Social Media Workshop: 5 things you can’t afford not to know about social media
Boot Camp digital provides a number of social media seminars and workshops for businesses of all sizes. We train marketing and PR groups on social media marketing.
One thing that I consistently find across our workshops is that many businesses have a weak understanding of social media marketing. They leave our courses enlightened about how they can use social media.
These are probably the 5 biggest “ah-ha’s” that we hear from our training programs. The 5 key take aways that really help businesses to get going in social media marketing.
1) I didn’t know what I didn’t know
While many of our participants are new, some already have a blog, twitter account or Facebook page. They think that they mostly “get it” but they sign up for our course because they aren’t getting the results they wanted.
When they leave, they usually realize that they approached it all wrong. Social media marketing isn’t as simple as creating a fan page or a twitter account. It is about strategy and execution. These require more thought than most businessees consider.
If you are using social media for your business, you’ve made a smart choice by reading this, but please take the time to invest in your strategy. Read as much as you can and learn from the best. There is lots of information available online.
2) Social Media is not about creating accounts it is about content
Many businesses focus on creating accounts across sites and not on the content that they will actually use on each site.
Social media is about content and connections. Create meaningful content that adds value to your target audience. That is the key to social media. Most businesses spend almost no time focusing on the content that will actually be the substance or meat of their efforts.
Creating accounts isn’t really that hard. The hard part is figuring out what to do with them. We have developed specific strategies to help businesses build powerful content that drives results.
3) Don’t confuse activity with results
Many businesses confuse activity with results.
- “Is your current social media working?”
_ “yes”
- “what are your results?”
- “we have lots of fans”
- “can you tie that back to a real business result? do people in your store say there are there because of Facebook or Twitter? Are you getting engagement?”
- “ummmm – we have lots of fans….”
The reality is that an impression is not an impression unless it makes on. That means that you are only reaching people if they actually see and respond to your conent. Just creating it and publishing it isn’t worth anything.
4) You Can’t Afford to Ignore Social Media
Trust me, whatever your business line you can’t afford to ignore social media. Social media is here to stay and is growing like crazy. If your business needs more sales and customers, social media is the way to get it.
If you don’t have the time or the money to invest in your business to make it happen you probably won’t be in business or aren’t serious about it. This is becoming the cost of entry. Like having a website (and if you don’t already have one, you need one – email us and we’ll connect you with someone) it is a basic expectation.
Social media is how businesses are growing these days – if you are struggling with your business maybe it is time to re-evaluate your strategy…..
5) Social Media isn’t really Free
Many businesses are excited about social media because they think it is free. The reality is that it takes time and effort. To do it right you should be prepared to invest in learning the tools of the trade.
Imagine if it was free to run TV commercials. The airwaves would be flooded with crappy commercials, recorded with a flipcam with no real strategy behind them. Most companies wouldn’t see results.
Since TV isn’t free brands invest a lot of money in the strategy and production to make sure that they have effective commercials that get returns.
The same is true with social media. It is free to create an account but there is a lot of clutter. You need to stand out and have a strategy that really connects. You need to know your customers and commit the time and energy to learn about them.
The good news is that this is MUCH cheaper than producing TV commercials. Take the time and do it right. Don’t spin your wheels not getting it right.
Social Media Training: The 5 Most Common Excuses for Not Using Social Media
I do a lot of social media training and strategic consulting to businesses of all sizes. The funny thing is that most business have the same barriers as to why they are not using social media. From fortune 500 countries all the way to small business owner, the excuses and barriers are the same.
The reality is that most of these barriers are only in their minds. They don’t want to use social media because they don’t understand it, so they make excuses. Deep down, they know that they need to use social media (or they wouldn’t be talking to me), but something in their mindset is holding them back.
The reality is that businesses that invest in learning how to properly harness social media see dramatic results. All signs show that social media is here to stay. You can’t afford to ignore it.
Excuse #1 – Social media is a fad
Social media is here to stay. Social media has mass adoption and continues to grow in popularity.
- More people check Facebook every day than read the newspaper or listen to the radio.
- Facebook has over 500 million users.
- There are over 30 million blogs in the US (that is about 1 for every 10 people)
- Twitter has millions of users including most celebrities and politicians.
- Social Media was listed as a key factor in winning the last US presidency.
Excuse #2 – Social Media is a shiny new object
Social Media isn’t really new when you think about it. People have been social since forever. We live in communities. We talk about things that matter. We give advice to our friends. This has all been going on for centuries.
The media part is new. Technology has allowed us to make social connections in a more powerful and scalable way. Rather than keeping up with a few people in person we can keep up with many people by checking out their tweets or Facebook updates.
So really, social media is an age old concept that is transformed by technology.
Excuse #3 – I can’t afford to hire someone to help me
Small business owners who hear me speak approach me afterward and ask me how they can get support to start growing their business with social media marketing. They often then say that they can’t afford to invest. That is a losing mindset, because if they are already struggling, they really, they can’t afford not to.
Businesses waste all sorts of money on things that don’t work any more. Yellow pages ads, newspaper ads, direct mail and coupons. Social media works better than any of these things. If you want to be successful make the choice to invest in something that will actually grow your business and get you results.
Excuse #4 – I don’t have the time
This is one of the most common barriers. I don’t have the time. Do you have about an hour a week? That is all it takes. 10 minutes, 5 times a week. If you are disciplined in your social media marketing approach you can manage social media without a lot of time.
Our clients that use the social marketing action program see results with just an hour a week (after setting everything up). The key is to use efficiency tools and be strategic in how you spend your time.
Excuse #5 – Social media doesn’t deliver business results
This one is just plain not true. Businesses of all sizes have seen dramatic results from social media across multiple areas of their business. Here are just a few examples:
- Lenovo reduced customer service calls by 20% with social media.
- Vista Prints sold $25,000 from twitter alone
- Golden Tee saved development costs with a free Facebook application.
- Naked pizza had their best ever sales day from twitter.
These are just a few. If you make the smart choice to invest in social media you will be on one of these lists one day.
Are there any other myths that you hear?
7 Reasons to Blog
A few years ago blogging was extremely popular. It has declined in popularity recently despite the fact that it remains a popular social media tool.
Blogs provide a number of business benefits, however many blogs don’t get results because they are not created strategically or written correctly for the web. In working with businesses on their blogs there are a number of simple strategies and tactics that mean the difference between success and failure.
Blogs are definitely worth the investment as they can provide LOTS of value to businesses. Here are few of them:
1) Position yourself as a thought leader
A blog is a powerful way to position yourself and your brand as a thought leader in your industry. By sharing your thoughts and views or uniqu knowledge you can be perceived as an expert in your area.
Most businesses are great at something (hopefully you are!) and sharing your knowledge is a great way to showcase this. Showing your expertise through a blog builds trust in you and your business.
2) Search Engine Traffic
Probably one of the best reasosn to start a blog is for search engine traffic. Search engines like blogs because they have a lot of content that is updated frequently.
This means that when people search for words related to your product or your blog posts you are more likely to show up at the top of the results. This means more traffic for your website and ultimately more sales!
3) To share news
Most small businesses don’t have a fancy PR firm or a press page. That doesn’t mean they don’t have news! A blog is a great way to share news about your business in an honest, opwn and personable way.
4) Get Customer Feedback
Blogs can generate two-way conversations between a company and their customers. Leverage your blog to ask for customer feedback. You can get feedback on current items or have your customers help you build new products or services.
When I worked at a startup we used our blog to generate discussions around what our new products should be. Our blog gave us an opportunity to share what we are working on and our customers an opportunity to tell us what they thought. Our blog comments also helped us to develop our policies, as we got considerable customer feedback and suggestions from our readers.
5) Connect with Customers on Content
Whatever your business line there are subject areas related to your product that your audience is passionate about. Zappos, a company that sells shoes and clothes online runs a fashion blog. They know that frequent shoppers on their site are interested in fashion trends. So, their blog provides information and updates on fashion.
Are there subjects that are related to your business that your customers are passionate about? A blog is a great way to make a connection based around that shared interest.
6) Show you are Human
A blog can show the human side of your business. Remember, people do business with people they know, like and trust. A blog can help people “know”, “like” and “trust you”.
By posting personal content they feel like they know you. It builds a personal connection. For example, people “connect” with me over being Canadian, or drinking WAY too much coffe.
They like you because the blogs show the nice and personable side of you. You share their interests, say nice things, comment and respond.
They trust you because you say smart things about your product or subject area which builds trust over. The human element also builds trust.
7) Provide Context about Your Business
Prior to making a purchase most people do some research online. If it is a big purchase they want to know if you are legitimate, provide a good product and know your stuff.
Often the corporate website is canned and shiny, but doesn’t provide real, transparent and authentic seeming information.
The blog can do this. A blog can show the real side of the company and build the trust that ultimately leads to purchases. It provides more context about you as a business and your products.
How else are companies seeing value from blogging? Why do you blog?
Small Business Social Media Speaker: 10 Ways Small Businesses can use Social Media
I know that a lot of small businesses are interested in social media marketing to grow their business. I speak with thousands of small business owners a year (probably just like you) who hear about social media but don’t know exactly how they can get value from social media.
I have worked with many of these business owners to help them find success in social media, and I know that small businesses can get results using social media marketing. I know first hand that social media can provide a better ROI than traditional marketing methods. Social Media marketing can deliver results when used strategically and with the right plan.
Here are 10 of the most common ways that small businesses can use social media to grow their business. In no particular order, here are 10 ways that small businesses can use social media:
1) Share Deals and Promotions on Twitter
Twitter is a powerful way to share deals and promotions with your customers (and future customers)! Big companies like Dell Outlet have sold millions of dollars through twitter, but it works for small companies too. Naked Pizza, a small pizza store in New Orleans had their highest ever sales day from a twitter promotion. Vista Prints sold $25,000 directly through twitter in their first year. Find and connect with your target audience and give them irresistable offers on Twitter.
2) Share news and Updates on Facebook
Don’t have a fan page yet? If you have fans or customers who are passionate about your business you should have a fan page. Use it to connect with customers and keep them up to date on your new products or services. I was recently getting my car fixed and found that the mechanic frequents the same neighborhood bar as I do. He told me that he checks out their Facebook page every day to see what food and drink specials they have. This bar has a creative new drink special for Happy Hour every day and a different free food item available.
Whether is it food and drink specials, new items in your store, new industry news or regulations a facebook fan page can be a powerful resource to keep your customers up to date. Over 1/3 of people who are fans of companies on Facebook are fans for this reason – to stay up to date.
3) Network on LinkedIn Groups
Lots of small businesses and professionals grow their businesses by networking with people. Meeting people and sharing helpful knowledge drives business over time. People do business with people they know, like and trust.
LinkedIn groups allow you connect with others based on a shared interest. You can join a group and contribute to discussions or share interesting news. By using LinkedIn to build relationships you can earn new customers over time.
4) Connect with Prospects with a Webinar
Webinars are becoming increasingly popular ways to connect with prospects adn provide value to customers. Webinars are virtual and web-based. A webinar is typically hosted around a specific topic and people sign up, call in and log-in on their computer and they can watch and listen to a live session on a specific topic.
Webinars are very popular in categories that are high-information. Most B-to-B business fall in to this categoy, but it also works for consumer products. If people are looking for knowledge or information on your subject area, a webinar can be a powerful tool to share information with them and position yourself as a leader.
5) Be a Thought Leader with a Blog
Blogs are very popular for a variety of reasons (we’ll discuss one more of them later in this post). One of the reasons is that a blog can establish you as an expert and thought leader in your industry. If people trust you and see you as knowledgeable they are more likely to do business with you.
Run a gym? Share workout tips. Real Estate Agent? Share posts highlighting the people and events in your neighborhood. Restaurant? Show how you make signature drinks or menu items.
6) Connect with Customers and Prospects with an email newsletter
So maybe *technically* this isn’t social media, but it is relatively simple and cheap for most businesses to create a newsletter. Constant Contact and MailChimp offer services for under $25 a month and are easy to use.
An email newsletter can keep your customers and prospects up to speed on news, deals and promotions. Email remains the preferred communication method of most people (1:10 preference over social media) to stay up to date.
7) Join an online community
There are online communities for almost everything these days. Seek out a discussion forum or community that is specific to your business and participate!
You can connect with customers (or potential customers) and really learn about them. What are they interested in? What do they talk about? What do they want and need in products? Participating and listening to communinities that are comprised of your business target can improve your product but also lead to sales as you build relationships.
Monitor and Respond to your Reviews
There are many business review sites – from product reviews on amazon to restaurant and store reviews on yelp to complaints on The Ripoff Report. Whatever your business line, chances are there are review sites that are relevant. Even Facebook has included reviews on fan pages. Google has reviews in their listings.
Look for and respond to reviews (both good and bad). Saying thanks to a good review can build an evangelist and encourage word-of-mouth. Responding to a negative review can help clarify the situation. Showing that you care about negative reviews and plan to take action shows your side of the situation to the hundreds of people who view the review.
9) Get Found on Search Engines with a Blog
Another great reason to start a blog is to get traffic from search engines. Because blogs are content rich (you typically create content for them on a regular basis) search engines give traffic to sites with blogs.
In almost anything that you search for you’ll find a number of blogs show up in search results. If people find you business through search a blog can increase the probability that you will show up in results. This leads to traffic and (hopefully) sales.
10) Generate Awareness with a Video
Videos can be great ways to connect with your audience. A picture is worth a thousand words and a video is worth a million! Video is a great way to share information – whether it is a video showing how you make a dish, customers talking about their satisfaction or a video demo of your product – videos are powerful tools.
Create a video for your business to make a deeper connection with your audience. Whatever your business there are many different creative ways to use and share videos.
This list isn’t exhaustive – it is simply a handful of the tactics and tools that are included in the Social Media Action Pack.
How are you using social media for your small business?
Social Media Marketing Training Helps Businesses Get Results in Cincinnati
NOTE: This is the Last Time that these courses will be offered at this price. We have a new partnership with an educational partner, and our future training will run through them at a much higher price. This is your last chance for training at this price, so I have put together an unbelievable value priced pack. 2 Full days for $297 (a value of almost $900.00)- exclusive to our blog readers.
http://bootcampdigital.com/social-media-and-internet-marketing-special-value-pack/
Back by popular demand Boot Camp Digital announced another Social Media Marketing boot camp training session to help businesses harness the power of social media to get new customers, drive sales, grow leads and build their brands. The intensive 2 days of training will take place on September 7 & 8 at the Cincinnati Regional Chamber of Commerce.
“In this economy many businesses need to figure out how to do more with less,” said Krista Neher, CEO of Boot Camp Digital “social media is the solution. Investing in learning how social media can grow your business is probably the best business decision that most businesses can ever make. This powerful new medium gets results, and I have worked with hundreds of businesses to help them grow their business with social media.’
The training sessions provide a step-by-step methodology that has been developed over many years of working with companies. Boot Camp Digital’s Social Marketing System shows businesses exactly how to build and execute a strategic social media marketing plan that gets results. Details and a special limited time discounted offer for the training can be found at http://bootcampdigital.com/social-media-and-internet-marketing-special-value-pack/
The reality is that businesses can’t afford to ignore social media any longer. Facebook now has over 500 million users (which is larger than the combined populations of Canada, the US and Mexico) and 88% of people on Facebook are connected to at least one brand or businesses. Consumers want to connect with brands on social media. Additionally, over 20% of Tweets on Twitter reference a brand or business. Attention is increasingly shifting towards social media with more people checking Facebook each day than reading the newspaper or listening to the radio. If your business isn’t on social media you are missing out.
“Krista’s engaging personality, professional presentation skills, and top-tiered marketing and social media knowledge combine to create a fun, knowledge-based, energy-filled experience. I value the times that I have participated in one of her seminars and would recommend Krista with a virtual megaphone,” said Boot Camp attendee Joanne Maly, principal at Lincoln Maly Marketing.
To sign up for the training or for more information visit http://bootcampdigital.com/training.
