Posts Tagged ‘Marketing’
Twitter Tips for Real Estate
Posted by Sibet B Freides in Marketing, Real Estate Trends, Social Media on April 19th, 2012
When you first got on Twitter was your reaction the same as everyone else’s? Did you overthink it, and insist that it was stupid because it was “nobody’s business what you had for lunch”? I’m guessing it took about six months for you to stop overthinking it.
Since it is the global opposite of traditional marketing, no complicated strategy is actually needed.
The biggest challenge is not figuring out what a hashtag means, it’s learning to communicate in 140 characters or less and learning how to shut off your “marketing mind” and turn on your conversation.
Twitter is an amazing place to keep up on the news, and for meeting people and sharing ideas. Over the years Twitter has been good for businesses. It puts you in touch with people you may never have met otherwise.
It’s also a place to experiment with content ideas and to test out reactions to photographs and articles before pulling the trigger and making them part of your permanent message.
If you are just getting started, or if you have been using it for shameless self promotion and gotten discouraged, here are some quick tips to keep in mind:
- Follow the local media. They don’t just tweet the news, they are also usually pretty social.
- Try to spend more time on Twitter reading than tweeting. Get familiar with the conversations happening and join in. It’s sort of like training wheels, only when they come off you will still be listening.
- Please – don’t tweet or read through tweets when you are with clients. It’s a constant stream so forget trying to keep up. You can set up filters and notifications for the tweets you simply don’t want to miss and read them at your convenience.
- Promote other businesses in your community. Recommending others – even those that may have seemingly appeared to be competition in the past – goes a long way at defining you as an expert. People will naturally want to return the favor when you play nice in the social sandbox.
Learning how to use Twitter means being able to network anytime and maybe even connect with people that you wouldn’t get to meet any other way. Remember it’s not about a list of your next open houses.
Are You Making These Marketing Mistakes?
Posted by Sibet B Freides in Marketing on April 11th, 2012
Where’s my audience?
Did you rush out to create a kickin’ new website, Facebook page, and Twitter account? Great! You’re ahead of the game. Except, after that you sat back and waited for fans, followers, and customers to flood your contact page and phone lines.
Just because you built it doesn’t mean they will come! You have to actively market yourself with smart strategies. It takes time to cultivate relationships over social media by consistently tweeting, blogging and even setting up joint venture and affiliate programs. In addition, you must balance this with offline activities such as networking and speaking.
I put myself out there but no one responded.
Be consistent with your value, messages, and efforts. As with any marketing media, success takes time and regular exposure.
Jack of all trades, master of none.
Don’t try to be everything to everyone. You are an expert in your field for a reason. While your company may be more than capable of handling multiple roles and specialties, market to a specific audience with specific needs and you will start reaping the benefits. Be crystal clear about who you serve and you will attract the ideal clients.
You reel ‘em in and leave ‘em hanging.
Follow-up is where many small business owners fall short. A trusted connection takes consistent presence without pushing or spamming. The easiest way to do this is to set up a drip campaign that provides value over a series of regular emails. You will stay top of mind and establish yourself as an expert before ever trying to pitch your product or service.
Do you use drip campaigns? Follow up phone calls? What works best for you?
Is There More Than Just a Click-Through Rate?
Posted by Sibet B Freides in Marketing, Social Media on March 29th, 2012
Many marketers resort to the basics when it comes to discernin
g the performance of an Internet display ad. The click-through rate (CTR) is not only easy to understand, but also easy to explain to clients, who typically expect a black and white “confirmation” of the money they’ve invested in advertising.
Of course clicks generate valuable traffic, but they require active participation from the user. Research actually shows that even with a low CTR, online advertising is still effective. Could it be the exposure itself, not the click that drives traffic?
In a study titled “How Online Advertising Works: Whither The Click?” comScore has shown that two-thirds of Internet users do not click on any display ads over the course of a month. It was determined that branding will drive users to the advertiser’s website even without clicking. Furthermore, exposed users were 17 percent more likely to make a purchase at the advertiser’s retail store.
If clicks are not the quick and easy campaign measurement for online campaigns, what metrics can you use to show your clients? Here are some things to pay attention to:
Reach
Reaching as many relevant people as possible should be your goal for every campaign. This was typically measured by counting the number of unique cookies placed on browsers that would be exposed to the campaign.
There is a problem here – 33 percent of users delete their third-party cookies (cookies used by ad servers) each month, making each user is count on an average of 5.1 times during that same period. Measuring unique users requires you to compensate for this cookie deletion so the number isn’t over-estimated. For 10 million users about 100 million impressions would be needed on average to equal the adjusted cookie metrics.
Traffic
For an online only campaign, site traffic is another gauge of advertising effectiveness, showing users who were enticed by your banner to seek more details about your product or service, whether they clicked your ad or not.
Simply measure the daily visitors before, during and after your campaign to estimate your site traffic as a result of a campaign.
ROI
ROI cannot truly be calculated unless you are selling your products online. Online-only retailers who can capture the full effect of online advertising should by all means track ROI.
But if you only collect leads only and do not sell anything online you can either calculate a value for each conversion (leads), or track your investment on advertising by calculating the average cost per conversion.
Although arguably more measurable than traditional media, online campaigns must be analyzed with a well-rounded approach, tying the big picture together. There is no magic bullet but a good agency will size up and present the big picture with all their campaigns.
5 Reasons People Leave a Website
Posted by Sibet B Freides in Marketing on March 22nd, 2012
Getting web traffic can be challenging, but keeping people on your site long enough for them to become potential clients or customers is even more difficult. Here are some common mistakes that make people jump ship and what you can do about them.
Poor navigation. Nothing confuses or frustrates visitors more than a website that is not clear and hard to navigate. Scattering your information, being too wordy, having vague content, and making your main message appear below the fold are all reasons people will jump off your site before clicking any further. Make sure your navigation is logical and easy to understand. The biggest mistake businesses make is having no call to action present. Users need to be told what to do and where to go next.
Obnoxious use of video. People want to choose the content they view. Having a video (or audio) that loads automatically will most likely drive visitors away faster than you can say Vimeo. More demerits if it’s the type of video that doesn’t allow you to see the length or pause. Users want options. Make sure you provide them.
Excessive pop-ups. Many marketing gurus will tell you that pop-up registration forms are the way to get hundreds of subscribers. I find them to be disruptive and flat out annoying. Placing your registration form prominently above the fold on your site and offering a special report or free gift is a much better strategy. There is nothing worse than reading the second paragraph of an engaging article only to be interrupted by a full-page pop-up window telling you what to do. Abort!
Illegible fonts. Loud colors and fancy typeface can really discourage users from staying on your site. Avoid elaborate fonts, your goal is simplistic legibility. Furthermore, using words in a graphic instead of properly within the site diminishes SEO capabilities.
Stale content. You may have the perfect design, stellar content, and even great interactive comments, but what if you haven’t updated your content frequently? Whatever you do, never say “site under construction” – like familiar strips of your local interstate, this signifies to visitors that completion is probably not going to occur any time soon.
Keep your content fresh, which not only keeps visitors coming back, but enhances SEO as well. Blogging is a great way to achieve this goal.
If you’re struggling with your website design, Idea Associates can put all these elements together to create the best site for your business.
How to Break Into Mobile Without Breaking the Bank
Posted by Sibet B Freides in Marketing, Social Media on March 2nd, 2012
How do you, as a small business owner cut through all the noise and reach today’s “always connected” customer?
You don’t have to pay top dollar for the latest and greatest bells and whistles to go mobile. Here are a few ways to get started:
Make sure you’re findable. It’s a bit labor-intensive, but well worth it to “claim” your business and its location on sites such as Yelp, Yahoo Local, Facebook, Google Places, and even Foursquare. This costs no more than your time.
Optimize your website for mobile viewing. Mobile searches have grown 400 percent since 2010, according to Google. Once they find you on their phone, consumers visit (59 percent) or call (61 percent).
If your website was created more than a few years ago, or was built with Flash or other outdated plugins, your site is at risk for being invisible to mobile searches.
If you’re confused by all the options available, Idea can help your site go mobile!
Take your social “pulse”. Sites like Kudzu, Angie’s List, Google, and dozens more are letting your customers review you (often without your knowledge). In fact over 80 percent of consumers say they read reviews before making a purchase? Any negative reviews or poor feedback about you can affect your customers’ purchasing decision. You can use Google Alerts to see what’s being said about you on a regular basis. Like GI Joe said, “Knowing is half the battle”!
Customers aren’t just browsing the mobile web anymore. They’re researching products, sharing opinions, and completing transactions. Don’t let your fear of breaking the bank stop you from getting your business on the mobile web.
5 Social Media ‘No Nos’
Posted by Sibet B Freides in Social Media on February 2nd, 2012
When social media is done right it can add tremendous value and voice to your clients’ marketing plan. Unfortunately, there are still so many businesses that are missing the mark and solely using it as an extension of their brochure or sales pitch.
Here are five big mistakes still being made when businesses do social:
1. Being generic
Your posts need personality and your engagement. This doesn’t mean you should air all your dirty laundry, be negative, or relay a play-by-play narrative of your day’s events. It’s more about being human, and not appearing to be an automated robot churning out posts.
It also means you should avoid sending the same content all the time over all your networks. Think about your audience and the networks they frequent and tailor your message to them. This demonstrates that when you reach out to people, the interaction is directed to them.
2. Not writing for your audience
It’s fun to share things that interest you, but keep in mind, that if you want to attract the attention of prospects and others, you need to share information and updates that you know will be of interest to them. This is one of the major misunderstandings of social media. It’s not about you!
3. Not interacting enough
It’s so important to maintain a good level of engagement with your connections, as well as responding to what people are saying, asking, and commenting on. Showing that you care will demonstrate to others that you take your connections seriously and strengthen your network as a result. So many still treat social media as a broadcast platform. Which brings us to number 4…
4. Using the space for advertising
You will destroy your network in a flash by constantly promoting your services and products. Social media is a platform for building, expanding and maintaining relationships, so directly selling to people will distance you from them. Keep any ‘selling’ to about 10% and the rest to 90%.
5. Not listening
Listening is vital to any relationship, and social media is just that. It is not a one-way system, so be aware of what people in your network and potential network are saying. Tune into their needs, feedback, and struggles. While many companies fear any negative comments about their business, it’s essential to monitor your social voice and address any concerns as they happen so you can circumvent any long-term affects.
What about you? What particularly irritates you about companies that don’t quite get social right? Let us know by commenting below or posting it on our Facebook page!
What Are Your Advertising Resolutions?
Posted by Sibet B Freides in Marketing, Social Media on January 5th, 2012
With the cusp of a New Year upon us, it’s common for us to start to plan resolutions in our personal life. Perhaps you want to lose weight, get in better shape, or stop smoking. But what about your advertising methods? Couldn’t they use a little resolution list as well?
Will you use video this year?
Video is a great way to reach customers, yet fear often stops people from utilizing it to its fullest potential.
With the latest changes to the YouTube homepage, the experience is more of a social feed now, which gives marketers a powerful opportunity to enhance their brand exposure.
Rich media, in conjunction with video, is now more effective than simple Flash. When considering rich media campaigns, also think about including video to increase intent.
Will you start to mix social media with your display advertising?
Making display ads social increases the conversation with your customers, which is the top goal for all new media.
Do you try making your social media pages a primary destination rather than the website? How about setting up banner ads for interaction rather than broadcast only?
Social sharing is now becoming the norm when it comes to ads, blog posts, and even websites.
Are you going mobile with your ads?
I know you’re afraid, but its inevitable – users are now moving more and more to a multi-screen experience via desktop, mobile, and display and marketers must create these experiences in order to keep up.
Most mobile advertising now includes location-based strategies automatically – learn to use them creatively.
Remember – there’s no one right mix for every customer or client. By constantly being aware of your social media presence, you can evaluate the right person, the right timing, and the right message for your business.
Social media is not going away any time soon, but it will keep refining itself. Are you doing the same with your message?
4 Ways to Do Holiday Marketing Right
Posted by Sibet B Freides in Marketing, Social Media on November 15th, 2011
Many businesses write off December as a marketing black hole and our clients are not unique.
Perhaps putting holiday marketing on hold means you could be missing a great opportunity to connect with your prospects. This may be a time to connect with people emotionally about what you do.
How can you use this typically overstressed time of the year to get creative about getting your message out?
A seasonal twist to your business
Ask yourself – what do people need from me during the holidays? How can I tie end of year ideas, holiday giving, or new beginnings into the product or service my business offers?
Gift certificates
Can you bundle a taste of your services and solutions into a small package and create gift certificates to give or let people buy? Think of what might be added as an upgrade or bonus and get very creative. People will be talking about you the rest of the year!
End-of-the-year and “What’s New” letter
You can get a little personal here. People like to see what you’ve accomplished, but they also look forward to how they’ll benefit from your work in the upcoming year. What’s coming up for you – do you have a new product or service you’re working on, a workshop, or a new strategic alliance you want to announce?
Focus on Social
Like social media’s “online” virtual cocktail, you probably won’t sign that large deal or get tons of new clients during a holiday social gathering. During holiday parties, people are usually relaxed about having a good time. So instead of thinking about all the deals you won’t make during the holidays, focus on the spirit of the season and build relationships. When the season is over, you can call on your networked party connections and evoke the good feeling of having been at a holiday party together, then translate that into a conversation about how to further the relationship.
With a shift of perspective and a little creativity, you can consider the holidays a wonderful time to build new relationships and breathe fresh ideas into your business.
What unique thing do you like to provide during the marketing “blackout”?
Helping… the Future of Marketing?
Posted by Sibet B Freides in Marketing on November 3rd, 2011
Marketing is ultimately doing your best to tie interests to actions. Linking interest and action hopefully will create a prospective customer, which is called “filling the top of the funnel.”
There are 3 ways to fill the top of that funnel:
Top of Mind Awareness
Maintain a consistent presence in the marketplace of messaging, with ongoing advertising and promotions so that customers think of you first when they are ready to purchase whatever product or service you provide.
This is an expensive way to fill the funnel, as you have to always be present in the marketplace. It’s also getting harder to consistently reach audiences and make yourself known amongst all the competition.
Frame of Mind Awareness
The second way to fill the top of that funnel took off with the advent of Yahoo!, and then Google. In the “frame of mind awareness” approach you create content that makes it easier for your company to be found via search and social media, and wait for the leads to roll in.
Keep in mind that you don’t create demand with inbound marketing, per se, you just fulfill demand that exists organically.
Social Awareness
There is now a new way to fill the funnel that may be the best of both worlds.
With social awareness, you seek to have the prospective customer allow you inside their circle of trust, where you become a valuable resource for them. You are the go-to person in all things relating to your business.
Then, when the customer is ready to buy, they don’t have to go find you, because you’re already there.
Many companies argue that it is counter-intuitive to give away your help for free. Remember: sell something, and you make a customer. Help someone, and you make a customer for life.
In a world where every prospective customer is facing an invitation overwhelm, where every business is asking people to follow their tweets, read their blog, or watch their videos, you must resist the temptation to communicate solely and endlessly about your company, hoping for a quick sale.
By helping your customers learn the very services you offer you become a trusted friend and you can succeed in a world where the balance of marketing power has swung dramatically in favor of the customer.
How do you help your prospective clients and customers?
How to Handle Negative Online Reviews
Posted by Sibet B Freides in Marketing, Social Media on April 17th, 2012
Removing negative comments is rarely the answer. Here are some suggestions to instead influence your customers and clients when a less than stellar review is posted.
Most Important – Join the Conversation
The first thing you should do is respond – in a timely manner – to each of the reviews publicly, addressing the issues while maintaining a professional tone. If you know the complaint is not essentially valid, respond saying you are sorry for their experience and will immediately look into it for them. Believe it or not, people want to be heard even more than they want their issue resolved. You’re already ahead of the game if you can publicly show them that you’re willing to hear their concern or issue. This is also where you can tell your side of the story, as long as you focus on the solution and stay professional at all costs!
Online reviews are not set in stone and often will be updated (and upgraded) by a customer who was given the dignity of a reply and an apology.
Ask Your Satisfied Clients for Positive Reviews
There is no shame in asking for testimonials – most people are more than happy to talk about their positive experiences on Facebook, Kudzu, Google and more. You are not bribing or soliciting positive feedback – you are honestly and genuinely asking your audience to share their experiences online.
Every website should have a section for “What People Are Saying”… just make sure you ask the party prior to posting their words. Make sure they tell you how they would like to be credited (initials only or full name, etc.) and if they would like to leave a link to their website at the bottom.
Have a plan
With online review sites providing a today’s of word-of-mouth marketing, reviews are essential but can be either helpful or damaging to a business.
The reality is, you can do everything right and yet still receive a negative review. It all depends on the customer’s expectations; they are either met or they’re not.
Following up by phone after the completion of a service can help head off unflattering reviews and provide an opportunity to satisfy frustrated clients before their feedback goes public.
Now it’s your turn: how do you handle negative comments on Social Media and popular review sites?
Tags: conversation, Marketing, negative comments, online, reviews, social media, testimonials
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