How To Use Twitter For Publicity Purposes

The second most popular social network, behind Facebook, is the micro-blogging website Twitter, according to eBizMBA. For some companies it’s growing in popularity among young people faster than Facebook. As a matter of fact, many believe Facebook has now hit the ceiling in the United States while Twitter still has room to grow. This is why it’s the social network to look for publicity.

#Hashtags 

#Hashtags can be started by literally any #Twitter user, however the ones that gain the most popularity are most often businesses, celebrity and world event related. This is because those garner a large follower base and are able to keep lots of people disseminating the #hashtag. When enough people to do so, the #hashtag usually ends up in the trending topics section visible to all #Twitter users on their home page of the site. 

Sponsored Tweets 

Companies are now able to pay money to have sponsored tweets. These tweets go into the stream of news feeds of a lot of people regardless if they do or do not follow your account. This in turn may lead to more followers for your account, which is sure to put your message in front of more eyes than before. Your publicity just might increase with the paid option. 

Media Reporting 

Some of the best publicity on Twitter comes from the media reporting on the things tweeted throughout the site, especially when something unusual gets tweeted. You can believe the blogs and major media outlets will pick up on it. That’s earned media and that is a win. Hopefully it’s positive and that’s good news for the company.

Contact us for more tips on how to use Twitter for publicity purposes.  

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How To Properly Use Reputation Management

The online world cares about image. It is the sole focus of a lot of what the Internet is all about after all. Those who manage their image and reputation well are most likely to receive repeat business. Those who allow reputation management to get away from them may see a steady decline into irrelevance. 

Using Outsourced Reputation Management 

Many people want to do their own reputation management online when they first hear of the concept. They think there is no reason they should not be able to handle it. After all, it is just their own image they are trying to preserve. However, an article on the subject on Forbes.com, Michael Fertik, owner of Reputation.com stated:

“The best analogy that I can think of is anti-virus software for your computer. There are probably only 25 guys on the planet who can do good anti-virus protection on their own because it requires deep technical expertise. We have dozens of engineers who work on each of our products, which are designed expressly to fix or enhance your digital reputation and profile. That said, there are certain things that you should do on your own, like have a thoughtful, well-curated LinkedIn profile. And you should have a Twitter handle that is your name, not something like “ILovePizza,” unless your job is in pizza.” 

Well said.

Caution But Not Too Much 

Obviously, avoiding mistakes is a major part of reputation management. That being said, it is not a good idea to completely box yourself off from the entire Internet and never really try anything. You need to be marketing and at the same time avoiding major mistakes. It is a careful balance that has to be struck, but it is possible. 

Sell Yourself, Sell Your Product 

If you are able to sell yourself and your reputation to people online then you are probably in good shape to sell whatever product you need to as well. You just want to make sure that the image you are providing is a good one. No one wants to buy from someone they do not trust or have confidence in. 

Contact us today to get information on how you can get started with reputation management. 

Consistent Brand Messaging When Building Your Personal Brand

Building a powerful personal brand starts with you. How you present yourself publicly and online strongly affects how your brand is interpreted by the masses. Because your personal brand is a reflection of who you are personally, you must be aware, the totality of your actions will determine your brand.

Nurturing Your Brand Through Authenticity

Your brand is your legacy. Once you establish what you want your brand message to be, you must own it. How you present yourself to the world will define your brand culture – make it memorable. Your actions, expertise, and emotional connection to your brand will define how it is viewed. Offer something valuable only you can provide to the public; live it, and you will garner true authenticity.

Build Character – Online and Off

In the digital age, your online presence with social media has become your touchstone. This is where you engage those interested in your brand. Make sure the design of your online outlets closely aligns with your character and brand message. Whether you have a design team or one person working on creative, make sure there is an understanding of your brand’s uniqueness, your character is clearly interpreted, and don’t forget, a picture is worth a thousand words and this is your moment to shine. It will aid in your social media marketing campaign.

Consistent Brand Messaging

Current and potential clients want consistency. They want to know you will deliver each time with the same or better results. Your clients want to trust you, they want to count on you to be the answer. Consistency in your communications gives clients something to rely on. If you deliver strong and consistent communications, your clients will become evangelists of your brand. 

For more information on how you can build a powerful personal brand, contact the professionals at TwoGirlsConsulting LLC. We understand your physical and digital image must exude your brand. Enticing and consistent communication of your personal brand relies on a carefully crafted strategy. At 2GC, your image is everything.

 

4 Important Email Marketing Strategies

Email newsletters are an important part of any marketing campaign, particularly as people spend increasing amounts of time online. E-newsletters go directly to customers’ inbox, giving them an advantage over other forms of social media. Like other digital media, e-newsletters are inexpensive to produce and send to customers. And fortunately, there are some simple tips for writing an email-newsletter that customers will be likely to read!

1) Start with a captivating subject line. Many readers use an email subject line to determine whether they will open the email, and it is crucial that your e-newsletter stand out among the many other emails a customer receives. Including the word ‘you’ gives the email a personal touch. Make your subject line timely and short, to catch the reader’s eye. 

2) Use visual means to convey your message. Video sites, like YouTube, and applications, like Vine, are rapidly rising in popularity. Often, readers are more likely to watch a short video than they are to read lines of text. Capitalize on this tendency by creating video (or even photo) content for your readers, whether your intent is to engage the customer, sell products, or tell a story.

3) Entice customers with a special offer. Including a special offer in your e-newsletter is one of the best ways to retain customers and keep them interested in future promotions. You will strengthen brand loyalty when you help customers feel as if they are important to your business. (They are!)

4) Utilize other forms of social media. Include social media links (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) in your e-newsletter, as these digital marketing tools go hand in hand. A great way to involve customers and increase your market exposure is by rewarding customers when they share your e-newsletter (or other content) on social media. 

With these tips, you can improve your email newsletters to make the most of the opportunity you have to communicate with your customers. For the best ways to include email in your marketing strategy, contact us today!

Does Your Marketing Strategy Begin in the Right Place?

It never ceases to amaze me how many business owners spend all kinds of time and other resources creating and implementing a marketing strategy that begins at step two. They either ignore the important first step altogether, or pay so little attention to it that it contributes little or nothing of value to the final plan.

What I’m talking about here is developing a profile of your ideal customer. A good definition for the term “ideal customer” is; someone who is most likely to buy from you.

Many business owners don’t understand this essential first step in creating an overall marketing strategy. The reason it’s so important is; by having a handle on what your ideal customer looks like, you’ll be in a better position to determine which marketing techniques are likely to be effective and which are not.

For example, if you were a heating and air conditioning contractor, you would probably be wasting valuable marketing resources if you sent marketing materials to residents of an apartment complex. The apartment owner or manager would typically make decisions on such services, not the residents themselves.

Having a profile of your ideal customer and carefully considering that information when creating a marketing strategy is important regardless of what business you’re in.

So, how do you go about developing a profile of your ideal customer? By asking and answering several questions. For example:

• Is your ideal customer male or female?
• What age range do they fall into?
• What is their education level?
• Are they married, divorced, widowed, or single?
• What is their income range?
• What do they enjoy doing in their spare time?
• What challenges do they typically face?
• What are their dreams and goals?
• Do they spend time on the internet? If so, where and for how long?
• Do they engage in social media? If so, which platforms?
• What types of businesses already market to them?
• How do those businesses market to them?

Having answers to these, and other questions, will put you in a place to make educated decisions on which marketing tools and techniques will be most effective in your market.

Of course, identifying your ideal customer doesn’t preclude you from doing business with those who don’t fit your profile. You just won’t be focusing your marketing efforts on them.

If you’d like help creating a marketing strategy for your business, contact us online or call 702-738-1197.

 

Avoid These Mistakes for a Better Social Media Content Strategy

You invest significant time and money into your social media content strategy. Yet, you still ask yourself, “What can I do to secure a higher return on influence for the resources I expend on content marketing?”  There are a few common mistakes that businesses make when trying to engage clients through social media.  Here are a few to avoid:

• Not Posting Enough.  We live in a fast-paced society, and clients are constantly hungry for fresh information.  To keep people coming back to your site, make sure to post new content regularly.  Websites that stagnate will quickly lose interest and clients.
• Information is Too Dense.  People are busy and don’t want to wade through dense articles for information.  While you should avoid posting fluff, as this will generate little interest, spend time ensuring that your content is user-friendly.  Break up dense articles into smaller sections, and format your content so information appears in bullets rather than in blocks of text.
• Wasting Time Responding to all Comments.  It’s easy to become distracted on social media, especially if your audience is fully engaged.  However, keep in mind you don’t need to respond to every comment posted if you have other pressing projects on hand.  Respond to important remarks, and make sure that your comments are relevant.  Otherwise you can spend days on social media without accomplishing anything else.
• Staying Blind to Impact.  Do you know which leads and opportunities are coming from your social media marketing?  Find a way to measure social media’s impact on your business, whether by using online tools to measure page views or by asking people how they learned about your company.  Measuring social media’s impact will allow you to adjust the amount of energy you spend on social media marketing.

Companies that make these mistakes waste time and fail to fully engage an audience, while companies that avoid them see a higher return on influence in social media.  Want to learn more about successful business marketing strategies?   Contact us with any questions.

You Should Be Actively Involved In Your Online Reputation Management

Maybe you’re thinking to yourself, “Why do I need to manage something I don’t even have?”  If you’ve ever searched for your business online and only found results pointing to your website or social media pages, you’re ahead of the game.  At this point, your online reputation is managed.

It’s important to remember your squeaky clean online presence can be tarnished or even badly damaged in a short period by a disgruntled customer or an ex-employee deciding to start posting negative comments online about you and/or your company, and you may soon find those comments are receiving a higher ranking than your web page.

This is why you need to actively monitor and manage what is being said about you and your company online.  If you’re not taking proactive measures now, you may find yourself needing to take action to repair your reputation after the damage is already done.

You may not even realize how many searches are being performed each day on you or your company.  These are some of the more typical:

• Potential customers
• Potential investors
• Business partners and/or colleagues
• Journalists
• Coworkers and/or employees
• Personal contacts

You want to be sure you are showing up in the best possible light should any of these people decide to look you up.  The type of issues that could cause problems if not effectively managed include:

• Negative comments and perceptions
• Inaccurate information
• False information
• Copyright or Trademark infringement
• Postings on review or complaint websites

A negative online reputation can be highly damaging if it leads to a boycott of your products or services.  You could also be dealing with legal issues as you try and figure who is responsible and how to negate the damage. Having consistent monitoring of your online presence can head off those possibly negative consequences before it gets out of control.  An online reputation management team will serve as the perfect “buffer” for the possible attack on you or your business.  

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you support a positive online reputation! 

 

Top 5 Mistakes Business Owners Make When Implementing Online Marketing Strategies

As a business owner, the main goal of your overall marketing strategy is to communicate to your customers how your business can help them solve their problems, with the outcome of getting and keeping profitable and valuable customers. In today’s digital age and with all current advances in technologies, business owners can reach out to thousands of people in new and engaging ways. However, this also means that the marketplace is saturated with competitors who will seize opportunities to gain advantage from your mistakes. This is why it’s critical for any business owner to work smarter and acquire the right knowledge, tools, and build a solid plan of attack.

An online marketing strategy is part of the overall marketing effort and flawless execution is essential, if you aspire to create impact and add value to your target audience. Unfortunately, many business owners rush into creating an online presence without taking the time to build a plan of action, which results in putting energy and effort into weak strategies. The most common mistakes business owners make when marketing on the Internet Are:

1. Creating A Website With No Careful Planning

 This might sound obvious for some, though you’d be surprised how many business owners end up wasting time and money building and developing a website where visitors have no idea what to do when they arrive or what type of business is represented. You only have one chance to impress your visitors within the first ten seconds of landing on your website before they experience a “stay” or “go” moment depending on the quality of your website’s look, feel, and ease of navigation.

 2. Failing to Research Competitors and Marketplace

Passion in life is important and can lead to happiness, however if you want to turn your passion into a business, you cannot jump into a venture without conducting impartial research in advance. A well-executed market research will show if enough people share a desire to buy your product or service, and it will also reveal the level of saturation in the marketplace which will allow you to determine if you can create a unique niche you can call your own. It’s critical to always check your competitors and find out how their business compares with yours to determine any opportunity for improvement you can capitalize on.

 3. Failing to Build E-Marketing Lists

Are you familiar with the phrase “If you build it, he (they) will come?” Well, when it comes to running a business, building it can be the easy part. Once your business is set and ready to go, you need to start building a relationship with your desired audience. One of the most important pieces of information your website can provide to you is the names and email addresses of visitors. The most effective way to develop an email database is to create a call to action instructing visitors to register. Once people register, they give you permission to send them promotional emails and other information. Keep in mind, it takes time to build and people are more apt to purchase from companies and people they know, like, and trust.

 4. Failing to Track Marketing Campaigns Results

Tracking is the only way to find out what is working and what needs some adjustment. For every marketing strategy a business develops, it’s important to track its Return on Investment (ROI) to avoid wasting precious time and money. For instance, two promotional email campaigns are developed and tracking results shows one worked better than the other. A company is now in a position to better understand how to communicate with their customer base. Keep on testing new ideas and eventually a winning formula will be developed allowing a business to pinpoint the areas where improvement is needed.

 5. Failing to Follow Up With Prospects and Customers

 Sadly, a lot of business owners fail at creating a follow-up system with prospects and consumers which is detrimental to help keep them loyal. Consistent communication builds trust and it can take up to 20 targeted reminders before an interested prospect turns into a customer. Once you have customers, do not ignore them or they will take their business elsewhere. You need to remind your prospects and customers how your benefits and features will help them solve their problems and needs.

What other mistakes can you think of when implementing online marketing strategies?

TwoGirlsConsulting can assist you with any marketing need or pain point you are experiencing. Contact us today.