Where is Social Marketing Going?
Twitter…Facebook…LinkedIn and countless other social marketing networks have become part of our everyday lives, both personally and in business. The question is where is it going? How prevalent will these forms of communication be?
I spend lots of time honing my social marketing skills and have been observing countless experts and futurists so I can be informed, and in turn, separate the “wheat from the chaff” so to speak. Facebook has become especially dominant. At a recent event I attended, Sree Sreenivasan, the Dean of Student Affairs at Columbia Journalism School, asked all attendees what their “ROI” was on their social media efforts. The answers were meager if anything. Mr. Sreenivasan, who teaches a social media course at Columbia – a sign of how seriously this medium is being taken, stressed that our “ROI” “is that we’ll all be in business in 5 years.”
I agree. Social marketing will only become more dominant. Of course a personal recommendation from a friend has always been the most powerful marketing for any product or service. So now, imagine shopping online, researching online and surfing leisurely online and bringing your entire social network with you. Looking for a Realtor or Mortgage Broker? What if you visit their site and see 3 of your friends have “liked” them…that’s pretty close to a personal recommendation! Maybe comments have been left on the site. Our online reputations will become increasingly visible and important. Our own pictures and images will be accompanying all our online activity as well, adding a compelling aspect of legitimacy to a digital platform.
You have to be in the game. Grow your network, provide valuable information, services and/or products that distinguish you from your competition and be part of an exploding medium. It is a powerful, insipient way to reach and engage your clients and customers. If you haven’t already I urge you to get comfortable with these platforms. You don’t want to be left behind.
Gail Lewis started Gail’s Graphic Designs in 1993, specializing in individual and small business communication and marketing needs. Since then, the company has grown into a comprehensive network of industry professionals – illustrators, graphic designers, programmers, copy writers, public relations experts, and more – that can create a marketing message that resonates with your target market.Summer Soirée
Gail’s Graphic Designs joins
The Bronx Networking Group and JudyNetworks
in presenting The Bronx Networking Group Summer Soirée,
a hot summer evening of cocktails, networking, great food and great
people on the rooftop at Tosca Cafe in the Bronx.
Invite your friends and business associates to join us
at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, June 30, 2010. Arrive early for a
special treat, and be sure to bring your business cards. Learn More…
Event Page | Twitter | Forward to a Colleague
What You Should Know About Mobile Marketing
When shopping at the mall I take photos of a cute top or fabulous pair of jeans on my mobile and email it to my sister for her opinion. I sometimes send her a BB (blackberry instant message) with a link to the store’s site. She in turn sends me links to items she would like me to purchase. While in the store I open the link…show the item to the sales person and then I am off. No printing of lists (saving the trees!!) or trying to remember what she wants. Now my fellow marketers, do you see the goldmine that awaits you on the mobile phone? Each link I send or receive from my sister includes ads on the landing pages. Hence I am enticed to shop for other items. This month my magazine subscriptions have been chatting about mobile marketing. This post summarizes some tips from American Marketing Association’s (AMA) Magazine, Marketing News. I look forward to reading your comments about mobile marketing.
According to the Marketing News article Tao of Mobile Marketing (written by Elisabeth A. Sullivan), “Eastern markets like Japan and South Korea have led the way for mobile marketing. While the power is shifting noticeably westward—especially as the iPhone’s technological tentacles wrap around the globe—US marketers can learn from Eastern marketers’ mobile experience.”
- Think Strategically, Not Just Tactically—US marketers think of mobile marketing as a one-time marketing campaign vs a completely integrated marketing strategy.
- Look Beyond the iPhone App—In Japan, South Korea, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore, marketers’ focus include additional interactive options such as Text Messages (SMS) and Quick Response Codes (QR Codes).
- Create an Effective Call to Action—Call to action should tempt people by giving them a sense of what they will get if they text your company or log on to your mobile website.
- Make Mobile Part of Your Multichannel Strategy—Asian markets have a call to action for mobile on all branding campaigns…”text for more information or visit mobile site”
Just the STATS
67% of the world’s population is using mobile phones, compared with only 26% who use the internet.
(Source: Marketing News, United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union February Report)
East Vs. West
(Source: Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook, www.cia.gov * in 2009 **in 2008)
Let Them Know You Exist: “Promote And Prosper”
According to Ms. Raleigh Pinskey, Author of 101 Ways to Promote Yourself — “In order to promote and prosper, I feel that you have to take responsibility for your own success, take charge of your destiny. If you don’t introduce yourself, if you don’t tell them what you’re all about how are they going to know you exist?”
Here is a list of 10 ways to promote and prosper as recommended by Ms. Pinskey:
- Sponsor or create your own event
- Teach a class
- Exhibit at tradeshows
- Write articles or a book
- List your company in “expert directories”
- Mentor kids in the community
- Volunteer/community involvement
- Send out press releases about new hires, products, clients, and more
- Postcard or e-mail campaigns
- Sit on the boards of organizations and associations
What do you do to promote yourself or your business?
2014 Interactive Marketing Budget Forecast
Change is here—the ways in which your audience view and process information from standard media sources has changed. Technology has empowered the consumer to access information as they read and surf across offline and online media. My children (I am guilty of it as well) are engaged in watching TV, chatting with friends on Facebook and surfing the Internet to research a movie/song/gadget/concert all at the same time.
Small, medium and big companies are paying attention to the digital culture. Forrester Research provides a peek at the interactive marketing budget of US companies. The interactive marketing spending as a percentage of all advertising spending will grow from 13% in 2010 to 21% in 2014. The two top choices for interactive marketing investing are search marketing and display advertising. See chart below.
Source: American Marketing Association, Forrester Research’s US Interactive Marketing Forecast 2009-2014; Cambridge, Mass.
6 Ways To Stay In Touch With Your Clients
Staying in touch is an effective marketing tool because it keeps you at the top of the list with your clients and prospects. Here are six simple low cost ways you can stay in touch with your clients or customers:
- Create an eNewsletters
Build on your relationship by sharing industry news, special offers, or invitations to events. Importantly, eNewsletters contain links to drive traffic back to your website. This means people will see more of your brand image, and can read about your products and services. - Sponsor Events In Your Community
If the opportunity presents itself, sponsor your community church, school or sports team. Your contribution does not have to be monetary. Give of yourself—give your time. - Use Postcards For Announcements
Postcards are not used for coupons or sales only. Send a birthday wish or boast about an industry award. There are an infinite number of things to share with your customers using the postcard. - Share Articles
You can stay in touch with your clients by reading newspapers and magazines. Be aware of your clients’ interests to occasionally clip an article or a quote that might interest them. Don’t forget to forward pertinent Internet stories (no jokes or chain letters please). - Send A Hand Written Note
Never underestimate the power of a simple thank-you note, remembering a date or a place that’s important to a client, or a note of congratulations. - Take Your Client To Lunch Just Because
No sales pitch, no pressure—have lunch (or breakfast or coffee) just to shoot the breeze. Catch up on new interests, problems, additions to the family, etc. Then follow up with a note saying “it was fantastic to catch up with you today, here is an article on preparing your child for college…”
Website Design: Template or Custom (Part II)?
Last week’s post discussed the pros and cons of using a template for your website design. Let’s now review the pros and cons of a custom website design.
Custom Web Design Pros
- Custom layout
- Search engine friendly
- Built for your needs
- Scalability
Custom Web Design Cons
- Takes longer to design
- Higher Costs
With a custom website coding and page design is done from scratch. Therefore it takes longer to create. However, a professional designer will give you a website that will grow with your company, blend with your printed marketing collateral (enhance your brand) as well as give you credibility with your target audience.
The more professional looking your website is, the better your chances of attracting customers, producing leads and phone calls. When deciding if you should use a custom or template website design, keep in mind that you want your business to stand out from the crowd and be memorable.
Having a website that looks nice is only part of the marketing package. Custom or template you will have to work on search engine optimization (SEO). So how do you choose? Ultimately you should find out the cost of each method. Include the time it is going to take you learn how to use a website template and compare that to the cost of a custom website design where you will have time to market or build your product in the same time frame.
Whichever way you decide to go, template or custom design, remember that websites are an extension of you and your business. While templates may save you time and money in the short-run, a personalized design will always be more beneficial in the longer run.
Website Design: Template or Custom (Part I)?
I recently sent out a proposal for branding the company of a small business owner. For illustrative purposes we will call the client Joan.
Joan was on a very tight budget as all start-ups are. I mentioned to Joan that instead of a custom website we could cut cost and time considerably if we customize a template for her. I told Joan a website is like building a house from the ground up or purchasing a ready-made new home. Here is what I shared with Joan to help her decide.
Template Web Design Pros
- Customizable
- Wide selection of premade and turnkey templates
- Quick turnaround time
- Very low cost
Template Web Design Cons
- Design not unique
- Customization may be limited
- Coding errors that prevent SEO (reducing chances that visitors can easily find you)
- Generic look of design (not branded)
With templates, the graphic design part of the work has already been done; you pay a licensing fee to use that template, as long as you comply with the terms of the license. Website templates are cheap, but like everything else you will get exactly what you pay for.
If you are a client looking to save money and time, we suggest going with a website template and finding a professional web designer that will customize a pre-made template design for you. Beware of web design scams from designers who sell premade templates as unique custom designs!
Next week I will share the pros and cons of custom website designs.
Client Perception is Everything: Avoid Bad Sales Collateral
Making a good impression is the top secret weapon of choice for salespeople. Sales collateral is a major part of a salesperson’s “good impression” toolkit. Sales collateral include business card, brochure, promotion gift, sell sheet, and anything designed for a salesperson to increase his/her client base.
Have you ever looked at a business card, flyer, website or postcard and immediately said I would never do business with this company or you simply dismissed the company and said next? That is your client perception working.
Some companies use collateral that hurt sales. According to Alexander Hiam, author of Marketing For Dummies, in choosing your sales collateral, avoid the following:
Plastic: cheap plastic folders, clear plastic page protectors, or big, ugly plastic sample cases all say tacky and cheap to prospects. Use high-quality papers and favor cloth or leather cases and bindings, if at all possible.
Amateur designs and layouts: Sure, anyone can design sales and marketing materials in this era of high-quality laser printers, but most people shouldn’t. Amateurs often create poor-looking, confusing layouts. Their work just doesn’t have that special look that characterizes fine design —and the better prospects notice.
Errors: An amazing number of factual and spelling errors exist in sales collateral. Salespeople perpetually have to make corrections or explain errors in front of prospects, which is like saying, “Please use our business. Of course, we can’t even type a spec sheet accurately, but we can muddle through your order somehow.” Right.
Omissions: Most salespeople go on calls without all the collateral materials and information they need to do a great job. They don’t have a good brochure. Their business cards don’t have the current address or the company’s fax number and website. The price list is out of date. Their order form is a cheap pad bought at the local stationery store.
As you send your salespeople out in the field, arm them with good collateral. Help them to be sucessful so that your company can inturn be succesful as well.
Choosing The Right Color For Your Brand
This article was inspired by President Obama’s first State of the Union address. I noticed he wore a red tie with white stripes and Vice President Biden wore a blue tie with red and white stripes. I laughed at myself as I knew the colors were chosen by someone who knew the meaning / symbolism of color. What did our leaders’ tie scream at me? Red, White and Blue—“America”!
Colors are non-verbal communication. They have symbolism and color meanings. Therefore, as you create your brand identity it is helpful to keep in mind how the eye and the mind perceive certain colors and the color meanings we associate with each color. Here is a list of common colors used in business identities and their meaning*:
RED
Warmth, Love, Anger, Danger, Boldness, Excitement, Speed, Strength, Determination, Desire, Courage
ORANGE
Cheerfulness, Low Cost, Affordability, Enthusiasm, Stimulation, Creativity
YELLOW
Attention-Grabbing, Comfort, Liveliness, Cowardliness, Hunger, Optimism, Overwhelm, Summer, Comfort, Liveliness, Intellect, Happiness, Energy
GREEN
Durability, Reliability, Environmental, Luxurious, Optimism, Well-Being, Nature, Calm, Relaxation, Spring, Safety, Honesty, Optimism, Harmony, Freshness
BLUE
Peace, Professionalism, Loyalty, Reliability, Honor, Melancholia, Boredom, Coldness, Winter, Depth, Stability, Professionalism, Honor, Trust
PURPLE
Power, Royalty, Nobility, Elegance, Sophistication, Artificial, Luxury, Mystery, Royalty, Elegance, Magic
GRAY
Conservatism, Traditionalism, Intelligence, Serious, Dull, Uninteresting
BROWN
Relaxing, Confident, Casual, Reassuring, Nature, Earthy, Solid, Reliable, Genuine, Autumn, Endurance
BLACK
Elegance, Sophistication, Formality, Power, Strength, Illegality, Depression, Morbidity, Night
WHITE
Cleanliness, Purity, Newness, Virginity, Peace, Innocence, Simplicity, Sterility, Snow
Before you launch your brand identity, consider your goals and what reaction you hope to receive from your target audience. Also keep in mind that culture dictates color meaning hence subtle variations in the international business world.
Look at your brand identity…Did you choose a color that represents you, your culture, and your beliefs?
