You know we get pretty stoked about small business marketing around here, right? Well when we’re not reporting the benefits of internet marketing for small businesses, we’re scouring the web for all the latest news and tips to share with you. That’s why we were psyched to read Mark Burgess’ latest column “Lessons for Small Business from the Top Marketing Professors.” Burgess put together an informati0n packed piece, and we decided to share our 5 favorite bits of advice from some of the top marketing professors in the world.

1. Rob Petersen– Adjunct Professor at Rutgers University, @RobPetersen

“People like to do business with people they know. Marketing doesn’t change fundamental business dynamics and relationships; it amplifies them.  After the product or service that defines a business, relevant content is a small business’ most important asset.  Although new tools (e.g., blogs, email newsletters, social media, ebooks) are available, they serve to demonstrate the same basic truth that has produced desired results for a very long time.”

• Content is what powers all your other marketing.

2. Glen Gilmore– Adjunct Professor at Rutgers University, @GlenGilmore

“Social media for small business is all about sharing your passion and embracing your customers… Blog, tweet and post content that shares your story and inspires your community.  Connect with your community by listening and engaging where the conversation is taking place.  Let your customers inspire you.”

• Passion is infectious, don’t be afraid to express yourself!

3. Andrés Silva Arancibia– Professor at the Universidad Andrés, @AndresSilvaA

“Small businesses need to monitor social media to set realistic goals. The purpose of monitoring is to establish the brand’s social framework, and to understand how the company and brand are perceived. At the same time, monitoring helps establish the position and perception of the target audience compared with competitors and even the industry in general. It is based on this data that we glean the insights to define the strategy we must apply to be successful.”

• That’s right, sometimes you gotta look out for numero uno or nobody else will.

4. Jim Lyons– Professor at the University of Phoenix, @JFLyons

“Carefully define and target your specific customer.  Continue to deepen your understanding of this target market, re-calibrating as necessary (though infrequently in normal cases), and focus your activities and energy in winning business with them…  Know yourself, know your customer, and focus!”

• No doubt. When it comes to social media marketing, you gotta be more focused than Yoda!

5. Patrick Strother– Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota, @PatrickStrother

“Technology has created an unprecedented opportunity for small businesses to add an ongoing differentiator to their product or service: better, more innovative communication. With all the digital platform options available to create a custom digital experience, (YouTube, Blogs, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, etc.) small businesses can create a cost-effective communication and customer engagement program that can become an important, ongoing value-added extension of their actual product or service.”

• The world is full of opportunity, and internet marketing is one of the greatest places to make a name for your biz.

To sum up all the small business advice, if you want your biz to be successful at internet marketing, you need to:

• Create awesome content
• Follow your passions
• Monitor how you’re doing
• Target the right people, and
• Embrace the unprecedented opportunity of the moment

Do that and there’s no limit to what you and your small business can achieve with internet marketing and social media.

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