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Effective social media sales gets personal

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By Diana Gomez

Figuring out how to use social media effectively for your business is a lot like trying to hit a moving target…about the size of a pea, three hundred yards away, from the bow of a skiff in fifteen-foot-high seas. Did I mention that you’re also trying to use an unwieldy, twenty-pound harpoon? (You get the picture.)

speedboat going fast

Getting the attention of your target market, let alone followers and regular activity on your social media sites, is one of the biggest challenges in today’s marketplace. However, it’s not impossible. As with our seafaring harpoon-ist, the best way to hit that target is with practice, patience and a little bit of luck. And with social media marketing, your odds also go up in proportion to your creativity: the more you use, the better chance you have of hitting home.

Remember: It’s Social Media, not Sales Media

Before launching any type of social media sales campaign, be sure that you have the following in place: a strong following and a good relationship with your followers and friends.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but a lot of businesses come into the social media world expecting people to start following them simply because they’re posting regularly, or that they can launch a campaign the same day they open their social media page and get instant results.

The fact is that social media is just that: social. If you were to walk into a room and hand out business cards, talking only about your business, people would get tired of you pretty quickly. But if you were to engage others, answer their questions, talk a little about yourself and comment on their personal accomplishments, you’d not only be welcome in that social circle, you might also be invited to other, bigger parties.

Social Campaigning

Once you’ve built up that all-too-important following, it’s time to break out the campaign strategies. From Instagram picture challenges to pop quiz prize questions on Facebook, there are potentially thousands of ways you can start actively engaging your customer base. And don’t let anyone try to pigeonhole your business by saying a particular social media type isn’t “right” for your company. An accounting firm can have just as much fun with a photo challenge as a nail salon. In fact, it might shine an even brighter spotlight on your business when you take a more unconventional campaign route.

Following are several social media campaign ideas, but keep in mind that creativity is the key to standing out in an overcrowded social media market.

Ideally, these suggestions should only be a basis for creating your own innovative spin-off.

  • Say it like you meme it: Random pictures transformed into funny, witty memes is a great way to build connections through shares and likes. And for small businesses, using local references or images can help engage area residents.
  • Caption captivation: Don’t have the time to make a meme? Get your friends and followers to do it for you by posting a picture and inviting them to caption it for you. The cuter, funnier or more surprising you can make the image, the better.
  • Local resource: If your small business is located in or near an active community/business hub, take the opportunity to become a go-to resource for local events. No matter your business, if you post regularly about upcoming events in your neighborhood, people will begin to seek you out as a reliable resource. And as an added bonus, your business would likely become known as a strong supporter of the local community.
  • What we’re up to: Show off some of your company’s personality by sharing family album-type images. Pictures of some regulars who dropped by, renovations, even a picture of you fixing a leaky sink in the break room will make your business feel more relatable and consequently, more engaging.
  • Pop quiz: Everyone knows at least a few random facts for no apparent reason, so why not give them a chance to show off their odd knowledge by posting a pop quiz question? From movie trivia to microbiology, you can pick a question that pertains to your industry or go with something totally random. Either way, it’s a great way to build on your following.
  • Image open invite: This is another one that can work for virtually any business. Invite your followers to post images following a theme – any theme. It doesn’t necessarily have to relate to your business, but there are plenty of ways to tie photos in with your line of work. An accounting firm, for example, could welcome pictures of frugal DIY projects (ex: turning old VHS cases into mod picture frames), or a lawn care service could post images of bizarre yard art and invite others to share their own.

Whatever your approach, just remember to keep it creative and relatable. People spend time on social media sites to escape from the business world and to engage with friends and family. By gearing your campaigns more toward the light-hearted and entertaining, you’ll eventually be able to expand your social outreach exponentially.

Author’s Bio: Diana Gomez is the Marketing Coordinator at Lyoness America, where she is instrumental in the implementation of marketing and social media strategies for USA and Canada. Lyoness is an international shopping community and loyalty rewards program, where businesses and consumers benefit with free membership and money back with every purchase.

Photo Credit: Keith Marshall via Compfight cc

Words matter

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Boilerplate kills kittens.

Early in my career, I worked as a technical writer for a large government contractor. The GPO Manual was our ultimate arbiter of word choice, I learned to spell “judgment” without a second “e,” and we relied heavily on giant chunks of pre-written text.

I was a “writer,” but one who was having her soul slowly crushed under the weight of government regulations.

orwell movie

Those formative experiences gave me an intense interest in how words are applied. How just the right word can make or break a relationship, a transaction, a pitch.

Leaders use powerful words. Entrepreneurs must have an arsenal of persuasive words in their stockpiles. Business builders need to project clarity (so let’s ditch the jargon).

When you answer the same questions over and over again, it can be tempting to fall back on key phrases. Same thing when you assume the “corporate” mantle in an email or a phone call.

“We deeply regret the inconvenience.”

See that? A kitten just keeled over.

Would the customer feel better if you simply said, “I’m so sorry”? Yes.

My challenge to you today is to catch yourself using these worn out words. Give a fresh eye to the way you talk to your customers, partners, and colleagues.

On your website, do you ask your customers to “submit a ticket” when they have a problem? Could you change that to “ask for help”?

Do you constantly use the Royal “we” when you’re talking to customers? Stop doing that. You’re not the Queen of England.

Sprinkle some surprise into your conversation, whether it’s online or in person. Humans love surprises.

Communication shouldn’t be complicated. It should just be genuine and simple, with the humility and understanding that we’re all multi-dimensional humans, everyone of which has spent time in both the dark and delightful parts of life. -Bryan Kramer, author of “Human to Human“

We can’t let ourselves be subsumed by our robot overlords yet. Their faux-human handwriting is getting better and better, but they’re not quite there yet.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Photo Credit: David Blackwell. via Compfight cc

Your Business Story Can Change The World

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By Chris Craft

My story began on February 12, 1979.

The light bulb in my head for story’s business case in content marketing went off only about a year ago.

Yes, I was late to the party but hey … it’s my story. At Nao Media, we focus on story because we know story drives our clients’ connecting with their community.

Stories inform, instruct, inspire, entertain, and motivate. Everyone from parents to CEOs can use story to not only get results and gain awareness, but to change the world. I want your business to focus on telling its story so our global community can be empowered by your example.

beacon of light from mountaintop

Businesses really have a story?

Yup! A business’s story is usually best told by its founder(s). Your business’s story shouldn’t focus on what it does. Your story, for it to be compelling, should be centered on why the business was started and why it exists today.

Other questions to answer:

  • When: when did you know that your business had real potential?
  • Which: which decision did you make that made your business viable?
  • Who: who started the businesses and who and/or what kind of talent makes up your team?
  • How: how does your business impact its community?
  • Where: where does your business have the most impact? (consider thinking outside of revenue)

Changing the world is hyperbole though, right?

Nope. If your business doesn’t aim to have a positive effect on the world, then you should really think about your business model.

Your business won’t change the world by news-jacking on Twitter for the pure sake of attracting eyeballs.

It won’t change the world through direct mail coupons.

It won’t change the world by shilling your product or service without an interesting backstory.

Your customers want to know about you. They want to be intrigued by your beginning, middle, and end (which is usually the “reveal” or “present state” of your business). Your customers and the community you aim to impact want to know how they fit into your story. Some might even want to learn how your business contributes to the betterment of the world.

Businesses have a huge opportunity with story because of the resources they can put into production and distribution. If you have the resources for scaling the distribution of your positive story to the masses, do it! Especially if you know your story can change lives.

Knowing your story is not enough.

It must be told and shared. You can’t afford to ‘die’ with your story in you. And that goes for individuals and businesses. Though I’m a writer and lover of books and blogs, I must admit the best medium for telling your story is video.

Video simply appeals to more senses (if we take a reader’s imagination out of the equation). A high quality “About Us” video can cost $5000+ USD. If you’re not quite ready to invest in a video, call on a writer to get your story on paper. Your written story (or a portion of it) can be used for website copy, books, periodicals, and more.

Need help telling your story? Download Nao Media’s latest e-book, “The Nao Blueprint: How to Develop a Content Creation Machine.”

Author’s Bio: Chris Craft is a believer in the greatest story ever told. He’s also the Founder and Chief Visionary at Nao Media, an Atlanta-based content creation agency. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisQueso.

Photo Credit: 8#X via Compfight cc

Good, Better or Best?

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By Lisa D. Jenkins

How do you invite customer feedback on the products or service you offer?

Whether it’s through an online form, a digital survey or a personal conversation, the way you frame the request for feedback can affect the way your customer answers you — and the quality of the feedback you receive.

A story about food … and feedback.

cold cocktail glass

It’s no secret I’m a foodie. I’m always on the lookout for new experiences with food and drink, so when I noticed a relatively new restaurant had opened up near my neighborhood, I was all in. I’ve been there several times to try out different brunch and lunch items.

The unique menu isn’t overly large because the owner/chef makes it a point to prepare everything from local sources. The ketchup is made in-house, the coffee is roasted just four doors down from restaurant and the staff is genuinely interested in whether or not we’ve enjoyed our meal.

The servers are attentive but not in a hovering way. They take our order, serve our meals, then disappear for a couple of minutes. I’m not sure how they time it but they return after everyone has had at least two bites of their meal to ask, “Is everything delicious?”

Not “Is everything tasting okay?” or “How is everything?” or “Is there anything else I can bring you?”

They ask if everything is delicious.

And they wait for an honest reply from everyone.

If something isn’t delicious, polite but pointed questions are asked so the server can get to the heart of the issue as quickly as possible. What kept this dish from being perfect? Was it temperature, spice, or texture? Too savory or too sweet? What isn’t working?

Over the past months I’ve seen a couple of item descriptions change ever so slightly. I’ve also seen a few items disappear.

Because I’m friendly with the staff, I know this is due to customer feedback. If an item isn’t received as delicious 90% of the time, it’s adjusted according to the feedback servers get or it’s removed entirely. As a customer, I feel incredibly valued.

In this way, the restaurant has been able to stay true to its mission and vision while providing a better experience for the diners who ultimately keep the doors open.

It’s simple and brilliant.

Which brings me to the point.

When you ask for feedback, do want customers to help you be good at serving your market, or to be the best at serving your market?

Author’s Bio: Lisa D. Jenkins is a Public Relations professional specializing in Social and Digital Communications for businesses. She has over a decade of experience and work most often with destination organizations or businesses in the travel and tourism industry in the Pacific Northwest. Connect with her on Google+

Five ideas to supercharge Q4 for your business

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Ah, Q4.

This is when you told that vendor you’d get back to her.

This is when you were going to have saved enough to give out raises to your staff.

This is when you were going to have published that e-book.

Remember January and all of its promises?

In the early part of the year, “we’ll take care of that in Q4” is an easy answer.

Now those IOU’s are coming due. It’s September.

Don’t sit back and cry into your pumpkin spice latte. Roll up your sleeves and fly through the finish line like a sprinter at full speed.

sprinters lined up

Five Ideas for Finishing the Year Strong

1. Re-read and update your annual goals document

Hopefully at the beginning of the year you started executing on a plan, working toward goals for the year. Have you been checking in on those goals and updating your progress? If not, now is the time to do a checkup. Depending on the type of goal, use analytics, sales reports, financial statements, or whatever will help you measure.

For goals that are on-track, high five yourself and your team. For goals that are languishing, huddle with your colleagues and figure out what’s happened. Ask these questions:

  • Is the goal still important? (perhaps something has shifted in your strategy that makes the goal unimportant
  • If it’s still important, do you need to adjust the metric? Consider whether your original goal may have been unrealistic.
  • If the original goal was realistic, and it’s still important, have the difficult meeting. Gather the team and ask hard questions about why things went off track. Is there a process that must be changed? Did you not align the right resources? Do you have a staff problem? Was the goal unclear? Work through these and come up with solutions that will get you moving toward achieving the goal with renewed energy.

2. Find the thing you’ve procrastinated all year and do it

If you have that sinking feeling that you’re ending the year with a whimper, ask yourself why. Is there something you really hoped to do, but failed to commit to as a priority?

Take that one thing, break it down into a few steps, and put one foot in front of the other.

Tell a trusted colleague about the task and why you’ve found it daunting. Getting input from an outside perspective may be enough to get you unstuck. There’s a really great app called Unstuck that can help too.

3. Start a project

This one sounds really counterintuitive, but it works.

Pretend it’s January first and tackle a new project. Breathe energy into your business by starting something that will take your business to the next level. Don’t fall into the trap of saying, “we’ll start that next year.”

4. Talk to all of your clients/customers before the end of the year

Talk about paying huge dividends. Challenge yourself to see every one of your customers or clients before the end of the year. It may not be feasible to travel to all of them, but it’s so easy to set up Google Hangouts or Skype conversations.

Taking this one step will build your relationships, strengthen your business, and end the year on a fantastic note. Reach out to your customers with no agenda other than saying hello and asking how they’re doing. Then listen.

5. Use the budgeting process to speak to prospects at the right time

The other magical thing about Q4 is that many companies go through their budgeting process for the upcoming year.

This is an excellent time to reach out to prospects or people who have expressed an interest in your services. Get the cost of your services built into their budget right now, and you’re ready to hit the ground running next year.

You also have an opportunity to act as a coach for a prospect at this time of year, helping them solve problems and end their 2014 on a high note. Make them look like a hero by providing advice at the moment they’re looking for it.

What steps are you taking to make sure you’re building momentum through the end of the year?

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Photo Credit: Lim CK via Compfight cc

Why is SEO Not One of Your Top Priorities?

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aseo

Name your top priorities as a business owner.

There is a good chance items like keeping your finances in the black, hiring and retaining the best employees and having the best customer service going are among things you zero in on.

With that said, where does maintaining a strong SEO presence rank? Wait, you are not even up to speed on SEO for starters?

For those a little late to the game, SEO means Search Engine Optimization. If you are not familiar with it, take the time to get familiar sooner rather than later.

With more and more consumers turning to online browsing and buying, business owners must have a solid website that ranks high on Google and other search engines.

When that is not the case, your site can be hard to find in generic searches, oftentimes leaving your competitor/s to rake in the business.

Finding the Right SEO Agency

In order to get your SEO game on and rank at or near the top of your respective industry when consumers search online, working with a knowledgeable SEO Agency is a necessity.

With many business owners glued to their finances, employees and more, knowing how to pick the right SEO agency can be a daunting challenge in some cases.

Among the factors to look at include:

  • The agency’s history and reputation. Do they have a good record or a laundry list of customer complaints;
  • What kind of service are they going to offer and is customer service a top priority? Bad customer service can be detrimental to your company;
  • Does your SEO consultant/company stay on top of various changes in the industry? If they don’t, you could find yourself getting the necessary advice a day late and a dollar short. From content to links, stay on top of what Google and others do and do not like (see below), allowing you to create the best SEO plan.

Need to Change is Important

Just as you have to make alterations in how you run your business, it is also important that your SEO provider adapt to ever-changing Google moves.

Keep in mind that Google is continually providing updates to its search algorithm during the year, so your SEO expert needs to stay abreast of such changes. If he or she doesn’t, your search ranking will suffer for it.

While your SEO provider should know all the basics from A to Z, it doesn’t hurt you as a business owner to be clued in on important facets of SEO. Keyword research and density, important backlinks, relevant content and how often you update your website are among the items you want to stay on top of.

So, feeling a little more up to speed on SEO?

If you’re still facing questions without answers, consider some of these following benefits in having a strong SEO game plan:

  1. Website experience – You want consumers coming to your site to have a positive experience. If your site does not provide this, you may not see them again, but your competition likely will;
  2. Avoiding penalties – If your site’s content is stale and/or duplicative or has that spam feel to it, Google could very well hit you with a penalty that impacts your PR (page ranking). Once that happens, it can take some time for your site to get back to a positive PR;
  3. Optimization – Last but not least, having a site that is correctly optimized gives you the ability to enhance both your search engine visibility and also your stature within the online community. Google Analytics also allow you to get a better feel for who is visiting your site, therefore helping you customize your advertising and marketing outreach.

Making SEO a priority in your daily business tasks should not be an option, it should come as a necessity.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes for a variety of websites on topics such as social media and marketing your business.