Purple Diamond Marketing Blog

OK, so that is probably a strange title for today’s Purple Diamond Marketing Blog, but as I listened to the news talk about Groundhog Day and if the Groundhog will see his shadow to help us know if winter will soon be over I laughed and realized it is much like the trends in marketing.  In the past couple of years, small business owners have scrambled to keep up with ALL the latest and greatest marketing tools to promote their business.  My clients and many business owners continue to struggle to know what works and what doesn’t and how to spend their time and money.  The questions are constant…“What is social media, have you heard about Facebook, do I really have to “tweet”, why do I have to have a listing on Linkedin?  How about Blogging, will it really help my business? I just heard about Google+ and what is that new thing on Facebook? Should I be doing video and posting on YouTube? By the way, how many sites on the internet do I need to list my website? Hey, my web designer said my site is not coming up on searches so he suggested I use some Word Press format and add content daily so I guess I now need to sink more money in to doing a new website? By the way, do you really think that QR Codes are the latest and greatest and helping my print marketing?” These are just a handful of the barrage of questions I get from small business owners who have no time to research the trends in marketing, but really just want to know if they sink time and money in to these that it will result in sales.

Much like Groundhog Day and the old belief that if the little critter sees his shadow there will be 6 more weeks of winter, business owners are trying these new marketing trends hoping they will lead to more clients.  But, for a small business or sole proprietor testing these new trends can exhaust resources quickly.  Ten minutes on Facebook leads to hours and the cost to maintain Blogs and other social media sites with creative content that supports your brand and brings customers closer can be challenging.  So, do you refuse to participate and hope that the reports about companies growing their business with the help of these trends is all a crazy superstition like Groundhog Day? Or, do you join in the fun and get some help from professionals who can help you to decide the best way for YOUR business to use the tools without wasting time or additional money?

Well, I just heard on the news that the Groundhog saw his shadow and we will now have 6 more weeks of winter.  Hard to believe with the mild weather we have had in Massachusetts this year, but that is what they predict.  And, the prediction about the latest and greatest marketing trends is also that this is how businesses will continue to gain customer loyalty and sales.  So, if you are reading this Blog and you still haven’t created a strategy for how to work all of this in to your marketing portfolio, please contact Purple Diamond or another marketing/social media specialist.  Purple Diamond specializes with small businesses and helping them make some sense of all the new things that come their way.

All my best to your success!~Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

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!”

Purple Diamond Marketing Blog took a 4 month break from BLOGGING.  What prompted this action and did it have a negative impact on my business? Curiosity prompted my decision since I am often asked if people really need to BLOG and if BLOGGING is helping my business in the local market.  Guess what….the short answer to if taking 4 months off from BLOGGING  directly impacted the bottom line to my business is “no”.  New marketing projects and annual coaching client contracts continued and Purple Diamond was hired for 2 new social media campaigns and 2 paid speaking engagements! The time usually spent on BLOGGING was strategically used to work on client projects and creating new ways for my clients to increase their own profits which resulted in numerous new recommendations posted on my Linkedin profile about my work.

So, if everything still went forward in a positive way without BLOGGING why am I BLOGGING right now?  Well, the one area that did drop off was where my company is listed on search results on-line.  With a website that was created with FLASH for a more visual appeal, I knew that my site would not come up high on searches by itself.  So, my BLOGGING and my time spent on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin and now Google+ and listing a link on many free sites is my way of helping Purple Diamond to be found by local businesses via the internet.  So, to enhance my website with fresh new content which helps with searches I will continue to BLOG!

What is your reason for BLOGGING or not BLOGGING?

All my best to your success!

Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond”

Website, Google Ad Words, SEO Campaigns, Email Marketing, Video Messages,  Social Media Sites, Blogs, QR Codes, Smartphone Marketing & Apps, Cloud Computing, On-line Malls and the list goes on and on! If your business is at least 20 years old there is a good chance that you never used any of the marketing technology that businesses are being asked to consider as essential today when you started your business.  Are you embracing the new tools you have to promote your business and see it as a marketing dream or headache for your business?

Chances are the answer to that question is a little of both and as a marketing coach I think that is a wise answer.  Though we all want to help our businesses succeed and gain strong market share, the “doing something because everyone else is doing it” is not a sound marketing strategy for your small or mid size business.  Consider the cost and weigh out the effectiveness of the various on-line marketing trends to see what makes the most sense to capture your target audience.  If you are busy writing a blog each day and your stats are low for readership and it doesn’t seem to be getting your website noticed or phone ringing, then this time might be better used in a more productive way.  However, if you are in a technical field that draws your targeted audience with quality content on a blog or by publishing white papers, then using time to write on-line could be essential for your business. The key is to measure results and analyze what is working and what you can afford.  To spend heavily to come up high in rankings on search engines without closing sales or to over burden your staff with phone calls that are “tire kickers” and not real prospects is not helping your bottom line.  But, if you are a small store and you lack walk-in traffic on a rainy day and you find that an on-line presence using Facebook and Twitter has helped drive prospects to your shopping cart on your website, then this new on-line marketing strategy is a “dream”!

Dream or headache or maybe it is both! Technology in marketing continues to move at a rapid pace and often we want to jump in and use it before we have even questioned if it is something that will help our business.  Attend seminars, talk with other business owners in your area, research on-line and consult with marketing and advertising professionals to help you decide what is “hot” and what is “not” for your business.  Technology will help you in your marketing, but be sure you know what technology tools are the best for your business and avoid the urge to use something just because others are and it is new!

All my best to your success! ~ Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

Charlene St. Jean, Purple Diamond LLC

Many businesses have added a blog feature to their company website as a way to help with their on-line rankings with Google and other search engine sites.  Blogging is an excellent way to enhance  your on-line marketing, but the comments that are received from people who visit your blog might be hurting your rankings if they are from sites that have a reputation of spamming.  There are automatic spam solutions that are built in to many blog formats, but often there is still a small percentage of creative spammers who get passed these filters.  For this reason you should always make sure that you have turned on the comment moderation option so that you actually review the posters’ comment before accepting and adding it to your site.  Another way to cut down on SPAM is to not allow any hyperlinks in the comments left or have only people who actually are listed as approved followers be able to leave comments.

When the Purple Diamond Marketing Blog was first launched I had a limited understanding of what were true comments or SPAM and I quickly got excited by the volume of comments being left on the site. Thankfully, I am surrounded by technical expertise and I quickly learned that what I was accepting for comments to my earliest articles were clear examples of SPAM and that I was hurting my site in rankings.  My technical team added the SPAM filters and instructed me on the importance of only accepting quality comments.  How do you know if a comment is a quality comment or SPAM? Well, if the comment is a random comment that is not specific to the content of your blog article or it is an advertisement for a product it is safe to say that this is a spam comment and should not be allowed on your site.  Some SPAMMERS use more sophisticated programs and offer comments that might be linked to keywords in your article or on your blog so be sure that the comment has direct meaning to the posted article they have commented on.  An example recently that I received that was clear SPAM started off with this message: ” I always read jewellry related blogs, but your blog contains nice information about jewellry”. Beyond the spelling error of the word “jewelry” within this comment, anyone who reads my Purple Diamond Marketing Blog articles know that it has nothing to do with jewelry.  “Purple Diamond” is  the name of my advertising agency/marketing coaching business, but my messages are geared towards offering helpful information about marketing.

The key to successful blogging as a marketing tool is to build interest in your company and the readership to your blog while offering a platform to interact with existing and potential customers.  Comments that are posted that will pull down your rankings because search engine sites identify them as sources that are sending bulk junk messages to numerous blogging sites will detract from your sites ability to come up higher in searches.  Be sure to have SPAM filters in place and delete any SPAM comments that get passed the filters that do not directly relate to your article!

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!”

New technology creates innovative ways for businesses to get their marketing message in the hands of their potential customers faster than ever.  We have seen tremendous growth with small businesses that jumped on board with social media marketing and have developed successful campaigns using Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Linkedin and Blogging, but now the talk is about applications for smart phones that will expedite your message or information and place it in the hands of your target market.  QR Codes which stands for “quick response” are those funny looking square black and white symbol you are seeing on products, websites , billboards, magazine ads, coupons,  direct mail campaigns and even T-shirts!  These bar codes are easy to create and as long as you download a free application to your smart phone a person can be scanning these symbols and getting direct information from the source who has created the code.

Is this just another marketing tool business owners are being asked to accept and add to what they are currently doing to remain competitive in their field?  It is if they want to be the early adopter to something that has great potential to help them lead in their market.  The downside of this is that not everyone has the application on their phone so the immediate gains from adding this to all your marketing material may not be seen today.  However, as more and more businesses are learning about this new marketing tool, downloading the free application to their smartphone, testing it and then brainstorming as to the various ways this could help their own business, the QR codes will populate quickly in advertisements and will become a tool that marketing departments  use daily.

If you are stuck in the past and slow to embracing technology, consider contacting a marketing coach or specialist who can help you get started on some exciting new tools for your business!

All my best to your success! ~ Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

The Northeast got hit with a major snowstorm this past week that impacted travel and the ability for businesses to remain open as snow emergency declarations and road condition warnings kept people in their homes and off the streets.  During the 2 days of this winter storm and long list of cancellations some businesses thrived while others suffered from their slow to adopt approach to how they utilize the internet and position their businesses for success with e-commerce optimized websites, active blogs and effective social media marketing with Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.

Still not convinced that your business needs to have a page on Facebook and the other social media sites? According to a recent report, as of 2011,  there were 500,000,000 active Facebook users and at least half of them are logged in on any given day and that includes snow days as I discovered this week.  Wednesday morning, at the height of the storm,  I logged in to my Facebook page as  I do every morning before I even have coffee and I saw numerous posts from family and friends who were without power, but still found their way to post and be on Facebook via their smart phones.  As I quickly made my coffee before I lost power, I was thankful for making sure that all my marketing clients used social media and were actively posting during this high volume day on-line. If you own a business and you are still struggling with social media please get the assistance you need.  Had you included a social media marketing plan in 2009 and 2010 as part of your marketing strategy you would not have been frustrated and suffering from cabin fever, but thrilled with how easy it was to connect with key people and potential clients.  Though I am an advocate for traditional advertising like TV, radio and billboards, many of my clients have seen profits from being early adopters to Facebook and other sites.  And this past December one of my TV advertising clients who has always spent significant money with traditional advertising was thrilled that I helped them with their Facebook and Twitter accounts in 2010 since they ended December with the best sales they have had in years and they directly attribute this to their social media marketing campaign and email newsletters.

This winter is just beginning and 2011 has great opportunity for business owners who want to be successful.  The key to success with social media marketing is “doing it” and “doing it well”.  If you are not sure if your business is getting the most from the sites you currently have set-up or you still do not know how to create a profile for these sites, be sure to contact a specialist in this field or call in a consultant like Purple Diamond.

All my best to your success! ~ Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

Blog Blog Blog is it Blah Blah Blah? Do you really need to blog? If your company  does, are you blogging consistently or do you find yourself with limited time and no staff to help you market your business with blogging?  And, if you do blog consistently is your target market finding your blog? With businesses scrambling to end 2010 with as many sales as possible and looking ahead to 2011 to see what marketing efforts worked and what needs to be added for the New Year, I look at the Purple Diamond Marketing Blog to see if this was a productive use of my time.

My objective when starting my Purple Diamond Marketing Blog was to learn more about the process of blogging and see where it would benefit my clients.  This objective was successful in that I not only learned how to set-up a blog, maintain and improve my site, collect data and analyze  stats to determine the best times of day to post blogs,  but it also gave me insights to the number of hours necessary to produce and promote a blog.  All of this information I was able to pass on to my clients, use it to assist them with their own blogging, and also use as a revenue source with speaking engagements for Purple Diamond.

This is all great for my company, but can YOUR business benefit with blogging consistently? I answer this question with a question……do you have something of value to offer a targeted audience?  If you say no and do not believe you have a message to share about your business or product, then the New Year might be the year to contact a professional to help you determine if your business is viable in today’s market.  Beyond the obvious mechanical plus to blogging that you will be noticed more by search engines with a site that is constantly updating and adding new content,  blogging is a powerful way to reach your potential targeted market with a message they are choosing to hear over being bombarded with cold calls, email blasts, advertisements and other attempts to get them to notice your company or product.  If you consistently write and promote your blog to your targeted audience, the process of selling prospects your services or products gets easier.  Even if you call on a potential prospect that has never followed your blog, referring them to the blog and having them see a site that has numerous articles and positive comments about the content will increase your chances of landing the account.  You are able to offer detailed information as to why your product or service is the best choice.

New technology offers new ways to market your business.  As you plan the New Year and your marketing strategy for 2011 and beyond, it is really important that your business considers the new ways to market your message using this technology and what may have worked in the past.  So, my New Year’s advice to businesses that are not having the sales they wished they had, look closely at what is working and what you still need to add to your marketing mix!

We have all heard of personal trainers, life coaches, career coach specialists , real estate agents who coach you on buying or selling your home, and business consultant/coaches, but do you understand what a  marketing coach is and if you need one?  First, a marketing coach will offer help in key areas of marketing.  They will help to establish realistic marketing and sales objectives for your company’s future, help to establish the identity of your company, coach you in determining your target market and point out possible threats along the way to making you more profitable.  The coach helps you to create a strategic marketing plan on the level that works best for your business, but beyond the plan, a marketing coach helps you to stay focused, on task, and to achieve success for your business.  So, how do you know if you need a marketing coach? The answer to that is if your company is growing at the pace you have set as a goal.  Are your sales strong and are you comfortable that you are using the marketing tools that best suits your business to achieve the most success?

When I first approached a local business with the idea of hiring me as their marketing coach I spent more time helping them to understand what a marketing coach was and how we differ from a business coach.  The economy had cut away at so many marketing departments and many local business owners were left to juggle a long list of responsibilities and marketing was one of the first to be neglected.  When I would start to talk about Facebook, Twitter or Blogging they would shake their heads and say they just didn’t have the time or desire to know more.  That was a couple of years ago, but today I am paid to speak to various business groups about social media and I work one-on-one with CEO’s who have seen their competitors using this marketing tool to gain more exposure, increase sales and reduce expenses for marketing and now they want to know more.  Seeing the landscape of what is working for marketing in real time and what your business should be focusing on is part of what a good marketing coach will offer.

There are so many great reasons to have your own Marketing Coach, but the biggest reason is that it will help you to maximize your potential and keep you motivated towards achieving the success you desire!

All my best to your success! ~ Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”