Posts Tagged social media to connect with customers
Linking Businesses Through Social Media Networking
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Networking on November 12, 2012
Have you ever wondered how some small to medium companies never seem to run out of clients, even though you never see them at any networking events? You might be surprised to learn that they do much of their networking from the comfort of their own offices, homes, tablets and smart phones.
Recently, we are seeing more and more often that small to medium companies are scoring new clients and big sponsors through the medium of social media networking. In a time when many businesses are still slow to even jump on a social media platform – or don’t use it once they do – then this information may have many of you shaking your heads. Isn’t social media for listening to customers? For gathering potential customers? Is it possible to make business contacts through social media? The answer to all of these questions is: yes.
Social media platforms are perfect for listening to customers and gathering potential customers, and it is precisely this use which makes it such a great opportunity to reach out to other businesses and potential sponsors, donors and investors. Of course, it’s important to remember that reaching out to potential business contacts, investors, donors and sponsors is no different than reaching out to anyone else. You want to let them know how much you enjoy and value their work, while also providing them with a reason to get in touch with you. At first, this might be a few Tweets which praise a particular ad campaign, or recommend a certain event of theirs. Consistent, but not overwhelming, contact should lead to their notice of you. If your social media audience looks large and engaged, your potential contact will see that your customers and clients trust you. This could be the beginning of a beautiful business relationship…
Have you ever used Twitter, Facebook or another social media platform to find a business contact, sponsor, donor or investor?
Forbes: 10 Social Media Mistakes
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Media Marketing, Social Networking on August 5, 2011
We found an article on Forbes this morning listing 10 social media mistakes businesses commonly make. They range from not addressing negative feedback, to skimping on social media time, to not measuring your return on investment. Forbes tells you what to do, and at RoryMartin.com, we tell you how to do it:
Mistake No. 1: Not Having a Plan
Sit down with your marketing guru and map out where you want to be with your social media campaign and what you want it to do for you. Be realistic about what you can achieve in 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years. Figure out how you’re going to do it and who’s going to administrate your accounts. Map out your monthly social media calendar and estimate how much time you need to spend on each piece of the puzzle. Great planning produces great results.
At RoryMartin, we create customized social media calendars for each of our clients, making sure we match our marketing recommendations with your marketing plan.
Mistake No. 2: Too Much Too Soon
You don’t have to do everything all at once. Your plan (above) should work in waves. That way, you have ample time to put into each step of your plan and nothing is missed. If you follow your social media calendar you should avoid that overwhelmed feeling of trying to do it all. Keep it simple, and only build when you’re ready to take on a new challenge.
If you don’t have the time to keep up with your social media accounts, consider hiring a company like RoryMartin.com, a search engine optimization, web design and web development, social networking, and social media marketing firm.
Mistake No. 3: Not Measuring Your Success and Return on Investment
You need to know if what you’re doing is producing results, right? Get Google Analytics and become familiar with that tool. Check out Google Webmaster tools (and yes, the two are very different). Create Google alerts, email alerts and Twitter alerts to find out when, where and how your company is being talked about. Analyze which avenues work the best and build on them, which will help you cut out the unnecessary steps in your social media plan.
RoryMartin.com specializes in helping businesses create social media strategies with the analytics and reports that help you see the effects of a good social media strategy.
Mistake No. 4: Underutilizing Social Platforms for Branding
Make sure you fill out every available field you can on those social media accounts. It’s like talking about your company or touting your elevator pitch. The more complete your profiles are, the more accessible your business becomes and the more transparency and brand value those sites have. Won an award? Manta asks for those kind of stats, and that can be the reference your brand needs to pick up that high profile account. Got a blog that offers industry insights? Put that into your LinkedIn profile, to make sure other professionals in your industry know about your blog and have the chance to stay up to date. Make sure your Twitter account is linked to that blog, and to your LinkedIn, and to your Facebook. Leave no stone unturned.
Mistake No. 5: Promoting Without Listening or Engaging
We’ve talked about social media engagement, here on the RoryMartin blog. Social media is a communicative tool. As with any form of communication the best thing you can do is listen. Listen to your audience, your competitors, and people you want to work with. Listen, or look for conversations that you want to be a part of. Listen to, and watch social media influencers and keep track of ways that you can contribute to become an authority.
Be a part of the conversation – the HUMAN conversation. Creating relationships in the social media world is important to creating trust between your brand and the world. Develop a deeply human relationship with your audience, and your audience will reward that relationship.
Figure out why your customers would want to befriend you in their social media networks. They want to know “what’s in it for me?” And you need to be able to answer that question. At RoryMartin.com, we can help you answer these questions and show you how to engage your social media customers.
Mistake No. 6: Not Addressing Negative Comments or Feedback
Instead of responding with ire, or just ignoring this conversation completely, ask those negative commenters what you can do to “make better”. Customer service is all about finding better ways to communicate and better serve your customers. Look at those avenues of social media as creative ways to give better customer service. Start a dialogue with your unhappy customers, and they’ll be a lot less unhappy.
Mistake No. 7: Not Claiming Existing Profiles
Your business is most likely listed in several places you didn’t know about. And the info on those sites may be old, outdated, incorrect or incomplete. The strategy here is to search for your company, across the web, to find out where you are listed and what needs to be updated. After you’ve made a list, go through and systematically update your profiles to reflect your website, your address, your contact info and interlink your profiles – adding things like your Twitter account and Facebook page.
Mistake No. 8: Skimping on Time
Let’s face it: Social media is a time investment. It can take months for your social media efforts to pay off, and patience is key. That’s why tip #2 is so important. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, and know that you’re going to have to block out chunks of time to monitor and engage in your social media efforts. If you don’t have the time, hire a professional who knows the ins and outs of social media engagement, or look for a Social Media Marketing company like RoryMartin.com who can help you build and implement your social media strategy – so that you have more time to run your business.
Mistake No. 9: Lacking Passion
If there’s one thing we have here at RoryMartin.com, it’s passion for social media. Without the passion, your social media efforts may fall flat – you know your brand and as a business owner, you more than likely love what you’re doing. Try to channel that into your social media efforts, since social media is an extension of the way you promote what you love. If you just can’t get jazzed about interacting on the social web, consider hiring social media professionals who have the passion and knowledge to be the voice of your brand.
Mistake No. 10: Not Knowing When Social Media Isn’t Right for Your Business
81% of entrepreneurs still don’t take advantage of social sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and 40% small and medium-businesses don’t even have a Web site. That said, internet users spend approximately 22% of their Internet time in social media, making social media a priority for any company that wants to be visible. Think about your target market and your audience. Who are they and where do they spend their time. Maybe social media isn’t right for your business, but how will you know unless you try it?
At RoryMartin.com, we’re focused on finding the right social networking and social marketing options that are right for you. We do the work so you don’t have to, bringing social tools to every business, and making social media simple.
Make the Most of Linkedin for Your Business
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Networking on July 28, 2011
As a web design and web development, search engine optimization, search engine marketing and social media marketing firm, we like to keep on top of the trends – and exploring trends on LinkedIn is no exception. We stumbled across this article that boasts 10 LinkedIn Tips for Professionals, that says:
Despite the hype over Twitter and Facebook, Linkedin offers the greatest opportunity for professionals to make connections that lead to business.
We agreed with Ian Brody’s article, especially the following tips
1. Don’t make your profile look like your resumé. Brody says that the number one temptation when setting up a LinkedIn profile is to fill in all those prior job slots, but that’s ineffective where LinkedIn is concerned. The business connections that you’re looking for are going to want to see solution-oriented details. Add the business name and title, leave out things like, “managed four people who perform business-related tasks.” Explain where you went above and beyond the basic job task, improved something, saved money, or where you were excelled and were just plain awesome.
2. Find Connections – Know your Strategy. LinkedIn is social, and there are a lot of professional networks on LinkedIn, where you can flex your knowledge and show off your skills – for example, you might find us in the LikeSocialMedia.com group. Of course, like any social network, it’s best to get a feel for the pulse of the community. Listen, watch and learn; find out what other pros in your industry are doing and saying and be cautious at first about sharing dissent. Like anywhere (or any social network) first impressions are lasting impressions. And Ian Brody notes, “Create a connection strategy to build valuable discussion.”
3. Ian Brody suggests updating your status to remind people what you do, and what you’re currently working on. If you connect with a lot of people, staying current with status messages can do anything from help you connect with someone who’s looking for YOUR expertise to keeping you up to date on news in your field, to helping you and your brand grow in ways that your clientele are looking for.
What do you think readers? Have anything to add to Brody’s tips for LinkedIn?
If you’re curious about how to use LinkedIn for your business, contact RoryMartin.com to find a strategy that fits your social networking needs, as well as the social tools that simplify your social media integration. We offer a comprehensive set of services from website design and web development to search engine optimization and search engine marketing and social media marketing. If you need creative ideas, easy implementation, and a limited investment into your social media campaign, RoryMartin.com has experts available to assess your needs, provide excellent customer service and innovative marketing tactics before you’ve even signed a contract.
The State of LinkedIn
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Media Marketing, Social Networking on July 12, 2011
Have you ever wondered how LinkedIn actually affects your business? Ever asked yourself why LinkedIn is important to your company’s potential? At RoryMartin.com, we’ve been researching ways for businesses to use LinkedIn to build a better social media strategy.
Having your business profile out there on the web WILL help increase your organic search results, so if you’re not optimizing sites like LinkedIn, you’re not fully optimizing your search engine potential. LinkedIn also helps your business look more complete, and is an established tool for reputation management – especially through customer testimonials.
LinkedIn is also a powerful tool to analyze your company and its connections through your employee network. An article on Mashable notes that, “…it will automatically calculate your company’s median age, top schools, and other companies that they are well-connected to.” This can be effective for recruiting job candidates, and networking in your industry. Through LinkedIn you have the ability to post polls, and receive answers, letting your business know what your clients are interested in, and keeping you up to date on industry standards.
If you’re curious about how to use LinkedIn for your business, contact RoryMartin.com to find a strategy that fits your social networking needs, as well as the social tools that simplify your social media integration. We offer a comprehensive set of services from website design and web development to search engine optimization and search engine marketing and social media marketing. If you need creative ideas, easy implementation, and a limited investment into your social media campaign, RoryMartin.com has experts available to assess your needs, provide excellent customer service and innovative marketing tactics before you’ve even signed a contract.
Time Your Social Media Efforts for Maximum Effect
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Media Marketing, Social Networking on June 30, 2011
We found a cool infographic on the best times to send out social media posts. We like to couple this with the Problogger strategy for blog postings when we’re considering the best way to send out social media messages. This is a great infographic to keep in mind – especially if you’re using something like HootSuite to schedule your posts. The original post says,
Included are stats for Facebook and Twitter on what days and times are best to maximize the audience size and the possibility that your content will be both found and shared.
As a Seattle Web Design company that specializes in Seattle Search Engine Optimization and Seattle Social Media Marketing, RoryMartin.com can help you build a Social Media Strategy that reflects your unique brand, draws and keeps visitors on your page. We help implement exciting content and social tools that will make your business stand out. From a one-time site analysis to full search engine optimization strategy and execution, RoryMartin.com can help your business grow.
A Look at the Current State of B2B Social Media Marketing
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Media Marketing on November 11, 2010
B2B marketers are increasingly using social media to connect with their customers, but oftentimes they are not using those tools effectively. One report found that only 32% of B2B companies engage with their customers on a daily basis via social media. Another discovered that 46% of B2B marketers thought social media was irrelevant. And another found that 60% of B2B firms have no staff dedicated to social media and just 10% of B2B firms use outside agencies or consultants. While the vast majority (86%) of B2B companies use social media for marketing, it’s clear there’s considerable room for improvement.
Increased online investment is one sign of change. Forrester Research is betting that interactive spending will double from 2009 to 2014 to total $54 million. While it’s not clear how much of that money will go into social media, the report was bullish on the new tools provided they’re used correctly. “Social marketing is great for building more intimate relationships with your clients and prospects,” wrote Forrester’s Michael Greene. “But many marketers are diving into social marketing without a coherent social marketing strategy.”
As a Seattle Web Design company that specializes in Seattle Search Engine Optimization and Seattle Social Media Marketing, RoryMartin.com can help you build a Social Media Strategy that reflects your unique brand and meets your business goals.
B2B Social Media Marketing – Proven Strategies
Posted by Rory Martin in Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing on November 4, 2010
Original article featured on Mashable.
Digital marketing is gaining traction in a number of industries, and business-to-business (B2B) marketers are in on that trend, too. Increased spending on online marketing is driving companies to try new and innovative means of getting the word out about their products and services — one area that’s getting a lot of buzz with B2B marketers is social media.
As a Seattle Web Design company that specializes in Seattle Search Engine Optimization and Seattle Social Media Marketing, we wanted to share some of the following case studies which lend insight into how B2B marketers can use social media to generate leads, improve SEO, become knowledge sources, and strengthen marketing campaigns.
Generate Leads
There are two types of marketing departments — those that are cost centers and those that bring in leads and sales. Generally, the better positioned marketing department is the one that can prove it’s bringing in money, not spending it without results. When adding social media into the mix, marketing departments must be able to prove success, and oftentimes lead generation and ROI are two measurements that upper management wants to see.
Regus, a global provider of workplace solutions, recently experimented with using social media for lead generation. While the brand has a strong presence throughout the world, there was a lack of awareness in the NYC area about the convenient services and business solutions that the company has to offer.
They integrated campaign that combined social media, online video, an online sweepstakes and in-person events. The team focused on creating communities for NYC professionals, which resulted in a @RegusNYC Twitter feed and a Facebook Page. Along with these social accounts, the “Win an Office” sweepstakes was a great source of leads, as well. Lastly, the team put together New York-specific commercials, which were uploaded to YouTube. The one embedded above, for example, currently has more than 33,000 views.
Overall, this highly integrated campaign was a success unlike any other Regus had seen. The campaign increased leads to Regus’ Manhattan locations by 30%, directly resulting in a 114% increase in revenue compared to the same time period in the previous year. Furthermore, there was a 33% percent conversion rate on leads generated through the New York landing page, compared to a 12% conversion rate on 2008. The success of the campaign also prompted Regus to have Affect implement similar campaigns in five additional markets in Q1 of 2010.
Improve SEO
During the past year, Delivra, an e-mail marketing service provider, has invested in B2B social media marketing, including presences on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and a corporate blog, dubbed eMailChatr. Since implementing and maintaining these properties, the company has seen a 70% increase in inbound leads, as compared to the prior year, and its SEO rankings for major keywords have jumped over 20 pages in one year.
In this case, a blog full of useful and targeted content, enhanced by syndication across various social sites and subsequent interactions with its community, led to Delivra increasing SEO and growing a reputation for trusted e-mail marketing advice.
Carissa Newton, Delivra’s director of marketing, recommends that B2B marketers “Be realistic about your goals with social media and blogging — while these outlets can and will drive leads, there are other intangible benefits as well, like the SEO and brand awareness that make a tremendous difference.” She also stresses, “Make sure that whatever you do, it is not with the sole intention to push information out … [T]ake the time to respond and have meaningful conversations. That will increase your following tenfold. It’s just like e-mail marketing: Don’t be a blaster. Be a resource.”
Be a Knowledge Source
A global, mid-size market research and consulting firm, uses social media to increase its reach within the market research community, demonstrate thought leadership, and increase the likelihood of being found via the Internet .
“In the past nine months alone we have seen huge successes through the combination of blogging, Twitter, Facebook, online press releases, downloadable reports/case studies and Linkedin,” he explained. “The efforts have resulted in huge increases to traffic on our website (142%) and blog (308%) resulting in over 1,400 leads coming in to our sales team.”
Consistency in providing a source of useful resources has been key for the company. “Consistently creating relevant content to your blog, Twitter followers, [and] Facebook fans will help to grow your following,” he says, “but this takes time and commitment. Don’t go it alone. Build a team of regular contributors to contribute on a consistent basis.”
RoryMartin.com helps clients educate their markets and build brand awareness while winning and retaining customers with engaging and impactful websites and web marketing. We offer a comprehensive set of services from website design and web development to search engine optimization and search engine marketing and social media marketing.
Study Shows Time Pays With Social Media Marketing with RoryMartin.com
Posted by Rory Martin in Social Media Marketing, Social Networking on May 21, 2010
Have you asked this question: Is the time I invest with social media really worth it? Whether you’re new or an old hat with social media, chances are you’ve wondered if the time commitment is really worth the return on investment (ROI).
Make no mistake about it: a true investment of time and resources is necessary to see significant social media marketing success.
But the real question is, “Just HOW MUCH time is needed to see solid success?”
This question was recently answered in the new study, 2010 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, authored by Michael Stelzner. Based on the report findings, ROI is top of mind for most marketers using social media.
Top Social Media Questions Marketers Want Answered
According to the data, the number-one question marketers most want answered is how to track social media ROI. A sampling of questions includes:
- How can I tell a convincing story to management about the ROI for social media marketing?
- What are the key metrics to follow for measuring ROI in terms of customer satisfaction, revenues and brand loyalty?
- How effective is social media versus the resources needed to maintain the effort?
- Are there any industry benchmarks that track the impact of social media marketing?
In the 2009 study, the number-one question from marketers was related to social media tactics, followed by ROI. Now tactics have moved down considerably and the ROI question has moved up. One reason for this could be that social media is maturing and more people have started using the tools and tactics. Now they want to know if the long-term payoff for their time and resources is really there.
Time Versus Return for Social Media Marketing
When looking at ROI, you also have to look closely at just how much time you’re investing. Unlike some other traditional forms of marketing, when it comes to social media, your investment is more time than money.
The industry report results shed some light on the amount of time marketers are really spending on social media marketing.
Out of the 1900 marketers’ responses, almost all were using social media for marketing purposes and the majority of these marketers were fairly new in the social media area.
- 91% of respondents indicated they were employing social media for marketing purposes.
- 65% of marketers have either just started or have been using social media for only a few months.
When drilling down to the actual hours spent using social media tools, the largest group was in the 1 to 5 hours per week range. Of that group, 43% are spending 4 to 5 hours each week on social media activities. A significant 56% of marketers are using social media for 6 hours or more each week and 30% for 11 or more hours weekly. It’s interesting to note that 12.5% of marketers spend more than 20 hours each week on social media.
This chart shows the overall breakdown of marketers’ time spent using social sites.
But even more interesting than the time spent on social media marketing, the report also showed a correlation between the amount of user experience and the time spent using social media tools. The median weekly time commitment for beginners was 1 hour versus 10 hours for those doing this for a few months or longer. Because 65% of respondents indicated they were newbies or just a few months in, much of their time spent on social sites could be more trial and error than solid strategy. Perhaps the difference in time spent using social tools is because the marketers who have the most experience also have more well-defined social media strategies, allowing them a clear plan of action on the social sites.
Just like with anything else, experience is golden. The more user experience one has with social media marketing, the more valuable every minute spent on social media sites becomes. The time spent on social sites is not as important as the actual results. What we really should be looking at is what kind of results are you getting for that 1 hour, 4 hours, even 12 hours per week?
Top Benefits of Social Media
When the respondents were asked about the benefits they’ve received from social media marketing, there were some clear winners that stood out above the rest. When looking at ROI on social media marketing, money in the bank can’t be your only indicator of success. Increased traffic, lead generation and happy, connected customers all are factors in deciding which social media strategies are working best for your business.
According to the survey, the number-one benefit of social media marketing is greater exposure (85%). Improving traffic and building new partnerships followed next. More than half of marketers indicated a rise in search engine rankings was a benefit of social media marketing. The report states, “As search engine rankings improve, so will business exposure, lead generation efforts and a reduction in overall marketing expenses. More than half of marketers found social media generated qualified leads.”
This chart shows how respondents viewed the benefits of social media marketing.
Outsourcing Social Media
Because time and ROI are such a central focus for many marketers, it was surprising to see that very few were outsourcing their social media efforts. According to the report, some factors may be that social media outsourcing is fairly new and the majority of respondents were new to social media, perhaps yet unaware of what they should and should not be outsourcing.
The chart below shows how the majority of marketers are not outsourcing their social media activity.
Where we’re seeing the outsourcing trend is in the larger organizations. According to the report, “the larger the organization, the more likely outsourcing is taking place. For example, 25.7% of large businesses and 25% of mid-sized businesses are currently outsourcing, compared to only 10.6% of sole proprietors.” Like many marketing trends, what starts with the “big guys” tends to make its way to the smaller businesses—therefore, we may be seeing more outsourcing overall in the coming year.
Check out the full report here.
Now it’s your turn! Do you feel your time using social media marketing is worth the return? Does your own experience match up with the results? Share here—we want to hear from you!
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