Top 3 Engagement Marketing Articles

Teaching my concepts to others

I separate myself from other Social Media professionals by really learning all I can about “engagement”. Anyone can post anything online and call themselves a social media marketer. What about creating a movement through engagement with actual ongoing conversations using social media? If you’ve ever met me you’ll know I’m as social in-person as I am online. These tools for offline and online marketing will be useful for obtaining a lead online and following through offline:

Business Etiquette: 5 Rules That Matter Now (start this immediately)

How to Write a Thank-You Note That Matters (key points to use offline)

30 Things to Tweet About Your Brand (print this handy to-do list)

How to be a Social Butterfly Offline & In-Person

I have been complimented that I’m both socially online and in person. I wish I can share my secrets b/c it has exposed me to exceptional professionals and marketers within months of my move to this area. I found an article on Forbes very useful for anyone who might need some tips on How to Work a Room Like You Own The Place. I was especially found this concept useful:

4. Get the lay of the land. Observe group formations before choosing whom to approach. Look for people who are most likely to respond positively. These would be individuals standing alone who are waiting for someone to talk to, or groups of twos and threes that are open to new participants. You can see this in their body language: if they are facing outward, chances are they are having a casual conversation and would be happy for others to join in.

Be Genuinely Interested in Others (not just in telling everyone about yourself), ask lots of questions, and smile! 🙂

10 Social Media Marketing Sins

Would you trust a baby with your Facebook Page?

Whenever I see reposts from (Twitter Guru) Susie Blackmon‘s tweets on Heidi Cohen (actionable marketing expert), I know it is a good read because it will include practical social media marketing knowledge that could be applicable to various markets such as the B2B to B2C.

The most important bullet on social media marketing sins from Heidi Cohen’s blog includes Number 7:

“Hiring a kid who knows Facebook, not employing an experienced marketer who understands your products, brands and company. “

Situation: I have been speaking to a couple of companies interested in having social media marketing expertise. The story sometimes includes hiring an intern in college who didn’t know the brand or understand the mission of the company who started a Facebook or Twitter page for the company- just to get it done. Moreover, the intern left or graduated from college and somehow the owner of the company is left to do FB or Twitter page with limited knowledge on the platform itself. In extreme cases, I’ve read interns who didn’t handle customer services correctly through these platforms and it resulted in damaging the reputation of the brand.

Solution: Owners of companies should hire an expert because marketing through the social media platforms are one of the most direct forms of communication you have with customers. Hire a social media consultant and inform them about the brand. This person will understand how to use the right tools to increase visibility and communications with customers to enable understanding of the products, services, and value for them!

Have a question? Don’t hesitate to contact me for information about social media. Click here.

How to Enchant your Customers and Leads

This information below is based on the presentation & Enchantment book by Guy Kawaski. I wanted to learn more about this Enchanting individual after watching the InBound Marketing (through HubSpot) presentation (you can see below). Then I read the book it really changed my perspective about understanding people and their needs. There are so many tips from the book and the presentation but here a couple of things I got out of it:

Visit your site and make sure you have: a mission & value statement, “Who We Are”, FAQ’s, Sitemap

Reduce # of choices, people buy more when there are less to choose from.

Present the big option, then the small choices, then it seems reasonable by contrast.

Enchant everyone that influences, businesses tend to influence the father of the household but in Guy’s household, the daughter is the decision-maker.

“Competition:-

1. Know them,
2. Analyze them through three lists of features & capabilities such as:

• What we both can do
• What we can do but they cannot do
• What we cannot do but they can do

3. Finally frame thy competition”

Endure Enchantment through Internalizing Values: conformity, identification, internalization

Think twice before using money (i.e. Encarta vs. Wikipedia)

Achieve trustworthiness: give with joy, give early, give unexpectedly, ask for reciprocation!

“Provide value:

• pointers to useful, inspiring, entertaining content (try to add links when doing this on Twitter)
• Personal insights, observations, or content
• Advice & Assistance” (Also keep it positive!)

….on Youtube:

Provide Intrinsic Value (IEEE): Inspiration, Entertainment, Enlightenment, Education

According to the book, 19.4% of viewers abandon a video with in the first ten seconds of a video

By 60 seconds, 44% have stopped watching!

Make videos short and start fast! Include brand name last on title.

I really suggest you read the book to know how to enchant employees/volunteers, don’t forget to see the presentation in case you can’t read the book:

How to Use Social Media to Build your Business and Brand

I can’t put enough emphasis on investing time on social media, this article on Entrepreneur focuses how a new store in Montreal was full of customers the moment they opened their doors, the secret: 6 months prior to opening, the owner was blogging and using Twitter to connect with influential people in her audience about topics relating to the opening of her store.

When was the last time you were consistent on your blogging? Connecting with strangers on Twitter about topics that are of interest to your business? All it takes is a few minutes to post on your blog, what’s stopping you from getting more easy leads?

Questions? Watch these informative videos on Inbound Marketing

Top Ten Takeaways From the Inbound Marketing Summit (#IMS11, #HUGS2011)

Guy Kawasaki

Two months ago, I had my commencement ceremony (in FL) and Inbound Marketing Summit scheduled for the same weekend. I knew I wouldn’t be able attend HubSpot’s Inbound Marketing Summit (IMS) because of my commencement ceremony. I was dying to meet one of the guest speakers, Guy Kawaski (Former chief evangelist of Apple, Co-founder of Alltop.com, Author of Enchantment) and learn more information about Inbound Marketing (I’m certified as an Inbound Marketing Certified Specialist through HubSpot). At the end of the day, my husband and I moved to TN (due to an amazing job offer), I couldn’t attend both my commencement and #IMS2011. But, I’m excited to share the top ten takeaways by someone who has attended this, please click here.

Guy Kawasaski

 

 

 

Viral Marketing and World Wide Rave

This is an excellent post from one of my favorite authors, David Meermann Scott. He basically inspired me to be passionate social media marketing back in 2009. This PPT has innovative information to help boost your inbound content (ebooks, focus on your different buyer personas, etc). It is worth reading, please do so. You won’t regret it! I don’t want to give too much away this time, because I want you to be impressed with the tips he gives you. Imagine, if you could apply this information to your niche or industry, especially this great industry I cater my blog to, such as the four-legged industry which focuses on pets, horses, and other creatures that we love. I really appreciate those that think outside the box, like what David suggest on this PPT.