Purple Diamond Marketing Blog

Social Media Marketing is a key concern for most businesses today.  As social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and many others continue to grow, businesses scramble to use these sites to gain the eyes of their target audience.  But, what happens to the small business who has under 5 employees or no resources [time or money] to devote to this form of marketing?  Or, maybe they lack a strategy for their campaign or content to post each day, what happens then?  Their social media marketing ends up being less “social” and often falls to the bottom of the list of “To Do’s” which is the pitfall of social media marketing and why many businesses are not getting the results they had hoped for.

Should a business ditch the social media marketing campaign because they are not getting the results they had hoped for?  Not if they want to attract the next generation of consumers! The solution isn’t to ignore the problem, but to get the help you need to handle your social media marketing.  If your company does not have the resources to outsource your a social media marketing to a marketing specialist or to hire a person to handle your campaign in-house, consider hiring a marketing consultant to come in and brainstorm with you about a strategy and content that will work for your business. You can also attend seminars and training on how to use social media for your business. Research what is available in your area and take action. The more time you delay on adopting a sound plan for your business, the less chance you have to reach your desired marketing goals.

All my best to your success ~ Charlene.

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

How “social” is your Social Media Marketing Campaign? Do you understand how to actually get business from  Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and your Blog? If you are using Facebook and other on-line sites solely to push marketing messages about your business you are missing a great opportunity to create an effective pull marketing campaign to your business with something as simple as being “social”.  Interacting with others on these sites is how you build a relationship of trust, but it doesn’t happen instantly. Much like a friendship that is developed over time and with shared experiences, so is your interactions on-line with these social sites like Facebook and Twitter and how you present yourself to the world in your Blog.

Years ago people had time to connect face to face, but with a competitive global market and a generation of people that grew up with fast food, automated services that focused on speed, and the internet that gave them information at their fingertips, the way we communicate has changed.  Friends are now meeting on Facebook to share that morning cup of coffee and chat instead of walking across the street to sit in a neighbor’s kitchen or driving to a local coffee shop to socialize with other people.  This means as a business owner you need to find a way to position your business to maximize the impact you have in the on-line social arena because this is where your potential clients are.  They are sitting at their computers or searching their smartphones for updates to Facebook and Twitter and reading blogs.   So, how do you connect with these people without being annoying by bombarding them with your need to sell your products or services?  The key is to create a genuine connection and relate to them as you would if you went to a party tonight and chatted with a group of people that you were just introduced to by a friend.  You do not start by selling your stuff or asking a list of questions that feels more like a job interview or an interrogation than a natural conversation.  Take the time to “listen” on-line which means read what others are posting about. Notice when it is someone’s birthday or anniversary and comment on photos and videos that are posted with a sincere remarks.  Show up daily and often to the social site and don’t be stingy with your own information or adding photos. When you are open to people they are open to you.  You are forming connections on-line so use common sense as to what you share on-line and remember to post only pictures that you would be fine with having people see in years to come.  Allow time to build real connections and do not be in a hurry to collect friends that you don’t even know.

It is an investment for your business to allow the process to take place and it requires effort and patience, but it is a great investment if you do it well and one that will help you to grow in the future with the on-line marketplace.

All my best to your success! ~ Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

“Facebook…facebook….facebook….do I really need to use this social media service to help my business?”  That depends on YOU!  Being a business owner offers you a choice of what you want to do for getting the word out about your product and/or services.  However, with over 300 million users on Facebook and a growing number of  businesses using social media services like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Blogging daily, it is hard to not reply with a loud YES to that question!

“But does anyone REALLY get clients from having a profile set-up?”  This is a mixed answer and for anyone who actively uses Facebook or multi social media services they understand why.  A profile is just a place holder.  It is like a name card that sits on a table at a wedding reception in front of an empty seat…without the guest physically showing up at the event and conversing with the other guests they are not seen.  Building your contacts, posting daily updates and interacting with the people you have on your  personal page and posting content to your business page is what will bring business to your door providing your product or service satisfies the needs of the targeted group and is at a price they are willing to purchase it at.  Social media marketing only works if you work at it!  There is no exact science to how many posts or comments you need to make in a day, week or month to attract business, but if you do nothing it has no chance to work.  Today, I mentioned a friend’s book on my personal Facebook page and included a photo of her and I got an email through Facebook from another friend saying she bought the book on-line after seeing my update.  And, last week I bought tickets to a concert because I saw it on Facebook.

The holidays are coming and right now people are on Facebook more than during the summer months when the weather is so nice. Be sure you are, too!

All my best to your success! ~ Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

[note: these tips are just suggestions and it is up to the individual business to determine what is best for their business.]

1.)    Frequency is key!

Posting an update at least once per day  and adding  “friends / fans”  to your personal and business page must be on-going and with effort.  Do not wait for people to friend you….find them and invite them to YOUR page!
*Inspirational Quotes, Questions that create discussions, Videos from YouTube and Posting about important upcoming events are great fillers when you are struggling for an idea to post for your daily update.
2.)     NO controversial posts or comments to anyone who has posted something that can have a polarized issue unless they follow your brand for your business.
3.)    Interact with Others!
Happy Birthdays / Like button when appropriate and genuine comments to their posts.
4.)    Add photos and videos!

*People are drawn to pictures so if you have something you want people to notice be sure to add a picture with your post.
5.)    Need both a Personal and a Business Page!

Building a Fans page [or Business page] without paying for a Facebook ad requires building it through your personal page so you must have both to grow your followers! If you are worried about your personal content being seen you can choose to use the new privacy settings.  But, if you are on Facebook to gain more contacts and help market your business it makes sense to keep your personal page free from embarrassing pictures or content you would not share openly.  Remember, you are on the internet and even the best privacy setting might not keep people out so think before you post or upload a picture, but don’t avoid Facebook because you are afraid to be found.  It is more powerful than your website and if used well it can drive traffic to your website….it offers a great opportunity to promote your services on a larger scale because it reaches more people daily!
6.)    Use the Event page when you have an upcoming event.

7.)    Invite your friends from your personal page to your business page at least once every 2 weeks.  If you have been building friends you will have new people each time to send an invite to.
8.)    Don’t be afraid to ASK for your friends help and be sure to give help to others!
9.)    JOIN JOIN JOIN……the more business pages and groups you belong to the more your business gets exposure!
10.)    Don’t hand this important job off to your staff…this is one of the fastest and quickest way to make a warm sales call and it has replaced COLD CALLING in a huge way.
11.)     If you have a blog be sure to post active links to your blog AND your website on a regular basis.
12.)    GAMES do not send a great message unless you sell games!

There is a tendency to get caught up in to the games and surveys on Facebook, but it clutters your wall and takes away time for connecting with others and growing your contacts.
13.)    Early posting in the morning can have favorable results.
14.)    Don’t sell sell sell…….remember that most people run from salesmen so be sure to not come on too strong.  Be genuine and represent your business with a positive voice.
15.)    HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE & PATIENCE….this is a new marketing tool and has no exact numbers, but it is a great source that is still free and worth using!

If you are still struggling with Facebook, Linkedin or Twitter or you are not sure if having a blog is right for your business, consider hiring Purple Diamond for marketing coaching or a one on one consult.

All my best to your success! ~ Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

As more and more newspapers are creating an on-line version of their daily paper to compliment the paper version of their publication and sharing it with Facebook and other on-line social media networks, advertisers are taking a second look at the importance of placing an ad or having their picture in the paper! This past year my own picture at various business networking events has been in The Salem News at least a dozen times and today many of my business friends were featured in the business section of the local paper while attending the North Shore Business Forum! Does this help with sales in a company? It doesn’t hurt!

The key to marketing is to help people remember YOU and to connect what you do with something they need or want!  A picture in the business section of the newspaper, a press release or an ad in the paper is just a small part of the strategy that smart business owners employ.  It is the additional press that comes from strategically using Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and other sites to bring that one article or photo to the attention of others in a way that shares a story about your business and why doing business with you is special.  Never over look the power of having business friends via Facebook or Linkedin who share your message and recommend your work.  Just by stating that they are a client is their own endorsement of your brand! And, the newspapers understand this and that is why they have created their own “Fans or Like” pages on Facebook and have set-up on-line articles that can be shared quickly and they encourage their readers to post their own views and comments.   On-line banner ads that link directly to a business website and the new commercial video ads are starting to get the attention of the business community and their potential clients.  Newspapers, once thought of as a thing of the past, are stepping up by using the internet strategically to get the attention of both the readers and the business community.  If you have not been in the paper lately, perhaps it is time to consider submitting a press release with a photo or taking out an ad that will be seen in both their paper version and on-line site.

All my best to your success! ~ Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

I have never played a game on Facebook, but I have gotten several clients this past year from effectively using this social networking site.  So, why are some people getting clients and others are saying it is a big waste of time?  “Attitude and aptitude!”  If a person doesn’t believe that on-line social networking is important to the growth of their business, it is as good as a salesman who doesn’t believe in his product trying to sell it door to door. After the 7th door slams on the salesman’s face he drags himself back to the office and announces that no one wants the product and it can’t be sold, but other sales reps still sell it with ease.   Business owners who  tell people that they haven’t gotten any customers from Facebook are like that same salesman who quit.  What is the difference? Well, many business owners tell me they play games or spend time reading other people’s posts and never comment and are lucky to get on Facebook maybe 2 times a week and rarely post an update.  YIKES!!! This is not the attitude you need to be successful with on-line social networking.  A positive attitude and the belief that on-line social networking is an important new marketing tool that will help your business if used consistently and correctly is half of what you need.  This brings us to the other half, the “aptitude” part of how both navigate the sites and what to actually post while there.  There are a list of  “do’s and don’ts” that I share with my clients, but they can differ depending on the industry you are in and what you are trying to achieve from using these sites.   For instance, for many businesses I warn that playing games or tending “farmVille” on Facebook is not the best use of your social networking time, but if you were an internet company about to launch a new on-line game this could be exactly where you want to be since your potential market is drawn to these programs.   Another “don’t” that I share with my clients is to stay clear of any topic that is political or religious based or could prompt people to be polarized in their views unless you are a political analyst or gain from taking a stand in such controversial discussions.  The “do’s” I tell my clients is to work on connecting with people and adding them to your personal page and to your business “Fan” page which has recently been renamed to the “Like” page.  If you are trying to expand your reach, why limit your contacts??? Unless you are saying no to a direct competitor, I would be inviting people to get to know you and your business.  And, once you have them there, you have got to interact.  Think of it this way, you have just invited 50 people to your home and instead of greeting them at the door and introducing them to others, you have gone to your bedroom to take a nap and to allow the party to go on without you.  WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD!   The party is in the living room and it is filled with people who like you enough to show-up and they each know about 150-200 people and many of those people they connect with quickly with their own social on-line networking so if you are not being a good host, you just might lose out on a potential referral or introduction to key contacts.  Frequency of posting and interaction with other people when they post is how to use these sites well.  And, if your aptitude is such that you get confused when you are trying to navigate the various sites, then you need to call your kids in to the room and ask them for help because there are 10 year olds who are on Facebook setting up “event invitations” and  for their own birthday party or “surveys” for their school projects.  Your parents are posting photos of their grand kids and sharing them out to their friends so if you think that uploading a company photo to your business page requires your web designer, you are wrong….”tweet” or text your parents and ask for their help! And, if you still have not set-up a Twitter account and haven’t learned to text, please do so today.

I give one-on-one coaching to clients who are still struggling with the new technology, but every social networking site has a “help” section and commonly asked questions that will quickly make you an expert on how to gain the aptitude of how to navigate the site.  If you choose to embrace on-line social networking and have a positive attitude and a great aptitude for connecting with others and building your network, then you may be smiling as I did today when I received an email on Facebook with ANOTHER referral for my marketing services from one of the many contacts that are on my page!

All my best to your success!

~Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”