Archive for the ‘Marketing’ Category
Facebook and Your Privacy
There’s a new wrinkle in the Facebook world.
And it portends some interesting changes you may want to know about. Facebook is going to be creating the way you see the internet based on your interests. LinkedIn has already been doing this. Providing users with links to ‘outside’ sites but through the LinkedIn interface — the ‘wrapper’ is LinkedIn but the site is ‘inside’ the LinkedIn wrapper.
Facebook will now be doing this, too. But the Facebook approach will cause information (i.e. advertising and other ‘relevant’ information) to be shown to you based upon your interests and favorites that are part of your Facebook profile.
For advertisers, this means a huge base of people with increasingly relevant targeting should equal one of the best media for promoting a business on in a long time. Now, if only the ‘privacy police’ will get on board with this . . . wait and see.
By the way, if you would like to receive a complimentary copy of an ‘10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know’ . . . click here.
The Referral Engine
Why do some companies seem to get customers or clients or patients who are referred IN to them as opposed to other firms who have to seek OUT their sources of revenues using direct marketing, cold-calling and the like?
The answer? Simple. Some businesses are just more refer-able. They operate in a manner that invites and even demands their customers and clients to become evangelists for the company’s brand.
In a few weeks, Duct Tape Marketing’s founder, John Jantsch will be releasing a new book — The Referral Engine.
I have an advance copy for a review I’m writing and I am most impressed. Rather than being a book of ‘How To’ (although that is present) this book is more about how to be a business that operates in a manner that generates such exquisite experiences for people that they become the ‘raving fans’ and the ‘brand evangelists’ that drive new customers and clients into contact with the firm.
You can get a complimentary download of Chapter 1 of John’s wonderful new book: The Referral Engine
Just click on the cover and you’ll be reading some great new insights in no time!
Enjoy!
Attracting Clients With Your Message
I have recently ‘discovered’ a most talented individual — Christian Mickelson.
He’s the founder of Coaches With Clients — a San Diego, CA based firm that helps coaches develop the skills and systems for growing their clientele.
In this video, Christian shares a lot of wisdom on the topic of “How To Respond” when someone asks, “What Do You Do?”
It’s always a challenge . . . until you learn the secret of saying the right words to help you become more attractive to prospective clients.
Check out his video . . . he’s a coach himself and, more important (to me) he’s successful because he practices what he preaches . . . he walks his own talk . . . rather remarkable.
You will a lot from Christian. I sincerely hope you do, too!
Maximizing LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a wonderful social network for business.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a ‘User Handbook’ full of ideas on how to get the most value you can from being a part of it.
Here are some quick and easy ways can get more out of being on LinkedIn.
Drop Your Title!
For example, I used to use my title “CCO”. Now, my profile ‘title’ reads: “Helping small business owners attract clients and grow revenues”.
This allows you to inform people how you can help them rather than what you are — which may be lost on them, anyway.
Key Idea
Show your tagline instead of your title
Integrate with Twitter
The new Twitter integration functionality allows you to tweet a message and have it display in your status . . . automatically!.
You can edit your settings to show “ALL” your Tweets or, selective Tweets which you can set up with the hashtag (#) function on Twitter. Very cool!
Key Idea
Use the Twitter integration function on your LinkedIn profile.
Leverage Your Group Memberships
I’ve been writing a monthly article for The National Networker for about two years helping others leverage their marketing and networking to build relationships and revenues. After an article is published, my publisher, Adam Kovitz suggested I post it as a “news article” to the various groups that I belong to on LinkedIn. You can do the same thing with any blog post you write just as easily.
This one simple activity can drive tons of traffic to your blog!
In time, getting people to know of you (brand awareness), like you (brand preference) and trust you (brand value) because they’ve come to appreciate the value in your advice is . . . priceless!
Key Idea
Join the LinkedIn groups where your blog posts or articles will be relevant and post your “news articles” whenever you can.
Join The Conversations
LinkedIn has ‘Discussions’. Are you starting them? Are you commenting on them? If not, you’re missing a huge opportunity to leverage your membership and the value LinkedIn holds for you.
Contributing to LinkedIn Discussions is a great way to position yourself as an authority and showcase your expertise.
Always provide a link to a relevant page on your blog or landing page on your website. For example, if you comment on how to ‘generate referrals’, you should create a landing page where a Special Report on ‘Referrals’ can be downloaded. Remember, you’re offering relevant information in a meaningful context. So don’t just say, “Hey, I’m here!”. Offer value and . . . an easy way to get it!
Key Idea
Participate in the discussions on any LinkedIn group where your ideal clients are likely to be found and post questions to stimulate some discussions of your own.
Respond To Questions
Questions allow you to demonstrate your expertise and build up the “know / Like / Trust” factor you know is so important to your marketing success.
Both the questions you answer for others (and, ask) will be seen by visitors to your profile. Often, what you have to say may be more interesting than anything else a visitor will notice on your profile page.
Key Idea
Seek out questions posed by others on topics you can answer. Use an RSS feed coupled to your Google Reader to show you new questions as they appear and post your answers to your profile as well.
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Are Elevator Pitches . . . Dead?
Andy Lopata is a fellow-columnist at The National Networker where we both write a monthly column. Andy’s from the UK. And, while we’re geographically far apart, we’re in close agreement about . . . Elevator Pitches.
Elevator Ptches
If you aren’t familiar with the concept, it’s based upon the 10 - 15 seconds that begins with the time you step into an elevator and the time you step out of one. Maybe a floor or two. Inside the elevator someone asks, “What do you do?”.
Having a prepared ‘pitch’ or commercial response at the ready can turn such a moment-of-truth with a truly qualified prospect for your services . . . into a highly productive one.
Andy argues that these chance encounters, while prevalent in daily business, have deteriorated into a social convention that is often more polite than productive. He’s got a good point. Listen to him directly:
Why Elevator Pitches May Not Really Work
If you’re honest about it, do they work for you? Or, are they merely a social convention that prevents sincere connections from taking place between two people in business?
Lopata contends that delivering a carefully crafted ‘commercial’ has become, for many businesspeople, the sole goal of a ‘new encounter’ rather than using it as the starting point for a meaningful conversation with a stranger. I tend to agree.
What Does Work?
In a word, ‘Listening‘ –– focusing more on what the other person is sharing with you than on what you say in response to their question: “What do you do?”.
POINT:
It’s only slightly more difficult to listen. But it’s a lot more powerful. And, given that it’s a common complaint about people, being a good listener may be better than being a good pitcher!
