Recap Week of October 26, 2009

Last weeks postings reflect just how much opportunity there is to employ social media marketing today and well into the future . The compounding, viral power of social media continues to demonstrate the potential and direction WE as consumers and marketers are willing to accept social marketing as a preferred medium. This weeks messages continue the theme of using core marketing strategies and social principles to best realize long term success. The marketing messages in recap are now catergorized into core categories of Strategy, Philosophy, Content, and Twitter. As an alternative, you may read the messages day by day, which contain brief highlights of the articles.

Strategy

Opportunity or Obstacle

• Last week’s poll question: A recent survey indicated that 75
  percent of small businesses are not using social media for marketing.
  Could you solve these problems for a Small Business Owner?
• Read Article By Mary Ellen Slayter

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RELEVANCE!

• Solve Problems Make $$$
• Think RELEVANCE! That’s what your prospects are really interested in. What’s
  relevant is BUSINESS, not your products, services or solutions. Your
  offering is simply a tool that helps companies achieve their business
  objectives.Decision makers are always
  interested in ideas, insights and information that helps them eliminate
  problems, address issues and achieve their objectives.
• Plus 4 more Essential Strategies for Highly Effective Initial
  Meetings
• ReadArticle (must login @ zdnet to get *.pdf)

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Marketing Mantra

• Simple 3 step engagment to build a bigger customer base
• Read Article

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Fun

• Making $$ can be fun -- Understand ROI fundamentals
• OliverBlanchard’s Social Media ROI Presentation is a witty, fun introduction to ROI
• ReadArticle

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Philosophy

Success Barometer

• Are You Having Fun? Success is not
  the key to happiness, it (Happiness) is the key to success.
• Read Article By pvesey

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Support Simplicity

• Fun - Solution Oriented - Social Media
• ReadArticle By Jessica Want

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Influential Thoughts

• The simple fact that trust is relative
  ReadArticle by Adam Singer

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The Art of Science

• Outstanding thoughts on Social Media philosophy and strategy
• Read Article

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Content

Content Strategy

• If you don’t understand your audience
  you’ll never create content which sticks. Once you do have audience
  comprehension, take the time to think about how you can use this
  knowledge to formulate a content strategy
• Read Article by Adam Singer

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Outstanding

• Don’t focus on the social media tools. Focus on
  developing the social skills you need for your business to create a strong social presence. (The blog, article, format, content,backlinks...all a great example of article writing)
• Read Article by Cindy King -- good job!

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Confusing

• Communicating with customers/ prospects is now both easier and
  yet more difficult!
• Read Article by Making Life Ezy Market Research

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Future

• The World According to Google (well 2015 at least)
• Read Article by Neville Hobson

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Twitter

Twitter BEER, Social Media and Beer

• Welcome to the "Direct to Drinker" engagement. The surge in corporate social
  media efforts comes after decades of so-called "push" marketing --
  where consumers were viewed largely as passive sponges of brand
  marketing.
• Read Article By HOLLIE SHAW

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Why Twitter- in one word

• I certainly would not have dreamed that only one person would say
  “marketing” or “branding.” Especially since at least half the people in
  my twitterville are in some form of marketing and PR. But maybe I
  shouldn't be surprised since PR and marketing are -- at its roots --
  about people. (? people are not looking to buy a product or service? )
• Read Article by Victoria Harres

Strategy

• Twitter - Entrpreneurship - Guy Kawasaki
• ReadArticle by Rajiv Dingra





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Strategy

• Key Takeaways: Customers Impact Brand Search Results Using Twitter
• Read Article by Charlene Li
  
  
  

Recap Week of November 2nd, 2009

Highlighted articles for this past week show the degree of influence social media has in the marketplace. Given the proper attitude, understanding and core mindset, social media marketing, joined with the use of the internet, is creating a dramatic shift in how your customer, client and company communicate. Developing a social media strategy and campaign requires the “social” factor as the strategic ingredient for transforming our marketplace to a more honest, transparent market – one in which consumers are gaining more influence. Socially speaking, it’s important to know that Dale Carnegie says, “When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion” and studies have shown that people buy based on emotion then back it up with logic. Read the daily posts for the week (November 2nd - November 6th)

Recap Week of Oct19 - Tweetable Marketing Message

Our last weekly post seemed to sum up the major messages throughout the week. At the San Diego Social Media Symposium John Moore discussed the current Dynamics of Social Media relating to successful social marketing campaigns.
Like the majority of our daily messages, John spoke about how the Philosophy of Social Media Marketing is tied to the Strategy which ultimately provides a recipe of Success for any social marketing campaign.

Key Tweets (use #sdsms on twitter)

1 In order to grow as an organization and w/ customers, we must Listen, Learn & Respond
2 Recipe for social media success :1 part listening, 1 part learning, 1 part responding
3 Smartest way to use Twitter is to respond to people. Be a resource.
4 Social media is a great alternate channel for customer/constituent service
5 SM helps small companies look bigger and big companies get smaller
6 Be everywhere your customers are
7 Take care of details in your business. Customers notice everything
8 Make it a good one no broken window.
9 If you hide the truth someone will find the truth
10Online reviews are only 2nd to personal advice
11 Speaker claims that most word of mouth conversations are 90% offline



Philosophy:

• TGIF 2 for 1 Social Media Marketing Philosophy
• Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh
“I think people worry too much about bringing their personal selves into business when I think the way to succeed in today’s world is to make your business more personal.”


• Gordon Magee
  “At the end of the day, it’s the relationship that’s being developed so that you have a genuine desire as a company to provide customer satisfaction to the customer, and the customer trusts you enough to give you some money to have you send them a product through the mail.”
  Read Full Article
  


• Social
• Come on in -- we were expecting you!
  Want to start a successful Social Media campaign? Think about these 5 essentials
  Read Full Article
  
  
• Crossroads
• Trust and Value meet Hi Tech and Hi Touch
  Read Full Article
  


• Fun Introducing the FUN theory
• Put some Fun in your marketing, you just might make a few more $$
  Read Full Article
  

Strategy:

• Planning Forward 2010 Hybrid Offline - Online Campaingn
  
• Benifits to consider
• Ideas for action
  Read Full Article
  
• Problem Solver
• All Products or Services must solve a specific problem
  Read Full Article
  
• Niche
• Twitter marketing
If your twitter marketing creates new focuses and hope for people- you will develop that “Growth Zone” and people will stay in it and develop that “relationship” - and you can market to them new growth ideas that will help them that much more
Read Full Article

• Influence Introducing the FUN theory
• Perspectives on Twitter fromthe web's most experimental, influential and knowledgable
  Read Full Article
  

Statistics:

• Customer Expectations
• Customer perception is reality
  Read Full Article
  
• Fasten your seat belt
• we are going for a ride in 2010
  Read Full Article

Recap Week of Oct12 - Tweetable Marketing Message

Friday October 16

Fresh -while simplicity may not be very important to ReTweetability, novelty certainly is. When you hear "Re-Tweet" Think "Viral" and Viral Marketing is the difference maker "Viral marketing success comes from self-publishing Web content that people want to share. It’s not about gimmicks. It’s not about paying an agency to interrupt others. It’s about
harnessing word-of-mouse,the most empowering form of marketing there is. "- David Meerman Scott
Read Full Article

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2for1 Happy TGIF FF to all Affiliate, Social, Network, Marketers

1. @PaulSchmittSr: Article Marketin g – Don’t sell yourself in your article, rather sell yourself by the quality of your content
   
2. @MasterMindCoach: “The greatest mistake marketers make is trying to create demand.” Eugene Schwartz #quote
   

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KISS - Get "Social" and "Networking" will follow

KISS principle - Keep It Simple, Stupid? You probably learned about it in school. The premise is the simpler it is to take action - read an article, click a link, react to a social feed - the more likely a consumer will interact

1. Marketers need to being thinking of social as 'media' rather than 'networking'
2. Think about what viral means and what you can do with viral messages
3. Ceate a content platform

Read Full Article

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Thursday October 15


Trust The Foundation of Social Success Begins with Trust
“Trust” must be present for a connection initiated in a social network to naturally migrate into a relationship with measurable business value.

Personally, I like to take ownership of the trust building process by making an investment of time and effort. I constantly identify opportunities to enhance the professional development and accomplishment of my portfolio of social media connections .
Read Full Article

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Selling the Message - In the end U want your customer, client, prospect to take some Action that will benefit them and put $$ in your pocket. Win Win!

1. Capture Attention
2. Identify Problem
3. Describe Product/ Service
4. Promote Benefits (not just the features - this trips a lot of people)
5. Create Credibility
6. Promote Action

Read Full Article

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Evidence Social Media Marketing Works

Social media (Twitter, Facebook, blogs) has become so ubiquitous that businesses are using it to fuel sales and profits through social interaction with customers and clients.

The companies using networks and blogs to stay closer to customers, for sales, marketing, customer support, recruiting, investor relations and product research. It is absolutely not a fad. (Shel Israel) These #s tell the story!
Read Full Article

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Wednesday October 14


Opportunity Large Market for Small Business
“Our survey suggests that small business owners are still feeling their way into social media, particularly when it comes to using these tools to grow their businesses,” said Maria Veltre, Executive Vice President of Citi’s Small Business Segment. “While social media can provide additional channels to network and help grow a business, many small businesses may not have the manpower or the time required take advantage of them.” .
Read Full Article

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Hearing vs. Listening Considerations for Social Marketing Success
Have you stopped to think about who is actually paying attention in social networks? A person or a brand may have X number of followers or friends, but how many of them are actively listening at any given time? How many people do you ACTUALLY reach when you post a tweet, make a status update or blog post? Subscriber counts and reach are two different things. Think of it like a college professor talking to students: How many of them are paying attention during a lecture? With social media participation it’s the same thing; you need to realize that not everyone is always hearing what you have to say and factor in the difference between connections and actual reach. Read the Full Article

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Longterm Just Say NO to Fads and Overnight Marketing Schemes
After all, you can't always differentiate based on what you sell; but how you sell, who you are and what you do can make all the difference to prospects. Read all 6 proven strategies
Read Full Article

Tuesday October 13


Are you an InfoSupplier?
Consider Ways to incresase traffic and sales
Amazon gives loads of consumer information and feedback while selling
their products on the web.
Read Full Article

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Transparency
Perhaps what we’re really striving for is the demonstration of
imperfection and a reasonable level of accessibility. The openness to a discussion instead of instilling gatekeepers and bulldogs at every turn. The willingness of business to show that not only do they not have all the answers all the time, but that their employees can relate to us on a level of individual need vs. an “entity-to-market” mindset.
Read Full Article

Monday October 12

Just pick up some good insight how big companies like Microsoft view
soical sites like Twitter
Efficient
"You can reach people pretty effectively when they've chosen to follow
you on things such as Twitter," Gary Troberman Microsoft

Belief
Microsoft's social-media marketing tenets: 1) authenticity, 2) honesty,
3) immediacy.
"Social media really has its own rules," Troberman said. "Done well,
it's not just pushing messages, it's listening. ... It's reminded us
that we need to listen more than shout."
Read Full Article

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Identify your unique value
MLM Success Secret #1 “Wealth accumulates on the
Inside before it expresses itself on the outside.” David Cameron
Gikandi, Happy Pocketfull of Money
people either are selling or chasing a get rick quick schemes because
they have not identified their unique value.
Read Full Article