‘CUSTOMER SERVICE MARKETING’ VIA SOCIAL MEDIA

With social media altering the way we do business and how we interact with clients/customers, the customer service aspect of business has become emphasized like never before.  Social media have brought customer relationship management and customer service to the forefront and have rendered customer service a form of marketing unto itself.  Here’s how:

Social media have enhanced the customer experience by giving the customer a profound voice.  And, for most businesses, this has translated into having a favorable impact on overall sales and growth.  Social media are interactive and customers can communicate directly with businesses; whether it be to ask questions about products or services, file complaints or offer praise with respect to products & services.  

 

Direct dialogue is now possible via most mainstream social media platforms.  Within a business’ “online community”, the brand benefits via engagement with customers.  This is true both in terms of insight and ideas that can be garnered from customers as well as how brand loyalty is being constructed and promoted via word-of-mouth.  Listening to what customers are saying and responding promptly & directly to them is key.  Customer service becomes an effective form of marketing!

To implement customer service as a form of marketing for your business, ensure that you:

A)     Focus on conversation/engagement as being the core of your business – concentrate on the exchange of information and ideas with your customers – interact, listen and respond.

B)      Strive to excel at a more refined range of things – you can’t be “great” at everything and solve all of the world’s problems, but you can focus on the things that are most meaningful to your customers (things that you will come to identify through real dialogue with them).

C)       Break down the barriers that have traditionally segregated business and customer – make use of social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & Blogging to get conversations started and to maintain & manage ongoing, solid relationships with your customers.

Need some help navigating these social networking sites?  Then our Social Networking for Business workshop is for you.  Please check out our schedule at: http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA ARE AFFECTING THE TRADITIONAL WEBSITE

I have heard a lot of people saying, over the past year or so, that they are spending more time and energy on their social media campaigns and less time on their websites.  Case in point:  several of my colleagues are using Facebook Business Pages as opposed to websites these days.  So, the question is:  Are social media displacing the traditional website we’ve all come to know and love?    

 

In our Social Networking for Business workshop, we advocate the use of social media in conjunction with what is already working for your business.  If you have a dynamite website set up for your business and it’s serving you well, why scrap it?  Your website stands for constancy and familiarity with your existing clients and it’s a great testament to what it is that you do, for prospective clients.  Plus, you can never have enough of an online presence if you want to maximize your SEO (search engine optimization).  But, what we definitely recommend is that no business be without a social media presence in today’s market.  That would just be counter-productive, especially given the ease with which social media can be used.

A social media campaign is absolutely essential to the success of a business’ growth right now.  The fact is, people are on social media sites like Facebook on a daily basis.  Facebook has become a primary source of information for a lot of us.  And, with Facebook’s user numbers expecting to shoot upwards of a billion before this year is up, if your business isn’t on Facebook, you stand to be in a position where you will not be as easily found when people are seeking information about the very products and services that you provide. 

The same goes for other social media platforms.  Each has its own special features that make it unique and essential from a business perspective.   I’ve discussed them all in detail throughout some of my other posts:  Twitter is great for getting short bursts of information out there in real time – updates, event information, links, etc.  Blogs are a wonderful way to position yourself as an expert in your industry – to share valuable information and your knowledge with people.  LinkedIn is the place to connect with like-minded business individuals and to network within a comprehensive business arena.

So, what are some of the fundamental differences between social media platforms and a website in terms of your business?  First and foremost, social media are just that – social.  A social media site is not a platform for overt advertising and hard-sell tactics.  Social media sites exist to help you connect with people – to inform and enlighten – to engage in two-way dialogue with clients and prospects.  A website, on the other hand, is a place where you can more aggressively peddle your wares, so to speak.  A website is static – updated and changed, for the most part, on a not-so-regular basis.  Social media business sites can be easily updated and altered on a daily basis, whenever necessary, in real time.  That’s important for any business.  Social media sites also provide you with an opportunity to take part in ‘live’ conversations with people through messaging and groups features. 

Bottom line, a social media presence is a necessity for your business in the current market.  Websites are still important, too.  And, no, it’s not redundant to incorporate both a social media presence and a website into your business’ marketing strategy.  It’s important, in fact, that the two co-exist and even feed off of each other to allow for maximized SEO and a well-structured presence on the web.

READY, SET, BLOG: WHY TUMBLR IS MORE RELEVANT NOW THAN EVER

We recently began using Tumblr for the ‘Blogging’ segment of our Social Networking for Business workshop, and, I must say, I’m impressed.  I first learned about Tumblr through my teenage daughter who used the site as a form of communicating and photo sharing with friends, and to be honest, I dismissed it at the time (a couple of years ago) as just that - another teen fad.  But, when I actually created a Tumblr account and researched its functionality, I definitely changed my tune.

Tumblr, in a word, simplifies the blogging experience.  It’s straightforward as well as easy, quick and fun to use.  In singing the praises of Tumblr, I’m not diminishing the qualities of WordPress or Blogger, but I have to admit, Tumblr does facilitate blogging and picture & video sharing in an unprecedented manner.  Tumblr is multimedia – you have the option to post a photo or video only (with a caption if you so desire) or you can post text content with or without photos or video.  You can even post a quote and have the option to cite the source in its own field.  And, so much more… It really doesn’t get any more uncomplicated than that!

With respect to branding, Tumblr is unquestionably the way to go.  As a quote from an article on imediaconnection.com puts it:  “If your brand can be conveyed visually, Tumblr is the best platform because it’s fast and high resolution image based…”

Another major advantage to Tumblr is that it’s extremely social - the site makes it easy to follow other blogs – and that means that your blog will be easy for others to follow. Tumblr, in effect, allows greater accessibility to your blog, thereby making it almost effortless to build your audience. 

And, as far as SEO (search engine optimization) goes, Tumblr is one of the best forums you can use.  As journalist, Dan Goodswen, says: “Tumblr’s native reblogging system means that any links you embed in your posts can quickly spread around the site, generating potentially hundreds, even thousands of linkbacks.”

There’s no doubt that Tumblr’s user numbers are growing exponentially.  The blogging site has doubled in size since the fall of 2011.  Here are some stupefying numbers: 

And, from pingdom.com, here are some more stats with respect to Tumblr’s content:

• 637 posts per second
• 38,194 posts per minute
• 2.3 million posts per hour
• 385 million posts per week
• 1.65 billion posts per month
• 20 billion posts per year

I, for one, with still a soft spot for Blogger in my heart, will definitely be checking Tumblr out more often and contributing to some of its awesome numbers with a few posts of my own.

If you want to learn more about the virtues of Tumblr, why not join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops and we’ll get you started.  For a schedule of dates and locations, please click on the following link! http://escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

Want Your Posts to go Viral? On Social Media, Timing Is Everything

Ah, the busy life of the finance professional – good for you if you’ve implemented a social media campaign strategy into your hectic schedule.  But, did you know that there are certain times of the day and specific days of the week that the content you post is more likely to go viral?  According to data put forth on Bitly.com, it’s true!    

The data indicate, for example, that on Twitter, “…posting in the afternoon earlier in the week is your best chance at achieving a high click count (1-3pm Monday through Thursday). Posting after 8pm should be avoided. Specifically, don’t bother posting after 3pm on a Friday since, as far as being a gateway to drive traffic to your content, it appears that Twitter doesn’t work on weekends.”

This does make a lot of sense if you think about it – how productive, after all, do you think most people are after 3:00 on Friday?  The research furthermore maintains that the peak of Twitter activity occurs prior to the optimal time to post.  Twitter’s busiest time tends to be between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm, Monday through Thursday.  Should you post on Twitter during its peak hours, while there are more people clicking, it might raise the average number of clicks, however, your posts may not be receiving all the attention they deserve due to the fact that there will obviously be more competition for this attention. 

For Facebook, the data states that, “Links posted from 1pm to 4pm result in the highest average click throughs. The peak time of the week was on Wednesday at 3pm. Links posted after 8pm and before 8am will have more difficulty achieving high amounts of attention. As with Twitter, avoid posting on the weekends.”  It appears that Facebook traffic tends to peak around the middle of the week, from the hours of 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm and begins to fade more after 4:00 pm.  Moreover, the research contends that although traffic counts are comparable at 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm, if you post at 7:00 pm, you will garner more clicks than you would posting at 8:00 pm.

With respect to Tumblr, our new favorite blogging site, there’s currently a vast difference from Twitter and Facebook.  The data from Bitly show that posting on Tumblr after 4:00 pm stands to garner optimal results, and that, “…postings after 7pm on average receive more clicks over 24 hours than content posted mid-day during the week. Friday evening, a no-man’s land on other platforms, is an optimal time to post on Tumblr. Bitly traffic from Tumblr peaks between 7pm and 10pm on Monday and Tuesday, with similar traffic on Sunday. ”

So, there you have it – valuable information on optimal times to post on three of the most prevalent social media sites out there.  As you’re undoubtedly pressed for time on most days of your life, knowing what times it’s most worth posting will help with your strategy!  

3 CRUCIAL TIPS TO STRATEGICALLY MARKET YOUR BUSINESS VIA SOCIAL MEDIA

Over the past several years, social media marketing has become not only more sophisticated in itself, but integral to the success of the more sophisticated business. More and more businesses are becoming familiar with and are better understanding social media and how to best leverage online resources to create networks and recognize that interaction and engagement are key with respect to social media marketing.  But, in order to take it to the next steps, it’s crucial that you implement more advanced social media strategies for your business!

So, you’re already aware of how to create an online presence and you already have an online community in place.  Now what?  Here are a couple of progressive social media marketing strategies shared by technology strategist, Samir Balwani, that will be sure to further enhance your business’s bottom line:

1. Include plenty of Photos & Video in your Message – You’ve heard the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words”?  So true!  People are using the Internet prolifically to garner information on products and services, and that includes your customers and prospects.  They want to read all about what your business has to offer, but they also want to see photographs or videos depicting this information.  People are very visual creatures.  And, nothing completes your social networking profiles more than some visual aids.

2. Adjust Your Message to Fit the Platform – Within your social media campaign, you are no doubt making use of several of the different platforms at your disposal, namely: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Blogging.  It’s important, however, to ensure that, rather than deliver an identical message over the multiple platforms, you try to tailor your communication to each individual site.  Certain information and how it’s presented on your blog might be considered “spammy” on Facebook.  It’s crucial to customize each message to each site to ensure that your messages spread optimally.  And, customizing your messages on each site also saves your network of customers and potential customers from receiving the same communication over and over again.  You can effectively maximize your business’ potential by sending out messages customized to each social media platform.

3. Implement Strategic Sales Tactics – Strategic sales tactics can include special offers, deals and discounts that you can offer through your social media platforms.  You can effectively drive business by generating some excitement within your online community and contests are a great way to do this.  If you conduct a contest, for example, that requires those in your network to share virally with their networks (i.e. whoever garners the most comments or “likes”, etc., wins a prize – be creative – it can be just about anything from concert tickets to a vacuum cleaner), your contest is sure to go viral and guess what that means for you and your brand  In doing this, you’re literally rewarding existing and future clients, not to mention reiterating to them that you are a brand to engage with as well as a brand to buy from or do business with.

To learn more about strategic social media marketing, join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops where we’ll teach you everything you need to know to enhance your social networking experience.  For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit: http://escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

See you there! 

8 WAYS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR BLOG’S S.E.O.

Blogs are fun to write (I love creating them!!!), informative and a great way to promote & market your brand.  But, the challenge lies in getting them found on that vast information highway we know as the internet.  As enjoyable to write as they are, your blog posts aren’t going to do much good if no one actually gets to read them.  The question is, then:  how do you maximize your blog’s SEO (search engine optimization) and drive traffic to your posts so they can serve their purpose of marketing your business.

If you run a customer-facing business – let’s say you’re a mortgage broker – then your business blog will revolve around offering information and advice on all things mortgage.  When someone in your locale is looking for information on obtaining a mortgage, the first order of business will be to conduct a Google search.  What you want to ideally do is ensure that your blog ranks among the first two or three search results – or at least in the top 5!  If you’re way down at number 610, no one is going to find you. Over time and with some good old-fashioned work & polish, there’s no reason in the world that you won’t rank in the top 5!! 

Here are a few concepts to keep in mind that will be sure to maximize your blog’s SEO:  

1. Maximize your Links:

One of the most vital elements that you need to be aware of in order to garner that all-important search engine optimization, is “link maximizing”.  In plain English:  it’s imperative that you amplify as much as possible the number of links drifting around out there that direct people to your blog.  There are a few ways in which to accomplish this. You can add a link to your forum signature or forum block; you can submit links on website directories; you can trade links or you can even purchase links. 

But remember, it’s also crucial that you use the right link name.  If you’re a mortgage broker, examples of links that you should use are:  “top-notch mortgage advice” or “hot mortgage tips for first time homebuyers” or “mortgage numbers demystified”.  You get the idea.

2. Keep it Fresh and Engaging:

In order for your blog to be and remain successful, you need to keep it updated on a veryregular basis.  If you start to get a following and don’t post anything for over a month, it’s going to get stale; people are going to stop visiting and move on to find their info elsewhere.  Remember:  the more frequently you update, the more easily people will be able to find your blog on search engines, because search engines will more readily recognize your blog.

But, keep in mind that quality counts just as much as quantity.  Keep it interesting and engaging.  Your posts should encompass content that will appeal to your visitors – they’re reading your material for a reason and you want to maintain your audience.  

3. Create a Domain Name of Your Very Own:

Buying your own domain name is a really good idea if you’re serious about your blog and increasing its traffic.  Create a domain name that is easy for people to remember (size does matter – the shorter the better in this case) and that is relevant to your blog posts. 

4. Source Out and Follow other Top Bloggers:

Look for other bloggers in your industry genre and contribute by commenting on their posts.  Ensure that your comments are relevant, informative and that they intelligently enhance the content.  Also ensure that you include a directive link to your own blog, so that they’ll check you out, too!

5. Respond to Comments on Your Blog Posts:

Speaking of commenting on blog posts, when you do start to receive traffic to your blog and people comment, it’s essential that you respond in kind – this will assure your readers that you value their opinions and will establish a sense of loyalty between you and your readers.

6. Include Labels or Tags on Your Posts:

Once you’ve written your content, take the time to add a few labels or tags (these are keywords) to your posts.  Tags are easily recognized by search engines, much like links. This will be sure to drive additional traffic to your blog as tags are an excellent way of assisting readers in finding your blog when they use search engines.  To that end, ensure also that the tags or keywords are used as plentifully as possible throughout your blog posts as these words must be incorporated within your content for Google to consider recognizing the posts.  For example, if you use the word “finances” a lot throughout your post, ensure that you include that exact word “finances”  and not the words “financial planning” as a tag.  Likewise, if you use the term “retirement planning” plentifully within your post, make sure that you use that term as a tag and not just the word “retire” or even just the word  “retirement”.   And, bear in mind when writing your content, what keywords or terms readers will use to search for an article such as the one you’re writing – then use those words or terms as abundantly as possible and, of course as tags.

7. Syndicate Your Content with an RSS Feed:

It’s a good idea to set up an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed tab on your blog. Doing so will make it easy to alert readers when you publish fresh content.  (You can use Feedburner or Feedblitz to do this.  Visit their websites for more information on how to share an RSS feed.)

8. Make the Most of Your Other Social Networking Sites:

To really leverage social media as a means of effectively marketing your business, you should (if you don’t already) also be making use of other platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  Each of these networks offers you the opportunity to post content about and promote your blog posts.  And, again – don’t forget to include a link.

Above are just some of the ways you can maximize your blog’s SEO.  For a complete, informative lesson on “all things blog”, why not join one of our Social Media for Business workshops and we’ll help get you on the heavily trafficked road to a successful blog!  For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit:

http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

How to Tweet Your Way to Success

Twitter can be of great benefit to the business professional – in more ways than one.  It just might in fact be one of the most potent social media tools out there.

As I’m sure you’re aware by now, Twitter is essentially a mircoblog – it entails the sharing of short bursts of relevant information (no, I’m not talking about the incredible spaghetti and meatballs you had for dinner last night – Twitter has moved way beyond that) to and from your significant business connections.

Here are a few ways that Twitter can be of benefit to your business:    

1. As a means of Branding & Promotion: 

Twitter provides an extraordinary way to increase exposure for your business in a casual and personable environment.  Instead of conducting a blatant advertising pitch (that’s not what social networking is about), offer your services by tweeting about relevant things that you can do for your followers.  And, keep them informed with respect to all things relevant to your industry – Twitter can make you look like the industry expert.  Remember, Twitter discussions have the capability of going viral very rapidly!

2. As a means of Seeking Client Feedback:

Twitter offers a great forum within which to interact with clients and prospects.  And, what could be more valuable to your business than garnering client feedback and becoming interactive with the very people you want to reach.  Twitter enables you to ask & answer questions and to spark discussions – a real way to connect with people.

3. As a Link to your Blog:

Whenever you publish a new blog post (and, if you’re not blogging, you should get on it pronto!) tweet about it and ensure that your tweet includes a link to the post so that people can be easily directed to your blog.  (WordPress actually provides a Plugin that will automatically tweet your blog posts when they’re published.)  Once your post appears in the Twitter feed, people can ‘Comment’ on it, ‘Re-Tweet’ and ‘Share’ it with their networks, sending your blog into the viral stratosphere for all to see – and by ‘all’, I’m referring to your clients and prospects!

4. As a News Feed:

To be the most remarkable business professional that you can possibly be, you have to stay in the loop when it comes to relevant industry news.  Your clients and prospects are looking to you for this kind of information and Twitter is a great way for you to stay up-to-date.

5. As a Means of Sharing Clients’ & Prospects’ Marketing Messages:

In Twitter speak – this would mean “re-tweeting” posts already shared by your clients and prospects that you think might be of benefit to other clients and/or prospects.  It works sort of like a referral service.  By re-tweeting these marketing messages, you can effectively refer business, products and services to others – you’re helping other people out and you look great, too!

6. As a Means of Networking with Industry Peers:

You’d be amazed at the quality and quantity of information you can garner about your particular industry by being social and following other companies and professionals on Twitter.  It’s not only an effective means of building your business via networking, but it can be a fun and entertaining way of meeting like-minded people.  You can share not just vital info relevant to your industry, but even light-hearted, entertaining fodder and jokes as well.  Why not have some fun with it and make some friends in the process?

Get out there and start tweeting your way to a successful business!!

The Progressive Company’s Outlook on Social Media: If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em

Like death and taxes, social media are a sure thing and are here to stay.  Corporations are beginning more and more to come to this realization.  It’s been policy for many companies to block social networking sites to prevent their employees from spending company time on Facebook, Twitter and the like, but it’s coming to light that blocking social media sites is nothing more than an exercise in futility.  With all the tech gadgets now at our disposal, one doesn’t need to be on their company’s computer to access their social networking sites while at work.  One need only own a smartphone or tablet in order to bypass their company’s computer security.   And, nowadays, who doesn’t own one of those??              

So, the progressive company is adopting the attitude that ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’.  Some corporations are in fact beginning to recognize the advantages to their employees being able to share and promote, via social media, company news and updates.  Just think of the reach potential of a large corporation of over 100,000 employees harnessing the power of social media to promote that corporation! 

It’s in fact coming to the point where some companies are considering implementing social media literacy and security training to ensure that employees (since they’re going to be on social media anyways) are using social media ethically and advantageously.  Not a bad idea, all things considered. And, why not take it a step further and offer employees training on how to correctly use social media sites to enhance business practices and upgrade contact / client management skills. 

There’s no doubt about the impact that social media now has on the business world – in fact, most would argue that it’s nearly impossible to stay competitive without having your business connected on social media.  So, why not jump on the bandwagon and use social media and, yes, even your employees and their sites, to your advantage!

For more information on social media and how it can be used to the benefit of any business, why not join one of our Social Media for Business workshops?  For a schedule and a listing of convenient course locations, please visit http://escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20.

Your Target Audience: How to Find It on Social Media

Establishing and expanding your target audience is one of the most complex challenges you will encounter in growing your business and developing your brand.  Social media, with its mind-boggling broad-reach potential, is one of the best ways to achieve your goals.  Your objective, however, is not explicitly to reach as many people as you can, but, more specifically, to reach as many people as you can that are going to be fully interested in engaging with your business.  And, this is where the challenge lies – in determining who, or more to the point, where these people are. 

Do Your Research – Thoroughly

Although social media can make your life a lot easier (especially in terms of reaching people via a social media marketing campaign versus reaching people via traditional advertising methods), you definitely need to do your homework.  Knowledge is power and the more you know about your brand’s position within the social media cosmos, the easier it will be for you to find your audience. 

Conduct Advanced Searches

There are numerous social media sites of which you can make use to find out exactly who is buzzing about your brand and what, precisely, the buzz is.  Twitter and Facebook both offer inclusive search functionalities.  Google Blog Search is another appropriate choice.  It’s important to remember when conducting your research, to not just look for your own company, but also search out your competition – both direct and indirect. 

Using Lots of Keywords is Key

Search out industry-specific keywords.  Twitter further provides an advanced search feature that allows you to source out users based on keywords & phrases.  Think words that will generate the best matches in terms of your products and services, as well as competitive keywords. 

Make Use of Groups & Lists

The fundamentals of social media rely on the fact that we, as humans, are just that:  social beings that love to connect and need to feel like we’re a part of something.  The “sense of community” aspect is a central characteristic of each social network. 

Twitter thrives on lists and there are currently thousands of Facebook groups out there, not to mention the LinkedIn groups.  You can easily use keyword searches to access Twitter lists and Facebook & LinkedIn groups to source out people who could potentially be interested in doing business with you. 

Remember, patience is a virtue.  A social media marketing campaign can be a very effective and viable way of turning your business into an exceedingly lucrative venture.  But, it won’t happen overnight.  You need to invest your precious time and some energy into putting it all together - and gaining access to your target audience puts you halfway there.  

5 Steps to a Fabulous Makeover ... for Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn, since its 2003 inception, has been growing by leaps and bounds to become the platform for business networking.   LinkedIn fact:  As of March 31, 2012, LinkedIn operates the world’s largest professional network on the Internet with 161 million members in over 200 countries and territories.

Ignoring LinkedIn can be a marketing mistake, as LinkedIn has categorically become the number one connection-based referral source for business professionals.

 

So, why not give your LinkedIn profile a much-deserved makeover to maximize its truly awesome potential!  Here’s what you can do:

     1. Ensure your profile includes an up-to-date photo of you in professional attire and fully coiffed, so that the image makes a stunning, professional first impression.  It’s actually worthwhile to invest in a professional portrait. This is definitely the time and place to put your best face forward.       

      2.  A vanity URL is always a good idea for your LinkedIn account – it sets you apart, is unique to you and if catchy enough, will be remembered readily by those who check your profile. It’s simple to change your URL.  Just click on the Edit Public Profile settings at right, or simply edit next to the Public Profile in the blue profile box.


     3. It’s imperative that your profile’s searchability be at its maximum potential.  Your profile should be searchable on all search engines as well as on LinkedIn.  A LinkedIn profile commonly ranks among the top five when a search is conducted on someone’s name.  To ensure that your profile is public and to have it indexed, simply click on Settings, Public Profile and then select Full View Recommended.  You can choose which items are viewable by others from the menu list.

      4. Be sure to keep current with respect to your profile and status updates and make certain that any new posts or changes are sent to all of your connections. 


     5. Your summary is one of the most key elements of your LinkedIn profile.  It’s important that it be well put together, succinct and that in its brevity, it does you justice.  Ensure that it captures the essence of the ‘business you’ and that it specifically lets connections know exactly what it is that you can do for them.  The idea here is to make people want to engage with you. Think personal branding – but remember, keep it brief!

With over 100 million people connected on LinkedIn worldwide, it really is worth it to maximize your own profile to its full potential.   Learn how to take complete advantage of everything LinkedIn and its unique features have to offer.  Join our full-day, hands-on Social Media for Business workshops. 

Simply click here   http://escomputertraining.com/socialmedia   for a schedule of workshops in your area and we’ll be happy to help you get “LinkedIn”!

HOW SOCIAL PROOF DRIVES SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Social Proof is perhaps the most fundamental aspect of any social media marketing campaign.  What is social proof, you ask?  A term coined by social psychologist, Robert Cialdini (in his work, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion), social proof stems from the psychology of compliance.  Essentially, people tend to do what they see other people doing.  It’s basically the concept that, ‘If everyone else is doing it, then I should be doing it, too.’  It’s all about conformity.  If you’re walking down the street and come upon a crowd of people looking up at the sky, your automatic reaction will be to look up at the sky as well.  

Cialdini delves into what “psychological principles influence the tendency to comply with a request”.  He terms these principles “weapons of influence”.  Social proof is a weapon of influence.  And, this is where “compliance professionals” come into play.  Compliance professionals are “those whose business it is to persuade us”.                                      

                                                                                     Can it not be said, therefore, that you, as a business professional, using social media as a means of marketing your brand, are, in effect, a compliance professional?  Your main objective is to influence people to use your services – you want to promote your brand – get it out there so as many people as possible are aware of what you can do for them.  You use social media as a means of doing so, and social media relies upon social proof as its very foundation.

How important, then, do you think it is to be as interactive with others as possible on each of your social networking platforms?  If the key is to drive as much attention as you can to your Facebook page, your Twitter account, your LinkedIn profile and your Blog, then it’s essential that you focus on the ways that each of these sites allows you to amp up the social proof factor.

Case in point: Facebook.  If you don’t already have one, it’s high time that you create a Facebook Fan page for your real estate business.  Facebook makes it very easy for you to use your Fan page as social proof through the use of widgets.  Facebook provides you with numerous social widgets that you can install right on your website, and these widgets can be very useful in terms of letting you know, for example, how many people “Like” your site, or how many people have shared your content on Facebook recently.  And, it gets better!  Facebook ingeniously tailors the widgets specifically to the people who are visiting your web page.  Bottom line:  the social proof that the widgets provide makes it much more likely that people will stay on the site longer or perhaps even subscribe to and/or “Like” it.

Twitter can also be used in terms of social proof.  It has the capability to display follower counts & activity feeds, as well as the number of times content is retweeted.

       

With respect to your blog posts, ensure that you include a comments section so that anyone who wants to, can post.  The more comments your blog posts garner, the more influential you become – you become an expert in your industry and before you know it, everyone is looking to your blogs for advice – they develop a sense of trust in you.  Setting up a comments section on Blogger is easy – simply click on the “Comments” tab, then select “Show” and click “Save Settings”.  When the comments are enabled, more settings will appear:  Who can comment – “Only Registered Users”; “Anyone” or “Only Members of this Blog” – the choice is yours, however, bear in mind that you want as much traffic as possible here.  Choose all of your settings accordingly.

On your LinkedIn profile, you can easily add a Polls application so that you simply ask a question and LinkedIn will distribute it to your connections and virtually millions of other professionals who are on LinkedIn.  And, you can even share your Poll via the Facebook and Twitter integrations, or even embed the voting module on your website or blog.

Remember, social proof is imperative to any social media marketing campaign.  As Copyblogger’s Brian Clark puts it:   “… given the way social proof drives social media, the way you frame your initial message is critical. You want the momentum of social proof aligned with where you want to go, not with where things are.” 

SHOPPING FOR A MORTGAGE? WHY USING A BROKER IS BETTER THAN GOING TO A BANK

A lot of people don’t know the difference between going to their local bank branch and hiring a broker when in the market for a mortgage.  As a mortgage professional, you want people to know the difference and why it is truly in their best interests to hire you as opposed to simply going directly to any old bank!  Here is a blog that you can share with your clients on the advantages of hiring a broker and just what it is that your services offer…

So, you’re in the market for a mortgage?  One way to do it is to go directly to the bank at which your everyday accounts are held – that does make things simple, right?  Well, maybe, but it really is in your best interest to contact a mortgage broker because chances are, he or she will be able to get you a better rate.  How? A mortgage broker does all the leg work for you.  Your broker will shop around to ensure that you get the lowest rate and the best deal possible.  A skilled broker will take the time and work to understand all of your requirements and objectives.  Brokers have access to a plethora of lenders that you otherwise would not come into contact with (on your own).  It’s even possible for a broker to present you with loan offers that come from banks and/or other lenders that exist outside of your locale.   

 Brokers can save people hours and hours of precious time, as they work independently and not for any one bank or financial institution.  Brokers are not themselves lenders.  They work for their clients – you and me!  And, it’s in their best interests as well as yours, to get you approved for the best rate and best terms possible.  Brokers represent you and make their money only when a loan closes.  Therefore, your best interests are theirs. 

Not only can a broker find you the best rate possible, but he or she is also able to get you deals on other associated costs that you would not otherwise be privy to and would therefore never have a shot of getting!  A broker is a master negotiator!

One more advantage is that a broker is often able to arrange a variety of different payment options for you, while a bank can only offer the specific payment method(s) that they use.  Furthermore, should you need to refinance you mortgage loan at a later time, your broker is able to offer service here too.  A broker can arrange to refinance with a different bank or financial institution from the original one, if it is in your best interest.  Once again, your broker is able to get you the best rate and terms for refinancing.

Using a mortgage broker for one of the biggest purchases of your life is really win-win.  If you opt not to, you could be setting yourself up to not only lose hard-earned money unnecessarily, but you might not be getting the best deal, not to mention all the perks that you possibly can.  And, why would you do that to yourself??

A Comment on Modern Day Decorum Do’s & Don’ts

I realize that this is a little off the beaten track, but after reading Melissa Leong’s article, You’re Doing It Wrong, in the April 18 edition of the National Post, I thought it might be fun to change it up a little and offer some commentary on its engaging content. 

It seems that with life and technology moving these days at the speed of light, there really isn’t much time for the consideration of decorum.  But, manners and proper etiquette are things that help move us along in our daily lives as well, and should never be taken for granted or lost in the shuffle.  Even the little things like please’s and thank-you’s can make a difference.  Ms. Leong’s article goes further and cites a list of suggestions that we should all stop doing and start doing, as put forth by author & humorist, Henry Alford. 

Among the “Stop Doing This” list, Mr. Alford proposes that we think twice before using the expression, “No problem.”  He contends that it has become a phrase that is not only overused, but grossly inappropriate.  Unless an actual problem is implied or impending, responding with “No problem” to the average statement really is not the way to go.  True, but in my humble opinion, not the biggest deal in the world. 

It gets better, though!  Another of his examples of things we should all stop doing is taking cell phone calls at inopportune moments, unless the sky is falling.  This one, I wholeheartedly agree with!  It never ceases to amaze me how rude people can be when it comes to their cell phones.  As Mr. Alford points out – if you answer your cell while we’re in the middle of a conversation (unless it’s an emergency), you’re essentially letting me know that I and what I have to say really don’t matter at all.  And, don’t even get me started on texting – especially when walking – or even worse, driving.  A woman actually plowed right into me the other day at a mall, so engrossed was she in the earth-shattering text conversation that was taking place.  To add insult to injury, she did not even offer an apology.  She in fact barely even glanced up. And, don’t you just love the guy that answers his phone in a crowded public space and proceeds to talk at the top of his lungs because his conversation is just so important that we all have to be privy to it??  Ever wonder what we did before the advent of the cell phone?

Mr. Alford also cites a less talked about pet peeve, but one that does resonate.  You know when your best friend is complaining to you about her husband and his lack of respect or consideration for her?  Well, hard as it might be, try to refrain from trashing the guy along with her.  Why?  Because right now, she’s pissed at him and her anger is talking.  In a day or two, she’ll be in love again, but if you’ve verbally annihilated him in your last conversation with her, things could get dicey!  So, the point is:  Try to refrain from making nasty comments about others, especially in a situation like that!

And, now for the “Start Doing This” stuff.   The first example of this that Mr. Alford cites is the pre-emptive strike.  His point here is that “…sometimes bad manners beget good manners.”  For example, Mr. Alford writes that his mother, who is hard of hearing, will, at a dinner, share this fact with the people on either side of her so that she doesn’t appear rude if should she not catch everything being said.  Good idea.  I do something similar at home with my family.  If I’m in a particularly down or bad mood, I’ll let them know, so that if I happen to be a little bit short or impatient, they’ll understand why, rather than just think that I’m being ill-mannered.

Then, there’s the obvious stuff.  It’s only proper to stand to the right of an escalator if you’re going to stand still.  Or, if you’re driving slowly in the fast lane and someone comes up behind you, for goodness sake – move over into the slower moving lane so they can get by you!!! It only stands to reason, right?  But, how many people don’t do things like this?  And, how frustrating is it for everyone else? 

The real point is, we all have to co-exist.  Doesn’t it make your day when people are kind to you and considerate?  If we all treated each other with respect and a sense of decorum, what a wonderful world this would be!

FACEBOOK VALUED AT IN EXCESS OF 100 BILLION DOLLARS

“Facebook was just valued at $103 billion in a final private-market trade before the IPO.”

     – businessinsider.com - March 31, 2012

Wow!  I wonder if Mark Zuckerberg had even the faintest idea in October of 2003, when he first wrote Facemash (the predecessor to Facebook) that the little site he was to develop would take the world by storm to become the most prevalent social networking platform on the planet.  Anyone who has seen David Fincher’s brilliant film, The Social Network, can tell you that Facemash was first implemented as a means of comparing photographs of Harvard students to one another to discover who was the “hotter” of the two people in the compared photos.  A little crude?  Yes.  Kind of mean?  Definitely.  Facemash, however, according to Wikipedia, garnered 450 visitors and 22,000 photo views within its first few hours online.  And, once Zuckerberg wrote the code for Facebook in 2004, well… the rest, as they say, is history.                

Facebook today, is a medium that few people do without.  And, from a business standpoint, as any forward-thinking professional can attest to, Facebook is the vehicle to employ.  I’ve heard it said that if you’re not connected on social media these days, you simply don’t exist.  It’s an attitude worth considering in terms of your business, especially given the fact that Facebook will soon be able to pride itself on garnering over 1 billion users across the globe!

If you’d like some help getting started on Facebook as well as the other most prominent social networking sites, we’d love to see you at one of our Social Networking for Business workshops.  We’ll help you to create and/or optimize your social media accounts to best complement and advance your business.  For a schedule of workshops in your area, please click here: http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

5 THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR YOUR INSURANCE BUSINESS

Ah, the wonders of social media … imagine your insurance business optimized to its full potential.  Are you taking advantage of everything social media have to offer?  If you are, you’re on the road to a finely tuned operation and will be able to offer the ultimate in client care.  There are a few points you should bear in mind, however, to really take your social networking strategy to the next level!  

1. Your business should have a personality that shines through on social networking sites.  One of the most integral aspects to social media is that they enable you to bring forth your business’ human side.  Your business needs to be more than just a money-making operation – it needs a personality and a passion – and social networking is the most effective means of letting your clients and prospects know that your business’ perspective is a human one and its passion is client satisfaction.  Use social media to communicate ‘to’ and ‘with’, rather than ‘at’ your audience.

2. Really get to know your audience by listening to what they have to say.  Let them do more of the talking while you do more of the listening.  Social networking is nothing if not a great way to get to know people.  Take the time to visit your Facebook page, Twitter account, LinkedIn account and your blog‘s comments section at least a couple of times a day to hear what people are saying.  Listen to the good, the bad and the ugly and make sure that you respond to people where required in a timely manner.  Ask questions that provoke people to share information about themselves so you can get to know them better and anticipate what their needs are.

3. Build awareness and trust at the same time.  Of course you want people to know what you and your business can offer.  Social media allow you to get your message out there and to build brand awareness, while at them - keep the dialogue going, and showcase your industry knowledge all the while allowing them to believe and trust in you.  Social media allow you to become indispensible to your clients by giving them access to you 24/7.

4. Remember that social media are interactive and people will be sharing their opinions – good, bad or indifferent.  Use what people have to say a learning experience and as a means of changing and growing your business.  People’s opinions are important information for you to have and social media provide the best means for people to relay their messages.  Again, ensure that you address and respond to people where warranted.

5. Focus on generating “word of mouth” buzz by delivering engaging, relevant and useful content.  Be helpful and informative when engaging in conversations with your audience.  People will appreciate it and spread the word about your expertise and professionalism within the industry.  Social media make it very easy to do this.

Need help getting your social media endeavors on track?  Why not join one of our Social Media for Business workshops.  Just click on the following link for a schedule of upcoming workshops in your area!

http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20