Lucky dogs or smart businesses? Both.

You can argue the tellers just want to keep kids quiet, but the argument falls flat when the pop comes barreling down the drive-thru tube—where my rambuncious pre-teens are separated from the hush of tellers tapping on keyboards by a car door, 50 feet of pavement and a brick wall. And the dog? His bark is never a threat—there’s no chance that I’d even consider walking into the bank with him. It could happen somewhere, but…

Guess what happens when I drive away with a carload of happy campers? I’m happy. Repeatedly driving away from a business happy results in repeat business. Tweet that nugget. Happy works on many levels, including those hidden deep in your subconscious.

Do you offer customers a lollipop? Is there candy by your cash register?

Candy can be anything you deem as sugar and spice (loyalty cards, coupons). It doesn’t need to be a huge investment. It shouldn’t create a headache to dream up or maintain.

My dentist gives toothbrushes bearing his name and a little packet of dental floss. Gertrude Hawk Chocolate doles out samples—that’s smart and yummy. Although I’ve been sitting at the keyboard trying to think of just two other businesses that I frequent who offer “lollipops” to their customers I’m at a complete and utter loss.

The good news is: banks don’t own the rights to giving away lollipops. Has your competition figured that out yet?

The question is: can you really afford a zero-investment? The answer is tricky because you certainly can’t afford to ignore it; however investing zero may cost you more than hiring an expert or investing in the education and training you need to efficiently make it work for your business.

It doesn’t cost a penny to smile, but it costs a fortune to frown.

Customer service is essential to a strong business. A disgruntled worker doesn’t give a damn. Keeping your staff happy, investing in their ability to bend over backwards and celebrate the awesomeness of your customer is just as important as whatever product or service you’re selling. If you don’t have a staff, then it’s you who needs to remember to smile when you feel like crying (it happens). Smiling may very well be the only part of a zero marketing strategy that’s truly free. Tweet that thought.

If the product or service you’re selling is faulty (this happens, too) then customer service is a whole other story. Turning a customer’s frown upside down can make or break your word-of-mouth. Most customers are quick to share bad experiences. Those with good experiences can do more for your business than, say, an ad in your local newspaper. It’s true…but to think there’s zero cost involved, is false.

Helping a customer have a good experience may mean replacing a faulty product at no cost, offering an additional service, providing an on-site visit, etc. There’s a definite dollar value associated with all of those solutions, yet the dollar value of not ensuring customer satisfaction is far greater.

Social media is a networking party that never ends.

It’s not hard to imagine why so many small businesses are quick to jump on the social media bandwagon: it’s free, fun, informative and empowers you to connect with a global customer base. Whether you create a Facebook or Google+ page for your business, or spend your time tweeting, youtubing or traveling on any of the countless other social avenues, you can’t underestimate the reach and value of building a solid relationship with your audience.

What you may underestimate is the amount of time you’ll spend building a house for your tribe. There is very large price tag associated with the construction of your strategy, your pages, your uniform branding and the necessary upkeep and that’s the price of your time and energy. You probably have an inkling what your hourly value is and how that translates into your profitability, right? You need to consider that number against the amount of time you invest in social media. The investment is far from zero dollars. It’s so far away that it may not just keep you up at night, but it may also start to whittle away at your working hours, as well.

Hiring a someone to (at the very least) set up your presence, may be worth the investment. If that’s not a possibility, consider taking a class, attending a conference, signing up for a webinar to maximize your understanding and focus.

There are a number of social media experts willing and able to offer free advice to get you thinking. Here are a few of my favorite go-to gurus:

• Social Media Examiner-full range of topics, interesting concepts, informative online conferences
• Mari Smith-great, great, great Facebook marketing tips
• Social Triggers-smart, actionable social media tid-bits

Great PR is like word-of-mouth on steroids.

Sometimes there’s a price attached, sometimes there’s not. Regardless, free press works wonders by amplifying your goodness to an audience. It really doesn’t matter if that world is in the traditional media sphere or the digital sphere the benefits are far-reaching and all-encompassing. There are a few different ways to try to get it…and try is the operative word. It’s not easy getting free press if your product/service is mediocre. It is easy if your product/service is smart, amazing, innovative and/or newsworthy. Just keep in mind that it’s still work. You still need to research and track down contacts, craft your message, (in some instances) giveaway product. Here’s a link that (even though dated) is a good read on DIY public relations.

Sometimes even a small investment in a zero strategy is the best investment you can make.

If you cuddle up with a calculator and determine just how much time and energy any of the elements within a zero strategy might take and then multiply that figure by your hourly value, you can then attach a value to your investment. Over time, you’ll be able to determine the return.

Just keep in mind that an industry expert will most likely provide a much faster return for (possibly) an equal investment. You always receive a greater return when you keep your focus on your strength and passion. Tweet that thought.

The pot of gold at the end of the zero marketing rainbow is easier to find when you have a tour guide lead the way.

Have advice? Want to share you experience learning the ins and outs? Leave a comment below. If you need help finding the way to your rainbow, contact me. I’m happy to help.

From the planning and the patience to the strategy and the timing, both processes are humbling and honorable, wretched and rewarding.  Potty training guarantees a good outcome, regardless of how long it might take to achieve. Launching a business guarantees an experience, but not necessarily one that leads to success.

You can brace yourself for this experience just by by embracing the gems of wisdom potty training provides.

Assess your commitment

Potty training takes an incredible amount of time and attention. You need to commit to a schedule that’s unplanned and insane. And that’s on a good day.

The same holds true for a business launch. You know you have the passion to make anything happen, but you also need to be sure you have the chutzpah to live through your worst day, the funds to be realistic  and the power to see your vision through. The U.S. Small Business Association has a nice set of questions to help you assess the road ahead. If you really want to understand if you’re ready, find an entrepreneur you admire and start a conversation. You’re likely to get a very good understanding of what a successful launch really entails.

Know your audience

In much the same way that you can lead a three-year-old to the door, but you can’t force them to take a seat, you can lead everyone to your business, but you can’t force them to buy.

Assuming that you know there’s an audience for what you’re offering (because you’ve researched the market and the category and identified a need and create a source of amazing fulfillment) you need to know what will trigger them to buy into your brand. Who are they? How do they spend their money? What do they believe in? Who do they trust? Why will they buy your product? How will it make their life better? What is the one promise you can promise to fulfill?

Patience is key

Success doesn’t happen overnight. It’s cliche to say, but important to know. The longer you can patiently understand, tweak,  adjust, improve, grow and learn the more likely your brand will achieve the success it deserves. Take the time to inhale knowledge and exhale change. Listen to your gut. Write down your objectives. Craft your strategy. Develop your voice. Advance your offerings. Scrap. Rinse. Repeat. It’s a process. That. Never. Ends.

Reward repetition

Every time a toddler gets an M&M (yes, folks, just one M&M) for, um, completing the task, they start to understand that they’re doing a good deed. Sure some toddlers prefer a sticker, others just a pat on the back or a cookie—if you know you’re audience then you’ll know what works.

People embrace brands they believe in. Reward your early repeat visitors with the attention they deserve. They are an integral part of building your business. You don’t have enough money to invest in marketing to do the same things that their word of mouth will do. Their support is priceless. The sooner you acknowledge them, the better.

You don’t need to necessarily reward them with discounts, instead award them with theycounts: constant reminders of how freaking grateful you are that they’re part of your growing business. Thank you notes, any sort of trade you can offer (placing their business cards on your counter, sharing affiliate love, social mentions, anything!), genuine, heartfelt appreciation. Sadly, it’s so rare that it’s now considered a nice surprise.

Sh*t happens

It’s unavoidable. It stinks. It’s primary purpose is to remind you that there’s always room for improvement. There’s always a reason to stay alert. Focused. Attentive.

After you’re finished cleaning up whatever mess the Universe sends your way take the time to analyze and learn from the experience. The entrepreneur who learns from a mistake is the entrepreneur poised for success. In the words of Albert Einstein:

The only source of knowledge is experience.

It’s painfully true; however it’s worth noting that if you’re up for the task the rewards are endless—personally and professionally.

If you have questions, feel like adding to this list or are compelled to share your experiences accomplishing either feat…leave a comment below.

The secret to engagement is knowing their needs and understanding how you can fulfill them. The opportunity lies within the challenge.

Whether you’ve been in business for 10 years, 10 days or 10 minutes you need to remember the conversation is never about you. It’s about your audience, your community, that group of strangers you’ve yet to meet.

So how can you get them to fall in love with your brand? Here are three simple ways to connect on a higher social level.

Listen closely

Ask questions. Seek answers. People love to talk about themselves. If you give them enough room, they’ll tell you exactly what you need. You can then take your mounds of product/service information and strategize how to keep the conversation focused on fulfilling those needs.

Respond emotionally

If you consider your brand to be the living, breathing creature that it is, then it makes sense to wear your heart on your sleeve when you’re trying to connect with your community at large. Share a laugh. Offer support. Be human. Passionate brands beget passionate followers.

Give freely

The more you give, the more you gain. It’s human nature to want to improve our lot in life. Give your community the tools to do so, any way you can. Karma will ensure that kindness comes back in spades.

How are you engaging with your followers?