As a general rule, creating interest in your product is among the most surefire ways to drive an increase in traffic, and to ultimately drive an increase in sales. Being interested means showing that you care about your customers, and making every possible effort to engage them and please them.

Be Interesting

While it’s never been easier than it is today to create an interesting product, and to generated natural interest around the product, there’s also never been nearly as much competition as there is now.

YouTube is the perfect example – while the popular video-sharing site has made possible the previously unthinkable idea of creating and distributing a video advertisement with no cost associated except the time that it takes you to product it, it has also driven allowed your competitors access to the exact same set of tools.

The key to creating buzz is indirect advertising. In this age where one can access nearly everything they want, totally free of charge, nobody wants to watch an advert. Instead, create a funny or informative video or article, and just include a link to your site. If you can be interesting enough that people share the article, then you be sure to have some of the excess interest spill over onto your website.

Be Interested

However, it’s not sufficient to just be interesting. You must also be interested in your customers. Thanks to the rise of the internet, its now possible to do this better than you ever could before.

Set up a blog and a Facebook fan page where you can see what your customers are saying, and where you can respond to them directly. Modify your marketing efforts to more accurately target your customers, and change your products if your customers are looking for something different.

The rule of being interested also applies to competitors within your industry. Read their adverts, both online and off, to see what they are doing, who they are targeting, and how they are doing it. Read the blogs of industry leaders, comment on them, and share their insights via your Facebook page.

By showing interest in your industry, you’ll not only learn more valuable information, but you’ll ultimately draw more attention to your own site, and your own products. And as we all know – more attention means more sales.

Happy marketing!

Sean

Sean McPheat

Marketing Consultant – Sales Expert - Motivational Speaker

Social Media Optimisation (SMO) is the new SEO and it can do wonders for your business in terms of generating more leads and increasing awareness of your brand – so how can you optimise your corporate social media accounts to get the most out of them in 2012?

Well, there are two basic components to any good SMO campaign. Firstly, you need to link your social media sites to your website and blog content through the likes of social media share buttons. By adding a Facebook “like” button, a “Tweet This” button or Google Plus’ “+1” button to your content your audience can easily share your content with others and give recommendation to your work, which any visitors to your site will be able to see through the number of likes and shares each your posts or pages have had.

The second component to a successful SMO campaign comes from the contributions you make yourself – by providing high quality content which continuously engages your audience, then sharing this to all of your social media platforms yourself so that all of your followers have regular updates to keep them interested.

It is also very important when creating improved SMO for your business that either you yourself, your marketing team or your company as a defined brand itself interacts with your audience directly, through posting comments on your own sites, interacting with your followers and engaging in discussion and debate on other relevant blogs and forums. Simply plastering your content all over your social media platforms is not enough – you need to engage your audience and interact with them in a way which drives discussion and sparks further interest.

In basic terms, in order to be successful with SMO your content needs to be engaging and up-to-date, and it needs to be made easy for your audience to share this content across as many social media platforms as possible.

SMO is just as important for your business as SEO has been, as not only can it drive traffic to your sites, creating increased lead generation and in turn boost your sales, but it is also aimed at increasing your direct contact with your current followers – which in turn will push your online reach out across your targeted markets and allow you to engage with more and more potential clients.

The main downfall with pursuing an SMO campaign is that it can be very time consuming, and if you don’t have a dedicated team to push SMO it can be very difficult to maintain a strong online presence for your business – so look out for future posts about some great online tools which can help streamline your social media efforts and increase SMO in one foul swoop.

Happy marketing!

Sean

Sean McPheat

Marketing Consultant – Sales Expert – Motivational Speaker

Engage your Customers

Some products generate enough interest to create word of mouth and marketing buzz on their own. For the other 99% of products, you’ll have to do a bit of work to get the buzz started.

The best way to get word of mouth started is by maintaining an open dialogue with your customers. Ask them what they think of your business, what they like, and what you could improve. If your customers like one thing about your business, and your marketing materials are advertising something else, then you need to change your marketing focus.

Get Them Talking

A lot of times, there are word of mouth promotion channels that your customers may not even be thinking about, although they would probably be more than happy to promote your business.

For example, if you own a restaurant, and you know that a customer particularly enjoyed his meal, then ask him to write a review on Yelp! Your customers appreciate the hard work that you put into providing a quality product, and I think you’ll be surprised to find how willing they are to write a glowing review for you.

Throw them a Holiday Surprise

Few things stick in a person’s memory longer than an unsolicited act of kindness. Get your customers talking about you by doing something for them this holiday season. Send some of your best customers a coupon for a discount on their next purchase.

Integrate with Social Media

I know I started this post by taking a cheap potshot at social networking, but sites like Facebook and Twitter are actually just a modern take on word of mouth advertising. Specifically, they give you the ability to see which customers are spreading the good word about your business, and too see exactly what they are saying about you.

Don’t underestimate this impressive opportunity. Social media has given you the ability to know exactly what your customers are talking about. Reward your best customers, and the ones who are saying great things about you. And tailor your marketing materials to get them more in line with the good things that people are saying about you.

There are a million and a half ways that you can try to reach your customers today. But even with all the recent advances in marketing technology, the best way to reach them is still by winning over their friends. Make word of mouth advertising start working for you today!

Happy marketing!

Sean

Sean McPheat

(Image by Stuart Miles)

Marketing Consultant – Sales Expert - Motivational Speaker

All Work, No Play

I personally know a lot of small business owners and freelance contractors out there who are working day and night, producing excellent products and services, but they simply don’t have much to show for it. This is because they are not communicating with clients effectively enough.

There is an ancient Chinese proverb, that “he who rises before the sun 360 days per year cannot fail to make his family rich.” Yet many small business owners are in violation of this proverb, simply because they don’t know how to advertise themselves.

Leverage Social Media

Fortunately, the rise of social media provides small business everywhere with a way to advertise, (almost) totally free of charge. It would be a crime not to take advantage of this opportunity.

Actually putting together a social media campaign goes way beyond the scope of a simple blog post. My purpose here is just to get you started on your way.

If you haven’t already, set up a Twitter account, a Facebook page, get LinkedIn, and create an account on YouTube. Then start engaging. Engage with thought leaders in your industry. Learn from them, and re-share their information.

Then start sharing information of your own. Just remember that the key is looking at things from your customer’s point of view. Only engage them with information that you think will benefit them, and information that you think they will want to re-share.

For instance, don’t just put up a YouTube video that talks about how great your product is. If I wanted to see another dull advertisement, I would turn on the television. Make a video which is humourous, informative, or both. Maybe mention your product briefly, maybe just use it to promote you name. But definitely don’t just upload 5 minutes of satisfied customers talking about your product.

The best thing about social media is that fakers get weeded out fairly quickly. When you are communicating with your customers on a daily basis, it is much more difficult to pretend that you know what you’re talking about.

On the other hand, though, if you’re confident that you provide the best service in your industry, then a social media marketing campaign will make this shine through, and new customers will come flocking to you.

Happy marketing!

Sean

Sean McPheat

Marketing Consultant – Sales Expert - Motivational Speaker 

So, what can you do to give your social media strategy longevity in 2012? Here are a few tips to help you consolidate your social media activity for the New Year and beyond.

1. Stop saturating and build your brand

Once you have really got to grips with using social media as a business tool it is very easy to overdo your efforts and start to saturate your social media platforms with lots of content, from each department of your company, and for each separate product or service that you offer. Whilst you might think this gives you a broader reach and a better web presence, you are probably just confusing your followers by making it too overwhelming to receive all the content you are putting out there.

So instead of saturating your social media platforms, start branding all of your company’s departments and products or services under one main name. You can still keep separate accounts for marketing, management, sales etc but ensure you only have one contact from each department and include the company name in all of their usernames. This will help to consolidate and group together your team and products under your main company brand.

2. Post for the platform, not for your own benefit

Each social media platform is different. The way your followers use Facebook in comparison to the way they use Twitter is different, and the reasons some of your audience chooses to interact with you on LinkedIn rather than on Flickr will be different as well – they are looking for different content and are expecting different interaction with you depending on which platform they are using.

You probably already know how to use each of the platforms for your own benefit, but use 2012 to really tune in to what your followers want from you on each platform.  If they’re friends with you on Facebook then they probably want to see a more personal side of you, if they are following you on Twitter then they probably expect regular and consistent updates about your new content and if they have connected with you on LinkedIn they are clearly looking to engage with you in a more professional way.

Consider what each platform is used for and research the way people on the site interact and then tailor your involvement to these conforms – you’ll be amazed at the results.

3. Schedule your posting in advance

It’s always good to think about what you’re going to say before you say it, and the same rule applies with posting. Is what you’re posting really relevant? Will it be of interest to anyone? I would hope it would be otherwise why would you be producing it – but it doesn’t hurt to ask the question every now and again!

Scheduling posts in advance also stops you from overwhelming your followers with massive amounts of content, or ignoring them completely due to the fact you’ve had no time to create anything that day. If you schedule a weekly or daily plan for what you will be posting about and what content you will be distributing on which platform, you will soon find you have a nice on-going structure for each site making the whole process much more automated and easy to follow.

A great way to schedule social media sharing is to draw up an editorial planner at the start of each month, which gives you a chance to plan the bulk in advance and then add in more topical updates at times when you have less scheduled content going out. This will give your followers enough to keep them interested and ensure you don’t overwhelm them with information and scare them off.

The best advice I can give you for 2012 is to reassess where your social media campaign is at currently and where you would like it to be by this time next year – then simply put actions to your words and make it happen. Ask yourself these questions:  If you were a follower of your company on each platform, what opinion would you have of them? Are you getting what you hoped you would from engaging with them in this way? And is there more they could do to keep your attention? Then make 2012 the year you give your social media plan real depth and long term value.

Happy marketing!

Sean

Sean McPheat

Marketing Consultant – Sales Expert – Motivational Speaker

With only 140 characters to play with, some Twitter users tend to get carried away and try to saturate their page with second by second updates of their every movement. Others ignore the fact that the average shelf life of a tweet is no more than an hour and hardly post anything at all to keep their followers interested with. So, how do you get the balance right between just enough and too much? And more importantly, what should you be doing with Twitter to help boost your following?

Well, here are 3 big mistakes to avoid when managing a successful Twitter account.

1.       Avoid cheesy and stereotypical Auto-DMs

So someone follows you and then receives an instant Auto-DM saying “Hey, it’s great to tweet up!” – No, bad move! They have probably had the same message from nearly every single person they have followed…so what set’s yours apart from all the rest?

If the answer is nothing then you need a rethink. If you are going to use an Auto-DM, it should be original to you and should offer your new followers an extra little something as a thank you for following you. That first direct message is the first thing your new followers will see so you should make the most of that first introduction – even in the limited space. Don’t just send a generic “Thanks For Following” message, it’s unlikely to even be read.    

2.       What’s your ratio?

Twitter really is all about ratios, and your following to followers ratio is more important than you might think.  There are two ways you can get this wrong; firstly, following more people than you have following you, and secondly having loads of followers but hardly following anyone else.

With the first point it’s easy to see why having few followers isn’t a great idea, as the less followers you have the less people you are able to share your content with. However, it also doesn’t look good for any new followers who land on your page, as when you’re seen to be following loads of people it makes you look like your desperately clawing for followers – which is only made worse by the fact you have few followers in return, and it begs the question “Why aren’t people following this person?”. Not a good look.  

On the other hand, the issue with having loads of followers but hardly following anyone back means that you appear to be somewhat of a Twitter Snob; happy to share your content with all who want it but not interested in what others have to share. Again, not a good look.

The best way to keep the balance right is to regularly cull who you follow and get rid of anyone who you have followed for a while but who hasn’t followed you back. It may seem harsh but if you’re not gaining anything fantastic from them in terms of their content and they’re not following you back to receive your fantastic content then surely there is no point in keeping them on there? Having a more equal following to follower ratio will make your profile appear more neutral and follower friendly to anyone who lands on your page.

3.       What are you talking about?

As a business professional you are more likely to be Tweeting about events that are happening or sharing links to your content than Tweeting about what you had for dinner last night – but it is still so important to be clear and concise with your tweets. Using business jargon that only a select few would understand, or being very vague when tweeting  – for example, saying things like “Well that was an interesting meeting…” – will not go down well with your followers.

Although you only have 140 characters per tweet you should make the most of those if you want to get people interested in what you are distributing. Be clear, to the point and tweet something that will be well received by many rather than few.

These are  just a few ways in which you can help to keep up a successful Twitter account, by not only keeping your current followers interested but also striving to attract some new ones as well.

Happy marketing!

Sean

Sean McPheat

(Image by Rosaura Ochoa)

Marketing Consultant – Sales Expert - Motivational Speaker

Using LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the social media site for the networking professional.  The site focuses on recruiting only professionals, and only those that are looking to build additional business connections.  On LinkedIn you build a network of different providers that you can go to for different things.  Building a broad network that can allow you to help anyone that asks for a referral can be difficult, but it is worth the challenge.

How Network Building Works

The first step to building a big network of disparate professionals is to ask everyone you know to join.  Instead of simply pulling from your email address, contact anyone with which you do business and ask them to join your group of affiliate clients.  Many will do so as long as you include a brief reminder about how or where the two of you met.  By continuing to pursue new additions to your network and asking others to mention your name, you will gradually expand your existing network.  Do not rush this process, quality connections are worth much more than quantity. Once you have an expansive network, it is time to start leveraging it to bring in more clients.

How Cross Referrals make you Money

In the business world, what goes around definitely comes back around.  Cross referrals work, because the more people you refer to others, the more likely you are to be their go to guy for your services.  For example, if you offer bookkeeping services and recommend the same firm for legal advice to everyone that asks, with the request that they mention your name, eventually, the firm will do the same for you.  After all, if you bring them a lot of business and they do not return the favour, you will simply start recommending a firm that will.  Of course, you will need to be cautious and ensure that any company you refer offers excellent service, because in a way your recommendation is then tied to your reputation.  Only refer the best, to keep people coming back for advice time after time.

Happy marketing!

Sean

Sean McPheat

Marketing Consultant – Sales Expert - Motivational Speaker

1. Never go for quantity over quality.  Fewer tweets that provide quality information are much preferred over spamming your feed.  Keep your tweets on point, current and informative to gain a growing network of subscribers.
2. Tweet regularly, not constantly.  It is important to distinguish between regular and constant.  If you are constantly posting new tweets, it is highly doubtful that all of then contain unique and useful content.  Tweet at least once per day, and as often as three or four times a day, but use the minimum number of tweets to post the most current information.
3. Concise is the way to go.  Tweets are designed to me very short, 150 characters or less.  That is often only enough to write a phrase and post a link.  Write out your tweets ahead of time to ensure they will meet the character requirements, and play with the wording.  Try to say as much as you can with as few words as possible.
4. Expert and informative is the tone to take.  Provide valuable industry information to consumers, and they will be back time and again to get your take.  Demonstrate your expertise and maintain a professional tone while doing so.
5. Never fear a bit of controversy.  The really nice thing about social media is that it allows an opportunity to be social with potential customers.  Consumers would normally never have a chance to get to know you personally, rather than the corporate façade.  Allowing people to see you take a stand on issues can generate conversations that will gain you additional followers.

When you tweet, make sure to include plenty of links to other sources.  Post a link to longer articles or blog posts that you have written or a link back to your store.  Twitter can be used to successfully announce new sales or product lines, along with other industry information.  The subjects are endless, so it is usually not a problem to find quality information to post for consumers.

Happy marketing!

Sean

Sean McPheat

Marketing Consultant – Sales Expert - Motivational Speaker

Social media is the newest marketing trend, and it is not going away any time soon.  Social media has revolutionized the way that people interact in modern society.  For many people, what shows on social media sites is more real than real life.  Relationships have broken up because of a failure to promptly update an online profile.  There are websites devoted to simulating daily life.  This change has opened up entirely new marketing avenues.  Now, marketers and company professionals can interact directly with consumers.  One of the best social media sites for relationship building and conversation is Twitter.

Twitter allows more immediacy, which is the goal of all social media. The small post size and easy mobile access makes this an ideal way to stay connected with your customer base all of the time.   Unlike traditional marketing methods, Twitter requires more interaction and more consistent effort.  With traditional marketing, the campaign would be planned months in advance, launched and then tracked.  With social media, the campaign is an ever flexible piece of interaction.  Below are some great strategies you can use to maximize your Twitter success.

1. Increase your Subscribers – The key to success on Twitter, is the size and quality of your network.  Simply getting huge numbers of followers is not enough.  You need to ensure that your followers are actually interested in the subject matter and industry in which you work or pursue sales.  Uninterested followers do not add real numbers to your network.  Getting quality follower is all about knowing where to look.  Find groups dedicated to your industry, and start interacting with them.  Yahoo Groups, Facebook, blogs and many other social media forums are a great place to start.
2. Be Active – The more active you are online, the more followers you will get.  People will see that you offer value to discussions on subject matters in which they are interested.  This will push them to follow your tweets.  The more value you offer to others, the more likely they are to respect your position as an informational authority and the more they will recommend you and your company to others.
3. Tweet Conversation Starters – When posting in response to other people, you are merely responding to their information.  One of the best things to do using Twitter is generate discussions.  To generate conversation, ask questions, make slightly controversial posts or ask for opinions.

Social media advertising/marketing takes more time committed than any other method, but the results are well worth it.  No other marketing method offers you free access to millions of people and groups with narrow group focuses.  Enjoy all Twitter has to offer, and start tweeting today.

Happy marketing!

Sean

Sean McPheat

Marketing Consultant – Sales Expert - Motivational Speaker

Last year the appeal raised £36 million but this year organisers are hoping to smash this record by applying some very modern techniques to help boost the Poppy Appeal tradition.

To mark the 90^th anniversary of the Poppy Appeal, the charity has moved full throttle into the modern age of online interaction and are hoping to appeal to younger generations through their involvement with social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

The Royal British Legion, who are behind the Poppy Appeal, have this year decided to enhance their traditional campaign of selling poppies in places such as big shopping centres and on the streets of our towns and cities, by moving online into the virtual world in an attempt to raise more money and awareness for the cause than ever before.

Supporters can now purchase their poppies online by logging on to the RBL’s interactive forum “Shoulder To Shoulder”, uploading a photo of themselves to the site, purchasing a virtual poppy to pin to their picture and adding a special message to their image. This option seems to have really appealed to the public, as the site has had nearly 18,500 pictures uploaded of people with their virtual poppies to date .

The public can now purchase downloadable Poppy Appeal wallpapers for their computers and add support buttons to their websites which link back to the RBL Poppy Appeal homepage. 

The RBL has also taken their Poppy Appeal into the realm of social media and now have a Facebook page, a Twitter feed and a Youtube channel where supporters can gain to-the-minute updates on the campaign and share and contribute with each other in this online space. The campaign is even fronted by a virtual blogger called Poppy, who is the face of the appeal online and posts regular blog articles to the “Legion Live” forum for supporters to read, share and contribute to. 

With over 11,300 Facebook likes, nearly 12,000 Twitter followers and well over 520,000 views of their videos on Youtube it seems like the campaign has taken on a whole new lease of life. Although official figures for the total amount raised by this year’s Poppy Appeal have yet to be confirmed, it is obvious to see what a huge impact this first outreach via social media and other online platforms has made to the campaign.

It’s great to see such a well-established and long-serving organisation as the RBL looking to more modern and interactive methods to engage with the public and help raise awareness and funds for their cause. Personally, I feel this really shows just how important and influential social media interaction can be when you want to get your message out there and ensure that it is heard on a massive scale. The internet and social media is the way forward, so ensure that you are not missing out on its benefits when it comes to your business’ next big campaign.  

(Image by Paul Simpson)

Happy marketing!

Sean

Sean McPheat

Marketing Consultant – Sales Expert - Motivational Speaker