Social Media

  • Twitter: Still Going Strong

    Twitter: Still Going StrongThere are a handful of big players in the social networking world. Twitter appears to be one of the sites that continue to grow in popularity. In fact, according to research compiled by Brickfish, as of October 2013 there are 231.7 million active users on Twitter worldwide and 100 million of them log into Twitter daily. So what is Twitter and why is it still growing when many of the other social sites are facing challenges?

     

    What Is Twitter?

     

    Put simply, Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that lets you send and read “tweets.” Tweets are text messages limited to 140 characters. However, within the context of any tweet you can embed links which makes it a powerful marketing tool for anyone with a blog or a website. Being able to link to other URLs means you can share value and information. You can share links from your own site as well as promote your fellow business owners to build relationships with customers, prospects, and associates.

     

    You can also make your tweets sharable by using the hashtag. The hashtag is the symbol # and it identifies the keywords for your tweet or post. Here are a few examples:

     

    * What are your favorite St.Patrick’s Day traditions? LINK #stpatricksday #StPattys

    * 10 tips to help you with your tax return LINK #taxreturn #taxtime #taxes

     

    People can search for your keywords and be led to your Twitter profile where they may follow you and/or share your links with others.

     

    The Power of the Masses

     

    Twitter continues to grow in popularity for a number of reasons. The first is that it is incredibly easy to use. Messages take seconds to write, share, and read. We’re a rushed society with little time to peruse long content. If something can be said and shared in just a few characters, we’re thrilled.

     

    So in addition to Twitter being easy to use, it’s also simple to share messages. One click of a “retweet” button and you’ve spread the wealth. That means, as a business owner, if you’re able to provide a tweet with value and benefit, it stands a good chance of being shared. Each time it is shared by someone, you’re reaching a larger audience. One tweet can quickly be viewed by thousands of people. The website traffic possibilities are astounding.

    Twitter: Still Going Strong

    Finally, the folks over at Twitter are continually striving to add value to the site to make it more user friendly and to provide more features. Their partnership with Vine means that people can now easily make and share six-second videos on Twitter. It’s just one more way Twitter is providing value and allowing people around the world to communicate.

     

    Business owners looking into marketing with social media may want to take a look at the benefits of embracing Twitter. It’s one site that is used by people of all ages and demographics. It continues to grow and provide value.

    If you need help in strategically planning your online marketing please let us know. We are here to help. Visit our https://strategizeyoursuccess.com/staging2/coaching-consulting.

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  • LinkedIn is a Great Source for Social Networking

    LinkedIn is a specialty social networking site. It’s much more specialized than the others due to the audience it attracts. LinkedIn is specifically for professionals. If you’re looking for a job then it’s a must. However, business owners looking to attract prospects and connect with industry professionals can also utilize LinkedIn in a productive and prosperous way. LinkedIn is a platform that has worked exceptionally well for me to reach my target audience. So let’s take a look at this platform a little closer.

    What Is LinkedIn?

    LinkedIn is a Great Source for Social Networking

    LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with 225 million members in over 200 countries. It’s a social networking site that offers professionals a number of benefits and features. It began in concept in the living room of the owner and was launched in 2003. Ten years later it is a thriving social networking site that can be used in a number of business building ways.

    The Many Features and Benefits of LinkedIn

    Company Pages – The first element of LinkedIn is that it allows business owners to create Company Pages. Unlike Profile Pages, Company Pages comes with analytics as well as an ability to share meaningful content and promote your business. If you have a business and are on LinkedIn I’d advise taking this extra step.

    LinkedIn groups – This feature may be one of the most beneficial because it allows you to join groups that are specific to your audience and your industry. Within a group you can connect with other professionals and prospects to build an audience. Groups support conversations, article posting, polling, and display group icons on your Profile Page to further enhance your connections. If you feel comfortable enough with LinkedIn you can start your own group. 

    Advertising – Like many social networking sites, LinkedIn offers advertising options for members. You can reach a targeted audience with ads that you can test and track for best results. 

    Marketing solutions – LinkedIn offers a professional membership that goes above and beyond the standard membership. You can then utilize features like their Marketing Solutions program that also lets you create specific messages for your audience through targeted content marketing.
    Integration – Finally, LinkedIn is a site that understands you want to make the most of your social networking efforts. You can integrate many social media management sites with your LinkedIn pages. Integration saves time and maximizes your results so you can write and schedule posts, manage comments, and monitor analytics from one place. However, being active in the conversations that occur in groups for instance is key to having success on LinkedIn.

    Creating Content for LinkedIn

    LinkedIn is a Great Source for Social Networking
    It’s important to remember that while you can integrate your social marketing efforts, LinkedIn has a unique audience. It often makes sense to create unique content for LinkedIn followers. They tend to be professionals and their needs may be different than your general audience.  
    People tend to trust the information they find on LinkedIn more than other sites. This simple fact can help you build tremendous authority and credibility in your niche. If you’re not using LinkedIn to grow your business or you’ve let your profile lag, consider giving this top rated social media site the attention it deserves. 

    Looking to create a brand on social media? We can help. Check out our social media products for more information.
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  • Tips for Using Social Media Marketing in Your Business

    Tips for Using Social Media Marketing in Your BusinessSocial media marketing is one of the most powerful tools business owners have access to. It allows you to connect with your audience. You can engage and build a community around your business. Business owners can also use it to learn more about their audience so they can better meet their needs.

    So let’s take a look what you should be considering when utilizing social media for your business.

     

    Identify Your Purpose and Goals

     

    Why are you using social media and what do you hope to accomplish? There are many different reasons to use social media. You may use it to sell products, to build your opt-in list, or to drive traffic to your landing page. Do you want to generate new leads or build relationships with your existing prospects and clients? Consider both your long-term and short-term goals.

     

    For example, if you want to build your opt-in list with social media marketing, how much do you want to achieve by the end of this month and what are your goals for the next three years? Setting the right goals for you and your business will help you create a social media marketing strategy that’s effective and productive.

     

    Identify Tactics to Support Your Goals

     

    There are different tactics to consider based on your business goals. For example, if you want to drive people to your opt-in page then you may want to hold a contest or sweepstakes that motivates people to sign up (be sure to check social media platform rules). You may also want to create a content marketing strategy specifically for social media that identifies you as an authority and promotes your opt-in offer. Once you’ve identified a tactic that works for your business, create an action plan and timeline.

     

    Identify Your Brand MessageTips for Using Social Media Marketing in Your Business

     

    What message do you want to convey on your social media page(s) and how do you want to communicate it? Keep in mind that your message and brand should support your other branding efforts. However, your approach can be different on social media.

     

    Finally, assess your resources and leverage technology. Identify the tools and technologies that can help you achieve your social media marketing goals. For example, there are services that automatically publish a link to your blog post on all of your social media accounts. There are also plug-ins that can be added to your website or blog that help visitors connect with you on social media. Take advantage of technology it will help you achieve your social media marketing goals and save you time and money.

    At Strategize Your Success we help our clients reach their goals with technology so that they can build a stronger and more profitable business. Contact us today if you need help with strategic planning, branding or technology. Also, check out our resources page for additional tips.

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  • Advertising and Social Media Marketing

    Advertising on Social Media

    Social media sites have been offering advertising programs for a while now. Sites like Facebook and LinkedIn provide business owners with the means to promote and reach targeted audiences on their sites. The programs are becoming quite popular because of the results they’re able to deliver. Additionally, it’s a new way to reach your audience and may help you extend your advertising strategy beyond Google.

    Why Social Media Advertising Works

    In addition to the fact that millions of people access their Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts on a daily basis, they’re also accessing the sites on their mobile phone. That means that as an advertiser on one or more of these sites, you’re getting in front of your audience on a fairly consistent basis and that is what we all want, right?

    Unlike other advertising mediums, it’s new so it grabs their attention. Some types of advertising can begin to lose their potency when users become accustomed to them. Their eyes barely glance at the ad before they move on. Social media advertising is still new and therefore it’s effective for many types of businesses whether it’s for your business or not as to be determined by experimenting with the different platforms. What works on LinkedIn may not work on Facebook or vice versa. So let’s talk about how you can target your ads.

    Targeted AdsAdvertising with Social Media

    One of the great things about social media is that it has the unique ability to market directly to highly targeted prospects. For example, Facebook makes the following statement, “While most online advertising provides about 38% targeting accuracy, Facebook, on average, delivers 89%. On Facebook, you’ll only pay to reach the right people who’ll love your business.”

    This is because Facebook and other social marketing sites allow you to segment your audience. You can create ads based on your prospect’s location, age and gender, interests, and connections. I have found this to be a great way to build our audience and our client’s audiences with the right prospects. For example, you can advertise specifically to people to have them join a Facebook event. In some cases you can also find people who are similar to your best customers and create ads specifically for them. 

    Social media advertising is also generally less expensive than many other advertising opportunities and tactics. You reach more people and get more response from those people. Social media advertising also provides analytics, whereas some advertising methods do not provide this and make advertising efforts a guessing game. 

    Without analytics, you just don’t know if your ad worked or not. With any type of advertising for an internet business, analytics are essential and a clear-cut way to identify which ads are working and how well. You stay in control over your budget and your results.

    If you have an advertising budget and strategy, consider adding social media marketing to that plan. You may be surprised at the results. It could change the way your business approaches advertising. Trying something new or shaking up your current ad campaigns can be a great way to expand your current client base.

    At Strategize Your Success we offer coaching and consulting for those needing help in devising a marketing plan or strategically planning your advertising on social media.
    Contact us today! 
    https://strategizeyoursuccess.com/staging2/coaching-consulting

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  • The Basics of Online Marketing

    The Basics of Online MarketingWant to grow your offline business, start a business, or market your services? Online marketing is the way to go. It helps you reach a broader audience, sell, connect, and much more. While internet marketing may seem complicated, once you understand the fundamentals you can build on that knowledge as your needs grow and change. Let’s take a look at the basics of online marketing.

     

    Your Website

     

    The foundation for your business online is a website. You must have an online presence these days to succeed on the internet. It only makes sense. Now your “website” can take several different forms. It can be a blog, a brochure site, or even a storefront.

    The type of website you build depends largely on your business model. There are a lot of options so if it becomes too overwhelming we suggest you get the advice from an online marketing coach or a company that does website design. You can also use the web to do research on your own but this method might take you longer.

     

    SEO – Search Engine Optimization

     

    Great, you have a website. Now what? Now you need people to visit your website and you accomplish that with what’s called “SEO.” It’s a strategy that embraces keywords and keyword phrases to attract the attention of the search engines, which in turn helps your prospects find you.  This is what all online businesses strive for. You want to be found on at least the first two pages on any web search. After that it’s difficult to get the attention of people doing the search for your specific keywords.

    The Basics of Online Marketing 

    For example, if someone wants to buy a new big screen television they might type “Big Screen Television Reviews” into their search engine of choice, Google for example. If you’ve optimized your site for that keyword phrase, they may find your site and stop by for a visit. If your site is built for conversion then you have a good chance at getting that person to stay and possibly purchase from you and not your competition.

     

    Email Marketing

     

    What does a visitor do once they’ve stopped by your website? How do you ensure you are able to connect with them, motivate them to visit again, or trigger a purchase? You get their email address. Then you have the ability to connect with them on a consistent basis and build a relationship, sell products or services, and provide value. There are different ways to gather email addresses. You might offer a free report or book that is delivered digitally. You might ask them to become a free member or to subscribe to your newsletter. We recommend using AWeber as an option. 

     

    Social Marketing

     

    The Basics of Online MarketingSocial marketing involves connecting with your prospects on social sites like a blog, Facebook, Twitter, and even Pinterest. The key is to provide value in the form of thoughtful commentary, information, and sometimes by entertaining. You build a relationship of trust and authority which in turn motivates visits to your website and/or purchases.

     

    All of these elements are tactics that can work effectively together. For example, you can promote your newsletter on your Facebook page. The key to making them all work well together is to create an online marketing strategy. Online marketing is a powerful way to build any type of business. Learn the fundamentals and thrive! 

    If you are looking for assistance with online marketing, social media or website development contact us today. We offer both coaching and consulting and our experience will save you time and money.

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  • Do You Have a Defined Purpose for Your Facebook Page?

    Do you have a defined purpose for your Facebook page?
    It’s a simple question. “What do you want to accomplish with your Facebook page?”

    Yet the answer isn’t always so simple. Ultimately you likely want to use your Facebook page to make more money and grow your business. But there are many ways to accomplish that and many directions to take. Perhaps a better question is, “How do you want to use your Facebook page to grow your business?”

    Don’t worry, if you don’t know the answer right now. However,  it’s important to have a direction – to have goals when marketing your business through social media. 
    Do you have a defined purpose for your Facebook page?

    So let’s take a look at some ways that Facebook pages are used to promote business.

    Keep in mind they may include but are not limited to:

    • Traffic generation
    • List building
    • Selling products/services
    • Announcements and promotions
    • Content and value
    • Building a community/strengthening relationship

    In fact, Syncapse.com surveyed 4,000 people who “Liked” the top 20 brands with Facebook pages.  They found that someone who has “Liked” a brand spends an average of $71.84 more each year on that brand’s products or services.

    So here is a little story about turning fans into paying customers…

    Company ABC created a Facebook fan page. Their audience is strongly represented on Facebook so they went all out and hired someone to maintain their page for them. They created a custom Facebook page that offered a ton of valuable content, promotions, news items and interactive tools and applications. They even included a Q&A page and a page where Facebook fans could learn about products and services and could purchase directly from the page.

    When a fan made a purchase they also tended to post a note on their profile about the great new product they purchased from Company ABC. The company gained more fans from these mini reviews. This resulted with an increase to their monthly sales by 10%.

    This story can easily be you. And if selling products or services on your Facebook page isn’t your goal and you’d rather build your opt in list, you can do that too through Facebook.

    If you would like to learn more about working with FaceBook Pages or other social media platforms please join us for one of our training webinars. You can check out our events at http://www.strategizeyoursuccess.com/events

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  • Diversify Your Marketing

    Diversify Your MarketingMany business owners will tell you that they experience a lot of fluctuation throughout the year.  Some months will have higher profits than other months, there will be an increase in demand for a particular type of product or service one month, and then the next month a different type of product will be in demand.

    This business phenomenon holds true for a business’ source of customers as well.  Some months, a business may receive a surge in word of mouth advertising, whereas other months it may receive orders from people who came across an ad that the business had placed. 

    Many marketing experts agree that it is important for a business to diversify its marketing methods.  This will ensure that leads are coming in from many different sources and that if one source is having a particularly slow month, the other sources should still be delivering plenty of leads.

    On the other hand, marketing experts caution against having a marketing message sprung out over too many places.  It can be hard to keep track of ads and know which ads are hitting the right target market. 

    Testing ads and keeping track of the results can help a person decide which areas are the best places for them to advertise.  Knowing this information can also help stretch an advertising budget. 

    There are many choices for where to spend advertising dollars.  If a person wants to advertise online they could choose to invest in pay-per-click ads, ad space that they buy directly from another website, as well as free options – including social networking and article marketing.Diversify Your Marketing

    There are many ways to find leads offline, including flyers, lead boxes, and ads placed in local newspapers and magazines, as well as referrals from current customers.  Depending on the type of business, a person may also opt to buy leads from lead companies.

    The marketing mix that works for one person may be to have one or two ads running, both online and offline, while another person may find that participating for a few hours each week in social networking and hanging up flyers around their local area is what works best for them. Just remember to diversify your efforts.

    Also, it may be somewhat tedious, but testing ads and tracking the results is the best way to find the right mix for your business.  Using an ad tracker service such as Google as well as linking ads to different URLs can help determine which ads are outperforming other ads. 

    Happy Marketing!

     

    We specialize in Google Adwords and SEO and we can be a huge asset to your business.
    Let us know if we can be of service to you and your business. 

     

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  • Finding Inspiration for Marketing, Products and Services

    Inspiration is very important to entrepreneurs.   It can provide motivation to get them through the tough times.  It can spark ideas for new products, services, or marketing efforts.  Or it can simply make an ordinary day a little brighter.

     

    Although we may not realize it at first glance, inspiration is all around us.  It can take many forms, and it can show itself in things that look like the exact opposite of inspiration.  By keeping our eyes open and looking at things in the most positive light possible, we can find all sorts of inspiration in everyday life.

     Baby Steps

    Kids

     

    Children are a wonderful source of inspiration.  Whether they are our own, a friend’s or a family member’s, kids never cease to amaze.  Small children are especially inspirational, because they have so much to learn and tend to keep at it until they get it right.

     

    For example, think about a child who is learning to walk.  It’s certainly not something that happens overnight.  First he gets up on his knees and crawls, and then when he’s mastered that he pulls himself up and stands.  Eventually he’s holding onto things and taking small steps, and before you know it he’s walking all over the place on his own.

     

    Kids go through many similar learning processes.  When they find something they want to do, they keep at it until they get it right.  If a child can be that motivated, so can an adult, right?

     

    Think about a new business.  Doesn’t it remind you of a young infant or child? It needs to grow and evolve and learn to stand on its own.

    Desert cacti Nature

     

    Nature is a beautiful place to look for inspiration.  There are tons of examples that entrepreneurs could follow from plants and wildlife.

     

    Beavers work together to build and repair dams.  Plants sometimes grow and flourish in places that we would never dream that they could.  I live in the desert and it amazes me how cacti grow in rocky areas.

     

    Birds search high and low until they’ve found everything they need to build nests for their babies.  These are just a few of the things in nature that can inspire us.

    Theater 

    Art and Entertainment

     

    Inspiration can often be found in art.  Just looking at the artistry and craftsmanship of our favorite pieces can be inspiring.  The attention to detail can inspire us to put the same amount of effort into the things we do for our business.

     

    The movies and television shows we watch and the music we listen to can provide inspiration.  Think of some of the media that you may have watched recently that left you moved, encouraged and motivated.

     

    These are just a sample of the things that we can look to when we need inspiration.  If we look at things in the right way, we can find inspiration all around us.  This inspiration can then be channeled into our business endeavors, giving us the fuel we need to succeed.

    At Strategize Your Success we help entrepreneurs, coaches and small business owners with online strategic goal setting, marketing and planning.  We know what struggles you face and offer solutions to help make your business THRIVE. Contact us today for a FREE 30 minute Discovery Session.
    https://strategizeyoursuccess.com/staging2

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  • 7 Great Ways to Market a Home Business

    Home Office

    One of the greatest challenges of any home based business is bringing in customers. Unlike a physical storefront, with a home based business nobody is going to just “walk by” and make a purchase. You have to be proactive. You have to get your message in front of your customers. You have to draw people in.

     

    Here are seven different ways to market a home business.

     

    ==> Method #1: Word of Mouth

     

    This is one of the most common ways of marketing a small business. Start with your social circle and anyone your social circle knows. Deliver great quality work and let people refer other people to you.

     

    This method works, but it’s slow. You don’t have much control over the speed at which you generate sales.

     

    ==> Method #2: Craigslist

     

    For many service-based businesses, Craigslist is a fantastic tool. If you’re a photographer, graphic designer, massage therapist, guitar teacher or any other kind of freelancer, Craigslist can send you a lot of traffic.

    Event

    ==> Method #3: Host Events

     

    Creating events is a great way to build your brand name and build your credibility. When you create an event and put yourself in front of a room, people automatically assume that you know what you’re talking about. As your event grows, so will your influence. Clients and buyers will come to you naturally.

     

    ==> Method #4: Search Engine Optimization

     

    Try to get your website(s) to rank in the search engines for specific key phrases. This takes a lot of work up front, but once you’re up in the rankings you’ll be getting tons of absolutely free traffic.

     

    ==> Method #5: Pay for Web Traffic

     

    You can make a lot of money if you’re willing to spend a bit of money. Paid web traffic can be a great way to bring in more customers.

     

    Popular avenues include Google AdWords, Facebook PPC, paid banner advertising and paid email marketing.

     

    ==> Method #6: PartnershipsPartnerships

     

    Look for other people in your industry who would want to partner with you. For example, say you teach a real estate investing course. You might look for real estate agents, estate planners and asset managers who deal with the same client base as you.

     

    Do joint projects, joint events, joint mailings and other such partnerships to share your customer and contact base. You all win as a result.

     

    ==> Method #7: Email and Newsletter Marketing

     

    Finally, start your own newsletter. Your newsletter can be in email format or it can be an actual printed newsletter.

     

    Newsletters allow you to build a relationship with people over time. They’ll come to trust you more and more as you consistently deliver quality content. People who would never otherwise become customers will eventually make the jump.

     

    These are seven different ways you can grow your home based business. Customers aren’t just going to come to you – you need to go out and get them. These seven tactics can help just about any home based business expand and grow their profits.

    At Strategize Your Success we help women entrepreneurs, coaches and small business owners with online strategic goal setting, marketing and planning.  We know what struggles you face and offer solutions to help make your business THRIVE. Contact us today for a FREE 30 minute Discovery Session.

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  • 5 Ways to Combine Your Email Marketing with Social Media

    Social media presents an opportunity to build your subscriber base with a wide range of different people and cross-promote your business from different traffic sources. If you integrate your social media marketing with your email list, you can harness the power of both of these sources for even more traffic and engagement.
    Social Media Sphere
    Let Your Social Networks Know

    On all of your social networks, let everyone know about your email sign-up page and tell them about the exclusive promotions you’re offering there. Your social media profiles work as a great entry point into your sales funnel. Absolutely any social network can be used to qualify prospects and get them to your sign-up page.

    On social networking sites, there are tools that allow users to share content they like. Features such as Facebook’s ‘likes’, Twitter’s ‘re-tweets’, and Pinterest’s ‘repins’ allow people to help spread the word for you. Encourage visitors to share and consider creating a reward system for those who share the most.

     The Facebook Sign-up Tab

    On your Facebook page, you can create a custom tab with a sign-up form so that your fans can sign up directly on your page. The best place to put this tab is on one of the visible ‘squares’ just below your cover photo. This is a prime area of Internet real estate that is visible as soon as people arrive on your main cover page.Happy group of finger smileys with speech bubbles

    Promoting on Your Blog

    Your blog is also part of your social profile. Make sure you’re promoting your email list there prominently. Put something on your blog’s sidebar that’s visible on each post and page so that it gets as much exposure as possible. Consider placing forms at the bottom of each post, or even in your header. Just like in your social networks, make sure that your offer or freebie is mentioned on your blog’s opt-in form.

    Getting Subscribers to Social Media

    Integrating social media and your email list means sending traffic both ways, so get your list members to connect with you on social media. One way to do this is to add social media buttons to your emails. These are buttons like Facebook’s ‘Like This’ and Twitter’s ‘Tweet This.’ Using these buttons, your readers can share your content or comment on it without leaving the email message.

    Some email services, such as AWeber, have social icons for networks like Facebook and Twitter that you can simply drag and drop into your emails. Then people can click on the icon to connect with you on those networks.

    One of the best ways to encourage list members to connect with you on social media is by offering exclusive content there. Offer something different in each place so they have a reason to visit you there.

    Going Mobile

     An increasing number of people read their emails and socialize online using mobile devices, so make sure that everything is mobile-friendly. Send emails in both text and HTML. Test any templates that you’re using. Make text large and images easy to view with short loading times. Typing on mobiles is difficult so make your opt-in form easy to fill out. Also make sure that your landing pages are optimized for mobile.

    The more touch points you have with your audience, the more valuable a relationship you can build with them. This is why it’s essential to communicate with them on as many channels as possible, and to not rely primarily on one platform. It also helps to find out what social networking and other sites your target market is using so that you can focus your email integration and interaction in those places. You should be online wherever your prospects and customers are.

    At Strategize Your Success we help women entrepreneurs, coaches and small business owners with online strategic goal setting, marketing and planning.  We know what struggles you face and offer solutions to help make your business THRIVE. Contact us today for a FREE 30 minute Discovery Session.

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