My Two-Month Plan for Better Social Marketing

Dale Carnegie once said “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” So I’m taking this quote as a challenge to myself to become more social, and more interested in, those of you following me on Twitter, reading this blog or visiting me on Facebook. This goes beyond just “liking” someone’s status on Facebook, and doing something more meaningful than only re-tweeting on Twitter. I’m active in a number of locations, and here are the action steps I plan to take for each:

Twitter
How do you cultivate relationships in 140 characters or less? Not sure it can be done, but I’m going to focus more on @ replies and direct messages with new and existing followers. Second, to create more fun and interaction, I’m going to add polls, quotes and other things of interest more frequently. I don’t have the biggest following, but of the people I follow who do, it’s an endless barrage of self-promotion, MLM offers and the like. I’d rather tweet the same interesting post 3-4 times a day than blast out marketing messages. Third, and maybe this should have been first, I’m going to focus on Twitter lists targeting my geographic area, monitoring for tweet-ups and participating in real world networking. It’s much easier to connect with someone when you meet face to face.

Facebook
Right now, my blog posts automatically feed to Facebook, and I’ve installed the Selective Tweets application so I can tag choice tweets to appear on Facebook. This passive approach hasn’t created much interaction, other than lots of “likes” on my posts. Instead, I plan to offer exclusive material to my Facebook fans. Also, and being really careful not to abuse, send messages and content to them directly via the messaging center on the fan page. An ideal outcome would be a combined tweet-up and Facebook meet-up in the Lehigh Valley (where I live).

LinkedIn
I used to feed my Tweets directly to LinkedIn as status updates, until a close friend told me he couldn’t keep up with me anymore. If he felt that way, I imagine many others did as well. So I’ve changed the application to only accept tweets with the #in hashtag. This way, I can be much more selective, and when linking to a recent article or post I’ve written, can leave it on LinkedIn as a status update for a day or so to get maximum viewership. Going beyond a commitment to write more recommendations, I plan to answer more questions and be more than a lurker on the groups I belong to. Finally, instead of waiting for an introduction, I’m going to turn the tables and introduce people to my network.

Blogging
This goes beyond my own blog, and maybe should be labeled “commenting on blogs”. Every blogger out there, regardless of fame or perceived fame, is driven hugely by their ego. I’ve always wondered who’s reading my blog, and the only proof I have, beyond what Google Analytics tells me, are the comments made. I can assure you, I will read each and every comment that comes in. Even some of the ones Askimet marks as spam. I’d venture to guess other bloggers do the same thing. So, I’ve reached a simple conclusion — the best way to engage with someone is to leave thoughtful, meaningful comments on his or her blog. It’s also proof you’re reading the material, and regular comments on blogs are a sure sign you value and appreciate the writer’s hard work. I doubt this will go unnoticed. If you have only limited time in your day for social marketing, I’d focus 95% of my efforts on entering thoughtful comments on blogs. It’s that powerful.

So there you have my two month plan. Lots of writing, reading and typing. Buying coffee for fans and friends who want to meet in real life. And truly enjoying social marketing. Will you join me?

Photo credit by eduardtrag.

Three Free Ways to Grow Your Business in 2010

Here are three areas to focus on or add to your January marketing plans. Each of these will generate new leads for your law firm or other professional services practice. The best part? All of these are free, requiring only time and talent.

Local Listings
The practice of law, or any other service, is typically a combination of a problem + a location (e.g. “divorce lawyer in Dallas”), so claim your listing on Google’s Local Business Center and on Yahoo Local.

Ratings & Reviews
Ask current clients to rate and review your practice on Yelp. This site has grown beyond just reviews on restaurants, and organizes businesses in more than 20 categories, such as Local Services, Professional Services, and Real Estate. If you’re not part of the conversation, how do you know what’s being said? Simple instructions are found on Yelp’s Business Owners Guide.

Networking
When asked, nearly all service providers like to say they get business “by referral” so put your networking on steroids and join LinkedIn. The best ways to use this site, beyond simple networking, are by joining groups and answering questions. But don’t neglect your network! Writing unsolicited recommendations is the best way to get more of your own. And if you’re a lawyer or an attorney, join Martindale-Hubbell Connected, which is a professional network is designed exclusively for legal professionals.

Build your marketing plan from these three foundational elements, and you’ll be well on your way to growing your service-based business in 2010.

Marketing Your Service Business During a Recession

Times are tough for our economy, and even if your company hasn’t experienced a decline in business, you certainly know others either suffering or closing altogether. It’s time to take a look at the budget and decide what stays and what goes. Often, the marketing budget is first to get cut. But cutting your overall marketing budget couldn’t be a bigger mistake! Studies have shown time and again this is a wrong move. Recessions offer new opportunities and decreased competition. Instead of cutting (if you must cut something, jettison all outbound marketing, like traditional advertising and trade shows), make it more efficient through inbound marketing.

Why Spend Money Now?
Obviously, marketing when others aren’t gives you an advantage. Your clients still have leaky pipes, need legal assistance or accounting services regardless of the state of the economy (remember, service providers are problem solvers in nearly all cases). Some businesses are even recession-resistant, e.g. accident and injury lawyers, auditing services, food services, etc. Not to mention the incredible deals you’ll get from other businesses! Your marketing dollars will go much further during bad times, so take advantage of it and gain market share.

Document and look at your current marketing plan. It’s important to examine each item in terms of value so you can focus and hone in on low-risk, high-reward campaigns. This is also the time to test new things, such as inbound marketing (and if you’re doing this, time to refine and get even better results).

Consider These Inbound Marketing Activities
First, a definition: inbound marketing is an online strategy which places information about your business in front of people already looking for what it is you sell. It simply means creating content and talking about it. Inbound marketing turns strangers into friends, friends into clients and clients into salespeople. Hard to beat this positioning!

Here are some inbound marketing tasks you can do to gain more market share:

• Get listed on business directories and Internet yellow pages. Each provides implied credibility and can deliver leads fast. There are too many to list, but identify those appropriate for your industry. For example, Lawyers.com is a directory of lawyers and law firms, OutFishing.com is a directory of fishing guides, and the SuperPages is an Internet yellow pages directory.
• Optimize your website (you have one, right??). Since most professional service businesses are not ‘bought’ online, make sure your content and information is designed to generate leads. Continue to add new and relevant content and information to your website on a regular basis.
• Leverage social marketing. Consider launching a blog or using a service like Twitter to stay in front of potential clients. And don’t ignore social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. The profiles and pages are free and deliver very qualified leads. The key with social marketing, and social networking in particular, is to remember that everyone knows why you’re there, so don’t be too obvious or overly promotional with your sales pitches.
• For the creative side in you, grab your video camera or buy an inexpensive Flip HD camera, and record short, informational movies and clips about your business. The quality of the production isn’t nearly as important as the quality of the content. So show off your office, your staff, a how-to video, or even something as simple as a 30-60 second recording explaining why you’re in the business you’re in. Be genuine!

It’s easy to list these items and never take action, so consider working with a specialist or a marketing consultant who “gets” inbound marketing; one who understands the challenges professional services providers face. New clients are already online and looking for someone like you to solve a problem they have. Regardless of where you market, help them find you with inbound marketing.

Inaugural Event: The Innovators Club, NJ

Yesterday, I attended the inaugural event of The Innovators Club of NJ. They’ve hosted networking meetings and seminars for more than 2 years in the greater Philadelphia area. But last night, they chartered an expansion group along the I-78 corridor, attracting almost two dozen innovators from Western NJ and the Lehigh Valley.

Hosts Manny Rechani and Todd Cohen put on a great show, with food provided by The Grand Colonial restaurant.

David Newman, of Do It Marketing, presented his “(Humorously) Navigating the WORLD of Social Media” presentation, a funny, yet instructional set of slides on social marketing. David walked us through his ideas on social marketing, which centered around blogging, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. For many, overcoming the inertia to create great content is steep, but to quote David, “done is better than perfect”. So for those of you on the social marketing fence, get going!

Social Marketing

Social marketing uses the sound techniques of Internet marketing and the proven power behind word-of-mouth advertising to create instant buzz for a company’s products, services and brand. Through highly visited social sites like MySpace and Facebook, interest-driven networks like Stumbleupon and Del.icio.us, and popularity-based sites like Digg and Reddit, companies are using Social marketing techniques to effectively reach their target audiences.

What is social marketing?
Social marketing is the indirect spread of a website’s products, services, information, and opinions through channels and networks formed by various social groups a/k/a “virtual friends”. The foundation of these social friendships is built on a type of “web trust”, as group members gain popularity by expanding on, debating, support and providing contributions to current topics. And because group members may belong to and hold similar discussions within multiple groups and networks, the viral growth of a topic (or product or company) becomes explosive.

Social Marketing: Out With the Old, In With the New
With social sites doing the marketing, the days of soft selling are out and social marketing is in. Consumers have spoken, and no one wants to hear from strangers about a product or service, or how a company can change the world with its new, revolutionary idea, or how much lower and better a price or product is. When generated by members of the social media websites, your message changes from marketing noise into a viral, marketing “buzz”.

A Few Tools of Social Marketing: Blogs, Tags and Sharing
Blogs, short for weblogs, are online commentaries and journals of free speech. Blogs have been very popular over the last few years, especially in the political and high-tech arena. Today’s companies use them to discuss relevant topics, promote and review their products and to answer questions posed by consumers. Loved by search engines, linked to by other websites and read by faithful followers, blogs are becoming even more popular as an online marketing tool.

And with blogs, come tags – the author’s labeling of a blog post (or any web page) with relevant keywords (tags) to help those searching find the page. Used with blog indexing systems like Technorati, tags are an alternative traffic generator bringing in both traffic and inbound links to tagged pages.

Once a blog entry has been tagged, others looking for topics related to the tagged keywords will be lead to click through. If a visitor finds thinks the information in the blog entry needs to be shared, tools like those provided by Stumbleupon, Digg, and Del.icio.us provide ways to tell others of the new find. As more people “stumble upon”, “digg” or find the entry to be “del.icio.us” the more likely the blog will enter into the world of mega-social medias like Facebook, Flickr, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc. where it’s popularity will continue to grow.

Conclusion
Social marketing is fast becoming an inexpensive way to gain visibility, build a network of followers and to get the word out on products, services and expertise. When used properly, social marketing’s very nature will create a wealth of inbound links, increase visibility and promote the Internet buzz for a company or organization. The realized effects tend to be an increase in search engine rank, brand trust and the power to influence others online.

With social marketing, hard sells become obsolete and softsells are seen as welcomed suggestions; visitors become advocates, and supporters become your sales teams. It’s becoming the most efficient and effective way to harness the power of the web.