A Week in Paris, and the Joy of Technology and Doing Business Online

March 29, 2009 By 6 Comments

Eiffel TowerLast week I spent a week in Paris with my husband, staying with friends.  It was an amazing experience, and my first trip to Europe.  Our friends are a married couple with a one year old and an English bulldog named Angus.  The husband is in Paris for 9 months for work, and they return home in May on the Queen Mary 2. (Bulldogs can’t fly.)

We did the typical sightseeing things: Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomph, the Louvre, Montmartre, Bastille, Versailles, Notre Dame, the Champs Elysees.  We also visited some really cool spots like the Catacombs and Pere Lachaise Cemetary.  Not to mention the food–oh, the food.  How I miss it so.  Fresh baguettes and phenomenal cheeses, cafe au laits, great wines and decadent desserts.  Everything there is fresher, more delicately prepared, somehow more delicious than anything at home.

But while my time there was fabulous because of the surroundings and experiences, I was also reminded of the power of technology and of having an online business.  While away, my iPhone and Flip video camera allowed loved ones at home to see the same wonderful parts of Paris we did that very night through Facebook.  A guest post of mine went up over on Work Happy Now and I took a few minutes away from my baguette and Roquefort to converse with the readers of it through the comments. :)

I didn’t have to worry about trying to bang out blog posts or my weekly ezine while I was there because I pre-wrote all of them and scheduled them to go out while I was gone.  And my daily checks of email from my phone showed me that people were still signing up for my free social media e-course and subscribing to my newsletter while I admired the Seine.  Ahh, the portable convenience of an online business.

Perhaps the best part of it all?  Not having to ask for anyone’s permission to jet off to France.  Now, can everything be done on auto-pilot all of the time?  No, but knowing your business can still run smoothly in the background while you spend quality time with family and friends is enough reason to consider the infopreneur life.

If you enjoy the perks of doing biz online, what do you love the most about it?  When “offline” folks express skepticism at making a living that way, what do you tell them?  Let me know in the comments.

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The Art of Social Marketing

March 27, 2009 By 2 Comments

Word of MouthThis is a guest post from Gordon Blackwell of Starta Development. His personal website can be found at The Alert CIO.  His musings on social marketing over at one of the forums I frequent so impressed me that I asked him to allow me to post it here.  He hit all of the points that speak to the core of what social marketing is and why it works:

-focus on the needs of the consumer
-create engaging discussion
-really sell value and support the value continuously
-present an ongoing and evolving message
-have a consistent symbol or message
-relay a compelling story
-humanize your business
-listen to customers and deliver true value

I couldn’t have said it better myself. :)   Thanks Gordon!

An Engaging Discussion

Our generation is witnessing an evolution of how businesses interact with customers. Effective marketing is more than employing traditional media to broadcast features and benefits of a product or service. In this age of global communications, marketing often involves an interactive, engaging discussion between companies and consumers.

The clever marketer presents a grassroots message, something that resonates with and excites the target audience. As with traditional marketing, brand exposure is usually the end purpose. However, social marketing focuses on the needs of the consumer instead of the function of the product or service itself. The message that the effective marketer must convey is how the product or service genuinely improves life or business for the target consumer.

Our continuously evolving marketplaces demand agility, but this does not mean that speed trumps all. Marketers should understand the core message of every communication before the message is released; few things are more mortifying than belatedly finding errors — or worse — in your marketing materials.

The medium of the message is equally important: a post on MySpace has decidedly different connotations from a story in a local newspaper. The best medium, of course, has always been positive word of mouth between friends and colleagues. For this to occur your company must really sell its value and support the value continuously as it is consumed.

An Ongoing Presence

Even if you have the good fortune of positive word of mouth, as a marketer you’ll have to continue to guide your company’s presence in the marketplace. In place of intermittent, short-lived campaigns, consider putting your efforts behind an ongoing and evolving message.

Most people are very aware of the traditional mega-brands like Coke and McDonalds, but without a continuous presence in the marketplace even those fade from front-line visibility. How much more true for small businesses relying on social marketing techniques and word of mouth!

One of the best ways to continuously reinforce your message is through a consistent symbol, something seen again and again in various contexts. A spokesperson, someone who provides a human story, is perhaps the best symbol of all.

Subway gained phenomenal momentum by introducing us to “Jared,” the man now famous for losing hundreds of pounds through their products. Subway’s success came not from presenting bullet points about their Club Sub, but from relaying a compelling story. The campaign began with a series of strategically placed articles in newspapers and journals, and then transitioned into a series of ongoing television advertisements. Social marketing and traditional marketing techniques often augment one another.

Genuine Connections

Social techniques appear faddish to some, but these concepts are rooted in one of the core tenets of good marketing: serve your customers with value. In today’s landscape of corporate behemoths and offshore call centers, consumers cherish the experience of genuine service and real connections with people they perceive to be like themselves.

Social marketing is a way to humanize your organization in the public eye, and that can make a world of difference to your bottom line. If you listen to your customers and deliver true value to them, you might even find that word of mouth is taking off on its own. Is there anything better around which to build the rest of your business?

(Also, if you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for my free social media e-course.)

Photo Credit: Paull Young

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: , ,

Ten Ways to Create Business Visibility on Facebook

March 19, 2009 By 4 Comments

facebook-logoWith Facebook recently overtaking MySpace as the top social networking site, it’s definitely worth taking a look at if you are in business.

According to a recent study by the Aberdeen Group, companies are using sites like Facebook to improve interactions they have with their customers. The study showed that companies using social networking sites are 17 times more likely to improve customer satisfaction than companies that don’t use them.

If you already have a profile on the site but aren’t sure how to leverage it for brand visibility, networking and gaining feedback–here are some tips for boosting your reach:

1. Take special care in filling out your profile: Take time to thoroughly complete your profile, especially making sure to include your website address and other contact information. Also fill in your activities and interests.  People appreciate this type of insight into who you are beyond the business.

2. Join and contribute to groups: Joining groups that are relevant to your niche is an easy way to reach your target market and share your knowledge.  Be sure to post helpful tips and links and to comment in the discussions.

3.  Start a group of your own: Taking the group idea up a level, why not create your own?  Be seen as a leader while forming relationships with other members who have joined.  Encourage participation and conversation and include a way for others to learn more about your business when you fill in your info as the administrator for the group.

4. Update often: This doesn’t mean you need to spend hours on Facebook, but for the time you do spend, update your status and add relevant, helpful information, photos or links to your profile. Because these updates show up through the News Feed function for others, you are creating a viral spread of information that helps create familiarity and build your brand.

5. Personalize your friend requests: It is a good idea to add a short message when making a friend request.  It helps people to remember you and it’s just a good relationship-building practice.

6. Import your blog posts: You can use the Notes application to feed your blog posts into your profile.  NetworkedBlogs is another application that is great for giving your blog exposure.  The posts you import with this app appear in others’ news feeds, adding to your expert status and credibility in your particular niche.

7. Create a Page for your business: Facebook Pages are a great option because it allows you to have a separate profile for your business.  Last week a new design was actually introduced by Facebook for them.  You can invite others to join the page, hold discussions, post relevant items and “naturally” promote your products or services. Facebook is ranked highly in the search engines, and by giving your business a page, it allows your business to rank highly as well.

8. Introduce, suggest and recommend: Introduce people you think should know each other.  Suggest and recommend resources to others.  All of these activities create community and contribute to the awareness of both you and your business.

9. Promote your events: If you are holding teleseminars, courses, live events or anything of that nature, you can create invitations for your friends to receive with all the relevant info included.  This is great for driving traffic and increasing participation.

10. Place targeted ads: “Social Ads” on Facebook are another option.  This can be a powerful way to increase awareness of your brand.  With these ads you are able to select targeted demographics for your campaigns.

You hear this all the time but it is worth repeating: it’s about building relationships, not “push” marketing.

A few things to keep in mind: make sure you never do anything that could be perceived as being “spammy.”  Take time to explore your profile’s privacy options and keep in mind how your Facebook activities may be perceived by potential clients and customers.

Have you used Facebook for networking or visibility? What were your results?  If you disagree about it being a tool for business I’d like to hear that as well.

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: , ,

Why Blogging is No Longer Optional if You Do Business Online

March 16, 2009 By 4 Comments

bloggingMany of you already have a blog and understand how important it is for gaining visibility for your business.  But I know many others are still resistant to it.

You think it takes too much time and effort, you don’t feel you are a good enough writer, you’re not sure how to set one up, you don’t have a clue what to write about….I get all of the reasons that might be holding you back.

If you already have a traditional, “brochure” style website for your business, then great. Keep it as a place for prospects to visit and find out more about what you offer.  I use my blog as my main site, and don’t have a separate, static website.  It’s a personal choice. Many people have both, with the blog being linked to from the main site.

Don’t have a blog? There are several important reasons why you should:

Visibility

If you are doing even just some of your business using the web then obviously you need an online presence. Having a blog that you post to regularly is a wonderful way to capture and keep the attention of potential clients and customers.  When they see that you are writing consistent content, they are more likely to return.

Community Building

Having comments on your posts encourages feedback and promotes conversation. It can help you to find out what your target market wants from you.  This feedback can even help you come up with ideas for future posts.

Positions You as the Expert

Once you begin posting useful content regularly and attracting readers, you become seen as a thought leader in your niche.  This leads to more relationships, business and opportunities.  It’s one of the best ways to communicate the value of your offerings to prospective clients and customers.

Search Engine Optimization

This doesn’t mean you need to become an SEO guru.  But blogs by their very nature are dynamic.  In the eyes of Google, this is a very good thing.  They want their users to get updated information. A blog can help get your business ranked well in the search engines.

Personality Sharing

Blogging gives you a chance to be seen as a real person behind the business. Don’t be afraid to express opinions and share things about yourself.  This will go a long way towards humanizing you in others eyes.

The best thing about blogging is how easy and quick it is to send out a post at the push of a button.  It’s also great to be able to track exactly who is coming to your site and from where. Use Google’s free Analytics tool and you can see detailed statistics on your traffic and visitors.

Just get it going.  Try to set a goal of one post a week.  They don’t have to be long and they don’t have to be earth-shattering.  Just like anything, you’ll get better at writing the more you do it.  Jot down any ideas for posts as as they come to you.  I keep a file of ideas and find this helpful to refer to if I get stuck for what to write.

Just as you would any other marketing activity, blogging should be something you carve out time for.  Really feel you would have nothing to say to people who may want to hire or buy from you? Maybe it is just not for you. But I encourage all small business owners who are doing business online to give it a shot. Who knows, maybe there are people out there just waiting to hear your voice.

What about you?  Would you agree that blogging has become one of those must-dos for biz owners?  Do you have any tips for those who are still feeling intimidated?  Please do share.

Photo Credit: Annie Mole

Filed Under: Small Business Marketing Tagged With: ,

Taming the Social Media Time-Suck, Part 2: What Do You Want Out of it?

March 12, 2009 By 4 Comments

timerIt’s so easy to hop on a social media site and suddenly find that several hours have gone by–without you really knowing what you have spent your time on.  We all do it.  Explore and get lost at first, but eventually you are going to need a plan.

Got Benefits?

Here are some questions you can ask yourself when participating in social media.  These will help you both manage your time and measure your results:

*Is this helping to establish a good reputation or improve an existing one?

* Are the sites where I am spending my time related to my niche? Does my target market hang out there?

* Is this helping to increase awareness of my brand?

* Am I learning new things which will enrich my business?

* Am I building beneficial relationships?

* Am I seeing increased traffic to my website or blog as a result of my participation?

It is also good to remember that certain activities–chatting with someone on Twitter, for example–do not always result in an immediate benefit. However, it is the relationship you are cultivating which can pay off in the future.

How Do I Know Which Tools are Right for Me?

You will naturally find yourself spending more time on the social media sites which interest you the most. But here are some questions to consider:

* Why are people there and what are they doing? Are they looking for jobs, setting up joint ventures, discussing video games? Is that focus important to you? Do you enjoy spending your time there?

* Who are the people there? Aspiring entrepreneurs, moms, business owners, employees? Are they people you can learn from?

* What are they talking about? Are you getting value from the conversation? Are the discussions applicable to what it is you do?

How to Set Limits

* First–stop feeling guilty!

* Set a timer. I know it sounds funny, but for some people this works really well. If you find yourself getting sucked in on a regular basis, tell yourself you will only spend X amount of minutes on Twitter or Facebook or whichever site you are using. Stick to it!

* Have a plan. It may sound strange to plan out an activity that is supposed to be “social.” But you should decide how social media is going to fit into your overall marketing or business picture. Making a couple of comments on Facebook and your favorite blogs should only take a few minutes. Drop in on Twitter, listen, share a link and respond to others there. Give more than you take.

It’s Not for Everyone

If you aren’t seeing social media activities as being valuable because you are too busy, then maybe (gasp!) it’s not for you. Maybe you already have plenty of clients, and your business is happily growing. Don’t force it.

Obviously, social media is just one of many things you can spend your time on, and unless you see a good return on that investment of time you are probably better off doing something else.

People can and will carve out the time for social media IF they see a reason to. If you think your business will benefit from understanding how to use these new tools of client communication, marketing and networking then it might be a good idea to get your feet wet.

Of course, ultimately it will be up to you to decide what is best. Do you consciously manage your time on social media sites?  What kind of results do you look for when using them?

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: ,

Taming the Social Media Time-Suck (Part 1)

March 10, 2009 By 2 Comments

timeA common complaint I hear among small business owners and solopreneurs is that they just don’t have enough time to keep up with it all. There are so many items competing for our attention on a given day that social media can seem like one more overwhelming thing we don’t have room for on the schedule.

Admittedly, social media can be time-consuming in the beginning. There are platforms and tools to get familiar with and learn how to use. Not to mention all the talk about needing to “build relationships” while you are there.

Add to this its seductive nature of being both immensely fun and a handy way to procrastinate…oy.

So how do you keep from wasting your precious time but still take advantage of this world in order to benefit your business?

The answer is to be selective. Pick one or two networks–in my case it is Twitter and Facebook–and focus on those. It’s impossible to be everywhere and besides–it’s not necessary to be everywhere, which should offer you a bit of relief.

Now because social media is a piece of what I do in my business, I check out many of the new tools that come along, poking around to see how they work and how they could help my clients or myself.

I don’t explore most social sites in depth unless suddenly there is a good amount of chatter around them. I like to keep track of those occurrences along with lots of other information through Google Alerts, RSS feeds and Twitter.

But even I have limits! While tempting, I do not have Tweetdeck open all day. I check in a few times as a break from doing other work. For the other sites I experiment and set goals. Basically, you want to avoid participating in low-priority topics and conversations, just as you would in your offline life.

Let me know how you (try to) manage your time when it comes to social media.  Care to share any helpful tips for others?  Stay tuned for Part 2.

Photo Credit: fdecomite

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: ,

Why Integrating Blogging with Social Media is a Great Combination

March 8, 2009 By 4 Comments

BloggingHaving a blog is not only a great way to create community through the comments, but it’s made up of dynamic content that is always changing which Google of course loves.  I happen to prefer WordPress, which is a very powerful platform for several reasons.

WordPress has a huge community of developers behind it who are constantly creating new plugins and themes which gives WordPress tons of functionality.  This community involvement has also led to an enormous amount of documentation which is readily available to users.  Additionally, its rapid development cycle means features are cutting edge and security and bug issues are quickly taken care of.

Add to that the fact that it’s super simple to use, it’s free and inherently SEO-friendly and you’ve got a great way to get your writing out there.  And why do you want it “out there” if you are in business?  Because solid, regular content is king.  The more quality content you create on the web, the more you are seen as an expert in your particular niche and the more you improve your search engine rankings.  In terms of rankings, you also want to get lots of links coming to your site but that is another post entirely.

So how does social media play into this?

There are some great ways to integrate your blogging activities with your social media activities, kind of like a one-two punch for upping your visibility. Here are a couple of my favorites:

The Notes feature within Facebook. This application allows you to import the RSS feed of your blog. Every time you post to your blog, the post will pop up automatically as a Facebook note.

The Facebook Networked Blogs application. Once you haved “claimed your blog” this is an easy way to promote and invite your friends to become readers.  I like to think of it as a “fan page” for your blog.  This application organizes blogs by utilizing geographical locations retrieved from Facebook’s demographics.  Your blog is also listed in a directory where it is organized by tags and popularity.  This is a nice way for others to discover your blog. Many people still do not use or understand RSS Feeds for receiving content, so Networked Blogs is a good alternative for encouraging blog reading within the Facebook community.

Twitter of course is a great way to (sparingly) let others know about new blog posts. If you blog a few times a week I’d suggest you not tweet about every single one, but rather the posts you feel have the most value.  This way you are not seen as being overly promotional.  There are also several WordPress plugins which feed your latest Tweets into the sidebar of your blog.  One of the better ones is called Twitter Tools.

Lastly, FriendFeed is really useful and I don’t think a lot of people realize its power yet. I like to share my blog posts using the “Share” feature of Google Reader which feeds them into my FriendFeed stream.  I plan on writing another post all about why I think FriendFeed is an underrated killer marketing tool in the near future.

Let me know your thoughts.  Are you using both blogging and social media in your business?  Have any tools to suggest?

Also, if you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for my free social media e-course.

Photo Credit: Foxtongue

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Recession Marketing: Communicating Value is Even More Crucial Now

March 2, 2009 By 16 Comments

recessionI will be the first to say I don’t watch much news.  I don’t buy into the doom and gloom and I don’t think that everyone has stopped spending money.  I like to think that we create our own economy.  That being said, there is no doubt that our country, indeed the world, is going through a trying time.

People are still spending money but they are often giving more thought to what they spend it on.  They want to be more sure than ever that they are getting that bang for their buck.

It is interesting to observe those who are thriving in this climate.  Whether they are selling products or services, a common trait is that they are giving tons of value up front to their clients and customers.  This is clear before they have even sold anything to anyone:

*They have shown the advantages of spending their money with them versus someone else

*They have exhibited what they expect your return on investment will be in terms of results and in what time frame

*They have offered proof of success in others through testimonials and success stories

*They have responded promptly to inquiries and addressed concerns before the sale has occurred

*They have demonstrated that they understand how their product or service meets the customer/client’s needs (what is it they value the most?)

Coupled with building relationships built on trust through social media tools and online communication, it’s a powerful combination enabling many entrepreneurs to do exceptionally well in these otherwise uncertain times.

What are your thoughts on the fact that many small business owners are thriving right now?  What connections have you made about what they may be doing differently?

Photo Credit: aturkus

Filed Under: Small Business Marketing Tagged With: , ,