SOCIAL NETWORKING: OF HUMANITY AND EMOTION

Social networking has taken over the world.   (And, if you don’t believe that statement to be true, here are some stats:  Facebook sees over 500 million ‘Likes’ per day; Twitter hosts over 340 million tweets per day; Facebook has over 1 billion users worldwide, and Twitter has over 500 million – and that‘s just two of the most prevalent sites.) 

Social networking has taken over the world because social networking plays on a most fundamental of human needs:  the need to feel included and to be ‘a part of something’.  I’ll admit, I wasn’t one of the first to sign up for Facebook when it was introduced, but I did check out people’s profiles and business pages when they would come up in a search.  When it came to pass that everyone, everywhere was on Facebook, I felt compelled to join, because, quite frankly, I started to feel like I was the only person on the planet that was not connected.  Kind of like I was out of the loop.  And, I have to admit, I spend more time on the site than I ever thought I would.  It’s enabled me to connect with people that I had not spoken to in over 30 years and that, without the technology of Facebook, I would never have connected with for the rest of my life.  I use Facebook to source information, to check out recommendations on products and services I’m considering, to help market my business and to just connect. 

So, what does that mean for your business?  Why is social networking such an effective means of marketing?  For the very same reason - human beings have a need to connect and to belong.  Social networking is nothing if not, well, social.  And being social and inclusive is the smartest way to reach the most people.  As ‘rational’ as we think we are as human beings, we tend to make choices and decisions based on our emotions.  A recent article posted by MarketingProfs explains that: 

 

“In regards to intellect versus emotion, our brains are hardwired to give emotions the upper hand. Information—in the form of words and data—is processed in the neo-cortex.

Meanwhile, all our emotions are rooted in the limbic system. The limbic brain is where we sense our emotional attachments, such as trust and loyalty. It’s the part of our brain that knows whether something is important to us. And it’s the place that motivates us to take action or not.”

It makes sense, therefore, that using social media as a tool for promoting your brand will generate more business than will using traditional advertising channels.  How best to do this? 

First, get to know your target audience intimately.  Who do you want to reach and why? 

Next, determine how you can best benefit them.  What can your business do for them that no other can? 

Now, create and post content on your social networking accounts that will resonate with your audience.  Your content should not revolve around you.  Use language that will touch some emotional chords and draw people in – make them want to integrate with and become a part of your business’ sphere. 

When you’re able to speak to their emotions, people get a sense that you understand them and that fosters a sense of trust.  And trust is the first step to establishing a strong relationship.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – social media marketing isn’t about the hard sell, but rather about making the connection.  With a solid connection, everything else will fall into place!

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! 

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.

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”!

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

SOCIAL MEDIA AND TAXES: The Two Constants in Life

We are upon the season that we all love (Yes, spring is coming, but that’s not what this blog is about-sorry.)  It’s tax season!  Pardon me; I couldn’t help the sarcastic tone. 

If you’re a financial advisor trying to help clients out with their taxes, social media is a very effective means of getting your messages / tips to people.  Through the wonders of social media, you can:   

- provide tips on tax planning

- provide tips on how to save for taxes

-provide tips on filling out tax forms

- make suggestions on how to receive the highest return possible

- inform clients of changes to tax laws and policies

- And so much more!!

Social media technology allows you to reach a wide audience to easily spread your messages.  Use Facebook and Twitter to post useful information and have conversations with people. Post links to websites or articles that you think might be useful.  Use your blog to impart more in-depth information – as a how-to forum or an explanation of something that requires more space than Twitter or Facebook allow.  And, don’t forget to link your blog / Facebook page / Twitter account.

According to an ExactTarget blog post by Kyle Sollenberger, “…tax preparation service TurboTax® …used CoTweet to streamline their approach to Twitter presence and enhance customer service with a response time of just four minutes. With CoTweet, TurboTax was able to generate measurable business results, including:

·         48% effectiveness in helping complete tax returns

·         46% follower rate of Twitter users specifically seeking tax help

·         71% likelihood of customers to recommend TurboTax

(CoTweet is an application used to help business teams manage one or more Twitter accounts.)

Social media are powerful and necessary in today’s market.  In a customer-facing business such as finance or insurance, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to make strides towards company strength and development without the use of these tools.  To learn more, we’d love to see you at one of our Social Networking for Business workshops, where we’ll show you how to make the most of social media to drive your business!  Just click on the following link for a schedule of workshops in your area: 

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

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS SHIFTING THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

Social media is an instrumental element in creating a new epoch in business with respect to transparency and engagement.  It has allowed for fresh opportunities and even challenges.

In a past life, businesses depended on artful advertising campaigns and press releases as means of communicating with consumers.  Companies were constantly trying to influence people into believing that their products and services were the best, with in-your-face, interruptive and one-directional advertisements and messages.

With the social media era now upon us, the landscape of business and marketing strategy has radically shifted, as consumers now insist upon a more transparent and direct relationship with the companies with which they choose to do business.

Companies (that are not already making the most of social media to grow their businesses) must now decide if they will remain in the dark ages, becoming increasingly obscure, or take a leap onto the social media bandwagon in order to become ‘humanized’ and to forge new, interactive relationships with consumers. 

It’s now imperative that businesses make the shift, transitioning smoothly into the new era.

Here are some of the ways in which the shift is taking place:

1. From “Trying to Make Sales” to “Trying to Make Connections”- Interrupting people’s lives and talking “at” them via traditional advertising means has shifted to engaging and connecting with people more interactively and on a more human level.  Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and LinkedIn, facilitate engagement and social interaction and as a result, consumers have more trust and feel more comfortable engaging in a business relationship with these companies.  The more successful brands in social media are posting not so much about their products and services, but more about ‘personal’ topics of interest that connects them with consumers.

2. From “Image Management” to “Just Being Personable” – It doesn’t do a company justice to maintain a constantly controlled image.  A friendly, trustworthy face that people feel they can depend on and relate to is key.  Drop the stiff corporate image once in a while and just be personable.

3. From “Unattainable” to “Readily Available” – Engaging with customers today is vastly different than it was in the days of simply including your email address and telephone number on your website.  People now want to engage businesses via their preferred means of communication and that usually means Facebook, Twitter or discussion forums.  People want to feel comfortable doing business with companies and need to know that these companies are accessible across the social media board.

Businesses that opt to not acclimatize to the new landscape that social media has formed, will be at a distinct disadvantage, as their customers begin to forge personal relationships with their competitors.  As we are now in an age of engagement, open communication and transparency, business success has less to do with the size of advertising budgets and everything to do with the quality of interaction with customers.

To learn more about how you can develop a social media strategy for your business, join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops and we’ll teach you everything you need to know to get started today!  Just click on the link below for a listing of workshops in your area.

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

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS WITH FACEBOOK EVENTS

Planning a special event?  An event is a great way to promote your business and Facebook makes event planning and promoting easy (whether the event is real or virtual).  Facebook Events allows you to organize gatherings, respond to invitations and is a valuable way of keeping up with what your friends are doing.  An Event can be anything from a store’s new location opening, to an Open House, to a charitable fundraiser sponsored by your business.  An Event can be used as a fundamental way to generate business.

A Facebook Event is a useful tool for exposure, for fostering new and existing relationships, for generating sales and for sponsorship opportunities.

Example:  Say you’ve just started up in the real estate industry and you want to generate some buzz with a wine & cheese soirée.  Great start and an effective way to promote your new business! 

To Create Your Event: 

Clicking on the Events link brings you to a page listing upcoming events you`ve been invited to.  Clicking on an event will bring you to the event’s page, and will allow you to RSVP and see details such as the event’s time, location, and a list of invitees.  Clicking on Past Events will display a list of events you’ve previously been invited to.

To create your own event, click on Events at left on your homepage

Then, click on Create Event

It’s simple and fast.   Just fill out all of the relevant info.  Note the Add Event Photo option on the left.  And, you can add videos as well!

Once you have added a time and location, your event is created.

You can invite any of your Facebook friends to your Event, or you can invite people that are not connected on Facebook by simply entering their email addresses in the box on the Guest List tab of the Edit Event page.  You can invite as many people as you would like to an Event, however you can invite only 100 people at a time.  You can also make the event completely public so that anyone on Facebook can see the Event and sign up to attend.  People like to be invited to things – it makes them feel they’re a part of something. 

A good idea is to promote your event via Twitter and your blog as well.  Tell people all about it, especially if it’s open to the public (always a good idea when promoting a business). 

Once you’ve got your party started, it’s up to you!!  Work that room. 

See how easy it is to create an event all of your own on Facebook?  Just remember, you don’t want to overdo – a strategically timed event can be great for business, however, you don’t want to start scheduling them once a week – people will get bored. 

To learn how to effectively create interesting, successful events, why not join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops and we’ll teach you everything you need to know about Facebook Events, Facebook in general and all things Social Media!  Just click on the link below for a schedule of workshops in your area.

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

What Every Financial Advisor Ought to Know About Twitter

Imagine… by the end of this post you’ll be able to optimize your Twitter account to enhance your business!

With Twitter being right up there alongside Facebook and LinkedIn as one of the most dominant social networks on the web, it’s no wonder why Twitter is a valuable business and professional engagement tool.  And, with 200,000,000 registered Twitter users (and counting), does it not make sense that for you, as a financial advisor, Twitter is the place to be if you want to reach your clients (many of whom are no doubt on Twitter)?      

Your aim, as an advisor, is to establish a Twitter following comprised of your client base.  In establishing your own ‘Twitter identity’ and inviting your clients to “follow” you, you fulfill a number of accomplishments:

A)     You establish and sustain your position as a thought leader.  Each and every one of your clients active on Twitter is following someone – and that someone should be you!

B)      You open up a new and different channel of communication.  It’s not always necessary to conduct long meetings.  Sometimes, all that’s required is a brief message – a Tweet – that will direct your clients to a specific article that will inform them as well as support your advice or line of thinking on a certain issue.

C)      You are afforded a great opportunity to develop a following independent from your existing client base – you can reach prospects as well!  How can you attract more quality followers?  Read on:

1.       Stay Active in your “Twitter Community” – It’s important that you participate in the conversation.  Find your financial community on Twitter.  Who are the leaders?  What content is being shared?  Check out what other advisors are tweeting.  Being an active part of your industry on Twitter will help you connect to a relevant audience.

2.       Follow Others that You Want to Know – Don’t follow people simply because you want them to follow you.  Follow those that you genuinely want to know – other industry experts and prospects – people who peak your interest and who will enrich your life as a financial advisor.

3.       Make Sure that You Introduce Yourself – As its title suggests, social media is just that – social.  Think of Twitter as a gigantic industry party.  Take the step to introduce yourself to those you want to know – it’s easy to make a personal introduction.  And, why not comment on or ask a question about a recent blog of a person to whom you’re introducing yourself!

4.       Keep it Focused – If you’re using Twitter for business purposes, try to refrain from posting too many tweets about your kids or your dog.  Keep them industry focused – at least for the most part.  There’s nothing wrong with posting the occasional more personal tweet or perhaps a funny one-liner or inspirational quote, but bear in mind that posting plenty of content relevant to the financial industry will attract your target audience.

5.       Join in on Lots of Twitter Discussions – Involving yourself in finance-related discussions will further serve to draw attention to your expertise.  Finding discussions is easy on Twitter – just use the search tool or search via hashtag – e.g., #mutual funds; #retirement planning; etc.).

6.       Pay Attention to Your Audience – Know what your audience is talking about – what kind of questions they’re asking and what information they’re sourcing.  By providing tweets of substance, you will attract quality followers.  Ensure that you respond promptly to questions in order to build or maintain your status as a valuable resource.

7.       Don’t Be Afraid to Retweet – Retweeting posts that are of interest to you will increase your visibility on Twitter.   People following those that you retweet will view you as someone who shares common interests.  Ensure that you include the @name when you refer to other users, as this will develop relationships.  And, other users who monitor themselves will be sure to notice your retweet!

8.       Promote Your @Name – Ensure that you include your @name (your Twitter handle) on your business cards, your email signature, your blog and your website contact info. 

Twitter is an extremely useful resource at the disposal of every financial advisor.  If you want to learn more on how you can get the most out of your Twitter experience, join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops and we’ll teach you all you need to know!  Simply click on the link below for a schedule of workshops in your area!

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

Six New Ways Insurance Pros can Use Social Media

The insurance industry has been increasingly taking advantage of social media as a brilliant marketing tool and social media are becoming indispensible for businesses in so many innovative ways!   I wanted to share with you some ideas I came across while reading an article by social media strategist, Jo Stratmann (based on a report put forth by Ernst and Young) with respect to how social media can be further utilized in the insurance customer value chain.

Here goes:           

1. To Research Products – Your customers are researching insurance products on dedicated price comparison websites.  They’re seeking answers to their insurance related questions through their social media networks and looking for advice on how to get the best deals possible in terms of their insurance requirements.  As an insurance professional, you should be making use of social media and monitoring them to gauge and listen to your customers’ conversations.   It’s a great way of garnering valuable information about what’s being said about your products and services.  This will assist you in assessing the positive as well as the negative perceptions that are floating around out there in terms of what you’re offering and furthermore, how this influences the research stage of the customer value chain.  If, for example, there’s no buzz out there at all pertinent to your products and services, this is a clear indication that your marketing initiatives must be reassessed.  One suggestion is to establish Facebook and Twitter accounts (if you’ve not already done so) for your brand so that you can be quick to respond to customer requests and comments and maintain an ongoing, interactive dialogue with them. 

2. To Request Quotations – More and more people out there today are using social media as a means of generating and requesting quotes for their insurance needs.  Again, it’s essential that you are connected on the various social media platforms that your customers and prospects are using, so that you can be the one they look to when sourcing out quotations.  Offer your assistance and advice and get them the quotes they’re shopping around for.  For a competitive edge, research via social media what (deals, etc.) your competitors are offering.

3. To Buy Policies – Industry research conducted by Ernst and Young has found that the vast majority of customers (90%) agree that peer recommendations are the most credible form of advertising.  It’s social proof!!  If a lot of people are doing something, more and more will want to follow suit, because it must be the right thing to do if so many people are doing it.  Product reviews and recommendations from others play an integral role in a customer’s decision making process.  Social media sites allow for plenty of customer review and feedback - and if this is all positive with respect to your products and services, just think about the implications in terms of advertising for your brand!  You could literally spend thousands of dollars through the traditional channels and it wouldn’t be worth nearly what social proof is worth!

4. To Service Policies – As social media allow customers to communicate interactively with their insurers, this helps you, the insurance professional, to garner crucial information regarding customer needs & wants and assists you in maintaining top-notch service for your customers.  You are provided the opportunity to educate them concerning their policies – the benefits, your suggestions for altering their policies, etc. 

5. To Lodge a Claim – Social media are very useful in terms of disseminating valuable information that could possibly help to reduce claims.  Blogging, for example, is a powerful way of offering advice and guidance – your blog allows you a platform within which to impart crucial information about insurance related issues – i.e. the trials & tribulations of winter driving and how to best stay safe on the roads (snow tires, speed alteration, etc.).

It’s also a great idea and becoming more and more commonplace for claim handlers to mine social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to assess the validity of claims given the data, comments and social networking conversations of the claimants.

6. To Renew & Terminate Policies – Customers generally fulfill their renewal and termination requirements via websites, therefore the same potential exists for insurance professionals to use social media to advance renewal numbers.  A fundamental benefit to social media is that it allows you to gather insightful CRM (customer relationship management) data, for example, policy types, renewal dates, etc.  Given this information, your social media engagement could encompass not only acquiring new customers, but targeting existing customers prior to the renewal dates of their policies in order to entice them into renewing or changing rather than terminating their policies.

For so much more on using Social Media for your business, why not join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops.  For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit:

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

MORTGAGE NEWS YOUR CLIENTS NEED TO KNOW

It looks like mortgage rates are on the rise!  Is a fixed rate now more economical than a variable rate?  As a mortgage specialist, this is the type of crucial information that your clients and prospects need to know!  Are you using social media as tools for communicating with your clients and prospects?  If not, you should be!  You can bet that your clients are on social media and what better way to connect with them?                 

An article on the December 6, 2011 edition of thestar.com spelled out how there has been, over the past few months, an increase among variable-rate mortgages and that experts are currently predicting that this will remain the case.  The article cites information from Kerri-Lynn McAllister, community manager at RateHub.ca. 

Ms. McAllister is quoted as saying that, “A few months ago, there was basically a one per cent spread between fixed and variable.   Now it’s .2 or .3.” 

Ms. McAllister maintains that the reason for the rise is at least partially due to the fact that , since mortgage rates have been so low, banks have had difficulty making any money. 

And, although fixed rates could also be slated for an eventual increase, the question seems to be:  Is it now better to go for a fixed rate than the traditionally more economical variable rate?  According to Ms. McAllister, fixed rates now seem to be the way to go.

Joseph Haimowitz, principal economist at the economic think tank, Conference Board of Canada, expects, however, that fixed mortgage rates could rise by as much as .25 per cent by the middle of 2012.  But, according to Robert McLister, editor of Mortgage Rate Trends, it appears that, for at least the foreseeable future, discount variable rate mortgages, which tend to offer rates half a per cent or more below prime, are no longer.

Something to think about!  And, to definitely inform your clients about.  Get connected today on social media.  Let us show you how.  Why not join one of our Social Media for Business workshops and we’ll teach you how to best leverage social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Blogging for your business’ marketing strategy.  Just click on the following link for a schedule of workshops in your area:

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

SAFE WINTER DRIVING – ARE YOUR CLIENTS READY?

Winter is almost here again.  Now’s the time for you to let your clients know how to get ready for a safe, accident-free season! 

The most common types of serious accidents that occur on our winter roads include:

·         Rollover   accidents                                                       

·         Rear-end collisions

·         Pedestrian-automobile accidents

·         Collisions with man-made objects (i.e. telephone poles, highway medians, etc.)

There are three key things, according to Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation, that people can do to ensure that they are driving as safely as possible:  Stay alert, slow down and stay in control.  It’s essential to drive according to the weather / road conditions – slow down on snow and ice.  And, always maintain a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you in case you have to brake suddenly on a slippery road.  If your car unfortunately does start to spin out of control, it is recommended that you put it into neutral and look & steer where you want to go – this gives the car a chance to stop spinning and to regain traction on the road.  It is not recommended that you panic and slam on your brakes (as so many of us tend to do). 

Most of it sounds obvious, doesn’t it?  But, there are so many people out there that just don’t adhere to safety guidelines.

Accidents are accidents and sometimes occur without human error.  There are, however, ways that you can limit your chances of being a winter driving accident victim – simple things to get your car winter-ready:

1.       Invest in Winter Tires – so much safer for our potentially harsh Canadian winter road conditions.

2.       Replace your Wiper Blades – wear and tear can render them ineffective and when you can’t see out your windshield due to the slush and salt mixture being projected there, you’re in real trouble.

3.       Ensure that your Windshield Fluid is Always Topped Up – for the same reason as in point #2.

4.       Have your Brakes Inspected – this is so important in any weather!

5.       Ensure that your battery is up to snuff – car batteries have a four to six year life expectancy and they tend to produce less power in cold weather.  It’s recommended that batteries be replaced approximately every four years to reduce that chances that you’ll wind up stranded somewhere because your car won’t start in the cold.

6.       Get your Vehicle in for a Maintenance Check-Up – let a professional give your car a once over just to make sure that it’s ready for the tough winter ahead.  When things are worn, severe weather conditions will tip them over the edge and that causes breakdowns.  Prevent this - don’t get stuck!

As an insurance professional, it’s more important than ever at this time of year to get the word out to your clients about the hazards of winter driving and how they can stay safe.  Social media is the fastest and most effective way of doing that. Get your messages out to your clients on Facebook, Twitter and via your Blog!  Please let me know what you think in our comments section below, about the content suggestion I’ve shared with you!

And, why not join us at one of our Social Networking for Business workshops - we’ll show you how to effectively communicate need-to-know information to your potential and existing clients so everyone stays safe this winter!

For more information, please visit:  http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20