Marketing Tips

Tidy Up Your Social Media for the New Year

Are you planning on doing some tidying in the next few weeks to get ready for the New Year? Don’t forget about your social media platforms.

Whether you’re constantly on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn or they are programs you set up in July and are hoping to get back to one day, social media needs a bit of housekeeping.

Here’s my list of easy-to-do, high-impact cleaning that will get your 2012 off to a fresh start.

All Social Media

• Update Your Profile: Just take a quick look and make sure it still sounds like you. Replace the head shot from 2001 and do any other quick dusting that needs doing
• Go Through the Contact Suggestions: All of the major social media sites make suggestions about who you might know or might want to connect with, based on your current connections. These can be long lists, but make some time to sit down with a cup of tea and run through these. You’ll be surprised at how many people you know but haven’t connected with

Twitter

• Purge the Follow List: Quickly run through and unfollow anyone you find annoying or unhelpful. Spend your time communicating with people who either offer interesting information, great conversation, re-tweets, or just general support. Release the rest
• Work the Follow List: Is there anyone in there you haven’t communicated with in a while but would like to? Make a note to keep a special eye on their tweets in the next while to start an exchange or send them an @ post
• Review the Followers List: Run through your followers list and “Follow” anyone who seems intriguing or anyone who has engaged with you in an interesting way

Facebook Pages

• Review Your Likes: Take a look at who likes you. If they also have a Page and you find them intriguing, why not Like their Page back? This interconnection is what builds the social networks to a level that supports business growth
• Work Your Likes: Do you have a Like from someone you’d like to get to know better? Make a note to send them an email, a message, or write on their wall
• Take a Look at Other Pages: This is a good opportunity to find some other Pages you’d like to stay current with and comment on. Like them through your personal account and their posts will show up on your Newsfeed for easy . Simply comment, share or “like” their posts from which ever account you’d like them to appear

LinkedIn

• Review Your Contact List: Go through your contact list and make a note of anyone you need to touch base with. Make an appointment in your calendar to send these people an email, give them a call, or reach out on social media
• Check Out Your Contacts’ Contacts: Click on their contact list and see if there’s anyone they know that you’d like to connect with. Already know that person? Just send them a contact request. Want to know them? Ask your contact for an introduction. This is one of LinkedIn’s most under-used functions, in my opinion
• Take a Look at LinkedIn’s Newer Features: So, you think your LinkedIn profile is up to date? Well, LinkedIn constantly adds new sections. Peruse some of their newest such as “Skills” and “Company Profiles”

How to Get Fantastic Professional Photos for Your Marketing

Wait, I know. You’re already thinking…well, this article isn’t for me! I don’t have the money to hire a photographer. You’d be surprised. Most photographers are happy to work within your (reasonable) budget and professional photos of your stores, products and people significantly increase the wow factor of any marketing piece.

The trick is to communicate effectively with your photographer. They want the photos to be great too. Here are a few tips to getting exactly what you need:

1. Look at the Photographer’s Portfolio: This seems basic but is key. Every photographer has a different style of shooting and finishing the photos. Make sure you choose the photographer best suited to your vision of the final product (side note: liking your photographer’s personality is really important too, as is feeling like they “get” what you want)
2. Ask your Photographer What You’ll Get: Make sure you know how many finished photos you’ll actually receive in the end and approximately how many proofs you’ll have to choose the final number from. You probably won’t need printed photos for marketing material — just finished photos on a disc. You should also know how much additional photos will cost. Let’s say you get 25 digital photos in your package but you love 30 — you will be able to buy those additional 5 but should know how much each will cost before you fall in love (after all, love can be fickle)
3. Figure Out How You’ll Use the Images: Are these only for a website? They could be used for many, many things: packaging, bus ads, print ads, brochures, social media, online directories, and the list goes on. Will some of the photos be head shots? It’s better to think of too many uses now than to realize you don’t have a photo appropriate for use X because you hadn’t thought of it
4. Write a Shot List: Sounds professional, doesn’t it? You are a professional! Knowing how many finished images you’ll get, plan out how many of each photo you’ll want…5 head shots, 2 building shots, 5 overall product shots, 5 product detail shots, 4 of people making the product, etc. This is not to say that the photographer will only take 5 head shots and 2 building shots. They will probably take several hundred snaps to get your short list of finished images
5. Be Prepared for the Shoot: You’ll have an hour or two with your photographer, so make the most of it. Be prepared. Have the “head shot” people ready to go with their hair done and clothes looking nice. Clean up the garden in front of the building. Have the products you want shot out, shined up, and ready to go. Remember, fingerprints show in photographs. Your photographer will have ideas too and you’ll probably need to go grab things you didn’t anticipate but if all the basics are ready, you’ll be golden.

Most of all? Have fun! Happy energy makes for happy photos. These images will represent your brand, company, and products for the next while and a little planning will make them great.

Looking for a photographer? Let me know; I know a few I can refer you to. Do you have any tips for getting great business photos? Please let me know in the comments!

Tackling Negative Reviews or Comments

Open, interactive communication is the key to good content-focused marketing. Whether it’s through blog comments, review sites, or social media, never before has it been so easy for clients and customers to tell you how they really feel — publicly.

When the comments are good, the results can be fantastic — word of mouth recommendations, new clients, more people visiting your website. Generally, good reviews equate to a level of advertising you couldn’t ever buy. It’s easy to engage with these customers and thank them for their time and good thoughts.

But what about those who leave negative comments?

Now, don’t break into a cold sweat just yet. Yes, bad reviews can take a chunk out of your business but they don’t have to. There are several things you can do to when this happens. Remember, they’re not the only one with the power to communicate. You have it too and with a few pointers, you can deal with anything a Negative Nelly throws your way.

1. Be Open and Non-Defensive: Reply back to the comment or review. Calmly thank them for taking the time to send feedback and let them know that you will take their constructive suggestions into consideration. Let them know that you strive to serve your clients in a high-quality, professional manner and will continue to work towards achieving these standards.
2. Offer a Solution: Are they complaining about a broken product? Encourage them to exchange it — no hassle. The key to this is to treat them as if they were standing in front of you. Don’t brush them off. Let them know that you want to make their experience with your company a pleasant one. As well, this does not have to be done publicly. Feel free to email or direct message them during this piece of the interaction.
3. Invite Other Comments: Don’t agree with the comment or think it was harsh or from out in left field? If you have good traffic to that comment area, others will often disagree and neutralize it’s affects. If you’re concerned that none of your cheerleaders will see the comment in good time, send out a Tweet or Facebook post asking your network to take a look at the comment and let you know what they think about it.

Negative comments and reviews that are left alone (or left for too long) are assumed to be correct. Take the time to check the review sites, your blog comments, and the social media sites for comments on your company or products on a regular basis. Remember, a negative comment is the opportunity to improve somebody’s experience and to show that you take pride in your business and your customer service.

Your Turn

Have you replied to a negative comment before? How did it go? Let us know in the comments.

Why We Self-Sabotage & How to Stop

Tim Shurr and Carol Roth discuss why small business owners self-sabotage and how we can stop.

Marketing Calendars Revisited

In honour of September and all things new, fresh, and well-planned, I’m linking to my post on marketing calendars, “Marketing Calendars: the Friendlier, More Gentle Cousin of the Marketing Plan.”

Sometimes we all just need a reminder of a tried and true oldie:

Marketing Calendars: the Friendlier, More Gentle Cousin of the Marketing Plan

Have you ever been told, “Your business needs a marketing plan?” Did you politely smile and slowly back out of the room? I’ve done the same thing (and I’m a marketer).

They’re right, of course, in that everyone needs a plan, a goal, a well-thought out way of getting to their destination. I do, however, cringe slightly at the thought of all business people slogging over a 20 plus page document, only to complete it and file it away for review in 12 months. How helpful is that?

It’s not.

A marketing calendar, however, is a working document — something that lives on your Google Calendar or on your cork board. It lives. It works. It does the heavy lifting. The marketing calendar is where you plan what activities you’re taking on, when they need to go out, how they’re getting done, who’s doing them, and where they’re being sent. See? They’re the action genre of the marketing world.

Anything this helpful must take forever to plan and write, right? Nope. That’s the beauty. Read the Full Article

So You Know Your Target. Now What?

I  received a very frustrated call from someone a few weeks ago who had spent time and money defining her target customer but was now realizing that it wasn’t enough. She seemed to have a lot of data but no way of converting it to sales. I completely understand her frustration.

It is true that we need to spend some time looking at who our targets are. But that is just the first step. That information needs to lead us somewhere or it’s useless.

For instance, say you’re determined to find the perfect wine. You spend weeks driving to wineries for tastings, you read all the wine experts’ opinions you can get your hands on, you buy several random bottles in a quest to find the hidden gem. In the end, you settle on the best bottle. You don’t buy the bottle or ever drink that wine again; you’re content just knowing the answer. Has this information helped at all? Not really. You haven’t put it into play. It’s just information sitting around gathering dust.

That’s exactly what a defined target customer is without a plan. Information gathering dust. Sigh.

Dusting Off the Target

Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to lay out 3 things you can do today to get this information back into play. Once you start, this process will become easier and easier.

1. Decide Where Your Target Lives: Do they go to network meetings? Do they join clubs? Do they attend sporting events? Make a list of at least 10 places. This step is often overlooked but is truly key to deciding where to spend your marketing money and time.
2. Decide How You’ll Talk to Them There: Choose three places from step one and list two short-term ways and two long-term ways you could reach your customer in that place. Don’t worry about what’s possible. Don’t filter right now.
3. Make Plans to Talk to Your Target: This is the filter phase. Does your target attend a particular type of networking event? Research those and sign up for one today. Do they go to watch local sports? Read the paper? Spend a lot of time online? Set aside 30 minutes to make a few calls/do some searching to find how much attendance/sponsorship/advertising might cost. You might be surprised at how do-able some marketing activities are. If they turn out to be crazy expensive, look for cost-effective ways to get the same result.

I would be remiss to not mention that whatever you decide to do, take a moment to define how you will know the activity has been a success and how you will measure that. Number of business cards? How many click-throughs? How many calls from the ad? It’s important to know beforehand so you can collect the right data as the activity is in full swing.

Please let me know how it goes! Twitter | Facebook | Comments (below)

How Often Should You Change Your Brand?

I come across this a lot. We all want new, fresh starts. We all like pretty, slick, sophisticated, attractive marketing material. That does not mean, however, that we need to throw the baby away with the bathwater.

Sorry to disappoint.

Now, I’m writing this article from the perspective that you took some time when you first branded your company to think/dream/meditate on its personality and how you wanted it presented to the world. If you have not gone through this process yet, this article isn’t for you. Please feel free to go forth and brand.

If, however, you have a logo, colours, personality, and style for your company but feel that it’s stale, I’m talking to you.

Believe it or not, consumers don’t only relate to your outstanding customer service, your magical product, or your dedication to staying abreast in your field. These things are great. They’re the backbone of your company, don’t get me wrong. However, when people are wracking their brains, trying to think of someone to help them, they’ll just as often remember you by the colour of your business card, the event they saw you at, or the brochure they have stuck in the back of their drawer (the one they see every time they look for a pen). Branding works because humans use shortcuts to filing away and retrieving information in our brains.

So, if you have spent time associating yourself with one brand and then suddenly switch to something completely different, you will — in essence — need to reprogram every one of their brains to remember your company in association with different items. Why re-do all that work? I will even take it one step further and claim that your customer may not feel the same level of comfort with your business if it suddenly changes identities. It will be unconscious. They will not feel the same attachment and their brain may associate that with a break in loyalty. They will be “on the market” for a new whatever-you-do.

Does this mean you’re stuck with a 1980′s logo? Heck no! I recommend working with a graphic designer who is on-board with a re-stylization of your visual brand, rather than a complete overhall.

Don’t believe it can be done? Here are some companies who’ve done it (and you probably didn’t even realize it!)

Crayola

For the most part, their colors have remained the same. The green stripes on the yellow box has been around almost as long as crayons. Crayola has always made their re-stylized wordmark logo the most important piece of the text. Even in the most modern, slick packaging, these elements remain unchanged. Thanks to sandboxworld.com for the photo!

Coke & Pepsi

Their look has definitely changed but this is a great example how a step-by-step re-stylization can work in your favour, keeping your brand fresh over many generations of consumers. Note how holding the colours steady seems to be key in making major changes successfully. Thanks to underconsideration.com for the image. (Click the image to view a larger version)

See? You too can evolve your brand rather than inflicting shock and awe (and confusion) on your clients. I know that graphic artists exist who are willing (and would even prefer) to work with your existing brand. A great artist knows how emotions, thoughts, and feelings can be enmeshed in a visual object.

If you decide to refresh your brand, I’d love to see the results! Please comment below or send me an email.

Summer is the Perfect Time for Business…

I know what you’re thinking…you can’t seem to get anyone on the phone, decisions seem to be made super slow, and why does business seem to dry up with the weather, right?

While summer no longer means “two month siesta” for many industries, it does generally mean at least a slow down for most. Never fear, this is the perfect time for fine tuning your business. Here’s how:

1. Networks: Networking events are difficult to find this time of year. Organizers are generally off coming up with fabulous ideas for the new season. That does not mean that your networking needs to suffer, however. Pick up the phone and call a few contacts you’ve been meaning to get to know better. If they’re well suited to one another, organize an informal after work cocktail at your local patio. If you’d rather chat with each of them separately, book outdoor coffee or walking meetings. Neither of you will want to be cooped up indoors.
2. Refresh Your Marketing: Write a list of what you’ve been doing to market your business lately. Take a close look. What has been working? What activities have directly resulted in sales? Be honest. If there are items on the list not pulling their weight, consider replacing them with new activities. Note: this can be done in the sun on a patio or in a park.
3. Get Some New Ideas: I get some of my best ideas while in the shower. I think it’s because my brain is free to wander (as the actual act of showering is pretty automated at this point in my life). Give your brain some rest this summer. Of course, I hope you take a vacation, but also consider planning “field trips” during work hours. Does music give you a jolt? Find a lunch hour concert (usually in the park!). Are you more visual? Go to the local art gallery. Love nature? Jump on a near-by trail for some serious down time. You’ll return to the office refreshed and ready to brainstorm.

Is That Marketing Activity a Good Fit for Your Company?

I am often asked to help clients evaluate whether a marketing opportunity is a good fit for them. There are usually lots of pros and cons but the decision always comes down to just a few considerations.

Next time you’re trying to decide to go ahead with an opportunity or not, go through these criteria in your head:

1. Who is the activity targeting? Take a good look at who the publishers are targeting and how they’re going about it. If the activity’s target matches your own, it may be a good fit. Do you like the message? The look? Remember that when you advertise in a publication or on a website or with other businesses, your business is being linked to that other brand. Make sure you’re comfortable with that.
2. Is the exposure adequate to justify the cost? It may be a perfectly targeted opportunity, but what if it’s only going to be seen by 50 people? Well, if those are the major decision makers and purse-string holders for your customers, they may be the only 50 people you need to worry about. However, if you sell globally, 50 people may not be a significant enough group. Exposure also includes how often that group will see your message and how it will be presented. For instance, getting a personal recommendation from someone the target really respects and listens to from a podium will be a different exposure than 5000 of your logo’d stickers sitting on a back table.
3. Will you need to repeat the activity to get a good response? I wish I could tell you that spending your money once on one activity will get you all the business you’d like. Marketing just doesn’t work that way. Most times, effective marketing is a series of layers that support one another and reinforce the brand message. For instance, if advertising in a local paper seems like a good opportunity but you aren’t seeing the results you’d hoped for, take a look at your frequency. If you advertise once a year, your ads are not nearly as effective as they could be. Try increasing the frequency to once per month. Even better? Use a slightly smaller ad at a higher frequency and run another marketing activity at the same time. People need to see things a few times before they clue to into what they’re seeing and take action.
4. Does the cost fall within your budget? Do you remember Pets.com? They were a dot-com pet supply company in the late 90′s and early 2000′s. You probably recall their award-winning ads with the sock puppet. They are infamous in marketing circles for spending over $11million in advertising in their first year of business and bringing in revenues (not profits) of only just over $600,000. Pets.com isn’t around anymore and it isn’t difficult to see why. Your marketing costs must fall within a budget. Listen to your gut. It will help you distinguish between a fantastic opportunity that’s worth a bit of a stretch and a big risk that might end your business. If it’s too much, it’s too much. Find another marketing activity that fits your budget (and your gut’s comfort level).
5. Does it get you exposure to a difficult to target group? I have a client who wants to get their message in front of doctors. Not an easy target — doctors have really good gatekeepers in their reception team and may or may not even see the mail or emails sent to them. The client got an opportunity to advertise in a publication that is for doctors and is well used by the profession throughout the year. Now, we have a way past the gatekeepers and a way to begin building awareness.

Also, remember that sometimes the cost of an activity isn’t cash but your time and talent, as is the case with social media and in-kind sponsorships. The same considerations apply.

Do you have other criteria you like to measure your marketing activity decisions against? Please share. We all love to learn what works and what doesn’t!

Marketing to a Few Perfectly Targeted Potentials

In this world of social networking, we tend to forget the other methods of marketing. We focus on gathering as many followers as we can; followers mean a ready and waiting audience, right? Well, sometimes.

I’ve run across several people over the last few months who are masters as social networking. They have followers in great numbers, can get lots of people to Tweet Ups, and can even bolster big support for fundraising efforts. The kicker? Their businesses aren’t necessarily better off for it.

Now, am I saying that social networking is a waste of time? No — not at all. I just think it’s important to pair it with other ways of attracting potential customers. Yes, you want good reach into the world but you need clients too.

How do you target the perfect client in this day and age? Time to go old school, my friends:

1. Write a list: Take a few minutes to review the cards you’ve collected over the last bit and to browse through any directories you use or are a part of. Do any of these companies pique your interest? Anyone you’d really love to work with or sell to? These are the companies to write on your list. Do a bit more brainstorming and come up with 20-30 potential clients.
2. Evaluate the list: We’d love to sell to everyone but — let’s face it — only those with the capacity to pay for products or services can buy. Harsh? No. Don’t waste their time (or yours) when you know it can’t go anywhere. Review your list and cross off anyone you know wouldn’t be able to engage your company in the short-term.
3. Write the message: Is there anything the remaining companies have in common? Are they hip? Are they serious? Do they fall into a particular industry? Now figure out what your product or service is solving for them. Write your message to their situation. Do you have a trial to offer or some way that they can check out what you do in a relaxed way? Include it, if you do.
4. Figure out the process: Is this a one-time hard sell or are you building a relationship (always preferred, by the way). Will email be the best way to contact them or would this group like a phone call inviting them to coffee? Do they attend a network? Are they on LinkedIn? It’s easier to follow a process than to wing it 25 times. Your nerves will thank me.
5. Go for it: Time to just do it. Send out the email, make the calls, go to the events. Get to know the people on that list; build relationships and soon you’ll not only be bringing them on as clients but they’ll be sending their colleagues over as well.

And best of all? These are all people you want to work with. They are your perfect target.

Still intimidated? Get help. Ask your business colleagues for suggestions and support or bring in an expert. Sometimes it pays to bring back traditional methods — give it a try!