(1:01) If you have been following the Minute for some time then you are familiar with my marketing philosophy. You can always find past Minutes on my blog. The link is on the left.(0:56) Although I received my MBA when traditional media (print, TV, radio) still dominated, I worked in high tech so experienced firsthand the influence of the digital world. As that has migrated into what we now call Social Media, the world changed. Power and influence has shifted dramatically away from the "experts" and from the businesses themselves into the hands of the consumers. It has been an uncertain and sometimes scary shift for many but I believe it offers huge opportunities for high quality businesses small and large. It has really leveled the playing field.
(0:44) You no longer need to spend huge sums in print media to get noticed. A well planned and executed digital strategy will provide far more for far less. But you must be willing to jump in and experiment - remember, embrace failure!
(0:38) Designed into the heart of eBoatCards is the philosophy that commercial enterprises have much to offer the boating community. And that by participating in meaningful ways the businesses can win new customers. The trick is figuring out how to become part of the useful content and not just noise (don't be spam).
(0:29) Now is the time to join eBoatCards and begin exploring. It is still very new but is adding hundreds of new users and groups daily. So poke around as we grow and think about how you can contribute. I'll be looking at some ideas over the coming months but this is new, so I don't have all the answers. I hope to learn from your ideas and experiences as well.
(0:21) The first thing you need to do is create an eBoatCard for your marina, boatyard or business:
- Go to http://www.eboatcards.com and enter your ActiveCaptain email account and password at the top. You will be prompted to create an eBoatCard. Create only one for your business. Let everyone share that one card.
- Select the type that best fits your business: marina, boatyard, or business. If you are a sponsor, contact us to add a sponsor designation to your card.
- Fill in the information, read and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and upload a profile image. I suggest your image be your logo or some other image that will indicate your business. You can always upload or change your image at a later time. Then select Create New Card.
(0:08) You can now join groups, search for boats you know, and start putting in blog entries. Now is the perfect time to play while the site builds. Think outside of what you've done in the past. I think it's an exciting time. Jump in!
(0:02) And that's the marina minute.
