Tag Archives: marketing

Are You Communicating a Good First Impression?

Posted on June 2011 | Leave a comment

Illustration by Mad Artists at Dreamstime.com

First impressions are created in 30 seconds or less. And if you make a bad first impression, it takes 20 additional experiences to correct it.

That first impression communicates volumes about who you are and what you value. I can get a quick glance of someone’s business values in a few simple ways:

  • Is his business card professionally designed and printed on a clean, crisp stock? Or is it a “do-it-yourself” job on a flimsy paper and ink that’s crumbling off?
  • Is her Web site aesthetically pleasing and offering content that’s warm, inviting and easy-to-scan? Or does it have boring content, difficult navigation, broken links and a bad design?
  • Does his email address match his domain name? Or is he using a Gmail or Yahoo account?

Are You Kidding Me?!

People amaze me. I am continually fascinated by folks that hand out crappy business cards, set up irrelevant Web sites and use Gmail or Yahoo accounts as their primary email. Then they wonder:  “Why can’t I get any business?”

I want to say (but never do), “It’s probably because you’re sending the message that you don’t take your business seriously.”

Because if you don’t care enough about your business to present yourself professionally, why should anyone else care?

That statement may make you bristle. Your head may be filling with responses like “But I don’t have a marketing budget” or “It’s too expensive.” I know costs are a big concern for all of us right now. But consider this:

How much is it costing you every time a potential customer walks away because your marketing isn’t communicating the right message?

Make Their Decision a Simple One

Your marketing materials should speak for you when you’re not present. But they should also speak for you before you even meet your new client.

I’ve had several clients call me after visiting my site, introducing themselves and saying, “I liked your site and the way you write. I have a project I need some writing help with…”

The way I see it, my site “sold” these clients before they ever met me. They saw that I cared enough to invest in quality design, thoughtful navigation, inviting content and more.

Quality doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. But it will cost something and if you’re serious about your business, you should have a marketing budget and a marketing plan. Period.

What do you think? As always, your comments are welcome.

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The Secret to Effective Social Media Marketing

Posted on October 2009 | 3 Comments

When I started using social media for marketing, I noticed that it seemed to steal minutes and hours from my day. Whether I said, “I’ll just do 30 minutes” to actually using a timer, I used to get “Screen Faced” and — hours later — stumble away from my laptop feeling intoxicated and exhausted from trying to keep up with all my social networks.

Then I discovered applications that automatically update the networks. That helped significantly with my time. So now,  LinkedIn, Twitter and my Facebook Fan Page are updated when I post a blog entry. And when I update my Facebook status, it goes directly to Twitter.

Helpful tools, but what made the biggest difference for managing my time? 

  1. Establishing a social media marketing strategy that fit into my overall marketing strategy
  2. Ensuring the daily and weekly tasks fit into my schedule

I ran across a fantastic article with links to strong content that I wanted to share. 7 Ways to Overcome the Social Media Time Sink is an excellent article from Social Media Examiner,  a free online magazine that accurately calls itself “Your Guide to the Social Media Jungle.”

I’ll be using some of these tips in the coming weeks to tweak my social media marketing strategy. It’s been feeling a little stale lately.

I’d love to tell you that I hit my weekly marketing goals without fail, but I don’t. For example, I didn’t publish any blog entries last week because I was busy with projects and client meetings. But that’s okay. Because if you have a plan that you consistently implement, occasionally missing a weekly goal isn’t the end of the world.

Click “Leave a comment” above to let me here your thoughts! Have a refreshing and productive day!

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Posted in communication, marketing plan, social media, social media marketing

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What NOT To Do On A Sales Call

Posted on October 2009 | Leave a comment

Focused communication on sales calls is important. You need to communicate your message quickly, or the caller may lose interest or hang up. Here’s a conversation that took place when I answered my phone last week:

Me:     Hello, this is Michelle.

Her:    Hi, I’m calling for [company name], and I was looking at your web site. I wanted to let you know that we can help you improve your conversion rates.

Me:     How, with SEO (search engine optimization)?

Her:    Yes, with SEO and lots of hyperlinks. We can help you… (then she goes into her schpeel for about 60 seconds)

Me:     Did you say you read my site?

Her:    Oh yes, I read it before I called.

Me:     I’m wondering how thoroughly you read it. Do you know what I do?

Her:    (pause) Why, yes. You do creative services. (FYI: My company name is Studio Z Creative Services.)

Me:    What kind of creative services?

Her:    (dead silence)

Me:     Do you know what my company does?

Her:    Um…um…hmm…

Me:     I’m a writer. I write content with SEO, hyperlinks, direct response, etc.

Her:    (more dead silence, then she finally said) Um, well…I guess…um…I suppose you could do it yourself then, right?

Me:     Right. Tell me, did you really look at my site?

Her:    (defensively) Well, um…I…I…I read it two days ago. I can’t be expected to remember everything I read.

Then she quickly said goodbye and hung up.

What was my first thought after I put down the phone? Lazy. This was a lazy salesperson who didn’t care enough to do her homework. I know she probably had plenty of sites to review but seriously, don’t you think she had a few options before and during the call?

  • If she read my site a couple of days before, she should have kept her notes in front of her when she called.
  • If not, she could have looked at the site right before she called me.
  • Better yet, she could have gotten online while talking to me so she could comment on my site as we chatted.

Even when I call to keep in touch with potential and former clients, I check out their web sites so I can comment on new items, offer help for new or ongoing projects, etc.

If you or your employees are making sales calls, be sure to do your homework before picking up the phone. Two to five minutes of your time can communicate volumes to the person on the other end of the line.  And it can help you leave a positive impression that, more than likely, encourages potential clients to say “yes” when you ask if you can keep in touch.

Do you have any “horror” calls you want to share? Just click on “Leave a Comment” at the top of this post.

Have a refreshing and productive day!

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A Social Media Caveat for Consideration

Posted on July 2009 | Leave a comment

Follow Me! Become a Fan! Let’s Connect!

Social media is here to stay, and it’s an inexpensive but effective way to market yourself and/or your business. If you’re not using social media in your marketing plan, you need to jump on board quickly to keep up with your competitors.

That said, here’s a tip on the layout of your site or blog.

Remember that the goal of your site or blog is to find qualified leads, establish relationships through your content, comments and/or responses, and turn these leads into buyers. That means that, more than likely, you would like your readers to stick around for a while, right?

If this is the case, why rush readers off by asking them to go to other sites so they can follow or friend you?

I’ve noticed that some sites — in a frenzied effort to have more followers, friends, fans, connections, etc. — put social media options at the top of the page. This has the potential to drive people to other sites and could deprive you of the opportunity to show off your expertise.

Even social media consultants and gurus need to have a web site or blog that offers more content than Twitter, Facebook or Linked In can provide. A site or blog expands opportunities for you to market to your target audience.

Communicating Your Call to Action
Important information on a site should be “above the fold.” That’s the section of your page that’s visible without scrolling (top of the page). This is prime real estate that you should use wisely.

Tell readers what you want them to do. If you want subscribers, put subscription options here. If you have free information, ask a reader to provide an email address here. Don’t ever assume that readers will scroll down to read everything on the page…because they generally don’t.

On my web site, I put social media options on my Contact page. Here on my blog, you can see that my sidebar offers a few things before it mentions any social media options:

  • A complimentary evaluation for subscribers
  • Email updates
  • Updates by RSS Feed
  • Archives
  • Topics
  • Facebook and Linked In
  • Twitter

My blog is a key part of my social media marketing plan. I want readers to comment and feel comfortable starting a conversation. I’ve chosen to use Twitter and Facebook simply as marketing tools.

For me, I tweet out of necessity rather than delight. However, I truly enjoy Facebook interaction on my fan page and profile page, so I post there more often than I do on Twitter. Other folks feel strongly about Twitter, and that’s okay too.

A couple of questions for you:

  • What does your social media marketing plan look like?
  • How does it fit into your traditional marketing plan?

Please click “Leave a Comment” at the top of this post and let me hear from you. Or, if you’d like to share this blog entry, use the links below to tell others.

Have a Refreshing and Productive Day! Happy Weekend!

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