 Image management used to be much simpler. Before. You could have a private life and it would not affect your career and people’s opinions of you. Nowadays… Private Life is Disappearing. You can’t go anywhere without someone somewhere collecting information on you. Physically or Digitally. In fact, you can’t post on Twitter without the chance of getting backlash for an opinion tweet. Actually, you may not even be on social media, but may have had a picture taken of you with someone else, and the next thing you know. Facebook knows you. Even if the picture is really embarrassing! The worst part? It’s there forever. Which is why maintaining a professional online image is very important to your career. Important to impress recruiters when they search for you online. Important to impress clients when looking for your services. Important to your success. Therefore, avoid damaging your image and maintain your image management with these fine tips. #1: Everything you say can and will be used against you. So do NOT post comments that are detrimental to your reputation and are unprofessional. This may sound familiar and holds true in court as well as your online image. Because people will judge you solely on what you post about yourself and especially what others say about you. In fact, anything you have written in life such as college papers can in fact be dug up and used against you. Meaning: Do NOT post subjects and opinions that can anger others and be considered insensitive and juvenile. Avoid politics, religion, and others. This does not mean you cannot have your opinion. The idea is to avoid permanently being judged for an opinion you had years ago because it is associated to your social media and easily searchable. Because opinions change, but changing first impressions can be painful. #2: Do NOT post objectionable material such as pictures, videos, and other media. Avoid many topics and pictures that can give the wrong impression. Because everything and anything can be taken out of context, twisted, and advertised as fact. This includes videos, pictures, and other media that can misconstrued. Meaning: Every time you post pictures of being trashed and posting to all your friends that you blacked out. To include the pictures that they post which you have no control of. Will be on the internet and be seen by all current and future potential employers and clients. And no one wants to entrust their business to someone who can’t control their “intake”. Tip No. 3: Try to avoid joining groups, fan pages and applications that are detrimental to your image. Setting your profile to “private” does not mean it is private. Many times it’s shared through channels that are less than reputable. Also you can accidently accept friends who you do not know well and could be a potential employer or current employer collecting dirt from your profile. Meaning: Do not join controversial fan pages, groups, and applications that others can fuss over. Many times, people will look for any reason to complain and having liking risqué content gives them fuel for their fire. Tip No. 4: Provide useful information to the communities that your online image tailors to. If you’re a Financial Expert, and you want to impress clients or other financial experts than post consistently articles that are useful to them. If you are a psychologist, then post shareable content that pertains to what potential clients would enjoy. Having a long line of posts that are useful creates credibility and makes you a Thought Leader. Meaning: Post content that is useful for others. But this doesn’t mean you can’t have artistic flare. It is important to differentiate and get your content shared. So make sure all your content is entertaining and allows others to want to share it. Because one Viral Video can change everything. Tip No. 5: Request recommendations, join groups and answer the questions of other users after creating your social media. Participating online can be extremely helpful in building a professional online image. Writing articles displays leadership and knowledge in your given field can build a following that loves what you do. You also should contribute to the community by commenting on others articles and answer questions. Meaning: Be a part of the community you work in and create new content to help spur creativity in others. This lets you grow as not only a professional in your field, but an expert. Tip No. 6: Strategically write and publish in industry-related publications. The more credibility you have, the more business you have. This is true in all aspects of life. Therefore you have to publish your work in trade journals, magazines, and other publications that get you in front of the people who will value you most. Meaning: Make samples and get in with the publications best. If you’re a photographer, get featured on reputable photography site or magazine. If you’re a business person, do a conference or seminar. If you’re in education, get published in an academic journal. Once it’s published, use it in all your marketing to boost your appeal and professionalism. Tip. No. 7: Build a website that showcases you as a major player in your field. It is not the person who is the best at what they do that wins in the real world. It is the one who is most publicized to be the best in their field. Meaning: Do everything in your power to showcase your ability to the right people and you will have a higher chance to make it to the top. Market yourself as a professional. Build yourself as a Professional. Network yourself as a Professional. Final thoughts… Be diligent in your career and your image. No one will manage your career for you. But they will manage your image into oblivion.  Don't Let People Fade You and Your Image Into Oblivion.  Morning,
This is my 7th iteration of “Techniques of the Week” which is an ode to simple writing and marketing techniques that can be used immediately with measurable results in the Before, During, and After of your sales process. Today however, I am running a Twilight Zone special where everything is running backwards!!! With that said, let’s be off… The After Your customers and clients will not always need you. This is a fact. But they need to remember you when they do. This is why it is so important to have them on a Contact Drip. A contact drip is a way to maintain contact and keep you in the forefront of their minds so when they are in need of your services. They know who to call. Now a contact drip can be any form of communication between you and your customers. To include: · Direct Mail, Emails, Phone Calls, or even In-Person depending how important they are to your business as some business has and needs only 3 or 4 BIG clients to maintain their success. Now how does it work… First you need to have your customers or prospects contact information such as an address, email, phone #, or other way to contact them. It is most preferable to have a Customer Relationship Management System where the emails are automatically sent so you don’t have to worry about it. All you have to do is put them in the database. Second you need to build a drip campaign of marketing material (Mail) or emails (Email). For the more personal connections, you need to have a fleshed out system where with every client, you meet with them periodically to ensure you are still there working hard for them. Here is an example of the material and timeline for a Drip Campaign: EXAMPLE Timeline: Mail/Email 1. Month 1 = Letter announcing new service 2. Month 2 = Newsletter highlighting tips and company news 3. Month 3 = Phone Call to discover opportunities 4. Month 4 = Reprint of an industry magazine article 5. Month 5 = Case Study of a Successful client 6. Month 6 = Request for a critique on proposed sales letter 7. Month 7 = Another newsletter 8. Month 8 = Reprint of an article you submitted into an industry magazine 9. Month 9 = Announce a new service 10. Month 10 = Invite them to a workshop 11. Month 11 = Phone call to introduce them to someone in your referral network 12. Month 12 = Checklist of helpful tips for your industry and service Here is an example to keep them in constant contact if they are very important to your business. EXAMPLE Timeline: Personal (Phone/Meetings) 1. Meet with them periodically. 2. Phone call every month. 3. In-person Meeting every 2-3 months. Third you have to make sure it’s working. You have to track to see that those in your Drip Campaigns are not opting out because they think you’re annoying or are referring you properly. Contact drip – maintain contact with prospects by mailing something 8-10 times a year
The During This is called the High Price, High Value Approach to Pricing Strategy. The way it works is that you sell products that are essentially the same as everyone else’s except you convince people that the higher price equates to higher value. And once they are convinced, you take the more money you make over your competitors and use it to fuel your marketing to continue to convince others that your product is “different”. Therefore, it becomes a virtuous circle where your customers believe that your product is much better than anyone else’s, fueling the hype and belief inside your marketing. Making you more and more money. This is essentially the pricing foundation for most luxury products. Where you are not paying more for the materials to make the products, but are paying for the privilege to wear the brand itself. The only differences are when the item is rare or made out of rare raw materials like cashmere. High Price, High Value – Raise your prices because you’re worth it and clients know they are getting better service The other approach is the opposite and equates to Low Price, Good Value. This Pricing Strategy is more about just selling as much product as possible and have it be durable enough that people don’t think it’s cheap. Because no one likes the Low Price, Low Value strategy where people hate your product because it doesn’t work or doesn’t do as advertised. This strategy entails less marketing and more operational efficiency of the company. Meaning to keep the prices of your product low, you have to be better at everything else. So pick your pricing strategy based on the goals you want from your company. Low Price, Good Value – Have your prices reflect how good you are at producing your product and your operational efficiency The Before What makes you want something more than anything? Not being able to have it… or even worse… told you can’t have it. If you’re like me, that always strikes a nerve. And I end up doing everything in my power to prove them wrong. This psychological phenomenon known as Boy/Girl Theory is great in business because you can use it to present a challenge to your prospects and customers. For example, you have a roller coaster or a product that is extreme. This is useful to know for your product because now you can market your products as a challenge saying that they can’t handle it. Like a food eating challenges and other competitive type products. Another example is a little more subtle. You just have to convince people that they can’t have what you sell. By having high prices or a 5-Star-Experience. This entails creating mystery around your product, scarcity, or other gimmicks. Boy/Girl Theory – Make customer want what they can’t have And there you have it. Three ways to get your prospects and clients to knock down your door for your products and services. Let me know how you get people to knock down your door for everything you do. This. This is the gate to nowhere. This is where we find ourselves whenever we take actions that lead to a dead-end. You kind-of knew it would end that way, but you tried anyway just to make sure. Ensure you don't end up like this...  Don't find yourself at the GATE OF NOWHERE. Get your Social Media Rolling Now. Customer:
Twitter. Facebook! Instagram!! Pinterest!!! I keep reading if I don’t market my company on social media, it will make or break my business. But which ones will actually help me the most? AND, more importantly, will I spend all of my time managing all of these separate accounts? There are so many options and my head is full of unanswered questions. It seems like there are new social media platforms popping up. Every. Single. Day. I am totally overwhelmed… Announcer: Does this sound familiar? Being overwhelmed by trying to learn every new Social Media Platform? There is no need to run around like a madmen, trying to be on every platform, trying to reach every person in every way. Instead of trying to be subpar on several different platforms, why not focus and be the BEST on just one. Especially, the one that meets YOUR specific business goals. You don’t need to spend all of your time managing every individual platform. That’s just wasting valuable energy and resources. Why not just to get the word out about your first-class services? Then Try Twitter! A microblogging site where you update periodically throughout the day. And make it a team effort while you are at it. By getting everyone on staff involved in posting updates. Tap into the creative energy in your office and get your wittiest people to add character to your company through clever tweets! Because people love to follow and retweet People with Character! But if sending posts everyday about everything you do isn’t your thing, there are many more options for you. Facebook is a staple for millions of people worldwide is you to connect with clients and fans and post updates of your company, without the rapid extent of Twitter or Instagram. But the best part is… Do you want to find all the people interested in your product or service? Well with Facebook’s powerful advertising program you can easily find people by any interest you can think of. But if you’re not interested in jumping through the many hoops to get on someone’s Timeline then give Google Plus a go. Although Google Plus is fairly new to the game it is quickly growing and perfect for any business. With a combination of Gmail, G-Calendar, G-Docs, G-Hangout, and more. You can easily run your entire business online through Google. Accessing it anywhere and everywhere through your phone’s Google Android. But if your business is has many visually interesting thing to share or a virtual storefront to show off your wares, then Pinterest is for you. Pinterest is a great way to connect and share products, personal project ideas, recipes and a multitude of other interests that can be organized by topic or theme. If your business is more design or food oriented, it could be a great supplement to your website. Once you know exactly which one is the best for you. Just sit back. Relax. And grow your media presence. Wish you had a quick list of all the ways to market yourself that you didn't know you needed?
Then the journey that is your life has crossed our paths. Which is a good thing. Now lets begin… Web Design and Development. Build your online foundation with an easily navigable and well maintained website. Professionally designed to more than appeal to your ideal customer. Allowing you to build a community of people that can’t go without your products and services. Mobile Advertising – Which includes a developed Mobile Website, applications, and the advertising avenues that go with it. And with your NEW Website up and running, generate traffic by developing ads and content for… Website Advertising. · Display/Banner/Frame Ads – See the texts that appear on the top, right, and sometimes the left of the content you’re trying to read? Then you know what Display, Banner, and Frame Ads are. And you know they use text, logos, animations, videos, photographs, or other graphics to persuade your prospects to traffic your site. Using Big Data Targeting to get your Message to those most likely to heed it. · Active Website Ads Such as… Pop-Ups/Unders that appear in a separate window above and below the window a prospect opens. Floating ads that appear superimposed over the content that a prospect wants to see. Expanding ads that pop up when a certain action takes place such as staying on a website for a certain time, hovering over a word or image, etc. And… Interstitial ads that ask for an email for people to access premium content. And with your intense use of Active Ads, you must harness the power of… Search Engine Advertising. · Search Engine Marketing (SEM) – Where everyone goes to find what they need on the internet. For entertainment, research, or to make a purchase, everyone goes through one search engine or another. And you need to be at the top. At the top with content, at the top with advertising, at the top with value. All through… · Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – … you can put yourself there by using the most up-to-date techniques so not only will search engines find you, but rocket you to the top. But if you can’t wait to get to the top organically, you can pay your way there and be first to meet that prospect ready to buy with… · Sponsored searches – Or Pay-Per-Click advertising, where you only pay when an interested prospect likes what they see. Placed at the top of Google, Bing, or other search engine. Now that you have your very own website with consistent traffic coming in. It is high time to take those who love your products and services. And build a good ol’ community for them to talk about and interact with your company. And to do that you need… Social Media Marketing. Getting it right will garner unprecedented publicity and establish your online presence. Not only improving your results on search engines, but molding your brand in the minds of others. Turning passive customers into Champions who build your community and get those ever-appreciated referrals. Because a company is only as successful as the community of people who support it, starting with your customer. Once your business is booming, your online presence growing, and your Mailing List is developing. You have only one choice… To GET EVEN BIGGER USING... Email Advertising. Getting your customer base who have purchased and those interested in purchasing from you updates on new products, services, and deals they just can’t miss. Or my personal favorite, giving them Info-products that tell customers new ways to use your products, services, and other generally useful information they need about your business, industry, or day-to-day. And just when you thought you had your hands in every advertising avenue possible. You can put your advertising into overdrive with… Affiliate Marketing. Where you get other people to find ‘you’ business and pay them a percentage of the sales they generate. Giving you the ability to pay only for performance as they pay for themselves. And just when you thought that was enough… LT Copywriting can help you advertise in all of these media. Actually developing all the content for you. And with the end of Part One, check out... Content Production. NEXT WEEK!!! Marketing Today The world of marketing has been turned on its ear. Because consumers now have every option available to avoid traditional marketing. Having been bombarded with advertising for years, most consumers now “surf”. Promptly ignoring magazine articles, online banners, and the billboards littering the streets. They record their favorite shows on DVRs, fast forwarding through commercials or avoiding television altogether by streaming it directly online. Even, going as far as downloading online applications like Ad Block Plus to thwart any attempts by marketers to reach their eyes. Thus consumers know what they want and how they want it. Making Content. King. Content is KING! Fast growing, content marketing is becoming the leading way for marketers to reach their audience. By instead of using traditional ways of propping ads next to content people want and forcing them to look at or sit through them for the ultimate prize. You intertwine your marketing into the content consumers want. Enshrining yourself as an industry expert and producer of valuable content. Making them come back again and again. Why video content will make you KING! And there is no better way today to present your valuable content and boost your bottom line than through Online Video Marketing. By making videos about specific topics from your treasure trove of articles and other materials you have about your business. You can turn them to 2-5 minute videos and distribute them to various video-sharing websites like YouTube for their 15 minutes of fame. Easily setting yourself apart from the crowd. First off, video brings a “wow” factor to online marketing. Adding punch that catches the eye and stimulates viewers in a way that text cannot. Instilling your marketing message and making your company memorable. Second, in fact, video marketing is more affordable than it has ever been with improving technology. Using video to portray your company in the light you want. Making it so easy now to put a face to your brand. A face that people get to know. That they will trust and respect. Third of all, video marketing allows you to convey complex information, clearly, and in a way that people easily understand. Because everyone loves to see a demonstration of something being done than it being described in words. As no one likes an instruction manual without pictures. And finally, videos are much more likely to go viral. If you produce buzz-worthy content, you can easily become the internet’s next big sensation. With viral sharing comes more eyes on your marketing message and your business as whole. Even riding the wave to nationwide exposure and maximum profit. Now What? Understanding what to do is only half the battle, now execution is key. You need to figure out a whole mess of things to properly prepare to create your own video content. And if you want to know what that mess is... fill below for your own video marketing kit! Low Cost Online marketing has by far one the best ROI of any other marketing because of its low cost and effectiveness. Because people are increasingly spending more time online, Love to shop there, and adore it when personalized advertisements get them the best deals. In fact, many is completely free with Social Media, Email, and YouTube. So if you are looking for more bang for your buck then Online Advertising is the way to go. Measurability If only offline advertising was as easy to track and measure than Online Advertising. Life would be so easy. As being able to see instantly which ads are working and how they are working. Letting you budget more on ads that give you a greater return. And most importantly, you can see where prospects come from and how many become actual sales. Telling you if you are getting your message to the right people and not generating traffic that has no interest in your company. Letting you hit the mark more and more often. Formatting If that’s not enough, Online Advertising beats offline advertising by not only topping its ability to reach a people in multiple formats from… · Copy – content people want to read about · Images and Photographs – aesthetically pleasing sights to please prospects eyes · Audio – entertaining and informational podcasts and sounds · Video – Professional Videos that wow and amaze with style But goes beyond it by being interactive with consumers. With games, surveys, questionnaires, and many other ways to entertain as well as advertise. Making Online Marketing a step above traditional. Targeting Online Advertising allows an unprecedented amount of ways to reach different segments of consumers, groups, and organizations. Allowing you to target any niche based on… · Geography – Reach only your local customers, national customers, or if global, your international customers by their location. · Affiliations – Touch your customers through their relationships and affiliations. Be it an organization, a fan base, or job position. · Behavior & Tastes – advertise to them using their behaviors and preferences. Such as the websites they visit, the things they buy, and what they search for on search engines. Giving you the full spectrum of ways to find your prospect and persuade them to buy. Coverage And unlike most traditional offline forms of marketing that have limited coverage, Online Advertising is worldwide, instantly giving you the capacity to become a Global Business. Opening you up to the world, letting you sell everywhere. Speed And the best part… It can be done almost immediately. No need to wait for openings in media, publishing schedules, or any other obstacle. You can start to advertise as quickly as you can write a one sentence advertisement with a picture, shoot a 2-5 minute video, or produce a podcast. With benefits like that, how can you not get your online advertising on its way today. As every passing moment, is a moment of opportunity to make a sale, lost forever. Get more information now.  3 STEPS
These 3 steps will jump-start your social media success by allowing you to choose the right social media for you based on your business, your customers, and your objectives. 1. Choose only one platform to start with that is clearly defined to meet your needs and allows you access to your customers. For example: Having too many platforms can be exhausting and overstretch your ability to make an effective social media presence. Choose the platform that allows you best access to your clients such as LinkedIn for B2B contact and Facebook for B2C contact. This way, you’re using the platform that your clients are using and only focused on that platform. 2. Make a defined plan with objectives of what you want from your social media and stick with it. For example: You need to know what you want from your social media before you can make your presence known. If you want your social media to bring in more customers, then you have to build a sales funnel, targeting new clients, and having a distinct way to bring them into your fold. Or vice versa, as a customer relationship builder targeting your current clients, updating them with “how to” information on your product, and creating conversations to build a community around your product. 3. Leverage your current customers and professional network to build links between your social media and the people they know to build interest in your product. For example: Once your social media is built, ask current customers (Mailing Lists) to get involved and support you on your social media. Get new customers involved in your social media throughout your sales process with embedded incentives for adding you and participating such as discounts, great content, and event updates. Whats your favorite social media to reach your customers? |
AuthorLucas Thomas, professional writer, entrepreneur, and business owner. Archives
October 2016
Categories
All
|
|
|
RSS Feed
