Tag: linkedin

Pack a Punch Using Twitter
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“Tweeting” is the new email. With smart phones in abundance, millions are using Twitter to communicate around the world and even to people sitting next to them. How can you use this great communications tool to benefit your business?

Using Twitter to market your business in 140 characters or less can be very challenging. Given that you may want to share a link and add a few hashtags, your message will be greatly shortened. So what can you do to make sure your tweet is read and re-tweeted? You need to be very creative and selective about the words you use.

Your Headline

Using techniques like the ones provided below can definitely draw attention to your tweet:

  • Don’t Make These Mistakes on Twitter or Do You Make These Mistakes on Twitter?
  • How to Attract and Influence People on Social Media (or replace the words Social Media with Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn)
  • How to _  [blank]  __ on Twitter
  • Little Known Ways to _     [blank]_____ on Twitter
  • _[add a specific number]_ Ways Twitter Can Help _[add a subject]__
  •   [blank]   Ways to Get the Most Out of    [blank]    
  •   [blank]   Reasons Why    [blank]      
  • Last Chance to ___[blank]     

Attaching a Link

Twitter links to your blog and news stories can be long. If so, to get the most out of your 140 characters, you should use a URL shortening service. URL shortening is a technique on the World Wide Web in which a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) may be made substantially shorter and still direct users to the required page.

A few of the services available are:

If you decide not to use a shortening service, Twitter will use its own which could leave you with less characters with which to work. See Twitter announcement here. https://dev.twitter.com/blog/upcoming-tco-changes

Adding Hashtags

Keep hashtags short. There is no need to overwhelm the reader. Pick one that best fits your blog and headline so that it reaches your target audience. Don’t use a lot of random words that mean nothing to your message.

Twitter can be a great business tool if used properly. Make sure you are following businesses in your industry and others that are complementary.

Try it and document your results. Let me know what happens…

Many thanks to Media Creations Group for contributing this blog.

Are you using LinkedIn?
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Everyone talks about Facebook and Twitter, but not much is said about LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a networking site for professionals, so in our very “socialized” environment, it stands to reason that a more “buttoned up” option doesn’t get as much attention as the other two über social options.

LinkedIn is a great way to network with your colleagues. If you’re looking for new business and professional opportunities, LinkedIn can help you locate prospects. It also provides opportunities to asked questions via the discussion areas where liked minds often gather.

If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile by now you should. Watch this short video for an overview of what LinkedIn is and how it can help you.

LinkedIn offers useful features. You can:

  1. Download your contact information in Excel, CSV or use their Outlook Social Connector. Your LinkedIn contacts can be managed in Outlook.
  2. Add your profile to your website by embedding the profile summary card directly on your webpage.
  3. Enhance your content and show rich, personalized insights about companies featured on your site by using the Company Insider plugin.
  4. Enable users to recommend your products and services to LinkedIn’s professional audience, and drive traffic back to your site by using the “Recommend with LinkedIn” widget.

There’s also a way to set up your company page. Watch this video on how to do it…

http://youtu.be/uRGM0T43gLc

Convinced yet?

Double for Your Trouble – 5 Easy Steps To Get More from Your Blogs
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There’s so much more to the Internet than even five or six years ago. Many new businesses, websites, bloggers, news feeds…not to mention the popularity of social networking like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

There is a lot to absorb. Many people are not reading everything they receive in their email. They aren’t visiting all the great websites and blogs. It’s too overwhelming.

Think of your newsletter as mini websites. Businesses created hard copy versions and mailed them. Then came the electronic versions via email (e-newsletters). People are now blogging the information – writing and sharing via social media tools.

If you are a blogger try these five easy steps for getting two for one…:

  1. Why do the work twice? Create an e-newsletter out of the blogs you’ve written the previous month.
  2. If you have upcoming events, add in a calendar.
  3. Include an RSS feed to your blogs.
  4. Include links to your social media pages and links to past newsletters.
  5. Include photos from the previous month, and a list of upcoming topics on this month’s blog.

Get double for your trouble. The information shared is always valuable. Just because the blog was written, doesn’t mean it was read. Create an e-newsletter and get it back out there in a different way.

16 Ways To Be More Visible
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Tip: Always stay top of mind. Never let them forget you.

  1. Send a card. Any appropriate card.
    • Say ‘thank you.’ This should go without saying. One way to be more visible is to send a thank you card. Send a note to your employees, your boss, your co-workers. Yes, you can send an email, but since people are receiving more emails than snail mail these days, your note will definitely be more visible.
    • Sympathy. Let them know you care. At this time in their lives, all it takes is a brief moment of your time.
    • Happy Birthday! Most people enjoy and appreciate a birthday card or email that reminds them you are thinking of them and you care.
    • Congratulations! They are always appreciated.
  2. Give a compliment. People love to hear how their products or services are benefiting others. Let them know how your experience has made an impact on you or your business.
  3. Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Your friends and co-workers appreciate you taking an interest in their personal/family lives. However, know your boundaries.
  4. Send a post card. For any reason. If you have a new product or service, new or changing employees, helpful hints and tips. Send them regularly. You can begin with every month, every two weeks or every quarter.
  5. Send a newsletter. Let them know what you’re doing – on a regular basis. Tell them about your new products or services, new clients, tips and professional advice.
  6. Send an eNewsletter. Same content as above. With an eNewsletter, you’ve saved on the printing costs.
  7. Enter a contest. You become visible when you enter and even more visible when you win. It’s an opportunity to get your name, business and organization out there as a company whose work is worth recognizing.
  8. Have a contest. You create the rules. Some ideas: Ask for creative ways your clients have used your product, best photos using your product, the most referrals, the best essay on any subject. Again, let everyone know about the contest and the winners.
  9. Win something. And let everyone know about it – on your website, blog, Facebook™, LinkedIn, Twitter and anywhere else…letterhead, emails, envelopes, resume. There are many places to let others know you are an award-winning enterprise.
  10. Have a blood drive. Advertise in the newspaper and electronically. Post signs at your business.
  11. Stick it. Buy stickers to place on envelopes and folders. Yours can proclaim your awards, anniversary, new products or service. You choose.
  12. Plan an event. There are many reasons to host a networking event or celebration. Do you have a new product? Did your company/organization win a contest? Did you receive an award or a new contract? Consider the 100th customer or company milestone. Invite clients, potential clients and community members. Inform the media, your Facebook friends and Twitter followers.

There are many more ways that your company can be more visible. What are you doing to stay top of mind with your clients or future clients? Why don’t you share them on our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/VisibilityMarketingInc

Be More Visible – Create a Video
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Video sharing is becoming increasingly more popular. They’re not just for family sharing anymore, but businesses are using video to sell their products and services. Video can help you introduce yourself and your business to potential customers online via your website, YouTube, Vimeo or even in your email.

Using a video, you can include your staff, provide a walk-through of your offices, show employees working and interacting, share information to potential employees, and much more. You can also show your customers how your product or service is manufactured and/or how it works.

Are you a nonprofit organization? Do you have a story to tell? Be creative. Use video to show potential donors why their money is needed and how the funds will be used.

If you have funds to put towards developing your video, research video production companies in your area. Get links to review videos they have completed before making your decision. Ask for references to contact.

On a tight budget? Think about producing the video yourself. You are not producing a full-fledged movie – but a three to five minute video. Put together a strategy and a script and then figure out who will be the “on-air” person to present your concept. Also, keep your audience in mind and develop your strategy around that.

Need a few ideas? Go to YouTube and do a keyword search to see if others have developed a video similar to what you have in mind. This will help you create yours.

Once you have your video completed, you can use a video editing program to insert text, overlays, even music.  A free program on most PCs is Windows Movie Maker.

When your video is finally ready, you can upload it to Youtube, Vimeo or another video storage website. Most, if not all – come with additional editing functionality such as annotations (text bubbles that are overlaid on the video while it’s playing) and embed codes for embedding the videos on your website.

To take advantage of search engine optimization (SEO), be sure to complete as many fields as possible in the video information such as title, subtitle and/or captions, description, keywords, and category.

Use “share buttons” to share your video to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and  other social networks to which you belong.

Creating a video should be a fun project. Don’t make it too complicated. Do put together your strategy first so you can keep on track. Just don’t forget to have fun with it.

Be More Visible – Be Informative
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Whether it’s a blog, Facebook message, tweet on Twitter or an update on LinkedIn, always be truthful and avoid overkill.

  1. Write a blog or an article. Start with a trade magazine. Send a tweet. Inform your clients and potential clients about what your company is doing, the latest advancements in your industry and general information. Comment on blogs. Search your industry or area of expertise and read what others are saying. Post your comments and links to your blog site.
  2. Post it. Always put the information in your blog and on your business Facebook page. Remember to tweet your followers and let your connections on LinkedIn know about it.
  3. Conduct a seminar or demonstration. If you know, what you know, what you know… then share it. It’s one of the best ways to boost your credibility. Not sure of where to begin? Start with your local community. Many offer a variety of classes to residents and non-residents, such as computer literacy, tax tips, retirement strategies, cooking, health and fitness and, “how to start a business.”
  4. Produce a video. Make it short and to the point. Post it on your website, YouTube or make a DVD to sell or give away.
  5. Send a press release to the media. Are you offering a new product or service? Are you proud of an accomplishment? Is a special event planned? Do you have a great human-interest story that involves your product or service? Let the media know. They are always looking for positive stories.
  6. Write a book(let). Pass along your knowledge and pay it forward. Speak about your book. Mention that you are an author on your email page, business card or website. When you meet someone, tell them about your book. Now is not the time to be shy. Have a book signing. These can be held at coffee shops, in bookstores (obvious), out of your car (not so obvious). Always carry books with you and always be ready to talk about it. People are thirsty for knowledge and will be happy to take a drink from you.
  7. Write a white paper (or whitepaper). These are authoritative reports or guided that often addresses issues and how to solve them. White papers are not as costly as books (many are downloadable from websites), yet they can be very useful to the end user.
  8. Pick up the phone. Call a former client. Call a potential client. Just call. Remind them that you are still around and available for business.

Customer Satisfaction and Negative Social Media Don’t Mix
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One bad customer experience + One Tweet = Disaster

Immediately after contact, many companies offer customer satisfaction surveys to their customers both online and by phone. For example, some surveys may ask, how well the representative handled the call or if the problem was resolved. Or, you may visit a website and within a few seconds a “pop up” window asks you to participate in an online survey. It asks you to rate the website, if navigation was easy, if the information was easy to locate and how quickly the information was found. Hospitals and healthcare facilities are offering patient surveys that inquire about patient wait times, how patients were greeted, how the doctors performed and the overall satisfaction of health care.

Before social media, most people called or wrote a company to share their frustration and dissatisfaction with a product or service. The chances that someone at the company called or wrote back were slim to none. Now, we have Facebook and Twitter – two powerful resources for immediately venting frustrations out to the universe. One tweet on Twitter could end up as a “Retweet” or be “Retweeted” five times or 100 times. It could then be “Liked” and “Shared” on Facebook. Before you know it, the information has gone viral and everyone is sharing how awful the company’s product or customer experience was.

The 2012 American Express® Global Customer Service Barometer was conducted in the U.S. and ten other countries, exploring consumer attitudes and preferences toward customer service.  The results found that the greatest amount of influence came from customers who have used social media for customer service.  They also indicated that those customers will tell approximately 53 people about a bad customer experience.  Forty-six percent were found to vent their frustration about a poor service experience.

In the 2012 survey, eight in ten (79%) Americans cited the following Big Four Service Gripes as their reason for switching brands:

1)      Rudeness:  An insensitive or unresponsive customer service representative – 33%

2)      Passing the Buck:  Being shuffled around with no resolution of the issue – 26%

3)      The Waiting Game:  Waiting too long to have an issue resolved – 10%

4)      Being Boomeranged:  Forced to continually follow up on an issue – 10%

In addition to having a well-trained customer service staff, someone should monitor customer satisfaction from a social media perspective. This person can watch satisfaction keywords on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, as they are associated with the company name, product and brand.  If your company does not have a way to survey customers, this is a definite plus to consider for strategic planning, as surveys are a key ingredient to maintaining a positive brand.

To read more on the results of The 2012 American Express® Global Customer Service – visit this article on American Express – “Social Media Raises the Stakes for Customer Service”

Too Busy? Outsource Your Social Media
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Social media in today’s business world has become a vital part of branding and in building new business relationships. Some businesses have found that they are unable to commit the time, personnel and resources in maintaining a successful social media campaign. Instead of pulling your hair out, you can outsource this function to an outside consultant who is an expert in your business field.

Social Media

Although this is an important function, you need to make sure that the consultant you choose has a successful track record in social media. What they write on you or your businesses behalf could potentially harm your business and brand.  You must ensure that they write and/or share information that represents your business’ vision, ideals and overall brand.

To begin searching for the right consultant, ask a few key questions on the role of the social media consultant:

  • Will the consultant merely look for information and share it on your behalf?
  • Will they be a part of your team helping to develop a campaign, marketing new business initiatives, or launching new products or services?
  • Will they voice “an opinion” on your behalf?
  • Will they provide content via your blog?

Defining the role is going to be very critical in the beginning to eliminate any misunderstandings and errors.

The next step is selecting a consultant. Visit their website. Read their blog and look for comments. Review their writing style. Does it fit with your business or brand? How often do they blog and how many “shares” are they averaging? Look for testimonials from their clients. Visit their Facebook and Twitter accounts to review the information they have written and shared. Look at the number of shares and “retweets.” Check their Klout* scores. These are just a few of the many strategies that will help you make a clear decision.

Develop guidelines and identify tasks for the consultant:

  • If they are writing blogs on your behalf, create a list of topics that should not be included, such as religion, political views, negative comments about competitors, etc.
  • Develop a list of topics that require your approval before publishing.
  • Create a schedule for performing these tasks. And lastly,
  • Delegate a member of your team to oversee the consultant’s progress. Someone who will follow up and keep track of what is being shared and also any feedback that might come back to the company.

Social media is evolving daily. For you business to reach new clients, it should be someone’s daily responsibility.  If you are unable to do it – think about outsourcing it.

*FAQs about Klout.. “Klout digs deep into social media to understand how people influence each other, so that everyone can discover and be recognized for how they influence the world. You can use the Klout Score to understand how influential you are; you can use your topics to shape what you are influential about; and you can be recognized for your influence by receiving +K from friends or Perks from brands.”