Are you as transparent offline as you are online?

If you’ve embraced social media, you’ve embraced its call for transparency.

But has transparency seeped its way into your business? Are you just as open with your customers, staff and vendors in person as you are online?

It used to be that business leaders held their cards close to their chest. But now tactical transparency is the name of the game.

“Tactical Transparency” is what John C. Havens, co-author of the book by the same name, calls the “use of social media tools to let brands talk authentically about their products and services to their community.” Havens says “it’s a behavior as well as a philosophy.”

Of course we all know that if you’re not engaged online, whether it’s a blog, social media platform or website, your business is missing out on valuable face time with consumers and marketers. You might as well not exist.

Yet once you’re connected online, what can you do to make sure you’re staying connected on the ground?

Be Open. Be Honest.

Small businesses can be better suited for change than large companies, but change can still be abrupt and cause some disruption.

Maybe a vendor goes out of business. Maybe someone quits unexpectedly. These things can shift the focus away from work and cause distractions. No need to be shy about it.

By letting your customers know that deliveries might be delayed or that there’s a shift in organization, you can alleviate concerns before they escalate. In addition, by letting people know that you need a new printer, for example, will most likely bring in recommendations and other options.

Don’t Pretend You’re Invincible

You’re a small business and proud of it, so why are you pretending that you’re bigger or more financially secure than you are?

Celebrate the fact that being small makes you unique. And, as a result, it requires that invoices are to be paid and that meeting deadlines on time means that you can move onto the next project.

Your customers need to know that while you’re able to provide them a product that others can’t, money does in fact help the lights stay on and keep your employees paid.

Stand up for yourself and your business in a way that makes it clear that you can separate the personal from the professional.

Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk

Don’t just read books about cultivating your employees’ energy or attend conferences about facilitating change; take the steps to implement activities and initiatives that motivate, inspire and invigorate your company to do great things.

As a small business, we have the freedom to play.

So take a walk in the woods. Take your staff out for pedicures. Go to the movies.

Not only will taking a break show your employees that you care not only about the end product, but about their well being. As well, taking a break can bring new perspectives and ideas, which can help build and grow your company, while building trust and loyalty among your employees.

Tactical transparency doesn’t mean baring all. But it does require that you practice what you preach. A business that spends time reaching out online needs to invest equally offline.

More:

• How to handle sudden bad news, from BusinessWeek
• An older but still relevant interview with John C. Havens on building trust with transparency from Fast Company
• Tinu Abayomi-Paul on the limits of social networking surrogacy

By Melanie Spring - as published in Women Grow Business (Original Article)
Image: Courtney Murray Rhodes, Creative Commons

At Sisarina we work to help you define your true identity. But even more than that, we aim to empower our clients, followers, and friends with the know-how for creating, marketing and managing your brand.

In the next few months, Sisarina will be out presenting at area conferences about social media, collaboration and communication strategies. Look for us!

What: EdSocialMedia Summit 2010
Where: Boston, MA
When: February 16
Topic: Strategic Marketing for Schools: Blending Web and Social Media
Who: Marisa Peacock, Sisarina & Angelo Otterbein, Silverpoint

What: Internet@Schools East 2010
Where: Arlington, VA
When: April 12-14
Topic: Collaboration – That 13-Letter Dirty Word
Who: Rebecca Brooks, Archivist & Head Librarian, Kelly Brown, E-Communications Manager, The Madeira School, Marisa Peacock, Sr. Project Manager and Media Specialist, Sisarina, Inc

What: A Day in the Life: Baltimore Design Conference
Where: Baltimore, MD
When: April 24
Topic: 140 Characters or Less
Who: Marisa Peacock, Sr. Marketing Manager, Sisarina, Inc

In addition, Sisarina will be working this year to host in-house seminars or online webinars. We want these workshops to be informative and as well as empowering, giving attendees the confidence to tackle keywords and social media activity and off page search engine optimization, to name a few.

We want to hear from you. What topics are you interested in? What skills do you want to develop? Let Sisarina guide you through the basics and if you need additional guidance, we invite you to inquire within about our services.

Tell us what you think.

The countdown to a new year approaches. And while we spend our time frantically crossing off To-Do’s from our lists, buying holiday gifts and wrapping up loose ends, Sisarina suggests that you take the time to reflect on your company’s marketing, branding and website initiatives.

Learn from your Mistakes

At Sisarina, we believe in learning from our mistakes. Even superheroes like Sisarina make mistakes and reviewing them all is a great way to start a new year! Whether it’s a failure to promote consistent brand identity, or not posting regularly to your blog, facebook, or twitter pages, Sisarina can help you stay on track in the New Year.

But we also know ‘fessing up can be overwhelming and may discourage you from embracing the New Year, so let Sisarina offer you the following Web, Marketing and Branding Reflections.

Reflection #1: What Worked Well?

Take a moment to write down all the things that you or your business successfully accomplished via the web or marketing campaign this year. Did you sign up for Twitter, add a Facebook fan page, create a new logo? Then ask yourself and your staff:

• What made it successful?

Remember that success doesn’t necessarily equate revenue or sales, it can mean personal relationships, team building, company decisions, etc.

• How did these accomplishments make you feel?

Think back: did your heart swell with pride, did you feel satisfied or relieved, or confident?

• How much effort went into these accomplishments?

Was it a regular schedule, a planning meeting or helpful staff collaboration? Overall how much time went into creating and maintaining?

Reflection #2: What Didn’t Work Well?

Thinking back, what are the website and marketing decisions or outcomes that make you cringe, sweat or just want to hide under a rock? Then ask yourself and your staff:

• What made it fail or lose momentum?

Remember mistakes and failures don’t necessarily mean revenue lost or business lost. It can also refer to personal relationships, organization, company decisions and strategies.

• How did these mistakes or missteps make you feel?

Think back: did you feel disappointed, relieved, or insecure?

• How much effort went into these accomplishments?

How were decisions made? Who took ownership of the project? Was there a regular schedule or input from staff?

Reflection #3: What Would You Do Differently?

Using the information solicited from the previous reflections, answer the following:

For each of the successful accomplishments:

• What you would have done differently, if anything, to make them more successful?

For each of the scenarios that didn’t work well:

• What you would have done differently, if anything, to make it work better?

Do you notice any trends? When things worked well, did more staff time and input make a difference? When things didn’t go well, did they suffer from lack of direction or strategy? If so, use these trends to figure out what you need to do more and less of in the New Year.

As well, remember that Sisarina is here to help. If it’s a marketing strategy that you need or a website that’s easier to manage, contact us today. We have the tools you need to make 2010 a successful and spectacular year!

Sisarina’s customers are not just case numbers in file folders. They are names and faces, brands and logos, all vying for a place in the online marketplace. Sisarina provides the tools they need to facilitate their marketing strategies. But it doesn’t end once a website is launched or a logo has been designed. The customer relationship that Sisarina builds is an on-going process.

We know that maintaining a website and a brand can be challenging, that’s why we strive to keep our customers up-to-date with web trends, tips & tricks and other helpful information. And we encourage our past, current and future customers to ask questions and seek Sisarina out for guidance.

This month, we are launching Sisarina Says. Now it will be easier than ever to keep up-to-date with blogs, tips & tricks and more. Visit our blog or follow on Twitter @SisarinaSays as Sisarina shares her knowledge about life on the web, new and exciting marketing trends and emerging topics.

Sisarina Says stay tuned!