Recently, I spoke to the CEO of Your Dollar Matters, Inc., http://www.theformtool.com, Bob Christensen. As a successful, small business owner who deals with other entrepreneurs in accounting, case management and HR on a regular basis, he is getting the word out about his business and increasing sales via public relations efforts. Here are his insights…

Why did you start Your Dollar Matters?

As a significant purchaser of professional services, particularly from lawyers and accountants, I was often disappointed by the agreements and documents that constituted their final product, which were usually just cut-and-paste hatchet jobs in Word, regurgitations of documents created 20 years ago and reused 1000 times since.

By now, You have probably heard that you NEED a blog.  Blogging for business is not only crucial to keep your website fresh, but to show your customers and potential audience who you are, what you do, and what you know BEST. Right now, you may be saying that sounds easier than it really is.  It is actually not that hard once you find your inner groove.

At first, blogging and finding your writing voice can be hard at points, but it is crucial.  Whether you write for your own blog on your site and/or publish guest posts, blogging helps grow your pipeline, it promotes your business, and creates curiosity in YOUR own brand.

The first step is accepting the invitation to the party and actually show up to blog!

Overly confident new business owners are often under the impression that simply because they have a superior product they will be more successful. Of course, product (or service) superiority is a matter of several factors including consumer opinion. Just because something is technically better in terms of technical specification, does not mean that it will be seen as such by the general public.

Effective marketing

In certain circumstances in the past, a number of companies have suffered from falling sales or smaller profit margins than expected when their “superior” product was outsold by another product in the market. Most recent example being the battle between Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Although some agreed that HD-DVD was superior (and had a name which would more easily appeal to the public), Blu-ray won the battle and tore ahead in the sales charts. The companies behind HD-DVD may well have underestimated the marketing powers of those behind Blu-ray. After all, an excellent product is no good if no one knows about it. Something simple like the inclusion of a Blu-ray player in every Playstation 3 gaming console may well have also been a deciding factor in the battle. As another example, the iPhone 4 has apparently outsold every other phone in the market despite the numerous problems with signal loss. Clearly this is down to both brand loyalty and clever marketing.

Overly confident business owners

There is also danger that a confident business owner will become complacent. If a product or products has done well in the past, it does not necessarily follow that the same will continue in the future. This is clearly evident from recent news where mobile phone giant Nokia felt a large pinch in sales caused by the surge in new smart phones from other companies entering the market.

It is common practice to set New Year’s resolutions in our personal lives, but how often do we do it for our business?  As you look forward to running your small business in 2012, think about what resolutions you can make specific to your marketing plan that will give you the most buzz for your buck.

Here are 28 Small Business Marketing Resolutions for the New Year that will inspire you to write your own.

1. Build Relationships With Customers