Social & Mobile Media Marketing - 7 New Years Resolutions Businesses Can’t Afford NOT to Keep

2012 is here and many of you have resolved to make it the best year ever. I just thought I might add a few social & mobile media marketing suggestions that will help you to do just that (and in record time). A "to-do" list for serious marketers!

1. Upgrade Your Social WOW Factor

Finally, businesses have begun to stop asking, “is this going to last”. They have stopped sitting on the sidelines and watching the social train blow right by them. Hats off to all brands that have joined the biggest marketing movement since television. BUT…now it’s time to take your brand to the next level and add the WOW factor. Not only to the people who visit your social site but also to Google as well as all the other search engines.

Here are a few things you can do to WOW up your social sites:

• Add matching background graphics on Facebook, Twitter & YouTube

• Add a tab on Facebook for Twitter as well as YouTube

• Make sure you have lots of keywords throughout your social profiles (including fan page title and username)

• Add a landing/welcome page on Facebook with a call to action to like your page

• Add relevant Facebook tabs for your industry

• Optimize your thumbnail image on all sites for best exposure

• Secure your unique URL for your Facebook page

Just to name a few… 

Adding Social WOW is my specialty. Click on the image to the right to see details on the WOW ATI can offer your brand. Special Social Launch Package Pricing

2. Optimize Your Site for Mobile Users and Implement Mobile Marketing Strategies

Did you know that ½ of all local searches are performed on mobile devices? That is a BIG deal especially if your site is not mobile friendly. What a shame to get people visiting your site and leaving as soon as they get there because they can’t read the small print. So, get your site mobile ready as soon as you can. This needs to be a top priority for you in 2012.

With that said…2012 will be a gigantic year for mobile media marketing, namely QR Code & Text Message Marketing. It’s time to take a look at both of these avenues. I have had the pleasure of working with dozens of brands on strategizing their mobile plans. When campaigns are properly implemented, I am absolutely stunned by the successful, fast, measurable results these tools are providing. Don’t put these on the back burner…you will miss the boat!

I use Hootster Mobile for all of my QR Code marketing, they have tracking and analytics that no one else has!

3. Build Stronger Relationships with Your Social & Mobile Networks

As my mentor Gary Vaynerchuk says…. “The business with the most real relationships wins” in social & mobile media. Too many businesses have jumped into these channels with only 1 goal in mind, to get more followers and fans than everyone else. That my friends is not how you should be approaching social and mobile media. Approach it with a “we care and want to add value” mentality and you will WIN big. Become a resource to your audience. Passion + Intent = Success

In addition, no interaction should ever go unanswered. Let every person who interacts with your brand know you are listening and acknowledge all conversations. This takes some time but it’s the little stuff that will go a long way in this type of marketing.  Build the relationship now that keeps them coming back and loyal forever.

4. On Site Social & Mobile Signage

How many of you have signage on site announcing you are a social brand?  Here are some simple ideas you could and should implement right away:

• Check in on Facebook or 4-Square
• Social sites on front door (like the credit card stickers)
• Like us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter
• Subscribe to us on YouTube
• Sign up for our VIP mobile club
• Scan this QR code
• Social sites on business cards

Make it very apparent that you are a social brand and you want them to join you. Give them as many ways to do so as you possibly can.

5. Take Advantage of Your Business Blog

I call blogs the epicenter of your social world. Social media is spectacular at driving traffic, but if you don’t have somewhere to drive the traffic that’s new and fresh, people will stop clicking. A blog will be fresh and useful for your ideal customers and keep them coming back.

Your blog is the first and best place to begin conversion with your online audience. By that I mean…getting them to take the first step towards doing business with you. Capture them with a strong call to action to take the next step.

6. Add Call to Actions Everywhere

One thing I have learned by marketing online is the fact that people are typically very simple and are looking to you for guidance on what to do next. By guiding them to the next step you will be able to keep them in your “funnel” longer and have a much better chance of retaining them as a customer or getting them to do business with you for the very first time.

Do not forget to add call to actions on site as well as online. People are getting very used to seeing a CTA online such as “add to cart” and are basically trained to do as told. By incorporating CTA’s onsite you will be appealing to a habit they already are comfortable with and chances are they will act.

Click here for 90+ Call To Action Ideas

7. Analytics… Use, Track, Analyze and Adjust

I am always amazed when I ask a businessperson if they use analytics and they don’t have any idea what I am talking about.  All I can say to that is…check it out! There is so much you can learn (directly from the horses mouth) about your customer’s habits.

Study the analytics, learn what your customer wants and then dial it in. By using analytics you can measure the success of a social or mobile media campaign in real time and adjust as necessary instead of guessing. This will make for highly effective marketing campaigns with a much better ROI.

There are so many free analytics that you can implement in your business right now. Check out this article for a more extensive look at analytics What Are the Benefits of Using Analytics in Business?

So there you have it…a to-do list for 2012! I wouldn’t wait on any of this; I guarantee your competition won’t.

2012 is YOUR year…Let me know if I can help you in any way! 

Michelle Corteggiano

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Marketing on Facebook…Do You Understand What Works?

I get the question all the time…"How do I Market on Facebook" and, hats off to the people who are actually asking. 

Times have changed, a new economy has emerged before our eyes and we must adapt to what attracts our customer in a new social world. All businesses marketing on Facebook (and all other social networks for that matter) must become “social businesses” on the web. Just a little hint…the “socialization of your brand” needs to happen internally, on site, as well as on the web!

With that said, here are a couple of golden rules when marketing socially

1. Do Not Spam – Duh…seems like a no-brainer but, I see it every day. Remember, the audience you are marketing to in the social world is not there to see your message, they are there to be social. Interrupting them with your stinky spam will not work…okay?
2. Add Value – Make sure that the mass majority of content you post is valuable to your audience. Think of it like this…if your message were a text message and all your customers or potential customers are going to see it, will they want to opt out or will they be glad they got the message. Is your message valuable?
3. Look, Listen and Engage (Monitor) – Watch what people are saying, make sure you acknowledge every comment or question and act on what they are telling or asking you. After all, what could possibly work better than giving them exactly what they told you they wanted?
4. Be Consistent – Once you are there, they will expect you to be there all the time. If your audience returns to see no new engagement, it will be difficult to keep them coming back.
5. Be Patient • Be Warm & Fuzzy to Gain Their Business – Ultimately, we are marketing on Facebook to increase sales but, remember back to the day you opened your doors for the first time…did they knock down your door with credit card in hand or did you have to caress relationships and go the extra mile to capture their business? Of course you had to work at it. Social media is not turnkey marketing, it is relationship marketing and the better you become at adding value, giving people what they want, making them feel good and becoming a resource…the more business you will create via Facebook.
6. Appreciate Each & Every Follower – I keep hearing things like “I only have 900 fans”. To that I say CONGRATS! You must have done something right … now go make every one of those 900 feel like they are sitting in first class! Remember, this is not a numbers game, it is a relationship game. The business with the most real relationships wins in this new economy.

Stat by implementing these six marketing techniques on Facebook and I promise the seas will part and you will see the way. Next, get and read the book The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk…he flat out nails it in this book.

Before I sign off, I wanted to share an excerpt from an article I read that does a great job summarizing the philosophy of marketing on Facebook…Enjoy!

“Social Media is not a broadcast medium, it’s not a platform for interrupting people. It’s an interactive medium. In fact, the social web is very close to offline interaction. You wouldn’t interrupt people in the middle of a telephone conversation with an ad, so why do the same thing on Facebook? If you saw two people having an intimate chat at a party, you wouldn’t go over and suddenly interrupt them, to tell them something that is not related to their conversation. The social web requires marketers to build relationships with customers. This requires one to one attention. It requires responding to every post or comment that people leave you. More importantly, people are looking for short-term wins on a platform built for long-term relationships. Relationships take time, and are formed from many sequential interactions. Too many marketers are currently approaching Facebook by trying to close on the first date. And even if they succeed, it’s unlikely to be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

What you know about advertising on TV, or in print, does not apply on Facebook. It’s a completely new, and transformational medium. It took our ancestors many years, at times decades, to understand the new technology that faced them. Let’s not make the same mistake. Don’t apply how you work with existing media to a new transformational medium. “ Full article here: Why Marketers Misunderstand Facebook 

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Michelle Corteggiano

Use Social Media to Make Your Company More Than Just a Logo

Logos and product placement go a long way in the online world. With that said, we can’t ignore the fact that Social Media has single handedly changed the TONE of marketing. 

What are some of the most successful, recognizable marketing campaigns right now?

• Dos Equis- “The Most Fascinating Man in the World”
• Geico- The Gecko
• AFLAC- The Duck
• M7M’s – The Green M&M chick

                                                       

What do all of these have in common?

All of these campaigns have a recognizable spokesman that makes people feel connected with the brand!!  Their mascot gives their brand a personality of their own and makes them stand out with no celebrity endorsement needed.

Is there really a “most fascinating man in the world”?  Probably...... but, I don’t think it’s the Dos Equis dude! Never the less you can often overhear that brand of beer being ordered in the “most fascinating man in the world’s” accent. Hmm…..

Gone are the days of the toothy car sales man.  Consumers who can be reached by social networking are savvy and smart.  BE HUMOROUS.  If your product can be seen in a lighter way, go with it!  You are only as limited as your own creativity. These recognizable advertising campaigns are not the ones that beat the consumer over the head with logos and products.  Learn from this. The conversations, shared links and other non-advertisement attention this kind of marketing can grab is priceless.

Social Media has made the world smaller and much easier to access! It has made consumers feel more personally connected.  Giving your business a whimsical face allows customer interaction through any employees and another way for your brand to be recognized and stand apart in the market.

Tweet Your Own Horn

All of these advertising characters have been taken to the next level.  They have their own Tweets on Twitter, constantly keeping their product on everyone’s radar.  Updates on Twitter or a Facebook Fan Page gives you another outlet to promote your product AND for customers to communicate with you.

Your Image on a Budget

So you have the product, but CGI animals and weathered actors are not in your budget??

No worries.....The family pet or a clever photo of Uncle Bob can set you apart with your very own mascot in the Social Media world! Our friend Perry Belcher made a prediction that “Internet famous” would soon mean just plain famous because of Social Media. Set your brand apart now and have fun with it!

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Dan Mulhern and ATI Attraction Marketing Discuss Using Social Media for Business

Michigan's first gentleman, Dan Mulhern, asked us to co-host his Everyday Leadership radio show this week to talk about how we teach businesses to properly use Social Media for marketing.

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12 Ways Business Can Engage, Interact and Attract Customers Using Social Media

Being in business, you already know that the person who is most likely to do business with you is the one that already has. Marketing time and dollars are much less when marketing for repeat business. Social Media allows you multiple free avenues to interact with “your” customers, followers and fans. These mediums host very captive audiences….your audience! If you haven’t already figured this out, Social Media is a powerful way to engage, interact and attract the right kind of people, it's called Attraction Marketing.

I have compiled a list of ideas on different ways businesses can engage using Social Media.

Live Interaction

Give your customers a way to interact with your company in real time. People love feeling like they have access to you. Assign the duty to a trustworthy employee and have them monitor any area where customers can interact. (many SM sites allow for real time conversation, I highly believe Twitter is the best place for this)

Promotions

Long term: Post a standing offer to friends & followers that can be accessed only through Social Media channels. Discount codes, free report, free item of interest, buy one get one, newsletter, free consultations etc…

Short term: Offer a one or two day only special. This can be extremely effective for restaurants, hotels etc. On a slow day, post a short term offer to help drive traffic to you that day

Free Trial Offer

New product, why post a limited time, limited amount of free trials. i.e.: The first 500 people to click here can claim their free trial of X. (of course the link takes them to your site where they can access the info on how to get the trial) This will build you a nice list of targeted consumers.

Sneak Peek at Coming Attractions

This is a powerful way to get your customers hyped up for a new product or offer. Give them a sneak peek at what’s coming out and let them know when it will be available. Use this tool to grow huge anticipation of its launch.

Polls- Please Help Us!

Polling your customers will prove to be an ace in the hole for your business. Use this tool to find out what the customer would prefer. After all, they are who you will ultimately market to, with info collected through polls you can give them exactly what they asked for. Don’t be afraid to just say….”Help us Figure This Out”!

Discussion Boards

People love to chat with each other in Social Media. Offering a discussion board is like opening up a big huge billboard for all of your customers to see. You will learn a lot about their wants, needs and habit by studying their discussions.

Special Offer to Social Media Followers Only

By offering something to Social Media users only, you will teach your customer that your SM hub is the best place to go for the newest greatest info and offers. This will also help you to track your ROE (return on engagement) in Social Media.

Announce New Product Info

Building anticipation, announcing and launching new products in the Social Media world is very effective. Like I mentioned, many of these people are already your customers and word of mouth is by far the best way to spread news. By keeping your followers informed they will inevitably spread the word for you. Social Media helps create evangelistic customer, the best kind to have. It’s like having millions of salespeople out there working for you.

Suggestions/Feedback

Let your customers chime in. I have often wondered why every company doesn’t capitalize on this tool?!? Here’s my take on this; part of being good at what you do is becoming an expert on everything that has to do with your industry. While continually learning, growing and becoming the best that you can be, it is very easy to lose site of the big picture (or should I say simple picture)…what the customer actually wants. I know that all businesses get to a point where they so engrossed in their world that they find it difficult to see it from the customers point of view. I have noticed that when I get to that point, if I ask for suggestions from my followers, that the answer becomes very apparent and usually it is very elementary.

Video

Statistics show that compared to print advertising, video has 800% more response rate with customers. The good news that goes along with this statistic is that YouTube makes it very easy to pop a video on your site and to link to the video in Social Media. Even better news….because of YouTube, amateur video is the norm, so you don’t have to spend a ton of $ on video production. Go get yourself a Flip Camera and get going! Video is a strong way to connect with people. It makes they feel like they know you and in the know like and trust world, know has proven to be 90% of the equation as far as doing business.

Giveaways

Give something away! The word free attracts people like crazy. Use this tool to get people to join you on your Social Media pages where they become part of your captive audience.

Customer Vote

Got something new coming out? Need to know what would sell best between 2 different colors, sizes or styles? Want to know which logo you should use as your new logo? Want to know what people want next? ASK THEM!! They will tell you and then you have the best solution to the issue at hand.

Photos

Posting photos and allowing your customers to post photos is one of the smartest things you can do! People love to look at pictures….especially pictures of themselves. Currently, Facebook hosts over 3.5 billion photos…need I say more?

Of course there are things businesses need to watch out for in the Social Media world. But just like everything else, with a little monitoring, things can be kept in check very easily. If you are not currently using Social Media to market your business you are going to lose if you keep your head in the sand.

Michelle Corteggiano 

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Social Media Marketing: 1° of Effort in Business Separates the Good From the Great

At 211° water is hot... at 212° it boils. With boiling water comes steam....And, stream can power a locomotive. One extra degree makes all the difference!

In a book I just read, Mike Masterson creator of multiple multi million dollar companies, explains why any buisiness that isn't doing $1 million dollars in annual sales needs to focus 80% of their time on selling and marketing.

 Social Media Marketing, Are You doing it yet? Becasue your competition is:

It's your business, you are responsible for your results.... It's time to turn the heat up with Social Media Marketing!

Let ATI Attraction Marketing teach you how to crush your competition in Social Media!

Want to stay updates on the latest in social and mobile media marketing...SOMO? Click NOW to get access to The SOMO Journal