2013-06-19T17:40:42-04:00 Omar Kattan http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=omar-kattan Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Omar Kattan Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2369052 2012-12-27T19:00:00-05:00 2012-12-27T12:01:05-05:00

Omar Kattan http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-kattan/
2013 promises not to disappoint. In fact, and to quote the immortal words of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet.

Get ahead and see how next year's business environment is going to shape out as predicted by analysts.

Here are the top eight business trends to anticipate in 2013.

1. Quirky Product Design

The bold and intrusive design of the Plumen CFL light bulb and the Nest thermostat shows the trend in product design. In 2013, manufacturers will compete for consumer attention by employing innovative, whimsical product packaging and design.

2. Traditional Ads Replaced by Content

As more and more consumers spend a lot of time online, recognize pop-ups and banner ads, and subsequently block or ignore them, marketers are hard-pressed to do away with traditional forms of advertising. Content marketing, as well as social media marketing, is hot in 2013. Content can be in any form - blogs, podcasts, slideshows, videos, webinars, and white papers.

In 2013, marketers will also hear a lot about native advertising, wherein the overall tone and format of the ad takes on whatever platform it appears in. In short, the ad looks as if it were integral to the site. Examples of native advertising are Facebook's 'sponsored story' ads and sponsored posts offered by Gawker Media and The Atlantic to their advertisers.

3. Shift towards Mobility

Traditional offices are disappearing, and more and more businesses are turning to mobility--in their marketing campaigns, their workforce, and their operations. Many companies, big or small, are switching to cloud-based services to manage their corporate data, hold virtual meetings with telecommuting employees, and monitor employee productivity and progress.

Technology is empowering companies and allowing remote collaboration, thus radically changing the office environment. For instance, an employee can work while sipping coffee at Starbucks. The number of virtual offices is also rising as business owners find ways to trim overhead costs.

In addition, ads designed to be viewed on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets are not going away soon. In fact, the opposite is expected to happen in 2013.

4. Manufacturing is Returning to the United States

Driven by the rising cost of outsourcing manufacturing abroad and the emergence of relatively new technologies (like 3D printing), companies are going to switch some of their processes back to the U.S.

5. Decrease in Consumer Dependence on Credit Cards

First, there's Google Wallet. Other carriers and vendors are joining the trend that will soon displace credit cards. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless are collaborating on Isis, a form of mobile wallet. Passbook is also another popular platform.

The traditional credit card terminal is expected to slowly become obsolete. Square is an app that serves as a credit card reader for mobile devices, allowing merchants to swipe credit cards on their smartphones or tablets. Another alternative is Dwolla, an online digital cash network designed to eliminate the need for a credit card to make purchases. Dwolla's MassPay feature can also be used by small business owners to handle payroll.

6. Online Reputation Is Crucial

With the trend towards shareable content, a company's online reputation becomes excruciatingly important. You may want to hire someone who understands your company's vision to handle and control your online reputation.

7. Artificial Intelligence as the New "Industrial Revolution"

Robots are now being deployed as workers, and 2013 will see more and more smart machines entering the workplace. Robots now serve as banking assistants, receptionists, and prison guards. This shift can result in job losses but the next wave of robots is expected to create new kinds of jobs for skilled workers who can handle the robots.

8. Rise of Crowd Funding

Crowd funding is shaping the way many business projects are backed. From Kickstarter to Indiegogo, funding for your business can surprisingly come even from people you do not know. If your product resonates among people, you can amass donations to help grow your company.

In summary

2013 will undoubtedly be another year of massive change for businesses, big and small.

Staying on top of trends such as the ones highlighted here is one way to keep your business ahead of the game.

Are you ready for 2013?]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1956919 2012-10-11T12:16:12-04:00 2012-10-11T12:20:43-04:00

Omar Kattan http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-kattan/
From the early days of humanity, when mythological stories were shared around the camp fire, to our modern day political leaders and inspiring figures, people have used the power of storytelling to share their vision and create a sense of community.

For the past couple of years the marketing world has also been abuzz with brand storytelling.

Storytelling in a marketing context is a device that takes full advantage of the online environment of modern consumers and involves them into the brand's marketing message (story).

By combining emotion and logic, consumer-led storytelling is more persuasive than any push marketing strategy. This modern marketing device lends itself perfectly for an online environment.

In his popular book, Tell to Win, Peter Guber, uses the analogy of the Trojan horse. In his opinion, stories can be used to sneak messages into consumers minds which are left with their guard down.

The pulling power that storytelling possesses is exactly what makes it attractive to marketers. In fact, storytelling is an excellent example of pull marketing, marketing that aims to create demand from consumers by involving them.

According to modern marketing practices, businesses should let go of push marketing strategies and their tightly controlled, one-sided marketing messages.

By allowing consumers to get involved in the story around a product or a brand, a dialogue evolves in which consumers can share their experiences with a business.

Good storytelling ultimately leads to consumers passing on that story through sharing their personal experiences within their circle of influence, and social media is the ideal channel for this.

In storytelling, the main question that needs answering is still the good old classic: "What's in it for me?" What can consumers gain from a brand? Showing consumers how others engage with a product or service is one good way of answering this question.

This can be done by posting video reviews made by consumers on a business' website or Facebook page. In a business-to-business situation, case studies are the perfect vehicle for creating a story by telling how another business was able to overcome a challenge with a solution offered by the first business.

Consumer-led storytelling works by combining an emotional and a logical aspect in the same story. A brand story talks with passion and conviction about the brand, but also allows the consumer to find him- or herself reflected in the story.

Storytelling can also be used in a business-to-business setting, by engaging representatives of other businesses.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1881301 2012-09-14T12:10:22-04:00 2012-11-14T05:12:01-05:00

Omar Kattan http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-kattan/
Musicians, like business start-up geeks, begin with spending a lot of time behind the scenes working through the development stages of their products. It would be naïve for them to jump into the limelight prematurely, yet if they're smart, they'll get their feet wet whenever they can. They might perform at bars and bar mitzvahs, coffeehouses, weddings, or even on the street as buskers. All are good opportunities for testing their products in front of real audiences.

In the same way, business start-ups can get their feet wet by participating in networking opportunities with peers and investors, and through running trials and beta tests of their ready-to-launch products. Focus groups can offer valuable market feedback, and beta tests will offer opportunities to work out glitches and to educate a group of "chosens" that could become valuable promoters of the new product or service.

Thank Your Grub Work

Well-known music veterans may not know the exact secret behind their success because many times it has been due to organic growth. Back when they started they may merely have been in the right place at the right time. There might have been less competition and less perfectionism. Even poor and mediocre singers have been able to cut and sell albums. They might say they got lucky or they might admit that they did spend a lot of time in the trenches first. They've paid their dues.

On the surface, there may have been no well-oiled unfolding plan a successful musician has followed, but if you were to ask one about his product, what songs define him, and what his setlist would include if asked to do a concert tomorrow, he could tell you. Well-seasoned musicians know who they are, where they've been, and know what their audience wants.

A business too needs to know who they are, how they want to be defined, and where they're headed. Business is fierce today, and a well-oiled plan is usually necessary if a start-up is to gain funding and launch its business well. There can be a well-crafted business-school-type business plan in place, but an entrepreneur should realize there will be also be lots of grub work to do and that fame and fortune is not quick and easy.

Musicians that have been successful may say that doing the grub work of playing for lesser crowds has helped to hone their craft and fine-tune their image. Over time they've been able to collect valuable feedback from audiences and discover what works and what doesn't work. Once promoted to the bigger league they learn what it takes to sell an album and concert ticket. They learn how to pace a performance with just the right levels of energy, danceability and melodic sway. Then, as many times as they've sung the same songs over and over, they always include them because that's what the crowd is waiting for. They know what their audience wants and they deliver because they're in it for the long haul.

Do the Things You'd Rather Not Do

Just as musicians prefer to spend their time making music, a business owner might have his favorite things he wants to focus on. If he's a snow shoveler he wants to shovel snow not work on building clients, doing paperwork and working out employee problems. This other grub work, however, is always included. A small business owner will need to talk to bankers, accountants, lawyers, landlords, marketing experts, and clients.

Your favorite rock star will tell you he's done his fair share of media stints, autograph signings, and photo shoots. He'll tell you he's traveled places he would never have dreamed of traveling to and done so when he didn't feel like doing it. He'll tell you how he's fought with his band mates and agents, and risked his personal relationships. A music veteran will tell you he's where he is today because he did what he needed to do and stayed on the ride for as long as the ride would take him.

Brand like a Rock Star

Once an artist has been signed, he crafts an image and keeps it consistent for as long as it works. Look at veteran performers KISS, Willie Nelson, and Frank Sinatra. What image comes to mind when you hear these names? For KISS it was costume, hair, makeup, and rock; for Nelson it was a beard, bandana, braids, cowboy hat, and country music; for Sinatra it was a suit, tie, fedora, and the standards. These artists stuck to what they did best. They each appealed to a specific audience. They weren't all over the map. Their images and product were so successful they stuck for decades. Today that's called good branding and product mix.

A business start-up needs to brand and sustain a good product mix too. It may need the help of a few outside professionals to take it to the next level and their brand may take time to catch on. A small business start-up owner should carefully consider if she has the energy for the long ride ahead.

It's important for any small business start-up to fine-tune its business guitar strings before taking center-stage. As you prepare to launch your business, take lessons from your favorite rock stars. Figure out what defines you, what your audience wants, and how you can give it to them while turning a profit. Fine-tune how you'll communicate your message, and look for proactive ways to get your feet wet. Be willing to do the grub work, because it will be there, but always keep one eye on your dream. In the words of the '60s band, The Hollies, the road is long, with many a winding turn, that leads you to who knows where, but if you're strong, you'll get there!]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1816317 2012-08-21T06:04:18-04:00 2012-10-21T05:12:12-04:00

Omar Kattan http://www.huffingtonpost.com/omar-kattan/ mobiThinking compendium of mobile statistics and research, today, approximately 87% of the world's adult population has a mobile device, such as a cell phone, smart phone, or tablet computer.

Of that number, approximately 53% use their mobile device to make online purchases, and in the next few years, those numbers are going to drastically climb.
Is your online business ready to go mobile? If so, here are 3 things that you need to do right now.

1. Make a mobile version of your website

You do not need any special skills to do this. In fact, there are services that will covert your existing website for you, as well as those who will develop new mobile websites for you.

The potential visitor types in your URL just as they normally would, or they find you through a search engine on their mobile device. The second they arrive, a script on your server detects that they're using a mobile device and quickly redirects them to your mobile website.

You don't need a new domain name for this, as the old domain will work just fine.

2. Get a QR Code

A Quick Response barcode can be used to take mobile device users directly to your website, or any other website that you wish to direct them to. The key is to send them to a website that is designed for mobile users.

All the mobile user has to do is take a picture of the QR code with their device.

QR codes can be printed on business cards, flyers, in newspapers, and other print material. You can even use them on your webpages that are designed for laptops and desktops, and in emails.

3. Build an opt-in text messaging list

The money is still in the list, but the list is now mobile.

You can easily build an opt-in text messaging list by using the same methods that you use to build a traditional opt-in list. You just have to do it in a mobile fashion.

Have people text a code to a certain number - your number - in exchange for something free, such as a coupon, a newsletter, or an ebook.

Just make sure that the free item is useful for their mobile device. There are now services that will maintain your text messaging lists for you, just as there are services that help you to maintain your opt-in email list.

Don't Miss the Boat

Like it or not, the internet is going mobile, and if you hope to survive it from a business standpoint, you need to move right along with it.

By following the above three steps, you'll find that you're not only keeping up with consumer demands, but you may just see an increase in visitors and sales as well.]]>