The wide proliferation of social media sites–from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to Pinterest, Google+ and Instagram–provide a myriad of opportunities for businesses of any size to connect with their target audiences. That can be good news and not-so-good news for marketers. Why? Because while the out-of-pocket costs for using most of these tools is low to none, the time investment can be significant. Add to that Continue reading “How to Use Social Media to Grow and Market Your Business”
Category: Social Media
Using Social Media to Grow Your Business
We use social media for our own business and also work with clients to help them use various social media channels effectively to meet their business objectives. Many of our clients are in service (e.g. healthcare) organizations or are independent consultants hoping to establish themselves as thought leaders. All are hoping that social media can help to raise awareness of their services and, ultimately, drive business. We’ve successfully used Continue reading “Using Social Media to Grow Your Business”
New LinkedIn Product Pages – Go or No Go?
LinkedIn recently announced the introduction of product pages—the ability for brands to create pages to highlight specific products. The big question for brands is: “worth it,or a waste of time”? Call me crazy, but I’m going with the latter. In fact, as I work with and monitor my own accounts as well as client accounts I’m very cognizant of the potential to dilute brand messages by using too many channels. Continue reading “New LinkedIn Product Pages – Go or No Go?”
A Marketing Prediction and Fervent Wish for 2014
One of the “hot topics” we’ve been following in 2013 is the trend toward more accountability and measurement for social media efforts. We’ve been doing a lot of research on the topic, speaking at conferences and writing articles for communication publications. Based on what we’ve seen we predict–and fervently hope–this is a trend that will continue. Continue reading “A Marketing Prediction and Fervent Wish for 2014”
The Yin and Yang of Finding–or Being–an Online Expert. Beyond Smoke and Mirrors.
In the “old days” finding experts was largely limited to identifying them through academic circles or highly regarded trade and professional publications. Experts were, in essence, “vetted” and those seeking their input could rely upon their veracity, authority and credentials. But, things have changed. Today, quite literally, anyone can be positioned as an “expert”–whether they really are or not. This has become possible because of the World Wide Web and a plethora of online communication channels, including web sites, social media, blogs, etc. This is both a good and a bad thing. Interestingly, it is both good and bad for experts and non-experts. Here’s why:
Continue reading “The Yin and Yang of Finding–or Being–an Online Expert. Beyond Smoke and Mirrors.”
Let Your Knowledge Be Your Promotion!
We recently launched a new LinkedIn group — Let’s Get Strategic About Communications! — that we’re hoping will generate some good discussion and sharing of best practice insights among communication professionals. It’s a closed group, meaning that we are carefully monitoring participation and limiting it to those who are committed to openly sharing information in a non-promotional manner. The trouble, we think, with so many LinkedIn groups is that they quickly devolve into blatant self-promotion and become nothing more than individual members saying “look at me!,” “look what I’ve done!,” “come to my webinar!,” “read my whitepaper!,” etc. Now, there is certainly Continue reading “Let Your Knowledge Be Your Promotion!”
Should You Have a Blog?
A business colleague of mine recently asked me what I thought about the value of a blog. Seems a vendor she was working with was recommending a blog and she really didn’t see the value. There are, though, two very important reasons that those wishing to build an online presence should consider managing a blog (and a few other, secondary, reasons). Continue reading “Should You Have a Blog?”
What NOT to do on LinkedIn—or other social media sites!
We’ve been fairly active in social media for quite some time and manage several accounts for our own marketing efforts and to experiment with techniques that we can use to help boost clients’ awareness levels and levels of engagement online. We’ve reached that point where it is more common for people to reach out to us to connect than it is for us to be actively seeking new connections. To manage our connections, we have some guidelines in place to determine whose invitations to connect we accept and whose we ignore. Continue reading “What NOT to do on LinkedIn—or other social media sites!”
Top Social Media Missteps: Are You Making These Mistakes?
There is no doubt that the rapid introduction of various social media platforms has dramatically changed the communication climate for businesses of all kinds. Whether you’re an independent consultant or author, work in a small “mom and pop” retail outlet, or a large multi-national conglomerate, social media is likely to play a part in communicating with key audiences. Unfortunately, sometimes the role of social media isn’t carefully considered. Messages are shared, but is anyone listening? Most importantly, are the right people listening? Continue reading “Top Social Media Missteps: Are You Making These Mistakes?”
Tweet, Tweet and Retweet — Your Audience is Fleeting so Hit Them Multiple Times!
I’ve long had the feeling that much of what I (and others) tweet about is like the old saw about a tree falling in the forest. Is anybody there when I tweet and, even if they are, are they paying attention? Well, research done by Sysomos indicates that 71 percent of the 1.2 billion tweets they reviewed over a two-month period produced no replies or re-tweets. Further, the study indicated that when a retweet does occur, it’s most likely to occur in the first hour after someone initially published the tweet.
Continue reading “Tweet, Tweet and Retweet — Your Audience is Fleeting so Hit Them Multiple Times!”