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The Single Most Powerful Use of Social Media for Small Business
May 11th
The Single Most Powerful Use of Social Media for Small Business
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
Image s1ng0 via Flickr
I get asked all of the time for tips on simple ways to use social media in a small business that don’t require vast amounts of time.
I mean, small business owners know they need to get more involved online, they hear about and see it on TV daily, they are using more and more in their everyday lives, but when it comes to their own small business, it’s still taking a bit of a back seat because they fear they don’t have the time to do what looks and feels like a bunch of work for little immediate gain.
So, before I ever send an apprehensive business owner off to chase Twitter and Facebook followings I always start them with one simple tactic aimed at three very important groups.
So, here’s my advice: If you’re looking for the single most powerful use of social media in your business follow this simple plan.
The single tactic
My tactic of choice is one of the easiest to employ, automate and orchestrate and it has noting to do with tweeting. It’s simply the act of plugging in and listening to what people that are important or potentially important to your business are doing and saying in all of the social networks they participate in. Understand though that I’m talking about very focused listening here, that’s why this is a high payoff activity.
That’s right, you can derive immense benefit through social media tools without actually doing much more than listening. The first tool of choice is Google Alerts because you can set up countless alerts and receive daily email digests for all. Of course you’ll want to add another free tool such as Social Mention because it will help you pick up things that Google Alerts misses. I simply put my Google Alerts into Google Reader so I read them when I want and I bookmark all my searches in Social Mention and add a Listening Folder to my Bookmark toolbar so I can refresh the results anytime I like. (You can also step up to some paid versions like Trackur and Social Report)
The focus
Of course the next step is to determine who and what you’re listening for. Of course you’ll want to set up alerts and bookmarks for your own brand, that’s just common sense, but there are three other groups that I suggest every small business start tuning in to.
1) Clients - create alerts for all of your important clients and even go as far as adding their blogs to your RSS Reader, creating a Twitter List and adding it to a tool like TweetDeck and exploring if your CRM tool allows you to add the social connections for your clients (BatchBook, Highrise or ACT! all have this function). Monitoring what your clients and prospects are doing and saying in social networks will allow you to anticipate and serve their needs and build relationships much faster. A funny thing happens when you start to view your clients as real people!
2) Key Journalists – Almost every journalist is using social media these day and that includes this new breed of journalist we call bloggers. When you can locate the key journalists and bloggers in your industry or community, and you start to tune in as detailed above, you can find ways to engage them and build relationships by simply participating in their conversations with tools that didn’t exist just a few years ago.
3) Strategic Partners – I write about the notion of creating a team of best of class partners to bring to your clients frequently and one of the best ways to recruit and activate a strategic network is through the use of the systematic listening I’ve described here. This is a great way for you to learn what your partners need, how you can refer business to them and how you could create an entire content portal around all of the information and education your partners are putting out daily.
The payoff
Of course listening is simply the starting point. But, by using a systematic approach to listening and focusing that approach on the highest payoff audiences, you can now engage those you are following and know that your time is well spent. It may be fun having a debate with a random stranger on Twitter, it just might not be a wise use of your time.
However, when you track your clients you might just learn that your largest client has a new grandson or just watched their oldest receive a diploma – these life moments are excellent opportunities for you to come to know more about the real stories that make up your business.
When you read an article by one of your key journalists written about a topic you just happen to have a great deal of research on you can immediately jump in and comment or engage in ways that make you a valuable resource. Or, you can comment thoughtfully on a blog post of one of your key bloggers and start to build a conversation relationship that could eventually turn into a guest post opportunity.
When one of your strategic partners mentions they are looking for a programmer with API experience, and you know a wiz in that specialty, you can quickly step in and refer a solution – that’s the number one practice in generating your own referrals by the way.
So you see, if you’re one of those still confused about how to make social media pay or where to start to get your social media marketing going, look no further than your ears.
I talked about this very subject briefly in a video interview with Bryon Elliot on a visit to Orange County.
View full post on Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing
MindMaster: Powerful Sales Page With Convincing Testimonials
Apr 21st
Hot product with a huge market. Unique software sells extremely well in several popular niche markets. Great conversions, – refund rate under 2%! 56% commission. Go to http://www.mindmaster.tv/sp/affiliates.htm to see how you can profit with Mindmaster.
MindMaster: Powerful Sales Page With Convincing Testimonials
Search and Social Pack Powerful Consumer Punch
Mar 22nd
Search? Social? There’s so much involved in each, as a small business owner, which one should you put the bulk of your focus on? Well, you may not like the answer. According to new research from GroupMSeach and comScore, search and social are a bit like peanut butter and jelly – you simply can’t have one without the other.
Last week eMarketer revealed it’s search and social together that really aids online shoppers, citing data that found clickthrough rates increased by 94 percent when a consumer was exposed to both brand-specific search results and social media. That’s a stat worth knowing. Whether you are an SMB leaning more toward search or a business owner leaning more toward social, the graph below offers a pretty compelling reason why you should invest in both.
Interestingly, when it comes to social media we’re not necessarily talking about Twitter or Facebook. We’re talking about niche industry sites and blogs and, increasingly, review sites. Turns out these are the primary social avenues that most affect consumer buying decisions, with 30 percent of respondents saying they relied on reviews to aid in their purchase decisions. Twitter and Facebook may lead in awareness, but it’s review sites that are a customer’s last stop before checkout.
And that makes sense. Consumers are using search to identify brands and then turning to review sites and peer recommendations as a way of “quality checking” them. As an example of this, Yelp’s Dylan Swift recently noted that sites like Groupon have significantly increased the traffic coming into Yelp. Why? Because when consumers are exposed to a company they are unfamiliar with, before they purchase the deal, the go to Yelp in order to check the company out and hear about other users’ experiences. I thought that showed a really interesting pattern of behavior – citing both the importance of online reviews and making sure that you’re protecting your Google 10 should a new customer go looking for intel on your brand.
The lesson here for small business owners is that it all matters and users are using more and more sources to find local information and content. To grow a successful Web presence you must:
Invest in search: The appearance of social media has not diminished the importance of local search engine optimization. You still need to claim your listings, master your site-specific keywords, localize your content, care about Google Place Pages, and take care of all the other local search engine optimization best practices.
Invest in social: Create those corroborating factors for users to stumble upon–because after they come across your brand website, they’re going to head to the people they see as “experts” to get their take on you. They’re going to read about you on industry blogs, they’re going to read your reviews, they’re going to check out your entire social presence. It’s not enough to just appear in search. You need to back up that presence with social signals.
Overall, I thought eMarketer presented some really interesting data on customers’ searching behavior and how they’re using the Web to locate vendors. It’s not a one or the other game. In order to attract customers, you have to develop a presence in both search and social.
Search and Social Pack Powerful Consumer Punch
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective, and Powerful Ways To Use Social Media to Drive Social Change (9780470614150):…
Oct 9th
| Amazon.com: The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective, and Powerful Ways To Use Social Media to Drive Social Change (9780470614150):… |
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The Takeaway is a Powerful Position
Sep 14th
The Takeaway is a Powerful Position
This content from: Duct Tape Marketing
There’s something terribly alluring about learning you can no longer have something you want. Once someone says no or takes it away all you can think about is getting it, right. It’s one of the oldest tricks in the sales bag, but it just might be a strategy you should practice from time to time.
The idea is that you start down the path with a prospect and at some point you stop pursuing them and tell them you’re no longer interested in having them as a client. In my experience there are a couple very valid reasons for doing this and it’s not about manipulation. By taking a deal off the table you send notice about what’s important to your business and give the prospect the chance to accept that and continue or reject that and move on.
In fact, in some cases you’ll lose a sale, but the best reason for practicing the occasional takeaway approach is that it will help keep you from attracting the wrong kind of clients. You know, the ones that think the buyer is always right and that your job is to jump through hoops, bend to their will and, oh, cut your prices.
By practicing some filtering in your sales process you determine instances when taking a deal off the table will reveal if this is a client worth the work to build a long term relationship. Being prepared to say no to a prospect is a practice that is much easier to do when you feel confident you won’t starve to death, but it’s one that you must start to develop a sense for early on.
The red flag takeaway – In the hunt for new business we often ignore red flags and gut feelings about prospects and charge ahead sometimes agreeing to deals that don’t make sense with clients that aren’t ideal. Sometimes clients treat you like a vendor because they think that’s how the game is played – this is a point where you need to take a deal off the table with the suggestion that their demands don’t align with how you’re able to provide value. Two things happen – they walk away shocked or they suggest you start over – either way you’ve got a better client and can proceed with a caution in place.
The turn the tables takeaway – This one happens a lot with larger organizations. You attract a department head that wants and appreciates with you have to offer and starts the process. Then purchasing jumps in and throws an RFP process in the way, a set of out of date insurance requirements and the need for a dozen or so of your past clients to also submit detailed documents. Sometimes jumping this hoop is worth it if it’s simply an administrative hoop, but it can also be a place where you take the deal away so you don’t get pushed around by the lawyers. If your original contact jumps back in on your side, go for it, if not, you probably were going have even more roadblocks just to get paid.
The you’re not worthy takeaway – This one isn’t as much a takeaway as it’s a position. This one is tricky and you can certainly overplay it, but the old “I’m not sure I want to be in a club that would take me” is at play here. Over the years Guinness has employed this message to embrace the fact that their beer isn’t for everyone. I saw an ad over the weekend that ended with something like – It’s probably not for you. This exclusive snob appeal can work well and it can back fire, but take a lesson in the polarizing aspect of this approach. Sometimes the best way to get a loyal following is to build an equally rabid group of detractors.
Image credit: jm3
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View full post on Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing
7 Powerful and Free Website Builders for Small Businesses
Aug 31st
Half of all small companies do not have a website, according to one statistic. With that in mind, we believe there are many readers who may need some help getting a simple website up and running. Even if you have a company website, you may know someone who needs one. Here are 7 do-it-yourself website building services to consider.
There are all sorts of tools and applications out there, but our main selection criteria in this post is whether the tool lets you build a site, for free, in less than an hour and publish it to create at least a basic presence online. Are these tools all robust enough to create the site of your dreams? No. Will they allow you to cease procrastinating and put a stake in the online ground? Absolutely. They also give you the capacity to start using many of the great tools that Lisa Barone shares here on Small Business Trends, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Places and more.
In many cases, these site builders will not allow you to have your own custom domain name. Since that is important to many, including me, I have one favorite suggestion I’ll share at the end of the post as #7. Note: There are many website hosting companies that offer a free domain name, but that is not the same as a free website and hosting. This list is about free online website builders that include hosting.
1. Google Sites
I’m a big Google fan, and they don’t disappoint with their free website options. Google Sites is robust and probably a bit more technical than the busy small business owner wants to engage in. It does, however, allow really granular changes. I have tried it out on several projects, and it offers a full WYSIWYG editor.
Like many Google offerings, not everything is super-intuitive or easy to find. For example, I created this rough page for this review and it took me 5 minutes to figure out how to change the photo to my own. Still, you cannot beat free, and the Google tool works. The URLs are ugly, though: http://sites.google.com/site/socialmediaroibytjmccue/.
What I like: Google Sites templates range from simple sites to classroom-focused to project wikis to intranets. With a few clicks, you can pick a template and hit publish. Then you can go deep into the code if you want!
2. DoodleKit
DoodleKit is pretty impressive. Lots of templates and good editing functionality so you can put items and photos where you want. The free version is limited, but allows up to five pages, plus a blog. There is lots of space for photos and image albums, and DoodleKit offers lots of examples to get ideas of how others have used it. After the free level, plans are still affordable. The forum keeps things simple and offers step-by-step instructions so when you ask a question, you can actually follow the answer.
The advanced editing tool had to be installed in my browser, which was a slight disappointment, but not a big deal. Once I loaded that simple lite app, it was truly easy to see what I was editing.
What I liked: Literally, in under 5 minutes, I had a website and blog going.
3. Wix
Wix is a free Flash website builder. Some will argue that a Flash website is not as SEO-friendly (or Google-friendly, if you prefer), but the search giant and other search engines have made great strides in reading and ranking Flash sites. The beauty of Flash is it allows true drag and drop functionality. Sign-up is just your e-mail, a password and a username. You then move to Create, Explore or My Account as the three choices of what to do next. I hit Explore and was amazed at all the site types and creative options, most of them for free.
If you don’t like the idea of a content-heavy site with mostly words, and are a visual type or your business lends itself to a more visual format (photographers, videographers, architects, designers), Wix is worth a serious look.
What I Liked: Wix is a fun, energetic site that makes you want to start and finish a website in one sitting. Almost 5 million people have built a site at Wix. You can get affordable help with the Wix designers.
4. Moonfruit
Moonfruit is a Flash-based website builder. Right away, they amazed me with this one super customer-friendly step: They let me start building the site without even registering or providing any info. I could click through and pick options; when my site was almost done, they asked me to share my e-mail, a username and password, and hit publish.
What I Liked: By far, Moonfruit is one of the most elegant and professional solutions I’ve seen to get a company website up and running. The free option was advertising-free. No tiny little links or text ads, and beyond the free option there are very affordable plans.
5. Weebly
Weebly lets you create a free website and blog. It is Flash-based, which means another easy drag and drop interface. You don’t have to be a techie at all. Weebly offers dozens of professional designs and templates. You can drag slideshows or photos onto the templates where you want them. They are one of the only tools I saw that allows and encourages a blog within the site structure. Also, Weebly has simple SEO options so you can put keywords and descriptions into your code and get recognized by the search engines.
What I Liked: If you already own your own domain name, Weebly will let you use it for free. So if you just re-registered a domain name you’ve been parking on, you can turn it on and Weebly won’t charge you to do it. Cool.
6. Webstarts
Once you pick a template with Webstarts, they take you to a page that lists the pages within your site and icons to edit, preview or delete. Plus, right on that admin dashboard, you can adjust the order of the pages and decide which pages should be on the navigation menu. Webstarts is very intuitive and fast loading.
What I Liked: As you start into editing mode, a little window drops down with a tutorial video. You can close it out, but it is nice to have a help item available. I actually enjoyed working in the Webstarts editing tool.
7. WordPress
Yes, it is a blog platform and not officially a “website builder.” However, many companies use WordPress as a website platform, and it ranks very highly for small business. (SmallBizTrends.com is built on WordPress.) My SalesRescueTeam.com site is built on WordPress with the robust Thesis theme (not free). Here’s the sweet part: If you’re on a tight budget and want to keep it super-simple, you can build a site for free.
What I Liked: For only $15 per year, you can get a custom domain name you own and have WordPress point to it. That’s as close to free as any of the free website builders with your own domain. Most services that are free have a subdomain structure, as does the free WordPress option, with URLs that look like www.yoursite.wordpress.com. Over time, that’s limiting for most businesses. Because the premium features on WordPress are not always easy to find, here they are.
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If you are in the alleged 50 percent of small companies that do not have a website, or know someone who is starting a business and really needs an inexpensive option to building their first site, these seven services will help you do it. Each is worth a look. As always, feel free to share the ones you like and link to them in the comments.
7 Powerful and Free Website Builders for Small Businesses
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
NJ Real Estate Leader Leverages Internet Marketing to Build Powerful Lead Machine
Aug 3rd
| NJ real estate agency Team Chris Walsh describes the benefits gained from an online marketing campaign created by internet marketing services company… |
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Internet Marketing Success by Powerful SEO Software
Jul 3rd
| Press Release: 70% success of any business depends on the effective SEO marketing. Advertising is something that makes a sale for you, and you have to… |
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Facebook, Twitter ‘powerful business tools’
Jul 2nd
| Social media such as Facecbook and Twitter or blogging sites have become powerful tools that influence what people buy, online researcher Nielsen said… |
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Resell Rights For Digital Infoproducts – 5 Powerful Tips To | Business Ideas
Apr 11th
| There are a lot of people online who use these products for their business. There are some things that you need to do when you are competing with all… |
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