Social Media
5 Great Examples of Businesses Using Social Media
Here are Business Owners that have increased sales significantly and created demand in specific verticals where it previously had little traction by integrating Social Media into their Sales and Marketing Strategy. When J.R. Cohen, Operations Manager for CoffeeGroundz Cafe in Houston, Texas first heard about Twitter from one of his customers, he was puzzled but intrigued. Today, he credits Twitter with almost doubling his patrons and with opening his eyes to a whole new way to build Community. Justin Levy Owner of Caminito Argentinean Steakhouse explains“My goal was that when someone would do searches for steakhouses in our general area, we would appear multiple times on the front page… As far as our ROI on social media efforts, of course it’s always hard to determine that. But, what I do know is that since we turned our focus to social media, attracting inbound links, more internet marketing/less print advertising, etc., we have seen an 30 percent increase in sales (year to date) in a time where a lot of restaurants are down 10-20 percent… The blog and social media outposts help us reach and interact with our community as well as show our expertise in our space. I have done some research and can’t find anyone in our area (or in general) that’s doing what we’re doing as a restaurant.” In Gary Vaynerchuk’s Business book The Thank You Economy he offers praise for Avaya the B-to-B company that showed that you can use social media with the same success as a cool lifestyle or retail company. Avaya originally had the idea to use Twitter to head off complaints and answer technical questions. But, by also paying attention to tweets that mentioned the brand name for sales opportunities they were able to reach out to a prospect and made a quarter-million-dollar sale to the tweeter, who later tweeted, “…we have selected AVAYA as our new phone system.” The next two examples came from Mashable: Geoff Tucker is an Equine Dentist in Florida that uses Facebook to build business relationships. “People do business with people who they’re friends with. Period,” he says. “And Facebook is a great way to get to know people. It allows people to see that I’m a person.” As he builds these relationships using social media, Geoff is also expanding his company’s reach. So what’s this done for his business? Geoff says that over the last year, Facebook alone has generated about 100 leads and 10-to-15 customers. SteelMaster, a manufacturer of prefabricated steel buildings, were at first hesitant engage in Social Media Marketing. After a period of resistance they discovered two important applications for their business. First, they found that Facebook is an excellent way to post pictures of customers’ steel buildings. Not only do the pictures engage existing customers — they also demonstrated to prospective customers the range of uses for SteelMaster buildings. “Photography for us is the hook,” says Michelle Wickum, director of marketing for the Norfolk, VA company. Perhaps more importantly, they found that social networks like Twitter and Facebook gives it exposure to and created demand in specific verticals where it previously had little traction. Chicken farmers and woodworkers don’t typically think to use steel buildings, but when friends and colleagues share pictures of their SteelMaster buildings on Twitter and Facebook, the farmers and woodworkers become interested. Got Leads? Would you like to learn how to use Twitter for business and as a way to generate HOT leads? Need help getting the most out of your Online presence? Need to get your profiles set-up and Search Engine Optimized on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIN….? Business Owners, Executives and Professionals have new ways to find and connect with Prospects and Clients. By learning to engage in these NEW lead generation processes on Social Media Platforms like Linkedin, Facebook, YouTube, Yelp and Twitter they are able to set more appointments with qualified prospects. Would you like to learn how they are able to find SUCCESS? Call 407-962-9160 to see if Pamela Myers is available to speak at your next...
Read More7 Steps to getting started on Twitter
Thanks for stopping by to learn how to Get started on Twitter today or to learn how to improve your profile and tweets! To get started you MUST first create your professional profile for yourself and then start following your clients, friends, family and those that are your referral partners with hope that they will follow you back. 1) Create your Professional profile: If you are New to Twitter the first step is to create an account. Use your Real Name or Company Name. 2) Choose a professional user name that is 15 characters or less. Twitter will give you suggestions based on your name. You a can use an underscore (_) between words, use Upper and lower case letters and this will help to find an acceptable user name. AVOID using numbers in your user name. 3) Start Following: Now you will be led through list of ”recommendations” these are famous people or organizations that twitters suggests that you follow to get started. Then you can add your personal contacts by way of your email list. After you go through the prompted steps you can look for your friends, clients and prospects by using the search feature on twitter. Note from twitter: Choosing a service will open a window for you to log in securely and import your contacts to Twitter. You’ll only find users who have allowed their accounts to be found by email address. We won’t email anyone without your consent, but we may use contact information to make Who To Follow suggestions. You can remove your contacts from Twitter at any time. 4) Introduce yourself: You will have 160 characters to introduce yourself in a description about you. Include your company name, top key words and your tagline Use capitals at the beginning of sentences. Keep it professional but add some of your personality. You can also share your inspiration in a personal quote. Brag about yourself in your Bio! Use the words: Official, Founder, Speaker, Expect and Guru. Tell people that you are worth following. Sales Expert | Key words | Quote | Role in Life (Marketing Guru) | Role at work (official rep of my company) | Bears Fan 5) You should add an image that is either your logo or a professional picture of YOU. Your description and picture is how you will be judged by those that find you on twitter. People do not follow eggs … they follow interesting people and companies. Now you will also need to ADD a design your twitter page. 6) Type your fist tweet in less than 140 characters: I recommend only using 100-120 characters so that your content is sharable. (When someone on twitter shares your status update on twitter it is called a retweet – RT. Your user name which can be up to 15 characters and the letters RT will appear in their “stream”.) You are able to upload pictures, URL’s, and the user name of someone that you want to highlight in your message. 7) 10-10-10 rule for twitter: Spend 10 minutes reading, responding and writing tweets in the morning, on your lunch break and in the evening. This will make you an active part of the twitter community. Now, you are in a better position to start working your prospecting lists from the comfort of your office, the beach or anywhere that you can take your laptop, tablet or mobile phone. Happy Tweeting!!! If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 407-962-9160. I would love to help you to gain from being an active part of the twitter...
Read MoreWhat are people saying about you on Twitter?
What exactly are people saying about your small business on Twitter? Letting your online reputation go unchecked can be a huge mistake – especially if there are unaddressed negative reviews about your business that are ranking well in search engines or gaining a lot of attention on Twitter. A negative online reputation can cost you customers. So, instead of wondering what people are saying about your business on twitter, make sure to conduct a regular online reputation analysis so you can discover the negative and address it while focusing regular efforts on asking happy customers to share reviews about your business to build the positive buzz about your...
Read MoreSeven Steps to Launching a New Company
Here are seven steps to launching a new company that will have lasting success. “First impressions last the longest.” Do you agree with that statement? If you do, than as an entrepreneur ready to go into business for yourself it is important to build your business on a solid foundation. “When I started out in business, I spent a great deal of time researching every detail that might be pertinent to the deal I was interested in making. I still do the same today. People often comment on how quickly I operate, but the reason I can move quickly is that I’ve done the background work first, which no one usually sees. I prepare myself thoroughly, and then when it is time to move ahead, I am ready to sprint.” Donald Trump After over 25 years of gaining general business, public speaking, sales and marketing experience, I began to take on clients as their Business Marketing consultant. This has been a real learning experience. Now, with a more clearly defined direction it is time to take my business endeavours to the next level. More on that in upcoming blogs. Meanwhile, with the earlier quote from Mr. Trump in mind, here are the 7 Steps that I am taking to launch my new Company this spring. Step 1: Find Your Niche What can you do better than anyone else for a defined target market? Start researching to discover a niche market that has a need that you can address better than anyone else in your market. Finding that right niche market that is being under-serviced can be a goldmine for a hard-working entrepreneur like you. Step 2: Make a game plan. Do your homework to find best practices and write your Business Plan for your first three years. Determine a budget, CRM, bookkeeping, marketing plan and then put that plan into action. Over 90% of entrepreneurs do not start out with a 3 year plan and most of them fail as a result. Michael Gerber is the author that all entrepreneurs need to be familiar with as a mentor. In his book The E-Myth Revisited and his other insightful books he stresses thinking and acting like a business person. This means having systems and processes in place as part of your business plan to keep you organized as you grow your business. Step 3: Name your Company. Get your domain name before you register your business. Find a .com name that is available and brand yourself around that name. This will save you from confusing your target market and frustration later. You want prospects to find you easily online. Step 4: Create a Website with a blog. Google is now a verb. Your prospects will “Google” you and your business. As we begin 2012, relevance and “Social Sharing” are vitally important to SEO – Search Engine Optimization of your website. This means that your website needs to be an online hub that is part of your interactive web presence. Maintaining a website with a blog that you add content to monthly is no longer an option for someone that wants to to have a thriving business. Being found, “liked” and trusted by your prospects begins many times with online search of you and your business. You need to be in control of “relevant” content that they find! Step 5: Engage online Tap into Social media to interact with clients and prospects in your market. Configure your Twitter, Facebook Business Page, LinkedIN Business and personal profile. Find out where your target market “hangs out online” and become a part of that community. Listen at first and make positive comments on other people’s blogs. Step 6: Network to gather your CoDreamers Share your dream, vision and game plan with your family, friends, Networking partners, vendors and suppliers. They will then become your CoDreamers and provide the support you need to be successful in life as a business owner. Network with non-competing professionals to learn about business opportunities, share best practices and work on your public speaking skills in a friendly environment. Join a...
Read MoreBusiness Book Review of The Thank You Economy
Reading business books are part of my ongoing education and it keeps me up-to-date on trends and best practices. These valuable insights are utilized to give my clients the competitive advantage that they seek in today’s competitive market. At the top of my list of favorite business books is The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk. In fact, it is the best book I read in 2011. The Thank You Economy is a great Business Marketing book for the digital age. A time when online communication and being found on Google can make or break a company. Gary focuses on the new way consumers communicate, the way we buy and sell online, the new way businesses and consumers interact online and offline. The Internet and social media platforms have given consumers back their voice, and the tremendous power of their opinions via social media status updates means that Professionals, Small Businesses, Corporations and Brands have to compete on a whole different level than they used to. Gary shares case studies and real-life business experiences that illustrates that it is vital that companies have someone who does Social Media Monitoring, Listening for brand mentions, engaging with brand advocates to gain repeat and referral business. Read the great Business Book, The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk, and it may make your list of favorite books that you will read in 2012. Happy...
Read MoreSocial Media Monitoring Tools
Social Media Monitoring tools are extremely useful to help you keep up with all of your relevant social media activity. You can Google the subject “Social Media Monitoring tools” to get an overwhelming list of links to explore or click on the link to 30 Monitoring tools at the end of this blog. Meanwhile, here is a basic overview of the subject. Why use Social Media Marketing Tools? Now, more than ever, it is vital to keep informed about market trends, business opportunities and other online conversations that are relative to maintaining a healthy bottom line for their business. Yet, Business Owners, Professionals and Social Media Marketing Managers that are using online marketing or social media, realize how difficult it can be to try to be everywhere online at the same time. Monitoring gives you hard data that you can use of to make better and more profitable business decisions and marketing campaigns. Social Media Monitoring Tools are utilized to assist in the process of improving your online reputation and make your clients happy. These tools allow you to check what people have to say about you personally or your company brand. You are then able to analyze the ROI – your return on investment and then understand the steps you need to take to reach your target market. “By listening to what target audiences are saying, you have this unparalleled opportunity to respond to their comments and criticisms and make strategic changes based on this feedback. It is a 24/7 focus group, test market discussion and comment box rolled into one.” Commented JoAnna Dettmann, co-founder of digital marketing firm tSunela. Most Business Owners and busy professionals are too busy to get the most out of these Social Media Monitoring tools and really engage with the online influencers that can give a steady stream of Leads and New Business Opportunities. It would be my pleasure to discuss your Marketing Plan and how being a part of the IMA – Internet Marketing Alliance might be just the edge you need to prevent you from losing business opportunities to your competition. Please, contact Pamela J. Myers directly at 407-780-7717 to set-up a meeting. Meanwhile, I found this list of 30 social media monitoring tools. As always, it is my pleasure to help you to reach your social media...
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