full Blog article all to itself.
In fact, as luck would have it, we have one right here on the Martin Print Blog!

But in a nutshell, we’re talking about undivided attention here.
The human race is becoming increasingly distracted by the tiny Smartphone screen. So many of us like to pick up our phones at frequent intervals throughout the day, just to check if anything new has popped up in the last seven minutes or so.
That’s fine, as long as you’re not supposed to be in discussion with somebody else at the time!

Just the other week – and this is a completely true story – I arranged to meet up and have a drink with an old friend for a couple of hours.
I hoped we could take the opportunity to catch up, share memories, and have a good chat.
It was a complete waste of time.
I would say that his Smartphone consumed about 97% of his attention during those two hours, and I was left with a pretty paltry 3%.
I would honestly have had more fun if I’d gone for a drink with my cat.

If you’re in discussion with a client or colleague or business contact, then show them some respect by giving them your full attention – and turn that Smartphone off!

Communication Limbo
It’s surprising just how many crucial communications are left dangling in the air, neglected and unanswered.
Obviously, this is unlikely to happen on purpose…but it’s more likely to happen if you overlook certain channels of communication that you’ve opened and then abandoned.

For example, you may encourage business queries and feedback on various Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter – but if you then lose interest in those channels, or simply fail to check them on a regular basis, then you could end up accidentally ignoring a whole stack of messages!

Another common pitfall is the voicemail option on your phone.
Nowadays, a lot of people don’t really bother to regularly check their voicemail messages – and yet they will leave the voicemail option switched on, inviting callers to leave a message, and delivering an impression that it will be answered as soon as possible.

We should always ensure that every open line of communication is checked and dealt with in a speedy manner – and any line of communication which is not currently in use should be closed instead of languishing in limbo and attracting attention which will never be acknowledged.

No Gratitude!
Finally, never forget that it doesn’t hurt to show a bit of gratitude!
If somebody goes the extra mile for you, or surprises you with unexpectedly high levels of dedication, then take a second to say Thank You!

I’m sure there will have been times in your personal or business life when you’ve pulled out all the stops to help somebody, only to receive a fairly blunt and seemingly ungrateful response.
You might have ended up with a bunch of negative feelings about the whole experience – and these are the exact feelings that your own clients or colleagues will experience whenever you forget to show your gratitude!

In most cases, a perceived lack of gratitude is unlikely to be intentional. It could just be the result of a rushed or ill-considered communication.
But it only takes a second or two to say thank you – and such a warm display of genuine courtesy could make all the difference….

So, I’d like to finish off by thanking you for reading this Blog article!

But when was the last time that you experienced Bad Business Behaviour?
And what are your own rules of Good Business Etiquette?

Send to Kindle

Oh dear.
I could see that Gloomy Graham was unlikely to provide much merriment and laughter today down at Smokey Joe’s Small Business Bar.

To be honest, when I’d first walked through those doors and caught a quick glimpse of his long face, I made a clumsy attempt to walk right back out again.
But it was too late. He’d already spotted me.
Hitting my head on the door and yelping like an animal probably didn’t help my effort to slip out undetected.
Gloomy Graham insisted on waving me over so that I could buy him a drink and listen to his tales of business woe.
I sometimes wonder why I ever bother coming to this place…

“It’s so frustrating,”  he grumbled in his typically less-than-uplifting manner.
“I look around and I see everybody else happily moving forward and expanding their businesses by pouring more and more money into them. But I just can’t compete with that at the moment.
I don’t have that kind of budget. It looks like I’ll just have to keep plodding on and hope that things pick up eventually.”

That last sentence almost made me choke on my Fizzy Watermelon Surprise.
The very idea of Gloomy Graham ever actually hoping for something positive seemed a bit of a far-fetched prospect to me.

Still, it’s fair to say that I could certainly see his point, even if I didn’t share his dispirited perspective on the matter.

The average Small Business owner is unlikely to have the luxury of a big budget which can be splashed around all over the place to solve any problems and create new opportunities for growth.

But when money is particularly tight, does that mean that we should just stand still and hope for the best?

Hmm. That sounds a little too much like accepting defeat to me. In fact, it almost sounds like embracing defeat.

So, here are four quick tips and pointers to consider when you’re trying hard to grow a business and pull in stronger results without a massive budget…

Get Creative!
It’s an expensive world out there. But the good news is that smart thinking is completely free.
You don’t need to be rich to grow your business – you just need to get creative and hunt down those opportunities which other businesses may have overlooked.

A big business owner with a bulging bank account may well find it easy to just throw more money at everything to achieve results, but such a lack of imagination leaves the door wide open for you to outfox your rivals with far more cunning and cost-effective marketing methods!
So, don’t get gloomy…get thinking and get exploring!

Growing New Relationships
The continuing rise of Social Media gives every Small Business owner a chance to engage with potential new clients at hardly any cost.

A corporate business with little time or regard for genuine interaction is more likely to rely on automated messages, impersonal customer service, and catch-all marketing broadcasts.
Even when a bigger business attempts to look cool and approachable by jumping onto the Social Media bandwagon, they often fall into this trap of broadcasting instead of communicating.

So, seize the Small Business advantage and use platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ to engage your audience, interact with them, listen to them, and respond to them.
There’s a priceless opportunity here to show the reassuringly human side of your friendly small business which a faceless corporate identity could never hope to match.

Word of Mouth
Widespread advertising may well cost a small fortune – in fact, in many cases, widespread advertising actually costs a pretty big fortune – but a word-of-mouth referral doesn’t cost a single cent.

A recommendation from a trusted friend or colleague is so much more powerful than a cold advertisement from a corporate marketing department, yet the investment required from your small business has nothing to do with big bucks.
To achieve these winning word-of-mouth results, you simply need to invest time, dedication, and care.

You need to go the extra mile with your customer service, dish up a stunning impression of the quality of your business, and deliver such a strong and rewarding experience that your existing clients are compelled to spread the good word on your behalf.

In short, you need to be the professional business that happy clients want to talk about and share with friends and associates.
This doesn’t involve a heap of money – just an instinctive desire to satisfy every client and out-perform your rivals in the customer service stakes!

Cost-Effective Marketing
Finally, don’t forget that a memorable marketing campaign doesn’t have to rely on a bank loan to get the message across!
Custom-crafted marketing tools from Martin Print help to beam your business details and promotions into the homes, offices, and everyday lives of your potential clients – at incredibly low prices that even Gloomy Graham could afford.

Our EasyPay program even allows you to split up the total cost of your order into manageable bite-sized chunks over the course of 8 weeks, so it couldn’t be any easier to start cooking up some thrilling new cost-effective creations to help promote your business…

Despite the crushing negativity of Gloomy Graham, it’s always worth remembering that good solid marketing doesn’t have to cost the Earth, and a good business can grow and expand without a gigantic budget.

But what tips and slices of advice would you recommend for growing a great business without having to blow a fortune?

Send to Kindle

I was hoping that some kind-hearted members of the Martin Print team may have shown some sympathy, and perhaps even fetched me a hot drink or two to help ease my burning throat.
They all know that I’m trapped here alone in my office, croaking helplessly away to myself, and unable to even answer the telephone.

But no.
Every time somebody wanders past my door, I attempt to wave frantically at them or throw something soft in their direction in a desperate bid to grab their attention.
But it never works. Not even when I panicked and accidentally threw my chair at Old Bert.
No, everyone is always far too immersed in their own conversations which usually revolve around how particularly quiet and peaceful it is today.
Nice.

However, even a lost voice can’t dampen my enthusiasm too much this week, as I’m thrilled to report that the incredible new NFC Cards are now rolling into production right here at Martin Print H.Q.

These wonderful new Cards deliver an extra digital dimension to your savvy Small Business marketing, and can be used in all kinds of deeply funky and highly functional ways.

I’ve been excitedly babbling on about this dramatic new digitally-enhanced development in custom-crafted Cards to everyone I’ve bumped into over the last few days in all kinds of places – here in the office, down at Smokey Joe’s Small Business Bar, even whilst waiting patiently in the queue down at the Sweet Pastry Shop.
Nobody was safe from my bubbling buoyancy.
Well, until I finally lost my voice and just ended up croaking into people’s faces and scaring them away.

Since that unfortunate moment, my burning throat has made it difficult to answer all the burning questions on new NFC Cards that continue to pour in from every direction.
I did briefly consider handcuffing myself to Old Bert so that he could handle all the queries on my behalf.
But I eventually decided that it would make far more sense to compile an ultimate list of the most frequently asked questions on NFC Cards right here on the Martin Print Blog!

So here it is;
Everything you ever needed to know about this incredibly diverse new format for the 21^st Century Small Business owner…

What’s all the fuss about?
NFC Cards present a wide new range of digital opportunities for Australian Small Business.
They may retain the reassuringly physical look and feel of a stunningly designed traditional card, but they’re also packed with hidden digital features and functions which can be unlocked with a simple tap from a Smartphone!

What does NFC actually mean?
NFC is an acronym for Near Field Communication.
Many new Smartphones are now equipped with NFC capabilities, which means that they can be tapped against your special NFC Cards to open up a whole new world of powerful extras to explore on the Smartphone screen!

How does it work?
Each one of your NFC Cards contains a tiny customisable microchip called an NFC Tag.
When an NFC-enabled Smartphone is tapped against the Card, the NFC Tag sends an instruction to the Smartphone.
For example, it may instruct the phone to open up a website or perform a very specific Smartphone function.

The most exciting aspect of all is that you are always in full control of this NFC Tag, and only you will decide the exact digital function that will be unlocked with a single tap!

What kind of things can I make my NFC Card do?
Well, the possibilities are almost endless!
Recipients of your new NFC Cards could perhaps be directed to your business website, Social Media page, YouTube channel, Blog, special exclusive content, or indeed any slice of online material at all!

Or you could configure your Cards so that all your crucial details are instantly transferred into the contacts list of the recipient’s Smartphone with just one simple tap.

You might prefer the Cards to place an automatic telephone call or begin composing a text message to your Business.

Or you might choose to have the Cards load up an App, play music or video content, bring up a handy Map showing the location of your business, or perform just about any suitable Smartphone function that you can think of!

The list goes on and on and on…

Can you get me a Deep Fried Lemon Tartlet from the Sweet Pastry Shop? It’s your turn to go. I went yesterday.
Ah. Sorry. Not sure how this one made the final list. It looks like a question from Old Bert.
I don’t know how on Earth he expects me to ask for anything at the Sweet Pastry Shop in my fragile and voiceless condition.
Let’s skip over this one for now.

How do I encode my NFC Cards?
For a small additional fee and ultimate peace of mind, the Martin Print team will be happy to handle the encoding of all your NFC Cards, so that your order arrives fully encoded and ready to go.
Just let us know exactly what you want your cards to do, and we’ll see to the rest!

Alternatively, you can easily edit the digital functions of each individual card yourself using a completely free Smartphone App such as NXP Tagwriter.

Hang on, this Tagwriter App sounds complicated. Is it?
No, certainly not!

This free Smartphone App gives you the power to create, store, and edit your very own NFC Tags on the screen of your mobile phone. When you’ve created your Tag, simply hold your Smartphone over your new NFC Card, and the encoding is complete.

With the simple NXP Tagwriter menu screen, you can choose the exact function that each of your NFC Cards will perform.
Intuitive graphical user guidance is provided within this cracking App, so it couldn’t be any easier to get started with your encoding.

But don’t worry if you’d much rather not bother with an App. For sheer speed and convenience, you can just choose to let us handle all the encoding on your behalf.

Can I write-protect my NFC Tags?
Yes!
Whether you’ve asked us to handle the encoding or you’re using the Tagwriter App, you have the option to ‘protect’ your NFC Tag so that the data on your card can never be over-written.

Alternatively, you can leave it unprotected so that your existing supply of NFC Cards can be updated and edited whenever you choose!

Is this format only really suitable for Business Cards?
No, far from it!

Whilst many Small Business owners will naturally be taking advantage of this amazing format to produce a stunning Business Card for the 21^st Century, it’s worth bearing in mind that the NFC Card also has a whole stack of other potential uses.
Membership Cards, Staff Cards, Loyalty Reward Cards, Hotel Key Cards….

Okay, okay, I get it! Am I able to include any cool extras in the actual design of my Card?
Of course!
NFC Cards come with our typically huge choice of options and extras.
Silver and gold metallic foiling, metallic inks, glitter effects, signature strips, barcoding, hole drilling/punching…

Right. So what types of Smartphones have NFC capabilities?
Many new phones are now equipped with NFC capabilities as standard.
If you’re at all unsure, you might fancy taking a look at this regularly updated definitive list of NFC phones that are available to buy today, NFC phones which are no longer available to buy, and phones which do not currently support NFC.

It all sounds good to me. Do you have any other advice and tips?
Yes.
Never tie your shoelace in a revolving door.

Oh, do you mean about the NFC Cards?
Right. Sorry.

The Martin Print team will obviously work closely with you on crafting the perfect product for your business, and we’re always here to give a helping hand with pointers and tips.
For example, we would recommend that you include a QR Code in your final design, so that your recipients with older phones will still be able to access your digital content.

Excellent! Have you got me that Deep Fried Lemon Tartlet yet? I’m starting to feel faint.
Hmm. I’m not going to get out of this one, am I?
Well, wish me luck as I attempt to place an order down at the Sweet Pastry Shop with no voice.
Maybe I can just write a note and hand it over to the guy at the counter…

But if you’re all ready to get your brand spanking new NFC Cards rolling into production, then I can assure you that no voices or hand-written notes are required.
Simply pop along to our new NFC Cards page and let’s start cooking up your new custom-crafted creations.

See you in the future…

Send to Kindle

It’s an expensive world out there.
I should know. Yesterday, I came back from the Sweet Pastry Shop in a state of shock after I discovered that they’d tripled their prices for the second time this week.
I’m starting to suspect that they’re just trying to drive me away on purpose for some unfathomable reason…

When your team members are forced into situations where they have to spend their own money to keep your business productivity running in the right direction, it’s clearly important to make sure that they don’t end up out of pocket whilst they were helping to line your own.

But does your Small Business have a clear and robust Expenses Policy?
How do you create an effective and workable new policy from scratch? And how do you ensure that these expense accounts don’t end up spinning wildly out of control?

Keeping a close eye on expenses may seem like a tricky business in itself, but it really doesn’t have to be complicated.

To be honest, I learned several valuable lessons on expenses the hard way.
I can remember sending Old Bert into town one Friday lunchtime with rather vague instructions to “buy something nice for the whole team.”
We’d had a really good week, the team had worked their socks off to meet every tight printing deadline, and I just wanted to thank everybody for their hard work and dedication.

In fairness to Old Bert, he questioned my instructions and requested slightly more specific details.
But I was incredibly busy.  At that exact moment, I was actually trying to take three telephone calls at once. It really had been one of those weeks.
So, I just waved him away and told him to do whatever he thought best. I promised him that I’d pay back however much he spent from his own money.
“Just stick it on your expenses tab!” I said, half-jokingly.
We didn’t really have a clear policy in place at the time, you see.
Big mistake.

I had foolishly imagined that Old Bert might return with a few bottles of wine, or maybe a selection of sweet and savoury treats.
Something along those lines.

So, you can imagine my surprise when he eventually came shuffling unsteadily back into Martin Print H.Q, burdened with the weight of a wooden rocking horse, a full-size Air Hockey table, an artificial moving Ski Slope, a portable Fish Smoker, and a set of exploding Clay Pigeon Targets.

Hmm.
He’d clearly gone way over-budget.
But I had to pay up. It was all my own fault (well, mostly my own fault) for not communicating my vision properly, and I couldn’t see Old Bert losing out because of my mistake.
I think the new Expenses Policy was swiftly introduced the very next day.

According to a report from Galaxy Research, Australian Business loses a total of $100 million a year in rectifying mistakes in expense form claims.
Old Bert could single-handedly lose all that in a week if we let him out in the wild too often.

So how do get you started on creating a winning Expenses Policy which will benefit both your business and your employees?
Here are some quick tips and pointers – and a complete free template with full explanatory guide notes – on crafting or revising the right policy for the whole team…

As Clear As Crystal
Within the impervious and impermeable amphitheatre of business, we spasmodically endeavour to engender extraneous convolution and discombobulation.
Or to put it another way, we often end up making things sound far more complex and long-winded than they ever need to be.

Try not to dive head-first into a baffling world of cold and dry business-speak.
Your employees need to understand what’s going on. They need to be able to get a firm grasp of the whole picture without having to consult a dictionary every other sentence.
You’re not trying to impress a panel of stuffy literary critics here. You’re trying to create a completely workable policy – so use real language!

Invite Employees to Lend a Hand
Not sure if certain elements of your policy will actually work in practice?
One way of gaining true insight into the workability of a policy is to ask the people who will actually end up using it!

If your staff members are given an opportunity to get involved, to air their own thoughts and concerns, to help to develop the plan alongside you, and to iron out any glaring flaws or oversights, then a much stronger and more practical policy should emerge from such a team effort.

Be Flexible With Your Formula
Don’t try too hard to crowbar everything into a single catch-all solution for everyone.
There will be times when different people with different roles and different responsibilities need to be treated in different ways.

For example, Big Ted, the Martin Print Chief Printing Wizard, has a fairly big and flexible expenses account, as he often has to travel far and wide in search of the very best new printing equipment and tools.
In comparison, Old Bert’s account is significantly smaller and less flexible, as he rarely has to travel much further than the Sweet Pastry Shop around the corner.

Fair Enough
Ultimately, any finely-honed policy should be completely and utterly fair.
Your team members should never be at risk of losing out in any way if they were only trying to do the right thing.

I’m sure that in the overwhelming majority of cases, any mistakes or blunders or over-spends are not deliberate attempts to take advantage of your good nature or have a good time at the expense of your business!

Most errors will derive from simple misunderstandings or misinterpretations of the policy, which again demonstrates why it needs to be so crystal clear in the first place!

Bearing this in mind, try to ensure that the rules are not geared too heavily towards ruthlessly saving every single cent of the business budget whilst punishing any team members who dared to use their own initiative in a tricky situation.
Your employees should always be treated as fairly as possible, and should generally be given the confidence and motivation to do what’s right for the business without fear of losing their own money!

Don’t Panic!
Finally, if it all sounds a bit daunting, then don’t worry too much!
You’re unlikely to get it perfect first time, anyway. A good, fair, and reasonable policy is likely to improve over time with new tweaks, new developments, and new contributions from new team members!

But if you need an extra helping hand in getting started, then check out this handy Expense Policy Template from Concur – a leading provider of integrated travel and expense management solutions.
The template is completely free and includes more tips and pointers, a suggested Expenses Policy template structure, and samples of language that could be used in a new or revised policy.
Well worth a look!

Right, my work here is done. It seems that writing this Blog post has taken me all the way to lunchtime!
Old Bert should be coming back from the Sweet Pastry Shop any second now.
Can’t wait!
Especially since I had to miss breakfast this morning.

To make up for it, I quickly asked Old Bert to bring me back something extra special today. I quite fancied a surprise of some sort but I didn’t have any money on me, so I just asked Old Bert to use his initiative and I promised to pay him back when….

Wait!
Noooooo! What have I done?

Send to Kindle

Five simple words that can conjure up crushing disappointment and even deep disapproval.

I’m fairly confident that every smart Small Business owner strives to keep an eye on the ball when it comes to replenishing stocks and goods in plenty of time.

But do we sometimes overlook the importance of replenishing our crucial marketing products – such as Business Cards and Brochures – before our supplies completely run out, leaving everyone high and dry?
Failing to keep up to date with a healthy supply of marketing tools could well result in several potential clients and business connections waving goodbye forever instead of jumping aboard with you and making solid plans for the future…

I was prompted to write this Blog article after a frankly ridiculous encounter with a fellow entrepreneur yesterday.
Sharp Simon had invited me round to his brand new computer store which opened up to the public just last week.
I’d been looking forward to popping in for a visit, seeing how Sharp Simon was getting on, and maybe even stocking up on a few new hi-tech upgrades for Martin Print.

It turned out to be a complete waste of time.
Sharp Simon’s new store was a surprisingly spacious building which had the capacity to house a treasure trove of tempting technological goodies.
Unfortunately, every inch of the store was completely empty. Not one gadget or device in sight. Not as much as a single memory stick.

“Ah, I know what you’re thinking!” said Sharp Simon, as I looked around the utterly barren store in jaw-dropping disbelief.
“I did have quite a few things in here last week, but I sold them all. I haven’t had time to re-stock just yet. Still, I can order pretty much anything you need! Just let me know what you’re after!”

It took me a while to gather my composure. I felt as if I’d been knocked sideways by this unexpected and slightly awkward situation.
“Right…” I began. “Well, it’s difficult, Simon. I kind of wanted to browse the stuff that you were selling before I made a decision. Never mind. Perhaps you can give me one of your brochures, and I’ll take a look at it back at my office?
“Oh, and you may as well give me a business card too. I’ll put it in my wallet and give you a call later.”

I felt confident that I was on safe ground here. Sharp Simon always turned to my own print and design company for his business marketing needs, and I knew for a fact that he had recently placed an order with us for new Business Cards and Brochures.

“Oh yes!” he replied, brimming with enthusiasm. “They were fantastic! Everybody loved them. They helped me to pull in some amazing results last week! Erm…I can’t give you any of them now, though. I ran out of everything yesterday.”

“What??”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“You didn’t think to stock up on new supplies when you were running low??”

“Well…” mumbled Sharp Simon, looking more than a little sheepish. “I meant to, but I never got round to it. You know how it is. I’ve been really busy.”

“BUSY??” I cried with total incredulity, looking around at the completely empty shop with completely empty shelves.  I’m fairly sure that Sharp Simon had been trying to make a paper plane when I had first walked in.
“BUSY DOING WHAT???”

After a minor interrogation, it turned out that Simon had been so ‘busy’ playing Golf with his mates from Smokey Joe’s Small Business Bar that he had completely forgotten to keep on top of his vital marketing products.
A big shame.
I made a feeble excuse about having to water Old Bert’s Swiss Cheese Plants, and made a hasty exit from the store, empty-handed and dispirited.

Of course, I’m sure that the overwhelming majority of sensible Small Business owners wouldn’t take such a casual attitude with their own inventory of goods and products.
The idea of inviting potential customers around to a store or business website in which everything is completely out of stock seems just a little ludicrous.

Yet, it’s surprising how many Small Business owners tend to wait until their supplies of powerful marketing products have completely run dry before they even consider placing an order for new batches of marketing magic.

Whenever a potential client or promising business connection asks you for something that you should be able to deliver, it’s clearly going to end in disappointment if they discover that you’re temporarily unable to meet their request.
And this doesn’t just apply to products and services – it applies to Business Cards, Brochures, Leaflets, Catalogues, and pretty much any other crucial marketing material that you would normally be in a position to distribute.

Even I’ve had moments where I’ve been caught short without a Business Card.
I don’t mean the actual supplies of them, you understand. In my line of work, it’s perhaps quite understandable that I make a big point of producing fresh supplies of Martin Print cards on a very regular basis.

But I do sometimes forget to top up my wallet with these new Business Cards.
This gets particularly embarrassing when I’ve just been approached by a potential new client who is interested in placing an order with Martin Print for a set of stunning new Business Cards, and I can’t even give them a Business Card to pass on the details of my own Business Card printing company!
Gah!
Fortunately, this very rarely happens nowadays…

But it’s fair to say that every single moment you fail to deliver the goods amounts to a wasted opportunity.
You’ve denied the client or contact a chance to store your business details, a chance to absorb your marketing material, a chance to peruse your products and services at a leisurely pace, a chance to keep hold of your content until the perfect moment, a chance to keep connected with your business.

So, try to avoid leaving the replenishment of your marketing material until it’s far too late.
Keep an eye on your stock levels, make sure that you top up your personal supplies when you’re out and about, and think well ahead for placing new orders and staying on top of the marketing action!

You might even be tempted to cook up a completely new and fresh concept to attract even stronger results in the future…

Actually, whilst I’ve got your attention, I’ve just realised that now might be a perfect opportunity to tell you all about some of the unmissable special offers and new product launches that will be touching down at Martin Print very, very soon.

Just give me a second whilst I dig out the promotional brochure that explains it all. You’re really not going to want to miss out on this. Trust me.

Hmm.
I was sure that I had the last few copies right here on my desk.

Ah, wait, no, I gave those away to the bloke who came round to fill up the drinks machine in the canteen. He seemed very interested. Good for him.

So…
Er…
Aaaargh!

Send to Kindle

1)  The experts say that Content is King.
If your small business is hoping to reach out and connect with a wider audience, then it certainly pays to produce new and original content on Websites, Blogs, and Social Media channels.
But how do we go about cooking up and dishing out fresh content on such a regular basis?

2)  Could it be that the good old-fashioned Numbered List may well provide a useful springboard for cracking new material?

3)  Why are people so attracted to lists anyway? Why do lists seem to have more pulling power than the usual servings of standard prose?

4)  Why is it always me that gets sent to the Sweet Pastry shop?

We may never unearth the answer to that last question.
I’ve been trying to work that one out for years.
But it was whilst I was browsing my daily list of Sweet Pastry requests from the rest of the Martin Print team that I began to ponder the hidden value of the Numbered List.

It’s such a simple and well-loved little format which can come in handy for all sorts of different types of content creation.
For example, a well-crafted list can be used for;

1)  Quickly describing the benefits and selling points of your products and services on your business website.

2)  Engaging your readers and potential future customers with an easily accessible Blog article, or Guest Post, or Email, or Forum Message, or indeed any suitable slice of online content.

3)  Creating a fun or informative status update on Social Media which is guaranteed to intrigue your readership into exploring further.

4)  Highlighting important points for your potential clients to consider in professionally produced marketing material such as Brochures and Catalogues.

But why exactly is the Numbered List packed with so much power in the first place?
Simple lists of Top Tens and Top Reasons and Top Bests and Top Worsts surely can’t be anyway near as insightful and informative as well-written articles which are made up of proper sentences and paragraphs, can they?

Well, perhaps not.
My own list of daily Sweet Pastry requests from the Martin Print team was neither particularly insightful nor informative, although Old Bert’s request for a Deep Fried Lemon Tartlet did tell me that he’d clearly forgotten all about that new strict diet that he was banging on about for ages yesterday.

But the Numbered List certainly seems to attract more attention and genuine interest than giant blocks of daunting text – and in the fiercely competitive world of marketing, attracting initial attention is at least half the battle.

Many of your Small Business customers will feel more instinctively inclined to absorb a brief and well-considered list instead of something that resembles the opening chapter of a difficult novel.
A quick list just seems so much more accessible and digestible to the average internet user.

Some would claim that this is because our attention spans are shrinking, and our business marketing has to be dumbed down to compensate for this.
But I don’t believe that to be the case at all.

The truth of the matter is that we surf the internet in a completely different frame of mind to when we settle down with a good book or magazine.
There’s just so much content to explore in Cyberspace, so many websites that we plan to check in with during our online sessions, that we tend to flick through material in a far speedier and more casual way.

Pages and pages of long-winded text may well turn off a typical internet surfer with very little time on his or her hands.
But an attractive list split up into bite-sized friendly chunks seems a far more palatable and attractive proposition.

Admittedly, it may not be the ideal format for your most comprehensive and discerning material, but a good list is still a terrific tool for hooking that all-important initial interest.

So, what kind of Numbered Lists should we be composing when we’re considering cooking up some captivating new online content?

Here’s the Top Ten List of Ideas and Pointers for creating perfect, erm, Top Ten Lists…

10)  Whoa! See what I did there?
We’re starting at Number Ten.
Compiling a list in reverse order creates an intriguing countdown effect. Your readers will be itching to find out what sort of stuff made it to the very top of your charts, and you’ll be delivering the welcome suggestion that the list is just going to get better and better with every step…

9)  Consider creating a highly informative list that will be of genuine value to a reader.
You can use your own expertise and insight within your field to share the Top Ten Products that Every Client Should Own, or Top Ten Tips and Tricks that relate to the service you provide.

8)  Keep the lists brief!
Don’t forget that the whole point of this is to create an appealing layout of attention-grabbing material that looks easy on the eye.
So if you turn every item on your list into an epic essay, then you’re not taking advantage of the unique benefits of this format!

7)  At the same time, try to keep the list reassuringly even.
Following up a huge over-explanatory item with a couple of brief items which are only a sentence long is going to disorientate the reader and will result in a confusingly disproportionate read.

6)  Everyone loves to hear about a mistake!
Consider coming up with a Top Ten list of common mistakes that your clients make every day, or a Top Ten list of the worst ever examples of concepts closely connected with your industry.

5)  Try to make every item count!
Don’t start off with an idea for a Top Ten List, quickly realise that you can only think of five, and then prop up the rest of the list with weak filler. You’ll bring the whole list down to that level!
It doesn’t have to be a Top Ten list. If you can only think of five good items, then compile a Top Five!

4)  Here’s an example of a useless item in action.
See? Nothing to say at all. It simply doesn’t work on any level. Rubbish! Don’t do it!

3)  If you’re stuck for ideas, try and think of a topic that promotes your own products and services in some subtle but effective way.
For example, Martin Print provides a wide range of printing and creative design services which are engineered to pull in profitable new results for Australian Small Business.
So, in this situation, I might be inclined to produce a list of Top Ten Best Business Cards Ever or perhaps Top Ten Most Creative Logo Designs.
In fact, you may well find some examples of this sort of material in the vast archives of the Martin Print Blog!

2)  Of course, your list doesn’t have to be a blatant business promotion or an informative piece of work.
Try coming up with something wild, wacky, and fun which might be of strong interest to a wide audience.
This kind of lively list could work well on Social media sites such as Facebook, in which your entertaining content has the capacity to get shared and passed around, delivering small but effective promotion for your Business Page.

1)  Finally, it’s worth remembering that the very best lists are based on personal experience and opinion rather than dry facts and statistics.
For example, your readership might be genuinely interested to hear your own Top Ten Small Business Lessons That You Learned The Hard Way or your Top Ten Worst Experiences in Customer Service or your Top Ten Questions Most Frequently Asked By Your Clients or your Top Ten Favourite Online Resources and Tools…

The possibilities are almost infinite! Just try to make sure that the lengths of your lists aren’t quite so infinite…

Well, it looks as if my own list of requests for the Sweet Pastry Shop was a bit of a waste of time.
It turns out that they don’t even sell Deep Fried Lemon Tartlets. In fact, they gave me a withering look when I asked for one at the counter.
I’m sure that Old Bert does this to me on purpose…

But what do you think of the value of compiling a compelling Numbered List to add a new twist to your crucial online content?
Perhaps you believe that;

1)  A well-crafted List is a great way of capturing the attention of a whole new online audience in an attractive and accessible style!

2)  Lists? Pah! Waste of time. Nobody reads anything after the second item, anyway.

3)  Hello? Is there anybody there? Hellooooo?

Send to Kindle

I actually received no less than three Post Cards in the mail this morning, and it was these unexpected arrivals that prompted me to write this very Blog article.

One of them was a warm and welcoming communication from a fellow business, delivering a pretty enticing limited offer.
The design was simple, crisp, colourful, and compelling. It also had a witty touch that took me by surprise and made me smile.
Within half an hour, I’d contacted the business and taken advantage of the offer before I missed the window of opportunity.

By the way, if this was your business and you received a telephone call from me this morning, then I do apologise for the constant sneezing and vacuuming noises in the background.
Doris, our resident cleaner, has got a terrible cold at the moment. I did try and send her home today to rest and recover, but I don’t think she could hear me over the endless sneezing and vacuuming noises that were echoing around the corridors of Martin Print H.Q.

The second Post Card was a rather drab affair, to be honest.
It didn’t even try to look like a bright and friendly personal communication. It just looked like yet another piece of uninspired marketing which nobody really wanted to receive. In a nutshell, it looked just like everything else.
And, just like nearly everything else, it was quickly despatched to the office bin.

The third Post Card?
Well, that was just from Old Bert. He’s recently embarked on another exciting jet-setting adventure with his buddies from The Australian Grandmaster Caretakers Society.

His cheerful Post Card depicted an image of a supposedly ‘fascinating’ wheelbarrow.
On the back of the card, he’d scribbled me a quick note, reminding me to water the Swiss Cheese Plants in his office whilst he was away.

Good Old Bert.
I would normally have tossed this in the bin too, but I suppose I’ll have to stick it on the notice board and pretend that I too was genuinely fascinated by the picture of that wheelbarrow.

So, disregarding Old Bert’s Post Card for the moment, it’s pretty clear that there’s a right and a wrong way of stamping your mark on this particular promotional tool.
But in the age of instant online communication, why would a smart Small Business send out a marketing Post Card by snail mail anyway?

Well, perhaps it’s precisely because we live in a world of easily ignored emails and quickly dismissed digital promotions that a reassuringly physical Post Card can make more of an impact than ever before.

In fact, the latest Channel Preference Survey compiled by Exact Target reveals that direct mail still pulls in the second highest percentage of customer purchases overall, just a single percentage point behind the supposedly all-conquering marketing email.

A stylish and well-produced Post Card can create an instant impression and grab immediate attention.
There are no barriers or walls of any kind here. There are no dull email subject lines on display, fighting for attention amongst hundreds of other seemingly identical emails.

With Post Cards, there aren’t even any fiddly envelopes for the recipient to open, and so there’s no chance of the mail ending up in the bin without the crucial content ever even being seen!
Instead, your eye-catching artwork and captivating headlines are shouting out to be absorbed on that very first glance as your potential client holds your solid slice of marketing in his or her hand.

Another point to consider is the low cost and simplicity of organising such a powerful piece of promotion, particularly when you leave all the design and production work in the experienced and professional hands of the Martin Print team!

But how exactly do you craft a winning Post Card design that will pull in the right results for your brilliant business?

Well, it’s always important to take advantage of the unique strengths of each individual marketing tool, instead of trying to crowbar the same sort of methods and messages into every format.

The Post Card is most definitely not a brochure or a catalogue. It’s not a place to go into extended detail about the exact specifications of several hundred different products and services.

In fact, in many ways, a Post Card is not really about trying to squeeze in all the information you need to make a quick and direct sale.

The very best promotional Post Cards are instead focused on simply generating new leads and valuable customer interaction.
The design should be visually engaging, uncluttered, and packed with instant appeal and intrigue.
The marketing message should be brief, crystal clear, and to-the-point.

The real driving element of the whole design should be a loud and irresistible call-to-action, accompanied with all your relevant business contact details, because this is the true power of the marketing Post Card.
You’ve grabbed the customer’s attention. You’ve dazzled them with your vivid designs, and hooked their interest with an enticing offer or deal.
Now you just need to make it an easy and inviting prospect for the recipient to spring into action and connect with your business.

Of course, you’ll need to really get the creative juices flowing when you’re crafting the overall design and theme for a Post Card campaign.
This unique format offers an opportunity to conjure up something a little out of the ordinary.
A custom Post Card should never just take on the identity of every other dry piece of marketing material in the universe.
There’s a chance here to inject a bit of personality and warmth and humour into the content; a chance to show off the character behind the business within a friendly Post Card format.

If you feel as if you might need a helping hand with cooking up a winning design for your Post Card campaign, then please do pop along to the Martin Print Post Cards page. My team of professional graphic artists have a wealth of experience in crafting finely-tuned slices of direct mail marketing that pull in winning results for Australian Small Business!

You may even be inclined to ‘keep them coming’ with a whole series of regular new Post Card printings, guaranteed to keep your business and services in mind for the foreseeable future and beyond…

A bit like Old Bert, really.
He’s promised to send me a new Post Card for every single day that he’s away, featuring some kind of fascinating mechanical tool or an interesting piece of gardening equipment.

Hmm. Can’t wait.
You know, I think I preferred it when he was actually here in person, annoying me face-to-face.
It’s going to be a loooooong week…

Click here to get the ball rolling on the design and production of your own compelling customised Post Card marketing campaign!

Send to Kindle

I hadn’t really expected to hear this kind of talk when I popped into Smokey Joe’s Small Business Bar for a quiet drink.
In fact, I almost spat out my Fizzy Apple Cocktail in surprise.

Facebook on the way out? That couldn’t be right, could it?
I certainly hoped not.
I’d just come up with a couple of really funny status updates and images for later on this week.

“Yup, it’s all in there,” said Sharp Simon, slamming a few reports down on the bar as he joined me for a drink.
“Facebook, Twitter, everything really. We’re falling out of love with Social Media sites in general. The kids of today are getting particularly bored with it, which hardly bodes well for the future, does it?
“A pity, really. I’m kind of regretting spending all that money on Facebook advertising now. I didn’t realise it was all going to be over so quickly.”

Hmm.
So, is Social Media really falling out of fashion so soon?

I finished off my Fizzy Apple Cocktail, and thumbed through the reports on the bar.
There certainly seemed to be some grains of factual truth in the rumours of a decline in Social Media.
But maybe it’s just a matter of looking at the whole scene from the right perspective…

Information Services Group Experian has been conducting mind-bogglingly vast research into global internet habits, collecting data from 25 million internet subscribers worldwide – including no less than 3 million Australians.

Whilst the popularity of Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter might appear to have been increasing rapidly over the last few years, you might be surprised to learn that Australians are actually spending less time on these sites than we used to.

It’s not just Australia, either. A similar decline in figures has been reported in the US and the UK.
People just don’t seem to be spending quite as much time posting and tweeting as we did in the good old days.

But this wasn’t supposed to happen, was it?
I thought Social Media was destined to become bigger and bigger every year until Facebook eventually took its rightful place as the most powerful force in the universe?
Or something like that, anyway.
So what happened?

Well, Experian manager Matt Glasner reckons that this is a perfectly natural development.
“The online landscape is constantly changing,” he says, “and it could be that we’re starting to see social networking sites reaching their peak.”

He may have a point, too.
Now that we’ve reached a period where nearly everybody on the planet – and even some pets and plants – has a Social Media account of some sort, it’s perhaps inevitable that the figures are eventually going to fall because there’s nowhere else for them to go!

But before you rush off to deactivate your Facebook and Twitter accounts and start seeking out the next big thing, let’s just pause for a moment and consider some of the other factors.

Firstly, this reduction in time that we’re devoting to Social Networking is relatively small.
Just two minutes per hour, in fact.
In 2011, the average Aussie internet user would spend 16 minutes per online hour on Social Media sites, and this figure fell to 14 minutes per online hour in 2012.

But a more important point to take into consideration is a potential rise in efficiency of our usage.
Maybe we just don’t need to spend quite as much time on Social Media as we used to.
The sites themselves should in theory be getting easier and easier to use, as constant tweaks and improvements are implemented by the developers.

It could just be the case that we now know exactly what we want from Social Media and we know how to get it.
We no longer have to go trawling through pages and pages of confusing material just to try and find that really good picture of a dog wearing a watermelon hat.

Back in the olden days, we used to be Social Media pioneers, losing valuable time and energy in learning the ropes.
Nowadays, we’ve become highly efficient and highly organised users of Social Media.
So we naturally spend less time on it.

Whatever the truth, it seems fairly clear that the world hasn’t quite fallen out of love with Social Media just yet, and the end of Facebook is certainly not even on the distant horizon.

But perhaps these figures also serve as a gentle reminder that Social Media isn’t everything, and a smart Small Business needs to regularly think about other powerful ways of getting your marketing messages across to a wide audience.

For example, a status update or a tweet may well flash in front of a viewer’s eyes for a split second, but a stylish custom-crafted marketing goodie has the capacity to take up permanent residence in a potential client’s home, acting as a daily reminder of your business and branding…

But do you believe that we’ll still be using the same old successful Social Media platforms for years and years to come?
Can you imagine a day when Facebook becomes a forgotten relic of yesteryear instead of a celebrated component of our everyday lives?

Send to Kindle