A chapter of OEN.org Oregon Entrepreneurs Network

Guerrilla Marketing for Start-ups/Small Businesses

January 20, 2011
5:00 pmto8:00 pm

marci-hansen-picLocation: Oregon Electric Station, Eugene | directions

Register: Click here to register:

$20 (includes food and beverage)

$15 for Eugene and Corvallis Chamber members + SAO members

$10 for students (present ID at the door)

$25 at the door

 

Marci Hansen (Palo Alto Software’s VP of Marketing) will talk about the creation of a brand and the creation of an Internet marketing campaign through real life examples. Her presentation will be interesting for start-ups and small businesses because of the focus on low-cost and free marketing tactics that really work!

Brandweek-guerrillaHansen has an impressive background in both conventional and non-conventional marketing. She was awarded the “Guerrilla Marketer of the Year Award” from Brandweek Magazine while she served as the Marketing Director for the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Hansen broke new ground with search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, web ads, paid search terms and other then-uncommon initiatives.

Prior to joining Palo Alto Software, Hansen served as VP of Marketing at the Crafts Americana Group where she oversaw the marketing and merchandising activities for two online crafting brands. Previously, she oversaw product launches, directed content and design, and developed marketing and sales campaigns as the Marketing Director at Dotster Inc.

Hansen additionally developed and directed the marketing campaign for the Amazon.com Outlet Web site while serving as the company’s Marketing Manager. She also worked as a Manager of marketing and corporate events at Eddie Bauer.

Hansen has more than 15 years of marketing experience, and in her new role at Palo Alto Software, she is overseeing online and traditional marketing and promotion, and business development and strategic partnerships for the company’s full line of small business products. In addition, her team will be actively involved in new product development and introduction.

You won’t want to miss this presentation to hear about low-cost and free marketing tactics that really work!


Thanks to our great sponsors for supporting entrepreneurship in our community!

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Small Businesses and LinkedIn

Did you know how absolutely wonderful of a resource LinkedIn is for entrepreneurs? Well if you did, good for you and pat yourself on the back. If you didn’t, now you do, so get to gettin’! Mashable recently posted an article from the American Express OPEN Forum on how small businesses can reap the benefits of the social networking site. Here’s 5 ways Mashable believes that LinkedIn can help you and your small business grow (they’re pretty smart, so listen to them):

  1. Stay Top-of-Mind
  2. Find New Talent
  3. Crowdsource Solutions and Get Feedback
  4. Promote Special Event You Host or Attend
  5. Lead Local and Industry Thought

Be sure to read the rest of the article for the nitty-gritty know how.

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How to Make Your Small Business Geolocation-Ready

This new trend of geolocation through social media is something that even a young whippersnapper like me is having trouble understanding. Names like Foursquare and Loopt are becoming more and more common buzz words in regards to the next platform of social media. Even Twitter and Google Buzz now have geotracking capabilities. So what does this mean for small businesses? As Bob Reed mentions, “…businesses are going to have to be search engine optimized, social media optimized, and geographically optimized.” Check out the full article from Mashable and the American Express OPEN Forum, HOW TO: Make Your Small Business Geolocation-Ready, to see how this fad can help your business. 

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The Start-up Survival Kit

I’m all about those cool, new, flashy tech innovations that businesses “need” (or at least I pretend to be and just admire them from afar). However, this article gives a refreshing perspective on businesses that thrive by using simple productivity enhancers. Some of these suggestions might seem overly simple, random, or blatantly obvious, but every little bit of advice counts.

You may think I’m wasting you’re time by posting some silly little tips about organization and efficiency, but think again. In the words of the author, Joe Ippolito, “The people who are succeeding are those who’ve found ways, methods, and routines to help them get things done.”

Check out the interview with some of the author’s favorite entrepreneurs from GOOD’s Diary of Social Venture Start-up. So all you entrepreneurs out there, get ‘er done (sorry, I couldn’t help myself)!

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5 Ways Small Businesses Can Avoid Social Media Panic

Once again I have another social media guide/article for you. Some of you out there may think that social media is just a passing fad and has no relevance for your business, but you’re wrong. Social media is here to stay and in my personal opinion, without some kind of online presence, your company will not thrive to its fullest potential. 

This all might seem overwhelming, which is understandable, so I found this handy-dandy guide to make using social media easier for small business. Check out more from the American Express Open Forum for small businesses!

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How to Market Your Business With Facebook

Can you tell I love the Small Business section of the New York Times? You should too; it offers great insight for entrepreneurs. If you’re looking to start using Facebook to promote your company, check out the newest Small-Business Guide from the NY Times: How to Market Your Business With Facebook. The article offers good advice and additional online resources for dealing with Facebook!

Here are some quick tips from the article:

  • Identify a short list of goals before you begin.

  • Show some personality in your page.

  • Don’t shill. Use your page to engage-and trust that sales will follow.

  • Use Facebook data to analyze your customer demographics.

Check out the rest of the Small Business Guides!

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Spark of Genius Series

Hello Smart-ups community! I came across this on Mashable and thought this would be a great resource for all those with software start-ups. Microsoft BizSpark is a program that gives software entrepreneurs the support and tools they need, with no upfront costs for three years. So BizSpark has paired up with Mashable to create the Spark of Genius Series. Mashable will feature a new and innovative software company on Mashable.com every week. Of course there are some stipulations, so see if your company qualifies and enter!

 

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Social Media for Entrepreneurs

Today as I was checking my Twitter account I came upon an interesting tweet from Mashable: “10 of the Best Social Media Tools for Entrepreneurs.” Their top ten included the obvious Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube , but also mention a slew of tools that I had never heard about (Monitter and Get Satisfaction to name a few). Check it out; social media is made for you entrepreneurs!

 

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