Social Plans for 2010?

We’ve talked all year about multi-dimensional marketing tools to ensure your business is found online.  We’ve talked about inbound links, relevant key words, paid search marketing, email marketing, print and digital advertising blogs and more. Now we need to talk about social media. Yes, I know you think it’s a buzz word, but I’m here to tell you it’s so much more than that.

In case you didn’t know there’s even a Social Media Business Council (formerly the Blog Council) that publishes best practices to ensure your companies employees know how to act within the social media community. They help large organizations build successful social media programs. This is a good place for you to start if you haven’t implemented your social media strategies yet.

If you’re not using social media as the number one way to promote your Web site and your blog, you’re behind your competition in the game.  What are you waiting for? You need to get going now. Come on. Commit! Make it a big part of your marketing plan for 2010.

The good news? It’s free! It just requires commitment and a few minutes of your time.I hear from customers all the time how they get so much business from “word of mouth.” Well, there’s no better word of mouth than social media sites. Just think of it as talking with your customers.

Social Media is an inbound marketing technique that can help boost your SEO. You’ll leave links to your Web site and your blog.  All you have to do is meet people and start conversations.

Here are a few basic guidelines for participation:

• Don’t advertise your products. Just simply share good information and answer questions. Help people.
• Ask questions and receive advice.
• Publish everything you have that’s valuable content.
• Look for what others publish and promote it.
• Invite your customers to join in on the conversation.
• Monitor what’s being shared about you.
• Network and make new friends and customers.

Be social and get found online!

EasyChair Media is a full-service marketing firm and custom publisher. Need help with your social network and blog strategies? Give us a call at 800-741-6308 or 970-686-5805 or email me here.

Got questions or great success stories? Be social. Just share them here and help our readers out.

Make Customer Retention #1 on your Holiday To-Do List!

Here’s 7 successful PR methods to let your customers know you value them:
 

1)   Host a Holiday Tea or Wine & Cheese party by VIP invitation only. Add entertainment to create ambiance. Decorate to the hilt, and encourage your clients to invite a special friend.

2)   Send exclusive coupons or gift cards for discounts on your products and services. Leave it open enough so they can purchase anything they want, rather than making it product specific.

3)   Retailers, offer special shopping hours for VIP customers, perhaps in conjunction with a holiday VIP party.  Add a holiday fashion show featuring your loyal customers as models, or put on a spirited demonstration or special exhibit. Again, invite your client to bring a friend. If you do it up right, you may be able to pitch a local TV station to give your event live coverage.

4)   Provide a service or product for your customer’s office that the entire staff can enjoy.

5)   Give gift cards for personal services or restaurants, special gift baskets or tickets to a local museum.  Make an appointment and hand deliver them to the person you want to make sure receives it.

6)   Treat your point of contact to a holiday concert, play, musical or local sporting event.

7)   Send a professional customized greeting card with a special note of thanks from you. Include a newsletter, whitepaper or executive summary on market trends or new products and services for 2010.  Make sure it’s meaningful information to your clients.

“Studies show that 68% of customers leave because they feel they are being treated indifferently, not because of a “bad” experience, poor quality products, or better pricing somewhere else,” contends Kevin Lawrence, a business coach, speaker and agent of change.  “That’s why it’s so important to be sure your clients feel valued and appreciated. Studies have shown that loyal customers spend more money than new ones.” 

The best way to keep your loyal customers buying is to create a unique positive experience that no one else is giving them. Take the time to go through your list and identify your best clients. Design your appreciation gift or event with their needs in mind. Create something memorable. Make it more intimate and more personal, and don’t wait until the last minute.

No matter what type business you’re in, this kind of royal treatment will keep you top of mind with customers and nurture deeper long-term relationships resulting in referrals, customer loyalty, and repeat business. 

We love new ideas. What are you doing this holiday season to express gratitude for your loyal customers and ensure customer retention? Share you creative ideas with our readers here.

EasyChair Media is a full-service marketing firm and custom publisher. We offer marketing and PR consulting services and host of marketing products to help you stay in front of your customers and build your brand. Need help with PR campaigns, newsletters, custom collateral, blog and social media strategies? Give us a call at 800-741-6308 or 970-686-5805 or email me here.

Haunted by your blog?

In case you haven’t noticed, business blogging has been a priority topic for the last few posts of our Smart Marketing blog. There’s a distinct reason for that. It’s simply the topic that seems to be most haunting and daunting for our customers these days. 

People have no problem giving their opinions on blogs or engaging in conversation topics started by others. But, most are perplexed with how to get started and what to write about for their own business blog.

After you’ve made a commitment to blog, your next step is to decide what you want to accomplish with your blog. Do you simply want to stay in front of your customers? Are you looking to carry on a conversation about your products and services? Are you looking for feedback on your business? Or are you looking for a way to educate your buyers and keep them informed on the latest industry information?

Your number one priority is to start a list of your reasons for blogging. Many want to drive traffic to their Web site. Others want to increase subscriptions to a company newsletter or publication. Some just want to use their blog as a public relations tool. I’ve listed several valid reasons for starting a blog. Determine exactly what you want to accomplish, make a list and share it with your staff. 

Once you’ve made your list, ask yourself, “Are my reasons important to the customer?” If you can truly answer “Yes!,” then investing time and energy into your blog is well worth it. 

Amber Naslund at Altitude Branding, states it well. “ROI Begins At The End,” she writes, “You cannot calculate a return on anything unless you know whether or not your goals – and your definitions of both return and investment – are the right ones.” 

And Grant Griffiths at Blog for Profit, in his ‘Kick Your Blog in the Butt’ series, eloquently reminds us that in measuring ROI, a sale is not the only metric that counts. How much value do you place on the “journey of the sale?”  How about customer retention and crafting long-term relationships? 

Clearly defining goals for your blog will enable you to focus on what is truly important when measuring ROI, and that’s, “Am I providing valuable information that truly matters to my customers?” 

Griffiths, a lawyer, professional blogger for profit and co-founder of G2WebMedia, also suggests you ask yourself these four key questions: 

1)   What keeps my customers or clients up at night?

2)   How do they keep themselves educated in order to do their jobs better?

3)   What channels (online, print, in-person, mobile, etc.) do they use to get their information?

4)   How do they engage with each source of information?

And, he cautions, “Blogging is not a 50-yard dash. Blogging is a long 28-mile marathon. You will not see overnight success. You’re going to feel like you’re writing to yourself and only your mother is reading your blog. It takes time.” 

So, once you have your goals defined, carve out ample time each week to focus on your blog.  Identify and tap into steady sources of information via RSS feed to funnel you regular and current information for your blog posts. Commit to doing the research, if it’s required, and get serious about writing current and relevant content consistently. 

Okay, I took a short break. You can take vacations, but otherwise no excuses! If you need help with your blog strategy, call us. From blog coaching to content creation, monitoring and management, EasyChair Media can start you on the course and help you stay on track with your blog goals.  800-741-6308

What’s haunting you about your blog? What’s keeping you from getting started?

Got great business blog success stories? Help us encourage our readers. Share them here.

The Business of Business Blogging

Do you know the difference between personal blogging (citizen journalism) and business blogging (for profit)?

Tina Marie Hilton, contributing editor at Home Office Warrior, points out the difference: The goal of your personal blog is “popularity and entertainment through personal expression, your own private soapbox, sharing your life and ideas with family and friends,” and basically whatever you want to dish.

In contrast, the goal of your business blog is to attract potential clients by giving them helpful information on a consistent basis, and ultimately, to convert those visitors into clients or customers. This relationship is built on trust. So, Hilton advises, it’s important not to engage in politics, personal issues, complaints, profanity, or anything at all that has the potential to alienate your audience. 

Your business blog should reflect your personality, but only your business personality. Think “office setting.”

Business blogging is fast becoming the number one way for businesses to reach their target market. A September 24, 2009, Nielsenwire indicates, “Americans have nearly tripled the amount of time they spend at social networking and blog sites. “

Business blogging takes commitment. So that’s your first step.

Next, “be patient and aspire to build relationships and lift others up” recommends New Media Lisa in her post 8 ways to be extraordinary online. “Listen and read a lot more than you tweet and write. Answer questions, talk to people, and read and comment on blogs. Consider your audience and provide information they’ll appreciate. Listen and look for feedback. Build slowly on solid ground.”

If you haven’t started blogging, what are you waiting for? Call us if you need help. Your target audience wants to connect with you now online. 800-741-6308.  

If you are blogging for business, are you selling advertising on your blog? Have you seen an increase in your blog advertisers in 2009? Share your tips on how to get started selling blog advertising.

Blogging for Business or Email Marketing?

What should you do? 

Do you have a corporate newsletter? Do you have a blog? What’s the difference?

Email newsletters were the turn-of-the-millenium “Aaha!’  for most corporations.  We recognized the need for sharing helpful information. The challenge was, “What’s helpful information?”

As a result, most corporate newsletters “in the beginning” were filled with everything most could care less about, about your company. It was completely self-absorbed promotional information.

Chris Baggott’s Guide to Blogging, implies corporate blogging today is Email Marketing in 2001.  Now, he says, we’re “measuring ROI, driving relevant message to the right people at the right time and selling our products and service to a mostly receptive and appreciative audience.” 

We “millennium” email blasters,” (not cool, nor sensitive to our audience), have now become email campaigners, or even better, in most cases.  We’ve learned how not to be spammers and provide self-promoting junk to our audience. Thus, the upheaval of social media and blogs. 

In the same way we learned about email marketing, we now must embrace blogging as a “socially acceptable” means of connecting with our audience.  Corporate blogging is permission based, just like email marketing has become. Your audience today is searching for information. They seek to be enlightened before they take the plunge, any plunge. This is a good thing! It simply means they’re open to hearing what you have to say and what your customers have to say. People love it when you help them solve problems. When you provide answers they listen…and they value your opinion.

Baggott reminds us “search is permission marketing as long as we deliver relevance.” He states, “Blog Marketing is “not good when it doesn’t help anyone.”

We still like email campaigns and we really like blogging because we believe today’s consumers require multiple “touchstones” and they ‘re open to being reached in many ways, as long as they’re receiving relevant and timely information.

Are you blogging for business? How has it increased your bottom line? We want to hear your successes? 

If you’re not blogging, consider blogging. Call us if you need help getting started or figuring out how blogging can boost your SEO efforts and ultimately increase your bottom line. 800-741-6308, or email us here.