Developing a large number of followers on Twitter or small number

Should a company who wants to use Twitter as a marketing tool develop a large number of followers who stray outside their target market or focus on a smaller number of engaged followers?

It's the quality versus quantity argument and both sides have merit.

Here is an argument for having a large quantity of Twitter followers with the idea that it is a numbers game. It comes from Collegerecruiter.com and the title is Why Quantity is Better than Quality When it Comes to Twitter Followers.

The argument for developing a quantity of followers on Twitter makes sense in many ways. My hunch is the demographics on Twitter are probably similar. How many marketing decisions are made on hunches, by the way?

I'm sure many Twitter users have a college education even though they represent many fields of study. They're at least somewhat active online or they wouldn't have Twitter accounts.

Maybe Twitter is the new mass media.

Also read Marketing tips for Twitter

Web site assessment questions for small businesses

A small business owner who runs a store recently wanted a Web site. I wrote out these questions to help determine why a Web site might benefit his business:

What is the primary reason for wanting a Web site?

What do you want a Web site to achieve for you?

Is the Web site going to be part of a local marketing campaign?

Is the goal to get Web site visitors the chance to shop online and purchase online?

How long has the store been in business?

Who is the typical customer? Where do they live? What do they buy?

How much money does the typical customer spend?

What is the budget range?

Click here to read this post on more assessment questions

Marketing using social media means offering help

Marketing using social media means more than talking about your own products and why they're so good. It means offering help, too.

While there's not an exact formula I feel that on Twitter about 1/3 of the posts should be about others like re-tweets, 1/3 helpful info/quotes/etc, and 1/3 on your company and benefits to customers.

An excellent article on Social Media Today notes why companies fail at using social media and the number one reason is they like to talk about themselves.

Use social media as a way to listen to customers or engage them in topics that are of benefit to them.

For related reading, here is a post I wrote on Twitter and a list of ways to use it effectively in marketing and business: Marketing Tips for Twitter

Consistent business networking generates results

Business networking to generate leads requires a long-term commitment.

But business networking that is consistent helps generate new referrals and leads. Business owner May Hui discovered this with her business which is in its 3rd year. She's the founder of Catch Matchmaking, a Los Angeles-based company that connects single professionals.

May is pictured on the right with co-founder Katie Chen.


May told me that one ingredient for networking success is staying in touch with contacts:

"Building relationships with everyone we touch everyday is vital. We do our best to be consistent at our networking functions so we are "top of mind" when a contact comes across a single person.

"We do a great job with getting to know someone outside of the networking environment as well, taking the time to have coffee or exchanging information with them.

"Another key reason for business success: using social media to keep in touch with the younger generations. Text messaging is very helpful to expedite communication with our clients and eventually generate referrals from friends and family."

Click here for a related post on business networking.

Business networking requires a long-term commitment and focus.

Free tips on business networking

Business networking is important as I learned again this morning while at the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce referral breakfast.

During a group exercise on "How are your partnerships building your business?" one member, Walt Whitney, shared how he spent $ 1,200 on a networking group for one year. He didn't receive any direct referrals from the group. Then he went to breakfast with one of the members who is a financial planner. She brought along another financial planner and then they introduced Walt to someone else. It was that connection who introduced Walt to 3 clients!

Walt diagrammed how the business networking proceeded. He drew about 5 circles before he actually met the client.

Here are other lessons on business networking I picked up from the LA Chamber meeting:

• Business networking is a long-term proposition (6 months to 12 months for some businesses)
• Build relationships before expecting business results
• Ask others about their business needs - don't just talk about yourself
• Actively network others and you'll be seen as a "go to" resource
• Be clear about the type of client or customer you're seeking

I recently did an interview with May Hui, the founder of Catch Matchmaking and she said business networking consistently allows her to stay in the top of the minds of contacts who have the potential to refer new business.

Click here to read the full interview with May Hui of Catch Matchmaking.

Business networking is a viable way to generate qualified leads and find new business. But it will take time and it will take a commitment to stay within a networking group.

Click here for a related post on business networking and remaining consistent.

Solar power affordable for homeowners and commercial building owners

Commercial building owners may now find solar energy is a viable, money saving option over the long-term when compared to paying electric bills.

This article contains information about rebates in California and government mandates.

Solar power affordable for homeowners and commercial building owners

Free Marketing Tip: Promote value and benefits

Market to consumers who are looking for value, value, value for their money.

Mike Zaya, president of PrintRunner.com told me in a recent interview that now, more than ever, consumers are willing to switch their brand loyalty in order to either save money or get better value for their money.

I saw the same message again on Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog:

Value is going to be the new black. Consumers have realized the importance over the past few years of value for their money. They will now be looking for a reason to buy all products and services . . . The classic old trick of appealing to a consumers feelings are not going to work anymore. Consumers have gotten wise to that one and are now on the look out for those who are trying to tug at their heart strings in order to make a sale.

He credits Branding Strategy Insider as the source.

I published the comments from Mike Zaya of PrintRunner in my column as the LA Business News Examiner.

Want a free marketing tip? Provide value to customers with your services or products and clearly show the benefits of what you offer.

Marketing tips for Twitter

Here is a free marketing tip using Twitter.

Twitter is a viable marketing tool yet it must follow the rules for all social marketing:

Offer valuable how-to information
Talk about other businesses, too
Re-tweet posts from other users
Offer humorous tweets (posts)

Here is a loose formula that I've read about and have seen others follow when using Twitter.

1) Send about 7 - 10 msgs a day when you Tweet. Maybe more when the time is appropriate.
2) Tweet on at least 3 different days per week. Preferably 5 days per week.
3) Make 1/3 of Tweets about someone else, 1/3 your business, 1/3 helpful insights

What should your Return on Investment be when using Twitter?

I have 530 followers and counting on Twitter.

When I write an article on one of my sites, I put the link into Bit.ly and then go to Twitter.

After I post on Twitter, the immediate click through number on Bit.ly is about 1.5% of my Twitter followers.

Scott Allen is a social media and former About.com guide whom I've been following for a few years. He says about 2% return is likely.

An encouraging stat is I'm beginning to see more clicks on Bit.ly for old Twitter posts.

Twitter is a viable marketing tool but don't just talk about your business and make sure you offer valuable information for others to read.

Click here to read articles on business resources around So Cal

Learn to market with media exposure for your business

An upcoming seminar in Studio City, CA will show you how to get media exposure for your business.

The lunch time seminar takes place October 6 in Studio City.

The presenter is Gayl Murphy, Hollywood corrrespondent who also teaches business owners and professionals how to use their personalities to sell their stories.

Click here to read a post on Gayl from earlier this year.

For complete details on location and to register log on to http://www.InterviewTactics.com.

Successful entrepreneurs use a combination of media
expertise & business-savvy when they step into the
"spotlight" to tell the world about who they are and
their next big thing...And, so should YOU!

Creative entrepreneurs and showbiz pros: writers,
filmmakers musicians, speakers, directors, actors,
designers, experts, coaches, lifestyle gurus, authors,
artists, etc. - ANY creative decision makers, all want
to make a great living doing what they love.

The first step to making your business grow and
prosper is owning it: business first! You gotta to
pitch it to promote it so you can tell it to sell it!
Especially in these times of "re-invention," the need
to be seen & heard above the crowd is more urgent
than ever!

A NETWORKING LUNCH & PARKING ARE INCLUDED!!
(Bring plenty of business cards!)
AND, when you register yourself and a FRIEND, Gayl will
send her Ebook "Interview Tactics!" for FREE!

TO LEARN MORE, READ WHAT PAST ATTENDEES ARE
SAYING AND REGISTER:
http://www.interviewtactics.com/sellyourselfseminars.htm

Questions?
Call or email: 323-417-5172 ~ Gayl@InterviewTactics.com

Will Twitter make money?

Here is an excerpt from an in-depth post on Twitter's business model and potential sources of revenue.

"Twitter has publicly mentioned future revenue extraction opportunities from businesses on Twitter. Dell directly measures revenue generated by its multiple Twitter channels. Comcast offers "digital care" for its customers through a special Twitter account. Whole Foods discusses groceries with over 22,000 subscribers. Twitter has yet to extract value from the thousands of brand connections it currently enables. Brand monitoring will likely be the first corporate product from Twitter."

This was posted by Niall Kennedy at his blog and click here to log on to the post about Twitter revenue

Click here to read my opinion on whether or not a business should automate its Twitter followers.

Automate Twitter followers or select Twitter followers manually

Applications are readily available with the promise of adding thousands of Twitter followers in 24 to 48 hours. Sounds like a great way to market online.

Should your business add Twitter followers automatically or take the time to select Twitter followers like a real person? Does adding Twitter followers manually make marketing online more time consuming?

I believe companies should add Twitter followers strategically. I don't see how it's valuable to try to get the numbers to soar for most businesses whether those are brick and mortar operations or even online writers.

What's the benefit of having thousands of followers who aren't in your target market?

It's not that difficult. Log in to your Twitter account, use a # symbol and then search for topics that are related to your business or related to the people you want to contact. Go in and follow 1 dozen or two dozen who are closely related and strategically related to your Tweets.

Soon, their followers will discover your presence and you'll begin to build a following. So you don't have to add all your followers manually. But I don't see why businesses feel they need to automate followers simply to get the numbers to soar.

Using Twitter as a marketing and business research tool

Twiter is a useful marketing research tool.

For marketing purposes, Twitter can quickly spread positive comments about a product while it can also generate negative buzz, too.

For business research using Twitter is a cost-effective and time-efficient way of gathering useful information and even networking for potential business contacts.

Simply entering a search term and seeing what people link to may be faster than using the traditional search engines. This article assumes you have a Twitter account. The users who are "tweeting" on that topic are users who are worth following for your company or consulting business.

Let’s say you want to conduct a search on favorite wines. Maybe you’re going to use them as promotional giveaways and you want to see which ones Twitter users recommend.

Here’s an example. Enter #smallbusiness and see what the results return. When I did that, I immediately found several people who seem worth following and their links to topics could prove useful for the online writing and research I do for myself and for clients.

Twitter is a strategic, free tool to begin using to find information – and people – with whom you might want to connect and eventually do business transactions together. Feel free to follow me. I'm @donsimko. Glad to make your Twitter acquaintance!

Click here to see how the online printing company PrintRunner is using Twitter strategically for its marketing and social media purposes.

Free marketing tip - focus marketing message on customers

Let this free marketing tip focus your attention on making your marketing message focus on your customers. A customer-centric message is necessary and strategic.

While that's common sense most companies large and small feel they need to make their marketing message center on their own capabilities. They talk about themselves rather than speak to customers and show how the customer-client benefits.

Focusing on the user (or the customer, client) is what Yahoo! is now doing.

The company announced today that it has realigned all aspects of its business around simplifying and enhancing the Web experience for people throughout the world. To underscore its commitment, Yahoo! is launching a global brand campaign to celebrate its connection with people and communicate core product enhancements.

“Today the Web and your world are inseparable,” said Yahoo! Chief Executive Officer Carol Bartz. “Hundreds of millions of people use Yahoo! to get the information they need, connect with friends and family, and be entertained. We are about creating online experiences people find meaningful, relevant, and fun.”

Yahoo will launch its brand campaign September 28 in the United States, October 5 in the United Kingdom and India. The campaign will run into 2010.

Ask yourself: do your customers understand the benefits your company offers and is it at the core of your marketing messages?

Free marketing tip - write articles on the Internet

This free marketing tip says it's effective to write articles on the Internet as a marketing strategy for a company and especially for independent consultants.

Marketing with written articles is a way to share specialized knowledge, your unique perspective on a subject and, in the process, be found by people who need the services you offer.

My financial planner is writing a book and he sent me an email saying that people who were interviewing him on the book did a search on him on the Internet. They came across an article I had written on him in late '07 (two years ago) and they found it informative and helpful.

Here's a link to the article titled "Should you invest or pay off your mortgage?"

Writing articles as a marketing tool is not a short-term proposition. It takes consistent effort and there must be both quantity and quality in the posts. However, it is ultimately a marketing tool that offers credibility.

For an independent consultant who's working in one geographical area such as Orange County, California or southern California, it's likely that the article can be used to email to a prospective client. The article then is a second touch. That means the consultant uses the article as tool to build credibility.

For a company or sales rep working across multiple states it's likely the article can be a "first touch" found through search engines or a second touch when the rep says "we wrote an article on that very subject" and then emails it.

In the next post, I'll write more specifically on using articles as a marketing tool on the Internet to build credibility and as a tool in winning new customers and clients.

Marketing tip: listen to customers

Listening to customers is a marketing tip that costs little to implement. It may require some time to pause and adapt what is being said.

Listening is one of the greatest assets in selling but it's also a vital tool in gathering intelligent information to use in making strategic marketing decisions and overall business decisions.

An example is spa manufacturer CalSpas that originally launched as a pool company but while displaying pool molds at the Los Angeles County fair, heard customers requesting hot tubs after they saw the pool molds.

Click here to read more on Giving customers what they want: a lesson from CalSpas

Listening to customers may not make your business change its core competency. But it can help in gathering data to sift through and make useful decisions.

Have you done customer surveys? If so, how have you used the information?

What are the greatest reasons for customer satisfaction?

What are their complaints?

Don't let a few negative customer comments get you down and don't let a few positive comments overinflate your ego. Use listening to your customers as a free marketing tip to run your business more effectively.

Marketing lesson in creating buzz

A marketing lesson in creating buzz is Spa Week. I discovered this as I was researching articles for my page at Examiner.com.

The marketing and promotional event happens two times per year at more than 700 spa locations around the country. The purpose is to make spa visits affordable and introduce new spa-goers to the services of spas in their city and community.

Services that may normally cost in the hundreds of dollars are offered for as little as $ 50 for a visit.

Users have to go online to sign up at spaweek.com.

The week is in its 11th season and it helps drive traffic to local spas and provides promotional contests as well for web visitors.

For more information log on to this article about Spa Week.

Spas also gain potential media exposure at both a local and national level.

A lesson to take from this is creating a special event or week for your business or related businesses in your city.

Remember: consistency is required for marketing success and is needed to generate marketing buzz.

Chase Cards Targeting Affluent: Market Segmentation

Here's a marketing tip in segmenting a customer database.

Chase Card Services, a unit of JPMorgan Chase & Co., said Wednesday it will now offer a rewards card designed for wealthy customers. This is according to an Associated Press report.

The new card, called Chase Sapphire, is designed for the top-earning 15 percent of U.S. households. It offers travel services, access to round-the-clock customer service and a rewards program.

All businesses may have a need to segment their database and position specific messages and offerings to certain types of customers.

How deeply you segment depends on many variables including pricing, product offerings available.

I’ve met several Professional Employment Organization (PEO) representatives in the last few months and many of them deal with businesses ranging from 10 employees to hundreds.

The number of employees in a company will determine some of the needs of that prospective customer. And those needs will then determine the type of message and approach taken.

The value in segmenting a customer list is it aids greatly in the sales process: the right message for the right target audience delivered with the right media.

Is SEO or PPC Best for Marketing?

How do seo and pay per click (PPC) compare? I always thought organic search engine rankings through seo were the best and most credible links for a company.

However, a recent study I came across is making me think differently.

"According to a new study by Engine Ready, based on traffic to 26 e-retail sites in a 12-month period that ended June 30, visitors who arrive at a retailer's site from paid search ads are 50% more likely to buy than those who come from clicking on a natural search link. The conversion rate from paid search is 2.03% versus 1.26% from organic search, according to the study as reported by Internet Retailer."

The article is on MediaPost Publications written by Jack Loechner.

One of the first questions I had after reading the study was questioning if the sample was large enough to draw conclusions across the internet. After all, 26 e-retail sites out of how many retail sites on the web?

Nevertheless, this shows that when search engine users are looking for a product to purchase then they're not going to question the credibility of whether the link is "credible" or not.

If it shows up on a search engine site they're using then they're going to click.

This is also good news for the internet advertising model that it is relevant and worth paying ad costs.

Utilizing both seo and ppc is another part of the overall marketing mix.

Is Traditional Media Relevant in Today's Market?

Is traditional media relevant, or still important, in today's market?

Marketing decision-makers know how online social media is . . . choose your word: exploding, dynamic, raging, or ubiquitous.

The need for this post came to mind when I was on Twitter, @donsimko, and saw a Tweet from @barbomalley. She's the Associate VP Communications at the University of Akron. Btw, I like "post" more than "tweet."

She linked to a free webinar of the Public Relations Society of America sponsored by Vocus Communications with the title "Does Traditional Media Still Matter?" The webinar is Thursday, August 13 at 3pm EDT.

Does traditional media still matter?

Since I enjoy asking assessment questions, ask yourself:

• Have you read a newspaper in the past 48 hours?
• Have you read a magzine?
• Did you receive "junk mail" at home today? Or in the office?
• If the phone is considered traditional media, have you received a sales call in the past week from home improvement companies?
• Have you received a sales letter at work in the past 10 days?
• Are there billboards in the city where you live?
• Along the beaches, do airplanes fly with their banners flailing behind?
• Do you see ads on TV?
• When did you last listen to the radio?

Traditional media still has a vital role to play. Rather than set aside one medium in favor of another, understand the uses of each medium and the best ways to utilize them to send out a corporate message.

Effectiv marketing strategies understand that target audiences need a media mix, or marketing mix, to maxmize reach.

The benefits of interactive media include more accurate measuring of behaviors and responses.

But traditional media still has relevance. It certainly matters.

Marketing with a Site for Adsense

I found this link to a web site that has Adsense blended in quite nicely with the main content. I feel that Adsense is also a resource so I think it's fine.

http://studentloansource.info/

Utilizing adsense or some other contextual advertising effort can be a good way for a small business to recover some of its advertising and marketing costs.

I thought about this a few months back when I helped a client boost his organic rankings in Google and I enlarged the number of keywords visitors used to find him by as much as 30%.

I felt he could use some type of advertising program on his site and it would pay for some of his costs.

When designing a site, blog or some other web property, always ask if the site content and layout will meet the needs of the people coming to visit.

Do you know the needs of your target market and how well do you offer them a benefit?

This site on student loans where I provide the link earlier in the post seems to do just that.

It was designed by @eperception whom you can find on Twitter.

Marketing with Social Media: Start-Up Biz Case Study

Marketing with social media requires participation.

Participation means starting a meaningful conversation to build relationships.

Use marketing with social media as a way to say hello, gain followers and then introduce them to your company products and services over time.

Whitworth Photography is an example of a start-up business using social media effectively.

Samuel Whitworth is a 20-year-old photographer who has a MySpace page, Facebook page and a Twitter account. I advised him to send out about 5 - 8 "tweets" per day, say hello to people and then follow those in the greater Pasadena area to focus in on his geographical market of Pasadena, California and then the larger Southern California market.

Sam did this but he took it one step further. He created a simple flyer and messaged it to his MySpace followers and Facebook followers. He also used a picture from a recent shoot to attract attention. His web site hits started climbing steadily with more than 50 visits immediately after sending the announcement on his current rates and specials.

Then he went on Twitter and began saying "hi" to followers and beginning a conversation in a way that was interesting to them.

Do you see the universal principle at work here: if you walk in to a room full of crowded people and immediately start talking about yourself how do you think your listeners will feel?

Do you think they'll feel compelled to listen? Or will they feel more compelled to walk away?

Sam successfully started gaining new followers and then started "tweeting" his specials, photos of Pasadena, a wedding and other shots. He gained followers and at least two or three new shoots in a week.

Social media does work for marketing but it requires consistent participation and starting conversations that interest prospective followers and customers.

Free Marketing Tips: Make Your Message Clear

Make a marketing message clear even if it means sacrificing some creativity. People have little time to think and ponder.

Here's a marketing case study worth a closer look. See if you agree if you're from Southern California, otherwise, perhaps there's a similar case in your area.

Forest Lawn Mortuary has done a magnificent job of marketing a subject that people don't want to discuss. After all, Southern California is about glitz and glamor, right? Even when one of the biggest stars of pop . . . oh, well . . .

I was driving in North Hollywood today when I noticed a billboard on Lankershim showing an older woman (70+) with the slogan "Former NFL Linebacker" and below "don't have someone else's funeral."

Okay. Then I remembered another Forest Lawn billboard I saw on the 605 South near the 60 freeway east of Los Angeles with a heavy set bearded man and the notation "Served under Regan" and below "Don't have someone else's funeral."

When I saw that one I thought, "huh?" and the same with the woman.

While thinking about it all day today, I then thought about the focus of the marketing message: you're also important, it's your celebration. Hmm, but I don't know.

I feel that Forest Lawn is mixing elements for the marketing message on the billboard.

I've thought about it . . . and thought about it. Maybe I'll try to call them and do a brief interview with them. I certainly have respect for their marketing efforts.

Here's my free marketing tip: creativity is strongest when the elements blend together well in support of a clear message. Does what you're saying seem too simple? Hey, that may be acceptable.

In my opinion, a clear marketing message is created when a benefit to the target audience is clearly stated.

Marketing Tip: Know Your Target Audience

I'm passing on this free marketing tip after attending a conference on doing business in India. Know your target audience and get involved with them.

The keynote speaker at the conference, sponsored in part by Quanta Consulting, Southern California Edison and the Port of Los Angeles, was Ed Fuller of Marriot International. He spoke about the travel industry and the growth of the middle class presenting opportunities for Marriot in India. But he also spoke about taking time with people to know them on their terms and earn the right to do business with them.

For companies to succeed in business with India, they must understand the country, the background, history and driving forces. India is also made up of separate regions that are totally different.

"We spent time working in each market and developing relationships in each market," Fuller remarked.

He said building relationships takes time.

"A relationship come with time and patience," he said. "After 20 dinners and visiting homes a close relationship may still not exist."

Yet business results come from relationships that develop.

This means it's important to take time to build relationships and have a long term view of the marketing effort and sales effort.

Many companies want the sales --- NOW!
Consultants who market their services want sales --- NOW!
So many businesses look to today for their business success -- and aren't patient enough to understand the value of building for the long term.

Even if your company is domestic only, take to heart the need to build long-term relationships for business success and future sales. Doing business with people who are trusted is a universal marketing truth.

Know your target audience, be patient in developing the relationship and then position your product or service to meet their needs.

marketing to brand loyal customers

Are you a brand loyal customer?

This morning I stopped for coffee as I took my wife and daughter to the airport for a pre-dawn flight to Minneapolis. Brand loyal customers are big in the coffee business, right? Think Starbucks! My son, my brother and my brother-in-law are loyal to the Starbucks brand. That's their first choice for coffee. It's the coffee my brother-in-law even brews at his house.

But when it comes to me I'm not brand loyal as a coffee drinker.

My favorite coffee is brewed at our local donut shop and I don't know what brand they use. It costs me $ 1.35 for a large cup of coffee.

I do like McDonald's coffee more than Starbucks but I'm not loyal to the McDonald's brand. Coffee is about the only item I'll purchase at McDonald's.

When it comes to coffee, I shop for both taste and price but not the brand.

I'm not brand loyal when it comes to gasoline, either. I'll choose AM-PM over any of the top tier gasoline brands usually because of price and because I drive a 1996 Nissan Pathfinder that I have serviced regularly.

But I could become loyal to the Nissan brand of cars since I've heard so many people talk about them favorably and my Pathfinder is running smoothly.

So where am I brand loyal? It's hard to say. I'll need to think about where I am brand loyal. But thanks for asking!

So what does it take to create brand loyalty? It's a good subject for another post.

Marketing Tool: Your Bio Part 2

Here are tips from Gayl Murphy on using your personal story, or bio, to market your company, products, services or marketing knowledge for consultants. Gayl is a veteran of the Hollywood media scene interviewing people such as Jay Leno and George Clooney who shared additional tips in Marketing Tool: Your Bio Part 1.

She offers these specific tips focus on dealing with the media:

23 - Being in front of the media requires a level of PERFORMANCE, so give your interview your ENERGY.

24 - An interview isn’t a confession, so there's no need to reveal your deepest and darkest secrets to a complete stranger.

25 - An interview isn't a conversation either, but it is GIVE AND TAKE, so listen carefully to what's being asked.

26 - No chewing gum, drinking alcohol, or eating during an interview. It’s rude and will ruin the audio.

This doesn’t apply for the Cooking Channel or a Budweiser promotion.

27 - Make EYE CONTACT whenever you can. SMILE. Compliment a reporter when they ask you an insightful question.

28 - Say the reporter’s name when you can. People really like it when you say their name.

29 - Thank your interviewer for taking the time to cover YOUR story.

30 - Whatever your product; books, CDs, photos, films, cookies, clothing, jewelry, etc., I say bring a sample, or a press clipping along and ask if they would like to see it, try it, or have it.

This takes the guesswork out of what you’re selling and they get to enjoy your handiwork first hand.

31 - Check out your body language. What is it saying about you? Are your hands all over the place? Are you playing with your hair or the buttons on your clothing?

First impressions are everything. It’s important to look CONFIDENT and COMFORTABLE.

32 - Dress for success and DRESS THE PART! Whatever your part is. You’re the STAR! You get to decide how the world sees you.

33 - Don't be lazy with your language. Speak up and speak in complete sentences. Avoid phrases such as; YA KNOW, LIKE…UMM and KNOW WHAT I’M SAYIN’?

34 - Having a sense of humor is always a good thing - just don't go overboard. Sharing a joke is one thing, trying to be Jay Leno is another … don't go there.

35 - And most important, when all is said and done…what a reporter really wants is an insightful INNER-VIEW of you, and to turn in a great story and get paid.

Any questions you have about these 35-KILLER “INTERVIEW TACTICS” FOR SURVIVING THE MEDIA WITHOUT GETTING CLOBBERED! can be answered in the pages of Gayl Murphy's book, INTERVIEW TACTICS! HOW TO SURVIVE THE MEDIA WITHOUT GETTING CLOBBERED. (THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO GIVING A KILLER INTERVIEW! http://www.InterviewTactics.com

Part 1 is available here.

Marketing Tool: Your Bio Part 1

Using your personal story or bio to market a company, service or products is a smart move.

Here's one reason:

It immediately sets you apart from the competition since no one has a story like your story.

Your story, and as I wrote in a post on March 18, your reputation for service, will do far more to generate positive word-of-mouth referrals than all the time spent on social networking sites or purchasing expensive media buys.

This post is part 1 of a lesson marketing your story or bio with Gayl Murphy. You can read Part 2 here.

Learn more about using your bio to market your company among the media with Gayl Murphy, owner of Interview Tactics! If you're sitting down with a reporter or pitching your bio or personal story Gayl passed along these tips to follow:

1 You’ve got to PITCH IT TO PROMOTE IT, so you can TELL IT TO SELL IT. If you can’t tell your own story, who can? And who will…and WHY would you want them to? Only YOU can tell YOUR story!

2 Be as honest and upfront as you can with the person that’s interviewing and engaging you.

3 Relax, enjoy and have a good time. Being interviewed is supposed to be FUN. Whatever the circumstances, you get to be the star of THE ME SHOW starring ME, or in this case…YOU!

4 Keep this Interview Tactics! Report close at hand in your MEDIA BAG and refer to it often, because you’ll need it. REMEMBER: It’s the RIGHT TOOL for the right time. Why? Because you can't control the environment you'll be delivering your message in, and it's not a reporter, or decision maker’s job to show you the ropes, or help you tell it to sell it!

5 When you’re telling your story to the media, or any gatekeeper, your JOB is to capture their attention and imagination in the shortest amount of time.

The best way to do that is by using COLOR AND DETAIL. A good story is both the SIZZLE AND THE STEAK.

To set your story up, paint a picture with your words, using color and detail - and drop the other person in.

I would also add to Gayl's tips that CEOs or Executive Directors of organizations often try to sanitize their story. But I believe that people don't mind when we come across as human beings who try their hardest but also end up making mistakes.
Part 2 of Marketing Tool: Your Bio is here.

Remember, your bio is what sets you apart from everyone else in your industry and even within your company. Marketing your bio is one of the most unique marketing tools available for your use.

eNewsletter Marketing Planning

eNewsletter Marketing Starts with Planning: Lesson #1

Planning is the essential first step in using an enewsletter for marketing just as it is in developing any form of marketing communication or plan.

In enewsletter marketing lesson #1, I’ll briefly set out how a plan can help a small business or a larger company create a successful email campaign.

A client who operates 26 apartment buildings in the greater Pasadena, California area, Barbera Properties, enjoys a low vacancy rate in any given month – less than 2% vacancies and often less than 1% vacancies for over 500 units.

He wanted to drive more traffic to his web site which I helped him achieve through re-writing his web pages, web articles and social media.

I recommended he send out a regular enewsletter.

First, determine your goal

.

I saw his overall goal was building community. He sees the tenants as partners in his operation and he wanted to also connect them with local businesses.

Because of this, I wrote the content in 3 parts: • quick intro from the company founder to the readers, • a spotlight on a local business with a discount,

• and a community-based activity that featured a non-profit organization.

There was also a brief interview running in the sidebar with a local insurance salesman.

The goal of your enewsletter determines the layout, the content, the images, and the call to action

.

Are you sending out factual announcements to customers – or are you trying to persuade them to do business with you – or forward the enewsletter?

I asked a photographer I know,

Samuel Whitworth from Whitworth Photography

, who had taken some custom shots around Pasadena to upload a few of the images into the enewsletter.

He used Photoshop to edit in a custom photo with a template image. This created a banner that was used as the header. We also used custom photos in the body of the enewsletter and in the sidebar.

We also had to determine how often to send out the enewsletter. This is not an exact science. Should it be once a month, once a week, or twice a month?

Again, what’s the purpose for sending it out? A typical landlord who has several dozen tenants could simply send out an announcement-style enewsletter once a month. But for my client, he was wanting to build community and even connect tenants who had their own home-based businesses get some exposure.

I knew more than a dozen businesses to highlight in addition the ones he and his staff knew as well. Once a week would be too often but I felt once a month would be too much lag time. We wanted each enewsletter to also have discounts offered to readers so there would be something of value to them.

We settled on twice a month.

The enewsletter is going to soon head out into inboxes, so we’ll be waiting for the response.

Planning your enewsletter doesn’t have to be an exhaustive process

but laying out a basic plan is essential to guide the development and filter through the opinions of decision-makers involved in the process.

Interactive Marketing Return on Investment

Is interactive marketing worth the return on investment (roi)?

Since so much marketing activity is occuring on the internet, how do you measure interactive marketing roi, especially when you compare it to direct mail and traditional advertising?

While return on investment is measured in terms of dollars spent and dollars that come in, then it's important to point out that interactive marketing also allows advertisers to target - or "go after" - specific target customers and, at the same time, gives them a chance to pull them in using search engine marketing strategies.

Here's an outline I wrote of reasons to use interactive marketing versus only traditional direct mail.

I. High Rate of Return on Investment
A. Email - Highest return for every dollar spent compared to all other channels:
According to a new Power of Direct economic impact study from the Direct Marketing Association, return on investment from email marketing keeps surpassing other channels.For 2008:- Email marketing’s ROI will be $45.06 for every dollar spent on it- Non-email internet marketing delivers $19.94 for every dollar invested- Catalog marketing generates $7.28 return - Non-catalog direct marketing’s ROI will be $15.55 for every dollar spent

B. Email Open Rates and Click Through Rates
1. Industry Standard: Numbers vary based on relationship between sender and receiver. But, typical open rates may reach 30% while click through rates may reach 10%.

2. An interactive agency, Rhythm Interactive, improved a client’s click-through rate by 200% when improving the content
II. Budget-smart cost per lead
Cost per lead is $ 30 for one client that Rhythm Interactive is introducing to a new program for Personal Web sites

III. Ability to Target Specific Audiences, Track Behaviors
Rhythm Interactive’s work with the State of Connecticut Dept of Tourism resulted in more than 24,000 sweepstakes participants in a 12-week period. More than 72% requested vacation guides. Other details available upon request

IV. Digital – Personal URLs
This gives companies the chance to attract specific clients who fit particular profiles. Companies may have more than one niche to attract and developing personal urls is one way to create a personalized experience. This integrates effectively with direct mail, person-to-person and telephone follow-up.

Let me say, I'm also a believer in using a marketing mix such as direct mail to reach customers where they are. Not everyone is online all the time so strategies that employ direct mail combined with interactive online marketing can be quite successful.

By the way, here's a great article on interactive marketing that I found on Bnet from 1991. It talks about delivering a message on floppy discs!

Your Most Important Marketing Tool

What's the most important marketing tool you can use?

Web site? No.

Twitter? No.

Direct Mail? No.

Personal Networking? No.

Answer: Your reputation!

I believe your reputation for providing quality service or a quality product at a fair price will generate the most valuable form of marketing and advertising: word-of-mouth.

Other forms of advertising and marketing are still useful. They can distribute your reputation faster, farther and to more of your target market.

If you have a good reputation then word-of-mouth multiples in effectiveness. If you have a bad reputation then positive marketing will get more expensive.

Reputations take time to build. Be patient. If you're new in business - like less than three years old - then make sure you've got success stories and satisfied customers who want to spread the word.

Paying for marketing help and advertising does offer strategic benefits, though.

I've considered calling this "Reputation Marketing."

What you're really trying to do is market your positive reputation and your strengths.

I've thought about this after working with Barbera Properties, a professionally run apartment rental company operating in Pasadena, South Pasadena, Monrovia and other nearby cities. They even have a video on their management philosophy.

Barbera Properties has a management philosophy that focuses on treating the tenant, or customer, as a partner. This means when a tenant has a service request the Barbera Properties maintenance team responds quickly instead of investigating to see if the tenant is actually telling the truth.

Certainly there are tenants who'll take advantage of the service and complain when it's not warranted.

But the response also results in good will and earns customer respect and greatly increases the chance to benefit from word-of-mouth marketing.

So the first rule of reputation marketing: provide excellent customer service.

Reverse Business Networking: Reduce Pressure

How much do you enjoy business networking?

Some people love it and thrive on walking into a room, ready to chat and exchange business cards. I've met professionals in the legal profession or financial planning profession who know how to ask the right questions in a conversation, give a card and determine within 30-seconds if they're going to keep speaking with the person they've just met or if they'll walk on . . . !

Can you do that? And is that really effective business networking?

That approach works for some but it makes the palms sweat for others.

Try "reverse networking" or connecting with a power partner.

I just heard the term reverse networking from a friend and actor, Brian Vermiere, who develops tools to help other actors and other performers stay organized as they build their careers.

The idea is you don't walk into a room filled with people and see them as your potential clients and think immediately "how can I get them to do business with me!"

Instead, be prepared to ask about their business, their client and listen to what they have to say.

This means you have to listen, listen, listen. This goes to my post about asking assessment questions. But it doesn't mean you have to take a lot of time. It may only take seconds.

Here is how Brian Vermiere used "reverse networking."

He went to an audition, stood in front of the camera and got ready to deliver his lines. I believe it was for a commercial audition. In this situation, an actor usually has no more than a minute or two to say their name, their lines -- maybe do a second take -- and thank the associate as they walk out the door.

The casting associate who was operating the camera was in a grumpy mood so Brian asked him an innocent question and found out he was worried about his cat. Brian kept the information in mind and jotted it down in his toolkit.

Brian got a callback on the audition - which means he was asked to come back and do a second reading to be considered for the role.

He asked the casting associate about the health of his cat and the man acted surprised. Then Brian said when he was in for the first reading, the man talked about his cat, etc.

Brian wound up booking the role!

Now, he also had to have the talent in order to book the role and the information itself didn't secure the part for him. But it did help create a relationship and it could likely have given him an edge.

Taking the moments to ask someone else about their business, their needs and their clientele can provide much greater rewards than dumping them if they can't immediately help you.

PR Success for Any Business: Article Marketing

The ability to quickly publish articles on your business across the Internet is a strategic Public Relations move for any size business. Here are compelling reasons to use article marketing in your business, according to Right Touch Marketing & Media:

1 Speak directly to the target client and show how you meet their needs

2 Speak directly to the need of a potential customer by showing the benefits your company offers

3 Sharing knowledge – article marketing gives a chance to showcase your knowledge and track record

4 Cost effective: the cost of articles is in the initial writing. A skilled writercan write several articles efficiently. Once articles are written they have alife of several months, thus stretching the marketing dollars.

5 Can replace or supplement traditional public relations efforts.Building relationships with the media takes time. Press releases are often not published or published once and then forgotten.

6 Use online articles as printed fact sheets.These can easily be distributed to customers or handed out at networking events.

7 Improve web site visibility. Articles submitted to leading web sites and directories can contain links to a corporate web site.

8 Establishes credibility for a company or for an individual service provider

9 Establishes a personality, too, allowing potential customers to get to know the point person. This establishes a "personal brand" for a corporate salesperson or individual professional such as an attorney or real estate agent.

10 Effective to use in an integrated media campaign. Online articles can be easily emailed or referred to in a direct mailing.

Don Simkovich of Right Touch Marketing & Media, ph: 818-667-1789, offers writing articles as a cost-effective solution to meet the marketing needs for any business.