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Taking Smaller Steps to Success

By on September 10, 2012 in Blog Coach, Social Media with 10 Comments

Small Success Equals Tangible SuccessWe live in an era of “Quick-Attention Span”, not “Short Attention Span” – it’s become a necessity to filter quickly.

Information. Requests for our time. To-Do lists.

In this quick-attention economy, I’ve found that smaller, quicker steps towards success are a more sure way to bigger successes.

When talking with small business owners, I can sense when the weight of a project or proposal is getting too big. My desire is to stop well short of “heavy” for two reasons:

  1. Quick Steps to Tangible Success – Smaller projects are often a quicker path to tangible successes. I might have a larger project in mind, but breaking it down into smaller steps (think “kaizen”) builds habits (and relationships) of success.
  2. Model Digestible Tasks – By taking on projects and tasks in smaller steps, I am modeling how the business owner I’m working with will be able to take on their new tasks in using the web and mobile to improve their business.

Taking smaller steps may lead towards bigger successes. Sometimes quick is better than fast.

Photo on Flicker by Marquette LaForest via Compfight

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What is Your Social Media Page Saying about You?

By on July 18, 2012 in Blog Coach, Conversations, Marketing, Social Media with 4 Comments

A targeted social media strategy offers big opportunities for businesses of every size. Social media can be a channel for stronger customer relationships, brand awareness and promotions.

But social media can be a double-edged sword, creating both positive and negative images of your company with far-reaching effects. Here are some easy-to-deploy tips to create positive impacts, while avoiding negative effects on your company’s reputation and brand.

How to Make Your Social Media Page Say ‘We Get It’

You’re doing social media right if your page:

  • Creates conversations: Blatant promotional updates are boring. Social media is not about you; it’s about creating conversations and building relationships. Listen to your customers. Ask them questions and answer their queries promptly. Let your customers be your promotional team.
  • Shows appreciation: Every Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube follower is valuable. Those who comment on and share posts are potential gold, with the power to influence others. Offer them perks. Ask for their opinions. And don’t forget to say, “Thanks.”
  • Is a sounding board: Embrace comments and complaints. Fix the customer’s problem and you’ll create a fan out of him/her and everyone who sees (and shares) the conversation.
  • Engages daily: Social media gives businesses an easy way to stay in front of customers. Take full advantage of this powerful opportunity – post every day.

Does Your Social Media Page Say ‘We Don’t Get It’?

It’s easy to see who “gets” social media – and it’s pretty obvious when a company doesn’t. You could be guilty of social media that leaves a bad taste if your page says:

  • We’re robots: People want to connect with people, not corporations. When interacting on social media networks, be a person. Use “we” and “you” statements. Have a personality (keep it in line with the brand strategy).
  • We don’t care about you: Ignoring questions and complaints has a negative impact on customers and prospects. Whether or not they’ve had a similar experience with your company, they can still get the impression that you don’t care.
  • We’re inconsistent: Give customers what they’ve come to expect from your brand. If you’re a fun, casual company, be fun and casual. If you’re professional and buttoned up, don’t post photos of employees partying; take a more serious tone but do show your human side.
  • We don’t have time for this: Building a community around social media takes time and effort. Don’t make the mistake of bailing on posts or slacking on quality content. Stick with your strategy, engage regularly and your community will grow.

Social media is a powerful, must-do business strategy. Show that your company “gets it” and you’ll likely reap the benefits.

Jessica Edmondson contributes on social media training and Internet marketing training for University Alliance, a division of Bisk Education, Inc.

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Business Owners: 3 News Ways to Use Social Media for Marketing [Guest]

By on June 15, 2012 in Blog Coach, Marketing, Social Media with 3 Comments

Guest PostI’m on a road trip until the end of June. This post by Carol Wilson is part of a call for guest posts

We all know by now that, if you’re not using social media to market your business, you have somehow missed the boat. Most business owners have some sort of social media profile set up to represent their business online, or they are quickly learning to create the right social media presence for marketing purposes. But, because so many business owners are using social media as a marketing tool, it can be difficult to figure out how to make your products stand out. Here are a few things that social media newcomers may not think to try for business marketing, but that can garner great results every time:

1. Use Twitter Trends

Twitter is by far one of the fastest growing social media landscapes today. People use it for personal conversations as well as business promotion. If you have your own business, you will definitely want to get some Twitter accounts established to represent both you and your business. Once you have a Twitter profile set up for your business, one of the best ways to get attention and gain followers is to follow the trending topics on Twitter. When you’re on the Twitter homepage, you should see a list of topics on the left-hand side. These topics are the highest-occurring words or phrases being used on Twitter at that moment. When you click on them, you can immediately see who is commenting on these topics in real time. If you join the conversation every time a topic starts to trend, you have a higher chance of users noticing your tweets and checking out your profile.

2. Do a Facebook Contest

If you have a Facebook account established for your business, your main goal is to get as many Facebook friends as you can and then hope that they will take notice of your products or services and become loyal customers. However, it can be difficult to separate your business from the rest. One of the best ways to get more Facebook friends and then get those people to interact with your business is to do a Facebook contest. Many businesses will run promotions where, if a Facebook user “likes” the company or posts the company on their or someone else’s wall, then they will be entered to win a prize. Figure out what you can offer to potential customers as a giveaway that might get them excited, and offer that prize up for your own special contest.

3. Connect to Bloggers

Running a blog to represent your business is a great way to add a personal touch to your home web site and to get customers talking about your products and communicating with you and one another. But, while it’s great to have current customers following your blog, how do you reach out to consumers who have never heard of your business? One of the best ways to use your blog to connect to new users is to allow other bloggers to write guest posts, or to write  a guest author yourself on someone else’s blog. When you cross post the articles, both you and the guest blogger have the opportunity to benefit from higher visibility.

Carol Wilson is a freelance insurance business writer who is in the midst of creating her very own business insurance guide for consumers. In the meantime, she likes to share her knowledge of business insurance and other business related topics such as marketing to small business owners, entrepreneurs, and other corporate moguls. She welcomes your comments at wilson.carol24@gmail.com.

Google+ is Forcing Small Businesses to Care about Social Media [Guest]

By on June 14, 2012 in Blog Coach, Social Media with 0 Comments

GooglePlusGoogle+ is Forcing Small Businesses to Care about Social Media

If you’ve been fighting against the social media wave or have even just been avoiding it altogether…you just lost the fight. Social media won. Social media knocked you out and is forcing you to get involved.

Why?

Because Google just forced every small business in the world to care about social media. You no longer have an option.

How is Google+ Forcing You?

For several years, the best way for small businesses to appear on a Google search was by claiming their Google Places listing and optimizing that listing. It simply worked better than almost any other SEO method. Most small businesses at least understand the importance of Google Places.

But then last week Google dropped a bomb.

Google announced last week that they are phasing out Google Places and replacing it with Google+. That’s right, in order a local business to be found on Google, it will have to be on Google+.

They just forced you to care about, and use, social media.

How Google+ Works for Small Businesses

If you have a Gmail account you can quickly sign up for Google+. You just click the +You button in the top left hand corner of your browser. Follow the instructions and create a business page.

There is now a ‘Local’ tab on the left hand sidebar of your Google+ profile. Users can search for specific businesses or browse through businesses within Google+ itself. Clicking on a listing will take the searcher to the Google+ page of the business (not the website). Additionally, Google has included an entire scoring and rating system for every type of business. They even bought Zagat for over $200 million to help them with reviews.

And here’s the key: Google + Local is now also integrated with Google organic search, Google Maps and Google Mobile. So, if you search for a local business anywhere, on any Google platform, the Google+ page for the business will show up.

Literally, if you do not have a Google+ page you will not exist in Google search.

Step-By-Step: What to Do

-          It means you need to set up a Google+ page for your business today. Like right now.

-          Add people, businesses and influencers to your Google+ circles

-          Engage with them by sharing articles, thoughts, comments or deals via Google+

-          Optimize your Google+ page with pictures, information and reviews

Google is literally merging your Google Places listing into a Google+ page. They are literally forcing every small business onto Google+.  So, again, if you’ve ignored or neglected social media so far, you can no longer.

Jason Wells, CEO of ContactPoint

Jason Wells, CEO,  ContactPoint

Jason Wells is CEO of ContactPoint. Prior, Jason served as Senior Vice President of Sony.

ContactPoint’s newest product, LogMyCalls, is an intelligent call tracking tool. Follow LogMyCalls on Google+  or @LogMyCalls on Twitter to get marketing tips.

Guest Posting: A Call and A Hope

By on June 14, 2012 in Blog Coach, Social Media with 0 Comments

Guest Post on ConverstationsGuest posting is very popular these days, and rightfully so. It can be a great way to reach different audiences for both the host and the gust.

I get dozens of requests each month to be a host of a guest post. I gladly turn many of them down for these reasons:

  • No mention of what site the guest author will be linking to
  • No offer of any social media or network profile (and I search, but there are so many David White or Susan Jones, it becomes challenging
  • Even though I send my Guest Post Guidelines there are zero Eye Rests. None.

So I don’t post those. But I do host guest posts I think will be valuable to an intended audience of small business owners or social media learners.

That said, I’m on a road trip through Rural America – four states in two weeks – working with a few small businesses and organizations. This is a great time to submit your guest posts.

No need to ask first, just submit the post with this in mind:

  • Topic of interest should be small business or social media (or both)
  • Must have Eye Rests
  • A small bio or at least a link to one of your “active” social media/network profiles
  • A link that will act as a resource to this intended audience.

Mail you submission to mike@converstations.com

See you in a couple of weeks

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Claim Your Facebook and Google+ Local Pages [Guest Post]

By on June 12, 2012 in Blog Coach, Marketing, Social Media with 2 Comments

written by Angela Sansone

Business cards. It’s a lost opportunity not to have one to hand out when people ask, “So what do you do?” or “How can I contact you?”

Few business owners are without a business card. As Mike and I work with small business owners to strengthen their web presence, I am amazed at how many haven’t claimed their on-line business cards … their Facebook or Google+ Pages.

Whether Facebook or Google is something you do, your online business card is out there sending consumers one of two messages:

“I’m a 21st century business who knows and cares about my online web presence.”

OR

“I’m a business still stuck in the ’90s and I don’t know or don’t care about my online web presence.”

Not claiming your Facebook or Google+ Local page is not an opportunity you want to pass up.

Unclaimed Facebook Business Page

Unclaimed Google+ Local Page

Nothing against Mom’s Cafe – we hear the food is great, but we see this so many times. Lots of likes, a few reviews, and an echo chamber from the owner. From restaurants to realtors, furniture stores to HVAC repairs, there are plentiful opportunities being ignored too often.

As BizReport writes:

Businesses that claim their Places Page are able to customize and manage business information such as address, contact information, hours of business, profile picture as well as maps and directions.

The page is already out there. Claim it and have an influence over how the page looks and reads – and get to know your customers and reviews. The fact is, the more activity you have on these pages – the higher your rankings in search. So encourage your customers to say something on these pages.

But first, claim your Facebook and Google+ Local pages.

Guest Author: Angela T. Sansone

Angela Sansone has worked in education and children’s ministries for 14 years. Also an author and speaker, you can connect with Angela on Twitter or on her site:  www.1019ministries.com.

She is the author of the newly released “Precious Stones of Intercession” (paperback | Kindle) and her prayer booklet, “His Comfort” (free e-book) has been given freely around the globe since 2001.

 

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Knowing “Who” Gives You Focus

By on June 11, 2012 in Blog Coach, Marketing, Social Media with 1 Comment

Who is Your Audience

While exploring the “5 W’s” of social media for small business, we’ve looked at how Starting with “Why” gives you meaning and motivation and Deciding “Where” offers direction.

Next up: Knowing your “Who” gives you focus.

Your “intended audience” in social media, in most cases, should be your “core customer” in business. In most cases.

Your business will probably have multiple audiences:

  • Core Customers
  • Prospects
  • Fringe Businesses (companies who also “touch” your customer)
  • Shoppers who engage, but never transact (“attending audience“)
  • Peers (could be competitors or collaborators)
  • Neighboring Businesses
  • Vendors & Suppliers

There are probably more we could list, though the top two audiences are who I’d put my focus.  Write to them, for them, about them. Answer their questions. Solve their problems. Improve their lives.

Know your “Who”. Maintain Focus.

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One Page is All it Takes (and Maybe All You Get)

By on June 9, 2012 in Blog Coach, Marketing, Mobile & Local, Social Media with 0 Comments

FiCS worksheetOne page.

Sometimes that’s all a visitor will see. One page.

Might be all it takes for them to decide whether to keep searching or know that your company is what they’re looking for. Just one page.

  • a page on your website
  • a post on your blog
  • a video you uploaded on YouTube
  • your Twitter stream
  • a Facebook tab
  • an image on Pinterest.
  • your LinkedIn profile

One page can be the tipping point. For or against.

A first time visitor finding your brand might also see your empty Google+ Local page or unclaimed Merchant Circle page. They may see someone else’s rant or rave about you on another site.

Is the message you’re delivering by your absence, “I Don’t Know (about it)” or “I Don’t Care”?

All it takes is One Page. And it could be anywhere – or maybe your business is nowhere to be found (or hard to find).

We work with small businesses, independent businesses, and rural businesses in building a web presence that is Findable, Connectable, and Shareable. By focusing on these three areas, we ensure that new customers find you, connect with you, and share their experience with their friends.

When we visit with small businesses, we offer a complimentary 8-point FiCS report.

Take advantage of this free offer and see if your company web presence is built for maximum impact. Call me (515.802.2273) or email me (mike@converstations.com) and we’ll look at your FiCS (no obligation).

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Ready to Start Social Media – But “Where”?

By on June 4, 2012 in Blog Coach, Social Media with 2 Comments

Mapping Social MediaOpinions vary. When it comes to “where” to start, 7 of 10 experts often disagree. Ask a handful of people and you’re likely to get a different answer from each one.

“Start with a blog.  It’s the only social media you truly own.”

“No, no. Start with Facebook. Everybody is already there and the barrier to entry is minimal.”

“Why not Twitter. It doesn’t take as much time and you can easily schedule your ‘tweets’.”

“For business, LinkedIn is the best combination of social networking and social platform – and it’s professional.”

“Be everywhere.”

“Pick just one place and crush it.”

The truth might be – a bit of each? Using Social Media for your business is not like cooking a cake from a box. There is no “just add water” because every business is different: different audience; different purpose; different degrees of measuring success.

I’ve always been (and probably always will be) one that thinks a blog is your first step. It’s the hub around which all your other tactics reach out from and your visitors come in. It can be a foundation for better findability.

Still, a blog does take some time to get a library of posts and readers. I used to suggest focusing on a blog for several weeks before entering into the Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn (and now Pinterest) mess mass.

So here’s a thought on the “Where” to begin:

  1. Start with a blog and one other “network”
  2. Slowly work on the blog as you organically build audience on your chosen network (a few at a time, never “buying” followers)
  3. Use the 70-20-10 guideline in posting
  4. Keep going

So which other “network” is going to work for you? Well, we come back into the “it depends” mode (and a great reason to set up a Craft and Follow session), but here are some thoughts:

  • If you’re a local business serving local customers (residents or tourists), Facebook
  • If you’re a business reaching a national or global audience and have a niche market, Twitter
  • If you’re predominantly a Business-to-Business type or serving professionals, LinkedIn
  • If your business is or can be best presented visually (arts, food, travel, pets, real estate), Pinterest

And while these thoughts might help get your started, save some room for Google (Google Plus, YouTube, Maps, Apps, Places, etc)

If you’ve determined your “why” first, it will be a lot easier knowing “where” to start.

If you need a hand (or an ear) figuring this stuff out, I’d be happy to assist.

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Your “Why” Should Come First

By on June 1, 2012 in Blog Coach, Social Media with 5 Comments

I dunno whySocial Media can be a wrestling match for many small business owners.

It seems like it should be so easy, right?  Then once you start, you wonder why you ever started. Your niece can do this Facebook and Pinterest thing with ease. And your neighbor’s son is really popular on Twitter. So why not you?

No, it’s not a generational thing. Often it can be an attitudinal thing. In most cases though, it’s an operational thing.

Your niece and neighbor are probably doing things with a different purpose (recreational?) or practice (WWW = Whatever, Whenever, Wherever) than you as a business owner can (or want to) emulate.

While the Who, What, When, Where, and How are all important – Why should almost always come first.

Without knowing “why” you won’t have conviction to continue and every opinion about social media (and everybody has a few) will knock you off whatever path you chose in the first place.

Make social media mean something to your business.

Know your “Why” first.

Photo on Flickr by hlkljgk

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