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Over the course of my career I have worked in many different office environments. Advertising agencies have unique cultures, but inside of the general category they vary greatly. But you’ve probably noticed these characteristics in your office or in yourself. Some people always look for what is wrong with an idea, a proposal, campaign, project, etc. Their first inclination is that there must be something wrong and you get the sense they enjoy finding flaws (no matter how minor) and enjoy shooting entire ideas down for it. Have you ever had a boss, a co-worker, or worked for an entire company with that mentality? How many innovative ideas or programs ever saw the light of day? The fear of failure rules those cultures. Expressing your concern, puts you on the record as spotting a flaw in case it does see the light of day and fails – you’ve covered your but. All the while these same people read about successes in the trade press and wonder why they can never get there.

On the other hand, I have worked for and with people who embrace risk over safety, because they know that is where greater reward is to be found. In fact, they know if people find a lot of reasons not to do something, that is a sign that it could be great. Social Media in general falls into this category, because it represents such a dramatic shift in thinking. Marketers must give up control. No one is really concerned about running another newspaper ad, but letting your consumers talk for you, or your employees is a risk. But the truth is they are doing it anyway. Don’t get me wrong, any plan should be vetted and optimized to follow best practices and increase the chance for success. But that kind of thinking comes from finding the “rights” of the idea first, before the “wrongs.”

Sometimes embracing the risk of social media to gain reward requires more than approval, but a change in policy. I once worked for a client that wanted social media ideas. We listened and presented innovative ways to share valuable information (they already had, but very little were using) via social media networks that would utilize their managers and help them generate sales leads through Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. They loved the idea, the only problem was that they had a corporate policy to block social media access on managers computers. End of idea – back to cold calls. The eMarketer chart above shows the percent of marketers who have overcome outdated policies and are using social media to generate leads and sales.

A recent article in Forbes speaks to this issue. It is written by bank CEO Frank Sorrentino and he calls other bank CEO’s to join him in social media – many in the financial industry are not there. He acknowledges the risks, but points out that you can learn ways to manage them. On the other hand, Sorrentino warns that there are risks in not joining social media. If you are looking for reasons not to do social media (wrongs), you will find plenty. But I encourage you to change your focus and look for the reasons to do social media (rights) – that is the only way you will reap its rewards.

There are many benefits for small businesses or startups to engage in cause marketing. For those who do not have resources to run a full marketing program a cause campaign can raise visibility by providing local or even national media attention. It also creates a positive image that provides a competitive edge over the competition. Research shows people will choose products that support a cause over ones that don’t. That immediate customer goodwill created through the cause marketing campaign can translate into long term customer loyalty while engaging, attracting and retaining quality employees. Many Nonprofit’s also hold fundraisers, which can provide small businesses and startups networking opportunities with stakeholders and potential clients or investors. An ad I did for a local restaurant supported local food banks.

Despite not having the funding to take part in large-scale efforts, there are ways a small business or new startup can engage in cause marketing through participation and sponsorship in local charity events or activities. The book Cause Marketing for Nonprofits provides some examples including the participation of banks in the Food Bank for New York City Bank-to-Bank partnership and the Canadian Cancer Society’s daffodils sale through Thrifty Foods.

I found an example of local small businesses using cause marketing in a Jewelry trade magazine. Many jewelry stores are still locally owned and family run small businesses that can benefit from cause marketing efforts. One way is for jewelers to participate in local silent auctions through donations. They bring media attention and goodwill to the business and could turn into longer term cause marketing efforts. Another example is a jeweler who created “Battery Mondays” in an effort to raise money for Jewelers for Children. The jeweler says people specifically come in on Monday to make sure the proceeds benefit a nonprofit. Designating a day of the week to benefit a nonprofit is an effective method to increase traffic and sales on traditionally slow days.

Other suggested small business efforts I found included book drives for local child’s learning centers, support for local museums, field trips for children at local schools or sponsoring children’s sports teams and league charitable events. The local hardware store by my house raises money for Vickie’s Angel Walk – a local nonprofit with a mission of helping families fighting cancer who have difficulties paying their bills during the challenging times of fighting their cancer. The small business owner makes it easy to make a donation to the cause at checkout.

A tech startup version of these efforts could be donating a small amount of new account fees to a cause or nonprofit the target audience cares about. Then get other websites and bloggers to promote it for you. Encourage current and new customers the share the effort via social media.

What cause can you support to help jump start your business?

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Cause Marketing to Boost Startups and Small Business