A new client I’ve recently acquired is a self-proclaimed ‘old-fashioned’ marketer. His small business promotes itself via print ads, he never really did much email marketing and the idea of a Facebook page is foreign.  This has become a tremendous challenge for me as a social media marketer and I’m embracing this by taking slow simple steps, knowing his business is on-board with the plan.

Here is my timeline for easing his business into social media marketing:

1. (Month 1)
   Create and establish a Facebook page.  
   The best way for a non-Facebook user to gain a following on Facebook (besides suggesting the page to his email address book) is to Boost his page for likes.  Additionally, I know he doesn’t mind giving out handouts at his point of sale  retail location, so I will create a flyer with his Facebook page URL and reasons why customers should like the business page.
   In order to get a sense of what types of posts work best on the Facebook page, I’ll test various offers, product information and industry-related news article posts.
2. (Month 2)
   Work on the website’s SEO.
   Several suppliers to this business operate their own websites with the opportunity to link back to my client’s website.  By digging deeper into the suppliers’ websites, I will confirm his website is linked on their ‘find a location’ pages.   Check Google, Bing and other search engines to optimize each of their free search tools for businesses.
   Build an email list.
   This client used an email marketing tool very sparingly over the past couple of years and ceased to continue utilizing it.  My goal is to convince the business owner that with the right email message, he will generate more awareness of his business and bring in more clientele to shop.
   Boost a popular Facebook post.
   Facebook page insights are helpful to see which posts are reaching the most users.  By boosting this post, the business will reach a wider and targeted audience for more exposure.
3. (Month 3)
   Begin an email marketing campaign sparingly.
   By using analytics and proving the emails are converting customers, we can catapult into a full-scale email schedule with content including staff profiles, promotions, testimonials and product information.
4. (Month 4)
   Continue to show results.
   Insights, Analytics and in-store statistics are the best tools for showing a retail business owner how social media marketing is growing his sales numbers.
   Introduce the concept of Blogging, Video Live-streaming and an additional Social Media Platform.
   Choose one of the above with the client’s input and test it out.By taking small, incremental baby steps with this particular client (or any others with the same hesitations), a marketing consultant can showcase their business into a modern, cool, hip and trendy place to buy their products!

It’s allergy season and you know what that means.
The itching, sneezing and wheezing associated with little annoyances in the air.  The beauty of spring flowers blooming and green plants budding has an ugly side too.  Do you suffer too?
Let me tell you something.
There are many other frustrations in this world which have the same effect on me as allergies—I’m sure the same for you.   Let’s focus on digital marketing for small business.

I’ve conjured up 10 Marketing-Related Annoyances.  Tell me what you think?

Infographics with small print, too much information on one sheet and no clear-cut format.
I’m not going to show examples of bad infographics as I’m not a hater.  So instead, I’ve found a couple of examples with infographics done right.

The text size and font is easy-to-read, there is a clear message for the readers and the information is simply presented.

Overposting about Me, My Business, Call me, and I can help you.
A general rule of thumb is 80% sharing content about your industry and 20% self-promotion.

Misspelled words
Use spellcheck, please.

Mixing politics or religion with business.
It’s a clear way to turn off clients.  Don’t even get pulled into the conversation on your personal Facebook page.  You never know who it may offend.

Not answering negative comments or reviews.
Allowing negative reviews to fester or bring down your ratings without a response is likened to watching someone get badly hurt and not helping.
All you need to do when negative post appears is to post a response from the management regarding a bad review and say you are sorry for their experience and your business does not take these mistakes lightly.  Offer a freebie to this particular customer as an incentive to come back.

Giving your brand an uneducated ‘voice’.
I have seen many small business Facebook pages where the business owner posts about their work.   Some of these are true epic fails with misspelled words, improper grammar and no punctuation.
If you have any doubts about how your ‘voice’ sounds, it’s best to hire a professional for the job.

Fuzzy or smashed photos.
Only use high-quality, correctly sized images or your brand will suffer.

A Google search which misses the mark.
Sign up for Google My Business so that you always appear on searches.
Additionally, ensure the competition is below you on Google and other rankings.

A website not optimized for Mobile.
Ever read an article on your device which has margins wide enough for 3 words. Mobile-Friendly websites are a necessity in this day and age.

Lack of posting or over posting on social media.
Do you hear crickets on a social media platform or is someone tagging everyone like mad for their 20-second interval posts?  Keep it consistently active within preferred norms.

I’d love to hear your pet peeves too!  Comment below.

Cheryl Friedenberg
President, High Key Impact LLC
cheryl@highkeyimpact.com
Highkeyimpact.com

What kind of social media mistakes do you see happening out there? Are there lessons to learn from what others are doing wrong? What are they?

Professional marketers are set apart from the rest of the pack with their insight into what really works for a particular type of business.
It takes experience, insights, analytics and foresight as well as a few lessons from the best there is….My Mom!

I’ve outlined below a few life lessons from Naomi, my mom (pictured below), and how they relate to digital marketing professionals:

Kill Them With Kindness

No matter what you post on a Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest account, please say something nice. With too many negatives or an attitude, followers will become turned off in a big way. My mom always taught me if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it. Same thing goes for your social media accounts. Make nice and be kind no matter how many naysayers are out there.
For example, stay out of the political debate. The last thing you want to do is align your political ideals to your business. This will eliminate a great percentage of your followers.  If you come across a negative review, respond to it with a coupon or free offer to try your product or service again.  There’s no need to get into any negativity or give excuses.

Three’s A Crowd

Ever notice that when 3 kids, teens or grownups get together, there’s always one person left on the sidelines fending for themselves? My mom always pointed this out when I had 2 friends over at the same time and someone would get their feelings hurt.
The same goes with social media marketing. Think of the third wheel as your social media account not getting as much attention as the others. Do you have Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest? Is your brand getting more attention on Facebook and Twitter? It’s not necessary to completely eliminate the third wheel. If it does not need as much time and attention, then there’s no need to give as such. I have several clients who really cherish their Pinterest accounts. Their other social media accounts have so much more activity so we decide to Pin on Pinterest less often.   It all depends what works best in your industry.

Every Celebration Needs A Family Photo

My siblings and I always reminisce about every family function and the dreaded family photos. We needed to pose each time we went to a party, out for dinner or were just playing outside. There were tears, stomping up to our rooms and just flat out refusals at times as it was very difficult to capture all of her happy children at every single moment of the day. But somehow, my mom succeeded in getting the job done.

Capturing every moment, from a marketing standpoint, is very 2016. My 1970’s mom was way ahead of her time. I encourage all of my clients to take photos and video of their daily office routines, special meetings or events, product development, staff photos and any other photo opp.   Then use these pictures to post away like crazy.

Shop For The Best Deals And Only Buy Quality Items

Before Costco, BJ’s and TJMaxx, there was my mom, searching out the least expensive pair of Jordache jeans. (I hope most of you reading this know what these are.)
She had very high-end tastes, but with a family of 6, she needed to find these items for a lot less than the going rate. And I wanted to wear the jeans all of my friends were wearing.  Fast forward to today: If you ask my mom to go car shopping, she will shop and find you the best deal around…even in her late 70’s!

The same goes with your marketing budget. Don’t spend too little on a website which will only get you to a certain point on search rankings.  Keep your wits about you when looking for a for a marketing professional to help with your digital plans. A college grad is more cost-effective than a seasoned professional, but how far are they going to take your brand?
This idea also translates with images on your social media accounts. Using a photo which is grainy and pixelated won’t be a good model for your brand. Spend the extra money and find photos with excellent quality.

All-in-all, my advice is simple:
What you’ve learned in life, especially from your mom, is something that will translate well into your work world. Play nice, be fair, share and lift others up…. in life and with your social media marketing!
(special thanks to my mom, Naomi)

By: Cheryl Friedenberg, President, High Key Impact LLC
Cheryl@highkeyimpact.com, highkeyimpact.com
Marketing Consulting for Small Businesses

Social Media Marketing is getting all of the buzz in the business and marketing world. We all share a plethora of industry content on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn as well as 100’s of other social media sites.

The goal here is to share a post on your business page, it gains momentum with comments, likes, shares and points visitors towards your company’s website.
Once you gain a website visitor…POOF…there are tools available to turn them into a customer, right?

Not exactly.

A visitor to your website is delicate like chicken broth or liquid gold and we need to mold that visitor into a potential client.

But there are other ways to bring in clients. Social Media is only a piece of the Marketing pie.

For a marketing plan to work properly, a company’s concentration should not rely on social media alone. There are several aspects involved in converting customers.

Website’s landing page(s).
Once I land on your business’ home page, is there an opportunity for me to easily signup for your newsletter? Is your contact information front and center? Do you have testimonials for me to view with satisfied clients exclaiming their love for your product or service?
The purpose of getting a visitor to your website is to ‘catch them while you can’!   Think about the tools you may use to gather information and turn a cold prospect site visitor into a warmer potential customer.

Community Outreach
Why not join a networking group, speak at a local business association or become known as the ‘leader in your field’ at your religious institution?

There are many outlets to find a niche in your industry to fill. Teaching an evening class at the local community college or speaking at a senior center are various ways to get the word out about your area of expertise and your business. What a great way to make connections offline!

Sales
Selling is all about numbers.  Yes, it takes experience too, however, if you are not making sales calls, your sales will plummet. Period.

Is your business filling the sales funnel each and every day? What kind of follow up is taking place after prospective client meetings? What are you doing beyond your competition which makes your product or service stand out? Are you meeting with decision makers? Are you getting referrals from existing customers? Work the sales team to keep that piece of the marketing pie as active as possible.

Publicity
When your company receives awards, presents or attends community events or an employee receives accolades for a personal triumph, utilize local news sources to help get your company’s name out there in print and online. Reach out to individual reporters or editors as well as regional news affiliates. Write an industry-related article or blog to post on LinkedIn or within LinkedIn groups. When your business is published throughout the year consistently, warm prospects take notice.
Ongoing publicity is a powerful tool to use when marketing your business.

Word-Of-Mouth Referrals
Sales is all about the ask and the ask doesn’t end when the sale is closed. Once you have a happy customer, ask for referrals, testimonials and reviews. Referrals are the best and most cost-effective way to acquire a new client. Testimonials on your website and on social media outlets help your business showcase it’s reliable customer service. And reviews on Google+ and Facebook are a potent approach to continuing your word-of-mouth marketing momentum.

The bottom line:
Social media, without any sales, publicity, outreach or referrals, is not meant to stand alone as a marketing plan.  Businesses still need to work the  basics when it comes to implementing a comprehensive marketing strategy.

Cheryl Friedenberg, President, High Key Impact, LLC
cheryl@highkeyimpact.com
www.Highkeyimpact.com