Social Media: Intentions and Content

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INTENTIONS
Social media requires setting goals for using it to support your business objectives.

Because using social media is easy, it’s a two-edged sword.  Yes, it’s easy to open an account on facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. and ‘get started’.  At the same time, the options of what you can do vs. what you must do to achieve your goals for using social media is not as easily discerned or taken. In general, social media can help you to build awareness of your business, attract traffic to your website, grow you followers and (lest we forget)

CONTENT
Unlike traditional marketing media that was a one-way communication, ‘social’ media is more of a two-way dialog.  And what makes you / your business attractive and interesting?  Relevant content — information that the people you seek to attract to you and keep with you will find useful enough to achieve your goals.

KEY POINT:
Effective use of social media requires GOALS for using it and attractive CONTENT whenever you do, too

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WHAT and WHO — Part 2

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Being crystal clear about WHAT your business does and WHO you serve is a key to attracting the interest and response of people who could do business with you.

A business is in one of 4 ‘Clarity Categories’ based on the mission and market it serves.

MERCENARY — this firm is focused entirely on providing its customers with anything they want but at the expense of what matters to the firm’s owners. Mercenary firms are ike the character whose coat reveals pens on one side while revealing watches on the other.  These firms do very well financially but they fail to fulfill the owners personal sense of purpose.

MARKETEER — this firm perfectly aligns both its mission and market.  It first finds and honors its mission and then finds the market that finds its mission attractive and affordable.  In the end, this is what we all aspire to be in our business . . . personally fulfilled in what we do and financially profitable for doing it, too.

KEY POINT:
Balancing your MISSION and MARKET . . . builds your business value

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Creating Your WOW Factor

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I don’t often tout a product.  Today’s an exception. 

I found a really cool little online service this week.  ContactMe. This cloud-based service makes it easy for people who find you online to contact you and it helps you manage your follow-up with them, as well.  Very nice little app — Check it out on the right side of the page!

I also found another service called “Notebook“.

This little app organizes all kinds of information that I find on websites, in emails, Word documents, etc. in a way that’s very intuitive and extremely easy to use.

Where’s The WOW Factor?
These apps exist because they solve problems. Period. And these apps are . . . FUN!

“Easy and Fun” Beats “Difficult and Complicated”
I’ve given up far more sophisticated CRM software because ‘hard-to-learn’ or ‘difficult to use’ is going to LOSE . . . every time.

Form and Function (Should!) Go Together 
Both these apps are GOOD LOOKING,  INTUITIVE and SIMPLE.  That’s not easy!   It takes a lot of thought to create something you can use easily and effectively without thinking about it.

Attitude
In the ContactMe blog there’s a post where they introduced an innovative change in their service.  They wrote, “You Asked.  We Listened.  We Delivered”.  That reflects their attitude of CARING for the relationships that make their business successful.  Do that for your business.  It is a beautiful thing to see.

KEY POINT:
Demonstrating you CARE about what matters to your client . . . is a competitive edge 

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Your PERSONAL Brand

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Peter Montoya is the author of a book called, “The Brand Called YOU“.  Peter’s a very insightful person who understands that, as a service provider, what people buy before anything else is . . . your brand.

Makes sense.  Afterall, it’s the first thing a prospective client learns about you — often even before they meet you in-person.

Prospects, clients and centers-of-influence use the brand called ‘YOU’ to help them identify you and your business from your competitors.  How?  By triggering an association of ideas, thoughts and feelings that your brand represents or suggests.  Your challenge is to ensure those associations reflect what you want and not . . . something else.

Your Personal Brand:

  • triggers . . . an association of thoughts and feelings people have about you
  • reflects . . . the cumulative effect of all the contacts people have with you over time
  • prepares . . . people about what to expect / not expect about working with you
  • occurs . . . by design or by accident and that . . . is always YOUR choice

KEY POINT:
Your brand . . . is a key factor in shaping expectations of key people for your business

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Marketing Tune-Up, Anyone?

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From time to time we all benefit from a little bit of ‘wisdom’ from people who know what they’re talking about . . . if you agree, this might just be your lucky day!

“Thanks” to our friends at Hubspot for this beautiful slideshow of marketing wisdom!

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Leadership in Action

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Many people don’t think of management as a marketing strategy or as a key to growing revenues  But it is.

I recently changed a banking relationship from one bank to another.  The new manager, Bill McDougall was a big factor in my switching.  But it wasn’t until today that I realized why I’m glad I’m now with Farmington Bank.

While in the bank I casually mentioned in front of a teller that my ‘transition’ to their bank was not as smooth as I had hoped or expected.  Not a deal-breaker.  I wasn’t a ‘flight risk’.  And I probably shouldn’t have said anything in front of the bank teller.  But I did.

Later that day, I got an email from Bill who said, “I heard you had some challenges.  Let’s talk.  We’re committed to making sure our customers are happy”.  No defensiveness.  Just regard for my experience and for the experience the bank could use to improve their performance with other customers.  WOW!

I reflected on this. The more I did, the better Bill and Farmington Bank looked.  Here’s why . . . Bill’s email reflected a sincere regard and CARING for me as his customer.  The fact that his tellers LISTENED to what I’d said (another form of caring!) and then SHARED that information with Bill (a reflection of TRUST in Bill and of their RESPONSE-ABILITY to act in a proactive manner on behalf of the customer and the bank) are all good signs.

OK, Farmington Bank isn’t perfect.  Neither am I.  Who is?  But a bank with a culture that:

  • has and honors a commitment to its customers,
  • recruits people who can demonstrate that commitment with their actions
  • encourages people to create a WOW! experience
  • has managers whose leadership encourages trust in their staff

Is pretty darned amazing!  You may not be near Farmington Bank.  But you can learn some great lessons in marketing by seeing how they manage their customer’s experience.  Now THAT . . . is a great basis for differentiating any business — including yours — from its competitors.

KEY POINT:
Caring is the unconditional regard for your customers that manifests in action on their behalf

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Do Good, Find Alliances, Make Money

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This is the logo of a unique organization that’s found a good cause to support and a way to do so that leaves everyone a winner.

Thanks A Bunch is a website where you make a $10 contribution and a member of the US Armed Forces (or, their family in the states) will receive a gift card worth $50 that can be redeemed at over 14,000 restaurants in the US and around the world.

They’ve teamed up with restaurants seeking to increase traffic by offering a discount to diners.  Their deal for the military and their families:

1) gives donors a tax-deductible 500% ROI (your broker and banker can’t do that!),
2) boosts traffic for participating restaurants at cost or near-cost, and
3) makes a special ‘night out’ possible for a a military family whose father, mother, son or daughter is serving our country overseas.  Man, that’s a win-win-win for all!

How YOU Can Use This Same Idea In Your Business

1. Identify a worthy cause — US military, homeless animals, etc.
2. Identify a product or service or ‘credit’ you can offer (“at cost”)
3. Know your ‘hard cost’ of your offer (so you don’t lose money)
4. Approach an organization or business that serves the worthy cause
5. Make a deal — you offer a ‘killer deal’ and they ‘promote it’ to their people
6. Enjoy the increased, zero-cost traffic
7. Plan to give your new customers a reason to return soon (to buy again!)
8. Create a ‘club’ with ‘free membership’ for everyone you attract
9. Cultivate your ‘members’ to stay top-of-mind over time
10. Keep your competitors guessing how you did it!

KEY POINT:
In challenging times, get creative . . . and you’ll get more business, too!

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Making The Most of Groupon — Part 2

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Key 2 of 3:  Get Ready BEFORE They Arrive. Expect that your promotion will work.  Probably very, very well.  Social media and a ‘killer’ offer’ is a perfect storm for generating response.  But, if you’re not ready for it, it may be a storm disaster!  And be sure your staff know what you’re doing and how to handle all the new opportunities.  If they’re in-the-dark about what you’re doing and how to make the most of it . . . they probably won’t!

Key 3 of 3:  Up-Sell, Cross-Sell and (please God!) RE-Sell. The new inquiries and customers you generate are only worth the effort if you get them to return after their initial promotion redemption and buy . . . AGAIN.

The purpose of most daily deal promotions is to generate new opportunities that you can develop into long-term relationships and revenues.  This won’t happen by accident.  You must plan to make this happen or  . . . it almost certainly won’t.  Can you afford that?

KEY POINT:
Involve Your Staff . . . Plan to Up / Cross and REEEEE-Sell

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Making The Most of Groupon — Part 1

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It’s distressing to learn that almost 60% of companies that used Groupon once would NOT use it again. It suggests these companies were hoping Groupon would be the ‘magic bullet’ for marketing malaise.  It also suggests, to me, that some people in business are either more indolent or ignorant than I’d like to think.

How To Make Money with Groupon or Living Social or . . . Yes, It IS Possible!

Key 1 of 3:  Don’t Give Away More Than You Can Afford. The beauty of any ‘deal’ is that you’re moving your ‘cost of sales’ to your ‘point of sale’.  Instead of the ‘pay now / pray later’ (for results) you only pay when you actually generate business.  That’s HUGE!!

But you still must know what you need to make to cover your hard costs.  Even if you only ‘break-even’ on a promotion but you increase traffic, you will make money sooner or later on these new people who come into contact with your business.

KEY POINT:
Know Your Margins . . . Cover Your (Hard) Costs

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Blog Frequency and Potency

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MAN ON PHONE

Ever wonder about the frequency of your posts and the potency of your blog?

Technorati, the search engine and directory has indexed over 1,000,000 blogs and is a recognized authority on the subject of blogs and blogging.

The More Often You Post, The Better
Technorati found that the more frequently you post on your blog and the longer you’ve been blogging the greater the ‘authority’ or potency you have.

Authority means you’re more likely to be picked up in searches and Google will be your friend in the organic search world.

KEY POINT:
Frequency of posts and longevity of your blog is a potent combination that builds your authority as a blogger

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