Tag Archives: Social media

Listen To My ‘Gentle Marketing’ Radio Interview

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Are you a shy marketer? Do you hate in-your-face-marketing? Don’t you think it’s 100% better to have clients be attracted to YOU? I believe so strongly in this topic that I wrote a book on it (coming in May!)

Listen to my hilarious radio interview with BizRadio and BizTV host David Wojcik on this topic of marketing on a shoestring budget while being authentic, attractive and generous.

It’s all about being clear on who you are as a business, who your ideal bullseye target customer is and how to get in front of them with the right message. It’s also virtually free because you were born with the best marketing tool and that’s your personality.

Picking the right niche is also free since all it takes is talking to your potential target groups to find out if you offer something of value to them.

Once you get those two things right, then you ask them where they hang out and go hang out with them! Simple, isn’t it?

I want you too to be a Gentle Marketer. It’s easy, cheap and best of all, it’s effortless.

Need more chicken soup for your biz? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk!

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Report: Whos Using Social Networks

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If you beat yourself up about not being social media savvy, you can stop. It looks like most social media tools listed below are still very fringe (ranging between 13-16% of all internet users with the exception of Facebook). Here’s a  recent report by Pew Research Centers Internet and American Life Project conducted a national survey via landlines and mobile phones in English and Spanish in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Facebook

Two-thirds of online adults are Facebook users, making this social media platform far and away the most popular. Demographical segment leaders include urbanites, users in the 18 through 29 age group and high earners ($75,000+ per year).

Twitter

(Represent) 16 percent (of internet users). Twitter users are much more likely to be urban-based, be between the ages of 18 and 29.

Pinterest

(Representing) 15 percent of all Internet users, Pinterest attracts five times as many women as men and has a large lead in the white, non-Hispanic ethnicity group.

Instagram

Instagram holds a healthy share of Internet users, with 13 percent reporting the use of the photo sharing social platform. Women are much more likely to use Instagram.

via Report: Whos Using Social Networks.

If you have a knack as a small business owner for the techy stuff online, then go ahead, do something and do it right. But if you’re just like the rest of the over 30 population of entrepreneurs and you still want clients, I’d say this study makes a good case for getting out there into the streets to get yourself in front of actual human faces.

Need more chicken soup for your biz? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk!

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5 Signs That You Are Living In The Dark Ages

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I’ve been having lots of short phone chats with people I meet while networking, on social media or with people who’ve been e-introduced to me. In some cases, I have to really shake my head at the mindset that greets me. Here are some hints that you might also be living in the dark ages…

1. You Connect With Someone Only Because You Think They’ll Become A Client

When did every date become a marriage proposal? How do people expect every interaction to yield money? How archaic is the thinking that unless I’m going to buy from you that you are not interested in a single word I have to say? Sheesh

2. You Are Perfect (Or Think You Are)

Not open to hearing about how others are doing it? Success stories in your industry are automatically tuned out by your senses? I understand, of course I would too if I were perfect. It’s too bad there are so few of us in this world, am I right?

3. You Don’t Care About Me

If you’re spending 90% of the conversation, oh no–make that 100% talking about you and never once think to ask about my business, then I’m going to start getting the idea that you just don’t give a hoot about me. You also don’t give a hoot about helping me or connecting me with a potential partner or client or anything.

4. Your Sales Suck But You Say You’re Really Busy

Authenticity and transparency are the new black. On one hand there are clear indicators that you’re not doing so hot and on the other you’re bragging about a marathon of non ending work. Which is it my friend?

5. You Refuse Any Help

You refuse resources, partnerships or any other type of help because, yeah I forgot, you are perfect and you’re already really busy.

If you, as a small business owner are exhibiting any of these signs, I beg you to get yourself checked out and get a cromagnonitis stat. Drag yourself and your business into the new age of marketing. Give instead of ask. Listen instead of talk. Collaborate instead of sell.

Getting off my probably PMS driven soap box now.

Need more chicken soup for your biz? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk!

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3 Words That Create Instant Credibility

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A lot of the work I do with my clients around branding and marketing themselves is around authenticity and transparency. I often talk about how attractive it is when you, the small business owner is up front and honest with people.

When it comes to credibility-building, the three most powerful words in the English language are: “I dont know.”

Many salespeople and most managers think that they’ll lose credibility if they admit ignorance, especially about something about which they “ought” to know. However, the exact opposite is the case.

Admitting ignorance makes everything else you say more credible.

Needless to say, the “I dont know” should be followed by a plan to discover the information thats required, if the issue is truly important. And you WILL be judged on whether you deliver on that promise.

via 3 Words That Create Instant Credibility.

Will you look stupid if you say that you don’t know something? Only if what you don’t know is something that’s very basic and elemental to your ‘expertise’. This is why you need to become an expert in just 1 thing to start with (don’t get me started on the ‘Get a niche!’ song).

Experts deserve that name because they are supposed to know more about their subject matter than other people and it’s rare for them to say ‘I don’t know’. Become an expert in something first, then if you still don’t know the answers, well you’d better move heaven and earth to find out what you don’t and SHOULD know.

Need more chicken soup for your biz? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk!

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Should You Be Anti-Valentine’s?

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It might seem like a very odd sentiment to be anti-Valentine’s for a romantic fool like me but I have my reasons. If I get another email or newsletter with a LOVE theme this week, I’m going to literally throw up like my 3 year old did last night at daycare (yes, he’s got another bug!).

I don’t dislike love, appreciation or romance. However, as a brand marketing expert, I break out in hives if you’re not DIFFERENT than others, especially if you want to stand out in your industry. Let me share some ways that I think you can be different:

1. Be Controversial

Did my post title get your attention? I’ll bet I’ll have higher open rates this week than at other weeks. Ever wonder why people fight so much on reality shows? That’s because the producers tell them to since it garners more attention from viewers than a sedate show. Take a lesson from show biz and add some controversy into your messaging. Stand for something you believe in. Speak up against something that bothers you. Defend something that nobody else seems to have time for. For example, it is my life long mission to stop women from being uncomfortable marketing themselves. What’s your stake in the ground?

2. Make Your Brand Voice Clear

I talk about this so much that I’m still amazed when I meet “me-too” businesses who can’t be distinguished from one another. As small business owners, our personalities ARE our brands. We need to shout about who we are in every aspect of our communication. For example, I recently signed on a new client who is a money coach.  While chatting casually, I discovered that before hitting the big time with banks as a multimillion dollar portfolio investment advisor, she acted in movies with Johnny Depp in Paris! How many money coaches do you know who have acted with Johnny Depp? How can you forget her once you’ve heard her story?

3. Reverse What Your Competition Is Doing

Here’s an example, take a keynote title that your competition is delivering, say “Social Media Made Easy” and reverse it to garner more attention and be more interesting “Social Media Giving You A Headache?”. Be different. Zig when they Zag. Watch what others do and don’t for the love of God copy. Reverse it.

So, as I celebrate at a romantic dinner date night out with my beloved hubby on this Valentine’s, I’ll be telling him about this post that has hopefully helped you realize that: NO, you shouldn’t send a valentine’s message to your audience just because it’s the season but instead, you should take the opportunity to get their attention by being different in a way that reflects who YOU really are.

Need more chicken soup for your biz? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk!

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