The fundamentals of social media engagement; common sense, not tips and tricks.
It’s very convenient for social media marketing firms to make the fundamentals of social media engagement out to be more difficult than they really are. The secret to success is basic, common sense, and the fundamentals of social media engagement follows the same rules that govern real life business networks and relationships.
I hope this is the simplest and clearest thing you’ve ever heard about the fundamentals of social media engagement for small business. Here it goes:
In order to successfully market your small business through social media you need to do two things:
(1) Grow and nurture your online networks
(2) Create and share great content
Let me say that again.
In order to successfully market your small business through the fundamentals of social media engagement, you need to do two things:
(1) Grow and nurture your online networks
(2) Create and share great content
No secrets. No tips. No tricks. Just common sense.
Your small business social media marketing efforts start with you – the business owner and executives.
If you haven’t put the time into the fundamentals of social media engagement, effectively building and nurturing your own, personal, online networks (your human marketing platform), then your social media efforts will likely be an uphill battle. There aren’t any tips or tricks to shortcut the fundamentals of social media engagement and the process it takes to get there. It’s a commitment very much like going to networking events, trade shows and business expos with all of the necessary follow up.
Your social media success will be determined by your capacity to grow your online networks and strengthening those relationships through the fundamentals of social media engagement. That means commenting, posting, tweeting, sharing, retweeting, liking, plussing, friending, following, connecting…well you get the point. It’s a daily commitment and there is no way around it.
You need to give your online networks reasons to tell their networks about you and your business.
Having big networks and great relationships will only take you so far. If you want to get people talking about you online and telling their friends about your business, you must create and share great content. This is the major part of the fundamentals of social media engagement.
Whether you are sharing great industry related articles, writing killer blog posts, designing stunning infographics, or filming compelling interviews, you need to be creating and sharing something that your online networks will find valuable enough to share with their networks.
This is what makes social media work. It’s the truth about what it takes to be successful marketing your small business through the fundamentals of social media engagement. And again, there aren’t any tips, tricks or secrets to give you a shortcut.
If you want to market your small business successfully through social media, you need to keep your ground game strong. Keep building new relationships, making more contacts and satisfying customers. Use these relationships as the foundation to grow and nurture your online networks. In order to get these folks talking about your business you need to create and share great content that they will want to share with their friends and networks.
If you are doing this, and following the fundamentals of social media engagement, then maybe you are ready for some social media tips and tricks. Not a moment sooner…
45 Secrets of Driving Donations through Social Media
by Thomas R. Reich
You have wondered what social media can do for your nonprofit, but more important, how can you get more donations through social media? I speak far and wide on the benefit to small business of social media, and having a proper social media network attached like a funnel to your website and blog. But what if this same type of network is used in a nonprofit organization, can you get more donations through social media networking? Read on and be surprised!
Used together in a network, more donations through social media can be achieved, especially when connected to an effective blog and website pages that act as landing pages which are donor friendly, in other words, a page on your website that clearly states your cause, how the visitor can help, and a click here to donate button.
Let’s have some fun looking at each facet of social media, your website, and blog, and together discover many ways to get more donations through social media!
YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Blogs and your website all have their place but when tied together they become a powerful tool to get potential donors to your website and help create more donations through social media.
First let’s look at Twitter:
1) It is important to have as many targeted followers as possible for Twitter to be effective. Take a look at:
3) Add @ symbol to share content of a respected site in your field and give your tweet more credibility, example: @charitynetusa
4) Automate the tweeting of other sites that you respect to bring more content to your Twitter site.
5) Automate your Tweeting so it is consistent at a certain time, using SocialOomph, Rooster, HootSuite or other services. This will help bring more donations through social media. Read more:
6) Use the # symbol to attract the attention of those searching for the keyword of your mission. An example would be, for this article I would include #social media or #more donations.
7) Be consistent in your content, always stay on the topic of your mission in all you do if you want your network to become a funnel for more donations through social media!
FaceBook:
1) Always update your Facebook page with your latest blog as soon as it is published to help the funnel effect and create the opportunity for more donations through social media!
2) Provide content links on your Facebook page to send them to your blog, your website landing page or to join you on your Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn or Pinterest accounts with one click!
3) Run polls using the standard Facebook ‘Question’ feature (above the ‘Write something’ box) to engage your audience and involve them, possibly encouraging more donations through social media yet again, beginning to get the picture!
4) Link your Facebook to your email newsletter.
5) Have a great “Mission Page” with a call to action on your Facebook encouraging more donations through social media.
6) Write a headline that is ‘keyword’ rich for your industry and niche.
7) Your title should make the potential viewer want to hit the play button, and encourage more donations through social media!
8) Respond to all comments whether good, bad or indifferent in a timely manner. It is important to engage your followers quickly and often to encourage more donations through social media; this is true for any facet of your social media network!
9) Have a listing of past blogs with links to them like this:
YouTube:
1) Interview people involved in your mission, edit to no longer than 2 or 3 min and post on your YouTube channel.
2) Edit short snippets showing the plight of those you are trying to help, make small snippets 30 sec – 90 sec, and post many of them.
3) Edit and post short videos of participants in your latest event, as many different people as possible in 30-90 second snippets, post many snippets individually but never longer than 90 seconds, and make sure to tag with the names of the people in each snippet.
4) Make sure to include your website and your blog link in your YouTube profile!
5) Automate sharing after posting (available under ‘Account settings” then ‘Activity Sharing’, then choose the social accounts and as a minimum select Facebook and Twitter.
6) Make sure to fill out the keywords section on each and every video you post in your YouTube channel, for more information on Keywords: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyword
7) Always announce a new YouTube video posting through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and in your website and newest blog. This is why you have a social media network, to encourage even more donations through social media!
LinkedIn:
1) Choose to make your profile public when making your profile settings.
2) Use all three link options; website, blog and social media links that LinkedIn allows in your profile, in order to maximize more donors through social media.
3) Ask questions in the Q&A section of LinkedIn with possible answer as links to your blog posts that explain whatever the question was about.
4) Set up a special LinkedIn for you blog, all linked to you blog and website, this will help you get more donations through social media.
5) Integrate your Blog post feed into your LinkedIn account using the ‘Add an Application’ button at the bottom right of your home page.
6) Add your Twitter feed into your LinkedIn account using the ‘Add an Application section.
7) Add access to your Pinterest account the same way as above.
Pinterest:
1) Linking your Facebook and Twitter accounts with your Free Pinterest account enables you to sync all networks and maximize your chances to get more donations through social media!
2) In order to place another user’s pin on one of your boards, you must ‘repin’ it! In doing so, you give the credit to who it came from which helps build relationships with other Free Pinterest account users.
3) Upload relevant, useful media from your website or find pictures that represent or pertain to your brand once or more a day.
4) BE AUDIENCE APPROPRIATE: According to MGD Advertising, as of April this year, 87% of Free Pinterest account users are women with the majority of ages between 25 & 54. Therefore, target your posts to maximize interest from that target group to get more donors from social media with Pinterest.
1) Produce inspiring, educational and awesome content that is so compelling that people want to share it, this is the foundation of your capacity building. All media is about good content and social media is no different, good content = more donors through social media.
2) Write regularly and consistently, at least once a week and and link all your new posts to all your social media. Potential donors will then come and visit regularly and keep coming back because they know it will be new and topical, and on an issue they want to learn more about. These repeat visitors are your target; they will be the ones to get you more donors through social media!
3) The blog headline is important for several reasons; first they need to attract attention, second they need to contain the keyword or keywords you are using to attract donors.
4) Post your blogs through services like Stumbled upon, Reddit and Digg.
5) Make sure you have a re-tweet button at the top of your blog and ask people to let their Twitter networks know about your post, this is called going viral, and can greatly increase your readership!
6) Make sure your blog post has a Facebook share and a Facebook like buttons.
7) Comment on blogs similar to your targeted topic, and include links back to your blog.
8) Have a “friendly” subscribe to my Newsletter and blog signup button on your blog posts, which will help build an audience and get more donors through social media.
Let’s keep the conversation going, comment and let us know your favorite tips and tricks!
3 Must Do’s in Your Social Media Network; Making Your Organization Relevant in Social Media
By Thomas R. Reich PhD
Are you really doing the right things with Social Media to grow your organization? It might be because you are trying to use the new medium of Social Media like you used the old medium of advertising, mainly to talk to your audience. To be successful with Social Media you must involve your audience and talk with them, not to them. I have observed 3 big mistakes our clients made before learning how to be successful in the social Media arena:
1) You forget to have a strategy in how to work with your entire online network.
Having a strategy for Social Media marketing goes a long way, and integrating that plan into an overall internet marketing plan is essential to success in your online marketing. You may want to include some or all of the following in your plan:
a) The number of times of the day or the week you will update the different Social Media channels. Some may be each day others may be once a month but make a schedule and stick to it!
b) Decide what kind of followers you want in each channel. Do you want quantity or quality? There are arguments for each and it depends on your mission, all a function of good planning.
c) It is important to set a realistic goal for the number of respondents to your marketing activities that are converted to your website and then to action, it is important to plan benchmarks to measure results.
2) Social Media is not just about you, don’t forget about others.
If you only promote yourself without giving value back on Twitter and Facebook, you will lose followers fast! Sites like Twitter and Pinterest where your followers are not your real life friends but thousands of people interested in what you have to say as promised by your intro are looking for additional content. Facebook and LinkedIn may be more forgiving through your business pages, but not as forgiving as you may think if all you do is advertise and self promote.
Limit self-promotional posts to twice per week, and divide the remainder of your content between engaging updates free from links, sharing relevant links your readers will enjoy and (polite and friendly) replies to other users. By following a structured plan like this, and staying on that plan to a schedule, you may find you have more friends that like you instead of just fans that “Like” you.
3) Possibly the biggest mistake you can make on Social Media is forgetting to update.
When you don’t update on a Social Media site it is probably the worst offence of all, it says you don’t care, and amounts to doing absolutely nothing! Even if you make some of the mistakes above, at least you have a presence, at least you can learn from your mistakes as you go along. In order to make any progress at all you must stick to the schedule we discussed above. Whether it’s a daily Tweet, a weekly LinkedIn update or a monthly blog or video update, stay on plan! You may want to post more and in some cases where the followers are growing very fast, you may want to post hourly, we all want that problem! A good social media manager can help you decide on a good strategy for the frequency of your updates.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM online from BizCentralUSA
Key Note Speaker: Thomas R. Reich, Marketing Coordinator
Join us for a fun and fact filled free webinar; one that will expose you to a world of Graphics and Branding. among other things discussed will be: Logo design and the difference between Logo and Brand! How color can effect your business, how important matching the look and feel of your website to you printed material and social media. We will look deep into the Brand and just what it means! Then we will touch on tips and tricks in many areas of marketing so new even the experts will want to attend. This is a must see for any business interested in increased marketing presents; You will benefit greatly from the knowledge if only to enlighten you on what may be available for your company. As usual this fact filled webinar is FREE.
Can you afford to miss a learning opportunity like this? As always this webinar is free!
As always, feel free to contact Tom Reich for any marketing related questions at tom@bizcentralusa.com.
Please Register for this information – packed Webinar, even if you can not attend at the listed time, we will send all registrants a link to the recorded version of the live event the following day.
Your One Stop Shop for all of your Business Needs,
BizCentralUSA.com (407) 857-9002
All this and more will be answered by resident marketing expert, Thomas R. Reich.
This webinar is free and as always, if you register and are unable to make the live webinar we will send a recorded version to you after the event!
Title:
Branding and Graphic Design
Date:
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Time:
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
Short form content in Social Media is great; however, original, thoughtful content is still king. A good company blog is still the perfect platform.
Blogs are a great weekly forum to make your case and a fantastic marketing tool within your website. While short-form social media channels are great at building buzz, thoughtful blog content adds real long-term value to your and attracts the discussion to your website to sell your solution. Preformed correctly, blogging gives customers insight into your brand, establishes you as an industry expert and grow to become an information resource in an area of expertise, and in the process, attract traffic from search engines.
4 Ways to Improve Your Blog!
Use Topics that Personalize Your Organization: Have you recently received a great customer referral? Share it with your blog readers, if you don’t talk about it who will?. Has a particular mentor influenced your organization or shaped the way you do business? Profile them in a blog that exemplifies their values and how you have incorporated those values into your organization. Remember referring to a higher source is a great way to lift up your organization without always tooting your own horn! Another way to spotlight your organization without saying me me me is to feature a star employee you want to point out as an industry expert right there in your organization. All of these things personalize your business and help readers relate to you in a way that makes them trust your organization. When it comes down to deciding between similar businesses, potential customers will often go with the company they can relate to. Content, the kind of writing that spotlights the good works your organization, its employees and the people that associates with you attracts not only new interaction but loyalty as well!
Stay on target, blog about subjects that revolve around your organization: Your blog should stand for the same thing your organization stands for, and you must stay on topic for best results. An engaged writer makes for an engaged reader, so make sure you’re writing about something that interests you, but a the same time ties it in to your issues, benefits and positions as an organization. Don’t be afraid to have an opinion, but keep that opinion about the expertise and mission of your organization and its employees. Certified Minority? Passion for helping the homeless? Crazy for construction standards for back yard swimming pools? Whatever your organization is involved in, if it’s something that you care about, it will be easy to write about and relate to your business, which is the point of the blog after all.
Be willing to take tough stands in issues your organization believes in: Writing about what customers want to know about is a sure-fire way to keep them engaged. To do so, you’ve got to be willing to tackle tough topics in your content and commentary. Blogging about difficult issues and controversies within your industry attracts customers, and keeps them coming back to you as a resource. This does not mean take political stands on issues for politics sake, leave that to the politicians. If you take a stand based purlly on politics you will surly turn off ½ your audience. If, on the other hand, you angle the same issue towards your organization without invoking politics, you have 100% of the readers as potential believers!
Be well read on all the trends in your industry: Blogging provides an excellent vehicle for discussing news trends that may not directly relate to your business, while engaging with potential customers about a topic that has piqued their interest. Keep abreast of the latest breaking news and figure out creative ways to engage readers. Ask questions to encourage readers to leave comments. By positioning your brand as a thought leader, you build trust with customers, which will count when the time comes to make a purchasing decision or take the actions you are encouraging.
Remember, Social Media is Marketing Promotion to get people to take action and get to your blog on a particular issue or event. Once on your blog, the job of the blog is to interest the reader in the issues and products surrounding your organization, and to continue on to your website for more information about those issues and their solutions. That is also a marketing function, but when you are successful and the reader does click onto your website, they should be in your closing room. Social Media and Blogs are Marketing, Websites are sales floors, your website is and should be your office, but that’s another discussion. Above all, keep it simple. Your company blog shouldn’t read like a promotional brochure. Readers are looking for concise writing with clear takeaways, along with some fun and personality. Keep it brief, make your point using relatable examples, and then post it.
Capacity Building: Taking Your Organization to the Next Level
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm online from CharityNetUSA
Key Note Speaker: Howard Walker
Nonprofit Fundraising Expert Howard Walker is back for this vital topic, Fundraising. Howard will bring real world examples of successful fundraising efforts, and set you on course for some great fundraising events. We will cover volunteer programs, managing the fundraising efforts, and the necessity of keeping proper control and security of funds and your good name. Fundraising can bring in more than just funds; it can gather new volunteers, donors and spread the word of your cause. All it takes is the knowledge and desire to succeed; we give you the knowledge FREE in this information packed webinar!
As the past shows: the economy will recover, resources will catch up with us and finances will level out. Don’t wait for recovery to happen, get started growing your nonprofit now. When America recovers, your nonprofit will not only be in the game, but you will be an MVP!
Contact Marketing Coordinator Thomas R. Reich for more info at tom@Bizcentralusa.com or call him at (407) 857-9002 ex 510
10 Ways to Include Free Pinterest Account Features in your Organization’s Marketing Plans!
By Thomas R. Reich PhD
1) COMPANY REPRESENTATION: Encourage your partners and employees to create a Free Pinterest account and share of your brand on their Pin Boards.
2) LINK UP: Linking your Facebook and Twitter accounts with your Free Pinterest account enables you to sync all networks. In terms of following, Twitter and Pinterest are virtually the same, and you don’t have to follow someone to ‘repin’ or ‘like’ their pins. Linking up also allows you to share you pins on other social networks, which means a larger reach for your brand on a Free Pinterest account
3) LIKING & REPINNING: In order to place another user’s pin on one of your boards, you must ‘repin’ it! In doing so, you give the credit to who it came from which helps build relationships with other Free Pinterest account users
4) PIN DAILY: Upload relevant, useful media from your website or find pictures that represent or pertain to your brand. The ‘pins’ that you add to your profile should somehow related to your brand and target market on your Free Pinterest account, and should be organized into ‘pin boards.’ If you own a clothing store, an example of some pin boards could be ‘Men’s Jeans,’ ‘Women’s Jeans,’ ’Accessories,’ etc
5) BE AUDIENCE APPROPRIATE: According to MGD Advertising, as of April this year, 87% of Free Pinterest account users are women with the majority of ages between 25 & 54. If your brand pertains to clothing, children, or wedding dresses (among many other things, obviously), you’re golden—but if you sell chainsaws, lawn mowers, and tool-belts, Pinterest probably won’t work for you nearly as well, unless you relate those products to the interests of your boards.
6) BE ORIGINAL: Adding your own pictures to your Free Pinterest account helps with link-building & awareness of what you provide. Although repinning is absolutely valuable, having original content on your Pinterest is just as important as having original content on your blog.
7) SHARE THE LOVE: Frequently like, share, and repin people’s content! This will allow others to notice your brand, and when they see you are being generous to them on your Free Pinterest account, they will return the favor. According to Inc.com, getting to know those who have popular pins is hugely important to building your network across all major social media networks.
8) USE THE ‘PIN IT’ BUTTON: Enable a ‘Pin It’ button on your website and/or blog so your visitors can pin your content to their Free Pinterest account!
9) Sales Tool: one of the main reasons people use Free Pinterest accounts is to help guide their decisions on what to buy and it augments the selection of what to choose from.
10) Link-Building: If a user likes something they find on Free Pinterest account, the link to your website is available for them to click on and meander around.
11) Visuals: People love pictures. People love videos. Free Pinterest accounts are made up of both! This one is a no-brainer.
I am warning you though; A Free Pinterest account is most definitely addictive, so watch out and enjoy! I bet you cant pin just one!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM online from BizCentralUSA
Key Note Speaker: Thomas R. Reich, Marketing Coordinator
Join us for a fun and fact filled free webinar, one that will expose you to a world of free marketing. Among other things discussed will be: Social media for strategy, an ever expanding marketing tool; you will touch on the basics of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Then we will touch on tips and tricks in many areas of marketing such as websites and blogging so new even the experts will want to attend. This is a must see for any business or nonprofit interested in increased marketing presents! You will benefit greatly from the knowledge if only to enlighten you on what may be available for your organization. As usual, this fact filled webinar is FREE.
Can you afford to miss a learning opportunity like this? As always this webinar is free!
As always, feel free to contact Tom Reich for any marketing related questions at tom@bizcentralusa.com.
Please Register for this information – packed Webinar, even if you can not attend at the listed time, we will send all registrants a link to the recorded version of the live event the following day, to watch at their leasure.
Your One Stop Shop for all of your Business and nonprofit needs,
BizCentralUSA.com / CharityNetUSA.com (407) 857-9002
All this and more will be answered by resident marketing expert, Thomas R. Reich.
Title:
Marketing Strategies for social media, Website and Blogs; the untapped Free Resource! with Thomas R. Reich and Howard Walker
Date:
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Time:
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
Mission Based Marketing: An Essential for Charities and Churches + All New FREE Webinar
By Melanie M. Swift MNM
When consulting nonprofit administrators and talking about Mission Based Marketing, I have found that many individuals involved in nonprofit operations, especially those in small grassroots organizations, carry the belief that their organization is not a business. I suppose the term “business” lends a for-profit connotation, and makes many nonprofit leaders feel that it violates their charitable mission. It has been my goal to make these emerging leaders aware that increased organizational capacity can only be generated if they begin to undertake administrative tasks that were once found only within for-profit entities.
With the increased competition that is becoming apparent within the sector, one such critical task is adequate marketing of the organization. Market-driven nonprofit organizations are implementing a variety of market strategies in order to fulfill their mission, meet their programmatic goals, and achieve long-term financial stability through Mission Based Marketing.
In the nonprofit sector, Mission Based Marketing incorporates focusing on the needs of your constituents and planning to satisfy those needs over time. Program services to clients are the primary reason that nonprofit organizations exist. Therefore, it is critical to know how to plan Mission Based Marketing programs. To become highly effective, begin with understanding your program’s target markets. You’ll need to identify what groups of potential clients exist, what their needs are, what groups you’d prefer to serve, and what programs you might develop to meet their needs through Mission Based Marketing.
Business Plans
Market Research
SWOT Analysis
Strategic Plans
Website Development (A must in today’s technology-driven world!)
Search Engine Optimization
Social Media Marketing
Corporate Branding
Keep in mind that an essential aspect of Mission Based Marketing is continuously developing a positive self-image for the organization. The relationship between price and perceived value is nowhere more evident than in the nonprofit sector. Thus every organization must find ways to make clients believe your programs or services have the most value.
Careful Mission Based Marketing planning allows a nonprofit organization to position itself best to compete for all kinds of support, including funds, by looking systematically at Mission Based Marketing, image, constituents, competitors, resources, strengths, and weaknesses, and then devise strategies to gain more favorable position in the competitive marketplace. Ultimately, adequate Mission Based Marketing will help your organization to meet its strategic goals, whether they are to increase revenue, expand your client base, or promote your organization in a new market.
10 Tips and Tricks to make Your Website a Lead Generating Machine!
by Thomas R. Reich PhD
Books are judged by their covers, websites are judged by their landing pages.
You have heard it 100 times; the first 10 seconds in any meeting are the most crucial. A visitor to your internet site will size up the site like a customer walking in a store or showroom. The colors you employ, the size, style and relevance of your visuals, text and your brand are what can make you a Lead Generating Machine. Any time a new potential customer visits your website they must know in just 10 seconds whether they have arrived in the absolute right place. There must be no indecision here – they must know they are in the right place. Make it clear to them right on first thing page see:
• We are important to you because…
• We sell or provide…
• We want to solve your need.
• How can we help you?
Then clearly lead them to what they are looking for.
Keep your home page and all pages open and uncluttered to create a Lead Generating Machine .
Many websites try to cram so many pictures and text on a page it confuses the viewer and they leave. How fast does your internet site load for you? Do every one your visitors possess broadband internet access? Your rule is 8-seconds with a 56K dial-up modem, any longer and you will be losing visitors. Specifically, avoid the temptation to create your webpage as some massive logo image or flash web presentation. Remember, convey who you are, what you sell, and how you can help the visitor with what they are looking for if you want your website to be a Lead Generating Machine. Do this in a clean, uncluttered way branded with the same colors and typeface throughout. Keep it simple, stay on target, and stay branded throughout the website.
Link destinations should be targeted and links on your blog should be mostly internal.
The normal landing page for a website is the home page, often times the visitor feels trapped or overwhelmed and quickly departs. A link from an email or e-news letter should bring the visitor to a blog on your site which concentrates on a target topic which relates to your product or service. The blog should have many links within them but these links should bring them to the answers within your website which then becomes a Lead Generating Machine. If you need to use a knowledge source outside of your website it should be generic not a competitors site. This seems obvious but many make the mistake of sending the competition a lead you yourself generated!
We may hate pop-ups but they are still very effective!
Do you dislike those infuriating pop-up windows that many internet websites use? You know the ones…in your face some won’t go away no matter what you do. Bear in mind that pop-ups do work and do increase email lists if used properly within a Lead Generating Machine. Use a cookie based conservative pop-up, do not block the site and allow the visitor to easily opt out. You may try once again when they leave the site but offer something free, more on this later!
Tempt, coerce or bribe
So, what is the point of pop-up windows – they should only exist for a single reason exclusively – to highlight a special offer, or even better, tospotlight the free email information newsletter. Everybody knows that it is much easier in selling to an active consumer rather than to a new one. Remember what you offer the visitor for free is getting you a potential client for FREE. This is the time to give a free trial or a free white paper or a free Webinar in exchange for the visitor signing up to your email news letter. Incentivize your visitors if you need to, but get their email address and details right away, it is all part of a Lead Generating Machine.
Never believe visitors are browsers and can’t be sold right then!
Many website owners just accept that there are lots of competitive websites and the visitors are not necessarily purchasers. That may have been true in 2005 but today things have changed! Web browsers are searching with a goal in mind – they are searching for a result that will solve their need or problem – and if you don’t meet their needs, then they will keep searching. What if they are not willing to purchase yet, but you are the answer they have been looking for? In that case, seize their details for the opt-in e-newsletter list is more important than ever in a Lead Generating Machine, if they leave without giving their email you have lost them; the internet is simply too big for them to come back on their own. Do you believe that you have a great online business, the correct products and services, and the right price level? Then demonstrate it and scream it from your online business! Your email list is your chance to bring them back for another look, or make a better offer, possibly introduce an even better product for their needs or make a personal contact!
Employ the effectiveness of FREE in your favor.
Alright, I can hear you arguing, “But… But… But…” The most effective way to close a client is to engage that client! A single pay per click can cost more than $5 just to attract a visitor, and you give them nothing when they arrive! Think of your website as a booth in a huge trade show, offer a free white paper for a email sign-up, but what if you have a cool little free give away, think about it, you then get their full information, and when you mail the item, you get to include whatever sales material you wish! Yes, everyone loves free stuff, of course, we all do. SO GIVE THEM FREE STUFF as part of a Lead Generating Machine! Though – whenever you provide free things, provide it in exchange for their details, in order to get back to them, if not they remain just numbers in analytics.
Guide your visitors through your website, like a good salesman in a showroom.
The moment you have gained your online visitors interest and attention, you then want to virtually take their hand and direct them to every page across the website, this is an essential part of a Lead Generating Machine. This is achieved by using links and clever words and phrases to take your visitors to the answers they are looking for. Find out what your visitors want and make sure you provide those answers on your website.. Lead them bit by bit towards the contact us web page, until you have their name and email address.
Once you have the Visitors Email, use it wisely, with a plan to build their interest, not to pester them.
Once you have got hold of them (your new potential customers) – Don’t let go! Love them, care for them, and even if they have not opened their wallet for you – show them the same level of gold service that you normally reserve for the spending clients, if you want your Lead Generating Machine to produce customers. It is important to email and update them with new data and facts and to personalize your company, welcome the visitor to your circle of friends! Do not abuse their trust; your emails should give them information on your products and services. Never sell or misuse your email list for other products not represented on the website they signed up under!
Make your website one portion of a network.
First, make sure you have a Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pintrest, and YouTube accounts all branded the same as your website and all attached to your website which is your Lead Generating Machine. Additionally, you may want to make link deals with related but different product and services websites to exchange leads and traffic. Remember, the goal once the traffic gets to your site is to get at least their opt-in email address, without that email contact the visitor is just a useless number on an analytics report. It is the difference of a customer walking through a mall looking in store windows and a customer walking in a store! Get those Email addresses.
This webinar is free and as always, if you register and are unable to make the live webinar we will send a recorded version to you after the event!
Title:
Lead Generation Strategies
Date:
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Time:
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT
We will explore the many aspects of lead generation. Wether you are a small business looking for new customers or a nonprofit looking for donors or volunteers, this is the webinar for you! Using your Social Media Network as a leads funnel to your blog and website, can generate many leads. Once you have leads what is an easy way to tell a hot lead from a cold lead, what lead can generate sales not and who should be followed up on in the future? When does a lead become a prospect?
All this and more will be answered by resident marketing expert, Thomas R. Reich.
This webinar is free and as always, if you register and are unable to make the live webinar we will send a recorded version to you after the event!
HUBZone Certification—How Does a Business Get Certified?
By Felix Zapata
Are you a small business owner located in an economically distressed urban or rural community with high unemployment or low income levels? Are you looking for help with federal contracting and interested in becoming certified in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone Certivication) program?
If so, you may be eligible for the program if you can answer yes to the following questions. Ask yourself:
Am I a small business according to SBA’s size standards?
Is my business 51 percent owned and controlled by a U.S. citizen?
Is my principal office located in a HUBZone Certification designated area?
Do at least 35 percent of my employees reside in a HUBZone Certification designated area?
HUBZone Certification Program – What is it?
The HUBZone Certification program — enacted in 1997 – helps small businesses located in HUBZones get contract help, thus promoting job growth, capital investment and economic development in economically depressed areas, in both rural and urban communities, and on Indian reservations. The federal government has a goal of awarding 3 percent of its contracts each year (measured in dollars) to eligible HUBZone certification small businesses. In FY 2010, the federal government awarded $11.97 billionto HUBZone Certification firms.
Small businesses certified in the HUBZone Certification program are eligible for three types of contracts including:
sole-source contracts (for some contracts with an anticipated award price between $3.5 million and $5.5 million, the government can give a contract to a HUBZone Certification after soliciting and negotiating with just that one single company, depending on what business sector the company operates in.
full and open competitive contracts (HUBZone Certification companies compete with other bidders, but get a 10 percent price preference).
How do I Know If My Business is in a HUBZone Certification Designated Area?
HUBZones are located across the U.S. and its territories. These areas are largely based on unemployment and income data. These areas include:
qualified census tracts determined by the Department of Housing Urban Development (HUD)
qualified non-metropolitan counties
difficult development areas
qualified Indian reservations
former military bases closed by the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC)
To see if your area is a designated HUBZone Certification and to apply for the program, visit www.sba.gov/hubzone.
What’s New with the HUBZone Certification Program?
On September 1, 2011, the SBA informed HUBZone companies by e-mail of the expiration of some redesignated areas on Oct. 1, 2011, the date the Census Bureau publicly released the first results of its 2010 decennial census. Redesignated areas are HUBZones that lost their HUBZone Certification eligibility before October 1, 2008, generally because of changes in their unemployment and/or income status, but were temporarily redesignated as HUBZones Certification until Oct. 1, 2011.
Since some of the redesignated areas will no longer be HUBZones, the SBA encourages small businesses located in these areas to go to the HUBZone Certification locator on its Web site to determine whether they are located in one of these expiring areas.
In October 2011, the SBA sent out letters proposing decertification for HUBZone Certification businesses located in expiring redesignated areas. Small businesses also have the option of submitting a voluntary decertification agreement. HUBZone Certification firms decertified from the program must wait 90 days from the date of decertification to reapply for HUBZone certification. Companies currently working on a HUBZone Certification contract may continue to work on the contract.
Benefits of Business Certifications with Felix Zapata
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm est online from BizCentral USA
Key Note Speaker: Felix Zapata
Join us for the rare chance to look into the world of certifications. Discover the benefits of federal and state minority certification, and the whole gamete of certifications that can give you the edge in competition and authorize you to bid on state and federal contracts. You will benefit greatly from the knowledge if only to enlighten you on what may be available for your company. All it takes is the knowledge and desire to succeed; we give you the knowledge FREE in this information packed webinar!
Contact Business Consultant Howard Walker for more info at Felix@Bizcentralusa.com or call him at (407) 857-9002
Register Now, even if you can’t attend we will send you a link to the recorded webinar after the event.
Not to oversimplify how to create a strategic plan, but by placing all the parts of a plan into three areas, you can clearly see how the pieces fit together. The three pieces of the puzzle are:
Where are we now?
Where are we going?
How will we get there?
Each part has certain elements to show you how and where things fit it.
Where are we now?
As you think about where your organization is now, you want to look at your foundational elements (mission and value) to make sure there has not been a change. More than likely, you will not revise these two areas very often. Then you want to look at your current position or your strategic position. This is where you look at what is happening internally and externally to determine how you need to shift and change You should review your strategic plan regularly through the use of a SWOT. These elements are as follows:
Mission statement: The mission describes your organization’s purpose in a good strategic Plan — the purpose for which you were founded and why you exist. Some mission statements include the business of the organization. Others explain what products or services they produce or customers they serve. Does your mission statement say what you do? Why does your organization exist?
Values and/or guiding principles: This clarifies what you stand for and believe in. Values guide the organization in its daily business. What are the core values and beliefs of your company? What values and beliefs guide your daily interactions? What are you and your people really committed to?
SWOT: SWOT is an acronym that stand for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. These elements are crucial in assessing your strategic position with your organizations starategic plan. You want to build on your company’s strengths; shore up the weaknesses; capitalize on the opportunities; and recognize the threats.
Where are we going?
The elements of the question Where are we going? help you answer other questions such as What will my organization look like in the future? Where are we headed? What is the future I want to create for my company? Because the future is hard to predict, you can have fun imagining what it may look like. The following elements help you define the future for your business:
Sustainable competitive advantage: Sustainable competitive advantage explains what your are best at compared to your competitors. Each company strives to create an advantage that continues to be competitive over the time. What can you be best at? What is your uniqueness? What can your organization potentially do better than any other organization?
Vision statement: Your vision is formulating a picture of what your organization’s future makeup will be and where the organization is headed. What will your organization look like in 5 to 10 years from now?
How will we get there?
Knowing how you’ll reach your vision is the meat of your strategic plan, but it’s also the most time consuming. The reason it takes so much time to develop is because there are a number of routes from your current position to your vision in a strategic plan. Picking the right one determines how quickly or slowly you get to your final destination.
The parts of your plan that layout your roadmap are listed below:
Strategic objectives: Strategic objectives are long-term, continuous strategic areas that help you connect your mission to your vision. Holistic objectives encompass four areas: financial, customer, operational, and people. What are the key activities that you need to perform in order to achieve your vision?
Strategy: Strategy establishes a way to match your organization’s strengths with market opportunities so that your organization comes to mind when your customer has a need. This section of a strategic plan explains how you travel to your final destination. Does your strategy match your strengths in a way that provides value to your customers? Does it build an organizational reputation and recognizable industry position?
Short-term goals/priorities/initiatives: Short-term goals convert your the strategic objectives into specific performance targets. You can use goals, priorities, initiatives interchangeably. In this book, I use goals to define short-term action. Effective goals clearly state what you want to accomplish, when you want to accomplish it, how you’re going to do it, and who’s going to be responsible. Each goal should be specific and measurable. What are the 1- to 3-year-goals you’re trying to achieve to reach your vision? What are your specific, measurable, and realistic targets of accomplishment?
Action items: Action items are plans that set specific actions that lead to implementing your goals. They include start and end dates and appointing a person responsible Are your action items comprehensive enough to achieve your goals?
Scorecard: A scorecard measures and manages your strategic plan. What are the key performance indicators you need to track to monitor whether you’re achieving your mission? Pick 5 to 10 goal related measures you can use to track the progress of your plan and plug them into your scorecard.
Execution: In executing the plan, identify issues that surround who manages and monitors the plan and how the plan is communicated and supported. How committed are you to implementing the plan to move your organization forward? Will you commit money, resources, and time to support the strategic plan.
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/400866258
Developing a Strategic Business Plan with Melanie Swift
How do you determine if your ready to apply for a 501c3, are you jeopardizing your organization by not having one? What are the advantages and protections of having a 501c3? How can a 501c3 open new fundraising doors and allow more freedom in your organization? Join us for this free webinar, and find a fact filled discussion on one of the most important issues facing our industry today, 501c3!. All of this information and much more is yours in this FREE webinar
We invite you to spend a valuable hour with CharityNet USA and our Director of Nonprofit Services Melanie Swift and discover another way we can help your nonprofit organization cannot only overcome, but grow during the current economic conditions.
As the past shows: the economy will recover, resources will catch up with us and finances will level out. Don’t wait for recovery to happen, get started growing your nonprofit now. When America recovers, your nonprofit will not only be in the game, but you will be an MVP!
Contact Marketing Coordinator Thomas R. Reich for more info at tom@Bizcentralusa.com or call him at (407) 857-9002 ex 510
Webinar Registration
Wednesday,Sept 12, 2012
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm online from CharityNetUSA
Key Note Speaker: Melanie Swift
Creativity is a skill we all have. It is a spark that can set off a brilliant chain of events for you. Think about that idea you had one day that made you think, “That’s brilliant!” We have all experienced this moment but few of us pursue the materialization of this idea. But why? Is it money? Is it drive? Is it a lack of guidance? Is there a feeling of insecurity about battling established businesses?
These concerns are common among business owners and entrepreneurs. The beauty of common issues is the fact that they have common solutions. Let’s explore them one by one.
1: Money
A lack of rock-solid capital assets is a concern for any business owner, yet you hear story after story about a small start-up company reaching levels of success that only exist in our wildest dreams. There are many businesses that have started with modest means. A common thread among those who succeed is a properly constructed business plan. This tool may serve as your first and most valuable asset to your company. Through the instrument of adequate planning, a business knows its limitations and goals. After all, in order to run a race, one must know where they begin and where they will end.
This tool will guide you to the finish line, giving your business a road map to success, leading to solid capital gains and educated financing options.
2: Drive
Another common trait of successful business owners is their impeccable drive. Do a quick search for successful business owners and you’ll see that they aren’t lazy. These individuals possess a level of discipline to which we should all strive. How do they have this supreme ambition? In a word, passion. Think about that creative idea you had. How did it make its way into your consciousness? Maybe it was a matter of necessity, or improvement on an existing idea, or perhaps it came from something that brings you joy. Whatever the case, it came from something holding great personal importance, something you already have the passion for; all you need to do is focus that passion.
Steer that passion into the function of your business plan and success is a matter remaining steadfast and focused.
3: Guidance
The best athletes in the world always have someone to look up to. Be it a coach, a parent, or a personal role model, they all have someone in which they can confide. In the wake of the recent Olympic Games, every champion had someone to thank for their guidance. As their nation’s flag rose above them and all eyes were on the gold medalist, that person was looking at their mentor through tear-glossed eyes, giving a look that said “thank you” without any words.
A business owner has to find this mentor or supporter. Whether it is your spouse, mother, father, friend, or even the inspiration from someone in your past, find that support to keep you on track and successful.
4: Competition
Everyone loves a good underdog story. Persevering in the face of adversity turns those with potential into stories of greatness. My favorite story of perseverance is that of Jim Valvano and the 1983 NC State Men’s Basketball team. Facing formidable opponents through the entirety of the 1983 NCAA Basketball Championship tournament, an undersized and under-experienced team and coach found success through the successful implementation of their plan; fueled by an unrelenting passion.
A business owner can achieve a similar feat. In today’s business world, there are tools at your disposal and proven practices you can utilize to make your idea materialize and flourish.
We are here to help you make your plan, focus your passion, sharing our knowledge to guide your efforts, and put all these traits together so you can be competitive.
Think about that creative idea. Can you make it happen? Yes. Just remember: plan, passion, push, and perseverance.
Business Start up Steps with Howard Walker
Join us for a Webinar on Wednesday September 5. 2012
Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/966872906
Wednesday, Sept 5, 2012
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm online from BizCentral USA
Key Note Speaker: Howard Walker
Wednesday, Sept 5, 2012
9:00 am – 10:00 am online from BizCentralUSA
Key Note Speaker: Thomas R. Reich, Marketing Coordinator
Join us and discover many ideas and directions for starting a new business. After we have some fun with new ideas, we will look at the pitfalls to watch out for. What do you need to have in place, how can you be a success out of the box. Avoid being among those who fail by not finding out all they can before they leap into a new business. This is a free webinar, it is packed full of useful facts and you will walk away with knowledge you can use right now! After you have these steps down, you must implement a strategy to grow your business.
To do this we recommend a good business plan, through this webinar we will show you the key elements needed to build a business. A good business plan can keep you on target, enable you to get a loan, attract investors and a number of other benefits.
We invite you to spend a valuable hour with BizCentral USA learning key strategies to implement and help get your small business off on the right foot and towards a feasible plan that will help grow your business.
You will benefit greatly from the knowledge if only to enlighten you on what may be available for your company. As usual, this fact filled webinar is FREE.
Can you afford to miss a learning opportunity like this?
Feel free to contact Tom Reich with any questions at tom@bizcentralusa.com.
Please Register for this information – packed Webinar, even if you can not attend at the listed time, we will send all registrants a link to the recorded version of the live event the following day.
Your One Stop Shop for all of your Business Needs,
BizCentralUSA.com
(407) 857-9002
Title:
Business Start up Steps with Howard Walker
Date:
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Time:
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
System Requirements
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Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer
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Required: iPhone®/iPad®/Android™ smartphone or tablet