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Posts Tagged ‘People’

As I meet new businesses, I often hear, social media does not work. With that statement, I usually ask, how often are you posting? What topics is your audience interested in? And, how does social media fit in with your “traditional” marketing efforts?

Many businesses open social accounts because they “know they need to”, but, then abandon them, or, don’t create a solid marketing plan to integrate the activity alongside their other marketing (like print ads, flyers and email).

If you want to see success using social media marketing, follow these 3 tips:

1. Get your Fans into your Sales Funnel. This is where you drive people to your ordering path, such as, getting them opted into email where they can start to hear about your specials and offers on a regular basis. Drive people back to your OWN website whenever possible. Use your blog to write great content that you can link to and make sure you have a way to capture anyone who visits your web site with a “sign up for emails” box.
2. Post Good Content. Make sure you are posting what your audience is interested in. Be sure to deliver great information and yes, you can “sell” to them as well. But, most often, Facebook (for example) is a great tool for reinforcing your brand. You may not make as many “direct sales” from someone clicking on a link. But, you are staying top of mind when they are ready to purchase. And, it’s GREAT to build your list here by posting about upcoming events you are holding or FREE seminars they can “share” with others and opt into your list. You never know where someone is in their buying cycle or what post you make is the one they need at just the right time.
3. Ask for What you Want. Your audience already likes you, which is why they are a Fan! All you need to do is tell them what you want them to do. Ask them to “like”, “comment” and “share” and they will. Plus, give specific “calls to action” that provide urgency. “Order by Friday and get 10% off – please share with your friends” and give a link and a code to get the discount.

Marketing is a continuous effort not a one shot deal and there is no silver bullet in any marketing campaign. But, it is just that, a campaign, filled with many efforts that keep you in front of your customer, lead and target marketing so that you are there with the right offer at the right time when they are ready to buy.

(Image credit clickz)

Marketing is all about reaching the most targeted audience at the right time in their buying cycle. The reason permission based marketing (when someone opts-in to your list) is so valuable is that you often may not know when a customer is “ready to buy”, so making sure your target audience is engaged with you in the contact method(s) they prefer is key.

People need to see your message 7 – 10 times before they take an action, so the more methods they opt-in to, the better. If they see your Facebook post, email and LinkedIn Status update in the same week, you are increasing the “marketing impressions” they receive, so you have a better chance of being top of mind when they need you.

Try these 3 Ways to Stay Top of Mind:

1. Email: Make it part of your marketing plan to send monthly emails. Even if your audience doesn’t have time to read them, or even click through, your name goes by as a touch point. Even if they hit the delete button, your name / brand has registered in their mind… keeping YOU top of mind when they need your product or service.
2. Be Engaging: Create content on your blog, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn status updates that people will want to share or comment on. The more interaction you can get with your content, the more you will be remembered by your audience AND, get exposed to their contacts when they “share” what you’ve posted. Photos and Videos get the most activity.
3. Reach Out 1 on 1: When you see an article that makes you think of someone, email it to them, or share it on their Facebook Wall. When you make an effort to keep others top of mind, they will do the same in kind just based on the fact that they appreciate your thoughts and effort.

Every business should have an online marketing plan that should include blogging, Facebook and email to get started. Twitter and LinkedIn should also be considered. If you are not sure how to reach your target customer, or you need assistance developing a marketing plan, we’re here to help.

(Image credit: warehousinglogisticsinternational.com)

Why is a blog so important in online marketing? Because of its ability to “pull” leads and customers to you!

When you think of typical marketing, it’s generally “pushed” out to the audience. You send out direct mail and email, you post Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn content, you hand out flyers, you place print ads…. push, push, push.

With 70 million people conducting daily searches on the internet, smart business owners are using their Blog to “PULL” potential customers to them! People are conducting online search for a solution to their problem. If you Blog about the right topics, YOUR web site can come up as the solution!

How to Pull People to Your Blog?

• Put the Keyword into the Title as soon as Possible: Search engines give more weight to the 1st 3 words of a title.
• Use Keywords throughout the Article: Use the phrase in the 1st sentence or 2, then 1 or 2 other times in the post. Hyperlink them back to the most relevant page of your own website or blog.
• Get Links to your Blog: Start with links from your own website, your own Facebook and Twitter sites, and then branch out and make friends online to get links from OTHER peoples websites.

Keywords are the key and you must use them in your content in the right places and also receive inbound links to your content on your important keywords. There are many elements that effect Search Engine Optimization and your ability to pull people to your content. Call us if you have any questions on how to blog effectively for your business.

Out of the 37 million Facebook business pages, 7 million have already made the mandatory 3/30 switch to the “Timeline” format. Want to know what best practices early adopters have to share? Read on.

1. Features: Hover over any post you have made to your wall and click the “star” button top right that says “Highlight”. When you do, it will spread the post out to cover both columns of your wall and feature it. This is GREAT for photos and makes a fantastic visual impact.
2. Pins: You can pin any post or “feature” to the top of your wall, so, it is the first thing your visitors see. The result? Increased engagement with your page. Find this button by hovering over a post, and you’ll see “edit or remove” option, top right. Click the “pencil” image and choose “pin to top”.
3. Noisy Tabs:If you were using a Facebook Welcome page before, it is now a “tab” that appears under the cover photo. You have 3 “above the fold” spots to use, so, make them good with custom tabs that really engage your visitor. Making your tab “noisy” refers to the level of engagement you can get by asking people to do something on a page, like, vote or watch a video.(By the way, you don’t have to have “liked” a page to write on the wall now, so, getting people into your permission marketing stream with a “like” is something you need to focus on.) Tabs are now your only place to give visitors a “call to action”.

Take a look at the following “early Facebook timeline adopters” business pages for ideas:
http://www.facebook.com/julep
http://www.facebook.com/Nylabone
http://www.facebook.com/VEVO
http://www.facebook.com/mountaindew

What is the most exciting about these new changes is that those Facebook business pages with under 1 million fans that have been using the new timeline for 1 month now, have seen significant improvement in engagement with their page.

Try the suggestions below and post your results below.

Were you shocked to see the new Facebook changes on your profile last week? If so, you are not alone. Facebook has made tremendous changes to Personal Profiles and Business Fan Pages will not be far behind.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but, here are 3 tips worth knowing so you can get a handle on the new changes to your Personal Facebook Profile:

1. Subscribe: Subscribing is really just the same as “adding a friend” or “liking a business page”. What’s new is that you have so many more options regarding the type of information you wish to see from each person or page. Just mouse over the name and the “hover” card will appear with many choices based on: “volume” – how often you get content, and “type” – what content you hear about. Learn more here: facebook.com/about/subscribe
2. Timeline: The former “wall” is now called your Timeline. You are not automatically switched over to this view just yet. But, take a look at learn more about it here: facebook.com/about/timeline You may find it fun. The new layout is nice with a large “Cover” photo at the top instead of the 5 little thumbnail images plus news is shown in a 2 column format (you can even click to “feature” a particular post that will spread across both columns). What’s new is you’re going to find many drop down boxes and icons to click on that will let you edit and update just about anything. For those with lots of free time, you can spend hours adding life events (even those in the past). Facebook wants to hold your whole life!
3. Privacy: There are many ways to select what other people see about you. You can control:
   • How you connect with friends
   • How you are “Tagged” and tag others
   • Who sees when you add new apps and websites
   • Who sees what you posted in the past
   • People and apps you have chosen to block

   Take a look at each setting individually and open or close them as you see fit.

PLUS! Facebook will be adding NEW “like” terms such as: “watch”, “read”, “listen” so that you can more accurately interact with content.

BONUS! And, if you really want to help Facebook know what you want to see on your wall, click the little blue triangle on the top left of a post to either remove it as a “top story”, or click the empty left top corner to mark it as a top news.

More questions? Just post them below.

For those who know how to use it wisely, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for lead generation. It’s not just a place to put your resume or a job board, though most people tend to learn about it when they are job searching. It’s a very effective tool for targeted, free, online networking and lead generation.

LinkedIn is the largest online business networking site. Using the power of “who do you know,” you can make great connections and generate leads for your business, but, you must get involved to do it. This is the way all the social sites work, Facebook, Twitter, etc… You can’t just open an account and let it lie. Participation is key.

LinkedIn has approximately 45 million members, where Facebook, by comparison, has 300 million and Twitter is reported at 32 million. Just looking at the numbers alone, you can see that if you do not have a presence on LinkedIn, you are missing a huge opportunity to connect with potential customers and connections that can help further your business objectives.

Here are 7 tips to follow to optimize your profile, get involved with the community and connect with some experts in your industry in a targeted way:

1. Fill Your Summary with a Keyword Filled Story:
   That first section before the laundry list of every job you’ve had is the place to tell a story that is filled with keywords about you and your business. Always add a call to action at the end.
2. Add Your Picture:
   Social spaces are about connecting with people. You must add your picture to your profile. The human element is how people want to connect with you. Plus, if someone is searching for you specifically, this helps them identify you.
3. Give and Receive Recommendations:
   Just like references on your resume, get your top clients to recommend your work with a glowing review. And, do the same for them.
4. Participate in “Answers”:
   Read the status updates of your friends, and browse relevant groups to answer as many questions as you can. This keeps your name top of mind, just like a marketing campaign. Plus, all your answers appear on your connections’ home page.
5. Post Questions:
   This is a great way to connect with people and it helps reinforce your name as a “go to” person in your industry.
6. Join Groups:
   After you’ve added everyone you know, make new connections and keep building your network by finding groups that interest you and fit with your industry. Find out who is in your group and reach out to them. This is the most targeted marketing you can get!
7. Add LinkedIn to your Auto Signature:
   And, now that you are actively participating in this incredible social network, add your profile URL to your email auto signature. (And be sure to add any other social media space sites as well, like Twitter and Facebook). You want people to be able to connect with you on any and all social spaces they are using.

You can connect with me at: linkedin.com/in/joannwhetstine